Grab the Lapels

Sunday Lowdown #226

THIS WEEK IN REFLECTION

On Friday, I was volunteering at our friends if the library sale, and this little old man who looked like he had skin made of paper was trying to flirt with the checkout lady. This man said he’s 92 and wanted to prove how fit he is, so he bent over to touch his toes and split open what I assume is paper thin skin on BOTH his arms and started seriously bleeding all over.

HE RIPPED HIS SKIN BY USING IT. All he said is, “Huh, I’m coming apart!” The manger spent about 15 minutes cleaning the blood off the little shopping cart he used. OMG, I try to be normal in public, but I couldn’t stop laughing at what he said. I also realized my personal nightmare is to live longer than the usefulness OF MY SKIN.

After that, I headed to a restaurant for a Deaf event. During dinner, I was asked what Deaf people should do if they are on the golf course and someone yells “fore!” I was also invited to join the Michiana Deaf Alliance. I’m not sure if this group is invitation only, or if I was being informed that they would be happy for me to join, but I was so surprised and honored! There is a meeting coming up soon, so I need to get the details. But I am very excited.

Here are some random photos from the week. Top row: my peonies are opening. They last about two weeks and then are dead to the world. I’ve got pink, fuschia, and pinkish-white. Next row: Nick and I do a small trip to the beach in Michigan. Biscuit and me last Sunday at the end of our garage sale.

THIS WEEK’S BLOG POST

It Will Just Be Us by Jo Kaplan is too scary for most of my readers, but it’s a novel I greatly enjoyed. This makes me think about how subjective horror is. My horror movie group met to discuss Lake Mungo, an Australian horror movie described as eerie or spooky. I nearly fell asleep. I wanted more emotion from the characters, more setting so I knew it was actually in Australia, and more to the mystery. However, everyone else at the meet up loved it, and found it quite chilling. And so it goes.

NEXT WEEK’S BLOG POST

Coming up Wednesday, I have another review of a book that I think just about everyone has read at this point: The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Four women from China move to America and meet in California. Although a game night is what brings them together in the present, Tan focuses on their lives in China and then the lives of their daughters.

BOOKS I BOUGHT

Books I paid for (that are not textbooks) since January 2023:

  • True-Biz by Sara Novic ($1)
  • Rants from the Hill by Michael P. Branch ($1)
  • The Mammoth Book of Haunted House Stories, edited by Peter Haining ($1.50)
  • What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage ($0.79)
  • Ecology of a Cracker Childhood by Janisse Ray ($0.79)
  • All of Me by Venise Berry ($0.99)

Running Cost: $6.07

BOOKS ADDED TO THE TBR PILE

I love that in my search for books on the library website, I accidentally got one from Patricia M. Smith and one from Patricia A. Smith, thinking the books were by the same person. Oh, well! They both look interesting.

A famous psychologist discussed in my textbook.
Unknown's avatar

Published by Grab the Lapels

I'm a graduate of the MFA fiction writing program at the University of Notre Dame, which inspired me to follow along with trends in teaching, publishing, and reviewing. I also have an MA and BS from Central Michigan University. I used to teach composition, creative writing, and literature in higher education, then did a brief stint at a civic theater, followed by two years at a references desk at a public library. I'm now working toward my ASL Interpreter license.

24 comments

  1. Those peonies are stunning, especially the fuchsia one! Looking forward to your review of The Joy Luck Club. I read it years ago and remember enjoying it, but not very much else.

    Like

    Reply

    • Thanks, Lou! The peonies were here when we bought the house. I was surprised they could get so big, and also that they are constantly covered in ants when they are budding. I wonder what that’s about. Surely something symbiotic. The sad thing is they only last about two weeks and then flop over dramatically. Most of the flowers here when we bought the house are that way: peonies, daffodils, granny’s bonnets. The lillies, at least, stick around a good month once they’re out.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  2. I’ve never head of Lake Mungo film, but Wikipedia includes this in its reception section, “In 2020, Mike Sprague of Dread Central included the film on his list of “10 Awesome Underrated Horror Movies” to stream during the COVID-19 pandemic.” I don’t know who Mike Sprague is or Dread Central, but interesting huh. Still, I don’t want to read Jo Kaplan’s book OR see this film, so I’m not going to argue with your assessment.

    I love that you were invited to join that group … but oh, that 92-year-old has a sense of humour at least. As someone whose skin has been the bane of her life, I reckon I’ve long outlived the usefulness of my skin and would happily give it away right now. It’s only going to get worse. Still, I’d rather be alive than not. I want to see what happens for as long as I can.

    Like

    Reply

    • I think Dread Central is a horror reviewing site. I have no clue why you would watch Lake Mungo during the pandemic. It’s not a virus movie. Also, I read that Lake Mungo dried up ages ago? I’m not sure how reliable Wikipedia is on that front.

      This man (I almost wrote gentleman, but I cannot confirm that, as he was hitting on my manager) had that skin that really older folks get where it looks like the blood is right near the surface. Very scary. I’m always worried they’re going to turn a corner too sharp and fall apart.

      Like

      Reply

      • I guessed it probably was. Yes take Mungo is dry. It’s a significant First Nations place and geological site. It’s on my must visit list. Re pandemic viewing I have two ideas – one is that ANY horror may have felt right, and the other is that it was a time people watched favourites, caught upon missed films etc.

        Older people are stronger than you think – though their skin can be fragile I know. Still, I’d rather be alive.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  4. My skin at 72 is still flexible, I hope it stays that way – though I did get age spots on my hands the day I turned 60, and no, it wasn’t vegemite.
    Love your hat. My sister in law is a milliner and she made one very similar for my mum when she was having cancer treatment (completely successful). Milly has one too. You just scrunch them up and stuff them in a bag.

    Like

    Reply

    • This guy has twenty years on your skin. I do hope you wear loads of sunscreen, especially on the window side. I’ve seen so many pictures of truckers who look youthful on one arm and like boiled leather on the other. But that’s not my concern; after having skin surgery, it’s cancer that I worry about. When Nick and I were at the beach, there were so many people passed out, face down, just cooking in the sun. Don’t they know?! My hat is basically the anti-cancer hat. I’ve become a granny about skin care, again, thanks to the surgery I had May 2022.

      Like

      Reply

  5. Oh my goodness, that is both a horrifying and hilarious story all at once!

    Congrats on the Michiana Deaf Alliance invite!

    Did you know you can make jelly out of the peony flowers? I have yet to be able to make some as the last two years since I learned I could my peony has been kinda poo in the flower department. I am hopeful for this year.

    Interested in what you think of the Janisse Ray book. I recently read her book Seed Underground–she is a rabid seed saver and gardener–and really enjoyed it. Are you still reading Connie Willis?

    Like

    Reply

    • Actually, this is my first Ray book. I found it randomly at the Goodwill and had never heard of her before, but given what I’ve read so far, I’m not surprised she’s a seed-saver.

      I haven’t read any Willis in a while. I tried Doomsday Book and couldn’t finish it, so I’m holding off a bit until I can get my hands on some short stories.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. I’ve heard really good things about Yellowface. Also that big book of haunted house stories looks so good!

    Did you realize that the story of that old man splitting his own skin was a horror story in itself? Gawd what an image!

    Your peonies are beautiful. Mine won’t come out for likely another months here, the buds are just starting on the end of their stalks 🙂

    Like

    Reply

    • I did realize it was a horror story. The first thing I did was share the story in my horror group’s Discord.

      That’s so wild your flowers are behind mine, but it’s likely because you’re further around the globe than me.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • Yes totally, I’m much further north so stuff like that happens way slower. Even different parts of Canada move at different paces in their seasons. Where I used to live in ONtario, spring hit in April-ish, while here in Calgary it’s late May-ish

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  8. Love your peonies! There were loads around here but most are over now. And Pearl Cleage – I read a load by her back in the day, I remember that one. Hadn’t thought of her in years. Wow – must have been years as she doesn’t appear on my blog or my reading journal index that goes back to 1997. Hm.

    Like

    Reply

      • It’s an Excel spreadsheet which only goes up to the start of the blog at the moment. Anyway, having looked at her output I think I must have read the essays and short stories and then “What looks like ordinary”. My local library back then had a really good selection of global majority people books, essays etc as well as novels – I hope they still do! I’ve also noticed there are gaps where I know I read something and there’s no review.

        Like

        Reply

        • Not remembering what she read despite all her best efforts to keep lists is something my mom struggles with that irritates her to no end! She will start a new book only to realize she knows how it ends.

          Like

          Reply

Leave a reply to whisperinggums Cancel reply