Can You Meet Your Doppelganger Sight Unseen?

I am here to tell you that YES- you can!

(Before I launch into this long overdue blog post, Happy New Year...and happy all of the holidays that I've missed since my last post!)

Let's get back to the topic at hand- meeting your doppelganger without seeing them.

My reading goal for 2025 was 72 books- and I met that goal! The last book I read to round out the year was Fifty Acres and a Poodle by Jeanne Marie Laskas. I'd not read anything by her previously and didn't know much about her other than she'd written a few other books and had written for prestigious magazines (New Yorker, Atlantic, Esquire). 

My friend Andrea (we seem to be on the same wavelength about a lot of books) said she'd read it a long time ago and enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to ending the year on a high note.

In a nutshell, the book is the tale of Ms. Laskas and her partner (who has a poodle- but it's a standard poodle, not "...one of those little yappy things..." as is frequently repeated throughout the book) and their quest to leave the city of Pittsburgh and live on a farm (fifty acres) and all that entails. 

After reading this paragraph on page two, I texted Andrea and told her I was convinced I'd picked the right book:

"In fact, I was a person who liked to go to the mall. I was a person who had no conflict about liking to go to the mall...I used Clinique products on my skin, mainly because I was a sucker for the free stuff you could get during Clinique Bonus Time. I had a formidable tower of Stouffer's Lean Cuisine in my freezer, and I harbored little or no fear of processed foods. I believed very deeply in the power of air conditioning, microwave ovens, and very many things you plug in."

I love the mall! When we bought our house, I told John I'd rather border a mall than a state forest! (This is somewhat of a misnomer...I haven't been to a mall in ages. It's more that I have an affinity for shopping. My mall loving days were in high school and college.)

I've used Clinique skin products since college.

I've eaten a LOT of frozen food in my time. I'm not a great cook, so while I was in college/lived on my own, I frequently ate hot pockets, Stouffer's, etc...

The next paragraph? She talks about the TV show Green Acres! I'm sold! She says how she has a "farm dream" not unlike Oliver and Lisa in the 60's TV comedy (hence the foundation of the book.) She finds herself singing the theme song...which admittedly, I often do.

The similarities continue...

Her partner Alex has two children from his previous marriage- a boy and a girl (samesies).

She and Alex get married on...September 13th! (This is when things got real for me and started to freak me out a bit- that's John's and my wedding date.)

As I was making my way through the book, I told John the similarities and how crazy it was. I even said, "They have two dogs, but neither is a Golden." 

Next chapter?

You guessed it- they get a third dog and it's half Golden Retriever!

So, while there are some definite "non-doppelganger" things, i.e., actually wanting a farm and going through with buying it being the biggest one, I'm still floored at the likenesses between us.

While I'm sure we look nothing alike (I honestly haven't looked up a photo of Laskas, as I think I'll be over the top freaked out if we DO look alike), we are fraternal and spiritual doppelgangers!

Just the Facts Ma'am

Fact #1a- The accessible version of the White House website is no longer in existence.

Fact #1b- Just over 7 million people in the US have visual impairments and thus are candidates for using a screen reader, which only works on accessible websites. {credit: National Federation of the Blind}

Fact #1c- In college, I interned at a non-profit (Federation for Children with Special Needs) and eventually became full-time staff. During the almost four years I worked there, I learned about many disabilities and their related accommodations/assistive technology. I specifically remember creating large print materials for the conference I helped to manage and visiting another non-profit in our building to see how various assistive technology worked.

Fact #2a- American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are no longer present at White House Press Briefings. See letter from National Association of the Deaf.

Fact #2b- About 11 million people in the US identify as deaf or hard of hearing. {credit: National Deaf Center}

Fact #2c- My stepdaughter Grace has Down syndrome and she has a hearing impairment. She's completely deaf in her right ear (NOTE: if you ever meet her, sit on her left!) and has partial loss in her left ear. When she was born, my husband and Grace's mom along with other family members learned ASL (and Grace learned, as well) in order to communicate with her until she could speak.

Fact #3- On February 25, 2025, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gave a briefing. At approximately the 5 minute/40 second mark, in the context of the President being accessible, she said,

The president, and this entire White House, are committed to ensuring the American people continue to receive this same level of historic transparency, access and visibility. In fact, we want to double down and give even greater access to the American people. 

{credit: briefing transcript, briefing video}

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Are You Good at Being Busy?

Let me go first at answering that question.

NO.

Perhaps I should re-phrase it. 

Do you like being busy? 

Again, I'll go first.

NO.

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The last few months have seemed extremely busy here. Out of the ordinary busy. The kind of busy when at the end of the day, I look at John and say, "Do you want to run away with me? I know we have to come back, but can we just run away to get a short period of 'doing nothing'?"

I look at others I know- friends, acquaintances, and coworkers, and see how busy they are on a regular day-to-day basis and all kinds of emotions are stirred up. I feel awe, wondering how they can possibly keep up with such a schedule and wonder if they have time to eat, sleep, or shower. Occasionally, I feel jealous and wonder why I can't be the Energizer Bunny and like it. Mostly, though, I feel lucky that I don't live "on the go" daily. I'm just not cut out for it. And that's OK. I'm happy there are others that fill that role. 

The holidays are coming, so I fully expect this period of busyness to continue. 

I'll just keep swimming and occasionally sit alone in the dark in silence (even if it is in the bathroom!)

Ch-ch-changes

The last few months have been quite a whirlwind around here! Lots of changes- all for the good!

I've been working remotely since March 2020 and finally...in March 2022, my company's offices opened back up! We have the option to go in or not- up to three days per week. We have a "hoteling" system, where we need to reserve a cubicle or an office ahead of time and basically can sit where we want in any of the three buildings. 

At first I was gung ho and saying I'd go in three days per week. Well, I think I've been in a TOTAL of three times since opening. People who haven't gone in ask what it's like. It's...weird.

The fact that we don't have our own personalized spaces is somewhat of a bummer. We don't have two monitors at each workstation (yet), so that's somewhat of a deterrent to productivity. I also bring in a full bag...my keyboard, my mouse, my wrist rests, my mousepad, etc..., which can be a nuisance.

BUT...the "good" part? Seeing my co-workers/friends! It's been so great to just chat over the cube wall about day-to-day stuff or ask a work question without having to compose an email or a Teams chat. (Sometimes it's just easier to ask a quickie question in person!) Another "good" part? Actually having to get up at a specific time so I can plan for a shower, getting ready, and driving to work. It's much more uplifting than rolling out of bed and taking a Teams call in my robe (yes- I do in fact do that!)

I am going to make a concerted effort to go in once per week and maybe, over time, I'll eventually go in more. 

March was a banner month! In addition to the office opening, my Mom moved from Florida to Massachusetts and is now only a 20 minute drive from John & me! This is a HUGE deal. I haven't lived within driving distance of my parents since I was 18 (minus a few months that I lived with them before I transferred schools when I was 20). That's 32 years of flying to North Carolina, Colorado, Oregon, and finally Florida to visit them. Don't get me wrong- it was fun to travel and see different places that I might not have seen otherwise, but there were many times I wish we lived closer.

John & I flew to Florida to help her prepare for the move (although she honestly had done a ton before we got there) and drive her car up. 

There were some bumps along the way with the moving company but all turned out well and she really likes the condo she's renting (sight unseen- John & I looked at it and sent pictures). 

The best part? If I'm doing a Walmart/Target/shopping run, I can text her the night before to tell her and she can drive over the next day and we can go together. (Shopping is what we do best. 😀)

Lastly...there's a new member of our household!

In my last post, I wrote about bad luck. Well, I'd like to think that it's our time for some good luck. 

Our neighbors across the street have Golden Retrievers and we'd talked to them about maybe being ready to welcome another one into our home (it's been ten years since our first Golden, Max, passed). In February, John got a text from our neighbor saying a high school friend needed to give up her Golden Retriever, as she was moving into an apartment that didn't take pets. After a small nervous breakdown, I decided to "let go" and say yes. (John was onboard from the word go.) The woman, however, wasn't ready to give him up, so he went to live with her mother (at least this is what I can piece together.) Then, a few months later, in April, our neighbor texted again. Were we still interested? YES!

On April 9th, "Boston" came to visit, stayed overnight, and never left. Here's the first picture I have of him, shortly after he arrived.

"Boston" is now "Murray." (We'd long wanted to name our next Golden Murray.) He'll be two next month and came to us housetrained & neutered. 

It's amazing how much he's added and changed things here. He's definitely added that love that only comes from a relationship with a pet. My overall mental health has improved, as well. There were definitely some changes we had to get used to, in terms of schedule and just being responsible for another "being." 

He's only been here two months, but he's fit in nicely and adapted to us. He's a special dude and we are certainly lucky to have him in our lives.

Three Productive Things

I've decided that for the new year (we'll see how long it lasts) I will do three productive things each day. Big or small- doesn't matter. 

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I need to extricate myself from my phone/laptop and be productive. This is a constant struggle for me (I'm glued to a screen for hours and then feel guilty later because I have so much to do and didn't do any of it!)

I will track them in my brand new planner that I love that I got for Christmas from John. It's from Paper Source and it's gorgeous. It's larger than the ones I usually get, but I'm hoping it will be harder to avoid/write in. 😆

Today's three productive things are:

• I exercised! This is also a constant struggle for me. I don't like exercising. Period. (I'm sure I've said that here before.) I've really come to love my once-per-week mat Pilates class (I find the relaxation part to be the draw), but exercising at home is just a challenge. Today I did some Pilates stretches (bridges, rest pose, flat pigeon, etc.) and then I did this very short beginner fitness routine found here. I did the Monday routine (and yes fellow OCD peeps, I realize it's Saturday). I modified the push-ups (because I am weak), but otherwise, I did it!

• I deactivated my Twitter account! (See note above about being glued to phone). I have FB, IG & Twitter, and I figured I'd rip the least painful bandaid off first. Twitter for me is what I imagine Las Vegas is like (overstimulating and constant noise). I have a strong sense of FOMO leaving Twitter (it's where I first saw the news of the Boston Marathon bombing), but I will persevere.

• I grocery shopped AND did a few returns! Not much to say here, but I had a few items hanging around that needed to be returned and I decided to do it today. (It was odd- very few people out and about today- I didn't expect that.)

• BONUS FOURTH THING! I wrote this post. 🎉

Have you done anything productive today?

P.S. Happy New Year!

6:45PM? Feel like it's 10PM!

The end of daylight savings time. Blah. 

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Oh good- it's not just me. 😏

Other than feeling like it's hours later than it really is, let's see what else is going on around here.

• It's been "warm" for November in New England (in the 50's!), so John and I were able to get out yesterday and take a walk on a local rail trail. We walked to the Merrimack River and sat on a bench and just took in the scenery. It was beautiful.

• I've gone to Pilates three weeks in a row, which for me is good! The class is early Monday evening, which can sometimes be tough. Mondays are always crazy at work, but I've made it a priority to go.

• John and I always have trouble finding a TV series that we're both interested in watching. I found this list of the 18 best Netflix Original Series and we made a list of seven that we were interested in trying. When we sat down last night to actually watch, we determined that two I wasn't really that interested in, one was totally hokey, and one was meh. So, yeah- we'll give the others a shot, but it's back to the drawing board. (Suggestions? Throw them out!)

• I've tracked all my meals on WW (Weight Watchers) for the past week and did it sporadically prior to that. The scale shows it's working. 

• The six month anniversary of my Dad's passing is coming up this week. Some days it seems like it happened yesterday and some days it seems like it's been longer. Grief is weird.

Since it's only 6:45 🙄, I'll try to catch up on some book reviews- plenty of time!

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #49: So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Aluo

Summary: The book is about race in the contemporary United States, each chapter titled after a question. Oluo makes the argument that America's political, economic and social systems are systematically/institutionally racist. The book provides advice for readers when discussing race-related subjects, such as how to avoid acting defensive or getting off-topic. Statistics are used to support the book's arguments. Oluo also describes her upbringing and experience living in Seattle, Washington. She was raised by a white single mother and became a single mother herself to two mixed-race sons at a young age.

Rating: A-. I found this book to be informative and definitely worth a read. (Admittedly, I am very behind on reviews and I read this one a while ago, so my in-depth impressions have gone out of my mind...lol. This will be applicable for the next set of reviews, as well. 😀)

Book #50: The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey

Summary: Bombay’s first female lawyer, Perveen Mistry, is compelled to bring justice to the family of a murdered female Parsi student just as Bombay’s streets erupt in riots to protest British colonial rule. Sujata Massey is back with this third installment of the series set in 1920s Bombay.

Rating: A-. I've really enjoyed this series. I love that Perveen is blazing a trail as Bombay's first female lawyer and breaking down barriers. The time period and setting are fascinating.

Book #51: Who Moved My Goat Cheese by Lynn Cahoon

Summary: Angie Turner is back in her hometown of River Vista, Idaho, ready to open her own farm-to-table restaurant. Together with her friend and business partner Felicia, Angie is lining up vendors from local farmer’s markets to Old Man Moss’s goat dairy farm. Not everyone in the Boise suburb is keen on having a fancy new eatery in town. But the cantankerous Moss takes a shine to Angie, as does his kid goat Precious. When Angie hears the shocking news that Moss has been killed, she jumps in to mind the man's livestock—and help solve him murder. Now with her grand opening just days away, Angie has grave reservations about her new neighbors. But one thing's for sure, Angie's not about to let some killer get her goat.

Rating: A-. This was a fun/light cozy mystery and I will definitely be reading the next one in the series.

Book #52: What's Mine and Yours by Naima Coster

Summary: When a county initiative in the Piedmont of North Carolina forces the students at a mostly black public school on the east side to move across town to a nearly all-white high school on the west, the community rises in outrage. For two students, quiet and aloof Gee and headstrong Noelle, these divisions will extend far beyond their schooling. As their paths collide and overlap over the course of thirty years, their two seemingly disconnected families begin to form deeply knotted, messy ties that shape the trajectory of their lives. On one side of the school integration debate is Jade, Gee's steely, single, black mother, grieving for her murdered partner, and determined for her son to have the best chance at a better life. On the other, is Noelle's enterprising mother, Lacey May, who refuses to see her half-Latina daughters as anything but white. The choices these mothers make will resound for years to come. And twenty years later, when Lacey's daughters return home to visit her in hospital, they're forced to confront the ways their parents' decisions continue to affect the life they live and the people they love.

Rating: B+. The premise was good and I liked it, but I wish I'd liked it more.

Book #53: Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia

Summary: Harlem, 1926. Young Black women like Louise Lloyd are ending up dead. Following a harrowing kidnapping ordeal when she was in her teens, Louise is doing everything she can to maintain a normal life. She’s succeeding, too. She spends her days working at Maggie’s Café and her nights at the Zodiac, Harlem’s hottest speakeasy. Louise’s friends, especially her girlfriend, Rosa Maria Moreno, might say she’s running from her past and the notoriety that still stalks her, but don’t tell her that. When a girl turns up dead in front of the café, Louise is forced to confront something she’s been trying to ignore—two other local Black girls have been murdered in the past few weeks. After an altercation with a police officer gets her arrested, Louise is given an ultimatum: She can either help solve the case or wind up in a jail cell. Louise has no choice but to investigate and soon finds herself toe-to-toe with a murderous mastermind hell-bent on taking more lives, maybe even her own....

Rating: B+. A decent start for this new series. This is a period in history that I've always been interested in, so hoping the series continues.

October is Slipping Away...

 ...and before it does, I want to take the opportunity to do something I haven't done previously.

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October is indeed Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In my opinion, every month should be Breast Cancer Awareness Month, or just Cancer Awareness Month, in general.

While I've been affected by breast cancer, I've never felt the need to raise funds for research or promote awareness. What's different this year is my father's passing. He passed away from bile duct cancer, a fairly rare cancer with no warning signs/no preventative measures.

I started thinking about this and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I don't want to lose anyone else from a cancer that can be prevented or caught early enough to mitigate.

I said I'd personally been affected by breast cancer. My maternal grandmother passed away from breast cancer in 1982 at the age of 57. I was young so I don't have all the details, but from what I know/heard, she knew she had a lump but was scared to go to the doctor, so by the time she did, it was too late to treat her. I don't know if she got annual mammograms, but if I had to guess, I'd say she didn't.

It was the 1980's, so I don't know how robust treatment was then, but I'd like to believe that had she gotten mammograms or gone to the doctor as soon as she realized she had a lump, her life would have been prolonged. 

My mom had breast cancer. She did get mammograms yearly and was lucky to catch it early. In 2008 or 9, she had a lumpectomy, they couldn't get clean margins, so she had a mastectomy. Four years later, she had a lump in the other breast and had that breast removed. Today she's cancer-free.

In 2016, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had said to John occasionally, "I know I'll get breast cancer, it's just a matter of when." I got mammograms annually and due to having dense breast tissue and my family history, it was recommended I go to the Breast Cancer affiliated with my local hospital. I remember asking my primary care doctor if she though I should go. She said, "It never hurts to have another set of eyes." I am glad I listened.

I went to the Breast Center and it was decided that again, due to family history, I should be watched more closely. The plan was that I would get checked every six months- alternating between a mammogram and a breast MRI.

The breast MRI I had in late December 2015 showed very early stage ductal carcinoma. A few months later I had a lumpectomy and a sentinel node biopsy. They got clean margins and the cancer was not in my lymph nodes. Hallelujah. I followed up with radiation. I am cancer-free.

So, please get an annual mammogram. (The 30 seconds of squeezing is minimal!) 

If you are recommended to go to a breast center, please go.

If they want you to have breast MRIs, please do. 

Early detection is key here. 

Cancer is scary, but you have the power to make it less scary by being proactive and getting screened.

Thank you for "listening."

I Have Questions...Lots of Questions (And Maybe Some Answers)

Let's jump right in, shall we? Some are rhetorical and some are legitimate.

• Why is Anna Duggar having a SEVENTH child?
• Admittedly I stalk her on IG. That whole family is a train wreck and I can't look away. I wish I had. Seven kids with pedophile...good idea! 

• Why do major league baseball games take 3+ hours to play?
• I thought they were trying to make these games go faster? No?

• Why in 2021 are some cancers still uncurable?
• Ugh.

• Why does my neighbor insist on revving his Mini Cooper whenever he drives away or drives into his driveway?
• Drives John crazy when I complain about this.😅

• Why did I think it was OK in my teen years to buy cute shoes...even if they only had them in a 1/2 size too small for me? (Had two podiatrist appointments already; bunion it is!)
• I'm thinking specifically of a pair of purple "velvet" shoes with pointy toes and tassels that came from Fayva (who remembers Fayva?) I take an 8. They only had 7 1/2. Sold! I'm paying for that now.

• Why did Secret discontinue the deodorant I've been using for YEARS?
• While I wanted to switch to a deodorant without aluminum, I wanted to do it on my own terms- not be forced into it.
• Have you tried Schmidt's? I tried using the Bergamot & Lime. I love the way it smells but it irritated my skin. (That was the stick. They have a cream, which I may try.)

• Why are newscasters insensitive/clueless when doing stories about people with disabilities?
• A story I saw on the local news the other night started with the newscaster saying, "So & so lives with Down syndrome..." Um, it's not a disease. I know I am extra sensitive about this topic, but I cringed big time when I heard that.

• Why are tray tables so stinking expensive?
• We've had our wood tray tables for years and they're starting to break down/get crappy. I did some Googling and say what? Over $100 for tray tables? Nope- you can hold your food in your lap!

• Why did the store that's less than two miles away from my house stop carrying my favorite wine?
• This is it, in case you were wondering- Toad Hollow Rose. 
• The "Wine Locator" says the store has it, but I think that's a big fat lie.

• Why does it take me months to publish a blog post?
• I started this post on 4/27 and am just publishing it now. 
• I thought about finishing and publishing the post I started about our master bath reno (you know, the one that happened two-ish years ago? 🙄), but thought that could simmer just a little longer.

I hope you've had a great 4th of July! Rainy and gray here in New England, so we laid low and John made chili in the Crockpot. (He makes a really basic recipe, which you can find here, but it's delish!)

$3.49 for a Large Fry? and Other Musings

 

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I ate one large McDonald's fry today. I can't imagine eating ten let alone 100. 😁

I'd been craving McDonald's fries for a while. I tried to get some last week while I was out for an appointment but the line was ridiculous and around here you can't go inside- you have to go through the drive thru. So, while out doing errands today, I figured I'd give it another try. Success!

As I pulled up to the gigantic TV screen/menu and started reciting my order (a cheeseburger, a large fry & a small Sprite), I saw the items pop up on the screen.

$3.49 for a large fry? What????

I had to look twice to make sure I saw what I thought I saw. Meanwhile, the cheeseburger with "meat" was only $1.00. Highway robbery, I tell you! 

Totally worth it, however. McDonald's fries are so much better than Wendy's and Burger King's fries don't even enter the picture.

Also, can I just say how SWEET tasting regular soda is? If I drink soda at all, it's diet, so the regular Sprite today almost made me cringe it was so sweet. 

I'm just full of thrilling observations today, aren't I? What other musings do I have?

I attempted a homemade version of Little Debbie Star Crunch Cookies. They're the only Little Debbie snack I enjoy and I had a lot of Rice Krispies leftover from the Rice Krispy treats I made a few months ago, so I needed to find something to do with them.

Did I mention the Rice Krispies are "Spring" Rice Krispies? Nothing like pastel cereal to entice the palate...

Here they are! (Sorry- I didn't rotate the picture before I posted it- you'll have to turn your head.)

They certainly LOOK like Little Debbie Star Crunch. And they SMELL like Little Debbie Star Crunch. The taste? Sort of like Little Debbie Star Crunch. Here is the recipe I followed. If I was to do it again, I'd cut back severely on the amount of peanut butter. And caramel? Where is the caramel? I just noticed this is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, which could be the answer right there. (NOTE TO SELF: Read recipe thoroughly before committing.)

In other news, I get my second shot on May 10th and I can honestly say (for the first time in my life) I am looking forward to getting a needle stuck into my shoulder.

Happy Saturday. 💝

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #22: Hieroglyphics by Jill McCorkle

Summary: Lil and Frank married young, launched into courtship when they bonded over how they both—suddenly, tragically—lost a parent when they were children. Over time, their marriage grew and strengthened, with each still wishing for so much more understanding of the parents they’d lost prematurely. Now, after many years in Boston, they have retired in North Carolina. There, Lil, determined to leave a history for their children, sifts through letters and notes and diary entries—perhaps revealing more secrets than Frank wants their children to know. Meanwhile, Frank has become obsessed with what might have been left behind at the house he lived in as a boy on the outskirts of town, where a young single mother, Shelley, is just trying to raise her son with some sense of normalcy. Frank’s repeated visits to Shelley’s house begin to trigger memories of her own family, memories that she’d rather forget. Because, after all, not all parents are ones you wish to remember.

Rating: C. I really wanted to like this more. McCorkle hasn't written a book in quite some time, so I was thrilled when I saw this. I loved her previous books but this one just didn't do it for me.

Book #23: Haunted Hibiscus by Laura Childs

Summary: It is the week before Halloween and Theodosia Browning, proprietor of the Indigo Tea Shop, and her tea sommelier, Drayton, are ghosting through the dusk of a cool Charleston evening on their way to the old Bouchard Mansion. Known as the Gray Ghost, this dilapidated place was recently bequeathed to the Heritage Society, and tonight heralds the grand opening of their literary and historical themed haunted house. Though Timothy Neville, the patriarch of the Heritage Society, is not thrilled with the fund-raising idea, it is the perfect venue for his grandniece, Willow French, to sign copies of her new book, Carolina Crimes & Creepers. But amid a parade of characters dressed as Edgar Allan Poe, Lady Macbeth, and the Headless Horseman, Willow's body is suddenly tossed from the third-floor tower room and left to dangle at the end of a rope. Police come screaming in and Theodosia's boyfriend, Detective Pete Riley, is sent to Willow's apartment to investigate. But minutes later, he is shot and wounded by a shadowy intruder.

Rating: A-. This is the twenty-second mystery in Childs' tea shop mystery series and the stories are still as good as they were in the beginning. I love reading about Charleston and the familiar characters that work in Theodosia's tea shop.

Book #24: London Calling by Sara Sheridan

Summary: Set in the post-war atmosphere of 1952, London Calling follows ex-Secret Service agent Mirabelle Bevan as she investigates the mystery of a missing debutante, wealthy eighteen-year-old Rose Bellamy Gore. Mirabelle is assisted once again by the upbeat Vesta Churchill as they explore an underworld of smoky nightclubs, jazz bars, and intriguing characters to gather information and seek answers. Detective Superintendent Alan McGregor keeps an eye on Mirabelle's activities as a fledgling romance blooms between the two.

Rating: B-. This is the second in the Mirabelle Bevan series. I enjoy the time period and like the diversity of the characters and will continue reading the series.

Saturday Snippets

Those of you who know me, know I hate getting up early. PERIOD. (And I REALLY hate it on a weekend.)

But getting up early today was for a good cause- I got my first COVID vaccine! A friend of mine tipped me off to a local clinic that had several appointment openings and I was able to snag one. (Thanks Annie!)

The process was fairly seamless. I got the appointment online and registered online. Funny/weird-related story: in my haste to make sure I'd get one of the open appointments, I was somewhat typing haphazardly in the information form. There was a "Preferred Name" field and somehow (autofill?) Richard ended up there. Which is weird...because it's my Dad's name. (I had visions of getting to the clinic and them calling "Richard" and me thinking- is that me? Is that the guy next to me?) Thankfully, the preferred name never came into play.

I arrived at the clinic and got in the line which was outside, but moved fairly quickly. Once inside, I was asked if I pre-registered and sent to a check-in station. The woman checked me in and scheduled me for my second vaccine. 

Next, it was "have a seat and roll up your sleeve." I was asked a series of questions about allergies and then "take a deep breath." I'd say it was only a smidge more painful than a flu shot. It was a pediatric clinic so I had the honor of getting a My Little Pony bandaid. 😉

I was then directed to another station where my vaccine card was filled out and I was told to sit in chair #10. They set a timer for 15 minutes and when that was up, came to make sure I was feeling OK (I was), handed me my card, and I was on my way.

Since I was in an area that I don't normally go to, I decided to do some errands. While driving, I felt a few tiny stings/sharp pains in my shoulder and I felt a bit woozy, but part of me thinks there's some psychosomatics at play there.

I needed to return something at Eddie Bauer but since it wasn't open and since Whole Foods is in the same plaza and didn't look ridiculously crowded, I decided to pop in there. I haven't been in Whole Foods in maybe three-ish years? And now I remember why. I walked throughout the store with a carriage in the hopes of finding some fun foods that I can't get at my local grocery store. I did find some, but I'd forgotten how ridiculously expensive it is. Needless to say, I walked out empty handed.

I did my return at Eddie Bauer (the lone employee came out of the back without a mask on, but we'll just gloss over that) and then hit Trader Joe's.

Trader Joe's is much more my speed price-wise. I got some great frozen items (swordfish!) and some treats for John. 

Came home, had lunch, and then went "regular" grocery shopping. I took Grace (my stepdaughter with me.) It was the first time in over a year that she'd been in a grocery store. Needless to say, she was thrilled. Trips to the grocery store don't do the same for me, but whatever... She did really well and kept her mask on the whole time. I asked her if it felt weird and she said yes. (She has Down syndrome, so it's tough to know what she's thinking.)

After unloading the groceries, I decided to do this:

Here I sit blogging, enjoying the view and the sun. It's an absolutely gorgeous day in New England and it feels like we are FINALLY out of winter (and yes, it is April....)

Before I go, two plugs for your viewing pleasure. 

Last night we started watching This Is a Robbery on Netflix about the 1990 robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The Gardner is perhaps my favorite spot in Boston and I remember when the heist happened. We're only two episodes in, but so far we like it! 

We won't be watching it tonight, though, because it's the Frozen Four Championship game! I had North Dakota in my bracket to win it all, but they were booted out early on. We are rooting for UMASS for many reasons. It's a local school and they overcame adversity (COVID protocol) to win the semifinal game against Minnesota Duluth. They lost their top scorer, first string goalie, and third string goalie. (The equipment manager ended up being the emergency backup!)  They ended up winning in overtime, which was a thriller. Also, my uncle has done color commentary for UMASS hockey on the radio for over 20 years. Winning this would be a big thrill for him after all of these years. GO MINUTEMEN!

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #13: The Portion Teller by Lisa R. Young

Summary: In The Portion Teller, you’ll develop portion-size awareness and learn how to lose weight without weighing food or counting calories. Using simple visuals such as a deck of cards, a yo-yo, a baseball, and even your own hand, you’ll find out what a serving size is supposed to look like and how many servings you can eat per day from each food group. The visuals are easy to use: If your piece of salmon at dinner is about the size of three decks of cards, you’ve eaten all your meat and fish servings for the day.

Rating: D. This was all repeat information for me (which I should have known going in). I've done Weight Watchers and that also teaches you portion size, so nothing new. She preaches about the visual aide of a portion size, i.e., eat something the size of a deck of cards. My mind doesn't work like that, so it wasn't overly helpful to me. There was a timeline of fast food/restaurant changes that was some semi-interesting.

Book #14: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Summary: Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers begin slowly opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.

Rating: B-. I didn't like this as much as I liked Beartown and A Man Called Ove. I felt like this book specifically was similar to Amy Sherman Palladino's writing (Gilmore Girls, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), but in a slightly annoying way. Punchy. No breather. By the end of the book I was kind of over that style of dialogue (which is odd since I love both of the shows I mentioned.) 

Book #15: The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg

Summary: Does this really need a summary? Welcome to Whistle Stop in the current day (with flashbacks, of course.)

Rating: A. I loved this. I love Flagg's writing style and sense of humor. It was a light book in an often heavy world. (Don't take as long next time to write another book Fannie Flagg!)

Book #16: Becoming by Michelle Obama

Summary: Becoming is the memoir of former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, published in 2018.

Rating: A-. As a friend said to me- I felt like I should've liked this more. I was not at all interested in the pre-Barack story of her life (not sure why?), but once she met Barack, I was interested. She clearly did not want to be involved in politics, at all (and I felt like this book was her way of saying, "I did it, but I hated it.) The time when she and her family were living in the White House was of the most interest to me, as I've always been intrigued by it (and never been inside!)

Day 62 (plus three book reviews)

Today is day 62 of quarantine/since I was ordered to work from home.

That's just over two months for those of you that math is not your strong suit.

Some thoughts:

• 62 days is a LONG time to stay at home with only short trips to the grocery store and the pharmacy. I mean, a LONG time.
• I will be working from home for at least another 48 days. Over ONE HUNDRED days.
• Even though I'm an introvert, I miss being around co-workers.
• We/I have done some really fun Zoom/Google Hangout happy hours and I have gotten to "see" people I wouldn't see even if there was no pandemic!
• I have pretty much stopped watching TV. (Odd since my last posts were about binge-watching shows.) Call the Midwife makes me cry during every episode and I'm not in a place where I can handle that right now. (If you do need a good cry, I can certainly recommend some episodes.) John and I started watching Killing Eve on Hulu which was great at first and then you know what? I got tired of seeing multiple people getting killed in each episode. (Go figure.) I need a comedy that will make me LAUGH. 
• We have been getting creative in the kitchen with drinks and food- I'm hoping to share some of those soon.
• The weather is SLOWLY getting nicer here in New England, although John informed me that overnight recently we broke a 100 year record for coldest temperature on that day. 
• I have been slacking on the physical activity side of things. We walked today but hadn't the past few days. 

So, all this to say that I'm surviving. Some days are better than others (as has been the case since the beginning of this pandemic.).  I hope you're surviving, too. As difficult as it is to sometimes see out of the rabbit hole, we will emerge...slowly.

And here are some book reviews, because what else is there to do besides read? (We are out of puzzles!)

Book #18 of 2020: A Bend In the Stars by Rachel Barenbaum

Summary: WWI-era novel and epic love story of a brilliant young doctor who races against Einstein to solve one of the universe's great mysteries

Rating: B-. I started this before the pandemic, read 50 pages and thought I would NOT pick it up again. Once the library closed and I knew I'd have the book for an extended period of time, I decided to give it another try. Once I pushed past the first 50 pages it got a lot better! The timeframe/setting was fascinating and it was well-written historical fiction.

Book #19 of 2020: Grown Ups by Marian Keyes

Summary: They're a glamorous family, the Caseys. Johnny Casey, his two brothers Ed and Liam, their beautiful, talented wives and all their kids spend a lot of time together--birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, weekends away. And they're a happy family. Johnny's wife, Jessie--who has the most money--insists on it. Under the surface, though, conditions are murkier. While some people clash, other people like each other far too much...

Rating: B+. Marian Keyes is easily my favorite author ever. While this book was good, it wasn't her best by any stretch. I did LOL once (which is my gauge for how funny her books are) but I usually LOL repeatedly. However, as always, I will wait faithfully for her next book.

Book #20 of 2020: Death Comes In Through the Kitchen by Teresa Dovalpage

Summary: Set in Havana during the Black Spring of 2003, a charming but poison-laced culinary mystery reveals the darker side of the modern Revolution.

Rating: F. I found this book at work way back when. I can now see why it was abandoned. It was awful. The characters were completely unrelateable/unbelievable. I thought maybe the recipes would be the saving grace but they were not. At all. If you see this book, run fast the other way.