M. Suzanne Terry

July was the month of long-time friends.  I attended my 20th (!!!) high school reunion, so I got to catch up with who-is-where-and-doing-what and meet their kids (I repeat – !!!).  I had dinner with a few people I hadn’t talked to in a while, even though they live right here in town, and I had some friends over for margaritas and build-your-own nachos.  I saw my friend Michelle, who is stateside for a couple of months before she heads back to China.  I had dinner last night with two of my former roommates Sharon and Margat and their kids. I said farewell to my friend Tomomi who moved back to Japan.

Good friends.  Good times.

General Highlights:

I applied and interviewed for a full-time teaching position at the school where I teach, but it went to another candidate.  It did me the favor of thinking about what I like about what I do and what I want to change about it for the classes that I do have, even if I’m still teaching in a part-time capacity.  So while it was not the outcome for which I was hoping the most, it’s still okay.

I love wearing pearls.

I also love Ravelin’s black pepper and prosciutto loaf.

Denton.  Just all of it.  I’m so in love with this town in the summertime.

My Maggie is engaged!  Yay!

And I love finishing summer conferences!  I will be back in my building next Monday!

Books:

I loved The Paris Wife.  I read it, then I promptly watched Midnight in Paris and bought A Moveable Feast.  I just wasn’t ready to stop hearing this story.

I also read Snapper and The Cookbook Collector, both of which I enjoyed.  I got a solid kick in the pants from You Are A Writer, so I wrote a lot this month as well.

My favorite book of the month, however, was Bread and Wine.  In fact, this might be my favorite book of the year so far.  Food-infused memoirs are my best book friends, and this one resonated with pain and joy and life and abundance and…I just want to read it over and over again and buy it for everyone I know.

I have started so many books (ten, in fact) that I hope to finish within the next couple of weeks, so I’m sure I’ll have something to say about them.  A little Neruda, a little memoir, and some Blood, Bones, and Butter.

TV/Movies:

I started Season 5 of Doctor Who.  I know Matt Smith is the Doctor, and he’s good at it, and he brings his own special something to the role.  But did anyone else just keep waiting for the moment when he turned back into David Tennant?  No?  Just me, then?  Okay.  Never mind.  I’ll just be over here, wearing my “I ❤ David Tennant” sandwich board.

Then She Found Me was a cute movie.  I also heart Colin Firth.

Then I stopped watching Dr. Who because, again – why bother when there’s no David Tennant? – but also because someone sent me this video, forcing me to immediately go back and re-watch all of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.  Such a good show.

And I know this is not a TV show or anything, but the Hump Day camel is my dad’s favorite commercial.  You should see how he acts when it comes on.

Food:

Breakfast quinoa, specifically with good maple syrup and blueberries, is pretty much my favorite thing right now.  It’s so delicious.

This cobbler was a big hit with Michelle, Tammy, and Matt.  It was a big hit with me, too.  I love peach cobbler, especially with peaches from Mom and Dad’s trees.  Also…bourbon.

July always seems to be pie month (observe from back in the day).  I made three different pies this month – strawberry rhubarb with gin in the crust, blueberry pie, and icebox lemonade-coconut milk pie, which turned out a little weird but still good, on account-a the coconut.

Pampered Chef’s Raspberry Habanero Sauce as a salad dressing.  I can’t even…I’m getting teary just thinking about how amazing this was.  I can hook you up if you want to experience it for yourself.

And the Twitter just informed me of something else I need to make immediately.  Homemade honeycomb, dipped in chocolate!?!?  WHAT?!?!?! I NEED IT!!!

The Intrawebs:

Clearly, this month I’ve gone  from occasionally seeing Joy the Baker repinned on Pinterest to following everything she does online.  I’m going to have to take up running again.  Maybe kickboxing, as I can do that inside and thus avoid risking heat stroke.  At any rate, something will have to be done to counteract this sudden spike in calories.

In other late-to-the-party news, I love Feminist Taylor Swift.

And I have loved Grumpy Cat since the beginning.  But this one makes me laugh and laugh.  And laugh and laugh.  And…well, you get it.

This video – Geek Girls and the Doubleclicks – Nothing to Prove *nods*

Blog Love:

The blogosphere was on fire this month.  If you missed them, go.  Read.

Esther Emery – Lament

Sarah Bessey – In Which I Thank the Duchess of Cambridge

Sarah Bessey – In Which I choose to be a feminist in the way that Jesus would be a feminist

Abby Norman – The Fix That Won’t (four part series – do yourself a favor and read them all)

Kelley Nikondeha via A Deeper Story – Her Dreads

Rachel Held Evans – Why I Can’t Stay Angry

Adam McHugh via Preston Yancey’s An Everlasting Meal and a Moveable Feast series – Blood from a Stone

Preston Yancey – When This is About Insecurity and Writing Books

Addie Zierman – One Small Change series

Jessica Stein – Eucharist

Hilary Sherratt – Dear Hilary: Honor is not in a Tan LIne

Leigh Kramer – Nashville Doesn’t Love Me

I’m sure I’ll run across ten more that I loved so much.  If you wrote one of these posts, thank you.  You made my month.

So, that was a lot.  It was a good month.  It was a good month for others, too.  Read what they’re into at Leigh Kramer’s blog.