April 26, 2017 STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

There is truly NOTHING more beautiful than springtime. We all see it in one way or another, but running allows me to witness the changes--UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.  Some of the flowering trees are amazing right now.  One day they are naked--skeleton-like-- then gradually they bud--AND--blossom like a peacock's tail. Stunning. And the perennial gardens are all astir. Rose bushes, peonies, poppies, clematis and all types of hosta plants are waking up from their slumber--getting ready to strut their stuff.  Can't wait to see them in all their finery. Every year I tell myself I'm going to draw a map of my gardens so that I will remember what will bloom and when-- but then time gets away from me and the next thing I know I'm saying--I wonder what I planted there! That's okay--I like to be surprised. So it shouldn't come as any great surprise that we have to put up with ALL this  rain in April-- take the good with the bad. Luckily, it's not so bad running in the rain this time of year. At least it's warmer outside. I look forward to spring and a new season of running too.  New sneakers, running gear--maybe a few new visors. It's what keeps me motivated, committed and on track. Bring it on!! Speaking of committed, one of the main characters in Sebastian Barry's wonderful novel The Secret Scripture was also committed--to Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital.

This unforgettable story is set in Ireland and is told in two voices--Rosanne McNulty, a woman of  almost 100 years old, who has spent the last 60 years in an asylum, and her psychiatrist Dr. Grene--who is charged with deciding the future care of the patients in the asylum because the hospital is closing down. After finding her secret journal, Dr. Grene is intrigued by Rosanne's story and is determined to find out the real circumstances surrounding her commitment because there appear to be two "versions" of her story. Was she the victim of the Irish Catholic Church in the early 1900's or was she truly insane? This is a story of conflicting memories, and two versions of the past. It's also a story of love, loss, religion, and grief in a backwards society where justice came in many forms.  Dr. Grene uncovers a shocking secret that will effect everyone involved.  There is a surprise ending that you will never see coming--I slammed into it like a brick wall and was flabbergasted.  Anyways, I loved this book-- it's about 300 pages or a 5 mile run that will leave you shaking your head asking  WHY???