“July, with its days of blue skies and time that seemingly stands still, holds a special place in my heart.” — Daisaku Ikeda
READING:
Table for Two by Amor Towles —”From the bestselling author of The Lincoln Highway, A Gentleman in Moscow, and Rules of Civility, a richly detailed and sharply drawn collection of stories set in New York and Los Angeles” (Goodreads). I really like Towles’ writing style; yet, although I enjoyed the extention of Rules of Civilty., I prefer his novels over this collection of short stories.
A Gentleman and a Thief: The Daring Jewel Heists of a Jazz Age Rogue by Dean Jobb — “Catch Me If You Can meets The Great Gatsby meets the hit Netflix series Lupin in this captivating Jazz Age true-crime caper about ‘the greatest jewel thief who ever lived’ (Life Magazine), Arthur Barry, who charmed celebrities and millionaires—everyone from Rockefellers to members of the royal family—while simultaneously planning and executing the most audacious and lucrative heists of the 1920s” (Goodreads). I expected this to be a novel akin to the aforementioned film, book, and series — all of which I really enjoyed; rather, it was a chronology of the life and crimes of Arthur Barry.
Simple Matters: A Scandinavian's Approach to Work, Home, and Style by Jenny Mustard — “In a beautiful collection of essays, Simple Matters challenges readers to simplify their life by prioritizing emotional and physical health, curating a personal style, and pursuing one’s dreams” (Goodreads).
WATCHING:
Movies:
Widow Clicquot — “The story behind the Veuve Clicquot champagne family and business that began in the late 18th century” (IMDb). The film was visually stunning although, as is usually the case, I preferred the book.
Find Me Falling (Netflix) — “After a failed comeback album, rock star John Allman escapes to a dreamy Mediterranean island, only to discover that his new cliffside home has an unfortunate notoriety that attracts unwanted visitors and an old flame” (IMDb). You had me at Harry Connick, Jr.
TV:
Ted Lasso (Apple TV) — for the 3rd time because it’s funny and heartwarming and sometimes you need to be a goldfish.
The 2024 Olympics in Paris — I love the Olympics and I have been so eager to watch my favorite city host the games in places that are so wonderfully familiar. I have Youtube TV set to record all of the events — sand volleyball in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, Simone Biles’ comeback, basketball without Giannis on team USA, the debut of break dancing — everything. Of course I am partial to sailing and rowing — neither of which are technically in Paris, mais voilà. I thought the opening ceremony was magnificent — the teams approaching the Eiffel Tower in boats on the Seine, the hot air balloon cauldron, Céline Dion’s rendition of Piaf’s Hymne à l’amour, the rain…spectacular.
LISTENING TO:
Jimmy Buffett — It’s not summer without Jimmy Buffet even if this is the first summer without him.
July Instapuzzle Mini-Playlist
Chicken Fried (Zac Brown Band)
Cherry Oh Baby (UB40)
Something ’Bout a Boat (Jimmy Buffett)
Olympics Fanfare and Theme (John Williams)
Mr. Blue Sky (ELO)
Love and Luck (Jimmy Buffett)
Sailing (Christopher Cross)
Sea of Love (The Honeydrippers)
Lighthouse (James Taylor)
American Music (Violent Femmes)
American Girl (Tom Petty)
FEELING: Strong and accomplished — I set a goal to row two million meters before the start of the Paris Olympics. On Friday morning before the opening ceremony, I still had 14, 000 meters to row. One hour and twenty-five minutes, 500 calories later, I did it. Two million meters is 1242.743 miles — that’s as if I rowed from our home in Delafield to New York City and then up to Québec City (a Céline reference seemed appropriate). Vive le sport!
