YA Book Club: To Tell Your Love

1950, the evolution of the American Teenager

To Tell Your Love is probably the oldest book I'm going to review this year, published in 1950 when teenagers were barely a cultural phenomenon. It predates rock and roll by five years; even my own mother was too young to read this, eight years old when it was first published. The book is several tales woven into one, each featuring one of the children in the Armacost family: 

• Theo, 21, is a pragmatic nurse who stumbled into a relationship while caring for the cantankerous grandfather of a reserved young man; 
• Anne, 16, is mourning the end of a relationship with a boy who was frankly not that into her; and
• Johnny, 14, the youngest sibling, is coming to terms with the awkwardness of growing up and perhaps loving himself. 

There are additional storylines as well. Nora, Anne's best friend, who quit school to marry far too young, struggles with the thought "Is this it?" as her schoolgirl romance gives way to the reality of too many bills, too many diapers, and not enough money. There's also Johnny's best friend and his family, whose gruff exterior belies the grace exhibited with casual generosity, overstuffed picnic baskets, and a championship trophy for July the cat. 

Even the bit players are fully fleshed characters in this small New York town. 

Stolz attended Columbia University at age 16, married at 18, and began writing in 1949 when an illness kept her homebound. She received the 1953 Child Study Association of America's Children's Book Award for In a Mirror, the Newbery Honors in 1962 for Belling the Tiger, and 1966 for The Noonday Friends, and her entire body of work was awarded the George G. Stone Recognition of Merit in 1982. She passed in 2006.

Why Art Matters: Spy Camera!

Temptation courtesy of the Johnson Smith Co.  

The true definition of temptation for a child of the 70s has to be back-page comic book adverts for such amazing products as Sea Monkeys, magic tricks, Charles Atlas workout routines, ant farms, and slot machine banks. 

What I wanted, more than anything, was the miniature spy camera. Like a pint-sized Margaret Bourke-White, I was going to document, in teeny-tiny pictures, life on the east side of Jackson, that 10-block radius that was my world back then. 

But to obtain the camera required a combination of candy wrappers (Bazooka or Dum-Dum), a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and/or a check or money order from mom and dad. Therein lay the problem - parents who attempted to put a rein on candy and junk coming into the house, there was no way they would say yes to giving me the $2.95 required to obtain the object of my desire. I didn't even bother to ask. 

Dream unfulfilled.

110 retro style

Flash-forward 50 years or so, and I have been hit with ads for retro camera keychains. They look like the 110 cameras of old, with bright packaging, cute designs, and cool filters. They were advertised by Facebook sellers for $14.95 and have become a viral hit with the kids, as there are five designs to collect, including a mystery package. 

But I have become wary of FB sellers after the seven-for-the-price-of-one sweater grifters from Christmas. And, I was looking for something more specific, an unresolved dream as remembered from my Casper the Friendly Ghost and Josie and the Pussycats comics. 

It's taken nearly 50 years, and here you are 

And then I found it - the spy camera of my youth for $9.99 on Amazon. Using the inflation calculator set to 1976, $2.95 is actually worth $17.27 today, so I got it cheaper than it would have been back then. On top of that, I had a $10 credit in my account from a virtual test session I did a while ago. Well, that's practically free. 

I hit that Buy Now button, fully expecting crap. 

It arrived in less than 24 hours. 

It looks just like a miniature Pentax K-1000. It also came with a built-in flash, a charging cord, a keychain, a wrist strap, a memory card, and instructions on how to use it. It holds 9999 images, so no film processing. It holds a charge very well. There are filters! The LCD display is tiny, but it works. There's a date and time stamp that I need to figure out how to update. It's freaking adorable. 

So far, I've taken pictures of Dave, a bird's nest, the backyard, my desk, and random selfies. I can't wait to take more. 

Raised on Country Sunshine: Heartbreak

Can I make the case for us as Honky Tonk Angels with our candy cigarettes? 

Kitty Wells, It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels

Kenny Rogers, The Gambler

Everly Brothers, Bye Bye Love

Loretta Lynn, Coal Miner's Daughter

Freddie Fender, Before the Next Teardrop Falls

Patsy Cline, Fall to Pieces

Cowboy Junkies, Misguided Angel

Hank Williams, So Lonesome I Could Cry

Bonnie Raitt, I Can't Make You Love Me 

And the granddaddy of them all: 

George Jones, He Stopped Loving Her Today

Typing Out Loud: Get Out

 

Sigh. Not the way for our community to make the national news.

Comstock Park is crushed to learn that a recent house explosion is the result of an attempted murder-suicide. The now-deceased husband blew up his family home with his wife in it, all because she was going through with divorce proceedings. 

What has emerged is the story of two heroes, one of whom is Will's friend Manny, who ran into the rubble to save the woman who brought him cookies when they first moved into the neighborhood. The other is a man who sustained burns and broken windows to help rescue the woman as well. 

She herself is known for being well-beloved, a Polish beauty queen who was known for her kindness and stewardship. 

Stories of the man who committed this brutal act have not been as kind, nor view his death as tragic. From the beginning, neighbors were posting on social media that this was no accident. 

Has there been an increase in instances of domestic violence, or has it been resilience on the part of women who have now chosen to shout instead of whisper? Have men become more boorish, more violent, more drastic in their measures? 

I'm also curious as to why we haven't heard from the son, in his 20s, who was living in the house at the time. 

Time and again, I hate that we are now often quoting my favorite author for her sad perception of domestic relationships: men are afraid we will embarrass them, and women are afraid they will kill us. 

I came home and checked in with Dave, and asked him please, if he is unhappy, to let me know and get out. He said the same to me, and we hugged and kissed. 

Sometimes, I'm ok with being old and boring. I'm so sorry to my neighbor, I wish it had been easy for her. 

If you're not happy, get out. Prove 'em wrong some other way. Don't they say living well is the best revenge?  

Edited to add the connection is closer than I anticipated: the victim is a former skate mom; I used to skate with and judged with her daughter at local basic skills competitions. 

That's It, Just One Line: Me and Bobby McGee

 "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose."

Why Art Matters: Coach Bag Edition

So the cottage is condemned, and I felt the need to rescue something. Cue scrolling on Poshmark at 1a.m., and I find this poor robin egg blue bag that needs serious love. Credit the original owner; it looks like she used it and loved it frequently, but was ready to pass it on.

"Yikes," in sympathy mode

Pen leaks did it dirty

Took the bag to Pittsburgh with me, along with some acrylic leather paint markers and some Angelus leather paint. Result?

I now have a colorful patch bag for the gym! 

The Fifth Beatle: Eric Clapton

lol

I don't love Eric Clapton, but his status as George's best friend, one-third of an intriguing love triangle, and the soloist who pushed While My Guitar Gently Weeps into iconic status must be acknowledged. I struggled with his placement in the hierarchy because he was on one track only, but his name was suggested by John Lennon as a suitable replacement when George quit. 

His presence during the tense White Album sessions made the lads behave, a formula George remembered while they were bitching at each other during the Get Back sessions. Eric didn't show, but Billy Preston came to the rescue. 

The dynamics of the Eric-Pattie-George love triangle are bizarre, and what I often think about when contemplating the not-so-savory lessons learned on rock star behavior. No one could have predicted that this triangle would become a Venn diagram when George stepped out with Maureen to Ringo's shock and Lennon's disgust. 

See, they didn't just have a problem with Paul; they all had a problem with each other. 

That led to some great, albeit complex music. 

This has really been a typing-out-loud that meanders around Clapton. Steer it back? 

Uh, I really love The Core off Slowhand. I am a sucker for Wonderful Tonight. It's astonishing to think how long his career has lasted, with hits from the 60s to the 90s, including the Grammy-winning Tears in Heaven, and churning out contributions to movie soundtracks, like It's in the Way. He helped kill slick overproduction as part of the successful MTV Unplugged series. He's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times - solo, with The Yardbirds, and Cream. At the age of 80-plus, he is currently on tour and will be in Detroit in September. 

Lipstick on the Mic: Gwen Stefani

Ska queen in a bindi with Marilyn Monroe aspirations

Gwen and I are exactly the same age - I'm older by two weeks - so I felt a kinship with her GenX stories of love. 

She started her career in 1987 with the ska-pop-punk band No Doubt, alongside her brother Eric, all while working at Dairy Queen after school. The band’s self-titled album featured the dance single Trapped in a Box, which garnered some indie radio airplay.

Then she tapped into the unresolved feelings from her breakup with bassist Tony to pen monster hits Don’t Speak and Just a Girl on the album Tragic Kingdom, making No Doubt one of the biggest things in the mid-'90s. Rolling Stone named her “the Queen of Confessional Pop.”

She also became the Duet Queen of the late 90s, recording hits with Moby, Brian Setzer, and several with rapper Eve. 

Gwen penned the quarter-life crisis album, The Return of Saturn, balancing the inner conflict of career versus trad-mom bullshit through songs like Simple Kind of Life and Ex-Girlfriend. Go was also a serious bop. Rock Steady, too.

She went solo with Love Angel Music Baby and continued her success with songs like Hollaback Girl, Rich Girl, and What Cha Waiting For? 

Her private life, unfortunately, is very public, with tabloid-worthy relationships with her ex-husband, Gavin Rossdale, and her current husband, Blake Sheldon. 

Life has gone on, with stints as a judge on talent shows, cameos in movies, and residencies in Las Vegas. She’s gotten some grief for Indian (the bindi) and Japanese (Harajuku girls) cultural appropriation and being politically conservative. 

As she may say, this shit is bananas. 

YA Book Club: The Lovely Bones

 

How to break my heart

It’s a novel turned movie, the story of Susie Salmon, murdered by a neighbor, and as a ghost, leads her family to clues to what happened to her and, at last, avenges her death. It's a horrific story wrapped in emotional healing and dealing with the pain of loss, and moving on. 

The book was terrific, but the movie is a surreal beauty. Saiorse Roman was etheral as sweet Susie. Stanley Tucci, who has played warm, lovable characters such as Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada, was chilling as the serial killer George Harvey. Can't forget Wei Wei from Stick It. 

One of my shorter assessments, but no less beloved.

Raised on Country Sunshine: On the Road Again

Here we go

The journey is such a big deal in country music, I had to split it up: 

Johnny Horton, Battle of New Orleans

Vicki Lawerence, The Night That the Lights Went Out in Georgia

George Jones, The Race is On

Johnny Cash, Folsom Prison Blues

Jimmie Rogers, Standing on a Corner

Willie Nelson, On the Road Again

Waylon Jennings, Good Ol' Boys (Theme to The Dukes of Hazzard)

Ernest Tubb, Walking the Floor Over You

Glen Campbell, Wichita Lineman

George Strait, Amarillo by Morning 

LHOTR2/Why Art Matters: Storytelling Credit

Getting ready for tomorrow

So I'm taking a storytelling class at the University of Michigan so I can take on more creative responsibilities at work. This coincides with what is happening at the river. I had to write a quick 250-word story with a protagonist (me) and the antagonist, the river. 

That's a lot to take in. 

That's It, Just One Line: Morning Has Broken

 "Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning."

LHOTR 2: Electric Boogaloo

Yikes

Not the post I wanted to write, nor a new series I want to start, but thanks to record rain and snow melt, our little house on the river is now a little house IN the river. 

Bah dum tiss. 

Getting stuff to higher ground.

Spring cleaning wasn't supposed to look like this.

We went up on Tuesday to bring home the soft goods like blankets, pillows, bedding, and clothing while clearing out lower shelves and cupboards to get everything to higher ground. We also put furniture on wood blocks, up to 4 inches. Why 4? It's what was available, and if it got any higher than that, we were in deeper trouble than merely replacing that heavy, Amish-built futon. 

No more steps left. 

We had always measured how high the river got by counting steps. By 3:30 on Tuesday, there were no more steps left. By 4 PM, the river was well into our neighbor's yard and ours. By 4:30, the two puddles in the yard facing Beaver and 50th Avenue had become one, and the road commission was in the process of closing the bridge and the road. 

Like champagne on the Titanic mid-afternoon. It's a lovely day, what could go wrong? 

Sensing the inevitable, Dave encouraged me to grab a drink and join him on the deck for one last toast to our Little House as we knew it. I didn't want to believe it, and at that point, I was still optimistic that there was no way the flood waters would rise that much or that quickly. 

I was wrong. 

LHOTR is a TV 7&4 b-roll star

RIP deck

Our neighbor Chris took a kayak over to get as close to the house as he could, and the flood waters have heaved the deck away from the house, so that's gone. I still can't tell from the footage how high it has gone, but rest assured, there has to be water in the house. How much? 

According to the River Levels app, the levels have already started to recede, and will be down to 14' by Monday, 13' by Tuesday, and 12' by Thursday. Unfortunately, that means water will have been in the house for as long as seven days. I'm going to assume the floor is shot, as are the mattresses, electric baseboards, the electric fireplace, the fridge, and the stove. Were the 4" blocks enough? 

We just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I plan to collect boxes so we can salvage what we can and put things in storage next week. I'm heartsick to think of all the effort I put into laying carpet in Will's room, nailing down baseboards, painting to make everything fresh and new, putting in doorframes, and fixing those doors. I was supposed to whitewash wicker and enjoy my new cushions this next weekend, not muck in recovery efforts.

Not to mention all the sleds and things in the barn and shed.

I don't know what the little house will look like by the end of summer; I don't even know what it will look like next week. My girl is going to be getting the makeover no one expected; I don't know how much time something like this takes. 

Yeah, I prayed

We had some regrets this week about what was left behind. I completed the first five years in a scrapbook that was moved to a higher shelf, and I wished I had grabbed it to save those memories. The Ferris Rankin stained glass window. My Mary statue. At different times, both Dave and I had looked at her and thought of packing her; I left her behind in hopes that she would protect the house. I hope she did.

The Fifth Beatle: The Temps

John! George! Paul! Andy...?

Imagine being a session musician and getting caught up in Beatlemania, however briefly.

Andy White was called in to record when the Beatles were in transition from Pete to Ringo. Producer George Martin wasn't sure about Ringo's ability to play Love Me Do, and arranged for White to play on the single; Ringo's version of the song is on the album. (There is a third version of Love Me Do, with Pete Best on drums, on Anthology I.) 

White went on to be an in-demand session player, playing for Herman's Hermits, Burt Bacharach, Lulu, Tom Jones, and Rod Stewart, before retiring in 1975. He married voice actress Thea and cheerfully displayed the bumper sticker "Fifth Beatle" on his car. He died in 2015. 

Jimmie Nichol is another session musician who toured briefly with the band, making eight concert appearances (and a couple of TV spots) when Ringo fell ill and had his tonsils removed. 

When it came to Nichol, George Harrison, in a pissy fit of solidarity, was adamant that they find two replacements and the tour continue without him. He calmed down, and they carried on with their commitments. Nichol was shell-shocked by the hype and often missed his cue, surprised by all the screaming girls. 

Nichol was amused by the fickle nature of celebrity, noting that he was a nobody before the tour and has lived with the memory of those eight days as a Beatle since. He also retired from the music business in 1975. He has a son, Howard, an award-winning sound engineer. 

But was their presence enough to be labeled as the fifth Beatle? Blame it on the negative reinforcement.

Both of these replacements wreaked havoc on Ringo's psyche: first, he thought he wasn't good enough for George Martin; second, he feared the mania would continue without him: "I was worried they no longer loved me." This may, in theory, have pushed Ringo to be a better drummer, since he was not a songwriter. He has often said he was determined to make sure each song had a different feel from his kit, thus making each song unique. 

Typing Out Loud: Did He Finally Cross that Line?

A reminder da Pope is from the South Side of Chicagah

I'll say it again: Jesus fucking Christ. 

The orange menace has had himself quite an eventful few weeks, what with threatening war against Iran, closing down a major trading strait on the other side of the world, picking fights with Pope Leo, and threatening to enact the draft, which is GREAT for this mother of a 17-year-old. All while trying to keep a wrap on the Epstein files. 

And his MAGA base was eating it up, as if he was some sort of badass hero. 

I feel like he's been trolling and testing everyone to see how far he can go. I thought it all along during his 2024 campaign. He still has outstanding bills from his pep rallies from his first administration, so he took advantage of people's good faith and charity to pick up the check while he held rallies in plants, orchards, warehouses and the like. 

His last political stop before the election was here in Grand Rapids at the Van Andel Arena. He was supposed to be there at 9 PM, as no campaigning was supposed to happen after midnight, as that would officially be election day. When did he arrive? 12:30 AM. 

It was a test to see what he could get away with: he broke the rule by campaigning on election day. What was more disturbing to me was how many people, in obvious devotion, got in line as early as 2 PM for doors to open at 6 PM, and stayed, hanging on his every word when all the kids shoulda been in bed. 

He was testing their loyalty, and they passed his test. They rewarded "the rebel, the cowboy" with their votes, and continued to reward his as his actions, his words, and his policies became more and more outrageous. He's "owning the libs!" 

Pope Leo, with a bat, saying in his beset midwestern nice "yeah... no."

Then he crossed a line this weekend by depicting himself as Jesus. 

Whoopsies. 

The Christian Nationalists are suddenly, "ope, he's gone too far!" 

Really? After demolishing the White House, decimating higher education, demonizing LGBTQIA Americans, breaking up families, destroying economies, bankrupting farmers, marginalizing women and minorities, increasing taxes, and generally being a dick for the last 10+ years, an AI portrait of him as Jesus is the line he finally crossed? 

Nah, bish, you created the monster, you deal with him and invoke the 25th amendment. He's 0 for 3 on my scorecard; I washed my hands of him back in 2016. 

Lipstick on the Mic: Donna Summer

 
Queen of Disco

For about eight years, from the 70s into the 80s, Donna was everywhere. 

But before she was everywhere, she attempted to do everything. 

She got her start in music, like many before her, performing in church. While in high school, she performed with a rock/blues band, Crow. After graduating, she auditioned for the musical Hair and joined the German touring company. Stints in musical theatre followed, with roles in Showboat and Godspell. 

A true beauty, of course, she was a model, too. 

Work as a recording artist soon followed, with her repertoire shifting from musicals to the dance music filling the European discos. Her first big hit, Love to Love You, was inspired by the French hit Je T'aime, mon non plus.  

Disco - and Donna - hit the big time. 

I Feel Love. 

She portrayed Nicole, an aspiring disco singer, in Thank God It's Friday, singing Last Dance. 

Heaven Knows.

Hot Stuff.

Bad Girls.

Dim All the Lights. 

No More Tears. 

On the Radio.

My dad's favorite version of the holiday hymn Oh Holy Night as performed on Solid Gold.

The 80s were a bit of a struggle, but she still scored major hits with She Works Hard for the Money and Unconditional Love. She released more albums showcasing her range, which now included inspirational, gospel, and nostalgia recordings. She was a soundtrack staple through the 90s and 00s, and a regular at political rallies and fundraisers. 

She recorded an album of standards late in life and had a dance hit single in 2010. She died of lung cancer in 2012. 

She is currently having a viral moment after American Alysa Liu won the Olympic gold medal in women's figure skating, performing to Donna Summer's version of MacArthur Park. All the kids are raccooning their hair and lamenting cakes left out in the rain. And wouldn't you know it - MacArthur Park has surged on the Billboard dance tracks to #1, 48 years after its original release. 

YA Book Club: Fifteen

The copy I had

Beverly Cleary is more known for her juveniles on the adventures of Henry, Beezus, and Ramona the Great, but she did take a sweet dive into YA romance with her novel Fifteen. 

I think I related to the book because I identified with 15-year-old Jane's insecurities and innocence. There have been countless stories relayed in this blog of my social ineptness during those teenage years. 

While some of the references in the book are dated, such as receiving an ID bracelet to signal going steady, there are some universal moments anyone in 2026 can relate to:

• Stan, the sixteen-year-old object of affection, has a delivery job after school for a pet store. Think Amazon meets Pets Supply Plus. He is sweet, awkward, and his ears turn pink when he is embarrassed. 
• Jane's dad amps up on the dad jokes when Stan is around. 
• Frenemy Marcy Stokes flaunts her designer clothes and goes out of her way to belittle Jane in front of others. 
• Jane, on a double date for Chinese food, quietly slips the fortune from her cookie into her purse, hopeful from the message and already saving tokens from the relationship. How many objects did I collect over the years: dried flowers, jewelry, keychains, heart-shaped Valentine candy boxes, miniature golf scorecards, ticket stubs, and love notes dashed on scraps of paper and slid under windshield wipers? It's universal and cuts across generations. Even now, there's a bracelet not worn but not quite abandoned on my son's bathroom counter from a former girlfriend. 

Cleary was a well-loved children's author, who sold nearly 100 million books and lived to the grand age of 104. 

Raised on Country Sunshine: On the Road

Same roads, different journey

Some songs are about the road, others about the journey, some about the destination: 

John Denver, Take Me Home Country Roads

Jerry Reed, Eastbound and Down

Old Crow Medicine Show, Wagon Wheel

DeFord Bailey, Pan American Blues

The Eagles, Desperado

Les Paul and Mary Ford, Vaya Con Dios

Dave Dudley, Six Days on the Road

Lil Nas X, Old Town Road

Willie, Waylon, Kris, and Johnny - Highwaymen

Johnny Cash and June Carter - Jackson

That's It, Just One Line: The Man Who Sold the World

 "We passed upon the stairs, we spoke of was and when." 

The Fifth Beatle(s): The Quarrymen

Music's big bang, July 6, 1957. Look at those little squirts. RIP Len.

John Lennon formed the skiffle group The Quarrymen with classmates from Quarry Bank High School in 1956 when he was barely 16 years old. 

Eric Griffiths, Pete Shotton, and Bill Smith were founding members along with Lennon; according to Wikipedia, Smith's tenure in the band was extremely short, and he was replaced in quick succession by Nigel Walley, Ivan Vaughan, and Len Garry throughout late 1956 and early 1957. Also during this period, drummer Colin Hanton and banjo player Rod Davis joined. 

The group (I read somewhere that calling them a band was not done in the 50s) practiced in the Shotton family's air-raid shelter and hung out at Julia Lennon's house, listening to rock-and-roll records. They entered a talent contest and lost to a skiffle group from Wales, missing their chance to be on England's version of Star Search. 

Ivan introduced John to Paul at the St. Peter's Church picnic, and the rest, they say, is history. 

Colin, Rod, and Len had been performing together around the world for Beatles/skiffle fans; whether or not Colin and Rod continue is to be determined, as Len recently passed, on March 3. 

With the release of the Anthology Vol. 1, The Quarrymen have two recordings to their credit: That'll Be the Day and In Spite of All the Danger, which is on my 2024 Beatles list at #24. 

From wiki:

Current members

Colin Hanton – drums (1956–1958, 1997–present)
Rod Davis – banjo (1957); guitar, vocals (1994–1995, 1997–present)

Former members

Eric Griffiths – guitar (1956–1958, 1997–2005; died 2005)
Pete Shotton – washboard, tea-chest bass (1956–1957, 1997–2000; died 2017); 

Bill Smith – tea-chest bass (1956)
Nigel Walley – tea-chest bass (1956); manager (1956–1958)
Ivan Vaughan – tea-chest bass (1956–1957; died 1993)
John Duff Lowe – piano, keyboards, vocals (1958, 1994–1995, 2005–2017; died 2024)
Ken Brown – guitar (1959–1960; died 2010)

Chas Newby – bass guitar (1960; 2016–2023; died 2023). 

Len Garry – tea-chest bass (1957–1958); vocals, guitar (1997–2026, died 2026)

Quarrymen who continued on as Johnny and the Moondogs, The Silver Beetles, The Beatles 

Stu Sutcliffe - bass guitar (1960-1961; died 1962)

John Lennon - guitar (1956 - 1970; died 1980) 

Paul McCartney - guitar, bass (1957 - 1970)

George Harrison - guitar (1958 - 1970; died 2001)

While Pete Best and Ringo Starr were Beatles, neither were Quarrymen.