A Month in Summary - December 2019

Little Whale Cove

Depoe Bay, Oregon

December 2019

The final month of not only the year, but the decade! I've been compiling my year-end stats and will share those with you in another day or two, but first things first. I continued to have a good month of reading, although I gave up on several books (both in print and on audio) in the past week. I'm debating whether I should keep an on-going DNF list. It would be interesting to see how many I give up on each year. Anyhow, three of the six books I read in December wound up on my Top Ten list of 2019. Definitely a nice way to close out the year.

Books Read (click on the link for my review):

Devotion by Dani Shapiro

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

Why Don't You Write My Eulogy Now So I Can Correct It? by Patricia Marx

Lucky Us by Amy Bloom

Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

First Lines:

A woman named Sandra was cradling my head in her hands. We were in a small room--just the two of us--and it was so quiet I could hear the ticking of her watch. The air smelled faintly of eucalyptus. A high window overlooked a parking lot, and beyond the parking lot, mountains. I tried to relax--that was the point, wasn't it?--but I wasn't relaxed at all. I had signed up for something called Master Level Energy Work, thinking it would be like a massage. But this was no massage. For one thing, she was sighing a lot. (Devotion)

"The simplest thing would be to tear it down," the man said. "The house is a shambles." (Unsheltered)

My mother is an absolutist. Wait--is that the right word? My mother is not Louis XIV. (Why Don't You Write My Eulogy Now So I Can Correct It?)

My father's wife died. My mother said we should drive down to his place and see what might be in it for us. (Lucky Us)

Patient reports feeling "stressed out" and states that he is having difficulty sleeping and getting along with his wife. Expresses annoyance with others and seeks help "managing the idiots."  (Maybe You Should Talk To Someone)

At first, they blame the air. (The Dreamers)

Movies and TV Shows:

The Irishman - Thank goodness we were streaming this at home; I got so tired of all the swearing and eventually started working on a puzzle, only glancing up every now and then to see what was happening. Reminiscent of The Sopranos, but with no likable characters. Meh.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - Tom Hanks' performance is heartwarming and spot-on. I enjoyed the film, but felt the ending was too pat.

The Crown (Season 3) - Wah! We finished this and now have to wait who knows how long before Season 4 is released. I thought Olivia Colman did a wonderful job as the Queen. I loved her in Broadchurch, but she was just as impressive in this new role.

The Two Popes - It took me a while to warm up to this film, but I wound up enjoying it quite a lot. Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce are outstanding.

The Upside - A feel-good movie that made me laugh. Bryan Cranston was very convincing in his role.

Puzzlemania:

I was born in Canada, so this was fun!

I love all the whimsical pieces!

Visitors:

My brother and sister-in-law flew up from San Diego to surprise me on my birthday! I was stunned to see them sitting in the living room when I walked in the house after spending the afternoon (playing Mah Jong!) with my girlfriends. What a special treat!

Outings and Trips:

Hilltop Cafe in Waldport with the family!

Celebrations:

My Mah Jong Pals

I got the first winning hand on my birthday!

We must have been very good this year.

Christmas Dinner
(before our friends arrived)

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year!