Library Notes
January 4, 2005
By Pansy Hundley, Librarian.
Several have been kind enough to inquire about Cheyenne. He’s doing alright. The ten-day dental visit came about, much to Cheyenne’s chagrin. He was not a bit happy to go into that place again. Been there, done that and didn’t want to do it again! But, they did anyway. With about three sitting on him, they got more x-rays.
Of course, those two front teeth will have to come out. Suzanne sorta’ mentioned to Cheyenne that they would have to. But she did not dwell on it, certainly did not describe anything. Suzie told him that she would have the dentist put those teeth in a little box and they would bring them home. We assured him that the Tooth Fairy would come again when those teeth came out.
When that lady came before, Chey spotted the shiny quarters under his pillow before he finally got still enough to go to sleep. He asked Mama "How did she get in?" To which Mama mumbled something to him, and he said "That sneaky Tooth Fairy." Now, that sneaky Tooth Fairy will have to visit again shortly.
The dentist recommend an oral surgeon, so that they can put Cheyenne lightly to sleep for the extractions. He recommends that the other two teeth be pulled also, so there won’t be a chance of them giving trouble later. Suzanne doesn’t want to do that, but will consult with the oral surgeon and get his opinion.
Eating is still done very carefully, but he’s been doing a lot of it. He seems to be making up for those days when he did not eat. Suzie says he’s eating everything in sight.
You know that four-year-olds seldom walk. They run everywhere they go. When Cheyenne takes off, running the length of a room maybe, Suz and I just cringe. We are afraid he’ll fall and land right on his mouth. That hurts just to think about it.
Suzanne had her first day of school last Wednesday. She sunk a fortune into books for all of her classes. Neither the used book stores nor P.J.’s had any that she needed. Then she learned that her algebra class is taught by a teacher that comes from Paris Junior College, and the class is through that college. That class cost her over $300.00, even after her tuition and all had been paid. So, she spent almost a thousand dollars that day that she had not planned to spend. That always helps when nice little things like that jump up.
She got her assignments. Spent all afternoon on Tuesday and half the night, reading and preparing. Then when class came on Wednesday, she was way-y-y ahead of everyone. Now, if she can remember next week what she read this week, she’ll do alright. I told her to just keep it up. She can get a 4.0 and collect a lot more scholarships maybe. You have all heard me say, I think, that one should be 40 years old before they get married, have kids or go to school and then they will make the most of it. I think this is going to be a perfect example of that very thing. I think that going to college at 40 (1),( throat-clearing), is going to be very successful. Suzie plans to specialize in Special Education. I think she will be very good at it and I think the ones that she works with will be very fortunate. You understand now that that is only my objective, unprejudiced opinion! But, seriously, she has so much empathy for those unfortunate kids that are handicapped in some way, I think that she will come to this job with understanding and the desire to help them in any way that she can. And that’s all I’m going to say about that ---- at least right now!
One can just about walk through her house now. Many boxes have been broken down and stacked on the front porch for disposal. There are some to go, but things are shaping up, despite the tooth emergency and the beginning of school.
We will continue to face all obstacles, hang on to our sense of humor, and get through this phase of life and on to the next one. Cheyenne has asked Suz several times if, when she is a teacher, she will still be his Mama. She has assured him several times that she will always be his Mama, no matter what. Of course, he does not realize that she has been a teacher since December 30, 2000.
Now that you have been caught up on Suzie and Cheyenne, let us catch up on a new book that has just arrived. This one is written by Jan Burke and the title to look for is "Bloodlines".
"The year is 1958, O’Connor, a young reporter with the "Las Piernas News Express", is desperate to discover who has perpetrated a savage attack on his mentor, Jack Corrigan. In and out of consciousness, Corrigan claims to have witnessed the burial of a bloodstained car on a farm, but his reputation as a heavy drinker calls his strange story into question. In a seemingly unrelated mystery, a yacht bearing four members of the wealthy Ducane family disappears during a storm off the coast. An investigation finds that the Ducane home has been broken into; a nursemaid has been killed; and Max, the infant heir, has gone missing. Corrigan recovers his health, but despite a police investigation and his own tireless inquiries, the mysteries of the buried car and the whereabouts of Maxwell Ducane haunt him until his death.
Twenty years after that fateful night, in her first days as a novice reporter working for managing editor O’Connor, Irene Kelly covers the groundbreaking ceremony for a shopping center – which unexpectedly yields the unearthing of a buried car. In the trunk are human remains. Are those of the infant heir among them? If so, who is the young man who has recently changed his name to Max Ducane? Again the trail goes maddeningly, perhaps suspiciously, cold.
Until today. Irene, now married to homicide detective Frank Harriman, is a veteran reporter facing the impending closing of the "Las Piernas News Express". With circulation down and young reporters fresh out of journalism school replacing longtime staffers, Irene can’t help but wish for the good old days when she worked with O’Connor. So, when the baffling kidnap-burial case resurfaces, Irene’s tenacious love for her mentor and journalistic integrity far outweigh any fears or trepidation. Determined to make a final splash for her beloved paper and solve the mystery that plagued O’Connor until his death, Irene pursues a story that reunites her with her past and may end her career – and her life."