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| Rainy daze at our house |
Cy, 10, arrived home from school on Friday happy but drenched by his walk. (Shouldn't he have been picked up? I blame the mother...) "Only a few driblets" he said. Jackson, 14, spent all weekend playing basketball outside with his friends in the pouring rain.
Meanwhile I stayed inside...reading depressing books. Woman Upstairs is about a 42 year-old angry schoolteacher, who has long ago compromised her dream of being an artist. About being a woman, an artist and love. It was criticised for portraying an unlikeable angry woman, though I can think of thousands of lauded angry men in literature.
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| On the bedside table... |
Carthage is about a disaffected 19 year-old woman in an upper state New York town who is seemingly killed by her brother in law, a war hero just back from Iraaq. Neither novels sound uplifting but they are because the writing is so beautiful.
The Hermes bookmark was sent to me by Naomi - thank you Naomi! Never had anything from a hushed tones stores like Hermes - have you? - though our mudroom is painted a sort of Hermes orange. Look.
I am a speedy reader, another skill which has yet to advance me in any way. If you're interested, I also have super bendy hands, which did win me a part as back-row dancer in a local production of The King And I when I was 12. So that's something.
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| Look how bendy and I'm not even trying hard |
Two rain or shine staples: Friday jam donuts from Doughnut Dolly and Saturday night was Hopscotch, a weeny little place which feels you're like in New Orleans with Corpse Revivers and oysters. I was once ejected from an all-you-can-eat oyster tent in Sonoma after I downed 40 oysters. Memories.
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| Doughnut Dolly's |
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| What's everyone else having? |
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| Kevin goes into Hopscotch |
My hip hop dance performance group Platinum (we are ages 42 to 61) performed to a group of folk dancers, mostly retirees. Someone asked me the other day:"Aren't your kids embarrassed by you doing hip hop?" Of course! Makes it even more enjoyable.
Saw the movie Her - Joaquin Pheonix falls in love with the voice on his phone. Clever idea. Well acted. Boring. How long can you watch Joaquin in a porn star moustache talk to a disembodied voice? (Even if the voice belongs to Scarlett Johanssen) Apparently these types of relationships are already happening...in Japan!
One of my resolutions was shorter blog posts - is this short? Now please tell me what happened in your weekend!
As much as I want to love Joaquin Phoenix somehow I keep being bored with him.
ReplyDeleteI want to check out "The Woman Upstairs". Since I seem to also be an unlikeable angry woman there is a need for us all to stick together. Ah well.
I hear ya!
ReplyDeleteLove the sound of your rainy weekend with doughnuts. We could do with some rain here too, although I do hate it when it rains.
ReplyDeleteMy weekend consisted of eating, drinking too much and going to the beach. Plus bullying the children into doing their homework and de-loosing them.
Ruth - I hate those lousy lices to pieces. There were many many visitations to our home costing us a small mortgage in trips to The Nit Pixies here. My son got really good at "combing out" though so saved some money that way - a very good skill he picked up!
DeleteOh they are vile, aren't they? Are the Nit Pixies professional de-lousers? I so wish we had them here, although we'd probably be bankrupt! We use the very low-tech comb through with conditioner method, with the occasional use of Ban-Mouse. I swear that nits would survive a nuclear holocaust.... Nothing kills the buggers.
DeleteAnd I found once you get them, they seem to re-visit too
DeleteAhh a rainy weekend, I can live in hope. We are still sweltering through summer mind you the air con has been off for a two whole days!!
ReplyDeleteI spent my weekend catching up on what I had recorded on cable and on free to air, in otherwords I was a huge couch potato LOL
The doughnuts look yummy!
ReplyDeleteWe had a long weekend here and it has finally warmed up to rain now. We froze all last week. Weekend included walks at the beach with the dog and not much else. :)
Thank God no de-lousing here. My kids have never had nits actually. I believe nits like clean hair though... so that could explain things. Stop washing your kids hair Ruth!
ReplyDeleteThe doughnuts and rainy weekend reading sound heavenly. We have just had some sort of record broken for most number of days over 40C here. The air is so dry, and it feels a lot like you're living in a fan forced oven - top and bottom heat with a nice dry swirly wind to ensure you're crispy. On the up side, my hair looks like I've spent a lot of time with straight irons on it as the moisture has been sapped out of it. I spent the weekend inside in the air conditioning running out of ways to keep the kids entertained that didn't involve plonking them infront of Minecraft or a Barbie movie. We made cakes, made flat people, did craft kits, lego, board games.... it's kind of like our own sort of polar vortex, but the hot kind.
You do have very bendy hands!
Why short? I love to read! I love donuts but partial to cream one and if jam it has to be mixed with cream. Why is rain always so at odds - it's either a drought or a flood. Didn't know you guys were in a drought though? Your mudroom is amazing ( that you have one and the color!) My luxuries now are not indoor pools and penthouses but laundry rooms, mudrooms, and walk in closets...So glad your doggy is being put to good use - she will be very faithful!
ReplyDeleteGreat to slam everything there and just pretend we're tidy
DeleteMy weekend consisted of writing and politics. I went mad with level one punctuation - 130 exercises. I'm part of the local election opposition team. Sundays mornings are spent at the market eating oysters from the oyster man and chatting to all and sundry.
ReplyDeletelove it! I am a bit of a speed reader too when I actually commit to a book. thank god as I have a bit of ADHD!
ReplyDeletehaven't seen She yet, but I did finally see Dallas Buyers Club and loved it!
yay on dace troupe and donuts, the DDs!
I loved Dallas Buyers Club too, those two men were so slim it was incredible
DeleteDon't do shorter blog posts. I love your musings. Reading a post is like talking to one of my girlfriends on the phone...I usually don't get a word in. ;D xx
ReplyDeleteHa ha! Thanks Flora, love the feather fascinators you make
DeleteI pampered my sinuses, watched the snow, made a huge kettle of reviving soup, made reservations for New Orleans end of April and for London/Paris with family in July. Have had enough February. Our apt. has lots of windows and sliding glass doors, and it has been feeling like the interior of a messy snow globe lately.
ReplyDeleteGlad you finally got some much-needed rain. And wow, those jam doughnuts look freaking fantastic!
ReplyDeletehahaha that is a bit creepy that such relationships are even considered. Basketball in the rain can be fun, shame on the mother though for making him walk
ReplyDeleteSlacker mother
DeleteI want a Doughnut Dolly, and this is the first I've heard of them! My best friend has bendy hands and knees- makes for a good party trick. Thanks for the warning with 'Her'. Your blog post is the perfect length. Enjoy the rain x
ReplyDeleteHih: My husband said Her had lots of stuff to say about what a relationship was but when I went to write about it I didn't really know what those things were...not sure if that says something about me or the movie!!!
DeleteGlad there was rain out your way. I really like Joaquin Phoenix and don't like anything about Scarlett J (have you seen JP in "Two Lovers"? charming little movie!). Obviously, those Dolly donuts haven't left a trace on your figure. Those bendy hands must have been quite the thing back in grammer school.
ReplyDeleteI insist on a youtube upload of Platinum shaking their groove thing to Rick James!
GSL - here is our last performance, (not even sure the links are live anymore.) Prepare yourself emotionally.
Deletehttp://aboutlastweekend.blogspot.com/2013/09/all-my-friends-are-gay.html
Must see Two Lovers, have never heard of that
Now that was a treat! You sure know how to bring it with that kiwi funk!
Deletethe next dance is a bit more retro, mash up of Stevie Wonder
DeleteDoughnuts, yum!! We've had rain for days and days, now its sunny...I wished it to away, so now I know where it went ;D Glad you got some. Now I fancy a doughnut, haha!! xx
ReplyDeleteI try to avoid sad books & movies.Especially before bed. they make me too melancholy. The family watches Walking Dead but I cant even be in the room..
ReplyDeleteI like the look of your donuts.
Hey, I got the same bookmark...have not put it to use yet. We are expecting snow, again, so the entire south shall be shut down all week. We will see if we actually get any. Your post was short and to the point...rain, reads, and donuts. Not interested in Her although there is a rather clever you tube video called Him.
ReplyDeleteI had lunch and dinner out on Saturday AND I ate cognac-filled chocolates, ate too much again on Sunday and woke up Monday feeling better than I have in ages. I also drank quite a bit of wine which clearly added to my Monday morning health?
ReplyDeleteThose donuts look delicious. Thanks for the book recommendations. I think I'd have to be paid to see "Her".
Yes that was a short blog post! Keep it coming I say!
With these chocolates we are really spoiling you (or did only Kiwis get that ad?)
DeleteOkay, I have to be honest-- I barely made it past the doughnut images. I want a doughnut...and not some Singaporean version ... I want the real deal....
ReplyDeleteOh, my weekend? Hmmm-- not much of a weekend (that is the problem with my husband almost always working Sat/Sun), but we do get to go to Bali on Thursday for about a week. I am not complaining....
Off to find a doughnut....
Does he get Mon and Tue off? Oh have a fantabulous time in Bali.
DeleteI enjoyed that angry woman in The Woman Upstairs. She seemed more real to me than other female characters in books that I have read recently. What does that say about me??
ReplyDeleteI could totally identify with her!
DeleteNot much!Cooked on SATURDAY…….cleaned out napkin drawers!Went to exercise and visited my MOM.Got mad at the husband!
ReplyDeleteLC, napkins much on my mind of late. need to find some nice white ones, my beige ones don't do it.
DeleteOur weekend was spent cross-country skiing.....trying to "embrace and enjoy winter" is getting old up in here. I am dying for some warmth and green grass...alas it won't make an appearance here until April. Those donuts...wow, I would like to take them to bed too.
ReplyDeleteIf I had eaten a donut for every raindrop that's fallen in the UK in the last couple of months.... then I'd probably be very happy!! And a bit sick.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a plan though.
Sx
I heard a newsthingy on the radio yesterday - wow!
DeleteI love your bendy-arm special skill. My talent is that I can burp on command - even three times in a row. Competition among my high school girlfriends was fierce as I was up against: wiggling an ear on its own (no hands) and spreading all five toes wide (no hands, this was pre yoga). I'm still a champion :)
ReplyDeleteAm totally jealous! (Burping and ear wiggling and toe spreading, triple threat!!!)
DeleteLoving website of the Fry Girl donut lady in your area you told me about, would be the size of a house if she lived near me...http://www.thefrygirlinc.com/
DeleteDoughnuts were involved in our weekend too, and plenty of torrential rain! However the highlight was two family parties ; it's a very odd family - worthytmd a blog post I feel!
ReplyDeletePlease don't make your posts shorter, I love reading.
Looking forward to hearing about the odd fam....
Deleteomg, donuts in bed sounds amazing! almost as good as cashews--oops, not that I would know. It sounds like a very good weekend and I love your book reviews. Glad you northern cal people got some rain!
ReplyDeletexo
Hi Mary Jo, my friend Cameron told me that no rain down your way?
DeleteA rainy week-end is one thing. A rainy two months with flooding all over the country is dispiriting. Crazy world wide weather.
ReplyDeleteHow we envy you with your minimal rainfall. Surrey is practically totally under water right now - the worst floods and the most rainfall in the UK since records began!
ReplyDeleteThose donuts look amazing. Your hip hop group sounds fantastic. I have to find a similar group around here. I agree with you about Her. And what was with those high waisted pants in the film?
ReplyDelete