Tightrope Walkers

I read this book review of A Sense of Direction: Pilgrimage for the Restless and the Hopeful by Gideon Lewis-Kraus in Outside magazine the other day. And I would like to get my hands on the book though I am curious if most of the message is right there in the review. But the ideas were interesting and struck a chord with this member of a young, overwhelmed-with-options generation. Matthew Power, the reviewer, describes a nonfiction account of a 20-something bashing around Europe overly conscious of creating an experience. Lewis-Kraus decides on a whim to hike the 500-mile pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela through Spain. Power writes, "He will exchange directionless choice for "pointless direction."It seems like Lewis-Kraus is self-deprecating enough to make the book humorous rather than pretentious. Anyway, I haven't even read the book, but you should and then tell me how it is!

Aren't adventure stories great this time of year? Or really, any time of year because there is something special about being burrowed in your bed during a wind-howling winter night while digging through Into Thin Air or Eiger Dreams. (And because I've brought up Jon Krakauer, you should know Dave is reading Under the Banner of Heaven which is a fascinating book about the history of the Mormon church and Mormon fundamentalism...he makes me want to do a reread).

But if you're in the mood for an adventure quick fix, you should watch this preview of a daring documentary:

I stumbled on it at this great blog A Cup of Jo. Make sure you watch until the end. The last minute may make you queasy!

Visitors, I love you!

Company's a comin'!

I love having visitors. There's nothing like old family and friends to bring out those parts of you that have laid dormant all of these months or years. People from your past, good people from your past remind you of the person you once were, the things you once loved, the way you once felt. Like an old song, having a visit takes you back somewhere. And when your company leaves, you feel a little more hopeful about things.

I believe in both hosting and being a visitor.

And one of the best things about visitors is doing all of the kitschy stuff that you don't do on an average Saturday but only do with out-of-towners. For example, this weekend one of Dave's very best friends is visiting with his wonderful wife, and we're all going to eat Italian in Boston's North End, the thing we do every time visitors come. And I love it. I love, love, love it. When I'm an old lady reminiscing about my time in Boston a few things will stand out to me, and one of those things  will be drinking wine and eating penne in a little, warm, hole-in-the-wall brick hovel somewhere off of Hanover Street.

And maybe I'll be too full to continue the festivities but will instead roll myself home and into bed with Eragon.
Or A Clash of Kings.
Or 1Q84.
Or My Antonia.
Or the Windup Girl.

P.S. My brother is coming in a few weeks. My brother! I cannot wait.

Budapest circa 2007

Free Verse

One of my many loverly librarian friends put a book in my hands a few years ago that made me hesitate. The cover and title implied a sappy romance for teenage girls. And then, when I cracked the spine, my skepticism deepened. Poetry! I was holding a book of melodramatic love sonnets to get you through puberty. Gah!

Who would have thought that book turned out to be another favorite to add to my growing list? It was sweet! It wasn't sappy! It was honest! It was GREAT! And it was written in free verse. So instead of reading little unconnected love sonnets, a book or novel in free verse is actually one long narrative written as poetry. Sure, it is broken up into chapters, but it flows together seemlessly. These books tend to be quick reads with both energy and emotion. The author must be very deliberate with his or her words when writing in free verse...there isn't room for too many details. They must be subtly implied.

And I love it. You may too.

I don't know about titles for adults, but free verse is a big thing for the younger crowd. Here are four of my favorites to get you started on this poetic adventure:

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder, 2008

This was the book that sold me on free verse. A sweet and simple story written from the point of a teenage girl whose boyfriend recently died in an accident, I Heart You, You Haunt Me follows Ava as she reels in the aftermath. Her loneliness is eased when Jackson, her boyfriend, starts visiting her...or at least his spirit does. But when does this haunting shift from comforting to controlling? With a Jackson only Ava can see, how will she ever get back to "normal"?

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, 1997

It's no secret how I feel about people of the prairie (Little House on the Prairie, Sarah Plain and Tall, maybe even A Year Down Yonder?) and couple that with the Dust Bowl and 1930's piano playing, and I'm in love. Out of the Dust won a well-deserved Newbery Medal in 1998 plus a whole slew of other awards including the Scott O'Dell Award (named for the author of Island of the Blue Dolphins) which honors children's historical fiction. But the important thing is the story and this is the story of Billie Jo growing up on a farm in Oklahoma with her parents during the devestating Dust Bowl. When tragedy strikes, Billie Jo must find a way to move on, to move "out of the dust." I recommend for middle graders.

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai, 2011

I just read this story a few weeks ago and fell in love. First of all, let's take a moment to enjoy that cover....aaah. Lovely. Now moving on, Inside Out and Back Again is 10 year old Ha's story. Having grown up in Saigon, her world is turned upside down when Ha and her family flee Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. Imagine the struggles when Ha's family winds up in Alabama and must adjust to a new life there. Sad yet hopeful, Inside Out and Back Again beautifully celebrates Ha's Vietnamese culture and new beginnings. On a personal note, it reminded me a bit of Dave's dad who immigrated to the US from Vietnam at the end of the war as a young adult.
Also note the Newbery Honor (2012) and National Book Award for Young People's Literature seals on the cover. Not bad!

Crank by Ellen Hopkins, 2004

Whew. This one is a doozy. Crank is the first in this wildly popular young adult story of a "good kid" who gets hooked on meth (hence the use of 'crank' and 'glass' in the titles). Fast paced and wild, Hopkins uses free verse wisely by conveying the energy of the story through the rhythm of the pages and a sort of word art in the design of the poems. Teens at my school love this book, and though the content may be too much for a middle schooler, it is entirely appropriate for high schoolers. On a bit of a tangent, you should watch this fascinating episode of Frontline about meth addiction. And by the way, Frontline is one of my all time favorite shows and ALL of its episodes are available to watch online. Amazing!

And this is next on my free verse reading list:

Because I am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas, 2009

This is a popular new young adult book which keeps crossing my radar and is apparently about a teenage girl who lives in an abusive home where her siblings are targeted while she is ignored (like furniture).

That's all I know.

Canoeing Nightmares

Do you remember your dreams? I usually do. This memory can be both exciting and terrifying often blurring the lines between the real and imagined leaving me tangled in my blankets with a pounding heart and wide eyes wondering if that really just happened. My dreams often reflect my real-life fears. As a result, the plotlines are a mish mash of oversleeping, getting fired, forgetting to wear pants while out in public, people choking, etc. What do these things say about me?

Last night I had a nightmare about canoeing which seems silly but is, in reality, a manifestation of my current concerns. This June I am headed back to my college summer job as a canoe guide for teenagers, and I guess it’s safe to say I’m a bit nervous. 

You see I haven’t done this in a few years and I’m wondering if I’ll be able to cut it. Also, instead of paddling in the border country of Minnesota and Ontario, I’m bumping it up a notch and heading to an even more remote locale deep within the bowels of Manitoba (3 hours northeast of Winnipeg) for what has been deemed a more challenging experience. Can I still portage a canoe? Am I up for weeks of limited personal hygiene? Do I remember how to pack for these trips, start a camp stove, read a map, feel comfortable in the woods? Yes. Of course. I know I do deep down, but until I get back in a canoe, get lost a few times, and sleep on the hard ground, I won’t feel confident. I’ll worry. 

And I’ll dream.

Anyway, last night, in my mind, I accidentally took my crew down these life-threatening rapids within the first 10 minutes of our trip. Everyone came out downstream unscathed, but all of our gear and selves were out of our canoes bobbing about. We took forever retrieving our flotsam. Also, I hadn’t done a gear check with them before we left. Only after the rapids did I discover the impractical things they had packed like glass bottles and an entire book cart full of books (my two worlds mixing)! I woke up flustered and worried.

So I’ve taken on a new approach to these anxieties. I have too many other things on my plate right now to worry about one month of my summer that is supposed to be fun and renew my spirits! Therefore, I am not dwelling on it until I am done with school. For now, I have the library to worry about and if you know me, worry I will. I refuse to allow silly canoe nerves to get in my way. When asked about my preparations, I'll say I don't feel like talking about it (Do you ever do that? It works.). Instead, I'll continue to read and I’m starting my marathon training plan this week and I’m youtubing musicals.

I certainly won't be reading this book:

Lost in the Wild by Cary J. Griffith, 2006

My dad picked this book up on a visit to Minnesota when I was there a few years ago. He said he stayed up late reading it worried about me paddling around out there. So I read it once I was safe and sound come fall in my college town and could see his concern. The book follows two separate stories of young people as they (spoiler alert) get lost in the wild. One of them just so happens to have been a former employee in the same position that I once held. He falls and suffers a concussion while searching for a portage trail and is left behind by his crew. Yikes! It is interesting to see that a few seemingly minor decisions can end up making the difference between life and death.

And I won't even read this book even though it isn't as nerve inducing:

Canoeing with the Cree by Eric Sevareid, 1935

Written by Mr. Eric Sevareid who made his journalistic name as a reporter in Europe during WWII, this is a candid account of Sevareid's canoe journey with his childhood friend Walter Port from their home near Minneapolis all the way to Hudson Bay. In one adventure-filled summer, these two recent high school graduates completed what many thought impossible for two inexperienced paddlers. And remember, this is in the early 1930's, years before radios and moisture wicking fabric. One of my favorite books and an easy read, not only is Canoeing with the Cree a great adventure tale, it is a relatable coming-of-age story of two average kids who do something extraordinary. 

Instead, I'll start crafting a list of books I will read this summer, books that will keep me both company and calm alone in my tent. Stay tuned!

Thank you for the book covers Barnesandnoble.com!

I want to be Kate Middleton.

So what if I told you I want to be Kate Middleton?

She can have her new, strange British royal family and lack of privacy or freedom, etc. She can have her inability to ever make a mistake without the scrutiny of the world. BUT can I have her wardrobe?

I was shamefully flipping through a People magazine the other day (do you read celebrity gossip magazines?) and fell upon this 2 page spread of Kate Middleton's outfits during her first year as a princess and when it's all laid out there like that, the visual of her clothing choices over the year, I couldn't help but be impressed!

If People compiled a similar special on Princess Mary C for the past year, it would be a sad display. Of course I wouldn't have any fabulous gowns  or gigantic engagement rings or precariously perched fascinators (those teeny, fancy hats), but I'm not hoping for that. I'm just hoping (but only half trying) for some coordination, some "togetherness", some presentability. And I do have those days every now and again, but there are far more days of unbrushed hair, slightly wrinkled clothes, and chapped lips. A coworker of mine made an astute point that it was nice to see a young person in the public eye who made dressing sharply, being well coifed, and practicing good manners cool again. This is a point heard especially by those employed in high schools. But it is good for me to see that too. So come on, Mar. Keep the yoga pants only for the couch and, well, yoga.

Last year for the royal wedding, I did my duty as a daughter of my mother and woke up early for the big show. However, my skepticism was in full swing. I was of the attitude that these people are a little creepy and live these isolated lives and no wonder they look like a million bucks...they have a million bucks and it is pretty much Kate Middleton's job to be gorgeous and cooperative. And those are still my feelings...generally. But now, a year later, I think I may have finally come around and am climbing on board the crazy train British royalty bus. When my mother called a few weeks ago and told me she had spent her Saturday evening watching a TLC special which recounted the wedding and described the newlywed's first year of married life, I may have put on my act of disdain, but there was a moment of jealousy. Yet again, the sharp pang of living without cable!

So move over Mom and Grandma. Make room for your progeny. I want to be Kate Middleton.

Now all I need is an increase in pay and a little motivation.

Can you guess which of these get ups is my favorite from Kate's Canadian visit last summer?

Catch Up

Oh yikes.

I'm sorry for neglecting you, you sweet, little blog. I quit you for over 2 weeks along with running and eating well-rounded meals and trying. But tomorrow is the start of a new week, and my chin is up! I will post/run/eat/conquer once again!

Since we last met, I had some wonderful ups and a few dismal downs. My ups included catching opening night of the Concord Player's performance of Little Women! This theater troupe was founded (way back when and under a different name), in part, by Miss Louisa May herself. And an Alcott descendent was in the performance AND the theater is mere minutes from Orchard House! In fact, there are tons of things happening in Concord to celebrate Orchard House's centennial including a continuous reading of Alcott's classic at the local public library. Alas, I will be galavanting around New York that weekend, but Bostonians should check it out!

Another up of the past few weeks was a long-winded catch up with a wonderful librarian friend (librarian friends are the best!) who is smart as a whip. But the best thing about her is she is not only smart but wise and open and encouraging and makes you want to be a better version of yourself. One of the highlights of our catch up was a spontaneous visit to Martha's Vineyard where we pedaled around on bikes all day. It reminded me of how much I love bikes and miss bike riding not in the city with traffic and fear but around neighborhoods and on bike paths with bike baskets and kick stands. And that made me happy for the summer which is just around the corner even if Mother Nature doesn't think so.

My birthday was celebrated with a trip to a cozy restaurant up the street, a place I've always wanted to visit.

I blew out the candle on this desert, profiteroles with banana ice cream and chocolate caramel sauce. And for all of you commoners who don't know what profiteroles are, they're just cream puffs which are automatically better because of their fancy name (I had to ask the waitress).

In other news, check out these awesome embroidered book covers of a few classics. Okay, maybe not practical, but let's throw practicality to the wind for a moment and think about what a nice addition to your bookshelf one would be. Or maybe to your mom's bookshelf just in time for Mother's Day?

And also, you should read about some novel ideas for book clubs here. This little article describes book clubs with a twist. Maybe I could take a piece of advice or two. I started a book club this year with my high school students and it was a struggle. The same regulars come each meeting, but it's way more of a chat session for high school girls than a book discussion. After all, that is what high school girls do best, BUT it would be nice to have a little enthusiasm for the book as well.

And that about catches you up. That and Dave graduated from his Master's program (yay Dave and his classmates!). I'll be more on top of things from here on out...or at least I'll try!