What’s the difference between clever and smart?

If we dictionary it we get the following:

clever– quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas: intelligent (Oxford Languages)

smart–having or showing a quick-witted intelligence (Oxford Languages)

When we look at it on the surface, it appears that these are related- it appears that they are virtually the same. However, when I think about these two words, I don’t necessarily think of them the same way.

When I think of smart, I think of someone who is teachable- they can sit in a classroom, or read a book, they will absorb the knowledge and you will be able to question them about it. But I don’t necessarily know if smart equates with being able to make conclusions and think independently. My Husband is book smart- I’ve watched him study for his Master’s degrees, and I know he can read and answer test questions. However, he’s not so great at thinking outside the box, or forming new ideas. He’s not so great at making independent conclusions that haven’t been tested before.

Now, when I think of clever, I think of someone who may or may not have done well at school. They might score a high test grade, or an abysmally low one- sometimes they just can’t get what is on the page or lecture. However, people that are clever notice things that others don’t- they are able to see outside the box; they are able to take practical and learned knowledge and come to an independent conclusion about something. Clever people break ground.

I clearly think that clever and smart are not the same- that there are subtle nuances that distinguish the two, and I would use the words differently when describing people both in person and on the page.

But what about you? How do you define the words? Do you think there are differences or are these words interchangable?

Discuss:

I don’t own jeans.

I don’t wear jeans.

If I say this out loud, I am viewed as an outcast.

Why don’t you wear jeans?

Everybody wears jeans.

Jeans go with everything.

Why don’t you ever wear jeans?

Do you know how many times I have heard refrains such as these? Do you know how many times Stitch Fix has sent me jeans?

I don’t like jeans.

And I am made to feel like something less than because I don’t like them. And honestly, it makes me feel a little bad. And then I read a book…

And here’s the big one: I stopped wearing jeans, because they never felt right on me. Leopard is a Neutral-a really useful style guide– Erica Davies

There was Davies, a fashionista, an expert on style and fashion, telling me that it was OK to not wear jeans…

Mind…Blown….

But the real question is why I needed a book to validate my feelings on on what I wear…

Having grown up with a Mother who was very into clothing, and highly critical of what I wore (along with being critical of a bunch of other things) I guess I always felt judged by what I did and didn’t wear. Being told I can’t wear something because I’m short, or because I have a big chest was emotionally deflating. To this day she will still make negative comments about my clothing. She always manages to make me feel less than. So I’ve had a negative image of myself with clothes for a very long time. Being comfortable with clothing and my body has been a long, hard battle- and I’m still not quite sure who won the battle…

But I can’t entirely blame my Mother- there is societal pressure from women to dress a certain way. Don’t dress provocatively, don’t dress like a frump. Wear sensible shoes, wear high heels. Don’t show your shoulders, don’t wear short skirts. Don’t wear stripes. Don’t wear black. Only wear black…

You get the idea…

No matter what we wear…someone will judge us…

But now I’ve reached the “I’m wearing what I want to wear” stage of my life. And maybe it took a book to make me feel OK with dressing how I want to dress, but that’s all right- at least I got there…

Until I visit my Mother anyway…

Awhile back, one of my blog buddies wrote a post- the 100 things they love. I thought I’d take a try at this. http://agracefull-life.com/2022/04/11/100-more-things-i-love/

I try not to have too many “things”, but I find that some things make my life a little better.

1. sweet, milky tea brewed in a teapot, served in a thick mug
2. my desk
3. pink gel pens
4. my tea mug warmer
5. Nook app for ipad
6. ipad
7. my postcard of Madame X and the actual painting Madam X
8. lighted makeup mirror
9. Jo Malone English pear and freesia
10. pink fuzzy blanket that sits on my bed
11. adjustable bed frame
12. black pearl earrings
13. silver heart on a chain necklace
14. pink moleskin journal
15. indoor plumbing
16. sweet cherries
17. brie
18. cheeseburgers, medium rare
19. McDonald’s French Fries
20. mille crepe cake at Lady M bakery
21. high tea anywhere I can get it
22. watching a Met game at CitiField
23. Exploring art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
24. Tulips
25. the color pink
26. getting a seat on the subway
27. when a book ends perfectly
28. discovering a perfectly made film/movie
29. flower gardens
30. the pile of cards my daughter has made me
31. when I can do the New York Times crossword puzzle without errors, on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
32. planning a vacation
33. Concerts at Carnegie Hall
34. seeing live theater
35. Film festivals where the director is present to talk about the work
36. ongoing text conversations with my friends
37. sitting with a book and a cup of tea
38. Champagne, Prosecco, Cava
39. brunch
40. my planner
41. sunrises
42. sunsets
43. 80s music
44. my Longchamp purse that I bought in Paris 30 years ago
45. finding a great quote
46. a slice of Pizza from Joe’s
47. air conditioning
48. fresh flowers in my entryway
49. the words of Jane Austen
50. my pink, silky, flowery robe
51. fuzzy slippers
52. when I get all my errands done by 11am
53. browsing the new releases on Tuesdays at Barnes and Noble
54. long, hot bath with bubbles
55. getting a pedicure
56. discovering something I never saw before
57. one of my pets snuggled on my lap or my feet
58. when subway connections run smoothly
59. my daughter’s smile
60. my 32 ounce water bottle that closes tight
61. songs that remind me of those I love
62. Frasier reruns
63. The Sure Thing
64. headphones
65. Trivial Pursuit
66. discovering a book store when I travel
67. old school arcade games
68. tennis
69. Masterpiece on PBS
70. gorgeous clothing exhibits
71. waking up early
72. going to bed early
73. walking
74. black dresses
75. taking photographs
76. catching a great busker
77. writing in the morning
78. kittens
79. puppies
80. screened in porches
81. lazy weekends at the shore with my besties
82. hotels where breakfast is included
83. making my bed in the morning
84. New York City in the spring and fall
85. anywhere but New York City in July and August
86. shopping for a new planner
87. organizing something in my house
88. cozy British murder mysteries
89. Downton Abbey
90. touring old homes with beautiful furnishings
91. anything by Bach
92. Spotify
93. Farmer’s Market
94. taking a nap on the couch
95. Real Simple magazine
96. trying a new recipe
97. getting someplace right before it gets crowded
98. having something to look forward to
99. having memories to look back on
100. Waking up in the morning ready to experience the new day

All animals are equal except some are more equal than others.

George Orwell

We can debate, discuss, or argue about the following (however- I am not going to debate discuss or argue any of it- but have at it on your own time)

1. Why Obama chose not to codify Roe between 2009 and 2011
2. If Trump specifically chose justices he assumed would overturn Roe
3. If RBG should have retired during the Obama administration
4. If “my body my choice” is applicable to both abortion and mandatory vaccines, as the answer by both sides is- “it will save lives”
5. RBG stating that there was faulty reasoning in Roe, and it should have been based on the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution
6. How members of certain religions feel that there rights to religious freedom have been trampled upon

What we really can’t discuss is that women in 22 states will not be treated equally with women in 28 states. There is no more equality for women, even amongst ourselves.

1. I was surprised to see WordPress as an answer in Wednesday’s New York Times crossword puzzle- but an easy answer to get
2. Reading books by LGBTQ+, Black, LatinX, Asian, and whatever authors should not be confined to a “month” or a “day”. Don’t read because you are “supposed” to- read because there’s great literature out there. We should honor all people every single day of the year.
3. I am done with the Medieval Galleries at the Met- but not the Cloisters…need to head up there this summer
4. Water Memories is a very interesting exhibit- it’s small but has a nice mix of art and artifacts.

I am grateful that I am a Mother. I am more grateful that I had the ability to choose whether or not I would become a Mother.

My prompt for this week is Simple/Simplicity. Here’s how it was used in the books that I am reading:

1. We can all take actions to minimize our environmental impact, many of which are simple and would collectively make a big difference. Charles Wheelen
2. The simplest solution is usually correct. Nina de Gramont
3. What these management consultants with their calculators and spreadsheets will never work out is that the library is about so much more than simply books. Freya Sampson
4. It has been Byron’s observation that remote sensing, obtaining information about locations without physically being there, is a heck of a lot simpler than gaining understanding of another human being, even when they are right there in the same room with you. Charmaine Wilkerson
5. I wanted his imagination to run with that, puzzling out different scenarios, each one more outrageous than the last, so when I finally told him, the simplicity of it would be irresistible. Julie Clark
6. But it’s not that simple, is it? Kazuo Ishiguro
7. If anything, he wanted a very simple life filled with nature, books, and perhaps a few children. Min Jin lee
8. Ask open ended questions, not something that can be answered with a simple yes or no. Rob Walker
9. Simplicity is subtle, so the joy found in it can sneak up on you. Melissa Michaels
   

How I’m going to look at simplicity this week:

1. Is simplicity so subtle that we underestimate it?
2. Why do some think simple is bad?
3. Are the greatest pleasures in life the simplest?
4. #2- are the simplest solutions the most correct?
5. Do we make things more complicated than they need be?
6. Is anything really simple?

The Poems of Our Climate
by Wallace Stevens
I

Clear water in a brilliant bowl,
Pink and white carnations. The light
In the room more like a snowy air,
Reflecting snow. A newly-fallen snow
At the end of winter when afternoons return.
Pink and white carnations — one desires
So much more than that. The day itself
Is simplified: a bowl of white,
Cold, a cold porcelain, low and round,
With nothing more than the carnations there.

II

Say even that this complete simplicity
Stripped one of all one's torments, concealed
The evilly compounded, vital I
And made it fresh in a world of white,
A world of clear water, brilliant-edged,
Still one would want more, one would need more,
More than a world of white and snowy scents.

III

There would still remain the never-resting mind,
So that one would want to escape, come back
To what had been so long composed.
The imperfect is our paradise.
Note that, in this bitterness, delight,
Since the imperfect is so hot in us,
Lies in flawed words and stubborn sounds.

poetrynook.com

1. Black Cake– Loved this book- it does a rare thing- it’s easy to read, but also gives many layers to think about. Beautiful story about a woman who doesn’t let anything get her down- she just keeps going. Great look at the things we give our children, and how the parent child relationship is often difficult.
2. Iona Iverson– I loved this book. But let me preface: this is not “the great (insert country here) novel”. There are no lush descriptions or brilliant dialogue, no literary tricks. It’s fairly predictable as to what’s going to happen. It’s just a simple story about an unlikely group of friends, but I was 100% in for the ride. The characters are a bit quirky, which I like, and there wasn’t too much “bad”, so it was a fairly pleasant diversion for me. If you like a light book that really centers around friendship, give this a try.
3. Klara– Reread for Book Club/fulfills my science fiction square on my Bingo card. I don’t like the genre, but I thought this was a thoughtful and introspective read about what the future holds as far as friends, and what we consider friends
4. A Woman of No Importance– Reread for book club/fills my book about a spy square for Bingo card. Brilliant story about an unsung hero, who is greatly responsible for how WWII played out. If you want to read about a strong woman- look no further. My book club did wonder about how true some of these exploits were however, because it seemed too much at times.
5. Minimalista- If you are a fan of the organizing/minimalist genre, this book is same old same old. Though it’s written in a pleasing style, I didn’t learn any new tricks. However, the style of this book is awesome. Gill does a great job of summarizing and highlighting the take aways. The book itself is written in an organized and minimalist style, so I feel very confident listening to her as a authority on the subject.
6. Candy House– There are some wonderful sentences in this book, with some really inspiring ideas. Egan knows how to write. However, this book is sort of six degrees of separation- she might write a chapter about a character, but then we only sparsely see that character again. There are so many characters, and I sort of forgot the back story to some of them- which means that I was lost sometimes as to both the character motivation, and the motivation of the author. Because of its odd lay out, it’s a stretch to call it a novel. However- as flawed as this book is, I still found certain parts extremely intriguing and thought provoking. But- I do have a hard time recommending it, because I know much of it seems inconsequential.
7. We Came, We Saw, We Left– Two parents and three teens take nine months off and explore the world. I admit I enjoyed this book vicariously: while I reveled in the adventures that the family had, I know that there is no way I could do a trip like this. 1) lack of reliable plumbing 2) bugs 3) carrying my belongings on my back. But this is a breezy read about the amazing places they saw, and what it’s like to be with your family 24/7 for nine months. My only issue is there are a few pop culture references gone awry- I don’t care about grammar errors- but please don’t start to get facts wrong. I have an issue with the fact that facts are now loosely interpreted. I did email the author about the first error I caught, but after that I decided if he didn’t care, why should I. But- I’m glad my daughter isn’t learning from him. This book fulfills the BN monthly pick spot on my Bingo card.
8. Nora Goes Off Script– For the record, this is a light book, and as I stated about something else, this is not brilliantly written nor thought provoking. It’s just a simple, slightly unbelievable story about a woman trying to rebound after a lousy marriage. I liked the main characters, it moved quickly, and it had a sort of quirky charm. This was a perfectly nice light, fluffy read .
9. Great Expectations– I don’t love this book- I think it’s too long, too many words and chapters. However- the writing is beautiful. The bones of the story hold up. It just takes too long to get to the very satisfying last few chapters.
10. Olga Dies Dreaming– This is not a bad book. However, it takes itself way too seriously. It tries to be political and anti establishment and is full of messages, but at the end of the day it’s a story about a cold, narcissistic, manipulative Mother and the emotional damage she does to her two children who spend their lives trying to make their mother love them. If you take it as a beach read, you will probably be satisfied. If you look at it as literary fiction, be forewarned.
11. Messy Lives– Patrick is a decent writer- however, this story mucks itself up a bit too much. Plucky heroine and her growth as a person makes sense, but there are these little gaps that make it inconsistent. The book is missing something, but I’m not quite sure what. However, if you’ve ever been 40, and feel a little lost, this is a decent read.
12. This Time Tomorrow– 40 year old woman wakes up on the morning of her 16th birthday. The old what would you change about your life trope…This is a fairly pleasant read if you like the genre, and accept a touch of sci fi in your novels. Decently written, not too cliché, not too preachy, but fails to give a completely satisfying story. That being said, if this was my airplane book I’d be able to read until I wanted to nap or watch a movie.
13. Clear Blue Sky– On the plus side, there is clear character growth. On the minus side, pretty much everything in this book. I did not feel for either of the two main female characters in this book- they annoyed me, as women, as mother’s, as friends. as sisters and as partners. However, I know Higgins has a huge fan base, so there are some who will like this more than I did.
14. Minus Me– I didn’t love the main character, and I think in a light fiction novel it is imperative that you like the main character. To be fair, I also didn’t like some of the other characters in this book- too one dimensional, or too cliché. However, there are days that I need to just shut off my brain, so this book came at a good point in my weekly journey.
15. Beautiful Country– Memoir about an undocumented young woman’s journey. While this was an interesting story, I didn’t feel that the way it was written moved me very much- it comes across a bit sterile. I needed more feeling. There are many who love this book though, so this is just my take on it.
16. Mindful Thoughts– This is a simple premise of how to be more mindful about your day to day. While this book has nothing wrong with it, and it is uplifting, it didn’t move me the way other books of this genre have. It’s fine- but nothing special.
17. Tea House– Read for Tea Book Club. Hmmm.. where do I start? First- this book was written in 2005, and I think it would have felt dated in 2005, much less 2022. I just couldn’t get past some of the attitudes and such. I didn’t like a lot of the characters- and there were a lot of characters. Book was a bit creepy to me.
18. Big Friendship– This book is supposed to tell you how to maintain friendships. But I will tell you what this book doesn’t say- you can’t be a friend if you are a narcissistic, over indulged person who doesn’t have a clue how to actually put someone else’s needs in front of your own. Do you know how to be a friend? Listen. Communicate. Cut your friends some slack. It’s not about you all the time. Clearly one of the worst books of the year for me, possibly in my life time. I now know why this book had been on my TBR longer than any other book.
19. Group Therapy– This book is a mockery of so many things- therapy, strong women being at the forefront. There are very few books I will tell you DON’T Read. This would be one of them. Just a waste of words and time. In the running for worst books I read this year.

1. Top Gun– I love the original Top Gun. I love the new Top Gun. This isn’t a deep, thinking person’s movie- this is just a plot driven by a crisis, and the story of a man searching for something. I was all in for every second of this ride. I know there are people who are not going to enjoy this, but if this type of movie is your thing- get thee to a theater now. One of the best sequels that I’ve ever seen.
2. Lost Illusions -This is a really well done film. I have no idea how close it is to the book, but this is an engrossing tale of a young man trying to find his place/get ahead in the world. I thought the film was structured well- where we are sort of peering into his life and watching his ups and downs with him. But, it’s much wordier than most French films, so you have to either speak French or be OK with a lot of reading- plus the whole period thing…
3. Downton– I am a huge fan of Downton, so this is another case of being all in for the ride. I love everything about Downton, and this satisfies me on all levels. But if you are not a fan, you can skip this- there’s no bells and whistles, just the continuing sage of the Family Crawley.
4. Lightyear– Very average sequel to the Toy Story franchise. This movie lacks heart and whimsy, and the message gets lost in all the mish mosh. Unless you have a child between 5 and 10, I’d pass.
5. Fire in the Mountains- Story of an Indian family trying to get by. Proves that dysfunctional families/relationships are universal. Subtlety shows gender gap, bureaucracy, patriarchal tendencies and superstition, which is good, however, it’s sometimes wanders a bit too much. Beautifully shot. All in all, I don’t think I’m telling anyone to run out and see this film.
6. Alone Together– Katie Holmes directed this entrant at the Tribeca Film Festival. I call it two hours of my life that I will never get back. First off- this is a warning for people to not direct themselves in a movie- you need outside perspective as to what does and doesn’t work. Secondly, she is flat as an actress- I don’t know if I’ve ever seen less emotion. The script is dull- scenes never realize what they are supposed to be: comedy not really funny, emotions seem wooden. There are also so many incongruities- someone needs to teach her how to outline and fact check… This is definitely one of the worst films I’ve seen this year.

I’m going to be nosy today:

What do you keep in your nightstand?

I admit, this post was inspired by my watching Sex and the City, but for the purposes of this blog, keep the TMI rule in your mind…insert wink here…

On the surface of my nightstand I have:

1. lamp
2. picture of my daughter
3. a mug that my daughter painted which holds: hand cream, sephora lip mask, and nail file
4. coaster
5. small wooden cat in sleeping pose
6. diffuser bottle

I have three drawers in my nightstand:

In the top drawer:

1. a power strip because I charge my phone and ipad overnight. I have a long cord so I can read and charge before I go to bed.
2. box of tissues
3. lavender room spray
4. Carmex
5. cough drops (ricola sugar free lemon mint)
6. pen and notepad
7. book light

Middle drawer”

1. fuzzy socks
2. moisturizing gloves
3. foot lotion
4. eye mask (the kind that can be cooled or heated)
5. flashlight
6. wooden sticks for essential oil diffuser
7. essential oil (lavender)
8. advil
9. benedryl
10. nasal spray
11. thing that gets rough calluses off feet

bottom drawer:

1. pajamas

Now it’s your turn: what are the things that you think are essential to keep next to your bed? Do you use a nightstand or a table? Tell me how you set up the bed area.