Temperatures have ranged between 54F-58F/ 12-14C, with one day reaching 64F/18C. There’s been plenty of sunshine, but yesterday and so far today it’s been overcast. We were able to get the grass cut again and did some pruning, as well as taking some more stuff to the dump. Nothing exciting, but all part of the necessary chores.
The price of gasoline (petrol) remained steady £1.47, while the price of diesel dropped two pence to £1.53. However, Sterling recovered a bit against the dollar. With the current exchange rate, an equivalent gallon of gasoline remained at$6.96, while diesel dropped to $7.26, a decrease of seven cents.
“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.” – Henry David Thoreau. Compliments of https://press.barnesandnoble.com/bnpress-blog/inspirational-quotes-writing/.
So who was born on this date in history? Let’s find out who in the writing world was born on May 5th, the first Sunday of the month. (Compliments of https://www.onthisday.com/birthdays/).
Philippe Quinault, French playwright (L’amant indiscreet); Louis Christophe François Hachette, French publisher (Librairie Hachette); Jacob Kats, Flemish writer (Earthly Paradise); Eugène Marin Labiche, French playwright (The Italian Straw Hat); Karl Marx, German philosopher (Communist Manifesto, Das Kapital); Hubert Howe Bancroft, American historian, ethnologist (History of Pacific States); Henryk Sienkiewicz, Polish author (Quo Vadis, Nobel 1905); Max Elskamp, Belgian author and poet (Lesson Joies Blondes, Maya); Frederik August Stoett, Dutch linguist (Dutch Proverbs); Nellie Bly, American journalist and writer (Ten Days in a Mad House); Christopher Morley, American author (Kitty Foil); Freeman Gosden, American writer and actor (The Amos ‘n’ Andy Show, Calvin and the Colonel); James Beard, American culinary expert and author (Delights & Prejudices); Miklós Radnóti, Hungarian poet (Clouded Sky); Richard Rovere, American political journalist (Goldwater Caper); Pierre Schoendoerffer, French Academy Award-winning director and screenwriter (The Anderson Platoon); Greg [Michel Régnier], Belgian comic-book writer (Achille Talon); Rob Van Gennep, Dutch publisher; Kurtis “Kurt” Loder, American film critic, TV personality and columnist (Rolling Stone, New York, Time); and Naomi Klein, Canadian author (This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate) and activist.
Any names familiar to you? There were two for me this week: Karl Marx and Nellie Bly. Whether you recognize anyone on the list or not, if today’s your special day I hope you have a great one!
My Work In Progress
My work on Mission: Yemen, Xavier Sear Thriller Book 2 is currently on hold due to the myriad non-writing things occupying my time.
In the meantime, I’m re-posting chapters of Temples of Abydos to the two online subscription writing sites I use. Chapter one went up yesterday, the first time since 2022.
Here’s a snippet:
Sylvia Burness lounged in a recliner in front of their wall-mounted fifty-five-inch television and flicked through the history and National Geographic channels. Not finding any programs of interest, she turned the television off. She picked up her cup of tea, weaved way through stacks of unopened boxes, and padded into the circular room off the kitchen, which they used as an office.
Now in her fortieth year, Sylvia had shoulder-length chestnut brown hair and dark brown eyes. With a flawless complexion, she never needed makeup. Her smile always lights up a room when she turns it on. Her passion for history is only overshadowed by her love of animals and her disdain for injustice.
Her husband, Charles Wilkie, sat in front of one of the two iMac twenty-seven-inch desktop computers positioned on adjacent desks. His long sandy blond hair was tied in a man-bun. Cheap reading glasses perched on his nose as he peered at the screen with his blue eyes. His once red beard was now peppered with gray.
“What are you looking at? I thought you were going to unpack some more boxes this evening.” A bemused expression creased Sylvia’s face.
“Aye. For what we paid for this apartment, our belongings should have been unpacked for us.”
Sylvia laughed. “If you hadn’t won twenty million pounds on the Lotto, we’d still be living in a three-bedroom terrace instead of overlooking the East Sands and the Old Course.”
“True.”
Sylvia sat in the empty chair at the other desk and placed her cup on a coaster. “So now that we’ve finished cataloging known Celtic sites throughout the UK, any thoughts on a new project?”
“Aye. Since I’ve been granted a year’s sabbatical from teaching medieval archaeology at St. Andrews, why don’t you request time off as well? I’m sure both the history and archaeology departments would benefit from whatever we choose to do.”
“I just wish they’d approved my Celtic program. Why should Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and the University of the Highlands and Island be the only universities doing this? After all, St. Andrews is Scotland’s oldest one.”
Charles chuckled. “Relax, Sylvia. The dean and the faculty will come around to your way of thinking and set up your program.”
She finished her tea. “I suppose you’re right. What are you considering?”
“I was wondering if we should go to Gobekli Tepe in Turkey. However, I’m still pulled toward Egypt. You know my fascination with the area. Archaeologists are still uncovering tunnels and shafts with the three-pyramid complex outside Cairo. Perhaps we could find a new one—even better, a new pharaoh.”
Sylvia hid a grin as she shook her head. “Why not a lesser-known area? I’m sure we could find one and put our stamp on it.”
“Aye. Now you’re talking! Let’s get cracking.”
More next time.
This brings us to an end for another week. I hope you found something of interest. If you have any suggestions for a topic you’d like to read about, please let me know. Until the next time, thank you for reading and hope you drop in again.
© Copyright 2024 Randall Krzak. All rights reserved
