I have completed one sock of my first pair of Happy Socks! That's my name for them anyway. They are slipper socks, knitted on a round loom. Meant to be worn at home, when feeling cozy is of the utmost important. Hey, cozy is always high on my list!
I dubbed them "Happy Socks" because I am making them colorful, and praying for the person who will be wearing them. I feel happy just looking at them!
I also completed the novel, The President Is Missing, by James Patterson and Bill Clinton.
I was thoroughly entertained by this book! Granted, it was not extremely deep. And the writing, well it was not extremely, literary. But it was great fun! I felt like I was inside of Bill Clinton's head.
After I read it, I looked at a few reviews online. And I was even more entertained! In fact, I was reading the reviews while riding the bus home the other night. I laughed so hard I snorted. I was getting odd looks from the other passengers! It was this one from "The New Yorker" that caused me to break down in fits of laughter, dabbing my eyes to dry the tears. I had to then put away my cell phone. I think I was annoying the whole bus! https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/06/18/bill-clinton-and-james-pattersons-concussive-collaboration
My advice would be to read the book first before your read the reviews, especially if you like political thrillers. There is a bit of a political speech at the end that I also found amusing and quite obviously targeting our current administration. But if you don't planning on reading the book (it's a super fast read), go ahead and read the reviews. But not in public!
My next book will be one of more depth. Another Albert Camus novel: The Stranger. I am looking forward to this book, especially after being greatly moved by The Plague, which I plan to reread at a later time.
This is a busy time of year for me. I'm knitting happy socks, reading stacks of books, beginning my fall term of piano teaching, playing the piano for church, accompanying two choirs, babysitting my granddaughter, hooping, to name some of my activities.
Whew! Good thing I have my hobbies! I have indulged in riding Lyft more frequently as I adjust to my fall term schedule.
And I'll tell you, I have some of the most interesting experiences! I'll tell you about two of them:
- Friday night I ordered Lyft to drive me home from the grocery store. About 4 minutes after I ordered my ride, a shiny Ford 150 king cab pickup rolled up to the curb. A smiling young man in the driver seat, seeing my bags of groceries, hopped out and opened the door for me. We made casual conversation on the way home. I asked him if he'd heard about the shooting the night before at the retirement home. He had not. I filled him in. I told him Vancouver was getting almost as weird as Portland! My driver said he had experienced near death experiences in both cities. As a Lyft driver! The first one, he was almost murdered by a man with a knife. Luckily, his intuition told him to cancel the ride, let the guy out as he called 9-1-1. The police came right away, disarmed the man, who admitted he wanted to "kill that driver!" Another ride was a woman experiencing chest pain. She didn't want to call an ambulance. So she called Lyft. Halfway to the hospital she collapsed. The driver had to do chest compressions in the parking lot of Peace Health as he called 9-1-1. He told me there were more stories, but those were his top two thrillers. We had just pulled up into my parking lot. I thanked him and told him to stay safe!
- Saturday night I decided to go to the church and practice the piano and organ. It had been a long day. I taught piano classes in Portland beginning at 10:00 a.m. and ended my day with a private piano lesson in a student's home. Then I hopped on the bus to Vancouver and to the church. I like practicing in an empty church in the evening. I feel like the Phantom of the Opera! But I was so tired. And I wanted to spend time with my granddaughter before her bedtime, so instead of hoofing it a 1/4 mile to the bus stop when I was done, I sprung for another Lyft ride. I am so glad I did. This one is my favorite Lyft ride ever. I was so tired. My driver pulled up. He asked about my evening. I told him I had been practicing in the church. He asked me if I sang. I gave him an emphatic, "No! Just in the shower! I do not want to torture others with my voice!" He laughed and then asked if I minded if he sang. I was surprised, but said, "Go for it!" He pressed a button on his dashboard, and suddenly the car was filled with the introductory instrumental music of "You're Still You" by Josh Groban. When Josh's rich baritone voice came on, my driver "J" joined in full force. I instantly felt tears roll down my cheeks. He serenaded me with three Josh Groban songs on the way home. I thanked him and told him this was the best Lyft ride ever. "I love Josh Groban", I said. But that wasn't it. Something about this young man, serenading me as he drove me home to such soul wrenching music, words can not describe the depth of my emotion.
I am still feeling emotional from that experience. And I realize that, even though I am a musician; I play the piano and organ in church and for choirs, and I teach piano, I do not often just ENJOY music. I find myself annoyed by much of what I hear on the speakers in Starbucks, in the grocery store, and from the living room when my family watches television.
I am so moved by music that is performed with feeling and depth. Like Beethoven, Mozart, Josh Groban, Elton John. I know we all have specific preferences for music. But instead of feeling annoyed by musical choices that are not mine, why do I not listen to my music of choice?
Perhaps I need need ear buds. That would be a start. I think I shall get some today. I have discovered one element that has been missing in my life! And now that I have my eating under control, and food is not my comfort, perhaps I can find more joy in music!
I am sometime a bit dense. But I am still alive!
On that note, I need to dash.
Talk to you tomorrow!
Love,
Zita
p.s. Here is today's hooping video. Day 161!
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