Category: Books

Nerd Quest

Antiques, Archeaology, Books, Bucket list, Canada, Folklore, Genealogy, Halifax, History, Knitting, Museums, Photography, Vintage, volunteering, Wellness

Today The NSArchaeology society gathered a group of members to tour the provincial archives.  I was beyond excited.  I fondly remember spending hours going through rolls of microfiche researching my ancestors.  So much fun! That building is jammed packed with historical items.  Vaults of treasures. The Archivists preserve the past events of the province.  Trying to preserve the present for future generations.  I’ve always been aware of the historical importance, I never realized the importance of present day collection of important information.  

There are many types of photographics. Here’s the different types through the ages and when it was most popular. 

Daguerreotype 1842 – 1856 

Ambrotype 1855 – 1861 

Tintype 1860-1870

Carte de Visite 1860 – 1888

Cabinet Card 1875 – 1900

The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys 

Books, Canada, Gardens and parks, History, Knitting, Wellness

Just finished this book. A quick read at 212 pages, it took me ages as I was reading another novel at the same time.  This book was super easy to get back into.  I found it comforting when I was settled back into the story of woman thrust into a job during WW 2 leading a group of land army girls.  Planting and growing crops for wartime.  The story focused on mostly love and loss as there is so much in war.  Finding solace in everyday labours and routines sometimes saves us and sometimes nothing can save us.  This isn’t Canadian author, Helen Humpreys’ first novel but reads like a first novel with all its heart and soul.  

Nice one!

Podcasts I ❤️ 

Antiques, Books, Collections, Fashion, Folklore, History, Knitting, Life lessons, Minimalism, Podcasts, Resolutions, Uncategorized, Wellness

So I’ve been listening to some fabulous podcasts in the new year. A good friend M got me hooked.  I’ve found Lore, about folklore.  So awesome for a history nerd like me.  I’m a fan of true crime and forensic evidence, so Detective is fascinating.  Someone knows something is keeping me on the edge of my seat.  My New Years resolutions are getting kicked in the butt by The Minimalists.  These guys are so inspiring!!!
I went from this x 3…

To this…


A mess of yarn and books to this..

I like seeing the yarn.  Before I had a mess of colours and weights in plastic bins.  

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Books, History, Knitting, Wellness, Wolfville

I’ve read similarly themed books about the perspective of a mentally ill peraon.  This was a bit different, I think to the average reader without knowledge of mental illness it may not resonate with them.  She wrote from the perspective of a woman who was suffering, with clinical “lack of insight” into her own illness.  Which is interesting because it’s part autobiographical.  So when it was written was she suffering from lack of insight or had she gained enough to write the story clearly from a perspective of wellness?   Very intriguing.

The Party Wall by Catherine Leroux and Lazer Lederhendler

Books, Knitting, Wellness

This story is about siblings who are connected in odd ways.  Very odd ways.  Some I can imagine others not so much.  Someone having two sets of DNA is fascinating and I guess there is a known case in the world.  This book shocked me and made me think about our societies view on relationships.  What’s taboo or what society should keep their nose out of.  What’s private, what’s public.  We live in a pretty public time.  Where everything that happens is immediately shared with the world.  How do you escape?  How do you hide a secret?  

I’d have to re-read this book to connect all the stories, it’s complicated to pick that up as you go along.  I would recommend this book, it isn’t whitewashed, so be prepared.  

Floating Staircase by Ronald Malfi

Books, Ghosts, Knitting, Wellness

I couldn’t put this one down.  The main character is an author who moves with his wife to the USA to buy their first house and live closer to family.  The house holds secrets and the lake behind the house has something to do with the mystery.  I highlighted a few entries in this book as I read.  That’s always a good sign I’m impressed with the writing.  I was intrigued by this passage…

It has been said that nature does not know extinction– that once you’ve existed, all parts of you, whether they’ve dispersed or remained together, will always be.  Thick dust may hide the relics of human history, but if cannot erase the memory.

The author had all my favourite elements, haunted houses, the obsessive hunt for truth, and many plot twists.  Always making you think.  A theme I was caught up on was –how far is too far to go to find the truth–.  

The one scene I keep with me is the scene with the elderly dying woman.  It was well written, I’ve dealt with many dying patients and it was true to life.  Her resolve resonated with me.  I could feel her character jump from the page.  

I couldn’t have predicted the ending but I had hope.