September 20, 2020 YOU'RE A HARD HABIT TO BREAK

 Another thing keeping me from my blog these days is the Sudoku. Don't laugh, I'm serious. I'm kind of addicted.  Add that to my list of addictions---running, yoga, reading, crossword puzzles,  words with friends, cocktail hour and you'll have to agree--THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY. It was easy to fit it all in when I was home BUT now that I'm back at school--I'm finding it increasingly difficult. SOMETHINGS GOT TO GIVE.  I can't give up running--yoga-- reading-- my current fixation with SUDOKU-- OR cocktail hour--so I've had to cut back a little on my crossword puzzles, words with friends and THE BLOG. Don't get me wrong--I love writing the blog BUT it takes TIME. In addition to time--it takes BRAIN CELLS--which seem to be FRIED by the time I get home from school. It's HARD to come up with something CLEVER to say--when the brain's on PAUSE. No worries--this too shall pass. I'll find a way to make it all work because I can't give up ANY of my compulsions. They make me--ME and it's ALL GOOD.                                                                           

Vivian Morris, the main character of Elizabeth Gilbert's novel City of Girls, has a few addictions of her own that eventually land her in a heap of trouble.  As the story begins, Vivian Morris is a 95 year old woman from New York City, looking  back on her life as she responds to a letter from an old acquaintance. Vivian describes herself as a WASP who is sent to live with her Aunt Peg after being expelled from Vassar. Aunt Peg and her secretary Olive own a run down theatre where they produce shows for working class people. Vivian is initially shocked by their lifestyle, but quickly falls in love with the theatre, the quirky actors and the showgirls who reside at the theatre. As a seamstress, Vivian is finally allowed to design costumes and join the cast on their adventures in the city. She loves the bars, men, dancing, and the lifestyle a little too much. One night after too many drinks, Vivian makes a mistake that threatens to ruin not only her life, but the lives of other people she loves. Find out what happens to Vivian, Peg, Olive and a host of other great characters when you read this fun story for yourself.  It's an easy read of about 480 pages--4 mile run--that keeps you interested until the very last page. Enjoy. 

September 7, 2020 I WANNA THANK YOU

       September 7, 2020   I WANNA THANK YOU                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                           

Had to step away from the BLOG for a bit so that I could WRAP MY HEAD around the school year. It's THAT complicated. Seriously--when you see your teacher friends out and about please say--THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. It's Crazy.  Teachers are being asked to basically be MIRACLE WORKERS because of Covid 19. In addition to dancing and singing, we are now performing magic tricks while balancing teacups on our noses AND doing a handstand--or  maybe that's just how I feel. In an effort to keep kids safe, most schools are either going hybrid and or simultaneously teaching to IN-class learners  and ON-line learners.  It's a real balancing act. The logistics are ALSO mind boggling. Who's online? Who's in person?  How do I get the supplies/supplementals to the online learners so that it's equitable? AND the inevitable loss of the online learners because of "INTERNET PROBLEMS" which are way above my pay grade. I finished week one--BARELY--and am hoping for a SMOOTHER WEEK this week. I'm trying my hardest to live in the moment--AND KEEP IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE. Wish me luck. Emira Tucker, the main character in Kelly Reid's debut Such a Fun Age is going to need a little more than luck to get her life on track. Emira is a 25 year old African American college graduate living in Philadelphia who can't decide whom she wants to be when she grows up. She knows she needs medical insurance, but with two part time jobs, she's just barely scraping by. Emira loves her baby sitting job because they pay her well, but things get rather tangled after her boss, Alix Chamberlin, sends her an emergency call. In the call, Alix begs Emira to come over and take her two year old daughter, Briar, to the grocery store. Although Emira thinks it's odd, she agrees to help her employer, only to be accused by a security officer of kidnapping the child. After the mess is sorted out, Alix becomes slightly obsessed with Emira--for all the wrong reasons. Although Emira wants to leave her job, she truly loves Briar and feels guilty about leaving. It's only after Emira meets and starts dating Kelley that things go from bad to worse, especially, after he meets Alix. Find out what happens to Alix, Emira, Briar and Kelley in this interesting novel that explores race, class, friendship, forgiveness and how people can "trick" themselves into believing what they need to believe. This novel is about 300 pages or a 3 mile run that will keep you guessing and thinking. Enjoy. 

August 19, 2020 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

One positive during the pandemic is the resurgence of board games. Believe it or not--Scrabble, Monopoly and a form of Parcheesi called Ludo are still the most popular board games. Do you remember playing

Parcheesi?  I whittled  away several hours trying to win that game. Haven't played it in years though.  I've been playing Scrabble my entire life though and have to admit that I'm a little addicted to Words With Friends. Monopoly always took TOO LONG for me so it wasn't one of my favs BUT I spent huge amounts of time pretending I was Miss Scarlet when I played CLUE--one of my all time favorites. Remember playing Trouble with its "Pop-O-Matic" dice action, Or Sorry, Checkers and Battleship? It's funny--I always thought of Battleship as a boys game. Not sure why but I can still hear the commercial from back in the day--"you sank my battleship." Right now--I'm listening to a couple of teenagers try to play SpongeBob Guess Who!! Ha! They haven't played this game in years. Life is good. 

 Life was also pretty good for the Vignes twins before they ran away in The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. Stella and Desiree Vignes grew up in a small Southern black community in Mallard, Louisiana.  Although the residents are black, they pride themselves on being very light skinned. Desiree, feeling smothered by the town, talks her identical twin sister into running away to New Orleans when they are sixteen. Starting a new life is difficult, until Stella realizes that she can pass as a white person while applying for a job at a local department store. This realization sets in motion events that separate the twins forever. While Stella disappears to California and life as a white privileged woman, Desiree flees her abusive husband and returns home with a daughter, Jade, who is "dark as tar". After enduring many years of abuse because she is dark, Jade moves to California for college where she unexpectedly runs into her aunt. This story is told through flashbacks and alternating points of view between the 1960s-1990s. It's an interesting read that focuses on race, identity, sisterhood, and how the choices people make-- many times due to circumstances--can shape a life. This moving novel is about 350 pages or 4 mile run that is well worth your time. 

August 11, 2020 KNOCKING ON HEAVEN'S DOOR

Confessions of a dysfunctional home owner. Did you know that until last year--NONE of our door knobs

worked correctly?  I'm serious--they turned by wouldn't open.  EVERY  person that came over our house--got stuck in of bathroom. So embarrassing. We were forever rescuing people from the toilet. Crazy. One time we actually forgot that someone was in the COMMODE  and they LITERALLY spent a good hour in there before being let out. That friendship didn't LAST. So then I became a BATHROOM MONITOR. Every time someone used "THE CAN" I would practically stalk them  just to make sure I could help them out of the facilities. Stalking bathrooms IS NOT OKAY Though--I started getting strange looks--and I started worrying that people thought I was a PERVERT--NOT KIDDING. So then  I starting making people sign a disclaimer when then entered our house. I'd have to explain--sometimes to complete strangers--ABOUT OUR DOORKNOB DYSFUNCTION--so that I wouldn't feel responsible for any more bathroom mishaps. Isn't this nuts Yup. 27 longs years. Did I every tell you about my sink woes? That's a story for another day. 

Have you ever heard the story of the runner in red? Many people believe that in 1951,  a woman wearing red ran the Boston Marathon--although it's never been proven. In his novel Runner In Red, Tom Murphy uses this urban legend as a springboard to solve the mystery of the runner in red. Set in 2000,  Murphy mixes Boston Marathon history with fictional characters to create an unforgettable story of a family torn apart by the Marathon of 1971 who find their way back to one another through the millennial marathon. This book explores the history of women's running and the pioneers who opened the door for future runners. It's also a love story and family drama that is a real page turner. It's only about 240 pages-- or a 2 mile run that you will not be able to put down. Enjoy. 

July 31, 2020 BEHIND THE MASK

The MASK. It's complicated. NO matter which kind I try---MY GLASSES FOG UP AND I CAN'T SEE A DAMN THING. It's SO frustrating. I've tried different materials, ties,  nose clips--HELL--I'm on the verge of bankruptcy. I've finally decided that I'm just going to wear my glasses to drive and the HELL

WITH IT. I'll be blind as a bat the rest of the time. While I'm talking about masks. I have a question that must be answered before I go back to school. Do my masks have to color coordinate with my outfits? I know that sounds like a strange questions BUT I have certain standards. Can I wear a mask that's purple & red with an  orange outfit? Seriously--I'm NOW seeing the "MASK" as part of my ENSEMBLE--much like a scarf. AND I AM A SERIOUS LOVER OF THE SCARF. Don't think I'll be wearing my scarves to school though--a MASK and a SCARF together IS  JUST TOO MUCH. SO--is my MASK--my NEW SCARF? If so--then I need to get to work. I've got some coordinating to do. And what about my lipstick?? What's the point if I have to wear a mask?? NO more coordinating my lipstick with my outfit either? I might have to start painting my nails instead. THIS IS A LOT FOR ME. I have an image to uphold and this "MASK THING" is really cramping my style. The residents of The Causes Housing Project feel the same way when drug dealers take over their park in James McBride's new book Deacon King Kong. 

One day a drunken church deacon known as Sportcoat has had enough. After a few too many drinks, he heads out to the courtyard and shoots a drug dealer. This is not just any drug dealer, this is a kid who grew up in the projects. A kid that Sportcoat once coached and taught Sunday School. It's September 1969 and drugs, organized crime and theft have taken over the projects. The shooting sets off a chain of events that changes all involved as well as the future of the Causes and the Five Ends Baptist Church. I know this book may sound sad and it is to a point, but  it is also  quite funny--laugh out loud funny.  McBride  brings to life a cast of colorful characters that are unforgettable including Hot Sausage, Bum Bum, The Elephant and Hurly Girly to name a few. This is ultimately a story about a community of people who band together to save their church and make their home safe. I really enjoyed the story, LOVED the characters and learned a lot about a community that I knew nothing about. It's only 380 pages or a 4 mile run worth every minute. 

July 23, 2020 THEY'RE COMING TO TAKE ME AWAY

Life in the time of COVID--The WHOLE MEGILLAH IS DRIVING ME CRAZY.  We are DEEP in the WEEDS here--living in uncertain times--and SOME people still think it's a HOAX. It's all too much for me. I'm starting to feel betwixt and between and not sure what to do with myself. I want to be productive but when EVERY day is Ground Hog's Day it's NOT easy.  Is it Monday-Friday-Saturday-What difference does it even make? Every day is a Mary Mix-Up day AS one day bleeds into the next.  I'm feeling all SIXES and SEVENS and I'm starting to talk up side streets. UGH. Is this really my new NORMAL? I just want my old life back before I fall over the edge and I'm--four quarters short of a dollar--a few bricks short of a load--five cans short of a six pack. Before they take me away to the--booby hatch--bug house--Funny Farm--where life is wonderful ALL the time. They're coming to take me away.............HA HA--but before I go--I think I can handle one more book review.
If you enjoyed The Clockmaker's Daughter, then you should definitely read The Lake House by Kate Morton. Sadie Sparrow is a detective in London who is forced to take leave after violating rules of conduct during an investigation. She retreats to her grandfather's home in Cornwall where she stumbles across an abandoned estate called Loeanneth or Lake House. Sadie soon learns that the estate has been abandoned for seventy years, since 1933 when young Theo Edevane went missing during a summer party. Sadie becomes obsessed with the house and family and decides to investigate the seventy year old mystery. During her investigation, she meets Theo's now elderly sister Alice, a famous writer of crime novels with her own secrets about what happened that night. Morton weaves a wonderful mystery between the past and the present told through various members of the Edevane family and Sadie Sparrow. This book is essentially a mystery within a mystery as every member of the Edevane family has something to hide. This beautifully written novel is about 500 pages or a 6 mile run that will keep you guessing until the end. Enjoy.

July 11, 2020 DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE

There's this book I've been wanting to read for 20 years. Seriously--but I kept putting it off because it was a BIG commitment. There are commitments and THEN THERE ARE COMMITMENTS. This book is a MONSTER. 1488 PAGES. That's essentially 4 books if you think about it. That's a lot of time reading ONE BOOK. I wavered back and forth and finally decided to tackle the BEAST. Reading a book this size is a challenge for many reasons. First off--IT'S DAUNTING. I actually had to read a good 500 pages before I felt like I was even making a "dent". It was also quite heavy--carrying it to the beach was a serious workout. Forget falling asleep reading it--I almost suffocated. And my fingers couldn't even stretch around it. It was like trying to hold TWO whoppers from Burger King at the same time. Even though I faced tremendous odds-- I put on my SUPERHERO reader glasses and mottled through. The novel--that took me two weeks to read--was called A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. At 591,552 words, A Suitable Boy is one of the longest novels ever published in the English language. 

It is set in the fictional town of Brahmpur, India, in the 1950s post-partition. It follows the story of four interconnected families over an 18 month period. There are over forty colorful characters in the story, thankfully the book contains a family tree at the beginning to help the reader keep everyone straight. The  main character is Mrs. Rupa Mehra, who is on a  quest to find a suitable boy for her daughter, Lata, to marry. Sadly, Lata is in love with a Muslim whom she is forbidden to marry.  Lata and her overbearing mother travel far and wide so that Lata can meet and marry a man her mother and family approve of.  Seth's story is a social satire on the times as he pokes fun at many of the interesting characters who can be shallow, social climbers who only care about money and connections. Seth also examines the 1950s in terms of  political issues, land reform, caste systems, academics, religion and the importance of family. Although I found the chapters on politics immensely detailed and dry, I really enjoyed the chapters that focused on Lata and her extended family. Again, it was a huge commitment that I'm not sure was worth the time, but I am really glad that I finally BESTED the BEAST. This book is REALLY a marathon--26.2--that is definitely not for everyone but it was made into a BBC series last year that you might enjoy.