BOOK REVIEW: I'm Too Young To Be Seventy

Recently I was given a copy of Judith Viorst’s I’M TOO YOUNG TO BE SEVENTY, AND OTHER DELUSIONS. I am not sure why the book was given to me because I am way too young for it.

Each decade Viorst publishes the perfect birthday gift for readers - a collection of poetry that is age appropriate. The first on I received was It's Hard To Be Hip Over Thirty And Other Tragedies Of Married Life. The books have been coming to my house like clockwork and each one hits the bull’s eye.

It is hard to admit, but she has done it again. She understands that erotic options may be limited at seventy and that the grandchildren are not children any more. She understands that not only are we our husband's life companion, but his driving coach as well.

Maybe the best advice in the book is contained in the poem, "If I Should Die Before I Wake".  We ladies know that if our husbands remarry, we want the new wife to make our him happy. We just don’t want her be quite as perfect as we are.

Her poem “Still Dieting After All These Years” reads as if she has been in my house. I think I will take her advice on this one-- wait until I’m ninety to worry about it.  I hope that Judith and I are both around to enjoy whatever she writes for that glorious occasion.

Whether Ms. Viorst is writing children’s books, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, or a great discussion book about how we change as we grow such as Necessary Losses, she has an eye for the human experience with just the right amount or humor. I am waiting to see how we both handle turning one hundred.

EVENT: 136th Grange Fair

For those of you who don't live in Centre County, let me tell you a story about one of our local treasures.

When our son-in-law first came to Centre County to visit, he came through Centre Hall and over the Centre Hall Mountain. He told us that he had passed a steady stream of pick-up trucks and trailers filled to overflowing with furniture and what appeared to be a family’s whole worldly possessions. He was afraid that the county was being evacuated and nobody had told him.

We had to explain to this fellow from New York that no, there was no disaster, it was set up time at Grange Fair, as the old timers call it ( Granger’s Picnic, to the really old timers). Now it is known as the annual Centre County Encampment and Fair. It is the only county fair like it in the country.

What started out as a fair for the farmers of Centre County to exhibit their livestock and crops has turned into an event that brings nearly 2,500 families that will live on the grounds for a week.

Originally, the fair provided tents for the week. Now the fields include all types of motor homes and campers. The original tents are still so much in demand that they are passed down through the generations within the family.

It is still an ideal place to see exhibits ranging from garden and field produce, to farm animals, to handwork such as quilts, paintings, and wood carvings. Last year they had nearly 8,000 exhibits.

A carnival atmosphere is provided by food vendors, amusement park type rides, and, naturally, local politicians kissing babies and shaking hands.

My favorite part is definitely the food. Funnel cakes, hot sausage sandwiches, real French fries, and ice cream, Oh, My. It seems as if my eyes are bigger than my stomach every time I visit.

Fair entertainment can be a little too country for my taste, but I have been lucky to see some good acts there. Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, and Brad Paisley have made appearances before they were super stars. You just never know who is on their way up and starting at local fairs.

The point of this article is two fold: One, if you are coming through Centre County between August 26 and September 2, do not be frightened by the traffic, and Two, stop by for a funnel cake.



In 2008, PBS did a fabulous documentary on the Centre County Grange Fair, which is now available on DVD. 







For more information about this year's fair, please visit:  http://www.grangefair.net/

BOOK REVIEW: Blood Memory

Greg Iles dedicates BLOOD MEMORY to all of the women who realize in the dead of night that something is wrong and has been for a long time. Thus the dedication becomes an introduction.
The protagonist of BLOOD MEMORY is not your typical female detective. Cat Ferry is a manic depressant alcoholic who is having an affair with Sean Regan, a married homicide detective with the New Orleans Police Department. Cat is a forensic odontologist and has helped Sean solve several murders in the past.
The case they are working on at the beginning of the book involves a series of brutal killings of middle aged men who have been shot and had their bodies covered with savage bite marks. Cat has had several panic attacks at the crime scenes and with her reputation of alcohol and mood swings, she is taken off the case.
Cat goes home to her family in Natchez, Mississippi and as we meet the people who were responsible for her early years we get feelings of what went wrong in her childhood to cause her promiscuity, alcoholism and depression. As we learn about her family, we feel that the murder cases in New Orleans may have a connection to her own life.
Because a Greg Iles book typically grabs you from the very start and keeps you running, I hate to give too much away. In all of his books the action is fast with lots twists that you may or may not see coming.

This is not a happy book. It is about hurt people who spend their lives paying for the vicious acts that were committed to them as children. Iles explores the meaning of childhood memories and how sometimes we have to repress them in order to live.
Greg Iles is an author that I read any chance I can get my hands on one of his books. He has been compared to William Faulkner for his ability to capture the Southern soul. I think his characters are much more universal than that. His people would be found anywhere.
BLOOD MEMORY was definitely written to pay respect to all the adults who live with memories, repressed or otherwise, of being abused as children. As a result the book is a little longer than it needs to be and some of the scenes require the reader to “suspend disbelief” and go along with the action. Still, it is a hell of a ride.

THEATRE REVIEW: Rumors

Millbrook Playhouse is running the last show of their summer season and what a fun show it is. The Playhouse was smart to end an outstanding season with Neil Simon’s RUMORS. They followed the old theatre rule of “always leave them laughing”.

The cast reads as a list of my favorite Millbrook actors: Tim Dietrick, Amy Temple, Marc de la Concha, Dax Valdes and Ali Kresch. I am torn between selfishly hoping to see them next summer or wishing that they are signed to big contracts that make super stars out of all of them.

Laura Jo Schuster, David Hudson, Amy Windle, Matt Kuhlman, and Sue Arter rounded out the cast. I suspect that several of these new comers may be on my favorite list next year.

It goes without saying that the show is funny. Neil Simon’s talent for fast, funny lines is well known. The problem is getting a cast to keep that pace and timing going throughout the play. This cast did it to perfection and added their own little quirks as well.

I can not mention the scenery and costumes too often this season. RUMORS takes place at a party in a upscale house with very successful friends. The evening gowns and jewelry set the mood and characters as they made their entrances. Without a doubt, this was the year of outstanding costumes.

We all would be very sad this evening if we thought that Millbrook Playhouse was finished until next year. Just when we think that we will have a long winter, it is announced that a special show will be held September 15, 16, 17, and 18. Marc de la Concha will be doing a one man show, Miss Margarida’s Way. Marc has played such a variety of roles at Millbrook and I can not wait to see what he does this time.

BOOK REVIEW: Prayers For Sale

Reviewers have called Sandra Dallas “ the quintessential American voice”. I tend to agree. I just finished her most recent offering, PRAYERS FOR SALE and could not wait to share it with friends.

Seventeen-year-old Nit Spindle sees the sign advertising “PRAYERS FOR SALE” on Hattie Comfort’s fence. Actually, Hattie has never sold a prayer, but she invites the skinny girl in and a friendship develops that helps both women in the small town of Middle Swan, Colorado. The year is 1936 and life in a worn out mining town is tough. The shared hardships help to form a bond and soon dark secrets are shared.

Both women love to quilt and it provides time for talking. Hattie tells stories from her own life and of the people who have lived in Middle Swan over her years there. She knows that this is the way to make Nit adjust to the hard life.

Through these stories we get to know Hattie as a young bride and mother in Tennessee during the Civil War and how she lost her husband and daughter. We get to know the husband that she traveled to meet for the first time in Colorado. Each person, in her past and present, comes to life to us as we quilt with her and her friends.

We know that one thing has been bothering Hattie for all of her years in Middle Swan and it has to be resolved before she leaves town. Hattie's daughter does not want her to spend another winter in the high country, but to come to the city and live with her. Time is running out for Hattie. By the end of the book, the reader has gotten to know Hattie well enough to not be surprise that she has done the best that she could for everyone, including herself.

Sandra Dallas creates unforgettable characters in normal settings. These are people that you know, or wish you knew. Her stories have surprising twists and turns, but you always care what happens to these new friends.

If you have a chance, try ALICE’S TULIPS and THE CHILI QUEEN. These two books are connected to PRAYERS FOR SALE by telling the stories, respectively, of a sister back East during the Civil War and her brother who escapes to the West and gets involved with a house of prostitution.

                                 

Quilters will especially enjoy Ms Dallas’s books because quilting seems to be a favorite theme. This is one author who should be a leader in “ Women’s Fiction”.

BOOK REVIEW: This Time Together - Laughter and Reflection

Carol Burnett is either what she seems to be or she is a much better actress than she has received credit for. THIS TIME TOGETHER--Laughter and Reflection is the story of her rise in show business and the people that she met along the way.

Up until Ms. Burnett the job as host of a variety show had belonged exclusively to men. The Carol Burnett Show lasted eleven seasons and won twenty-five Emmy Awards. The same talent that made that show a success, makes THIS TIME TOGETHER a delightful read.

The chapters are very short and most of them are reflections on the people that Carol has met. Her long time love affair with the movie stars is evident in the respect that she shows when writing about them. She writes about Jimmy Stewart, Marlon Brando, Cary Grant, and other stars in a refreshing, honest way.

Carol’s sharp eye and self-deprecating humor make you forget that she ended up meeting these superstars as an equal.  (I could identify with getting tongue tied if I had had a chance to meet Gary Grant.)  It is easy to forget that the author of this book has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Kennedy Center Honors. She never seems to see herself as a “big thing”, although she does tell the story of her great talent for doing a Tarzan yell scaring off a mugger in New York City late one night.

I enjoyed the chapters on each of the regular cast members of her show.  (It is a little known fact that the only celebrity to appear in an erotic dream of mine was Harvey Korman, a fact that my daughter finds extremely funny.)  The scenes between Harvey Korman and Tim Conway have to be some of the funniest bits on television. Just think “Dentist Office”.

Carol gives credit to Bob Mackie for making some of the sketches even funnier. For example, he designed the dress for their spoof of Gone With the Wind.  (Remember the green dress with the curtain rods still attached--the one that she saw in the window and just had to have?) That dress is now in the Smithsonian.

If you are a Carol Burnett fan or if you enjoy reading an insider’s story of show business, you will enjoy this book. It is a fast read, filled with anecdotes both hilarious and touching. I wish that the pictures had been more clear, but that is a minor point when the book was so enjoyable.

THEATRE REVIEW: You Never Know

Millbrook Playhouse is almost finished for the season and Cole Porter’s YOU NEVER KNOW was a fun choice for the last production in the Cabaret. This rarely done show is just light and fast moving enough to keep a summer audience entertained.

Director Stefanie Sertich mounted the show as a period piece with a fine eye for detail. Edward K. Ross did his usual good job with a set that was believable. Building a set on a small stage that convinced the audience that they were in a luxury penthouse in the late 1920’s takes talent.

My favorite part of theatre has always been costuming and I can get very critical, especially in a period piece. I wish there were room to go into detail about the lovely, and character perfect, dresses in this show. Two dress in particular stood out. Whitney Brown as Ida wore a red creation with lots of feathers and sparkles that identified her character the moment that she walked on stage. In contrast, Madame Baltin, played by Emily Yates, appeared in the last act in an elegant purple dress that was perfect. Jonathan Southwell has done most of the costuming this season and he has done an excellent job.

The ensemble cast was well balanced. The role of the Baron suited Thom Caska exceptionally well. One of the reasons that I love doing a season at a place like Millbrook is a chance to watch actors like Thom develop over the years. Ryan Halsaver and Lauren Lucksavage will be worth watching in the future. I can not wait to see what Millbrook does with Bobby Underwood. His part in the show was small, but he was very close to me at the curtain call and I want to hear him sing again.

The theatre was full and I went with a large group from our church so I ended up in the worst possible seat. As a result I missed some facial expressions. Still I could hear the great voices and watch the energetic dancing.

Cole Porter is on my list as one of the top three lyricists of all time. His play with words and rhyme can be a challenge to an actor. (Check out the fun word usage in Let’s Misbehave.) This cast must have practiced tongue twisters for weeks. If they messed up any lines, it went unnoticed.

I really enjoyed this show. Of course I love Cole Porter’s music, grew up watching old Ginger Rogers/Fred Astair movies, and enjoy watching a crew and cast who know what they are doing and are having fun doing it.