sunday stealing

 

Click the icon to play along

Survey Asks...

1. What was the last gift you received? a giant Freshcut Paper card

2. Who did you last hang out with? my Pennsylvania and Virginia and local sisters

3. Do you often lose the remote? this is a fun question--sinceI moved into this apartment in 2023, I haven't watched tv on my television because I cannot find the remote

4. When did you last check Facebook? about fifteen minutes ago

5. Are there scented candles in the room you're in? no, I can't burn candles here

6. Next time you leave the house, where will you be going? probably to my dad's

7. Do you know anyone named Steven or Stephen or Steve or Stevie? yes to all of them

8. Which do you prefer: macaroni salad or potato salad? potato salad

9. Do you have an ice maker in your refrigerator door? no

10. When you woke up this morning, did you get up straightaway or lounge a bit? I got up

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

Big Girls Don't Cry

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

1) When is the last time you shed a tear?  Monday during an intense conversation

2) Lyricist/producer Bob Crewe recalled he got the idea for this song while watching a movie on TV. "Big girls don't cry" was a line from the 1956 film Slightly Scarlet. Give us a quote from another movie. "Snap out of it!"

3) This inspiration came to Bob during the late night/early morning hours. What time of day are you most productive? I'm at my best in the morning

4) Bob wrote another song for the Four Seasons, "Silence Is Golden." The band was not happy with their recording and never released it as a single. Three years later, The Tremeloes had an international Top 10 hit with "Silence Is Golden." Tell us about a decision you wish you could do over. oh gosh... I wish I hadn't had cheesecake after dinner

5) Before he got his big break, Four Seasons lead singer Frankie Valli worked as barber. Do you have a hair care appointment scheduled? I do not

 

6) Oscar-winning actor Joe Pesci has a connection to the band. He was a young chum of Four Seasons founding member Tommy DeVito. By the time DeVito left the group and found himself overwhelmed by gambling debts, Pesci was a star. He helped his friend out, making Tommy his personal assistant and getting him cameo roles in films. Tell us about someone who has been there for you in tough times. My Virginia and Pennsylvania sisters have been in town, so the four of us have been spending as much time as possible together.  My sisters have definitely been there for me.

 

7) The Four Seasons disbanded in 1977 after 17 years together. The original bandmates reunited onstage 1990 when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was an important night for them professionally and personally, too, as it gave the old friends a chance to reconnect and mend fences. Is there anyone from your past you wish you could reach out to? no one comes to mind

8) Another hit song from 1962 was "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." Tony Bennett compares San Francisco to Rome, Paris and Manhattan. Have you visited any of those four cities? I've been to San Francisco, Paris, and Manhattan

 

9) Random question – You're home all alone. Do you close the door when you use the bathroom? no, I do not

finished reading

Somehow or other, I managed to miss this classic--until now. It turned out to be a perfect, eerie fall read, packed with intrigue, supernatural atmosphere, and things that go bump in the night.

For a novel nearly 180 years old, it remains strikingly relevant. There is so much here for a book group to dissect: class dynamics, individual autonomy, love versus obsession, and Victorian gender expectations. Viewing it through a modern lens makes it fascinating to consider how radical Jane's choices were for her era: her decisions were tightly constrained by society, yet fiercely liberating in practice.

That said, the pacing wasn't always smooth sailing. Certain sections bogged down the narrative momentum, and a tighter edit trimming some of the secondary scenes would have kept the central drama much more engaging. Still, a compelling and thought-provoking read.

From the publisher:

Orphaned Jane Eyre grows up in the home of her heartless aunt, where she endures loneliness and cruelty, and at a charity school with a harsh regime. This troubled childhood strengthens Jane's natural independence and spirit - which prove necessary when she finds employment as a governess to the young ward of Byronic, brooding Mr Rochester. As her feelings for Rochester develop, Jane gradually uncovers Thornfield Hall's terrible secret, forcing her to make a choice. Should she stay with Rochester and live with the consequences, or follow her convictions - even if it means leaving the man she loves? A novel of intense power and intrigue, Jane Eyre dazzled readers with its passionate depiction of a woman's search for equality and freedom.

currently

I am...

Reading: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë; I hope I can finish it for my book group gathering on Wednesday

Listening to: Jane Eyre

Thinking:  about micro adventures to try this fall

Feeling:  happy-tired

Celebrating:  today was a very good day

Grateful for:  the ability to take some earned paid leave

Enjoying:  spending time with my sisters

 

Weather:  45° and clear

A quote I want to share:

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.

sunday stealing

Click the icon to play along

What?

1. What are you currently excited about? both of my "away" sisters and their husbands will be here for our annual family fun time!  It's the first time I can think of that I did not plan activities for us

2. What do you wish you had more time for? thinking

3. What would like to do less? fretting

4. What do you spend too much money on? clothing

5. What childhood wish never came true? none of them did

6. What did you do to celebrate your last birthday? it was my 60th and my classroom was completely decked out for it!  

7. What drives you nuts? inconsiderate drivers who do not pull into the slow lane or don't use their turn signals

8. What keeps you sane? knowing there is light at the end of the tunnel

9. What historic date is etched in your memory? my birthday is Black Tuesday (different year)

10. What one thing would make your life immeasurably better? $$$

saturday 9

East Bound And Down

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

1) This week's song was featured in the movie Smokey and the Bandit, the surprise box office hit of 1977. Have you seen it?  I believe so

2) Though not well received by critics, Smokey and the Bandit had one very famous fan: Alfred Hitchcock. The classic film director enjoyed re-watching the movie on video at home, often while having dinner. Do you ever watch TV with your meal? no

3) Jerry Reed not only wrote and performed the movie's theme, he appeared in the movie as truck driver Cledus "Snowman" Snow. Have you ever driven, or ridden in, a big rig? no

4) He sings, "We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there." Have you recently felt rushed? yes, just this morning

5) Director Hal Needham asked Jerry Reed for a song that explained the plot of the movie. He wrote this overnight and always considered it a happy accident. Can you think of a time when something turned out better than you expected? my students did not groan and grumble about an assignment I expected them to

6) Reed was born in Atlanta and, coincidentally, he mentions Atlanta in the lyrics. Has your hometown been immortalized in song?  no

7) Jerry met Priscilla Mitchell at Capitol Records, where Jerry was a session musician and Priscilla was backup singer. Though she was only 18 when they wed, it seems their union was a happy one and they were together until his death almost 50 years later. If a newly engaged 18-year-old asked you for advice, what would you say? you have to work at having a healthy relationship every single day

8) In 1977, when "Eastbound and Down" was on the radio, nostalgia for the 1950s topped the TV ratings. The two most popular shows that year were Laverne & Shirley and Happy Days. If you magically transported back to the 1950s, what do you think you'd like about it? What do you think you'd miss about your life in 2026? I would enjoy the neighborliness but I would miss the individual freedom women have today (like having my own bank accounts and credit cards)

9) Random question: Were you ever afraid of monsters in your closet or under your bed? no, growing up, I shared a bedroom and always had the comfort of a sister nearby

let the celebration begin...