Sarah Vanrenen, Kat Devereaux, Daughter of Genoa and more on Monday Musings.
Monday Musings No. 205
Good morning friends, how was your weekend? How did you fare in the snow? Thankfully, we did not get the ice that we thought. The power stayed on and we were warm and toasty.
Bill arrived home on the “red eye” early Saturday morning and after a week away was under the weather so most of the weekend was spent in bed napping and reading.
On a different note, thank you for your kind comments on last week’s Monday Musings. I think a discussion on why people are so nasty is an interesting idea.
My take is that unlike the old days where people had manners, and would probably never say anything to your face and look you in the eye while doing. Today, we live behind our screens and you are now anonymous. When you don’t see someone’s life, age, exhaustion, know their story, etc, it is easy to forget that they are human. People now say things online that they would never say to you if they were sitting across from you are the kitchen table.
The algorithm rewards conflict, calm, kind comments do not go viral but if you stir the pot and are nasty and critical your voice is amplified.
I do not necessarily think people are meaner or angrier, there were always mean people but nowadays community and reputation don’t seem to matter as much and people can be cruel without consequences.
Ok, on to Monday Musings.
Read~Daughter of Genoa
Anna’s family fled to America years ago, to escape the Fascist regime, but Anna had stayed behind. Alone and terrified of discovery, Anna meets Father Vittorio, a Jesuit priest who takes her to shopkeepers Bernardo and Silvia, an older couple who offer shelter and safety without question. But when Anna discovers that this kind, quiet couple is part of a network of ordinary people daring to help Father Vittorio smuggle Jewish citizens, stripped of their status and rights, out of Italy, she is determined to help.
Anna offers skills essential to the cause: she has a deft hand at ledgers and forgery, talents she learned at the high-powered job she held before the Racial Laws were passed—a past she conceals. Working in secrecy, not knowing others’ real names or sharing her own, Anna begins producing fake identity cards and soon meets another member of the operation: a man known as Mr. X., whom she recognizes instantly as the wealthy aviator Massimo Teglio. And suddenly, without warning—despite the threat of imprisonment, torture, and death—Anna finds herself taking the most dangerous of risk of all: falling in love. And she’s not the only one.
Based on the true story of the DELASEM—the Delegation for the Assistance of Jewish Emigrants, an organization of brave volunteers working tirelessly to save innocent lives from the concentration camps—Daughter of Genoa is a poignant look at those who loved and lost yet continued to risk everything to create a better world.
MORE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
If you have already read this book or missed something I have featured before on the blog check out My Bookshop on Amazon.
Watched~Sarah Vanrenen’s Farmhouse
I love a house tour and this English farmhouse is one of my favorites.
Interior and textile designer, Sarah Vanrenen shares her years-long journey to update and unify what was originally 3 separate cottages and its gardens. Sarah also shares her key ingredients for an English country house, how to choose wallpaper, and what she believes that a house can never have too much of.
LINKS: READ+WATCH+LISTEN
Stop assuming every USB-C port on your laptop does the same thing
10 meaningful questions to ask the older people that you love.
How to train your brain to be more patient.
Lindsey Vonn Doesn’t Need Your Permission The 41-year-old skier is rewriting what’s possible.
The delightful history behind serendipity suggests it’s not mere luck
13 Online MasterClasses Taught by Southern Experts.
Meet Staci Davidman of Atlanta’s Beloved Foxgloves Antiques.
This Side Dish Is So Good, One Reviewer Made It 15 Times in a Month
The Worst Thing You Can Do to Your Dishwasher
SHOPPING BREAK
This red and white shirt popped up in an email recently, the pattern is entwined hearts, perfect for “heart month” or anytime you feel like a pop of color. You can dress it up or down with a pair of jeans, or a skirt. I paired it with jeans, loafers, a beautiful wool coat, leather tote and a a simple heart necklace.
You can see more outfit ideas at the bottom of the page or visit MyShop, be sure to sign up to see more clothing, books, style, decor and skincare.
5. In Case You Missed It~Weekend Meanderings
This weekend Juliet, Kim and I shared all of the things that piqued our interest and caught our eye, I shared a budget makeover by Dolly Parton, Light of the Clear Blue Morning, designer Matilda Goad, Mother’s Pride, Juniper and more on Weekend Meanderings.
That’s All for Now
I hope that you enjoyed my Monday Musings and that you have an amazing day. Take care of yourselves friends.
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On My Radar
I appreciate your commentary on why people can be so mean online and that you continue to blog, even knowing it’s a risk that you will face criticism and worse:)
Paula,
Thankfully over the last 15 years I have not been subjected to too many nasty or mean comments. Fingers crossed that will continue. Sadly many of my blogging friends have not been so lucky. I write my blog as a place for people to come and enjoy life and the little things, whether that be a book, an outfit or something I found interesting. Contrary to what people may think it does not mean that I do not support causes and issues close to my heart, I choose to do that for the most part in private.
I have said many times on the blog, my own family is divided on both sides of the political spectrum, this includes my parents and all of my cousins an aunts and uncles. The great thing is that we love one another enough to accept each other for the way that we are. In fact each Sunday on my weekly call with my dad we debate many things going on in the world and we listen and respect each other, sometimes I learn something from him and sometimes he learns something from me.
Thank you for your comment, I hope that you continue to enjoy the blog.