October 11, 2021 DREAM WEAVER

 Not sure what I'd do without the library. Seriously. I have a mild addiction to the place. I actually get jittery if a  few weeks go by and I haven't made a pilgrimage to check out what's new on the shelves.  It's one of my happy places. Where else can you go to BORROW YOUR FAVORITE THINGS. If I bought every book I've read over the years--I'd be a pauper or a hoarder because it's hard for me to give away books--especially ones I've bought. And Get this--if the library doesn't  have the book-- it can be ordered--FREE--from another library. They even send you an email when the book comes in. It's really a no brainer. There aren't many things left in this world that are absolutely FREE. Hope you take advantage of the library and their services and support the library by  Becoming a Friend of the Library. Heck--I just read a great book that was on the recommendation shelf from one of the librarians--that I'd never have spied on my own. It was called In Five Years by Rebecca Serle. The main character of this little gem is Dannie Kohan, an attorney living in New York City. She is one of those people who has planned out her entire life. She's just landed her dream job and gotten engaged--all part of her grand plan. One night she goes to bed and has a dream that changes her life. It is exactly 5 years in the future and she's in a different apartment, with a different man with a different engagement ring on her finger. She wakes highly disturbed by a dream that felt too real to be a dream. Five years go by and Dannie is still engaged when her best friend, Belle,  introduces her to her new boyfriend AND it's the guy from her dream. How can that be? Maybe it wasn't a dream? Don't want to say anymore about this book except that I had a very hard time putting down. It's a quick read only 250 pages or a quick 3 mile run that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

September 30, 2021 ROUND AND AROUND WE GO

Why can't we all just get along?                                                

Why haven't the gun laws changed?

How can we just accept all the violence in our society?

Why do people care more about money than human lives?

When did people become so hateful?

How did we get to this point?

How can we make things better for the next generation?

Will  Democracy even last in the United States?

When did people become SO self-absorbed?

How do we get people to think about the common good?

These are just the random questions clouding my brain lately that are making it very difficult to concentrate. UGH. Think I'll lose myself in a book review for a while.....

I just finished reading The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz and thoroughly enjoyed it. Imagine that you were a famous writer and now you are a has been. To make ends meet--you teach writing workshops on the side. There, you  meet a young writer--totally full of himself--who just happens to have the most amazing idea for a story that you've ever heard. Now imagine that the young writer dies and you think you are the only one left who knows the story. Would you steal it and make it your own? This is the dilemna Jacob Finch Bonner faces. If he steals the plot, then he will be back at the top--the best seller list--Oprah's stamp of approval --a possible movie. Sounds like a no-brainer right?  Find out what happens to Jacob after he steals the plot when you read this fast paced well-written story for yourself. It's 320 pages or a 4.5 run that's full of surprises. Enjoy. 

September 16, 2021 BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG

I'm either having trouble with time management---OR---there just aren't enough hours in the day. Back on the TREADMILL--work--run--yoga--read--blog--cook--AND NOW HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS--is thrown into the mix AGAIN.  Soccer EVERY day after school and then-- WHAT'S FOR DINNER--EVERY night at 6:00PM. It's a lot of pressure. Pretty sure I've been through this once before......HUMMMMM. Yup--back in the saddle again and determined to enjoy every minute. Can't tell you how much I missed high school sports after my daughter graduated. And now--I get to do it all again. Although time consuming-- it really is SO much fun. Trekking to the games--cheering for the team--the camaraderie with parents--I Love it all. Just wish I could hire a chef but I guess that's too much to ask. Good thing I got that Air Fryer for Christmas last year. It's coming in REAL handy these days--chicken tenders, wings, sweet potato fries, fish tacos. I'm a regular Julia Childs these days.............Bon Appetit. 

I'm really into reading James McBride these days too.  He is an incredibly gifted writer. I recently finished his second novel from 2002,  Miracle at St. Anna and  absolutely loved it. As the story unfolds, Hector Negron is a longtime postal worker in Harlem who shoots a customer in the face after he asks to buy a stamp. Negron is arrested and detained but will not speak. Meanwhile, the reader is transported to the village of St. Anna, Italy, in December 1944. Four U.S. Army soldiers from the 92 division--all black buffalo soldiers-- become trapped behind enemy lines after Private Sam Train tries to save an orphan boy named Angelo. The soldiers are stranded in the village of St. Anna, among villagers they don't understand with the German army breathing down their neck. Interestingly, these black American soldiers are fighting for the freedom of others, when they live in a world where their own freedom is questionable, and are serving in an Army that segregates them from others. Don't want to say much more except this novel was  inspired by actual events. It's not only about the terrors of war, but more importantly, about love, sacrifice, and  heroism as a group of men come to believe in the miracle at St. Anna. At 336 pages or a 4.5 mile run--I was sad to see it end because the characters were rich and the different story lines unforgettable. Enjoy. 

August 29, 2021 BACK ON MY FEET AGAIN

 Had a great run this morning--despite the broken toe. Yup. That's what I get for walking around barefoot.  I smashed my baby toe into the side of the couch last weekend. It has turned several colors--dark purple, blue, pink, yellow and now an ominous shade of grey. Couldn't put a shoe on for a few days but it's much better now. Not much you can do for a broken toe. Yoga and running have been a bit of a challenge BUT I'm getting it done. The toe doesn't hurt while I run--BUT after I run OUCH--a little ice really helps calm it down. Gotta be careful with the Chatturanga too. Never realized---exactly what the FOUR corners of the foot really meant until now. We take our feet for granted UNTIL WE CAN'T--never really paying attention to them UNTIL something happens. It's really a shame. If it weren't for our feet --we wouldn't be able to DO SO MANY THINGS. Think about it........ Did you know most people walk over 100,000 miles in their lifetime--and they aren't doing it on their hands. So I'm trying to be kinder to my feet because they have to last a lifetime. Zoe Walker, the main character in Clare Mackintosh's thriller, I See You, depends on her feet too--to keep her safe as she runs from a stalker in the London Underground. One day while on her commute home, Zoe sees her own face in a classified ad. The website is FindTheOne.com and it's an ad she didn't post. Each day, a different woman appears in the ad and Zoe finds out that the women in the ads are later victims of violent crimes. She goes to the police and a policewoman named Kelly takes her case. This psychological thriller is told in alternating points of view between Kelly and Zoe as Kelly and her partner Nick try to solve the case and keep Zoe and the other women in the ads alive. Find out who is behind the classified ads and the crimes when you read this suspense filled, creepy mystery for yourself. It's about 450 pages or a 4.5 mile run that might have you rethinking your routine. Enjoy. 

August 21, 2021 UP ON A ROOF

I've had SHINGLES twice so my doctor was really on me to get the shot. I don't mind shots BUT I do mind side effects. I was assured that I would only have a little pain in the arm for a few days. WRONG. I LITERALLY felt like I was hit by a bus that was out to sea in the middle of a storm. The nausea was overwhelming AND  EVERY bone in my body ACHED. I couldn't even bend my fingers because my knuckles were SO sore.  It was like I had the FLU TIMES TWO for 24 hours. And as mysteriously as it came--it went. BUT--I still have to have the SECOND SHOT and that's FREAKING ME OUT. Who willingly gets a shot that they know is going to make them wish they were dead for 24 hours. HUM? Not me BUT..........This is a quandary. So I'll tackle this problem like I handle others--I'll ignore it til the bitter end. Forget about it--or try to BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH IT. The only good thing I can report about my bout with the Shingles vaccine is that I sat still long enough to get through a pretty good book called We Are The Brennans by Tracey Lange. The Brennans are a large, close-knit, Irish Catholic family living in New York. The main character in the story is the only girl in the family, 29 year old Sunday who has been living in LA for five years. After a DUI accident and a string of bad luck, Sunday decides to return home to face her family and ex-fiancee, Kale. Kale is now married and a father who just happens to be Denny Brennan's business partner. After returning home, Sunday is determined to forget the past and rebuild her life but that is easier said than done; especially, after a man from the past reappears and tries to destroy the Brennan family. Find out how this complicated family is almost torn apart by secrets and Irish guilt when you read this interesting, easy to read family drama for yourself. It's only 290 pages or a 3 mile run that got me through a few tough days. Enjoy. 

August 9, 2021 TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD

 

Actually---it was four out of five. Not Bad. Got together with most of my siblings last week. Haven't seen a few of them in at least 10 years--HELL--haven't  lived with them since I was fourteen. My youngest brother doesn't even remember living with me. Crazy. Nothing like a health scare to get family together.  It was really great visiting with my siblings AND IT WAS LONG OVERDUE. We come from different states AND are as different as night and day BUT there is a bond we share that can't be denied. We laughed talking about the old days--cried because it had been too long--vowed to get together in the next two years. One of the highlights of the trip was running with my youngest brother.  I never in a million years thought we'd ever get to run together. We've texted  about the possibility many times  but the reality was amazing. Running in a new city is an incredible experience made even better because it was with him. I absolutely love the sights and sounds of a new city and running enabled us to explore the nooks and crannies often missed in the car.  We were even able to  run between Cincinnati and Kentucky several times thanks to some really cool bridges. If you have siblings that you haven't seen  in a LONG while--make the effort to get together--it's really worth it. Another thing worth your effort is the final book in The Art of Hearing Heartbeats trilogy by Jan-Philipp Sendker called The Heart Remembers. The last installment of this lovely series is set in Kalaw, a small town in Burma. Ko Bo is a twelve year old boy who lives with his Uncle U Ba. Ko Bo hasn't seen his mother, Julia Win, in seven years as she has a mysterious illness. He only sees his father, Thar Thar, once a year for a week because his mother can not be left alone. Ko Bo yearns to learn more about this parents and begs his uncle to tell him why his mother stays away but U Ba is reluctant to tell him. After finding and reading letters about his parents' love story, Ko Bo is convinced that he can heal his mother and reunite his family so he runs away to Yangon to try to find his parents This beautiful, tragic story is a must read for anyone who has read the first two books. The writing is incredible and the characters are unforgettable. This book is about 400 pages or a 4.5 mile run that you'll always remember.  If you haven't read the trilogy--I recommend starting with the first book and reading them in order. Enjoy. 

July 24, 2021 IF I DIE YOUNG

Passed on. Departed.  Left this world. Passed away. Slipped away.  Was called home. Gained  his angel wings. Kicked the bucket. Is in a better place. Met his maker. Entered eternal rest. It's funny how we use Euphemisms to "Soften the blow"--when we really want to say--DAMN IT --SHE OR HE IS DEAD. DEAD AS A DOORNAIL as Dickens would say. Doctor Death has been on my mind A LOT lately. So many people have DIED over the last few months. YES--THEY ARE DEAD. Really good people.  These were friends, husbands, wives, fathers, aunts, uncles, sons, daughters, siblings--that we will NEVER SEE OR TALK TO AGAIN. That's the reality AND IT SUCKS. It's something you can't possibly understand UNTIL IT HAPPENS TO YOU. Life can change in the blink of an eye so-- BE KIND--BE THANKFUL AND APPRECIATE EVERY DAY. Don't sweat the small stuff. That's all I've got.........If you want to escape reality for a while, check out Stacey Abrams new book While Justice Sleeps. This serious page turner, written by the 2018 Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia, is a real eye opener into the world of politics even though it's fiction. As this mystery unfolds, Howard Wynn, Justice for the Supreme Court, has slipped into a coma at a very inconvenient time. He's due to vote on the merger of an American biotech company with an Indian genetic firm. To make matters worse, he's appointed his law clerk, Avery Keene, as  his legal guardian and Power of Attorney. Add to the mix, a President bent on stopping the merger, and a cast of characters including  Wynn's estranged wife, son, FBI agents and a host of elaborate clues that mimic a chess game. Keene clearly has her hands full as she tries to sift through a web of lies and a political landscape that is reminiscent of our world today. Find out if Avery saves the day when you read this suspense filled novel for yourself.  It's about 360 pages or a 4 mile novel that will keep your mind off your troubles......for a little while.