Summer Reading

Every Summer while we are staying at the cabin, we go in to the Evanston Library. It is wonderful. They always have a good Book Sale going on and I usually get a sack or two of books. This year I got a sackful to read at the cabin. I also went to Deseret Industries and got another sackful. And to top it off, I stopped in on Doc's Book Loft and got yet another sackful. This isn't counting all the great free classics I loaded up on the Kindle. So, I should be up to my ears in reading books. And I am loving it. I'm not loving all of the books, some are just ok, but some are really terrific.

Top Reads

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

Other ones that were ok

Love and Hate in Jamestown: John Smith, Pocahontas, and the Start of a New Nation

by David A. Price

Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez

Sandra Dallas books (Whiter Than Snow, The Chili Queen, The Bride's House, Tallgrass)

[I LOVED Prayers for Sale and The Persian Pickle Club]

Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles

While I was staying with L and babysitting Baby D, I re-read some of my favorites:

My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Currently reading:

Over The Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen

This book is about Magellan's circumnavigation of the Earth with the Armada de Molucca. I've read this book several times and it never fails. In my youth, I always thought Magellan had just one ship that went around the Earth, but they started out with five. There were several mutinees, and I'm to the point in reading where one ship has turned around in hopes of returning to Spain while another has been shipwrecked, leaving only three ships as they head out into the Pacific having found the Strait at the tip of South America. He has also just left two of the mutineers on a small island somewhere at the south end of South America after sentencing several others to horrendous deaths. I remember from my previous reading (and previous history classes) that only one ship makes it back with everyone about starved and Magellan is killed somewhere in the Indonesian islands. It is an incredible journey.

So far, I have traveled over 1000 miles this summer. Up north and back for the Little Red, north again for Baby D's birthday, to the cabin, and then home. To the Romero Family Reunion, north yet again to L's, to the cabin, a stop at Bear Lake at the Villa, again another north trip, to the cabin, and then home. We will be heading to the cabin for another visit soon, and then at the end of August we are going to Paris [not the city in Idaho].

My Girl turns 26!

She was born at about 10 pm after 5 long days of false labor. As a end-of-the-year fun trip, our school went to Lagoon (Friday), and I went as a chaperone. None of the rides would let me go, except for the Log Flume, and it was fun to get a little wet on such a hot day. About lunch time, I started feeling strange pains in my back and my principal sent me home. Along the freeway, I stopped 3 or 4 times as the pains became difficult to bear. We waited the appropriate time to go to the hospital but upon arrival was told they were just false labor pains. We went back 2 other times over the weekend with the same results. B had finals and he had to study so we made me as comfortable as possible. On Tuesday, he had a two or three finals, and I stayed home from school. In the afternoon, the pains were getting very uncomfortable and I was just rolling back and forth on the floor trying to deal with it. Becky and Mona came over to check on me, and made me get in the shower, and then they took me to the hospital. They stayed until B finished his finals, and then stayed longer until she came into the world. The midwife did a great job, but I was so tired and actually quite hungry because I hadn't eaten in 4 or 5 days. She came without any anesthetic; everyone said I "went somewhere" to deal with the pain, probably deep within my own soul. It is a joy to remember that day because even though I was hurting, there was a delightful present waiting for me at the end!

These are some of my favorite pictures of my girl.

She is as beautiful today as she was the day she was born.

Bright-eyed, just minutes after being born at Holy Cross Hospital.

2 months old, in a park along the 17-Mile Drive in California. I liked putting bonnets on her.

1 year old with her dolly, Kewpie. Susie would eventually replace Kewpie.

This has always been one of my favorite pictures. She's 2 years old.

Listening to Daddy's heartbeat with a real stethoscope.

Even at 3, she was very physically fit and fashionable.

Fishing with Daddy was always fun. It is a real fishy she caught, but it was too small to cook.

Happy 26th Birthday to my Girl! I love you -- always have and always will.

What I've Been Reading This Week

I received a Kindle for my Birthday and thought I'd better fire up the device and get reading. I decided to start with the free offerings from Amazon and as a result have read some great books. My first purchase was South Sea Tales by Jack London.

I also read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (real book, not on Kindle). It took me a couple of tries but I finally got into it. It was an interesting read and you should be warned that there is some disturbing material in it, but I did find it intriguing and wanted to know the answers along with the main characters.

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen, is now out as a movie. I had seen the book a few times at Costco and considered purchasing it. However, it became an accidental purchase on the Kindle when I pushed a button too many times. It was a good read although I didn't care for the sexual content. It is a story about love and the circus.

Two of my favorite reads lately are by the same author: Sandra Dallas. Prayers for Sale and The Persian Pickle Club are books that I would highly recommend for summer reading or for a Book Club. I can't wait to read them again, and again. My research job for the summer will be to find the quilt patterns for those mentioned in the books.

We had a fun celebration on L's Birthday. (Happy #26) Just for fun

we thought we'd ride 50 miles in the LRRH.

(Post Ride Picture of L, me, Becky, and BabyD -- borrowed picture from L's blog)

After spending the a few days in bed

(and a little out of my head),

I went up north and had a BLAST riding in

the Little Red Riding Hood Women-Only Ride

in Lewiston, UT (or is it ID?).

I rode with 5 incredible women

(Thanks again: Becky, Linds, Kris, Amber, and Tracy.

Thanks also to Patty for doing SAG for us).

I still had the cough and runny nose

and a little of the grumbly tummy,

but we finished the 50 miles all together at the end.

And thanks to our male support:

B, R D, R W, and Baby D.

Heard some sad news today.

My dear friend, Marion,

went the way of all the earth last Thursday.

In some ways I am happy for her to be reunited

with her beloved Ross and her sister Rebecca.

I am sad for me because I will miss her.

Luckily, I got to visit with her just prior and we had a good visit.

She is one of the most beautiful women I know

and I will always treasure our friendship.

So here's to beautiful Marion, my friend.

I will miss you.