Wednesday Wanderings

0 | March 3rd, 2010 | Posted in Books

One of my favorite TV shows over the last four or five months has become LOST.  David started watching it streaming through our Netflix account and I got hooked.  Trying to bring some sense to the craziness I discovered io9.com.  It covers much more than LOST, it covers science and science fiction in all forms, art, books, tv and movies, and just science in general.  I really enjoy it and hope you do to.

Tuesday Teaser

0 | March 2nd, 2010 | Posted in Books

“Around one corner an alcove housed a few Roy DeCarava photographs; from the ceiling a wash of etched glass spires hung to suggest the Portland rain.  It was a magnificent house and Morgan coveted it.”

Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith

I first heard about this on io9.com it is about three teenagers in Portland and some interesting times they have together.  I have this in my to be read pile, and am looking forward to reading it, and finding out why if you live in Portland you would need glass spires to suggest the rain, when it happens so consistently during the winter.

Monday Music

0 | March 1st, 2010 | Posted in Books

Last Friday, February 26, would have been Johnny Cash’s’ 78th birthday, which makes my Dad just a month older than Johnny would have been.  I heard during the day that someone was trying to start a movement to get people to dress entirely in black, for the Man in Black, on Johnny’s birthday.  As a reminder of the things he sang about in the song, Man in Black,


Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there’s a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin’ in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he’s a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you’d think He’s talking straight to you and me.

Well, we’re doin’ mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin’ cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we’re reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought ‘a be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin’ for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen’ that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen’ that we all were on their side.

Well, there’s things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin’ everywhere you go,
But ’til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You’ll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I’d love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything’s OK,
But I’ll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
‘Till things are brighter, I’m the Man In Black.

There are many things to remember about Johnny Cash and all his music, but this seems like a fitting tribute to John.  Starting February 26, 2011 I will attempt to undertake this tribute annually.

Chasing the American Dream

0 | February 28th, 2010 | Posted in Books

Two Thousand Minnows, An American Story by Sandra Leigh; 2003; 455 pages; The Lyons Press, Guilford, CT; 1-58574-854-4; Checked out from Multnomah County Library, Central; 2/22-2/28

A memoir of a family following their father as he chases his American Dream around the United States. They travel from Arizona to West Virginia to Florida to Ohio to California with lots of adventures in between and in each place.  Narrated by Sandra the, the oldest of five children, we first meet the family when she is 5 or 6 and ends when she is in her early 20’s.  She is the glue that holds her family together knowing how and when to react to her parents different moods.  She knows how to protect her siblings from her father’s alcoholism and their mother’s depression.  She exhibits the insecurity that comes fr0m moving so often and seemingly not belonging anywhere, somehow she survives the trauma that comes from being torn out by the roots just as those roots seemingly are digging in.  To me there are two threads that run throughout the book, one is Sandra’s dedication to finding a sister that is given up at birth and Sandra’s determination to live her own life, not one that has been supposedly predetermined for her.  This could have been a very depressing book but Sandra puts in just enough humor to keep it from being too heavy.

I think the reason I picked up the book was the frequent moves described in the synopsis.  I was surprised one day when I was trying to remember why I picked it up to see that one of the blurbs was by Holly-Goldberg Sloan, whom I had gone to high school with.  Maybe that was why I picked it up, if so thanks Holly.  Grade-A

Weekend Update-Remember there’s always something

0 | February 27th, 2010 | Posted in Books

Monday-I gave you my opinion that there is only one true band called Van Halen.

Tuesday-I teased a book about Hawaii, that is still in my bedside stack and reviewed a book about the Red Sox and Yankees.

Wednesday- We went wandering to some funny websites.

Thursday-This day just goes to prove as Rosanna Rossana Danna always used to say “there’s always something”

Friday- A friend is closer than a brother.

Have a great weekend and remember there’s always something to read or watch or do.

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