Mooned

Sturgeon Moon, island of Gran Canaria, Spain. Photo from Reuters:

Indictment number three of Donald Trump: will his poll numbers again rise?

Another plus in the AI debate, headline from foxnews.com: “Farmers turn to AI-driven robots as labor shortage persists.”

Another gem from the Staten Island goombah:

Also from FN, more finger pointing: “Biden admin points finger at Trump for US drop in credit rating.”

Headline from newsmax.com: “Miami Population Drops for 1st Time Since 1970.” Too expensive for many. Given all the folks moving to Florida, how long before other areas have the same problem?

Born in a small town in Minnesota in 1942, Sonia Gernes (Gur-ness) became a nun in 1960 and was released from her vows in 1974. She taught high school in her home state and eventually became an associate professor at Notre Dame and also taught in the school’s programs in London and Australia. There are three volumes of poetry in her name and one novel, The Way to St. Ives, published in 1982, which I just finished. 266 pages, it’s a challenging read about the mindset of a 41-year-old woman whose older brother dies, leaving her alone in the world. Set in the late ‘60’s, in the small Minnesota town referred to in the title, it’s a slice of life that explores the human condition. The woman, attractive, is her own worst enemy, wondering constantly “Is it a sin?” She is a good person and would make a wonderful wife and mother, but her inner battles, her busy mind, hamper her. She is of the minority that clings to rigid Catholicism. Anyone who experienced that, especially women, would relate to the battle. But it is a difficult slog. The dogma once had a similar hold on me. To this day, now 73, I doubt I’m completely free of it, and I blame me, not the church or priests or nuns. Gernes includes them, young and old, in the narrative. They are not stereotypical. I was disappointed the ending was open and not happy, although happiness is almost always temporary. The dialogue and prose are solid, the latter a bit overdone. Only one person has rated the novel at Amazon, a four. I’ll go with three, fight the temptation to go a bit lower because I respect the seriousness. Here’s a picture of Gernes from her days at Notre Dame, courtesy of Google Images:

The floating book shop enjoyed both beautiful weather and good business today. My thanks to the kind folks who made purchases. Here’s what sold: Daddy by Danielle Steel, a hardcover collection of three novels by Nora Roberts; Deliver Us from Evil by David Baldacci; Playboy’s Complete Book of Party Jokes by Playboy’s Press; Counting 1–10, a kids’ book; 24 Hours by Greg Iles; 30 Days to a Great Attitude: Strategies for a Better Outlook on Life by Deborah Smith; The Art of Selfishness: How To Deal With the Tyrants and the Tyrannies in Your Life by David Seabury and Aaron Sussman; a Michelin guide to NYC; NLT Thirstquencher New Testament by Greg Laurie; When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold S. Kushner. I am blessed.

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