Late
It is way later than it’s supposed to be. I went to an unscheduled bell practise tonight for no better reason than that I felt like it, it was a tower I’d never rung at before, I know the tower captain and she’s really nice, and Niall was going so he could give me a lift. And while I’m no longer a beginner, I still feel happier going to strange towers with Niall because he’s a really good ringer and any tower is going to be happy to have him for an evening of rope-pulling. As it happens this is a tower somewhat overburdened with beginners and suffering August-holiday shortages of the regulars, so I was welcome in the observance as well as the breach.* Chuffed on the awareness of having contributed–I’ve told you that one of the nice things about my regular Wednesday tower is that I get to contribute: at my home tower I’m still the last and least of their member ringers–I allowed myself to be inveigled into a pint at the local pub,** conveniently located immediately across the street from the church. I like a town where there’s a pub immediately across the street from the bell tower.†
The other interesting thing about tonight’s tower is that its bells are teeny. The treble weighs less than I do. The tenor (biggest) weighs a little over three hundred pounds–my Wednesday tower’s tenor weighs a bit over 600, and those bells are considered a little light ring, and my home tower’s tenor weighs three quarters of a ton. I’ve never rung on true tinkerbells before and it’s a rather dislocating experience–what you’ve dislocated is your bell handling skill. Little bells also have little wheels which means the rope round one whips back at you extraordinarily fast because there’s so little of it too. [Bell diagram if you need reminding of how it works: http://www.cccbr.org.uk/prc/pubs/slides/50labelledFullCircleBellAndFittings.jpg ] So you barely have time to finish one stroke before you’re grabbing like a striking snake at the next one. It was fun. I really enjoyed it.*** And I didn’t break anything.
But I was planning on giving you an organised, thoughtful summary of some of the responses to Ithilien’s essay on ebooks†† a couple of nights ago, and I’ve just spent another hour plus††† cruising for stuff about the yes and no of ebooks as well as pursuing some of the links you’ve sent in. And I still have to get up tomorrow morning in time to hurtle hellhounds before my riding lesson.‡ So this is only a kind of ‘oops, please stay tuned’.
. . . And while I’m still at least three-quarters a Luddite‡‡ I can put all other questions about the good and the bad of ebooks in abeyance for a moment, because I feel that Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
makes the concept of ebooks worthwhile. I’ve never downloaded any of their books–I tend already to own that kind of historical backlist–so I don’t know how prone they are to electronic error. But the idea that they and all their lovely hundreds of years of print in instant free welcoming form is out there makes me happy.
* * *
* Or something like that. As I say, it’s very late to be writing this. Even for me.
** Gods, mermaids and little fishes, I adore the smoking ban
*** I wish I had time to ring three practises every week. I wish I had time to ride Connie three times a week. I wish I had three hours a day on the piano. I wish. . . .
† Another reason for going is that it’s an uncommonly pretty church, and every time I’ve driven by it I’ve wondered what it looks like inside. (Although I still don’t know. The narrow stair to the bell tower is immediately inside the front door, and the inner door to the main part of the church was shut.) It’s terribly Victorian, at the light end of that particular stolid, self-regarding spectrum, with a tall slender graceful spire that you look at it and think, there isn’t room for bells. And arguably there isn’t. See ‘tinkerbells’.
†† Huh. Word doesn’t recognise ‘ebooks’ either
††† Sequential glows of contributingness followed by half pint at the pubness are not best productive of thoughtfulness and organisation. Or organisationness.
‡ And then Jenny is going on holiday! Unfortunately she has a nice responsible person house-, dog-, and yard-sitting, who might notice if I rode every day. . . . I’d find time, okay?
‡‡ Although I’m not sure it’s possible for a true card-carrying Luddite to run a blog. I may just have to finish embracing technology and get it over with. Ah, but will technology embrace me back?
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****** there’s a pub immediately across the street from the bell tower
I took a step nearer bell ringing tonight! Mentioning possible future ringing to a dog owner in one of my classes, she always wanted to learn as well… and we both fancy dropping in at the (very nice) local pub afterwards :) However ringing is on Mondays, when I am currently wrestling various puppies under 20 weeks old into shape…
So tonight I mentioned all this to the really very nice vet nurse (one of my very favourite people) who I thought would say that no other night will do – and she said that it would be no problem to change to another night… Maybe I will be bell ringing soon ;p
YES! YES! YES! –Then move to Hampshire. We don’t have nearly enough Coming Generations of Ringers.
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Ah, but will technology embrace me back?
Knowing you? I doubt it. ;)
The new belltower sounds really cool. (And yes, I do need the diagram. *stares at it* *memorizes*)
(This would be a better ramble if I wasn’t tired from a) dragging trees around, and b) energy-leeching sunlight. Although it was late enough I seem to have retained my vampire paleness. We’ll see for sure in the morning.)
Oh, for the three minutes before I burn, I LIKE sunlight! :)
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Sounds like you are enjoying yourself :)
Maybe when Chalice and Pegasus stay in the Top 10 for a year you will be able to afford a *tower*. Then you wouldn’t have to leave home when you wanted to ring bells. ;)
The first of my roses arrived yesterday! The rest should arrive today! Yay!
I don’t want it TOO easy!!!!!! :)
Yay for more roses!
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:)
Glad you had fun ringing tonight, and glad you managed to post something about it. Now it IS late. So please, get some SLEEP! We need you reasonably well rested so you can stay healthy. Which is important. [As if I am one to talk. "Hello, Pot, this is the Kettle speaking." :P
utter ridiculousness. oh well, what do you expect from me by now!?]
Hugs from Julia.
Utter ridiculousness, of course. :)
Yours,
Pot
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Heehee.
I literally laughed out loud.
Which is not unusual. For me. But stll.
I am utterly incoherent.
Oh well. Seven hours at the library can do that to you.
:)
Hugs from Julia the Froot Loop-like Kettle.
[shakes head at what I just typed... utter ridiculousness. Well, I DID warn you!]
I love Gutenberg, but I love http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/ (The Online Books Page) even more. It has saved me on more than one occasion when I was a) very bored, b) had a computer and c) did not have access to my (or any other) bookshelf. The option to go read an actual good book under such circumstances is incredible.
Amazingly, it even has a Georgette Heyer, although not one of my favorites — “The Black Moth”. But more critically they have Jane Austen, which I can always reread.
On the other hand, I don’t like reading books onscreen given a choice in the matter….
Hot damn! Thank you!
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I also think that the definition of ‘ebook’ can cover two, different things–It can be the electronic version of a paper book, like Project Gutenberg or something you’d read on your computer/pdf/electronic reader, OR it can be a book developed solely for electronic media–something meant to be downloaded as a pdf and read on-screen or printed, but not something actually “published.” Just written and sent out into the world in its fancy, pdf suit.
The problem seems to arise not only from the fact that it’s the same name for both, but from the fact that people who tend to read one seem not to be aware of the other’s existance, and then that gets really interesting. If you say, “I read this great ebook about writing the other day,” to someone who gets her ebooks off of Amazon.com to read on her Kindle, she’s going to expect something different than a document that you bought directly from the author.
Ah, technology loves you. See, it is sending you sweet mash notes with “do you like me? check yes, no, or maybe!” pixelled across the bottom. Give in, give in! *amused*
As for Gutenberg, the combined effect of it and the library actually inspired me to hand off many of the classics novel that I’d been storing. I kept a few that I reread or refer to frequently, but honestly? They are all easily available online or at the library. We have a small house populated by two fanatic readers, one reader-in-training (she read Go, Dog, Go by herself tonight, we are so proud!), and one who doesn’t really get it yet but no doubt will have to become a reader out of pure self-defense. Shelf space is at a premium, so the classics can go to make room for all the new books you delightful authors keep writing (and I keep buying).
Thank you! :)
I’m inclining toward unloading all classics that aren’t heart’s favourites (MIDDLEMARCH, JANE EYRE) or gorgeous editions too, for similar reasons.
And as for technology loving me . . . WordPress is possessed by demons tonight. I’m going to have to ask Blogmum to sort out the margins for me tomorrow.
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Did you get the details of the 3 bell method booklet? I sent them in a comment last week….
Looks like I get to attempt rounds tonight. I expect to be very bad!
Audrey
??? I don’t think so. I remember your sending some bell patterns for 3 bells. I was going to print or copy out the booklet info. I may have just had a space attack, but would be so kind as to post it again?
(Last night’s tower has another local tower where the same crew rings, that has only three bells, and there was a chart of three-bell methods that I was looking at.)
You’re SUPPOSED to ring rounds badly at first. It gives you room to improve. :) Good luck!
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The booklet in question is “The Chris Higgins Guide to Three-Bell Ringing”. Web here: http://www.kirbymanor.cwc.net/KirbyManorPress/ChrisHigginsGuide.htm
Rounds last night weren’t even too bad. Ringing with just 3 of us (instructor, husband, and me) was a disaster because husband went wrong all the time and I got confused by the instructor saying “no, don’t follow me, follow Leon” followed by 5 minutes later “if Leon goes wrong you should follow me in the appropriate gap”. Argh! The joys of learning rounds! Mind you, I got back at him by swapping places with him – he had a devil of a job following me! (I seem to be fairly consistent, but always a bit slow. Hopefully I can grow out of this soon! The rest of the band joined in as well and I don’t want to bore them to death!)
And my husband broke a stay, and didn’t realise until “Stand Please!” “Erm, my bell won’t stand, I’m holding it – I think the stay is gone!”. Trust him to break a stay so nicely!
Audrey
I’ve had guests and have not been able to read your blog lately – and am catching up as quickly as my eyes will allow; today I have hope of being able to read quite a lot – of course I’m reading the comments as well! – but yesterday I had the burning-eyes-soon-going-to-pop-out-of-my-head sensation badly. I’ve not yet reached the e-book part, but I’m very negative to them as to personal use – I and my eyes don’t really like reading large chunks of text on a computer.
But what I really wanted to say was that I adored your recommendation of “The Bell at Sealey Head”! It really conveyed the feeling that you enjoyed the book and the expectation that I will too. And I was not in the slightest tortured! The blessing of being so behindhand in my reading; the next Patricia A McKillip on my reading-list is “Ombria in Shadow”, which I bought in (checks book) 2004! (16th February, to be exact) So no torture – just glad expectation; the only books that I don’t own and want to read that torture me are the books that ARE OUT OF PRINT! Anyway, I hope you wiil feel like recommending more books and I wish more book-reviews were like yours – that tell me the things I really want to know!
Good! Thank you! I am GOING to do more book reports! (. . . Have to think of a good name. Book recs sounds too crisp and definite; book reviews sounds too grand. Much more like book reports, when you were ENJOYING them, as occasionally happened, even in school, as I recall . . . )
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Sounds like a fun evening–yay bells, yay NONSMOKING pub. I am here much later than usual because of doing my newsletter tonight. Your reasons are better.
Yes, I like the idea of the Gutenberg Project too. One of these days when I have more time I should go out there and see what’s available, not that I have anything to read it on anyway . . . :)
We had a strong electrical storm last night (rain: GOOD; branches down: bad), so the computers were off and unplugged, and I didn’t get to your kennel-thread comment about bloat. I just want to comment back–there are advantages to the gastropexy (stomach tack) since you don’t get torsion even if you get the gas. For me, that means that if I get nervous I don’t have to go instantly to the emergency vet but can give Gas-X and wait a bit to see what happens. (Gas-X (simethicone) is very useful to keep on hand. There is also an acupuncture point that can be pressed/massaged; it stimulates motility in the stomach and gut and helps to move gas out.) The last two gastropexies I had done were laparascopic, so no big incision and very quick recovery–they were more expensive than the standard procedure, but worth it in recovery time.
YOu can read Gutenberg’s books on your *computer*, you know! You could also–gasp–PRINT THEM OUT!!
How do I learn where the acupuncture point is?
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Go to http://www.hmgdc.org, click on “All Kinds of Links,” then click on “Important Medical Information”. There are quite a few bloat links, but the one labeled “Bloat–It Simply Works” will get you to a little article describing the procedure with a nice picture of someone locating the pressure point on a wolfhound. I printed this picture in color and the result was quite clear. When I first heard about this, the only picture I had was a black-and-white copy of a copy, which was pretty useless.
You might also be interested in the links to Dr. Jean Dodds’ articles on thyroid and vaccination.
Modified rapture, since I can’t get the link to work. But this computer is not in its best mood so I’ll try on another one in a minute. Thanks.
WordPress has added the comma after the link into the end of the link. If you click on it, then click on the address bar at the top of the browser window, you can move the cursor to the appropriate spot to delete the comma (and press Enter to load the right page).
I’ve been WAITING for a bell ringing entry so I could point you here: http://www.tsocktsarina.com/blog/?p=212
It’s a sock, designed by my friend Tsock Tsarina based on Dorothy Sayers’ Nine Tailors. The cabling and the color-work is based on the Kent Treble Bob Major…
Ahhh, a way to string together several of my loves: Robin McKinley, bell ringing, knitting… Hmmmm, how can I get my greyhound in this message? Oh, look I just did!
Rachel
LOL! I’m sorry to disappoint you but someone–possibly even you!–sent me/this blog this link MONTHS ago, back on lj!
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well, poop.
here, have a greyhound: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8568920@N04/1918484641/in/set-72157600281570583
Awwwwwwww. :)