Nothing New Under the Sun

I've just finished Daddy-Long Legs by Jean Webster, who, interestingly enough was the Great Niece of Mark Twain.  I guess it has always paid to know the right people in the world of publishing.  In any case, when I started reading this book, I was taken with how sweet and innocent it was.  The adorable story told in a series of letters, of a young orphaned girl sent to college by an anonymous benefactor.  Now that I'm done, honestly, I'm a little creeped out.  No spoilers here, but reading this through a modern lens gave me pause and reminded me how entrenched we are in predatory behavior masquerading as saviourism, especially on the part of wealthy, white men.  We've been conditioned to see it as romance, especially through this whole schoolgirl romance genre so popular in pre-WWI America, continuing well into the present day.  Pretty Woman anyone?  Hello, creepy predator played by Richard Gere. All we have to do is read the headline news see that not a whole lot has changed. 

Broads with whom I would drink gin.

I think Kristin Chenoweth and I should be BFF's.

In fact, if I could have a cocktail party with some famous women, she would top the list.

She and Bette Midler.

And Dolly Parton. Shoot, Olympia Dukakis could come too, if she wasn't busy.

For that matter, most anyone in the cast of "Steel Magnolias" would be welcome. Daryl Hannah might have to bring some gin. I always seem to run out.

And as long as we are completely ignoring all sense of reality, I would love for Eleanor Roosevelt to stop by. She'd be a hoot. We'd definitely need more gin. Bring two bottles, Daryl.

While we're at it, let's just send an invite to Rita Moreno, Julia Child and Jenny Lawson, too. If you haven't read Jenny's blog, The Bloggess, you need to. I really mean it. I hope she wears her wolf suit to the party. That would rock like a hurricane.

Added to the list, just recently, is Ree Drummond. She is more widely known at the Pioneer Woman and her blog often leaves me with tears running down my cheeks from laughing and drool dribbling off of my chin from her delicious recipes. I read her adorable memior, "Black Heels and Tractor Wheels", on my 20th anniversary weekend with my fabulous husband. He doesn't like to talk while he drives. I get more than a little antsy if there is more than 5 minutes of unoccupied silence. I have to read in order to stay married and not dropped on the side of the road somewhere. It's for my own good.

"Black Heels and Tractor Wheels" is a sweet, sweet story of how she and her husband met, fell in love and married. Sweet, sweet, sweet. My poor husband had to listen to me oohing and ahhing the entire drive. Poor guy.

                                                                                                                                                                                      
Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way by Shauna Niequist





I found this book to be a whole lot more sweet than it was bitter.  The trials that this young woman so honestly and genuinely shares are most certainly real and are most certainly painful for the author.  The lessons she derives from each of those times are insightful and innocently wise.  I found myself smiling, often, at her youth as she shared her life stories.  Being 25 and full of life to share, advice to give and stories to tell is indeed a sweet thing.