Life: It Goes On - June 8

Happy Sunday! It's grey and rainy here this morning, the kind of morning that makes me want to crawl back into bed and sleep for a while longer. Given the week I have ahead of me, I might just do that! A little self-care, if you will. 

It's been a quiet week here, exactly what I was expecting, which has been really nice. Especially since I haven't been sleeping well, which means I've really been dragging. I can fall asleep in an instant, but I wake up repeatedly during the night. Saw the doctor on Friday and he's given me something that I hope will help with that; I'm so over not having any energy!

Last Week I: 

Listened To: Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. When I checked it out, I fully expected that a book that's 150 years old would be easy to renew so I didn't push to get through the 19 hours of it quickly. Imagine my surprise yesterday when I was unable to renew it because there are two people waiting. Guess I'm finishing that one up in print; fortunately, we have a copy. Next up: Dolly Alderton's Good Material. 

Watched: A lot of college baseball. We really enjoy getting to watch the teams that will be coming to Omaha for the College World Series in a couple of weeks. Friday night I watched Come From Away, a filmed version of the Broadway musical about the town of Gander, Newfoundland welcoming 7,000 people on 9-11-01, when all flights into the U.S. were grounded. Highly recommend it as both a musical and a great story. 

Read: That lack of sleep has also meant a lack of attention span. So I've read a little of this and a little of that. And by "a little," I really mean a little. I'm still working on Peter Graham's Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century, which I just found out was made into a movie years ago, starring Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey and directed by Peter Jackson. I also started Taffy Brodesser-Akner's Long Island Compromise.

Made: Whipped coffee and brown sugar, something a friend had introduced me to some time ago. I'd tried it then but not much enjoyed it. But I saw it again this week and they recommended using it a couple of different ways and now I might be addicted to it. I had a couple of mugs of it yesterday - all that caffeine and I slept better last night than I have all week! Could it be that I'll sleep better if I drink MORE caffeine during the day - lol?! 

Enjoyed: I took Friday off so I could have an extra quiet day before next week's work craziness. It wasn't entirely relaxing as I had my annual physical first thing in the morning, had to go to the DMV in the afternoon, and ended up working 3 hours from home. Still, it was nice to have some extra time to get things done and to just relax.

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: On getting the guest room ready for guests coming in a couple of weeks. BG and Mini-him putting a new ceiling fan up in that room yesterday so there's some cleanup to be done after that. Otherwise, it's going to be a quiet week. 

Thinking About: What's happening in our country, specifically Los Angeles. 

Feeling: Grateful to still have Miss H. Wednesday she was headed to St. Louis and spun out on the interstate and into the median in the pouring rain. She and her friend are sore but injured and her car has only minimal damage to the rear bumper. She was definitely being watched over by a higher power. 

Looking forward to: Things are starting to move forward on our kitchen renovation. I've decided to hold off on decisions on cabinet color and new hardware until after the counter and backsplash are installed so that I can really get a feel for what I want. 

Question of the week: Have you ever done a kitchen renovation? If so, shoot me your ideas on how to survive the mess and the inability to cook for a period of time. 

Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey

Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey

11 hours, 34 minutes

Read by Rebecca Lowman

Published February 2025 by Random House Publishing Group

Publisher's Summary: 

Birdie’s keeping it together; of course she is. So she’s a little hungover, sometimes, and she has to bring her daughter, Emaleen, to her job waiting tables at an Alaskan roadside lodge, but she’s getting by as a single mother in a tough town. Still, Birdie can remember happier times from her youth, when she was free in the wilds of nature.

Arthur Neilsen, a soft-spoken and scarred recluse who appears in town only at the change of seasons, brings Emaleen back to safety when she gets lost in the woods. Most people avoid him, but to Birdie, he represents everything she’s ever longed for. She finds herself falling for Arthur and the land he knows so well. 

Against the warnings of those who care about them, Birdie and Emaleen move to his isolated cabin in the mountains, on the far side of the Wolverine River.

It’s just the three of them in the vast black woods, far from roads, telephones, electricity, and outside contact, but Birdie believes she has come prepared. At first, it’s idyllic and she can picture a happily ever after: Together they catch salmon, pick berries, and climb mountains so tall it’s as if they could touch the bright blue sky. But soon Birdie discovers that Arthur is something much more mysterious and dangerous than she could have ever imagined, and that like the Alaska wilderness, a fairy tale can be as dark as it is beautiful.

My Thoughts: 

In 2021, I read Eowyn Ivey's The Snow Child and was enchanted by it. I use the word "enchanted" because the book employed magical realism, something I generally struggle with, but which I loved in that book. Here again, Ivey uses magical realism to tell a story and, once again, I quickly accepted it as a necessity to tell a story that would have been less impactful without it. 

This time, it took a bit more willingness to suspend disbelief and I did have a harder time connecting to Birdie than I did the characters in The Snow Child. Life's been hard for Birdie; her mother walked out on her when she was a child and she's raising a child on her own; but it was hard for me to buy in to the idea that she was a good mother. Taking off to live with a man she hardly knew, in a remote place she had never been to seemed the height of irresponsibility to me even though I knew that she saw it as a fresh start and a chance to show Emaleen the life she had known as a child. 

The thing is, Arthur has a secret and is not at all who Birdie thinks he is. She misses all of the signs and ignores all of the warnings. Even when Birdie and Emaleen are flown to Arthur's cabin by his adopted father and Birdie sees how he lives, no warning bells seem to go off. Even so, for a while after the two arrive, things begin to go better. Arthur clearly cares about both of them and Birdie finds herself in love with him. He tries his hardest to be what they need. But, ultimately, it's not in his nature and Birdie's inability to accept that will cost them all. 

I appreciated this one for having an utterly unique storyline, I did come to care very much about Emaleen...and Arthur, for that matter, and Rebecca Lowman's reading is excellent. So, even though I didn't fall in love with this book, I did enjoy it and it made for a nice break from my more conventional reads. 

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Read by Marin Ireland and Micheal Urie

11 hours 16 minutes

Published May 2022 by HarperCollins

Publisher's Summary: 

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late. 

My Thoughts: 

Another in the line of stories featuring older women, this one's been on my TBR since it came out three years ago. I finally got around to requesting it from the library and requested it in print and audio, figuring I'd go with whichever became available first. 

And then Shelby Van Pelt came to town (well, not MY town, but Council Bluffs, which is right across the river) so I bought a copy of the book and had it signed. Three days later, the audiobook became available. I had thought I'd make it a read/listen combination, but I was enjoying the reading so much that I just "read" the whole book that way. You can never go wrong with Marin Ireland and Micheal Urie did a wonderful job. 

If you ever get the chance to hear Shelby Van Pelt speak, I highly recommend it. The story of how she came to be a writer and how she came to write this particular book is so interesting. She is funny, and warm, and signed books and took pictures for easily an hour after she was done with the scheduled speaking. 

As for the book, it was, for me, one of those "right book, right time" reads. I would have been happy if no one else appeared in the book except Tova and Marcellus (who is such a fun character); but, of course, it would be hard to craft a book entirely around only two characters, especially when one of them can't speak. Tova is lonely, despite having a tight circle of friends, since her husband died. Erik was their only child, and as she gets older, it's becoming more and more apparent to her that there is no one who will care for her when her home gets to be too much for her. But Tova is not as alone as she thinks she is and she'll soon find that there is a lot left for her to look forward to in her life. 

I don't want to give too much away, other than to tell you that there are characters who aren't even mentioned in the summary who come to be very important to Tova. And while the story line is sweet and bittersweet, it's the characters in this one that really make this a book worth reading. 

Life: It Goes On - June 1

Happy Sunday! The sun is back this week, which makes me very happy. But also, it's 86 degrees right now; and while I'd much rather it were summer than winter, it's quite a jolt to go from the upper 60's/low 70's to almost 90.  

We've had quite a week. Tuesday and Wednesday my brother and sister-in-law spent the night, Friday Big Guy drummed with his old band at a nearish winery, and yesterday we ran down to Kansas City to spend some time with Miss H before she gets too busy to see us all of June. This week will be much quieter. 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I finished Black Woods, Blue Sky and started Great Expectations, which may turn into a read/listen combo. 

Watched: Friday evening I watched Wicked Little Letters, starring Olivia Coleman; last night I introduced Miss H to Practical Magic. 

Read: Amy Griffin's The Tell. Not sure what's up next. 

Made: Salads, charcuterie, nachos - summery food. This morning I taught Miss H how to blanch food; a very kind food Door Dashed her a lot of food and she was not going to get it all eaten before it spoiled. So we got spinach, carrots, broccoli into the freezer. We also frozen strawberries, grapes, and an entire bag of mandarin oranges. And now I'm thinking I should do the same at my house!

Enjoyed: Time with family - biological and family by choice. Miss H had dinner plans last night so BG and I joined the people we now call our Kansas City family as they celebrated the patriarch's birthday and Joe's of Kansas City. AND BG and I went to Barnes and Noble after dinner for some browsing and coffee, which we haven't done in far too long. 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: Miss H is going to be moving into a temporary situation in a couple of months so we brought some things home that we'll store for her. That means I need to find a home for them in the basement which will almost certainly lead to some decluttering down there that will bloom into a much larger project than it needs to be. 

Thinking About: The countertops are ordered, the tile is ordered, the work will begin in a few weeks. But I'm still not certain which colors the cabinets and walls will be or whether or not to get new hardware. The idea of remodeling rooms sounds great, but for some reason I didn't really comprehend how stressful it would be and how many decisions would have to be made. 

Feeling: Tired. Miss H gave up her bed so we'd have a better place to sleep (we've previously brought an air mattress or used the hide-a-bed) but I never sleep as well in another bed, even if it is comfortable. 

Looking forward to: That empty calendar. As much as I enjoyed the things we did this past week, I need a quiet week this week because next week I have a new employee starting and I'm going to come home exhausted from that every night. 

Question of the week: Every time I have an evening to myself (and the t.v.!), I spend far too much time trying to figure out what to watch. What's something you've watched recently that you'd recommend, especially something that's more female centric (a.k.a. something that I wouldn't need to save to watch with BG)? 

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons

372 pages

Published September 2020 by William Morrow

Publisher's Summary: 

It's never too late to start living.

Eudora Honeysett is done with this noisy, moronic world--all of it. She has witnessed the indignities and suffering of old age and has lived a full life. At eighty-five, she isn't going to leave things to chance. Her end will be on her terms. With one call to a clinic in Switzerland, a plan is set in motion.

Then she meets ten-year-old Rose Trewidney, a whirling, pint-sized rainbow of sparkling cheer. All Eudora wants is to be left alone to set her affairs in order. Instead, she finds herself embarking on a series of adventures with the irrepressible Rose and their affable neighbor, the recently widowed Stanley--afternoon tea, shopping sprees, trips to the beach, birthday celebrations, pizza parties.

While the trio of unlikely BFFs grow closer and anxiously await the arrival of Rose's new baby sister, Eudora is reminded of her own childhood--of losing her father during World War II and the devastating impact it had on her entire family. In reflecting on her past, Eudora realizes she must come to terms with what lies ahead.

But now that her joy for life has been rekindled, how can she possibly say goodbye?

My Thoughts: 

When I saw I'm on a roll reading about older ladies with attitude, this is my latest example (following Three Days In June, The Little Village of Book Lovers, Remarkably Bright Creatures, and The Life Impossible). My sister recommended it to me but when I first picked it up, I was afraid it was too soon after my last book about a cranky old woman. But I needed to get books back to the library so I picked it up again and soon was drawn in to Eudora's story. 

Eudora is the reason the saying "You never know what someone is going through, so be kind." She has very little patience for people any longer and even less time for them. She's getting older and slower and has no family. She's ready for life to be done and she's desperate to go out on her own terms. There's a part of me that never stopped believing she was right to feel that way, especially when she expected to be all alone at the end. 

But Rose didn't see Eudora as an old woman whose time was about over. She understood that Eudora was old, but it never occurred to her that Eudora wouldn't be around for her as long as she needed her. I felt the same way about my mom so I could certainly understand how a ten-year-old would feel that way. Rose saw in Eudora someone who could be a friend and ally. But Eudora hadn't had a friend in a very long time, nor family or love in almost as long and she certainly wasn't looking for any of those things when Rose first showed up on her door. But Annie Lyons wants readers to understand that friends can be any age and family can be the people we choose to care about. 

Eudora had been hurt a lot in her life and disappointed by so many people. It was hard for her not to expect that from her new friends and even harder to believe that those people would be there for her until the end. So she never gave up on her desire to go to Switzerland and end her life on her own terms. And I came to believe that was exactly how this book would end, that having developed those friendships and that makeshift family, Eudora could do what she wanted to do without regret. 

The night before I finished this book, it had gotten late. I had only about ten pages left to read but I had to get to sleep. So I finished this one while I had my morning coffee. Big mistake. Those of you who have been around for a long time will know that while a lot of books have really impacted me emotionally, few have made me cry. This one did. It's the kind of ending that is both sad and uplifting. And now I have to read something completely different because I want to let this one sit with me for a while. 

Life: It Goes On - May 25

Happy Sunday! Missing my usual sunny Sunday but if this grey day will also produce some more rain, it will be very much appreciated. I've never had to water my new spring plants as much as I've had to this year, so I almost danced when it rained and rained on Friday. Certainly has me thinking about getting more perennials planted. This is just the kind of day where curling up in a chair with a cup of coffee and a good book seems like a great idea. What with an extra day off of work this weekend, I might just do that. 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I finished Eowyn Ivey's Black Woods, Blue Sky and now I'm back to Anne Tyler's Vinegar Girl. 

Watched: The finale of The Voice and LOTS of sports. A fair amount of NBA games, but mostly college sports. Our Husker women are playing in the softball Super Regional, the men are heading into the Big 10 Tournament final today, and our Creighton Bluejays won the Big East baseball tournament yesterday. 

Read: I finished The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett in tears. These little old lady books are really gripping my heart lately. Then I started Amy Griffin's The Tell. 

Made: I've been on a blue cheese hyper fixation lately so I've had a lot of salads this week. Last night it was comfort food time so I did a new take on homemade Mac and cheese. 

Enjoyed: My aunt and uncle were here and spent the night on Friday. We enjoyed dinner out with them and an evening (and morning) of conversation with them. Sadly, neither Big Guy or I thought to get any pictures. 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: On long days at work as I try to get a bit ahead, prior to having a new employee start next week, so I don't anticipate getting much more done around here than the usual. 

Thinking About: Summer and starting to make plans for some long weekend trips. 

Feeling: It's been chilly here the past week. We've had to put the comforter back on the bed and I'm wearing cardigans almost nonstop. I'm a little salty about that - I'm ready for short-sleeves and warm sunshine on my face. 

Looking forward to: A visit from my brother and sister-in-law this week. 

Question of the week: Have you been to a farmer's market yet this year? I haven't been able to get myself out of bed in time to go yet this year but I love seeing all of the different crops that are available throughout the season. 

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry  by Gabrielle Zevin

288 pages

Published December 2014 by Algonquin Books

Publisher’s Summary: 

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to make his life over—and see everything anew.   

My Thoughts: 

How long has this one been on my TBR? I’m going to guess 10 years; I can clearly remember being on Goodreads when this one became the big buzz, so I added it to my TBR, bought it for my Nook, and then forgot about it. Until a book club friend brought it up a month or so ago and then another said there had been a movie adaptation. So, I read it…and then I watched the movie.

A.J. Fikry is a man without friends, a man who owns a bookstore that is gradually failing, a man who is so deep in his grief over the loss of his wife that he has decided to drink himself to death. He is so morose that when a young publishing rep comes to pitch him the winter list, he all but throws her out of the building. 

Sometime later, a young woman comes into the store. His brief moment of kindness to her causes her to make a decision that will change A.J.’s life. The next day A.J. finds a toddler in his store when he returns from a run, with a note to “the bookseller” leaving the child to him. As cantankerous as A.J. can be, he can’t find it in himself to turn the child over to Child Protective Services and the law is, unbelievably, on his side. Maya changes A.J.’s life, as children will do. As the community rallies to help A.J. with Maya, friendships develop. And four years after he first met that publisher’s rep, A.J. finds love. All is well; this will be a happily-ever-after story. Except it’s not. It’s bittersweet.

Is it a little dramatic and sentimental at times? Yes. I didn’t care because it is also humorous and heartwarming and had just the right amount of drama and sentimentality for me. I loved these characters, and I loved the way they grew over the years and found love and friendship. In fewer than 300 pages, Zevin made me feel so many things. 

If you’ve ever read George Eliot’s Silas Marner, much of this book will feel very familiar, from a child that lands on the doorstep of a cranky man to the disappear and reappearance of a prize. Yes, that prized possession reappears – if you know about Chekov’s gun, you won’t be surprised when that happens much later in the book. I thought the story about where it was and how it reappears was wonderful. 

This is a lovely little book which I highly recommend if you’re in the mood for something lovely. 

As a side note, Zevin also wrote the screenplay for the movie so it’s one of the most faithful adaptations of a book I’ve ever watched, giving me exactly what I wanted, especially watching is so closely after finishing the book. 

And as a final side note, I just realized that this Gabrielle Zevin is the same author who wrote Young Jane Young and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Now I really want to read those books! 

Life: It Goes On - May 18

Happy Sunday! We're back to having a sunny, if somewhat cool, Sunday. Meals on the patio are on the agenda, where we can enjoy all of the hard work we've done in the backyard. Things are looking good, even if it has meant constant watering on our part - we could really use some of that rain that so many are getting. 

You may have noticed that I'm not getting book reviews posted much of late. I am reading (although not as much as I should be); just can't make myself sit down to write the reviews. I'm pondering how I make them easier/faster to create so that I'm more inclined to keep them up. Since one of the original reasons for this blog was to create a place to store my thoughts about the books I've read for my own purposes, I do want to keep that up. Just need to find a way to do that which is also enjoyable and does justice to the books I'm reading for reviews for publishers. 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I finished Remarkably Bright Creatures and started Eowyn Ivey's Black Woods, Blue Sky. I'm struggling with that one; not because it's not good, just doesn't seem to be what I'm in the mood for right now. 

Watched: The Voice, some NBA basketball, some college softball and baseball...you know, our usual. 

Read: Still reading The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett and enjoying it a lot. Will finish it in the next day or so. Not sure what's up next - have to check what's in my pile from the library.

Made: We were the lucky recipients of some delicious salmon so grilled that one evening and cooked it in the cast iron skillet. Second night I made a delicious lemon & dill sauce that I'll be looking forward to making again. Today I'm going to be making a strawberry/rhubarb pie since we harvested rhubarb yesterday. 

Enjoyed: So many things this week! Miss H was here cleaning (I hired her to come up and do some deep cleaning) - it was nice to have her around for a bit and to have that job done without having to do it! Thursday I had my hair done and you know I always love my evening of being pampered. Then last night we had our inaugural regularly scheduled dinner with the Big Guy's siblings and their spouses. BG's brother is such a great cook and dinner was delicious. We're hosting in two months and I'm already trying to figure out a menu that will live up to last night's! 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: While Miss H was here and working hard, I took some time off and body doubled her, getting some organizing and cleaning done in my office. Work there will continue this week; so far I've pulled out a bin of stuff to donate and gotten rid of two bags of trash. Miss H and I were in that room when she told me that if we leave them with as much stuff when we die as we have now, she will burn the house to the ground instead of sorting through things. That was a walk up call! 

Thinking About: I went much lighter with my hair color this time (wow, was that a process!) and I'm struggling with it. Wondering if it makes me look too much like a person who is trying too hard to hide the fact that she's going grey (which, of course, is true!). Do I go back to being a bit darker or keep this? 

Feeling: Frustrated. I'm still battling the back issue I've been having (although that is some better) and now a problem with my knee which will probably land me at the doctor's office this week. From there I don't know if I'm going to end up in physical therapy but having to have surgery. 

Looking forward to: A long weekend coming up. 

Question of the week: Do you get a three-day weekend? Do you have big plans for it? We will be staying home, but I'm not sure if that will mean relaxing or getting a lot accomplished. 

Life: It Goes On - May 12th

Happy Monday (if there really is such a thing as a happy Monday)! I hope all of the moms out there had a great Mother's Day. I had a lovely day - Mini-him and Miss C brought brunch, mimosas, flowers, and gifts and I got calls from Mini-me and Miss H. And then I gave myself permission to be largely lazy much of the day - a little Mother's Day gift to myself. I'm sorry to say that I'm regretting it today knowing how much needs to be done, but it was nice while I was doing it. 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: Shelby Van Pelt's Remarkably Bright Creatures, which I'm very much enjoying and will finish tomorrow. I'll miss Marcellus! Next up is, suddenly, Eowyn Ivey's Black Woods, Blue Sky, pushing Anne Tyler's Vinegar Girl back until next week. 

Watched: NBA basketball, The Voice, NCAA baseball and softball, professional volleyball. And then, just to throw in something completely different and comforting La Dolce Villa, on Netflix. 

Read: The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett, by Annie Lyons. I seem to have a thing for books about older women lately. 

Made: Lots of salads, grilled salmon, bbq chicken...it's summer cooking time already!

Enjoyed: Our first picnic of the season with friends Saturday night. 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: Miss H arrives in a little bit. She's started a cleaning service and I've been wanting to hire someone to come in and deep clean my bathrooms; figured I'd rather pay someone I trust. I'm taking some time off to body double her...for my sake, not hers; if she's working hard, I'll have the push I need to get something done around here as well (gotta make up for that lazy Sunday!). Hoping that start keeps me motivated for the rest of the week. 

Thinking About: Politics. I try to avoid the news but then I also want to be informed. It's exhausting. 

Feeling: Been battling my depression more lately. Which is strange for me this time of year. So I'm trying to spend more time playing in the dirt, eating on the patio, walking in the grass. Such good therapy!

Looking forward to: Saturday we begin a new Shep family tradition - the three siblings will take turns hosting dinners at regular intervals (not sure how often yet) so we don't all find ourselves only getting together a couple of times a year. 

Question of the week: I got a candle yesterday that's lavender/bergamot, two of my favorite scents combined. Are you a person who loves scented candles, oils, lotions like I do? If so, what are some of your favorite scents?