Cruse Rescues Scott County

"Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn." -Benjamin Franklin, goodreads.com



Are you an eager learner? Are you willing to try something new, no matter what your age? Some of the happiest retired people that I know are lifelong learners. These are the people who watch the news, play jeopardy, complete the daily crossword puzzle, and always keep a book or a magazine by their chairs. Some of them even play cards! I admit that there are some topics that I'm not very eager to learn about because I'm just not "cut out" for them and become easily frustrated. One example of this is that I'm just not very good at technology. I can do the basic things on a computer, but don't ask me to do anything very complicated. I'm more interested in academic subjects, current events, basketball, and the history of the Christian church.

Last time I wrote about March Madness and how I much enjoy it. Well, guess what?? All THREE of my teams are in the Sweet 16: Duke men, Kentucky men, and the Duke women. So, I have another three games on my calendar for this week, even though two of them will be on TV very late at night. I just can't miss the games, and I don't want to record them just to have someone on facebook reveal the winners before I get a chance to watch the recording. So, if I must stay up late at night to watch my teams, I will. I went to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Friday to watch the Duke women defeat Albany by a mere 2 points, but a victory is a victory, so I'll take it. The Duke women went on to win their next game on Sunday as well. They defeated Mississippi State by 8 points. So, it's off to the state of Washington for them, and I'm happy for them. Incidentally, when I went to the game on Friday, I was charged $15 for a general admission fee plus a $1 "service" charge. Can anyone tell me what that's for? Oh, I have failed to mention that one reason that I enjoy basketball so much is that I played the game myself. Back in the 1970s I played high school basketball for four years at Scott County High in Georgetown, Ky. After that I received a small scholarship to play for our local college, Georgetown College (NOT Georgetown University in D.C.). I have so many great memories of my years in basketball, especially my high school time. My fondest memory of high school basketball was in December of 1977. I think we were playing Anderson County High on our home court. With a few seconds on the clock, I was fouled, and I made both free throws! We won the game and the newspaper wrote an article about the game. A picture of me shooting the ball was included. The heading of the article said "Cruse rescues Scott County." I felt like a local hero and was thrilled to be a part of the big win. You have to understand the rivalry that we had with Anderson County to appreciate this victory. To top it off, I scored 17 points in that game and it was the first time that I had ever scored double figures. It was our last game before Christmas, so it was a great way to end the semester. To my high school basketball pals, can you remind me of the tall center from Anderson County? I want to say that her name was "Nancy" something. All I remember is that she was a good player and she was at least as tall as me (6 feet) or taller. It sure was fun to "rescue" Scott County that night!

Now to get on to the topic of books...I am listening to a Sue Grafton in the car, V is for Vengeance. I'm enjoying the mysteries within the story, and the main character, Kinsey Millhone, is a witty private investigator who seems to simply stumble upon crimes. She doesn't easily fall for the stories that people give her and so she's a great detective. She seems to be cut-out for her profession. I look forward to listening to more of this book this week.

I finished reading Smiley's Some Luck this weekend. I enjoyed the book a lot and didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed reading about the children of Rosanna and Walter as they grew up, left the farm, and had children of their own. Frank was the oldest child and the first to leave home. He was a sniper in World War II and so he traveled throughout Europe and Africa. He eventually married a girl he had dated in college, and they settled back in the U.S., although far from Frank's Iowa childhood home. You will like this book if you are looking for something that is relaxing, well-written, and inspiring. Each chapter chronicles a year in the life of the family, so you basically get to watch the characters grow older, find jobs, and more. The themes of love, loyalty, self-sacrifice, spirituality, and perseverance are echoed throughout the novel as the story unfolds. I appreciate the simple values of the farm family and their love for one another, even when times were very difficult. So, you might want to put this recent novel on your reading list.

The next ten books in my card catalog are as follows:

1. The five people you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom
2. Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
3. Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
4. Madam Secretary: A Memoir by Madeleine Albright
5. The Quiet Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott
6. My Invented Country by Isabel Allende
7. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (I strongly recommend)
8. The World According to Garp by John Irving
9. Long Time No See by Susan Isaacs
10. Einsten by Walter Isaacson

The Madeleine Albright and Einstein books are examples of some of the non-fiction books that I've read. I often read books about people who are important in history or government. I enjoyed all of the Mitch Albom books for the spiritual themes that lie within them. If you are a person of faith as I am, or if you've lost someone whom you love, you will get a lot out of the Albom books. Also, if you or someone you know are facing physical suffering or imminent death, you will get a lot out of Tuesdays With Morrie.

I'd like to hear from you today - so tell me what you're reading or what you are learning. I'm sure that you are one of the people who is WILLING to learn. There's so much to read and to learn, and there's so little time...have a great week.

-Melissa