what if this is as good as it gets?

7.14.2025

currently

I am...

Reading: I get to start a book today--I have several library books.

Listening to: the Harry Styles Spotify Playlist

Thinking: my driver's side car door locks all the time, and I need to figure out how to get it to stop

Feeling: still feeling the relaxed glow from my trip to Virginia

Celebrating: I don't have anything particular I have to do for the rest of the summer 😏

Grateful for: I'll be spending time with my parents and sister again today. I love how we laugh and laugh.

Enjoying: my sister encouraged me to pick up a simple knitting pattern and I am so happy to be knitting again!

Weather: 68° and cloudy

A quote I want to share:

Spill It! Meme

1. If money wasn't an issue, would you move to a new home? probably not

2. Do you listen to different music when you're happy than when you're sad? no

3. What's your favorite way to unwind after a tough day? read or noodle around online

4. What's the first book you remember from childhood? I don't recall the name, but it was a pop-up book of fairy tales

5. What made you smile today? I didn't have to wake up at any particular time

finished reading

This is the book my niece chose for our Summer Bucket List read-along. I'm excited to discuss it with her.

Fantasy isn't my favorite genre, and time travel has to be well-developed for me to buy into it. It wasn't so much developed, it was just there as part of the story; I struggled with that. My favorite part of the mystery was the relationship between Eamon and June, and watching it develop was charming. Although Eamon knew the whole backstory, he created a safe place for June while putting his sweet daughter first. When he and June found their way back to each other, I was invested.

I figured out the mystery's big reveal--it was ho-hum.

From the publisher:

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line for as long as anyone can remember. But June is determined to be the last of her name, and in turn, be first Farrow to never find love. The whole town knows of the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving her daughter, June, to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors. Everyone in Jasper is certain that it's only a matter of time before she finds the same end, but June hasn't told a single soul that it's already begun.

After her grandmother’s death, a series of clues linking her mother's disappearance to the town's grim past emerge, leading June to a mysterious door. Behind it may lay the answer to the mysteries that have always lingered like a dark shadow over Jasper and the Farrows, but the further into the unknown she goes, the more her mind seems to unravel. Upon crossing the threshold, June embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but entangle her fate and her heart in a star-crossed love.

7.12.2025

saturday 9

Since U Been Gone

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

1) In this song, Kelly Clarkson is dissatisfied with her relationship and she's moving on. What's something you've moved on from lately? It could be anything from a romance to the laundry detergent you've been using for years. I moved on from my deodorant--I've used it for over a decade and it "stopped working" so I moved on

2) She sings that she can now breathe. Studies have shown that July can be a good month for allergy sufferers because trees and grasses are no longer pollinating. How are your eyes, ears, nose and throat this morning? all systems are go!

3) Kelly complains that their romance reminds her of a "stupid love song." Let's be more positive: what love song do you associate with positive memories? "Tell Her This" by Del Amitri

4) While Kelly's first love is music, she's established herself as a TV personality. In addition to her daytime talk show, she's been a judge on The Voice and hosted an awards show. Have you ever been on TV? there have been several interviews with the local news, if that counts

5) She has confessed a weakness for Doritos. Would we find salty snacks in your kitchen right now? you would

6) Kelly has found her weight the source of public debate. Are you like Kelly, whose weight fluctuates? Or does it stay stable? it's stable

7) In 2005, when this song was popular, a motorist made news in Texas when he was ticketed for driving over 200 mph in a 75 mph zone. Have you ever been pulled over by the police? no, I have not

8) Also in 2005, Tom Cruise had a pop culture moment when he famously jumped on a sofa. Do you remember where he did this? he was professing his undying love for Katie Holmes

9) Random question: Tell us about a photo you wish you'd taken, but didn't. I wish I had taken more selfies with my sister and niece while on my Virginia trip

7.11.2025

finished reading

A new-to-me chick-lit author! This delightful book offered a fresh take on a rom-com, as the main character wasn't all frills and high heels. I enjoyed Anna's ability to renovate her cottage without needing to be rescued by a man. And I loved the adoption of Caroline, her greyhound.

This is a perfect summer read.

From the publisher:

Anna, a newly qualified interior designer, has decided it's time to put her money and her expertise where her mouth is and risk everything to buy a tiny but adorable cottage in desperate need of renovation.

Outside, the chocolate-box cottage is perfect, but inside, all is chaos. With a ladder for a staircase, no downstairs flooring, candles the only form of lighting, and a sleeping bag and camping mat for a bed, Anna soon wonders if she's bitten off more than she can chew.

Her neighbor Chloe comes to the rescue, providing tea, wine, and sympathy---and a recently rescued greyhound, Caroline. But just as Anna's starting to settle in, make new friends, and see the house transforming before her eyes, the good-looking yet impossible Rob Hunter arrives on the scene and puts even more obstacles in her way. Will Anna be able to get over all of life's hurdles in the end, or will she stumble and fall?

7.10.2025

sunday stealing

Click the icon to play along

F.A.B Meme

F. Film: What movie or tv show are you watching? Big Brother starts this week--I'm going to see if I can stream it

A. Audio: What are you listening to? currently listening to the fan

B. Book: What are you reading? Practically Perfect by Katie Fford

three on thursday

Three things:

1) The best thing about my two-week vacation at my sister's is that I didn't have to make any decisions or do anything in particular. I was able to completely relax.

2) We laugh and laugh over nothing.

3) Our 40-year grudge match of Spite and Malice racked up quite a few victories for my sister; however, historically, I am in the lead.

finished reading

This story starts with Lizzy Mitchell's recovery from a near-fatal hit-and-run accident. During her recovery, she faces her complicated past. If I tried to summarize it, it would sound too convoluted--but the story is beautifully told.

From the publisher:

A gripping and compassionate tale of family and faith, whispers and accusations, and the deeply hidden truths we’re compelled to uncover.

After surviving a near-fatal accident, thirty-year-old Lizzy Mitchell faces a long road to recovery. She remembers little about the days she spent in and out of consciousness, save for one She saw her beloved deceased uncle, Father Mike, the man who raised her in the rectory of his Maine church until she was nine and he was accused of improprieties, dismissed from his church, and Lizzy was sent away to boarding school. Was Father Mike an angel, a messenger from the beyond, or something more corporeal?

Though her troubled marriage and her broken body need tending, Lizzy knows she must not only uncover the details of her accident, but also delve deep into events of twenty years earlier, when whispers and accusations forced a good man to give up the only family he had. With deft insight into the snares of the human heart, Monica Wood has written an intimate and emotionally expansive novel full of understanding and hope.

finished reading

Lenny Marks is a complex character whose whole world is held together by carefully constructed routines. There are moments of heartbreak and hope in this story. I'm not sure what genre it is. And I believe it is a debut novel--which makes me excited to read more!

From the publisher:

Lenny Marks is excellent at not having a life.

She bikes home from work at exactly 4pm each day, buys the same groceries for the same meals every week, and owns thirty-six copies of The Hobbit (currently arranged by height). The closest thing she has to a friendship is playing Scrabble against an imaginary Monica Gellar while watching Friends reruns.

And Lenny Marks is very, very good at not remembering what happened the day her mother and stepfather disappeared when she was still a child. The day a voice in the back of her mind started whispering, You did this.

Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail—and when her desperate attempts to ignore it fail, Lenny starts to unravel. As long-buried memories come to the surface, Lenny’s careful routines fall apart. For the first time, she finds herself forced to connect with the community around her, and unexpected new relationships begin to bloom. Lenny Marks may finally get a life—but what if her past catches up to her first?

Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, Kerryn Mayne’s stunning debut is an irresistible novel about truth, secrets, vengeance, and family lost and found, with a heroine who's simply unforgettable.

finished reading

This is one of my favorite books of the year. Exploring the complexities of friendship and aging, the story follows four lifelong friends as they experience success, failure, and everything in between. It's a look at a shared past and reflections on their unwavering support as they navigate life. There are poignant reflections, some of which are difficult to read and harrowing. But the bonds of friendship shaped their experiences and lives.

The audio was narrated by one of my favorite voice actors. Highly recommend.

From the publisher:

"The world is full of miracles, but none greater than how far a young person can be carried by someone else's belief in them."

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of a wide expanse of sea. But Louisa, soon to be eighteen years old and an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise. She is determined to find out the story behind these three enigmatic figures.

More than two decades before, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up every morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that, after a chance encounter in an alleyway, will unexpectedly be placed into Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to discover how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more anxious she becomes about what she'll find. Louisa's complicated life is proof that happy endings are sometimes possible, but they don't always take the form we expect them to.

Fredrik Backman's signature charm, humor, and attention to the poignant details of everyday life are on full display in this funny, moving novel. His most heartfelt and personal tale yet, My Friends is a stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of art and friendship.

currently getting caught up

I am...

Reading: Practically Perfect by Katie Fforde, which I will finish later today

Listening to: the fan

Thinking: I had the best time with my sister--she took very good care of me

Feeling: relaxed and de-stressed from the school year

Celebrating: unstructured time

Grateful for: opportunities--including the ability to go on trips

Enjoying: hanging around

Weather: 77° and mostly cloudy

A quote I want to share:

7.05.2025

saturday 9

Lady Liberty

… because it's 4th of July weekend.

Hear Barbra Streisand sing it here.

1) This song is a Valentine to the Statue of Liberty. Have you ever visited Lady Liberty? No, but I’ve been by it on a harbor cruise

2) When you combine the lady herself and her pedestal, she stands 22 stories high. What's the tallest building you've ever been in? I’m not sure. But I’ve been to Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and it was about an hour’s climb

3) Her crown represents universal liberty with seven spikes for the seven seas. Without looking it up, can you name the seven seas? Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic are all I’ve got

4) The song was written by Desmond Child, a Cuban-American from Gainesville, home of the University of Florida. In 1965, a team of UF scientists invented Gatorade. Do you have any Gatorade in your home right now? no

5) While best known for his work with KISS, Bon Jovi and Cher, Desmond Child was nominated for an Emmy for his work on the Muppets 2003 holiday special. This morning, as we enjoy summer, what's the first Christmas carol that pops into your head? “Merry Christmas Darling”

6) Desmond wrote this song specifically for Barbra Streisand. Watching her record it was a dream come true and he found himself standing very close to her as she sang. When he asked if he was "hovering," she suggested it might be better if he gave her a little more space. Does it bother you when someone stands very close or reads over your shoulder? definitely depends on the situation

7) Fireworks were introduced to celebrate the 4th because they represent the "rockets red glare and bombs bursting in air." When did you most recently sing "The Star Spangled Banner?" February 2025

8) John Adams predicted the 4th would be observed with "pomp and parades." Does your community have a parade in honor of the day? my hometown is weird because the celebration is on either the day before or after the 4th

9) Celebrity chef Rachael Ray says she considers mini-hamburgers, or "sliders," the All-American food. What will/did you dine on this 4th of July? we had burgers and pasta salad