February 23, 2025 YOUNG AT HEART

Is sixty too old to reinvent yourself? To make a BIG change? As I look back over my career--I can definitely say that I like change. I'm NOT one of those teachers who can teach the same thing for thirty years. I've taught 5th grade, middle school English, High School English and for the last 6 years High School Art. Next question---would I even get hired for a new position at my age?? I don't feel OLD but then again who wants to hire someone my age when they could get someone YOUNGER with more energy-ideas-gusto.  It's a catch 22. I am an experienced teacher--BUT is there a point when you're TOO EXPERIENCED?  These are the things I'm pondering these days--REINVENT OR WHAT?? That's the question I can't seem to answer. Thankfully lost myself in a really good book called The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis that helped me forget my little problems for awhile. As this gem unfolds, Ashlyn Greer, a rare book dealer from New Hampshire, is spending the day at a thrift shop looking through old books when she comes across a beautifully bound book.  Intrigued by the book, Ashlyn immediately buys and reads it.  The book which was written in 1954 and authored by Hemi, tells his side of a tragic love story set during World War II with a woman named Belle.  Ashlyn becomes obsessed with the book and is determined to uncover the mystery, especially, after another book is found, told from Belle's point of view. This lovely novel flips back and forth between 1941 and 1984 as Ashlyn discovers the truth about the two lovers who were ultimately betrayed by family secrets and lie.  This book is filled with twists and turns and unforgettable characters who unknowingly help Ashlyn come to terms with her own life and help her trust and love again. 

February 16, 2025. THE WAITING

 

Stressful time of year for high school seniors--if they don't go ED. College lingo for early decision. Going through the college process has been a totally different experience with Tim. He's a stellar student with lofty goals. He applied to 14 schools and wrote AT LEAST 20 essays.  It's  been a game of hurry up and wait. Hurry to get in all college applications/essays--EA--early action or RD--regular decision. The only good thing about EA is that it's NOT binding BUT the problem is we really don't find out much about financial aid yet. The problem with RD is that we don't know if he's even accepted until about April 1st--BUT by that time we find out about financial aid right away. SO WE WAIT. And hope he gets into one of his TOP CHOICES and either gets a decent scholarship/grant money to make his dreams come true. If you are a fan of Elizabeth Strout's books and love her characters Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge, and Bob Burgess then you must read her new book Tell Me Everything. This beautifully written novel is once again set in Crosby, Maine. There's been a murder in town, and Bob Burgess is hired to defend a hermit accused of killing his mother. In a town a small as Crosby, this is a major event. Famous author Lucy Barton, having moved to Crosby during the pandemic with her ex-husband William, walks weekly with her friend Bob as the two ponder life, choices and the human condition. Bob also introduces Lucy to Olive Kitteridge, now 90 and living in a retirement community. Olive is still her old salty self, but the two hit it off as they tell each other stories about people they knew and call them "unrecorded lives." Strout's rich characters are vividly portrayed as they grapple with understanding love, human connection, the importance of story telling and as Lucy Barton struggles to understand "What does anyone's life mean? I thoroughly enjoyed every minute back with this cast of characters and I'm sure you will too. Enjoy.

February 2, 2025. LAND OF CONFUSION

CHAOS-CONFUSION-RIDICULOUSNESS. That about sums up the NIGHTMARE of Trump's first few weeks.  Guantanamo Bay--INTERNMENT CAMP--for the WORST CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO ARE HARMING AMERICANS. Okay---so lets dehumanize the immigrants so that ICE can round up THE USUAL SUSPECTS. ICE has been spotted in New London questioning illegals. How do they EVEN know who is legal or illegal. We will probably have to start carrying our papers around--like in Casablanca-- so we don't end up in jail. Pretty soon --they'll be invading schools and ripping kids from their desks to get rid of the bad apples. It's insane. We also have POWER HUNGRY Elon Musk giving the old  Nazi salute---AND PEOPLE CLAPPING. Don't even get me started on eliminating DEI--the Gulf of America or Trump's insane executive order stating that there are only two sexes. Hope voter remorse is kicking in for all the idiots that voted for that horse's ASS. I really need to either bury my head in the sand or read a million good books to get through the next four years. Actually just read a lovely novel by my favorite Irish writer, Niall Williams, called Time of the Child. This gem is the sequel to This is Happiness---my favorite book from 2022. In this novel, it's 1962, in the weeks leading to Christmas--and the rain won't stop. It''s practically a character in the book. One evening after The Fair, young Jude Quinlan finds an abandoned baby in the churchyard. He brings the baby to Doctor Troy, and his daughter, Ronnie, is totally taken with her.  In order to keep the Church and State away--they try to keep the baby a secret but the villagers start to gossip and chaos ensures. Find out what happens with Ronnie, Dr. Troy and baby Noelle when you read this magical story for yourself. I loved being back in Faha--to visit with the rich characters again-- Canon Tom, Father Coffey, Ganga, Doady and all the other quirky people who make up the town are true to their Irish ancestry and made me laugh-out-loud several times.