Just Don’t Fall: How I Grew Up, Conquered Illness, and Made It Down the Mountain by Josh Sundquist
Josh Sundquist will be at Barnes & Noble in Harrisonburg signing his book this Saturday.
Book review by Kay S. Walsh
Candid, heart-warming, heart-breaking…hilarious!
The boy-next-door goes from losing a leg to cancer at age 9 to skiing as a member of the 2006 U. S. Paralympic Ski Team. Josh tells his story as though you were sitting on his shoulder sharing every encounter. Be prepared for a wild ride!!
Josh, a Harrisonburg native, shares of all the normal, often awkward, things most boys experience growing up… a first love, siblings, communicating with parents, wanting to go out for the soccer team, etc. Then he shares what is different…losing his hospital roommate to cancer, being interviewed on the Miracle Network, finding someone to teach a teenager with one leg to ski, etc.
Along with all these events, add Josh’s personality and spirit. He is extremely intelligent, extremely motivated, an extreme risk taker, extremely humous, etc. In other words, Josh is extreme.
In Harrisonburg, Josh is somewhat of a folk hero, not just because of the difficulties of his life but for the joy and hope he has given to individuals and this community. When his name is mentioned, there are always smiles. Everyone has a Josh story and a special place for the miracle guy… miracles both earned and bestowed.
If you have never heard of Josh Sundquist, you should. His is a fabulous story of growth, faith, pain and joy. You gotta read this book!
Reviewer’s rating: PG-13
Traffic tie-up in Dayton
The people in the Town of Dayton are protective of their town ducks. Several signs beside the road read “Watch out for ducks!” Not being a Shenandoah Valley native, I don’t know how long the ducks have resided along Cooks Creek. I see them as I’m making my way down Silver Lake Rd. and across the one-lane bridge.
Traffic came to a halt for several minutes at the bridge a few evenings ago. As I approached the scene, I wondered if there had been a collision on the bridge or some other vehicular difficulty.
It wasn’t anything to do with vehicles after all.
It was a long line of ducks marching across the bridge. There had to be at least 50 birds in this duck detachment. The first segment had no hesitation in following the two lead ducks to their roost spot along Cooks Creek in the pasture on the other side of the bridge. After a short delay, the second group headed bravely in the same direction.
From the looks of the birds, this was a congregation of mom and dad ducks with this year’s offspring–who are almost the size of the parental units.
Once all the ducks were safely on the other side, vehicular traffic resumed.
I wish I’d had a good camera to capture the scene, but alas, no.
I’d be interested in hearing how long this group of ducks–known as a badelynge–has been around Dayton. If anyone has pictures of the Dayton ducks, I’d love to see them!
Here’s a link to a walking tour of Dayton , with plenty of history included. Maybe you’ll see some ducks when you’re in town.
~~Colleen
How Do You Picture Joy?
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by Dr. Earl Henslin
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
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How do you picture joy?
Why is this important to the lay person? This imagery provides powerful information to identify disorders such as ADHD (attention concerns), fears, addictions, compulsions, obsessions, depression, grief, anger, etc. In other words, conditions common in today’s world.
Doctors, counselors and therapists use this information to prescribe personalized treatment. While treatment may include medication, usually there is a combination of diet, supplements, music, cinematherapy, laughter, aromatherapy and biofeedback. Treatment typically includes physical exercise as well as spiritual exercise (prayer, reading scripture, etc.).
Instant Vacation: Cinematherapy
If you have already had your summer vacation or it seems too far away, Dr. Henslin has a prescription to improve not only your mood but also your health: Plan on watching a funny movie.
In his Brain-Heart Matters Newsletter (May 2009) he states that research shows anticipation of watching a funny movie increases hormones that elevate mood and optimize immunity. Another study shows that, “…anticipation of mirthful laughter reduced the levels of three detrimental stress hormones.” Seems Patch Adams is right!
(http://drhenslin.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=5&articleID=49)
Clinics
According to the back cover, “Dr. Henslin has been integrating brain imaging into the treatment of psychological, physical and spiritual problems (at his) Christian counseling group in Brea, California.”
His colleague, Dr. Daniel G. Amen, who wrote the forward for this book has clinics on the West Coast and one in Reston, Virginia.
Living Organic
My new lifestyle is causing me to be friendlier to my body and my world. One of my new favorite hangouts is Organic Grounds in Harrisonburg.
As proof that email marketing works, I stopped in one week this afternoon after receiving an email (yes, I voluntarily signed up for their email list) that they were serving a new soup: spinach and mushroom. Sounded too good to pass up, and the day was a bit gray.
Owners Lee Ann and Barry Jeffer guarantee everything fresh and organic, from the coffee to cookies. By the way, gotta try their harvest nut cookies–they are to die for–organic or not.
Anyway, my son was having fun with the video camera, so here’s my trip to Organic Grounds for a cup of delicious spinach and mushroom soup with a three cheese grilled sandwich on something that’s not bread, but really good!
–Toni
At the fair with Leroy and Elmer
I’ve attended the Rockingham County Fair almost every year since moving to Virginia. The sights, sounds, and smells of the fair were all new to me the first time I visited. Now I look forward to the livestock barns, the crafts, the petting zoo, and the rides. Oh, and I can’t forget about the food. All these are part of the last hurrah of the summer. For me, the end of the fair signals the start of a new school year and the coming of fall.
I almost missed all the fair this year. Saturday was the only day I was in town, and the rain negated any thoughts of venturing out during the day. By evening the barns were emptying and the time for the all-you-can-ride armband was fast running out.
I did get to see an animal show featuring a liger, a cross between a tiger and a lion.
What else to see on Saturday night? A horse pull.
The Horse Pull was a new experience for me this year. Having grown up in suburbia in South Carolina, I had no idea what to expect.
I’m glad I went.
Eight teams of draft horses competed on Saturday night. Two teams hail from the Shenandoah Valley: Dan and Ricky, driven by Randy Wonderly of Grottoes, and Leroy and Elmer, driven by Vernon Herring of Broadway. I was pulling (no pun intended) for the hometown teams. How can you go wrong rooting for a team whose participants have names like Leroy and Elmer?
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be Leroy and Elmer’s night. Dan and Ricky tied for second place in the heavyweight division.
The last of the barns have now been cleaned out, the crafts picked up, and the rides transported to another site.
Time for school, cooling temperatures, and the color show of fall.
~~Colleen
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Shenandoah Living FALL 2009
