I met Beth Howard this year when she was on a book tour. Her book, Making Piece: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Pie, is a wonderful book. Beth lost her husband suddenly and tragically. This book is a compelling account of coping with unfathomable grief and finding solace in baking pies.
So it doesn’t surprise me that her first instinct upon hearing about the tragedy in Newtown was to jump in her little RV and drive from Iowa to Connecticut. If you follow her on Facebook, you’d see how the idea grew from “I wish I could…” to “OK, I’m doing it. Who’s in?” in a couple short posts. She’s baking today with volunteer helpers and donated ingredients—and lots of PayPal donations to help defray the costs.
People like Beth inspire me and help me keep my faith in people.
The Girl With The Out-of-Date Mac
Dept. of New Yorker Letters That Didn’t Get Published
——————————————————————————-
Dear New Yorker:
Joan Acocella suggests that technological “up-to-dateness” and the prominent role of computers is one of the reasons for the popularity of Stieg Larsson’s novels. She cites the detailed description of Lisbeth Salander’s PowerBook G4 as an example. I would argue that these specific details make the books feel out-of-date. That PowerBook was discontinued in 2003. Lisbeth would surely have a MacBook Air by now.
Sincerely,
Jean MacDonald
Portland, Ore.
Level Up by Cupcake Coalition
Video
Level Up
by Cupcake Coalition
Erin Gately, Jean MacDonald, Peggy MacDonald, Natasha Roe
Verse:
I always wanted a boy so smart
But being with you is gonna break my heart
It’s late at night and it’s time for bed
But you haven’t heard a word I’ve said
Your fingers are moving and your pulse is racing
But that’s not me, that’s your Playstation
You’re high if you think that’s the way to score.
Time to level up baby, or I’m out the door.
Chorus:
Pay attention pay attention
Pay attention to me
Step away from the gadgets or we’re history
(repeat)
Verse:
It’s not like I’m asking you to go to the mall
I don’t need you to talk about your feelings at all
You said you were just gonna Google one thing
I’ve been texting from the bedroom and you’re not answering
Getting new toys really turns you on
But baby it’s time to put that joystick down
You may be cute but I can’t take it no more
Time to level up baby or I’m out the door.
Chorus:
Pay attention pay attention
Pay attention to me
Step away from the gadgets or we’re history
(repeat)
A Dream of Tumblr
Last night I dreamed that I started a Tumblr account. My pal Colleen Wainwright, the Communicatrix, suggested it last week. Apparently she is very influential when it comes to my subconscious mind.
How does she do that?
