A Daybookish Post for "Quick Takes" Friday

Outside my window... The weekday bustle (there is a tiny bit of bustle, I promise!) of a small town in Kansas.  My children are at their art/music class down the block; and I'm enjoying a cup of coffee in my favorite mom-and-pop coffeehouse, where-- years ago-- I wrote whole chapters of my dissertation, guzzled caffeine until my head swam, and (later) changed newborn diapers in the restroom.  It astonishes me to consider that we've already lived in this town for eleven years, so that its places carry a personal history.

Thinking about...  This provocative little quip from Middlemarch:  "And certainly, the mistakes that we male and female mortals make when we have our own way might fairly raise some wonder that we are so fond of it."

Listening to...  At the moment, coffeehouse noises and the proprieters' Christian pop music; but at home and in the car, it's been Les Miserables (Broadway, not book).

For the hundredth time, I wish that a soundtrack of the 25th Anniversary Concert were available-- Alfie Boe, Lea Salonga, Samantha Barks, and (yes) even that one Jonas brother did such a splendid job!  And sacrilegious as this might sound to many fans, I'm sure, the original Broadway version just doesn't cut it for me:  Too many songs, such as "Heart Full of Love" and the finale (with its reprise of "Bring Him Home"), seem curtailed by comparison with the more extended treatment of subsequent productions.  (This puzzles me.  Isn't it usually later versions that shorten the libretto?)

Anyway, I think I'll download Boe's version of "Bring Him Home,"which is heavenly.

Trying not to worry about...   My husband, who hasn't enjoyed his workplace for some time now.  He's been applying for other jobs; and he's hoping desperately for someone to contact him for an interview...  And then, he's also wondering what might happen if someone actually did!  (See Middlemarch quote above.)

On my kindle...  The Bone Church: A Novelby Victoria Dougherty.  While I haven't yet begun to read it, I understand it to be a Cold-War thriller set in midcentury Prague...  I found the author via an intriguing tweet that linked to her blog post "That Cursed Ruby Box," about a childhood encounter with her family's painful memories; and by the time I'd finished, I was hooked on her voice.  (Isn't Twitter incredible?)

On my nightstand...  Middlemarch  And maybe this time I'll actually finish it...!  So many talented people admire this novel that I wish I better appreciated it; but so far I've always stalled after reading only 60-70%.  Partly it's that watching Fred ruin himself over Rosamond becomes incredibly frustrating: While Dorothea is equally foolish, she at least strikes me as much more interesting of a character.  Fred seems more of an everyman-- and how depressing is that?

Planning for the week...  Four-year-old and I are near the end of the first Life of Fred volume ("Apples"), so we're likely to finish that and move on to the next.  Otherwise, I'm anticipating the usual round of library, art class, and library again.  And on hot days, they'll be an hour or so in the baby pool and sprinkler... Oh yes, and I'm trying to clear out the basement in a gradual way!  This means at least one trip to Goodwill in the days ahead.


Happy Friday, and thank you for visiting!  Please stop by This Ain't the Lyceum for more "Quick Takes."