Wow. This book is just wow. Poignant but also provocative. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents describes racism in the United States. But Wilkerson takes it further…further than I have heard or read before.
I have never disputed the fact that the United States is a racist place, but Wilkerson guides us through her theory that racism in the USA is a product of a caste system, a society-wide hierarchy. A system of inclusion and exclusion. I found it gripping and truthful and honest.
This book will make many people uncomfortable. It will make racists balk and claim it’s a farce. It will make people of color shake their heads in agreement and disgust. It will make people like me, someone who does not consider herself racist, stop and take stock of my own life and caste.
Wilkerson guides the reader through eight pillars of a caste system, all clearly in use today in the USA. Many stem from the very founding of our country. Others are more recently developed and upheld. She guides the reader through the theory identifying the contagion of caste just like a virus and how the caste system self=perpetuates by rewarding those lower class people who abide by the unwritten rules.
The New York Times claimed this book “an instant American classic and almonst certainly the keynote nonfiction book of the century so far.” Very high praise indeed.
Timely, chilling, astonishing. The book likely won’t change the thinking of racists around us, but might give pause and hope and direction to those who flounder in the middle.
*****One of the best books I have read in years. Five big stars for Caste: The Origins of our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson.
How to describe the unexpected, slightly annoying, and hopefully soon-to-be obsolete summer of 2020? I don’t think any of us will forget it soon. No sir, summer 2020 is branded on each of us forever; a somewhat sad, somewhat frightening, but often annoying period in history.
I approached this time of my life as optimistically as I could muster, setting my sights on goals and activities to keep me from going crazy. I can’t remember another summer in my life with so few parties, not a single concert, and zero festivals. No family reunion, no weddings, no fair or rodeo. No summer blockbuster movies, organized runs or even Seafair hydroplanes. Ho hum.
But most of all it’s been years since I haven’t had a vacation or trip looming on the horizon. The world according to Covid. So sad….
I knew full well as we flew half way across the world back to the United States on April 30th (abruptly ending our world tour) that nothing was going to be the same this summer. Our two months locked down on the island of Cyprus had us fully prepared with a good understanding of the dangers and contagion of the virus. We weren’t however prepared for the way the USA handled the virus with lack of cohesion, lack of preparation, lack of equipment, lack of communication. That part blew my mind. And thanks to all of that, we as Americans can’t travel now…perhaps for a very long time. Annoying.
Growth Mindset
The term ‘growth mindset’ is a bit of mantra for me, and I, sometimes to my husband’s dismay, tackle each problem head on with belief I can make something good out of the situation. And do it today. Generally I am a positive person with a somewhat Pollyanna view and so I set out to make the most of the situation. I lead a quantified life, meaning quarantine and lockdown seemed like another opportunity to tackle and reach some goals. This isn’t for everyone, but it works for me and damn I get a lot done!
So after four months stuck back in the USA it’s time to review my summer of miscontent, and consider what lies ahead.
.
Learning New Garden Skills
I didn’t do much work on my garden last summer because we were up to our eyeballs in remodeling our new villa. This year I set out to learn all I could about deer resistant gardening as well as gardening with woodland plants. Read Deer Resistant Gardening post here.
I have learned so much this summer, mostly by trial and error and I can say a few things with confidence about deer resistant gardening. First, the deer will try anything at least once…even if it’s supposedly “deer resistant”. Second, the female deer eat like pigs in the spring when they are carrying their fawns. And finally, there really are some plants the deer don’t like…thankfully. My successes this summer include lavender and all herbs, canna, cone flowers, daises, peonies, most grasses, cotoneaster and most woody shrubs, day lilies, and mums. I won’t be planting much beyond this list in the years ahead.
BTW my Master Gardener friend Kim (who helped me a lot) reminded me that no matter if the tag on the plant says “deer resistant” the deer can’t read.
Getting My Glow Back
Something I wasn’t prepared for when we started our life of nearly full time travel more than four years ago is how hard travel is on your skin and hair. Yes, I said skin and hair. Sun and sand, chlorine and salt, dry airplanes, dehydration, humidity…you name it. I felt my skin looked ancient when I arrived back in the USA. So, since we were going to be staying close to home, it seemed like a good time to launch a much needed and long neglected anti-aging skin care routine. Within a week of arrival I was into it and here is the post I wrote about Skin Care at Sixty
It’s now been 18 weeks since I took control of the future of my skin and I can’t tell you how much better I look and I feel. It is worth the effort and the money and I will never go back to neglecting my own self-care again. Whether you use the products I used or another brand or approach, just taking the time to put yourself first and take care of you is an important goal in life.
While I’m At It – Let’s Get Skinny
The two months on lockdown in Cyprus was a time I taught myself all about Cypriot cuisine. It was fun to have the time to do that. We also had an amazing Airbnb host who brought us baked goods nearly everyday. Oh boy those were good.
But on touchdown in the USA I was at least fifteen pounds heavier than when I had left, and my weight then wasn’t ideal either. One of the best things about travel is the wonderful food around the world – and I want to try it all. But, back in the USA it was time to take some serious measures and drop some serious pounds. And so I joined Noom and got to work within a week of arriving back home. Here is the post I wrote about Noom Weightloss.
I also set out to make better choices of what I ate and Noom helped me with that. We joined a seafood club and began receiving delicious wild caught Alaska Seafood and I taught myself all kinds of delicious seafood recipes. Cooking fish has always been a bit daunting for me, but not anymore. See some of the recipes here for Alaska Wild Caught Fish.
It’s now been four and half months and I have lost 27 pounds and I am currently maintaining my new weight. My god I feel so great! Noom is a great program. It might not be for everyone but it was just right for me and my growth mindset life and I am going to do everything I can to keep the weight off.
Let’s Get Physical
Noom was my motivation, but running really helped me kickstart a quick weight loss from the beginning. I set out to train for a half marathon, knowing full well the virus was causing all organized runs to be canceled. But I decided I could do my own half marathons and gave myself twelve weeks to be ready using Hal Higdon’s training program. See the post I wrote about Half Marathon Training
The twelve weeks have come and gone and I have run my half marathon and plan to run my second one this coming weekend. And as long as this old sixty year old body will let me, I’ll just keep right on running. I love it and it helps me stay slim.
Learning Something New
We can’t travel but I live on a golf course…there it is right in my own front yard. So no time like the present to learn something new. I have golfed in the past but it had been at least 15 years since I picked up some clubs. So my summer of miscontent became my summer of learn to golf. I took 8 lessons and learned a great deal during that time. I got a new driver, new shoes and a whole new atititude and confidence to this game and I look forward to golfing through out the fall and even the winter as I work to feel natural with a club in my hand. Another great way to get my exercise in.
Staycations and Road Trips
Once I felt safe to be out and about on a limited basis, we planned some close-to-home two and three day getaways (see our Island Sanity Staycation #1 here and our Tree House #2 here). I also got outside to hike and cycle as often as possible, keeping social distancing top of mind. I was really grateful for those close to home activities with my husband, my grown sons and some of our close friends.
In August we decided to venture a little farther from home and did a 13 day road trip through Idaho to Colorado and back through Oregon. It was a lot of driving and in hind sight we should have added a few more days, but the weather was excellent, the scenery sublime and the ability to play my “get out of jail free card” really helped my sanity. I felt safe the entire time and we were careful and social distanced everywhere we went.
And Just Like That, Fall is Here
The virus is here for a long while, and learning to deal with it has been the unexpected outcome of my summer of miscontent. So now I look forward. I’ve done a little soul searching through all of this. Learning to accept the fact I can’t travel and I am not in control of when I might be able to again. Learning to find peace with that and find other things to occupy my over active brain. Learning to socialize primarily with my closest family and keep most everyone at arms length. No hugs. That sucks.
The weather will turn soon and I will turn to my arts and crafts and focus on healthy eating and working out. We might do another road trip…or even fly to the sunny parts of the USA if we decide it’s safe to do so. But learning to be kinder, quieter, more thoughtful has been good medicine for me. I’ve given up the news and refuse to engage in politics or hate. It’s not my way.
I know well there are so many people who have it so much worse than I do. I have a home, a family and I am safe and so far healthy. There is nothing more that I need.
I know a handful of people who have had the virus, all but one of them surviving. It’s real and it’s going to be around for a while…I am settling in for the long haul. Likely no travel for a while, but learning to live within the boundaries the virus has imposed. And do so with a positive attitude…as much as possible. Sometimes that means stepping away from the news, shutting down the social media, turning away from the screen.
My goal – a fall and winter of contentment. Putting away the miscontent and finding acceptance and satisfaction in the solitude this virus has thrust on us, and the major change in lifestyle that is now my routine. My autumn of contentment. My winter of gratitude. My Fab Fifties Life.
After a bit of a dry spell, I’ve stumbled thankfully into some lovely feel good stories lately. And this book is one of them. I hope you enjoy my book review of Virgil Wander by Leif Enger.
It’s a funny coinkydink, because I downloaded this book after it showed up on a list of best books from 2018. I hadn’t started reading it yet and my friend Merry mentioned Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, claiming it one of her all-time favorites. I began to wonder who was this Leif guy and why have I not read anything by him?
And so I began Virgil Wander, and found Leif Enger
Virgil Wander nearly dies in a car accident, only to come out of the experience with a new life awakening. As he heals he begins to notice more clearly people and things in his small Midwestern town life. Given the small town setting, as you might expect, Virgil’s story is accompanied by a wide range of characters that Enger brilliantly develops. In fact the character development of this cast is one of my favorite things about this story; from the sudden appearance of Rune a kite flying old man or the reappearance of the town’s prodigal son Adam Leer, to the life long residents like down on his luck Jerry, town drunk Shad, widow Nadine and Mayor Lydia. These are the people who make the plot of Virgil Wander unfold in a humorous and captivating way.
Enger has a talent I long for as a writing. He is gifted in his ability to turn a phrase, choose a word, fulfill a prose – in a way that puts you square in the heart of the moment, not just the story but the exact moment and believe you are there. Brilliant.
“The surface of everything is thinner than we know. A person can fall right through, without any warning at all.”
“He had a heartening bulk of the aging athlete defeated by pastry.”
I really loved this book and I think you will too. A look into life in small town upper Midwest America, and the people who love their town and each other. Their journey is Virgil Wander.
I hope you enjoyed my book review of Virgil Wander by Leif Enger.
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Inspired to explore environs closer to home, meaning in the United States, we set out on a road trip in August. Road tripping Oregon USA began in Washington State. We traveled 3375 miles through 5 states over 13 days. Our goal was only to sate a wee bit of our wanderlust and see a few towns and regions we had never visited. This is the third installment in a three part series of our road trip adventures. Read installment number one here (Idaho) and installment number two here (Colorado).
We left Colorado early in the morning with the fires still burning, so another detour and long drive ahead. We drove about 12 hours back into Idaho where we stayed at a less-than-appealing Red Lion in the town of Boise. We were exhausted so didn’t see any of Boise. I love Boise and have been there before…next time we will stay longer and in better accommodations.
Welcome to Oregon
We hit the road bright and early for the six hour drive to Bend, Oregon, passing back into the Pacific Time zone before arriving. A light blanket of smoke hung over most of Oregon too, as fires there also burned in the summer ritual that has become so common with climate change. So sad.
We had a few hours to spare before we could check into our Airbnb so we headed to Riverbend park where we hoped to get wet and cool off on the sweltering 100 degree day.
But since it was Saturday lots of people had the same idea. It was super crowded making social distancing a bit difficult. This beautiful park on the Deschutes River is popular for floating down in inner tubes and other floaties, and 100’s of people were here for that activity. Since we didn’t have a floatie, we laid out our beach towels on the grass far from shore and just soaked up some sun and watched everyone float down the river from a comfortable distance.
Oregon has a population of just over 4 million and ranks 39th in the states with about 25,000 virus cases. Some people were masked in public but the rules were not as strict as in Colorado. Everyone was wearing masks inside stores and restaurants.
Bend Is Da Bomb
After a couple of hours we headed to check into our Airbnb, another darling little cabin on a ranch. It was small and the bathroom was in a separate building but the proprietors were excellent hosts and had done such a nice job making this a wonderful little respite. We would definitely stay here again. See it here.
Bend is one of my favorite areas in THE WORLD (you know that is saying something) and I think I could live here. We only had two days so we tried to make the most of it. We had a spectacular meal at El Sancho, some of the best, most authentic Mexican food I’ve had in a very long time. We enjoyed walking and shopping in old Bend, and tried to play golf but a huge thunderstorm kicked up and kept us from getting out on the course. Oh well, next time.
From our Airbnb in northwest Bend off of Powell Butte, I was able to do a really long run one morning. There are many parks and trails also great for running and cycling and hiking all around this region.
Microbrew Capital of the Northwest
Our last day we did a self-guided microbrewery tour. Bend has more thant THIRTY microbreweries…an astonishing number. We had the time and the stamina to enjoy only a handful. Some of our favorites were 10 Barrel,Crux, Bevel, McMenamins, Bend Brewing and Deschutes. We had planned to eat dinner at Bend Brewing or Deschutes but the same thunderstorm kept us from these outdoor dining places. Instead we ate at the historic Pine Tavern. Always a good choice when in Bend.
So our two quick days in Bend was not enough, but we hope to come back next summer and stay for a week. It really is a special place.
On day 13 we drove the six hours back to our home in Washington State, tired but fulfilled at least for awhile, as we wait for our full-time travel life to begin again. We may just need to take another road trip in the months to come.
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This book kept showing up on lists of favorites by other readers I follow. But I was hesitant to read ANOTHER World War II story. But I relented and downloaded it to listen to on audible on our recent road trip. It was a very pleasant surprise. Please enjoy my book review of Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan.
Sullivan happened upon the story of Pino Lella, a real person, who became an uncommon hero in Italy during World War II. When Sullivan approached the aging Lella, Lella didn’t understand how anyone could think him a hero or want to write his story.
But Lella is another, like many before him, who risked everything during WWII to do what he knew was right in his heart and save many, many people in the process. Pino Lella, an Italian teenager, was a real hero.
Sullivan walks the reader through the Italian side of WWII, in itself a refreshing storyline war story. Pino’s first hand account of what happened to him, as well as extensive research by the author, creates a suspenseful and often hard-to-believe tale of life in Italy during the war under Nazi occupation. Pino finds himself a spy, at the right hand of one of the Nazi’s most notorious leaders. His position, wit and savoir faire keeps him alive while also saving many Italians.
Near death experiences, meeting Moussilini, falling in love, saving Jews, seeing death everywhere he turns, wearing the Nazi uniform and his greatest heartbreak – non of these things take Pino down. His uncommon valor as such a young man makes him an uncommon hero.
My husband found some of the story not believable. But I’ve read enough WWII stories to except how living through such a unprecedented time created unprecedented heroes. I loved the book and Pino Lella. Thanks for reading my book review of Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan.
*****Five Stars for Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
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Inspired to explore environs closer to home, meaning in the United States, we set out on a road trip in August. Road tripping Colorado USA began in Washington State. We traveled 3375 miles through 5 states over 13 days. Our goal was only to sate a wee bit of our wanderlust and see a few towns and regions we had never visited. This is the second installment of three part series of our road trip adventures. Read installment number one here.
We left Idaho to continue our journey to the Aspen Colorado area. For all the travel we had done, even several visits to Colorado, somehow Aspen eluded me. And so why not? Aspen here I come.
Seemed easy enough, although a long drive from Sun Valley to Aspen we could do it in a day. We left early and enjoyed the beauty as we left Idaho and spent many miles through Utah and eventually crossing into Colorado.
But oh no, we could see it for miles…smoke. Something was definitely burning. We proceded but when we were about an hour from our destination of Carbondale, a small town outside of Aspen, we learned that Interstate 70 was closed due to a fire. Our only option was a four-hour detour through Grand Junction. Sigh….a long day of driving got even longer.
It was a relief to finally arrive, road weary but intact, at Cedar Ridge Ranch and our Glamping Airbnb. It was pitch black but we found our cozy tent with queen size bed ready and waiting and we collapsed into.
At sunrise with coffee in hand we explored the ranch to see what exactly it was we had gotten ourselves into. We could see the fire burning…but felt comfortable at the distance we were at. And so we headed out to see what we came here to see.
The Aspen region includes the towns of Carbondale, Basalt, Glenwood Springs, Marble and several others. Our lodgings were high above Carbondale and about a 30 minute drive to the town of Aspen.
We spent one day in Aspen and I was amazed how the ski slopes come right down into town. It would be really fun to come back here in the winter. Aspen and all the small towns we visited were enforcing the mask wearing not only inside buildings, stores and restaurants but in all public spaces including sidewalks, parks and even on the chairlifts. Good for them.
Colorado, with a population of 5.5 million ranks 35th in the states for virus cases currently at 52,000 as of this writing.
We explored the small town of Carbondale, visited the weekly farmers market, and did several morning runs along the Crystal Creek trail, an old railroad bed trail about six miles long.
We loved the tiny and historic town of Basalt, the cutest town I think of all we saw. It was really lively with street performers and lots of visitors, but still easy to social distance. We had an outstanding meal at Temparnillo. I highly recommend it.
We did a steep hike called Sunnyside, just outside of Aspen and boy did I feel the elevation. Starting at 7000 feet and climbing to 9500 I was breathing hard. But the views…wow. So the next day we did a long but flat 8 mile hike on the Rio Grand trail, a paved trail popular with cyclists that runs through the valley from Aspen to Glenwood Springs about 42 miles. It was a great way to exercise without the elevation gain.
We squeezed in nine holes at the River Valley Ranch Golf Course on a really hot day, but we enjoyed getting to play despite the smoke billowing in the distance.
We really loved staying at the Cedar Ridge Ranch and having the horses, cows, alpacas and chickens as our neighbors. We saw coyote, ground hogs, deer and wild turkeys. Cedar Ridge offers horse rides, farm tours, yoga and even arts and crafts. Next time we will stay longer, because our four nights zoomed by. Road Tripping Colorado USA was made perfect down on the ranch.
As we left the fire continued to burn, and even two weeks later as I write this blog the Grizzly Canyon fire continues to burn. Interstate 70 has just reopened though, luckily for all the businesses and residents. Our thoughts and prayers are with all we met and everyone in beautiful Colorado.
Hope you enjoyed Road Tripping Colorado USA. Next week we visit Oregon.
Inspired to explore environs closer to home, meaning in the United States, we set out on a road trip in August. Road tripping Idaho USA began in Washington State. We traveled 3375 miles through 5 states over 13 days. Our goal was only to sate a wee bit of our wanderlust and see a few towns and regions we had never visited. This is the first installment of three part series of our road trip adventures.
Road Warriors
I should start by telling those of you who don’t know, that we have visited all fifty states. Yes, in addition to the 110 countries we have visited we can also claim to have visited all fifty states. Admittedly I am a bit of an overachiever (insert eye roll).
But point of clarification – the way we accomplished this momentous task is by…wait for it…ROAD TRIPPING! Yep, it’s really the only way to visit all 50 states, and over the past twenty-eight years we have traversed the entire country on six separate road trips. Our first road trip was in 1992 when we drove from Washington State to Washington DC. So our Road tripping Idaho USA begins our sixth USA road trip.
Road Tripping in the Time of The “C” Word
That inconvenient virus has made every aspect of our lives a struggle, including a summer road trip. We planned a socially distanced itinerary and were able to pull it off by planning ahead, traveling with cleaning supplies and wearing our masks. We spent multiple days in Idaho, Colorado and Oregon.
Way to go Idaho
Given that Idaho is the neighbor to my home state of Washington you’d think I would have spent more time there. But not so much. I’ve visited the panhandle multiple times, and the city of Boise, but on this trip I really wanted to see more of the mountains in the south so that’s what we set out to do.
We drove our first day to Spokane, still in Washington State but right on the border with Idaho. We spent a fun evening with my husband’s brother and his wife, before making an early morning escape under the cover of darkness. Today’s drive was about six hours to McCall Idaho (crossing into Mountain time zone), home to Payette Lake, Brundage Mountain and beautiful scenery.
We spent our first day in McCall enjoying the company of dear old friends who have retired to this gorgeous area. It’s not hard to see why they would choose it. Everything you might want is here; hot dry summers, cold dry winters, hiking, biking, boating, skiing, great dining and beer. Wow.
Day two in McCall we did two easy hikes. First we hiked to Twin Lakes, an easy four mile round trip suitable for just about anyone. It was one of the most peaceful places I have ever been. We had gotten an early start and found the trail and the lake deserted, except for a lone fisherman…perfect. The views were like a postcard…actually better!
Next we went to the Brundage Ski Area very popular in the summer for mountain bikers. We had a delicious lunch (socially distanced outdoors) on the deck of the lodge before riding the chair lift ($15) up to the top of the mountain. Here we could see all the way back to McCall and Payette Lake and well beyond. The chair lift ticket includes a round trip, but we hiked the 4 mile cat track back down to the lodge, enjoying a wide variety of wildflowers and bird life, and only a handful of other people.
We spent our two nights in McCall in a tiny little cabin a block from the lake. Teeny kitchen and bath, a comfy bed and a fireplace make this place cozy and perfect for a few days winter or summer. We also enjoyed sitting around the campfire in the evening. See it here.
Day four we exited early, heading south to the famous Sun Valley region. We had never visited Sun Valley and it had been on my list for a long time. Sun Valley is made up of several towns, and several ski areas. The best known town is Ketchum. We stayed in Hailey, about five miles outside of Ketchum (another peaceful and exceptionally well kept Airbnb. See it here).
Our first day in the valley we took the gondola at Sun Valley Ski Resort up to the top of the mountain ($25). The weather was clear and warm and you could see for a hundred miles. We had an outdoor socially distanced meal at Warfield Distillery in Ketchum and explored some of the local microbrews.
Day two in the valley I enjoyed a long morning run on the Wood River trail that runs for 15+ miles all along the valley. Next we took a short hike on a nature trail near our Airbnb along the Wood River. We finished our day playing nine holes of golf at the beautiful Elk Horn Golf Course. Sun Valley is peppered with golf courses…wish we had been able to check out a few more – next time!
Feeling Safe in Idaho
Idaho has a population of 1.75 million and ranks 35th in the USA for virus infections with just over 28,000 (Source Statista as of August 19th). In both McCall and the Sun Valley area we found people wearing masks in all stores and restaurants and many people wearing masks on the sidewalks in town. Idaho was dead last in the USA for cases until mid-June when virus cases began to rise.
We made a point to keep distanced, choose activities where we could easily stay away from crowds, and we enjoyed our road trip in Idaho. It really is an underrated gem in the United States. Now I want to go back in the winter. Road tripping Idaho USA filled our goals.
Join us next week for our Colorado installment of Road Tripping USA.
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