finished reading

I really didn't know what to expect with this one. It’s a coming-of-age story that perfectly balances moments of whimsy with a deep, grounded faith and the secrets and lies that can do a family harm.

The book follows the life and legacy of Gabriel Fisher, but it does something really unique: we see him through multiple points of view, yet never through his own. I’ll be honest--I was a little confused by the shifting narrative threads at first. But as each character’s relationship with Gabriel unfolded, everything just clicked.

Community is the heartbeat of this story. From his Amish upbringing to his time in the "English" world of collegiate sports and his hometown, everyone is completely captivated by this gentle giant. 

I especially enjoyed the poetry and art throughout the story.  The audio narration is great -the ensemble brought each narrator to life.

From the publisher:

A heart too big for this world.

A life that changes everyone.

Gabriel Fisher was born an orphan, weighing eighteen pounds and measuring twenty-seven inches long. No one in Lakota, Wisconsin, knows what to make of him. He walks at eight months, communicates with animals, and seems to possess extraordinary athletic talent. But when the older brother who has been caring for him dies, Gabriel is taken in by his devout Amish grandparents who disapprove of all the attention and hide him away from the English world.

But it’s hard to hide forever when you’re nearly eight feet tall. At seventeen, Gabriel is spotted working in a hay field by the local football coach. What happens next transforms not only Gabriel’s life but the lives of everyone he meets.

Life, and Death, and Giants is a moving story of faith, family, buried secrets, and everyday miracles.

saturday 9

Easter Parade

Revised and revived from the archives

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

1) This song is best known from the 1948 movie of the same name, but it was originally written for a 1933 Broadway play called As Thousands Cheer. In the play, a young man reads about the parade in a New York newspaper and decides to go and show his lady love off to parade goers. What's the most recent parade you attended? hmmm... I honestly can't remember!

2) On Broadway, the song was performed by Clifton Webb. He'd had a busy stage career, appearing in musicals as well as plays by Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward, but when he was in his mid-50s, he was considered too old to be a leading man. Broadway offers stopped coming. He was unexpectedly cast by Otto Preminger for the film noir Laura and a new career was born. He worked steadily in Hollywood for 20 years and earned three Oscar nominations. Tell us about a time you were grateful your life took an unanticipated turn. 2024 I was evicted from the apartment I had lived in for half my life.  But I am happier in this current apartment because I have kept the clutter at bay and I've fought my hoarding instincts.  It was a fresh start in an apartment complex I love.

3) Today he's fondly remembered by the students at UCLA who have benefited from The Clifton Webb Scholarship of the Arts. If you could give an endowment to a school or charity, what would you like it to be used for? I would love to leave an endowment for an intrepid student continuing their education in social studies

 

4) The biggest chocolate Easter egg was made in Italy, measured 34 feet tall and weighed a staggering 15,000 lbs. Do you think it's possible to have too much chocolate? sadly, I do think so, although I would give it a good try
  

5) After chocolate, the top-selling Easter candy is Peeps Marshmallow Chicks. They're so popular that they were once the subject of a Jeopardy clue. Do you often watch Jeopardy? I am a Jeopardy fan; however, I haven't watched television for three years (for no reason other than my cable bill was outrageously expensive, so I no longer have local stations)

6) Jelly beans are also popular this time of year. In a 2024 poll, jelly bean fans responded that black licorice is their favorite flavor. It's Crazy Sam's least favorite. How about you? What jelly bean flavor is at the top of your list, and which is at the bottom? Jelly Belly strawberry or cherry or raspberry (any of the red fruity ones), and licorice is at the bottom

7) We've been talking a lot about sweets this morning. The only holiday that generates more candy sales is Halloween. When do you eat more candy: Easter or Halloween? Halloween

 

8) According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are doing more of their holiday shopping this year at discount "dollar stores" than at department stores like Target and Walmart. Do you often make trips to the "dollar store?" If yes, what do you usually pick up there? I wouldn't say often--but when I do, I stock up on paper plates, plastic cups, flatware, etc for school

 
 9) Easter is considered the season of rebirth. What makes you feel refreshed or rejuvenated? I feel rejuvenated, having my hair done or walking out the door on the last day of school!

three on thursday

Thing one: because of the impending weather event (snow/freezing rain/sleet), school is going remote tomorrow.  I am not upset.

Thing two: one of my favorite students took a large Buddha statue from his backpack during class.  It was so unexpected.  He is so quiet and reserved that it delighted me.  I asked if he was looking for a Buddha belly rub for luck.

Thing three: I stopped at the market on my way home--what a madhouse!

finished reading

This twisty thriller had a complex premise--with multiple timelines and many significant characters to keep track of.  Unreliable, unlikeable characters, too.  Just what I was in the mood for.  It's a page-turner, for sure!  I spent the first half of the book trying to decide who was the least villainous, only to have my theories completely upended.  The way the author weaves together wealth and privilege with the gritty reality of those struggling to get by was done without cliché.  My only complaint is that I want to know what happens next to these characters.  With the situation resolved, there is a wide-open ending.  This would be great to discuss!

The audio has a terrific ensemble of narrators.

From the publisher:

Two women. One dead husband. And only one alibi.

Everyone at Chantilly’s Bar noticed out-of-towner Camille Bayliss. Red lips, designer heels, sipping a Negroni. But that woman wasn’t Camille Bayliss. It was Aubrey Price.

Camille Bayliss appears to have the picture-perfect life; she’s married to hotshot lawyer Ben and is the daughter of a wealthy Louisiana family. Only nothing is as it seems: Camille believes Ben has been hiding dirty secrets for years, but she can’t find proof because he tracks her every move.

Aubrey Price has been haunted by the terrible night that changed her life a decade ago, and she’s convinced Benjamin Bayliss knows something about it. Living in a house full of criminals, Aubrey understands there’s more than one way to get to the truth—and she may have found the best way in.

Aubrey and Camille hatch a plan. It sounds simple: For twelve hours, Aubrey will take Camille’s place. Camille will spy on Ben, and the two women will get the answers they desperately seek.

Except the next morning, Ben is found murdered. Both women need an airtight alibi, but only one of them has it. And one false step is all it takes for everything to come undone.

no pranks, just gratitude

Wednesday, April 1: No Pranks, Just Gratitude

Happy April 1. In a world currently full of internet pranks and "gotcha" moments, I thought I’d offer something a little more grounded. Today is the official "soft launch" of my non-competitive gratitude challenge.

As I mentioned in my introductory post, this isn't about perfection or keeping a streak. It’s just about noticing. Since it’s the first day of a new month, it feels like the right time to clear the mental cobwebs and look around.

For the very first prompt, let’s start with the basics-the things right in front of us.

The Prompt: One thing you can hear, and one thing you can touch.

For me:

Hear:  I can hear students quietly shifting in their seats while working on our study of the Second Amendment. They are having quiet conversations and they have interesting insights.

Touch:  my iced coffee cup is almost empty, but I'm savoring the last sips.  The plastic cup has condensation on it so my fingertips are damp.

There’s no "fooling" here--just two small things that made me pause and feel lucky to be exactly where I am.

What are you hearing or touching today that brings you a bit of peace? I’d love to read your "small joys" in the comments.

currently

I am...

Reading:  Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

Listening to: my Spotify playlist

Thinking:  about gratitude--and the Non-Challenge Gratitude Challenge

Feeling:  a little sleepy. 

Celebrating:  so far this week, my AP Psychology class has participated in a "Stressbusting Lab," which entails reading articles on seven different methods of relieving stress and trying each method out--they seemed to enjoy it!  The AP U.S. History class has written senryu-style* poems about the Roaring Twenties, and although they muttered a bit at first, they soon got into it and were completely creative.  It's been a very fun week so far!

Grateful for:  creative inspiration. 

Enjoying:  I'm in a great headspace right now.

Weather:  30° and cloudy, plus there is a Winter Weather Advisory in effect:

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM EDT WEDNESDAY

* WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow and sleet
accumulations between 2 and 7 inches and ice accumulations around
a light glaze.

* WHERE...Northeast Aroostook and Northwest Aroostook Counties.

* WHEN...From 6 PM this evening to 11 AM EDT Wednesday.

* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous
conditions could impact the Wednesday morning commute.

A quote I want to share:

* Senryu (also called human haiku) is an unrhymed Japanese verse consisting of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables (5, 7, 5) or 17 syllables in all. Senryu usually references human nature or emotions.

finished reading

In preparation for my library book club, I decided to tackle a re-read I expected to be a breeze. It’s funny how much your taste changes over twenty years! The very details I once found charming now felt like heavy lifting, and I couldn't help but think the book could have used a 200-page trim. That said, the prose itself is still lovely. It’s a truly thoughtful look at neighborhood life and the lingering 'what-ifs' of our lives, even if it took a little more patience to get through this time.

From the publisher:

Bridge of Sighs courses with small-town rhythms and the claims of family. Here is a town, as well as a world, defined by magnificent and nearly devastating contradictions.

Louis Charles (“Lucy”) Lynch has spent all his sixty years in upstate Thomaston, New York, married to the same woman, Sarah, for forty of them, their son now a grown man. Like his late, beloved father, Lucy is an optimist, though he’s had plenty of reasons not to be—chief among them his mother, still indomitably alive. Yet it was her shrewdness, combined with that Lynch optimism, that had propelled them years ago to the right side of the tracks and created an “empire” of convenience stores about to be passed on to the next generation.

Lucy and Sarah are also preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy, where his oldest friend, a renowned painter, has exiled himself far from anything they’d known in childhood. In fact, the exact nature of their friendship is one of the many mysteries Lucy hopes to untangle in the “history” he’s writing of his hometown and family. And with his story interspersed with that of Noonan, the native son who’d fled so long ago, the destinies building up around both of them (and Sarah, too) are relentless, constantly surprising, and utterly revealing.

Bridge of Sighs is classic Russo, coursing with small-town rhythms and the claims of family, yet it is brilliantly enlarged by an expatriate whose motivations and experiences—often contrary, sometimes not—prove every bit as mesmerizing as they resonate through these richly different lives. Here is a town, as well as a world, defined by magnificent and nearly devastating contradictions.

sunday stealing

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Random Revelations

1. Is your phone Apple or Android? What about your laptop? my phone is an Apple and my laptop is an HP

2. Can you say "thank you" in more than one language? Spasibo, Gracias, Merci, Danke, Grazie, Dank u, Arigatou 

3. What do you draw when you doodle? it's embarrassing to admit--I am not a doodler

4. Which do you enjoy more, Scrabble or bowling? I am awful at both but enthusiastic about playing both

5. Can you juggle? not in the physical sense

6. Have you ever worn pajamas in public? oh, hell no

7. Was your best subject in school the one you enjoyed the most? the subject I enjoyed the most was due to my teacher--sophomore English

8. When you're offered the senior discount before you ask for it, are you offended or grateful? I'm thrilled!

9. Do you agree that with age comes wisdom? indeed I do

10. Do you consider Sunday the first day of the week or the last day of the weekend? the last day of the weekend

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.

finished reading

Books about books are always a favorite of mine. The premise of this story is beautifully bittersweet: recently widowed Tilly receives a year-long birthday gift arranged by her husband before he passed. Each month, she receives a new book from the local bookshop, accompanied by a sweet nudge from Joe to move through her grief and live a full life. I truly enjoyed following her journey through twelve months, twelve books, and twelve challenges. It is a heartfelt, poignant read, filled with quirky and lovable secondary characters.  And here is a link to the list of 80 books mentioned.

From the publisher:

Twelve stories. Twelve months. Once chance to heal her heart...

When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her fiancé waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. Mainly because Joe died five months ago…

The gift is simple – twelve carefully-chosen books from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.

Tilly sets out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to vlog her journey, her story becomes more than her own. With help from Alfie, the bookshop owner, her budding new following and her friends and family, can Tilly’s year of books show her how to love again?

saturday 9

Indian Lake

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

1) In this song, a family gets on a bus and heads off on vacation. Think about the last trip you took. Did you travel by car, bus, train, boat, or plane? car

2) Once they get to Indian Lake, they swim, have a picnic and go canoeing. Are you looking forward to any of these activities this summer? a picnic

3) "Indian Lake" became familiar to TV audiences because it was used in commercials for the Dodge Charger. In the 1960s, most households didn't have remote controls to enable viewers to mute or skip commercials. Today, we do. When a commercial comes on, do you watch or do you turn down the sound or, if possible, fast forward past it? if possible, I fast-forward

4) The Cowsills were a family singing group who had four Top 10 hits between 1967 and 1969. The brothers were self taught musicians who enjoyed playing at church and school events. When their father, Bud Cowsill, became their manager, he insisted his wife Barbara and their youngest, Susan, join the band. He wanted the Cowsills to become "a latter-day Von Trapp family." Without looking it up, do you know who the Von Trapps were? oh, yes--The Sound of Music family (I made my acting debut as Gretel when I was five years old)

5) The Cowsills were the inspiration for the sitcom The Partridge Family. It ran for four seasons and the fictional Partridges had three Top 10 hits, were nominated for a Grammy and made David Cassidy a star. Are you familiar with The Partridge Family? I wanted to be on the tour bus with them so badly!

6) The Cowsills starred in an advertising campaign for the American Dairy Association. On TV and in magazine ads they proclaimed that "Milk is the lift that lasts." Decades later, oldest brother Bill recalled that he seldom drank milk. How about you? Do you often drink milk? I eschew milk

7) While Bud Cowsill engineered the family band's success, he also contributed to their demise. The Cowsills were scheduled to appear 10 times on the influential Ed Sullivan Show, but were fired after the second because Bud was too confrontational backstage. He also had a reputation for being abrasive with record company executives and concert promoters, and this affected the the band's ability to find work. Do you have a hard time biting your tongue or controlling your temper? hmmm... it depends on how annoyed or vexed I am

8) In 1968, when this song was popular, Leonard Bernstein released his award-winning recording of Mahler: Symphony No. 8. Do you enjoy classical music? yes

9) Random question – Here we are in March. If you made any New Year's resolutions, have you kept them? yes 

currently on thursday (again)

I am...

Reading:  Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo; this library book group selection is a re-read.  When I first read it, I loved it.  It annoys me that I'm struggling with it now.  But I am a different reader now than I was then.

Listening to: the Spotify Daily Mix made just for me.

Thinking:  about tomorrow's whirlwind road trip.  I'm taking myself on a day date to Central Maine with no real destination in mind.  Other than I can.

Feeling:  excited.  

Celebrating:  using my personal days for mental health days.  Go me!

Grateful for:   I got to chat with my sisters in our group chat, I got to chat with my bestie, I got to chat with my work bestie, and I also snuck in a video visit with my Pennsylvania sister 

Enjoying:  last week I was celebrating the whimsy of wearing green every day in March.  This week I am over it and can't wait to mix things up!  Although it was fun until it became work.

Weather:  36° and light rain

A quote I want to share:

three on thursday

Thing one: today was my Friday at school, for I have taken a personal day tomorrow and will enjoy a whirlwind trip to Central Maine just because I can.

Thing two: on this trip, I have no official destinations other than knowing I want to go to Target and the movies.

Thing three: my eldest nephew is currently working in Central Maine, so I texted him to see what his availability is like (knowing he's putting in some v-e-r-y long days) and we decided that instead of trying to squeeze in a visit tomorrow--he will come up here to Northern Maine to visit his grandparents and me!  I can't believe it's been six years since I last saw him.  That's a shame and I can do better.

the non-challenge gratitude challenge

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how easy it is to get caught up in the "more, more, more" of life. Always looking for the next book, the next project, or the next weekend. But what if, as my blog title suggests, this is as good as it gets? If that’s true, I want to make sure I’m actually noticing the good parts.

I want to start a gratitude challenge, but I’m doing it a bit differently. Most challenges feel like a race: fill out a calendar, don't break the streak, compete for the most "aesthetic" list. That’s not really my speed.

The Non-Challenge Gratitude Challenge

This isn't about being perfect. There are no points, no "failing" if you miss a day, and no pressure to perform. It’s just a gentle nudge to look around. I’ll be posting prompts here on the blog, and I’d love for you to join me in the comments--but only if you feel like sharing.

how it works:

no timelines: I’ll post a prompt once a week (maybe on Tuesdays?). You can answer it that day, three days later, or just think about it while you’re folding laundry.

the "little things" focus: We aren't looking for life-changing miracles (though those are nice). We're looking for the perfect cup of coffee, the way the light hits the living room at 4:00 PM, or a particularly good character in a book.

grace over grit: If you’re having a week where everything feels heavy, "gratitude" can feel like a chore. If that’s where you are, feel free to skip it. This is a gift to yourself, not a task on a to-do list.

I'll start my first prompt on April 1st and thereafter on Tuesdays for the rest of the month. I hope you'll stick around and share a slice of your "good" with me.

sunday stealing

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Distinctly Adolescent

Have You Ever ...

1) Skipped school? not as a student but as a teacher, yes

 

2) Lettered in a school sport? no

 

3) Made a prank phone call? oh, yes!  My friends and I were quite creative in our phone shenanigans!

 

4) Paid for a meal with coins? yes

5) Laughed until some sort of beverage came out of your nose? yes, although lately I've caused the beverage snort in others.

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.