Book Review: Cold Mountain

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book was a little racy for my taste, especially in the middle. There was a lot of inappropriate sexual content...at least for my pretty sheltered mind. I don't tend to like the slow going pace, and this book was especially slow at first, but I am glad I persevered as the author did a good job of portraying the horrors of the Civil War. I guess slow going reading favors the period of time that the book depicts.

I saw into a window of the lives of backwoods people in The Appalachians, but a lot of the time it was a window that I would have liked to walk away from to pretend it was not there. I don't like some of the oddities of the people portrayed, especially as a Tennesseean. It's books like this that make some people think we are still all barefoot and pregnant living off the hog and our veggie gardens. I am sure much of what is talked about it true, but I just don't like it...maybe that makes me a fool, but I would rather pretend stuff like incest doesn't exist in the world as I know it. Sometimes I felt like I was reading an awkward story that was the frame for the awkward movie Oh Brother Where Art Thou.

I really enjoyed reading about the art of homesteading and the author's beautiful and sometimes very detailed descriptions of nature, especially our own gorgeous Appalachian Mountains.

My favorite line by far was the old goat lady who said, "Marrying a woman for her beauty makes as much sense as eating a bird for it's song."

View all my reviews >>

Summer Reading

Last week I punished Abigail

for teasing her sister.

She had to go to her room and read

four chapters of Harry Potter.

After looking at the picture above,

and how the girl loves to read,

now you all know how

my disciplining isn't always the most effective.

What can I say?

I'm a softie.

I love reading.

I recently spoke to a friend

about how when I die,

I want to leave a living legacy.

One part of that legacy

would most definitely be

that I inspired people to read.

I know that reading

is a powerful tool.

A tool for

education,

and

inspiration.

Reading changes people

who will in turn make a better world.

If I could leave a living legacy of a love for things literary,

my influence would never end.

An eternal influence

is what I want for myself.

Nothing less would be enough.

I don't want the buck to stop with me in the pine box.

I was really happy when onlinecollege.org

just linked my book review

of Cold Mountain.

It was an awesome post,

compiling book reviews for

books related to places of summer travel.

Of course, Cold Mountain

is a great feature for our own

beautiful Appalachian mountains.

My linked review is number 74 on the list.

I have that much.

Faith is important to me.

I've discussed it before

here, here, here, and here.

Faith has carried me through a lot of stuff.

One of those above links

was when my husband failed the bar exam.

That was tough.

Here is how faith

influenced me

as a small child.

The story is also

a fun reminiscence

of my crazy dad

and how he jimmy-rigged

and stole (I mean borrowed)

a truck to get our

station wagon out of the mud.

So my latest trial of faith may be the hardest trial I've ever faced. It's not something I can really blog about because to reveal it would not be fair to others, but it's tough. Trust me, it's really tough, so tough I can't talk about it on my blog. ( And you all know I talk about everything from moobs, my body, crying myself to sleep, and even the horrible botched farce on breastfeeding.) So it's tough and it reminds me that everyone is fighting their own hard battle, whether or not they share it.

Anyhow, I was praying about this trial last week. It was one of those big prayers in my life that I will always remember. For me it was huge on two levels. It was huge because I decided to do it after a long prideful prayer hiatus. {shame on me} And it was huge because I poured my heart out to my Heavenly Father as though he really was my Father listening and that He cared and that He would help me. I bawled like a baby and questioned, "Why?" Even if we aren't supposed to ask "why", I did. (This is one of my favorite addresses on trusting in the Lord and talks about not asking why) I needed to know WHY does this have to be my life when I have tried so very hard for the last 20 years to do everything right for God.

The answer came (like it always does eventually) two-fold. The answer was first a thought in my mind. "I have this trial so I will pray." This trial is so hard that it always brings me to my knees out of desperation and God allows this in my life because He knows I will be happier with Him in my life.

The second answer came from the words out of my own mouth.

"Father, you've said in your scriptures that if we have the faith of a mustard seed, we can move mountains. Well, I sometimes struggle with my faith, but I know I have that much. I have at least as much as a mustard seed."

I saw in my mind, my Father in Heaven, the most omnipotent being ever. All knowing, all powerful, and all loving, he let go of his embrace from this wailing child, he nodded at me and said, "Yes, you do. Well done. Now hold on Alice, we're gonna move this mountain on my time."

Faith is my greatest treasure. I hope I always keep at least a mustard seed worth.

Thanks to the book Cold Sassy Tree for another take on faith and answered prayers.
{SPOILER ALERT}



I'll publish my book review on Cold Sassy Tree next week.
It's a new all time favorite.


Here is some spiritual enlightenment on how to use the supernal gift of prayer. Really really good stuff.

Bucket List

Added 3.28.11 Every day I get a lot of hits to this post from search engines. I just want to steer you in the direction to sharebuckets. It is a cool site where you can write, edit, and track your bucket list as well as sharing ideas with other users. Too cool not to share.

LG and I watched the movie The Bucket List a while back.

It was a great reason to search myself. What MUST I do before I die?

I have been pondering the question. I haven't written my bucket list yet.

Here are some funny bucket list ideas I want to add to mine.

1. Name one of my children after the place they were conceived, preferably Vegas.

2. Get on a JumboTron by doing something stupid.

3. Take someone's clothes away from a public shower, and leave them with only a funny costume to wear.

4. Somehow get one of the messages written to me in my High School yearbooks published.

5. Spontaneously break out into a rockin' rendition of The Wheels on the Bus while riding public transportation..of course change the lyrics to shed light on the type of passengers who ride.

6. Interview a Wal-Mart greeter as if I want to put him in a paper for his life accomplishments. Send the write-up to my local paper because you know it will end up way interesting. Everyone has a story.

7. Hang lots of different fun pairs of shoes from the phone wire in my front yard. Preferably in an array of colors.

8. Get on The Today Show and pick my nose.

9. Ask for different color nailpolish on all ten toes every time I get a pedicure.

10. Go nuts while playing minigolf, every time I sink a putt.

(these are weak...c'mon, give me some better ideas)

Funny things I have already marked off are:

1. Just inviting up 2 people from a church congregation to sing a musical number...act like they already had it planned.

2. Rollerblade to work on Halloween in my bathrobe.

3. Kiss a complete stranger on the street. And make it a good kiss.

4. Crank call someone famous.

5. Party line a friend and talk bad about them to another friend while acting like you can't hear them and are unaware they are on the phone. (this one is kind of mean)

6. Glue quarters to a street in the crosswalk and photograph people who pick them up.

7. As a teenager, I told my mom that I was pregnant in all seriousness, and let her believe it for a few hours.

8. Play bob for goldfish, swallow a goldfish whole. (I cannot believe I did this one)

9. Hijack a local radio station and tell the audience that you are kidnapping the DJ until you gives you the concert tickets.

10. Go to the Rose Parade and ask one of the old dudes to let you ride on the back of his motorcycle. It is especially fun when the guy's name is Fast Eddie.

11. Go up to local hunters in their hunting garb and thank them for their service to their country. ( I recently made a fool of myself when mistaking hunting camo for the real thing. oops)

After finding the following list, I think I am living with a whole lot more excitement then I ever thought I could have experienced and this young age of 35.

So, good for me. And, bad for me....I still have so many things to check off that darn list.

Now, who still wants to go bungee jumping?

(I 've starred everything I have already done.)

1. Touched an iceberg* (and stood on one floating in the ocean)
2. Slept under the stars*
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper*
5. Watched a meteor shower*
6. Given more than you can afford to charity*
7. Swam with wild dolphins*
8. Climbed a mountain*
9. Held a tarantula*
10. Said "I love you" and meant it*
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise*
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game *
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables*
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope*
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment*
21. Had a pillow fight* (I may have to disagree with this...is there really a worst time...everyone should laugh more often)
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill*
24. Built a snow fort*
25. Held a lamb*
26. Gone skinny dipping*
27. Taken an ice cold bath*
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar*
29. Seen a total eclipse*
30. Ridden a roller coaster*
31. Hit a home run*
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking*
33. Adopted an accent for fun* (it has never been that good though)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors*
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment*
36. Loved your job 90% of the time*
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied*
38. Watched wild whales*
39. Gone rock climbing* (does a wall count)
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach*
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant*
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight*
46. Milked a cow*
47. Alphabetized your personal files*
48. Ever worn a superhero costume*
49. Sung karaoke*
50. Lounged around in bed all day*
51. Gone scuba diving* (sort of -came back up very quick)
52. Kissed in the rain*
53. Played in the mud*
54. Gone to a drive-in theater*
55. Done something you should regret, but don't*
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business*
58. Taken a martial arts class*
59. Been in a movie*
60. Gone without food for 3 days* (not willingly)
61. Made cookies from scratch*
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason*
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check*
68. Read - and understood - your credit report*
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy*
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person*
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over*
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge*
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money* (Bunko)
77. Broken a bone* (the doctor did it for me)
78. Ridden a motorcycle* (ran into our front door)
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph*
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi*
84. Had your picture in the newspaper*
85. Read The Bible cover to cover (I'm not sure, can't remember, I had the goal on my mission but I read so many scriptures then I can't remember if I actually read the whole thing - I think if I had, I would remember it)
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about*
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school*
89. Changed your name*
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes*
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch*
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating* (does fish count?)
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt*(I think I am a pro at this)
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language*
97. Been elected to public office (does school council count?)
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream*
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair*
103. Been a DJ*
104. Rocked a baby to sleep*
105. Dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people*
108. Brought out the worst in people*
109. Worn a mood ring*
110. Ridden a horse*
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap*
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe*
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway* (does a traveling Broadway count - I saw Phantom in LA with that main guy, can't remember his name)
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket*
117. Danced at a disco*(does rollerskating count)
118. Played in a band*
119. Shot a bird* (with my finger)
120. Gone to an arboretum*
121. Tutored someone*
122. Ridden a train*
123. Brought an old fad back into style*
124. Eaten caviar*
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need*
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant*
127. Published a book (I wish)
128. Pieced a quilt
129.Lived in an historic place*
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage*
131. Asked for a raise*
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing*
134. Gone roller skating*
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf* (does getting up for 3 seconds count)
137. Invented something* (In my mind, if I could actually make a prototype I am convinced it would make million -I'm just not technically inclined)
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite* (does a resort count?)
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo*
143. Gone spelunking (don't know what that is?)
144. Learned how to take a compliment*
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David* (the knock off in some casino in Las Vegas)
147. Had your portrait painted* (does sketched count?)
148. Written a fan letter*
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away*
152. Learned to juggle*
153. Been a boss (does it count that I always feel like I am in charge?)
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight*
156. Gone on a diet*
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget* (do the fake ones count)
158. Written a poem*
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox*
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission*
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon*
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks*
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers*
167. Ridden in a limousine*
168. Attended the Olympics* (do the Olympic sights and Today Show count?)
169. Can hula or waltz* (I learned a little hula when I was younger)
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream*
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane*
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert*
175. Saved someone’s life* (do all those blood donations and depression med talks count?)
176. Eaten raw whale (how about shark?)
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint*
178. Laughed till your side hurt*
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing*
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle*
183. Spent the night in a hostel (but I think some of the scary hotels should count)
184. Been a cashier*
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union*
187. Donated blood or plasma*
188. Built a campfire*
189. Kept a blog*
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation*
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen*
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube*(does peeling the stickers or taking it apart count?)
196. Know CPR*
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible*
198. Found a long lost friend*
199. Helped solve a crime
Now I need to get writing my own list. I can only think of a few for now.

1. Hike down the Grand Canyon.

2. Write and publish a book.

3. Visit the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii.

4. Go to NYC and see at least 5 broadway musicals.

5. Earn at least my Bachelor's Degree.

6. Get back in shape and be able to run a mile in under 8 minutes again.

7. See every State in the Union.

8. Learn to speak Spanish fluently.

9. Go on a mission with my husband.

10. Go sky diving.

11.Give away a lot of money.

Here's to living long enough to get it all done.

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