A Few Reflections on the 80's

Thank heavens my memories of the 80's are what they are: mostly having babies and the early years of raising my children. There is a blessed fog about much of the rest of the 80's.

A couple of weeks ago I found the Game Show Network showing on my TV downstairs. I grew up watching game shows. I love them, and have watched way too many of them over the years. I even was on a game show in the early 80's (I wrote about it here). I can't stand watching the games live now--the commercials are so terrible--so I recorded a few episodes to watch while I'm on the treadmill.

All the episodes I've seen were originally recorded in the 80's. Mostly I've watched $25,000 Pyramid, and a few episodes of Password. They are still somewhat intellectually stimulating, but mostly I've been fascinated by observations about other features of the shows--mostly what is revealed about that particular decade. Thirty years later, here's what I think:

• Fashion.  The 70's bring back fun memories and the 90's make me cringe a little, but the 80's were hideous. Everything was big. The hair was big. The shoulders were big. The collars were big. The ties were enormous. The fabric was all big prints. I'll sum it up this way: nothing was flattering. I remember my dad saying, "the ugly look is in." He was right.
• Television. What we thought were icons (both actors and shows) have disappeared into oblivion. No one now remembers or references almost anything from that decade. Much like the fashion of the day, that is perhaps a good thing.
• Jokes. Wow. No one was worried about being politically correct. And no one was safe from being made fun of. I must admit to laughing out loud all by myself at some of the jokes. Too bad we've become so careful. It was just innocent humor, nothing more. 
• Music. We won't even go there.

Definitely the best things to come out of the 80's were my children. 

The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters

I think I've hit the law of diminishing returns on this series.  My children all know what that means in economics--it's something they learned at a very early age from their dad.  It means in very layman's terms that the more you have of something, the less desirable it becomes. But I digress.

I liked this book. I think as much as the first two. But it's time for a break in this series. I'm going to head into some non-mystery, non-Amelia Peabody books now. Never fear: I will be back for more. I'll just spread them out a little further apart.

It's always good to know a "safe" author or series when I'm desperate for a book (like when I'm traveling and run out of something to read, which hasn't happened for several years, but you never know when it might happen again!) I'll keep Elizabeth Peters and her books on tap for that very unlikely, but still possible, situation.

I Won a Giveaway!

Thelma over at Cupcakes 'n Daisies hosted a giveaway on her blog a couple of weeks ago (see it here). She made the Bounce quilt that is pictured on Carrie Nelson's (of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.) new pattern. 

Thelma offered the pattern for the quilt, and a layer cake to make the quilt in the giveaway. I never win, so I rarely enter a giveaway. Well, this quilt was so delightful I thought it was worth a try, and so I made a comment. I figured if I didn't win I could always buy the pattern and make it. 

Imagine my surprise when I received an email from Thelma asking me to choose the layer cake I wanted. I chose Coquette by Chez Moi for Moda. It's so bright and cheerful that I know it will be perfect for Bounce.

The package came in the mail today. Gift wrapped and everything! Happy birthday to me, a little early, or a little late, however you want to call it. Actually it's almost my half-birthday, so there you have it. 

Thank you Thelma, for your generosity. Go check out her blog - she makes beautiful quilts. And, she loves the color red. And cupcakes. How can you go wrong with that? 

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

I just closed the back cover on this book. I'm surprised at how often my opinion of a book expands or diminishes after a little bit of time away from the book. Sometimes I look at my goodreads ratings later and wonder why I was so generous or stingy with a rating.

That being said, here's my immediate response to the book:

Why can't Shannon Hale write an adult contemporary book that is as outstanding as her juvenile books?

There. I said it. I have not read all of her juvenile literature, but the ones I have read are full of fine writing, great plot, and imaginative settings.

I read Austenland, and felt much the same way about it as I do about this one. I'd call it Shannon Hale lite. I did not finish The Actor and the Housewife. I'm an inconsistent (sort of ) snob about books. There is some trash that I enjoy, just for the sake of the fun of it. There is a lot of bad writing that I've encountered and if it's not a book chosen for a book group, and I'm not enjoying it, I won't finish the book.

I can't quite put my finger on why it isn't so great in my mind. It's not a timeless story, but I've really enjoyed some books that are so contemporary that they will feel dated in just a couple of years. (Sophie Kinsella comes to mind.) The plot is so-so, but I read plenty of books that aren't high on plot. Perhaps it's just that these books pale in comparison to her others.

One other thing: I can see why people would like this book. Maybe it's just where I am in life right now. I enjoyed it enough to finish it, and I'm glad I read it. That's my endorsement.

The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters

What fun this series of books is! This is the second in the Amelia Peabody series, and I am really enjoying it. The wit and main characters just keep me smiling.

Most follow up books in a series are enjoyable because I'm so familiar with the characters and general story line, but I almost always prefer the very first book. Not so with these two books by Elizabeth Peters. I enjoyed this book every bit as much if not more than the first one.

I've requested the third book from the library. Let's see if it holds up.

Moonraker's Bride by Madeleine Brent

This is another book that I read for a book group. It seems like lately that's all I've read, but things are looking up on the "having time to read" spectrum. I'm hoping to get more read this summer. I've got to choose a book to review in a couple of months and I hope to find something new to share.

Back to the book at hand. I liked it. Once again, it's not going to win any big awards from me, but it was fun and diverting, and that is just what I needed. So it rated pretty well on the satisfaction scale.

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore

I read this for my book group. I liked it fine, but it didn't just set me on fire.

Ron Hall is an international art dealer whose wife Debbie ropes him into helping at a homeless shelter. Through that experience Ron and a homeless man, Denver Moore, become friends. This book is the true story of their relationship.

July Report

June was busy, but at least it didn't fly away so quickly that I can't remember a thing. I'm trying hard to slow down and not kill myself trying to get so many things done. Taking time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak.

1. First things first: let's start with the best. That would be eating for this month. There's always a lot of room for improvement, but I did pretty well. Then exercise. There are days I've opted for sleep over exercise, and although exercise is very important, I've really needed my rest. It was a better choice. Finally scripture reading. It has not been nearly as regular as I'd like. I'll have to be better on that.
2. One shelf/drawer per day: does it count if I think about it a lot every day? Actually my sister-in-law Amy came up for a couple of days and we cleaned out my storage rooms. It feels so great. That is a job that was long over due.
3. 30-30-30: every time I do this I marvel at how much I can accomplish in a day. Time to implement it more often.
4. Skype/webcam: I am actually using Facetime and doing it pretty often. It's a great way to talk to the grandchildren
5. Digital photo system/labeling: That online class is still waiting for me. Audrey and I made a schedule for doing the lessons over the rest of the summer and we're going to be accountable to one another for it. I'm crossing my fingers.