The Good Liar

The Good Liar by Nicholas Searle

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Can a person be born evil? It seems that Roy was. This book is the story of his life- told backwards.
It is well written, but extremely difficult to follow- especially at first. You just figure out what’s happening when the setting shifts back to an earlier time and you have to figure out what’s going on again. I loved the “sting” ending. But I really can’t recommend the book too highly. The language is rough and I have to say I didn’t enjoy spending that much time in the presence of an evil sociopath who spent his life destroying others’.



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Overcomer

We enjoyed this movie of determination, triumph, and love.  It has Christian overtones, but is not gagging schmaltzy.

To view other movies and show we have enjoyed, please click here.

I've decided to post a movie or show we recommend each Monday- Movie Monday!  I just know that we are always looking for good movies and shows to watch.  So just in case you are too, you can check here on Mondays.

Helen Marr Celebrates her 100th Birthday!

I have blogged about her before.  Helen Marr and her husband were good friends with my parents back in the Caldwell days.  Dad and Helen Marr's first husband sang in a barbershop quartet together.  Mom and Helen Marr loved each other.  Their birthdays were just five days apart in             1920.  After both moved to St. George, they always went to lunch to celebrate their birthdays together.  I went along a few times.  How I loved to hear them giggle together.
Recently, Helen Marr celebrated her 100th birthday.  Her family put on a lovely party for her.
It was so fun to attend.

Helen Marr with some of her beautiful granddaughters.  Isn't she beautiful?  Would you ever guess that she is 100 years old?

I loved these posters her family had made with  100 reasons they love her.  I can think of at least that many myself.  I especially love the reason that she loves everyone, but she makes everyone feel like they are her favorite.  So true.  So true.

Helen  Marr is now living in a local assisted living facility.  I love to visit her.   I say I need to go and have my Helen Marr fix. She is truly one of my heroes.  She lived in our ward when I was Relief Society president.  She was always first to volunteer to help with whatever people needed from providing food, helping people move, cleaning, etc.  She recently confided in me that she still looks for ways to serve her neighbors in her new home.  AND . . . she can still touch her toes! I wish you all could meet her- you would love her.  I hope I grow up to be just like her.

I Will Look Up

I love this mantra! I was reading in a book by Sterling W. Sill.  He points out that four-legged creatures are designed to look down,

but we two-legged animals are designed to look up.

  There have been several talks in general conference encouraging us to look up. One of those was
"It is Better to Look Up" by Carl B Cook in October conference of 2010.

You may remember the story he told to introduce that talk:

"At the end of a particularly tiring day toward the end of my first week as a General Authority, my briefcase was overloaded and my mind was preoccupied with the question “How can I possibly do this?” I left the office of the Seventy and entered the elevator of the Church Administration Building. As the elevator descended, my head was down and I stared blankly at the floor.

The door opened and someone entered, but I didn’t look up. As the door closed, I heard someone ask, “What are you looking at down there?” I recognized that voice—it was President Thomas S. Monson.

I quickly looked up and responded, “Oh, nothing.” (I’m sure that clever response inspired confidence in my abilities!)

But he had seen my subdued countenance and my heavy briefcase. He smiled and lovingly suggested, while pointing heavenward, “It is better to look up!” As we traveled down one more level, he cheerfully explained that he was on his way to the temple. When he bid me farewell, his parting glance spoke again to my heart, “Now, remember, it is better to look up.”

I know I learned this lesson when visiting Europe.  If you don't look up in Europe, you miss half the beauty.  

So there is a mantra for you:  I will look up.  I will look to the source of hope and light. I will not miss the beauty.

To view other possible mantras, click here.

Rules of Civility

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The setting is the year 1938 in New York City. I loved the inspiration for the book: The author attended an exhibition of the photography of Walker Evans. The photographer secretly took photographs of people on the New York subway in the late 1930’s. Upon close inspection, the author discovers that two of the photographs are of the same man, several years apart. In the first, he is obviously wealthy and at the height of his glory. In the second, he is now poor, threadbare, and careworn. This sparked the imagination of Towles. He made this man a central figure in his story and imagined what may have happened to this man that caused his fall and change. Isn’t that a great premise for a book?
The man in the photograph (the author names him Tinker Grey) meets two girls- Katie and Evie and it is their story- at least their story for the year 1938. It is a story of friendship and love and social status. It is a story of integrity and what that means in a relationship. It is a story of acceptance and forgiveness. It is a story of first love. First love is different that any that follows. The author captures those poignant emotions and brings back memories of one’s own first love.
Told from Kate’s perspective, we live through her experiences. She is charming and witty, but flawed and real.
I really liked this book and appreciate the writer’s talent.




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I Will Lead You Along: The Life of Henry B Eyering

I Will Lead You Along: The Life of Henry B. Eyring by Robert I. Eaton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I am embarrassed to admit how long it took me to complete this over 500 -page book. I started it over four years ago and got well into it before we left to serve a mission in Japan. It was too big and heavy to take with me. I picked it back up several months ago and started over with the goal to finish by years’ end. I barely made it!
I loved reading from it most every day. I found the life of President Eyering most inspiring. His self-discipline, his humility, his determination to match his day to day life with his priorities, his brilliance, his humility, his love, his humility, his follow-through, his humility, and his dedication to God and his callings are all traits I admire and hope to emulate.
President Eyering was the president of Ricks College many years ago when I attended there. I remember him being very personable, greeting students and faculty on campus and even teaching a class. What I didn’t know was the reason for his being out among us so often. It was because his uneducated, older home teacher received revelation that that is what he should do to improve. The home teacher shared that with President Eyering. Humbly, President Eyering took advice from his farmer home teacher, literally changing his life.
The last chapter was about his wife and his marriage. It was my favorite. Kathy always supported and helped her husband. She, too was brilliant. She was his sounding board and editor and a fine speaker herself. In her later years, she has lost her memory due to disease. As mentioned above, President Eyering lives/ lived by his priorities. He set up a comfortable lounge chair in his office and took her to work with him. He would have others watch her while he was in meetings, but most of the time he watched over and cared for her himself. I don’t know if he is still doing this (the book was written several years ago,) but I was so touched by his love and devotion to his eternal mate.
As you probably have guessed, I highly recommend this book to everyone.




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The Chillbury Ladies Choir

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Expecting a nice Potato Peel Society-type book (this one is also set in England during World War II), I wasn’t sure I was going to like this one as I started reading. In the first chapter, we meet a mean, abusive man who must have a male heir, so hires an unprincipled midwife to exchange babies with another expectant mother if his baby is not male and hers is.
But things get better, and all the evil people get their due. I grew to like the characters and wish for their success.
By the end, it was a “can’t put it down” story of war, triumph over evil, community unity, music and even romance.
I think this would be a great book club book.




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Let's Start 2020 with a Cruise!

Ken and I enjoyed our cruise to Mexico last  January so much, we decided to do the same cruise again this year.  We like it because we can drive to and from the port, it's inexpensive, and nice.  This year, we were on the Royal Princess- the same ship we were on for our transatlantic cruise last April.  It is a bigger ship and very nice.

We left on Friday, January 3rd and traveled to Las Vegas.  We spent the day in the Las Vegas temple.  We then drove to Primm and shopped and stayed the night there.  That put us three hours closer to the Las Angeles port where we boarded the ship on Saturday.

The food on the cruise, as always, was delicious.  We did better at controlling ourselves.  I didn't gain any weight and Ken gained a little, but has since lost it all.  It is random what food I photograph.  But following are some shots of the delicious food.

 Princess often repeats menues.  This avocado shrimp salad is usually served as an appetizer at the first lunch on the ship.  It is creamy and delicious.

And this salmon is usually served at the first lunch.  The sauce is to die for.

I love Princess's clear broth soups.  We both love their soups.  Ken loves all of the chilled soups, too.

This entree' was a bit small, but absolutely delicious.  Five small scallops in a delicious citrus sauce and one piece of crispy pork belly.  My mouth is watering.

This is a mixed seafood appetizer: clams, calamari, shrimp, and scallops in a sauce.

This is my favorite meal on the cruise.  They serve it at the  2nd formal night- the same night as lobster.  But it is better than lobster.  It is beef wellington.  Oh my, it is good.  And I also love the spinach puree' over there.  I never touch the potatoes or mixed vegetables, but how I love that beef dish.  

Now I have your mouths watering, I'll tell you what else we did.  We both read a lot.   I also spent a lot of time studying for my next gospel doctrine lesson.

Ken read this book about his ancestors.  He shared a lot of the stories with me.  What an interesting book!  Now I can't wait to read it.

I finished this book by Amor Towles.  He is a fine author.

Ken gets up early each morning of the cruise and goes on the top deck and walks and walks and walks.  He often takes beautiful pictures of the ships docking and the beautiful sunrise.

We both got colds on this cruise and didn't feel great (I'm still coughing).  We decided not to get off the ship at Cabo San Lucas.  But the next day we had a nice adventure in Matzatlan.  

We took the shuttle off the dock (you had to)

At the dock market

We took a golf cart taxi to Old Town.  I got a better picture of it later.

Old Town was full of people- locals, tourists and vendors selling their wares.  But they weren't just selling to tourists.  This is where locals came to purchase foods and other necessities.

Eggs anyone.  Piles and piles of eggs- not refrigerated.

We then walked a couple of blocks to the beautiful, landmark Catholic cathedral.

Baked goods for sale

Absolutely stunning

This is the only Catholic cathedral that has a star of David in it.  Did the artist just get mixed up, or is there some significance?

Ceiling shot

In the center area was this rameumptom-type stand.

A close-up of the altar piece.

View from the front

Outside

Across the street at the town square, this guy was dancing for tips.

A shot of the front of the cathedral.  You can see the spires all around town.

We took another golf cart taxi back to the ship.  He took us up over the hill and down along the ocean.  The ocean views were gorgeous and I loved seeing the houses and how people lived.

There is a better picture of the golf cart taxi.

Shots off the back of the ship while docked at Matzatlan.

The next day, we were in Puerta Vallarta.  We took a taxi to the Malacon- an artistic walkway along the beautiful beach.

Meet William.  He was employed at a restarant/ bar on the Malacon.  We stopped to rest on this bench near his restaurant.  I had to use the restroom, but others restaraunts required you to purchase something to use their restroom.  I asked William if I could use theirs and he said yes.  He took me back to it.  Meanwhile, he and Ken struck up a conversation.  When I got back, we all had a very good conversation about the church and eternal families.  William is married and the father of three small children. We encouraged him to stop the missionaries when he sees them and ask them to teach him.  He promised he would.  It was interesting.  He seemed drawn to us.  We would say goodbye, and then he would come back and ask us another question.  He did this several times.  We hope he does find the missionaries.

At the town square.

I don't know the significance of these banners, but I thought they were pretty.

Christmas nativity in town square.  Christmas decorations were still up everywhere.  Someone explained that Mexico celebrates Christmas a lot longer than we do.

Puerta Vallarta also has a beautiful cathedral we wanted to see.

This is a hearse.  There was a funeral going on inside.

Ken's friend, Howard, had just visited us from SLC on New Years Day.  He said he loves to crash funerals and weddings when he travels.  Well, we did just that.  We crashed this funeral.

It was an interesting cultural experience

Getting back on the ship

Dressed up for our last formal night

It was a fun cruise and now we just have to recover from the colds!