Brenda's Befuddlement

Julie is off at her Aunt Sue’s farm this week and having the time of her life. I am so jealous.

Last week, she was at her Grandma and Grandpa’s. She is so very lucky

At the beginning of the summer, Julie and I signed up for the reading program at the library. While at Grandma’s, Julie read 11 books. (Yes, Grandma is a retired teacher. :))

I just went and got out my 4th book. It is Andy Williams’ memoir, titled Moon River and Me. It is very good so far, however, I now have “Moon River” stuck in my head. Well, just the small part that I know.

While Julie has been away, I’ve had one of our favorite songs stuck in my head. It is “I Sing you a Song” on the album Can You Hear a Lullaby? by Dee Carstensen. The two songs are mixing in my head. And it has me in quite the state.

“Moon River, I sing you song, wider than a mile, my little one, my little one.” Egad.

I have found myself shying away from fiction lately and I am not sure why. The book I just finished was another memoir titled Dreaming in Hindi by Katherine Russell Rich. It was about her year in India learning Hindi. It was also about how we learn language. And the Indian culture where she was studying. And how our brains are affected by the language we speak. The book went in circles around these themes and left me feeling - not lost, not mixed up, not confused, but in a dreamlike state, much as the author felt as she tried to comprehend the world around her in a language she didn’t grasp. When things started to click, then it was time to leave.

The book before was The Loved Dog by Tamar Geller. If you are training a dog, RUN to the library and get this book out. If you want to understand your four-legged friends better, read this book. If you want to know more about being a decent human being, then read this book. The author gives insight into her life as well as the lives of the dogs she trains. It is an excellent book.

The first book of this summer was I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali and Delphine Minoui. There are images from her story that still haunt me. It is a slim book, after all, there is not much to chronicle when you are ten, but her story is packed with life. There are so many cultures that Americans are generally unaware of. Getting a glimpse into Yemen was moving. Nujood Ali is an amazing young lady who has gone through hell. No one should be forced to marry.

Now I am in another state. If you hear me humming, feel free to try and sing along.

To hear the songs yourself, click on the links:

http://www.deecarstensen.com/lullaby/QuickTime/4_isingyouasong.html

http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/stuckonyou/moonriver.htm