SOAP MOMENTS…

I must admit that I have been a soap opera fan since the 1960s.  However, the number of shows have decreased since the 1990s…and after.  Now there are four.

This past week, one of the oldest shows, Days of Our Lives, has left the network and is now shown only on Peacock, a streaming service.  I am happy about that for a number of reasons.  No interruptions due to news breaks is one of those, and also, I have realized that I don’t need to wait until the afternoon to see it, as the show is downloaded in the mornings!

I started watching this show in 1966, when I was pregnant with my first child…who, incidentally, is visiting us here from Prague for two weeks!  Very happy about that.

 

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Above, see an image of three characters I enjoy, all of whom have been on the show for years:  Roman Brady, Chloe Lane, and Kate Roberts.

Are you addicted to any shows that have kept you entertained for many years?

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HUMP DAY POTPOURRI: DOLL QUEST…

For more than two years, I have been on a doll quest for the Madeline Hatter doll, shown above.  When my daughter moved my things to the “prison” where I resided for over two years (and yes, I should stop calling it that!), she did not bring my favorite doll, which I have, fortunately, snapped photos of for various posts.

There are smaller dolls, which I have purchased…and every time I check the measurements listed on the product page, I am eagerly awaiting the doll like this one.  So far, no luck.

I did buy these adorable mini versions, though.

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But sadly, as cute as they are, they cannot replace the one that started my collection.  How did it begin?  Well, I got it from Amazon Vine, can you believe?  I don’t even shop for those items anymore, since they don’t ever spotlight dolls like this one.  And most of the books I choose come from NetGalley.

Today I saw a Madeline doll that seemed to have the right measurements.  Either I will soon have the one I have been obsessing over…or another mini-version.  Sigh.

I think there is something wrong with me, searching so diligently for what I lost.  But then again, isn’t that how it goes when we miss the things we love?

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Do you have quests or obsessions for favorite things?  How do you deal with those longings?

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HUMP DAY POTPOURRI…

Yesterday I rearranged my sitting area (above), and I am feeling pleased.  Yes, I often arrange things quickly in the beginning, and then, after I sit for a while, I change it all…just a bit.

I am still frustrated that I haven’t yet found my Coca Cola dining furniture…but I will persist.

Meanwhile, I have many books to read!  I just got another NetGalley ARC this morning:  The Younger Wife, by Sally Hepworth, a book that will be released on 4/5/22.  A long wait.  But…I now have the book!

Sally Hepworth, the newest breakout star of domestic suspense delivers her next twisty novel about family secrets and lies in The Younger Wife.

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Today I will start reading The Reckoning, by Mary Trump

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When you are searching for something you really want, what paths do you take in the journey? I have been looking online and making phone calls. Before the Pandemic, I would have driven around to shops, even some antique ones, but those days are over. But I am determined!

Have a great day!

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HUMP DAY READING…

Today I’m participating in WWW Wednesdays, at Taking on a World of Words.  Here’s how it works:

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next, and/or what are you eagerly awaiting?

CURRENTLY READING:

That Summer, by Jennifer Weiner – (NetGalley – 5/11/21)

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Summer comes another timely and deliciously twisty novel of intrigue, secrets, and the transformative power of female friendship.

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BOOKS READ & REVIEWED SINCE LAST POST OF 4/20/21:

The Smash-Up, by Ali Benjamin

Cleaving, by Julie Powell

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EAGERLY ANTICIPATING:  Local Woman Missing, by Mary Kubica -May 18, 2021

Synopsis:  Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold.

Now, eleven years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they’ll find…

In this smart and chilling thriller, master of suspense and New York Times bestselling author Mary Kubica takes domestic secrets to a whole new level, showing that some people will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.

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That was my week.  What did yours look like?

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HUMP DAY POTPOURRI…

As I turn the pages of my current read, Life and Other Inconveniences, I am thoroughly enjoying the characters without the kinds of twists and turns I usually savor. The book is not a thriller, but it does show us the dynamics of characters and the interactions I enjoy.

In addition to reading, I am also relishing my usual snapping of photos that remind me that my interiors are another part of my life that I enjoy.  Since I am mostly still isolated.

On my nightstand, I have collected a few print volumes to pick up soon, in addition to my current read.  To the left is my chest of drawers with a favorite decorative box atop it…next to my calculator.  I also love the hippie dolls on the nearby filing cabinet. Below, note a close-up of favorite photos.  An Ireland photo on the right, and an “I Love You” creation from my daughter on the left.

So…as I read and write posts and practice the Block Editor, I plan to somehow succeed at dealing with isolation and challenges.

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How are you spending your Hump Day?

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HUMP DAY POTPOURRI: A VALENTINE’S DAY CELEBRATION…

Celebrating Valentine’s Day was fun for the residents here at Orchard Park.  An enviable spread titillated and tempted us all, beginning with appetizers and concluding with a most delectable dessert.

Almond Prawns with Honey Mustard…

Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup…

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Sundried Tomatoes, Artichoke Hearts & Feta Cheese wrapped with Prosciutto…and Rice Pilaf with Green Beans…

New York Cheesecake with Berry Sauce…

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Finally, as I sipped a glass of red wine, our Activities Director snapped this photo of me:

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Can we agree that I was STUFFED after this spread?

What did you enjoy about Valentine’s Day?  In the absence of an intimate dinner with a romantic partner, I did conclude that mine was satisfactory.

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BOOKISH TREASURES…

The photo above is my newest blog header at Rainy Days and Mondays, a place where I often celebrate the books I have enjoyed…especially the bookish treasures and trinkets that I have held onto over the years.

On the right, the Disney curios hover next to some favorite books, including one that I had for years…and then lost in my move.  (You can see half of the book behind the Disney character). I replaced it!  It arrived yesterday, and this post is a celebration of that book…and all the special treasures from the past.

Heartburn, by Nora Ephron, is a book I loved…and then I went on to view and buy the movie, starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson.

Is it possible to write a sidesplitting novel about the breakup of the perfect marriage? If the writer is Nora Ephron, the answer is a resounding yes. For in this inspired confection of adultery, revenge, group therapy, and pot roast, the creator of Sleepless in Seattle reminds us that comedy depends on anguish as surely as a proper gravy depends on flour and butter.

Seven months into her pregnancy, Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband, Mark, is in love with another woman. The fact that the other woman has “a neck as long as an arm and a nose as long as a thumb and you should see her legs” is no consolation. Food sometimes is, though, since Rachel writes cookbooks for a living. And in between trying to win Mark back and loudly wishing him dead, Ephron’s irrepressible heroine offers some of her favorite recipes. Heartburn is a sinfully delicious novel, as soul-satisfying as mashed potatoes and as airy as a perfect soufflé.

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I have read and loved several books by Ephron, including some memoirs, and am also a fan of her movie screenplays.

In my previous residence, I placed the copy of Heartburn front and center on my shelves…and now I have the book again, in my new shelves. However, I haven’t discovered the perfect place to feature it.

How about this spot? First shelf, far right.

Do you have favorite books (and trinkets) that help you celebrate your favorite things?

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HUMP DAY POTPOURRI…A GREAT START TO THE DAY

Welcome to another Hump Day!  I decided to stay in my apartment this morning, with a pot of my freshly ground coffee and the pleasure of  visiting blogs for the Wednesday Reading post.

Then I picked up the book I am currently reading:  The Undoing, by Jean Hanff Korelitz (previously entitled You Should Have Known).

This is a book I purchased in March 2014!  It stayed unread all this time, although I had tried to read it earlier.  For some reason, it did not grip me.  But then HBO came out with a miniseries, called The Undoing, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant…and I couldn’t resist watching.  So far, only the first episode has been released, but I was hooked.

Funny how that happens sometimes, but now that I am reading the book again, I can’t stop turning the pages fast enough. I am on page 111, of 439 pages, and I had barely dug into the opening of it the first time.

Is it the passing of time, or is it the teaser of the miniseries?  I guess it doesn’t matter, since I am now loving it.

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Now I am thoroughly ready for the day…so I will finally take my shower and get dressed!  I love a day that starts off like this one.

How is your day going?

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HUMP DAY POTPOURRI: REFLECTIONS…

Fifty years ago (on June 9, 1970), I was getting ready for a special party celebrating the end of the semester at Sacramento State University…and I wore those beads you see in the photo above.  As it turned out, that event would be the beginning of a completely different life for me, as I met the man who would become my second husband.

Incidentally, we were together for ten years and had two children.

When people separate and/or divorce, they often think of the relationship as a failure, and might even avoid sentimental objects.  I’m not saying it wasn’t difficult to end a relationship like the one I had, but I have maintained positive feelings about that time in my life…and the treasured moments we shared.  Not to mention the children.

The photo below was taken in December of 1970, and shows my surroundings at that time:  colorful, youthful posters, and a hairstyle that was reminiscent of the times a la Mary Tyler Moore.  LOL.

Those years were unique, since the 70s were all about changing the way we saw ourselves and the world in which we lived.  Protests, antiwar sentiment, and shortly thereafter, the impeachment of President Nixon (1974).

We were all passionate about our beliefs, not to mention the styles we chose, which conveyed our individuality in new ways.

Below, we enjoyed traveling throughout California in our trusty VW bus. The photo below was taken just outside a home in Auburn, California, where we liked to visit family.

Nowadays, I feel a deep emotional connection to those times, especially when I reflect on the bitterness and anger that seem to seep into every moment of our lives.  Change is on the horizon, and we hope that we can turn the corner and move into a more positive era.  But until that happens, if it does, I will cling to the feelings of a more hopeful time in my life.

The beads hanging on my jelly cupboard have followed me from place to place, serving as a touchstone of a life and time that launched a value system.

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Do you reflect on the past during troubled times?  Does the past offer hope?

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HUMP DAY POTPOURRI: REINVENTING MY SPACE…

Every morning, and several times a day, I must enter this small space known as my bathroom.  For a studio apartment, it actually is pretty roomy.  It does lack proper cabinets, however, so I have improvised. The little wicker bins beneath the sink are working so far. The cabinet stuffed with towels once lived in my dining room at my previous home, along with several others. 

When I see my familiar items in a different setting…a much smaller one, I do enjoy how versatile special items can be.

I also miss them in their previous incarnations.

The Baker’s Rack on the far right above was a favorite, and obviously too big for my small space.  I do long for it, however.

And that little red cupboard.  I think I could have placed it in my entry way, in a corner.  Like instead of this shelf, below:

But my daughter decided it belonged in her entry way and that my place was too small, lol.

Funny how that works, right?

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If you have downsized at some point, how did you create your new space with familiar items?  Did you enjoy the process?

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