Root Fences

This is such a clever idea – root fences

as seen in this very interesting and informative book

Russell Deasely from the fabulous site, The Top 10 of Anything and Everything, found this nice photograph of an actual root fence. Click this link and scroll down a ways to see one.

Alzheimers – Concrete

This beautiful most intuitive concrete piece of art is the best explanation of Alzheimers that I have ever seen. It is tragically touching and amazing all at the same time. Christine McArthy of artfulintuition on Etsy made this spellbinding piece called Vanishing Point.

Here is a link to her blog and post about the book.

artfulintuition.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/vanishing-point/

The Social Lives of Dogs – Elizabeth Marshall Thomas

Even if you don’t have a dog and are not a dog person you should read this book. You will be amazed, surprised and touched. If you aren’t then you just are not human. I cried from the very beginning and there are so many touching moments throughout the book. I’m only halfway through and I had to stop and tell you about the book. I do have to say that I would have done things different from the woman who wrote this book as far as the dog that she found on her front porch one day. Busy or not give a stray dog food and water to tide them over. They can not get it for themselves! Would you like to be lost, scared, confused, hungry and thirsty for days on end? Well dogs don’t like it either. You can almost always help yourself. Please remember an animal can’t. Give a helping hand. In spite of that little detour of a rant I do recommend that you read this book. It will give you an entirely new appreciation for dogs. It will show you that if you truly pay attention to your dog that they have been trying talking to you all along. Personally I think cats are the same.

Wednesday’s Yarn Along from Small Things Blog

I have not made much progress at all on the dog blanket for the shelter, I am a very slow knitter! I did however finish reading Chang and Eng by Darin Strauss. Below you will find my review.

The novel, Chang and Eng by Darin Strauss was certainly one of the most unusual and interesting books that I have ever read. After all how many times do you read about conjoined Siamese Twins?
Born in 1811 on a poor fisherman’s small thatched houseboat on the Mekong River in Siam Chang and Eng lived a full but unusual life to say the least. It started out full of love and support but then came many troubled times for these most wonderful siblings. They had many adventures from being in freak shows in the circus to being married men with their own families.
Their father unknowingly gave them one of the best blessings of their lives when he taught them Gung-Fu at a very young age. This form of mental and physical exercise would prove to be invaluable to them throughout their lifetime as would an old saying he also taught them…Mekong fishermen stay abreast of change. River men’s judgment helps one to make the appropriate decisions at the appropriate moment and diminish the influence of fate.
Chang and Eng had two distinct personalities which often times made living attached to each other quite a struggle. They learned from their most loving mother that fighting with each other was fruitless so therefore they had no choice but to learn to get along well together. Their love and support of one another was very touching and sweet.
Reading about their marriage and family life as adults was most interesting. Their marriage to two southern sisters was especially unusual considering the time period. I will say that I would have come up with a slightly different arrangement than the one they used for their marriage bed.
I thought it very odd that they owned slaves considering what they had been through in life. The brothers were hard workers in spite of their handicap but they did need help in running the small farm where they lived during their marriage. I would think however that hired help would have been a more gentle answer to the situation.
Although there were many moments of happiness in this story it has more than its share of sadness. I did not cry until the very end and I can’t imagine anyone not getting at least the slightest bit teary eyed. The story of Chang and Eng had perhaps the most emotionally touching ending that I have ever read.
I put off reading this book for a long time thinking it would be far too sad to read. Now I am glad that I read it. By using the first person point of view in telling Chang and Eng’s story, Darin Strauss captured their true essence so very well. It feels as though I have personally met them and have been familiar friends with them for a long time. It would have been a most interesting and wonderful friendship.

After You Shoot (a gun in shelf defense)

I came across this most unusual and interesting book this afternoon. After You Shoot by Alan Korwin. He mentions some things that I have never thought about and hope that I never need too. He talks about calling 911 for help if you are ever in the situation of confronting and shooting an intruder and what that does to your legal rights.

Life Without Limbs :: Nick Vujicic

This most inspiring book tells the story of Nick Vujicic learning to adapt to life without any limbs.  He has one tiny little foot. Can you even imagine that? I know that I can’t. Nick has found great happiness in life (more than most people), by accepting himself the way he was born and learning to use all of his God-given talents to help others. I haven’t finished it yet but I couldn’t wait to share it with you. This is one book I want to buy for all of my friends and relatives.

Life Without Limbs :: Nick Vujicic.

Good Book

How to Talk to Your Cat covers all the information needed to properly and effectively communicate with your cat, well any cat for that matter. It covers everything from facial expressions to the movement of whiskers. Even though it is a children’s book it’s interesting to read and very informative. I learned that cats will nick each other but not kill each other.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

As I first started reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston I was annoyed by the archaic language used by the characters, however I was intrigued by the main character Janie whose life was like so many other women of that time and so many still today. Women who have to hide who they really are and what they really want out of life.

Janie was a happy young soul forced to live an old soul’s life until she was an older woman. Then when least expected a wild, crazy, untamed love presented her with the chance to be her true self. Was it a gamble she was willing to take at her age? Would it pay off? Sometimes to have the life of your dreams you have to be willing to swim against the tide. You have to believe in wild crazy love and have a very young soul even when you might be too old for it.

Coming Of Age In Mississippi

Anne Moody takes us on a sad yet inspiring  journey through her youth and college years in the scary world of African-Americans living in the South during the 1950’s and 60’s.  It was heartbreaking to read some of it.  It was beyond my realm of thought how people could do some of the things they did and still do to other human beings.
I admire the way Anne stayed on track working for something so meaningful to so many people.  She gave up a lot for so many to gain so much. It was as if it was in her very bone marrow to work against the horrible effects of racism.
We have all heard of Rosa Parks but I doubt that many of us really understand how brave she was or what those times were really like.  Now we can.
Coming Of Age In Mississippi has given me many  thoughts to ponder as well as answered many questions that I had concerning that time period.