Emma M. Lion

Guess I’m not the only one who is obsessed. 

https://romancingthephone.substack.com/p/who-is-emma-m-lion

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/29/books/review/beth-brower-unselected-journals-of-emma-m-lion.html?unlocked_article_code=1.3lA.0J6N.LVQ9R0QMRE4y&smid=url-share&login=email&auth=login-email

Confession & Monthly Book Review: September 2018

I seriously considered skipping this month altogether, but then decided to hold myself accountable whilst making a confession. It has been a slow reading season the past few months because I've been busy. Busy falling in love. Aww It has been an intoxicating, surprising and mind-boggling experience. I never thought I would enjoy sharing my literal and figurative space with another person again, let alone find someone with whom I feel so compatible. We're still in the "honeymoon phase" of the relationship of course where the thrill of discovery is forefront, but this feels very right. Falling in love in middle age without the "start up" pressures of establishing careers, questionable finances and raising children is nice, but what's been especially refreshing is how secure I am in myself ... my needs, my values, my limits, and acceptance of my body. It's wonderful to be with someone who is not only okay with all of that, but appreciative of my cultivating it. We know who we are and aren't afraid to express ourselves with a knowing that being right or righteous isn't required for such expression that only maturity can bring. I'm feeling really lucky and don't want to take anything for granted, while keeping my eyes and mind open (because one should be willing to see and address red flags if any arise). So it's been delightful, but my reading time and social life have taken a serious hit. I'm working on fixing that.

The French Girl by Lexie Elliott - This felt like a Girl on The Train knockoff - memory lapses, questionable choices, wondering if you really know those closest to you. It was good, solid B, just too long. 

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah - Two sisters completely different from one another try to relate to their cold, distant mother. I could see where things were going early on and it took FOREVER for the author to get there. I almost gave up half way through, but glad I didn't as it was a poignant story with a good ending. I'd give this a B as well.

Rant: perhaps I'm becoming cynical in my old age, but most books are TOO DAMN LONG!!!

Next up:
The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams
The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

5 Things You Might Not Know About "The Sound of Music"

1. Julie Andrews kept falling over during that iconic opening scene. The down draft from the helicopter shooting the mountaintop sequence knocked Andrews over every time it circled around her. "It was fine for a couple of takes, but after that you begin to get just a little bit angry," she said. "And I really tried. I mean, I braced myself, I thought, 'It's not going to get me this time.' And every single time, I bit the dust."

2. The Sound of Music was the last Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.
The legendary partnership between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II produced classic musical theatre hits like Oklahoma! and The King and I. The Sound of Music opened on Broadway in 1959 (six years before the Hollywood version appeared on the big screen). In 1960, Hammerstein died from stomach cancer. The last song he wrote was "Edelweiss."

3. The movie could have starred Audrey Hepburn and Bing Crosby.
Other potential Marias included Doris Day, Leslie Caron, Anne Bancroft and Shirley Jones. Captain von Trapp was also almost Sean Connery or Yul Brynner. And some well-known names auditioned for the von Trapp children, including Mia Farrow and Richard Dreyfuss.

4. Julie Andrews yodeled with the real Maria von Trapp.
In a 1973 episode of the variety TV show The Julie Andrews Hour, von Trapp told Andrews that the actress was "absolutely wonderful" in the film, but her yodeling was not quite up to par—leading to this duet.

5. The Sound of Music is #4 on AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals of All-Time list.
The film also won five Oscars^® in 1966, including Best Picture and Best Director. And adjusted for ticket price inflation, The Sound of Music is the third highest-grossing film of all time (behind only Gone with the Wind and Star Wars).

I Will Ski

Chunky and I learned to ski this winter (technically I re-learned, but I didn't have much to start with).
Afton Alps offers a three-week school including your very own skis. Unfortunately I tore by right-hand UCL the week after we finished the course so my career went the way of Lindsey Vonn for the season (darn those little speed demon child snowboarders). The important thing is we did something new and fun and did it together!

Winter wonderland

I heart Christmas. My happy place is in the kitchen baking with the fireplace going and traditional Christmas music on full force. My new space is significantly smaller than my previous plus I purged like nobody’s business during the move so I was honestly curious about what I’d be doing to make the joint festive. I'm pleased to say that I made it work!

 

We always had real trees in the past and while I loved the smell of fresh pine or balsam, I didn’t love the fear of a house fire and constant monitoring of furry kids so it didn’t topple or dry out (my admonishments that the base was not an additional water dish were surprisingly ignored). I bought a 6’ pre-lit artificial tree from Target so I could reuse year after year and am pleasantly surprised that the size is just right and that I'd kept just enough ornaments to make it look full.

Of course my kitten thinks many of the ornaments are there for her #goodthingsheissostinkingcute

 

Next European Adventure

I'm already plotting ...

Bingeing

I'm pretty sure I could gold medal in binge-watching. I easily qualified by watching ALL Gilmore Girls episodes - original and new on Netflix. Can't believe I never watched when it was in its prime. Then I hit quarterfinals with the second season of The Man in the High Castle on Amazon and the new Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix (Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant have great chemistry). I've since watched season 1 of Bloodline on Netflix and am halfway through the new The Collection on Amazon. Looking forward to the next season of Grace and Frankie (less than 3 weeks!) and House of Cards on Netflix.

Also on my to-watch list:
Sneaky Pete
Grantchester
Good Girls Revolt

Links and loves

Along with the rest of the free world I am obsessed with Ed Sheeran. In my mind (and in the shower) I dance as well as everyone in this video to his latest single :)

I recently attended a presentation featuring former MA governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis. Here's the video as well another featuring Richard Dreyfuss' on the importance of civics (he spoke at last year's City Club which I attended, but no video of that one).

I am loving PBS' new series Spy in the Wild - a unique perspective on animal behavior.

Speaking of "behavior", if you haven't watched Good Behavior on TNT, get on it!

I've seen over half of this year's Academy Award best picture nominees - I think that might be a personal record. I rank Arrival as my favorite of those I've seen with Hidden Figures and Lion as close second/third. La La Land was good, but I'm not gaga over it like the rest of the free world. Manchester by the Sea was meh for me.

Royal History

This is a very concise and entertaining history lesson on the British monarchy.

Ink

The kids, particularly Sassy, have been on me for quite some time about getting a tattoo. As I am not into voluntary pain that's a tall order for me. It also freaks me out to think how a tattoo would look on old, crepey skin. And where would it go?

I told Sassy once many years ago that I'd get a fleur-de-lis tattoo with her. She has yet to dial it in that sometimes parents lie to their children to get them of their back.

So tonight at dinner Sassy brought up the three of us getting a tattoo. Something symbolic. I may be able to get on board with that. Thus began my search for the appropriate symbol. 

First I submitted this -

Then I sent this -

Then this -

Sassy's response was "In the search bar are you typing elf fantasy?"

I replied "LOTR" for Lord of the Rings.

I got "Lol mom lol".

My last attempt was this -

Evidently I'm getting "warmer" :)

Sunday Surf

• I was asked to speak and meet with a group of prospective grad students at my alma mater yesterday. I was really honored that they asked and appreciated the opportunity to remember myself in their shoes 7 years ago.
• I made this baked oatmeal again ... it's so, so good!
• RIP Antonin Scalia. This article is a good read and reinforces my belief that meaning and richness come from having those with deeply different perspectives within our inner circle.
• If I were going to the Oscars, I would wear this (with two pair of Spanx). If I were getting remarried and money was no object (and I had a lithe figure), I would wear this. Everything by Paolo Sebastian is a.maze.ing.
• I bought this swimsuit for an upcoming vacation and actually felt really good in it. Now if I could only remove those darn spider veins on my legs!
• Dominque Sachse is a Houston TV newscaster and I'm addicted to her YouTube channel. Not sure I can justify $55 for foundation, but I am going to check it out the next time I'm at Sephora.
• Finally, I may have found the absolute perfect red lipstick for me - Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte 107 by Kate Moss. It's a deep berry blue-red that's great for fairer skin tones and teeth that aren't perfectly white. I can only find it on Amazon but at $10ish, it's worth stocking up on.

Reading Railroad

I did a post in July (where did summer and fall go?!) about my love of audible.com here. Safe to say I'm still loving it as I've managed to read 7 more books and am half way into my eighth.

• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - Oh my stars and garter belts is this good! Suspense and intrigue in a modern 'who dunnit?!' This will be made into a movie which won't do it justice. English narration is excellent.
• Yes Please by Amy Poehler - gritty, witty and charming
• A Fine Romance by Candice Bergen - I love Candice's voice and how open and honest she is in this book. I'm thinking of reading her first one about her childhood as well. If I met her I would ask if "romance" reference is ultimately to her daughter :)
• Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns - I don't remember how I came upon this but I'm glad I did. Set in the "old" south, it's a lot like Fried Green Tomatoes with a great storyline and good amount of sass. Awesome narration. 
• Happily Ali After by Ali Wentworth - sarcasm abounds and Ali seems like a girl I could easily hang with, but the reading was a bit "off"
• The Rocks by Peter Nichols - Love, love, love this! It starts in current time and works backward so there's a rich tapestry of how the main characters' lives intersect and the root cause for what occurs. Bittersweet.
• Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Fun read, a lot like Sliding Doors with a decision point where things go in different directions by alternating chapters if Hannah had said yes vs. no.
• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - I'm a little glad Christmas is over because I found myself struggling between listening to this and my beloved Christmas music. It's set in WWII about a blind girl and a young Austrian soldier. 

Queued up next are:
The Traitor' s Wife by Alison Pataki
The Book of Joan by Melissa Rivers
The Sexy Years by Suzanne Somers
The Japanse Lover by Isabel Allende
Is Everyone Hanging Out with Me by Mindy Kaling

Fall y'all

Acoustic

You know how when you find something seriously awesome and you want everyone else to share in the awesomeness? Well buckle up.

A couple of months ago I was getting ready for a road trip to visit my BFF who lives 5 hours away and decided to look up books on CD to make the long drive a bit more enjoyable. Only I kept calling it "books on tape" because I'm old and that's the only kind of book that didn't appear on the written page or my Kindle that I was familiar with. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Amazon has an audio book division called Audible. Insert angels singing. What isn't Amazon involved in? They offer a one month free trial so I promptly signed up and searched for my first book. I wanted something light, on my "to read" list and long enough to cover both to and from BFF's house. I chose Diane von Furstenberg' s memoir, The Woman I Wanted To Be. It was a good first choice in my humble opinion. Read by the author it was a little saucy and very interesting. I wondered if it was being read to or her accent that put me in a coma-like state ... so much so that it seemed like the drive was over in a flash. I was hooked! This has made my workday commutes downright pleasurable. It's a little more money than I would have thought I'd spend ... $15 a month with a credit for a "free" book (so you're buying a book a month). I like it so much though that it's worth it. I recently purchased three extra credits for $33 because I'm going through them so fast.

In the past three months I've also listened to:

• Trading Up by Candace Bushnell - This is the author behind Sex and the City. Light read / okay. I thought it ended abruptly.
• The Knockoff by Katherine Kellgren - Light read / okay. A lot like The Devil Wears Prada.
• The Accidental Empress by Alison Pataki - I love history and light romance, but it was my fascination with royals that caught my attention. This was on some summer reading lists I had perused via the inter web (blogs, etc.) so into my queue it went. Awesome! Great story, character development and well read. I walked the dog around the lake three extra times one day because I couldn't "put it down". 
• Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll - Awesome! This one kept popping up as a recommendation and was also on summer reading lists. I went for it because it was read by the same person who did The Accidental Empress. It did not disappoint. Very Gone Girl-esque.
• Bossypants by Tina Fey - I'm reading this now and laugh aloud constantly. My only comment is Tina tends to trail off at the end of her sentences ... speak up Tina, I'm deaf and don't want to rewind!

On my wish list:

• The Traitor' s Wife by Alison Pataki - A fictionalized history of Benedict Arnold's wife
• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - I don't know what this is about, but it seems to be on everyone's summer reading list and it's a bestseller
• Yes Please by Amy Poehler - I have a thing for funny girls
• Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut by Jill Kargman - I like her TV show Odd Mom Out - quirky and a little dark. Fun fact - her brother is married to Drew Barrymore!
• A Fine Romance by Candice Bergen - What can I say, I like memoirs
• Watch Me by Angelica Huston 
• The Book of Joan by Melissa Rivers
• The Children Act by Ian McEwan - I have no idea what it's about, but it keeps popping up on lists I peruse so I better see what all the fuss is about
• Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek - I'm also a sucker for leadership/inspirational books and I am a behavioral scientist at heart ... I love to explore why people do what they do.
• More -- The Power of Habit, Good to Great, Nudge, The Tipping Point, Daring Greatly

I have another road trip coming up so I had better start planning ... nerd looking for a 9ish hour good "read".

Summer Playlist

I've been working on the ultimate summer playlist (in my humble opinion any way). Here's what I have so far:

California Girls by The Beach Boys
Hot Fun in the Summertime by Sly & The Family Stone
Summer Breeze by Seals & Crofts
Never Going Back Again by Fleetwood Mac
Saturday in the Park by Chicago
Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks
Suddenly Last Summer by The Motels
Cruel Summer by Bananarama
Take My Breath Away by Berlin
Borderline by Madonna
Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves
Mad About You by Belinda Carlisle
This is the Day by The The
Music by Madonna
Hot in Herre by Nelly
I'll be Here Awhile by 311
Rich Girl by Gwen Stefani
Island in the Sun by Weezer
Bubble Toes by Jack Johnson
I'm Yours by Jason Mraz
Crazy in Love by Beyoncé
Just Dance by Lady Gaga
Get Lucky by Daft Punk
Fancy by Iggy Azalea

New this summer:
Want to Want Me by Jason Derulo
Lean On by Major Lazer /MO
Ship to Wreck by Florence + The Machine

Iconic Wedding Dresses

Love the sketches so you can really appreciate the dress regardless of who wore it. My faves are Jackie Kennedy (1953), Grace Kelly (1956), Caroline Kennedy (1986), Jenna Bush (2008), Ivanka Trump (2009) and of course Kate Middleton (2011).

Just Beachy

I fully intended to blog about my girls trip to Madeira Beach, Florida ... over a month ago now. But honestly, I was so darned relaxed and refreshed afterward that I never got around to it.

I hadn't vacationed in Florida before aside from Disney World or as a jumping off point for a cruise. I wasn't sure what to expect and worried that I might get bored. I'm happy to report that I was anything but bored. We visited Tarpon Springs ... so many sponges, so little time. We took a dolphin watching cruise with bonus narration about the surrounding million dollar plus homes. We also found time to do a fair amount of shopping - outlet and kitschy variety. Most importantly we soaked up the sun and walked for miles on the beach and enjoyed one another's company. It was awesome.

Jolly Green

The 4th of July has come and gone and we've enjoyed it as any other long weekend - laying low in my happy place, the kitchen. I've been busy the last couple of weeks  ... especially using the deliciou green vegetables from the crop share arrangement I joined this year. Strawberry Lemon Bread when the last of a box of strawberries started looking sad, Rhubarb Cake (forgot the baking powder but it still turned out great), Kale Pesto with my first weeks' CSA bounty, and Chicken Stir Fry (zucchini, kale, snap peas and broccoli from CSA). Yesterday I made mayo free Tuna Salad in Romaine boats (my secret ingredients are Italian dressing, anchovy paste and green pepper Tabasco), Kale & Bacon Frittata for quick work day breakfasts, Parsley-Cilantro Chimichurri for steaks we're grilling later this week, and Strawberries & Cream Scones with more sad strawberries (I added basil and topped with demerara sugar to send them over the top). For dinner tonight I made Roasted Broccoli with pine nuts & parmesan, and a Salad with a delicious dressing of lemon juice, half & half and olive oil.

I've busy outdoors too ... gardening. My mom came to help me landscape the backyard. Our back neighbor put up a beautiful wood fence but the area needed texture and color to provide visual interest.


There's over 40 plants back there but the hydrangeas were the largest at planting and have grown like crazy in 6 weeks.

 

 

I'm looking forward to my own radishes, lettuce and arugula.

 

And in the front ... my peonies bloomed for the first time since I planted them three years ago!

 

Ad Mash Up

This is the most clever mash up of two pop culture TV shows! LOVE the drink references too. This company renovates/refurbishes vintage (Mad Men era) furniture. There has to be some sort of award for this.

Inquiring Minds

The most common job in every state ... this blew my socks off.

And yes, the 90's were pretty awesome, but the 80's rule my friends!