Much Ado About Nothing (Much)
Staring Out The Window:
I’m sitting here looking out the window over my computer. It’s still shady in spots on my patio.
I see the sun shining through the tree leaves, which will soon be bare.
I am looking at the wheat-like tops of the ornamental grasses I planted swaying in the breeze.
Life is good.
Starting A New Book:
I started this book last night. What surprised me the most is how this book is set up.
The author was very clever. She writes what different people in the community are saying to themselves. There are journalists wanting to know “what has happened.”
The thing is, we do not know yet what has happened. Because the book goes back about six months. Then the next chapter it is five months before this happened.
And you’re reading along thinking: what in the heck happened? It must be something big. But you’re not going to be privy to that information until you go through the preceding months and get to that point when “it happened.”
Very savvy of this author, because I’ve never seen a book set up a plot in just this way. And it fascinates me. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
Yet I want to know what happened before. So we might as well know, in this instance, what built up to “what happened.”
Did that sentence make any sense whatsoever?
My blue and white chicken soup tureen:
Remember Ms. Pretty Blue Chicken Soup Tureen? I have carted her from place to place. She is one of my prized possessions, found at a consignment shop. I hope to keep her safe and not break her.Â
The other day I knocked one of my red and white polka dotted salad plates to the floor. It’s almost like it happened in slow motion.
You see the tilt to the plate, then you know that my mouth is forming an “O” because oh Lord, there goes one of my favorite salad plates.
Crashing To The Floor:
I wait for the crash, then watch the shards scatter everywhere. And my heart kind of sinks, because, five minutes ago I had this pretty plate. And now I don’t.
Not the end of the world. So I go on with my day.
A plain bed for a frightened dog:
So I stripped the bed down to the fitted sheet, and added a quilt at the bottom to be pulled up when I feel the need for cover.
Otherwise I come in here and find a lump (that is Charlie) quivering underneath the covers. Pillows are scattered hither and yon about the floor.Â
I decided to not make him fight all that. I threw a thin blanket (not in the picture) over all this where Abi is holding court. Now he can rush underneath quickly, and hopefully with less anxiety.
I just wrote a blog post about several things that don’t have any correlation to one another. Which is pretty common for me.Â
Have a good day. And hopefully a favorite plate or prized possession of yours will not fall to the floor and break into a zillion pieces.
Those pups are so cute and beyond precious! Charlie would love one of our pups- the other day he had tore up the bed so much that he even had the pillows on the floor ! LOL
Ya but once again super cute header. I love nothing much going on but right now that is not the season of life for me with school back in session and homeschooling and all that. Dean is in the office now tho so no more travel and nights out working which I love. I think he is more stressed with this job but mentally not physically. Couldn't be a lineman forever.
Well, I'm sure you enjoy having him home more and not being called out.
I have a dog like your Charlie except that she is a 65 pound pit bull mix. Everything terrifies her and I feel so sorry for her. Fireworks and thunderstorms are the worst but I found a thunder shirt helps a great deal. I have started saving the pieces from broken dishes, etc. and some day I will make something out of them (I hope). My Mom used to say don't get upset, they are just things – treasured – but just things. Also I LOVE your chicken, of course I love all chickens.
I thought about saving it. But then I thought: Where? Just one more thing to find room for, so I tossed the shards.
If you haven't thrown the shards away you could make a little mosaic piece on top of one of your little tables. That's what I plan to do with one of my grandmothers dishes that did the slow motion dive.
I thought about that, but I already have so many things I need to find a place for that I just tossed it and stopped thinking about it.
Moriarity's book, The Husband's Secret, was very clever in the way it was set up as well…I couldn't figure out how all of these people were going to come together and at what point. That's a good author, leaving nothing to chance, having it all outlined. I am ordering this on my Nook today. I need some good fiction!
I am a freak about my bed being made well. Layla curls up on top of the pillows like they are a nest, Milo lays on a throw at the bottom. I just love getting into a bed with clean crisp sheets and soft fluffy blankets.
Sorry about the plate. I think I remember those.
Jane xx
It's nice to fix up the bed once in awhile. But I'd rather just be comfortable. I do like crisp sheets. If I put a flat sheet over it, he just messes it up.
I'm so sorry about your cute little plate! I love those polka dot dishes of yours. I have a story about the "falling in slow motion" thing. We were remodeling the house I inherited for our future retirement home. I had done everything on a budget and my daughter and son-in-law were helping with the work to save on cost. Early in the process I splurged (for me) on this light fixture that I just fell in love with. We had made sure that it was safely tucked away, out of danger of being broken during the construction. Finally the day came to put it up. The fixture part was installed, light bulb screwed in and it was time to put the cover on. Son-in-law is up on the cabinet doing the work and daughter turns to reach for the cover and hand it to him. Yes, you guessed it. She hit it with her arm and it went crashing to the floor. We all held our breath while it seemed to take 5 minutes to reach the ground and shattered into a million pieces. She was devastated. I was too, but seeing her pain I couldn't do anything but say "it's ok, not the end of the world". So, even though I had splurged, I decided to go back to the store and see about replacing just the broken part. I was told it would be less expensive to just buy another. Not what I wanted to do, but I did love it so that I decided to bite the bullet and go for it. Come to find out, the fixture had been put on clearance and it wasn't that bad after all. So mine had a happy ending. I wish I could find you another polka dot plate. I'd buy for you and send it to you!
Ah well, I don't mind having odd numbers of plates. I have plenty of them.
I loved this post. It was more of a look into a normal day in your life. Isn't it funny how we change our lives to suit or pets? My cats have things arranged just for their comfort too.
I am sorry about your plate. I know how disappointing it is to lose something precious. I am glad though it wasn't your hen.
I'm super glad it was not the hen! I can break most everything else.
I prefer randomness! It's my normal way of thinking and speaking. Really sorry about your pretty plate. I've learned the hard way not to openly display my best pieces, since I got my precious kitty. I lost a lovely white pitcher! So really glad that life is good for you, Brenda. You certainly deserve it…
Yes, cats are real climbers. If I had cats, I would have to put more things up.
A broken plate means there is mosaic potential. Do you do mosaics or do you know someone that does? I have done a lot in the past, not so much now, but my friends were trained to bring me their broken pieces. I love your randomness. Feels like a phone call but you left out the typical statements that are in a phone conversation as we get older, "I had something I wanted to tell you, what was it?" or "Well, don't know where I was going with that story." or "I just lost my train of thought, what were we talking about?" Sounds like the book takes discipline but you will be rewarded in the last chapter, most likely. It is a very clever style of telling a story.
And you're absolutely right! When I'm on the phone, I'm constantly running into barriers for where I was going with a topic!
I sympathize about your plate. Years ago Anthropologie sold these gorgeous handmade bowls in bright colors. I picked each once out buying one at a time until I had the set I dreamed of on my small budget. They were only 1.99 so I collected a set finally and they are the first to break. Always seems in slow motion and you just know it's not to be again. Making a bed with your pups is much like it was with my elderly cat who loved to burrow and play in the sheets. Making the bed always took a backseat to making her happy. Lovely soup
Tureen!
I'd rather make it easy on both Charlie and me. Having a magazine-worthy bed is not worth it to me.
What a pity about your plate. Is there not a film with the same sort of approach to the plot as your book? Unfortunately I didn't actually see the film – just was told about it. And that's all I can remember!
I don't know. Had not heard that.
It's funny that you write about a broken plate. After my mom passed away, and we moved my dad into a nursing facility, I took a bunch of my mother's serving pieces back to my house…all of which brought back memories of childhood. The very first time I used her pretty glass platter, it slipped out of my hands and shattered into the sink. Like you said, your heart sinks, and usually, it's not the end of the world, but that one really tore me up. I kept thinking, "why?"
Aw, that's a hard one, Amy.
I'm happy to see you say life is good! Thanks for the book tip. I love learning about a good read!
And I SO love finding a book that I don't get bored with.
I loved this post, Brenda.
It's like chatting with you in person or on the phone. Just catching up…
I blog like that a lot.
I like to just start out with what I'm doing and how my day progresses.
Well, life is pretty random, so why not blog posts. Life is hard when you are a Charlie and there are gnats in the house 🙂
xo
Laura
Yes, Charlie and gnats do not mix.
I have done that to a favorite plate recently and I have to warn you, don't dwell on it; what's done is done and tomorrow is another day. It is not the worst that can happen. Make tomorrow a good day by thinking, yes, it is going to be a good day!
I don't dwell on it. No point in that!
You're way ahead of me!
got the book around 1 today and half way thru it.. great read and looking forward to seeing how it ends…
I gotta try to remember how I signed up a goodreads,,, oui:)
That book is sounding mighty interesting Brenda..Poor little Charlie..I don't know whether to laugh or cry for him..Sorry about the plate..they are so cute..Random thoughts are mostly what fill my head anymore..
I guess life itself is sort of random.
Love your blue and white chicken soup tureen. I've read two other books by Liane Moriarty – both very good.
That's good to know. Don't think I've read her before.
I've been thinking about getting that book on Kindle because it is so recommended, but I don't know if it wouldn't drive me crazy. I can get kinda confused when they do those 6 months before 2 years after kind of things. Started on of David Baldocci's book like that recently and put it down.
I get confused pretty easily too. But this one is pretty clear cut.
I'm going to see if I can find this book to read for the book club. Yes I've had something I love fly off the table and crash! Oh well, what can we do but just clean it up and go on. Is it cooling off there yet? So hot here!
hugs,
Linda
Still hot. I look forward to cool (or at least cooler) days ahead.
That book, I have her other one, The Husband's Secret. Waiting until my December vacation to read it. Flying from west coast to east coast takes all day…so I have saved that little baby for that. I had a glass cake plate and dome sitting super cute on my little kitchen table and one day, I came home and the entire kitchen floor was covered with glass shards. I was more frightened for the weiner dog than the 7.00 item I found at a junk store. I loved that cake plate and glass dome…I since found another one at a garage sale and it sits on my kitchen counter. I fill it with packaged breakfast bars. I removed the kitchen table (too bulky) for my little kitchen and put a little island in it's place.
How did the weiner dog get to it? Jumped into a chair?
She did jump into the chair and up on top of the table….
just dont let Charlie near your soup tureen. I think he would definitely be in the dog house! 🙂 I love randomness.
My days are filled with randomness for the most part, so that is what I mostly write about.
I loved the foreshadowing device used by the author of Big Little Lies. I was so tempted to read the end, but it was definately worth the wait!
I'm tempted to just skim through some pages, but I won't. I want to be surprised.