Laura Lippman Writes a Cozy

 

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman

Laura Lippman writes a cozy?  Heck yeah, and knocks it outta the park!

 

I am a huge Laura Lippman fan, first discovering her through her Tess Monagan novels, and have followed her somewhat religiously since.  She has yet to disappoint.

I also adore France. The cruise Mrs. Blossom is on somewhat follows the itinerary of the cruise my husband and I took took last December and I felt like this was my book to love.  I was not let down.

Spending time with Muriel Blossom, sharing her adventures (and misadventures) has me  hoping maybe we'll travel with her again in the future.  It wasn’t love from page one, but it grew, as Mrs. Blossom herself grew, to become another Lippman novel to love and recommend.  Muriel attracts some interesting folks, learns to open herself to new experiences and to trust her own instincts.  

During our time traveling together, we watch Mrs. Blossom grow from being an insecure woman of a certain age who depends on others to help her make it through situations outside her comfort zone to becoming one strong fierce woman. Sure of herself and the choices she's making.  And learning to accept those choices already made with grace.

And it was huge fun to see what Tess and Crow have been up to!

I was lucky enough to get Murder Takes a Vacation through NetGalley with no promise of a review.  Publication isn't until June, but it's available to be pre-ordered.

One Word

Over the past few years I have followed Laura Lippman's tradition of choosing a one-word resolution for the new year. (I haven't seen her word for 2022 yet).

In years past I have spent a fair amount of time trying to come up with something pertinent and meaningful.   Something of value.

This year I'm going with a word of total and unapologetic self-interest, of no value to anyone other than myself.

Call me selfish.  I do not care.

I call it self-care.

My word for next year is "pamper."

I'm going to welcome 2022 with gifts from me to me.

Some scrumptious scented body oil of my favorite fragrance 

A new pair of slouchy jeans

And a new frock.

Slouchy jeans and maxi dresses!  They're back!  And I'm happy to see them, and wear them, again.  My ol' hippie self rejoices in the fact that everything old is, indeed, new again.

And I've started planning a trip for later in the year. 

 I, like many of you, am ready to travel again.  

Beyond ready. 

 If the trip falls through due to yet another COVID variant, so be it.  I'm doing all I can to lessen the financial impact should that happen.   Travel insurance.  Refundable flights.  Accommodations with a good cancellation policy.  

I need to spend some time doing one of the things I love best - planning a trip.  The planning is, to me, a major big fun part of travel, and thanks to my Baccarat Rouge 540 scented body oil, I'll smell absolutely divine while doing it. 

I hope you'll do something nice for yourself in 2022.

Following a Laura Lippman tradition

She reminds me, and others, by her own example, to choose a one-word resolution for the new year. 

You can read her post about next year's word here - https://www.facebook.com/notes/laura-lippman/new-decade-one-word/10157743094633903/?comment_id=10221867366696768&notif_id=1577720434231167&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic

Before choosing my 2020 word, I went back into my Meanderings and Muses archives to find last year's word, which you can read below.  I think I did a pretty good job of keeping it close most of the year.  

I'm hoping I can do as well with this year's word.

I've chosen MOVE.

I spent a lot of 2019 being sedentary. I'm now feeling the effects - too heavy, too stiff, ugh.

Time to start moving. AND past time to start cutting back on chips and milkshakes!

Wish me luck!

Another New Year's A-comin'

Laura Lippman is a writer I admire. 

Additionally, she's a woman I admire. 

And each year she reminds me, and others, by her own example, to choose a one-word resolution for the new year. 

Reading the words that others have chosen is always something I look forward to and enjoy. 

And it's always a bit of a challenge for me to come up with a word that I might actually be able to observe and follow. 

My word for 2019 is savor. 

I want to try to remember to savor the good things in my life. 

While I will not stop fighting and speaking out against the things I do not savor, I want to be more respectful to the goodness I am blessed with.

Here's wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Another New Year's A-comin'

Laura Lippman is a writer I admire. 

Additionally, she's a woman I admire. 

And each year she reminds me, and others, by her own example, to choose a one-word resolution for the new year. 

Reading the words that others have chosen is always something I look forward to and enjoy. 

And it's always a bit of a challenge for me to come up with a word that I might actually be able to observe and follow. 

My word for 2019 is savor. 

I want to try to remember to savor the good things in my life. 

While I will not stop fighting and speaking out against the things I do not savor, I want to be more respectful to the goodness I am blessed with.

Here's wishing you all a Happy New Year!

No Resolutions! But . . . A long time dream coming true

As I mentioned yesterday, no resolutions for me this year other than my one word resolution that Laura Lippman prompts each year.



I chose the word "Persist."



That word covers a lot of territory in my world these days.



But I'm not here to talk about New Year's resolutions.



I am here to tell you I have big plans for the upcoming year.






I am usually registered for Bouchercon by now and that's what you would hear me squealing about for the next several months.



But.



No Bouchercon for me this year and that does make me sad, because it means I'll go at least one whole year without seeing many dear friends.



But.



I can't afford two big trips,



and




You may have heard - - -



I'm going to Paris!



Paris!









My very first time.













Am I excited?!



Pfftttt!



What do you think?!



It's Paris!








I am over the moon excited!



And, those of you who know me, know that I like the planning of a trip every bit as much as I do the trip itself.


And part of my planning is to read.


To read all about where I'm going.


I like to know about a place's culture, its customs, its architecture, its history, what's fun to shop for, where to shop, what to see, what to do, what to eat - you know - everything!








And though I love a list of things I want to do, and places I want to go, I don't plan my days out too much.


I "might" say, okay, today I'm going to go to the such & such museum.


And I'll do that.


But the things I do on the way to the museum, and the things I do after the museum are probably going to be totally up in the air and left up to whimsy and serendipity.


And. If I miss the museum? Well, there's the next day. Right?





And where I end up often it depends of where my camera takes me. My camera and I are going to have such a great time!











My camera is itching to capture the Notre-Dame gargoyles









View Paris through the Musée d'Orsay clock window







To ride the carousels







I aim to keep my camera happy.







We're going to eat too many macarons










Sit in sidewalk cafes and drink coffee and hot chocolate








Buy too many souvenirs!
















And write about it all







I'm going to be traveling with two of my favorite women - my friends Lesa (I "think" you guys might know her?? 😉😉 Pretty sure you do.) and Vickie, who I've known since my Atlanta days and who you've heard me speak of.



And two more friends of Vickie's, Kathy and Lisa, who I have not formally met yet, but have heard Vickie talk about for years and years, so I do feel as though I know them.


We're staying in an apartment that Vickie has stayed in before, and it looks delightful!


I'm especially tickled about the neighborhood, Belleville. One that's not in a touristy section of the city.


Not that I'm not one to play tourist! You know better.



Honey! I am the most touristy tourist you've ever seen. And never try to pretend otherwise.








There's too much to see and if I hesitate in asking the locals where they might recommend I go for certain things, I'm likely to miss out on some pretty fabulous stuff.  Can't have that!



But the Belleville neighborhood just sounds like the kind of place I'm going to feel comfortable and I intend to do a good bit of exploring right outside our apartment door in addition to all the things one just does when one is in Paris. Droite?!




Belleville means "Beautiful Town." It was ignored during much of the Paris modernisation of the 60s and 70s, so retains much of its French originality and is home to many aspiring artists and art galleries.


It's home to two parks. The Parc des Buttes Chaumont and the smaller, less well-known Parc de Belleville which is situated between the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont and the Père Lachaise Cemetery. Parc de Belleville features the longest waterfall fountain in Paris and a stunning panoramic view of the city.





Parc des Buttes Chaumont







Parc de Belleville







Père Lachaise Cemetery



According to WikiPedia, "Parc de Belleville also prides itself on its display of annual flowers. The gardeners prepare the flower beds two years in advance, in tight collaboration with the horticultural center of Rungis. Their compositions have received prizes numerous times at the Concours des Décorations Florales Estivales (Summer Floral Decoration Competition), which takes place each year in September." It just so happens we'll be there in September.


Also from WikiPedia, "French singer Édith Piaf grew up in Belleville and, according to legend, was born under a lamppost on the steps of the Rue de Belleville. A commemorative plaque can be found at number 72."



In addition to reading about Paris in travel and reference books (even cookbooks), I love reading novels in which Paris is featured.







I recently finished reading Mark Pryor's mystery series set in Paris featuring protagonist Hugo Marston, which I loved reading and highly recommend.


Now I'm planning on taking a look at The Malaussene Saga, a series written by Daniel Pennac, which is set in Belleville.


I started my Paris novel reading odyssey - electronic and print - almost immediately when we first started talking about this trip. If you're interested, here's a list of what I've read so far, in addition to all of Mark Pryor's novels:


The Dress Thief by Anita Hughes


From a Paris Balcony by Ella Carey


Hidden in Paris by Corine Gantz


I'll See You in Paris by Michelle Gable


The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown


The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George


A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable


The Paris Key by Juliet Blackwell


The Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey


The Race for Paris by Meg Waite Clayton


The Paris Effect by K.S.R. Burns


The Paris Wife by Paula McLain


Letters from Paris by Juliet Blackwell


Paris, He Said by Christine Sneed


Mission to Paris by Alan Furst


The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin


and two books I have to mention - non-fiction treasures that weren't in my stacks when I took the above picture.


Shakespeare and Company by Sylvia Beach and the wonderful, OH so wonderful (I love this book) Shakespeare and Company: A History of the Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart edited by Krista Halverson.








You just know we're going to be visiting Shakespeare and Company!



And this is pretty much where this story was going to end.



Except.



We went to Birmingham for Christmas with Donald's family.


While we were there I took a day to browse and shop in the wonderful 2nd and Charles Bookstore.





I love this place!


It's huge, but beautifully laid out so you're able to find what you're looking for, or you can just enjoy wandering, getting lost, sitting down to look through a treasure you came across, or just rest and enjoy every booklover's dream store.







I spent a glorious four hours and could have stayed a bit longer, truth be told.


And struck up a conversation with one of the delightful sales associates.


Don't you love it when you're able to tell that the person working in a bookstore is a true lover of books?


During our conversation, which started in the travel section, I discovered that my new friend was a traveler. So, of course, he had traveled in France and fallen in love with Paris. When I asked if he spoke French I wasn't the least bit surprised at how lovely it sounded.


Next thing I knew I had, in addition to a pile of books I had discovered on my own, another pile that he was bringing me.


All treasures!


All books I couldn't live without, but would never have discovered on my own.


I did sit myself down to exercise a little bit of good sense and cull some of the books.


But I still came home with these -






As you can see, they're not "all" books about Paris or set in Paris, but most are. The others, well, I couldn't bring myself to leave them behind.






While I'm busy helping you all add to your "to be read" lists, here's a few more to add to your "All Things French" list. Some of these titles are books I read a long time ago, forgot about but happily reminded of when I happened across them in 2nd & Charles. Some of titles I "may" try to re-read. And some are titles provided by friends, or by friends of friends, some of which I have read, some of which I have not read.


Victor Hugo's Les Miserales.


The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.


Hemingway's A Moveable Feast.


Peter Mayle's series about Provence. I loved the series, but especially the first, A Year in Provence.


Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code.


Edward Rutherfurd's Paris: The Novel.


Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik.


Cara Black's wonderful mystery series featuring Aimee LeDuc.


The Ingredients of Love by Nicolas Barreau.


Paris Spring by James Naughtie.


The Paris Secret by Karen Swann.


A Week in Paris by Rachel Hore.



And if any of you have books about France, actually, Paris in particular, please feel free to share. I may never get around to reading them, but I do love a list.



And, if any of you have favorite places you love to go when you're in Paris, I'd love to hear about them too. Shopping spots. Restaurants. Galleries. Museums. Monuments. Parks and Gardens. Favorite spots to walk and explore.



So.


This is my New Year's resolution, I guess:

"Have a ball in Paris!"

First Half Favorites for 2016

My friend Lesa posted her First Half Favorites for 2016 at her blog - https://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/.

Nor surprisingly, we share a few faves.


I don't always do a favorites list at the end of the year any more, but I do post the list of what I've read during the year.  And I will highlight a few that have stayed with me.

But this half year list intrigues me.


When I thanked Lesa for coming up with such a clever idea, she told me it was actually Jen Forbus's idea of a couple years ago.  And that doesn't surprise me a bit.  Jen keeps her blog - http://www.jensbookthoughts.com/ - fresh with a wealth of continuous new ideas.


So, I'm going to hop on this bandwagon and tell you my favorites of the year - so far.


"The Never-Open Desert Diner" by James Anderson


"My Southern Journey" by Rick Bragg


"The View From the Cheap Seats" by Neil Gaiman.  (Actually, I haven't finished this on yet.  I'm plucking essays out slowly and savoring them.  Which is exactly what I did with Rick Bragg's "My Southern Journey."  They're both delicious books and I can't say enough about them).


"Night Shift" by Charlaine Harris


"Wilde Lake" by Laura Lippman

"A Great Reckoning" by Louise Penny (I read an ARC - official publication is not until August, but worth the wait!)

Reflections

Like all years, this has been one of ups and downs.


Unlike most years, the ups and downs have hit higher and lower than usual.


It's been a year that I've spent more time reflecting on things.

I've spent more time making personal decisions about what I want out of life, what I want to do with my time left here in this world.


Laura Lippman, who does a lot of amazing things, writes a one word resolution column that I look forward to.  You can read this year's at her blog, The Memory Project.  http://www.journalscape.com/LauraLippman/2015-12-28-16:13/


It's hard to come up with just one word.  

It's especially hard if you're a wordy kinda person who has never in her life been able to share a single thing in, as my friend Michael Dean would always beg, "Oh, Dear God - the abbreviated version, please!"


But I did.  



But.  


Well.


Actually.


I admit it - I couldn't really just do one.

So I came up with two.


One is "do."

The other is "stretch."


Here's a confession.

I have not shared this with many people 'cause it's just silly.

And, it seems, I think - so unlike me.

I like to think of myself as an independent sort.

And I guess I am.

But it's only been up to a point.

It has not, for many years, included getting in a car and just driving myself some place.  

Not, of course, including around Boone, or areas fairly close.

But whenever I've wanted to go anywhere more than a couple hours away, Donald Scott Barley has always, always, said "sure, I'll take you."

And I had grown to count on that.

And it's lovely having a partner who will do that, and he's fun as all hell to travel with so I really hadn't given it a lot of thought.

Didn't even realize how I had caused my own world to shrink.

My Bouchercon friends had no idea that driving myself to Raleigh was as big a deal as it was.  Most of them had no idea that getting myself there was a very big deal to me.

And, after doing it, it was not the big deal I had been concerned about either.


I just did it.


With the help of Samantha.  

Samantha is our GPS lady.

And although she gets a little grumpy and will start berating me to "Make a U-Turn."  and to make it as soon as possible, she and I travel well together.

As a matter of fact, she's part of my "Do." 

In 2016 I intend to hop into my car and ask Miss Samantha to help me find my way to visit family in Knoxville.  A girlfriend in Nashville.  Hell's Bells, who knows what's next?  Watch out friends, I may just show up on your doorstep, knock on the door and demand a cup of coffee!


I know.


Silly, right?


But at least I'm getting myself outside of my little self-made borders of constriction.

And that's not all.

I've made some additional plans to "do."

I'm not going to sit at my computer and just bitch about the political situation here in North Carolina that makes me sad and angry and frustrated.

Nope.

I'm going to be working to help Sue Counts in her bid for the House against Jonathan Jordan.

I have NO idea what I'll be doing, but something.

Whatever Sue thinks I can do to help.  It's past time for me to be out there actually doing something.


What else?

I'm not sure, but this is my year to DO.


For awhile I was working with our literacy association.  I stopped doing that because I was working with an individual in attempts to improve reading and comprehension skills.  A person I grew to respect and care about.  A person who had a story that broke my heart.  It's not my story to tell, so I won't.  But, I learned more from the association than he did.  I have a problem with being able to remove my heart from situations that have caused people pain.  And from this experience I have learned that my skill sets do not include one-on-one assistance, but more in the way of administrative assistance.  Spending my entire working life as a secretary can be put back to use in my retirement in a way that I'll find fulfilling, I think.



My second one word resolution is "stretch."  


I hope to stretch myself creatively.  

My publishing, up until this past year, included personal memoir essays, my novel, and helping Harley write his book.

This year I had two short stories published, so my "stretch" has already begun.

We're going to continue that stretch in the year 2016 and see just how far we can take it.

It'll be a fun thing.


And tonight I'm going to sit myself down and do something that has become a part of my year-end routine.

I'm going to read this amazing book by Neil Gaiman.

Have you read it?

Do it.

You'll thank me.

And I wish you all a 2016 of good things.

Do the things you've been putting off, maybe.  

Or do more of the things you love doing.

I'll be thinking about you while Samantha helps me get out and discover a whole bunch of new places and things.

A One Word New Year's Resolution for 2015

Laura Lippman does a one word resolution every year, and invites us to share ours. 

My one word resolution for 2015 is "Do." 

And I think I need to have this quote scrolling across my laptop screen.

Does your best editing happen AFTER you've hit "send?"

If you've been following news about The National Book Awards, presented annually by The National Book Foundation, you know a few things in addition to the award winners.


You know Ursula K. Le Guin was given an award for her distinguished contribution to American letters, and gave a speech which has touched many.







And you know another author made news which was not as universally accepted.

Daniel Handler of Lemony Snicket fame (NOT crime writer David Handler as I stupidly posted in a comment to a post on Laura Lippman's Facebook wall this morning.  I say stupidly, because I knew better and just didn't catch my own error.  <sigh>). Made some racist comments which made the crowd, not surprisingly, uneasy.

He has since apologized.

I was stunned and hurt and angry at Mr. Handler's remarks, and initially (and, admittedly, selfishly) not over moved by the apology.

Then I read Ms. Lippman's piece at The Toast. I encourage each of you to do the same. I found it to be generous, gracious and brave. http://the-toast.net/2014/11/21/racist/

All this brings up something I've been pondering since reading a Margaret Atwood quote. 

"Wanting to meet an author because you like his work is like wanting to meet a duck because you like pâté.”

I never really thought about meeting my favorite authors in quite this way, although it does bear thinking about . . . certainly . . .  I suppose. Still pondering . . .

Five Fires by Laura Lippman

oooooh - Laura Lippman has done it again. (Who's surprised?!). Five Fires is WICKED GOOD! Laura and Megan Abbott, both now at the top of their game, share a unique way of seeing and writing about the psyche of teenage girls. This one was chilling, and not to be missed.


Disclaimer:  an electronic arc of this book was provided by NetGalley.com.  No review was promised and the above is my unbiased opinion.

Stamping Out The Saying "I Don't Read Women," One T-Shirt At A Time

Writers Rock.  

The mystery community has a reputation for being a generous, gracious group.  In my experience that reputation has not been exaggerated.

A recent effort in this spirit of generosity is Karin Slaughter's on-going SAVE THE LIBRARIES project.  The first library campaign event was Atlanta, and was a huge success.  There are more to come.  The next event for be held in June in Boston.

Alafair Burke was one of the many supporters of that event, and now Karin Slaughter is on-board in an event that Alafair is spearheading - along with bestselling authors Lisa Gardner, Tess Gerritsen, Laura Lippman, and Lisa Unger.

With Alafair's permission, I'm sharing a note she posted at the DorothyL mystery discussion group recently telling us about  her latest project.

“Real Men Read Women” promoting youth literacy.  

The website for buying items to raise money is here:  www.printfection.com/readwomen

All profits from sale of these items will go to youth literacy.

It's a wonderful project with one very cool graphic -

Here's what Alafair had to say:

"I frequently get emails from male readers who say, “I don’t like women authors, but I do like you.”  Appreciative yet perplexed, I started asking readers why they thought they didn’t like women authors.  I know there have been related conversations here on the list,but usually I'd hear that women weren't hard-boiled enough, or that there was too much romance and not enough action.  Or they simply believed that women writers were writing for women and not men.
 

I'd like to stamp out the saying "I don't read women," one t-shirt at a time.  I also want to promote youth literacy.  Like chocolate and peanutbutter, the two ideas have come together beautifully with "Real Men Read Women" gear.  I’ve enlisted just a handful of some of my favorite female writers in this fund-raising effort to support youth literacy.

Thanks to bestselling (and super cool) authors Lisa Gardner, Tess Gerritsen, Laura Lippman, Karin Slaughter, and Lisa Unger, “Real Men Read Women” t-shirts and other gear are available online at www.printfection.com/readwomen.  There's also a shirt that says "I like boys who read books by girls."

If this is a hit, I'd love to enlist other writers to lend their names to the effort down the road.  I hope you all don't mind my posting a plug for the gear here.  All profits go to youth literacy."

Thanks!
Alafair Burke
author of Long Gone and official t-shirt peddler
(www.printfection.com/readwomen) 

The News

I used to be a news junkie.

I started my day, (every single day) reading all the major news on my computer.

Now?

Pfft.

I rarely open one of the big dot com newspaper sites.  And no, I don't watch the news on TV - the visuals are upsetting and stay with me much too long.  Besides which - there's all the dumb tabloid "stuff" that is supposed to be news.  But it's not news - it's just junk celebrity gossip and there's a place for it, I'm sure, but not on what's billed as "the news." 

I now get my news fix from NPR.com and BBC.com because they're able to give me the news without the tabloid crap and without putting an "in your face" slant on everything.  Today's big news corporations tell me what "they" want me to hear, and some of them don't give a flip about the truth and validity of what they're telling (or selling).  The days of unbiased news in this country are, in my opinion, pretty much gone.

Oddly enough, I also catch some news at Facebook.  I love Facebook.  I love it for any number of reasons, but today I'll just pick one.

The news.  (We can talk about the other things we love (or hate) about Facebook another day).

Because a large percentage of my Facebook friends share the same political and ideological views I do, it makes sense that news articles I especially enjoy pop up with regularity.  However, I also see articles posted by friends who do not share my views - but they're posted without the nasty rhetoric you might have to put up with in some corners; and that's lovely.  It's enough to keep me informed and able to form my own opinions; which are not as clear cut and straight down a party line as they once were.

Anyhoooo . . .

Facebook brought the following stories to my attention which I've enjoyed - see what you think - - - (i know, i know - some of these may "not" be news, but they're stories I enjoyed.  Is the girl who quit her job even the truth?  I have no idea - but I loved it anyway).

A "Fed-Up Flight Attendant Makes Sliding Exit."

A "Girl quits her job on dry erase board, emails entire office (33 photos)."

 and in the book world - two of my favorite authors - - -

Pat Conroy and the e-book future

and

Laura Lippman talks about The Nature of Memory

and

finally - one more thing I found at Facebook is just for fun - Enjoy!!

Was it "really" that good? memories.

One of my literary heroes is Laura Lippman.

The first Laura Lippman book I read was totally by accident.

How many of you have discovered some of your favorite writers this way?  Not by reading about their books, or hearing about them from a fellow book loving friend, but by simply browsing through a book store and happening upon a book that leads you to discover a writer you fall in love with.  All of us have done that, right?

It just so happens that two of my favorite writers were discovered in an airport bookstore.

Laura Lippman and Linda Fairstein.

I was in the Baltimore airport waiting for a plane to fly back home.  Our new home in Boone, NC.  Brand new.  I didn't really know a lot about  Boone yet except that it was where my husband was, and had been for months.  It was where I had not been because I had stayed in Atlanta to sell the house.  Who knew it was going to take so long?  And during this time I got so homesick for the home of my heart I could hardly bear it.  Looking back now, I think I was homesick for the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where I grew up, because I was between homes and feeling untethered.  Not a good thing for a nester like me.  I need my "stuff" around me - including my husband.  We had, at this point, been married for 10 years and had never spent a night apart.  All of a sudden we were spending lots of nights apart and came to the realization that it took the two of us to equal one fairly responsible adult.  Separate we just weren't functioning all that well.

Sharing our day over the phone didn't hold a candle to sharing our day face to face.  And having an argument over the phone is the pits.   And celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary apart was harder than I can ever say.

Anyway - the house finally sold, we were finally together in that little mountain house we had dreamed of.  But I needed to get back to my roots.  I needed to cross bridges over huge expanses of water.  When I mentioned this need for water to Donald he pointed out that we had a creek, and we had a pond - a pond chuck full of rainbow trout, by golly.  True enough.  And quite lovely.  But.  Not big enough for need of a bridge, and certainly not big enough that I'd ever see sailboats out there.   I needed to smell marshy smells and eat crabs that had very recently been innocently swimming along minding their own business.   I needed to spend a little time with friends who had known me since we were kids.  People I could just be myself with; even in a state of upheaval - excited about our new life; scared to death about whether we were doing the right thing; and acting a bit manic about it all.  So home to Cambridge I scooted where Pam & R.T., and Debby & Gordon opened their arms and their hearts once again and gave me back my sense of home.  (I love these dear to my heart people, and I hope they're reading this 'cause I don't tell them so near often enough). After a too short visit, they pushed me back out of the nest and into the Baltimore Airport - whatever its name is - - Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, I think.  It used to be named Friendship Airport.  Don't you love that?  Can you imagine having an airport with that name these days?!  

I got to cross my bridges over huge sweeps of water.  The Bay Bridge makes my heart swell and I love it.  The bridge crossing the Choptank River into Cambridge, however, makes me cry buckets.  Either way.  Going or coming.  Doesn't matter.  I am going to cry buckets.  Better that I'm not the one doing the driving.  And after boo hooing and trying really hard to make sure Pam & R.T. didn't see it happening, next thing I knew I was in the airport.

Where's the first place you head when you're in an airport?

For me, it's coffee first, then the bookstore.

And there right inside the bookstore door was a display for a local writer named Laura Lippman who was a reporter for The Baltimore Sun.  There were two books; BALTIMORE BLUES and CHARM CITY, and I grabbed them both.  

 

I love Baltimore.  Cambridge is a small town and trips into "The City" were always a treat.  Catching a Baltimore Orioles game with my Mom and Dad was always something to look forward to for weeks ahead of time and then talk about for weeks following.  We loved those Orioles.  I never got to a Colts game, but my Dad did.  He always got home later than he said he would, and he had always had a tad too much to drink, and he always brought my mom a little souvenir thinking it might make her less angry at him for being later than he said, and having had a tad too much to drink.  Bless his heart - he just never really got it.  And bless my Mom's heart for never really being as mad as he thought she was.   And for actually keeping those tacky things he brought home.  I mean - truly.  WHERE are you going to shop in the middle of the night on the road between Baltimore and Cambridge other than a truck stop, and are they known as great spots to shop?  Well, maybe it just depends on what you're shopping for.

Anyway. 

Along with these two books, I grabbed another one 'cause I just thought it sounded interesting.  FINAL JEOPARDY by Linda Fairstein.

Turns out, it was one of my lucky days.  I loved all three of those books and Ms. Lippman and Ms. Fairstein are both, 13 years later, still on my "auto-buy" list.

In addition to reading Laura Lippman's books, I also read her Memory Project.  Are y'all familiar with it?  Most of you are, I know.  But if you're not, do scoot over there.  It's wonderful.  Here's an excerpt from her webpage explaining it - "The point of the Memory Project is two-fold. First, it functions as a memory and writing exercise for me. I start with something I do remember -- the cost of a candy bar in my childhood, for example -- and see how many more memories it can summon back. 

 

But the Memory Project is also meant to be the interactive piece of this web site, a place where my frequent correspondents, or not-so-frequent correspondents, can play the same game with their own pasts."

Read the whole piece about Memory Project here.

The reason I'm bringing it up now is because the piece she most recently wrote has bounced around in my head for the past couple of weeks.  It's about pizza.  Donald and I are always searching for good pizza.  It's a constant quest.  I don't think we've ever taken a trip that we don't search out the local pizza place, usually supplemented by suggestions by as many  local people as we can work up the nerve to ask.  It's a fun thing and we have lots of memories surrounding our restaurant experiences.  We may not always remember everything about a trip, but we can always recall what we ate.  Because of all this, the piece Ms. Lippman wrote, and the comments following it, have been particularly fun for me to  read.  I think you'll also enjoy it, and I'm going to be especially interested in hearing how you react to it.

She starts with this -

"The best slice of pizza I ever had was . . ."

she then tells where and it in turn sparks a memory, which she writes about in her own inimitable style, and you can read it here.

and I ask each of you - was that special meal you remember so vividly REALLY that good, or was it that elusive "something else" that made it so.

What do you think?