The Story of People (ie, Yes, I was Homeless)

(Last post, cont.)

Reading: I finished "A Mercy" and was floored. Beautiful writing and deep insights... However, I was ashamed that I'd passed judgment so hastily on the characters before getting to know them. Which leads me to my Ruminations:

Ruminations and Relations: So just out of curiosity, if someone told you they were homeless once, how would you take it?

I generally get one of two reactions when people find out I was once homeless: 1: Awkward silence, as if hard times are something to be ashamed of; or 2: Loud guffaws of disbelief, as if where I am now is where I've always been and thus I have no past. Sometimes, though, #3 happens: complete acceptance & understanding. (Or, #4, if you're my kids, they think it's really cool my family lived in a tent.) I understand all reactions, it's just interesting how people differ. Deep thoughts... :)

The summers when I was 9, 10 and 11 were the summers my family had no home in which to live. Summers 1 and 2 we had a pop-up camper that we hauled behind our wheelchair-accesible van. We spent the first summer living in the Red Barn Campground in Maine, just outside of Bangor. We could plug in the trailer for electricity and hook up for water, but we had to walk to the camp bathrooms for toilets and showers. Showers cost a dime. It was always nice to have a spare dime in case you ran out of water before you got the shampoo out of your hair.

Summer 2 was spent in a campground on Orr's Island in Maine. Orr's Island, ironically, was named for my ancestors who lived there...in a house. Orr's Island is tiny and lovely. It was at that campground that my brother tipped over in his wheelchair off the side of the dirt road. He landed in some bushes, I stayed with him while another brother fetched Dad who came running as fast as any man could ever run when rescuing a child. We had a t.v. at that campground and got to watch cool shows like Canada's "Today's Special" with a creepy puppet that was supposed to be endearing. His name was Sam. My son's name is Sam. And the main character was a mannequin that came to life at night. His name was Jeff. My husband's name is Jeff. I never realized that coincidence until now. Hogan's Hero's was the other show we watched. Orr's Island Campground was my address that the school bus stopped at to pick me up to take me to school at an adjoining island. Ever wonder what it's like to look up at a bus full of kids staring down at you as you wait at the entrance to a campground? Thankfully my esteem was strong enough and I was naive enough to not let it get to me.

We leased a home built in 1848. It was on Bailey Island, which was connected to Orr's Island by a bridge. But right after the lease was signed, my Dad got a job in New Hampshire. My parents would never break an agreement so Mom and us kids moved into the old house while Dad drove to New Hampshire to work. He came home most weekends. The winter he was gone, my mom wrecked our van and broke her arm. She could no longer pick Don out of his chair and put him into bed. Jim, the next oldest after Don, had some pretty quick growing up to do that winter as he stepped into both Mom's and Dad's place. Jon, my little brother, and I learned to make our own sack lunches, do the dishes, and help when needed. I loved the island and the creaky, old house full of island history. The lighthouse spun its light into my 2nd story bedroom window at night, the fog horn sounded day and night, the seagulls ate the left-overs we put out for them, and I could walk the rocky shore in search of treasures after storms. I do not know how my parents survived that time, but for me it was a great adventure.

The lease ended, and summer number 3 followed with a change in living arrangements. Again. But no pop-up trailer this time. My parents had sold it, believing our homeless days were past, I suppose. Not so. We waved goodbye to Maine and moved west - all the way to New Hampshire. Greenfield State Park became my home. We had a six-man tent to live in and our new van (Mom had totaled the other one in her crash in Maine). Don and Mom slept in the van most nights, while my brothers and I slept in the tent. Dad was with us as much as he could be, but his work was still far enough away that it was often more convenient for him to be there at the on-site housing his work provided. Still, we could spend our days at his room when it was raining too hard. Or we'd go to the mall if it was a long, rainy spell. We never bought anything, of course, but at least we could stretch our legs. That was the summer we spent weeks in the mountains gathering wild blueberries and packaging them for freezing. By the time school started, we'd found a house to rent and left behind our camping days, and our Ramen Noodles, Instant Breakfast drinks, and oatmeal (good camping foods, but they do get old).

Four years later we moved again, this time to Rexburg, Idaho. I was almost 16. We rented a house for two years and for two years my Dad had no job except odds and ends. He has two Master's Degrees, but education wasn't getting him the work he needed. During the first two job-less years in Rexburg, my parents were able to support Jim on his mission, make the rent payments, and survive. Jon and I got jobs to help pay for gas and groceries, and to pay for things like Driver's Ed and school fees. Dad, Jon and I were hired to help clean up new construction of a hotel near the airport in Idaho Falls. It was so good to have a job. Once Dad came home with ice cream. Store-brand, on sale, cheapest vanilla ice cream you could get. Jon & I thought Dad was being careless with our money, and tried to not be mad as he gave us the treat. Dad got a part-time job at Ricks College, and there was hope it would turn into a full-time job. Things were looking up. Then, just after graduating from high school, we found out the owners of the house we were renting had sold the house. We had a month to get out and nowhere to go. The College agreed to shelter us in one of their boarding houses at the Livestock Center out of town. Three months, then we'd have to leave. We were so grateful.

During the three months, we housed two other girls and one other family of six as they were also in homeless situations. The girls are grown and married, the family found their own home, and life went on. My parents by some miracle bought land and hired a contractor to build the house my mom had designed. They began, but our three months were up and we needed a home again. A single mom took us in. She'd been in a debilitating car accident and could use the help my mom provided. She curtained off the back living room, which became our bedroom/living room. She let me sleep in their house at the top of the stairs in a daybed so I didn't have to sleep with my brothers. We shared the kitchen but had our own bathroom. She was an angel.

Our new house wasn't completed, but we moved in on Thanksgiving Day anyway. How very appropriate. We were incredibly thankful. Dad had a full-time job, we had Mom's dream house, Jim was home from his mission, and life was good.

So yes, I was homeless. And I wonder what people make of that? Everyone has their own story, and when they know mine I am so often surprised at similar or equally difficult (or incredibly MORE difficult) things that have happened to them. I am not the house I live in. Having my beautiful home is wonderful, but I could leave it in an instant and live in a tent if I had to. I know I could - because I've done it before. When people unknowingly pass judgment on me because of where I am and what I have, it stings because they don't know where I've been and what I've NOT had. But I can't blame them. It's our nature, and I do it, too. Hopefully I can reign in my first impressions and let the story of people unfold before I form an opinion.

Hamburger Buns Recipe

Recipes: Homemade Hot Dog or Hamburger Buns

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup unsalted butter

4 1/2 cups flour (unbleached, whole wheat, or a mix)

1 package instant yeast

1 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 egg, room temperature

Heat the milk, water, honey and butter until butter is melted. Check temperature. Depending on the temperature, let cool to 120F. Carefully beat in egg.

Mix 2 cups of the flour, yeast, and salt. Mix into the milk mixture. Stir in the rest of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Beat well after each addition.

When the dough pulls together, (it will form a soft ball) turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. This should take about 5 minutes.

Divide dough into 12 -16 equal pieces. This will depend on the size you want for the finished bun. Shape into smooth balls, flatten slightly, and place on a silpat covered baking sheet.

Let rise for 30 to 35 minutes. When buns have almost doubled bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

If you are making hot dog buns I find it easiest to roll the dough out into a large rectangle and cut into smaller rectangles. Let rise with sides touching.

You can brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse sea salt, or whatever you like. You can add dry onion soup mix for onion rolls. These are very versatile!

Makes 12-16

http://blisstree.com/eat/easy-perfect-homemade-hamburger-or-hot-dog-buns/

Ravioli & Running Away

RECIPES: Here's a keeper. I love homemade/handmade real fresh Ravioli. This is an entirely different experience than the canned stuff we sometimes ate as kids. Pictured is a plate of assembled but uncooked raviolis, a bowl of the spinach & parmesan filling, and Jeff's quick hands preparing another strip of pasta dough for assembling. Thanks for making this, Jeff! (It was my Mother's Day request for dinner). Beware: the only problem with this is it is pretty time intensive.

Ravioli Dough:

4 C. flour (semolina is great, bread flour is good, AP flour is fine)

4 Eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

Just enough water to make a firm dough (about 3/4 cup).

Combine above to form a ball (we use the food processor, stopping when it just begins to come together). Let chill an hour or more in fridge if you have the time. If you have a pasta roller, use that to begin to flatten out dough (this is not shaping the dough, it is kneading it). Otherwise, put on a muscle shirt, use the heaviest rolling pin you have, put on a good show to watch, and spend the next 20 minutes or so trying to flatten the dough. Hard work, but worth it.

Roll until the doug is about 1/8" thick. Make long strips about 3' long, 6" wide. LIGHTLY mark the center lengthwise w/a knife but don't cut (this will be where you fold the stip in half). Place a spoonful of filling (see recipe below) every 3" lengthwise, then cut dough cross-wise between each spoonful (so you now have rectangles with filling on one side). Moisten the edge of each rectangle with a little water, fold empty half over the filled half, pinch dough together around edges, then crimp with a fork. You want the dough to be sealed tightly so filling doesn't seep out in the water.

Filling:

Blend or mix the following:

1 box frozen chopped spinach (or freshly cooked and squeezed dry spinach - about 3 cups, I guess).

1 egg

1 C. parmesan cheese (the long, flakey real stuff is best, but powdered works fine, too).

Bring a large pasta pot of salted water to boil. Boil in batches (don't crowd the ravioli) for 15-20 minutes, depending on how firm you want the ravioli. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve. Serve with red pasta sauce (marinara - yummy).

It is DELICIOUS! But it takes time, and serves 4-6 people. Any dough left over (if you run out of filling) can be cut and shaped into pasta noodles (we like Farfalle/bowtie shapes), and boiled in the salted water.

Running: I escaped my dungeon run and fled up the hill at 5:30am for a marvelous outside run. I was thrilled that the weather was mild, the birds were singing, the sun was rising, and the wind was still. It was wonderful to be out when the world was waking, and to run into (ha-ha) friends who were also out. The marathon is on Saturday so this is my tapered week. According to my schedule, this should have been a 3 mile run, but I couldn't stop and did 5 1/2. And I don't regret it. Then I came home for some core work and a few more fake pull-ups. I think I'm getting stronger. Maybe. Maybe not.

Reading: I had some really great insights as I listened to the Book of Mormon on my run (with the sound turned down enough that I could still hear birds and oncoming cars in the background). Very touching, eye-opening experiences. But unfortunately they were at 5:30 am and it is now 9:30 pm and I can't remember a single thing. I did carry the feeling with me, though, so perhaps that counts for something? And I'm almost done with "A Mercy." I don't want to be done, though. This always happens when I read a good book - I get near the end and I just want to s-l-o-w way down, maybe even start over, just so it won't end just yet. But the end is imminent, so I'm now looking for my next book. I feel like this should be done sneakily, though. I don't want "A Mercy" to feel like I've already buried and replaced it before I'm even done... :)

Ruminations and Relations: Do I dare say this? For a little while this evening I just wanted to run away (thus this picture of me running away) and not be a mom for a while - like, an hour or so. The kids had been great all day, but the 5 o'clock witching hour was especially vicious tonight, and nobody was being nice to anybody, and I had spent way too much time trying to put together dinner, was sick of cooking (really, I started cooking dinner at 1pm and finished at 5:30pm). I spent all morning (well, at least two hours) doing laundry - playing catch-up from the days I skipped last week. The house was untidy so that took all my other free time, and all plans of just playing with the kids blew out the window with the annoying Rexburg wind. Not the greatest of days (except my morning run).

Some days are like that.

Lessons I learned? It doesn't save time to make homemade hamburger buns instead of going to the store. Sure, they taste great (recipe will be posted another day). But was it worth it? Nope. Not today anyway. And husking corn with kids is messy, even when done outside. Was that worth it? Well, yes, I guess so. Hmm, other lessons... oh - don't let Charlotte get her hands on the watermelon - she won't eat anything else on her plate. Also, tapioca pudding is fabulous (I LOVE it warm), but it's one more thing that takes up time. And finally, next time remember to put the egg in the hamburger bun dough. Life would be a lot less complicated if I didn't like cooking. Well, today I DON'T like cooking.

Being the happy gal I was today, I even chewed out my brothers for something they might do but haven't yet done! I gave them a hearty lecture about not over-eating this week in preparation for the marathon on Saturday (some people approach an upcoming race with the idea that now is the time to splurge - it isn't. You do need good glycogen fuels for your muscle, but beyond that, you don't need extra food to be stored as fat unless you want a sluggish race). As if they aren't grown men and can't decide what to eat! I very sheepishly apologized a few hours after the first email. They were gracious. I guess they're used to me. Poor guys.

Jeff thinks training makes me grouchy. It doesn't. It makes me happy and I feel fulfilled and I love the gratification of running well. The high sticks with me all day - except when quashed by naughty kids when I'm (still) in the kitchen and (still) trying to make dinner. Sometimes I just want out of the kitchen, and out of the house. Lovely as it is, it can be confining. To illustrate: we actually had sunshine today. I could NOT stay inside this morning. I was thirsty for sunlight. So I set out a large blanket on the driveway, handed the girls their sidewalk chalks, and proceeded to fold four laundry baskets full of clothes (I told you I'd put it off) while the girls drew flowers, ladybugs and rainbows. And caught bugs for the bug house. I hoped people driving by would be too busy to notice a crazy lady folding clothes on her driveway. I did try to be discreet...

Don't you think it's healthy to have a good, grouchy day once in a while? (Please say yes!) Maybe it's the spill-over of Mother's Day and all the guilt accompanying the nice sentiments... Or maybe I just need a cookie, a hot bath and a good sleep.

Embarrassingly Easy Dinner & The Kids' Love.

Recipes: This is a completely non-gourmet dinner. Nothing special about it at all, except that my kids LOVE this dinner. Sometimes you just cater to those sweet little people in your life because it makes them happy.

Chicken in a Nest (aka, Hawaian Haystacks):

Cook up enough rice for you family's main meal. We go through about 2 1/2 cups uncooked rice. Cut up a whole bunch of different veggies, chicken, etc. and serve in separate bowls. We like the following:

Sliced olives

Green onions

Cut celery

Grated carrot

Uncooked broccoli florets

Diced tomatoes

2 Chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

Optional: some people like pineapple chunks

Simple Gravy: I'm almost embarrassed to post this, but like I said, the kids love it and sometimes that's gotta do. 2 Cans Cream o'chicken soup mixed with milk or water to fill one empty soup can. Heat in microwave.

Serve: Rice, topped with all the veggies and chicken, then ladle the gravy over all. Top with chow mien noodles if desired.

See? Super easy. I can prepare everything hours before, place on a tray for convenience, refrigerate until dinner. Just heat the gravy and rice. So not gourmet. But such a good way to get veggies in the kids. (Do I dare post this? I feel like I'm lowering my cooking standards somewhat!) :)

Freezer Jam: This is not really a recipe (you get the recipe in the Sure Gel box; just 3 cups crushed raspberries and 5 1/4 cups sugar, plus the pectin cooked w/water as written on the recipe in the box). This is actually just a hint.

When you pick or buy tons of raspberries later on in the summer, you don't have to spend all the time making the jam all at once. I just blend the berries in the blender, then fill each freezer bag with the right amount for a batch of jam. Then I make "fresh" freezer jam throughout the coming year as needed.

Sometimes it's all about making things as easy as possible.

Running: Today is the last Saturday run before next Saturday's marathon. My training schedule says I should have run 8 miles, but since I was on the treadmill and don't trust the numbers on it, I actually ran 10. But the 10 is about how long it would've taken me to run 8 outside on the road and with hills. I also did a core workout (P90X) and a few cheating pull-ups. I am battling runner's burnout. I can't wait for the marathon to be over! But then I'm considering signing up for the local marathon next month. And maybe another one in August. I'm already signed up for one in September. Okay, so now I can't wait for winter when I can take a little break! Running is dumb (pushing your body just for fun?) Yet I love it (it's the high of doing more than you thought you could).

Reading: I'm still reading "A Mercy." It's a really cool book. I guess I never realized how dead history was to me. I never thought of people from the 1600s as ever being...well, as being real people. Real people, with real thoughts, hopes, desires, feelings, and personalities. I know they lived, but in my mind they've never been more than a clump of history that breathed a moment then was gone. I'm seeing how narrow and selfish I've been to not consider the dead as ever having lived. Out of sight, out of mind? No, that's not right. They lived another life, another time, but they lived. And many of them are probably mine. I am so glad I didn't live that life, by the way. It was a brutal time.

Ruminations and Relations: (I'm changing "Family" to "Relations" because it flows better). Funniest thing I've heard in a long time was from my sweet 8 yr. old Oliver. "Mom, is it a requirement that you feel embarrassed before you fall in love?" Pretty astute if you think about it.

My boys and husband spent most of the day at a Scout activity, so the girls and I were alone. This is nothing new. Every school day the boys are gone and Jeff's at work and the girls and I are alone. But it seemed a little bit more special today simply because it is a Saturday. Girls' day included laundry and washing the floors (boring), and I let them watch Dumbo while I ran on the treadmill, then to try to make it "our day" we took our token trip out to eat for lunch. Food makes the day celebratory. Then we went to the Nature Park to feed the ducks. Just as I was parking, Jeff called and needed us to rescue them from car troubles. So no Nature Park. But it still was a nice Girls' day.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. It really should be called, "The Day Everyone Tells You How Wonderful You Are Even Though Deep Inside You Know They're Really Just Telling You How Wonderful You Ought To Be And Aren't Yet." It's a day full of lovely hugs and sweet little gifts made at school, a home-made meal from a wonderful husband, and the wish that they'd let you sleep in even though they just can't. They're too excited to give you breakfast in bed (you really want to sleep) and pile on the little cards (but they're really really cute kids) and then they pile on you (and you can sleep later - like at night) and you just relish being loved so deeply even though you know you're not the great mom they make you out to be. It makes you want to be that mom, though, so you try a little harder to be a lot better. I love that children are so forgiving and sometimes so blind to imperfections. They are perfect. Mother's day should celebrate the children. (But don't tell them that. I don't want to give up my breakfast in bed).

Bread, and that's not all

Recipes: This is a Little Red Hen moment. I ground the wheat and the groats, harvested the honey (just kidding), baked the bread, and I'm keeping it ALL TO MYSELF. Naw, I'll share. I have two good whole wheat recipes I like. One is super easy and one is super confusing. I made the confusing one today and it doesn't even taste as good as the easy one. You'd think I'd learn. So here's the easy recipe: (Note - use freshly ground wheat, if you can. It just tastes better).

In 2 cup measuring cup, Dissolve 1 tsp. sugar into 2 C. warm milk (or water if you want). Add 1 Tbs. yeast and let rise about 5 minutes.

Combine in mixing bowl (Kitchenaid or Bosch, or whatever):

2 tsp. salt

3 Tbs. oil

3 Tbs. honey

Stir in 3 cups flour (I use mostly whole wheat with about 1 cup oat flour). Add yeast mixture, and mix well. Mix in 3 more cups flour. Continue adding flour a little at a time until it forms a ball and just pulls away from the sides. Coat inside of bowl with a little oil or cooking spray, turning ball of dough into it to coat dough.

Cover. Let rise twice (20-30 minutes each time) in a warm area. Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes. After 25 minutes or so you can cover the bread loosely with foil if it reaches desired brown color before finished (to prevent over-browning).

Makes for a good toast.

Running: If only I could figure out an "R" word that encompassed all workouts. I didn't run today, I biked on my bike trainer. 45 minutes of that plus some fiddling around with the chin-up bar. Legs AND arms are now quivering. Ten days until Marathon #5.

Reading: Hooray for my pal Sarah for not letting me give up on "A Mercy"! After struggling through chapter one, I was done. No more. Not worth it. I had a million justifications why I couldn't/wouldn't finish it when I tried to return Sarah's book. But guess what? She wouldn't take it back. Nope. She sent me back out the door, book still in hand, with a promise on my lips to at least give it another go. I'm only on page 61 and am already smitten. I keep trying to find moments to read it (which is why I'm only on page 61).

Ruminations and Family: This is basically my "everything else" category. Family's doing great, except for Eleanor (5) cleaning the toilet with bleach and my best green towel this evening. And being 20 minutes late to the half-hour-long swimming lessons. And having to forego my already-prepared Cinco de Mayo meal in favor of Little Caesar's pizza. BUT! Jeff had an unusually higher amount of time with the family which was a treat for everyone. And in other news, our painter finished the ceiling - yippee!

Now to record any other memorable things: Today was an unusually peaceful day. My children were so sweet but it was even more than that. It was more than them playing well together and more than things going fairly well. It was a deep inner peace, something more than external quiet and calm. It was something remarkable enough that I want to record this day. And repeat it as often as I can!

It was delightful to find myself wandering around the house this evening with a little smile on my face, feeling relaxed notwithstanding (I LOVE that word) the typical and unpredictable stresses of the day. It is the feeling of sitting in a hot bath with nobody yelling, "M-o-m!" and all chores done, the house clean, the day finished. Amazingly, the peace began at the crack of dawn with my morning prayer, and stayed throughout the day with only minor and momentary departures (depending on who was bleaching my best towel or why the clock refused to turn back as I rushed to swimming lessons). Now I feel drowsily pleasant, pleasantly drowsy (which is probably why I spaced it and was so late to swimming lesson!). I love being with people that bring peace. Jeff was around and brought peace. Other friends, too. Mostly, though, I felt my Heavenly Father's love, help and approval as I tried today to just be a good girl. I certainly can't do it alone, but I don't have to. The great Peacegiver cleansed, warmed and put my soul at ease today. Now that's something worth remembering.

Swiss Chard on an Organized Post!

In compliance with the title, I'm reporting on today (so far, anyway).

Running: 7.3 miles on the treadmill, but more like 6.5 real miles (see my post on Hold on, Treadmill for a good explanation of my cheating runs). By the way, Jeff very sweetly bought and installed a chin-up bar for me after we found out that the one I had bought wouldn't work in our doors. I have decided to get buff. Or at least be able to do ONE chin-up. So after running, I eyed the bar, grabbed it firmly, and jumped up into a chin-up. I'm all about cheating when I exercise. One of these days I'll be able to do it correctly, without any jumping.

Recipes: Neat how the food follows the exercise, although in real life food is definitely the first priority. I just run so I can eat. Dinner tonight is an experiment (i.e., I'm making this recipe up as I go along).

Swiss Chard Wraps a la Stephanie -

Cook and crumble 1 lb. sausage (drain), 1/2 diced onion, and 4 cloves pressed garlic. Stir in a small can of chopped olives.

Cut off thick stems and rinse the leaves of a bunch of Swiss Chard (grape leaves would work, too). Spoon some of the sausage mixture into each leaf, lay a bit of mozarella cheese across, roll up burrito style, and pin with a toothpick. Steam for a while (how's that for exact?) until warmed through and leaves are softened.

Sticking to the Greekish theme, serve with tomato wedges and cucumber slices, pita bread, and we're having cottage cheese w/peaches, too. (Okay, so I also made rice - I have to offer SOMETHING I know the kids will eat!).

LATER: Update on how dinner went over - Believe it or not, the kids LOVED the chard wraps. I was floored! Jeff had four, Samuel ate it without complaining, Oliver said it was the best food ever, Eleanor asked if we could have it again for breakfast, and on 3 out her 4 bites Charlotte didn't gag. Success.

Reading: Dang it, nothing yet (unless you count reading to my girls). BUT!!! I did listen to my scriptures while I ran. This is my favorite way to multi-task. I was actually trying to figure out a way that I could run on the treadmill, listen to the Book of Mormon, and fold laundry at the same time. I'm still working it out in my head. I do have great plans to read in bed tonight. Knowing me, I'll make it through two lines before I zonk out. Is zonk a word?

Ruminations & Family combo: No thoughts in me yet. No deep thoughts, anyway. I did have a nice day, though. I slept in until 7:15 - WOW, got everyone off to school & work, sent Charlotte with Grandma, and went to the Temple. It's only 1/4 mile away. How amazing is that? Spent the rest of the day playing with my girls, running, and folding the laundry - but not while on the treadmill.

We built a fort and had our reading time under the table, so that's memorable. I made dinner, which is also memorable. Now we're off to my boys' Cub Scout Pack meeting (also memorable? We'll see...).

I said Reading, didn't I?

I haven't said a word yet about what I'm reading - and yet my subtitle clearly states Reading is part of this blog! So in order not to misguide anyone (as if anyone is even reading this), I'll try to include a report on what I'm currently reading.

I just finished Dan Brown's book "The Lost Symbol" which was interesting. I skimmed great big passages that were gruesome-ish (not my cup o' tea), but did enjoy the history and explanations of symbols. That being said, I think it's important to respect the beliefs and practices of organizations and not expose to the world things that may be mis-interpreted. Dan did make a good effort at assuaging any shock-factor, but the shock-factor was also what he played on.

I'm also reading Toni Morrison's "A Mercy." Got this from http://biblioklept.org/2008/11/25/a-mercy-toni-morrison/

With her latest novel A Mercy, Toni Morrison offers up more evidence of why she is possibly America’s greatest living author. As in earlier works like Sula, Song of Solomon, and Beloved, in A Mercy Morrison examines the strange intersections of race and geography, family and culture, memory and storytelling. And like those great novels before it, at the center of A Mercy (a center, mind you that Morrison frequently works to decenter) is that great post-modern question: what is identity?

I'm still getting into it (it always takes a good 100 pages for me), but I have great hopes for a good read.

I recently read Kate Morton's "The Forgotten Garden" and loved it almost completely. It's the story of different generations, juxtaposed through time and place, as the final generation tries to complete the history of her orphaned grandmother. Very good read, but of course there was a part I didn't care for (yes, I'm a picky reader).

So there's a reading update. Now I feel better about my blog's subtitle.

(And now I need to figure out how to format these posts so the spacing's all the same! I'll ask Jeff, he knows everything. Literally!)