Friday, February 21, 2014

"Verbiage By the Pound" by James A. Michener....

Not really; I finally finished reading "The Source". I've nibbled at it when I didn't have anything else to read, since last October--give or take a month of bronchitis. I looked forward to reading about an archaeology dig in Israel, fictitious or not. Elements of the historical segments were very interesting--the Crusaders, the Turks, etc. The present-time "frame story" of the modern archaeologists seemed light and silly. I should remember the book was written in the 1960's; maybe a bit dated by now. Could have used another edit. Also, the characters of the book seemed mostly flat and monochromatic; even with a long novel of 1,000+ pages, this is not necessary. "Lonesome Dove" by Larry McMurtry, for example. The goal was to finish a Michener novel; I accomplished that, now I can move on to more entertaining books.

Monday, February 10, 2014

If You Want to be Inspired....

...entertained and touched by stories of true-life bravery and real heroines, "No Time for Fear" by Diane Burke Fessler is the book for you! Former WWII military service nurses remember (as elderly ladies in their 70's to 90's)their years as nurses (and some as prisoners of the Japanese in the Philippines); their "voices" reveal the adventurous spirit of young women in their 20's, tempered with the wisdom of their advanced age. Amazing stories of bravery and danger, working as flight nurses in wartime, before planes had advanced navigation equipment; carrying on nursing while starving in the Japanese prison camp, and other exciting situations. Mrs. Fessler's aunt was a nurse with the 166th General Hospital in LeMans, France where my mother served as one of the dietitians; an entire chapter is devoted to memories of this hospital.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

"This is Me....."

...well, no; it's actually "World's Most Serious Baby" having an attack of Terrible-Twos during the Holidays. But the photo fits my mood!! Thanks, 'Most Serious! It's cold, there is too much snow, someone was coughing badly in my train car on the way home (IhopeIdon'tgetsickagain!). tax return-prep time is here. Cabin fever? Maybe.

To Remember Dad's 103rd Birth Anniversary, Something Different

 My Grandparents on my Dad's side were both "bonus babies", kids who were born to much older parents, long after they expected...