Abundant April

A chronic illness book, a furniture question, and Friends

Happy April, friends! Whether’s you’re celebrating with matzah or the Easter Bunny, April here in Los Angeles is sunny and warm and definitely spring-like. (At least for now.)

I hope wherever you are you’re feeling some warm sunshine on your face and taking a moment to stop and watch a gift of nature — a fluttering butterfly, a swift hummingbird, or a busy squirrel.

In case you missed them, I’m including links to my last two blog posts:

March 25th: A Kids Book About Chronic Illness

April 1st: Analog or Nothing

Writing Prompt:

This week’s Writing Prompt was taken from Maggie Smith’s Keep Moving: The Journal. I don’t write in the journal. Instead, I prefer to use the writing prompts and write in spiral notebooks. This book is one I pick up and put down quite a lot. Here’s the prompt:

“Write about something that was once painful but feels more manageable today.”

Something I’m Wondering About:

I have to give credit to my son, because this week’s “wondering” was his idea. My son and I would like to know why the small table we have in front of our couch is called a “coffee table.” Why “coffee”? It’s not a “tea table.” Or a “water table.” Or even a “refreshments table.” How did this common living room table come to be known as a coffee table? Does anyone here know? Or have any theories? I’d love to know. (Remember, I will read and reply to all comments on the post - even if you don’t know why it’s called a coffee table.)

Wendy Stamp of Approval:

You might not know, but I’m a big Friends fan. I own all ten seasons on DVD. I have memorized lines from the series, and both my son and I can randomly start talking like one of the Friends characters. Spill some water? Maybe I reply with an “Oh no,” a la Phoebe Buffay. Or, if it’s really a mess, maybe the situation calls for an, “Oh my god,” spoken in a nasal-Janice voice. Recently, our family watched this video of Lisa Kudrow watching and reflecting on scenes from Friends and other movies and shows she has starred in. Fyi - It’s long-ish (about 22 minutes). And even though I haven’t seen everything Lisa Kudrow has done, it was still fun to watch.
By the way, any other Friends fans here?

This Date in History:

Pharrell Williams was born on April 5th, 1973. He’s an incredibly talented individual. Pharrell Williams served as a Producer of Hidden Figures, and he composed original music for the movie. The DVD copy of the movie has many Bonus Features, including interviews with Pharrell Williams.

And, did you know April 5th is National Read a Road Map Day? It makes me think of Thomas Guides. I remember my dad giving me his old copy when he bought a new one. That simple act made me feel so very grown-up. It wasn’t always easy for me to read the maps in the Thomas Guide, but I did always feel better having that famous book in the car with me.

Until Next Time -

I hope your April days are filled with sweetly-singing birds, delightful books, and lots of quiet reading time.

Reminder: My next blog post publishes on Wednesday, April 8th. If you haven’t already, please visit my website to sign up. You can expect my next Substack to arrive in your inbox on Sunday, April 19th.