“Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.” — Vincent Van Gogh
What a beautiful experience — the artistry, the colors, the movement, the words, the music…
"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough." - Rabindranath Tagore
READING:
How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style, and Bad Habits — “From four stunning and accomplished French women--at last--a fresh and spirited take on what it really means to be a Parisienne: how they dress, entertain, have fun and attempt to behave themselves” (Goodreads).
Brat: An '80s Story by Andrew McCarthy — “In his memoir, McCarthy focuses his gaze on that singular moment in time. The result is a revealing look at coming of age in a maelstrom, reckoning with conflicted ambition, innocence, addiction, and masculinity. New York City of the 1980s is brought to vivid life in these pages, from scoring loose joints in Washington Square Park to skipping school in favor of the dark revival houses of the Village where he fell in love with the movies that would change his life. Filled with personal revelations of innocence lost to heady days in Hollywood with John Hughes and an iconic cast of characters, Brat is a surprising and intimate story of an outsider caught up in a most unwitting success” (Goodreads).
WATCHING:
Making the Cut Season 2 on Prime — Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn, and ten established designed from around the world, including Paris, compete to become the next global fashion brand. I loved these Project Runway-type shows. Unlike most series on Prime, this one was not “bingeable”; you got two episodes each week which was both fun and frustrating. I liked that I could watch another episode right after I finished one, but didn’t love that I had to wait another week after finishing two. If they are going to spread the episodes out over several weeks, I’d almost prefer just one episode so that I would have something to look forward to longer.
FEELING:
Proud of my nephew, Alec, who is now officially an Eagle Scout. Here are the video and program that I prepared for his Court of Honor ceremony.
Anxious as we begin a third school year dealing with this pandemic.
WORKING ON:
Updating our loft: The chairs we ordered for our living room back in February are finally arriving next week. The chairs that the new ones are replacing will go in the loft. We removed all of the IKEA cabinets and furniture, patched holes, and applied three coats of our favorite alabaster paint. Now the space is nice and bright. We shopped in our basement for occasional tables and have the furniture basics (good thing since it takes so long for furniture delivery these days). Now comes the fun part — decorating and accessorizing.
“Give thanks for the heavy perfume of wild roses in early July and the song of crickets on summer humid nights and the rivers that run and the stars that rise and the rain that falls and all the good things that a good God gives.” - Ann Voskamp
READING:
The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It — “The Widow Clicquot is the New York Times bestselling business biography of the visionary young widow who built a champagne empire, became a legend in her tumultuous times, and showed the world how to live with style. Tilar J. Mazzeo brings to life the woman behind the label, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, in this utterly intoxicating book that is as much a fascinating journey through the process of making this temperamental wine as a biography of a uniquely tempered and fascinating woman” (Goodreads).
WATCHING:
11.22.63 — “Imagine having the power to change history. Would you journey down the “rabbit hole?" This eight –part event series follows Jake Epping (James Franco), an ordinary high school teacher, presented with the unthinkable mission of traveling back in time to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Jake travels to the past in order to solve the most enduring mystery of the 20th century: who killed JFK, and could it have been stopped? But as Jake will learn, the past does not want to be changed. And trying to divert the course of history may prove fatal” (Hulu).
McCartney 3, 2, 1 — “Paul McCartney sits down for a rare in-depth one on one with Rick Rubin to discuss his groundbreaking work with The Beatles, the emblematic 70s arena-rock of Wings, and his 50 years and counting as a solo artist, in this six-episode series that explores music and creativity in a unique and revelatory manner. Join Paul and Rick for an intimate conversation about the musicianship, songwriting, ingenuity, influences, and personal relationships that informed the iconic songs that have served as the soundtracks of our lives” (Hulu).
FEELING:
Blurry, exhausted, and unattractive — The terrible EKC virus that infected both of my eyes the last week of school returned just in time for our anniversary. And, to make matter’s worse, I also developed an ulcer in my left eye. Finally, after almost two weeks of antibiotic drops, steroid drops, lubricating drops, hypochloric acid spray, ice packs, coconut oil for pealing eyelids, and daily trips to the eye doctor to test my pressure and vision, I think that I’ve finally recovered. I really wish I knew what caused it and I hope that this terrible ordeal doesn’t reoccur yet again.
August — All educators feel the shift, some around mid-August, other’s as soon as the calendar turns over, yet this summer, the back-to-school pressure started just after the 4th of July. I have so many meeting and PD sessions to prepare for and facilitate that I’m trying hard not to feel overwhelmed. I hope that stress doesn’t contribute to the aforementioned eye issues.
ENJOYING:
Two mini getaways — We enjoyed an overnight trip to Door County the second weekend in July. We saw friends and relatives, enjoyed great food, incredible sunsets, hiking, and even an unexpected afternoon of sailing. The following weekend, we finally visited Nan and Mark in the North Woods. Everything there was beautiful and peaceful and their home is so lovely.
“There are only two places in the world where we can live happy: at home and in Paris.” — Ernest Hemingway
The 7 Best Airbnbs in Paris for a Stylish, Spacious Sojourn in the City of Light according to Vogue — We stayed in the “Loft Near the Champs-Élysées” in Fall 2019. See photo above and read more about it here.
Experience Paris through the eyes of Ernest Hemingway 60 years on from his death
Step Inside a Historic Paris Apartment That Brims With Charming Details and Antique Pieces
34 Best Things to Do in Paris — I’ve done 23/34
A Julia Child TV Series Is Coming to HBO Max + a documentary about her life
Warm sunshine, blue skies, fresh breezes, vivid sunsets, crisp sails, tart cherries, and endless vistas…
Sturgeon Bay’s Michigan Street “Steel” Bridge
Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal
Dusk at Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club
SBYC 75th Anniversary Party
Sunset over Sturgeon Bay
Cherry Picking Time
New Observation Tower Peninsula State Park
I think the view was worth the vertigo!
Eagle Light House - Peninsula State Park
Wildflowers in Peninsula State Park
Skipping stones in the Park — We did this on our first date 24 years ago.
Goats at Al Johnson’s
Stockholm Cooler - Svedka vodka, lemonade, lingonberry syrup, and of course Swedish fish
Afternoon sail aboard Passage North — 1966 Cal 40
We loved our 30-hour mini-vacation “up home.”
