2024 - Third Quarterly Review

To assist my blog readers, I summarize my reading four times a year, providing a brief description, the page count, and a grading scale (💖5 thumbs up - highly recommend, 4 thumbs up - enjoyed, 3 thumbs up - good, 2 thumbs up - meh, and 1 thumb down - regret, wishing I could get back the time invested). I read the following books during the third quarter of 2024 (links to full reviews can be found in the side-bar, or after 2024, found through the search bar at the right):

Origins of a Story by Jake Grogan - 202 stories of the inspiration behind famous works of literature. Delightfully intriguing, even for the ones I didn't know. 320 pages, 👍👍👍👍

The Getaway Girls by Dee MacDonald - 3 older women set off on a caravan adventure seeking escape, connection, and love. Light-hearted beach read. 340 pages, 👍👍👍

Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry - 11-year-old Sophie prods stories from her best friend, 88-year-old Sophie as they face down declining cognitive abilities. Sweet tale. 208 pages, 👍👍👍-1/2

💖Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - A penniless child sent, by callous relatives, to boarding school trains and becomes a governess for a mysterious and magnetic master, Mr. Rochester. Such a well-written and executed novel. Deserves to be the classic it is! 480 pages (I listened in audio form, 16 CDs, 17-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍👍👍

The Memory Library by Kate Storey - An estranged mother and daughter reconnect and reconcile through a shared love of books. 337 pages, 👍👍👍

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold - Rookie reporter Aidyn Kelly doesn't know what she's in for when asked to write an obituary for the remarkable, hospice patient, Mrs. Clara Kip. A tale of faith, friendship, and final moments. 368 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 10-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍👍

The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold - Nikki Werner flees to her father's childhood home after her parents' divorce complicates her relationship with her boyfriend, Isaac. While there, she uncovers her German heritage and attempts to "do the next thing." 308 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard - A Christian romantic thriller set in Alaska. Will the mysterious Grier Brenner confess why he is in Shadow Gap and how he is perfectly prepared for helping the police chief deal with the current crime spate? 336 pages, 👍👍👍

What a Wave Must Be by Angela Hunt - A Christian novel about suicide. Very difficult listen. Not sure I'm glad I bit. 320 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 8 hours), 👍👍

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood - 3 lives intersect in a bookstore demonstrating regret, grief, and forgiveness. It is also about reading and the restorative nature of books. 273 pages, 👍👍👍👍

💖Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt - What a remarkably bright debut novel weaving a tale of a widow, an octopus, and an abandoned young man. Each has dealt with loss, but when they connect it brings all the feels! Didn't want it to end! 368 pages (I listened in audio form, 11-1/4 hours), 👍👍👍👍👍

The Year That Changed Us by Helen Rolfe - Best friends Emma and Lise head to Paris for a year of adventure. What transpires leads to fractures in the friendship that take years to surmount. 322 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 9-1/4 hours), 👍👍👍

A Thousand Times Yes: Two Doctors Who Answered God's Call by Wana Ann G. Fort with Kim P. Davis - An uplifting missionary story of a life of faith, family, and fortitude. 183 pages, 👍👍👍

The Joy of Falling by Lindsay Harrel - Two women attempt a marathon race to raise money in memory of their deceased adventurous husbands. 336 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 10 hours), 👍👍👍-1/2

Hope is the First Dose: A Treatment Plan for Recovering from Trauma, Tragedy and Other Massive Things by Dr. W. Lee Warren - After his son was stabbed to death, Dr. Warren sought to discern what keeps people from bouncing back after tragedy and traumatic events of life. He logically explains, with great personal illustrations, how important hope is in the process of healing. 260 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

The Telephone Box Library by Rachael Lucas - A frazzled history teacher turns up in a Cotswolds village and strikes up friendship and love, finding her place in the community. 391 pages, 👍👍👍

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko - Hank Hooperman hates making mistakes. He's made quite a few, but his worst one yet is the tenth one on his list: "Trusted my mother." 306 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

Reminders of Sweetness Amid the Sour

My beloved prodigal is approaching a special birthday - 2 decades of life. For him, this is an accomplishment as he has done much to challenge this landmark. Indeed, I wonder if he is a cat, with the requisite nine lives. He has "slipped the noose" repeatedly and this wears on my emotional reserves. My husband cannot bear to look at sweet photos from the past in the midst of our current crisis. However, I needed the reminder of his sweetness and a dozen or so years that were free from the scourge of drug use. God gifted Trevor into our lives almost 20 years ago, and despite much sorrow, grief, and discouragement, I will fix my eyes on the many blessings his life has provided us.

I'm not a photographer. I don't often capture images. Thus, I scoured my blog, grateful for this catalog of memories that I sometimes fail to bring forth. Trevor has always been bright, creative, funny, and thoughtful. I found numerous examples of personalized cards he made for me (often with poetry). Ever artistic (here's art from age 10), he created images paired with sentiments he knew would touch my heart. While the cards are lost in the pack-rat detritus of my life, I can look back on my blog and enjoy the sentiments, the art, and the boy behind these kind gestures.

In my earliest photos of Trevor (from 2008), he was almost constantly in super hero attire. Indeed, on one visit to the library, they pulled me aside and gave me a large stuffed Spiderman. They were purging it from the library possessions and wanted to pass it along to the young boy who always came in dressed as Spiderman.

In 2009, we added our first dog, Harley, to the mix and Trev was very fond of him:

Mid-2009, he cut his own hair (worried it might be too long like his 13-year-old brother's hair):

In November of 2009, I captured this sweet and hilarious video of Trevor reciting The Lord's Prayer. He had learned this in his Christian preschool class. During the recitation, he accidentally burped, then cracked up when I exclaimed that I didn't remember that as part of the prayer.

In 2010, Trev got ahold of a blow torch and singed his bangs off (like I said, his guardian angel works overtime!) - go here to read the whole story and my funny friend Laura's quip in reaction to the tale):

That same year, Trev set up shop selling us his artwork and, in the fall, began kindergarten:

Looking at the photo above, reminds me of another guardian angel moment (on this day his jeans caught in the bike chain and, unable to stop, he zoomed across our street - where cars often speed past at 40-50 mph - safely and miraculously landing on the grass across the street).

In 2011, he went for a brief visit with grandma and found his granddad's war helmet, rode the zipline at CBLI, and became interested in football:

In 2013, we continued to enjoy the zipline at camp:

In 2015, Trevor and I took a special spring break trip to visit with my parents in Florida. He caught a lizard and set him free (despite accidentally severing his tail):

In 2017, he proudly displayed a fish catch at CBLI:

This was also the age of his bottle-flipping stage and in spring of 2018, he created this hilarious basketball spoof video:

The last two photos are from the cusp of our problems with Trevor, when he broke his leg during the first football game of his 8th grade season:

(This is another photo that stirs intense gratitude. We praise God that He spared Trevor's life and the lives of others near the accident that totaled the truck recently.)

It is good to reminisce over the sweeter days amid ones that leave a sour taste in our mouths. We are grateful for the prayers of so many, lifting Trevor before the Lord. I anxiously await his return to the sweet person he was prior to this departure into drug use and rebellion. May God help us cling to Him when timing doesn't speed along Trevor's recovery and return. May the guardian angels, who have prevented numerous perils in the past, continue to protect him.

We love you, Trevor! Don't ever forget it! We long to see you healed of this addiction, but you are a gift, even amid the pain!

September 2024 This and That

The stresses of July and August persist into September, but we have much to be grateful for. In the spring, Sean joined the high school volleyball team. The repetitive jumping did no favors for his knees and he has battled injuries to his knees and ankles ever since. He is a team captain this year, so he represents the team in those initial moments of the opponent handshakes and the coin toss. He loves the sport, but I'm always worried about possible injury. Indeed, their team has struggled this year because 5 or 6 starting players have been out on injury, including the quarterback who played so effectively for the team last year.

These photos show Sean and the seniors on the team:

Sean and his girlfriend Claire were on the Homecoming Court this year. John and I attended the game and watched from far back in the stands (we choose these seats because they have backs to the bleachers - oh, how our tired backs appreciate this support by the end of the game). I snagged some photos from others (because my attempts are always horrible - the only photo I took is the one below):

They also attended the Homecoming Dance:

Sean and Claire provide great fun for me these days as we often compete by playing the New York Times games (Connections, Wordle, and The Mini Crossword). Of course, having said that, I must acknowledge that they usually smoke me. Still, I'm glad they let me join in the games with them.

Just to make life interesting, we had a well issue again this September. John was downstairs when he heard a pop and, checking everything, found the deep freezer had no power. He called electricians and plugged the deep freezer and water heater into extension cords. We also had no water (something about the pump electrical system failing). While waiting, he brought up the portable water heater he keeps for emergencies. Alas, when he turned that on, he heard a whoosh, and it burst into flames. Since it has a propane tank on it, he immediately grabbed the thing and ran it outside, the whole time praying fervently that it would not explode. Praise God, it didn't, but it gave him quite a scare.

The electricians could not address the well issue, so we had to call the well company to come the following morning. Sean and I went to stay in the local Home 2 Suites (if you read my blog regularly, you know how much I love that hotel chain). We had a lovely experience and I came away with more fodder for my fan affections.

Just above the coffee station, I discovered this little shelf of books available to read. Isn't that cool! Of course, we were only there overnight, and I'd already read a few of these titles (especially loved that they had a copy of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine). We were grateful to have the well back up and running by the following afternoon. So, despite injuries, stress, and home issues, we are focusing on the positives and happy to have joy amid the challenges.

========

Side note: Ten years ago, my favorite read of the year was The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachael Joyce. I loved his journey, his introspection, and the redemptive resolution the journey brought. The movie version recently came available on Hoopla and I watched it this past weekend. I had forgotten the specifics of the difficulties Harold had with his son. I must say, it was very difficult to watch. It brought me to tears because it hit too close to home. So, as much as I loved that novel, I now believe it should come with a trigger warning: tough content and heart-wrenching emotions addressed.

Mid-month Mention #2: Russells Point, Ohio

My cousin Karin is the kind of person who senses and seeks to fill a need. She knows many of the details of our struggle with a prodigal and the magnitude of our challenges recently. Thus, she suggested a girl's getaway. With my oldest son's wedding looming, I wasn't sure I'd be able to swing it, but when pressures intensified at home, I knew I needed the break. Karin planned everything and I enjoyed every moment of our overnight to Russells Point, Ohio.

We stayed at a lovely little AirBnB. It was cozy and comfortable, with a room for each of us and an ample living/kitchen area:

After a quick tour of the accommodations, Karin presented me with a girls' weekend gift bag. She knows purple is my favorite color, thus the purple beach blanket and the purple tumbler. Plus, she tucked the adorable bride/groom clothespin in as a special homemade gift:

Our first stop was a lunch trip to the Cranberry Resort lake-side restaurant in Indian Lake, Ohio:

We followed this with a small walk on a nature trail at Pew Island:

Come along and experience it for yourself via this link to a YouTube video.

Next we wandered, looking over the landscape, stopping for a bit of shopping, and exploring a delightful farmer's market at Hurley Farms, in Huntsville, Ohio. During our jaunt out, I noticed a sign for London Bobby Fish and Chips. When we went later to find it again, we thought we were in the wrong place, but learned it is inside an adjoining business called Cassano's Pizza. It turns out, in 2012, 30 years after the London Bobby fish and chips shops closed, Cassano's Pizza decided to bring it back to the Dayton area. You can read about it here.

We followed our evening meal with a trek up the steep Sandy Beach Bridge and enjoyed more lovely views of the water and lakeside areas. What a calming, peaceful location!

Sunday, after checking out of the AirBnB, we returned to Pew Island for a picnic lunch by the water and another trail walk. Then we went back to the Hurley Farms market for more fresh produce shopping and one final selfie together:

This little 25-hour jaunt was just what I needed. I returned home refreshed, filled-up, encouraged, bolstered, and restored. Something about being in nature (and especially around water) just does a body good!

Mid-month Mention: Rabbit Room and Poets

 

Perhaps a year ago, I stumbled upon the Rabbit Room Chinwag Facebook group. What a treat! Like-minded creatives and individuals who seek to honor God.

It was here I discovered a poem by Christopher Owen that I appreciate on many levels. I love the rhythm and sound. I appreciate the description of God's intention for His creation and for the glory He will assume when He returns to reclaim us for His kingdom. The poem is called, "This is Beginning to End." Follow the link to watch him recite it because it has a wonderful "spoken word" feel. I sometimes listen to the Button Poetry offerings when they come up on my Facebook feed. How I wish for a Christian equivalent! If there was one, Christopher Owen's poem would fit perfectly. I am with him in his desire for Christ to come quickly! We are waiting!

Randy Edwards is another poet from the Rabbit Room group. He often shares his poetry on his Backward Mutters blog (see the blog for the title's reference). Or find him on Instagram: @backward.mutters - Randy is the pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Kernersville, North Carolina. I immediately fell in love with the first poem I heard him recite, a poem about luck and grace, full of beautiful images with deep meanings:

When Craig Stapleton jumped

Into 8000 feet of space

He thought himself lucky

To do this thing he loved.

But when his parachute

Tangled and twirled?

He fell like some

Lafayette Escadrille

Shot down by the Red Baron.

If he was able to feel

(Let alone think)

More than terror, he knew

His luck had turned.

But when his backup did the same?

He knew it was for the worst,

That he must be the unluckiest

Skydiver on earth.

He hit the flat ground

Of California’s Central Valley

With a splat, doing around

30 miles an hour—

A field where the farmer

Had just tilled the earth

And thought himself the

Luckiest one around

To be catching the rain

At just the right time.

Where water soaked furrows

Swole the clods up like pillows.

When Craig came to his senses,

When he realized

The sound of that splat

Was just the mud? That

This man who’d fallen

In a death-spiral like a winged duck?

When he realized that

He had not died?

But in fact alive and had survived?

It was not Luck he thanked.

It was personal.

Now this don’t mean

Luck ain’t no thing,

Nor that he didn’t feel lucky.

True luck is like grace,

Is an unlooked for blessing

That breaks as a smile on a face

Breaks a fall of certain death

And gives you back

What you’d thought you’d lost

Or worse, had left.

For further exploration, here's an article about the harrowing 8000 foot skydiving fall that prompted this poem's contemplation.

Here's a link to a recitation of another Randy Edwards poem called "The Dragon's Mouth," based on Revelation 12:15. The focus of this year's Bible Study Fellowship is the book of Revelation. I will have to remember to share this poem during the week we discuss chapter 12.

I'm looking forward to hearing more from Christopher Owen and Randy Edwards!

Book Review: The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman

We've been dealing with some serious issues at home since early July. Unable to focus on much of anything, I needed a distraction. Thank goodness for an exceptional children's writer like Gennifer Choldenko. This read was not only timely but also touching and entertaining. I had read Choldenko before, her book Al Capone Does My Shirts. This one, The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman, was charming and stirring.

Hank Hooperman has a problem. His mother has not come home for a week and the landlord is banging on the door, threatening to evict them. But Hank Hooperman is resourceful. He finds a contact name on his field trip permission slip and travels with his 3-year-old sister Boo to find the woman listed there. While everyone loves a bright and sunny 3-year-old, not everyone is interested in taking on a pre-teen.

Both Hank and Boo are loveable and endearing, but Hank is carrying the world on his 11-year-old shoulders (not a fair position for a child). I could relate to much of his rumination. It is hard to love someone whose addiction makes them untrustworthy. The love doesn't go away, but the danger remains real and intense. Hank wants to be with his mother, but cannot trust her when the substances take over. While the subject is tough and may require some conversation, if read with the intended audience (ages 10-12), it is certainly one that is important in this day. I struggle as a parent with an addicted child; I cannot imagine carrying this weight as a child with an addicted parent.

Book Review: The Telephone Box Library

I apologize for my weak book reviews. My heart is not in it, as we are in the middle of a great trial at home. The Telephone Box Library, by Rachael Lucas, is a small town, feel-good novel about community, love, and books. It seemed similar to my past read about a British telephone box turned library, The Littlest Library. Both were light-hearted reads meant for those who enjoy a bit of romance and a lot of bookish references (more references in the previous read than this one).

The stress of Lucy's teaching job is getting to her. She takes a sabbatical and moves into a tiny Cotswold village. Margaret has offered Lucy a reduced rate if she will pop in on her ninety-something-year-old mother-in-law from time to time. Bunty, the mother-in-law, is a feisty woman with a head full of stories from the war. Lucy is a history teacher and naturally bent on drawing out Bunty's tales. Add in Sam, a handsome single dad next door, and you've got a sweet little romance novel.

Sam's daughter Freya is determined to save the old red telephone box from destruction. The entire community works together to turn it into a little free library. I read this in snippets during my trips to my mother's memorial service and to my nephew's wedding. My emotions simply weren't in it (no fault of the book, just my current trials and tribulations). If you love small town British tales, this is a great option.