Do or Don't: Book Clubs

 

When I first moved to CO, some co-workers of the Mr. had a book club they had been hosting for a little while, and invited me to join in.  Seeing as how I knew practically no one here yet, I was excited to hopefully find others who I could see myself hanging out with "on the regular".  I had never been in a book club before so I figured I'd give it a shot.

When I touched base with all the women involved, they let me know that they were just finishing up Fifty Shades of Grey, but would be starting a new book soon.  Yes, I'll admit it, I definitely got a little scared when I heard that title.  What was I getting myself into?  A group of people who were seriously interested in not just reading, but actually discussing in public soft-core porn "novels"?  Was the next book going to be something from the Twilight series? 

I feel okay saying all of this now because a- in actuality (spoiler alert!) they are all now my good friends, and b- they had picked that book as sort of a joke to see what all the hype was about. Which, by the way, is exactly the sort of thing I would have done myself. In retrospect, I really wish I had been there for that particular book club meeting. I'm sure it was hilarious.

Anyway, the next title they chose was Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson. At the time, I had never heard of the book or the author, more infamously known as "The Bloggess". After reading the first few pages of the book and almost peeing my pants more than just a couple times from uncontrollable laughter, I knew I had found a group of women that I could absolutely relate to. 

I felt so confident, in fact, that I agreed to host the next book club gathering.  There were only a couple people in the group that I had actually hung out with socially at that point, but the book title that they chose spoke so loudly for me, I felt absolutely sure that we would all get along just fine.  Sure enough, just as I had hoped and expected, these women became my closest friends here in CO, and I have that initial book club to thank for it.

So, tell me my dear internet cosmos:  Have you ever been involved in a book club?  If not, would you consider it?

(images from here and here) 

Alfie Design

How beautiful are these watercolor invitations from Alfie Design?

Even though I have absolutely nothing remotely important enough to justify having such stunning works of art act as invitations for coming up in my life, I'm still pretty tempted to commission some anyway.  How about an invitation for coming over to help me fold laundry?  Or a nice evening of binge eating chocolate chips while listening to a very determined 1-year old protest about having to go to sleep?

See, I knew I could come up with something.

See more of her beautiful work here, or purchase one of her cards, invites, or paintings here.

 

         

Big + Little: Back to School

Well, folks, summer is officially over.  Finito.  Donzo.  Gone with the wind.

Not only does Labor Day usher out the sweaty sunny days of summer, but it also has always represented the official beginning of school for me.  Even if we hadn't started classes again quite yet. Or if we had already started classes, it always seemed a little ridiculous because we'd go to school for a few days and then get a day off for Labor Day.

"Wait, we've only been at it for like 4 days and already we're getting another vacation?!?"

You know that feeling I'm talking about, right?

Anyway, as crazy as it seems, a little part of me still wishes that I was heading back to new classes this time of year again.  Buying new supplies for all the dozens of papers I would spend hours researching and all the sleepless nights spent banging away in practice rooms and all the weekends I would spend partying excessively instead of studying like I should have been.  Or as a line taken from an old favorite movie most perfectly describes it:  "Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address…"  Man, what I wouldn't give for some pencil dust right about now.

Even though neither my daughter nor myself are heading off to school this year, there's no reason we can't enjoy the perks of getting some new supplies to see us through whatever learning adventures this new year will bring.

BIG:  Chris Van Veghel minimal rucksack / Public-Supply notebooks / 

Zuzii womens suede oxford / Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger   

LITTLE:  Duluth Pack child's envelope pack / Etch A Sketch / 

Zuzii kids suede oxford / An Awesome Book of Love! by Dallas Clayton

OluKai

Last week, we spent a few days in northern New Mexico visiting a chamber music festival, Music From Angel Fire, that I used to work for.  In addition to hearing amazing music, catching up with old friends, and generally just enjoying the beautiful NM landscapes, we were able to take some time to wander around the wonderfully wacky town of Taos for a while, too.  In one of the many adorable shops around the main town square, I ran across these sandals and fell madly in love.  They are expertly made and insanely comfortable, without looking like a geriatric podiatrist-recommended pair of boats on your feet.

Have you ever heard of OluKai shoes?  I hadn't come across them before but these sandals were all I needed to become instantly obsessed.  Here are a few other current favorites:  

Humu

Pa'ia

Hema

Since we are pretty much eternally broke, these will have to stay on the wish list for now.  But you better believe I will be stalking the sales until I can snatch a pair up for myself.  

--mel

Drugs, Sex, and…Classical Music?

I'm not going to go into too much detail here about why this topic interests me.  That would take way too much space and you would most certainly not come back to read much more from me I'm sure.  "Rambling" would be putting it lightly.  Anyway, I'll just say that classical music has been a huge part of my life since I was 6 years old and sat down in front of my first grand piano.  I love it.  Always have, always will.  

For me, there is no question that classical music is completely relevant and exciting even hundreds of years after some of it was written.  Having studied extensively the history and theory behind much of the classical music repertoire, I understand that my interest is inherently biased, but I also feel strongly that even without a musical background, anyone can find a similar interest and love of classical music.  And if that means you have to read "Fifty Shades of Grey" to do it, so be it. 

I've never read it, but supposedly, the book's namesake Christian Grey has an interest (Among other things…) in classical music.  In one particular scene, as explained in this WQXR article, "Grey turns on his car stereo and proceeds to inform his love interest, Anastasia, about his 'eclectic' taste in music--'everything from Thomas Tallis to the Kings of Leon'.  Grey says the Tallis is 'very esoteric, I know, but it's also magical'." 

Even though reading that little excerpt makes me throw up in my mouth a little (hey, we all have different tastes in men and their pick-up lines), I will say that it is pretty impressive that a "mommy porn" novel can make a medieval choral motet break through the top 10 on the music charts some 450 years later and inspire a whole soundtrack full of classical music.  I'll certainly applaud for that.


There's no question that the guiding force behind the newfound popularity of pieces like Tallis' Spem in Alium is, plain and simple, sex.  The same thing that guides so much of pop culture today is creating a renaissance for musical forms from the past.  There are countless other examples of movies finding new ways to create a link between classical music and sex (here's a good starter list, if you're interested).  And you may be shocked to learn that this link between the racy promiscuous behavior and the bland penguin-attired orchestral musicians isn't just dreamed up by hollywood executives.  It's real.

According to Amazon's new series "Mozart in the Jungle" (based on the memoir of oboist Blair Tindall by the same name), the inner workings of classical music are just as outlandish as what you'd expect from the green room at a Rolling Stones concert.  Perhaps Mr. Grey wasn't so out of line after all.

So my question to you is does the sexualization of classical music make it more appealing to you?  More relatable?  Is classical music more interesting if there is drama and scandal attached to it?  What words, feelings, emotions, do you associate with classical music?  Is "kinky" one of them?

This is a safe space y'all.  Feel free to comment anonymously if that makes you more comfortable.  Either way, let 'er rip.

xoxo-

mel

(images via here, here, and here)

The big ONE

So, NC turns 1 in a couple weeks.  

(Dramatic pause.)

That's right.  A whole year.  365 days.  8,765.81 hours.  I could go all "RENT" on you and continue this pattern but it seems in fact that there are 525,949 minutes in a year so really we need to stop supporting the lie.  

Anyway, NC is turning a year old and we're gonna party.  I'm assuming she won't really know what the hell is going on, so we're getting a lot of sweets, a lot of beer, and a lot of yard games for the adults to celebrate.  

Since she's not exactly of age yet and won't really be partying all that hard this year, a whole bunch of presents that she will be able to enjoy for the next year of her life will just have to suffice.  Here are a few things that NC would love this year:

1- Balancing Tree.  This set of balancing blocks would pull double duty since one of my Mr.'s favorite things to do is try and build the most epic stacked up pile of blocks ever, and one of NC's favorite things to do is knock it down.  

2- Shopping Cart.  NC is gonna be walking sooner than we'd all like her to so no use in fighting it.  This would not only help stabilize her in her early wobbling phase, but she would be able to take all of her toys around the house with her, and perhaps even clean up after herself when she's finished (don't crush my dreams here, people).

3- Family Dolls.  NC has a somewhat terrifying habit of chucking all of her stuffed animals over the side of her crib to their untimely deaths, laughing maniacally as they fall to the ground.  One of the millions of sleep books we read said we should encourage the use of a "lovie"--something that she could use to soothe and comfort her when she is in her crib alone.  I know she loves us, so maybe if we had these amazing dolls done up to look just like us, there would be less casualties in her bedroom. 

4- Stacking Toy.  Again, the stacks of things are a big hit in this house.  Plus, NC loves to put things inside of and on top of other things (and then of course, knock them all down).  Maybe this will help to curb her need for destruction.

5- Floral Romper.  Okay, so maybe this is more for me than for NC.  She doesn't give a damn what she wears so far as we can tell, but this would make mama so very happy. 

6- Exclamatory! Shirt.  A shirt with NC's favorite word on it!  Perfect. 

7- Classical Music for Kids.  As you all probably know by now, one of my life's goals is to show the world that classical music is cool and completely relevant.  I use NC as my guinea pig to try out as many different tactics as I can in hopes that she will fall in love with it as I have.  So far, it's working pretty well.  I think this book would be a good addition to my master plan.   

8- Rocking Moose.  Every child needs a rocking horse, and we live in CO.  Enough said.

Talking about all these presents has me in the mood to go start drinking celebrating early!

xoxo-

mel  

Late-Night Reading

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time laying on the floor in NC's nursery while she is sleeping because every time I walk out of the door she wakes up crying.  While this is completely unsustainable and pretty damn annoying most of the time, I have been utilizing the time catching up on some worthwhile reading.

Readability is an app that you can install on your devices (desktop included) to help corral all of those important articles and think pieces that you know you want to read, but just haven't found the time to do so yet.  When I'm nursing NC or trying to get her to go to sleep or stay asleep, my cell phone pretty much stays glued to my hand.  Inevitably I end up finding a million things that I find immensely interesting and really want to read, so Readability is an awesome way to keep tabs on them all.

Here are a few of my recent favorites:

"Benjamin Britten's 'Moonrise Kingdom'", The New Yorker.  I am a classically trained pianist by trade and a passionate advocate for making classical music more accessible to the masses.  I love that Anderson's use of Britten's "Noye's Fludde" is so prominent in the film, and not merely a backing track.

"Pope Francis, The People's Pope", TIME.  I really enjoyed reading, what is to most of us non-catholics, this introduction to their new pope.  I find the global appeal and commercial interest of this pope, regardless or religious preference, really fascinating.

"The Welfare Queen", Slate.  I barreled through this exposé on notorious welfare fraud Linda Taylor, totally enthralled with her unbelievable drive to use the system to her advantage.

"Breastfeeding: Good for babies, the environment, and justice, too", Grist.  Hot on the heels of the completely unwarranted hoopla that surrounded Karlesha Thurman's act of normal parenting at her college graduation, a great commentary on how our society does very little to help our mothers be successful in breastfeeding.  I like that it also gives us a few different reasons to support the 'breast is best' ideal that we often overlook, including the impact on the environment and social justice movements.

 
And if you're interested, I tend to find the best pieces of journalism on Longform, a website that continually updates it's list of worthwhile, slightly longer than your average FB-linked article, pieces of writing from around the web.

And if you'd like to see more of what I'm reading, you can follow me on Readability and see more of my recommendations.

Happy reading!
--mel