Beneath the Wraps

“Paperboy” takes place in the mid to late 50’s sometime after Elvis had made a name for himself and when Arkansas started integrating schools The story takes place in Memphis and reads like a journal.   No commas, no quotations.   Very cleverly written, I think. The summary of the story itself got my attention, but what really intrigued me was Rob Buyea’s recommendation.   I had posted a review on Buyea’s books here Victor Vollmer has agreed to take his friend’s paper route for a month.   He enjoys throwing papers and is good at it.   His problem is with collecting money, for Victor has a stuttering problem and lacks the confidence in talking with people. But he learns a lot and meets a few people that he may not have otherwise.   He records his thoughts and some conversation and little by little the reader can see the growth of this young man. There doesn’t seem to be much of a plot until pretty much towards the end – after all...

I remember seeing a story on the news about a class project featuring two rodents with different diets.   I was hoping to find the story online, but have given up my search. I believe it was an elementary school, but don’t know what grade or from which state.   The class had voted the names of the rodents to be “Nut” and “Honey”.   Nut was given a healthy diet of lettuce, nuts and whatever else might be healthy while Nut was given sugars and starches.   The children were able to see Honey wilting away as she became skinnier and thinner – while Nut remained healthy and had gained weight. I remember the newscasters making comment that they wondered if that might backfire for anyone having the desire to lose weight – to follow Honey’s diet.   Sadly, it was Nut who died first and not Honey.   I remember the newscaster trying hard to fight the smile as the story unfolded that Nut had choked on a healthy cracker. I LOVE sugar –...

We got a new furnace and thermostat – which we haven’t totally figured out.   It was really cold yesterday morning.   Not a big problem for Jenna and me, but Roland needed warmer.   So he made a few adjustments and the air blasted and continued after he left. I put my hair into pigtails to keep it off my neck.   I keep it up during the summer because it is so thick and weighs like a fleece blanket in addition to the already blasting sun.   When Jenna and I left the house, my hair was still in pigtails.   I have worn it down when the morning air’s been cold.   But I didn’t bother taking the bands out of my hair, but secured my hat around them.   It was amazing how warm my ears felt.   I may just continue to do that. In addition to a new furnace, some new appliances were added to our house.   As we made room for all our new material things, items were moved, furniture rearranged and it looks like a tornado blew into ou...

                                              Lin Oliver and Henry Winkler: Hank Zipzer authors          Hank Zipzer is a character invented by Henry Winkler – though I wonder how much of the character is based upon himself as he had struggled with learning though nobody understood that he had dyslexia but wasn’t diagnosed until he was in his 30’s.          The first Hank Zipzer book that I read was “The Curtain Went Up, My Pants Fell Down” Hilarious.   I laughed out loud with almost every page.               I really liked how in this particular story, it is not the obvius talent put who p...

            No, I am not getting paid to advertise.   For heating and air conditioning I had always used Gils.   Gil comes out and gets the job done and no need to call back because the system works and they don’t leave glitches.   They’re reasonably priced – inexpensive even.   But it’s just a father and his son.   They don’t finance.             We called Hartman when our furnace seemed to give out.   They had serviced our furnace before.   I hadn’t remembered, but it was Hartman’s paperwork tacked to our furnace that hadn’t been serviced since two years before we moved into the house.             As I was waiting for someone to pick up, I started playing with a switch on the side of the furnace.   Apparently it had been knocked into last time someone had been ...

I take Highness for a walk He’s notorious for wanting attention after we have all gone to bed I want to wear him out I’m already worn out Roland and I are on the couch watching Shark Tank I suggest we finish watching in our room He let’s the dog out just before he comes into the bedroom to join me “What are you doing letting the dog out?!” I think. Now one of us will have to get back out of bed to let him in. I can’t remember which one of us received that honor. I am asleep I missed the end of Shark Tank I actually don’t remember turning on the TV maybe Roland did It’s 2:00 in the morning when I can hear Highness whining “Go lay down!” I say Sometimes that works Highness ignores me and continues whining.   I let him outside. I have two pillows in my hand. I sit on the couch in a reclined position. I don’t know how long I have slept when I hear Highness bark again. He has stayed out longer...

My latest book review is Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath.    Everything on a Waffle is a Newberry Honor.   I didn't used to like Newberry books.   But I really like this one. I suppose one reason why I choose juvenile over adult or young adult is the font size.   Recently I had placed holds on one of each.   For the latter two, I am able to see the words better with a magnifying glass.   I prefer not reading with a book in one hand and a magnifying glass in the other.   And with the mornings having become darker, small fonts require more light if my eyes must read them.   Everything on a Waffle is told in first person from Primrose’s point of view.   Primrose is an eleven year old that lives in a Coal Harbor, a small town in town in Canada (though it doesn’t specify which providence.) in the custody of three different guardians. Initially she’s left with Miss Perfidy who often sits for Primrose – tho...

            I’ve had a hodgepodge of thoughts off and on throughout the week (although it’s been longer than that since my last post)             None of my thoughts seem to connect – though I suppose if I worked at it I could make the sentences flow to connecting.   But I’ve decided that I will just enter three short posts.   Four if you count this one.   Which I don’t.

       For the past three years or so, Roland has been working as a recruiter for students to take online courses.   His title wasn’t recruiter though.   I forget what it was.                         When he first started, those in his position were responsible for having at least two people start per mod (don’t know if the three letters are abbreviations for something or if it’s spelled differently – but it means every six weeks to eight weeks when the classes start for each major) and somewhere along the line it was raised to three and then four and then six.             My brother-in-law, Bill, had worked there just a few years before the stress pushed him into looking for another job.   He put in his notice before the requirement was bumped to six.   Th...

Whereas autumn seemed to linger for several months last year, I believe that the cycle will be over all too quickly this year. I had heard the mountain trees had started turning in August.   But as for my view of Salt Lake City valley, the trees (or the majority of them anyway) did not start turning until last week.             There are still many green trees that haven’t handled the chill in the same way as those that are already starting to lose leaves.   What?   The ones that started turning last Monday are now shedding their leaves for the winter?                Toward the end of the week, I did notice more that were turning.   This morning I saw radiant beauty of yellow and orange golds, one tree that was undressing and still a wide variety of green.   I’d like to see them radiate color before the winter bring...