From our house to yours

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.


May you all feel the magic of the season.

Wishes of love and light from our house to yours.

Connie Schultz, a personal hero of mine, talks about women over 50

One of the first things I saw this morning while having my coffee and reading Facebook was a post of my friend Lesa's.  

She had shared a post written by Connie Schultz.

If you're not familiar with Connie Schultz, I recommend you seek her out and read some of her work.  

Posthaste. 


She's a personal hero of mine.  A woman I wasn't aware of until Lesa brought her to my attention some months back (thank you, Lesa!).

From Wikipedia: " She won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for "her pungent columns that provided a voice for the underdog and underprivileged."

Ms. Schultz recently did a Ted Talk, and she wrote this about it on her Facebook page, where she also included the YouTube video of her talk.

This resonates with me.

It speaks to me.

Loudly.

 I have a personal gripe about women who, for some reason that escapes me, when talking about themselves will insert some comment into the conversation about their age. Some self-deprecating remark like, "I'm so old!" 

Why? 

Why do that?! 

Stop it. 

It's not cute. 

It's not amusing. 

It shows a lack of confidence in yourself. 

And it also appears to be a request for the other person to say, "Oh, no, you're not old!" Or something equally inane. 

So. 

You're not 18 any more. 

Do you really WANT to be? 

(shiver).

So.

You're over 50?

So.  What.

You are still quite capable of getting out there doing new things, discovering new things, doing the things that are unique to you.

Do it.

Get out there and kick some ass.

And have some fun doing it.

And, those "I'm so old" comments? 

Please.

Stop with the "I'm so old" comments.

The Queens Came Late

[Norma Farber (1909-1984) – from “When It Snowed That Night”]

The Queens came late, but the Queens were there
With gifts in their hands and crowns in their hair.
They’d come, these three, like the Kings, from far,
Following, yes, that guiding star.
They’d left their ladles, linens, and looms,
Their children playing in nursery rooms,
And told their sitters: “Take charge! For this
Is a marvelous sight we must not miss!”

The Queens came late, but not too late
To see the animals small and great,
Feathered and furred, domestic and wild,
Gathered to gaze at a mother and child.
And rather than frankincense and myrrh
And gold for the babe, they brought for her
Who held him, a homespun gown of blue,
And chicken soup – with noodles, too –

And a lingering, lasting, cradle-song.
The Queens came late and stayed not long,
For their thoughts already were straining far –
Past manger and mother and guiding star
And a child aglow as a morning sun –
Toward home and children and chores undone.

My gift to you all

What is the colour of Christmas?

"What is the colour of Christmas?
Red?
The red of the toy shops on a dark winter’s afternoon,
Of Father Christmas and the robin’s breast?
Or green?
Green of holly and spruce and mistletoe in the house,
dark shadow of summer in leafless winter?
One might plainly add a romance of white,
fields of frost and snow;
thus white, green, red- reducing the event to the level of a Chianti bottle.
But many will say that the significant colour is gold,
gold of fire and treasure, of light in the winter dark; and this gets closer,
For the true colour of Christmas is Black.
Black of winter, black of night, black of frost and of the east wind,
black of dangerous shadows beyond the firelight."
— William Sansom

This Christmas is hard

When my mom was still living I felt as though we still had my dad with us. 

Now that she's gone, I'm feeling the absence of him even more than I ever did. 

Does this make any sense? 

During Christmases past while Donald and Mother and I would open our gifts, a moment would always, always, come when I'd have to leave the room for a few minutes, have a little chat with my dad and cry just a little. 

Last Christmas, looking back, I think I was still kind of in denial about mom's death. 

This year? 

This year, there's no denial. 

I feel the loss of my dad, my mom and our Harley.

 And it hurts. 

And I am sadder than I've ever been. 

And I'm tired of trying to put on a happy face that I just don't feel. 

I have always loved Christmas. 

This year, I just can't find my jingle-jingle. 

I keep trying. 

It's just not there. 

I love having the one little bitty tree up, but honestly, it was an effort this year. 

That's not the way it should be. 

I've talked in the past about how we should be aware of, and reach out to, our friends who have a hard time during this time of year. 

Pfft. 

I didn't know the half of it. 

I think, really and truly, that this year on New Year's Eve, I'm going to build a fire and spend some time tearing pages out of a 2016 calendar and watch each one burn. 

Then start a brand new fresh calendar for the new year, hope for the best and see if I can't find my jingle again. 

And to those of you who are feeling similar feelings, I send you a hug and some love. 

And ask that you remember that you are not alone.

Pablo Neruda

Are you succumbing to one of these four Trump related syndromes?

Robert Reich mentions four syndromes the American people are beginning to succumb to (read his piece below). 

All of which, basically, lead to apathy regarding having Trump as the leader of our country. Or the puppet of Putin with Russia actually becoming our leader.

If you believe this to be far fetched, I would invite you to read some history.

And I urge you to not stop speaking up, speaking out, writing letters, making phone calls, signing petitions, protesting. 

If your friends are tired of reading your political posts on Facebook, they can unfriend you. 

Why would you allow them to silence you?

Why would you consider them your friends if that's what they're asking you to do?

By keeping quiet we're telling the corrupt leaders that we're okay with them being corrupt, we're giving up the things we've fought wars for.

We're giving up our country because friends don't like political posts on Facebook??

Really?

It's that easy??

This is directly quoted from Robert Reich's Facebook page: 

"As the era of Trump approaches, some Americans are succumbing to the follow four syndromes:

1. Normalizer Syndrome. These people would like the believe Trump will be just another president – more conservative and pompous than most, but one who will make rational decisions once in office. The normalizers are under a grave delusion. Trump has a serious personality disorder and will be a clear and present danger to America and the world.


2. Outrage Numbness Syndrome. These people are no longer outraged by what Trump says or what he does – his cabinet picks, his lies, his bullying – because they’ve gone numb. Their minds can’t conceive of someone like this becoming president, so they've shut down emotionally. People suffering from outrage numbness need to get back in touch with their emotions, as painful as that is.

3. Cynical Syndrome. These people have become so cynical about the whole system – the Democrats who gave up on the working class and thereby opened the way for Trump, the Republicans who engaged in voter suppression around the country, the media that gave Trump all the free time he wanted, the establishment that rigged the system – that they say the hell with it. Let Trump do his worst. How much worse can it get? Wrong. It can get a lot worse.

4. Helpless Syndrome. These people just don’t know what to do. They feel powerless and paralyzed. Wrong. There's much to do.

If you find yourself falling into one or more of these syndromes, I urge you to pull yourself out. We will need you in the peaceful resistance.

What do you think?"

'tis the Christmas season

Tonight is our annual neighborhood Christmas party.   

The 20th, I think.  

That's a lot of Christmas parties.

It's always a fun time and one of our favorite neighborhood events.

I have made a trifle, and I have a pork tenderloin resting in an olive oil and rosemary rub before I roast it basted with my "secret sauce."

We eat well, we laugh a lot and we talk.

We talk a lot about a lot of different things.

We don't all agree on everything, but the depth of what we feel for our neighborhood, and for one another, runs deep.

I used to enjoy naively pretending we were a microcosm of our county.

Pffft.

Aside from all that, here's last year's party if you'd like to catch of glimpse of what we're all about here in Meat Camp.
http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2015/12/annual-proffit-road-christmas-party-2015.html

In the meantime, the United States is a mess.

A couple hundred thousand people are planning on being in Washington, DC the after after Donald Trump's inauguration to protest.

To protest him.

After being told they would not be given a permit to protest where the protest was originally planned, it has apparently all been worked out.

The Women's March on Washington, DC will happen as scheduled.

This is good, but.

We shouldn't even have to do this.

We shouldn't have to for a multitude of reasons, least of which is that it's looking more and more like Trump committed treason to win this election.

CIA has evidence that Russia hacked our election in favor of Donald Trump.

There was a lot more outrage over Watergate, and a lot more done about it, and yet there are people who don't even want it investigated??

And, oh yeah, the other candidate - remember her?

 Hillary Clinton? 

She's now leading by how many voties?

2.8 million.

That's more than just a few votes.

President Obama has ordered an investigation into the election related hacking attacks. Some of us believe the hacking happened - some of us do not. Isn't it in the country's best interest to find out for sure whether this happened or not?? https://www.bloomberg.com/.../obama-orders-investigation...

You would think the country, as a whole, would want to know the truth.  

Wouldn't you?

But, apparently, there are people living here who would rather not know

Who would rather be under the possible leadership of Russia via Donald Trump than an American woman who received 2.8 million more votes.

USA?

This is one of those situations that could never be written as a novel because it's just too unbelievable.  Nobody would buy it.

It's a situation where you feel like saying, "Man, go home.  You're drunk."

But.  This is home. So, you know - you fight for it.

You fight for what's right.

Don't you?

'Cause where else do you go?

This is home.

It's where we celebrate Christmas with our friends and family.

Home.

Books Read During 2016

I've been diligently keeping a list of books I've read since 2010.





It's one of those things I used to always say I was going to do, but would somehow forget to keep up with fairly early on.

Keeping up with it here on Meanderings and Muses, for some reason, made it an easier and more fun thing to do.






If you're interested in past reading lists - they're here:





You can see my 2010 list here -
http://meanderingsandmuses.blogspot.com/2010/12/books-read-during-2010.html





And, you can see my 2011 list here -

http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2011/12/books-read-during-2011.html

And here's my 2012 list -http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2013/01/books-read-in-2012.html

And, my 2013 list -
http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2013/12/books-read-duing-2013.html

And, my 2014 list -
http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2014/12/books-read-in-2014.html

And, my 2015 list -
http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2015/12/books-read-in-2015_14.html

If a book is on my list, it means I liked it. 

I am not one to finish a book I don't care for, or am even feeling lukewarm about. I know there are people out there who feel like they can't put a book down once they've invested some time in it, and that's fine. That's just not me. 

So I'm posting my entire list and simply including my most memorable reads of the year within that list. 

Truth be told, I'm terrible at remembering a lot about most books once I've read it and moved on. A lot of people can remember books, the plots, even quote passages from their favorites well after they've been read.
I wish I could do that.

The best I can do, however, is remember when a particular book made enough of an impression that it actually still brings on a bit of a physical reaction when I see the title.

A nudge of remembrance.

So. 


That's what I'm going with here.


My own unorthodox gut-reaction list of most memorable books of 2016, which I've highlighted in bold letters.

And, those very few you see in red. They're my "wow" reads. 

And, because it's only the 6th of December, there will be more added right up until the end of the year, so check back from time to time to see what's new (and what's good).






I finally gave in this year to some gentle nudges from my friends Judy Bobalik, Dru Ann Love and Kristopher Zgorski and picked up the first in the series by J.D. Robb.  Although I have long been a huge fan of Nora Roberts, I just didn't think the Roarke/Eve Dallas novels were going to be my cup of tea.

Pffft.

I am now head over heels in love with this series.  Addicted.  Tapping my toe awaiting the next one!

I inhaled these books one after another, as you can see from the list below.

For those who aren't familiar with the "(ARC)" you see on some of these titles, it means "Advance Reading Copy." Some of those titles were "ARCs" when I read them, but have now been released. Some, however, are not due to be released until next year, so I'm afraid you'll have to wait.  But, it'll be worth it.

I had one reading experience this year that, if you know me, you know of already.  

I received an ARC of a book by an author I had never heard of.

THE NEVER-OPEN DESERT DINER by James Anderson.

I have raved about this book all over the world.


I have sent copies of this book to good friends, and will continue doing so.

It's my book of the year and if you follow my list for suggestions, I hope you'll treat yourself to Mr. Anderson's book.

Happy Reading, Everyone!!

THE LITTLE BOOKSHOP ON THE SEINE by Rebecca Raisin

LETTERS FROM PARIS by Juliet Blackwell

EVERY FRENCHMAN HAS ONE by Olivia de Havilland

WINTER SOLSTICE by Rosamunde Pilcher

THE PARIS LIBRARIAN by Mark Pryor

THE RELUCTANT MATADOR by Mark Pryor

CORPUS CHRISTMAS by Margaret Maron

THE BUTTON MAN by Mark Pryor

THE BODY AT STARSHINE MILL by Celia H. Miles

THE BLOOD PROMISE by Mark Pryor

THE CRYPT THIEF by Mark Pryor

THE BOOKSELLER by Mark Pryor 

THE FIFTH PETAL by Brunonia Barry (ARC)

THE DRESS THIEF by Natalie Meg Evans

THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Melanie Benjamin 

THE PARIS EFFECT by K. S. R. Burns 

FROM A PARIS BALCONY by Ella Carey 

QUIET NEIGHBORS by Catriona McPherson 

ALL THE ODES by Pablo Neruda 

WHAT YOU BREAK by Reed Farrel Coleman (ARC) 

SAY NO MORE by Hank Phillippi Ryan (ARC) 

COMING TO ROSEMONT by Barbara Hinske 

PRACTICAL MAGIC by Alice Hoffman 

THE OBSIDIAN CHAMBER by Preston & Child 

MURDER IN CONTAINMENT by Anne Cleeland 

HOLD STILL by Sally Mann 

THE TRESPASSER by Tana French 

PAST CRIMES by Glen Erik Hamilton 

THE LONG AND FARAWAY GONE by Lou Berney 

BLIND SIGHT by Carol O'Connell 

I LET YOU GO by Clare Mackintosh 

APPRENTICE IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR by Shari Lapena 

CROSSING TO SAFETY by Wallace Stegner 

STEVIE NICKS; VISIONS, DREAMS & RUMOURS by Zoe Howe 

THE LIGHT OF PARIS by Eleanor Brown 

THE DOLLHOUSE by Fiona Davis 

THE LONELY TEDDY BEAR by Chelsea Radojcic 

THE CAVENDON LUCK by Barbara Taylor Bradford 

THE CAVENDON WOMEN by Barbara Taylor Bradford 

CAVENDON HALL by Barbara Taylor Bradford 

LAST WORDS by Michael Koryta 

BROTHERHOOD IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

DEVOTED IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

OBSESSION IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

FESTIVE IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

SURVIVORS WILL BE SHOT AGAIN by Bill Crider 

CONCEALED IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

THE SIXTH IDEA by P. J. Tracy 

THANKLESS IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

A LOWCOUNTRY HEART by Pat Conroy (ARC) 

CALCULATED IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

DELUSION IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD by J. K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne 

CELEBRITY IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

NEW YORK TO DALLAS by J. D. Robb 

TREACHERY IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

INDULGENCE IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

LETTERS FROM NEW ORLEANS by Rob Walker 

FANTASY IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

KINDRED IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

PROMISES IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

SALVATION IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

THE SECOND LIFE OF NICK MASON by Steve Hamilton 

STRANGERS IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

CREATION IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

INNOCENT IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

INK AND BONE by Lisa Unger 

BORN IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

MEMORY IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

THE HOUSE ON FIRST STREET; MY NEW ORLEANS STORY by Julia Reed 

ORIGIN IN DEATH by J. D. Robb

SURVIVOR IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

VISIONS IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

DIVIDED IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

MISSION TO PARIS by Alan Furst 

PORTRAIT IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

SHIRLEY JACKSON, A RATHER HAUNTED LIFE by Ruth Franklin (ARC) 

PURITY IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

THE HIGHWAYMAN by Craig Johnson 

REUNION IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

SEDUCTION IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

BETRAYAL IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

A GREAT RECKONING by Louise Penny (ARC) 

JUDGMENT IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

WITNESS IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

ALL SUMMER LONG by Dorothea Benton Frank (ARC) 

LOYALTY IN DEATH by J. D.Robb 

NIGHT SHIFT by Charlaine Harris 

JANE STEELE by Lyndsay Faye 

CONSPIRACY IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

KILLER LOOK by Linda Fairstein (ARC) 

MANITOU CANYON by William Kent Krueger (ARC) 

HOLIDAY IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

VENGEANCE IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

CEREMONY IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

RAPTURE IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

IMMORTAL IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

GLORY IN DEATH by J. D. Robb 

NAKED IN DEATH by J.D. Robb 

THE DARKEST SECRET by Alex Marwood 

FOOL ME ONCE by Harlan Coben 

JUNE by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore (ARC) 

A GOWN OF THORNS by Natalie Meg Evans (ARC) 

GUILTY MINDS by Joseph Finder (ARC) 

THE CHARM BRACELET by Viola Shipman (ARC) 

WILDE LAKE by Laura Lippman (ARC) 

THE SAINTS OF THE LOST AND FOUND by T. M. Causey (ARC) 

HOUR OF THE BEES by Lindsay Eagar (ARC) 

MY SOUTHERN JOURNEY by Rick Bragg 

THE POT THIEF WHO STUDIED GEORGIA O'KEEFFE by Mike Orenduff 

DEATH AT THE OLD HOTEL by Con Lehane 

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND by Con Lehane 

BEWARE THE SOLITARY DRINKER by Con Lehane 

MURDER AT THE 42ND STREET LIBRARY by Con Lehane (ARC) 

NIGHT NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT by Hallie Ephron 

RIVER ROAD by Carol Goodman 

THE MAGICIAN'S LAND by Lev Grossman 

THE MAGICIAN KING by Lev Grossman 

THE MAGICIANS: A NOVEL by Lev Grossman 

LIGHTNING BUG by Donald Harington 

THE NEVER-OPEN DESERT DINER by James Anderson 

THE READERS OF BROKEN WHEEL RECOMMEND by Katarina Bivald (ARC) 

THE CHOIRING OF TREES by Donald Harington

First Sunday of the Month - Wheeeeeee!

I hope you'll drop by Jungle Red today where I'm chatting about the "sickness of busy-ness."

http://www.jungleredwriters.com/

The Latest Vogue Magazine

Today while I was in line at the grocery store, I spotted the latest Vogue. 

I don't know when I last bought a copy of Vogue Magazine. 

For one thing, it's expensive. 

For another thing, I live in Boone, NC. 

I no longer work. 

We do not attend any function whatsoever that requires me to be concerned about the latest Versace hemline. 

But. 

There was Michelle Obama on the cover. 

Looking, of course, radiant. 

Classy. 

Beautiful. 

And damn if a tear didn't sneak down my face. 

LordAMercy. 

Y'all? 

The tears. 

Are they ever going to quit popping out at the oddest times and taking me by surprise? 

So, I plopped down my $6.99 for this month's Vogue.

Reading the article about a woman who is a hero to so many, a role model to so many, was worth my $6.99.

It hurts my heart to think about the Obamas leaving. 

It breaks to think about what's following them into the White House.

Happy Thanksgiving

painting by Megan Miller

It's the time of year for each of us to reflect on what we're thankful for.


It's also that time of year that is so hard for so many of us.



I'll be missing my dad - but thankful he taught me about kindness and gentleness simply by living it every day of his life.



I'll be missing my mom - but thankful she taught me about speaking up and speaking out for myself and for what I believe in. 



I'll be missing Harley - but thankful for what he taught me about true trust and unconditional love.



I'll be missing loved ones who are no longer with me, but thankful for the fact that they once were in my life and will always be in my heart.  And for the lessons I learned from them.



I'm thankful and grateful for the loved ones in my life who put up with all the things that come with me being me.  They give me deep joy in ways most of them never realize. 



I'm thankful for Donald Barley, who has never wavered.  Who shows me in a million different ways, every day, that he cares.   



I wish each of you a Thanksgiving in which you can remember who and what you're grateful for, and give thanks.

A Great Man, and it ain't Trump

Dear Trump supporters,

In case you haven't figured it out yet, you've been played.

Conned.

Hornswaggled.

The list of campaign promises your guy made is already crumbling faster than that wall he promised you, but now says he won't be building.

Imagine that.

Throwing Hillary in jail?

Nah, changed his mind about attempting to do that too.

Instead he's enjoying the attention he's receiving from throwing temper tantrums on Twitter while showing the world that he's not only a bully, he's finally even showing his supporters what a liar he is.

A misogynist.

A guy who you voted to be a world leader of a democracy.

A guy who doesn't have the first clue about what our constitution says - nor does he care.

A guy who's meeting with world leaders with his kids, but hasn't met with the state department.

A guy who's costing NYC $1 million a day (according to some reports - you look it and come back and tell me I'm wrong if you want) because the White House doesn't exactly "suit" familial needs. 

If he's so rich, I'd suggest he pay for those costs. 

Family is important, I agree.

But.

Not just HIS family.

What about the families he's about to destroy?

If you don't believe me, just sit back, wait and see.

In the meantime, if you'd like something to read, might I suggest a speech written by a truly great man.

Elie Wiesel.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.

I can guarantee you, this is not a prize Donald Trump will ever have a chance in hell in winning.

But.

Bless his heart, he's still pretty upset about that Emmy he never won, so he's probably not going to be too broken up about the Nobel Peace Prize.

But, here - give it a quick read, you might enjoy it.
http://www.eliewieselfoundation.org/nobelprizespeech.aspx

'course now, all this is just my opinion. I am, however, going to be interested in learning if any of you come to change your mind in the coming days.

Harley Doodle Barley - R.I.P.

July 4, 2005 - November 19, 2016

"My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet."  

~Edith Wharton

"There is a cycle of love and death that shapes the lives of those who choose to travel in the company of animals. It is a cycle unlike any other. To those who have never lived through its turnings and walked its rocky path, our willingness to give our hearts with full knowledge that they will be broken seems incomprehensible. Only we know how small a price we pay for what we receive; our grief, no matter how powerful it may be, is an insufficient measure of the joy we have been given." 

 - Suzanne Clothier

"I love a dog. 

He does nothing for political reasons."  

~Will Rogers

"Corgis are Welsh in origin . . . They're such characters - a mixture of a dog and a cat, I think. They especially don't like to be scolded in public. They talk back; they growl and show their teeth and pretend they're frightfully savage. However, they never criticize. You're always beautiful to them."

-excerpt from The Private World of Tasha Tudor 

"If you bury him in this spot, he will come to you when you call—come to you over the grim, dim frontiers of death, and down the well-remembered path, and to your side again. And though you call a dozen living dogs to heel they should not growl at him, nor resent his coming, for he is yours and he belongs there.

People may scoff at you, who see no lightest blade of grass bent by his footfall, who hear no whimper pitched too fine for mere audition, people who may never really have had a dog. Smile at them then, for you shall know something that is hidden from them, and which is well worth the knowing: The one best place to bury a dog is in the heart of his master."

-Ben Hur Lampman, Oregonian, 1925

I Loved You Best

by Jim Willis So this is where we part, My Friend, and you'll run on, around the bend, gone from sight, but not from mind, new pleasures there you'll surely find. I will go on, I'll find the strength, life measures quality, not its length. One long embrace before you leave, share one last look, before I grieve. There are others, that much is true, but they be they, and they aren't you. And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought, will remember well all you've taught. Your place I'll hold, you will be missed, the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed. And as you journey to your final rest, take with you this...I loved you best.

Joani McConnell Davis

oh, girl, how I will miss you

But what will I think of when I think of you?

Laughter.

Always, laughter.

Fly high, honey