Goodness, where has June gone?? Of course by the time this is in the paper it will be July. It has been a busy month. My sister and I went all the way to Butler Mo. To the Poplar Heights Farm on June 8th. It is a living history farm and the event was well attended. We had some very interesting vendors around us. There was a black smith, cross cut sawing, music, home made ice cream, and a Civil War gun display with a cannon they fired several times. There was hay wagon rides, and the weather was beautiful. Of course there was weaving and spinning going on. We were able to set up under this row of very old cedar trees, that had been the entrance to the farm house. The old farm house and barn have been restored to original and open for touring, plus the gardens and so much more. It would make an awesome day trip for a family to see a bit of our history. Go to this web site to see info about the days they are open. http://poplarheightsfarm.org/
A couple months ago I immersed myself in all things Robert James Waller. I read 4 of his books, watched the movie again, Bridges of Madison County, and even went on line and in reading his bio found out that he is a musician so ended up buying his CD and love it. He is sort of a folk singer and a few of the songs were about the characters of Bridges. He has written other books that I have not read. I will report on the ones I read in the order they were written.
The Bridges of Madison County
by
Robert James Waller
This was his first book written in 1992 then later made into a movie staring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. This is one of the rare times when I felt the movie was just as good as the book. The main character is Robert Kinkaid who is a famous photographer for National Geographic. He has traveled to Iowa to photograph the covered bridges in Iowa, and accidentally meets Francesca who is a farmers wife with 2 nearly grown children. Her family happens to be gone for a few days to the fair and she and Kinkaid find a special “once in a life time” love in the 3 days, but must it must last them a life time as he has to leave and she won't leave her family and go with him. I couldn't help but feel that the author Robert has put just a bit of himself in this Kinkaid. Just a feeling I get from reading about him.
Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend
by
Robert James Waller
This book was written in 1993, is another novel set in Iowa. Again the main character falls in love with a woman he shouldn't have. Michael is a college professor and Jellie is the wife of a fellow colleague. They are both mature adults and the attraction is irresistible. Jellie disappears and Michael must travel to India to find her and things get very complicated. This is a small novel and I enjoyed the plot.
Border Music
by
Robert James Waller
Also written in 1993 this was a fun book to read. With a guy named Texas Jack Carmine who is described as “God's only freeborn soul, rider of the summer roads, traveler of the far places”, you know it is going to be interesting. Texas Jack meets a down and out waitress in Minnesota and rescues her by loading her in his old truck and they head for Texas where he owns a one-horse ranch. He is an old Vietnam Vet and fighting his own demons, so can they make a go of it? Waller really has a way with words and I really think this would make an excellent movie
A Thousand Country Roads
by
Robert James Waller
This was the book I was really looking for. It was written in 2003 and is an epilogue to The Bridges of Madison County. The story goes back and forth between the lives of Robert Kinkaid and Francesca. It reveals how they have spent their lives apart and still think of each other and the near misses they have in meeting again. Again I felt that Waller was writing about himself in many ways. He was able to recreate the intensity of their feelings for each other. The surprise is to find the unexpected joy that Kinkaid found toward the end of his life. This is a very satisfying conclusion to the lives of Kinkaid and Francesca.
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