I hope you folks have had a good holiday. Now we aim toward New Year's Eve. So fun filler posts for now.
Magic!
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas
Peace and love
My heart does go out to the tornado victims/towns/families, etc who are suffering from such terrible destruction. I realize I am posting this under a wine meme, but that is the vast weirdness of the season. I admit when watching the news, I thought of so many eagerly awaiting Christmas with houses decorated, presents bought, and plans for celebration. And boom - it's all gone and lives are lost.
That is humbling.
Peace to all
At age fifteen, I began to work. I wanted my OWN money to spend or save as I pleased. At seventeen, I couldn't wait to turn eighteen so I could work as summer help at Greene Tweed (where my father worked and they hired college kids) and earn union wages. Damn! I was raking in the bucks.
At twenty-one, I moved to Texas fresh out of college, so green, eager to be all corporate. Oh yeah - I had the padded shoulder power suits. Evenings, studied and got my MBA. Ready for my career!
Pretty soon, I realized I wanted to do a good job and I did. BUT, I did not want to work a zillion hours, kiss butt, or play the game that hard. So I settled into the regular rat race. Changed jobs a few times. Earned decent money.
Now after fifteen years at Omega Research, I retired as of Friday 12/17/21.
It is Monday December 20th and I can throw away the clock. No 6 am alarm (unless I'm up to catch a plane to an exotic location). No gulping lunch in fifteen to thirty minutes. Time is on my side now baby. I am in control.
I can take a walk, take a nap, sweep the patio, sit on the patio, do nothing, dream of everything.
Look out world - another young senior is loose.
I love this man's writing, and now he's written a hilarious novel of heists, shakedowns, and rip-offs set in Harlem in the 1960s. (cover blurb)
Great opening line Ray Carney was only slightly bent even when it came to being crooked...
Ray sells furniture, makes a decent living, loves his family. But few people know he descends from a line of uptown hoods and crooks, and that his facade of normalcy has more than a few cracks in it. (cover blurb)
Ray gets pulled into a deal with his ne-er do well cousin Freddie. He senses this is going to blow up, and yet he could use some cash. Ray the striver versus Ray the crook. It's a double life and you are going along for the ride uptown and downtown, as Ray maneuvers between shady cops, local gangsters, two-bit pornographers, and a Harlem backdrop.
Great writing. Rich characters. Humor. Hubris. Harlem. Colson Whitehead with Harlem Shuffle has pulled off another winner. p. 244 One thing I've learned in my job is that life is cheap, and when things start getting expensive, it gets cheaper still.
I love stories that take place with a book backdrop. Throw in Australia as a setting. I am hooked.
The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted by Robert Hillman is a gorgeously written, gentle spirited, and wise novel that reminds each of us that love, literature, and forgiveness have the power to transform our lives, and - if we dare allow them - to mend our broken hearts. (back blurb)
1968, rural Australia. Tom Hope was dumped and divorced by what he thought was a true love. Forlorn, he meets Hannah Babel, a Hungarian immigrant who's determined to open a bookshop and get folks to read. Tom builds shelves for her but is wary of her intellect and energy. She's a force of nature with some dark secrets and a past that had her in Auschwitz. Love finds a way with these two opposites.
You will love how this book unfolds. You'll bask in the glow of happy times. You'll root for these two during dark times. I highly recommend The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted.
cover blurb This memoir is the product of a profound journey of self-knowledge, a reckoning with all that your will can get you and all that it can leave behind. The combination of genuine wisdom of universal value and a life story that is preposterously entertaining, even astonishing, puts Will the book, like its author, in a category by itself.
I enjoyed reading this book and indeed, Will Smith, is loyal to his family, friends, and his work and goals. The book gets a bit preachy, a bit full of itself, but I could take it with a grain of salt. Will Smith likes Will Smith - hey, he has every right to brag. Even when he's being humble, even when he's at the bottom, he is still Will Smith. It's easy to judge from this chair. I don't know the man and have not lived his life under the microscope of public scrutiny. It can't be easy.
But his memoir is a glimpse into a megastar's life. He's not lazy and he's a man with plans. We'll see how they turn out.
Take care and do take a moment for yourselves during this holiday season - take a walk, sit on a bench, have a break. Enjoy the little things.
Our Voice: Celebrating the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards
The galleries were filled with watercolors, prints, oils, and photography. So many talented people. I appreciated this touring exhibition. I may have to go to my library to actually take the time to read and peruse these children's books.
However, third book's a charm. Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney kept me interested and engaged. Alice, a novelist; Felix, a warehouse worker; Eileen, an editor; and Simon, a handsome lawyer; are a mix of new and old friends with complicated histories. These folks have some depth to them. Back blurb - They are still young - but life is catching up with them. They desire each other, they delude each other, they worry about sex and friendship and the world they live in.
p.18 Alice: I'm feeling a little loose and dissociative. It's April and the leaves aren't drifting.
p.95 Alice: If novelists wrote honestly about their own lives, no one would read novels.
p.162 Eileen: On writing notes in a daily diary - There was something delicate about living like that - like I was an instrument, and the world touched me and reverberated inside me.
The characters felt very real and raw. They were concerned about today's world and yet not sure what to do about it. They were seeking stronger roots, perhaps even starting families.
Back blurb: Are they standing in the last lighted room before the darkness, bearing witness to something? Will they find a way to believe in a beautiful world?
Words to ponder as we read our news, continue our lives, and worry about the future. Solid novel Ms. Rooney.
This book reads like he is hanging out on your patio, drinking a beer (or two or many) and just chatting. It goes back and forth from childhood to present day, as he recounts his life in music. Drumming was in his bones - even when he was beating on a pillow. He memorized music and played along to beats in his head. Never great at school, a pivotal life choice was dropping out and joining the band Scream on tour. From there he never looked back, except when he was starving and tired and questioning himself.
Dave Grohl oozes honesty in this tale of music and his life. He doesn't back down from questionable decisions or reflect on some stuff that could have gone differently. He is a family man now and his heart is on his sleeve when it comes to his mother (he's very close), his wife and girls. He basks in his luck and is in awe of some choices he made, some people he met, and the sheer drama that is life.
Cool dude, that's all I can say. Great sense of humor. He's a Foo Fighter, a husband, and a man who loves life. I highly recommend his book, Dave Grohl, The Storyteller.
back blurb: Drawing on the voices of the women who lived it- women who are now in their eighties and nineties - The Girls of Atomic City rescues a remarkable, forgotten chapter of American history from obscurity. Kiernan captures the spirit of the times through these women, their pluck, their desire to contribute, and their enduring courage.
I had no idea what all went into the building of the nuclear bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. This book is fascinating as it truly goes behind the scenes and gives snippets of the action. It also shows how women and men from all walks of life truly worked together for the sake of America. Loose lips could sink ships, as the saying goes back then. Oak Ridge, TN was an amazing hub for history. Excellent, eye-opening book.
What's in Your Queue? Here's a small listing of items I've watched over the last month. (Yes, I still take plenty of time to read - see my book reviews on this blog)
Red Notice - fun romp starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot. High level thieves working the con and each other. This cast had a lot of fun (you can tell) and they exchange snark and riffs, all while looking fabulous. I was very amused.
King Richard - excellent flick starring Will Smith as Richard Williams. The man had a plan for his two girls, Venus and Serena, to get them out of Compton and into the tennis stratosphere. Yes, we know the outcome. However this film shows the two as loving sisters with immense talent. It's a strong family with a lot of faith. Mr. Williams was no saint, but you do come away with a better appreciation of his story. Oscar buzz for Will Smith - he is worthy.
Tick...tick...boom - I loved the musical Rent. Jonathan Larson was a creative genius who sadly died way too young. This movie starring Andrew Garfield tells the tale of a young man approaching 30 who loves life in NYC and yearns for a winning show. Good music, acting, and a rather bittersweet tale.
Passing - Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga are superb as old high school friends who meet up again. Both are African American, but one is living/passing as a white woman married to a successful man. The other has stuck with her roots in Harlem, but as a light skinned woman can pass at times. Their lives in 1930s are complicated and both have to face the realities they created.
The Harder They Fall - Regina King directed and stars in this kick-ass black western. Two different gangs are at war over towns. You've got the shoot outs, the saloons, the action at high noon. The scenery is gorgeous, the action is slick, and you've got a lot of horse riding. Not to mention Idris Elba - oh, he's bad (but so, so good at it). Rather violent. Well done!
Shang Chi - Legend of the Ten Rings - a Marvel movie that stands alone with an Asian cast. Simu Liu is really good as the reluctant hero who was trained and has a lot of ancient power handed down through his family. Now he must face his father and the past. Akwafina is very funny. Michelle Yeogh - always classy with a quiet power. This is sheer entertainment.
Here with our Nana Crowther
Happy Birthday Lori!! Hope it was a good turkey day (with some chocolate cake too!). Enjoy your weekend and bask in the glow of another year. You are the best!! Love - Big sis J
Now in Spencer, Kristen Stewart plays Diana in crisis over a Christmas weekend at Sandringham House. She is on her old home turf - literally seeing the home where she grew up, now a boarded up wreck - from the Queen's estate. She's on the "outs" with everyone (family, servants, etc) observing her, tailing her, and questioning her every mood. Her bulemia is out of control. Her marriage is an obvious mistake as she and Charles barely speak and she can see the exact gift of pearls she received on Camilla's neck at Sunday church service.
This is not a straightforward re-telling of this weekend. It's almost a stream of consciousness from Stewart, and a bit of bonkers thrown in. The woman is alone. Her only joys are her sons and as kids do, they sense her distress. The acting is great as well as Diana's walk, mannerisms, and speech. Stewart still projects a bit less fragile demeanor than that of the Diana we see from interviews. However, it's a worthy performance in an odd film. I'm glad I saw it, but it's not for everyone.
Feeling reflective as we begin Thanksgiving week. I'll be staying in TX with Ray, and shall probably go to his aunt's in south TX over next weekend. Meanwhile, I'll be wishing I was in PA too - hang with dad and siblings.
Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road.../ The east and the west are mine, and the north and the south are mine - Walt Whitman
As you move through life...you change things slightly, leave marks behind...And in return, life - travel - leaves marks on you - Anthony Bourdain
Safe travels for those who head out this week on a journey to your family, your past...or onward to something new.
Or I'll say a nifty tree dramatically lit against a November sky?
Oh, Ernest - have you never walked with someone under the bower of trees and shuffled through autumn leaves? I guess not if you are drinking too much in the Florida Keys.
Friendship...is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too?" C.S. Lewis
I am fortunate. As a talker and listener, you do find that common ground if you actually engage with people.
Have a good Friday and weekend.
1. Cast of a heck of a lot - Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Owen Wilson, Tilda Swinton, Timothee Chalamet, Adrian Brody, and more
2. Bright colors and vivid sets
3. Animation sequence
4. Words. There are a lot of words spoken and many hilarious throwaway lines. The script is superb
5. Vignettes. He likes small stories that all pull together to one big theme. I like these small stories that feature so many great actors and so many little moments.
I came home and told Ray, "You would have hated this." And that's okay. With a Wes Anderson film, you have to know what you are going in to see and you have to be in a mood for some wacky.
That sums me up on a Sunday morning five dollar matinee. And there you go for some whimsy, quirky, and Wednesday whatever.
Billie Jean King is flat out an amazing woman.
cover blurb - This inspiring and intimate self portrait by her, the champion of equality, that encompasses her brilliant tennis career and unwavering commitment to social justice even as she was engaged in a private struggle to publicly and unequivocally be her true self.
But she was at the right place at the right time and just never said no. She has a spirit that shines the light for so many and she continues to fight today for equity and inclusion.
p.376 If you're in the business of change, you have to be prepared to play the long game.
She also asks, "When this is done, will we have helped make the world a better place?"
Oh Billie - yes you have. As Elton John wrote in the song Philadelphia Freedom (her tennis team)- Shine the light, oh shine the light...
She still is!
Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah is incandescent in its story about resilience, hope, and home.
A six year-old girl appears out of the deep woods in the Pacific Northwest into a small town. She is speechless, filthy, alone, and is hiding high up in the trees.
Dr. Julia Cates, child psychiatrist, has been at the center of a scandal and her career is in ruins. This crazy timing has her sister Elle, a police officer, ask for help for this isolated fearful child - a prisoner of her obviously horrible past. Julia has to work to uncover "Alice's" history, unlock some vocabulary, teach her to trust again, and basically domesticate this poor kid.
back blurb - The shocking facts of Alice's life test the limits of Julia's faith and strength, even as she struggles to make a home for Alice - and for herself.
Kristin Hannah knows how to tell a tale and this is based off a news story she had read about some kids found in the wild. Magic Hour is fiction but she's done her research on kids and trauma. The townsfolk, the friends, the community come together to help the "wolf girl." Like life, there are ups and downs, and some twists and turns. However, Hannah weaves quite a tale and when all is said and done, it is magic. Enjoy.
She says after the 10th anniversary of Rappler - It just shows the role that journalists play. Without facts, you can't have truth. Without truth, you can't have trust. How can you have democracy without that? This the fabric that holds us together: shared reality.
Words to ponder on a Wednesday.
