Tuesday Book Review

This week in addition to my reading the Donna Andrews books I have been reading, Aunt Dimity and the Quilt books, I also read the newest Carolyn Hart mystery - "Dare to Die". I have to give Carolyn Hart credit for getting me to read mysteries in the first place - so her books will always have a soft spot in my heart. I love Annie Darling - her protagonist and her husband Max. In fact I am thinking that when I finish reading some of these other series that I have started that I will start that series over from the beginning and read it through. I am sure that through the years there are a few I have missed - as with the Aunt Dimity series and the Quilter's Apprentice Series. "Dare to Die" did not disappoint me and was up to Carolyn Hart's usual standard.

I thought the book "Pushing up Daisies" would somehow be related to the TV series, 'Pushing Daisies' and so I grabbed it. Not remotely. It was a typical fluffy mystery but low and behold this time I happened to get the first one published by an author. It was good and I will probably read others if Rosemary Harris chooses to publish more. The other interesting thing is that usually the mysteries I read somehow take place in the South such as Virginia, South Carolina or Texas. This one was placed in Connecticut, not too far from here. I love to read books in settings I know about. That is why I have been loving the China Bayles series so much from Susan Wittig Albert. I have to say that right now that is my favorite mystery series, simply because I escape to the Texas Hill Country every time I pick one up. I also have read the two most recent 'Beatrix Potter' mysteries by the same author and thoroughly enjoyed them. I guess I don't have to know exactly where the setting is. I have never been to England and both Aunt Dimity and the Beatrix Potter mysteries take place in about the same region of England. But the authors write about a small town and a small town is a small town anywhere in the world - at least from these books.

I am grateful for a fabulous library system, a computer system that lets me order any library book I want, Parents that encouraged us to read and showed the example that reading is fun, and authors imaginations that make books possible. (Yeah, Pammy!)

Monday's Heroine's

Dena Brugger and the blond is Danny, the closest is Bobby - my nephews.

My sister, Marianne and her cat named, Kitty - with all the canning she has done this year.

Julianna with her fiance, Jared just after he gave her the diamond ring.

Today is an easy choice for my heroine's. Today is my sister, Marianne's birthday so I will honor her first. I must admit my earliest memories are not of her but of Mom being pregnant with her. I loved it because Aunt Norma was there to take care of us. My mother had horrible pregnancies and became terribly ill the whole time. I remember laying on the floor with Aunt Norma and fantasizing about the new baby and how much fun it was going to be to have a baby in the house - I was only 2 1/2 when Marianne was born - so you probably think this memory is one that the family implanted later but when I described the scenery to my Aunt she marveled that I really did remember. We were in San Antonio trying to stay cool in an un-air conditioned house in the heat of the summer.

Marianne has been my best friend my whole life. Whenever we moved, we always had each other. We of course had the little tiffs that sibling have, but fortunately nothing major. She has truly always been my BEST friend my whole life. Her daughters' are an extension of my family. I love them as much as I love my own - which segues into the my next heroine - Julianna.

Julianna's birthday is tomorrow. Marianne made a conscious decision for Julianne to be born on the 29th so Julianna would have her own birthday. My favorite memory of Julianna was when she cried because she was hurt when she was little she would cry and say, "Owee, owee, owee!" in this wailing tone. Her cousins do it when they want attention to this day but we all know it was learned from Julianna. Julianna has grown to become a selfless, gracious, beautiful young woman who is going to be married in the San Antonio temple in December. I am looking forward to her wedding.

My third heroine is my sister-in-law, Dena Brugger. I admire her greatly for being married to my brother Bob. She and Bob have two beautiful sons, Bobby and Danny and seem so happy together. I have not heard my brother this happy when I talk to him in years so I know on his end he is happy. I hope he is making Dena happy because she is the kind of woman that deserves the best. We are so happy to have her be a part of our family. Her birthday is also tomorrow - so Happy birthday Dena!

I am thankful for sisters, nieces, Relief Society (if you missed the General Relief Society broadcast then listen to it online or read the talks - they were wonderful!), music and sunshine!

Sad News

Last night my dad called to tell me that Jim Braithwaite had passed away. He had been ill since we moved to Rhode Island and it was a blessing but still to have someone my age die is quite jarring. I have known Jim my whole life. When I was young and we would visit Grandma and Grandpa Tuttle, Kallene Keller would come over with Marsha Hansen and we would play. Jim would always show up to tease us. I found him annoying but Kallene thought he was wonderful. When we moved to Ephraim my sophomore year of High School, Jim, Kallene and Marsha were there to welcome me. Kallene and Jim were married the summer after Clyde and I were married. Jim was the pharmacist in Manti until the the year before moved from Utah - he knew his health was failing then. He sold the pharmacy but before he did that Kallene was able to do Heidi and Heather's flowers for their wedding. Jim has always been a good friend as Kallene has. They have always been a couple - I cannot imagine what a hole this is leaving in her life. What a comfort the gospel and eternal marriage must be to her right now.

Francine Steck also passed away last week after a long battle with cancer. When we moved to Ephraim, her husband was a counselor in the Stake Presidency and then they went on a mission to the Joseph Smith Birthplace in Sharon, Vermont. When Clyde and I went to visit there 3 years ago, the Steck imprint was still felt. I asked if anyone remembered them and not only were they remembered but I was shown gardens they had started and projects started under their guidance. By that time they had been gone almost 5 years. I will always remember Sister Steck for her positive outlook and for the love she shared with everyone.

I am thankful for temples, eternal marriage, my husband, family love and family support.

Tuesday Book Reviews

I have read so many books over the last few weeks that I will just do the highlights. I did read Jennifer Chiaverini's newest book "The Lost Quilt". This is actually a follow-up book to her novel "The Runaway Quilt" about the Underground Railroad just before the Civil War. This book tells the story of 'Joanna' and what happened after she was sent back to her master. As always the story was masterfully told. I am still reading all of the other 'Quilt' books in order and enjoying them.

I am just about finished with the 'Aunt Dimity' books. I enjoy them very much and hadn't realized that there were several that I had missed in the series - so it has been fun to read it through.

I am also still reading the 'Meg Langslow' series by Donna Andrews and enjoying that one, along with the 'Thursday Next' series by Jasper Fforde. Plus I am reading all of the "Anne of Green Gables" books and enjoying those.

The other day I was wandering around the library and found a new series I started by Susan Wittig Albert. If you recall I told you about a series of Beatrix Potter mysteries by this author that Pam and I have read and enjoyed. She has also written series with a protaganist named 'China Bayles.' What is particularly fun about this series of books is that they are based in a fictitious town somewhere between Kerrville, Canyon Lake, Austin , San Antonio and New Braunfels. As I triangulate that puts it around Johnson City but in this instance it called Pecan Springs on the Pecan River. It is the county seat and the author admits this is all fictitious - so don't try and find it on the map or in the Texas Hill Country. What I really love is how the author got the Texas twang in print. Anyway - I couldn't decide if I loved the story for setting or because of the story. I was talking with Sister Dixie Wood and she said she has no attatchment to Texas and she had read them all and ejoyed them - so maybe I would have put them down and walked away if they hadn't had a good storyline to pull me in.

I am thankful for a library system that lets me order the books I want, that my husband is feeling better, authors that write good books and computers so I can stay close to family.

Monday's Heroes

David and Alison Burke will be my heroes today. No matter when I saw Alison the 4 days we were there - she was smiling just like she is in the pictures. There were situations that happened that upset me but she calmly took them in stride and smoothed ruffled feathers. She is truly an amazing young woman. Both Alison and David are very secure in themselves, therefore they are secure as a couple. Alison knew what she wanted in a wedding and that is what she had. Others tried to tell her how to do things but she very kindly but firmly explained how she imagined her wedding would be - and that is how it was. You hear about 'bridezilla's' and I have even met a few - but Alison was not one of them. I never saw her lose her temper or become upset even when I thought she had full rights to be.

Thursday David and Alison fly to Thailand so David can teach in a university there. They will be gone for a year. Even if the teaching job falls through, they will travel around for as long as their money holds out. I admire them for being so adventurous.

Things I am thankful for today - Doctors, pharmacists, antibiotics, priesthood blessings and friends that can give those blessings. For those of you that don't know it - Clyde has been really sick since we got home and has missed 3 days of work and Church yesterday - something he never does!

Crying

I have cried so much today - I would think I wouldn't have any tears left, but they somehow keep falling.

Today we had the funeral services for one of my heroines - Carol Berriochoa. She was my heroine the first Monday in June of this year, I think. Carol had a very bad heart condition and lived every day of her life as if it was her last - because she truly didn't know whether or not it would be. She died Sept 12 and has left a big whole in everyone' s life and heart who knew her. I truly missed her and really expected her to walk up and hug me - even at her own funeral! I was so lonesome for her, I cried.

Then I made the mistake of catching up on our daughters' blogs. They are not particularly sad but they made me lonesome for MY girls. So as I read, I sobbed. More tears. I so wish we lived together but I never see that happening. Even more tears.

I tried to make myself feel better by reading. Big mistake! I was reading a book about a brother and sister that left their family in Germany and migrated to the USA - knowing they would never see their family again. I knew how the daughter felt when it hit her to know she would not see her mother again. So enough crying. It is time to focus on happier thoughts and no more tears - not even happy tears. Maybe if I do what Pam does and end my blog with a thankful heart, I will feel better.

I am thankful for my daughters and their husbands, my grandchildren, for jets to take me to my family, for books and for my Kindle.

Tuesday Book Review

I really have nothing new to report on. I have continued on my quest of reading the Aunt Dimity books and the "Quilter's Apprentice" books in order. I am also reading the 'Meg Lanslow' series of books by Donna Andrews and enjoying those along with finally getting "A Well of Lost Plots" by Jasper Fforde (after a 3 week wait!) which I am still reading. I tried reading "The Briar King". I think the author Greg Keyes was trying to pattern his books after Tolkiens trilogy. I kept trying and trying to read the book and finally gave up after 150 pages. The plots were confusing and you never knew quite where you were. Tolkien is plodding at times but at least you know where you are and what the plot line is - he constantly reminds you. Greg Keyes assumes you can read his mind.

On a fun note I started reading the Anne of Green Gables series again. I have read the first two books and I am loving it. When I downloaded the set on my Kindle I even got the obscure Lucy Maud Montgomery books (the Avonlea tales) so this will be a fun series of books to read. As I was reading "Anne of Green Gables", I remembered the first time I read the book. I was living in Germany the first time and we lived in the 3 bedroom apartment on Platenstrasse. Marianne and I had bunkbeds and I remember laying on the bunkbed reading it. I knew there were other books but could never find them. The interesting thing is - Anne as I imagined her was Megan Follows and Dianna was also portrayed exactly right. The also setting was exactly right. Clyde said we should take a trip to Prince Edward Island. I told him if we did, we could never tell the girls we went or we would have to take them all - one or the other. So which will it be? It is a days drive from here.

If anyone wants enlightenment on something I am reading - just ask but since most of these are repeats, you know I have loved these books and I am just re-reading for the fun of it. Even with going to the temple on Friday and having a very busy Thursday, I read 10 books last week - so it was a good week.