The girls went whale watching, went to 3 days of Vid Con and went to Disneyland one day. They sent back a few pics along the way.
I had a good time at the concert last night, I had the Figgy Piggy sandwich from Hey PB&J, so good.
The band was a Blues type and they were really good.
Hannah and M went to the library teen geeks who read and once again got last place, but they did also walk away with free books, so that’s something.
I told Hannah Gravel pond was open, so we went swimming Friday afternoon. The water was nice, Jack sat on my lap in a tube and we floated around.
I also made him swim and look how good he is! He hates swimming, but he’s super fast.
Jack had a good nap, but he was mad when I took him out of the car to drop off Hannah at the library for another teen event.
Saturday we went to coffee at Briccy’s and walked around the park after. We saw this food truck that had a seating area on the back of the truck, that is a cool idea.
We rested for a bit, then took James to Gravel pond so he could watch Jack while Hannah and I swam. Even though Chatfield was packed, most people were at the swim beach (which I was hoping for.) I don’t know why people would rather swim in the dirty 3 ft swim beach than in the very deep, clean dog friendly pond – but fine.
I finished Bastard Brigade, Grandma Gatewood’s Walk and am somewhat through The Sacred Echo.
Finished this the other day – awesome book! It has it all, spies, atomic bombs, Nazi’s, Allies, the looming war, the world at war, after the war (although that part is very short.) The chapters are short and race you from one character to another, big names like Fermi, Heisenberg, Curie, Kennedy, Berg, Pash, Churchill, HItler, Bohr, von Braun, Roosevelt, Eisenhower – the list goes on. Brave men and women risking it all to stop the Germans from acquiring enough hard water and uranium to make a bomb, all the while ensuring that the US would be able to make one. From V-1 and 2 rockets smashing London to remote controlled airplanes with bombs utterly failing to reach their targets, to deception, cyanide pills, spies who seemed like anything but and the race to kidnap top scientists this book moves at a fast pace. Stories emerge giving backstory to people like Irene Curie (Marie Curie’s daughter) or baseball player Mo Berg (spy!) or some unflattering Kennedy pictures of the senior senator and what really happened to Joe Kennedy. A lot of the research was classified at one time or another, interviews, wiretaps, news articles, letters, diaries, the author tracks down the history and weaves it into a tale as old as time – good against evil and heroes emerging from the night to take down Goliath.
Started and finished this book today, it’s by the same author that wrote The Man Who Walked Backwards (I didn’t know this book came before that one.) The sad, but uplifting tale of Emma Gatewood, a mother of 11 children eeking out life with her seriously abusive husband until she is almost killed by him (which lands her in jail, yeah, don’t ask.) She reads a story in the early 50’s about the Appalachian trail and has a desire to be the first woman to walk the whole trail, and at age 67 in 1955 she is. She’s walked in the woods before, but this trek is fraught with danger (rain, snow, wind, low food, no water, people who think she’s with the government and won’t give her a place to rest – speaking of rest – lying on a pile of leaves or on a table, in barns, on a porch, in tumbled down shelters, etc.) She tells her children she is ‘off for a walk’ and starts out. It only takes a few hundred miles before the news catches up with her, she carries a 12 lb pack, no sleeping gear, a flashlight, bandages, some food (but she often forages or accepts food from strangers as her trek goes on.) She has no sponsors and spends $200 from start to finish and what a finish! Oh, and she didn’t just walk the trail once, she walked it through again 2 years later and one more time in sections (and also walked many other long trail trips like the Oregon trail.)
Just like in his other book the chapters are sprinkled with history of the places and times, from Harpers Ferry to the Indians that roamed the land to the coal miners and even a town populated by former German POW’s that had been interned in camps during the war. The chapters also flip-flop from her life growing up (1 of 15 children) to her marrying, the abuse she suffered, the hard farm life, raising 11 children and her walk along the trail and other walks that drew her national attention and also got people out walking again. This book is not just the story of how she drew attention to the AT that was in dire need of help, but also about the determination and strength she had. It’s about making new trails, one in her home state of Ohio, and the history of walking in general (especially in the car crazy days of the 50’s.) You can’t help but admire Grandma Gatewood and her walk that she did, ‘just for the heck of it.’
From church – Not all advice is good, take time to consider what you are given. It’s hard to rise above the level of your friends, so seek out people who are where you want to be in life and faith. Want marriage advice? Find someone who’s been married 40 years, not 40 days. If you lack wisdom, ask God for it. He loves to give gifts to His children, even when they don’t ask, but especially if they do. God is always there to help you with a decision, but He won’t make you make the decision.
We had lunch at Pho (per Hannah’s request) and then went home to chill. Later Hannah and M went to the movies and James and I took Jack to Lazy dog (he loves the burgers there.)
We watched Columbo and then went to bed.
The girls stopped in Utah for the night and will be home tomorrow.
