August 21, 2021 UP ON A ROOF

I've had SHINGLES twice so my doctor was really on me to get the shot. I don't mind shots BUT I do mind side effects. I was assured that I would only have a little pain in the arm for a few days. WRONG. I LITERALLY felt like I was hit by a bus that was out to sea in the middle of a storm. The nausea was overwhelming AND  EVERY bone in my body ACHED. I couldn't even bend my fingers because my knuckles were SO sore.  It was like I had the FLU TIMES TWO for 24 hours. And as mysteriously as it came--it went. BUT--I still have to have the SECOND SHOT and that's FREAKING ME OUT. Who willingly gets a shot that they know is going to make them wish they were dead for 24 hours. HUM? Not me BUT..........This is a quandary. So I'll tackle this problem like I handle others--I'll ignore it til the bitter end. Forget about it--or try to BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH IT. The only good thing I can report about my bout with the Shingles vaccine is that I sat still long enough to get through a pretty good book called We Are The Brennans by Tracey Lange. The Brennans are a large, close-knit, Irish Catholic family living in New York. The main character in the story is the only girl in the family, 29 year old Sunday who has been living in LA for five years. After a DUI accident and a string of bad luck, Sunday decides to return home to face her family and ex-fiancee, Kale. Kale is now married and a father who just happens to be Denny Brennan's business partner. After returning home, Sunday is determined to forget the past and rebuild her life but that is easier said than done; especially, after a man from the past reappears and tries to destroy the Brennan family. Find out how this complicated family is almost torn apart by secrets and Irish guilt when you read this interesting, easy to read family drama for yourself. It's only 290 pages or a 3 mile run that got me through a few tough days. Enjoy. 

August 9, 2021 TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD

 

Actually---it was four out of five. Not Bad. Got together with most of my siblings last week. Haven't seen a few of them in at least 10 years--HELL--haven't  lived with them since I was fourteen. My youngest brother doesn't even remember living with me. Crazy. Nothing like a health scare to get family together.  It was really great visiting with my siblings AND IT WAS LONG OVERDUE. We come from different states AND are as different as night and day BUT there is a bond we share that can't be denied. We laughed talking about the old days--cried because it had been too long--vowed to get together in the next two years. One of the highlights of the trip was running with my youngest brother.  I never in a million years thought we'd ever get to run together. We've texted  about the possibility many times  but the reality was amazing. Running in a new city is an incredible experience made even better because it was with him. I absolutely love the sights and sounds of a new city and running enabled us to explore the nooks and crannies often missed in the car.  We were even able to  run between Cincinnati and Kentucky several times thanks to some really cool bridges. If you have siblings that you haven't seen  in a LONG while--make the effort to get together--it's really worth it. Another thing worth your effort is the final book in The Art of Hearing Heartbeats trilogy by Jan-Philipp Sendker called The Heart Remembers. The last installment of this lovely series is set in Kalaw, a small town in Burma. Ko Bo is a twelve year old boy who lives with his Uncle U Ba. Ko Bo hasn't seen his mother, Julia Win, in seven years as she has a mysterious illness. He only sees his father, Thar Thar, once a year for a week because his mother can not be left alone. Ko Bo yearns to learn more about this parents and begs his uncle to tell him why his mother stays away but U Ba is reluctant to tell him. After finding and reading letters about his parents' love story, Ko Bo is convinced that he can heal his mother and reunite his family so he runs away to Yangon to try to find his parents This beautiful, tragic story is a must read for anyone who has read the first two books. The writing is incredible and the characters are unforgettable. This book is about 400 pages or a 4.5 mile run that you'll always remember.  If you haven't read the trilogy--I recommend starting with the first book and reading them in order. Enjoy. 

July 24, 2021 IF I DIE YOUNG

Passed on. Departed.  Left this world. Passed away. Slipped away.  Was called home. Gained  his angel wings. Kicked the bucket. Is in a better place. Met his maker. Entered eternal rest. It's funny how we use Euphemisms to "Soften the blow"--when we really want to say--DAMN IT --SHE OR HE IS DEAD. DEAD AS A DOORNAIL as Dickens would say. Doctor Death has been on my mind A LOT lately. So many people have DIED over the last few months. YES--THEY ARE DEAD. Really good people.  These were friends, husbands, wives, fathers, aunts, uncles, sons, daughters, siblings--that we will NEVER SEE OR TALK TO AGAIN. That's the reality AND IT SUCKS. It's something you can't possibly understand UNTIL IT HAPPENS TO YOU. Life can change in the blink of an eye so-- BE KIND--BE THANKFUL AND APPRECIATE EVERY DAY. Don't sweat the small stuff. That's all I've got.........If you want to escape reality for a while, check out Stacey Abrams new book While Justice Sleeps. This serious page turner, written by the 2018 Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia, is a real eye opener into the world of politics even though it's fiction. As this mystery unfolds, Howard Wynn, Justice for the Supreme Court, has slipped into a coma at a very inconvenient time. He's due to vote on the merger of an American biotech company with an Indian genetic firm. To make matters worse, he's appointed his law clerk, Avery Keene, as  his legal guardian and Power of Attorney. Add to the mix, a President bent on stopping the merger, and a cast of characters including  Wynn's estranged wife, son, FBI agents and a host of elaborate clues that mimic a chess game. Keene clearly has her hands full as she tries to sift through a web of lies and a political landscape that is reminiscent of our world today. Find out if Avery saves the day when you read this suspense filled novel for yourself.  It's about 360 pages or a 4 mile novel that will keep your mind off your troubles......for a little while. 

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.