summer reads part 1

I have to say, summer has kicked in with a vengeance this weekend.  And so, I think its time to share some of my favorite books to read under a beach umbrella.  Can't really say they are all light reading, but will grab you and keep your attention.  And so, without further adieu, here is a few:

Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.  A great book for summer travelers. Bill takes us his journey along the Appalachian Trail as he attempts to walk the whole thing.  Never mind he has never hiked before, knows nothing about camping, and invites his overweight college friend along, who thinks a journey like this one should include little debbie cupcakes, snickers bars, spam, and perhaps a few 6 packs. Humor is sharp and witty.

Full Dark No Stars by Stephen King.  King is back with novellas.  This is a collection of 4, all involving the dregs of our society in some format.  King sometimes goes off into a netherworld, but this collection sticks with more reality-if you can count normal people doing heinous things.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  I've heard so much about this young adult book I decided to listen to it as we traveled to NC.  So glad I did-story of the future where there are 12 districts run by the Capital.  Each year, the Capital holds a lottery and selects to children (ages 12-18) to participate in the Hunger games, where they fight to the death until one is left standing.  And while you are at it, read book 2 and 3.

Room by Emma Donoghue.  A woman is kidnaped and held captive in a room, 11 by 11 for 8 years.  And the story is told by the 5 year old, who knows no other world other than this room.  Never seen the sky, a tree, or met anyone else other than his mother and the kidnapper.  What a story. 

One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus.  A great historical novel about the Brides for native Indians program introduced by the federal government in the 1800's as a trade for 1000 horses.  They brought women in from prisons and mental institutions for these men, one of which is this story of mary Dodd.  Charming and an easy read-it reads quickly.

More to come later....thats all my creative juices can handle right now...

chesapeake blues fest

Oh how fortunate we were this year!  Most years it has rained.  Often times torrential downpours.  And this is just not pleasant as u sit on the bay where it 10 degrees cooler.  But this year we lucked out. Sun peeked out but stayed dry and comfortable.  I finally got my act together and joined my brother and sister in law for some great blues on the chesapeake bay.  It's been a few years since I've attended, but looks like the crowds haven't changed.  Audience is made up of mostly white, er..older folks (ok, my age) who come to rock out and catch a buzz in the port a potty . Now thats changed..5 years ago, pot smoke hung in the air like a cloud.  We also decided the food is by far much better than what you might get at the Seafood Fest.  Highlight for me was Dena Fuchs.  Wow..where did she come from?  SOunded like a modern day Janis Joplin with lots of soul. Little Feat was there with two of the original members.  They played updated bluesy versions of favorites like Dixie Chicken. But as an aside, they looked old.

What I do love about blues is the fact that so many musicians continue to age and continue to rock out, even if it requires walkers, wheelchairs, or assistance getting out on stage.  I recently saw Bobbi "Blu" Bland and BB King perform together. They needed assistance getting out on the stage and chairs to sit on and perform. And I think combined age mighta been around 175. No matter...they sing with soul and heart-hard not to be moved by that. Or maybe I was just thinking it be the last time I'll see them alive. The blues live on however.

preakness day

Today is the 136th running of Preakness.  Second leg of the triple crown.  And I am having a flood of memories from my post college years.  I hace always had a fondness of horses as a youngster. My aunt had them periodically throughout her years and I would ride with not much style.  Actually, I can remember hanging on for year life sideways as I desperately pulled on the reins.  After that experience, I turned to the sport of horseracing.
I lived 3 blocks from Pimlico right after college with my room mate Bobbi.  We were the destination for Preakness every year. A pile of folks would arrive the night before, take up space on floors with little sleep, and start early for our trek to the racetrack.  I had managed to take ownership of a grocery cart a few years back and it remained parked on my porch until needed.  In went beer, blankets, whiskey, food, beer..well you get the idea.  We would roll in into the gates, park it on the infield and set up camp.  We were travelling light-most folks brought in scaffolding, couches, kegs, televisions-it looked like someone's living room. Spirits were high, betting was optional, black eyed susans were not. By the time the Preakness race was run, it was pretty over for most.  I would take a quick glance around the field. It was littered with horizonal bodies in various drunken positions, completely oblivious to the screams from the stands. I don't think I ever actually saw a preakness race..well, maybe one or two.
One year, my roommate and I decided to make it to the triple crown.  We successfully made a trip to the Derby-a group of 5 women and Arnout, who was dating Barbara.  He had been in the U.S. for 3 weeks (he is Dutch) before he bravely climbed into the yellow buick  and headed south to the blue hills of Kentucky.  I called from Louisville to tell work I sprained my ankle and wouldn't be in.  The highlights of that trip were having all of our kentucky bourbon taken at the gate, a meaningless affair with a southern boy, and I saw no horses.  Lots of topless women, but no horses. And we never made it to Belmont.  And Arnout lived through his initiation of American traditions.
My infield days are over.  I am much happier watching from my living room, with a martini.  I am happy to see the traditions live on with the younger set.   Sure would be nice to see a triple crown winner this year.

my very best friend

In addition to the great atmosphere of NC, my best friend from high school was able to spend the vacation with us.  I have such a long history together which I am so grateful for.  She is spontaneous, funny, positive, spiritual, stubborn, silly. creative...Fortunately, she lives 2 hours from Andrew's school, so we see each other often.  I have spent some great times with her and her husband Fred (who was killed in a motorcycle accident last year) in her hometown, trolling the streets in their conversion van.  My favorite memory was a Fred day-we would wake up with intentions to head out early, find lunch items for a picnic, take the boat out on the lake, swim, talk, laugh, drink, and simply go with the flow. Fred is alot like Marcia-they go where the wind takes them. What really happens is we wouldn't get out until noon. Then Fred would need to stop at their business to do paperwork. But to avoid boredom, he would put a movie on his big screen for all of us to enjoy. Now its 2 PM. We head to the lake and head out on the boat, as Marc does yoga on the bow (normal-nothing to be concerned about).  We swim , eat pretzels, head back to the lake house.  Now its 8 PM..nothing to eat all day.  We are starving and I (and my good friend who came along) need to be on the road the next day at 6.  Fred wants to go to Cracker barrel.  But not before he finishes his lengthy libertarian conversation on the docked boat as we wait patiently (well, maybe not patiently).
Finally around 9 30 PM, we pile into the conversion van and head to nourishment. But wait-not just yet.  He wants to give us a tour of his hometown. Fred, i say. It is pitch black out...what will we see? No matter..we are touring Norris TN.  Back in the van...arrive at Cracker Barrel at 10 30.  Eat. Talk. Talk. Order dessert of course.  Arrive home at 12 30. It was a typical day with Marcia and Fred. There might be some frustration about the lack of attention to time contraints, but at the same time, such a relief to not worry about time.
Marcia continues her free spirit ways with an ache in her heart. She is slowly healing from losing Fred and trying to move ahead with life.  She has stayed consistent with her art, raising her daughter, and depending on her spiritual nature.  We still laugh, share secrets, and do all the things one can do with a very best friend.

literature in NC

In order to maintain my sanity while driving 525 miles to western NC, I always take along a book on CD.  I have to say, it is a lifesaver.  TIme seems to to fly by, until I get to about 6 hours in the car and then it starts to wear on you.  This trips selection was Snowflower and the Secret Fan. Ever wanted detailed information about foot binding?  Read the book.  There were moments of cringing while listening to this and it seems so much more real when someone in reading it to you.  However, what a fascinating story of China in the 19th century.  I highly recommend.
We rounded out our literature adventure with a trip to Flat Rock NC.  THis is where the home of Carl Sandburg is.  And you thought he always lived in Chicago. Apparently, he moved there in the 40's and remained there until he died in 1967 (can you tell we took a tour?). House remains untouched from the 60's-his wife moved after he died and left everything behind and donated it to the national park service.  Beautiful home on top of a tall hill overlooking the mountains. I now know more about Sandburg than I ever knew before.
My last tidbit of lit has to do with the book "Hunger Games" (another book on CD on a previous trip).  They are making a movie out of it-which in itself is a wonderful thing.  They are filming in western North Carolina-in and around Asheville.  And to add a more personal touch, they have uprooted a dying tree from Andrew's college campus to be used in the film.  Pretty cool.
Next installment..Hendersonville.  I know, you can't wait.

asheville nc

I had my creative juices flowing yesterday and the blog was not up and running. So I hope those few brain cells have kicked in this morning.
I am visiting one of my favorite places on the east coast-Asheville. It is a slice of Haight-Asbury in the bible belt.  The town is filled with street musicans, art galleries, and healing centers.  Restaurants consist of phenomenal vegan spots, contemporary southern cuisine, and martini bars.  I love the vibe here.  It is dog friendly.  Bumper stickers on cars consist of "Humankind Be Both." , "Bark Less, Wag More" and :Coexist".  Tie dye T-Shirts are standard dress code, with a bit of funk thrown in.  It was one of the few counties in North Carolina to support Obama's campaign.
Then there's the scenery. It is nestled in the Great Smokie mountains.Beautiful mountain surround you, lakes, and farm land.  Yes, I can see why this attracts so many people.  They have a population here called halfbacks..those folks who reture to Florida and move halfway back to Asheville.   The downside-its getting pricey to live here now that its catching fire.
Off to massage and yoga... 

recent library sighting

It is a quiet afternoon here until a few moments ago.  A short, slight woman with a large black rimmed hat, black dress, white blonde hair thats been beaded like Bo Derek, stumbled into (literally) the library asking for directions to a cemetery to attended a funeral.  She handed me a piece of paper with an address scratched on it, promptly sheds tears for 3 seconds, then composed herself.  She was slurring her words, not walking very well, and seemed a bit distraught.  So, is she under the influence or simply suffering from some some of physical ailment?
I looked the directions up for her. She was told the cemetery was in Glen Burnie and the service was over 30 minutes ago. She was from Bel Air. It is actually in Elkridge at the OTHER END of Route 100. I give her typed directions. She writes them in a shaky hand.  Why she wrote them is beyond me. I watched her climb into her Mercedes after shedding a few more years, noisily blowing her nose, and stumbling out the door-directions in her purse. And she goes the wrong direction out of the parking lot.
Fortunately, it's a dead end road -eventually.  She'll be back.  Or she'll end up in Peoria.

joys of motherhood

I am getting ready to head south to pick up my oldest from college after completing his 2nd year in college. Kudos to him for hanging in there and realizing what he has to do to see his future..and not piss off his parents.  He has had a few bumps, no major ones.  Roommate issues.  Lost his glasses, but duct taped and tied a bandanna around his old ones to get him thru the rest of the year.  Lost his black printer cartridge, but printed in purple. Lost his debit card, but has no money, so moot point. If he has learned anything in these 2 years of living on his own, its problem solving in creative ways.  I often think there is a good number of kids out there without these skills, simply because they are bailed out by their parents. At some point there needs to be a sink or swim mentality, as hard as that might be as a mother.
Regardless, I am not ready to not have him home. I love his company, his sense of humor, and his insightful quips. And having another driver.  His sister misses Taco Bell at midnight and a marathon of RugRats with her big brother. We do hope he is working a real job this summer, socking away money for real life expenses, not just a beer run.  All part of the sink or swim philosophy. I think he will go far, as long as he gets a handle on those little bumps that can be avoided.

weekend of maryland tradition

Ah..what a great spring weekend!  Air is filled with pollen, lawns are lush, flowers are blooming..and to top the weekend off, it's Mother's Day.  I spent the weekend seeped in Maryland tradition.  Friday evening, we headed to the Oriole game with my extended family.  My nephew was singing with his choir and we were there to support him and our bedraggled baseball team.  We managed to finagle awesome seats right behind homeplate (thanks to a lack of attendance) and hung in there to the bitter end, only to see them lose, again.  The stadium is spruced up-and the food is better.  Maybe not lesser expensive.  My brother paid 6.25 for a hog dog. And crab cakes were 12.00. No kidding.
Saturday, we attended a bull and oyster (or in this case, shrimp), which might really be an Anne Arundel county tradition.  You gorge on shrimp,pit beef, ham, turkey, and sides..most of which are canned or instant.  Skip that-stick with the bull and shrimp.  All you can drink beer, wine and soda, money wheel..that's about it.  Oh, and music..which is this case was a couple, looking haggard and tired, who got very nervous if you asked for some current dance music.  Their stock answer was to give them a title because they did not know the current music.  Really? Bull roasts seem common only to this area.   How lucky can one be?
Off to buy a snowcone.  That's another whole story.

library cynicism

I think my cynic self has returned in full force.  Which usually means I need a vacation.  I attended a library conference this week-an all day workshop on well, it really doesn't matter.  Point was I attended simply to gain some continuing education credits.  So, I drove my ass to Ocean City, had a lovely evening with a good friend,and arrived the next morning, trying to prepare for the all day marathon. There probably wasn't enough caffeine to get me through that day.  A full eight hours, 2 short breaks, lunch, which should be an hour-closer to about 40 minutes (consisted of dried up turkey sandwich, chips, and a candy bar-very healthy). The program was an 8 hour power point, 2 exercises in a group-which is never successful cause no one wants to step up to the plate, and...I think that might be it.  Room was frigid-outside temp-50 degrees with cold rain, inside 60 degrees.  And there was some bozo in the room next to us conducting a program about bringing books to life by screaming and singing into a head microphone and strumming a loud guitar.  What book might that be? Flowers for Algernon?
Finally, after a marathon afternoon of 4 hours listening to ONE speaker talk about ONE library, I gave up the ghost and decided to leave.  I asked for my ContinuingEdU form, which they had, but they won't give to you until the announcement has been made that the program is over.And you give them your first born.  Thank god for my colleague, who offered to pick it up for me.
Let me end on a positive note..I was walking through the halls of the conference trying to keep myself awake.  There was a group meeting there as well-the Eastern Star.  What the hell is that anyway? I only know they all dress in white, men are in blue bow ties and white suits and thay are all over the age of 70. I might be kind here.  Anyway, an elderly gentleman was perched in the hall, people watching and said to no one in particular "Wow, these librarians sure are prettier than the ones from my day!" Hats off to you kind sir.

A Day in History

I generally have posted less than serious matters here, but this is certainly worth a big mention.  This is a big day in history..the most wanted man in the world has been killed in the hands of the U.S.   The thanks can go to our special forces, intelligence, and most importantly, our commander in chief.  As my daughter has said (very astutely I add as a 13 year old) every action will be a reaction.  First, I am hoping it brings an end to the citizen issue and it might even quiet down all those Obama haters I've grown so weary of.  I also heard this morning the price of oil is down and the market has surged.  Now all we need are pots of gold in our driveways and maybe the end of hunger in the world.  I know, pipe dreams, but I can dream.  Who woulda thought this closure would finally come, especially in the definitive hands of the U.S.?
I am so proud to be am American and these recent developments just confirm that we have a great leader at the helm.  It's about time.