womens fiction

Bonus Time

Posted on by Wendy Kennar

“If you’re lucky enough to get that bonus time, what are you going to do with it?”

That’s the question on the back cover of Bonus Time, the novel I recently read.

Bonus Time by author Claire  Cook tells the story of three  friends — Glenda, Jan, and Harmony.  Women who have reached the ages where their days are not nearly as structured as they used to be, women who don’t have the same daily demands they once had. 

These are three spunky women who are older than I am, figuring out who they are when their days and their identities are not directly related to being someone’s wife or mother or employee. 

I won’t give anything away; I’ll just say that these three women get into all sorts of adventures and “trouble.” 

This week, I’m sharing a few of my favorite lines:

“For the most part, I embraced my wrinkles as the squiggly roadmap of a life well-lived.” 

“I sighed.
“As lives go, it could be worse. I’d been around the sun enough times by now to know that it could always, always be worse.
“And it could always get better. A lot better. And that part was pretty much up to you. You could sit around whining about what wasn’t working, or you could shake things up and reinvent your life one more time. I mean, at this point, who’s counting, right?
“The truth was that life was going to keep getting all lifey on you whether or not you were actively living it, so you might as well slather on some sunscreen and jump back into the fray.”

“ ‘ The focus should be on health-span,’ Harmony said. ‘Not looks-span or age-span or lifespan. Eat healthy. Stay hydrated. Keep moving.’
“ ‘Try new things, Jan said. ‘Keep learning. Use your acquired wisdom to make a difference. Have fun. Connect. Stay current so you don’t turn into a dinosaur. It’s not exactly drone science.’ ”

“ ‘Sometimes,’ I said, ‘I look at old pictures and I think how could I not have known how beautiful I was? I had absolutely no idea at the time. All I could see were an unflat stomach and jiggly thighs. I mean, how old do we have to be to let all that crap go, you know?’ “ 

“We were wearing yoga pants and T-shirts.
“Jan’s T-shirt said LOVE IS LOVE.
“Harmony’s said LITERACY IS NOT A LUXURY.
“Mine said THERE IS NO PLANET B.
“One of the true joys of getting older is not caring what anybody thinks about how you look. Which gives you the freedom to turn yourself into a walking billboard about the things that matter to you if you feel like it. Or not.”

Please note: I am including a link to buy the book that I’m highlighting this week. If you use my link, I do make a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you. I am working with Bookshop.org which also sends a portion of the profit to support local, independent bookstores.

Announcing: The 20 Wishes Idea

Posted on by Wendy Kennar

Twenty Wishes book (photo by Paul Kennar)

Do you ever feel stuck?  Like each day sort of just creeps into the next.

Do you ever feel lost?  Like you’re not quite sure what you’re doing or why you’re doing it. 

Do you ever feel like you’re in search of a spark?  Like there’s something out there, waiting for you, and if you could find it your whole life would experience a domino-effect of positive consequences.

I do.  Sometimes.  Sometimes it’s because I’m 43 years old, and my body feels much older and weaker than my chronological age.  Sometimes it’s because I miss my teaching career.  

Which is why I enjoyed the last fiction book I read, Debbie Macomber’s Twenty Wishes.  

The title is based on the premise of the novel.  A group of women each decide to create a list – “an inventory of wishes.”  Not practical to-do items, but “twenty dreams written down.”  Each woman had a different list of “wishes and hopes for the future.”  One character wanted to learn to belly dance.  Another character bought herself a convertible.  Still another desired a pair of red cowboy boots.

While reading about these women and their wishes, I thought about what would be on my list of wishes.

– Visit my pen pal, Aya, in Japan.

– Travel to Paris with my husband and son.

– Drive a convertible – with the top down.

– Go for a gondola ride in Venice, Italy.

– Explore the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

– Sightsee in New York including stops at the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building.

 

Writing my own list is more difficult than I thought it would be.  As one character so aptly stated, “Sometimes I think we’re afraid to admit we want certain things.  Especially things that contradict the image we have of ourselves.”  

I’m still working on my list.  Most of my items have to do with travel, and it’s not so easy for me to just pack up and go.  So I need to work on creating a list that also includes items that are more easily achieved here in Los Angeles (and not as expensive as traveling to Japan). 

Meanwhile, those are mine.  Readers, I’d love to read your wishes.  Feel free to share in the comments section.