Book Review: Travels with Charley

Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Definitely a lighter book than his most famous ones, yet many of the same themes revisited.

Interesting to see so many of his predictions come true about how America was changing in 1960 and what it would do to us as a people both collectively and indiviually.

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Book Review: Dandelion Wine

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


First of all, I can't believe that it took me so long to get around to reading this book. A young girlfriend recommended it to me years ago and I resisted because I'm not a science fiction reader. I remembered reading Bradbury in junior high and I didn't like it then and I almost never read it now. This, however, is not a science fiction book but a delightful semi-autobiographical novel of Bradbury's own childhood. I loved this book and think it is the perfect summer read. In fact, I think it should only be read in the summer. I love the themes of being alive, happiness, magic, and change. I love the idea of bottling dandelion wine and then in the winter opening a bottle and reliving a summer day.

This book made me laugh and cry and gave me a good scare.


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What I'm Really Dreading About School

Yes, of course I'll be crying next Monday when all my little children march out the door to school. But today, what I'm really not looking forward to, is making school lunches. I am so tired of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and I don't even have to eat them.

Any good ideas out there?

Here are my two dilemmas:

For Thomas and Emily - I don't want to fill their lunches with fishy crackers and fruit snacks - I need some new ideas for truly nutritional foods - something beyond carrots and apple slices.

For Scott and Doug - some ideas for things that don't need to be refrigerated. They will not carry a lunch box, only a paper bag. They leave the house at 6:00 am and lunch is at 12:30. It makes me nervous to put lunch meat in their sandwiches. They will not carry an icepack. Yes, I can freeze their drinks - but does anyone have any new ideas?

Help!

Best FHE Ever

At least that is what Scott said.
Napping on the way to the concert.
My boys happy and excited to see RUSH.
Lousy picture but it proves we were there.

Getting Ready for School

With only one week until the beginning of school, all necessary appointments took place this week.

• Doctor check-up



• Dental exam and cleaning



• Backpack shopping



• Shoes, socks and underwear reviewed and replaced

And of course haircuts. Emily LOVES to go to the salon for a haircut, something she's only done a couple of times in her life. So before we went we talked about how short to cut her hair and she was so excited. We took this picture before going so we could compare how cute her new haircut would look afterwards. Then I took her and Tom to the shop. Later in the day Scott and Doug went for their haircuts, which usually means you can't even tell that they got a haircut. So imagine my surprise when they walked in the house. This is the shortest that Scott's hair has been since 6th grade. I can actually see his eyes AND eyebrows. I wish I had taken a "before" picture of them.

My Daily Life

I feel pressure to have something new, different or exciting to post on my blog. However, my life is really a circle of seasons and I find our family repeating the same activites each year. It's a great daily life though and I love the things we do - especially spending time together. I think the activities are different for me because the kids are growing and changing each year. In July, we were back at Girls Camp.

We began the week with Matt featured on a talk radio show as an expert in Endodontics, which has nothing to do with Girls Camp. Doesn't he look like a relaxed expert?

We went on a new 3-mile hike at Harmony Headlands State Park. It is very dry this time of year but still beautiful. I can't wait to hike it in the spring when everything is green and the flowers are blooming. We pulled up and saw this No Parking sign. Emily saw it differently, she said, "Nobody with the letter 'P' in their name can go on this hike."

It is fun to race your big brother and win. It's also nice that he gives you a ride after you win.

I'm not a great photographer, but I just loved these limpets clustered together on the rock. Below them, is pictured an owl limpet, larger and more colorful than I've seen.

Thomas found this six-legged sea star, called a Brooding Star. Yes, they usually come with five legs. This one is also different because it protects its' young on it's underside for a couple of months before leaving them. Most sea stars broadcast thousands of young into the ocean without providing any protection. So it was exciting for us to see both a large (momma) and small(baby) star on the same rock.

I love watching the waves come in and crash on the rocks.

On the return trip, we turned a corner in time to see a dozen rabbits hopping back and forth across the road and feeding in the bushes. Click on the picture and look on the left side of the road to see 3 bunnies resting. Emily was very excited by this and no wonder, she keeps Beatrix Potters' Peter Rabbit on her nightstand.

Prior to teaching his marine biology class, Matt does a lot of prep work at home and then spends several hours for a few days ahead of time collecting kelp, invertebrates, crabs and whatever else he can find. This year the low tide was at 6:00am, so here he is in the early morning hours looking for creatures. (This is my own Doc Ricketts).

This is my favorite picture of the trip. There is only one child of mine who will get up on his own this early to join his dad in a hunting expedition. He is following in his footsteps, and this has so many meanings to me. I am so grateful to have married a wonderful man who is a wonderful father.

This is a chiton I had never seen before. The ones I always see are gray or black. This one gets its' color from the algae it feeds on in the tide pools.

There was a minus tide this year which makes for especially good tide pooling. We were able to get far out on the rocks where lots of interesting things can be found.

Matt taught over 100 girls, leaders and Priesthood support this year. I think it's rewarding to him that he can be the first to share his love of the ocean and God's creations with some girls that have never been to the ocean. It's also satisfying to see that the girls really do learn and retain many of the things he has taught them over the years. Girls that have been to camp several times, remember how tides, the moon and gravity work. They also remember interesting facts about his collections and seem to continue to enjoy searching the tide pools.

It makes me smile to see that Emily placed herself among the Young Women.

It also makes me smile to see that on the morning when the girls were coming to the beach, Scott was also happy to get up early and help out. See him in the background with his baseball cap on?

This a picture of our wonderful Stake Young Women's President, Erin, on the left and her able assistant, Lisa.