Podcast appearance, Michigan trip, and books

June 17, 2023 /

This post is a hodgepodge–my podcast appearance, the last of the pictures from my trip to Michigan, and what I’ve been reading lately. But before we get to all that:

This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer, and What’s On Your Bookshelf, hosted by  Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it.

I’m on the Big Blend Radio podcast!

Last month I appeared on the Big Blend Radio podcast, along with other authors whose stories appeared in the Trouble in Tucson anthology. More details in this post.

Last batch of pix from the Michigan trip

In my last two Weekend Coffee Share posts (here and here) I shared pics from my trip to Michigan in May. I have just a few more, and then I’ll have to get off my lazy butt and find something new to photograph for next week’s post.

First up: yes, *another* lighthouse. This one is the Tawas Point Lighthouse, located in Tawas Point State Park.

According to the writeup on Michigan’s travel and tourism site, Tawas Point is known as the “Cape Cod of the Midwest.” I’m not sure how it compares to Cape Cod (I’m guessing my blogger friend Trent might have something to say about that), but Tawas Point is lovely. It wasn’t even terribly windy when we were there.

Nearby Tawas City is also lovely–a picturesque beach town with cute shops and amazing ice cream. Highly recommend.

Seen in a shop in Tawas City (apologies for the bad lighting):

I don’t usually recommend taking life advice from signs in gift shops, but this one’s pretty solid.

Apparently northern Michigan has laid claim to Bigfoot–Oregon and Washington would like a word–so there’s Bigfoot kitsch all over the place. Such as:

I can tell you for sure that at least one of these guys has big feet.

After a night in Tawas City, we drove north to Oscoda, then turned inland to start making our way back to Detroit. Just outside Tawas City, I discovered I’m famous:

After I got my ego back under control, we continued on our way out of town and enjoyed another Bigfoot sighting:

If I still lived in Portland, I would have bought a sign like that for my garden. But here in the desert, it would just look ridiculous.

We traveled inland on a road that offered lovely views of the Au Sable River:

It also offered lovely views of wild turkeys:

So many wild turkeys. We even saw them along the freeway back to Detroit.

So that’s it for our Great Michigan Adventure. I hope to go back to visit the Upper Peninsula. Someday…

The (bi)monthly book roundup

I missed last month’s What’s on Your Bookshelf roundup (b/c I was busy stuffing my face with road food and looking for Bigfoot), so I have 2 months’ worth of books to share with you this time:

For some reason, I became fascinated with medical memoirs a couple of months ago and whipped through a bunch of them. My favorites were High Risk, which I read for a work-related book club, and Cook County ICU. It’s not a memoir, but I also loved Bill Bryson’s The Body – educational and funny, as one would expect from Bryson.

Among the (few) non-medical titles, highlights included:

  • Trouble in Tucson, because 1) it includes one of my stories, and 2) it includes some great stories by authors I know.
  • After the Fire – Mystery author J.A. Jance’s collection of poems and short autobiographical essays from her marriage to an abusive alcoholic. She’s an embodiment of the saying, “Living well is the best revenge.”

The memery

I know it’s book week, so I should have book memes, but I don’t (well, OK, I have one). What I do have is a huge backlog of random nonsense, so… prepare for incoming random nonsense.

Here’s the one book meme:

OK, back to the random nonsense.

Do yourself a favor and follow the Oklahoma Wildlife Dept. on Twitter. Just make sure you aren’t drinking anything when you read their tweets.

I’m a medical librarian. When I get sick, I search the same resources doctors use–and promptly become convinced I’m going to die.

I’d watch that movie.

We have coyotes and roadrunners in my neighborhood, and I haven’t seen a single Acme delivery. So yeah, all lies.

And finally:

That’s it for me this week. What’s happening where you are?

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24 Comments

  • Retirement Reflections

    June 17, 2023 at 6:45 pm

    Hi, Janet – Welcome back! Thank you for joining us at #What’s On Your Bookshelf. We missed you.
    I haven’t yet read anything on your list, but I did almost read ‘The Body.’ I need to preface my next comment by saying that I am a HUGE Bill Bryson fan, and I frequently name ‘A Walk in the Woods’ as my favourite novel. About a year ago, I borrowed ‘The Body’ from the library with every intention of loving that book but I just coudn’t get into it. I can’t even count it as a DNF as it was more like a BS (Barely Started). I made it to the end of Chapter Two and then ran away screaming. I love your encouragement that you enjoyed this book. I may give it another try. (‘May’ being the key word here.). 😀

    • Janet Alcorn

      June 18, 2023 at 4:39 pm

      I listened to the audiobook version of The Body. Bryson reads it himself. At first I found his narration a little off-putting, but then I got used to it and found him charming. If you do try it again, I hope you enjoy it.

  • Debbie

    June 18, 2023 at 1:45 am

    Hi Janet, I love that roadrunner meme 🙂 and the book reviews too! Thanks for joining us for WOYBS, always great to have you join in.

    • Janet Alcorn

      June 18, 2023 at 4:40 pm

      Thanks! I kept the book reviews brief this time, because I was a bit rushed this week (oh, who am I kidding? I’m rushed every week. *sigh*).

  • Joanne

    June 18, 2023 at 4:53 am

    Oh those memes! LOL.. While that is a lovely lighthouse it reminds me nothing at all of the ones or the landscape on “the cape” as we New Englander’s refer to Cape Cod.

    • Janet Alcorn

      June 18, 2023 at 4:41 pm

      Apparently it’s the only Victorian style lighthouse in Michigan. And here’s me, not knowing Victorian style lighthouses were a thing.

      Someday I want to visit Cape Cod. I’ve heard it’s beautiful.

  • trentpmcd

    June 18, 2023 at 5:16 am

    The town where I grew up and where my parents still live is often called “The Cape Cod of Lake Erie” and often comes out on top of “beach towns” in Ohio and sometimes even the Great Lakes! Is it anything like Cape Cod? Uhm, well… No 😉 I have never been to Tawas Point so I can’t really say, but… well, that is a beautiful light house! (Truthfully, I think part of the reason I feel so at home on The Cape is growing up in Vermilion. My house is almost exactly the same latitude as my parents house.)

    • Janet Alcorn

      June 18, 2023 at 4:43 pm

      It’s funny how people want to define a place by comparing it to another place. Beach towns often have some similarity to one another, but I’ve never visited two that seemed truly alike, and I’ve been to quite a few beach towns.

  • Melis

    June 18, 2023 at 8:17 am

    Great bookshelf round up! I’m intrigued by The Ice at the End of the World and will look into it more! Maybe not an “easy read” but probably an important one! I chuckled at the roadrunner meme…I recently told my nine-year-old about those cartoons and she didn’t believe me…goodness how times have changed! I need to pull one up so she can see it for herself 🙂 Hope you’re enjoying a lovely weekend!

    • Janet Alcorn

      June 18, 2023 at 4:44 pm

      We indoctrinated our son into the wonderful world of Looney Tunes when he was little, but I suppose they’d seem ancient to kids now.

      I hope you’re enjoying a lovely weekend too!

    • Janet Alcorn

      June 18, 2023 at 4:45 pm

      Thanks! I even brought back a stuffed Bigfoot as a gift for my sister-in-law. Too cute!

  • Natalie

    June 18, 2023 at 5:51 pm

    Congrats on your podcast appearance! I love the lighthouses and views of the Au Sable river. Thank you for your weekend coffee share.

  • Michelle

    June 19, 2023 at 12:05 pm

    Ha! I always enjoy memes! Congrats on your podcast interview and your publications. I had no idea Bigfoot had made his (or her) way to Michigan. That dude gets around! The Tawas lighthouse is beautiful. I find I generally enjoy all lighthouses. A couple of the books you mentioned sound fascinating. I’ll be looking them up. I used to be a big fiction reader, but as of late it’s non-fiction that’s garnering my interest.

    Michelle

    • Janet Alcorn

      June 20, 2023 at 5:58 am

      He does get around!

      I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction too. I go through phases of reading different subjects or genres.

  • Jo

    June 19, 2023 at 3:07 pm

    I’m midway through listening to Bryson’s The Body. I love how he brings the science into a relatable language. Thanks for linking up.

  • Karen

    June 23, 2023 at 4:40 am

    I like that pool sign, that really does sum up pool rules. We have a bigfoot sign. It came with the property we bought. The sign was on the bathhouse that is now the chicken house. Those are lovely views over the water. Good close picture of the turkeys. Looks like a nice vacation checking out the lighthouses & getting to know their history.

    • Janet Alcorn

      June 23, 2023 at 6:56 am

      LOL at a Bigfoot sign on the chicken house – I love it! It really was a nice vacation. Slow pace, relaxed, lovely scenery.