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Sunday Matters

We lost another high-profile person to suicide this week and this one hit me hard. Mostly because I’ve read everything he’s written and lived vicariously through his travel/food shows. Anthony Bourdain will be sorely missed. I had so many favorite episodes I can’t even pick just one but he was so full of life.

National Suicide Prevention Line: 1-800-273-8255

Right Now:

We are actually on the road to a volleyball tournament. Our last club tournament. After the game we will have a meal as a team and then be on our way. It’s not been the greatest season for wins but very nice girls, coaches and parents.

This Week:

Production week starts tomorrow and ends on June 24th. This time she has a part that requires special makeup and the like so adding time in for that will be interesting and new to us. I’ve reviewed the schedule carefully and think I have it covered but things change once you get into the theater. We are seeing the show on Saturday and then again the following week.

Reading:

I am down to the last 100 pages of The Outsider by Stephen King and boy, is it good. Next up, The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy.

I reviewed two books this past week. Go Ask Fannie and Other People’s Houses.

Watching:

All I am watching is Fear the Walking Dead. If I’m not wrong, the finale is tonight.

My husband is very excited about the new season of Better Call Saul that was announced last week. However, I haven’t watched the show yet so my plan is to binge watch all the seasons so I can watch the premiere of season 4 on August 6th.

Making:

Unfortunately, the treatment my doc has me on has caused me to gain a lot of weight in a very short amount of time. It’s very depressing and is making me a little crazy so what I am making these days are organic, plant-based, protein shakes. I am not on a liquid diet because it’s not the 80s anymore but I am using them just to switch it up and gain some additional nutrition while I’m at it.

Grateful for:

Anthony Bourdain’s body of work.

Here is a clip of him and his best friend, Chef Eric Ripert preparing for a meal. Eric was the one to find Bourdain in his room so it’s especially tragic. I pray for all those affected including Bourdain’s young daughter who is only eleven years old.

And this was probably one of his most memorable meals.

President Obama and Anthony Bourdain — CNN: President Obama enjoying a meal with Tony.

Other People’s Houses
By Abbi Waxman
Berkley Books, 9780399587924, April 3, 2018, 352pp.

The Short of It:

Grab a cold drink and clear your afternoon for this one.

The Rest of It:

I’ve been reading some pretty good books lately.

Frances Bloom is THAT mom. She’s the carpool mom and people in the neighborhood look up to her. She’s a friendly approachable type, reliable, and thoughtful but as she shuttles the neighborhood kids to and from school each day, she can’t help but see the imperfections of her own little neighborhood,

Her close, married friend is having an affair with a much younger man, affecting the neighborhood in many ways. One of the moms on the street is MIA (what’s that about?). Her cousin who happens to live just down the street from her is wanting another baby even though her partner may not want one. With all this going on around her, Frances begins to doubt her own happiness. Does she have a happy marriage? Has the thirty pounds she’s gained over the years driven a wedge between her and her husband?

This all sounds rather domestic and fluffy but I have to say that it’s pretty realistic as far as neighborhoods go. If you really pay attention while walking the dog, you see things. Reading this book is like flinging a window open and sticking your face right into your neighbor’s house.

The story is a bit scandalous and there’s some language. It feels kind of naughty and wrong. I can’t lie, I ate it up. Because along with wrong, there’s a lot that’s right. There’s a lot of honesty within these characters and truthfully, I could relate to several of these families in some way.

There are mixed reviews of this book. I’d hazard to guess that those who had trouble with it, probably couldn’t relate to any of the families in the story. But if you’ve ever done a carpool, been on the PTA with a bunch of catty wenches, lived in a tight-knit community, and had your best friend’s marriage fall apart, you’ll find plenty to relate to because there’s a little bit of everything in here and I found it to be pretty authentic in the telling.

Plus, it has some juicy bits and at one point I was laughing out loud.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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