I belatedly realized that I may have caused some confusion by titling yesterday's post "London Bridge" but showing a picture of Tower Bridge. Tower Bridge is what you see from London Bridge, but it's not the same as London Bridge. Sorry about that!
In fact, the BBC article I linked from that post (here it is again) addresses a longstanding myth about the two bridges -- that the man who bought old London Bridge and moved it to Lake Havasu, Arizona, mistakenly believed that he was buying Tower Bridge. His grandson says that isn't true at all. "My grandfather knew exactly what he was buying," he said.
Anyway, hopefully I have cleared that up!
I had possibly the laziest day of my entire life yesterday. It was rainy and blustery and I spent the entire day on the couch with Olga, who showed no inclination to want to go anywhere. Both of us were in hibernation mode. I watered the plants in the morning and did some vacuuming, and just before and after lunch I struggled to keep my eyes open while reading. I don't know why I was beset with such fatigue considering I'd barely done anything.
My eyes may have been involuntarily closing because I was reading "Bleak House." I'm about 250 pages in, and I think I can already say that this is not my favorite Dickens novel. I had no idea what it was about when I began it (lawyers) and it bothers me for a couple of reasons. One, the perspective keeps shifting from an omniscient narrator to the first-person account of a main character, a young woman. (I think this is the first Dickens I've read with a female protagonist.) Second, there are about a million characters, some of whom have two names, and some of whom have very similar names -- I kept reading about Mr. Turveydrop and his "deportment," but I was confusing him with Mr. Tulkinghorn.
Again, I chalk some of this up to the fact that I was nodding off. But I will persevere.
Let's look at a few more of the old postcards that Jeanie gave me last week. Here's one of a small marina on Bradenton Beach, Fla., mailed in 1953.
"Arrived home Thursday noon. Had a nice trip down, found everything OK, it is no warmer here than in Ohio. -- Mr. and Mrs. Francis, Judy & Pee Wee"
Mailed 1944 from Bakersfield, Cal.:
"Hello Linnis -- I am sending you a pair to work on the farm this spring. How do you like them? How much do you think they are worth? -- Bill Greene"
(On the front: "These are out on the desert where I work.")
This one, mailed in 1910 from Topeka, Kan. to Albuquerque, N.M., gave me a chuckle:
"Dear Arthur & Marie: This is the crossroad to your farm a few years hence. -- Della"
(Top photo: Dramatic shadows on Finchley Road on Friday afternoon.)
Love the long shadows. I think you shoud set that book aside and never pick it up again, or use it on nights when you can't fall asleep. Five or six pages should have you in dreamland. Great postcards.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very good sleep-aid!
DeleteI also love the magic of old cards, I have a small collection somewhere in one of the drawers.
ReplyDeleteI keep mine in a dedicated photo-box, but the collection is outgrowing the box!
DeletePossibly the laziest day of your entire life and yet you watered plants and vacuumed. You need to step up (or is it down) your game. Dramatic Shadows is stunning!
ReplyDeleteHa! Watering plants and vacuuming really doesn't require much exertion!
DeleteI've tried Dickens and I did not like. I gave up. I was once confused about the two bridges but I know them now. I like what is written on the cards, especially the note to Linnis. It's hard to believe the last one was produced in 1910.
ReplyDeleteI know -- by the time the burro card was mailed, the card with the babies was 34 years old! I've liked some Dickens but this book is a challenge.
DeleteThere's a good chance that the babies balanced on WISHES could have fallen before the photographer took them down. Seems quite irresponsible to me.
ReplyDeleteThat's very health-and-safety of you!
DeleteI'm thinking I could easily beat you in the Laziest Day Competition. 😳
ReplyDeleteHa! If it were a competition it wouldn't be lazy!
DeleteI always set Sunday aside as a lazy day. I look forward to it.
ReplyDeleteI guess that's what it's for, supposedly -- a "day of rest."
DeleteWhat a clever card the last one is! i guess someone was having a lot of babies.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, Steve. If you're not enjoying Bleak House- put it down. I doubt you will but in the long run it's not going to make a bit of difference if you do.
Yeah, I'm just not good at quitting a book. I will plow ahead. Sometimes books grow on me and by the end I feel differently.
DeleteI loved Bleak House! I found it the best Dickens I'd read. I'm glad you unconfused me about the bridges.
ReplyDeleteSome people say it's his best book, because of its complexity. But that's what's killing me!
DeleteI love those burros - so deceptively sweet!
ReplyDeleteI know -- you'd never know they're really so ornery, would you?
DeleteDickens is hard to read. I find it difficult reading when there are so many similar characters.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the characters are the hardest part. I can deal with the antiquated language but keeping all those people straight is killing me.
DeleteI don't think I've ever read any Dickens and i don't think I'll ever start.
ReplyDeleteHa! Well, it's not everyone's bag, that's for sure.
DeleteYour lazy day sounds ideal to me, especially the rainy part. Bleak House is one I put on my Classics Club list since my daughter recommended it. It didn't come up in my spin this time, but I hope to get to it before too many months pass.
ReplyDeleteI'll be interested to hear what you think! Some people love it and think it's Dickens' best book.
DeleteI am reading the second book of a three book series. I swear the author pulls a new character out of the air every chapter. At this point, I don't know who half of these people are. You're very determined to stay with Bleak House. As an english literature minor, it was assigned reading, which is the only way I ever would have finished it.
ReplyDeleteThat just seems lazy, inventing a new person at every turn. Doesn't it?
DeleteSo glad you enjoy the cards. The ones with messages are always the best. And I, for one, am dying for a relaxing, do nothing day! I don't see it in my future till November 18!
ReplyDeleteYeah, you've got plenty to keep you occupied! LOL! I think one of these postcards is addressed to your parents, isn't it? (The Bradenton Beach one.)
DeleteThanks for the clarification on the bridges.
ReplyDeleteThe new postcards are interesting. Postcards today seem less clever.
When a book makes it hard to keep characters straight, I am known to stop reading.
Your street photo captures fantastic shadows. Nice shot.
Thanks re. the photo! Yes, I was amused by the clever quips on the postcards -- particularly that last one.
DeleteSome of those old novels are indeed bleak! Love the postcard. LOL
ReplyDeleteYeah, the book is aptly named!
DeleteThat picture is very cool. I like the way the lines contrast and internect.
ReplyDeleteThanks! The shadows were striking in person, too. I had to wait a while to take the photo because there was so much traffic!
DeleteThose old postcards are cool, Steve! I survived my trip to Texas and Chuck E. Cheese! I had to turn down my hearing aids because of the noise of many, many screaming kids but, you were right, my grandson had a great time!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you survived! And yes, that event made lots of good memories for him, I'm sure. :)
DeleteI like the one of the two burros (jackasses? donkeys?).
ReplyDeleteYeah, what's the difference? I know a donkey is different from a mule, but I'm not sure how burros and jackasses fit into the picture. (I could look it up, I suppose...)
Delete