October 30, 2018 IF A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS

Remember Bob Ross?? The man with the red afro taught people how to paint HAPPY LITTLE TREES on public television?? Well--I'll have you know--I'm NOW the PROUD owner of a BOBBLEHEAD Bob Ross. It's the FUNNIEST thing. YUP--that's all it takes to make me happy. If you press the button-- he ACTUALLY speaks. It's REALLY Bob Ross' voice serving up his witty advice and humor!! What a blast to the past. I can remember watching Bob Ross with my grandmother. We were glued to the television and not because of the RED AFRO. It was the  combination of his SOOTHING VOICE and MAGICAL brush strokes. He was incredible. He could paint a beautiful piece of art AND give advice in thirty minutes! Bob Ross was a positive, encouraging person who was famous for saying--We don't make mistake--just happy little accidents.  My Bob Ross Bobblehead dished up some sage advice today when he said --We all need a little dark--so we can see the light--much like life. WOW--That's deep. A funny aside--No one ever called him BOB OR MR. ROSS. It was always BOB ROSS--both names--interesting. Thanks for the memories.
Currently reading a a National Book Award Finalist from 2017 by Min Jin Lee called Pachinko. This wonderful saga is the story of four generations of a Korean family. The story begins in 1910  during Japanese colonization and ends in 1989. At the beginning of the novel, Sunja lives in a small fishing village in Korea with her father Hooni and mother Yangjin. As a teenager, Sunja  falls in love with a wealthy, powerful man named Hansu and becomes pregnant. After she finds out he is married, she refuses to see him and instead marries a sickly minister named Isak and moves to Japan to be closer to his family. Sunja's son Mozasu is born and takes her husband's name. She also gives birth to another son named Noa. Her husband is later imprisoned because he is a Catholic and the family struggles to survive. Don't want to say too much more but Hansu lives in Japan and wants his only son to be a part of his life. The women in this story are strong characters who hold the family together against incredible odds. Find out what happens to the next generation when you read this novel for yourself. It's about 500 pages--6 mile run--that is a real page turner. The characters are rich and unforgettable. Enjoy.

October 25, 2018 UNDER PRESSURE

Okay--I'm not one of THOSE people. I can't stand Party City and I DON'T want to spend a gazillion dollars on a dumb Halloween costume. But what's the alternative??? I also DON'T want to spend what LITTLE free time I have  making a costume either. It's really a catch -22.  That's how I found myself at that ridiculous store the other day--practically begging my son to buy a costume. I'll admit it. I would have paid up to $50 for a costume--JUST TO HAVE IT DONE. I know my older kids are just shaking their heads. I would NEVER have spent that kind of money on costumes for them. I guess that's a perk??  of being the youngest--I just don't care anymore. LET ME BE. Sooooo--we walked up and down every aisle--AND I tried to convince him that the costumes were cool--BUT--OH--NO--He didn't like A SINGLE ONE!!!   So what am I doing?? SPENDING MY FREE TIME TRYING TO MAKE A VERY COOL COSTUME THAT ALL HIS FRIENDS WILL WISH THEY HAD. Yup--spending my time fashioning  a costume WORTHY enough to win the COSTUME CONTEST at his school.  And I'll be the one REALLY DISAPPOINTED if he doesn't win.  IT WILL ALSO BE MY FAULT--of course. It's A LOT of PRESSURE. It's also a lot of pressure for Frances Jellico after she arrives at Lyntons, an English Country Mansion, in Claire Fuller's new book Bitter Orange.  
Frances is a 39 year old woman who has spent her entire life with her mother. After her mother's death, anxiety ridden Frances takes a job at Lyntons, where she is to survey the gardens and architecture surrounding this once grand mansion that has been  purchased by an American named  Mr. Lieberman. Once she arrives, she meets a seemingly perfect couple, Peter and Cara, who have also been hired to report on the contents and condition of the mansion. The couple seamlessly envelop Frances in their daily rituals--eating, drinking, smoking to excess-- and she happily accepts their lifestyle as this is the first time she can remember having any friends. But are the couple really who they seem to be?? Why does Cara tell elaborate stories and more importantly, why does Peter put up with her?? And how does Frances find herself falling in love with Peter while Victor  stands by and lets her ruin her life? Find out for yourself when you read this atmospheric, psychological thriller for yourself. This haunting tale is about 320 pages --a four mile run--with twists and turns that will leave you wanting more.

October 20, 2018 LET IT BE

What idiot runs on an injury for a whole year and EXPECTS IT TO GO AWAY. ME. I have ISSUES. It would be a NO brainer for most people RIGHT?? Just give it a rest. Stop running for a bit--NOT ME. I  struggled to get through the summer--Yup--kept running even though my body was SCREAMING for a break. NOW-- I CAN'T RUN AT ALL AND I'M HAVING DIFFICULTY EVEN WALKING MY DOGS.  My leg starts TINGLING AND MY FOOT  GETS NUMB. My piriformis muscle is SO SWOLLEN--it's pressing  against my SCIATICA. OUCH. Living in denial really got me in trouble this time. SO--I haven't run in 2 weeks. It was hard at first but I'm getting used to it. I'm going  to take a few months off.  Concentrate on yoga more. Can't believe I'm even putting this in writing--EVIDENCE--but after talking to my physical therapist I feel A LITTLE  better. As he was trying to convince me to take a break from running he brought up a good point.  He asked-- When's your off-season?  Even professional athletes take a break right? And he's right.  I've been running for 20 years and never had an OFF-SEASON. I guess it's time. It's also time for Texas Ranger Darren Mathews, the main character in Attica Locke's new book Bluebird Bluebird,  to take a ride up Highway 59, a place where justice is hard to find. 

Set in East Texas, Lark is a small rural town of 200, essentially stuck in time. After a local white woman is found dead in the bayou, Mathews is sent to investigate her murder only to find out that a black lawyer from Chicago was found two days earlier. Although the sheriff of Lark doesn't  see a connection between the two deaths, Mathews knows better. Growing up black in East Texas, Mathews has learned all about prejudice.  Shortly after arriving in Lark, Mathews meets the widow of the lawyer and promises to find the killer whom he believes is being protected by a white supremacist group.  This is a story about race and justice in America--and it's not always black and white as Mathews finds out--no pun intended. This is a well written story with severals plots and subplots as well as secondary characters who come alive because of Locke's wonderful writing. This book is about 320 pages or a 4 mile run--well worth the read. FYI--just found out that this book is coming to FX as a new television series. 

October 14, 2018 SHALLOW

Incredible. Amazing. OMG. I now have a new obsession. Yup. I am now officially a member of the LADY GAGA club. You will be TOO  after you see A STAR IS BORN.  Okay--I'm a little obsessed with BRADLEY COOPER and SAM ELLIOTT TOO--but I HAD completely dismissed Stephi (yes, we are now on a first name basis)  until yesterday. Her performance  and singing brought ME TO TEARS!! She literally blew me away. Without  the make-up--costumes--fan fare--SHE was a completely different experience--AUTHENTIC--RAW--HEARTBREAKING. As for Cooper-- Believe it or not-- He can REALLY sing too. He actually took voice lessons for 18 months in preparation for the movie.  Cooper played a  gifted musician  haunted by his past. His performance was  HONEST--TRAGIC--UNFORGETTABLE--much like your FAVORITE character in a book--one whose name you'll never forget. This movie was seriously--like a fine wine or a favorite book that demands a reread. Now that I'm obsessed with Stephi--I learned that she's really into yoga--so in her honor--I'm going to review a book I've been reading lately called Living Your Yoga by Judith Lasater.   Lasater, whose been teaching yoga since 1971, has a doctorate in psychology. She also  has a degree in physical therapy and is President of the California Yoga Teachers Association.  In addition, she's  written several books and articles on the benefits of yoga. I'd say she's a serious yogi. In Living Your Yoga,  Lasater does not teach poses or breathing techniques, she teaches embracing the whole. The book is divided into three parts where you asked to examine  yourself, your relationships, and finally your relationship with the world. The chapters are short and easy to read. I really liked the suggestions she offered after each chapter to carry the lessons into every day life.   Essentially, Lasater wants the reader to combine mind, body and spirit in a new way in order to practice mindfulness. She wants the reader to let go of self-judgment, fear, control, and find the courage to live a more  ethical/authentic life.  Lasater's book is wonderful because she reflects on her own personal journey with yoga and the things she has learned  about love, life, family during her journey toward mindfulness. This is a 190 page book  for anyone interested in working on self-improvement. The advice is sound and applicable even if yoga isn't your thing. Namaste.

October 9,2018 YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUTTA MY MOUTH

As much as I hate to admit it--I'm a little obsessed. It's not your typical addiction though--its with a game on my phone--WORDS WITH FRIENDS. I can't believe this is happening  to me!! Don't laugh. It's keeping me up at night--It's keeping me from my other addiction--READING BOOKS. I know I have to get it under control--BUT IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE. I'm an English teacher--grammarian, writer, reader, speller--I should be winning EVERY game. But I'm not. This is a game of strategy BUT I'm so busy constructing the BEST word that I practically spoon feed the best options to my opponents. I waste time looking for the LONGEST word or the most CREATIVE word instead of just adding an X to an A for 45 points. It makes NO LOGICAL SENSE. I know that--but I can't get away from CARING MORE ABOUT THE WORDS THAN THE POINTS. To all my opponents out there--I know you think you're smarter than I am but YOUR NOT. I don't care about the WORD RADAR--EXTRA COINS--RIBBONS--BELLS AND WHISTLES. I care about the word--I'LL GET YOU NEXT TIME.  Adelaide Blake should have paid more attention to what her fiancee Conrad Massey didn't say in Amanda Quick's romantic mystery The Other Lady Vanishes. 
After agreeing to marry Conrad Massey, Adelaide wakes up to find herself committed to Rushbrook, a private asylum in California. Conrad has had her committed so that he can steal her inheritance to save his company. One frightening night at the asylum, Adelaide witnesses the death of a doctor while on the drug DAYDREAM. In the chaos that ensues, Adelaide escapes and later reinvents herself in Burning Cove, a seaside resort town frequented by Hollywood stars. Jake Truett, a recently widowed business man arrives in town at about the same time claiming his doctor wants him to rest. HHHMMM. Throw in a psychic to the stars, a famous actress, some drug dealers,  gangsters, con men and we have a real mystery. Who drugged the doctor and sent him to his death?  What is DAYDREAM? Will Adelaide be discovered by her husband and sent back to the asylum? Why is Jake really in town and just where does the physic fit in?? Find out the answers to these questions and many more when you read this fun thriller with many twists and turns. It's about 335 pages--4 mile run--that is fun and addicting from page one.

October 3, 2018 ROCK BOTTOM BLUES

The dreaded colonoscopy. YUP. It's the worst thing about turning 50. I know they're a necessary EVIL but really--the indignity of it all. First of all--it DRAGS on for days. Gotta go on something called a LOW RESIDUE DIET and then-- the LIQUID DIET. Remember when you were a kid and thought JELLO was a HUGE TREAT. THINK AGAIN. Not sure if it's changed over the years--or we were just so POOR that ANY FOOD WAS GOOD FOOD. Hell--we probably considered it a fruit TOO!! Sorry--I digressed. Anyways--after almost dying of starvation it's FINALLY time to GUZZLE THE GASOLINE. Believe it or not--this is actually WORSE than sitting on the toilet for hours getting hemorrhoids.  NOT KIDDING. IT'S LIKE DRINKING A GALLON OF CHERRY FLAVORED COUGH MEDICINE. I literally almost threw up. IT GETS WORSE--12 hours later--you have to drink another GALLON OF COUGH MEDICINE and SIT YOUR SORE ASS ON THE TOILET AGAIN. By the time you drag your SORRY SELF to the ROTO ROOTER FACTORY-- you don't care who see's your SAGGY ASS--you just want it over!! THE GOOD NEWS-- If ALL goes well--you REPEAT it again in 10 years. YIPPIE.  Anthony Peardew, the keeper of lost things, hopes everything goes well for his assistant Laura after he leaves her his estate in  Ruth Hogan's The Keeper of Lost Things. As this lovely story begins, Anthony, a famous author of short stories, knows the end is near. He is worried about his collection of lost items which are catalogued and hidden in his mansion called Padua. He has been collecting lost items for over forty years, since the tragic death of his fiancee. This collection actually saved his career as he used the lost items as a springboard for his stories. Upon his death, Laura is shocked to learn that Anthony has left her his estate--with conditions. Laura must try to reunite the lost objects with their rightful owners--a daunting task. After moving in, Laura befriends the gardener and a lonely neighbor who not only help her find the owners, but more importantly, find herself. This is a beautiful story about love, loss and friendship. I really enjoyed the writing--as it comes full circle. Every character has some connection to Anthony that in the end is very satisfying. It's about 275 pages--a 4 mile run--that I truly enjoyed and think you will too.