July 9, 2021 JUST MY IMAGINATION

 

Call me old fashioned if you want-- BUT GIRLS--COVER IT UP. I don't care what the style is. KNOW YOUR BODY and wear WHAT FLATTERS IT. If you're not sure --ASK YOUR MOTHER. She will tell you the truth. SERIOUSLY. Believe it or NOT--only a FEW girls can actually pull off the MICROKINI-- STRING BIKINI--BRAZILIAN--TANGA--T STRING--THONG. Every BODY is Beautiful BUT every BODY is also DIFFERENT. Don't try to jam your body into a bathing suit that isn't complementary to YOUR figure just because it's the latest trend. It's better to leave SOME things to the imagination. Understand this--YOU ARE REALLY SHARING YOUR BODY WITH SOME SERIOUS PERVERTS OUT THERE.  Respect your body--respect yourself--enough said. This mantra could have helped Lowen Ashleigh, the main character in Colleen Hoovers thriller Verity. Lowen is a struggling writer who gets the opportunity of a lifetime. She's been asked to complete the remaining books in a successful series because the author, Verity Crawford,  has had an accident and is recovering at home.  Lowen agrees to spend time at the author's home and office in Vermont in order to go through outlines and notes to find enough material to finish the novels. While searching through Verity's notes, Lowen stumbles upon an autobiography written by Verity filled with alarming confessions and thoughts that would devastate her husband, Jeremy. At first, Lowen decides to keep the autobiography to herself, but as her feelings for Jeremy grow, she has second thoughts. I don't want to say much more except that this is a disturbing mystery that includes murder, child abuse and some graphic sex. It sort of reminded me of Gone Girl. Find out what ultimately happens to Lowen, Verity and Jeremy when you read this unnerving 331 page--3 mile run --for yourself. You won't be able to put it down and you won't forget it either. 

June 29, 2021 THE DAMAGE DONE

 I was fourteen years old when my mother threw me out--Literally. All my possessions were heaped in a pile on the front lawn. This experience has haunted me for over 40 years. It's left an imprint on my soul. Although it was done in a fit of anger--there was never any apology. No real attempt to repair the damage until it was too late.  One day I had a mother and the next--she was gone. One day I had siblings and then--they were gone. It was kind of like in the Godfather when he says--YOU'RE DEAD TO ME. This event has shaped my life--for better or worse. It's made me--fiercely independent--somewhat callus--and a bit reserved.  Parents have the power to make or break their kids. EVERY decision they make has REAL consequences.  Believe it or not-- CHILDREN ARE AFFECTED PERMANENTLY. I'm proof of that.  Once you become a parent--you don't have the right to be selfish. It's really NOT about you anymore. I've tried to live this because I don't want what happened to me to happen to my kids. I know life isn't fair and things happen BUT I am ultimately in control my own behavior and it's up to me to  think about the long term consequences of my actions--because they really matter.  Jivan, the main character in Megha Majumdar's debut novel A Burning, learns this painful lesson the hard way. Set in Kolkata, India, Jivan is a Muslim girl living in the slums who witnesses a terrorist attack on a train on her way home from work. She  posts a negative comment about the government on Facebook in regard to the terrorist attack and later finds herself arrested for the crime. There are only two people who can help her---PT Sir, her former gym teacher who has aspirations of moving up after joining a right wing political party and Lovely--a transgender with dreams of Bollywood. Lovely can provide an alibi for Jivan but at a price that may be too high. This fast paced, well written novel is ultimately about corruption, class, and politics in contemporary India--which is literally quite frightening. Read this 290 page--4 mile run--book for yourself to find out what happens to Jivan in this lawless land where corruption drips into every section of society. It's well worth the read.  

June 22, 2021 LIFE IS HARD

It's funny how we still call my youngest--The Baby. He's 6 feet tall. He just laughs and rolls his eyes--but to us--he will always be the baby. The ONE everyone in the family looks after. The same is true with siblings. Older siblings always want to protect their younger siblings--NO MATTER HOW OLD THEY ARE........It's crazy but true. We want them to be safe, happy and healthy--AND--when something threatens the BIG THREE--we feel it almost as much as they do. We want to make it all better and take away their troubles BUT that's impossible. Can't put a bandaid on grown-up problems. This thing called  ADULTING can be an ARDUOUS journey. It doesn't come with an instruction manual and the are NO guarantees.  There are pitfalls--dead ends--ditches and even one way streets that make it so VERY difficult to navigate. I guess that's where family comes in. When the going gets tough--the tough get going. Right.  Family rallies-- helps you help yourself. Reminds you that things will get better.  Believe it OR not--Things that seem ENORMOUS today will be but a sad memory someday. These lessons and many others are paramount in Marilynne Robinson's Pulitzer Prize winning novel from 2005, Gilead.  This lovely, quiet story is set in the fictional town of Gilead, Iowa, in 1956 where Reverend John Ames writes his memoirs for his seven year old son. Ames is a 76 year old Congregationalist pastor  who knows his days are limited due to a heart condition. He realizes that his young son will not remember him, so he wants to leave him with a gift.  Ames stories include telling his son about his own humble beginnings, memories and  experiences with his father and grandfather that ultimately shaped his life. Ames also focuses on his second marriage to Lila and the importance of friendship with his life long friend Boughton. Although Ames' memoir is also in part theological, it is more importantly a meditation on appreciating life and the beauty of simplicity. I've always wanted to read Gilead--not sure what took me so long--and I can't wait to read the companion books including Home of 2008, Lila of 2014 and Jack 2020. The writing is impeccable and unforgettable. It's only 245 pages--4 mile run--that you will never forget. Enjoy. 

June 9, 2021 LIFE'S BEEN GOOD

What a relief. School is FINALLY OVER. It was a crazy year. What I hated most was the MASK. 

It justdidn't work for me. I'm a person who says it all with my face--Hence the problem with the mask. I think the kids were confused all year because they couldn't see my FACE. They didn't know whether I was serious or NOT. It's funny too--wearing the mask inhibited my other senses. I couldn't hear the kids--everything sounded muffled--and my vision was limited too. I can't tell you how many times I tripped over backpacks because I couldn't see under my mask unless I moved my head--something I could never get used to for some reason. I was also BLIND for most of the year--I constantly took off my glasses because they fogged up. I couldn't see with them or without them. So thankful that life is finally getting back to normal. I went grocery shopping the other day WITHOUT THE MASK. I went to a restaurant WITHOUT THE MASK. AND finally went back to the yoga studio today WITHOUT THE MASK. Feeling grateful. Life is good. Erin French candidly reflects back on her life  and what she's grateful for in her new memoir Finding Freedom. Erin French is the owner and chef of the world renowned, Lost Kitchen, a 40 seat restaurant in Freedom, Maine. Erin's love affair with food began when she was a child as she spent most of her time in her father's diner in Freedom. It was there that she learned to prep, cook, clean, and manage a restaurant. After high school, she left home for college, but found herself back in Freedom after becoming pregnant. Erin's life takes many twists and turns as a single mother trying to make ends meet. She eventually marries and opens her first restaurant.  After her marriage crumbles, and she hits rock bottom, Erin somehow finds the courage to start over again to become one of the most sought after chefs in the world.  Find out all about Erin's life when you read this 300 page --3 mile run--for yourself. Her passion for food and desire to succeed will lift you up and help you learn that anything is possible in life. 

May 29, 2021 BITTER SWEET LOVE

I used to look forward to going to my grandparents house when I was young. It's the only time I can  remember being taken care of.  Not sure if those are the right words--what I'm trying to say is--it was the only time I remember feeling special. I spent my early years taking care of my brothers and little sister. Cooking, cleaning, changing cloth diapers with pins and rubber pants. I can vividly remember telling my 6th grade teacher that I could stay after school for volleyball as long as I got home by 4:00 to put the chicken in the oven. He must have thought I was nuts-- I thought nothing of it. My grandparents knew I was always taking care of others--so when I went to their house--I was treated like a queen. My grandmother made my bed--cooked whatever I wanted for breakfast--lunch--dinner AND we had giant hot fudge sundaes every night for DE. Those were the days. Today I spent three hours in the kitchen making a few platters of eggplant parmesan for my son. It's his birthday so I wanted to cook one of his favorite meals.  Take care of him--make him feel special.  It's funny how a little thing like making eggplant can turn bittersweet. Miranda Schuyler, the main character in Beatriz Williams lovely novel The Summer Wives, return to Winthrop Island after 18 years is also bittersweet. As the story unfolds, it's the summer of 1951 and Miranda has just arrived on Winthrop Island--loosely based on Fisher's Island--for her mother's wedding. Her mother is marrying into a wealthy family--Hugh Fisher--who owns a summer estate on the island. Miranda is also gaining a sister about her age named Isobel. Miranda immediately loves the island but the glamor and lifestyle of the rich is new and uncomfortable for her. Soon she meets Joseph Vargas whose father is a fisherman and the lighthouse keeper. By the end of the summer an event occurs that changes Joseph's life forever and leaves Miranda banished from the island. The book then picks up again in 1969 . Miranda, now a famous actress, has finally returned to the island. The Fisher estate is in shambles, but the island has remained the same except for the police who are  looking for an escaped prisoner named  Joseph Vargas. Find out what happens to Joseph, Miranda, Isabel and the people of Winthrop Island when you read this page turner for yourself. It's a mystery and love story of about 360 pages or a 4 mile run-- that I really enjoyed. 

May 18, 2021 HAPPY TRAILS...................

Went to a funeral today. It was a tough one. Lost one of the good ones. Seriously. They broke the mold after him.  He taught us all  how to live a  more meaningful life just by setting a good example. I'm going to do my best to be a little more like him. I heard the same words over and over today when describing him. He was kind, humble, empathetic, helpful and fully present.  He was also a good listener who never criticized others. Let's all choose to be a little more like our beloved friend. If we all work together--the world WILL be a better place. Happy Trails. 

If you're looking for an interesting book to take your mind off your troubles, check out What's Mine And Yours by Naima Coster. As the story unfolds, It is 1992, and young Gee's father, Ray, is killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The impact of his death on two families is central to this story set in Piedmont North Carolina. Told from alternating perspectives, the story jumps between 2002-2018. The  main characters are  Gee and Noelle. Gee and Noelle actually meet in 2002 when Gee, a black student, is bused to Noelle's mostly white high school in an effort to integrate the schools. Noelle's mother, Lacey May,  actively protests the integration as her daughter befriends Gee and the two star in the school play. Lacey May another important character in the story,  has also had a hard life as her husband, Robbie has been in and out of prison and has a drug problem. The story then flips to 2018 as Noelle finds out her mother is ill and she returns home to repair relationships and come to terms with her life. This is ultimately a family saga about race, class, hardship, poverty, addition,  and  two families whose lives are forever linked by tragedy. This novel is about 350 pages or a 4 mile run that I found interesting and enjoyed. 

May 2, 2021 THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

 Just registered for my first race in over a year. AND IT'S A BIGGY. A half marathon. I haven't run one since my injury 3 years ago. Not even sure I should attempt it BUT looking forward to getting the gang back together again. It should be VERY interesting. Right now one of us has an injury (NOT ME) another has only been running 3 miles and I've been trying to sneak in a 6 miler on the weekends.  WE ARE DEFINITELY NOT IN HALF MARATHON SHAPE. FYI--They just opened up registration for the 59th Annual John Kelley Road Race. This is the only FREE race around--and they are ONLY taking 1000 runners. So if you've been thinking about committing to a beautiful scenic run--and want to get in some distance--this is the race for you. It's always a great time. They have a band after the race and there's NOTHING BETTER than a COLD BEER and BAD NACHOS. There is also another fun run/walk coming up on May 16th--the 4th annual Dylan Konakowitz Memorial Run. I'll definitely get my feet wet at that run.  They have a great basket raffle, food, drink and music too. If you don't feel comfortable running in person--the run is also available virtually. Check it out.  After you check out the local races, check out this debut novel by Nancy Jooyoun Kim called The Last Story of Mina Lee. Margot Lee is a 26 years old Korean American who moved to Seattle after college leaving her mother behind in Koreatown , LA. She decides to travel to Koreatown to visit her mother, Mina Lee, after repeated attempts to reach her by phone fail. When she arrives home, she finds her mother died in the living room. This discovery sends Margot digging into her mother's past because she is suspicious even though the police believe the death is accidental. The story then flips back and forth between Margot's quest to discover what happened to her mother, and her mother's arrival in the United States in 1987 as an undocumented immigrant. This book is part mystery, part love story and part examination of the immigration process in the 1980's. By the end of this novel, Margot finally understands her mother's struggles-- an orphan of the Korean War who came to American to try to have a better life. This book is about 380 pages or a 4 mile run that is worth the read. It will make you thankful that you are an American, but also give you a little empathy for other people seeking The American Dream.