Book Review: All the Things We Never Knew: Chasing the Chaos of Mental Illness, by Sheila Hamilton

All the Things We Never Knew is without a doubt one of the best books about mental illness I have ever read. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it is more informative than the Mental Health First Aid class I took this winter at work.

Sheila Hamilton was married to her husband for 11 years. It wasn't until she was well into the marriage that she learned that the cause of his erratic, unusual (and rather jerky behavior) was his undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder. I'm not ruining anything by tell you he ultimately committed suicide. She reveals this at the beginning of the book.

Hamilton alternates chapters in the book, covering the story of their life and information about Bipolar Disorder. She gives a very detailed account of the toll this illness has on the sufferer, their family and work life. But she also gives excellent advice for those who are caught in this nightmare.
I especially appreciate how she talks about educating her daughter about Bipolar Disorder. Her daughter is at risk for the disease, and Hamilton is careful to teach her about that.

I told my counselors at school that I think this should be required reading. I'd recommend this book to anyone, though. It's engaging and informative at the same time...which always delights me as a reader.

Book Review: Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, by Jane Hawking

Before picking up this book, my knowledge of Stephen Hawking could fit into maybe two sentences: He has something like ALS. He's a super-genius science guy who talks about black holes. 

Both of those are true, but of course there is so much more. This book, written by Jane Hawking, is a fascinating story about Stephen Hawking's meteoric rise to scientific fame, as well as his descent into physical immobility. 

Ms. Hawking details how they met in their later teen years (through Stephen's sister) and their decision to marry, despite his diagnosis of motor neurone disease, with it's bleak prognosis. Through years of struggling to obtain disability assistance from Britain's National Health Service, and navigating the globe without the handicap accessibility we take for granted these days, Stephen thrived in academia and the Hawking children grew under Ms. Hawking's steady and constant care. 

Hawking's struggles are detailed and persistent in this book. She pulls no punches, calling out people and institutions who failed to offer support. But she also heralds the many people and institutions who provide unflagging encouragement and assistance. The book is not bitter, but one can not fail to wonder how she managed to escape developing an entirely bitter outlook on life. 

The edition I read had two postscripts, written as the book was re-published after it's original 2007 release. The story has also been made into a movie, "The Theory of Everything," which came out in 2015.

Book Review: Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This is the story of  Ifemelu and Obinze, two Nigerians who emigrate from Nigeria to two different countries and then come home again. I'm not sure how this book came to me, but I sure didn't want to let it go back to the library. I am quite certain, however, that I decided to read this book solely based on my experience another Adichie book, "Purple Hibiscus." Her absorbing storytelling, done with some of the best prose I can remember ever reading, is both entertaining and educational. 

Adichie's observations about human behavior touch home. As you read her books, you often find yourself realizing, "Of course! I've seen people do and say those things and now I get a glimpse of understanding the thought process behind it!" 

Ifemelu came to the U.S. as a student on an education visa. Her education in Nigeria was frustrating as she tried to find continuity in a time of turmoil that caused work stoppages, power outages, and government upheaval. In the U.S, she moved in with her aunt who had emigrated here with her young son. Ifemelu's struggles to find work and become self-sufficient were tough, but she survived the hardship to become a blogger and speaker with a focus on race issues. Her assessment of racism in America, and her observations of the heirarchy of non-white people is compelling and familiar. 

Ifemelu's childhood friend and teenage lover, Obinze, emigrated illegally to the U.K. His plan was also to pursue education, but he did not have the benefit of family or government assistance. His part of the story is short but sometimes brutal, as he tried to work under a borrowed National Health card.

Both Ifemelu and Obinze end up back in Nigeria. I won't tell you how that happened for each of them, so as to not spoil the story.  They find their way to each back in Nigeria, which is the third component to the story. 

One of the most compelling passages of the book, to me, is when Adichie has a character that contrast racial attitudes in the U.S. with those in the U.K. 

There are time, particularly when Adichie inserts some of Ifemelu's blog entries, where the book drags for a few pages. But there are reasons for those entries, and they don't detract from the story.

Get this book. Then read "Purple Hibiscus" too.

Book Review: "Becoming Odyssa: Adventures on the Appalachian Trail," by Jennifer Pharr Davis

Becoming Odyssa on Amazon: $1.99 for Kindle

I loved reading "A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail," by Bill Bryson. And also "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail," by Cheryl Strayed. Both were made into pretty good movies, too.

But I hope this one is not made into a movie. It's a book you need to read in bites and enjoy. A book that has things to teach you about hiking and faith (without being preachy) and being willing to accept help and give help. 

Jennifer Pharr Davis went on this solo hike right out of college. It's a perfect time to do such an adventure, before the work world, bills, family and other cares take over your life. I guess another time to do something like this might be when you retire, or when you accumulate enough weeks of vacation to take extended time off. 

In the book, Pharr Davis is kind of hard on hikers who are not thru-hikers...people who tackle the Trail a section at a time, or who just hit a part occasionally for a weekend. Actually, she's a bit unfair. But you must remember she is only 21 in this book, and she did run into some self-absorbed lawbreakers during her experience. She has a blog on her website, Blue Ridge Hiking Company, and she does have an entry there where she expresses her regrets about some of those comments. I'm glad she did that, because it was wrong to paint everyone with a broad brush. 

This book allowed me to dream about hiking long distance, and to walk alongside Jennifer in spirit. That's what a good book is to me...one that allows me to live the story vicariously.

My Summer Begins

And so begins my own personal summer. No I'm not talking about hot flashes! Sheesh!

Today will be largely a day of rest. I've got a hitch in my git-along that just doesn't seem to want to quit. It's the left hip. I'm going to yoga this morning to see if that helps and then consider stopping at the chiro this afternoon. Tonight I have Trustees dinner with the county. Other than that, the agenda is clear, and I intend to keep it that way.

My first order of non-business is going to be to finish "The Book Thief." That thing is like an albatross around my neck. I'm not really enjoying it, but am reading it because it's been so highly recommended.

At some point, but only if I feel like it, I'm going to play with my new Wacom Bamboo pen tablet. I took a photo of Julie and me next to the House of Blues police car and now I see I have a loudspeaker protruding from my left ear. So I'm going to try to remove that.

Slumping

I just don't have anything at all to say.

I'm finding that to be the case more and more lately.

And I think I'm in an "end-of-the-book" slump. It took me nearly 2 weeks of reading every spare minute to finish "World Without End" by Ken Follett. Now the story is over...all 1100+ pages of it...and I miss it. It's like when "West Wing" went off the air. There's a hole in my life where that book was. And I don't really have anything tantalizing to read right now.

But I am catching up, slowly, on my TV watching. The DVR has been quite full of the last 2 weeks of "House," "Brothers & Sisters," "24," "Gilmore Girls," "The Last Restaurant Standing..." all that.

I'd love for someone to make some book recommendations.

Rainy, Restful Weekend

It's drab and rainy here. In the 40s and dark. But my camellia is blooming all over the place, so I have this spot of color right outside my window. I really need to go out there and shoot it. But it's wet!

Mensa Boy and I watched "Lars and the Real Girl" last night. We'd watched it before and fell in love with it. It's sad and poignant at the same time. This lonely guy orders an anatomically correct doll from the internet and treats her like a real person. The entire town gets in on it, even electing her to the school board.

I finally finished reading "Rabbit, Run" by John Updike. Holy cow, what a book. This 26-year-old loser, who was a basketball star in high school, just up and walks away from his family. But he doesn't even do that well, ending up in a town just a bit away shacking up with a part-time prostitute. His minister befriends him, although I kind of felt like the minister was a bit of a loser too. I was glad to be done with the book. It's for our book group that meets this afternoon. But I will probably go back and read "Rabbit Redux" eventually. I bought the two in a volume together. Right now I'm on to Ken Follett's "World Without End."

So today will be church, reading and some serious yoga. I'm very sore from jazz and yoga yesterday. I used 8 lb weights at all three classes last week and now my arms are screaming. The screaming is competing with my abs' noise, as Sarah put in a real ab-buster in her set this week too. But? It's all good!

CollegeMoney

CollegeMoney
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

Last year I was surprised by how easily the money came together for Nate's freshman year at Erskine.

Friday I was surprised by how easily I screwed up my calculations. Failing to notice that an invoice I received last fall was for just the FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR has cost me an additional $2,300. A costly error on my part. And one for which I had to transfer money from our home equity line of credit this morning.

Ouch.

But Nate is thriving. After a serious academic misstep this fall he seemed to rally over J-term (the period during January when students take just one class on a very intense basis) and raised his GPA significantly. He aced that class, which is really the least I can expect of a son of Mensa Boy's taking that particular subject: The History of Ancient Israel. So now he is hurdling headlong into spring semester and will try his level best to get his GPA to a level that will allow him to maintain part, if not all, of his scholarship money.

It was a quiet weekend here in Indian Land. My other two guys went to the beach with SCUMYs...South Carolina United Methodist Youth. They had a good time. I had wine with good friend Nannette and her beau Chuck on Friday night.

Saturday I hit the Jazz class in Fort Mill and then stayed to attend a Yoga class afterward. After that it was pretty much all downhill. The exercise was good, but quite a bit for this body, which proceeded to seize up and say "ouch" in as many was as possible. But it's a good ouch.

I read more of "To Kill a Mockingbird" which, I have to say, I'd forgotten was so. darn. funny! And I watched episodes of "Private Practice" on the internet. What can I say? I fell victim to the crossover episode of "Grey's Anatomy" and PP and had to find out what the heck she could have said to make him stop the proposal process?

And now my guys are home, it's beginning to darken outside, and it's time to start settling down for the work week ahead.

I &The Catcher in the Rye

It's Sunday morning and I'm settling in with a terrible cold and the book "The Catcher in the Rye." I'll cough and blow my nose all day, drinking whatever appeals to me and no doubt dozing as often as the massive headache permits.

Why this book? Well, we have this little book group at church and it's run by two high school sophomore girls. They just studied it in their English class, loved it, and now want to share the love. It's been 30mumble years since I read it, and I am remembering already, after only the first half-dozen pages, that I loved it then too.

Of course I'll have to pull up some sort of study guide so I don't look like a blooming idiot in the discussion. I have no idea what literary parsing is done to this book that merits every high school student in the nation reading it.

It's okay to be hideously sick every once in a while. It makes you appreciate your overall health. I do kind of wish, however, that the headache wasn't part of the game.

Oh. Please forgive the grammar in the title. I just needed to do it.