Ice Bound

The 2001 Ice Bound book is the true story of Dr. Jerri Nielsen and her self-discovery and survival at the coldest and darkest place on earth. She was the only doctor at the South Pole in 1999 when she performed a breast biopsy on herself and then began chemotherapy treatments, with the help of her close-nit group of friends, to battle breast cancer.

The book gives insight into living at the coldest, darkest and harshest place on earth within an isolated community and the obstacles they had to overcome in addition to the cancer. It also highlights the importance of family and friends combined with the pain of a mother estranged from her children. Choosing to live at the South Pole and then battling breast cancer in such a desolate place was inspirational to say the least. However, for me, it was reading about a mother estranged from her children who learned to live life to the fullest and continue to help others with that void in her heart that really hit home.

At the end of the book, she had returned to the United States, completed her cancer treatments and had still not seen her children. I looked her up on the Internet and learned that she wrote this book, which was also made into a TV movie, became an international motivation speaker, and remarried following her adventures at the South Pole. She was still speaking three months before she died on June 23, 2009. In a Washington Post e-article she was quoted as saying, "There is no end of your life until your last breath. We can all do something to help someone." I agree.

Adam

Adam by Ted Dekker is about a serial killer known as Eve and the FBI agent who is tracking him, Daniel Clark. This one had me hooked from the opening pages and I read the entire book on a Saturday afternoon while doing laundry. Thankfully, stopping periodically to check the clothes gave my eyes enough rest to avoid blurred vision and red eyes.

Daniel Clark is obsessed with finding the serial killer until he becomes one of the killer's victims. When Daniel experiences death and is brought back to life, the case becomes more than a hunt for a serial killer. In the end, Daniel is forced to fight for his life, his sanity and his very soul while battling forces much greater than the mind of a deranged serial killer.

If you enjoy supernatural suspense thrillers, this book will let you (as stated on the inside cover) "Enter a world ... that blurs the lines between fiction and reality ... that will leave you stunned."

Unexpected Visitor

Living in the interior of Florida with an assortment of animals is always an adventure. The blackbirds, blue jays, cardinals, doves, green and yellow vireos, pigeons, mockingbirds, swallows, thrushes and wrens give enjoyment to those who take the time to watch. And, the squirrels chatter and climb in a never-ending search for food providing amusement to the onlooker. How awesome it is when egrets, herons, ibis, hawks, kites and majestic bald eagles make their appearance in and around a dead tree left in place for a bird's eye view of the pond below. What an unexpected thrill to see a bald eagle perched high in the tree and then swoop towards the pond to collect a fish.

Along with the birds and squirrels, visits from giant bugs and spiders, lizards, raccoons, panthers, snakes, turtles and wild hogs, as well as, occasional horses and cows that escape neighborhood fences, should be an expected part of life. Yet, these visits are always startling and make the hair stand on end and the senses react. Such was the case the other day when an alligator made an appearance. The first thought was the safety of my little dog and a mental note to add "gator" to the list of animals to scan the horizon for before going outside. The second thought was "get the camera".

Funny how a sudden encounter with the unexpected can change perspective. Alligators are part of the landscape, but since they hadn't made an appearance until the other day no thought was given to their presence. Now, however, they are in the forefront of thoughts each time the door is opened. I wonder if that is how it is with God sometimes - using the unexpected ... hardship, illness, loss, tragedy ... to bring Him to the forefront of our thoughts instead of life's routines.