April 25, 2021 WATCHING THE WHEELS

 We all know THOSE people who continue to do the same things     

OVER AND OVER and expect DIFFERENT RESULTS.  I have NEVER been able to understand that some people NEVER LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES. They never realize that it's NOT SOMEONE ELSE'S FAULT. It is THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.  I'm NO Math genius BUT--Same BEHAVIOR + Same BEHAVIOR= Same result.  RIGHT? I think that's the hard part though--Changing OUR BEHAVIOR. Realizing that OUR own actions ALWAYS affect the outcome. If we really want to change our lives--we have to take responsibility-- realize that we have to change our behavior--AND--everything else will fall in place. It's really that simple.  BECAUSE--Our behavior affects our THOUGHTS-- WHICH IN TURN-- AFFECTS OUR EMOTIONAL WELL BEING. Kind thoughts--Kind words-Kind heart--my mantra. It's a game changer.  This is one of the MANY lessons I've learned through my yoga practice. Yoga  really is the gift that keeps giving.  Olympic runner Alexi Pappas also learned this valuable lesson  and wrote about it in her new  memoir Bravey. When Alexi Pappas was four years old, her mentally ill mother committed suicide. This tragedy shaped her life in both positive and negative ways.  This memoir is a collection of essays that illustrate how she has dealt with loss, hardship and the pain of losing her mother to become an Olympic runner, actress, filmmaker and writer. Part of Pappas' drive to succeed stems from her fear of becoming her mother, but in working hard to always do her best, she almost succeeded in becoming her worst fear. After her debut in the 2016 Olympics, Pappas fell into a post Olympic depression and thought about ending her life. She finally got the help she needed and realized that she had to reevaluate the list of rules and behaviors she developed in childhood because they no longer served her. It's interesting--we all have certain rules in our lives--or coping mechanisms--that work for us up to a point, but at some point, we have to let them go because they prevent us from growing and changing. Pappas changed her behaviors--that in turn changed her thoughts and finally her emotional wellbeing. This coming of age story was both funny and heartbreaking in so many ways. I'll say this-- Pappas is a courageous, strong, woman who has overcome a tragedy I wouldn't wish on anyone and she has written about it in hopes of helping others see that they too can overcome adversity and live a richer life. This memoir is about 330 pages or a 4 mile run that I'd recommend for anyone seeking a better way to live. You really CAN change your life. 

April 17, 2021 PLEASE RELEASE ME

Just got back from a MUCH needed little get away. Felt like I was released from prison. Seriously--I 

haven't been anywhere OR gone to a restaurant with my husband since COVID. I didn't even care that it rained and snowed the whole time. Took a little trip to the Berkshires. It's a lovely drive with great little towns and BOOKSTORES. We stopped at an interesting book store in Stockbridge and then went to the Norman Rockwell Museum. What a treasure. It's hard to believe that Rockwell painted 321 different covers for the Saturday Evening Post---starting when he was just 17 years old. That's A LOT OF WORK. Imagine  painting  a cover a month. That sounds CRAZY enough but he also had to decide what to paint first. That would be a real problem for me because I'm so indecisive.  Williamstown is also a lovely area. Stayed overnight and then visited The Clark. NOW THAT'S A REAL GEM. The collection includes Renoir,  Homer, Singer Sargent, Constable, Turner, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Mary Cassett, Monet, Manet, Durer, Pissaro, Remington.........and many more. Bookstores, museums, good food and drink--that's all I need. Oh yeah--a good pair running shoes and a yoga mat too. Peace. 

I just finished a very interesting novel written by Sue Monk Kidd called The Book of Longings that really got me thinking--What if???  In this novel, Kidd imagined that Jesus had a wife and her name was Ana. Ana was from a wealthy family in Sepphoris. She was an independent, scholarly woman who was  determined to have her own voice, but her family had other ideas. Against her will, she was originally betrothed to an older widower who suddenly dies. After a chance encounter with Jesus, her life changes.  Ana and Jesus marry and move to Nazareth to live with his family which includes his mother Mary and some siblings. Ana supports Jesus and learns to cope with his choices even though she doesn't fully understand, but also finds her own voice with the help of her Aunt Yaltha. Ana is eventually forced to flee to Alexandria with her aunt where she realizes her goals and discovers a sisterhood. This is essentially the story of the power of women.  Who knows--maybe there was a strong wife in Jesus' life. Scholars admit that their knowledge of the life of Jesus is very limited--especially his lost years between childhood and his ministry, so we really don't know. Why shouldn't he have had a wife? At that time in history, men were married by the time they were twenty. Kidd spent four years researching to write the book so read it and take from it what you will. It's about 400 pages and worth the read. 

April 10, 2021 MY WAY

 My attitude towards running has really changed and for that I'm thankful. 

I used to put SO much pressure on myself. It was crazy. Even exhausted, I used to make myself run after a LONG day at school.  They were TERRIBLE runs--but I did them anyway--BECAUSE I HAD TO GET THE RUN IN--or so I told myself. These days--I walk after school if I'm tired. AND THAT'S OKAY.  I don't try to RUN THROUGH injuries anymore either. THAT WAS REALLY DUMB. Had to learn that lesson the hard way too. I've had a foot that's been bothering me --so I've been more careful about running. Doing more yoga instead.  I've been nursing it for about a month and finally decided to give running a whirl again--Had a GREAT 6 mile run. Resting and stretching my foot made all the difference.  I think of running now as a privilege. I'm just grateful to be able to get out there and  put one foot in front of the other.  It doesn't really matter how far I run or how fast I am. I'M STILL OUT THERE AND I'M GETTING IT DONE. MY WAY.   I'm not getting any younger. Who knows how long it will last--so I might as well just enjoy the ride. Speaking of enjoying--I just finished a psychological thriller that had me hooked from the first page. It was called The Push by Ashley Audrain. The main character, Blythe, is a young woman who wants to break the cycle. Her grandmother and mother were both dysfunctional, selfish, unloving mothers. Shortly after marrying Fox, Blythe finds out she is pregnant with their first child. Although she is steeped in doubt, Fox assures her that she will be a great mom and their family will thrive. Unfortunately for Blythe, and many other women, that first birth doesn't go as planned. She gives birth to a healthy daughter named Violet, but experiences postpartum blues, has difficulty nursing, sleepless nights and is unable to bond with her daughter. Although she feels guilty, she doesn't really like her daughter and the feeling is mutual. Although she voices these concerns to her husband, Fox  refuses to admit there is a problem. A few years later, Blythe has a second child, a boy named Sam and her experience is very different. They immediately bond and she finally feels like a loving mother. Problems with Violet and her behavior weigh on Blythe's mind--she is manipulative, sneaky --maybe a "bad seed" but her husband refuses to see it. Do I have you interested?? Find out what happens to Blythe, Fox, Violet and Sam when you read this page turner for yourself. Did I mention that I loved the ending and we really taken aback. It's about 320 pages or a 3 mile run that will greatly disturb you.........on many levels. 

April 2, 2021 DON'T STOP BELIEVING

 I'm the luckiest person in the world. I get to meet incredible people who inspire me to be a better person. 

Believe it or not ---I'm talking about my students. I've been a teacher for a LONG time and have had the privilege of working with SO MANY GREAT KIDS who have grown up to become INCREDIBLE ADULTS. I don't usually Name--Names--but today is different. Way back in the OLDEN days--when I taught fifth grade--I had this little girl WHO LOVED TO READ AS MUCH AS I DID. She always had her nose in a book and carried them around like they were her best friends. She was different though--because she was legally blind. Even in fifth grade--she never let her disability STAND IN HER WAY. She worked hard and succeeded in every area--academics--theatre--dance. Her CAN-DO attitude made me smile. AND talk about KIND and POSITIVE--never met anyone so genuine in my life. This remarkable young girl is now a grown up who continues to BLOW MY MIND.  She always wanted to write a book and that  dream has come true too. The book is  called Yes and it's written by the ONE and ONLY Frankie Ann Marcille. This lovely book is based on Frankie's life and how she dealt with adversity because of her disability. As a young girl, she had big dreams but was told by many people that because of her disability, she shouldn't dream too big. Well--if you know Frankie, she faced her challenges head on and left the naysayers behind. This review would be incomplete if I didn't mention the illustrations --which were done by my son, Pat. Frankie's story is wonderful, but it's the combination of the story and illustrations that make it a must have book. It's worthing noting that Frankie and Pat have known each other forever. They actually attended the same schools from preschool through high school, so they have a special bond. Having an illustrator who truly knows the writer of the story is rare. And that's what make the book so special. He really knows the little girl in the story. WOW.  This book is not just for kids either.  It's a story that will  resinate with anyone who DREAMS BIG. Every generation needs to remember not to let anyone or anything stand in the way of making dreams come true. --The book launch is Saturday May 1, 2021, at McCook Point Park in Niantic, CT from 10-12. Covid precautions will be taken--masks for all.  There will be a read-aloud, Q & A with the author, illustrator and book signing. Hope to see you there.

March 27, 2021 CHICKEN FRIED

 Back in the day--my grandparents bought a 350 acre farm and my grandfather became a chicken farmer. It was called SueDick Farm--after his children. The farm housed several coops that held approximately 25,000 hens each. Talk about a FULL TIME JOB--The average hen lays about 250 eggs per year and he probably had 100,000 chickens.  NOW THAT'S A LOT OF EGGS. The eggs had to be collected --BY HAND--twice a day. Dawn and Dusk. They were placed in big wire baskets and then cleaned in big machines --kind of like washing machines. THEN-- they were put on a grading machine--BY HAND--to be weighed and packed--BY HAND--to sell. Lets do the math. A dozen eggs in the 1950's sold for about 60 cents. My grandfather sold his eggs to restaurants and various places by the case. A case of eggs held 30 dozen eggs so he made about 18 dollars a case. WOW. I remember helping---once in a while--but  my brothers were the real "farmhands." It was back breaking work. I've been thinking about the farm a lot lately. A friend of mine has 6 VERY HANDSOME HENS--and she surprised me with some FARM FRESH EGGS a few weeks ago. They were AMAZING. I haven't had  eggs like that since the farm--when I took them for granted. Missing the farm but grateful to have a friend with hens. BUK-BUK. Nao Yasutani, one of the main characters in Ruth Ozeki's lovely novel A Tale For The Time Being, is also missing the the past. Nao is a sixteen year old girl who grew up in Sunnydale, California. She has recently returned to Tokyo with her family after her father's disgrace. She's being bulled at school and her family is a mess. She has decided to end it all, but not before she records the life of her Buddhist nun great-grandmother Old Jiko-- in her secret diary. Ruth, the other main character in the story, is a writer who lives on a remote island in Canada called Whalestown. One day she is walking the beach with her husband when she finds a Hello Kitty lunch box that has washed ashore. She suspects the lunch box is from the Tsunami of 2011. When she opens the lunchbox, she finds, wrapped in plastic for safekeeping, Nao's diary. As Ruth reads the diary, she becomes engrossed in the story and is determined to find out what happened to Nao. This is a wonderful novel for so many reasons. It was really  interesting to learn about Japanese culture, tradition and their understanding of history especially WWII. I also loved Nao, her family and especially her Old Jiko.  This novel was at times laugh-out-loud funny, but  it was also heartbreaking and tragic. It is everything a well-written book should be. At about 400 pages--I'd say it's a 6 mile  run that I was sad to finish. 

March 19, 2021 TEEN ANGEL

 Do you remember being a GAWKY TEENAGER? 

Well-- I was transported back in time today. Back to  that UNFORTUNATE AGE--while at an event for my son--who just happens to be in eighth grade. All of the sudden it was 1979.  I was SKIN  and BONE. Long AND lanky AND AWKWARD. Uncomfortable in MY OWN  skin. My feet were too BIG and my arms SO long they practically dragged on the ground. UGH. I was trying to fold inward--TRYING TO HIDE MY ODDLY SHAPED BODY FROM BEING NOTICED. But that was impossible because I was TOO TALL--parading around in my "high waters". Towering  over EVERY boy in school.  My boyfriend LITERALLY had to stand on a step ladder for our first kiss. NOT KIDDING.  AND forget school dances--the strain on my neck and back from bending over while "Slow Dancing Swaying to the Music" put me on a heating pad for a week. In case you're wondering-- I was also FLAT.   YUP--apparently--I was flatter than a TWO by FOUR--or so the boys told me.  Those were tough times-------- Thank God I'm back. It's 2021 and I'm not that GAWKY TEEN anymore.  It's really hard being IN BETWEEN......I remember it vividly. If only Addie LaRue, the main character in V.E. Schwab's new novel The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, were just a little bit older when she made her deal. Addie is not like other girls in France in 1714 who only want to get married. She wants to live, be free and travel the world, but her parents have other plans. After her parents arrange her marriage, Addie takes matters into her own hands. She runs away and meets a stranger named Luc in the woods. She then makes a deal with Luc that forever changes her life. She now has her freedom, but the cost is greater than she could imagine. It's now three hundred years later and Addie meets a man in a bookshop in New York. This is the first person in 300 years who remembers her name. I don't want to say anything more so you will have to read the book for yourself to find out about Addie's life and how the man in the book store ultimately changes Addie's future.  This interesting, very different story is about 440 pages or a 6 mile run that I did enjoy. I'm still trying to decide if I liked the ending though......let me know what you think. 

March 13, 2021 DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME

YOU KNOW YOU'RE GETTING OLDER WHEN:        

•   You read People magazine AND DON'T RECOGNIZE THE CELEBRITIES. 
•   You say something to your kids that YOUR MOTHER USED TO SAY TO YOU.
•  It takes you TWICE as long to look HALF as good.
• You think you have more patience--but you really--JUST DON'T CARE ANYMORE.
• You look for your phone for an hour and it's in your pocket.
•  Your address book contains mostly DEAD people. Maybe just having an address book makes YOU old??
• You hear SNAP, CRACKLE, POP when you walk down the stairs. 
•  The "Oldies Station" is NOW playing the music you grew up with.

Yup--That about sums up my week.  Now on to bigger and better things. I'm a huge fan of Richard Russo, so I'm trying to read all of his books. I recently finished Nobody's Fool which was written in 1993 and made into a film staring Paul Newman in 1994. The novel is set in upstate New York in a tiny blue collar town called Bath and centers on the main character Donald "Sully" Sullivan. Sully is a 60 year old divorced  man with a bad knee who lives in a rented room above his landlady, Beryle Peoples. Because of his ailing health, Sully has difficulty working, but he is generally a construction worker when he can find the work and enough pain pills to make working bearable. Sully also seems to have commitment issues--an on again off again affair with a married woman and a son he could never commit to being a father to--because he's haunted. Haunted by his dead father, a mean drunk who abused him when he was a kid. Sully has never forgiven his father so in a sense--he's stuck. After his estranged son, Peter, returns to Bath, Sully is forced to face the choices he's made. This is a novel really about a small town, with a bunch of eccentric wonderful characters just trying to figure out life--which at times can be very complicated. It's about 560 pages or a 7 mile run that is well worth your time.