A Month in Summary - May 2019

Point Hudson Marina and RV Park

Port Townsend, Washington

April 2019

Another fun-filled month! I got in quite a bit of reading and enjoyed all four books, but two in particular were exceptionally good. We had a wonderful visit with my brother and sister-in-law over Mother's Day weekend and are looking forward to another brother and his family who are due to arrive later this afternoon. There were also lots of great Mahjong games, pickleball and yoga, although I was hit hard with a four-day bout of BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo) and was pretty miserable. I've only had it once in the past (and it only lasted a couple of hours), but this time it was much worse. After performing the Epley maneuver, I was finally able to get those little crystals back where they belong. I'm hoping this doesn't become an ongoing problem, as it is for a few of my friends. We're getting ready for another trip in the RV and I don't want to be dealing with this while we're away!

Books Read in May (click on titles for my review):

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon

Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder


First Lines:

Marsh is not a swamp. Marsh is a space of light, where grass grows in water, and water flows into the sky. Slow-moving creeks wander, carrying the orb of the sun with them to the sea, and long-legged birds lift with unexpected grace--as though not built to fly--against the roar of a thousand snow geese. (Where the Crawdads Sing)

The Center squatted on the corner of Juniper and Montfort behind a wrought-iron gate, like an old bulldog used to guarding its territory. At one point, there had been many like it in Mississippi--nondescript, unassuming buildings where services were provided and needs were met. Then came the restrictions that were designed to make these places go away: The halls had to be wide enough to accommodate two passing gurneys; any clinic where that wasn't the case had to shut down or spend thousands on reconstruction. The doctors had to have admitting privileges at local hospitals--even though most were from out of state and couldn't secure them--or the clinics where they practiced risked closing, too. One by one the clinics shuttered their windows and boarded up their doors. Now, the Center was unicorn--a small rectangle of a structure painted a fluorescent, flagrant orange, like a flag to those who had traveled hundreds of miles to find it. It was the color of safety; the color of warning. It said: I'm here if you need me. It said, Do what you want to me; I'm not going. (A Spark of Light)

We are the unwitting carriers of our parents' secrets, the ripples made by stones we never saw thrown. If I close my eyes and breathe, I can still smell the sparkling, brittle moment my father broke my trust, and with it his heart. I can smell the honey of my mother's promises. (The Scent Keeper)

He left the coffee-scented warmth of the Main Street Grill and stood for a moment under the green awning. 

The honest cold of an early mountain spring stung him sharply.

He often noted the minor miracle of passing through a door into a completely different world, with different smells and attractions. It helped to be aware of the little things in life, he told himself, and he often exhorted his congregation to do the same. (At Home in Mitford)

In Drayton, North Dakota, a former San Francisco cabdriver, sixty-seven, labors at the annual sugar beet harvest. He works from sunrise until after sunset in temperatures that dip below freezing, helping trucks that roll in from the fields disgorge multi-ton loads of beets. At night he sleeps in the van that has been his home ever since Uber squeezed him out of the taxi industry and making the rent became impossible. (Nomadland)


Movies and TV Series:

House, MD - Season 7 - Ready to be finished with this show. Ugh. House. You are an idiot.

Game of Thrones - Season 2 - Can't wait to watch Season 3! Trying to avoid all spoilers for the series finale!

Vice - Great performances. Depressing subject matter.

Puzzlemania:

This one took about a week.

Visitors:

My brother and sister-in-law surprised my mom for Mother's Day! Always fun to have them here. We played A LOT of Mah Jong!

I also got to help teach my neighbor's 8-year-old granddaughter how to play. What a delightful girl! We had such fun.

Engagement Photos:

Click here to see more!

(Photo Credit: Arielle Levy)

Less than four months until the big day! I've been on the quest for the dress (Mother-of-the-Bride dress) and have narrowed my choices. Stay tuned!