Good Morning, Young Lady by Ardyth Kennelly

Good Morning, Young Lady is one of the books I checked out repeatedly on my frequent trips to the library when I was young.  It takes place mostly in Salt Lake City. Recently I wondered if my perception of the book would be different now that I live here, and I wondered how prominently the LDS church might figure in the book (I didn't recall that at all).

There was just one obstacle in finding the answers to those questions. I couldn't remember the name of the book, or the  author! I thought I remembered the author's name was Kennelly, because I always looked for Kennedy in the stacks, then moved to the right a couple of books, and there it would be - Good Morning, Young Lady.  I also remembered that Butch Cassidy was a character in the book. I went online and checked to see if there was any name listed similar in any way to Kennelly. No luck. I honestly did not have any idea of the name of the book at that time. Then I tried Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. No luck. I was bemoaning this fact and one of my kids said google it. I said, "How do you google for a book you don't know the name or author of?" My genius child said, "Put in Salt Lake City Butch Cassidy novel." So I did. Up popped Good Morning, Young Lady by Ardyth Kennelly. I immediately recognized the name of the book. Then I went to Wikipedia and found out a little more info. Then back to Amazon, and sure enough there were copies in their used book section. I bought one. I must say I was pretty pleased with my computer adventurous self.

That was a few months ago. I finally reached a point in the stack of books by the side of my bed, library selections, and book club reading that I could read Good Morning, Young Lady.  I honestly only remembered little snippets from the book, and as it went along I hoped for the best in various plot situations, thinking surely it must turn out okay, or I wouldn't have kept reading. It's hard to say now if happy or sad endings would have enhanced or hindered my like or dislike of a book at that time.  (I wish I'd kept a book journal then - and I wonder if I should do a better job now.) 

Surprisingly, it was a page turner right to the end.  It was fun to know the Salt Lake City references - especially where residences were. There were also many very long words that I did not know the meaning of. I'm sure I didn't know the meaning of them 35 years ago either. Also there were many literary references that I'm sure I didn't know when I was reading it so frequently. Apparently none of that stopped me from reading it several times. The LDS church only appears in a few small innocuous references - mostly polygamous. 

I might read it again sometime - if I'm out of new stuff to read. I'm glad I found it. It brought back many good reading memories. 

Happy Birthday Austin!

Four years old today. Austin is a joy in our life. What a great boy to start being grandparents with.

Here are a few things he says that are fun for me:
G'ma (pronounced ghee' ma), I just hungry (usually said within 30 seconds of entering our house, no matter how recent his last meal was).

G'ma, let's go in the hammock (which lasts approximately 30 seconds, then he's off and playing at something else - it's all a ruse to play in the back yard. I'm usually happy to comply.)

The best words of all: G'ma, I love you.

Austin with Elizabeth

Austin

Austin - I love his smile!

Here's the latest update on the cougar conversations:

Austin: G'ma, there's a cougar on your car! (I have BYU personalized plates that say BOOKS, with the BYU logo with a cougar on it).

me: You're right!

Austin: We not go to the game today. I like the volleyball.

The favorite uncle

It's been so fun to have Ray around again. He's very nice to me - we do crossword puzzles together, work in the yard together, and occasionally play Dr. Mario together. I also love having his muscles available to help his father - instead of me!

Although I'm sure Ray loves to spend time with me, by far his favorite past time is being the favorite uncle. He seizes every moment he can to hold the babies - all three little girls love to be with him. Madeleine rides on his shoulders - perfectly balanced, not hanging on with her hands much at all. She directs him and he goes where she wants. Rachel and Elizabeth are not quite so demanding yet, but I'm sure they'll get there!

Ray and Madeleine - July 2008

Ray and Madeleine July 2008 - just learning how to ride on his shoulders - she's a pro now!

Ray and Elizabeth - April 2009

Ray and Rachel - May 2009

Ray and Rachel - May 2009

While the cat's away...

Boris is an indoor cat. At least he's supposed to be. Occasionally he escapes. Here's how it usually works:

1. Boris sneaks out of some door that is inadvertently left ajar (it doesn't take much - he is very skinny).

2. Around bedtime we usually figure out he's gone. He always starts out at night on our bed, and when he's not there we get suspicious that something's up.

3.We search the house and realize he must be outside.

4. We yell for him outside.

5. At times we've gone so far as to roam the neighborhood calling his name (Ray's even been out at two and three in the morning hollering).

6. Finally we crack the downstairs door open so he can come in if he wants.

7. Usually around 5:00 a.m. he returns, coming in and making all sorts of noise, almost like he's yelling at us.

8. We dash downstairs to shut the door so that we avoid the same thing happening all over again.

I would guess this happens three or four times a year -- certainly not very often. It's worrisome at our house here in Utah because it is so close to a very busy street, and there are wild animals (deer, etc), who roam freely.

Last night we went to a play (Treasure Island - it was very good), got home late and dropped into bed. This morning when we got up at five, Ray said, "Where's Boris?" Fast forward to realizing he must be outside. Ray went to the back door and yelled, but no response. I went down a few minutes later, and there was Boris, looking in through the window in the door. I let him in and picked him up. He wriggled down and began hobbling toward the stairs - he was wounded! He wouldn't put any weight on his right rear foot, and it had been bleeding. Ray took a look at it and decided we'd kind of wait and see how he did. By about 1:00 p.m. it was swollen and Boris wouldn't put any weight on it at all. We called the vet and they had us bring him in immediately. They determined it was a cat bite, and was abscessed. Boris wasn't too happy about all that. So they kept him for the afternoon, sedated him, cleaned it out, gave him an antibiotic shot that will last two weeks (thank you for modern medicine), and sent him home. They said he'll be as good as new in no time.

You would think he'll learn from this experience. Ha! I have very low expectations in that department.

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore

This is a book I read for book club this month. It's a Reader's Choice book at our library. It deserves to be on that list. I really liked it.

The story takes place in a very small town in the South. Catherine Grace Cline is the main character, and since she was a small girl she's been looking to get out of that small town. This book is about her life and that quest. It has a delightful southern flavor - a little reminiscent of Fannie Flagg, but this book stands firmly on its own. The chapter headings alone are worth reading, but don't stop there. Read the whole book.

Mom! Don't sweat the small stuff!

This is what my son Ray says to me every day when we work together in the yard. Miracles have been wrought in the yard this year because of him. Unfortunately he hasn't gotten a job yet, but fortunately for me, that gives him time to help me. He is a willing and hard worker out in the yard with me.

With Ray at my side work gets done at least five times faster than usual. He worked a summer doing landscaping before his mission, and I am now reaping the benefits of that (thank you Wendell Bruner!!). All of the big areas Ray goes through with a mattock (my new favorite garden tool), then I follow either picking out the weeds by hand or with a rake, depending on the size and volume of the weeds. We did one area in a day that it used to take me a week to get done.

Ray tells me repeatedly that it's inefficient to worry about the little stuff until after the big stuff gets done. (I could write a book -- Life Lessons Learned from Yard Work). Sometimes I can't help myself and I just want to get that small stuff. So now he says, "Mom! Don't sweat the small stuff!" Then he tells me that when the big stuff is done we'll go through with a hoe and rake and maintain. Those are indeed sweet words to my ears.

Today Ray was out job hunting, and I was left alone to work at my weeding. I did what I call the "solo" areas - where weeds are so intricately woven in the intentional plantings that they need to be gotten by hand. I missed Ray. He's good company. I must admit I have mixed feelings about him getting a job...

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

I have never read this book before. We're going to see the play version of it on Monday, so I thought I'd read the book and get the story line. 

I liked the book quite a bit. I was afraid it would be wordy - it was written in the late 1800's, and the literary style then was often so. It wasn't too wordy at all. Stevenson gets right into the story, and it just keeps moving along. It was nice to finally know who Jim Hawkins and John Silver are. I'm not sure where "long John Silver" came from. I don't recall that phrase being used in the story. 

I went through a phase of reading pirate stories when I was young. I'm surprised I never found or was directed to this one. It's worth reading.

Warning! Yard work may be dangerous to your health

I heard on the news this morning that two people were killed (in separate incidents) while working in their yards yesterday. In each situation a random car jumped the curb, running over the poor souls.

I rest my case.

Weeding Thought of the Day...

...Not what I thought about weeding, because that is unprintable. Yes, it's that time of year again. I will spare you the details (until another time), but I will share a thought that occurred to me.

But first, a little background. When Beth got married I planted (rather, Joseph planted) about 200 pansies as a pretty border in my front yard, and also in my big pots on my porch. They were beautiful, and I hoped they would weather the winter and be big and beautiful in the spring. This is what my sister-in-law Orva does, and her yard is always stunning.

Apparently Orva does not have a herd of deer in residence. The deer don't actually live here, but they drink out of our backyard pond (you can see their tracks in the winter), and relieve themselves regularly on my backyard lawn (who needs a dog?). I have thoughtfully provided the deer with one of their most highly desired delicacies: pansies. I have but a few remaining hardy little plants. This year I have discovered that deer don't really care for petunias. They have all remained safe. So far.

Well, as I was weeding, and pulling out my lovely (I say that facetiously) morning glory, I wondered if there were a deer psychologist available who could convince the deer that morning glory are even more desirable than pansies. They could stuff themselves silly in my yard. If they helped with the morning glory, I probably wouldn't even curse their droppings.

Just a thought.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to everyone! I am so happy to have my mom, and to have Ray's mom in my life. Thanks for all you do and have done for me.

Today I have been reflecting on what a blessing it is for me to be a mother. I love my children, and there is nothing I value more in life than spending time with my family. My children are all beautiful, smart, funny, and best of all, good to me and to each other. (I can say all those things without prejudice, because they are my children.)

So here's a great big thank you to my children for making life as a mother so wonderful. Thanks for playing with me, comforting me, listening to me, and praying for me when I need it. Thanks for bringing such wonderful men into our family when you got married. Thank you for all my darling grandchildren.

I hope when all is said and done, that more than my love of reading, learning, sewing, quilting, chocolate, and my seventh grade sense of humor, you will always know and remember how much I love you.

Hawaii 1999 - Audrey, Debra, Beth, Ray

Utah 2002 - Ray, Debra, Audrey, Beth

Till There Was You by Lynn Kurland

Lynn's latest. I enjoy her books - fun, light, clean reading.

To Dream the Impossible Dream

Last year our bowling team (named the Alley Cats, in the Goof Balls league, to let you know how "serious" our bowling league is) finished dead last in the rankings (of 16 teams). We actually won a prize for it. Hey, five bucks is five bucks!

This year by some miracle, our team finished first for the second half of the season. We still can't believe it. Maybe this score from a month ago helped: (Mine is the bottem score on the right).
But still, that was just one game. We arrived at bowling today to see our team as number one. No pressure (ha!) We calculated where everyone else was and determined that if we won one game out of the three today we would stay in first place. We squeaked it out by winning one and half games (we tied the first game). We still can't believe it. Next week we bowl against the winners of the first half of the season to see which team is the championship team. Who would have guessed?

It's a fine way to finish the year - Marci is moving, and this way she can finish up with a bang.

Shall We Dance?

I have always loved to watch dancing. Ever since I can remember I've wallowed in musicals, marveling at the dancing. I never took dancing lessons of any style as a young girl, but I did take a ballroom dance class at BYU one semester - however I tore the cartilage in my knee while skiing a few weeks into the class and had to drop it. I've always harbored a secret desire to be out there on the dance floor, gliding gracefully along.

About 12 years ago I went on a field trip with some sixth graders to the Pacific Northwest Ballet. It was the best field trip I've ever been on. We saw the dancers practice and perform. Then they had all the kids try doing different things. It was a very interactive field trip. I came home exhilarated and told Audrey that after the field trip I wanted to take ballet. She said she'd always wanted to take ballet also. Suddenly the words popped out of my mouth: "If you find us a class, I'll go with you." She hopped right on it, and the next week or so we appeared in an adult beginning ballet class. Audrey was a junior in high school, and the youngest in the class. There were about 6 or 7 in the class. The teacher was Julie and she was wonderful, and marvelously patient with the likes of me and my inflexible, out-of-shape body. Audrey and I had a great time taking that class together.

Sometime after Christmas Julie asked us if we wanted to perform in the end of the year recital for the dance studio. Yikes! I wasn't really excited about the idea, but decided to go along with the majority vote. Unfortunately the majority voted for the idea. Luckily Julie wanted us all to look good at the recital - after all, her reputation was on the line also. She choreographed a dance to the music Largo from Xerxes by Handel. It was designed so that there were very few times we were all doing the same thing together. She was so wise. We practiced and practiced. One of the moves we did was a split-fall, which is a way of landing looking like you did the splits. She found very pretty outfits for us - a black and white long sleeved leotard with a long skirt attached. They were about as flattering as you could get for a bunch of adult beginning ballerinas.

The day of the recital came. Ray came to watch - I'm not sure who else did. The dance came and went, and we did fine. The biggest reward for me was when Ray said, "I watched everyone dancing. Then all of a sudden one of the women did the splits. Then another did the splits. Then another. I thought to myself: what in the world is Diane going to do when it's her turn!!!" Lo and behold I did my split fall, which looked like the real thing. He said he just about fell off his chair. That was all the accolade I needed.

The next year we had to quit the class. These days Audrey and I get our dancing kicks by watching Dancing with the Stars together every week. Deep in the recesses of my mind lurks the secret desire: I wonder if they'll ever have the show Dancing with the Housewives?

Scary Books

Far and away the most terrifying book I've ever read is In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. It changed my life - and not necessarily for the better.

I read the book when I was a junior in high school. It was gripping from the first paragraph. The first chapter was horrific. An entire family murdered - in cold blood. Capote did his homework, and he made it seem as if I were right there as the whole thing happened. That terrible event was over and done with in the first chapter as I recall. Then I was compelled to read the rest of the book to make sure those men were caught and made to suffer for their brutality. After all, it was a true story - which made the whole thing even more scary to me.

I became terrified of being awake alone in the house at night. I would go to bed earlier than everyone else so that I could be asleep before all the lights were out and the house was silent.  However, I was so scared that I was not able to sleep, therefore I was awake long after everyone else had gone to bed. And the house was not silent. I heard every creak and squeak that happens in a house as it settles. I almost had a heart attack when the furnace kicked on. I slept with a frying pan and my assembled flute in my bed for possible weapons. I littered the floor of my room so that there would be some warning of someone trying to come in. It makes my heart beat faster just remembering all that. The fear lasted for months. I went so far as to vow I would never step foot in the state of Kansas (where the murders happened). I'm not saying these were rational behaviors - but that's how much the book affected me. 

It's funny that I like mysteries so much. Mostly they seem like fiction to me - not that things like that don't happen in real life. I did have a time when I was reading a lot of Agatha Christie and Ray was traveling. I had to stop because her books were too scary to read when I was all by myself. For some reason Mary Higgins Clark's books seem a little too real also and I don't really enjoy her books because of that. 

I guess this is all my way of explaining why the beginning of The Graveyard Book was scary to me. It is nothing like In Cold Blood, but somehow it brought back from the shadows of my mind the feelings I had while reading In Cold Blood. After the first little bit of The Graveyard Book all those feelings went away. Well, most of them went away. Until I was reading the really suspenseful parts; then a few of those feelings came creeping back.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book is this year's Newbery Award winner. I think I own all but about five of the Newbery Award winning books. Most of them I've really liked, some of them have been okay, and there are one or two I strongly disliked.

Here's how reading this book went:
pages 1-9: scared the pants off me
pages 10-25: trying to decide if I should keep reading the book, or if it would be too scary for me

I ultimately decided to keep reading (in daylight, when I wasn't alone). Many people will scoff and laugh at me that I scare too easily. That's probably true, but I am not alone in my fears, and the beginning of this book might be very intense for some young readers. The rest of the book was great - with some quite suspenseful parts. The characters are well drawn, and the story well woven. I do recommend it, but if your children are sensitive, you may want to read it with them, or read it before them to know what they are getting into. Harry Potter has scarier parts once the book gets going, but this one starts out with a bang. Or at least it did for me.

The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine, MD

A friend of mine recommended this book. She said she got it to learn about what her teenage daughter was going through, and found it was more help for herself.

I'm not big on technical writing, and Brizendine does a good job of putting things in laymen's terms. She also uses a lot of case examples, which makes the information easier to grasp, and interesting. 

As I read each phase of the development of the female brain, I thought, "My girls who have baby girls should read this." Then I thought, "Anyone who has a teenage girl should read this." Then I thought, "My girls who are pregnant/new moms should read this." Then I thought, "She's seeing into my own brain!"

I got the book from the library, but I'm contemplating buying my own copy for reference. I think anyone with daughters should read this and Mary Pipher's Reviving Ophelia.