 What’s the deal with the black & white saddle shoes?  Click here for the story of our farm in Greene County, Iowa. Here's looking at life at Simple Serenity Farm  Carla’s sister & brother-in-law Chris and Tony Woods, of Des Moines, were at the farm on Sunday, August 22, helping Carla do the lawn mowing and other yard work that we’ve struggled to keep up with lately, with all our medical appointments. The Woodses brought along their 18-month-old granddaughter Ari, who was a delight watching all the action from the porch with Chuck, catching up on her reading and then getting a moment on the lawn tractor seat! Click here for larger format Earlier photos in this series Iowa Hall of Pride netINS, Inc. Butler House on Grand B&B Sam's Barber Shop Douglas T. Bates III, Attorney KMA Radio's ''Chuck & Don Show'' Barack Obama story & coloring book The Monks of New Melleray Abbey RELATED LINKS About Offenburger.com Biographies Want to Reprint? Want Updates? ARCHIVES Chuck Offenburger's columns Christie Vilsack's columns Carla Offenburger's columns Carla's book reviews Jared Strong's columns Guest Columns The Simple Serenity Farm columns Farm Photos, 2006 - 2008 Our Iowa News Digest Along Our Way 
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What's Carla Reading?
Carla’s 2010 summer of reading First, my apologies for neglecting to catch you up on the books I’ve been spending my summer with. And there’ve been quite a few. Next, my apologies for skipping doing a full review on Andrew Weil’s “Why Healthcare Matters,” which I’d reported would be my next review. Most importantly “Why Healthcare Matters” should be required reading for anyone who cares about our healthcare system. Weil not only points out why the system needs fixing, but he points a finger at each one of us. We need fixing, too – and too often we look toward medical devices or pharmaceuticals to do the fixing. We simply need to be healthier, and we need to live healthier lifestyles. These two things alone would save millions, perhaps billions of healthcare dollars. It’s a fabulous book and was fairly easy to read. The truth is I’m up to my eyeballs in the Offenburger healthcare reform dramas of cancer fighting (you can read all about that in our “Living with Cancer” conversation that starts on the left side of the home page) and I just don’t have the stamina to go into all the detail Weil does. Read the book. You’ll be as shocked and dismayed at all you read. You’ll also be motivated to work on your own health, I promise. One of the benefits of a summer filled with my own cancer battle is there was plenty of time to read. This goes back to my springtime diagnosis with adenoid cystic carcinoma, which included major surgery on my neck/jaw area, and six weeks of radiation. I did have fun with the extra reading time! First, as I approached surgery in late April, I mentally prepared with an old favorite, “My Antonia” by Willa Cather. Then I read two fabulous, quick and short books during my hospital stay, “Food Rules” by Michael Pollen, and “Adventures of an Independent Woman” by Alice Steinbach. All the time I was picking up and putting down Andrew Weil’s “Why Health Matters,” and his work was becoming more and more meaningful as I was sorting through my own healthcare bills. When I got home from the hospital and had a good week of serious time of little or no activity, I tackled 973 pages of “Pillars of the Earth,” by Ken Follett. When radiation was the next step, I thought I better read something comforting and soothing – with no surprises – and I tackled Jane Austen’s full set of novels. I got through “Pride & Prejudice,” “Sense & Sensibility,” and “Mansfield Park” before I needed an Austen break. Although I must say, she’s always worth re-reading. You can’t keep all the characters or endings straight so you have to re-read her to remind yourself who is who and what they end up doing. Austen is always a good comfort read for me. On my sister’s recommendation, I then read “Hannah’s List” by Debbie Macomber, which was a quick smash with me. Of course, Macomber is that way with most of her work – real enjoyable “beach reads” mostly. I returned to Alice Steinbach and read “Educating Alice” – which continued in the same vein as “Adventures of an Independent Woman.” Although I will say, I enjoyed the “Adventures of an Independent Woman” much more than “Educating Alice.” In many ways, these two books reminded me of “Eat, Love and Pray” by Elizabeth Gilbert. For me, though, Alice Steinbach’s background as a professional journalist gave her adventures much more depth than I found in Gilbert’s. I then ran across Entertainment Weekly’s “The New Classics” list -- “100 best reads from 1983 to 2008” and thought, “why not spend the rest of the year tackling these?” So I jumped in. I have already read 20 of the books listed, so I have 80 to go. Thus far, I’ve read and enjoyed “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold; “Practical Magic” by Alice Hoffman (reminded me in many ways of my all time favorite book, “Charms for the Easy Life” by Kaye Gibbons), and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Mark Haddon – thus far my favorite. And between those three somewhere I sneaked in “Day After Night” by Anita Diamant, because it jumped out at me from the Jefferson Public Library bookshelf. It’s been a fun and full summer of reading – and I intend to keep the pace up for the fall months. Right now, I’m reading the long-time bestseller, “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell. I hope your summer reading list has been as adventurous and varied as mine. Reading is just too fun to not enjoy all summer long. And I’m grateful that I’ve had a lazy summer of recovery to do so much of it. - Carla Offenburger Now reading“The Tipping Point,” by Malcolm Gladwell (2000). Most recently reviewed “10-10-10: 10 minutes, 10 months, 10 years - a life-transforming idea,” by Suzy Welch (2009). This journalist has come up with an idea that seems patently simple -- looking at some problem for how it might impact you in 10 minutes, 10 hours and 10 weeks. Or maybe for 10 days, months and years. The point is to assess your situations that way, and the right answer seems to come clear in a hurry. “Why our health matters” by Andrew Weil (2010). This should be required reading for anyone who cares about our healthcare system. Weil not only points out why the system needs fixing, but he points a finger at each one of us. We need fixing, too – and too often we look toward medical devices or pharmaceuticals to do the fixing. We simple need to be healthier, and we need to live healthier lifestyles. You’ll be motivated to work on your own health after reading Weil, our reviewer promises. “Game Change,” by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin (2010). I loved this book! Of course, I also loved the election of 2008 – leading to the presidency of Barack Obama. “The Persian Pickle Club,” by Sandra Dallas (1995). What was so wonderful about this book is that it became a fabulous mystery. I loved it. “The Help,” by Kathryn Sockett (2009). While this book was nothing I expected, it was everything I want in a book – a great storyline, a serious love/hate relationship with its characters, and a real page turner. “Julie & Julia,” by Julie Powell (2005). I closed the book, returned it to the library, and chalked it up as one of only a few books I’ve chosen not to finish in recent years. But I’d see the movie again in a New York-second. “The Audacity to Win,” by David Plouffe (2009). I’m staying the course with President Obama – and after reading this detailed story of his winning campaign, I’m “fired up and ready to go” again. Comments from you readers You can write me with comments on my reviews or your own thoughts on books at carla@Offenburger.com.
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