Recently read: John Lescroart’s Betrayal

I enjoy a good legal thriller, and Lescroat is one of my two favorite authors in this genre (Robert K. Tanenbaum is the other). In this book, San Francisco attorney Dismas Hardy is asked to take on a thick case file compiled by another lawyer—one who has been missing for a while. The case is what appeared to be an open-and-shut murder of a Navy SEAL employed by a private consulting firm in Iraq. The accused murderer is a lieutenant who was also in Iraq and is now in prison. Much of the book details the background of the two men amidst the fighting in Baghdad, which is an interesting twist for Lescroat, who usually places his novels in California. As always, a griping read that is hard to put down.

A quote for readers

Book collage page from Artella

Edmund Burke, 18th century philosopher and writer, noted that, “Reading without reflecting is like eating without digestion.” I agree, yet there are sometimes when I don’t want to reflect—I want to just read without thought, to escape into a fantasy world where the good guys and dolls always win the roll of the dice. I find it helps to know when a book deserves reflection, and when one does not.

A tornado in Kansas

Photo of their camper from the Smith's private collection

Here's an article I wrote for this week's Dunn County News http://www.dunnconnect.com/articles/2009/07/08/news/doc4a53ae323957b162911982.txt

I love being a writer and getting to spend time talking to people. Ed Smith is a retired UW-Stout professor who was delighted to talk about the Great Adventure. Next week I get to tour a winery. Is being a writer fun or what?

Recently read: Carlson and Bailey’s Slowing Down to the Speed of Life

If you don’t usually like to make time for self-improvement books, then just read the few pages of the preface where Carlson and Bailey describe their lives before they learned the principles provided in this small book. They have presented some of the key issues I have been dealing with over the past few years, such as living in the present moment and following your intuition, and shown me how to effortlessly incorporate them. The concepts of Processing Mode and Free-Flowing Mode of thought made an immediate difference in my daily life. I encourage you to make this book become a well-thumbed volume on your bedside table, as it has on mine.

Rhinelander School of the Arts

This is the 46th year for the arts program in this small Northern Wisconsin community, when more than 300 people come together with 30 instructors to explore, learn and create in a variety of disciplines. Workshops are available for art and folk art, computer skills, mind, body & spirit, music, photography, small business and nonprofit development, theatre and drama, and writing. This summer, the week-long session is being held from July 19 through July 24. For information, see http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/soa

Recently read: Arturo Perez-Reverte’s The Flanders Panel

This is the second book I’ve read by this Spanish historian and author and it’s as good as the first one. In this, an art restorer named Julia discovers a mysterious message under the layers of paint. The Flemish painting is a triple portrait of two men playing chess, and a woman in the background. The trio, the Duke of Flanders, his wife, and one of his knights, were involved in a murder during their lives 500 years before. Now, people connected with the upcoming auction of the painting are also being murdered. Chess masters and art historians take their turns at solving the mysteries. This is a particularly compelling book if you play chess; however, lack of knowledge of the game doesn’t hinder your appreciation of a well-written book with a surprising ending.

Quotation for the day

I've always loved the statues of the Laughing Buddha. This one can be purchased from Acacia at http://acaciacatalog.com/product.asp?pn=50530&bhcd2=1246635748

As part of my Dell home page, I signed up for the Buddhist Thought for the Day. Here is a recent one that particularly resonated with me: “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” - Buddha