Oh intentions! As per my usual, I am living life at full tilt with about a dozen irons in the fire. And they are all GOOD intentions. But sometimes they get in the way of things like blogging.
Summer is almost over. I will not sugar coat that. There are people out in the world who schedule and plan legitimate vacations. I don’t know if it’s my “farmer’s daughter” DNA or what, but I am not that person? My kids have had halcyon days of summer camps. We saw some of our beloved cousins. We’re gonna go fishing with my father, but yeah … summer vacations. This is a perpetual work-in-progress, I guess. I’m just glad to give my kids the lazy days of summer. I’m grateful for the time I get to spend with my kids and my partner. We’re far from perfect, but we just genuinely hold each other in care, love, and joy. So not perfect – too much caffeine (for the mom & eldest child of the quartet). We’re heading into the “is that a dead animal or boy scent” time of our years together. We maybe rely on Discord too much to communicate, but gosh – this is a great time in my life as a mom.
This is balanced by my reality that I miss my own mom daily, but there are beautiful moments amongst grief and … well, #allthethings
Here’s the news from me on my recent reads, what I’m watching, and writing progress:
Listening: On the musical front, I have a few things going … first – I’m a lifelong fan of The Monkees. In fact, I had the absolute HONOR of seeing Papa Mike Nesmith in the January before he left this earth for whatever stardust he is now inhabiting. So imagine my pleasure and joy in finding out that The Monkees make for good “work” music. Don’t believe me? Open up a PowerPoint and queue up some classic Monkees. I guarantee 110% more joy, if not a kick in the pants when it comes to productivity. I don’t guarantee the same for spreadsheets, but I could be wrong. (Or terrible at Excel. Either is plausible.) If you Spotify, search up The Monkees and find whatever playlist is sanctioned by the band. It is really good and is like an audio bowl of mashed potatoes with ham gravy. Absolute comfort.
Just this week, I traveled to see another musical hero and attended a concert with one of my dearest friends in the universe. We saw The Wallflowers at the Barrymore Theatre in Madison, Wisconsin. The Barrymore is a sweet little theater and I will not be sad if I traverse to Madison again to catch a show there. The venue has a great amount of charm. This is the second time I’ve seen The Wallflowers and I am a fan of their earlier recordings. My highlight of the evening was the opening act – this uh-mazing troubadour named Will Dailey.
Recent Reads: I am READING again! Thank you, goddess. And I am grateful for THE DRY by Jane Harper, which has already been turned into a movie, but is perfect for … well. Any time.
I am currently reading a couple of other books that are of the “head shrinking” variety. One is about the “anatomy of a breakthrough” by Adam Alter and it’s good in a very cerebral way. The other is something about a “lazy genius way” about doing things. This reformed Protestant/confirmed agnostic struggles a bit with some of the more religious stuff, but the overall message is a good one and appropriate for my season of grief.
Watching: I’m still working on SUCCESSION. Do not doubt by my pace that this show is not AMAZING. It’s just that it *is* full of language and I have impressionable children.
In the meantime, hubs and I have been working on ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING. (We’re still on szn 1 ... judge us!) And I watched RONIN the other night, which just assured me how good 1990s schlock is.
But … holy Hannah – how can I forget this? I did the #BARBENHEIMER! This is where I watched Oppenheimer AND Barbie in one day.
I enjoyed both movies incredibly. BARBIE is the movie I will see again. Watch OPPENHEIMER for the bragging rights. Watch BARBIE for … well. #allthethings
Writing Life: *whispering* I’m working on a couple of short stories and trying to get my head around my current WIP. Don’t tread too loudly in case you startle the lady behind the curtain.
Phew. I’m sorry that this has taken the third Friday for me to say “hello” and wish you all the good things in the world. But … if you are reading this, I hope that you are well.
– Shelley
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What is First Friday? This started originally as “Friday Fare” where I posted a hodgepodge of links and some of the things that were living rent-free in my noggin. This is a monthly version of that.
michellekubitz 