April 22 – Gratitude Challenge

 

 

I am joining Kwizgiver in this. That's even her graphic I stole! In her words, "This isn't about perfection or keeping a streak. It’s just about noticing." I need to focus and, in using shrink's word, "unhook." 

 

The Prompt: Share a book you are currently grateful for.

 

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware. I read this book last summer, but I'm grateful for it now because I just dropped it in the mail to my aunt. This thriller, which is about a stalker who is picking off the contestants on a reality show, is right up her alley. It makes me happy to think of my auntie being carried away by the plot.

 

 

Thursday Thirteen #460

 Emergency! As winter gives way to spring and summer, weather around here can be very changeable. Storms can come up quickly and knock out power. I've lived here all my life and should be ready for this, but now that I think of it, I'm not sure I am. Here's how experts recommend we prepare in case power is knocked out for hours or maybe days.

1. Food that requires no preparation. I've got canned tuna and ham, dry cereal and protein bars. I might not be happy, but I'd be OK.

2. Bottled water. Well, I've got a pitcher of water in the fridge and a couple bottles. I know I should have more.

 

3. Pet care. Oh, they're in better shape than I am! I have plenty of food and litter for the cats. I gotta stock up on the water, though, for them as well as me.

 

4. Prescription meds. I'm good here, too.

 

5. Flashlights and batteries. Yeah, I need to attend to these. I know where my flashlights are – one is in the bedroom closet, the other in the kitchen – but I'm I should switch out the batteries. (C? D? Gotta check.)

 

6. Transistor radio. Oh, I'm very good here! My shower radio is always operational. I can't shampoo without my tunes.

 

7. Be sure your electronics are charged. Phone and laptop. I've got a small portable power station for this. Better make sure that's charged, too. I got it less for my electronics than to run a fan. I hate, loathe, despise and abominate extreme heat and would really suffer without a fan if I can't run the ac.

 

8. Sanitation. As a storm approaches, fill a couple buckets with water. I always forget to do this, but it's important. Why? If the storm interferes with your plumbing, you can pour water in the toilet to trigger an automatic flush. Similarly, you might need a bucket of water to wash dishes. 

 

9. Paper goods. Have you got enough paper towels and toilet paper? I do.

 

10. Garbage bags. You may need all sizes for after-storm clean up efforts.

 

11. Ice and ice chests. If the power is out for more than a few hours, you'll need to do what you can to save your refrigerated food from spoiling. I have the ice chests, ice and some ice packs ready for this.

 

12. Decide where you'll go in case of a storm/tornado. A basement is best but, if like me you don't have one, choose an interior room with no windows. For me, that's the bathroom.

 

13. Store your stuff. Make sure your car is in the garage, not the driveway. Don't leave lawn chairs on the deck.You saw The Wizard of Oz. You know what can happen. If your basement frequently floods, make sure nothing of value sits directly on the floor.

How about you? Are you ready for a sudden summer storm?

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Agatha Raisin and The Love from Hell by M. C. Beaton. Agatha is finally married to her long-time love! That's good news, or is it? Middle-aged Agatha and James are both set in their ways and unaccustomed to compromise. Tensions escalate and they have a huge fight. Unfortunately it was at the local pub in plain sight of their gossipy neighbors. Instead of going home together, Agatha goes back to her own cottage to sulk. The next day, when no one can find James but there is a conspicuous blood stain at his cottage, the local constabulary wants to talk to Agatha. 

 

This is book #11 in the series, so I know these characters well. Of course Agatha is innocent of wrong doing. Of course she's going to find out what happened to James and why. She's Aggie! (I even know she hates it when you call her "Aggie.")

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? Suitable for Framing by Edna Buchanan. Britt Montero is an award-winning reporter on the crime beat in Miami. She loves her job and she's good at it, having spent years nurturing an intricate web of contacts. All of a sudden, she's missing leads. Sources she depended on are not only coming through for her, they're pissed at her. What the hell? Meanwhile, the pretty young researcher Britt helped move from the paper's research department to the newsroom is becoming a star. All their coworkers seem to be enjoying the catfight.

 

The plot of this book is not especially imaginative. It reminded me of the classic 1950 film All About Eve. But in a way, knowing what was happening a little before Britt increased the tension. There was an awful, pervasive sense of inevitability throughout the story. Buchanan is a talented writer.

3. What will you read next?  I don't know

 

  

Sunday Stealing

More Questions from Steph

1) Are you the sort of person who can nap or sleep anywhere, any time? I suppose. I have an easier time falling asleep now than I ever have in my life. I think I'm finally (after three years) getting the hang of of retirement.

 

2) Have you ever walked in your sleep? I was quite the sleepwalker when I was a little girl. I was good at unlocking doors while sound asleep. My mom was completely freaked out about this and dragged me to the family doctor, a man she trusted implicitly. He didn't recommend counseling or a change in diet. He prescribed phenobarbital. Yes, a barbiturate for a seven year old! I don't blame my mom – she was doing the best she could with the information she had. But there I was, a second grader, on my way to The Valley of the Dolls.

 

3) Do you chat with your Uber/Lyft/taxi driver? Yes. I find it awkward to ride in silence.

4) Do you remember what you did on Valentine's Day? Not specifically. But I know it wasn't romantic.

 

5) How many laptops have you owned over your lifetime? 5 or 6 (<< estimate).

 

6) How many countries have you visited? 5 (Canada, France, Lichtenstein, Germany, Switzerland)

 

7) Did you/will you go to work today? Nope. I only work on Thursdays and sometimes Mondays.

 

 

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Drive My Car (1965)

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

 

1) Who would you allow, without hesitation, to drive your car? I don't have a car, but if I did, I think I'd be very careful about who drives it. I'm not a driver, but I imagine it's hard to get behind the wheel of someone else's car and get the seat right and the mirrors right and get familiar with all the thingamabobs on the dashboard. 

 

2) When you're riding in the backseat, do you use your seatbelt? Usually.

 

3) In this song, a young girl tells her boyfriend she wants to be a movie star. What were your aspirations when you were in your late teens/early 20's? Did you realize them? I wanted to be self-sufficient. I wanted to be a writer (although at the time I wasn't thinking of advertising). So yes, I realized them.

 
4) The song was reportedly inspired in part by the relationship between popular British singer Cilla Black and her future husband. Cilla wanted him on the record label's payroll, so he became her road manager and driver. Have you ever worked for, or with, someone with whom you were romantically involved? Yes. I used to always advise against it because my experiences weren't great. But I compare my romantic history to that of my oldest friend. She met her husband in a martial arts class, and they divorced. She met her long-time boyfriend through their sons, who were classmates, and they eventually broke up. She got involved with her most recent lover after they met on a dating app. Let's just say there have been tears. So I don't think it matters how you meet your partner. All relationships all fraught with risk.

 

5) Although this Beatles song is credited to Lennon-McCartney, it was written mostly by Paul. He recalls showing up at John Lennon's house with the tune ready to go, and lyrics they both agreed were "crap." John gave Paul the car theme, and he took it from there. When has someone recently helped you out of a jam? At the card shop, my manager helped me find something under the register. It seems every time I go in, someone has rearranged the supplies down there and I often find myself staring at but not really seeing what I'm looking for.

 

6) Paul also handles the lead vocals. When you hear a Beatles record, can you tell which band member is singing lead? Of course.

7) When it was first released, this record got a lot of attention for the intricate guitar work by Paul and George Harrison. It's got a lot of percussion on it, too, including cowbell and tambourine. Have you ever played either cowbell or tambourine? (Do you think it sounds like fun?) No. But Davy Jones of The Monkees always made the tambourine look like so cool.

 

8) Lava lamps were already popular in England but they weren't introduced to the United States until 1965. Today Walmart carries more than 20 different lava lamps. Have you ever owned one? I remember I had a little one on a keyring that I attached to my purse (the height of junior high cool).

 
9) Random question: Do you have a recurring dream? I have the same dream when I'm stressed. I get up, get off the train, and after the train doors close behind me I realize I left my purse on the seat. My wallet and my phone are going on to the next stop without me. I feel so helpless. I hate that dream.

 

 
 

Thursday Thirteen #459

Hello? Sometimes when I watch old movies or TV shows from decades gone by, I find myself distracted by and nostalgic for the technology we've left behind. Particularly phones.

First of all, I long for telephone conversations. You know, where you can listen to someone's voice instead of punching out abbreviated words with your thumbs. Second, I like the phone being rooted in my home or workplace, and away from me when I'm at a restaurant or walking up the street or in a car or bus. When I'm home or at work, I like to be connected. When I'm away, I enjoy being disconnected. Now it's almost the opposite. People text me when I'm home and my cell is in my purse or charging on the kitchen counter. Yet when I'm in public and I have my phone in hand, I see it right away. That's not how I prefer to communicate! I'm out of sync with my times.

And so I'm wandering down memory lane and posting a Valentine to all the phones I've loved before. 

 #1 The first phone I remember in my parents' kitchen. The first call I remember receiving was on a phone like this. It was from May, the cleaning lady who came by once a week. She called me on Sunday afternoon – she asked for ME – to tell me The Beatles were going to be on Ed Sullivan that night. I was 6. I was no only thrilled about seeing The Lads, I felt very grown up that I had gotten a call.

#2 A few years later we upgraded to this phone with buttons. It was either the late 1960s or very early 1970s. The one in the kitchen was yellow. It was at this point we became a three extension family ...

 

#3 Phones almost identical to this one also appeared in my parents' bedroom and the basement. It was easier on my mom because we had a 4BR ranch with the laundry in the basement, so she was able to answer the phone pretty much wherever she was during the day.

#4 In 1975, when I began working in an office immediately after high school, the phone on my desk was like this one, except mine was black and had only 5 lines. 

 #5 Rows of payphones like this were in train stations and hotel lobbies around the Loop. I used them often. It's from one of these phones that I generally let someone know that I was running late.

#6 Pay phones like this were all over, too. I seldom used them because they always seemed filthy. (So much old gum! Ick!) At least cleaning the ones in hotels and the train stations was someone's job. I don't know who, if anyone, was responsible for the upkeep of these phones.

 #7 The phone in my first apartment, ca 1978. My place was so tiny I didn't need an extension. It had a really long cord so I could carry it around with me. 

 #8 My 1980s boyfriend had one of the first cordless phones. He got it at Radio Shack and was wildly proud of it. He never liked talking on the phone until he got one like this.

 

 

 #9 In 2001, when I moved into this condo, I had two of these phones – one just inside the front door and one in the master bedroom.

 

 #10 These phones were, for a time, on the back of airline seats. I never used one, but I received many a call from one, always from bosses who were in love with idea of calling from mid-air.

 

 

 #11 My first flip phone. I found snapping it shut very satisfying, especially if I was displeased with whomever I was speaking to.

 

#12 My current landline phones. Still the best way to reach me at home. They are placed where the original ones were when I first moved in – by the front door and next to my bed. If it's not broke, don't fix it.

 

 #13 My current phone is not really a phone. It's mostly a camera and a vehicle for sending/receiving texts and summoning rideshares.

Do any of these phones look familiar to you? 

 

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

 

WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Suitable for Framing by Edna Buchanan. Britt Montero is a journalist on the crime beat in Miami. In the mid-1990s, when this book was written, there was a tension between City Hall and the press, because telling the truth about what was going on in the streets was not always good for the tourism Miami depended on.* Britt loves her hometown but she is also a good reporter so she is always, always about getting the story. That's why Britt is upset that she may be losing her journalistic edge as she covers a string of armed carjackings. 

I'm rereading many mysteries – including this one – as I dedicate myself to purging my book collection. I recall little or nothing of the plot so I'm happy to have Buchanan carry me along one more time. This series is too intense to be called "cozy" – this one starts with a graphic description of a fatal car accident – but I like Britt and her best friend, a news photographer named Lottie. So I'm hoping this will be a good read.

*Is it still like this? I don't know. 

2. What did you recently finish reading? The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz. Isabel Spellman, the eldest daughter of the San Francisco clan of private investigators, has a lot on her plate just now. She's investigating the disappearance of a butler whose wealthy old employer wants him back, and who Isabel suspects of defrauding the elderly gent. She believes a rival PI is dirty, and she wants to expose him. Her mother dislikes Isabel's sexy Irish bartender boyfriend and keeps calling the INS on him. Someone is stealing the doorknobs and towel racks from the Spellman home, but Izzy's parents insist this is normal and no big deal.

 

I love these books. They are wholly original, very funny, and filled with heart. Lisa Lutz obviously feels great affection for the insane little troupe she created. 

3. What will you read next?  I don't know

 

  

April 14 – Gratitude Challenge

 

I am joining Kwizgiver in this. That's even her graphic I stole! In her words, "This isn't about perfection or keeping a streak. It’s just about noticing." I need to focus and, in using shrink's word, "unhook." 

 

The Prompt: Recall a brief interaction with a stranger this week. What was a small moment of human kindness you witnessed or experienced?

 

This may not have, strictly speaking, happened within the past week. I've spent so much time at the vet with my Connie Cat lately that the visits have become a blur. But I found myself in the waiting room twice with a cat owner who also had a feline friend in distress. It's funny, I couldn't tell you what he looked like but I remember his green soft-sided cat carrier. Anyway, as we were leaving, I passed him and smiled in acknowledgement. He leaped up and got the door for me and Connie (in her bulkier carrier). It was a moment of connection, of camaraderie, of two people in the same difficult situation and I appreciated it.

 

 

Sunday Stealing

Tell Us Something

1. Can you touch your nose with your tongue? No.

2. What foreign language did you study in school? How much of it do you still remember? Hablo un poco español.

3. What recipe did you most recently prepare? Where did you get the recipe and how did it turn out? I microwaved a cup of Bob Evans mashed potatoes. I got the recipe – instructions, really – from the cardboard sleeve. They turned out predictably.

4. What song have you listened to over and over and over again? This one never gets old.

5. Are there currently any pets in your household? Are you considering adding another? I share my home with two cats. We're a happy household now and I'm not planning on any additions just now.

6. As an adult, have you ever performed with a drama group? (Student productions don't count.) No. 

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Leather and Lace (1981)

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

1) As you answer these questions, are you wearing leather, lace, or both? There's a little lace on my undergarments.

2) This song is a duet between members of two superstar groups – Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac and Don Henley of The Eagles. Which band do you listen to more often, Fleetwood Mac or The Eagles? The Eagles.
 

3) In this duet, "lace" tells us she is stronger than we know and "leather" admits that sometimes he's vulnerable. Do either side of this lyrical equation apply to you? Do you think you're either tougher than people realize, or more sensitive than they know? More sensitive.

 
4) Both Stevie and Don are born Westerners. Stevie spent her early childhood in Arizona and Don was born in Texas and stayed there through college. Today Stevie has two homes – one in Pacific Palisades and another in Phoenix – while Don has a beautiful home in Dallas. Do you feel rooted where you are? Or can you see yourself moving to another city or state in the future? I'm rooted.

 

5) Stevie and Don were romantically involved in the 1970s, but after they broke up they remained friendly. Not only did they record this song in 1981, they went on tour together in 2005. Have you recently heard from an ex? Yes. I get a Christmas card every year and he chimes in on my Facebook page every now and again. He's a grandfather now and, I'm happy to report, he's shaved his mustache. When I knew him, he wore a mustache because he was self conscious about an acne scar. I love that he doesn't care about that anymore. 

6) Stevie admits a lifelong passion for Animal Crackers, those little cookies shaped like tigers, bears and elephants. Is your go-to snack sweet, like Stevie's, or is it salty? I'm pretty equal opportunity. Right now I'm very into cheese crackers, but I've got some butter cookies in the kitchen, too.

7) Don likes Velveeta on his burgers. Describe your ideal cheeseburger. Medium well, with lettuce, mayo, ketchup and American cheese. I'd prefer no seeds on the bun.

8) In 1981, when this song was popular, both Maserati and Mercedes Benz introduced luxury convertibles. Have you ever owned a convertible? Would a convertible be practical for your lifestyle? I'm not a car person, but still, I can't imagine myself with a convertible. Really, isn't there only one person whose lifestyle calls for a convertible?

 

9) Random question: What are you most looking forward to this week? On Friday I'm getting a hair cut, and on Saturday my Connie Cat is freed from The Cone. 

She had surgery last Thursday

 

 

Thursday Thirteen #458

April is kind of a big deal.

1. T.S. Elliott wrote that it's "the cruelest month."

2. For more than 100 years, we've been singing about the April showers that come our way and bring the flowers that bloom in May. 

3. Twenty years ago, Sugarland also sang about "April Showers" and reassured us "we've seen rain before."

4. Stevie Wonder mentioned that April rain in "I Just Called to Say I Love You."

5. Pat Boone crooned about "April Love."

6. Simon & Garfunkle's "April Come She Will" always annoyed me. I don't know why.

7. In a 1952 movie, Doris Day found romance in "April in Paris."

8. Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald performed a legendary duet of "April in Paris," too.

9. Three Dog Night sang about "pieces of April on a morning in May."

10. Sinatra sang he'd "Always Remember April."

11. Women searched for happiness in the book The Enchanted April.

12. V.C. Andrews began her "Shadows" series with April Shadows.

13. Captain Robert April commanded the Enterprise in an animated Star Trek series.

 

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz. Isabel Spellman, the eldest daughter of the San Francisco clan of private investigators, is on the case again, digging up dirt on a competitive PI. Thirtysomething Izzy is immature and passionate about grudges, so this ought to be good.

 

This is a reread for me. I know because I found it in my den. But I remember little about the case at the center. No matter. I enjoy time spent with this wacky clan. They are witty and idiosyncratic but they also love one another and they make me laugh. I could use some laughs!

2. What did you recently finish reading? Twilight of Camelot: The Short Life and Long Legacy of Patrick Bouvier Kennedy by Steven Levingston. In August 1963, Jacqueline Kennedy became the only First Lady of the 20th century to give birth while living in the White House. Her baby only lived two days. It was a trauma she and the President had to endure under the public's gaze, however it was nothing compared to the trauma and scrutiny she would withstand alone, three months later, when her husband was assassinated in Dallas.

 

This sensitive and well-meaning book covers Patrick's short life in detail and puts it in the context of their family and the nation. I learned some interesting things: Jackie only saw her son for minutes and may never have held him, since she was recovering from an emergency c-section in one hospital while her baby was rushed to another for neonatal care; while she was in the hospital, she actually had a cancer scare on top of everything else (!), her doctor removed/biopsied a suspicious mole on her foot; the President was with Patrick when he died, but was unable to hold him because the baby was in a hyberbaric chamber; these chambers were considered experimental at the time; Jackie was too ill to attend her baby's funeral, but the President was there. He even designed the headstone.

 

JFK grew up with a developmentally challenged sister, Rosemary. He understood that, due to lack of oxygen, Patrick may have faced the same fate. This was deeply personal to him and during the last months of his life, he authorized hundreds of millions of dollars (billions in today's spending) for improved neonatal research and care. 

 

Dr. Robert deLemos treated Patrick Kennedy and was inspired to devote his career to neonatology. Dr. deLemos played a critical role in developing more sophisticated ventilators for babies born with underdeveloped lungs. Today's CPAP machines were born of research done at this time. Patrick Kennedy, like his Aunt Rosemary, inspired John F. Kennedy to do good, and his rhetoric and example inspired American citizens. 

 

Wouldn't it be nice if we had a President who spoke to our better angels, encouraging us to add to mankind rather than subtract, to do something more humane with our energies than storm the Capitol, demonize immigrants and deny marriage rights to consenting adults? This book not only made me sad for the nuclear Kennedy family living in the White House, it made me sad for all us today.

3. What will you read next?  I don't know