Musings on my Backyard Birds

Ahhh...wonderful summer!  Birds trilling, chirping, and heckling one another before the crack of dawn.  As I sat on my deck one morning, I was flummoxed to see both a robin and a mourning dove frolicking together near my backyard ornamental pear tree.  Up, away, back...reminding me of a roller coaster ride as they chattered back and forth.  Then I noticed that they seemed to be attending to a nest....both of them at the same one!  Of course, this made me google the likelihood of this..and YES, it does happen!  I learned that they actually assist in both the "sitting" and the "feeding" of those babies!  I was once again struck about how God's creatures can educate us in how to work alongside  other people ... humans are alike in so many ways, yet somehow we have elevated our differences rather than concentrating on the similarities.  That robin and mourning dove learned how to cooperate in order to achieve a great goal..getting those babies grown-up.  How amazing would it be to be more concerned about the goals of unity, of racial reconciliation, of compromising on gun control and education initiatives instead of standing in the corners of the boxing ring glaring at one another? Lessons from nature about what God wants us to look like.

Ageless Soul by Thomas Moore

This book came across my Facebook feed a few years ago, and the "trailer" seemed so relevant to this season of life that we discussed adding it to our book club list, as it would pertain to the women of that "certain age"...of which most of us are!  So happy that never happened!! I did make it through to the end, but Moore wanders, heading down some rabbit trails and not coming to conclusions; which may be the nature of therapists OR the nature of authors of a "certain age"!!  I was hoping for some inspiration in the art of growing older and the one thing that I took away was in giving grace to older people...and I am in total agreement!  Observing my dad in his assisted care facility gave me a head start on this...it's not easy to move fast, nor talk fast, nor dress fast, nor eat fast.  Minds wander and sometimes don't get back on track, responsibilities don't get accomplished in one day.  Ageless Soul is a reminder of what is to come...I will continue to pray that grace will abound, both to my friends and to myself.

Home by Marilynne Robinson

Marilynne Robinson is a new author to me.  After doing a bit of research on the Soul of America, I found out that Jon Meacham's wife, an educator, highly applauds Robinson as one of her favorite authors.  My book club friends agreed so I picked this book up.  "Home" describes the feelings and memories of two of the adult children of Rev. Boughton, who is aging and in need of care.  Just as it is in our families, the memories of siblings don't always jibe; but Glory is making an effort to love the prodigal Jack...she desperately wants to understand what made him leave the nest and never look back.
This book is intense, making me go slowly and linger over pages that were sometimes hard to understand.  Because I do enjoy the analyzing of human nature and family dynamics, I am giving this a thumbs up; but will hold my full approval of the author until I finish "Gilead", her pulitzer prize winner.  For sure, Robinson has a totally different style than that of Sarah Addison Allen: even though they both delve into the workings of family, Robinson is a bit deeper and darker.

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

  I have to admit, after reading my first book by this author a few months ago (Garden Spells), I was delighted to pick up this sequel to discover how the Waverley women were faring.  Light, warm-hearted, and whimsical, she is the perfect summer go-to author for me.  First Frost picks up about 8 years later so we can find out what gifts have been passed on to Claire and Sydney's daughters.  Yes, the apple tree is still temperamental...yes, the house still keeps its front door "stuck" to strangers; but the community seems to be more welcoming and accepting of the Waverley gals as they forge ahead, making mistakes and wrangling with the same issues as the rest of the town. This author leaves a smile on my face.