Rise and Shine (Anna Quindlen)

I've read everything (both fiction and non-fiction) that Anna Quindlen has written and I always enjoy her brand of storytelling. She delves deeply into her characters and their emotional lives. This book was an interesting look at a relationship between sisters. Bridget, a social worker with a NYPD detective boyfriend and Meghan, a high-powered morning TV personality (I pictured Katie Couric) with a husband and a son. The story is told by Bridget who experiences the career and life struggles of her sister in a way that is both close and distant. As someone who doesn't have a sister, this story drew me right in. The complexity of their connection. The sense that each woman understands herself largely with reference to the other. The hyper-closeness between them contrasted with their striking distance.

We are Family!

I spent the weekend in Mississippi with the fam. Sunday was the annual Gray family reunion. This event has taken place every summer since 1932. We are most certainly a tradition-loving people. I have spent this Sunday at Wal Doxey state park almost every year of my life. Visiting with everyone, eating (OK overeating), sharing pictures and stories, hugging and being hugged. The reunion unfolds the same way year after year. Peepa arrives first (around 9:30) and the whole crowd has congregated by 10:30 or 11:00. The Gray's head for the right side of the pavilion and the Black's take the left. We talk across the tables, but we stick to our sides in a funny way. The Blacks are a family whose children were taken in by my family (the Gray's) when their parents passed away. I think this happened in the 30's. Since then, the Grays and the Blacks have gathered as a family year after year. This year's reunion was nice and cool. It felt good to see everyone. It also felt good to eat some of my favorite things: Craig's Green Tomato Pie, Mary's Creamed Corn, and Pam's Chocolate Cobbler. Yum!


The remainder of the long weekend was spent with two of my favorite folks, Mom and Dad. Are they cute or what? We had a great time. Talking and laughing and just enjoying each other's company.


Highlights from the weekend include:
1. Tapas on the porch (aren't we fancy?!)
2. Dad's swank new "dress" Crocs in chocolate brown - Happy (late) Father's Day!!
3. The Next Food Network Star marathon during our post-reunion food coma
4. Dining at Longhorn after Mom's long campaign to get one in their area (no jackalope, but still fun)
5. Seeing the lake where Wheedler (the duck - yes, he has a name) has been relocated
6. Drinking coffee and watching the Today show together
7. Hearing my Mom's friends talk about how much they love her
8. Playing with my cousin's boys (Luke and Russ)
9. Falling asleep in their great leather couches
10. Getting ready in the AM with Mom

2peas Challenge - Creativity

Today's challenge on 2peas is to blog about the things that keep you from creating. So, here goes....

1. Tests/papers/projects to be graded
2. Feeling sad
3. Feeling disconnected from my life and out of touch with myself
4. Deadlines
5. Trying to get it "just right"
6. A messy house
7. Being out of balance

And because I am a "glass half full" kind of girl, this challenge has led me to thinking about the things that encourage creativity. So, here is the other side of the coin...

1. A really good story
2. Flipping through magazines - not actually reading them, but just taking in the colors and images
3. Feeling loved
4. Eating a really good, interesting meal
5. Watching certain reality shows on Bravo (Project Runway, Top Chef) - not intellectual, but stimulating in other ways
6. Feeling connected with my life
7. New patterned paper and fonts
8. Browsing in a book or music store
9. Kissing ;)
10. Coffee in a lovely mug
11. Organizing my supplies
12. "Faded, soft T-shirt" kind of music
13. Going on long walks in comfortable weather
14. An interesting conversation
15. Watching Gadget play

Adventures in Duct Tape and Dog Showers

Have you seen anything cuter than these two? I doubt it. This is K outfitted with a small boa named Max. Max is a "country" bichon. A bichon born for the outdoors. During our afternoon hike this little man was quite a trooper. Sure, he's not quite as rugged as Kharma but he certainly seemed to enjoy our adventure. I did too. It was a great weekend. Good friends and good conversations.

In addition to what you might expect from a good weekend get-away, our vacation included miniature horses. Five of them. K's Mom cares for what has been referred to as a basketball team of minis. I am fascinated by these guys. Max appears to share my sentiments.

Miniature horses aside, the best part of the weekend was spending time with friends. T cooked us some great meals (she loves a good cooking pose) and we managed to watch a Christopher Guest movie that was almost good. Perhaps the "bad movie" curse has been lifted. I'm so glad that the six of us were able to spend time together. So very much to look forward to!

Reading Update

I did do some reading during my blog hiatus. Here is what I was up to in the "bookish" department....

Wickett's Remedy (Myla Godberg)
72 Hour Hold (Bebe Moore Campbell)
The Myth of You and Me (Leah Stewart)
The Dance of Deception (Harriet Lerner)
Art of Mending (Elizabeth Berg)
The Man of My Dreams (Curtis Sittenfield)
And Never Let Her Go (Ann Rule)
Lighthousekeeping (Jeanette Winterson)
Marker (Robin Cook)
I'm Not Myself These Days (Josh Kilner-Purcell)
Diana Lively is Falling Down (Shelia Curran)
Make Him Look Good (Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez)
Death in Belmont (Sebastian Junger)
The Year the Music Changed (Diane Thomas)
A Walk in Prague (Myla Goldberg)
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons (Lorna Landvick)
Some Things I Never Thought I'd Do (Pearl Cleage)
I Wish I Had a Red Dress (Pearl Cleage)
The Other Boelyn Girl (Phillapa Greggory)
Girl Meets God (Lauren Weiner)
To Have and to Hold (Jane Green)
Digital Fortress (Dan Brown)
Now It's My Turn (Mary Cheney)
Lost and Found (Carolyn Pakhurst)
Married to a Stranger (Patricia MacDonald)
I am Charlotte Simmons (Tom Wolfe)
Sellevision (Augusten Burroughs)
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Lisa See)
Everyone is Welcome Here (Ellizabeth Berg)
Until I Find You (John Irving)

If I Were a Dog

someone would have taken me to the groomers long ago. Unfortunately for me and much to the chagrin of T, the upkeep of my hair is up to me. Yesterday I decided that enough was enough. My attempt to bring back the mullett wasn't working and I was in desperate need of a new look. So, today I'm looking a little more like an adult. Finally my hair means it again. Now if I only I could find a way to take my own picture that didn't make me feel and look like a big goob.

It Doesn't Get Much Crunchier Than This

K and I spent last Sunday in Raleigh at the Festival for the Eno River. We happened upon this event solely because a band we really like (Girlyman - pictured above) was scheduled to play. I had never heard of the Eno and was certainly unaware of the annual hootenanny that celebrates and supports it. I thought I had participated in my share of hippie/granola/green events, but this was something else. Lots of organic food, homespun flowy skirts, and pit hair. I was not inspired to chuck my razor, but I did enjoy myself in spite of the crazy heat. We settled into our roly-poly Kozy Creek chairs and soaked in a great afternoon of music. Girlyman is (left to right) Doris, Ty, and Nate. They write great songs and have amazing harmonies. It was K's first time hearing them live, so that made the day even more fun. They played both of my (current) favorite songs - Young James Dean and St. Peters' Bones - so I was content. Watch out Eno..... we might be back next year!!!

The Historian (Elizabeth Kostova)

My feeling as I close this book is that I have just spent more than 800 pages of my life that I will never get back. Yup, it was that bad. Of course, bad is not really the right word. It wasn't actually bad, it just wasn't for me. I hear that many other people really enjoyed this book. As I believe I have made clear, I was not one of them. Dracula? Yeah........ not so much.

Change is the New Black

So...... it's been awhile. I fell off the blog train about a year ago and am only just now finding my way back. It's been quite a year. There's no way to catch up in a single blog post, so I won't try. I think it's enough to say that I'm back and that change is the new black.

Shopaholic and Baby (Sophie Kinsella)

Becky Brandon nee Bloomwood is my guilty pleasure. As soon as I see a new book in this series, I snatch it up. I have listened to each of these books on CD and I love the voice of the reader. Delightfully Brittish and very much the voice of Becky in my head.

In this book Becky is pregnant. As the book opens she and Luke are looking for a house and going to OB appointments. Of course, Becky (as always) faces many crazy challenges throughout the story. The search for the trendiest OB leads her to Luke's ex-girlfriend who does her best to steal Luke for herself. In the midst of defending her man, Becky's latest job is in jeopardy and she manages to pull the rabbit out of the hat (in the person of her friend and famous designer Danny) and save the day.

The details of the story are hardly important, which is good because they are fairly predictable. What makes these books so much fun is Becky herself. I can't stop myself from just loving her.