Friday Musings

1. I'm not too proud of the fact that it's almost May, and I've only read two books this year: The Echo Maker and The Piano Tuner. Both left me cold. Both had interesting starts, intriguing characters, but anti-climatic, or unsatisfying, endings. I learned about Echo Maker after reading The Stolen Child, which was one of my favorite reads of last year. It's possible I'm too distracted right now to enjoy a book that isn't slapping me in the face. But still, what the heck? Lacking a good book to read is like lacking a friend! Boo hoo. I aim to find a good book to dip into in the next week or two.

2. Growing up with my unusual first name meant that there wasn't usually someone in my vicinity who shared it. I also couldn't find monogrammed items like mugs or notepads at truckstops, but I have learned to live with that. There is really only one downside to possessing this name, and that is the twisted nature of "love ballads" devoted to Delia. For some reason, I am just learning that the famous Johnny Cash song about a "devilish" woman called Delia mentions her coming from Memphis. I grew up in Memphis! That would be a neat fact, if it weren't for Delia's nasty demise - and the singer's delight in inflicting her death!

Bob Dylan also revived an old folk song, "Delia" for his early 90's album, World Gone Wrong. Guess what? Delia is a gambler, and her lover shoots her.

Delilah gets love songs. Delia? Winds up shot and buried.

3. I was reunited last week with an old friend: a delicious glass of beer. I'm kind of a beer girl, in that I often will pick beer over wine. Maybe it's the carbs to which I am addicted, or maybe it's the refreshment factor. Whatever the case, I've decided that the best beer is from Germany, and her name is Spaten. Tasting the creamy brew immediately took me back to time I spent in Europe, namely, visiting my brother during his time in Germany, and drinking the beer that he had delivered by the case to his home. Seriously, this beer has it all: refreshment, body, flavor, balance, and, for me, memories. What drink has all that??!