Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 318
December 21, 2015
Book Beat – Keeping Christmas
For empty-nesters Stan and Judith Winters, Christmas is going to be a challenge. Their three children are scattered around the nation, unable to come home, and Judith can’t cope. When Stan brings out the Christmas decorations, Judith can’t bear to set them out, especially the kids’ handmade crafts, fondly dubbed the “ugly ornaments.” Stan is beside himself trying to help his wife through this difficult time.
Keeping Christmas tells a touching story of a couple dealing with the painful changes of life, and how they find hope in friendships and each other. As always, Dan Walsh portrays characters who feel like friends, and the moving ending may make you reach for tissues! An excellent read, especially for those facing the empty nest.
Today in World War II History—December 21, 1940 & 1945
Lt. Gen. George Patton, France, 7 Jul 1944. (US Army Signal Corps photo)
75 Years Ago—Dec. 21, 1940: Author F. Scott Fitzgerald dies in Hollywood, age 44.
70 Years Ago—Dec. 21, 1945: US Gen. George S. Patton dies of infection in Heidelberg, Germany after a car accident on December 9.
December 20, 2015
Today in World War II History—December 20, 1940
RAF Spitfire Mark VB, No. 222 Squadron, North Weald, Essex, 1942. (Imperial War Museum)
75 Years Ago—Dec. 20, 1940: RAF Spitfires strafe Breck and Le Touquet, France, in first RAF fighter offensive operation.
December 19, 2015
Today in World War II History—December 19, 1940 & 1945
Eleanor Roosevelt speaking at the UN, July 1947 (US government photo)
75 Years Ago—Dec. 19, 1940: 10,000 civilians evacuated from Malta arrive in Britain.
70 Years Ago—Dec. 19, 1945: Eleanor Roosevelt appointed a delegate to the UN General Assembly.
December 18, 2015
Today in World War II History—December 18, 1940
XSB2C Helldiver prototype aircraft in flight, late 1940 (public domain)
75 Years Ago—Dec. 18, 1940: Maiden flight of Curtiss SB2C Helldiver (US Navy scout-bomber).
December 17, 2015
Today in World War II History—December 17, 1940
75 Years Ago—Dec. 17, 1940: President Roosevelt proposes the Lend-Lease Plan to aid Britain, saying that if your neighbor’s house is on fire, you lend him a garden hose. US establishes Civilian Public Service camps for conscientious objectors.
December 16, 2015
Today in World War II History—December 16, 1940 & 1945
Fumimaro Konoe, 1938 (Japanese Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office)
75 Years Ago—Dec. 16, 1940: RAF conducts first Allied area bombing, to Mannheim, Germany.
70 Years Ago—Dec. 16, 1945: Former Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe commits suicide as US sweeps Japan for war criminals.
December 15, 2015
Book Beat – Last Chance Hero
Dr. Jessica MacLeod is excited to move from San Francisco to start a quaint small-town practice in Last Chance, New Mexico. Although the townspeople are thrilled to have her, Jess gets off on the wrong foot when she admits that she knows nothing about football – and doesn’t care to.
When his NFL career ends, Andy Ryan returns to Last Chance to coach the struggling high school football team. The townspeople don’t expect much…just an immediate return to the glory days when Andy led Last Chance to multiple state championships.
Despite their differences, Jess and Andy are drawn to each other, and their mutual friends feed the fire. But when Andy’s favorite player is injured, their differences come into sharp relief.
Last Chance Hero is a delightful return to the chile-laced small town filled with realistically quirky characters. Jess’s challenges as an outsider contrast with Andy’s struggles to be seen as his own man. The writing is strong, the characters draw you in, and the setting is a character in its own right. Cathleen Armstrong has written another winner!
Today in World War II History—December 15, 1940 & 1945
Destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., Battleship Cove, Fall River, MA, July 2014 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
75 Years Ago—Dec. 15, 1940: Coffin of Napoleon II is moved from Vienna to Les Invalides in Paris.
70 Years Ago—Dec. 15, 1945: Gen. Douglas MacArthur orders end of Shinto as Japanese state religion. Gearing-class destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. is commissioned in Quincy, MA (now a museum ship at Battleship Cove in Fall River, MA).
December 14, 2015
Today in World War II History—December 14, 1940 & 1945
25-Pounder Mark II gun of Sergeant Pearse of 1st Battery, A Troop, Australian 2/1st Field Artillery Regiment bombarding Bardia, Libya, 29 Dec 1940 (Australian War Memorial)
75 Years Ago—Dec. 14, 1940: Australian troops relieve Indian troops in Egypt; Indian troops are sent to the Sudan. Plutonium-238 is first produced and isolated at the University of California, Berkeley (identified 2/23/41).
70 Years Ago—Dec. 14, 1945: Musical Dream Girl premieres in New York City.
