In the blink of an eye

Today was moving along and everything was business as usual. I was driving home from running a few errands, crossing things off my to-do list in my head, when I hit a patch of ice. I lost control of my car going 50 miles an hour, slid from the right lane to the left one and turned 180 degrees in the process and landed in a ditch. Just as quickly, I was thinking about something else. Funny how that happens.

The LORD was watching out for me today and I'm guessing that He sent me a few extra guardian angels. I wasn't hurt at all. No one else was hurt. My car was completely drivable. During the time I spent waiting for the tow truck, I said several thank you prayers.

I'd also like to say thank you...
...to the three motorists that stopped to see if I needed help. (A kind lady with a teenage son and two dobermans in the back seat, two young men in short sleeves who looked like linebackers and a gentleman in a sport utility vehicle.)
...to the two policemen that pulled up. The first one chatted with me to make sure I wasn't hurt, while he circled the car and talked to the dispatcher to check on the location of the tow truck. The second officer helped slow traffic while...
...the one tow truck driver cheerfully hooked up my car and gently pulled me out.

Sometimes, blessings come in the strangest wrappings.

Sense of humor

I love silly, dumb jokes. A dear friend's father knows my weakness and e-mails me a joke every day. This one made me laugh out loud and I had to share it.

Did you hear about the neurotic octopus?

He was a crazy, mixed-up squid!
P.S. Just don't ask me to tell a joke in person. I'm a terrible joke-teller. I telegraph the punch line. If I can even remember it.

Unfinished stories

One of my favorite authors, Robert B. Parker, recently passed away at the age of 77. (This article from Spectator magazine provides a view on Parker's literary roots and his legacy.) It's hard to explain how I felt about Parker's work. When I first started reading his books, I remember getting to the end of one of them and thinking, "What? This is it? This is how it ends?" I wanted the story to be tied up in a nice, neat package. Now that I'm older, I realize that life is seldom a nice, neat package. It's chaotic. It's messy. It's unfinished. And I appreciate Parker's books so much more for that.

Parker's most famous character is Spenser, a Boston detective who lives by his own code. He's a tough guy who is well-read, a good cook and a wise-cracking sense of humor. I'm sad that there will never be another Spenser novel. I always enjoyed reading the next chapter in his life. But I think I'm also glad that there's not a novel that neatly wraps up the story.

January 26 feature: Bridge to Terabithia

Another recent Newbury award winner, the title of Bridge to Terabithia drew me in. From the title, I figured it would be a story like the Wizard of Oz, a journey to a magical fantasy land. But Katherine Paterson's book is nothing like that. The main characters meet up the summer before fifth grade begins. Jess Aarons, practicing to be the fastest runner in school the previous summer, is also a sensitive boy who harbors a secret love of art and drawing. New girl Leslie Burke is bold, imaginative--and fast. After Leslie consistently defeats the fifth grade boys in sprints at recess, the two become best friends. Leslie convinces Jess to create a secret kingdom in the woods that they call Terabithia. I was particularly touched by how Paterson paints Jess and his family life. The book's climax is tragic and while I loved Paterson's writing style, I wouldn't recommend this book to younger readers. At the least, read it first to prepare yourself for some hard questions that younger readers may have.

January 22 feature: Poppy

My sister suggested that I read Poppy by Avi. She raved about the clever writing and plot nuances. So, with high hopes, I opened the book. Scarcely do we meet Poppy, a little mouse, when her fiance Ragweed is eaten by Mr. Ocax, the owl who rules over the woods with clever intimidation. This event sets the stage for the little tale, as we see Poppy develop into an independent, courageous mouse. She questions Mr. Ocax's authority and puts it upon herself to seek out new living conditions for mice. I enjoyed the characters, especially porcupine Ereth. I confess that I have a hard time romanticizing mice since I waged a battle with them in my basement this fall! Therefore, I liked Poppy best when I forgot she was a mouse. :)

January 18 feature: Autumn Street

Yes, this is the second Lois Lowry book I've featured this month. But Autumn Street is so different from the first one, in both writing style and character descriptions. It's written from the viewpoint of seven-year-old Elizabeth, who along with her mother and sister, lives with her grandparents while her father is fighting in World War II. Elizabeth's best friend Charles is the grandson of her grandparents' black cook. I found the thread of race relations that runs through the book to be open and plain. We learn about discrimination through a child's eyes. The book's end surprised me, but the pragmatic tenderness throughout the book is wonderful.

January 16 feature: Fairest

Gail Carson Levine is arguably best known for Ella Enchanted, but I thought I'd check out one of her lesser known books first. Some people say that Fairest is loosely based on Snow White. The moral of the story is a good one: don't focus on your outward appearance, but focus on your inner beauty. The problem for me was that I didn't find the story as compelling as I'd expected. Heroine Aza is the adopted daughter of an innkeeper, with a lovely voice. She develops a talent called illusing, which is the ability to "throw" her voice to make it seem as if it's coming from another object--or person. Aza is pressured into illusing for a scheming queen. When the deception comes to light, Aza is forced to flee the country. It's a fairytale, so the story does end well for Aza, but I wasn't fully captured by either Aza or her special ability.