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Root Beer the cat. It occurred to me that I have not introduced you to my son’s cat. This is a cat that he befriended in the small Kansas town he lives in. Her name is Root Beer. She was completely feral and not giving him the time of day but now she comes inside for visits when the temps drop below 30 degrees. She also has a shelter that my son built out of an Igloo cooler but she prefers to step inside the house for a visit and some time with her catnip toys. Isn’t she sweet? She comes to the slider and waits for him to notice her. She is partially deaf so her meows are interesting. He is low on funds with the car situation being such an ongoing pain but soon he will get her spayed and vaxxed.

I have been feeling a little antsy again. Not anxious really but antsy like I have a lot to do when I really do not. Today I will decide on our Empty Nest Thanksgiving meal. My husband suggested we go to the local Chinese restaurant, which is really good and open that day but Chinese food on Thanksgiving? Nope. I will still cook, something.

Also, I got a message from Delta. My daughter’s return flight has already changed due to scheduling issues on their end. Please pray that this change and potentially others do not impact her in a huge way. It’s ridiculous that they have her flying to Atlanta first which is the opposite direction but I know, it’s their hub so blah blah.

Tonight my book club meets to discuss This Tender Land. I really enjoyed this one. It should be a good discussion. It will be good to get out too. I am tired of staring at these walls.

Hey, I got my booster! 24-hours later I was a bit out of it but then the very next day I was fine. For the sake of transparency, I suggest scheduling yours for when you don’t have much going on. That way you can just take care of yourself and not have to power through it. I was sore all over and had a low grade fever. Not bad but didn’t want to do much.

Some of us in student ministry are having a Friendsgiving! It’s this Sunday evening. I am making a tray of gluten-free caramelized onion cornbread stuffing to take along. It’s a Tyler Florence recipe which I will also make vegetarian. It’s yummy!

Have a great rest of the week!

Piranesi
By Susanna Clarke
Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781635577808, September 2021, 272pp.

The Short of It:

Wildly imaginative.

The Rest of It:

Our main character is called Piranesi, although he knows this is not his real name. He lives in a house with many halls and rooms. Each room is filled with beautiful statues in various stages of decomposition. Many, damaged by the birds or the harsh salt water environment. Because you see, this “house” has been taken over by the tides and the sea life within it. Fog rolls in. Rain is the only source of fresh water. Piranesi lives here with one Other, literally called “Other” and he tends to the many remains of those who came before him.

I am not much of a fantasy reader but from page two, I was completely sucked into this story. For one, the writing is lovely. Two, I could “see” this house in my mind. And although it’s a lonely kind of story, Piranesi is a happy person, content with keeping track of the tides and his research. But as you read, many questions come to mind. How did he get there? What has happened to civilization? Why doesn’t he leave?

I read an interview with the author and how she was suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome while writing this. How she felt so isolated from the real world, while tending to her debilitating illness. This definitely played a role in how the story plays out. The isolation is palpable but so is hope.

This story is so different and refreshing. There’s enough of a mystery to pull you in, but your heart will be with Piranesi as he tries to piece this all together. It’s a fascinating read. I really need to own a nice physical copy of this one. I can see myself picking it up again to read soon. A classic.

Source: Borrowed
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