No Whining Allowed

I finally finished “A Proper Pursuit”, by Lynn Austin. It seems like a long time ago, but I do remember liking it quite a bit. Ms. Austin is one of my favorite authors for many reasons, but one thing I especially like about her is that she ties up all of those loose ends. And I appreciate that, as loose ends bug me. Another thing that I like about her books, is that with each one, she jumps to different era’s. So I feel like I am getting a little history with my entertaining book. In this book I learned a bit about the dating practices of 1893. And I realized that it was all about presentation . And not really  saying what you really  think. And I think  I probably would have ended up a spinster. Because I am fairly certain that when I was younger, my presentation  would have not exactly been what the Grandmothers and Mothers were looking for . And they were the ones orchestrating all the dating. Also that last part, about the not saying what you really think? That has never been one of my strong suits either. And in some circles, that can be seen as a positive, not a negative. So I seek membership in those  circles. Cause those who know me well, could tell you that I have been known to say what I think. Cause I believe that honesty is the best policy. And I have never lived in a make believe world. So I reccomend this book. You get to go to the Chicago World Fair as well. And that made me nostalgic for Laura Ingalls Wilder again. Cause in her later years she went to a World Fair. It may have been in San Francisco, but who cares?

 Now I have to make a little confession here. I have always been a fan of the Little Pioneer Girl. The books. The TV show? Not so much.  But even I would not have guessed how often she would make an appearance on the blog! I guess she has just always been woven into the fabric of my life.  I heart the Ingalls Family ! There, I have said it. But I’m guessing  that the person I stood by at the Psychadelic Furs concert 20 some odd years ago, might not have been able to see that fabric. It probably was my presentation. 

The second book I read was “The Prodigal Comes Home” by Michael English. He was an up and coming Christian singer in the early 90’s with a truly amazing voice. And he took his life, and basically threw it away with both hands. He had an affair, that was the last straw for his marriage, and then fell headlong into drug addiction. But it is an amazing  story of failure and redemption. Oh my, there are consequences for our sins. He is very honest and humble and I liked him even more after reading it.  On an aside that I thought was funny, on the first page, he talks about a concert at Temple Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan in the spring of 1994. This was evidently a turning point in his career in regards to fan worship. And I told Mousey, “Oh my goodness!  Daddy and I were at that concert, in the second row! And I was pregnant with you!” We weren’t involved in all the fan worship, I assure you. But I do remember thinking he was a nice looking man.