55 Books in a Year: Book #42 The Garner Files

I have a wee bit of a confession (I love this blog for that reason) I love James Garner. I have loved James Garner for as long as I can remember. The Rockford Files used to come on after school, right before Scooby-Doo and I would walk home really fast so I wouldn't miss it. My first memory of him is in Rockford. He's lying on the grass with some chick (I don't really care who) and he's wearing a cream-colored cable-knit sweater. At the tender age of about 7, even I knew that not every man could pull off a cream colored cable-knit sweater.

I received The Garner Files for Christmas. Chris knew I wanted it...at least I hope he did. Every time we went to the bookstore I touched it or held it, I may have even said I wanted it...maybe. Anyway, I received it for Christmas, but I also received my Nook Tablet for Christmas--it was a miracle Christmas.

I read it a little and then, well, I read my Nook...it wasn't James Garner's fault by any means. His book is filled with all the wonderfulness of the stories of a gentleman who has lived a pretty glorious and awesome life. It was me. It was the darned light up screen and ease of travel. It was the fact that I didn't want to buy the book on my Nook.

And, then something marvelous happened, in hind-sight anyway, my Nook's cord broke and while waiting for a replacement I had to go on a trip to Chicago for a conference. On the way there I read a little James, in between sessions I read a little James and the 2nd night in I finished it.

Really, it's just that good.

It's hard for me to separate James Garner from Thomas Evans, my grandfather. Garner has a no nonsense approach to living. He sued the movie industry not to make money, but because it was the right thing to do. He punches liars and cheaters. He works just as hard as he plays. He loves cars and racing and golf and the out of doors. He loves his daughters and his wife and women. He values hard-work, honesty and ownership. And, he owns a lot in this book...he isn't perfect, but he is moral.

I love that he mentions Rob Lowe in this book because I couldn't help feeling that they both have a lot in common and, just like when I read Rob's book, I couldn't help but think about how cool it would be to meet James Garner and how awesome it would be just to talk with him about pretty much anything.

In his book we see a man that truly as lived life with no regrets. Many people talk about how this book has been narrated by a gentle curmudgeon. I don't disagree, however, James Garner's no nonsense attitude about his fame, his family, and his lot in life is something to be emulated and revered.

He would hate the praise, but he'd take it.

Sidenote: Several years ago James Garner and entourage came through our town. A student met him and the conversation about it went a little something like this.

Student: "There was some old guy who came in to get a cup of coffee at the store last night, my manager says he's famous."
Me: "Oh, really what has he been in?"
Student: "I dunno some show where he was a cowboy and another where he drove this really cool car. My manager was showing me pictures. He's names like Gardner or something."
Me: "Oh my gosh! You met James Garner and you don't even understand how awesome that is!?"
Student: "What, oh, I have his autograph on a receipt...that's cool, right!?"
Me: "What did he say to you?"
Student: "He just some plain coffee."
Me: "And...?"
Student: "That's it. I don't know. He was talking to my manager."
Me: "Gah, that's so unfair!"

I'm still whining about my not getting to meet James Garner. Sad day.

Link to a pretty cool review...I must say I'm a little jealous of her fan club card.

55 Books in a Year: Book #41 Lost in the River of Grass

I've been lost three times in my life. Once was with my friend when I was in 6th grade. We were riding our bikes and took one too many unknown turns and ended up in a field on a gravel path. It wasn't really that scary we'd packed a lunch, had planned on having an adventure and, in my small home town, all we had to do was pedaled to the top of the hill (hard on gravel, but not impossible) to see in what direction we needed to pedal to get back to town.

The second time involved my sisters and my grandparents house in the country. It was a little dicer, but still not that bad. We'd been walking in the fields and ended up walking to a creek out of sight of the house. We sat under a shady tree to cool down and tried to walk back the way we came, but ended up at the bottom of an, I swear, 90 degree hill. At the top of the hill we could see the house. Without food or water it was kind of hard to get up the hill and about half-way up we sat down...bad idea if you are trying to climb a vertical hill in the summer heat. but, we crawled up encouraging each other to get to the flat surface where the fence and yard were. Right when we thought we couldn't go any farther we heard our aunt calling us. She could see us and lifted the barbed wire to let us in. We were scolded with kisses and kool-aid and cold baths. She hadn't thought we were lost at all as she could see us from the dining room window the whole time.

The third time was something else entirely as it involved hiking in the dark unknown. It was my second year of teaching and a group of us had gone hiking. We left early and got to the natural bridge and creek at a wonderful time of day. The only problem was the seed ticks in our socks. We tried to follow the same path back, but it started getting dark and we lost our way. We were in a national park, but hadn't signed the post to say we were going to be in there. It grew pitch black and we didn't have any flashlights. We were not prepared for a night hike. It felt like we were going in circles and the seed ticks didn't help either. We ended up hiking up a hill in the dark straight into someone's back yard. These people were kind enough to take us to our cars.

After reading the book Lost in the River of Grass by Ginny Rorby I realize I've never been lost at all, and I'm not sure I could survive if I were left to my own devices in some sort of wilderness.

Sarah is a misfit at her preppy school. The girls make fun of her clothes, her mom works in the cafeteria and her dad isn't really in construction, he's a construction worker. She goes on the class field trip to the Everglades to hopefully get to know the students in her class better. Her hand-me down clothes and old camera just make her more out of place and when it's only her teacher giving her the time of day. She decides to take the scary advice of a local boy; she decides to go in an airboat into the Everglades. 

There are so many aspects of this book that are just beautiful, will do an excellent job of reeling in reluctant readers and are honest and real. Ginny makes a point to give us clues into Sarah's life but not everything comes to light until the end. Each chapter is divided up into how many days the kids are in The Glades. In Andy, we find a character who's life seems to mirror Sarah's own, however, Andy doesn't have the kind of parental support and therefore doesn't have the same opportunities. However, Andy is more than just your typical boy and Sarah isn't that 'fraidy cat girl she seems to be at the beginning. Finally, we have the Everglades. In this forest of water and trees we find all that is wonderful about nature and all that is deadly. There are gators and gator-crushing pythons, poisonous snakes, fire ants, Palmetto bugs (which I guess is a fancy Florida word for large roaches) and a baby duck named Teapot. 

In the end, I forgot all about how a stupid mistake got them into this mess and I forgot to think of the wilderness as scary instead I focused on the social and emotional issues of being a teenager and of being true to who you are. Rorby doesn't fail in giving us much to talk about at the end and over at YA Reads, we've talked about everything from the baby duck, to believable characteristics, to the wilderness, to what it means to be a teenager, to the cover of the latest edition. Yes, this book is that good and has that much going on. I loved every breathless minute!

Summer Reading Plans

The Classic Bribe
Perusing Kill Me If I Stop, I found this challenge. I'm not putting it on the main page at the top because a] that page is getting rather long and I need to figure out out to make page tabs, but alas who has time to fiddle with html and b] it's for summer only. I'm thinking it will help me read at least one...gah...one...of my books for Back to the Classics and/or The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen of la Books.

Here's the challenge from Quirky Girl Reads

The Classic Bribe – Challenge & Giveaway:

• Read at least 1 Classic over the summer – between Memorial Day and the end of Labor Day Weekend, September 3rd
• You can have begun the Classic prior to Memorial Day, but it needs to have been completed between the challenge dates above
• Post a review on your blog of each Classic that you read during the challenge period and reference a link to this “The Classic Bribe” challenge page
• Link to each of your reviews separately by clicking on Mr. Linky below
• Each linked review counts as 1 entry – no entry limit per blogger – read and review as many as you like
• Each entry builds up $1 toward an Amazon gift card – the more entries the higher the balance can grow – capped at $35
• Random winner selected Labor Day weekend from all entries- no restrictions on region
• Winner receives the full Amazon gift card balance accumulated based on entries received

Splash into Summer
This next Summer read item will take place a delicious week in July. I still feel guilty for having missed Irish Short Story Week this year...crazy month of March here at the ranch, but this summer fun activity will sort of scratch that itch. It's called Splash into Summer and is hosted by Literally Jen and Bonnie at A Backwards Story

The week of July 9th will be all about mermaids. *squee*

The Conscientious Reader
July 9th     Introduction, Why I love mermaids, recap of my mermaid things thus far,
                Pinterest board, MerBooks blog etc.
July 10th   Review: Sea Change
July 11th   Review: Everblue
July 12th   Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings: Chocolate Mug Cake...yeah, I'm making
                it and talking about it
July 13th   Recap of Splash of Summer: favorite post, links

Teen Text Talk
July 9th     Introduction, Giveaway
July 10th   Review: Sea Change
July 11th   Review: Everblue
July 12th   Review: The Lure of Shapinsay
July 13th   Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings: Chocolate Mug Cake...yeah, I'm making                it and talking about it and Giveaway winner announced Monday

Pinterest, MerBooks, three book reviews, a giveaway and chocolate mug cake...I can't wait!!!

Kate's Book Club: Summer Reading Game
Another challenge that I think will help me with my bigger year-long challenges is the following from Kate's Book Club. The ten type of books are listed below and there's no specific end or start date, so I'm going to start July 1st and end September 30th. If there is a book I've had in mind, I've listed it below the challenge and will add more as I think of more to add.

1. One Book Recommended By A Friend.

On the Island (by my friend Jen R.)

2. One Book That Has Been Sitting On Your Shelf For Over A Year.
The Lincoln Lawyer

3. One Book You Read A Long Time Ago And Don't Remember.
The Last Unicorn

4. One Book From Your To Be Read List.
The Night Circus

5. One Book You've Never Heard Of.

Lost in a River of Grass

6. One Classic.

The Bloody Spur (also titled While the City Sleeps)

7. One Book You Started But Never Finished.

The Garner Files

8. One New Release.
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

9. One Book That Is Outside of Your Typical Genre.

Warrior's Rise

10. One Chunkster (A Book That Is Over 400 Pages).

Infinite Jest

Oh and I promise to talk about all our summer trips...sometime before the end of the season. We've been having a blast!

T is for Trips

Lila Jane has been on many trips in her lifetime.


We've gone to...

• The Rocky Mountain National Park...Estes Park and Denver.
• We've gone swimming in...the ocean, various rivers, creeks and lakes.
• Washington DC (The Smithonian, The Capitol) and to visit family in MD. The first time she was on a plane she was 5 mos. old and we were going to DC to visit family.
• Dutch Wonderland in PA.
• Kansas City...to visit family.
• Chicago (The Art Institute, The Natural History Museum).
• St. Louis...to visit friends.
• Various places nearby...Ha-Ha Tonka, Mark Twain National Forest, The Cave Restaurant...I really need to take her to my hometown.

She's also a really great traveler. She sings nursery songs or songs she makes up or songs we find on the radio, she plays with the drawing pad, she sleeps. We take it slow and stop every so often or we bring lots of adventures to keep her busy on the plane/train/in the car.

I can't wait until she's older and the real adventures begin! I can't wait to take my kiddo overseas! I want my kid to see the world and I want to go on cheesy family adventures for the rest of our lives!

10 Places Every Kid Should See
If we start next summer that's one a year until she's 13, about the age we become 'uncool'.

[Source]

And, here are our Summer Travel Plans


End of May 
Go visit my family in DC. My sister calls it their Annual Family Party, and eventually all of her family (her in-laws and all of us) are there and there's a BBQ and the Blues Festival and all sorts of DC fun! Lila and I are flying out early to have a chill weekend with my mother, sister, brother-in-law and 3 year old niece.

Colorado
I like that this is becoming a summer tradition. I'm hoping we can stay longer than we did last year as my friends just bought a home.

Flitting about Missouri
We like to go visit my St. Louis friends, my aunt in Cabool, my in-laws in KC and at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Texas
I have family and friends in Texas who have never met my kidlet (I know I'm a horrible person)...we have been making plans to remedied this!

So, what are your summer plans? Have any plans with some kiddos?

Colorado, We Are Here!

[Source]

Summer Concert #2

Um...what can I say, I have such diverse taste!

A Vacation Questionnaire

To keep with the theme of the week, here's a Vacation Questionnaire, I edited, and here is where I found it!
Feel free to answer or post on your own blog!

1. If you could visit any state in the US, which would it be and why?
I have never been to California and I hear I would like it. I hear that I would especially like San Diego and Sacremento...I'd also like to go to San Francisco. My friend Julie just got back from there, and she has some beautiful pictures.

2. If you could visit any country in the world, other than your own, which would it be and why?England, of course.

3. Have you ever driven across several states/provinces/countries?
Yes, to go to Indiana and to go to Texas. I would like to do more traveling.

4. Have you ever visited someplace you consider exotic? Where was it?
No, unless you count Amsterdam...I don't really like exotic, as that just means HOT.

5. What was your favorite "travel" vacation? Why?
I've already posted about it, but I loved going to South Dakota with Christopher Lee. You can see the post here.

6. Have you ever played tourist in your own home city/state (if international, country)? Explain.
My friends and I have gone to Mansfield, my hometown, where I played tour guide and I know my way around Chicago...decently (which is a lot for a clueless, directionless gal like me) and my friend and I spent two weeks in England and Scotland where I played tour guide a fair amount of time.

7. Are you a museum visitor, beachcomber or an amusement seeker?
Museum visitor. Although for the sake of the vacation or the kidlet I can do the other two.

Um...we are in the Family restroom at the airport in Atlanta.
The Family restroom is a big space where you can get reorganized and refreshed
while letting your kid run around freely...er...I was washing my hands when this happened.
I took the picture, as I feel she needs to remember these things, and then changed her clothes and washed her body because a] we had time, b] the family bathroom gives you room to do all that and c] you can never be too sure.

A Month of True Vacation

This is my July

Now the BIG question: What to read, what to read?

Summer, Summer, Summertime...

Ever since my first year of teaching I've had this ritual...teach Summer School, blow said Summer School cash on traveling the rest of the summer. While my taste have changed (ie. I no longer stay in hostels on the cheap), my passion for traveling has not. I even take the tiny tot and occasionally the husband (he hates traveling...he says he doesn't, but he does) along.

Some highlights

Chicago

Cubs game

Art Institute
Architecture Walking
Food, food, food!!!
Frontera Grill

Estes Park and Denver, Colorado
Hiking in the mountains
Hanging with friends
Eating, eating, eating
Playing with the kiddo

Washington DC
My sister wants us to visit a Colonial town nearby...should be fun!
More delicious food and eating
Hopefully another visit to Frederick
BBQ party

St. Louis
NKOTBSB concert
U2 concert
Visiting and hanging with friends
Of course, eating...lots of eating...

What are your Summer plans?