Really Random Thursday, 2/3/22

 It's February. Finally. January seemed like a loooong month to me. You too?

This week's post will have a lot to do about words. Remember I mentioned Wordle last week? Well, for the first time, probably ever, I solved it in one try. To clarify, our son, Aaron, also got it on the first try. He texted me and told me not to use my go-to starter word (as Gabe says, "Grandma, you are so predictable..."). And if I did use my go-to word I would get this: 💛XXXX. Those of you who play will know that I would have one letter right, but in the wrong place. So that gave me a roadmap of another word to try. I guessed correctly the first time. But like I said, if not for that text it probably would have taken my usual four to five guesses.

So yesterday, my neighbor posted on Facebook that she guessed the word on the first try. I saw her outside and she said it happened to be one of the two words that are her go-to words everyday. It's a funny little game. And it has now been purchased by the New York Times in the "low seven figures." On days that Gabe and Ella are at our house, Gabe likes to play as well. He often solves it within the allotted six tries, sometimes four or five. Which I think is remarkable for a 10-year-old. 

Haha.

Here's a word that is too long to make it into Wordle, but I'm going to remember it because a lot of my days seem to be like this.

Charlotte spent the weekend with us. On Friday, while Mark was busy refereeing, she and I had dinner at Gazebo Gardens, a local nursery that has food trucks every Thursday-Saturday. There is live music and it's really fun to eat while surrounded by plants. We each had garlic chicken on crispy tater tots. Yum.

I didn't take pictures, but then we went to Ampersand, makers of the best homemade ice cream. For my birthday every year, I request that Charlotte make me pineapple upside down cake. She told me that one of the January specialty flavors was pineapple upside down cake. While I never crave ice cream (weird, I know), we went there for dessert. I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing that ice cream was. It had bits of sponge cake, caramelized pineapple chunks, maraschino cherries. I ended up buying a pint to take home. 

Then we came home and watched the remake version of Rebecca (one of my all-time favorite books, also mentioned below...), starring Lily James. I had told Charlotte she really needs to read the book. I think after watching the movie, she is ready. I hope she loves the book as much as I do. Have you read it?

She is trying to make some extra money so she is doing what she does best--baking. She made a practice batch of these extraordinary strawberry cheesecake cookies. I could have eaten them all.

I've been reading a lot more. I just finished these two books this week and highly recommend both of them!

Just Haven't Met You Yet is a light romantic comedy that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Reading List is one of those few books that has left an impression that will last awhile. It takes place in a library. Someone has been leaving a list in different places in the neighborhood with the heading "just in case you need this," followed by a list of books. One of the main plot lines follows the growing friendship between a teenage girl who works in the library for a summer job and an Indian man in his 80s who has lost his wife and is lonely. His wife was an avid reader. He finds one of her books that is overdue, The Time Traveler's Wife, and decides to start reading it, and it seems to bring him closer to her. He decides to go to the library and ask for a book recommendation. The teenage girl recommends the first book on the list she found. And the story goes on from there. 

It reinforced to me how powerful books can be--they can affect us profoundly on a personal basis, and also help us forge relationships with other people. I give this one five stars. Curious about the books on the list?

To Kill a Mockingbird--read

Rebecca (one of my all-time favorites--I have read it many times)

The Kite Runner--to be read 

Life of Pi--to be read

Pride and Prejudice (I can't remember if I have read it. Probably not, or else I would remember)

Little Women--read

Beloved--to be read

A Suitable Boy--to be read

I have put them all on my 2022 reading list, either to be read the first time or to be re-read. Although the book mentions, as have other people, that A Suitable Boy is looong, something like 1,500 pages! But apparently very good. 

If you read The Reading List, I'd love to know your impression.

Mark sent this one to me. 

And this one as well.

We are fans of Big Bang Theory. If you watch it, you know that Penny's "check engine" light is always on in her car. When anyone comments on it, she usually says, "Yeah, I need to cover that with a piece of tape." 

My calendar got some high-profile love this week. We have been friends with Alex Anderson for years (if you are a quilter, you may recognize the name). I sent her a calendar and she mentioned it on one of her live shows.

We also sent one to Gia Vang and Jordan Wiebe. Gia used to be one of the 10 o'clock news anchors here in Fresno and was our favorite. Then she moved to a larger market, Minneapolis, and is one of the early morning anchors at Kare11. She is Hmong and if you have noticed the Very Asian theme in the news, she is one of the Asian American reporters responsible for that. Her boyfriend, Jordan, is a friend and also an artist.

 So I sent them a calendar. And she posted it on her Instagram feed! Remember her name--I wouldn't be surprised if she eventually becomes a national anchor.

Haha.

Yesterday was Groundhog Day. Yep. Although it would be six more weeks of quilt making, shadow or no shadow...

Have a good weekend.