everyday feels like . . .

. . . a completely new beginning. What will we be doing today? Will the baby be interested in an outing? Will I get any writing done? Will Wilmington stop being so humid? I can think of three life-changing events I am working on right now and I am equally excited about all of them and I also wish at the same time that I had a little less to deal with at one time. But then it occurs to me that this is actual life!

Right now it is storming here and the windows are coated with rain. Amazingly enough, the dogs are rather chill about the thunder, although Sam's usual MO is to freak out. Last night we watched Marley and Me, and it made me absolutely appreciate every dog I have ever had, even when I've had seven at one time. There is no way on earth any of my dogs were as destructive or disobedient as Marley. Kathleen Turner as the dog obedience instructor cracked me up! I saw that whole episode coming from a mile away.

Julie & Julia is out and I confess I want to see it. Meryl Streep is a favorite of mine, and Amy Adams has proven to be extremely talented in every movie I have seen her in. As for books, yes I am reading! Finding time somewhere (stealing fifteen minutes from sleep, in the bathtub, during baby naps when I should be folding laundry). My ultimate recommendation is for The Elegance of the Hedgehog. I didn't want to finish it. Ever. The voice of the main character is so entrancing, so likeable in her attempts at mediocrity. Another stellar read is Middlesex. I've been wanting to read it having been a huge fan of Orlando by Virginia Woolf. The main character in this is also fascinating. Both books propel you to want to know what is going to happen next, which is something I have been thinking about in literary fiction lately. How does great literature assume that same plot-driven feel of, say, a thriller, and remain essentially a character derived novel? Hmmm. More thoughts on this later.