Tuesday 3 December 2013

Triette and a Book Cull


A real boost to my spirits after all the glumness of the preceding weeks, was a small gig in Norwich with Triette, my melodeon tutor Nick's band comprising himself on melodeon, Nic Zuppardi on mandolin and tenor guitar, and Ida (pronounced Eeda) who flew over from her home in Sweden especially, who plays fiddle and Hardanger fiddle. Those of you who've been reading my blog for some time will be familiar with them, and you can google them and listen to some tracks on their cd "Triette".



After a first half of stupendous music we pushed the chairs to one side and there was dancing! French or rather Breton dancing. Wonderful fun. There were some folks from the Norwich-based Pied à Terre dance society and also quite a few members of the Kickwitches molly dancers who know about Breton dancing, so there were plenty of dancers.

Jim, unfortunately, does not dance. You could not pay him enough money to get him onto the dance floor. I, on the other hand, love to dance, but don't know french dances. This lovely lady, called Pasquale, saw that I was desperate to dance and came and pulled me onto the floor and taught me some basic steps. Here she is with her regular partner.


She then handed me over to him and off we went, Schottisching away. Three to the right, three to the left, four slower steps round and round. With the occasional variation if you are up to it. Here you can just see me in my black leggings and green tunic. Pasquale grinning at Jim as he tries to get a good shot.


It was SUCH FUN!! Gosh I did enjoy myself. We even managed a variation! I wanted to dance all night. Sadly, I am not up to the polskas and mazurkas yet - maybe one day!


Pasquale did say I should join Pied à Terre but I think that is something I will leave for summer months maybe. I'm aware that it looks a bit empty - there were many more people at the gig and about a dozen or so couples dancing, but we seem to have caught a beer break!

We drove home later and I was still buzzing with the excitement of the dance, and the great music. Even Jim, who is a blues, not folk, music fan, really appreciated and enjoyed Triette's playing. Do check them out you will be amazed how good they are.

So I feel I have turned the corner and am feeling much happier; and despite the news from the hospital telling me my appointment will take about TEN WEEKS to arrive, I had a great evening playing music with Soiree friends Marj and Rob which really bucked me up no end. Thank you all of you who sent such lovely messages after my last post, it was quite heart-warming to read them.

Over the weekend, Jim and I culled some more books. You may remember a post from last year when I had a good old clear out, but look how many we sent to the recycling centre!



FIVE crates! And believe me, some of them were very difficult to get rid of. Even now I wonder why I sent the Reginald Hill books away - Dalziel and Pasco police TV series, excellently well written books, MUCH better than the Morse books, which  I think are not particularly well written though the TV series is excellent. And all those old Patricia Wentworth "Miss Silver" books - and many others I wasn't QUITE ready to let go - but they are taking up so much space, and to be honest I have read every single one of them over and over. They will all go to good new homes. Once upon a time you could sell them to the second hand book shop owners but these days there are so many books sloshing about they won't take them. Anyway, there is less clutter - and more room ......for more books I guess!

Do you find it difficult to get rid of books? Do you keep them and re-read them? Happy book-worming these chilly evenings, until next time.

22 comments:

  1. So pleased to hear your spirits are in the ascendency Lynne - Hoping for an early cancellation for your treatment.
    I find it hard to cull books as they are nearly all non-fiction in this library! ;)

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    1. Non-fiction go to interested parties - the quilting group I was a member of for years get most of my textile/beading etc books that I've grown out of!

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  2. Small books go to charity shops, don't have many small books left. Bigger books if in excellent condition I offer to the library, who will take them. (Given away cookery books and my study books to them). Some I try to sell. Glad you are feeling a little better and have at long last, got your appointment. Still waiting for another one after all my heart investigations.

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    1. Well, not an appointment AS SUCH, Dc, but the promise of one in 10 weeks! At least I know! But I'd rather you had yours - more urgent I would think!

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  3. I have a bad murder paperback habit , but ive no desire to keep them , fantasy books are a different matter . i have a huge plastic bin full of my favourites some date back to the 60s when i was akid and read them...theyre going nowhere ..lol

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    1. Hi Kate, well, it was a bit of a tug, letting go of some of them they have been around a LONG TIME!! And the very oldest ones are going nowhere, as you say.

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  4. What a terrific evening Lynne! It looks so nice, all those happy people enjoying themselves....
    And yes... books are not so easy to part with ;-). Our 'rule' now is that if we don't read a book more than once, it's for the thriftstore! So all the books that are left are our very favorite ones.

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    1. Hi Stins, good to hear from you again! My trouble is - I ALWAYS read books more than once so they all stay!! That's how the collection builds up - but we are better now and the place seems a little tidier - for a while!

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  5. well it sounds like the gig has cheered you up no end and that you've turned your corner - i love to dance but sadly my knees let me down after a while - i get so fustrated at what i cannot do anymore - i have to say that dave does not have a dancing bone in his body either BUT loves to listen to music - well done for letting go of your books - i hope you are feeling a bit better about it now - it's good that they are wanted by others though who may not have read them the first time!!! and just think of all that spare space now!!!! fingers crossed that the 10 weeks - if you have to wait that long - goes quickly - hope the discomfort is better xxx

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    1. Yes, Lynne the gig did me the world of good and also got me back playing again - I had been a bit apathetic toward that as well. The book space will not be there very long i am sure! Nature abhors a vacuum they say, and my homes abhor empty shelves! As for the NHS queue - not going to to think about it - unless this flares up again.Lx

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  6. Looks like a brilliant gig- very envious! Music is a great tonic ,nothing quite like it! I have got to this great age ( 60 in a couple of weeks) and decided to get rid of books-I never read a book twice, but I love to pass them on. Apart from the fact that I need the space for quilts!!
    Xx

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    1. Hi Heather - ope the birthed is a good 'un, I enjoyed my 60th. Yes, the extra space is useful! xx

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  7. I can share the joy of this gig with you! Just my kind of night and music. I used to dance mazurkas, schottisches and polkas when I did ballroom as we studied old time and traditional dance and rarely danced modern style. Loved it and I'm glad it lifted your spirits.
    Liverpool changed dramatically since 2008 when we were Capital of Culture and it is so much more vibrant now. The new shopping mall (Liverpool One) is super. When were you last "Home" ?
    Jo x

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    1. Oh the dancing was glorious, Jo! Especially as I thought i would never get up and dance again. I was 'home' about five years ago, the last time my sister Diana and I took mum for her last visit up north, so yes, I must have seen the mall because we stayed in a hotel by the Albert Dock, but when I think back to my teenage years, shopping in Town, I don't recognise the place in your photos. I did think the old place looked pretty good though! Lxx

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  8. Hello, I stumbled across your lovely blog. We have much in common. I am a former public health nurse, and before that, pediatric nurse. A quilter for ten years. A Swedish folk dancer with my husband until a knee injury five years ago got in the way. Retired from nursing, now doing volunteer visits to elderly - and quilting, although the state of my sewing room is disaster at the moment. Live in Minnesota outside of Minneapolis. I don't have a blog, yet want to say "hello" and am enjoying your posts. Andrea

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    1. Hello Andrea! Well what a coincidence! We certainly have quite a bit in common don't we!I bet we could also swap disaster pictures of our blitzed sewing rooms - even though I tidied up sections of it from time to time. What a shame you don't have a blog - if you do start one please be sure to let me know and I can come and visit you! I'm so pleased you enjoy my blog - do pop back often and leave me a comment and we can chat. Lx

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  9. Do I find it difficult to get rid of books? Well if I tell you we have a 'library' of over 2500..... I had a huge cull last year with a dozen large boxes which went to the Tapping House warehouse for future sales, the RSPCA shop, and a local village sale. I like to think they are all going to good homes. Often I just give them to friends as well, but every so often a big clear out is called for. Now I have a rule, one in, one out.... hmm, don't know how long that will last. But whenever a book has been read twice, then it goes. I won't live long enough to read them all sadly, well, not unless I stop buying!

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    1. Hi Edwina, yes, like you I have been down the giving away direct to other people, and organisations - nthis time we just took them to the recycling centre - they will be snatched up before they get 'recycled' so I feel ok about it. I have a box here on the coffee table waiting for Stitch & Bitch next eek - my friends can take them away!

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  10. Sorry to hear of your illness and your glums, but glad you're on the up again! I too love dancing and though him-indoors hates it, I did get him to go to ballroom dancing classes and that was a hoot! Can't believe you're getting rid of all those books - you'll be chopping off your right arm next! Very brave of you - well done!! xCathy

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    1. Oh I'm fine, Cathy just mooching along with it which is all you can do. I congratulate you getting your Mister to ballroom lessons - the nearest Jim got to being forced to learn Proper Dancin' was when he had his papers in to become a Naval Orficer when we lived in Malta - the fear of hving to stand up with the Admiral's Wife almost got him to the door, b ut then we came back to the UK and he re-thought whether he wanted to stay in the RN and be an officer and decided against. To this day I suspect the enforced dancing may have had something to do with it!! Right, I am just about to post again and will mention your button giveaway! Lx

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  11. That dance and music looks such fun, folk music really cheers you up, and makes your feet tap away, I am living in such a quiet house at the moment, my poor son has damaged his wrist practising his accordion too much, interestingly he is on the same medication I am on for my poor old back!
    And I really can't understand how you can ever get rid of books, not even to make space for more.......
    SueXxx

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    1. Believe me Sue, it wasn't wasn't easy, but we had no choice - they were taking over! And to be honest, I had read some of them several dozen times, have the dvd's and also the talking books versions so they haven't altogether gone.
      I hope your son recovers - and you too! to make more music, with Christmas coming up you both need to be on top of things! Lx

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