Fascinating. Christina! I would love to visit! And what a wonderful opportunity for research. I love the turf house—there's nothing like actually walking into an historic place and experiencing what your characters would see, smell and touch. Really wonderful! I would have loved to try the hots springs, too! But the idea of undressing in an arctic wind gives me pause for thought!

Susan (waving madly to say hello!) I'm another fountain pen lover! If I write a letter these days, I want to go all the way with the elegance of the past. I love the look of real ink . . and I also use quality paper. Now, if only my handwriting were up to snuff!

Annette, I too, appreciate my kindle, and the other conveniences of a cellphone. But I do hand write letters, too. (Not as much as I should!) I couldn't agree with you more about the dangers and soul-eating effects of the internet. There is so much hate and deliberate evil going on. Not sure how we can sift it out of the positive things. I do worry about what it's doing to society.

Karin, I'm like you! I appreciate all the things the phone can do, but I LOATH all the constant beeping and chirping that would constantly be going on if I didn't have everything turned off except for the phone ting. It's no wonder that most people have no attention span! How you can think about anything carefully with the constant interruptions is beyond me. (Especially as most of it just isn't important.)

yes, I know that story, too!Wall Street intrigue and "insider trading" is nothing new!

Joanna, So true about the eagles! I think the news about Waterloo couldn't have been done by semaphore because there wasn't a "route" that would have allowed the message to pass across the Channel. (You had to have your men in place at each station, plus the cross-water distance would have been too great for the optical signal.)

Binnie, you're right—a smartphone is in many ways a lifeline, and I wouldn't be without it. How wonderful that you're involved in in getting free books to our military. What a great and important project. Thank you! I, too, try to use special paper and fountain pens when taking the time to write a real letter. I love making them special.

Thanks, Anne. I don't know that Pratchett book, which sounds like great fun! Must look it up!

Patricia, you're more disciplined than I am! I do take my phone with me, as I feel you never know when you might have some sort of emergency. But I'm not constantly talking on it. (My pet peeve is that so many people need constant stimulation rather than quiet times, and yak WAY too much in public!)

LOL! It suddenly struck me when I read about the basic length of the message (for tech reasons) and I found the comparison very funny. I need to get that book! (You may guess where my thoughts are going for a furure mystery!)

Sue, thanks for sharing this thought! It's SO true, especialli in this day and age. Careful research and critical thinking about what is true and what isn't is so vital . . . and I fear it's under grave threat.

Glad yu enjoyed it, Kareni. I think most of us see the value of cellphones, and as I've mentioned in other comments here, I do love the photo ability. But I'm probably on the low end of tech, and happy to stay there.

Totally agree with all this, too! I write real letters by e-mail . . . I wish I did it more on paper. And yes, it's manners, or mindset. The younger people seem to think in sound bytes. Not to be a curmudgeon, but they might benefit from trying to write thoughtful, meaningful letter . . .

Janice, I don't consider myself a tech-y person. I don't have Siri to turn on my lights, or other of those other "help"gadgets, which just don't appeal to me. But I agree—the smartphone is a wonder. I use my camera a lot on my daily walks, and it gives me such pleasure to capture moments in nature that appeal to my eye. I also love have my books at hand on kindle if I find myself stuck somewhere. And checking directions, or research on the fly is a huge hlep. But most important, as you say, is the connection to family and friends. My college roommates and I really connected even more during the pandemic, and we are now constantly texting each other with funny little updates or photos . . .I get an unexpected smile during the day from that. So I wouldn't give up my phone either! (Love the freezer story!)

Ha! Glad you enjoy finding us through the ether, Bev! I write e-letters. The benefit is getting a reply so quickly, which is nice. I'm not constantly glued to my devices. I like a "quieter" pace of life, though I appreciate the convenience when I want to get something done quickly.

Pam, yes, there are pluses and minuses. The internet can be the mother of all rabbit holes! But I love falling down unexpected places, so I'll put up with the junk.

Sue, it's so true that the things one call do with tech outweigh the dark side of it. It's an amazing tool for research. (That's how I stumbled on the article on semaphores, and then within a half hour found a bunch more really interesting articles. I find a lot ideas for my books by serendipitous links to things I wasn't actually looking for in the first place.

Misti, I carry my phone just for that reason. I like photography, and one of the real benefits of the modern technology is the great cameras in cellphone. I get a lot of pleasure out of the creativeity.

Wow—i had forgotten that part! Really interesting! Thanks for sharing.

Mary T, it's always hard to put the genie back in the bottle! I, too, don't want to go back to the pre-internet/cellphone days (yes, a mobile is a godsend in an emergency, so good to have.) You've hit the nail on the head about the dark side of instant communication. Everyone has a voice, whether they should use it or not! People do react without thinking. Putting words on paper does make you reflect on what you're actually saying. That's a good thing!

What a lovely story, Theo. Such a testament to how important books are in our lives.

Both authors are wonderful choices, Mary!

Sounds fascinating, Quantum!

Donna, I remember a good friend recommending Winter Solstice to me. I was dubious, thinking it sounded a little too sentimental for me. But I loved it. The recommendations from friends have led me to such wonderful books I might not have discovered on my own.