Look at how cute I was!  Aww... so as I continue on the journey through Lisa Whelchel's book (I'm still working on the blogs for that, of course) I started searching back through my childhood to see how different events and people shaped me to be the person I am today.  I think about how I journeyed from the little girl on the pumpkin full of leaves to a college grad today.

I was talking with a friend at lunch who mentioned posting pictures to her blogs... then I was looking at Haven Cauble's blog (Lisa Whelchel's daughter) and all the pictures she includes.  So, I thought I would try that.  For right now, I wanted to share one of my favorite childhood pictures with you all.

Have a good weekend!
xoJLG

Sometime I feel like I was born in the wrong decade.  There are so many things I love that people my age have no clue about (i.e. 70s/80s television sitcoms).  One of those things that people my age don't always know enough about would be the work of Carol Burnett.  She is a comical genius.  I was really excited to pick up this book and read.  I might make this one of my shorter entries... I gave the book back to the library and this book wasn't as personally revolutionizing.

This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection by Carol Burnett
This is a much different type of biography than those that I have been reading this summer.  This was more a collection of short stories that mark some of the highlights of Carol Burnett's life.  I think that the way Carol writes versus the celebrity authors of later generations, you can see a gap.  Not a bad gap, but a huge differences.  Burnett's book really feels like she's revealing those stories that people would want to hear and probably lots of people do ask to hear.  For me, there were some fabulous stories involving meeting Cary Grant and the perfect Lucille Ball.  These were wonderful and a perfect light summer reading.

There are a few lessons to be learned and many laughs to be laughed in these anecdotes.  I don't know if I know who Carol Burnett is as a person outside of the business, and that is likely on purpose.  I would absolutely recommend this to any Carol Burnett fan.  It's a beautiful and funny light read for the summer.  Plus, all the chapters or stories are relatively short, so it's nice to be able to take five minutes and read and be able to put the book back down if you need to!

Hmm... yeah, that's all I got. Sorry!
xoJLG

So... since reading Melissa Gilbert's book, I have purchased one of her movies on iTunes and actually been OBSESSED with Little House on the Prairie the television show.  I am in love with Michael Landon and Victor French.  I think Karen Grassle is a godsend and Alison Arngrim is utterly witty.  Crazy how quickly a girl can change, huh?  Here is the continuation on my review or response to her book!

Prairie Tale: A Memoir by Melissa Gilbert
So, I have more quotes that I want to share with you.  After each quote, you can catch my response and what it means to me.

"'Well, don't be scared,' he said.  'Don't be afraid.  It's not the end for you.' He enveloped me in his arms like a proud daddy, like someone who had genuinely watched me grow up.  'For you, this is just the beginning.'"

This totally makes me think of a father-daughter relationship.  It can be the father sending their child off to college or into the "real world" (whatever that is).  Sometimes it really does feel like an end when you are in the moment.  But someone who is older and had more experience knows, this isn't really the end.  It's just time for a change.  The part that makes me a little sad is it sounds like Michael Landon (the "he" in the quote) felt that this was the end for him.  The end of what, I don't know.  But he didn't lose his drive.  He went on and worked on another great show.  Maybe that is just me reading into the words incorrectly... or it could be Melissa's word choice.

"'In some victories, you don't always get everything you want,' he said.  'But this is a victory.  It's over. Walk away.  Michael is fine.'"

In this quote, Bruce Boxleitner, Melissa's husband, is speaking.  Melissa was fighting a story that the National Enquirer had published.  The reason that I really appreciate this quote is because I can be pretty competitive and sometime I can be an "all or nothing" kind of person.  If I'm going to win, I want to win it all.  But this quote is more true and common than winning it all.  I think that the notion of compromise and acceptance is beautiful.  Sometimes it's also about those who want to keep fighting.  The battle was over, but Melissa wanted to stay and fight more until she got the rest of her wishes.  It doesn't really work like that.  When the two parties make an agreement, you don't get to continue pressing the issue.

"I was also desperately trying to prove myself to be lovable.  My need to be loved and cherished was driving me to go out of my way to show people how 'special' I was.  I was the first to arrive during a crisis and the last to leave."

This is actually a quote that comes up in Lisa Whelchel's book on adult friendship.  I'm not sure if that blog is posted yet or not.  Sometimes it's interested... you think that people will like you better if you don't really need.  Instead, if you are constantly giving of yourself and not much of a bother you will be loved.  The more you give the better friend you are, right?  Well, I suppose it's partially right.  But let's me honest, how hard is it to relate to someone that has a perfect life?  Someone who portrays that perfection may make others feel inferior and less than worthy.  It's hard, but sometimes you may actually need to let people find out what's special about you over time.  Instead of being shiny and made of porcelain, try being open and vulnerable.  People will find what is special and cherish that.  They will remember the times that you have listened to them and were caring in spirit. 

"But in hindsight, two or three Guinnesses, half a bottle of wine, and a couple of whiskeys over the course of an evening, that's a lot, right?"

I won't mention this too much, but Melissa discusses her struggles as an alcoholic in the book.  It's very personal and detailed enough.  I think that this is where Melissa can really become more than the girl from Hollywood.  She has the problems that the rest of the world experiences too.  Although, I am very impressed at the amount of alcohol she could ingest.  I don't know that any of the people I have ever met could do that much in a single night!  But anyways, she should be proud that she has come so far--I'm guessing about six years sober as of now.

"Once you begin being naughty, it's easier to go on and on and on, and sooner or later something dreadful happens."

Oh the wise words of the actual Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Once Melissa started drinking more often and more of it, she started to snowball.  Isn't that always how it goes?  As you begin down a path, sometimes you are going to quickly to control yourself... hmm... this reminds me of the first time I went snowboarding.  Whew! That was hard times.  I went with someone, but she also had never been.  After a really long time, we were finally all suited up and strapped in.  We followed the sign to the beginner hills... it led us to a chairlift.  We got on and went up the hill.  That should have been the first sign of disaster--chairlift.  Chairlift=big hill.  Anyways, we finally got started going down.  It was crazy going down.  Once I got started going, I was ok.  However... the farther down the hill I went the faster I went.  The faster I went the more scared and out of control I felt! The only way out of this mess was to take a pretty big fall so I could tumble down the hill more slowly.  That's a little like poor behavior decisions.  Once you start, you can get out of control until you finally have to take a dive off the path.  For Melissa, drinking was that thing that got out of control.

"Today is a gift, have fun."

Those are the words of a young man, Dustin that was suffering from cancer.  These words ring so simple, and yet so true.  Each day needs to be seen as a gift, and even on the worst days, do your best to find a little fun.  The bracelet Melissa is wearing on the cover has those exact words engraved on it.  I think it is beautiful, and I totally appreciate the work that Melissa does with children in the pediatric oncology wards of various hospitals.  It's a great way to give back.

"I was better off when I experienced everything life dealt me and then moved on to the next thing--whatever that turned out to be."

Wow... I love this.  I think so often people feel like they need to be happy or content all the time.  They need to act in such a way where they don't appear needy.  They don't need another person to help them in life.  Really, life is about all the experiences and how they add up in the end.  You won't remember all those times where you sat around and were just peaceful like you will remember specific experiences of extreme happiness or sadness.  Although I wouldn't want to always be in an extreme state, I do think that they are completely necessary.  How boring would life be if we set things aside that life brought us in order to remain content and peaceful?

That was my last quote that I will write about... I think there are many many more I could include, but I think you should go an get the book.  Everything I have written about is how the book touched me.  I didn't cover the stories as much as the lessons.  But the stories are fantastic and riveting.  I loved it--if you are clueless and couldn't tell! :)

xoJLG

If you are the praying type... please pray for my Grandma.  She's already weak and they discovered that she has stage four of some type of cancer.  Pray for comfort and peace in this situation.

xoJLG

Let's be real... I don't/didn't watch Little House on the Prairie, and I refused to read the books.  I don't know why I couldn't do it... but somewhere along my journey as a young girl I decided that I didn't want to watch or read things that could possibly make me cry.  Not sure why, but that still has somewhat of an impact on the television I watch and books I read.  It's not so intense anymore... but anyways.  I didn't really know Melissa Gilbert.  I saw her picture on the book in Barnes and Noble near Valerie Bertinelli's books.  After reading the back cover, I was hooked.  Although I didn't purchase the book right away --I was low on cash, I had this feeling inside that I had to go back and get the book.  So, after a few days of working, I headed back to the bookshelf and bought her book.  I'm not completely sure what I was drawn to, but I was fascinated by the Brat Pack, Rob Lowe and the story of a young woman who dealt with addiction.  Either way, I loved it.  And she seems to be the end of celebrity autobiography kick I had going.  I was almost disappointed that I had finished her book because there weren't a lot of other autobiographies I was interested in at the moment.  But this was definitely the way to go out!

Prairie Tales: A Memoir by Melissa Gilbert:
No one told me that Melissa Gilbert's younger sister was the fantastic Sara Gilbert.  That was a nice and fairly irrelevant revelation on my behalf.  Let me first comment on the woman's writing style.  I loved it.  It easy to read with a nice feeling that I was reading the words of a very intelligent woman.  There were hints of sarcasm and wit within the book.

Some people mentioned that they didn't feel like they could relate to this woman.  I could see where some of that might be true--if you are simply focusing on Melissa growing up on the television set among some of the greatest of Hollywood as her relatives.  I think that is part of the beauty.  Once you look beyond the most obvious differences, Melissa really has lived a beautiful life that is not completely dissimilar to those living outside of the Hollywood bubble.  Melissa has family issues, relationship issues, problems with alcohol, a child born prematurely and a time when she needed dig within herself and discover and embrace her own strengths and weaknesses.  If none of this is relatable, you must be pretty perfect--or you're just ridiculous. (I still am frustrated having read that.)

So, since reading this book, I read it again.  The second time I made some notes with post-its on the pages.  I decided that because there was SOOOOOO much that I wanted to cover, I would do a similar response to the quotes as I did with Valerie Bertinelli's book.

"That was the emergence of the porcelain doll, the little girl who did and said everything she was told, didn't complain, and would learn to tell others that everyone in her life, whether at home or on a TV set, loved one another even when there were serious problems.  The porcelain doll would wear outfits made of wool even though they gave her a rash.  She would always smile, always have a perfect hairdo, and always say the right things no matter what else was going on in her life."

I actually think this is one of THE most telling and relatable situations.  It amazes me that these feelings that she had were not really related to her experiences on growing up in the industry that she did.  These feelings seem to come from a place that is familiar to many people.  Especially when your parents are from that earlier generation.  These repressed feelings clearly come back to haunt her once they have been bottled up for too long.  I think that this is a lesson that is important to all people.  We need to find a healthy way to "play with our toys" and let out or emotions.  We need to learn how to be open and honest with at least one other person in this world because fragile dolls and children don't really mix that well.

"'this only means something better is going to come along.' ... bad things happen in order to open the door for something good to happen.  In other words, bad things were kind of like the reverse side of the karmic tapestry, one half of the yin and yang, of fate--where there's good, there's also going to be bad; where there's a kiss, there's also going to be a tear."

I really love this idea.  I know, I know... it is totally just saying that "When one door closes another one opens," but this explanation and alternate view actually made more sense to me.  I love to think of this as I am job searching.  Looking for a teaching job in Michigan is quite difficult and I haven't been getting any interviews.  But I know, that those who are not interested in me aren't the right fit.  I wouldn't be happy, my students wouldn't be happy and my peers wouldn't be happy.  I'm not sure why we would all be so unhappy, but I know that all these rejections are going to lead up to what could be the job of my dreams.

"'Or you can call me Moisha."  He looked down at me with a scrunched-up face.
'What?'
'I don't know,' I said, backpedaling slightly.  'I said you could also call me Moisha if you wanted.'
'Moisha?' he said.
'I Heard it somewhere,' I said. 'It seemed cool.'

'I think we'll stick with Half Pint.'"

This quote has little to do with life lessons and more with me giggling.  I loved this portion of the book.  It is about Melissa starting on the back-door pilot for Little House and then the actual beginning of production.  It's a hilarious remembrance of Melissa first getting the nickname "Half Pint" from Michael Landon.  Her suggestion is hysterical! (At least to me!)

So... there are at least four or five more quotes I want to include... I think I will make this a two-parter! Or three!

Follow Melissa Gilbert on twitter @MelissaEGilbert
xoJLG

In attempt to be active and really enjoy my summer, I've decided to take up a few new hobbies.  Today I got a chance to try my hand at water skiing for the very first time.  It was way different than I ever expected.  I didn't get up today, but I think this will be a journey well worth the weight and effort.  I am excited to try again another day.  When I get up, I will try and post a picture or two.  Hopefully I'll find a friend to take me out again soon. 

Then there's that darn 5k in late September.  I am trying so hard, but I think I have asthma.  Whenever I run, I feel like a giant man is sitting on my chest.  It's tough, but I'm going to restart training this week.  If I can't run this week I will still make sure and do some high heart rate activities. 

Wish me luck on this new happy and HEALTHY lifestyle.

So the local library had a book sale this weekend.  It was phenomenal.  I went to the latter part of the sale which was deemed the "Bag Sale."  This meant that I could fill my bag full of books and pay only $5.  it was awesome!  As a future English teacher, the one thing I am lacking is a classroom library.  I got a whole bag full of books for just that reason.  I chose lots of books that I wouldn't read.  I currently own a great number of books that I would read, but my classroom will have so many kids that want to read other books.  I can't wait to find more of these... or a classroom!

So, one of my all time favorite shows? The Facts of Life.  They started before I was born and ended a year or two after... but I LOVE it.  I love Lisa Whelchel (Blair) a lot.  She is such an inspiration and a person that I really look up to.  She wrote a book that I read years ago, The Facts of Life and Other Lessons My Father Taught Me.  I read it over and over.  Later she wrote lots of books for moms.  I was not and still am not prepared for that genre of books, so I was very excited for her to come out with another books for people like me.  This one is on adult friendships.  As soon as I get this, I am hoping to journey through this book on ONIB.  I, of course, still need to catch up on a few of the posts, but when the time comes, I will let you follow me on my journey through the book.
xoJLG

So, I have two more books finished... now I just have to write about them.  With the holiday weekend and a few other things going on, I haven't had a chance to finish.  But, I think those will be done this week.  I'm having a hard time motivating myself to start book #9.  I wish there was another book I was just soooo excited for.  If you have any suggestions send me titles and give me a reason or two why!
Thanks!
xoJLG