Books

I realized I haven't blogged about what I've been reading lately. Or even recently...or in the distant past. It's been way too long.

Being in school and all I didn't read a ton this spring, but when I went to Hawaii with my parents I finished up Censoring an Iranian Love Story, and read Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. Censoring an Iranian Love Story was interesting...I wasn't sure what to make of the narrator, or what to make of the entire story really, though I liked the writing style.

I was (and am) a big fan of Pollan's books. I definitely think those will be worthy of re-reading. I was also a big fan of a book called Little Bee, a fictional tale of an immigrant, as well as In Other Rooms, Other Wonders, which reminded me a lot of Jhumpa Lahiri's writing.

I started The Lacuna, but didn't finish it. I'd like to sometime, just somehow let it slip by me. I did finish Marilyn Robinson's Home, which I liked, but not as much as Gilead.

I was really excited to read some of Kate Braestrup's writing after being fascinated by an interview she did on Speaking of Faith. The first book I read was Here If You Need Me, and I'm glad I read that one first. The writing wasn't compelling, but the actual, gritty stories about the day to day realities of her job kept me interested. I then read Marriage and Other Acts of Charity, and found it so uninteresting I'm not really sure why I read it all the way through. I guess I was hoping for more vignettes about her job.

I'm currently reading The Lonely Polygamist, and I'm not sure yet what I think. I'm about halfway through, and it's not boring enough to stop, but certainly not a page turner.

Wisdom

On Friday I was driving somewhere, Target maybe, and NPR was on as it usually is in the car. The program was Fresh Air, and Terry Gross was interviewing a man who turned out to be Dr. Dan Gottlieb. The man speaking was a quadriplegic and was discussing how his injuries had changed him. I heard a lot of wisdom in his words, wisdom that applies to so many situations in addition to his. Here are a few things he said that struck me most:

GROSS: I know that the car accident that left you paralyzed nearly killed you. So that forced you to change your life. Youve had a few close calls with death in the past few years. Did those close calls almost allow you to change your life, you know, allow you to make changes that you actually wanted to make and felt like you couldnt?

Dr. GOTTLIEB: Yes. Yes. What a great question. The vision I had - have - about my accident is that when my neck broke, my soul began to breathe. I became the person I always dreamt I could be and never would've been if I didnt break my neck. And with each time I faced death, I became more of who I am and less worried about what others might think of me.

That question struck me as wise, but also made me wonder that it takes something so severe to stop caring what other people think.

More along the same lines:

GROSS: I mean did you feel that there were certain pressures that you or other people had put on yourself to become somebody who you weren't particularly?

Dr. GOTTLIEB: We're all like that.

GROSS: No.

(Soundbite of laughter)

GROSS: Not me, ever.

Dr. GOTTLIEB: Most people I know spend their lives trying to be the person they think they should be and never get to discover who they are. And that's the gift - one of the gifts - the fact that I can't run away from my demons, literally. I have to sit with them. The person I wanted to be - I had always dreamed of being a visionary, of being a peacemaker, but I had to be a psychologist. I had to be a father. I had to be the kind of man I thought I was supposed to be. And when I broke my neck, that was gone. I had to be the kind of man I was.

And finally, thoughts on the moment of the accident that paralyzed him:

GROSS: I imagine that you dont remember the moment of impact.

Dr. GOTTLIEB: No.

GROSS: Is that a good thing, that you dont remember that?

Dr. GOTTLIEB: I think it is. The last thing I remember is a big black thing in the sky, and that's the last thing I remember. I think, though, all of us, if we can use that metaphorically, all of us have been hit by a big black thing coming out of the sky.

You know, it's a lump. It's a doctor saying, I think it's malignant. It's a spouse saying, I dont want to be in this marriage anymore. I'm no different than anybody else in that regard.

Here's something I love about my church. The guy who sells beer at my favorite bar in town is also the guy who helps out in Vacation Bible School teaching the story of David.

Kid Overload

My 4 year old nephew came up yesterday, and we went to the pool. It was probably the hottest day so far this summer, and the pool was packed. The picture is actually a slightly cleared out pool, after a few daycare groups left.

There were a few mandated rest breaks, so I made the kiddo take pictures with me.

I'm also helping with VBS this week, so that's a lotta kids.

MSP

I spent the last three days up in Minneapolis, and it felt so much like a weekend away that I've had to stop a number of times today to figure out what day it is (Friday, not Monday). That's the nice thing about a mid-week getaway, you still have a weekend.

A trip means that school is indeed over, and I was really happy with how things turned out. Our group earned the high score on our final (as we did on our midterm), which I thought was quite an accomplishment with six different people contributing to the final result.

Minneapolis included some quick shopping, a lot of good eating that can't be done in SF, like thai food, pizza luce, a downtown St. Paul brewery with wheat beer brewed with lemongrass, some geocaching, attempting a Twins game ($40 for standing room only tickets was a no go for me), and a quick visit to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center's sculpture garden. I was a little disappointed at the MIA because the collection of photographs of the South were gone, and the other photographs on display were closed because they were finishing a new installation. Boo. But it was still worth going.

Oh, and I forgot, Chipotle. Mmm.

On the way home it hailed on my car, and despite fearing the worst, there isn't any hail damage, for which I am grateful.

Hail

Garlic mashed potato pizza at Pizza Luce

A view of the St. Croix river from a park in Hudson, WI, while geocaching

Lake Weekend

I can't decide which photograph is my favorite from this weekend.

Joy at being at the lake house.

Joy about a new princess bike (for the future, obviously).

Baby rage, which looks a lot like joy.

Or baby surprise!