James Corden's Carpool Karaoke with Paul McCartney

Okay, I had to wait until I got home to watch this...and I'm glad I did as I'm still wiping away tears more than 20 mins later.

James Corden I've always adored you but I love you more than ever for this.

I still wish I understood what it is...but this man ( #paulmccartney #carpoolkaraoike ) just brings tears of pure elated joy and beauty and peace and love just at the sight of him or the sound of his voice. Even though Bowie will forever be my world and John was my Beatles love, Paul was not only his rival, but he continued to be one of the single most beautiful sources of inspiration and hope we've been blessed to have in this world.

So, just like that night my brother Joseph D'Avanzo and sister Anne D'Avanzo Wuertz gifted me that ticket and I sobbed throughout the ENTIRE show from (literally) the very first note, I can't listen to him without my throat tightening, my nose running, and a constant river of tears streaming down my face...and as much as it meant to FINALLY see one of my musical AND, more importantly, world heroes live, I will treasure that night for another most wonderful reason...because although I sat in that seat by myself...initially feeling all alone, I never felt alone as I dialed the phone just as he was ready to hit the stage.

<3 I will treasure every minute (and the rapidly draining cell battery) of that 3 hour phone call for the rest of my life. I needed it more that night than I ever realized, sharing it with my sister <3 Mary Katherine D'Avanzo <3, allowing us to fulfill a fantasy we had had since we were kids, to hear them play live...together...and while it wasn't all of them, I know John, George, and Ringo were in that arena that night...and I was sharing it with my sister despite the nearly 3,000 miles that separate us...and in my heart with the rest of my family... As he has done since we were children, Paul brought my family together yet again and healed at least a little piece of our hearts again. <3 <3 <3 Thank you, Sir Paul McCartney for...literally...everything. You. Are. Life. <3 <3 <3  

Review: Small Country

Small Country by Gaël Faye
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I struggled a bit with this one. I was excited to receive it as my BOTM selection but did have a tough time getting immersed in it. Someone pointed out that the English publication is a translation fro the original French. Maybe that played a role. I'm not sure.

The story is a difficult one to digest...and fair warning to animal lovers there is one paragraph (only one paragraph) toward the very very end of the book that you will know immediately that you need to skip. For everyone else, it is an absorbing story that will open your eyes ever wider to the struggles of the people of these regions and the power of hate in the world and its impact on a small village of people.

I suspect I will re-read this at some point to catch some things I may have missed as it should be an easier flow on second read. Regardless, I come away with vivid imagery in my head that can never touch on the fear, shock, anger, and disillusion these people faced and had to find a way to make a part of themselves. I don't know how you carry forward from the world they experienced...and some will be forever broken by it. This book broke my heart in so many ways.

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