Friday 19 May 2017

Five on Friday - Check up time.


I'm joining Five on Friday and am feeling like I need to see some beautiful flowers, not because I need cheering up but just because they remind me to focus on whatever is good, pure and lovely. These pretty flowers are from my Mother - in - law's garden. 

This past few weeks have featured a medical nature for us all. Last Thursday teen 2 needed his school jabs at the surgery after they were missed from school. He tells me he never had a consent form, but then he also didn't want the jabs! He was hard work, anyway 'we' got through it. Positive conversation - mind over matter, talking him through it. 

Then M and both teens had colds, Wednesday evening we all set off to the dentist, sorry no picture. It was just for a 6 monthly check-up and thankfully we were all ok. As it was the end of the day and a 40 minute journey each way, plus the obligatory visit to Tesco, we decided to stop at KFC before shopping, very nice. There are nice views of the sea from the dentist chair, or there would've been had it not been raining so hard. 



Even QT, seen here laughing at our British summer didn't escape medical check-ups, he needed his yearly booster today. He will have to make a return visit too in a month time to be weighed. It seems he's lost 100g each month since his last visit and they are very concerned. If he's still losing weight at the weigh in he'll have a blood test to check his thyroid. The vet felt it was larger than it should be, I'm hoping that's just because he's a Maine Coon and therefore larger than your average sized cat. In the meantime I've given him a worming tablet - from the vets - and we'll see if that may have been the cause of hunger and weight loss.





Teen 2 washcloth is progressing ok, I even took it with me for the car journey to the dentist and on Monday when we bought our new (to us) caravan home. It will have a crocheted border around the edge. 


It's good to be back to work this week, though I'm certainly not ready to go on long walks, Some reading whilst I was off. Planning recipes for The Cookery Calendar Challenge and holiday recipes for when we are away on holiday! Magazines from the pile to wade through.





Book club came a week early this month as this suited the majority. Above is a short clip which helps to set the scene of this book. The book is Mercy by Jodi Picoult shown in the books & magazines photo. An excerpt from the book see here. The questions we used for discussion purposes are below. Normally we'd only have about 6 or 8 questions but having been informed the usual pub quiz that follows our discussion time was cancelled, I threw in all the questions. As it happened a replacement quiz master was found but it all worked out ok and we had enough time for a lengthy discussion.

1. To what degree is the title a metaphor for this novel?
2. Are Jamie's actions justified? What about Cam's? Allie's?
3. Who is the author of the "notes"between the chapters? Who are these snippets addressing? Did you believe this throughout the book?
4. Jamie says, "You know it's never fifty-fifty in a marriage. It's always seventy-thirty, or sixty-forty. Someone falls in love first. Someone puts someone else up on a pedestal. Someone works very hard to keep things rolling smoothly; someone else sails along for the ride."Do you agree?
5. In what ways does Mia's memory of her parents' love influence her relationship with Cam?
6. Who is the most selfish character? The most selfless?
7. In what ways are Cam and Jamie similar?
8. How is Cameron MacDonald like his namesake ancestor? How is he different? To what extent does the Scottish history of this clan affect his decisions?
9. What is the significance of the moments in MERCY that are magical or somewhat unreal?
10. There is a catch-22 in Mia and Cam's relationship… they have each fallen in love with a person who would no longer exist if they were to run off together. Do you agree or disagree with this statement, and why?
11. Is there a hero in this book?
12. What attracts Allie to Jamie? To Cam? What attracts Mia to Cam, and Cam to Mia? Do you believe that we try to find parts of our personalities that are lacking in the people we love?
13. At the end of chapter 17, Cam "wondered how he had so quickly gone from holding everything he wanted in the palm of his hand to having absolutely nothing at all. He wondered how he could have been so blinded by something shiny and new and elusive that he couldn't at least give equal credit for the strength of something stable, and strong, and his."Do you think his feelings are heartfelt? Do you agree?
14. Why did Picoult choose to make Jamie a pioneer in virtual reality?
15. How has Jamie changed by the end of the book?
16. What will happen to Cam and Allie? To Mia? To Jamie?
17. Is this novel about love, or loyalty? Are they the same thing?

If you've read this book and would care to give me your thoughts on question 3 & 14 that would be great. We found these questions harder to fathom, also if you care to share your thoughts on Jamie - eg some thought he was controlling others felt sad for him as he'd lost everything.

Thank you for reading, if you've enjoyed reading please follow. Please leave a comment below. Do checkout my face book page here and leave a photo of your craft projects you've finished or working on. Cx



25 comments:

  1. Lots going on in your household. My husband and I are still not 100%, but there's only the two of us and in retirement we can rest when necessary. I've had two follow up hospital appointments this week - helpful, but tiring. I hope QT's health gets sorted out. It's sad when our pets are unwell. I haven't read Mercy so can't help. I've have lots of books on my reading pile including book group read and I'm a slow reader. Wishing you a good weekend.

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    1. Yes always lots to do, I don't think it was worms with QT and am now regretting giving him - half a tin of oily tuna fish as a treat (and to feed him up) as he now won't eat his own food. Wishing you good health and a good week, Cx

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  2. Sounds like a busy week in your house! I've got a dentist visit coming up. I hate the dentist so not looking forward to it at all. I am tempted to cancel but if I do I know it will be harder than ever to go back. Love all the reading goodies - looks like a lovely bunch of books and mags.

    Happy Five on Friday!

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    1. All the best with your dentist visit. Maybe plan a treat afterwards or just try and focus on what you're doing the soon as you leave the dentist - that's how I cope with things I don't want to do. It can be really mundane, just reassuring to know 'YOU WILL BE LEAVING and not stuck there forever'. Have a good week, Cx

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  3. A full and interesting week. Love the blue and white crochet cloths! The flowers are so lovely!

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  4. What a beautiful cat! Hope all ends up well with him. Love seeing the pile of magazines and books. Hope you have a great weekend.

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    1. Thank you, he's in good hands. Thanks for visiting Cx

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  5. Dentist visits are always a dread, but it was good you all got the all clear. I hope puss is ok.
    We just got our first (very tiny) caravan - having great fun getting kitted out and looking forward to our first outing in it.
    Fil @ Fil’s Place

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    1. Thank you, I'm looking forward to trying out the caravan too. I've ordered a book from the library that looks interesting and a bit querky on the decor front. Cx

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    2. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vantastic-Kate-Ulman/dp/1741174236/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=48VSSHXCNYSZYR3NN2HB

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  6. That's a beautiful cat! Hope the help with the vet will find the cause of the weight loss and the health improves. Busy week for you so the flowers were a crowning touch for bringing you down to good vibes for the weekend.

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    1. Thank you, yes always love the beautiful flowers, guaranteed to bring a smile. Have a good week, Cx

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  7. You have a very serious book groups. Mine always ended up being more about socializing than reading.
    I'm with your son. I absolutely hate needles!
    I hope your cat is OK. Maine coons are just so majestic!

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    1. It's not always serious, usually we socialise over a pub meal, then a discussion which can be quite short if we are all in agreement. Then there is the pub quiz, if the group wins they have a voucher for money off their meal next month. Cx

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  8. Interesting post. I wish all the best to the cat - and of course to the whole family. Happy Sunday.

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  9. You have had a busy week with trips to dentists and doctors, glad all was well in the end. Do hope your lovely cat will be well too. Our's is 21 now and very rickety on his back legs, we don't like to leave him for very long but have a wonderful neighbour who pops in often whilst we go further afield. I haven't read the book or any of that author's books I'm afraid so I can't help with the questions. I love reading but my cataracts are begining to make it difficut so I read on a kindle with the print enlarged or hardback books from the library with a clear print, paperbacks are a real struggle now. Have a lovely week:)

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    1. Arh that's a good age for cats Rosie. I feel sad we got QT when he was already old. We were told he was 8 years old, but his registration for the microchip stated he was 14 years old. He's now 16 years old and absolutely loved to bits bless him. The teens loved him immediately and wanted him, M and teen 2 chatted and fussed him first as we'd actually gone to visit another cat. Cx

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  10. I'm not good with (doctor) needles myself so Teen 2 has my sympathy! I hope QT is OK.

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    1. My husband is rubbish with needles, so I have to just get on with it. I do think when they're at school talking about it, they end up getting freaked out by it all. Still he's had a tetanus jab at the same time, so hopefully he'll be 'invisible' for a while anyway.
      QT is ok, don't think it was worms, so maybe he'll need a blood test in a month. I think if all seems ok in a month I may ask to have him checked again in 6 months, just to be sure.

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  11. It sounds like you've had one of those weeks. I hope everyone is well now. I haven't read the book though.

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  12. Fresh flowers in the house make everything a little better, even trips to the dentist. I hope your lovely cat is ok. I meant to thank you for the comment you left on my blog last month about the area you grew up in. That's pretty much where we live now! I'm glad you enjoyed the photos - Bosham is one of my favourite places too. x

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  13. I keep saying i'm going to learn to crochet and never get round to it, as soon as i'm finished writing this i'm going to order a chunkier hook online so i have no excuses!

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  14. Thank you to everyone who visited my page and left a comment x

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