Gilmore Girls, Season 1 Report Card

Our Gilmore Girls, season 1 report card is ready for sharing! Scarlet and I finished up the first season with episode 14 of Friday Night Dinner: A Gilmore Girls Podcast, which went live this past Friday.

And, ladies, don't fret about the lower scores. You need room to grow...as we know you do!

West with the Night and Beryl Markham's exploring, sassy awesomeness

I have my friend Sara to thank for introducing me to Beryl Markham. I was skeptical when she first pressed her memoir, West with the Night, into my hands, but for years I've harbored the desire to spend a year or so living and working in Africa, so I decided to start reading and see where it took me. Thankfully, Markham's exhilarating life and way with words was the type of book that I virtually lived in.

Originally published in 1942, the book chronicles her remarkable, early life. She was known as an adventurous pilot who became the first person to fly non-stop from Europe to America and the first woman to fly solo east to west across the Atlantic. While her stories of learning to fly are fascinating and her description of actually crossing the Atlantic wrought with tension, it's her life as a whole that I find so motivating.

Imagine being a woman in the 1920s/1930s and how limited your options supposedly were. I don't know if anyone tried to hold Markham back, but if they did*, she clearly told them to shove off. Not only was she an accomplished aviator, she was amazing with horses, becoming Kenya's first female licensed horse trainer as a young adult. She also seemed to own her sexuality, living passionately and supposedly carrying on several well-known affairs throughout her life.

If you're looking for something awesome to dig into during Women's History Month (or, let's be real, any month), pick up a copy of West with the Night. I made sure to share my copy and spread the love, pressing it into another coworker's hands last week.

*I read the book several years ago, so I've lost some of the finer details.

Sanity savers for finishing my first draft (aka how I spent most of my sabbatical)

The idea for the novel I finished drafting on my sabbatical first came to me in 2011. Tucked into a booth at Demolition Coffee in Petersburg, Virginia, I was overcome with the need to record it somewhere, to not lose it, so I pulled out my work notebook and wrote the first three paragraphs of what I'm now calling Thistledown. It wasn't until a year and half later that I carved out any significant time to advance the story further than that.

It was such a significant portion of my sabbatical (and writing stories such an integral part of who I've always been) that I want to share a bit of what it's currently about and a few of the "tools" that kept me motivated and inspired. The copy below is my initial take on what you would read on the inside flap or back cover, followed by what I'd tell you if I had to do it in 140 characters. Suggestions for reworking these are welcome. Collaborative copy editing, FTW!

At its heart, Thistledown is about getting past all of the prickly barbs we erect to protect ourselves and allowing ourselves to be vulnerable. Cassie is a 30-something Baltimore native struggling to truly connect with the people and things around her. Born into a tight-knit family with a propensity for secretiveness, she has made a habit of keeping everyone, including those closest to her, at arm's length. Her struggle to deal with her grandmother's decline reawakens an interest in the family history, and old family secrets threaten to surface. Upon discovery that one of her grandmother's old cameras can capture images from the past, she finds herself thrust into a 120-year old mystery at an abandoned mill. As she falls further down the rabbit hole and learns more about the fate of the girls who worked the textile mill, past and present begin to meld, and Cassie finds herself willing to tear down the barriers she has erected in her own life. 

The Twitter-friendly, I just met you on the street version...

A young woman grappling with vulnerability discovers a fantastical camera among her grandmother's things and uncovers an intriguing mystery.

or

Life is full of mystery. A fantastical camera, a 120-y.o. disappearance, and a cast of colorful characters may hold the key to unlocking it.

Okay, 140 character limits are hard! I suddenly want to rail against the invention of Twitter (just kidding...I love you Twitter).

During my sabbatical (which I've started thinking of as a wonderful preview of what retirement could be like), I focused on the last quarter of the book. I was incredibly naive going into it and absolutely underestimated how difficult writing the ending would be. Not only did I want to do a good job weaving all of the different pieces of the story together, I also failed to comprehend the challenge of writing two pretty dark scenes I had planned. To get myself in the mood, I mainlined dark, moody pop/culture.

Listening
Holst: The Planets: Mars, Bringer of War
Lalo: Symphonie Espangole in D Minor, Op. 21-IV 

Watching
Luther, seasons 1 + 2
Sherlock, seasons 1-3

Coffee was also fairly integral to my ability to perform.



When I couldn't make it to the coffee shop, Coffitivity saved my life. I am only slightly exaggerating. It was astounding how much my focus increased once I downloaded this app to my phone.

The other app I used is Evernote. I used to save my research, outlines, etc.

As you can see, I kept it fairly simple. I never used any fancy writing software, though I'm up for hearing why I should. The final thing that really kept me going was Neil Gaiman's voice in my head pretty much telling me to just sit my ass at the computer and write. It was particularly helpful as my mind would wander, and I would start to dream of all of these cool research trips I needed to take.

Even though the first draft is finished, I'm far from done. I've set a schedule for editing what I've currently got so that I can hopefully pass it along to a few people to read and provide cold, hard feedback. I'm committed to seeing this thing through before allowing myself to wander off into a new story.

Postcards, Pennsylvania and the things that inspire us

Today is my first day back in the office after six weeks off, so I thought I'd kick this season off with a new series. You've probably figured this out by now, but I am fascinated by history, particularly the smaller, intimate stories that we aren't necessarily taught in school. The rabbit hole you can fall down when picking up an old photo or random artifact is one I will readily plunge into almost every.single.time.

I was with friends this weekend at an antique mall in Hagerstown when I came upon a booth with a wall of postcards handily organized by category. By the time my friends made it to the booth, I was grasping a stack of a hundred or so postcards, flipping through them with a manic gleam in my eye. It was an entire category dedicated to dams! Let's put aside the fact that I love the fragments of personal history captured on a postcard, there is potential value in a photo or rendering of a site at a particular point in history.

The card above is postmarked January 3, 1907 and was sent to a Virginia Peale at the Abington Friends School, which, at the time, was a Quaker boarding school for K-12. As you can see from the text on the front (above), they are essentially coordinating a ride. Think of having to communicate in this way today! I can't decide if the amount of planning required appeals to me or if I mourn the difficulty in spontaneity.

After looking up Fairmount Park, I realized that I've been in the Pennypack section of it before. I actually planned a press event there several years ago. The park itself was founded in 1867 and encompasses roughly 4,000 acres in the Schuylkill River watershed. Wissahickon Creek is one of Schulkill tribs. If you look up modern day photos of this site, you will find (thanks to the protection of this parkland) that the photo looks very much the same. However, around the time this postcard was mailed, the area and industry around the stone bridge would be quite different. At this point in our history, grist, saw and paper mills peppered the river, mills that were once owned by the likes of Richard Townsend (immigrated from England with his friend William Penn and founded the Philadephia area) and William Rittenhouse (among others). Other, more modern industry (we're talking late 1800s here) were print and dye works, as well as several ice companies.

Maybe I'm a bit mad, but this simple postcard inspires me so much--from art project (who added the glitter?) to the jumping off point for a future story to research into the Quaker's settling of the Philadelphia area.

Sabbatical reading list

I'm feeling bittersweet this morning. It's the last day of my sabbatical. I'm trying desperately to maintain the zen-like feelings I worked hard to discover and quell my rapidly rising heartbeat every time I think about what my inbox must look like. What better way to remain calm than to talk about books, specifically what I read while off!

You would think I'd have finished a huge stack of books, but the combination of reading weightier titles and spending so many hours writing resulted in a shorter finished pile. Here is a brief look at what I curled up with during these snowy weeks.

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell - After hearing about this book for years, I finally bumped it to the top of the list, and I'm so glad I did! You can read my full write-up here. The quick and dirty summary is that a Jesuit priest leads a mission to another galaxy after discovery of other life. The story shifts back and forth between the mission itself and debriefing of the sole survivor who has returned scarred and silent decades later.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - This is a novel of split-second decisions and the impact they have. The story begins when our main protagonist, Theo Decker, is just a boy. He is orphaned after a tragic bombing at a New York museum. While struggling to get his bearings following the explosion and escape, he makes a few decisions that color the rest of his life. The story follows Theo from a wealthy Park Avenue home to the seedy Las Vegas desert and the monied world of antiques restoration and sales. I found myself rooting for Theo through every bad decision he makes and wanting him to thrive. While it seemed to drag a bit in certain sections, I dug it, and the nuggets of writing on art and antiques were enough to keep me going. If that turns you off, don't worry. This is Donna Tartt we're talking about, so it has drugs, sex, murder and deception, too.

Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler - This is the story of four best friends from a small town in Wisconsin and how their lives and loves still intersect years later despite the different directions their lives have taken. For me, Shotgun Lovesongs really boiled down to a moving look at male friendship with a side of introspection on what success means to different people. Butler's writing is solid and leads you along in a lyrical fashion. Lots of warm feelings upon finishing this book.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer - I picked up Cinder when my BookBub (regular email notifying you when there are e-book sales) email mentioned it was on sale. I was drawn to the potential for a dystopian Cinderella set in the future wherein she's a cyborg and a plague threatens the kingdom. After The Sparrow and The Goldfinch (weird bird thing going on there), I also needed a bit of brain junk food. Unfortunately, starting this right after finishing the talented musings of Tartt and Russell was a bit like running into a brick wall. Tartt and Russell are masters of prose, and the first couple of chapters of Cinder read a bit like bad Cinderella fanfic. Luckily, I ended up being stuck somewhere with only this e-book with me and picked it back up. If you end up getting this one and are willing to stick with it past chapter six (page 48 on my Nook app), you just might get hooked. At this point in the story, Meyer diverges from the Cinderella formula and definitely snags my interest. I enjoyed the direction she took the story and don't want to spoil it for those you who may read it. Just know that this is a series (books 1-3 are already out), and it ends on a cliffhanger. I enjoyed the book enough that I'll buy book two (Scarlet)...again, brain candy kind of read. Also, if you're looking for a second opinion, my friend Steven also read Cinder with me and experienced a similar trajectory (disappointment-->interest).

For more of what I'm reading currently, you can add me on Goodreads or listen to That's What She Read!

Sharing is caring

Slide from Austin Kleon's SXSW 2014 Interactive keynote address.

Every now and then I find myself blown away at how much technology has done for our ability to connect and learn. Sure, I have moments where I'm overwhelmed by the self-imposed pressures of it all, and in many ways, I'm still very much an analog girl. However, have you ever stopped to marvel at how challenging it was just a few years ago to keep up with friends that moved or how in the dark you were when you couldn't attend a certain conference? Now I can stream Austin Kleon's keynote address at SXSW while walking around my apartment, follow #SXSW on Twitter to keep up with what's going on, and play NPR's Austin 100 online and convince myself it's okay that I'm not really there. Being able to do this absolutely got me over the hump today and motivated me to create.

In celebration of all that is lovely online, I'm going to shut up and share some of the things around the internet inspiring me in different ways.

Austin Kleon's SXSW Keynote - The folks at SXSW have streamed it twice now. I'm unsure if they'll post it permanently online, but if you have a chance to see it, give it a go. Subscribing to his newsletter is a safe bet for the periodic delivery of goodness to your inbox.


Slide from Austin Kleon's SXSW 2014 Interactive keynote address.

the art of working in public by Robin Sloan

Megan Ellison: Hollywood's latest player by Matthew Garrahan (recommended by Ann Friedman)

Anything featured in The Ann Friedman Weekly - Seriously, do yourself a favor and sign up for Ann's weekly newsletter. Smart, informative and everything I want a newsletter to be.

It's the year of the bush--time to rediscover all female body hair by Emer O'Toole - I can't be the only wondering whose brilliant idea it was to make the Brazilian bikini wax something we're all supposed to implement.

Sam Mendes's 25 Rules for Directors by Bennett Marcus

Bullet Journal - I'm currently using March as a trial run for this type of journal/list keeping. I'll let you know how it goes!

Kara Haupt's #babevibes on Twitter and Instagram - Part art project, self exploration, empowerment...whatever you want to label it, it's rad.

Kristin's essay on falling in love with Pittsburgh

Megan's DIY periodic table mirrors

Coup - A fast card game for fun on the fly. We played a few quick rounds over coffee at Northside Social this past weekend, and it was fun.

Behind-the-scenes photos from Freaks and Geeks

New That's What She Read is live

A new episode of That's What She Read is available for your listening pleasure! I plan to write about my sabbatical reads later this week or next, but I wanted to pop in and provide a quick preview of the new episode.

If you're not familiar with the podcast, my friend Ravena and I spend 30 minutes to an hour chatting about the latest books we've read and/or are reading. Our taste in books diverge quite a bit, so we cover a variety of titles ranging from fiction/literature to science fiction/fantasy to erotica, graphic novels and fanfic. Every couple of episodes we snag some friends, feed them dinner and get them to chat about their own recent reads. Basically, we love reading and talking about books and book culture.

This month we are instituting an actual posting schedule, so from now on you can count on a new podcast every other Tuesday. We've also got a new Goodreads group where we'd love to continue the conversation--because, let's face it, we say things people probably want to refute ;-)

This episode I offer my thoughts on Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Baker, The Secret History of Las Vegas by Chris Abani and many more. I may rant a bit about people labeling women talking to other women about romance as "chick lit", but when men write about men talking about similar topics, it's literature. I went off the rails and decided that all's fair and that these books should be labeled "dick lit".

What are you reading?! I always need new books to feel guilty about not reading.

Amtrak: a writerly recap

All of the great Twitter buzz about Amtrak needing to institute a writing residency (which they later did) had me laughing to myself. Don't get me wrong--it's a lovely idea! I've been a romanticizer of train travel from way back. I bought my first North American rail pass on Amtrak in early 2000 (maybe 2002/2003?) and spent that December traveling to Halifax, Nova Scotia and then later down to Dallas, Texas. The idea was to spend the time writing on my way to visit family and friends, and it was awesome. The train was comfortable and not overly crowded. I met such interesting people, including a fellow budding writer looking for quiet inspiration, gazed at whatever landscape we were passing in the observation car and dined with strangers. I can't say that I got a lot of writing done, but I left inspired and fulfilled.

In fact, it held such warm memories for me that I decided to travel to Texas via Amtrak again in December 2011. I can't decide if the marked difference in my trip was the result of more people looking for a railway adventure or the fact that I was roughly ten years older and in need of more comfort in my life. Instead of a romantic journal across a swath of America, laptop and idealism in tow, we're talking Lord of the Flies and a descent into madness. Before I re-read my Twitter account of the trip (below), my initial inclination was to offer a bit of reality for all of the starry-eyed dreamers. However, after reading through my notes and thinking back on the trip, it occurred to me that even in its most uncomfortable, trying moments the trip provided me with stories, rich characters and the knowledge that this girl will book a sleeper car for anymore long train journeys. So, go ahead, sign on up!

Departure // Washington, DC to Austin, TX
 

Train travelogue, hour 9: I have read (a lot), drafted one blog post, and carried on one lengthy conversation. #thrilling

Train travelogue, hour 10: Once again demonstrated my prowess at changing into comfortable evening attire in a bouncing train restroom.

Train travelogue, hour 22: 2 Bigelow teas, 1 Starbucks Via, water. Caffeine deprivation is a concern.

Train travelogue, hour 28: Shooting video clips from the observation car and continuing to change my mind on where I'm hopping off in TX.

Train travelogue, hour 34: Spending time in common areas has led to interaction w chatters. Do believe I've heard my first line of the trip.

Train travelogue, hour (almost) 36: There is now banjo playing in the observation car (as we roll through the ozarks).

Train travelogue, hour 39: Found a corner of the floor to curl up in. Hoping for sleep.

Train travelogue, hour 45: My seatmate finally got off the train, so I'm trying to hold onto my solo seat. I. Need. Sleep.

Train travelogue, hour 49: Stopped in Dallas, I feel my final destination is within reach. Also, After the Apocalypse is my #FridayReads.

Train travelogue, hour 52: It will prob disturb you that I think I look better than I should after this long. http://t.co/KzXxOG96

Train travelogue, hour 55: Here.

Return Trip // Austin, TX to Washington, DC

Train travelogue, hour 4: Close to Fort Worth. Spotted what appeared to be starving cows a couple hours back and am still haunted by them.

Train travelogue, hour 8.5: Watching mating rituals in a condensed setting makes me realize even more that I'm not cut out to randomly date.

Train travelogue, hour 9: The observation car is like a crazy, mad bazaar. Screaming children, conversations in at least 4 diff languages.

Train travelogue, hour 11: Have I told you that some serious drinking occurs on trains? They sell booze, and people very much byob.

Train travelogue, hour 14: Seatmate got off in Little Rock, and I survived the new influx of passengers. Safe for at least 2 hours. Sleep.

Train travelogue, hour 23: I survived the night and was rewarded with sunrise glancing off the St. Louis arch and a dusting of snow.

Train travelogue, hour 27: I'm about an hour away from Chicago and in desperate need of this layover.

Train travelogue, hour 30: I take the train in order to people watch and absorb atmosphere. However, Chicago's Union Station is my own hell.

Train travelogue, hour 33: My people watching has stooped to a new low. Am periodically peering over at my seatmate's salacious chat convo.

Train travelogue, hour 34: Broken, I reached for the wine. Yes, folks, I have been driven to drink white zin by the train.

Train travelogue, hour 38: Honestly, I'm super prickly. Just stopped in Indy, and a family of about 30 loud assholes boarded. #midnight

Train travelogue, hour 46: Not even wine could salvage what we had. The train and I have broken up.

Train travelogue, hour 49: Outlook brightened by conversation with a nun about bears and dancing in a meadow at night. Also, waterfalls.

Train travelogue, hour 54: Running 2 hours behind schedule. Disembarked in Staunton in favor of rental car. Fuck this (chanted internally).

Low-risk radicalism: install a tiny public library

I'm prone to love almost any idea based in the sharing of books or what we're reading. If I have to engage in small talk, "what are you reading/OMG you should read" is my comfort zone, and I find the idea of leaving surprise books for people ridiculously appealing. I've been itching to install a tiny "library" in public for more than a year, and when I noticed these trellises in a high-traffic area outside my local Caribou Coffee, I finally decided to make it a priority.

The library itself is actually just an inexpensive mailbox purchased from Home Depot and appropriately decorated. It doesn't hold a ton of books, but it's the perfect size for something that may wind up stolen or taken down by stodgy property management (like my last public installation, which disappeared in less than 24 hours). Maybe this is just a trial run for filling this tiny space with books!

I tucked the following books into this library: Pattern Recognition by William Gibson, The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis. This means I can buy more books, right? (P.S. I did.)

If putting up your own tiny library seems like too much effort, consider something like BookCrossing and leave a copy of a book in a random location.

sabbatical week 2 + 3

It's mind boggling to think that the first month of my sabbatical is over. There is a tiny part of me that is filled with anxiety at all that I haven't accomplished. I haven't even touched my business plan, still haven't whipped this blog into shape, continue to labor over the ending of my book, and haven't solved all of the world's problems. Screw empowering anxiety. Let's put doubt aside and focus on what I have gained. 

It's not true that things remain dormant in the winter. Do you remember that personal growth I mentioned a few weeks ago? Tiny buds of change have taken root inside me and are threatening to full-on bloom like a motherfucker. I no longer wake up in the middle of the night with new items for my work to-do list or in a cold sweat from worry that some politico is going to kill my project. There has been no festering anger over someone's stupid decision, and the vise (aka stress) gripping my heart has released its hold. Don't get me wrong, I'm not like many of you who dream of quitting your "day job" or escaping the "cubicle". I don't have a cubicle, and I freaking love what I do. I eat stress for dinner and convert it to fuel...to action. Still, it can be tiring and unhealthy.

Over the past couple of weeks, I've let go of the proverbial reins, handing them off to capable coworkers. I fill with a mama-like pride I didn't think possible as their brief texts or emails come through with tasks from my to-do list that they've knocked out of the park and have passed on the opportunity to review reports I'd previously planned to make sabbatical time for. These may seem minor to you, but if you were in my heart, you'd know just how huge these are.

Instead, there has been Russian-themed birthdays and dancing and snow. I've sewn my first quilt, watched four documentaries (all awesome), finished House of Cards, and laughed at Jim Gaffigan. I've written chapters and thousands more words and consumed copious cups of coffee. I've even made time for real life things working 50+ hours a week hasn't allowed for--like doctor's appointments and calling the IRS and talking to new men (I think you call it online dating).

I've got roughly four more weeks left. Let's see what we can make happen!

5 favorite recipes from Pinterest

For the better part of a decade, the only "real" meal I can remember cooking is spaghetti or similar pasta dishes. The kitchen intimidated me, and I had no real interest in the culinary arts (ha). I still don't really, but over the last few years, I have developed an interest in actually eating real, home-cooked food. Eating out and frozen dinners can only take you so far, and eventually, I was just over it.

I overcame my intimidation with a handy three-prong approach, which you, too, can embrace.*

(1) Claim your space. I got a lot more comfortable in the kitchen when I moved into my own apartment and wasn't sharing with a roommate. Roommates are great, but mine fancied herself a chef (i.e., dominated the kitchen and shared her food...where's my motivation in that scenario?).

(2) Enlist help. I'm a smart girl. I can read and follow instructions. Still, it sounded more fun to invite a couple of friends over and have them "teach" me. Yep, I cobbled together myself some lessons ;-)

(3) Just do it. Buy the ingredients, look up recipes and try. Timing large meals (I'm now in charge of cooking Christmas dinner for my family each year!) is still super challenging for me, but whatever. I put on my big girl pants and get it done. If you're like me, this means you'll decide to leave out ingredients you don't like and otherwise wing it when necessary.

Look at me rambling on before getting to my actual point. It really is difficult for me to give you a simple list ;-) Anyway, what I really want to share, in addition to my witty humor, are a few tasty recipes I've made over the last couple of months. Pinterest has been really helpful for keeping track of recipes I've made or want to make. If you can't tell, I've been really into my slow cooker this winter.

• barley, black bean, and corn burritos
• tortellini and sausage soup
• slow-cooker lasagna with tomato cream sauce
• creamy tomato soup
• organic no-bake energy balls 

*Satirical statement folks...just in case you don't get my humor.

Pain which cannot forget...

Often the books that affect me most deeply are the ones in which I struggle to frame why the book was so impactful and why it should be devoured, posthaste, by everyone. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell is one such book, which, if you've heard of the book at all, you'll know is both a relevant and ridiculous goal. Relevant in that it is a book written to be impactful and to make you think about life's tougher questions, topics that are tackled over and over again in self-help books and spiritual tomes.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

                                        What is the will of God in a world full of hateful acts and immense suffering? 

Ridiculousness in that the book has hardly gone unnoticed. Since it was published in 1996, it has won several awards and generated plenty of reviews. Of course, when you find yourself thinking about a book with tears streaming down your cheeks as you drive to a meeting in Annapolis, you kind of don't care about all of those other articles and just need to work through it on screen for yourself.

I realize I've probably painted a picture of this dark, preachy novel, but it's not that at all. The story is told through the discovery of life in another galaxy (the planet Rakhat) and the Jesuit priest, Father Emilio Sanchez, who mounts an expedition to meet and learn more about this alien race. He's joined by a diverse cast of characters (agnostic, atheist and Jesuit alike) who have been his family for years. It flashes back and forth between the discovery in 2019 and 2059/2060, when Sanchez has arrived back on Earth. As the only survivor of this expedition, he has returned an incredibly broken man (both physically and spiritually) and is being asked to account for what happened while on Rakhat. Those who rescued him reported back that he was found acting as a prostitute and had killed a child.

Over the course of the novel, we learn of the great beauty and depravity experienced on the expedition. It touches on issues of faith and fate and intent, and provides a glimpse into the anthropological study of cultures. There are even parallels to be drawn to atrocities like slavery we've seen in our own culture.

A couple of days after I finished The Sparrow, I found myself reading a post on Sojourners by Catherine Woodiwiss called A New Normal: Ten Things I've Learned About Trauma and found myself drawing parallels between Woodiwiss's advice and the Jesuit priests who ministered to and, at times, interrogated Father Sanchez upon his return. Because, let's be frank, trauma is probably the kindest way to describe some of what happened on that trip.

The Sparrow is a page-turner that gives you plenty of weighty issues to chew on, but maybe that's just me. I definitely recommend it. Let me know if you read it so that I can put together a Sparrow drinking party discussion club.

How to listen to podcasts

Let's file this under things that may seem obvious but aren't. Not everyone knows where to find, and how to access, podcasts. Maybe the newer versions of iTunes threw you for a loop (it did me), or perhaps you adamantly refuse to join the cult of Mac. Either way, I've had to walk enough people through how I listen to podcasts that I figured a quick explanation might be warranted.

Let's start with how I do it. I listen to podcasts exclusively through my iPhone. I'm either bopping along with my earbuds jacked in, pretending my phone is this decade's version of the '80s boombox and rocking the 'cast out loud, or with my phone sitting in the cup holder of whatever vehicle I'm driving. I listen to 90% of the podcasts I follow during my 2-3 hour (RT) commute or while driving to one of my many out of town meetings or field visits. Needless to say, I probably have quite a bit more time than the average person to listen to podcasts.

Step 1: Podcast app

Download the Podcasts app from the App Store. To find it, I just searched for 'podcasts', and it was the first to come up. You want the one put out by Apple. I'm sure there are others that will also work, but I like this one.

Step 2: Searching for podcasts

Using an app like Podcasts will allow you to subscribe and keep track of all of the various things you'd like to listen to. To add your favorite podcasts, click on the magnifying glass at the bottom of the screen to search for the various feeds. Type in something like, oh I don't know, 'thats what she read' and hit the search button. Click on the image under podcasts toward the bottom of the screen, and it will direct you to basic information about the feed, an episode list, and a button to subscribe (upper third of the screen). Click subscribe.

Step 3: Adding episodes

Once you've subscribed to a podcast, you can listen and manage that feed by clicking 'My Podcasts' at the bottom of the screen. The feed you just subscribed to should be listed alongside the other podcasts you dig. When you first subscribe to a new feed, you'll find the app adds only the most recent episode to your list. To add more, click on 'Add Old Episodes' for a full list of available episodes. Simply select all the ones you're interested in by touching them and clicking 'Add' when done. When you're done listening to an episode, you can clear it by swiping to the left across it and selecting delete.

Step 4: Listening to episodes

You have a couple of options when listening to a podcast episode. If you're like me, you don't really have a desire to download a lot of data to your phone or may not be near a wifi connection to download a longer podcast. I like the ability to stream episodes right from the app and listen this way almost exclusively. Just click on the title of the episode and press play once you see a screen similar to the one on the left. Depending on your settings, you may have to verify that you wish to stream this episode over your cell network. To download an episode, click on the little cloud with the down arrow. I'll load up on a few episodes this way if I'm traveling to a more remote location or am headed on a long flight. Be wary of your episode settings. I turned off the auto-download feature to preserve data.

That's the gist of how I manage all of the podcasts I listen to. It just so happens that a new episode of That's What She Read is live for your listening pleasure. It's one of our dinner club episodes, and our guests include Scarlet, Randi, and Steven!

If you've got an Android phone or are just looking for an alternative app, you can download Stitcher. Once you sign up, you can browse stations or type in the name of the podcast in the search bar. Click the name of the podcast to pull up a description and other details. Add it to an existing (or create a new) playlist by selecting the + symbol near the top. You can find this and other podcasts you add by selecting 'My Stations'. Unlike the Podcasts app, it will add almost all of the available episodes to your playlist, and the episodes are all streaming. To listen, click on the episode title you want to play.

There are, of course, other apps for listening. This post lists a few. Road test a couple and figure out which one works best for you. You can also stream podcasts directly from their website. I use Podbean for each of my podcasts, and you can download or listen directly from the respective podcast webpages.

Don't forget to subscribe to That's What She Read if you're into books and the reading life, and of course, we're chatting all things Gilmore Girls every other Friday on Friday Night Dinner!

sabbatical week 1: care and upkeep of me

Tomato soup is simmering in the crock pot, and I've been watching The Flying Nun for the past hour, not a bad way to wrap up the first week of my sabbatical. I gave myself this week to ease into it--no big goals, no alarms to wake me up in the morning, and no writing. Having spent the last week leading up to my sabbatical writing a big grant proposal, I needed to give my brain a break. Kindness shouldn't just be reserved for others. Give yourself a break.

Thanks to Scarlet, I caught up on the first two seasons of Game of Thrones (and then proceeded to curse her for getting me hooked). I cooked hearty, winter meals (root veggie barley risotto [meh] and tortellini sausage soup [so good]) and whipped up these amazing energy balls. I got into The Goldfinch, was able to record a couple of episodes of Friday Night Dinner, and saw I, Frankenstein. My apartment finally got its first good cleaning since before my staff retreat in December (hey...I was out of town or working super long days) and spent some time on a few home projects. Finally, I had a few lovely people over for dinner, cocktails and good conversation.

Week 1 has been good.


Added the newest bowl to my collection, the purple and blue pottery by Roger Allen.




Created a loop to hang my uke from after realizing I'm not quite ready for this lovely investment.


New shower curtain and rug. I loved the solid white, but it was so difficult to maintain!


Friday night dinner guests. Everyone was tired, so they'll likely hate this photo, but I the moment needed documenting. :-)

My story as told by water, part VIII (aka the sabbatical)

While some little girls dreamed of babies and families, I gazed out the window at the weathered concrete deer in our front yard and spun stories for myself of careers and adventure. I was going to be an author and then a doctor/author and then a lawyer/author and then a foreign service officer. Flash forward several (several) years and water is my game. I'm lucky enough to use science and laws and words to fix rivers.

Suddenly, after almost 13 years, I'm being asked to try something different. Take a break. As of today, I'm officially on a two-month paid sabbatical. I've struggled with how to write this post because I realize I'm incredibly lucky to have a job where I get this opportunity, and don't get me wrong. I am supercalifragilisticexpialidocious-level excited. The big BUT in the room is that stepping away from my projects, responsibilities and being in the know is hard. Actually, it's practically physically uncomfortable for my type-A personality (can one by a shy, type-A introvert...because hello). And, if I'm being really honest, there's a little fear that I won't be missed, that the people filling in for me will do so a good a job that I won't be needed. Logically, I realize I'm being ridiculous, but there's generally no room for logic when packing emotional baggage. Combine those little nagging feelings with a marathon number of days trying to tie up loose ends and make sure everyone has all the information they'll need, and you can imagine how high strung I've been these last few days. I did a little talking to God yesterday, and I have a feeling that there's going to be some personal growth over the next two months ;-)

Now that we've gotten my issues out of the way, let's talk about how stoked I am to have time--and not just that time you have to steal at the end of the night--to write and to fan the flames of all of those ideas. Hell, I might even get all hashtag crazy! I have visions of waking up early to walk to the coffee shop and write through the morning, leaving my afternoons for reading or some other kind of creating. There may be some traveling, but I'm likely saving that for later this summer. Maybe I'll just embrace being a woman of leisure.


I added a sign to my office door.

10 things we learned in our 30s

There aren't many things better in life than friends you've known for years, who you've built history with. You speak in the code of inside jokes, and it only takes a shared word or two to kill at Taboo. You fight. You love. The highs (you can't mainline Red Bull on your own) are exhilarating, and let's face it, the lows really aren't that bad. Roadtrips and concerts and TV show marathons and texts spent emotionally diagramming emails from boys. Twenty-first birthdays and college graduations and going away celebrations. It's all there, all good. And, when one of your best friends (a ya-ya sister) finally turns 30, you drop what you're doing and throw up your arms in celebration.

Happy birthday, Allie! In honor of the beginning of your 30th year, we* pulled together the top 10 things we learned and/or realized** in our 30s.

1 - Believe it or not, I eventually stopped wanting my house and my body to smell like a baked good.

2 - Confidence is an amazing aphrodisiac that cuts both ways.

3 - Always hire movers. It's worth it. Just do it.

4 - If you have to choose between highlighting your lips or eyes, make those peepers pop. You don't ever hear about someone getting lost in your lips.

5 - Always try to pee before leaving anywhere with a bathroom.

6 - The older you get the more timid and less adventurous you will feel about certain things. Ignore those feelings.

7 - Time is "money" so never spend your time doing something you don't want to do. Just say no.

8 - The rule of throwing out clothing you haven't worn in six months is horrible. Don't follow it.

9 - Always put sunscreen on your chest and hands. You'll thank yourself in 20 years.

10 - Don't try to drink as much as you did in your 20s. You can't. Start following that 1 drink=1 glass of water rule.

The Steven Darling Bonus Addition:

11 - Spend your time and your money wisely and on worthwhile things.

Corollary 1: Lots of people have lots of ideas on what is wise and worthwhile, so make sure it's wise and worthwhile for you.

Corollary 2: Be careful when listening to your own advice. Sometimes, what you think is wise and worthwhile for you is really peer pressure from yourself. Your pressuring self is taking what it thinks SHOULD be wise and worthwhile because it's what everyone thinks should be wise and worthwhile, and tricking you into thinking it's what you really want/need whether or not it's really the wise and worthwhile thing for you.

 

 

*Brought to you by Serena and Scarlet with a bonus round by Steven.
**Though you've always been savvy for your age, so I've got a feeling some of these have already been put into practice. ;-)

2014 Tournament of Books -- Let the Reading Begin!

I had a spectacular bookgasm about fifteen minutes ago when I realized that (1) the new Tournament of Books short-list has been announced and (2) the Nook e-book of Goldfinch is 50% off. Scrape me off the floor-level excited. Trust me, guys, this was the best thing that happened to me all day. Why, yes, my day must have stressful for that to be my peak.

Anyway, back to the Tournament of Books (ToBX). I didn't learn about this fun WAY BETTER take on NCAA March Madness until it was too late last year, so I'm stoked to catch the list in January. You can follow the link to read up on the event, but it's basically exactly what you'd imagine. The Morning News selected 17 books it feels are representative of outstanding fiction in 2013, and come March, they will be pitted against each other in the time-honored tradition known as bracketing.

I don't know about you, but I am all in. I like the idea of trying to read all 17 (gulp) of their picks by the beginning of March so that I can play along in the tourney. I'm a little skeptical of my ability to pull it off because (1) I can be cheap, (2) Oyster and all of the amazing backlist I have to read, and (3) new 2014 books to tempt me! The only book on this year's list that I've read is Eleanor & Park; however, I'm heartened by the fact that I found Goldfinch at a discounted price right after deciding to challenge myself.

So, who's with me in this wackadoo ToBX book club?

Finalists for the 2014 Tournament of Books

• At Night We Walk in Circles by Daniel Alarcón
• The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
• The Tuner of Silences by Mia Couto
• The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
• How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid
• The Dinner by Herman Koch
• The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
• Long Division by Kiese Laymon
• The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
• Hill William by Scott McClanahan
• The Son by Philipp Meyer
• A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
• The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara
• [Winner of the Pre-Tournament Playoff Round]

Love letter to local bookstores

There are a few different barometers that I judge cities, towns, and villages by when traveling. However, without fail, I always keep my eye out for local bookstores and coffee shops. These are my third spaces, where I go to connect, to observe, to be. Hidden just beneath the surface is a part of me that believes that, if I find these spaces in a new town, I could be happy there...that I would find my people.

For a town of its size, San Angelo* is virtually replete with bookstores. We never warranted a Borders or Barnes & Noble (remind me to tell you about my first visit to a BN in Austin a bit later), but the local mall did have what would later be their smaller subsidiaries, B. Dalton and Waldenbooks. I spent many hours here perched on step stools reading through the teen paperbacks. Neither of these stores survived my teenage years.

Perhaps the most cherished bookstore (and bookstore memory) of my youth is Hastings. It will always be the cool, independent bookstore where I first discovered Smashing Pumpkins (Siamese Dream) and could spend hours browsing all of the books. I yearned to be cool enough to belong in that store. Even though I've outgrown Hastings' local book selection and the store itself has outgrown the label of small and indie, it remains on my visit list when I head home.

Local book culture seems to be hanging on (perhaps even thriving?) in San Angelo. In 2012, the county spent $12M to refurbish a vacant department store downtown and turn it into the new Stephens Central Library. Rita's Book Exchange and Ye Ole Fantastique Book Shoppe are used bookstores that have been around for years. And, during this trip, I finally made it into Cactus Book Shop.

There is something special about a bookstore that can build a space and community around a niche topic (think Reiter's Books and their focus on scientific, medical, and technical books in DC). The Cactus Book Shop does just that with its focus on Texas and the Southwest. My experience with reading westerns only extends as far as Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (fantastic) and last year's reading of The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt. I am, however, a huge proponent of soaking up the local culture of wherever you happen to travel, and bookstores provide an awesome opportunity to learn about new authors and topics.

Even though I grew up in San Angelo, I got caught up in the heady possibility of immersing myself in the culture almost immediately upon walking in the door. My mom might have thought I was a bit touched (Texan for crazy) when she spotted me picking up title after title, but she's nothing if not supportive and bought me the Rivers of Texas you see pictured above. I also picked up The Time It Never Rained by Elmer Kelton (local western hero) and Crossing Rio Pecos by Patrick Dearen (Modern Farmer came from Hastings). Clearly, I was also letting my river nerd flag fly.

Do you ever visit local bookstores when you travel? Share some of your favorites!



* where I was born and grew up

Balance: Resolute

Resolution. Goal. Intention. One little word. Meditation. 

It's that time of year--the moment people all across the world are rebooting their lives in the hopes of some kind of fresh start. The prospect of change is always a heady experience, and while I'm more apt to reevaluate life goals around my birthday, I'm definitely not immune, so let's do this.

My One Little Word* for 2014 is balance. I don't want to lose the momentum I gained with last year's focus on 'create'. I want to always remember to make time to create, build, and implement all of the ideas swirling around in my head. Work hard, play hard and all that jazz. Still, I want to add a bit more balance back into my life over this next year. It won't be perfect. I predict it will even be downright messy, but I want to add in some things I stopped making time for last year. Cooking at home, stepping away from the computer from time to time, and actually making and keeping those doctor's appointments are all on my balance list.

The rest of this month this space will be a smidge dreamy, a bit planny, and possibly filled with other made-up words.


*I wasn't going to call it One Little Word, but let's face it. That's exactly what it is.

A year to be proud of

Twelve months ago I threw down the gauntlet, declaring that 2013 would be the year I would spend less time consuming and more of it creating. I would give the ideas on that personal to-do list a home in the real world. Judging from my watching and reading lists I posted yesterday, you would think I slipped, that I was conquered by all of the books clamoring to be read, but you would be so wrong. I managed to find time. Granted, I gave things up and chose to make sacrifices. My gym attendance got spottier and spottier the further we got into the year, and I pretty much gave up meal planning and cooking for the week by the time we got to June. Also, despite my love of good TV, I couldn't tell you what happened on Breaking Bad and only know the Dexter spoilers because of a podcast. I missed Orange is the New Black, Orphan Black, and House of Cards, and I couldn't talk to you about Betty Draper.

In their place, yes, I read more books, but I also created two podcasts. They may not be professionally recorded or perfect, but we created them. They are getting better and better, and for that, I'm proud.

I also wrote an essay and submitted it for publication. While the publication wasn't the right choice for this particular work, actually writing and submitting it was the goal. It scared the crap out of me to do it.

I wrote 95% percent of my first novel and definitely surpassed my 50,000 word count goal. It's not done done, but I'm counting it!

I developed a business idea (a bit strange for me) and began drafting a business plan.

We finally filmed a sequel to Reader's Advantage (to be edited in January 2014).

Yes, this year was a good one that was filled with family, friends, and travel. I can only pray that the new year will be as good.