Two Recommendations

Over the holidays, I read an important...and very tense...book that my brother, Jim, sent me. John Grisham's "The Innocent Man" is a work of non-fiction, the true story of a man wrongly convicted of murder, imprisoned on death row and eventually exonerated. If you read it, you'll never feel quite the same about our criminal justice system or the death penalty. The down side to reading this book was that it left me a bit depressed and sorely in need of a lift for my spirits. Luckily within days, I received two recommendations that helped me a lot!

My brother, Walt, provided the first. He recommended two movies that 'ya gotta rent.' The first, "Rat Race," a re-make of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," is okay; kind of silly, pretty forgettable. But the second is a gem. "The Ultimate Gift" isn't star-studded (James Garner and Brian Dennehy are its biggest names), but it's a feel-good movie you shouldn't miss. I won't spoil the story by telling you too much, but it's about a ga-zillionaire, James Garner, who dies and leaves his fortune divided among his family. His grandson, however, gets a mysterious gift that leads him to several other gifts equally as mysterious. If you rent it, be sure to watch it thru the final credits to make sure you identified all the gifts. I guarantee you'll look at life in a more uplifted way after you watch this film.

My friend, Edith, helped me with her recommendation of a book to read; actually any of several books by Jan Karon. I must be the only person on the planet who hadn't read her delightful 'Mitford' books, but now I count myself among Jan Karon's most ardent fans. Mitford, North Carolina is a fictional mountain village populated by the most interesting and eccentric citizens. The stories center around Father Timothy, rector of the local Episcopal church, and his adventures with not only his parishioners, but also the Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians and the un-churched. A 60 year old bachelor, Father Tim finds love in the first book along with an unwanted 11 year old boy and a friendly black dog as 'big as a Buick.' The stories are simple, well told, and definitely PG-rated...no gratuitous violence, sex, crime, or substance abuse, although all of those human failings live in Mitford's inhabitants. I'm intrigued with Father Tim's theology and eloquence as he ministers to his flock. And I was, at first, puzzled by what the 'gospel' side of the church is all about. More on that in another blog.... If you decide to try a Jan Karon book, I suggest you start with the first in the series, "At Home in Mitford."

There you are....if your spirits need a lift, rent the DVD, read the book. Either will make you feel ever so much better about life in general!