Musing about thoughtlessness

I can't stop thinking about a (former?) friend who approached my table at a pizza party "driving" her new handicapped vehicle.  She stopped and said, "I may ram right into the table."  Then she did.  Rammed it hard, pushing the whole table toward me.  I was up against the wall/windows, and she knocked the breath out of me.  Did she apologize?  No, she sat there grinning like a child, like she had done something cute.  She had me pinned.  I couldn't breathe, and the edge of the table was right across my breast.  I was in agony, but could not breathe enough to say, "Back up!  Please, back up!"  She just grinned.  When she did eventually back up, before I passed out, she still never apologized.  Ever.  I got up and got on the other side of the table.  But from now on, I will avoid her at all costs, even if I have to leave the party (or wherever I may encounter her).

Surprise twins

Surprise Twins for the Irish Doctor ~ by Izabella Brooks, 2023, romance, 202 pages, 9/10

When her daughter's new doctor turns out to be an Irishman, there's a diagnosis he didn't expect — fatherhood.  Two years ago, Nia fell for an Irishman who made her forget all the pain her previous marriage had caused.  He was very endearing and wonderful with her son.

The only hitch was that she fell for him harder and faster than she'd anticipated and ended up getting burned.  Consequently, she disappeared from his life without a trace.  She never revealed to Hadrian that their fleeting nights of passion resulted in twins —  a double surprise.

Fast forward two years, and an unexpected twist occurs:  Nia, cradling a tiny bundle, walks right into Hadrian's consultation room.  Now that she's back, he's determined to keep her close, their sizzling sparks acting as unbreakable bonds.  But will Nia unveil the secret she's been guarding?  And what will ensue when Hadrian discovers the existence of two little girls, his daughters, whom he knew nothing about?  (Those "sizzling sparks" were more than I care to read about, so I won't be reading any others in this series.)

Here's what I have posted this week:

1. On Musing Monday, I wrote about the cover of Home by Toni Morrison HERE.
2. My subject for TWOsday, HERE, was a mistake I'd made.
3. On Thursday, I posted an invitation to Palentine's Day (also called Galentine's Day), HERE.
4. The book for Friday's book beginnings, HERE, was perfect for Black History Month.
5. On Satuday, I shared a cat stuck in two trees, HERE.

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

This cat is REALLY stuck!

This cat is stuck between two trees.  HERE is an explanation of why cats get stuck in trees, but I'd say the cat in this photo is in a rather unique situation, wouldn't you?  After all, he/she is not stuck in a single tree, but TWO trees!!

Is this cat laughing at the cat stuck in trees up above?  How rude!

A book beginning for Black History Month

Beginning

Kenneth Harper gazed slowly around his office.  A smile of satisfaction wreathed his face, reflecting his inward contentment.  He felt like a runner who sees ahead of him, the coveted goal towards which he has been straining through many gruelling miles.  Kenneth was tired but he gave no thought to his weariness.  Two weeks of hard work, countless annoyances, seemingly infinite delays -– all were now forgotten in the warm glow which pervaded his being.  He, Kenneth B. Harper, M.D., was now ready to receive the stream of patients he felt sure was coming.

The Fire in the Flint ~ by Walter Francis White, 1924 (this edition 2021), literary fiction, 184 pages

Although he is generally recognized for his accomplishments as the longtime leader of the NAACP, Walter Francis White also wrote several novels during the Harlem Renaissance.  Praised by W. E. B. Du Bois and by Konrad Bercovici, The Fire in the Flint remains an invaluable testament to the power of fiction to address political matters.

Dr. Kenneth Harper finds it difficult to overcome the deep inequities of life in the American South.  Born and raised in Georgia, he returns to his hometown following his graduation from medical school and service in the First World War.  Determined to open a clinic for his friends and neighbors, he avoids confrontation with white townspeople and focuses on the task at hand.  Soon, however, he encounters opposition from neighbors who regard his success and intelligence as a threat to their power.  Eventually, Harper is forced to lay his life on the line by opposing the Ku Klux Klan.

The Fire in the Flint is grounded in truth and moral decency.  Praised by Nobel Laureate Sinclair Lewis upon publication, White’s novel is a largely forgotten masterpiece of the Harlem Renaissance, perhaps the finest decade for art in the history of American culture.  This edition is a classic of African American literature reimagined for modern readers.

This book's perfect for Black History Month.

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts

Book Beginnings on Fridays.

Next week is Palentine's Day and/or Galentine's Day

Invite your PALS, male pals as well as female pals.

Meet me in the Circle@Crown Café at noon on Thursday, February 13th.  Let's celebrate together, eating or drinking whatever you get for yourself from the menu.  We will celebrate with our friends (and also with our PALS — see illustration above) by being together for an hour or two.  There won't be a program; just visiting each other.  See you there!

** P.S.  We will ALL be talking to whoever is at your table,

so obviously I cannot promise to sit with each person.

My mistake

Yesterday, I waited in the Café for a friend who never came.  When I called, it went to voicemail.  When she called me back later, I found out the reason she didn't show up is that we weren't supposed to meet until TODAY.  If I'd texted her instead of trying to call, I would have seen my error as plain as day in our previous text.  February 4th isn't until today.  So I'll go to the Café again and try not to forget the right time.  Getting old ain't for sissies, but feeling stupid is not what I expected in my old age.

Part Two:  We met, we ate, we talked.  I stayed after she left, and decided to finish this blog post for TWOsday.  In a few minutes, I'll go to the Art Studio for something new:  Coloring Club.  I remember a group used to meet and color together, but that was long ago.  I was not part of that group, and I have decided to explore the possibilities this time.  I'll let you know.

Musing about book covers

Home ~ by Toni Morrison, 2012, literary fiction, 149 pages

When Frank Money joined the army to escape his too-small world, he left behind his cherished and fragile little sister, Cee. After the war, he journeys to his native Georgia with a renewed sense of purpose in search of his sister, but it becomes clear that their troubles began well before their wartime separation. Together, they return to their rural hometown of Lotus, where buried secrets are unearthed and where Frank learns at last what it means to be a man, what it takes to heal, and — above all — what it means to come home.

When I started to write about this book (that I am currently still reading), I found two entirely different covers.  The first one makes me think of the old saying, "Home is where you hang your hat."  The other cover makes me think of ... nothing related to home.  Yet that's the version I found in our Crown Center library.

Musing:  When I write about a book on this book blog, is it ethical to show a cover that is not the version I have in hand?  Hmmm, I have to think about that.  I mean, I really must MUSE about that a bit more.  What do you think?