Book Talk

I just love summer and the way it lends itself to reading.  Even though I'm still working, it feels okay to stay up late for just one more chapter.  Our trip to Estes Park allowed me a lot of time with my books, too.

Everything I Never Told You is about biracial family living in Ohio in the 70's.  Teenage Lydia, upon whose shoulders both parents have rested all their hopes and dreams, is found dead.  As Lydia's parents and two siblings deal with the aftershock, the author tells the story of what led to this point, and how all the things that have been left unspoken over the years have deeply impacted each of them.  I enjoyed this book; it was a mystery without being scary, and more than anything, for me it was an examination of the impact of deflecting our dreams upon our children.

  In true Gillian Flynn fashion, Dark Places is a thriller, with each chapter providing twists and turns, possible motives, and often more questions than answers.  It's about the murder of a mother and two of her daughters in rural Kansas in the 80's, and the investigation the surviving daughter delves into 20+ years later.  Parts of the book were much more graphic than I would personally have preferred, and it definitely gave me weird dreams, but I liked that it ended with some answers.  Not all the answers, though ... and like in Gone Girl, it left me thinking, so who is the real crazy here?    

Inside the O'Briens is the story of a tough Boston cop, father of four, who is diagnosed with Huntington's Disease.  He copes (often not well - but who would?) with the onset of the disease, the increasing symptoms that force him off the police force, and the reality that he may have passed this genetic disease onto his children and their children.  It was a sad story, of course, but also one of rising above.  Well-written with legit scientific references, I would highly recommend this book.

#BookWormProblems

Wordless Wednesday: Selfie Edition

Weekend in Paradise

Last Friday, Steve and I flew to Denver for our long-awaited weekend in Estes Park with our friends, Isaac and Kari.  They drove in from Des Moines, picked us up at the airport, and we headed to the mountains.  Although we did have some storms each day, we woke up to this clear blue sky ...

 One day we drove up through Rocky Mountain National Park to do some site-seeing.  The views (and the altitude) were breathtaking.  We didn't see as much wildlife as we would have hoped (mostly elk), but as we were having a picnic lunch one day, there were large elk doing the same, just up the path. 

 Steve had to test out the depth of the snow.  We made some snow balls and threw them into oblivion.

 

 When it started raining hard on the mountain, we decided to go into town ... where it began hailing!  We waited out storms in a pub on more than one occasion.

 We ate dinner one night at The Dunraven Inn, and it was delicious.  It's the one restaurant I would absolutely go back to.  It's this tiny place sort of off the beaten path that apparently everyone knows about ... next time we'll make a reservation.  Anyway, Dunraven was apparently a guy who was run out of town because he was illegally selling land that he didn't own way back in the day.  Now he just serves up fine food and spirits.

 We enjoyed walking around Lillie Lake.  There were many people fishing, but it's all catch-and-release.

 

 A highly anticipated part of our trip included our ghost tour at the Stanley Hotel.  The Stanley is where Stephen King stayed and had some paranormal experiences that became the inspiration for his book, and then the movie, "The Shining".  Our tour guide talked about all of the odd things that guests have experienced while staying at the hotel.

 The Stanley was also the Hotel Danbury in "Dumb and Dumber".  These are the steps on which Jim Carrey handed out cash to all of the hotel employees (remember, "there ya go, there ya go ...).  The stair and bar scenes were also filmed inside the hotel, so while we were busy being creeped out on our tour, I just replayed "D & D" scenes in my head.  The tour guide did say that, while many famous people had stayed in the hotel over the years (both with and without incident), Jim Carrey checked out after three hours, and only returned to film.

The tour, which started after dark, was informative but also a little scary.  We were disappointed that our pictures didn't know any paranormal activity, but I stand by the fact that I saw F.O. Stanley, who built the hotel to serve as a summer vacation home for friends and family.  I held up my camera to take a picture, and there he was on my screen.  It startled me, so I put the camera down, and he was gone.  But I promise he had been there: beard, hat, and all.

 Unfortunately, due to the rain, we only got in one good bonfire night at this spot.  The weather was cool enough to enjoy fires inside, though, as well as the hot tub on our deck.  The Fall River, which ran just outside the door of our cabin, was fast and loud, and the whole place was just so peaceful. 

 We returned home on Tuesday afternoon ready to see the girls, but already dreaming up plans to return to EP as a family in the future.  These pictures and my commentary don't begin to do it justice, but I think it's fair to say that we found our own version of paradise.

Book Talk

I had heard that A Fall of Marigolds was about 9/11, and it was, but there was also a parallel story embedded that took place 100 years earlier on Ellis Island.  It's the story of two women, living in different times, who are both victims of tragic loss, and who are connected by a beautiful scarf with marigold embellishment.  The stories were sad, but also filled with beautiful examples of courage and hope.  I loved this book.

The Forgotten Girls, about an investigation into murders in a mostly secluded wooded area read like an extended version of Law & Order: SVU ... and who doesn't like that show?  Although it was a thriller, more than anything, it was a pretty sad story about girls who were born "different" and were placed in institutions in the '70s.  Some of the details about their experiences, and then later the circumstances of the crimes in the woods, were pretty graphic.  But overall, it was a good mystery if you're looking for a page turner ... I wouldn't recommend it for a camping trip, though.

After the previous two books, I needed something much lighter, so I went for Yes Please.  Funny, honest, and surprisingly spiritual (not to be confused with religious, because it's not) ... this book totally fit the bill.  She said so much that I needed to hear.  I want Amy Poehler to be my friend.

"Wear the old coat and buy the new book."

Austin Phelps

Wordless Wednesday

 

A Chapter Ends

It's been a busy couple of weeks, culminating in the Last Day of School.  I say it every year, but it's hard to believe this school year is over.  Emma insisted on posing with Sara for her Last Day of Kindergarten photo.

 Sara had a great day, complete with pizza, snow cones, and water play.  She was thrilled to come home with the "Best Runner" award for PE as well as a Perfect Attendance medal.  We're so proud of how much Sara has grown this year.  She was exhausted last night, so we waited until today to celebrate a successful year with a hamburger and ice cream lunch.

 I found this paper in Sara's backpack as I was cleaning it out.  The picture is of Sara and her teacher crying.  I know Sara is ready for a break from school, but I think it's a good sign that she's sad for the year to be over.  I'm so thankful for her teacher, Mrs. Blanks, who truly provided Sara with a strong foundation and an excitement for learning this year.  I couldn't have picked a better kindergarten teacher.  Sara had a great year, made gains in math and reading, and came a long way with her speech goals. 

 Sara and her friend, Summer, made this project for Mrs. Blanks.  All credit for making this come to fruition goes to Summer's mom ... I just said "yes" when she asked if Sara could participate.  I think it turned out so cute.  And I'm glad that Summer's mom is way more creative than I am, because my version would not have looked like this.

In addition to the school year coming to a close, Sara has recently started softball and soccer.  She's loving both and learning a lot.  

 Last weekend after her softball game, we went to the park with friends.  Thanks to all of our rain, the girls located a mud puddle and spent the majority of their time splashing around in it.  When the mud got low, Sara donated the contents of her water bottle to refill the puddle. 

 The girls were proud of their dirty, stinky feet.

We haven't seen rain in a week; the sun has been shining and the temps are rising.  It's still a little cooler than it is most years at this time, but plenty warm to enjoy the pool, which we did for much of this afternoon.  We plan to repeat tomorrow.  We're also still making progress on our bathroom remodel.  The tile around the shower is complete, and last night I started painting the walls.  The plumber comes back this week to adhere the bath and shower fixtures, and then just the counter top will remain.  I also have to shop for pink towels, which was my compromise with the girls when I said we wouldn't be painting the walls pink.

Steve and I are gearing up for our trip to Estes Park.  We booked this trip with another couple so long ago that it felt like it'd never get here. But it's here!  We leave on Friday and I can't wait.  I have to figure out what to pack, and the thought of only packing for myself is heavenly.  I know we'll miss the girls, but we are so looking forward to a few days away.

Hooray for summer!