At Some Disputed Barricade

It's been a week since I last posted. I hate to go that long before posting, but this last week has been a rough one. I overdid it on Monday and Tuesday and spent the next four days on the couch trying to rest up. The pain got so bad on Saturday, Jess took me to the urgent care center. The doctor upped my prednisone again, which gave me a little jolt on Sunday when I ran around cleaning and straightening, but I'm back to pooped again today. Dad blessed/cursed me by putting a game called Bookworm on the laptop, and that keeps me busy. Maybe a little too busy. It's extremely addictive, even Molly and Doogie are sucked in. Jess hasn't had a chance; he had another major paper due this weekend. He's taking a nutrition class, and he's already learned a great deal. Fruits and veggies are the new snacks in the house. Mia doesn't mind at all, I'm having a little harder time with it.

At Some Disputed Barricade by Anne Perry is the fourth book in her World War I series. The story features the Reavely siblings: Joseph, a chaplain with the troops in France; Matthew, working with Britain's Secret Service, Judith, an ambulance driver, and Hannah, a little mentioned wife of a navy captain. The first three siblings have been working for years to uncover the identity of the Peacemaker, a master manipulator who is trying to bring about peace at any cost and who killed the Reavely's parents at the beginning of the war. This not a series you can start reading in the middle and comprehend all of the twists and turns, but the series is fantastically written with a strong eye for detail and well-described characters. Perry does an elegant job of handling the pros and cons of war. Peacemaker's position is easy to sympathize with, but there is a cost to every war, and peace can have a heavier cost. Both Joseph and Judith struggle with weighty personal decisions and what true loyalty means. Joseph's faith has been wavering since the death of his wife, and the constant and senseless deaths of his men is shaking him to his core. Matthew's life is in danger as he comes closer to the identity of the Peacemaker. Perry's description of the French trenches is vivid and desparate; I can't imagine how a country could recover from such destruction. This series is a terrifically written study of what war does to individuals as well as countries. The last book in the series is coming out later this month.

Doogie is turning 16 on Wednesday. I can't believe my baby boy is getting so old. What does that say about me? The pic for today is a baby sloth. I could use a little of that special treatment today. You can find more cute animal pics at Cute Overload. I especially love the hedgehogs! Mia likes to watch over my shoulder while I look at the new posts.