saturday 9

You Make Me Feel So Young

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

1) This morning, do you feel younger or older than your years? younger

 

2) In this song, Frank Sinatra tells us that every time he sees his lover's grin, he's happy. What's something you can reliably count on to lift your spirits? hanging out with my Breakfast Club friends, as I did this morning 😊

 

3) The lyrics mention hide-and-seek. What games did you play when you were young? we played neighborhood games like hide-and-seek, deer (which was night hide-and-seek with flashlights), and elaborate recreations of TV shows

4) Frank Sinatra was a fan of Campbell's chicken and rice soup, believing it helped his throat feel better after an evening of performing. Is Campbell's soup in your kitchen right now? there might be a can or two of "cooking soups" aka the cream of something or other soup

 

5) Frank's favorite dessert was a slice of lemon ricotta torte. He believed every meal should include "a final flourish." Do you more often indulge in or skip dessert? skip

 

6) At Sinatra's home in Palm Springs, CA, you'd find a less sophisticated dessert. He always kept Entenmann's Crumb Cake on hand for his young granddaughters. Share a memory of your grandparents.  my grandparents were avid readers--my grandfather was always reading the newspaper and I think they fostered my own love of reading

 

7) In 1956, when this song was popular, Frank was tooling around Southern California in a blue Continental Mark II. That model was known for its interior of hand-stitched imported Scottish leather. 70 years later, Scottish leather is still used in luxury cars because it's both soft and durable and the production methods minimize environmental impact. If you could splurge on something right now, what would it be? A luxury car, jewelry, travel, clothes, something else? (No responsible answers allowed!) lately, I've been making a retirement travel bucket list: domestic and international

 
8) Also in 1956, The Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Forbidden Planet were popular at the box office. Do you have a favorite sci-fi movie? the original Star Wars movies

 

9) Random question: What were you doing three hours ago? cleaning the bathroom

finished reading

It's been a while since I've read YA lit.  This was a story about books and grief.  It got a little repetitive and melodramatic for me, but it was poignant.  And it did make me wonder why no one gets grief counseling.  What I most enjoyed were the sections about books.  The fictional world the author creates within the real world made me want to read the Orman Chronicles.

From the publisher:

Sparks fly between two teens as they grapple with grief, love, and the future.

Eighteen-year-old Amelia Griffin is obsessed with the famous Orman Chronicles, written by the young and reclusive prodigy N. E. Endsley. They’re the books that brought her and her best friend Jenna together after Amelia’s father left and her family imploded. So when Amelia and Jenna get the opportunity to attend a book festival with Endsley in attendance, Amelia is ecstatic. It’s the perfect way to start off their last summer before college.

In a heartbeat, everything goes horribly wrong. When Jenna gets a chance to meet the author and Amelia doesn’t, the two have a blowout fight like they’ve never experienced. And before Amelia has a chance to mend things, Jenna is killed in a freak car accident. Grief-stricken, and without her best friend to guide her, Amelia questions everything she had planned for the future.

When a mysterious, rare edition of the Orman Chronicles arrives, Amelia is convinced that it somehow came from Jenna. Tracking the book to an obscure but enchanting bookstore in Michigan, Amelia is shocked to find herself face-to-face with the enigmatic and handsome N. E. Endsley himself, the reason for Amelia’s and Jenna’s fight and perhaps the clue to what Jenna wanted to tell her all along.

three on thursday

 

Thing one: today was my annual physical / wellness checkup.  I am well.  My blood pressure is perfect, my weight is down, and I have no pain or complaints.

Thing two:  next week, I start teaching a Civics class.  This is new to me; I've never taught a semester-long course dedicated to Civics, although I have taught all the content at one point or another in my illustrious career.  This is probably the only time I will ever teach the class.  A scheduling blip.  I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Thing three: in this week's groceries, there is a new-to-me discovery of BetterGoods brand sparkling blackberry water.  I wanted something for a treat.

ten things tuesday

❤️ Valentine’s Day: The "Ten Things" Survey ❤️

1. Sweet or Savory: Are you hoping for a box of chocolates or a fancy charcuterie board? hmmm...that is a tough choice!  I think I'll go for a charcuterie board

2. The Classic Debate: Do you think red roses are a timeless romantic gesture or a bit cliché? timeless romantic gesture

3. Movie Night: What is your ultimate "comfort" romantic comedy to watch? When Harry Met Sally or You've Got Mail

4. Galentine’s vs. Valentine’s: Do you prefer a night out with your best friends or a quiet evening with a partner? my besties

5. The Soundtrack: What is one song that always makes you think of "love"? the Beatles' Something

6. Handmade or Store-Bought: Does a handwritten card mean more to you than a tangible gift? I am thrilled with either

7. The Menu: If you’re staying in, what is your go-to "special occasion" meal to cook? pizza

8. Childhood Memories: Do you remember the specific style of Valentines you used to hand out in elementary school? I think, if I remember correctly, they were always Peanuts-themed

9. Flower Power: Besides roses, what is your favorite flower to receive (or buy for yourself)? I often buy myself Gerbera daisies

10. The Vibe: Describe your ideal Valentine’s Day in just three words. hugs and laughter

finished reading

Losing myself in Victorian English journals is just the quirky read I needed.  Our heroine, Emma M. Lion is recently returning to London only to find that her impending inheritance has been squandered by an ill-intentioned Cousin Archibald.  Emma's travails as she settles back into city life.  There are other eccentric relatives, flustered house staff, and odd neighbors making appearances in the journals.  And I'm excited to get my hands on more!

From the publisher:

“I’ve arrived in London without incident. There are few triumphs in my recent life, but I count this as one. My existence of the last three years has been nothing but incident.”

The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s. Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

currently

I am...

Reading: I just finished a book and have yet to select my next read

Listening to:  a voice memo I made of psychology notes for my students

Thinking:  I kinda like creating voice notes for my students, it's a different format and easy

Feeling:  tired--the full moon wreaks havoc on my sleep schedule

Celebrating: little victories

Grateful for: my health care team--I have several routine appointments in the next weeks, and I'm so thankful that my team communicates well

Enjoying: being creative

Weather:  10° and clear

A quote I want to share:

finished reading

I fell in love with this book as I binge-listened to it.  The surety of the trio of characters in their collegiate intellectual promise as they quoted obscure passages to each other drew me in.  The love story between Jordan and Yash was full of yearning and tenderness, until it wasn't.  As the characters emerge into adulthood, they have taken different paths.  It's difficult to describe the story without spoiling it, so I'll say there's a poignant reconnection and unsatisfying resolution to the relationships.  I want to learn to play Sir Hincomb Funnibuster.

I didn't realize it's a companion book to Writers & Lovers.  I haven't read that, although I picked it up and it wasn't the right book at the right time for me.  Maybe I'll try it again.

From the publisher:

You knew I’d write a book about you someday.

Our narrator understands good love stories—their secrets and subtext, their highs and their free falls. But her greatest love story, the one she lived, never followed the simple rules.

In the fall of her senior year of college, she meets two star students from her 17th-Century Lit class: Sam and Yash. Best friends living off-campus in the elegant house of a professor on sabbatical, the boys invite her into their intoxicating world of academic fervor, rapid-fire banter and raucous card games. They nickname her Jordan, and she quickly discovers the pleasures of friendship, love and her own intellectual ambition. Youthful passion is unpredictable though, and she soon finds herself at the center of a charged and intricate triangle. As graduation comes and goes, choices made will alter these three lives forever.

Decades later, Jordan is living the life she dreamed of, and the vulnerable days of her youth seem comfortably behind her. But when a surprise visit and unexpected news brings the past crashing into the present, Jordan returns to a world she left behind and is forced to confront the decisions and deceptions of her younger self.

Written with the superb wit and emotional sensitivity fans and critics of Lily King have come to adore, Heart the Lover is a deeply moving story that celebrates love, friendship, and the transformative nature of forgiveness. Wise, unforgettable, and with a delightful connective thread to Writers & Lovers, this is King at her very best, affirming her as a masterful chronicler of the human experience and one of the finest novelists at work today.

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

Old School Blogging Meme

I am passionate about ...

1) learning & education

2) books and reading

3) Maine

4) family & friends

5) Granny hobbies: knitting & baking

I'd like to learn ...

1) how to stick to my budget

2) how to update the electronics in my car

3) how to say no to things I really don't want to do (at school, I am often voluntold)

4) how to play the ukulele

5) how my airmoto works

Things I say a lot ...

1) oh boy!

2) oh wow!

3) thank you (not thanks)

4) absolutely!

5) for fuck's sake (this is said internally multiple times per day)

Places I'd like to travel to ...

1) Ireland

2) The United Kingdom

3) Colonial Williamsburg

4) Dollywood & Graceland

5) Italy

finished reading

I’ll preface this with a proclamation: I love all things Ireland. To find a novel set in my beloved Cork is delightful. Narrated by Rachel in the 2020s, married to James Carey, pregnant, and a noted writer, the story is both a funny and poignant look back at the pivotal years of 2009 and 2010.   

Rachel grows from a sheltered, middle-class girl into a "bohemian-wannabe" navigating an intense college year where the job market is impossible, and the world feels bleak. However, the real engine of the story is her all-consuming friendship with James Devlin, her gay best friend and bookstore colleague. Their lives become so intertwined as they share a run-down house on Shandon Street that Rachel’s own identity often feels completely bent around his path.   

The drama truly ignites when their lives collide with Dr. Fred Byrne, Rachel’s married professor. What begins as a student’s crush on Fred spirals into a chaotic web of secrets and romantic entanglements that force Rachel to determine her future career and her sense of self.

From the publisher:

A brilliantly funny novel about friends, lovers, Ireland in chaos, and a young woman desperately trying to manage all three

Rachel is a student working at a bookstore when she meets James, and it’s love at first sight. Effervescent and insistently heterosexual, James soon invites Rachel to be his roommate and the two begin a friendship that changes the course of both their lives forever. Together, they run riot through the streets of Cork city, trying to maintain a bohemian existence while the threat of the financial crash looms before them.

When Rachel falls in love with her married professor, Dr. Fred Byrne, James helps her devise a reading at their local bookstore, with the goal that she might seduce him afterwards. But Fred has other desires. So begins a series of secrets and compromises that intertwine the fates of James, Rachel, Fred, and Fred’s glamorous, well-connected, bourgeois wife. Aching with unrequited love, shot through with delicious, sparkling humor, The Rachel Incident is a triumph.

saturday 9

Big Star

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

1) Shelley Fabares sings that when she hears her lover's records on the radio, they bring back memories. Do you prefer familiar songs or do you seek out new music? I'm a blend of both

2) Shelley introduced "Big Star" on an episode of The Donna Reed Show, where she played daughter Mary. She remembers the show's star and her TV mom, Donna Reed, as "an extraordinary woman." Who is your favorite TV mom?  Marion Cunningham is a contender

3) Speaking of big stars, Shelley made three movies with Elvis, who said she was his favorite leading lady. What qualities do you value in a coworker? someone with academic integrity and rigor, willing to try new methods of teaching--and a sense of humor

4) Though best known for comedy, Shelley appeared as Cathy in a made-for-TV adaptation of Wuthering Heights. Have you ever read the Emily Bronte classic? waaaaay back in my teen years
 
5) Shelley Fabares' aunt was Broadway, film and TV veteran Nanette Fabray. Do you have a favorite aunt or uncle? my godmother is my favorite aunt
 
6) In the 1990s she was twice nominated for an Emmy Award (Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy) for her work on Coach. She didn't win. Millions of viewers got to see her applaud graciously when Laurie (Roseanne) Metcalf's named was announced both times. If you were nominated for a major award and the ceremony was televised, would you get all dressed up and go? Or would you prefer to watch from home? probably would attend at least once
 
7) In 1962, when this song was first released, Jack Nicklaus launched his legendary golf career. Do you enjoy playing golf? Do you watch golf on TV? no and no
 
8) Also in 1962, Marilyn Monroe bought her first home at the age of 36. Up until then she had always been a renter. Marilyn was residing there at the time of her death that August. How long have you lived at your current address? three years
 
9) Random question – According to a survey, the average American will kiss 15 different partners over their lifetime. Do you estimate your personal total is more, less, or right on track? on track towards more

three on thursday

 

Thing one: last week I lamented that my car needed fixing.  Today, the fix is final!  My baby is back!  All systems are go!  And yehaw for warranty!

Thing two: this week has been challenging:  starting a new semester with new classes, finishing up grades, an intense therapy session that was revelatory (but a lot), and car stuff, as well as the bigger world issues.  I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday!

Thing three: it's funny that even though nit-noy things piled up, I stayed present in the moment and managed to find tiny joys.

finished reading

This character-driven family drama reverberates with the guilt, grief, and resentment stemming from beloved brother and son, Topher's, death. The narrative thread varies between the three sisters:  Cait, Alice, and Maggie--and the sister dynamics resonated with me.  The relationships among the sisters, the touch of sibling rivalry, and the deep devotion were authentic.  And the parental relationships rang true, too.  Especially how the sisters almost underestimate their aging parents' ability to relate to each modern conundrum. Knowing that an "Irish Goodbye" is slang for leaving a social gathering surreptitiously without saying farewell to anyone helped the title click.

It's hard to believe this is a debut novel.  Although there were a few slow sections, the pace held my interest.  The audio narration is very good.  

From the publisher:

Three adult sisters grapple with a shared tragedy over a Thanksgiving weekend spent in their childhood home, navigating complex relationships and old tensions.

It’s been years since the three Ryan sisters were all home together at their family’s beloved house on the eastern shore of Long Island. Two decades ago, their lives were upended by an accident on their brother Topher’s a friend’s brother was killed, the lawsuit nearly bankrupted their parents, and Topher spiraled into a depression, eventually taking his life. Now the Ryan women are back for Thanksgiving, eager to reconnect, but each carrying a heavy secret. The eldest, Cait, still holding guilt for the role no one knows she played in the boat accident, rekindles a flame with her high school crush, Topher’s best friend and the brother of the boy who died. Middle sister Alice’s been thrown a curveball threatening the career she’s restarting and faces a difficult decision that may doom her marriage. And the youngest, Maggie, is finally taking the risk to bring the woman she loves home to her devoutly Catholic mother. Infusing everything is the grief for Topher that none of the Ryans have figured out how to carry together.

When Cait invites a guest to Thanksgiving dinner, old tensions boil over and new truths surface, nearly overpowering the flickering light of their family bond. Far more than a family holiday will be ruined unless the sisters can find a way to forgive themselves—and one another.