The final bits of the kitchen remodel have been trickling in. There are still a few more little projects waiting in the wings, but mostly it’s done. (Or as done as things get when you’re married to a carpenter who doesn’t always feel the same level of urgency as one might wish…)

For my little corner workspace, my husband said he had a gnarly piece of old chestnut out in the barn. One side was curved, which my husband thought was a strike against it, but I was like, “I love that crooked side! Let’s showcase it!”

And so he did.

I love the wood’s textures and flaws, how it’s already worn down and settled. It’s like finding that pair of jeans at a thrift store, a pair that’s already broken in and fits perfectly.

In the back corner of the desk, he drilled a hole through which to funnel all the cords and wires, and then, just a couple weeks ago, he added a narrower undershelf, made with a bit of knotty oak. Above the desk, he hung a kitchen cabinet which holds my office supplies, wine glasses, and extra dishes. I like that I can tape notes to myself on the inside of the doors, like a hideaway bulletin board.

He mounted the bluetooth speaker that the kids got for my birthday several years ago above the window — the sound wraps around the kitchen much better at that angle — and I hung twinkle lights by the coffee pot. (And speaking of the coffee station: I LOVE IT. It’s one of my favoritest spots in the whole entire kitchen.)

Yet to be found:
*a swivel bar stool with a back (something like this but from a thrift store, please)
*a small, cozy desk light that takes up next-to-no room, something like this, maybe, or this, or this attached to the bottom of the cupboard (would it even give enough light?)
*perhaps some art work or shelving for the walls, depending…

I’m still getting a feel for the space, deciding what I absolutely must have and what I can do without.

This same time, years previous: Lebanese dried lemon tea, the quotidian (1.1.18), 2017, Christmas, quite frankly, constant motion, cranberry crumble bars, the quotidian (1.2.12), loose ends.

Here’s what I’ve read in 2019:

*The Wife, by Alafair Barke. A page-turner with a little too-much legalese and a surprising twist at the end.

*Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi. Absolutely fantastic! A great book to read prior to going to the National Museum of African American Art and Culture. (I had my older daughter read it, too.)

*Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Art of Good Cooking, by Samin Nosrat. Samin is awesome!!! I totally have a girlcrush on her. Also, buy the book. It’s entirely, wonderfully, practical. (If you haven’t seen her Netflix show, DO.)

*An American Marriage, by Tayari Jones. Interesting.

*The Best Cook in the World: Tales from my Momma’s Southern Table, by Rick Bragg. Captivating and humorous. Fun story-telling, interesting culture. Good recipes. Finally mastered collard greens and ham and beans!

*Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism, by Drew Hart. A bit tedious, but some helpful anecdotes and insights.

*The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank. More depressing than I’d remembered.

*The Diary of Anne Frank: the play, by Francis Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Being Mrs. Frank was more fun than I thought it’d be.

*It Happens Every Day: An All Too-True Story and A Year and Six Seconds: A Love Story, both by Isabel Gillies. Stellar. I read them both in a rush.

*Just Mercy: a Story of Justice and Redemption, by Bryan Stevenson. Intense, painful, eye-opening. Made me want to do something, like become a lawyer or something equally improbable.

*The Female Persuasion, by Meg Wolitzer. A pleasant read.

*Girls Burn Brighter, by Shobha Rao. Well-written, but disturbing and not very satisfying. I had to force myself to get through it.

*Heartbreaker, by Claudia Dey. Odd, but okay.

*Girl in Translation, by Jean Kwok. An easy, enjoyable read.

*Deathtrap: A Thriller in Two Acts, by Ira Levin. Fast and fun. (I read it because I was thinking of auditioning for the play, but then I didn’t.)

*Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes, by Elizabeth Bard. Good writing with a so-so story. I didn’t feel like I gained new insights, and the recipes didn’t tempt. 

*Disgrace, by J.M. Coetzee. A tightly-woven and well-told story that touches on a staggering number of complicated issues.

*Where We Come From, by Oscar Casares. About the current immigration situation: a close-up, compassionate look at one small piece of the story.

*Three Women, by Lisa Taddeo. This is a book that begs to be discussed: if you have a book club, put it on the list.

*Ask Again, Yes, by Mary Beth Keane. Super good and refreshingly understated.

*Slow Man, by J.M. Coetzee. So many words and soooooo slow. I’m amazed that I had the patience to read it, and even more amazed that he had the patience to write it. I’m still not sure what it was about.

*I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman, by Nora Ephron. Easy and entertaining. I like her writing style — it loosens me.

*White Walls: A Memoir About Motherhood, Daughterhood, and the Mess In Between, by Judy Batalion. Excellent book (that did drag on a wee bit too long) with great writing that made me feel inferior about my own.

*I Remember Nothing: and Other Reflections, by Norah Ephron. Fun.

*Travel Light, Move Fast, by Alexandra Fuller. Good book with a devastating ending.

*The Heart’s Invisible Furies, by John Boyne. Started super strong; drug on forever: meh.

*Consent: A Memoir of Unwanted Attention, by Donna Freitas. Too long and wordy — would’ve appreciated more of a story — but eye-opening.

*Olive, Again, by Elizabeth Strout. Perfect and wonderful and lovely. I’m an Olive fan (though I don’t really like her).

*Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant: Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone, edited and compiled by Jenni Ferrari-Adler. An enjoyable, behind-the-scenes look at what food writers eat when they’re alone. Made me happy.

*A Life of My Own, by Claire Tomalin. A fascinating life told tediously.

*The Girl With Seven Names, by Hyeonseo Lee. I learned loads about North Korea.

*I’m Lying But I’m Telling the Truth, by Bassey Ikpi. Excellent, up-close look at mental illness (though I did get a little lost at the end….)

Right now I’m hurrying to finish The Hungry Ocean since it’s way overdue. Next up: Permanent Record, The Dutch House, and Nothing To See Here.

What have you been reading?

Got anything good to recommend?

More on books….
2018 book list
2017 book list
2016 book list
2015 book list
2014 book list

P.S. I’m in dire need of good read-alouds to share with my younger son (almost 14). Preferably, I’d like to skip the war-and-disaster-and-sex books in favor of well-written comedy and/or the meaningful ordinary, books like Anne of Green Gables or Harris and Me or Holes or Where the Lilies Bloom or Counting by 7s. Both old-time classics and new gems welcome, please and thank you! xo

This same time, years previous: a mistake-based education, family magnified, our apocalypse, chopped locks, tamalada!, one step above lazy (maybe), eggnog.