The True Easter Story

I post this for your Easter week enjoyment.  This is my granddaughter, Brielle when she was three years old. She is now seven.  I love to watch it each Easter to remember the Easter story according to a precious child.

My Favorite Things- Larkrise to Candleford

If you know us very well, you already know we love this BBC series, "Larkrise to Candleford."  We started watching it on Netflix, but ended up buying the boxed series on DVD.  This character- driven series is not high action, but each episode is entertaining and satisfying. It took awhile to watch them all, but we found ourselves looking for an odd hour here and there to sneak downstairs and watch an episode.  I guess you could say we were a little addicted!  Just seeing these pictures of characters we came to love makes me feel happy inside:

Larkrise to Candleford:  One of our favorite things.  

The View From the Cherry Tree

The View From the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I just reread this murder mystery for the third time. I've been reading "hard to plough through" books lately, and needed a page turner. I knew this one would fill the bill. I try to wait long enough between readings that I don’t remember "who done it." I didn’t wait long enough this time. Before many pages, I remembered who the murderer was, but still that didn’t spoil it for me. I literally couldn’t put it down. The book is written for older children, but it is intense! It’s the story of a child who accidentally sees a murder from his favorite hiding place in the cherry tree. His family is so busy with preparations for his sister’s wedding that none of them will listen to him when he tries to tell his story. The killer knows he saw, though, and keeps trying to kill him so that he can’t tell his story. It is page turning intensity right to the last page. It’s the classic “Kid verses Evil Adult” story, and I’ll bet you can guess who wins!



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Practice is Nine-tenths

Ralph Waldo Emerson's mantra:  Practice is nine-tenths.  This, at first reading seems incomplete; but a little reflection suggests that Emerson is deliberately giving us a chance to finish this idea in terms of our own experience, while recognizing the major contribution of sustained, repeated work.  "Practice makes perfect" is another way to say it, but I like Emerson's better.  It allows that 10%  comes in other ways- often Divine help. "Perfect" may never be achieved, but there is great value in the effort- in the practice. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go and practice the piano.
 To see other mantras, click here.

Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and me, Elizabeth

Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley and Me, Elizabeth by E.L. Konigsburg

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really like E. L. Konigsburg. I like her writing style. I like her ability to create children characters that help you remember what it was like to be a child. I really like her books. This is the story of two “misfit” girls who find each other and eventually learn how to relate normally to one another and become friends. It’s an interesting journey getting there. Both of the main characters use anti-social defense mechanisms to cope with their harsh social world. Through their friendship, they gain confidence and learn how to relate to others and eventually to each other in a more normal way. It’s a journey many, many young people travel. I think this book’s greatest value is that other adolescents might read, then recognize these symptoms in their peers. . . or even themselves. My only question is why “Hilary Ezra” wasn’t included in the lengthy title of this book? He plays a lot bigger role than William McKinley or Macbeth. I guess it’s too late to change it now!



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Seven Miracles That Saved America

Seven Miracles That Saved America: Why They Matter and Why We Should Have Hope by Chris Stewart

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I’m not a history buff. I like to blame it on Miss Baldwin, my high school history teacher. She was nice, but certainly didn’t light any history fires in me. So reading a book like this is a bit like reading a text book for me. I’m glad I read it, but it’s a bit of a chore. I have to set reading goals and make myself accomplish them. This book has a lot of historical facts and dates and, well, history, but it’s interspersed with fictionalized stories of someone living in the time being discussed. That helps to internalize it for me. The premise of the book is that there are seven times when God provided miracles to save America- His promised land. I think I could name a few more than seven, but these are the seven discussed by the authors:
1) Christopher Columbus
2) Jamestown
3) The Battle of New York in the Revolutionary War
4) The Constitution
5) Abraham Lincoln’s prayer that turned the tide in the Civil War
6) A series of miracles at the Battle of Midway that made us win; thus winning WWII
7) The assasin’s bullet missing Ronald Reagan’s heart, thus preserving him to be so instrumental in bringing down the iron curtain.
I really did learn a lot about each of these events and to appreciate how God truly did preserve us a nation. I needed to read this right now. I’ve had a feeling of hopelessness about our country and this renewed my hope. But , I have to admit, I’m ready to read a mindless, fluffy novel next. Any suggestions?




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Embarrassing Moment at the Bank . . . Very Embarrasing!

I guess I'm ready to tell the story. I can't believe I'm telling it, because it's so embarrassing.  Oh man.  Last week one day, I made dinner for a friend who just had surgery.  I take it over to her.  I l look like, well, you know:  No make up, food-spotted clothes (from cooking), hadn't combed my hair since  morning. . . not good.  I decide since I'm already out, I'll run a couple of errands on my "to do list." ( Dang "to do list.")  I drop off some dry cleaning, then go to the drive-through at the bank.  I pull up real close to the post at the bank so I won't have to get out to get the tube. ( Dang tube.)  (Dang lazy me)  So I take care of my business at the bank and then try to start my car.  Click.  I try again.  Click.  Again, click, again, click,   . . ., well you get the picture. I just drove here- why isn't my car starting???  Okay, what do I do?  I try to get out of the car.  Nope, too close to the post.  I can't even get the door partway open.  I get in my purse to get my cell phone and remember I left my cell phone home on my dresser.   I can feel the panic rising in my throat.  I've read that phrase in books.  Now I know what it feels like to have panic rising in your throat.  I. AM. STUCK!  " Stay calm, Kay.  Stay calm," I tell myself over and over.  "Okay,I'll try to climb out the other door."   I can't.  I can't get over the middle hump.  I. AM. STUCK!  I pray and pray.  I try to start the car again, and again.  Click. Click.  I try the door again.  Nope.  I try not to panic.  I try not to cry.   What do I do?   I meekly push the call button. and say, "I'm stuck."  Oh man. Can you say humiliation?   About then, the guy in the next lane over sees my predicament and says he has cables and will come and jump my car.  Then two guys from the bank come out.  Their plan is to push my car out of the way and get me some help.  I can't get it in neutral.  I can't find the lever to pop the hood.  One of the bank guys has to reach through the window to pop my hood.  Humiliating.  Meanwhile, many other cars come to the drive through.  All watch.  I look at the window of the bank.  Employees are gathered, watching.  A guy in one of the other cars calls out,  "Hey, could you change my oil?"  One of the bank guys responds, "Sure, we're a full service bank."  The nice jeep guy comes over and attaches his cables.  He says, "Give it a try."  Oh, blessed, blessed relief.  The car starts.  He unhooks his cables and closes the trunk. My only goal in life right then is to get out of there. . . or at least get away from that pole!   I wave and thank them all and drive away, praying hard that the car will keep going and that none of them will recognize me if they ever see me again. It takes hours for my heart to calm down.  When Ken gets home, I don't even let him get inside the house before I start telling him the story.  I tell him we're going to have to move. . . .or at least change banks.  He tries to comfort me by telling me that it will  make a good blog post.  I hope he's right.