I have only been to work one day this week - and am enjoying my second day off in a row. I sent the Xman out to measure, and he came back saying 6.5".

Yesterday’s Sally Forth made me laugh out loud. While I have long gotten a good Tom Joad reference, after my discussion about John Steinbeck earlier this year the fabulous (and how come neither of us is any older even though we’ve known each other for over 20 years?) Tatiana (the nickname comes from the same French class where I got Mimi as a nickname, actually) recommended that I read The Grapes of Wrath.

I read it over the Thanskgiving weekend (in fact, I think Dh actually took a photo of me reading it – I should find that) and greatly enjoyed it. While it is heartbreaking story I found that it really resonated. Not only because I enjoy Steinbeck’s writing and the way he alternates chapters between the Joad story and the entire Dust Bowl experience, but because both of my grandfathers came to California as part of that migration. I could see my family history in the stories, and hear the cadence and pronunciation of the words (and I give thanks daily that my grandmother, who was not of Dust Bowl extraction, put her foot down on our naming traditions).

I still will go with Cannery Row as my favorite Steinbeck, but I really can see his brilliance and genius. Any other recommendations – I’ve heard good things about Travels with Charley but, I am sure I’ll steer clear of The Red Pony