The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery

Book Club chose a "fluffy" story this month, easy read. The story chronicled 3 women in very different stages of life who each were faced with challenges to overcome-- its themes were friendships, relationships and loyalty. My criticisms were in the actual writing --or possibly lack of editing. Many typos and missed words, and right from the opening chapters -- some repeated thoughts/conversations that had already been written. The worst was when the 2 friends went to visit the third when she was in her grief stages; the author had already had them visit prior to this; but this time she wrote as if they had never been there. Wierd. Possibly the publishing firm, MIRO, which I had never heard of.

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Loved the history and author's take on the life with Charles Lindbergh; from what Mom said- the final details on his liaisons with other women became a well known fact. Such a poor ending to a fairytale story of one of America's greats; however so familiar with other popular and favored men and women in powerful and revered positions. Self/Flesh/Desire/Pride -all intercede and poor choices are made that wound others and mar the amazing accomplishments that have been made. I wish the author had gotten to the "new" Anne a little earlier, instead of so much effort on the Anne that Charles made. So sad to read how the children were affected, always seeking his love; but never able to be themselves in their home when he was there. The chapters on the kidnapping were heart-wrenching; and the way the paparazzi messed up their lives was so sad. Good read.

Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good by Jan Karon

Having read the Mitford stories several years ago, I wondered if I could jump into this book; but the author does such a great job of reminding us of the characters and background, that I had no trouble enjoying it immensely. Because Father Tim mirrors Bill's journey, there are so many parallels to our life -- retiring from a church, trying to find purpose without the ministry, transitioning into "slower" and realizing that all of life is "ministry". Father Tim has embraced this community and still finds places to love others well as he travels this road of "retirement". He is a "regular" guy which reminds me so much of Bill who listens and loves, and others feel accepted enough to share their stories. A very enjoyable and relatable read.

Spring Musings ~ California Trip

Boppa and Lita met Walker James Hendren on February 26th, 3 weeks after his February 3rd appearance. He has perfect little features, small button nose and a little heart shaped mouth, light brown hair and hardly any eyebrows. His first month has been relatively easy for Mom and Dad, crying only when hungry. He observantly looks around, but does enjoy sleeping on Mom or Dad's chest rather than in his cute little cradle! Maelie, somehow knowing that big sisters must "grow up", has begun to play by herself for longer periods of time - aided greatly by the amazing kitchen re-purposed from a TV stand by Boppa's clever hands. He thoroughly enjoyed roaming Noe Valley for ideas to transform this gem, as well as scouting with Ben in Santa Cruz. The hunt was worth every step and "dime". Fun things with Maelie: Lita taking her to Story Time, a lttle tug of war regarding the pre-school rope & not eating in the children's area--Maelie walking right to the doorway with feet on the "line", then looking back at me so I knew that she was obeying to the very "letter of the law". HA! Gardening with Boppa for a full hour as he pulled weeds and she pushed dirt out of the beds and onto the sidewalk. She worked so hard with lots of affirmation from him. 2 nights of sleeping with her at Ben & Jenny's so as not to wake Evy-not much sleep for Lita! Snuggling in the morning with both girls-ahhh. Maelie waiting for me to come upstairs for breakfast, then putting her head on my shoulder as she sat next to me. Baking cookies, and watching her face as she licked the spoon! Seeing her management skills in action: taking things to Evy and "telling" her what to do with them, insistent that Evy put on her jp's and trying to trade her doll because she wanted to play with Evy's! "Ebby, Elmo pj's"; "watch show"; "put Walker down"; "Walker sleep"; "Aunt Jenny come?"; Also had some fun moments with Evy: Lita holding Walker and letting Evy sit next to me with Evy "holding" him--what a beam of delight--laughing as he looked at her & trying hard to kiss his mouth--with much instruction as to kissing only on the arm and patting his belly. She loves him so much, when we face-timed after coming home, she saw me and asked "where Walker"! Walking to see the sheep and goats, she let me hold her and talk about the animals -- she loved her Elmo pj's! We saw a large dog, but she was not excited about petting him --holding back and watching Dada and Mae-ey pet him. A girl after Lita's heart!! She needs her own space from Maelie's direction --so I predict there may be some conflict ahead!! Evy helped Lita bring out the cupcakes for Maelie's b-day party, such a proud little helper as she carefully carried each one out to the right person. She answers most questions with "Ya"--but when she really does not want to do something, it is fun to hear her say "No" very resolutely. Hard to kiss them good-bye as they are both so adorable at this age-and they will have grown so much by the next time we see them.

The Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes

An excellent story of historical significance from World War I, the Great War, which began in July 1914 and ended in November 1918. Sophie is a Frenchwoman from a small village, where her family owned an inn. An impetuous free spirit, she headed to Paris and fell in love with Edouard, an artist. The story is centered back in her village where she returned when both her husband and brother-in-law were called into the service, to fight the invading enemy. The town is soon occupied by the Germans, and the Commandant demands use of the inn that Sophie and her sister are managing. The story is full of twists and tangles and hard choices, which Sophie makes based on her love of Edouard and his painting of her, hung in the common area of the inn. Liv picks up the storyline in 2006, because of her ownership of the painting--and her research to determine how it came into her hands. So many themes - of what war does to people, of judgmentalism in their town, of barters and deals made that would not have happened in peace time, and of course --some of the same themes recur in the modern day portion with Liz. With romance as the underlying base, the author takes us back to a time and place that is hard to comprehend. Definitely a page turner. Interestingly enough, I had just finished 2 other books written about the same time period--the Great War. Awake by Anna Hope tells the tale of 3 soldiers caught in the awfulness of war, and the interaction and decisions made; which then cause a ripple effect in the lives of family and friends who are faced with how to deal with their lives when the war ends. A more light-hearted story, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Annie Barrows, is based loosely on what happened during the Great War on a small island off the coast of England when the Germans occupy and oversee their community. All of the books refer to how the lands/foods/homes/businesses are taken over and the anger and resourcefulness of the people who must determine how to respond in the face of change. All three books gave me a different picture of the war, and of the various personalities that endured and inspired others to "keep on keeping on". A true visual of God's talented and gifted children.

Christmas 2014 Musings

Just a few weeks ago, our house was filled with grandkids... and already it seems like a dim memory. But wanting to reflect on the moments of fun with each one.... Maelie Jo ~ sitting on her box in the kitchen eating snacks; repeating the names of her cousins on the special picture of them together; wanting to see "Shanta (HO HO)"at Home Depot and the fire station, but just from afar; pointing out each character on the 6 grandkid stockings; wanting to sit with Boppa at our Mexican restaurant and repeatedly putting her head on his shoulder -ahhh; pushing her doggie in the grocery cart; wanting to walk down the steps like the adults rather than as she should; turning the fireplace on and off with a pure look of joy; kissing GGma and GGpa at their place; wanting to hold hands together and pray before meals; Zeal~ running into the Knight family gathering and immediately heading to GGma and GGpa to hug them - no prompting from Momma! Opening her Motorhome toy with a huge grin; carrying around her new soccer pillowcase from Lita; playing in the library--carefully guarding the door to the playhouse so no one could get in except her! Watching HGTV with Boppa; counting to the 5th step to jump off after a careful discussion with Lita; chatting happily about Uganda with Pastor Angela on Christmas Eve, so grown-up and informative. Jet~ his absolutely literal understanding on our every comment; surprise and excitement when he received his camera; the way he quickly caught on to Rummikub and Spoons; playing Hide n Seek-- his 2 great hiding spots (under the table, on the washer), assisted by Lita; his protection of his sisters and brother; rolling around the floor with Trux; jumping off the stairs; his sincere, beautiful smiles; Trux~ totally understanding one of our funny or inaccurate comments-with his standard reaction of Bopppppa or Azzzi, with just the right inflection; smiling and laughing, and yelling at his sibs when they got in his face; putting the puzzle together at lightening speed; eating and eating and eating; sitting on the floor with his Papa on Christmas Eve during the Children's story at Voyage Church --with some cute little African American girls staring at him! Sitting for 2 hours on Boppa's lap in the movie theater!! Azilea~ running into GrammaLita's arms when she arrived at the Knight Fam Christmas; doing nails together; movie day with the Madagascar Penquins; her thrilled expression when opening the necklace with the horse pendant; hugs; enjoying the library and seeing her find "Black Beauty"; her love of HGTV; countless numbers of hugs before departing; telling us that she will buy our home when we die, so she can live in MI! enjoying her love of setting the table uniquely; appreciating the new Christmas mugs; cuddling up in the red chair to read in the early mornings; Evelynn Rose~ watching her slowly warm up to us; putting her down at night with some snuggles; putting her pointer finger to her cheek when she heard a noise! Hearing Boppa cough, and doing the finger thing with 2 coughs, saying Boppa? Boppa? Repeating words or fun sounds, like "RoWDY" with her hands up in the air -then said, Mama?, then Dada?, then Boppa? then "ehh" (me)--we would each repeat it and throw our hands in the air! Watching her love her new baby-- sometimes strolling, sometimes putting her to sleep in the doll cradle, sometimes pulling her britches down and cleaning her bottom with wipes! pointing to different items on the stockings when I asked her to find something; always asking "where Boppa?"; dancing, racing thru the basement "nakey" before bedtime; thoroughly enjoying her yogurt breakfasts..all over the tablecloth, HA! Having fun with the Apple learning toy-and doing extremely well at it! All told, a very fun Christmas even though I was not at 100%. Asking the Lord to build up my immune system for the next CA trip; and to give me fun ideas to connect with each of my grandkids in the coming year.

The Swan House by Elizabeth Musser

Read for an upcoming Book Club, this was truly enjoyable: a story of redemption in a young Atlanta teenager's life during the turbulent racial tensions in 1962. The opening chapter details the actual plane crash in France that killed many Atlantans who supported the arts during that era. Mary Swan proceeds to journey through her grief, after losing her mother in the crash; which leads her to serving in a soup kitchen in the "rough" part of Atlanta, meeting and deeply caring for the black community -- when it was not popular nor politically correct. Mary Swan comes face to face with her "non-support" of her longtime maid/nanny, Ella Mae. Never knowing or understanding that Ella Mae lived another life, which Mary Swan never cared about. As she is surrounded by others who love deeply, Swanee is forced to face her selfishness, her complacency and finally the need to surrender. My best take aways: stepping out to take risks when fear wants to control us; speaking up for truth even when others want to ignore it; a friendship between Mary Swan and Rachel (Jewish) and Carl (black) -- where each stays true to their beliefs, but is still accepted and interested in the thoughts of one another; forgiveness and reconciliation of what her mother appeared to be and who she really was. Each of us gets the privilege of bringing hope to the ones God brings into our sphere~ Ella Mae was a true example of this - in a quiet, unassuming manner --she just loved.

Kalamazoo Gals by John Thomas

An interesting read by a Gibson guitar aficionado who puzzled over a 1944 photo he uncovered of women in front of the Gibson Guitar company-- a staff of women crafting guitars during World War II. The odd thing about this photo was the fact that John was aware that the company covered up this fact until the 1970's because they wanted to be supportive of the war effort -- they claimed to the world that they would not build guitars until "our boys come home". In John's words, this is what drew him to write this story: "Then I encountered two data points that drove me to write this book. First, in the course of researching an article I’ve long forgotten, I came across an explanation in the book “Gibsons Fabulous Flattops” for why the WWII era Gibson guitars that sport a small golden “Only A Gibson Is Good Enough” banner are such fine instruments: ”Though nearly 90% of Gibson’s workforce was taken from guitar production and put to work on war contracts, the 10% remaining were the company’s most seasoned craftsmen.” Second, I found that unique 1944 photo of the all female workforce. So I began to wonder. Did these women build these guitars? If they did, why doesn’t anyone know about them? What if these guitars are special not because seasoned craftsmen built them, but because craftswomen built them. Thus began my five year journey that ended with the publication of Kalamazoo Gals." I really enjoyed this story for several reasons: the Kalamazoo history, the attitude and culture of World War II, the fact that women were finally recognized for their amazing contribution, the individual stories of the women --and the surprise I felt when I found out that my mother worked at Gibson for a short time prior to her going into the Navy!! At first I felt sadness that we somehow "missed" the announcements of John Thomas coming to Kalamazoo in 2007 to interview the employees from that era; then I realized that it was in September, when we all were caught up in the grief of losing my sister. My mom would not have been able to think cognitively at that time. Here are John's words about how he felt about those Kalamazoo Gals and the friendships that developed: "When I look at that 1944 image today, my eyes immediately focus on the figure sitting in the front row, fifth from the right. That’s Jenny Snow, the first Kalamazoo Gal I met. I visited their home first in September of 2007 and again in the spring of 2008. At the close of our first meeting, Jenny uttered the words that still disquiet me: “Well, I guess I’m just gonna live long enough to see this book come out.” Jenny, like most of our Kalamazoo Galls, did not survive to see the publication of this book. Or, put more honestly, I didn’t finish the book in time for them to see it in print. If I didn’t succeed in my goal of completing the story while all twelve of the Kalamazoo Gals remained with us, I did complete it in time to host one more Sunday afternoon tea for the surviving Kalamazoo Gals and for the children and grandchildren of those not able to see their names in print. And I do hope I’ve succeeded in telling the story well."

The Lost Daughter by Mary Williams

This book caught my eye while browsing the library shelves; not keeping up with the Hollywood celebrities, I wondered about the adoption of a black daughter in her teens. Not only giving a peek at the lives of the "rich and famous", but mostly writing an account of her own journey out of a desperate life; Mary's memoirs bring joys and tears to the reader. It made me appreciate that many celebrities are able to assist those in need in a way that many of us cannot. When her family did not respond in love to her, Jane opened her home and heart to Mary. The author was "on the run" for many years, but seems to come full circle -- embracing both her birth mom with forgiveness, and her adopted mom with gratefulness.

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

An enjoyable read about a "down on their luck" entirely dysfunctional family with an eternally optimistic "Mum". An English author, Ms. Moyes writes convincingly of what it is to be financially strapped and not being able to get your head above water -- with 2 kids, and a husband who has walked out. The characters are authentic, though a bit unique, and Jess, the mom, has the same deep love and fiercely protective feelings for her kids as any mom. Unsure how the story would end, I was pleasantly surprised -- as I love happy endings. My only difficulty, as often is the case, is the very common usage of language that I feel could just as well be left out.