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If the book Little Britches means anything to you, then you know something of the life of Ralph Moody and also something of the history of Littleton. His recollections of his childhood during the early years of the 20th century in this vicinity capture the flavor of the farming community of Littleton between 1906 and 1912.

Ralph Owen Moody was born on December 16, 1898, in East Rochester, NH, the second of six children of Charles and Mary Moody. The family moved to Colorado in 1906, hoping that the state's dry climate would be a cure for the father's tuberculosis. They had purchased, sight unseen, a ranch west of the cavalry post at Fort Logan, at the southwest corner of Harlan Street and Hampden Avenue. The farmhouse was in such bad condition that Charles and Ralph spent many days scavenging for materials and fixing it up while the family lived in a Denver hotel. On the day the family took the "Uncle Sam" train to their new home, their two horses had been frightened away by coyotes and become entangled on a railway trestle. Thus began the adventures and life lessons that Ralph would recall more than forty years later.

Most of us look at our days in the wrong way: We exaggerate yesterday. We overestimate tomorrow. We underestimate today. The truth is that the most important day you will ever experience is today. Today is the key to your success. Maxwell offers 12 decisions and disciplines-he calls it his daily dozen-that can be learned and mastered by any person to achieve success.

Edward’s Reading Picks May 2017

The novel of the century : the extraordinary adventure of Les Misérables, by David Bellos
A delightful wealth of history both personal and historical about both the great French Novel and the man who wrote it. Lively paced and thoroughly enjoyable.

Castles : their history and evolution in medieval Britain, by Marc Morris.
A fascinating overview of the rise and decline of castle-building in England told through multiple portraits of places and people over the centuries, a structure which keeps it accessible and often charmingly witty as well.

Turn Right at Machu Picchu, by Mark Adams
A warm, humorous, and thought-provoking account that weaves in the narratives of both an early 20th century explorer and an early 21st century writer whose worlds intersect at the ancient and mysterious ruins of the Lost City of the Incas.

Meet Me In Atlantis, By Mark Adams
A humorous but compelling account of a writer whose curiosity about the mythical city of Atlantic leads him on an adventure full of delightful characters, mysterious theories, and a quest to understand the power of mythology in a scientific world

The Long Weekend, by Adrian Tinniswood
A graceful narrative detailing the changes which swept through the country lifestyle of the British aristocracy between the two World Wars, told through entertaining and often poignant vignettes drawn from first-hand accounts from the period

The Great Bridge, by David McCullough
A powerful, sometimes breathtaking history of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, a narrative rich enough to give life again to the people who lived, and died, to create one of the greatest feats of engineering in history. Always engrossing, often even heartbreaking, this book is a masterpiece of both historical literature and mesmerizing storytelling.