My son, Noah, is graduating on Sunday. It is the third of my offspring to be graduating from our home school/cottage school and I cannot tell you how relieved I am to have gotten this child through eighteen years of education! (Yes! Education starts in the womb when you're a home school Mom!)
It has been a challenge for all my children except for my daughter, who was always a self-starter and didn't struggle with motivation like the boys have. I have two more boys to go, and they both have autism and other special needs.
Changes are being made here. Our cottage school is disbanding and we will become instead a home school cooperative and meet two or three mornings a week. I am hoping to have more time for domestic duties and writing. I will continue home schooling the twins and I'm looking forward to spending more 1:1 time with them. They are getting to be a lot of fun.
I would like to post more on this blog, but I get frustrated with the picture posting. So I mainly post things over on my tumblr blogs. Come visit me there!
I know there are too many of them, but just sign up for the e-mail and they will come to your mail box so you don't have to follow all the time. I don't post every day. Especially right now with graduation going on!
Leave me a comment today and let me know what your favorite songs are to use at your graduations. I am not very excited about the selection of songs out there for Christians (that are on the top of the charts.) My son is going to sing "It Is Well With My Soul." He has a beautiful bass voice. He's also a drummer like his older brother. They both have very different styles and techniques but they are both very good. I have no idea how the offspring of a violinist/singer/pianist and a guitarist/banjo-player could become drummers, but there you have it. Maybe my grandchildren will make melodies! One can only dream and hope!
Thanks for reading my blog today! It is nice to be back in homeschooler land, but I wish this beautiful blog set-up worked better for me. I would really like to be involved more in this community!
Happy Graduation to all who are graduating in 2009!
If you like creepy Christian fiction, then go ahead and get THE UNSEEN by TL Hines.
Hines labels himself as "The Author of Nor Bizarre." Boy he's got that right.
I've never been one to read Stephen King type fiction. I love suspense, but it can't get too icky or hit too close to home or I just will not enjoy it. I like my suspense to be clean and macabre-free, thanks. And if it's mixed in with some romance -- all the better!
I think one of the reasons this book gave me the creeps was because when I was a little girl., I was obsessed with the idea that there were people living inside our walls. It was probably because I had a vivid imagination and had read The Diary of Anne Frank at too tender of an age.
Another reason is because the things in this book could actually happen. It's why I don't get naked in changing rooms at clothing stores. I just won't do it. I have read news stories about people hooking up hidden cameras and getting their jollies watching women try on clothes. (What kind of losers do that?)
Then there was that news story about the camera behind the mirror in the hotel room. So now, every time I go to a hotel room, I test the mirror to see whether or not it's a two-way mirror. I turn the lights off in the room, and place a bright flashlight against the mirror surface. If there is a hidden chamber behind the mirror, I'll be able to see it.
So far -- I've been blessed with privacy. Whew.
Go ahead, call me paranoid, I don't mind. But before you call the men in the white coats, 'fess up. You are, too. No one likes the idea of having their privacy invaded, and that's what this book is all about.
This book is written from the point of view of the voyeur himself, and it made me really uncomfortable. I was creeped out by the second page, which is exactly how TL Hines wanted me to feel, I'm sure.
This wasn't my kind of book. But it was definitely well-written and suspenseful. I personally know a lot of people in their teens to 40s who will absolutely love this book enough to make a club out of it. In fact, one of the best parts about this book is Hines' blog. He has torn this book apart (literally -- pun intended) and hidden pages all over the United States for us to find. ( http://www.tlhines.com/interact/upp )
Because of the topic, and the rising popularity of Freerunning and Urbex (if you don't know what these are, trust me, neither did I and had to google them), I believe that this book will be a hit with a lot of young readers who have grown up with a lot more disturbing stories to read and watch on TV than I did.
As for me, I'll stick to my Nancy Drew mysteries, thank-you very much. They are about as creepy as I can stand to get!
We shouldn't worry because Christ told us not to. He has promised to take care of us if we are walking with Him and serving Him.
Matthew 6:27-34: [26] Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? [27] Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? [28] And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: [29] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? [31] Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? [32] (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. [33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. [34] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Matthew 10:29-30 [29] Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. [30] But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. [31] Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Psalm 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
We're alive! We made it! The holidays didn't kill us!
Actually, this year the holidays, for me, was one of the least stressful, chaotic in years. I tried to embrace every second and remember to enjoy the journey. I didn't always hit the bull's eye -- but at least I was aiming for something and once in awhile I even hit the target!
I have some video of my little granddaughter who took her first steps on Christmas Eve at the candlelight service at church! Isn't that awesome? What a precious gift to this grandma to get to see her first steps! You can see some grandma footage where she started walking with a toy I bought her here: Grandma's Brag Blog
Now it's time to try and get things packed up and stowed away for another year. (My least favorite part of anything is cleaning up the mess!) But the adrenaline I had going for me to prepare for the holidays has bottomed out and I'm pooped. Am I the only one?
I do have some "mantras" for the new year:
1. "An easy task becomes difficult when you do it with reluctance." -- Publius Terentius Afer (Terence)
2 "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -- Old Chinese Proverb
The two above sayings are at the top of my prayer list for myself. The older I get, the more I find myself dreading the same old same old. I don't know if I'm going through a kind of depression or what, but I need to rekindle joy in simple day to day chores and determine not to put them off. I need to learn to take things one bite at a time, one step at a time. I am not good at that. I tend to focus too much on the big picture and not enough on the task at hand. That makes me feel overwhelmed and I actually get afraid to even try. It's so ridiculous!
3. "Don't be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try."
4. "Prove you exist."
5. "Remember, Jesus loves the people you hate." (I don't hate anyone, but there are some people who do rub me the wrong way that I need to remember this about!)
Those are just a few of the things I want to remember this year. If I can remember those things, then any goals I set can be accomplished with the grace of God.
And how I do depend on His grace to get me through each day! Each moment. Each teeny, tiny, hesitant step. If it weren't for His grace -- I would just curl up and give up. Life is too hard to do alone. I don't know why anyone would want to!
Just because you home school doesn’t mean your child is immune to this influence. Ignoring it won’t make it go away. Chances are, your child will be influenced by this trend at sometime in his life.
When I was growing up, the only people who got tattoos were prisoners and drunks. Now, it’s a market. And that market targets your teen and young adult.
I home schooled my oldest son for his entire academic career. He sat beside me as we studied the entire Bible together. He knows right from wrong. But for some reason, the pull and attraction of getting tattooed was too strong for him to overcome, and he now has a tattoo on his wrist that says, “Carpe Diem.” He also has a huge cross on his arm by his shoulder and his two daughters’ names.
The first time I saw his wrist tattoo we were in Pizza Hut and he had just told me about his wife being pregnant with their first child. I was livid. I didn’t handle it right. I got up and walked out of Pizza Hut. The reason? He and I had been discussing what the Bible has to say about tattoos for weeks. I had told him how much it would break my heart if he got a tattoo.
But it didn’t matter.
I cried for weeks over this tattoo.
Year later, we were sitting at another restaurant and I saw the big tattoo on his upper arm sticking out of his short sleeved shirt. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. His father was sitting next to me, and he just started laughing. We were so incredulously appalled we laughed I guess instead of crying.
Is it wrong to tattoo? I think it is. But only God knows. Yes, I am devastated and hurt that my son chose this route. But it’s done now, and I love my son anyway. That’s one of the surprises about loving our adult children. They have their own free will and will do what they want to do in the end.
God was a perfect father and he had two kids in that garden who rebelled. What makes us think we won’t?
If you are home schooling because you think it’s the cure for a rebellious child, think again. Home school because God tells you to — not because you have something to prove.
And if you homeschool and your child never rebels — then realize that is by the grace of God it is so. And be thankful.
1. Do you remember how you developed a love for reading? I have always loved reading. I can even remember learning to read in Kindergarten. Dick and Jane. I remember the dog Spot. Reading translated me into another world that I very much needed as a child. I would get in trouble for reading so much. Instead of doing chores, I’d hide under my bed and read and get in huge trouble.
My father is a voracious reader and there were piles and piles of books everywhere in our house where we grew up. Mom tells me he still has his piles. And horror of horrors, I have grown up to have my own piles!
But before I could read well on my own, my mother read to me. And she didn’t read drivel. She read meaty stuff to us: Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, Dickins and others. One of my favorites (and now very politically incorrect) was Little Black Sambo. It has been re-issued as The Story of Little Babaji. Thosetigers melting into butter was too delectable not to enjoy. My mother read that book over and over again and not once did we think of Sambo as anyone but a very clever little boy. This little white-headed white girl wanted to be just like him.I don’t recall ever wondering about his color. It just wasn’t an issue. The pictures in our book, though, were in bad shape. It was a well loved, old, very well-read little book. I think it must have been my mother’swhen she was small.
We kids had our own piles of Little Golden Books, too. I remember one of my favorites being WE LIKE KINDERGARTEN. The little girl’s name was Carol, and my name was Karla, so I thought that little girl on the cover was me. She looked like me as a kid, too, which made it even more fascinating to me. I still have the same emotional reaction when I see that book. It’s almost as if I can smell the paint the little girl is using in the story!
To this day, I love to read and can’t seem to tame my habit of buying books. Amazon.com is a dangerous place for me, and when I discovered it in its beginning — it was a happy day for commerce and a sad day for my bank account!
2. What are some books you read as a child? All of them. I remember going into the library at elementary school and informing the librarians I had read the entire fiction section and what else did they recommend? That got me started on biographies and nonfiction. To this day I LOVE nonfiction and biographies. I like writing them, too!
Here are a few of my childhood faves:
Little House on the Prairie — all the books
Every single one of the Nancy Drew mysteries. I even read a lot of the Hardy Boys.
All of E.B.White (Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little…)
The Wizard of Oz
The Yearling
Where the Red Fern Grows
David Copperfield by Dickins (My mother read it to us when we were little then I read it. Love that book.)
Emily Dickinson — I read all her poems and still love her work.
Remember the Reader’s Digest abridged book collection? You’d get a book each month that would have 4 or 5 condensed classics in them. I think I must have read all of those.
Heidi
Christy by Catherine Marshall. I read a lot of Marshall’s books. That book had the biggest influence on my life. I fell in love with Christy and the work she did. In fact, my life is so much like hers even now.
The Boxcar Children — read them all.
Little Women by Alcott
The Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter
There are so many more but those are the ones that I seem to remember most. Oh, and then there were all the Christian nonfiction books I read as a kid. I loved reading books about people who overcame something big. Books were and are my best friends.
3. What is your favorite genre? Suspense, biographies, humor, political. Romance is okay as long as it has a really good story. Okay, i love all genres. If there are words — I’m reading them!
4. Do you have a favorite novel? The Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter
5. Where do you usually read? Anywhere and everywhere. I always have a book with me if I’m going to have to do any waiting at all. If I’m exercising, you might find me listening to an audio book. I make good use of the library’s audio section. I love listening to books while I clean, too. But my favorite spot in the entire world to read is the jacuzzi. There’s nothing like melting into a bubble bath and reading until I’m a prune! It happens!
6. When do you usually read? All day long.
7. Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time? Of course! There are too many and too little time! I love reading more than one book at a time. I can have as many as five or more going at once. As an educator, that’s a given.
8. Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction? No, I really don’t. I love them both so equally.
9. Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library? I buy almost all the books I read, but if there’s a good book on the shelf at the library, I will check it out. I do check out good audio books if the library has them, too. But now that I can download books online to iTunes, I have used that feature one too many times! Someday, when i can afford a Kindle, I’ll be getting new books that way, too.
10. Do you keep most of the books you buy? If not, what do you do with them? Unfortunately, no matter how much I try to part with books, I do hang on to more than I give away. I just can’t seem to let them go. I have decided, though, that if I ever move again (we’ve been in this house almost 10 years) I will not take the books with me. They are just too hard to transport and I’m getting too old.
11. If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? Actually, I have gotten to read MANY MORE books that I didn’t read as a little girl because I have boys! I read Jo’s Boys, Little Men (by Alcott), and others to them. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a mother and getting to discover new classics with them! Here is a short list of my favorite books I have read aloud to my boys:
All the E.B. White books.
A Door in the Wall
Winnie the Pooh — the original classic not the cartoon
Little Men & Jo’s Boys by Alcott
Robinson Crusoe
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Adam of the Road
Tale of Desperaux by Di Camillo (love this writer!)
Nick of Time by Bell
Good-bye, Mr. Chips
Canterbury Tales
And many, many more fiction and nonfiction books about castles, knights, pyramids, ancient history, middle ages, American history, explorers, politics and more!
12. What are you reading now? I am reading Bill O’Reilly’s book, A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity. I’m also reading Enoch by Alton Gansky and An Irishwoman’s Tale by Patti Lacy.
13. Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list? Yes. Sort of. It’s not a list. It’s a piles of books on the corner of my desk, behind my couch, in my brief case and in my purse. Yeah. Lots of books! MUST HAVE BOOKS! Here are a few titles I hope to get read very soon:
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Anathema by Colleen Coble (she writes faster than I can keep up!)
For Better or Worse by Diann Hunt
Saving Grace by Denise Hunter
The Root of All Evil by Brandt Dodson
Deadly Exposure by Cara Putman
Dean Koontz. I have never read his books but he’s another writing machine I want to study.
Any of the classics. I have yet to have read them all.
Any books that will help me improve my writing.
I am sure there are many, many more that I am not thinking of right now!
14. What’s next? See question 13!
15. What books would you like to reread?Little Women, Christy, David Copperfield, Little House on the Prairie. Any and all of the classics!
16. Who are your favorite authors? Kate DiCamillo, Colleen Coble, Denise Hunter, Michael Palmer, Joel Rosenberg, Gene Stratton Porter, Bronte, and many, many more.
Your turn! Do this meme on your blog and leave a link in the comments!
You will receive both of these ebooks when you subscribe to the Homeschooling with the Trivium newsletter. This offer is only for new subscribers to Homeschooling with the Trivium and is good only through November 30. Go here to subscribe.
In addition, if you subscribe to Christian Logic's Fallacy Detective News you will receive two lessons from the logic textbook The Thinking Toolbox by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn (Lessons 12 and 13, along with exercises and answer key). This offer is only for new subscribers to The Fallacy Detective News and is good only through November 30. Go here to subscribe.
Life is messy.No one knows this better than Lynne Spears, mother of famous daughters Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears.
I must admit, when I learned that Thomas Nelson had published a book by the famous pop singer’s Mom, I was puzzled.I had believed what too many viewers believe of the reports in the media.I was tired of the Britney stories and weary of her outrageous behavior.I never stopped to think about her mother and family.
The fact is, I think most people view celebrities and their families as somehow different from “regular folks.”What I learned from the book, however, is that Lynn Spears is not unlike myself in many ways.As a seasoned mother of adult and teen children, I have some of the same notes in my “woulda-coulda-shoulda” files she that she has.I have my own regrets.Any mother worth her salt has them.And Lynne Spears is no different.(And lest you are quick to judge either me or Lynne, your precious cherubs have most likely not hit their teen and adult years yet!)
In this book, Lynn Spears is courageously vulnerable in and honest.Without whining, she explains how the unexpected, whirlwind path to fame affected her relationships with her children, and reveals the deep pain of her mother-heart.Outside of celebrity, regular life still goes on.Just what prepares any of us to know how to manage the beast of fame and fortune? Certainly Lynne’s simple, Louisiana upbringing on a dairy farm had not.
“Through the storm” Lynne reminds us to trust our gut mother-instincts even when everything and everyone around us is telling us not to.She reminds us that we are not alone when our children hurt us, disappoint us, and worry us.When we feel ashamed for our children or ourselves, God is there with His grace to carry us through.
I highly recommend this book for any parent with a struggling teen or adult child.It will encourage you to stay strong and trust God to make it to the other side of the pain and hurt where there may be scars, but overcoming makes it worth it all.
I am learning my way around all these new toys on the Internet.
First, there's tumblr, where I have lots of micro blogs at work. I'm still not sure whether to have just one blog and keep blogging there, or keep my life compartmentalized. At any rate, here are the URLS:
Then, there's twitter (my screen name there is KarlaAkins). Today I discovered twitwall. There's twitpic and plurk and on and on it goes. There just isn't enough time in a teaching mom's day to play with all the toys!
I also have a semi-private micro-blog about my laborious quest for new habits (that I'm pretty much NOT succeeding with) and another one for Sarah Palin. I just love that woman.
I have some cute video up on my cottage school blog. I invested in a flip video camera and I am constantly making videos.
I also have some video up on my motorcycle site so you can ride with me! Vrrooom!!
I had a poignant day yesterday at cottage school. We are studying elections right now, and we were discussing the issues of the two main candidates, McCain and Obama. I have 14 students ages 4 years old - 12th grade, and the subject of abortion came up. I have a 1st grader in my group and she was asking me what that was. A few other kids were gathered around me at my desk at the time.
Me: Obama says it's okay for babies who aren't born perfect to die even if they are born alive.
1st grader: What do you mean not perfect?
Me: Well, you know, people that might be born without being very smart or something like that.
1st grader: You mean like Isaiah and Isaac? (My twin sons with autism and mental retardation aka cognitive disabilities.)
Me: Yes, just like them.
1st grader (she has known the twins since she was a baby): That's not right. That's just wrong. That's bad.
If a little child can figure out -- why can't adults?
My husband says that conversation will probably stay with that little girl her entire life because of the emotional impact. I hope so. Wouldn't it be wonderful?
Sometimes I get discouraged and think that what I do doesn't make much of a difference. Kids will, after all, grow up and become who they want to be anyway.
And then, there are moments like that those that give me hope that maybe, just maybe, something might stick.
Only time will tell.
Hope you are all doing well and have great, fun plans for the holidays coming up. I am very excited about Thanksgiving! My favorite holiday!
Please come see me on my micro blogs! I'd love to have a visit from you!!
You may have noticed that I haven't been around lately. Well, that is partly due to the fact that I have discovered the world of Micro-blogging.
This fits my schedule very well. I can post a link, leave a little message about the link, and move on. It saves me time, and I get a lot more information out there in cyber-space.
Here are links to my micro-blogs. My cottage school blog is full of helpful tips on homeschooling and pictures of things we are doing lately. My autism blog has things to do with autism. I have more and there are links to these on the blogs. It's a nice way for me to compartmentalize my life, collect helpful information and share!
I still plan to post book reviews and more detailed posts here. Thanks for being patient with me! Don't forget to check out my new micros!
I feel a little silly posting this after advocating for children to read the classics. But I have to tell you, once in awhile, I need a little escape. That's where Steeple Hill romances come in for me. That's not to say I'm not well read in the classics -- you all know I am! (And we all could be more well read, couldn't we?) But there are times when I need a little pocket novel to stick in my purse to read in the doctor's office waiting rooms, or in the car on the way to appointments (providing I'm not the one driving)!
Steeple Hill paperbacks are perfect for this type of reading. I take them with me when I get my hair done because that's my time to just exhale and enjoy myself outside of being a Mom, teacher, pastor's wife, cook, bottle washer and laundress. If you like romance, I think you'll like Steeple Hill. I have to admit, romance isn't my first choice in reading material, but when I need that little bit of down time, I reach for one.
I'm really glad I reached for this one! At His Command by Brenda Coulter proved to be a lovely read.
America’s soldiers matter a lot to me. I’ve been a Soldier’s Angel to some, and I’ve “adopted” three more on my own. We pray for them daily in Chapel at my cottage school. My Dad is a Korean War vet, and I am a Daughter of the American Revolution. These are a few reasons why I was eager to read this book.
This book is a part of a six-author miniseries called “Homecoming Heroes,” but can be read as a stand-alone novel.
Beginning August 26, look for At His Command at WalMart, Target, and other stores that sell romance novels. It will also be available in most large bookstores, but if yours doesn’t stock it, they’ll be happy to order it for you. The ISBN is 0373-874960. Order At His Command from Amazon.com.
Please note: “category” (often called “series”) romance books are mass-market paperbacks that sell like wildfire the month they’re released, then quietly fade away. So you’ll need to hurry to get your copy! You will want to read the romance of service man and woman, Jake and Maddie!
Jake Hopkins is allergic to two things. One of them is peanuts. The other is young army nurse, Madeline Bright. He thinks he’s too old for Maddie and too jaded. Being around Maddie makes his throat close up and his brain stall. Being around Maddie also brings back the painful memories of her brother who died in his arms during war in the Middle East. Jake blames himself for her brother’s death, and can’t bring himself to let her love him.
Brenda Coulter fashions her characters vividly and I was ready to throttle Jake Hopkins and bonk him on the head with the cane he uses to walk on his severely injured leg. But Maddie, in love with him in spite of his flaws, was much more patient than I!
I think this book is perfectly timed. One of my favorite TV programs is ARMY WIVES. This book, too, gives us a lively picture of what it’s like to be an American War vet in today’s service. It’s a poignant salute to the men and women in uniform. I give it five “boo-yahs!”
I have a cottage school. It’s a one-room school where I teach my own three children and eleven others.
I reward reading in several ways. Kids get a book mark with a space for twenty stickers. If they read at home for twenty days, and they fill up the bookmark, they are given a prize. Most of the time it’s a dollar bill.
I am constantly praising them for what good readers they are. We talk all the time about what they are reading, and I have them narrate back to me what they are reading.
They also get to put a marble in our class marble jar. This jar is for good behavior, completed homework, 100% on tests, and for finishing a book. Every student reads books at their level. And yes, I do assign the books because I want them to read classics that will expand their vocabulary and knowledge of the world.
I might have a Third Grader reading Robinson Crusoe but a 7th Grader reading the original Boxcar Children books. It just depends on that child’s ability, and what I know they are fascinated with. I try very hard to go by students fascinations and build a reading program around that. Even then, I am committed to sharing the classics with them more than newer, more modern books.
The marble jar works great because once that marble jar is full, we all go out as a class for pizza — my treat.
Students are awarded at the end of the year and recognized for the number of pages read during the year at Awards Night. Every student earns a certificate that lists how many pages they read. (I keep a reading record for each student.) The winner of most pages read earns a plaque or trophy.
I also read aloud twice a day. The first half of the day I read a classic nature book such as The Burgess Bird Book for Children, and we study those animals I read about. In the afternoon I read aloud for approximately an hour out of a historical novel that goes along with our history lessons. Right now I’m actually not reading a classic, which is unusual. I am reading Nick of Time by Ted Bell. We are studying Early Explorers and Pirates in history right now and this book, while written by a modern author, is so well written it is sure to be a classic one day. I am hoping to read Treasure Island next.
Modern books have to meet the merit of being a future classic before they earn my precious class time. Another modern author I have read to my students in the past is Kate DiCamillo. I can’t tell you how disappointed I am that her book, The Tale of Despereaux, is coming to theaters in December. Everyone really should read the book first. The language and metre in that book is really what good writing and reading is all about. Every child should get a chance to experience it in written form before seeing it on the silver screen.
Give me a book over a movie any day. Nothing compares to seeing the characters in your mind’s eye while reading a book. My imagination must be much better than screen writers because whenever I see the movie after reading the book, I’m always disappointed.
I had the privilege of meeting the author of the book, Abomination, this past summer. I was impressed with Colleen Coble's warmth and willingness to help a novice author like me!
I had read one of her Rock Harbor books, Without a Trace, and had fallen in love with the main character of those books, Bree Matthews. Bree has a search and rescue dog named Samson. As most of you know, I am a totally committed dog fan, so I fell in love with Samson, too!
In Abomination, Eve Andreakos manages to escape from a serial killer who leaves the bodies of his victims at various geocaching sites. Eve flees to Rock Harbor with 2 year old Keri. Bree Matthews invites Eve to stay with her and her husband, Kade, at the lighthouse where she lives. Eve just begins to relax when she and Bree stumble onto a body at a geocaching site. Eve knows the killer has found her again. Events spiral out of control when her ex-husband shows up and her long lost sister appears.
And wait until you find out how the swans fit in. . .
This book is a page turner. I love books that keep me riveted to every page, and cause me to put everything else aside just to find out what happens next. Colleen Coble's books do that. You won't be disappointed!
She has some new releases coming soon, and a long list of books, so check out her website at http://www.colleencoble.com/upcomingbooks.php
So fix yourself a latte, find your favorite spot, and buckle your seatbelt. It's gonna be a great ride!
I have a contest on my Envision Publishing blog right now. Check it out!
Here are my nominations for this blog award. Pass the award on!
1. Tammy at http://aut2bhomeincarolina.blogspot.com
2. Lexi at http://homeschoolblogger.com/greenandthings
3. SkyeWriter at http://homeschoolblogger.com/inthebookcase
4. aaronamber at at http://homeschoolblogger.com/abundantlyblessed
5. heart4homeschooling at http://homeschoolblogger.com/heart4homeschooling
6. Musing Mom at http://homeschoolblogger.com/musingmom
This summer I had the happy privilege of meeting some authors, purchasing books they had written (and signed!) and then snuggling into my favorite spot to read into the wee hours of the morning.
Denise lives in Indiana (like me!) with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped.
Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!
In addition to Surrender Bay, the second Nantucket book releases in April 2008. The title is The Convenient Groom and features Kate Lawrence, a relationship advice columnist, whose groom dumps her on her wedding day. Denise is currently at work on the third Nantucket book (Oct 2008) which is untitled so far.
Out of all the books I brought home that day, I chose Denise's book, SURRENDER BAY, to read first. I read the first page of every book, and her book stuck in my mind the most after I read all those first paragraphs. I was riveted. I couldn't put the book down, and I didn't. It was an excellent romantic adventure!
I am very picky about what I read. It has to have a good story and it has to keep my attention. As a general rule, I don't read a lot of romance novels because they just don't appeal to me that much. But this one did. In fact, it's a book I'll keep and read again.
When Sam’s estranged step-father dies, she inherits his ocean-front cottage in Nantucket–not because he kindly bequeathed it to her, but because he neglected to ever create a will. Sam returns to the island she left 11 years ago with her daughter Caden to fix up the house and sell it, but she isn’t counting on is the fact that Landon Reed still lives two doors down from her childhood home.
As their long-dormant romance begins to bud again, Sam must face the fact that Landon still doesn’t know why she really left the island. Will the secrets she’s hidden all these years tear them apart? Or is Landon’s love really as unconditional as he claims?
This book captured my heart immediately. I could identify with the little girl in Nantucket, swinging her legs off the side of the pier the way I used to in the Lake of the Ozarks. I have never been to Nantucket, but I know I'd love it. Any spot by water is a spot for me! And I have always thought love stories set by the sea are the most romantic. (Wuthering Heights and The French Lieutenant's Woman come to mind but trust me, you'll like the ending of Surrender Bay much better!)
I had no trouble enjoying the personality of Sam, the heroine of the story. She is a single mom of gritty self-reliance. Yet, inside, she is very afraid to trust the man who loves her most. She is afraid to give her heart away. It's much safer, and easier, to keep it hidden and to herself.
There is an allegory in this book that we can all identify with. We all struggle, as Sam does in the story, with self-talk that isn't healthy. Well, okay, if you don't -- I do! We all need to learn to trust. We all know Who we need to trust our heart to -- the One Who loves us more than anyone.
The setting, the story, even the dog in this book won my heart. I hope you'll read it because I really think it's a book you'll enjoy!
"Brats," "idiots," and "morons." These are a few of the words that WOR New York Radio commentator Michael Savage used to describe children with Autism. He also called Autism a "fraud and a racket." (See Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,387662,00.html).
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Michael Savage doesn't have a child with Autism or have an intimate relationship with anyone living with it. If he did, he would have weighed his words much more carefully. (He is now backpedaling and saying that kids who are misdiagnosed with autism are the "brats, morons and idiots." But I object to calling any child such vile things.)
Here is his retraction:
"My comments about autism were meant to boldly awaken parents and children to the medical community's attempt to label too many children or adults as "autistic." Just as some drug companies have overdiagnosed "ADD" and "ADHD" to peddle dangerous speed-like drugs to children as young as 4 years of age, this cartel of doctors and drug companies is now creating a national panic by overdiagnosing "autism" for which there is no definitive medical diagnosis!"
Really?
Obviously, he has no idea how difficult it is to obtain a diagnosis of Autism. He has no idea the pain we went through for four years trying to get doctors to listen to us and notice the self-injury our twin sons were doing to themselves when they banged their heads on concrete sidewalks and bore scars of bite marks they gave to themselves and each other.
He is going to awaken us to a misdiagnosis? Uhm, when my children were screaming nonstop from the time they woke up in the morning until they fell asleep exhausted at night, I had a little bit of a clue that something wasn't right about my children. I didn't need to be awakened. I didn't even really need a diagnosis to know that something was wrong. I needed the diagnosis to be able to help them appropriately.
It's the medical community that needs to be awakened. There's a generation of kids whose nervous systems are wrong and families who are drowning just trying to survive the next five minutes. We want to know why.
I challenge Michael Savage to come spend a day with a child with Autism and then tell me who the moron is. Come tell a mother of a child who bangs his head and bites himself and screams everytime something is out of place that the diagnosis of Autism is just a racket for her to get some money. What money? I want to know where the money is! If it's a scam and a racket -- why aren't families with Autism rolling in the dough? Why are their houses mortgaged three times to pay for therapy? WHERE IS THAT MONEY?
If Michael Savage has true answers to the Autism thing, then I welcome it! I want it! Because Autism has stolen much from me, my family, my marriage, my other children, and my children with Autism. I want to recoup that loss. I want to look into my handsome boys' faces and know they are going to grow up and fulfill all their dreams. I want to see them behind those blank looks, looking back at me with their presence, not their emptiness.
It must make Michael Savage feel mighty important to pick on people who can't speak for themselves. I didn't hear my boys speak for eight years. It was eight years before they could say Mama. It was eight years before they were out of diapers. It was eight years of cleaning feces off the walls, and facing urine soaked pajamas and beds every single morning. Wake me up? How much more awake do I need to be to deal with such things?
Tonight on the Larry King Live show, Glenn Beck was the host (filling in for Larry). I'm not a Larry King fan, but I am a regular Glenn Beck watcher, and I usually agree with much of what he says. But tonight it was clear to me that the public has a misconception about how medication helps children with severe neurological disabilities.
Risperdal gave us our life back.
Glenn Beck purports that medication will change their personality. On the contrary, medication gave my sons the ability to stop screaming and begin living. I am thankful every single day for that medication. Without it, they would not have made the progress they have made. Without it, they would not have been able to be themselves at all. They'd still be sitting in a corner rocking, screaming, biting and hitting their head against the wall. My boys are two of the blessed ones. Many, many children with autism have no positive results from medication at all. I thank God everyday for the people who invented Risperdal.
I have friends who never go out to eat or participate in extended family holidays because their children with Autism can't eat flour or milk products. They spend a fortune on gluten-free food to help their children. A racket so parents can get into special programs? Who would want to have to live like this? And trust me, no one is paying for these kids' special diets except the parents. There aren't any programs for that. Insurance won't pay for it.
I have another friend who is always trying new protocols to help her children with autism. It is grueling and demanding to measure this and measure that and give this supplement and not that one. She is an amazing woman with six children, two of them infants -- and she fights everyday to help her children with autism through diet and supplements and schooling them at home. (See her blog at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hugs4Him/564210/) She is constantly saying "no" to her children: "no" to ice cream; "no" to dessert; "no" to a slice of bread. But according to Michael Savage, we all just need to be better disciplinarians. He has no idea how many times parents of children with Autism have to say "no" to their children! "No" is a constant mantra!
And who is rolling in the dough in these family's houses? Who is doing all the hard work? Not the government. Not the medical community. How can it be a scam when we are all so alone in our fight?
Who is cheering on these moms and dads fighting for their children's lives, hoping against hope that they will find a cure, a breakthrough, a way to reach their disappearing children?
Not Michael Savage.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health the cost of caring for a person with autism for their lifetime can be as high as $3.5 million. Oh yeah, some racket us parents are involved in.
Guess what I get paid to homeschool my children with Autism?
$0.00
And have my boys with Autism made progress?
You better believe it. They have made so much progress that people who knew them before I pulled them out of the public school program they were in (another article for another time) that people don't even recognize them. They have made so much progress that people who watch TV programs on Autism tell me "how lucky" I am that they aren't as severe.
Luck had nothing to do with.
God's grace, and hard work -- without government money to pay for their education, mind you -- has allowed my boys to at least be able to go into a restaurant and blend in with other people there, to attend church, to go on field trips like other kids. Yes, they used to have severe autistic behaviors. But they aren't as severe anymore. My boys are making progress. They are joining me in my world more and more every single day.
Do we still have meltdowns? Yep. Do we still have self-injurious, aggressive behavior? Oh yeah. But it's so much better now. We have a long way to go, but we've come a long way, too.
We don't live in a perfect world, and I know that it is possible some children are misdiagnosed and may even be overmedicated. But just because a few children are doesn't mean all of them are. In fact, it just proves how ignorant people really are about disabilities, and how important it is for people to have a better awareness of what families living with disabilities are dealing with.
I am regularly overwhelmed with daily survival. My children require 24-7 supervision. I can't be spontaneous, have company over to my house, or even CLEAN my house because I have to watch my boys. I can't just decide to run to the store to get lettuce without making elaborate arrangements for their supervision.
How on earth can a lifestyle like this possibly considered a racket? (Unless of course it's the sound of the twins tearing the drywall off the walls. . .)
Michael Savage, my house bears the scars of raising these children. If I am involved in some kind of racket, please explain the holes in the walls, the ripped up linoleum, the stained carpets, and the freshly "painted" doors in my house.
At first, I was so angry at Michael Savage, I wanted to call him the same names he called my children. But then I realized, he is just ignorant. He is unaware. He simply has no clue what it means to live with Autism. I have to believe that because I can't embrace the idea that someone who really knows what this condition is like could possibly say the things he did.
So, I forgive him.
But I won't forget.
This has shown me that somehow, someway, we parents and caregivers in the trenches have to find a way to be heard. I am hoping that God will use this to bring the truth to light about this disease. We have to educate people about the truth of Autism, so that people don't embarrass themselves with their blatant ignorance of this overwhelming disorder.
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Genesis 50:20
One of the most positive things I've done for myself this year has been to become a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW.com).
As my loyal blog readers know, I am always writing some sort of novel, especially during National Novel Writing Month (November). Right now, I'm working on a novel about a pastor's wife who rides a motorcycle. Hm, sounds familiar, doesn't it?
On May 31 I got to meet some of this country's best Christian fiction authors (all from Indiana), and I just have to share their pictures with you! Just imagine, little ol' me, rubbing shoulders with the big girls (and guys). I was star struck. Some of them were signing books, and I bought at least one from each of them. I will be reviewing them on this blog soon! (I have already read several of them!)
I have to tell you, they are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Not only are they gifted and talented but they are also generous. I am impressed with the way Christian authors support one another and encourage us newbies.
Left to Right: Cara Putman, Diann Hunt, Colleen Coble, Denise Hunter, Brandt Dodson
It is my privilege to introduce you to the authors who were signing books. In the near future I will be reviewing their books on this blog. I bought a lot of books that day! It was hard not to!
Cara Putman is an impressive young woman and author. Not only is she a busy wife and Mom of three beautiful children, she is also an attorney, a ministry leader, and an ACFW board member. She has written three historical romances -- a series set in Nebraska during World War II. Her fourth book is a suspense. Go to her website to purchase her books and meet this lovely woman! http://www.caraputman.com/books.shtml I purchased all three of the books below and have peeked inside and can hardly wait to finish them!
Diann Hunt is someone you fall in love with just reading the titles of her books. She claims to see the world from a slightly different angle than most, and will do just about anything for chocolate. Some of the titles she has written include Hot Flashes and Cold Cream, RV There Yet?, Hot Tropics and Cold Feet and her newest release, For Better or For Worse. I wanted to purchase all of her books, of course, but budgets being what they are, I purchased the one below. Clicking on it will take you to her website, or go to http://www.diannhunt.com/books.html . I have peeked inside this book, too, and it's hilarious. I am so looking forward to sharing it with you!
Colleen Coble is an enormously talented best-selling and award-winning author of at least 30 books. I was so excited to get to meet her and hear her speak after the book signing. And I found out that she lives about 30 minutes from my house! (But not for long, unfortunately.) So far this summer I have read two of her books: Without a Trace and Abomination. I still plan to read another book I bought that day at the book signing, Anathema. I can hardly wait. I love suspense and this is what Colleen is really good at. She jokes that once she was riding on an airplane discussing with a writer friend different ways to kill someone. The passengers were relieved when she explained to them that she was a writer! You can learn more about Colleen on her website at http://www.colleencoble.com.
Denise Hunter is an award-winning author with at least thirteen books to her credit. I thoroughly enjoyed her book, Surrender Bay and can hardly wait to read her newest release, The Convenient Groom. She lives in Indiana (like me!) with her three sons and her husband who claims to be her inspiration for her romance novels.
I am really looking forward to posting my review for Surrender Bay. It is a book that has stuck with me. I love books like that! Her website is http://www.denisehunterbooks.com/books.html .
And yes! Guys write, too! And one of them signing books that day was Brandt Dodson. Dr. Brandt Dodson to be precise. I am always fascinated when doctors write novels. I guess if you're a writer, it doesn't matter what you do for your "day job." There are just stories inside of writers that have to come out! I purchased The Root of Evil at the book signing because it's set in Indianapolis and I thought it would be fun to recognize some landmarks. I also sent an autographed copy to my Dad for Father's Day. I am really excited to meet Brandt and to read his books. Suspense is one of my favorite genres. Brandt comes from a long line of police officers, spanning several generations, and was employed by the FBI before leaving to pursue his education. A former United States Naval Reserve officer, Brandt is a board Certified Podiatrist and past President of the Indiana Podiatric Medical Association. He is a recipient of the association's highest honor, "The Theodore H. Clark Award." It's just so cool that in spite of all his success as a physician -- he wants to write Christian novels! You can learn more about his books at http://www.brandtdodson.com/brandtdodson_007.htm .
I'll be posting book reviews soon! Do yourself a favor and read a good novel. It's a stress reliever, and it takes you places you may never get to go any other way. As an educator, sometimes I get far too involved in nonfiction to remember to read for pleasure. Reading the above books, I promise, will bring you hours of wholesome pleasure! Enjoy!
I am trying to simplify things so instead of posting book reviews over on my book blog, I think I'll just post them here where I have made myself most at home.
I have a delightful new resource for you. If you have a youngster in your house or church who is considering baptism, then this book will be a treat. It's called BiC's Baptism and it's written by Robin Khoury (Miss Robin). You can easily order it on Amazon here:
I love this book and so did the kids I read it to. It sparked intelligent curiosity among the youngsters and we were able to talk about Baptism in a fun, easy to understand way. In fact, we discussed baptism for nearly an hour after reading the book!
The book is a nice picture book size with bright large pictures. So it's easy to read to a group. The type is big, too, so I didn't have to use my reading glasses.
The children I read it to were enthralled with BiC who prays to become a Christian. After he prays Disciple Dan calls him BiC which stands for "Baby in Christ."
Disciple Dan takes BiC to church with him and on that Sunday BiC sees someone is getting baptized by Pastor Windy. BiC's tummy begins to tickle when he worries what might under the water. When he gets home, every time he thinks about the baptism, his tummy tickles just as if he were riding a roller coaster.
The book gently teaches the children why baptism is important.. It also discusses the symbolism of baptism: buried with Christ in baptism and risen to walk in newness of life. It made perfect sense to the children when I read it to them. The pictures make it very easy to understand.
BiC, still afraid of being baptized, goes to Mr. Owl. and confesses that he is afraid that Pastor Windy might drop him or that there are monsters in the water. And Mr. Owl reminds BiC that He can trust in God when He is afraid. Mr. Owl prays with BiC.
The next Sunday, BiC is baptized by Pastor Windy. "Being baptized is like putting on your Christian uniform," he says. "It does not make you a Christian. It just shows everybody that you are one."
While BiC is being baptized, Disciple Dan and Mr. Owl are in the congregation praying for him to be brave. And BiC is baptized.
It is an endearing book, and when I finished reading it to a room full of children who had not yet been baptized (but had accepted the Lord as Savior) they all decided they wanted to be baptized "next Sunday!"
(This is when I explained to them to tell their parents and have their parents contact me or the pastor.)
If you are a Children's Pastor, Evangelist, Sunday School teacher, Children's Church worker, Pastor or parent, this book is one you are going to want on your shelf. It would be good for every pastor to own. It would help them counsel young souls about the meaning and importance of baptism.
I give this book five stars! I wish I would have had this book when my kids were young. Now I'm glad it's here for my grandchildren!
