Double Cross

It sure felt good to watch the Packers win today. Even if they did only beat the Detroit Lions, it was important for them psychologically to have a win after the devastating loss to the Vikings led by Brett Favre last week. That puts the Pack at 3-2 against the Vikings 6-0. While we may be behind in the standings, we do have another chance to beat them in November!

Double Cross by James David Jordan is the sequel to Forsaken and continues the story of Taylor Pasbury, a brave twenty-nine year old woman who runs her own security company. Taylor is living with Kacey, daughter of a good friend who was murdered in the Forsaken. She promised to watch out for Kacey and the two have become as close as sisters. When the two women go to confront a former worker of Kacey's father who appeared to have been embezzling from the business, they instead find her dead of an apparent suicide. The pieces just don't add up to Taylor who can't let the investigation go, especially when it seems to involve her newly returned mother, Hillary. Hillary and Taylor have been estranged for over twenty years, and their reunion is more than bumpy. Taylor is a fabulous character who is just learning what it means to be a Christian. Her faith has helped her beat her addiction to alcohol, but she still struggles with understanding just what being a Christian means. She's enormously fun to read; her interior dialogue keeps the reader smiling, and wait until you see how she takes one bad guy down! When her friend Michael says, "They didn't know what they were getting into" referring to messing with Taylor, he's right on the money. Taylor is smart, funny, and tough, and I can't wait to read what she does next.

Thank you to B&H Publishing for sending me this book!

Today's picture is from I Can Haz Cheezburger.com. It made me laugh, and I hope it does the same for you.

According to Their Deeds

I visited Grandma for a couple of hours this afternoon. If nothing has changed, I'll go back around eight or nine tonight to spend the night with her again. Jeff stayed last night, and he said that the nurse who had been so rude to me was wonderful. Apparently someone talked to her about it. Grandma is running a fever of almost 104, but the hospice nurse said that's normal at the end of life. I am so impressed by all of the hospice staff from Unity. They are unfailingly polite and supportive.

Grandma has deteriorated so that she isn't talking or moving at all, just breathing quickly but peacefully and occasionally opening her eyes. She's been a huge Packer fan for most of her life, in the last couple of years she's even had a bit of a crush on A.J. Hawk. When he came on the TV screen, she'd say, "There's my guy." When I came in today, I talked to her about different things: the kids, the weather, flowers. Then I leaned in close and told her about Brett Favre's possible defection to the Minnesota Vikings. A brief smiled flitted across her face, and Grandma chuckled, she actually chuckled! That was such a blessing for me and Jeff. She's still there, and she can hear us just fine, AND she agrees with the rest of us Packer fans that Favre is being ridiculous!

According to Their Deeds by Paul Robertson is an unexpected delight disguised as a political thriller/mysterious book quest. Charles Beale is quite content with his life as a rare book store owner in Alexandria, Virginia. Married to his soulmate, Dorothy, and buying and selling books that inspire his soul, life has settled into a comfortable rhythm, even with the addition of a part-time worker named Angelo who is doing his probation working at the store. After the death of Charles' friend, Derek, he purchases back the antique books on philosophy that Derek had purchased over the years. He discovers Derek had a hidden life built on profiting from the secrets of others, and Charles determines what to do with this knowledge as well as discover who really murdered Derek and why. Most books with this plot as a set-up would quickly spiral into car chases, gunfights, and treks across the world. Robertson instead turns the entire genre on its head with this quiet and incredibly intelligent mystery. Charles' method of investigation involves enigmatic conversations with the many suspects, and much of the book is simply conversations. Charles is polite, and the definition of a good man. The secrets he discovers weigh heavily on his heart as he tries to determine whether to administer justice or mercy. As a reader, I fell in love with the subtle rhythm of the book, along with discerning the truth. It's a rare gem in a cluttered genre, and I hope that Robertson isn't finished with Charles and Dorothy. I would love a sequel.

Mia's acquired a recent love of Magic School Bus dvds. I've been ordering them from the library, and we've been on a steady diet of them for the last two days. She's already changed her dream job from veterinarian to marine biologist from yesterday's episode about the ocean!

When It's Fourth and Long

Tomorrow Mom, Molly, her friend, and I are going to the Amish quilt auction. I go on and on about it twice a year, so I won't do that again today. I'm really looking forward to it as usual. Molly's excited to share the experience with her friend. It's supposed to be a beautiful day, hopefully not too cold this year.

When It's Fourth and Long by Josh Bidwell is the autobiography of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers punter and former member of the Green Bay Packers. Bidwell was struck down by testicular cancer when he was 23 and had just signed on with the Packers. He kicked the cancer and it strengthened his faith in God and his love for then girlfriend now wife Bethany. The child of a divorce, Bidwell has lived through some rough times in his life, and he's very honest about his mother's battles with addiction and his own struggle with anger. His pride in his wife and two sons brings a smile to my face. He tells a few good tales about playing with the Packers, but really focuses on his deep friendship with Ryan Longwell. His story is inspiring and very moving; his writing isn't poetic, but he's the type of guy you would want your daughter to bring home. This would be an excellent book for someone who loves sports but normally wouldn't read a book about faith and God. It's nice to read about an athlete who recognizes the impact his celebrity can have and wants to do good with it.

Congratulations to Sherry Scimemi! She won a copy of Mark Batterson's Wild Goose Chase. I'll have another contest in two weeks. Have a great weekend!

Goodbye to Brett Favre

I couldn't end the week without a tribute to Brett Favre's retirement. Here's a few things I came across throughout the week that I thought were too interesting not to share.

Here's an article about a couple from Florida who gave birth to twins days before the retirement announcement. The boys' names: Brett and Favre.

TIME Magazine paid homage to the King of the Cheeseheads.

It was Favre who made me love football and especially the Green Bay Packers. His exuberant love for the game was contagious, and it made those of us from Wisconsin feel like he was one of us. When I told Mia that #4 wouldn't be playing for the Packers any more, her mournful cry echoed that of Packer fans everywhere "We'll never score any points again! I'm gonna miss him!" Amen!

Meet the Next President

Rudy Giuliani was never going to get my vote for president, but he has affirmed that with his treatment of a Green Bay Packer fan. Click here to view a video take on Monday in Punta Gorda, Florida. At a meet and greet, Giuliani was signing tons of autographs, but when a Packer fan approached and asked him to sign a Packers cap, Giuliani said it was bad luck and turned him down. He then immediately signed a Giants cap. For those who aren't rabid Packer fans, the Pack plans against the Giants in the NFC championship game on Friday here in Green Bay. I can see being loyal to your team, but Rudy isn't a senator or mayor from New York anymore. He wants to represent the whole country. By turning down a Packer fan, I think he shows that he doesn't quite have his head in the national game yet, because he's still defending his home turf. There are Packer fans across the entire country, I don't think the Giants can say the same. The Packers have a certain nostalgia and affection from many who live outside of Wisconsin. There's something special about a team that's owned by a town, and not just any town, but the smallest town to host a national football team. So while I usually don't encourage people to vote one way or another, in this case, if you are a Packer fan, don't vote for Giuliani; show him that respect goes two ways. If he doesn't respect the Pack now, how is he going to respect Wisconsin when he's in office? :)

Meet the Next President by Bill Sammon is a brief guide to the candidates with biographies and stands on major issues. The book covers Mitt Romney, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Fred Thompson, Bill Richardson, and John Edwards in detail. I was a little disappointed in the coverage; this was not the book I expected. Maybe it's asking too much in this age where every reporter has a bias, but I was hoping for objective, thorough coverage of each candidate. I didn't really notice the bias until reading the bio of Hillary. Then I flipped to the back flap and noticed that Sammon works for FoxNews. Ok, that explains it. While I'm no fan of Hillary's, his bio seemed determined to focus on the most negative aspects of her life. Romney's flip-flopping is accentuated, as is Hillary's shrillness, Obama's unusual upbringing, and Edward's legal antics. That said, I did learn a great deal about each candidate profiled, but I feel that perhaps Sammon released his book too soon. Richardson is already out of the race, Thompson has yet to show, and "dark horse" Mike Huckabee only merits 3 pages. This book is a good start to the research needed to make the right choice in the voting booth, but it's too incomplete and biased to give the whole story.

Jake's appointment yesterday was a non-starter. He won't be getting the surgery. Mom and Jeff got a bad feeling from the doctor and his staff, and Jake was frightened by all of the possible side effects of surgery (paralyzation, death!). Instead, he'll be getting Botox injections in Green Bay, once they find a doctor who does them. It's a disappointment that such a great cure isn't on hand, but it was worrying with the ITP.

Grandma's surgery yesterday was successful, but she's going to have to go the nursing home for physical therapy for 6-8 weeks. That's going to be very hard on her; she's fiercely independent. Hopefully they'll let her watch the game in her room on Saturday so she can watch her "guy" A.J. Hawk. At home she'd be wearing his jersey and perking up every time he appeared on the screen.

Other People's Love Letters

The Packers are going to the NFC Championship game! Hopefully, the Cowboys will lose today, and the Giants will have to come here next week to play. The game was fantastic to watch, probably the most exciting of the year. If you watched the game, you saw them get over 2" of snow after kick-off. We didn't get any snow up here (45 minutes north) until after the game, so it was surreal watching them shovel off the 10 yard lines every few minutes. I haven't jumped up and down in so long, I forgot I knew how until I realized I was airborne. We even spotted the Seahawks 14 points, and they still couldn't take down Favre. There was a great article in yesterday's Green Bay Press Gazette about the honorary team captain yesterday: it was a nun. Only in Green Bay!

Other People's Love Letters by Bill Shapiro is a fascinating peek into love: its beginnings and endings, and the twisted path between. Shapiro, whose website has many more of these letters, asked his friends and exs for old love letters. They, in turn, asked others giving Shapiro a huge range of letters to choose from in making this book. From sweet text messages, to post divorce rants, these letters are enjoyable and insightful. It's amazing how similar letters written in the first throes of love are: you're amazing; I can't live without you. But Shapiro tried to pick letters that said something deeper and love and the human condition. It's not a book you want to read in one sitting; reading too many back to back makes them lose their potency. But taken in small doses, it's a great way to remember how good love feels in the beginning and how sweet it can be after many years. Some of my favorite letters were the ones written by married couples several years in. Shapiro includes a short epilogue with brief stories about some of the couples who wrote the letters. Reading these made the letters even more powerful, especially the one from a husband serving in Vietnam in 1969. A great read, perfect as a Valentine's Day gift; give it with your own love letter!

Snow is still coming down here. It's a beautiful sight, as long as I don't have to drive in it! Have a great weekend!

After the Glass Slipper

I broke down a few weeks ago and started watching the Packers on TV rather than listening on the radio. Last night's game against the Cowboys was a wild ride. At first Mia wanted to cheer for the Cowboys because she like their uniforms better, but I threatened to call Bumpa (her grandpa) and tell him that she was against the Packers, so she quickly changed her tune. Watching the Packers in our home involves a great deal of yelling and sound effects (from me, Jesse doesn't watch football). Mia got caught up in the spirit of the game and was soon booing the Cowboys and giving raspberries to the referees (who definitely deserved them last night). She'll make a great Packer fan someday. Midway through the first quarter I was forced to do something I've never done before: I muted the TV and listened to the play by play on the radio. The CBS announcers were awful! Do you think they deliberately set out to find two smug, condescending announcers? It was an absolute sin that the NFL limited viewing of the game to about 10% of the country, and then to add insult to injury, they put on Greg Gumbel who makes my hackles rise. And the coverage by the cameramen verged on offensive. I've never watched a game where they nearly follow the team into the locker room and peek in until someone closes the door in their face. They followed Favre after his injury up and down the tunnel. It felt like the players were being stalked by paparazzi. Overall, CBS failed to provide good commentary with enjoyable coverage. I'll avoid them for future games.

Although the Pack lost last night, I'm proud (for the most part) of how they played. It was almost a blessing when Favre went out in the first half. Every time he aired out that ball, my heart caught in my throat, and I knew it was going to end badly. Aaron Rodgers acquitted himself well, earning us two touchdowns including his first ever NFL touchdown pass. There was a poignant moment when the camera focused on Favre shortly after when you could see in his eyes that the torch was being passed. I wonder if Don Majkowski had that look in his eyes 15 years ago.

After the Glass Slipper by Jon & Beverly Meyerson is a marriage guide cleverly disguised as a sequel to Cinderella. The Meyersons, who have years of marriage counseling experience, have written what happened after Cinderella and her Prince were married. During their honeymoon, they fell even more in love with each other, but when they returned home to their castle, they quickly discover that living with another person can be difficult at times. In the midst of each struggle, either the Fairy Godmother of Caring Godfather arrives with good advice hidden in a poem that teaches the couple how to have a happier marriage. The advice is excellent: compliment each other, accept each other's feelings, support each other's interests, etc. Yes, the advice is for the most part common sense, but it's written in a way that's enjoyable to read. Because the book is written as fiction, it's likely to reach a wider audience than it might as simply a self-help book. It's a great book for newly weds (and those of us who aren't!).

Molly's big choir concert is tomorrow, and of course we're supposed to get 8-12 inches of snow, maybe even thundersnow! Thank goodness they've postponed the night concert until Sunday. Praise God!

Today is your last chance to sign up to win one of two copies of For Parents Only by Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice. Just drop an email to clockstein@centurytel.net to enter by midnight tonight! The winners will be announced Monday.

Interred With Their Bones

I am a huge Green Bay Packer fan, which isn't too unusual for someone from Northeastern Wisconsin; it's almost bred into our DNA. I'm one of those Sunday afternoon watchers who yells at the TV and occasionally jumps up and down. Lord help you if you step in front of the screen during a play! I've been feeling crummy the last few weeks, so I haven't watched any games yet this year; AND THEY'RE 4-0! And so to do my part as a fan, I won't be watching any games this year. As much as I would have liked to see Brett Favre's record breaking touchdown yesterday, I'm just superstitious enough to listen to it on the radio instead. If not watching the game is the price I have to pay for them to win, I love them enough to do it.

I've been giving updates on Mia, but today it's Molly's turn. Molly has gone into high school with a new poise. She stands up straighter and smiles more. She won the female lead in the school play (performing Nov 9 & 10 for those of you in the area) and is in vocal jazz choir. She broke up with Ian the first week of school and quickly started flirting with a sophomore football player named Andrew. She asked him to homecoming, where does she get the courage, certainly not from her mother! Now that they are officially a couple, she went out with his family to supper and a movie on Saturday. It's all a little odd to me and lacks the comfort level of a distance of 1500 miles, but he seems very sweet. I've invited him over for supper and a movie later this month. I know it's annoying to get those Christmas letters packed with parents bragging about their children, but I'm truly proud of my girl and the woman she's becoming. Today's pic is her in her homecoming dress.

Interred with Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell is the story of the quest for a lost Shakespearean manuscript and the danger that hides around every corner. Kate Stanley is an expert in occult (knowledge hidden within the texts, not supernatural) Shakespeare who is about to direct Hamlet at the newly built Globe Theater in London. But things quickly take a twist for the strange when her mentor, Roz, shows up with a gift and mysterious message for Kate, then turns up dead at the theater, killed in the manner of Hamlet's father. Kate opens the gift to find a brooch and a message alluding to a lost work of Shakespeare. As she traces Roz's steps to find it, she's hunted and betrayed at every turn. I love books like this! Carrell packs in action, suspense, a hint of romance, and a lot of Shakespeare and Elizabethan trivia making the book a joy to read with every turn of the page. Kate can't quite figure out who to trust and neither can the reader as she flies from England to the US to Spain and back. Carrell's love for The Bard shines through on every page while bringing up questions as to the authorship of the works he's been given credit for. She throws in political machinations from Elizabeth's court and a few scandals, and she weaves fact and fiction so cleverly together, it's nearly impossible to sort them out. But God bless her, Carrell also takes the time in length author's notes to separate fact from fiction while still leaving plenty of mystery. The writing and characters are solid. I've read comparisons of this to The DaVinci Code; Dan Brown only wishes his books were this good!

Good news and bad news about being on methotrexate. Good news: the pain is less severe and I'm better able to function through it. Bad news: I feel like I had morning sickness 24/7. I can't eat foods I used to love, sometimes even water is too strong for my stomach. I'm also having dizzy spells. Back to good news: I've dropped over 7 pounds in the last 2-1/2 weeks because of it.