June 18, 2017 PAPA'S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG

It's that time of year again. Father's Day. It's a time to honor those men who take their parental responsibilities seriously.  They change diapers, wake up at all hours of the night to clean up vomit, calm a child down after night terrors and even make room for a little one in their bed after a bad dream. Being a parent is hard work--every day for the rest of your life--it's a lesson in selflessness that never ends. Unfortunately, many children grow up without fathers. Statistics estimate that  24 million children in the United States--1 in 3--live without a father. Fatherlessness is one of the most significant problems facing our society. It IS what's wrong with our world.  It saddens me on every level when I hear young mothers actually say "baby daddy" when referring to the father of their child.  It's even worse when I five year old uses this term??? I actually cringe. Is this the new norm?? If it is  then we as a society are in a lot of trouble. This has to change. Fatherlessness hurts everyone. Statistics have proven that children without fathers risk--living in poverty--substance abuse--teen pregnancy--dropping out of high school.  I wish I knew how to stop this cycle that perpetuates a helplessness that can easily be prevented. Many of these themes are explored in Nathan Hill's highly praised new novel The Nix.

First saw this book in the New York Times Sunday Book Review. It came recommended by one of my favorite writers--John Irving and it was referred to as Dickensian. Knew immediately it would be my cup of tea. Hill's novel is about many things including love, betrayal, politics, family relationships AND it is also a satire on society today. It's a huge undertaking--he actually spent 10 years on it and it shows-- the writing is both wonderful and introspective. The main character is Samuel Andreson-Anderson. He is a thirty year old English professor and failed writer. Sam has a nix--something that he loved that disappeared and took a piece of his heart. His mother, Faye, who abandoned him when he was 11 years old. He hasn't heard from her in 20 years until she gets  arrested for attacking a well-known politician and her image is splashed all over the news. Sam decides to help his mother, but in order to do so, he must find out her secret life in Chicago during the 1968 riots. Hill takes the reader back to Faye's childhood-- her difficult relationship with a father she never understood-- to Sam's childhood--when his mother left the family--and back to the present. This sweeping novel is told through several characters--including  an addicted gamer named Pwnage, a college student named Laura Pottsdam who is trying to get Sam fired, Sam's childhood friends, Bishop & Bethany as well as Guy Periwinkle, Sam's publisher. It's a menagerie of interesting characters that somehow come full circle by the end of this winner of the Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction. It is a novel that is SO relevant today that it IS well worth the 600 pages. It's a commitment though--perhaps an 8 mile run--that you will not regret!

June 16, 2017 MAKIN' PLANS

Just updated my mileage so far--455 miles--only 545 more to complete the 1000 mile challenge. Hoping to run 45 more miles by the end of June--then I'll have exactly 6 months left to run the other 500.  20-25 miles a week--80-90 miles a month over 12 months. I'm no mathematician BUT I think that will add up to over 1000 miles. That's the plan anyways. I'm really NOT a planner. SERIOUSLY.  This whole running schedule sounds like I'm some kooky, rigid person--I'M FAR FROM IT. I have no idea what's going on from one day to the next. I actually HATE plans. When I was younger, I used to have a calendar that was covered with plans--I actually looked forward to a FULL calendar. Knowing I had a plan comforted me in some odd way. Today, I CRINGE if I have too many things to do. If I have plans on consecutive nights--NOW that's a BIG problem. I have no interest in PLANS anymore. Not sure what happened. I used to love going to parties--socializing--the whole shebang.  NOT ANYMORE--making conversation--chit chat--eye contact--is A LOT of work these days. Must be an age thing. Macon Leary, encounters these problems and many more in Anne Tyler's winner of both the National Book Critics Circle Award and Ambassador Book Award, The Accidental Tourist. 

This is a wonderful, beautifully written novel about a couple, Macon and Sarah Leary, whose lives are  torn apart after the murder of their 12 year old son Ethan. Both are lost in their own sea of grief. Macon is a travel writer who publishes travel tips for businessmen--even though he hates traveling. He craves comfort, sameness and the ordinary-- which eventually drives his wife away. After Sarah leaves, Macon lives with his dog, Edward, until he breaks his leg and is forced to move in with his sister Rose while he re-cooperates. Macon's family is a collection of odd-balls. Rose is the caretaker--she's been taking care of Macon's eccentric, social blundering brothers for years. Add Macon and his dog to the mix and chaos ensues. The brother's can't stand Macon's dog and demand that Macon get him trained. Muriel Pritchett is the dog trainer. She is loud, tacky, outgoing, the opposite of Macon in every way. She also has a 7 year old son. The two eventually  start dating and Macon learns to live again--until his wife finds out and wants him back. Will Macon end his affair with Muriel and go back to his wife or will he choose to live a different kind of life?  Find out when you read this lovely book. It's about 350 pages or a 5 mile run--that will capture your heart. I don't say this often but---the movie is fabulous too. It was up for 4 academy awards in 1988 and won one. Enjoy!

June 14, 2017 THOSE LAZY HAZY CRAZY DAYS OF SUMMER

First official day of summer vacation for my youngest. It's always an adjustment. As much as we want to abandon the clock--it takes some time to get into RELAXATION MODE. Kids always want to know what the plan is for the day. How about WE HAVE NO PLAN--now--that's my kind of plan!  It's hard for kids to adjust though-- because their lives are so scheduled.  School--sports--music lessons--homework--they really don't have much time left to relax. So when we tell  kids to CHILL OUT--GO WITH THE FLOW--they're perplexed--what's that??  When I was a kid, summer vacations were LLOONNGG, SWELTERING, totally UNSTRUCTURED  days. My brothers and I were left home to fend for ourselves. It was survival of the fittest. On a good day, we had Kool-aid and peanut butter sandwiches-- took off for the day--exploring the neighborhood or walking the streets. Who knows. Luckily, we didn't burn the house down--even though my brothers DID got caught playing with matches--HELLO--WE WERE TOTALLY UNSUPERVISED EVERYDAY.   Boy has the world changed. Today--KIDS ARE OVER-SCHEDULED AND OVER-SUPERVISED. We have gone from ONE EXTREME to the other. There needs to be a happy medium--some balance between the two--for both parents and kids. I think it has something to do with control--but control is REALLY only an illusion.

Speaking of illusions, if you like Harry Potter or Twilight then you will probably enjoy Erin Morgenstern's wonderful novel The Night Circus. Step right up and get your ticket to Le Cirque Des Reves--The Circus of Dreams. This is a wandering, magical circus that appears in neighborhoods around the world without notice. Here you will meet two illusionists--training since childhood to compete in a competition that only one can win. Celia Bowen, daughter of Prospero the Enchanted and Marco Alistair, orphan adopted by Mr. A. H. Celia and Marco along with other circus performers that include a fortune teller, contortionist, and red-headed twins will amaze you with feats of magic that become even more fantastic as the story unfolds. Unbeknownst to their masters,  Celia and Marco fall in love and decide to change the competition into a a collaboration. How will Prospero the Enchanted and Mr. A. H. react to this news?  Find out what happens to the circus and all the interesting characters when you read this well-written, intriguing novel that not only won the ALEX award but also the ALA award in 2012. This book is about 400 pages or a 6 mile run--that is satisfying on every level. Enjoy!

June 12, 2017 KISSIN' COUSINS

Sun--GLORIOUS--sun. What a weekend! Perfect for running and spending time on the beach reading and catching up with our summer friends. I've gone to the same beach for about 26 years now. In that time--I have gotten to know many wonderful people. We see each other every year--between May and September. They have watched my kids grow up and I've watched theirs not only grow up but also get married and have children of their own. A new generation on the beach. The little ones are so much fun to watch--special times and one of a kind memories.  It brings me back to when mine were young and we spent every summer on the beach with the cousins. They arrived in late May and stayed for the summer. The cousins were lucky enough to spend every day together--playing wall ball--swimming--kayaking--wiffle ball--then countless cookouts and bonfires with s'mores.  GREAT MEMORIES. The cousins are all grown now, so I love watching our neighbors and the new generation--sharing time with their cousins--making memories that will last them a lifetime too. The cousins were and still remain  an important part of our lives. Can't help but think back this time of year though and miss the good ole days.   J. D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, considers himself lucky to have been surrounded by a large family too as he struggled to make his way in the world.

I finished reading this really interesting memoir the other day and find myself wrestling with many of Vance's important points. First of all, Hillbilly Elegy is primarily the story of Vance's life and Appalachian values. Although he grew up in Middletown Ohio, his ancestors were from Breathitt, Kentucky. Hillbillies, fiercely loyal to their family but in the same token verbally, mentally and physically abusive. These are also people who love their country. They can tell you what  each member of their family did during every war to make America great. Sadly though, many also struggle with alcoholism and drug abuse. They are a culture in despair. After surviving a seriously dysfunctional childhood, Vance somehow made it out. He credits his tough but loving grandmother, grandfather, and the Marines for helping him recognize his potential, learn personal responsibility and gain a strong work ethic. These attributes eventually lead him to be a successful college student and graduate of both Ohio State and Yale Law School. As a hillbilly himself, Vance CAN directly confront the social taboos that others would shy away from. His questions are valid and need to be answered if we are going to steer our world in another direction. Vance poses the question--Where does the BLAME END  and the responsibility START?  Many people have crappy childhoods right? What a waste to let that define your life. Get over yourself and make a difference. Vance blames the Hillbilly culture which encourages social rot--a "learned helplessness" that is detrimental to society. I don't know the answer to the important questions he asks, but I do know he's right on target. Please take some time and read this book. It's only about 210 pages--literally a 3 mile run--that will help you understand a culture in dire need of change and reform who need to take responsibility first.

June 7, 2017 COMPLICATED

This whole glasses issue is complicated. On--Off--On--Off--all day long. Not sure if I've ever mentioned that I HATE wearing glasses!! Had 20-20 vision into my early forties and then WHAM--I could barely SEE a block away--NEARSIGHTED. So I've had distance glasses for quite a while. Low and Behold--went to the eye doctor's and now I'm also FARSIGHTED. Being the VAIN person I am--I decided to try contact lenses. Boy are those hard to operate!!!  After several failed attempts, I finally got them in---not sure how I'll get them out--but that'll be another story.  They're great-- BUT now I can't read because the contacts are for distance. Actually had to run to the store to buy READERS so that I could write this BLOG.  Like I  said--it's complicated. If I do well with these--the doctor is going to let me try contact lenses for both reading and distance. CAN'T WAIT. BREAKING NEWS:  This will be the first time in years that I will ACTUALLY be able to see where I'm running and the people along the way.  BABY STEPS. 

Speaking of seeing, I recently finished Jose Saramago's sequel to Blindness which earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998. This follow up book is entitled Seeing. In this novel, it is four years later.....election day. It's raining so hard that people are not coming out to vote. After the rain subsides, the people are ordered to go out and vote and the polls are jammed. After the ballots are counted though, more than 70% of them are BLANK. A state of emergency is declared as this incident  brings back memories of four short years ago--when everyone in the community was blinded by a plague that hit the city--everyone except the doctor's wife. Could she be conspiring against the government? Desperate to blame someone, government officials put a police superintendent on the case. What he finds will disturb you and it should. Saramago's satire on government, control, bureaucracy and corruption will have you shaking your head because  it actually resembles our world in many ways. Will the doctor's wife become the fall guy in this world gone mad?  Find out for yourself when you read this 300 page masterpiece. It's  about a 5 mile run--well worth every page as the writing is absolutely flawless.

June 5, 2017 MY GENERATION

Had two great runs over the weekend. On Saturday I ran with my comrades. I'll have to say--it's getting QUITE competitive-- as my injured friend has recovered and feeling her oats again. It was all I could do to stay ahead of her.  FUN--TO HAVE HER BACK AND FEELING STRONG AGAIN. Ran alone on Sunday. Reflection time. I thought about the day ahead. Believe it or not--I was going to attend a book signing for one of my FORMER students. I can still remember having her in fifth grade. She loved to READ AND WRITE--A dream come true for any teacher. She was and still is a high achiever--graduating from college in May  and already  publishing  her first book. WOW--YOU GO GIRL! Very proud of her accomplishments. It makes me feel good too--as a teacher. Teaching is a tough business and it's gratifying to see a former student succeed--and become a certified English teacher to boot. I just love literature and it makes me so happy to know that someone who appreciates the written word as much as I do-- will be carrying the torch--to foster a  new generation of booklovers. To all my former students--I am in awe of all you accomplish. Thanks for inspiring me. You help me remember that teaching is an honorable profession that gets more rewarding with each passing  year.

There are all different types of teacher in the world--math, language, gym, health, history--but there is only one piano teacher. The Piano Teacher written by Janice Y. K. Lee is a beautifully written love story set in Hong Kong. In 1942 Will Truesdale, an Englishman, has a love affair with Trudy Liang, a socialite of  both Portuguese and Chinese descent. This poorly timed romance sadly ends as the Japanese invade Hong Kong during World War II. Will is thrown into an internment camp and Trudy, in order to save her loved ones, becomes the mistress of the new ruler of Hong Kong--General Otsubo. Ten years later, Will is now working as a driver for a wealthy family in Hong Kong known as the Chens. The Chen family includes Victor, Melody and their ten year old daughter, Locket. Claire Pendleton, a married woman and newcomer to Hong Kong, is hired by the Chen family to provide piano lessons to their daughter. Will and Claire meet and soon fall into a passionate affair. As their affair deepens, Claire learns about Will's devastating past. She also learns the secrets that the Chen family would rather keep hidden.  Find out for yourself what happens to Will, Claire, Trudy and the Chen family when you read this page turner for yourself. It is about 320 pages-- a 4 mile run--that will have you sprinting for the finish!

June 3, 2017 MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

Yesterday was officially my last day of school. YIPPIE--made it through  another year--RELATIVELY unscathed.   And the best part--the sun was FINALLY shining. It's been tough goings with the weather--had to run last Sunday in the pouring rain--been trying to wait the weather out since.  It was beautiful yesterday-- sunny and breezy--perfect for an afternoon run. Believe it or not-- my legs are STILL sore from that race--so I've been taking it SLOW. That just shows my age!  I've also been taking it slower at school over the last few weeks. Just exhausted from the RAT RACE--so are the kids. We are ALL ready for a break from the clock. I've  noticed that this time of year-- my FILTER doesn't work as efficiently EITHER.   I few semi--inappropriate things have slipped out now and then so--I KNOW IT'S TIME FOR A BREAK. It happens to everyone. We hit a point during the race--at work or on the road--where our bodies AND minds  weaken--and all of a sudden something pops out--that normally would have been swallowed. YIKES!! If they ever escort me out of the building you'll know why! If they do though, I hope it's by my favorite inspector from the Louise Penny series--Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.

While most people binge watch shows on Netflix, I actually binge read books.  I have a confession to make -- I CANT NOT stop reading the Gamache series. I  finished book seven--A Trick of the Light the other day-- and had to force myself to wait two days before  starting  the next one. THEY ARE THAT GOOD. Penny's mysteries are all character driven stories that happen to be great  mysteries too. The experience is enhanced too if you read them IN ORDER because the major characters appear in each story and they are realist and richly portrayed. I seriously want to go live in Three Pines and hang out in the bistro with them.  In A Trick of the Light, Gamache is once again called to the tiny village of Three Pines after a body is discovered at the home of his good friend and artist Clara Morrow. Clara, a wonderful artist, has finally been discovered and her work is being shown in a prestigious gallery in Montreal. Her dreams have finally come true right?  After the show, the guests arrive in Three Pines for a celebratory party that ends in murder as Clara's childhood friend is found dead in her flower garden. There are many suspects-- including Clara, her husband Peter and a host of other people who are involved in the art world.  Gamache takes the reader into the dark world known as the art scene-- a place where there is competition not only between friends but also husband and wife. Gamache will not only find the killer in the end but even more important--make  the reader reexamine the  human condition--jealousy, guilt, greed. If we are not careful--Penny will teach us a thing or two too.  This exciting page turner is about 350 pages--or about a 5 mile journey--that will leave you hungry to read the next installment. Guaranteed!