March 5, 2021 HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT

 Got my first COVID shot the other day--Moderna--and it really knocked me for a loop. I was extremely nauseous and fatigued. I couldn't eat and felt  like I had run two marathons back to back. Not sure how I made it through the day. Took a two hour nap as soon as I got home from school AND I NEVER NAP. Couldn't lift my arm for two days either. Finally feeling better but it's been a rough week. Thankful that I was able to get the shot.....but already worrying what the next one will be like. Maybe I should have waited for the Johnson & Johnson shot--then I'd only have to get ONE SHOT. Who knows. Looking forward to that second shot though because I REALLY NEED TO GET MY LIFE BACK. I miss restaurants, movies, theatre, the library, book stores, and just shopping in general. Take out is great but what about the atmosphere at THE BAR or BUTTERED POPCORN at the movies. I miss wandering around the library and the SCENT of new books at my favorite book store.  ONLINE SHOPPING IS JUST NOT THE SAME. I can FINALLY see the light at the end of the tunnel  though AND IT'S ABOUT 5 WEEKS AWAY. In the meantime, I'll tell you a little about Kristen Hannah's new novel  The Four Winds. As this lovely epic unfolds, it's 1921 and Elsa Wolcott  lives in Texas with her wealthy family. Because of an illness when she was young, Elsa is deemed unmarriable and doomed to spinsterhood --until she takes matters into her own hands. After meeting Rafe Martinelli and getting pregnant, Elsa's family disowns her and she is forced to marry Rafe and live and work on his family's farm. The novel then jumps ahead to 1934 and the Great Depression. Millions of people are out of work, and the Martinelli family is barely surviving. Droughts have caused dust storms across the Great Plains and farmers are going bankrupt. The family must decide whether to fight to save their land or go west to California in search of a better life. This sweeping novel has interesting characters and is beautifully written. It vividly brings to life the harsh realities of the Depression, the Dust Bowl and the spirit of the American people. Find out what ultimately happens to the Martinelli family when you read this 450 page--6 mile run--for yourself. Enjoy. 

***If you are currently in the DOLDRUMS--you might want to wait to read this book. Remember--it's about the GREAT DEPRESSION and the DUST BOWL.  I still have grit in my teeth and I finished the book two weeks ago.