Another Update

This was supposed to be my day to blog on the V-formation.  I didn't get it done.  Instead I did two rounds of rehab exercises, spent four hours on the CPM machine, had a few dozen staples removed from my knee, spent untold hours strapped to an ice machine, took a lot of  pills, fought to stay awake, and never managed to get dressed.  I read Esther by Heather Moore while on the CPM machine.  It's a great book and I look forward to reviewing it. I caught one little error (and believe me only one error is fantastically good).  You really have to look hard to find a typo or misused word in her books.  I also cast my Whitney votes--I didn't do all of the categories this year and I regret that I won't be able to attend the gala.

All in all, I'm doing well and I see a slight improvement each day.  I'm not allowed to go down the stairs from my bedroom to my office yet, so I'm stuck using my old clunker laptop instead of my desk computer. My husband rigged up a board to go across my armchair to set it on because I can't hold it on my lap and I can't twist far enough on the bed to set it beside me there. If I don't get an okay to wander down those four stairs to my office by Monday, I'll have to recruit one of my daughters to post my review for Meridian for me.  It's written, I just can't access it to send in from this computer.  With some cooperation from my editors at Meridian I was able to post today's review.  By the way thanks to all the great authors who have helped me through some long CPM sessions, especially Abramson, Sowards, and Moore!

Hopefully this will be my last surgery.  Two knees and a pancreas in six months has been rough, but I've been the recipient of a lot of love and kindness.  My husband has made so many trips up and down the stairs to take care of me, keep our home running smoothly, cook meals, etc.  I'm convinced that the most romantic gestures are not flowers and candy, but putting on Ted hose, doing the laundry, brushing hair, helping in and out of the shower, keeping track of which pills and when, and serving as an exercise coach.  My kids have all been great to help and even my two-year-old granddaughter has been helpful.  She tried to cover me with a blankie because "Grandma has big owie."

A Cool Book

Last September while I was recovering from knee surgery I was asked by my publisher to write a short story about mothers.  Since our last two granddaughters were total surprises and something of miracle babies, I wrote about them.  Covenant just released the book The Art of Motherhood which contains my short story and twenty-nine other true stories by other well-known writers.  I have to tell you, I am thoroughly impressed by this book.  I laughed at Sara Eden's story.  I wanted to hug Kerry Blair when she wrote of her soldier son. I ached for Traci Abramson and her forever daughter. I felt an urge to applaud those like Annette Lyon, Michele Bell, and Jeri Gilchrist who handled parenting's tough moments with reliance on the Spirit. And there were tears for those who remembered mothers or children who have passed away. There are also loving stories of women who were "like mothers."

The stories are great, but so is the art work.  The lovely paintings that grace this book are by notable artists such as Greg Olsen, Mary Cassatt, Robert Duncan, Liz Lemon Swindle, and many other notable artists.

The two miracle babies I wrote about aren't tiny infants any more.  Jennifer just had her second birthday and Gracie will reach her first birthday in almost two months.  As a proud grandmother I can't help showing off these beautiful special little girls.

 

A Winner, an Announcement, and a little Writerly Rambling.

Mindi Battraw is the winner of the March Wish List.  Congratulations!  Mindi send me your wish list and I'll send you one of the books from your list.

Once again I'm discontinuing the monthly Wish List contest for a month, maybe two.  I'll be having my second knee replacement surgery in two weeks, so it's time to simplify again.  Blogging may be a bit erratic for a time as well.  Everything went well with my first knee replacement, so I expect it will this time, but it involves a rather long recovery and a lot of rehab time.  I do have plans to keep up my Meridian column.

You may notice  on Thursday that I reviewed a non-fiction book this week, something I generally don't do. Usually the only time I include non-fiction in my reviews is when I do a special column such as the one I do before Christmas, in which I review a number of fiction and non-fiction books. This book, Hitchhikers by Bernard Poduska, is biographical and touched a tender spot for me because I, too, moved frequently while growing up.  But that is the only similarity to my childhood. 

Writing a review column is always interesting and a challenge.  I love the wide variety of books I get to read.  Of course I don't review every book I read; I don't even remember to post them all on Good Reads.  Like most readers, I enjoy some genres more than others, and I've learned that when books by certain authors show up in my "to read" pile I can count on an enjoyable reading experience.  I read books by two of these  authors this week, Deep Cover by Traci Hunter Abramson and Poaching Daisies by Carole Thayne Warburton.  I highly reccommend both and will post reviews on Meridian in the near future.  These books just might be these two authors' best books yet.  I'm thinking Whitney nominations.

Speaking of Whitneys.  I won't be at the gala this year.  It falls too soon after my surgery, but I'll be thinking of all the finalists and friends I'll miss seeing.  Good luck to all involved.