I Am a Bookworm

As if you couldn't figure that out in about three minutes.

I found a website that just feeds my obsession with the printed word: The Library Thing. I am not kidding you, this is the coolest website since Raindrop Melody Maker and FreeRice.com. I can enter every book in my library, keep track of when I read them, make notes, read reviews of new books, you name it.

I'm in book heaven.

Biographies (and Attila the Hun)

Last week, the Curly-headed girl developed an aversion to Attila the Hun. He's "mean and scary."

One goal I have for the girls is to help them learn to obtain a few of the harder life lessons vicariously. For instance, being mean and scary doesn't help you "win friends and influence people." Biographies are good for that. After they read a biography, I want them to be able to articulate the following (and back up their judgment by citing specifics from the person's life).

• who the person was - Attila the Hun was mean and scary.
• when/where he or she lived - He lived in the A.D. 400's in Europe on a horse.
• what he or she accomplished in relative order - He took his armies on a mad rampage through Europe and killed a bunch of people.
• what character qualities set him apart from the crowd - He was mean and scary.

They should also be able to tell what character qualities they liked best and least, and why; and what they choices they would have made differently.

This year, we're going to spend some time thinking about these things.

Booksneeze Review: Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber

I wasn't sure at first. I mean, naming a book so overtly after Surprised by Joy seems a bit dangerous to me. C.S. Lewis is a very hard act to follow, let alone with panache. Carolyn Weber's attempt, Surprised by Oxford, "pleasantly surprised" me. It's a thought provoking book, but the way she tells her faith story is so unpretentious that it was enjoyable as well. I didn't want to put this book down.

What made it so appealing to me? References to great literature are everywhere. The story covers her first year as a post-graduate student at Oriel College: She was majoring in Romantic Literature, after all. Quotes from "dead white men" (and women) worked their way into her writing and into conversations with fellow students as naturally as I quote Children's Literature to the Pipsqueaks. It was comforting to see that other people plagiarize the great minds of the past when they can't find their own words. Some ideas just transcend time.

Her efforts to grapple with the nature of truth are honest, and there is enough life mixed in with the theology that it keeps it interesting. I especially appreciated her struggle with understanding that faith in God does not necessarily preclude intelligence. She gives the average postmodernist quite a bit to think about, and although she discusses some controversial topics, she doesn't get preachy about it.

She achieves a good balance between ivory tower and everyday life. Plus, she likes U2.

Yes, I got the book free from BookSneeze; but I can write whatever I please about it.

Words to Ponder

This was too good to not pass on! Food for thought, as we go about our lives.

June 19

---

Now comes My hour of heart-break, and what can I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? No, it was for this very purpose that I came to this hour. (John 12:27 Phillips)

There is one all-comprehending, all-embracing, all-governing purpose to which God has committed Himself, by creation, by redemption, and by union. That purpose is the conformity of a race to the image of His Son. This is man’s chief end and chief good. What more satisfied and ‘happy’ person is there – even amidst suffering and sorrow – than he or she who is most perfect in patience, love, faith, and the other "fruits of the Spirit?" If our requests regarding things were granted, while we were left the same people, unchanged in disposition and nature, it would not be long before we should be in the same unhappy condition over other things. There is possible for us some inherent quality that wears out circumstances and reigns above them. Some of the most radiant people have been the greatest sufferers in infirmity, poverty, or other forms of adversity; whilst the most ‘privileged’ are often the most discontented.

The solution to the problem of suffering does not lie in being philosophical; it is not in fatalistic resignation – ‘This is my lot; I suppose I must accept it.’ It is not in passive or active suppression of desire. It is far removed from self-pity, bitterness, cynicism, or envy, and the rest of their wretched family of wilderness-makers and wanderers. We may have to let go the particular occasion of our trouble, and first recognize, and then embrace with our heart, the fact that in the affliction there resides the immense eternal potentiality of an increase of the image of God’s Son, which is to be the one and the only character and nature of the eternal kingdom. We have too much visualized the ‘Heaven’ that is to be, as geographical and pleasurable, without giving sufficient weight to the fact of a nature to be inculcated and perfected.

By T. Austin-Sparks from: One Universal Answer

Who Shall Deliver Me?

God strengthen me to bear myself;
That heaviest weight of all to bear,
Inalienable weight of care.

All others are outside myself;
I lock my door and bar them out
The turmoil, tedium, gad-about.

I lock my door upon myself,
And bar them out; but who shall wall
Self from myself, most loathed of all?

If I could once lay down myself,
And start self-purged upon the race
That all must run ! Death runs apace.

If I could set aside myself,
And start with lightened heart upon
The road by all men overgone!

God harden me against myself,
This coward with pathetic voice
Who craves for case and rest and joys.

Mvself, arch-traitor to myself ;
My hollowest friend, my deadliest foe,
My clog whatever road I go.

Yet One there is can curb myself,
Can roll the strangling load from me
Break off the yoke and set me free. [1876]

~Christina Rossetti

" What a wretched man I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!...Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." ~Romans 7:24-25, 8:1-2

52 Books: Weeks 4 Through 17

This list truly is pathetic, but don't say I didn't warn you. I've been reading, but none of the posting has made it onto this blog in a timely manner and then I forget the majority of what I've read. There are so many good books out there that I want to read, but life will keep interrupting with more urgent things.

Week 4 - Dash and Lily's Book of Dares is a coming of age story by Rachel Cohn and David Leviathan. Fun read. Not much substance.

Week 5 - Finished Kaleidoscope by Patsy Clairmont. She's a stitch. In this book about the search for wisdom, there are plenty of things to think about, and she presents them in her own hilarious style.

Week 6 - God King by Joanne Williamson was a vivid picture of history in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah. We love "living books" that tell the story of history in such a way that it is unforgettable. Much more interesting than a textbook!

Week 7 - Behemoth is the continuing story of Scot Westerfeld's steam-punk alternative universe. It is set in World War II, where the Allies and Axis powers are aligned the same, but the weapons they fight with are distinctly different.

Week 8 - Sick Week. Everyone caught the yuckiness and the Straight-haired girl was down for the count. We re-read Anne of Green Gables. It's the literary equivalent of comfort food. Great memories from when I was a girl and now we are building them for the next generation. Love it!

Week 9 was the story of The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald. It's a thought provoking book. In the first half of the twentieth century, home management houses at state universities were all the rage. They existed to teach women to run a house and be an excellent mother. Unfortunately, the way they practiced mothering was on real babies. This is the story of one boy's life. 

Week 10 - I read The Maze of Bones (39 Clues, No. 1) because I was curious about the series. It's definitely interesting and presents history vividly, but I can't call it a living book for reasons not the least of which is its accuracy - or the lack thereof. Not recommending this to anyone who hasn't read the real deal.

Week 11 - I kept plugging away at Downpour by James MacDonald this week. I started this in November, and I have taken my time with it. It asks a lot of the reader, but it has been good so far. Hard, but good. I will finish this some day.

I also read Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Without Tears. The woman was seriously hilarious! This is by far the best knitting manual I've ever read (of a considerable number of such tomes). I found it through my local library system. Hooray for our local library! It's a lifeline, for sure.

Week 12 - In the hopes that I could better tailor their education to The Way They Learn, I read this book by Cynthia Tobias. I have a lot to think about. This is not the first book on personality types and education that I have read, but it was fairly succinct. The ol' brain is mulling it over. It was a good reminder that what works for all of us will most likely be a combination of my teaching style with their learning style(s), and what works for one girl may not work so well for the other. But then again, that's a good part of the reason we homeschool, isn't it?

Week 13 - We read Archimedes and the Door of Science (Living History Library) out loud. I know this is a child's book, but it was so full of information about ancient Greek math and science. The story of Archimedes' discovery of specific gravity is told in such a way that it is guaranteed to be etched in the reader's mind for life. I can appreciate that as a teacher and as a student! I totally recommend this book.

Week 14 - It seems as if everyone is reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I finished most of it, but couldn't manage to complete the entire book. I may get to it another time.

Week 15 - Found Wanting: A Novel by Robert Goddard was a good read. It told the story of a man who was drawn into a mystery surrounding the identity of Anna Anderson (ostensibly the Grand Duchess Anastasia) many years after her death.

Week 16 - A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison. This is a superb summary of Charlotte Mason's methods for each subject. It's a quick read and would be a great reference guide for anyone interested in learning more. Good starting place! Very informative. I bought this one, I liked it so much.

Week 17 -I'm currently reading Sidetracked Home Executives by the"slob sisters" Pam Young and Peggy Jones. I'm sidetracked at the moment, but never fear. I will get my focus back soon enough. The weekend is here. There is hope for me yet! This book will take me a while because there are "things to do." One must say that phrase with a very solemn and earnest voice. "Things to Do!"

And that's my sadly delinquent list for 52 Books in 52 Weeks.

Thrifty Sloppy Joes

McCormick Sloppy Joe Seasoning = $1.57

Flavorite Tomato Paste = $.50 Assorted Spices = not sure, but it has to be less than $1.07!

This recipe is from The Thrifty Cook. I'm not sure if you can get it in print right now, but if you see one at a garage sale, snap it up post haste!

Sloppy Joe Mix
1 T. minced onion
1 t. green pepper flakes
1 t. cornstarch
1/2 t. sugar (we leave this out)
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/4 t. dry mustard
1/4 t. celery salt
1/4 t. chili powder

Combine all ingredients. Place on a 6" square of aluminum foil and seal air tight. Repeat recipe to make as many packages as desired. Makes 1 package.

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. mix
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 1/4 c. water
hamburger buns

Brown beef in skillet. Drain off excess fat. Blend in Sloppy Joe Mix. Stir in tomato paste and water. Cover and simmer for ten minutes (we find it may take longer). Serve hot.

They're Cute But They Multiply Like Dust Bunnies Under the Bed

There was much fun and frivolity around our house last weekend. The Straight-haired girl had her eleventh birthday party, complete with nine giggly friends. A great time was had by all. But our quest to match our habits with our convictions - among which we list "less junk, less money on things that don't matter in the long run" - is slightly out of kilter with the average birthday party.

We have tried to instill in our family the realization that the time with friends is more important than the material benefits involved in a traditional birthday party, but that's hard to do when the wrapping paper is so pretty and the presents are so shiny and new. So, we tried to have gift-less birthday parties last year. We asked our guests to bring food for the food pantry instead of a gift, and the girls did not complain. But half the joy of a party is "wrapped up" in the presents. And I know, too, that the girls like to give other kids something for their birthday. Who hasn't given a gift, and hoped that it would speak to the recipient and communicate how valued they are as a friend?

So, we tried to strike a balance this year. We told our friends that gifts were optional.  Yes, it was a cop out. We let our friends decide for us. Sigh.

Among the Straight-haired girl's new treasures are a toy her friend treasured in the past, a gently used yard-sale find, a highly practical gift (for our family that means new art supplies), a certificate for a fun outing, and a brand new toy. She loves them all.

She wanted her friends to go home with something fun from the party. Since we are trying to avoid junky Dollar Store toys, goodie bags were out. And in the interests of keeping our budget intact, we used supplies that we already had. They made their own fun.

Balloon Toons: Adopt A Glurb

The Straight-haired girl's slight obsession with this book (and its rapidly multiplying cuteness) sparked a desire on her part to make Glurbs for her friends. We also needed party activities to keep nine tweens busy for two hours. She ended up planning the fun, and we decided to combine the two with a sewing lesson.

We pre-cut the bodies, arms and legs. She also decided that she wanted to make the faces ahead of time. All her friends did was sew the body halves together and stuff them. Each Glurb had its own personality, and since we had a surfeit of pink leopard-print knit, that meant they were perfect for an eleventh birthday party.

Brevity is the Soul of Wit

My mom is probably laughing her head off. She despaired of ever teaching me this, I'm sure. To this day, it continues to be something I work on.

"When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."
Proverbs 10:19

Doorposts is starting a new blog; and in celebration, they are giving away loads of free stuff. Go check it out, if you feel so inclined (I don't gain anything from your visit). The best tip I know for parenting is to immerse your family in God's word...like I'm really an expert...but I am in the trenches and have found this to be true, in parenting and marriage and friendship alike.There is much wisdom between the covers of that book.

Prolific

pro·lif·ic adj \prə-ˈli-fik\

1. producing young or fruit especially freely: fruitful

2. archaic : causing abundant growth, generation, or reproduction

3. marked by abundant inventiveness or productivity: prolific composer

As long as the New York Times has a Best-Seller List, someone has to be at the top of it. The Curly-headed girl has decided that would be a good place to be. The Straight-haired girl will probably not publish a popular series of detective stories by the age of 16 and fund her parents' retirement. But then again, she could. There are worse ways to make a living.

Voyageurs National Park held a writer's workshop with Mary Casanova. The girls have long been fans of her writing for American Girl, as well as other books about northern Minnesota. Our local radio theater group, Icebox Radio, adapted stories from her Dogwatch books for radio. We love that she lives locally, and we can see her from time to time.

She was an excellent teacher. Although what she said wasn't extremely profound or very deep into the writer's craft, it left a great impression (along with the free steno pads and ball-point pens). The girls came away from the workshop highly motivated to write, and they have certainly been prolific.

Strike while the iron's hot, I say: We set up our own writer's workshop behind our couch. There's a typewriter on a low table that is just the right size. Nearby is a crate of writing utensils hidden under the plant stand. A good writer's workshop has a wide variety. Clipboards are good since we have no writing surface back there. Dry erase markers and small whiteboards are appealing as well. I keep a stash of magazines to cut pictures for illustrations and a box of small things they can use for writing prompts. We even have a list of reminders for self-editing when they are writing to others to read.

1.  Do all your sentences begin with capital letters?
2.  Do all your sentences end with the proper punctuation?
3. Are all of your sentences complete ideas?
4. Are all proper nouns capitalized?
5. Did you use your best handwriting?

I Am the Queen of Procrastination

How's that workin' for me, you ask?

Not so much.

This winter, I've been trying to edit the stuff crammed into this house like a teacher edits a bad term paper with a red sharpie. Except I get totally overwhelmed by the amount of work that's going to take, and find other WAY more interesting things to do. Like take an online sketch class. Or make fun projects with the girls. Or pluck my eyebrows...you get the picture.

On one of my more optimistic, "I will never procrastinate again" days, I found a little website called I'm An Organizing Junkie. Let's just say that I signed up for an online grocery list service. If you click on any of the few recipes I have actually posted on my Recipes page, you'll be directed to that blog post. At the end of the recipe, there is a link to the grocery list at Say Mmm. It's a really neat concept, and if I ever get an ipad I'll probably take complete and total advantage of the fact that I can load it all in there and shop with that list.

I dream of the day. Sigh. In the mean time, I'll be going crazy with my free copy of Clutter Rehab. I have purchased several organizing books in my life time. They were all full of great advice, and I would think to myself, "I really need to do that!" Then I'd get sidetracked and forget about it. I sent them out the door as the first items in subsequent decluttering phases.

I don't think that's going to happen this time around. Laura speaks my language. It's all short, sweet and to the point. With pictures! Some of the tips will take more time to accomplish, but others are five minute fixes that could become habits around here with a little effort.

One of my favorite quotes? 

"I told myself that there was always tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that. The longer I procrastinated, the more stressed I was; the more stressed I was, the more chaotic my household was."

See? She speaks my language! I'm cautiously optimistic.

aspiration

I found this in my grandmother’s notes for her family history. It was copied from the Morgan Family Bible.

Rebecca Wilson her Book

Giving [sic] to her By her Father

Edward Morgan August 17 18__

Zachariah 8 Chap 5 verse

I commenced to read this Bible through

the third time May the 24^th 1891.

I finished reading it November 14^th _____.

On the same day I commenced to read

this Bible through the fourth time.

Finished reading the                    

fourth time October 23 189_.

Susannah

(The edges of the page were very hard to read.)

Do You Speaka the Language?

Just 'cause it's Valentine's Day...

This Day

"...this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'" ~Lamentations 3:21-24

52 Books: Week 4

This week, I knew better than to try to read East of Eden. The chaos was already on the calendar before the week started. On Monday, I was digging around at the back of library while the Curly-headed girl shot video for her movie class. For some reason, this book by Anya Seton caught my eye.

Dragonwyck is typical Gothic romance, complete with a large haunted house. It is set in the years surrounding the Mexican War, in upstate New York. The movie, by the same name, was released in 1946. Vincent Price played the lead character, Nicholas van Ryn. Appropriate. (Note to self: See how the movie compares to the book. This has to be one of Jessica Tandy's first supporting roles.)

This particular copy of the book was printed in 1944, during World War II. There was evidence of that fact; cheap paper and advertisements for war bonds on the dust jacket. This time in our nation's history fascinates me. Grandma gave me her old ration books and told me tales of cousins who would drive from Michigan to Central Illinois to see them and only have enough gas rations to get there. They were counting on Grandpa to give them extra gas for the trip home, since he was a farmer and did not always need his extra allotment.

She spoke of sugar rationing and the fact that she could not get rubber pants for her baby due to rationing. They did without a lot of "creature comforts" in those days and sacrificed to help others. This speaks volumes to me about our character as a nation back then. And surely, those values come through in this week's book. The main character learns a lot about the pull of luxury and its relative value.

And that's my third week's reading for 52 Books in 52 Weeks.

The Educated Child

I came upon this in my notebooks and it started me thinking. These are the main "talking points" of the book:

1. Parents are the child's first and most important teachers. Regardless of where they are being educated, I might add. If they are not educated at home, this does not let us off the hook.
2. Teaching mustn't stop when school starts. It's a lifelong pursuit, best modeled by parents who are inquisitive as well.
3. Early years build the foundation for all later learning. But this doesn't mean you can't get there later...too much, too soon kills a child's desire to learn. Let them lead in the early years. Follow their curiosity and always listen!
4. American schools are underperforming.
5. Learning requires discipline; discipline requires values. Don't be afraid to actively teach your child values, but I've discovered that they will learn what they see faster than what they hear. Why does that have to be so stinking hard to remember?
6. Follow common sense.  
7. Content matters. No arguments with this statement, but I don’t think I agree with his definition of content (core based curriculum). If values are so important, perhaps we should be focusing on that aspect of learning rather than “teaching to the test.” And we desperately need to teach our children to be discerning, thinking, responsible, etc.
8. TV is the enemy of good education. TV is the enemy of brain waves, which is not to say that I don't enjoy the temporary flat-line now and then myself.
9. Education reform is possible. Are we, as a country, willing to pay the cost of change? It won't come easily.
10. Aim high. Expect much, get much. Just don't frustrate exasperate them. That leads to bad things.
    
    

52 Books: Week 3

East of Eden...

Handmade Marketplace...

the creative family by Amanda Blake Soule (slightly chaotic week!) has been checked out of the library several times by yours truly. I've drooled over the photos and projects, doing some of the projects and stashing away others for a rainy day. This time, I finally got around to reading the text. Hey, what can I say? When great photos like that are in a book, words are optional as far as I'm concerned!

Amanda offers encouragement for noticing the fabric of our lives as a family - really noticing and being aware of what is good. For slowing down and living in the moment as opposed to flying through life at mach speed and collapsing into bed at night - mostly unaware of how we spent the day. That's an exhausting way to live! I'm  trying to be completely over it...

What I took away from this book more than anything was a renewed desire to focus on the Creator of all that is good (pure, lovely, noble) in the world around me and let him weave those things into our lives, rather than to rearrange how we live in an attempt to chase after them. I can't "encourage imagination" if I'm too busy planning the next project to take the time to see what the girls are creating. I can't "nurture family connections" if I'm too busy planning activities for the next week to listen to what they are saying. Encouraging and nurturing grow from shared moments.

When I take the time to collect moments, rather than days, I begin to see that less (busy-ness) can be more (time spent getting to know each other). Slow is good.

And that's my third week's reading for 52 Books in 52 Weeks.

Watch Out! I've Been Thinking Again

This time it's about my resources: money, time and energy. How I choose to use them affects more than just the here and now. If I'm too tired to spend time with the daddy or the kids, our relationships are affected. If I spend my money on x, I don't have money for y or z.

This seems fairly obvious, but in the rush of everyday life, how many times do I stop to think before purchasing the small things I "need" in order to analyze my spending habits. And, how do my purchases fit in with my "purpose" in life? How many times do I stop to figure out what I am saying no to when I agree to do something good or worthwhile with my time? That worthwhile project may not seem so great if it comes at the cost of something better.

Paul Tripp said, "You see, the character of a life is not set in two or three dramatic moments, but in 10,000 little moments. The character that was formed in those little moments is what shapes how you respond to the big moments of life."

I have a finite number of moments. I need to practice spending my resources wisely.

52 Books: Week 2

This book came to me from my Grandmother, who was a fan of Gene Stratton-Porter. The copyright on this particular copy, well-worn as it is, is 1911. It was my great-grandfather's book, handed down to me.

Ms. Porter grew up in northern Indiana, near the Limberlost Swamp. She based many of her books in this area, and all of them are rich in local lore.

From the book jacket:

David Langston, called The Harvester of the Woods, works long and diligently, after the death of his mother, to make a success of the business of raising and selling medicinal herbs which he and his mother had started together. By dint of unswerving perseverance and diligence, he becomes very prosperous and is ready to consider marriage when he suddenly sees in a vision an exquisitely beautiful girl. Convinced that she will become his wife, he builds a beautiful house in his beloved woods and begins a search for the girl of his vision.

The Harvester is rich in plant-lore and would be highly interesting for those who wish to learn a bit about the history of herbal medicine or the plants that grew in the Limberlost of northern Indiana near the turn of the 20th Century.

And that's my second week's reading for 52 Books in 52 Weeks.

52 Books in 52 Weeks

In a normal year, reading 52 Books In 52 Weeks is underachievement. It's the writing about it that worries me. We'll see how this one goes...


Week 1: The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien 
Week 2: The Harvester - Gene Stratton Porter 
Week 3: East of Eden. The Handmade Marketplace. The Creative Family - Amanda Blake Soule.
Week 4: Dragonwyck - Anya Seton
Week 5: The Plain Reader: Essays on Making a Simple Life - Scott Savage, editor

Life intervenes...I'm gonna call this year's list an epic fail and shoot for next year. I'm reading, but posting anything profound is beyond me at this point.