Day #18 of the 30 Day Book Challenge

This is Day #18 of the 30 Day Book Challenge.

The prompt is A Pulitizer Prize Winning Book

I had to look them up, because I honestly don't know which books I've read have won Pulitizer Prizes, Booker's yes, Pulitizer, no.

My pick is The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck which I read in high school and remember vividly. I remember books that I read between the ages of ten and thirty better than the ones that I read in the last fifteen years. This is just sad.

I liked the book better than the movie...mainly because very few people do descriptive text as well as John Steinbeck did. You could feel the dust biting in your cheeks.

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Day #14 of the 60 Days of Gratitude Challenge

This is Day #14 of 60 Days of Gratitude Challenge

The prompt is What rejection are you grateful for or name a rejection you are grateful for. (It was most grateful for - but it's hard enough as it is.)

I don't know. I try not to remember the rejections. Also there's been a lot of them. I survived, obviously, and moved on. Rejection - I've learned has very little to do with me - and a lot to do with the person doing the rejecting. It's not personal.

I suppose I'm grateful that I didn't get those law jobs I applied for in Missouri and Iowa. I'd have been miserable in them.

Day 242 of the Corona Virus Diaries...

1. The news stated that we'd have major storms, with hard rain and wind, most of today. In actuality, we had fifteen minutes of hard rain and wind and it was at eight pm. I was relieved I'd chosen to close the window at least. Also, kind of disappointed. I wanted the wind, rain, and storms today, dang it. [I should have taken another walk today - but it looked like was going to rain all day long. And I didn't feel like it.]

2. Outside of dozing off during the Zoom Church Service - which was about finding your way through Thesaus Maze, with a man-eating Minotaur chasing you, I binge-watched television shows.

I've finished Helstrum - which started out well enough, but got kind of silly towards the end. What works in it is the arcs of the female characters - it has some excellent female characters - in particular, Ana and Louise, also Victoria/Kathara. The male characters... are weaker.

Very comic bookish - but hey it's adapted from Marvel comics, so hardly surprising. I kind of went into it - knowing that. It's not scary or all that gory - they kind of have most of the gore off-screen. There's gore - but it didn't bother me - and I'm a wimp for the most part. Let me put it to you this way - if you were able to watch the X-Files, Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, Legacies, or Prodigal Son? You'll be fine. Hannibal or The Boys, it's not.

If you do watch it - watch it for Ana Helstrum - who is a great character and well portrayed. She's the breakout. Her and her assistant, Chris Yen.
Also Caretaker, and Louise.

Gabrielle is annoying and has a eye-roll inducing arc. And I spent most of the serious wanting to smack Daimon upside the head. (It's telling that the actor is at his most compelling - when he's playing the demon possessing him. I get that it is hard to play good guys in these shows, but really?)

What else, oh, I'm knee-deep in Virgin River which I like better than Helstrum. It's not horror though, it's a fish out of water tale similar to Northern Exposure, but more drama, and far more realistic. In other words, we don't have the quirky comical characters, and the kind overly warm town. What we have is a normal small American town in Northern California, that is somewhat remote. The lead character is Mel (Alex Breckenridge), a nurse practioner from LA, who is escaping a tragedy. She gets involved with the Mayor - "Hope" (Annette O'Toole), the local doctor - Doc Vernon (Tim Mathieson), the bartender/bar owner, an ex-Iraq vet named Jack ( a New Zealand actor who was the romantic lead in Bride and Prejudice, Grey's Anatomy (Nathan Riggs), and various other things), along with Preacher (Jack's best friend and cook, who served with him - he's black), Paige (the bakery van owner and her young son - who has a secret) and various others.

It's engaging. Understated. And warm. About a notch or two above your standard Hallmark/Lifetime fair, and a notch or two below Northern Exposure and Gilmore Girls.

I'm saving The Crown for Thanksgiving. Along with Jingle Jangle.

3. New York vs. Corona Virus and Trump

Discussed politics with mother, who is struggling with her ult-conservative friends, who supported/voted for the monster.

Mother: I refuse to hate my friends.
Me: Nor should you. That solves nothing. People are more than just their politics. I don't hate them. I despise their politics and views, but not them. I am, however, considering donating to New York's Free Abortion Access charity - which ensures free access to abortions to those who can't afford them in my Uncle's name. (My Uncle voted for Trump because he is anti-abortion and is strident on the issue.)
Mother laughs: That's a great idea, you should do that.
Me: And send him a Christmas card with the statement that I did it.

Although, the Governor preached - spoke today at a Black Harlem Church to get across to everyone that regardless of what the idiotic Federal Government does - NY has a plan in place to distribute the vaccine to everyone. ( Read more... )

Sigh. Now I have a song from the Xena The Warrior Princess's Bitter Suite threatening to pop up in my head. "Hate is the Star".