Sunday Salon for 18 November 2023
Happy Sunday! Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at ReaderBuzz. Check out her post and the links to see what other bloggers have been up to in the last week.
How’s the weather?
We’re well past the fall color stage, except for a few leaves, here and there. For November, though, we’ve had a lot of sun and weather that’s nice enough for fall walks. Lots of my neighbors were out walking this afternoon, too.
What are you reading?
I’m continuing my book club’s choice, A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan. I’m already drafting my review because I’m learning so much.
I started Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier. The original plan was to have a review up in time for the 200th anniversary of the day that Mary Anning found the first complete Plesiosaurus skeleton. I might get it read in time.
What are you watching?
Nyad on Netflix was truly inspiring. Since Diana Nyad swam the Florida Straits at age 64, maybe my goal to write a novel in my early 60s is feasible, too. Jinjer and I both remember that someone in the Sunday Salon community recommended Nyad. To whoever it was, thank you!
All the Light We Cannot See is a short series on Netflix. I never read the book, so I can’t compare. The actress in the series (Aria Mia Loberti) is luminous. I loved getting to see that on a screen.
For my British Isles Friday post, I wrote about a book that I’ve been reading since May, Dracula by Bram Stoker. I read it by email — each email arrived on the day of the year that matches the story. Very fun! This event will happen again in 2024, so check out my post if you want to consider joining that cohort.
What are you writing?
I’m enjoying my new pass at planning my novel.
I learned this week all about the history of taking a holiday or two in February to honor Presidents.
I was very confused, but it turned out my confusion was due to growing up in Missouri. When I was a child, we had two separate holidays — Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12 and Washington’s Birthday on February 22. Very few states did this, it turns out, but Missouri and Illinois were two of them.
In 1970, when I was eight, the federal law changed the observation of Washington’s Birthday to the third Monday. Probably at the same time, Missouri stopped observing Lincoln’s Birthday. So, in my memory, we combined two birthdays into one third Monday Presidents Day.
In 1943, the year that my novel happens, February 22 happened to fall on the fourth Monday. So, that contributed to my confusion. In wartime, though, many employees, including most federal workers, didn’t get a holiday. They didn’t get one for Thanksgiving, either.
What are you doing?
I’m feeling thankful for the Sunday Salon community. I love the energy, the book and show recommendations, the kind thoughts, and occasional advice. Thanks Deb at Readerbuzz for wrangling us together! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
How are you this fine Sunday?