April 30, 2020 JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE

If there's one thing I dislike about as much as grocery shopping --it's deciding WHAT'S FOR DINNER.  Just hearing those THREE WORDS used to make my BLOOD BOIL--before the pandemic. Today cooking dinner has taken on a whole new meaning--YUP-- cooking dinner has become an EVENT in my house. I guess I've REALLY hit ROCK BOTTOM. I've turned into SUZY HOMEMAKER-- I'm cooking away--BECAUSE IT GIVES ME SOMETHING TO DO. I've been trying new recipes--spending hours in the kitchen.  Here's a small sampling of some of the tasty food you can get at my restaurant:
Fish Tacos with Pico De Gallo and avocado slices
Blackened Fish/roasted veggies/arugula and couscous
Chicken Parmesan with house salad and freshly made bread
Grilled pizza--red or white--you choice your toppings
Bean Burgers with arugula, red onion and feta
Hearty Beef Stew with homemade cornbread
Eggplant Parmesan with fresh tomato basil sauce
Pulled Pork with black beans and rice
We also served healthy fruit smoothies with protein powder for breakfast and a variety of sides. Yup--that's what happens when you've been home for 7 WEEKS and you have TOO MUCH TIME.
If you're spending too much time in the kitchen then perhaps you'd like to take a break to read Terry McMillan's new book It's Not All Downhill From Here.
Loretha Curry, the main character in this novel, is a sixty-eight year old woman living in Pasadena who loves her family fiercely. After a sudden loss, her world is turned upside down. Her weight spirals out of control, putting her health in jeopardy, and her business is in limbo. In addition to  her own problems, her daughter Jalecia barely speaks to her,  her mother has recently moved into an assisted living, and her niece Cinnamon is pregnant. She's got a full plate.  Luckily for Loretha, she has a close knit group of friends who band together to help pick up the pieces. Her friend group-Ko, Lucky, Sadie, and Poochie--have been together for fifty years. They are raw, honest to a fault and hysterically funny at times.  Find out how Loretha finds her way through grief-- with humor, hope and a few prayers--when you read this novel  This book is about many things. It's about friendship, strong women, mental illness, addition, faith, and how we must all endure change and challenges in our lives.  This is an easy read--about 350 pages or a 3 mile run that's filled with hope and wisdom.

April 27, 2020 RHINESTONE COWBOY

The Grocery store. I hated grocery shopping BEFORE the pandemic. NOW I ULTRA HATE IT. Don't know how those doctors and nurses can stand wearing a mask ALL day. I wore one to the grocery store last week and almost passed out from my own carbon dioxide. OKAY--maybe it was just the anxiety over the whole experience. Not only did I suffer from lack of oxygen--I couldn't see a DAMN THING because my glasses kept fogging up. I was banging into everything--going up and down the wrong aisles--I'm surprised I didn't get arrested. And people get really NASTY if you go up the wrong aisle. I actually got into a  LITTLE altercation with some lady because I was GOING in the wrong direction. I am directionally challenged--on a good day. She gave me a VERBAL LASHING that was seriously OUT of proportion for the crime. Thought for a minute I was gonna be hanged in the town square at noon. Which brings me to my review of the Classic Western Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.
This incredible epic focuses on two famous retired Texas Rangers, Captain Woodrow Call and Captain Augustus "Gus" McCrae.  After spending years taming the West, the two now own the Hat Creek Cattle Company and Emporium in a tiny town in Texas called Lonesome Dove. They have been in Lonesome Dove for about ten years when they receive a visit from an old friend who regales them with tales of  Montana and his travels. Call and Gus then get the itch to go on one last great adventure. They decide to herd cattle from Texas to Montana with their company which includes Pea Eye, Deets, Dish, Newt and many others --to be the first to succeed in starting a cattle ranch in Montana. Along the way they encounter all kinds of danger and meet a host of unforgettable characters including ladies, whores, settlers, Indians, and sheriffs. This beautifully written novel is a story about friendship, ageing, death, and unrequited love on the last frontier. It's a biggy though--almost 900 pages or a 10 miles run that is well worth your time. Getting lost in Lonesome Dove is a great way to get through this pandemic!

April 18, 2020 TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME

The LONG book. Yup-- it's a commitment. But since we ALL have SO much EXTRA time these days--WHY NOT??  There are many good things about reading a longer book. Better character development--more intriguing plot--many times multigenerational--an ending that doesn't feel rushed either. I personally love the LONG novel because I get to spend MORE TIME in another world. A world that sometimes is much BETTER than my own---OR Worse--so that I can appreciate my own. One more great thing about the long novel--I don't have to WORRY about which book I'm going to read next because the LONG BOOK is going to keep me busy for quite a while. WHAT A RELIEF.  I'm currently reading an 845 pager. It's THICK. Remember Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty? It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1985. I'm lost in the American frontier with a couple of Texas rangers, outlaws, whores, ladies, cowboys and settlers. It's a good place to be. If you're not interested in the West, I've come up with a list of other GREAT LONG books that you can lose yourself in.
1. The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien--530 pages
2. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry--624 pages
3. A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving--645 pages
4. Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham--650 pages
5. Bleak House by Charles Dickens--680 pages
6. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt--880 pages
7. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb--900 pages
8. 11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King--1000 pages
9. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett--1104 pages
10.--These writers have written several books--so if you still don't want the giant commitment--check out their other  books. Enjoy!

April 13, 2020 STRANGE BREW

Strange Easter this year. Missed being with the family. In this time of social distancing my poor MIL sat home alone. Yes--we brought her a meal--BUT--she had to eat it alone. It's the first time she's spent Easter alone in her entire life.  She's one of the HIGH risk people--if she gets Corona virus-it's all over. It's a STRANGE trade off. Sit home alone--SO you don't DIE--But what's the point when all you do is SIT HOME ALONE. LIFE IS UNFAIR. I know many people are in the same situation right now. Hoping that things get back to--SOME KIND OF NORMAL--sooner than later because it's not easy to be home alone. Many elderly people were lonely BEFORE social isolation hit. Hopefully they have family stepping up to help them through this difficult time.  Happy Easter 2020 style--here's to a better one next year. In the meantime, I just finished a psychological thriller that will definitely help you forget you're alone called You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen.
Shay Miller is a lonely woman living in New York City who witnesses the unthinkable. One day while she's waiting for the subway, she sees a young woman commit suicide by jumping in front of a train. After the accident, Shay becomes fixated with the dead woman, Amanda Evinger, and even attends her memorial service where she meets the Moore sisters. Jane and Cassandra Moore, friends of Amanda, become interested in Shay because she was the last person to see Amanda alive. They are concerned that Amanda may have given Shay evidence to connect them to a crime. As Shay tries to put the pieces of her life back together, the Moore sisters work to unravel it and send her over the edge. Did Amanda leave anything for Shay? Will Shay get her life back or will the Moore sisters be successful? Find out when you read this 350 page--4 mile run- suspense filled page turner for yourself. Enjoy.

April 9, 2020 ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE

Sometimes it's difficult to keep a positive mind set. With worrying about family, friends, rainy days and lack of toilet paper--somethings gotta give right? Seriously, I have to work REALLY hard to remain optimistic. When I start feeling down--I immediately STOP and think about all the things I'm grateful for-- And that usually sets me straight. I also try to surround myself with positive people because negative people suck the life out of me. A sense of HUMOR is SUPER important right now too--so I always have time for funny people . Been trying to stick to my routine as much as possible too. Up and out of the house bright and early for a run--Fresh air and sunshine make everything OK. Trying to stick to my regular eating routine too because it's WAY TOO easy to fall off the FOOD wagon  and that would send me into a purple funk. Hope you are finding ways to stay positive too. Remember--the only thing we can control is ourselves. 

 If you're looking for something positive to do this afternoon, then pick up a copy of J. Courtney Sullivan's family drama  Saints For All Occasions. Nora and Theresa Flynn, the two protagonists in the story, live with their family in a small village in Ireland.  After Nora's fiance, Charlie, leaves Ireland to settle in America, he invites Nora and  Theresa to join him.  Nora is the shy, practical, responsible sister, whereas, Theresa is the social, outgoing sister who just wants to have fun. After settling in Boston, Nora questions her decision to marry Charlie while her sister gets pregnant. Nora is then forced to take charge as Theresa is sent away and their once close relationship is forever changed. Fast forward fifty years. Nora is now a widow with four grown children. After tragedy strikes, Nora and her sister are forced together again to face secrets from the past and try to reconcile their relationship. This lovely novel is told through alternating voices with wonderful, interesting characters. Sullivan is spot on with her characterization in this Irish immigrant/Irish Catholic family saga. This book is about 350 pages or a 4 mile run that will get you through a rainy afternoon. Enjoy. 

April 4, 2020 LEARN THE HARD WAY

Teaching through Corona virus. It ain't easy. I've learned the INS and OUTS of Google Meet. I've learned to teach lessons via Screencastify.  I've Zoomed--Loomed--Doomed. You name it- I've done it.  I've learned to be EVEN more flexible, creative and understanding too. BUT-- the most important thing I've learned--Teachers will NEVER be out of a job. It is impossible to replicate the classroom via computers. Relationships CAN NOT be formed virtually. The teacher/student relationship has to be formed in the classroom. It is the KEY to successful students. When students know their teachers support them--they want to succeed. They become more self-confident--willing to take  the risks  necessary to blossom and grow. I love getting to know ALL my students. I love helping them reach their goals.  I love to joke around with them--tease them--sing with them--whatever it takes to get them to know that I CARE. That's why I teach. I miss my classroom, my students AND our camaraderie. Hope to see you--IN PERSON--real soon.

It going to take a special kind of person to get through Nicole Krauss' novel Forest Dark. I decided to read this book because I've read her previous novels and really liked them. I especially LOVED The History of Love--so read that instead. Forest Dark is a tough read. Set in New York City and Israel, the story is about two people, Jules Epstein and Nicole. Jules is a a wealthy, retired, troubled man. After the death of his parents, three months apart, he decides to divorce his wife of thirty years and give away all his money and possessions. He also decides to go "home" to Tel Aviv on a sort of pilgrimage, and later goes missing. Nicole (can't help but think this is autobiographical) is a famous author, with two children and a failing marriage. In an effort to revive her career, she is suffering from writer's block, she decides to go to the Hilton Tel Aviv where her family frequently traveled in her youth. During her visit, she meets a literature professor who tries to convince her to finish  some of Kafka's work. The story flips back and forth between the characters but it is ultimately about the two characters and their metamorphosis (Kafka's short story) and  journey of self-discovery. It's about 280 pages or a 6 mile run with many hills. Good Luck.