The Whole Enchilada by Diane Mott Davidson

 While browsing at our favorite thrift store, The Treasure Chest, I came across this hardback, library edition from Arizona book for $.50. I had heard of this author and that she was light and fun and had great recipes. In fact, the woman at the checkout said, "Oh, you'll love her recipes!" They are gathered at the end of the book, all together, so they are easy to find. The directions are well done...but these recipes are not health food. And the reason is, the master sleuth in this novel is a caterer, and she's always cooking something. It shows up in the story a lot, and seems to figure prominently in building a "cozy" atmosphere. However, she probably wants to be known for great food, and that often means high fat and high sugar. Which is the case here. None of these are keepers.

And...I thought I deserved a light and fun summer read. This one was just too light and too unrealistic. Multiple times I thought, this is a waste of time. The characters were flat and uninteresting. The plot was convoluted and crazy. The caterer's husband is a sherriff and was also investigating the murder, and did so many unethical, unbelievable things that I literally rolled my eyes. One reason I enjoy mysteries is that I learn about the law and evidence and technical things like that. This one was just false on every level; nothing of value was here for me. And yet, I stuck with it. Maybe I hoped it would get better? Here's the truth: It did not. It's on its way to the D.I. pile. 

Little Britches by Ralph Moody

I first heard this book as a sixth grader. My teacher, Mr. Rude, read it to us daily after lunch. I'll never forget crying with the rest of the class at the end! I also remember begging him to keep reading and not to stop at the end of just one chapter!

I often talked about this book with my children, and am not sure why I never sought it out to read to them! Somehow, Eli remembered this and found a copy through great difficulty, and gave it to me for my birthday several years ago. I read it then, and decided to read it again now. Just for the joy of it. For the reminder about how hard work and honesty and sacrifice lead to fulfillment.

It's also a great reminder about how trials and hard times can build faith, confidence, and character. I love the resilience of Ralph. Because I grew up with horses and ponies, I particularly enjoyed the parts about how Ralph grew to become a great horse person.

One thing that amazed me this time through was this: how did Ralph's mother know how to do all the things she did? His father was exceptional, too, and had great mechanical sense. But much of their gardening, farming, and food preparation was very sophisticated and required special know-how.  Where and how did they learn all of this? If this was "common knowledge" at the time, when and how did they share it? They relied on their neighbors, and I wonder if some of their learning happened with them? I guess this is something a little historical research would reveal...

It's still one of my favorite stories of all time. I think it's because Ralph's father reminds me so much of my own father. Very practical, very knowledgeable, and very mechanical. And not given to much praise! Still, like Ralph, I have always felt very loved.