Every now and then we need to take a moment to reflect on our lives and appreciate the good things we have. Frankly, I never do this, but last Monday I was forced to. I was in a deep sleep, having the worst nightmare of my life — I was fired from my job. The loving husband divorced me AND he kept my pickup. I got a job at the Marshall library as a book-shelver and I had to move away from my friends and family. My mother had to drive me because I had no vehicle. I couldn’t afford an apartment so I had to live in a gross, dirty hotel room. My new boss, also gross, kept making unwanted advances toward me and finally, I had to buy a walker because my legs started to fail me. Everything that I hold dear was gone. I suffered greatly. The alarm clock went off at 7:25 a.m. I woke up, looked around, and realized, YES! I was still in my own bed in my own house. The pickup was still parked on my side of the garage. The loving husband had put on the coffee. I had to be to work at 9. I hopped out of bed and I could still walk. All day long I appreciated every detail of my life. Eventually you’ll take everything for granted again, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded once in a while. I have good news from the library (where I still work). The Plum Creek "Cook 'n' Book" Cookbook will be available soon. There are nearly 1,200 recipes from librarians, library patrons, Friends of the Library, and Library board members. You’ll recognize some names from right here in Luverne (where I still live). The cookbook will be $15 and you can pre-order your copy at anytime. The proceeds from the project will go toward purchasing large print books, books on cassette, and books on CD. Danielle Steel has a new book out this week, "The House." Perched on a hill overlooking San Francisco, the house was magnificent, built in 1923 by a wealthy man for the woman he adored. He spared no expense and overlooked no detail, from the endless marble floors to the glittering chandeliers. Nearly a century later, with the once-grand house now in disrepair, a young woman walks through its empty rooms. Sarah Anderson, a perfectly sensible estate lawyer, is about to do something utterly out of character. An elderly client has died and left her a gift: A generous inheritance with a message to use his money for something wonderful, something daring. And Sarah knows just what it is.A respected attorney and self-described workaholic, Sarah had always lived life by the book. With a steady, if sputtering, relationship and a tiny apartment that has suited her just fine, Sarah cannot explain the force that draws her to the mansion and its history — to the story of a woman who once lived in the house, then mysteriously left it, to a child who grew up there, and a drama that unfolded in war-torn France, and to a history she never knew she had. Taking the biggest risk of her life, Sarah enlists the help of architect Jeff Parker, who shares Sarah’s passion for bringing the exquisite old house back to life. As she and Jeff work to restore the home’s every detail, Sarah makes a powerful discovery.