Wednesday on Whidbey

Front Street summer garden

My Winter of Summer Reading

I was just clipping right along with my 2010 reading as noted previously.  A fairly good mix of novel, memoir, art & history.  I've always been a supporter of the 'summer reading' concept.  You know, the lighter fair that works on a beach chair in between busy summer activities--if one presupposes 'summer' & sunny relaxation have arrived!


That train of thought suggests that serious reads are best tackled in the darker, colder times of year. Usually I concur, but I didn't follow that track this year.  Maybe because we were so late starting summer this year, or maybe because I had actually accomplished much of my 'summer reading' in the spring.  In any case, I've been in another land and time for a few months that I thought I would share a little.

In the late spring, I accidentally segued into the 1960's--most of it making my mind go tilt because it required dusting off some old memory boxes that had been fairly successfully locked away.  It seemed to have started with the library's reading project featuring Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" (which I would  highly recommend, by the way).  Nick remembered reading that book for a high school class--but the book & the author were new to me--sorry I missed him the first time he entered our house.  In the midst of the book, PBS did a special on the anniversary of the My Lai disaster, and there was Tim O'Brien as a talking head... weird coincidence.

A shotgun of 60's revisiting happened in quick succession:  "My Detachment" by Tracy Kidder (anything he writes is well worth it...), "If I Die in a Combat Zone" by Tim O'Brien, & then Kathryn Stockett's "The Help" (excellent novel I would recommend).  I thought I was gonna have to check into a rehab facility to get me back into real time, but fortunately I was on a wait list for Tim O'Brien's next requested book.
Hard to explain. Those books put you right back into the time: music, smells, events--which aren't good things necessarily--along with the emotion, frustration, fear, etc. --which aren't necessarily bad things, either. Except now I'm an adult & that gut-wrenching, visceral remembering of 'feeling' from that time can be seductive.  Kind of the putting-you-finger-in-the-light-socket seductive, if you know what I mean.  Okay, step away from the sixties, now ma'am.

So I shook my head, shook off the deja vu, and threw myself into some fast fiction--back to summer reading.  When those books were returned, though, on the next excursion to the library--two more hand grenades jump into my bag:  the "Bill of Wrongs" by M. Ivins (previously mentioned) and Russ Baker's "Family of Secrets".  If you sing the old Sesame Street song, "three of these things belong together, three of these things are kind of the same...", there is certainly a connection with these two books--topics, players, Texas journalists, etc.  Also, both books allow you to digest a certain number of pages before you have to slam the book shut, toss out the expletive-deleted under your breath and go do something else while your gut settles down again.  In contrast to each other, however, Molly's book is a fast, occasionally gallows-humor, cynical satire item (which I love)--extremely sharp torture but it's over soon.

Russ Baker's 500 page tome, "Family of Secrets", on the other hand,  is a dense-pack of factoids telling a century of tales regarding "the Bush dynasty, America's invisible government, and the hidden history of the last fifty years."   It is a slow slog and a treasure trove of the trifecta of money/resources, covert activities, and power/politics.  One of Baker's colleagues suggested naming the book "Everything You Thought You Knew is Wrong", which I think is perfect.  Each page is packed with head-tilting info that reads like a fantasy nightmare, a bad high--this can't be true, right?  This is just a laundry list of innuendo & coincidences--that's at about page 100.
By about page 250 (ok I've passed the pictures at the centerfold...) I'm starting to feel more like Mel Gibson in "Conspiracy Theory".  I'm starting to enter into the den of believability & my palms are getting clammy--I don't think I can keep doing this. In this nightmare, some villains I've loved to hate for decades actually become victims of the dark side they've helped to create--that can't be right, can it?...but I read on.  Too late I figure out it would have been best to read with a white board close at hand with names & fish-bone diagrams to try to keep it all straight...

By about page 350 or so, it truly becomes a labor of love to finish the thing rather than follow the urge to get as far away from the jaws of the shark-book as possible.  But I finished it.  Every last page.  It's not a book I can love, but one I can respect. And I celebrate the tenacity of Russ Baker & the obsessive hunt for connecting the dots that in the end is investigative journalism.  I don't necessarily buy all of the connectivity of power & wealth as plotted & sinister--but the book succeeded in making me ask (repeatedly) why did I/do I believe that is how things came down?  Is my ('our') version really an urban myth that I've held tightly to all of my life?  Is the deeper, smarter version of fooling the electorate really this deep and dark?

My mind has most definitely gone tilt in a big, big way, and this time it's not just the grief & music & peace/love/dope revisited.  This time the frame those banners hung on is under the lens.  And then every event since then.  That's a good thing--but playing some old Jefferson Airplane & Peter, Paul & Mary won't help with this.  Nor will a twelve-day with a couple of two day follow-ups.

I'm most definitely taking a book-break back to some summer reading fair--at least briefly.  But I will also be following Russ Baker's blog, WhoWhatWhy. along with some others that I know will keep asking the hard questions.  Thanks, Mr. Baker...but now I gotta get the shark-book back to the library.  It's overdue--and someone might be watching.

Inquiring Minds Might Want to Know...

Just a brief update:  I got the job!! 

(Doing the Snoopy dance near the keyboard..sorry!  Now I'm back!)

I'll be entering the world of higher education as of mid-September--no doubt looking about as wide-eyed as the incoming student group.  There will surely be tales to tell, but meanwhile wanted to let folks know--especially those that were providing lots of encouragement & moral support.  Thank you all!  

It will take some time to be able to get more specific questions answered & meanwhile the list (of questions) grows by the hour. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying this little happy calm before the challenges begin!

And now for something completely different:  this is Race Week--also a sure sign of summer--regardless of the temperature!  Boats & crew come from all over to be competitive in our little world. 

(Click on any of the pictures for a better view...)

The wind has been light this week but the weather cooperative.  It's a boon for our little town when the winds are light as it often requires the course to come very close to us (rather than way out in binocular territory--or requiring a car trip to get closer).

For the last two days the boats have been turning right off the pier.  After all of these years, there's still quite a thrill seeing (many) these big guys turn the corner, hear the tense shouting of the crew drift across the water & watch the scramble of work as the spinnaker unfurls & then off they go.  Always some deep breaths as the near misses occur near the anchor boat--are they really gonna make that turn?! 

The dog & I have been taking it all in on the afternoon walk  Keep in mind, this is just our lucky view with the leash in one hand, camera in the other!  

This is the view off our back deck...

What a wonderful neverland we live in!  All this & a job, too! (and trees for Jim, of course!) 

Wednesday on Whidbey

Swim, little fishies, swim if you can...

(easier to see if you click on the pix)

Life's a Beach

Here's another reminder why all of the dark & rainy months are worth it!  

(Sometimes!)

Catch & release beach walk treasures. 

(Well actually, I kept the weathered china piece...)

Summer Bounty

Summer really has arrived on our little island.  Cool & sometimes foggy overnight but sunny pleasant afternoons. With maybe two day's exception so far, you would not call it hot but the flowers, birds, bugs & bats are out.
One of the great treats we're experiencing this summer is a CSA (community supported agriculture) share from one of our local favorites, Rosehip Farm.

Every other Friday is a little like Christmas when we go to pick up our goodies--freshly picked that morning.  There are some tried-and-trues, but also some new adventures in eating each time.  Our only challenge has been to find ways to use timely and/or store them effectively while we work through the bag-o-goods.  This is a picture of our last pick-up, unpacked & ready for adventure!

Opinions Please...

I've added a little poll in the left column.
My little trial at a poll flopped--sorry!
But it still hold that I would really like your opinion if you could take a minute.

Leave me a comment--or send me an e-mail with your thoughts.
Thanks!
Helping my favorite woodturner continue on the marketing trail...

We Are Not Alone

NPR is such a usual part of my day, I tend to take it for granted.  In the car, while I'm doing laundry, making dinner; it's just there, adding to my education & information.  There are a few 'NPR moments'--you know, when you sit in the car to finish listening to an article that catches your attention.
Then, every once in awhile, there is a "wow!" moment when you are so glad that you got to hear that piece & wish you could just bottle it up & send it to everyone.  Well this morning was just such a piece:  Robert Krulwich did an article on the world above our heads (and we're not talking birds!).  I just love his articles anyway--such a great voice & most often an unusual treat.

If, by chance, you caught the article on Morning Edition today, great!  If not, give a listen.  It only takes about five & a half minutes.  (click on the grey box at the top of the page that says "Listen to Bug Highway...), not the animated video below...)

Wednesday on Whidbey

the 2010 World Cup Finals

Well, sorry to see the end of the World Cup this weekend.  It's been quite a roller coaster of surprises & suspenseful moments.  One thing that's been great to see:  the US has finally gotten the fever (took awhile!).

 If you're not tired of the whole thing already & haven't yet seen this, check out this video--it's bound to make you laugh!  (It's been posted everywhere.  My fav is the kid on the couch alone!)
I will not, however, miss the vuvuzela....  
Here's hoping the vote goes in favor of allowing instant replays in the future--gotta feel for those officials.
So here's to the last two games this weekend--catch it if you can!

Wednesday on Whidbey

Christmas in July

My special little round robin group, the Hambones, is gathering this week for our annual "Christmas in July" potluck lunch & party. A few years ago we started drawing names & making gifts for each other in the summer. It's been a fun annual event & nice not to have the 'gift' stress at the holiday time.

This year, I thought I had a 'lucky' draw as Linda is so easy going & likes everything--but I've not been to her house, and her personal stash of fabric & quilts is legendary. It was a little harder than I guessed coming up with a plan--but I finally settled on a cool duffel bag pattern that I found at the library (gotta love all the check out possibilities!).

The pattern left a fair amount to imagination & ingenuity, but in the end I liked how it came out. It has three outside pockets and one inside, too. Measures about 20" wide, 12" high & 11" across (at the bottom). I fell in love with this fabric set when I found it. Here's hoping Linda likes it, too!

The Remainder of Long Arm Day #7

Here are the other three finished items from this week's day at the long arm studio. You should be able to click on photos to enlarge, if you're interested  (I don't know why sometimes you can, & sometimes you can't get them to enlarge...)

This community quilt was made by someone else & needed to be quilted & bound--40" x 64". It's ready to head out to it's new home.

This was a community quilt that's been in the to-do pile (& on the UFO list).  It started with the freebie garden blocks that seemed cute when I acquired them some time ago. I thought they would make for an interesting something, sometime.

The left-overs went on the back--I couldn't resist including the strips that say "flowers are our constant friends".  It will make a nice snuggly for someone at 45" x 60".

The third item bears a little explanation. Our quilt guild has been doing community quilts for "Quilts of Valor" for some time and I had yet to contribute. Quilts need to be within a size range & also red, white & blue--anyone who knows my preferences in fabric, knows that's a bit of a stretch for me.  Once again, I agreed to take a bunch of left-overs from some previous projects & so inherited (too many) red, white & blue 2 1/2" squares plus some kind of funky white linen squares. I also pulled a bunch of stuff from my stash to come up with this scrappy item, measuring 51" x 67". I have plenty enough to make another one, when I figure out a design. I'm slowly getting a little bolder with my quilting as I gain better control. I freehanded stars on this one--and only one or two looked drunken!

Quilts of Valor is a national endeavor by quilters to get a quilt to every injured retuning vet from Iraq or Afghanistan--and unfortunately, it's become a long term commitment. So far, over 28,000 quilts have been provided... *sigh*  

Ending June with a Long Arm Day

Well the first day of July arrived in typical island fashion: a turtleneck & fleece jacket... we'll hold better hopes for the remainder of the month.

While it's been raining I've been racking up the hours in the quilting loft, getting some projects finished & I also spent a day this week at my friend's long arm studio. Got 5 pieces quilted--and I just finished trimming & binding them, too. Whew!

Here are two--both of which were on my UFO list:

This is the third of the three 'transportation' kid quilts. It's a nice size: 42" x 51". Sorry to say, I have enough of the 'travel' graphics remaining to make two more...but those will have to wait for another list some other time!

This was the second quilt of these funny little Australian animals, and has been sitting, forlornly waiting to be quilted for a loooong time! It measures almost 36" square & works as either a wall hanging or a baby quilt.

So--check two more off the list!