Book Talk . . . The Lincoln Highway

 The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles is the best novel I have read in the last ten years!!! Yes, it is that good!!!  It’s storytelling at its absolute best. Amor Towles also wrote another of my top five recent favorite novels, A Gentleman in Moscow. A number of people have told me that they just couldn’t get in to that novel. It’s pace is slow at the beginning and it takes a while to build. While I thought it was a masterful piece of writing, I can understand why some people might not have engaged with that novel, but please trust me, as soon as you begin The Lincoln Highway you will be hooked and happily along for the ride. 

You will meet eighteen year old Emmett, his eight year old brother Billy who is a delightful character, and two friends from the work farm where Emmett had served time for involuntary manslaughter. After his release,  Emmett’s plan had been to head to California with Billy to start a new life. His friends Woody and Duchess who had walked away from the work farm decide to go along for the ride, but they soon steer the journey in another direction.  

Reading along, I couldn’t help thinking of Tom and Huck’s raft trip on the mighty Mississippi and the many characters they encountered as do Emmett and Billy. Sam Clemens would have, for sure, given a nod of approval to The Lincoln Highway. 

It also occurred to me that three of the best novels that I have read in the last five years have been “journey” novels. Besides The Lincoln Highway, in previous posts I have also highly recommended West with Giraffes by Linda Rutledge and Peace Like a River by Leif Enger.

In any event, climb into the back seat of Emmett’s powder-blue 1948 Studebaker, get comfortable, and go along for this ride.  I promise you will love this book!!! 

Here are the titles I received when I recently had asked for recommendations. It’s always good to have a list of books from which to choose:

     One Hundred Years of Lennie and Margot    

     The Rose Code - Kate Quinn

     Becoming Mrs. Lewis - Patti Callahan

      Britt Marie Was Here - Fredrick Brackman   

     This Tender Land - William Kent Krueger

     Ordinary Land - William Kent Krueger

Yesterday, I met friends for lunch at the South Shore Country Club in Hingham. Carol, our unofficial, dedicated social director:-) , manages to get us all together from time to time. Eight happily retired Weymouth teachers were able to make it to this lunch, and it was lovely to see and catch up with everyone. We dined outside on the patio and will meet again next month. Hopefully, even more of us will be able to make it wherever we decide to gather. :-)

Finally, for Emma fans, here she is today after a trip to the groomer. I wasn’t able to decide which image  to share, so here are two.

Next time . . . we’ll talk chickens!!! ;-)

Hallelujah! It’s Finally Raining!!!

Two thirds of our state has been classified as experiencing extreme drought conditions. My gardens and lawn are basically toast, but today it is raining!!! Hallelujah!!! Better still we are expected to receive more rain tomorrow. Thank goodness! The level of our city’s primary water source, Great Pond in South Weymouth, has dropped four feet since April. The rain today and tomorrow won’t solve our problem, but every drop of rain will help.

 

I have been able to mainstay a few spots of color.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!!! Now for some wonderful news. . . In late June I wrote about a young woman who had had a terrible accident. I mentioned that during the darkest days of the Covid crisis I had come across her channel, Follow the Herd Friesian Horses. Each time an episode was posted it provided a bright spot in my day. I have followed that channel on Youtube ever since.  

On June 21st, there was a terrible accident and Yvonne was thrown from a horse. She was found unconscious in the stable’s arena and medflighted to a major trauma center in the Netherlands where she lives. The prognosis was poor, but after a week in a coma she opened her eyes. She had a serious brain injury, but she is slowly recovering. It is nothing short of a miracle. She has a wonderful support system of family and friends and her “herd” of fans worldwide has been praying for her. Yesterday,  a new episode was posted as her family has been documenting her progress. It is a remarkable video. 

While she was in a coma, her husband brought their young sons to visit her, and the scene where her five year old was asking her to wake up was heartbreaking. Other parts were equally difficult to watch, but she is a remarkably strong young woman and her determination is inspiring. 

Should you wish to view this short, remarkable video,  Goggle “Back Out of Coma Friesian Horses.” We hear about so many sad things that happen that it is a joy to share this good news. 

Have a great week!

Buzzing by with Another Cross Stitch FFO

 

I finished stitching “Summer Wishes and Bumble Bee Kisses,” a design by Primrose Cottage Stitches, last week and fully finished it yesterday.  I had purchased the hive backing board from 141 Designs a few months back. The plywood boards arrive unfinished, but it was a simple matter to paint them using acrylic paints. The black board on the bottom shows through the cuts in the top adding dimension. 

Yesterday, I was also able to prepare the backing for one of the quilt tops that I finished. Yeah!!! I fortunately already had backing for the second quilt. Making quilt backs is not one of my favorite things to do; the same goes for adding borders!

Fingers crossed that we might get some rain today. There have been some thunderstorms locally over the last few days, but not even a thimbleful where I live. Each of the last six days the temperature has been 95+, but the temperature tomorrow may only be in the high seventies or low eighties. Double Yeah!!!

Keep cool!

Life Is Just . . .

 I knew that I would want to stitch this cheerful piece from the moment that I saw it. Life Is Just is a design from Cathy Habermann of Hands on Designs. Her patterns are always fun and delightful. The tiny dangling cherry charm was included with the pattern, and I copied the way she finished hers. 

Today is our fourteenth day with a temperature of 90+ degrees. Things will improve possibly as early as Wednesday. The meteorologist said that the past three weeks have been the hottest three weeks in local weather history. . . not  a record that we appreciate setting. If only we would receive some meaningful rain as my gardens are toast at this point. I’m just trying to keep my pots and hanging pots going, but when you see the photos of the raging wildfires in California and the devastating flooding in Missouri and Kentucky, you won’t hear me complain about our weather conditions.

On a happier note, yesterday afternoon I attended a terrific performance of The Music Man. My young cousin Miss T. loves being a member of The Arlington Children’s Theatre. All of the cast clearly enjoy performing. The high school student who portrayed Marian the Librarian had a beyond amazing voice. She could walk onto a Broadway stage tomorrow with her incredible voice and range. It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. 

I was able to meet my friend Laurel for an early lunch at Mia Ragazza on Wednesday. Though the temperature was in the nineties, we sat under an umbrella and the heat at that point wasn’t too bad.

Recommendation!!! The other day Gayle King mention that she has been enjoying The Lincoln Lawyer, a new series on Netflix, so on Friday night I decided to check it out. Well, I’m not one who usually binge watches anything, but I watched four episodes that night!!! I had to force myself from starting the fifth episode. I guarantee that you will like this legal thriller. It has been so popular that Netflix has already ordered ten episodes for next season. Try it; you won’t be disappointed!

Finally, in defense of weeds. . . here is one of the prettiest weeds in my garden. Just look at that blue color and delicate form.  I looked it up and it is a Common Dayflower weed. Surely that must just be a matter of perspective referring to it as a weed as its tiny blossoms are down right lovely. :-) 

Follow up from last post:  Checking my email, I found a message from Bookbub indicating that the out of print biography of Bella da Costa Green, An Illuminated Life by HeidiArdizzone, is now available for both Kindle and Nook for a limited time period. The price is only $2.99. How amazing is that!!! [For those who did not see my previous post, Bella da Costa Green was the remarkable women chosen by J.P.  Morgan to curate his library. The fiction piece is The Personal Librarian.] I had a feeling that with the huge success of this book, the nonfiction, out of print biography might become available.

Stay cool. Stay safe. Have a good week.