Posted in Fiction

Sunday….Once Again

Posted on by TravellinPenguin
‘Books fall open, you fall in’ D. McCord. Photo- T Penguin

I had a big reading week again this week. I finished the Colony by Irish writer Audrey McGee. I loved it. I can’t recommend it enough. Probably my best read this year.

I am almost finished with If On A Winter’s Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino. Only about 20% to go. I have really enjoyed working my way slowly through it.

Yesterday we had a rainy day so as I started a jigsaw puzzle of dogs I listened to Miriam Margoyles auto biography. Love her or not, she has had a very interesting life. Yesterday she talked about her days at Cambridge and breaking into stage and comedy as a female at the time the Monty Python men were becoming into our world. She was treated so badly by them, ostracised almost completely and I won’t repeat what she had to say about John Cleese. Women in comedy still have difficult times. I have no idea why men feel women can’t be as funny as them. Fragile egos I guess.

Miriam Margoyles

Although I read a lot, my week’s priority was walking to improve my health. Since the heart episode my stamina has been quite low. So I am walking. As much as I can. Monday had me in weight training, Tuesday was a long walk along the Hobart Rivulet track into the city. Wednesday was a rest day as I’d been out Tuesday evening with my first art lesson. That was a laugh. They served wine which made the group all relax as beginners and draw everything.

Thursday I had my personal trainer on the pilates reformer stretching my spine then we went for a coffee and chat.

My walk up and down the hilly streets of Hobart (my photos)

Friday I was back on the treadmill at the gym for the 25 minute hill climb program then walked five kilometres around Hobart up into North Hobart.

My walking goal is to connect my walks to thrift shops to look for slim classic books. I want to read some of the smaller classics I haven’t read or read a long time ago. I don’t want to buy the newer expensive copies so I pick up the 50 cent ones or the $1.00 ones. I want ragged copies so I can write in them without feeling bad. I wanted books that are less than 150-200 pgs.

4 of my thrift shop finds- incentive to walk. I’ll try to read one this week.

This coming week will see me finish the Calvino book and listen to more of Miriam’s book. I have the art class, three sessions at gym, a Fullers event Thursday evening then Friday our photography group is going south to the Tasman Peninsula to the old coal mine ruins to tale photos. Stay tuned for that. Hope the weather doesn’t blow us away.

Saltwater River is a small community on the western shore of Norfolk Bay on the Tasman Peninsula. The Saltwater River area contained two penal settlements. One was an agricultural settlement, which produced vegetables, wheat, and had a piggery. The other was a coal mine, known amongst convicts for its hellish conditions. It is now on the Australian National Heritage List as the Coal Mines Historic Site. Today, only ruins exist at the site, which includes underground cells.

Where Is it? Saltwater River is 23 kilometres from Port Arthur, and 106 kilometres from Hobart.

I must say I’m starting to feel normal again, whatever that is. Walking really is a miracle cure for almost anything.

I might add, Ollie gets out of his pen and gets to do more as it’s been almost four weeks since his surgery.

I hope you all have a good week. If you drop by here tell me what your plans are for the week.

Where did you walk this week?

Unknown's avatar

Author:

I live a retired life in Tasmania, Australia. I love books, travel, animals, photography, motor biking and good friends. I indulge in all these activities with the little Travellin' Penguin who has now shared five continents with me. We love book shops, photography walks and time with friends as all our family is in USA and Canada. I enjoy visitors to my blog so hope you'll stop by.

18 thoughts on “Sunday….Once Again”

  1. I’m impressed by the fact you did a gym session and also a 5K walk in the same day. I’ve just re-started my walking programme having decided I enjoy that more than I enjoy going to the gym. If only there were some charity shops I could use an incentive – sadly the people who donate books to those nearest me tend to read best sellers rather than old classics…….

    Like

    1. I was looking for old Penguin modern classics and black classics but found none. I’m wondering what has happened to them all. Have thrift shops just stopped them as being too old or are people just not reading them anymore due to all the streaming on television now. Very sad.

      Like

      1. It;s been noticeable in our area that the charity shops (what you call thrift shops) have scaled back on their book offerings. I wonder if people are selling them whereas before they might have donated them?

        Like

          1. It might also be that shops are realising that there is very little profit margin from second hand books – they can use the same retail space for items with more of a margin. So they are not accepting as many donations

            Like

  3. What a great week Pam – good reading, good walking and good book finds. I do enjoy walking myself and wish I got more of a chance to do this (though there is the daily walks to and from work which helps!) Love the idea of reading all those some slim classics – I love Steinbeck but haven’t read him for ages!!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. The Colony sounds good!

    I like the idea of walking to thrift stores and getting slim books, which *I* would set aside for “Shorty September” and “Novellas in November”. lol

    Those photos with the blue, blue sky and white fluffy clouds!!!!! And that woodsy photo!

    My German friends were in the northern part of Germany last week and I was looking at Google maps and told them they MUST visit the penguin museum. Waiting to hear if they did or not. I thought of you and your penguin, of course.

    It’s finally cooled down enough here to take a walk so I plan to venture out tomorrow! I need to rebuild my stamina after sitting on my butt for 7 years. Like you said, no better way to do it than walking!

    Like

    1. I always need an end goal to a walk. A book, a coffee, a cold milkshake. Need the incentive especially if weather isn’t that good. The slim book quest was fun and the thrift shops are far enough apart for a decent walk.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I kept that in mind last week when I started back up with my walking. I made SURE a treat was gotten the first two or three days and continued with a treat every day except one. lol Unfortunately, I am motivated by my tummy. Marilyn and I have that in common.

        Like

  5. Ooh, you’ve got an Edna O’Brien! I haven’t read enough of her, I do love her stuff.
    My plans for this week are a bit vague because it’s school holidays here and I avoid doing stuff when there are shrieking children in the cafes and other places I like to go to. But we do have an excursion with some friends to see the Archibalds exhibition in Mornington, scheduled ages ago but just in time for some rain to spoil the day. (I’m not really complaining, the garden is dry and with a neighbour away, we are watering hers as well.)
    Say hey to Ollie for me, I’m glad he is on the mend. And you too, of course!

    Like

Comments are closed.