My Son has the Raffles Lucky Gene

For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, you may remember me writing about my son winning a large teddy bear for the school raffle back in April 2010.

Well, last week, I gave my son $2 to buy more raffle tickets, and guess what!!!

Today he  came home with yet another Prize. This was a large stuffed toy sheep - about 18 inches tall by 15 inches wide.

And being 2 years older, my son no longer wants to be photographed holding this sheep.

So I have had to take a picture of the sheep - now named Sheepie - for the record.


There is a huge difference between being in grade 2 and being in grade 4. 

When my son was in grade 2 he was proud to hold Carrots (the large teddy bear ) and show him off to the world wide web.

Now that he is in grade 4, he no longer wants to do that. He was adamant he would not hold a stuffed sheep in front of the camera. The sheep was allowed to have his photo taken, but not its owner!!!

Update on my flu - I feel terrible.....

I developed an ear ache over the weekend. I couldn't do anything other than take some tylenol for the pain in my jawline. It was killing me.


Anyway, this morning, as soon as my son went off to school, I left to go see the doctor. She says I have an infection in my right ear, (which happens to be my good ear - the one I hear the best with). My temperature was still 37.1 - which is practically close to normal.

So she prescribed me some antibiotics. I picked those up on my way home and am now taking a 500 mg tablet, 3 times per day for the next 10 days.

 There is no more pain in my jaw after taking 3 pills already, but I still feel achy all over. And it really hurts in my chest and face to cough. I have the horribly loud hacking cough too. And I am coughing up that disgusting yellow phlegm again - but fortunately it is only in small amounts.

Oh and my mouth is very dry too. Not sure why but it must have something to do with the earache as my saliva was going completely dry before I started taking these antibiotics.

I know you don't really want to read details - but I want to document my illness.

Edited to Add (ETA)
I had this link sent to me as a FYI.
Cost of the Flu
I am not embedding it because I don't agree with everything it says, but it is somewhat informative.

April is most definitely Flu season

...in the Northern Hemisphere anyway.

 This month of April 2012 has been most wretched for me.

In the days before Easter (from April 6-9) I developed a sore throat and lost my voice. Over Easter I was coughing badly - mostly trying to cough up Phlegm - that's the thick yellow stuff. I know its disgusting to mention or think about, but its a fact of life when you have a cold. My sinuses stayed clear, I could breathe quite easily and I felt pretty good for most of the time - other than the sore throat and having a hoarse voice.

I have Skype chats with my family back in New Zealand on Fridays and 2 weeks ago today I couldn't talk very long because I felt so bad, my voice was hoarse and my throat was sore.


 The week after Easter the cough slowly disappeared and I was definitely getting better. Last weeks chat to my family on skype was much better - my voice was back definitely to normal.

 BUT - blow me down if this week I did not develop ANOTHER sore throat. Now I have different symptoms. So right now (as I type this) I am sneezing a lot - like every 5 minutes - and my nose is constantly running. So it is very sore because I have to keep blowing and wiping it.

I think this is the first time I have ever caught 2 different strains of the cold in the same month - let alone in the same year!!   Today's chat to my family was just like the one from 2 weeks ago. I couldn't stop coughing or yawning (because I was so tired).

Now please do not tell me to get a flu shot. Sorry but I do NOT agree with putting Carcinogens, Mercury and Anti-Freeze into my body for a virus that may or may not be covered.

Half the flu strains in those vaccinations end up not being covered by the flu shot because the medical corporations and the CDC in Atlanta make gross errors of judgement. .

 Its only a cold. Its not going to kill me and I would much rather get  natural immunity. 

Toronto Public Library Strike is OVER

The Toronto Public Library has been on strike for almost 2 weeks.

The Library union finally came to an agreement with the Library board (which is the City council committee that runs the library) yesterday and the agreement was ratified by library staff last night.

As of today (Friday March 30) all libraries will be OPEN.

You can bet I will be at my local branch with bells on, to find some books to read!!



ETA (Edited to Add)

I have just got back from the library - and have finally picked up some new books to read.

But the things I was told about the strike, the union and the Library Board are shocking!!!

1 - The biggest thing that is upsetting the employees is how the Library Union has screwed all the employees.

The Union decreed that they would only pay out strike money to those employees who were out there picketing for 10 full business days. The strike ended after just 9 business days so NOONE will be paid any strike money at all!!!

2 - the Agreement that was ratified says that employees with 11 years seniority or more will get job security - anyone with 10 years or less can still be fired. Whether that is without cause or at will, I don't know.  

I think a fairer agreement should have been to give job security to those who have showed their loyalty and worked there for a minimum of 5 or 6 years.

I was also told that the feeling is that the union rammed this agreement through - and basically told the members that this was the "best" they could do, and if they didnt ratify it, then the city council (Mayor Rob Ford) would just fire everyone and privatise the entire library system. 

So they went on strike for nothing? They picketed for nothing?

They went on strike to get more job security. Only those who have worked for 11 years or more got that security. Everyone else is screwed. 

If the library is privatised, then in order for the new owners to make a profit, they would NOT purchase any or many new books, and all books, magazines, videos. DVDs and music CDs  would now cost money to be borrowed. I would not be surprised if they also charged people (and kids) to use the computers as well.

I can remember back in New Zealand a long time ago when certain books (probably the high demand books) were loaned out for 10 or 20 cents, and I just never bothered to borrow those books. That busines of charging money disppeared fairly quickly....

If the public then chose to not use the new private library then they would go out of business very quickly and there would be NO library at all.

Toronto Public Library now on STRIKE

My local branch of the Toronto Public Library has been closed for several weeks while undergoing renovations. It was reopened just in time for March break (March 12 - 19). I had one opportunity during March break to drop back all my books. I was busy with my son over the break, as he had several appointments he had to attend.

I was planning to go back and relax in the library after the break was over and once my son was back in school. Well today my son went back to school, and I sat down to check on the Library website.

 Guess what. There is a notice saying that all branches of the Toronto Public Library closed at 5 pm last night (Sunday March 18, 2012) because they are now on STRIKE. And why are they on strike?

 The City - and by City I mean Mayor Rob Ford  (or Doug - whichever one of these 2 brothers is currently the mayor) - has been threatening to cut services for some time now. That includes bargaining with the local librarian union.So as of Yesterday they are on strike.

WHAT am I going to read now?? I cant afford to purchase any books. My son needs books to read. I really need a place to get away from home and to relax. The Library is my "ME" Space - where I went to be alone for an hour or two. I haven't had any time during the renovations or during March Break and was desperately counting on some library time today.


Who knows how long this strike will continue for.

There are also rumours that the inside staff (which includes daycare workers) at the Toronto City Council are also planning to go on strike as well. The outside staff - went on strike back in the summer of  2009  That strike lasted for 6 weeks!!!!

I am NOT happy about this situation at all!!!!

Happy Birthday to Bibliohistoria

Happy St Patricks day to all my readers. I haven't posted for 2 months - which is shocking - I know!!!

Today is the 5th birthday of this blog. It was exactly 5 years ago today that I started this blog.

So Happy Birthday to me - Bibliohistoria that is. 

Am not sure that I am going to continue with this blog either. At least not for now. 

I actually spend much more of my time on Squidoo now. I think I prefer Squidoo because there is no requirement to update every day or every week - except when you make a lens on a subject that requires updating. Otherwise, you make a lens on a subject and then you can leave it.

I have read 3 books in the last 2 months but still need to write reviews for them. I will try and do that in the next 3 months before the summer.

Otherwise please don't expect me to write much more here.

I know this may be a disappointment for you but - well c'est la vie - that's just how I work. I am surprised I managed to continue this blog for so long. But as you all know, I have lots of interests and I don't like being a specialist. I like flitting from one interest to another but in a cycle.

Eventually I may come back to reading books - but when that will happen, is the question. When I get some money will be the answer. Right now the economy is poor and I have not had a job for 3 years now.

The Quilters Daughter - Book Review

The Quilters Daughter
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Barbour Publishing (Ohio)
Authors Website

We have all heard of Lancaster County, right? That county in Pennsylvania where the Amish people live? Well, Wanda Brunstetter loves writing about the Amish people and she has written a number of books about them. Almost all involving a romance story. 

This book is Book 2 in the Daughters of Lancaster County series. The first thing to understand is that there are Amish people all over the USA - and in Ohio there is also a large Amish community as well. This community is centred around Holmes County and the town of Berlin - not far from Canton, Ohio

Now because this is book 2, there is a rather large piece of back story missing, as all 3 books in this series are all about the same family.  In Book 1 of the Daughters of Lancaster County- the Shopkeepers Daughter - the daughter Naomi, puts her baby brother Zach down and leaves him for a few minutes. When she returns he is missing - kidnapped. And apart from one advertisement in a newspaper, he has not been seen or heard from since and no ransom demand ever shows up. Naomi's mother had died giving birth to Zach, and some time later Naomi's father (Abraham) remarries - to an Amish woman named Fannie Mae.

In Book 2 - Fannie Mae - who had come from the Amish community in Berlin, Ohio - is pregnant with twins and is having a hard time coping,. She has been put on complete bedrest so she cannot do the house and family chores. Her daughter (from her first marriage)  Abby Miller (she runs a quilt shop in Berlin) offers to come and help Fannie in Lancaster County. Abby is about to get married to Lester. Fannie also runs a quilt shop in Lancaster County.

Abby puts her marriage on hold and cones to stay with her mother. She meets her step siblings - Naomi, Matthew, Jake and Norman. Only Naomi is married with children. None of Fannie's step sons are married yet despite being in their 20s and being eligible for marriage. The Amish dont arrange marriages. The children are allowed to find their own partners - but marriage is encouraged from age 18 upwards.

Some months later, Fannie gives birth to her twins. Abby continues to stay in Lancaster and takes over all the household chores. She seems to be reluctant to return to Berlin. She has not been sleeping well - she has a recurring nightmare about a fire and a kitten. One day she gets a phone call from Berlin to be told that her quilt shop back home was burnt to the ground and that her fiance Lester died trying to save the precious quilts inside. Abby returns to Berlin for the funeral. She then returns to Lancaster County and takes over all the chores of raising the twins, cleaning the house and cooking all the food for her mother and her stepfathers family.

Abby has to keep herself busy so that she doesnt break down and start blaming herself for her fiance's death. If she had returned to Ohio earlier, the shop would not have burned down, Lester would still be alive, and she would now be married to him.

Fannie's cousin takes Abby off to Montana in order to give Abby a new perspective on life. Abby learns that it is Gods will that these things happen and while it does hurt to lose a loved one, you cannot blame yourself and nothing you could have done or said will necessarily have made a difference.

Abby eventually returns to Lancaster Country and admits to her step-brother that she is finally ready to move on with her life. Matthew asks if he can court her - and Abby indicates that yes she is interested.

Interspered with chapters about Abby and her family, we also have chapters about young Jimmy Scott, adopted son of Jim and Linda Scott who live in Washington state. Linda does not know this, but Jim stole Baby Jimmy from a table in the back yard of an Amish home in Pennsylvania and his conscience has been bothering him ever since. This leads to him become rude, curt and working long hours. He is a contract painter - he paints buildings. Their marriage is breaking down and Linda does not know why,

It also doesnt help that Linda is very overprotective of young Jimmy - almost smothering him - and she barely allows him out of her sight all day. She makes a new friend who encourages her to attend church. Linda becomes a christian and then tries to get her husband to become a christian as well. Of course Jim has no interest.

When Jim's father is diagnosed with heart problems and must have surgery, Linda purchases plane tickets for the family to return to Ohio to see his father. Jim is not happy as it reminds him about the Amish from whom he stole baby Jimmy.

Nothing further is resolved about Jimmy other than Jim gets rid of the Amish quilt, the baby had been wrapped in,. The baby quilt ends up in Montana where it is given to Abby who takes it home to Lancaster Country and gives it to Naomi. Naomi recognises it as being Zach's quilt because she is the one who repaired it after one corner of it was torn. So this means that Zach is alive and living in Washington state.

Book 3  takes place some years in the future. Jimmy Scott discovers that he was born in Pennsylvania and returns to that state to find his family. He meets and falls in love woth Leona Weaver - the Bishops Daughter,. And yes the Amish do have bishops.

While I personally did not like all the bible verses and the christian backstory of the Scotts, I did enjoy reading about the Amish culture. If I see books 1 or 3 of this series, I will read them, but I wont go out of my way to look for them.

One reason I like the Amish people is that they have a much simpler life - they live a slower life - almost like the early pioneers did - and I for one would love to return to that simpler life - although I would really miss the computer and the internet in the process.  But that is what books are for. So it's a good thing I love reading too.