This made me happy

I found this bush outside of all things, a Taco Bell, but I love Crepe Myrtles, and the colour was lovely, so I took this photo. It's so vibrant. Sometimes you have to pause and look at the lovely things in your ordinary surroundings. They enrich your day.

Book #30

out of 24 for 2026 (125% of goal).

'Running the Books: the Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian' by Avi Steinberg

Most Kentucky thing ever

and yes, it isn't just a guy thing; I would do this, too, but I doubt they'd do it up North where some friends live in NYC.

I was taking someone over to UK, and no less than THREE men drove up next to me at various stoplights (one backed up) to be sure and let me know that my gas cap was off and the door was ajar. It's a 4.8-mile (12-minute) drive. 🤦‍♀️ As soon as I got him to his destination, I got out and secured both; you'd better believe it. Here it is, happily tucked back in.

Hmmm....

As someone who has been immensely helped by melatonin and takes it every night, this is a little concerning, even acknowledging the study's flaws.

Long-term melatonin use linked to 90% higher heart failure risk

UPDATE: I tried sleeping without it last night. I stayed up till 2:30 AM or so reading my book. Then I tried to go to bed. I couldn't sleep. I did not play on my phone or anything. I finally fell asleep about 4 AM. Since there is strong evidence of heart issues from chronic insomnia and disordered sleep, which I had in spades before I started taking melatonin, I'm in a sort of Catch-22. I think I should discuss this with my doctor. I don't currently have any heart problems except for such a minor murmur that only one doctor [my current PCP] has ever detected it by listening. I'd like to keep it that way. In the meantime, I'll keep taking it. I've tried the prescription drug trazodone and cannot take it; it makes my legs extremely restless, like I have pins and needles being poked in them. This works. I need an expert opinion. Maybe there's a reason melatonin is prescription-only in Britain.

I GOT A JOB!!!!!!!!!

And I'm officially a librarian again, with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, serving an underserved population, and supervising workers. I start September 16th. I'm super excited!

I adore Schoolhouse Rock

 I loved it as a child. I can still recite the Preamble to the Constitution (as long as I sing it in my head). I have them on VHS, actually, and would like to get them on DVD. But this was really eye-opening.

It's not fair...and both at 80, good long lives, but still....

The first time I saw Tim Curry in the movie theatre, I didn't actually know what he looked like — but that voice, the acting, the sheer dripping villainy! This was before I saw The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This is from Legend, the 1985 motion picture directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Cruise and Mia Sara. Tim Curry plays the evil Darkness. I think they used every bit of glitter, blossom, and feather known to man, raining down gently to make it seem more magical. But I adored it. My roommate thinks it's an awful movie. But this--along with Dark Crystal,  Labyrinth, and Ladyhawke--were the movies I watched in the 80s--not Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Footloose, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, or The Breakfast Club (to this day, I've only seen the last three because my friend sat me down many years later and made me). I was very into fantasy--especially books--at the time. I did do sci-fi, too, so I adored all the "Back to the Future" movies, but still... And somewhere along the way, I somehow missed The Princess Bride until the late 90s, when other friends introduced me to that wonderful movie.

But I digress...

RIP Tim Curry. You gave us Darkness, Frank'N'Furter, The Butler from Clue, so many more. You were a comedic genius and a wonderful evil villain. And you were always entertaining. You met a debilitating stroke and paralysis with humour (he lived 14 years with the aftermath), and still made us laugh. You will be missed. May you live on in film and in the hearts of those you touched.

 

I was on YouTube and I had no idea

she covered 'Shine' by Collective Soul and what a wonderful take it is.

Oh, crap, I'm crying again

My favourite Dolly Parton song