You know that old “what’s the one thing you’d save in a fire” question? After the dogs and cat, it would be my laptop, let’s be practical, but that whole “one thing” misses the important stuff by piling all this doom and smoke on the question (I know about smoke, I’m going to be cleaning up soot forever). A better question is, “What do you have that makes you happy when you look at it?”

I have a retro teakettle that I’m bananas about. A bag with a typewriter on it. Another bag with a typewriter on it. The extremely ancient peonies in my front yard. It’s that whole sparks joy thing.

What made you happy this week?

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Thanks to Gary, I’ve started reading Zoe Sharp’s Dancing on the Grave and Bones in the River. Nothing like finding a new great writer.

Also I bowed to peer pressure in here and read Winter’s Orbit and had a marvelous time. And wow that was her first book. Highly recommended.

What did you read this week?

I spent (not enough) time cleaning for Krissie’s visit this week (thank god, she’s not fussy) and the plan was for us to go through my stuff so she could take what she wants and I’d throw the rest out (yes, I know I should take it to Goodwill or something, but this needs to be done NOW). It’s probably wrong that my house is cleaner after she leaves, but it works for us. Except her visit got postponed until next week–that’s a good thing, she has something she needs to get done and I get an extra week to work here–so now the anticipation continues. Along with the cleaning.

What did you do this week?

Atlas Obscura has a great post on the artwork done by Amber Share in her posters that incorporate one-star reviews of national parks.

I like Share’s view of bad reviews:

“If a national park—which is beautiful and incredible and inarguably amazing—is going to have one-star reviews, you also have no chance of pleasing everyone. It’s like—learning to laugh and have a lighthearted mindset about our critics, including the ones in our own heads, who are often the meanest.” Continue reading →

Krissie is coming to visit on Wednesday for five days. Nothing but good times ahead.

What made you happy this week.

My good book news: two of my favorite authors dropped new books on June 1 (Tuesday): Casey McQuiston (Red, White, and Royal Blue) with One Last Stop and Beth O’Leary (The Flatshare) with The Road Trip.. They’re on tap for this weekend. Oh, and I continued my exploration of New Age Adult romance, and The Book of Firsts (high school with lots of sex and no trauma) was a great fantasy (okay, not a fantasy fantasy but so full of sane people with very little angst and lots of money and connections that it felt like a fantasy and a lot of fun).

What did you read this week?

It’s June and spring has pretty much put me back on my feet (also vaccination, thank you, Science) and now I’m working my ass off getting ready for my first visitor in almost two years: Krissie. Fortunately Krissie has a large tolerance for animals and clutter, but even so, I must get this place in order. At some point, I have to go to Rockaway to get this damn keyboard fixed, too, but first things first: Krissie’s coming next week so I must work. Oh, and last week I put together two tables and a bench and took apart another table and did some other stuff. I worked.

How did you work this week?

I have a vast wardrobe of knit maxi-dresses which of course are easy to sleep in and which inspire me to do just that: wear one all day and then curl up to sleep in it. That is bad; my life needs some demarcations since it’s already amorphous (what day is it, anyway?). So I have made a new resolution: At midnight, no matter what I’m doing, I’ll take off the damn dress and put on pajamas. Which lead me to buy cheapo pajamas and nightgowns, which are delighting me because I was getting sick of wearing those damn dresses 24/7. Well, it’s pandemic life; I was getting sick of everything. (No, I didn’t set my stove on fire because I was sick of it, but it is giving me a chance to get rid of everything in the kitchen I was tired of, so BONUS.). Today, new pajamas are making me happy.

What made you happy this week?

Mhairi MacFarlane’s new book, Just Last Night, is great. There’s a darkness to this one, but it gives the story so much depth. I loved it.

What did you read this week?