Four Grandchildren Celebrate Lucy's Fifth Birthday

Update - March 17 to March 30, 2019

-- Lucy Turns Five

Lucy Displayed Some Cards

Fast on the heels of our returning from Tampa we encountered the whirlwind that surrounded Lucy's fifth birthday. As is typical with children today, there was more than one party, ours was a small version allowing Lucy to really be the center of attention without competing with too many other kids. The usual impatience expressed by five-year-old children is magnified somewhat for Lucy. She was ready for presents immediately.

Cousin Leela Helps

She felt it was out of order to have a meal, have cake and ice cream, knock down the pinata, or play pin the tail on the donkey. She wanted gifts first. But that was not to be. We maintained the traditional order of events with the exception of the pinata, which came after gifts had been opened.

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-- Gifts and Candy

The pinata had been filled with candy and it was my instinct that, while having not known about it in advance, I was now in a dilemma on how to hang the thing and let the kids take whacks at it with a small bat that had been provided. My decision was to remove the two cars from the garage and hang the pinata from one of the overhead door railings. I was able to adjust the dangling height to allow the kids to get a fair whack at it.

Finally, some cake

Ultimately, the pinata was burst open and the candy fell to the floor. All of the kids grabbed up as much as they could. We then turned our attention to pin the tail on the donkey. There are no "pins" as such, rather, the tails are stickers that you attach to the target. Lucy was incorrigible about peeking under the blindfold so her tail landed pretty much on target. Lucy hates to lose.

-- Where Did Five Years Go?

Sorting Candy

Now that Lucy is five years old she will begin regular kindergarten in the fall. We have only this summer to have her visit every week to spend a whole day with us. Since she was one year old and learning to walk we have had her on Tuesday. Now that Olive has arrived and will be one year old in August we hope to have her be a weekly visitor until she reaches grade school age. With both of them in the house, it has been an exciting challenge to cope with the pre-schooler and the near-toddler together. 


-- Torsion Bars and the Dodge Charger

1971 Charger

As a kid growing up I became fascinated with the torsion bar suspension on the Chrysler products of the day. When I bought my Dodge Charger in the 1970s it had torsion bar suspension and I was still fascinated with the technology it represented. No other manufacturer was using the design. While rummaging through some old files for something I needed for a client, I found this picture of my Dodge Charger. I bought it when I lived in Mystic, Connecticut. I used it to commute to Hartford and Norwich where I had offices. It was equipped with a CB radio, which was probably the highest tech, other than the torsion bars, that I had on the car. I wonder where it is now? Probably crushed. Too bad.

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READING UPDATE: T.S. Eliot: A Memoir is a revealing biography of the Nobel Prize-winning poet constructed from the writings of Robert Sencourt, who had left his work unpublished during his lifetime. After he died, the writing of Sencourt was edited by Donald Adamson and the result is a fascinating look behind the scenes of this important and eccentric poet. He was more than a poet; he was an editor, essayist, philosopher, educator, and a playwright. Born in the late 19th Century he was educated in New England, including attending Harvard. As serious as anyone can be when you are a literary figure even in your own time, it's fascinating that he was a prankster and maintained a longtime friendship with Groucho Marx.

Olive and Lucy Visit, Garden Bar, Early Spring Decoration

Update - February 17 to February 23, 2019

-- Olive Turns Six Months and Lucy Imitates a Baby

Imitation is Flattery

Imagination is among the strongest motivators for someone turning five years old. Lucy has been thrilled to have a baby sister and delights in her ability to make Olive laugh and make faces at her antics. She has also developed an interest in playing "baby," up to and including the baby-talk so incoherent that we don't know what she's saying. Lucy has been communicating in whole sentences for a long time. She, in some cases, has clearly rehearsed what she is about to say so that her point will be clear and accepted.

Recently, she approached Papa and said, "When I get tired of blowing up this balloon, I will wipe off the slobber, and you can blow it up for me." This caught Papa off-guard as he had no idea that slobber was an issue for her or that she should anticipate it was an issue for him. It turns out that earlier in the day, Nana had refused to help blow up Lucy's balloon until she had, "wiped the slobber off of it," 

Taking that episode as guidance, when she approached another adult with a balloon-blowing requirement, she anticipated resistance to "slobber," and offered the bargaining chip that she would "wipe it," prior to Papa having to take over. This shows a lot of forethought for a four-year-old trying to get some cooperation from an adult. 

-- When is a Four-Year-Old Smarter Than a President?

Our dolt of a President went to North Korea and managed to not get anything done. He hadn't rehearsed an offer, or a compromise offer, or a quid pro quo, or anything when meeting with the dolt running North Korea. The US President didn't have the common sense of a four-year-old to anticipate the objections and offer a compromise solution. Lucy gets it; the dolt does not.

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-- When is a Salad Bar not a Salad Bar?

Garden Bar?

Patti frequently takes advantage of good salad bars when we come across them. She recalled recently that Ruby Tuesday had a good salad bar and so we took a break during an errand run to have a quick lunch at Ruby Tuesday at Lincoln Plaza. Patti went for the salad bar as part of her meal and it was then that I noticed almost no "salad" came back on her first plate. As I glanced at the menu I realized they call it a Garden Bar, not a Salad Bar. I had never noticed this. Maybe they have called it "garden" for a long time; but, I just got it.

Patti's "salad" had no tomatoes, lettuce, onions, etc., although she said they were available. She preferred to go with the egg salad, beets, beans, fruit, etc., instead of the inevitable greens. A salad bar is not a salad bar when it's a "Garden Bar." Now I know too.

-- Helping Olive With Her Books

Turn the Page

In our house, we do a lot of reading. Patti has a preference for thrillers and mysteries and things like that. I prefer things like history, science, biographies, autobiographies, and not so much of the fiction or science fiction. When Lucy visits we average from three to six books each visit, not counting the re-reads that she requires on her favorite books.

Now that Olive is with us each week I got her started reading her first book. With no coaching she was quickly flipping the pages of "Wonder Horse," and when necessary, ripping the pages for extra emphasis. None of the pages left the binding entirely, but some did suffer minor tears and abrasions. (All easily repaired).

Help from Papa

She's off to a good start and I expect she will develop her own favorites in the months and years ahead. In due time I plan to have Lucy read to Olive, which would be ideal. While shopping this week, Patti and I found two more books, which we bought and plan to show to Lucy when we get back from our vacation. It's always good to have an occasional surprise available to keep things going.



-- Out With the Winter Scene and In With the Spring Scene

Even though the snow is still a foot deep outside, we sprang forward with the mantle display by taking out the winter-scape and inserting a spring-scape. It's a bit early for the spring motif, but we were in the mood. It's got spring flowers, berries on the trees, and patches of green grass. Strangely, the house feels warmer.

READING UPDATE: When I saw this title I wasn't sure how these two famous Americans could actually be a topic for a book combining their lives into one story. I have lots of books about Mark Twain and written by Mark Twain and I have a lot of books about and by Teddy Roosevelt. But, the connection between them seemed vague to me. In his book, "Mark Twain and The Colonel," Philip McFarland manages to hang both stories on the fast-changing circumstances of the first decade of the 20th Century. Although they came from different backgrounds and developed great variance in their views of American life, they both were larger than life, had a lot to say, and they were not afraid of taking a stand and taking action. It is these qualities that bind them together as they raced across the border between the 19th and 20th Centuries. 

Babysitting, Book Buying, Leaf Peeping, Shopping, and Lunch Out

Update - October 21 – October 27

-- Paige Visits to Help with Baby Olive

Paige Wright

My niece Paige has no college classes on Tuesday, so she asked if she could come over to the house each Tuesday to help care for Lucy and Olive. Patti and I agreed that it was a good idea and have encouraged her to come any time she wants. This Tuesday, Paige stopped by and immediately began helping with feeding, bathing, and rocking Olive to sleep. She also spent some quality time with Lucy including some effort guiding Lucy with coloring within the lines.

As Patti has spent over 40 years in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at UMass Memorial Hospital, she has the ideal technique for instructing anyone who wants to know how to care for an infant. In a mere moment, she can make any fussing or squirming by Olive turn into smiles and gurgles. Changing diapers, preparing formula for the bottle, and proper cradling for feeding are made easy for all. Paige has a light college schedule right now, so she has the time to visit and spend time with Lucy and Baby Olive. I know she enjoys it and it's always helpful to have additional hands around when one baby wants to sleep and the other wants to be outside trying out the bicycle. 

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-- A Visit to Gale Library Book Cellar Yields New Treasures

Anything Named Olive Must be Great

Lucy has a large appetite for books, as I do, so I try to add one or more to her collection each week. At the public library bookshop, I can buy children’s books for 50 cents apiece; sometimes less. So, I keep my eye open for anything I think Lucy will like. This trip found two books; one was the Bunny Rabbit’s Assistant and the other was Olive and the Embarrassing Gift. I could not resist a book with “Olive” in the title. I read it and decided it was a fun story with a good life lesson, so I picked it up.

I also bought several other books for my own reading: Bridge of Spies by Giles Whittell; The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick; Hegemony or Survival by Noam Chomsky; The New Russians by Hedrick Smith; The Yom Kippur War, edited by Moshe Davis; and Jerusalem by Karen Armstrong. My total investment, including the children’s books, was $12.

-- Learning About the Wachusett Reservoir

Patti and Old Stone Church

Patti had Friday off, so we decided to make a run to BJ’s Wholesale Club where we could find things in boxes and bags big enough for someone running a restaurant, or for our household lately. Why buy 10 rolls of paper towels when you can buy 24? I guess I’m still low on the learning curve as far as the value in bulk buying for a mostly retired couple.

As part of the run to the wholesale club, we included a stop for some further leaf-peeping and photo-taking. We stopped at the Wachusett Reservoir near the Old Stone Church to get some shots. I also took the time to read about the newly completed irrigation and run-off system installed around the reservoir to cut down on pollutants draining off into the reservoir. The whole concept and design were impressive and I’m glad to see that it was done in a manner that allows it to be instructional for visitors to better understand how the reservoir is being protected.

-- Lunch in Shrewsbury at Burton’s Grill and Bar

Lunch at Burton's

I was in the mood for fish tacos and Patti was hungry but didn’t know what she wanted. So, Burton’s Grill and Bar was a good choice. They have a big menu, so I knew Patti would find something she liked. It turned out to be the Mediterranean Chicken Risotto and I got the “street” tacos. Very good. She got some exotic drink and I got a glass of wine. We agreed we liked the service, the atmosphere, and the food, so it was a good visit. Burton's is in the complex of residences, businesses and retail services that took over space where Spag's used to be. It's sad that Spag's is gone, but I'm happy to see the area upgraded this way. 

-- Bonus Visit from Olive and Lucy on the Weekend

Lucy and Paige; Artists

Olive Helen Perras

Corinne had an appointment for Saturday afternoon, so, even though Patti had to work, I agreed to take both granddaughters for the afternoon. Paige volunteered to help, so she came over in the afternoon. It was a fun day for everyone. When Baby Olive arrived, she was at the peak of interest in being fed. So, I took charge of giving her a bottle feeding while simultaneously pulling out the potty seat for Lucy to take into the privacy of the guest bathroom. I literally had my hands full; first with a squirming, hungry infant, and second with a squirming, desperate, four-year-old looking for some relief.

Paige, Lucy, Lilly, Marna, Olive

Things settled down when Paige arrived so that between us we could keep everyone occupied. Lucy really enjoyed the attention she got from Paige when it was time to draw. Together, they worked at the table creating various bits of artwork to share with everyone.

When Paige was dropped off, her sister Lily and her Mother, Marna, stopped in for a while to visit with Olive. Lucy requested that everyone pose for a photo - with her in the middle (naturally). So the photo is included here so that she knows her Papa will comply with reasonable requests.

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Reading Update: I picked up "A Safe Haven" by Allis and Ronal Radosh quite a while back at Yes Books, a used bookshop, in Portland, Maine, but only just got around to reading it. I have always been struck by the fact Harry Truman was President when I was born and as the years have gone by I have come to realize he was actually a very good President. This book deals with the issue of how Truman coped with the pressures on him, the country, and the world as the Jews tried to establish a homeland in what has become Israel.

Despite a lot of promises made by many over the years, it was to finally land on Truman's desk to make the final push that allowed Israel to join the family of nations. The book reads like a fast-paced novel with intrigue, deception, bitter conflict, and recriminations that if it wasn't all true would seem like preposterous myth-making. It's no myth, Truman made the choices at the time that went against political expediency and international trauma, to finally help Jews around the world find a "safe haven."

Life in Jefferson - First Week of August 2018

UPDATE: July 29 to August 4, 2018

Tri-Color Pasta Salad

The last weekend in July went like the first weekend in July. My continuing interest in Barbeque stylings focused on chicken again. I'm still getting familiar with how to make the best use of the tools and the techniques to give us what we want. Again the macaroni salad was a featured player, courtesy of Patti's ability with the multi-colored pasta.

I also spent a good amount of time working on the sorting and categorizing of Dad's columns. There are some definite themes developing which may help in the full catalog making some sense.

-- Pride Park Discovered

Reflecting on Oneself 

Each Tuesday brings another adventure with Lucy, the four-year-old granddaughter. This week we discovered Pride Park in West Boylston. It has all the features that we look for in a place for a couple hours of outdoor romping with minimum danger of disaster. There is nearby parking. There are picnic tables to spread out the snacks. There is shade for some moments out of the sun to cool off and relax. 



Rock Climbing is a Must

Lucy in action

Naturally, it's important that the climbing apparatus include various items such as swings, teeter-totter, and assorted animal or fantasy "hobby horses," as we called them in days long gone. This park had a nice assortment for Lucy to try. The Puffin was a hit, as was the dinosaur, but the "rock wall," (suitably sized) was a favorite too. Naturally, she was attracted to the landing area highlighted with a mirror (see photo). She's always ready to pause and primp.


-- Bookstores are always a part of the vacation

Nonesuch Bookstore

Reading Update: I'm always on the lookout for bookstores, so it was good luck that I found Nonesuch Books and Cards in Biddeford. It was a large, bright store with a wide range of books, including a section offering new titles at about one-third the listed price.




I bought The Flight, by Dan Hampton, which is the most

recent, and most thorough review of the flight made by Charles Lindbergh across the Atlantic to Paris. I finished the book this week and am pleased to add it to my growing collection of titles that are about the famed aviator. His is one of the most interesting stories of the 20th century, in my view.
         

Life Begins in Jefferson July 2018

UPDATE - Life Begins in Jefferson: July 2018 -

Patti and I hosted a family picnic at our home in Jefferson on the first weekend of July 2018. It was the first weekend after retiring from my career as a marketing manager. The previous Thursday, one of the executives of the company acknowledged me with some comments at an awards ceremony and presented me with a gift. The next day, my last at work, the company hosted a luncheon and again some nice words were spoken and a gift received. After 33 years, my time with the company was over and now my time will be in Jefferson.

The first day of July 2018 was spent golfing at Holden Hills Country Club. As soon as I returned home from the golf course, I had to drive out to Mt. Washington, Mass., (the town - not the mountain in NH) to pick up my brother who was hiking the Appalachian trail. He had decided to cut short his route and needed a ride home.   

-- Beach Tent for Lucy 

Picnic in new Beach Tent

The temperatures were so high the next day that all Patti and I did for entertainment was go out to dinner. It was too hot to grill in the backyard or on the deck. But, Tuesday was a great day, as granddaughter Lucy came, as usual, to spend all day with us. The highlight for Lucy was discovering that we had bought a beach tent and installed it on the lower patio. She was thrilled with it and held an immediate picnic for her stuffed animal friends. She also took advantage of the shade and enjoyed a nap in her new playground.

For the next few days, which were oppressively hot, I worked on editing my current book, Worcester's Winter Hill Farm. The book is finished, but I need to select the images and do some editing to overcome some rough spots. On Friday, Patti and I went to one of our favorite local places, Finders Pub for fish and chips. Patti had to work the weekend, which gave me more time to work on editing my other project, which is the cataloging of my Dad's newspaper columns. This is an enormous task as it's two decades of twice-weekly commentaries that he wrote for the Worcester Evening Gazette. It may take at least a year before I can publish this project.


Reading Update: This week I read an autobiography of Frank Capra, The Name Above the Title, which was a fascinating look into the early years and later triumphs of the Director that brought us It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Deeds goes to Town, Mr. Smith goes to Washington, Lost Horizon, and You Can't Take it With You. But more than the films, it's a view inside who Capra was and what motivated him to be the best - and deserve his name above the title.     

UPDATE: Week of July 9-14

Monday, the 9th was a great day. First, we played golf at Holden Hills Country Club and then we visited with friends who had just returned from the mid-west where they had picked up their brand-new, custom motorhome. This unit is 44 feet long, has two bathrooms, and an awning on the side that sets enough canvas that makes me think it could get the bus airborne. We enjoyed some of Jim's famous frozen drinks and caught up on the many adventures they had all year driving across the country. This is the tenth year on the road since Jim and Joyce retired and they seem to be having more fun as each year passes.

Tuesday was Lucy Day, as usual, and just like last week, it's always important to have a surprise ready for Lucy. When it occurs to her, she calls out for a "surprise." It's best to have something ready when this happens, as she often becomes adamant. Today, I had on hand six new books that I had bought and set aside for her next visit. I only showed her three of them, so that I could keep a few in reserve. I stated I had six "new" books, but in reality, they were used books. I visit the local library each week to see what bargains I can find in the basement used bookstore: The Cellar. It's a treasure-trove for me as I can find books for less than two dollars and often less, such as children's books at three for a dollar.

Patti Coaches the Pilot

-- On Lake Webster

On July 11, a Wednesday, Patti and I went aboard the paddle-wheeler, Indian Princess, on Lake Webster as part of an outing hosted by the newborn intensive care unit at UMass Memorial Hospital. The physicians in charge of the unit hosted the event, which included a sunset cruise around the lake and "passed" Hors d'oeuvres. It was quite a lot of fun. At one point, the Captain of the ship asked Patti if she wanted to take the helm, which she agreed to immediately. General panic swept the ship as her co-workers learned that Patti had taken over the Pilot House. The call went out to count how many life preservers were on board.

For the next few days, I spent time sorting my film reels to determine how many, if any, of the original footage I took while in the Air Force, was still around. I found a lot of family 8mm movies, but have not found the USAF material yet. I will keep looking. In the meantime, I found the projector and it seems to be working, so I will get ready to preview the footage to see what I still have on hand.

-- Westover Air Show

USAF Thunderbirds

Saturday was a great day. We went to Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee to see the air show. As usual, it was incredibly hot and on the tarmac where the planes were on display, I can't imagine it was less than 100 degrees where we were standing. Fortunately, we found the Budweiser display and it turned out to be the perfect place to watch the show and not pass out from the heat. The USAF Thunderbirds were the last show of the day and they did not disappoint. We have seen them before, along with other aerial display teams, but it was thrilling to see and hear those jets overhead. I'm ready to go to the next one.

Reading Update: This week I read Thomas Cahill's Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea - Why the Greeks Matter. It's a fascinating, intellectual tour of the legacy of the ancient Greeks, and how it still has it's effect on us today. Cahill describes how the Greeks "set the foundation and framework for our intellectual lives. They are responsible for our vocabulary, our logic, and our entire system of categorization." He makes his case well. 

UPDATE: Week of July 15-21

-- New Independent Bookstore Opens
On Sunday, I went to Weathersfield, Connecticut to visit "That Book Store," which was having its soft opening. I had read that a new independent bookstore was opening, and I wanted to be there for its first day. It turned out to be a very nice shop and the owner seems really committed to being a resource for the local area. This is why I'm such a fan of independent, local bookstores. The place was immaculate. The stock was still a little low, which is to be expected at the outset, but as the inventory grows, it will take on a much stronger presence. I bought a few books and chatted with the owner a bit to find out what her plans were for the coming year. The formal opening is set for August 3-5 with a ribbon cutting on Thursday. I wish them good luck and plan to visit whenever I'm traveling down near Hartford.

Big windows make it bright.

Lucy visited on Tuesday, so she got to play with a new pal, Pete the Cat, a stuffed animal. The book and the stuffed animal became big hits because she had seen them before elsewhere and said that she wanted a Pete the Cat book. The bonus of a large, stuffed cat, put her over the top. Later, during the day, she asked, "Papa, can I take Pete home with me?" And, of course, I told her that Pete the Cat was hers to keep. She gave Pete a big hug and took off to set up a puppet show with Pete and her Teddy Bear. "They are the same size!" she said.

-- Good Golf Day at Woods of Westminster

Stay in Shade 

What makes a good golf day is a birdie. The birdie on the 18th hole, on Thursday, made a visit to the Woods of Westminster the best golf day in weeks. I hadn't played the course for 10 years, and it played much harder than I thought it would. But, that birdie proved I could do a lot with the course. The play, the cart, and the lunch were a reasonable package price and we certainly will add it to the round-robin of courses that we plan to play often.

-- Dining Lakeside

On Friday, we decided to seek out a waterfront spot for lunch. We settled on the 308 Lakeside in East Brookfield. We had been there before, and today looked like a perfect day

Patti in Cool Shades at 308

on the outside deck overlooking the water. The food was great and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. The restaurant has a friendly bar area and a large inside dining room. But, the best features are the two outdoor spaces. The first is an elevated deck that provides a sweeping view of the lake. The second is a patio space on ground level that has a sheltered area. On any visit, we find all the spaces quite busy; it's that popular.
I continued working Saturday on the film shorts with the hope of finding the old Air Force footage and right in the middle of previewing some film, the bulb burned out. A quick check on Google showed a new bulb was $49 and would take a week to 10 days to arrive. I had no choice but to order one. On Sunday, I watched the Open and the race at Loudon. When Patti got home we went to the Wong Dynasty for some Lo Mein and Chinese beer.


Reading Update: The more I read about the great writers of mid-20th Century, the more I learned about Ford Madox Ford. So, I finally got time to read his greatest book (he wrote over 80), The Good Soldier. It's not an easy read in this day and age, but definitely worthwhile to understand his time. For those who know me, I generally confine my reading to non-fiction, particularly biographies and memoirs; but, great literature has its place on my bookshelves as well.





UPDATE: Week of July 23-28

Arrival at Johnny's in OOB.

Patti had planned for us to spend a week in Maine, so today was organize, pack, and make plans for our trip. We left in the afternoon and arrived at her brother's home in Old Orchard Beach where we would be guests for the week. The trip up from Jefferson takes about two hours as long as there is no heavy traffic, so it's really a convenient place to vacation. The Old Orchard Beach area has a lot of waterfront dining, great beach bars, amusement parks, and close access to a lot of great golf. 

-- A Visit to Maine means Golf

Almost broke 90 with 4 pars

On Tuesday, we golfed at the Biddeford-Saco Golf Course, which is only a mile down the road. In the afternoon, I took some time to visit four of the nearby bookstores, and made some notes for changes to my travel book about rural independent and used bookstores. Naturally, I picked up some great books while browsing. We also golfed the next day as well. Johnny took the day off from his work at the Bath Iron Works to play too. It was another fine day on a great course. 

Joseph's by the Sea

-- Dining is Important

Thursday was a great beach day. Patti spent a lot of time soaking up the sun. I spent more time soaking up the music at the Brunswick. We had breakfast at Josephs by the Sea and then dinner at the Fairways Restaurant, a part of the Dunegrass Country Club. On Friday, we played the Dunegrass course and discovered it had changed a lot over the years. They have been making some improvements, but it still has a long way to go to be fully finished. Patti had time on the beach again today. 

-- Love a Car Show

Classic Road Runner

Downtown Saco hosted a car show Saturday morning, featuring classic cars, hot rods, specialty cars, and a few rat cars. It was a lot of fun. We had early breakfast at the Golden Rooster Diner, where Patti said my pancakes were the best she had tasted for a while. The service was fast, the prices were fair, and the portions were generous. It was a great week in Maine, and just before we left, Johnny's daughter-in-law, Irina, prepared a late afternoon dinner featuring some of her Russian recipes. We were home by 8 o'clock, arriving just before sunset.

-- Barbeque on Sunday

Grill marks are important

Sunday, July 29, I practiced cooking barbeque chicken on the grill. It came out alright, but I have to work on getting better grill marks on the chicken breasts. It's not easy when you cook skinless chicken. But, I think I can do better next time. In addition to the chicken, Patti made her famous macaroni salad. It's famous because she only knows how to make a batch large enough for a dozen or more people. That's okay for me because I get to eat leftover salad for days later. 

Reading Update: I finished Lindbergh Vs. Roosevelt, by James P. Duffy, and it was all that I expected. Duffy was highly critical of the way Roosevelt treated Lindbergh during the lead-up to WW II and it's a shame these two patriots couldn't have found a way to avoid their unnecessary rivalry.

As much as I admired how Roosevelt handled the lead-up to WW II, it always struck me odd that he hated Lindbergh. The book helps clear up how the feud started and why Roosevelt would not relent in his bashing of Lindbergh.