sunday stealing

 

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Shopping Day

What's on your shopping list from ...        
1. Target or Walmart, or other superstore?  the only thing I can think of is Refresh eye drops

                 
2. Dollar Tree or Dollar General, or poundstretcher/99p store? hmmm, I don't go there very often unless school is in--I get paper plates and other stuff like that there

3. Best Buy or any other electronics/appliance store? nothing--my last Amazon purchase was a charging plug because I forgot mine at home

4. Book/music store? this is the place to browse!  I used to spend HOURS in record stores and I can still spend a chunk of time in a bookstore!

Bonus question! Where do you want to stop for lunch? usually Harvest Moon Deli

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

The Men In My Little Girl's Life

 Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here. Chosen for Father's Day.

1) In this song, a father shares the story of his daughter's life through first the boys, then the men, she brought home. The first is Rod, a little kid who wants to play in the backyard. Who were your playmates when you were young? Did you find it more fun to have them over to your home, or to go to theirs? my next door neighbor, Mike, and I were best friends--I loved playing at his house (his older sister is my Virginia sister's childhood best friend) because they had a pinball game and air hockey and all kinds of cool stuff!

2) Then his daughter asked if Lee could carry her books on the walk to/from school. During your junior high years, how did you travel to school (bus, bicycle, car pool, shoe leather)? mostly by bus, although I lived about a mile away from school so often walked home

 

3) Throughout this song, the father recalls that his daughter alternately called him "Daddy," "Dad," "Popsie," "Pop" and "Father." How did/do you address your father? mostly Dad although affectionately Daddy

 

4) The song ends with the daughter asking her father to babysit. When did you last look after someone else's child? that's been awhile.  But I am currently watching my niece's dog

 

5) This record was a Top 10 hit in the US and it made the Top 20 in Canada. Much of its success was attributed to Mike Douglas' TV popularity. From 1965 to 1981, he hosted a daytime talk show. Do you watch much daytime TV? no

 

6) Mike Douglas was a father himself. He had three daughters, including twins. Are there twins in your family? I have twin cousins in my mother's side of the family--several sets of them, actually

 

Now about Father's Day ... 

 

7) Retail chains like O'Reilly Auto Parts, Auto Zone and Jiffy Lube are all promoting gift cards and car-related gifts for Father's Day. If you got a gift card from one of those stores, how would you upgrade your ride? I would get a WeatherTech liner for the trunk of my car

 

8) Dick's Sporting Goods also enjoys a spike in gift card sales around Father's Day. Have you more recently given or received a gift card? given

9) In days gone by, ties were the #1 Father's Day gift. But as today's workplace has become more casual, fragrance has taken over the top spot. Dove Men+Care offers gift sets with shampoo/conditioner, body wash and antiperspirant. Think about your shower routine. Are your shampoo, body wash and antiperspirant all the same brand or the same scent? I have a lavender cleansing conditioner and soap but they aren't the same brand 

three on thursday

 

Thing one:  being on vacation is wonderful.  Being with my sister, in Virginia, is wonderful.  Not a lot of side quests this week, mostly lying low and playing our 40-year-old grudge match of spite & malice.

Thing two:  I have already lost track of the date, time, and day of the week.

Thing three:  dogs.  Gus is my first love.  Saphira (I'm not 100% on the spelling) is my niece's dog that we're watching this weekend.  Dogs.  DOGS!

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.

currently

 I am...

Reading:  Good People by Patmeena Sabit

Listening to: Joss Stone's radio station on Spotify

Thinking:  I had quite the adventure getting to my Virginia sister's!

Feeling:  starting to relax

Celebrating:  keeping calm when things were overwhelming while traveling

Grateful for:  cell phones!  Being able to instantly reach out to my bestie and Virginia sister was a big relief

Enjoying: now that I'm here, ensconced comfortably, I'm relaxing and enjoying my family

Weather:  75° and mostly sunny

A quote I want to share: 

finished reading

One of my favorite authors has done it again: a beautiful story told masterfully. A chance encounter at the Metropolitan Museum of Art turns into an exploration of memory and connection. Told through a series of conversations and shared events, the current-day timeline follows 53-year-old Daphne as she reconnects with her first step-father, Eddie. Decades after he vanished from her life, their reunion forces them to look back at the brief year they spent as a family and the indelible car accident they experienced together when Daphne was just nine years old.

The second narrative thread pieces together the events of that snowy night, unpacking the far-reaching effects of a single, momentous event and the secrets Daphne's mother kept in its wake. The characters are relatable, complex people who feel entirely real. It’s a sweet, gentle yet quietly profound story about how love endures and how the stories we tell each other can shape our lives.

From the publisher:

When Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they notice an older, white-haired gentleman following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett, her former stepfather, who had been married to her mother for a little more than year when Daphne was nine. Now fifty-three, Daphne hasn’t seen Eddie for many years, not since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives. Meeting again, time falls away; while their relationship was brief, it had a profound impact on them both, and now that they are reunited, they have no intention of ever being separated again.

Whistler is a story about two adults looking back over the choices they made, and the choices that were made for them. It’s a story about bravery, memory, the often small yet consequential moments that define our lives, and the endless stream of loss that in time comes for us all. Beautiful in its simplicity, it is ultimately about how love endures, and how the feeling of being known by one other person, even for a short period of time, can change everything.

three on thursday

 

Thing one:  today was the last day of school, a half-day.  Every year I complain about what a complete waste of time it is.  This year I took it off.  I don't think I've ever had such a delightful day.

Thing two:  mostly, I spent the day prepping and packing for my trip. I had ChatGPT put together a capsule wardrobe based on four pairs of shorts and a pair of linen pants.  It suggested five different T-shirts and a chambray shirt that will mix and match.  I did add one dress for just in case, but that's what I packed.  I didn't overpack.

Thing three:  it's really hot here (for Maine to be in the mid-80s in June is rare), and I don't have my air conditioner in.  I hope I can sleep tonight!  Tomorrow's an early start!

gotta do what I've gotta do

I had high (unrealistic) hopes for my ability to participate in The Gal's Gratitude Challenge.  But the school year ending, a month-long trip to prepare for, and a doozie of a cold, I just can't keep up.  

finished reading

On this road trip adventure, there are deep issues such as redemption, dysfunction, healing, and second chances, balanced by humor and outrageous situations. This book is full of delightfully quirky characters.  Starting with the antihero, PJ Halliday, who is approaching rock bottom at an alarming pace.  His heart is mostly in the right place as he makes questionable decisions galore.  PJ's younger daughter Sophie, who has sort of failed to launch after her older sister's death. Add in two grieving siblings who are smack in the tween years, who are wise beyond their years in a naive way.  PJ's ex-wife Ivy and her boyfriend Fred (who PJ calls his best friend) add the dash of normal to this cast of characters. And rounding out the motley group is Pancakes, the sentient ginger cat whose special talent is sensing death.

From the publisher:

A darkly comic and warm-hearted novel about an old man on a cross-country mission to reunite with his high school crush—bringing together his adult daughter, two orphaned kids, and a cat who can predict death—from the beloved author of Rabbit Cake and Unlikely Animals

At sixty-three years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in Pondville, Massachusetts, if it weren’t for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. Since then, PJ spends both his money and his time at the bar, and he probably doesn’t have much time left—he’s had three heart attacks already.

But when PJ reads an obituary of his old romantic rival, he realizes his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is finally single again. Filled with a new enthusiasm for life, PJ decides he’s going to drive across the country to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to win Michelle back.

Before PJ can hit the road, tragedy strikes Pondville, leaving PJ the sudden guardian of his estranged brother’s grandchildren. Anyone else would be deterred from the planned trip, but PJ figures the orphaned kids might benefit from getting out of town. PJ also figures he can ask Sophie, his adult daughter, adrift in her 20s, to come along to babysit. And there’s one more surprise addition to the roster: Pancakes, a former nursing home therapy cat with a knack of predicting death, who recently turned up outside PJ’s home.

This could be the second chance PJ has long hoped for—a second shot at love and parenting—but does he have the strength to do both those things again? It’s very possible his heart can’t take it.

currently

 I am...

Reading: Whistler by Ann Patchett

Listening to: the fridge hum

Thinking: I have so much to do to finish up the school year and get ready for my month-long trip to Virginia

Feeling:  this cold has really kicked my butt!  I'm still without full voice and coughing and very tired

Celebrating:  there are two days of school left for me this year!

Grateful for:  I was able to make a nail appointment at a different salon. I'm relieved to get any appointment anywhere!

Enjoying: putting together a capsule wardrobe to hopefully prevent me from overpacking

Weather:  66° and mostly cloudy

A quote I want to share: 

sunday stealing

 

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10 Questions You Aren't Used To

1. What celebrity would you never want to meet? George Clooney--I'd be afraid the mystique I have for him wouldn't survive

2. What do you label yourself as? a voracious reader and social studies teacher

3. You can only have one sandwich for the rest of your life. You have every sandwich-making ingredient known to man at your disposal. What sandwich do you make? well, it would really depend on a lot of things: would I have to eat it daily? I've been craving a BLT lately, but I never turn down chicken salad with craisins and pecans

4. An angel provides you with a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. What's it gonna be? well... I don't drink so there's that...

5. Have you ever built a snowman? yes

6. If you could ask your future self a question, what would it be? how long does it take me to adjust to retired life?

7. Have you ever baked your own birthday cake? yes

8. Which are cooler: dinosaurs or dragons? dragons

9. What do you like about babies? how they smell so sweet, and when they reflexively curl their fingers around yours

10. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. What's the first rule you put in place? a well-rounded education is free

INSTEAD OF STEALING, LET'S BUILD OUR OWN MEME. Think of a question you'd like to ask and insert it here. If we get at least four good ones, we'll do our own DIY meme in a week or two.

What takes up most of your time when you're not doing this?

Would you rather have every traffic light turn green or always get the best parking spot?

finished reading

This story focuses on Cassie Hanwell, a glass-ceiling-shattering star in the Austin Fire Department who moves cross-country to live with her ailing, estranged mother. While Cassie is a rock star as a firefighter, she’s a bit of a dud on a personal level-stubbornly refusing to open herself up to the possibility of love or affection. Watching her character grow over the course of the story was incredibly satisfying.

The rigorous, intense life in a firehouse was much more than I expected. Firefighters are true heroes! The makeshift family Cassie builds among her initially reluctant coworkers feels completely genuine. Her healing process with her mother is equally realistic; it certainly didn't happen overnight.

Ultimately, the novel’s big themes are handled sensitively yet realistically. No character experiences a sudden, magical epiphany—the changes are earned, making the story all the more impactful.

From the publisher:

Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she's seen her fair share of them, and she's excellent at dealing with other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to uproot her life and move to Boston, it's an emergency of a kind Cassie never anticipated.

The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie's old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren't exactly thrilled to have a "lady" on the crew, even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the handsome rookie, who doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can't think about that. Because she doesn't fall in love. And because of the advice her old captain gave her: don't date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping...but will she jeopardize her place in a career where she's worked so hard to be taken seriously?

Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt, affecting novel about life, love, and the true meaning of courage.

finished reading

This is an icky book.  But I couldn't stop reading.  The lengths these people will go to are so far over the top that it became laughable.  Was that the point?

From the publisher:

An insanely competitive housing market. A desperate buyer on the edge. In Marisa Kashino’s darkly humorous debut novel, Best Offer Wins, the white picket fence becomes the ultimate symbol of success—and obsession. How far would you go for the house of your dreams?

Eighteen months and 11 lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the overheated Washington, DC suburbs, 37-year-old publicist Margo Miyake gets a tip about the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, slated to come up for sale in one month. Desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband Ian — and in turn, get their marriage, plan to have a baby, and whole life back on track — Margo becomes obsessed with buying the house before it’s publicly listed and the masses descend (with unbeatable, all-cash offers in hand).

A little stalking? Harmless. A bit of trespassing? Necessary. As Margo infiltrates the homeowners’ lives, her tactics grow increasingly unhinged—but just when she thinks she’s won them over, she hits a snag in her plan. Undeterred, Margo will prove again and again that there’s no boundary she won’t cross to seize the dream life she’s been chasing. The most unsettling part? You’ll root for her, even as you gasp in disbelief.

Dark, biting, and laugh-out-loud funny, Best Offer Wins is a propulsive debut and a razor-sharp exploration of class, ambition, and the modern housing crisis.

finished reading

I wanted to love this book, but it fell a little short for me.  While I thoroughly enjoyed the magical realism and the inner workings of the One & Only business, the main character, Cassia, was a tough sell.  

On the bright side, the love triangle felt fresh, and both men were entirely swoon-worthy, making the relationships feel believable.  Ultimately, though, I just couldn't quite get past Cassia's entitlement and brattiness. 

 From the publisher: She’s seen what her happily ever after looks like. And it’s not him.

Cassia Park believes in soul mates. Fated love stories. It’s her family business, after all—for centuries, from Korea to Los Angeles, the Park women have peered into clients’ past lives to find their one true love, their “fated”. This magical secret is why One & Only Matchmaking has a 100% guarantee … for everyone but Cassia. 

Enter Ellis. He’s twenty-eight, indecently handsome, and not destined to be the love of her life. But destiny has more than one curveball ready, and her surprising connection with Ellis might be the key that unlocks finding her fated—and reveals a family secret that will make her question everything she’s ever known about her family, her belief in love, and truth itself. 

Cassia will have to decide if she’ll follow her fate… or make her own.

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.