look at me, posting this month's reading on time. two weeks off from work means i sort of have my act together!
this month i read:
dear mr. you, by mary-louise parker (you know how i read some books and i am like STOP EVERYTHING YOU ARE DOING AND GO READ THIS BOOK. this is one of those books. kate bought it for me for christmas, and i was intrigued to see the actor mary-louise parker as an author. i wasn't sure what to expect, but this collection of a few dozen letters to men in her life (from her grandfather to son to cab driver to male goat that lives at her weekend house upstate), arranged into a memoir, is amazing. she is a BEAUTIFUL writer, and the stories range from funny to tender to nostalgic…two or three just didn't click for me (though that's not a bad ratio out of all the letters in the book), and the final story made me weep so much as i read it lying in bed the day after christmas that a pool of tears formed on my pillow and i had to get up and blow my nose and then flip the pillow over so the cool water didn't disrupt my sleep. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK, AND FAST.)
the astronaut wives club, by lily koppel (kate lent me this book - it was the month of kate! - which is the story of the wives of the astronauts of the 1960s and 1970s. it was interesting, and much of it is set just south of houston, which was kind of fun, but the tone was a little tell-all-gossipy and the writing wasn't going to win any awards, so i liked it but didn't love it. i don't know much about the space missions, though, so i learned a bit as i read!)
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
what i'm listening to right now
i'm having trouble letting go of christmas music. still listening. oops.
this is one that i discovered this year - "love is christmas," by sara bareilles:
this is one that i discovered this year - "love is christmas," by sara bareilles:
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
november: 30, 31, 32 & 33
in november i read all lady authors, though that wasn't a purposeful choice:
fates and furies, by lauren groff (this was the third morning edition book club pick, so i eagerly found it and read it…and was disappointed. it's not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but i was not rushing out to tell everyone i knew about this book. it was…interesting. the premise is that the first half of the book is the story of a marriage, told from the husband's perspective. the second half is that marriage told from the wife's perspective, and clearly things are revealed to be different in this telling. this is one that you are allowed to skip. redeem yourself, morning edition book club! i eagerly await your next pick.)
fun home, by alison bechdel (this book got on my radar because it is a graphic novel that has been turned into a broadway musical. in early november i went to two local independent bookstores that i'd been meaning to check out, and this seemed an excellent book to buy there - since it's not something i'd want to read on a kindle. i've read several graphic novels and find them a bit cumbersome - i was talking to a friend who is a slow reader, and she loves them because she can marinate on all the pages. i find them a little hard because i'm used to speeding through books, and that way of reading isn't rewarded when the drawings are just as important as the words. i liked this book - a beautifully told memoir - and the art is fantastic. i'm glad i read it!)
circling the sun, by paula mclain (this was our book club pick for november, and it was coincidentally the book my librarian had been encouraging people to read because it was her favorite recent read. this one didn't quite do it for me. the time and place - english settlers colonizing africa - was fascinating and must have been an incredibly special way to grow up (if you ignore the colonial issues…), but the action fell a little flat for me. it made me want to watch out of africa again, but not necessary rave about this book. part of the problem, i think, is that this is a book loosely based on a real person's life…so the author is hemmed in a bit by the real trajectory of the woman's life.)
the glass castle, by jeannette walls (this was a re-read, as we considered it for the all-school summer reading book. i love this book - i love walls's writing and the story she tells about her childhood is incredible. this book is sadder than i remembered, but i was once again captivated by it. i'm glad to have kept it on my shelf. there's a spate of bad language in this book that may prevent us from using it (argh), but otherwise i think it would be a great read.)
fates and furies, by lauren groff (this was the third morning edition book club pick, so i eagerly found it and read it…and was disappointed. it's not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but i was not rushing out to tell everyone i knew about this book. it was…interesting. the premise is that the first half of the book is the story of a marriage, told from the husband's perspective. the second half is that marriage told from the wife's perspective, and clearly things are revealed to be different in this telling. this is one that you are allowed to skip. redeem yourself, morning edition book club! i eagerly await your next pick.)
fun home, by alison bechdel (this book got on my radar because it is a graphic novel that has been turned into a broadway musical. in early november i went to two local independent bookstores that i'd been meaning to check out, and this seemed an excellent book to buy there - since it's not something i'd want to read on a kindle. i've read several graphic novels and find them a bit cumbersome - i was talking to a friend who is a slow reader, and she loves them because she can marinate on all the pages. i find them a little hard because i'm used to speeding through books, and that way of reading isn't rewarded when the drawings are just as important as the words. i liked this book - a beautifully told memoir - and the art is fantastic. i'm glad i read it!)
circling the sun, by paula mclain (this was our book club pick for november, and it was coincidentally the book my librarian had been encouraging people to read because it was her favorite recent read. this one didn't quite do it for me. the time and place - english settlers colonizing africa - was fascinating and must have been an incredibly special way to grow up (if you ignore the colonial issues…), but the action fell a little flat for me. it made me want to watch out of africa again, but not necessary rave about this book. part of the problem, i think, is that this is a book loosely based on a real person's life…so the author is hemmed in a bit by the real trajectory of the woman's life.)
the glass castle, by jeannette walls (this was a re-read, as we considered it for the all-school summer reading book. i love this book - i love walls's writing and the story she tells about her childhood is incredible. this book is sadder than i remembered, but i was once again captivated by it. i'm glad to have kept it on my shelf. there's a spate of bad language in this book that may prevent us from using it (argh), but otherwise i think it would be a great read.)
Friday, December 25, 2015
knitting update #3: christmas edition
when my mom and her siblings were little, they had christmas stockings hand-knitted for them. when my cousins and i were born, my grandma got the pattern and knit us all stockings, as well. i didn't realize as a child simply how incredible these stockings are, or how wonderful it is to have something handmade and personalized for you - the love that goes into it.
my aunt kathy recently got the pattern from my grandma and made stockings for her son-in-law and daughter-in-law and her first grandchild. becky wanted one for brandon, so i got the pattern from kathy and set to work. i had never done intarsia before, which is a knitting technique where you are working with multiple colors at the same time. you need to use it to create patterns when you knit. there are some tips i learned on a few websites of how to do this and not create holes in your final product, and i got into a pretty good rhythm as i went. it's complicated and requires a lot of concentration, but isn't super difficult.
the cool thing about this stocking project is that in every band there are a few different things you can choose from to personalize the stocking.
the beginning stages...i bought wool yarn in six colors and set to work. i bought graph paper and graphed out each band. the stockings all have our names and years of birth on the top; i practiced the name band once on scrap yarn and then set to work on the real thing. ruby "helped." (though lying on my lap and not attacking the yarn too much actually is a lovely way to help.)
my aunt kathy recently got the pattern from my grandma and made stockings for her son-in-law and daughter-in-law and her first grandchild. becky wanted one for brandon, so i got the pattern from kathy and set to work. i had never done intarsia before, which is a knitting technique where you are working with multiple colors at the same time. you need to use it to create patterns when you knit. there are some tips i learned on a few websites of how to do this and not create holes in your final product, and i got into a pretty good rhythm as i went. it's complicated and requires a lot of concentration, but isn't super difficult.
the cool thing about this stocking project is that in every band there are a few different things you can choose from to personalize the stocking.
the beginning stages...i bought wool yarn in six colors and set to work. i bought graph paper and graphed out each band. the stockings all have our names and years of birth on the top; i practiced the name band once on scrap yarn and then set to work on the real thing. ruby "helped." (though lying on my lap and not attacking the yarn too much actually is a lovely way to help.)
i took this picture of the back of the project so you can see all the different pieces of yarn that you're navigating! knitting this was not something i could do while watching tv - even mindless tv.
halfway done! here is my stocking on the right next to the one i was knitting brandon on the left. at the end you stitch it up the back, so his is still flat at this point. you can also see some white yarn near the "merry," which is what i pulled out and used those stitches to build out the heel.
completed stocking - front view!
completed stocking - side view - you can see the heel and the toe better from this angle. for my first heel, i'm pretty proud of it, but i can imagine that this will improve over time. hopefully there will be little niece and nephew stockings to make some day!
i didn't include a picture of this, but you should know: brandon's stocking is bigger than my own. it's the same number of stitches in each row and about the same size yarn, but my grandma knitted it up much tighter than i was able to. my aunt kathy said that happened to her, too, and it just means you can fit more presents inside. excellent silver lining, kathy. :)
i am inordinately and embarrassingly proud of the final product. it's my hardest project to day - and a meaningful one. it's my little "welcome to the family" present for brandon!
Sunday, December 20, 2015
knitting update #2: wedding edition
my cousin laura got married in september, and i was a bridesmaid in her wedding, which was a really special experience. i was so honored to be a part of it! i love our family.
i think they turned out so well! modifying patterns to fit different ideas makes me so happy. these are actually patterns for stuffed bunnies. for both i changed the yarn colors (obviously), and stuck a little felt tie on the groom and gave him some buttons on his "jacket." for the bride i built a skirt out from the torso in a seed stitch, which gave it some texture. the hair was fun to make and turned out okay, but actually not as wonderful as i wanted it to - something to work on for next time.
because i am a crazy knitter AND because i thought laura and josh were just hipster enough to appreciate it :) , i knitted a little bride and groom doll as the gift for their wedding shower.
i think they turned out so well! modifying patterns to fit different ideas makes me so happy. these are actually patterns for stuffed bunnies. for both i changed the yarn colors (obviously), and stuck a little felt tie on the groom and gave him some buttons on his "jacket." for the bride i built a skirt out from the torso in a seed stitch, which gave it some texture. the hair was fun to make and turned out okay, but actually not as wonderful as i wanted it to - something to work on for next time.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Friday, December 18, 2015
exam day procrastination
all politicians lie. some lie more than others.
coincidence that the democrats are at the bottom of the list? i think not. now bernie, 28% isn't good, but i'll take it in comparison to some of the others on this list...
coincidence that the democrats are at the bottom of the list? i think not. now bernie, 28% isn't good, but i'll take it in comparison to some of the others on this list...
Sunday, December 13, 2015
knitting update
some more things i knitted this year!
baby hat for baby winnie!
baby hat for baby winnie!
i learned how to knit little baby moccasins, so i went through a moccasin and hat phase, sparked by three new babies born to work friends this year. can we talk about how adorable those shoes are?! and they are SO EASY to make.
i learned how to cable! i actually didn't like how this baby hat turned out (partially due to the yarn, partially due to the new-ness of my cabling skills), but i'm excited to try this more in 2016!
more bunnies - always more bunnies!
more knitting posts to come over the next few weeks, as i belatedly fill you in on some other projects from this year!
Monday, December 7, 2015
what i'm listening to right now
"christine," by christine and the queens:
i saw this band on the daily show (which i have only sporadically been watching since jon stewart left, so i'm glad i caught this episode!), and i love how they sound.
i saw this band on the daily show (which i have only sporadically been watching since jon stewart left, so i'm glad i caught this episode!), and i love how they sound.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
i'll tell you right now,
the doors to the world of the wild self are few
but precious.
if you have a deep scar,
that is a door;
if you have an old, old story,
that is a door.
if you love the sky and the water
so much that you almost cannot bear it,
that is a door.
if you yearn for a deeper life,
a full life,
a sane life,
that is a door.
--clarissa pinkola estes
the doors to the world of the wild self are few
but precious.
if you have a deep scar,
that is a door;
if you have an old, old story,
that is a door.
if you love the sky and the water
so much that you almost cannot bear it,
that is a door.
if you yearn for a deeper life,
a full life,
a sane life,
that is a door.
--clarissa pinkola estes
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
i am someone who finds journaling important, both in the moment and when you can look back on it days/months/years later. i've been journaling since i was old enough to write, basically, and someday i'll regale you with my ridiculous elementary school journal entries. but in the meantime:
in 1948, my freshly-married grandparents left the US for a four month stint in england, where they took master's level courses in english literature, as best i can tell. they were 28 years old. they journaled - both of them. when my grandma died, we found the journal, and my cousin sara transcribed it (a labor of love, for sure). i'm going to post some of my favorite entries in an occasional series going forward. it's such a personal little look back into a different era and a different version of my grandma.
this entry is written by my grandma on day two of their train trip to new york to get on the boat to england. cigarettes and beer - love my grandma.
June 21, 1948
Into Chicago at 8a.m. - breakfast, cleansing. Practically ran uptown to look at typewriters, ran back & hopped onto the Pennsylvania for N.Y. Played cards, smoked surreptitiously in “no smoking” car. Off at Pittsburg for a long, cold beer. To the conductor: “How long do we have here?” “Out at 9:40.” “Time for a beer?” “Fifteen minutes. I should think so. I could get away with 3 in that time.”
after a few days in new york, they board the queen mary for england. this is my grandma writing again.
June 24, 1948
This is our day - to make our Maiden Voyage. About 8:45 when we first see the Queen. All I could do was gasp. She is enormous, making the Borinquen at the next pier look like something in miniature. Went thro’ the lines rapidly - no questions, no trouble. We walked thro’ the ship, getting lost at least 10 times, but 99.9% of the rest of the passengers were too. Very foggy until we were almost ready to hoist anchor when the fog began to lift. We stayed out on deck until lunch time & had to run out of the dining room to see the Lady [the statue of liberty, i assume] as we left the harbor. Quite slow going until we got out of the harbor. Drank bitter British beer and continued to fight our way around the labyrinth. It is amazing: no two turns produce the same picture. There seem to be lounges everyplace - beautiful & spacious, even for those of us who are going in something below the upper 2 classes. Cinemas, bars, restaurants, shops, beauty salons, everything. Met a wonderful young couple with whom we shall eat the rest of the journey - Jerry and Mary Billiter - he a psychiatrist who will work in England for a year, she a clinical psychologist. We danced in the evening & drank more bitter British beer until 11:30.
Our cabins are small - 4 single bunks. I asked the steward please to leave my trunk in the hall so the girls wouldn’t kick me out. Very comfortable bunks. Safety drill. For horns blowing wildly.
[written in the top and side margins]: All hepped up about famous personage Harry Richman on board, but was taken down a peg when Mary & Jerry asked if I’d seen the passenger list. We are travelling (several decks apart) with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor Lord Beaverbrook, and several famous psychiatrists. But to me “there’s no business like show business.”I.G.R. Wylie also.
in 1948, my freshly-married grandparents left the US for a four month stint in england, where they took master's level courses in english literature, as best i can tell. they were 28 years old. they journaled - both of them. when my grandma died, we found the journal, and my cousin sara transcribed it (a labor of love, for sure). i'm going to post some of my favorite entries in an occasional series going forward. it's such a personal little look back into a different era and a different version of my grandma.
this entry is written by my grandma on day two of their train trip to new york to get on the boat to england. cigarettes and beer - love my grandma.
June 21, 1948
Into Chicago at 8a.m. - breakfast, cleansing. Practically ran uptown to look at typewriters, ran back & hopped onto the Pennsylvania for N.Y. Played cards, smoked surreptitiously in “no smoking” car. Off at Pittsburg for a long, cold beer. To the conductor: “How long do we have here?” “Out at 9:40.” “Time for a beer?” “Fifteen minutes. I should think so. I could get away with 3 in that time.”
after a few days in new york, they board the queen mary for england. this is my grandma writing again.
June 24, 1948
This is our day - to make our Maiden Voyage. About 8:45 when we first see the Queen. All I could do was gasp. She is enormous, making the Borinquen at the next pier look like something in miniature. Went thro’ the lines rapidly - no questions, no trouble. We walked thro’ the ship, getting lost at least 10 times, but 99.9% of the rest of the passengers were too. Very foggy until we were almost ready to hoist anchor when the fog began to lift. We stayed out on deck until lunch time & had to run out of the dining room to see the Lady [the statue of liberty, i assume] as we left the harbor. Quite slow going until we got out of the harbor. Drank bitter British beer and continued to fight our way around the labyrinth. It is amazing: no two turns produce the same picture. There seem to be lounges everyplace - beautiful & spacious, even for those of us who are going in something below the upper 2 classes. Cinemas, bars, restaurants, shops, beauty salons, everything. Met a wonderful young couple with whom we shall eat the rest of the journey - Jerry and Mary Billiter - he a psychiatrist who will work in England for a year, she a clinical psychologist. We danced in the evening & drank more bitter British beer until 11:30.
Our cabins are small - 4 single bunks. I asked the steward please to leave my trunk in the hall so the girls wouldn’t kick me out. Very comfortable bunks. Safety drill. For horns blowing wildly.
[written in the top and side margins]: All hepped up about famous personage Harry Richman on board, but was taken down a peg when Mary & Jerry asked if I’d seen the passenger list. We are travelling (several decks apart) with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor Lord Beaverbrook, and several famous psychiatrists. But to me “there’s no business like show business.”I.G.R. Wylie also.
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