This, That, and The Other

I hate to do this. I really like to post about one thing at a time, but I can't seem to find the time to post regularly. So here goes.

This.

I feel that having knowledge that a certain vice-presidential candidate didn't know that Africa was a continent, not a country (My children, who aren't old enough to vote, know that Africa is a continent and consists of many countries.), and not telling it until after the election is a mal-practice of journalism. The idea that Fox News would save this morsel until after the election is just plain telling. Yet, I suspect people who wanted to know, could guess the state of preparation from the Katie Couric interviews.

How demeaning to our intelligence and sense of right and wrong it is to try to play off a poser on the American people for the sake of a win. What a scary thing is this lack of knowledge especially if it is indicative of the state of education in America and America's curiosity about the world beyond our doorstep. How did we get to this place? Is she really an everywoman? The world is so global now that I find it difficult to imagine how you could leave school without a clear idea of continents and countries. And if you didn't have this base information, what would make you think it was appropriate to say yes. Was it ignorance or complete lack of respect for America?

That.

Jove, who has never lacked curiosity about anything, wanted more of my opinion about the bee decline. I don't think the decline is caused by one single thing. Insects, as are most animals, able to adapt to many stressers. Noticeable problems arise when there are a combination of stresses.

Jove asked specifically about the over harvest of honey and supplementing with high fructose corn syrup. I do believe, as I preached here, that commercializing bees and feeding substandard supplements is problematic. Dragging bees all over the country in 18-wheelers for commercial pollination just seems stressful, not just because the bees are separated from natural honey and fed cheap supplements, but because with the bees in such close proximity any disease, fungus, or mite can be easily transmitted. Any problems become noticeable quickly.

Add to commercialization of the pollination business, the use of genetically modified seeds, specifically corn that produces an insecticide in the pollen, and you create an additional decline. Yet, there is one other problem. The attempt to rid the nation of mosquitoes and other insects by broadcast spraying is devastating. Even in my rural county, a grant was sought and given for mosquito control. Instead of using the grant for education (emptying standing water, mosquito biting times, and effective larva control) they bought a sprayer and drove through the county roads spraying insecticide into the air. Because of lack of education about mosquito behavior, spraying started too early thereby killing bees that were still working and was rendered ineffective because it is impossible to spray the entire county from the road. Mosquitoes instead became immune to the chemicals and West Nile Virus was not reduced, yet bees were.

The Other.

I promised a book review of David Guterson's The Other back in the summer. Here it is.

When I first began reading this book, I was a bit disappointed. I thought it was nothing more than a thinly masked autobiography. You see I have read everything David Guterson has written including the homeschool book, so I knew he was a teacher (Countryman was a teacher), lived in the Northwest (the novel was set here as his others have been), and had other basic similarities of the character. I wasn't impressed because it seemed like a loosely tied journal purge.

But I kept reading. I kept reading to find that I could have been correct, but that the quality was hypnotic. I kept reading to struggle with questions of when to intervene if friends are damaging themselves. I kept reading to struggle with questions of hypocrisy, idealism, and worth. I kept reading because I was mesmerized. I had to know what happened to the Hermit of the Hoh in his attempt to live his convictions and how Neil mollified his conscience. I kept reading because the language was beautiful.

Shore Books

Last time I was at the beach, I read two books - the first book I purchased on the way down and the second was in the bookcase just waiting. Funny thing, both the books had similar themes that when combined moved me to think thoughtfully about my own life.

Between the Tides by Patti Callahan Henry was the book I bought because I walked past it in the bookstore seeing the word tides and a white crinoline showing beneath a child's white skirt. You know it looked and sounded beachy.

William Shakespeare wrote "What is past is prologue." Between the Tides explores the reality of the middle ground between the past and future, between high tide and low. Nine months after her father's death, Catherine still could not bring herself to sprinkle the ashes in the Carolina Low Country river of her childhood as her father wished. By sending his daughter back to her childhood home he hoped that she would be able assuage guilt, find truth, and change her perceptions, so that she could live fully in the future. Encouraged by Forest Anderson, her father's assistant professor, Catherine makes the trip, finds answers, and is able to embrace her true self and a future full of love and expectation.

Having heard of The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd, yet knowing nothing of it, I picked it up to finish out my weekend of relaxation. Jessie Sullivan goes to the Barrier Islands of South Carolina to care for her mother who has intentionally severed a finger while cooking at a monastery. Though being contentedly married for years, Jessie falls in love with a monk who has not yet taken his final vows. Through this love she reignites her life and breaks out of her metaphorical box. In the end, she decides to reunite with her husband, but before she does she makes a commitment to herself.

OK, I guess everyone is wondering what sprinkling the ashes of a father and an affair with a monk have in common. Seeing it written does make it seem more improbable, yet each of these women chose a safe place, rather than finding a place of growth and full living. Each put life and love on hold while living a truncated life. True, one was trapped by the past and the other trapped by the needs and routines of life with a family, but what each failed to do(and in my opinion what many women fail to do) was to devote time, space, and energy to nurture herself.

There is a scene at the end of The Mermaid Chair when Jessie walks out into the water to complete a ritual that she had seen her mother and her mother's friends perform when she was young in which they tied some yarn together and cast it to the sea to show an enduring bond between the friends, but instead of making a vow to family or friends she makes a commitment to herself - a commitment to make room for her inner spirit.

I let the demands of family, work, and home smother the person I am. Even without having an affair with a monk or losing a parent I realize that I, too, need to commit to myself. I think I will walk to the top of the highest hill on our farm in the almost full moon, tie a knot in a ribbon and cast it into the breeze, thereby vowing to make a little time for me - not the mother me, not the wife me, not the daughter me, not the sister me, not the useful at work me. What about you?

Pyramids, Temples, and Coliseums

I found a great beach book. Honestly, it was easy to find since my mother left it on the table for me and the children to find and use. My mother does things like this a lot - thoughtful gifts, well placed, at just the right moment. Anyway, the book is Sand-tiquity by Malcolm Wells, Kappy Wells, and Connie Singo.

Sand-tiquity demonstrates the building of ziggurats, step pyramids, coliseums, temples, the Parthenon, a pueblo, and the Pyramid and the Sphinx. We tried to build them all this weekend. Of course, ours didn't look as fabulous as the pictures in the book, but the instructions were simple - a swipe here, a cut there, and eureka! you have all of ancient history lined up on the beach.

Thanks, mom!

Savannah Blues

I read (listened) to Mary Kay Andrews' Savannah Blues. It is really a ridiculous book and not believable at all. Most Southern belles I know would never publicly use the foul language that Mary Kay Andrews chooses to bestow on her heroines and the plot is outrageously far-fetched. But, I felt entertained. The story was bigger than life. I wanted to see how BeBe Loudermilk would get revenge and her money. I wanted to be part of the scheme. I wanted her to find a good man and live happily ever after.

What's more. I will read and probably enjoy another Andrews book if she writes another even though every one of her previous books follows the same formula. They are happy, light, and about strong Southern belles who always get short changed and get revenge. Oh, and there is a recipe and fresh, bright cover art.

I am addicted to cover art whether it is on a book or a wine bottle. Send my money to the graphic artist. I will buy the mood or feeling every single time. Yes, I eventually look beyond the cover, but the initial draw is powerful. Want a "beach read?" Choose a brightly colored, fun looking book that has no pretension of being good literature.

Do you choose a book by the cover?

Gain

I finished Gain by Richard Powers a few days ago. Powers, again, impresses me with his intellect and mastery of form. The two interlinking stories - Laura' cancer and Clare's history - is a device similar to the one he used in The Echo Maker, but it works. By elucidating the history Clare Soaps and illustrating the octopus like growth of the company (he includes charts), Powers was able to show how the original mission of cleansing and lighting was tainted and manipulated in the name of efficiency - the how could this happen in the reality of the never ending questions of "What is this in my ketchup?".

Before this novel I was a bit fanatical about chemicals, now I may need to be straight-jacketed. Laura's battle with ovarian cancer and the transformation of a family business into a chemical spewing megalith has sorely affected me. I'll be going to the doctor as soon as I can get an appointment.

Go out and get your yearly check-up!! If you need motivation, read this book.

The Birchbark House

On the drive to and from the beach we listened to Louise Erdrich's The Birchbark House. I chose it because Susan at Chicken Spaghetti was going to read it with her child. I had not heard of this book, so I investigated and thought it would be a good match for our family. I couldn't get a copy of the book without special ordering, so I downloaded the book for my iPod.

The children and I loved the tale of Frog, the Anishinabe/Ojibwe girl, who is comparable to Laura of Little House fame. We listened to tales of her mischief, her courage, and grief. We learned much.

Now, though we are studying ancient history, we will have to take a side trip to the Northern Great Lakes area to satiate the children's desire for more information. I found this interesting web site. It has lesson plans (which I won't use) and much great information.

Thanks, Susan!

Oops I forgot: The reader, Nicolle Littrell, was great. She did voices and animal sounds.

Spring Reading Challenge

I had so much fun during the Winter Reading Challenge that I am signing on for the Spring Challenge. Who will join me?

For Spring, I will concentrate on reading the novels of Richard Powers. Now that I found Richard Powers because Zilla suggested The Echo Maker, I feel I need to investigate further. I am weird like that. I will also read The Secret Life of Bees because Jove recommended it and I am a beekeeper. I'm going to the beach so I will read something light like a Mary Kaye Andrews novel.

Here is my planned list, so far.
Gain - Richard Powers
The Time of Our Singing - Richard Powers
Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance - Richard Powers
The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
Savannah Breeze - Mary Kaye Andrews

My list is short because Spring is my busiest time. With garden, bees, school, and farm, I shouldn't even lift a book, but . . .

The Year of Magical Thinking

I just finished reading The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. I picked up this book from my sister's bedside table. She had suggested it in one of her comments here, so I took it.

I can't say that this is the best book for February, yet I've never read a book that was as honest, yet intellectual, about a topic as emotional as death. The book documents Joan Didion's struggle with grief and mourning after the death of her husband and writing partner John Dunne. Relying on the things she had always used as support - research, books, and writing - she journeys through a year of "magical thinking" in which she finds dangerous ground in even the smallest errands and tasks.

The Echo Maker

I completely lost track of everything this weekend while I read The Echo Maker by Richard Powers. Powers masterfully combines science and emotion in a tale about cranes, water, brain damage, recovery, sibling relationships, trust, success and failure, and our perceptions. There is much medical jargon, but with the search for medical answers to Mark's accident induced Capgras Syndrome the search for personal answers to our perceptions of self, our public presentation of self, and the outsider's perception of us is illuminated. We are also reminded of how fragile, yet resilient, the interactions truly are.

My husband came back home last night and said, "You've been reading."

I said, "How observant of you. How did you know?"

He said, "You are somewhere else. You always go somewhere else."

Hmmm! I think I misjudged my husband. I was in Nebraska while he was in Memphis. I thought he wouldn't notice my absence.

Thanks for the recommendation, Zilla!! Now, I feel that I must go see the cranes!!!!

House Made of Dawn

N. Scott Momaday's House Made of Dawn was my next to last book for The Winter Reading Challenge. This book has been on my "To Be Read List" for far too long. I have on more than one occasion read the opening lines:

There was a house made of dawn. It was made of pollen and of rain, and the land was very old and everlasting. There were many colors on the hills, and the plain was bright with different-colored clays and sands. Red and blue and spotted horses grazed in the plain, and there was a dark wilderness on the mountains beyond. The land was still and strong. It was beautiful all around. Abel was running. . . . Against the winter sky and the long, light landscape of the valley at dawn, he seemed almost to be standing still, very little and alone.

Yet, the prologue was enough so I chose other books. Now that I have read the entire book, I have the details that give earthly reality to opening lines and the mirroring closing lines.

With dawn, though it is fleeting, there is always hope - the expectation of the continuing cycle of nature and the opportunity to start fresh. In House Made of Dawn we are faced with the reality of disconnecting culture and historical natural rhythms from the individual Native Americans who are forced into the fast paced American world. The near demise of Abel in war, judicial system, and then city life is heart wrenching. But, then there is dawn.

Verdi Cookies!!

Today, was a sister day! My baby sister (Of course she is not a baby anymore since she has a four month old and a three year old of her own, but she is ten years younger and I can't teach myself not to think of her as the baby) came out because she is reading Verdi at her son's two day a week pre-school tomorrow and she needed a snack. Instead of the usual goldfish and juice, she wanted something more personal, so we designed figure-eight Verdi cookies in both immature and mature python skins. Honestly, I may have pushed her into it. I can't remember, but aren't they cute.

I think they turned out beautifully, but I can't help believe the cookies are a bit over the top. Did we go too far? Can you go too far?

The Known World

As part of the Winter Reading Challenge, I read The Known World by Edward P. Jones. I was prepared for the moral conundrums inherent in books about slavery, but I was not prepared for the intricate manipulations of the usual issues. In this book you have the expected miscegenation, beating and maiming of slaves, attempted escapes, and immoral and unlawful law enforcement, but then the waters are muddied with black slave owners and other subtle manipulations of the recurring themes. The repeated statement, "I ain't done nothin I ain't a right to," seems to bind the whittling away of human respect.

The writing is mesmerizing, though difficult in the beginning because of the movements in time and place. I found myself having to reread beginning segments to create a clearer picture of the characters and how they related to the flashbacks. Yet, once the characters were established, I found the movements in time and place natural and effective - almost quilt-like without the comfort.

I'm working on two more books: House Made of Dawn by Momaday and The Echo Maker by Richard Powers. The Momaday book was originally on the challenge list and I added The Echo Maker at Zilla's recommendation.

The List - Picture Books

As promised, here is THE LIST! This task was more difficult than I imagined. I could name a few from memory, then I went to the children's bookcases. Each asked what I was doing and I told them I wanted to make a list of our absolute must have picture books. At this point, they both started screaming favorites and pulling them off the shelf. We eventually chose books that had been read until the pages acquired that old book feeling or the covers were taped. After the list was finished, I realized that there were still treasured books that were not represented. These are in a random order.

Title	Author	Illustrator	Why?
Miss Suzy	Miriam Young	Arnold Loebel	Great story and pictures. This is one from my childhood. I always enjoyed the good winning over menacing.
Verdi	Diane Cannon		You have beautiful nature pictures, a story about growing older while retaining your inner youth, and the "perfect figure eight." What more could you need?
Miss Twiggley's Tree	Dorothea Warren Fox		A wonderful story about a woman who eschewed typical society coming to the aid of the the town that snubbed her. I love the idea of tree houses if you haven't noticed.
The Complete Curious George	Margaret and H.A. Rey		My mother gave this volume to me, because I loved Curious George when I was young. We have read the cover off this book.
Frederick	Leo Lionni		Validation of the poet, not to mention cute little mice.
Over on the Farm	Christopher Gunson		I'm not usually much on counting books, but my sister gave my son this book when he was very young and the pages have been worn to that wonderful patina because the pictures and words are wonderfully happy.
The Raft	Jim LaMarche		Wonderful paintings and wonderful story about a boy interacting with nature on a raft.
Mike Mulligan	Virginia Lee Burton		Love the tale of problem solving.
The Quiltmaker's Gift	Jeff Brumbeau	Gail De Marcken	Beautiful quilt pictures and a magical story about giving.
Piggies	Don and Audrey Wood		The drawings of the fingers with their piggy personalities are priceless.
Toot and Puddle	Holly Hobbie		Mud Season
The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear	Don and Audrey Wood		The drawings and the power of invention.
The Runaway Bunny	Margaret Wise Brown		The power of a mother's love
Where the Wild Things Are	Maurice Sendak		The pictures and the reality of the tantrum
The Little Engine That Could	Watty Piper		Perseverance
New Shoes, Red Shoes	Susan Rollings		Bright, happy shoe images that my daughter could not resist
My Many Colored Days	Dr. Suess		Color and the reality that not all days are
The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter	Beatrix Potter		Who can live without Peter and Jeremy Fisher
The Lorax	Dr. Suess		It's never too early to start teaching about environmental stress.
Peach and Blue	Sarah Kilborne		Wonderful story of how someone else's view can improve our own.
Insectlopedia	Douglas Florian		Interesting pictures and cute insect poems
The Foot Book	Dr. Suess		I know this one by heart because I read it over and over and over and over
No Matter What	Debi Glori		Again, a mother's love overcomes a bad day. "Do you still love me; Do you still care?" Of course, I do.
Something From Nothing	Phoebe Gilman		Beautiful pictures and story. The mice images on the bottom of each page are wonderful.
In a Small, Small Pond	Denise Fleming		Bright, interesting pictures and happy words and pond life.
The Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit	Joel Chandler Harris	Dan Daily	Trickster tales, especially Tar Baby
Aesop's Fables		Jerry Pinkney	Great pictures and classic tales

What have I forgotten? Here's Becky's list. Zilla's list is in the comments section of the last post. Where's your list?

What's your opinion?

After spending an unplanned $60 in the bookstore last night, then coming home and looking at all the books we already have, then reading from our current Laura Ingalls Wilder book, I started wondering if owning and reading all the books you can get your hands on is far superior to owning a few books and really getting to know those few.

This is not the first time I have thought of this concept. I vowed not to buy any more books and just use the library a few years ago, but that plan didn't stick. I like having books around me. I like the way they smell and feel. Then there was that obscure piece of research that I once read that said that reading the same books over and over and over and over was really great for young children learning to reading. Next, figure in my treaty with the world to minimize my impact and you have my conundrum. Why would I continue to aid and abet the production of all these books? Why do we own so many books? Does anyone else worry this much?

Because once I get on a roll I have a difficult time finding the brakes, I tried to think of all the books I and the children own and wondered which books would make the cut if I instituted a cull. Obviously, categories are in order and I will start with the children's picture books. If your child could own only 25 picture books, what would they be and why?

I challenge!

I'll publish my list tomorrow.

A Better Understanding

I've no right, nor special knowledge, but I'd like to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. Dreaming of a society in which fairness reigns and all people have equal rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is not a waste of time if liberal amounts of energy are also spent working toward a better understanding of those who are different and to create an environment of acceptance.

Here's my offering of the day - words and art that will lead to a better understanding.

Online Media:

• History and Politics Online is a compilation of audio and text of memory worthy speeches and historical moments. Here is the Martin Luther King, Jr. section. My favorites are Drum Major for Justice and I Have a Dream. If you need mpg format you can get I Have a Dream from here.
  
• An interesting recounting of the Bus Strike in Birmingham, AL by Maya Angelou of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings fame.
• The art of Faith Ringgold.
  

Must read books for understanding:

• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is an emotional powerhouse of a novel with mind blowing imagery and unbelievable rhythm. You can feel the fear and rage.
• Black Boy: An Autobiography by Richard Wright is a straightforward accounting of a journey from the challenges of segregated Mississippi to a self education in Chicago and beyond.
• Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is another autobiographical account, this time of a girl.
  
• Beloved by Toni Morrison is another truly memorable book with a view into the emotional and physical baggage of ex-slaves.
• There Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is another rich look into the lives of poor, Southern black people.
• Selected Poems by Langston Hughes
• Annie Allen or any other poetry by Gwendolyn Brooks. By the way, I got to meet Ms. Brooks and listen to her read her poetry.

So, you ask yourself, "Why did she choose these?" I chose these because they are truly "Great Literature," not just something written by someone with dark skin. The books speak of the unfairness, the pain, and struggle of growing up black, but they also speak of the human condition that transcends race which is what we are striving for in the first place - a humanity that is color blind.

But for those who want more, try these narratives, free.

The Lay of the Land

I've finished Richard Ford's Lay of the Land, my third Winter Book Challenge book. It, like its predecessor, The Sportswriter and Independence Day is a rambling, Updikish, stream of conscience view into the inner workings of a man - supposedly a flawed "everyman" type or perhaps just an "everyman." I, however, have only met a few men who were so introspective. I enjoyed submersing myself in the language which, though Richard Ford minimizes its influence, has a touch of the South, albeit with a Jersey accent. Though much self reckoning occurs, there is little plot. Most of the book is spent in transit, which I guess is the point - the movement from one level of self realization to the next. To properly enjoy this book you need to know Frank Bascombe's history and prior scrutinizations. Read all three books.

Next, The Known World by Edward P. Jones.

Book Challenge - Two Down

I've finished two Book Challenge books. I'm stretching a little. My two books were not on my list, but I am counting them anyway since I technically haven't finished my list.

I read The Tie That Binds, a lesser known work by Kent Haruf, author of Plainsong and Eventide. The Tie That Binds is actually his first book, but as with many first books it was published with little notice. I read and loved Plainsong and Eventide a few years ago. The simple language and compelling story of these companion books about two older bachelor brothers are hypnotic. I was left wanting more. Anyway, when I was at Lemuria I noticed The Tie That Binds, and wanting more of the Plainsong melody purchased it immediately. I was not disappointed. Simple language relaying a compelling story of obligation and personal sacrifice create a stark novel that is nothing less than mesmerizing.

I also read (listened to) Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code. I never intended to read this book (It's not my type), yet so many people around here ask if I have read it indicating that I'm not well read if I haven't read this book. I succumbed to public pressure . This book has more twists and turns than a mountain road. I have to admit that the book was exciting and that I wanted to find out what would happen next. Yet, I had a sense that I was reading a screen play. I suppose I was, since it was quickly turned into a movie that I have yet to see. I am so behind the times.

Anyway, these two books were a diversion from my more dense first reading choice, The Lay of the Land. I am enjoying this Updikish journey into the mind of a 55 year old male, but it is not a fast read. I will report when I finish.

More Books for the Winter Reading Challenge

I am still working on the Lay of the Land by Richard Ford. I may have to add the first two books of this triology to my list because there are some holes in my memory. Seven or Eight years is a long time to remember book details with only a single reading. I am adding these unrelated books now.

House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Known World by Edward P . Jones

Winter Reading Challenge

I saw the Winter Reading Challenge at Mother Crone's. Even though I am late joining, I need an excuse to buy more books and read more, so I accept the challenge.

I have only one book in the house that I haven't read. I received a signed by the author copy of The Lay of the Land by Richard Ford for Christmas. Thanks, husband!! This will be my first book.

After that, I will be forced to buy more books, raid my mother's shelves, or go to the library. The children did receive a few books for Christmas. I wonder if they would count.

I will update the list later in the week.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

What we are reading

Even with all the chaos of shopping, cooking, and activity of the holidays we are still reading.

I just finished The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I love the way Setterfield writes. She writes for a reader about readers. Her language is rich and her story is full of intrigue. She doesn't rely on shock value, sex, or vulgarity. Incest and rape are there, but we don't encounter a graphic retelling in which the writer is proving her willingness to address the language and horror. What we get is a more mature approach to story telling where the writer trusts the reader to have certain knowledge, to intuit, and to enjoy a less immediate gratification.

With the children I am reading these:

• The Ancient Egyptian World is our current book in the The World in Ancient Times Series. I still like the primary sources provided with the series in the reference volume. The pictures are wonderful, the writing lively, and the history verifiable. Egypt is such a fun study because of the possibilities. We have made Egyptian sandals, papyrus paper, and will make a sculpty step pyramid with individual blocks.
• The Cat of Bubastes by G.A. Henty is part of our Egyptian study. We are only a few chapters into the book so will reserve judgment until later. This book may be a bit mature for my children. I am not sure what the recommended ages are.
• The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss is our bedtime story. The children love the book. I, though I like the story, am curious about the messages I am sending by reading this book. The shoot everything in sight regardless of whether it will make a good food or not mentality is not comforting. I am inspired by the family's resourcefulness and positive attitude. We have been attempting to identify the point of shipwreck globally and find it positively frustrating. The animals are too diverse to make it believable - kangaroos, buffalo, jackal, onager, penguins, flamingos, and, eagles . . . The flora is just as elusive. Being unable to pin down the location will make it difficult for us to ship wreck there, which is what my children long to do.