Snapshot from Along the Broken Road: 2015 - Week 34

Checking in for the week of August 23 through August 29.

WHAT I READ |
Ahab's Wife: Or, the Star-Gazer (Sena Jeter Naslund) - The only way I can sum up this book is that I am relieved to finally be finished with it. Which makes it sound as though I hated the book, but that is not the case. It's a contradictory feeling, much like this book was. At times it was lyrical, almost poetic, but at other times, it was hostile, unpleasant, difficult, even disturbing. Parts of it rambled along on seemingly pointless tangents, purely to hear the sound of its own voice, unnecessarily verbose. And yet, there were parts that painted with such magnificent detail, it was as if the words might spring to life, right off the page. I both loved and despised Una. She was at her best in the early days with Ahab (on land, not at sea), and at her worst with Kit, anytime she was with Kit. And so, I maintain, while I'm not sorry I read it, I'm also not sorry to be finished.

WHAT WE ATE|
T was away, so I scrounged and scavenged for solo meals. But when he got back, I tried a new recipe for the slow cooker: Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon. And I have to say, I am usually not a huge fan of most pot roast sort of dishes (except my Gram's Yankee pot roast which I have never been able to duplicate), but this was mighty yummy.

CANDLE SCENTS|
Pink Sands (YC)
Black Coconut (YC) - I feel like I had this one in my stash for ages, but for some reason never reached for it. Now I don't know why I ever waited. A definite coconut scent, but it's richer, sweeter, more refined, than just straight up coconut. Rather than being a sweet "baked goods" sort of coconut, this was more robust and tropical.
Sun and Sand (YC) - A totally happy scent. Sunscreen and sunshine and ocean air.
Napa Valley Sun (YC) - Not your typical summer scent but so, so good. It's like that warm, lazy just-before-the-sun-goes down time of day.

WHAT THIS WEEK LOOKED LIKE|
A break in the clouds.


Favorite.


Another sprout!


I love the farmhouse.


Four seasons.


Blue.


Mexico.


Round.


I find him a little creepy.


China.


Rainy reflections.

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This Week on My TV: August 29, 2015

Disclaimer: Consider the fact that there could be spoilers ahead. You read at your own risk!



**(The Astronaut Wives Club, 1x08 Abort) The Betty and Gus daydreams were pretty tough to watch, but it was good to see Betty being tough about the cover-up of what happened. -- Did Louise seriously change her niece's name from Judy to Alice?? -- Louise: Please keep your voice down. Trudy: Loud, soft, it's all bad! Louise: Trudy, they were the same age, in the same grade. It was confusing. Trudy: So's calculus but you don't just start calling it algebra. -- I am so sad for Rene and Scott. I wanted their marriage to work. -- Alan Shepherd's "slow. the hell. down." speech was applause-worthy.

**(The Astronaut Wives Club, 1x09 The Dark Side) Jo gets Wally back and loses her son. It must have been so hard to feel like you're always worrying about the safety of someone you love. -- This was a real eye-opener about divorce in the 60s. -- Poor Rene, with Bobby Kennedy's assassination. -- OMG LOL: Louise, Alan, and the hippies. I don't think there could be a more anti-Louise situation for her to be thrust into. -- Alan: I think when you sign up for an adventure, you take everything that comes with it. Lousie: I think there's a difference between an adventure and recklessness. Alan: And that's the difference between an average life and an extraordinary one. -- I totally bawled when Betty gave Jo the "hole in the fence" as a going away gift.

**(The Astronaut Wives Club, 1x10 Landing) Max!!! I've decided what his appeal is and it was the 70s look that made it clear for me: it isn't his looks, it's his voice. (I totally have a thing for voices.) I'm so glad we got to see him one more time though. -- Ohhh! Annie's stutter is so much better now. -- Trudy: We're all different people now. We changed. And we changed each other. There's no going back. -- Oh man, I loved the ending montage, narrated by max, with Neil Diamond's "Holly Holy" playing. A great choice of song. Not overused and perfectly fitting.

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Snapshot from Along the Broken Road: 2015 - Week 33

Checking in for the week of August 16 through August 22.

WHAT I READ |
Ahab's Wife: Or, the Star-Gazer (Sena Jeter Naslund) - At last, the past has caught up to the present (in the story) again. This is such a strange tale.

WHAT WE ATE|
Bay scallops and angel hair. Flank steak, Thai sweet chili noodles, and brown sugar glazed carrots. Kielbasa, sauerkraut, and pierogies. Barbecue chicken, cheesy potatoes, and cucumber salad.

CANDLE SCENTS|
Pink Sands (YC)
Fruit Fusion (YC) - Smelled like a package of Starburst...but you could only smell the candle if you sat on top of it. Bummer.
Honeydew Melon (YC) - This one is my quintessential summer scent. It just makes me happy.
Beach Walk (YC) - When I read the scent description, it made me expect something totally different than I got. More flowers and musk than salt water and tangerine. ::shrugs:: Oh well. It worked in the bathroom where I had it lit.

WHAT THIS WEEK LOOKED LIKE|
Made me think of leopard spots.


Triple chocolate chunk.


Served.


Electric clouds.


Funny little sunbeam.


Bertha.


Strictly prohibited.


Jungle Cruise totally suits my sense of humor.


There is a hole in my Dole Whip.


So sticky and not a breath of breeze stirring, but I'm at WDW so I win!


These look like delightful children. ::insert wide-eyed emoji here::


Welcome, foolish mortals.


Sky on fire.


NO KIDDING!


Glow.


The fireflies make this my favorite scene in Carousel of Progress.


Paging Mr Morrow...Mr Tom Morrow...


Wishes by ferryboat.

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Snapshot from Along the Broken Road: 2015 - Week 32

Checking in for the week of August 9 through August 15.

WHAT I READ |
Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-Gazer (Sena Jeter Naslund) - Well now. I am officially disturbed by what just took place in this book. Kind of hoping we're done with *that*.

WHAT WE ATE|
We decided to have crab cakes and I found a recipe for remoulade that I wanted to try...so, so good. Grilled cheese sandwiches -- T put ham on his, I like a slice of tomato in mine. T made some baked spaghetti -- another huge recipe that makes extra to stash in the freezer! And we roasted a whole chicken, with stuffing and carrots alongside.

CANDLE SCENTS|
Pink Sands (YC)
Oceanside (YC) - Is there anything that scream summer more than the scent of the ocean?
Margarita Time (YC) - I've smelled, burned, and enjoyed my fair share of summery scents and citrus blends. This is by far one of my favorites. It was definitely lime, but not just lime. It was like someone had brought out a tray of frozen blended lime drinks and set it on the table.
Grapefruit (YC) - Just a very cheerful, zippy little scent, that was bit off the beaten citrus path.

WHAT THIS WEEK LOOKED LIKE|
Don't be fooled. That clown fish is a real jerk.


Pastel.


It's pretty difficult to argue with a day that starts out looking like this.


There's a storm brewin'...


This light, though.


Meet my newest obsession. It's like I'm eating pumpkin cheesecake for breakfast.


8:06pm...


...8:11pm...


...8:15pm. Gosh, these Florida skies.


Baby ice cream.


First attempt at churning homemade ice cream. This is not a process for those requiring instant gratification.


Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky...Stormy weather


Raindrops on windshields.


Rootbeer float. Because my husband indulges my whims.

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This Week on My TV: August 15, 2015

Disclaimer: Consider the fact that there could be spoilers ahead. You read at your own risk!



**(The Last Ship, 2x08 Safe Zone) Captain Chandler: We've all done things that are hard to live with. So let this be your redemption, if it needs to be, because it might be mine. -- When they called him Mr President, with Chandler saluting, total chills. I hope he's for real turned around, though.

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Nailed it!

This morning, I plugged my iPod into my car and tapped "shuffle." Some days, this results in more "next track" requests than actual music, because, let's be honest, while I love the music I have chosen to have on my device, I'm not always in the mood to listen to (screech along to) all of them. Today, though, the iPod delivered with a feel-good morning commute soundtrack. My day started on exactly the right note.*

1. Home (Phillip Phillips) -
Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble, it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found
Just know you're not alone

I find something so reassuring about this part of the song. Also, it's right in the wheelhouse of my alto-ness, so I can almost feel like I'm sort of on key as I sing along. At least I'm not straining to (not at all) hit a high note I have no chance at ever hitting. I wasn't feeling particularly alone this morning, not lost, not wrestling with any confusion or chain of thoughts leading to irrational fear. That doesn't mean I don't welcome the reminders this song offers.

2. Letter to Me (Brad Paisley) -
And, oh, you got so much going for you, going right
But I know at seventeen, it's hard to see past Friday night
I wish you'd study Spanish
I wish you'd take a typing class
I wish you wouldn't worry, let it be
I'd say have a little faith and you'll see

This isn't actually my favorite part of the song ("And I'd end up saying have no fear, These are nowhere near the best years of your life'), but I love the sentiment behind this entire song. It makes me nostalgic. It makes me wonder what I'd say to myself at seventeen. This morning, I was also drawn to this part of the song, especially the last part. I can't count how many times I've worried needlessly. It makes me think of that adage, asking how many things you've worried about actually came to pass. Another great reminder to start the day.

3. Don't Blink (Kenny Chesney) -
I've been tryin' to slow it down
I've been tryin' to take it in
In this here today gone tomorrow world we're livin' in

The message of this entire song is one of my favorites. It's so true. It all goes so fast. It's easy to get caught up in it, life speeding past in a blur. Every word of this song resonates with me. This part is how I try to live my life. Slowly enough to be present, observe, remember, be grateful.

4. I Won't Give Up (Jason Mraz) -
We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not, and who I am

I love every single part of this song. It's one I can (and have) listened to multiple times in a row. I love the hope, the commitment, the quiet determination. This part, hands down, is in my top five favorite song lyrics of all time. It's not a lesson with a definitive end and a final exam. I think it's what life *is*. This constant progression of life rolling forward, shaping who we are, and learning how that forms and reforms who we become.

5. The House That Built Me (Miranda Lambert) -
You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can.
I got lost in this whole world and forgot who I am.

This song transports me right back to my grandparents' house. It's a time machine. It also reminds me about where I've been since I left that place in my life, how lost I found myself, how far I've come since then. It comes across so melancholy, but really, it doesn't feel that way to me. I feel strong and at peace. Like in "Home," if you get lost, you can always be found. Like in "I Won't Give Up," I had to relearn who I was and who I had become.

6. Hey Pretty Girl (Kip Moore) -
Life's a long and winding ride
Better have the right one by your side
And happiness don't drag its feet
Time moves faster than you think

Oh, man. This song. This is what love and romance boils down to, for me. It makes me catch my breath. The first time I heard this song, all I could think is I hope that's how my husband has thought about me in those deep, quiet parts of his mind, because it's how he makes me feel. One thing I know for sure is that I have the right one by my side. I hear that and I smile, because I've never been more certain of anything.

*That pun was totally intended. I'd pretend to be sorry, but we all know I'm not.

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Snapshot from Along the Broken Road: 2015 - Week 31

Checking in for the week of August 2 through August 8.

WHAT I READ |
A Farewell to Arms (Ernest Hemingway) - After finishing this book as an adult this time around, I will raise my initial 2-star rating to 3. But only for the writing. I can appreciate a well-written piece of literature better, now, than I did in high school. However, it is abundantly clear to me why I did not like this book when I was forced to read it the first time. What an utterly depressing story. And that's all I have to say about that.
Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-Gazer (Sena Jeter Naslund) - The story, itself, hasn't grabbed me yet, but the writing is lovely. Very descriptive and almost lyrical.

WHAT WE ATE|
We went with a definite middle of the summer menu this week. BLTs. Burgers. Grilled tilapia. Pulled pork and cole slaw. And then I made stuffed shells (ricotta, Italian sausage, and spinach) with the full recipe so that we had a bunch to stick in the freezer too.

CANDLE SCENTS|
Honeydew Melon (YC)
Pink Sands (YC) - I have no idea how to describe this scent, other than light and fresh, but in more of a summer-y way than a spring-ish way. I love it in either the bathroom or the bedroom.
Cherry Lemonade (YC) - Cherry sweet and lemon tart, heavier on the cherry. I like.
Cinnamon Vanilla (YC) - I tend to burn my candles seasonally. Anything cinnamon would almost exclusively be classified as "autumn" in my stash of candles, but I was intrigued that it was released in the summer, so I gave it shot. I was pleasantly surprised. Rather than the cinnamon warming up the vanilla, the creaminess of the vanilla seemed to cool down the spice. I felt like I was smelling a vanilla milkshake with a sprinkle of cinnamon blended in.

WHAT THIS WEEK LOOKED LIKE|
I will take the rain just to get this temperature for a little while.


I'm pretty much in love with the poster art for August. I've never even thought about Memphis before and now I want to go there.


Soft.


I spy baby pineapple plant roots!


Last little bit of light.

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