1. Andrea's memorial service was today (Thursday). It was a lovely mix of memorable and heartwarming and absurd. And sad. But also joyful. At the reception, there was lots of sharing of memories and wishing that the pre-cancer, wickedly funny Andrea--who loved a party and threw some of the best parties I've ever been to-- could have been there. And maybe she was. The whole thing made me ache. But you know, one of the things that has been brought home to me this week is that life goes on, even when it's not fair and you really wish it would just stop for a few minutes, or at least slow down.
2. Here is the Piano Guys video that they played at the end of the service.
3. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that when I wrote that last post about Andrea, I had forgotten that her mom sometimes reads here. Muriel, who is one of the wittiest, most interesting people I know, lived here several times for weeks and even months to help out while Andrea was going through treatment. We had some great conversations about books and life. She even took a couple of my Jane Austen classes. So special love and hugs to Muriel, Andrea's siblings, her husband and kids, and all of Andrea's family who are so especially feeling her loss right now.
*deep breath*
4. So, really, I got nothin'. But I've already done the thing where I end the Seven Things on Friday before I get to seven, so I'm determined to come up with something here. Hmm. OK, I will pass on a couple of links I enjoyed this week. First: Don't turn away from the art of life - a literature professor ruminates on the humanities.
5. Even if you're not a Broncos fan, it's fun to read this interview, with Super Bowl MVP Von Miller talking to three of his lifelong friends, all of whom have ended up playing in the NFL. We had a bit of an extra attachment to the Broncos this year because their backup quarterback, who kept them in the running while Manning was sidelined with injuries, is from our town and was a year behind our daughter in school (we don't know him personally, but you know, hometown kid).
6. I told you a long time ago that my favorite phone game is Seven Little Words. I'm still playing a year later. It's a great game for word geeks. Sometimes I know the answer because it's something I know (French writer Hugo = Victor, German diacritic = umlaut), sometimes I figure it out because word geeks know how words are put together, sometimes it's purely a matter of mixing the syllables around until I come up with the right combination. Sometimes the clues are amusing (one after another = eleven, a place to find gunpowder = tearoom, manual essential = gearshift, emphatic type = italic). Occasionally the clues make no sense. But I do love it. This is the longest I've ever played a game in my life.
7. This week's Montana Short Story trivia: the iconic western movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, starring Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne, is based on a short story but Dorothy M. Johnson, who lived much of her life in Whitefish, Montana. It's a good story if you can find it online, and the movie is pretty fun, too. Check it out sometime--lots of classic John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart moments.
And that's it. Have a good weekend.
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