Success!

Last week my book club met to discuss my book The Lemon Tree. Finally I found a book that people liked, enjoyed reading and learned something. And we had a really good discussion. We were missing a few people due to whatever "bug" is going around but sometimes with a smaller group the discussion is better- less distractions etc. Our next book is My Song- Harry Belafonte. Should be a good read.

MLK-" If you can't fly then run…"

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Martin Luther King When my book club met in September to set up our year of reading none of us realized that our January meeting would fall on Martin Luther King day. Tonight we will discuss The Lemon Tree a book recommended to me by a fellow reader. The story of two families- one Israeli and one Palestinian - it tells the story of both and the creation of Israel in the hopes of presenting an understanding of the longstanding conflict in the area. I found the book a little slow in the beginning however as I had little knowledge, beside the most basic, of the conflicts, I found it to be an informative and very interesting read. There is an interesting and enlightening show on NPR (Fresh Air), with author Sandy Tolan, which also helped in gaining more insight. I am really curious as to what type of discussion this book will (hopefully) generate and how people will view it. A book about the right to return to one's homeland and the right to live without fear in one's home to be discussed on the day of remembering a civil rights leader.

One year

Today was a bittersweet day for my family and me. One year ago my dad passed away after a long four weeks of illness.

This is a picture of my dad with his great grand daughter Chantelle. We have all made adjustments this past year to his absence especially my mom who has kept busy (sometimes it seems that she has more of a social life than I!). And there are more good days than bad and sad. Here we are tonight- my mom,one of my brothers and my husband- toasting my dad with a "wee bit of whiskey"- a new family tradition in his honor!