This book was written by Harper Lee and is about life during the depression. During this time children were raised differently, things were a lot more simple in many ways. The two kids in this book Jean Louise Finch (Scout) and Jeremy Finch (Jem) were able to walk to school and roam the neighborhood without a care. Other than the fear of staying away from the Radley place. Their Father Atticus Finch was the town lawyer. In many ways things were tough back then as well, with new teaching methods being introduced and extreme racism things weren’t as free as they are today. Now you are put in a class based on your intelligence and not held back as Scout was in this book.

I liked how I could relate to Jem and Scout’s summer adventures. It is like child nature doesn’t really change that much even in a completely different time period. Children will still stretch their boundaries as much as they can and get away with all that they can.

The most important thing that happens in this book was the trial of a black man for rape. Tom Robinson was the black man’s name and people were wanting to hang him for something he didn’t do. Atticus was publicly ridiculed by the townsfolk for defending him. Scout fights an internal battle when trying to stand up for her Father with dignity. Everything in her wanted to beat up anyone who said anything.

I don’t really want to ruin the ending; but I thought this book was good because it deals with issues we don’t really have to worry about today. It is good to learn about how things were like in the past and to see how far we have come since then.

I wanted to read it since the movie was so good. I was expecting the novel to be somewhat different from the movie, because of all the Hollywood spins that were added. While I was reading it was very interesting to compare and contrast the differences between the movie and the novel. There were parts that I would read and I would think its better the way the author wrote it and then there were parts I’d get to that I definately liked better in the movie. Having watched the movie really made it easier to understand what was going on in the story. It was also cool when I was reading and I could picture the exact same thing that happened in the movie. Even though I  have seen the movie, Nicholas Sparks did a great job with imagery and vivid descriptions throughout the novel. This novel was really well written and is very captivating.

I’ll start with a little background;

William P. Young, the author of The Shack initially only printed fifteen copies of his book for friends and family who encouraged him to have it published. Later, after being turned down by Christian publishers because his book was too secular and being turned down by secular publishers because his book was to Christian, Young decided to publish the book himself in 2007. After only a year of word-of-mouth referrals his book eventually made its way to the New York Times trade paperback fiction best-seller list in June 2008.

The Shack begins with Mack and his three kids on what seemed to be a normal family vacation. Until something terrible happens. While Mack is sidetracked with two is his kids having a canoe accident, Mack’s youngest daughter, Missy, has been left unattended for just moments. During this time Missy has been abducted and later, there is evidence found in a shack deep in the Oregon wilderness that she may have been brutally murdered.

Four years later, in the midst of depression in Mack’s life, he receives a note apparently from God, which invites him back to the shack, the place he hates most, for a weekend.

Against his better judgment, he arrives at this shack on a cold wintry afternoon only to find the last thing he really expected

We went to bed pretty early compared to our usual time and we got up early too. We ate breakfast and then waited a while and decided it was time for some target practice. I got my rifle and we setup some targets around one hundred shots and went in. We went on a walk later on which is one of my favorite things to do. There just isn’t alot to do at a cabin in the middle of the woods.

Saturday we headed back but had some car trouble so we didn’t leave as soon as we wanted to. We got back and everyone was dying for a shower so I waited in line and finally got to take one. I had plans that night so I got ready and just hungout with my friends while I waited. That evenening I drove to beckley to meet someone at the mall. We hungout then I stayed the night in Beckley and came back the next morning. It was an amazing trip and I can’t wait to go back!

Every year, fires and other emergencies take thousands of lives and destroy property worth billions of dollars. Fire fighters help protect the public against these dangers by responding to fires and a variety of other emergencies. In addition to putting out fires, they are frequently the first emergency personnel at the scene of a traffic accident or medical emergency and may be called upon to treat injuries or perform other vital functions. I was at Chick-a-fila getting some dinner to take home and I saw 4 firefighters sitting down to eat dinner after a hard days work on the job. Every time before any meal they wait for the captain or the chief to say the blessing thanking the Lord for a wonderful day. I admire the firefighters for what they do each day and just to let them know that I care I always go to them and say I pray for all of the firefighters everyday and that they are doing a great job.

Because of firefighters we can stand up and say a simple Thanks! They need to know that they are appreciated and loved. They are not forced to fight fires but they choose to make it their career and to help others, we can learn a lesson from their actions. They are brave enough to walk into a burning building when everyone else is running in the other direction. Just take a few minutes to pray for them!

In addition to being part of the Greensboro Fire Department, I am now waiting and trusting the Lord for guidance in figuring out what God has planned ahead for me. The fire atmosphere just thrills me every time I’m around the station or around an emergency. I live to give God my everything and if it is Gods plans I know things will work out to be in the field of firefighting. Emergency workers have to have a passion to do what they do and it has to be a life long passion. Not just a thrill for the day and then it’s over…The firefighters give one word that they always stand by saying to Never Leave Your Partner Behind in a fire! Pray for them…

My Grandmother just had back surgery this morning. So here I sit in Wesley Long, my Grandmother was having breathing problems after the surgery. There is an occasional beeping noise in the background that just sounded that tells when her oxygen level dips.

My Grandmother has always been energetic, just three years ago she was dragging my oldest sister around New York while my sister struggled to keep up. When she hit 80 this year she started admitting, “I can feel all 80 of my years.” This is starting to make me realize the mortality of my Grandparents; it seems that they are becoming more and more frail every time I see them. I am hoping this back surgery will allow her more freedom so she won’t be as limited and in as much pain as she has been in the past. She has always been the one who ties the family together.

This March my Grandparents made a tough and rushed decision. They decided to move out of their home of 41 years and into a retirement community. They moved this summer and I can’t say it was fun moving and sorting through all the furniture, newspapers clippings, and office supplies my Grandfather collected over the years (giving him 4,000 sq. ft. to store stuff gave him a LOT of leeway). The move was for the best, my Grandfather was having trouble walking up the stairs.

They have settled into a small house at River Landing and enjoy it there. When my Grandfather was first asked how he liked the new house he would reply with a big smile and just say , “it’s a little small.” My Grandfather has this way of joking that seems like he has an big inside joke the only thing is he is the only one in on it.

My Grandfather is hilarious; He is always making jokes even though a lot of times they don’t make sense to anyone but him. It just is tough on him because he is extremely hard of hearing. When the whole family gets together which includes 16 grandchildren, 5 aunts, 5 uncles, and my grandparents my Grandfather winds up being left in a chair left out of the conversation. I take this time to sit with and talk to my Grandfather. I have grown close to him in the past year or so.

He is used to being in control of everything; he used to be the head of radiology here at Wesley Long. He doesn’t normally respect or listen to anyone when they are explaining things to him. When I explain things about computers he actually listens because it is something he doesn’t know much about the use of. He reads up on computers so he can talk to me about them. He even cuts out newspaper clippings on them for me writes my name on them. He saves them in a basket for me until the next time I see him.

My Grandparents are getting older and it is something I am going to have to face. Moments like this make me realize I can’t take them for granted and have to enjoy my time with them.

Thanksgiving is just a week away and I’m getting pretty excited. My grandparents are driving down from Maryland with there two dogs which will make for a pretty crazy house (though nothing compared to what Christmas is going to be like).

A couple memories I have of thanksgiving include; one year I had a really bad cold sore on the inside of my lip and it hurt more than anything! I was completely starving all day and every time I would try to eat my whole mouth would be in some serious pain. All Thanksgiving day I just sat around and watched other people enjoy everything that I love to eat so much. What a bummer….

Also something I love about turkey day is the football. There is always a good game on Thanksgiving and these days I’m pretty busy so I don’t always have a chance to sit around and enjoy watching this sport but on thanksgiving there is always time.

All in all I really love thanksgiving, probably not as much as Christmas and the day after Thanksgiving is going to be pretty killer (especially if you work at big lots) but it really is a great holiday to get with family and be thankful for all the great things we have.

Also, I think the movies (even some of the better ones) make Alice seem WAY too normal. She is NOT normal. She seems extremely hyperactive, flighty, ditsy, even schizophrenic at times.

An Excerpt:

‘Come, there’s no use in crying like that!’ said Alice to herself, rather sharply; ‘I advise you to leave off this minute!’ She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it), and sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into her eyes; and once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people. ‘But it’s no use now,’ thought poor Alice, ‘to pretend to be two people! Why, there’s hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!

So yeah, If Alice was just slightly less than your typical young girl, it would explain things more.

Also this being unrelated , Hugh made me hungry. I kept seeing pink delicious cotton candy sitting on top my older sisters head. Sigh.