Tomorrow is the first day of aquatics at Centennial Beach. It is my favorite day of Summer, because the water is never fresher, never cooler, than on this day. It is before the bus loads of campers come, jumping into the water with skin that has last been bathed who knows when. But, let’s not think of that…let’s think of the quarry-turned-pool that my brother and I have been swimming in since we were wee ones. It is glorious!
Speaking of wee ones…that would not have been a normal part of my vocabulary had I not just finished Tana French’s book, The Hunter. Now I have an Irish dialect going pleasantly through my mind. I feel that I have been living in the small, fictional town in which her latest book is set, Ardnakelty; if it weren’t for the community of villagers, it would be great. Only a few are noble; the rest seem like small minded, malicious, gossipers. It is the perfect setting for a murder, and more complicated issues regarding relationships, written as only Tana French can. The Hunter is the second book set in Ardnakelty, with ex-policeman Cal Hooper, following The Searcher. It is the first book of my 20 Books of Summer.
I am currently reading Salman Rushdie’s Knife, thoroughly transfixed by his tale of being stabbed in New York just before giving a speech on the safety of writers. In an America which is unlike any I have known before, I do not take our freedoms lightly. I do not even assume we have any of the rights we always did.
But, as Readerbuzz does in her own post, it is better to share three happy things of the week:
1. The low, steady thrum of the cicadas has a surprisingly calming effect on me.
2. My Canadian mother loved her Chicago-style hot dog which we ate on Memorial Day, which was an utter surprise to me. (She doesn’t like most American food.)
3. I have finally determined, once and for all, which journal system is the one I am most content with. More on that in an upcoming post.
May your new week be filled with joyous wonders, and Summer surprises.
Sunday Salon posts are hosted by Readerbuzz here.
The Chicago dog is so healthy. It comes with an entire salad.
ReplyDeleteI love your acerbic comments, Tom. They always make me smile. And, don’t forget the next time you want food with a salad, get a Big Mac! All in one, easy to hold treat.
DeleteLooking forward to the journal post!!!!
ReplyDeleteIs that Centennial Beach in the USA or where? That looks amazing and beautiful, yet somehow terrifying. lol
Knife is on my list.
I’m so glad that my journal topic interests you, Jinjer. It is a source of endless intrigue for me.
DeleteCentennial Beach is in Illinois, a quarry turned pool, and it is the joy of my Summer. I’ll admit the picture from google looks rather daunting, but it is built beautifully with a shallow end for children (with sand), and a fifteen foot deep end for the rest of us.
As for Knife, I am just finishing it, and it is far better than even I had hoped. Thoughts coming soon.
I enjoy hearing about Centennial Beach and your history with it; it also makes me think about the quarry swimming hole in the movie "Breaking Away" -- and I love that movie :-)
ReplyDeleteKnife is a book I've considered reading, and likely your upcoming thoughts on it will help me decide.
I'm also SO glad summer is soon upon us. Even late spring is a relief, so welcome here, where I seem to be always cold; now I can leave some windows open all the time, and go out to warm up in the sun most days.
Happy Summer!
Breaking Away is such a good connection to Centennial Beach. I loved that movie, and so few seem to remember it!
DeleteKnife is proving to be more and more fascinating, and relevant, with each page. Salmon Rushdie is very liberal, unlike myself, but he gives me new insights into the liberal point of view. I will have A LOT to say when I post about it, probably incurring some wrath from some readers. But, I hope not. I hope we can consider other points of view than our own.
I, too, am delighted to be returning to a pool this summer. Our Aqua Zumba class had over thirty people today. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI am very curious about Knife. I remember hearing Rushdie speak in Houston in 2010, and I remember being shocked at the security around Rushdie. An author, I remember thinking, shouldn't need that kind of security. But he did.
I am also living in that America I've never before experienced. And all I can do is focus on speaking truth and reminding myself of the small good things.
M, I love hearing about your connection with the pool. I can't wait to read your post about journaling - that's something I've been thinking about lately and I think I've figured out the changes I need to make. I've never read Tana French - sounds like I need to. Knife was such a great book. I'm reading the new Stephen King book for my first book in the 20 Books Of Summer reading challenge. It's a book of short stories, so I'm thinking I may dip out of it and pick up another book on my list to read. Wishing you a lovely week! xx
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