We are of the opinion that instead of letting books grow

 moldy behind an iron grating; far from the vulgar gaze,

 it is better to let them wear out by being used.

 Jules Verne

Eclectic reading lately.
1st- Nonsense that made great sense.
2nd-In the spirit of Halloween, a classic...that I somehow missed reading years ago
3rd- LDS philosopher (a rare breed) wherein I needed a dictionary but my gray matter was thrilled!
 4th- A mystery with heart and wit. ( a book club selection)
P.S.- someday I WILL dress up as Jack Sparrow!!! (what is it about pirates!!??)

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.

 Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." 

-- Groucho Marx

 After the sad passing of Stephen R Covey I decided to pick up  off my shelf an old 'classic' of his, and re-read it once again.  I read this book in college.  I find I can always use help in 'centering' my life on the things that I should...and this book is full of suggestions and helps for ways in which I can remember my Savior in my everyday experiences.  I can never hear this advice too often. (But... I still find  the book by James Ferrell, The Holy Secret, easier to read, and easier to apply.) The world, and Stephens' family will greatly miss him, for he seemed to be an expert on human relations and how to apply them at home and at the work place.

My reading time has GREATLY diminished since I've taken on the waitressing job. sigh..not much time to read..or the energy..for I fall asleep easily now.  This was lasts months book club book. I read it in high school. And I didnt remember one thing about it as I read it again this time.  It was only ok. Im not sure why its on so many lists.  Maybe it was revolutionary in its time, 1965...but its no The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. I've read other things by Madeleine L'Engle and enjoyed them very much...mostly her nonfiction. I missed the book club discussion as well...so who am I to say much more.  Its a good kids read!

...the pleasure of painting is that hurting sense that you're 

not getting it right, and so you try something else, and 

you try and you try until  you get it.  It may not be 

perfect, but it's comfortingly better than when you started,

and when  that happens, it's one of the grandest feelings

in the world,  because it's earned.

from: The Passion of Artemisia

by: Susan Vreeland

I mentioned it before...but last weekend was 'my' first funeral as a Relief Society president.  Im happy to report that it went very smoothly.  Due in no part to me...for the woman in charge of compassionate service/funerals is a dynamo!! She's got funeral luncheons down to a science!! Im already ever so grateful she's on the team!!
 And.... how very cool is this hearse!!? I couldnt resist taking a shot of if as it waited out front of the church.  When I die...you can carry my bones to the grave in this ride!!! Gladly!!!

The apartment gets quite toasty come 3 o'clock, so often we head to the park for  a cool down...it truly is a wonderful place.

My new friend and her 'babies' went walking with us the other morning..or I should be more clear...I was invited to join them on their ritual morning walk up the canyon.  5 little Yorkie all in a row...pretty cute.

You cant tell from these pictures...but this week the deer have come into the garden and have been sampling the many flavors that grow so abundantly there.  It appears they LOVE strawberry plants, and squash leaves, and most decidedly my morning glory leaves!  Thankfully the garden is so large, that their feasting isnt too damaging...except for maybe the strawberry leaves...they took a good bunch of them out...not as much photosynthesis going on there right now...ugh!

Now that the Olympics are over---this show has become  my guilty pleasure, which is made all the better 'cause I share it with Anna. The men go down to the Mill to make rabbit food..and we make time to watch a few episodes. Its really quite captivating and an eye-opening  portrayal of the deaf culture! Not to mention the premise of two babies being switched at the hospital and going home to grow up under completely different circumstances...and then as teenagers learning the truth!!  Its sweet and entertaining and Im often moved with emotion as I watch.  (I dated a charming, and very handsome deaf  boy in high school..eons ago.) Switched at Birth is worth watching! (aint Netflix grand!?)

My Builder snatched away my copy of Mayflower and is enjoying it...(I'm happy to see him read..and relax) I will pick it up again when he's through. So Im reading a light and delicious  book..which is good for me right now.  Its full of eccentric characters, vivid imagery, and silliness...all written with great skill! Then it'll be back to the hardships and heartache and awesome courage that is the story of the Pilgrims!!
Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard ***1/2

And look at this...Clark is in Chicago!  Good times!!  Love these two!!

Courage is found in unlikely places.

 from: Lord of the Rings

 by: JRR Tolkien

I enjoyed reading another book about the life and times of Florence, Italy.  It was even more enjoyable because it took place in the 1600's when Florence was alive with the artists that we now revere. But never will a single book move me as much as The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone did many years ago.  The Passion of Artemisia was just a tickle of a reminder for me of Stones great work on Michelangelo. But it brought me great pleasure, never-the-less, to go back in time again to the sights and smells of dear Italy. Susan Vreeland wrote Girl in Hyacinth Blue...which I appreciated reading...but was not as memorable for me as this read will be. Here  is another story (historical fiction) of one of the first woman artists to be 'accepted' in society as an artist, through great patience and perseverance. (I seem to be reading a lot of these types of stories lately.)
 As you may or may not recall...in my next life I hope to live in Italy, be able to dance like Michael Jackson, and maybe paint a picture that would bring out emotion in someone viewing it, and cook like an Italian.  In my next life.
I give this book ***1/2 stars
And I cant wait to get started on Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick

art by: Katya Shkolnik The Horse Tamer 2

I needed to read The Passion of Artemisia after slogging through this heavy, heavy read. I think I got a lot out of The Art of Loving...but I know I didnt extract half of what he intended me to learn. I'll read it again...soon...at a slower pace and see what else I can glean from its pages. You'll find many a quotation at the tops of my posts with ideas from this book...but please dont ask me to explain it too much..for I couldnt. I recommend it on the merit that Erich Fromms purpose in writing it is to help us build better, more meaningful relationships with the people in our lives.  I also learned about the power one can derive from learning to be completely alone...alone with ones thoughts...in quiet and with no distractions....for a period of time each day.  I recommend that practice too.
 ****




.

Properly, we should read for power. Man reading

 should be man intensely alive. The book should

 be a ball of light in one’s hand. — Ezra Pound

As I look at the list of books I've read thus far this year...(found here) This one is going to top the list of all time favorites. Now the challenge will be getting my boys and daughter to pick it up and give it a 3 paragraph try...before they will be guaranteed an amazing read!!
Here we have a true story of a remarkable war hero.  A story of resilience and friendship and the determination of the human spirit to survive.
I dont want to spoil your reading of this book...it is full of tragedy and adventure, history and heartache. But it is also a most inspiring reads as well.  When I finished the last pages and closed the book, I was a wiser and better person for having read it. And  I am once again left feeling so grateful for our war veterans.  The older I get the more I despise war...and I still feel the same way after reading this...but I am so grateful to those that go and defend freedom and men's rights in pursuing happiness and fulfillment and peace.
This story has Olympic hero's and high school prankery.
Imagine 46 days on a rubber raft in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with scant survival supplies.
Can I just say...SHARKS.
Imagine losing half your body weight
Drifting 2000 miles..only to find yourself in enemy hands.
Prison camps for almost 2 years...under ruthless Japanese abuses.
Family faith and prayers and undying hope.
Realizing that God truly does have His hand in all things.


If you dont read any other book that I've recommended this year, please read this one!!
We all need more true hero's in our lives and Louis will soon be one of them after you read UNBROKEN!!
Way to go Laura Hillenbrand for another great story!

Albert stood up and pulled a book from the shelf.  He opened it

and began to caress the pages.  Michael could tell he loved the

book-reverenced it, even.  "I've learned something very important

 from these pages," he said. "For the most part, however, it hasnt

been what's been written on  their pages." Michael was befuddled.

"Then what? What have you learned from them?"

"They cured me of the temptation of thinking that what I need is

just one more bit of information, one more piece of knowledge,

one more book.  They helped me to become curious." he said.

"They taught me how to ask questions.  They taught me, and

continue to teach me how to learn."

from: The Holy Secret

by: James Ferrell

Deseret Book describes "The Holy Secret" as a "modern-day parable that brings to life the importance of loving holy and sacred things."

When my once not- so- great- reader recommends a book...I pay attention.  Brian read this book twice on his mission. Now I know why.  It is life changing. At least it was for me. It changed my perspective on the temple work that I do.  It changed the way I plan on treating the Sabbath...for good reason. And I think most importantly for me, it will/ is changing the way I attempt to read and understand the scriptures.  I LOVED reading The Peacegiver,  but I think this read has caused  me to make an about face!!  Thanks Bri!!  Oh how I love having you home!!!

Here we have a magical story that takes place in Italy..and its about food and love and a little bit of war history too. How can it go wrong!! Plus its beautifully written!!  The intense food loving doesnt start until halfway into the book...but its well worth the wait! (there are a couple of racy chapters as well..)
Things I enjoyed while reading this book:
-a desire to use a tablecloth with each meal.
-a few flowers on the table is a good thing too.
- learning a little Italian!
-"the people wait for the pasta, not the pasta for the people! " -Livia
-
If you enjoy a good love story, and books about food...especially about Itaiian food...The Wedding Officer is a must read!!  Delightful and yummy!! ****



.

Pain stayed so long I said to him today

"I will not have you with me any more."

I stamped my foot and said, "Be on your way."

And paused there, startled at the look he word.

"I, who have been your friend," he said to me,

"I, who have been your teacher-all you know

of understanding love, of sympathy,

And patience, I have taught you.  Shall I go?"

He spoke the truth, this strange unwelcome guest;

I watched him leave, and know that he was wise.

He left a heart grown tender in my breast.

He left a far, clear vision in my eyes.

I dried my tears, and lifted up a song-

Even for the one who'd tortured me so long.

-unknown

quoted from: Tragedy or Destiny?

by: Spencer W. Kimball

I indeed will be deeply changed by having read STRENGTH IN WHAT REMAINS.  Once again this was a book on my brother's library shelf...that I snagged  to bring home to read.  Its one of those painful, true stories...that sounds to horrific to be true.  There are amazing people gracing this planet and there are great authors that take the time and energy to tell their stories right!!
I simply have never been able to watch the movies that tell of the genocides and atrocities that go on in Africa...Im too weak.  I get to feeling so very helpless and even angry. The Adversary truly is reigning with blood and terror.
But here is a  story of a man who survives these horrors and who somehow makes his way to America with only $200.00 to his name, and lives on the streets of New York City...before making his way back to medical school...The story is also about the angel few who help him along the way!!  It is truly one of the most inspiring biographies I've ever read.  ***** and then some!!!

I was carried away, swept along by the mighty

stream of words pouring from the hundreds of

pages.  To me it was the ultimate book: once

you read it, neither your own life nor the world

you lived in would ever look the same.

from: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

by: Dai Sijie

The power of an education is again played out in this sweet little story as well.  Here we have historical fiction teaching us about the power of books, knowledge, wisdom, imagination and possibilities.  No matter the oppression that was inflicted upon the people in China in the 1970's under Chairman Mao, or the horrors and injustice's that life  often deals us...under wicked regimes...many people rise and fight  to the surface... sometimes at great cost and with unimaginable sacrifice.
In looking for an image of  BALZAC AND THE LITTLE CHINESE SEAMSTRESS, I discovered that its been made into a movie!!!  Its going to the top of the Netflix list right now!! Its bound to be visually stunning...just as it was in my mind as I envisioned the forests at the tops of mountains in China.
**** (because it was read in the shadow of STRENGTH OF WHAT REMAINS)

.

Literature is a textually transmitted disease,

 normally contracted in childhood.

 -Jane Yolen

Year of Wonders is an historical fiction tale, based on a true story, of a Derbyshire village who choose to quarantine themselves and their plague in the Spring of 1666 and spend a year cut off from the world. Its a sad, and terribly graphic tale, of the horrors of the plague...beautifully written, and inspiring in the ??? strength of spirit and fragility of the soul.  I want to recommend it whole-heartedly...but the violence of such an illness...and the times and tortures of retribution for non-conformity is truly disturbing...so beware!!
****1/2 (not giving it five, only for the great discomfort is caused in its graphic depiction of death by plague and at the hands of man.)

A dear friend has been recommending this book to me for a long time!!!  I finally picked up a copy and read it out-loud all the way from St George to Logan to My Builder!  What a fabulous story!! So inspiring! An easy read and one that could and will be read over and over again.  Its a reminder of the power of one, of change and redemption, and the strength of spirit!!  *****

Read this book in 24 hours!  Beautifully written...a story of a woman's struggle to remain independent after the death of her husband... independence for a women in the 1600's was practically unheard of and frowned upon...no...it was cause for ostracization and was unlawful!!  (and ...there's an interesting love triangle as well.) ****1/2

"The mind is a storage shed. You put in

experience in there and it waits for you.

Dont worry.  You'll find it in time."

from: State of Wonder

by: Ann Patchett

I really, really enjoyed reading Ann Patchett's Bel Canto.  I looked forward to working down my list to this book by Ann too.  It came highly recommended by a dear sister in law.  I was not disappointed.  I've been reading some pretty heavy stuff of late...and this was a nice diversion. State of Wonder is an adventure; an Amazoniam adventure.  Ann's descriptions of the jungle and the bugs and snakes and the natives were enthralling.  If you want to escape for a time...head to Brazil with Ann Patchett.
****

Soon enough, a curiosity about an untamed soul

had kindled, and this, too, caused me to seek him 

out.  But it was his light temper and his easy laugh

that drew me close to him, over time, until I forgot

he was a  half-naked, sassafras-scented heathen

anointed with raccoon grease. He was, quite simply, my dearest friend.

from: Caleb's Crossing

by: Geraldine Brooks

Its not often that a book can reduce me to physical tears...
this one did it more than once...

Review:

Living in the isolated Puritan settlement of Great Harbor on Martha's Vineyard, Bethia Mayfield, the bright young daughter of the local minister, balances her strict religion with a passionate love of nature and a growing curiosity about the culture of the Wampanoag tribe that populates the island. When Bethia secretly strikes up a friendship with a young Wampanoag named Caleb, she unknowingly begins a journey that will shape her life. Intelligent, independent, and kind, Bethia is the narrator and the heart of Geraldine Brooks's stunning new novel, Caleb's Crossing, the story of Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, who in 1665 became the very first Native American to graduate from Harvard.

Torn between her commitment to her religion and her family and her longing for freedom and intellectual fulfillment, Bethia is a young woman built of contradictory desires. With Caleb, she finds an escape from her stern and pious community in which women are expected to be silent and subservient, the community that denies Bethia an education simply because of her gender. But for all the freedom that Caleb inspires in her, he struggles to understand her dogged sense of duty and deference. Even as he chooses to adopt her religion, he encourages her to rebel and questions the obedience at the root of her faith.

What I learned about me and from this book:
Tragedy is tragedy, on paper...in history...in my heart.
Puritan "religion" was over the top...leaving England seemed to have taught 'us' nothing.
I still have a deep ingrained desire to live with an Indian tribe...to learn of their practices and history and 'medicine' plus...I want them to 'name me.'  "Warm Mococin' suits me fine...but a computer did it...its not the same!!!
Women equality has come a LONG, LONG way!! Thank heavens. I am grateful for women who endured the unendurable!!
Will there ever be justice for the injustices done to many Indian tribes?
What price am I willing to pay to continue my life's education?  hummmm.......

*****!
Geraldine is a gifted author!!  I am in awe!!

One great benefit of a religious vocation is that it helps

you concentrate.  It gives you a good basic sense of

what is being asked of you and also what you might ignore.

from: Gilead

by: Marilynne Robinson

 I Know... you have Questions for me....
Why was I reading a Christmas book in May?
answer:  It was on my list; it was on the shelf when I went looking; and I needed something light after reading MARCH.
Why was this book in the adult fiction section of the library?
answer: HAVENT A CLUE!!!
The book came up on my list because I said I LOVED Whistling Season...
This  just doesnt make sense...its not all that great.  Its ok.  It would be a great book to read aloud to your kids or grandkids.  BUt...be prepared...its more of a who's who in history than it is a Christmas story.  Its a fun concept...learning about how Santa began his LONG and illustrious career.  Who knew that Roman Emperor Diocletian threw Old Santa in prison  because he was a Christian, in 303 A.D.!!!??  How rude!!!
World History through Santa's eyes, as a Christian, doing good wherever they go...along with his wife, and sidekicks... all of whom are famous folks you'd recognize.
***
thats the best I can give it.

"And you know what, Thin Elderly? Sad parts are important.

 If I ever get to train a new young dreamgiver, that's one of the

 things I'll teach: that you must include the sad parts, because

 they are part of the story, and they have to be part of the dreams."

from: Gossamer

by: Lois Lowry

Ever wonder where dreams come from?  Here we have a lovely, poignant little story...from the rich imagination of  Lois Lowry...author of THE GIVER, and winner of a couple of Newbery Awards.
I love' feel good ' stories...where people are mostly good hearted and want to help others ...even the "dream bearers" want to assist and combat the Sinisteeds who are bearers  of horrifying nightmares.  You'll love the child dream-bearer, Littlest One, who is chatty, inquisitive, giggly  and unlike any 'child' you'll happen to encounter....for of course she's not human.
Its a fantasy, feel-good story that took me only a few hours to read.  I probably wouldnt have chosen to read it...except that I've discovered a new book club here in Logan...and this is this months read.  (I read THE GIVER several years ago and didnt love it...didnt understand the hoopla.I enjoyed GOSSAMER much more.)
***1/2

Who is the brave man-he who feels no fear?

If so, then bravery  is but a polite term for a

mind devoid of rationality and imagination. The

brave man, the real hero,  quakes with terror,

sweats, feels his very bowels betray him, and in

spite of this moves forward to do the act he dreads.

from: March

by: Geraldine Brooks

A complete stranger at Women's Conference this year compelled me to become acquainted with Geraldine Brooks and her historical fiction.  I now have 3 more of her books at my bedside...waiting for me to complete MARCH, which I picked up at BYU bookstore.  Im enraptured.  (dont you just love it when fellow readers arent afraid to share with other readers their favorite authors!!!?)  I wish I could thank the dear lady that leaned over the back of her chair to tell me about this gifted writer.
The book is indeed  just as the cover says..."harrowing and moving"....casting a spell that last longer than the reading of it".
Amen!
From Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has taken the character of the absent father.  Mr March has gone off to the War...the Civil War...leaving behind his wife and daughters.
It is a haunting tale.
Once again reminding us of man's inhumanity to man...
But its also a story of  noble, brave men who valiantly try to stick to righteous principles through the horrors of war and the sins of slavery. Its a story of marriage and heartbreak and heroism.
Excellent!!
Five stars
*****

I dont understand why people insist on pitting the concepts of

 evolution and creation against each other. Why cant they see 

that spiritualism and science are one? That bodies evolve and 

souls evolve and the universe is a fluid place that marries them

 both in a wonderful package called a human being. 

What's wrong with that idea!? 

from: The Art of Racing in the Rain 

by: Garth Stein

Finally finished it!!
 Im not sure I would have had the strength or determination to finish such a book if it hadnt been recommended to me by my dad.  It was intense....in the scientific...textbook...historic kind of way.  But Im glad I got through it. I learned A LOT!!  It was a perfect refresher course for what I tried to learn in high school and in college.  Once again Im in awe...for the brilliant minds that delve into ideas most if us cant even conceive...for this wondrous universe in which we live, love and survive.  My dad is a scientist...a realist...Im sure he got something completely different  from this book than mauw!!...Im a romantic and a spiritual being...and I KNOW I got totally different thoughts and ideas from its pages!! Oh the joys of reading and good writing!!!
Fizz: Nothing Is As It Seems is a "fantasy" slash historical "fiction" of time travel and science.  We meet all the greats in the physics field through an inquisitive girls' eyes, mingled with some adventure and mystery; starting with Aristotle and Galileo, to many names that sound sort-of familiar...like Faraday and Rutherford, then on to Edison and Einstein (a spiritual man himself), and then concluding  with the men that 'invented' the atomic bombs!!  So very fascinating!!  The vastness and complexity of the universe will NEVER cease to amaze!!




"Protons are so small that a little dib of ink
like the dot on this i can hold something
in the region of 500,000,000,000 of them,
rather more that the number of seconds
contained in a   half a million years."
from: A Short History of Nearly Everything
by: Bill Bryson


Love this stuff!!  And if you love it too...read Fizz!
Thanks dad...for the stretch and grow!! 






.

The reason we shouldnt kill whales is

because they fire the imagination.

-James Darling Phd

This was not at all what I was expecting...
My brother kind-of warned me....
He said it was weird...
It was definitley that!!
It starts out reading like a mystery...about whales and why they sing...or why something or someone was out to mess up the research....
Then suddenly it turns into a sci-fi read...totally unexpected!!!
But
I so enjoyed it!
I didnt like the explitivies...too many of them.
But the writing was so witty and humorous and scattered with factual info on whales.

What I got from this unusal book:
~take nothing...and I mean nothing, at face value.
~ loyalty is important
~have a passion, about something.
~dont take things so seriously
~enjoy the day
~God is in everything!
~Listen, learn and do something about it.
~God is good
~I like this Christopher Moore...Im going to try more of Moore.

Here is what he has to say about conservation in his post-logue :
"Caring about the condition of our oceans does not make you psycho, tree-hugging, bleeding heart liberal,
it just makes you smart.  The health of all life on this planet depends on the health of the oceans. It's just 
good business.  (Even a supply-sider has to admit that if you fish a population to extinction, there will be
no supply, so there will be no demand.  It's bad economics from the right or the left.)  So watch what you
eat, and dont eat fish that are being over-fished. And dont pour  the used oil from your oil change down the 
storm drain unless you want your next shrimp platter to taste like Quaker State and you sort of like the
idea of have your own children born with flippers. "

This is not a preachy book on any count...its a mystery/fantasy/sci-fi, rip roaring read.
I want to give it 4 stars...but I had better give it 3 due to the plethora of F-bombs.

“He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding:

 but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.”

Proverbs 14:29

Just finished a surprisingly easy read...for a history book about clocks, stars, naval navigation, chronometers and stubborn, persistent, gifted artisans, scientists, mathematicians and astrologers.
Its great fun learning something new. And this book opened new realms  for me.
Persistence is a virtue.  I knew this...but the men in this book will now forever be an example for me to remember...when going against the odds,  having mighty ambition, and following your passion is the right course.
It was also interesting to learn how long and difficult the learning curve was in over-coming the debilitating problem that seafaring was without lines of longitude.  This was a mystery that was crippling to mans' progression and to learn that there were people spending the greater part of their lives in dedication to solving the mystery....some for the notoriety, some for the cash prize and that some worked on it just for the challenge of solving a mystery...was fascinating.  

"Rome wasnt built in a day, they say.  Even a small of Rome, the Sistine Chapel,

took eight years to construct, plus another eleven years to decorate, with 

Michelangelo sprawled atop his scaffolding from 1508 to 1512, frescoing 

scenes from the Old Testament on the ceiling.  Fourteen years passed from

conception to the casting of the Statue of Liberty.  The carving of the Mount

Rushmore Monument likewise spanned a period of  fourteen years.  The Suez

and Panama Canals each took about ten years to excavate, and it was 

arguably ten years from the decision to put a man on the moon to the successful

landing of Apollo lunar module.  

It took John Harrison nineteen years to build H-3. (his first 'clock' for seafaring.)  

This was a small and easily read book...and well worth the time.  I have a whole new appreciation for  history, geography, science and exploration.
**** for me!

now on to a book about the mystery of why whales sing....should be interesting

MIMI MONDAY

Books say: She did this because. Life says: She did this.

 Books are where things are explained to you; life is

 where things arent. Im not surprised some people prefer books.

 -Julian Barnes

I've done some research;  for it turns out that my daughter is a worry-wort.  She's going to receive one of these books as a gift.  The rest of them Im going to encourage her to check out of the library.  If I cant convince her to take a chill pill, then maybe one of these wise women  can help her set down some of her anxieties.  All of these books come highly recommended.  (there are so many out there to choose from...its nice to get some personal recommendations.)  

One of America's most celebrated writers takes you home to a family and a small town so funny and unpredictable, you'd wish it were your own. "As warm as it is hilarious and believable . . . Never has the state of domestic chaos been so perfectly illuminated."--The New York Times Book Review.

Every mother should read this book. It brought back all the joy and frustrations of mothering babies and toddlers. There is a gem on almost every page. If you have a pregnant friend this book is a wonderful shower present. I want to read the authors poetry books after reading this book of letters.

In the delightfully candid, outlandishly funny Waiting for Birdy, Newman charts the year she anticipated the birth of her second child while also coping with the realities of raising a toddler. As she navigates life with her existentially curious and heartbreakingly sweet three-year-old, and her doozy of a pregnancy, she lends her irresistibly unique voice to the secret thoughts and fears of parents everywhere. Filled with quirky warmth and razor-sharp wit, Waiting for Birdy captures the universal wonder, terror, humor, and tenderness of raising a family.  review found here

I chose this one for the Book Discussion group because I was looking for a memoir and I remembered really liking this when I read it 21 years ago on the eve of Gabe's birth. I liked it just as much the second time around and reading it again now, on the eve of Gabe's transition into adulthood, made me realize what an impact this book has had on my life and the way I have raised my children. 

When I read it the first time, I kept thinking about how I spent too much of my own childhood watching Gilligan's Island instead of following my passions. Looking back on my sons' childhoods, I think they are a little closer to Dillard's than mine was. This may largely be due to our decision to get rid of the TV for several years while they were growing up. 

Anyway, I once again really enjoyed Dillard's ability to turn a phrase, her humor, her insights, and her images. Her description of the crippled moth has remained with me all these years. I was happy to be reminded of "Terwilliger bunts one" and her "hopes for her rough edges." The good news, as Dillard reminds me is that our "waking up" to ourselves is a continual process that can last through childhood and beyond.(less)  review found here

I just finished this last night, and I plan to go back through it again. It's one of the better books on raising children that I've ever read. Mogel is a child psychologist with a definite slant--for her, a lot of the answers to parenting problems lie in encouraging spiritual growth, in ourselves and in our children. You don't have to be Jewish to find great material in this book--I'm not--but you definitely need to accept the premise that human beings are happier in a spiritually enriched environment. review found here

Enright tells it like it is and she is witty, incredibly open and very moving. Much of the book was written in pieces while her baby daughter was sleeping in the same room. She writes about the beauty and strangeness of pregnancy, the vulnerability of mothers giving birth, and the joy and tediousness of having someone utterly dependent on you for sustenance. She’s also very funny, particularly when writing about “how to get trolleyed while breast-feeding”, cleaning obsessions and the difficulties of choosing just the right buggy. Enright eloquently explores her love for her daughter and son and writes intimately about the changes that happen in a relationship when children are born. 

I’ve read several memoirs of pregnancy and motherhood and this is one of the most original and candid I’ve come across. I can’t wait to get my hands on Anne Enright’s other books.  review found here

 The experience of motherhood is an experience in contradiction. It is commonplace and it is impossible to imagine. It is prosaic and it is mysterious. It is at once banal, bizarre, compelling, tedious, comic, and catastrophic. To become a mother is to become the chief actor in a drama of human existence to which no one turns up. It is the process by which an ordinary life is transformed unseen into a story of strange and powerful passions, of love and servitude, of confinement and compassion. Cusk’s account of a year of modern motherhood becomes many stories: a farewell to freedom, sleep, and time; a lesson in humility and hard work; a journey to the roots of love; a meditation on madness and mortality; and most of all a sentimental education in babies, books, toddler groups, bad advice, crying, breastfeeding, and never being alone. review found here.

and lastly but certainly not least...and probably the best of all...for Anne never fails me...
This is the one for Anna!!
Happy reading daughter!!!
Happy parenting too!!

.

However, 'the milk that is spilt cries not out

afterwards, 'as you say.  We shall not think

of that, but go on our way to the end.

from: Dracula

by: Bram Stoker

Life is chalk full of ironies.

Not to long ago  I plucked  a book from the niagara of book shelves in my brothers library, to read while I was 'tending' their cute girlies.  Once I started...I couldnt put it down.  The Geography of Bliss. Its a book about the allusive, and difficult to describe thing called happiness.  It asks and trys to answer- where is the happiest place on earth....and its not Disneyland???  Who is happy and why??  What elements are needed in order to be happy?  Its a fascinating read. Eric Weiner, a self proclaimed "whiner"- which is also how he pronounces his name, also finds it ironic that a free spirited writer such as himself, has been  perpetually grumpy all his life.
The people of Iceland, the US, Switzerland and even Qatar, plus others, all fall under his scrutiny.  Eric is a deep thinker and seems to have had the energy and means to spend months at a time at each place he investigates to try and learn what makes each country tick and in some places he does find happiness and contentment. ( He logged over tens of thousands of miles.)  Here again is a wonderful author who writes with gusto, humor and great wisdom and a few unnecessary expletives as well. (Oh well, I guess no one is perfect.)
I loved reading this book. I was sorry when I turned the last pages. ***** stars for me!!!


 And now you are wondering- where is the irony?
Well....it was while I was finishing the concluding few chapters that My Builder dropped the 'unhappy' bomb on my world.  It was while driving home to glorious St George after having spent almost four weeks in the cold and gloom of the north that My Builder broached the subject of moving ourselves to Logan.

Wait for it




Let that sink in


As I told him, and now you my lovely readers,
There could be NOTHING and I mean NOTHING that I could possibly be more conflicted on than the prospect of moving north to Logan, Utah.


There it is again


think of it


Logan, Utah.  What is Logan's claim to fame?...the first thing you think of when you think of Logan...the terrible winters. The long terrible winters and the short summer. Which is of course the "polar" opposite of where I love and live now.
On so many levels.


Of course this suggestion to relocate makes complete sense and does not come as a surprise.  I had an inkling that it was inevitable.  It makes perfect sense if we are to make the bunny food business grow.
Making a living is the number one priority.
Gas money is killing us as My Builder travels back and forth
Benjamin and my daughter are beyond adorable.
But please notice how very short this list is for leaving here.


Beginning a list of St George's qualifications.........would be a mistake to attempt as you can imagine. So I'm not going there. Everyone that knows me knows what that LONG list would  look like.


But there is no doubt that making a living is what needs to rank first right now.  So, back to the book....The Geography of Bliss
What is happiness?
It turns out that climate has nothing to do with finding/being happy. (gulp) I learned that Iceland is one of the top 5 happiest places!! Who'd a thunk!!??
Having trust does matter.
Having a sense of belonging to something bigger than self matters.
Being a part of a culture, having a history is important
Having a sense of awe and wonder for nature and the world in which we live seems important too
Having money, but not too much money is on the list.
minimum envy: its toxic
keep  smiling, even when you dont feel like it.
family is important (duh)
so are friends
not thinking  too much is included on the list
beaches are optional and
gratitude is mandatory




And look at that...
I have most these things in spades!!!
No matter where I land I have the things of most import.
What we havent had is financial security, which is why we need the move.  When we have this, life will be coming up roses once again...or at least crocus's  through the perma-frost!!
Im pasting on my happy face and moving forward with the best attitude I can muster.
Wish me luck.

is for moving....

oh yeah...I almost forgot    
.

"Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life."

— Fernando Pessoa

Dune
by Frank Herbert


Read it in High School. 
I read it again while visiting and waiting for baby Ben to arrive. 
I read it 'cause it was on this list.
It was good....but I didnt find it great.  Maybe I wasnt in the mood.. 
It wasnt Enders Game 
It wasnt Lord of the Rings....
or The Thomas Covenant Series.
But it kept my attention.
I wont be reading the other three in the series.  There are too many other books on my lists.
And so little time.
May no wicked sandworms or sentient powers deter me from my goals.






.

...there is more than one eternal will on the universe--

indeed, an infinity o f such of such will or autonomous

intelligence's--we have cut the thread that supposes God

can "do anything." In all-important way even He, the

greatest of all, can only do with us what we will permit

Him to do.

Our center selves can agree or disagree, assent or resent,

cooperate or oppose. To say, as the scriptures do, that

God has all power and that He is almighty and that with Him

all things are possible is to say that He has all the power

and might it is possible to have in this universe of multiple selves.

from: Human Anguish and Divine Love

by: Truman Madsen

Small Gods

A Novel Of Discworld

by Terry Pratchett

Brutha, a simple man leading a quiet life tending his garden, finds his life irrevocably changed when his god, speaking to him through a tortoise, sends him on a mission of peace.

Its been a while since I've read a Sci-fi/fantasy book. 

But I found a list which intrigues me. 

What I  liked the most is  that the list has many books on it that I have already read...

it makes going through the list a lot easier.

Of course...you wouldnt be wrong in surmising that my eye was drawn to this book by its cover.

And then in reading the review  cinched it....  I would go to the library to find a copy and read it.  

I was not disappointed.

I have never read anything by Terry Pratchett.  I did some reading about him...and find that readers fing him very gifted and is highly regarded as a humorist too.  This is so true!!!

Here we have a clever and humorous tale of a small god...who found himself in the body of a tortoise.  

I dont do spoilers...but know that this is a clever examination of religion, faith vs. blind faith, fundamentalism, all done with intelligence  and not in the least bit preachy.  Its philosophical without being at all boring. Its a surprising easy and fast read which moves swiftly along through some wondrous adventures as Brutha and Om learn what it means to be human and godlike. 

I LOVE the characters- Brutha the protagonist...the slow witted monk who is the only one who can hear Om..the small god.

Om...the tortoise  who is deity and ever so impatient and grouchy in his turtle body.

Vorbis..the villain... villainous to perfection w/o having to be Stephen King like.

I suppose some would say its an irreverent look at religion...

I found it thought provoking and enlightening and I was not in the least bit threatened in my beliefs and practices.  

What I learned:

In this life...you get what you give and dont fight evil with evil.

****