More books I’m reading, Part Two: International Assistance Dog Week

I’m about two-thirds of the way through Bob Goff’s book, Love Does… It’s Bob Goff’s memoir, with anecdotes about his life and how they relate to his understanding of his faith – Christianity. He’s a great storyteller. As a reader, I’m enjoying it, and as a writer, picking up some tips.

In my previous post I also listed Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him. It’s a powerful autobiography about the importance of his service dog, Tuesday, in dealing with the physical and emotional wounds suffered by Luis Carlos Montalván. While some of the details of the story have since been questioned, the book made me look into the training of service dogs for veterans. This particular author’s tale is the one that was published, but there are many others whose stories have not been told who need the support of a service dog.

August 5-11, 2012, is International Assistance Dog Week, which recognizes and celebrates assistance dogs around the world. It was started by a woman who has dealt with paraplegia for decades, according to International Assistance Dog Week‘s website. They provide a link to Assistance Dogs International, which establishes standards for assistance dogs, programs, and trainers, and provides education and information.

People dealing with disabilities who use service dogs have rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Getting a dog can be a long process, though.

Dogs are used in the field for combat stress relief, in military and veterans’ hospitals as facility therapy dogs, and as guide dogs and hearing dogs. These dogs can be trained to perform specific tasks that are difficult or impossible for the human, as well as to respond appropriately to his psychological needs. The author’s dog, Tuesday, was specially trained to perform the services Luis Carlos Montalv. 

The VA provides information about, and links for, service dogs for the military. VA Service and Guide Dogs I found a few other links as well. There’s the program Puppies Behind Bars, featured on Extreme Makeover Home Edition, that provided a service dog to a veteran in addition to the home rehab. These organizations need volunteers, and foster families for early raising and training. They also don’t turn down donations.

I found this organization near my home; it’s based in Brookeville, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. Hero Dogs

Hmmm 🙂

A Few More Books I’m Reading…

Lat night I laughed out loud as I read Bob Goff’s Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World. (If you read it, just remember Ryan, and you’ll know what made me laugh) Written humility, heart, humor, and describing the author’s faith, it drew me through the first eleven chapters in one sitting. I didn’t want to put it down. I texted my friend, Jennifer, here in Sacramento, to thank her for recommending it. It’s a great story to have on your mind as you fall asleep.


My friends, family and I are all voracious readers, on both coasts and between, constantly on the lookout for another good story. I search the New York Times bestseller list, American Library Association recommended reading lists, Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble 5-star books, and even the covers of books to which strangers’ eyes are glued at airports, cafes, the beach, and poolside. 

I realized it’s been a while since I posted what I’ve been reading. 
The titles may give away where I saw each of these books. I’m not saying they’re all equal in literary artistry. You can check their ratings and read free samples on Amazon or B&N. (I again left off the list the books that make you say to yourself at the end, “I gave away those minutes of my life for THAT?”)  But here are a few of the others!
  • Lucimarian and Robin Roberts – My Story, My Song: Mother-Daughter Reflections on Life and Faith (as told to Missy Buchanan.) I recognized Robin Roberts from Good Morning, America. This is her mother’s fascinating story, including how music graced her entire life, before, during, and since the civil rights movement 
  • Cheryl Strayed’s Wild (From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail)
  • Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, for which she won the Pen/Faulkner Award, and The Getaway Car: A Practical Memoir About Writing and Life
  • Jennifer Hanson’s Hiking the Continental Divide Trail: One Woman’s Journey
  • Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain. I loved this book, as a reader, and as a writer.
  • Catherine Ryan Hyde’s When I Found You follows the lives of a man walking in the woods, and the abandoned infant he finds there
  • Liane Moriarty’s The Hypnotist’s Love Story
  • Dianne Mott Davidson’s Crunch Time. (I’ve read all of Dianne’s culinary mystery novels, set in and near my former town, Evergreen, Colorado)
  • Juan E. MĂ©ndez and Marjory Wentworth – Taking a Stand: The Evolution of Human Rights. Click the link to understand the credibility of his perspective  
  • Martin Crosbie’s My Temporary Life: set in modern day Scotland and Canada, the first half is like a YA novel, second half grownup, following a young man to adulthood 
  • Nicholas Sparks: The Best of Me
  • Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life. Intersects Bob Goff’s book, above
  • E L Kames’ erotic and funny Fifty Shades of Gray, 
  • Abigail Thomas memoir: A Three Dog Life
  • Paul Harding’s Pultizer-winning Tinkers
  • Helene Cooper: The House at Sugar Beach
  • Mary Karr’s Lit, which I also just started, and now read only in the morning
  • Karen Russell’s Swamplandia! 
  • Tina Fey: Bossypants
  • Juliette Sobanet’s Sleeping With Paris
  • Luis Carlos Montalván’s Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him
  • Jessica Parks – Flat-out Love
  • Jennifer Richard Jacobson’s Small As An Elephant, with an eleven-year-old protagonist, was treasured by this adult reader.
So, what have YOU been reading? 

Revision, revision…

“I’ve found the best way to revise your work is to pretend that somebody else wrote it, then rip the living sh#% out of it.”    ~ Don Roff, YA fiction writer

The dearth of new posts on my blog is explained by Don Roff’s quote, above.

My YA novel, currently titled Through the Fog,  is undergoing major revision. My poor main character has a few new trials to endure.

Having reached a storyline crossroads, I made a few difficult decisions:

  • move the dead body
  • sink the ship
  • alter reality
I’ll let you know how it turns out. ~M

Natomas Best Buy…patience and persistence

I was home in Maryland in May and June, eagerly looking forward to using my new camera for a graduation. The matching zoom lens I bought would let me get great closeups. 

Wouldn’t you know it? Despite taking some great pictures the day before, and charging overnight, the camera froze just in time for the graduation. Not one picture! 

I bought it when I was in California, so when I next visited Sacramento I found the paperwork and original container and took it back to the store. I took it to the Geek Squad at Natomas Best Buy on June 14th. It was still covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, so they said they’d send it off, with an estimated return date of June 26th. An email on June 28th let me know it was still in service.

Due to a family member’s illness, I returned home to Maryland earlier than planned. Imagine my surprise when I received an online survey from the Geek Squad asking for feedback now that I had my camera back. I tried to fill out the survey, but there was no choice for: 

“Wha??? I don’t have it back!” 

Fast forward through hours of phone calls to the store, “Best Buy Public Defender”, and emails to Customer Care – all lost writing time trying to track down and retrieve my camera.

But…today, over seven weeks after I dropped it off, and five and a half weeks after it was supposed to be returned, I finally picked up a replacement camera, along with the $25.00 gift card I suggested might be appropriate given the circumstances. I was patient and persistent, and it paid off.

When a manager, let’s call him “Buck”, finally spoke with me, he provided the gift card with a sense of humor about its Christmas greeting. He then suggested I purchase the extended warranty for the camera. I’m accustomed to this, having purchased many products from Best Buy in the past. However, I was not prepared for his reason:

“Look how accommodating we have been, replacing this camera for you.”  

Grrr.

Fortunately, everyone else I spoke with in the store today was generally kind and helpful. Only “Buck’s” suggestion was that Best Buy had somehow gone above and beyond what should be expected. The camera was originally given to Geek Squad on June 14th. It was estimated to be returned to me on June 26th. Today, August 3rd, I finally received the replacement, not because the store was proactive in tracking my camera when it was late, or contacting me, but because I spent a great deal of time repeatedly contacting the store and Best Buy’s Public Defender. 

What do you think? 

I thought it was the store’s contractual obligation under the terms of purchase and the warranty, to produce either the repaired camera or the replacement. That’s what they finally did.

So what’s the silver lining this time?  

Patience and persistence pay off.  Keeping good notes was worth the time.  And even after missing so many great shots this summer, the mountains are still calling. There are beautiful photos to be taken every day.  

Dr. Sally Ride, 1951-2012

“All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary.”
~ Dr. Sally Ride

Dr. Sally Ride passed away yesterday, leaving a legacy of intelligence, scientific inquiry, and courage. Born in Encino, CA, she was on two space shuttle missions.  One thing I remember about her was her professionalism. Even when members of the press tried to make being a female the issue, she kept the focus on the science.  She was a wonderful model.

Dr. Ride was supportive of a colleague who shared prescient concerns about the space shuttle Challenger prior to its tragic explosion, even when others were not. Her concern was on the science, not the politics.

I bet “Mustang Sally” is playing out there somewhere … “ride, Sally ride.” She will be missed.

Young men and women are needed in the sciences. To learn more, visit Sally Ride Science.

California summer cooking with flower

My friend and fellow writer, Dixie, had the most unusual flowering plant by her back porch in Lincoln, CA. It was nearly as tall as I, flowering lavender-blue. It looked like an alien sunflower, but it wasn’t. I finally guessed correctly – it’s an artichoke gone to flower. 

Dixie cut one for me, and it now sits with peonies in a floral arrangement on my table. That was my inspiration while cooking for company yesterday. My planned spinach salad was transformed, and turned out pretty cute. The crumbled bacon in the middle looks like sunflower seeds, and the eggs, the petals. It’s just a traditional spinach salad, but arranged with a summer hand.

Who says you shouldn’t play with your food?

Finding a good hairdresser in Sacramento


How do you find a hair stylist in a new town? Well, if you’re like me, you talk to people.  I found myself in need of hair care in Sacramento. When I found myself in the queue at a department store behind someone with fabulous hair, I confessed to being new in town, complimented her hair, and asked if she’d share the name of her hair stylist. It’s amazing how helpful people can be!
The first person recommended was wonderful, but after a few months she ended up leaving her salon to return to school. I wasn’t as impressed with what I’d seen from her colleagues, so I was back to the search. I had lunch with a new friend. She has great hair. 
I have long, layered, usually auburn hair. I drive a convertible and swim, so my hair often bleaches out and gets really hard to keep nice looking. So now I’m feeling grateful for generous friends, and a great new hair stylist!
On my first visit to Strands (on Folsom, Sacramento), David spent time asking questions and listening to my hair wishes. By the time I left, he’d spent three hours with me, restoring my hair to its natural color, plus adding beautiful, subtle high-lights. 
Oh, and giving me a neck massage.
Highlighting darker hair can be tricky. I’ve had bad experiences elsewhere with well-trained, experienced, and quite expensive stylists. David’s was the most natural-looking result, with fine blonde sun-kissed highlights. It didn’t look like some past disasters. 
Instead of the “hair implant” look with perfect rows of blonde stripes, David gently scattered natural-looking highlights throughout, with special attention around my face and other areas where the sun naturally lightens. The “zebra” look of heavy strips against a dark background was thankfully substituted with very fine highlighted sections that look natural. My base auburn color, which has been interpreted by other stylists as ranging from orange, to blonde, black, and even magenta, looks both indoors and  out like a color of hair actually created by nature. 
It would be easy to be fooled by his own blonde mohawk, but even though David is fun and adventurous with his own style, he spent as much care making my hair look the way I wanted (natural, healthy and professional), as he did making his own look the way he wanted. After my shoulder surgery, when he couldn’t massage my neck, he gave me a wonderful hand massage. 
I’m not his friend, or relative; just a grateful fan. Thanks, ladies, for the recommendations. And thanks, David, for the great hair!

Northern California swimming hole

When the Sacramento heat passes 100 degrees, it’s time to cool off.  About an hour’s drive from town is this beautiful spot on the middle fork of the Cosumnes River.  The water is crystal clear, widening and slowing before splashing over rapids below, then calming again under the bridge. It’s a good old-fashioned swimming hole that even has a rope swing. 

I didn’t try the rope, not knowing how long it had been there, (or its tensile strength). I was happy just floating downstream on the current from beneath the old stone bridge, where I could see swirling swallows and their nests. They and the chameleons probably accounted for the lack of mosquitoes you’d normally find around water. I was sure to pull over before the rapids just below this spot. On such a hot weekend you’d expect a crowd, but the only other folks around while we were swimming were downstream under the road bridge, apparently getting ready for some tubing. You can just make out a tuber in the lower left of this photo, which gives you a sense of the river’s scale.
This is a do-it-yourself place accessed from public land. There’s no risk manager to make sure you are safe at all times. That’s fine with me. I like being responsible for myself, scouting upstream and down, and enjoying a swimming hole without lifeguards or crowds. I’ll do that every time, since the water levels change. I love discovering a place where there’s even a cave too deep for me to see the back wall, and deciding not to bother any animal that might live inside. The private land across the creek is marked “no trespassing.” But there are plenty of places like this on public land. I’ll post a few.

Directions: from 50 east, we took exit 44A, Missouri Flat Road, then turned left where it T’s into Pleasant Valley Road. After driving through Diamond Springs we turned south on Bucks Bar Road. (Just over 5 miles from Pleasant Valley Road) We followed this to the E16 intersection, also known as Mt. Aukum Road, where you find the Somerset Store and Gold Vine Grill. We turned south (right) on E16/Mt. Aukum Road. We followed this to the bridge over the Cosumnes River, then turned left into the parking area behind the left side guard rail. You can walk along the road until you see the path down to the river. We did a quick visual scout from above, then cooled off in the river.

Torn ACL, Doggy-style

My adorable, muscle-bound dog, Patches, suffered an athlete’s fate here in Maryland on Thursday. She made the mistake of running and turning at the same time. Dogs tend to do that. Our vet identified the cause of her subsequent limp: a torn ACL. He said it tends to happen to very strong, athletic dogs whose muscle strength exceeds their ligament strength. She probably tore it a little bit in the past, and this was the final straw. Poor baby!

First, I didn’t even realize dogs have ACL’s. Yup, along with a miniscus, just like human knees. I never knew that. And they can blow them out on the playing field, just like human athletes. Patches has some surgery and a tough recovery ahead.

My ability to help her is limited. I can’t pick her up, or give her a boost, or much of anything, because I’m still recovering from shoulder surgery. You’d think I’d at least have injured it doing something fun: rock climbing, skiing, sailing, or snowboarding; but no. I blew my shoulder out doing something just as challenging as Patches: I lifted the head rest on a rental car. Pop! What was I thinking, trying something like that? More proof that your body gets the last laugh for everything you put it through.

Hmmm…I think I see a couple of patterns here. Unexpected injuries, and supportive family. Which gets me to the gratitude part. I’m so thankful for my parents, who came to help during my surgery, and now, to my two awesome family members who are supporting Patches through hers. We will both try not to do anything too strenuous. Like turning left.

Another great TED talk – Happy Planet Index

I like the idea of measuring the success of a nation not solely based on productivity, but on the happiness of its citizens.

As a parent, the wishes I and my friends have for our children always begin with “happy and healthy…”

But, if you believe television, happiness is defined as success, which is defined (by the television programs that are funded by companies that want to sell us things) as having stuff. Happy with a diamond…a BIG diamond. Happy driving a car. It’s great to love the outdoors, but you need a sweet ride to get there. Happy having an attractive person next to you. PS: all the products and surgeries needed to be attractive are available if you just pay for them. Earn a LOT of money. Then you can buy all this stuff. Then you will be happy. Hmmm…

If you’re producing something that is required for survival, like wheat, or vaccinations, then efficiency and productivity are also required for survival. But in what case is efficiency actually less productive?

There is a balance between quantity and quality. If you’re a doctor and can crank through twenty patients in an hour, you’ll earn more money that day. But will you and your patients be happy and healthy? Depends. It costs a lot, on many levels, to miss a diagnosis.

When teaching, I was able to help struggling writers be more successful when the number of students was limited such that I could respond in writing to their journal entries. (Well, if I stayed up most of the night :-D) Having the time to know their interests made writing stories for struggling readers possible; they persevered, decoding and comprehending difficult vocabulary, when the protagonists in the stories were them. Fewer students, but I would argue, more productive.

Is “Meaningful Productivity” a term? I think it brings a lot of happiness. Sometimes exhausted happiness. Satisfaction. Compassion.

Here is the wonderful TED talk that got me thinking about happiness as success: The Happy Planet Index

I hope you enjoy it. Be happy 🙂