You know you live in an affluent suburban neighborhood when sitting on the stoop (like now), you hear only tree frogs, cars occasionally passing, and one or two jets going overhead and you declare it HEAVEN.
You know you live in 2022 America, when your battered psyche swings between icy panic, disbelief, and both lazy and full-throttled escapism. Oh, and rage. Did I mention rage? Who knew how important wordle, the spelling bee, crossword and jigsaw puzzles would become to one’s mental health?
This week escapism overlapped with current events in the form of a gripping novel full of political intrigue. Such a page-turner, I devoured 500 pages in two and a half days (see escapism, above).
The very week the Washington Post disclosed that among the stolen papers at Mar-a-Lago was a document revealing the nuclear capabilities of another government, I read the thriller that Hillary Clinton co-authored with Louise Penny.
It’s pretty much ripped from the headlines.
Among the things to love is how the protagonist, a female Secretary of State, makes sweeping critical commentary about the former guy. He was called Eric Dunn, or moron, or corrupt bad actor — you get the idea.
And if you’re a fan of the Three Pines mysteries by Louise Penny (I’m looking at you, Jen), the detour to that Quebec town and the appearance of Chief Inspector Gamache are just added kicks.
I won’t spoil anything here by saying the plot turns on the infiltration of the US government at the highest levels by domestic terrorists, features nuclear bombs, and showcases the sharp wits of a few American politicians.
In other news, yesterday I mailed off two quilts to C. in California. Of my two boys, he’s the bigger gamer, hence the wall-hanging based on a first-person shooter game, Lost Planet. I sent him a vertical landscape as well. For some reason, it’s one of my favorites.
In closing, I’ll share a secret. K is soon making his first international trip in more than two years (he used to be gone about a week a month), and I can’t wait to make pancakes for dinner AT FOUR O’CLOCK!
PS I shouldn’t have said anything! A backyard neighbor is having their house power-washed. All our back windows now closed (and it’s still loud).
PPS Below’s the figure quilt is based on. It’s not the exact magazine ad, couldn’t find that. But you can see outline, weapon, garb, etc.
Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!
I need to read the book NOW
( Thanks for the mention, Dee! 😘😘😘😘)
It’s always fun to find commonality in reading tastes!
I just bought pancake mix. I’ll make them for lunch and we can talk east to west.
Oh that’s funny. But you do know I’ll be making mine from scratch, right? With buttermilk!
Phew! I haven’t touched the puzzles today, yet. I’ve become fine with being “amazing”. A deeper escape from the swill will suck me in for the hours it takes me to reach “genius”. I don’t care what Wordlebot thinks anymore, at all.
That gamer image of pieced fabric, stitched through with your touch, is amazing.
Hey, I think I’m nearly thru the hackyacktrack. No tracky [sic] of personal consequence but all my dried up antennae have been sleeplessly pissed off. Dark poetry bubble under the surface of my chaos, as I try to find the humor and the humanity of lived and e-lived experiences. It had to have been a person not a bot, with no sense of humor. I remain highly vigilant but more sane. And, with no invisibility cloak, who might I become next?
(sigh)
So much stoop-idity in all this politics, eh? forgive me.
It’s the violence that’s real, that hurts so deeply.
Has this been a dead week for all, or is it just my neighborhood? Or is it just me?
For that matter: is the Queen *really* dead?
Take thyself paddling in a quiet bug-less bird bog?
OK, at least prepare for a wooded wilderness week.
Or, prepare yourself for whatever with a meal of pancakes!!! Buckwheat with (frozen wild) blueberries and a tiny bit of maple syrup?
Got the Omicron booster?
Thank you, again, for being here. You speak, you listen, you visualize, you emit what can’t be put into words.
xxoo from the Jerz.
So sorry about the tracky and glad it didn’t get into personal data. Whew.
I get my booster on Monday. I wish I had fall travel plans to take advantage of the protection. Maybe a quick run to Colorado?
What neighborhood? Not sure I know what you mean. Super glad you have the woods to go to and balance out the stresses of things.
I usually get genius but don’t bother to go for Queen Bee. Too much additional work.
The piece for your CA boy is amazing, even if seemingly so out of what I think of with your work (usually houses, not a weapon! Ha). That book sounds scarily close to reality! And I think it’s nice to find ‘commonality’ with another on most any subject…that shared understanding/experience/etc. is one of my favorite things about relationships. :). Be well.
The book was downright prescient at times. Reading it made me want to know where our current Secretary of State was in light of the mar-a-Lago documents, maybe as a clue. Blinken was in Ukraine. Interesting, eh?
My newest escapism is doing puzzles .. I’m on my second one. Never never thought it’s something I’d ever spend time doing but suddenly I’m finding it very relaxing. Never say never!! Enjoy those pancakes ..
I usually have one going nowadays on the kitchen table. It’s a nice break from media or worry or moving around. Discovered eboo puzzles online. Love them nice quality, fun colorful images, and a woman owned company!
I love the word stoop … took me back to my Long Island childhood at 141 Wellington Road, which had a wooden front porch and a cinder block back stoop …
thanks for the reminder about State of Terror … the last time I looked the library waiting lists were long, now they’re non-existent … if only the same could be said about domestic terrorism
and luckily the guy I live with loves pancakes for dinner … when he used to go out of town, I made curry … it’s been a long long time, but fortunately I prefer pancakes to curry, so it’s all good 😉
Stoop is kind of an old timely word, isn’t it? People don’t sit in them much in my neighborhood. It’s a shame really.
There was no wait list for the HRC novel here either.