Monday, March 21, 2011

Good News and a Couple Books

The little crocus leaves are popping up. That's good news item #1. Item #2...this is pure speculation, mind you, and lots of wishful thinking, but....Garrison Keillor has announced that he will retire in two years. Being a Prairie Home Companion fan, I find that to be a bit of sadness. He has not said whether or not the show will continue with a new host. But, the MC of "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me,' which is a national public radio program was all over this news on Saturday, and put out the call for us to get behind Mike Perry...OUR Mike Perry as the heir of PHC. Mike just began hosting Big Top Chautauqua, which to me is proper prep work for the next big gig. Come on...he's a natural. Can't you see him falling into place almost seamlessly, with his Foggy Crossing stories? I think Mike has been moving in this direction for a long time, but has kept other options open just in case. We will have to wait and see...but a little nudging note sent to NPR...hmmmmm...could tip the scales.

Now, on to this dreadful book! My buddy, Wayne, has been trying to convince me to read this book for over a year. I have told him repeatedly that books with dogs on the cover always come to no good, and books that begin with weather tend to drag. A double whammy here, a dog and rain on the cover. To be fair, Wayne did admit there are rough patches in the book, but overall, he assured me, I would find it a happy read.

Well, Wayne...you were wrong! After sobbing through the first three pages, I was tempted to call and hurl a few unpleasant phrases in your direction, but chose to walk my dog and calm down instead.

If you haven't read this book, this is what you will find in the beginning. A nice old dog, laying in a puddle of his own urine, is telling his life story on the day of his death. (That's uplifting, huh, Wayne!). The dog is sure he will come back to life as a man, but in doing so, he knows he will lose all his wonderful dog memories. So, he decided to take one last, beautiful look at the life he has lived and the friends he has known. Dogs and weather. Watch for them. Avoid them. I'm warning you.
After abandoning the dying dog in the rain novel, I grabbed a recent Advanced Reader. What a relief. Although I am less than half way, this new author has managed to make me laugh, grimace, and nod my head in recognition. Lucy Hull, a young children's librarian is more or less kidnapped by her favorite 10-year old patron. Ian has run away from home - away from parents who will only allow him to read books that contain the "breath of God"...away from parents who force him to attend a frenetic anti-gay camp led by Pastor Bob. Lucy and Ian travel from Missouri to Vermont with a mysterious man on their trail. This book will be released some time in June. Part of me wishes I had waited to make this my first deck book of the summer, but I am thankful for the palette cleansing it has provided.
Thanks for stopping by. Now go outside and watch for robin and listen to the crocus grow.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Major Pettigrew

When our book discussion group selected Major Pettigrew's Last Stand for March, I had high expectations. I was not disappointed. We have been on a British streak lately, which suits me just fine. I find that books by English authors have two speeds....clipped sentences and whirlwind pacing, or gentle and meandering. This book falls into the second category. Having spent an extended period of time in Sittingbourne in Kent County, where much of this novel unfolds, I can assure you that the author has captured the spirit of village life. That alone kept me reading.
On one level, this is a beautiful love story. Beneath the gently winding plot is a story filled with complexities....family dynamics, game playing, loneliness, and the irrationality of judgement based ethnicity. Mrs. Ali, a Pakistani shopkeeper, is treated civilly by the villagers until she gets too close to penetrating their inner circle. Suppressed attitudes are no longer suppressed, and she learns all too abruptly where she truly stands. Mrs. Ali is a character to admire. She handles everything with such dignity; even the rudest of her critics is treated with respect.
For me, Mrs. Ali ranks up with my most admired protagonist, Atticus Finch, from To Kill a Mockingbird. These two have certainly been role models for me, although I will never be able to rise to their level. Never hurts to keep trying though!
Here's my gripe of the week....A twenty-something woman with a cell phone attached to her ear, pulled in to the very first handicapped parking spot at Copps last week. She jumped out of her car, and didn't even have the decency to look around to determine if anyone saw how inconsiderate she was being. I have decided that I need to point out these bad moves, so I simply asked, "Excuse me, did you park in that spot my mistake?" She mumbled something about not being able to walk far, and rushed off into the store, looking quite healthy and able. She spent a lot of time dodging me in the isles, which told me she at least has a bit of a conscience, and perhaps will make better choices in this small matter in the future.
Enough for now. Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Wisdom





Enjoy this video.This poor girl had her wisdom teeth removed while some evil jokester filmed the aftermath and posted it on You Tube. I will spare you the boring details, but I recently finished a round of pain killers and muscle relaxers, and spent seven days in a similar condition . Luckily, no evil friends snuck in to film me...at least none that I know of.


*****Although I haven't written too much about books or reading lately, it's not because I haven't been doing so. Customers generally want to talk about what they are reading, but the past weeks, I have had more and more concerned conversations about the situation with our newly elected governor. People who know me understand that I am not the most political person, but I do applaud and appreciate those who stay on top of the issues, and those who choose to serve the public in an elected capacity.



I don't pretend to understand the breadth and depth of the proposed budget, but I am deeply worried about the repercussions this will have in the long and short term upon education. Sadly, I am not hopeful that a compromise will be reached, and the face of education will change quickly and dramatically. There are so many unknowns, but I worry about how the overall quality of education will be impacted. There may be larger class sizes, a high percentage of beginning teachers, fewer aides, less money for current materials...all frightening and negative possiblities.

I would like to offer this suggestion to any of you with time in your lives...next fall, stop in at your neighborhood school and offer your help. I plan to do just that. I figure I have some skills that might be useful to a teacher with a overcrowded classroom. Maybe I can read with a student, or help generated ideas for a paper. 1st and 2nd grade math are also within my skill level. We need to dig in and do some work to insure that our littlest students get off to a solid start. Please help if you can.
*****What am I reading? Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.