Upside Ann

 "My students were also energizing, bursting with enthusiasm, and lousy with youth." In addition: "How do you get yourself into these situations, Brennan?" "I submit well-written resumes."

 "Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which to die."

 Having fun reading all of Kathy Reichs' Tempe Brennan novels.  This is number 8.  If I focus, I can get through one in 2 days.  How's that for an accomplishment?  If you come back in 2025 and peruse my books read, you'll note that the first 7 books are listed in descending order.  My mistake.  I was copying from the "Also by" list and wasn't thinking about how they were presented.  (Note - that list of books has a big gap between July and November.  Drat!  I did find something I wanted to share, however: "There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing."  Scottish fisherman's proverb Winter is coming.  Maybe.

 In a likely misguided attempt to simplify my life and my possessions, I've decided I must part with my old letters.  But before I can do that, I'm reading them - reading every line - one last time.  I'm reading the letters from friends and family in 1979 and 1980.  You see, I kept them- I kept them all.  I kept the scribbled notes from my mother on her lunch break.  I kept my grandmother's observations of life on her farm...what was blooming and who was singing in the trees. I kept the silly letters written by my crazy, wonderful friends as we started our lives "adult" lives away from "home".  I kept the love letters.  They are all love letters. I kept them all and I'm reading them all.  My heart aches. All those people I loved- with love so intense and pure and fresh like a paper cut.  I'd give anything to go back for just an hour and hold those beautiful people with their hopes and joys and laughter and tears and tell them.  Tell them that

 "Tell her that sometimes what seems to be the right thing to do looks diffferent over time."

 He told me he wanted to do work that invigorated him.  He said, "You have to do that, too, Monique,.  When you're older.  You have to find a job that makes your heart feel big instead of one that makes it feel small."