saturday 9

Man I Need

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 

1) In this song, Olivia Dean is looking for a man who wants to really communicate and doesn't make her "read between the lines." Tell us about a time when you felt you had to work hard to figure out what someone was trying to tell you. this happens all the time at school, especially with FERPA guidelines 

 

2) She's eager to meet his best friend and join their friend group. Have you made any new friends recently? not really

 

3) "Man I Need" was a hit in the fall of 2025. It was so popular that, in addition to CDs, a special vinyl release was scheduled in time for Christmas (2025) gift giving. How do you listen to music most often? Do you play CDs, download, stream, or play vinyl records? streaming in my car

 

4) Olivia Dean recalls that her first public performance was singing at a school talent show. If we had a Sat 9 talent show, what would you do to entertain us? if Country Dew would play guitar, I might be persuaded to sing

 

5) She says she loved listening to her parents' music collection. How about you? Did you and your parents share musical tastes? How about you and your kids? my dad mostly listens to choral and classical music, which I appreciate but don't necessarily reach for on a regular basis...

 

6) Olivia likes to be dressed up when she gets onstage, favoring gowns and heels. She says of her audiences, "If you guys paid good money that you worked hard for, let me give you a show." How do you feel when you're invited to an event that calls for you to dress up? Are you enthusiastic about choosing your outfit, or would you rather keep it casual? I think I prefer casual

 
7) She enjoys classic film and lists Singin' in the Rain as her favorite. What's the last movie you watched? Do you recommend it to other Sat 9ers? the last movie I watched was Love Actually because I couldn't find When Harry Met Sally for my annual New Year viewing.  I would recommend it.

 

8) In 2025, when this song was popular, the average price tag for a new vehicle was $47,690 and $25,100 for a used one. Are you planning to make a big purchase in 2026?   I made my big purchase in 2025--with my new Edge

9) Random question: Are you better with love or money? love

finished reading

This is perhaps the most atmospheric book I've ever read.  The isolation, the relentless winds, the driving rain, and the frigid sea were all characters that shaped relationships between the people and the physical world around them.  The main female character, Rowan, dramatically washes up on the remote island, unleashing secrets, suspicion, and intrigue.  There were many times I wanted to shake Rowan as she became entwined in the family's drama. The keepers of the island, the male main character Dominic Salt and his three children, have forged relationships with the animals of the island, and the youngest, Orly, is consumed by the seed vault. I loved the dynamics between the Salt children.

I'm relatively new to the Climate Fiction genre--this was a powerful study of precious resources.  The audio narration was very well done.

From the publisher:

A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon.

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers, but with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants. Until, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman mysteriously washes ashore.

Isolation has taken its toll on the Salts, but as they nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, it begins to feel like she might just be what they need. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting herself, starts imagining a future where she could belong to someone again.

But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, they all must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late―and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.

A novel of breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty, and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us disappears.

finished reading

A compelling non-fiction that kept me engaged.  Lots of fresh information about the final year of the Civil War.  Each chapter begins with an interesting anecdote or phrase as a hook.  It's a good thing I have a substantial background in Civil War battles, especially since they are mentioned in broad strokes.  But more than that, the book got me thinking about the rebirth of our nation.  Such a thoughtful read.

From the publisher:

Told with a page-turning pace, New York Times bestselling author and historian Scott Ellsworth has written the most compelling new book about the Civil War in years. Focusing on the last, desperate months of the war, when the outcome was far from certain, Midnight on the Potomac is a story of titanic battles, political upheaval, and the long-forgotten Confederate terror war against the loyal citizens of the North. Taking us behind the scenes in the White House, along the battlefronts in Virginia, and into the conspiracies of spies and secret agents, Lincoln walks these pages, as do Grant and Sherman. But so do common soldiers, runaway slaves, and an unknown but intrepid female war correspondent named Lois Adams. Rarely, if ever, has a book about the Civil War featured such a rich and diverse cast of characters.

Midnight on the Potomac will also shatter some long-held myths. For more than a century and a half, the Lincoln assassination has been portrayed as the sole brainchild of a disgruntled, pro-South actor. But based on both obscure contemporary accounts and decades of long-ignored scholarship, Ellsworth reveals that for nearly one year before the tragic events at Ford’s Theatre, John Wilkes Booth had been working closely with agents of the Confederate Secret Service. And the real Booth is far from the one we’ve long been presented with.

Deeply researched yet captivatingly written, Midnight on the Potomac is a new kind of book about the Civil War. In it you will read about the Confederate attempt to burn down New York City, how Lincoln almost lost the presidency, about the Rebel general who nearly captured Washington, and how thousands of enslaved African Americans freed themselves—and helped secure their nation’s survival. In an age of deep political division such as our own, Scott Ellsworth’s book is an eloquent and gripping testament to the courage, grit, and greatness of the American people.

three on thursday

Thing one:  not sure what's gotten into me, but I came home from school yesterday and vacuumed and did some other cleaning.  And the same today!  I'm in a cleaning mood!

Thing two: today is my Friday!  Because I have another eye treatment tomorrow, plus it's a workshop day at school, I took the whole day off.  Which reminds me, I can turn my alarm off.

Thing three: the book I'm reading has kept me guessing!  The big reveals have shocked and surprised me.  I'm curious about the ending.  (Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaughy) 

currently

I am...

Reading: Midnight on the Potomac by Scott Ellsworth

Listening to:  the buzzing in my ears

Thinking:  about a snack

Feeling:  upbeat

Celebrating: nothing, but I'm in a good mood

Grateful for:  libraries that allow out-of-state memberships

Enjoying:  ahh, I just cleaned my glasses

Weather:  12° and clear

A quote I want to share: 

sunday stealing

Click the icon to play along

When I Was Young

1. Tell us about a time when your family got a newfangled invention (your first air conditioner, color TV, VCR, microwave, computer, etc.). we were the first family in our neighborhood to get a microwave, and I remember the boys trying to get my sisters and me to put all kinds of things in it (bugs, caterpillars, rocks, etc).  It was big and clunky.

2. Is there a particular song that sparks a childhood memory? my mum sang "My Beautiful Balloon" often, I think of her when I hear it

3. What is something an older family member taught you to do? hmmm... drawing a blank

4. Back in the day, what name brands would we have found in your family's kitchen? Chef Boyardee, a variety of Kellogg's cereal, and Kool-Aid

5. As a child, did you collect anything (rocks, shells, stickers, etc.)? people always gave me Smurf figures but what I really wanted were Troll dolls

finished reading

This is a delightful debut novel and first in a series; I will read more!  I'm not sure how to classify it--it's a blend of cozy paranormal mystery with found family.  And amusing, I even chuckled a couple of times. I hope future installments touch on main character Kathy Valence's backstory, but this introduction was plenty fun.  Kathy's depicted as down-on-her-luck at forty-two, in the process of divorce, yet surprisingly pregnant with her soon-to-be ex-husband's baby.  The secondary characters are charming and quirky.  The audio is very well done.

From the publisher:

Sometimes it takes working with the dead to start living.

Kathy Valence is forty-two, mid-divorce, and pregnant with her ex's baby. She's also a modern-day grim reaper employed by S.C.Y.T.H.E. (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences), but frankly that's the easiest part of her life right now. Or at least it was, until her latest client's soul goes missing.

When she finally tracks down seventeen-year-old Conner Ortiz, he angrily denies he died of natural causes, despite what his file says. He insists that someone at S.C.Y.T.H.E. murdered him, and he demands Kathy find out who and why.

Kathy has only forty-five days to figure out what happened to Conner and help him move on before the boy's soul is doomed to roam the Earth as a ghost forever. She’s forced to rely on the help of her retired mentor, her almost ex-husband—and some sneaky moves by Conner himself. This is the wildest case of her career. . .and one wrong move could cost Kathy her job, not to mention her life.

postsecret

 

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

saturday 9

Volare

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) The word "volare" is Italian for "to fly." Say something else in Italian. ciao bella

2) This week, Bobby Rydell invites us to take off with him up in the clouds and promises we'll find a rainbow. Countless lyricists have included rainbows in their songs. Can you name another song that mentions rainbows? The Rainbow Connection

 

3) His happy heart is singing. What is making you happy this morning? I'm answering this Friday evening--and I'm happy that I will be starting my day (Saturday) with my Breakfast Club

4) Bobby Rydell, like Frankie Avalon and Fabian, was a 1950s teen idol who hailed from Philadelphia. Home to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, Philly is Pennsylvania's most populous city. Have you ever been there? it was the destination of my very first flight

 

5) Bobby was such a perfect example of a clean-cut American boy that when Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey sat down to write the play Grease, they named their fictional high school Rydell High after him. Do you have a favorite song from Grease? today I'll go with "Beauty School Drop Out"

 

6) In addition to singing, Bobby also acted. His most famous film role was opposite Ann-Margret in Bye, Bye, Birdie (1963). Have you seen it? yes

7) In 1960, when this record was popular, so were hand-loomed, 100% virgin wool sweaters from Italy. You could order one from the Sears catalog for $12.60 (approx. $135 in today's dollars). That sweater was labeled "dry clean only." Do you have any garments waiting to be picked up from the cleaners? no, but I am planning to go to the laundromat after breakfast

 
8) Also in 1960, Princess Margaret married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones. They met when he was commissioned to take her official portrait. Who took the most recent photo of you? it was a selfie

 

9) Random question: Is your oldest friend also your best friend? yes

three on thursday

Thing one:  I actually cooked after school this evening.  I had a telehealth session with my peer coach and felt motivated enough to then cook and clean up.  

Thing two: the library book group was so much fun last night.  Everyone seemed to love the book (Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid), and the discussion was lively--albeit sometimes way off topic.

Thing three: tonight I get to start a new book!  

finished reading

A classic noir mystery that didn't age well: disparaging descriptions of every single woman and minority were tedious after a while.  However, the grit and lone wolf aspect of Private Detective Philip Marlowe were classic.  

The plot was hard to follow because of the narrative thread, with lots of minute details about things that weren't relevant to the story--I got bogged down. I've seen the 1980s television series with Powers Boothe and adored Marlowe and the genre.  But reading it just wasn't the same.

From the publisher:

When old man Sternwood, a dying millionaire, hires Philip Marlowe to expose the blackmailer of one of his troublesome daughters, Marlowe finds himself involved with more than simple extortion. Kidnapping, pornography, and seduction are just a few of the complications standing in the way of completing the task at hand. And just as Marlowe feels he’s getting ahold of the situation, he discovers the first body.

currently

I am...

Reading: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler for my school book group

Listening to:  the refrigerator hum

Thinking:  we're supposed to get slammed with a winter storm this week and I have meetings galore to try to reschedule.

Feeling:  satisfied.  It was a very good day back at school.

Celebrating: so glad everything was prepared for this morning--no scurrying around trying to get organized

Grateful for: a long, relaxing vacation

Enjoying:  working on goal setting for this new year--well, I'm not actually setting new goals but I am continuing to work on goals I have been setting; I didn't want to set myself up for disappointment by getting hyped up for some major goal only to lose momentum.

Weather:  -2° and cloudy

A quote I want to share: