Sunday Salon, March 5th

Parents-to-be!

Weather: It was cold with blue skies this morning but it has clouded over. Our hilarious new weather person on the local news warns us that snow is coming. There was evidence that it snowed a few flakes this morning before I woke up so maybe that is what she was predicting. How really knows?

I'm listening to: La La Land soundtrack. Cue the YouTube video for highlights of the music from the movie. The photo doesn't change except to name the songs, so listen while you read this blog. Enjoy. I am.

Good news: We are going to be grandparents. Our daughter Rita and son-in-law are expecting their first baby in September. We've known for a while but had a gag order put on us, allowing them time to tell in their own way. Now everyone is buzzing about the news! We are so thrilled. This week we even saw an ultrasound video of our grandchild. He/she had hiccups. We're in love already.

Slow days at school: Allowed me and my clerk to catch up on tasks which we have had on the back burner for a while. Which means I started library inventory (30% completed), we ran down all the students whose accounts had errors on them, sent out overdue notices, and attempted an organization project which isn't working out correctly. It will need more work to get it right but we are on the way to a more organized filing system.

Jane Austen week: for the past nine years I have set aside a week in the library to celebrate the genius of Jane Austen. I show a JA movie, have trivia, prizes, food for participants. I've done a rotten job of keeping track of the movies I have shown for previous years. I don't want to repeat so I need at least a four year rotation. Some of the movies are too long to show in five lunches of approximately 25 minutes (Sense and Sensibility and Emma) and one just doesn't lend itself to riveting viewing unless the viewer is already familiar with the story (Persuasion.) That leaves Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, and Becoming Jane Austen (starring Ann Hathaway.) I thought this year I would go off the track a bit and show the Bollywood version or one of the spin-offs like "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies." But I haven't seen it. Would it be school appropriate? Then I remembered that Lady Susan Jane Austen's novella was made into a film this last year called "Love and Friendship." I had high hopes but alas, after viewing it last night there is no way it would hold the attention of high school students for a week of lunches. It is terribly confusing. Even though Kate Beckinsale is in it, I don't recommend it. I think I am back to my original rotation. This year, I believe it is Pride and Prejudice's turn. Ah well, students love it and know it. Now to schedule a start date.

88 Books/Essays That Shaped America: I just stumbled upon this list compiled by the Library of Congress of books which have helped shape America. Before you click the link try to think of what titles do you think are on the list? I guessed only a few and have only read 25 of them, 26 if you count part of the dictionary listed. Click on the link for the list at Library of Congress.

Is my reading Mojo back? Books completed this week:

• The War With These Walls by Aline Sax...a partially illustrated account of the Jewish experience during WWII in Poland and the Warsaw Ghetto. It was really well done. Print.
• Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton...a memoir about learning to love self and accept pain as a part of life, not something to be avoided, but embraced for its lessons. It is very powerful and I hope everyone reads it. Print. Click on the link for my review.
• Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rawling...a love story of a man and his dog, Lily, who is coming to the end of her life. Funny, stupid, and touching by turn. Audio.

A lot of books came in from the library Overdrive account this week. Since I am on a time limit on these books/audiobooks, I am placing these two books on the back burner for a few weeks since I own them or got them from my library (where I can renew them without penalty!)

• If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo @18%
• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi @15%

Books/Audiobooks I got from Overdrive this week:

• LaRose by Louise Erdrich...an audiobook about two families wrapped up in a tragedy which profoundly affects both of them. Audiobook. 10%
• Lab Girl by Hope Jahren...a memoir about a gal who loves science. Audiobook
• History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera...a YA book with plenty of starred reviews making it qualified for Mock Printz 2018. E-Book.
• A List of Cages by Robin Roe. Another Mock Printz potential YA novel. E-book.

60 for my 60th: I had one more event to add to my attempt to do something with 60 of my frineds this, my 60th year. This time I went to lunch with two friends, Roxanne and Jane Ann. Thanks gals. I loved the visit. This brings my total up to eight. I also have scheduled four more events for the future: a walk with a friend around Chamber's Bay Golf Course; a friend from Singapore will be stateside the end of the month so we are planning a long walk and visit, a cake-baking lesson with a frined who has mastered the art, and finally dinner out with a couple. Thanks friends for your willingness to join in my celebration.

Lent: for the forty days of Lent I plan to pray a psalm a day and read a daily devotion from my favorite devotional: My Utmost for His Highest by Chambers.

Lastly, a question: Are there any good, honest Republican's in the white house or legislature? Honestly. This week has been mystifying to me. How can the republicans in Congress support the President and his nonsense? The President spent yesterday tweeting about his outrage over Obama wiretapping Trump Tower during the campaign. Obama denied it. Everyone went spinning out of control. Today we learned that Trump got the wiretapping news from Brietbart news and the man who started the rumor admitted that he didn't have any evidence that Obama did that, he just thinks it is true. Inane nonsense.