Sunday Salon, August 8th

Sculpture made out of cardboard, at the TAM

Weather: Blue Skies and warm temperatures. It rained yesterday which was a bit of reprieve to this dry, dry, dry summer.

Adventure Day: Monday is our summer adventure day. Last Monday we drove over to the peninsula and explored Penrose State Park, on Carr Inlet in the Puget Sound. Since it was a week day we had the whole picnic area practically to ourselves. We arrived during low tide and were able to walk out on a spit of land that seemed to go out about a quarter mile into the inlet. We explored the marine life in the mud and got sprayed by huge clams. Just as we got to the end of the spit anther explorer hollered to us to watch out, the tide was coming in. We had to scurry back and only got our feet a bit wet. Within an hour we couldn't even see the spit any more. It was completely covered with water. Phew, we were safe.


Summer Date Day, Pt. 1: Carly and I had a date day on Thursday. First we went to the Tacoma Art Museum. We were particularly interested in seeing the Roger Shimomura: An American Knock-off exhibition. But we also enjoyed the Art of the American West: The Haub Collection.

TAM: Art of the American West Exhibit

Carly contemplates the pop art of Roger Shimomura.

Summer Date Day, Pt. 2: After the art gallery we drove a few blocks to the local indie movie theater to see the documentary: "Batkid-Begins." Somehow I was the only person to not hear about this amazing event that happened in San Fran in 2013 to make-a-wish for a kid, Miles, to be batman for the day. Carly and I laughed and cried. It is such a touching story how a whole community, thousands of people came out to make a kid's wish come true. Take a look at the trailer.

Another movie: the reason we knew about Batkid Returns, we were at the indie theater the night before to see "Mr. Holmes." We really enjoyed it. Look for it in a theater near you.

Books read this week:

• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr--- Pulitzer Prize, Carneigie Medal, and National Book Award finalist. Loved it! (Audiobook)
• Nimona by Noelle Stevenson---graphic novel about a sidekick to the archenemy of the Institution.
• Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks---  a very disturbing book which sort of combines Room and Lord of the Flies. I wouldn't recommend it unless you are REALLY into psychological thrillers.

Currently reading:

• The Wright Brothers by David McCullough---a favorite author reads his own audiobook about the famous Americans who were the first to invent an airplane.
• What Matters in Jane Austen? by John Mullan---Twenty crucial puzzles solved about the writing style of this popular, classic author.
• The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club by Phillip Hoose---WWII in Denmark, teen boys conduct acts of resistance.

Vacation to Central Oregon: We leave Friday for a few days at a favorite spot, in the shadow of Mt. Bachelor outside of Bend, Oregon. I think everyone in my family of origin will be there plus my kids and a few nieces, nephews, and in-laws. We are looking forward to it.  But as per usual I am already planning what to read/listen to while we are gone. For the car trip we will finish The Wright Brothers. If we have time, we will start The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith. I just got a notice that Ishmael by Daniel Quinn is available for checkout on e-book from the library. In addition I take along the print versions of The Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge and What Matters in Jane Austen? I probably won't finish everything but one needs to be prepared.

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Thought for the day: 

"My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together."-Desmond Tutu