Dear Friends & Family, Christmas 2014
Another year has flown by and I can’t think of what I’ve actually accomplished this year. Of course I’ve visited with my daughter Laurie and her family many times, once with Peaches, my little Bichon, who did not get along with their cat Tigger, and was hassled by their growing black lab Kai. Cedar, now 18 graduated from high school and started college at Berry up in NW Georgia. She got a swimming scholarship and is working as a life-guard (all student have to work at this school). Both she and Berkeley are like fish in the water, and Berkeley runs marathons as well. Thankfully my daughter has shown by example that exercising makes one stronger and healthier so all 4 of them do amazing daily runs or bicycle or swimming events.
Food wise we’re all on special diets. Cedar is a vegetarian, Berkeley avoids all dairy, Mike avoids salt and sugar, and they all are organic shoppers. They’ve coerced me into being healthier too, although I still resist exercising more than just walking Peaches around our complex. So far I haven’t found lactose-free ice cream or salad dressing, but we have a “Whole Foods” so I think I’ll still find what we need for my Christmas Eve dinner here on Wednesday.
My book club still meets monthly and I’ll include the last couple of book lists of things I’ve read. We each buy or find books we like, trade them with each other, keep a log of where they all are, and then report on whether or not we like the things we’ve recently read. It’s funny when a book goes all through our group where half love it and the rest hate it. We’re also on red or blue sides when it comes to politics, but we’re gently combative and try not to be too thin-skinned.
Our Condo Association board is still dilly-dallying around with our proposed water sub-metering project. I think they’re just too busy or too scared to make a mistake. Most of them are just idiots, with typical ego-drives who love the power, but not the work involved. We have a couple of good people now, so things are looking up in most areas. However the landscaping company is still incompetent, but nobody but those of us who know trees and pruning and landscaping rules, can convince the boards of their negligence. I’ve tried for years, to no avail.
So my friends, stay well and healthy. Be ready for a cold, cold winter ahead. I mostly communicate by emails these days, occasionally do Facebook. I’ll send photos via emails of those of you that I have in my email list. It’s easier than scanning and pasting.
Love & hugs to you all, Joanne
404-534=3121 jacka_j@bellsouth.net
Attachment: Book Notes
November/December/January 2014-2015
“Americanah”, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Author of “Half of a Yellow Sun”. A national bestseller. About a Nigerian woman who gets a chance to study in England. She encounters the need for an accent change in order to fit in, the need to conform, and the strangest encounters with “American Blacks vs. Non-American Blacks and the various types of prejudices that abound. She eventually starts a personal Blog that is so popular that she quits her other jobs and school and is carried along by the interest of her reader’s insights. A very well written and exciting story. I could not put it down. RR
“The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein. NY Times Bestseller. A novel narrated by a dog named Enzo. As a puppy he was chosen by a racing driver named Denny. Denny married Eve, and they had a child named Zoe, There is considerable discussion about race driving and how to steer and become one with the road; explaining that if you took the time to think, it would be too late to correct – a metaphor for their lives and losses. A wonderful dog story. A must-read for dog lovers. (to Laurie)
“Fortune Hunter” by Daisy Goodwin, author of “The American Heiress” 1800’s, 19th century Europe. Empress Elizabeth of Austria (Sisi) beautiful, but unfulfilled by husband Emperor Franz Joseph – falls for dashing Capt. Bay Middleton, a famous horseman. Meanwhile a young heiress Charlotte also falls for Middleton. Good writing. Historical fiction. BF(to Joan)
“Intern” by Sandeep Jauhar. A true story of a doctor’s initiation into becoming a doctor; his concerns, his doubts, his changing priorities and most of all stories about patients he treated with a variety of ailments, mostly life-threatening. He exposes bad practices in hospitals and writes blogs and articles hoping to correct them. A very interesting read. Joe’s book. Back to Joe
“60 Seconds to Slim” Balance your body chemistry to burn fat fast, by Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD, ROHP (from Rodale Books/ Prevention Magazine). A very easy explanation of the acid/alkaline connections from foods. A chart showing which are which. Recipes to attain your goals. And, benefits from various foods and supplements. See Lists of “Foods that Heal” and “conditions helped by home remedies” that I made for my granddaughter in college. I’ll email them to you, if you’re interested. JJ
JAPAN 1941 – An amazing insight into the Japanese mentality preceding their attack on Pearl Harbor. Mostly retaliation towards the imperialism of the western powers of Britain and the US who sought and got power in some of the far eastern countries. Thinking the West was racist and power-hungry, the leaders in Japan decided to join the fascist liberators of Germany and Italy – and show that they were determined to protect their country from western invasion. Many acknowledged that it was a foolish and unwinnable war even before it started. However there were missteps in the peace negotiations on both sides – which in hindsight could have averted this horrific war with Japan. GI
ISMS” About Capitalism, Socialism, Communism, & Fascism. It’s old – 1970’s, so doesn’t know about the “great recession of the 2008 & aftermath. But, it still shows the comparisons of the various economic and political systems and why the meaning of “democracy” means something so very different in both Socialism & Capitalism, (in the best interest of the individual), and way different from both Communism & Fascism (“democracy is in the best interest of the State”). Back to Joe
EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES BY Siddartha Mukherjee
Book about the history of discovering all of the intricacies of fighting cancer. See long notes in email.
“A Fighting Chance” 2014 by Elizabeth Warren. An incredible insight into the difficulty of actually running and raising money for Congress. Also the background of the development and unbelievable vicious moneyed attacks by the banks and wall street – who didn’t want their shady deals brought to light
“The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich. A butcher’s son leaves Germany for America, lands in N.Dakota, sets up a business and sends for his wife and sons. Two youngest sons are returned to Germany before WWII- both fighting on opposite sides of the war. Detailed & moving. LI
“All Shall Be Well” by Deborah Crombie. Superintendent Duncan Kinkaid lives in the same building of a lady who dies of cancer. It appears to be a suicide, but something makes him think differently and the ME finds a too high level of morphine in her system. Her brother, her caregiver, and a former co-worker who befriends her all seem perfectly innocent, but something is awry. Good Scotland Yard mystery. Library
