MOVING DAY

Shelby and Mike are moving in this afternoon.  They both have to work, so it will probably be early or mid-evening when they get here with their things.  And the weather today is going to be terrible:

From The Weather Channel:

Windy with a few showers this morning, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon.  Damaging winds with some storms.  High 74F.  Winds SW at 20 to 30 mph.  Chance of rain 90%.

Should be fun!

THE MATCHMAKER OF KENMARE

THE MATCHMAKER OF KENMARE by Frank Delaney was read for the Ireland Reading Challenge 2011.

From the book jacket:

"There's a legend," she said, "and I'm one of the very few who know it - that says all couples who are meant to marry are connected by an invisible silver cord.  The matchmaking gods tie that cord around their ankles at birth, and in time the gods pull those cords tighter and tighter.  Slowly, slowly, over the next twenty or thirty or forty years, they draw the couple toward each other until they meet."  So says miss Kate Begley, matchmaker of Kenmare, the enigmatic woman Ben MacCarthy meets in the summer of 1943.

As World War II rages on, Ben is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his wife, the actress Venetia Kelly.  Searching for purpose by collecting stories for the Irish Folklore Commission, he travels to a remote seaside cottage to profile the aforementioned Matchmaker of Kenmare.

Ben is immediately captivated by the forthright Miss Begley, who is remarkable self-assured in her instincts but provincial in her experience.  Miss Begley is determined to see that Ben moves through his grief - and a powerful friendship forged along the way.

But when Charles Miller, a striking American military intelligence officer, arrives on the scene, Miss Begley develops an intense infatuation and looks to make a match for herself.  Miller needs a favor, but it will be dangerous.  Under the cover of their neutrality as Irish citizens, Miss Begley and Ben travel to London and effectively operate as spies.  As they are drawn more deeply and painfully into the conflict, both discover the perils of neutrality - in both love and war.

About a month or so ago, I read VENETIA KELLY'S TRAVELING SHOW by Mr. Delaney and noted: "This book ends with an unfinished story, and the reader is left to ponder the fate of some of the characters, although it isn't the type of ending that leads to a sequel."  I was wrong, for this book is definitely a sequel to that one.

While I loved the earlier book, I wasn't quite as thrilled with this one.  I think that was because of the war setting and much discussion and description of the atrocities of war.  The descriptions were vivid and upsetting.  There was one sentence, a description of a man not involved with the war, that I loved:

His face reminded me of brown wrapping paper that had been scrunched up into a ball and then smoothed out. (p. 47)

Again, the ending left open a window of opportunity for another book telling more of Ben's story.  I really liked Ben and would love to continue his story.

A CHANGE IN PLANS

I cancelled my eyelid surgery.

I still want to have it done, but I need to find a different doctor.  There was nothing wrong with the doctor I had scheduled the surgery with - it was his staff.

I called and called, left message after message, to find out the time of the surgery and whether they had received the history and physical that was faxed over by my regular doctor.  I finally got through to them to find out they had never received the paperwork.  And the scheduler (I think she's the office manager) still couldn't give me a time.

So on Monday morning I called again.  No one answered the phone, so I had to leave a message.  I said that I wanted to cancel the surgery.  I never heard back until late yesterday.  I had scheduled this surgery in December - there is no reason it should take this long to get everything finalized.

I've worked in doctors' offices before.  This is just not the way to treat your patients.  When I would schedule a surgery, I let the patient know immediately the date and time for the surgery so she could make arrangements.  The patient was told the cost, what insurance would cover, and her portion and when it needed to be paid.  The patient never had to wait or call us for information.

I've seen plenty of cases of patients leaving a practice, not because of the medical care given or the doctor or back office staff - but because of the ineptitude of the front office.  First impressions are important and if the front office makes a bad impression, it reflects on the entire office.

MY OH-SO-NOT-EXCITING LIFE

Things have been a little hectic around here.  Shelby and Mike are moving in here next Monday so I've been moving things and cleaning out closets.

We managed to store a full size bed in one of our bedroom closets and still have room left over for other stuff - like clothes.  I still need to go through the closets in the rooms they will be using and decide what to keep and what to donate or throw away.  I also need to clean out the dresser drawers - they are filled with old VHS tapes that I'll be taking to Goodwill.

I went through all my books and made a list of the ones that I'm letting go.  Two friends have claimed some of them, but I still have a lot that will be leaving.  If anyone is interested, I can e-mail a list of the books and you can pick and choose.

Shelby's dog Lucky is here with us already.  He's really a good dog and is no trouble at all.  He's lying on the couch next to me right now, snoring away.

Here are some more fun things I have to look forward to later today - laundry and giving Maggie a bath.  Are you jealous?

This coming week will be busy too.  Bowling on Monday, lunch with a good friend on Tuesday, bowling again on Wednesday, a hair cut sometime on Thursday (a good cut this time - with the best hair stylist ever - Mary!), then my eye surgery on Friday.  I need to find out the time for the surgery.  I'm a little nervous about it as I'll be awake during the procedure.  Just keep thinking about the final results...

I'm reading a big book on my Kindle and loving the fact that I don't have to hold that heavy book.  I got a nice cover for it and now I can carry it with me when I go out.

Nothing else exciting going on down here in Georgia.  What's new with you?

THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN

THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN by Kate Morton was read for the Chunkster Reading Challenge 2011.

From the back of the book:

A tiny girl is abandoned on a ship headed for Australia in 1913.  She arrives completely alone with nothing but a small suitcase containing a few clothes and a single book - a beautiful volume of fairy tales.  She is taken in by the dockmaster and his wife and raised as their own.  On her twenty-first birthday, they tell her the truth, and with her sense of self shattered and very little to go on, "Nell" sets out to trace her real identity.  Her quest leads her to Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast and the secrets of the doomed Mountrachet family.  But it is not until her granddaughter, Cassandra, takes up the search after Nell's death that all the pieces of the puzzle are assembled.  A spellbinding tale of mystery and self-discovery, The Forgotten Garden will take hold of your imagination and never let go.

I absolutely LOVED this book.  The story moves from the early days of Rose and Eliza of the Mountrachet family to many years later when Nell is searching for the truth, then moves again to the present day as Cassandra takes up the quest.  The different times come together, sometimes in the same chapters, but it is never confusing. I was able to figure out who Nell really was, but not before being led in many different directions.  The ending of the story brought it around full-circle.  And everything tied in to the book of fairy tales.

I had read Ms. Morton's earlier book, THE HOUSE AT RIVERTON, last year.  I liked that book, but felt this one was so much better.  I'm looking forward to reading her newest book, THE DISTANT HOURS, when it's released later this year.

OUR PANDA CUB HAS A NAME!

PO

Zoo Atlanta and Dreamworks Animation have issued a joint statement announcing the name of our baby panda. His name is Po - named for the title character in the Kung Fu Panda movies.

There had been a poll to name the other two pandas born here in Atlanta.  No poll for this baby.  Now it's obvious why not.  It looks like the zoo might have made a little bit of much-needed money on this cub.

Whatever the reasoning behind his name, Po is a sweetheart and I'll be anxious to see him in person soon.

CROSSING OCEANS

CROSSING OCEANS by Gina Holmes was read for the What's In a Name Challenge 4.

From Amazon.com:

Jenny Lucas swore she'd never go home again.  But being told you're dying as a way of changing things.  Years after she left, she and her five-year-old daughter, Isabella, must return to her sleepy North Carolina town to face the ghosts she left behind.  They welcome her in the form of her oxygen tank-toting grandmother, her stoic and distant father, and David, Isabella's dad ... who doesn't yet know he has a daughter.  As Jenny navigates the rough and unknown waters of her new reality, the unforgettable story that unfolds is a testament to the power of love and its ability to change everything - to heal old hurts, bring new beginnings ... even overcome the impossible.

I hadn't realized when I started this book that it was Christian fiction.  I have no problem reading books of this genre, as long as they aren't the hit-you-over-the-head-with-the-Bible type books.  And this one was very subtle.  I really liked the characters.  They felt real.  Jenny had difficult decisions to make about Isabella's care after her death.  The choice she made at the end of the book was right, and her indecision and the final outcome were written perfectly.  Isabella was a perfect character - you could feel her pain and confusion.

I really enjoyed this book.  And this was the very first book I read on my new Kindle - and I enjoyed that experience as well.  I think Kindle and I are going to get along just fine.

WILL I LIKE IT?

After much hemming and hawing, I finally bought a Kindle.  Amazon offers a 30-day return policy, so I figured it was time to give it a try.  I don't want to do a lot of fancy stuff, like making notes and highlighting - I just want to read books on it.

Do you have a Kindle?  Do you love it?  Will I love it too?  Should I have gotten a Nook instead?

THE GOOD DAUGHTERS

THE GOOD DAUGHTERS by Joyce Maynard

From the book jacket:

They were born on the same day, in the same small New Hampshire hospital, into families that could hardly have been less alike.

Ruth Plank is an artist and a romantic with a rich, passionate, imaginative life.  The last of five girls born to a gentle, caring farmer and his stolid wife, she yearns to soar beyond the confines of the land that has been her family's birthright for generations.

Dana Dickerson is a scientist and realist whose faith is firmly planted in the natural world.  Raised by a pair of capricious drifters who waste their lives on failed dreams, she longs for stability and rootedness.

Different in nearly every way, Ruth and Dana share a need to make sense of who they are and to find their places in a world in which neither has ever truly felt she belonged.  They also share a love for Dana's wild and beautiful older brother, Ray, who will leave an indelible mark on both their hearts.

Told in alternating voices of Ruth and Dana, The Good Daughters follows these "birthday sisters" as they make their way from the 1950's to the present.  Master storyteller Joyce Maynard chronicles the unlikely ways the two women's lives parallel and intersect - from childhood and adolescence to first loves, first sex, marriage, and parenthood; from the deaths of parents to divorce, the loss of home, and the loss of a beloved partner - until past secrets and forgotten memories unexpectedly come to light, forcing them to reevaluate themselves and each other.

Moving from rural New Hampshire to a remote island in British Columbia to the '70's art-school scene, The Good Daughters is an unforgettable story about the ties of home and family, the devastating force of love, the healing power of forgiveness, and the desire to know who we are.

This was an interesting book, examining the question of nature vs nurture, coming out on the side of nature.  Both girls felt they didn't "belong" in their respective families.  It was clear, about half-way through the book, to see where the story was headed, but interesting to read how the two daughters got there and the choices they made along the way.  I did feel that the ending was a little rushed and not very realistic.

Overall, a good book, but not one I'd read again.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

UNCLE SAM SENT ME A BIRTHDAY CARD JUST LIKE THIS ONE!

I think I have to send it back, since 30 year-olds don't qualify for Medicare.

You mean, I'm NOT 30?  Since when???

ANOTHER CHALLENGE

I love reading new books, so this challenge has always been one of my favorites.  This year, you must read 11 books first published in 2011.  Very simple and easy.

I don't know what books I'll be reading yet, but I have a few in mind.  There's always the next Stephanie Plum book (17) by Janet Evanovich and Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove series is up to number 11 this year.  I'll have no trouble finding 11 books.

You can go here to sign up.

WHAT A WOMAN MUST DO

WHAT A WOMAN MUST DO by Faith Sullivan was read for the Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011.

From Publishers Weekly (posted on Amazon.com):

In keeping with her tradition of creating strong heroines, Sullivan (THE CAPE ANN) casts three generations of hardy smalltown Minnesota women in an empathetic post-WWII drama.  A careless "Way Back When" filler in the local Harvester, Minn., newspaper notes the 10th anniversary of the tragic deaths of Archer and Celia Canby, which elicits both sadness and outrage in Celia's aunt, Kate Drew.  Prematurely aged by arthritis and her family's misfortunes, 59-year-old Kate first experienced heartbreak when her sister and brother-in-law died of influenza in 1917, leaving their young daughter, Celia, in the care of Kate and husband Martin.  Against their strong wishes, Celia married Archer, a handsome but abusive Southern expatriate with a withered arm, when she was in her teens.  Just months after Martin's untimely death of a heart attack, Celia and Archer were killed in an accident and their seven-year-old daughter was orphaned.  With the live-in help of cousin Harriet McCaffery, Kate raised little Bess into a headstrong teenager.  Bess repeats her mother's romantic mistake in a risky dalliance with a married man, threatening her plans for college.  When 39-year-old Harriet decides to pursue a newly widowed farmer in hopes of married domestic bliss, all three women must examine their tangled pasts, free themselves from their dependence on one another and embrace new, independent futures.  Repetitive reminiscing that always leads back to star-crossed Celia and Archer slows down the first third of the novel, but once spoiled, insecure Bess and hopelessly romantic Harriet are ensconced in their respective games of the heart, the pages can't turn fast enough.  Sullivan is a good storyteller and the peaceful, rural backdrop she sketches stands in poignant contrast to her sympathetic characters' struggles with temptation and conflicting loyalties.

I read THE CAPE ANN a few months ago and enjoyed it, especially the writing style of Ms. Sullivan.  This book showed the same style.  The story, which took place over a short period of time, was slow moving but delved deeply into the characters of Bess, Harriet and Kate, with many references to Bess' mother Celia and the mistakes she made in her life.  All three women had things they felt they had to do with their lives and the book detailed the changes that would come to them as they made these decisions.

I'm planning to donate many of my books to the library, but the four books I own by Ms. Sullivan will be staying right here.

JANUARY BOOKS

Wow - the first month of the new year is gone already!  I think I did well, reading-wise, finished 8 books, including 2 challenge books.

Here's what I read:

LETTER FROM POINT CLEAR by Dennis McFarland

ON MYSTIC LAKE by Kristin Hannah (Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2011)

I SEE YOU EVERYWHERE by Julia Glass

VENETIA KELLY'S TRAVELING SHOW by Frank Delaney (Ireland Reading Challenge 2011)

THE INNER CIRCLE by Brad Meltzer

THE GIRL IN THE GREEN RAINCOAT by Laura Lippman

THE REHEARSAL by Sarah Willis

I just looked at my bookshelves - 5 tall bookcases - and they're all filed to overflowing.  I want more books but I'm out of room.  Looks like I just might be buying a Kindle which would help with the problem!

Read any good books in January?