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Searching for Eternity

I just finished a very good book: Searching for Eternity by Elizabeth Musser. (You may have read her other books, both set in Atlanta: The Swan House and The Dwelling Place.) This one is set both in France as well as Atlanta, and it begins in the mid 1960's. A French boy, Emile, is swept from his beloved home in Lyon to Atlanta under very mysterious reasons. He doesn't know where his father is, and his mother is very protective but not very talkative.

Of course, by the end of the book, you know exactly why Emile was taken to America so abruptly, and although you get the feeling that maybe he should have been given a little more detail, the vagueness certainly makes for a great story.

There are so many threads running through the book, and they all eventually weave together quite nicely. In France, we get to know Emile's family who were French resistant fighters; and some have become Nazi hunters. In Atlanta, we see Emile learn a new culture and face bullies and racists. But there are many nice people he meets too! One family, in particular, becomes very special to Emile, but the children in the family are dealing with child abuse, rape and an alcoholic mother. Since the book spans over twenty years, we get to see the effects of rape and child abuse, and it's distressing. So there's a lot of sadness in the story, but a lot of redemption too. I liked the mixture of history and family relationships. And the ending definitely brought everything full circle.

A sad day, but still there is hope

My second cousin Liz died suddenly last week: age 25, recently graduated with a masters in Social Work and married just under a year. From a human perspective she died, oh, at least 50 if not 60 years too soon. Liz had so many more people to help! She had so many more meals to cook with her husband. She had so many more family reunions to attend. And, she would have made a great mother. From God's perfect perspective, however, it was the perfect time; and time and time again we realize that God's timing is best. But, still, I'm immensely sad that Liz has died.

Let me, as the preacher suggested, remember some good memories about Liz.  She was so mellow; and she had such dry sense of humor. We laughed a lot around Liz. Her Facebook statuses were always clever with a touch of sarcasm or wit! My husband and I met her in Switzerland the year she was studying abroad and we all hopped a train together to Berlin and had such a fabulous time. Despite our age difference and the accomodations (I think we slept on the floor at our friend's place in Berlin), all three of us remember Berlin as the highlight of that trip to Europe.

Being a social worker, Liz took a special interest in my sister Janice and always asked about her. We even got some ad hoc counseling sessions from Liz at various family functions!

The funeral was yesterday. This was without doubt the saddest circumstances under which I've ever attended a funeral, although the service itself was uplifting, and there was standing room only.

The preacher urged us to honor Elizabeth by reminding ourselves how fleeting life on earth can be. Every day, we are one day closer to eternity with God. That just makes every day more important!

He also reminded us what heaven will be like. He quoted Revelations 21: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there will be no more death, neither sorrowing nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

Coupons are my new friend

I saved $2.45 at the grocery store yesterday thanks to coupons! It is not much, but it's a huge beginning. For so long, I have been an unlucky coupon clipper: either the coupon has expired, or I forget to bring my collection to the store, or I don't even really need the product that I just saved 50 cents on.

So, a few weeks ago, I spotted a pretty little coupon organizer in the dollar bin at Michael's Arts and Crafts store. This was my sign. I grabbed it and started collecting coupons. Even added labels to the little dividers within the organizer: Kroger, Publix, household, restaurants, and "other".

This is not going to be that hard.

A lucky weekend

It was 30 years ago this weekend (I think) that my EYC had a youth retreat at St. Mary's Convent near Sewanee TN. That weekend changed my life in a couple of ways.

First of all, during that weekend, I got intrigued about running. Rusty, the retreat leader was a runner, and the way he described it made it sound easy. Having failed just about every sport in PE, I thought it seemed worth a shot so, when I got back home, I ran to my aunt's house and back. At the time, it seemed like about 4 miles roundtrip, but later I measured it and it was more like 2 miles. Undaunted, though, I saved up money and bought a pair of Nike "waffle" shoes. (Maybe you remember them: turquoise blue with the canary yellow swoosh and the avant-garde waffle soles.)

Secondly, that weekend, I fell in love with the campus of Sewanee. It was so beautiful: the stately chapel, the quad, the mountain setting. Coming home that weekend, I announced to Mama, "I've found the college that I want to go to." Little did I know how much it cost, but my mother and father were not the kind to squash out my dreams, and so they helped me find a way to go. I ended up applying early admission to Sewanee and by Christmas, I had been accepted. (Boy, college admissions sure were simpler back then!)

Thirty years later, I'm still running and fortunately have yet to have that dreaded knee injury that can kill a running career. And, I loved my Sewanee years: I learned so much and had such a good time doing so. Although I didn't meet my husband there, it was a friend from Sewanee whose sister introduced us several years later. So, had I not gone to Sewanee, I would not have met Charles!

My new favorite dessert

Have you tried Publix brand PeachMangoPassion sherbet? It is dee-licious! This tri-flavored sherbet is very creamy, it's pretty and the calories are decent, especially for such a rich-tasting experience. So far, I've just eaten it plain, but it would be good on a slice of angel food cake or with a couple of sugar cookies. Something like this would be perfect at a bridal or baby shower because it's so refreshing and the colors are so festive.

As far as the price? I don't remember, but it didn't seem inexpensive at the time.

I like the sherbet package because it's plastic and holds up better than cardboard packaging. (And, to appease the green people out there: I do plan to re-use the container!)

Give your tastebuds a lift!

A good day for Chicken Soup

With the rain and the chilly air, it's a good day for Chicken Soup... Chicken Soup for the Soul, that is. I picked up the latest one last weekend: Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tough Times, Tough People. It was published this year, so you can well imagine that a lot of the stories are about surviving layoffs and foreclosures and reduced incomes. Most people do survive, and most even come through stronger and more confident.

There was a story about a lady facing life after her husband had been convicted of securities fraud. She could have lived the life of a victim or decided to move on. You can guess what she did. She pointed out that most of the time it is actually easier to move on: "You can sweep your troubles under the rug, but eventually you will trip over them."

Not all the stories are about financial crises. There are cancer and brain tumors to face, hurricanes and fires. In fact, a powerful story involves a little girl who accidentally burned down her family's house. The father, mortified himself, summons up the power to forgive his daughter on the spot. That story reminded me of a few times when my parents also forgave me for doing stupid things like totalling our car and breaking some good china. The love that you feel after being forgiven is not soon forgotten.

I'm about half way through the book and am trying not to read it too fast.

Cucumbers weigh a lot!

I had a hankering for one of my favorite salads today at lunch: iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and ranch dressing. Yum!

Sticker shock hit me though at the checkout when I set my salad on the scale. The total came to $5.25. This was not a huge salad either; it probably would have fit on a medium-sized paper plate. I was surprised but too hungry to return it for something cheaper. The cashier explained, "Yeah, those cucumbers will cost you..." Who knew that cucumbers weighed so much!

Some good books

I've read some good books lately, and thanks to a buying spree of used books on Amazon.com, I still have a couple in the bank.

Here's what I've read lately:

1) A World Lost - by Wendell Berry, an author recommended by my sister in law. It is about a little boy who lost his dear uncle. The title of the book pretty much sums it up: this little boy is devastated. Most of the book is spent describing the effect that the uncle had on both the boy and his family, while he was living and even after he died. The dead uncle is my favorite character! I love how his carefree way of life really gets the goat of many of his family. They are both exasperated and charmed by him!

2) Nathan Coulter - by Wendell Berry! This book recounts the boyhood of Nathan (who grows up to marry Hannah Coulter who has her own book too). Without giving too much away, one of my favorite parts of the book is when Berry recounts in such evocative detail the funeral of one of the family members. A favorite character in the book is the carefree uncle; he will make you laugh. (Wendell Berry must have had a funny uncle in his family to model!) I'm still reading this book.

3) Embrace Me - by Lisa Samson. This has a couple of major plot lines. One involves a group of misfits who belong to a road show. One of them is at her wits end. She is depressed and mad. The other major plot line centers around a former preacher who is also at his wits end. In some some amazing plot twists, they end up in the same town and just when you think they are going to metaphorically crash and burn, God's amazing grace and love come pouring through. Forgiveness is also a dominant theme in the book. It's a little uncomfortable to read, but I'd totally recommend the book.

Here's my still to read list:

1) Tiger Lillie by Lisa Samson - I'm beginning to like Lisa Samson!
2) Searching For Eternity by Elizabeth Musser - I've read The Swan House and The Dwelling Place by her, and I like her books, particularly since they are set in Atlanta.

So many books, so little time! Hmm... I wonder if I should try some non fiction one of these days?

A few tips from my trip out west

Based upon my recent trip to Glacier National Park and Yellowstone with several stopping points in between, here are a few tips:

1) Sunscreen and hats! Montana truly is Big Sky country, and there isn't a lot of shade. Yellowstone is a lot more lush, but you'll probably spend a lot of time visiting the hot springs and geysers, and well, leafy trees just don't survive too abundantly amongst all that steam.
2) Cell phone coverage: don't expect your cell phone to work in either park. In fact, at Yellowstone, the tour guide said, they've cut cell phone towers by about 15 feet recently. The one place mine did work was in the Old Faithful area.
3) Food: At the very least, bring your own snacks and drinks. Consider buying a styrofoam cooler at the beginning of your trip; it will pay for itself! If you're going to Glacier National Park and arriving from Kalispell, stop by the Super One grocery store in Columbia Falls, about 4 miles from the airport and on your way to the park. Stock up! Otherwise, you can expect to pay $7.00 for a box of cereal inside the park.
4) Mornings are chilly; afternoons are scorchers! And, as mentioned earlier, it's full sun. Thankfully, though, there's no humidity.
5) The Yellow Bus tours at Yellowstone are well worth it. They basically depart from any of the five lodges. Once you know where you're staying, go ahead and reserve a spot. THe vintage busses only hold about 12 people, and they fill up fast. Here's a good url: http://www.travelyellowstone.com/summer-tours-activities-256.html. We took the Geyser tour and one of the wild life tours.
6) The Red Bus tours in Glacier are also well worth it. The tour guides are very informative... and, do you really want to drive the Going to the Sun Road yourself and miss the spectacular views?
7) If you're driving I-90 and passing through Whitehall, stop at the Two Bit Saloon, right on the corner when you hit the main drag. The bartender is the friendliest fellow. He gave us ideas on what to do and see the rest of our trip. We ended up taking the "old road" back to the interstate, which ran right past Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. We would have missed that beautiful park otherwise!
8) If you're coming into Yellowstone from the north entrance and want a picture of the Roosevelt Arch, it's better in the afternoon, based on the direction of the sun.
9) If you're driving through Reno MT (It's a little south of Flathead Lake.) and want a good place to eat, try the Reno Cafe. It's good food, run by Amish people, and there are a lot of inspirational sayings hanging on the walls.
10) If you go to Little Bighorn, take the $8.00 tour run by the local college. It gives a good intro to the battle. Then, after the tour, you can explore the parts you like on your own. And, another good feature that is free is the 45-minute talk given by the Park Rangers about every hour. They really give the battle and the events leading up to it a lot of personality.

A good souvenir idea

I'm not a big souvenir person. Traditionally, when my husband and I travel, we pick up a magnet and call it a good day!

However, on these past couple of trips that I've taken, I've discovered a perfect souvenir, both useful and kinda pretty: a shopping bag that is re-usable! You know, the kind that grocery stores are big on selling you to replace the use of their plastic bags. Well, everyone's gotten in on the act. When we went to London in May, my favorite purchase was a nice blue shopping bag from the Salisbury Cathedral gift shop. It's a pretty blue with an etching of the beautiful spire of the Salisbury Cathedral. It's now my lunch bag for work. Then, just recently, I was in Yellowstone and picked up a Yellowstone bag which is dark green with pictures of recycle symbols on it. The Yellowstone bag has the added bonus of a plastic bottom that really makes it sturdy.

Both bags cost under $2.00 too!