Books and Music: something old, something new

Easter was lovely...talked to all but one member of my family. With that one, we exchanged phone messages so she knew the old folks at home were thinking about her and we knew she was thinking about us. It appears she and Mr. Wonderful were invited by a friend's family for brunch. Other daughter was pampered by her husband's family. Rumor has it, she was sent home with Easter goodies, fresh strawberries and angel food cake.

Taxes are done for another year. All I have to do is write the checks and mail off the returns. I can't remember the last time we got money back even with yearly increases in our estimate tax payments. The Hubster bemoaned the sad state "Trust the government to tax money you haven't even made yet". The Bush administration tax cuts certainly haven't trickled down to us.

I currently have my nose in Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five". I can't believe I missed this (dare I say?) classic. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki perhaps have eclipsed the fire bombing of Dresden in the historical narrative of WWII, but I'm so glad Vonnegut tells this city's story as only a man who lived through it could. It has not lost it's impact over the years. In 2007 depleted uranium may have replaced burning jellied gasoline, but effects of war on its returning soldiers and victims last a lifetime. When I started my analytic training, I was astonished to learn that we are still mopping up the emotional damage done by WWII. Not to mention a fair number of our patients are the sons and daughters of Korean and Vietnam war veterans or are themselves veterans. My esteemed colleague to the east is fast becoming an expert in treating Gulf war I and Gulf war II vets. To quote Vonnegut: So it goes.

Another interesting read is The Mistress's Daughter by A.M. Homes. The author was adopted shortly after birth. Her young birth mother was the mistress of an older married man. It is a difficult book to read, but helpful to me because I work with several families who have adopted kids. It is a misconception that children adopted at birth will only know their adopted families and thus have no emotional difficulties. I'd like that to be true but the fact is the first experience of their life is rejection, being discarded and found unacceptable by their birth mom and dad. This is a most worthwhile look at what it's like to be adopted and to meet one's biological parents.

Before I close, my album of the week is Swing by Suzy Bogguss. It's not a new CD, just new to me. I found Suzy strolling around iTunes which I do for fun sometimes. If you have iTunes or Rhapsody check her out.