A Redbird Christmas

Fannie Flagg is the author of A Redbird Christmas. The story starts out with Oliver T. Campbell going to the doctor only to learn his lungs have worsened and he should get his affairs in order. The doctor recommends moving out of Chicago to a warmer place. He brings out a pamphlet that his father, also a doctor, had about a hotel in Alabama. Oliver lives alone in a hotel in Chicago. He tries to call the hotel but learns it has burned down years ago. He calls the city community hall to ask for housing recommendations. Francis is there setting up for a community picnic. She talks to Oliver and explains the situation. The next day Frances calls Oliver back and says she found him a place to stay. He can stay with a neighbor's spare room. Her neighbor lives there with her mother who has dementia.  The price is right and all meals are included. So Oliver moves to Lost River, Alabama where the mail comes by boat to the mailboxes on the docks. Oliver gradually makes friends with people in the town including the store owner, Jack. Jack rescued a redbird from two kids who shot it with a pellet gun. Now the bird lives in the store. The story is a charming sculpture of small town life. Ordinary people doing ordinary things. I loved this book.

 

 

The Silent Patient

Alex Michaelides is the author of the fiction novel The Silent Patient. My college roommate recommended it to me because it had a great ending. I agree. The ending was great. A famous artist, living in her house with her husband, shoots him 5 times in the face and then she never speaks again. She is housed in a facility for the insane and heavily medicated. A new psychotherapist, Theo, applies to her facility specifically to work with her. He wants to be the one to get her to talk. His techniques are nontraditional and reckless. He wants to know her motive so bad he can taste it. He is consumed by her motive. Makes me wonder which one of the two was insane.

I'll Take You There

 Felix Funicello (cousin to Annette) is the main character in Wally Lamb's novel called I'll Take You There. Felix is a film professor. He has a monthly meeting with a group of film buffs to see films in an old theater and discuss them. He has a daughter who is a feminist journalist. Her assignment is to write about the Miss Rheingold contests that the Rheingold brewery used to put on every year. Felix has a complicated relationship with his sister Francis. One day as he is reviewing an old film, one of the actresses speaks directly to him. He thinks he is loosing his mind. She invites him to cross over into the film which he does. He sees films of his early life with his parents and Francis. So think about that. If you had the ability to go into a film and watch situations or conversations you had as a child, would you want to? In this case seeing their childhoods on film helped him understand why Francis suffered as a child more clearly. Felix seems like a nice guy and I enjoyed reading about him.

 

 

Train To Warsaw

Train To Warsaw is a historical fiction book written by Gwen Edelman. The story is about a man and a woman who lived in Warsaw during World War Two. They were in love but got separated. Years later they reunited in London and became a couple. Jascha wrote a book about his experiences during the war and is now a famous author. When Jascha is invited to a book event in Warsaw he says he never wants to go there. Lilka persuades him to go. They take a train to Warsaw and stay in the best hotel. While in Warsaw they can't escape their memories. They reveal things that happened during the war that they had never shared before. I enjoyed this short, sad book. Lilka and Jascha are very much in love and it was nice to read how they cared for each other.

 

 

 

The Landing

Today I visited The Landing which is a three rivers park. On special days they have costumed reenactments of frontier life. I spent a couple of hours walking along the Minnesota River and looking at all the buildings. They had houses, shops, school houses, a train depot and some barns. Most of the buildings were moved to this location from other cities. One fine house was from the Cedar Riverside area of Minneapolis where the tall apartment towers now stand.

There were loads of bees buzzing around. On my way back to my car I saw 2 bee keepers wearing white suits, gloves, hats and nets. They were using a smoking device and taking out the slides covered with honey. I was going to watch them for a while until I noticed the taller bee keeper's pants were too short. Two inches of bare lower leg were showing. That was an accident waiting to happen so I kept walking. I could tell that sometimes chickens, sheep, pigs, and cows are kept here but the animals weren't here now.

In the merchant store I saw two ads for invasive species.

The ad reads: These cold hardy plants will provide excellent fencing and form strong hedge rows for stock and field. Buckthorn will establish quickly and can bear pruning better than any other shrub grown for this purpose. Hedges will produce leaves early in the spring and retain them well into fall. Buckthorn will not be damaged by animals or insects. These plants are easy to propagate by seed, it as if they plants themselves.

 

Hokokata Ti

I am spending a couple of weeks exploring Shakopee. I walked to the historic district from my hotel to visit the library and to look around.

Today I visit the Hokokata Ti Bultural Center which is near the Mystic Lake Casino. Admission was only five dollars. The museum was well done. There was some writing but not too much. Videos and audio information was interspersed. I was lucky. Today they were having a "language bowl."  Students from around the area came here to participate. There were 42 teams. 

Teams sat around the tables. One team asked questions in native language and the other team answered the questions. The docent who gave me an introduction said they have only one person left who spoke Dakota as a first language. For the rest of them, Dakota is their second language. During the lunch break I listened to some drumming and singing. This room is usually closed to the public. The room is used for tribal government functions as well.

 

The Hired Man

The author of The Hired Man, Aminanna Forma, is from Scotland and Sierra Leone. The story is set in Croatia. An English woman comes to a small town. She bought a house and is going to renovate it. She hires a neighbor man named Duro. As Duro repairs the roof and replaces some walls and windows, he gets to know the woman and her two children. Grace is 12 and very observant. Her brother is 17 who sleeps a lot because he misses the internet. With the woman's interactions with the people in the town, she learns about local history including the Yugoslav Wars. I enjoyed the descriptions of the forests around town and the wild animals that lived there.

 

Why Mummy Swears

I didn't realize that when I read Why Mummy Swears by Gill Sims it was actually the second in a series. The first in the series is Why Mummy Drinks. The story is set in London. Each chapter is a month of the year. Mummy has two children. The eldest, Jane, is 11 and is seriously hoping for a career as an influencer on TikTok. Her mother won't let her get a TikTok account until she is 13. Peter is younger and seriously attached to his IPad. Her husband is often traveling for work to exotic locations. So Mummy handles it all and she does swear quite frequently. I enjoyed this modern take on parenting. I could certainly relate to why Mummy swears.

 

 

Roman Stories

Jhumpa Lahiri is the author of the collection of short stories called Roman Stories. All the stories take place in Rome. Some of the characters are permanent residents of Rome and others are visiting. The book has 9 stories. In one story, an "empty nest" couple go to an annual party in Rome. Year after year they meet mostly the same people. All goes well until one of the couple crosses a social line. After that, there is no turning back. I enjoyed the descriptions of the neighborhoods and the cafes and the buildings. I enjoyed reading her "slice of life" stories.

 

 

 

Happy Easter

 

The Wonder Boy Of Whistle Stop

 I have loved Fanny Flagg since she was on television on Candid Camera. I also love the books she writes. Fanny Flagg's real name is Patricia Neal. At the time she was an actress, another Patricia Neal was registered with the Actors Equity so she had to take a stage name. Personally, I would never take the name Fanny. Her latest book, The Wonder Boy Of Whistle Stop, was published in 2020. I enjoyed reading every single sentence. Fanny writes about people in small towns. The people she describes are ordinary people whose lives include extraordinary moments. The wonder boy, in this book, is now in his 80's. He is widowed and depends on his daughter for emotional support. His name is Bud and he longs for the days when Whistle Stop was a busy town. He remembers his Aunt Idgie who was a hell-raiser and a very fun person to be with. If you are in need of some home-spun southern humor, this is the book for you.

 

 

Runt

 Runt is a novel written by Kerry Casey. The story is about a baseball coach who is moving to a small town in Iowa to teach social studies at the high school and to coach the 12 year old's little league team. A rich woman in town left money for a new ball field and equipment with  the condition that they replace the current coach. The current coach is a dastardly man who is mean to the kids and racist. The new coach comes to town but along the way he nearly strikes an abandoned puppy sitting in the middle of a country road. He picks up the puppy. The town veterinarian is the man who recruited him to come so he brings the puppy to him. The new coach and the vet are good people. One of the kids trying out for the team is small. His nickname is Runt. The found puppy was also a runt. Runt and his new dog come to try outs together. The story is very heartwarming. I am not big on sports and I skimmed the finer points of baseball strategy but I did enjoy this wholesome book.

 

 

Confessions Of The Other Sister

Beth Harbison is the author of Confessions Of The Other Sister. The story is set in current times. The sisters grew up on the east coast. The older sister had to work hard for her successes. The younger one seemed to have good luck and success fell on her without much effort. That is how things looked on the surface. As the book goes through each sister's confession (point of view alternates every chapter) we learn that they are not incompatible and can learn from each other's point of view. The story was heartwarming and, at times, hilarious.

 

 

 

Mum & Dad

Joanna Trollope is the author of Mum & Dad, an entertaining novel about a family where the parents are not always right. At present, Mum and Dad are living in Spain on a farm where they grow grapes and make wine. Dad has a stroke. The three children, all adults and with children of their own, come to Spain to help out. Dad isn't adjusting to the repercussions of having a stroke. The one that upsets him the most is the inability to drive. Which one of the 3 children will inherit the farm? Will it be the eldest (anxious) son whose wife doesn't get along with his Mom? The middle daughter who is a successful solicitor in London and whose 3 daughters have issues? Or will it be the youngest son with his wife and darling baby girl? I found this book to be fascinating. I am grateful not to be a part of this family.

 

 

The Life She Was Given

 Ellen Marie Wiseman is the author of The Life She Was Given, first published in 2017. The story starts out in 1931. Nine year old Lilly is looking out the window and in the distance she sees a circus. Lilly has lived her whole life in the attic hidden away from everyone. Her cold and distant mother usually brings her food and insists she read the bible. Her warmer father brings her toys and some praise but he visits seldom. In those days people with defects are kept away from the general public. Lilly doesn't know what her defect is but she longs for fresh air and sunshine. Lilly's story was fascinating. The abuse she suffered from her mother went on to the next generation as well. I was familiar with this authors works from reading The Orphan Collectors which is another terrific book to read.

 

Three Rooms

 Three Rooms is a fiction novel written by Jo Hamya. Set in London, in our current time, a female millennial tries to find a place to stay while she works. As a graduate student working as an assistant, she does have her own room. Later, in London, she rents a couch from a woman who gradually becomes harder and harder to live with. Everyone needs a room to live in. Within the space of a year she goes from apartment, to couch, to her parent's home. Her story is mixed with British politics some of which goes over my head. The author doesn't use quotation marks so sometimes it is hard to tell if she is talking to someone or just thinking out loud inside her head.

 

 

Long Island Compromise

I read Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. This is a novel about a Jewish family in New York. Carl is the head of the household. He owns a Styrofoam company and he is quite wealthy. He and his wife have 2 sons and his wife is pregnant in 1980 when Carl is kidnapped as he gets into his car in the driveway. Five days later Carl is released after the family pays a $250,000 ransom in a paper sack on the luggage return at JFK airport. Their wealth made them a target but their wealth also got Carl back. Carl is never the same. His wife and his mother try their best to keep up appearances. The entire family is stricken with anxiety. One of the sons is so anxious he can't be successful at his law firm. The other son seeks refuge in food, drugs, alcohol and sex. The daughter, born after the kidnapping has her problems too. As their fortunes dwindle, the family looks back on how wealth has affected their lives. This was an interesting story to read.

 

 

Barcelona Calling

I listened to Barcelona Calling, a novel written by Jane Kirkpatrick. I didn't love it. The story is about a writer in Milwaukee named Annie Shaw. Her first novel sold well. Her second novel was a flop. Now she is writing another novel and trying to promote it. Nearly everyone gives her the same advice which is to ask Oprah to read it. Annie has a good network of friends who try to brainstorm ideas for promotion. A series of humorous mishaps follow. Although I didn't like the book, I thought it had a great ending.

 

 

Our Missing Hearts

Years ago I read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. The truth of that fiction novel seems to be coming alive in society now. I feel the same way about Celeste Ng's dystopian science fiction novel called Our Missing Hearts. The story is about a 12 year old boy named Bird. He now lives with his father, a former professor of linguists, now a librarian on a college campus. Bird's mother moved away from the family 5 years ago. His father warns his son to make no mention of his mother, to pretend he didn't agree with her political views, and to blend into society without drawing attention to himself. Bird gets a cryptic note. The American society is following the PACT act. PACT stands for Preserving American Culture and Traditions. Families who do not follow PACT, or who protest against PACT, end up with their children taken away from their families and never seen again. Bird's mother, who was of Chinese descent, did not protest PACT. She did write a book of poems when Bird was first born. One of those poems was adopted by the PACT protesters.  The poem has the phrase our missing hearts. This is all a story but there is a ring of truth to it that scares me just a little.

 

 

The Day I Dreaded For Ten Years Has Arrived.

Ten years ago or so a eye doc told me I had cataracts and could expect to need cataract surgery in about ten years. This last January I went to another eye doc because I was having trouble reading the fine print on microwave meals. Why they use yellow font on a white background is beyond my understanding. After the exam he told me my cataracts were ready to be removed. He also said I shouldn't drive at night.  I was shocked. I had no idea my eyes were that bad. I had just returned from a cross country trip where I was driving at night some of the time. He said eyes worsen gradually. Not to drive at night is super inconvenient. How can you go to concerts or plays if you can't drive at night? I followed his advice except for that one time I needed to drive a rental car from Key West to the car rental place near the Miami airport. I had to drive at night or I would have missed my Greyhound bus. Other than that I have not been driving after dark. Today Offspring #2 drove me to an eye surgery center in Minnetonka. I had written an argument on my phone to read whenever my anxiety crept up on my eyeball being punctured. I was checked in and given instructions. My surgeon came in to talk to me. He said I would be so happy with the results and then he came back with one of those white blankets that has been heated. I love those hot white blankets. An X was written above my right eye ball. I had an IV put in. I was given Versed and Ketamine and some other drug. We were all talking, the anesthesiologist, nurses and I. I had a hair net on. Clear tape was put on my forehead I guess to keep my head from moving. When I felt a metal retractor fitted onto my eye ball I decided it was time to stop talking. I felt cool fluid on my eye. Then I saw the most amazing pinks and yellows and green. My vision was like a beautiful abstract painting. I felt no pain.. Then the tape was removed and a clear plastic shield taped over my eye. I asked what the cataract looked like. I asked if it looked like yellow jello. The anesthesiologist said from what he could see it looked like muddy river jello. Then they were all discussing what muddy river jello would look like. I was wheeled out of the surgery suite. Only one hour elapsed between getting out of Offspring #2's car and getting back in. The surgery went about how I expected. I can already see better than before. I have to instill 12 eye drops per day in my right eye. When I have my left eye done I will be putting 12 drops in the right eye and 12 drops in the left eye. I am grateful that although I had a medical problem, it was one that could be solved.

Birnam Wood

I read Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton because it was on Barack Obama's favorite books list. This is a literary mystery novel set in New Zealand. Mira and Shelley are the main two women working with a collective gardening group. This group plants gardens secretly on other people's property. They are driven to do this good work to help their community. Sometimes they plant in parks or private property or public verges. When a landslide cuts off a road in another small town in New Zealand, the group goes to plant there. A billionaire American is on the property and he offers to sponsor them financially. This sounds too good to be true. The ending was a big surprise to me. I enjoyed the story. The book has no chapters. There are three sections. One character in the story, Tony, was loud and verbally aggressive.

 

 

Unlucky Seppman

I have made 3 visits to Minneopa State Park. On my second visit I didn't see any bison but a fellow hiker told me they were opening up the road through the bison prairie probably the next day. So today was warm weather so I went out there again. I drove over the cattle grate to get in. I saw the bison near the Seppman Mill. Louis Seppman decided a mill was necessary. He was a stone mason. He started building the mill in 1862. Construction was finished in 1864. On a favorable windy day he could mill 150 bushels of wheat into flour. In 1872 lightening struck the mill and broke off 2  the arms of the 4 armed wind mill. He repaired the mill. In 1880 a tornado came and tore off 2 arms. In 1890 another storm came and damaged the mill beyond repair. 1890 was the last time the mill ever produced flour. The mill was repaired in 1970 but no wind mill arms were ever attached. The doors on the mill were all locked but there were gaps to look inside. The inside is empty but I could smell the dank, musty air that flowed coolly out of the gaps in the wood. After a quick lunch I drove out of the bison prairie, parked my car, and walked around the perimeter again. Lots of people had the same idea today. The picture below shows the bison on the prairie and in the background you can see a truck driving down the gravel prairie road.

Good Bad Girl

 Alice Feeney is the author of the novel called Good Bad Girl. This is a twisted, convoluted mystery. We hear the story about an elderly woman unhappily living in a care home, her daughter, a young girl who works at the care home in housekeeping, and another woman working at a women's prison as a librarian. All the women distrust each other. The ending resolves att the mystery in a way I never thought to expect. I think the theme of this entertaining book is that the line between good and bad can be very thin.

 

 

Death Valley

 Melissa Broder is the author of Death Valley. This fiction novel is about a woman who goes to  a Best Western to escape from her life. Her father is in the ICU. Her husband is chronically ill. She takes a hiking path that the Best Western staff suggested. On her hike she finds a huge cactus that really shouldn't exist in this area. On her hike she gets lost. This is where the book hooked me in. How many times have I gotten lost on a hike. My old friend always tells me the first rule of safety is to tell someone where you are going. Do I listen? Yes, but I don't do it. I really enjoyed this comical novel.

 

 

 

Quarry Hill

 

A few days ago a friend from college asked me where I was. I said Mankato. She suggested I drive over to Rochester an join her at her hotel. We could explore Rochester, go out for dinner and enjoy the hot tub at her hotel. So I drove to Rochester which is a little over an hour from here. We met at her hotel. She drove me over to Quarry Hill Park and Nature Center at the suggestion of the desk clerk. We got there only 15 minutes before the nature center closed for the day. Wow! What an awesome nature center. The naturalist, with blue hair and a nose ring had just finished cleaning the cages for the leopard frog and salamanders. She put them back in their habitats. My friend showed her a picture of a green frog that came in with her outdoor plants last fall. Besides the salamanders and leopard frogs they also had a green frog, three snakes, a hissing cockroach, and fish. Their aquarium was large. In the middle of the aquarium at the bottom was a tunnel that small kids could climb under and look up at the fish from the bottom. They had perch and sunfish and bass and walleye and three gar. The gar kept to themselves at one end of the aquarium. Just before 4 p.m. the naturalist suggested we come and watch as she fed the fish. She counted 1,2.3, minnow before pouring a bucket of shiner minnows into the tank. The fish knew the drill. They were ready for her. Most minnows were swallowed whole and quickly by the fish. But the gar were different. The gar pinched the fish between their jaws, held them for 30 seconds, moved them closer to the gullet, and then swallowed them. Kids, adults, and seniors were fascinated by watching the fish eat their dinner. The naturalist talked about how different aged kids view this. Most kids think it's cool to watch fish eat. 13 to 15 year old would not say it's cook but they also don't look away. That is the advantage of having a young, enthusiastic naturalist on duty. When the center closed we walked over by the lake, by the limestone quarry, and finally there cemetery where patients at the Rochester State Hospital were buried. We looked at graves from the 1860's until the last one was buried in 1965. Most of the patients lived until their 70's. Then we walked the labyrinth. By now the snow was coming down hard and we decided dinner and a hot tub soak were next on our agenda. Today she has a conference on Habitat For Humanity as she is on her local board of directors.