Last Week of the Year

I extended my quiet Christmas into Monday. I feel like I've been running ever since. Jeff had two doctors' appointments and two physical therapy appointments. I had a doctor's appointment and took care of the NCNC Birds of Prey twice. On Tuesday one of the aviaries was locked from the inside, the Visitors Center was closed, and the staff was off. Luckily, I managed to find a key so I could care for Jasper. I also had my normal chores and errands, and Jace walks. 

I realize that I've been resisting writing, blogging, and working out for the past few weeks. Julia Cameron (The Artist's Way) writes, "Resistance always has meaning." I need to figure out my meaning. It's beyond being busy or preoccupied. 

I had a skin cancer removed about two weeks ago. I returned to the dermatologist yesterday so the surgeon could remove tissue around the margins. I'm not supposed to lift weights for two weeks. I had planned to hit the gym today and (maybe) tomorrow. I'm bummed I only made it to the gym once this week. I had hoped to be on a roll to start the new year. 

Cooking a duck breast for dinner tonight. I'm not hungry at the moment--we had a late lunch at Sedona Tap House--but will start prepping after I take Jace for his late afternoon walk. We do have all night after all. It's another quiet New Year's Eve for us. I don't need the parties and the fuss. No pressure. 

A Cold and Quiet Christmas

As I wrote about Thanksgiving, we're trying to figure out new Christmas traditions too. Last night we had my brother for dinner of Beef wellington, fingerling potatoes, and green beans with scallions from Whole Foods. It was pricey, but delicious. We have enough for another dinner tomorrow night.

Yesterday morning was one of the few times a year that it's horrible to walk a dog: cold, wet, and damp. But it got better and warmer each time I went out. Temps will rise each day up to the fifties by the end of the week.

For the Rest of Us

Happy Festivus!

"Another piece of the puzzle falls in place." That was Elaine's response to learning about Festivus.

"Frank invented a holiday? He's so prolific." That was Kramer's response. Kramer is intrigued and Festivus is back.

There are so many other storylines in this episode. The title "The Strike" relates to Kramer and H&H Bagels. Elaine is trying to recover a card for a free sub from denim vest guy. She gave him the card with her standard fake number. The number belongs to an off-track betting place, that's been taking her calls for five years.

Jerry is dating a two-face: Gwen looks good in some places and ugly in others. The only place she looks consistently good is the back booth at the coffee shop. 

Meanwhile, to avoid giving Christmas gifts at the office, George fakes a charity called The Human Fund and hands out "a donation has been made in your name" cards to his co-workers. When his boss catches him, he claims he celebrates Festivus and doesn't want to be persecuted for his beliefs. "They drove my family of our Bayside, Sir."

The gang ends up at Festivus dinner with the Costanzas, including Gwen who thinks Jerry is cheating on her with Elaine, George's boss, and two bookies from the off-track betting place. 

Festivus is back.

A Photo Post with Jace

It's been hard to get good photos of Jace. Here are my best options.

Jace came to us with one toy--a stuffed hedgehog. Jeff later told me that he read on youtube that many other beagles have a hedgehog as a favorite toy. 

Here are two photos of Jace on Thanksgiving Day with a festive collar. Spike and Lola both hated these collars. They also resisted wearing a coat. Jace is fine with both. I wonder if he will tolerate booties.

Winter is Here

Today is the first full day of winter and most of the country is in a deep freeze. We are reprieved for two days. Tomorrow temps will reach the low fifties but with a windy rain. Then temperatures plummet. I hope things don't ice over. Jace needs his walks. 

I love that daylight will increase daily, although it will apparently take a few weeks before it's noticeable. Winter is my least favorite season. I am trying to think of good winter things, but I'm not feeling it right now. I need to get through the next three months. I need to be positive.

A Photo Post Featuring Jasper

I've posted photos of the birds at New Canaan Nature Center. But I could never get a photo of Jasper--until recently. He liked to hide in his "house" in his aviary.

Here he's out of the cage to go for a walk. 

This photo marks one of the few times I saw Jasper out of his house. I guess he was hungry that morning.

Jasper is one of the few birds at NCNC that is capable of full flight. He is at NCNC because he imprinted on a human and wouldn't survive in the wild. 

In sad news, Hedwig recently died. She had been living at NCNC for 21 years after her right wing was partially amputated.

Book 34: She Walks These Hills by Sharyn McCrumb

Another library book sale book. I had previously read a book by McCrumb, If Ever I Return, Pretty Peggy-O. I liked it, so I bought this book. 

The "She" in the title is Katie Wyler who escaped capture by the Pawnees in the late 1779 to return home to the Tennessee mountains. Katie appears to locals such as Nora Bonesteel each fall.  Historian Jeremy Cobb is retracing Katie's route to help complete his dissertation on her. Also walking the hills is escaped convict Hiram "Harm" Sorley, another who is unable to return home. Harm is suffering from Korsakoff's syndrome--a type of brain damage--and he thinks it's 1967.

Other characters are Sheriff Spencer Arrowood and his deputies Joe and Martha, Hank the Yank--a local DJ who is obsessed with Harm, Sabrina--a young, frustrated mother, and Harm's former wife and daughter, Rita and Charlotte. 

McCrumb sews these stories together in a patchwork of life in Hamelin, Tennessee.

A Case of the Blahs

What my mother and I used to call the blahs were the times when we didn't feel good, but couldn't label just what was wrong. Something just wasn't right. 

I had the blahs for the past four days. It wasn't how I wanted to end last week. I felt just about normal yesterday morning, but wiped out by the afternoon. 

Last week wasn't a total waste. I got some shopping done. I got my haircut before my hairdresser left for Florida for the holidays. Jeff and I went out for lunch on Wednesday with two friends to celebrate one's birthday. On Thursday we heard from another friend who was visiting family in the area, and the three of us went out to dinner. I'm glad that I felt well enough for those get-togethers.

As for today, I'm going to take it slow. 

'Tis the Season

Last Tuesday I heard my first Christmas song on the radio: it was Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives. Last Wednesday I heard my first Christmas carol in a store. Last Friday, I saw my first Christmas tree tied to the roof of a car. The Christmas season is in full swing.

I enjoy checking out all the Christmas decorations as I walk with Jace. Inflatable decorations seem to be getting more popular. I don't care for them--I think they're kind of tacky--especially when manger scenes are placed next to Santa or reindeer or Mickey Mouse. On Magnolia Street, several houses have types of "light shows" with revolving snowflakes or dots. One has a strobe light effect. 

Many people seem to think that more is more with holiday lights. One house has every surface of trees and bushes draped in strings of lights. Another has a rainbow of colored lights. This is one of a few areas where I agree with my mother--simple white lights look the best. 

Last Friday I brought all our decorations up from our storage bin. I've been purging over the past few years. Currently, I have a special ornament box, about four or five rolls of wrapping paper, and one plastic storage box, and two small artificial trees (only brought one up.) Then I emptied the box to see what we have and think about where to place things.

Onto cleaning and decorating. 

Book 33: My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem

Full disclosure: I was about halfway through this book but put it aside when I got sucked into The Cabinet of Curiosities. That's not a knock on this book, which I enjoyed.

Steinem started her life on the road, courtesy of her father. The family spent most of the year traveling around the country, buying and selling antiques, farm tools, and other household items. Living in India for two years after college taught Steinem the pleasures of communal travel. The key to her growth as a writer, activist, feminist, and person was to talk with other people and especially listen. 

I liked Steinem's discussion of political campaigns, especially the 2008 Democratic race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. She was moving in her stories relating to Native American culture and history. I loved reading about the Spider Woman of the Southwest--who names things and brings them into being. Steinem believes spiders should be the totem of writers. "Both go into a space alone and spin out of their own bodies a reality that has never existed before." I can now say I want to be a spider woman.

TCM Movie Review: The Doorway to Hell

I recorded this film in September and kept it until I could watch it again, which I did this week. I love the Warner Brothers crime dramas. I was intrigued by this one because Lew Ayres was top-billed. I don't think of him as a gangster. Hearing his name, my first image of him is an Ned Seton in the film Holiday.  Based on IMDB comments, many people didn't see Ayres as a gangster way either, especially with James Cagney in the film as Ayres' right hand man. I think Ayres pulled off the part--he could be menacing.

The film opens with a running printing press. I've seen this in several movies. Usually the newspaper displays some important plot point. Here it lists the film's credits. In the first scene Monk asks for his violin case. Of course, it has a gun in it. I thought oh, this old trope. Then I realized it was a new trope because this film was made in 1930 before the Warner Brothers gangster classics: Little Caesar (1931) The Public Enemy (1931) and Scarface..

I like Cagney's threat to another mob member, "If you don't watch your step, you're gonna find a way to treat yourself to a handful of clouds." He means "the kind that comes out of the end of a 38 automatic."

Throughout the film, Cagney is carrying on an affair with Ayre's girl and later wife. Since this is a pre-code film, the affair is treated as a matter of fact with no moralizing. Nor is Ayres' wife played by Dorothy Mathews punished for her indiscretion. 

Robert Elliot as the police captain epitomizes the tough cop seen in several films over the years. Again, I had to remind myself that this may have been the first incarnation of such a character in 1930.

I was disappointed when I couldn't find a reference to this film in my book, Warner Brothers Presents. The Doorway to Hell deserves to be remembered. 

Reread Book One: The Cabinet of Curiosities by Preston and Child

I'm a fan of the Preston & Child books and get the Pendergast File email. In one email, if you referred a new subscriber, they would send a copy of their book The Cabinet of the Curiosities. I suggested that I'd refer my brother and he could get the new book and give me a copy of his old book. Instead he gave me the new book. I picked it up to read a few lines and felt the need to completely reread the whole book (first read in 2018.)

I remembered the gist of it, though it took me a while to remember which guy was the criminal. I forgot many details. The book was still compelling, and I'm glad I have my own copy now. 

Preston & Child have a new book coming out in January The Cabinet of Dr. Leng. It's not exactly a sequel to The Cabinet of the Curiosities, but they are linked. Preston & Child shared the first chapter(s) of the new book and it's awesome. I can't wait to read it. 

Thanksgiving Weekend Thoughts

I'm trying to figure out our new Thanksgiving traditions. Looking through some old posts, I realize that it's been longer than I thought since we've had a big family get together. Those days are over.

I was proud of myself that I ordered our holiday meal back in the first week of November. Holidays always seem to sneak up on me. It doesn't really make sense, but it's true. My excuse is that the sales and marketing parts of the holidays start so much earlier than the actual holidays, that I lose track of the actual dates. How does that sound?

Anyway, I was happy--no, I should say thankful--that the weather had warmed up this week. We had some rain, but it's easier to be thankful in fifty degree weather than thirty degree weather. I've enjoyed most of my walks with Jace this week.

Our dinner from Whole Foods was delicious. There is a but. After I brought the food home, I unpacked the box and put everything in the refrigerator. I wished I had paid more attention--the foods were closer to frozen than not. The dinner took much longer to cook than expected. I had even sketched out a timeline based on the cooking time of the various dishes. Instead I kept testing dishes and moving them from the lower to the upper oven to keep them warm. Oh well.

We were supposed to be a dinner of four, but our friend got sick, so only my brother came. Jeff and I had leftovers for Friday lunch and Saturday dinner. We still have some turkey, stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce. 

We went out to lunch Saturday with my brother and his girlfriend at a favorite, Sedona Taphouse. After lunch, we played Trivial Pursuit. Jeff and I each won a game. 

The rest of the weekend was lazy. I skipped the gym (sore right shoulder and leg.) In general, I was in a slow mode. (That reminds me of a description of a busboy's speeds, slow and stop--I need to remember that line.) 

I guess we're in Christmas mode now.

Homebody, Housework, and Holidays

The last week-and-a-half flew by--one day to Thanksgiving. I made sure to put my order in with Whole Foods in plenty of time: a classic meal for four: turkey breast, green beans with shallots, mashed potatoes, herb stuffing, turkey gravy, and cranberry orange sauce. We've been happy with their food for the past two years. And it's easy. 

We always buy the dinner for four. The first year the dinner for four was only $10 more than the dinner for two. Leftovers! This year we have two joining us, so I'm keeping leftover expectations low.

I've been in a homebody mode for over a week after an expensive morning at the Farmer's Market, gas station, and liquor store. I've also been in a cooking mode. I did a good job with modified trout and green bean almondine, lobster salad, lobster risotto, lobster quesadillas, curried lentil soup. I overcooked chicken on a dish I've made several times before. D'oh.

On Sunday I concentrated on housework. The kitchen, bath, and hallway are clean. The dining area and living room are cleaner. I need to focus and finish. Finishing is important.

Monday was the last day of my fall writing class before we break for the holidays. I wasn't crazy about the prompt this week, but I wrote something. It's short--about 250 words (246, I just checked.) At least it was a good exercise in writing a male first person point of view.

I've already signed up for the winter fiction class beginning January 9. I need to decide if I also want to take the personal story class. 

Time to get moving--still lots of cleaning to do. I will also do a short workout and take Jace to Oyster Shell. After a few days of unseasonal cold, we'll see the 50s today.

Book 32: Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

This book is a vast improvement over Dead as a Doornail. After much thought, I rate it higher than Dead to the World. 

In this installment, Sookie heads to New Orleans to go through things left to her by her murdered vampire cousin Hadley. She's also on hand to help Louisiana Vampire Queen Sophie-Anne Leclerq whose recent marriage to the Vampire King of Arkansas is far from a love match.

I enjoyed the ectoplasmic reconstruction spell that Amelia Broadway and other witches use to discover how and why a were had been turned into a vampire at Hadley's apartment. That's the kind of spell that would come in handy. 

Sookie learns some heartbreaking news about her first lover vampire Bill Compton while dating Quinn a weretiger. Sookie and Quinn are attacked twice by weres hired by the Pelt family who (rightfully) blame Sookie for the disappearance of Debbie Pelt.  

At this point, I've read five of the Sookie Stackhouse or Southern Vampire Mysteries. I would like to read the third book because it introduced Russell Edgington, memorably played in the True Blood series by Denis O'Hare. Other than that, I'm not sure if I'll continue.

The original idea of vampires coming out of the coffin because of invention of TruBlood, a synthetic plasma, is brilliant. Not all vampires want to come out and live with humans as equal so that brings a lot of conflict. The werewolves are interesting, but not compelling. Some of the other supernaturals such as werepanthers and weretigers are just too much for me. I guess my suspension of disbelief reached its limit.

Edited to add: Another thing I like about these books is that even in a series about supernaturals, Sookie deals with practical problems as well. She's low on money, until she gets payment for letting amnesiac Eric stay with her in Dead to the World. She's relieved that she and her grandmother had managed to keep up insurance payments when her house is set on fire. Sookie also considers the benefits of marriage to werepanther Calvin Norris. After all, he has a good job with health insurance.

Congratulations Buck Showalter NL Manager of the Year

It had to be Buck. No offense to the other NL nominees Brian Snitker of the Atlanta Braves and Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles, but both teams had been World Series winners recently. 

The 2022 Mets had improved by 24 games over the 2021 season; the final tally is 101 wins and 61 losses. This is the second best record in franchise history; the best record of 108 wins belongs to the 1986 team. 

Buck is the Mets' first Manager of the Year winner. He had previously won the award four times with four other teams. 

Here's hoping he stays in Queens and wins more.

Congratulation also to Terry Francona of the Cleveland Guardians, AL Manager of the Year. 

Book 31: Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

Someone is targeting shifters including Sam--Sookie's boss and friend, Calvin Norris--a werepanther, and a young woman. Sookie is also shot based on her relationships with various shifters. After the mystery of the shooter is solved, Sookie remains in danger from someone with a vendetta against Eric. She is saved by the patrons at Merlotte's Bar and Grill.

This book is just blah. The shifter killer is a random new character. The plot against Sookie/Eric is clunky and not all that interesting.

Book 30: Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

I previously read the first two of the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mysteries. This book is the fourth of 13 novels. The main plot concerns a coven of witches who are trying to extort money and take over local vampire businesses. One witch has cast a spell on Eric giving him amnesia; he remains in hiding at Sookie's house. 

Vampires, werewolves, and wiccans team up to fight the witches. Apparently werewolves made their first appearance in the third book in the series (which I haven't read.) Sookie's participation in the battle against the witches give her standing as a friend of the pack in the werewolf community.

A subplot involves the disappearance of Sookie's brother Jason and introduces a community of werepanthers.

I enjoyed the book although the TV series amped up the threat of the witches. The main witch Marnie was possessed by the spirit of a witch tortured by a vampire centuries ago. One of Marnie's spells raised vampires during the day. I loved the scene of Maxine Fortenberry's neighbor exiting her home and bursting into flames.

Book 29: Plays By and About Women Edited by Victoria Sullivan and James Hatch

I got this book at a library sale, but not sure which one. I don't see it listed in a previous post or in my latest book list.

The book includes eight 20th century plays. I was familiar with two from screen adaptations: The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman and The Women by Clare Boothe. I haven't read any plays in a long time. It's fun to read a different format than a short story or novel.

The other plays are:

Overtones by Alice Gerstenberg

Play with a Tiger by Doris Lessing

Calm Down Mother by Megan Terry

The Advertisement by Natalia Ginzburg

Rites by Maureen Duffy

Wine in the Wilderness by Alice Childress

The plays give a bleak assessment of womanhood in the 20th century: men always let women down, women can be their own worst enemies, and opportunities for women are limited. 

The plays I enjoyed were The Children's Hour, The Advertisement, Rites, and Wine in the Wilderness. Wine in the Wilderness was the only play with a remotely happy ending. I'm glad the editors ended the book with that selection.

The Great Escape

Last Saturday, Jeff, Jace and I visited friends Jen and John and their dog Katie. This was Jace and Katie's second meeting. Two neighbors and their dogs joined us. All the dogs got along, although there was some barking especially when a mail carrier had the audacity to park his mail truck in full view of the dogs. 

After the neighbors left, I asked if Jace and Katie could play on the dog run. When Jen opened the gate, Jace saw his opportunity to take off. He stopped to pee at the end of the lawn, and I thought he would return. No. He ran down the street and into someone's backyard. 

I thought I had him trapped. The yard was fenced on two sides and the back was bordered in bushes. I should have remembered a saying on one of our beagle pillows: "a gifted escape artist." Jace got through a makeshift fence along the hedges to the next yard. 

He ran down the next street. I've never been much of a runner and knew I could never catch him. I went back to Jen and John's to get Jace's leash, my keys, and car. Jen was also chasing Jace.

I drove a few blocks before I started to worry about Jace. Both Jeff and I had thought he would quickly return to me. I had actually been more worried about Jen's reaction--I knew she would feel guilty. Then I heard Jen say I've got him. "Yay," I said. 

Later I realized that I had never said, "No, Jace," or "Jace, stay." He usually responds to "Stay." Maybe he thought this was just a fun romp. Luckily he was safe. I need to be more careful.

A Voice Came to Me

Note: I started this post on last Thursday night. I didn't get far before falling asleep on the couch. I thought of backdating the post to last Thursday or Friday, but that doesn't seem right. Anyway I am finishing it today with Thursday's thoughts. 

I've been thinking about my story since Monday when we got our latest assignment to write about the circus. I spent about an hour or so on Monday afternoon looking at circus photos and jotting down the names of some performers. Since then, I've been thinking about my story. After dinner, I went into the kitchen to do the dishes, when a voice came to me. It was the voice of an older woman talking about political correctness versus just trying not to hurt people in using certain language. I ran back to my laptop and wrote about 150 words. 

It was a start. It didn't even mention the circus, but I knew that would come. 

This--a voice coming to me--that doesn't happen all that often, but I love when it does. 

Riding the Wave of Unpleasant Feelings

I'm feeling overwhelmed today. Telling myself (1) that I shouldn't feel this way: I don't have it that bad; or (2) it's mostly my own fault, does not help. I just have to work through it. 

The idea (and title of this post) about riding the wave of unpleasant feelings is from a comment on The Frugal Girl. Riding the wave of feelings is more active than allowing yourself to wallow in your feelings (which I used to advocate.)

I feel like I'm living in a perfect storm of mess. (Or should it that be an imperfect storm?)

It's been a few weeks in which I've neglected general cleaning (other than the kitchen and baths.) I have books and papers piled on the coffee table. And there's the whole kitchen cabinet problem. I'm making progress but things are still scattered (i.e. glassware on the credenza and other tabletops) and partially filled donation boxes. We've had four medical appointments in the last week. Plus I've still got laundry to do. Ah, the joys of domestic life. 

Jeff will be starting new physical therapy and other treatments. Of course, I'm happy for this, but I'll have to devote some time to his appointments and treatments. I believe he needs me as his advocate.

I am spending a lot of time with Jace. I'm specifically talking about walking time which is a minimum of one hour daily, usually longer. I can't really complain, this is good for me and enjoyable in the recent great weather.  Even when the weather gets bad, walking will be good for me. 

I feel much better after writing this. Is this better as a journal entry rather than a blog post? 

Too late now.

Return to the Met

Saturday, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with my brother, his girlfriend, and her son like my last visit.

I hadn't researched exhibits ahead of time and was psyched to see a Tudor exhibition.

We walked in and I immediately recognized a portrait of Henry VII. It was fascinating to see originals of portraits that I had seen in books. I especially loved the miniatures and quickly recognized Henry Fitzroy, Henry VIII's illegitimate son. 

In addition to portraits, the exhibit includes tapestries, suits of armor, furniture, cups and bowls, and beautiful Bibles and prayer books. 

My only disappointment was the lack of Anne Boleyn--there was only one drawing of her by Hans Holbein the Younger. But Henry VIII had her images destroyed, so that explains it.

Happy Halloween

I took Jace for a walk around the block tonight. I didn't see a single trick-or-treater. One house on Fairview was playing light, somewhat scary music. I saw an outline of Michael Myers--with a knife in his hand from a second story window in a second house. Back on Prospect,  I saw some people gatherer around a meager bonfire. A woman was standing on the sidewalk drinking a White Claw seltzer. A door or two down, three women were standing in a driveway--one was holding a scythe. 

This is my favorite of the neighborhood Halloween lawn decorations. I've posted another photo before. I still get a kick of it. 

I've been disappointed in the Halloween movie selection this year. I'm sure I just missed some on other days. We watched a stupid devil movie this afternoon and gave up on a weird vampire movie over the weekend. I'm a fan of the classic 1930s horror films, though I also like the Hammer films. 

The Latest Domestic Drama

A few weeks ago, I noticed that one of the kitchen cabinet doors wasn't closing completely. I planned to get it checked out, but was busy with packing for our Alexandria getaway among other things. Last Thursday night, the cabinet started separating from the wall. This cabinet is part of a wall of cabinets over the counters, sink, and stove. I emptied the hanging cabinet as well as the double cabinet next to it. I also removed everything on top of the cabinets (vases, glass bottles, candles, etc.) I left the two small cabinets over the stove and the narrow cabinet next to the stove and microwave as is. I also moved the small bookcase with teas so the worker could have easy access.

Now I have glassware and foodstuffs all over the credenza and dining room table and bookcases in the living room/dining area. It makes me realize that we have too many things--especially wine glasses. So as part of this cleanup, I will wash and wrap up some glasses and take them to Goodwill. This also gives me a chance to reorganize the cabinets. This was something I was planning to do, but kept procrastinating about. 

Luckily the cabinets are covered by a lifetime warranty (as long as we own the condo) although we do have to pay for labor. 

It's always something.

Back to the Gym

It's been two-and-a-half weeks since I've been to the gym. That's a long break for me this year. First, my car was in the shop. Then the engine light came on in Jeff's car. We didn't want to drive it unless necessary. Then we were away for a few days, then my neck hurt, then I was lazy. Maybe the last two were reversed

It's so much harder to return to a good habit than to abandon it. Today I did bent over rows, chest presses, angled leg presses, and ab crunches, plus a half hour on the elliptical. It was hard, but I already felt improvement in my butt muscles as I walked up Maple Street tonight. I'll skip the gym tomorrow and go back on Thursday.

In other news, today is Jace's second month anniversary with us. We love him.

Rainy Days and Mondays

It's both today, so I thought of this song by the Carpenters, even if I don't agree with the theme ("nothing to do but frown".) 

Jace and I avoided rain for the most part; it was mostly just damp on our three walks. I don't mind walking in light rain. Jace seems to agree based on our rainy walks to date. We need the rain--we're still in drought conditions. I'd love if it just rained at night. 

As for Monday, I haven't done the "five day grind once more" (from Friday On My Mind by the Easybeats) for a long time. I've lost the feeling of dreading Monday. 

For four years I've been taking Monday morning writing classes through the Norwalk Library. We've gone from meeting in person to meeting via Zoom. Some of our topics were paintings, photographs, Norwalk's WPA Murals, and flash fiction. 

It can feel a little tense if I don't have a story or if I'm frantically finishing one on Monday morning, but the class is so good, it outweighs any anxiety. We look forward to Monday mornings now.

Onto to Tuesday.  

Norwalk Library Book Sale

Do I have a new addiction...to used books? Norwalk hadn't had a book sale in three years: I had to go. Here are my choices:

1.    Training Your Beagle by Kristine Kraeuter--a timely purchase

2.    American Brutus John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies by Michael W. Kauffman--another book about John Wilkes Booth--I wish I could discuss all this with my dad.

3.     The Sookie Stackhouse Novels True Blood Omnibus II by Charlaine Harris--this volume includes books Four through Six. I previously read one and two in the series. 

4,    My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem--I picked this one up immediately.

5.    Killers of the Flower Moon The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann--I've wanted to read this book for years.

6.     Edward Hopper--Edited by Maria Costantino--should I keep this or give it to my brother?

I think I need to stop going to book sales. I have 29 books here to read. 

Book 28: Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler

My friend lent me this book. She described it as fun and I liked that it was around 200 pages. I have never read an Anne Tyler novel (though I had heard good things about several of them.)  

I enjoyed the story of Kate Battista. Kate's life is in a rut. She works as a teacher's assistant at a preschool, and keeps house for her father and younger sister Bunny. 

Now her scientist father wants Kate to marry his lab assistant Pyotr, so Pyotr can remain in the country. What will Kate do? 

I enjoyed the vivid, quirky characters. I expected a happy ending, but was never sure what would happen.

The subtitle of the book is The Taming of the Shrew Retold. I'm not familiar with that play, but don't care for the idea of praising the most obedient wife. Here, Kate makes a speech about how hard it is to be a man that felt unnatural to me. 

Still, a fun book.

Alexandria: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

I've been to Washington D.C. several times with my family, plus once with the Safety Patrol in the sixth grade, and once with Jeff, but never made it to Alexandria before. 

I went to attend a baby shower for our niece Lindsay. Jeff and Jace accompanied me on the road trip.

The Good:

Old Town Alexandria is charming: cobblestone streets, old buildings (among modern ones) shops, and restaurants. Our hotel was a block off the main drag of King Street. I did a lot of window shopping while walking Jace. I loved an oval dining room table with curved legs, but that's not in the cards for us right now.

The shower was fun. I didn't know many people, but everyone was friendly. The setting at The Chart House on the water was beautiful. 

Jace was well-behaved, except for a visit to a bookstore when he was borderline rambunctious. He was great at an outdoor dinner Friday night, though I have to admit, no other dogs were there. He only barked once at a dog on our walks. Jeff says he was great during the "Ugly" experience below.

We stopped in Annapolis to visit my cousin Deb on the way home. It was nice to see her again.

The Bad:

We hit a lot of traffic on the Inner Loop to Alexandria. I know it's to be expected traveling around Washington on a weekday, but it was still frustrating. A bigger issue was that Jeff didn't feel well during our visit. Unfortunately, that happened on our last visit to his family as well.

The Ugly:

Jeff called during the shower to tell me that there had been a fire on our floor in the hotel. He and Jace were outside the building waiting for the all-clear from the fire department. Someone had started the fire while doing laundry. I don't understand how. 

I don't have the uber app, so the Chart House called a cab for me that never showed. I waited for almost a half hour, panicking as the minutes passed. Eventually, my sister-in-law called an uber for me that arrived promptly.

In the meantime, Jeff was assigned another room, but people were already there. As I arrived, he had been given a second room (without other people.) The manager escorted me with a luggage cart to our previous room, apologizing for the wet hallway carpet. I told him I would take the luggage upstairs myself. I started to pack up our stuff in an organized way, but soon abandoned that to just get settled upstairs. I didn't see Jeff's computer at first, so that was nerve-wracking, but all worked out. 

I was hoping for an easy ride back, but no luck there. When we got home, we had Thai food delivered and vegged. 

We need to take more time when we go on getaways. Otherwise, it's not worth the drive time and fatigue hangover. 

Home Again

Been home for about an hour-and-a-half after a long drive home from Old Town Alexandria, Virginia with an hour stop in Annapolis, Maryland to visit my cousin who I haven't seen in at least 12 years.

The ride was draining. We hit Annapolis Boat Show traffic, Delaware Memorial Bridge traffic, a few random jams on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, and then at the Tappan Zee/Mario Cuomo Bridge. So, I'm tired--too tired to blog about the highs and the lows. Last night I journaled about the evening, but I'm still processing things, and want to do more journaling tonight.

Glad to be home. 

Thursday Thoughts

To say this hasn't been a good week is true, but it's also an understatement. My Monday misery morphed into Tuesday troubles and then Wednesday woes. At least my Thursday thoughts are more optimistic. (Why yes, I do love alliteration.)

Tomorrow we're taking a road trip to Alexandria, Virginia. This will be our first getaway with Jace. I don't expect any problems in the car; he slept most of the time when we picked him up in New Jersey. We'll see how he does in the hotel.  

I'm going to a baby shower Saturday for our niece. Jeff will get a chance to visit at Friday dinner. On Sunday, we'll visit my cousin.

Should be fun.

Monday Misery

The Mets won 101 games this season, their second best season record (the best was 108 wins in 1986.) Second baseman (and sometimes outfielder) Jeff McNeil won the batting title--the second Mets player to do so. 

But, it's hard to be happy about those successes right now. Last weekend, the Mets lost the division by not securing one win in a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves. This past weekend, the Mets lost the Wild Card series to the San Diego Padres--a team that only won 89 games in the regular season. Somehow the Mets find another way to lose.

Today, I found out that my car will cost $3,400 to repair. The one thing I was worried about--a water leak--cost around $300. Things I didn't even know were wrong cover the rest of the money due. Oh well, at least the car should be in good shape for our road trip to Alexandria. But, it's hard to be happy about that either. 

Book 27: Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World by Alison Weir

This is the book I put on pause to read Book 26. Over the years, I've read several books on the Tudors; this is the first I've read focusing on Elizabeth of York. I did watch The White Princess miniseries based on Philippa Gregory's book of the same name. I don't trust Gregory as a historian. In the miniseries Elizabeth believed that the Pretender Perkin Warbeck really was her brother Richard, the Duke of York. It made for good TV--watching Elizabeth try to save her brother's life while worrying about what it would mean for her husband and children--but that theory has been disproven. 

 

Here, Weir is writing as a historian, and not as a author of historical fiction. Frankly, the book gets boring in parts--listing family members Elizabeth aided financially, alms given to individuals and institutions, fabrics she bought, etc. I skimmed through some of these details as well as some poems. There's a fair amount of speculation about important events in Elizabeth's life: when she learned about them and what she thought about them. Weir spends some time defending Henry VII from charges of stinginess.

Elizabeth's bloodline as daughter of King Edward IV gave her a stronger claim to the throne than her husband, yet her right to succeed was ignored. A generation later, both of her granddaughters Mary I and Elizabeth I ruled in their own right. 

How times change. 

Here Comes the Sun

and I say it's alright.

We've had six dreary, chilly, damp, sometime rainy days. I don't think I've seen or felt the sun during that time.

Finally, a break--sunny today with temps warming to the 70s. We have one more day of this before going back to normal--a nice interlude. 

Jace and I went on two long walks. He looked so happy as we walked around Oyster Shell Park. Tomorrow we're meeting friends at Taylor Farm dog park. Anyway, while I was enjoying the sun, I got thinking about sun songs.

Here Comes the Sun, I'll Follow the Sun, and Good Day Sunshine--all by the Beatles

Sunny--Bobby Hebb

Sunshine of Your Love--Cream

Good Day Starshine---Oliver (close enough)

Ain't No Sunshine--Bill Withers

Sunrise--Simply Red

Soak Up the Sun--Sheryl Crow

Sunny Side of the Street--Ted Lewis (?)

You are my Sunshine--Paul Rice (?)

House of the Rising Sun--Animals

Sunshine Superman--Donovan

Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me--Elton John

Walking on Sunshine--Katrina and the Waves

And the Sun Will Shine--Bee Gees

Sunshine on my Shoulder--John Denver

I had a little help with Google, but only listed songs that I know. 

Monday Musings

The week did not start off well because the weekend was a disappointment. We're on our fourth dreary, chilly day with rain. I spent most of the time inside. It could have been a good opportunity for me to get some things done. I didn't finish cleaning the kitchen. Partly because I did a few other things such as clean the bathroom and make chicken orzo soup. I also started my cleaning by going though everything on the small kitchen bookshelf. It primarily houses Jeff's tea collection. Bags of tea were starting to drop off the shelves. I couldn't stand it anymore. At least it's now in some kind of order. 

Jeff and I both had trouble sleeping on Saturday night. I don't feel that I've caught up on my sleep yet. At least I fixed the coffeemaker Sunday morning and had three cups of coffee with breakfast. (I drank tea on Saturday.)

I couldn't get myself to sit down and write my story for today's class, even though I had the first few lines since Monday afternoon. I wrote the first half last night and the rest this morning. Total word count is 357. It was shorter than I had planned, but I stopped at a point where I could. 

I also had some kind of Mets hangover today. If they had won one game in their series with the Atlanta Braves, it could have been enough to secure a division win. Instead the Braves swept them. Theoretically, the Mets still have a chance for the division, but the Mets would have to sweep the Nationals and the Marlins the Braves. Unlikely.

I've been taking care of some health issues. I made an appointment to get the latest Covid booster and a flu shot. Unfortunately, my bone density scan last week showed I'm at risk of broken bones. I made an appointment to discuss this with my doctor. 

Jeff and I are going on a road trip to Alexandria, Virginia in two weeks. The main reason for Alexandria is that our niece's baby shower is being held there. This will be our first trip with Jace. I'm a bit nervous about it. We'll have to see how it goes. 

Friday Miscellanea: Halloween, Housework, Ian, and the Mets

In recent walks with Jace, I've been checking out seasonal decorations and seen more general autumn than Halloween decor. You know pumpkins, scarecrows, artificial autumn leaves, gold and orange flowers (sorry, I don't know the names.) I've seen a handful of houses with specific Halloween decorations: one with inflatable figures. Surprisingly, the house up the street, that usually vomits inflatables on its lawn each year, is strangely bereft. So far, anyway. I'll see how long that lasts.

For the past few weeks, I've done minimum housework. The dishes and laundry have been completed, and the worst of the messes cleaned, but that leaves a lot to be desired. I've started...That's all I can say. Two days of rain, courtesy of Hurricane Ian, will keep me inside for a good part of the weekend. If not now, when?

The Mets are playing in their most important series of the regular season. As I write this, the Mets are down 1 to 3 in the 7th. Jacob deGrom gave up three homeruns; his ERA is now over 3. 

I don't feel so good. 

Lynne's Greatest Hits

 As I wrote in a recent post, I went to an author talk Saturday by Bette Bono. One thing Bette said that struck me was that she took stories she did for our class homework, but revised and improved them. It got me thinking that I wrote a few good stories in the classes I've been taking since 2018.

I've gone through ten folders of stories (from six to 10 depending on the length of the class.) I've picked 21 stories that are good enough to revisit, and I have six more folders to review. 

Now I'm not saying these 21 stories are all publishable gems, but they are good first drafts. I was encouraged to find so many to revise.

Happy Birthday Jeff!

It's a big birthday for Jeff, but for various reasons, we're not celebrating big. Maybe next year. 

I did make a double batch of vodka sauce for dinner tonight. I need to go out and get something chocolate for our dessert.  

Today is also Jace's one month anniversary with us. Time to celebrate.

Book 26: Neighbors & Other Stories by Bette Bono

Bonus: I went to Bette's author talk yesterday at the library.

After I finished my last book, I read some magazines and then picked up Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World. Then last Saturday, I bought Bette Bono's book, Neighbors and Other Stories at the latest flea market. I put Elizabeth aside to read Bette's book before her author talk. I wrote that it's not often I read a book by an author I know. Now I've read all three of Bette's books. 

It was especially fun to read this book, because many (if not all) of the stories were written for our writing class. Bette edited and polished the stories, but as I once told her--her rough drafts were equal of many of our finished products. 

Bette also shared that her next book is a second collection of short stories, and that she is working on another time travel novel about the progressive era.

This Thursday's Thoughts

Jace has been with us for four weeks. He's been sweet and loving, but disruptive. We've taken care of his medical problems. Now we have to deal with his socialization, separation anxiety, and barking. We just confirmed a meeting for friends to meet Jace this weekend.

I wish I had posted about the Mets on Monday, They clinched a postseason berth and Max Scherzer won his 200th game. They won again the next night, their sixth in a row. That would have been a good time. I thought the streak would keep going. Yesterday I didn't have the heart to write after the Mets were shut out by rthe Brewers. On to Oakland.

Fall started about an hour ago. Sometimes fall is described as "arriving." I just started thinking--arriving from where? I know it was in the Southern Hemisphere for a few months. but where after that? (Cue suspenseful music.)

There's a lot to do in the next few days.

Canine Health Report

I dropped Jace off at the vets this morning. He got his teeth cleaned, his leg x-rayed, and a few vaccinations. I'm glad he didn't need to have any teeth extracted, and there are no serious concerns about the strength discrepancy in his rear legs. He's looking good. He's been groggy the rest of the day, mostly sleeping. 

TMI Alert: We'll call tomorrow about the results of the fecal sample. If that's clear, he can go to the dog park. We were invited to walk with some friends today and visit others on Saturday. He's popular before he's even met people. 

Neighborhood Walks

It took two years before Lola got comfortable enough to walk around the block. Then for the last year-and--a-half or so she was unwilling to do it. So, we'd take her out for short pee breaks and go to a park/trail first for an hour and later a half hour was enough for her. 

I'm happy that Jace likes walking around the neighborhood. I enjoy meeting the dogs. I like checking out houses, plants and trees. Recently my focus has been on lawn ornaments. I've seen the Virgin Mary and Saint Francis (of course) bunnies, dogs, flowers, mushrooms, angels, gnomes, even gnomes on motorcycles. I never got the appeal of gnomes, but whatever. If we had a yard, we'd probably have a beagle and a buddha--sounds right to me. 

34 Years

Jeff and I have been married for 34 years. 

I don't know what I was doing at this time 34 years ago. Maybe I was at the hair salon. My stylist Arthur was late, but another stylist did my hair and did a great job. So all was well. This little snag was overshadowed by the limo from hell.

We don't have elaborate plans this year. We planned to go out to dinner, but Jace suffers from separation anxiety and barks. So we're going to get takeout and eat at home until we work through his issues. It's not glamorous, but we don't need glamour. The important thing is that we're together.

A Wednesday in a Life

I don't remember the last time I did a post like this.

Here goes:

A tough morning with Jace started with him barking around 4:30 or so. I managed just a few more minutes of sleep before walking Jace at 7:15.

I had already decided that it would be a day for home chores starting with making flank steak black bean chili.

Before I started on the chili. I cut up peaches. They had ripened the day before and some had spots. We had peaches with breakfast. I worked on the chili and cleaning up after myself from about 9 to 11, finally showering then. I took Jace on another walk, sorted the laundry, and ran a few errands.

After a late lunch I doctored the chili, did dishes, and exercised. I took another walk with Jace and made an arugula, pear, and dried berry salad. When I cut the peaches in the morning, I saw that the pears and one avocado were also ripe and planned to use them the same day. I'm still a work in progress, but I am getting better at reducing food waste. 

We had the chili with fresh avocado and the salad for dinner and watched the Mets lose again. Sigh. I tried to come up with a story idea for my homework with no luck. I took Jace out for a quick pee break, and went to bed. Not exactly a red letter day.

Topics for this Tuesday

1.  Time Tracking 

I tracked my time (in 15 minute increments) last week and have continued this week as well. I already know I am walking more because of Jace--about an hour each day. 

2.  Writing Class

The fall session started Monday, Phiction Writing with stories based on photographs. We've done this exercise many times before but not as a focus of the session. The core of the class has been together for at least three years. We have one new person in this session and lost a few from the summer. 

3.  Jace

He's a challenge. He's a love. He's a work in progress. I guess Jeff and I are a work in progress to him.  

4. Farmers' Markets

I've picked up a few prepared items last week in New Canaan: macaroni and cheese, mushroom quiche, cous cous salad, and curry white bean humus. I have to go this week for sushi bakes and pasta. I like trying new things and having more dinner options.

Second Abandoned Book of 2022: Strange But True Mysterious and Bizarre People by Thomas Slemen

No guilt this time: I'm not talking about War and Peace. 

This is a book I picked up from a filled bookshelf labelled free when I was walking Jace around the neighborhood. I hesitated to take it but thought it might be fun. 

The book consists of short entries (three to ten pages) of various persons including Richard III, John Wilkes Booth, Edgar Allan Poe, Robin Hood, vampires, and doppelgangers. It was convenient to have short things to read before going to sleep, but I just didn't think this book was worth my reading time. 

Books and More Books

In 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, I made a list of books in the house; I had 19. At that time, the library was closed and I didn't know how long that would last. 

I decided to make a new list of books I currently have to read.

Unread books from the 2020 pandemic list

Unveiling the Edge of Time Black Holes, White Holes, Wormholes by John Gribbin

Cosmic Coincidences Dark Matter, Mankind, and Anthropic Cosmology by John Gribbin and Martin Rees

The Elegant Universe super strings, hidden dimensions and the quest for the ultimate theory by Brian Greene

The Sagas of Icelanders with a preface by Jane Smiley

Unread Free Books from a house on Magnolia Street

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd 

Strange But True Mysterious and Bizarre People by Thomas Slemen: partially read

Unread books from the July Pequot Library sale. 

Social Crimes by Jane Stanton Hitchcock

She Walks These Hills by Sharyn McCrumb

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

The Alienist by Caleb Carr

Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World by Alison Weir

Unread Books from the May Pequot Library sale

The Fire by Katherine Neville

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Unread books from Westport and Wilton Library Sales 

All This and Heaven Too by Rachel Field

The Last Czar The Life and Death of Nicolas II by Edward Radzinsky

South The Story of Shacketon's Last Expedition 1914-1917 by Sir Ernest Shackleton Edited by Peter King

A Treasury of Railroad Folklore the Stories, Tall Tales, Traditions, Ballads and Songs of the American Railroad Man Edited by B.A. Botkin and Alvin F. Harlow: I doubt I will ever fully read this book, but I couldn't resist this. 

Unread Book from 2021 Wilton Library Book Sale

Katherine of Aragon The True Queen by Alison Weir

Unread Free Books from Norwalk Public Library 

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones   

Formerly abandoned but not forgotten

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

That's a total of 23 books. They will keep me busy.

Two Weeks with Jace

Thursday marked two weeks since Jace came to live with us. It's been fun but challenging. We've settled into a routine. We usually get up between 6:30 and 7. I wash up, brush my teeth, and dress. He waits patiently. We do a long morning walk--about 45-50 minutes. I like to try new routes around the neighborhood. Today we went to Oyster Shell Park. 

When we return, I give Jace breakfast. Then he usually veges on the couch. We've been going out for two or three walks each day and a few pee breaks. He always wants to walk. He is mostly friendly with all the other dogs. Mimi who lives on the third floor is an issue. She won't stop barking when we meet and Jace does the same. Last night I took him out for his last break a little earlier to avoid running into her at 10. 

Jace has met Dylan and Jack twice. The first time Dylan leaned down from the wall (and invisible fence boundary) and Jace put his front paws on the wall to get closer. It was so cute. Thursday we saw them again. Jack looked vicious, baring his teeth. He always barked at Lola but never looked so mean. Dylan is a sweetheart. Just by walking down Highwood Avenue, we ignited a chorus of barking of the street's dogs. 

On Thursday at Oyster Shell, I saw an egret, swans and a hawk. I followed the hawk around to get some picture. Unfortunately, this was the best I could get. 

Looking forward to exploring new places with Jace. 

A Dialogue

My writing class has been on hiatus: our last summer class was August 15. We start next Monday for a 10-session class called Phiction Writing--fiction inspired by photographs.

I told myself that I would continue to write during the break. Then I didn't. I wrote in my journal five times and wrote 12 blogposts (this will be 13) but not what I intended.

Last night I was sitting here watching the Mets lose (boo) I suddenly imagined/heard a conversation between two men and wrote it down. It's 263 words of dialogue between a musician and a reporter. 

Is it a short short story? I don't know.

Is it part of something longer? I don't know.

I'm just glad I wrote something. 

Monday Musings: Disappointments

A few things have changed since my last post--and not for the better. 

Jace was diagnosed with and treated for whipworms. Additional treatment may be required. We might have to hold off on some vaccinations which means we can't start obedience/training classes. I'll have to check what we can do on our own.

Unfortunately, we also learned that Jace is is not a good restaurant dog if other dogs are present. On Wednesday afternoon after we saw the vet, we went to Sedona Taphouse for a drink and sliders, and Jace was good. The key point is that we were the only people there.

On Friday, we stopped at Space Cat Brewing after attempting to refill our growlers at East Coast Kombucha. East Coast was closed. Then Jace barked so much in the taproom, we left before putting in our order.  

Our lunch at Sedona Taphouse the next day with my brother and his girlfriend didn't go well either. I took Jace to meet the other dogs thinking that would stop him barking. It didn't. Now I've become the asshole with the dog was doesn't obey. Sigh.

Then there are the Mets. The Dodgers series feels like it was weeks ago. The Mets did beat the Washington Nationals Friday night 7-3, but lost the next two games, 7-1. Losing a series now to the Nationals. It's scary disappointing. The Braves are now only one game behind the Mets. The Braves are scary good.

I'm scared. 

More Thoughts for a Thursday

I have many things I want to write about even though I am tired. I felt the same way last night and kept dozing off as I tried to finish my post. I wanted to write more about the Mets game but couldn't find the performer's name on the Mets website. Later I literally fell asleep with my fingers on the keyboard. 

Today was my first productive day of the week. I did five loads of  laundry, went to the gym, took Jace's fecal sample to the vet, and walked Jace three times. My dinner was kind of half-assed, but you can't do everything.

Jace surprised me today. First, he slept until 7:55. Then, instead of a quick walk early in the  morning, he opted to go around the block. 

I usually get up between 6:30 and 7:00. Jace has been waking up between 6 and 6:30. I've been tired all week thinking that getting up a little earlier was the problem. I said I should go to bed earlier. But I felt pretty good today. We'll see what happens.

Jace has been with us for one week. It's been fun, but he's annoying at times. (I can just hear Jeff saying, "Not Jace!") I need to research dog training; the vet had a recommendation.

The Mets beat the Dodgers today 5-3; the Mets won the season series 4-3. That's something to celebrate. 

I was disappointed with Tuesday's loss (4-3) especially because Max Scherzer missed an opportunity to get his 200th win. I cursed at Francisco Lindor for his ill-advised steal early in the game. 

Wednesday's game was awesome: deGrom's performance, a homerun robbing catch by Brandon Nimmo, and a live performance by Timmy Trumpet heralding Edwin Diaz. It was fun; it was electric. I said to Jeff, "He better not blow the save." As a Mets fan, I wasn't alone (read down.)

Tonight Chris Bassitt prevailed, the Mets won 5-3.

LGM! 

I need to write these posts earlier in the day.

What's on my Mind

1.    Jace

We took him to the vets today, and are going to follow up on a few things. We're getting to know each other. Tomorrow will be a week with him.

2.    Mercury

A few years ago, I learned from Jeopardy that the dark orange Mercurochrome antiseptic that Mom used to dab on my cuts and scraps was toxic. Then I did some research on hat manufacturing for my WPA inspired writing class and learned about mercury poisoning. Mercury is in Cinnabar which Jeff collects. Then I read a book in which Mercury poisoning was a key element of the mystery. I re-read/skimmed it after finishing Mercury Boys--so what is about Mercury? The name Quicksilver sounds good, though.

3.    The Mets

The Mets beat the Dodgers tonight 2-1, evening the series. Jacob deGrom is now 4-1 and Edwin Diaz notched his 29th save of the season. Tomorrow's game will be big.

4.     Meal Planning

I do this to some extent. I resist against planning a full week.  I hate throwing out food. So I'm full of contradictions. Should I try more serious meal planning?

Book 25: Mercury Boys by Chandra Prasad

I was exhausted yesterday (not sure why) and had a slight come-and-go headache. I decided it was a great time to finish the last 60ish pages of my book.

The author Chandra Prasadwas was a presenter at the Crime CONN at Ferguson Library in June, and I liked her. I bought this book then--and got an autographed inscription.

About a third of the way through the book, I thought that I wanted to like this book more than I did. It took a while to get going. Truthfully, I might not have minded so much if the key plot points weren't listed on the inside of the dust jacket. It's like a movie trailer spoiling the main points of the movie.

Around that point, I read the line, "their eyes met," and I could only think of Bette from my writing class. In one of her stories, she wrote something about romance characters--their eyes couldn't just meet, they had to lock. After finishing the book, I thought the word choice was deliberate and smart. 

About half-way through, the book, I really got into the story. I didn't pay as much attention to the mean girl/toxic friendship subplot because I was focused on the sci fi plot. 

Thanks--Jace Edition

The Frugal Girl blog has a weekly Thankful Thursday post. Today is Friday, but I am still thankful--mostly about Jace. 

1. That we were approved to adopt Jace.

2. That Jace is adjusting well to life with us.

3. That we have a beagle living with us again.

It's been a busy few days getting things together for Jace. Tuesday I picked up some food, treats, squeaky balls, and a placemat and pulled bowls and things from the closet. Yesterday we picked up Jace. Today I got more food and a name tag. Jeff made an appointment with the vet. 

I feel lighter. 

Introducing Jace

We completed the paperwork, made the payment, and brought Jace home with us today. He was friendly and seemingly happy to come. 

He walked and sniffed around (indoors and outdoors) jumped up on furniture (we encouraged this) and he fit/melded/eased/blended into our family. (I'm still not sure of the right word--it was seamless--but it's only been about 10 hours.)

He certainly seems relaxed.

I'm afraid to say this, to post this, but Jace is the perfect dog for us. 

Big News!

Jeff and I have been approved to adopt Jace! 

Truthfully, I was leaning to a girl dog, but when I first saw Jace's picture online, I sent it to Jeff saying, "This could be the one," and texted my brother, "I think I'm in love." 

We had a talk with Jace's foster mother this morning, and there are no red flags. Okay, he barks at dogs he doesn't like. That reminds me of Spike and the "evil white dog." Lucky the Yorkie across the street didn't like the white dog either. That's why we called him "evil."

We're waiting to hear back about a "meet and greet" with Jace. We can go as early as Thursday, and take him home with us on the same day. We're not sure of any additional paperwork needed and the exact cost (Jace might qualify for the senior discount.)

We're excited; we miss having a dog around. I wonder if we should have gone away again before Jace joins us.  At least we got a few days in Delaware. We can take Jace with us on our next trip. 

We're going to get a beagle!

The Shoe Didn't Drop

Starting on August 4th, the Mets won 4 of 5 against the Atlanta Braves. After sweeping the Reds in three, the Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1.So far, so good.

Then things got tense. The Braves beat the Mets three out of four in Atlanta. In the first two games, the Mets lost their starting pitchers to injury in the early innings. Max Scherzer prevailed in game three, and we expected Jacob deGrom to do the same in the fourth game. A spilt would have been a success under the circumstances. But the Mets lost deGrom's game 2-3. As a Mets fan, you may think that everything bad is going to happen to the team.

I was worried heading into Philadelphia.  Entering the fourth game today, the Mets were up 2-1. Today was the debut of two Mets pitchers. The first gave up four runs in first inning. The Mets came back, then the Phillies hit another three-run homer. Mark Canha to the rescue. His first home run tied the game in the the seventh, and his second was the go ahead run in the top of the ninth. Nimmo provided a needed insurance run: the Mets won 10-9.

The Mets record is now .642, second best in the majors. They're heading into a two games series against the Yankees. Apparently they have a relatively easy September schedule. I hope they can take advantage of that and rest a few players (even those who don't want to be rested.)

LGM!

What's for Dinner?

I've been reading The Frugal Girl blog for awhile. One weekly feature is WIS/WWA (What I Spent, What We Ate.) I spend a lot for two people: we live in an expensive area and buy some organic. I don't want to write about that. 

Instead, here's what we ate this week 

Monday: Mama Hu's Spicy Salmon Sushi Bake; salad with romaine and carrots

Tuesday:  Asparagus/Smoked Mozzarella Bongo Capacci ravioli with ramp pesto and cherry tomatoes, roasted asparagus with Parmesan 

Wednesday: Chicken Milanese with Romesco sauce, sauteed kale with garlic 

Thursday: Turkey fajitas

Friday: Pan-roasted salmon with red pepper and spinach and coconut milk; roasted carrots/beets

Saturday: Baked clams casino; salad with romaine, carrot, Brussel sprout, tomatoes. (We went out to lunch with my brother and his girlfriend, so a lighter dinner.)

Since I'm retired and have no kids, cooking is easier for me than many. 

I recently stocked up on some entree items, so that helps. Every week, we usually have salmon, chicken, and pasta. Now I have Sushi Bakes and crab cakes in the freezer (among other things) for the next few weeks. I think we'll do crab cakes on Monday and a sushi bake the following week. 

What about tomorrow? We've already decided to have my leftover Devil's Pass Pasta from Sedona Taphouse. as a course. I have plenty of time to figure out the rest. 

Hanging on to Summer

I heard that some kids are back in school already. It's nothing personal, but it really bothers me. It's the middle of August, too soon for school. 

A weather report graphic on TV at the gym reads, "Summer Weather," but that's not unusual. Hell, it's still summer for another month. Don't tell the schools, retailers, and meteorologists. 

Fall is my favorite season. That doesn't mean that I don't cherish the end of the summer. I'm not rushing into the fall. 

We have another month. Let's do something fun!

Book 24: The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas

I picked up this book while browsing at the library last week. 

Four women invent a time machine in the 1960's. When one of them Barbara suffers some kind of breakdown in front of the press, she is sent to a psychiatric hospital and exiled from the team and the successful time travel business that develops. 

The book jumps back and forth from character to character and time to time. It gets confusing especially because some minor characters are given their own chapters and relate only tangentially to the main characters. It's hard to keep them all straight.

Ultimately, I didn't really like any of the characters. Most of the time-travelers become jaded and lose empathy for non-time travelers. Hazing rituals designed to harden new recruits to protect against breakdowns such as Barbara's are needlessly cruel. 

A few minor thoughts.

Multiple versions of time travelers can exist together, so we have the silly image of 55 Angharads dancing a ballet at a wedding.  

All of the main characters are women with a few men as love interests or husbands. I didn't even notice this until I read a review that mentioned it. 

A nitpick. Some of the dialogues didn't have paragraph breaks between the speakers. It was confusing to determine just who was speaking, and took me out of the story.

Overall, I'm glad I read the book but wouldn't recommend it. 

Topics for a Tuesday

Today was my day to care for the birds at New Canaan Nature Center. All went smoothly despite the recent escape of an Argentine tegu (I don't know if the NCNC one is black and white--I don't know much about lizards.) 

I recently took pictures of two of the three owls; I still need a photo of Jasper, but he likes to stay in his house.

Here's Gus, a Northern Saw-whet owl. He's been at NCNC for two years. The organization that  rescued him determined he was non-releasable after a brain injury from an auto collision.  

This is Hedwig, a barred owl. Her right wing is partially amputated, and she's been at NCNC since 2001.

 

I left NCNC, went grocery shopping, and had lunch. Then I kept dozing off; I ended up sleeping for about two hours this afternoon. I didn't realize I was that tired. Later I managed some housework, but I wish I had exercised. 

My summer writing class ended on Monday. As I predicted, we had some wonderful true crime stories.

We start up again in four weeks. I want to prove to myself that I can do some serious writing of my own during the hiatus. 

I had a new anxiety dream last night. This time I was doing laundry at my sister's place. Then I couldn't find a load of laundry to put into the dryer. A friend of my sister's had arrived to go to lunch, and I delayed them when I looked for my laundry. The friend eventually left. It was unusually low tech for one of my anxiety dreams--almost charming (not really.)

I had planned to go to lunch with a friend tomorrow, but we rescheduled to next week. That gives me more time to get to the gym, do the laundry, and maybe write. (I should never say "maybe write and expect to be a real writer.) Okay, go the gym, do the laundry, and write. That's better. 

Book 23: Dreamland by Kevin Baker

I remember reading a review of this 1999 book in The New York Times, thinking that it sounded good, and that I would like to read it. What can I say? Better late than never. Last spring I had to write a story about Coney Island, and our instructor Kim mentioned the book. It was also last year when I read Paradise Alley, and learned it was the second book of Baker's The City of Fire Trilogy. Dreamland was the first. 

Dreamland, named for a great Coney Island amusement park, is a jam-packed story of factory workers, gangsters, labor organizers, prostitutes, carnival folk, and politicians in New York City at the turn of the 20th Century. 

I was fascinated with Esther "Esse" Abramowitz a sewing machine operator and union organizer. Her story includes her rebellion against her strict rabbi father, her role in the Uprising of the 20,000 in 1909, and her romance with a gangster in hiding from her gangster brother.

Baker skillfully weaves historical figures including Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung (the least interesting characters in the book) union organizer Clara Lemlich (I learned about her in Triangle) and Big Tim "Dry Dollar" Sullivan with his own characters.

Some reviewers compared Dreamland to Ragtime which I read in May. I thought Dreamland was much better. 

On My Writing

I finished the first draft of my last summer writing class assignment today. I liked the story. Let me be specific. I liked that the narrator was a reporter. I liked the opening scene--more like the end of a movie scene--and I liked the description of the booth in an aging restaurant. 

I've had at least three true-crime assignments in writing classes. I like them. It's not because I'm morbid, but the stories generated from these prompts seem extra entertaining.

My writing has been described as pithy and tight. For this assignment, I was worried that the two-page maximum would be difficult. The lack of gossip and speculation led me to write a short story. Yes I could have made up anything I wanted, but I found that, this time, I didn't want to do that. 

It's a mystery. 

Midweek Miscellanea

The heat wave is over. Temperatures remained in the 80s today. And looking at the 10 day forecast, nothing is coming up in the 90s. Yay.

I went out for an afternoon walk today. It was nice when I was in the shade and a cool breeze was blowing. It was a bit uncomfortable in the direct sunlight with no breeze. 

It was nothing like Sunday. I went with a few friends to the Sono Arts Festival. Originally they suggested walking from one of their houses, thinking there would be no parking available. On my way to the house, I saw plenty of parking, so I drove us. It was well worth the parking fee. Just walking the few blocks of the festival in the heat was exhausting. 

The Mets had an afternoon game today against the Reds: the Mets won 10-2 for their sixth straight win. Now they're headed into a tough part of their schedule against the streaking Phillies, the second place Braves (seven games behind the Mets) and the faltering, but still dangerous Yankees. LGM.

We have one week left in our summer writing class. Our homework assignment is to write a first person story based on a true crime. Our instructor Kim selected a case for us: a man who died of a heart attack in his backyard while burying his girlfriend he had strangled. We each select the point of view narrator. 

I had an idea for a narrator even before Kim finished discussing the assignment and quickly wrote the opening scene. It will be challenging to tell the story in just two pages, though I've done pretty well with shorter stories lately. I've written a little over a page and don't know what will happen. The story will have to tell me.

I Believe

This weekend the Mets hosted its most important series of the 2022 season--a five game series with its closest rival in the National League East--the Atlanta Braves.  

In the opener, the Mets prevailed 6-4 based in part on homeruns by new additions Tyler Naquin (two) and Daniel Vogelbach. Carlos Carrasco notched his 12th win.

Friday wasn't so good. Mets starter Taijuan Walker seemed distracted by catching a cleat in the dirt and gave up eight runs in the first two innings. The Mets fought back, but it wasn't enough. They lost 9-6. Okay, I got a little nervous. Taijuan Walker was brilliant in the first half of the 2021 season, but then fell apart. Was that history going to repeat itself?

Saturday's double header was a sweep of the Braves. In Game One, David Peterson led the Mets to an 8-5 win. Max Scherzer was masterful in the nightcap, winning 6-2. 

That brings us to today--the return of Jacob deGrom to Citi Field. Jake pitched 5 2/3 perfect innings before giving up a walk to Ehire Adrianza, followed by a two-run homer to Dansby Swanson. The Mets won 5-2.

In the games that the Mets won, there were moments when the Braves threatened, and it got a bit scary at times. But the Mets won 4 of the 5 games. 

At the end of the day, the Mets hold a 6.5 lead over the Braves in the NL East winning 8 of their last 10 games. 

LGM!

Stocking Up

I mentioned recently that I sometimes stress about what to make for dinner. This has been a recent stressor, and I don't understand why I feel this way. Recent heat waves have made the dinner decision even harder--who wants to turn on the oven? Even using the stovetop heats up the kitchen.

I've been taking advantage of several farmers markets and loving fresh corn, tomatoes, and fruits. I've also bought some other food: Bongo & Capacci ravioli and cavatelli and Mama Hu's sushi bakes--I bought four today. (I won't mention the things I tried that we didn't like.) 

Last week I stocked up on our favorite crab cakes, buying 15 at Bon Ton Fish Market. I also picked up chicken, ground turkey, and ground buffalo at ShopRite. I even got some frozen mandarin orange chicken from Trader Joe's. Jeff's on a low-sodium diet so I can't buy most frozen entrees, but this chicken is fairly low in sodium. It's nice to have an easy option if I'm tired or busy or if it's too hot. 

I like having options. 

The Word of the Day is Frustration

I started to list all of my frustrations of the day. But I have already discussed these with Jeff and decided that they weren't enough to upset me, even though they did. 

Maybe I need to meditate. 

I need to learn how to let things go. Swat them aside like annoying gnats. (As soon as I write this, I think I hate gnats---not the best response.) It's just a metaphor. 

Even if I ignore the earlier frustrations of the day, the Mets are behind the Nationals 5-1 on the night of Jacob deGrom's return to the mound after more than a year. 

Breathe.

Book 22: The Puzzled Heart by Amanda Cross

I swept through this book. I haven't read a mystery in a while, and it was fun to try to make sense of what was going on and what would happen next. I especially liked that a dog--a St. Bernard puppy--was an important part of the plot. 

Maybe I don't know all of Kate's literary references--for example, I never read Auden--but I can appreciate the way she thinks.

I searched online and found there were two books in the Kate Fansler series after this one. I'll check if they're in the library when I go on Thursday to research railroads in Connecticut. That sounds like a plan.

Another Item to Check Off the Summer Fun List

Today Jeff and I went down to Ripka's Beach Cafe at Calf Pasture Beach. We had warm lobster rolls and beers. We sat at the railing and looked out at the water. Later I went for a walk and was tempted to join the kids on the Splash Pad. The cooling breeze had seemed to disappear.

Eating lobster rolls on the water was the number 4 item on my summer fun list. We've already taken one getaway, and I've gone to another art show. I haven't been to Merwinsville and thought about going tomorrow. Today I read that the hotel is also open Sundays in August, so I have more time to do that with a change of date.

I'm happy with my progress so far. 

Book 21: Manhunt The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

I was glad to see this book at a May book sale (either Wilton or Westport) especially because I had read this book last November.

I feel as if I'm becoming a bit of an expert on the Booths based on recent books I've read. I resent Swanson's exaggeration of John Wilkes Booth's acting ability and fame. Edwin was the star of that generation. 

But that's a small quibble in a strong, well-researched book. There are several threads involving individuals who have their own fascinating stories:  

Dr. Samuel Mudd--part of Booth's plan to kidnap, not assassinate the President;

Laura Keene--the actress and former lover of Edwin Booth who starred in and re-wrote parts of the play Our American Cousin--and cradled Lincoln's head in her lap after he was shot; 

Thomas A. Jones--a Confederate agent and river boatmen who helped hide Booth and his accomplice David Herold and then cross the Potomac River into Virginia.

This is another book I would have loved to discuss with my father. 

This Week

It's been a good week for me. My story went over well in Monday's class, I helped out with the NCNC birds twice, I went to the gym four times. I went for a walk with a friend and discussed art, writing, and other things and went out to lunch with two other friends.

I've done the errands/chores I needed to do. 

Another good thing this week: the Mets are on a three-game winning streak; including a two-game sweep of the Yankees. That was awesome. I have to admit feeling uneasy in the first game when Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo hit back-to-back homers in the first inning. But by the end of the first, the Mets were up 4-2. The final score was 6-3.

There were scary moments in Wednesday night's game despite a great performance by Max Scherzer. Again the Mets prevailed, this time by 3-2 on a walk-off single by Starling Marte. Let's Go Mets!

Pequot Library Book Sale

Sunday morning, my friend Cynthia and I went to the summer book sale at Pequot Library--two tents of books, CDs, DVDs, and albums. I bought seven books and one DVD for $8.00.

I wasn't planning to even look at the DVDs but saw Nancy Drew...Reporter--my second favorite of the four film series. No other DVDs interested me. 

These are the books.

1. Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir: I have this already in paperback and bought the hardcover to replace it. 

2. Social Crimes by Jane Stanton Hitchcock: I recognized Hitchcock's name. I loved her book The Witches' Hammer; so I bought this one. 

3. She Walks These Hills by Sharyn McCrumb: I read another book by McCrumb: If Ever I Return, Pretty Peggy-O and liked it. I also admired McCrumb for her article, "Of Time and the Writer."

4. Puzzled Heart by Amanda Cross: I thought I had read all of the Kate Fansler mysteries, but I don't remember this story. I just read the first few pages. They aren't familiar, but funny enough that I think I would remember them. 

5. Mystic River by Dennis Lehane: Last year I read a collection (ha) of Lehane's stories and liked them. I had picked up another Lehane book, but exchanged it for this.

6. In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez: I had added this book to my TBR (to be read) list based on a recommendation from someone at Modern Mrs. Darcy.

7. The Alienist by Caleb Carr: I've heard good things about this book and the TV series. 

I looked for The Eight by Katherine Neville. I had read it years ago and liked it (but don't remember anything else.) At another Pequot Book Sale I bought The Fire, without realizing it was a sequel to The Eight. I saw several copies of The Eight at the earlier sale. 

I have about 15 books in house to read. I'm not hoarding books in fear of a new pandemic; I just wanted to make a rough count. In the early days of the pandemic, I counted 19 books (without Kindle and rereading.)

I'm rich in books.