Category Archives: POSTS

The Pig Idea

Posted on by

Wiki Commons Bagel Dumpster

A slide appeared, on the screen on TED.com, of a dumpster full 13,000 bread crusts as social entrepreneur Tristram Stuart mused about never being able to get a sandwich from a retail shop that was made from bread crusts. Where do all the bread crusts go? From this single bread factory (shown on the slide), 13,000 bread crusts are dumped into the trash every day.

This food waste expert explained that in America, and other well-developed nations, grocery stores usually carried double the inventory it expected to sell. And, if you add in the food that is fed to livestock, there is up to quadruple the amount that is needed to feed the masses. In his further investigation of food waste, Stuart visited a farmer who was letting 16,000 pounds of spinach die because there were some blades of grass growing here and there. It was not suitable for market.  It is quite common for farmers to throw out 1/3 to 1/2 half of their crops due to imperfect sizes, shapes or color that would be turned away at market.

In Europe, in 2001, feeding regular unprocessed food to livestock became illegal because of the foot and mouth disease epidemic. Because of the ban, soy has since become a major crop in South America.  Due to the expansion of this commodity, forests are being cut down in places like Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay to grow soy. From 1965 to 2004 soy production rose from 29 to 200 million tons, most of which is used for livestock feed after the oil is extracted. For 9,000 years, pigs had been fed with the surplus food products and refuse that people did not eat. Presently, people throw away this human grade food by the ton every single day — and pay to have it hauled away to rot in landfills. Then, they buy pig food.

The Pig Idea was born from what Stuart had learned from the overwhelming food waste problem. He joined forces with other Londoners to create public awareness of food waste around the world with the hope that the animal food ban will be lifted. The idea is ecologically sound. Eliminating so much processed feed would save the planet about 20 times more carbon dioxide emissions. More of the rainforest in the Amazon would be saved, as not as much farmland would be needed. More farmers in Europe would be able to stay in business by saving the cost of the expensive grain they are forced to buy. The problem of the foot and mouth disease can be eliminated by cooking the food given to the pigs and chickens.

To bring awareness to this issue, Stuart and his colleagues — the hambassadors, seven of London’s best restaurants, and thousands of Londoners gathered in Trafalgar Square to enjoy over 5,000 portions of free food, including pork that had been raised on food that would have otherwise been wasted at The Pig Ideas’ Feast of 2013.

Stuart started studying food waste at the age of 15 when he raised pigs to supplement his income. He is a renowned author for his book “Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal,” and has won numerous and prestigious awards for his dedication to preserving the planet as well as the pigs.

UPDATE: Sunday, February 28, 2016

Tristram Stuart was featured in the National Geographic Web edition in an article by Elizabeth Royte “How ‘Ugly’ Fruits and Vegetables Can Help Solve World Hunger.”

Check it out –

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016/03/global-food-waste-statistics/?utm_source=NatGeocom&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=pom_20160228&utm_campaign=Content&utm_rd=1697077923

One Who Teaches with Experience

Posted on by

Wikipedia 375px-Computer_RecyclingTechnology changes at a rapid rate. It’s important for successful businesses to stay up-to-date with new technology. The site eWeek reports that a study done by Techaisle, an analyst and market research foundation, found companies that hold on to their computers for longer than three years, end up spending between $326 to $401 on maintenance of those computers with an extended warranty. For those companies without a warranty that figure jumps up to about $526 for repaired and upgraded computers. They also found that computers malfunction more often after a period of three years, and they suggest replacing them for the most efficient and cost saving measures.

A staggering figure of 355.2 million computers were sold globally in 2011. In 2010, the number was a bit lower at 346.2 million computers that were sold around the world. That means, about every three to five years a large number of those computers are being tossed out, in one way or another.

In 2005, social entrepreneur, Cormac Lynch from Dublin, Ireland, had a plan to do something with all those computers that were being thrown out into the landfills. He wanted to refurbish them for the children around the world, so that they could gain an education. The company he started was named Camara, which is West African for “one who teaches with experience.” In June 2007, 70 volunteers set off with 1,000 computers, and the initiative . . . (Read Full Article)

Mike Devlin’s Oasis in the Camden Food Desert

Posted on by

 

Dovecoate,_Vegetable_Garden_and_Fruit_Trees

The Camden Children’s Garden’s display at the Philadelphia Flower Show Photo Credit: South Jersey Magazine

A food desert is a place where there is no access to fresh, healthy produce or other foods. There are two types of food deserts in the U.S.  Urban food deserts are low-income areas located in the city that have no access to a grocery store, which sells fresh food within a mile of where someone lives.  In rural food deserts, the area expands to a ten-mile low-access area, which has no retail store with fresh food available. These figures are determined by census tracts.

The USDA states that 23.5 million Americans live in food deserts.  More than half of those are low-income, which also means they may not have readily available transportation to travel to where there is fresh, healthy food. An additional problem lies in the availability of fast food restaurants and convenience stores, which are more readily available, and could be contributing to the obesity and health problems of our country.

To see where these food deserts are located, go to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas.

One of these places is Camden, New Jersey — noted at various times to be the poorest city in the country and/or the most dangerous. It is also noted as being one of the nine worst food deserts in the U.S. There’s one social entrepreneur who has been trying to change that. It’s been a 30-year quest that Mike Devlin has been on to provide Camden residents with fresh produce. And, it looks like things are starting to turn around.

13322880714_e7a9eeb0fc_n

2014 Philadelphia Flower Show Camden Children’s Garden – Photo Credit: Dyogi

Devlin, executive director of Camden City Garden Club, founded the organization in 1985 with his wife Valerie. He has worked tirelessly, turning empty city lots into community gardens so that people can have fresh vegetables.  So far, there are 130 of these gardens throughout the city, and a study by the state of Pennsylvania found that  having produced the equivalent of $2.3 million in food for 2013.

Many offshoots of the Garden Club were born including Camden Children’s Garden, Community Gardening and Greening, Grow Lab, the Community Youth Employment Program, and the mobile market — a truck filled with locally grown fresh produce offered to Camden residents at reasonable prices.

 

There’s More Growing in Toledo than just Lettuce: Sustainable Local Foods

Posted on by

Bloom's Employees

It’s hard to imagine that a country, a little smaller than twice the size of New Jersey, could be the third largest exporter of fruits and vegetables. The Netherlands, United States and France rank as the top three in the agricultural global market. This small but mighty country depends on competing in the world trade marketplace for much of its income; however, the excessive agricultural production was weighing heavily on the side of soil depletion. They had to do something to stay in the game.

These days, research and development of agri-business sustainability are the Dutch government’s main focus. Over half their land mass is used for farmland, plus they are a leader in greenhouse horticulture. Experimentation with greenhouse design has proven favorable for a now-neutral use of energy consumption. Gardening under glass gives more control to the growing environment, saves water and lessens the need for chemical use. This type of food production is important for the Dutch to keep researching because they understand if their citizens eat well, there will be a reduced cost in providing government healthcare.

This food development model is what social entrepreneur Jim Bloom was after in Toledo, Ohio. Working as an employment recruiter, in a previous position, he was able to see a huge niche market in the area that was sorely being missed. With only 179 days of sunshine, Ohio ranks four spots above Anchorage, Alaska with only 150 days a year of sunshine — the least amount for the continental U.S. Because half the year is spent in cloudy weather, 98% of Toledo’s produce is shipped in from as far as 1,800 miles away. At the same time, area unemployment was at 5.7 percent.

After much research of the European greenhouse models, Bloom started his company, Sustainable Local Foods, with a system of hydroponics. There is no need for sun or soil in this methodBloom's Place, and less water is used than in traditional farming. LED lights cut back on energy use and provide enough light for photosynthesis. The vegetable rows are planted weekly in flat, slightly tilted trays filled with the hydroponic solution. This system will provide year-round lettuce production with between 3,000 – 5,000 heads of organic lettuce per week. Besides a selection of lettuces, the company grows greens, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs.

Since 2012, expansion for the company has been steady with three current locations: Toledo, Columbus, and Detroit, Michigan. Bloom is currently waiting for an answer from Toledo’s commissioner of economic development to move into the abandoneBloom's Lettuced Erie Street Market, located in the warehouse district. In revitalizing the new facility, the community will be able to come in for garden tours. Bloom commented, “In January and February, I’m hoping that people will be able to come in here and enjoy the plants that are growing. There is a mental health benefit to being around growing living things in the dead of winter.” The idea behind this is to strengthen community bonds, revitalize the downtown warehouse area, and people will be able to see where the salad came from that they had last night. The produce is being distributed in area markets and local restaurants. If the company keeps blossoming, there is hope to expand across the Midwest.

When asked if he had gone to college before he started this venture, Bloom said, “Sure, I did. But, there was nothing in college that I took pertaining to agriculture. I knew nothing about agriculture. My background is in education and vocational rehabilitation. I wanted to start this business because of the economy here. I wanted to bring some life into the area and provide jobs for the people here. And, it is taking off exponentially. I wasn’t expecting that. Just about every week someone calls to ask me when I can come to set up in their neighborhood.”

Besides growing healthful local produce year-round in a sustainable environment, bringing community together in a revitalized downtown area, and providing grocery stores and restaurants with thriving organic produce, Bloom hopes this expansion will provide many more jobs for more of the out-of-work Toledo residents.

You can check out the company at their Facebook site.

Excerpt: Lyla and Bel’s 4th of July

Posted on by

The Best Place – the story of two women who grew up in Marquette’s Holy Family Orphanage and their lifelong friendship.

So on the Fourth of July, Bel comes over for breakfast, and I have to admit she tries really hard. I tell her when she gets there that I’m making scrambled eggs, but she says, “No, that ain’t festive enough for the Fourth of July.” Then she sticks in a video of this silly musical called 1776 that has that bad film look like most of those movies made in the ’60s and ’70s. And it seems like it’s all about Thomas Jefferson’s sex life from what little bit of it I actually pay attention to—and she tells me just to sit there and have my coffee and enjoy myself while she makes pancakes. So I says, “Okay,” to make her happy, and I drink two cups of coffee and pretend to watch half the movie, and I’m just about ready to keel over from hunger when she finally tells me she’s done.

So I drag myself out of the chair and go over to the table and I think, “What the hell did she bake a cake for?” Only, it’s not a cake. It’s a stack of pancakes, and she’s covered the top one in strawberry and blueberry jam and whipping cream so it looks all red, white, and blue, and then she’s got a little American flag on a toothpick attached to it. “I wanted to put in a sparkler,” she says, “but I was afraid it would set off the fire alarm, and I didn’t think we’d use a whole box of them—they don’t sell them separately,” she says.

“It’s pretty, Bel,” I says, “but I don’t like whipping cream, you know.”

“That’s okay. I’ll eat the top one—oh, I forgot the candle I bought to replace the sparkler.”

And then she grabs two giant birthday candles off the cupboard of the numbers “7” and “6.” They’re the same ones she used for my birthday cake last year.

“What’s that for?” I asks.

“It’s America’s birthday today,” she says. “It’s the Spirit of ’76. Don’t you remember that from history class?”

I remember birthday cakes have candles to represent a person’s age, not the year they were born, but I s’pose she couldn’t do the math to figure it out—two hundred and…and…twenty-nine it would be—2005 minus 1776.

“Let’s eat,” I says, but first I have to use the bathroom from drinking all that coffee while I waited.

I go in the bathroom and sit down, and can’t help laughing to myself about the pancakes covered in jam with “76” sticking out of them. That’d be one to take a picture of if my Kodak disc camera hadn’t broken. I haven’t bought a new one—those new digital things are just too expensive as far as I’m concerned. And I don’t have a computer to read them on.

Well, we have a nice breakfast. I eat far more pancakes than I normally would, but Bel says we need to eat extra to keep up our strength for walking to the parade. It’s on Washington Street, just two blocks from Snowberry, but whatever.

After breakfast, I wash up the dishes while she watches the rest of 1776. For the rest of the day, I’ll hear her humming that song about Jefferson playing the violin.

“We can watch Yankee Doodle Dandy tonight, Lyla,” she says.

“Great,” I think, but I just says, “Okay.” Maybe I’ll be lucky and fall asleep by then.

“While we wait for the fireworks,” she says.

I’d forgotten about the fireworks, but I can see them great where they shoot them off over the old ore dock right from my window. It’s one of the few advantages of living high up in a skyscraper—well, at least the closest thing to a skyscraper that Marquette’s got.

When it’s time for the parade, we . . . (Read the rest of this section here.)

Walters’ Holler

Posted on by
Stock Photo-Hyner Run State Park

Photo Credit: Hyner Run State Park Uploaded to Wikipedia Commons from Flicker – Author Nicholas A. Tonelli

In my first exploration of the Missouri Ozarks, I was looking at a charming underground house that I thought I wanted to buy.  They wanted $39,000 for three acres including the underground house, a barn they remodeled for a rabbitry (cages included), and a cabin.  It was a sweet deal.  However, the owner and I couldn’t meet eye to eye on it.

We checked other properties; there just wasn’t the “right fit” for what I was looking for. Even in Missouri, my $40,000 dollars wasn’t going to buy much from the dilapidated places we visited.

I had written my attorney a year before musing that I wanted a place with 5-10 acres, a creek on the property, and a little house/cabin that was at the end of the street for privacy.  As the week progressed on the real-estate expedition, my time was running out, and I realized then that I might be moving a little further than one county from the Wilder place where I wanted to be.  Nothing was showing any promise for purchase.

When the underground house fell through, my realtor said, “If you want something bad enough, you’re going to have to fight for it.”  My reply? “That’s not my karma.”  The realtor’s eyes lit up, and he ran to the file cabinet, came back, and threw a picture at me.  “This place isn’t for sale yet. The couple is here to clean it out and get it ready to list. Back in the 70’s, the area started out as a hippie commune, but reality struck when they ran out of money and had to go to work.  Some really nice people own it now.  They are lawyers from California.”  Well, he was a little bit off with the “lawyer” bit but continued to jaw about the place on the thirty-minute drive through hill and dale.

We bounced along down a really bad dirt road.  The dirt disappeared and was replaced with waist-high weeds.  Doril got out of the car to open the cow gate hindering our passage.  Down a steep hill, we went.  The car leaned far to the left.  I was losing my grasp on the dashboard that I grabbed to steady myself and started to slide on top of him, all the while thinking—Where is he taking me? Is the car going to topple over?  It was a scary and exhilarating ride down to the cement bridge that covered a gorgeous little brook, shimmering in the July sun.  “Sometimes this creek dries up in the hot weather, I think,” Doril chattered on.

We pulled up to a garage in the middle of the forest.  The owner had the doors open.  I saw the woodworking bench that ran almost wall-to-wall.  I was in love at the sight of it.  I tapped Doril on the shoulder and whispered, “I want this place.  Tell them I want to buy it.”  I hadn’t even seen the house yet.  But, the shimmering brook with the bugs playing in the daylight, and this magnificent garage where I could fix-up my fixer-upper, just melted my heart.  It was a place I knew from my heart.  I just knew I was home.

I went back to Greenwater, Washington, just 17 miles from the entrance to Mount Rainier, and wrote to my attorney as to what I had found.  She sent back that original email I had sent to her a year ago, explaining my hopes and dreams for my retirement.  And, it was exactly what I had found, my private little house in the woods with five acres, and a little creek in the forest.  This was going to be Walters’ Holler.

Note: Holler—a holler is a deep depression in the earth, like a small valley, but could also be enclosed on all sides.  Up North, in some places, it is called a hollow.  In the South, to my knowledge, it is a holler.

At-Risk Youths

Posted on by

images year up

 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections report for 2012 – 2022, “Occupations that typically require post-secondary education for entry are expected, on average, to grow faster than occupations that require a high school diploma or less.” About 20.4 million new jobs will be available over this period. The report goes on to say that wages are higher for those with bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees — averaging about $60,000 a year. Yet, it is estimated that 14 million of these higher-level positions will go unfilled due to the post-secondary educational requirements.

It doesn’t have to be that way. There is a large part of the population that is being neglected and ignored in our society.  It is common knowledge that low-income, urban young adults will never have the chance that their middle- to upper-class peers do when they graduate high school. Problems dealing with violence in school, problems at home, money issues, hunger, suicide, gang-related killings and substance abuse all weigh in heavily on these children in America. Sometimes just surviving day to day is all they can manage. Possibly one in three of these youths could end up with hood disease — a moniker given to inner-city kids with PTSD. If they do survive school and graduate, the employment prospects are pretty grim. According to Huffington Post, “Almost 6 million young people are neither in school nor working.”

It’s almost ironic that so many jobs will be available, but many young people remain unemployed for lack of qualification and/or training. So many are hungry for a chance, eager to make a place for themselves in the world, yet there is so little opportunity afforded them.

However, there is a chance for some through the social entrepreneurial company Year Up.  This organization understood that these young people could rise to higher expectations if the right situation presented itself. Flyers were sent out, inviting at-risk youths to apply.  The offer was this: Have a high school diploma or GED, show up for one year, learn skills in the financial field or in IT, get up to 23 college credits, and a stipend for expenses, work one-on-one with a mentor, and possibly hold an internship with a major company.

Social workers are on staff to help with private issues that may be insurmountable for someone so young; social skills in the workplace are taught so that the students will be able to function in a business social environment with grace and diplomacy.

The company has had spectacular results since it opened in 2000. They have served 8,500 young adults, and have provided interns for 250 corporate partners. Eighty-five percent of graduates are employed or attending college within four months of completing the program. Employed Year Up graduates earn an average of $15 per hour — the equivalent of $30,000 per year, and go up to $50,000 a year or more.

Companies like JP Morgan, which were once reluctant to take on these newly trained interns, are now eager to have them on board, and pay up to $23,000 for each intern at their company. Other corporate partners include Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Boston Children’s Hospital, American Express, The Huffington Post, Twitter and many others.

The Owl Wrangler by William Vaughn

Posted on by

The Owl Wrangler Front Cover

Seldith Chronicles–Book I

Tiny elves, a ‘uman’ mouse, and a wicked wizard overpowering all—this book will grab your interest and your heart.  It has all the magic of a good fantasy read.  So, sit back, grab a cuppa tea and a plate of cookies and follow Hisbil, the young forest elf, on his adventures to find his father–the owl wrangler, who disappeared days ago on one of his missions, and was never heard from again.

Young Hisbil is caught up in a tangle of emotions at this time in his young life.  Family and friends are pushing him to make an important decision on whether or not he is going to follow in his father’s footsteps.  He had planned to do this one day, but he never had expected that today would be “that” day.  He was too young, too innocent, too scared, too insecure—well . . . just “too everything.”  Granted, he was the only one who knew the spells that his father taught him, but he had no idea if he could remember everything.  It was a very scary and lonely time for this young Seldith.  If he declined, the village would end in ruins.

As many experiences in life happen (as we all know), one thing led to another and before Hisbil had any more time to think about his options he was off on the adventure of his life. There was no other choice but to keep moving forward—one step in front of the other.  His sweetheart Kassie, and his little sister Anasta, both, were mixed up in this mess, and he knew that he had to not only protect them but find his father, too. The further along they travelled the more unusual the characters became, and each tagged along, until there became a small posse of unlikely friends.

For me (an old forgetful curmudgeon), with all the minute detail that a good trilogy will start with, the beginning was hard to snag a catch.  It was slow going, and I had my doubts.  After a while, though, I started to be sucked into the storyline without knowing it.  Then, I realized that I was thinking of Hisbil during the day and all the trouble he was getting into.  I was thinking of Kassie, his girlfriend, and was worrying about her mother.  And, I was hoping that Hisbil’s father wasn’t dead, after all, as I turned page after page.  So, my closing thoughts are . . . don’t give up, because this story is well worth the effort of learning about the first few chapters in this new world.  It has all the intrigue and magic and fantasy and even a touch of romance that every really good story has, and you won’t be disappointed.  By the end of the book, I am sure you will be in love with all the characters as I am.

My thanks to the author for this lovely copy of The Owl Wrangler, and to Review the Book for allowing me to do just that!

 

THE OWL WRANGLER–AT AMAZON

  • File Size: 1627 KB
  • Print Length: 386 pages
  • Publisher: Beta V; 4 edition (April 1, 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B004UVQ7M0

Tales of Tremora–The Shimmering by William Westwood Jr.

Posted on by

THE SHIMMERING–FUN!  The Best Fantasy Book I’ve Read This Year!

Shimmering6coverI nominate this as my “Book of the Year!”

“The Shimmering” is a wonderful fantasy story of fourteen year old Michael who, on his birthday, strikes out into the forests of the Cascades to search for his father who has been lost for a year.  By accident, Michael wanders into a “ripple of time,” which is called a shimmering, and lands into the magical world of Tremora.  People have compared this to “Harry Potter” and “The Chronicles of Narnia.”  I say, “Phooey! And, Phooey again!”  There is no comparison—because, this story is delightfully unique in its own right.  And, I just can’t wait for the movie!  (Hollywood?  Are you listening?)

Michael’s free-loving, gypsy-type mother slips a note into his backpack the day he leaves.  When he finds the note he learns that his mother has been to Tremora many times.  She isn’t at all the normal housewife Michael thought she was.  She’s been an important figure in Tremora . . . actually, she’s been many, many important figures in Tremora—for a long, long time.  She also knows that this is exactly where her husband is.  She just hopes that Michael doesn’t accidentally kill him.

On Michael’s arrival to this special place he is greeted by a little green man named Tracker.  (No, he’s not from Mars.) This Tracker fellow was sent by high order of the king to escort and protect Michael on his journey.  From the very beginning, Michael is warned to “Be careful—there is danger everywhere.”  He wants to know why, but Tracker tells him he will find out when they get to the wizard’s meeting.  It’s driving Michael nuts that he doesn’t understand all this.  He doesn’t want to go to the wizard’s meeting—he just wants to find his dad!  Tracker presses on and tells the kid that before they can do anything about his father Michael has a serious job he has to perform.  He’s got to save Tremora.  And, of course, like you or me . . . the boy is thinking, ‘Me? Yah, right!  This guy has some serious mental problems.’ But, he has to humor Tracker so that he can find out more about this land and where his father might be.

The characters in this book are alive, exciting, and just plain fun.  There are no copycats here.  (To my knowledge there aren’t.)  I mean, who has ever heard of camelops, wazalops, shape-shifting friendly trolls, or fluster birds. Speaking of fluster birds, Michael actually gets to meet one, and that is special because they are believed to be extinct in most parts of Tremora.  Now, check this out—even the prose is creative and fun.  “The bird went berserk. It waved its wings wildly, turned summersaults, blustered, and sputtered—feathers flew everywhere as it chirped, whistled, and spun like a spinning wheel firecracker. It then plopped down with a thud on Michael’s upturned hand, legs splayed, eyes crossed, and small tongue hanging to the side. Even so, in the midst of it all, it still managed to grab the twig with one small foot (p. 131).”

I say, “Bravo, William Westwood! Bravo!”  This book should be in every home and school library in America. And, I can’t wait for the movie. . . . (Are you listening, Hollywood?)

Although, I do read books for the purpose of review–that in no way has any bearing on my opinion about this story.  I, like the fluster bird, am spinning and wildly waving as I run through the streets screaming, “Hey?  Have you read this one yet?  You gotta read it!  It’s really, really good!”

My thanks to the author for this lovely copy of “The Shimmering,” and to Review the Book.com for this opportunity to share my thoughts on what I believe is the best fantasy book of the year.

P.S. On the latest news . . . “The Shimmering” has won the Mom’s Choice award for friendly-family content.

Bill Westwood Word Press

THE SHIMMERING–AT AMAZON

  • File Size: 894 KB
  • Print Length: 343 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1935359797
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Book Publishers Network; 1 edition (May 1, 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B005C2CLYO

The Best Place by Tyler R. Tichelaar

Posted on by

974510_10151663791848201_608006594_n COVERWhat do King Arthur, Lyla Hopewell, and Marquette, MI have in common?  (Answer to follow)

Lyla Hopewell is full of spunk, spitfire, and is as tough as they come.  Sometimes growing up in an orphanage will do that to someone.  And, sometimes, when the pain is really deep, from let’s say . . . losing your family, that spunk and spitfire can burn inward until there is nothing left but empty bitterness.  Lyla’s journey to finding herself and learning the mysteries of her past is a long one.  People think that when you reach a certain age that you can no longer learn anything.  Lyla can tell you a different story because she doesn’t stop learning in 2005 when she is 77-years-old.  That whole year blossoms into something beautiful from one single, quiet closed-up life.  And, all the time that Lyla is learning to live her best friend Bel is experiencing her own difficult times, and this sets a bit of a small wedge between the life-long friends.

Now, I can’t tell you what happens between the girls because I’ve still got about 40 more pages to read.  I didn’t want to spoil the ending for anyone and I knew I might just do that—so I stopped short.

What I can tell you is the character development in this story is excellent.  Each person has strong definitive lines that are kept within in their own personality traits.  And, I don’t understand how the author can live inside a little girl’s head, go through the pain that this woman went through for 77 years, and then little by little as that magical year of 2005 passes by, all the bitterness starts to melt away, and she finally realizes what her life has meant and what wonderful possibilities she has in front of her.  How can someone who is absolutely crazy about King Arthur, and Marquette, MI possibly know what goes on in the life of an old woman?  Wait!  I forgot . . . it’s not one old woman–I forgot Lyla’s friend, Bel.  Not only that, but he absolutely nails the personality of the snippy, smart aleck 14 year old, and the 25 to 35 year old who is in love with the son of Lyla’s one-and-only pitiful romance from year’s past.

Now, no one gets murdered in this book, there’s no bloodshed to speak of, and really no violence going on—well . . . there would have been if Lyla could have gotten her hands on that little smart aleck, Josie.  She sure tried hard enough to catch her—and, for a 77 year old woman she sure gave that little girl a good chase.  So, if you don’t mind missing all the gory stuff and would just like to cuddle up with a really good story—then, this is your book.  Look at it this way–anyone who can write about King Arthur and Marquette, MI and still write a really great book about a woman’s life has got to be a very well-rounded, talented author.

Thank you Tyler Tichelaar for this lovely copy of your book “The Best Place,” and for the opportunity to give you my honest opinion of what I read.  I can’t wait for what you have in store for us next time.

 ♥  Read an excerpt from Tyler’s book. . . .

THE BEST PLACE–AT AMAZON

  • File Size: 738 KB
  • Print Length: 465 pages
  • Publisher: Marquette Fiction; 1 edition (June 10, 2013)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00DFKMUHS