Play Book Tag discussion

Welcome March!

NYC actually got a couple inches of snow the last day of February, sufficient to run a plow or two. I think the plowing was just for show 'cause it was only a couple inches and the rain early today erased it. I am wondering if we may be having the least snow on record this winter.

Adjusting to a schedule with more social activities, resembling beforetimes as a friend calls it. It is more of an adhustment than going without was.

Meanwhile those activities included seeing Phantom of the Opera one last time before it closes its historic run on Broadway. It was splendid! I went with the friend I went to see it with in 1988 with the original cast of Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, our seats center orchestra row C, the row directly in front of our first seats. We have over the decades each seen it 8 or 9 times now, mostly though not always, together. It really is the end of an era. I would say that the technological developments in the chandelier drop over our heads were the most notable difference. It dropped fast and at its lowest we would have been able to touch it had we been standing. It was AWESOME!

This weekend is the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College, the first fully in person one since February 2020. The festival celebrates women in film at all levels. This year the themes are, not surprisingly, all about gender/queer issues and women controlling their bodies. Definitely a film festival to check out if you are in NYC and interested in film or work in the film industry.

I got to see Phantom when it was touring years and years ago in Nashville. It was amazing. I would have loved to have seen it on Broadway, but sadly, that's not going to happen.

We are preparing for our next move, trying to find an RV park that will fit into our budget. I hate this part of moving. Plus I've gotten spoiled being in an apartment for the last 3 months up here in Indy. LOL! I'm going to miss the dishwasher, long hot showers, and my own washer & dryer.

But on a good note, I bought a new car about 2 weeks ago, so the traveling will be a little less stressful since I won't have car trouble to worry about.

Having a reliable car makes such a difference!

My goal is to see the London production of Phantom which has differences in the staging I hear because it is a deeper narrower theater than the Majestic in NYC and building and fire codes are different. It's actually also been playing longer in London as that's where it first opened and ran for at least a year before opening here. Truthfully, London has the original staging.

Also, there is already discussion of a future Broadway revival - after the Majestic Theater has been renovated and updated (after 32 years of the same production, it needs it). That's from Cameron MacIntosh himself.

For now I'm making a goal of seeing the London production on my next trip there. Which may be fairly soon as I have friends and clients there and it's been too long.

Theresa wrote: "Having a reliable car makes such a difference!
"

Yes, it does. My engine light came on time before last when I was coming back from my mom's and it turned out that something was causing the car to burn oil and my oil was bone dry. That's when I knew it was time to look into something newer.

A bright spot in my week. I found some fellow readers and we started a little library at work. I already borrowed a book- The Art of Political Mrder,Who Killed The Bishop. i plan to read this during my spring break.I'm very excited.
I'm seeing the new Broadway play, Parade in a few weeks. I'm apprehensive because it's about anti Semitism, based on a true story so it will not be a fun night out but I feel its importane to see it. The first night, a bunch of neo Nazis showed up at the theater to[protest . I already had the tickets but that made the need to see it more urgent.

Quick phone update! Just confronted my mother yet again, and she was quite receptive. Gave her two names and hopefully they will call today and get in urgently. That’s all I can ask. Thank you guys for being so supportive. The college stuff has been crazy difficult too. Hopefully I’ll be able to call soon with a good update. We are waiting for the important one after a few disappointments. Please keep up your prayers. I’m hopeful that by the end of March we can tell you what’s up. Much love to all., Amy

That’s great Sally about the work library! I know we spoke a little bit about the show off-line. I really want to hear about it after you go.

I will definitely let you know how it is. Good luck with everything. I know it will all work out.

Amy wrote: "Quick phone update! Just confronted my mother yet again, and she was quite receptive. Gave her two names and hopefully they will call today and get in urgently. That’s all I can ask. Thank you guys..."

Wonderful news, Amy. And I'm sure you'll have good news on the college front any day now.

I am planning a trip to NYC in mid-April to take care of business affairs with my brother about creating a trust for the apartment he owns and other family business. Of course I will see Theresa! Hope to enjoy a couple museums as well.

Sounds fun Robin! (not the business part, lol)

Amy wrote: "Quick phone update! Just confronted my mother yet again, and she was quite receptive. Gave her two names and hopefully they will call today and get in urgently. That’s all I can ask. Thank you guys..."

It will all work out in the end :)

My son has received more rejections than acceptances for both of his degrees, but ended up in great schools both times! Neither was his first choice, but both worked out extremely well and the one he's in for his Master's is highly rated (as was his first but that one is complicated due to a merger that was going on at the time)

What they don't tell kids in high school is that kids who apply to lots of big name schools usually get lots of rejections no matter how wonderful they are. There are many mothers I know whose kids have been through this. I can count on one finger the number of kids I know who applied to many big name schools in their fields who hasn't yet received a rejection, but he hasn't yet heard from the two biggest ones. This includes the kids I know who went on to Ivy League colleges and similar.

I can't tell you how many people I know who went to "lesser" colleges for their undergrad, did well, and then went to big names for grad school, but far more than those who didn't get lots of rejections from big names for their undergrad degree.

As it turns out, today is International Women's Day. There is an international conference in Abu Dhabi going on. I'm an early riser and just now watched a panel discussion hosted by Mika Brzezinski and Hilary Clinton with Olena Zelenska, Billie Jean King and Gloria Steinem. Each spoke about issues affecting women from their own personal perspective as well as looked at what is happening in the larger world. It was an interesting discussion. For those of you interested, you may be able to watch it later on youtube (MSNBC's Morning Joe program).

Of course, these women are all trail-blazers and accomplished. But, I could not help but notice, none of them have allowed themselves to let their hair be free of dye. None have gray hair, not even Gloria Steinem or Billie Jean King.

(I have let my hair go gray and am startled every time I look in the mirror.)

As my best friend always tells me: Embrace the gray! LoL, even though I have only embraced a small streak of in the front. I have always had a blonde streak there, and it has turned gray with only a bit of blonde. I still dye the rest of the head, but I leave the streak. I have just become use to it and would feel naked without a different color there, and the gray looks good!

Joanne wrote: "As my best friend always tells me: Embrace the gray! LoL, even though I have only embraced a small streak of in the front. I have always had a blonde streak there, and it has turned gray with only ..."

I started covering mine when friend complimented my salt and pepper hair because I finally had more grey then than my mother does (in 2018.) Yes, that's my vanity point. Now I keep on because most of my grey is in a ring around my face; I am vain enough that I will probably keep covering it up as long as my mother is alive. Or if my sister doesn't start catching up.

Why does it matter? It doesn't, really it doesn't, but I understand that I am not being consistent with my views on this.

My hair is naturally very dark so the gray showed up a lot (blondes are way less noticeable), starting around age 40. I switched jobs a couple times and always looked young for my age otherwise, so I felt I needed to keep the color for job interviews and such. Then I was working with a lot of younger people and didn't want to advertise my age. However, as soon as I retired, I stopped coloring my hair and got so many compliments, I wish I had done it sooner. Saves a lot of money and my hair is less dry as well. I had it grow in gradually so I got used to it, but it freaked out my daughter who didn't see me during those several months!

My hair is very fine and harsh agents in perms, dyes and colors hurt my hair.

I also decided that I wanted to be aware of the signs of my aging, so stopped dying my hair. I really only have a small smattering of gray and it doesn't show much.

I have never colored my hair. Started getting gray streaks at the temples a few years ago. I'm fortunate that my gray is really silver and is a nice contrast against my dark brown hair.

A lady at the grocery commented on how nice "your highlights" look ... and that she had asked her hairdresser to give her similar highlights but they didn't come out half so nice. I said, "Mother Nature did mine."

Book Concierge wrote: "I have never colored my hair. Started getting gray streaks at the temples a few years ago. I'm fortunate that my gray is really silver and is a nice contrast against my dark brown hair.

A lady at..."

My mom’s hair was like that. She’s almost 90 and the silver gives her hair a lot of shine.

I don’t have a lot of gray, but its thinning a lot at the top, so it’s hard to style.

I have known a few people who never went gray even into their 80's and 90's!

My beautician of course, has her own take on this. Her mother is 92 years old and still dyes her hair. I once asked my beautician when is the proper age for a woman to stop dyeing her hair. Without missing a beat, she smiled and said "Never!!" ;0)


I do think that sometimes I'm getting treated differently, due to now being gray.

Book Concierge wrote: "I have never colored my hair. Started getting gray streaks at the temples a few years ago. I'm fortunate that my gray is really silver and is a nice contrast against my dark brown hair.

A lady at..."
💞

Thank you for everyone's support on all fronts. Some quick adds.

ROBIN!!!! Message me to tell me when you might drop into NYC! I might be persuaded to step it up for a night with you gals.

Hair: 54.3. Still not a grey one yet. Unicorn. Still mousy brown.....

I'm blonde, 47, and haven't had any grey show up yet. Not sure what I'll do when they do start creeping in. My mom's hair isn't grey, but more of a white. They actually had trouble taking her most recent driver's license picture because they were using a white background and her hair was blending in. LOL!

Before I chime in on my hair story, I want to say that I am surprised to hear Gloria Steinam is again dying her hair. About 10 years ago I attended an event at Barnard where she was being interviewed and she had gone grey then.

2 other general comments:

1st - Angela Lansbury many many many decades ago was openly challenged during an interview about haveing a facelift - this was long before even stars had plastic surgeons on speed dial. Her answer: she had a very handsome young looking husband and she was damned if she was going to look older than him. There is nothing to criticupuze if a woman chooses a little plastic surgery or hair color to feel her best.

2nd - each woman has to pick her own comfort level. I have friends older than I who persist in dying and others younger who enmbraced going grey in their 50s.

I beat you all. I started going grey in my early teens, my hair genes coming from my mother who was essentially completely grey before she was 30. It's the Irish side of the gene pool. My father, on the german side, was barely salt and pepper when he died at 96. Both sides retained full heads of hair.

I have never colored my hair. I just let it go. And it has always been beautiful. Only once did it have a negative impact - when I was 20, a summertime boyfriend pressured me to dye it. I got rid of him which I never regretted so not a negative.

It really came in white, and when I started college, I was salt and pepper already. I had more grey than my father who was in his 60s. It whitened a lot while in law school - pretty much completely except in the back. There still is dark in there though not much anymore. I never really felt any need to dye it because my face, skin were young, my eyebrows dark, and my brother has the same hair, is 10 years older and I knew, could see how it would look in the future.

@BC - for years when I had salt and pepper hair, even when more salt, during my 20s and 30s, older women would stop me in the street to say how beautiful my hair was and ask who I used. My answer every time was Mother Nature.

I think if I would have turned so early, Theresa, I would have just went with it too. I played softball with a woman (also Irish) who was white at 25. Was envious of her a lot of times, the look was so great on her!

Joanne wrote: "I think if I would have turned so early, Theresa, I would have just went with it too. I played softball with a woman (also Irish) who was white at 25. Was envious of her a lot of times, the look wa..."

I do think when your hair naturally turns so early you are blessed the texture and thickkness of your hair is beautiful and your skintone etc. Naturally matches so somehow it doesn't age you. Well, it does make people think you older by a bit - no one carded me ever!

And for me at least it went white, not grey.

Yes, full and thick white/gray hair can be fabulous, regardless of age.

Holly R W wrote: "(I have let my hair go gray and am startled every time I look in the mirror..."

I love the silver in my hair! The first ones appeared in my early 20s and I did try to pull them out. :-) Now, though, there is still plenty peppered in my bangs, but the most noticeable are two streaks just behind my ears. My hair (for those who don't know) is quite long, so it's kind of underneath, but if I move my hair in front of my shoulders it can be noticeable, and it is noticeable if I pull my hair back - the two chunky "stripes".

Karin wrote: "I started covering mine when friend complimented my salt and pepper hair because I finally had more grey then than my mother does (in 2018...."

I've had more grey hair than my mom since it first started coming in! Now, a couple of years post-chemo, hers isn't even growing back. Not much, anyway, so there isn't really any to compare to, anymore.

I had joked with her pre-chemo that her hair would grow back in curly and grey. I feel badly now that it hasn't grown back for her at all. :-(

Just to be in a different direction for a moment, I am a little crazed and disturbed that I don't have anything light in my lineup this month for reading. I am in desperate need for a mystery or a meet-cute, or something that is heartwarming and leaves you feeling good. Even just something somewhat contemporary, Where is the Lessons in Chemistry, Remarkably Bright Creatures, Carrie Soto is back novel of March? Everything I read is war torn. Death, oppression, shootings, families torn apart, young children left orphaned. My heart cannot take it. Part of the problem I think is the reading for challenges. I have two Trim books most months, and an extra Subdue book, and those are the four that were given. My top 100 fiction is book the Cellist of Sarajevo, and man is the writing good, but how can I spend another minute in such madness? I have been talking with BnB about this. I could use a little magic, a little fun banter, a little modern day problem to solve. Help! I'm off to order from the library a few things that might be a bit lighter.

Amy, I absolutely loved The Chinese Groove by Kathryn Ma. Here is my review (with no spoilers). https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm in the same kind of reading mood as you are. The book that I'm reading now is Varina Palladino's Jersey Italian Love Story: A Novel. It's entertaining, fluffy and fun, although I think "The Chinese Groove" is better.

Amy wrote: "Just to be in a different direction for a moment, I am a little crazed and disturbed that I don't have anything light in my lineup this month for reading. I am in desperate need for a mystery or a ..."

Ah, the Book Group Blues - many of us who have been in in-person book clubs have ended up reading a lot of books about war, oppression, depression, and dysfunctional families.

For escape, I often go to Regency romances, but that might not be your thing. In other books, I really enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club and its sequels. Other humorous mystery series include the ones that start with Her Royal Spyness and Full Dark House. And there's also Chet and Bernie, starting with Dog on It.

Amy wrote: "Just to be in a different direction for a moment, I am a little crazed and disturbed that I don't have anything light in my lineup this month for reading. I am in desperate need for a mystery or a ..."

I'm reading Words On Candy Hearts right now and it's absolutely hilarious. It's a rom-com, which I usually don't pick up, but I needed something light to get me back into the swing of reading after my dad's death. I sure picked the right one.

I have written down all of these now! Holly, I have been following both of those too! Maybe it’s a good idea to order the sweet spot from the library. You recently adored that!

Amy wrote: "Just to be in a different direction for a moment, I am a little crazed and disturbed that I don't have anything light in my lineup this month for reading. I am in desperate need for a mystery or a ..."

As soon as I read this, I straight away thought about recommending Her Royal Spyness and that series, and I see Robin got there first. It is light-hearted, fast and fun.

Others I would recommend that I’ve given 4 or 5 stars to and remember really liking are:

The Widows of Malabar Hill - Set in 1920s India, the main character is one of the first female lawyers in the country in this first book in the mystery series

American Spy - recommend by Obama. A young, black, female spy is working in intelligence in the 1980s

My Sister, the Serial Killer - A quirky, fast paced thriller

Who Is Vera Kelly? - More a character study than anything else. Vera is sharp, witty and intelligent, and capable of looking out for herself.

Elizabeth Is Missing - This may not be right for you at this time with the things going on in your life, but it is a fascinating but at times heartbreaking book about ageing and memory, with an unreliable narrator. Lots of humorous moments.

Unmarriageable - Funny retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in Pakistan

Away with the Penguins - I think this is classed as uplit. Reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine but warmer and fuzzier, without the twist at the end

When Dimple Met Rishi - Cute ya with a few twists featuring a young, feminist scientist who wants to live her life and not conform to her parents hope of finding her the perfect Indian boyfriend/ husband.

My Life on a Plate - I read this over 20 years ago, so I’m not sure how easy it will be to find. I remember it being laugh out loud funny at times.

Autoboyography and My Favourite Half-Night Stand are both quick, fun reads by Christina Lauren

I know you like Chanel Cleeton. Beatriz Williams seems a similar writer. Some of her more light-hearted ones that I would recommend are the trilogy that starts with The Secret Life of Violet Grant. I did, however, prefer the other two books in this trilogy. I also really liked The Wicked City by the same author, set in 1920s New York

I'm confused, it sounds like Away with the Penguins is the same as How the Penguins Saved Veronica, maybe a British title, since "away with the fairies" is a British expression for daydreaming. A similar and I think more humorous book is Miss Benson's Beetle. both are about older women traveling and finding new interests and relationships.

Robin P wrote: "I'm confused, it sounds like Away with the Penguins is the same as How the Penguins Saved Veronica, maybe a British title, since "away with the fairies" is a British..."

It’s the same book. It was originally published as Away with the Penguins, but for some reason they changed the title when it was published in the US.

Amy, looking through my romance list you may like Hidden in Paris, The Old Girls' Network(I like Judy Leigh), The Switch and The Seven Day Switch.

As for mysteries, A Quiet Life in the Country, What Comes After(although not at all light)< How Lucky , Dog on It(for something a little different but oh so fun!)

Amy - I am right there with you - it's a combo of too many serious or dark books and really intense demanding work. I've been alternating with a lot of historical romance - primarily Grace Burrowes who writes really differently than most regency authors with unusual heroines and heros and plots - and historical mysteries.
But I've also got some escapist fantasy in hand and specifically Legends & Lattes which is an Orc named Viv, tired of being a mercenary for hire, decides to retire and open the first coffee shop in Thun. It's light, charming, amusing ... and has a reference or two to Harry Potter. I think you would really enjoy it.

Have you read The Little Paris Bookshop yet?

I also used all the Carl Hiaasen YA books as light diversions. My favorite was Chomp, but loved them all - Hoot, Squirm etc. Even those bright covers cheer me up. Bet you can pass them on to your son too and he'd love them.

Try out too Felicity Hayes-McCoy's Finfarran Peninsula series - first is The Library at the Edge of the World.

Let's not forget The Narrowboat Summer

Amy ... for something a little different ... memoir of a summer spent in NYC as a young woman Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

My VERY brief review is HERE

Even More Great Suggestions! At this point I am stuck in war torn violent Sarajevo praying for Mercy or a quick finish!

Theresa wrote: "I also used all the Carl Hiaasen YA books as light diversions. My favorite was Chomp,..."

I recently finished "Chomp"! It was fun! :-)

Theresa wrote: "I beat you all. I started going grey in my early teens, my hair genes coming from my mother who was essentially completely grey before she was 30. It's the Irish side of the gene pool. My father, o..."

Many times people who grey and then white early look wonderful with it and it doesn't make them look old (eg Steve Martin, although I can't say I find him attractive personally, he used his early white hair.)

Amy- try A Quiet Life. I think you'd find it would meet your needs at the moment. Heartwarming, quick read.

Amy- You might like A quiet Life heartwarming, quick read.

You all know I've been quite engrossed with work these last few months, largely because a nearly 4 year long project involving a condominium building destroyed by fire finally got the court order needed to close the sale of the property as a development site. Very complicated and all first impression work as this situation in a condominium has never happened in NYS - or pretty much anywhere in the US before -- we predate the Florida Surfside condo collapse and are creating the roadmap for that to some degree.

Since late December I've been concentrating mostly on lien clearance of 54 condo units, including about 8 that are 'under water' meaning that the unit's pro rata net coming out of the sale will not cover the total due on the unit's mortgage. The added complication is that these loans are owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, the federal government backed secondary mortgage market. Fannie and Freddie have to agree to the 'short sales' and agree to provide certain paperwork. It's nearly impossible to get Fannie to act, often taking many months which we don't have. Also, just getting 1 processor at Fannie to take over all the Fannie loans at this building that are short sales is unheard of, as is getting Fannie's legal counsel involved.

Today I participated in a video conference that I have spent months trying to have happen --- between a team at Fannie Mae including their legal counsel, a team from the banks servicing the loans, the court appointed referee overseeing the sale, the title company, the condo's transaction attorneys, and little old me -- and we hammered out exactly the result I have said from the beginning was the way to handle it. This was a significant hurdle and creates a roadmap going forward for Surfside settlements and any other condominiums in the US which suffer a catastrophic casualty loss.

I've been getting thank you emails since from not only my client and its legal team (something this complex has a legal team I oversee made up of several firms), but also the title company and most surprising, the bankers whose banks service the loans for Fannie Mae! Everyone wants to know where I keep my magic wand.

My work is far from done, but I had to share my breakthrough.

Of course, another time-consuming matter for another client took 2 steps back today... oh well. Did not diminish my pleasure in winning through here. Since it's PI day, I'm going to go have a piece of cherry pie.

I think you should next solve Mideast peace, Theresa, you have the diplomatic skills for it!

Theresa, congratulations. That is so impressive.

We continue to have precipitation from atmospheric rivers in California. Rain and wind here today. It is mostly for the good with the depleted reservoirs an long-standing drought, but we now have to be concerned with floods and other events caused by excess rain and snow.