Posted in Recent Reads

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - this was a book club pick, and sounded interesting, but after having read it I'm still not sure whether I really "liked" it or not.  I didn't hate it though!  Our original thought in choosing this book for our club read was that we could watch the movie together after we'd discussed the book - however, after discussing it with one of the readers that had seen the movie, I will skip the movie as she didn't give it a very good review at all.  The book is about a young man, Florentino Ariza that "falls passionately in love" with Fermina Daza and what happens down through the years as she rejects him, chooses to marry someone else, and he marks time until she is free again.  It sounds like a tragic romance, but I was not at all impressed with Florentino Ariza.  While he is supposed to remain hopelessly in love with Fermina Daza, and is waiting only for her through the 50-plus years until her husband dies, he engages in 622 affairs and some of them quite perverse.  It is hard to believe that even the most amoral character could fervently believe himself to be completely true and faithful to someone while engaging in so many illicit affairs. 

At the beginning of the book I was somewhat confused by the fact that the main character, Florentino Ariza, is not even mentioned until almost the end of the first chapter.  Another purely practical (for me) reason that I had trouble finishing this book in a timely manner was that the chapters were very long, without logical "bookmark points" within.  For someone who sits down with a book for hours at a time and reads until they finish it, this wouldn't present a problem, but these days I do most of my reading in short chunks of time so I tended to neglect this book until I knew I would have at least half an hour uninterrupted to get through it.  And since  wasn't entirely engaged with the characters I wasn' very motivated either.  Marquez's unique and lyrical descriptions of settings and emotions did keep me coming back for more, and moments of irony and dry understatement were appealing, but in the end the whole story left me feeling rather flat.

Posted in Recent Reads

 

 

The Gigantic Book of Pirate Stories

, edited by Steve Brennan. I’ve been reading this for an embarrassingly long time, but in my defense, it is a collection of about 60 pirate stories, poems, and articles of varying length, and a very thick volume. So one story every few days and it lasts awhile! Part I, The Histories is a collection of essays and articles chronicling real pirates and their stories. Rather different, in many cases, from the romanticized view of pirates we get from the movies! There are accounts of sea battles, biographies of pirates both notorious and obscure, and even court records - Indictment for Piracy, 1812. One item I really enjoyed from this section was The Female Captive by Lucretia Parker. It is a letter describing what a young lady experienced when she was taken captive by a pirate crew. As I was reading it, I wondered whether it was a true story or not, but I think it is. In Part II, The Captains, I enjoyed fictional accounts of pirate captains and some insights into history’s pirates. The section opens with Daniel Defoe’s Captain Singleton, which was very interesting, followed by the chapter titled Captain Hook from J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. Another classic in this section was the chapter Tom Sawyer, Pirate Captain by Mark Twain. Part III, Pirate Song and Verse entertained with offerings from Lord Byron, Shakespeare, and others, as well as a collection of Last Words and Other Pirate Quotations. And finally, in Part IV, The Tales, I found several stories that I really enjoyed, including The Old Buccaneer by Robert Louis Stevenson (chapter from Treasure Island), The Ghost of Captain Brand, and Captain Scarfield, both by Howard Pyle. Another Howard Pyle tale, Blueskin, the Pirate, was probably my favorite in this section and possibly in the whole book. I was initially interested in it because the setting was Cape May, New Jersey, which I am familiar with, having lived near that area for a few years. The story itself was engaging and had a touch of humour and kept my interest throughout. This book was fun to browse through and entertained in many ways.

Posted in Recent Reads

 

Organizing For Your Brain Type

by Lanna Nakone, M.A. My local library had this book on display during a recent emphasis on organizing and time management, and it caught my eye. I have lots of good intentions when it comes to organizing, but almost always lose my motivation and focus when I try to clean up my desk, organize my closet or cupboards, and maintain orderly files. The teaser on the back cover of this book claims that just as there are different personality types and learning styles, these preferences affect the way people organize and what works for them. In hopes of finding some practical ideas, I picked up the book. Near the beginning of the book there is a brain style quiz and by taking that I found that I was an “Innovating Style” thinker, so I turned to those chapters for advice. I was actually comforted to read that people with my Style tend to use stacks, piles, and post-it notes to keep track of information in a way that often looks chaotic to others, but is functional for us. Pretty descriptive of my desk, actually!! I do have stacks of papers and books everywhere, but if I’m asked for something specific, usually I can remember which pile its in and how far down, and why I put it in that particular pile. MY piles don’t bother me, but I’m very irritated when others make piles of stuff in my space. I suppose because I don’t know the reasoning behind that pile, whereas my own piles, I do. Out of sight is out of mind for this thinking style, which contributes to the tendency to pile and post-it and leave things out instead of filing them away. How true - if I don’t have a visual reminder of when a bill is due, it’s pretty random if I’ll remember it or not. The suggestions for keeping things organized range from using a vertical file or wall pockets instead of filing cabinets to using brightly colored folders and bankers boxes. The author also suggested simplifying the categories used for filing and keep them broad rather than detailed. Most of the suggestions made sense to me, and although I still need a kick in the pants to get me started, at least I now have some ideas to make the task less overwhelming for me and easier to maintain. So... I wrote down the suggestions I'd like to use (someday, when I get to it) and posted it on my bulletin board (so I won't forget!). 

Posted in Simple Woman's Daybook

This meme is hosted at The Simple Woman's Daybook - Visit and participate! 

• Outside My Window... a sunny day, so maybe the little bit of snow and ice left will melt today

 

• From the Learning Rooms... working hard at Science and History.  I need to have a "conference" with each of the boys and adjust some of the plans for the second semester to ensure that they finish when they want to.  Especially Harrison - he has only one more year so he needs to decide on some of the elective credits he wants and get cracking on them!

 

• I am thinking... where did my time go already this morning?

 

• I am thankful for... the visit we made to the State House in Annapolis last week.  Parts of our tour were cancelled because of the winter weather, but we enjoyed a session of the state senate and a tour of the State House anyway.

 

• From the kitchen... sausage and egg casserole for dinner tonight.

 

• I am wearing... my pajamas.

 

• I am creating... tentative vacation plans for this summer

 

• I am going... to stay home today - I hope.

 

• I am reading... Boone: A Biography by Robert Morgan (I've been working on this one for awhile, a little piece at a time)  Love in the Time of Cholera for book club.

 

• I am hoping... that I have enough printer ink to last until I get to the store tomorrow.

 

• I am hearing... the faucet dripping and the cat licking it

 

• Around the house... cleaning the kitchen, looking after the random piles of things that have gathered in the dining room and in my room. 

       

• One of my favorite things... the library

 

• A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  Choir tomorrow evening.   Church activities on Wednesday evening.  Co-op class on Thursday afternoon, and gym class on Friday afternoon.  Saturday morning I am taking Kennady to my knitting circle from church again, and we are expecting a feature writer from the local newspaper to be there!  We also have a wedding celebration to attend on Saturday afternoon, followed by worship team practice. 

 

Posted in Simple Woman's Daybook

This meme is hosted at The Simple Woman's Daybook - Visit and participate! 

• Outside My Window... cloudy and grey morning, but the sunrise earlier was stunning!

 

• From the Learning Rooms...  plugging away at things, but my focus this week will have to be getting the grading and HST caught up again.  Maybe we will start a new read-aloud in the mornings - The Narrative of Davy Crockett.  

 

• I am thinking... "I hope my headache doesn't get any worse"

 

• I am thankful for... the new camera I ordered, which will hopefully arrive soon!

 

• From the kitchen... I think swedish meatballs tonight.  Have to bake cookies today too.

 

• I am wearing... burgundy t-shirt, black pants, and red fuzzy socks that don't match my shirt at all.  But they are soft and warm so I'm keeping them on for now!

 

• I am creating... slowly - some semblance of tidiness and organization.

 

• I am going... to a meeting this morning, and I bet I'll be the only one there.  Will make voting easy though! LOL  And should keep the meeting short, too, I'd think. 

 

• I am reading... Boone: A Biography by Robert Morgan (I've been working on this one for awhile, a little piece at a time)  Today I am starting Love in the Time of Cholera so I can finish it in time for book club discussion.

 

• I am hoping... to cross some things off the to-do list today!

 

• I am hearing... my daughter snoring in my bed.  LOL

 

• Around the house... today I want to clean the oven, and I noticed the inside of the microwave is icky and needs to be cleaned too.  There is a lot of junk piled up on the bench in the dining room that needs to be sorted and put away. 

       

• One of my favorite things... facebook

 

• A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  choir starts up on Tuesday night.  Church activities on Wednesday evening, gym class for the kids on Friday afternoon.  I think I will try to get my hair cut on Friday too, provided I can figure out what I want done with it.  We have tentative dinner plans with friends on Saturday evening.

 

Posted in Simple Woman's Daybook

This meme is hosted at The Simple Woman's Daybook - Visit and participate! 

• Outside My Window... a quiet, slightly hazy morning.

 

• From the Learning Rooms...  maybe we can finally get that Science lesson done this week.  Sheesh, I'm ready to move on.  

 

• I am thinking... I had better get a few letters written today.  Along with the million other things I have to do.

 

• I am thankful for... the telephone and cheap long-distance plans

 

• From the kitchen... something with sausage, but I don't know what.  Need to make a grocery list and menu plan for the week.

 

• I am wearing... my pajamas.

 

• I am creating... an adjusted school schedule and plan for getting the house clean and organized.

 

• I am going... to the church to pick up all the stuff we left there yesterday. 

 

• I am reading... Boone: A Biography by Robert Morgan

 

• I am hoping... to stick to a sensible eating and exercise plan for longer than a week

 

• I am hearing... the kids getting their breakfast, and arguing just a little.  Oh good, a perfectly normal morning.  *sigh*

 

• Around the house... continued decluttering projects, and cleaning the kitchen today.  Tomorrow the Christmas trees and decorations come down.  We're thinking of steamcleaning on the weekend so we need to prepare. 

       

• One of my favorite things... bubble bath

 

• A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  homeschool moms night out on Tuesday.  Lunch with a friend on Wednesday before taking Harrison to the eye doctor.  Wednesday night church activities start up again this week, as does Friday gym class for the kids.

 

Posted in Simple Woman's Daybook

This meme is hosted at The Simple Woman's Daybook - Visit and participate! 

• Outside My Window... it looks like another cool, clear winter day.  Earlier there were bands of clouds to the east (not sure if they're still there - my window here faces northwest) that made the sunrise quite spectacular.

 

• From the Learning Rooms...  back to the books this week!  

 

• I am thinking... that the kids will be up soon and I'll have to decide when to go grocery shopping.

 

• I am thankful for... time alone when I need it.

 

• From the kitchen... one more night of turkey leftovers!  Then we need to start eating pork since I have a freezer-ful of it.

 

• I am wearing... my pajamas.  I think my comfy sweats are in the laundry basket downstairs and I haven't felt like going down for them yet.

 

• I am creating... scarves knitted from fun fur type yarns

 

• I am going... to stay home as much as I can this week.

 

• I am reading... Boone: A Biography by Robert Morgan, and Captivesand Kings by Craig & Janet Parshall

 

• I am hoping... to hear something this week from friends that haven't been in touch lately.

 

• I am hearing... the kids' alarm clocks going off

 

• Around the house... I have several piles of books and papers to sort through, since I neglected the decluttering completely last week. 

       

• One of my favorite things... creme brulee

 

• A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  nowhere to go other than errands!  I invited somone to come over on New Years Eve, but don't hold out much hope that they will respond so I don't even have much of a plan for Wednesday night.

 

Posted in Recent Reads

Were They Wise Men or Kings? The Book of Christmas Questions by Joseph J. Walsh - The title and cover of this book caught my eye while browsing at the library last week, so I picked it up for a quick look.  It looked like a quick read suitable for age 10 and up, maybe, so I brought it home.  At first I thought maybe I would read some of it aloud to the kids, but that never happened.  However, it was a quick, easy read and answered Christmas season questions in a common-sense way without being simplistic or overly scholarly.  The author taught (still teaches?) a course on Christmas to freshmen at Loyola, and I wondered whether his answers regarding the Nativity and its relevance to the Christmas celebrations would be dismissive.  After reading his answers, I really don't know whether he is a believer or a skeptic, because he stuck to the facts!  (Wouldn't it be cool if the NEWS media did that? But I digress...)   His answers were honest and sometimes humourous, acknowledging the unknowns such as when exactly Jesus was born, some of the facts surrounding the historical St Nicholas, and details about the wise men and the star.  He doesn't gloss over the fact that the church co-opted pagan feast days and remade them into celebrations of the Nativity of Christ, but is also quite clear that it is the Christian celebration of this holiday that has made it great and inspired most of the charity associated with it. 

 

The book is organized into chapters by topic - Santa; The Nativity; Celebration; Traditions; etc - and in each chapter is a series of questions along with the answer, each Q&A taking approximately two pages.  So you can read the book cover to cover like I did, or just look up the answer to a question that intrigues you, like my kids may do.

 

I am going to give this book to my kids and encourage them to browse through it before I return it to the library.  They are the ones that ask me what holly and ivy have to do with Christmas, and what the twelve days of Christmas are.  Now I can give them a sourcebook along with my favorite instructions:  "Why don't you look it up?"

Posted in Recent Reads

Save Me From Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story by Brian "Head" Welch - this is another book that was on my "to read" list for a long time, and I finally was able to borrow it from a friend.  Brian "Head" Welch was the guitarist for the rock band Korn, which was very successful, but also notorious for their hard living, drug use, profanity, etc.  Welch tells his story in this autobiography.  As a child, he had a friend from a Christian family that greatly influenced him and his later decision to turn to Christ.  But during his teens and his years with Korn, he admits to his addictions, sins, depression, and struggles.  Finally, he started to ask questions of two business associates that happened to be Christians, and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior.  What a remarkable transformation!  He talks about his growth since making the decision to follow Christ, and about the things he is still struggling with. 

 

This book is an easy read, in that it is an easy conversational style, and one can easily picture Brian just simply telling his story.  I think his experience gives parents and youth workers valuable insights into what goes on in the minds of youth and their perceptions.  It should also serve as a challenge to the "established" church - I wonder how many of us would react if someone that looked like Welch walked into our church service?  And would we be willing even to engage in conversation and friendship with someone like this to earn the right to share the gospel with them?  And what would his impression of us or of our church be like? 

 

Welch doesn't mince words in this account though - and he quotes conversations literally, so you'll find some four-letter words scattered throughout.  I didn't find this objectionable, because of the context, but some readers might.

Posted in Simple Woman's Daybook

This meme is hosted at The Simple Woman's Daybook - Visit and participate! 

• Outside My Window... it's clear and cold!

 

• From the Learning Rooms...  I think this may be Home Ec week - lots of baking.  

 

• I am thinking... would I be crazy to allow Harrison to drive to the airport this morning?

 

• I am thankful for... a woodstove

 

• From the kitchen... well there's shoulder roast out for dinner tonight, but beyond that I really don't know.  obviously turkey dinner for christmas day.  And I will pick up our pork from the butcher today or tomorrow.

 

• I am wearing... my pjs and warm fuzzy bathrobe.  But I need to get dressed ASAP and head to the airport!

 

• I am creating... a plan to get the presents wrapped without the kids seeing

 

• I am going... to the airport to pick up the ILs!

 

• I am reading... Boone: A Biography by Robert Morgan

 

• I am hoping... that traffic isn't too bad

 

• I am hearing... nothing - but I need to go wake the kids so it will get noisy pretty soon.

 

• Around the house... kitchen is rather messy, but mostly we can just do maintenance this week. 

       

• One of my favorite things... the church decorated for Christmas

 

• A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  pick up the meat from the butcher.  DH's company Christmas dinner on Tuesday.  Christmas, of course!!! And we will probably go out for dinner with the ILs on Friday evening.

 

Posted in Recent Reads

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - While the title had intrigued me for awhile, this is a book I would probably not have read on my own.  It was my book club's pick for last month, so I dug into it.  I hesitate to "recommend" it because it is full of vile, coarse language, and there are several se**al scenes that are more graphic than necessary.  Not all of that is gratuitous, of course - I think its an accurate portrayal of the people and atmosphere to include foul language and immoral behaviors, and generally it is part and parcel of the plot, so it's not added as sensationalism.  The story itself is fascinating, unique, and unpredictable.  The reading went quickly and I always wanted to turn the page to find out what would happen next.  I rather liked the ending too - it really wasn't quite what I expected, but was truly satisfying.

 

The main character is an elderly man in a nursing home and he is remembering his experiences as a young man and how he happened to "run away and join the circus" and the drama and tragedies he witnessed and lived through.  The author's note at the end reveals that many of the incidents and circumstances in the novel are based on actual events and anecdotes from the circus trains of the early 1900s. 

Posted in Recent Reads

 

Sister's Choice by Judith Pella.  Not that long ago, i picked up the first book in this series, Bachelor's Puzzle, and was pleasantly surprised at the character development and plot twists in what I expected to be a formula Christian romance.  I enjoyed it so much I decided that I would watch for the next book in the series.  I happened to see it at the library last week and even though I had several other books on my reading stack, I couldn't resist grabbing it.  Once again, Pella delivered a sweet romance that was not always predictable.  Likable and realistic characters, and a little bit of humor along the way enliven this installment in the series.  I kept turning the pages late into the night, always thinking "just one more chapter"  Now I find myself hoping that there will be a third book in this series, and perhaps it will satisfy my curiosity about the source of the long-standing disagreement between Ada and Florence. 

Posted in Simple Woman's Daybook

This meme is hosted at The Simple Woman's Daybook - Visit and participate! 

• Outside My Window... at least there's no wind!  Otherwise, it looks like a typical early winter day - not terribly cold, but grey skies and slight touch of frost.

 

• From the Learning Rooms...  I finally got the Homeschool Tracker transferred to the new computer, so now I will concentrate on getting all the grades entered - it's quite behind!  We're hoping to cover a lot of ground for this week's school, so that we can take Christmas week off with clear consciences. 

 

• I am thinking... that I wish I'd ordered just a few more Christmas cards.  Oh well.

 

• I am thankful for... choral concerts being over for the season. 

 

• From the kitchen... a menu plan that I will make today.

 

• I am wearing... red sweatshirt with a Christmas print on the front - and angel with the words "BEHOLD a Savior is born"  (my dd insists it says "Be OLD"  LOL) - and sand-colored chinos.  No socks yet, and my feet are just a little chilly.

 

• I am creating... a little more room by clearing away clutter.

 

• I am going... to Book Club this morning.

 

• I am reading... Boone: A Biography by Robert Morgan

 

• I am hoping... to check several things off the to-do list this week!

 

• I am hearing... nothing! Really, not even a hum from the computer, because the new one runs so quietly!

 

• Around the house... clean up the mess left after Christmas decorating and baking on the weekend. 

       

• One of my favorite things... The Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah.

 

• A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  Except for today, the daytimes are free this week, which means we should do school.  But also means I should be able to get Landon in to the eye doc this week.  Homeschool group goes out for coffee on Tuesday night.  Christmas party for the youth on Wednesday night.  Secret Sister on Thursday night.  A Christmas party on Friday night.  Nothing on Saturday... that I know of now...

 

Posted in Simple Woman's Daybook

This meme is hosted at The Simple Woman's Daybook - Visit and participate! 

• Outside My Window... I bet it's cold!!! It sure was yesterday.  We got snow on the weekend, so there is a dusting still scattered across the grass.

 

• From the Learning Rooms... continuing our study of the American Revolution - we have had fun with it so far!  Need to get back to work on Science, as it has been somewhat neglected recently. 

 

• I am thinking... that I forgot to tell Harrison he could sleep in a little bit today.  Oops.

 

• I am thankful for... an unexpected check that arrived in the mail on Saturday!

 

• From the kitchen... it will probably be a week of kid-friendly dinners like ravioli, grilled cheese, spaghetti.  DH and I are dieting this week so I will fix the kids their own dinners.

 

• I am wearing...  my pajama top, black silk pajama pants, and my warm fuzzy white robe.  And Christmas-y slipper socks.   

 

• I am creating... a LONG to-do list for the next couple of days.  And I am knitting myself a scarf.

 

• I am going... to an Open House party this evening.

 

• I am reading... Sister's Choice by Judith Pella; Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

 

• I am hoping... that I will be successful in today's attempt to get my Homeschool Tracker installed on the new computer!

 

• I am hearing... Harrison coming up the stairs.  He is probably going to be mad when he finds that the other boys had my permission to sleep in a few minutes...

 

• Around the house... finish decorating, clean up my messy kitchen, do some Christmas baking.

       

• One of my favorite things... hot spiced cider

 

• A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  Choir on Tuesday.  Church activities on Wednesday.  Gym class for the kids on Friday.  First performance of the kids Christmas play at church (Kennady and Harrison are both in that) and the first performance of my Holiday Choral concert are both on Saturday evening - so I will miss opening night for my daughter!  But I will get to see her perform on Sunday evening, after my choral concert's second performance on sunday afternoon.  I plan to crash on Sunday night.  LOL 

 

This is the picture I used for our family Christmas card this year.  I plan to pick them up today.

Posted in Simple Woman's Daybook

This meme is hosted at The Simple Woman's Daybook - Visit and participate! 

• Outside My Window... it doesn't look like a day that I want to spend outside.  Although the sun has been up for awhile, the sky is overcast so everything still looks very gray; and the bare trees and black-eyed susan stalks add to the dreariness.  We had rain yesterday and it looks almost as if all the color was washed away.  However, some of our outside Christmas decorations are up already, and one of the wreaths with its bright red bow is on the porch pillar just outside my window.  That does help to cheer the scenery!

 

• From the Learning Rooms...  we will try to get a lot done this week, as we don't have many plans (yet!) that will take us away from home during the day.  (the evenings are another story entirely) 

 

• I am thinking... that I should browse around the cyber-Monday sales and see if there's anything worthwhile for me.

 

• I am thankful for... turkey dinner leftovers.  It sure makes it easy to plan meals for the few days after Thanksgiving!

 

• From the kitchen... clubhouse sandwiches tonight.  And I will bake bread and pumpkin pie today.  Once the turkey is gone (which it will be after tonight) we'll go back to beef, beef, and more beef.    We still have a half hog and a side of beef on order, so we need to have room in the freezer.  And I will have to find someone to share that side of beef with...

 

• I am wearing...  light grey sweatshirt with the Calgary Flames logo on the front.  Dark grey sweatpants.  Red and black slipper socks that my DS thinks are ugly.  Hey, it's all about the warmth factor on days like today.   

 

• I am creating...  space on the desk for the new computer.  And I should be creating the annual Christmas letter too.

 

• I am going... to the post office and grocery store this afternoon, other than that I want to stay in the house!

 

• I am reading... Sister's Choice by Judith Pella

 

• I am hoping... to get my hair cut sometime this week or next.

 

• I am hearing... the ubiquitous computer hum.  The cat yowling.  Ugh.

 

• Around the house... must finish decorating!! Especially need to get out the Advent calendar since today is Dec. 1st!   I also have laundry (and lots of it, as usual on a Monday) and the kitchen needs some work.    We bought a new computer so I need to clean off the desk and surrounding area so we can set it up - hopefully tonight that will get done.

       

• One of my favorite things... Christmas music

 

• A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  Choir on Tuesday evening.  Harrison has an eye doc appointment Wednesday morning.  Church activities Wednesday evening.  I have a dress rehearsal for the Big Band Christmas Concert on Thursday evening (I'm in a choral ensemble that is singing).  Gym class for the kids on Friday afternoon, and then Saturday is FULL - Mens Breakfast at church (I have to send food); dress rehearsal for the kids Christmas program (Harrison and Kennady are both in it); DH and the other two boys are going to a hockey game; and I have the BBCC mentioned above.   

 

Posted in Recent Reads

The Trailblazing Life of Daniel Boone - How Early Americans Took to the Road by Cheryl Harness.  I took is book out of our library to supplement our study of US History, thinking it might be a reference for the boys to write a biography of Daniel Boone.  Instead, we wound up using it as a read-aloud and enjoying it thoroughly!  It reads like a page-turning adventure story - which, of course, the life of Daniel Boone really was!  The illustrations included, especially the maps, are beautifully done.  I also found the timeline along the bottom of each page interesting - it highlights events taking place around the world at the same that Daniel Boone was... serving in the French and Indian War or blazing the Wilderness Road or moving his family to Missouri, etc. 

 

I'd recommend this book as a read-aloud or for tweens and up to read, even if its not a school assignment.  I found it engaging and entertaining to read, and I'm very glad I took a chance on it through the library!

Posted in Simple Woman's Daybook

This meme is hosted at The Simple Woman's Daybook - Visit and participate! 

• Outside My Window... it looks cold!!!  We got frost last night and as pretty as it is, I know it means I'll be shivering when I go out this morning.

 

• From the Learning Rooms...  Harrison is finishing off some writing assignments and ready to move on with some new algebra and English/Grammar.  The other kids are working hard at getting caught up again in math and language arts.  I want to make sure we get in a couple more Science lessons this week, and I'm very excited to get started on our next unit study in History - the American Revolution!

 

• I am thinking... about all the "catch-up" items I have left on my desk before the holidays.

 

• I am thankful for... the library.

 

• From the kitchen... meatballs and fried potatoes tonight.  We will have turkey on Thursday obviously! And turkey leftovers on Friday, I'm sure.  I have quite a bit of beef still in the freezer, and need to make room for the hog and side of beef that will be available soon.  So I will be planning meals around the beef for the next couple weeks.

 

• I am wearing...  khaki/tan/cream striped long-sleeve t-shirt, tan pants, and tan socks.  I just bought them, they are from bamboo fibre.  First time I've worn bamboo socks.  LOL   

 

• I am creating...  a MOMS Club calendar and agenda for today's meeting.

 

• I am going... to MOMS Club meeting this morning, and to Homeschool Encouragement Group this evening.

 

• I am reading... Save Me From Myself by Brian "Head" Welch.

 

• I am hoping... that we'll have a decent turnout at MOMS Club this morning.

 

• I am hearing... the hum of the computer.

 

• Around the house... I have plenty of laundry to do today.   We'll be doing a good cleaning in the living room and family room especially, preparing for Christmas decorations to go up on Thursday!

       

• One of my favorite things... Christmas trees

 

• A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  Choir on Tuesday.  MOMS Club on Wednesday morning.  Wednesday evening we will probably attend the church service, and then go to town for "Gobble in the Lot" which is a tailgate style turkey dinner my DH's hockey team does on "Thanksgiving Eve" 

 

Posted in Recent Reads

Bachelor's Puzzle (Patchwork Circle Series #1) by Judith Pella.  I saw this on the library shelf while browsing and decided it looked interesting.  I've enjoyed Judith Pella's books and this series has a quilt theme, so of course it looked good!  So this was my "light" reading while on vacation last week.  Like most Christian romance books, the eventual outcome was obvious (boy and girl fall in love, and both grow in their walk with the Lord), but what set this one apart was the plot twist that made it less easy to anticipate HOW the young man would extricate himself from the situation he was in.  I knew it was going to happen, just didn't know how, so it did keep me turning the pages.

 

The second book in the series, Sister's Choice, was released earlier this year, so I'm on the waiting list at the library.  Looking forward to seeing who the next couple in this frontier community will be!

Posted in Recent Reads

Crown of Fire (The Thistle and the Cross #1) by Craig & Janet Parshall - this first novel in a trilogy is set during the beginning of the Reformation in Scotland, at the time of John Knox.  Actually, the main character is a student, and later an assistant and colleague of Rev Knox.  As with so many historical setting novels, the appeal to me was "seeing" a historical event as it may have been from the perspective of those who lived through it.  I really enjoyed this story, and look forward to getting the next book in the trilogy, but I did find it difficult emotionally in places - reading a first-hand account, even a fictional account, of seeing people martyred or tortured for their faith in Christ alone and for their love of God's Word, can be heart-wrenching.  To be reminded of the great cost to these reformers is humbling, to say the least.  They loved God's Word with all their hearts, and many gave their lives to give that Word to the people in their own language, and I am ashamed that I so often take that sacrifice too lightly - I own multiple copies of the Bible, in several translations, and have no fear of arrest or persecution because I have them; and yet I take that for granted and neglect the reading and study of the Scripture too often.  Even though this book is a work of fiction, it reminded me of the "great cloud of witnesses" and has been used by the Holy Spirit to convict me in this area.  So many Christians in generations long past have given their lives so that the gospel would come to us - do we cherish the inheritance that we have? And what legacy will we leave to those who come behind us?

Posted in Simple Woman's Daybook

This meme is hosted at The Simple Woman's Daybook - Visit and participate! 

• Outside My Window... the sun is bright, but the sky is still quite cloudy.  The trees are bare and it is windy and cold.

 

• From the Learning Rooms...  we will be getting back to the books after our vacation week.  We did a couple of field trips while on vacation, so I will be recording those and trying to get everyone back into school routine.

 

• I am thinking... that I need to get another cup of coffee...

 

• I am thankful for... safe travelling.

 

• From the kitchen... I have no idea!  I bought a few essential groceries last night, but I will need to check the fridge and freezer to see if there's anything I'm missing, and to see what I can make for tonight's dinner.

 

• I am wearing...  still in my pajamas.   

 

• I am creating...  a post-vacation diet plan. 

 

• I am going... to the post office today.

 

• I am reading... Save Me From Myself by Brian "Head" Welch and Bachelor's Puzzle by Judith Pella.

 

• I am hoping... to lose weight over the next few weeks.

 

• I am hearing... an airplane flying overhead, and the hum of the computer

 

• Around the house... we'll finish unpacking today and get as much of the laundry done as possible.    

       

• One of my favorite things... sunset

 

• A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  Choir on Tuesday.  MOMS Club on Wednesday morning, church activities in the evening. Gym class on Friday.  Sometime this week there will be worship team practice and kids Christmas play practice, but I can't remember where my schedules are.  I'd better look for them today!