Monday Moments - Uptown Girl

 Listen...can you hear Billy Joel's song Uptown Girl?   Sure enough, he wrote it about Christie Brinkley and she starred in the music video. Catchy little tune. 

Well, here's the whole scoop by Christie Brinkley herself in her memoir Uptown Girl. 

She was "discovered" outside a Paris phone booth in 1974.  From there, she launched into a meteoric modeling career and became one of the first supermodels. Modeling, movies (National Lampoon Vacation), sitcoms, Broadway (Chicago).  Christie Brinkley has been in the public eye for over fifty years.  Now she tells her story and extols an unwavering belief in the magic and mystery of life. (cover blurb)

Four tumultuous marriages includes the heartbreaking Billy Joel divorce. They are still friends. 

A near death helicopter crash.  Wow - that's quite a chapter.

This is a fun, interesting, entertaining memoir.  It's a mixed charmed life and harrowing relationships. She comes across as smart, intrigued with life, always up for adventure, and eager to learn. She laughs at herself and does write about her insecurities.  And she agrees she fell  for some bad guys along the way. (not Billy. He had his issues and she had to divorce him. But they stayed good parents to Alexa Ray. I believe her sincerity in those chapters.). 

Plenty of pictures included - damn  gorgeous.  Good memoir. 

Finally Friday - Beach Life

looks lovely, but a red flag was whipping.  Wicked undertow lurked.

Costa Rica resort life  - very spoiled

just waiting for a mojito

sunset dinner view

We have been back from Costa Rica for a month now. But the loveliness lingers

Hard to believe it's now almost end of April. We've been backyard prepping for summer. Some new landscaping by worker bees  is awesome and our backs don't hurt. The pool is warming up.   And here in Texas,  it's been festival time. Lots of music shows, fairs, and frivolity. We have to get it in now to beat the heat.  Hope you are having a spring fling!   Enjoy.
 

Whatever Wednesday - Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong

 Nineteen year old Hai is ready to jump off a bridge.  Grazina, an elderly immigrant widow, calls him down. She's developing dementia. He's full of despair with no options. In  The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong, these two lost souls forge a path.  

cover blurb Over the course of a year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to transform Hai's relationship to himself, his  family, and a community on  the brink. 

Love, labor, and loneliness can be the bedrock of  American life. It's hard to live on the fringes. Sometimes a chosen family can save a soul. 

This book can be a tough  read at times. The characters are rather haunting, and Hai often does not  make good choices. I was frustrated with him.  The author, Vuong, has a rich style and good descriptions. 

p. 282  Hai is talking to his cousin  "Touch me. Go ahead. That's it. Everything else, what I do, what I've gone, the goals and promises, they're all, like, ghosts. My ghost is in pieces. It's all over the place, caught in all the spots where I snagged myself. You get it?"

The Emperor of Gladness was interesting. I'm glad I read it, but...it's challenging.

Monday Moments - Costa Rica - Yes there's more

After hiking, it was time to kick up the feet poolside.  What a view!

Then, later a sunset view from our room

Peaceful

Can you hear some monkeys howling?

 Next morning, we hit the road early.  At this pitstop - a scarlet Macaw    Pretty tame and used to showing off for the tourists. 

Finally Friday - The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

 Finally Friday.  

Well, many Fridays ago, while in Costa Rica I finally finished reading The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Amongst friends, this was THE book of  the season.  I was on  the library list forever. And, of course, it was ready for me a day before our trip. Turned out to be a wonderful read. I kept  the pages turning and it helped the four hour  flight time zoom. 

cover blurb - Sybil Van Antwerp has throughout her life used letters to make sense of her world and her place in it.  She writes to her brother, her best friend, to Joan Didion, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter. 

As the reader, we learn about Sybil and her life. The ebb and flow offers questions, sometimes  answers, and we slowly see a life story build. The writing has verve, shows strong character, and is delightfully precise with a touch of whimsy. 

This book is a gem - shows the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime.  (cover blurb)

As a letter writer myself, I truly appreciated the author's skill in navigating Sybil's life via this form of communication. 

The Correspondent is a MUST READ.   Super duper!!!

Whatever Wednesday - Monteverde - More hikes

Another jungle adventure

Now we're in the Cloud Forest. The pictures might not show the difference, but in person, this area had different trees, plants, and vibe. 

As you can see, Ray even wore a jacket.  There was always a light mist, even in bright sunshine

so lush

The bright green in the middle of the picture is a Quezal - a treat of a bird to see.  My phone doesn't take super  duper close ups.  But we got to look through our guide's telescope. So cool.  Yellow beak. Tufted hair.  colorful underbelly feathers. 
 

Monday Moments - Costa Rican Miscellaneous

We had a free lunch period. Enjoyed a tasty burger and then walked the town square.  

I always like church steeple photos - dramatic sky

I'll stop for a colorful mural

Back to our  rooms and decorations adorned the beds

and we weren't on a cruise ship!