READING! (and, Eating and Thinking…)
Oh boy. I just finished an amazing book: If I describe it as a mashup of Harry Potter, Jane Austen and War and Peace, would that sound really weird? Well, it is a weird book! But I feel like even using those three comparisons leaves out a certain element of this book. The story takes place in England in the early 1800s. England has a rich history of magic, but hardly anyone practices it anymore… except for Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. The story revolves around the two men- their friendship, their rivalry, and a deeper undercurrent of ancient magic at work. This book is a time commitment (but so worth it) with multiple elements of the story that all come together in the end. The writing is incredible- so much humor that I really loved. The parts where magic is happening are mesmerizing- “Invisible doors seemed to be opening all around him; winds blew on him from far away, bringing scents of woods, moors and bogs. Images flew unbidden into his mind. The houses around him were no longer empty. He could see inside them as if the walls had been removed. Each room contained- not a person exactly- a Being, and Ancient Spirit…Then a new, different sensation took him: it was a sensation not unlike falling, and yet he remained standing. It was as if his mind had fallen down.” It’s one of those books that are hard to follow up. I mean- NOW what am I going to read? To solve this problem temporarily, I’m reading an Agatha Christie, Murder on the Links. This is a good “transitional” book because I don’t expect too much from it. I mean- I know I’ll enjoy it (providing I don’t remember the ending- I initially read it as a teenager) but I’m not expecting it to be anything other than a fun mystery. I’m also almost done with this book: Nothing absolutely earth-shattering here. A lot of it I’ve read or heard before in various forms, but it’s always good to have a reminder. There were a few chapters that are worth a deeper dive, and I’ll do a separate post on those. Eating-wise… I made black bean soup from Nora Cooks. It was delicious- but when I served it to my daughter she said “Wow, this looks really unappetizing.” Yeah, it did kind of look like throw up, I guess. (I didn’t say those words out loud, OBVIOUSLY.) But she ate it, so I consider it a major win. Moving forward food-wise, my husband has TWO WEEKS OFF for spring break! That’s what happens when you teach at a private school. He does have some playing gigs coming up, but he said on the nights he’s home, he’ll cook. WOW! This will be the best two weeks ever. Moving forward life-wise… this is my birthday week! My birthday is Friday, and guess how old I’ll be? FIFTY NINE. WHAT. That’s almost… sixty??????? No, I can’t be that old? Can I? I feel like I’m thirty (okay, maybe forty.) Sixty sounds so old, but I don’t FEEL old?! What is going on here? I’m definitely pondering some Deep Thoughts, and oh yes, you’ll get to hear all about them. Any suggestions for what I should read next? Do you like birthdays? – I do! Top photo by Valentin Antonini on Unsplash
Weekly Rundown- It Was Dark…
Oh, hello! Thanks for stopping by for the Weekly Rundown, hosted as always by Kim and Deborah (thanks, ladies!) Now that my long runs are over 20 miles, I only do them once every ten days, which left room in my week for some good strength workouts. And, in case you somehow forgot that we moved the clocks ahead, all my dark running photos will remind you. Let’s get into it! Monday This was a painful morning, but no need to belabor the point. I woke up at what FELT LIKE 4 am, and ran 4 miles. Tuesday I started the day with a 2 mile walk, and a Caroline Girvan abs workout.. After work, I went to the gym! I did a leg day focused on dead lifts. Photo courtesy of my daughter, who worked out with me. Wednesday Another dark 4 mile run! I added a little speed work into this one. Thursday In the morning I did the Caroline Girvan deadbug workout, and then after work it was back to the gym! This time I focused on squats (taking my chiropractor’s advice of not doing squats and deadlifts on the same day.) Also did the glute push machine, and piriformis exercises. Friday Another 4 mile run, and that is the moon over my right shoulder! I thought of Kim– especially because it was her birthday! Saturday Off! I meant to go for a walk today but… didn’t. It was a busy day of work and chauffeuring duties. Sunday LONG RUN! 22 miles, and I’ll make up for all the dark runs. There will be plenty of sunlight and heat for this one. The forecast is showing a high of 87 degrees. It probably goes without saying that I will be starting EARLY. Top photo by Mike Petrucci on Unsplash How was your week? Did you like turning the clocks ahead? (hahahahahahaha…) Did you see the full moon?
Friday Coffee Date
It’s Friday, hooray! Let’s all get a hot, caffeinated beverage and talk about the week. On each weekly page of my planner, there’s a “to-do” section, and I’m pleased to say that ALL my nagging tasks were crossed off this week! These included: ordering new contacts, canceling my old gym membership (it only cost a $10 cancelation fee and 45 minutes on the phone- I’ll never get those minutes back) and, the most tedious one… getting a mammogram. I’m VERY glad to get that last one taken care of, although I discovered, to my great displeasure, Rayus no longer does a mammogram and ultrasound on the same visit. That’s how I usually do it, because I apparently have dense breast tissue. Even though my doctor ordered both, and I ALWAYS get the ultrasound right after the mammogram, they told me that now I have to wait for the results of the mammogram- which will tell me that I need an ultrasound- and THEN make another appointment. Grr. Let’s move on. If we were having coffee together, I would ask if you’re making any summer travel plans. I know people are going exciting places like California and Canada… I will be making two trips to Waco, Texas. The first will be for my son’s graduation in May, and the second will be mid-July, to help him pack all his things and then he and I will drive back to Florida. We’re able to make these plans fairly confidently, because it looks like he’ll be going to grad school either 1) in Florida, or 2) NOT in Florida, but the Not Florida option wouldn’t start until mid-September (oooh! a clue! What school is on the quarter system?) Either way, we know he’ll be coming back home for at least a couple months in the summer. Other than getting mammograms and canceling gym memberships (btw this was my OLD gym, which I canceled because I now go to a newer, shinier gym) I’ve been reading feverishly all week. I’m getting close to finishing this book: It’s a strange and magical book! The parts that deal with actual magic are mesmerizing. I always read before bed, and I’ve noticed that I’m actually sleeping better. The spells in the book somehow lull me into a dream-like state, and I fall asleep easily. I may have to keep it next to my bed even when I’ve finished it, as a cure for insomnia. Do you have summer travel plans? What should I read next??? Top photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash
The Weekend
Well, we turned the clocks ahead, and once again survived. As I grimly got out of bed at what felt like 4 am on Monday, I reflected that being busy on Sunday really helped. My daughter had several things going on, including a matinee of the musical, so we couldn’t just lounge around lazily. As a result we were pretty tired on Sunday night and went to bed at a decent time. But I have a question! We have now left Standard Time for Daylight Saving Time. Isn’t “standard” time “normal” time? And DST is something special? WHY are we only on Standard Time four months of the year? If we have to change the clocks, can’t we do six months and six months??? I’m going to call my representative in congress and suggest it (hahahahahahahaha…) Anyway, seriously. The weekend was nice. On Saturday night I went to the high school musical, Once Upon a Mattress, where my daughter was playing flute in the pit orchestra. To be honest, I didn’t like the show itself. I didn’t care for the music. But, the kids- actors and musicians- did a GREAT job and I was able to appreciate that. They have been working very hard to put this show together, and it really paid off. Sunday afternoon I dropped my daughter off for the show and then went to Starbucks, where I sat peacefully and READ MY BOOK. I’m reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and really enjoying it, but it’s frustrating because every time I try to read I’m interrupted. It’s like an alarm goes off when I open my book, alerting everyone in the house that now is the perfect time for a crisis. Things spill, there’s a knock on the door, the cat throws up, my daughter has an “emergency”… so it was absolute heaven to sit in Starbucks and read 100 pages, UNINTERRUPTED. Then, I actually made a dinner! I forgot to take a photo (probably because I’m so out of the habit of photographing dinners) but I made baked ziti and a salad. You know what that means- leftovers for Monday night and even possibly Tuesday. Woohoo. How was your weekend? Was the time change painful for you?