Reading Along

Normally, I am a pretty voracious reader. Normally, that is. However, the past couple of weeks/months I have kind of slid a bit on one of my favorite pasttimes but I'm going to kick it into gear again and try to get up to speed.

My older daughter got me a new book for Christmas; I got my younger daughter two new books for Christmas and last week, I ordered two copies of a book by a lady I learned about from reading an interview with her on one of my favorite blogs - Over the Hill Boomer Chick's Musings.

I'll start with the book I just purchased last week. The name of it is "Myths of the Fatherless and the author is a Kathy Holmes. Although this book does deal primarily with issues that affect women who, for whatever reason, grow up without a father present at all or perhaps only sporadically, it also has many aspects that are applicable to men who are raised under the same circumstances. Men, frequently have many of the same emotions when raised in these circumstances as do women.

Because all three of my kids grew up not really knowing their Dad very well and I never knew mine at all, I bought two copies - one for my younger daughter and myself (and which will be available for my son to read if he can pull himself away from his Volkswagon magazines long enough to peruse it) and the second copy will go to my older daughter.

This book is especially relevant for my older daughter because she actually has "two" Dads, you could say. She has the one she grew up with for roughly 8 years who is her stepfather - my ex-husband - and she has her biological father who has never seen her. She was five years old when I married her stepfather so he is the only male parent she has ever "known."

However, about three years ago, she found her biological dad. I never hid his name or details about him or our relationship from her - she always knew as much about him, basically, as I did. Having located him a couple years back, she even took the big step to call him and introduced herself to him over the phone too.

Not normally prone to striking up conversations casually, for her to make a move like that - to up and call him - was really a very big and a very scary step for her too. Fortunately, he was very nice to her on the phone and since then, they do talk from time to time on the phone. He lives about 2,000 miles from us so she still has not met him but she says he wants her to come out where he lives, hopefully, this fall, so they can met in person and get a little better acquainted. Her biggest fear about this possible meeting now is how her stepfather might react to this piece of news. She's very worried he will be upset and hurt and even feel she is abandoning him - which she isn't doing - but she does feel the need to meet her biological father and I can readily understand her wishes in that respect. It's always been one of the biggest regrets - if not the biggest - of my life that I was never able to know my dad. I knew his name, his family and such, but because he died when I was less than a month old, I never knew him, what he was like, his interests, his voice.

I've already read the copy I purchased for my household here of Ms. Holmes book and for anyone reading this blog - if you grew up not really knowing or not close to your biological father, I would very much recommend you get a copy of it and read it. It does explain a lot about the inner emotions that apply strongly to anyone who lived in those type of circumstances.

I'm now about 2/3 through the book my daughter gave me now too. It's title -"Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" and is by David Sedaris. If you've never read anything by Mr. Sedaris, give some of his writing a shot. Definitely shocker type material at times, but also really, really funny stuff to read about his life as an adult interspersed with stories from his childhood and his very dysfunctional (two parent too) family! I'd highly recommend any of his works!

My other daughter finished one of the two books I got her for Christmas now too - both by Jodi Picoult - who has become high on both my daughter's and my list of favorite writers. The book I gave her that she finished last week and plunked down on my desk with instructions to start it as soon as possible is "Second Glance." So, as soon as I complete the Sedaris book, that's what I'll be reading next. The other book - sitting here, waiting patiently in the wings by Ms. Picoult is "The Pact." I figure if both these books are as good as the other ones she has written that we have also both read, they'll both be good, interesting readings for me!

Since my younger daughter's birthday is coming up in about three more weeks, and since I found out too how easily I can order books online from Barnes and Noble and receive them very quickly too, I'm going to be ordering at least one, maybe two more of Ms Picoult's books for her, for her birthday present.

But, I have also decided I will be making yet another book purchase - from another author whose blog appears on my favorites list here - "Reading Rucker."

I'll be making a purchase of Linda Rucker's book "Dark Ridge." I'd like to recommend others consider purchasing Linda's book too not just to support her but also, in doing that, it will be giving support to the W.H.A.T. movement which is being set up to receive 40 percent of the proceeds of any sales of Ms. Rucker's book. The W.H.A.T. organization -organized by Ms. Rucker and author Michael Witherspoon, stands for Writers Helping with Aids Treatment is geared to assist anyone with AIDS and, in my opinion, a very worthwhile organization.

For more information on the W.H.A.T, please check out this website to find out what's being done, what's being planned for the future. And please, pass this information along to everyone you know too. Who knows, the life of someone you know might just depend on it!
http://www.freewebs.com/justsaywhat/

And that's my say for today! Let's all just keep on reading now!

Can We Talk? Please?

No, I'm not trying to imitate or emulate Joan Rivers with her routines but I'd really like to take a few moments of your time to talk about something that I think is one of the biggest issues facing society today. And, maybe, just maybe from reading this and another blogger's post here, it might help save someone's life too - maybe even yours!

The subject is one that many people - even after twenty years since this was first noticed on the radar screen of medical researchers is still a very misunderstood thing and often, way too often, it either joked about or discussions on it are TABU!

I'm referring here to the epidemic known as AIDS.

This disease, once believed to affect only gay men, is no longer regarded in that manner as it strikes young, old, gay, straight - all races, ethnic groups - no one is truly safe from this illness. There are ways that it can be prevented but these do require several things - precautions, safe sex practices, and educating yourself as to how easily people can be infected by the HIV virus.

I'm not going to go into detail here about the who, what, where, how of AIDS.

I am however asking that you please read the blog - shown on my "Blogs I Like To Read List" and called "Reading Rucker. (readingrucker.blogspot.com) My friend and author, Linda Rucker, has posted an excellent piece there with very valuable information about this epidemic - and yes folks, it is an epidemic and is growing by leaps and bounds every day!

Linda, along with another writer friend, Mike Morris, whose blog "The_Author_Mike" freewebs.com/the_author_mike/ also appears in my list of favorites, are joining forces and resources in a concerted effort to try to raise awareness and yes, money too, towards the treatment and/or prevention of this illness.

Please, please, pretty please with sugar on it - stop by Linda's blog and read about ways this illness can and is being spread, methods that can be used to reverse the spread of AIDS and learn some of the plans Linda and Mike are working on in a great undertaking of the group - W.H.A.T. (Writers Helping with AIDS Treatment) to do whatever they can to help combat this scourge.

And please too, spread the word to your family and friends about Linda's blog, about her book "Dark Ridge" from which she has pledged to donate 40 percent of her profit from each sale to combat AIDS spread and helping those already affected/infected by it.

The message you spread and the life you save by doing this could very well be that of a family member, close friend or who knows, maybe even your own.

A Way To Help!

I belong to a Writer's Group - not always one that operates like maybe what folks might consider a "normal" writer's group though in that these people talk and talk and boy, do they talk some more and often, the topics are not completely about writing.

We discuss all kinds of things - virtually everything from soup to nuts, as that old expression goes. Recently, there have been many postings about two particular topics - homelessness and AIDS. And, it is the latter of those two topics that I would like to talk, at least a little bit, about today.

We've all heard things on the news - TV, Radio, newspapers, magazines every where - about the problem of the AIDS disease. How scientists are working daily, striving to find a cure and in the meantime, also to find more drugs, better treatments to keep those affected living, just one day, one month and now, in many cases, some are being helped to live years with the disease.

Don't think as so many tend to do that AIDS is something that affects only the Gay Community now because if you do, you've fallen into a trap of misinformation. AIDS can very easily affect any of us - all of us! Sex is not the only way this is contracted and anyone can end up, inadvertently becoming ill with it and also, spreading it to others who least expect that they could get this terrible disease.

I am not going to go into details here of how easily it is spread. I am not going to go into detail here either about how many areas, world-wide, have been and are being inundated with this epidemic.

What I am going to do though is to point you to a fellow blogger's website - it's listed in the column to the right of this posting - Reading Rucker. Written by Linda Rucker, a writer from central Florida, she gives very detailed information about this disease and what is needed for people to do to help find a cure.

Because Linda believes so strongly in trying to help, she has set up a program through the publisher of her recent book "Dark Ridge" whereby any sale of a copy of her book, 50 cents from what she would normally earn will be donated to AIDS research.

You can learn all about her book, her donation program and how passionately she believes it is up to not just her but ALL of us to try to do our part to find more medicines to treat this illness as well as a cure to bring this to an end.

And, if after reading her posting, you are interested in helping this very important cause, order a copy of her book and you will have done three things that are all good for you. You'll have learned how important this research is to each of us - not just the Gay community. You will have contributed to helping fund the necessary research to find a cure. And finally, you will have a new book to read!

And, if your friends and family members all like to read too, order a couple copies of Linda's book and give them as gifts for Christmas, birthday - any occasion whatsoever!

But ultimately, you will have done yourself the biggest favor possible by trying to prevent the spread of this disease and thus, by learning more about AIDS, you can learn how to keep yourself healthier in the process too!

Go do it - NOW! Read Linda's blog, order a copy of her book, "Dark Ridge" and together, we can all work to eliminate this terrible disease!