Book Review #69


Today I am sick so it is the perfect time to catch up on book reviews. I have put off writing this review because I never thought the day would come when I wouldn't write a rave review for my favorite author of all-time...the amazing Pat Conroy. I waited years for Pat Conroy to write another book. Fourteen years to be exact. Tyler bought this book for us even before it was released. It sat on the bookshelf untouched by me for months. Delaying gratification. It was a treat just waiting for the right time to be devoured by me. (Tyler read it immediately.)

From Barnes and Noble:

"Against the sumptuous backdrop of Charleston, South Carolina, South of Broad gathers a unique cast of sinners and saints. Leopold Bloom King, our narrator, is the son of an amiable, loving father who teaches science at the local high school. His mother, an ex-nun, is the high school principal and a well-known Joyce scholar. After Leo's older brother commits suicide at the age of thirteen, the family struggles with the shattering effects of his death, and Leo, lonely and isolated, searches for something to sustain him. Eventually, he finds his answer when he becomes part of a tightly knit group of high school seniors...whose liaisons will ripple across two decades-from 1960s counterculture through the dawn of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. The ties among them endure for years, surviving marriages happy and troubled, unrequited loves and unspoken longings, hard-won successes and devastating breakdowns, and Charleston's dark legacy of racism and class divisions. But the final test of friendship that brings them to San Francisco is something no one is prepared for. "

Pat Conroy works his magic on the page once again. No one holds a candle to him for the beauty of his prose and description. He is a poet. His descriptions of his beloved South are seductive and haunting. I love his dark, Gothic, dysfunctional, and complicated sagas that span decades. His damaged yet endearing characters live on in my mind forever...Tom, Luke, Will and Ben. They are old friends. Conroy's main character in this book Leo King will do the same. I love Leo. I love his wit and his humanity. I loved his character development. He was/is real. The plot held promise. Enduring friendships that span decades; profound experiences that shaped their lives; tragedy; unrequited love; violence; and finally redemption. Unfortunately the story fell short. The character development suffered. Most of the characters felt like caricatures and stereotypes to me. Trevor and Sheba, Molly and Chad, Ike and Betty...none of them had a pulse. I felt like every possible gimmick was thrown into the story. Really? Monsignor Max? Come on!! Who didn't see that one coming? It left me disappointed...then angry...then sad.

There ARE moments of brilliance. Sentences that beg to be read aloud and then read to someone you love just so you can experience the moment and the beauty together. There are moments that had me laughing until I was crying. The relationship and banter between Leo and Harrington Canon is classic Conroy. I loved it. There is beauty in the relationship between Leo and his father. A Conroy first. But then in one turn of the page there is vulgarity and crassness that ruin the beauty of the page before and cheapens the experience.

That said...Pat Conroy at less than his best is still better than most authors at their best...in my opinion. Read it this summer...it is what it is...a beach/poolside read. But it sure isn't another Prince of Tides.

My rating: Good but not excellent. If you are a die hard Conroy fan...disappointing.

Monday Wrap-Up

This is becoming a weekly feature on this blog. I guess I'm just going to go with it. Here's what we were up to this past week.

• We had play dates:

Taryn and Ailey

These two girls were hilarious as they crafted up a storm. They were also very convincing as they bribed me to take them to McDonalds for lunch. Yes... I caved. How could you say no to these two faces.

• Reilly had her Spring Piano Recital:

Ally, Reilly and Kaitlyn

Reilly played Pachelbel Cannon in D and Minuet. She did a great job. This year she really focused on piano and all of her hard work paid off.

• We sanded and sanded and sanded:

These are posed pictures...there was no smiling going on.

We sanded for days. There are no pictures of me because I sanded all day long when weather and Bryn permitted while everyone was at work and school. Ugh. I see why you pay the big bucks for someone else to come and do this. It's heinous. Finally we are to the point where the big sander will be rented and brought in tomorrow to finish the job and then the staining begins.

• Check out Bryn at Family Home Evening. This is a first. Look at her listening intently with her little arms folded. She must have loved Ailey's lesson. :) So cute!!

• Last week I got word that we (SistersCreed) definitely got into a show we wanted to get into for September. That means we need to find some great items and get busy. This is the haul from Saturday. All for the grand total of $22 and about an hour of my time. What will I do with all this stuff? You'll have to stay tuned to find out. In between sanding I have been getting some projects done. Things are turning out so cute. I'll keep you posted.

• I watched the last episode of this:

I cried my eyes out.

Oh Sawyer I am going to miss you!

Surgery

For years I have been saying that Tyler's snoring is so horrific that he needs medical intervention...or...we need separate bedrooms. Turns out I was right. Tyler FINALLY went in and got checked out. He had a CT scan on Monday and his sinuses are so packed full of polyps that his doctor said it is a wonder that he can even breathe. As a result he is scheduled for Endoscopic Sinus Surgery on June 22nd. Looks like no separate bedrooms for us!!

Ladies Who Lunch


Isn't that one of the myths of the stay-at-home mom? Maybe the biggest myth of all is that moms actually "stay-at-home". What a concept? I think I should be called the "stay-in-the-suburban-all-day-every-day-until-dinner-and-beyond-mom" as I run errands, drive 4 kids to and from school and various social and church activities. When I decided to be a SAHM I was full of delusions as to what it would be like.

For example:

• I would be able to get a lot done around the house during the day
  
• I would nap when the baby naps.
  
• I would read A LOT
  
• I would do lots of projects
  
• I would watch TV and eat bon bons
• I would go out to lunch with my friends
• My would house will be immaculate

Those are but a few of the myths. I could go on and on. I really did think though that I would have a lot of time for lunching with my friends. I'm not saying it never happens...it does...but when it does it is like finding a golden ticket in a chocolate bar. It's delightful. Today was one of those days.

Monday Monday


Here are some of the latest things that have gone on around here. Tyler had a very busy work week and as a result it was a Mom and kids week. Have I mentioned how busy May is?

• Ailey had her Kindergarten Mother's Day Luau. The kids served us food, made us cute T-shirts, and put on a little program. It was adorable. It was fun to spend a little one-on-one time with Ailey.

Sophia, Ailey and Taryn

• Kameron and Ailey had their school's Trek (walk-a-thon). Ailey was thrilled to be "official" this year. Although she spent most of her time on the blanket eating snacks with me, Bryn and Reilly; she did run 5 laps which is more than I thought she would so that was exciting.

Bryn and Ailey cheering on Kameron who was running like a maniac.

Round and round they go!!

Trying to contain this wild animal was nearly impossible...it was a full-time job. Reilly was sad that she was no longer "official" to participate. She was reminiscing about all the good ol'days. HA.

Kameron and his best friend Jonathan. Look at those sweating little boys. They were madly running around the track. At one point they were running full-speed with pop in one hand and chips in the other. They had a great time!!

• Here some great thrifty/garage sale finds from the weekend:

The total for all of these items was under $20 bucks. Sweet. I was particularly thrilled about the little vanity set. So cute.

• Kameron had his 3rd Grade Music Program:

Kameron is getting so grown up!!

Kameron's cheering section

Watch if you don't get seasick easily. Reilly was the videographer...who apparently had a bout of the palsy. ;) I had to remove Bryn who was throwing a huge fit. We did get some good footage on our other camera but I STILL don't know how to put it on my blog.

• I finished updating/redoing my brass and glass lamp and it turned out so cute!! Thanks for the great idea CentsationalGirl.
  

Before:

After:

• We did A LOT of gardening this weekend. Check out my cute new gardening clogs (one of my Mother's Day gifts.) In fact, they are so darn cute I think I just might wear them around town too.

Our garden was demolished last spring by Crazy Ernie our "urban logger." After that debacle we didn't have the strength to fix it so we left it alone and totally regretted not having a garden.

This year we decided to redo and plant a modified garden. So we put down black canvas and bark in the area that we will grow our tomatoes and zucchini. We left another area for rows of beans, onions, and peas. We planted four tomato plants: 2 sweet 100's, 0ne sweet olive, and one pear tomato. I can't wait to eat them this summer.

Here's the before...after Tyler tilled and weeded the whole thing...check out Tyler in his sexy rubber work boots. Lookin' good babe!!


After:

The fence is up and things are planted. Nice. I also planted a bunch of flowers and herbs in pots for our deck. Now for the dreaded deck...next on the list. It must be sanded, stained, and sealed. Tyler and I are dreading it. It is partially sanded but there is still a ton to do. I hope the weather cooperates.

• Also-- Kameron hit his first double in baseball this season. Quite a thrill especially since it is kid pitch rather than coach pitch this year. The kids get some crazy balls thrown their way. Usually they either get walked, or they strike out because they don't swing at anything, or they strike out because they swing at everything, or they get walked because they get hit by the ball. So to actually get a double...and the bases were loaded...was VERY EXCITING!!
  

Hope you had a good weekend!!

Do Hard Things

Andrea and Me

When I went to Time Out For Women I heard several quotes that have really stuck with me. One in particular was something said by Virginia Hinckley Pierce (President Hinckley's daughter) and Jenny Oakes Baker. Sister Pierce said "Do hard things...we should always be stretching and reaching throughout our lives." She also talked about how when we do this our Heavenly Father will help us to grow and "make weak things strong." I took that to heart when I was asked to help teach a class for our Stake Women's Conference.

I HATE HATE HATE public speaking. I wasn't raised in the church. I don't have that background of Primary talks etc. I try to avoid public speaking at every opportunity. I once even called a professor in college to see if I didn't give my oral presentation to my class if I would fail. She said no, but even if I got an A+ on the written portion of my project my A in the class would fall to a C as a result of not doing the oral presentation. Guess what? I took the C. Luckily that was my freshman year and I learned never to be so stupid again. I would give my oral presentations shaky, stuttering, red-faced and blotchy but I would give them. Needless to say I still hate public speaking and try to avoid it at all costs. So when I was asked to help teach this class I wanted to help but I was scared. Luckily my friend Andrea has enough enthusiasm and confidence for both of us so I took a deep breath and said yes.

The theme for our Stake's Women's Conference was Abundance in Christ: "I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly."- John 10:10. Our class was called "Turning Stash and Trash into Cash and Making Do with What We Have (Learn success tips in refurbishing and repurposing items including some tips on how to make money doing it!)" The class portion of the conference was three hours. Every hour you could choose a class to attend out of six options. We were asked to teach our class twice. We probably taught close to 50 women counting both classes.

I love the subject matter so getting enthusiastic about our topic wasn't difficult. I loved it!! I also had a great time hashing and plotting it all out with Andrea...who is amazing. The main idea of our presentation was frugal living. Here are the main points of our class:

Why is making do with what we have an important skill?

- To set an example for our children
-To live within our means
-Our spiritual and temporal lives are intertwined
-To give us more time

We talked about how an "abundant life is a spiritual life".

What is something that prevents us from living an abundant life?

-Clutter

"A cluttered life is a life that you do not have control of...it is a life in which the things you have and surround yourself with and allow to use up your time are controlling you and negatively influencing your happiness and eternal progress" (William R. Bradford, Unclutter Your Life, Ensign, May 1992)

-A house of order allows you to put first things first, to prioritize, and to spend your time on things that actually matter.

We talked about de-junking your house and how it is important to categorize the items you are getting rid of into several categories like:

Goodwill (usable goods but that don't have a high resale value)

Garage sale items

Consignment Shop

Ebay (items that are collectible or that do have a higher resale value)

-We did a tutorial on how to sell on Ebay.

Craigslist (large items that have a resale value but are too large to ship or if you don't want to deal with shipping and handling and would like to sell locally.)

-We did a tutorial on how to sell on Craigslist

What if you don't have anything of value to list on Ebay or Craigslist?

-You could shop thrift stores/garage sales/consignment shops looking for something of value that you could turn around and sell on Ebay or Craigslist...or...you could free up more money in your budget by shopping second hand for your family and home.

Why is thrifting an important skill?

Thrift teaches us:

-The value of things
-Provides for the future
-Reduces consumption and waste
-Imparts a sense of accomplishment

We listed our favorite Thrifting 101 tips

We talked about how thrifting is budget-friendly, eco-friendly and even hip and trendy right now...with the economy the way it is... many people are embracing frugality after a life of living beyond their means and financing their lifestyle with debt.

We talked about the disillusionment of the "pottery barn lifestyle" and how feeling like we don't measure up can hold us back in our lives in many ways including spiritually.

We talked about how easy it is to transform thrift store items with a little paint and elbow grease into fun one-of-a-kind items.

In our PowerPoint presentation we had a lot of examples of this...including many repurposed times around the room.

We talked about how repurposing allows us to make do with what we already have or items that we find second hand and allows us to express our creativity. We also included in our packet some of our favorite DIY/Decorating/Repurposing blogs and websites.

Repurposed thrift store and garage sale items...many ransacked from my house

On this table were items Andrea had collected from her house that week that sold on Ebay for around $500 (most of which were American Girl dolls, outfits, and kids shoes.) Andrea is the Ebay queen and has sold hundreds of items and raised thousands of dollars for a charity that provides medical care for Chinese orphans. She is also the mother of six kids, two of whom, she adopted from China. It told you she was amazing. Check out the Pottery Barn Art Caddy look-a-like that she made. Very cool. She is also a thrift store shopper and repurposer. I am totally stealing her bulletin board idea.

We found many inspiring quotes and scriptures that went along with this subject matter. Some of my favorites were:

"If the mothers are thrifty, so are the daughters." Elder M. Russell Ballard, General Conference, April 2010. (I think sons could easily be included in that statement.)

"I have learned that the three most loving words are 'I love you', and the four most caring words for those we love are 'We can't afford it'." Elder Robert D. Hales, Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually.

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education and backgrounds, or abilities we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. Everyone can create. You don't need money, position or influence to create substance. What you create doesn't have to be perfect." Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, November 2008.

I ended up having so much fun doing this class. It is easy to talk about things that you are passionate about. I loved it and inspired myself to do more of it. Maybe that was the point. So while I wouldn't say that weak things became "strong" maybe "less weak" would be a better way to define it. But I definitely felt personal inspiration and I had fun and enjoyed the "stretching."

Thanks so much to Tyler and Jason for the heavy lifting and computer assistance...and thanks to all our wonderful friends who attended our class for moral support! :)

Mother's Day 2010

I am blessed...

...very blessed

Happy Mother's Day

What a Difference Two Years Makes

This weekend was Time Out For Women a two-day Conference for LDS Women. The last time it came to town was two years ago. I remember being asked if I was planning to attend and I laughed (hard) and said "Why would I pay $50 bucks for a two-day snooze-fest?!" Things change...people change.

It amazes me how much my spiritual side has grown in the past two years. I hardly recognize myself. This year when I was asked if I wanted to go to Time Out For Women I...gulp...clutch the pearls...actually did.

I not only attended but I liked it. I actually had fun. Who knew? Of course a lot of the fun came from the good company I was with...anytime I go anywhere with Valynn crazy things happen and hilarity ensues. This night was no different...at least no animals attacked!! ;)

The first night President Hinckley's daughter, Virgina Hinckley Pierce, spoke. I loved her. I loved her no-nonsense approach to the gospel. And...she wore fishnet hose. I. love. her.

Jenny Oakes Baker performed. She is one of America’s most accomplished classical violinists.



She was fantastic. The music was beautiful and added to the spirit of the night.

The concluding speaker was Ardeth Kapp. (I kept telling Valynn that the next speaker was Ardeth Kapp Perry...whoops...not to be confused with Janice Kapp Perry!!) Ardeth Kapp is an LDS icon and role model. I have read quite a few of her books. My personal favorite: My Neighbor, My Sister, My Friend. I loved hearing her speak in person. She was warm and funny and just an incredible lady.

The next day began early...in a drizzling rain. But the damp weather didn't damper my enthusiasm for the Conference. Look at all the people...it was a full house both days.

It was fun to meet up with good friends, enjoy one another's company and be spiritually uplifted. Throw in a delicious lunch at Shenanigans...mmm...Lobster Bisque..., a free cute red tote bag, good conversation and you have a great day.

Part of our group: Me, Leslie, Valynn, and Carolyn. Not pictured because I was slow with the camera and picture-taking: Kariann and family, Joann, Stephanie, and Andrea.

The first speakers made me giddy with excitement!! Linda Eyre and Shawni Eyre Pothier.


I love Shawni Eyre. I stalk her blog and think that she is FABULOUS!! When she came into the auditorium on Friday night I squealed...yes squealed...and dug my nails into Valynn's arm. This is my first "blogger-in-real-life" sighting and, yes, it was THRILLING. Andrea and Carolyn (other blog stalkers) and I met her in person. She was great!! So nice and friendly. I brought my camera up but was too embarrassed to ask her to take a picture with us. I'm shy and lame...what can you do?

And Linda Eyre... She is the oracle. I'm kicking myself for not talking to her. How could you not love a woman who created the Joy School program AND wrote a book called "I Didn't Plan To Be a Witch: And Other Surprises of a Joyful Mother"? She was hilarious. Their presentation on Motherhood was very inspiring.

Mercy River performed...a little too much if you want my honest opinion...I would've rather listened a little longer to the speakers and only had Mercy River perform a few songs. But one of their songs has gotten stuck in my head...For All You've Done...and I like it. I might need to download it.


I loved this speaker:

Mariama Kallon

If you ever have the chance to listen to her speak...do it!! She was amazing. I've thought about her so much since Saturday. I would've loved to have my kids hear her speak. Her story...while terrible and heart-wrenching...is utterly inspiring. She was raised in war-torn Sierra Leone and the things she survived and not only overcame but triumphed over...are inspirational. Her message about humanitarian work was powerful. This speaker particularly touched my heart due to my sweet cousin, Marie, who is from Sierra Leone and was adopted by my Aunt Marji and Uncle Dennis.

We also heard from:

Wendy Ulrich...an author and psychologist

And...

Emily Freeman...an LDS author

We also saw a taped message from Michael Wilcox who wasn't able to attend due to a family health crisis.

The theme of the conference was hope. It was wonderful and uplifting and I left with my cup full. I am ready to hit the ground running to be a better woman/wife/mother/friend/daughter of God.

It's official. I am a Mormon Church Lady. Hear me roar.

Book Review #68


Well I finished my book!! It only took me getting sick and lying on the couch all day but I finished it. Woohoo.

From Publisher's Weekly:

"...set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams."


I love this book. How could I not? The subject matter is heart-wrenching and powerful. The message of the book that human beings are human beings regardless of race, gender etc. is so important.

I remember the first time I had an experience that set me reeling. My family had just moved to Houston; I was waiting to go to BYU; and that summer I worked at a TCBY Yogurt store. Our manager was a feisty African American woman named Sonja. One day a customer came in and asked who our manager was...one of my co-workers...a boy my age replied, "Our manager is Sonja...the colored girl who works here." I about died of mortification on the spot. The customer just replied with "OK...I know who your talking about. I'll come back later when she's working." I had no idea such words were still in use...especially from someone my own age. I was very naive. Unfortunately such attitudes are still alive...hopefully much less so...but they can still be found.

This story is told from the alternating voices of three women: Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter. Each woman has a clear and distinct voice and perspective. I loved Aibileen from the very first page. I love her quiet grace and power. My heart broke for her trying to teach little Mae Mobley that people are people regardless of their skin color. I came to love Minny who was all in-your-face, fierce and independent. Her courage and bravery were inspiring. I loved Skeeter who had her eyes opened and began to see those around her in a new light. I loved that she had the courage to reject her former lifestyle to be true to her own new found understanding. These three women are so real to me. I feel like I could go and find them...that they are out there somewhere. I love when characters are so well-written and developed that you just know that they exist somewhere "out there."

This book is extremely readable and hard to put down. At every free moment I just wanted to snatch this book up and read whatever I could. I love it when that happens. I feel a loss now that I am done. I want to sit in Aibileen's kitchen again. I want to follow Minny around the Foote's house as she gets after Miss Celia. I love those ladies.

My only complaint is that I feel like the book builds and builds and then the ending is abrupt and unsatisfying. I need more. Don't leave Aibileen and Minny that way...Minny's still pregnant for heaven sake. I need more information...I'm still worried about the future of these fictional characters. Miss Skeeter needs to find love. Miss Hilly needs her butt kicked. I'm hoping for a sequel.

I appreciated the Author's Note at the end of the book where she talks about her own childhood and the black maid Demetrie who helped raise her. It brings authenticity and vulnerability to her writing.

Now I have GOT to find me a recipe for a Carmel Cake!! And...I need to return this book to the library where it is hugely overdue.

My Rating: Excellent-ish. It would be a full 5 stars except for the abrupt ending.

Still Here and Hanging On

So much for blogging more huh? Well...I would if I had a minute to sit down and actually do it. Right now I have about 10 minutes so here is what is going on.

We've been doing a little of this...

Kristin, Stacey and Kelley

The whole crew

A lot of this...

We raced one of these...

Oooh...Black Trans-AM...my third grade dream car and apparently Kameron's too.

I've done a little bit of this...

Going to garage sales and finding some cool vintage stuff for our next Sisters Creed Sale.

Not enough of this...

That would be crafting. I've got so many projects I want to do but haven't gotten around to them yet. So far only rose balls for Bryn's birthday decorations and hair bows for the girls because we were down to about zero.

We celebrated the arrival of this little cutie...

Liv Lauren Johnson...who is our darling new niece. Congratulations to Brett and Marissa!!

I've been trying to read this...

Which is so darn good but there just aren't enough hours in the day and it's already way over due at the library.

Throw in...roadshow, piano, digging out flower beds and the garden, sanding and refinishing the deck, Time out For Women, drill team practices, end of the year projects, upcoming field trips, trying to put together a presentation for Women's Conference with my friend Andrea, our approaching 15 year anniversary, Mother's Day and on and on...you get the picture.

What was the point of this post? Oh yeah. I'm still here. Barely. :)