October 16, 2016 ME AND YOU AND A DOG NAMED BOO

Have you ever noticed that people who have been married for a LONG time start to dress alike and actually start to look alike?? I have seen many older married couples walking together while I'm out running and it's really true--BUT--there is something else I have noticed while pounding the pavement.  Many people ACTUALLY resemble their dogs. Don't get me wrong--I mean this in the kindest way possible. I see many people walking with their pooches and they really share many characteristics--hair color--facial expression--gait--I'M SERIOUS. So--you can imagine my quandary--I can't possibly look like a dog UNLESS that dog is extremely attractive. I know there are billions of rescue dogs out there, but I can only adopt one that complements me, right??  There will be NO Neapolitan Mastiff, Mexican hairless or Pug for me.  ONLY ATTRACTIVE  DOGS--GET THE CONNECTION--PRETTY DOG--PRETTY OWNER--as I need all the help I can get at this point.  So after rescuing two highly attractive dogs, I decided to make doubly sure people saw the resemble by thinking up great names--FARRAH FAWCETT & MAGGIE MAY. I really thought that I had it all figured out until I met a guy at the beach--his dog was black, short hair, stocky, long nose--ditto--owner--I told you! And he was too young to get the connection. He had never even heard of Farrah Fawcett!!  So much for that. HA! Anyways, I really love dogs and have owned several. I currently have two rescue dogs, they are both sweet additions to our family--we would be incomplete without them. When I think about dogs and family, I immediately think of this great book I read a few years ago called The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski.

This beautiful story is set in Wisconsin where young Edgar, along with his parents, Gar and Trudy, breed dogs after inheriting the farm and dogs from Gar's family. Edgar, a mute who only signs, has a special connection to the dogs, especially, the family dog Almondine. They understand each other on an entirely different level. Edgar grows up taking care of dogs and is eventually given his own litter to care for and train. Edgar's future seems set until Gar's long lost brother Clyde shows up looking for work. Gar reluctantly takes his brother back to work on the farm but shortly thereafter, tragedy strikes  changing all of their lives forever. This is a wonderful story about companionship, loyalty and the bond between a boy and his dog as Edgar and Almondine are forced run away under suspicious circumstances. While living in the wild, Edgar grows into a man with a decision to make-- Stay away forever or face the past and reclaim the farm that is rightfully his.  This is a great story-- about 600 pages long-- an 8 mile run-- beautifully written and  well worth the read.

October 13, 2016 THE LONG RUN

I usually try to run 5 miles when I go out---but the ideal run to me is 6 miles. It's a nice round number. If you can run 6 with RELATIVE ease you can easily train for a longer race because you have a base. The theory goes something like this--if you can run 6, you can run 12--which is almost a half marathon.  Sounds weird, but that's my philosophy and I'm sticking with it. Unfortunately, during the week I am only able to do short runs--3.5 or 4 miles depending on the day as the SUN is setting earlier and earlier with each PASSING day. Sad times ahead-- PASS ME A TISSUE, PLEASE. This really frustrates me because that decreases my weekly mileage and overall fitness. I know this is a silly thing to ponder but I have my standards--albeit low in comparison to others--BUT it's this thing called WORK that keeps getting in my way. Not sure what to do about that inconvenience yet-- Anyways-- SHORT, LONG, SHORT, LONG----hope you see where I'm going with this. Books, they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are long while others short. One type of book that I have not reviewed until now is a book that is a collection of short stories. Short stories are great when you don't feel like committing to long term relationship or you just want to have a one night stand--SORRY--I couldn't help myself.   I personally enjoy reading short stories, especially during the school year when I feel pulled in 5000 directions and my attention span wanes.

I read a beautiful collection of short stories last year  called Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. This little gem won a Pulitzer prize in 2009 and was actually made into a mini-series about a year ago. The interesting thing about the book is that the reader gets to know Olive by reading thirteen short stories about different periods in her life. Strout actually calls her book a "novel in stories". After reading the book, I walked away with an intimate knowledge of not only Olive but also myself as there is a little bit of Olive, both good and bad, in all of us. In some of the stories, I despised Olive while in others, I understood her and actually empathized with her. One of the things I learned from the book is not to judge people too harshly because we all endure many things--at times great sadness, then joy--in this complicated business known as life. AND LIFE IS LONG.  This is a book I will read over again because the lessons in the stories are important to me--maybe there is a little too much Olive in me and I need to remind myself that that's  okay. By the way--Olive Kitteridge is about 270 pages--a 5 mile run--that you will never forget or regret. I promise--remember there is a little Olive in all of us. Enjoy

October 11, 2016 SHOO FLY DON'T BOTHER ME

Now that I'm running at dusk--I'm bombarded with gnats. The seem to attack in  herds--IMPOSSIBLE to avoid. In the last week, I have had gnats in my eyes, up my nose and YES--I am pretty sure I have swallowed a one or two.  I know that is gross but what can I do?? They surround ME like a swarm of bees--there is literally NO place to hide. I really TRY NOT TO BREATH, BLINK OR OPEN MY MOUTH when they sneak up on me from behind a bush--BUT--try as I MIGHT-- I'm probably inhaling several hundred of these protein filled little guys every time I run.  No wonder I can't lose weight, right?? It's just another perk to running after work. Anyways, I am not a huge fan of insects, although I like spiders (thanks to Charlotte) the walking stick is pretty cool and I love butterflies--I am completely grossed out by FLIES though. The thought of them turns my stomach--DIRTY LITTLE CREATURES. The whole subject of bugs is one of the reasons you won't find me hanging out in the forest of the Belgian Congo like the Price Family in The Poisonwood Bible written by Barbara Kingsolver.

I absolutely loved this book because it is  literally a one of a kind novel that really captivated my attention. Kingsolver tells her story through the eyes of Orleanna, wife of Nathan Price, in the 1970's as she reflects back on her life.  In 1959, Orleanna, a new bride, and her husband Nathan, an ultra conservative Baptist preacher, take their four daughters from their lovely home in the United States to live in the Congo for Missionary work. Once they reach the village of Kilanga, Orleanna realizes they are totally unprepared to live in the culture or in the climate of Africa. The HUNDREDS OF BUGS (including flesh eating driver ants and locust just to name a few) animals, forests and Congolese are completely alien to this American family. To make matters even worse, Nathan is so wrapped up with saving the souls of Kilanga, that he fails to help his family adjust and ultimately loses them for good. Although the story is told through the eyes of Orleanna, the chapters  alternate to include the voices  of her four daughters and their feelings about living in Kilanga. After her youngest daughter dies, Oleanna finds the courage to save her other daughters as she flees the Congo to return to America. Read this great treasure to find out more about the Price family and what ultimately happens to each member of the family. I have to confess that this is a bit of a dense read--576 pages--an 8 mile run--that you will never forget. Just try to shield yourself from the bugs and you'll be fine. Enjoy.

October 9, 2016 WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN

I really cherish my weekend runs so it was a real bummer when I woke up to a rainy, windy, chilly morning. I decided to put off my run for a while to see if it would stop----NOPE!  Around 10:00, I decided to go to the gym--I REALLY HATE THE GYM--so I went outside and stood in the driveway to further evaluate the weather--Oh, it's not that bad--OKAY--I'm gonna go for a run--that's how much I HATE THE GYM. So I ran in or through the raw wind and rain-- and it actually wasn't too bad. Whenever I go on runs like this, I think about all the people who can't--especially family members--and that always spurs me on. I also compare the runs to one of the hardest most painful experiences ever-- HAVING A BABY--and then it's just a stroll through the park--RIGHT?? Everything is really duable--in the right frame of mind. The hardest part is really just talking yourself into getting out the door because the rain itself is cleansing and pure. I realize that childbirth and the weather do not generally have much in common--but both are important elements in one of my favorite classics written by Emily Bronte in 1847 Wuthering Heights.

First of all, weather and setting are practically characters in this novel as they are referred to repeatedly in order to set the mood for this tragic almost gothic love story. The novel takes place in Yorkshire moors between two homes--Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. It is a cold, almost savage place--dark, wet and stormy most of the time. As far as childbirth goes, poor Heathcliff is an orphan taken in by the Earnshaw family--which includes two of their own children, Catherine and Hindley-- to live at Wuthering Heights. Catherine and Heathcliff grow up together and eventually fall in love.  Hindley, however, despises Heathcliff  as he is jealous of Heathcliff's easy relationship with his sister and father. Heathcliff's love for Catherine defines his life and is ultimately his downfall as Catherine is torn between the orphan Heathcliff and the genteel Edgar Linton. This is the story of the destructive power of love and the IMPORTANCE of social class in England at the time period.  It is a passionate story--very risque for the time period--that spans two generations as Catherine later dies during CHILDBIRTH and Heathcliff seeks revenge on everyone who kept them apart. If you love love stories this is the book for you. It's about 270 pages long--about a 5 mile run--that will stay with you forever as we have all felt like Heathcliff and Catherine at  some point in our lives. Enjoy!

October 6, 2016 BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

Have you ever been so deep in thought while running that you ran into someone?? Sounds weird, I know, but it has happened to me. When I run alone, I usually mull over problems--with my own kids--kids at school-- lesson plan objectives--how am I going to fit that in too issues--whatever. I get so wrapped up in what I am thinking that I actually START TALKING TO MYSELF and eventually lose track of what I am doing and before I know it--BANG-- I'VE RAMMED into  someone. My worst episode--if that's what you want to call it-- happened awhile back.  I ran right into a blind person. Ironic, since I am the one who can supposably see, right???   I felt terrible-- I'm sure I scared the life out of the poor guy. Sometimes I do not know where my brain is--oh, yes, I do--I have WAY too many things on my mind--like my head is spinning out of control--HENCE-- the reason I have gone running into first place--WAIT-- isn't the running supposed to help me clear my head.?? I don't want to ponder this too deeply or I am apt to hurt myself OR someone else. Anyways, after banging into the blind person I got to thinking about how frightening it must be to venture out in the world unable to see and that reminded me of the main character in 2015 Pulitzer Prize winning book by Anthony Doerr entitled All the Light We Cannot See.

The main character of this lovely novel is Marie-Laure. She lives with her father, an employee of the Museum of Natural History, in Paris during World War II. At the age of six, Marie goes blind so her father builds her a miniature of their neighborhood--Saint-Malo--so that Marie can find her way around  the neighborhood--by touch and counting her footsteps. When Marie is twelve years old,  the Nazis storm Paris forcing Marie and her father flee Paris to live with a great uncle. In an attempt to hide valuable jewels owned by the museum, Marie's father is targeted and sought after to be questioned by the Nazis.   Meanwhile, in Germany, a young orphan named Werner finds an old radio and becomes an expert at fixing radio equipment--a skill highly regarded by the Hitler Youth Academy. After attending the academy, Werner is given a special assignment--tracking the resistance. His travels eventually bring him to Marie-Laure's home--Saint Malo where their lives become intertwined in unimaginable ways. This is a beautifully written novel that you will have difficulty putting down. Although it is about 500 pages--they fly by--I guarantee you will get lost in the story--much like I lose myself on my runs.  I would have to say this is about a 6 mile run--an easy one though--so enjoy the journey. AH, PARIS.

October 4, 2016 OBSCURED BY CLOUDS

The weather has been a bit ominous over the past week--I keep looking up at the sky as I run  thinking,  Hey, what happened to the sun?? It only sneaks out every once in awhile playing peek-a-boo so I don't forget what it looks like--that makes me sad because I LOVE THE SUN.  I also NEED the sun and REALLY miss the warm and peaceful feeling it brings when it comes out. I'm pretty sure that I have a touch of SAD--Seasonal Affective Disorder and it only gets worse with the time change and onset of winter.  The clouds that seem to be lingering lately--THICK as pea soup--really fluffy I guess, but not like a cotton ball--are kind of a downer. They're dense-- a black and white palette-- that makes everything else appear dull and lifeless. YUK--Sun, dear sun, where art thou these days?? Please come back SOON. Anyways, weather is a strange thing,  especially important to you if you are a pilot I would think. I wonder how much the sun and clouds/precipitation affected Charles Lindbergh on some of his flights back in the 1920's? I read a great book last year The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin and learned all about Lindbergh and his much more interesting wife Anne Morrow Lindbergh. 

Told from the point of view of Anne, this is a wonderful piece of historical fiction. The story begins when Anne, an ambassador's daughter, is introduced to the National hero, Charles Lindbergh. She thinks nothing of the meeting believing he will be attracted to her beautiful sister--think again. They have a brief courtship and Anne finds herself married to the camera shy Lindbergh. Benjamin then chronicles their life together-- the kidnapping and murder of their first born, the birth of their six other children, Lindbergh's fascination with Hitler while living abroad and eventual return to America where he is accused of being a traitor.  More important though, this is  the story of Anne Morrow Lindbergh--living under the shadow of a hero--who ruled the roost--and her struggle to find her own voice and become her own person. Anne does eventually find herself as a writer of several beautiful books including my favorite Gifts from the Sea. This is an excellent, well-written slice of history of about 450 pages--about a 6 mile run--and well worth the effort.  Most  events in history are much more fascinating than fiction and this is definitely one of those times! 

October 1, 2016 BLOWIN' IN THE WIND

Sometimes I love running in the wind--and other times--not so much. This time of year it can be really breezy, but the wind is refreshing and helps to keep me cool. Even a fierce north wind is doable. One of my comrades actually has a wind phobia though--DON'T JUDGE--listen we all have our issues.  She is convinced the wind will somehow be involved in her demise--tree branch on the head, electrical wire and some type of electrification, random traffic light might swing off the wire and squash her slight frame--whatever. I, of course, make fun of her crazy ideas-- but you never know--I'll probably be hit  by a runaway garbage can some day and that will be the end of me. Anyways, back to the wind, sometimes the wind is a friend and other times a foe. The north wind in the winter is a serious enemy --frostbite, chapped lips, wind burn--it is NOT a friend to VANITY but that's a story for another day. Hmmmm, books and wind--of yeah. I read this great book whose title contained the word wind and I am pretty sure it was windy  in the book--- so that counts right??? Just kidding-- The book was called A Shadow in the Wind and it was part of a trilogy that I finished over the summer.

A Blustery Day

When I first started reading this book, I didn't know it was part of a trilogy--I am usually not the trilogy type. I only  learned it was the first book of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books Trilogy, after I finished reading it. Written by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Shadow in the Wind  is set in Barcelona after the Spanish Civil War-about 1950.  The main character, Daniel, is the son of a book dealer. One day while in the shop, Daniel comes across a strange book--The Shadow in the Wind by Julian Carax and he becomes obsessed with the book and its author. Part of his obsession is finding and reading all of Carax's books--which he learns have been destroyed. Daniel's innocent quest turns deadly as he becomes entangled in a web of murder, dark secrets, lost love and madness. This is an intriguing, frightening, tragic story that is beautifully written and truly captures the time period and streets of Barcelona during a dark time. Published in 2001, it has been translated into at least 40 languages and has won several International awards. I could not put it down and waited on pins and needles to read the other books--SO unlike me. -- It's a bit of a commitment though--at about 490 pages--perhaps an 8 mile run--but you will be so engrossed in this gothic horror novel that you won't even notice.