Valuable Family Stuff

The other day I decided to clean out some old files. I ran across several thick envelopes with letters sent to Arlene's mother, Effie, from her husband, Arthur (more about those later), starting around 1917. I hit pay dirt with a letter from Don Murray requesting permission to marry their daughter, Arlene. After the happy dance I added it to the end of Soft Snap. Excerpt below.
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26 December 1945

Dear Arthur and Effie,

Arlene’s recent, though brief, visit to Hanover gave me a long awaited opportunity to be with her once more, and most important of all, to speak to her of what has long been nearest to my heart. To my immense joy and pride she has told me that she bears me an affection and admiration equal to those which I have for her. We have discovered that we love each other and we wish to be married, sometime in the coming summer. It is my most sincere wish that we may have your unreserved permission as well as your unqualified and enthusiastic support in culminating our plans.

My mother has been told today of our desire and she is delighted. Through my many letters she has known how much I have thought of Arlene for several years and that we have written constantly since I have been in the service. While Arlene was here mother was able to come to know how fine and dear she is. Mother has said that I could not have chosen a finer girl . . .

Finding Findings

I found a site where people post brief quotes from the books they are reading. I enjoyed seeing the words that resonate with readers.

A poster named "Sasith" found the following from Unbroken Hearts to be compelling:

"Finally the blacksmith turned from his anvil and looked his question at Cal. Like every blow of his hammer, Jake made every word count. His regular customers had learned to interpret the nuances of facial expression, and just then he was wearing narrowed eyes and a frown."

"All the while Knute howled. "If I loved noise I'd hug you to death,"

"This magical evening was ending, sliding into the abyss of fond memories. Soon it would be another dried and pressed flower, lurking between the pages of her life book."

Life Imitates Art Redux and Weight Update

If you've read TAKEDOWN then you might be questioning this new of a computer algorithm "glitch":

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/some-us-stock-market-trading-disrupted-2012-08-01

UPDATE 8/2/2012: Knight Capital lost 440 million yesterday on the algorithm glitch. A friend wrote: "Sometimes I wonder why terrorists bother with bombs. They could just take our country down using algos in a kind of synchronized economic Armageddon. I can't figure out why this isn't a national security issue."

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-02/knight-says-losses-from-trading-breakdown-are-440-million.html

Exactly my point in TAKEDOWN.

UPDATE 12/4/2012: More on high frequency trading at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/04/business/high-speed-trades-hurt-investors-a-study-says.html

I've lost seven pounds since I last posted on the weight loss front, for a total of twenty. Must be the heat . . .