Better Days....

This weekend I learned a new phrase and practiced it completely. The new line is this, "dolce far niente". It is Italian and it translates: 'the sweetness of doing nothing'. I have no trouble with that one...

After cooking the bird and hauling it's little browned-in-a-cooking-bag ass up to Port Sanilac and then driving home in the pouring rain, with heavy traffic in the dark--I can assure you that on Friday I was ready to crash. After putting in some time at the gym to atone for sins of gluttony.

But then the nothing. And the sweetness of it all...

I read the book "Eat, Pray, Love" after all of my friends and with much resistance. Many of them had reported that the book was everything from good to life changing. Hmmm...That shit just scares me. I don't know if I WANT my life changed. I like to eat, pray and love, so whatever could be my issue? I don't know, I'm just pigheaded that way.

When I finally (in secret) read the book, guess what? Yep, I loved it. So now as I indulge in being lazy, I purchase the movie, based on the book of the same name on PPV. A large bowl of popcorn and a MGD and I'm good to go. That is good to go to Bali, Italy, India and then back to Bali. Total escapism as I watched Julia Roberts as Liz, navigate these lush, and beautiful landscapes. The food made me want to lick the screen, the effects of good meditation was healing even to watch, and the love....well, the love was with Javier Bardem and well, let's just say, even more yummy than the pasta...(more screen licking...) Also the soundtrack was amazing. The two songs by Eddie Vedder can almost make me cry.


Then, on a carb-loaded tummy, I dozed off for a nice long snooze. Then made some turkey noodle soup.


A perfect way to escape from all the shopping madness on this chilly weekend. I refuse to succumb to the pressure that has already begun to hang in the air like the scent of those cinnamon pine cones. Maybe I'll get the wreath on the door sometime this week. And I'm sure Kroger will have my gift cards when I get around to getting them.

For now, just a little more of that sweetness, doing nothing..

Living in Fast Forward.....

Fall musings....

Had a wonderful time at the Lawrence Street Gallery on Friday Night hearing JR, Michelle and Mark do their readings. They were, of course, awesome. I purchased and got autographed books, from both Mark and JR--the rock stars that they are!! I am anxiously awaiting Michelle's novel to be in my hot little hands. It promises to be a stunner! After parties included drinks with the ever darling Michelle and co-hort and partner in crime, Cal. They are very tolerant of my gushing and asking a zillion questions about their lives. Michelle and I discussed the necessity of having 'palace approval' of all unauthorized photos of us. Yes, Lady Diana had the right idea. Ya just can't trust anyone to get the shot that doesn't include double chins and such. I have officially added 'palace approval' to my words that I will probably overuse!

The Lawrence Street Gallery is tucked in tight on Woodward, but is defiantly worth a drop in. The art and mediums vary and seem to be reasonably priced. I need to go back and chat with the owner a little more about some of the pieces...

I saw Martha Stewart (on the tube) with a turkey hand cutout and a glue stick. I shuddered and quickly changed the channels. It's going to be a very short week with the festivity of food looming. God save us, I'm gonna cook. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I have much to be thankful for, everyone else can be thankful that next year will NOT be my turn....

Tonight is a 'blue moon'. When I tried to read and understand the phenom, I was more boggled than when I just used the phrase 'once in a blue mood', on occasion. I would watch tonight, but the moon is really just the regular cheesy color.

I have learned that friends Gary and Duane have adopted again, this time adding a boy, Arlo to sisters Avery and Addison. Congrats on the lovely family and I can't wait to get to San Francisco to visit! xo

Birthday wishes to my Mom this week, and her twin brother, my Uncle Jim. Sometimes her day hits on Thanksgiving which is truly appropriate. Happy Birthday Mom! Also I have an ice skating party to go to for friend, Elle. She is a doll and I have to get the appropriate Sonya Henie outfit ready to go!! Us Norwegin ice queens got to represent! Maybe a fur muff? A tutu? How about a fur Elmer Fudd hat. Oh yeah, I already have one of those..

I am considering paying my son off to to score a new television on Black Friday. There is no way in hell I'm trudging around half asleep to a big box store and dealing with that nightmare. Still workin' on that one....

So everyone enjoy your holiday and eat with abandon and if there are cameras about, be sure to get 'palace approval' on all shots!!! xo

Good Bye to You....

Coming to you as a tired, old chick tonight. Me and a few (30) friends got together this weekend for a girls night out kinda thing. We met at Weber's in Ann Arbor for dinner and then proceeded to the lounge. Our waiter, Josh, was exceedingly patient in light of the melee. My roast duck was luscious as was the wine. I hope the tip amply repaid his charming effort.

The lounge was packed and the band covered 80's tunes to a tee. I mostly watched the dance scene, but was too lazy to dance altho one dude with a jack-o'lantern smile did ask me. No judgement on the lack of dental care what with insurance is these days, just not motivated to get up on an already packed floor. Some Elvis looking guy in a suit was wandering around doing tricks such a floating a dollar bill in the air in front of him. I was warned not to make eye contact as then he won't leave the table. A woman told me that I looked hot. The 6'2' girl in the corner was a boy--or at least at one time was.

Had more than a few laughs and was happy to be in my plush room bed at 2:00 with my ipad. I tell ya, if you ever want a measure of time gone by, just embark on a night like this to completely solidify the idea. It used to be so easy. And now it's just way more effort.

Back at home, I made a giant chicken pot pie and lit the fireplace. I still have to process the weekend a little more, but this I know for sure. I am so happy that that part of my life is over. I couldn't swing it anymore and wonder how I was ever as good at it as I once was. Loved seeing the girlie's and am happy that we don't have to do it again for another year. As nine o'clock nears, I think I'll haul myself off for more sleep and ipad. C'mon, Lola it's time......xoxo

P.S. I'm excited for next friday night when I get to hook up with Mark (Walking Man), Michelle (Michelle's Spell) and JR (JR's Thumbprints) to hear their talent! Way more my speed!

Heaven.....

Lately I have been on a Joyce Maynard kick. I got into her stuff years ago, but lately have re -discovered how much I love her writing. I was hooked after reading 'To Die For',and 'Where Love Goes'--both of which I highly recommend.

And lately I have gorged on 'Labor Day', 'The Good Daughters' and have just finished up this little literary feast with 'At Home in the World'. A perfect trifecta! I pre-ordered 'At Home in the World' as soon as it was available on my ipad and was lickin' my chops when it was 'delivered'.

So bowing out on a social obligation, skipping a couple of gym sessions, ordering pizza for dinner and letting the laundry go--I got comfortable, and dug in. This is the story that Joyce apparently had to wait for J.D. Salinger to die before she could publish. If you have read the hype, you know that Joyce had J.D. for a mentor and actually moved on to a relationship with him when she was 18 and he was 53 years old.

I once read an article in a magazine that hinted some of the details of this odd pairing, but this book definitely fills in the gaps. J.D. Salinger managed to strip this young girl of all self-esteem and sense of self. She adopted his personal habits--strange as they were--and even allowed him to foster her eating disorder. I think he wanted to keep her as young as possible to favor his borderline pedophilia. The story tells of his methodical stripping her of friends and family and favoring a very isolated lifestyle. He convinces her to trust no one and to question all motives by everyone from publishers to parents. He later berates and belittles her. And she still loved him. Pretty grim stuff. But Joyce was smart enough to evaluate the situation and figure some things out. Finally, in adulthood, she finds true love and has a family. The motivation of J.D. and his ways haunted her enough to make one last pilgrimage out east to confront him. The answers he gives her are flippant and nonchalant. She is able to have closure from both writing the book and seeing him one last time. A weaker woman would have crumbled under his machinations, but Joyce was able to step back, write, and learn from it all.

I wholly recommend this and all of Joyce Maynard's work. I am even going back to read some of her very early essays written before and while she lived with J.D.

That said, I have a question for you all. Do you do as I do and go crazy for an author and read everything in print all at one time? Or do you space things out and mix it up a little more? Let me know your preference. Have a good week--I am excited for our little fall warm up the weatherdudes have predicted. And Happy Fall Back to y'all. I love the extra hour of sleep! xoxo