Don't Let the Turkeys and Rodents Get You Down!

We seem to be attracting pets we didn't invite. Exhibit One:

This turkey has turned up and hangs around the house waiting, no stalking, until John puts down his morning bird seed. He is becoming a nuisance. He wanders into the garage and sits as if he owns the place. What's more, he leaves presents behind - sheesh!

He loves to display his plumage, but he can't disguise it - he's a TURKEY!

Exhibit Two:

Went to sit on the porch furniture while waiting for the dog, our true pet, to do his business. Instead, came upon this dreadful sight:

As if staring down at that wriggling, dying baby mouse wasn't enough, we found a nest of abandoned baby mice in the couch cushions:

Nothing pleasant about this!

Actually, it's not those turkeys and rodents that are getting me down - I have other turkeys giving me grief these days, and other rats in the woodwork. Chin up! I will survive the unwelcome fixtures of the turkeys and rodents in my life.

Book Review: Hidden Valley Road

What a tragic, yet hopeful, tale of an unusual family! Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family, by Robert Kolker, shares a somewhat frightening and always intriguing outline of the lives of the Galvin Family in Colorado. The father, Don, worked for the Air Force, while the mother, Mimi, raised their twelve children - ten sons and two daughters. Of the ten sons, six fought schizophrenia or bipolar. I could not look away, immediately caught up in the story and horrified by what madness and chaos the family experienced.

I appreciated the structure of the book. Each chapter begins with a list of their names and highlights the individuals covered in that chapter. The stunning cover photograph of all the boys with their parents on a long spiral staircase makes an impressive lure. Many parts were excruciating to read (abuse, fighting, murder, horror of mental illness). Yet, I was glad that researchers discovered this family and have been able to use their DNA, their experience, and their demise to increase our understanding of these dreadful diseases. I hope their losses will lead to new treatment and prevention for the world-at-large.

Book Review: The Splendid and the Vile

You can always trust Erik Larson to tell a grand story of historical significance! In the past, I've reviewed Thunderstruck, Dead Wake, and In the Garden of Beasts. This time, he presents Winston Churchill and his family throughout the Blitz. For many days I wavered on whether to attack this at this time. I put my name on the hold list as soon as I saw the audio book listed. It came in while I was listening to The Masterpiece (another lengthy fare). Thus, I didn't begin The Splendid and the Vile until twelve days before it was due and it included 14 audio discs.

To further complicate things, I have been having trouble with my knees. I used to walk 2-1/2 to 3 miles daily at between 3.6 and 3.9 miles per hour. Then the pain set in. I slowed my walking down to between 3.4 and 3.6 and still try to stay on for at least a half hour, but sometimes can't. Undaunted, I plunged ahead, seizing more listening time during the drive home from taking Trevor to his ranch internship. Thankfully, I finished the book on its due date.

Since I was listening in many settings (car, treadmill, kitchen), I had difficulty focusing. Still, I enjoyed this well-written WWII saga. Larson used many primary sources (journals, official documents, letters, etc.), so the authentic quotations fleshed out the story nicely. What struck me time and time again was Churchill's skill for rallying courage and morale. He maintained a positive outlook throughout and despised when individuals would paint reality with depressing strokes. As the book explained, he did not minimize the gravity of the events, yet encouraged confidence and fearlessness taught by example. He was candid, yet inspiring. He acknowledged the intensity of the struggle, yet never doubted their ability to defeat evil.

My struggles these days are daunting: pandemic, prodigal parenting, questions of school plans, financial climate, etc. - waves of doubt and confusion. If I could muster Churchill's confidence and fearlessness, it would be worth every minute of listening to his life story (18 hours long). We all need encouragement and bolstering these days.

As for my knees, well ... I've been searching for a recumbent exercise bike. My husband loathes putting things together, yet I cannot stomach the $89 assembly fee that Walmart charges (should I buy their cheapest recumbent bike for $175 - an Exerpeutic - a brand I trust because I love my Exerpeutic walking treadmill). I tried Play it Again Sports, but their bikes were too expensive. I should probably simply walk outdoors on a softer surface to relieve the issue, but that would mean confronting the elements. Plus, I should lose some of the weight I put back on at the start of the pandemic. Since my exercise regimen is challenged, that puts more responsibility on wise food choices at a time when ice cream calls even louder. Come on, Wendy! Courage in the face of trial!

Book Review: Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life

Don't let the title fool you! Amy Krouse Rosenthal lived anything but an ordinary life. She was a powerhouse individual and the more I read about her, the better I like her. In one of the first pages of this book, the publisher notes that if you read this book and the author thanked you by e-mail, you could add your name to a list at the book's website (although that website seems to have disappeared). How cool would that have been! Still, I wonder if I would have taken the time to write this author a letter if I had read the book before she died in 2018.

I love the structure of this book - love the encyclopedia entry concept. The humor is delightful. Indeed, I read aloud one passage to my boys (the bit about her brother, who grew up in a house full of girls, belatedly discovering he didn't need to wear his towel around his chest - ha). This "alphabetized existence" is, like the author, extraordinary.

I noted so many interesting intersections. Amy was born less than one month ahead of me. She lived in Chicago (I spent my teen and college years in and around Chicago), in an area I'm familiar with. My brother lived at The Salvation Army School for Officer's Training, very close to Wrigley field. She loved words. She was best friends with another children's author I adore: Charise Mericle Harper (author of the Just Grace series Sean and I devoured when he was younger). Sadly, we never intersected in real life. Still, I'm glad I found her husband's memoir and then her memoir - both satisfying eavesdropping adventures.

Book Review: My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me

How did I miss the buzz surrounding this book? Apparently, Amy Krouse Rosenthal (an author of memoirs and children's books) wrote an article in the New York Times called "You May Want to Marry My Husband." It was a heartbreaking love letter to her husband as she battled terminal cancer, her way of encouraging him to live a happy and fulfilled life without her. Jason Rosenthal responded to her letter, her life, her death, and her legacy in this memoir, My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me.

What a privilege to open a window on someone else's life. I will admit to fighting jealousy (not of the tragedy, of course, but of the rich love story and life they built for themselves before tragedy disrupted everything). Their lives seemed idyllic and full of joy, friends, fulfilling work, and constant goals. If only I had half of Amy's drive and creativity. If only I had an ounce of their intentional parenting (they traveled with their kids for several weeks every year to open unknown experiences for them). But, I'm sure they would have rather had dull lives, unsuited to a memoir. How sad that cancer altered their lives and brought them into the public eye.

Actually, Amy was already in the public eye, thanks to her writing, her ingenuity, and her drive. After reading Jason's memoir, I couldn't help but seek more information. I found several TED talks given by both Amy and Jason. While watching the TED talks, I realized Amy pushed a truth that she lived out even before cancer: make the most of your time here. She was a bright spot in the world, and I wish I had known her. With her love of wordplay, her creativity, her commitment and drive for excellence ... well, she sounds like not only great friend material, but an irreplaceable spouse (although it sounds like he may have found love again). Hopefully, I'll be able to find a few more books (she has written many and Jason also wrote one with his daughter). For now, I sit inspired to do more with my one insignificant life and to beckon the lovely as she did with flair.

Book Review: The Masterpiece

Two decades ago, I read The Atonement Child. It was stunning. I remember Francine Rivers as a fine writer. When I went to look up the publication date, I noticed she has since written a whole slew of books! I knew she wrote Biblical historical fiction, and that doesn't really draw me in, so I hadn't picked up another title. Now, I see she has written plenty of contemporary novels. I will have to remedy this oversight.

The Masterpiece weaves the stories of two traumatized children, Grace and Bobby Ray, who meet as adults and confront the difficulties of relationship. Bobby Ray Dean, who is now an artist going by the name Roman Valasco, is running from a tough childhood in and out of many foster homes. Grace bears horrible memories of the tragic loss of her parents and struggles with guilt over a failed marriage. You couldn't find two more unlikely individuals for a romance. Roman is coarse, closed-off, and casual. Grace is straight-laced, efficient, and committed to Christ. The first day she works for Roman as a personal assistant, Grace almost quits.

Although this was clearly a "Christian" novel, the story took precedence over the message (my biggest beef with Christian fiction - so focused on proselytizing that the story suffers). It waxed a bit "preachy" at the end, but by then, I was so caught up in the characters and their lives it didn't feel intrusive or offensive. Although I can see this turned into a movie, I doubt it would garner much attention from the secular world. Still, I was glad for another clean audio book to fill my treadmill time.

Book Review: Echo Mountain - Highly Recommend

Lauren Wolk is a marvelous writer. I loved Wolf Hollow and Beyond the Bright Sea. She deserves the title "Newbery Honor-winning author" and I will read anything she puts out. While unsure if I was up for a 356 page middle grade book, I should have figured Wolk would sweep me in right away.

Ellie is plucky and resilient. While her mother and sister long for the past life in town, before the Depression stripped her parents of their jobs and forced the family to move to the mountain, Ellie basks in the freedom and opportunity to learn fresh things. She has a brand new puppy and an anonymous friend in the woods who leaves her carved trinkets. All would be well for her there, if a tragic accident hadn't left her father in a coma. But even worse, her family blames her for the accident and resents her efforts to waken her father. Ellie feels sure the old hag who lives up the mountain can help. Ellie defies her mother and goes to the hag, but what she finds there only presents even further complications.

This book celebrates human resilience, friendship, and the power of possibility. The setting is part of the struggle. Readers will root for Ellie against every obstacle and cheer when she carves out her own path to healing. The writing sings and provides an interesting setting, a strong protagonist, overwhelming obstacles, and satisfying redemption. This would make an outstanding read-aloud. What a marvelous example of personal integrity and grit! Moreover, if you are looking for books to encourage girls to follow their goals and dreams, this is dynamite. I think it is my favorite of Wolk's books yet!

Celebrating a 30th Anniversary During a Pandemic

Even before the pandemic restrictions descended, we had doubts about our intentions to spend a few days together on Mackinac Island to celebrate our 30th anniversary. A prodigal child raises many potential scenarios we didn't want to chance. Despite vast improvement in our son's attitude and demeanor (his ranch internship has been a very positive contribution to his life), we still were too hesitant to ask anyone else to take responsibility for our children.

So what does a couple do when hindered by parental obligations and pandemic obstacles? Well, we rethought strategies and downsized plans. In the end, I developed this list of 30 little loving acts to celebrate our milestone. Let me tell you, 30 is a big number, so several seem repetitive, but I managed to eek out 30 nonetheless:

Photo by Johannes W on Unsplash

1. Spend ten minutes on the morning of our anniversary drinking our coffee together on the porch (depending on the time, we might even catch a sunrise).
2. Pray together for the future of our relationship.
3. Pray together for the future of our family.
4. Time together alone on the first day of school (with one at school and the other at his ranch job, we'll snag one hour - a blessing we've rarely encountered since this pandemic started).
5. Dinner out at our favorite restaurant, Tequila Sunrise (mmm, I can already taste the spinach and portabella mushroom quesadilla - since we're cheap... and old, we'll wait and celebrate on their senior discount day - ha!)
6. A trip to Dairy Queen on our anniversary night (we'll be able to bring some home for the boys to celebrate their last day of summer break).
7. Watch a travel movie (we may not go to Europe physically, but we can virtually).
8. Ask Trevor to do a photo shoot and either make a commemorative fridge magnet or photo collage.
9. A trip to Donaldson's Chocolatier to pick out a small box of dark chocolate.
10. Listen to a virtual concert together.
11. Brain-storm a list of locations for a future anniversary trip when the stars align for us.
12. Write a will! (Cannot believe we haven't done this yet - so important - must tackle soon!)
13. He'll listen to some of my recent writing (perhaps not his favorite thing to do, but it means the world to me).
14. He'll give me a neck massage.
15. I'll give him a neck massage.
16. He'll give me a foot massage.
17. I'll give him a foot massage.
18. Ask him to fill my gas tank (a task I tend to dislike).
19. Exchange our anniversary cards (and I will give him a small engraved wine-stopper I bought for him).
20. Hide 3 little love notes saying what we love about each other and then find them.
21. Take a walk, holding hands.
22. Make a small time capsule to set aside until our 40th anniversary - document what is important to us now, things we enjoy, etc.
23. Watch our wedding video together.
24. Renew our vows just between the two of us.
25. Take time together to answer the New York Times' 36 Questions That Lead to Love - to discover new things about each other.
26. Create a playlist of songs popular in 1990.
27. Take five minutes to recap the past year - the good, the bad, the changes, the challenges, the blessings, the way God has moved.
28. Take five minutes to set 3 personal goals and 3 couple goals.
29. Watch a romantic movie (we completed this one early, watching Somewhere in Time, a favorite romantic movie that takes place on our intended destination, Mackinac Island).
30. Use the fire pit (purchased but yet unused at this point) to sit outside by a small fire and enjoy each other's company.

I sent these suggestions to my husband and was thrilled when he accepted the idea. I told him we could substitute out some of his ideas because these are all very Wendy-centric (ha!) but he said the list was good. His only tweak was to change my idea of accomplishing all of this in a week. He wants to focus on one or two each week. Instead of celebrating for a day, we'll celebrate for several months. 

I still have my sights set on Barcelona in 2025 (to view the Sagrada Familia). It should be perfect timing, really. Our youngest graduates from high school in May 2025. An excellent way to begin the empty-nesting stage! 

Book Review: Embraced

I enjoyed Lysa Terkeurst's book, It's Not Supposed to Be This Way, so I checked out one of her devotional books. With a looming due date from the library, I read five devotionals a day, instead of one a day. Embraced: 100 Devotions to Know God Is Holding You Close is an excellent devotional book. Intriguing. Inspirational. Instructive. If you are looking for a new devotional with brief passages of Scripture and a few pages of accompanying thoughts, Terkeurst is a superb choice. Humble and sincere, she admits to her own failures and weaknesses, yet encourages the reader to rise above their own. I'd love to meet her someday.