Overheard At The YMCA Today

"Exercise is like banging your head against the wall over and over again. It hurts to do it but it feels so good when you stop." 

So Much Orange

Yesterday I went on a hike with 25 other people from Hartley Nature Center to here, the top of the hill at Bagley Nature Center. I see so much orange.

This is the lake at Bagley Nature Center.

Heading back to our cars at Hartley Nature Center I was shown a secret gnome dwelling.

I am not sure why they put the padlock on the outside of the gnome home.

 

The Only Woman In The Room

 Marie Benedict wrote The Only Woman In The Room. This is an historical fiction account of Hedwig Eva Marie Kiesler who was later known as Hedy Lamarr. Marie Benedict also wrote another book I read called The Other Einstein which was about Mitza Maric, an accomplished physicist, who later married Albert Einstein. Both of her books were good. Hedwig was born in Austria and was an only child. Her father was a banker and her mother was a concert pianist before she gave up performing to be a wife. Hedy enjoyed acting. She performed in some plays in Austria. At age 18 she acted in a movie called Ecstasy where she performed some nude scenes and her character acted out an orgasm on film. That movie was banned in Germany and the United States and she regretted agreeing to be in it. She was performing in a play in Austria where she played an Empress when she caught the attention of her first husband. He gave her 12 dozen long stemmed roses on the stage. When the ushers prevented that from happening again he had another 12 dozen roses sent to her dressing room every  night of the performance. Every day the roses were a different color. After two weeks he started sending 12 dozen roses to the house where she lived with her parents. She married him in part because he was an arms dealer who could protect Hedy and her parents from Hitler. After marriage she realized he was abusive and controlling. Both Mussolini and Hitler came to dine at her house and talk about arms. She eventually fled Austria to get away from her husband. She went to England and eventually to Hollywood where she was given Lamarr as a last name. During World War Two she wanted to do more to help the war effort. With the help of a musical composer, the two of them invented a device that would guide missiles remotely. They patented their invention and took it to the US Navy. The Navy told them their idea was not feasible because it was too big. Their device was as small as a wrist watch so they went to Washington to talk to the officials. After some discussion they were told their invention would  not be used because it was invented by a woman. Their invention could have saved lives in the Pacific. Later their invention was used and is still being used in cell phones and Wi-Fi systems today. The book ends while Hedy is still a movie star. Hedy was not a particularly happy person. Men liked her for the image she gave and not for the woman behind the image. The book about her was entertaining.

Fall Colors

The trees and shrubs in the area where I live are about 40%  of peak color. Every day gets a little more colorful.

I love the fall colors.

 

Olga Dies Dreaming

Xochitl Gonzales is the author of Olga Dies Dreaming. Olga lives in the Bronx and is a wedding planner for the rich and famous. Her brother, Prieto, lives in the house of their grandmother and is a popular congressman. All seems well in this Puerto Rican family but that is a façade. Family secrets are making them sick. Olga and Prieto's mother, Blanca, deserted the family almost thirty years ago to fight injustice in Puerto Rico. From afar she meddles in her New York family affairs and maliciously manipulates various family members until they turn on each other. When the hurricane strikes Puerto Rico the political situation, orchestrated by Blanca, comes to a head. I enjoyed reading this novel about family, the American dream, and political corruption.  

Becoming Mrs. Lewis

 The story of how Joy Davidman became the wife of C. S. Lewis is the basis for the historical fiction novel called Becoming Mrs. Lewis which was written by Patti Callahan. Joy grew up in the Bronx. She graduated from high school at age 15 and from college at age 19. By the time she was 20 she earned a Master's degree in English literature from Columbia University. She had an IQ over 150. She went on to write sonnets, poems, and several books. She married a man and had two sons with him. By the time her sons were old enough to go to school her husband had become abusive, had affairs with other women, was an alcoholic and was prone to sudden rages that scared her and the children. She decided to take her boys and move to England. She met C. S. Lewis and had been corresponding with him frequently. Naturally the author of the Narnia series fascinated little boys. Joy's sons loved C. S. Lewis more than their own father. I enjoyed reading the story of Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis. I know most of the words in the book are from the imagination of the author but she did do her research. In 2015 a book of love poems written by Joy Davidman was published after being found in an attic. I found it very interesting to read about dinners in a pub with these two writers and others like Tokien.

Blustery Day

 Today I volunteered for six hours at Hawk Ridge. The temperature was 54 degrees and the wind was from the north. The wind was strong so the birds were flying. We just couldn't see most of them because the wind picked up so much humidity over Lake Superior that the low clouds hid most of the high flying birds from our sight. A bird bander was using a vertical mist net and a lure bird and he did manage to catch one female hatch-year sharp shinned hawk. The photo shows one of the naturalists showing the bird to the crowd before letting it go. Each bird that is banded is kept in captivity for twenty minutes maximum. I had a fun day talking to visitors and chatting with the naturalists who are young and full of energy. The sun broke through the clouds for approximately 90 seconds of my six hour day so I was happy to get home, throw a casserole in the oven and warm up with a glass of tea.