Writer. Editor. Teacher. Maker.
There was much rejoicing at Chez Golightly last night. Neal has been a lifelong Cardinals fan, and their win made him happy. Since our visit to Busch Stadium in 2010, I’ve grown to enjoy baseball, too. St. Louis is a special baseball town, and I couldn’t help but smile as I watched the fans celebrate a most excellent win.
Way to go, Cards!
For the sixth year in a row, Sara and I took the back roads from CT to NY, enjoying conversation and leaf peeping along the way. Our excitement mounted as we pulled into the Dutchess County Fairgrounds for the New York Sheep and Wool festival…aka, Rhinebeck.
A few years ago I started a book club with a two friends from my high school days. Frankly, they are two of the smartest people I know, and I wanted an excuse to hang out with them. Also, I dream of a Finnegans Wake reading group to replace my Ulysses group, and I had high hopes I could lure my pals into it. So far, that hasn’t happened, but the reading group, the Tobacco Valley Inklings, has grown in membership and provides a delightful way to meet up and have intellectual conversations with friends.
A few moments ago, I finished our current selection, The Grapes of Wrath. I’ve read it at least two other times, and I always enjoyed it. This reading, though, in times when the nation is under duress again, gutted me. I often play around in my mind, creating lists of those books I feel qualify on a list of Great American Novels. There is no doubt that this is one.
One passage, in particular, made me weep, and I feel compelled to share it here. For context, the lines are Tom’s as he explains to Ma why, even if he dies, she does not need to feel he is gone.
“I’ll be ever’where-wherever you look. Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever they’s a cop beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there. If Casy knowed, why, I’ll be in the way guys yell when they’re mad an’ –I’ll be in the way kids laugh when they’re hungry an’ they know supper’s ready. An’ when our folks eat the stuff they raise an’ live in the houses they build–why, I’ll be there. See?” (419)
Hey, I’ve missed you all! I’m juggling a few deadlines and buried under a pile of grading from which I may not emerge until December, but I may finally have started to find a little balance again. Anyhow, I’m procrastinating on a bit of grading that must be done before 7:50 a.m. on Wednesday to write my ToT, because, people, I have had a jam-packed weekend, which is perfect for this week’s topic.
Here’s Ten Things I Did this Weekend.
1. Visited with Sara. Yup, she’s on our side of the pond, and on Friday I had lunch with her and got to hang out for a few hours.
2. Crocheted thousands of stitches. Okay, maybe two thousand. I’m working on some hairpin lace crochet designs, and I’ve been stitching like a mad person.
3. Ate dinner in the living room. That’s not such a rare thing, but this weekend, the dining room was off limits because Neal sanded and polyurethaned the hardwoods. They have to cure for a few days before we can move the furniture back in, and man, are they shiny!
4. Tutored. One of the services I offer through my writing consulting business is tutoring, and I’ve been working with a cool student since summer. We only have a few more sessions together, as her college application essays are the last work on which we’re focusing.
6. Chased a bird out of my office suite. Seriously. Monday was a holiday on campus, but I went in to get ahead on some prep work (or to at least stay afloat), and what do I hear? Flap, flap, flap. Chirp. I opened some windows. It took a while, but birdy finally flew free.
7. Joined Rhinebeck Blogger Bingo. I’m a square! I’ll post a picture of what I’m wearing on Friday, and I hope I’ll see you there on Saturday.
8. Raged against cancer. One of my pals is fighting the good fight, but I’m pissed that there’s a fight to be fought.
9. Baked sugar cookies for my dad. I send him a box of cookies for his birthday in January, but he’s in FL then, and I’m in CT, so I don’t get to watch him enjoy them. I brought them over on Sunday, and I was pleased to see him in cookie-eating action.
10. Watched many episodes of Breaking Bad. All that crocheting necessitates entertainment. I’m on season three and really like the show.
What about you? What did you do this weekend?
It’s Neal’s birthday!
I snapped this photo of him last week, in just one of the many poses I love to see: him, reading on the deck. When we first got together, he wasn’t much of a reader (though there was plenty of evidence that he had, in fact, once been an avid reader). He claimed law school ruined him for reading (I understand; the summer after I finished my MFA, I read ONE book. It was a long book [Blonde], but, still), but then sheepishly acknowledged that law school had been over for quite a while.
Trying to recreate some of my favorite pastimes from my life in New York, I started a book club here. When we read The Road, or maybe it was The White Tiger, he joined us for the discussion, and soon after became a regular member, in part because it pleased me beyond measure to read together and discuss books with him.
That’s how Neal is. He will make an effort. He’ll make a commitment, and he will take that commitment seriously. I have learned more about loyalty and love from him than I ever thought I needed to learn. I’m grateful to be married to a dear man, a dear friend, and if I could shout it from the highest mountain, you’d hear quite the echo of “Happy birthday, Neal!”
While I don’t get to say happy birthday to him every day, I can manage to segue to this week’s Ten on Tuesday list. Carole asked for Ten Things I Do Daily:
1. Tell Neal I love him.
2. Move. At a minimum, I walk the dogs, but I also try to run some stairs (laundry in the basement is good for that), walk instead of drive (especially on campus), ride my bike or the trainer. I’m going to run a 5K in December (and, hey, there’s a $100 fundraising goal if you care to contribute to a good cause), which will mean a little more diversification in my workouts. It isn’t much of a run, but I’m looking forward to the camaraderie of running with my friends and colleagues.
3. Straighten up. I have a routine before I leave for work or start my day at home: wipe down counters, bring out recycling, tidy the living room, make the bed, put dog toys away. This doesn’t replace real cleaning, but I do like to come home to tidy rooms.
4. Hang out with the dogs. Sometimes Neal gives them their afternoon walk, but even if he does that, I hang out on the deck or in my office with them.
5. Read. It often takes me all week to read the Sunday New York Times, which I usually read with my breakfast and lunch. I also like to read for a little while when I get home from work (often on the deck, while the dogs roam the yard) and again before I go to sleep.
6. Write. Sometimes I’m working on a story, sometimes I’m writing here, sometimes I’m writing in a paper journal, sometimes I’m writing letters. I try, as my tattoo reminds me, to never go a day without a line (or more!).
7. Feel gratitude. My religious life has changed a lot since I was a girl. I still maintain the belief I held as a young Roman Catholic, though, that prayer is simply reflection, a time to feel gratitude, to examine myself, to examine my world, and to consider how I might improve both. I subscribe to belief in a Great Creator who wants me to create, too, and I honor that as much as I can.
8. Dream. No, I’m not one of those lucky persons who remembers all sorts of crazy dreams upon waking. I rarely remember my dreams, and most often, what I remember could be better called nightmares. I do spend some time every day dreaming about my goals, considering the possibilities, refining what I want to do to breathe life into those dreams.
9. Enjoy social media. Once in a while, I have a day when I don’t post somewhere: Twitter, G+, Ravelry, Facebook, Pinterest. Most days, though, I have happy little breaks when I look at pretty things on Pinterest or catch up with my writing, teaching, and crafting communities. While I know it is easy to use social media as a procrastination tool, used with restraint, it enriches my world.
10. Shower. Yeah, this is an exciting addition to the list, almost as thrilling as teeth brushing. While I no longer wash my hair every day, the rest of me does get clean. Mostly, though, I like the water’s heat on my back. Even without coffee (which I drink every day, just one cup), if I’ve had my shower, I’m awake.
How about you? Beyond the obvious, what do you do every day?
Last Sunday, my eldest niece was married, and almost all of my family was there to celebrate with her. I took only a few photos, and I couldn’t resist sharing one of the bride and groom. They were so happy, laughing and smiling at each other all afternoon!
It is a rare and delightful thing to have our family in one place, and I really enjoy seeing the younger generation interact with each other, as well as getting to hang out with them myself. Here I am, pictured with my eldest godson and third nephew, Drew. He’ll be graduating from high school in the spring, which is all sorts of astounding. It was just the other day he was a tiny, premature baby, wasn’t it? Let’s not talk about the 3″ heels I wore that did not make me taller than Drew!
I was so busy dancing and chatting (despite having laryngitis and a doctor’s order to be on total voice rest), that the afternoon flew by. The best parts of the day for me, over and over, came when I caught the eyes of my nieces and nephews and saw just how happy they were to be with their family. I am proud of my “kids” and proud to claim my role as Auntie.
What has you feeling proud lately?
Kym asked what bags were in the running for Perfect Handbag, so I thought I’d post links (dudes, I’m too lazy to save and upload all those pictures. Clickity click. It will be fun and worth it.) with comments about what I like or what is missing.
Jill pointed me to the Kelly Boy Bag. It is *so* close to perfection. I’m just not sure how I’d like the removable/adjustable velcro dividers. I’d have to mess around with them in person to tell.
I’ve long been a fan of Floto Imports and have a number of their bags, so I know the high quality I could expect from the Livorno Bag, but it is missing a key fob, a water bottle pocket, and pen slips. Still, that blue leather makes my heart sing.
Clare Vivier’s La Trop, in brown no less, has the classic, elegant look I crave, but, in the end, brown is wrong for me, and where are the pockets? Still, I’d use the heck out of this if I had it!
Covet by Rebecca Minkoff is also tres elegant. I like the sleekness of the bag, but I couldn’t put an A4 folder in it.
Jutta Neumann’s work is stylish and cool. She doesn’t show any interiors, though, so I’ll have to go to NYC to take a look in person (really, I’m astounded at how few sites selling bags give enough information about the interiors). I have a belt I purchased from her back in 2000-ish, and it makes me happy with its simplicity every time I wear it.
CrystalynKae Troubadour Bag has great interior pockets, but no flap, outside pockets, or cross-body strap. One of my colleagues swears by CrystalynKae bags, and I was impressed by the one she carried.
I would wait for the Kate Spade Algonquin Campbell to go on sale (Kate Spade runs great sales), but really, I want the handles to be long enough to wear on my shoulder, and there’s the water bottle issue. Still, like the Covet, I like it’s sleekness.
The biggest contenders right now come from MZ Wallace: the Jane, and, after consultation with @MZWallaceNYC on Twitter, the Haley is getting the highest score from me. It isn’t leather, which means it will be lighter weight (the Livorno is 3.5 pounds!), and while there is not a dedicated water bottle pocket, my new Twitter friend tested out a 16.9 oz. water bottle in one of the front pockets and called it perfect. So, the only drawbacks are the lack of pen slides (fine, I’ll start carrying my pencil case) and a key fob.
MZ Wallace is also getting a thumbs up for providing useful information about their bags’ interiors. I’d still like pictures, but the sketches and strong descriptions go a long way. The best place I’ve found for learning about a bag’s qualities is Zappos. They’ve created videos for many of the handbags they sell, which show the bags on regular people, who also open up the bag and show off the pockets and other features.
Kelly suggested that I find something close on Etsy or Artfire and ask the artisan to customize a bag for me. I have been scouting around, but have not yet found anything that makes my heart sing. Still, I’m closing in on my quest.
What have you been hunting for lately?
Today’s list is Ten Headlines from the Year I was Born. So much for the mystery of my age…oh, wait, you already knew that I’m not, in fact, 32 still?
Well, the biggest news of my birth year has to be that
1. I was born in a blizzard! Wikipedia may just call it a nor’easter, but ask my parents; it was a full-on blizzard, and, yes, my dad managed to shovel out the car and get my mom to the hospital before I arrived. Guess that’s an advantage of having one’s fifth child: one doesn’t panic.
2. Man walked on the moon! My mom always told me that I was born when man first set foot on the moon. I thought (for a really long time) that she meant, like, the exact same minute. It was a little disappointing to realize I’d been around for a few months when that happened. Because, you know, a blizzard is not quite enough drama for me.
3. Those dirty hippies all got together to make some music.
4.Midnight Cowboy won Best Picture. My buddy Ben showed me the movie when I was in my late twenties, and despite my dislike of film aesthetics from the 60s/70s, I loved this one.
5. The horrific Manson murders shocked the nation.
6. The Concorde took her maiden flight!
7. The first withdrawals of U.S. troops from Vietnam were made.
8. Gap opened its first store.
9. The Chicago Eight Trial began.
10. Muammar Gaddafi gained power in Libya after a military coup.
Quite a variety of events, don’t you think? What was in the headlines when you were born?
If you follow me on Twitter, I’m probably on your nerves at this point with all my complaints and sighs as I seek the perfect handbag. So many that I look at are *this close* to perfection, but none are quite there.
Or, some may be, but I can’t tell because the designer’s website images are so 1930s-sex-scene that I can only imagine what happens when that zipper is opened.
Maybe you can point me in the right direction. Here’s the list of demands:
This week Carole asked for a list of Ten Weekly Purchases (not groceries). Other than groceries, there is little that I do purchase on a weekly basis, so I’m stretching the time frame to the very unspecific “regular”.
1. Tall non-fat, no-water dirty chai. Or sometimes a tall non-fat latte. Or, last week, a tall, non-fat, no-whip two-pump pumpkin latte. In other words, a beverage at Starbucks (for our lack of local mom & pop cafe that stays open late enough to accommodate the knitters).
2. Fill-up of regular unleaded gas. I use my Stop & Shop points and buy it in Massachusetts about every 8-10 days.
3. The Sunday New York Times. Technically, I’m buying it monthly as I have a subscription. Our local paper, bless its heart, is a tad thin on actual news, plus, after living in New York for 15 years, and working with Times journalists/photographers when I was in PR, it’s a nostalgic purchase.
4. Dog food. The mutts eat a non-grocery store brand of kibble, which necessitates a trip to the feed store every week to ten days.
5. Patterns. I have slowed down my pattern buying, but I can’t resist reading patterns when I love a knit or crocheted object. Oh, Ravelry, what you’ve done to me! I’m getting better at just favoriting items I like, but sometimes, I just have to know how the thing is made.
6. Greeting cards. I love to send birthday cards, off-beat holiday cards (you’re more likely to get a Halloween card from me than a Christmas card), and thinking-of-you cards.
7. Flowers. When the gardens are in bloom, I cut them myself, but otherwise, I buy flowers every few weeks. They keep me cheerful.
8. Thai food. Green papaya salad; spinach tofu soup; pad thai; sesame tofu; massamum curry; mango tofu. So many delicious dishes! Every other week or so, I happily indulge in some take out.
9. Books. I would guess I buy at least one a month. I borrow a lot from the library, but there are many I want to annotate while I read, and the library frowns on that.
10. Time. Okay, so maybe I’m not purchasing it with cash, but I do try to buy time by being organized and focused.
Whew! This was a challenging list for me! What do you purchase on a regular basis?
