Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Nine strangers arrive at a health resort to be renewed, to lose weight, to find themselves, to rest.  The author does a great job in describing each character--their flaws and their strengths, their past mistakes and present difficulties, their hidden hopes.  Moriarty seems to be a master at creating fun, real characters who are also dealing with hard, underlying issues.  The strangers do pull together and face a tough situation, which cements their friendship and helps them to realize what they really do want in life.

The craziest of characters is the leader, of course.  Fascinating, aggravating and scary!!  I love that Moriarty can tell a good story, and still keep it on the lighter side.  Enjoyable.

The Storyteller by Jodi Piccoult

A gut wrenching Holocaust story.  A gentle, kind brother. A cruel, dispassionate brother who was targeted as a soldier by the Nazi machine.  A survivor who pretended to move forward.  The granddaughter who finally uncovers her grandmother's story.  So many losses, so much persecution.

As in Picoult's style, there are choices to be made and a twist at the end. A hard, good read.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Another book club read, I enjoyed this "Agatha Christy-esque" thriller more than I had anticipated.  Lots of twists, turns and confusion..until the end.  I felt the author kept up the intrigue by introducing plot twists and questions by Harriet, who told her story well.

A creepy house, unsavory housekeeper, and strange brothers all lent to the story of this young girl who both wanted to live independently but also longed for a family...but most of all she wanted to figure out the puzzle of what secrets happened in that place and how her mother was involved with these unsettling people.

I may pick up another one by Ruth Ware!

The Undoing of Saint Silvanus by Beth Moore

I didn't know what to expect from this very public speaker and author of non-fiction books...but Moore does a nice job on her first novel.  Jillian, the main lead, enters a whole new culture in New Orleans that includes an unusual "family of characters" living at Saint Silvanus with her grandmother.  While trying desperately to "get out" of this household, she encounters mysteries and threats, but also an engaging and loving group who embrace her as one of them.

I loved the development of the characters and can see each of them in my mind--sassy Adella was my favorite, but I also learned to appreciate the stern face of Olivia, and her slow change to accept Jillian.  This book reminded me of God's creativity in making people of all shapes, colors and personalities.  None of us have "arrived" and I loved the grace exhibited to each "family member".

Educated...a Memoir by Tara Westover

Amazing the abilities of God's human soul to overcome trauma and abuse, to rise above and pursue goals with all odds against you.  This is Tara Westover.  Set in the backdrop of Bucks Peak, near Clifton, Idaho; Tara was the youngest of seven children born to Mormon fundamentalist parents.  From her 30 year old self comes a memoir of depth and horror, tempered with as much objectivity and love for her parents as is possible.  I loved that she bravely recounts her story without rancor or hate; just an unusual amount of understanding of the reality of who her family was.

This book drew so many questions from my soul.  How does a mother not stand up and protect her children?  How does a wife continually capitulate to a slightly crazed, bi-polar, dominant husband?  How does this brilliant wife strive and succeed in creating a multi-million dollar business, when she appears mentally unstable during much of her life?  What makes a sister appear to take a stand against the evil occurring around her...then recant and become the docile daughter?  How many times does a wife agree to continue living with a violent man just because he asks forgiveness?  So much insecurity, fear, and confusion instilled in children as they grew up....that is the heartbreak.

Tara's triumph is in her quest to overcome the voices from her past by educating herself, and taking very slow steps to healing by protecting herself from this family that she misses and loves.  So wonderful the people, both friends and professors, along the way who stepped in and believed in her.  A wonderful story of redemption, somewhat similar to Hillbilly Elegy; except more harrowing.

Final UP Memories: Day 8-9, Manistique & Straits State Park

Heading back towards the straits, we stopped at Kitch-iti-kipi near Manistique where we viewed lots of trout while standing on a glass bottomed raft.  The water was crystal clear, which meant we could see 40 feet down at the bubbling springs!  This Indian name means "big cold water" and is fed by springs, to the tune of 10,000 gallons per minute!!  Amazing...but I forgot my camera!  A fun stop!  The sun came out on our drive along Lake Michigan, with great views of the Mighty Mac,  one of Michigan's finest attractions.  After pulling into the Straits State Park and eating dinner out, we came up with the brilliant idea of finding an unused camping site by the lake where we could view the Bridge at night, and enjoy a final campfire.  The view was delightful, but the wood sold by the park was wet... so, after many valiant tries by Mike, we simply enjoyed the view and the stars!  Unexpectedly as we were getting up to return to our site at 9:30 pm, a car pulls up ---this was the site they had reserved!  What a comical ending to our trip--of ALL the sites, we picked an unused one that had been reserved!  Such a fun trip, kudos to the patient driver who endured directives from several people!!

 

  

 

More UP Adventures: Day 6-7, Baraga State Park

Baraga State Park was a perfect spot, nestled on Keweenaw Bay.  From that home base, we traveled by car throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula.  Bill and I thoroughly enjoyed Quincy Copper Mine in Hancock (which the Meyers had already visited) while Mike & Marilyn found some interesting shops in Houghton.  All of us LOVED the pasties at Connie's Kitchen in Calumet before we headed to Copper Harbor via Brockway Mountain Road, where we found some of the best colors of the trip.  Also memorable:  the ONE perfectly sunny day at Baraga with the best campfire AND s'mores!

  

 



 

  

 

The UP Adventure Continues: Day 4-5, Marquette Tourist Park

With good reviews, we attempted to stop at the Gitchee Goomie Campground as we headed into Marquette -- but with a dummy person sitting in the front entrance booth as we rolled in and NO ONE at the dilapidated office, we quickly headed back on the highway.  I guess a little weirdness did follow us west!!  The Tourist Park was perfect for our needs...except the electric hook-up was not set up correctly.  Suffice it to say that Mike was a bit perplexed and frustrated as we lost battery both nights, with dimming lights.  It messed up our card playing!  Marquette favs:  Donckers breakfast spot with old school decor, a little historic info from the front desk manager at the Landmark Inn, a side-trip drive to Presque Isle Park where we enjoyed the black rocks in the rain, the Northern Michigan University Yooper Dome (all wood dome) and a climb up Sugarloaf Mountain.  Because we missed Picture Rocks, we back-tracked in the car to Munising to board the Riptide Ride.  We will NOT forget it!  With an excellent driver in a Coast Guard approved vessel, our 1 1/2 hour ride in 47 degree weather, with a weather advisory for high waves was MEMORABLE!  Mike's highlight, but a stretch for Marlita!

  

  

  

 

Autumn Adventure: Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Day 1-3

Our generous friends, the Meyers, invited us to share their Class A motorhome for a 9 day trip -- the Yooper Loop.  We made it to all the highlights except the western Porcupine Mountains.  Departing on Tuesday, September 25, we made it to our first stop, Tahquamenon Falls State Park in mid afternoon where we spent our first 3 nights.  Highlights: Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point; Upper & Lower Falls, great Pizza at Lake Superior Brewing in Grand Marais, Sable Falls.

    

  

   

  

The first 3 days were definitely weird, as we decided that all the oddities that we heard about the UP were correct! First we passed the campground as there was NO sign indicating a campground. Because we were hauling a car behind the 34 ft. RV, turning around was always a problem!  Next, no pull aside at the registration office -- we had to wait in a single line for both registrants and already registered. NOT efficient!  As Marilyn was trying to register, the female park ranger kept interfering as if the male ranger could not manage--a bit of tension! At Whitefish Point, the ticket lady tells us that the $13 price was all-inclusive.  When we headed to the lighthouse, which would have been a favorite for Mike, add on cost was $4!! Traveling H58 along Lake Superior (which MANY assured us was a beautiful drive) proved decidedly strange: it turned into a narrow dirt road that did not show on the map, and there was no phone service... so we stopped to ask directions of some Yoopers in their yard.  They responded that the pavement would return "just a ways down the road".  About 8 miles more and we found our way to Grand Marais!  Looking for ice cream on the way home, we located "Scoopers" on the internet--open until 9.  Yay!  Except that it was closed for the season 😂.  So we continued on and found Zeller's in Newberry, advertising homemade pie.  Marilyn and Bill tried to scam Mike and I by announcing that there was no pie left ... we all laughed, until the waitress admitted that her piemaker had retired!! No pie!!  (So, WHY was it still on the billboard??)  BUT, we did enjoy the Biggest Cinnamon Bun we ever saw!!  Stopping at the Sable Falls Information Center, we found backpackers outside who had been inside to inquire about camping--but the ranger told them she was closing for lunch for an hour and they would have to wait until she returned!!!  Happily, most of the weirdness cleared up as we traveled further west...or we just got used to it!!

  

   

The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers

I have been a long time fan of Rivers, since reading her gut-wrenching Mark of the Lion trilogy.  If you are looking for a redemptive story with a happy ending, this hits the mark.  I was impressed that she branched out to learn about the art form of graffiti, and that her Christian characters in this book are presented with some major stumbles in their walk.  More real and relevant in this very confusing and difficult culture, where many voices are calling out to our young people.  I also very much appreciated her frank approach to the many ways that God speaks, even through angels and dreams sometimes.  We are not cookie cutter Christians, and God made each of us uniquely wired to be led by the Holy Spirit via different modes.

A good read, a good reminder of God's grace.

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult books are difficult for me to read sometimes because the issues she so painstakingly portrays make me uncomfortable and divided.  It's so easy to look only at one side of a situation:  my perspective.  It's so much more difficult to feel the angst caused by a collision of differing opinions, and somehow come out confused on where to stand, and on what justice should look like.

Ruth, an African American nurse with 20 years of experience, gets charged with negligence in the death of a baby.  This book chronicles the story, told in first person by Ruth, her lawyer and her accuser.  Picoult does a great job of presenting the emotional upheavals that each face.  In the end, I was surprised by the final outcome--it actually ends with a positive twist ending;  which I consider a positive from this author!

Beartown and A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

This may be one of my favorite authors.  I listened to the audio book of A Man Called Ove on our recent Westward Ho trip.  He draws us in with his great characterizations.  Ove was a curmudgeon, very much like the characters in "Grumpy Old Men".  Laughing out loud over his very Archie Bunker remarks, and shaking my head over his extremely stubborn ways; I still fell in love with this old man.  In his grief over his wife's death, he rails at the neighbors, at the bad drivers, at the tech store assistants...but in the end, the neighbors and people whom he disdains come together to love him and become his family.  Wholly satisfying.

Backman's book, Beartown, on the other hand left me with much pondering and questioning.  It deals with the questions of what makes a community, how do people respond in crises, what makes those who have faced hardship stand up against the crowd, and what are we capable of doing/becoming in the darkness of night.  Again, such an array of interesting and surprising characters who come together for the sport of hockey.  The secret meetings of the Hockey sponsors and leaders reminded me of the times I saw our local school board meet together at the local restaurant "under the radar", way back in my high school days.  Even back then, I thought it was a bit shady...and political.  And that's what Backman brings out...political moves to keep hockey in the community, no matter what it takes.  Sometimes disturbing, sometimes refreshing.  I learned a lot about myself as I internally judged Ramona for her drinking and cussing; only to cheer her on in the end when she was a ray of light in the darkness.  Great story.

Watching the Amazing Perseid Meteor Shower

Determining to finally remember to observe some celestial activity (which seems to be low on my priority list), I set my alarm for 3:50 am on Sunday evening when I went to bed.  Although 3:50 was a bit early for my body, I did make it outside to my previously carefully-arranged chair at 4:30!  And I was rewarded almost immediately with a shooting star!  In fact, in a short 45 minutes I saw nine flashing meteors flying, along with nine planes traveling on the same route from west to east.  What an amazing pre-dawn show! As I pondered the skies, the stars, the slowly moving clouds, the anthem of the insects...my heart was encouraged with God's majesty and creativity.  My mind was full of questions.  Did God simply fling the stars into space, and they landed in just the perfect spots?  Or did He meticulously place each one so star gazers could name these constellation that were created?  Are the meteor showers in the original plan of God, or has the earth caused some of the spinning comets?  I also thought of the wise men searching diligently for the Star of David.  How did they absolutely know it was the right star?  If they were pagans, did God speak to their hearts about the star?  Unanswered questions that give me an anticipation for Heaven...and all the mysteries that may be made evident there.  It may be that we will still get to see the meteor showers there...up close and personal...and with the perfect Guide who can give us the best play by play as the show unfolds!

Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin

I thoroughly enjoyed this historically based story of the Dutch migration to the Holland, MI area from the Netherlands.  It's so fun to read of places that are familiar.  I could picture the coast of Lake Michigan and Black Lake (now Lake Macatawa), Allegan, and Kalamazoo.  This book sent me to Google several times to get more detail on the shipwrecks of the Ironsides and the Phoenix, as well as of the fires in the city of Holland and at Hotel Ottawa.

The spiritual aspect of the story also provided a deeper understanding of the persecution that occurred in the Netherlands (as well as other countries), and the tight-knit community that became the Dutch here in southwest Michigan.  The tragedies that faced the main character and her determination to follow God even in hard situations was touching.  One of my favorite lines from Geesje was "I love your father a hundred times more than I ever loved Hendrik.  A thousand times more.  The attraction Hendrik and I felt for each other never could have survived all the fires and storms I've been through since then.  His faith wasn't strong enough, and neither was mine.  But the love your father and I share is the real thing.  Nothing can ever quench it."  We never forget some of those "first loves" because of the amazing feelings and attraction we had; however the enduring love of staying together through hard times and leaning on one another, brings a whole different type of love.

Again, a good story, but somewhat predictable.  I appreciated Geesje's original story sharing her honest struggle with God through the years, as well as her deep friendship with Derk, whom she loved like a grandson.

Thoughts on a Starry Night

Home from our lengthy vacation and feeling a bit restless, I landed on the back upper deck after dark a few weeks ago.  Sitting in the deck chair facing the backyard, I looked heavenward to watch the stars....the same stars that I had watched from another larger deck in Arnold, CA over 3000 miles away.  With some kiddos in Knoxville, some in Santa Cruz, and some camping in the mountains of California...my heart was getting adjusted to being back in Michigan, without the bantering voices nor the pattering of little feet.  I was lonely for them.  I wondered if they were watching the stars wherever they were.

In God's incomprehensible way, my eyes were drawn to scattered, flickering lights in the trees...fireflies.  Fireflies to remind me of my Tennessee grandkids who love to catch them, and of last summer when my California Evy girl saw them in Michigan for the first time.  Her gracious momma let her stay up late to run helter-skelter around the backyard with a jar.  Her joy, her curiosity, her upturned face.....I remembered.

It's these kinds of moments, when God takes my heavy heart and gives me joyful memories...
It's these kinds of moments that solidify my faith in a very personal God who cares about me.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Highly recommended by a book club member, I dove into this one.  Irving certainly "catches" the reader from the first with little hints about what's coming.  The narrator is the best friend of Owen Meany, an unusual young boy who believes he is God's instrument.  The story was interesting however several things kept me from enjoying it to the fullest:  100 page chapters with a lot of political angst and discussion from the narrator, as he relives the 60's, 70's and 80's.

I did enjoy the camaraderie of the friends although the thoughts and discussions between them as they grew up were way beyond the discussions I had with my girlfriends at that age!  John, the narrator, says he came to faith because of Owen...even though Owen had a rather unorthodox view of his beliefs; but that aspect of the story was intriguing for me.  Irving has a way of keeping the reader involved until all the pieces of the plot finally come together...but in a rather lengthy format. Unsure if I would fully recommend this one.

The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller

I took the challenge that Pastor Wes Tillett threw out, and read this very short, powerful book for one of his messages on what we all know as the story of the Prodigal Son.  Prodigal is defined as 1) recklessly extravagant and 2) having spent everything.  Thinking about those two definitions, we can easily discern why the author titled this book "The Prodigal God":  He gave the ultimate & spent it all in His recklessly extravagant way...for us.  Of course, the father in the story does represent God as he divvies up his inheritance, quite probably not keeping any for himself..then in great love & grace, he throws the ultimate celebration for the returning son.  My thoughts were always in sympathy for the eldest son who was faithful & committed to doing the right thing...but Keller explains carefully how each of the sons was only living for himself, the younger son looking for happiness and fulfillment in fun and self discovery; the elder in climbing the ladder and trusting in his good works, righteousness & hard work so he could take over the farm. 

So many of us in the church have mis-understood what God calls us to:  joy, peace, kindness, patience~ somehow we have instead become angry, judgmental, proud, anxious, condemning and joyless, exactly like the elder son.  What an eye opener, how I am so needy of God's immense grace.

Sensible Shoes: Two Steps Forward by Sharon Garlough Brown

It was a pleasure to find out how these four characters are doing on their journeys in book 2 of this series.  As I noted before, I resonate most with Charissa and Meg --but definitely find unique traits I share with all.  The author introduced more challenges and hurdles, and as the title denotes, it feels like very small baby steps to the gals when God convicts them of their inconsistencies and stubborn hearts.  (I did find myself getting slightly exasperated when it took so long to admit their selfishness ---it's always easier to see the other person's sin!)

Overall a good read, and I will continue through the series.

Summer Reading: Non-Fiction

Pursue the Intentional Life by Jean Fleming

Jean Fleming is a Christian author & speaker who has gathered together many thoughts from her past several years, to encourage those of us in "that age" of life to finish well the course God has given to us!  Given to me by Nancy Hendren, this was not a "quick read"; in fact, I am leaving it near my chair as a resource.  She touches on slowing down, changing ministry focus, being a reflector of Jesus where I am planted, accepting changes....but mostly, continuing to nourish my love for God so that He can live in me when it becomes easier to live in my flesh....where selfishness, crankiness, ungratefulness and bitterness can so easily take up residence.  Lord, walk with me.


Naked and Not Ashamed by Tim + Anne Evans

It was a real treat to read this book on our recent trip west, and especially great to lunch with the authors in Colorado Springs!  What could be "new under the sun" in the realm of marital sex after almost 45 years?  I actually learned a lot about the questions the younger generations are asking, and appreciated the honest candor of the authors!  Since they are marriage therapists, they have heard it all...and the best part is the actual co-authorship.  Unlike other co-authors, the Evans really do each share real life stories and their individual perspectives and counsel.  It's personable and humorous.  One application that I am working on is "blame and shame".  How often do I feel a need to point out Bill's mistakes or omissions? -- sometimes it's as simple as whose fault it was that some item of food was left out on the counter...it sounds ridiculous on paper.  So, closing my mouth when I catch myself ready to jump on the blame train is taking a lot of concentration and listening to God.  Highly recommend.

Summer Reading: Fiction

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

This was our book club selection for July, and what an interesting discussion we had.  No two opinions were the same!  This African American author portrayed what a marriage can look like when someone is falsely accused & lands in jail...the anger, the loneliness, the unraveling.  Because the couple had only been married one and a half years, it seemed like the wife was willing to throw it away quicker than the incarcerated (she had also put up with some unfaithfulness).  I liked that the book was told from three perspectives, so it was easy to keep up with the characters and the story.  I didn't love the book because I get angry at wrong, spontaneous choices --but I'm glad I read it as it gave me a whole new view on the injustices of our system and a little perspective on the black culture.  Was there true love?  Yes --but troubling circumstances and family dynamics certainly add so many dimensions to the final decisions.


Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

Written by a Cameroonian author, Mbue tells the story of how an African man gets to America, brings his wife & son and finds a good job as a driver for a Wall Street financial "bigwig".  The hurdles, the fear, the supporting people, and then the breakdown of all of their dreams.  I think I would classify myself as a moderate Republican who disagrees with much going on in Washington.  I support a sane immigration plan:  one that assists families to get thru the system in 3-4 years and pares down the ridiculous costs (it appears that only rich immigrants can get into America).  So this book was hard to read with a Cameroonian family that worked hard, but in the end had to re-assess their situation and make a difficult choice.  Sad.

Final Thoughts from our Westward Ho Journey

Valuable Lessons Learned:

Future Van Travel will be mostly in the Spring or Fall...
Future Van Destinations will be east of the Mississippi...
Marlita should carefully watch tree branches when directing Bill in parking...
Maximum of 5 hours on the road daily or meltdowns will occur....
Leave by 6 am when a long day is anticipated....
Put more time in the schedule for backroads and spontaneous stops....
Make family portrait shots for 18 people more spontaneous ??!?..... 😏 (suggested by my family)
Laugh more with the grandkids...
Cry right in front of everyone when you say good-bye....

Homeward Bound: Final Days

All good things must come to an end~ we departed the Arnold CA cabin on Monday, July 9.  Try as we might to keep it slower, gotta admit that we were pretty focused on getting home after six weeks!  I discovered something that I hadn't realized about myself, although pretty sure it has been a part of me for a long time...I shut down during good-byes.  I feel so sad inside, but determined to "keep a stiff upper lip" so I don't fully engage in lingering for final hugs and kisses and "I will miss you's".  I don't like that about myself, although it certainly came down quite honestly through the Landes generation line!  So the first days "on the road again" were rather melancholy as I realized this, and mourned the fact that we really don't know when we will all be together again- however, I am quite determined to be more intentional with good-byes in the future!!

Leaving California, we determined to take the least mountainous exit--and were reassured the travel would be fairly "flat".  Us flat landers did not find it so!!  Passed some beautiful large lakes as we hit the border.


We found Nevada rather boring along Route 80, since we had so enjoyed Route 50 on the way out. Things got a bit more exciting as we neared Utah and noticed the salt flats and the great Salt Lake.

 



 

Stopped in Salt Lake City for our first "break" from a long day of driving on Tuesday.  We located our first Cracker Barrel in West Valley, where we determined to get a "freebie" stay--even when the manager cautiously agreed to our using their electricity for our fan, it was THE most terrible night!  80+ degrees with bright floodlights around the building.  As my mom would say, "you get what you pay for!" 😩 Temple Square, the LDS owned area in the downtown area was interesting and the organ recital in the Tabernacle was inspiring.  I kept picturing Dad Walker on that gargantuan organ, playing his heart away!  Best breakfast at the Blue Lemon that morning before our sightseeing began.

     

We hit the Wyoming border on Wednesday evening, stopping at a KOA with a pool, as the heat had once again descended upon us.  Since our refrigerator had bit the dust just before we had reached our CA destination; we had to be creative!  Enjoyed Lean cuisine and Atkins dinners using the microwave!  Since we hit a nice patch of "flat land" in Wyoming, we were somewhat dismayed, but extremely happy to climb one of the final ascents out of the state--it was probably one of the smaller inclines, but it really looked huge to our weary eyes!

  

 

Heading into Nebraska was a breath of fresh air as the scenery changed drastically -- mostly open green fields and rolling hills.  Looked so much like Michigan that we began to get homesick!  We didn't count but this state was full of trains, as many as 15-20 that we passed!  As we looked ahead for camping spots, we noted a Cabela's Campground near Sidney! Quite a delightful spot.  First come, first served for $30 with all the amenities.  Most of the larger RV's there were working summer farming jobs before departing to do their retirement fun for the winter months.

Friday was a shorter day as we headed to Omaha, where we settled into an "Even Hotel" to rest & celebrate Bill's birthday.  The new hotel chain was a "wellness" spot with weights, bounce balls and arm pulleys located in the room.  This couple did not utilize the equipment!  Ha! Instead we dressed for a night out in Old Market, a lovely rejuvenated area of Omaha.  The actual Omaha steak that Bill savored at Omaha Prime Restaurant was a "melt in your mouth" experience!  Our wonderful waitress also treated him to a slice of Gnocchi - flourless, sugarless chocolate dessert.  I now have the recipe!! A great ending to the evening was enjoying the lighted water fountain in Heartland of America park.



  


 

 

Saturday found us putting the pedal to the metal as Bill suggested we get to Indiana to stay with our forever friends, the Mamminas.. through the greenery & picturesque Iowa we rolled, then crossed the Mississippi into Illinois's terrible roads (!), knowing we would soon enjoy a great meal, great conversation and a great bed!

 



 

Almost HOME!

 

We pulled into our newly sided home on Sunday afternoon--47 days, weary & grateful!