I’m scrolling less and reading more these days. I’m listening to Tom Lake by Ann Patchett narrated by Meryl Streep and it is a sunny afternoon in the park with your favorite people and snacks. Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors, this story about a friend dying of cancer is so moving, Ann has a way of describing everyday things in such beautiful language, I could just – I dunno – die. Like EB White or gah, I can’t remember this other writer – New Yorker, ohh Calvin Trillin – all beautiful writers. They all use regular words in regular sentences, but their observations, turn of phrase always take my breath away. Some people just are magical at what they do, they take what they have and turn it into a delight – food, song, art, writing, math, science, conversation, dancing! How can I forget dance? You have youtube now, so you can see all the way people dance from your living room, but I saw Bill T Jones at Harvard in the early 1990s and could not believe that people moved their bodies in that way – captivating and undulating and together and apart.
I’m loving listening to the book – not really because of Ann because I expected the language I’ve come to love from her – but because of Meryl Streep who has completely dazzled and surprised me. I know people love her and marvel at her, but I’ve never been taken by her acting and her latest stints in the in Mama Mia films have left me wondering – but she is an amazing, amazing voice actor and I could listen to her forever. I don’t want to listen too much because I don’t want it to be over and then I’ll have to find another book so comforting to listen to.
I’m also reading (in print) a Japanese novel called the Devotion of Suspect X which is an interesting murder mystery and you know who did it from the first chapter and then you follow the investigation from both perspectives – from the detectives trying to figure it out and the murderer(s) who are trying to hide it. I’ve been reading it with the reddit bookclub, it keeps me on schedule and introduces me to books I would have never picked up.
We spent last night at Friendsgiving at Main Street which kicked off our holiday festivities. We are going to rent this space for Edda’s birthday party (March 22, be there or be square) – it’s not usually set up for sit down meals, but it was nice to see how it could be. And we are hoping to invite lots of our Main Street Friends to come have pancakes with us.
Emilina came, she’s a member of the community now.
We had to write down a person we are grateful for, a place we are grateful for and a thing that we are grateful for. Jeremy did it in less than 5 seconds. Here’s what he wrote: Doris, home, my bike. Lol. Then I did feel some pressure to list him as my person.
So nice to see friends – I’m so terrible, I can’t remember anyone’s name if I don’t see them every day. So I wear a nametag myself in case anyone is wondering my name.
