Thursday Thoughts ~ July 10, 2025

Thursdays come fast and furious!

It’s been a busy, yet frustrating week. We had an appointment to have The Husband’s VW bus picked up for donation on Sunday. Understand, this is a very emotional situation ~ he’s had this vehicle for 31 years and it’s hard for him to see it go. So, we’d been gearing up for Sunday, nervous and stressed. We sat for hours, waiting for the towing company, who we couldn’t contact on a Sunday… Actually, couldn’t contact at all… they never showed. Since then, we’ve been calling the auction house that claimed the bus and they’ve been as frustrated as us. Now we have an appointment for pick up (hopefully not the same towing company as the first appointment…) for later today. I’ll tell you how that turns out next week. Think good thoughts for us!!

Lots of pictures this week!

First, on Fourth of July morning, we visited the Fullerton Train Museum. It’s been one of those things, when you hear about something interesting in your local area but just never get around to visiting. I happened to see on Facebook that the museum would be open special hours on the Fourth, and since we had no plans, why not? It was about time, really!

This is right next to the train station in Fullerton.

First Class lounge

The First Class Husband

Crew quarters ~ note these are triple bunks!

Dining car

Dinette, for those who preferred a more casual meal, and a very narrow corridor

I hope you can zoom in on these prices!!

Kitchen

Note the slatted floor ~ it was created that way so that when any food dropped, it would go through the slats onto the tracks and clean up would be easier.

Really narrow corridor of guest bedrooms

That looks like a fun way to travel on a train!

Work desk

Is it weird that they had to spell this out??!! You wouldn’t have to tell me twice!

The fireworks started early where we live. Several explosions in the early afternoon seemed strange ~ to me, fireworks are meant for sparkling colors after sundown, not just noise… Where we live, our side of the street, in Fullerton, prohibits fireworks. But directly across from us is Placentia, where they are allowed. So, we heard a lot of nearby bangs and even saw a few small, pretty displays. But we stay home because Junior gets stressed when the gardeners come with the blowers, so fireworks really freak him out. Patchwork could care less, unless it’s really loud, then she lifts her head as if to say, “Why are these people disturbing me?” LOL!

The next day, Saturday, we were up and out early for our monthly California Writers Club meeting in Anaheim. Here’s our president, Mary Vensel White.

The speaker was Chapman University teacher and award-winning writer, Richard Bausch, talking about his writer’s journey. He read the first few pages of one of his short stories and I felt like I was in Cuba with Papa Hemingway, where his character, a young boy, spent a morning with the writer. He went on to talk about his own upbringing and some of his inspirations. I wish I had a recording of the last ten minutes of his talk ~ it gave me a boost that momentarily banished my persistent imposter syndrome.

After the meeting, we walked down the street to Muzeo. Their current exhibition is the artwork of Alex Ross, who made his name in the world of comics, working with both Marvel and DC, among others.

What a difference in his work from age 9 …

…to age 14!

He made these dolls at age 11. I don’t think I have anything I made at that age!

Me and Spidey

The Husband and Hulk

Sculpure of The Goblin, designed by Alex Ross

Doctor Strange. I LOVE these colors!

Black Panther

Rock ‘n Roll Spidey

In the Carnegie Library next door, the artwork of Hyunae Kang, done as a resident artist there last year, displayed vibrant color and sparkle my iPhone just couldn’t pick up. I wanted to take them all home!

Hyunae Kang exhibit

I really wish you could see the sparkle!

Close up of detail. We actually saw her working when we were at the museum during her residency. Fascinating!

Writing

Most of my writing efforts this week have been focused on Substack and other marketing things. Yesterday, I created a banner for my Substack newsletter. What do you think? I created it on Canva, a working relationship fraught with angst and swear words.

I’ve also been working on a blurb for the book, which I’ll need to expand a little for the description on sales pages, I think… I’m taking a class on synopsis and blurb writing with the Orange County Library System of FLORIDA. I’m guessing they’re a sister system to our Orange County California libraries? IDK… But I’m hoping I get some valuable info!

Reading

Honestly, there hasn’t been a lot of reading time, although I’m halfway through an ebook and almost finished with a paperback, so those will be for next week’s blog.

I did finish the ebook of Statistically Speaking by Debbie Johnson. I had read her Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater and I really liked it, so I gave this one a try. OY! Break out the tissues. Gemma has hit a crossroads in her life. The daughter she put up for adoption is about to turn 18. Will she chose to seek out Gemma? And would that be a good thing or a bad thing? Since then, she’s become a history teacher who’s been running from her early life, which includes a neglectful mother and foster care, taking a new job in a new location every year or two. Living by the sea near Liverpool and looking after her downstairs neighbor and her sweet dog, Gemma unexpectedly feels the steadiness of finally putting down roots. But suspecting that a new girl in school may be her daughter sends her on a spiral of self-doubt and anxiety. New friends and a possible love interest, things that she has consciously avoided, support her as she navigates a complicated and emotional tsunami. Since it’s written in first person, you really get to see the mental acrobatics Gemma goes through and it makes the story so immediate. Just loved this one!

Streaming/Watching

Still enjoying The Good Ship Murder and Forensics: The Real CSI.

Continuing in Christmas romance mode, I watched A Paris Christmas Waltz. When accountant Emma sacrifices her job so her coworker can keep his job, she has plenty of time to jet off to Paris when she’s picked to compete in a pro am dance competition. The story hits all the beats ~ falling in love with her dance partner, ex-girlfriend/dance partner creating drama, will they or won’t they. Jen Lilley as Emma and Orange County’s own Matthew Morrison as pro dancer Leo had some chemistry but the subplot of Leo’s mentor choreographing perhaps his last dance was much more emotional to me. The character of Emma was so wishy washy, she just let circumstances roll over her and never really took control of her life. I prefer a feistier main female character (the ex had way more spunk!). But it was a nice story and the dancing and Paris scenery made for a pleasant 90 minute retreat from reality.

Anyone have Christmas romance movie suggestions? Tis the season for Christmas in July!

Till next Thursday!