Did You Ever Think Life Was Gonna Be This Way?

There's this crazy amazing thing that happens when you cry out for help. Within minutes of my last post, I discovered someone had sent me a card game in the mail; I received comforting (and in at least one case, perfectly bossy) texts from several dear friends, all of whom made me laugh even though I was also crying; and I got plenty of internet love, too. Plus my dad called to tell me to ditch the edema and keep the boots, and he threw in a bonus idea of what to make for dinner. So you know what I did? I discovered a Xanax on the floor, so obviously I took that.  Already feeling a bit better, I proceeded to watch the "The One with Ross's Sandwich" episode from  Friends  while taking a bubble bath, and then I got out of that bathtub and put on decent clothes - I even wrestled those damn boots on, too. Next, I started walkin'. Because that's what you do after you finish your middle of the day bubble bath pity party and put on kickass boots. (And also what you...

My life feels a little...blank right now. The kids have started school: my sweet daughter is now a confident third grader, my beautiful baby boy started kindergarten yesterday, and my funny and engaging students have begun their semester without me. My treatments don't start until next week.  You'd think I'd be euphoric - No responsibilities! Time to read whatever I want! The ability to make lists of things I want to clear out and organize! Hours to take walks and practice yoga! But, all I want to do is sleep. I'm exhausted. The house is a bit of a mess and I didn't even manage to put away the laundry my mom came over and did for me (on her birthday, no less). I'm looking at the clothes I bought for fall semester and lamenting that I have no reason to wear them. The awesome boots my dad bought me don't fit my feet now, even though they did in the store (curse you, edema! *shaking fist*).  My pile of e-books that I've been dying to get through are ga...

This summer has been deeply satisfying in a number of ways, not the least of which is that several of my favorite series published their concluding tales. Below are two of my very favorites: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness and The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman.   Deborah Harkness made that two year wait worthwhile with her masterful ending to the All Souls trilogy. Diana and Matthew have returned from their trip through time and the problems surrounding them are more pressing than ever. Oh, and Diana is pregnant with twins of course, as all readers of the trilogy already knew! As they race to uncover the secrets held by the Book of Life, Diana, Matthew and their growing list of friends and family find themselves forced to confront the darkest secrets of Matthew's past.  This book is suspenseful and beautifully crafted. If you were expecting Harkness to end her tale by allowing gory violence and death to take center stage, prepare to be disappointed. What re...

We just returned from five days in California. Stayed with family, went to Venice Beach, hit Hollywood and Olveras Street (had to get our cultural immersion, right?), hung out at the pool, and - for the grand finale - made our way through that childhood Mecca, Disneyland. It was the first trip to Disney for the kids and my husband, and I loved being able to see it for the first time again, through their eyes. I got to go on my favorite ride of all time: the "It's a Small World" boat ride (I know, I know...I'm a hopeless optimist and romantic at heart - don't tell anyone!), which has just very recently reopened after renovation and looks absolutely gorgeous. Plus there was a deep satisfaction in being able to help my kids cross something off their bucket list. The whole trip, generally speaking, was a blast. In addition to ticking off the boxes above, I indulged in far too many margaritas (oops), got a good old-fashioned bit of sunburn on my nose (this w...

It took me a little longer than usual, but I've finally finished Chimamanda Ngoze Adichie's Americanah . A bit of a feast, really: This is a big book. A book of lives lived and those left to wither, a book about love and superficial - or maybe not - romance, a book that left me full of more questions than answers, a book about race in America and life in Nigeria, a book that made me feel nice and full. It took me four days to read it, which is forever for me, but I didn't mind, because there's plenty to think about and the writing is good. It's long, but it's tight - the story doesn't meander and it doesn't fade. Once I let go of my idea that the book was about the immigrant experience in America and life in the post-9/11 West, which it's not although the back cover marketed it as such (bastards) - Adichie made efficient use of my time. Since I'm neither black nor an immigrant, I can't really say for certain whether she truly "g...