What I’m doing: Composing this on Saturday while listening to my ipod. My Sunday will be pretty occupied. (Like having 20-something awesome teenagers from church hanging out at the house.)
On my ipod: Her Diamonds by Rob Thomas
What I’m reading: Just finished Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay. I liked it. Lots of “foodie-ishness” and book references. Several of them Jane Austen blurbs but there were others as well, including a few scenes about the movie, Babette’s Feast. I’m also listening to Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. This is going to take a while. I’m rarely in the car alone, or the house alone, so I don’t know how I’m gonna finish it. But can I just say, I love when I’m reading something and then I look up the author to read up on them a bit and I find that there was all kinds of hoop-la surrounding them that I totally missed while I was else-ways living my life? Before you know it I’m googling and youtubing and ……I’m like Alice down the rabbit hole.
Up next for book club: The Princess Bride
What’s been cooking: Last week I made a couple of quiches, taco soup and oriental chicken in the crock pot. I also made spinach salad with blackberries, yummy. Nothing special coming up this week: spaghetti, chicken pot-pie, the usual suspects. But I am getting a hankering to make a luscious cake. Maybe an Orange Crush Cake or Nigella’s Chocolate Fudge Cake.
On my ipod: I’m Gonna Getcha Good by The Jonas Brothers (Don’t judge me. My daughter was once a teenie-bopper and I took her to a JB concert. They were really very good!) You’re a fine piece of real estate and I’m gonna get me some land. hehe
Also last week: I went to two funerals. One friend lost a mother and one lost a father. Both services were loving tributes. Even though I wasn’t the one facing loss it still has it’s effect. There’s nothing like a life ended to put your own life into perspective. Wondering if the things I fret about day in and day out are really worth my time or emotional energy. Probably not. After traveling a few hours in the car to attend one funeral, (that’s when I started Freedom by Franzen), I stayed over night at my parents and we had the talk. You know the one, the “Our important papers are here, the combo to the safe is…..you’re the Executor…..and by the way, there’s not going to be much because we are determined to live our life while we’re here…” Do you love that?? I love that!
On the ipod: Take it on the Run by REO Speedwagon (one of the funnest songs to sing out loud and wide open in the car.)
Culturally speaking: I saw a local performance of Mary Poppins on Thursday night and it was phenomenal. The young lady playing Mary Poppins was spot-on and brilliant. The whole cast was excellent all the way down to the children. And it was awesome that when we found our seats, I looked to my right and there was Jessica from book club right next to me. Life can be so lovely.
On the ipod: Ain’t no Sunshine by Bill Withers
Finally: Heard this song last week and it made me all sad and nostalgic thinking about some friends I was missing. And if I’m honest, I was also missing my young and care-free life. Need to get this one for the ipod.
Lost in Literature 
I urge my dad to live his life while he’s here (he’s 88). He and his wife (he remarried a few years after my mom passed away) are planning a trip in the summer to Hawaii. That’s something.
Here’s my Sunday Salon!
I love your parent’s motto – it’s awesome! Must have been a hard conversation to have though.
I love the crockpot. Jerry is the cook in our house, but I cook sometimes and always use the crockpot!
Take It On the Run is hilarious to sing in the car; REO is too funny for sing-alongs. Ain’t No Sunshine is a killer song as well as the whole Tapestry album too. Man that’s starting to date me. What’s on your iPod this week? Gawd I heard Janis Ian’s song At Seventeen today and I just about dropped out of my seat. I hadnt heard that in several decades …. She was obviously having a bad day when she wrote that … LOL
If you’re dating you, you’re dating me too. I know, At Seventeen is so depressing but I like it cause it’s so real. Haven’t listened to the ipod today, but my son and I listened to The Fray in the car.