Books: Forty Thorns

Forty Thorns
By Judy Light Ayyildiz
Copyright 2011
335 pages

I am pleased to tell you about this novel by my friend, Judy Ayyildiz.

Forty Thorns is a fictionalized story of Adalet, a progressive woman who grew up in Turkey during a period of great change in that country's history. She lived through the fall fo the Ottoman Empire and the rise of the Turkish Republic, enduring a war and the changing face of a country.

The story is based on the life of Ayyildiz's mother-in-law. The author researched Turkish history in great detail and links Adalet's journey through life to the historic changes in Turkey.

The heroine was born in Thrace in 1901. The novel gets its name from an incident early in Adalet's life. She is called upon to perform a heroic act to save her sister's wedding. She must remove 40 evil thorns from a wedding gown cape so that the nuptials can move forward. While she is disposing of this evil, she catches the eye of her future husband.

In many ways this story is a coming-of-age novel, for Adalet grows up as the reader moves through the tale. This heroine has great courage and must face many hardships as she embraces the new republic and its changing ideals for women. She defies her parents to marry, and must live with the consequences of having a mind of her own at a time when such activities were frowned upon.

This is very much a women's book, and a feminist's one, at that. Americans will find it filled with information about a part of world history that they no little of, and will find themselves rethinking every stereotype of Middle Eastern culture that they believe they know.

For ultimately, Adalet is a strong woman, encompassing the roles of women of all nationalities. She is wife, mother, daughter - she gives and loves, feels pain, and finds her inner strength when she thinks she will not have hope again.

It is no mistake that "Adalet" also means "justice," in the woman's native language. For she seeks justice throughout the book, not only for herself, but for her country.

The book has received much acclaim in Turkey. Ayylidiz in interviews has found the reception less ardent in the United States but is hopeful that will turn around. She took 19 years to write the book; her mother-in-law asked her to write her life's story as she neared death. After hearing the tale, Ayylidiz felt compelled to move forward with the request.

At the end of the book, Adalet tells her sister that she wants a book written about her life. Her sister laughs and says:

"We've had small and average lives."

"Nations come from wombs like mine," Adalet answered, feeling again like the teacher. "Our hands keep fires while wars rage. We clean the burnt homes, help re-stack the rocks, gather the suffering ruin to our breasts and hide what we can."

Indeed, the story of women is a powerful one, and Ayylidiz has made certain that this woman's life will not be lost to the winds of time. Her history will endure, and the author should be thanked for this.


***

I have known Judy for many years. I interviewed her for an article in the late 1980s, and we have spent time together in writing groups and in arts and letters organizations. I am very pleased to recommend her work and I thank her for giving me the opportunity to read this fine work.

Thursday Thirteen

We just finished with Easter, and finally that means less chocolate in the aisles of the supermarkets.

I am, I confess, a chocoholic.

So here are 13 favorite chocolates. These are not specialty chocolates or anything; I'm not very picky about my candy.


1. Milky Way Midnight. This is my favorite candy bar. I love the dark chocolate and the nougat.

2. Cadbury Creme Eggs. I do not care for any but the original, but I absolutely adore those.

3. Hershey's Milk Chocolate Eggs. These football-shaped little pieces of milk chocolate are delish.

4. Three Musketeers Bar. Another long-time favorite.

5. Cella's Chocolate Covered Cherries. Another holiday favorite; on of the best things about winter!

6. Chocolate covered strawberries.

7. Chocolate covered blueberries (I sense a theme. Fruit and chocolate.)

8. Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate.

9. Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate morsels. This is what my mother always used in her toll-house chocolate chip cookies. And they are what I use.

10. Cadbury's Royal Dark Chocolate bars.

11. Nutella. This is an odd thing to include, really, as it is a nut thing and not a candy bar, but I learned of it from another blogger and it is terrific stuff.

12. Chocolate lush. This is an old family recipe, a kind of cake and pudding concoction that involves a lot of coco. Best with Cool Whip dressing on top and served warm.

13. Whitman's Sampler. I don't like *everything* in one of these, but I like most of the pieces.

And yes, I am supposed to be on a diet. Certainly not eating chocolate!


Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 237th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Spring Sights

Looking across the farm.

The woods.

Another shot of the farm.

Wildflowers

I am never certain I have the names of wildflowers correct, so feel free to correct me if you see something in need of change.

Dew Drop

Some kind of violet.

Trillium

More trillium.

Spring Beauty (name of the flower, not what it is!)



Trillium



Spring Beauty.

The County Chorus

The Botetourt County Chorus in the first weekend in April put on their spring performance. I went to the one at Lord Botetourt on a Sunday afternoon.

They were singing Broadway tunes.

The whole group settling in for their songs.

My brother and father. My brother doesn't look too thrilled, does he?

My brother during a solo.

My brother and others singing "Footloose."

I thought they did a nice job. They had a good crowd of listeners, too, for which I was glad. It is good to support local things and efforts.

Books: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
By Mark Twain
Audio read by Carl Reiner

I don't know how I missed reading this Mark Twain classic when I was younger, but I did.

This is the story of a factory worker from Connecticut who, in the late 1800s, is conked on the head. The resulting blow sends him back in time to the 500s, when King Arthur was head of Britain.

Hilarity ensues as the Boss, as he comes to call himself, up-ends Britain and its society. He brings about factories, electricity, telephones, and other modern marvels, all of which he ultimately destroys.

The story is a great fantasy, and we're all familiar with the notion as there are many movies today that follow this line of thinking. I've seen a number of them where someone for some reason ends up backwards in time in the Age of Chivalry.

The story also had a great deal to say about society, class, and progress.

Smart guy, that Twain.

Yes, It's This Green

Our early spring continues, though we are having a bit of a cold snap.

The trees are already dressed in their finest greens. They are a month early; I don't usually see leaves like this until late April.

Baby Calves

Thursday Thirteen

The other day on Facebook someone posted a list of 12 things not to say or do to introverts. Oh,I thought, I could add one more and have a Thursday Thirteen.

Of course I did not take care of it then and when I went back I couldn't remember who had posted it and I could not find it.

But I liked the idea so now I am going to talk about introverts anyway, even if it may not be 13 ways to take care of your introvert.

1. A lot of people are introverts, but no one knows how many. Some people say 1/4 of the population, others say just under half. I found a quote that says introverts are "a minority in the regular population but a majority in the gifted population." I like that one.

2. So what is an introvert, anyway? It is not, as you might think, shyness or depression. They are not socially inept. Instead it is a personality trait. The introvert generally does not find other people energizing; they find being away from people energizing. They work well on solo projects, in other words. They like to think about things before they speak. They are idea people.

3. Introverts generally do not talk a lot, nor or they in the public eye. You won't find many introverts in politics, for example. Extroverts think by talking, introverts think before talking.

4. Words that describe introverts include reflective, independent, level-headed, refined, sensitive, contemplative, etc. They are the daydreamers, the readers, the writers, the artists of the world. They are also inventors, engineers, and others upon whom the feet of society tend to walk. People might want to look down every now and then.

5. Studies using brain images indicate that the brain activity of introverts take place in the frontal lobes. These areas are activated with solitary activities and at that time, introverts find their energy and expend it in solving problems, introspection, and complex thinking.

Extroverts think with the back of their brain. These areas process information from the external world, so they need stimulus from outside of themselves. They seek out other people and thrive on these interactions.

6. If you really want to make an introvert happy, try not to talk so much. Skip the small chats and go straight to something serious and amazing. Introverts don't care much what happens in Hollywood, but ask them what they think about Pluto no longer being a planet, or their thoughts on some major hot button issue, and you'll have an interesting conversation. Though you might find it a little heated at time, so be careful. Introverts like deep conversation.

7. Keep it short. While you might be able to carry on for hours at a party or an event, such things wear on introverts. They grow weary and need their alone time to recharge. I myself have been known to seek personal space in bathrooms or by taking a quick walk outside when I'm at crowded events.

8. Don't constantly ask your introverted friend if everything is okay. Being quiet doesn't mean something is wrong. Just give them space. They'll be okay.

9. Let your introvert stay in what you perceive as her shell. It's not really a shell, it's where she is in her comfort zone, and most likely she's happy there. If she asks you for help of course that's another matter entirely.

10. Help your introvert find her focus. Sometimes introverts have so many thoughts running around in their heads, they can't keep them straight. You can best do that by listening when she does talk, instead of talking over her. Don't tell her what you think she should do, listen to what she is saying and help her figure it out herself. She'll be much happier that way.

11. Myers-Briggs test indicate what kind of personality you have. You can take a free test here and see what it says about you.

12. As for me, I tend to score 100 percent on the "introverted" part of these tests. Depending on the test, I am either an INTP or an INTJ - with the latter coming up as I've aged. This was predicated when I first took the Myers-Briggs in the 1980s and it has come true. But I score so evenly in the latter number that I am not sure it matters where I am concerned.

13. As an INTJ (my score on the test this morning), I am a MASTERMIND. "Masterminds are rare, comprising no more than one to two percent of the population, and they are rarely encountered outside their office, factory, school, or laboratory. Although they are highly capable leaders, Masterminds are not at all eager to take command, preferring to stay in the background until others demonstrate their inability to lead.... their aim is always maximum efficiency.

Yes, world, I am an INTROVERT. Thank you very much.


Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 236th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Books: Grimm's Fairy Tales

Grimm's Fairy Tales
Read by Sheila Hancock
1983

This adaptation of Grimm's Fairy Tales includes Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, The Frog Prince, Cinderella, Rupelstiltskin, Tom Thumb, Sleeping Beauty, and The Brave Little Tailor.

Grimm's tales have been softened up and watered down so much over the centuries that it is hard to know what you're listening to. I suspect these versions were of the watered down variety, but without comparing I do not know that for sure.

It was a joy to listen to these tales of my childhood, even if they seemed a little different than I recall. My favorites of the ones listed above are Tom Thumb and The Brave Little Tailor. I learned the the latter as "Seven at One Blow" some time ago and recall it fondly.

National Geographic offers a dozen Grimm Fairy Tales at this website.

Some of them have audio.

You can find other fairy tales all over the Internet. There are over 200 of these stories; we're only familiar with less than half of those.

These tales resonate still today. A good background in fairy tales is very helpful in reading, research, movie-watching, and writing.

Try something a little different!

Clouds

I shot this photo the other week when we were having storms and tornado warnings.

When the Dogwood Blooms

We are having quite an early spring this year. It is not unheard of for dogwoods to bloom in March, but generally April is normal.

Books: War of the Worlds

The War of the Worlds
By H. G. Wells
Radio Play by Orsen Wells
1939
Audio


It has been a long time since I read this book. I ran across an audio of the 1938 radio drama by Orsen Wells in the library the other day, and I snatched it up.

The story tells how big machines from Mars attack the world and begin to take over the planet. They have a heat ray gun and some kind of dark gas that destroys people. However, just like the native tribes in North America 400 years ago, the Martians have no immunity to our various diseases. These plagues save the world from annihilation and/or enslavement.

The radio dramatization was put on by Mercury Broadcast Theatre and the Columbia Broadcasting System. The first 2/3 of the play take place in the form of news broadcasts, supposedly interrupting symphony play.

The last third is from the point of view of an astronomer, Richard Pierson, who visited the first landing site and somehow survived the initial blasts and gassings.

Reportedly, during and after the original broadcast (which took place on Halloween), some people believed it to be real and thought aliens really were invading the United States. There was a public outcry about this alleged hoax.

It is important to remember the time period. This was a few years before the bombing of Pearl Harbor; World War II had not yet broken out but tensions were high.

Listening to this radio drama reminded me of two things. The first was September 11, 2001. I do not know why this reminded me of the attacks on the Twin Towers, but it did.

The second was an incident that occurred in 1933 here in Botetourt County. Around Christmas that year, the county allegedly came under a series of "mad gasser" attacks.

Local newspapers wrote many stories about these attacks, and my great-aunt remembered one of them happening just down the road from her home. The gas emitted by the Martians reminded me of this odd bit of history.

I am sure I listened to this radio dramatization when I was in school, but it was interesting listening to it in the 21st century. It remains surprisingly current.

Thursday Thirteen #235

I was fiddling around on the 'net and came across a civics site for the Virginia Standards of Learning. I found it interesting and wondered if I could come up with 13 things one should be aware with regard to civic duties and citizenship.

What does citizenship mean, anyway? If we are citizens of the United States, or any other nation, what are we supposed to be doing?

1. Obey the laws. Laws are the cornerstones of our civilization. They are society, or all of us, gathering together to say murder is wrong, extortion is wrong, jaywalking is wrong. Of course, not everyone agrees with the law, which is why we have spirited debate about various topics.

2. Pay taxes. Yep, it's your civic duty, your responsibility as a citizen, to pay up. That's your cost for living here, whatever that might be. The world may not owe you a living but you do owe the government taxes.

3. Serve in the armed forces if called. Being a pacifist I have trouble with this one, but I also understand it. I am anti-war and do not believe in killing, but if I were drafted and they could find a place for me that didn't involve killing, perhaps I could work it out in my conscience though it would be difficult to support something I find so abhorrent.

4. Serve on a jury or as a witness in court. I think this is a great honor, myself. I've been called but I am never asked to serve. Apparently writers and people who think are not welcome on juries.

5. Contribute to the common good. How does one do this? By holding a job and paying taxes. By volunteering. By serving on committees. By picking up trash in the park. What is the common good? Well, that's a pretty in depth discussion, but I found a good article on it here. Here are a few excepts:

... an expert on bioethics, argues that solving the current crisis in our health care system--rapidly rising costs and dwindling access--requires replacing the current "ethic of individual rights" with an "ethic of the common good".

And this:

Examples of particular common goods or parts of the common good include an accessible and affordable public health care system, and effective system of public safety and security, peace among the nations of the world, a just legal and political system, and unpolluted natural environment, and a flourishing economic system. Because such systems, institutions, and environments have such a powerful impact on the well-being of members of a society, it is no surprise that virtually every social problem in one way or another is linked to how well these systems and institutions are functioning.

6. Register and vote. This is one of the most important civic duties, and I am always aghast at the number of people I come across who say they do not vote. I am no fan of Calvin Coolidge, but I cannot say this any better:

But the right to vote is conferred upon our citizens not only that they may exercise it for their own benefit, but in order that they may exercise it also for the benefit of others. Persons who have the right to vote are trustees for the benefit of their country and their countrymen. They have no right to say they do not care. They must care! They have no right to say that whatever the result of the election they can get along. They must remember that their country and their countrymen cannot get along, cannot remain sound, cannot preserve its institutions, cannot protect its citizens, cannot maintain its place in the world, unless those who have the right to vote do sustain and do guide the course of public affairs by the thoughtful exercise of that right on election day. They do not hold a mere privilege to be exercised or not, as passing fancy may move them. They are charged with a great trust, one of the most important and most solemn which can be given into the keeping of an American citizen. It should be discharged thoughtfully and seriously, in accordance with its vast importance.

And

The people of our country are sovereign. If they do not vote they abdicate that sovereignty, and they may be entirely sure that if they relinquish it other forces will seize it, and if they fail to govern themselves some other power will rise up to govern them. The choice is always before them, whether they will be slaves or whether they will be free. The only way to be free is to exercise actively and energetically the privileges, and discharge faithfully the duties which make freedom. It is not to be secured by passive resistance. It is the result of energy and action.

Thoughtful stuff, that.

7. Hold elective office or an appointed position. I do not believe our forefathers meant for a political office to become a life-long career. I think everyone of us should serve in some capacity. I served on the local library board, for example. That is not an elected position, it was appointed, but it counts. It was a service to my community and I am proud to have done it. There are many different community boards; contact your local officials and see how you may serve.

8. Communicate with government officials. If you agree or disagree with a political leader, at whatever level, you have a duty as  a citizen to let him or her know. Writing to your congressman, therefore, is not just a privilege. It is, in fact, a duty. It's easy these days with email - go to his or her website today and let them know how they are doing.

9. Keep informed. I personally think this is an important duty. If you don't know what is going on, you cannot make an intelligent vote. Unfortunately, I think we're seeing the result of voting via emotional gut feelings as opposed to rational, well-thought reasoning.

10. Respect other people. This is severely lacking in today's society. I see it at all levels, from young to old. I have as much right to my opinion as you do to yours, but people are so busy shouting out their thoughts that they never take time to listen to the other side. On TV, all you hear are people shouting at each other. No one is listening. It's rather scary.

11. Know your rights. But also know that other people have these same rights. For example, your right to practice your religion ends when it infringes upon my right to practice mine. People don't understand this. But rights are like cigarette smoke. If you want to smoke in your house, go for it, but don't blow it in my face.

12. Participate in the process. Helping with political campaigns, serving in various democratic institutions, belonging to organizations - these things matter. Unfortunately, I don't think organizations such as the League of Women Voters have the clout they once did. I'm not even sure we have one, locally. I should check into that.

13. Be trustworthy, honest, and courteous. That should not be hard, but apparently it is.

If you do these things, you will be a good citizen. This does not mean that you don't fight for what you believe in, or that you roll over and let others walk all over you. It means that you are active in the process. You do not let others think for you.

Be active.
Be a good citizen.
Make a difference!



Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 235th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
 

Thank You, Botetourt

The stars aligned last night as Jupiter and Venus shone out across a brilliant sky.

Inside the auditorium of Lord Botetourt High School, 500 people settled in for a lesson in numbers, economics, and finance.

Botetourt County faces a $3.6 million budget shortfall, and the supervisors have said no program is sacred. School athletics, libraries, senior programs - all are on the chopping block.

Thirty-seven people spoke, and the vast majority of those love the services the county provides.

It may not have been a love fest, exactly, but I was impressed. People love their libraries. They love their athletics. They love the walking trails. They love their schools.

They love this community. And they said so last night.

It was the first time in a very long time that I did not feel so alone in my desire to see the county - the country - move forward in a positive manner.

A few of the "no taxes" crowd showed up, the usual naysayers who seem able only to spew negativity and hatefulness these days. The audience basically turned their backs on them, moving on to private conversations while those folks ranted. But they listened attentively as others begged the supervisors not to cut their favorite programs.

Young men and women, juniors and seniors in the high schools, asked that the Governor's School be saved. One young man, who said high school athletics literally saved him, compared the county's situation to the one that FDR faced in the Great Depression.

"Save the humanity of this county," he said, his voice faltering.

One person threatened to move away if the schools cut programs. "I would rather pay more taxes than a real estate agent," he said.

Most heartbreaking were the pleas of several senior citizens. The county offers a senior van service, for a fee, that older residents use. For some, it is the only way they can get to the doctor or the grocery store.

Their voices broke as they stated their case, offering personal, heartfelt stories of need. Tears came to my eyes when one woman said the senior van was the only way her husband could receive dialysis three times a week; she can't take him because of her cancer. Others wiped at their cheeks, too.

This was, finally, a vision of democracy that I could relate to. I heard people saying yes, I want the rescue squad to come when I need it. Yes, please, fund the firefighters so my house won't burn down. Yes, give us good schools and good teachers. Yes, we want the libraries to stay open, filled with books and magazines. Yes, we love our parks and the recreation programs.

Yes, we want our county to move forward, to grow, to prosper. Yes, we know there is a community here, something greater than our individual selves.

Yes, it is worth preserving.

Thank God. It is worth preserving.

I don't know what the supervisors will do. Today they have budget meetings and the school board has meetings tomorrow. The schools, by law, must present a budget to the supervisors by April 1, and the state is still dancing about on its budget figures. Nothing is set in stone until the General Assembly is done.

The cuts still may come. The supervisors may say that they're sorry, but they aren't raising taxes - they are all conservative, after all, and they have only lowered taxes, not raised them - and the programs will be lost. I suspect if they do that, they will not be pleased with the public outcry.

I expect they will raise taxes. I don't know by how much. It may not be enough to save everything. The senior van program, at least the last year I looked at the budget, basically pays for itself and should be the last thing on the cutting block. Those poor old folks need that service and it would be cruel - inhuman, even - to take that from them. We should revere our elders, not make them feel a burden. They are the bones upon which we all stand.

Perhaps the supervisors will fund athletics and close the libraries. Perhaps they will find enough money to keep everything as well as they can, making trims and cuts here and there to an already-lean bone. If they go that route there will still be a loss of services but perhaps it will be bearable. Perhaps the nick will not go the marrow, leeching life.

Do not back down, Botetourt. Send emails, make phone calls. Let them know that this county is important. Let them know that you are paying attention, and that you believe in the greater good.

I am so proud of my fellow citizens for their actions last night. I am so pleased to know that you, too, love this county.

It feels good, this love.

Books: The Elegance of the Hedgehog

The Elegance of the Hedgehog
By Muriel Barbery
Copyright 2006
325 pages


What can I say about this book of ideas that has not already been said?

It's a terrific book. On its surface, it's a story of an older woman, Renee, who is a concierge at a rich apartment-like dwelling in France, and a young girl who becomes her friend.

But oh, it is so much more than that. This is book about thinking, about living in your mind, about being in that space that only you can occupy.

It is also a book about society, about social class, about age and gender and the differences and lack thereof between human beings.

The thing had pages and pages of wonderful lines; I wish I had underlined them so I could put them here (but I hate to mark up my books).

Here are a few random lines:

"When we push open a door, we transform a place in a very insidious way. We offend its full extension, and introduce a disruptive and poorly proportioned obstacle. If you think about it carefully, there is nothing uglier than an open door." (152)

I think this was my favorite paragraph:

"... grammar is a way to attain beauty. When you speak, or read, or write, you can tell if you've said or read or written a fine sentence. You can recognize a well-turned phrase or an elegant style. But when you are applying the rules of grammar skillfully, you ascend to another level of the beauty of language. When you use grammar you peel back the layers, to see how it is all put together, see it quite naked, in a way. And that's where it becomes wonderful . . ." (158)

Sigh. How could I not love that?

Some reviews call this a "fable of love, friendship and the beauty of Art." Others call it "succinct, unusual, light yet erudite." They use words like "charming, intelligent, extraordinary."

One French review (in the front of the book) says that a Parisian psychotherapist prescribes the book to her patients, calling it a "real toolbox that one can look into to resolve one's problems."

The book has no real action. Renee goes about her life trying to hide her intelligence (concierges are supposed to be idiots, apparently) and the young girl wants to kill herself because she thinks her family hates her.

They both learn very big lessons before the book ends, proving that you are never the old dog who cannot learn, nor too young to understand at least some of the complexities of life.

This is a book I plan to read again. I do not say that about books often.

This was my book club read for March, and in discussion, I was the only person who took the ending as a negative. Others took it as a positive affirmation. I won't give anything away, but I do think there are two ways to look at it, and both are right.

More on Local Budget Cuts

I served on the Botetourt County Library Board of Trustees for nine years, with my time there ending under the organization's bylaws this past December. I am a library lover. I enjoyed the time I spent serving the community in that appointed position.

The county is currently facing a $3.7 million budget deficit. As I understand it, this is a result of state mandates, for the most part, and not a failure of management on the part of the county administration.

There will be a public meeting about this issue on Tuesday, March 27, at 6 p.m. at Lord Botetourt High School. If you read the "associated document" at this public notice, you will see a long list of items that may be cut due to lack of funds.

The potential budget cuts to the library:

35 hours a week (the libraries are open evenings and Saturdays, as well, at present)
cut all part-time employees (the library system uses a lot of young adults and students in these positions)
end most of the children's programs, including the summer reading program
cut one full-time position
cut the book budget so there will be few new materials, no magazines, and no newspaper
end or strictly limit the bookmobile service

The library is one of the few services the county offers that benefits everyone, if they wish to take advantage it. There is a nominal charge for the meeting rooms (some of which are not available except when the libraries are open, so those will have limited access) but many of the programs are free or nearly so. Anyone can use the computers, and many do. The branches are usually rocking at all hours of the day with people looking for jobs online, or reading, or browsing the stacks.

I am very unhappy about these proposed cuts.

Other potential cuts to the county budget are listed here at a story from The Fincastle Herald. This does not include the schools: they too are considering drastic cuts that include closing an elementary school and eliminating the high school and middle school athletic programs. Since my nephew will be a senior at JRHS next year, and he has hopes of wrestling, I hope these cuts do not happen, as well.

To be fair, potential cuts will be made in most departments. But the library cuts will affect me the most.

Botetourt County has always run a fairly tight governmental operation and I have never been unhappy with the amount of money they spend.

I guess when it comes down to it, people will have to decide if $150 or so they might keep in their pocket (if there is no tax increase) is worth more to them than the services the local government will no longer offer.

I know for me, I check out way more than $150 worth of books from the library, so I would rather pay higher taxes than have to buy more books.

Also, I imagine if there are fees imposed to play sports, those could add up quickly and would be significantly more than the taxes.

The county's tax rate is $0.65 per $100 value. In 1999, the tax rate was $0.75 per $100 value. It should never have been reduced; the county would not be in the pickle it is in now had the tax rate been left alone. I think it should be raised back up to this level, but given the conservative lean of the county supervisors, I don't expect them to do this unless there is a public outcry for the services.

So if you want the services, tell your supervisor.

You can read more about this issue here, here (Leffel says he opposes school closure), and here (Moorman says tax rate lowered twice since 1999).

Spring Colors

Red bud and forsythia

A wildflower in the woods. One of my readers has pointed me in the right direciton for the name: Toothwart, or Lady's Smock. I thought it a wood anemone or dutchman's breeches, but I was wrong.

Red bud

Forsythia, turning green.

Red bud and a wild cherry

Red bud

Trees leafing out. Green green green!

Uncle Bill's cherry tree. I hope all of those blooms mean lots of cherries!

Books: March

March
By Geraldine Brooks
Copyright 2005
Read by Richard Easton
Unabridged 10 hrs 21 min

Geraldine Brooks, an author who has written other works I have reviewed, including Year of Wonders and People of the Book, offers up an account of Mr. March, the patriarch of the fabled March family of Little Women fame.

In Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, the father has gone off to serve in the Civil War. Brooks, after doing extensive historic research, gives us her imagining of his story.

The Reverend March is an idealist and a philosopher who, though about the age of 50, feels it is his duty to enlist as a Union preacher in order to further the abolitionist cause.

He is a flawed character, quite human and ultimately not the ideal soldier. Nor is he the ideal religious figure. But he is a man, and Brooks takes great pains to show his humanity.

The story opens at a battle. March joins others in a retreat as the Confederates take ground. He finds himself on familiar soil, for as a young man he was a peddler who made his fortune selling trinkets to Virginia plantation owners. Now he is back at a spot he remembers.

As the story progresses, March goes to help with contraband, freed slaves who are now working for pay on southern plantations. The Union has an interest in harvesting the cotton and other goods from the land, while the Confederate goal is to burn the plants before the Union can make a harvest. It is in this framework that much of the story takes place.

March spends a lot of time trying to write cheery letters back home to his wife, Marmee, and his "little women," Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy. He does not tell them of the horrors he experiences.

Finally, he takes ill. The narration to this point has been in his voice, in first person, but when he is no longer conscious, Marmee takes over the narrative duties, also in first person. She joins her husband at the hospital in Washington DC in order to nurse him back to health.

I was listening to an audio version and while I enjoyed it, I did wish that the narrator had changed to a female during the two hours or so that Marmee spoke. I think it would have helped with the audio version. I doubt it mattered in the text, though I did wonder if the author considered third person for this part.

I have read a number of Civil War books, both fiction and nonfiction. I found this to be historically accurate and an excellent imagining of the horrors of war.

4 stars

Thursday Thirteen #234

Good morning! Achoo! The pollen is thick, isn't it?

There is help for allergy sufferers! I've suffered from this bane of spring all of my life, so I thought I'd offer up 13 tips for feeling better during this time of sneezes.


1. Rinse your nose and sinuses. The best way to do this is with a neti pot. To use a neti pot, heat distilled water (not tap water) and add sea salt and baking soda. You can buy neti pots at most drug stores these days, and they come with instructions. You can do this every day or just once a week or any time in between. This is the best help for allergy sufferers.


2. If you don't want to use a neti pot, then use a saline nasal spray. Drug stores also sell pre-mixed versions of this, but I find that they burn and irritate more than they help because of the preservatives in them. So what I do is buy the cheapest version, pour out the solution, and make my own, with distilled water and sea salt, every couple of days. That way you can keep your sinuses moistened and help keep the allergens cleared out. Nothing feels better using this about 30 minutes after it's made while the solution is still a little warm. Use this frequently. I personally replace the plastic spray container every couple of months. Do not let them sit long without using them. Be sure to clean the sprayer with alcohol.

3. Shower at night. During allergy season, I take two short showers a day. The one at night washes the pollen out of my hair and off my body. While two showers might not work for you, showering at night instead of in the morning should prove a beneficial change.

4. Change or wash the bed linens frequently. This is particularly necessary if you don't shower at night. The pollen comes off your body and gets on your bed clothes, and in turn that means you're breathing pollen all night long.

5. Close the windows. I have found the only time I can have the windows open is after a good rain. Then for an hour or so I will open the windows and air out the house. The rest of the time, the windows are closed and we cool the house with the air conditioner. It is expensive but no more so than doctors visits or time lost due to illness.

6. Take a multivitamin. I take a lot of vitamins because I have a low immune system and don't process things well, but definitely a multivitamin of some kind is called for while you're struggling with allergies. Extra B Complex is a good choice, too, along with magnesium at night to help you sleep and relax. Check with your doctor, particularly if you have other health issues.

7. See a doctor. She can suggest over-the-counter medications that are specific for you and your condition. Generally, this will be an antihistamine or an antihistamine-decongestant mix. I take a generic version of Claritin, myself. Zyrtec is good too. Some people find relief with Allegra, though I do not. Do not take any medication without first seeing your physician. This is particularly true if you take drugs for other medical conditions. As an FYI, I have found Walmart brand generics (Equate brand) tend to work better than other brand generics. Generics are supposed to be exactly like the brand-name, original drug, but they're not. I hate supporting that particular company but truth is truth.


8. Use Ayr nasal gel with aloe. I recently discovered this and what a great product! No, I am not getting paid to endorse this. But it has made a huge difference in how my sinuses feel. It eliminates dryness and seems to make everything in there feel better. Apply inside the nostrils with a Q-tip.

9. Be careful how you blow your nose. Do not just honk into a tissue. You should blow gently, first on one side, and then the other. You can bust a blood vessel or something if you go at it wildly. Plus you enhance the risk of a sinus or ear infection by forcing things back up into your sinuses. Don't blow your nose in front of other people if you can help it. Excuse yourself and go elsewhere. Be polite.

10. You can unstop your nose so you can breathe by massaging the area along the sides. Also if you push in for about 10 seconds and let it out, after about three times something will open up and you will feel a little better. You may have to do this often if you're having a particularly hard time. Also, tapping on the sinuses will loosen things up; you can rub under your eyes, across your forehead just above your eyebrows, and around your ears.

11. For sinus headaches, place a warm compress on the forehead. You may also want to breathe in steam, either from a pot on the stove or from a steam humidifier or vaporizer. You can add tea tree oil to this if you want; it only takes a few drops. Do not drink tea tree oil or put it on your skin; inhale the fumes only. If you don't want to use that, try a little Vicks vapor rub.

12. Get the pets out of the bedroom. I know you love them but, at least while you're fighting seasonal allergies, keep them away from you. Your pets, like you, bring pollen into the bedroom. You need some time away from the pollen in order to get better.

13. Take this stuff seriously. You need to rest, take care of yourself, drink plenty of fluids, maybe even take a day off from work. Allergies can lead to many other issues, such as sinus infections, ear infections, severe headaches, asthma, and pneumonia. Allergies weaken your body and your immune system. Do not dismiss them.




Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 234rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Spring of Change

For the last 20 years or so, I've awakened, turned on my desktop, fixed a cup of tea, and returned to my office chair to see what I could see.

I have been reading the news from various sources for a long time. These days I might watch videos, read Facebook comments, read things from a variety of newspapers (The New York Times, the Washington Post, The Guardian (British paper) and any number of blogs. I also read the local newspaper every day (though that is the print copy and I do it whilst eating breakfast).

Recently, the news has been so unbearable that I think it is time for a change.

Because it's a sickening way to start the day.

I'm particularly disheartened by the various state-level laws and bill proposals that would make women second class citizens.
Apparently now is the time the good ol' boys have been waiting for - time to put those snippy women back in front of the stove. It is a concerted effort and if successful, which in many areas it looks to be, it will set back women's rights and society by a good 50 years or more. I have never seen such regressive legislation; neither has anyone else.

Here are a few links. Read at the risk of your own enlightenment.

Top 10 Shocking Attacks of the GOPs war on women

MSNBC video about the war on women

No Country for Weak Women

Is There a Republican War on Women

The Absurdity of the War on Women

10 Reasons the Rest of the World thinks the US is Nuts


Note that this is some of this morning's reading material (and it's 7:45 a.m. as I finish this blog entry up). Note too that I read from both sides of the aisles. I always have, though I do draw the line at some topics and some things are just so morally objectionable that they cannot be tolerated.

However, the point of this blog entry isn't to enlighten you or to ask you to take sides.

The point of this is to beg the world to make it stop. Stop pounding me over the head with stupidity. Stop invading my space, taking my rights, and making me less-than.

For God's sake, people, grow up.

The US has the emotional maturity of a fruit fly. I do not think this is going to change anytime soon. Nor is the nature of public discourse going to change, either.

I fear that the people who are yelling the loudest and making the most grotesque changes are the ones who will win, simply because their vileness is stronger. In the end, snakes win out because they don't need the strength to stand. They don't have any legs.

I cannot change this.

The one thing I can change is my morning habit. After 20 years, maybe it's time I started reading this stuff at lunch time or at 4 p.m. Maybe I need to start my day off by reading more eloquent words than those found in newspapers and in online dribble.

I doubt I can stop reading the news entirely. I have never been one of those people for whom knowledge is abhorrent; I love to learn and I believe in knowledge for knowledge's sake; despite my college degrees I am also an autodidact, eager to stretch my brain and take on new challenges.

My brain never stops thinking.

But lately I find I am weary, and growing more tired every day. I long for discussions that are truly give and take, not people talking over one another, arguing their points without listening to what the other person is saying. I ache for beauty and peace, for love and joy, for kindness and morality, the kind born not from bible thumping but from true wisdom of right and wrong.

A kinder, gentler world.

To be sure, I won't know what to do now, if I change my morning habits. The world won't stop if I don't know about the latest atrocity than man has flung against his fellow human being. But a 20-year habit is a tough one to break.

I plan to try.  Maybe I will be a bit more at peace.

Update on Botetourt Budget

Citizen Input Meeting on the FY13 County Budget

Start Date: 03/27/2012 at 6:00 PM End Date: 03/27/2012

The General Fund Budget Committee of the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors is inviting citizen input on proposed service cuts to address a $3 million budget shortfall in the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Botetourt County budget.
Reductions are proposed for:

• Botetourt County Public Schools,
• emergency services,
• public safety,
• recreation,
• libraries,
• community arts and service organizations,
• senior van,
• and other core services.

Location:
the forum of Lord Botetourt High School in Daleville

For more information, contact
Tony Zerrilla, Director of Finance
540-473-8222 or tzerrilla@botetourt.org

Signs of Spring

Forsythia!

An unknown flowering tree in my neighbor's field.

Yellow pansies.

White pansies, volunteers that bloomed in my fence row.

The neighbor's cows and forsythia. Note the tinge of red bud at the top of the forsythia.

A Note to My Botetourt Readers

Dear Friends,

Yesterday one of the supervisors told me the county is contemplating $3 million in cuts to county services. He said that the impact will be felt in the libraries, parks & recreation, schools, and other areas.

I am guessing no category is being untouched. Though the proposed cuts have not yet been made public, I suspect this means fewer books, probably no summer reading program at the library for children, less mowing at the ball fields, fewer ball games, fewer referees, fewer adult education programs, and no replacements for police or other emergency service vehicles that are worn out. It may also mean fewer teachers, larger classroom sizes, and less materials for learning. It will be a large reduction in services, and you will notice.

But it is not too late.

Next week there should be a notice in the local paper about a public comment time for the budget. This event could be as soon as 10 days from now. We must act.

The supervisors need to hear from those who believe that county services matter. Too often the only voices raised at these meetings are the ones that have no vision and care little for the health and welfare of others. They are also the first to call for services and the first to cry if the services are not there. However, they do not want to pay for them.

I, for one, would like to see people who believe in basic services appear at the budget meetings. If you cannot attend this upcoming budget meeting, I hope you will write a letter or email to your supervisor, or pick up the phone and call him to express your opinion. I have done this and will continue to do this.

I hope that these services matter to you. If you use the libraries, if your children play sports, or if you have called the sheriff's department, you have benefited from county services. If you have called for an ambulance to transport a loved one or cried for help because your home was on fire, you have used county services.

If you have built a home, purchased land, used county water and/or sewer, shopped at Kroger or any other local business establishment (all of them use local water and sewer, which was initially paid for with your tax dollars), you have benefited from county services.

I could go on, but suffice it to say that county services affect you, the place you work or shop, or someone you love every day, whether you realize it or not. *See the bottom for a list of county services.*

I firmly believe that it is my duty as a citizen to pay taxes and participate in the process. I cannot complain unless I make an effort. Please join me in helping to keep Botetourt the wonderful community that it is.

Here is a list of your supervisors. Please contact them today and let them know that you use these services and they are important to you. Do not make them guess which services are important: tell them. It is the only way they can truly determine where the ax should best fall.

Amsterdam District Stephen P. Clinton, Chairman 108 S. Braemar Circle Daleville, Virginia 24083 Phone: (540) 992-3066 Fax: (540) 857-3531 Email: steve.clinton@aecom.com term expires: 12/31/2013
Blue Ridge District Billy W. Martin, Sr. 426 Mountain Pass Road Blue Ridge, Virginia 24064 Phone: (540) 977-8085 Fax: (540) 977-1402 Email: bilbec1@juno.com term expires: 12/31/2011
Buchanan District Terry L. Austin, Vice Chairman P.O. Box 398 Buchanan, Virginia 24066 Phone: (540) 254-1085 Fax: (540) 254-2729 Email: austinel@verizon.net term expires: 12/31/2013
Fincastle District L. W. (Jack) Leffel 556 Leffel Lane Eagle Rock, Virginia 24085 Phone: (540) 884-2417 Fax: Email: groushuntr@gmail.com term expires: 12/31/ 2015
Valley District Dr. Donald M. (Mac) Scothorn 1025 Highland Drive Roanoke, Virginia 24019 Phone: (540) 992-5589 Fax: Email: macscothorn@yahoo.com term expires: 12/31/2015

Best regards,

Anita


County Services (all of these and more receive funds of some kind from the county, that is to say, your local tax dollars):

Clerk of the Circuit Court
Commissioner of the Revenue
Commonwealth's Attorney
Schools
Sheriff
Animal Control
County Treasurer
County Jail
Social Services
Building Services
Libraries
Parks & Recreation
Planning & Zoning
Public Works (water & sewer)
Tourism
Landfill/ trash transfer station
recycling centers
Electoral Board
Voter Registrar
County Paid Emergency Services
Volunteer Fire and Rescue

Thursday Thirteen

On this day, the Ides of March, I thought I would note 13 myths, not necessarily of the Greek and Roman kind.

1. Persephone and the seasons. In this myth, Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, is captured by Hades and hauled to the underworld to be his bride. Her mother causes the world to freeze over while she searches for her daughter. She finally finds her, but while in the underworld, Persephone eats of a pomegranate. Because of this, she must spend time with Hades. And that is why we have the seasons.

2.  Leda and the swan. Leda, Queen of Sparta, is seduced by Zeus while he is disguised as a swan. She gives birth to an egg from which springs the twins Castor and Pollux.

3. Galatea, the statue come to life. Pygmalion was a sculpturer who created a statue of a beautiful woman.He loved the statue, named Galatea, and he finally went to the temple of Aphrodite and asked for a wife like the statue. Aphrodite brought the statue to life instead.

4. Jocasta. Her name, according to one of my books means "Shining Moon." She was the wife and mother of Oedipus. In the legend, Oedipus kills his father and marries his mother, though he doesn't know she is his mother. Oedipus ultimately puts out his own eyes after he learns what he has done. The myth is a combination of the moon-goddess tales and her sacred king.

5. Lily. This is Lilith, the Sumero-Babylonian goddess of creation; the flower is the lotus of her genital magic. The lily represents the virgin aspect, while the rose represents the maternal. The lily also was sacred to Astarte, also Ostara, the goddess of Easter lilies. These are myths of virgin motherhood.

6. May. This is the month of Maya (Maia), the virgin goddess of spring, in northern European tradition. This is the month for wearing green to honor the Earth Mother's new outfit, and of fornicating in the fields via plowing to bring forth crops. (Never really thought of farming as fornication, but hey.) According to the myth, only "bad women" marry in the month of May.

7. Amazons. This is the Greek name for goddess-worshipping tribes in other lands. The name is derived from a false belief that the Amazon warriors cut off their right breast so that they could draw a bow unhindered. Some scholars say the word Amazon means "moon woman." Legend says these women ruled over large parts of Asia as late as the 5th century AD. They were the first to tame horses and the goddesses they worshipped were often depicted as mares. Men could become Amazons via castration and adopting their dress.

8. Hecate. This Greek goddess was derived from the Egyptian midwife-goddess Heqit, Heket, or Kekat, who in turn derived from the wise woman of the tribe. Heqit delivered the sun every morning. Four thousand years later, she became the "queen of witches" in Christian mythology. In Greece, Hecate was a part of a female trinity that ruled heaven, earth, and the underworld. Hecate was the loveliest of the three and associated with the moon, the goddess Artemis, and Persephone.

9. The Bride from the South. I ran across this interesting weather myth in some reading of legends of the Cherokee. In this story, the boy in the North goes on an adventure. He falls in love with a girl in the South and wants to marry her, but upon his arrival the world has turned cold and no one wants him around. He finally agrees to take the girl to his land, and she goes North. When she arrives, she finds people living in ice houses. But the very next day, things begin to warm up, and the houses begin to melt. Finally the people tell the North that he must send his wife home before the whole settlement melts. At last he has to do as they asked.

10. The Wren. This is another Cherokee legend. The Wren is the messenger of the birds. She keeps watch over everything and reports back. When a boy is born, she sings a mournful song, because the lad will grow up to hunt the birds with arrows and then roast them. But if a girl is born, she sings a chorus of gladness, because the girl will pound grain and leave a bit for the birds to eat.

11. Queen Mab. This is a Celtic Fairy Queen. Her name means "mead", which is a red drink. This myth is related to menstruation and feminine wisdom and matriarchal age. In later myths, she is often portrayed as a trickster who steals milk and babies.

12. Panacea. One of the daughters of Mother Rhea Coronis, the Cretan universal mother, Panacea is a healer and is invoked in the medical Hippocratic Oath. She, along with her sister, Hygeia, are personifications of Great Mother's breasts, the source of the Milk of Kindness and the balm of healing. Mother's milk was thought to be a great source of healing; the milk from a woman who had just given birth could expel demons of sickness. Interestingly, Pope Innocent VIII, who ruled over the Catholic Church in the 1400s and who persecuted women as witches and caused the torture and death of millions, tried to fend off his own death by living on a woman's breast milk. He died anyway. Serves him right.

13. Sarasvati. This means "Flowing One" and she is the Hindu goddess of the arts: music, letters, mathematics, calendars, magic, and other branches of learning. In the Zoroastrian tradition, she is known as Sraosha and is the guardian of earth. She is also affiliated with conscience and religion and she guides the souls of the deceased to the afterlife. She is identified with the peacock.


These myths all have something in common. I wonder if you noticed?


Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 233rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Bye Bye Britannica

A story yesterday on a New York Times blog says that Encyclopedia Britannica will cease publication of its print editions. Here's a link to a Reuters story about it, too.

Excuse me while I wipe away a very real tear. This makes me sad.

I do not own a set of encyclopedias, and I guess now I never will. At least, not a new set. I once bought a used set from the library book sale, but they were already musty and dusty and after a while, I took them off my shelves and gave them back for a resale.

My grandmother had a set of World Book Encyclopedias* that I loved to sit and read. They lined up beautifully on the book shelf and were a sight to behold. I loved the colored pictures, the black and whites, the even lines of type. I loved the words, the information, the ideas. So much knowledge. So much to learn.

I have, of course, always wanted a brand new set of encyclopedias of my very own. That desire waned with the advent of the Internet, though. And when, about 15 years ago, a CD with an encyclopedia found its way into my home, I was ecstatic. All of that information on a little disc. It was amazing.

Britannica will continue to be available online. It is good news that the knowledge will be available. But my problem with this is the same as it is with all things digital: it's availability can be snatched away in the blink of an eye.

The permanence of books cannot be denied while the fleeting ephemeral quality of digital also cannot be denied. Websites come and go. Just look at the geocities or my spaces of the world. Digital also has little respect for the past, and I fear gaping holes of history in a hundred years. That's a loss no one can put a price on.

All of the knowledge that is on Britannica's website might be available elsewhere, but I doubt it. Certainly it is not in that format. If the website folds, there goes all of that information.

I love books. I think print is better than digital. Digital has its place, and it is useful. But it should not replace print.

And that's all I have to say about that.


Update:

*World Book is a different company from Britannica, and I understand their books will still be available.

Sunshine Week

This week is known throughout the newspaper industry as Sunshine Week.

This is not because the sun is shining brilliantly from the sky.

This is, instead, a spotlight on information and your right to know what your government is doing.

These laws fall under The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The first such laws in the United States were enacted in 1966.

The Swedish were far ahead of us; they were ensuring fair government in the 1700s. We took a while to catch up.

Anyone can file a Freedom of Information Act request with local, state, or federal government. Newspaper reporters are well aware of the laws because without it, their job can be more difficult.

For instance, FOIA is the reason that you have public hearings on the sale of government-owned property. It is the reason you can sit in on a local government board or committee meeting. Under FOIA, if you think the government is doing something it shouldn't, you can ask for specific documents or even challenge an action in court, if the government does something wrong.

For example, if your local governing body goes into a closed meeting to talk about an issue and it is not something exempt from these laws (personnel matters are generally exempt, for example), then you might need to take those folks before a judge so they can explain their actions.

As a citizen, I believe in open government. Our representatives are being paid with tax dollars and we elect them in democratic elections. Everything they do when they are working on our behalf should be available to us for review. I understand when matters of personnel or national security are involved that some things are better not divulged, but even so, there should be - there must be - accountability of some kind, even if I never know about it. Without accountability, the country (or the locality) becomes nothing more than a dictatorship by committee.

Some people do not believe in open government. I suppose they think the folks running things should have their secrets, for whatever reason. Often, the people running things do not want the taxpayers to know what they are doing. Perhaps they fear a backlash, or they are, in fact, doing something they know folks would dislike. Big corporations making deals with the government would rather keep their actions secret. But secrecy in and of itself should never be condoned, nor should keeping the public unaware be a goal of good government. A government that has secrecy as its goal is a government to be overthrown.

The Freedom of Information Acts give the public power because it allows you to hold government accountable. Officials frequently want to take this power away, which is why there are changes proposed to the state FOIA at every General Assembly Session. Someone doesn't want you - you the citizen, you the taxpayer, you the voter - to know what is going on.

When you see that your legislators are seeking changes to FOIA, you might ask yourself why. What are they trying to hide?

***

For information on how the federal government deals with information, check out this new website, ethics.gov.

A guide to the federal Freedom of Information Act is here.

Virginia has an advisory council with information on the state Freedom of Information Act. You can access it here.

A copy of Virginia's 2011 Freedom of Information Act can be found here.

Check your state for a copy of your FOIA. You might be surprised at the things you can find out.

Books: Wish You Well

Wish You Well
By David Baldacci
Copyright 2000, 2007
420 pages

This is a wonderful book.

I have been reading David Baldacci for a while now, and have zipped through many of his tales. He is mostly known for mystery/suspense stories.

This is not of that genre. This is the story of two children, Lou and Oz, who are plopped down in Southwest Virginia in 1940 after a tragic accident. Their father is killed and their mother comatose. There is nothing to do but go live on the mountain farm with great-grandma Louise.

The story is told mostly through Lou's eyes. She is the oldest child, a precocious girl who takes after her father. She does not question the route she must take to find her new path in life.

The book takes on the coal industry, the lumbering industry, and the natural gas industry, too, as it deftly points out how companies move into rural communities, use up the resources, and leave the population barren and bereft. It is at times a chilling discussion of power.

I stayed up very late one night. While I used to do that a great deal, as I have aged I do it less and less. It is a rare book that has me still wide awake and eagerly turning the pages at 2 a.m.

And while part of that was an unusual sleepless night for me, the other part was I wanted to see where this story was going. I had an idea but wanted to read on.

It is my understanding that this book is going to be made into a movie, and Botetourt County where I live is actually in the running for the film location. A facebook site is being courted by county residents, who are submitting photos of the area. You can read a story about the county's efforts here.

Baldacci, by the way, is a Virginia writer. I love to support the local writers, even if they are in the northern part of the state.


5 stars