I've thought about the matter for awhile and decided that I will not post all of my book reviews here. Anyone interested in reading them may follow the Book Reviews link, do a search for my name and find the reviews. I will, however, occasionally post a review here if I think a particular book may be of interest to my readers. The following is one such review.

Something That Lasts

Author: James David Jordan
Publisher: Integrity Publishers
ISBN: 159145428X

Reverend David Parst has it all: a devoted wife, a loving son, a successful church and community esteem. But all is not enough for David – he wants more. Rather than getting what he wants, however, David loses everything when a member of the congregation reveals David’s adulterous affair with his wife, then commits suicide on the church steps.

David’s adultery shatters his family. David moves south while his wife and son, Sarah and Jack, move north. David eventually constructs a cordial long-distance relationship with Sarah. His bond with Jack, however, remains broken for thirty years. In the meantime, David’s only connection to Jack comes when he skulks in the stands to watch his son play baseball. David and Jack finally reconnect, tenuously, when David is on the brink of death and Jack’s marriage is on the verge of collapse. Shortly before David dies, Jack gains the strength, wisdom and faith, most of it imparted by his long-estranged father, to pick up the pieces of his own marriage and avoid repeating the errors committed by his father. Thus, the book closes with David’s failure being redeemed by his son’s renewed commitment to his family.

In his debut novel, James David Jordan poignantly conveys that adultery never involves just two people. In this case, one disastrous affair resulted in two destroyed marriages, a tragic death and the long-term impairment of family relationships.

The story is well paced and the characters are compelling. They are not perfect but they are basically good people trying to live good, honest lives. Several of them are sincerely religious but they are neither fanatical nor stereotypical. The reader can’t resist hoping that all of them will find happiness and success in their lives.

Mr. Jordan does a good job exploring the complexities of David’s relationship with Jack. Jack’s rejection of his father is plausible, as is David’s desire to reconnect with his son. One cannot help pitying David as he hides in the stands, aching to let Jack know he’s there. The notion that it could take thirty years to rebuild their connection is not far-fetched. Some severed relationships take even longer to rebuild. And sadly, some severed relationships never rebuild. In this case, the relationship is restored but fragile when David dies.

Mr. Jordan’s handling of David and Sarah’s relationship is less convincing. Their first encounter after the affair’s disclosure is powerful. David is repentant. Sarah is angry. Not only is she angry, she is thoroughly repulsed by David, so much so that she cannot tolerate the feel of his hand on her shoulder. The next time David and Sarah interact, however, they have reached a rather amicable relationship. The reader cannot help wondering how the relationship progressed, magically it seems, from revulsion to amiability. Throughout the book there is very little interaction between these two. The relationship frequently is portrayed through third-person accounts rather than actual dialogue between the two characters. Even though David is estranged from Jack throughout most of the book, there is actually far more dialogue between them in the last few months of David’s life than there is between David and Sarah over a thirty-year span.

Mr. Jordan’s apparent desire to explore the complexities of strained or broken father-son relationships is admirable. Heaven knows it’s certainly a topic that needs sensitive examination. In a book in which the act of adultery sets the story’s central background, however, it seems reasonable to expect more examination of the marital relationship than is undertaken here. David and Sarah’s relationship raises many questions and leaves them unanswered. Mr. Jordan’s failure to explore these questions is the book’s greatest weakness.

I highly recommend Something That Lasts to readers who are interested in topics related to family life, particularly the topic of fatherhood. Readers interested in Christian literature that avoids cliché characters will find this book refreshing and inspiring. Be forewarned: the story is incredibly moving; keep a box of tissues handy.

Snakes & Snails . . . Sugar & Spice

Dave and Joshua returned home from Chicago last night. Their reports were primarily positive; the trip was a good experience for both of them. Dave received an unexpected bonus: an education in teen-parent dynamics. He shared with me his observations of differences between how girls interacted with their parent-chaperones and how boys interacted with theirs.

The girls who had parents on the trip interacted with them cordially and frequently. If they saw their parents in the hotel lobby, for example, they would chat together for a moment. Some of them even went on a few amusement park rides together before going their separate ways. In stark contrast, the boys who had parents on the trip studiously ignored them. If the parents compelled communication, the boys responded in monosyllables or grunts, accompanied by rolling eyes.

Dave's amazement at this striking difference was solidified by the case of a guy who ran out of food money and did not ask his father for more. As Dave put it, "He would rather go hungry than ask his father for money!" The father found out about the situation from other channels. My guess: a girl told her parent, who told the guy's father. After all, none of the boys told their parents - it had to have been a girl!

As we ate supper tonight, I asked Joshua about these differences. His response:

That's the way it always is. It was the same way last year in Nashville.

As Dave and I pushed Joshua to think about why this is the case, he eventually agreed with our suggestion that perhaps the guys subconsciously feel a need to demonstrate their independence. They can't risk looking childish in any way. The girls, on the other hand, may not feel as much pressure to assert their autonomy. Or maybe they don't equate publicly socializing with their parents as a sign of immaturity or childishness. Is this an example of cultural conditioning to meet particular gender expectations? Is it an example of girls having achieved more sophisticated psychological or social maturity at this age than guys? Is it something else? What do you think?

Chicago/Washington DC Memorial Day Weekend

As most of you (even the Canadians) know, this is Memorial Day weekend in the USA, the kickoff for summer. The Canadians got a head start on summer because they had their kickoff last weekend with Victoria Day.

The Virginia branch of the Sears family will only be together for part of the weekend. Dave and Joshua are in Chicago with Joshua's school band. I took them to the airport at 6 AM on Thursday morning and will pick them up on Sunday evening at 9 PM. Meanwhile, Jonathan and I are watching the homestead.

Dave, Joshua and the rest of their group went to Andy's Jazz Club on Thursday night. Jonathan was the first member of our family to visit Andy's. He went there about 7 years ago with his high school jazz band from Iowa City. I went there 5 years ago when I was in Chicago for a conference. Now the whole family has been there.

The school group went to Wrigley Field to see the Cubs yesterday afternoon and then they went to the zoo. Today they played a concert and hung out at Six Flags park. Tomorrow they will play at the Navy Pier, then they will fly home in the evening. All reports thus far are that everyone is having a good time. Those of us who remained behind are happy for them, but we will also be glad to have them safely home tomorrow.

Why I Almost Missed Vespers Last Night

For the past 4 years I have played the piano for the local Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center's worship services that are held on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. On Wednesday evenings I have roughly 1.5 hours between the close of work and the start of Vespers. Since it doesn't take very long to eat supper, I fill my time in a variety of ways. Last night, I took my camera to the park.

The first interesting character I met was rooting through a garbage can in the parking lot. He paused long enough to pose for a couple of photos before diving back into the can.








I proceeded from the parking lot to the ponds, where I came across the same duck family that I encountered a couple of nights ago. This time, I approached more stealthily and avoided frightening anyone. I spent quite a bit of time with them.
































When I finally looked at my watch, I realized that I only had about 15 minutes left before the commencement of Vespers. Since I had to walk 1/2 mile or so, I was determined that I would not be deterred from making a hasty exit from the park. As you can see from the evidence below, my determination was short-lived.








































I got back to the center, stashed my camera and dashed to the piano just in the nick of time.

P.S. - I will post in a larger font from now on, as I have been advised that some readers have difficulty reading the smaller type against the black background.

I DESERVE A BREAK TODAY!

Whew! In the past eight days I've read four books and published four book reviews. I decided that I would take a break tonight and avoid reading anything that requires concentration or deliberation.

I took a walk in the park after work today and came across some wildlife. The top left photo is a female cardinal that I shot from about 50 yards away across a pond. The one next to her is a gray squirrel, gender unknown to me, that I shot from about 20 yards away. I saw a black squirrel earlier, but it got away before I could shoot it. The bottom photo is my favorite of the group: a mother duck with her ducklings. She was funny. She saw me coming and immediately gathered up the little ones and made them follow her across the pond. Am I really that scary looking?

Suburban Wildlife

As I left work a few days ago, I found this handsome fellow hanging out by my car. He was nice enough to pose for some pictures.

I'll tell you what else I like about him: he doesn't make nearly as much of a mess on my car as the birds do! Those guys are the original hit-and-run artists. I never see them, but I certainly see the evidence they leave behind.

Speaking of birds and their dirty deeds: as we were riding in my car the other night, someone gave Joshua a little gift right on the leg! Maybe I'll start wearing a hat whenever I have the roof down. :-)

I'm a Freelance Book Reviewer

My mother was amused (and pleased, I think) to learn that I've recently started reviewing books for a web site called BookPleasures.com. At this time there is no pay for the work, but I do get free autographed copies of the books I review and I'm making some nice connections with authors and publishers. It's a good gig. I've also been reading other reviews and making a list of books I want to buy. If you want to check out the site, follow the link in my list.

My first review was published a couple of days ago. Since then I've read that book's sequel and will be reviewing it today. I have one more book in that trilogy to read and review before I move on to another book that's sitting in my living room. And two more books are already on the way. At least now when Dave sees me reading I can tell him I'm working!

Since I retain all copyrights to the reviews I can post them here too. Here's the first one:

Fish of Souls

Author: Gary Williams

Publisher: Infinity Publishing.com

ISBN: 9780741411440

It’s September 1999. Curt Lockes has recently purchased a tantalizing 400-year-old manuscript on e-bay. On the morning after Curt is shaken by a horrifying nightmare, Scott Seymour spies a bizarre cloud on the horizon. Following the clues divulged in the manuscript, Curt and Scott set out to uncover its secrets, as well as the meanings of the nightmare and the cloud. They will soon learn that the ultimate secret connecting all of these things is rooted in the Old Testament book of Genesis.

As Curt and Scott set out on their quest they visit some of Florida’s enticing historical venues: the Castillo de San Marcos, Fort Caroline and Fort Matanzas. Their exploration of these sites is enriched by the manuscript’s revelations and their discovery of an odd skeleton. But the skeleton’s secrets are deadly. When a friend is brutally murdered, Curt and Scott realize that sinister events are unfolding, events they must forestall if they are going to save their own, and hundreds of other, lives. To make matters worse, time is running out quickly because a hurricane is bearing down on the east coast of Florida. As family and friends evacuate the region, Scott and Curt stay behind to rid the world of the skeleton and its malicious effects.

Their adventure strains Scott’s family life but strengthens his friendship with Curt. It includes deadly encounters with sword-yielding Huguenots, a ferocious fish, and a vindictive Timucua Indian. It includes the loss of friends and the initiation of new relationships (including a love interest for Curt). And, no surprise here, it results in the dramatic triumph of good over evil.

Gary Williams, a native of Florida, has skillfully woven together disparate threads from St. Augustine’s history, biblical archaeology and contemporary hurricane tracking and evacuation procedures into a compelling suspense novel. The book’s primary weakness is that it should have been more carefully edited. There are a few (but not many) errors in grammar and word selection that should have been corrected before the book went to press. On the other hand, the book has several strong points. Williams writes graphically yet avoids gore. He provides historical and scholarly information yet avoids slipping into the styles of either a textbook or tourist brochure. His characters are flawed but likeable; in other words, they’re like real people. He discusses religious ideas yet avoids being either preachy or disdainful; in other words, he displays respect for religion without descending into fanaticism. Overall, these strengths far outweigh the editorial weakness and I found it hard to put the book down until I reached the final page. This book is the first in a series and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel. Readers who enjoy suspense stories laced with history will enjoy this book.

The iPod Family

(photo: courtesy apple.com/iPod)

Last weekend our family celebrated Mother's Day in an unusual way: we bought iPods for everybody. That's right - four people, four iPods.

Joshua's wanted an iPod for at least a year. We hadn't gotten him one before now because we've been paying for his upcoming trip to Europe and his new trombone. We finally relented, however, when we realized that it will be much easier for him to take the iPod to Europe than it would have been to take a walkman and a pile of CDs. He'll be gone for 16 days and he can only take one large suitcase, one backpack/carry-on piece and his instrument.

As far as I know, Dave hadn't really thought much about getting an iPod until Joshua took him to the store last weekend and convinced him to listen to one. He was hooked instantly. We bought the iPods on Saturday evening. As I write on Thursday morning, Dave has already uploaded almost 2,500 pieces of music (but only a couple of dozen photos) onto his iPod!

I initially thought about getting an iPod for storing photographs. I've uploaded 166 photos so far, but they are not full resolution, which would take up more memory. They're reduced and optimized for display on the iPod. I have to admit, I like the way they look. Instead of using the iPod to back up full rez photos, I'll probably buy a second hard drive that plugs into one of my USB ports. I've been using CDs but I've accumulated so many photos that the CD method has gotten cumbersome. I also realized that full rez photos will fill up the iPod fairly quickly, so I'll need another hard drive anyway. Therefore, it turns out that I'm using the iPod primarily for music. I'm way behind Dave though, I've only uploaded 936 musical pieces. Still, it's nice to walk on my breaks and have a large music library in my pocket. And I thought CD walkmans were cool. iPods are way cooler.

Jonathan never mentioned the idea of an iPod to me. I still have no idea if he had ever wanted one. I was at the counter paying for the first three units when I asked him, "Are you sure you don't want one?" His answer: "Who's paying for it?" My reply: "Dad and me." The words had barely left my lips when he said, "Yes."

Since we all preferred the black model rather than the white one we bought four identical black iPods. On Monday night, I had just gotten a foot in the door when Dave proudly showed me the nice brown leather case he had bought just moments before. His reasoning: "I want to be able to tell my iPod apart from all the others around here." Not to be outdone, I went shopping immediately after supper (literally, Joshua was still loading the dishwasher when I left) and bought a spiffy black leather case for mine! Jonathan and Joshua are still using the soft velvet cases that came in the boxes with their iPods. If they want new cases they'll have to get their own - I'm out of money!

Happy Mother's Day!

These are the guys who give me the right to celebrate Mother's Day, Joshua and Jonathan.

Since they have their instruments out, I'll start by discussing today's Mother's Day service at our corps. In the absence of our regular pianist, I was called up for piano duty. Moreover, we celebrated both Mother's Day and Music Sunday today, so there were a couple of extra musical items thrown into the mix. The service was a bit long. :)

The service began with a musical prelude composed by Jonathan, a nice medley of praise and worship songs. Joshua got into the act too, as he played a trombone solo for the offertory, accompanied by yours truly. In addition to playing for the congregational singing, I accompanied the Songsters on two challenging pieces that gave me a pretty good workout on the piano. So, the three of us were front-and-center at various points in the service. It's a little embarrassing, actually, but I'm really proud of the boys. I'm pleased that Dave and I have been able to pass on to them a love of music. I'm even more pleased that God has given them musical abilities and that they are using their gifts for His glory.

I was poignantly conscious of the fact that I was unable to be with either my mother or my mother-in-law today. I smiled as I thought about how my mother-in-law used to delight in taking her three daughters and (at the time) two daughters-in-law to the Mother-Daughter dinners in Brampton. She always wanted to be the mother with the most daughters present. Her daughters and daughters-in-law have been really spread out for a number of years now, so it's been a long time since we all attended a Mother-Daughter dinner together. I hope we'll get to do it again sometime.

I also smiled as I recalled waking up many nights for a drink of water, going down the stairs, turning the corner and seeing my mother curled up in a chair with a book that she couldn't put down. One night when I was 12 or 13, she came down the stairs with a book in her hand and found me curled up in her seat with a book I couldn't put down. She smiled at me and told me I really should get to bed. I smiled at her and told her she should do the same. I went to bed - I don't know what she did. Now we exchange books whenever we see each other.

I'm blessed to have been raised by an incredibly godly mother who still sets a wonderful example in her prayer life and her service to her corps and community. I'm also blessed to have a fantastic mother-in-law whose greatest joys are to love and give to others. Both of my mothers continue to challenge me, pray for me and support me. They've set high standards for me to follow with my own children. As this Mother's Day winds down, I thank God for giving me two great mothers and for allowing me to be a mother to two great boys.

Life Lessons from a 12th Century Queen

This past week I read two biographies of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor, an ancestor of Britain’s current monarch, Elizabeth II, was a remarkable woman who lived in France and England from 1122-1204.

When Eleanor was fifteen she married seventeen-year-old Louis VII (of the Capet dynasty) of France. Since Eleanor was a duchess who had just inherited a substantial amount of territory in France, this marriage was politically and strategically important for Louis. During her fifteen-year tenure as Queen of France, Eleanor gave birth to two daughters and accompanied Louis on a Crusade to the Holy Land. I’m not sure which undertaking was more dangerous, childbirth or Crusading - both were high-risk activities in the twelfth century. Unfortunately for Louis, who grew to love Eleanor, their personalities were not compatible. He was quiet, devout and humble; she was flamboyant, adventurous and sensuous. Her Crusading exploits, for which she acquired a very racy reputation, provided lots of material for poets, musicians and jesters throughout Europe.

Shortly before she turned thirty, Eleanor met Henry, Count of Anjou, who was about eighteen at the time. In addition to his lands in France, Henry had a strong claim to the throne of England. In many ways he was a good counterpart for Eleanor; both of them were ambitious, energetic and intelligent. Since Eleanor was already in the process of having her marriage to Louis annulled, they got married as soon as the annulment was official.

When Louis found out about their marriage he was furious. First, it was embarrassing to lose his wife to his most dangerous rival. Second, the merger of Henry’s French lands with Eleanor’s French lands meant that they controlled more French territory than Louis did! Technically, Henry and Eleanor were Louis’s vassals, but the reality was that theirs was a formidable military, economic and political coalition. Moreover, if Henry could gain control of England (which he did with little effort), Louis would have great difficulty holding his land against Henry’s aggression.

Eleanor and Henry (he was crowned Henry II) founded the Plantagenet dynasty that ruled England (and a good portion of France) from 1154-1485. Even while she was Queen of England, Eleanor often held her own court in her French domains and she frequently served as Henry’s regent when he was at war. She became famous as a patron of the arts and she also patronized several abbeys and religious orders. In the midst of all this activity Eleanor found the time to have another eight children by Henry (yes, she had a total of ten children). Two of her sons became kings and two of her grandsons became Catholic saints.

But the Plantagenet household was not always filled with peace, joy and love. Eventually, Eleanor and Henry grew apart to the point where Eleanor actively encouraged her sons to rebel against their father. Moreover, when they weren’t rebelling against Henry the sons were constantly at war with each other. Talk about a dysfunctional family! When Henry learned of Eleanor’s role in his sons’ rebellion he had her arrested. She was imprisoned for about sixteen years until Henry’s death.

After Henry died, Richard I (who was a great warrior and an accomplished poet and musician) became King of England. After freeing his mother from prison and attending his coronation, he left his realms to lead a Crusade to the Holy Land. Eleanor served as regent in his absence. This was the period in which Eleanor really bloomed. She gained universal respect for her wise, just and effective administration of Richard’s vast territory. When Richard was captured and held for ransom by Duke Leopold of Austria, Eleanor raised the money and selected the hostages (a heartbreaking task) that were exchanged for Richard’s freedom.

When Richard died without any heirs, his brother John became King of England. John also relied on his mother’s counsel and her occasional service as his regent. Of course, by this time, Eleanor was rather old and could only provide limited assistance to John.

In the last few years of her life Eleanor pretty much retired from public life and lived the quiet life of a nun. The abbey where she died still contains her tomb, as well as those of Henry II and Richard I. All of the tombs were vandalized during the French Revolution and the bodily remains were scattered at that time. Since then, however, the tombs have been restored and are on display at the abbey church.

I’m awed by what Eleanor accomplished, particularly in an age in which women typically did not have many opportunities for personal development or leadership. She traveled on a Crusade (an activity generally restricted to men only), was queen of two countries, was counselor and regent to three kings, and somehow managed to be both a mother and a nun! WOW!

But I’m also saddened at how chaotic her family life was. Eleanor and her family were extraordinary in so many ways. Today, Henry II is generally regarded as one of England’s greatest medieval kings. Richard I (also known as the Lion-Hearted) continues to capture popular imagination for his exceptional skills as a warrior, even though he wasn’t a particularly effective king. John I (also known as Prince John in the Robin Hood tales, which take place during Richard’s reign) has generally been regarded as the weakest of these three kings. Some current historians, however, are acknowledging his accomplishments as a legal reformer. John actually did more to improve the lives of the common folks than his father, mother or brother. I can’t help but wonder how much more this family would have accomplished if they had cultivated healthy marriage and family relationships. If the tremendous energy they expended fighting amongst themselves had been spent on justly administering their domains the world they lived in and left to their heirs could have been so much better.

Eleanor’s life challenges me in two ways. First, her accomplishments inspire me to set high standards and goals for myself and my family. Second, her failures warn me to keep my priorities right, for it is only when I do so that my husband, my children and I will be able to be the people God intends us to be and do the work he needs us to do.

Views from I-95 & I-64

Yesterday I drove 385 miles (616 kilometers) out-and-back on a business trip to Virginia Beach. Since my XM radio provided my sole source of companionship I had lots of time to think.

As I traveled down I-95, I recalled the first time I drove that stretch of road to Camp Happyland, nearly five years ago. At that time, overwhelmed by the density of the forests on both sides of the road, I thought, “What are all these trees doing here?” Since I grew up in Pennsylvania (which means “Penn’s Woods” – you can figure out why) I was really amused by this reaction. Having lived in Iowa for five years, and Manitoba for seven years, before coming back east, I had grown accustomed to open prairie spaces sprinkled here and there with a few trees. I had forgotten what it was like to live and travel in heavily wooded areas. That was a strange moment of epiphany for me.

Having recalled that moment, my thoughts shifted to how yesterday’s journey differed from similar trips in the northern forests of Canada. Virginia is populated primarily with deciduous trees. This is a marked contrast to the forests of northern Ontario, and eastern and northern Manitoba, which are heavily populated with evergreens. Driving through stands of oak and maple trees is a lot different than driving through stands of pines and firs.

As I came to the crest of a hill, still surrounded by trees, I strained to see some sort of vista, but could see no further than I had at the bottom of the hill. Even at the top of the hill I couldn’t see past all the trees. I compared that to taking in views from the hilltops of Wyoming. Upon reaching those hillcrests, I surveyed semi-desert scrubland for miles around, without a tree in sight. I saw a few shrubs, but no trees.

As I approached Norfolk, Virginia (on I-64 by this time) I crossed a bridge that spans the James River on one side, and the Chesapeake Bay on the other. At this point, the James River is very wide. I compared that experience to crossing rivers in Wyoming. When I traveled through Wyoming it was late summer. The rivers we crossed would not even qualify as creeks in the east. In fact, some of them didn’t even hold any water! I know Wyoming’s rivers actually contain water in the spring, but in the late summer, bare riverbeds are sometimes the only signs that water occasionally trickles through.

Rivers, forests, deserts, prairies, mountains – North America is amazingly rich, diverse and beautiful. There are other parts of the world I want to see, eventually. But before I do that, I want to explore more of this beautiful continent I call home.