Friday Letters

 

Today I'm taking my virtual fountain pen in hand to write a few Friday letters. I've visited the DMV, seen something new and had some reactions. You might, too. 

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 Dear NJ DMV,

You might wonder why I’m writing you a letter that references Sneetches, but during my recent visit to obtain a Real ID license, they were all I could think about. Applicants were required to stand in line at three different stations, and even after making an appointment, it often seemed that the goal at each one was to reject people. No stars upon thars!

At the first station, many applicants were told they had not completed the Real ID application correctly. They were given another chance, and if they succeeded, they were allowed to move on to the second station for the dreaded ID check. There were twelve people in line ahead of me, but sadly, only one of them (and I) made it to the final line. The other ten were sent away without further progress towards stars upon thars, hopefully to try again another day.

At the final station, my documents were checked once more, scanned, and my picture was taken. I should receive my Real ID license within two weeks, and I sincerely hope there is a star on it certifying that I was patient enough to wait two hours. It feels like you should also send me a nice blue star that I can proudly display on my stomach, but I’ll still be happy if it’s just my Real ID license.

I was a bit disappointed that there didn’t seem to be any DMV employees with whom I could joke about the Star-Bellied Sneetches. I think it might have improved the day slightly for all of us.

Thank you for testing my ability to find documents that prove I'm who I think I am,

A Star-bellied NJ motorist

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Dear Mrs. Cubberly,

I still remember the note you sent home after I committed the grave parental offense of packing Ryan a (gasp!) frosted Pop-Tart for first-grade snack time. You firmly explained that such a treat was not only unhealthy, but also the cause of widespread classroom unrest, as Ryan’s classmates suddenly developed a strong and immediate interest in his snack.

You suggested that, should I persist in my Pop-Tart ways, I might consider the unfrosted variety, those noble, fruit-filled bastions of health. I’ve thought about that note every time I pass the Pop-Tarts aisle for the past 30 years, and I must admit, it still makes me smile. I’m not convinced that any Pop-Tart, frosted or otherwise, has ever earned a spot on a nutritionist’s “recommended” list. At the time, though, I sent the frosted kind for two very sound reasons: it was what we had, and it was what Ryan would actually eat.

But now, a new development: I recently spotted Protein Pop-Tarts in the store. They are, astonishingly, still frosted. This raises an important question that only you, I feel, are qualified to answer: have we finally achieved the dream? Are frosted Protein Pop-Tarts now … healthy?

I eagerly await your ruling.

Sincerely,

Ryan's Mom 

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I hope you all enjoy a wonderful weekend, with or without Pop-Tarts (or anyone judging whether what you eat is healthy or not). 

Unraveled Wednesday: 3/25/26

I’m happy to join Kat and the Unravelers today with a bit more knitting on the Dream Hitchhiker.

It probably doesn't look much different since the last time, but I added 12 more teeth, and I'm getting ready to start the third skein. There's quite a bit more to go, but it's pleasurable knitting, so I'm not in a rush. 

I finished two ARCs this week; one was pretty good and the second one was perfect. The Burning Side is one of those family dramas that pulls you in with crisis, a devastating house fire, and then slowly reveals the deeper, quieter burns already smoldering beneath the surface.

Sarah Damoff does an especially strong job capturing the complicated emotions of an extended family. The novel moves between perspectives, April, Leo, and April’s mother Deb, giving us a layered look at marriage, parenthood, aging, and the long shadows cast by childhood. The range of issues woven into the story is ambitious: divorce, dyslexia, Alzheimer’s, grief, and the logistical and emotional fallout of losing a home. At its best, the book holds all of this with real compassion and insight.

I particularly appreciated how Damoff portrays the push and pull of family life, the way support and strain often come from the same people. Deb’s sections, especially as she navigates her husband’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, felt grounded and deeply human. There’s a sense throughout the novel that love persists even when it’s strained, imperfect, or hard-won.

That said, the writing occasionally tips into the overwrought. There are moments where the prose feels a bit too heavy, as if reaching for emotional depth but landing instead in repetition or excess. A lighter touch in some sections would have made the strongest moments land even harder.

Still, despite those uneven patches, I found myself genuinely invested in this family and their outcome. Damoff’s strength lies in her empathy, and by the end, what lingers is not just the trauma they endure, but the ways they continue to choose one another. This is a thoughtful, emotionally rich novel about what survives, both materially and emotionally, after everything else burns. Three and a half stars rounded up.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on May 19, 2026. There is a goodreads giveaway if you are interested. 

I didn’t think Douglas Stuart could surpass Shuggie Bain or Young Mungo for me, but John of John is, without question, his finest work yet.

From its opening pages, this novel feels both intimate and expansive, rooted deeply in the rugged beauty of the Isle of Harris while quietly unraveling the emotional terrain of a son returning home. John-Calum’s homecoming is not just geographic; it’s a reckoning with identity, desire, faith, and the complicated inheritance of family expectations. Stuart captures this tension with such precision that even the smallest interactions hum with meaning.

What struck me most is the emotional restraint paired with devastating clarity. The relationship between Cal and his father is rendered with an almost unbearable honesty, love and disappointment braided so tightly together they’re nearly indistinguishable. And then there’s Ella, whose sharp tongue and hard-won pragmatism provide both relief and depth, embodying a different kind of survival.

Stuart’s prose is as luminous as ever, spare, poetic, and deeply attentive to place. The island itself feels alive: harsh, beautiful, and unyielding, mirroring the inner lives of its characters. Every detail, from lambing to weaving, grounds the story in a tactile reality that makes the emotional stakes feel even higher.

This is a novel about the quiet courage it takes to live truthfully, especially in places and families where silence has long been the norm. It’s about the cost of that truth, but also its necessity.

Devastating, tender, and exquisitely crafted, John of John is a masterpiece. Thank you to Edelweiss and Grove Press for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on May 5, 2026. 

What are you making and reading this last Wednesday in March?   

Read With Us: Today Is the Day for the Real Discussion!

After a slight delay due to the flu, we're back today for our postponed discussion of Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. My questions are the same, so this post is much the same as last week. There is no need to answer the questions again if you did last week, unless you have more thoughts you'd like to share. 

Kym, Carole, and I are each posting a discussion question or two on our blogs today, and you are welcome to respond in the comments. I would also encourage you to reply to others' comments if you choose.  This is a book discussion, after all, so there are no correct answers or right opinions. I'm really looking forward to discussing this book. I'll be honest; I found it difficult to read, and after several false starts, I finally finished it. So I think this discussion will be valuable for me, and I hope for others of you as well. 

 

Here are my questions: Why do you think this novel resonates so deeply with some readers, and feels slow or difficult to others? Does this look at a 1950s rural, white church and town offer anything to readers in the 21st century?

I'll be glad to share my thoughts about our questions tonight during our Zoom discussion. These questions on our blogs and the Zoom discussion are your chance to express your ideas. So what do you think? I can't wait to hear your thoughts! (And I'm counting on our discussion to give me fresh perspectives in my own thinking about this novel.)

The in-person Zoom discussion will be at 7:00 pm Eastern this evening. If you haven't RSVP'd to Kym already you can send me an email (the email address is in the upper right) and I will make sure you get an invitation with the Zoom link. I hope to see you there!

I Am Brave? (Maybe)

I got my second shingles shot this morning. Even though the pharmacy tech gave me an "I Am Brave" sticker, it remains to be seen if I really am brave or not. I felt pretty darn crappy for two days after my first shot, so we'll see how I feel tomorrow. I don't want to talk myself into feeling bad, but I've got chores done and dinner prepped for tonight and tomorrow just in case. I suppose I was a little bit brave because I did go back for my second shot!

Friday Letters

Today I'm taking my virtual fountain pen in hand to write a few Friday letters. I've read several things and I have some reactions. You might, too. 

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Dear Snake Yoga People, 

Kittens, yes. Snakes, no, absolutely not, never in a million years. 

No thank you,

A person who is creeped out even thinking about snakes 

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Dear Charles Darwin,

I  know you are no longer alive, but I still want to thank you for your letter writing. Whenever I have a bad day, I remember that you, one of our greatest scientific minds, also had some bad days, and you expressed your thoughts quite eloquently in your letters. 

Oh my God how I do hate species & varieties.
 -Charles Darwin to J.D. Hooker, 11 Mar 1858   

I am very tired, very stomachy & hate nearly the whole world.
-Charles Darwin to Thomas Huxley, 10 Sep 1860
 
I am very poorly today & very stupid & hate everybody & everything.
-Charles Darwin to Charles Lyell, 1 Oct 1861
 
I hate myself, I hate clover, and I hate bees. 
-Charles Darwin to John Lubbock, 3 Sep 1862.  

 

While I have never actually used any of these, I do keep a list of them just in case. I think they might come in handy someday. 

 

I am not too poorly today, but sometimes stupid, and not too fond of some people and some things,

 

Bonny

 

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Dear Mayo Clinic,

 

There are times when knitting gets the best of me but I do want to thank you for your research and findings. "The investigators found that ordinary yet intellectually stimulating activities such as using a computer, playing games, reading books and engaging in crafts — including knitting, woodworking and other types of handiwork — were associated with a 30 to 50 percent decrease in the chances of developing mild cognitive impairment."

 

I know you said that it was also important to maintain heart health and stay physically active, but after I've done that, I'm sitting down to grow my cognitive reserve with knitting and reading. Sometimes I even do both at the same time. Does that count double?

 

Thanks!

 

A knitter and reader

 

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I hope you have a good weekend, completely free of any snake yoga classes! 

 

 

 

Unraveled Wednesday: 3/18/26

I’m happy to join Kat and the Unravelers today with a few more teeth added to the Dream Hitchhiker, and more ribbing on Justin's Hat 2.0. There was a bit of unraveling on Justin's hat, in fact, I ended up ripping it out and casting on again. I'm knitting plenty of ribbing so that the brim can be turned up to provide a double layer, but when I started the ribbing previously I did k2, p1. This meant that when that when the brim was turned up, p2, k1 ribbing would have been showing, and I think it's kind of ugly. I usually switch ribbing halfway through to provide a fold line, but I didn't recognize the problem with the "ugly ribbing" until I was well past the fold line. I tried to tell myself it didn't matter for two rounds, but I finally listened to my inner knitting voice, ripped it out and cast on again.

It mattered to me even if nobody else would have paid attention, but now it's fixed and I'm moving on to the stockinette part of the hat. Below is how it will look with the brim turned up and only "good" K2P1 ribbing showing.

 

 

But I also had a short knitting diversion. I have a friend who has had her second knee replacement and we were e-mailing about the "F*** 2020" dishcloth I knit for her during the pandemic. I decided she needed something updated, so I knit this: 

 

I'll be visiting her in a few days to deliver the updated dishcloth. If you would like to knit an updated dish/face cloth of your own, there is a free pattern on ravelry.

I haven't finished any books this week, but am reading two ARCs that I hope to finish in the near future. 

What are you making and reading this Wednesday in March?  

Read With Us: Discussion Time

UPDATE: 

We really hate to do this, but we have to postpone or Zoom discussion of Gilead scheduled for tonight. One of our team is quite ill with flu and says "her brain is completely scrambled and she can barely keep her eyes open". That is no way to try and participate in a book discussion, so we will postpone our Zoom discussion until next Tuesday, March 24th at 7:00 pm. We're very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and hope you'll be able to join us next Tuesday. 

Thank you,

The Read With Us team

 

 

Today is the discussion day for our Read With Us winter book, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. 

Kym, Carole, and I are each posting a discussion question or two on our blogs today, and you are welcome to respond in the comments. I would also encourage you to reply to others' comments if you choose.  This is a book discussion, after all, so there are no correct answers or right opinions. I'm really looking forward to discussing this book. I'll be honest; I found it difficult to read, and after several false starts, I finally finished it. So I think this discussion will be valuable for me, and I hope for others of you as well. 

Here are my questions: Why do you think this novel resonates so deeply with some readers, and feels slow or difficult to others? Does this look at a 1950s rural, white church and town offer anything to readers in the 21st century?

 

I'll be glad to share my thoughts about our questions tonight during our Zoom discussion. These questions on our blogs and the Zoom discussion are your chance to express your ideas. So what do you think? I can't wait to hear your thoughts! (And I'm counting on our discussion to give me fresh perspectives in my own thinking about this novel.)

The in-person Zoom discussion will be at 7:00 pm Eastern this evening. If you haven't RSVP'd to Kym already you can send me an email (the email address is in the upper right) and I will make sure you get an invitation with the Zoom link. I hope to see you there!