This was a very disturbing book that I couldn't put down. I admit, I live in a bubble. There is so much that is ugly that I try not to think about or know in the world. I don't think I will forget this haunting book for a long while.
I never thought much about foot binding in the Chinese Culture long ago during the 19th Century. This book takes you through it from a young girls perspective and her mother and cultures view. I didn't understand so I googled foot binding and the images that came up were unforgettable. All the toes break and the foot is broken and bend down under and bound. Then you only walk on your big toe and heal, if you can walk at all. Your foot is no longer then 3 inches to be perfect. YIKES!
But what if you lived in the time when this was social acceptable in your traditional society? What if it meant your future to have Lily feet? Would you bind your daughters feet and put her through years and a lifetime of pain? Yes I think I would. Is it not any different then wearing a corset or getting your babies ears pierced or even stretching your neck in the African culture. It was a sign of beauty and endurance and it prepared a young girl to be submissive to her husband and a good faithful hard working wife. YIKES I can't believe I am saying this! BUT then it was to survive and be no longer worthless to everyone.
Okay the book wasn't all about foot binding...there are a lot of other horrible and beautiful things in a Young Chinese girls life. The book was inspired because of a secret women's writing called nu shu. Very fascinating and very clever.
There are two girls in the story that become laotong or "old same", which is an emotional women friendship that lasts forever. They share many wonderful things in life and also the saddest things. They are friends before their arranged marriages and through motherhood and loneliness and even after death. One girl has it all and the other, well I don't want to give away the story but the parts from her life I hope to never see or ever have to endure such horrid things.
The book take you on a journey of love. Not the love you think though. "mother love" is part pain and part love, friendship is another kind of love, husband love is another and the book takes on other loves that I never thought of before and can't even explain. I always thought love was love.
This was a Broken book and Healing book. I cried when as I read it. I would recommend it though just so you aren't stuck in your little bubble like me.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
This was a very good book. I was taken to a different world through the eyes of a Jewish Boy growing up in Brooklyn in the 1950's. I read one other book by this author before this one called the Chosen. I liked that book a lot more but this one really does stand on its own.
This book is about , tradition and Artists. A boy becoming an artist but not any boy, this boy has a gift from a very young age and yet everyone thought this gift was doomed from the beginning because this boy happened to be Jewish. To become an artist this boy Asher, must wrench apart his own life and the lives of this parents and community, which he loves but must almost jump off a cliff to reach his potential.
The story takes us into the mind of the artist. His experiences and his imagination and commitment and selfishness. He is encouraged at first by the great Rebbe and he gets to do an apprenticeship with the world famous Jacob Kahn. Without him he wouldn't have had a passage way opened to the great world of Art. He learns about Christians and Crucifixion and opens his scope of the world, learning about artists in the past.
His father hates all that his art needs to flourish in. There is so much contention between him and his dad. Which then makes his mom sad. Asher didn't have a happy normal childhood. His mom was very sick and his dad traveled often for his great work that only he could do and he did whatever the Rebbe asked him to do. He never had time for his son.
Anyway the story eventually ends up with Asher all grown up and barely speaking to his father. Asher is famous and his paintings sell for LOTS of money. He has surpassed his teacher as an artist. He paints a picture of a crucifixion but uses his mother and father in the picture. He has done something that observant Jews do not do. Mean words are written and spoken about him and myths are generated. He is thought of as a traitor and an apostate and a self-hater and inflicter of shame upon his family, his friends and his people. Plus Christians also hate him for using our special and to some a sacred symbol of the cross.
This was a very sad book. Very depressing and an eye opening perspective.
Broken, Healing Book
This book is about , tradition and Artists. A boy becoming an artist but not any boy, this boy has a gift from a very young age and yet everyone thought this gift was doomed from the beginning because this boy happened to be Jewish. To become an artist this boy Asher, must wrench apart his own life and the lives of this parents and community, which he loves but must almost jump off a cliff to reach his potential.
The story takes us into the mind of the artist. His experiences and his imagination and commitment and selfishness. He is encouraged at first by the great Rebbe and he gets to do an apprenticeship with the world famous Jacob Kahn. Without him he wouldn't have had a passage way opened to the great world of Art. He learns about Christians and Crucifixion and opens his scope of the world, learning about artists in the past.
His father hates all that his art needs to flourish in. There is so much contention between him and his dad. Which then makes his mom sad. Asher didn't have a happy normal childhood. His mom was very sick and his dad traveled often for his great work that only he could do and he did whatever the Rebbe asked him to do. He never had time for his son.
Anyway the story eventually ends up with Asher all grown up and barely speaking to his father. Asher is famous and his paintings sell for LOTS of money. He has surpassed his teacher as an artist. He paints a picture of a crucifixion but uses his mother and father in the picture. He has done something that observant Jews do not do. Mean words are written and spoken about him and myths are generated. He is thought of as a traitor and an apostate and a self-hater and inflicter of shame upon his family, his friends and his people. Plus Christians also hate him for using our special and to some a sacred symbol of the cross.
This was a very sad book. Very depressing and an eye opening perspective.
Broken, Healing Book
The Book of Everything by Guus Kuijer
This is a good book about a little boy that has an abusive father. Through the friendship of the lady next door and a few other miracles, the little boy and his mother are no longer afraid.
The Author is from the Netherlands and the book is translated by John Niewenhuizen. It was a little strange at first but when I got to the end I was glad I read it.
Healing Book
The Author is from the Netherlands and the book is translated by John Niewenhuizen. It was a little strange at first but when I got to the end I was glad I read it.
Healing Book
Friday, April 20, 2007
Ultra Marathon Confessions of an all-Night Runner by Dean Karnazes
This is a wonderful book! I had never heard of an Ultra Marathon. I never even considered it...not just Marathon but Ultra. Did you know that people run foot races that are 100 plus miles long? They do! They run all night sometimes. I am still in awe and so inspired to run more. Of course I only run a few miles but still the book inspired me to want to be healthier and try harder to reach my goals. (I do have goals even though I didn't publish them at New Years, really.)
Dean is the guy writing this book. He loves to run. He runs and runs and runs. He still works a full time job to support his wife and two kids yet he finds time to run. He even finds time to play with his kids. He runs in the morning, at night, at lunch...he runs every day.
He takes you on his journey from start to finish as he races the most amazing distances and places. Every muscle in his body is screaming out in pain and he keeps going. He never gives up. He would die if he didn't run because he is so addicted to running.
He has almost run every race there is to run so now he runs for charity and helps raise money for sick children. I think that is really cool. He lives in the bay area and runs right around here. I haven't seen him.
I don't want to eat refined or processed food anymore. I wish I could shop at Whole Foods every day. I wish I could feed my children wholesome fresh foods instead of junk and sugars and fat that are holding our society back.
Anyway, this was a very entertaining and intriguing book. I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone sitting down right now!
Dean is the guy writing this book. He loves to run. He runs and runs and runs. He still works a full time job to support his wife and two kids yet he finds time to run. He even finds time to play with his kids. He runs in the morning, at night, at lunch...he runs every day.
He takes you on his journey from start to finish as he races the most amazing distances and places. Every muscle in his body is screaming out in pain and he keeps going. He never gives up. He would die if he didn't run because he is so addicted to running.
He has almost run every race there is to run so now he runs for charity and helps raise money for sick children. I think that is really cool. He lives in the bay area and runs right around here. I haven't seen him.
I don't want to eat refined or processed food anymore. I wish I could shop at Whole Foods every day. I wish I could feed my children wholesome fresh foods instead of junk and sugars and fat that are holding our society back.
Anyway, this was a very entertaining and intriguing book. I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone sitting down right now!
Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry
Another Children's book. Very creative...this would be a good book for children learning to write stories. It takes place in a 2nd grade classroom. A new girl moves in and everyone wants to know about her. She is a very good storyteller and only tells the truth in her stories. Each story she tells is always very clever and funny. The best part of this book is how the author makes fun of 2nd graders and how they always want to be heard, have something to say about everything and are not very patient. I just enjoyed this book as a light read and since we own it I think I will read it out loud to the kids soon.
Whole Book
Whole Book
Because of Winn Dixie
This was the second time through this book. The kids and I listened to it on Tape in the car. It was great! We couldn't wait to hear what was going to happen next.
A little girl makes friends with a dog and then makes new friends with the whole town. She learns a lot about what it really means to love someone and let go of others. Great book for families and the movie is good too.
Whole BOOK
A little girl makes friends with a dog and then makes new friends with the whole town. She learns a lot about what it really means to love someone and let go of others. Great book for families and the movie is good too.
Whole BOOK
The Sign of the Beaver
This is a great book for 8-12 yr. old boys. It has Indians, wild animals, survival, friendship and adventure. I really liked it. My son did too.
Whole BOOK
Whole BOOK
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Dictionary
Becky -- [adjective]: Like in nature to a banana peel 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com |
Monday, April 09, 2007
The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
Somehow up to now I skipped reading this book. It is such a classic! I had heard so much about it from here and there and different classes but hadn't ever read it. Then the movie came out recently with Tom Cruise...well it didn't do justice to the book. HG Wells wrote three really good science-fiction books. All classics and all have parallel purposes...or in better words, "Wells was famous for his thinly-veiled diatribes."
The book is actually about the present. "It simply uses different techniques to show us who we are, who we might be and whom we ought to become." -Orson Scott Card
Take Africa for example...England was a super power. It couldn't invade Africa until it come up with a way to not catch all the plagues and disease there. The African people had build up immunities to things like Malaria, the people from England hadn't yet. This book talks about this but in Fiction terms and never mentions Africa.
I realy hated this book but I really liked it too. I am never for scary but this was just old fasioned enough I could get through it and still keep my head from hiding under the covers and teeth chattering. I did have nightmares but not like I did from Alas Babylon. Yikes.
So Martians invade the Earth, they slaughter people in England and the narrator of the story sees most first hand and lives to tell about it. He describes each day in detail after the invasion. He really makes us take a good hard look at society in general...and how stupid we are to forget nature and how little we are really in the big picture of life in this universe.
I think this would be a fun book for a book discussion because there are so many ideas that really make you think. What would I do if I was in the same situation? Well I hope I wouldn't rubber neck at an unknown object that fell from space and then just get killed.
Healing Book?
The book is actually about the present. "It simply uses different techniques to show us who we are, who we might be and whom we ought to become." -Orson Scott Card
Take Africa for example...England was a super power. It couldn't invade Africa until it come up with a way to not catch all the plagues and disease there. The African people had build up immunities to things like Malaria, the people from England hadn't yet. This book talks about this but in Fiction terms and never mentions Africa.
I realy hated this book but I really liked it too. I am never for scary but this was just old fasioned enough I could get through it and still keep my head from hiding under the covers and teeth chattering. I did have nightmares but not like I did from Alas Babylon. Yikes.
So Martians invade the Earth, they slaughter people in England and the narrator of the story sees most first hand and lives to tell about it. He describes each day in detail after the invasion. He really makes us take a good hard look at society in general...and how stupid we are to forget nature and how little we are really in the big picture of life in this universe.
I think this would be a fun book for a book discussion because there are so many ideas that really make you think. What would I do if I was in the same situation? Well I hope I wouldn't rubber neck at an unknown object that fell from space and then just get killed.
Healing Book?
Friday, April 06, 2007
Little Britches by Ralph Moody
This is the second time I have read this book. This time I was reading it out loud to the kids. My oldest son took it and finished it in a few days and my 7yr. old always complains when I have to stop and it is time to go to bed. I love books that do that to kids. They really listen and you know they are getting something out of the effort and time spent reading together.
I love this book! This time around I had to pay more attention to details because I was leading a book discussion in one of my book groups. Everyone loves this book that reads it! It is full of adventure, sadness and deep lessons on life taught by a dad to his son.
It reminds me of something my dad used to say, "When the going gets tough the tough get going!" This is so true and through out the book no matter how hard things are the everyone pulls together and learn valuable lessons in life. They bond together in their family and the simple things are what matter most. Telling the truth, working hard and helping your neighbor. Also having faith in the almighty.
The part that especially came alive was the Character House concept. Here is my favorite part. Father said, "A man's character is like his house. If he tears boards off his house and burns them to keep himself warm and comfortable, his house soon becomes a ruin. If he tells lies to be able to do the things he shouldn't do but wants to, his character will soon become a ruin. A Man with a ruined character is a shame on the face of the earth."
I am including the questions I used (borrowed) for the discussion. Some we skipped and some we expanded on. It was really fun to hear some of the ladies tell about their own childhoods way back when things were similar to the character in the books life. Actually Ralph isn't only the character but the whole book was based on his, the author's, real life. There is a whole series in fact. I can't wait to read them all. I have read #1, #2 and #5 already.
1. Little Britches
2. Man of the Family
3. The Home Ranch
4. Mary Emma and Company
5. The Fields of Home
6. Shaking the Nickel Bush
7. The Dry Divide
8. Horse of a Different Color
Discussion Questions for Little Britches by Ralph Moody (gives some of the story away so only read if you already read the book)
1.When the family first saw the house (pg. 13) why did Ralph think it looked all right? Why didn't father yell or mother cry?
2.How is the life as an 8-10 year old boy different today from then? What changes are good, which are bad? - Did Ralph make the right choice to fight Freddie?
3.Do you think it was a good idea for Ralph to work for Mrs. Corcoran? Why? -On pg. 92 (read aloud) Why did Ralph say he'd do it when he didn't understand? Why did Mrs. Corcoran change her mind? Could she have handled the situation differently?
4.What kind of a neighbor was Fred Autland?
5. Do you think Ralph made the right choice to go off and get Two Dog to help save Bill? What else might he have done?
6. Did Ralph handle his confession to the Sheriff well? Why or why not?
7. What does Father mean when he says that some people tear boards off their character house and “burns them to keep himself warm and comfortable”?
8. Why did those men at the head of the ditch steal water?
9. What parenting qualities do you admire/disagree with about Little Britches' parents?
10. Why did the cowboys do so much for Ralph? Was Hi a good mentor to Ralph, even though he did things Ralph knew his parents wouldn't approve of?
11. Why did Father tell Ralph to give the man who's paying him a good day's work?
12. Did you find any good ideas from the life of this family that you would like to employ into your own family life?
13. What kinds of lessons did Ralph have to learn the hard way?
14. Which character do you most identify with and why?
15. What would your family do if your dad died? Do you think Ralph's family is going to make it all right?
I read some stuff about Ralph Moody and I really liked this:
He told an interviewer for the New York Times Book Review, August 6, 1967, "My goal in writing is to leave a record of the rural way of life in this country during the early part of the twentieth century, and to point up the values of that era which I feel that we, as a people, are letting slip away from us." (This information was gleaned from Something About the Author, Vol. 1, p. 162)
This is a Whole and Healing book. I recommend it for all ages and especially for families to read together out loud.
I love this book! This time around I had to pay more attention to details because I was leading a book discussion in one of my book groups. Everyone loves this book that reads it! It is full of adventure, sadness and deep lessons on life taught by a dad to his son.
It reminds me of something my dad used to say, "When the going gets tough the tough get going!" This is so true and through out the book no matter how hard things are the everyone pulls together and learn valuable lessons in life. They bond together in their family and the simple things are what matter most. Telling the truth, working hard and helping your neighbor. Also having faith in the almighty.
The part that especially came alive was the Character House concept. Here is my favorite part. Father said, "A man's character is like his house. If he tears boards off his house and burns them to keep himself warm and comfortable, his house soon becomes a ruin. If he tells lies to be able to do the things he shouldn't do but wants to, his character will soon become a ruin. A Man with a ruined character is a shame on the face of the earth."
I am including the questions I used (borrowed) for the discussion. Some we skipped and some we expanded on. It was really fun to hear some of the ladies tell about their own childhoods way back when things were similar to the character in the books life. Actually Ralph isn't only the character but the whole book was based on his, the author's, real life. There is a whole series in fact. I can't wait to read them all. I have read #1, #2 and #5 already.
1. Little Britches
2. Man of the Family
3. The Home Ranch
4. Mary Emma and Company
5. The Fields of Home
6. Shaking the Nickel Bush
7. The Dry Divide
8. Horse of a Different Color
Discussion Questions for Little Britches by Ralph Moody (gives some of the story away so only read if you already read the book)
1.When the family first saw the house (pg. 13) why did Ralph think it looked all right? Why didn't father yell or mother cry?
2.How is the life as an 8-10 year old boy different today from then? What changes are good, which are bad? - Did Ralph make the right choice to fight Freddie?
3.Do you think it was a good idea for Ralph to work for Mrs. Corcoran? Why? -On pg. 92 (read aloud) Why did Ralph say he'd do it when he didn't understand? Why did Mrs. Corcoran change her mind? Could she have handled the situation differently?
4.What kind of a neighbor was Fred Autland?
5. Do you think Ralph made the right choice to go off and get Two Dog to help save Bill? What else might he have done?
6. Did Ralph handle his confession to the Sheriff well? Why or why not?
7. What does Father mean when he says that some people tear boards off their character house and “burns them to keep himself warm and comfortable”?
8. Why did those men at the head of the ditch steal water?
9. What parenting qualities do you admire/disagree with about Little Britches' parents?
10. Why did the cowboys do so much for Ralph? Was Hi a good mentor to Ralph, even though he did things Ralph knew his parents wouldn't approve of?
11. Why did Father tell Ralph to give the man who's paying him a good day's work?
12. Did you find any good ideas from the life of this family that you would like to employ into your own family life?
13. What kinds of lessons did Ralph have to learn the hard way?
14. Which character do you most identify with and why?
15. What would your family do if your dad died? Do you think Ralph's family is going to make it all right?
I read some stuff about Ralph Moody and I really liked this:
He told an interviewer for the New York Times Book Review, August 6, 1967, "My goal in writing is to leave a record of the rural way of life in this country during the early part of the twentieth century, and to point up the values of that era which I feel that we, as a people, are letting slip away from us." (This information was gleaned from Something About the Author, Vol. 1, p. 162)
This is a Whole and Healing book. I recommend it for all ages and especially for families to read together out loud.
Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
This is a wonderful book about a little girl, 11 years old, that gets moved around to a lot of new foster homes and is a pretty mean kid. She has to be to survive. She is also very smart and finally she finds people that she loves but doesn't know it until it is almost too late. She also learns that things don't always go as you expect them to and life is hard. What really draws you into this book is that you hate the little girl at first but by the end of the book you really love her. There are a bunch of very humorous parts and sad parts. Katherine Paterson the author has a really good knack with this sort of thing. She also wrote the Bridge to Terabithia.
Whole Book, Healing Book.
Whole Book, Healing Book.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Northanger Abby by Jane Austin
This was a very disappointing book. I don't think it was one of Jane's best. It was one of the earliest she wrote but wasn't published till after she died. That might be why I had never heard about it before. It had a rushed ending. It also had a lot of nothing in the book. Which might have been the point, people back them with nothing to do but gossip about what others are wearing and talk about themselves and their boring lives. She kind of makes fun of things and then tries to be serious about marriage but skips all the romance.
This book was about a not so rich or intelligent girl and she goes to Bath with some rich friends, has a few boring adventures and falls in love. She is very fickle and has some dumb friends which she eventually ditches. She makes new friends and gets invited to their home at an old Abby, remodeled and made very "modern". She lives in a fantasy world most of the time because her life is so boring. She likes novels and thinks she is a heroine in a story.
The only good thing I can say about this book is that the guy she falls in love with is entertaining and smart. I don't know why he likes her but everyone really likes him. He made the book worth finishing and lived happier-ever after in the end.
Whole Book
This book was about a not so rich or intelligent girl and she goes to Bath with some rich friends, has a few boring adventures and falls in love. She is very fickle and has some dumb friends which she eventually ditches. She makes new friends and gets invited to their home at an old Abby, remodeled and made very "modern". She lives in a fantasy world most of the time because her life is so boring. She likes novels and thinks she is a heroine in a story.
The only good thing I can say about this book is that the guy she falls in love with is entertaining and smart. I don't know why he likes her but everyone really likes him. He made the book worth finishing and lived happier-ever after in the end.
Whole Book
Monday, March 26, 2007
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
I am so disturbed by this book I don't even know where to begin! It was copyrighted in 1959. Of course a lot of stuff is very outdated but overall the ideas are still very real. Russia attacks with atomic bombs and wipes out most of the US in one day. I read this particular book for a book group where we only read TJed's 5 pillar certification books. I can't wait to hear what everyone has to say about it and the feelings and thoughts it brought to their awareness.
On the front cover it describes the book as, "The startling novel of the end of the world and the day after." yep that is what it was all about. I don't know why this book is causing me so much anxiety. I think on many levels it just scares me to not be ready for a change in my life brought on from a disaster. I am very content each day with what I know and love all around me. There is that itchy feeling in the back of my mind telling me I am stupid to be so passive in preparing myself and my family for "the end of the world". I shouldn't just be sitting here waiting for change and knowing that I could prepare myself better but I don't.
Our 72 hour kit is far from ready for a disaster. I live in Earthquake land, what am I thinking? I lived through a house fire destroying practically everything we own yet I can't get myself to face reality and rebuild. When I think about all that was lost in the fire, one side of me says, what a waste the stuff I had ready ended up being, it was just burnt. We were waiting to use it in an emergency and it was all destroyed so what is the use? The other side is saying, I shouldn't forget the blessings that rained down on us from outside sources probably because we were trying to the best of our ability to be ready for a disaster, maybe the Lord blessed us for the effort...I don't know. As I read this book I had the urge most of the time to just get up and scream or run. There is so much to do and so many things that can happen. I really have no control over most of it. I will just have to deal with it when it is sitting in my lap.
I think the book wanted to scare people into waking up to the reality of a war happening right in our neighborhood. Maybe it wanted to remind us that we can't depend on the government to just give us hand outs when life is hard. You will be on your own especially if the government is completely wiped out. What are you going to do? You can roll over and die or get up and dig in.
Most of the people that survived in the book were just lucky and then when they survived longer it came down to resources available and the knowledge to use them. They also pulled the strengths of their neighbors and their knowledge combined sustained them enough to keep going on.
I wear glasses. If my glasses get broken then I am pretty much blind and won't be able to do a lot of the things I can do now. The glasses won't be able to be replaced very easily if there isn't resources to use for the making of glasses. I can't make a new pair myself. This is scary. Something so simple and so taken for granted really makes a big difference every day of my life.
In the book the library wasn't destroyed and it became a very important and busy place. So many people needed to know how to do things and you could find that in books and teach yourself. I'm glad I can read and I am glad I have a library card, maybe that should be on the disaster preparedness list!
I wish I knew how to salt and preserve fresh meat. I also wish I had a few doctor skills. Something useful would also be knowing how to use a ham radio.
hmmm, we need more candles, canned food, a fresh water source and I wish I had a large pot. In the book the people run out of salt. I forgot how important this was to life. We can't live without it, too much is bad but none is deadly.
Some of the more inspiring parts of the book was when they were talking about hope. Despite all the odds and all the horrible stuff around them people were able to rise up and take courage. They started rebuilding and they didn't give up.
In the book they talk about this too:
"Toynbee theory of challenge and response, applies not only to nations but individuals. Some nations and some people melt in the heat of a crisis and come apart like fat in the pan. Others meet the challenge and harden."
Which will you be like, fat in a pan or will you harden and meet the challenge?
This was a Healing Book for me. I recommend it to anyone that is planning for the unknown future of the Earth in an upcoming FHE lesson. :) No seriously it had some very good ideas for what to expect when the lights go out in our nation.
On the front cover it describes the book as, "The startling novel of the end of the world and the day after." yep that is what it was all about. I don't know why this book is causing me so much anxiety. I think on many levels it just scares me to not be ready for a change in my life brought on from a disaster. I am very content each day with what I know and love all around me. There is that itchy feeling in the back of my mind telling me I am stupid to be so passive in preparing myself and my family for "the end of the world". I shouldn't just be sitting here waiting for change and knowing that I could prepare myself better but I don't.
Our 72 hour kit is far from ready for a disaster. I live in Earthquake land, what am I thinking? I lived through a house fire destroying practically everything we own yet I can't get myself to face reality and rebuild. When I think about all that was lost in the fire, one side of me says, what a waste the stuff I had ready ended up being, it was just burnt. We were waiting to use it in an emergency and it was all destroyed so what is the use? The other side is saying, I shouldn't forget the blessings that rained down on us from outside sources probably because we were trying to the best of our ability to be ready for a disaster, maybe the Lord blessed us for the effort...I don't know. As I read this book I had the urge most of the time to just get up and scream or run. There is so much to do and so many things that can happen. I really have no control over most of it. I will just have to deal with it when it is sitting in my lap.
I think the book wanted to scare people into waking up to the reality of a war happening right in our neighborhood. Maybe it wanted to remind us that we can't depend on the government to just give us hand outs when life is hard. You will be on your own especially if the government is completely wiped out. What are you going to do? You can roll over and die or get up and dig in.
Most of the people that survived in the book were just lucky and then when they survived longer it came down to resources available and the knowledge to use them. They also pulled the strengths of their neighbors and their knowledge combined sustained them enough to keep going on.
I wear glasses. If my glasses get broken then I am pretty much blind and won't be able to do a lot of the things I can do now. The glasses won't be able to be replaced very easily if there isn't resources to use for the making of glasses. I can't make a new pair myself. This is scary. Something so simple and so taken for granted really makes a big difference every day of my life.
In the book the library wasn't destroyed and it became a very important and busy place. So many people needed to know how to do things and you could find that in books and teach yourself. I'm glad I can read and I am glad I have a library card, maybe that should be on the disaster preparedness list!
I wish I knew how to salt and preserve fresh meat. I also wish I had a few doctor skills. Something useful would also be knowing how to use a ham radio.
hmmm, we need more candles, canned food, a fresh water source and I wish I had a large pot. In the book the people run out of salt. I forgot how important this was to life. We can't live without it, too much is bad but none is deadly.
Some of the more inspiring parts of the book was when they were talking about hope. Despite all the odds and all the horrible stuff around them people were able to rise up and take courage. They started rebuilding and they didn't give up.
In the book they talk about this too:
"Toynbee theory of challenge and response, applies not only to nations but individuals. Some nations and some people melt in the heat of a crisis and come apart like fat in the pan. Others meet the challenge and harden."
Which will you be like, fat in a pan or will you harden and meet the challenge?
This was a Healing Book for me. I recommend it to anyone that is planning for the unknown future of the Earth in an upcoming FHE lesson. :) No seriously it had some very good ideas for what to expect when the lights go out in our nation.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Emma by Jane Austin
Hooray for Austin! This was a very LONG book. I liked the beginning and the ending but the middle was so full of tediously long paragraphs. Despite that, I made it through and can give her another thumbs up for old fashioned miscommunication and falling in love.
I was browsing the VHS section in a thrift store last week and despite my resolve to downsize our VHS collection and replace it with family classics on DVD...I found EMMA with Gwyneth Paltrow. Excellent! It was only .69 cents! I couldn't pass it up or a few other interesting finds...
I think the movie was very well done despite the two kissing scenes in the end that Jane would have blushed and then got angry and "her manner would be too decided to invite supplication; and in this state of swelling resentment and mutually deep mortification" she would have snubbed the the director of the movie if ever they met at a ball or in town. She would have looked down on the whole thing and said something about the shocking lack of discipline. Then some higher society would immediately start circulating the news among its circles of friends at Highbury or at Bath. I did find the movie to bring out some of the finest achievements of men and women finding self awareness and identity in the mist of society they are sometimes powerless in and dependent on.
Hmm, I really wanted to use the word quintessential bore, I guess I will say Mrs. Bates was a quintessential bore but very well cast in the movie. I almost cried when Emma hurt her feelings. But in the book I just wanted to skip all of her ramblings and get to the kissing...which wasn't in the book but I'm sure there was some...Jane left it to the imagination but never implied that it actually happened - ever! Isn't that funny?
Next I will read Alas Babylon and Northanger Abbey, at the same time of course. This will be fun!
I was browsing the VHS section in a thrift store last week and despite my resolve to downsize our VHS collection and replace it with family classics on DVD...I found EMMA with Gwyneth Paltrow. Excellent! It was only .69 cents! I couldn't pass it up or a few other interesting finds...
I think the movie was very well done despite the two kissing scenes in the end that Jane would have blushed and then got angry and "her manner would be too decided to invite supplication; and in this state of swelling resentment and mutually deep mortification" she would have snubbed the the director of the movie if ever they met at a ball or in town. She would have looked down on the whole thing and said something about the shocking lack of discipline. Then some higher society would immediately start circulating the news among its circles of friends at Highbury or at Bath. I did find the movie to bring out some of the finest achievements of men and women finding self awareness and identity in the mist of society they are sometimes powerless in and dependent on.
Hmm, I really wanted to use the word quintessential bore, I guess I will say Mrs. Bates was a quintessential bore but very well cast in the movie. I almost cried when Emma hurt her feelings. But in the book I just wanted to skip all of her ramblings and get to the kissing...which wasn't in the book but I'm sure there was some...Jane left it to the imagination but never implied that it actually happened - ever! Isn't that funny?
Next I will read Alas Babylon and Northanger Abbey, at the same time of course. This will be fun!
Amazing Grace (2006 film)
My book group in CV couldn't stop talking about this movie in the theaters during the month of Feb. and March. I made a mental note to remember to rent the DVD when it came out. THEN my other book group at Liber Academy couldn't stop talking about it either. We had just read Uncle Tom's Cabin and then the biography of the author Harriet Beecher Stowe and this movie was like the missing piece of the puzzle. We all got babysitters and met up in Dublin to see it. It was well worth the time and effort. My baby didn't even cry or disrupt anything the whole time.
Amazing Grace the movie was released on the 200Th anniversary of the date the Parliament of the United Kingdom voted to ban the transport of slaves by British subjects. Later this helped in the freeing of the slaves in Britain. William Wilberforce is a member of Parliament during the 18Th Century. He has quite a following if you Google him. He was the one that had enough courage to see this through despite the toil on his health and family.
"Wilberforce was elected to the House of Commons at 21 and took on the issue of slavery, successfully assembling a diverse coalition that went up against the most powerful men of the time."
He was so successful because of the people that helped him. They had some great ideas for letting the people become more aware of the horrible things that happened to slaves and pointing out that Christians could not be part of something so horrible.
What is also interesting is that this guy did a lot more then just free the slaves...he just didn't stop there even though that was a pretty big thing. Anyone else would call it a life and just sit around and drink wine and stroll around the extensive grounds near their mansion but he actually was the guy that made some very important matters of social reform some to light. He started a lot of societies but unlike most these actually made a difference and most were very successful. Here are a few of the things he started.
Proclamation for the Discouragement of Vice in 1787 a remedy for immorality and vise.
He introduced Christianity to India with religious teachers being sent there and missionaries. Eventually, this resulted in the foundation of the Bishopric of Calcutta.
Wilberforce was also a founding member of the Church Missionary Society (since renamed Church Mission Society).
Also founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (now the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
He also gave his support to local projects and was treasurer to a charity school near where he lived...much much more but some of it I didn't understand.
He also published many books and was a very religious man. He wanted to do what was right before God. He did this through politics.
The man that wrote the famous song Amazing Grace was his friend. He was a former slave ship person and then turned to religion and Christ's gift of repentance when he was older. The first verse of Amazing Grace is particularly interesting because John Newton was blind in his later years (this was pointed out in the movie) and yet he couldn't see with his body his soul could finally see the grace of God. This part was a big tear jerk er for the audience. I think the whole song is very powerful not just the first verse which is what we usually only hear.
Original form by John Newton
As published in 1779 and 1804, the lyrics read:
Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace
I really liked the movie and learned a lot more about the "freeing of the slaves" America was not the only bad guys in this ugly history, many other countries contributed to slavery. It took very brave and inspired people to make a change in societies thinking and greed. I learned that even though Harriet, Lincoln, William, and others did so much for the cause the slaves were still under oppression for many years to come. It is hard to imagine that even right up to before I was born there was so much hatred and laws and discrimination running strong.
Martin Luther King Jr's I Have A Dream speech was really inspired. (even though it was plagiarized) It wasn't given until 1963. That was only 10 years before I was born. It was a powerful truth that prompted the Civil Rights Act. The Declaration of Independence was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. How did we get so far from these words promised by the "architects of our republic"? Martin L King Jr was to America like William Wilberforce was to Europe.
Now we look back on slavery as if it was all a bad dream. Anyway hopefully by learning about the past we learn from the past and do not repeat it in the future. If you haven't seen Amazing Grace then rent it on DVD soon. We saw it on the last day it was showing in the Bay Area, whew. Also take another look at Uncle Tom's Cabin. Good stuff.
Amazing Grace the movie was released on the 200Th anniversary of the date the Parliament of the United Kingdom voted to ban the transport of slaves by British subjects. Later this helped in the freeing of the slaves in Britain. William Wilberforce is a member of Parliament during the 18Th Century. He has quite a following if you Google him. He was the one that had enough courage to see this through despite the toil on his health and family.
"Wilberforce was elected to the House of Commons at 21 and took on the issue of slavery, successfully assembling a diverse coalition that went up against the most powerful men of the time."
He was so successful because of the people that helped him. They had some great ideas for letting the people become more aware of the horrible things that happened to slaves and pointing out that Christians could not be part of something so horrible.
What is also interesting is that this guy did a lot more then just free the slaves...he just didn't stop there even though that was a pretty big thing. Anyone else would call it a life and just sit around and drink wine and stroll around the extensive grounds near their mansion but he actually was the guy that made some very important matters of social reform some to light. He started a lot of societies but unlike most these actually made a difference and most were very successful. Here are a few of the things he started.
Proclamation for the Discouragement of Vice in 1787 a remedy for immorality and vise.
He introduced Christianity to India with religious teachers being sent there and missionaries. Eventually, this resulted in the foundation of the Bishopric of Calcutta.
Wilberforce was also a founding member of the Church Missionary Society (since renamed Church Mission Society).
Also founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (now the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
He also gave his support to local projects and was treasurer to a charity school near where he lived...much much more but some of it I didn't understand.
He also published many books and was a very religious man. He wanted to do what was right before God. He did this through politics.
The man that wrote the famous song Amazing Grace was his friend. He was a former slave ship person and then turned to religion and Christ's gift of repentance when he was older. The first verse of Amazing Grace is particularly interesting because John Newton was blind in his later years (this was pointed out in the movie) and yet he couldn't see with his body his soul could finally see the grace of God. This part was a big tear jerk er for the audience. I think the whole song is very powerful not just the first verse which is what we usually only hear.
Original form by John Newton
As published in 1779 and 1804, the lyrics read:
Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace
I really liked the movie and learned a lot more about the "freeing of the slaves" America was not the only bad guys in this ugly history, many other countries contributed to slavery. It took very brave and inspired people to make a change in societies thinking and greed. I learned that even though Harriet, Lincoln, William, and others did so much for the cause the slaves were still under oppression for many years to come. It is hard to imagine that even right up to before I was born there was so much hatred and laws and discrimination running strong.
Martin Luther King Jr's I Have A Dream speech was really inspired. (even though it was plagiarized) It wasn't given until 1963. That was only 10 years before I was born. It was a powerful truth that prompted the Civil Rights Act. The Declaration of Independence was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. How did we get so far from these words promised by the "architects of our republic"? Martin L King Jr was to America like William Wilberforce was to Europe.
Now we look back on slavery as if it was all a bad dream. Anyway hopefully by learning about the past we learn from the past and do not repeat it in the future. If you haven't seen Amazing Grace then rent it on DVD soon. We saw it on the last day it was showing in the Bay Area, whew. Also take another look at Uncle Tom's Cabin. Good stuff.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Whole and Healing book.
Oh I loved this book. I won't say much about it becasue I don't want to give away the ending which I cried through.
A young boy in a disfunctional family learns a lot of lessons on being a friend, big brother and becoming a man. A girl changes his perspective on life and inspires him with imagination and friendship that last even more then a lifetime.
Do you remember 5th grade? I could relate because the book was written so well.
I think they made a movie based on this book. I can't wait to see it. If you saw it don't spoil the ending for anyone. This was a fast read. I think it was written for maybe 10-11 year olds but has some really deep themes to discuss with a parent.
Oh I loved this book. I won't say much about it becasue I don't want to give away the ending which I cried through.
A young boy in a disfunctional family learns a lot of lessons on being a friend, big brother and becoming a man. A girl changes his perspective on life and inspires him with imagination and friendship that last even more then a lifetime.
Do you remember 5th grade? I could relate because the book was written so well.
I think they made a movie based on this book. I can't wait to see it. If you saw it don't spoil the ending for anyone. This was a fast read. I think it was written for maybe 10-11 year olds but has some really deep themes to discuss with a parent.
What Type of Homeschooler are you?
What Type of Homeschooler Are You?
Salvador Dali Melting clocks are not a problem in your reality. You are an unschooler. You will tolerate a textbook, but only as a last resort. Mud is your friend. You prefer hands-on everything. If your school had an anthem, it would be Dont Worry, Be Happy. Visit my blog: http://www.GuiltFreeHomeschooling.blogspot.com
Take this quiz!
Quizilla |
Join
| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
I love this book! It was book four of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. My sisters would like these books. I laugh a lot out loud while reading them.
This one was actually clever and cute. The Son of the King of the Enchanted Forest is the main character, the other three books it was mainly his mom's adventures.
One day his mom just hands him a sword and sends him into the Enchanted Forest. He doesn't know why or where he is going. Everyone he meets knows who he is and why he is there but they won't tell him. He meets a fire-witch and she needs to learn some manners. They become friends and have a fun adventure figuring out the who's and whys and what's in the story.
I read this out loud to the kids and my oldest girl of 7 years really liked the story and actually snuggled right up on the bed and listened for hours. She even laughed at the funny parts so I know she was really listening. It has been raining so it was perfect timing for a good book. My oldest 9 yr. old son of course took the book the first day and read to the end before we did. He couldn't wait that long to find out what happened.
Whole Book.
This one was actually clever and cute. The Son of the King of the Enchanted Forest is the main character, the other three books it was mainly his mom's adventures.
One day his mom just hands him a sword and sends him into the Enchanted Forest. He doesn't know why or where he is going. Everyone he meets knows who he is and why he is there but they won't tell him. He meets a fire-witch and she needs to learn some manners. They become friends and have a fun adventure figuring out the who's and whys and what's in the story.
I read this out loud to the kids and my oldest girl of 7 years really liked the story and actually snuggled right up on the bed and listened for hours. She even laughed at the funny parts so I know she was really listening. It has been raining so it was perfect timing for a good book. My oldest 9 yr. old son of course took the book the first day and read to the end before we did. He couldn't wait that long to find out what happened.
Whole Book.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
The Dragons of Blueland by Ruth Stiles Gannett
This is the Third book in the series of My Father's Dragon. It was good but her first book was the best. They are all pretty short so I do like a story to continue and she does this nicely with the 2nd and 3rd book. I think everyone should read these books to their kids. They are so creative and funny and easy for kids 6-10 to understand.
Elmer is the main character. His friend is a gold-winged dragon named Boris. They have great adventures. In this book Boris and Elmer save his family from danger. Very clever and I love happy endings.
Whole Book
Elmer is the main character. His friend is a gold-winged dragon named Boris. They have great adventures. In this book Boris and Elmer save his family from danger. Very clever and I love happy endings.
Whole Book
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
This was a most curious book. I couldn't put it down but when I got to the end there were so many loose ends still... I wish I hadn't read it. I usually don't read books about witches and stuff but a friend said this was a good book. It was creative and fun but it never really cleared up a few mysterious details.
A girl and a boy are orphaned. They live on a different world then the world we know. Witches and warlocks are quite common. The girl is Gwendolen and she is Cat's sister. She is a very powerful witch. He doesn't seem to be able to do any magic.
One day they get adopted by a distant relative and move to a mansion. blah blah blah...Gwendolen has a little temper tantrum and tries to get noticed. Then she does some bad things with magic. Cat is terrified that his sister will take things to far. Chrestomanci is another magic guy...but we never get to find out all the important things about this guy. That is where it really just leaves you hanging. Maybe the book was supposed to be this way because it is written from the perspective of the boy and he seems to be clueless about alot of things...and this leads to his death but only uses one of his 9 lives....
hmmm, weird story and I don't recommend it.
Broken Book
A girl and a boy are orphaned. They live on a different world then the world we know. Witches and warlocks are quite common. The girl is Gwendolen and she is Cat's sister. She is a very powerful witch. He doesn't seem to be able to do any magic.
One day they get adopted by a distant relative and move to a mansion. blah blah blah...Gwendolen has a little temper tantrum and tries to get noticed. Then she does some bad things with magic. Cat is terrified that his sister will take things to far. Chrestomanci is another magic guy...but we never get to find out all the important things about this guy. That is where it really just leaves you hanging. Maybe the book was supposed to be this way because it is written from the perspective of the boy and he seems to be clueless about alot of things...and this leads to his death but only uses one of his 9 lives....
hmmm, weird story and I don't recommend it.
Broken Book
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)