No Regrets (Friction Farm)

Good morning!  Has it really been two weeks since I last posted?  WTF?!?  It seems to have been a combination of reasons:  due to increased vaccinations (50% now!), things are opening up, which means there are more in-person get-togethers, which means I am out of the house more and not sitting at the laptop as much... also, my mood/attitude is good, but nothing has really jumped out to inspire me, meaning I've had to go mining for a a great song or poem, as opposed to the ones that usually throw themselves in my path, begging "Pick me!  Pick me!".

I'm staying busy... moving more, worrying less, sleeping well, eating healthy, still reading like a MF, addicted to The Handmaid's Tale (I read the book a bazillion years ago, and am so impressed with the Hulu adaptation!), regular phone chats with family and friends, obsessed with watermelon chunks as my late-night snack (ha ha!).

Still watching Jeopardy religiously (last week and this are the Tournament of Champions) and, I'm not going to lie, very glad that the cocky *sshole of quarterfinals fame ("for the kill"?  really?) lost Tuesday night in the semi-finals.  I know that's not very kind; oh f*cking well.

Redeemed my Mother's Day "coupon" with Sarah this past Sunday at Marando Farms; we had a lovely breakfast/brunch at their Twisted Tomato Cafe (their veggie hash is divine!), and then walked the petting zoo with Colin (I used to think goats were cute, but now I believe they're just annoying... 😲 )

Last week and this were: Karen's healing hands massage, taking a friend to a doctor's appointment, a few library pick-ups, my OverReaders Anonymous book club,  Pool Days with Nancy, Zooms with Nancy and Judi, a livestream with Tracy Grammer and Jim Henry (theme was animals), a few pick-ups of Colin from preschool.  Lunch with my son Rob today (since reading Crying in H Mart, I've been craving Korean food), then headed up to my former UU church for a memorial service (tragic series of events).

 

In the meantime, it is indeed Feel Good Friday.  As is tradition, five items below of beauty, interest, and humor to brighten your day/weekend/week.  Enjoy! 

~ Eric Carle, Author of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar,’ Dies at 91:  A self-described “picture writer,” he wrote and illustrated more than 70 books for young children, selling more than 170 million copies.

~ ‘Dear Evan Hansen’: Watch the First Trailer for the Ben Platt Musical Movie:  Universal has released the first trailer for the “Dear Evan Hansen” movie, premiering in theaters on Sept. 24.  Ben Platt returns in his Tony-winning titular role in the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical hit created by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

~ What’s Your Rose, Thorn and Bud?:  This past year, as we’ve had sooooo many dinners as a family, we have started the age-old tradition of rose, thorn, bud. Want to play it? Here’s how it works…  Basically, everyone goes around and shares a rose (a positive thing that happened that day), a thorn (a negative thing that happened that day) and a bud (something they’re looking forward to).

~ Louvre Gets Its First Female Leader in 228 Years:  Laurence des Cars, who will become the president of the world’s most visited museum in September, shares some of her plans in an interview.

~ Spotify Playlist for Daisy Jones & The Six (a novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid): randomhousebooks, 26 songs, 1 hour 47 minutes

NR:  Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (god help me, this is my third romance novel in as many months.  Who am I, and what have I done with Susan?!?  However, how can one resist this bio?... 💖

"Talia Hibbert is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who lives in a bedroom full of books. Supposedly, there is a world beyond that room, but she has yet to drum up enough interest to investigate.  She writes steamy, diverse romance because she believes that people of marginalised identities need honest and positive representation. Her interests include makeup, junk food, and unnecessary sarcasm."

SONG:  No Regrets by Friction Farm (scroll 1/3 down to album cover of Evidence of Hope, click on album cover, click on arrow to navigate to track 8)

BOOK:  No Regrets Living: 7 Keys to a Life of Wonder and Contentment by Harley A. Rotbart MD

POEM:  Mad Farmer VIII by Wendell Berry

When I rise up

let me rise up joyful

like a bird.

When I fall

let me fall without regret

like a leaf.

QUOTE:  “Let go of who you thought you’d become.  Let go of the need to control.  Let go of the expectations that society has burdened you with.  Let go of disappointments, missed opportunities, and broken hearts.  Because only by letting go will you discover who you are becoming.” ~ Justin Shiels