Thursday update

[lunabee34]

1. I got the cutest cat mug with some lovely tea to brew in it from amejisuto! <3 <3

And a postcard from oracne! <3 <3


2. I finally signed the contract with MLA for that book chapter they accepted on teaching Harriet Jacobs literally years ago before the pandemic, so looks like that is actually coming out this year. I'll believe it when I hold it in my hot little hands. LOL


3. We spent a great day searching out a new cologne for Josh since his beloved Fresh Cannabis Santal has been discontinued. I think he has settled on Atkinsons 41 Burlington Arcade. It has some of the same notes as his beloved scent (patchouli, musk, vetiver), but introduces some new notes that he really likes (me, too LOL).

I'm digging the new perfume lines that Dillards is carrying; the flagship in Atlanta has even more brands that I wanted to smell. I was disappointed that Jo Malone and Van Cleef and Arpels, for example, are only stocked there.



4.

Quarterly Review of Literature by T. Weiss

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So, apparently the Quarterly Review of Literature once held an international poetry book competition, and they would publish the winners (4-6) in one volume; I can't tell how often the competition ran (yearly?) or if it still runs, but the winners got a chapbook of poetry published, a thousand dollar prize, and a hundred books, which is a pretty sweet deal.

This volume contains Dissolving Borders by Lynne Knight, Moondog by Jean Hollander, The Weight of the Heart by David Citino, Is This the Way to Athens? by Barbara D. Holender, and Across Bucharest after Rain by Maria 'Banus in translation by Diana Der-Hovanessian and Mary Mattfield.

Really enjoy Knight's collection (although the preponderance of seed for semen gets tedious), Citino's collection, and Holender's collection. Do not care for Hollander's collection at all and am mostly neutral to 'Banus's collection.



View all my reviews

Comments

[princessofgeeks]

Hurray for good smelling Josh! Strangely, none of the men I ever dated was much into cologne, so that is uncharted territory for me.

[lunabee34]

Josh has always liked cologne and would wear it now and again throughout our relationship, but he didn't become a dedicated wearer with a signature scent until the last decade.

[kass]

Yay for cat mugs and postcards and book chapters!

[lunabee34]

*beams*

All good things!

[executrix]

For a long time, I knew that there was a scent called "vetiver" and a spice in Indian food called "khus." Imagine my surprise when I found out they were the same thing!

[lunabee34]

I am also surprised! I had no idea. Now I have to seek out the spice.

[executrix]

A lot of people don't like the "perfumey" taste of some Indian sweets, and I bet khus would be VERY perfumey.

[lunabee34]

I don't think I've ever had Indian sweets; I've had savory dishes many times.

[executrix]

There's a whole category of different kinds of small sweets made out of combinations of very concentrated milk, lots of sugar, nuts, coconut, even vegetables like carrots and beets. However, many of them do include semolina or other flours, so this might not be a good field for unrestricted experimentation!

[lunabee34]

*nods nods*

[trobadora]

Aw, that cat mug is amazing, I love it. :D

And congrats on signing the contract!

[lunabee34]

It is so so cute. The holes in the little strainer inside are paw prints!

Thank you! I am glad forward progress is being made.

[corvidology]

The cologne sounds lovely.

I still find it funny that all the men I know in England have a signature cologne while hardly any of the American men I know wear one, so good for Josh!

[lunabee34]

That is such an interesting divide. Not very many of the men I know wear cologne either. A fair amount of the students I teach seem to wear cologne and rather too much of it LOL but not so many of the grown up men.

[corvidology]

In general at least, I think American men are far more hung up on colouring within the lines.

It's like going to a US wedding where all the men are in that one suit they own or in a navy blazer and khaki trousers.

European men, even the ones who aren't following the latest fashion, aren't scared to exhibit a little individuality, perhaps a more unusually coloured suit, a fun tie, etc. My older brother in an insurance broker who works primarily with banks, a pretty conservative profession, and amongst his many suits he has ones that are green and even aubergine coloured.

Don't even get me started on men's hairstyles! ;D

[lunabee34]

I love men who aren't afraid to play around with fashion. I'm afraid that does not describe Josh. LOL I'm just pleased he now dresses professionally. It was a journey to get him to realize that he could not teach in white t-shirts and jeans. *headdesk* Now he dresses beautifully in slacks and, yes, jeans sometimes, but polos and dress shirts and other professional attire. But all quite within the box.

[elfin]

Are you subscribed to Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's newsletter? I can't remember if you're a fan of theirs or not. They dropped their 4/20 cannabis accord scents today.

[lunabee34]

Yes, I am! I love BPAL and Josh is almost always meh on their stuff. LOL He has turned his nose up at the majority of the BPAL I've bought; I think he is an alcohol-based perfume guy at heart.

[china_shop]

Such a cute cat mug! ♥

And much congrats on the contract. Go you!

[lunabee34]

Isn't it adorable?

Thank you! I'm just glad to be making progress; I think my chair was starting to believe it was like my pretend boyfriend. LOL

[umadoshi]

I'll believe it when I hold it in my hot little hands. LOL

Here's hoping! Yay for a contract!

[lunabee34]

Heeee.

Thank you! Hopefully by fall. *crosses fingers*

[amejisuto]

So glad you liked the mug and tea. That's one of my favorite blends!

I hope you hold that book in your hands soonish. It seems like it's been a while since you wrote that.

And yay for Josh not being stinky! LOL! It's great that he found something you both liked.

[lunabee34]

Hopefully it'll go to print by fall. *crosses fingers*

He's so sad that his favorite scent is being discontinued, but he really likes this one we found. I had a system. I brought a bunch of ziploc bags and we sprayed a bunch of stuff on the testing strips and bagged them up and brought them home; he also sprayed the one he likes on himself. And then he could continue to sniff it over the course of a few days to make sure he liked it.

[amejisuto]

What a great idea! The testing, that is. Mom went and tried on a perfume, oh, thirty years or so ago. It smelled good in the air so she tried some on herself. With her body chemistry, it made it smell like bad cigarettes and she had to walk around smelling like that all day. I think your way is better!

[lunabee34]

Oh, yeah. You have to be so careful. :(

I've had that happen to me many a time, fortunately at home so I could immediately scrub it off.

[spikedluv]

That mug is so cute! I expected it to have a picture of a cat on it, not be in the shape of a cat. Adorable!

[lunabee34]

It is so adorable. And the little strainer inside has holes in the shape of paw prints. And it has a little carrying case so you can take it to work without breaking it. Just so cute.

[spikedluv]

I did not realize that about the strainer! Such attention to the little details. I love that!

(My s-i-l got me a beautiful sunflower travel mug that is ceramic and I was like o_O That sucker is staying home because I would surely break it if I actually used it as a travel mug! *g* Not that a carrying case would help in this instance, but you made me think of it.)

[lunabee34]

Ha! Same.

This mug is for home and office only. Stationary positions. LOL