Drift: Stories from Newport Beach

Author:  Victoria Patterson

I really enjoyed this book--so much so that I was quite sad to reach the ending. The plots are original and carefully formulated, as are the intertwining characters. The continuity is flawless, even if the book does jump about in time. The voice, one of innocence, experience, and sometimes a bit jaded, serves the writer well. I felt so sorry for Rosie coming of age in such a brash, unprepared manner. John Wayne brought about pity and wonder and a hint of childhood wistfulness in his eternal shoeless journey.

This book would be a good introduction to those interested in a.m. homes and her masterpiece "The Safety of Objects." It would also be a muted hint at J. G. Ballard's controversially unsettling yet engaging novel Crash. Thus, it is a great introduction to literature that takes risks.

Overall Rating:  5 of 5 Stars

Pull Tabs for Ronald McDonald House

http://www.ronaldmcdonaldhouse.com/help.asp 

I have been racking my brain trying to find ways to help others that are within my grasp.  I do not have a lot of extra cash, and my talents aren’t going to make a lot of noise, unless there’s a bake sale involved.  Still, there are some things I do to help out.  Generally this includes volunteering through 4-H and Girl Scouts, but then I remembered the pull tabs.

Every time I drink a soda or other canned beverage, I try to recycle my can, even if that means sometimes carting the can home with me.  At that point, I put the can with its brethren in a trash bag until the bag fills up.  At this point, the bag goes to my sister or older daughter, who removes each pull tab before sending the cans off for recycling.  She puts the tabs in a large, clean container, such as a rinsed out milk jug, large Ziploc bag, or plastic pickle jar and holds on to the slowly filling jug until the 4-H fair rolls around, at which time she puts our tabs with the tabs of the other members of our club.  The other clubs collect their tabs as well.  It isn't unusual for the public to bring in some pull tabs either.  At the end of the fair, which will take place next month here in Clark County, IN, all of the tabs are weighed to see which club has the most.  This club wins bragging rights as well as the honor of having their photo taken for the local newspaper as they hand over the tabs to someone from the Ronald McDonald House.

Of course, anyone can save tabs.  It’s something you already have if you drink anything in a can.  They don’t take up much space (which is part of the reason the RMH asks for them instead of whole cans), so they aren’t in the way, and shipping is easier.  I think the best part is 100% of the proceeds are donated.

If you want to help save pull tabs, do it!  Ask everyone you know to do the same.  It’s a great activity for churches, youth groups, and even schools (Many schools have a donation display/collection point set up, but if yours does not, there’s no time like today!).  Many people I know have set up a jar in their break rooms at work specifically for the can tabs--just check with your supervisor first!--and some have even started collecting points with local schools or colleges.   Once you accumulate them, you can contact the local RMH branch for further instructions, and probably even your local McDonald’s.

Once I have de-tabbed the cans, I generally let my girls split the money we get from recycling them.  In the future, it would be wise to get a can crusher so they take up less space.  This is a really great program that I think more people should participate in.