Category Archives: VICKIE MARTIN ART

ENDING THE YEAR WITH A BANG – DECEMBER’S READING

I did end the year with a bang – topping 100+ books! Before you get all gushy and start congratulating me, I have decided to read LESS next year. Yes, read LESS. I am going to make an effort to not read prior to 8PM during the week, and only 30 minutes in the morning. I have decided to read a few classics that have eluded me over the years. However, here are the dozen books I read in December 2016.

THE HUNGRY TIDE by Amitav Ghosh – Currently I am in a reading challenge to read a book from each continent, and this was my choice for Asia. Set in the Sandarbans, which is located on the eastern coast of India and Bangladesh (see map below). I’d never heard of this part of the world, and I loved learning about it. Piya Roy, a American marine biologist of Indian descent, and is in search of a rare species of river dolphin. She enlists the aid of an illiterate and proud local fisherman and a translator she met on the train. Reading this book is one of the reasons I love reading challenges, I wouldn’t have found this book otherwise and learned of a new world.

BIRD IN HAND by Christina Baker Kline – On the way home one rainy night, Alison hits a car that ran a stop sign and a death occurs. Everything changes in the blink of an eye. This is a story about four people, two marriages that are changing. It is a page turner.

RECKLESS by Susan Kiernan-Lewis (Mia Kazmaroff Mysteries) – I picked this up as it looked like a quick read set in my hometown of Atlanta. Mia has a paranormal gift and teams up with an ex-detective to solve a mystery. It was a quick read, but pretty much forgettable. Also she had some of the geography wrong for Atlanta – irritating, especially from someone that used to give historical tours of the city.

BASQUIAT – A QUICK KILLING IN ART by Phoebe Hoban – very compelling biography about the artist Basquiat, who died of a drug overdose at the age of 27. This follows his meteoric rise in the 80’s New York art scene and his ultimate burnout and drug consumption. It covers the graffiti art movement, the crazy world of art auction houses, his relationships with multiple women (including Madonna) and of course, his relationship with mentor Warhol. I liked it so much I continued my journey by watching the movie Basquiat, which is worth seeing if for none other than David Bowie’s portrayal of Andy Warhol (or should I say his channeling of Warhol).

ARTIFICE by Eric Bickernicks – this was a free download on Kindle, and since it was about art, why not? it was enjoyable, but a little silly and largely forgettable.

THINK AND GROW RICH by Napoleon Hill – This was originally published during the depression, and by the time of the authors death in 1970, it had sold more than 20 million copies! It is the product of two decades of research begun when Andrew Carnegie gave Hill he task of organizing a Philosophy of Personal Achievement. Armed with only an introductory letter from Carnegie, he interviewed over five hundred successful people including Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and others. This is the result of the research – and the 13 steps to success. It is a book to keep and refer back to.

A LESSON IN SECRETS – A MAISIE DOBBS NOVEL by Jacqueline Winspear – Maisie is working undercover in a university in Cambridge founded by the author of a pacifist children’s book which may have caused a mutiny during WWI. Of course, the author of this book is murdered almost as soon as Maisie arrives. This is a fun series, but I don’t feel this is the strongest book.

THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin – I found this on my bookshelf as I was doing my end of the year purge. I don’t know how I overlooked this little gem, after all it is about books and a bookstore! Set in the bookstore Island Books, A.J. is mourning the loss of his wife when his priceless copy of a Poe book has been stolen and a baby is left in the store. Quirky, but also uplifting, it is filled with interesting characters, critiques of classical books, and it is a wonderful book for those that love books and bookstores!

THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS by M.L. Stedman – In reading around the world, this was my choice for Australia. This is an incredibly sad tale (soon to be a major picture by Steven Spielberg) about Tom Sherbourne returning to Australia after WWI where he takes the job as a lighthouse keeper on an island about half a day’s journey from the coast. He eventually brings a wife, Isabel, After a few years of miscarriages, they find a boat washed up on shore with a dead man and a crying baby. They raise the baby as their own, but learn several years later, someone has been looking for the man and the baby. Amoral dilemma for sure!

ANNE FRANK: THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL by Anne Frank – need I say more? I should have reread it before now, and everybdy that read it in school should reread it as an adult. The introduction is written by Eleanor Roosevelt.

THAT OLD CAPE MAGIC by Richard Russo – This is the story of Jack and Joy, who have been married for 35 years. Through this time, they have both tolerated their in-laws and have now separated. Reunited at their only child’s wedding. Jack has the ashes of both his parents in the trunk, with his mother talking endlessly to him. Part of the book is quite humorous, but it is not the strongest book by the great Richard Russo.

THE PRINCE OF FIRE (Gabriel Allon Novel) by Daniel Silva – i love the premise of these books, world famous art restorer by day, Jewish assassin by night (kind of). This is the 4th book in the series, and like the others it is fast paced, action packed. It covers a lot of ground, going from Rome, to Venice, Cairo, London, Paris and Jerusalem. Along the way Silva gives a history lesson from 1910 to the present, on the struggles between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Great exciting way to end the year!

I have been giving thought to what I will read going into 2017 – more on that later. Any suggestions? I will continue reading around the world, and continue my journey with authors from each state in the United States.

AUGUST – A MONTH OF ALLEGORIES, ALIASES, AUTHORS AND ALZHEIMERS

Yes, in the month of read a book about an allegory (in a painting), a biography of an author that wrote many books under an alias, and three books about Alzheimers.
THE DITCHDIGGER’S DAUGHTERS by Yvonne Thornton MD – This inspiring book was written by one six daughters born to a laborer that worked two 8 hour jobs for 25 years. Donald Thornton wanted all of his daughters to become doctors and be successful independent black women. This is the journey of a family, even becoming a successful band, The Thornton Sisters. Mr. Thornton’s was tough, he was strict, but he gave out the wisest and wittiest advice! All of his daughters succeeded. Did they all become doctors? You’ll have to read it to find out. Here is a little clip of the band.

THE THINGS WE KEEP by Sally Hepworth – This was a book club selection – in fact, I went to an encore discussion that was demanded by members that missed the first discussion. Anna Forster has early onset Alzheimers, diagnosed at age 38, Her twin brother moves her into Rosalind House, where she meets Luke, who is near her age. When their relationship turns romantic, a tragic incident causes their families to keep them separated. Is Anna capable of falling in love? Is she be taken advantage of?

There is a supporting older lovable, but quirky elderly characters. The home’s new cook, Eve, gets involved in Anna and Luke’s story and breaks rules to keep them together. Eve’s seven year old daughter understands some of the older people better than anyone. It is written in a non-linear structure, and this mimic’s Anna’s growing disorientation. But it also keeps you wondering about what really happened. All is revealed in the end. Surprisingly, the book isn’t maudlin, some of it is downright funny. While there is no happy ending today for anyone with Alzheimers, I did feel gratified at the end for the future of Anna and Luke.

STILL ALICE by Lisa Genova – I know – you are probably thinking, wasn’t the previous book enough? Alice, a world-renowned linguist professor at Harvard, diagnosed with Alzheimers at age 50, with a husband that equally as successful. It is written with a third eye, but the story is told mostly through Alice’s point of view. It starts with Alice innocently forgetting things that she thinks are due to menopause and her busy life. When she gets lost and forgets appointments, she seeks help without telling anyone. Of course, the news is devastating and she has to share it. Because you see most of the book through Alice’s eyes, you see her increasing confusion over the course of the book. The climax of the book is a speech she delivers to the Annual Dementia Care Conference.

“Being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s is like being branded with a scarlet A. But I am not what I saw or what I do or what I remember. I am fundamentally more than that..Please don’t look at our scarlet A’s and write us off.”

The book shows the family adjusting their lives and making compromises. It is told honestly and compassionately. But, there is no happy ending with this disease.

Lisa Genova has a Ph.D. in neuroscience, so she did her research. This is a self-published book which she sent to the Alzheimer’s Association, which endorsed the book.

Yes, I cried. No, I haven’t seen the movie. I will some day, just not today.

THE RED LEATHER DIARY – by Lily Koppel – This was part of a challenge from a group to read a biography by a woman about a woman (of course, I read more than one). Lily Koppel finds a red leather diary locked away in a steamship trunk. It is the the diary of Frances Wolfsen, one she wrote in daily from 1929 through 1934. Not a single day was missed!

Here is a story of a gilded age of the upper West Side. Florence lunched with her friends, went to the nightclub El Morocco at night, shopped at Bergdorf’s, road horses at the Claremont Riding Academy and more. She tells of her first kiss (to a boy), her infatuation with with a famous actress, the starting of a literary salon in her parents apartment. Even though she is a somewhat spoiled headstrong girl, she is also creative and intelligent.

Koppel searched for Florence, even hiring a private detective. She eventually locates her in her 90’s in Florida and reunites her with her long-forgotten diary. It was a fun book to read!

La Primavera – Botticello

BOTTICELLI’S SECRET – by Marina Fiorato – You know you are in trouble when you have to print out the picture of the painting the book is about! This was a book club selection – and it is a book club of women artist’s. It was billed at The DaVinci Code meets The Birth of Venus. But, the painting at the center of the mystery is not the Birth of Venus, but La Primavera. taking place in the 15th century, with prostitute Luciana Vetra posing for the above painting (she is the figure in the center). When Botticelli doesn’t pay her, she steals an unfinished version of the painting. As the bodies pile up, she turns to a priest, and together they go to nine cities in Italy. Are there really secrets embedded in the painting? There has been much speculation about the hidden meanings found in this painting, and this is an interesting take on it. But, the first part is a little tedious, the language profane and explicit. Yes, Luciana’s potty mouth gets tedious, and I found her language a little too modern at times. (I even looked up several words to see if they were used in the 15th century!). And I learned Italy wasn’t unified as a country until 1815.

LOUISA MAY ALCOTT: A Personal Biography by Susan Cheever – The book I often credit with giving me life long love of reading is Little Women. It was also my mother’s favorite book, she tried to name me Jo when I was born (my father said no daughter of his would have the name of a boy). So, when I was challenged to read a biography about a woman, written by a woman, I was delighted for find this one. It is a fascinating portrait about an intriguing time of American literature. Her father was a transcendental teacher. When she was young, the family moved to Concord, Massachusetts. It seems whenever the family had financial problems and had to move (which was often), Ralph Waldo Emerson came to their financial help. Other family friends included Henry David Thoreau and Nathaniel Hawthorn. Louisa went to work early as a teacher and seamstress. During the Civil War, she was a nurse in in Georgtown DC for six weeks. catching typhoid, and while she recovered, her health suffered the rest of her life. Her letters home were collected for her first critical recognition. The family also worked for the Underground Railroad.

The most surprising thing I learned is she published sensational pulp fiction under the name A.M. Barnard, a fact that wasn’t discovered until after her death. Incidentally, she died two days after her father – in fact, they had the same birthday.

Alcott resisted writing the book Little Women. Read here 10 things you may not know about Little Women!

EVERYONE WORTH KNOWING by Lauren Weisberger – I’ll read chick-lit with the best of them, but this left me renaming it – NO ONE WORTH KNOWING!

BEFORE I FORGET: LOVE, HOPE, HELP AND ACCEPTANCE IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST ALZHEIMERS by B. Smith and Dan Gasby – This book was recommended to me by someone in my Alzheimer’s Support Group. It is the story of B. Smith, model, restauranteur, author, and talk show host. She is diagnosed at a fairly early age, 65-66. Much of the book is written by her husband, Dan Gasby, along with Vanity Fair contributing editor Michael Shanayerson. It is an honest account of the journey, told by her husband Dan, with portions written by B. herself. But it is also a true love story. It is sprinkled in with hard research, lessons on dealing with, and again love. I’m going to end this with a quote from B herself:

“I know where I’m going. I’m still myself. I just can’t remember things as well as I once did. So on short trips, I work hard not to be confused. I’ll say to myself, What are we going to do? How long are we staying? It’s like I’m talking to my other self—the self I used to be. She tells me, This is what we need to buy—not that. I’m conscious of that other self guiding me now.”

Watch this short video of B. and her husband – it only 2 minutes long.

As you may know, my mother is in memory care now. It is a long journey. The people with the disease need advocates, they can’t speak for themselves. Research for the drugs can run into the billions of dollars.

What can you do? Consider registering with the Brain Health Registry – it is easy, and it is free. And it will help with understanding the disease and hopefully for a cure, because with this disease, no one gets well, no one gets out, at least not now.

My niece Mallory is doing the Walk to End Alzheimers. Consider making a donation, no amount is too small. Click on her page here to read what she has wrote. Think about it, if you haven’t been touched by the disease, consider yourself lucky, for now.

If you have anything to share about this subject, leave me a comment. I will read them all!

GET IN THE MOOD WITH MUSIC

STEPS TO CREATIVITY #5

BLACK NOTE ©Vickie Martin

Music is a powerful way to change your mood and tap into your creativity. Did you realize since music is made up of vibrating sounds, it forms patterns and creates energy? When you listen to music, it trigger the release of dopamine, often referred to as the pleasure chemical. Music has been around since the beginning or time. Even in Paleolithic times (or the Stone Age), time was spent creating music as flutes made from animal bones have been found. Music just makes us feel good!

“Without music, life would be a mistake.” Nietzsche

Music helps us enter into the “mind wandering mode” – the day-dreaming state where thoughts seem to float around and often seem unconnected.

Familiar music helps you stay focused. However, new music (new to you that is) demands more attention – you will stop and listen because you don’t know what is coming next.

Music helps us exercise. As early as 1911, science found cyclists went faster while listening to music.

Music makes us more productive. It helps us focus.

So, what should you be listening to? That is a somewhat individual decision. Most studies show lyrics to be distracting. But, there are lyrics that some people find inspiring.

There is a lot of research out there about the effects of music on the brain, it is a question scientists have long been interested in. They all agree that music does have an affect on our moods, that is makes us move, it helps us focus and it inpisres us.

MY FATHERS PIANO ©Vickie Martin

For me, classical music inspires me. I’m talking about Beethoven, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky and the like. I like that BIG SYMPHONIES. That may not work for you. Stephen King listens to hard rock while he writes. Jazz inspires me. And, there is always Bowie to listen to!

What have you found to work for you? I’d like to know, I always willing to give it a go!

GO PLAY! SERIOUSLY

STEPS TO CREATIVITY #5

It seems everyone is so focused on their work and commitments, they have stopped playing. Do you think playing is a waste of time because the only goal is to have fun!

What is play? It is defined as taking part in an activity for enjoyment and recreation instead of for a practical purpose.

Why should we play?

It relieves stress and often triggers the endorphins that give us a sense of well-being.
It stimulates your mind. People have a tendency to learn more when they are having fun.
It improves learning skills. Playing board games or putting together puzzles challenges us and improves our memory.
It has been proven it increases social skills in children, why wouldn’t that apply to adults?

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw

I dare you to go play! Make a list of what you liked to do as a kid. Make a bucket list of things you want to do.

Better yet, set a daily goal to play, set a minimum amount of time you will spend playing.

What can you do?

Learn a card trick

Play the Ukulele

Go Bowling

Play miniature golf

Go to a playground

Play with a dog – and if you don’t have one, many rescue groups need dog walkers. Talk to the dog while you are at it.

Put on some music and dance

Make a collage

Color

Who doesn’t play? Studies have shown, mass murderers don’t play!

Playing helps us relax, it takes us away from the real world. Through playing we can be anything, an explorer, a time traveler, a ruler – there are no limits.

What do you do to play?

EMPTY YOUR MIND

FINDING YOUR CREATIVITY #3

“A mind too active is no mind at all.” Theodore Roethke

There have been times I have been afraid to take a peek inside my mind.It was an endless maze I couldn’t find the exit. With all the things life throws at you, we all have a tendency to hang on to things. We suffer from information overload. Humans were never meant to spend so much time indoors staring at a computer. And, there are always those voices that are always worrying and censoring you. You worry about what you have to do today, worry about what you have to do tomorrow, worry about what you did yesterday. It is an endless cycle. It’s almost like your mind has taken on a life of it’s own with the incessant chattering. It’s probably talking to you right now!

But, the voice doesn’t want to hurt you, in fact, generally it wants to protect you. But, that chatter fills up you mind. To learn to empty your mind, it opens it to all these wonderful new ideas and thoughts.

How to do it?

I believe meditation, exercise and writing your Morning Pages are key. What are The Morning Pages? This comes from the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It is a basic tool to reclaiming your creativity. Write three pages every morning FIRST THING. You are not writing these to be published, you are writing to empty your mind. There is no right or wrong way to do this, just put pen to paper and write three pages. They don’t even have to make sense. They are not designed to be read again. If you don’t have anything to say, write that you don’t have anything to say. Write affirmations, write out your to-do list. But, put the pen to the paper and write. Writing on a computer is rarely as effective.

You can hear Julia talk about the morning pages in the following video.

So, get paper and a pen and write the three pages first thing in the morning. Trust me, it works!

Next up in this series, Think like a minimalist.

FIND YOUR TRIBE

STEPS TO CREATIVITY #1

Finding your tribe is first step in living a creative life. Call them what you want, your tribe, your posse, your clan, your family – just call them! Find them! These are the ones that will support you and want the very best for you. The right group will:

CITY EMERGING

KEEP YOU MOTIVATED

ENCOURAGE YOU

INSPIRE YOU

GIVE YOU SUPPORT

Did you know that geese travel 75% fast when they travel in packs? So, it stands to reason if you find your tribe you will gain momentum and reach your goals faster.

You can ask them to hold you accountable for your goals too (an accountability partner has worked for me – but she moved on – I need a new one!)

But, remember the word – RECIPROCITY. To really have a tribe you can trust, you have to give it back. You need to encourage, inspire – in short – cheer them on!

Find a mentor! Thomas Edison mentored Henry Ford. Thomas Jefferson mentored Lewis and Clark. Paul Robeson mentored Obama. Maya Angelou mentored Oprah. Woody Guthrie mentored Bob Dylan. Ralph Waldo Emerson mentored Thoreau. Warren Buffet mentored Bill Gates.

Where are you going to find your tribe, find your mentor? First of all, get out there, go out into the world! Keep trying! Take a class, go to events!

Be curious. Be brave. Make connections!

WHAT IS CREATIVITY?

STEPS TO CREATIVITY

BOY, is my face red!!!!

Almost exactly two years ago, I started a series called “21 weeks to your most creative self”. When I wrote the last installment THE POWER OF NO (published 8/16) I looked back through my blogs to see when I started the series – September 2014! Only eleven posts on the subject in 2 years!

SO – I decided to start all over again. I’m going to call this simply – STEPS TO CREATIVITY. So, here goes – starting with the question:

WHAT IS CREATIVITY?

Merriam-Webster defines the word as “the ability to make new things or think new things.” It is the ability to see the world in a new way and to make connections between things that seem unrelated. It is asking what any two year old asks,

WHY?

WHAT IF?

Every human being is born creative. However, as we get older society teaches us to suppress creativity – remember being told to color within the lines? Society teaches us to conform and often frowns upon originality. That makes most people forget they were ever creative at all!

Living creatively means looking at the world around you with wonder. Your imagination leads to thoughts, thoughts become words and words become action. Creativity is not worth anything if you don’t do anything with your ideas. Let me repeat that

Creativity is not worth anything if you don’t do anything with your ideas.

Many of us give up on creativity. One thing universal about people living a creative life – they DO NOT GIVE UP!

Living creatively means looking at the world around you differently. Your imagination leads to thoughts, thoughts become words and words become action.

Most people believe you have to be a genius to be creative. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A GENIUS TO BE CREATIVE!

You learn to be creative by exploring, experimenting, questioning, processing information.

Think of creativity as a muscle that needs to be strengthened – that can only happen with repeated use!

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Albert Einstein

I don’t believe some people are born more creative than others. Creative people usually do six things throughout their lives, known as The Innovators DNA, things anybody can incorporate in their life.

Make CONNECTIONS between different things
QUESTION everything
OBSERVE everything
NETWORK (with like minded creative people)
EXPERIMENT
PRACTICE – the most important one of all!

Making the effort to live a creative life is be fully alive. Believe you can change the world!!!

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use it, the more you have.” Maya Angelou

So, I challenge you to spend some time thinking about what inspires you to create. You don’t have to paint the Mona Lisa, you can bake a cake, write a joke, put your clothes together differently, take a different route to the grocery store. It can be anything, it can be as silly as eating spaghetti with chopsticks.

Let me know where you find your creativity! Inspiration is all around you.

THE POWER OF NO

21 STEPS TO CREATIVITY #11

Why is it so hard to say no for most of us? Are we too nice? Are we afraid of being judged? Are we going to miss an opportunity? Burn bridges?

It is always important to keep your long term goal in mind. The most important thing you do is to keep your long term goal front and center! Every time you say YES to something that doesn’t contribute to your long term goal,you are saying NO to something you could be doing during that time to accomplish your goal.

Listen to you gut. If it doesn’t seem right, say NO. “NO” is a complete sentence.

There are ways to say no. Maybe you are just too busy right now. Say you will think about it and get back – buy some time if you need to think about it. Just don’t over explain, be concise and move on.

So, when I say “NO” to projects and events that don’t work for my long term goals, what could I be doing?

I could be cooking up a healthy meal (in one of my cute vintage aprons)

Painting, I can always be painting

Journaling or just getting my thoughts down on paper

Spending some time at the piano or with my ukulele

I could be clearing my mind and meditating

I could go outside

Just do what feels right for you. Learn to say no.

What would you be doing if you said NO more often?

JULY READING – A LITTLE OF THIS A LITTLE OF THAT

After being forced into retirement at the end of 2015, one of the first things I wanted to do was join a book club where people actually READ the books! Now, I already organize a book club for women artists, but we meet every other month, so I knew I could handle another one. So, I trotted to the local library and found one that meets monthly. Then I found another that meets every other month at a local restaurant (called Pub Fiction). Okay, I thought, I can handle these. I still have my quest going of reading a book by an author from each state (I’m reading alphabetically, and I’ve read through Georgia). Then I found a group on Facebook called Read the World. And, so it goes, I’m up to six book clubs now! I can handle this! I have already read as many books this year as I did all year long last year, and my reading choices have become more varied, and to me more interesting. Here is what I read in July:

SOME LUCK by Jane Smiley: This is the first book in a trilogy (Last Hundred Years trilogy) that follows the Langdon Family in Denby Iowa from 1920 through 1953. Each chapter moves you forward another year. Thankfully, there is a family tree in the front, so it is easy to keep the characters straight. The details about farming life were well researched. By the end of the book, there are six children born into the family, each with a story of their own. The book weaves through the Depression, World War II, and even to Washington D.C. and the FBI. I will continue this trilogy, I want to see what happens to these people I came to care about. (Book club selection)

ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes: This is the third book I have read by JoJo Moyes, and they are all completely different, in story and in tone. Talk about a tear jerker! It is the story of Louisa and Will. Will was quite the daredevil – jumping out of planes, and also the successful, if ruthless businessman. This all comes to an end when an accident leaves him in a wheelchair. Louisa, who has lived a “safe” and boring life is hired to be his companion. After a rocky start to their relationship, Louisa endears herself to Will. Then Louisa learns her six-month contract is based on the amount of time Will has given his parents before he is going to commit suicide. It’s hard to put down, as Louisa sets out to give Will a reason to live, while Will encourages her to grow. It was worth the two month wait to get it from the library, and I think the wait will be just as long for the sequel, After You.

THE GREATS OF CUTTERCANE by Terry Kay: I became reacquainted with Terry Kay thanks to a book club. In fact, he came and spoke to us as he lives right down the road in Athens, Ga. This is a book of short stories based on the people of Cuttercane Georgia revolving around the magical legend of Asa’s Spring. Terry Kay generally writes in a very lyrical voice, but some of these stories are down right funny! They are the type of stories I heard growing up in the South! Enjoyable read.

OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon: It took me awhile to jump on this bandwagon! This is the 600 page story of Claire, a nurse from World War II, who wakes up in 18th century Scotland, where her path crosses that of Jamie Frasier. What follows is suspense, passion, true love, tragedy and more. However, it is not for the faint of heart, as it has it’s fair share of both violence and sex. Jamie and Claire come alive – and I will continue with the series of – how many books now? Eight? There will probably be a 9th one by the time I get there.

THE PUPPY DIARIES: RAISING A DOG NAMED SCOUT by Jill Abramson: I don’t normally read dog books – the dog always dies and I always cry. But, I saw it on the shelf at the library and couldn’t resist that little face. Plus it said on the cover it is a “marvelously entertaining chronicle of a puppy’s first year”. It lived up to that. Abramson wrote a popular column for The New York Time’s website about the raising and training of Scout. it still is a pretty light read. But if you love dogs, as I do, it is enjoyable. Also – I should note – I had a dog named Scout.

THE BOOK OF LIES by Brad Meltzer: This is a twisted tale! Cal Harper works for a rescue mission picking up vagrants that need shelter. He stumbled upon a man who who has been shot, and he ends up being his long lost father. They join forces and begin searching for the lost Book of Cain, and what they believe to be the weapon used in the Bible. His father was shot with a gun that was used in an unsolved murder in 1932 – of Jerry Siegel’s father. Why is this important? Jerry Siegel created Superman. So, you get a bit of both The Bible and comic book lore. And of course, there is a mysterious girl who has befriended his father. I’ve read Brad Meltzer’s books before, but this book kind of jumped around and kind of went into la-la land. But the premise was original I must say. (book club selection)

THE SPARROW: A NOVEL by Mary Doria Russell: I have to admit, I started this book more than once. If it wasn’t a book club selection, I might not have finished it. But, even with the struggle to read it, the pay off was worth it. It is a complicated science fiction book about a Jesuit linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a group of scientists and explorers to the planet Rakhat, where they make contact with two races, the Runa and the Jana’ata. The story shifts between 2016- 2019, when they are on Rakhat, to 2060 at the Vatican. Sandoz is being interrogated after being rescued from Rakhat, returning a broken and mutilated man and the only survivor from the expedition. Did the priest really murder a child and become a prostitute? And, what happened to the other members of the party. It definitely provoked some lively discussion in the book club, leading to discussions about God, moral behavior and exploring new worlds. Plus, I loved the fact they travelled in space in asteroids. Oh, and there is a sequel – Emilio goes back to Rakhat (Children of God), and I miss Emilio.

I will be volunteering at the Decatur Book Festival over Labor Day weekend. This is one of the largest book festivals in the U.S. I managed to get slots during the lectures by two of the authors I read this month, Terry Kay and Brad Meltzer!!! Woohoo!

What have you been reading, and any thoughts on the books I’ve been reading? In August I will tackle American Gods by Neil Gaiman, and I just might read Winnie the Pooh!

FUN FACTS ABOUT ATLANTA

Atlanta is more than the home of CNN and Coca-Cola, as well as the 1996 Olympics. While it is a fairly young city (established in 1847), there are some little known, what I think are entertaining, facts about Atlanta. (The above images are my loose interpretation of the skyline in 1980 and 1970).

1. Atlanta was the fifth city to become the capital of the state of Georgia (Savannah, Augusta, Louisville and Milledgeville were first!).

2. The symbol of the city is the mythological Egyptian bird called the Phoenix, which rose from it’s ashes. Why is this symbol of Atlanta?

PHOENIX

There was a historic fire in Atlanta that was deliberately set to burn the city.

Of course, I am referring to Sherman burning the city of Atlanta in 1864. In fact, Atlanta is considered the only U.S. city to have been destroyed by an act of war. Over 400 buildings were destroyed. Atlanta surrendered to the Union on September 2, 1864.

3. There was a second fire in Atlanta that occurred in 1917.

When the fire was stopped at 10PM, 22,000,000 gallons of water had been pumped. Fire trucks came from from nine Georgia towns, as well as from Tennessee. When it was over, 1,938 buildings were destroyed over 300 acres that spanned 72 city blocks.

More than 85% of the burned buildings were made of wood shingles.

So, the symbol of the Phoenix is appropriate for this city that continues to rebuild.

4. Atlanta hosted the Atlanta International Pop Festival, held one month prior to Woodstock. Many of the same bands played at the Atlanta festival that played at Woodstock, such as Janis Joplin among others.

5. The Atlanta Braves are the oldest continually operated professional sports franchise in the U.S. They began as the Boston Red Soxs in 1871 and moved to Atlanta in 1966.

6. The Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is honestly the world’s busiest airport. Why? Partly because you can fly to almost 80% of the U.S. within 3 hours from Atlanta. The terminal is larger than 45 football fields.

7. I know The Continental Divide is a big deal out west, but in Atlanta you can find the Eastern Continental Divide. This divides water flowing into the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean.

8. You can ride your bike to Alabama on the Silver Comet Trail.

9. It is illegal to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole.

10. Stone Mountain is one of the largest blocks of exposed granite in the world. And the etching on the side of Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson Davis, is the largest bas-relief in the world.

11. Babe Ruth hit a home run into the tree that is behind the Whole Foods on Ponce de Leon. That was the home of the Atlanta Crackers and a magnolia tree stood in the outfield. The Babe hit a ball into the tree during an exhibition game – the tree is still there!

12. The infamous punk rock band, The Sex Pistols, played their first American show at The Great Southeast Music Hall, located in a shopping center in Atlanta. (I was there!). Here you see Johnny Rotten having his beer there.

13. Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone With The Wind while recuperating from a sprained ankle. “Scarlet” was originally “Pansy”, and this was changed only six months prior to publication. “Tara” was known at “Fortenoy Hall”, and “Melanie” was almost “Permelia”. In fact, the original title was “Tomorrow is Another Day.”

14. There are over 55 streets bearing the name “Peachtree” in Atlanta. Interestingly, the Peach Tree is not native to Atlanta. It is “said” the Creek Indians had a site called “Pitch Tree”, which is what pine trees were called because of the sap (this is disputed fact.)

15. Atlanta is one of only two cities that are home to two Nobel Peace Prize Winners, Martin Luther King and President Jimmy Carter (I’m very proud of this fact actually.)

16. The Peachtree Road Race is the world’s largest 10k race, this year there were more than 60,000 participants

17. And, last but nott least, Atlanta has the largest toll-free dialing area in the world. I guess there is something to be said about Southern Hospitality.

Hope you enjoyed this. This is just a small sampling on Atlanta’s short history. I previously gave historical tours of a couple of Atlanta’s historic neighborhoods, so Atlanta’s history has always been of interest to me.