so there’s the CMS’ “Wedding of the Century” that day – and the grand parade through the streets of columbiana – the debut of the 2012 marching band, i guess – all on the same day – decisions, decisions – where are you people for advice when i need it???

“reagan diaries” – i think i mentioned i started this book last week – well, guess what??? it’s now done and returned to the county library – no pushing or shoving as you all collectively race to get it (secret message i wrote and left on page 530 for that special someone that follows to check the book out:)

anyway, the “diaries” were good – i would say that it empowered me to pick up my pen and write mine – but i stopped four years ago in protest of my life – it wasn’t worth writing about anymore – and i believe my protest is working so i’m sticking with it:)

okay, third try on a review – the book was good – good sense of what the president was thinking and dwelling during his reign – what consumed him – i imagine all diaries would reveal as much

“radical” reread book from my pastor at brook hills – and his sermon was matthew 28 today so it was pretty much sitting through the book again:)

“pym of nantucket” edgar allan poe wrote this book – his lone fictional novel/work – it’s an acquired taste – not your traditional poe with twisted darkness – a little more like what his peers were producing at the time – the good thing about the book is that you read it and see how jules verne could get his travel/sci-fi books 40 years down the road – one influenced the other – so while the first book (poe’s) isn’t that great and just sort of ends – odd plot development (either no climax or like two) – the fact that book influenced others made it bearable – and i don’t like poe generally so the book was actually an improvement for me – but poe lovers can be warned – stay away!!!

suppose that’s it – hope your liberty day week is wonderful

mafeld

(no, it wasn’t a big wheel – 4-wheel – working engine and all – and yes, when it’s a billion degrees outside and you’re an hour into a run, you do look for small things to movitate yourself – that or you hallucinate the whole thing…)

“3 and out” – there was a coach – richrod was his name – actually, Rich Rodriguez – long time ago, he almost became the head coach at alabama – thankfully, he didn’t – he became michigan’s coach – and this writer watched the program fall apart during the three years – he got inside access – i enjoyed the read – anything to get me ready for college football season – and sort of scout bama’s first opponent…

“another season” – gene stallings was bama’s coach when i first arrived on campus – he wrote a book in ’97 about his son – john mark – who had down syndrome (john mark passed away within the last five years) – the book was written to help the RISE center on campus – it tells about stallings’ coaching career – and about john mark’s fragile life – amazing book that i read 14 years ago – and read again this week – i noticed my granddad’s copy on my grandmother’s shelf – my granddad’s been gone for eight years now so it was special to read one of the last books he understood

moved into politics afterwards – ronald reagan’s diaries – i’m in ’85 so three years to go – big book – i’ll save impressions for next week

and season two of friday night lights is almost finished – not sure that english teacher should’ve given julie “the world according to garp” – i’m not sure i’m ready to read it

AND!!! best news of all – i sort of have my very own kenyan orphan now!!! marvin o

happy week

maf

hope week two of june is wonderful for everyone – lots of summer reading going on here…

“eat and run” by scott jurek – the title is self-explanatory – most of the book is about scott’s tremendous work running – and then at the end of every chapter, there’s a vegan(ish) recipe – hence, eat and run – his journey is amazing though – he’s had to battle some dark moments – and his willingness to pull through and keep going is what makes him an encouraging read

“from the heart” by laura bush – i had to wait on this one b/c 5,000 others were in front of me at the library when it first came out – now, it sits beside her husband’s book in columbiana – i didn’t remember/realize that she spent 10-ish years as a teacher/librarian – figured it was shorter than that – probably my favorite part of the book was her adult life teaching – i did enjoy the private tour of the white house – and how she recreated the post 9/11 environment – lots, i do, forget how tense that time period was

“running the rift” – new book at a library near you – i think it’s a translation – nevertheless, beautiful fictional account of a rwandan runner who’s caught in the midst of genocide during the mid ’90s – he, like most tutsi’s – lost everything – and the world had a hard time catching on – or even caring – about what was going on – reading the book gave me a better understanding of an event i didn’t know a lot about – and it reminded me again that it’s important to stop evil when you see it working (simple as that sounds, we live in an era where we like to leave people alone and not judge…)

“running for my life” by lopez lomong – oh, what a joy to read – what a blessing – what an ecouragement – lomong was abducted from his church in the sudan at age six, made a child soldier, escaped to kenya and lived on one meal a day in a refugee camp for 10 years, came to america, became a US citizen, carried the US flag and ran for the US in the 1500 meter race in ’08, looks to qualify in three weeks for this year’s olympic team – now works with world vision ministries to help south sudan – just an amazing story – an amazing person – and a book that encourages you to believe

so lots of books last week – even made it to season 2 of friday night lights re-runs – must return and continue to anticipate football

maf

okay, so “little women” wasn’t the highlight of the week that went to…

“muck city” – coming soon to a library near you – great book about a unique high school in the everglades in florida – how that school and its kids (and teachers) overcome suffocating poverty to achieve great things – absorbing read – really, really loved it

“insurgent” – finished it early in the week – i’m ready to give up the divergent series – i’m getting too old to appreciate teen romance and drama, i guess (oh, for those days when i did appreciate teen romance – wait??? not sure i ever recall appreciating teen romance)

“little women” – i’m going with the nook here and calling this a 1,400 page book – which makes my accomplishment of reading it in two days all the more impressive – i guess – anyway, little women was not written for me – i’m pretty sure about that – nevertheless, it was a decent book – liked it much better than insurgent (if you can’t guess, i didn’t like that book:) and, oh, when jo broke laurie’s heart, i just wanted to cry and cry…

reading college football now as my reward for “little women” – in fact, with two fiction books read this week, i may just call that “good” for the summer and stick with biographies and such

great to see my lovely ladies at the duke ceremony today – thanks again to faryn for inviting me – and to julie for, for, for, mmm… give me a week to think about it…

mafeld