Publisher: Moody Publishers.
Publication date: June 2, 2026.
Genre: Christian nonfiction.
Pages: 183 pages of print.

To read more information about the book plus read an excerpt: Moody Publishers.

“Those of us who suffer from chronic conditions don’t usually desire pity, but we do want to be understood. We want our limitations to be acknowledged, but that requires talking about our ongoing pain. If we don’t voice to others what’s going on in our bodies, then others expect us to carry on like they do. So we complain to be heard. To be seen. To be understood.” Page 20.

I wonder if people (some or most) want the social media answer to how a person is feeling? A social media answer is a brief snapshot. Nothing serious. Possibly a little entertaining. But pain is serious. Pain is not entertaining.

Pain is a topic which like aging is a reminder that this life is fragile and transient. Pain is serious. It is a reality to many.

Recently I had a follow-up appointment after having left knee surgery. While I was telling the PA about how I was doing, and that I also have ongoing pain in the right knee because of advanced arthritis plus there is fluid that is building up in that knee. She stopped what she was doing. She turned and looked full at me. She listened to me. She gave her full attention to me. Her response shows she cares. Her response meant so much to me. My heart was touched, and I relaxed, knowing I was being cared for by medical staff who had knowledge and experience about my condition, and they also treated me with dignity and compassion.

Glenna Marshall has written an excellent book that speaks to an audience of people who have chronic health conditions with pain. Some of the things I mentioned above like being heard with patience and kindness and compassion are shared through Marshall’s personal story. Marshall has “incurable autoimmune diseases.” She suffers from pain. She suffers from sleepless nights. She has experienced people who do not listen. She has experienced treatment that is not working.

She has written “The Sufferer’s Lament.” It is located at the start of each chapter. It is used as an outline for this book.

I love how she corrected a wrong thinking of mine. I have felt guilty for complaining about my pain. It’s a feeling closely related to awkward. She states that we can “complain differently.” We complain in the form of “Biblical complaint.” This is a Biblical lament. In the first chapter she explains a lament.

Psalm 13:1-5 is a lament that is used to teach us how to form our lament-our crying-our prayer to God.

“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, ‘I have prevailed over him,’
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.”
ESV text edition by Crossway, 2011.

I love how Marshall directs my thinking back to God in the form of gratitude. The word gratitude is not an easy word for me to type. I don’t want to express pain and feel gratitude. My gratitude is not in the pain but in God Himself.

What I can feel gratitude for is God is with me. He listens to me and is aware of what I am going through. God is always at work even though I am unaware of what He is doing. Jesus knows what I am going through in suffering. I have gratitude for His victory on the cross which assures my salvation. Gratitude unglues me from pity because the focus pivots to Him.

Something new I’d not thought of, “While you may not feel thankful for the piercing pain of your thorn, consider how to be a faithful steward of it.” Page 138.

“Steward” is a word I think of in regard to money or material possessions. I have not thought of my pain as being something I am a steward of.

God has “entrusted us with pain, so we entrust ourselves to Him.”

After reading this last thought, I placed the book down and had to think for a while about this…because I don’t like it. I don’t like it and I don’t want it.

Once upon a time, I thought faith was a word only used with I believe in God, placing my trust and faith in Him. But faith in God is required in how my life will progress, the experiences, hardships, and sufferings of this life. Faith is required in God in how long or how much my health will change as I grow older. Faith is required in God in how much or how long I will have pain. Faith in God is required in when and how my body will die.

I picked the book back up after having an attitude adjustment from God.

Something that is not talked about enough. It is a word that is rarely used because it shows our fragile state, our vulnerability. The word is humility. God humbled me after reading that I am to be a steward of my pain and my health.

On February 7th, after going for my normal one-hour walk in the neighborhood, I began to have pain in the left knee along with a feeling like it was locking up. Almost four months later I had surgery on that left knee for a large almost complete tear of the medial meniscus. During the four months after injury, my whole leg deteriorated in regard to strength. My walking gait was off. I pulled a muscle in the back of my calf. But surgery went well. I am still in PT. I am riding a recumbent bike at a gym three days a week to strengthen the left leg, actually both legs. Meanwhile advanced arthritis has been found during that surgery in the left knee.

I also have a bad right knee. I have bad hips along with an extensive right hip labral tear. A developing lower back problem. An advanced neck problem. I have arthritis in the left shoulder, both hands, and right ankle. I have good days and bad days. I have many sleepless nights. I am currently dealing with insomnia.

I have been diagnosed with chronic migraines, cluster headaches, and a strong light sensitivity which is related to the migraines. I give myself a shot once a month for prevention of migraines, but I still have break through migraines. I always deal with light sensitivity. I wear FL-41 lens on my prescription eyeglasses.

Praying in Pain is a book I needed to read. I consider the book to be an answered prayer, and I’m grateful. Thanks be to God.

I do not plan to offer a paid subscription plan for Impressions in Ink. This is a zero-cost Substack space for my subscribers.

Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with prayer asking for creativity, direction, guidance, and brain power.
Please excuse my grammar and punctuation mistakes.
It is important to remain human and humane.

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A warm welcome to all of you. I see a few more have subscribed to this small space on Substack. Thank you!

Books read.

In April I read:
23. Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund.
24. Considering Sparrows by Kevin Burrell.

In May I read:
25. How to be a Victorian by Ruth Goodman.
26. What an Owl Knows by Jennifer Ackerman.
27. Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth.
28. Bible Study by Glenna Marshall.
29. Essays on Woman by Edith Stein.
30. Hild by Nicola Griffith.
31. What Grows in Weary Lands by Tish Harrison Warren.
32. Stories of the Sea by various authors.
33. Good Taste by Caroline Scott.
34. Dear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books by Cathy Rentzenbrink.
35. The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas.
36. The Last Restaurant in Paris by Lily Graham.
37. The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo.

Several of the books I finished in May were started in April.

So far in June I’ve read:
38. The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich.
39. The Hunter by Tana French.
40. The Way of the Wise by Kevin Leman.
41. What Christians Believe: Understanding the Nicene Creed by Bishop Robert Barron.
42. Praying in Pain by Glenna Marshall.
43. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson.

I am more than half the way through, Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward.

The numbers represent how many books I’ve read. The Jesmyn Ward book will be the 44th book I’ve read this year.

I used to keep up with how many books I’ve read in a year through Goodreads. I am no longer using that online platform.

My 2026 reading goal is 100 books.

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Bible reading progress:
In April I read, Mark and Matthew.
In May I read: Malachi, Zechariah, Haggai, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Nahum, Micah, Jonah, Obadiah, Amos, Joel, Hosea, Daniel, Ezekiel, Lamentations, and Song of Songs.

For the most part I am reading the Bible backwards. The books are read backwards in order. I am not reading the chapters backwards.

In June I read, Jeremiah and Isaiah.

Bible Study Fellowship is on break for the summer. We return in September with a 29-week study of Romans.
A study of Romans through the book, In Christ Alone by The Daily Grace Co. finished this week. My small group of eight women of varying ages meet via Facetime most weeks. The youngest in our group is 17. The oldest is 80.

I’m reading the NT book Luke twelve times in as many translations as I can.
In April I read Luke from the NKJV.
In May I read Luke from The New Greek/English Interlinear NT with literal NRSV.
I have not finished reading Luke for June.

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Links of interest. I’ve read them and thought you might like to read them.

Death is the Ultimate Perspective by Zachary Conover.

I Thought Healing Would Look Different by Kirsten Black.

He Remade the Southern Baptist Convention in His Image. Then Came the Abuse Allegations by Robert Downen. Texas Monthly magazine May 2026 issue.

Learning to Hear Ourselves Think Again by The C. S. Lewis Official Substack.

The Adulteration of the “Adult” by O. Alan Noble.

The Faith That Moves Mountains is Not What You Think Rev. Doctor Ronald Moore.

Personal update.

On June 5th, I had left knee arthroscopic surgery to remove a torn medial meniscus. It was a large almost complete tear. While in the knee with the scope the surgeon saw I am ready for a knee replacement because of arthritis. I am going to wait a bit on that because I am planning on having my right knee replaced in September. I have had right knee pain for nine years. In 2021, I had another arthroscopic knee surgery to remove a completely torn meniscus. At that time, the surgeon saw that knee is ready for replacement. Since this past spring that right knee has either developed a cyst or fluid is building up because of arthritis. I have a half dollar size small goose egg type shape on the right side of that right knee. I have had fluid building up in that knee for a couple of years, but it has become larger which means more discomfort. And I’ve not mentioned my right hip or other areas that cause pain.
Obviously, I’m not walking now in the neighborhood. I’m not able to climb the steps up to the altar where I can rejoin the church choir. I am in physical therapy which is beneficial in multiple ways.
I had four months of limping, hobbling, and my walking gait was off. My initial point of injury was February 7. PT is helping both legs including hips to stretch and heal after those months.

I have lost count the number of times I have been “led” to the right book at the right time. Praying in Pain by Glenna Marshall has been a source of strength for me. This book will be my next review at this small space on Substack.

I do not plan to offer a paid subscription plan for Impressions in Ink. This is a zero-cost Substack space for my subscribers.

Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with prayer, creativity, brain power, and with my own grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is important to remain human and humane.

A warm welcome to all those who have subscribed to my small space on Substack.

In February I finished reading:
2. This is the second book I finished reading this year. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.
3. The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis.
4. Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby.
5. The Way of the Wildflower by Ruth Chou Simons.
6. What Did You Expect by Anteneshia Sanders. I purchased this book through The Daily Grace Co.
7. The Oxford Companion to the Brontes by Christine Alexander.

In March I finished reading:
8. On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior. This is a reread.
9. The Urgency of Slowing Down by Laura L. Smith.
10. Aging Gratefully: A 30-Day Devotional for Women by Heather Creekmore.
11. Do I Still Matter by Kim Taylor Henry.
12. Moments With God for Women: 100 Devotions for Reflection and Renewal by Our Daily Bread.
13. How To Talk So Your Husband Will Listen by Rick Johnson.
14. Volume Three by The Molehill -various writers.
15. Journey to the Cross by Paul David Tripp.
16. Prayers For Peace of Mind by Holley Gerth.
17. Why Your Work Matters by Tom Nelson.
18. Volume Four by The Molehill-various writers.
19. Remember God by Annie F. Downs.
20. Number the Stars by Louis Lowry.
21. Pax by Sara Pennypacker.
22. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

Currently Reading:
I’ve had this book on pause, shoved to the side, Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. I picked this book back up today and I’m reading it. Karen Swallow Prior at is leading a slow read of this book at her Substack space.
This book has also been on pause. I hope to pick it up again and finish reading it. Essays on Woman by Edith Stein.
How to Be a Victorian by Ruth Goodman.
Considering Sparrows by Kevin Burrell. After reading what Tim Challies expressed about this book, I ordered it and began reading it yesterday.

I’m in the reading mood to read books about birds. Today I received by delivery two books: What an Owl Knows by Jennifer Ackerman, and Mind of the Raven by Bernd Heinrich.

In addition to book reading, I am moving along in Bible reading.
I finished Psalms on March 10.
The Bible books read in February: 2nd and 1st Thessalonians, Colossians, Philippians, Ephesians, Galatians, 2nd Corinthians, and 1st Corinthians.
The Bible books read in March: Romans, Acts, John, Luke, and Mark.
And this year I am reading the book of Luke twelve times in as many translations as I can. I read Luke in the CSB in March. This is the third time in 2026 to read Luke.
Yes, I’m still reading the Bible backwards. I’m not reading the verses backwards, but only the books themselves.
I both read and listen to the Bible.

Bible Studies:

In BSF or Bible Study Fellowship, we are nearing the finish line. Since my January update, we’ve finished Haggai, Zechariah, and currently we are in Nehemiah. The last book, one lesson, will be on Malachi. Then we will have summer break. In the fall we begin Romans. Romans will be studied from September 2026 through the first week of May 2027. I am guessing, but it’s a good guess, this is 25-26 years for me in BSF. I was a leader for eight years. I stepped out of leadership almost two years ago.

A close friend, her five daughters, her mother, and I are working through Romans in a Bible study by The Daily Grace Co. We meet most Sunday evenings through Facetime. We add to our discussion by sharing an attribute of God and an application. The name of the book study is In Christ Alone. We are in Romans chapter eleven.

Most of the books I read in March had been in the to be read pile several years. They were quick reads. The book, How to Talk So Your Husband Will Listen was purchased by my eldest sister a long time ago and given to me. Bless her heart. I’m being sarcastic. Yes, the writer has a point in many of his ideas, but I disagree in some of them. The book has a focus on what the wife should do. I’ve been married 43 years. I’m not saying that I know everything, but I have learned some things. A few times I laughed aloud. A few times I rolled my eyes. I’m ready to move along with other subjects.

Links of interest:

” Tim Challies’s review of Considering Sparrows” by Kevin Burrell.
” The Reading Rebellion 2026” by Ruth Gaskovski and Peco at School of the Unconformed.
"Against Acceleration” by O. Alan Noble at You Are Not Your Own Substack.

Life:

On February 25, I saw an orthopedic PA about my left knee. I was offered shots in both knees which I accepted. I was asked to go to physical therapy for a month, then return for a follow up with the PA. I have enjoyed PT. I feel both the shots and PT have helped, but I am still having pain and uncomfortableness. At the follow up appointment on March 27, it was decided I need an MRI. The MRI is this Thursday. I will have a follow up appointment with an orthopedic surgeon for the results. I am still in PT.

I am not walking in my neighborhood. I am not singing in the church choir as I cannot climb stairs up to the loft area. In addition to not climbing stairs, when I step down or up a curb I do so only if I can hold on to something.

I hate not walking in the neighborhood. I love it so much. I hate not singing in the church choir as this is the biggest week of the Church year, Holy Week. I’m missing out and at times I feel sorry for myself. This Lent season has been an experiences, a learning experience, which I plan to write about soon.

We have two family members who are very ill. One, my husband’s sister is being cared for by Hospice.

I do not plan to offer a paid subscription plan for Impressions in Ink. This is a zero cost Substack space for my subscribers.

Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with prayer, creativity, brain power, and with my own grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is important to remain human and humane.

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This is the third time I’ve read Wuthering Heights. It is the first time to annotate it. I always take notes while reading. While reading Wuthering Heights this time, I marked with a red pencil all the characters throughout the book. I marked with a blue pencil several themes that stood out to me. This is first time to study the text in depth. This made a huge difference in how I understood key features of the story.

I read this book along with the slow read group led by Haley Larsen, PhD in literature @ .

The story is 256 pages. The book holds 464 total printed pages. Included in my Norton edition is the preface to the fifth edition, the 1847 edition of Wuthering Heights, diary entries of Emily Brontë, several of her poems and letters, and critical reviews written.

While reading Wuthering Heights I also read The Oxford Companion to The Brontës. I have another book to read as a companion read, How to Be a Victorian: A Dawn-to- Dusk guide to Victorian Life by Ruth Goodman.

Wuthering Heights is a fascinating story. I chose not to become bogged down in the muck of the relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. Instead, I focused on other things. For example, characterization, themes, and the word love and how it is displayed in the whole of the story.

Several features I learned:

1. It is important to understand this is a gothic novel. The link is to Britannica and explains in brief the Gothic novel-fiction story.

2. Names are recycled. Catherine and Linton and Earnshaw are used and reused in the generations of characters. Sometimes the story uses last names. And with Catherine, the shorted name Cathy is sometimes used. This makes the reader pay attention and compare.

3. In reusing the same name, as with Catherine, it is easy to compare them-to look for how the characters are the same and how they are different.

4. It is a story that provokes the reader with emotion and reaction.

5. It is a story that cultivates questions. For example, what was Heathcliff’s earlier life like before he was taken in by Mr. Earnshaw? How did that earlier childhood shape who he became? Why did Mr. Earnshaw bring this particular child home knowing it would cause angst?

6. Negative traits like jealousy, revenge, bitterness, and loneliness are displayed in the characters. We see these traits develop further through the years as they grow older.

7. Love. The word love is shown in its various forms. A parent and child. A child for a parent. A couple who are “in-love” which is a romantic love. Most reviews or essays of this story focus on Heathcliff and Catherine’s love. I prefer the love demonstrated by Edgar Linton. He and Catherine married. He knew about Heathcliff and Catherine’s close relationship. Yet he loved Catherine unconditionally. He loved her sacrificially. There is a point in the story where he did not want Heathcliff and Catherine to see one another again, but what husband would want his beloved wife to spend time canoodling with another man? Edgar’s love shaped the character and demonstration of love from his daughter. She is another Catherine, born shortly before her mother died.

8. Wuthering Heights pushes the reader to make a judgement about Heathcliff. Is he a person to be considerate of and make allowances for because of his hardships early in life? Is he a person to feel anger towards? Is he a hardened criminal responsible fully for his actions and reactions? Why are these two women attracted to him?

9. I enjoyed seeing characters through the lens of other characters. For example, all the characters have some kind of response (often a strong one) towards Heathcliff.

10. The first narrator is a rather dim fellow named Mr. Lockwood. He is a little comical. My reaction to him is to raise one eyebrow. I prefer Mrs. Ellen or Nell Dean as narrator. She has a lengthy history with the characters. She is not a family member and I trust her impressions.

11. I enjoyed the descriptive words which set the atmosphere of the story.

12. Wuthering Heights is strong in inner conflict.

13. If this story were written for the year 2026, what changes would be made in how the story shaped itself?

A few themes not strong in the story: restraint, patience, gentleness, and tenderness.

A few themes that are strong in the story: passion, oppression, dramatic, and evocative.

Clearly seen themes: men and women’s relationships, jealousy, family, power, and revenge.

Have you read Wuthering Heights?
Have you seen the new film?

The film is based, loosely based on the book. It is the creative expression of the director, Emerald Fennell.

I do not plan to offer a paid subscription plan for Impressions in Ink. This is a zero cost Substack space for my subscribers.

Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with prayer, creativity, brain power, and with my own grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is important to remain human and humane.

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“Some Lenten disciplines are ones given to us rather than ones we choose.” Father Joseph Francis.

A Lenten discipline began for me on Saturday, February 7. I tore my left posterior knee meniscus. For a couple of weeks, I used a walker. When I took a step with my left leg and the knee was bent, down I went, that knee collapsed on me plus it was painful. I fell a few times before I started using a walker. Last week, I saw an orthopedic doctor. I got a shot in each knee (the right knee has a nine-year history of arthritis and a past removal of meniscus.) Physical therapy began last Friday. I am moving around better. It’s been a week since I’ve used a walker. I still walk with a stiff left leg. That knee feels unstable, shifty, but it’s getting better. I’m gaining confidence in walking. If you’ve fallen, you understand my apprehension in not having full confidence in that left leg. When I step up over a curb I hold on to something. For now, no walking in my neighborhood. I feel discouraged. I hate this “particular place” that I am residing in. However, I have asked God to meet me in this place; and I am asking Him to show me what I am to learn and develop in my life as a Christian.

When this began February 7th, my first thought in describing this experience is it’s humbling. I am reminded that my body is imperfect, and frailer that I want to admit. I often have asked for help. Simple things that I do every day like put socks and shoes on and tie them, because of that left knee became painful. I’m thankful for a patient and kind husband.

Since I’m in the middle of this story, I don’t know how long my recovery will be, and when I see the doctor again on the 27th, I don’t know if he will say surgery, is a valid option.

I cannot use steps, so this means I am not able to sing in the church choir as we meet in the altar area. Passion week will be later this month. The thought of missing choir during that time is crushing.

I’m sidelined from activities I love, but I’ve been given time, more time, for reflection.

I am not using social media until the end of Lent. I removed them from my phone. This has been planned. I did this discipline last year during Lent. I also tested myself in order to examine my life in respect to social media. I learned social media in and of itself is not bad, what is bad is how I use it. Limitations is a common and logical word we think of for children. It is also a reasonable word for adults.

The world is filled with troubling news. News that stirs a pot that is already hot. Everyone has an opinion. Many write about it. A practice we can all can do is pray. I do not say that flippantly. I do not say it as if it’s a churchy response. It is an opportunity to pray. And praying is work.

“To pray is to work, to work is to pray.”
Ora et labora. St Benedict.

I do not plan to offer a paid subscription plan for Impressions in Ink. This is a zero cost Substack space for my subscribers.

Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with prayer, creativity, brain power, and with my own grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is important to remain human and humane.

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Back in December I made the decision to read the whole Bible backwards in 2026. I’m not reading the verses or chapters backwards. I am reading the books of the Bible backwards. I’m reading the Bible books in the NIV translation.

The Bible books I read in January:
Revelation
Jude
3 John
2 John
1 John
2 Peter
1 Peter
James
Hebrews
Philemon
Titus
2 Timothy
1 Timothy

I’m also reading the Gospel of Luke twelve times in as many translations as possible (once per month). In January I read Luke (24 chapters) in the NIV version.

I’m in two Bible studies.
1. Bible Study Fellowship-Exile and Return. We are currently in Zechariah. We have studied: Ezekiel, Daniel, Ezra, Esther, and Haggai.
This year marks 26 years for me in BSF.

2. Romans. The book we are using is published by The Daily Grace Co. Several of us, of various ages, meet through Facetime on Sunday evenings. We add a supplemental study each week by sharing an attribute of God.

Finished Reading:

1. When Godly People do Ungodly Things by Beth Moore. This is a reread. I wanted to reread this book before selling it to Half Price Books.

Currently reading:

1. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. This is the third time to read this book. I’m reading it slowly with Closely Reading. I’m annotating characters and themes. This slows me down and patience is required.

2. The Oxford Companion to The Brontës by Christine Alexander and Margaret Smith.

3. The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis.

4. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. This is another slow read with The Priory.

5. Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby.

6. The Way of the Wildflower by Ruth Chou Simons. This is a slow read. Simons sends me an email once a week with a brief video to companion the book.

7. Essays on Woman by Edith Stein. I’m anxious to read the story of her life.

Two books I can’t wait to read (patience):

1. City of God by St. Augustine.

2. How to Be a Victorian: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Victorian Life by Ruth Goodman. Can you see a pattern in what I’m reading of an immersive reading of the Victorian time period and literature. Every once in a while, I will do a mini study of a particular subject.

Links of interest:

When Life is Hard, Keep Reading Your Bible by Glenna Marshall.

Fear and Responsibility by O. Alan Noble.

You’ve Got a Friend in Me by Jen Pollock Michel.

When Home Receives the Worst of Us by Lara D’Entremont.

Lord, how can we bear it? by Will Norrid.

Bookish Briefing 26.01.26 by Ishah Naomi.

What Shall I Say? by Sarah Clarkson.

Brokenness by Debi Hassler-Never Forsaken.

Who is Rich and Who is Poor? by Eric McLaughlin. Mere Orthodoxy.

What I’m watching:

All Creatures Great and Small-PBS Masterpiece.

A documentary titled Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller on National Geographic. This series is not for kids. It is not for those with sensitive natures. I don’t watch it close to bedtime.

beginwithbreathetaichi. Dr. Adam Potts on Instagram.

Rocky Mountain Animal Rescue on National Geographic.

Bookish-PBS Masterpiece.

Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime.

What I’m drinking-as in tea:

I mix three tea size spoons of loose leaf VAHDAM English Breakfast tea with one tea bag of Clippers Organic Spicy Chai Herbal Tea. I steep 7 minutes in a tea pot.

I also enjoy mixing one Black Cask Bourbon tea sachet, a Harney and Sons Fine Tea with three loose leaf tea size spoons of VAHDAM English Breakfast tea. I steep in a tea pot five minutes.

I like coffee.
I love tea.

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Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with my own creativity and brain power, and with my own grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is important to remain human and humane.

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I went for a one hour walk this morning in my neighborhood. Last week my walk was cut short due to winter storm Fern. A few areas in the shade are the only places left where ice lingers. Today starts a big warm up that will last until the next round of winter. I live in North Texas. Winter weather is a little here and a little there. In one week, we can have freezing temps with ice and warm enough weather to wear shorts. A person who exercises outside must be flexible and yielding.

I began a walking program last April. I have several health issues which required me to condition myself. This means over a period of seven months I increased both days of the week and time walking. Last November I met the goal of one hour a day, six days a week.

I have the following health conditions:
1. Chronic migraines.
2. Cluster headaches.
3. Strong light sensitivity.
4. Wide-spread osteoarthritis.
5. Extensive right hip labral tear.
6. Lower back arthritis with stenosis.
7. Bad right knee.

A couple of years ago I began giving myself a monthly shot of Aimovig for migraine prevention. This has been a life-savor for me as it was disabling to have four migraines a week. I walk in the mornings as the sun is not as bright. I wear sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat.

I stretch every day. This helps with the hip, knee, and back.

The slow build-up, the length of time in conditioning my body to be able to walk the one hour a day, six days a week required patience.

However, I still have pain. I tough it out. I use topical roll-on Arnica Pain Relieving Gel and Equate Pain Relief Cream lidocaine 4%. I use a knee sleeve. I use ice on that knee often after a walk. I have had injections in those areas: lower back, right hip, and right knee. I visit a chiropractor.

While I am walking, I do not look at my phone or wear earbuds. I look for cars. I look for dogs. I look at the birds. I watch where I’m walking. I pay close attention to my breathing and surroundings. When I encounter a person, I speak. Good morning or hello. If I come across a dog who is out alone. I do not make eye contact. I keep walking. I have dog spray if the dog acts in a threatening manner, but I do not want to use it.

I’ve been thinking about the word patience. Patience is a word that is defined as, “the ability to accept obstacles or delays in a calm and self-possessed way. The ability to act with calm or restraint under provocation or strain.” Merriam Webster Dictionary.

Last week during the winter storm my husband had to drive to work. We had only a little snow. We had about 3 to 4 inches of ice. He is a good driver. The car is an excellent choice for hazardous weather. However, he said the driving was stressful. Stressful for responding to the ice on the road. Stressful in dealing with other drivers who drive 65 mph when it is better to drive at 40 mph. One morning there was a single lane open for traffic on the freeway. Several drivers were angry at my husband because he was not going fast enough. One of them was impatient and angry with the Tx DOT snowplow driver.

People are in hurry to get where they want to go. They are impatient, aggressive, self-entitled, and arrogant.

Patience is a character trait that is unliked and even chuckled about. We want others to be patient with us, but we are slow to be patient.

What if patience is one of those character traits that is more important that we have given credit to?

Do I have patience and restraint for the people I love?

Do I have patience and restraint for people I dislike?

Consider conditioning yourself in order to develop patience.

Patience is not a one-time event. It is not learned in a moment or a day. It grows over a lifetime.

Patience looks a lot like humility. Humility is thinking of yourself less. (This is the shortened version of a quote from C. S. Lewis. Mere Christianity.

Be patient with others.
Be patient with yourself.
And be patient with God.

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I do not plan to offer a paid subscription plan for Impressions in Ink. This is a zero cost Substack space for my subscribers.

Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with my own creativity and brain power, and with my own grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is important to remain human and humane.

Total books read in 2025 ends with 74 books read.

January:

1. A Fatal Lie, an Inspector Ian Rutledge by Charles Todd.

2. What an Owl Knows by Jennifer Ackerman.

3. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer.

4. A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable.

5. The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss.

February:

6. Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley.

7. Christina Rossetti: Passion and Devotion by K.E. Sullivan.

8. Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer.

9. Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

10. The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies.

March:

11. It Will Have Been So Beautiful by Amana C. Shaw.

12. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan.

13. Born of Lakes and Plains: Mixed Descent Peoples and the Making of the American West by Anne F. Hyde.

14. War Torn by Richard Harper.

15. A Piece of the Moon by Chris Fabry.

16. The Telling by Jo Baker.

17. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

18. Paradise Lost by John Milton.

April:

19. Aging with Grace: Flourishing in an Anti-Aging Culture by Sharon W. Betters

20. Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother: Stories of Loss and Love by Xinran.

21. Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O’Connor.

22. Reclaiming Quiet: Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention by Sarah Clarkson.

23. Men Who March Away: Poems of the First World War, An Anthology, with an introduction by Ian Parsons.

24. Notes to John by Joan Didion.

May:

25. Women of the Catholic Imagination by Haley Stewart.

26. The Scandal of Holiness by Jessica Hooten Wilson.

27. My Life in Middlemarch by Rebecca Mead.

June:

28. The Postcard by Anne Berest.

July:

29. All the Gallant Men by Donald Stratton.

30. Selected Poems by Robert Frost.

31. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton.

32. The Turtle House by Amanda Churchill.

33. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.

34. Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley.

35. 100 Days of Strength in Any Trouble by (in)courage.

36. The Gatekeeper, An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery by Charles Todd.

37. The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan.

August:

38. Evening Prayers: For Every Day of the Year by Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt.

39. Celtic Daily Prayer by Northumbria Community.

40. Daily Joy by Lydia Brownback.

41. The One Year Book of Hope by Nancy Guthrie.

42. Flannery: The Life of Flannery O’Connor by Brad Gooch.

43. The Soul of Shame: Retelling the Stories We Believe About Ourselves by Curt Thompson.

September:

44. Prayers for the Pilgrimage: A Book of Collects for All of Life by W. David O. Taylor.

45. Jane Austen Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector’s Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend by Rebecca Romney.

46. Storm in the Land of Rain by Silvia Foti.

47. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on Audible, written by Washington Irving.

48. Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles.

49. In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden.

October:

50. Essay on Man and other Poems by Alexander Pope.

51. The Best Medicine, a collection of short stories by various authors, and arranged by Theodore Dalrymple.

52. The Subversive Simone Weil: A Life in Five Ideas by Robert Zaretsky.

53. Homer’s Odyssey by Gwen Cooper.

54. The Secret Life of the Owl by John Lewis-Stempel.

55. Jane Austen’s Garden by Molly Williams.

56. The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene.

57. The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens.

November:

58. The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and the People’s Temple by Jeff Guinn.

59. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen.

60. The Meaning of Birds by Simon Barnes.

61. This Homeward Ache by Amy Baik Lee.

62. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.

63. Chronicles of Avonlea #1 by L. M. Montgomery.

64. Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

December:

65. Prayers for Peace of Mind by Holley Gerth.

66. With the Word by Warren W. Wiersbe.

67. Remarkable Books: The World’s Most Beautiful and Historic Words by Michael Collins.

68. Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke.

69. Breathe as Prayer: Calm Your Anxiety, Focus Your Mind, and Renew Your Soul by Jennifer Tucker.

70. The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O’Connor, selected and edited by Sally Fitzgerald.

71. Winter Fire: Christmas with G.K. Chesterton.

72. Confessions by Saint Augustine of Hippo. My copy read is a translation by Henry Chadwick.

73. Shadow and Light: A Journey into Advent by Tsh Oxenreider.

74. The ESV Bible.

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Thirteen classics read: Roots, Pride and Prejudice, Paradise Lost, Lonesome Dove, Pilgrim’s Progress, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Age of Innocence, Moby Dick, The Power and the Glory, Out of Africa, Anne of Green Gables, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and Confessions.

Seven poetry books read: Christina Rossetti: Passion and Devotion, Paradise Lost (epic poem), Men Who March Away, Selected Poems by Robert Frost, Essay on Man and other Poems, It Will Have Been So Beautiful, and Letter to a Young Poet includes poems.

I read three books written about or by Flannery O’Connor: Everything That Rises Must Converge, Flannery: The Life of Flannery O’Connor, and The Habit of Being.

Three devotional books read: 100 Days of Strength in Any Trouble, Daily Joy, The One Year Book of Hope,

Six prayer books read: Evening Prayers: For Every Day of the Year, Celtic Daily Prayer; Prayers for the Pilgrimage, Prayers for Peace of Mind, Breathe as Prayer: Calm Your Anxiety, Focus Your Mind, and Renew Your Soul.

42 nonfictions read.

32 fictions read.

According to Goodreads, I read 24 thousand pages. That does not count the amount read in the Bible.

My top genres for 2025 are Christian, classics, and memoir and biography.

I did not preplan to read a certain amount in each category.

The books that made an impression on me and are memorable: Roots, Pioneer Girl, Pride and Prejudice, Everything that Rises Must Converge, Reclaiming Quiet, Men Who March Away (poems), All the Gallant Men, Lonesome Dove, Flannery: The Life of Flannery O’Connor, Out of Africa, and Confessions.

A book that I feel should not have been published is Notes to John.

The books that surprised me by how wonderful they are Lonesome Dove and Out of Africa.

The books that are evocative and disturbing in content: Roots, Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother, and The Road to Jonestown.

My reread of Confessions this past fall along with a small group through the Catherine Project is both memorable and life changing. Augustine pours his heart out in his Confessions. I’m reminded at times of the book of Psalms. I am reminded of King David’s emotional and raw honesty. I learned about the time period that Augustine lived in, its “other” belief systems. Augustine’s conversion is not a quick decision, but a lengthy process. He knew others will read his story. His mother’s tears and prayers impacted me. And on page 183, when Augustine writes about his love for God-my heart is touched, and tears came down my cheek.

I am looking forward to a new and fresh year of reading.

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I do not plan to offer a paid subscription plan for Impressions in Ink. This is a zero cost Substack space for my subscribers.

Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with my own creativity and brain power, and with my own grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is important to remain human and humane.

A warm welcome (and warm in North Texas at 81!) to all my readers.

November moved rapidly into December because of the holidays, and I sing in my church choir, and we’ve had several rehearsals and a couple of performances. Plus, daily living and its demands which included a sick husband who had a cold/bronchitis/sinus infection. Things have settled down at this point. My husband is well. I will sing during the late Mass on Christmas Eve. I can sleep in Christmas Day. Christmas Day is a day without plans other than visiting our son Paul and his family who live nearby. No big meals. Hopefully a nice low-key day.

In the past couple of weeks, I have finished a few books, one more to go. I’m starting soon with a fresh stack of books that includes Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. I am reading this book along with The Priory-Karen Swallow Prior. The reading starts December 30. I am reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, which is a reread for me, but a first time slow read with Haley Larsen. Both links are to Substack platforms. I have enrolled in book reading groups through the Catherine Project. I do not know if I’ve been chosen. After the first of the year, I will find out.

I have one lone book I’d love to finish before the end of the year, Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton, with annotations and guided reading by Trevin Wax. I read The Everlasting Man in 2024, but I need to read it again. It is a deep book. A book I’d prefer to read in a book group in order to share with and hear other people’s thoughts.

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So far, I’ve read 71 books in 2025. Stay tuned for another post for my list of reads in 2025. However, this does not include the Bible. I read through the whole Bible every year. I began reading through the whole Bible the year I turned 30. This means I have read through the whole Bible 31 times. I’ve read using different Bible translations. I’ve read using a specific Bible reading plan. I’ve read not using a plan. I’ve read Genesis straight through to Revelation. I’ve read it in 3 months. I’ve read it in 12 months. I’ve read it quickly. I’ve read it slowly. I plan in 2026 to read it backwards. I’m serious. I plan to read the whole Bible Revelation back to Genesis.

Have you read the whole Bible before? Have you read all of the New Testament before? Have you read a single book in the Bible?

In the past, and for several years in addition to reading through the whole Bible, I picked a New Testament book to read 12 times in different translations (as many as I can.) This means I read it once through every month for a year. I have read the Gospel of John, Hebrews, Ephesians, Galatians, and Romans 12 times each in a year.

Before I began reading, the first time, the whole Bible, it seemed like such a daunting task and commitment. I decided not to sweat it. Read as much as I can each day, but sometimes skipping a day is fine, and read until I’ve finished the Bible. This is not a race. This is not a way to pat oneself on the back for reading the entire Bible in a year or less. You will not win praise, or maybe you will. Earlier this year I won a NKJV Bible through the website Knowable Word. This is the link for the 2026 Bible Reading Challenge.

This is a list of Bible reading plans for 2026:

1. The Navigators.

2. The Bible app.

3. Five-Day Bible Reading Plan. The 2026 plan will be available Dec 26.

4. Crossway. At this link they provide several plans to choose.

5. Daily Office Lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer. Year B is 2026.

6. Chronological Bible Reading Plan.

7. M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan.

8. Ascension Press. Father Mike Schmitz Bible in a Year. He has a printable plan, YouTube, and Podcast.

This post is from a year ago written by Tim Challies. He shares different approaches to reading, studying, and writing the Bible.

I started last spring writing out Scripture through the Bible Copy Club. You can visit their site and sign up for a daily weekday email with Scripture verses to write out. Every so many weeks they give a break for a week. There is a Facebook group that shares their writings of Scripture.

Benefits of reading through the whole Bible:

1. You become familiar with the Bible itself, its individual books, the various sections, and the whole of the Bible.

2. You see the work of God moving in the history of the Jewish people, and to the birth of Christ Jesus, the Gospel, and the Early Church.

3. You will begin to retain and remember Bible verses.

4. You will understand the layout of the Bible.

5. You will understand the overarching plan of redemption.

6. You will understand God’s character and his attributes.

7. You will understand its teachings.

8. It is a book of promise, hope, encouragement, and comfort. And, yes, it also holds sections that are hard to read. Difficult. Uncomfortable even.

9. As a Christian I believe the Bible is not mere ink on paper. It is “God breathed.” See Hebrews 4:12 and 2 Timothy 3:16.

Join me in 2026 in reading the Bible. If you have a Substack platform, write about your journey in reading the Bible. Please comment if you are planning to read the whole Bible or a part of the Bible, for example the New Testament in 2026.

I recently bought a NIV Application Bible. No, I did not need another Bible, but this one is a jewel. It is also readable with a 9.5-point Comfort Print.

I am aware some readers prefer certain translations of the Bible and turn away from the NIV or the KJV. It is a personal preference as to which Bible to read. Certain denominations prefer certain translations. Do a web search about Bible translations. This link is about the more accurate Bible translations. Do a web search about the differences between formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence. Do a web search about textual variances in Scripture-now you are really studying the history and formation of the Bible.

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I do not plan to offer a paid subscription plan for Impressions in Ink. This is a zero cost Substack space for my subscribers.

Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with my own creativity and brain power, and with my own grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is important to remain human and humane.

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I was in middle school when the Jonestown massacre happened. As a middle schooler, I was horrified at the event but did not ponder it. As I’ve gotten older it’s difficult to imagine the large amount of people who died. It is even harder to understand how a large amount of people was taken advantage of to the point of moving to a jungle in a foreign country to create a new life. The Road to Jonestown has answered my perplexing thoughts.

The Road to Jonestown is the biography of James Warren Jones. It shares the whole of his life, and this includes his mother who had mental health problems of her own. She felt that people were out to get her, and this ideology was passed on to her son. From a young age, Jim had the ability to explain his actions. He could be cunning and manipulative. He did not believe in God. He used churchy language around Christians in order to entice them to believe he was a Christian, and a nice guy, and a person to follow. Jim believed he had special powers. He believed he was set apart for something great.

He married Marceline who was a nursing student. They married in 1949. They adopted children, and they had one son of their own.

Jim studied Father Divine. Father Divine was a charismatic, well-dressed religious leader based in New York City and Philadelphia in the early 20th century. His group, Peace Mission, worshipped Father Divine as god. If you want to read information about him, this link is to Britannica. Jim Jones began dressing in expensive suits after their meeting. Jim was impressed with the large following of people Divine had, and his “leader’s authority.”

Jim Jones began his church in Indiana. Later, the Peoples Temple relocated to California. The Peoples Temple focused on in-reach and outreach programs. The programs offered financial help for the poor, and equality among the races. Jim hated racial segregation and discrimination, and his messages spoke to those people who had been sorely affected by racism. Jim became a heroic messenger and leader that outweighed the Christian churches they’d been a part of in the past.

Jim had a paranoia that escalated through the years. He feared a nuclear holocaust. He feared the American government. He declared himself to be, “God’s earthly vessel.” He began searching for a place to relocate the Peoples Temple. The new place was a promised land. It was located in Guyana, South America.

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The time period for the book is from 1931 at Jim’s birth, and to the deaths of nearly 1000 people in late 1978. Chapter six backs up prior to 1931 to share his mother and wife’s bios.

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I feel The Road to Jonestown is an excellent account of a disturbed, maniacal, and criminal man who led many to death. It is not a feel-good story. It is not a story that everyone will want to read. I enjoy biographies. I enjoy reading books that delve in to the psychology of people-why they are who they are and why they do these terrible things.

A few points of interest in the book:
1. Jim Jones spiraled downward in his language and behavior. Through the years his choices and decisions became worse, and he made excuses for them.
2. He knew what the people wanted and needed, and he tried to cater to their needs using that against them-keeping them in a place of needing him and what he offered.
3. He had charisma. He had energy. He had charm. He had a magnetic personality. It was rare for a person to see through this false exterior.
4. Several followers are shared. How they came to know Jim, what drew them to him, what they did for him, and the various relationships he had with them-some were sexual. The relationships had something in common. They were all about what they were willing to do for Jim. It was a toxic, abusive, messy quagmire.
5. Jim’s messages or sermons are shared. The main message is “us against them.”
6. Jim’s drug abuse.
7. The pitiful ending in November of 1978.

The Road to Jonestown is lengthy but thorough in the investigation of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple. It is exhausting at times (weighty), and I had to lay the book aside to read something lighter (as in not depressing.)
I feel the book is researched well. Several people were interviewed (those who were followers.)
The story is readable and good pace.
The story is graphic, as in gruesome in the details of the followers who died.

Most of us have heard the term “don’t drink the punch” which refers to the poison everyone was made to drink at the Jonestown massacre. This is incorrect. It was not punch but flavor aid with cyanide mixed into it. The vat of mixture was increased with sweetener to mask the taste as the people gagged on it in the beginning. That is an awful-awful mental image to think about.

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I do not plan to offer a paid subscription plan for Impressions in Ink. This is a zero cost Substack space for my subscribers.

Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with my own creativity and brain power, and with my own grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is important to remain human and humane.

September ended with a stressful event that happened on September 23. October has given me a chance to decompress.

I increased my walking route in mid-October. I now walk 50 minutes, six days a week. I’ve met the goal that originally began last April. At that time, I walked 22 minutes, 3 days a week. Over these months, I’ve slowly increased to where I am at present. I had to slowly increase over these months because I have a bad right hip and bad right knee. At each increase, I gave my body time to adjust, time to become conditioned. It has worked. It feels great to be active again after several years of battling different health stuff. It feels satisfying to achieve a goal.

Autumn has arrived in North Texas. Texans anticipate fall’s arrival like a kid waiting for Christmas. Usually around Halloween the first significant cold front arrives. Yesterday, the wind was strong enough that I held on to my hat while walking. I wore a light jacket. Today, the wind has settled down but it is cooler. It feels refreshing and energizing to feel the cool wind on my face instead of the intense summer heat.

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I’m in two book groups that meet weekly on Zoom.

1. Saint Augustine’s Confessions is through the Catherine Project. The translation we are using is by Chadwick. It’s a diverse group of women and men of all adult ages. A few are located in Europe. Most are located on the East Coast. I love the rich discussions. This Tuesday we are taking a side trip by having a discussion over the book of Romans which is a letter the Apostle Paul wrote in the New Testament. Augustine refers to Romans often as well as verses in Psalms and John’s Gospel. The translation I am reading from is the ESV or English Standard Version. Most of the people in the group are Catholic. One is Episcopal. I am Anglican. At least one member is not a believer. Confessions is the journey of Augustine’s conversion to Christianity. It is a slow journey. He is a thinker with an intelligent mind. He is a person who had a hard time letting go of certain habits he enjoyed.

2. The second book group finished this past Tuesday night. The book is The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene. Graham Greene also wrote The End of the Affair. I have that book on Audible. The narrator is the actor, Colin Firth.
   The Power and the Glory is a book I’d not pick. However, it is good to get out of my comfort zone and read something I’d not normally read. The Power and the Glory is set in Mexico during the 1930’s during a time when the Catholic church is illegal and priests are being killed. This is a history I knew nothing about. The main character is a Catholic priest who is known in the book as the “whiskey priest.” He refers to himself as a “bad priest.” The story is dark, dry; and it is filled with people who are in disunity and despair. I do not like any of the characters but that’s okay. I don’t have to like the characters in the stories I read. I do have to feel an investment in the story and what is going to happen in the life of the main character. I did feel a strong investment in the “whiskey priest.”

   
   In addition, I am reading, The Habit of Being by Flannery O’Connor. This book is a collection of her letters. This Homeward Ache: How Our Yearning for the Life to Come Spurs on Our Life Today by Amy Baik Lee. She is a writer for The Rabbit Room and The Cultivating Project. I’m a follower of both of those groups. The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn. This biography is a picture of Jones’s life from birth to his demise. People were drawn to him. I find him creepy.
   

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   “A Late Walk” by Robert Frost

   “When I go up through the mowing field,
   The headless aftermath,
   Smooth-laid like thatch with the heavy dew,
   Half closes the garden path.

   
   And when I come to the garden ground,
   The whir of sober birds
   Up from the tangle of withered weeds
   Is sadder than any words.

   
   A tree beside the wall stands bare,
   But a leaf that lingered brown,
   Disturbed, I doubt not, by my thought,
   Comes softly rattling down.
   
   I end not far from my going forth
   By picking the faded blue
   Of the last remaining aster flower
   To carry again to you.”

   I am one of the authors of a book that was published in August. I am one of several who contributed. A Holy Lens by John E. Dobbs. John is the main writer and the person who set things in motion, so the book came to be published. The book is .99 cents on this day.

   

   I do not plan to offer a paid subscription plan for Impressions in Ink. This is a zero cost Substack space for my subscribers.

   Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with my own creativity and brain power, and with my own grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is important to remain human and humane.

I don’t want to write about what happened on September 23. I’d like to push it to the back burner, or better yet, hit the reject button.

Our nineteen-year-old grandson who has several mental health conditions overdosed. He did this on purpose. I’ve had a few people ask me that question. “Was this on purpose?” The answer is yes.

Off to the hospital he went. In the emergency room his heart stopped. There is a pause in this story to let those words sink in. To share even a little bit my feeling of, “I cannot take a big breath during this period in time because, what if?

Chest compressions brought him back. He was stabilized and moved to ICU. For several hours the nurses worked to increase his vitals giving him Atropine.

He was moved to a psych treatment facility about 28 hours later. He was in that place eight days. The medication he overdosed on is a medication for his Tourette’s syndrome. He is no longer on that medication. He is on a new medication which treats bipolar and other mental health conditions like schizophrenia.

We have not heard that he has been diagnosed with those last two mental health conditions, but we are prepared.

He is home. His body has not adjusted to the new medication yet.

This is the second time this year an overdose has happened. This time it was more serious.

Recently (I apologize for not remembering where I read this term because my brain is a bit muddled), we are “living in the middle of this story.” We don’t know how it will play out. We don’t know the outcome. We don’t know if it will happen again. We don’t know and cannot predict the next minute much less what will happen to him. And I hate this. I loathe it. I despise not knowing. As I wrote before, I want to hit the reject button.

I have endured several storms in my life: breast cancer, marriage problems, financial problems, job changes, caregiver of parents, a child deployed to a war, a child who comes back from war not the same, the death of parents, abuse, sexual assault, health challenges, the death of friends, and betrayal. But this event is different.

If you want to know, and do not know, what having grandchildren is like, it feels like a second set of children. Children who generally do not live with you, but they are a huge part of your life. They take up a big space in one’s mind and heart. Mixed into those feelings are the ideas, dreams, and hopes for their lives. Overdose and suicide are not a part of the equation.

I want to clarify, because I like to be clear, I am not embarrassed or ashamed about his overdose nor his mental health conditions. I feel fear. Fear that is palpable. It feels like a dark thing of matter that takes up space in a room or a house. I know it is there. I cannot really see it. It is obscured. But I know it is there.

I feel both anger and sadness. I feel a sense of frustration. I feel inadequate to experience this type of situation. Bottom line, I cannot fix it. It is not a type of puzzle to be solved.

What I can do is deal with this day. When the sun comes up tomorrow, I will deal with that day.

“Here’s what you need to keep in mind. You no longer have yesterday. You do not yet have tomorrow. You have only today. This is the day the Lord has made. Live in it.” Max Lucado. Quote from AZ Quotes.

What I can do is trust in God. I don’t trust in my feelings. I don’t trust in whatever the outcome may be. I focus on the object of my faith and that is Jesus Christ.

This life is hard. It is hard, messy, and complicated. It is often not explainable or understandable. It certainly has experiences that I don’t want to experience. But I was not asked by God if this was okay first, and then it happened. It is here. And we are living in it. But I am not doing this alone without God. I am not winging it. Oh, my Lord and my God, who in heaven and on earth can I trust to see me through? There is no one else. There is nothing else. Christ Jesus is who I need. Who I must have.

I become annoyed at times with people who try and say the right words during a crisis. I should not, but I do.

I’m reminded of a story my mother told me from her life. It was a very painful time in her life. Mother was left a widow with three small children when her husband went wade fishing at San Luis Pass in Galveston, Texas. He stepped in a sink hole and drowned. It took three days to find and recover his body. During those three days, mother stayed in her bed. She was aware there were people coming and going from her home. She knew her children were cared for by their grandparents. But she could not rise from her bed until his body was found. The not knowing was excruciating. It was painful. Her fear was huge. People tried to say comforting words. No words soaked into her grieving body. However, the sister of a friend of my mother’s sat on the bed next to mother. This woman did not say a word. Not one word. She sat near mother in quiet. Mother said that woman helped her more than anyone else. To know the comfort of a quiet and steadfast person near her helped the most.

No person can fix this situation. Yes, good and adequate medications will help him. The right med and the right dosage will help. Counseling helps. Our grandson must still live with a diagnosis of several; I count six mental health conditions, with the possibility of two more. It is overwhelming.

I can only deal with today.
I can only depend on and trust in God, no matter the outcome.

My family appreciates your prayers.

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I’ve read some of O’Connor’s books. I have watched the film, Wildcat. I have read several articles and essays about her. However, I want to know about her childhood. I want to know about her relationship with her parents. I want to know about her friendships. I want to know about her life before the diagnosis of Lupus. I want a better grasp of the person of Flannery O’Connor. I feel Flannery: A Life of Flannery O’Connor has satisfied my curiosity. I’ve already started on another book, Letters of Flannery O’Connor: The Habit of Being by Sally Fitzgerald. The author of this book had been a dear friend of O’Connor.

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Mary Flannery O’Connor was born March 25, 1925, in Savannah, Georgia.

At an early age she called her parents by their first names.

She was shy and an introvert.

She attended Roman Catholic schools.

She lived in an area of America where Catholics were the minority.

Her father was sick with lupus by 1937. He died in 1941.

While in school an English teacher realizes her talent for writing.

She was one of 46 graduates at her high school.

She attended Georgia State College for Women. She later attended graduate school in Iowa for creative writing.

She dated a Marine during college.

The first short story published was The Geranium. Other published stories followed: Wildcat, The Coat, The Crop, The Barber, The Turkey, and The Train.

For a while she lived near Saratoga Springs with other writers. This was not a place she was comfortable. She lived with the Fitzgerald’s as a paying guest.

She wrote Wiseblood. And then her health crisis began. She continued to write and publish her stories.

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Flannery O’Connor lived most of her life in Georgia. In 1951, she and her mother moved to Andalusia which is near Milledgeville, Georgia. They lived on a dairy farm where her mother managed the business side of the farm. Flannery wrote stories. She loved her peacocks. She painted.

Early in the book it is mentioned that people often thought of her as “remote.” A person who is remote is defined as an introvert, independent, quiet, calm, and self-motivated. They are thinkers and ponderers. They sort things out in their head. They come across as not needing to be around people. Some people believe them-us-me to not be friendly, or odd birds. I am this type of person. I “get” Flannery O’Connor. And I believe this is one of the reasons why I love and gravitate to her stories, and I feel a sort of kindred understanding about her character. In addition, I love the unique type of writing style. She is a standalone.

What I learned about her life:

1. She had long hospital stays of confinement and recovery.

2. She continued writing while in the hospital.

3. She was an avid letter writer. In her letters her sarcasm and sense of humor is present.

4. She was friends with people outside her religious beliefs. She had diverse friendships.

5. Flannery was a Southern person who did not share her mother’s strong views of African Americans, but she too had an indifference and a wrong way of thinking towards them. She is a person of her time, and a person who lived in the deep South which includes that culture and ideology.

The chronological order of her books is shared but also revisions and problems in the writing and publishing process.

I admire her inner strength and perseverance during the suffering and pain of Lupus. Her numerous hospitalizations that slowed down her writing. Lupus was treatable at that time, but it had its own side-effects.

I enjoyed reading Flannery: A Life of Flannery O’Connor. I feel it has helped settle a few curiosities I have about her. It stirs a profound desire to want to read more about her as well as the rest of her stories on my bookshelf.

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Flannery: A Life of Flannery O’Connor is published by Back Bay Books/Little, Brown and Company-Hatchette Book Group in 2010.
464 pages.

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All books reviewed were purchased by me or borrowed from the library. I am not compensated for reviews.

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Silvia Foti had been led to believe her maternal grandfather was a war hero in Lithuania during World War II. His name was Jonas Noreika. He was known as “General Storm.”

Foti’s mother encouraged her to write his story. During the research for the story, Silvia finds out the terrible truth.

Storm in the Land of Rain is a creative nonfiction work that shares the process and investigative work of Silvia Foti.

In the beginning, Foti wants to believe the good about her family. She wants to believe what she has been told. Things begin to unravel after looking through historical records and interviews. At least one person she interviews is lying; and her temper flares at the audacity of the continuing lies.

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Several themes are explored in the book: family honor, lies, truth, secrets, judgement, good and evil, guilt, survival, war, peace, hope, resistance, injustice, conformity, wisdom, trust, and grief.

Foti is honest about her feelings through this journey. She is overwhelmed at times. She has a crisis of faith. She is angry. In addition, she wants the approval of her mother and grandmother which leaves her in deep stress.

Storm in the Land of Rain shares the history of antisemitism in Lithuania. The building up of the venomous ideology leading to the killing of Jews.

Both the German invasion and the Soviet occupation of Lithuania overshadow the people for years. Foti realizes, “Lithuania was the only country in Europe that tried to use the German invasion to free itself from Soviet occupation, announcing its independence and restoring its structures of self-government.” Page 133.

I’ve read a long list of books on World War II and the Holocaust. Storm in the Land of Rain is a rarity in that it explores the raw truth of discovering not that a grandfather was a hero, but he was a mass murderer. He was manipulative, calculating, and brutal. He like others in the book made excuses for their choices. Foti is determined to tell the truth.

I value her courage. I value her perseverance to tell the truth.

What is interesting! This book is controversial. There are people who do not believe what Silvia Foti discovered about her grandfather though research, historical documents, and interviews. They believe she is the one who is not telling the truth.

Storm in the Land of Rain was published by Regnery History in 2021.
400 pages.

Silvia Foti’s website for the book: In Search of the Truth. Silvia Foti investigates Jonas Noreika.

I do not plan to offer a paid subscription plan for Impressions in Ink. This is a zero cost Substack spot to my subscribers.

Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with my own creativity and brain power, and with my own grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is important to remain human and humane.

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In the Digest for July, I shared my neighbor and best friend had died on July 12. She had battled stage four metastatic breast cancer about five years.

Grieving is hard work. It is laborious. To grieve, to really grieve, requires participation and effort. I cannot minimize, ignore, put-off, or push to the side for another day feelings of sadness. Instead, I take the time to cry for the loss of our friendship.

After her death, the family took what they wanted, offering me a few items, and a large dumpster was placed on the driveway to hold her possessions. That made a huge impact on me, watching the dumpster fill up with her earthly treasures which is stuff she accumulated in life. It is true that we cannot take anything with us when we die, but still, that dumpster filling up and at times I heard things dropping in it. It is a startling reality of what I already knew but needed to be reminded of, memento mori which means remember you must die. And when I die, my children will clean out my house, possibly with a shovel, and with times of stress about what should be kept and what should be tossed. After careful thought, I have decided to do something about this before I die, in order to save my family that task.

I have gone through closets, cabinets, dresser drawers, shelves, and corners in the house I chose to ignore in the past. I have taken two loads of things to a thrift store. I have thrown away bags of stuff.

I had four large boxes of letters. Some letters were my maternal grandmothers and my mothers. In reality, my kids and grandkids do not care about reading boxes of letters. I pulled a few letters out to keep. For example, a letter written by a woman who had been friends with my mother since they were sixteen (1942). She shared in this letter how they met, what they used to do as teenagers, how they met their husbands, and other memories. I treasure this letter. It gives me a glimpse of the person my mother was when she was a young woman. I also saved several letters my granddaughter wrote me when she was a teenager.

I have a large plastic tub filled with my journals. I plan to throw them away. I have a fear that my family will read these journal entries, and I am not here to clarify. Plus, what if I hurt someone’s feelings about what I have written.

Journals are written by the author not so it can be read like a book by others. Journal writing can come across as whiny and complaining. It shares thoughts and feelings and a perspective that should not be read by others.

I began a few days ago writing in a new type of journal. It is a One Line A Day, A Five Year Memory Book. It is actually not one line but a small paragraph. I always start with something I am thankful for. I write about the important stuff of the day. I write about what has happened in the news. A recent entry includes the shooting in Minneapolis. Five years of journaling is on each page. In future years, I can look back at what happened on that day previously.

A few days ago, a book was published titled A Holy Lens. I am one of the writers of this book. Several of us participated in writing brief devotionals on the Substack space, The Holy Lens. A book was created and edited and published by John E. Dobbs from those of us who contributed. I am thankful to John. I am praying this book will be a blessing. I’ve heard from a few friends who bought copies of the book. They have already felt God is speaking directly to them at this moment in time about certain things they are going through. One friend told me, “This is an echo of my own prayer today!” She had just prayed about the very thing she then read later in a chapter from this book.

Links of interest:

1. Fewer People are Reading for Fun, Study Finds by Maggie Astor, New York Times article.

2. Reclaiming Conversation in the Age of AI by Sherry Turkel at After Babel.

3. Karen Swallow Prior at The Priory starts a new reading with an Alexander Pope’s poem, An Essay on Man. This starts September 2. I went online and printed out the poem. I plan to purchase a book soon which holds this poem and others. It is the Dover Thrift edition for $4.88 at Amazon. There is a more expensive version, The Major Works, Oxford World’s Classics for $18.95 at Amazon.

4. I have come across two essays on Joan Didion which I enjoyed reading. Writing Rituals of Joan Didion, and Joan Didion & New Journalism, both are written by Kate Jones at A Narrative of Their Own.

5. In Defense of interstitial time: How to grow life in the in-between moments at School of the Uncomformed by Ruth Gaskovski.

6. The Lost Art of Waiting by Christine Rosen at The Free Press.

7. Talking Past Each Other by David Clay at The Mockingbird.

8. Forgiveness Doesn’t Always Look the Same by Lara d’Entremont at A Mother Held.

I do not plan to offer a paid subscription plan for Impressions in Ink. This is a zero cost Substack space for my subscribers.

Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with my own creativity and brain power, and with my own grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is important to remain human and humane.

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The Age of Innocence is a study (through the use of a story) of the New York City society and culture in the 1870s. This time period is the Gilded Age. Edith Wharton is telling the story based on what she remembers of this time period.

Newland Archer is a young man, and an attorney, who became engaged to May Welland. Both of them are a part of the same upper middle-class people who live in New York. Their families are known to one another. It is expected of them to marry. It is expected of them to do the right thing.

The word expected explains the reason behind decisions that are made. The society of the 1870s expects certain criteria to be checked off. For a person to veer away from expectations means they will be ostracized and gossiped.

Newland Archer has assumptions, ideas, a vision about what it will be like to be married to May. He seems content until he meets Countess Ellen Olenska. In the story she is often referred to as “poor Ellen Olenska.”

Ellen left her husband because of his mistreatment. She left him in Europe and moved back to New York. Ellen and May are cousins. And at this time, Ellen is staying with Mrs. Manson Mingott who is her grandmother.

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The Age of Innocence is told in the third person. Through this perspective I am able to see a larger picture of the story. I am able to make up my mind about the characters choices and traits.

While reading The Age of Innocence I have compassion for the people. It’s as if they live in a bubble. They pretend to be happy, or they are oblivious they have a choice to do something different. There is an amount of pride behind their facade.

Later, Archer wants a different type of relationship with Ellen, but it is on his terms. Terms that fit into or hide behind the expectations of society.

I love the dialogue of the story.
I love the inner conflicts.
I love the simple and slow pace of the story revealing itself.

The Age of Innocence is a perfect story for a group read and discussion. My favorite discussion question is why did Archer make the choice he did at the end of the story?

I’ve lived long enough to know many people who did not end up marrying or staying married to the person they truly loved. The reasons vary. I’ve known people who move on and marry someone else and yet at the end of their life they still think of that person they loved long ago.

Published by Scribner Paperback Fiction/Simon & Schuster.
First published in 1920. My edition, 1998.
384 pages.

To read for free, The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton | Project Gutenberg.

To read more information about Edith Wharton:
Britannica
Women and the American Story
Literary Ladies Guide

I do not plan to offer a paid subscription plan for Impressions in Ink. This is a zero cost Substack spot to my subscribers.

Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with my own creativity and brain power, and with my own grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is important to remain human and humane.

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In 1989, the television mini-series of Lonesome Dove aired. It won several awards including seven Emmy Awards.

The cast of actors was magic. A few of the main characters are portrayed by Diane Lane, Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Danny Glover, Anjelica Huston, Robert Urich, and Ricky Schroder.

At that time in my life, I worked second shift at the hospital. I heard about the movie, but I did not watch it. Nor have I watched it since. I do plan to watch the DVD of the movie soon.

I knew a small amount of what the story entailed. I knew it was a western and they went on a cattle drive. I knew the story started in Texas. I knew some of the men had been Texas Rangers. I knew about Diane Lane as an actor in the movie, but I did not know her story which is a sweeping story and an important story for the whole book.

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I do not plan to offer a paid subscription plan for Impressions in Ink. This is a zero cost Substack spot to my subscribers.

Impressions in Ink is not generated by AI. I write all posts with my own creativity and brain power, and with my own grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is important to remain human and humane.

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Lonesome Dove was originally a screenplay written in 1972, and it was later adapted to a book and a movie.

The Lonesome Dove book was first published in 1985.
My edition was published in trade paperback by Simon and Schuster, 2010.
858 pages.

Captain Woodrow Call and Augustus McCrae are two older men who once served with the Texas Rangers. Call had been a Ranger Captain. Now, they live in the dry, dusty, treeless town of Lonesome Dove, Texas. The town is close to the Rio Grande River. The time period is the 1870s. They are partners in the Hat Creek Cattle Company. Augustus will be called Gus for most of the story. Captain Woodrow Call will be called Call for most of the story.

The Dry Bean is the town’s only saloon and the only place that serves food. The Dry Bean is where Lorena Wood works. She is the town whore. Chapter three introduces her story which includes how she came to live in Lonesome Dove and how she came to work in her profession. Gus is her most frequent and oldest customer. Lorena calls her activities “the sporting life.”

Men who work for Call and Gus are Pea Eye (had also been a Texas Ranger), Joshua Deets, Newt Dobbs (a young man and horse wrangler), and Bolivar (the cook).

Examples of other characters in the story: Xavier Wanz (he owns the Dry Bean), Dish Boggett (a cattle driver), Clara Allen (a woman Gus had loved), Lippy (a piano player), Jake Spoon (a scoundrel who brings trouble with him from Arkansas), Wilbarger (a cattle driver), July Johnson (a sheriff from Fort Smith, Arkansas), Elmira (the pregnant wife of July), Roscoe Brown (the deputy of July Johnson), Louisa (a woman who would like to marry again), and Blue Duck who is a Native American with dangerous plans.

Call and Gus and their team of cattle drivers work to move cattle from Texas to Montana. They cross several rivers. They encounter dangerous people. Accidents on the trail happen. Lorena accompanies them on the drive at the request of Jake Spoon.
Meanwhile, the substory of July Johnson and his search for Jake Spoon soon turns into a search for his wayward wife.

I knew I’d like this story but did not know I’d grow to love this story. I love it when this happens. I read a story because the book is sitting on a to be read shelf and I fall in love with the story and the characters (most of them), and by the end of the story it becomes one of my favorite books read.

Several reasons why I love this story!

1. The friendship between Call and Gus. They’ve been unsuccessful in committed, longtime relationships with women. They are successful in their lengthy and steadfast and faithful relationship with one another. They are as different in personality as night and day. They communicate differently. They spar with one another in coarse language. However, they have a strong bond. Even though one of them may not come across as listening to the advice of the other, they listen, they respect one other. They give each other space when they need to.

2. Newt is a young man who is in love with Lorena. Early in the story he admits to thinking about her “eight hours” a day. He is one of the few men who is observant, patient, and tender. He is one of the characters who the reader knows their thoughts. Newt is a mix of strength and innocence.

3. Lorena is a character that most of the other characters have an opinion about. Some love her. One avoids her. Most of the men in her life have used her beauty for their gain. Without her story the men would all have rough and callous exteriors. The story would be bleak and dry. Lorena brings a warmth to the story because for some of the men the tenderness in their eyes and demeanor that changes with the mention of her name, would be vacant. To a degree, Lorena is like a muse.

4. The story of Clara is another place where the story veers away from the cattle drivers and to a woman caring for her ill husband. She cares for him, and she cares for the farm. She is a strong woman but in a different way than Lorena. Clara knows how to command a farm and family. She knows what she wants and what she does not want. She does not mix words and means what she says. She is the definition of a pioneer woman.

5. Both Lorena and Clara’s stories pivot away from the treachery but monotonous cattle drive journey. They are to a degree resting spots in the overall story. Even though both women have hardships.

6. Elmira is a woman who is unhappy but believes happiness is found in someone else and something else. She idolizes men, especially one particular man because she believes he is the answer. She is a hard to like character. I want to have sympathy. But she is not a person who learns or wants to learn. She is bullheaded and has blinders on. While reading the book she is one of the characters I spoke aloud to. There were also moments in the story when I laughed aloud. But Elmira is not one of those characters I laughed about.

7. Lonesome Dove has great opening lines and great closing lines, and many memorable moments in between.

8. Texas geography is studied a bit in the story. Several rivers are mentioned as well as the varying and diverse terrain of Texas. Some of the rivers mentioned (not all in TX) are the Rio Grande, Red River, Nueces River, Guadalupe River, Pecos River, Republican River, Arkansas River, and Platte Rivers.

9. I spent a little time researching the real historical saloons in Fort Worth, TX during the 19th century. What is mentioned in the story is Bill’s Saloon (fictional). I found that the White Elephant Saloon and the El Paso Hotel Bar were well-known. Famous for alcohol but also for gambling. In the 1880’s there were nine churches and 60 saloons. The White Elephant Saloon closed for many years but reopened in 1970ish. I read in one spot, 1970. I read in another spot, 1976.

10. In the story Lorena is abused. McMurtry is candid about what happened to her. He is descriptive in her demeanor and behavior about the trauma afterwards.

11. Lonesome Dove is a story about relationships. Male comradeship and friendship, male and female connections and relationships. I loved reading the dialogue between the men. They speak to one another without a pause. Whereas often the men and women in conversation-the men grapple with the right words.

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July began with a holiday connected to a weekend which meant people were able to enjoy a three-day weekend. However, remnants of Tropical Storm Barry camped out over central Texas bringing unprecedented and catastrophic flooding to its hilly, cavernous, and rocky terrain. It is an area that’s ground does not saturate water. The water pours over its earthy granite and limestone landscape and moves on to the lakes. This time homes and businesses along the river were flooded. This time 135 people lost their lives in the waters.

I’ve seen the devastation in videos and photographs. I’ve read or heard people remark about who is to blame.

I’ve also seen beautiful and selfless humanitarian efforts to feed people, or search for animals, or search for people, or clean up the debris, or collect and clean the material possessions that were found.

This is an event when words are not adequate. To help another even if it is holding their hand and both of you crying seems the best response.

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Meanwhile, on Saturday, March 12 at 9:26 AM, my neighbor and best friend passed from this life to the next. Kerri had battled cancer about five years. Five hard and laborious years of battling a disease that was not what took her, but the damage the chemo did to her liver.

I was able to sit beside Kerri for about twenty minutes two days before she passed. I kissed her right hand, I held her right forearm, I told her I loved her. Even though she was drowsy with medication she said, “Annette!” She told me she loved me too. Her precious 92-year-old mother lay curled up beside her. Various family members wandered in and out of the room. The Hospice nurse was nearby. The room was quiet except for whispered conversations. There was an anticipation of what will happen, but we did not know the time it will happen, we only knew that it will.

On that Saturday morning after she passed, I went back over to her house and stood beside her bed. Her mother still lying beside her, watching her. I patted Kerri’s right arm. It was warm. I prayed over her again just as I’d done two days ago.

I was there when the hearse came to collect her broken body. I followed them as they loaded her into the back of the car. I watched until they drove away. It is important to be a faithful friend, and Kerri was and is still my dear friend.

I’ve had several best friends in life. A few have died. Kerri was my first best friend that lived next door to me. Over a period of fourteen years, a rhythm was created in our relationship. Often it was texting. Texts that are not meaningful to anyone else. For example, “Do you have a potato? I just need one.” “Is your power out?” “Is your Internet working?” “Did you hear that loud noise outside?” I checked on her at least once a week, “How are you today?” “I love you so much, dear.” But when she was having a good day which became less and less over time, we’d visit in person. We were the kind of friends who talked about all subjects. We told each other things that neither of us would share with another. And sometimes our talks were me listening to her and remaining silent. Sometimes we cried together. Sometimes I prayed for her.

Now, it feels strange to not pray for her. It feels surreal that she is gone. Her husband moved out of the house last weekend. The house is empty and vacant. I believe a chapter has closed. It is not a chapter that I wanted to end, but it has. I’m thankful she is no longer suffering. But I miss my friend. However, I do not grieve as one who will not see her again because I know that I will.

It is ironic that the book I finished reading yesterday is about Texas and relationships. It is about loving. It is about trying to survive. It is about living. And it is about dying. The name of the book is Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.

I will post a review soon.

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Donald Stratton was born in a small Midwest town in 1922. He grew up during the Great Depression. He joined the United States Navy because jobs were few. He was on the USS Arizona on December 7, 1941, when it was struck by Japanese bombs. He was one of five sailors who survived crossing a rope line from the USS Arizona over to the repair ship Vestal.

All the Gallant Men is an emotional book to read. It is also a story of bravery and heroism. Stratton did not believe he was one of the gallant men, but it was the others who perished who were gallant.

Stratton begins his story with his childhood and progresses to life in the Navy. On the morning of December 7, 1941, he shares that morning in precise times of events. He includes his recovery at the hospital, and rehab in California, leading to his discharge. Later, he reenlisted in the Navy and served until the end of the war.

Several important features:
1. Stratton remembers with clearness the night before the Pearl Harbor bombing. He spent the night on deck. The night sky was clear enough to see the Milky Way. A feeling of peace washed over him. He could hear a band playing in the distance.
2. He shares about the USS Arizona band. They had shore leave the night of December 6. They were a talented band.
3. An explanation of the 1,760-pound armor piercing bomb that was dropped and went through four steel decks down to where the ammunition was kept. Pages 93 -105 is the harrowing story of the end of that ship and his evacuation of it to the ship Vestal. This is a difficult passage to read. It is vivid. Detailed. Graphic.
4. Stratton tells his story, and he tells his story in his own pace. His thoughts are shared both from back then and present (at the writing of the story.)
5. He gave the particulars of those who were survivors and what it was like in the hospital. For example, 60% of the men had burns. The nurses used flashlights in the hospital at night because of concern of other attacks from Japan. There were men rescued from a pocket in the hull of the Oklahoma. The gruesome and courageous job of recovery efforts which went on until 1943.
6. The circumstances of when Stratton received the Purple Heart.
7. Chapter 12 is his thoughts of “The Lessons of Pearl Harbor.”
8. A section titled “Corroborating Sources.”

All the Gallant Men is a book that I will always remember.

All the Gallant Men
Published by William Morrow in 2016.
314 pages with print.
34 black and white illustrations.

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I began posting reviews on Blogger in 2007. I moved over to WordPress in 2017. I made the move to Substack in May of this year. I have deleted all the material from the previous blogs-closing up shop completely. Sometimes in this life when you move on, you move on.

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In April of this year, I began walking in my neighborhood. I started out walking 23 minutes, and within a few weeks I had moved up to 38 minutes. I walk in the early mornings. I wear sunscreen and a hat. I carry dog spray and a walking stick. My cellphone is in my back pocket and on silent. The road often has debris like trash or sticks. The road in several places has broken pavement and it buckles. I look at the scenery while I am walking but I also watch where I am stepping. It is important that I focus on each step, each breath, and yet, I also listen to the birds, I look for them in the trees. I look at the flowers and plants growing in the yards. I look for the community cats that belong to no one except those of us who care. I enjoy the breeze blowing. I wave and say good morning to the people I encounter. On occasion I say, “how are you today?”

In the beginning, I made myself go walking. I felt like a slug. It is now an enjoyable start for my day. I look forward to the walk. At night before I sleep, I begin to anticipate that morning walk. Walking is good for me emotionally, mentally, and physically.

I’ve read several Substack posts, and I’ve heard conversations from people that life has become increasingly stressful. There is a feeling like the left shoe is about to drop off. That feeling of what’s next. And yet, we still have to go to work, take care of kids, take care of the house, and take care of our pets which are actually family members except they have more hair.

I’ve thought about the things that I’ve learned over the years that help me during hard times. These things do not take away the stress or problem. These helpful things don’t minimize the troubles in life. But they help me to have the strength and the determination to persevere.

#1. Give grace. My inner dialogue is absolutely awful at times. If I said these things to someone else, it would be cruel and hateful. I stop myself and begin a new inner dialogue. I talk back to that impulsive, negative inner voice and say, “don’t talk to me that way! I am an imperfect person. No person is perfect. As hard as I try to do my best, I am still going to make mistakes. Other people are going to make mistakes. Give grace to myself. Give grace to others.”

#2. Remember the basics. I extend myself by caring for family which includes several cats. I give out but often forget to care for my basic needs. Something as simple as, did I drink enough water today can cause me to also wonder if I did drink water today. I’ve learned to always have a glass of ice water next to me. I keep a pitcher of filtered water in the refrigerator. If you don’t like the taste of water, add fruit. If you need to keep a log about how many glasses of water, you drink in a day. I believe there are apps for this. A simple notebook will suffice. Rest. I’m sorry if you are not sleeping well at night. I too have occasional nights when I cannot sleep. If you can, rest during the day or on the weekend, rest when you can. Turn off distractions which can buzz the brain and close your eyes and focus on each breath. When tense I tend to take shallow breaths. Instead, breathe deep and hold it for five to seven seconds and then release that breath slowly. Be careful what you ingest with your senses before bedtime. If you read or watch the news before bedtime, that can create anxiety. If you watch an adventurous type of film that has dinosaurs chasing people or it’s a film like Mobland. That may not be an appropriate bedtime activity.

#3. This is related to the last thought in number two. What can you practically do before you try to fall asleep? Pray. Read poetry. Read a Bible verse. I have a short stack of poetry books on my bedside table. Poets like Robert Frost, Mary Oliver, and William Wordsworth. I have a smallish book, Evelyn Underhill’s Prayer Book. This is a collection of her beloved prayers. Some of the prayers she wrote. The rest of the prayers were those she loved and collected. Another book I have is The Christian Book of Mystical Verse: a collection of Poems, Hymns, and Prayers for devotional reading compiled by A.W. Tozer. I recently purchased from The Daily Grace Company, Verse Map Scripture Cards. It is a set of 31 cards with a different Bible verse on each card. They have the intention of helping a person learn to verse map. However, you can also use them to place in a different area of your home as a reminder to focus on God’s Word. The card I have sitting on my bedside table is the last thing I look at before closing my eyes. The verse is Psalm 62:1-2.

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I recently finished reading: Robert Frost: Selected Poems, The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, The Turtle House by Amanda Churchill, The Secret Hotel in Berlin by Catherine Hokin.

I am currently reading: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clark, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, The Karamazov Brothers by Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Storm in the Land of Rain by Silvia Foti.

What I hope to read next: A City of Bells by Elizabeth Goudge, The Hunter by Tana French, and The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings-J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, and Charles Williams by Philip Zaleski & Carol Zaleski.

What I’ve watched and what I’m currently watching on streaming channels:

What I have watched on Netflix:
Unbroken, a documentary of the Holocaust. It is the story of several siblings who immigrate to America. They survive the Holocaust and share their individual stories.
Deadwind-a Finland detective murder mystery series. This series is my favorite with the exception of Vera.
The Åre Murders-a Sweden detective murder mystery series. This series is also a favorite.
The Glass Dome-a Sweden detective murder mystery series.
Missing You-a detective murder mystery series in the Manchester area of England.
The Snow Girl-a detective murder mystery in Spain.

What I recently watched on BritBox:
Towards Zero-a mystery based on Agatha Christie’s stories.

What I am currently watching on BritBox:
Vera, a detective murder mystery series based in NE England.
Irvine Welsh’s Crime, a detective murder mystery series in Scotland.
Reyka, a detective murder mystery series in South Africa.

What I recently watched on Acorn:
Art Detectives-detectives of art and antiques. The setting is the UK.
Safe House-a house where people are safely tucked away from a predator. I enjoyed the first series more than the second series.
The One That Got Away-a pair of detectives who are in Wales. They have a past romantic history which complicate their personal lives. It is a detective murder mystery series.

What I am currently watching on Acorn:
The Chelsea Detective-a detective murder mystery series in Chelsea, London, England.
Boglands-a detective murder mystery series in a rural area of NW Ireland.

What I recently watched on PBS Masterpiece Classic:
Miss Austen: The Untold Story of Jane’s Sister.

What I watched recently on Paramount Plus:
Mobland, a story of an organized crime family in London, England. In the first series, they are in a war with another syndicate.

Links of interest I’ve found:

I am writing out Scripture in a notebook. At this link you can sign up for weekday emails with the Bible prompts. Bible Copy Club. Writing Scripture long hand is a spiritual discipline. It slows me down to think about each word I am writing. I love this.

Screentime Sabbatical from Evangelical Magazine.

The Quiet Griever and the Comfort of God from Faithful Paradox.

On The Move, The Pilgrim People of God by Lesslie Newbigin. This article is from Renovare.

There is a river…. Richard Myerscough @thewaitingcountry on Substack.

One for the Substackers To Consider by Tim Challies.

Whatever Happened to the Semicolon? by Joel J. Miller at Substack.

Tsundoku Reading Society by Scott Postma at Books and Letters on Substack.

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