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50 States Reading Challenge Conquered!

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Book ObsessedI started this challenge on a whim because I thought it sounded fun and interesting.  So during the course of my normal reading, I marked my list if the book I finished took place in a state I needed.  This actually worked fine for half the states and then I decided that I wanted to actually finish the challenge.  So I looked through books I had around the house that I hadn’t read to see how many I could find that worked for states I needed.  This actually got me through 45 states.  Then I had to go to the library to search for interesting books for the last five.  So I was surprised that I did this challenge without much struggle, which goes to show that I am pretty well-rounded, geographically speaking!

And which books did I give 5 stars? Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Alabama: Inside Out & Back Again, by Thanhha Lai

Alaska: Black Star, Bright Dawn, by Scott O’Dell

Arizona: Listening Woman, by Tony Hillerman

Arkansas: Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe, by Bette Greene

California: A Time of Troubles, by Pieter Van Raven

Colorado: The Secret School, by Avi

Connecticut: The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare

Delaware: The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls, by Julie Schumacher

District of Columbia: Talking God, by Tony Hillerman

Florida: Turtle in Paradise, by Jennifer L. Holm

Georgia: Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, by Beth Hoffman

Hawaii: Under the Blood-Red Sun, by Graham Salisbury

Idaho: Double Jeopardy, by Steve Roos

Illinois: Fair Weather, by Richard Peck

Indiana: A Girl Named Zippy, by Haven Kimmel

Iowa: A Thousand Acres, by Jane Smiley

Kansas: May B., by Caroline Starr Rose

Kentucky: The Coffin Quilt, by Ann Rinaldi

Louisiana: Keepsake Crimes, by Laura Childs

Maine: Like the Willow Tree, by Lois Lowry

Maryland: Stepping on the Cracks, by Mary Downing Hahn

Massachusetts: The Shape of Mercy, by Susan Meissner

Michigan: Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis

Minnesota: The Birchbark House, by Louise Erdrich

Mississippi: Mississippi Trial, 1955, by Chris Crowe

Missouri: The Shepherd of the Hills, by Harold Bell Wright

Montana: Dancing at the Rascal Fair, by Ivan Doig

Nebraska: Worth, by A. LaFaye

Nevada: Lost December, by Richard Paul Evans

New Hampshire: Nothing But the Truth, by Avi

New Jersey: The Fighting Ground, by Avi

New Mexico: The Fallen Man, by Tony Hillerman

New York: Two Suns in the Sky, by Miriam Bat-Ami

North Carolina: On Agate Hill, by Lee Smith

North Dakota: The Children’s Blizzard, by David Laskin

Ohio: Trouble Don’t Last, by Shelley Pearsall

Oklahoma: True Grit, by Charles Portis

Oregon: The River, by Mary Jane Beaufrand

Pennsylvania: The Wedding Quilt, by Jennifer Chiaverini

Rhode Island: Black Duck, by Janet Taylor Lisle

South Carolina: Death by Darjeeling, by Laura Childs

South Dakota: The Indian Agent, by Dan O’Brien

Tennessee: Eggs in Purgatory, by Laura Childs

Texas: Flygirl, by Sherri L. Smith

Utah: When the Emperor was Divine, by Julie Otsuka

Vermont: Witness, by Karen Hesse

Virginia: With the Might of Angels, by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Washington: A Turn in the Road, by Debbie Macomber

West Virginia: Miss Julia to the Rescue, by Ann B. Ross

Wisconsin: Ida B. . . and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World, by Katherine Hannigan

Wyoming: The Traitor, by Laurence Yep

Bonus Book:  How the States Got Their Shapes, by Mark Stein

 

Wild Thing

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After a summer sewing hiatus, I finally finished up my Wild Thing quilt top today!  It’s a pattern from Thimble Blossom and I started it in a quilting class last spring.  I learned lots of great stuff in that class that I used on my sliced nine-patch but didn’t get back to finish this because summer is garden time.  Now that the weather’s turned cooler, my thoughts have turned to quilting.  Besides, I’m almost done hand-quilting my Tall Tales quilt and I’ll need a hand project soon, so I needed this quilt top done!  I took it out for a photo shoot this afternoon and as it’s a rather blustery day, the lighting isn’t great and you can’t see the lovely fabrics very well.  (But aren’t my maple leaves in the back yard awesome?)  The quilt was done with 2 charm packs of City Weekend by Liesl Gibson for oliver & s for Moda and a basic grey to offset the bright pinwheels.  I’ll be piecing the back with more City Weekend fabric.

The reveal:

Mount TBR-Mt. Ararat

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Pike’s Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile FEBRUARY 10
Mt. Vancouver: Read 25 books from your TBR pile-MARCH 28
Mt. Ararat: Read 40 books from your TBR pile SEPTEMBER 7
Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 50 books from your TBR pile
El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile
Mt. Everest: Read 100+ books from your TBR pile

Well, I am waving to you from the top of Mt. Ararat!  Woo-hoo!  I have now conquered 40 books from my shelves, many of which have been hanging around for a very long time.  The challenge states that the books must have been in our possession before January 1, 2012, but most of these have been around longer than that.  I’ve gotten side-tracked by library books and new acquisitions, but I hope to keep climbing until the end of the year.

#26-Paragon Walk (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt #3), by Anne Perry-Charlotte gets involved in some unsavory business on her sister’s street as she helps Pitt uncover the truth. This one has some interesting characters with secrets that don’t want to see the light of day.

#27-Charley Skedaddle, by Patricia Beatty-This was an interesting story, although I found it fascinating that the author was ultimately so ambivalent about the idea of desertion. She makes no real moral judgement and it’s up to the reader to determine if a deserter can redeem himself by subsequent actions. It gives a realistic view of Civil War combat, as well as New York City and the Blue Ridge Mtns. during this period. Young readers will learn many interesting things about the time period and maybe decide for themselves whether Charley is a coward or not.

#28-Hiroshima, by Laurence Yep-Wonderful novella depicting the city, the people, the bombing, and the aftermath. It’s written for children and the prose is beautiful and haunting. I loved it.

#29-Jip: His Story, by Katherine Paterson-This was a jewel of a book and much better than her other YA novels. (Sorry if that’s heretical) The main character has heart and compassion and his love for his fellow beings and animals was heart-warming. There is a surprise at the end that I did not see coming. Afterwards, I realized that there were hints laid all through, but I was consumed with the story of Jip and the “lunatic” in the cage, based on a true story in early Vermont. Well-written and touching.

#30-Streams to the River, River to the Sea, by Scott O’Dell-Novelization of Sacajawea that includes her life before and during her famous trip with Lewis and Clark. There are many interesting historical details about frontier life, customs among the various Native American tribes she encounters, and lots about gathering and preparing food. I think because it’s written for a young adult audience there was a focus on her love for Captain Clark and teens will identify with that part of the story, although I found it a little monotonous. Solid historical research told from her perspective.

#31-The Day the Falls Stood Still, by Cathy Marie Buchanan-This love story is beautiful as it recounts the tale of Tom and Bess. It’s set against the backdrop of Canadian Niagara Falls and the burgeoning hydroelectric industry and as Tom is a riverman dedicated to the pristine river, it also becomes a tale of the struggle between nature and industry. Set during WWI and after, it also has a section that detail some of the horrors of war as Tom goes to Europe and faces the battles there.

#32-The Sinister Pig, by Tony Hillerman-Exciting tale of Mexican drug lords, Border Patrol officers, arrogant Washington lawyers, and CIA operatives. Good story with Chee and Leaphorn.

#33-Worth, by A. LaFaye-I liked this well-written tale of homesteaders and ranchers in Nebraska. It’s a story full of family love and guilt as the son suffers a crippling accident that leaves him unable to farm and the father adopts an orphan boy from the orphan trains to work on the farm. It’s an interesting and touching story.

#34-The Steel Wave: A Novel of World War II, by Jeff Shaara-Shaara’s work is very good military fiction. This second installment in the WWII European theatre trilogy is well-researched & interestingly told from the generals’ POV as well as more ordinary soldiers’. The cities are based on actual men’s experiences which make them quite interesting. This story is about D-Day & the battle for Normandy and I began it on June 6th in tribute to those brave fighting men.

#35-Dancing at the Rascal Fair, by Ivan Doig-This book follows the lives of two young men who leave Scotland and spend the next thirty years as homesteading sheep herders in Montana from 1889-1919. The writing is beautiful and lyrical, especially in the descriptions of the locale. The harshness and beauty are equally loved by the author. It’s ultimately about relationships, and describes how walking the same road in life can turn people into entirely different characters as the minefield of love and friendship is traversed. Fascinating story by a good writer, this is the middle of a trilogy but is also a complete stand-alone story. (language sprinkled throughout)

#36-Double Jeopardy, by Steve Roos-I was searching for a book in the box under my bed when I stumbled on this and voila! an Idaho book for my 50 states challenge, plus another for the TBR challenge because I have no idea how long I’ve owned it. Interesting little novel. First off, it was very clean. Second, it wasn’t very well-written. Third, it tried to be more than just a detective mystery and that’s where it ran into trouble. The actual organized crime story was interesting but it kept getting sidetracked by domestic violence, widower’s dating fear, eternal marriage fantasies, arcane banking computer details, and inane detective partners. Some serious editing by Bookcraft could have made this a good novel, instead it was just OK.

#37-Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe, by Bette Greene-This was a good story with a moral: girls don’t have to play dumb to get the boys. Beth is a plucky heroine and her adventures were interesting and would be appealing to young girls.

#38-Dragonwings (Golden Mountain Chronicles), by Laurence Yep-This well-told story portrays the conflict between community and self. Moon Shadow’s father has a dream and wants to live it, but he is torn by his duty to his family and association in San Francisco. The story is set against the 1906 earthquake and is one of the best descriptions I’ve read of watching the destruction and then trying to save people trapped in the rubble, then surviving the aftermath amidst prejudice and bigotry. (few instances of mild profanity)

#39-Mississippi Trial, 1955, by Chris Crowe-This tells an important story in a way teens can understand, but it was very slow-moving at the beginning. I kept reading, leaving it, and coming back. It wasn’t until the middle that I became engaged and finished it up. The main character, Hiram, seems a little dense throughout and is oblivious to all clues around him. He’s unaware of how blacks are treated in the Mississippi Delta, he’s unaware of his grandfather’s feelings towards them, and he’s seemingly unable to help anyone who’s crying out for help. I gave it three stars because of its subject matter and I really wanted to love it, but I just liked it. (mild colloquial profanity throughout)

#40-Song Yet Sung, by James McBride-This story of slaves and the Underground Railroad in pre-Civil War Maryland is beautifully written and very haunting. It involves an escaped slave nicknamed the Dreamer who sees visions of the future that include great and horrible things in store for African Americans. She is the catalyst for a series of events that impact an interconnected circle of people in the Chesapeake Bay area and ends up with some surprising outcomes. It’s thought-provoking and spiritual, but there’s a major language alert.

Glacier Nat’l Park-Day 2

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We headed back to Glacier for our second day and had plans to see some things along the way.  The first day we just drove straight to Logan Pass so we could hike there, and on this day we wanted to see some other things on the west side and then explore the east side on our way out of the park.  We couldn’t hike in a couple places we wanted to near the entrance because it was just so darn crowded and there was absolutely no place to park.  So we forged on and saw a sign for McDonald Falls on the side of the road.  Yeah, it was another of those “Scott, stop and pull over” screaming moments where we lose some tire tread and Scott gets a gray hair trying to accommodate me.  What a nice guy!  So we got a spot and walked down to a really pretty river with a wide falls area spanned by a bridge.We moved on out after absorbing the beauty for a while and headed back on the Going to the Sun Road.  Because the road literally clings to the edge of mountain, there are many pull-outs to stop and enjoy the view.  We noticed on the first day that there were pull-outs that didn’t seem to show anything different than the view at the previous pull-out and we wondered about that.  So today as we were driving I said let’s just pull over and see what’s what.  I got out of the car, turned around, and discovered why there were pull-outs in certain places.  Looking back, there’s a waterfall that starts at the top and goes all the way down.  I literally gasped and this picture just doesn’t do it justice because it was so TALL!  I stood transfixed for several moments just tracing the water with my eyes and wondering again at all the water in this park. So we made looking back a habit and when we got to Logan Pass we took this shot of the canyon looking back west.  The line along the mountain is the Road.Now we started on the eastern side of the park over the Continental Divide.  All along the road were waterfalls just coming down the rock face.  It was totally freakin’ awesome!  We stopped at this one because it was huge and beautiful.  There were some people standing in it getting drenched but we chose to just feel it and get a little wet.  Um, yes, the water was icy. Our next adventure was a hike to St. Mary Falls.  It was down from the road into a fern-covered wooded area that was just beautiful, warmer, and more humid.  The trailhead had a bear warning sign.  Scott took photographic evidence that rangers are concerned about bears in this park, but he was pretty disgruntled at this point at not having seen any bears.  At the sight of the sign, he asked brightly, “Do you think this will be it?”  I privately hoped not, but put on a cheery face and assured him that this looked like great bear country.  Never mind that the trail was heavily used and no bear in his right mind would go anywhere near it with all the noisy human traffic.  So, no, we did not see any bears.  What we did see was absolutely gorgeous, however. This picture was taken as the water from the falls entered the river and it’s a pale imitation of the beautiful turquoise color of the water which was simply amazing. The falls came thundering out of this little gorge, went under the bridge and emptied into the river above.  Because it was a sheltered spot with cliffs on each side, it was so loud!  People had to almost shout to be heard over the sound of the crashing water.  It was marvelous!

 Scott hiked to Sunrift Gorge while I waited in the car because my new hiking shoes were giving me a blister on my little piggy.  He said it was really cool how the water came through the tiny gap.

Then we hiked up a large rock that looked over St. Mary Lake.  I was astounded at how absolutely huge the lake is and how we could see for miles in every direction and it was all water surrounded by huge mountains.  The beauty of the lake was amazing.  We drank it all in and then headed down and back to the car.  We drove down the east side of the park and the terrain changed rather abruptly into a grassy plains area.  It was almost disorienting after two days of massive mountains.  After a final stop at the St. Mary Visitor Center to see the classic building and get a last-minute souvenir, we said goodbye to Glacier.  It was magnificent.

Back to my roots

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Yesterday I did something I haven’t done in a very long time-I volunteered in an actual public school classroom during the school day.  I make this distinction because as I was thinking about how long it’s been since I’ve done that, I made some interesting observations.  In our Florida elementary school I volunteered in the classrooms of both my boys multiple times during the school year and I had sons there for eight years.  I also did lots of volunteering for school events and PTA programs, including serving as PTA president for two years.  But I always volunteered in their classrooms and was given lots of tasks to do.  Mark was in middle school there for one year and I volunteered at PTA events at that school, but not in a classroom.

When we moved to Utah, I don’t recall ever volunteering in an actual classroom, although I asked repeatedly for opportunities, especially the two years Brian was finishing up elementary school.  During the remainder of their school years I volunteered for many school events, PTA events, and did lots of volunteer work for the choir, orchestra, and drama teachers, but not in the classrooms.  I also became more involved in PTA on a council, district, and then state level, until after the boys were done with public school my volunteer time consisted mainly of advocating at the Legislature and serving on statewide committees and Boards of Directors.  All of which are far removed from an individual public school classroom.  I loved the time I spent doing that important work and I know that some of my efforts have made a real difference in the lives of children throughout the state.  But there was something profoundly satisfying in helping in a small way to lighten the burden of one teacher in one classroom and thus affect the education of a handful of students.

There were also some interesting Circle of Life musings as I walked in the door yesterday.  I volunteered at the same junior high Mark attended eleven years ago.  We moved here a week before school started, he only knew a couple of boys he’d met once at church, and he got on the bus that first day so bravely to begin the terrors of junior high.   Seems like yesterday.