Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

It was an up and down sort of weekend, with the high of my youngest girlie’s baptism, with family and friends and love, and the low of my oldest girlie struggling so severely with depression. (Even though she played a harp solo AND sang with my middle girlie and two of their cousins at the baptism.) I lack the emotional energy to go into any of it more thoroughly–except that there was frustration in getting the keys to the church where we had our luncheon and my brother-in-law went in through an unlocked window–and so I’m stopping there and giving you a quick book review.

I went looking recently for audiobooks that I haven’t already experienced but are fluffy enough to listen to when I simply can’t concentrate on anything weighty; I ended up with Jenn McKinlay’s Paris Is Always a Good Idea. Overall, it fit what I was looking for nicely; you could certainly tell where the story arc was going, but the journey there had plenty of discovery going for it. Beginning with Chelsea’s tantrum over her father’s abrupt decision to remarry (after knowing the woman in question for only a couple of weeks), it follows her attempts to regain her younger–and therefore more open and loving–self by retracing the trip through Europe she took after graduating from college. This retracing, of course, primarily involves her reconnection with the three men she dated on that trip, one each in Ireland, France, and Italy. Now, if you’re expecting a self-examination in which she realizes that a)her father is an adult with more experience of life than she actually has or b)her father’s new relationship and her relationships with her European men have much more in common than she cares to consider, well–you’ll be disappointed. (Also, the eventual sex scene did not flow with the rest of the novel, instead feeling like something obligatory that needed to be checked off a list of novel musts by the end.) On the other hand, if you want some banter, some entertaining situations, and some vicarious time in Europe–not to mention some deeper consideration about how the death of a loved one changes you–this is a solid choice. Was it perfect? No. Was it fun? Absolutely.

In other news, I’ve spent my day doggedly trying to be productive in a quiet sort of way; laundry is going, my dishwasher is finished, dishes requiring handwashing have been dealt with, and the bag of clothes going to a friend in the neighborhood with a daughter a year younger than my youngest is full. (I also shoveled this morning, which was a solid job.) Exercising is next on my list, so I’m signing off. Let’s hope this is the start of a good week!