finished reading

I just love Andy Cohen and all things Bravo. And the audio version is like sitting and gabbing with him.

From the publisher:

Since the publication of his last book, Andy has toured the country with his sidekick Anderson Cooper, hit the radio waves with his own Sirius station, Radio Andy, appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher despite his mother’s conviction he was not intellectually prepared, hosted NBC’s Primetime New Year’s Eve special, guest edited Entertainment Weekly, starred in Bravo’s Then & Now with Andy Cohen, offended celebrities with his ongoing case of foot-in-mouth disease, and welcomed home Teresa “Namaste” Giudice, from a brief stint in jail. Hopping from the Hamptons to the Manhattan dating world, the dog park to the red carpet, Cardinals superfan and mama’s boy Andy Cohen, with Wacha in tow, is the kind of star that fans are dying to be friends with. This book gives them that chance.

If The Andy Cohen Diaries was deemed “the literary equivalent of a Fresca and tequila” by Jimmy Fallon, Superficialis a double: dishier, juicier, and friskier. In this account of his escapades—personal, professional, and behind-the-scenes—Andy tells us not only what goes down, but exactly what he thinks of it.

currently

I am...

Reading: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo for my book group's August selection

Watching: last night's Big Brother and catching up on TV from the weekend!

Listening to: the clock tick

Wanting: lunch

Needing: to change my shirt--I spilled coffee on it

Loving: my summer vacation--it's been pure delight

Thinking: about the Back-to-school letter I got in the mail this morning

Feeling: tired, happy, loved

Celebrating: friendships that have lasted almost 40 years!

Grateful for: the past weekend's connecting

A quote I want to share:

weekend shenanigans

sunday stealing

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Music, Music, Music



1: A song you like with a color in the title Blue Skies (the standard)
2: A song you like with a number in the title One by U2
3: A song that reminds you of summertime Summerfling by kd lang
4: A song that needs to be played LOUD Every Time I Turn Around by L.T.D.
5: A song that makes you want to dance Can't Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake
6: A song to drive to Car Wash by Rose Royce
7: A song about drugs or alcohol Puff the Magic Dragon
8: A song that makes you happy Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by the Police
9: A song that makes you sad Rainy Days and Mondays by Carpenters
10: A song that you never get tired of What I Like About You by the Romantics
11: A song from your preteen years 867-5309 by Tommy Tutone
12: One of your favorite 80’s songs Hip to be Square by Huey Lewis & the News
13: One of your favorite classical songs George Winston's Variations on the Kanon by Johann Pachelbel
14: A song that you would sing a duet with someone on karaoke Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
15: A song from the year that you were born Yesterday by the Beatles
16: A song that makes you think about life Rainbow Connection by Kermit the Frog
17: A song that you think everybody should listen to Imagine by John Lennon
18: A song by a band you wish were still together Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas
19: A song by an artist no longer living Any Love by Luther Vandross
20: A song that breaks your heart No More Drama by Mary J Blige
21: A song by an artist with a voice that you love Save Room by John Legend

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

Angel

1) Sarah McLachlan wrote this song about someone she barely knew. She read the obit of Jonathan Melvoin, keyboard player for the Smashing Pumpkins, who died of a heroin overdose. What's the most recent news story that touched you deeply? my girlfriend's husband is nearing the end of his battle with cancer

2) Ms. McLachlan performed this in tribute to Linda McCartney at the 1999 Concert for Linda. She was expressing her hope that, in death, Linda found relief and peace after a long and painful battle with cancer. What do you think happens to us when we die? I think the energy of our essence is released into the universe

3) Daytime dramas General Hospital and As the World Turns used this song on-air after a major character died. Do you follow any "soap operas?" I follow a couple of reality tv shows that are kind of like soap operas

4) In 2007, Sarah donated her recording of this song to the ASPCA. Do you have a pet? If yes, how did you get it (shelter, pet store, etc.)? sadly, I don't have a pet--I would either rescue or get from the shelter

5) She admits she can't watch those ASPCA commercials, where her recording of "Angel" plays over sad photos of animals. Is there a TV commercial that really gets to you (in either a good or a bad way)? there are a couple ads that drive me nuts--but having been unplugged for the weekend, I can't recall them

6) In 1994, Sarah was stalked by an obsessed fan. Tell us about a time you were really frightened. In retrospect, was your fear commensurate with the threat? I had a miserable year that included a threat of harm by a drug-addled student--my fear was commensurate and it was appropriately dealt with

7) Sarah was adopted by Jack and Dorice McLachlan. Though she has a friendly relationship with her birth mother, she always considered Dorice her mother and sees herself behaving with her son the way Dorice did with her. Is there anyone in your family that you feel you resemble, either physically or by behavior? I think I am very much like my dad

8) McLachlan is one of the founders of Lilith Fair, a summer concert series designed to showcase talented female performers. Do/did your summer plans include an outdoor concert? I might attend a OneRepublic concert in a couple of weeks

9) Random question: Which of these men would you most like to be seated with at dinner -- Clint Eastwood, Prince William or Jimmy Fallon? it depends on the type of dinner it is but I would choose Jimmy Fallon to laugh my ass off and Prince William to have interesting conversations and I would pass on Clint Eastwood

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 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

When I called to tell her we'd gotten engaged a little more than a year later, I was h oping my mother could see how kind he was, how seamlessly he fit into my life. He made things feel effortless, and in those days, that seemed so valuable, so rare. Still, I worried she would air her concerns again, that she would say I was making a mistake.

She didn't. In fact, she was nothing but supportive.

I'm off for a weekend adventure with my best girlfriends! Heading down to Chebeague Island, off the coast of Portland. It will be a long drive plus a ferry ride, but it's well-worth the time with friends. Hoping for another weekend full of laughter, memories, and great fun. I'm hoping to collect some sea glass, too!

just finished reading

It's more like reading linked short stories instead of one narrative. However, it is so beautifully linked that it wasn't difficult to trace who was who. It's for my library reading group's August selection and I think we'll have a lot to discuss. It's wonderfully, almost painfully researched--no glossing over the history of Africans selling Africans into the white slave trade of the 1600s, to Jim Crow era US history.

From the publisher:

Effia and Esi are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and lives in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle. Unbeknownst to Effia, her sister, Esi, is imprisoned beneath her in the castle’s dungeons, sold with thousands of others into the Gold Coast’s booming slave trade, and shipped off to America, where her children and grandchildren will be raised in slavery. One thread of Homegoing follows Effia’s descendants through centuries of warfare in Ghana, as the Fante and Asante nations wrestle with the slave trade and British colonization. The other thread follows Esi and her children into America. From the plantations of the South to the Civil War and the Great Migration, from the coal mines of Pratt City, Alabama, to the jazz clubs and dope houses of twentieth-century Harlem, right up through the present day, Homegoing makes history visceral, and captures, with singular and stunning immediacy, how the memory of captivity came to be inscribed in the soul of a nation.

think write thursday

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Write about your favorite summer meal ideas, including recipes if applicable. Are you all about the grill? Or maybe you prefer salads. Do you use your crockpot a lot in the summer? Or would you rather have sandwiches? Tell us what you're eating and tell us how you prepare it!

I am a summer salad fanatic! Well, I'm truly a salad fan year-round, but summer salads with fresh fruit in them are the BEST! I take full advantage of my local grocery store's fantastic salad bar probably four days out of the week. After creating my masterpiece, I tweak it with fresh fruit at home. My absolute favorite is Strawberry Spinach Salad--which is just what it sounds like: new spinach, freshly sliced strawberries, and a sprinkling of sliced almonds and feta or goat cheese; all drizzled with raspberry walnut vinaigrette. Yahoo!

I don't own a grill and don't often use my crockpot in the summer. If I'm not having salad, I'm probably having a "pork parfait" from the Rib Truck or getting a sandwich from one of the local shops.

booking through thursday

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All other things (like weight, cost, and so on) being equal, what’s your favorite format for a book? Hardcover? Paperback? Old? New? First edition? Digital? Audio?

I never thought I would give up physical books, but I read most often on my Nook or audiobooks. I love going to book stores to touch the books, though, to sniff them and heft them. But it feels weirdly awkward to hold a physical book to read.

unraveled wednesday

Join Kat @ AsKatKnits for some fun!

I'm knitting the Holden Shawl and I'm listening to Homegoing.

eta: the yarn is Malabrigo Sock in Impressionist Sky

ten things tuesday

Ten things I did last week:

1) My Virginia and Pennsylvania sisters' families were here visiting! We laughed so hard I actually have a sore throat.

2) There was also a family reunion with my mother's side of the family. Her older sister passed away last spring but this week was when her children planned a funeral mass and committal service. So I got to see cousins I haven't seen in about five or six years or longer!

3) The real purpose for my sisters' visits was to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday as a family!

4) I put in a lot of effort making sure there was something planned for each day--with plenty of down time thrown in! Monday was a reunion party, Tuesday was the funeral and in the afternoon we had sister manicure appointments, Wednesday was the official family birthday dinner, Thursday was a trip to Grand Falls for zip lining adventures followed by birthday cake, and Friday was goodbyes for one of my sisters and also my nephew.

5) I got to play with my almost 6-month-old great niece! My Pennsylvania nephew and his wife came up for the party--their baby is the sweetest, best-natured baby I've ever seen!

6) I got to see my favorite cousin!

7) The fancy cake and cupcakes I ordered were a MAJOR success! It's decorated with the comedy/tragedy masks and musical notes--with an edible film strip with photos of him. Here's the birthday boy:

8) Our trip to Grand Falls, New Brunswick, was so much fun! The zip line adventure was a major success. I'm sad I wasn't able to do it but with high blood pressure and my weight, I couldn't. It was a blast to watch, though! And I still can't believe my Virginia sister did it.

9) I got to spend a lot of great, quality time with my younger Virginia niece. I was concerned that she would have fun, and actually, the zip adventure was for her. She is an excellent photographer--she's taken a couple of classes and they have paid off! We went on leisurely drives around so she could snap photos. Lots of quality car time.

10) I got to spend quality time with my sisters, too!

currently

I am...

Reading: the news, online

Watching: bubbles rise in my sparkling water

Listening to: the clock tick

Wanting: a magic wand that works

Needing: to do laundry

Loving: vacation time

Thinking: about dog videos on YouTube

Feeling: relaxed and happy

Celebrating: friendship--today and this upcoming weekend

Grateful for: unstructured time

A quote I want to share:

sunday stealing

(click the icon to play along)

Around the House


Bedroom: what’s your sleep schedule? since I'm on summer vacation, I don't really have a sleep schedule 😀

Kitchen: favorite comfort food? mashed potatoes

Washroom: showers or baths? bubbles? bath bombs? showers, pretty utilitarian

Closet: sum up your style in a few words. office casual

Parlor: favorite party or board game? Balderdash

Living room: what do you like to do with your family? after the family gathering I've just had--we laughed and laughed and laughed

Dining room: favorite special occasion food? cake--especially chocolate cake

Garden: favorite tree? flower? I like a weeping birch or a white birch for trees and my favorite flower is the peony

Attic: what’s one thing you have a sentimental attachment to and you will never throw away? teddy bears

Library: favorite book genre? mystery, literary fiction, historical fiction, and contemporary fiction

Office: if you could have any job in the world, what would it be? I would really love to teach in Ireland

Guest room: have you been to a sleepover? if so, when was your first? do you like them? I've been to a ton of sleepovers--I can't remember my first one but I'm going to have a girlfriend getaway next weekend!

Foyer: do you like small gatherings, large parties, or one-on-one meetings? oh--each has it's time and place

Pantry: favorite meal to make? salad

Laundry: favorite and least favorite chore? laundry is my favorite chore and my least favorite chore is putting dishes away

Garage: favorite mode of transportation? favorite car? I like driving and I'm not sure I have a favorite car to drive

Panic room: what was the most nerve-wracking experience you’ve had? lightning struck a tree in the front lawn and a branch fell on the roof right outside my bedroom window--the wires for the phone caught the branch--we had to evacuate the house

Powder room: do you wear makeup? if so, what one item can’t you live without? what’s your favorite look? I do not wear makeup although I used to

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

I Will Never Let You Down

1) Since we're not supposed to stop thinking about tomorrow, let's talk about it: What are your plans for Sunday? it is my great-nephew's 3rd birthday party

2) Fleetwood Mac was formed 50 years ago in London. Fifty years is considered a "golden anniversary." Do you wear more silver or gold? I wear more silver

3) This song is from Rumours, which has sold 40 million copies. Is it in your collection? it is!

4) It was written by keyboardist and vocalist Christine McVie. She was born Christine Perfect, a name that earned her a fair share of teasing when she was a school girl. Do you recall being teased in school? What about? I was teased for being chubby

5) Before Fleetwood Mac, she was in a band called Chicken Shack. If you were to order out for a chicken dinner, which restaurant would you turn to? I'm not sure

6) Before she could pay all her bills with her music, she supported herself as a window dresser for a London department store. Do you enjoy walking along, just window shopping? Or do you consider "looking with no intention to buy" a waste of time? I enjoy all forms of shopping

7) When she found herself making big money, one of the first things Christine bought was a pair of matching Mercedes for herself and then-husband, John McVie. If you were handed a check for $1 million, what's the first thing you would do with the money? I would pay off my bills

8) The other girl in Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, founded the Soldier's Angel Foundation. She believes in the healing power of music, and so she's proud to provide wounded soldiers with iPods already loaded with music. When you listen to music from your phone, MP3 player or iPod, do you use ear buds or headphones? I do not use either

9) Random question: Let's pretend your high school reunion is coming up. Which classmate are you more curious about: the one who was your first date, or the one who was too cool to give you the time of day? the cool one!

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 Homegoing.

And yet Quey did learn. He sat in Effia's lap as she taught him to speak, repeating a word in both Fante and English until Quey could hear in one language and answer in the other. She had only learned how to read nad write herself in the first year of Quey's life and yet she taught him with vigor, holding his small, fat fist in hers as they traced lines and lines and lines together.

think write thrusday

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Write about what you do to beat the heat! We're deep into summer here and some of those love the heat and some of us hate it but either way we all have to cope with it. What do you do that works for you?

I am not a fan of heat and humidity. I get cranky. My solutions? Read by the fan. Nap. Drink lots of water. Ice cream! Put a cool washcloth on the back of my neck.

w.w.w. wednesday

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! Hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

• What are you currently reading? I'm reading Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi and listening to The Secret Place by Tana French and Superficial: More Adventures from The Andy Cohen Diaries by Andy Cohen.

• What did you recently finish reading? I finished The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson and Still Life by Louise Penny.

• What do you think you’ll read next? Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.

ten things tuesday

Here are 9 recent pictures my younger Virginia niece took with my phone. No editing.

And one quote:

finished reading

I loved this book--it's the first of a series. It's a traditional mystery, not quite a cozy, and the setting is literally close to home in Quebec Province, Canada. I love the unusual, eclectic characters--from the unhurried Chief Inspector Armand Gamache to his right-hand man, Jean Guy Beavior, to the arrogant young Yvette Nichol, all unraveling the threads of this web of deception. The townspeople are intertwined in interesting ways and they create quite a community, grieving for the loss of Jane Neal, whose death is being investigated.

From the publisher:

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montréal and yet a world away. Jane Neal, a long-time resident of Three Pines, has been found dead in the woods. The locals are certain it's a tragic hunting accident and nothing more but Gamache smells something foul this holiday season…and is soon certain that Jane died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter.

currently

I am...

Reading: I'm listening to an audiobook right now

Watching: nothing particular

Listening to: Superficial by Andy Cohen

Wanting: a foot massage

Needing: to go to bed soon

Loving: my family

Thinking: about the upcoming family events

Feeling: sleepy

Celebrating: my family

Grateful for: sisters who get me

A quote I want to share:

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)

Firsts!


First Job: my first job was babysitting which was occasional

First Real Job: my first job was as a nanny which had a highly structured schedule and responsibilities

First Favorite Politician: President Jimmy Carter

First Car: Ford Taurus

First Record/CD: First CD was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

First Sport Played: swimming lessons as a pre-schooler

First Concert: Billy Joel's Innocent Man tour

First Foreign Country Visited: Canada

First Favorite TV Show: The Monkees

First Favorite Actor: all of the Monkees

First Favorite Actress: Michael Learned who played Olivia Walton on The Waltons

First Girlfriend/Boyfriend: my next door neighbor, Mike, we were determined to get married when we were 3

First Encounter with a Famous Person: I was a student ambassador for Stephen King when he came to campus for a reading

First Brush With Death: pulmonary emboli in 2006

First House/Condo Owned: I don't own

First Film Seen: oh, wow--I don't remember

First Favorite Recording Artist: the DeFranco Family

First Favorite Radio Station: WEGP 1390 on the AM dial (I ended up as a DJ there)

First Book I Remember Reading: I don't remember the name but the story was about Shrinking Violet

First Meme You Answered on Your Blog: I Have Been Tagged

saturday 9

I Will Never Let You Down

1) Fastball is a trio from Austin, Texas. Austin is the capital of Texas. When you were in school, did you have to memorize the state capitals? I did not have to, but I did

2) Have you ever visited your state's capital? that's where the Barnes & Noble is located!

3) Fastball played dates throughout Canada this past spring. When did you last leave the US of A? I was in Canada just a couple weeks ago, being a few miles from the border makes it a regular occurrence

4) Tony Scalzo is a founding member of Fastball. He's the singer in the video for this song, and that's his wife, Jennifer, playing the organizer of the speed-dating event. Have you ever gotten a job because you knew somebody? I have--fortunately, because my reputation spoke for me

5) In this pitch to a prospective lover, he admits he doesn't have much money. Last time you went to the ATM, how much did you withdraw? I don't remember the last time I went to the ATM, but I will assume I used the "Fast Cash" option and got $60

6) He sings that at times, his mind is hazy. Do you have a good memory for names? yes

7) Fastball guitarist Miles Zuniga admits that he once had a crush on Carrie Fisher (aka Princess Leia). Tell us about one of your one-sided love affairs, either with a celebrity or someone you knew in real life. Uhm. Moi? Maybe I'm a fan of George Clooney.

8) Fastball's drummer Joey Shuffield is partial to drums from Pork Pie Percussion. This company was started by Bill Detamore, who began making drums as a hobby. Do you have any hobbies that, under the right circumstances, could make you money? I could sell my hand knit items

9) The fast ball is the most common pitch in major league baseball. Now that the MLB season is past the halfway mark, how is your baseball team doing? I have no idea, I'm a fair-weather fan

just finished reading

I really enjoyed this book! The characters are relatable, real, and funny. It might seem like light contemporary lit, but it's actually got some deeper issues going on. I couldn't put it down!

From the publisher:

Superheroes have always been Leia Birch Briggs' weakness. One tequila-soaked night at a comics convention, the usually level-headed graphic novelist is swept off her barstool by a handsome and anonymous Batman.

It turns out the caped crusader has left her with more than just a nice, fuzzy memory. She's having a baby boy--an unexpected but not unhappy development in the thirty-eight year-old's life. But before Leia can break the news of her impending single-motherhood (including the fact that her baby is biracial) to her conventional, Southern family, her step-sister Rachel's marriage implodes. Worse, she learns her beloved ninety-year-old grandmother, Birchie, is losing her mind, and she's been hiding her dementia with the help of Wattie, her best friend since girlhood.

Leia returns to Alabama to put her grandmother's affairs in order, clean out the big Victorian that has been in the Birch family for generations, and tell her family that she's pregnant. Yet just when Leia thinks she's got it all under control, she learns that illness is not the only thing Birchie's been hiding. Tucked in the attic is a dangerous secret with roots that reach all the way back to the Civil War. Its exposure threatens the family's freedom and future, and it will change everything about how Leia sees herself and her sister, her son and his missing father, and the world she thinks she knows.

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 The Almost Sisters.

She was past Super Pretty-she was beautiful, and true beauty always came with a healthy shock of odd. Part of it was that she was so little. In the NICU she'd looked like a wrinkly purple apple with a few sticks attached, everything below the neck wasted to bird bones to protect her brain. Her body had never yet caught up. She was my height but built to scale, so that in pictures where she stood alone, she looked lanky and tall.

think write thursday

Click the image to play along!

Write about 3 good things that happened this week. We all know that focus on the GOOD is GOOD for us so let's do it!

On Monday, my book group got together to discuss Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout. We laughed and talked books and had lunch and talked books and talked and talked!

On Tuesday, I met up with some good girlfriends for breakfast. We talked for hours!

Today, I met up with one of my girlfriends from Tuesday--we spent hours on a porch swing and got real. It was soul-fulfilling.

This week has been filled with many more than three good things.

unraveled wednesday

Join Kat @ AsKatKnits for some fun!

I'm knitting the Holden Shawl and I'm listening to The Secret Place.

eta: the yarn is Malabrigo Sock in Impressionist Sky

w.w.w. wednesday

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! Hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

• What are you currently reading? I'm reading The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson, Still Life by Louise Penny and listening to The Secret Place by Tana French and Superficial: More Adventures from The Andy Cohen Diaries by Andy Cohen.

• What did you recently finish reading? I finished Beartown by Fredrik Backman and Opening Belle by Maureen Sherry.

• What do you think you’ll read next? Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.

just finished reading

I liked how the author creates real characters-both young and old-within the town. That no one is all hero or all villain, that prejudice is multi-faceted and that there are quiet heroes among us. It's a thought-provoking, emotional novel. It's about family of blood and choice, it's about loyalty, it's about friendship, and all the positives and negatives these complex parts of our lives have.

I think it helps that I enjoy hockey, so I understood the passion the community has for the sport. It's not just a sport! It's a character in the novel.

The author is quite a story teller.

From the publisher:

People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

ten things tuesday

Ten “H” things.

1. Someone I love: Hugh Grant

2. Something I like to eat: Hummus

3. A color: hot pink (like my current pedicure)

4. A good movie: Hail, Caesar!

5. A place I’ve been: Houlton, Maine

6. A thing I really don’t like: hate

7. A critter I like: hippos

8. Something I can do: hug

9. Something I can’t/don’t do: hit

10. Something I wish for: hope

currently

I am...

Reading: the news, online

Watching: clouds

Listening to: the clock tick and post office traffic

Wanting: a cold drink

Needing: to set an intake/exhaust fan in the window

Loving: my school friends book group

Thinking: books

Feeling: mentally stimulated

Celebrating: a really great get-together for my book group

Grateful for: friends who love reading as much as I do

A quote I want to share:

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)

The Put Your Questions in the Box Questions


1. Where were you three hours ago? I was reading, right here

2. Make a confession. I'm posting this Saturday night because I'm going on a road trip Sunday.

3. Bad habits? I am a horrible, slobby housekeeper

4. Favorite color? brown

5. Can you drive? yes

6. 3 pet peeves. 1) having pet peeves 2) underarm shaving and 3) cooking for one

7. Last person you hugged. a high school classmate that I bumped into

8. Something you miss. sleeping all night long

9. What song is stuck in your head at the moment? World Party's Put the Message in the Box

10. Favorite quote.

11. Favorite band. U2

12. Something you're excited for. my sisters' visits

13. Favorite movie. Elf

14. What type of phone do you have? iPhone 7

15. Favorite animal. puppies

a dud

I didn't care for this book. Much too whiny. I don't really know why I bothered to finish it.

From the publisher:

A whip-smart and funny novel told by a former Wall Street insider who reveals what it’s like for a working woman to balance love, ambition, and family in a world of glamorous excess, outrageous risk-taking, and jaw-dropping sexism.

In 2008, Isabelle—a self-made, thirty-something Wall Street star—appears to have it all: an Upper West Side apartment, three healthy children, a handsome husband, and a high-powered job. But her reality is something else. Her trading desk work environment resembles a 1980s frat party, her husband feels employment is beneath him, and the bulk of childcare and homecare still falls in Belle’s already full lap.

Enter Henry, the former college fiancé she never quite got over; now a hedge fund mogul. He becomes her largest client, and Belle gets to see the life she might have had with him. While Henry campaigns to win Belle back, the sexually harassed women in her office take action to improve their working conditions, and recruit a wary Belle into a secret “glass ceiling club” whose goal is to mellow the cowboy banking culture and get equal pay for their work. All along, Belle can sense the financial markets heading toward their soon-to-be historic crash and that something has to give—and when it does, everything is going to change: her marriage, her career, her world and her need to keep her colleagues’ hands to themselves.

saturday 9

The Joker

1) In this song, Steve Miller claims he's a picker, grinner, sinner, lover, smoker and joker. Do any of those six words describe you? I am a grinner and a lover (of fine things)

2) He maintains he's still a midnight toker. When's the last time you got high? not since my colonoscopy--that was an amazing high!

3) The lyrics include a reference to peaches. Name your favorite fruit. pineapple, fresh pineapple

4) This song had a big impact on the character of Joey on Friends, who had an imaginary friend named Maurice with the occupation of space cowboy. Did you ever have an imaginary friend? I did not have an imaginary friend because I had Teddy.

5) Steve Miller is the pride of Milwaukee, WI. What else is Milwaukee famous for? Jeffrey Dahmer?

6) Steve Miller considers himself a serious blues guitarist. When did you last feel like singing the blues? I had the blues last week, I don't remember what day specifically, it didn't last!

7) In 1973, when this song was popular, you could buy a portable 8-track tape player for $44.50. On what device do you listen to music most often? I listen to Spotify most often and either on my iPhone or iPad

8) A Curious George book packaged with a Curious George plush toy was a big seller at Christmas 1973. Tell us about a toy -- either given or received -- that brightened a holiday or birthday for you. My teddy bear, Teddy, was my very best friend for years and years

9) M*A*S*H was one of TV's top-rated shows in 1973. Who is your favorite M*A*S*H character? I always had a soft spot for Father Mulcahy. And I adored Hot Lips Houlihan

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 Beartown.

Sune has always refused to move young players to older age groups. The old man believes in the principle that players should develop alongside their peers, that being given opportunities too early stifles talent. But as he sits alone in his office watching these videos, he has to admit that he sees the same thing as David right now. Something that hardly anyone else understands: without a bit of pace, the junior team is going to die a death tomorrow.

think write thursday

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Hello, July.

If July flies by
Can I have a do-over?
School's back in August!

This is going to be a busy month. I wrote about ten things I'm looking forward to in July, here.

I've been working on mindfulness. Savoring moments. Hopefully, in the joyful chaos of the next few weeks, I will savor moments. Relish family time. We've all been looking forward to this all year! I don't want to blink and have it be gone.

w.w.w. wednesday

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! Hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

• What are you currently reading? I'm reading Beartown by Fredrik Backman and listening to Opening Belle by Maureen Sherry.

• What did you recently finish reading? I finished Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham, The Dry by Jane Harper, and Into The Water by Paula Hawkins.

• What do you think you’ll read next? Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.

just finished reading

I won't compare this to the author's breakthrough debut novel The Girl On The Train. The narrative shifts from past to present, linking the characters through stories told about the women in the water. I'm not quite sure who the main character is--there are many different perspectives here (and sometimes I got a little confused as to who was talking): Danielle, known as Nel's death triggers her sister's (Julia, known as Jules) return to the small, gloomy town of Beckford. Other narrators include Sean Townsend (Detective Inspector), Nickie (local madwoman), Lena (Nel’s daughter), Mark (Lena’s teacher), Louise (Katie’s mother), Erin (policewoman), Patrick (Sean’s father), and Helen (Sean’s wife). Although there is quite a cast of narrating characters, the story is really about the folklore of Beckford's river. A story with many, many layers.

From the publisher:

A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged.

Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother’s sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she’d never return.

independence day

ten things tuesday

Ten things I'm looking forward to in the month of July:

1) Celebrating my dad's 80th birthday with a big family get together! We had a small party for him to mark the occasion, but this is going to be the big celebration with sisters from out of state.

2) Virginia sister and family's visit. Sister bonding time is necessary. And I need to come up with something special for my teenaged niece to do.

3) Pennsylvania sister and family's visit. I'll be meeting my niece-in-law and great-niece for the first time, even though (via the magic of the internet) I feel like I know them.

4) There will be a memorial service for my mother's sister and a family reunion surrounding those events. I'm sad for the reason for the occasion but glad to celebrate her life with my extended family. I think it's been four years since our last reunion.

5) I planned a sister day--lunch and manicures!

6) Book group for the Library group--The House I Loved.

7) Book group for my teacher group--Anything Is Possible.

8) A girlfriend weekend on Chebeague Island. With a mystery dinner tossed in!

9) Day trips. Spontaneous adventures!

10) More time with my bestie!

just finished reading

The author did a great job making the drought and heat claustrophobic. I was sucked in from the start. The narrative shifts from the present to twenty years ago, revealing more about the characters and leading to the ultimate answers. A great debut--I can't wait to read more from this author!

From the publisher:

When Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk returns to Kiewarra for the funerals, he is loath to confront the people who rejected him twenty years earlier. But when his investigative skills are called on, the facts of the Hadler case start to make him doubt this murder-suicide charge.

And as Falk probes deeper into the killings, old wounds start bleeding into fresh ones. For Falk and his childhood friend Luke shared a secret... A secret Falk thought long-buried... A secret which Luke's death starts to bring to the surface...

currently

I am...

Reading: The Dry and it's compelling!

Watching: the lights flicker on my router

Listening to: the clock tick and post office traffic

Wanting: a magic wand that works

Needing: to call my aunt to make sure she is invited to Dad's birthday supper

Loving: summer vacation

Thinking: about my eldest niece

Feeling: kinda tired

Celebrating: this delicious iced coffee--savoring each sip

Grateful for: sleeping in

A quote I want to share:

sunday stealing

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The Last 40 Questions From Bud


1. My uncle once : teased my sister about her cooking and she cried.

2. Never in my life : have I been interested in traveling to Asia

3. When I was seventeen : I had the world by the tail, only I didn't realize it...

4. High School was : fun, but not as much fun as college

5. I will never forget :

6. I once met : Stephen King--I was his campus tour guide when he did a talk, way back in 1985

7. There’s this girl I know who : spending the summer taking classes in Israel

8. Once, at a bar : I won a karoake contest

9. By noon, I’m usually : ready for a nap (at least over summer vacation)

10. Last night : I got caught up on the DVR'd shows

11. If only I had : $

12. Next time I go to gym/church : I hope it doesn't collapse

13. Susan Boyle : was in the news recently

14. What worries me most : losing my independence

15. When I turn my head left, I see : a pile of DVDs I need to return to my dad

16. When I turn my head right, I see : the clock

17. You know I’m lying when : I give one-word answers

18. What I miss most about the eighties : oh--my youth!

19. If I was a character in Shakespeare, I’d be : one of the bold, sassy lasses

20. By this time next year : I hope things have worked out

21. A better name for me would be : Teach

22. I have a hard time understanding : why more people aren't demanding answers

23. If I ever go back to school, I’ll : get a degree in guidance counseling

24. You know I like you if : I make and keep plans

25. If I ever won an award, the first person I’d thank would be : the person who awarded me

26. When I compare 80’s rock to 90’s rock : I am nostalgic

27. Take my advice, never : pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom (especially when traveling)

28. My ideal breakfast is : at a restaurant

29. A song I love, but do not own is : Michael McDonald's Sweet Freedom

30. If you visit my hometown, I suggest : going to Cafe Sorpreso for lunch

31. My favorite Beatle is : Sir Paul

32. Why won’t people : use their blinkers when driving?

33. If you spend the night at my house :... you won't

34. I’d stop my wedding for : a thrilling pause to give people something to talk about

35. The world could do without : intolerance

36. I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than : eat maggoty food

37. My favorite blonde is : my eldest niece

38: Paper clips are more useful than : letting papers flutter around

39. If I do anything well, it’s : nap

40. And by the way : thanks, Bev, for taking the reins of Sunday Stealing