Itchy Boots Season 8: Mongolia and China with Bing again

Noraly is on a short break right now so I thought I'd go ahead and update this blog on her travels. I'm not really sure why I do this, but I started so I'll continue.  

August 2, 5, 9, 13, 16, 19, 24, 27, and 31

We watched episodes 147-155 which took place in Mongolia and China 

After having two flat tires within 13 kilometers, Noraly entered another area in China, and had Bing meet her at the border. In this area, she doesn't need him to ride right with her so they aren't always together. Also, Bing's eye is giving him trouble so someone from his work team came to help out. I never caught the spelling of her name and she didn't speak much English, but she seemed to enjoy riding with Bing and Noraly.  At one point they tried a side-by-side way of travel, but it was too difficult so they gave that up pretty quickly. 

Noraly had to throw away the map she'd been using since it had Taiwan marked on it. In China, she didn't want to take the chance of someone seeing that as it's frowned upon. 

She went to a less touristy area of the Great Wall which was lovely to see. 

Noraly traveled through some - what she called, diarrhea mud, as well as a road that was flooding. We saw lots of beautiful wildflowers which are always a favorite for me!

September 3, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, and 23

We watched episodes 156-162 which took place in China 

In the city of Harbin, she went to a place that talked about the Japanese mistreatment of the Chinese. She said she usually likes to keep things light in her videos, but it would be like going to Auschwitz and not mentioning the terrible things done there during World War II. She rode a good while along the border with North Korea. Such a pretty area of both countries.  A toll guy was practicing his English, and police followed her for quite a long time.  Noraly had to get a few things fixed on Frankie which she says are unplanned, of course, but a good way to see little villages and interact with people you wouldn't otherwise meet.  She made sure we saw her and Bing as they parted ways. She didn't the last time they were together, and she said she had so many comments about that, that she knew she wouldn't make that mistake again.  She and Bing crossed some water on a ferry and then Bing left. Noraly is headed to South Korea, and will come back with new videos in a couple of weeks  after she and Frankie have a head start.

August Books

 Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister -- Simone is on the way to reunite with her daughter who traveled from England to Texas for camp. The two have plans to do some tent camping, but first they have one night in a rental. When Simone wakes up the next morning, she cannot find Lucy, but then a phone rings and she finds out her daughter has been taken! 

A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray -- These authors explore a possible relationship between New York's assistant district attorney Eunice Hunton Carter, and the infamous madam, Polly Adler. Was Polly helpful in the DA's case against Lucky Luciano, the Mob boss? I would likely never read books about these two, but I have often enjoyed these authors so I read this one. Pretty interesting story. 

My Days of Work and Play: Beginning in Alamance County and Ending in Guilford County, North Carolina by Viola Andrew Braxton -- When she was 90 years old, Andrew's great-aunt wrote some of her memories and compiled those along with some of her favorite poems, some talks she gave to garden clubs, and a few pages of family trees. All this was put into this book which is just under 100 pages.  Although I wish for much more about her growing up years and her family stories, I learned some interesting things about Aunt Viola, one of which is that she was on the board of the Greensboro Science Museum (a fun place to visit) and that she and her husband donated plants to the Bog Garden (we walked there a couple times a few years ago.)  She was an interesting lady who was just shy of 99 years old when she died in 2004.  

The Wish by Heather Morris -- Inspired by her years working as a social worker at a hospital, this book features Alex who is asked to create something unique for a dying fifteen year old girl, Jesse, who has leukemia. There he meets Kelly the social worker as well as others who keep Jesse company at the hospital. 

Upward Bound by Woody Brown -- I saw this in the new books section of the library, and was intrigued by the author being someone who is non speaking and autistic. This story features chapters written from the perspectives of clients like Walter who is bright and learning yet he's not able to speak as one would wish someone could speak in the "normal" world. It also features other people such as the staff and observers of these people associated with Upward Bound, an adult-daycare for those with intellectual disabilities. Really a good make-me-think book that challenges how I can be better around people who don't see the world the same way I do.  A quick read with a challenging message! 

Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell -- Hannah is quite the lady. She works for a nonprofit and wonders why she is denied promotions. She dates, but no man wants her after a while. She finds community on a forum after she reads about four women who were found dead in a ravine in Georgia. Looking for answers, she starts writing to William, the man in jail accused of killing these women. Ehhh. 

The Lies We Trade In by Kristine Delano -- Meredith works in retirement portfolios and other such Wall Street things that I don't completely understand.  The author finds interest in these financial topics since she worked in that field. I, on the other hand, didn't find this book all that great, but I did keep reading it thinking I could learn something.  It wasn't all bad just stock trading and such is not my thing. 

The GhostWriter by Julie Clark -- Fifty years ago - when he was 16 -  Vince's siblings died from knife wounds, and there was talk among the community that he was to blame. His daughter Olivia is a ghostwriter looking for her next project.  Work has been hard to come by since she ranted on social media about a famous author, got sued, and, well, who wants to touch someone so tainted?  When her agent contacts her about a horror writer who wants her to ghostwrite for him, she's shocked when she finds out it's her father who wants to talk about what really happened fifty years ago. Pretty good story. 

Blunt Instrument by Amy Bloom -- I almost gave up on this book after Dell aka Della or Dellarobbia (yikes!), the professor-turned-private investigator, was introduced to several faculty members, and I was having trouble keeping all the names and facts straight. Didn't help that I read that section as I was lying on my couch fighting sleep. Also, Dell does a few things that made me say, "what?", but overall she was a pretty likeable character hired to find out what happened to Professor Oliver Bullfinch. I think this might become a series so I'll decide later if I want to read more mysteries featuring Dell. 

The Author Weekend by Laura Zipman -- Faye is a sixtyish author who reluctantly decides to have a weekend with her fans. Her rival Abby holds these weekends regularly in Colorado with a few hundred of her devoted followers. Faye doesn't really like people that much, thus the reluctance, but she wants to keep selling books so she needs her fans to be excited about her. 

The Windsor Affair by Melanie Benjamin -- A pretty fun way- novel form -  to learn more about Wallis Simpson, and the Kings and Queens of England around that time in history. 

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth -- Elsie lives in a quiet cul de sac where she deals with her neighbors. There's the little girl Persephone who insists on visiting despite Mabel not caring for children. There's Ishaam with his annoying, yapping dog.  Then there is the day Persephone wants to interview "an old person" for school, and Mabel decides to check on her neighbor. Anyway...that all sounds confusing and whatever, but this was a good story about friends and neighbors, and how annoying little neighbors can make your heart happy - among other things. 

Five by Ilona Bannister -- From the getgo you know someone is going to die by train. It was there, I nearly put this book down because that first bit was too..something. But I kept reading and ended up liking this pretty well. And the author's acknowledgement at the very end (pg. 228) about neurodivergent kids and their parents...I loved that! 

Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray -- Pretty good mystery-type book. I like that I learned something about solicitors and barristers in the English and Welsh justice system. Did you know that even if a woman has legally changed her name to her husband's last name, that they address her by her maiden name in court? For instance the main character is Leila Kesler, but professionally she is Miss Reynolds (see pg. 54.)  I'm assuming this is correct because the author is a former barrister. Anyway, I also like that they call their opposition their "learned friend."  As in the defense - in this case Lelia - referred to the prosecutor as her "learned friend" and he did the same to her.  In this case Leila is trying to get Jack off his murder charge, but she's up against an experienced prosecutor with the King's Court. He was her pupil master (now called pupil supervisor) once upon a time, and then...he became more. 

July Books

 The Forgotten Midwife by Laura Anthony -- When Riley discovers a birth certificate in her beloved grandmother's closet, she travels to Ireland for answers. Meanwhile the readers discover Margaret, the second daughter, who had plans to marry before her father gave her to the convent in order to become a nun. There Margaret wonders why her family never writes as she learns to be satisfied in this new life. Interesting story! 

A Cruise to Die For by Heather Graham -- The good news is that this author has MANY many books I've never read, most parts of serieses, in case I want to read more from her. The bad news is that this book was just OK. Not terrible, but the cutesy dialog "As you wish" just got a bit too much for me at times. Two special agents are partnered together going undercover on a cruise ship that features classes for those who want to learn more about furthering their presence online - or just being safer online. Wes and Chloe had never met, but they partner well.  This was an easy read between watching World Cup matches and dealing with an intensely itchy ankle and foot as I got stung by a couple of yellowjackets on the morning of July 1. Seriously, itching could be a form of torture.

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston -- Camille needs an alibi so she can gather information so she has Aubrey take her car and phone, and dress as Camille in case Camille's husband tracks her. But then Benjamin is found dead in his home office, and Hank is seeking what happened to his law partner while trying to defend his wife and himself. Did you follow all that?  Quick, easy read. 

My Sister Marilyn by Berniece Baker Miracle -- Even though I've never been much of a fan of her, last month I read a novel about Marilyn Monroe. The book got me a bit interested in her life so I decided to check out this story. It took a bit to get into due to all the names and the way it was written, but once I got those sorted out, I enjoyed hearing memories from Norma Jeane's older sister and her niece, Mona Rae Miracle.

The Exes by Leodora Darlington -- Natalie and her therapist Dimple explore Natalie's violent tendencies and past acts of violence against three former boyfriends. Meanwhile Natalie and her husband James deal with James' brother's blackmail. 

The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives by Elizabeth Arnott -- Elsie, Beverley, and Margot are the wives of murderers who become friends after a time. When they find out women are being killed, they decide to see if they can solve the mystery of who is committing these crimes! 

It's Not Her by Mary Kubica -- Courtney's family is on a trip to a resort in Wisconsin. Resort is more like rustic cabins along a beautiful lake. Her niece Reese hates being away from her friends for two weeks at a time when she's already struggling to fit in with her peers. When a horrible thing happens to Courtney's brother and sister in law (who happens to be her best friend), she tries to solve the mystery.  Although this isn't a pleasant book, it was a "good" thriller/mystery to me. 

The Girls Trip by Ally Condie -- Hope, Caro, and Ash met on an online book club during the pandemic, and have continued their friendship with a plan to meet up. Hope proposes a sudden trip where they tell no one where they are.  Each of the ladies has a secret. A quick, easy read. 

The Lost Story of Via Belle by Melanie Dobson -- I liked this more than I anticipated. It was inspired by Grace Livingston Hill, someone I remember my mom reading or at least talking about when I was little. Olivia is an author struggling for a new story. When she attends a university panel as a guest, she meets Professor Simon Farrow with whom she enjoys discussing her projects. Meanwhile in more modern times, Harper is looking for her own story - one to produce as a film. 

Small World by Laura Zigman -- After Lydia's divorce, she moves into her younger sister Joyce's apartment where they live together for nearly a year before they get new neighbors upstairs. How will that couple impact Lydia and Joyce's lives?  Both women deal with issues from growing up in a family where they lost their middle sister who born with a birth defect. Pretty good.

Ghosted by Rosie Walsh -- Sarah met Eddie as she was remembering the accident that changed everything. They hit it off, spent an amazing week together, and then she left his house knowing he had to meet a friend for a planned holiday in Spain. He promised to let her know he made it safely, but she didn't hear from him.  She was supposed to pick him up from the airport after his trip, but he never sent the details. She's convinced something happened to him - surely he didn't ghost her. 

The Unwedding by Ally Condie -- Ellery and her husband booked a lovely vacation in order to celebrate their twentieth wedding anniversary, but they split up just before that day arrived so Ellery went on the trip alone.  (She didn't want HIM taking his new girlfriend after all.)  At the resort, she befriends Ravi and Nina as well as Olivia, who is getting married at the resort that same week. Guests are stunned when Olivia's mom informs everyone that Ben called off the wedding so they could have the food... no need for it to go to waste. Also, there's some murder, a storm, and no one can get off the property! 

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke -- When a best-selling author dies just before he finishes the last book in his amazing series, his agent and publisher get creative. Six midlist authors are invited to Arthur Fletch's private island in Scotland. There they sign NDAs and are tasked with writing the ending to Arthur's final book. The one who has the best ending, wins some things worth killing for (apparently.) 

The Push by Ashley Audrain -- Blythe watches her former husband, his new wife and their baby. She sees her daughter, Violet, who lives with them.  And she tells her side of the story. Although it's rather sad, I enjoyed this one!  And I feel like I read it before, but I didn't see it on my blog, so...?

Separation Anxiety by Laura Zigman -- Judy is fifty years old, dealing with a teenaged son who seems embarrassed by her at times, a husband who is often anxious, and a dear friend who is dying from cancer. Plus, her job isn't as fulfilling after her writing career kind of flopped after she wrote a popular book years ago. Pretty cute story. 

A Present Peace by Bill Crowder -- This is a little devotional book that was in Andrew's mom's stuff, and I decided to read one or two most days. It's 90 "our daily bread reflections for embracing God's truth through hard times." 

Wait for Me by Amy Jo Burns -- Marijohn is convinced that her mother is the famous folk singer Elle Harlow who rose to fame and then disappeared nearly twenty years ago. She was found by the gas station attendant just as Elle drove off, and she was left with a battered mandolin. Years later, she learns Elle's story, and how her friendship with Josie and Weston impacted her career.  I didn't like this much at first, but it grew on me before becoming a bit too long. Still, it was decent. 

Itchy Boots Season 8: Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Bali, and back to Mongolia

 It's been awhile since I updated the blog on Noraly's travels. Here is more as Season 8 - her trip to Japan - continues.  

December 17, 21, 24, 29, and 31

We watched episodes 103-107 which took place in Kyrgyzstan 

I enjoyed seeing the children at a couple homestays. Noraly rode a donkey with a young teen, and then took selfies with some of the young folks.  Bizarrely, the gas in her motorcycle started boiling, and she shared lovely drone shots (eps. 104)

2026

January 4, 10, 14, 15, 18, 21, 26, and 28

We watched episodes 108-115 which took place in Kyrgyzstan and China

I loved the yurt festival where locals competed in things like building yurts and  where they participated in games and acrobatics on horseback (eps. 108). In China, Noraly met up with Bing who was her guide through the Uyghur region. In that country, you have to show an identity card in order to buy gas, so Noraly hired Bing to take her through part of the country. He was great!  As seen in numerous comments on her YouTube and other social media channels,  many folks enjoyed the learning experiences and knowledge Bing brought to those episodes. Though some hotels were off-limits to tourists, Noraly was often amazed at the fascinating hotels she stayed at  (like the one where a robot brought her food delivery (eps. 115)).

February 2. 5, 10, 12, 15, 19, 22, and 25

We watched episodes 116-123 which took place in China

Some interesting sights like grape tunnels - grapes grown not for wine, but raisins!  Also, she said Chinese folks didn't eat a lot of sweets, and she had red-bean ice cream. Bing told her about Mandarin tones which I found interesting concerning the language (eps. 122) and also about some of the Chinese characters (eps. 123)

March 2, 8, 15, 22, and 29

We watched episodes 124-128 which took place in China and Mongolia 

Bing's wife's family lived in an area they were passing through, and they invited Bing and Noraly to join them for a meal and fellowship which was a fun episode (124). Bing told her about the dragon culture and later the two of them sang some karaoke. Bing took her near the border with Mongolia where they said goodbye. Noraly was on her own again with some tough, windy sandstorms soon greeting her there. 

April 5, 13, 19, and 26

We watched episodes 129-132 which took place in Mongolia

Noraly gets stuck in the mud, she gets a flat tire, sees yaks and an old Buddhist temple; and she gets to the Mongolian capital where she leaves Frankie and flies home. Winter in Mongolia is no joke and it's tough riding through there.  We are seeing videos from several months ago at this point.  She told us videos would only be posted once a week as you can probably tell from the dates when we watched. 

 May 3, 10, and 24

We watched episodes 133-134 plus I watched a Live Chat which took place in the Netherlands, Bali, and back in the Netherlands 

While we were watching videos from Noraly's journey a few months past, she was back home and sometimes in Bali getting her wisdom teeth removed, wearing braces, writing her second book, dog sitting, and getting into shape. She said she was tired of how out-of-shape she was, and she needed to be stronger in order to pick up her motorcycle when she fell.  Later I found out she took about 8 months off from her travels while Mongolia had its long cold winter. One good episode before she resumed her travels in Mongolia, was through the northern part of the Netherlands where she took part in a Hydrox competition. 

June 14, 22, and 28

We watched episodes 135-137 which took place in Mongolia

This month Noraly started posting videos from Mongolia again. We saw that Moritz, the German guy who built Frankie, was there to service the motorcycle again. He was in the country doing his own adventure so he and Noraly rode together for a day.  I enjoyed seeing the capital, children dancing and playing games, and more (eps. 135).  Soon Noraly was off to the Gobi Desert where she met a cute little girl at a place she wanted to stay. Also she befriended the huge dogs that greeted her at various yurt camps. 

July 2, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, and 29 

We watched episodes 138-146 which took place in Mongolia 

Noraly and Frankie participated in some yak, sheep, goat, and camel roundups with the people she stayed with. Also one family packed her some food and left a sweet note with it. She discovered the corrugated desert had claimed her license plate so she talked about possible ways to get a new one from the Netherlands. She mentioned soon she'd be in China, and had already contacted Bing about joining her. (eps. 141) I enjoyed seeing her ride a camel and when the man sang a Mongolian folk song for her (eps. 145).  Noraly spent some time in a city editing videos and doing logistical things. Her best friend Mandy joined her before riding off on her own motorcycle adventures. 

Tribute to Aunt Bob

My grandmother, born in April 1923, was the oldest of 8 - four boys and four girls. She died 12 years ago this month, and on July 1, 2026, her last living sister joined them in heaven.  One brother is still living in South Carolina. 

Anyway, one of my mom's cousins posted this picture and later the tribute below. I wanted to save both so I thought a blog post would be good. Kip's mom (top left) died in her mid-50s from pancreatic cancer. She - Aunt Bett - was one of the sweetest, most fun great-aunts though she died when I was in my teens. My mom speaks of her with such fondness.  The other sisters - my grandmother (top right), Aunt Bob (bottom left) and Aunt Edith (bottom right) lived to be over 90 years old. 

Posted on Facebook by Kip on July 5, 2026

TRIBUTE TO MY AUNT BOB

My family lived away from Greenville during our formative years and tweens since Daddy was in the Marine Corps. Coming home to see our sweet cuddly, Momzi greeting us with open arms from the porch of Gaymont Farms or Miz Pinson's little stone rental house up Paris Mountain was pure heaven. Momzi was a vision, waving with both hands, small in stature but a giant of affection, standing above her thoughtfully attended flower bed that had a curious collection of pepper plants. Before we could get to the front door, the fragrance of tea boiling, sometimes fried chicken, and the tobacco and burnt matches from Papa's smokes were all comforting as a real welcome package. Chatter, hugs, laughter winded up at the big round table with big legs. Pimento cheese sandwiches were a staple, that countrified hors d'oeuvre splayed against the red and white checked tablecloth. I always seized the metal "highchair" with no arms, a rite and right of the littlest one in house at the time.

Over the next few days, the kinfolk started showing up. Every so often, the sound of wheels against the long dirt driveway would get us moving to the door or the swing out windows with hand cranks that fascinated me. "YON COMES...!!", Momzi or Mama would exclaim with such exuberance that we kids felt like the heroes of all time were descending in our midst. And...they were. The younger uncles and aunts usually were close by, Ronnie and Mary Dan, Sam and Ann, and Dick and Jean. Later, we would see Jack the oldest boy, born between the four sisters, and Aunt Myrtle. Elegant Aunt Edith and easy going Uncle Arthur were always on time. I have memories of them bringing in Kentucky Fried Chicken from the Cedar Lane location with little balloons that one attached to a piece of cardboard shaped like a chicken foot. This was when KFC was the best and as a kid, I thought Aunt Edith was rich, KFC on demand, and especially since she shopped at the A&P. Daddy said that place was too expensive for our family groceries.

The Truaxes, Aunt Mary, Uncle Dan, and their four children were in Africa during the 50's and early to mid 60's. They moved back to Greenville SC a few years before we did. They were exotic. Except for Artie, they were all dark haired, dark eyed. Jolly Uncle Dan was a special character of mirth and goodness. His strong accent, I had decided, was a fusion of British, English, and Chinese from his years in Africa and his upbringing in China as the child of missionaries. The kids had a pronounced accent too. Sharon, the only daughter was, and still is, a beauty, inside and out. We would get to know them after we moved to SC permanently and make our connection and affection for each other also.

Then there were the Turners, Aunt Bob and Uncle Russell and their six kids. Mama and all of her sisters were alike in many ways. Bob and Bett were more like twins, three years apart and eventually 11 kids between them. Singing a duet of "Knothole" or just interacting was mesmerizing. The older cousins of both families were near in age so our bond was more like siblings than cousins. All of our cousins would find that to be true throughout the subsequent years of our upbringing. Uncle Jack's kids were in our age group, Donna being the eldest of the 27 cousins. and more like a big sister to all of us. She still is.

When Daddy had orders to go overseas in 1967, he moved us to SC to be near this huge family. The Truaxes were home for good and the Powells joined their church and went to school with them. Occasionally the whole family would visit together at the church of one of the branches. Tabernacle Baptist Greenville, Faith Baptist Simpsonville, Victory Chapel Baptist Conestee and soon Truth Missionary Baptist Woodside where Uncle Sammy had just started a pastorate. Coffee, Pepsi, and food followed each service at the home of various hostesses, all equally grand and accommodating. I just bought a percolator because of my memory of Aunt Ann's perfect coffee that filled the house with the best aroma. That was the first thing one noticed when walking into her kitchen,. Oh the noise and revelry. Sometimes the little ruffians would duke it out. The parents always blamed their own children instead of somebody else's as a mechanism for peace. I guess it worked but there would always be a lot of, "But Mama, I didn't do anything..." This was shut down quickly, little fires put out, detente at its best, wielded by the power and wisdom of a Kay woman.

In the summer of 1968 Aunt Bob and Uncle Russell were accepted as missionaries by the Baptist International Missions Board (BIMI). Daddy came home that fall, and it seemed that the whole family was finally in one place. The Turners announced that they would be leaving for the mission field soon after. In February 1969, they left Greenville for Cayman Brac Island and the West Indies. It might as well have been Timbuktu. In that past year and a half, the Turners and Powells were as one. Shayne and Rusty, Erik and Edie (now Edi), Kip and Kim. Chlo Ann was the conscience of the group and moved with stealth and humility among us. Phillip and Mary Rose were a good deal younger. They were novelties to us, very cute and whom we cajoled but they couldn't run with us big dogs. That family's exit from this idyllic and short lived time was the first of many goodbyes and separations in our family, other than those that my immediate family had already experienced as a military family. I savored letters from these cousins who were faithful to write. I felt abandoned by the prospect that I would never see them again. In truth, we never really saw each other for long periods again, but the bond surely has been unbreakable, undeniable, and uncanny. Still to this day, in our 60's and 70's we correspond and it seems as if we are still on Piggy Rd Mauldin at the Turner farm, at the Little Raskals Clubhouse, or pulling an all nighter with the whole extended family around the permanent BBQ pit. The last time we all were together was the Turner's final BBQ. The cousins were up in the house listening to Edi playing the guitar and accordion, self taught. The window was open and we heard the whole family singing down at the pit, with Daddy playing. We promptly joined this throng of strong people with somewhat heavy hearts. I don't remember the songs that were sung, but I know that we always had Sharon Truax sing the verses of "I Don't Know About Tomorrow", as we all joined on the chorus. Different "groups" would sing. It's sweet that I remember that reunion but not the sadness of the parting. I recall times when we would be away from the adults at a family dinner and the aunts and uncles would call for a command performance by the Turners, Truaxes, Powells, et al. Often we would throw each other under the bus..." Get them to sing. I have a sore throat". Oh to have that opportunity now.

This tribute and recollection is history of Aunt Bob's godly parenting, selfless, and consistent. None of our elders were perfect but raised us by example, with humility, long suffering, and without retreat. We cousins have had many discussions about mistakes made by our parents and by us children, the seemingly unfair rules/"standards" that were to satisfy man or institution sometimes impeding the expression of our gifts and exiling us to periods of spiritual and creative stagnation. No one and certainly no family, especially one of this size, escapes the fallout of family dynamics and religion. However, through these seven decades of cousin-ry, the talk has been overwhelmingly about the joy, the laughter, the closeness, our admiration and adoration of our aunts and uncles. We all have failed someone in the family, some more than others, some more often than not. In the end, to be able to find no hypocrisy in an aunt or mama like Aunt Bob, is more than enough. That kind of legacy covers a multitude of life happenings, things we call mistakes or imperfect, with absolution. "Blessed are the pure in heart" immediately comes to my heart and mind. Aunt Bob was that!

It was hard to look at Aunt Bob after Mama died. They were so much alike. It was painful. She acknowledged that one time with her characteristic sweetness, discernment, humility, and love. But I was always so glad of heart. I have recounted the thrill of seeing her extraordinarily angelic, beaming, glowing, dancing, eyes, and joyful smile. She never wavered. She and her sisters had a contemplative beauty that made one wonder, what are they thinking? No doubt, in these last few years, she was "Thinkin "bout home..." Knowing her life, it is a joy and comfort to believe without a doubt that as she laid her head down Tuesday night her thoughts were of Home, her family, her Jesus. To just go to sleep and wake in God's heaven without suffering is the greatest and ultimate blessing. What a way to cross the finish line!!I know first hand, that my Mama prayed constantly. I know this of Aunt Bob too. I spoke to her on the phone a few years ago, and the way she said, "KEEUPP" just brings tears to me now. She reminded me that she prayed for me everyday, as she did for all of us, many photos displayed for her to see and make her prayers personal. Oh who will pray for us now?

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Edited to add these pictures of my mom in the hospital room in Paris, France, in March 1951. See my comment to Myrna below for context. 

Same picture ... just one is zoomed in order to see their faces a bit better. :)

June Books

 The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club by Gloria Chao -- Kathryn is a postdoc chemist at Harvard, not very well liked amongst her peers, but she has an amazing boyfriend who appreciates her nerdy brain and enjoys that she knows a lot about the origin of idioms. When Kat decides to surprise Tucker mid week (not their usual days to see one another), she is in for a huge surprise: he's...proposing to someone else! What!?!  Come to find out, Tucker is a serial cheater with not just one, but a couple more girlfriends on the side. And when Kat, Olivia, and Elle find out about each other, they hang out and become friends. Pretty cute, quick read. 

Faithful of Heart by Tracie Peterson -- Book one in A Minnesota Legacy series, this was decent. Nothing special, but not terrible. It was a quick read on a day when I didn't have another library book.  Judith's grandfather was estranged from his son after the elder Mr. Ashton didn't care for his son's life choices. But when his heart is giving him trouble, he wants Judith to spend time with him so he appeals to her fundraising for widows and orphans. Thus Judith travels from her home in Philadelphia to Minnesota where her grandfather has built up the area and become very rich. 

Last One Out by Jane Harper -- Five years ago Sam disappeared on his 21st birthday, and each year since then his parents Griff and Ro plus his sister Della gather to remember him. This year is different as the mine has expanded and more people are gone. Ro (short for Rowena) is still looking for answers as to what happened to her son. 

The Alphabet Sleuths by Laura Jensen Walker -- Four older friends - Atsuko, Barbara, Claire, and Daphne - pool their talents in order to solve crimes - and possibly hide them. Pretty cute, quick read. 

The House on Fripp Island by Rebecca Kauffman -- When Scott wins a trip to Fripp Island, Lisa suggests asking her childhood best friend Poppy and her family to join them. This book explores the points of view of the husbands and wives, plus the children: Rae, Kimmy, Ryan, and Alex. Pretty good. 

Want to Know a Secret? by Freida McFadden -- April runs a YouTube channel about the secrets of good baking. She also is puzzled by the neighborhood dynamics once Maria, Sean, and Owen move next door. Why is Maria, once so friendly, giving her the cold shoulder? Why is Sean avoiding her sweet treats? And why is her best friend Julie turning on her? 

How the Story Goes by Andrew Forrester -- When his wife Helen dies, Whit is shocked to discover from her lawyer that she wanted him to complete her beloved books series. Whit is an author, but he writes a totally different genre from the popular books his wife wrote. He decides to ask Merritt for help.

The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom -- Skye is eager to leave England, so when she wins a lottery to buy and restore a house in Greece, she is ready for the adventure. She meets the locals and other lottery winners. Also, they discover some of the history of the island as it pertains to World War II. 

Killing Me Softly by Sandie Jones -- Freya and Charlie seem to have the best marriage until the night an accident changes everything for them. They suddenly move from London to a small village to start a new life. Freya makes a new friend Tess, yet finds herself hiding her outings with her. 

The Lumber Baron's Wife by Lynn Austin -- This story follows Hannah, the doctor's wife, and her friend Kate, who marries a lumber baron as the two live in the same town in Michigan. In modern times, Ashley tries to find out more about these women. 

Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer -- I thought this book was going to be about that "trend" in some households - hearkening back to those years when women willingly stayed at home, prepared made-from-scratch meals, all while bringing several children into the world. And it kind of starts out with that. Camille wants to be a trad-wife influencer on social media. She has her "king," Graham, who enjoys coming home to a spotless house, delicious meals, and a beautiful wife. When Camille struggles to get pregnant, she makes a deal with an... angel (or the devil), and soon after, Sweetheart arrives - and she's a very different baby!  Oh wow...I really wasn't expecting this type of book. As the blurb on the front of the book says, "Surprisingly tender - and stunningly stomach-turning." (credit to Clay McLeod Chapman for that.)  I kept reading because you have to see how a book like this ends, but yeah, I was kind of amused at how bizarre this book was. Maybe it's typical reading for some, but not me! 

The Star Society by Gabriella Saab -- This book features Ada and Ingrid, sisters who had been separated by the war, who reunited in the US where Ada is an actress and Ingrid works for the government. This is during the Red Scare era when the FBI targeted those they thought had favorable views of Communism. 

Too Close to Home by Seraphina Nova Glass --  A car bomb that kills someone, a bomb threat at school, a missing lady: not the typical life people expect in an affluent lake community. This is told from the perspectives of Andi, Sasha, and Regan, three friends who live there and are looking for answers. Easy read. 

Book of Forbidden Words by Louise Fein -- Charlotte is a printer in Paris asked to print a troublesome book. Four hundred years later Milly discovers the code and is able to read what Lysbette wrote that got her killed. 

The May House by Jillian Cantor -- Three sisters - Julia, Emily, and Nora - visit their grandmother Vera one year every May, and when she dies, they keep up the tradition. This book follows them through the span of about 40 years of visits. Pretty good. 

I Did Not Kill My Husband by Linda Keir -- This whole book is basically Cara being chased by the police and is told from both her perspective and Sheriff Jordan's perspective. It was a quick, pretty fun read! 

When We Were Brilliant by Lynn Cullen -- Wasn't sure I'd like this at first, but eventually I found it a pretty interesting look at Eve Arnold the photojournalist who befriended Marilyn Monroe. The novel is narrated by Eve mostly in light of "you" (Marilyn Monroe).   Here is a website the author mentions in the acknowledgments. In the book Eve mentions many interesting assignments. I'm glad to get a glimpse of a few of those online! 

The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh -- Carrie is a surgeon with the NHS - well, she took a six-year break after having twins - and she's going back if they'll let her. Years ago she was married for a few hours before her Swedish husband Johan was taken by Thai police. When he told her to forget about him, she went back to England heartbroken, always wondering what happened. 

May Books

The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox -- Ana Leigh is a kindergarten teacher taking a summer break to her great aunt Cora's house in Bitter End. Come to find out Bitter End is now part of the Roan Mountain community in Tennessee so that's neat for me because I've been there. In fact, the hike at the top of Carver's Gap is among the prettiest bald hikes that we enjoy. In Bitter End, Ana meets Marilyn and Sam plus the couple who have a wedding van, and her summer turns into finding more history about her family plus joining some of the gang on their hikes and looking for birds. Pretty cute story. 

The Perfect Fake by Barbara Parker -- My mother in law died three months ago, and she left a few bags of books in her spare bedroom closet.  My FIL is getting rid of a lot of her stuff so I took the books. I already donated several of them to the Friends of the Library book sale, but I decided to keep a few to read between library books. This is the first and it was OK. Tom is on probation and asked to recreate a map that was damaged. To do this he has to travel overseas which is against his probation terms, but who cares, right? 

The Fair Weather Friend by Jessie Garcia -- When a popular meteorologist is murdered, Carol and her niece Olivia do a bit of sleuthing to find out who might have done it. This book alternates between several voices, and was a quick read. 

All the Little Houses by May Cobb -- This book ended so abruptly that I was glad to see the author mention a sequel. Perhaps then I'll see more about what happened to Nellie, Jane, Jackson, Ethan, and all those folks in a small town in Texas. 

No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done by Sophie Hannah -- DNF; I tried, but just couldn't get into the suspense of a dog having to go on the run due to false charges of the dog having bitten someone.  

Some Bright Nowhere by Ann Packer -- Eliot deals with his wife's upcoming death as she has "three to six months" left after her cancer spreads. Although it was different from my experience with my mother in law, it still brought back memories of those last three weeks with her. 

North Carolina Quakers: Spring Friends Meeting by J. Timothy Allen on behalf of Spring Friends Meeting; This is one of those Images of America books that I found at our local library. Recently I've been enjoying finding information about Andrew's family as looking through his mom and others' pictures and papers, made me curious about the Andrew, Zachary, and McBane families. They were Quaker settlers in the Snow Camp and Eli Whitney areas of southern Alamance County. I was thrilled to find this book as it mentions a bit about each of those families.  It is mostly told through images, but they have some informative and interesting captions. 

There is a membership list c. 1900 that showed some of the very people I'd been researching recently including Arka Zachary whom I've realized must have been a teacher in the area. I've got several pictures that were in her collection - probably passed down to her niece Verna Andrew Whitsell who lived with Andrew's family for a couple of decades before she died in 2000 at age 90. Unfortunately I don't know if Arka (also known as "Aunt Zach")'s stash of photos include one of her. I have so many great pictures, but 90% don't have any identifying information - ugh.  Also in this book I saw a map of the southern Alamance area near Spring Friends and its mother "church" Cane Creek Friends Meetinghouse, and I saw a JW Andrew listed nearby. I'm pretty sure that is Andrew's great-grandfather, Julius Weldon Andrew. It shows how close the various families lived to their meetinghouse (the Quakers tend to use this term instead of church.) 

 I want to give a huge shoutout of gratitude to my friend Myrna for looking up several interesting bits of information for me, and posting some things to several family members' pages at Family Search. A neat thing is that Myrna found out that she is related - very distantly, but still! -  to Andrew through his Zachary side.  That would be his maternal grandfather's mother's** side.  The common ancestors, sisters Elizabeth and Mary, trace back to Thomas Call (1597-1676) and his wife, Bennett Harrison (1599-1643) who were from Kent, England.  Whereas Myrna's ancestor, Elizabeth, went to Massachusetts; Andrew's ancestor, Mary, went to Virginia. Thank you again for your kindness and help, Myrna!

**  Andrew -----> Sarah ---->Jim Andrew ----> Nannie Iota Zachary 

Free Ride by Noraly Schoenmaker -- I finally read Itchy Boots' book telling about her reason for starting her journey that began in the Netherlands and India where she bought Basanti, her first motorcycle for traveling to various countries as a filmmaker.  She shared a few things about her life that we didn't know from watching her on YouTube. I bought this last year for our anniversary, and I just read it this month due to having other books to read from the library.  

Little Promises: Hope and Encouragement from Our Daily Bread compiled by Dave Brannon -- Andrew's dad is in the midst of purging things his wife had around the house. She had a lot of baskets, and he hates trying to vacuum around all the stuff on the floor. One basket near her chair had some devotionals and I decided to keep a few to read through. This was one of those. As the title suggests, this booklet contains sayings and verses meant to give hope and encourage folks.  So many are worth pondering. Here are a few I've come back to in recent days.

"Focusing on who God is rather than on what we think He should do will guide us to joy and satisfaction in Him." -- Jennifer Benson Schuldt  pg. 108

"Whatever storm we encounter today, we can be confident that all is not lost. Our Pilot can handle the storm. He will get us home." -- C.P. Hia pg. 109

"Stop and take a breath. Tune out the distractions, put away the restlessness, and reflect on the wonder of God's faithfulness. Get some real rest."  -- Poh Fang Chia pg. 78

Such a Clever Girl by Darby Kane -- I remembered liking her past books more than I appreciated this one. Hanna, Marni, and Stella unite to find out what happened years ago when several of the Tanner family went missing.  Now that their patriarch Xavier has died and the troublesome Audrey is back in town, they try to figure out what they are willing to tell others. 

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict -- An interesting look at Egypt around the 1920s when there were uprisings as the Egyptians wanted their independence from the English. Lady Evelyn joins her father and Howard Carter on archaeological digs. She's most interested in finding Hatshepsut's tomb. 

24 Hours by Greg Iles -- A doctor and his family are targeted in an elaborate kidnapping plot. Will, Karen, and Abby try to survive the evil of Joey and his accomplices.  This is one of the books from my MIL's stash. It was published in 2000 so it was kind of neat to read how things were back then and see how some technological things have changed in the last 26 years. 

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. Brown -- This book took me a while to read because I've been focusing on some family tree research and sorting, looking through library books pertaining to Cane Creek Friends (family research on Andrew's side) and taking pictures of old photos and letters to send via text to Andrew's cousins,  plus watching WNBA games in some free time where I'd usually read. But this book was pretty good. It alternated between the times of King Henry VIII which is where Elizabeth Barton lived, and modern times when a researcher of Elizabeth Barton's life is at a workers' retreat in England. 

All Booked Up by Melody Carlson -- Riva is contemplating the sale of her home when she meets Windy who proposes that Riva take in boarders. Then Riva can keep her house and it will help those who need affordable housing. When she has four ladies living in her house, Riva enjoys the camaraderie yet it's still tough ... especially when Kitty comes into the mix. 

The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman -- A mystery about twenty-two missing ribeyes (yes, really!)  that features chapters on the busser, server, host, and other people who work at Aunt Orsa's Italian-ish restaurant. Different, but a cute, quick read.