Book 31: Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity, and the Perfect Knuckleball by R.A. Dickey with Wayne Coffey

I was a big R.A. Dickey fan when he was with the Mets; I'm wearing a Dickey t-shirt as I write this. I did not approve of his trade to Toronto; of course, no one on the Mets asked my opinion.

Dickey didn't have an easy childhood, nor did he have an easy career. Ultimately, he achieved his dream of success in the major leagues--most impressively with my beloved New York Mets. Dickey succeeded with hard work, ability to adapt, support from friends (including other baseball players) and family, and his strong Christian faith. 

One of the things I like about Dickey is that his Christianity is personal to him. He is focused on becoming a better man, husband, and Christian, and not trying to force his religious opinions on everyone else.

I remember a Mets announcer describing Dickey as an autodidact. I love that word as a former SAT prep teacher, plus I love people that learn on their own. Dickey once considered a future as a teacher; he's serious about learning. 

I wish the book had included his 2012 season with the Mets: he became the first knuckleball pitcher to win the Cy Young. 

Seen

Today as I was driving from one errand to another, I saw a car with a Christmas tree tied on top--a few days later than I expected. It made me smile; now the Christmas season is really here. 

Later I took Lola to Cranbury Park. At one point, we heard a strange tapping noise. Lola paused, and I paused to watch her. Sometimes she gets spooked by unusual noises and retreats. Then we heard some birds. Two flew to a nearby tree. They seemed to be dancing. Then a third bird appeared. I recognized them as woodpeckers. I had to check google to get more specific. They were Pileated Woodpeckers. It's nice to see and learn about new bird species. 

Lazy Weekend

I had the lazy weekend I didn't even realize I needed. The most ambitious thing I did was go to the gym Saturday. I went to the art supply store Friday as I mentioned in an earlier post,  and I took Lola for walks. Other than that, I mostly stayed in: I read, did spelling bee puzzles, played with my art journal (but not my new supplies) and watched TV/movies. We ate Thanksgiving leftovers for Friday dinner and Saturday lunch. 

Tomorrow is the first Monday in months without a writing class: we're off until January. It's hard to believe it will only be a week since my last class. It feels as if it were much longer. I need to do my own writing.

Driving around, I've noticed more lights and other Christmas decorations. Oddly, I haven't seen any Christmas trees tied to the top of cars. My first sightings of the season are usually over Thanksgiving weekend. 

It snowed this morning. Luckily it didn't amount to anything, but it wasn't a welcome sight. I'm not ready.

Black Friday Shopping: Art Supplies

Black Friday dawned bleak, raw, windy, and rainy. It was a perfect day to snuggle with a good book or Outlander binge-a-thon (which I found on TV on Thanksgiving night.) I suppose it would have been a good day to spend inside a mall, if you were inclined to shop. 

Lola had an appointment at the vet's at 9:30, so that's where we headed. We ran a few errands after that. 

Later I ventured out to an art supply store. I bought sets of watercolors and acrylic paints, a few brushes, a few pens, a small bottle of ink, a charcoal pencil, a mixed media pad, and a small paint tray. I had intended to play with my art journal last night. Instead I finished The Romanovs The Final Chapter and blogged about it. 

Later today I'll play with my new art supplies and my art journal. 

Book 30: The Romanovs the Final Chapter by Robert K. Massie

I looked for this book in the library a few years ago but couldn't find it until a recent library sale.  It was worth waiting for--a history of the search for the truth of what happened to the Romanovs, the last Tsar of Russia Nicholas II and his family. First the official accounts were incomplete and falsified. Later investigations were hampered by lack of finances, governmental support, and technology.

It's a fascinating story of how investigators finally prevailed and found the truth. At the time of the book's publication, the bodies of Maria and Alexei still hadn't been found. They were later found in 2007.

The book also details the story of Anna Anderson who claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia and the long legal battle that ultimately proved she was not. The author also mentions other claimants and the Romanov relatives who argue over who and what a true Romanov is. 

Thankful Thanksgiving Thoughts

We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. In addition to the Whole Foods food, I made a arugula/spinach salad and butternut/pumpkin/apple soup (found in the freezer--I would have made a new batch of pumpkin apple.)

My brother brought wine and too much dessert. I'm thankful I didn't have to cook this good meal--I just heated it up.

A sampling of other thankful things (in no particular order.)

It was a beautiful day--the warmest all week. Lola and I had a wonderful walk at Winslow Park this morning. 

My brother searched to get the wine I ordered the last time we went to lunch together (unnecessary but appreciated.)

Lola is doing well with her subcutaneous fluids (although she is afraid to go to the vet. Today she was scared to get into the car even though I assured her we weren't going to the vet.)

Jeff and I are doing well despite a tough year and a half.

Watermelon overnight cream from Trader Joe's feels luxurious every night. 

It's a good exercise to think of more good things. 

Thanksgiving Eve

I spend most Thanksgiving Eves being thankful that I am not traveling. I don't remember the last time we had to drive more than an hour on Thanksgiving Day. 

We are having another easy Thanksgiving getting turkey, stuffing, cranberry orange sauce, and fingerling potatoes from Whole Foods. I'm heating up soup and rolls. I was going to make a pumpkin apple soup, but found some pumpkin, butternut squash, and apple soup in the freezer. I cleaned today, so all I have to do set the table, make the salad and heat the food. My brother is bringing wine and dessert--apparently too much dessert--from what he said. 

A neighbor lost her mother just a few days ago. This will be a tough holiday for her. I hope she can keep it together.

A Busy Two Days

Sunday was a wasted day after my Covid-19 booster shot on Saturday night. I had various body aches, fatigue, fever, and chills all day. I barely had enough energy to take Lola to Oyster Shell for a half-hour walk. I had very little appetite, only for rye toast with butter and mandarin oranges. I had prepared for a bad reaction, but hoped for less. A friend said she was ill for a day-and-a-half. Another woman told me it would be a cinch because the booster was a half-dose.

I felt better by Monday morning for my last writing class of the fall. I was pleased to get a good response to my story, especially from the best writers in the class. I took Lola for a walk on NRVT, made a steak dinner (postponed from Sunday when Jeff got Thai takeout because I was too wiped out to cook) and dusted the dining area and part of the living room.

Today I did the grocery shopping and the laundry. In between I took Jeff to the doctor and Lola to the dog park. The grocery store was much busier than normal, but since I am taking the easy way out for Thanksgiving (catering from Whole Foods) it went smoothly. I had more laundry than expected, mainly because of a blanket that fell behind the couch and flannel sheets. We had a relatively easy dinner of manicotti from the farmer's market (the first time we tried this) with my marinara sauce and a salad.

Now I'm winding down; I need to take Lola out, get ready for bed, and read a bit. I'm reading another book about the Romanovs--this one focused on finding and identifying the bodies of the last Tsar and his family, and all the imposter claimants to the throne. 

Booster Shot

I had my Covid-19 booster shot tonight at 7 PM. It was a weird time, but it was the only time I could get in town today.  

I had gone into CVS a few weeks ago to pick up prescriptions for Jeff and asked about getting the booster. I didn't realize that I needed to make an appointment. Since I needed a second pneumonia shot and didn't need an appointment, so I got that instead. 

I planned the booster shot for today because I don't have to do anything tomorrow except walk Lola. After my two previous shots, I had fever, fatigue, and headaches, so I wanted to leave the day open.

I'll have to see how it goes. 

New Photos of Lola

 

Lola looked so sweet resting after one of our hikes, I took this photo.

At Cranbury Park. 

Lola ran up this hill with a disc golf target when a pack of dogs approached: a good defensive position if the dogs weren't friendly; they were. 

Morning Girl

Jeff used to call me morning girl because I walked Spike in the morning. Jeff took the night walk, and whoever got home first walked Spike in the late afternoon/early evening. 

Lately I'm thinking of myself as another kind of morning girl. I've gotten better about getting up with the alarm at 6:30. More importantly, I'm better at getting things done earlier, instead of lingering over my coffee and my journal. Full disclosure: I'm in a bit of a slow mode this morning. I'm writing this over coffee. I've done the NYT mini crossword and am working on the NYT Spelling Bee while I plan my day. 

During the early days of the pandemic, I started food shopping during the senior hours. While I don't get up to shop at 6 anymore, I do like food shopping in the early morning (before 9.) It's much less crowded than later hours. I've also started ordering lunchmeat online which beats waiting around at the deli counter.  

As long as I'm up at 6:30, it's easy to throw on sweats and a t-shirt and head down to the laundry room. I've been doing this for about a month and usually have the laundry room to myself. Twice people came down as I was finishing up. 

Other days I write. Last Saturday, I finished a story due for Monday's class before listening an Independent Author panel at 9. 

I am a work in progress, and I'm happy for that progress. 

Creative Happy Hour

Last night I attended the Creative Happy Hour at the Norwalk Art Space. It was billed as a writer's reception in one email I received which is why I went. There was an open mic component, so I guess someone could have read a piece or performed a poem. When I was there, there were singers/guitarist performing and easels and sketch pads were set up so people could sketch a model.

Overall, a nice evening out. 

Book 29: The Family Romanov Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

Whoops, I bought another young adult book without realizing it. Maybe that's why I read it so quickly. I was already familiar with much of the story by reading Nicholas and Alexandra and The Romanov Sisters. I still enjoyed this  book.

I especially liked the inserts with viewpoints of people beyond the palace gates such as a peasant, a factory workers, a soldiers, a revolutionary, an apprentice.

Good Things

It's unusual for me to look back on a week and feel good about it. Usually I think about what I should have done and didn't get around to doing. 

Not that this week has been perfect, but I'm pleased. I had a good reaction to the story I read in Monday's writing class. Then I immediately got an idea for next week's story. I finished the story yesterday morning around eight and made a few edits today. 

Lola and I had some wonderful walks. I've been letting her off leash wherever its allowed. On Thursday we returned to Bradley Park in Wilton. It may have been the first time this year. Lola loved it; she ran down paths, sniffed, and listened when I called her. Good weather helped. 

I had a good workout at the gym today, especially my cardio on the bike. It was my third visit this week. On days I didn't make it to the gym, I exercised here. I also had a good check up at the dentist.

Finally, I did some cleaning/organizing in our second bedroom. I filed some papers, threw out some, shredded others, and packed some for storage. Some of the work didn't need to be done today, but I know it will have to be done before we move, and I'm glad I got it out of the way. It freed up some drawer space too. 

Not the sexiest week, but productive.

Lola is Doing Well

For the past six weeks, we've been taking Lola to the vet three times a week for subcutaneous fluid infusions to flush out toxins from her kidneys. Today her vet  took a quick look at Lola and said she's looking good. 

We were happy to hear that. We noticed it on our own. Lola's been more active, and her appetite is better. She's even been jumping up on the bed, which seemed beyond her a few weeks ago. For eight of the last 10 days, her steps have exceed her daily goal of 10,000. The beautiful, unseasonably warm weather the last few days has helped. We're so happy for Lola. 

Book 28: Coronado by Dennis Lehane

This is a collection of short stories and a play by Lehane. Last year I read a collection of stories Lehane edited. I liked the story that he wrote in that collection. 

The stories in Coronado are about sad or bad people in sad or bad situations. My favorite story was "Until Gwen." It had a second person point of view, which is unusual. Lehane liked the story too. The characters stayed with him, and he ended up writing a play called "Coronado" the last selection in the book. It's another bleak story, but I like to think it has a hopeful ending of sorts. 

Blake Bortles and Normal Glass Moon

I'm not a football fan; I never heard of Blake Bortles until we watched The Good Place; one character Jason was a big fan of Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Yesterday, reading an article about Aaron Rodgers lying about being vaccinated for Covid (come for me Shallene Woodley) someone mentioned Blake Bortles in the comments. 

Then I dreamed about him. I was discussing him with nerdy friends (who weren't into football like me) based on The Good Place. I woke up thinking about him and the words "normal glass moon." 

I don't know what that means--maybe a band name?  At least it's not a frustration dream. 

Book 27: Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

I picked this up without realizing that it was written for young people. The opening pages about the Civil War were pretty bad: the Southern soldiers wore gray and were called Rebels or Confederates; the Northern soldiers wore blue and were called Union soldiers or Yankees. 

The rest was not so condescendingly worded. Language was simplified (e.g. a young reader suggested Swanson use the word henchmen instead of co-conspirator) and the manuscript abridged to 194 pages. The adult book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer is 391 pages. 

I still enjoyed the book and hope to read the adult version sometime.

Fall Back

Daylight Saving Time ends tomorrow morning. Traditionally you changed the clocks on the Daylight Saving eve, so you'd have the correct time displayed when you woke the next day. Now cable box clocks, cell phones, and smart clocks adjust to the correct time. You just have to change times on appliance, battery operated, and car clocks.

I remember the first year with my new clock radio. I didn't know it was a smart clock and changed the time and was too hours off. Luckily it didn't take me too long to figure that out. It's rough when your clock is smarter than you.

Today I wrote a companion piece to my poem Spring Forward.

Fall Back

Eight months later

in a chill November night

The government’s payback

for the hour they stole.

I’m glad to have the hour back

but that’s not enough

I want interest.

For Spike and Lola

Today is Spike's birthday; he would have been 21. Okay, I know that's not a realistic age for a beagle; we were happy that Chinese herbs helped Spike reach 15. Spike joined us when he was one-and-one-third years old. We gave him a good life, and he gave us love, joy, and new dog park friends. Every year around this time, I think a lot about him. I still love Spike and miss him. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of him.

Lola joined us four months after Spike died. She was around five then. She's been with us for over five-and-a-half years. We didn't know her real birthday and picked May 5th because it's Spike's half-way day

Here are some pictures of our sweet Lola. 

Jeff and I have been blessed with two wonderful beagles. For one thing, both Spike and Lola like to sleep in. We never had dogs getting us up at 5 or 6 AM. 

Beagles are love.

Tis the Season

I read recently that retailers are bypassing Halloween and going directly into Christmas. I noticed this years ago. I've only been to grocery and liquor stores recently. None were playing Christmas carols yet. 

I guess I'm old school, meaning I want to wait until the day after Thanksgiving--at the earliest--to deal with Christmas. 

"Deal with" is not the way I'd like to talk about Christmas. I'd rather say "celebrate." But we have to see how it goes. This year we really need get organized early because of supply problems. 

Time to start shopping.

Thoughts on Nano

In November, my thoughts turn to Nanowrimo. A few months ago, I told myself I would definitely participate. Now, I'm not going to do it. I have two books that I want to write. I previously started one and am doing research on the other. According to the official Nano rules, you can plan and outline, but not actually start writing until 12:01 AM on November 1st. A friend asked if I had to be so exact about the rules. No, but why bother signing up if I'm not going to follow the rules? I can use Nano as an inspiration for word counts even though I'm failing at writing so far this month. (I've only worked on two stories for my class--editing one on Monday morning and starting another last night whoo hoo 87 words.)

Not writing or minimal writing triggers those annoying questions including--am I really a writer? The only way to answer that is to keep writing.

Book 26: Queens of England by Norah Lofts

I have three books by Norah Lofts on my bookshelf and two are favorites, so selecting this book at the Wilton Library sale was a no brainer.  This book is what the books in Vicki Leon's Uppity Women series could be if Leon didn't try so desperately to be funny and IMHO fail miserably.

The vignettes about each queen range from two to eight pages. Lofts includes Boadicea (not a true queen) and Guinevere (a legendary queen.) Historical queens range from Matilda Queen to William the Conqueror to Queen Elizabeth II, Queen in her own right.

I enjoyed the book up to the Queen Elizabeth II chapter, which became a defense of the British monarchy. Apparently, the political world abhors a vacuum so America ended up with Nixon and Watergate, Germany with Hitler, and Russia killed its Tsar and got the Politburo. A bit simplistic, I'd say.