More Break, More Books

I would just like to say that I didn't get out of my pj's at all yesterday. 

I keep thinking I should work out, but since that involves changing into workout clothes, and leaving the couch, it hasn't happened yet.

But, reading?  Reading has happened.

Lit Society was the other night and it was wonderful.

Here's what I love about these people.  It was "my night" to bring the food and a couple of days before, NKC (<---Nat King Cole) texted me and asked if it was a problem if Chef Campo made homemade crab cakes.  A problem, I said?  Yawn...sigh...nah, I guess that's OK.

Hello???  Of course that's OK.  Why don't we all just have a moment of honesty and decide that I shouldn't bring food anymore?  That Chef Campo should be designated our Lit Society Chef In Residence and be brought at least into the periphery of our group?

HOME MADE CRAB CAKE SANDWICHES

Served with a fresh slaw salad.

It seems like there was something else I was going to tell you.  Oh, yes.  The book.

For last month's non fiction choice we read Being Mortal by Atul Gawande.

He is a surgeon, a visiting professor at Harvard, a writer, a husband, and a father of several children.  And the man can write.  Slacker.  Maybe I should reconsider spending entire days in my pj's.  Ah, we all know that will never happen.

Being Mortal tells the convoluted history of how we in America have come to deal with the "problem" of aging and death.  It tells the history of nursing homes and hospices, and points out socio-cultural views about dying (i.e. what is dying? Do we even know?), aging, the role of death, and what it means to live a good life.  While it is not the most uplifting book in the world, it is also not depressing, per se.  It is often humorous, even.  It raises legitimate questions about the role of medicine in prolonging life, and how much we are willing (or not) to sacrifice quality (often at horrific costs) in favor of quantity. What do we want out of life?  How can we have a bit of control, so to speak, over a quality death?  I highly recommend this book and want to read his others.

I also just finished The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom.  G was like, what is up with you this year?  Anorexia?  Death?  The Holocaust?  What's next, airplane bombings?  Maybe an in depth study of 9/11?

The man has a point.  But still, such a good book.

I'm probably the last one to this party because I'm extremely careful about reading Holocaust books.  The stories and images and events are so disturbing that I can't really let them go.  It affects me deeply, so I'm not one to pore through tons of WWII books. 

But, this one.  Wow.

Everyone in the world (literally) knows this already, but I'll explain anyway.  Corrie Ten Boom was a watch maker in a small Dutch town during WWII.  She was in her late 40's, living with her older sister and elderly father.  What started out as helping to hide a few Jews eventually led to Corrie's house becoming headquarters for the Dutch underground.  You know what's coming.  They were discovered and she and her sister - in their fifties - were sent to prison and then to Ravensbruck concentration camp.

She barely survived.  But it's not really about survival; it's about holding onto God's love and sharing it with others.  Her and her family's faith is staggering.  And so are some of the miracles that occurred because they believed and risked their lives to share their faith.  The book is remarkable.  If you, like me, somehow missed this, go pick it up!  It's a treasure!

Today will most likely be another pj day.  At least until this afternoon when I have a tutoring sesh.  However, today begins true prep for next semester.  There is a detailed syllabus and new grading rubric in my future.  Somewhere.  After I leisurely sip some coffee and stare at the Christmas tree.