The Sixth Man by David Baldacci

The Sixth Man by David Baldacci

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Wow!  This one is a roller coaster!  And, the ending was a total surprise!  When you begin this mystery refrain from thinking that you will have it figured out halfway through the story.  Then get ready to learn a lot about U.S. intelligence agencies, the complex business of data gathering and data analysis, and the quest for power in government.  There is enough substance here to keep you engaged through 80 plus chapters.

Edgar Roy is an amazing character.



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The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls

The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Silver Star is a complex story told seamlessly by Jeannette Walls author of the memoir The Glass Castle.  Clearly, she drew upon her memoir to create the characters Bean, age 12, and Liz, age 15, for this novel. I am always amazed when an author creates children that are so authentic that you can remember thinking and behaving like them when you were a kid.  If I had to conjure these memories on my own, I would fail.  That makes it so sweet to have Ms. Walls do the conjuring leaving me to just enjoy them.

Above all, this novel reminds us that being a kid is not as easy as it might appear.  While their mother tries to find a career in music after a series of poor decisions in her small hometown that send her out on her own without much of a plan, Liz and Bean fend for themselves, existing on chicken potpies and going to school, during many long periods when their mother leaves them alone.  Liz is a creative girl who keeps her worries from her younger sister all the while distracting her with word games and make-believe.  She is the protector.  Bean, is smart and resourceful.  She idolizes Liz and depends upon her. She learns from her. The story allows us to watch as Bean and Liz subtly change roles.

I marveled at the unconditional love between these sisters. The characters are very well-developed.  I cared about them. The story is heartwarming and a joy to read.



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Halloween 2013

Halloween was so much fun this year. :)
Judy asked for help decorating her car for Grace's school "Trunk or Treat."  Rob suggested a ghost because her car is white.  Here is the concept that I developed.  Judy and I put it together in 1/2 hour!

If you ever have to decorate a car trunk for Halloween, this ghost is EASY, simple and elegant.

1. Use binder clips to hang a white sheet from the trunk lid.
2. Place a couple of battery powered lanterns inside the trunk and turn them on.
3. From poster board, use a box cutter to carve out two oval eyes and a quirky mouth.
4. Use large safety pins (I strung two big ones together above each eye) to attach the eyes to the sheet.
5. Suspend the mouth from the eyes with fishing line. 

It was a bit like a mobile. The weight of the sheet and a gently breeze made it move.
We used ghost face plastic treat bags lined up under the bumper to hold the candy.  I found them in the grocery store.  It was unique!

Here are my favorite pictures from the day.

"Jersey Shore, Winter 2012"

This is the quilt that I am donating to the Nutley Thriving Survivors this year.  It will be a door prize at their brunch on Sunday, October 27, 2013.

"Jersey Shore, October 2012"

Quilt size:  64” X 65”    Date Finished:  April, 2012     Machine pieced and machine quilted

The ocean in winter at the Jersey shore was the inspiration for this quilt.  The miles of boardwalk and blocks of homes are mirrored in the linear design.  The colors are those of winter at the shore.

Standing on the boardwalk at dusk in the off season, dark power was visible in the colors of the sky, the water and the beach.  There was a feeling of quiet energy.  I tried to capture all of this in these colors.  The purples represent the sea.  The tans and browns bring together the sand and boardwalk.  The pinks and greens are the colors of closed boardwalk businesses and homes.  Aqua squares are the bright spots in the view – the wave caps, last rays of the sun, lights coming on along the boardwalk.

Now, after Hurricane Sandy ravaged the shore in October 2012, I think of the aqua squares as bright spots in a storm – the volunteers, neighbors and public safety workers who were there to lend a hand.  In that way, aqua symbolizes “community,” the same kind of “community” that helps survivors thrive.

Hannah's First Overnight Visit...

...was a blast.  A little thinker, she processes information and takes things in stride.  She is like her Dad and Uncle Rob in that way.  She is also an investigator like her Dad.  Able to focus on objects and cause/effect processes, Miss Hannah has remarkable concentration.

Examples: 

• Putting the dollhouse garage on the floor permits a better focus on moving the car in and out, and examining the people and furniture on the rooftop patio.
• The bucket of little animals contains two of each animal. She can hold one in each hand, put that pair down and find two more that match.
• The small set of blocks is magnetic.  Hannah found that they stick to the dominoes tin.

While her Mom and Dad enjoyed the local AMC Dine-In Theatre, Hannah and I had dinner.  Then she had her bath, a story, play, and to bed.  She slept until 6 a.m. or so, then looked for her Mom a bit, no tears though.  Assuring her that Mom and Dad would  come to Nana's, we looked at their pictures in my Nexus for a while, and another while, and then went on with our morning.  Mom and Dad were here when she woke from her nap after lunch. :)  They got an animated welcome from their little angel. :)

I think that Miss Hannah may be a Friday night guest often.  I love this whole grandchild business.

Tonight, I am having dinner with Kathryn and CJ. (Rob's busy season at work, he is traveling now.)  So, I will see what Mr. CJ is up to.  When I saw him on Wednesday, he showed me airplanes when he heard them overhead.  And, of course we played ball. :)