Five On Friday: Where I've Been, What I've Been Doing And Reading, and Always Abraham Lincoln

 

found here

Goodness! June is practically over and I'm just now showing up here. Absolutely ridiculous. Let's jump right in and get caught up.

1. We just returned from a 3.5 day jaunt up to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. It had been over a year since we had last been, and our wine cellar showed it. The drive up was...difficult. I was in some pain and had had no meaningful sleep the night before. I admit that I was worried about taking the trip and how I'd do on a ride that long. Luckily, we always seemed to find a stop just when I needed one to stretch. As usual, we stayed in the same little inn and visited our favourite winery where we bought So. Much. Wine. I fretted about getting it all across the border--I always worry about being pulled over and put in jail or something--but it was fine. Will we try it with 7 cases again? Probably not. 

Our tasting there with my Canadian husband was, as usual, wonderful. We are wine nerds, and he goes into great depth talking about his wines, how he makes them, how they are aged (in oak [French, American, Slovenian], steel, terracotta, even concrete!), and lots of other oenological tidbits. Nothing makes me happier as I sip than to hear terms like sur lees, malolactic fermentation, terroir, and residual sugar. 

We ended up meeting another couple at the inn who were there during our stay once before, and the wife is an avid reader. We talked books, books, and more books at breakfast every morning. What a delight. And a movie is being filmed in downtown NotL--a screen version of the book Beach Read. It was fascinating to see all the cameras and crew members and to note what locations were being used. I was glad, however, to get back home--to my own bed, my own routine, my porch and patio, my herb garden, and my orange cat. Which leads me to...

2.  Piper, the aforementioned orange cat. He is 16 now, and he has started to show it more and more. He crackles when he stretches; he won't get up onto the couch or anything without help; he is yowling at absolutely nothing, even in the middle of the night. He was never this vocal when Marlowe, his sister, was still with us. I'm pretty sure he's lost some of his hearing as well. We do everything we must to keep him comfortable, including this:

Nothing like a backyard nap beside the pond

"Do NOT mow my spot!"

He loves being outdoors, and he especially likes the pond. Sam took care of him while we were in NotL, and Piper was fine. He continues to eat well and demand ice in his water. I was worried he'd be standoffish or accusatory when I got home, but 

That evening

I was forgiven. Clearly, though, he's letting me know that I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.

3. And that's very true. Unfortunately, Jared has to have yet another operation on his foot. Back in February he had lisfranc surgery, but now a ruptured tendon has been discovered, one that has made it impossible for him to move his toes or lift his foot while resting on the heel. Surgery is soon, and we will be needed a great deal for childcare. Fingers crossed that this is The Last One and that his recovery is uneventful and speedy. Caring for Theo is always fun, usually very easy, but often very tiring for me. He is a busy, smart, and verbal toddler, and keeping up with him can be a lot. Do I love it? Yes! He recently has taken to calling me My Friend Nana. And hearing him recite passages from his favourite books is almost alarming. His memory is scary. I try to remember that and do what I can to make sure all his memories with me are good ones.

4. Speaking of Good Ones, I just finished reading Here, There, And Everywhere:  My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles by Geoff Emerick. Yes, I was on a bit of a Beatles nostalgia run there for a time. The writer was The Beatles sound engineer for the bulk of their albums and singles. Not only does he provide a great deal of insight into the band's (and its members') personality, creative process, rise and breakup, he also explains the whole inner workings of making recordings--the sound, the special effects they requested, the process, and how he came to be a sound engineer. I love books like this, ones that teach me something I have no idea about. Even the technical stuff was never dry or boring because he always explained it in the context of making The Beatles music their own. (Julie, I think Ted would enjoy this book very much.) I've since gotten three more books, Whistler by Ann Patchett, Land by Maggie O'Farrell, and the one I'm reading now, The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout. I think I was sort of warned off of the Strout book by a blogfriend because it wasn't very uplifting or fun and it does deal with our current politics (pre-2024 election); however, I'm enjoying its thoughtful and perceptive tone and story. My Favourites Shelf is two deep with some stacked in front now. 

5. I also have a shelf devoted solely to books about President Lincoln/Mary Lincoln/the Civil War. Recently, Jared recommended a Netflix docu-series to me entitled simply Lincoln. It has three episodes and a cadre of elite historians including Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of the excellent Lincoln book Team of Rivals. The actor who plays Pres. Lincoln looks astonishingly like him, and the entire series is superbly acted and presented. Also included are many photos, some of which I hadn't seen before and found extremely moving. (And those of you that have been reading me here forever know how I get about photographs of some people.) Highly recommend.

Okay! I feel like I've caught you up. And on a Lot Of Stuff! But we can always talk some more in Comments.

Brain Broom: Sweeping Out Some Cerebral Such-And-Such

 

It's time to clear out some cranial clutterbits. I had to think about this stuff, and now you do, too. This won't happen too often, so don't be overly concerned. No way do I ever want you to spend a great deal of time inside my head. 

It can be scary in there.

1. Podcasts--As I've said many times before, I am not a fan of podcasts. So many--too many--sound ill-planned, rambling, and boring. They make me impatient and irritated; stop yammering about tangential things and inside jokes and get to the point. It's more tedious than party conversation at a gathering of a bunch of people that I don't know. One exception to this is the podcast Ill-Advised by Bill Nighy. Nighy is a British actor you may have seen in a Pirates of the Caribbean film or the movie Love, Actually, among others. It's delightful. As The Guardian put it, "the questions Nighy tackles range wildly, from how to avoid going to parties to “Why doesn’t my horse like me?” His advice is always conversational, generous and uncertain, with a sprinkling of his trademark self-deprecation. Each episode begins with various reasons why you shouldn’t listen to a word he says." Each installment has predictable segments:  listener questions, banned words, a recommended playlist, and a favourite book he then reads an excerpt from. All of this takes place in nice, 25-30 minute chunks. He has an Instagram, too. Highly recommend.

2. Reading--I just finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog, reviewed a few months ago by Engie. I was in the middle of it when I put it down and actually wrote her a thank-you note. It immediately went on my Favourites shelf of my bookcases. One of the things I loved best about it was the main character's (Mme. Michel) devastation and dismay when encountering mistakes in The Language. She describes receiving a note with a misplaced comma as an attack, and she has to sit down immediately to recover. It's a beautiful story about humanity, self-perception, and finding beauty and understanding in a world that may feel unsatisfactory. The ending is cause for a great deal of thought.

3. Birds--We tried our darndest to save a brood of baby robins a few weeks back. It was eerily reminiscent of this episode six years ago. A mother robin built her nest on the crook of the downspout under the eaves of our house. She didn't do a very good job because at one point the nest tipped over and I found two naked, giblet-sized babies in my herb garden. One was still alive; the other one wasn't breathing. I did what I could to revive the unresponsive baby, but my efforts were in vain. Since I am banned from all ladders, I immediately put Rick into service. I put the living baby back into the nest, and Rick replaced it. That didn't last long. It tipped over again, so I again employed Rick, this time to use some zip ties to anchor it in. Mama Robin came back, kept fidgeting around to get comfortable, then abandoned the nest after a day or so. Naturally, I worried and fretted over it until Rick went back up the ladder to check on it. The baby was nowhere to be found, but a new egg was now there. We waited about a week, then removed the nest. She hasn't returned to rebuild, so I am morose. Another sadness is that my blue jays have disappeared, likely because the robins have established my yard as their territory. The two are classic enemies, but I wish the blue jays had prevailed.

4. Basil/Pesto--We had a couple of 90 degree days, so I was finally able to get my 9 basil plants (raised from seed and cuttings) into the ground. Actually, Rick did this; I am unable due to my illness, and I merely supervised and thanked him profusely. Once they were in, I trimmed them up again, made a few cubes of basil with olive oil in my mini-processor to add to pasta/sauce, and stuck them in the freezer. As I was doing this, I remembered that a Comment on a previous post asked for my pesto recipe. All I can do is to give you the basic recipe that I work from but modify, like so many cooks out there. Here it is:

1 C basil leaves

1/2 C parsley (I prefer curly)

2 garlic cloves

1/3 C grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper

1/4 C walnuts or almonds (I avoid pine nuts; they're often not good quality)

Very good extra-virgin olive oil

Place herbs and garlic in food processor; pulse high until all is chopped well. Add cheese, S&P, and nuts. While processing, stream in olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Put into small jars, add a thin layer of olive oil on top (to prevent browning), and add lid. Refrigerate immediately. Lasts 2-3 weeks. Alternatively, put into ice cube tray and freeze, then store cubes in reclosable plastic bag.

5. Rod Stewart--I have been a fan of Rod Stewart forever, but never more than recently when he attended a charity event hosted by King Charles shortly after the monarch's trip to the USA and the state dinner at the White House. In the receiving line, Rod said, "May I say well done, sir, in the Americas. Superb. Put that little rat bag in his place." Here's video of the incident, and I'm even more deeply in love with Rod Stewart now. And rat bag is my new name for the criminal at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. No caps.

Okay! I feel more tidy and less burdened, at least for now. Chat me up in Comments. 

This And That, The Goodbye April Version

 

Why? WHY?!

Tomorrow is May 1st, and I am still trying to figure out where in the heck April went. Also, will someone please inform the Weather Deities that it is May and not February. We have had two freeze warnings in the past ten days, and I have 11 basil plants sitting all over my kitchen, waiting to be put in my herb garden. I've already trimmed them down once. It would be great to get them into the ground before I have to do it again, you know? Look at those hideous temperatures and ALL THAT RAIN. Ridiculous and completely unacceptable. WHAT IS HAPPENING? I already put away all my sweaters and toasty clothes. It's just wrong.

Speaking of basil, our friend Butch who owns a local garden center sent over a plastic grocery bag full of basil trimmings from the greenhouse. I wasn't feeling awesome, but I immediately got out my food processor and all the ingredients to make pesto. Thank goodness Rick is amenable to helping, and the tedious job of pulling all the leaves off the basil went quickly. As a result, I have this:

The Goya jars are old; I am still boycotting them.

That, plus a few cubes that I froze, is just a little over a quart of pesto, and it was well worth the effort. A couple of the jars went to Butch today, and I'll likely give one to Jared. THE REST ARE MINE, ALL MINE!

Back when the weather was lovely, I started letting Piper out into the back yard while I was on the patio. He always goes out to the front yard with me each morning when I put out peanuts for the blue jays (and squirrels), and he behaves very nicely. After several minutes of hollering at me from the back door, I let him out for a trial run. Here he is, relaxing among the daffodil fronds, which he nibbles on.

I can't wait to uncover and get the pond and waterfall running;
he'll really enjoy that.

Inspired by Julie, I started thinking about going through my books, which are also double-shelved, one row in front of the other. A Little Free Library several blocks from me has had the same crummy books for years, most of them being old management textbooks and religious stuff. The door recently blew off in a terrible storm we had, and I was going to get Rick to repair it before I cleaned it out and put my donations in. Luckily, someone already replaced the door, and they also got rid of the shitful books in it. I've set aside a few books so far, but I need to do a deep dive. I've got a few cookbooks to put in there, a graphic novel (the original Creepshow by Stephen King), some little kid books, and I'll see what else I can part with. I never even read Creepshow; I bought it because I was a major Stephen King enthusiast until his writing started getting repetitive and his endings kept sucking. It's this one:

photo found on Ebay; mine is in mint condition

Speaking of books, I finally finished Dark Renaissance:  The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Biggest Rival by Stephen Greenblatt. It was a very deep dive into the life and death of Christopher Marlowe, poet, dramatist, spy, and Shakespeare contemporary. Honestly, it was a bit of a slog, but also fascinating. People during the Renaissance had it tough. Being a Catholic got you tortured and killed; being suspected of being Catholic also got you tortured and killed. Queen Elizabeth I was constantly on guard because Mary, Queen of Scots was a threat to her throne. Liz took care of business, though, and had her executed. Both of them had myriad spies, and Christopher (Kit) Marlowe was just one of many working for Elizabeth.

I have since moved on to John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs, which is a compelling book about Lennon and McCartney, starting with the early days of their partnership, which lasted more than 20 years. I've been a Beatles fan since I was four or five years old, thanks to my older sister, who was obsessed with them and played their music all the time. This tells their story via hit songs in chronological order. It includes some photographs and so much that I never knew about the Beatles from their inception to the dissolution of the band to the death of John and more. I'll finish this one up tonight or tomorrow, but I'll be thinking about it for a long time, especially when I hear any Beatles song.

Speaking of Rock and Roll--actually just Rocks--I ordered those cute little ghostie rocks that were the header image in my last post. I decided to treat myself for my birthday (3 May). They're arriving today, but we're currently at the lake. I can't wait to tuck them around my yard. 

We were at the lake last week for a couple of days, too. I wanted to try and reset my sleep, which has been lousy lately. I got a little better sleep, but I was still awake at about 6:45 AM. It was okay, though, because I saw this gorgeous sunrise right outside the sliding doors of the bedroom:

#NoFilter

Finally--and thanks for sticking with me thus far--I'll be celebrating my birthday with Joy in my heart. One of the reasons is because of my wonderful family. Jared, Sam, Jordan, Theo, and Rick make me happy every day. Another reason is because of you. I am so grateful for this community of ours and how it has led me to so many, many friends. I am fortunate, and I know that. Thank you all. 

Hello! Five On The Fifteenth Of February

from here

Oh, hello.

Welcome to February, which I understand has been ongoing for quite some time now. Please forgive my absence here, but I do have good reasons--at least, I think I do--and I'll do my best to catch you up, chat you up, and otherwise engage you for a few minutes. Let's on, shall we?

1. My Part-Time Job:  As you may remember, Jared, Jordan, and Theo moved last month. Jared had surgery on his broken foot and is not allowed to bear any weight on it at all. Theo is a Very Busy Toddler All The Time, so Rick and I have been going over to their house to help with child care/entertainment. Tomorrow, Jared sees the orthopedist again, and may be put in a walking boot. If so, we will be laid off or have our hours cut considerably. If not, our contract will be renewed. 

2. My Streak:  On 8 February my Wordle streak ended at 344 with the word EMBED. Am I still bitter? A little bit, yes. I guess it pales in comparison to other things that happened on that same day, however, which include a fatal Learjet crash in Philadelphia, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake near the Cayman Islands, and a deadly bus crash in Mexico. Additionally, Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé won top Grammy honors, and the 49th Imam of Nizari Isma'ilism, Aga Khan IV, passed away. Still, though, kind of a big deal.

3. My Hypocrisy:  I'm sure I have said this many times and in the Comments of so many of your blogs:  I am not a puzzle person. I don't enjoy jigsaw puzzles. They feel too much like work to me. Sigh. Behold my latest lesson in Eating My Words:

I bought this 1000-piece puzzle on a whim ages ago from my grocery store's Closeouts section, thinking I'd take it to the lake for whiling away the unexpectedly rainy days. Or, I thought, maybe Rick would like to pick away at it when he's bored during retirement. During the neverending string of freezing cold and snowy days, I pulled it out and set it on the dining room table. Pretty soon, Rick was seated at it, reading glasses perched on his nose, fitting pieces here and there. The next thing I knew, I was drawn to it like squirrels to a feeder, stopping at it every time I passed by, searching for pieces to fit, making it a competition. Poor Sam! Every time he stopped over, we made him find a piece to place before he could leave. One night, when we were close to Victory, we sat there, determined to finish it and completely forgot about dinner until 8 PM and ended up scrounging a few scraps (I think I had toast). When we sent the above photo to Sam via text, he responded with only two words, what now? 

4. My High Dudgeon:  I just read a post over at maya's place in which she mentioned the latest film version of Wuthering Heights.  Let me just say this:  I WILL NOT BE SEEING THIS MOVIE. I've read several articles about it already, and no thank you. In this article from the NYT, the writer discusses the casting of Jacob Elordi, a white actor, as Heathcliff, who is described by author Emily Bronte as dark and gypsy, leading readers to believe he is not white. This casting is nothing new. Heathcliff has been played by white actors every time this novel has been committed to the big screen. Would it have been exciting had he been played by a man of colour? Absolutely. Is this why I'm eschewing this film? No. This review tells me all I need to know, and that is that the director has decided to Improve Upon Emily Bronte and, really, Tell Her Own Version Of Wuthering Heights, which she thinks is better somehow, yet still call it Wuthering Heights. Nope. I'm not going through THAT again. Been there, done that with the 1995 film version of The Scarlet Letter, a classic novel which I taught for decades. That movie, with Demi Moore as Hester Prynne, almost killed me. Not only did they change the ending--which changed the themes and Puritan ethos and criticism at the heart of the book--they added characters and scenes that were completely aside from the story. I almost walked out, but I felt compelled to stay so that I could one day give a lecture TO EVERYONE about exactly how horrible that movie was. Thankfully, someone else did it for me, but I'm still willing.

I was equally outraged once before, and that was at The Shaw Festival in Ontario, Canada. Rick and I had chosen to see a performance of The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I had taught this play for decades as well as part of my American Literature curriculum and was excited to see it live. It was a terrific production until Act III. You see, I had taught this play so many times, and remember, at least two or three times a day for years and years, that I had it memorized. Memorized so well, in fact, that I knew the very moment during the performance of Act III that the director added a line to the script. This man ADDED A LINE TO THE WORK OF AN AMERICAN DRAMA LEGEND LIKE ARTHUR MILLER. I was beyond aghast. I was personally affronted. How dare they? I could see why they may have added the line; it made a part of the scene a little clearer perhaps for people who were getting lost in all the chaos of the afflicted girls. Still, to me that's no excuse. As another great dramatist once said:

from Spotify

5. My Musings:  All this talk about The Classics has me thinking about them. About reading them again and wanting to talk about them. I do miss that about teaching. I recently met up with a former Creative Writing student and we talked about, oh, Everything, and we talked about poetry and contemporary poets and writing and it made me miss teaching that, too. I'm very committed to Retirement, however, and I'm not able to predict my energy/pain level enough to commit to anything else. Good heavens, I have a hard enough time committing to this blog on even a semi-regular basis, and that's nothing new. Still, I may have to add a few Old Timers to my Book Cellar* for comfort reads. 

*I've decided to call my TBR pile my Book Cellar now. Like wines, my books are kept lovingly until the right time, the right occasion, or the right pairing for selection. I'd like to say I thought of this, but I read this term someplace else.

I think we're all caught up. As usual, I do so want to hear from you in Comments about All Of This and so many other things. Thank you for being here, and I also want to thank so many of you who have kindly sent me helpful and supportive emails containing research articles and links. I am so grateful and awed that you have taken time out of your lives to do this for me. It means the world. I have always said that my Readers are Exceptional People, and you continue to prove just that. Again, thank you.

5 From The Frozen Tundra: Is This My Life Now?

 

from fbook via google

Let me just say right here and right now:  the eventual spring of 2026 had better be one hell of a lovely, warm, beautiful one. And the sooner the better. I have had it with this winter and all of this abusive effing snow. And painful wind. And helplessly hoping that someday the temperature will rise to the lofty heights of The Twenties Fahrenheit. My heating pad is my constant companion.

If you are one of those crazies who Thinks Snow Is So Pretty, or Loves Winter, or Goes Skiing Or Sledding, or Just Loves Winter Cozy Time, DON'T YOU DARE SAY A WORD ABOUT ANY OF THAT TO ME. I AM NOT IN THE MOOD. 

Thank you.

I am fighting this winter with every fibre in my body. It is not going well. Aside from that, what else have I been doing? Let's have a review.

1. I finally read The Correspondent. I read the review that Julie wrote, and she enthusiastically urged me to buy the book, and I'm glad she did. It was wonderful. During this illness and during wintertime, I have trouble focusing/concentrating and mushbrain, and I worried that I wouldn't be able to fully immerse myself in it. That was not the case. This book was so engaging and charming, and I found myself at times identifying so strongly with the titular character. After reading it, it was immediately and lovingly placed on my Favourite Books shelf. Now I'm reading a scholarly nonfiction work called Dark Renaissance about the life and times of Christopher Marlowe, playwright, poet, genius, and spy of Elizabethan England who was murdered before the age of 30. We'll see if I can juggle it along with The Age of Innocence for CBBC.

2. Over the weekend we had the ridiculous snowstorm. On Monday Jared and Jordan moved to their new home during the leftovers of the storm. (And poor Jared has a broken foot that needs surgery this week, and has been in a walking boot for weeks.) While the movers trooped in and out of the house with all the stuff, I was in charge of Theo. Rick had gone over earlier to snowblow their driveway. It snowed the whole day, and the front door and back door had to be open the whole time. I wore my heated coat. Theo stood at the front window watching them bring items in, excited about seeing all their things coming to The New House. At other times, we played Airport and Airplane in his parents' big walk-in closet. This is a very happy move:  not only will they be less than 20 minutes away instead of an hour, they needed the extra room because Theo will be a big brother in August. If he has his way, the new baby will be named Crocodile.

3. I have been to my doctors--two of them in two days this month. All I can say is that it's devastating to hear two days in a row from medical professionals that there really isn't anything they or medical science can do for me. I am in a sort of dead zone of medicine. There is new research ongoing, mostly due to Long Covid, so that's at least something. But right now, aside from some stronger muscle relaxers that can help with my pain at night, there's nothing. I've learned how to rest, but it still feels like giving up to me. Even showering can wear me out. And I used to shovel the driveway and take my walk on the same day!

4. And speaking of those Rest Days, I have actually gone without my mascara on those days! I used to think that was a Venial Sin pretty much, but now, I just don't care. AND! I don't wear real clothes on those days, either. I wear a Lounge Outfit and a cardigan. I mainly do this for the technicality; no one can accuse me of wearing my jammies all day if I am officially wearing a Lounge Outfit and a cardigan (even though it looks and feels like I am doing just that). Rick enthusiastically supports this and says ridiculous things like, "You look great!" and "I tell you all the time that you don't need makeup", but the most important thing he says is, "Why bother when you're not going anywhere?" and this is the comment that really sells it for me. I mean, duh.

5. Can you nap? I mean, actually fall asleep during the day? I cannot, and I never have been able to. Obviously, it would be very helpful these days, but try as I might, I just can't. Right now, Rick is sleeping on the couch; it's 4:30 and Judge Judy is yammering, but he's sound asleep. His breathing is heavy and deep. It happened almost instantly--one moment he was talking about being sleepy, and the next he was doing it! Sleeping, just like that. I also cannot put a blanket on over my clothes. It just feels awful to me. I can, however, put a blanket over my Lounge Outfit. It's completely different somehow. (Just now, Rick said very clearly, "Should we go in and start dinner pretty soon?" FROM A DEAD SLEEP. How? I DON'T GET IT.)

Dinner. Ugh. I have been shopping for, thinking about, planning, prepping, cooking, and cleaning up after Dinners for almost FORTY-FIVE YEARS. I am starting to feel about Dinner like I do about Winter. It's almost abusive and brutal anymore. WHEN WILL IT END? How can I continue to endure it? Sigh. I might have Rick clear the ten feet of snow away from the grill and have him start making Dinner. I've had enough.

Welcome To 2026 And A Bunch Of Stuff

The Christmas tree is taken down and all holiday decor is stowed away. The only leftovers that remain reside in the freezer:  a handful of cookies I sneaked from the tray of cookies my sister Susan sent over and about a half-pound of glazed, spiral-sliced ham. I gave away most of the Christmas toffee I made (that stuff is dangerous to keep anywhere in the house). The new year is here, and...so am I.

*I generally don't make New Year's Resolutions or pick a Word For The Year or anything like that. I have always said that I am on a Continuous Journey Of Self-Improvement, so every day I try to be mindful of opportunities to move through this life with a little more ease and grace. Over the years, I have adopted many mantras, for lack of a better word, to do just that. For instance:

1. Kindness is my default.

2. If it will only take 2 minutes or less, just do it.

3. Touch something only once and act on it immediately.

4. Let it go.

As I have for the past 50 years, I will continue to work on my Patience, a lifelong struggle. 

*You won't find a 2025 WrapUp Post here, either, per se. I have, however, browsed through some photos on my phone and found a few to share with you, apropros of nothing.

1. This particular roundup of photos is especially for Julie. She mentioned making big salads for dinner and wanting to vary the ingredients. I commented on the post and told her that I often roast an onion and cut it up to put in our dinner salads. She later asked for a sort of tutorial, so Julie, here it is:

I preheat the oven to 375 and line a small pan with foil (or you can add it to the pan of whatever meat or other veg you may be roasting). I peel then slice a sweet/Vidalia-style onion in half horizontally, and cut off the ends so that it lies flat. I season it with Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and lots of dried thyme. Then I liberally drizzle it with olive oil. Into the oven it goes.

Once it's soft, about 40-50 minutes later, I cut it into wedges. We like it very chunky.

When the onion is all cut up, I toss it all together to mix in the thyme and oil and natural juices, then pour it all into our salad. The roasting makes the onion even sweeter, and the thyme is wonderful. I prefer using dried thyme rather than fresh; the flavour is stronger and it doesn't get lost in the heat.

2. This next photo is of my son Sam, who drove a real Ferrari race car for his birthday last year. It is one of Theo's favourite photos in the entire world because A)it is of Gunga, his favourite person in the entire world, and B) it is a race car. Whenever Theo wants to look at it, we always zoom in to see how big Gunga is smiling--how happy he looks. Theo smiles too and says, "Happy Gunga!" Why am I showing this to you? Oh, trust me; it will become clear very soon.

 This photo is a toy that Jared got in a Happy Meal when he was little, over 35 years ago. It was in a small crate of Hot Wheel and Matchbox cars that we hauled out of the crawlspace for Theo, who has outgrown many of the toys we have at our house. 

Theo refers to this car as Gunga. Um...obviously. Talk about Art Imitating Life, amirite? It wasn't immediately apparent to any of us why he referred to it that way until I remembered the Ferrari photo of Sam. Suddenly, it all made sense. 

*I should have known much sooner. I'd seen this sort of visual association in action before. Here's a photo of my spoon rest (not my actual one; this one is for sale on Ebay, and I'm writing this post from the lakehouse). Anyway, take a look at this spoon rest that is identical to mine, which Theo (now tall enough to see it on the butcher block) suddenly pointed to and said delightedly, "Nana! Happy Man!"

"So what?" you might be saying. "It is a man, and he looks happy. Not exactly genius, Nance." And of course you're right. This next photo, however, is from Theo's favourite book. Please take a look at the main character:

The Happy Man and His Dump Truck, ©1950 by Tibor Gergely

 Now look back at my spoon rest. AND--Did you catch the title of that book? He also calls the dog Z-Boy (one of Zydrunas's many nicknames). I want to remember that I was this amazed and awed and completely enchanted when my own sons undoubtedly displayed these sorts of developmental astonishments. I know that they must have because Jared and Sam are both very intelligent and intuitive. When they were Theo's age, however, I was teaching full time, wife-ing full time, and often exhausted while being a mother full time. I hope that I rose above that enough to be delighted and joyful, and that I showed it.

*Finally, I mentioned that we were at the lakehouse. We came for a few days so that I could have a change of scenery and some true rest and relaxation after a particularly bad flare-up of pain. It has been incredibly helpful. Views like this always are:

Happy New Year to you, my friends. Let's do what we must to make our corners of the world a good place.

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It's Ketchup Time Again--A Tyrant Cat, EB/ME, And My Brain Finds Another Book Mistake

 Let me just start right in by saying that I am immensely thankful for all of you that manage to write so often over at your spots. You are Miracles and Superheroes, and you make my morning coffee even more pleasant. Sometimes, I have to peer over a giant orange tabby head to see you, but it is always well worth it.

Speaking of giant orange tabby cats, I think Piper's behaviour was kept in check by Marlowe, or she was a sort of calming influence because since she has been gone, he has really become a loudmouth and a tyrant. I'm not used to being bossed around by anybody, let alone a cat, but it would seem that I am that cat's bitch. And I'm beyond sorry that I ever, ever put ice in his water the first time. Is there anyone else whose cat demands his beverage On The Rocks? 

On the rocks. Sigh. Let's get this onerous part out of the way. After more than 30 different blood tests, an MRI, two EMGs, and a few doctor's appointments, I've been diagnosed with Epstein-Barr and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (EB/ME). ME used to be called chronic fatigue, a term that you're probably more familiar with. The way it was explained to me is that the E-B likely came from my severe bout of mononucleosis when I was 17. The virus lies dormant forever, like chicken pox. It can resurface anytime and cause E-B in some people the way the chicken pox virus causes shingles. My E-B is severe and accompanied by unusual stress, leading to ME. 

I can't go into much detail about the unusual stress, but I'll just say this:  in late August and half of September, we helped Sam look for, find, and buy a house. For him and Zydrunas. In all of October, we have helped him clean, refurbish, and furnish the house, move into it, and provide whatever support we could throughout. Jared and his family have been monumental support as well. All this had to be because someone's social media wasn't as fun as it used to be. 

In November I'm going to try to post every single day and ignore all that stupid, unfair bullshit about my health situation and everything. I have to live it, but I don't have to talk about it ad nauseum here in my blog. I always appreciate your kind comments and any advice or support; I'm just not going to make it a topic here. I trust that you'll be grateful.

Before I go, I want you to check out this passage from Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey. I read this a while ago and greatly enjoyed it, even though its genre is not usually one I enjoy. Julie reviewed it and I was immediately drawn in. Anyway, I was reading intensely when I was jolted by this passage:

Maybe you're not a knitter or a crocheter, so this went right by you. When you knit, you use two needles. But when you crochet, you use one, and those who crochet almost universally call them hooks, not needles. Did this interfere with my enjoyment of the book? No, it did not. Do I wish that my brain didn't constantly notice these things? Yes, I do. Sigh.

Right now, I'm only reading our CBBC book, The Joy Luck Club, even though I have several books in my TBR pile. And let's not even talk about my stack of The New Yorker magazines. As I said, I'm looking to November for some fresh, renewed time. Maybe that will be more reading time. Maybe that will be less rain and possible short walk time. And for sure I'm going to try for more blogpost time.

Thanks for showing up, both at your spot and here in Comments. You make my days.

THE Emotional Support STD Nitpicky Book Chat You've Been Waiting For

 It's a good thing we're not meeting for coffee because we'd be sitting for hours and hours, and you might get all jacked up on caffeine, whereas I--a decaf drinker--would probably be in and out of the bathroom a lot after having switched to Just Ice Water after my second cup.

Anyway.

I have a lot to talk about in no particular order, so let's get started.

You'll Be Glad To Know That I Do Not Have Syphilis.

So, I went to my superhero neurologist to try and figure out what the heck is going on. He ordered two dozen blood tests after a thorough exam. As the results came in--and some are still coming in--I was shocked to find out just how thorough Dr. B was being. He had my blood tested for all the hepatitises (hepatitisi?), various levels of vitamins and minerals and metals, and of all things, syphilis. I cannot wait to go back and see him next week for my EMG and to ask him Just What Kind Of Girl He Thinks I Am. So far, everything has been negative or within mostly normal levels. The initial diagnosis is Peripheral Neuropathy, but he is not sure of the underlying cause for it. I'm also getting a thoracic MRI to look at my spinal cord whenever the insurance gods/company says I'm allowed. In the meantime all I can do is take one day at a time. I cannot build strength or stamina; the condition does not allow for that. I miss my walks and my life. Honestly, I'm scared.

Pretend Kermit The Frog Is A Picky English Teacher/Editor And Sing! It's Not That Easy Being Me.

The book Orbital is beautiful and breathtaking on every page. As I read it, I felt transported and awed. The cadence of the book is somehow sweeping, yet measured. The language is poetic and majestic without being overwritten. I cannot tell you how many times I had to put the book in my lap and look up from it just to savor a moment of language.

Until I read this:

It's really something, this typhoon, Pietro says when he comes to join her. They watch it hone in on the Philippines and Taiwan and the coast of Vietnam. Its spiral flings clouds for hundreds of miles around a hole-punched siphoning eye. (p84)

My own eye felt hole-punched. With a big red-hot stabby thing. How could she? How could Samantha Harvey make this mistake? How did it get past editors? UGH.

Hone--to sharpen a blade or refine a skill

Home--to focus on a target or goal; to move or aim toward a destination with accuracy

This irritates me so mightily. It's right up there with the misuse of palette/palate/pallet (they're all different things, people!), and...well, to be honest, pretty much everything. 

Still, 99.999% of Orbital is wonderful. Consider this extract from a paragraph:

Our lives here are inexpressibly trivial and momentous at once. Both repetitive and unprecedented. We matter greatly and not at all....death is so close. Life is everywhere, everywhere.

I Can't Swim, But My School Wasn't A Boat

Speaking of books, I also finished The Wager, a terrific nonfiction book about a British shipwreck and mutiny in the 18th century. Engie reviewed it some time ago, and I was intrigued. I also discovered it was written by the same author who wrote The Lost City of Z, one of my favourite nonfiction books, so I knew it would be engagingly written. And it was. I have no quibble at all with the book, but there were several things that just astonished me. First of all, many, many of the career seamen on the ship DID NOT KNOW HOW TO SWIM. Apparently, this was not unusual among seafarers. How in the hell do men decide to join the navy or be a mariner, knowing they could be months or years on a boat that could be swamped by waves, fully cognizant that they could become shipwrecked or lost, and still say, "No problem. Swimming is not a skill I'll need when out on the seas with no land in sight"? 

I think you need to read this book to marvel at all the other incredibly ridiculous decisions these men made in the name of service to the crown, personal honour, and loyalty to their commander at the expense of their own personal safety and survival. I wanted to smack them so, so many times. And tell them to GET REAL FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE.

Walmart Needs To Make Up Its Mind About Aquatic Animals And Safety.

On a slightly related watery note, if you've been a longtime reader, you know that if there is an animal story in the news, I'm all over it; that is my vow to you. Credit for this one goes to Rick, who knew I'd be charmed by the headline. I think you will be, too:

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ALLIGATOR NO LONGER WELCOME IN PENNSYLVANIA WALMART

I want to thank David K. Li, the reporter on this important story, who provides us not only with this fantastic headline, but the story and video that I want all of you to go read and watch right now. In case you are hesitating, the alligator--leashed--sits in the shopping cart whilst wearing a dress and, in another scene, luxuriates contentedly in a fur collared sweater in her owner's arms. This alligator is about as dangerous as a bunny rabbit, yet Walmart has banned it. “The safety of our customers and associates is our highest priority,” Walmart said. “We welcome service animals in our stores, but it is unacceptable to expose members of the public to potential danger.”

Oh, really, Walmart? This is pretty ironic, coming from the place that sold radioactive shrimp to thirteen states. And if you bought a bag of that irradiated shrimp, don't return it for a refund, say officials. Simply throw it away! Share that radioactivity with the world as it rots in a landfill. Did you eat it? Are you having ill effects? Contact your medical provider. Will Walmart pick up the tab? Oh ha ha it is to laugh.

Maybe seek some solace from your emotional support alligator. Just don't take it shopping with you when you go get your prescription from the Walmart pharmacy.

And While I'm Feeling Snarky...

I don't get how college football is a bigass deal. Maybe it isn't in your state, but I'm in Ohio, and a lot of people here are huge Ohio State fans, and they are obnoxious about it. Here's what I don't understand:  how can you be such a big fan of a college you never even went to? I got my undergrad degree from Bowling Green State University, and I could not possibly care less how their football team does. Ever. Also? Why does Ohio State get all precious and persnickety and call themselves The Ohio State University? Why the The? It's stupid. And pretentious. I automatically refer to all the colleges I went to as The now:  The Lorain County Community College; The Bowling Green State University; The Ashland College (now University). I also took some grad classes at The College of Mount St. Joseph, but they legitimately have a The in their name. I urge all of you to add a The to wherever you went to school just to diminish Ohio State's use of it for prestige and to call attention to how positively ridiculous it is.

Okay! That was a lot. Tell me the The names of your schools and All Kinds Of Other Things in Comments.

image credits:

freepik.com

invaluable.com

letsloop.com

superstock.com

Shaking A Few Things Loose

This week I feel a Big Purge coming on. As I was packing to go to the lake for the weekend, I noticed that there were several things in my closet that I hadn't worn all summer; in fact, I couldn't remember the last time I had worn them. Clearly, it's time for them to go. That made me think about the rolled-up rug in the office closet and the shoes in there that haven't been worn lately either. Time to box and bag things up and call my favourite charity, Vietnam Vets of America, and get them out here for a pickup. (As usual, I'll try to inspire Rick to--cue dread and doom music--go through his things as well, but I don't expect that to amount to anything.)

I'm also feeling the need to Purge a few Thought Nerfuls and Cerebral Clutterbits taking up space in my head, so I'm going to give it a rattle and see what shakes loose.

BOOBS.  As in, mine are because I am Rebelling and refusing to wear a bra for the rest of the summer as of about two weeks ago. Now, to be fair, I am not Copiously Endowed, and because I am an Older Lady, mine are not, shall we say, prone to Being Bouncy. I have spent too much money on trying to find a bra that is even remotely comfortable, and yes, I was even professionally fitted. If I am wearing something sheer, I wear a cami; if I am not, then Shirt Only it is. Chances are extremely good that I continue this for all three remaining seasons and for the rest of my life, especially since I Just Don't Care. 

BOOKS.  I finished--with some disappointment--Parallel Lines by Edward St. Aubyn. Listen, the writing is excellent. I remain entranced and entertained by the character Sebastian, who features in the opening chapter and made me want to read this book. BUT. There were too many characters cluttering up the landscape and they weren't all different enough to make me notice. As a matter of fact, at one point I just sort of skipped lots paragraphs concerning a couple of characters AND IT MADE ZERO DIFFERENCE TO THE PLOT. And the ending made me irritated in that I put up with SO MUCH just to get to...this? Maybe your reading will be vastly different and I truly hope so. Maybe I am just a Huge Pain In The Ass about modern fiction.

However.

I am now reading Orbital by Samantha Harvey. First of all, thank you Julie for reviewing this book over at your place and for providing an excerpt. This book. This book is so achingly beautiful that when I read it, there are times that I simply have to put it down and breathe and recover myself. This morning I took it out on the patio with my coffee; the sound of my little pond waterfall was in the background, and now and then a bird would sing. As I read I would almost be overcome. What an incredible piece of literature. I feel privileged to read it.

PLANTS.  My basil is a green machine. I've made so, so many jars of pesto--in total a little over two quarts so far. I put it in little jars so that it stays fresher longer. Somebunny has gotten into my parsley despite my menacing fake owl and mowed down almost an entire plant. One suspect lounges quite nonchalantly under my swing in the evenings. My catnip got a severe case of powdery mildew, so I cut it all back and took it outside. Neither Piper nor Marlowe care/d a whit about catnip in their old age (I found out), so I was basically growing catnip to give away to the grandcats (Baker and George) anyway. (Side Note:  Jared and Jordan often threaten George that "Nana will come and speak sternly to you" when he misbehaves because they heard me threaten him with that ONE TIME.)

PLEASURES.  It's important to make note of Small Things That Make Us Happy, and here are mine in no particular order:  

1. Coffee

2. The family group chat

3. My porch and patio

4. My little pond and waterfall

5. Blackberries

6. The icemaker

7. Seeing Theo's crib in the office

8. Watching the two little boys across the street and remembering when Jared and Sam were that age

9. My volunteer tomato plant 

10. Piper snoring

I absolutely cannot wait to read what you have to say in Comments about Boobs, Books, Plants, or your life's little Pleasures.

The July Report: Strap In And Let's Do This

this is from YouTube

 July has been all over the place so far. This post will probably reflect that. Hang on tight because I have no real idea what this may turn into. Let's go.

1. Cervical Facet Arthropathy/Syndrome and Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection:  This all has nothing to do with lady parts; rather, it's all about a pain in the neck. It seems that my most recent falls have exacerbated the arthritis in my neck and exposed a nerve. I've been in pain and physically limited for months and months, and it finally got bad enough that I was referred to a pain specialist. Long story short, we tried medicine, and on Monday a cortisone shot into my neck/spine. If that doesn't hold, next is a nerve ablation. After that, it's surgery to insert pins/rods. I'm Trying Very Hard to avoid that last thing, which is huge and scary and, to me, the very last resort. So far, I'm really pleased with the injection. Fingers crossed that it gives me relief for a long time.

2. Herb Garden Stuff:  I've already made a batch of pesto from my basil and parsley and dried some oregano. My oregano is from a plant I put in more than 10 years ago. I've had to seed dill twice now because of this horrendous heat. I have a volunteer tomato plant somehow in there (I haven't planted tomatoes there for decades), and my jalapenos from last year seeded themselves smack dab in the middle of my rosemary. Today I pulled 14 jalapeno plants and put them in huge pots along the drive. I'll be making pesto again this week, provoking much joy from Jared and Sam.

3. Social Commentary Or Just Laziness? You Decide:  Sometimes on my walk I am confronted with sights that cause me to ruminate for a block or two. As a former English/Literature/Creative Writing teacher and student, I cannot help but see Deeper Meanings in most things. Plus, it's a nice break from reacting with Just Plain Annoyance. Consider these two related things that caught my eye today:

Is this a commentary on the way Organized Sports have a chokehold on our kids, forcing them into a world of pressure and competition far too early? Is it trying to tell us that kids should be spending more time outdoors in free play, discovering the wonders of Nature? Is it saying that too much money is spent on professional sports--salaries, arenas, merchandise, and the like--perhaps to the detriment of our natural environment? That we've lost our way as to what's Truly Important? I like to give my neighbours lofty, artsy, and highfalutin intentions rather than admit they're just indifferent about their yards. It allows me to maintain my Zen whilst I walk.

4. Weekends At The Lake:  Theo was ill over Independence Day with new teeth and a virus, so he couldn't join us, but Sam and Emily (aka Samily) and Zydrunas came for the day. We boated and lunched and hung out. Later that night, Rick and I watched three different fireworks displays from our front yard. We had a makeup weekend last weekend with everyone (minus Emily, who had to work, unfortunately), and it was wonderful. Theo is obsessed with Sam, who he calls Guncle. He drove the boat, talked a lot, danced, and got in the water. He had the time of his life, and we all marveled at how much having him around is like having Zydrunas around. Eerily similar, especially on the boat.

5. Books, Etc.:  I've read two books by Jay Winik about the Civil War. I know I've mentioned them in other Comment sections, so I won't talk about them here except to say that they are excellent and captivating. The writing is engaging and excellent. I grew up vacationing in Gettysburg, and I have a bit of an obsession with this period of history as well as President and Mary Lincoln, reading deeply in these areas. Sadly, I just lost my favourite aunt who lived in Gettysburg and who was a very gracious hostess to our family and to me separately. She was also an English teacher, as was her husband. I will miss her much.

I'm now reading--as a palate cleanser--Parallel Lines by Edward St. Aubyn. It is witty, British, acerbic, and smart. Say what you will about Evil Amazon (and there is plenty to), but they let me read the first chapter of books, and this one had me smiling in admiration, recognition (of how one thought leads to another and another), and amusement. I'm only about 45 pages in, and I absolutely love it. I can't wait to read more by this man. If I were sweeter, I'd type out some passages, but honestly, it's time to prep dinner, and I want to get this published. Go read the first few pages. It's so so good.

****

I think this catches us up. I'd like to say that I'll be better at posting more often, but I think we all know how that will turn out. Thank you to those who do post regularly. I wish I knew your secret. Certainly I have time! Perhaps I'll just say I'll Try.

Life Goes On, So Let's Ketchup: Good News, Good Music, Good Dog

 So! November. I put a lot of miles on my walking shoes last month. It's amazing how therapeutic it is. Walking was my way to cope with The Results. I'm not going any farther than that--no need to bring everyone back to that mindset. Let's just say that it's way worse than I felt after Gore, Kerry, and Hillary combined, and as a political activist of many years, I'm cocooning now. Please don't judge. (But do read this; it's enlightening.)

Back to Walking:  I used to walk in silence, appreciating the ambient noises of my neighbourhood. For some reason, however, I began to get bored and frustrated. I didn't feel energized. I began using my earbuds and chose music for my sojourns, varying my playlists among the music I grew up with and loved in my earlier life. Now I feel so much more spry, briskly striding to The Beatles, Genesis (whose catalog is excellent for walking), and an eclectic mix of artists from Aretha Franklin to Bruce Springsteen. I still carry dog biscuits in my pocket, just in case, and even in this cold weather, I'm out there (thank you, Rick, for my heated coat).

Good News:  Sam and Emily vacationed in Hawaii and got engaged. Emily has been part of our family for years already, so we couldn't be happier. Theo had his first birthday. He celebrated with Jared and Jordan in Pittsburgh, where he visited the Children's Museum. On Thanksgiving Day, J&J hosted. Some of her family came into town from out West, so we all got to celebrate Theo's birthday together as well as have a terrific feast. Jared made his first turkey ever (he brined it), and it was tremendous. So much to be Thankful for!

More Good News:  Rick semi-retired in November, going part-time, but at his full salary. His boss is so kind and generous. As of January 1st, he will officially be retired. Rick has been working since the age of 15 and mostly in construction, so I'm very happy for him. The boys are, too. Sam's first reaction was, "Dad. Mom lives a very quiet life. And she really likes it. Just saying." That boy knows his mother! And it is true that it'll be a big transition for Rick and me both--it already has been. His part-time schedule is Mondays and Fridays off, so we are already navigating what shared space and shared time* look like. (Sam has also lamented that he will be the only one in the family who has to get up and go to work, a singularity that he feels keenly.)  *I will always walk and go grocery shopping alone. 

Random Splotches:  Here's where I use up what could be short blogpost topics, mainly because I might forget them later.

*I think Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is going to be a DNF for me. I find myself annoyed and disconnected when I read it. I'm over you, James McBride, once and for all. Nothing personal.

*There's a new Beatles doc out, but it's on Disney+. I don't have that. I guess I'm going to have to pay 10 bucks for a month just to watch that one thing. There's no free or cheap trial because I already have Hulu. I'm going to have to swallow my disdain for Disney and pay it. Sigh. (But I still love Winnie the Pooh. Oh bother.)

*Speaking of Hulu--if any of you have watched the last season of Only Murders in the Building, were you as disappointed in it/its quality as I was? I thought it was terrible and jumped the proverbial shark.

*I'm having a terrible, TERRIBLE time finding Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. As in, nowhere around me carries it and I had to order it off Amazon. The box I got was clearly marked "Not packaged for retail. For Food Service Use." I feel like a criminal. 

*Finally, another Dog Show has come and gone, and still the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever has not made it into the final round, let alone won Best In Show. The fix is in, and why Canadians aren't doing something about it is beyond me.

Thanks to those of you who kept writing in November. I appreciate you.