I just had to post about a book I recently read, Roll Around Heaven. The author is
Jessica Maxwell. This woman is a hilarious writer. I loved this book. In fact, I am going to read it again. It is the story of a woman who had no spiritual beliefs, in fact was turned off to God and religion at an early age, who basically has an incredible spiritual awakening after her father passes away. It reminds me a lot of things that happened to me when I moved to Virginia in the 1980s when I also had a huge "accidental" spiritual awakening. I laughed my way through this book. The interesting thing about Jessica is that she was an adventure writer before she wrote this, traveling to places like Argentina to learn and write about fly fishing or golf or even salmon spawning somewhere. What a cool profession! The book is really a chronicle of her many adventures with people she meets but it actually starts off with her conversations with Lory Misel, a pig farmer in Oregon who came to speak to her writing class she was teaching who turns out to be an authentic spiritual master that blew her mind. She winds up going to his house every Thursday just to talk about God and spiritual matters which she calls "Thursdays with Lory." Her best friend describes her story as "Lucille Ball trips over God."
Meanwhile, back on the home front, Liberty is doing incredibly well (knocking on wood 3 times). Finally treating him properly with natural antifungals, probiotics and even possibly a new item, LDN cream (low-dose naltrexone) has really seemed to turn this child around. He is suddenly doing age-appropriate things and is more present. And, finally, the constipation that he has suffered with for so long appears to be clearing up. I have started juicing and also making smoothies just to get some fruits and vegetables in him lately and that seems to be working, too.
So, some good things happening. We are also gearing up for school starting August 23 but before then, we have lots of birthdays to celebrate: My father will turn 93 Sunday, his sister and my aunt will be 91 this month and yours truly will be, well let's just say I am having a birthday, too. No need to discuss my age before breakfast. And my sister from NY is coming down, too and that means there will be lots of fun and laughter. It's Party Time.
Check out the book, you'll be glad you did!
4 comments:
I loved this review and your post. Your writing is natural, interesting, and I just picked up on the excitement, renewed hope, and joy that this book has evoked. I read the review you sent me and the reference to Karen Armstrong. Karen has been on an international campaign to place compassion at the forefront of national and international priorities. I love her for it. Armstrong's life story is similar to Maxwell's in terms of being turned off by tradition religious views and finding her own way through a dramatic event.
Thanks Susan. Wow you know Karen's work? For anyone else who wants to read the essay by Jessica referencing Karen Armstrong, the link is http://www.powells.com/blog/?p=9431
I have it in my pile and am just waiting to read it! Now it might have to move up a few notches!
I just put it on reserve. It sounds like an interesting read.
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