Review of Amanda's Story by Brian O'Grady

Brian O'Grady is the newest person to join The Story Plant's growing group of authors. If you have been reading my blog for some time, you are aware that I have been copyediting for The Story Plant for several months now and I have been thoroughly impressed by the quality of the writing coming from this group. These are authors to watch.

I was recently given the opportunity to review Brian's newest book, Amanda's Story. It is the prequel to his best-selling debut novel, Hybrid. I finished reading Amanda's Story in just slightly over one sitting and immediately put Hybrid on my "must read" list! Wow! It reminded me somewhat of one of the few Stephen King books I have read. (He's a great author; I am just not into horror stories.) I won't mention it here because it would give too much of the story away and I don't want to do that. You have to read it for yourself.

The story begins in Pakistan, heads to Honduras, back to a remote location in the U.S. and finally ends up in Colorado Springs, Colorado with a few other stops here and there. Along the way we meet several interesting characters including terrorists, Red Cross workers, detectives, and of course Amanda herself.

The first chapter more than hints at the coming disaster, which is apparently even more completely fleshed out in Hybrid. Believe you me, it makes quite an appearance here though. Anticipating some rather gruesome developments, I was already on edge. We meet Amanda in the next chapter and find a likable but grief-stricken woman. She lost her parents as a child and has recently lost her husband and two-year-old son in a plane crash. One can't help but empathize with her as she tries to navigate her newly empty world.

With help from her in-laws with whom she is very close as well as her aunt, she decides to take a job with the Red Cross and is immediately assigned to go to Honduras after a huge hurricane has devastated the area. This is where the action really ramps up and keeps you on the edge of your seat, ripping through the pages and reading as fast as possible. At this point it is pretty much impossible to put down.

I had several emotions while reading this novel, not all of which were pleasant. Since I have no intention of including any spoilers in my review, I am simply going to tell you how Amanda and her experiences affected me personally. As I watched her grow and change throughout the book, I found myself alternately feeling sorry for her, wanting to hug her, being afraid for her, being scared to death of her, seriously disliking her and finally pulling for her as she had to figure out how to deal with her demons.

After getting a little distance from the book today, I had to come to the uncomfortable conclusion that my visceral reaction to Amanda had a good deal to do with relating to her in a way that I didn't want to admit. If we are honest with ourselves, we all have dark emotions and feelings that we are mostly successful in hiding from others. I too have always been "the good girl," following the rules, doing what was expected of me regardless of how I felt about it. However now that I am in my fifties with the accompanying hormones, I am finding it much harder to keep my mouth shut when I am unhappy about something, to always go along with the status quo if I don't like it, to be the one to give in. I honestly think I liked myself much better before ... I was certainly more pleasant to be around for everyone else. Most of the time, I truly was okay with it too. Confrontation is hard and messy. I don't like hard and messy but I seem to walk right into it now.

What if I could always do what I wanted with impunity? What if there was nothing anyone else could do to stop me? No consequences? Isn't that what we think we want? To always have our own way? Hmmm, maybe not such a good thing after all! Read Amanda's Story and you will understand what I mean.

(I was given a copy of this book by The Story Plant in exchange for my honest review but was not required to give a positive review.)

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty~

I am thankful for my country, where it is still my privilege and right to worship my God openly. That means I have the responsibility to allow others to worship whomever they want to worship as well! That said, I am very concerned about where the country is headed, but I am not surprised. The Bible tells us in II Timothy 4:3 that "... a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear." The Bible is no longer accepted as truth if it doesn't conform to the social "political correctness" of the time. Whatever we don't like is just thrown out or simply disregarded as misinterpreted.
   It is hard for me to comprehend how much things have changed just in my lifetime. Some changes have been very good. I can't comprehend how in the past (and unfortunately some people even today) Christians could think that the color of someone's skin made a difference as to their place in society or in God's family. As our pastor said today, the ground under the cross is level. A person's race, sex or creed has nothing to do with his or her status with God. I wasn't brought up like that and was stunned when I ran across it as an adult. It doesn't make sense, Christian or not, and I am thankful our country has taken a stand on this issue. Racism from anyone is disgusting. However, as much as we strive to be a colorblind country, we haven't arrived yet.
   The church as a whole has made a lot of mistakes in the past, persecuting people for centuries because of this, that or the other. This was never Christ's example or teaching. He warned us not to judge. Just look at the passage in John, chapter 8, verses 3-11 where the Pharisees brought the woman, caught in the very act of adultery, before Jesus, demanding to know whether she should be stoned. Jesus didn't condemn her and made it obvious they couldn't condemn her either because they had sin in their lives too. One pastor I love and respect said he thought when Jesus wrote on the ground, he was writing the secret sins of the men who brought her to him. However, although Jesus loved her and accepted her, when all was said and done he told her to leave her life of sin. He didn't whitewash it and tell her it was okay.
   Nowadays, that isn't good enough. Sin isn't sin anymore... it is a personal choice. Not only is it a personal choice, we have to applaud those choices or else we are called intolerant. Some will tell you that this all boils down to religious freedom. In a way, I suppose that is correct and it is unfortunate. Our country was founded on personal religious freedom, but our laws were based on scripture. Of course we can't and shouldn't have a law to govern every action. The "cradle to grave" mentality has gone far enough already. But if we throw out the truths of the Bible, where else do we get a moral code to base our lives on? If we take away the foundation for our morality, if there is no black and white, it all comes down to "what I want." What's right for me is no business of yours, right? In a sense that is true but no society can hold together if its citizens don't for the most part adhere to a common morality that at its heart protects those who cannot protect themselves. Anyone who is honest with themselves knows that none of us comes from an altruistic mindset. Apart from God, we are all out to get what we want and at the expense of whomever or whatever gets in the way. If I get pregnant and it isn't convenient for my life at the time, our society tells me that I have the right to choose. Choose what? To kill my baby and throw it away. Science and medicine has come too far for anyone to continue to claim that an unborn child is simply a piece of tissue. We know better even if some don't want to admit it. We've all seen the pictures. We know~
   But that is where we have gone as a country and that is only one example. I find it frightening and it breaks my heart. It has been said that Christianity is one generation away from extinction and I see it more clearly now than ever. My father once told me that the older he became, the more he knew how far from God he was and I couldn't understand it at the time. He was a Godly, loving father to me. He was the one who demonstrated the truth of God to my life. However, I get it now. The older I get, the more I recognize my own sin and failures. The more I agonize over my failures as a mother and wonder how far reaching those failures will go. Just last week I spent hours on my bed, crying instead of sleeping. I can only pray that God will take my failures and use them as only He can to make something good.
   I am still thankful to have been born in the United States of America. I pray that President Obama seeks God as he makes decisions that will affect each and every one of us. I know in my heart that he is in that office because God wills it in His providence. And I pray that those of us who name Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will remember His example and show love and not condemnation to those who don't agree with us politically, philosophically and spiritually. "For God so loved the world ..." It doesn't say "For God so loved Christians ..." We aren't special and "better than." There are lots of good people out there with lots of ideas and ways of life with which I disagree. However, they still deserve my smile, thoughtfulness and consideration, not my scorn and arrogance. I have nothing to be arrogant about. Anything good in me at all comes from God and He is the only One in whom I trust.

Tyndale Blog Network review of "A Voice in the Wind" by Francine Rivers

Incredible, thought-provoking historical novel~

I look again at the five words I used to introduce my review and find they don't even come close to explaining the depth and impact of this story. I have read other works of fiction by Francine Rivers and have found them all to be well above average.
I agree with another reviewer, in that this book is not for a young audience nor is it for the faint of heart. The book is filled to the brim with the worst of human nature. If one ever doubted that human beings without God are depraved, one doesn't need to look further than this book. The descriptions of the human heart's insatiable desire for sin are, unfortunately, all too accurate. And the parallels between the Roman culture in 70 A.D. and our current culture, not only in the United States, but in most of Western Europe are too obvious to ignore.
The main character is Hadassah, a young Jewish girl who has been sold into slavery after the destruction of Jerusalem, but the remaining characters are well-developed. Decimus and Phoebe Valerian are wealthy Roman citizens who purchase Hadassah as a slave for Julia, their petulant, strong-willed, fifteen-year-old daughter. Their son Marcus, several years older than Julia, is shrewd in business and handsome enough to attract the most beautiful girls, not hesitating to enjoy their intimate company until he gets bored and moves on to his next conquest. Marcus and Julia both have grown up surrounded by the debauchery of Rome and do not understand their parent's objections as they both, each in their own way, serve themselves without regard for others.
Although a Jew, Hadassah is a Christian, and we watch as her faith grows stronger with each page turn, through all her fears and failures as she continues to cry out to God, praying for the family she serves. She tries in vain to help her mistress, Julia, as she defiantly propels herself down a dark path of destruction. As the story progresses, Marcus finds himself irresistibly drawn to Hadassah as she selflessly and willingly serves not only Julia, but the entire family. I also can't neglect to mention Atertes, the young German captured by Roman soldiers and taken as a slave, trained to be a gladiator, and now fighting for his freedom with blood on his hands and heart.
After finishing this book, I immediately, and I do mean immediately, downloaded the remaining two books in the Mark of the Lion Series. When you make the wise decision to pick this book up, make sure you get the other two as well. If not, have your keys and wallet handy, ready to drive to the nearest bookstore the very second you read the last word on the last page. Woe to you if you finish the book at night when they are all closed. You will not want to wait for the store to open the next morning!

(I was given a copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review, but was not required to give a positive review.)

Out of Idaho and into Arizona!

Things have moved along since the last post about our adventures. Actually, the last post was a book review, so that doesn't even count, does it? I guess it has been almost two months since I posted about what and how we are doing.

That last post was on July 24th, and a whole lot of things have happened since then. I alluded to some ... umm ... challenges, shall we say, we were having at the campground at that time. A couple of weeks later, I did the unthinkable (for me) — I broke down and initiated a conversation. What a difference a little communication can make. The last month was great, and we ended up sad we were leaving rather than excited. Of course, the proverbial "hitch itch" had set in, so we were glad to move on to something new. However, it was nice to leave on a good note. Any of you who know me understand that I avoid confrontation to a fault, so you know how hard that was for me. But I have to say, I think I learned that perhaps I need to be willing to talk things out just a bit more and for sure, sooner.

Our last work day at the campground was Sunday, September 2nd. We took an easy day on Labor Day to get ready to pull out, and pull out we did on Tuesday. Now I have to stop and document the "Amazing Grace" our God poured out on us at this point. I had been quite stressed about our finances. Our job in Casa Grande, AZ doesn't start until October 1st and we won't get paid for two weeks after that. Do the math ... that is six weeks without income, and for us, that would have meant putting everything on credit cards and jacking up our balance even more. (We want to get rid of it, not make it worse!)

Sunday evening when we got off work for the final time, I sat down to check my e-mail. I saw I had an e-mail from the publisher I work for as a copyeditor and eagerly opened it. I found he had not one, but two books for me to copyedit this month, and in addition, three books for me to proofread! All in September!

• But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
• Now unto him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

God surely supplied all our needs according to HIS riches, and absolutely above all that we could ask or think!

Needless to say, I have been busy these last couple weeks. I copyedited the first book and have gotten through two of the books to proofread. I may be busy, but it is fun busy. Now I am praying that God will send a consistent supply of manuscripts to me so that I can focus on copyediting and proofreading alone, and dispense with most of the campground work. It's not that I don't enjoy it, but I don't have to hear to copyedit, and that's much better for me.

Now, back to our travels. Once we left Idaho, we came down through Utah and into Arizona. Currently, we are camped at North Ranch in Congress, AZ. This is an Escapees Rainbow Park, and we are quite comfortable here. HOT, but comfortable.  We arrived here last Friday and will be here through the 25th.

On our way through Utah and Arizona, we were privileged to stop at three national parks: Bryce Canyon, Zion, and Grand Canyon National Parks. They were all breathtakingly gorgeous! My first look into Bryce Canyon brought tears to my eyes and the lyrics to one of my favorite songs. I used to listen and sing as my mother played it on the piano. "Creation shows the power of God, there's glory all around. And those who see must stand in awe, for miracles abound. (I Believe in Miracles)." I will leave you with a few pictures of God's creation.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

Zion National Park

Zion National Park

Zion National Park

Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park

Tyndale Bloggers review of "Abducted" by Janice Cantore

Let me start by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. So much so that I have to admit I probably read it too fast! I just couldn't wait to find out what happened to Carly, Nick, A.J., etc. As I was reading this story, I soon realized it was the second book in a series and I hadn't read the first one yet. Ugh! I hate that, so as soon as I finished this one, I checked on Amazon in their Kindle store for the first book (Accused) and found that I had already downloaded it! I am now in the middle of that one as well.

Okay, on to my synopsis and review. The main character, Carly, is such a likable and believable person that the reader can't help but be drawn into her story as she struggles to find the path to reconciliation with her ex-husband Nick. Of course, Nick is struggling himself as he recovers from an injury (which I am sure I will find out about when I finish the first book!) that has put him on desk duty. Both of them are new christians and they are both trying to trust God in not only their relationship, but also in the middle of the main thrust of the story. Carly's partner Joe finds himself in an unthinkable situation—his sweet wife is unconscious in the hospital and the doctors have no idea why. When she was brought in an ambulance, their four-month-old baby boy A.J. was brought in as well for observation. However, someone managed to slip in, disable security systems, and slip out of the hospital with the baby! The closer Carly and Nick get to solving the mystery, the more dangerous it gets.

I don't want to say too much more and give anything away, but hopefully I have said enough to get you interested. It is a great book and I think you will love it. My husband is going to read it next. Hey, it's a cop story! What more could he want? Anyway, buy it ... you'll like it!

Please note: To comply with FTC regulations, it is important to mention that Tyndale House Publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

Approximately 42 days and counting~

Well, it has been two and one half weeks since I posted last, and I must admit that my last post was ... hmmm, how do I say it? ... almost cheating. I mean, I didn't really write anything at all, but just copied and pasted. Now granted, I did want to share what I posted. I have read the one about giving a cat a pill several times over the past ten years and it never fails to make me laugh so hard I cry. Maybe I am too easily amused, who knows?
About a week ago we interviewed with a particular campground in Colorado and were really looking forward to the possibility of working there next summer. We are familiar with the area as well as the campground and had been talking about pursuing a job in this location for the past couple of years. Unfortunately it didn't work out. Oh we were sent a contract and they wanted to hire us for sure. However, we were surprised to find that they consider their workampers "contract workers" or independent contractors. Seriously? Sure we were independent contractors working as gate guards in south Texas. We could understand that, although at least one company down there was sued for this practice and has since put everyone on their payroll. However, the only stipulations for working as gate guards was that one of us had to be onsite at all times. Other than that, it was up to us who worked at what times, etc. We were pretty independent insofar as how we did the job. That said, working in a campground is a completely different scenario. We have to be at work when we are told, do what we are told and how we are told to do it. The IRS most certainly does not consider this an independent contractor situation and neither do we. No way will we work twenty hours for our site, make minimum wage for the remaining hours, and take on the entire tax burden too! We do not have the word "stupid" tattooed on our foreheads! So the search goes on.
About that search for a 2013 summer job ... we are seriously talking about working for Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa. They hire between 300-450 workampers every summer to work their rides, games, food service areas, and retail stores. Granted this is farther away from family than we wanted to be, but quite frankly, we are ready for a change from campground work. Yes, this is what we wanted (want) to do most of the time while workamping, but our summer here in Montpelier has worn us down quite a bit. We work very hard here and get grumped at frequently. The hard work would be fine with a happier atmosphere and we have been hoping it would get better. However at this point, it has become obvious that this is not likely to happen. Boo! :-( We had a great time for the first month, but for some reason, things changed just after the beginning of June and with a few notable better days, has remained difficult. We wish we could do something to make it better, but so far we haven't figured out any way to change the situation. That really has to come from the bosses and we aren't them! Anyway, working at an amusement park would be very different, and according to many, many workampers, it is a blast. It might also give us something on our resumé to make it easier to apply and get hired by Disney. They hire workampers as well, but the hiring process is not quite as easy as Adventureland. Disney does not go out of its way to hire workampers, but Adventureland does. We will see.

Last week on one of our days off we went to the Minnetonka Caves just forty miles from here. It was cold ... only 40 degrees inside! Fortunately we knew what to expect and dressed accordingly. (There were women that came in short shorts and flip-flops! Brrrr!) It was quite a hike but absolutely beautiful. To get all the way into the cave on the tour, it was 444 steps up and down, not counting the flat parts. I don't really know the actual distance we traveled, but those steps were amazing. Of course when we got all the way in, then we had to turn around and come back out those same 444 steps! It was a lot of exercise to say the least, but well worth our time.

Dogs and cats—you've gotta' love 'em!

I just saw a completely hilarious item on Facebook, posted by my niece's husband, Dean. It reminded me of something else I saved years ago, so I thought I would give my readers a chuckle and post them both. Have the tissues handy, especially for the second item. Will it make you cry? Not really, but you will be laughing so hard, tears will be running down your face!! ENJOY :-)

HOW TO GIVE A PILL TO A CAT

1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As the cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.
5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.
6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted from cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and vigorously rub cat's throat.
7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make a note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
9. Check label to make sure pill is not harmful to humans, drink a beer to take taste away. Apply band-aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard, closing door on neck, to leave head showing. Force mouth open with spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of scotch, pour shot, drink. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of your last tetanus shot. Apply whisky compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw tee shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12. Ring fire department to retrieve the #$#@$*& cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.
13. Tie the little #%@#$#'s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining room table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. BE ROUGH about it. Hold head vertically and pour two pints of water down throat to wash pill down.
14. Consume remainder of scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.
15. Arrange for SPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and ring local pet shop to see if they have any guinea pigs.

HOW TO GIVE A PILL TO A DOG

1. Wrap pill in bacon, cheese or peanut butter. Make him beg.

Independence Day 2012

Today is our nation's birthday, and I thought it would be appropriate to stop and thank all the men and women who have served in the past, as well as those who are currently serving, to keep our country free.

America the Beautiful

"O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, 

For purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain! 

America! America! God shed his grace on thee. 

And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!"

America

"My country, 'tis of Thee, sweet land of liberty of thee I sing;

Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride,

From every mountain side let freedom ring."

Tyndale Bloggers book review of "No Greater Love" by Levi Benkert

I knew I would love this book as soon as I saw the synopsis. My brother-in-law Ken and his wife Laurette have two little girls from China, and my nephew Nate and his wife Pam are currently waiting for their referral call for a child(ren) from Ethiopia. We also have several friends who either have, or are in the process of, adopting children from various corners of the globe. I thought it would be interesting to read about a couple who took it one step further and actually moved from the United States to a foreign country with the specific goal of helping orphans.
In the forward of the book, Levi states, "'this book does not end well." Quite frankly, I think it ends great! He wasn't afraid to put the highs as well as the lows of their journey in this book, and that is one of the main reasons why it is so amazing. As a reader, one can get tired of the perfectly predictable storybook endings, especially in non-fiction. Life is not pretty, and is more often than not, quite messy. I have learned to be suspect of an author's honesty when everything appears to tie up into a nice, perfect bow. Yes, God is behind the scenes, weaving together the tapestry of our lives, but it is normally only in hindsight that we can catch a glimpse of His intricate handiwork. When we are in the middle of the complicated situations of life, we often can't see our hand in front of our face. That openness is what Levi has given us in this book. The honest and at times heartrending story of his decision to move his family to Ethiopia.
Be prepared to learn some disturbing things you probably didn't know about the (hopefully) past culture of Ethiopia. You may need a box of tissue, especially if you are a mother. This book is well written, but be warned, once you pick it up you will have a hard time putting it down! If you have a heart for children, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Levi's story.

(I was given a copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review, but was not required to give a positive review.)

No more snow, we hope!

We are on our way—again—to Pocatello. We have driven up to Pocatello every week for the past three weeks and I'll get to the reason why in a minute.  Right now I just want to say that it has been thirty-five plus years since I have lived in this part of the country, and I had forgotten just how long Old Man Winter likes to stick around these parts. It was almost freezing last night and was only 40* when I woke up this morning. Correct me if I am wrong, but it IS June, right?

I do have to say though, that we have had several really warm days. This past Friday I was in shorts, but then came Saturday and the temperatures just plummeted. Stuart and Kathy (the KOA owners) tell us that by the end of the week, it will all of a sudden be, and stay, summer. We will see ... I am not convinced!

Back to Pocatello. I had my hearing tested at the Costco in Pocatello at the end of May and was rather dismayed to find it had decreased alarmingly. I knew it had gotten worse, but I didn't realize it was that bad. One of the parts of a hearing test (for those that have never had it done) is when the test administrator says words and you have to repeat them. To set this part of the test up, she spoke into the microphone and gradually turned up the volume to where it was the loudest I felt I could tolerate without being painful. Then she played a recording of a man reciting words for me to repeat. Basically the recording says, "Say the word, man,"and continues with a whole list of words. I don't really know how many there are, but I suspect the list is around 25 words or so. Last time I had my hearing tested before we left on our adventure, my understanding with my right ear was 54% and my left ear was 85%. This time, my right ear was 39% and my left ear was 55%. I have to admit I found that a bit disconcerting. The telling thing about how hard it is for me to understand speech is when you realize that I understand a man's voice much better, it was at a loud volume, and there were no other sounds.

The long and short of it is I made the painful decision to go ahead and order a new pair of hearing aids. (Good quality hearing aids are NOT cheap!)  I have had my current pair for five years or so and they just have not been doing the job. After my initial test, the audiologist reprogrammed them and turned up the volume as much as she could without them constantly whistling. It helped, but not enough. Last week, she let me demo a new hearing aid from Bernafon (same company) and it was amazing. It is bluetooth enabled and with a little device I will wear around my neck (Soundgate), it will connect to any cell phone with bluetooth capability. I called a couple of people and was astounded at the difference. The selling point was when I talked with my granddaughter, Emily, and was able to understand her clearly. It brought tears to my eyes, as I have never before been able to understand any of the girls on the telephone. I usually do a lot of pretending based on their tone of voice and then ask my daughter, Julie, what was said. It is so frustrating for all of us. However to be able to understand them is worth whatever financial pain it causes. I am excited to get them today! It won't make my hearing normal, but it will certainly help. However, the rapid decrease of my hearing reminded me how important it is to continue to work on learning ASL. At my age, it is entirely possible I will be essentially deaf by the time I am sixty-five. Not a pleasant thought, but it could be much worse. Oh yes, one more thing—my new hearing aids are blue!

Has it really been a month??

Wow—time sure flies when you are having fun ... or working ... or reading. I had no idea I hadn't updated my blog since the end of April. Sorry about that!

We have gotten acclimated to Montpelier, Idaho in every way possible. We are mostly used to the 6,000+ foot elevation, we are used to our four 10-hour day work week (Thursday through Sunday), and we are most certainly used to—and loving—our three, wonderful days off.

Today is Tuesday the 29th and we traveled to Pocatello, Idaho today. The biggest reason was because I had an appointment for a hearing test at 2:00 p.m. I hadn't had my hearing tested since 2009 and I knew things had changed for the worse. I wasn't quite prepared for how much it has changed though, and it may necessitate new hearing aids. One more huge expense we hadn't planned on. Oh well, such is life.

We are enjoying working at the campground. It is a lot more physical work for me than I am used to but about the same for Wayne. There are only 35 or so sites here, so there is really no need for me to sit in the office all the time waiting for the phone to ring to take a reservation, or waiting for a camper to come in to the office. The park is small enough that we just put a sign on the door the says, "We are working the campground" and if a camper needs us we are easily found in our yellow shirts. I just forward the phone and take it with me. No problem. Getting more physical exercise is always good, right? Anyway, we love the area and have committed to coming back here next summer. It is just so beautiful. We have also been hired in Casa Grande, AZ for the winter as housekeepers at a 700+ site, 55 and over RV park. As much as housekeeping isn't as fun as registering campers and working in the camp store, it will actually be easier for me, as I won't have to worry about hearing anyone.

Last week on our days off, we left Lucy with Stuart and Kathy, the KOA owners, and went to a bed and breakfast near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This is a second time at a B&B and we have enjoyed it both times. From there, we traveled to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. We ran into some serious snow in Yellowstone but it was so fun. Neither one of us has ever been there when it was still snowy and Wayne remarked that it looked like a winter wonderland. It was stunningly beautiful. We were able to see quite a bit of wildlife too, which was just the icing on the cake. We saw a grizzly bear, several buffalo and elk, some pronghorn deer, a porcupine and probably a few more that I can't remember. Fortunately Wayne enjoys driving, because he drove about 13 hours on Tuesday through Yellowstone, and another 10 or so hours on Wednesday through the Tetons, back to see Old Faithful in Yellowstone, out the west entrance into Montana, and back home to Montpelier. We had a wonderful time and it was over way too quickly.

Lots of snow in Yellowstone!

Beautiful colors in the thermal pools.

A few of the buffalo we saw.

Well, that should catch everybody up to date. I will try very hard to do better!

Z: Zenith and Zip

Okay folks, this is it! I made it to the final post for the A to Z Challenge. There are no more—none, nada, Zip!

ze·nith/ˈzēniTH/

Noun:	The highest point reached by a celestial or other object. The point in the sky or celestial sphere directly above an observer.
Synonyms:	acme - vertex - heyday - meridian - peak - summit

Although the definition of the word "zenith" doesn't technically fit, I think the synonyms "peak" and "summit" are completely appropriate.

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For my readers who have missed my typical blog posts about our travels, I will tell you that we arrived in Montpelier, Idaho yesterday at the Montpelier Creek KOA for our summer job. It is absolutely beautiful here, and it looks to be a wonderful summer. The drive from Boise was astoundingly gorgeous. Here are just a few pictures—enjoy!

X and Y: XYlitol

Well, that's the best I can do for the letters "x" and "y." I have run out of steam for the A to Z Challenge. I didn't get all the books read I wanted to, and some of these last letters are just amazingly difficult. So here it is—the definition of my word for today. By the way, I much prefer stevia for an artificial sweetener.

xy·li·tol

noun /ˈzīləˌtôl/  /-ˌtäl/  A sweet-tasting crystalline alcohol derived from xylose, present in some plant tissues and used as an artificial sweetener in foods.

W: When Hummers Dream by Mara Purl

I have never before described any writing as "delicious", but honestly, I can't think of a better adjective to use in this case. I don't tend to enjoy books that have too much detail in the description of the locale or wardrobe of the characters or whatever. However, the prose here just feels like eye candy. I loved every minute as I read through this short story, and as a result, Ms. Purl has a new fan.


Although "When Hummers Dream" provides an introduction into the Milford-Haven series of novels, this short story can stand on its own. Right from the first pages, we meet artist Miranda and begin to see the world through her eyes. Actually, I think that is where the magic lies. For those of us that do not possess an artistic gift, this story allows us a glimpse into what that might be like. As she takes in her surroundings and begins to prepare to paint in her favorite garden restaurant, we the readers are ushered into her world and are allowed to experience it with her. When the hummingbird buzzes past, we can almost feel the breeze! Don't hesitate to buy this book -- you won't be sorry.

V: Veronica's Nap by Sharon Bially

I am supposed to be doing a book review on Veronica's Nap. Unfortunately, I haven't read it yet. Sigh...

The best I can do is give you the book description from Amazon. I think it sounds interesting—do you?

Veronica Berg has everything she needs to make her dream of becoming a painter come true: a charming home studio in Provence, a hard-working husband and a nanny who watches her two-year-old twins. Yet instead of painting she spends her days secretly indulging in lengthy naps. When her Moroccan-born, Sephardic husband grows impatient and challenges her to sell one painting, Veronica must find a way to break out of the seductive rut that's overtaken her life. Against the backdrop of the impending Iraq war, her journey reveals depression's sunny mask and the dark side of privilege and security.

U: Unraveling Ada by Barbara Sullivan

Quilts, coffee and murder ... what more could you want?


Although private investigator Rachel Lyons is the main character, the book is full of interesting characters ... interesting in more ways than one! As the newest member of a hand-quilting bee, Rachel quickly finds out that she was selected to participate in order to tap her skills as an investigator. After spending an entire night quilting with seven other women, she finds herself embroiled in a dark, family mystery that takes every ounce of her intelligence to solve, and more importantly, to stay alive.
This is a page turner that grabs you right from the beginning and won't let you go until you get to the end.


P.S. Sorry I missed posting this yesterday!

T: Traveling

Yes, this is another post outside of my book review theme. For any of you who read my blog, you know I am a copy editor. I received a new manuscript just a couple of days ago from the publisher, and quite frankly, I don't have time to read anything else right now! I have a couple more book reviews coming, but I will just have to ad lib for the rest.

Today I want to talk about traveling. I do it a lot ... with my husband of course! Today we left the Central Valley of California and drove up I-5 to Mt. Shasta City. I have seen Mt. Shasta several times, but I do not believe I have ever seen it look as beautiful as it did today. It is almost completely covered in snow and with the gorgeous blue sky, it towers above us like a beautiful gem. The sight is absolutely breathtaking!

In our travels over the past two years and almost four months, we have found something beautiful about every state we have been in—and there have been several. Would you like a list? Okay, here goes:
California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont. Whew! We have been busy the last two years! Tomorrow we will arrive in Oregon for a couple of days and then on to Idaho for the remainder of the summer.

Traveling ... oh yes, I love it!

Tyndale Bloggers book review of "As One Devil to Another" by Richard Platt

(A to Z blog challenge readers—today's "S" post is right before this one!)

The front cover of this book declares, "A fiendish correspondence in the tradition of C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters." In the christian fiction genre, this is a perfectly accurate description of the book Mr. Platt has offered us.

Just like the Lewis book, the chapters are a series of letters between two demons. In this case we read correspondence from a "loving " uncle, Slashreap, to his nephew, Scardagger. The uncle is mentoring his young charge in the procedures to keep human souls out of Heaven and usher them into Hell. Satan is referred to as "His Infernal Majesty," and Jesus is called "The Adversary."

At the end of Chapter One, Slashreap suggests that his nephew study some articles in the Encyclopaedia Diabolica about such negative character traits as cowardice, doubt, despair and arrogance, and points out that they are cross-referenced with character traits we would consider virtues such as courage, faith, hope and charity. Although humorous in a way, the entire book prompts the reader to consider the fact that the forces of darkness are real, and as the Bible says, our enemy is prowling around like a lion ready to destroy us.

If you have read and enjoyed The Screwtape Letters, you will most certainly enjoy As One Devil to Another. (I was given a copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for a review, but was not required to give a positive review.)

I have also been given the opportunity to offer a free copy of As One Devil to Another. If you would like to have a chance to receive the free book, please comment and request your name be entered into the running. One week from today on April 28th, I will pick a random name from all entries and notify the winner shortly thereafter.

S: Silent Tears: A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage

I have two, soon to be three, nieces that have been adopted from Chinese orphanages. When I saw this book, I immediately knew I wanted to read it. I started this afternoon and basically did nothing until I was done except to warm up an already prepared dinner. I was simply astounded by the things I read. 
As a mother, grandmother and aunt, I simply cannot understand the lack of plain, human compassion that was described in the pages of this journal by Kay. It was heartening to see that by the end of the book, she recounted many changes that had occurred in the care and treatment of the orphans in the institution where she volunteered for the better part of four years. However, even though there was a lack of funds, too few hands for too much work, etc., in my mind, I cannot find any excuse for the cruelty she observed, especially ... ESPECIALLY ... to the handicapped and most needy children. 


I am so thankful for people like my brother-in-law and sister-in-law who are able to adopt these children and help them find the happiness they deserve within a loving family. If you aren't afraid to open your eyes and heart, I highly recommend reading this book. Have the tissues handy!

R: Reinventing Leona by Lynne Gentry

Such a heart-rending, and yet at the same time fun, account of the trials and tribulations experienced by a small town pastor’s wife, when her husband unexpectedly suffers a fatal heart attack during a Sunday morning sermon. Leona Harper has been the quintessential pastor’s wife—her entire identity and existence wrapped up in her husband and the church.
When the uncompassionate and self-important head deacon decides to immediately seek a new pastor as soon as Pastor Harper is buried, Leona finds herself in the position of seeking employment while coping with her all-consuming grief. She fully expects to be thrown out of the parsonage and essentially homeless very shortly, and were it not for an outspoken friend and members of her church who comes to her aid, she might very well have succumbed to her situation.
As if all this weren’t enough, she is estranged from her two children as well as her mother, the very people one would hope to be able to lean on with the loss of so much. Readers follow along as Leona rediscovers who she is as a person, and finds the strength and faith to face her circumstances.

Q: Quarter Quandary

Nope, I don't have a book review for the letter "q", but I do have a post, and it is about quarters...

... as in twenty-five cents. It has become increasingly difficult for those of us who travel to obtain quarters for laundry. I personally find this amazing. Why is it one can't take legal currency—i.e. twenty dollars for example—into any bank and trade it for the same dollar amount in quarters? Why do you have to have an account at that bank? It is just a simple trade! It's not a deposit or withdrawal. It's money for money.

We have chosen to have a local bank in our domicile of Livingston, Texas as "our" bank rather than a national chain. We have found we get much better, more personal service. However, it does cause a problem because we aren't in Livingston very often. We used to be able to go into Walmart or a grocery store to "buy" quarters, but there are very few stores anymore which will accommodate that request. In my opinion, this queer quarter quandary is quite questionable!

P: PawPaw Patch by Janice Daugharty

The main character in this story is Chanell, but the supporting "character" is racism and the poison it spreads. The hypocrisy of the townspeople who, on one hand go to church with their Bibles, and on the other hand hold a profoundly unBiblical, racist attitude is disturbing to say the least. Chanell is shocked when she is all of sudden shunned by the entire community with the exception of her neighbor Archie and her sister-in-law Bell. She eventually finds that a supposed friend started a rumor that she is part black. Eventually she is forced to confront the unpleasant fact that she would have reacted the same way if the rumor had been about someone else. 


This may be a novel, but there is a stark truth existing between the lines -- a reality that still exists today in some circles. 
The language is a bit "spicier" than I prefer. Since this isn't a problem for everyone, I felt I needed to give an honest review in spite of my preferences.

O: Oops!

Well, I missed the "o" yesterday. If you have read any of my blog posts prior to this month, you are aware that my husband and I travel the U.S. We have finally been able to get back to California to visit our children and grandchildren for the first time in over two years this month. I feel absolutely no remorse for missing a day, as family is just too important. I had prewritten most of the posts for this month prior to April, but the letter "o" was one that just didn't get done. I hoped to have time to read an appropriate title. Oh well ... as fun as this challenge is, it just doesn't stack up to my kids.

N: The Noon God by Donna Carrick

This story is told through the eyes of the main character, Desdemona Fortune, or Mona for short. It begins with the death of her famous father, J. Caesar Fortune, and continues through his funeral plus a few days after. The family's history is told through Mona's flashbacks as she reads through her father's latest masterpiece, as well as other events that recall specific memories. The ending came as a total surprise which, in my opinion, says a lot about the author. 


I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and give it a heartfelt recommendation! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Sorry this is posted a day early. I got ahead of myself!

M: The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan

     I try very hard in my reviews NOT to always give 5 stars very often, simply because it would appear phony and misleading. I may enjoy a book, but that doesn't necessarily mean it deserves 5 out of 5 stars. That said, this one does in my humble opinion.

     This book pulled me in right from the very first pages, and kept me enthralled through the last page, and like so many others, left me wanting more -- much more! The characters were believable, and the author's depiction of small-town life made me feel as if I could walk on the streets and smell the baked goods coming from the door of the cafe'. Although I didn't want the story to end, the conclusion was well written. The main character, Mary, reminded me to some degree of my late mother, and I just wanted to reach through the pages and give her a hug. She wouldn't have wanted that, but I don't want to spoil the story, so enough said!

I highly recommend this book -- I think you will love it!

L: Lie Down in Green Pastures by Debbie Viguie

Let's get the editing issues out of the way first. This book needs to be re-edited badly. As others have noted, there are many instances of run-on words, which interrupts the flow of the story. However, there are also at least two sentences that don't make sense at all. This is much worse than a run-on word, as one has to stop and re-read the sentence a few times in order to figure out what the author meant. Of course, even the title is spelled wrong on Amazon! The book of the Bible is Psalm, not Pslam!

Now to the book itself. I would definitely not let the editing issues get in the way of reading this delightful book. We are, of course, back with Cindy and Rabbi Jeremiah in another quest to solve a mystery. The fact that Cindy now sees herself in that role -- one of a mystery solver rather than observer -- gets her into quite a bit of trouble as usual. Rabbi Jeremiah ends up in the middle again much to his dismay, this time not as a rescuer, but as one who needs rescuing ... sort of. I won't spoil the book, but as the mystery behind the rabbi deepens yet again, we find that he is quite capable of extricating himself from the situation.

This book actually leaves off with more mystery yet to be solved than the first two. I am excited that the next installment is due in ten days! I definitely recommend this series, and would suggest reading the first two before embarking on this one. Although the story could be a standalone, the reader will be missing so much if the others have not been read first.

K: The Killing of Train-Man Brown by Will Bevis

   This is a fascinating and touching story. Train-Man Brown loved his job sorting the mail aboard the mail train, and he was the best. He started as a young man, working on the mail trains for more than fifty years "... before they'd made him clear out and retire." His father was a train man before him, and when this way of life ended, Walker Brown's entire world collapsed.

   I had never heard of the mail trains before reading this short story. As my husband would say, "I don't want to think about what you weren't taught in school!" That said, I am so glad I read this book. The author gave me a good education in just a few short pages. To quote the book, "... he opened up a whole new world I'd never even known existed: the world of the mail trains. A world that's gone now."

J: The Journey Home by Michael Baron

   This book transitions back and forth between the main cast of characters on their personal journeys. Unless you simply don't enjoy this type of book, I believe you will come to care about each one as you walk through their stories with them.

   Joseph has lost his memory, and embarks on a mission to find his way home to his wife. Accompanying him is Will, a young man searching for his place in life.

   Warren is working his way through a divorce and unemployment, all the while desperately trying to show his love to his mother Antoinette. She is an elderly woman, losing her grip on life and reality a day at a time as she struggles with Alzheimers.

   The ending came as quite a surprise. Sure, I sensed some things weren't quite the way they appeared (don't want to give anything away here), but I still didn't anticipate the conclusion. I very much enjoyed this book. 

I: I’ll Watch the Moon by Ann Tatlock

   Ann Tatlock has woven an amazing story full of believable characters. I was drawn into the story from the first page, and I truly cared about the characters so much that I couldn't put it down. The story is told from the perspective of nine-year old Nova Tierney. She lives with her mother and her 14-year-old brother Dewey in a boarding house owned by her Aunt Dortha. The boarders and Mr. Diehl across the street form the remainder of the main cast of characters.

   The setting is 1948, when polio and influenza are running rampant and wreaking havoc across the nation. Nova's mother tries her best to protect her children, but polio catches up with Dewey when he and two friends disobey and go swimming one hot summer day. Nova and Dewey are extremely close and she usually tags along—hence her nickname "Tag"—but Dewey won't let her this time because of the danger. The consequences of the simple pleasure of swimming are severe, and we as readers follow the family as Dewey is hospitalized with polio.

   Several other sub-plots are sprinkled throughout the book, and the result is a dynamic story of a family struggling through heartache and learning to find happiness and peace in the midst of it all. You won't be disappointed with this book, I promise.

H: How Can I Talk If My Lips Don't Move by Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay

   One can tell just from the title that this book is far from ordinary. This incredibly intelligent, autistic young man gives us a glimpse into the way he experiences the world. 


   I must admit that even though I am "neuro-typical" to use terminology from its pages, I cannot write nearly as well as this young man. I found his description of his perceptions and the way his mind works to be completely fascinating. Here is an example of a typical passage:


     "Their smiles were the color of jaundice yellow, and that yellow was so dense, every color could be choked by its strength. I believed that Mother saw what I saw. And I believed that she was careful because she did not want to be choked by jaundice yellow either."


   And his mother—wow—she seems to be the very definition of a loving, patient mother. To be able to continue working with her son, despite the incorrect conclusions from doctors and teachers and to continue to believe in his abilities in the face of what must have felt like overwhelming odds shows a rare strength of character. Too many parents refuse to admit their child isn't perfect, and yet this mother looked at her son with honesty and worked tirelessly on his behalf. Kudos to them both! This book is an exceptional read and I highly recommend it!

G: Griselda Takes Flight by Joyce Magnin

   Before I started reading this book, I was aware it was the sequel to "The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow." However, I did not realize it was also connected to Joyce Magnin's "Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise." I was quite pleasantly surprised when she showed up in this book as well. 

   As in the other two books, the author combines some of the most unusual characters into an engaging tale. From "Prayers" we have several returning characters including, of course, Griselda and her sister, Agnes, Ruth, Mildred, Zeb, Studebaker and others, as well as newcomers including an injured treasurer hunter, his strangely detached fiancee and a pilot making an emergency landing. How these characters interact throughout the story is at times laughable and at other times, very touching. Ms. Magnin weaves mystery and humor together into a fun, fresh story.

F: The Fence My Father Built by Linda S. Clare

   Synopsis: In the process of divorcing her philandering husband, Chaz, Muri loses both her job and her father, Joseph Pond, whom she hasn't seen since she was a young child. Joseph has left her his property in Murkee, Oregon, and in order to settle her father's affairs, she moves lock, stock and barrel with her two children, Nova (16) and Truman (11). Upon arriving in Oregon, Muri finds one dilapidated trailer, several pigs, an eccentric aunt and uncle, and a heated dispute with an angry neighbor over water rights. She feels completely unprepared to handle any of it, but in the end discovers an earthly father's love and peace with her heavenly Father.

   I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story about Muri and her family. The information about Native American artifacts was something I haven't come across before and was a nice change. I loved all the characters and felt they were well fleshed out. I will be looking forward to reading another book from this author.