A bit of a blizzard on Sunday and a ‘snow day’ off from work Monday! Yay! I’ll take it. And a good time to catch up on some stuff.
Like a month 1 wrap-up!
Here is what happened:
#2 – Read 42 books (5 down, 37 to go). According to Goodreads, I’m 2 books ahead of schedule. Oh yeah, uh huh.
“On any given day in Spokane, Washington, there are more adult men per capita riding children's BMX bikes than in any other city in the world.”
― Jess Walter, We Live in Water
Jess Walter is a masterful short-story storyteller. These stories are dark and funny and strange and moving.
“You see my now? I’m attractive now” – Andie Mitchell, It Was Me All Along
Bloggers are memoirists in real-time. Andie Mitchell’s book tells the story of what happened before she began her blog: Can you Stay for Dinner? The book falls prey to a bit of the “This happened, then this happened, then this happened” that I dislike about memoirs and I find bloggers-turned-memoirists struggle with that kind of storytelling often. She’s a good writer though and her TEDtalk is even better.
This is the story of a woman convicted of a crime she has no memory of, who does her time, makes amends and turns her life around. And then has to deal with the truth of what happened when it’s finally made clear to her many years later. The story is sprawling covering decades of time. And as a result there are parts that seem like they should receive more attention that are a bit glossed over. Her time in prison, for example. Her relationships with a few people, including one of the family members of her victim, are hard to understand fully. But you like her and you want to find out the truth.
I loved Laurie Notaro’s book The Idiot Girl’s Action-Adventure Club. This book I didn’t really love so much at all. The ‘tales’ were certainly not Epic. To quote one of her reviewers, “I’m sure Laurie Notaro’s friends got a good laugh when she related these anecdotes at a dinner party. I didn’t.” Some stories are good reads and some stories are better told. Either way, I barely remember these stories. But read the Idiot Girls’ books. I liked that one
“Pay attention, he thinks. Not to the grand gesture, but to the passing breath.”
― Lauren Groff, Arcadia
Now this book is epic. And it speaks to my secret belief that hippy communes are chaotic places that always have somebody who wants to be the king. This story spans the lifetime of some of these characters. There is all the messiness and beauty and loss and love of life. And, interestingly, one of many stories I’ve ready in the past couple years that play around with the possible scenarios of climate change and how people and communities will adjust and get by in a lesser and lesser hospitable planet.
#21 – See an Art Exhibit once a month
Last weekend I set out to see some art art at the Noyes Cultural Art Center. I thought they might have a proper gallery – but the art was displayed on the walls surrounding a large landing and in a lower level hallway. But an art exhibit just the same. AND, lucky me, it turned out one of the artist’s was my friend Liz Tuckwell! I wasn’t expecting to see her work, but loved it as usual.
The artists whose work I saw:
And my friend Liz Tuckwell’s work! (btw Liz is the artist who gave me the private art class awhile back)
Both exhibits are over now, but check out their websites for future chances to see their work!
#’s 23-27 – The “Streaks”
Longest Meditation streak: 15 days
Longest exercise streak: 6 days
# 36 – Get a Bra fitting and #42 – Help someone else fulfill a goal – COMPLETE!
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What’s on tap for February?
- See a play!
- See some art!
- New restaurants!
- Gotta get a massage!
