book review

About 6 months ago I sort of forced myself to be invited into a Book Club. I love to read and I really like to talk about what I’ve read, rather good or bad. Well what I’ve learned since being in the club is we don’t really talk much about the book, but we do a lot of talking and seem to have a good time doing it.

Melanie was given, for Christmas, a reading log book. Something I really think is a great idea. How many times have you finished a book and then wanted to tell someone about it and forgot the name or author, or for yourself the great ideas or points from the book. So I’ve made up my own reading log book and I am going to try and keep a record of what I read and if it’s good or bad.

I do wish however that books could have a rating standard, something like movies. Only because I recommended a book that came highly recommended by Melanie to our club and we all wanted to read it. I’ve now finished it and I only hope the occasional language doesn’t offend anyone. So far, since I’ve been in the club, we haven’t read anything with bad language. So I guess at the next gathering I’ll find out.
Anyway the book was ‘My Sisters Keeper” by Jodi Picoult. It only took me a few days to finish the book and Monday night about 6:30 I just knew I had to try and finish it. I had about 150 pages left and as I’m reading I keep checking to see how many aages were left, not because I’m tired and want to be done, but because I don’t want it to be finished, the ending takes you completely by surprise, but you know you won’t be happy or completely satisfied when you are finished. All the way through the book you keep asking yourself, as a parent what would I do, how I would handle the constant crisis that this family is in? It is a great read and even though the language has some rough spots I would also recommend it.
http://www.amazon.com/My-Sisters-Keeper-Jodi-Picoult/dp/B000OV170W/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205902388&sr=1-

Now one I’m not so sure I would recommend. “The Appeal” by John Grisham. I have read all his books and have loved them all. But this one, made me so angry and frustrated, something I am sure he was going for, but I honestly have to say I did not enjoy the read. But he is a good writer, and just like all his other books I am sure this one could be true and that just makes it all the more frustrating. So this one has a partial recommendation. His other one that came out just before “Playing for Pizza” that was fun and very relaxing, if you like football you will probably really like this book.

I am grateful I enjoy reading.

Happy Birthday Gordon

Back in the good old days when mom and dads didn’t know the sex of their child before it was born, we were pretty excited to get a son. We had told ourselves if we had another girl we were defiantly done, so when a boy came and we were elated.

Gordon’s name: We were having a hard time coming up with a boys name just incase we needed it. A girls name might have been Mickie, but we had nothing for a boy. Kim and I had been sitting at the kitchen table and Jodi came in and had heard us talking and she said she wanted him named Gordon. We really liked the sound of Gordon William Hardcastle, it sounded strong and a little old fashioned and neither of us had heard it much. Only after we had made up our minds did we find out that Jodi really liked the bald black Sesame Street character Gordon. So you can decided who Gord is named after. Kim says it’s after Gordon B. Hinckley.

Gordon was due on Mel’s birthday March 14th, so when he was a few days late is was fine but after 7 days I was ready to die and at 10 days I knew I couldn’t take it anymore, so my Dr. let me go into the hosp. and get started.

He was a very long labor even with the meds. and at one point I just said let me go home and we’ll try again tomorrow and our Dr. just laughed and said I don’t think so.

Just like being born, Gord has always had a mind of his own and has done things on his own time frame, usually one that is right now because he hates to wait.

If ever he wants something he will figure out a way to get it i.e.: a Hammock, make one out of an old white sheet and rope, a head lantern, get some sewing elastic, needle and thread and an small flashlight, a car, get a paper rout and save for 3 years, buy it before you even turn 16, then sit in it everyday until you can drive it. Becoming Indiana Jones, find an old felt hat, a old rope, have a big tree right in your own yard, climb to the very top and never be afraid, want everyone you know to do the same, sleep in it if you could, have your side kick always with you, which for him was a big monkey, & want your brothers whole kindergarten class to walk past your house so they too can see how cool the tree really is.

Gordon went through a period where he would only wear cowboy boots, another where he would only wear Levis, even in the dead heat of summer. His clothes had to fit just right, so finally after many many frustrating mornings we learned to lay his clothes out the night before, but not just put them on a table, first the shirt, then the pants, the socks and shoes, he would make them look like a person.

He has always had good friends just not a lot of them, never dated in high school, or went to a dress up dance, but he then met the love of his life and has become very devoted to her and their marriage. One of many cute things he has done for Jessica, (that I know of) is for one of her birthdays she had been stressing about money but wanted her hair done, so he went and paid for the cut and color without her knowing and so when she went to pay they said it had already been taken care of. He is very devoted to her and to their marriage and the Lord. We are very proud of him and wish him a very Happy Birthday.

Mel -Bells Day

Happy Happy Birthday Melanie. This last year and one month have been very eventful for you and I am sure this year will be just as exciting, It won’t cost me as much as it will you, but the things to come will be very exciting.

Melanie was born in Provo Utah, our first child. We were very excited and very nervous. We had taken the Lamaze birthing classes because I was terribly afraid of needles, especially something that wound go in my back. We still had 2 classes to go and 3 1/2 weeks of pregnancy, but for some reason I read ahead in the manual and finished the material after our class. That next morning I had an appointment and the Dr. said I was getting close. Well close I was, because that night my water broke at midnight, so off we went. Mel was born 8 hrs later and without any needles. We were so excited, she was a beautiful baby girl. Healthy and crying and ready to be ours.

We already had a named picked out. Melanie if it was a girl. I grew up and often tended the cutest little girl named Melanie who I just adored and I also loved the name and so did Kim. It wasn’t very common and good thing her adorable face fit the name.

We went home 2 days later. Then our first crisis began. She would not stop crying, and would not eat. I just thought this must be normal, and this is what babies do. We were both exhausted and so was grandma. Then the next day my friend came by in the morning to see us, and looked at you and asked, “why is she so Yellow”? So off we went to the hosp. for a billiruben test. When we got home the phone was ringing and it was the hosp. telling us to come right back that you were sick. Your level was 22 and anything above 15 was critical.

They whisked you away and the next time we saw you, you were covered in IV lines and had blood and other fluids running into your tiny body. One thing about it at 8lbs. 2oz you were the biggest NICU baby there. We just sat around for hours and finally someone said “If she makes it through the night she should be OK” WHAT? We didn’t really even know what was wrong with you yet. But it turned out you had a very serious blood infection; you had “E-Coli Septicemia”. You were sick with bacteria that are normally found in the bowl, how you got it no one knew. My Dr. wondered if maybe when you got your little Vit-K shot your leg may have had stool on it. So we waited, and you did, obviously, make it through the night. Leaving the hosp. without you was a very tearful and emotional day, as were the days that followed, I would come up every 4hrs and dad would come a couple of times a days. After 10 days you finally got to come home.

I can’t go into all the details of you life right now, there are too many to count, but know this, that we love you. You are very talented in everything you try, very smart, both book and common sense, you have made good choice throughout you life and we have always been proud of you. You are stubborn to the core, and have the best memory of any one I know. You are loyal to your friends and vote in the wrong party. You love music, but listen to a strange radio station. You are happily married and you are moving in all the right directions and we wish you the most Happy Birthday.

It's not polite to stare

Have you ever been so horrified at the site of something you just didn’t know what to do? I have been along this same path almost daily for, well, what seems like forever. I’m talking literally about something that is so shocking it takes your breath away. Something I had to take a picture of to convince myself it was real. My kids always teas me that I make a terrible gasping sound when something startles me or I remember something. Gordon says you would have thought I’d run over a small child the sound is so dramatic. That is the sound I made when I discovered this strange sighting.

Now let me stage the setting. The sun was shinning very very brightly through the window and usually I just have a light one. Most of the time my glasses are off, but this particular day I had them on, and I don’t why. I wasn’t in any hurry so I was concentrating on what I was doing. Then it happened.

As I curled my hair I thought I say some light color, maybe the sunshine, maybe a reflection off the mirror and light. I got closer to the mirror, and it was real. I HAVE MORE GRAY HAIR THAN I HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE. I just kept looking at it like it just couldn’t be real. This wasn’t my hair. I touched it and separated strands to see if it was just a top layer, or maybe the shine from the gel I’d used. No it was GRAY. And lots of it. I went to another mirror, still in disbelief. Just like a puppy it followed me and again appeared in the front room mirror.

I honestly kept wondering when did this happen, how come someone didn’t tell me. I expect my kids or husband to tell me if I have a hair on my chin or check that I haven’t noticed yet, and then it is quickly pulled out, and you hope no one else noticed. I let friends and family know they have lipstick on their teeth or things on their nose. I’ve been know to pull a long strangler hair from Kim’s eyebrow. (Something he doesn’t appreciate) I’ve been told and also told others they left a new tag on their clothes. So why hasn’t anyone told me. I now have more gray hair then my mom, who is 74.

So now I am left wondering what to do. Do I start to color, go back to highlighting, something I did years ago. Obviously I have plenty of High Lights. Do I just keep pretending I don’t know or that is doesn’t bother me. I do know one thing. I will only curl my hair in a half dark bathroom, and try to avoid direct sunlight at all costs. You would think looking at a scale would cause this much distress, but at least with that I know what’s coming.

Now that I’ve posted this you might all be temped to take a peek the next time we’re together, but remember your mother always told you “it isn’t nice to stare”?
I guess I’m thankful I still have my hair no matter what color it is.