JUST ONE

That's all she had in her. Nothing else. Zip, nada, the big O.

I'm talking about Pulitzer Prize author Harper Lee. But what a great novel made into a great movie. A staple in high school American Literature classes and a novel mostly unloved by college English profs.

Maybe because I read the novel shortly after in came out in 1963, and as freshman in high school, I could really identify with Jem and Scout and Dill. Maybe because we had a Boo Radley in our 'hood, a Mr. Baumgardner, who along with his mean wife would keep any stray football, baseball, playground-type ball that went in their yard. Maybe because Atticus Finch was such a strong character; I mean how could anyone allow someone to spit in their face and not react violently? I don't know what other reasons I may have had for liking the book so much, but I did.

And when the movie came out--wow! It was almost as good. The Academy must have agreed, too, since it won best picture. Could anybody other than Greg Peck have played Atticus? How about Duvall as Boo? And the kids, again, great casting. To think that Dill was based on the boyhood of Truman Capote. Well, it's just an awfully good read and view. I'm sorry the college profs have a dim view. Some of the stuff they put me through as an undergrad were bad enough. But as a grad student, the reading material got no better. At least for my taste.

But that's all Harper had. One shot. She never had another story. Thank goodness no sequels, for what sequels are noteworthy? But that's always amazed me about Ms. Lee. I guess you could call her a One Hit Wonder.

HOW COOL IS THIS?

My parents met when my mom was working at Woolworth's Dept. Store and my dad was working at Acme's Candy Kitchen, next door. Now the pictures I found on ebay under the topic collectibles, subtopic advertising were also next door to each other, or rather the next page.

And I know Cowboy boots and candy are different, but hey, it's close.

They dated for about a year and a half before they married to start a family. My brother Jack was born the next year. As for me, well I didn't come around until 20 years later. No siblings in between. When my brother married at age 22 and started his family, his children were close in age to me, his oldest being 5 years younger, so I kinda had sister/nieces for awhile. By the time his son rolled around, I was 12 and then 15 when his last child was born, so there was obvious separation there.

I have to rely on him to provide family history because I don't remember much. I was always out playing ball and if I wasn't, I wanted to be, so when Aunt Cordelia came to visit from Louisiana, I wasn't too interested. I wasn't around when she lived in my hometown and she didn't have any kids my age, so I'd get kissed and pinched and go my own way to the nearest baseball, basketball, or football game I could find. All my grandparents had passed away by the time I was ten or eleven, so again, I didn't have much in the way of family history.

Our BSF teacher is writing his family history with a chapter on Religious Legacy. I think that's pretty cool. (I know, I've used cool twice now, and started to write neat, but I thought that dated me) I could have been more hip and spelled it kewl as a former student of mine did, but I thought it stupid then and now. As for our legacy, after early upbringing as a Methodist, my Mom was a member of the same church as my dad and me. One of my grandfathers was well versed in scripture, and quoted it a lot according to my bro, and his wife was a foot-washing Baptist.

So I guess my chapter would be pretty short. Certainly important, but not many details. So if my brother and I had been named after where my parents met, he'd be Ac or A.C. instead of Jack. And I'd either be Wooly<> or Worthless.

INKIN, BLINKIN, AND NOD

My cousin used to read me the story by that name. It seems there were three guys in a tub or tug that went out to sea one day. I don't think they ever returned.

I never realized until recently that they may have been wandering because of their bad actions. Or they may have simply been drowsy in the land of Nod. Since Nod was a character and not a place, they may have just had silly names.

In Gen 4:16, Cain is banished east of Eden in the Land of Nod for killing his brother Abel. I shared earlier that a history teacher of mine in junior college said he could never keep straight who killed whom unless he recalled "Cain killed Abel with the leg of a table." Like a lot of good stories teachers share, I've forgotten the point, perhaps a pneumonic device for memorizing, but I can still remember the example.

The main thing is Cain had to leave the presence of the Lord. While David in Psalm 27 desires to be in the presence of the Lord in his daily life, it was a luxury not afforded Cain after his evil action. So Nod is a lot like Hell. And that's what separation from God is.

WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW?

When I came across this logo, I thought "Cool. It's from a library, maybe a book store. It's about loving books, loving to read." Well, it should be, but it's not. Instead, it's about skateboarding.

Now while I'm not into bashing the boarders (they do enough of that to themselves), I think this logo better suited for readers. And since this is my blog, that's what I'm writing about. Since "Molly at the Zoo," my favorite Little Golden book, I've loved to read.

If I'm not currently reading something, generally a novel but not always, then I am extremely busy. If I'm not reading the Bible, then I'm in a Bible study or two and I'm in the Word vicariously. At least I'm focused on what the study is.

Currently, I'm studying from a book entitled Seeking Him about personal revival, the Psalms, and I just finished a John MacArthur study in Galatians. Also I'm finishing the last of the Left Behind series and David McCullough's 1776. I know I'm behind the times in the last two, but that's a little flaw in my reading habits. I don't like to hurry through a book. I may put it down for three, four, six days or more. But I nearly always finish what I start, except for a Michael Crichton book, State of Fear. I still intend to read it.

I don't count the newspapers, magazines, computer time including others' blogs and sports websites. That's kinda like not counting coffee as a part of breakfast.

If you're not reading, why not? It's never too late to start. And if you're just not a reader, then try to design a logo for those of us who are. Then we won't have to depend on the skateboarders.

MARCIA BRADY'S 51--REDFORD TURNS 70

What gives anyway(s)? How in the world did these people get that old? Was it that long ago that Marcia was wearing braces? Actually, I think it was her sister, Jan. But she was of braces age. How old must the maid be? And Redford? Is it me, or did he just turn old when he revealed how much of a liberal he is? Maybe that's what worry will do. Along with some misguided notions.

So when am I going to get to Rabbit Proof Fence? Lindsay Lohan (LinLo?) will soon be old enough to drink. Oh, she already does? Hillary Duff is now 19. My kids are 60? Well, their combined ages.

I don't know. It doesn't seem like I should be so old. Oh, yeah, I've slowed down. Nine PM bedtime: 4:30 AM arise. In 10 more years will it be an hour earlier to bed? And will I get up at 3:30? And I can remember that I used to start out for the evening at 10:00 PM. Why, I woke up the other night at 11:30 for a drink of water and thought it was almost time to get up.

Now, about that fence. I have more rabbits in my yard than ever before. Which means the coyote who used to live in a wash under a little bridge in our hood has left the vicinity. The rabbits leave reminders, even on my front door mat. They also dig in my cactus garden. They haven't gotten into the pool yet, like ducklings and their mother, but they will. My rabbit proof fence in the back, separating a golf course from my property, has lot of openings. So sans coyote, sans interest in swimming, I guess I'm stuck with them. Kinda like my sleeping habit. Kinda like Marcia Brady and Robert Redford aging so fast. Huh? Well, some analogies break down sooner than others.