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.