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Infinite Country by Patricia Engel | Thoughts

   Published : 2021   ||    Format : print   ||    Location : Colombia ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆   What was it about the country that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy? The previous month, on its own soil, an American man went to his job at a plant and gunned down fourteen coworkers, and last spring alone there were four different school shootings. A nation at war with itself, yet people still spoke of it as some kind of paradise.. Thoughts : Infinite Country follows two characters - young Talia, who at the beginning of this book, escapes a girl’s reform school in North Colombia so that she can make her previously booked flight to the US. Before she can do that, she needs to travel many miles to reach her father and get her ticket to the rest of her family. As we follow Talia’s treacherous journey south, we learn about how she ended up in the reform school in the first place and why half her family resides in the US. Infinite Country tells the story of her family through the other protagonist, El

The Sunday Salon: Not a great day so far...

The Sunday 
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Today I'm home alone with the dog, the husband having left this morning to drop my family off at New York so that they can catch their return flight to India. Rue has been holed up on our couch all morning and is now in our bed, sulking. My dad used to take her for a walk every day and my mom used to give her the kind of snacks all dogs drool over. No wonder she loves them. She's going to be brooding and avoiding food for a few days, until she realizes that she is not going to see them any time soon. It bugs me that there is no way to tell something to these adorable critters, especially when they are so obviously upset.


A Very Sad Dog

Me? I'm not doing too well either, but not for the same reasons as Rue's. My brother is also returning back to India and let's just say that I haven't taken that well at all. Some of you may remember that a few years ago, he was hospitalized after getting seizures out of the blue. After two months of recovery and therapy, he was all ready to go back to school when he found that he isn't as sharp as he used to be. Even basic daily rituals would send him into one of his dangerous angry moods. His career has suffered heavily and since nothing has been working out here, we all agreed, with a lot of reluctance, that it is best for him to go back and start afresh. This post is basically a rewrite as my first stab has turned out to be a heavily depressed piece of writing. It was a therapeutic post however and it did its job - so now it can catch dust in the deep interwebs of bloglandia.

As my day so far hasn't been great, I have been filling it with classic comedies and TV shows. Nothing better than TV therapy to get your spirits up, eh?

I've been quite tired this past week. The idea of my warm cozy bed was what would get me through the day and then by 8 or 9 pm, I was either already in bed or seriously considering going to sleep. So there's been nothing creative going on this week - no reading, no knitting. I did get to about page 70 of The Book Thief and hope to make more progress with it today, but we'll see. The sad dog isn't helping my cause much either. Yesterday was a load of fun however. We went for a brunch, then spent the afternoon bowling, had caramel-flavored pretzels in the evening, did some shopping, and made some guacamole for dinner.

Since I barely slept last night and have been up since 5.30 am, I feel like a train wreck already. I can't believe it's not even lunch time yet. It's been a loooong time since I have been by myself at home and I am not enjoying it much, even though I am usually an introvert and like me some solitude. I have some grand plans for the rest of the day, which all include crossing some items off my to-do list. We'll see how many of those will actually get done today.

Comments

*hug* I'm sorry your brother's had/having such a hard time. Maybe don't read The Book Thief right now? It's, like, pretty sad. Maybe you should read something cheerier, a Jeanne Ray book or Elinor Lipman or something?
Megan said…
I'm sorry to hear you (and the pup!) are having a sad day. I hope your brother's fresh start goes well even though it's not under the best of circumstances and that your TV therapy lifts your spirits.
Athira / Aths said…
Oh really? Thanks for the tip! I guess I am not that far in yet so didn't know if it was going to be sad or cheerful. Oh well, let me see what else I can read. I am halfway through Martian so that may be something I can read.
Athira / Aths said…
So far, the TV is certainly helping out. In the meantime, I'm also looking forward to some quiet reading time and that should work out well too.
Sam_TinyLibrary said…
Sorry you're not feeling great today, and sorry to hear about your brother too. I wish him all the best for his fresh start in India.
JoAnn @ Lakeside Musing said…
This sounds like a tough day for you. I've heard The Book Thief is sad... maybe a cheerful,lighter book would be better today. I hope things go well for your brother back in India.
bermudaonion(Kathy) said…
I can see why you're gloomy. I'm sure you miss your family - it's hard when they're so far away. I hope your brother gets the fresh start he needs.
literaryfeline said…
I remember how sad my dog, Riley, would sulk for awhile after my parents left after a visit. My dog just loved my dad. They spent so much time playing together when my dad was in town.


I hope your brother is able to get the fresh start he needs in India, Athira. My thoughts are with you and your family, including your brother. I know it can't be easy.


My first thought when I saw you were reading The Book Thief was that it may not be the best book for you right now. It's such a sad book.


I hope you are feeling more at peace tomorrow. Take care of yourself.
Mystica said…
My mum's dog has been put in kennels for a month and he did not. Eat anything for two days as he was so sad. I didn't know dogs could get so emotional.
Athira / Aths said…
Thanks! We are all very sad since so much of his and our lives were affected by this illness, and most of those were challenging effects.
Athira / Aths said…
So I heard! I didn't know that The Book Thief was sad - I just knew it was supposed to be a must-read. Oh well, I have put it aside and will pick it up later, when I feel much chirpier. For now, The Martian it is.
Athira / Aths said…
I hope so too. We are very close and it really kills me not to be able to do something to help him much.
Athira / Aths said…
I didn't know Book Thief was sad, so I have put it aside for now and started The Martian. Sometimes a sad book actually helps me by putting all sorrows in perspective. But I didn't feel up to it last night, so decided a happier book was the way to go.
Athira / Aths said…
I have no idea how our dog fares when she is in the kennel. The kennel owners keeps saying she was fine, she was fun, she was great, but I suspect she wasn't really eating much because she always comes back from the kennel much thinner.
Ti Reed said…
First off, so sorry to hear about your brother. I have a sister, who I never talk about but she is a mess. Mostly in the mental department but I can relate to the depression that comes with worrying over a sibling. I hope he gets the fresh start that he needs. Maybe this will be really good for him.


I think sometimes when we are down, we try to snap ourselves out of it so that we can deal with day to day stuff but really, what harm does it do to wallow a little? I think I get over stuff better when I let it take over for a day and just give into it. Sleep helps.
Nise' said…
Sorry that you are having a tough time. I hope things go well for your brother, and a fresh start is just what he needs. It is hard to be so far away from family. Mine is all over too. Give your puppy extra hugs. I would switch to a more upbeat read or listen to music.
Oh honey, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother. *hugs* I can only imagine how helpless you must feel. I do hope he finds something new that works for him. *hugs*
Piyush Garyali said…
Cheer up girl. He is going to be alright. Now sit back and relax and have happy thoughts!
Alex (Sleepless Reader) said…
Just indulge yourself for a while, no regrets!
Tea Time with Marce said…
HUGS I remember the sad times with your brother and his health. Poor puppy, you may have to spoil him a little more, lol, animals are just like children, goodness me.

Caramel pretzels sounds delicious.........

Hope you are having a good week so far Aths
Helen Murdoch said…
Sending family away, knowing we won't see them for a long time is always so difficult. And now I know that your husband is also gone. Be sure to take care of yourself, get out and walk, see people. I hope the move to India helps your brother get back on his feet and find purposeful work