Hannah Rae's Blog, page 25

Just A Random Memory

You know how we sometimes remember the most mundane events, even years after they occurred? Well, here's an event that I think of several times every week and happened when I was in primary school:

Keefauver Elementary was divided in a way that had kindergarten through third grade on one side of the building and fourth grade through sixth grade on the other. I'm not sure how old I was at the time of this story, but I was definitely in one of the classrooms that housed older children.

At that point in time, my music teacher Mr. Serfass had a cart or something that he used to visit regular classrooms. I'm thinking this is the case, anyway... because in early elementary-school memories, Mr. Serfass definitely had his own room. I mean, I can remember sitting in that room and singing "Sarasponda" in a round.

Side note: Once when Pip was still alive, we drove up to New York City with my friend Heather to see Bella's Bartok and on the ride home, he and I sang "Sarasponda" and "Low Bridge" and all sorts of other tunes -- like that "B A Bay" song -- on the ride home. It was almost five o'clock in the morning by the time we got back to Gettysburg; we were delirious.

Other side note: In sixth grade, we sang "Low Bridge" for Fine Arts Night and I was so excited because I was going to get to wear jeans and a plaid shirt -- NOT a dress! -- and then I got the stomach flu and couldn't participate.

Back to my story, though...

Mr. Serfass brought his cart and his lesson to a secondary elementary classroom and I had a retractable gel pen with a clicky end. I was bouncing it on my desk. Like, pushing in the end and then pushing it in again, letting it bounce up. One bounce was especially higher (much higher than I was expecting) and it startled me. I jumped.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/58cc22_c7ba47a306a0444c8bdb801c44224c52/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Mr. Serfass saw me jump because he was passing out supplies and was standing right behind me. With a big smile on his face, he said in a quiet voice, "That one scared you, didn't it?"

I still think about that incident quite a bit.

Many Good Things

Even though today was a Monday and it was hard to get out of bed, several good things happened. Here they are in chronological order:

While hanging out with my third-period freshmen, my friend and coworker Kathy came into my room and delivered two cans of Trader Joe's chickpeas. This occurred because my other other mother Theresa purchased some of these chickpeas for me several months ago (her daughter Kathryn introduced her to them) and I fell in love with them and now she buys them for me every time she goes to Trader Joe's. So when my marketing manager Mary and I were at Bantam Coffee Roasters this weekend, brainstorming on how to get famous while actually getting caffeinated, Kathy stopped in with her adorable dog Maize and told us that she was going to Trader Joe's later that day. I told her that she absolutely needed to get some of the parsley and cumin chickpeas, and said that she should feel free to pick some up for me as well, AND SHE DID! I was so excited that I gave her a hug and then skipped across the room to answer a student's question.

Later, I went to the chiropractor to get cracked and when I walked in, the receptionist said she had a question for me. "We had a cancellation," she said, "and wondered if you'd like to have a thirty-minute massage after your appointment." I was like, "Today?" And she said, "Yes." And I said, "Absolutely!" Because my lower back has been bothering me so much lately and even though the chiropractor helps a little bit, it's the massage that helps the most. So I hung out with Jess (that's who gives me my massages; she's excellent) and we talked about books and it turns out she's read all of mine! And really enjoyed them! How fun is that?!

When I left the chiropractor's office, I realized I had a text from my other mother Amy and it was a picture of her husband Steve reading The Way Back in Florida. That made me really happy, of course, and boosted my mood even more!

Then I came home and retrieved the proof of Running Through the Words from my front stoop, where it had been delivered earlier today. The cover is beautiful and the book is very big and I'm not posting a picture of it because I want the artwork to be a surprise in the months to come.

And then I drove to Hanover and got some really great paper from Hobby Lobby (it was 40% off!) before meeting my buddy Nicoleo for dinner at Olive Garden!

All in all, a pretty good day... but I'm tired now and want to listen to this book that my mom recommended. I'll maybe write a blog about it when I'm finished because it's pretty interesting.

Running Through the Words, 6-7

Six.

Juli perches on the brewery’s porch steps, his calloused hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee and the brim of his baseball cap pulled down low to block the sun’s glare. He stares at the scuffed toe of his Converse sneaker as he puzzles over his offer to show Magnolia Fitzpatrick around the premises. Why had he volunteered to meet up with her one on one? And why is his stomach queasy with nerves as he sits waiting for her to arrive?

He glances around the yard, following a squirrel as it bounds over to the base of the cherry tree and scampers up the gnarled trunk, following it as it navigates the web of branches overhead. The last time he put himself in a situation where he was alone with a girl—alone with a girl who intrigues him, he corrects—was four years ago.

Four years ago was when he promised himself to be more careful when it came to matters of the heart. Because four years ago had hurt. He turns his attention to his right palm and uses the index finger of his left hand to circle the tiny 5 tattooed there, commemorating a nail gun accident that resulted in weeks of physical therapy. The specifics of the event have been permanently recorded on the bottom of his foot, along with seven other injuries that scarred him.

Only one of those scars is invisible. It is also the only scar that’s not physical.

The crisp crunch of tires on gravel alerts him to the approach of an advancing vehicle. A moment later, a grey Prius appears and slowly navigates the rugged parking lot. Nol smiles at Juli and waves before crookedly pulling into a spot and shutting off the engine. She’s still smiling as she climbs out of her car and traipses across the lawn.

Juli takes a deep breath, hoists himself to his feet, and fixes her with a half-smile. “Hey,” he says softly. “Good morning.”

Nol comes to a stop in front of the porch, slipping her hands into the back pockets of her cut-off denim shorts and squinting up at him. “Good morning! Do you have more of that?” She motions to the mug of coffee he’s holding..

“I do!” Juli laughs despite himself. “Would you like a cup?”

“I’d love some, actually. Bas and I were up until almost three o’clock this morning, just talking. We split two bottles of wine and half a sleeve of Double Stuf Oreos that I bought in a moment of weakness, and if I’m being one-hundred percent honest, I feel pretty gross right now.”

“You don’t look gross,” he says, speaking the words without thinking about them. Once he’s realized the sentence that’s tumbled out of his mouth, a blush warms his cheeks, but the statement is true. Nol may look a bit tired, but her tanned skin, glossy hair, and chipper attitude exude nothing but optimal health. Nevertheless, he tries to dismiss the potentially flirtatious compliment and proceeds, “Come on in. We’ll get you set up with some coffee and I’ll show you around.”

Juli leads the way inside, crossing the kitchen and slipping easily behind the bar. “Hey, Addy,” he says in acknowledgment of the young man washing vegetables at the sink. “Just grabbing some coffee. I’ll be out of your hair in a minute.”

“No worries,” he says agreeably. Glancing over his shoulder, he nods at Nol and says simply, “G’morning.”

“Hey there! Last night’s meal was incredible, Addy. Seriously some of the best food I’ve had.”

No words are employed, but his smile speaks for itself: he’s flattered.

Juli slides a steaming mug across the countertop. “Cream or sugar?”

“Both, if you’ve got ‘em.”

She doctors her brew, Juli warms his with a fresh splash from the pot, and then he motions for her to follow him into the living room. “So up until about five years ago,” he begins, slipping a hand into his pocket as he scans the couches and chairs surrounding him, “this place was owned by a man named Jasper Lane. He had a wife by the name of Isabella—she was an absolutely amazing cook—and a granddaughter by the name of Charley.” With the verbalization of these last two syllables, his voice seems to catch, but then Juli coughs, clearing his throat, and continues, “When Jasper died, his granddaughter inherited the old farmhouse and hired me to help fix it up.” A proud smile takes up temporary residence on his lips before darting away. “It was a lot of work, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

“It’s an incredible piece of architecture,” Nol praises, allowing her eyes to dance across the high ceilings and the burgundy walls. The soft leather couches host an assortment of throw pillows in various shades of gold. “I like the color scheme. Very natural. It reminds me of an apple orchard.”

“Yeah… that’s kind of what Charley was going for.”

“But I thought Addy was the owner?” Nol confirms. “That’s what he told me last night.”

A shadow darkens Juli’s expression, although he does his best to dismiss it by answering succinctly, “He is. Charley left the Brewhaha to him. She, uh… she passed away a few years ago.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry, Juli.”

He shrugs, not wanting to dwell on the sadness. “We did a lot, you know? This place was so run down when Charley inherited it. We redid the floors, widened the doorways, painted the walls, installed a bar… It was a lot. And then, on top of it, we were… we were working in rooms that sorta…” But he trails off and heads into another section of the house.

Nol cocks her head, interested in hearing the second half of his sentence. “Rooms that sorta what?” she wants to know.

“Never mind. It’s kind of hard to explain.”

“Rooms that come and go?” she tries. “Because that’s what Bas told me.”

Juli peeks over his shoulder at her and smiles lopsidedly. “And did you believe him?”

“No.”

“I wouldn’t really expect you to.”

“I didn’t believe him when he told me,” Nol clarifies, “but can I ask you something?”

Juli lifts his shoulders in a shrug, acquiescing to the request.

“What’d Charley call her grandparents? Jasper and Isabella, I mean.”

“Why does that matter?” he asks, obviously baffled.

“Just answer the question, Juli. What’d she call her grandparents? Was it Gramps and Noni?”

Shock registers on his face; his eyes widen and his jaw drops. “How did you…?”

“Let’s finish the tour, okay? I’ve gotta wrap my head around some things. But I, uh… I believe you about the rooms. It doesn’t make any sense at all, and I haven’t seen it for myself, but I do believe you, alright? I believe you. But I need some time to make sense of things.” Her eyes flit around this new space—an office adorned with cluttered bookshelves and several plush chairs—taking in the corners and the many nooks and lingering for a long time on a massive mahogany desk. In a voice little more than a whisper, she says, “I will eventually explain. I promise. But first… can we finish the tour? I think it’s important.”

Juli studies her for a long while, not entirely sure of the strange moment that’s just passed between them, but something tells him it was meaningful. And something also tells him to finish showing her around the house. He beckons for her to follow him through the next doorway and says casually, “The bathroom’s right down here. It’s got a claw-foot tub planted with herbs and all sorts of houseplants. Let me show you…”

Seven.

The house knew as soon the young woman placed her foot on its bottom porch step. Her energy, organic and magical and raw, could be felt deep in the structure’s joists. Its newells quivered with possibility; its beams carried a current charged with potential. And its walls, always watching and waiting, somehow sensed that the wait wouldn’t be too much longer.

Trivia Recap: 1/19

The Players: Hannah (English teacher), Mary (English teacher), Darren (math professor), Ben (not an NHL player), Brock (complicated graphic-design-and-marketing job), Phil (Adobe guru), Alex (coffee-shop owner), Zizi (kid)

Hint of the Day: Rocket

Opening Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Round One:

When it comes to Marvel movies, Brock and Darren know things, and fortunately for The Educated Friends, they knew "Adam Warlock." The category Company Ad Slogans was sort of fun. We were given three slogans and had to come up with the companies they accompanied: "Timex, CK, and Allstate." We aced that. Ben got "Eisenhower" for Historical Firsts, but it was funny because it was one of those "Exactly X number of years ago today..." questions and the math was proving difficult for us. Ben said, "Darren, give me a year" (because Darren is a math professor), which Darren did with Phil's help (who knew subtraction could be so difficult when under pressure!), and then Ben instantly said, "Ike" because Ben is a presidential genius. Now... brace yourselves for this story. I very much dislike it when the category is NFL Players. Unfortunately, NFL Players is a category nearly every week. I never know the answer. Last night, my team knew the answer was "Brett Favre," but there was a two-point bonus that no one was sure of. I forget the question, but I suggested the answer "Joe Montana." I said it a couple times. People shot me down and we went with another response. Guess who was right. THIS GIRL. We did not get the bonus points. We also missed the bonus points for European Geography, but Ben knew "Bulgaria" was the answer so we got the main part of the question right.

Round Two:

Dolly Parton turned 77 yesterday and so the audio clue included remakes of her songs. Did you know Lil Nas X sang "Jolene"? We didn't. We also didn't know the host of the show Lingo, but we did alright overall this round: Colleges and Universities was fine, TV Game Shows got us some points, Authors and Their Pen Names was known by Mary right away, and we managed to figure out Science Crossword too.

Halftime Sheet:

We got 18/20. The top contained pictures from movies that included country names in their titles. The bottom required us to know the ten smallest US States. South Carolina is not one of them; West Virginia is.

Round Three:

Marvel Movies was the opening category and the entire room groaned because we already had that category at the start of the entire game. But again, my movie-watching team members figured out that "Thor" was the answer. Darren knew the answer to Diseases and Disorders, we worked together to determine which paintings in 50/50: Paintings had people in them, Techy Abbreviations (not Kentucky Abbreviations) was fine, and I actually knew the answer to Rock Bands, bonus and everything! (Sex Pistols, Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious.)

6 - 4 - 2:

The answer was "Venus" and we got it for four points. Not too shabby.

Round Four:

We did fine with this round. Classic TV was good, American Beaches went okay thanks to Ben, 3 Clues, 1 Novel was figured out by Mary (though we did miss the bonus), Current Events was okay, and we even managed to get both parts of the NBA Teams question right.

Going into the Final Round, we were in second. The past couple weeks, we've been in first place the whole way through and then lost in the end, not placing at all. This week, I said to my group, "This place may work out for us." And Phil said, "If we win, let's make Waffle House the opening category for next week."

Final Round:

The category was African Geography and the answer was Sudan and we won. So next week's opening category is "Waffle House." Weird, right?

Book Club

I belong to a book club that meets on the third Wednesday of every month. Someone volunteers to host and that person then gets to choose the book. Since it was my turn to host, I chose The Way Back, and since it was my book that was being discussed, we did a great job of staying on task! (This can sometimes be hard for us.)

I think my favorite part of the entire evening was the performance put on by Biz. I had initiated a challenge to bring a bottle of wine that somehow tied in with the book. Siri brought a bottle of Roaming Dog (in honor of Boris), and I purchased a pinot noir called Urgency (because Jonny was feeling a sense of urgency while searching for Piper), but Biz brought a whole bunch of bottles! A box of wine, in fact, which was really fun!

Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Biz put on a real show as she presented the various labels to us, allowing us to guess how each bottle related to the book. My favorite wine (and we drank this one last night) was called Cattoo. Lindsay actually chose that one, I believe, as it incorporated a cat (Wallace) and tattoos (Ansel).

After the highly-entertaining performance, folks talked about what they liked in the book. Kendall was unable to stay especially long (it was her boyfriend's birthday), but my second favorite part of the night was that she attended at all because she wanted to let me know how much she enjoyed The Way Back! I thought that was super sweet.

I had come up with ten discussion questions to help keep us on track, so when it comes time to release The Way Back somewhere down the road, I'll be all set with a list of questions to print in the back for book clubs. Ha! Maybe I should even make these available online now... in case there's a book club out there who's considering my book as a selection. Hmm...

Overall, last night was one of the best discussions we've had about a book. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that no one wanted to say anything overly critical (what with me being in attendance and all), but that's to be expected. I just thought it was incredibly sweet that EVERYONE showed up (I don't think we've ever had a book club where every member attended!) and talked about my book. It was very, very cool and I do love those ladies.

Compliments from my Aunt Suzanne

I only have one aunt. She bounces back and forth between New Jersey and Florida (her tan is very impressive) and I very rarely see her, but over the past couple years, she and I have begun to communicate more than we ever have before. Part of the reasoning behind this, lately, has to do with my writing!

Suzanne is my dad's sister. A few weeks ago, I received a text from her letting me know that she was reading The Way Back and really enjoying it. I responded via a thread that included my dad, praising Aunt Suzanne for being the winningest of the siblings, seeing as my dad has had a copy of the hardback for MONTHS and has yet to make it past chapter six. [insert eyeroll here.]

Shortly after that exchange, Suzanne texted again to let me know she'd finished The Way Back (my dad had made zero progress, mind you) and said she really liked it. And then today I got this text:

Isn't that fun?

I haven't been monitoring the map as much as I used to -- mostly because I've been too busy writing and editing and monitoring book sales -- but I did check it out recently and noticed that Florida is more populated than it's ever been... so Aunt Suzanne is definitely doing her job as an aunt and supporting her niece!

Interestingly, in monitoring my book sales, I'm finding that Just Whistle is really gaining some readers. I don't know if this is because of the new cover, the sequel, or the book bloggers who have been reviewing it, but it sure is exciting to watch!

Sometimes My Friends Make Me Feel Popular

I had a really good weekend.

It started when I met my friends Annie and Nicole at Garryowen for drinks. We talked about fun things like books and the beach and I can't remember what else. Lots of things, though, and there was much laughter!

My really good weekend continued when Harvey and I went over to my mom's house on Friday evening. Harvey always accompanies me, you know; as my student Sunshine McChipper says, "That gives me so many Gilmore vibes, Ms. Meeson." Granted, Loralai didn't own a cat, let alone take him along to her parents' house for dinner on Friday nights (Emily would have never allowed that!), but if I'm Loralai then Harvey is Rory and my mom is obviously a cooler, mellower version of Emily. So I guess that makes my dad Richard... if Richard took his supper in the office and watched reruns of NCIS all evening.

Anyway, I digress.

My mom made this delicious pierogi-and-turkey-kielbasa-and-sauerkraut concoction that was quite tasty. We drank some wine, watched some Jeopardy, and had talks about important mother-daughter things. I can't tell you what they were, but it was a great time.

On Saturday, I NEVER PUT ON REAL PANTS. Seriously. I wore my baggiest sweatpants all day long and it was wonderful! I also good a nap BEFORE noon and eventually did some fun book-related things. As I was watching television later that night (catching up on some of my favorite cable shows, you know), Victoria texted and wondered if I'd like to have brunch the next day. I did.

So on Sunday I met Victoria at Mela around 11:15 and had a DELICIOUS breakfast bowl with shrimp and polenta. I. Loved. Every. Bite. Victoria gave me a belated Christmas present and we caught up on all sorts of things! It was great! I also saw Darren (of trivia fame) AND a man in a kilt! Do not fear: I snapped a photograph and immediately sent it to Brad.

Then I went home and put on my favorite sweatpants.

About thirty minutes later, Alex texted and wondered if I wanted to meet her and Chad at ABC for a beer. So I put my real pants back on and walked across the street to hang out for an hour or so. That was great because I got Alex's opinion about an audiobook idea. I'll probably write a blog about that later this week, but this blog is long enough and my dinner is almost ready and so I'm going to end it here.

Running Through the Words, 5

Five.

Magnolia Fitzpatrick moved to Lake Caywood when she was eight years old, hung around for exactly one decade, and relocated to New York when she got accepted to Syracuse University to earn a degree in creative writing. After college, she found a position at a small literary agency in the Big Apple. She loves both her job and the never-ending energy of the city, but she also enjoys returning to the small Pennsylvania town she once called home.

She mostly loves it because of the people who still reside there, but the community itself is also a huge draw. Even now, driving down Main Street for probably the hundred millionth time in her life, a smile lights her face as her eyes dart from one establishment to the next. The town is in bloom! Doc Delaney has mandated the Tavern’s window boxes be planted with red geraniums, orange-hued petunias, and—as a homage to the restaurant’s famous sweet potato fries—sweet potato vines that spill over the edges of their containers and cascade toward the sidewalk. Whirligigs and Whatnots, the local art supply store, has painted its glass doors with Georgia O’Keeffe-esque poppies; Bottomless Joe’s has positioned giant pots adorned with mottled coleus, the textured leaves smudged haphazardly with pinks and greens, at the base of its porch steps. Hanging baskets, maintained by a community gardening club, embellish each lamp post lining the road, newly planted asters, nasturtium, and creeping Jenny nestled in the soil.

Sycamore Drive is also bursting with new growth. Sunny daffodils, cheerful tulips, and elegant irises flourish in every garden. Someone’s magnolia tree has blossomed, perfuming the neighborhood with a subtle sweetness, and the maple in front of the Campbells’ home boasts an abundance of fresh greenery. The stone cottage at the end of the road, isolated and shaded by the many trees surrounding it, manages a few pops of color as well: impatiens line the path to the front door, feathery ferns dot the garden in front of the porch, and various coleus perch in pots on the steps. Nol notices all of it as she steers her Prius into the driveway and throws it into park. She’ll worry about her bags later. For now, she grabs her purse, scoops up the small cooler resting on the passenger’s seat, and hustles toward the door. It swings open before she has a chance to ring the bell.

“Oh my gosh!” she squeals when she sees Lucy’s shorn appearance. “It looks so good! Bas told me you were rocking the bald head, but I had no idea you were rocking it this well. You look stunning!”

A flush creeps into the other woman’s cheeks at the unexpected compliment. “Thanks, Nol. It’s taken some getting used to, but I actually really like it. I think it’ll be good for summer, you know?” Lucy holds her arms open and Nol steps into them, allowing herself to be enfolded. “I’m so glad you’re here! Bas is with Bert, but he should be home any minute. I think he was gonna stop for beer on his way back.”

“Oh! I brought some,” Magnolia notes, drawing attention to the cooler clutched in her right hand. “An IPA from this new brewery not far from my apartment. I think you’ll like it. Wanna have one now while we wait for Bas?”

“Absolutely!”

Lucy leads the way to the kitchen and retrieves a bottle opener from a drawer. Nol hands her the six-pack and leans against the counter, opting to stand rather than perch on one of the barstools. She’s been sitting for the past six hours; she needs to stretch.

Since moving back into the Porter residence and reclaiming it as their own, Sebastian and Lucy have painted the home’s interior and replaced much of the furniture. The walls have been coated with a dusky teal and adorned with vibrant artwork. The countertops, once an off-white Formica, are now a silvery granite. Original pottery—created by Lucy, no doubt—is everywhere: a dirty mug in the sink, a bowl of fruit on the table, a pitcher of iced tea on the counter. Magnolia sighs. Despite the many changes, the room still carries such an air of familiarity. She spent a good chunk of her childhood here, after all, moving in at the age of ten and staying until right after her high school graduation. This cozy stone cottage will always hold a special place in her heart.

“So tell me what’s new,” Lucy instructs, sliding an IPA into her guest’s hand before rummaging in the pantry for something to snack on. She unearths a tin of cashews and pairs them with some sharp cheddar and kalamata olives hidden in a drawer in the refrigerator. “Are you dating anyone? How’s agent life? Bas is going to expect some new book recommendations, you know.”

“I know. He always does. I brought a list this time.” She laughs and takes a sip of her beer. “No new love interests, but work is good. I’m slowly building my own list of authors, and I love reading the stories they’ve brought to life, but… I miss writing.”

“That makes sense.” Lucy lifts herself onto the counter and sits with her heels bouncing lightly against a cupboard door. “Could you write your own book and represent yourself?”

Nol shrugs. “I probably could, yeah… but the bigger problem is that an idea hasn’t made itself real to me yet. I mean, don’t get me wrong: I’ve got a thousand fragmented ideas bouncing around my head every minute of every day. None of them are whole, though. They’re just… little wisps of a plotline, or a funny comment made by a character, or two adjectives that I’d like to pair together when describing the way a rainstorm sounds. Stuff like that. There’s no solidity to the ideas. There’s no substance.”

“Yet.”

“Yet,” Nol agrees, appreciative that Lucy has voiced the solitary syllable because she has to hope that at some point, an idea will waltz out of the shadows of her mind and introduce itself to her. She has to hope she’s not completely out of stories. Before she can thank her friend for the small-but-powerful word, though, the front door swings open and Sebastian is ambling into the kitchen, a growler in one hand and his car keys in the other. He sets both items on the table and opens his arms to Nol, wrapping her in the tightest hug imaginable and holding her for what seems an eternity. “I missed you, almost-sis,” he whispers into her hair. “How the hell are you?”

Magnolia laughs and pulls away, turning her gaze upward to observe his hairless head.

“What d’you think?” he asks, rubbing a hand over his scalp. “I don’t wear it as well as Lucy, but I can pull it off alright, yeah?”

“For sure. I’m glad you kept the beard.”

“Bert asked me to.”

“How is he?”

Bas lifts his shoulders and relocates the growler to the counter. Then he fetches three glasses and pours some of the hazy brew into each of them. “He’s alright. Just… feeling kinda shitty today. Physically, I mean. He goes in for chemo each Wednesday morning, sleeps a lot for the rest of the day, generally does okay on Thursday, but is usually nauseous on Friday. Today’s Friday, so…” He distributes the beers, oblivious to the fact that the women are now double-fisting, and continues, “I swung by the Brewhaha on my way to his place and picked up some minestrone.”

“He ate some?” Lucy confirms.

“He did, yeah. And he managed to keep it down.”

“Is someone staying with him tonight?”

Bas nods. “Finn’s over there now.”

“Okay, good.”

Magnolia had of course been made aware of Bert Robinson’s diagnosis, but until listening to Bas and Lucy speak about his treatment and symptoms, the magnitude of what he’s dealing with hadn’t hit home. A stone of sadness settles in the pit of her stomach and she attempts to drown it with another drink. She samples the new beer she’s been given, pleasantly surprised by the subtle sweetness and fruity tang. “Wow… this is delicious.”

Sebastian walks over to stand near his girlfriend, his elbow knocking comfortably against her knee as he leans against the counter. “Right? It’s another ‘Goode creation’ from the Brewhaha. Orange You Glad IPA, I think is what Petey said he named it. When it comes to beer, that guy sure does know what he’s doing.”

“So, wait. What’s this place called? The Brewhaha?” Magnolia has heard it mentioned before, but she’s not been there to experience it for herself.

“We’ve never taken you there?” Lucy asks now. “You’d love it!”

Nol shakes her head. “We always eat at the Tavern when I come to town. Or order pizza from Luigi’s. How long has the Brewhaha been around?”

“Oh… maybe three or four years,” Sebastian answers. “We can go there tonight if that’s what you wanna do. I don’t mind visiting that place twice in one day. Whatever Addy was cookin’ back there in the kitchen smelled amazing, so I’m game for giving it a try.”

“Me too,” Lucy agrees. “We always seem to forget about the Brewhaha.”

Nol tilts her head in wonderment, her glossy hair spilling over her shoulder. “How come?”

“I guess because the Tavern and Luigi’s and just about everything else is within walking distance, but the Brewhaha is out there on Copper Drive. It’s a big ol’ farmhouse with a lot of rooms, and a lot of rumors.”

“Roomors,” Bas chuckles softly, more to himself than to the women.

Lucy swats him and rolls her eyes.

“What kind of rumors?” Nol queries. “Is it haunted?”

“Nah.” Sebastian shakes his head and takes a long swig of his beer. “I’ve never heard anyone mention ghosts. It’s more like… the farmhouse’s floor plan is wonky.”

“Wonky? How so?”

“Like, the rooms shift around. They come and go at random.”

“That’s impossible.”

“I know.” He shrugs and gives her a mischievous smile. “But it happens.”

“You’ve seen it happen?”

“Just once. Lucy was there. Remember?” He nudges her with his elbow, this time intentionally. “It was New Year’s Eve—the same year they opened—and the owner hosted a big party. The band and I played a set or two in this very cool room with a piano. I know there was a piano because I actually played the piano that night… but the piano is not always there. Neither is the room the piano was in.”

“Bas…”

He holds up both hands, as if to ward off her disbelief. “It sounds crazy, I know, but I’m telling you the truth! If you don’t believe me, just ask—” He cuts himself off mid-sentence. A smug smile flits across his lips and a playful twinkle lights his pale eyes. “If you don’t believe me,” he says again, this time more slowly, “just ask Juli Singer. He’ll tell you.”

Magnolia does her best to mask her embarrassment with an annoyed scowl, but she can feel her cheeks growing warm. There had been a time in her life, back during her early years as a teen, when her lust for Julian Singer had occupied much of her brain space. Now and again, her mother had hired him to fix or install something around the house, and whenever that happened, Nol had made it a point to be home. She’d swooned over the silver hoop he’d worn in his lip, and the lopsided grin he often sported while listening to her chatter incessantly about drama at school or stories she was writing. Their six-year age difference had prevented her adoration from becoming anything more than a crush, but the crush she’d had on Juli had been unlike any other. Despite this, it’s been a long time since she’s thought of the handsome handyman who used to complete odd jobs around this very cottage. “Is he still in the area?” she asks now, the question more eager than she’d like it to sound.

Bas fixes her with a knowing look. “He is.”

“Alright, but… why would he know so much about the rumors behind the Brewhaha?”

“I guess you’ll just have to ask him, won’t you?”

“Sebastian…” she groans.

“Magnolia…” he counters, and then drains his beer, glances back and forth from one woman to the other, and asks, “So? Should we get something to eat or what?”

Bas drives. Lucy piles into the back so Nol can ride shotgun, which provides her a clear view of the Brewhaha as they bump down the long, gravel path leading past a pond, an orchard, and eventually a large barn. Its coloring is a faded russet and one of its broad expanses—the side first visible to approaching customers—has been painted with artistic, bold lettering: “The Brewhaha. Good beer and good times.” The hues of the words are reminiscent of those found in nature, incorporating various shades of golds, greens, and blues. Magnolia smiles, already impressed by the ambience, and then her gaze redirects itself to the brewery itself.

It is, just as Lucy stated, “a big ol’ farmhouse.”

The wood siding boasts a fresh coat of paint, brilliantly white against the dappled seafoam green of the aged copper roof. An ancient cherry tree, gnarled and knobby-limbed, slouches not far from the front porch. Magnolia’s breath catches in her throat because there is something magical about this setting. Not simply because of the establishment’s unusual history, but because Nol can feel something igniting inside her. There’s something familiar about her surroundings, which makes little sense seeing as it’s her first time visiting the Brewhaha. “This is…” she begins, but can’t think how to finish the sentence.

“This is it,” Bas provides for her, pulling the Jeep into an available spot and shutting off its engine. “One of Lake Caywood’s finest. You ready to give it a try?” He pulls the key from the ignition, pockets it in his jeans, and exits the vehicle. “Come on.”

The women follow as he leads the way across the lawn and climbs the steps to the front door, waving at a couple relaxing on the porch swing and then sharing pleasantries with a woman who holds the door for him. It’s these natural exchanges that Nol misses about small-town life. Unless she plans to bump into someone in New York City, she generally doesn’t, and so it makes her happy to observe the easy interactions her almost-brother has as he strides across the Brewhaha’s kitchen and claims a section at the bar running between the public’s portion of the farmhouse and the area reserved for employees. He pulls out a seat for Magnolia and motions for her to sit. Then he does the same for Lucy, standing beside her so he can face both of his girls at the same time.

Judging from the parking lot, business is booming this evening, but Nol is surprised to find that empty seats at the bar and empty tables in the dining room still exist. She glances around, taking in her surroundings. A wide entryway on the far side of the room seems to open onto a large space with ample windows. Rather than tables and chairs, the furniture housed within those four walls is much like that found inside any other living room: couches and coffee tables and upholstered chairs.

On the other side of the bar, working, a young man with dark hair glances over and nods in acknowledgement. “You’re back,” he says simply, sauntering closer. “A growler wasn’t enough, huh?”

“Of Petey’s beer?” Bas confirms. “Nah… A growler’s never enough.” He laughs and flashes his eyes in Nol’s direction, saying, “Addy, this is my sister Magnolia. And you already know Lucy.”

“I do, yeah… and I’m not gonna lie: when Bas mentioned you’d shaved your head too, I was surprised, but it looks good.” He offers a smile that reveals zero teeth, then turns to face Nol. “Nice to meet you, Magnolia. I didn’t realize Bas had a sister.”

“It’s complicated,” Nol hears herself saying. “His dad almost married my mom.”

“Ahh… Gotcha.” Addy makes it a point to catch the eye of each of the trio’s members as he asks, “So, can I start you guys off with something to drink?”

Three pints of Orange You Glad are requested, and as he pulls them, Bas explains to Nol, “Addy’s what you might call a culinary wizard. The dishes he concocts are delicious.”

“Are you the head chef?” Nol wonders, wrapping both hands around the glass placed in front of her. There’s a tree of life etched on it, with a tangle of roots and a bountiful mix of fruit hanging from its branches above. Apples, pears, cherries, and more are represented. “You look so young!”

A sad sort of pride glistens in Addy’s eyes. “I’m the owner, actually. And the head chef. But Petey does the brewing and Juli handles just about everything else. I couldn’t do it without them. Running this place is definitely a team effort.”

“Juli Singer works here?” Nol can feel Sebastian watching her, but she chooses to ignore him.

“I mean,” Addy says, “he’s technically still got his own business doing odd jobs for folks around town, but these days most of his time is spent here. He and Petey are in the barn right now, I think, working on some sorta berry-infused sour or something.” He shrugs. “I don’t really like sours so I didn’t pay much attention.” He sets the third and final beer in front of Bas, saying, “I’ll grab you some menus, but before I do… I wanna recommend the beer-battered asparagus fries. It’s not the healthiest way to prepare a vegetable, but it’s damn good.”

“Sounds amazing,” Bas says.

“Can we start with an order of those?” Lucy requests. “To split?”

“I’m on it,” Addy assures her. “You won’t regret it.” He darts away, returns a moment later with a stack of three menus, and disappears for a second time to resume meal prep for the Friday-night crowd. In his absence, Nol scans the simplistic listing of available meals. By no means is the selection vast—five different appetizers, one type of soup, and two interesting desserts—but everything sounds absolutely delectable. Her mouth begins to water just reading about the chicken and beet chutney sliders that are topped with locally grown arugula, blue cheese crumbles, and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. “How have you never brought me here before?” she asks accusingly of her family members. “This place is amazing!”

“I forget about it,” Lucy says apologetically. “It’s so out of the way.”

“I want to try everything. It all sounds so good!”

Bas looks amused. “You’d better get started then. The menu changes constantly.”

“Weekly?”

“More like daily. Addy makes what he feels like making,” He raises his glass to his lips and gives his almost-sister a wink. “You might end up getting fat this week.”

Nol laughs and Lucy taps the menu with a finger. “We could order a smorgasbord and share,” she suggests. “That way you’d get to try at least a few of the options. I’d be up for splitting an order of these crab cake bites… and maybe the shrimp kabobs?”

“You guys decide. I’ll eat whatever,” Bas says, even though he avoids red meat and isn’t crazy about peas. Nol is aware of this, though, and will keep the dietary preferences in mind when mapping out the trio’s culinary course of action. She turns her full attention to the menu and therefore doesn’t notice when Sebastian raises a hand in greeting at someone entering through the front door.

She only becomes aware of the newcomer’s presence, in fact, because he strolls over to where the group is sitting and comes to rest right beside her. “Magnolia Fitzpatrick. Long time, no see. When did you get back in town?”

“About two hours ago,” she says, amazed at her ability to rattle off the answer so smoothly. This tall, lean man with his worn baseball cap and kind eyes causes something in her chest to quicken. He’s always had this effect on her, for as long as she can remember. Willing her heart to slow, she forces an intake of air and asks as casually as possible, “How are you, Juli?”

His mouth forms a lopsided grin as he reaches up to tug at that silver hoop looped through his bottom lip. “Not bad,” is his simple response. “Busy. And you? Are you just here for a quick visit, or are you sticking around?”

“I’m here for a week. My beach plans fell through, so I’m vacationing at the lake instead.” She reaches for her beer and hopes Juli doesn’t notice the tremble in her hand or the schoolgirl enthusiasm in her voice. “We were actually talking about you a little while ago,” she says, bringing Lucy and Sebastian into the conversation. “I was asking about the history of the Brewhaha. Bas tells me you’re the one with all the answers. And now that I’m here, experiencing it for the first time—”

“This is your first time?” Juli cuts in, obviously surprised by the admission. “Jeez…”

“Right? But I love it! I have so many questions!”

“What she needs is a bonafide tour,” Bas contributes, taking on the role of wingman without being asked. He has no idea whether the handyman is open to the idea of a new relationship, but he does realize that unless Nol takes a chance, she’ll never find out. “She hasn’t made it past the bar yet. Think you could show her around?”

“I could,” Juli acknowledges, “but a Friday night isn’t the best time to check out the house. How about tomorrow morning before we open? Would that work?”

Nol’s cheeks take on a rose-colored hue as she meets Juli’s twinkling eyes. “Sure,” she agrees. “Tomorrow morning sounds great.”

“Can you meet me here around nine? Just come to the front door and knock. One of us’ll let you in. Either Addy, Petey, or me.”

“Yep, I can do that.”

“Alright. Then I’ll see you in the morning.” He flashes one last crooked smile in her direction, lifts a hand in farewell to Bas and Lucy, and moseys away. Nol watches him go, observing the slight sway of his hips and the way the fabric of his cotton shirt stretches across his shoulders. “Maybe pass her a napkin,” Sebastian playfully suggests to Lucy. “I think she might be drooling.”

Nol ignores his teasing, but does turn to address her almost-brother. “Did you just score me a date with Juli Singer?” she asks, her voice full of wonder. “Is that what just happened? Or am I totally misinterpreting the situation?”

Sebastian laughs. “Call it whatever you want. The bottomline? You’re getting the tour you wanted with the tour guide you wanted, which I’d say is a win-win.”

“I’d call it a date,” Lucy says. “If you’d seen the way he was looking at your mouth… It’s definitely a date. He wants to kiss you.” She leans into her boyfriend and wraps an arm around his waist. “Bas always stares at my mouth when he wants to kiss me.”

“By that logic, I’d spend my entire life staring at your mouth,” he observes, and then he leans down to brush his lips over hers.

Magnolia turns away from the lovebirds and rolls her eyes. “Sometimes the two of you are disgusting,” she grumbles. “Disgustingly adorable.”

Trivia Recap: 1/12

The Players: Brock (marketing/graphic design/computer/etc. guru), Hannah (English teacher), Ben (not a ferret trainer), Alex (coffee shop owner), Phil (Adobe guru), Darren (math professor), Mary (English teacher)

Hint of the Day: Horse

Opening Category: Baltimore Oriole Shortstops

Round One:

We missed the opening category, but got everything else: Movie Taglines (this was hard!), US History, Name That Museum, and NFL Teams. The Movie Taglines one got us some points, which is good since it was our bonus, but we missed the film accompanying the tagline that went something like "She was kidnapped and he died, but it all worked out in the end." The answer is The Princess Bride. Tricky, right?

Round Two:

Mary was SUPER stoked because the audio clue for the night was Taylor Swift. She knew all of the answers too, though a couple other team members also knew a few. I wasn't one of those team members, FYI; I am not a Tay-Tay aficionado and I will never claim to be, though I do like her song "Shake It Off." We got all the other questions right, too: May I Have This Dance?, Aerodynamics, TV Actors and Their Roles, and Literary Characters. In fact, the only thing we missed was the bonus on Literary Characters, which required us to know who wrote the story about Walter Mitty. My coworker Kathy would have known because I'm pretty sure she teaches that, but Mary and I don't teach it and we therefore did not get James Thurber.

Halftime:

The top involved identifying images from cult classics and the bottom had us filling in names that appear in song titles. We got 20/20.

Round Three:

A good round. We got almost every question right AND every bonus question: World Geography, Fruity Question (Darren and I figured out "grapefruit" because we trusted our guts), Adam Sandler (I can't stand his voice and therefore don't watch his movies so my team totally got this... even though I did say Coneheads and it ended up being right), Mythological Symbols (this is the question we missed; Darren kept thinking I wrote "Mathematical Symbols" and getting excited), and Musical Families.

6 - 4 - 2:

European country known for fountains and baths... and I think something called "Alpha" is maybe the oldest area in its capital city? I'm not sure... I'm just reading over the notes I jotted down and that's what I have. We didn't get it for 6, but we did get it for 4, and the answer was Portugal.

Round Four:

NHL Teams (blech!), Job Titles, 3 Clues/1 Celebrity, Forensic Science, and Classic TV made up this category... and I think we got every question right. Do you know what a farrier is? The hint of the day, that's what. Don't worry: we got it.

Final Question:

We were in the lead going into the last question, and had been in the lead the whole way through, but then we missed the answer to Presidential Potpourri (we said "having a child" and the answer was "getting married") and so we came in NOT in the top three. Whatever. It is what it is.

There's always next week, right?

Shoutout to my Sixth-Period Class

As was addressed in one of last week's blogs, my students have been watching Psycho and analyzing all sorts of things in the film. Today, however, we actually read an excerpt from Robert Bloch's novel (from which the film was adapted).

For the most part, Psycho the book and Psycho the movie are the same, but Marion Crane (film) is known as Mary in the book and Norman Bates is described as fat and bespectacled. Interesting, right? Tomorrow the students and I are going to be discussing the potential reasoning behind why Hitchcock decided to change Bates's appearance. I'm anticipating some comparisons to Ted Bundy, but we'll see what happens.

Anyway.

The reason I'm sharing this is because MY SIXTH-PERIOD STUDENTS ARE THE BEST READ-ALOUDERS I'VE EVER HAD! These kids are fluent and they enunciate and their volume is good and they emphasize italicized words and I WAS SO IMPRESSED! I told them today that in all my years of teaching, I've never had a class that reads aloud as well as they do. We are talking about ALL OF THEM.

EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS A GOOD READER!

Miss Roam-the-Hallways then said, "That's because we're all so comfortable in here with one another that no one cares if they mess up, Ms. Meeson."

And Agent B chuckled under her breath and echoed, "Read-alouders... You just called us 'read-alouders.'"

But legitimately: the kids in sixth period can read and I had a truly great time with them today!

That is all. I now have to get ready for trivia. Byeee!