Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy

I fell in love with Maeve Binchy's writing when I read Circle of Friends. I think I've read every one of her books to date. I really liked almost all of them. There were just a couple I didn't like as much.

Binchy has a way of making her characters seem very real. We all know people like the people in her books. She is witty and concise in her writing. To my American mind and ears, her dialogue seems very Irish. That's particularly fun for me.

Binchy's later books have a few characters that float from book to book. They are featured in one book, then show up as a supporting cast in other books. It is not at all necessary to read them in a certain order.

This book is about the staff and patients of a heart clinic in Dublin. I really liked it.

(I bought the book in hardback. I think I actually completed it before it came out in paperback - a goal rarely accomplished.)

Sensory Heaven

Matthew sits on my lap while I sew (all is forgiven). His feet wrap around my legs, and my cheek rests on his head. I close my eyes and inhale deeply the smells of sunshine and earth that comprise a little boy's sweat.

A Mormon Mother by Annie Clark Tanner

Ray's cousin Katie loaned me this book. It's an autobiography, written when Annie Clark Tanner was about 70. It is mainly a reflection on her family - her life as a child, and her life as a mother. Annie was the child of a plural marriage (second wife), and a plural wife herself (second wife also). It's an interesting story of her life, as well as a snapshot of history. She speaks about plural marriage, and the changes it underwent in Mormon history. Very insightful. Mostly it's about normal family life, and has the ups and downs of their particular family. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of what life was like back then.

ER update

1. It was Ray my husband, not Ray my son.

2. He woke up this morning (after a fairly rough night) and said, "I feel one thousand percent better!"

3. Hurrah!

ER

Yes, that's where I spent my afternoon.

I went to a Relief Society luncheon at noon, got home by 1:30, and Ray was pacing around the upstairs in pain. He said he looked up appendicitis on the internet, and was worried he might have that. His lower right side was killing him. I asked if he wanted to go in, and 15 minutes later we were on our way. This is a man that never goes to the doctor. In fact, the last time he went in was when he had pneumonia a couple of years ago.

We arrived at the ER and Ray wouldn't even sit down - it was too painful. He continued to pace until they checked him in. It seemed like a long time, but was only five to ten minutes. The triage nurse took one look at him and said, "I bet you've got a kidney stone." Sure enough. They whisked him into a room, started an IV and gave him pain and anti-nausea meds immediately. Within about 20 minutes they took him off for a CT scan. There it was, as big as life and twice as painful. A stone. There are a couple more hovering in his kidneys that aren't as big. Meanwhile this one is making it's way toward the bladder. It is one miserable journey.

We were home less than three hours later. They pumped him full of fluids and morphine, and sent him home to finish out the process. I have to say it was one of the best ER experiences I've ever had - they offered me water or soft drinks a few times. I took three books (I didn't know how long we'd be there), and barely got 20 pages read. The nurse was fabulous. They were quick, and always there when we needed.

Ray is resting, sleeping on and off. Hopefully this will all be over soon.

He's two

Does this look like the face of Captain Destructo? A week ago I was ready to have it tacked on the post office wall as one of the 10 Most Wanted criminals.

Matthew, age 2

Matthew can be as stubborn as his Aunt Debra was when she was two. An illustration:

Matthew loves to sit on my lap when I sew. Being a grandma, I allow this (which I never allowed as a mother). We get along famously while he sits quietly on my lap. Granted, my progress is slower, but that's the price you pay for time spent with such an affectionate child. Right? Well, Matthew also loves my sewing cabinet. For a long time we taped all the drawers shut so he couldn't continue to ransack them. Now he's old enough that the tape is a mere amusement on the trail to the victorious opening of my drawers. In particular he is fascinated with my measuring tapes. I had three. One was a wonderful, 120 inch long, bright yellow measuring tape. The other two were only 60 inches long, one blue, one neon orange. Matthew wanted those tapes. Being the kind, generous G'ma that I am, I donated the blue and orange ones to the grandchild cause.

The yellow one, however, was off limits. I moved it to the back of the drawer so it was no longer a visual temptation. He has the memory of an elephant, and always managed to dig and find it. I always took it away, and gave him one of the others. This happened repeatedly, sometimes many times in one day. I made it very clear that the yellow measuring tape was not for him. (I do have my limits...) He at times has even told me, while holding the yellow tape, that it was mine, and not for him to play with. He also told me many times that it was his, and he could have it. The process was sort of a game to him, but there was no doubt that the yellow measuring tape was not a toy.

This is what happened last week:

That's right. 120 inches chopped into many small pieces like the ones above. (Done with my scissors, which are also off limits). Luckily for Matthew I was not home at the time. I don't get mad at the grandkids, but I must admit to a flash of anger when I found out he'd chopped up my measuring tape. Also luckily for him he was asleep from his hours-long time out at the time. Of course, it was just a flash, and now I am just resigned. After all, it was only a measuring tape. Nothing worth getting in a fuss about. It will go down in the annals of Matthew history.

However, I'm still finding reminders:
Trish came to the rescue and gave me a 120 inch retractable measuring tape to replace the yellow one. It's still upstairs, hidden for now.

Good thing I love that boy!

A woman of mysteries

I love a good mystery. In books that is. In real life I want to know, not guess. The first mystery books I remember reading were by Elizabeth Hoffman Honness. I can still see in my mind's eye exactly where they were in our local library (straight back, lowest shelf, on the right). I was probably in second or third grade when I started reading those, and I'm still enjoying mysteries to this day.

Even though I scare easily, I like good suspense. I read all the Sherlock Holmes stories in high school. The Hound of the Baskervilles scared the pants off me. I don't want too much graphic blood and gore. I gave up reading Agatha Christie for a while when my husband was traveling a lot. I couldn't sleep at night because they were too scary and my imagination ran rampant. (This is the lasting influence that In Cold Blood had on me.) So even though it seems contrary to my cowardly nature, I can't get enough of mysteries.

I decided to list a few of my favorite mystery series, in no particular order:

1. Diane Mott Davidson's Goldy Schulz series. The first in the series is Catering to Nobody, and there are currently 14 novels in the series. Goldy Schulz is a caterer, and there are some delicious recipes included in the books.


2. Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series. The first in the series is Maisie Dobbs, and there are currently six novels in the series. These books take place post-WWI in England. There are some fascinating insights into the war, and post-war England.

3. Susan Wittig Albert has written three series that I enjoy. My favorite is the China Bayles series. The first in the series is Thyme of Death. There are currently 17 books in the series. Her characters continue to grow, and she has done a good job keeping the series fresh. China is a former attorney turned herb shop owner living in Central Texas.

The second series are The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter. These are stories that feature animals as characters, as well as people - Beatrix Potter being one of those. The first in the series is The Tale of Hill Top Farm. I believe there are currently four books in this series.

The third series by Susan Wittig Albert is actually found under the author Robin Paige. Albert co-wrote the books with her husband. They take place at the turn of the nineteenth to twentieth centuries. In many of the books famous people appear as characters. The books are well researched, and very fun. The first in the series is Death at Bishop's Keep. There are twelve books in the series, and I'm sad to say the series is complete at those twelve.

4. What is a list of mysteries without Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone alphabet series?? The first book is A is for Alibi. She's through T so far. Some are better than others, but I liked them all. Kinsey Millhone is a private detective in the fictional town of Santa Teresa in California (loosely modeled after Santa Barbara).

5. Earlene Fowler's Benni Harper series is another favorite. The first in the series is Fool's Puzzle. So far there are 13 books in the series. Each book is named after a quilt block, and the meaning behind the block is woven into the story. (She also wrote a book The Saddlemaker's Wife - not a mystery, very good.)

6. Martha Grimes' Richard Jury series. The first in the series is The Man With a Load of Mischief. The book titles are all names of pubs. Richard Jury is a police detective. It takes place in England. There are 21 books in the series so far. I've probably read about half of them to date.

7. Katherine Hall Page's Faith Fairchild mysteries. The first in the series is The Body in the Big Apple. All the titles begin with The Body in the... There are 18 books in the series so far. I have not read all of them yet. Faith is a caterer - I don't want to say more.

8. The latest series I like is by Julie Hyzy. The first is State of the Onion, and the second is Hail to the Chef. I'm looking forward to lots more books in this White House Chef series. Olivia Paras is a chef at the white house, and the action takes place there and other parts of Washington, DC. Hyzy has written other books, but I haven't had a chance to read them yet. I will get to them sometime soon, I hope.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. It just happens to be a few of the series I consistently enjoy reading. When a new book in the series comes out, I don't hesitate to get right to it.

Here are a few more mystery writers I enjoy:

Charlaine Harris

Mary Daheim (Seattle local color)

Lilian Jackson Braun - The Cat Who series

Carolyn Hart

Nancy Atherton

Carol Lachnit

J.A. Jance -J.P. Beaumont series

I'm sure I've left out some great ones, but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

What mystery writers do you like?

A few photos

What do you do in the summer time? I like to be on the hammock with the grandkids. Madeleine and Austin kept me company last week:

We had a little photo shoot with the three girls. They all had matching dresses, and Madeleine was fast outgrowing hers, so we gathered them together: Elizabeth's not too happy, Rachel is sitting posed so nicely, and Madeleine is contemplating something off in the distance. Each girl in her very own world.
The posing went by the wayside for a few minutes with this one:
Finally, Madeleine's had enough. Please, can we be done? Elizabeth was finally calming down, and Rachel is fascinated with Madeleine's attitude.