“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!
I currently belong to two book clubs one at the local public library and another with a few friends. The public library book club tends to read classic literature. For October’s meeting we read The Essential Tales of Chekhov. It was short stories by Anton Chekhov and it was enjoyable – humorous but also dark but come on, he is Russian so it is going be dark. For the next meeting we are reading The Country Girls Trilogy by Edith O’Brien. We are just reading the first book of the trilogy. I haven’t started it yet because the friend’s book club meets in a week and I needed to finish The Children Act by Ian McEwan. I did finish it and it was worth the read. The book we had read previously was The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt which was good by a little long (800 pages). I am also reading Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and Replacement Child by Judy L. Mandel both of those books are more for research than for pleasure but I am enjoying all that I am currently reading.
I also have had opportunity to visit a few interesting places recently. Two friends and I walked the Walkway over the Hudson (https://www.walkway.org/) last week and had lunch at a delightful little café called Lolas. We had beautiful weather. I would encourage you to take a stroll on the Walkway and then enjoy a yummy lunch at Lolas and then walk back. You get a view and exercise.
The week before I visited the State Museum (http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/) and New York Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Albany. My intention for visiting the State Museum was to see the 9/11 Family Room exhibit. The weird thing is I only visited the 9/11 Family Room once when it was in One Liberty Plaza and never went when it was on the site. I was curious to see the exhibit but in earlier years I had no need or desire to visit the space. I will say the State Museum’s September 11 exhibit is a good exhibit for children. I thought it tells the story without being overwhelming like the National 9/11 Museum. The area is bright, there are few large artifacts, information on all aspects of attacks, rescue and recovery. There is a section on rescue dogs and a statue to honor the dogs. I also learned something I hadn’t realized that at the original World Trade Center there had been bomb disposal units on the plaza. Already, then. I started wondering what on the new site is the equivalent. 
When you exit the museum if you walk all the way to the other side of The Egg you will come to the New York Fallen Firefighters Memorial. It is a beautiful memorial. As I approached I noticed a man “working” on the Memorial. I assumed he was fixing names but I would come to find out a few days later he was adding names. I asked him if the names were in any particular order. He said “no, after September 11 I added almost 400 names.” I commented that I recognized some September 11 names but they didn’t appear to be all together. He said “I just put them where they tell me.” “Thanks for your help. I will just keep looking.” After about 10 minutes of scanning up and down every panel I found Bruce’s name. At that point the man was leaving and I said to him “Thank you for the work you do here.” As he finished picking up his tools and headed towards his truck, he said “it is my pleasure.” Suddenly he stopped walking, turned and said “no that is wrong, it is my honor.”
Miss Ann Says 