This Week – Braces Off

For the first time in 2 1/2 years, Gage’s mouth is metal free! He was very excited until went back 3 days later to pick up his retainer and they told him he had to wear it 22 hours a day for the first week, lol. He’s almost to freedom!

Jason and I went to an Octoberfest last night and had fun even if neither of us drinks beer. We’re doing alphabet dating and I had F. So we went to a Festival in Cuyahoga Falls on Front Street and the first thing we did was hit up the ice cream parlor for a Flight of ice cream. The weather was perfect, the band was good, the Italian restaurant was great, and we even came home with some art.

This week the Friends of the Solon Library had our annual meeting and we brought in an animal shelter and their resident cartoonist. It was a fun night learning about how she’s made a living with her art, she pens the syndicated Flo & Co, and also lends her talent to Rescue Village. Of course I bought the book that benefits the shelter.

What I Finished This Week

Before I Do by Sophie Cousens was another lovely British romance by Cousens. What would happen if there were some bad omens around your wedding weekend, with the final one being the man who you thought of as your soul mate showing up? The story was told by jumping around different times of Audrey’s life where we get to know her and men in her life better. This had all of the things I like about her books, even if it wasn’t a favorite.

I’ve read 93 books this year.

What I’m currently reading

Waking Lions by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen is my fiction pick for Israel and I really like it, but it’s not something I’m racing through. An Isreali doctor hits man with his car and watches him die. The wife of the man tracks him down a has a proposal for her to keep quiet about it. I am really hoping to finish this today.

What We Watched

We made Gage watch two 80s movies this week and he complained. Until he watched them. First watched War Games with Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy. Thumbs up from all. Then we watched Coming to America with Eddie Murphy and I hadn’t realized it was rated R until we saw 2 naked ladies in the first five minutes. I was not happy (this was Jason’s pick), but the rest was just swearing, which Gage assures me is no different than what he hears at school. Insert any unhappy emoji here. We all laughed a lot so I guess that’s good.

Plans for the weekend

It’s book sale week! So, today I’ll be checking my lists and getting everything organized. I should really go to the library, BUT I will be there pretty much all day every day for the next week starting tomorrow and a few hours every morning the week after that, so I’m trying to rest up.

What’s going on in your neck of the woods?

I’m linking up with the Sunday Salon.

Movies and Shows- May/June

I watched 7 movies in May and 8 in June. And I streamed 5 shows over the two months.

Loved all of these- Cormoran Strike seasons 2 &3, Brigerton season 3, The Gentlemen season 1, Project Runway All-Stars season 20, and Is It Cake 3?

LOVED these movies

The Holdovers, 2023. Set at a prep school in the early 70’s where several kids get left behind over Christmas break. This quiet drama had all of the things you want in a movie. Paul Giamatti was so good!

King Richard, 2021. I took a little break from Will after the slap heard round the world, but I am interested in the Williams sisters and Jason is an avid tennis player. I thought this was a fascinating look into their childhood and the driven man who helped raise and train them. I wish it hadn’t ended where it did, but that’s just my 2 cents.

Champions, 2023. I love basketball and feel good movies, but, most importantly, representation matters! I’m so glad that we watched this.

REALLY LIKED

American Fiction, 2023. A professor/novelist wants a bestseller amidst much family drama. A smart look at the boxes we put people and things into.

The Fall Guy, 2024. A silly action-packed ‘romance’ that we all really liked on the big screen. Can’t go wrong with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt.

LIKED THESE

The After, 2023. This short film is amazing for what emotion is managed to fit into less than 20 minutes. Beautiful movie-making.

Hit Man, 2023. Forced to portray a killer for hire on the spot, Gary learns he has a flare for it.

The Garfield Movie, 2024. Gage wanted to see it and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s nice to see Garfield winning over new generations.

Love Again, 2023. A story about grief and love.

Unfrosted, 2024. Silly cereal movie filled with nostalgia.

Meh

Mother of the Bride, 2024. It’s always great to see Benjamin Bratt, but this romantic comedy fell a little flat for me.

Two if by Sea, 1996. I love both Sandra Bullock and Denis Leary, but in this they both play thieves working out some relationship issues and it just didn’t work for me.

I Watched These So You Don’t Have To

The Tearsmith, Fire on the Amazon, A Fool and His Money

Have we watched any of the same things?