July 13, 2015 by Jaclyn

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 13, 2015)

Oh, my gosh, you guys. What a busy, packed weekend I had! All good stuff – Taste of Buffalo on Saturday morning (post coming soon), a family swim on Saturday afternoon, blueberry picking and another family swim on Sunday… it was the sort of memory-making summer weekend that I cling to when the weather gets cold and dreary (and it will get cold and dreary – I saw a t-shirt in a shop window that said “Winter Is Coming. Buffalo NY” the other day – but not just yet).

Anyway, it was a fun weekend, and a busy one, but not one that left much time for reading. That’s okay. I love a lazy summer afternoon spent reading by the lake or pool, or on the beach, and I know those types of afternoons are coming, too. But in the meantime I enjoyed the heck out of this weekend and will have posts about both the Taste of Buffalo and our blueberry-picking fun coming up in the next couple of weeks. And I did do a little reading. I finished Summer Sisters on Friday afternoon (post coming soon!) and continued plugging away at The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings for the rest of my weekend reading time. The Fellowship is fascinating, but it’s extremely slow going. I’m trying to read one chapter every day, and believe me, some days that seems to be all I can manage. Those chapters are long, and they’re dense.

Upcoming this week, I’m hoping to finish The Fellowship – I think it’ll take another few days, but I should be able to get it done before next weekend rolls around if I apply myself – and then I’ll turn my attention, finally, back to Doomsday Book. I’m taking the kids on a little road trip later in the week (more to come on that) and hoping to get some more reading done. If I do, I’ll go either for The Millionaire and the Bard or Helen Castor’s new book, Joan of Arc. How fun to have so many exciting choices right now!

As for the blog this week, look for a Nugget update on Wednesday (he’s four months old! how did that happen?) and my final Summer of #BlumeAlong post (on Summer Sisters) on Friday. Have a good week, my friends!

Did you have a good summer weekend? Get any reading done?

July 10, 2015 by Jaclyn

Top Ten Books of 2015 (So Far)

Whoa. How is 2015 half over? Seriously, it seems like every year gets faster and this one is going by in the blink of an eye. Although I started the year slow and in a major reading rut, I’ve read lots since starting my maternity leave, thanks to the joys of the lap nap (see above). Seriously, there is nothing better than losing yourself in a good book while a cuddly, warm baby snuggles in your arms. It’s the best.

And speaking of the best, here – in no particular order – are the best books I’ve read in the first half (seriously, how?) of 2015:

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, by Erik Larson – This was only my second Erik Larson book (I read In the Garden of Beasts back in 2011 and thought it was wonderful as well). Larson combines meticulous research with masterful storytelling. Dead Wake told the story of the Lusitania’s final voyage from a number of different perspectives – the passengers and crew on board, the crew of the submarine that fired the fateful torpedo, and the politicians and intelligence officers in both the U.S. and Great Britain. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, and I learned a ton. (Note that I read Dead Wake during the extremely sleep-deprived first days after Nugget’s arrival, and it still held my attention. That says a lot.)

All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr – This was a lyrical, haunting, sad novel featuring the stories of a German youth and a French girl during World War II. The language was stunning, the characters real. Although it started off rather slowly, it built to a gripping, powerful and stirring conclusion. Apologies for all of the adjectives, but trust me, this book deserves them.

The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra, by Helen Rappaport – I’ve always been fascinated by the Romanovs, their gilded lives, and their tragic end. This biography of the four Grand Duchesses, Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, was beautifully written and was quite unique. Most chronicles of the family focus on the Imperial couple themselves, the Tsarevich Alexei, and of course Rasputin – the sisters are rarely given much ink between the four of them. Rappaport changes that in this lovely book about four very special princesses.

Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel – This dystopia held me in thrall from the very first page. I loved the tale of the triumph of the human spirit and of the power of art after a flu all but wipes out the human race. I’ve been recommending it all over the place.

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia de Luce #7), by Alan Bradley – There were mixed opinions about the latest installment in the Flavia de Luce series; I know several readers who were disappointed that the mystery took place entirely away from Bishop’s Lacey and beloved side characters such as Dogger. While I did miss the Bishop’s Lacey folk, I find myself getting more and more drawn into the larger plot arc with each addition to the series.

A Dangerous Place (Maisie Dobbs #11), by Jacqueline Winspear – Another new mystery release makes my list! I really enjoyed reading about Maisie’s continuing journey. Without giving anything away, I will just say that Maisie has enjoyed great happiness and endured great tragedy since the tenth volume ended, and that both have changed her. I love Maisie’s character growth.

Overwhelmed: Work, Love and Play When No One Has the Time, by Brigid Schulte – This nonfiction study of current time use in American culture and around the world was fascinating. I found myself nodding my head in agreement quite a few times. While I did fit squarely within the target demographic (busy professional mom here) I think there was a lot of good information for anyone. I was so interested in these concepts that I wrote two blog posts about the book: see here, and here.

Yes Please, by Amy Poehler – I’m a huge Amy Poehler fan (Knope We Can!) and I loved her memoir. Amy sprinkles in memories of her childhood and career, general life wisdom, and lots of laughs. I normally don’t purchase non-fiction, but my mom got this for me as a Christmas gift and I’m glad it’s on my shelf, because I think I’ll be returning to it again and again.

The Royal We, by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan – This romance is pure Will and Kate fan-fiction, doesn’t even try to hide that fact, and I love that. The story opens on the eve of the wedding between “Nick” and “Bex” – so there’s no question about whether they’re going to get together or not. It’s just straight-up fun while we watch their relationship unfold. I was glued to this one, turning pages feverishly every chance I had.

In the Unlikely Event, by Judy Blume – The first Judy Blume novel for adults in some seventeen years was a major media event, but luckily, the book lives up to the hype. Based on real events from Blume’s childhood, when three planes plummeted from the sky over Blume’s hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, within the span of 58 days, the book focuses on fifteen-year-old Miri Ammerman, her family and friends, as they attempt to make sense of the string of catastrophes. There were many characters to keep track of, which made things confusing at first, but I soon had everyone straight as the story grabbed hold of me and pulled me in. Riveting, horrifying, and a total page-turner.

What have been the best books of 2015, so far, for you?

July 8, 2015 by Jaclyn

Fourth of July Weekend 2015

It’s a birthday party! The fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. In fact, it probably competes with Christmas for the top spot. When I was growing up, we spent every fourth of July at my parents’ lake house, and we did the day right. Fireworks (some years we watched from our boat, other years from the beach), sparklers, barbeque, bonfire. Y’all know I love summer, and the fourth of July is the quintessential summer day. Last year we sort of missed out on celebrating, as we were attending a wedding that day (in the middle of a hurricane) and while I was so happy for the friends getting married, a piece of my heart was at the lake, of course. (It was raining there, too, so I guess we didn’t miss much.) Anyway, since we missed out on Independence Day fun last year, I was determined to make up for it this year. Warning: photo bomb ahead. We just had so much fun, I couldn’t stop snapping pictures.

We kicked off our weekend in traditional fourth of July style, at a Japanese restaurant. Okay, that’s not traditional. But it sure was delicious.

Peanut was mischievous.

And Nugget was cuddly. He’s getting good at guiding what he wants to his mouth. Usually, what he wants is my hand. Anyway, while Nugget enjoyed a knuckle sandwich, we enjoyed a tasty Japanese dinner at Sato. Hubby put together an amazing looking sushi spread, but I went for the ramen. Sato is a relatively new addition to the Buffalo dining scene and they’re already justifiably famous around here, because of the ramen. I ordered the veggie ramen with fried tofu, and it was AMAZING. (I’ve had it before, but without the tofu. Adding it this time was inspired. The tofu was the best part and I’ll definitely get it again.) Peanut ate buttered ramen noodles, a side of avocado, and a piece of California roll.

I don’t have any pictures from Friday – we spent the day lounging around the house. Peanut and hubby swam in the pool, Nugget and I snoozed in the rocker, and I read. It was a nice, cozy, relaxing day – just what we needed. On to Saturday.

Nugget had a tough night on Friday, so hubby nicely let me sleep in on Saturday. I came down to this adorable scene – Nugget napping in his swing, and Peanut lounging in an impossible position and watching Super Why. I dunno, this doesn’t look like a comfortable way to watch TV, but I guess it is. I fed Nugget, got my own breakfast, fed Nugget again, and then we were off to Canalside.

Fourth of July doesn’t feel quite right to me unless it’s spent by the water. I’ve passed one or two fourths without finding my way to the waterfront and it always seems like something is missing. Knowing that I like to celebrate Independence Day around the water, hubby suggested that we explore Canalside. It’s been awhile since we were last there, and they’ve since put the finishing touches on the canals, and the big recreation area is pretty much done. (They’re still working on a big, nice new hotel, but that doesn’t really impact our enjoyment of the area right now.) So we headed downtown.

Our first stop was the big sand pit. This is a large area filled with sand and sand toys, and it’s always bumping. In fact, as we approached the sand pit we saw two of my Stroller Strides friends, who were there soaking up the sun and fun with their husbands and little ones. What fun to randomly bump into them! Peanut got to play with her buddies for a bit, hubby got to meet the other dads (he’s met some of the Stroller Strides dads, but not these two) and I chatted with my friends and introduced them to Nugget. (Stroller Strides ended last fall, when I was pregnant, so Nugget has never gotten the fun of attending a class – poor guy). They snuggled him and we planned a workout, then they were off to search out live music while we stayed and enjoyed the sand for a little bit longer. I called it a day when I saw a cup of sand inching its way toward Peanut’s mouth, and we wandered off to look at the boats.

There were tons of people out kayaking and water biking around the area, and I was itching to get in a kayak myself. We’ve been talking about kayaking as a fun date night activity, but we need to coordinate babysitters. Maybe later this summer?

BFLO Harbor Kayak rents stand up paddleboards, too! Another thing I really want to try.

We had a great time looking at the boats and the water, and then hubby suggested wandering down to see the completed canals.

But first I wanted to get some pictures of the kids in the Adirondack chairs that dot the Canalside area.

Peanut was delighted to be getting to hold Nugget. Nugget, while he adores his sister, wasn’t convinced that this was the best idea. You sure about this, Mom and Dad?

Canalside is the terminus of the Erie Canal, but it’s become more about recreation than business. A local group has been renovating it for years now, and last fall they put the finishing touches on a new canal area, just in time to open the canals for ice skating. With Peanut being so little, and me being so pregnant, we didn’t skate there – but I know we will be there next winter! It was such a cool area.

The new canals were adorable – shallow and winding. I can see how they’d be fun for skating in the winter, but in the summer it was all about the BOATS.

Remote control mini sailboats! Too fun.

We walked the perimeter of the new canal area, and then it was time to head home. We were all a little loopy from the sun…

And we crashed hard when we got home.

Afternoon naps over, we threw together a very casual dinner, then did the normal bath and bedtime routine (or not-bedtime, if you’re Nugget). And then it was time for another favorite fourth of July tradition…

ALIENS!!!!! Yes, I do watch Independence Day every fourth of July (and sometimes in between, too – it’s a classic). I have a thing for nineties disaster movies, what can I say? So much fun. Love Will Smith – “I could’ve been at a BARBEQUE!” And Bill Pullman – yum. How does he keep his hair so perfect, even after flying in a raging air battle against evil alien invaders? That’s talent. Hubby thinks that my need to watch Independence Day every year is completely ridiculous, but he indulges me anyway. Nice guy, knows what’s good for him.

On Sunday I woke up to this happy face…

…and then we headed out for a short family hike to Knox Farm.

We could sort of tell that Peanut wasn’t going to make it through our favorite extended loop, so we just did a short loop around the near stand of trees. It was enough for a good stretch and…

Nugget crashed hard. He didn’t even wake up when I took him out of the Ergo – it took buckling him back into his car seat for that. And then he promptly fell back asleep and snoozed through our quick family errand (Lowe’s, for a new market umbrella – our old one didn’t survive the move – and a pot for me to move my basil into). We headed home and spent the rest of the afternoon alternating between lap napping and cooking.

Later on Sunday afternoon, my inlaws came by for a swim in our pool, and dinner on the patio. No pics of the swim, because I was having too much fun dunking, treading water, dipping Nugget’s little toes in the pool, and checking out the shark (floating pool thermometer) with Peanut. But dinner was definitely photo-worthy.

Raw corn salad, roasted cauliflower salad, pulled chicken on Costanzo’s rolls (a WNY institution), and watermelon. And for dessert…

A s’mores tart. Does it get more all-American than that? I doubt it.

Best enjoyed poolside, with the summer sun just starting to set.

Happy (belated) birthday, America! Hope all of my friends had a fun and safe party weekend.

July 6, 2015 by Jaclyn

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 6, 2015)

Yawwwwwwwwwn. I’m stumbling out of the holiday weekend haze and am kind of in disbelief that a new week is upon us – anyone else with a bit of a holiday hangover? We had a good one; it was the perfect mix of on-the-go family fun and relaxation (thanks to Nugget’s need for daily lap naps, about which I am not complaining at all). More about our activities on Wednesday, but for now, do you see the ridiculousness stacked up there on my foyer table?

The library stack has taken on a life of its own. I mean, really. I swear that when I was walking by it the other night I heard it say “FEED ME, SEYMOUR.” Never mind that my name isn’t Seymour. I’m officially scared of it. Although it is, thankfully, a couple of books shorter now than it was when I snapped this picture. On Thursday afternoon I finished up Orchard House, which I liked but didn’t love. (The garden descriptions were luscious, and I enjoyed reading about life in Seattle, but I found the author a bit petulant at times. From the Goodreads reviews, it seems I’m the only one who felt that way. But who picks a fight with a 73-year-old woman over how to properly hang toilet paper? Come on! In 73 years, she hasn’t earned the right to hang the toilet paper however she darn well pleases? SMH.) Then on Friday and Saturday, I read The Book of Speculation, which again, I liked but didn’t love. I’ve moved on to The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings, which I can tell is going to be fascinating but slow going. I’m trying to figure out whether it should be a priority or whether I’ll be able to renew it. If I think I can renew it I may move on to American Ghost, which I believe has a waiting list.

How was your weekend? Did you celebrate the Fourth of July? Get any good reading done?

July 3, 2015 by Jaclyn

Serenity To Go

In honor of America’s birthday tomorrow, I thought I’d share with you something that has been brightening up my Instagram feed considerably these days. Instagram is probably my current favorite social media vehicle – I love the casual glimpses into my friends’ lives, and the beautiful or uplifting pictures posted by the accounts I follow. And lately, Instagram has been one of my favorite ways to get a fix of gorgeous shots of stunning natural scenery. I follow REI, Camp Trend, and National Geographic Adventures, among other nature-loving accounts. But today, I want to show you some of my favorite Instagrammers – the accounts managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, and by several of our most beautiful national parks. Observe–

U.S. Department of the Interior (@usinterior)

The Interior Department’s Instagram feed mainly consists of national park images. Since I follow some of the national park feeds, but not others, I like getting glimpses into the rest of the park system. For instance, this image of Great Smoky Mountains National Park took my breath away.

And look at this shot of Glacier Bay. It combines two of my favorite things: national parks and whales. (Whales are my favorite animals. Fun fact: the first gift hubby ever gave me was a humpback whale adoption.)

One more:

The only problem with the U.S. Interior feed? They keep posting shots of national preserves and areas I didn’t even know existed, and as a result, my travel bucket list is blowing up.

National Parks

In addition to the U.S. Interior feed, I also follow a few national park feeds. I haven’t been to nearly enough national parks, but hubby and I are hoping to correct this over the next few years. (I’ve been to Acadia, Yosemite and Great Falls National Parks, to Muir Woods National Monument, and to the Point Reyes and Cape Hatteras National Seashores. A good list, but nowhere even close to what I would wish. These Instagram feeds are tiding me over until we can make a trip out west, hopefully next year.)

Yosemite is my favorite national park. I visited the park when I was twelve and I still remember my first sights of the spectacular Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, and swimming in the pristine Merced River. I wish I could go back RIGHT NOW.

I haven’t been to Rocky Mountain National Park, but my brother – who lives in Colorado – has. I follow the park’s Instagram feed for a dose of Colorado scenery. We’re hoping to get out there to visit my brother and sister-in-law soon, and when we do, RMNP will definitely be on the agenda.

Arches National Park will also be on the agenda when we visit my brother – we’re hoping to do a family road trip from Boulder to Moab and check out several national parks along the way. I mean, how spectacular are those arches?

Another park I’ve never seen in person, but I really, really want to visit Mount Rainier National Park. We’re also talking about a trip to the Pacific Northwest, so hopefully I’ll be able to check this one off the list within the next couple of years. Meanwhile, this account is contributing some of the most spectacular images in my Instagram feed.

And look at this trail. This picture has me reaching for my hiking boots. See what I mean about my travel bucket list?

And lastly,

Shenandoah! So beautiful. One of my biggest regrets is not getting to Shenandoah when we lived in DC and northern Virginia. I am kicking myself for never making it there in ten years – and it was so close. A few times my alumni club went on outings to climb Old Rag, but I was never able to join them. We do have plans to go back to DC this summer, but I don’t think we’ll make it to Shenandoah. We have a long list of friends we want to see and I doubt we’ll have time for a big day trip (although we definitely plan to go back to Great Falls while we’re there – my favorite spot in the area).

Although I haven’t been to enough of the national parks, monuments or preserves, I love the fact that they exist. “America’s best idea” is, in my opinion, one of the finest things about our country. Hubby and I recently finished watching Ken Burns’ documentary on the national parks and now we’re itching to visit all of them. But travel is tricky with two tinies and our demanding lawyer jobs, so in the meantime, I’m taking my serenity to go, in the form of these spectacular images that pop up in my Instagram feed on a daily basis.

Happy birthday, America!

July 1, 2015 by Jaclyn

Reading Round-Up: June 2015

Reading Round-Up Header

Reading is my oldest and favorite hobby. I literally can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t love to curl up with a good book. Here are my reads for June, 2015…

The Anchoress, by Robin Cadwallader – Seventeen-year-old Sarah is an anchoress, a holy woman enclosed inside a sealed cell attached to a medieval church. She became an anchoress in order to escape a harsh world – a world where her mother and sister both died in childbirth, and where the local lord’s cruel son is relentlessly pursuing Sarah’s hand in marriage. But even shutting herself away can’t keep the world out of Sarah’s cell. This was a stirring and fascinating novel. I’d never heard of anchorites and anchoresses before, and I was enthralled (and also sort of horrified) by the idea. I had some concern that a novel taking place almost entirely within a tiny enclosed room would be slow or dull, but it wasn’t. The writing elevated this, and I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.

It Starts With Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways, by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig – Meh. I’m a Whole30 enthusiast, as longtime readers may know, and I just recently finished my third time through the program. I grabbed this book from the holds shelf to read during my most recent Whole30, thinking it would give me the motivation to finish strong, but to be honest, I wasn’t really convinced. I found the folksy tone irritating and distracting, and the science unconvincing. It’s odd, because I know that the Whole30 works well for me, so you’d think I would have had a more positive reaction to the book. I’m glad I got it from the library instead of buying it.

The Five Love Languages of Children, by Gary Chapman – Hubby and I read the original The Five Love Languages years ago and really liked it. We found it helpful to identify our love languages and apply them to our daily interactions, and we still talk about the love languages even eight years after reading the book. So I had high hopes for some really good insight into applying the love languages to kids. There was a bit of kid-specific insight, but I also found that there was a lot of repetition. The most important takeaways I found were: (1) if your child is under 8 or so, you probably won’t be able to identify her love language, so you need to make the effort to speak all five; and (2) the reverse of your child’s love language is also very important – i.e. if your kid is a “words of affirmation” person, praise will be particularly meaningful to her, but harsh words will be particularly damaging, so watch your mouth!

Naptime is the New Happy Hour, and Other Ways Toddlers Turn Your Life Upside Down, by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor – I grabbed this from the library because Wilder-Taylor has a new toddler essay book out and I wanted to see what her writing was all about before I went to a big effort to get the newest. This was mildly amusing, but nothing amazing. I liked how Wilder-Taylor lampooned perfectionist moms, and I chuckled appreciatively a few times, but I could have skipped it and been just fine.

The Inner Circle (Culper Ring #1), by Brad Meltzer – Great literature it is not, but I found The Inner Circle to be decently fun. I was a bit confused by some of the plot points (and I still don’t understand the cancer plot, that part just made no logical sense) but I liked the glimpse inside the Archives, and it was fun to make a fictional foray inside the Beltway. I’ll probably continue with the series.

The Jesus Cow, by Michael Perry – On Christmas Eve, a calf is born inside Harley Jackson’s barn. The calf has a perfect image of Jesus Christ on its flank, and Harley’s first reaction is to say, “Well, that’s trouble.” Harley attempts to hide the calf, but word (of course) gets out and soon he has a Hollywood agent, a spiritual theme park, and hordes of pilgrims on his farm. Hijinks follow, naturally, along with a good deal of cleverly buried philosophy. This was a slim novel, but provided plenty of thought material wrapped up in a really clever premise. Recommended.

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume – I really enjoyed the first book in the summer of #BlumeAlong, hosted by Kerry of Entomology of a Bookworm. Margaret Simon does a lot of growing up in this iconic novel of bras, periods, and spiritual seeking. Somehow I managed to get through young adulthood without reading this classic, so I’m glad I’ve rectified the omission. For my full review, see here.

Love the Home You Have, by Melissa Michaels – Michaels, creator of the Inspired Room blog, presents a slim but encouraging volume about cultivating contentment and learning to love your current home, even if it’s not your forever home. There was nothing particularly novel or earth-shattering about her advice, but it was a lot of what I need to hear right now. I’m still homesick for Northern Virginia every day, and I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by how much I have to do to update our current house. More on this to come, maybe. I appreciated Michaels’ gentle motivation, I’m trying to take her lessons to heart, and I think I may actually have a lot to say about this topic. Stay tuned for possible future posts.

In the Unlikely Event, by Judy Blume – Two Blume novels in one month! I must be on some kind of kick. In the Unlikely Event is Blume’s first novel for adults in some seventeen years, focusing on real events that occurred in the winter of 1952 in Blume’s hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey. Blume was a teenager there when three planes plummeted from the sky in the span of just 58 days, leaving the entire community rocked and reeling. Here, Blume revisits the tragedies through fictional Miri Ammerman, her family, and her friends, whose lives are all changed in big and small ways by the disasters. I found the novel utterly riveting and more than a little bit distressing. It was complex (lots of characters!), beautifully written, and I think it will be a popular book club choice. Highly recommended!

Better than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives, by Gretchen Rubin – I think I’m on something of a Gretchen Rubin kick. In the past two months I’ve read her bestselling The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, and now her latest. I liked this one, and found that there was definitely some good thought material here, but I wasn’t as big of a fan as I was of the happiness books. While she seemed funny and sweet (if a bit neurotic) in the happiness books, here Rubin comes across as a bit of a killjoy, and more than a little bit judgmental. (I did enjoy the fact that her sister called her out on it, and props to Rubin for including that conversation in the book.) Still, I did find myself making note of a few concepts that I want to explore more, so look for a blog post on that next week. Recommended for Gretchen Rubin fans, but don’t expect this to be quite as inspiring as the happiness books.

What a month! Nugget’s continuing preference for napping in my arms has meant that I’ve gotten quite a bit of reading done, and I’m not complaining about that AT ALL. I cherish the hours we spend relaxing in his upholstered rocker while he snoozes and I lose myself between pages. I’ll miss this when I head back to the office at the end of the summer, so I’m going to enjoy every moment now. It was a pretty good month, content-wise, too. The Jesus Cow and In the Unlikely Event were definitely the highlights. I was a little underwhelmed by some of my other selections – and I actually abandoned another book, Disclaimer, some 120 pages in, which I NEVER do. But overall it’s been a good month, and I’m looking forward to another good month to come… including some BEACH reading! Can’t wait.

June 29, 2015 by Jaclyn

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 29, 2015)

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Blah. Monday. It rained here all weekend, and we ended up scrapping some plans I was really excited about. On Saturday I’d intended to run a 10K but bailed when I woke up exhausted, with a wobbly ankle, and to a forecast of driving rain and 40 mph wind gusts. Then, of course, I beat myself up over bailing. In the afternoon, we had planned to attend the Roycroft Art Festival with our friends Zan and Paul, and then have a picnic, but with rain steadily pouring down, by 2:00 I had to admit to Zan (and myself) that it wasn’t going to happen. It’s an outdoor festival, rain or shine, and it was just too nasty to take Nugget out. We did get a surprise dinner invitation from my inlaws, which was delightful, but I was still in a bad mood – mad at myself over the 10K and bummed about the loss of the festival and picnic. We really needed a fun weekend, too. Hubby, Peanut and I are all nursing summer colds, and Nugget is going through the dreaded four month sleep regression. It had been a week of coughing and lost sleep, making us all tired and snappish, and I was counting on two days of fun to restore our equilibrium. Alas, it was not to be.

Although the weekend was mainly a dud, I did get some reading in – mostly on Sunday, while Nugget made up for a Saturday nap strike by snoozing on my lap most of the afternoon. I finished Gretchen Rubin’s newest book, Better Than Before, and while I liked it, I didn’t think it was quite as inspiring as her Happiness Project books. More on this to come on Wednesday, when I post my June reading round-up, and next week as well. I wrapped up Better Than Before last night and am now moving on to The Elephant Whisperer, which my mom recommended to me after her entire book club adored it.

Of course, the sun is out now. I’m trying not to be annoyed that it waited until Monday to show its face. At least I can get Nugget out for a nice stroll, and when Peanut gets home from school I think the evening light will be perfect for a photo shoot for her third (!) birthday party invitations. Happy new week, my friends!

What are you reading today?

June 26, 2015 by Jaclyn

Summer of #BlumeAlong, Part I: ARE YOU THERE, GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET

New-Jersey-You-God-Me-Margaret-Judy-Blume

Ahhhhhh, Judy Blume. Probably one of the most prolific – and beloved – middle grade and young adult authors, well, ever. She’s been all over the bookish news lately, as she just released her first adult novel in seventeen years (In the Unlikely Event, which I also read and loved this month). In honor of Blume’s new novel, Kerry of Entomology of a Bookworm proposed a readalong featuring two of Blume’s all-time greats: Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret and Summer Sisters. As I mentioned in my responses to Kerry’s kickoff questions, Blume was a big part of my reading childhood. I believe – although my mom can correct me if I’m wrong – that my first forays into the Blume canon were the Fudge books, starting with Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. (I haven’t thought about those books in years, but I do still have a soft spot for that trouble-making Fudge. Hope my kids love the Fudge books as much as I did.) I eventually moved on to the young adult novels, and my favorite was Just as Long as We’re Together. (Apparently there’s a sequel, Here’s to You, Rachel Robinson. How did I not know that?) But one I missed, somehow, was Blume’s all-time classic, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. So when Kerry suggested a readalong, naturally, I jumped on the chance to remedy that omission.

The Plot…

When the novel opens, Margaret Simon and her family are preparing for a move from New York City to New Jersey. Although Margaret’s parents justify the move with reasons like fresh air – more space – better schools, Margaret suspects that they might also be trying to get her away from her grandmother. Grandma is a devout Jew who would love for Margaret to join the religion – which makes Margaret’s agnostic parents uncomfortable. Still, Grandma is a darn sight better than the grandparents on the other side. Margaret’s mom was raised Christian, and her father was Jewish, and when they decided to marry, Mom’s parents cut them out of the family. (The reader does well to remember that this book takes place in the 1970s; I don’t know that the story line would be as realistic if written today. At least, I hope it wouldn’t.)

As Margaret settles into life in the suburbs, she finds herself swept into new friendships. The gregarious Nancy Wheeler takes Margaret under her wing and invites her to join a secret club, the Pre-Teen Sensations, in which all members must wear bras and alert the others when they get their first periods. And thus begins a year of growth in which Margaret convinces her mother to buy her a training bra and anxiously awaits her first period. (Reading this book as an adult, all I wanted to say to Margaret was, “Oh, honey. Trust me, bras and periods are not nearly as exciting as you think. Don’t rush it!”) Margaret immerses herself in junior high, with all its worries about friends and boys and reputations. Meanwhile, she continues to spend time with Grandma and deals with more family drama as her other grandparents suddenly seem to want to be in her life.

It’s a lot for a Pre-Teen Sensation to handle, but Margaret has a confidante: God. Although Margaret is “no religion,” she still keeps up a steady stream of conversation with God, pouring out all her hopes, dreams, and questions. Why would Mom keep secret from Dad the fact that she sent Margaret’s grandparents a Christmas card? And please, come on God, help a girl out in the bra department! Also, while we’re at it, when is Margaret going to get that elusive period? The other girls are shocked at Margaret’s non-religious family; how will she know whether she’s supposed to go to the YMCA or the JCC? For a class assignment, Margaret spends the year attending various religious services, trying to figure out what religion would be her best fit – but none of the churches or temples seem right. Margaret feels uninspired at best, and at worst, like a fish on the minister’s hook. (She spends a lot of time counting hats.) In the end (spoiler alert!) Margaret realizes that her relationship with God – personable, friendly and intimate – is exactly what she needs. Especially when he finally obliges on that whole period thing.

My Thoughts…

Like I said, I loved Judy Blume’s novels as a kid. So I’d bet that, had I read this at age 13 instead of 33, it would have really spoken to me. (Except, maybe, the period stuff. I don’t remember ever being so excited over that particular milestone. More nervous that it would arrive at an inopportune time.) Even now, I really enjoyed it, and I think my adult perspective shed light on certain aspects of the book that would have been completely lost on me as a pre-teen or young teenager. (For example, I cringed at the casual cruelty the girls displayed toward Laura Danker, but I also recognized that their behavior was rooted in jealousy, which I think I would have missed twenty years ago.)

The best part of the book, for me, was watching Margaret’s evolving relationship with God. When the book begins, God is a sounding board, a place to lob worries about friends and boys and seriously, God, when is Margaret going to get her period, I mean COME ON already. (I particularly enjoyed one scene in which Margaret, getting ready for a party, decides to stuff her new bra with cotton balls and then says, in effect, see, God, I just need a little help here.) Yet as Margaret attends different religious services, she comes to recognize that her personal relationship with God is more fulfilling than the rote recitation of lines she doesn’t even understand. And that she doesn’t need to know whether she’ll go to the YMCA or the JCC, because what she has is deeper than the external trappings of religion. While it’s true that, at the end of the book, God is still a sounding board for friend and boy troubles (although at least Margaret has her period now, thanks, God!) Margaret is much more comfortable with the idea of charting her own religious path.

All things considered, I really did enjoy this book. There was an awful lot of bra-and-period talk, but it’s Judy Blume, so that’s pretty much a given. There was also a lot of wisdom sprinkled in. So – better late than never – I’m very glad I’ve finally gotten to know Margaret Simon.

Have you ever read Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret? What did you think?

June 24, 2015 by Jaclyn

Garden Update

Wow! I can’t believe it’s been a month since Peanut and I planted our garden. As expected, some things are growing well and other things… aren’t. This year is all about learning what works and what doesn’t, and hopefully after the season ends I’ll have some good knowledge to build on next year. So, with that, here’s how things currently stand:

The lettuces (one pot of red leaf and one of mixed leaf) are doing well. I worry that they’re a little crowded in the pots, but they must be happy enough because they’re consistently producing plenty of nice, tender leaves. I’ve plucked quite a few salads from these pots and the lettuces grow right back. At this rate it’s looking as though I won’t have to buy salad greens all summer, and I couldn’t be more delighted about that.

The herbs are a mixed pot… errrrrr, bag. I knew when I planted the mint I knew there was a chance it would try to take over the entire pot, and that does appear to be what it’s attempting to do. It’s probably claimed a third of the pot for itself and the rest of the herbs are trying to hold onto a little of their own. The parsley is doing okay, but not great; the dill and rosemary appear to be fighting back and hanging on; but the poor basil has, I think, bolted. I probably should have planted the mint in its own pot – next year, I will – and now I’m trying to figure out how to rescue the basil. I’m not sure if moving it to its own pot will do the trick at this point, or if it’s a losing battle. The good news is, mint is my favorite herb.

The strawberries are growing decently well. Every couple of weeks, we seem to be getting a little handful. (These were eaten, so we don’t have anything right now, but I’m sure we will soon.) We’re not going to get enough at any one time for me to make a dessert out of them – we’d need a few more plants for that, I think – but it’s fun to have them growing out there and to pluck a few now and then.

The tomatoes are not doing very well. The stalks have grown much taller, but that’s the only progress I’ve seen. There are several stalks with yellowing leaves and we’re just starting to see a couple of buds – and no little green fruits. I’m sad that these seem to be struggling, and again I think I may have planted them too close together. Pruning the stalks, and possibly thinning them out, is high on my list for the next few days. Hoping that will have some effect.

As for my gardening buddy, she’s still really enjoying the activity. I’m careful to space out the tasks on which I include her – I don’t make her help with more complicated stuff, and I don’t drag her out to water with me every day – because I don’t want her to get burnt out on gardening. She probably joins me in watering every three or so days, and the rest of the time I do it myself. And I always bring her out to pick with me when I’m grabbing some lettuce or herbs – she loves helping me fill up the colander. As expected, she enjoys picking (and eating) the strawberries most of all – it’s a challenge to get her to wait until I’ve washed the berries before she takes a big bite. So cute!

All things considered, this garden is doing about as well as I expected it to. I have never been a green thumb, and I’m hoping that a little experience will change that. But the fact that I’ve gotten several salads out of this garden, that I have enough mint to last a lifetime, and that Peanut and I have an activity we’re enjoying, is enough for me to call the experiment a success so far. Further updates to come as the season progresses!

Do you have a garden this year? How’s it doing?

June 22, 2015 by Jaclyn

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 22, 2015)

CentralLibrary3 Monday again. Did everyone have a nice Father’s Day weekend? I hope you enjoyed celebrating with the dads in your lives. Around here, we kept things low-key at hubby’s request: just a quiet day hanging out at home. We had my father-in-law over for dinner, which was wonderful. Peanut was so excited that Grandpa was in the house! Of course, he got some snuggles in with Nugget, too – whenever Peanut permitted him to, that is. I roasted a chicken and some new potatoes using my current favorite combination of seasonings (smoked Spanish paprika and Penzey’s Northwoods seasoning) and on the side we had a salad of mixed greens and herbs plucked straight from the garden. (I owe you a garden update, by the way – coming on Wednesday.) It was a good meal, with good company. Just right.

On the book front, I had a bit of a reading setback this week. I’ve been making my way through the library stack and have been almost staying on top of it. At the end of the week I (through hubby) returned four books and checked out five more, including two new books that must be returned in seven days. So I turned my attention to one of those – In the Unlikely Event, the new Judy Blume – and so far I’m about halfway through it. It’s distressing, but riveting at the same time; I’m having difficulty in putting it down. Unfortunately, that meant that the book I had just started – Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis – would need to wait. But when I went to renew Doomsday Book (it was one day overdue – oops) it turned out there’s a waiting list and I couldn’t renew it. Who knew? So Doomsday Book is on its way back to the library today, and I’ll jump back into the holds queue on that one. Disappointing, but it is what it is. I’ll probably finish In the Unlikely Event within the next couple of days, and then turn my attention to my other seven-day book: Disclaimer, by Renee Knight. After that, who knows? I have a few other books out with “waiting pool” stickers on them, so they’ll have to take priority. I’m thinking of picking up the new Gretchen Rubin (Better than Before) next, since I know I won’t be able to renew that. But we’ll see.

On the blog this week, look for the aforementioned garden update on Wednesday, and a BlumeAlong post on Friday. Have a good week, my friends!

covered in flour

the adventures of a wandering reader…