Chit-Chat

Much ado about good stuff

Happy Thursday!

That means the start of a new season of “Hacks” on HBO/MAX and the final episode of “The Pitt” Season 1. As if that’s not enough goodness, there will also be a new episode of “Top Chef” and “Last Chance Kitchen.” This is almost too much goodness packed into one day.

And my birthday is coming, so I have selected these adorable All Star Lift Chucks in Polka Dot to give myself. TOO CUTE!

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God Bless you, Miz Hobson

I missed paying tribute to my grandmother on her birthday, April 8th. She was born in 1911 and would have been 114 this year, no doubt praying for Donald Trump’s soul every day. Alma Hobson loved the Lord. Everyone at her Baptist church called her “Miz Hobson.” Like me, she has/had a lot of Aries in her, which makes her stubborn, determined, and a natural leader.

On her 90th birthday, she rallied the troops (me and my cousins) and made phone calls to all of her favorite people, inviting them to her party, held in the courtyard of her government-subsidized apartment building. It was a blast.

Anytime anyone asks me what the government ever did for me, I answer: it provided my grandmother with an affordable, safe, comfortable home surrounded with friendly neighbors that she could spend her final years with. Dignity, safety, and community for my grandmother. THAT’s what the government did for me.

As a wedding present, my Grandma gave me cuttings from my Aunt Ivol’s lilac bushes and I planted them at our house in Wenatchee so I could see them outside the kitchen window. They are still there. So, here’s a few of Alma’s favorite flowers in honor of her birthday month.

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A march on Easter?

Looks like there will be another big march/demonstration type of thing on April 20. How that will work, I’m not sure since that is Easter. But I see it all over my social media feeds.

There’s some kind of conspiracy theory out there about the Trumpers having some secret plan for a cabal or a seance or something. Keep an eye out for strangers with Easter candy!

I love this collage.

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Book talk

If you haven’t read “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus, it comes out in paperback this month, so grab a copy, find a park bench, sip your coffee, and enjoy. It’s a treasure. Another good one: “God of the Woods” by Liz Moore (thanks, Jimmy Fallon’s Book Club!).

I tried to read “Tilt” by Emma Pattee, but the hapless female protagonist really pissed me off with all of her whining, so I will not venture further. The story sounds interesting — a very pregnant young woman is trapped at an IKEA during an earthquake and has to make her way home on foot — but I like a heroine with more grit.

Seems like everyone and their sister are reading Miranda July’s “All Fours.” Honestly, I think it’s because realistic and honest female sexuality is so roundly ignored in fiction, readers are dying for it. We don’t need any more fancy metaphors or flowery adjectives…we want some real sex in our stories!

I need a good recommendation! Anyone have a book on their list that I MUST read? Post it in the comments. I have loads of non-fiction, but I need a good story to get lost in.

If you’ve read Kristin Hannah’s “The Nightingale,” let me know what you think. She’s so very wordy, but I can be convinced.

And, as always, buy your books through bookshop.org if you can avoid the Amazonians.

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Hits and Misses

MISS: Season Three of “The White Lotus” on HBO/Max— too slow and too pointless

HIT: “Mad About the Boy” — documentary about the playwright/musician Noel Coward. Makes me want to put on a tuxedo and sip a martini. ($$Amazon)

HIT: This podcast interview between Jay Shetty and pop star Lizzo about her life post-scandal. It goes on a little too long, but she is a very thoughtful person.

HIT: Oscar-nominated film “Conclave” — so much gorgeous photography and suspense galore.

HIT: Last night’s Town Hall on CNN with Bernie Sanders reminds us how to talk about liberal issues. Bernie is unapologetic. (I can’t find the entire Town Hall…you might have to watch it in 10-minute sections on YouTube).

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