Monday, February 01, 2016

Blog Update, Recommendations, and a Word to Moms

When Ellen got very interested in hamsters, started researching them obsessively, and requested one for Christmas I tried to find my old blog post, "This is How I Really Feel About Our Pet Hamster." In it I describe how much I hate our [now long-dead] hamster. I could not find it. This troubled me. You guys don't even know how many blog posts I've written or for how long I've been blogging. Lots and long time. Christian finally found the blogpost, here. (But it was too late! I had already purchased and had been hiding a Syrian Teddybear hamster for Ellen in my closet for a week.)

I really want to be able to read and find all of my old posts and I want my kids to be able to read all of them because they star in many of them. When I'm dead they'll be so glad they have my posts. But right now my archives aren't easily accessible. So I'm trying to go through and organize things better with tags and tabs. It's a big project! For now you can poke through my archives via the topics to the right, but I know it's not ideal.

Also at right is my faves list. My blog has always been driven by faves. Last month all my faves were books. In case you missed them, January's picks were The Lake House by Kate Morton, a long and lovely mystery novel set in England; All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, one of my all-time favorite books set in France during World War II; The Road to Character by David Brooks, an interesting and thorough look at what it takes to be a good person; and the new Illustrated Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. You will be shocked to learn that I never read this book. I only started listening in to Christian reading it out loud to Sam at bedtime about halfway through the book. I love the new illustrated version and I'm enjoying reading it for the first time. If only I could read all of the Harry Potter books again for the first time.

February's faves include season 1 of X-Files. I love the X-Files. The show was the training ground for some really talented TV writers (Vince Gilligan of Breaking Bad got his start there) and it was genre-busting and ground-breaking in ways that we take for granted now. Watching it with my kids I'm like every old person that can't quite convey how earth-shattering it was to see the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. "WE HAD NEVER SEEN SEASON-LONG ARCS BEFORE! IT BLEW OUR MINDS!"

As you know they have resurrected the X-Files with the original cast, show-runner, and writers for a 6-episode mini-season that is 2 episodes in with the third airing tonight. The first episode was not great, but it got the job done. The last movie was in 2008 and the show has been off the air since 2002, so there was some catching up to do. My favorite thing about it is that they used the exact same opening credits that they used for all 9 seasons of the show. The second episode was better and, according to critics, the show picks up steam from here on out.

I highly recommend watching every season of the X-Files for cultural well-roundedness. Remember, I went back and watched all of Buffy the Vampire Slayer at great personal sacrifice after never watching it when it originally ran in the 90s. We make time for the things that matter most. Every season of X-Files has several must-watch episodes. It's so good.

I'm also recommending a nice face cream that I like. I hope to become a lady who uses an expensive french moisturizer sparingly every night and is so beautiful that I only have to wear mascara in addition to that. I'm not there yet but it seems possible with this Lait Creme that has a cult following. I basically love anything with a cult following.

I recommend In Cold Blood if you've never read it and you like long, detailed, true-crime stories that are somewhat bleak. I actually listened to the audio book.

And finally, a good friend gave me a grieving-missionary-mom care package for Christmas that included the book, A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918. It's non-fiction about fiction—one of my favorite genres.

For now, peruse the archives from my old stuff. I'm the mom of 4 kids ages 8-18 now, but all those humans were babies once. I birthed them and raised them and suffered through the trials of momness just like some of you are suffering now. The experience of motherhood feels so singular at times, which can be amazing, but it can also be alienating and sad. You're not alone! The "old moms" who you think can't relate to you because they can shower and grocery shop alone have been there and done that and we want you to know that we love you and you are doing a great job and we are all in this together even though some of us are awake at night missing our missionaries and waiting for kids to come home from dates and some of us are awake at night with colicky babies and toddlers who won't stay in their beds. Here, look:MomnessObvious Tips for Not-Very-Good HomemakersParenting: Bandwagon Dorkiness

19 comments:

  1. Love hearing from you, anytime. If you liked the Doerr book (I did, too), I recommend The Nightingale. Same wheelhouse. Not as strikingly beautifully written but great characters and interesting perspective.

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    1. I already started The Nightingale. I'm reading it now!

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    2. I am in the last 30 min of the Nightingale on audio book. Brace yourself. It's rough (shocking, I know for a book about WWII to be rough and not light hearted and silly.)

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    3. I also enjoyed All the Light...and just started Nightingale. I read The Lake House some time ago. i enjoy finding out that people I know are reading the same books I am at the same time. I think the introvert in me thinks it's the same as socializing.

      Maybe I'll try the x files or Buffy, just cuz you said so!

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    4. It's like we party together.

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  2. I really like your blog and have been reading it for a long time. One time I saw you at sundance and we made eye contact but I chickened out and didn't say hi. I wish I had!

    I'm married and have a one year old now. I'm glad to be reminded of the archives and I'm glad you're writing new posts again.

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    1. Thank you for reading! Be sure to say hi next time.

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  3. I heard a story on NPR last week about the composer of the X Files theme music—apparently the composer's wife whistled the background whistling sound. I've never watched the X Files but I AM rewatching Buffy (I haven't watched since it was originally on the air, and even then I think I only made it through four or five seasons). I think I'm due for an X Files introduction though. Also, thanks for continuing to blog.

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    1. YOU SHOULD WATCH X-FILES.

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    2. i think i admitted once here that i watch/read almost everything you recommend, soooooo it'll happen

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    3. except i can't get excited about in cold blood. i started it about ten years ago and then i couldn't fall asleep at night. i did see "capote" though, which i thought was really good and negates my need to read it. right?

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    4. You don't have to read In Cold Blood. It's a pretty big bummer.

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  4. If you can go back and watch all of Buffy, then I suppose I can go back and watch all of the XFiles. I feel so culturally illiterate. I didn't even finish Doctor Who and now it is gone....

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    1. I feel that the X-Files will be worth your investment. But I say that having still not watched a single episode of Parenthood. So.

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  5. Obvious Tips for Not-Very-Good Homemakers, one of my all time favorite posts. I've been reading your posts since the Deseret Book thing you used to write for. I can't remember what it was called. That was quite a while ago. I also take your suggestions very seriously.

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    1. Thank you, Angela! Wow, you've been reading a long time.

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  6. I LOVE the X-Files. Love love love.

    I managed to watch all of Parenthood, but it can be annoying. You have been warned.

    Always fun to read you, Kacy. My son just turned 18 and all of a sudden is all grown up. What the heck? College next year away from home. It's gonna be good, right?

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    1. Thanks for reading! It's gonna be . . . good! I think! Hard but good.

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