saturday 9

Sweet City Woman

1) The lyrics tell us the singer is on his way to catch a train and he really wants to be on time. When is the last time you were late for something? I really can't remember, I am seldom late

2) He sings he's on his way to meet a woman known for her macaroons. What's your favorite cookie? I like a soft chocolate chip cookie

3) His girlfriend's face is so pretty she lights up the city night. How many lights are in the room you're in? How many are switched on? there are two lights and neither is on

4) This is the rare top 40 tune that prominently features a banjo. Sam has always been crazy about the sound of a banjo. What sound makes you smile? (It doesn't have to be a musical instrument. Think bacon sizzling, church bells, etc.) I LOVE the sound of velcro

5) 47 years after their record was a hit, The Stampeders still tour every summer, playing festivals across the US and their native Canada. Do you enjoy live music under the stars? Or would you prefer to be seated in a theater? it depends on the artist--some shows are intimate and need a theater (like Elvis Costello) and others are fantastic under the stars (like Sting or James Taylor)

6) In 1971, when this song was popular on the radio, detective shows were popular on TV. Mannix, Ironside and Cannon were all in the Top 20. Who is your favorite TV detective? I loved the Rockford Files

7) Also in 1971, the Post Office Department was disbanded as a Cabinet department and became The United States Postal Service. When did you last go to the post office? Were you mailing something? Buying stamps? Picking up a package? Renewing your passport? I was dropping off a package that was a return

8) Race car legend Jeff Gordon was born in 1971. Do you watch NASCAR? I do not, I have nothing against it I've just never seen it

9) Random question -- Do you have a vaccination scar? If so, where is it? it is on my left shoulder

the friday 56

The Friday 56

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)
*Post it.

I'm reading How the Light Gets In.

From page 56:

Armand Gamache turned off the lights, then he and Henri walked down the corridor, but instead of pressing the down button, he pressed up. Not to the very top floor, but the one just below it. he looked at his watch. Eight thirty. Perfect.

guess which one

Good vertigo:




Bad vertigo:

unraveled wednesday

Join Kat @ AsKatKnits for some fun!

Knitting for my next great nephew, Fletcher, a Garter Rib Baby Blanket. And I'm listening to How the Light Gets In.

ten things tuesday

Ten things:

1) I'm finally not coughing!

2) I got a disco ball for my classroom. It's just 6 inches, I wish it was bigger!

3) I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight, I'm pooped.

4) I really love October.

5) I got some new air fresheners for my car in autumn scents--a really nice pumpkin spice. I don't normally enjoy a lot of pumpkin spice scented stuff but this is a warm scent.

6) I shared a loaf of pumpkin bread with my students today.

7) Watching 60 Minutes this weekend made me physically ill. I had to turn it off, I just couldn't listen to Leslie's interview.

8) I wish I didn't have to shave my legs. Person grooming is such pain in the ass.

9) It would be so nice if I could read and knit all day long.

10) My book is so fun--#9 in the Inspector Gamache series.

currently

I am...

Reading: How the Light Gets In

Listening to: a political ad

Loving: my cozy sweatshirt dress--loungy clothes after school for the win!

Thinking: about dinner--and what to fix

Feeling: tired

Celebrating: being organized at school

Grateful for: a day off from after school meetings

Weather: it's 46 degrees and raining

Enjoying: hanging out

A quote I want to share:

finished reading

It's a literary thriller that is a fantastic character study. It's a slow moving, yet intense story.

From the publisher:

Rice Moore is just beginning to think his troubles are behind him. He’s found a job protecting a remote forest preserve in Virginian Appalachia where his main responsibilities include tracking wildlife and refurbishing cabins. It’s hard work, and totally solitary—perfect to hide away from the Mexican drug cartels he betrayed back in Arizona. But when Rice finds the carcass of a bear killed on the grounds, the quiet solitude he’s so desperately sought is suddenly at risk.

More bears are killed on the preserve and Rice’s obsession with catching the poachers escalates, leading to hostile altercations with the locals and attention from both the law and Rice’s employers. Partnering with his predecessor, a scientist who hopes to continue her research on the preserve, Rice puts into motion a plan that could expose the poachers but risks revealing his own whereabouts to the dangerous people he was running from in the first place.

self-care sunday

Today I took a Self-Care Assessment. I need balance in my life, the assessment was an eye-opener. Even though I'm single, I forget to take care of myself; I put so much energy and effort in my profession and my family and friends. Sundays I'm going to celebrate something for myself.

finished reading

This book left me with a couple of lingering questions, loose ends the author didn't tie up. Otherwise, it's a study of the lies we tell ourselves, family, and grief. The grief was palpable. These are very, very real people who make some poor choices for the right reasons.

From the publisher:

Clara Solberg's world shatters when her husband and their four-year-old daughter are in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. The crash is ruled an accident…until the coming days, when Maisie starts having night terrors that make Clara question what really happened on that fateful afternoon.

Tormented by grief and her obsession that Nick's death was far more than just an accident, Clara is plunged into a desperate hunt for the truth. Who would have wanted Nick dead? And, more important, why? Clara will stop at nothing to find out—and the truth is only the beginning of this twisted tale of secrets and deceit.

Told in the alternating perspectives of Clara's investigation and Nick's last months leading up to the crash, master of suspense Mary Kubica weaves her most chilling thriller to date—one that explores the dark recesses of a mind plagued by grief and shows that some secrets might be better left buried.

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

Unbreak My Heart

1) Songs like this are enduringly popular in part because each of us has had our heart broken. Give us the name of a heartbreaker from your own life. George Clooney

2) Toni Braxton sings that "nights are so unkind." What did you do last night? I chatted online with my sisters and went to bed around 9

3) While this song has Toni singing the blues, in real life her love life is happier. Now aged 50, she's engaged and has been sporting a diamond on her left hand. Do you believe that a bride is ever too old to have a big wedding? to each their own

4) Growing up, Toni Braxton's parents severely restricted how much TV their children could watch each day. Ironically, today Toni and her sisters participate in a reality TV show on the WE-TV network, so TV cameras are a big part of their daily adult lives. What TV show do you try not to miss? This Is Us

5) She is prone to dry skin and applies Kiehl's Hand Salve to her hands and arms throughout the day. Tell us about a product you're brand loyal to. La Croix lime sparkling water

6) Toni admits to being "a bit of a germaphobe," and always maintains a supply of hand sanitizer and wipes. What is always on your shopping list? La Croix lime sparkling water

7) While she is not shy about her body, and has worn revealing outfits on the red carpet, Toni Braxton refused a 2011 offer from Hugh Hefner and Playboy to pose nude. What's the last thing you said "no" to? my students invited me to chaperone the Halloween Costume Ball

8) In 1996, the year this song was popular, Mattel introduced a Star Trek Barbie and Ken set. Have you ever fantasized about space travel? nope, I have no interest in space travel

9) Random question -- Would you (or did you) invite an ex to your wedding? I probably would not