June 30, 2024 CLOSING TIME

 

Back in the day--I went to Kalamian Rug Shop to pick out rugs. I'd take a few home to see if they looked good--bring back the ones I didn't like--pay for the rugs I kept. It was a super convenient, easy way to get what I wanted. Fast forward--there is NO WHERE to buy rugs anymore. Drove all over creation AND NO LUCK. Spent SEVERAL hours online shopping for rugs. There are over 5 billion rugs online so the whole thing gave me a GIANT headache. I actually like to touch the rugs, check out how soft/hard they are and see the colors IN PERSON.  So now I guess I'm actually going to have to order rugs--and return the ones I don't like. That sounds like a HUGE pain in the ass to me. It's not like I'm returning a pair of jeans. RUGS are big--awkward--and expensive to return. Shaking me head......Just finished a good mystery set in a bookstore called Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan. Set in Denver, Lydia Smith is a clerk at the Bright Ideas Bookstore. This is a funky store complete with "Book Frogs"--lonely regulars who hang out at the bookstore--among them is her favorite--Joey Molina. One night at closing time, Joey's dead body is found on the second floor--an apparent suicide. Equally disturbing, is the picture he has in his pocket of Lydia as a young girl. After Lydia inherits Joey's collection of books, she discovers a mystery--hidden messages throughout the books. What do they mean? What do they have to do with her?  Will they involve her own childhood trauma? Read this interesting mystery, with several twists and turns to find out the answers to these questions and many more. It's about 300 easy pages that you will find hard to put down. 

June 18, 2024 SHOCK THE MONKEY

 

Took my son to look at UCONN yesterday. Haven't been in that area in forever. I used to work at the Papa Gino's at the East Brook Mall in Mansfield 40 years ago. OMG. Can't believe it was that long ago. Felt a little nostagic so I made a point to stop at the mall on my way home. Talk about a blast to the past. It was like walking into a time warp. Sadly, many of the stores are closed---as most malls have really suffered since COVID--but I was thankful that the PAPA GINO'S was still there--AND it looked exactly the same. It was all I could do not to walk behind the counter and start making a pizza--wipe the counter down--or go the the register to take an order. That was my first REAL job and I loved it. Worked our tails off for $3.00 an hour. Great friends and a tons of memories were made in those restaurants. Who knew then that those were the days.....Speaking of a time warp--I just finished Lisa Grunwald's new book The Evolution of Annabel Craig. This super interesting, well-written historical fiction novel  is set in Dayton, Tennessee, during the Scopes Monkey Trial and is told by the main character, Annabel Craig. Annabel was born and bred in Dayton, a  quiet, conservative town. After her parents die, Annabel meets a new lawyer in town named George Craig and they marry within the year. During this time, the town locals talk John Scopes, a biology teacher, into teaching the theory of evolution, which is prohibited in Tennessee because of the Butler Act. He is arrested and the town is suddenly a hot spot. Famous lawyers and preachers come from all over as witnesses in the trial--it's the Bible and Christianity VS Darwin's Theory of Evolution. The trial not only divides the town and pits neighbor against neighbor, it also sparks Annabel's own evolution and journey of self-discovery. Interestingly, this event from 100 years ago, reminds me a bit of what's happening in our world today and is a reminder that we should all be a little more opened minded and reflective in order to make our world a better place. 

June 9, 2024 TIME AFTER TIME

 

Week one of summer vacation in the books. Great success. There is nothing better than going out for an early morning run--bike ride--yoga class. That's what makes me happy. I really need to be out in the morning--doing my thing. It helps me feel grounded--balanced and at peace. And the weather has been wonderful too. A perfect blend of sun--wind--clouds too so I can do my other favorite thing--Read at the beach. Just finished a lovely book that any booklover will want to read. It's called The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. This charming tale centers on three characters. Opaline is a young woman living in Paris in 1920's who runs away from home to avoid an arranged marriage and live life on her own terms. Martha is an abused wife who flees to Dublin to hide from her husband. She finds a job as a live in housekeeper for an elderly woman where she meets Henry. Henry is in Dublin searching for a lost bookshop and a woman named Opaline who disappeared a hundred years ago. Although these characters appear to have nothing in common, they are all connected somehow. As Henry and Martha become friends, their search for Opaline and the bookshop lead the reader into a  story that's filled with many twists and turns, characters who are really interesting and good writing. It's a magical story of about 400 pages that's also historical with a little romance mixed in too. It's the whole bag. Relax and enjoy the ride. 

June 2, 2024 SUMMER BREEZE

 

School's out for summer. AMEN. Survived another year. It REALLY does get harder every year. When I first started teaching --it was mandatory to have a plan book and a grade book. The plan book had to be open at all times on your desk so administration could see it when they came in your classroom. AND who could live without a grade book to keep track of student progress........TODAY.......I'm a DINOSAUR. I'm the only teacher left at my school who uses them. I asked the secretary for new ones  yesterday and she looked at me like I was a NUT. That's very telling. It's almost time. Going to have to get on the retirement train sooner than later. Seriously.  I was telling a friend the other day----I feel like I went to bed --woke up the next morning and all the rules changed--but I didn't get them memo. Anyone else feeling that way?? Another reason  to stick my nose in a book. Just finished a quirky little gem that's just in time for summer called The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl. Set in the 1980s, Stella St. Vincent is a copy editor for a small publishing company in New York City. She live a quiet, rigid, scheduled existence until her estranged mother dies. As an inheritance, Stella is left a plane ticket to Paris and $8000.00. Once in Paris, Stella gradually breaks out of her shell and starts to try new things. One day, She stops in a vintage store and buys a Dior dress which is totally out of character. After this purchase, her life really starts to change. She meets an art collector who opens her world to fine dining, art, fashion and a world of new adventures. It really is a fairy tale come true so you have to go with the fun. Reichl, the author, is a former restaurant critic and editor who really knows her food as the taste, descripton and her love of food shine throughout the novel. If you love Paris, art, food, fashion--and want to go on an adventure--check out this easy to read, quick novel for yourself.