Smashing Pumpkins (Sort Of)

 30 posts in 30 days ...

And speaking of good intentions, I followed through on one of mine this morning.  I saw on Facebook earlier in the week that our town was offering free pumpkin composting.  I can't say what we've done with our rotten pumpkins for every Halloween up to this point (thrown in the trash, I guess), but this year, I gathered them in the van for composting.

I drove to a public works facility and opened the trunk.  Some boys who looked about 15 or 16 delightedly took the pumpkins from my trunk and took turns tossing them into a large dumpster with other pumpkins.

A very nice lady was kind enough to let me take a pic of the anticipated final product.  Again, so as not to be a total creep, I did not photograph the teen boys hurling the pumpkins.

Stay tuned for more posts as exciting as this one.

Getaway Reads

NaBloPoMo ... foiled by life on Day 4, but I'm going to post twice today to get back on track.

I was very fortunate to getaway twice this October -- to Scottsdale to celebrate a friend's milestone birthday and to Napa Valley for a work event for my husband.  Exploring destinations is wonderful, obviously, but when I travel without my kids, the other pleasure is the journey itself.  I treasure the blocks of uninterrupted reading time at airports and on planes. 

Here are some of the books I enjoyed this month during my getaways (mini-reviews heavily cribbed from my GoodReads.  I'm booksandcarbs there if you want to find me on GoodReads).

I started and finished this one on a flight with time to spare.  Perfect in-flight reading!  It's a strange scenario to see the film version of something before reading the book (but necessary when, as with Bridget Jones's Baby, the movie precedes the book, at least in the States).  I preferred the film's storyline, but that's not to say I didn't laugh out loud and delight in every page of the book.  I hope Helen Fielding never abandons Bridget Jones as I would be happy to read about Bridge as she faces menopause, takes her kids to college, or moves into a senior-living community.  Viva, Bridget Jones!

Liane's Moriarty's Truly Madly Guilty is a bit of a slow starter, but I was reading as quickly as I could to figure out what happened at that g.d. barbecue (hoping, all the while, that it wasn't something unendurable).  I think what I liked best about the novel was not the suspense/mystery element but the way that Moriarty portrayed marriage and female friendship.  My favorite Moriarty books are probably What Alice Forgot, Big Little Lies, and the underrated Hypnotist's Love Story.  I wasn't at all disappointed by Truly Madly Guilty though.  They would all make good book club selections as there is plenty to talk about.

I read all of Jennifer Weiner's novels and admire the way she speaks her mind.  I don't always agree with her (though often I do), but I appreciate her honesty, humor, and vulnerability.  I enjoyed reading Hungry Heart -- essays about her childhood, her parents, her high school and college experiences, her days as a journalist, and her family life.  The essay about her miscarriage had me in tears.  She chose Hamilton's "I wrote my way out." as an epigraph, but I wish she would have talked more about her writing process in Hungry Heart. 

The main character of this novel (is it odd that I don't remember her name?) is downsized out of her librarian job in Birmingham, England and ends up buying a huge van and setting up a mobile bookstore that she drives around rural Scotland.  Bookish heroine, Scottish setting, sexy farmer -- quick, breezy, enjoyable read!  I bought The Bookshop on the Corner because I had enjoyed Jenny Colgan's Little Beach Street Bakery so much.  If you want a getaway on your own couch, these books would hit the spot.

More Fountain Drink Dissertating

It's time for some more fountain drink dissertating.  Remember, I'm posting every day this month so have to pace myself in terms of providing quality content.  Ha.

This summer, our town welcomed a Thorntons, which, if you're not familiar, is a gas station with a fairly comprehensive convenience store.  I had visited Thorntons locations on the road and was thrilled to have one so close.  Why?  Because Thorntons is a fountain drink pilgrimage place.

I won't offer an in-depth analysis here, except to say that this fountain offers most every option a person would desire.  All I need is Diet Coke and a Dr. Pepper (for when I'm splurging).  For the sake of my loved ones, I am glad to see Diet Mountain Dew and Diet Dr. Pepper.  Sorry for such a blurry photo, but it's hard to take photos inside a convenience store without looking like a total creep.

The drinks are 99 cents (cheaper if you are a Refreshing Rewards member) and were 79 cents during the grand opening period.  I didn't photograph it but Thorntons has their own Slurpee product called FizzFreeze that comes in about a dozen varieties for, again, 99 cents.  If you are a rewards member, something like every sixth drink is free.  Since I've treated my kids to FizzFreezes a few times (end of a tough school week, treat on way home from pool), I've earned several free drinks.

Best of all, look at this ice.  This is high-quality, small-pellet ice.  The gift that keeps on giving even after you've finished your beverage.

Keep in mind, Thorntons also sells gas, which I need for my vehicle.

Welcome to Elmhurst, Thorntons.  Glad you're here.

Library Sale Room Finds ... with a sticky twist

One of my favorite rituals is buying books in our library's book sale room and then removing the plastic covers and stickers at home.

Here are my recent treasures from the library book sale room.  Suggested donation per book is $1 -- quite a bargain!

American Housewife -- love the cover, nice to mix things up with a story collection sometimes

The After Party -- 1950s Texas Socialities ... I'm intrigued.

A Country Road, A Tree -- adored Jo Baker's Longbourn, maybe this one will be as lovely

The Girl from Summer Hill -- Jude Deveraux is a blast from my teenage days reading romance novels, this one on my radar because it plays on my beloved Pride and Prejudice

 

Here's to Us -- listened to this one on audio, will share this hard copy with my mother-in-law 

First Comes Love -- same as above, listened to the audio, will share the book with others

Who Moved My Blackberry?  -- might be funny

Vinegar Girl -- love Anne Tyler, enjoy Taming of the Shrew updates

Here's the sticky twist my blog post title promised ...

Sometimes it's tricky to remove the library sticker on the spine of the book.  I love customizing Avery labels so I designed these square beauties to cover spots where stickers stayed sticking or their removal wreaked havoc. 

I'm pleased with the result.

When will I have time to read all of these new books?  

That's not a question we ask, especially not aloud when my hubby's in the room.

Fall La La La La

I shared some fall spirit photos several weeks ago, but I forgot a few...

I'm obsessed with the Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products because they smell so dang good and look cute around the house.  Mrs. M is killing it this Fall.  The Apple Cider scent is bright, spicy, apple-y, just divine.  And the Mum scent?  My mother-in-law suggested I could actually wear it as a perfume.  That's how good it smells.  Don't ask questions if you see me with my multi-surface Mum spray before a night out.  I have seen these limited edition scents at Target and online from Grove Collaborative (formerly EPantry).  Perfect hostess gifts.  Holiday scents are probably out or arriving soon, but I've been staying out of Target like a good girl so I wouldn't know.

My middle guy was whining about how everyone else goes to a pumpkin patch and why don't we.  We had a five-day weekend around Columbus Day, and though I didn't have it in me to visit a pumpkin patch, we managed an outing to a lovely local garden center.  Who needs a corn maze or apple cider donut when your mom is all, "You can each pick a couple of strange-looking gourds or mini pumpkins.  Go wild."  See, I'm fun.  Gourds are displayed on my square Nora Fleming with acorn mini attached.  Not familiar with Nora Fleming?  Great gift idea for a friend who loves hosting and decorating!

Here's a little Fall vignette I put together near our garage.  The first year we lived in this house, I went wild with mums on the front porch.  When the cold weather came, I was going to toss them, but my mom encouraged me to re-plant.  I replanted the red ones, and they come back every Fall now and look so great.  Mind you, they look like boring-bordering-on-weedlike for 80% of the year, but for two months, they do shine!  Maybe I'll replant this year's mums near the back of the house where I don't have much going on.  Please note the cute green pumpkin which was my middle guy's chosen treasure at the garden center (fake pumpkin patch).  If I were to update this photo, you'd see the orange pumpkin decimated by squirrels (or worse?) and covered with flies.  I'm thinking you've seen similar in your own yard though so I'll spare you.

I'll close with a special announcement for my tens (?) of readers.  I'll be making my yearly November effort to post daily as part of National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo).  The quality of these daily posts is uneven, but I like the challenge of writing every day and actually find it fun and liberating.  Visit again soon!

Audible Monthly Credit(s) Report -- October

Better late than never.  Here's how I spent my October audible.com credits ...

I've been hearing good buzz regarding The Gilded Years.  It's set in a period of interest to me (1890s) and covers topics with which I am familiar from my good ole days in academia, particularly female friendship and passing.  I'm enjoying the audiobook so far, though the dialogue sounds stilted when narrated.  I'm more than halfway through and feeling anxious as I await the inevitable.  Poised for heartbreak and worse.  Definitely interested in the Vassar setting and the glimpses of 1890s Boston and Cambridge that the novel offers.

I usually spend my credits on new releases, but this month I treated myself to Sarah Morris Remembers by D.E. Stevenson.  Stevenson's books are quiet, lovely, sometimes funny, and sometimes just a wee lil bit edgy.  They're set in England and/or Scotland (thus, great narration!!!!), and these old-fashioned stories are just what I need some weeks.  Sarah Morris Remembers was a bit of a slow starter, but otherwise delightful.  If you haven't read or listened to a D.E. Stevenson novel, I'd start with Miss Buncle's Book.  If you like it, there are several Buncle sequels to keep you occupied.  Source Books has recently come out with some lovely new paperback editions of many D.E. Stevenson novels -- great news because the books had become a little hard to find for U.S. readers.  Fortunately, Audible offers audio versions of many of her works.   

Speaking of D.E. Stevenson novels being hard to come by ... I found Sarah's Cottage (the sequel to Sarah Morris Remembers that I had forgotten I even owned until I saw it on my bookshelf yesterday) in my library book sale room last year.  Has a bit of a mildew smell, but I'll fight through.

Just one more Audible purchase to report.  I think I mentioned last month that I had a few extra Audible credits rolling around.  I spent the last one on The Nix by Nathan Hill after seeing both Judy Blume and Stephen King tweet praise.  Fingers crossed for almost 22 hours of good listening.

I'm not going to buy the Audible extra credits anymore.  I really like making a ritual of spending my two credits each month and then filling in the listening gaps with deals of the day and bargain listens from the various Audible sales.  I'm trying to push myself to expand my listening options with library audiobooks and LibriVox.

Anyone have any audiobook news or credit reports?  Please share in comments.

String Theory

In fifth grade, we had to do famous people reports.  The kind where you research a person, dress up as that person, and then tell the class all about yourself.  I chose Tracy Austin.  I don't remember why I chose her.  I don't remember what I wore (I can't imagine that it was anything cool or cute like a tennis skirt because I don't think I had yet started playing tennis in 1986 and didn't own a tennis skirt until high school anyway).  I remember making multiple posters with some new markers and those stencils that were popular for posters back in the days before at-home printing and multiple font options were commonplace.  I don't remember what the posters highlighted.  I don't remember a single fact about Austin's life or tennis career except that she was, you know, really good and won a lot.  I do remember being embarrassed when a classmate (a girl who was very quiet and hesitant) gave her presentation on Mother Teresa.  She was talking beautifully about being a little pencil in God's hands and I was talking about ... what?  I don't even remember.  Something to do with Tracy Austin.

This memory (or lack thereof) helped me to appreciate David Foster Wallace's essay:  "How Tracy Austin Broke My Heart."  No spoilers about this perfectly-crafted essay, except to say that this gem made me feel better about all I don't remember from my stint as Tracy Austin.  The Tracy Austin essay, along with four of his other pieces about tennis, have been collected in a beautiful, cloth-bound book entitled String Theory:  David Foster Wallace on Tennis.  My favorite essay of the collection is "Derivative Sport in Tornado Alley" in which Foster Wallace recounts his years as a pretty good junior player on the Midwestern junior scene, especially in Central Illinois.  My other favorite is "Michael Joyce's Professional Artistry."  They're all excellent essays, and I'm inclined to believe The New York Times Book Review that Foster Wallace is "THE GREATEST TENNIS WRITER EVER." 

He's thoughtful, observant, funny without unnecessary snark, and smart.  His knowledge of and affection for the game is obvious throughout.  I've never read Infinite Jest or his other fiction (and likely never will), but these tennis essays reinforce the pervading sense of loss associated with David Foster Wallace.

Here's a description of Michael Chang from the Michael Joyce essay that gave me a chuckle:

"Michael Chang, twenty-three and #5 in the world, sort of looks like two different people stitched crudely together:  a normal upper body perched atop hugely muscular and totally hairless legs.  He has a mushroom-shaped head, ink-black hair, and an expression of deep and intractable unhappiness, as unhappy a face as I've ever seen outside a Graduate Writing Program" (82).

If you love tennis and good writing, I think you'd love String Theory.  If someone you love loves tennis and good writing, I think it would make an unexpected but welcome gift. 

I'm no Tracy Austin, but I do love tennis.  I snapped this shoe selfie this summer during the USTA state tourney for Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.  We came close to advancing but fell short.  I'd like to blame it on the Central Illinois wind, but that wouldn't be fair.*  I started String Theory a week or so later and liked knowing that I had just played tennis in the part of Illinois where Foster Wallace honed his junior game. 


*"Move your damn feet, Megan" (tip from me to me)