The Clonking Issue And Other Stuff in Scottish Meanderings
- Sept. 17, 2019, 6:39 p.m.
- |
- Public
To e Or Not To e
The title refers to a current problem of my nightly routine before I go to sleep - I pick up a book, get a few pages in and start to drift off, whereupon said book ‘clonks’ on top of my face in an alarming fashion. Not only is this painful (especially if it's a hardback) but it wakes me up again thereby defeating the main purpose of the activity :)
So after a recent birthday where I was given some money, I thought about buying an e-reader. It wouldn’t solve the clonking issue per se but presumably the end result would be a slightly lighter clonk.
I reviewed the most recent Kindle Paperwhite and compared it to others of the same ilk then made the mistake of looking at the Oasis. At twice the price and with much more storage, there’s really no need for me to spend that much but I do like the larger screen and different design I have to admit and am now making up all those daft reasons we come up with to justify spending an amount we don’t need to spend.
So I’m wondering if those of you who have e-readers could give me a summary of why you like yours? Has your e-reader taken over the reading of ‘normal’ books or do you end up still doing both? And has your sleep been affected? (I know the front light thing is more conducive to sleep but I’ve heard recent reports that there may still be issues for some people).
To i Or Not To i
I also need to upgrade my phone but can’t decide if I want to switch to an Android or not. I have a Mac and an iPad so it’s handy having them all linked I must admit but I would prefer a larger phone and a better camera. I’m sick of looking at all the choices so again - if any of you have recently made the switch and are delighted/dismayed with the outcome - can you let me know? Or if you just have a super-duper phone which you absolutely love also let me know and tell me what you like about it.
I did buy a handy little gadget though which might help things in the interim. It’s a flash drive with a lightening connection which means you can pop it into an iPhone and transfer your photos and videos/documents on to it thereby freeing up storage on an overloaded phone. Stuff on it can then be transferred to a computer or just kept on the drive.
I do back up everything in the Cloud but seem to have major problems getting photos off my phone when I connect it to my Mac (I thought it would be simple enough to select a large number and transfer them over to the Mac but I can only get it to do one at a time somehow) and if I delete any from the phone they’re also deleted from the iCloud and vice versa. So I’m hoping by using this, I can make the phone last a little longer until I decide what I’m doing.
My Birthday
I had a lovely birthday on the 5th but had to laugh at one of my presents from Nikki. Normally around a week or so before, I get frantic requests for suggestions as to what I want but this year there was nothing which either meant she was really disorganised or she’d got something in mind and I suspected the latter. The reason being a couple of weeks earlier, she’d been going through my photo albums to pilfer some snaps to make a 70th birthday present for her Dad. In the course of that, the girls came across my wedding album and wanted to see it.
I mentioned that I still had my wedding and engagement rings too so they wanted to see them as well and were pretending they were getting married with a ‘ceremony’ and ‘wedding dance’ which was quite hilarious.
Then I said I still had my wedding dress somewhere.
Great excitement! “Can we see it Granny?”
Not a problem - except I had no idea where it was so there ensued a major search of the house and shed and I finally found it stashed in a box at the bottom of my wardrobe. I can remember writing an entry on Open Diary about it yonks ago lamenting its ruin - I’m not sure what happened but somewhere along the way, something must have got spilled on it and it spread - and spread - until it looked suspiciously like there’d been a bloodbath of a wedding day!
I still couldn't bear to part with it because even in that state, I could remember how happy I was on my wedding day just by looking at it and touching it. Years later, thinking the girls could use it for dressing up, I had taken it to the dry cleaners but they said it was so bad they wouldn’t touch it and I was too scared to try any treatment on it in case I made it worse.
Lily put it on back to front and it didn’t look too bad as long as she didn’t turn sideways in which case it looked like she’d had an unfortunate toilet mishap!
Doing the Wedding Dance.
This is what it looked like on my wedding day (before the murder :)
I feel ancient looking at this - these little page boys and flower girls are celebrating 40th birthdays and have families of their own now!
Nikki asked if she could take it home to see if she could try her Vanish Gold on part of the stain and I said sure - it certainly wasn’t doing any good languishing at the bottom of a wardrobe. So when there was no anguished “What do you want for you birthdaaaaaay?” leading up to the date, I thought surely not??
But having opened three other presents I was then ceremoniously presented with a lovely floral box and when I opened it, there was the dress pretty much all cleaned up! I tried to feign as much delight as I possibly could and apparently there was a bit of disappointment that it wasn’t quite enough - especially when I realised she was recording my reaction!
Don’t get me wrong - I’m delighted it’s mainly clean now (there were a few stubborn bits on the lace) but obviously it would have had slightly more impact if I had still been married and still been madly in love with Boyd! The fact we had a hellish marriage and got divorced 10 years ago mars the issue. Just a tad.
It’s the thought that counts.
Trying it on - complete with Me To You slippers.
(I love the crazy mermaid by my side.)
(Don’t congratulate me in getting into it - the back isn’t zipped up :)
Nikki laid on a cream tea for us all and bought me a toffee pavlova bomb which is as yummy as it looks. Ruari had his first fresh cream strawberry tart and loved it! And she was so proud that both girls asked for more sandwiches after having only one cake - we fully expected them to take advantage of being allowed to 'go straight to pudding' without having to eat something healthy first!
And for once the red roses she bought me are still alive and looking gorgeous because she also got me a beautiful engraved crystal vase so I was able to put the flowers in water straight away - she is notorious for giving me flowers or plants which are half dead by the time I get them because she’s had them lying on a worktop or in the car for hours on end!
Scrabble Nights
Normally when I go to see the kids I go out in the afternoon, stay for tea, then leave just after bedtime but this doesn’t give Nikki & I much chance to chat. When the girls go to Joel’s every second weekend I go out then as well so we get a better opportunity to catch up and lately she’s been asking me to stay and play Scrabble because she’s so starved of adult company and sleep-deprived! (Ruari’s teething so has been waking up at nights).
Playing games I’m delighted to do but lasting out the evening has been tricky occasionally - however I’ve done a few evening babysitting stints in the last few months and they haven't been too bad - I’m just careful to keep the next day free for a ‘down day’. On Saturday I went out at 5.30 p.m. and didn’t leave until after 2 a.m. so I was really pleased with that.
I was starting to feel it by the time I left though and to be fair it did make for a pretty white knuckle drive home because I get quite dizzy when I get overexhausted but the roads are back roads and are dead quiet at that time so it’s okay.
Our relationship is a whole lot better now and in fact we had hysterics on Saturday night and both of us said we couldn’t remember the last time we’d done that - I mean we’ll often laugh at something the kids do or amuse ourselves in our texts - but this was completely-losing-the-plot-out-and-out-belly-laughing-hysterics-complete-with-tears :)
That felt so good.
It made me wonder if my mum and my auntie were sitting there with us because after the Scrabble, I was teaching her one of Mum’s favourite card games - Nominations - and of course forgetting half the rules causing more hilarity. When Mum came down to Aberdeen (where I live) to visit her sister, Nellie, the 3 of us would get together to play triple patience and in the course of cards flying everywhere (they were brilliant and very fast players) they would reminisce about the old days.
Listening to them was totally fascinating and completely entertaining and, every single time, without fail, I would end up in absolute hysterics, wiping tears from my eyes while desperately trying to keep control to win the game. Often I had to give up :)
And Uncle Charlie would sit there in the corner in his armchair shaking his head at us but his eyes would be twinkling with merriment at seeing us having such a laugh.
Writing that has made me remember I mentioned them in a piece of writing for the Scottish Book Trust which was published online recently - the theme was ‘Blether’. (Scots word for having a good chat/natter). It’s here if you want to read it -
http://www.bletherstories.com/Blether14/12/
I’m all organised for the writing group tomorrow night in the sense I actually have something all ready in time for once (a poem) so just have to get myself there and last out. I’m praying I don’t wake up like I did this morning at 4.30 a.m. with toothache - a bottom tooth needing filled being the culprit (I have an appointment with the dentist but it’s not for a week or two yet.). That’s because I had a late night on Saturday night not getting to sleep until 4 a.m. and being woken by Bailey at 7.30 so I was already sleep-deprived. If that happens again tonight I’ll be scuppered and will never last through to the evening.
All fingers and limbs crossed please🤞😁
The title refers to a current problem of my nightly routine before I go to sleep - I pick up a book, get a few pages in and start to drift off, whereupon said book ‘clonks’ on top of my face in an alarming fashion. Not only is this painful (especially if it's a hardback) but it wakes me up again thereby defeating the main purpose of the activity :)
So after a recent birthday where I was given some money, I thought about buying an e-reader. It wouldn’t solve the clonking issue per se but presumably the end result would be a slightly lighter clonk.
I reviewed the most recent Kindle Paperwhite and compared it to others of the same ilk then made the mistake of looking at the Oasis. At twice the price and with much more storage, there’s really no need for me to spend that much but I do like the larger screen and different design I have to admit and am now making up all those daft reasons we come up with to justify spending an amount we don’t need to spend.
So I’m wondering if those of you who have e-readers could give me a summary of why you like yours? Has your e-reader taken over the reading of ‘normal’ books or do you end up still doing both? And has your sleep been affected? (I know the front light thing is more conducive to sleep but I’ve heard recent reports that there may still be issues for some people).
To i Or Not To i
I also need to upgrade my phone but can’t decide if I want to switch to an Android or not. I have a Mac and an iPad so it’s handy having them all linked I must admit but I would prefer a larger phone and a better camera. I’m sick of looking at all the choices so again - if any of you have recently made the switch and are delighted/dismayed with the outcome - can you let me know? Or if you just have a super-duper phone which you absolutely love also let me know and tell me what you like about it.
I did buy a handy little gadget though which might help things in the interim. It’s a flash drive with a lightening connection which means you can pop it into an iPhone and transfer your photos and videos/documents on to it thereby freeing up storage on an overloaded phone. Stuff on it can then be transferred to a computer or just kept on the drive.
I do back up everything in the Cloud but seem to have major problems getting photos off my phone when I connect it to my Mac (I thought it would be simple enough to select a large number and transfer them over to the Mac but I can only get it to do one at a time somehow) and if I delete any from the phone they’re also deleted from the iCloud and vice versa. So I’m hoping by using this, I can make the phone last a little longer until I decide what I’m doing.
My Birthday
I had a lovely birthday on the 5th but had to laugh at one of my presents from Nikki. Normally around a week or so before, I get frantic requests for suggestions as to what I want but this year there was nothing which either meant she was really disorganised or she’d got something in mind and I suspected the latter. The reason being a couple of weeks earlier, she’d been going through my photo albums to pilfer some snaps to make a 70th birthday present for her Dad. In the course of that, the girls came across my wedding album and wanted to see it.
I mentioned that I still had my wedding and engagement rings too so they wanted to see them as well and were pretending they were getting married with a ‘ceremony’ and ‘wedding dance’ which was quite hilarious.
Then I said I still had my wedding dress somewhere.
Great excitement! “Can we see it Granny?”
Not a problem - except I had no idea where it was so there ensued a major search of the house and shed and I finally found it stashed in a box at the bottom of my wardrobe. I can remember writing an entry on Open Diary about it yonks ago lamenting its ruin - I’m not sure what happened but somewhere along the way, something must have got spilled on it and it spread - and spread - until it looked suspiciously like there’d been a bloodbath of a wedding day!
I still couldn't bear to part with it because even in that state, I could remember how happy I was on my wedding day just by looking at it and touching it. Years later, thinking the girls could use it for dressing up, I had taken it to the dry cleaners but they said it was so bad they wouldn’t touch it and I was too scared to try any treatment on it in case I made it worse.
Lily put it on back to front and it didn’t look too bad as long as she didn’t turn sideways in which case it looked like she’d had an unfortunate toilet mishap!
Doing the Wedding Dance.
This is what it looked like on my wedding day (before the murder :)
I feel ancient looking at this - these little page boys and flower girls are celebrating 40th birthdays and have families of their own now!
Nikki asked if she could take it home to see if she could try her Vanish Gold on part of the stain and I said sure - it certainly wasn’t doing any good languishing at the bottom of a wardrobe. So when there was no anguished “What do you want for you birthdaaaaaay?” leading up to the date, I thought surely not??
But having opened three other presents I was then ceremoniously presented with a lovely floral box and when I opened it, there was the dress pretty much all cleaned up! I tried to feign as much delight as I possibly could and apparently there was a bit of disappointment that it wasn’t quite enough - especially when I realised she was recording my reaction!
Don’t get me wrong - I’m delighted it’s mainly clean now (there were a few stubborn bits on the lace) but obviously it would have had slightly more impact if I had still been married and still been madly in love with Boyd! The fact we had a hellish marriage and got divorced 10 years ago mars the issue. Just a tad.
It’s the thought that counts.
Trying it on - complete with Me To You slippers.
(I love the crazy mermaid by my side.)
(Don’t congratulate me in getting into it - the back isn’t zipped up :)
Nikki laid on a cream tea for us all and bought me a toffee pavlova bomb which is as yummy as it looks. Ruari had his first fresh cream strawberry tart and loved it! And she was so proud that both girls asked for more sandwiches after having only one cake - we fully expected them to take advantage of being allowed to 'go straight to pudding' without having to eat something healthy first!
And for once the red roses she bought me are still alive and looking gorgeous because she also got me a beautiful engraved crystal vase so I was able to put the flowers in water straight away - she is notorious for giving me flowers or plants which are half dead by the time I get them because she’s had them lying on a worktop or in the car for hours on end!
Scrabble Nights
Normally when I go to see the kids I go out in the afternoon, stay for tea, then leave just after bedtime but this doesn’t give Nikki & I much chance to chat. When the girls go to Joel’s every second weekend I go out then as well so we get a better opportunity to catch up and lately she’s been asking me to stay and play Scrabble because she’s so starved of adult company and sleep-deprived! (Ruari’s teething so has been waking up at nights).
Playing games I’m delighted to do but lasting out the evening has been tricky occasionally - however I’ve done a few evening babysitting stints in the last few months and they haven't been too bad - I’m just careful to keep the next day free for a ‘down day’. On Saturday I went out at 5.30 p.m. and didn’t leave until after 2 a.m. so I was really pleased with that.
I was starting to feel it by the time I left though and to be fair it did make for a pretty white knuckle drive home because I get quite dizzy when I get overexhausted but the roads are back roads and are dead quiet at that time so it’s okay.
Our relationship is a whole lot better now and in fact we had hysterics on Saturday night and both of us said we couldn’t remember the last time we’d done that - I mean we’ll often laugh at something the kids do or amuse ourselves in our texts - but this was completely-losing-the-plot-out-and-out-belly-laughing-hysterics-complete-with-tears :)
That felt so good.
It made me wonder if my mum and my auntie were sitting there with us because after the Scrabble, I was teaching her one of Mum’s favourite card games - Nominations - and of course forgetting half the rules causing more hilarity. When Mum came down to Aberdeen (where I live) to visit her sister, Nellie, the 3 of us would get together to play triple patience and in the course of cards flying everywhere (they were brilliant and very fast players) they would reminisce about the old days.
Listening to them was totally fascinating and completely entertaining and, every single time, without fail, I would end up in absolute hysterics, wiping tears from my eyes while desperately trying to keep control to win the game. Often I had to give up :)
And Uncle Charlie would sit there in the corner in his armchair shaking his head at us but his eyes would be twinkling with merriment at seeing us having such a laugh.
Writing that has made me remember I mentioned them in a piece of writing for the Scottish Book Trust which was published online recently - the theme was ‘Blether’. (Scots word for having a good chat/natter). It’s here if you want to read it -
http://www.bletherstories.com/Blether14/12/
I’m all organised for the writing group tomorrow night in the sense I actually have something all ready in time for once (a poem) so just have to get myself there and last out. I’m praying I don’t wake up like I did this morning at 4.30 a.m. with toothache - a bottom tooth needing filled being the culprit (I have an appointment with the dentist but it’s not for a week or two yet.). That’s because I had a late night on Saturday night not getting to sleep until 4 a.m. and being woken by Bailey at 7.30 so I was already sleep-deprived. If that happens again tonight I’ll be scuppered and will never last through to the evening.
All fingers and limbs crossed please🤞😁
130 Comments
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Ginger Snap ⋅ September 17, 2019
I'm trying to avoid screens at bedtime, so I think a Kindle is supposed to be better than a "screen", but I also love the feel of a book in my hands. Can't help with the Clonk issue!
I agree with Oscar - I'd stick with Apple products. They are amazingly compatible. I did the Android switch a few years back and regretted it - it was like learning a new language!
Love the dress story but agree with you - kind of a strange gift since your marriage was not happy. But I LOVED seeing the photos!
Also love learning new words...especially Scottish words! ;)
Marg Ginger Snap ⋅ September 18, 2019
There seems to be a few folk who are advising against the Androids so I might go back down the Apple route - thanks for your input! I think I need to get my butt in gear and get into town and try a few out - that might sway the decision somewhat. Someone was saying our 'blether' is the equivalent of your 'blather' - I had thought they were slightly different - as in blathering was yammering on about nothing very much?
ConnieK ⋅ September 18, 2019
Happy birthday and I still commend you...I highly doubt my arms would fit in my dress. I get what you mean on the non-sentimental aspect. I am SO sorry that tooth is still troubling you but thrilled that Nikki has dropped the hyper-defensive mode!
Marg ConnieK ⋅ September 18, 2019
The arms were about the only thing which DID fit into the dress!! No toothache last night or all day yesterday thank goodness - I've been eating on the other side of my mouth so maybe it was small bits of food which were getting stuck in there. Hopefully it'll last out until my appointment on the 2nd October :)
IpsoFacto ⋅ September 18, 2019
what a great entry. I am a long time online (OD and Facebook) friend of Janet (Orange Sorbet) and an American married to an Englishman. All of our grandchildren in UK are half Scottish with names like Iona and Hamish.
Marg IpsoFacto ⋅ September 18, 2019
I think I used to read you on OD - the name's certainly familiar! Hi! I stay about 100 miles north from Janet :) Those are lovely kids' names - it's a goal of mine to get to the island of Iona over here - it's supposed to be really zen and peaceful.
thesunnyabyss ⋅ September 18, 2019
Happy Belated Birthday, and I don't care if your beautiful dress is open at the back, you look amazing, then and now!!!!
I love my android, it's a Samsung, I'm very brand loyal to them bc I've never had any issues with any of their phone or tablets,
so good to hear you and Nikki are getting on well again, kids, sigh, lol, much head shaking going on at my house these days,
good to hear things are well, have a great day!!!
Marg thesunnyabyss ⋅ September 18, 2019
Aw thank you! My nephew and my brother both have a Samsung Galaxy and I've been pretty impressed with them I have to admit. Especially the camera - it's amazing!
Yeah it's nice to have that relationship back but I can very much relate to the head shaking - did far too much of that in previous years (and still do occasionally) that I'm surprised my brain still exists :)
thesunnyabyss Marg ⋅ September 18, 2019
oh the samsung cameras are truly awesome for a phone camera, I get such great shots, and everytime I upgrade my phone the camera is even better,
I have to tell you that my beloved gramma's family came here from Scotland and if there was ever one place I'd like to visit it's there,
Marg thesunnyabyss ⋅ September 18, 2019
Which part of Scotland did she come from?
thesunnyabyss Marg ⋅ September 18, 2019
I would have to look that up, I want to say Aberdeen, but she's been gone for so long now, wow almost 30 years, I'll get back to you on that,
Marg thesunnyabyss ⋅ September 19, 2019
Oh wow that’s so cool being where I am! If you found out where she stayed I could go and take a photo!
thesunnyabyss Marg ⋅ September 19, 2019
thanks, it will take me a few days to figure it out, the stuff is all in boxes in the basement, of course,
thesunnyabyss Marg ⋅ September 18, 2019
also I believe she was born here, but her most of her sibs were born there, one even came across in utero the story goes, lol,
Marg thesunnyabyss ⋅ September 19, 2019
Why did they come across? Was it for work or a better life?
Jinn ⋅ September 18, 2019
Happy Belated Birthday ! You were a beautiful bride and none too shabby looking now either ! Boyd was handsome , too bad he did not work out :-(
I have an iPhone 10 plus . I put the Kindle app on it ( as I have all my iPhones) and it works great . I have several hundred books in the app. Most I got for a very minimal price or free . Very few I paid full price for . I find it easier to read at night with my phone because of course Frank has to have the lights out . God forbid he see any light. :-) Also if I doze off and it falls, the phone hurts less than my hard bound book ( but during the other times I prefer real books) . I can read all of them in the Kindle app on my mini iPad too but I don’t like it as well . I do not know why .
Marg Jinn ⋅ September 18, 2019
God forbid he see any light - laughed so much at that! And thank you for the compliments! Boyd was a good-looking bloke in his day but unfortunately there was too much damaged on the inside for it to ever work out :(
I do have the Kindle app on my iPad and phone and tried that but I'm worried about the whole frontlight business and it interfering with sleep and I couldn't quite get into books in the same way as if I had a 'real' book for some reason. I think I'm just worried about spending money on a Kindle then not using it enough!
mcbee ⋅ September 18, 2019
Happy belated birthday. I loved this entry and the story about the dress. You do it proud both then and now. Amazing that she did that good a clean up on it...but yes...not much sentimental value after all the history is considered. I get it.
Marg mcbee ⋅ September 18, 2019 (edited September 18, 2019)
Edited
Thank you! I was surprised the Vanish worked so well on it I must admit and wish I'd tried that myself years earlier :) I'm glad you got what I meant - I felt bad for not appreciating more what she'd done but it just seemed an odd thing to expect me to go into raptures over!
Kristi1971 ⋅ September 18, 2019
I have the Kindle 10 tablet. I really enjoy it. I can use the light reduction feature to temper the glow if need, but I sleep so well whether there is light or not. I am about 40/40/20 right now. 40% kindle, 40% book, and 20% audible. I love love love having options! If I want a book quickly, I can download it to the tablet. :) Sometimes I like to listen, so I download to my phone and pop the earbuds in at work.
Happy Birthday!! That was a sweet gesture even if the marriage was not the best. I still have my dress in the box it came back from the cleaners in....I've never opened it to look at it. The box is sitting in my bedroom.
Marg Kristi1971 ⋅ September 18, 2019
Thanks for the input re the Kindle - that's true - I would at least have the option of physical book or e-reader if I got one and at least all books would be available then - heavy hardbacks an' all! Without any clonking :)
Oh are you not tempted to try it on again? Even just to show the girls?
Kristi1971 Marg ⋅ September 18, 2019
No...I was probably 30 pounds lighter. It would just remind me of the weight I don't want to have now. Also, I don't want it to get dirty at all. My niece told me at the wedding that she wanted to wear it for her wedding. At the time, I wasn't thinking I'd have more children, so said sure! Who knows, the girls may want to wear it someday.
Marg Kristi1971 ⋅ September 18, 2019
Aw wouldn't that be lovely if they did!
Kristi1971 Marg ⋅ September 19, 2019
They may or may not - depending on the trends of the time...my dress is white, but not all white. It's got a lot of red in it (my favorite color). It was my 2nd wedding, and I wanted a dress that was all me. :) I borrowed a dress for my 1st wedding.
Marg Kristi1971 ⋅ September 19, 2019
Yeah that's the thing - the fashions change so much so that might dictate what happens right enough. My sister gave me total carte blanche on my bridesmaid's dress for her wedding (I was the only bridesmaid) and I chose this long red and white print gypsy-style dress which I loved :)
She wanted to get married in black but Mum wouldn't let her! She ended up with a dress from Oxfam which cost £50 - totally suited her though.
Kristi1971 ⋅ September 18, 2019
I still love to play cards, and Scrabble, and games....it seems in the digital age, it's not done so much anymore
Marg Kristi1971 ⋅ September 18, 2019
I think it is - at least over here it is - and I have a diarist friend in Australia who regularly has games of Scrabble with her friends, husband and son! I just love it :)
Kristi1971 Marg ⋅ September 18, 2019
Maybe that's the problem....I don't have friends who play - that I know of.....I think I might ask about. it might be fun to have a monthly board game night with friends. Thanks for helping me get to this idea!
Marg Kristi1971 ⋅ September 18, 2019
You're very welcome :) I've noticed MeetUp groups sometimes have Scrabble/board games nights advertised - that might be an option to get something started?
JustSurviveSomehow ⋅ September 18, 2019
I borrowed my friend's kindle once because I wanted to read a specific book that she had on there, and I really enjoyed it actually, but I can't get over the novelty of having a physical copy of a book. For that reason, I would never buy one myself.
I have an Android (LG G4S) and I love it. I just switched over to a smart phone, I just chose an Android because it was cheaper. The only thing I really care about is pictures, and I was told that the pictures are SO much better on Android anyways.
Happy Belated Birthday! That was a very sweet gesture by your daughter. She knew that it meant something to you if you had held onto it for all of those years, even if she didn't get the reaction that she wanted.
Marg JustSurviveSomehow ⋅ September 18, 2019
Thanks for your input - the Androids are definitely a cheaper option even if they take some getting used to after you've had an iPhone and the cameras are pretty impressive that's true!
You're right - the dress DID mean something even if the marriage failed miserably. I couldn't part with it because I still remember how special it made me feel on the day - even in its present state! So I am really pleased it's all cleaned up now - she did a good job :)
noko ⋅ September 18, 2019
I bought one of the original Kindles about 10 years ago so I could read on the bus. (I was spending a lot of time on the bus and read a 900 page novel that way!) Later I bought a Fire but now I just use the app on my phone or iPad. I listen to podcasts or audiobooks at bedtime. The cats (who always want to be on me) and actual books are not compatible so when I read them I read during the day in a chair. I close the cover of my iPad when I listen to things and then don't have the light issue. I do miss books and have a stack but until I retire, not the time.
Marg noko ⋅ September 18, 2019
Thanks for that input! Do you find you drop off to sleep easily listening to the audiobooks/podcasts?
noko Marg ⋅ September 18, 2019
I do. The trick is not to listen to anything too interesting. :) The audio books have a sleep feature you can set so it doesn't keep going after you fall asleep. I find things like the history of India and Colonial U.S. are most excellent to help me drop off. But I know there are a number of great podcasts with carefully calibrated stories to keep the mind engaged enough to not ruminate but not exciting enough to keep one awake. The Calm app has some narrated by Stephen Fry and they also have the guy that used to do the Shipping News in England.
Marg noko ⋅ September 19, 2019
Haha love the thought of dropping off to the shipping news - it is pretty soporific right enough!
noko Marg ⋅ September 19, 2019
Everybody in my family loved this podcast about The Shipping Forecast...
https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-shipping-forecast/
noko ⋅ September 18, 2019
I use Google photos, which automatically uploads my photos to all my devices from my iPhone SE. I love the SE, it is small and I have my iPad for home. I got it for free because it was an older model and I am a loyal customer of a socially responsible phone company here called Credo Mobile. I had Galaxies before. We do everything by mail so no deciding in a store, which I like. I recently transferred 13,000 photos from my MacBook pro to the Cloud. We used an external drive and it took about three days but it is so cool because I can access all my photos from anywhere.
Marg noko ⋅ September 18, 2019
There must be something I'm not doing properly with this transferring photos business - I've never managed it to do it yet! And if I try to delete a photos/photos it gets deleted from all the devices and the cloud😕
noko Marg ⋅ September 18, 2019 (edited September 18, 2019)
Edited
When I get a minute I will see if I can figure out what setting I am using on Google Photos but that is just it...having it loaded on your phone and a setting. You just need to be on WiFi and it updates the photos across all your designated devices. You probably need a gmail account. Mrs. Sherlock is having the same issue with her phone being full and not wanting to delete anything for fear of losing them. I do pay $3 a month for Cloud Storage.
Marg noko ⋅ September 19, 2019
Yes the Cloud updates mine automatically without the phone needing to be connected but I can’t seem to find a way to transfer lots off the phone to my Mac at one time to free up space. I can only find a way of exporting them one at a time. Having said that, I haven’t connected the phone to the Mac for quite a while so I’ll give it another go sometime.
noko Marg ⋅ September 19, 2019
Ah, I think I understand. So I do only load photos onto my Mac from the cloud when I want to use one in a post here. It sounds like that would work for you but the problem is when you delete them off the phone they are deleted off the Cloud too. Again that is a settings thing. If I figure it out, I'll share.
Marg noko ⋅ September 19, 2019
That would be great - thanks so much!
noko ⋅ September 18, 2019
Even though I am lucky enough, and I know it is rare, to have an ex-husband who is a truly nice guy, I would think the interest and focus on my wedding dress by the younger folks would be disconcerting. So I can well imagine your ambivalence to this thoughtful gift. They will all understand, your daughter and your girls when they are a little older...but for now the romance of that time for you must be intoxicating for them. So glad to read of the gift of the improved relationship and the belly laughs about the game as well as the happy memories of your mother and her cohort.
Purple Dawn ⋅ September 18, 2019
Happy Belated Birthday! You look lovely :)
Marg Purple Dawn ⋅ September 19, 2019
Aw thank you!
Justlovely ⋅ September 21, 2019
So, regarding e-readers. I have a Samsung Tablet. It's a few years old, and sometimes it tells me I'm out of storage space for books. I use the BarnesandNoble book app and also Kindle app. I love being able to buy books on the spot. I've bought so many because I don't have to worry about them taking up space on shelves. I have a cover that lets it sit on the bed in front of me, so when I fall asleep, it falls off the bed onto the floor, not on my face. BTW: Thank you for that laugh. I"m so sorry, but you really made me laugh with that! Some books are not good to get as "e" books, if they have graphics. My old eyes can't see well. BUT I can change the font on the screen of written word, and I love that feature. I hate that all my books "aren't real" and that they could go up in a poof of smoke some day with a computer glitch, but I simply cannot have more real books in my house, because we have to move with the military. So, I love being able to own so many books that don't take up space. I think you should totally buy the most fancy expensive device you can find, and pick the company that you get advice will have the best customer service. I've had trouble with both B&N and Amazon, unfortunately. OH! Also, I love borrowing e books from the library, which we can do here and download as a kindle book. (Then it goes away when your loan is up.)
Marg Justlovely ⋅ September 21, 2019
Thanks for your input! I have used apps on my iPad and iPhone but that’s not good for sleep because they’re backlit whereas the Kindles are frontlit and most of my reading will be done at bedtime just before I go to sleep so I don’t want to do anything which will interfere with that. I tried propping up my iPad on the bed in its case but couldn’t then see it properly to read and when I tried holding it .... guess what .... CLONK .... onto the face yet again! I’m surprised I’m not black and blue by now :) I think I need to try to get into town and try the Paperwhite and Oasis out and that might help sway the decision somewhat.
Justlovely Marg ⋅ September 21, 2019
What I read about the blue light thing was that the main big study regarding that was actually specific to Ipad/Apple products. That's definitely a factor I hadn't remembered. I have taken "breaks" from my device at night and it has no effect good or bad on my sleep patterns. My cell phone does keep me up if I use it at night. I'm eager to hear if you'll find something that will work. I think the availability of books it will open up for you to own will be a great reward. BTW, we have had android phones all along, and I think if you're accustomed to iphone, it will feel like an unwelcome down grade to switch to android.
Marg Justlovely ⋅ September 22, 2019
A few folk have said that and I know of some who have made the transition with mixed results so maybe I'd be better off sticking to what I know right enough. I'll keep you updated as to progress with the 'e or not to e' situation!
Justlovely ⋅ September 21, 2019
I love all the photos!! That is a lovely wedding dress!
Justlovely ⋅ September 21, 2019
You sound good. Happy Birthday, very late!
Marg Justlovely ⋅ September 21, 2019
Thank you!
NorthernSeeker ⋅ September 22, 2019
I too fall asleep while reading but generally I settle the book on my torso somewhere before I drift off. The next time I wake up I put it on the side table and turn out the light. I have never used an e-reader.
What terrific photos of your granddaughters playing with the wedding dress. I think there has to be a bridesmaid dress in the future so they can wear the finery together. You look like a Disney princess in the dress and it LOOKS like it's zipped up in the back so we will just go with that!
It's great to hear that you and Nicki are having more fun together. Hysterics are good!
Oswego ⋅ September 24, 2019
I’d say stick with the Kindle. I have the Kindle Fire. It’s good and reliable. I have the app on my iPhone and iPad. I also recommend you stick with the iPhone over Android. (Can you tell I’m an Apple partisan? Nothing but Apple products for me since 1997). I have hundreds of ebooks on my Kindle and iBooks, and I love having the virtual library even if I rarely read the books. Caregiving prohibits me from reading that much with all the demands on me 24 hours a day. I have a huge library of print books, half of which are coffee table books. As you can see I just love buying books. I have loved book buying my whole life,3 but I read more books in pre-Internet days. (Sighs). Most of my reading is done on my phone, including an overwhelming number of articles from a multitude of sources. I think I’ve always had ADHD. 🙂📖😌
Enjoyed all the photos in your entry, as always. You write such newsy and entertaining entries!
Marg Oswego ⋅ September 24, 2019
Aw thank you - I’m really glad you enjoy them because I know the longer entries annoy some people and I realise it’s difficult to make comments on an entry with a lot in it.
I’m definitely getting a Kindle but can’t decide between the Paperwhite and Oasis. The Oasis is really overpriced but I got a cheque for my birthday for half the amount so of course I’m now ‘justifying’ the price in every illogical way possible😁. Since I became ill my reading seems to have gone out the window which was a source of great sadness as I adored books so I’m really hoping that by having loads more books available to me (if I got a Kindle), it might kick start the whole thing off again. For that reason alone it would be worth it😊
I think it probably makes sense to stay with Apple re the phone because I have 2 other Apple products but I just love the design of the Samsung Galaxy (10) - I’ve almost got to the point of trying desperately to find things wrong with it which would sway the issue!
Serin ⋅ September 25, 2019
I've been reading ebooks since 1995, and as much as I love physical books, I haven't bought one in perhaps 10 years. I do about 90% of my reading on my phone, about about 10% on 6" kobo. I run my phone with Moon+Reader in nightmode (all the time) so white text on black background. And then at night, I turn the brightness down to nearly zero. The ereader I leave in auto-night mode but again, i turn the brightness way down, until just before the backlight turns off. Also, newer ereaders have nighttime modes where the colour temperature of the light goes yellow (less blue) to make it less harsh.
You'll still whap yourself in the face if you're holding it straight up. And the battery supplies some of the missing heft the book would have brought you. I tend to rest the book on the other end of the pillow now, and I get be-thupped much less. :)
And make sure you physically see the model you want (or close kin) so you can be sure you can get a decent amount of text at a size that your eyes won't curse you for.
Marg Serin ⋅ September 25, 2019
That's exactly what I did this afternoon - went into town and physically held some models. I'm glad I did because I felt the 6" Kindle Paperwhite was too small and the Oasis seemed tiny so it was a useful exercise :)
Serin ⋅ September 25, 2019
You look magical, especially with your mermaid sidekick.
edna million ⋅ October 01, 2019
I've had a Kindle for ... 6 or 7 years??? Quite some time, and have upgraded twice with the trade in program Amazon has. My current one is a paperwhite and I LOVE it. It's small and thin enough to be very portable, and I've always got something to read. Or a million somethings. I don't find that the light affects my sleep at all, and although I also have had it hit me in the face due to falling asleep while reading, it's very light and not painful!
I feel a little traitorous saying it, but in many ways I prefer it to an actual physical book. I'm so used to reading on it that it's normal now, and you can pretty much get anything you want immediately. Which is also a downside since it's REALLY easy to make impulse purchases. BUT you can get samples for free, and that's what I do for books I think I'd like to read eventually - I get a sample and it's a reminder and also a way to see what I think before spending money.
Marg edna million ⋅ October 02, 2019
Thanks for that - I’m going to hold off on the Kindle as I’ve used the money to go towards a new iphone (XR) so as it’s a big bigger than the one I had (5C!!) I’ll download the app and try that first then if that seems to be affecting sleep I’m going to go with the Paperwhite. I finally found the Oasis in John Lewis to try out and it seemed tiny and definitely not worth the extra money! I’ve used that ‘free sample’ deal quite a lot when I was using the app - it really is great for finding out if you think you’ll like the book :)
edna million Marg ⋅ October 10, 2019
That sounds like a great plan for the Kindle issue - I bet the phone app will be fine on a bigger phone, and if it has night view (setting?? Whatever it is... ) which I think they all do by now, it wouldn't be likely to bother your sleep.
edna million ⋅ October 01, 2019
I've never had a smart phone other than my IPhone, so can't speak to that! My current one is an 8 and I really like it. It's small but I know the 8 + is considerably larger. The camera is great.
That is a very pretty dress, and thoughtful of Nikki to restore it for you! I do have to agree that it would probably be a lot more meaningful if you were still happily in the marriage, but it's the thought that counts!
Marg edna million ⋅ October 02, 2019
I’m now the current owner of a beautiful shiny red XR delivered yesterday - researched the hell out of prices and think I got a really good deal so that’s one headache less to think about!
edna million Marg ⋅ October 10, 2019
Yay!!!! Enjoy it!
Marg edna million ⋅ October 11, 2019
I was laughing at myself - I was terrified to start using the phone once I got the data transferred and everything because it was all slippery and shiny and I was convinced I’d drop it so bought a cover and was determined I wouldn’t start using it until it was firmly ensconced in the case - then realised it was coming from China and wouldn’t be here until the end of the month!! Couldn’t wait so bought another one which arrived this week :)
edna million Marg ⋅ October 12, 2019
Lol!! I bought a case/keyboard for my iPad when I got it, then realized it was coming from China and would take at least three weeks. So of course I bought another one. It’s terrifying to have a brand new phone and the OMG WHAT IF I DROP IT worries!
Marg edna million ⋅ October 12, 2019
I know - I’ve never had a really expensive one before so I was taking no chances with this one!
edna million ⋅ October 01, 2019
I love the Blether piece! It reminds me so much of my aunts sitting around the table when my cousins and I were kids, yakking on for hours. And now we do the same thing when we're together. And you're so right about how online friendships are just another form of pre-internet chatting.
Marg edna million ⋅ October 02, 2019
They are aren’t they? But somehow difficult to explain for some reason to folk who don’t have them!
Sabrina-Belle ⋅ October 05, 2019
You look lovely in your wedding dress. I still have mine somewhere. I always thought maybe my daughter would wear it but I was a size 14 then and she is only a 6. Tony and Justeen plan to marry soon and she is around the right size but I guess she will want a new one.
I hope your tooth is sorted now.
Marg Sabrina-Belle ⋅ October 05, 2019
Yes the toothache seemed to vanish about a week or two after it started which was weird - although handy because I had to cancel the dentist after all that as I was choked with the cold! However I have another appointment on the 15th so I’ll get it done then :)
elaine2 ⋅ October 12, 2019
I have a no-frills Kobo. I like it because it uses the epub format, and that is the format used by public libraries in Nova Scotia. I can download books, run them through a program that (illegally) removes the protection that makes them "expire", and save them on a disk to transfer to my Kobo when I have time to read them. When libraries purchase a license for an ebook, that book can be borrowed only a certain number of times. That book can be lent to only one person at a time if the license is for only one copy. I hit the new ebooks section every so often and queue for the books I want because I know that some titles will disappear over time.
Sadly. some publishers have started raising their ebook prices to libraries to exorbitant prices, and that extra cost is not being passed along in royalties.
I love my Kobo. Lightweight, adjustable backlighting, adjustable font. Tens of thousands of books free through the library system. However, I still love printed books. I have a shopping bag full for winter reading - books that I ordered bit by bit over the summer from betterworldbooks.com. I also enjoy audiobooks and podcast stories. My addiction is complete.
Please let us know which reader you buy and how you like it.
Marg elaine2 ⋅ October 13, 2019
That’s really interesting - I didn’t know any of that! I’ve had to tighten the belt recently so I’m going to put it on hold for now but I’ll be asking for Amazon vouchers for Christmas so I may be the proud owner of one by then :)
history of love ⋅ October 13, 2019
Oh my goodness, you have over 100 comments on this entry!!
My apologies for the belated one from me.
I hope you have found your perfect reading device and I just adore seeing your grandchildren <3
x
Marg history of love ⋅ October 13, 2019
Ah but remember a lot of those are my replies to folk! I always think my entries are so long and laborious that anyone who makes it to the end and leaves me a comment deserves a proper reply :) And thank you! I’ve put the reading device on hold for the moment as I bought myself a lovely new phone so I’m going to try out the app again on it to see if I make any headway before I part with any more cash - I just somehow can’t get convinced that anything can replace real books but am prepared for my mind to be changed :) Also got a rather nasty letter from the Benefits Office last week which has put the kybosh on further big spends - hoping to do a ranty entry on it soon!
Deleted user ⋅ October 17, 2019
Wow, I see this is where the PB action is! :) I came to see your diary and got sucked in! :) I wanted to give my two cents on the techy stuff, though by now you've probably made your choices. I have a Samsung Galaxy 8 and I love it. I wouldn't go back to an iphone. I'm fiercely loyal to Apple when it comes to computers, but definitely love Samsung for phones. As you say, the camera is amazing.
Also, I have my phone set up to upload all the photos to Google Photos. They automatically upload - like, daily, so I have no problems regularly deleting phones and videos from my phone. No wires or cables or Bluetooth to transfer. It's the best.
And finally, e-books. A friend gave me her old Kindle last year and I was excited because I do love technology and reading but had never had an e-reader. I found I never used it partly because it didn't have a backlight and I wanted to read it in bed without my lamp. But most of all, I've been listening to audio books. I love it so much because I can do other things while listening, and I always seem to have so much to do! I like to do art, so I can even 'read' and do art at the same time. I listen while going for walks, cooking, doing chores, getting ready for work, etc. Our library system (Toronto) has so many audio books - the best ones have a waiting list, but that's much like the paper books too. I highly recommend checking out your local library's system for audio books. I tuck my phone in my back pocket and put one earphone in while working around the house.
Marg Deleted user ⋅ October 18, 2019
Well thank you for the compliment and hello! I'm glad you enjoyed reading - I'm afraid my entries are all pretty long because I'm only able to write once a month at the moment due to chronic fatigue so I apologise for that up front because I know it can be irritating!
Thank you so much for all the input re technology - I really appreciate that. You're right that I've got my new phone now - decided to stick with Apple in the end so got a new iPhone XR which is great but what's really making me tear my hair out now is storage on the Cloud! I've run out of space and refuse to pay for any more but I'm having a real hard time trying to find out how to free up storage - I think it's deliberately made hard to get folk to cough up! I finally managed to back up the phone on iTunes but I'm worried about how easy it is to restore from there. Where do the Androids do their back ups?
That's really useful re Google Photos though because that was one thing I thought I would do - use that instead of the Cloud for my photos. When you say they automatically upload does that mean you have the app on your phone? I tried doing that yesterday but 4 hours later it had only done 80 photos which seemed crazy so I've no idea why it didn't work. I was going to try doing it on my Mac instead and see if that was any better but then presumably it would only do it when the phone was connected to the Mac?
Really interesting re the e-reader as well because I decided to put that on hold for now and try the Kindle app on my new phone to see if I can use that successfully as that would save money! It has a warm light which I thought might be ok in terms of affecting sleep - worth a try anyway. I should try the audio books - I'm just not sure it would work for me because I seem to need total concentration when I'm doing anything like that - for instance I can't have background music on when doing anything else (apart from housework) so audio books might only work at bedtime where I'm concerned. Again - worth a try :)