Category: FunFoodLife

Prayers for a NeedleNerd

Sandra E’s house burned to the ground yesterday morning. The fire occurred around 9:30 am and Sandra and her two sons were NOT home at the time. The family lost everything, including Sandra’s much loved cats (4) and dogs (2) which she had kept in the house yesterday due to the extremely cold temperatures. Fortunately, Sandra and her sons are fine and were not physically injured.

I spoke to Sandra this morning and she told me that they are staying at the Hampton Inn for the next couple of weeks. Sandra told me that the fire investigators were not sure about the cause of the fire and will conduct a more thorough investigation next week, but their initial findings indicate some kind of electrical fault that started the fire in the basement of the home. Yesterday’s freezing temperatures and windy conditions accelerated the fire and made it very challenging for the firemen who arrived en masse (5 fire trucks) to try to put it out. Unfortunately, all their efforts were thwarted and the home and all its contents were consumed. (One of her neighbors called her at work when the fire was first discovered and she went home immediately).

Sandra’s youngest son attends New Manchester High School, so Sandra is looking for a suitable rental property (apartment, duplex, house) that is within that school district where they can live while their home is being rebuilt (about 6 months). If you are aware of an available property in that school district, please let me know and I’ll pass the information along to her (she is not on Facebook).

Fortunately, they are well insured and the insurance company is being very responsive to their immediate needs. Sandra’s employer, her neighbors and church family have also been very caring and supportive.

I emailed Sandra’s contact information to the NeedleNerds email list, so check your email for that information. If you aren’t on my email list let me know and I’ll provide that information to you privately.

Breath, by Tim Winton

BreathHave you ever finished a book that was so beautifully written that all you could do afterwards is just sit and meditate for a while to let the story settle down into your soul?

That’s how I feel tonight after finishing “Breath” by Tim Winton. I didn’t actually read the book since I listened to the audio version of the book on my mp3 player, but, no matter, the story was profoundly shared, wonderfully told, beautifully written, and now I must sit and meditate on it.  I may have to go read the printed version of the book to get another layer of Mr. Winton’s glorious style of spinning a story.

Swamplandia! was a bust (for me, anyway)

SwamplandiaSometimes it just makes sense to cut bait and move on!

I read about 30% of the book before I was so bored with it I started skipping and skimming around, reading just enough to follow the storyline. Using that method I quickly scanned through to about the halfway point of the book and then decided I was done. I had read all I cared to read about the Bigtree family. Why waste any more time suffering through a book that I was not enjoying?  I didn’t care about the characters and, try as I might, I couldn’t identify with any aspect of the story.

This book may appeal to a different reader, but it holds no appeal for me. I was invested enough in the story that I searched around the internet enough to find out how the story turns out. What I learned finally happens with the characters in this story was not very believable or satisfying so I’m glad I didn’t suffer through to the end of the book. 

Now, on to the next book!

Reading on a Budget

Here’s some useful information about books that all the avid readers out there might appreciate:

Paperbooks

We’ve probably all bought books from Amazon.com, but there are lots of other places on the web where you can get cheap books*.

Don’t forget about our local used bookstore, Douglasville Books, located at 7191 Douglas Blvd, Douglasville, GA (770.949.4363).  If they’ve got the book, you probably won’t find it anywhere cheaper.‎

*Thanks to Sandra for providing links to these great online sources for new and used books. Continue reading Reading on a Budget

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

OscarWaoThe Epilogue Book Club had a great meeting yesterday to discuss “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Diaz.

Most members agreed that the numerous footnotes and the prolific use of Spanish words and terms throughout the book made reading the book very challenging. Most agreed that having a glossary of Spanish words and terms used in the book would have helped. All-in-all, the book club thought the book was worthwhile reading.

I, personally, found the book to be quite thought provoking. I finished the book with tears in my eyes and the characters in the book stayed with me for several days afterwards.

We meet again at 2:00 pm on Sunday, May 31 to discuss “Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson.  The location for the next meeting is still to be determined.

If you’d like to learn more about the Epilogue Book Club or join us to discuss the next book, please call me at 678.321.6526 or send me an email.

The Epilogue Book Club is reading Pulitzer Prize winning novels.  To view our current reading list, see Epilogue Book Club: Current Reading List.

Slavery by Another Name by Douglas A. Blackmon

image I had not heard of this book until I listened to a podcast (OnPoint with Tom Ashbrook) interview between Tom Ashbrook and the author, Douglas Blackmon. This book just won the Pulitzer Prize in non fiction (2009).

The interview was fascinating and I find the subject matter very interesting. This is an important book that I will make a point to read.

See Slavery by Another Name for more information.