My Own Little Corner

Preschool?

2011-07-25T21:04:00.000-06:00

I love this article from Dr. Laura about why You Don't Need Preschool for Your Kids. There is really no need to push little kids to learn, they will learn so much just from playing and exploring. I'm so glad that I've learned this fact. My oldest son has always been a really fast learner, he has an amazing memory. My three year old doesn't know a lot of things that his older brother knew at 3 years old, but I'm totally okay with that. He learns differently and has different priorities. I have been blessed over the past 4 years that we have been homeschooling to see that my kids thrive much better in a stable home environment where they are free to learn the things they are passionate about. They aren't pushed to learn things too early, and I love it! :)

Favorite Vegan Chocolate Cake

2011-04-18T13:11:00.001-06:00

A couple of years ago I tried making a vegan chocolate cake for my sons birthday. It didn't turn out that great, and so I ended up just using regular cake for the next few birthdays in our family. My son turned 7 last month and I was searching for a different vegan cake to try. I found a couple of recipes, but I was worried about trying them in case it didn't turn out, and I didn't want his birthday cake to be gross. Then it occurred to me that I already had a vegan recipe! When I was a kid my mom would make chocolate tidbit cake, and it was always one of my favorite treats. I even made it the night before I had my first baby, because I wanted one last hit of chocolate. :) Anyway, this cake doesn't have any eggs in it, and I totally forgot all about it. So I made it for Gage's birthday last month and it turned out great! My mom told me that she actually got the recipe from The Friend magazine back in the eighties. You mix the cake in the same pan it bakes in, and I am always a fan of less dishes!

Chocolate Tidbit Cake

1/2 C. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. sugar

3 Tbs. cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbs. vinegar

5 Tbs. oil

1 C. cold water

1/2 - 1 C. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a fork, combine the first five ingredients in a square baking pan. Make a well in the middle of the pan and stir in the vanilla, vinegar and oil. Carefully pour water over everything and stir well. Sprinkle the top evenly with chocolate chips. Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes.

To make it healthier you can use applesauce instead of oil. I found some extra dark chocolate chips that didn't have any milk in them, but you could also use carob chocolate chips, or whatever vegan kind you like. You can even leave off the chocolate chips if you want to, but why would you do that? More chocolate is never a bad thing. ;) We had visitors so I doubled the recipe and made it in a 9x13 pan. I still baked it at 350 and it only needed about 5 more minutes of baking time.

Practically Green

2011-04-12T23:32:00.003-06:00

I heard about Practically Green last week and I think it's a fun website! When you first sign up you take a quiz about all the different green things you are doing and then they give you a rank:

I am "adventurously green"!

After you get your score they give you a bunch of recommendations about things you could do to live healthier and greener. You can check off the things you've done and you can add things you want to do to your plan. It makes it easy to see what you are doing that is good, and it gives you lots of ideas for new things. Right now on my plan I am going to start composting! :) I'm really excited about it for some reason. I have put it off for a long time because I don't have anywhere to do it in my yard, and the bins for vermicomposting are pretty expensive. But I finally realized that it is very easy to make your own bin, so that's what I'm going to do and then I just need buy the right kind of worms. I'm so excited to stop throwing out all our produce scraps!

Over the years I have slowly built up the amount of green things that I do. I started four years ago by switching to reusable shopping bags. I used the cheap dollar bags for a long time, but recently I splurged on a set of envirosax. This is one of my cute bags:

They are more durable and way cuter than the plain black bags I was using for so long. They are waterproof, washable, and very roomy to fit lots of stuff, but they roll up to a very small size when they aren't being used. I am very tempted to buy another set because they are so cute, but I rarely need more than the five bags I have because they are so big! They have a lot of really cute styles you can buy if you feel like splurging yourself. ;)

Some of the other green things I did after switching to reusable shopping bags was:

Making my own cleaners - all you need is borax, castile soap, baking soda and vinegar.
We eat a plant based diet at home.
We bought an energy efficient washer and dryer.
We switched to paperless billing.
I made cloth napkins to use instead of paper.
I stopped buying paper towels and just use rags now.
I stopped dying my hair and let my natural color grow out.
Replaced the burned out light bulbs with CFL's, now that's all we have and they should last a long time.
I recycle our paper/newspaper/cardboard. If we owned our house I would order a recycling bin, but that's not an option right now.
I switched to glass food containers.
I've tried to replace the majority of the plastic in our kitchen. Especially the kind with BPA.
We bought a set of stainless steel cookware to use instead of the toxic non-stick variety.
We started using bar soap rather than liquid soap in plastic containers. I am thinking about trying a recipe to make your own foaming hand soap with castile soap, and that way you can reuse the same container. The foaming soap seems to be easier for little kids, but my boys don't seem to mind the bar soap.
When my husbands car broke down we didn't get a new one for him, so we became a one car family. Sometimes I still wish we had two cars, but for the most part it is better.
I try not to buy products with high fructose corn syrup.
We bought some house plants to help eliminate toxins in our home. Only one of them survived, but we will try again. :)
We planted our first garden last year!
I use the local food co-op when it works with my schedule.
We didn't use any air conditioning last summer. Partially because we were too lazy to hook up the a/c unit, but it did save a ton of energy and money!
I started cloth diapering. Right now I do it part time, and I still use disposables when we are not at home, but I'd like to get into the habit of using them even when we are running errands, because it's really not that much more difficult.
I switched to a DivaCup for that time of the month. It seems kind of weird at first, but it is way less messy and it's reusable and it's pretty much amazing.
I just got some reusable produce bags.

That's all I can think of right now. I didn't do all of these things at once. I've added one thing at a time over the last several years, and there is still so much more that I can do! You will also notice that all of the things I do are also things that save me money! For about a year I tried to buy mostly organic, but we honestly can't afford that right now. I try to buy it when I can, especially produce on the dirty dozen list, and someday I hope to be able to buy more organic.

I know that there is so much waste, toxins and unhealthy things in the world that it seems like one person can't make much of a difference, but I truly believe that the actions of each individual can add up to make a big difference. I am also glad that I can make life more enjoyable and healthy for my family. :)

2011-03-11T16:32:00.002-07:00

“One half of the world cannot understand the pleasure of the other.”

– Emma by Jane Austen

2010 Reading List

2011-01-24T17:07:00.002-07:00

Why do I have this blog? I obviously never write anything on it, and obviously nobody reads it - because there is nothing to read. :) I think my trouble is that I have made a lot of "unique" choices for my family, and I am very happy with those choices, but I don't want other people to think that I am trying to push my choices onto them. I am a very firm believer that we are all capable of making our own choices, and that the same choice isn't right for everyone. I am very happy to not own a TV, to be homeschooling, to rarely eat meat, to use cloth diapers, to be a Mormon, etc. but a lot of people think we are crazy for at least one if not all of those weird things we do. Anyway, I respect everyone else's choices and I need to just write about what I feel and not worry about offending anybody. I'm not forcing anyone to read this blog, so I should stop worrying about talking about my weird life, right?

So, I had this strange idea that I would have no time to read after I had the baby in June, but instead I started reading SO much more. With my first two babies I mostly watched TV while I nursed, but that wasn't an option anymore, so this time I did TONS of reading. Most of it mindless, fun reading, but that's what you need after you have a baby and are barely functioning. I discovered Meg Cabot, and read almost all of her books. She has a lot, so there are still a few I haven't read - mostly because I'm too lazy to put them on hold at the library. She's a great writer though. I also loved The Hunger Games trilogy. Before the baby was born I read Birthing From Within and HypnoBirthing - both great books that I highly recommend if you are having a baby. So here's my reading list for the year, the bold books are ones that are classics or educational.

2010 Reading List (listed in the month the book was finished)
~ Family Reading
* With Kyle

January
*The New Testament (King James Version)
The Hobbit – J.R.R Tolkein

February
The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening – L.J. Smith

March
*The 5,000 Year Leap – Cleon Skouson
The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle – L.J. Smith
Divinely Designed – Rachael Renee Anderson

April
HypnoBirthing – Marie F. Mongan
Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins
Being Sixteen – Allyson Braithwaite Condie
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury – L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion – L.J. Smith

May
~Little Britches – Ralph Moody

June
Birthing From Within – Pam England and Rob Horowitz
*Doctrine and Covenants
The Sunflower – Richard Paul Evans
The Looking Glass – Richard Paul Evans
Once Upon a Marigold – Jean Ferris
My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions – Becca Wilhite
The One O’clock Chop – Ralph Fletcher
The Luckiest Girl – Beverly Cleary

July
*Eclipse – Stephenie Meyer
Jack and Jill – Louisa Mae Alcott
~Stuart Little – E.B. White
The Notebook – Nicholas Sparks
Cheaper by the Dozen – Frank B Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Thwonk – Joan Bauer
Fifteen – Beverly Cleary
Truth or Dairy – Catherine Clark

August
Sister of the Bride – Beverly Cleary
Wurst Case Scenario – Catherine Clark
When You Wish – Kristin Harmel
The Princess Diaries – Meg Cabot
Princess in the Spotlight – Meg Cabot
Princess in Love – Meg Cabot
Princess in Waiting – Meg Cabot
Valentine Princess – Meg Cabot
Princess in Pink – Meg Cabot
Princess in Training – Meg Cabot
Princess Present – Meg Cabot
Party Princess – Meg Cabot

September
Sweet Sixteen Princess – Meg Cabot
Princess on the Brink – Meg Cabot
Project Princess – Meg Cabot
A Modest Proposal – Michele Ashman Bell
The Mediator: Shadowland – Meg Cabot
The Mediator: Ninth Key – Meg Cabot
Princess Mia – Meg Cabot
*Breaking Dawn – Stephenie Meyer
Forever Princess – Meg Cabot
Hometown Girl – Michele Ashman Bell
Teen Idol – Meg Cabot
The Mediator: Reunion – Meg Cabot
All-American Girl – Meg Cabot
The Mediator: Darkest Hour – Meg Cabot
The Mediator: Haunted – Meg Cabot

October
The Mediator: Twilight – Meg Cabot
Ready or Not – Meg Cabot
Airhead – Meg Cabot
Being Nikki – Meg Cabot
Runaway – Meg Cabot
Bright Blue Miracle – Becca Wilhite
Ella Enchanted – Gail Carson Levine
Jinx – Meg Cabot
How to Be Popular – Meg Cabot

November
Girl in Development – Jordan Rotter
When Lightning Strikes – Meg Cabot
Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins
Pants on Fire – Meg Cabot
Hot Lunch – Alex Bradley
Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan Boys – Kate Brian

December
Fake Boyfriend – Kate Brian
Along for the Ride – Sarah Dessen
The Princess and the Pauper – Kate Brian
Confessions of a Not-It Girl – Melissa Kantor
Sweet 16 – Kate Brian
The Boy Next Door – Meg Cabot
Boy Meets Girl – Meg Cabot
~ A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

BBT: Film to Paper

2010-09-02T11:57:00.001-06:00

Even though it’s usually a mistake (grin) … do movies made out of books make you want to read the original?

Of course! There are a lot of books I've read because of seeing the movie, and usually, of course, the book is way better. However, I appreciate the movie for making me aware of the book. I recently read Cheaper by the Dozen, and that's a very amusing book. The only similarity the movie has is that there are twelve kids. I still like the movie though, just because it's fun. I would like to see the original movie, because I've been told it actually is based on the book. I've also been reading The Princess Diaries series which is way better than the movie. The movie, again, has hardly anything in common with the book besides Mia finding out that she's a princess, and the second movie has nothing in common with any of the books. The only thing I've read recently that I think isn't as good as the screen adaptation is The Vampire Diaries. I watched the first season of this show and really liked it so I decided to read the books. They are okay, but the TV show is actually way better. The characters are better and the conflicts are better than in the books, and I actually like all of the changes they have made. I guess it has an advantage because it is a TV show and they have plenty of time for character development and conflict, whereas a movie always has to leave things out because there just isn't enough time to fit it all in.

BTT: Illustrious

2010-03-11T21:26:00.000-07:00

How do you feel about illustrations in your books? Graphs? Photos? Sketches?

I actually really enjoy illustrations, especially when I read classic fiction. I don't want pictures on every page, but I like it when there's about one per chapter. I have a hard time visualizing things, so I often can't picture a setting or a person based off of the description that the author gives. That's why I appreciate it when there are illustrations that give me a better idea of what's going on, or what something looks like. I recently read The Hobbit for the first time and I really enjoyed the illustrations that showed what some of the different characters looked like. The map at the beginning was also very helpful in understanding where they were traveling.

Illustrations are also great when I'm reading to my kids. We usually read a classic youth fiction at night as a family. Most of these books are a bit ahead of our kids understanding, but they learn great things from these books! I like to have illustrations to show them that help them understand what an animal or place looks like, and give them a better understanding of what's going on.

While we are on the subject, I also love pictures in cookbooks! I usually won't try cooking something unless I can see a picture of what it's supposed to look like. :)

2010-03-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

"President Brigham Young was a learner. Althought President Young only had 11 days of formal schooling, he understood the need for learning both the wisdom of God and the things of the world. He was a furniture maker, a missionary, a colonizer, a governor, and the Lord's prophet...

"Perhaps President Young was such a consummate learner precisely because he was not constrained unduly by the arbitrary boundaries so often imposed through the structures and process of formal education. He clearly learned to love learning."

- Learning to Love Learning by Elder David A. Bednar, February 2010 Ensign

2010-03-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Television

2010-03-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

We haven't had a TV for the past couple of years. When we got rid of the television it seemed like a pretty drastic thing to be doing. My husband has never been much of a TV watcher, but I watched WAY too much TV, and my son was getting into the habit of watching a movie almost every day. We knew that it wasn't a good thing though, and we wanted our home to be an environment of learning, so we finally got rid of the TV! I do watch a few shows online, and we use the computer to watch movies. My boys get to watch one movie a week together, and every now and then we have a family movie night.

I borrowed a TV from my parents so that we could watch the Olympics. We decided that the Olympics would be a good learning opportunity, and it was! Gage learned about all sorts of different countries and sports and he really enjoyed it. I was surprised though at how little of an impact the TV had on our home. I was worried that I would be tempted to turn it on all the time, like I was two years ago. This time though, it just sat in a corner and was only turned on for a few hours each day (or some days not at all) to watch the Olympics. I can honestly say now that I am glad we don't own a TV, and I'm amazed at that. :) Yay for me! I actually found the TV kind of annoying. I am used to watching my favorite shows online. I usually have to wait until the day after the show airs, but then I have the convenience of watching the show whenever I want to. The other bonus is that there are way less commercials. I got tired of watching all the commercials during the Olympics, or feeling like you have to channel surf during the commercials. There were often beer commercials or McDonald's commercials, and all sorts of commercials for things that we don't promote in our home. It was annoying to have my son fascinated by those commercials and think that a McDonald's happy meal is a good thing. I know that I can't shield him from everything, but I really don't want to have to battle all those tricky marketing schemes that are on TV to make kids want things that they don't need.

So this was a good experience for me, to prove to myself that I don't want a TV. We've thought about having a TV again at times, but really it's easier not to. Our home is more peaceful without a TV and we all learn better without the distraction.

In other news, I joined a food co-op and got my first order last week! I got all this produce for $10:

That's a great deal for 10 bucks! I was really happy with the experience and plan on getting an order every month! You should definitely see if your area has a food co-op! You basically get to skip the price hike of the grocery store and can buy the food at wholesale price. If you live in Utah, check out The Community Food Co-Op of Utah. There is also another food co-op called Bountiful Baskets that I haven't tried yet, but they have distribution sites in Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Washington, and Las Vegas.

Denial

2010-02-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

Last weeks episode of Parks and Recreation was hilarious, but also kind of sad. The local candy company was going to take over the concessions stands at the parks and they held a public forum about it. A couple of people tried to show that the company's candy and even their "health bar" really wasn't healthy. But nobody cared. They want to be able to eat whatever they want. And that is their right. But why are so many people in denial about the fact that what they eat is giving them diseases that are completely preventable and that eventually may kill them?

You can watch the episode here: http://www.nbc.com/parks-and-recreation/video/episodes/#vid=1199350

The best line: "The whole point of this country is if you want to eat garbage, balloon up to 600 pounds and die of a heart attack at 43, you can. You are free to do so. To me that’s beautiful."

I read an article recently about a state senator who was trying to pass a bill that would force schools to only have "healthy" food in the vending machines, and getting rid of candy and soda. Tons of people were upset (especially students at the schools), and the bill didn't pass. I'm opposed to too much government involvement, so I don't really think a bill is necessary, but everybody would be better off if there weren't even vending machines in schools. Even the so called "healthy" food isn't really all that healthy. If kids want to eat garbage let them get it at home or on their own. Why should we offer it to them in schools? There are times I contemplate if my kids would be better off going to public school, and even if you don't consider all the educational reasons why I've chosen to homeschool, I would never want them to eat the food that they serve in the cafeterias at schools, let alone buy their lunch from a vending machine. For most of my life I was pretty ignorant about the effect food has on our lives. I'm not saying that everyone needs to be a vegetarian, but most diseases could be prevented if people would just eat healthier and get rid of the junk food.

Our Favorite Tofu Dish

2010-02-03T22:20:00.001-07:00

Over the past couple of years my family has transitioned into being mostly vegan. It started with my husband giving up meat and later other animal products, and I was pretty slow to follow. It took me a while to have any interest in changing my diet, but I read The China Study last year and that pretty much sold me on the health benefits of a vegan diet - which is the main reason we have chosen to eat this way. A lot of people go vegan for ethical reasons, but for us it's more about good health. Although the more books I read and the more I learn about the treatment of animals, the more I feel bad for them and meat appeals to me even less. I try to keep animal products out of our home, but when we eat out or eat at our parents (which only happens about once a month) I let the boys eat whatever they want and I usually end up having at least a little cheese if not some meat. I'm definitely not a perfect vegan, but I'm working on it! My husband is much better at staying on the diet all the time.

Anyway, I'm not very good at coming up with my own recipes, but over the last two years I've found enough vegan recipes online and in cook books to have a good variety. Last night I made one of our favorite tofu dishes: Thai Curry Tofu. It's a recipe I found on All Recipes, and it's easy to adapt to vegan because the only thing you have to substitute is the butter! We like to serve it over rice. I like the tofu cooked this way. If you fry it long enough it gets a nice crispy outside, and tastes great. So this is one of the more common recipes I use tofu in.

I'm sometimes amazed at all the changes we have made compared to when we were first married. I never dreamed I would become a vegan, much less a homeschooler, but we have transitioned into both things slowly and are really happy with the life we have!

2009 Reading List

2010-01-18T16:51:00.011-07:00

Wow, I sure haven't blogged in a while. I thought I'd try to get back in the swing of things and post my 2009 reading list. I didn't do much reading the last few months. None at all in December! That's pretty crazy. I guess it was a busy holiday season, plus I'm pregnant and October through December were my rougher months of pregnancy so I didn't do much reading. Things are going better now, and I'm due in June so we are really excited!

2009 Reading List (listed in the month the book was finished)
~ Family Reading
* With Kyle

January
Sunday’s at Tiffany’s – James Patterson
A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
A Promise of Forever – Anita Stansfield
~New Testament Stories
The Loser’s Guide to Life and Love – A.E. Cannon
Big Ben is Back – Anya Bateman
Journey Home – Jennie Hansen
~ Book of Mormon Stories
Eve’s Daughter’s – Lynn Austin
The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne

February
The Girl Who Could Fly – Victoria Forester
*The New Testament – King James Version
What the Doctor Ordered – Sierra St. James

March
An Unexpected Love – Michelle Ashman Bell
Redemption Road – Toni Sorenson Brown
~The Trumpet of the Swan – E.B. White
Winter Fire – Rachel Ann Nunes
Counting Stars – Michele Paige Holmes
~Book of Mormon Stories
Where Heaven Begins – Rosanne Bittner

April
No Longer Strangers – Rachel Ann Nunes
Chasing Yesterday – Rachel Ann Nunes
~Doctrine and Covenants Stories
Rules of Engagement – Stephanie Fowers
Hope – Lori Copeland
Meet Your Match – Stephanie Fowers

May
Ruth – Lori Copeland
Taking Chances – Shannon Guymon
Justifiable Means – Shannon Guymon
The Plan – David Steenhoek
The Icing on the Cake – Elodia Strain
Previously Engaged – Elodia Strain
To Have or to Hold – Josi S. Kilpack
~Old Testament Stories

June
Austenland – Shannon Hale
~New Testament Stories
A Crooked Kind of Perfect – Linda Urban
Makeover – Shannon Guymon
*Doctrine and Covenants
Spare Change – Aubrey Mace
Star Shining Brightly – Marcia Mickelson
Unsung Lullaby – Josi s. Kilpack
Enthusiasm – Polly Shulman
*Pearl of Great Price
~The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame

July
The Red Badge of Courage – Stephen Crane
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow – Jessica Day George
~Book of Mormon Stories

August
The China Study – T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell
How to Stuff a Wild Zucchini – Heather Horrocks
Persuasion – Jane Austen

September
The Heart of a Stranger – Pamela Griffin
Christmas Legacy – Kathleen Fuller
Boys Adrift – Leonard Sax
~Little House in the Big Woods – Laura Ingalls Wilder
Church in the Wildwood – Dooly, Dykes, Griffin and Mayne
~Old Testament Stories

October
Bound with Love – Croston, Hake, Hake, and Livingston
Saving Madeline – Rachel Ann Nunes
The Lost Symbol – Dan Brown
~New Testament Stories
3 Willows – Ann Brashares

November
*New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
Eyes Like Mine – Julie Wright

The books in bold are the "good" books I read - classics, educational and church books. They are the kind of books I wish I read all the time. I enjoy reading chick lit, and LDS fiction stuff, so sometimes I get in a phase where I read a bunch of that kind of stuff and then I get sick of it and want to read something more meaningful. This year I am hoping to finally finish the 5 Pillar Reading List, and to do a lot more educational type reading. I just need to find the stuff that I'm really interested in and then it will be easy to read. I'll try to do better with blogging, not that anyone really reads this blog anyway, but it will help me keep on top of homeschooling and reading. :)

BTT: Preferences

2009-07-23T13:28:00.002-06:00

Which do you prefer? (Quick answers–we’ll do more detail at some later date)

Reading something frivolous? Or something serious? Usually something frivolous, but I always have a serious book on the side.
Paperbacks? Or hardcovers? Hardcover
Fiction? Or Nonfiction? Fiction
Poetry? Or Prose? Prose
Biographies? Or Autobiographies? Autobiographies
History? Or Historical Fiction? Historical fiction
Series? Or Stand-alones? Series
Classics? Or best-sellers? Classics
Lurid, fruity prose? Or straight-forward, basic prose? Straight-forward, basic prose.
Plots? Or Stream-of-Consciousness? Plots, but I really enjoy books written in 1st person.
Long books? Or Short? Somewhere in the middle.
Illustrated? Or Non-illustrated? I like classics that have illustrations in them, it helps me understand the characters and setting better.
Borrowed? Or Owned? Borrowed from the library.
New? Or Used? Usually used.

RTH: The Red Badge of Courage

2009-07-10T12:07:00.004-06:00

I found The Red Badge of Courage very interesting. The language of Stephen Crane was very beautifully written. I gained a better understanding of what the Civil War may have been like. With the different directions Henry's character takes you are able to see two sides of his character, and two different kinds of soldiers.

I was surprised that he ran away on the first day, and that he didn't go back when he realized that they were still fighting. Leaving behind the wounded soldier seemed like an insensitive thing to do, but it appeared to me that there wasn't much to be done for the wounded soldiers. There were people bleeding and dying everywhere. Of course, Henry left because he was upset and embarrassed that he didn't have any injuries. The guilt he was feeling propelled some of his bad choices.

I think the important thing is that once the battle was over he was able to look back at that first day and learn from it. During the second day he became a much different person, someone he felt he could be proud of. He had to put his "sin at a distance", and he realized that he despised his early beliefs and was happy to see that change in himself.

Henry was able to overcome his personal struggle and he realized that "he would no more quail before his guides wherever they should point." He felt that he had become a man, and his soul was changed.

A lot of us make bad choices, or do things we regret, but the important thing is to learn from those mistakes. We can put our sins in the distance (repent), and become a better person through the experience. That is was this book was about for me.

Next month we will be discussing White Fang by Jack London. Feel free to join in at the Reading Through History Book Club.

BTT: Waiting to Read

2009-07-09T12:26:00.000-06:00

Give me the list or take a picture of all the books you have stacked on your bedside table, hidden under the bed or standing in your shelf – the books you have not read, but keep meaning to.

Oh man, can I just put up a picture of my whole bookcase?! lol. In the past year or so I have been buying almost every classic book I can find at the library or the thrift store, so I have a couple of shelves full of books that I need to read. It takes me a lot longer to read classics. I can read a contemporary book in a day or two, but classics take me a while. First of all, some of them are boring so I can only stand to read a chapter each day. Also, I read them slower and I often reread passages trying to understand the deeper meaning. So they take me a while. I usually only read one classic a month, if I'm lucky, but I promise I'm working on all those books that are waiting on the shelf.

There are also a couple of books that I am half-way through and I just need to finish them so I can move on. My husband and I started reading Bleak House many months ago. I would read to him while he painted. He hasn't been painting much lately, so we haven't been reading. We are only half-way through, but it's a huge book so half is quite a lot of pages. I want to finish it so I can say we read it, but it's also not that interesting at the moment so we aren't rushing to finish it. I also started Uncle Tom's Cabin for a book club a few months ago, and I still haven't finished it. I do think it is an interesting book, there are tons of insightful things in it and I have really enjoyed it so far, but it just seems like I always have something else to read. I really need to finish it though so that it will stop weighing on my mind. :)

Calvin and Hobbes

2009-06-19T22:45:00.003-06:00

(Click on the comic to see it bigger!)

Gage's latest reading obsession is Calvin and Hobbes. I used to love this comic strip, and they had The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes on sale at the library a while back so I bought it. Gage saw the book and has been reading it almost every day for the past few weeks.

Most of the time he reads it on his own, but every now and then he'll ask me to read him a few pages. He really loves the story where they go camping, but it ends up raining all week (the one at top is the first comic in that camping series). Some of them still make me laugh out loud while I'm reading them to him.

I am amazed at how well Gage is reading. If any of you want teach your kids to read, I highly recommend the book Teach your child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. I used this book because it was given to us, so I figured I would try it out and if we didn't like it we would switch to a different method. It has been great though! Each of the lessons is short and sweet, and can be done in about 10 to 15 minutes. The method is based on learning how to sound out words, rather than learning words by picture association. That way they will be able to read any word, without the need for pictures. The lessons build upon each other and have a sentence, paragraph or story at the end that your child can read all by themselves after they finish the lesson.

One of the things they talk about in TJEd is that it is perfectly acceptable if your child doesn't learn to read until they are older (like 10 or even 12), and there have been studies that show that kids who learn to read later on in life are more proficient readers. This has always made me cringe a little bit though, because I think reading is so important, but I can't read to Gage all day long. One of the big things with this method of education is helping your kids develop a love of learning, and that won't occur if you are forcing them to learn things, especially at too young of an age. So, needless to say I almost felt guilty wanting to teach Gage how to read, because I'm supposed to wait, right? However, I did it in a way that I felt I was inspiring his interest, and I felt like it was something he was ready for.

He has always loved reading and would have me read him several books every day. He started reading some stories to himself - the ones he had memorized. He has a remarkable memory, so I knew learning letter sounds would be easy for him. I mentioned to him way back in September that if he wanted to learn how to read I could help him. He said "okay", but he wasn't interested at the moment. About a month later he finally said "Mom, I want to learn how to read today." This was really funny, because he thought it was something he could learn in a single day. We did the first lesson, and then let it rest for a while. We would be done with the lessons by now if I made him do a lesson every day, but I decided not to push it. We do lessons when he wants to and he is more than halfway through the lessons. The problem now, is that he is reading so well that he isn't really interested in the lessons anymore. He would rather just read his other books all day long. I try to get at least one lesson a week in, because there are still things that he can learn. The most confusing thing is that a single letter can make so many different sounds, so sometimes that mixes him up.

I am constantly in awe at how well he reads, though, and I am so glad that he enjoys books so much. I can only read him so many books each day, so he is really happy to be able to read as many as he wants now. I feel good about teaching him to read, even if it is a bit young for TJEd standards. He is really happy to be reading, and has learned so many new things just by the books he picks out at the library and wants to read. That is really the beauty about homeschooling though, you can tailor the education to fit your child, and you can teach them things when they are interested and ready. :)

BTT: Niche

2009-06-12T20:34:00.008-06:00

There are certain types of books that I more or less assume all readers read. (Novels, for example.)

But then there are books that only YOU read. Instructional manuals for fly-fishing. How-to books for spinning yarn. How to cook the perfect souffle. Rebuilding car engines in three easy steps. Dog training for dummies. Rewiring your house without electrocuting yourself. Tips on how to build a NASCAR course in your backyard. Stuff like that.

What niche books do YOU read?

The obvious answer is books about homeschooling and education. This is something I was never really interested in, but after I read A Thomas Jefferson Education my whole life pretty much changed.

I would highly recommend reading this book, even if you aren't interested in homeschooling. It is a great teaching method and an eye-opening look at education, and can be applied by parents and teachers.

Another book about education that really opened my eyes to the reality of public schooling is Dumbing us Down by John Taylor Gatto. He is a public school teacher, and he has a very realistic look at education.

Another niche of books that I've been reading recently is books about organic and natural living.

Organic Living in 10 Simple Lessons was a good starting book for me to read, and helped me to get a picture of what Organic Living is really all about.

Home Enlightenment is a great book that has tons of recipes and solutions of how to take care of your home and yourself naturally and without toxins. I started making my own cleaners a few months ago, and all of my recipes came from this book. I haven't finished reading the whole thing yet, but it's great!

The Icing on the Cake by Elodia Strain

2009-06-06T21:54:00.004-06:00

This is my first post for the Summer Reading Thing over at LDS Publisher. I don't usually review books, I just like to read the books and leave it at that. But I'll give it a go. :)

The Icing on the Cake by Elodia Strain is a fun, clean chick-lit. It is written by an LDS author, but the church is only mentioned a couple of times, and I really think that anyone would love and enjoy this book! It's so refreshing to be able to read a fun chick-lit without having to worry about bad language or provocative relationships.

Annabelle Pleasanton is such a funny and lovable character. I was seriously laughing within the first few pages of the book, and continued to laugh and cry right along with Annabelle as she dealt with her job, her best friend getting engaged, and a cute new love interest. I had a hard time putting this book down and enjoyed it to the last page. I even went to the store that same day and bought the sequel, because I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. That's saying a lot because I hardly ever buy books, I usually just get them at the library. I have already read the sequel, I was really that excited about it, but I'll save that post for another day. :)

BTT: Sticky

2009-06-04T12:46:00.002-06:00

"This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.”

These are the first ones that came to mind. These books have all stuck with me for different reasons. Some I grew up reading, so they will always be a part of my life. Some have taught me important lessons, or helped me to make major changes in my life. Others just have stories or characters that I will never forget!

1. The Book of Mormon
2. Holy Bible (King James Version)
3. A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver Van DeMille
4. Dumbing us Down by John Taylor Gatto
5. Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke
6. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
8. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
9. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
10. Little Britches by Ralph Moody
11. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
12. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
13. The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright
14. The Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour
15. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

BTT: Unread

2009-05-28T14:44:00.002-06:00

Is there a book that you wish you could “unread”? One that you disliked so thoroughly you wish you could just forget that you ever read it?

I can't really think of a book that would fit this category. If I start a book and don't like it, I just stop reading it. I enjoy some books more than others, but even the books that I don't enjoy as much have some good things in them or a lesson of some sort that I can learn. I enjoy learning about human nature and the reason why people do the things they do, and almost every book has some insight to a new kind of character.

Summer Reading Challenge

2009-05-25T17:06:00.006-06:00

LDS Publisher is having a fun summer reading challenge. The main gist of the challenge is to read and review fiction by LDS authors. Since most of the books I read are LDS fiction, this sounded like a lot of fun to me! I'm supposed to give a list of which books I plan to read, this is kind of hard because I usually just read whatever I can find at the library. :) These are the books I have recently put on hold though, so hopefully I will be able to read them this summer:

The Icing on the Cake by Elodia Strain - read my review
Previously Engaged by Elodia Strain
Makeover by Shannon Guymon
How to Stuff a Wild Zucchini by Heather Horrocks
Poisioned Pedigree by G.G. Vandagriff
Lemon Tart by Josi S. Kilpack
Her Good Name by Josi S. Kilpack
To Have or to Hold by Josi S. Kilpack
The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale
Austenland by Shannon Hale

So those are the books that I am definitely planning to read, as long as my turn comes up on the hold list. :) If I read any other books that I find at the library, I'll add them to the list as well. Feel free to join in the challenge, you can get the details about it here. Happy Reading!

Pasta Making

2009-05-22T21:01:00.002-06:00

I have been horrible about blogging lately. When I started this blog I had so many ideas of things I would talk about on my blog, but that just hasn't happened. My schedule has been all out of whack lately and I haven't been getting nearly as much accomplished as I would like to. I'm past due on my six month inventory, which I know would really help me to get things back in focus.

One fun thing we did recently was break out the pasta machine! My husband got me this pasta machine a few years ago, and it seriously has just been sitting in the cupboard ever since. I've been trying to go more natural with most things lately, so I finally decided to try making pasta. It was way easier than I thought it would be and it turned out great!

Gage had a lot of fun helping me, too! He actually did most of the work for me, because he loved turning the handle. It was fun to make, and more exciting to eat knowing we made it from scratch. And I'm sure this counts as some kind of educational class for Gage. ;)

BTT: A Second First Time

2009-05-21T20:52:00.002-06:00

What book would you love to be able to read again for the first time?

I would love to be able to read Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke. I loved that book the first time around. I still love it, but it's just not as exciting when you already know what is going to happen. Another one is Twilight. I couldn't put that book down the first time I read it, and it was really fun to discover the characters and the relationships. When I read it the second time it just wasn't as exciting, and I noticed more of the cheesiness in the book. :)

BTT: Gluttony

2009-05-14T20:47:00.001-06:00

Book Gluttony! Are your eyes bigger than your book belly? Do you have a habit of buying up books far quicker than you could possibly read them? Have you had to curb your book buying habits until you can catch up with yourself? Or are you a controlled buyer, only purchasing books when you have run out of things to read?

I hardly ever buy books at full price. My problem is with thrift stores and library sales. I just can't pass up a great price on a book, especially one that is a classic. I have a lot of books I have bought from the library that I still haven't read. I am in such a habit of reading books from the library, that I rarely read a book from my own bookshelves. It's kind of pathetic really. When I see a book I want to read at the library, I think that I have to check it out right away, because it might not be available next time. So it's just a cycle of me constantly checking out books I think might be good, and hardly ever reading the great books I have at home!

BTT: Windfall

2009-04-16T15:23:00.003-06:00

What would you spend an unexpected windfall on? Say … $50? How about $500?

Well, there are lots of things I would want to buy, but I will keep this book related. If I had $50 I would buy some of my favorite classics to add to my collection - maybe a nice set of Jane Austen's books, or the Anne of Green Gables set. I would also like to get the Little Britches series by Ralph Moody, so that I could read them to my boys. So I would probably pick one of those book sets.

If I have 500 bucks to spend I would probably get a digital reader. I didn't think they were for me, but the more I read about them, the more I want one. lol. Maybe it's just the consumer magic getting to me, but I think it would be really convenient and nice.

BTT: Numbers

2009-04-09T15:16:00.001-06:00

Some people read one book at a time. Some people have a number of them on the go at any given time, perhaps a reading in bed book, a breakfast table book, a bathroom book, and so on, which leads me to…

1. Are you currently reading more than one book?
2. If so, how many books are you currently reading?
3. Is this normal for you?
4. Where do you keep your current reads?

I usually read several books at a time. First, I usually have something fun to read, a book that will entertain me. Second, I almost always have a classic that I am working my way through. Those don't always grab my attention though, so sometimes I have to set a schedule for myself and read for a certain amount of time each day. Third, I usually have some type of educational book that I am reading. Either a book about homeschooling, organic living, parenting, or something of that nature. Fourth, I read the scriptures or a church article everyday. I also will occasionally add a magazine into the mix, or a church book. So I guess I have a lot on my plate. ;) The stuff I am reading is all over the place - mostly the living room, bedroom, or kitchen.

BTT: Libraries

2009-04-02T11:45:00.002-06:00

How often do you use your public library and how do you use it? Has the coffeehouse/bookstore replaced the library? Did you go to the library as a child? Do you have any particular memories of the library? Do you like sleek, modern, active libraries or the older, darker, quiet, cozy libraries?

I love the library! I take my sons every week for story time, and the majority of the books I read come from the library. I usually only buy a book if I have already read it from the library and know that I want to own it. It doesn't matter to me if a library is old or new, as long as it has a good selection of books.

I am also grateful that our library here in Utah has a good story time for my kids. We lived in a small town in Missouri for a couple of years and their libraries weren't very successful at doing story time. I don't know if it was the size of the town, or just the people who lived there, but we went a few times and usually there was only one other kid. The library here in Utah has story time three days of the week, and they have divided it into two groups - toddlers and preschoolers. Their are always tons of people there and I think that is great! I am grateful that the community is supportive of the library and a lot of people seem to understand the importance of books and reading.

The library has always been an important part of my life, and I am making it a big part of my children's lives too!

Captain Organic Vegetable Man

2009-03-30T14:42:00.001-06:00

Lately I have been doing a lot of studying about organics and green living. I just got done reading a book about organic living, and I just have to say I have a much greater appreciation for the song "Captain Organic Vegetable Man" by Moosebutter. Moosebutter is an awesome a cappella group. I think their songs are hilarious. When my husband was in an a cappella group in college they did a couple of concerts with Moosebutter. I couldn't find the full length version of Captain Organic, but I added a playlist that has at least a preview of it and a few of their other songs. Enjoy! :)

Edited to add: I don't have the playlist up anymore, but you can hear "Captain Organic Vegetable Man" and all of Moosebutter's other songs by visiting their website here.

BTT: Worst 'Best' Book

2009-03-19T14:27:00.006-06:00

What’s the worst ‘best’ book you’ve ever read — the one everyone says is so great, but you can’t figure out why?

This is a hard question for me, because I generally avoid books that I know I won't like. I will say that I started to read Moby Dick for my the online book group I'm in, and I just wasn't into it. The topic doesn't interest me at all, and neither does the style of writing. I have also tried to start some non-fiction C.S. Lewis a few times, and I haven't ever gotten very far into the books. The writing doesn't keep me interested very well, but I always hear all these great quotes from his non-fiction books. Someday I will finish a C.S. Lewis book! :)

So, I haven't actually read these things, but they are what comes to mind. :)

This Stuff is Amazing!

2009-03-17T16:58:00.001-06:00

About a year ago we decided to get new pots and pans. Our old, non-stick pans, were getting worn out. We decided to forgo non-stick this time because of the whole Teflon controversy, and we ended up buying this beautiful stainless steel cookware set from Rachael Ray:

I have loved the way the pans look, and they work great for cooking with liquid ingredients. However, they slowly build up with white spots that are hard to get out no matter how much scrubbing you do. I had heard of Bar Keepers Friend from several people but hadn't tried it, and then I finally found it at the store.

This stuff is amazing! It took off all the white spots and my pots and pans look brand new again! You don't even have to scrub the pan very hard. They should seriously just give you a canister of this stuff whenever you buy stainless steel cookware...it saves so much time!

Home School Hours

2009-03-16T12:59:00.005-06:00

So I haven't posted in a couple of weeks. I got caught up on my BTT posts though, so it looks like I wasn't as much as a slacker. ;) I was sick for a while, at first I thought it was the flu, but then it turned out to be strep throat - which was crazy since my throat hardly hurt the first couple of days. Anyway, I was just grateful to feel better and I am amazed that no one else in my family got it! It was a few days before I got any medication and wasn't contagious anymore.

We've also been busy lately. My oldest, Gage, is going to turn 5 years old this week! That just seems crazy to me, the time sure has flown. We had family visit on the weekend and we had a party to celebrate. With this birthday comes the time for Gage to become an "official homeschooler". I guess I need to turn in an affidavit to the school, what exactly is it supposed to say? I don't really know...if anyone else does, please enlighten me! I looked up what I need to do for our local school district. I found the requirements interesting:

"Each minor who attends home school shall receive instruction:

In the subjects the State Board of Education required to be taught in public schools, the State Core Curriculum.
For the same length of time as required in public schools, which is 180 days or 990 hours (approximately 51/2 hours per day)."

I've heard that Utah is pretty lenient compared to other states, and I suppose it is. Those are really the only two requirements they had. I just find the length of time thing interesting. My son is going to be getting one on one instruction - or at the most it will be one on two instruction if my one year old is involved. He will obviously be able to learn things a lot quicker than the kids in our local kindergarten who, according to the brochure I got in the mail, will have a teacher/student ratio of 1/23. Which I guess is supposed to be considered a good class size, but you can't really beat 1/1, and having your individual educational needs met all of the time. :) I've heard a lot of people say that almost everything you do can count as "school" - cooking, cleaning, playing, reading etc. So I'm sure I can meet the time requirements, but I just think it's odd that they require that much time. Especially since a lot of kindergarten time is spent just managing the crowd.

Edited to add: I actually found out I don't have to submit an affidavit until next year - when he's six. I guess Kindergarten isn't actually required. :)

BTT: Movie Potential

2009-03-12T12:37:00.000-06:00

What book do you think should be made into a movie? And do you have any suggestions for the producers?

I think that The Walking Drum and The Lonesome Gods, both by Louis L'Amour, would both make fantastic movies. It was so hard for me to imagine what the world was like in The Walking Drum, and I think it would be amazing to see it visually. They probably won't ever make a movie though, because L'Amour never got to write the sequel to the book. I wouldn't be upset if they changed the ending though, so that it would be more conclusive.

I also would like to see a good version of Jane Eyre. I read the book a while ago, and so far have watched three different movies - and I haven't been very fond of any of them. Some were very faithful to the book, but they also made me want to snore. The others made unnecessary changes to the story line, or were just way too long. I personally love the newer version that they did of Pride and Prejudice. I know they had to make changes so that it could be a regular length film, but I loved the feel of that movie - they really captured the essence of the book. I wish they would make a movie of Jane Eyre that is similar to that - with beautiful music, cinematography, and acting - and one that I wouldn't need to set aside 6 hours to watch.

BTT: Best Book You Haven't Read

2009-03-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

What’s the best book that YOU haven’t read yet?

I would probably say Les Miserables. I've heard so many people say what an amazing book it is, but I have never read it. I know the story and have listened to the musical, but I have yet to pick up the book and read it.

BTT: Collectibles

2009-02-26T14:56:00.003-07:00

Hardcover? Or paperback?
Illustrations? Or just text?
First editions? Or you don’t care?
Signed by the author? Or not?

Most of these things don't really matter to me. If it is a favorite book I like to get it in a hardback, because of it's durability. I have never been to an author signing, but it would be fun to do sometime. I have one or two books that were signed, but it doesn't really make a difference to me. The only kind of books I really am "collecting" are classics. I try to find them in hardbacks, but it doesn't matter to me if they have illustrations, if they are a first edition, or if they are signed. As long as I can read the book, I'm happy. :)

100 Books Tag

2009-02-23T15:52:00.003-07:00

The BBC says most people will have only read 6 of these 100 books.
Instructions: Look at the list and bold those you have read.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien - I own it, but haven't gotten to it yet...
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling - My husband doesn't like the movies, so I haven't read these yet. I don't care enough about them to annoy my husband by reading them. :)
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens - This is the current book I am reading with my husband. We are about half way through it, but it's a LONG book. It may take a while.
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame - We own it, and it's on my list to read to Gage, but we haven't gotten to it yet.
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno - Dante
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

I've read 28 out of 100. Not too shabby, considering most people have only read 6, but that's still basically like an F. lol. A lot of these books are on my "To be read" list, so hopefully I'll get to them at some point. :)

2009-02-20T22:00:00.001-07:00

“My ma told me that there isn’t anything in this life worth having that comes easy. She told me that every road I walk down’s gonna have a price. But what she didn’t tell me and what I learned since I’ve been here is that if you don’t choose the road you’re gonna walk, sooner or later someone else’ll do that choosing for you.”

– Victoria Forester The Girl Who Could Fly

BTT: Bookshelves

2009-02-19T10:42:00.004-07:00

“How do you arrange your books on your shelves? Is it by author, by genre, or you just put it where it falls on?”

We have several bookcases, because we have lots of books! The bookcases are pretty much divided by genre or category. I try to organize them by the type of book they are, or the size, so that the shelves look "pretty". We have a bookcase with all of our church related books on it; a bookcase with our journals, yearbooks, and school scrapbooks; a bookcase with our theatre and music books; a bookcase with self-help and informational sort of books; and our last bookcase is the big one my husband built and it has all of our classics, children's, and homeschooling related books on it.

Our big bookcase is out in the living room, so that it can be in the center of our home. For this bookcase we followed an organization system recommended in one of the TJEd books called Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning. Basically, you organize the book shelves in order of the different phases. The core phase (age 0-8) books are on the bottom two shelves, the love of learning phase (ages 8-12) books are above the core phase books, and the scholar phase (ages 12-16) books are on the top shelf. The bookcase is supposed to be at least 5 feet tall, which ours us not. We don't feel comfortable with that tall of a bookcase, unless it can be secured to the wall. And since we are renting, that isn't an option right now. Anyway, the idea is supposed to be that the scholar phase books are organized neatly at the top where the kids can't reach them. It's important for them to look up at those books and wish they could reach them. It gives them something to work towards in their education. The core books are a little more haphazard on the bottom shelves, because you should let the kids do whatever they want with their books. If the bottom shelves are organized really neatly the kids will feel like they aren't allowed to touch the books. Sure you can straighten out the books every now and then but you shouldn't have a very specific order to things, or the kids might catch on that there is a system and feel like they are being forced to learn. ;) Our shelf is a variation that fits for our family right now. We mostly have core phase books because that is the phase our kids are in. I am slowly building up my love of learning book collection, and reading those books that I missed out on in my own youth. When we move into a house we plan to have several wall mounted book shelves that are organized in this manner. Here's to hoping - that we can ever afford a house! :)

2009-02-15T21:34:00.002-07:00

"The Lord loves each of us too much to merely let us go on being what we now are, for he knows what we have the possibility to become!"

- Neal A. Maxwell, In Him All Things Hold Together

Funny Stuff

2009-02-13T15:15:00.002-07:00

My friend e-mailed me this cartoon, and I just had to share it.

BTT: Author's Blogs

2009-02-12T11:13:00.003-07:00

Do you read any author’s blogs? If so, are you looking for information on their next project? On the author personally? Something else?

There are a few authors whose websites I read every now and then. Most of them it is just to see if they have any new projects in the works, or if one of their books are going to be made into a movie. The only one that I always read is Stephenie Meyer. I have her on my blog roll, and while the movie Twilight was being made it was fun to see all the things that she had on her blog in relation to the movie. It was always the quickest way to see new photos, or find out new info about the movies. They usually have a link if there is a news article or magazine article. It should be fun to see what they put on the site about the New Moon movie.

She also gives book recommendations every now and then. A couple of weeks ago she recommended the book The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester. I have Stephenie Meyer's site on my blog roll, so I saw the new post almost right away. Well, I put it on hold at the library, and it was available a couple of days later. When I picked up the book (a few days after she posted the recommendation on her blog) the librarian said I could only have the book for two weeks, instead of the typical three, because the book was a "hot item" and had a lot of requests. I was one of the first people to request it I guess, but I went and looked online, and the book had 43 requests at one library - all because Stephenie Meyer recommended it. lol. Victoria Forester better be grateful!

What about socialization?!

2009-02-09T16:10:00.003-07:00

"I still keep hearing of schools that, because it wastes time or makes the lunch room too noisy, do not allow children to talk even at lunch, and more and more even of schools that have entirely cut out recess. When, then, does the 'social life' take place that schools say is so important?"

-John Holt How Children Learn

I laughed out loud when I read this. Before this quote Holt talks about how teachers do most of the talking at school, even though it is the students who need more training in speech and talking. The usual rule at school is that students only talk when called upon by the teacher, and they get hardly any time to talk with one another about whatever they want. This leads to kids who don't have anything to say, who can't think of anything to say, and who think their opinion has no importance.

I will admit that I used to use the "what about socialization?" excuse, but it didn't take very long for my eyes to be opened that public schools are not a very healthy form of socialization. My kids can learn more about socialization by being exposed to people of all ages, cultures, and social statuses in a real world setting. In the "real world" our socialization is nothing like our public school experience. How many of us work with people who are all the same age as us? And hopefully we aren't still dividing ourselves in to cliques like we did in high school. Homeschoolers have the opportunity to interact with a much greater variety of people, and to feel comfortable in all types of settings. I really don't plan on keeping my children locked in the house their entire lives! So please don't be worried about my children becoming social recluses. We have lots of opportunities to be around other people, and we get to avoid all of the negative aspects of public school socialization. So I think we'll be just fine. :)

RTH: The Scarlet Letter

2009-02-05T21:50:00.005-07:00

For some reason I have had a hard time trying to figure out what I want to say about The Scarlet Letter. I enjoyed the book and didn't find it difficult to read, but it's not one of my favorites.

I think my big issue is that I am a forgiving person, and I want people to find happiness and overcome their trials. I believe that people can repent of their mistakes and move on with their lives. Hester was more successful at doing that, but it was very difficult for me to see Dimmsdale so miserable. I was also frustrated that Hester had to marry someone she didn't care for in the first place.

I guess my real issue is with the time period. I think it's safe to say that I am really glad that I didn't live during the Puritan times. Don't get me wrong, I'm a religious person, and the idea of having a government that is connected with the church and strongly encourages moral behavior seems like a good idea. But they were obviously going a little bit overboard. Hawthorne says that "a penalty which in our days would infer a degree of mocking infamy and ridicule might then be invested with almost as stern a dignity as the punishment of death itself." Dimmsdale was afraid to admit his crime, probably because a death sentence would be waiting for him.

Obviously Hester and Arthur did something that was wrong, but I also have a problem with the whole public shaming thing. I suppose it was done so that others could see the embarrassment that can come from committing a sin, but as one of the women said "let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart." Even without the "A" on her chest, Hester would always remember her crime, and the consequences it brought. I believe that repentance is something that should be between a person and their God - "the physician of the soul". The religious leader and the people wronged may need to be included, but I really finding it appalling that the Puritans felt it necessary to publicly administer punishment for every crime.

I found it interesting that Hester developed a "sympathetic knowledge of the hidden sin in other hearts". Every one of is a sinner, in some degree or another. Hester could see it in other peoples countenances, yet she was the one who has to endure public shame. I feel like this whole system of government simply compelled people to hide all their faults and mistakes because there was no chance for forgiveness or retribution. The only time Dimmsdale was willing to publicly admit his crime, was when he knew he was going to die anyway.

I'm glad Hester was able to obtain strength through her years, her crime and the letter actually seemed to give her more freedom. "The world's law was no law for her mind." She had already broken the law, so she wasn't restricted by it anymore. She was free to think about things "such as dared to enter no other dwelling in New England". I took that to mean that she wasn't bound by her cultural and religious beliefs. She felt free to think about other options, and had no qualms about running away with Dimmesdale and living together as a family.

Chillingworth is an interesting character. He is so set on revenge, that it alters who he is. He showed "striking evidence of man's faculty of transforming himself into a devil, if he will only, for a reasonable space of time, undertake a devil's office." All we have to do is one evil deed, and the devil can take root in our hearts. His hatred had "transformed a wise and just man to a fiend", and his revenge was even darker than Dimmesdale's sin. As Hester was rising above her shame, Chillingworth was lowering himself in his evil designs. It was interesting though that he seemed to feel no anger towards Hester. He felt that they were both to blame, and that when they married he should have known this would be the eventual result. At the beginning of the book, when he meets Hester in the prison, he tells her that "thou and thine, Hester Prynne, belong to me." And he does end up leaving his possessions to Pearl, which I guess is the one good thing he did.

It's interesting that the letter seems to change meaning over time. The people see all the good deeds that Hester is doing, and see that she really is a good person. So, in a way, she found her forgiveness, but she still felt the need to wear the scarlet letter. The people see her as a strength and an example. I was also surprised that she returned to New England after Pearl was grown up. New England was her home though, and the place where she knew her sin and her sorrow. The other women in the community come to her for advice and comfort, and I like that she tries to assure them that some day in the future "a new truth would be revealed, in order to establish the whole relation between man and woman on a surer ground of mutual happiness." I am so grateful that we have gotten to that point. That women are able to choose who they marry, and are able to have equal happiness with their husbands. If anything, this book just made me very appreciative of the life and freedom I have.

Next month we are going to discuss Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Feel free to join us, at the Reading Through History Book Club.

BTT: Too Much Information?

2009-02-05T21:29:00.002-07:00

Have you ever been put off an author’s books after reading a biography of them? Or the reverse - a biography has made you love an author more?

I usually don't really pay any attention to author's biographies. I'm more interested in the literature, and a part of me doesn't really want to know about the author's personal life. There are many actors and musicians that I am not very fond of, because we see their real life on the TV and in the magazines and a lot of them aren't very admirable people. So I try to just focus on their work, and not the people they really are. I guess that has carried over into authors, even though most authors are much more stable and normal people than actors and musicians. :)

There hasn't ever been an author that I have stopped reading just because of their own life story. I can only think of a couple of authors whose stories I know. One of them is Nicholas Sparks. I have a love/hate relationship with him, because I love his style of writing and the stories he writes but I sometimes have a hard time with the deaths that always take place in his books. I remember complaining about this to my mom one day, and then she told me the story of Sparks' own life - which has involved sadness and tragedy and death. I haven't read his book Three Weeks with My Brother, but my mom told me about it. It helped me understand why he writes the kind of stories he does, and to have more of an appreciation for them.

The other author whose story I know is Jane Austen. I didn't go looking for her life story either, but I watched the movie Becoming Jane, and I loved it! It made me want to go and read about Jane's real life. Reading about her and her family, her short-lived relationship to Tom LeFroy, and the fact that she remained single - they all add another layer onto her books for me, and I appreciate that.

My Boys

2009-02-03T20:50:00.003-07:00

These are my boys! Gage, Parker and Kyle.

We went to the zoo last week and had a blast. Zebras are Gage's favorite animal, so he was really excited to see a real live one. I wish I had prepared better for this day, by reading some books about animals and their characteristics to Gage. He enjoyed the animals, but he would have been more interested if we had talked about them more beforehand. Oh well, hopefully next time I will plan better.

No one can take your spot!

2009-01-30T21:46:00.002-07:00

Last night we had a stake Relief Society and Young Women fireside. The speaker gave an interesting analogy that really hit home to me. She talked about how when you are on a sports team you work together, you cheer for each other, and you support each other. But in the back of your mind you always have this fear that if you aren't good enough, the coach might give your position on the team to somebody else. She compared this to our lives here on earth. We are all part of the same team, but we all have different positions. We all have different missions, talents, and purposes for our lives. But the good thing is: no one can take your spot on the team! We are all daughters of God with unique talents and abilities, we each have a mission and a purpose in life that can not be fulfilled by anyone else. We don't need to be jealous or angry with others, because no one is vying for our spot on the team - they're too worried about their own mission and responsibilities!

BTT: Electronic vs. Paper

2009-01-29T11:41:00.004-07:00

Do you have an ebook reader? Do you read ebooks on your computer? Do you hate the very thought? How do you feel about the fact that book publishing is changing and facing much the same existential dilemma as the music industry upon the creation of MP3s?

I don't have an ebook reader. The idea used to not appeal to me, but now I actually think it would be kind of nice. I guess I won't know until I try one, and I honestly don't know when I'll be willing to shell out that much money. I like the library because it's free. :) Even if ebooks are cheaper than regular books, you still have to pay for them! And the readers aren't exactly cheap to buy. I like the idea of ebooks, because they are more environmentally friendly, I could have multiple books available, and it would be more convenient for travel.

I have some books on my computer, but I don't really like to read them in that format. You can't really curl up in a chair with a computer. I've heard that the readers are easier on your eyes than a computer screen, and it is small enough to read wherever you want.

Book publishing is obviously changing due to ebooks, but I think there will always be books in print. Especially children's books. I don't think a picture book would be as fun on a computer. I like having books all around our house, and I don't think my children would learn to love books if they only saw me staring into an electronic device. I do some of my studying and reading on the computer, and I really don't think my son realizes that I'm doing something good with my time. Sitting down and reading a real old-fashioned book is really good inspiration for kids, so it is something I plan to continue doing for a long time.

Daily Food for Thought

2009-01-24T22:52:00.001-07:00

"The sad truth is that people are sure to come and go from our life as we grow older - some die, some move away, and some leave us because they change so much that we hardly know them anymore."

- Lynn Austin Eve's Daughters

BTT: Inspiration

2009-01-22T11:10:00.004-07:00

What is your reading inspired by?

Most of my reading is inspired by a desire to understand other people, situations, and places. For some reason I love reading books that are set in the 19th century, with the pioneers settling the west. I don't know why, but that time period fascinates me. I enjoy reading about other people and the situations they are put into, and then I can wonder "how would I react in this situation?"

I also think it helps you understand other people and their decisions. In "The Lonesome Gods" by Louis L'Amour the character Johannes explains that reading books helped him to understand his grandfather (who basically wants to kill Johannes). "Even when I disapproved of what my grandfather had done, I could understand him. It made his crimes no less, but left me with a clearer view." Even though he doesn't agree with the choices his grandfather makes, he is able to understand why he made those choices. I think this is what inspires me to read - my desire to understand others. I don't think I am a very judgemental person, I try to understand where others are coming from and the reason they do the things they do, and I think that reading has really helped me with that.

Lately my reading is also inspired by a desire to learn. For quite a few years I mostly read for entertainment purposes, but now that we are homeschooling I have so much I need and want to learn. I want to gain a deeper understanding of the history of the world, the current world we live in, and where we are headed as a society. I want to broaden my knowledge to include those things that I have often avoided because I thought they would be to difficult to understand. I want to have the education I need so that I can help and inspire my children in their own education. It's a pretty daunting task for me, one that I don't know if I can accomplish, but I guess I'll just take it one day and one book at a time. :)

2009-01-21T21:12:00.003-07:00

"It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humor."

- Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol

Accidental Inspiration

2009-01-14T16:31:00.009-07:00

One of the keys to the TJED model that we are using for homeschool is "Inspire, Not Require". I've debated a lot lately about how much to do for school. My four year old is only in Core Phase where the objective is mostly just family work and play. You teach the lessons of good/bad, right/wrong, and true/false through daily life with the family. He is very smart though, and he learns things really easily and quickly. So I try to do some school type things, but not pressure him into anything. I could easily go overboard and end up giving him negative feelings towards learning.

Well, this week we had the ideal situation. He was inspired and excited all on his own. We went to the library for reading time, and afterwards he walked around trying to pick out a few books. There was a display of books about space so he chose one of those, and there was also a display of dinosaur books and he chose one of those as well, along with a couple of other books. He has been asking me every day to read the books to him, I don't tell him it's time to study. They are longer books, so we only read a few pages each day so that we don't get too close to the ZPD.

(ZPD stands for Zone of Proximal Development, Lev Vygotsky believed that the ZPD was where the best learning would occur, and is what most education systems implement. It is just above what you can do on your own, but below what you can do with some help. This idea works great for adults in depth phase who need to be pushed outside their comfort zone, but not for kids! Kids should not be pressured or pushed. It will give them the wrong idea about education and they will develop negative feelings towards learning.)

So, we were reading about the Solar System and the book suggested making a solar system mobile. He got really excited about that and asked me if he could make a mobile. I found a printout of the planets on the Internet and he colored each planet, looking at the book so that he could get the colors just right. Then he told me which order they needed to be hung up in, to represent how close they are to the sun. (He's very particular about things like that.) I'm pretty sure he knows all of the planet names now, and I think that knowledge will stick around. He learned so much more than he would have if I had taken him to the library and said "Okay, we are going to do a unit study on space, so let's pick out five books about the Solar System and then you have to memorize the planets and make a mobile." He would have felt pressured and forced and he would have done it, but very grudgingly.

How do I know this?! This summer I tried to get him to learn the names of all the continents. He has a great memory, so I knew that he could learn the seven continents pretty easily. Well, it wasn't his idea, so he really wasn't interested, and it didn't work out all that great. He still doesn't know all the continents, BUT he does know all the planets...because he made the choice to learn about them.

This experience gave me a much better understanding of the art of inspiring. Even though I didn't plan out any of this and it was pretty much accidental, it worked perfectly. The art of inspiring, is learning how to spark your child's interest in a subject so that they will lead out and ask to know more. Oliver DeMille explains that "inspiring, in contrast to ignoring and forcing, means finding out what the students need and then creatively encouraging them to engage it on their own - with excitement and interest." This is obviously something that I need to work on doing more often and in a better way. If you look at my Daily Food for Thought from yesterday, there is a great quote that also goes along with all of this. It was so fun to see his excitement and interest in the planets, and it gave me some great encouragement to keep going forward with this method we are using.

Daily Food for Thought

2009-01-13T20:34:00.003-07:00

"If you demand behavior with enough pressure, the child will give in to it, but he will not learn what was intended. He may respond when the pressure is on, he may get the 'right' answers, but it will not really get through because he will turn it off as quickly as possible once the pressure lets up. Pressured behavior can help him pass exams, but very little knowledge will be retained or used in life; understanding and application were never the objective. Many readers may share our experience of cramming for exams - could you pass that same exam today?"

Oliver and Rachel DeMille Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning

Daily Food for Thought

2009-01-12T14:15:00.002-07:00

“I would always rather be happy than dignified.”

- Charlotte Bronte Jane Eyre

Daily Food for Thought

2009-01-11T21:16:00.003-07:00

"I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we 'accentuate the positive.' I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort.

What I am suggesting is that each of us turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for the remarkable good among those with whom we associate, that we speak of one another’s virtues more than we speak of one another’s faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears."

- President Gordon B. Hinckley The Spirit of Optimism

Book Wordle

2009-01-11T20:03:00.001-07:00

This is a fun wordle of all the books I read this year. I definitely read Janette Oke the most. The words that occur more often are bigger.

BTT: 2008 Favorites

2009-01-08T16:21:00.003-07:00

What were your favorite books from 2008?

I read so many great books this year! I was introduced to a lot of classics that I really enjoyed, and have been added to my favorites list. I read the Anne of Green Gables series for the first time and fell in love with those books. I just love Anne Shirley. I also really enjoyed the Little Women series, and I was introduced to Twilight and read that whole saga as well. It was a great year for reading!

If you are interested here's a whole list of what I read in 2008.

RTH: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

2009-01-06T11:09:00.004-07:00

This is actually the first time I have ever read this book. I've heard the story of course, but it was great to read the book and I believe it is something I will read every Christmas season in the future.

One of my favorite quotes was from Marley. He said "The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!" The purpose of our lives is not to make a lot of money or to obtain a lofty profession. Marley said "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business." That is what should be the focus of our lives. Reaching out, serving, and loving others is the true business of our lives. There is always so much that we can do to help others, and I don't think that we can ever do all that there is to do. "Any Christian spirit working kindly in its little sphere, whatever it may be, will find its mortal life too short for its vast means of usefulness."

I also liked the attitude of Scrooge's nephew. He told Scrooge "there are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited." There are many good things in this life that are not associated with gain or money. Christmas is especially a time when we can share and feel good friendship, love, and charity. Scrooge later realizes this when he is with the Ghost of Christmas Past. As he watches the party that Fezziwig has, the Spirit asks him what was so special about the party. Fezziwig obviously didn't spend much money on it, so why did he deserve so much praise? Scrooge finally realized what made Fezziwig a good man "He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power lies in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count 'em up: what then? The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune." Scrooge then realizes that he needs to treat his clerk better. I really think this applies to me as a parent. The way I talk to my children can make a great influence in their lives. I have the ability to make their childhood a "pleasure or a toil", and I don't need tons of money to create good memories and teach my children good lessons.

The good news for Scrooge is that he can change. He realizes that if he changes the course of his life, he can also alter the end. He chooses to "honour Christmas in [his] heart, and try to keep it all the year." The transformation he makes is amazing, and it brings so much joy into his life as he reaches out and helps others. He becomes "as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew." That is what brought happiness to his life at last, and that is what can make each of us happy. As we reach out to those around us, and try to influence their lives for good, we will be blessed with joy beyond measure.

Next month we will be reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Feel free to join in at the Reading Through History Book Club.

My 2008 Reading List

2009-01-01T16:27:00.001-07:00

My reading list for 2008, I may have missed a few books during our moving times, but I think I got most of them.

Amy's 2008 Reading List
(Listed in the month the book was finished)
~ Family Reading
* With my husband

January
Twilight – Stephenie Meyer
New Moon – Stephenie Meyer
*A Thomas Jefferson Education – Oliver DeMille
Little Britches – Ralph Moody
The Taming of the Shrew - Shakespeare
Anne of Green Gables – L.M. Montgomery
Anne of Avonlea – L.M. Montgomery
*A Recipe for Success: Core & Love of Learning – Oliver & Rachel DeMille

February
~The Wizard of Oz (Abridged)
Anne of the Island – L.M. Montgomery
Anne of Windy Poplars – L.M. Montgomery
Eclipse – Stephenie Meyer
~Moby Dick (Abridged)

March
The Moroni Code - Jack Lyon
*The Walking Drum – Louis L’Amour
A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion – Oliver DeMille, Rachel DeMille, Diann Jeppson
*Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

April
Little Women –Louisa May Alcott
Little Men – Louisa May Alcott
~Charlotte’s Web – E.B. White

May
The Shepherd of the Hills – Harold Bell Wright
~Just So Stories – Rudyard Kipling

June
The Constitution of the United States
The Declaration of Independence
Hidden Places – Lynn Austin
When Forever Comes – Anita Stansfield
*The Book of Mormon

July
Northanger Abbey – Jane Austen
Man of the Family – Ralph Moody
The Host – Stephenie Meyer

August
Breaking Dawn – Stephenie Meyer
Jo’s Boys – Louisa May Alcott

September
A Woman’s Place – Lynn Austen
The One Minute Manager - Blanchard and Johnson
Love Comes Softly – Janette Oke
*The Lonesome Gods – Louis Lamour
Drums of Change – Janette Oke

October
Loves Enduring Promise – Janette Oke
The Bluebird and the Sparrow – Janette Oke
A Bride for Donnigan – Janette Oke
*Twilight – Stephenie Meyer
Heart of the Wilderness – Janette Oke
Love’s Long Journey – Janette Oke

November
Love’s Abiding Joy – Janette Oke
*Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning – Oliver and Rachel DeMille
A Life of My Own – Lisa McKendrick
First Love and Forever – Anita Stansfield
A Star in Winter – Anita Stansfield

December
~Peter Pan – J.M. Barrie
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
Someone to Hold – Anita Stansfield
Love’s Unending Legacy – Janette Oke
A Trusting Heart – Shannon Guymon
Soul Searching – Shannon Guymon

BTT: Resolutions

2009-01-01T16:19:00.002-07:00

Any Reading Resolutions? Say, specific books you plan to read? A plan to read more ____? Anything at all? Name at least ONE thing you’re looking forward to reading this year!

This year I am going to read more classics. I have been trying to read them this past year and have several under my belt, but I would like to add to my list. Some classics are hard for me to get through and take more determination on my part.

I would also like to complete the TJED 5 Pillar reading list. I don't plan on certifying or anything, but it's a list of books I've always wanted to read and they will help in my own education and that of my children.

I am looking forward to reading Emma and also Persuasion by Jane Austen. I recently got both of those books and have never read them before, so I'm excited to read them and then watch the movies. :)

TAT: My cute new nephew!

2008-12-23T15:48:00.005-07:00

My husband's sister had her first baby this week. He is just so adorable, I have to share a couple of pictures!

Can you believe all that curly blonde hair?! It is just too cute.

All of my other nieces and nephews live in other states, so I am really excited to have him close by to cuddle and love! He almost makes me want to have another baby...but not quite yet. ;)

Daily Food for Thought

2008-12-22T21:50:00.002-07:00

“True happiness comes only by making others happy—the practical application of the Savior’s doctrine of losing one’s life to gain it. In short, the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit, that makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and prompts us to kind deeds of service. It is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, obedience to which will bring ‘peace on earth,’ because it means—good will toward all men.”

- President David O. McKay as quoted by President Thomas S. Monson The Best Christmas Ever

Daily Food for Thought

2008-12-18T21:47:00.001-07:00

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints provides for people all over the world – not only with goods and goodwill, but with the opportunity to not lose a sense of self when “things” are lost.

I probably sound like an advertisement for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am not a member of their religion, but I am impressed with their charitable philosophy, because I believe it teaches our children their real value, while motivating and uplifting them at the same time."

-Dr. Laura Blessings in Disguise

BTT: Generosity

2008-12-18T12:24:00.003-07:00

Do you give books as gifts?
To everyone? Or only to select people?
How do you feel about receiving books as gifts?

I do give books as gifts, but only to people who I know would appreciate it and love to read just as much as me.

I love to recieve a book as a gift! Especially now that we are homeschooling using the classics, there are just so many books that I want. I have a pretty long list of books I want to own, so I am always happy to get another one checked off the list.

BTT: Treat

2008-12-18T12:20:00.004-07:00

What is the best book you ever bought for yourself?
And, why? What made it the best? What made it so special?

One of the more recent books I bought for myself was "Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer. I don't buy brand new books for myself very often, usually if I buy a book it is at the library sales. I had to get this book when it came out though! I actually went and got it at the midnight release (I did wait until about 12:30, so I wasn't there for all the craziness). I was so excited to get the book and start reading it. I read as often as I could for the next three days. It was just fun because there was so much anticipation, and speculation about what would happen with the characters, so it was really excited to get the book and open it up!

TAT: Santa Claus

2008-12-15T22:06:00.006-07:00

For today's TAT post, I wanted to get some opinions from everyone. We are at the point where our son is old enough to understand about Santa and to think that he is real, but we are trying to decide whether or not we want to do the whole Santa thing, or just let him know the truth.

"There has long been opposition to teaching children to believe in Santa Claus. Some Christians say the Santa tradition detracts from the religious origins and purpose of Christmas. Other critics feel that Santa Claus is an elaborate lie, and that it is unethical for parents to teach their children to believe in his existence. Still others oppose Santa Claus as a symbol of the commercialization of the Christmas holiday, or as an intrusion upon their own national traditions." - Wikipedia Santa Claus

How do you feel about this issue? We are leaning more towards just telling him the truth. We don't really want to tell him a big lie, and we also would like Christmas to be more about our Christian beliefs, than the commercialism of Santa. My only worry is that my son could ruin it for other kids by telling them that there is no Santa.

You can find other Talk About Tuesday posts at The Lazy Organizer.

Daily Food for Thought

2008-12-14T16:34:00.001-07:00

"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature."

- President Ezra Taft Benson Born of God

Daily Food for Thought

2008-12-13T23:19:00.002-07:00

“There are seasons in life. Don’t ever let anyone deny you the blessings and joy of one season because they believe you should be in – or stay in – another season.”

– Jane Clayson Johnson I Am a Mother

BTT: Time to Read

2008-12-11T10:17:00.004-07:00

1. Do you get to read as much as you WANT to read?

2. If you had (magically) more time to read–what would you read? Something educational? Classic? Comfort Reading? Escapism? Magazines?

I actually do have enough time to read. I have two little kids, who play most of the day. I usually will read if they are distracted playing together, or after they go to bed. Most of the time that is enough reading to satisfy me each day. There have been a few times that I've been so engrossed in a book that I've read almost all day long, but then I feel bad because I didn't spend as much time with the boys. So I try not to do that too often.

I like to mix things up, because I get tired of reading the same type of thing, especially if I have a lot of time to read. I love my comfort reading, which is usually christian fiction - very easy and quick to read. I always know it will take my mind off things for a while, and it can be inspiring. However, I also enjoy to read scriptures, church related books and material, educational things, books about homeschooling, and a magazine every now and then. I love classics also, but they usually take me longer to read and sometimes it is hard for me to focus on them for a long period of time, so I will read a classic at night time, and something else during the day.

Daily Food for Thought

2008-12-10T20:03:00.002-07:00

"Ya don't jest pass on faith. Ya have to pass on a desire fer 'em to find a faith of their own. Ya have to show 'em daily in the way thet ya live thet what ya have is worth livin' an' fightin' an' workin' fer. A second-hand faith is no good to anyone. It has to be a faith of their own."

-Janette Oke Love's Unending Legacy

Daily Food for Thought

2008-12-08T23:01:00.001-07:00

“I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad – as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent as they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth?”

- Charlotte Bronte Jane Eyre

RTH: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

2008-12-08T21:19:00.001-07:00

I read Jane Eyre in high school, but I really didn't appreciate it back then. It was for AP English, so there was a lot of homework involved, and I think I focused more on that. Also, my husband and I were in the musical in college. I got to play Miss Scatcherd (somehow I always get the mean characters) and my husband was the Priest who is going to marry Jane and Rochester the first time. We also had numerous ensemble roles. Anyway, neither of us really enjoyed the show all that much and Jane Eyre being a classic has always been kind of a joke to us.

Well, I must admit to a huge change of heart! This book is now in the top of my favorites! I don't think I was mature enough to understand the lessons taught in this book, during my previous experiences with it. I also read books in a different way now. I focus more on what I can learn from any book I am reading. I love to mark quotes that stand out to me and make an impression, and this book had a ton of markers in it! I checked it out from the library, but I definitely need to buy this book now. :)

I find Jane such a wonderful example. She's a selfless, humble person who sticks up for her morals. She had a difficult childhood, but she learned a really important lesson from Helen. A lot of it is summed up when Helen tells her, "It is far better to endure patiently a smart which nobody feels but yourself, than to commit a hasty action whose evil consequences will extend to all connected with you." I think Jane really took that lesson to heart, because she becomes a very humble and compassionate person.

I was impressed with her choice to leave Thornfield. She could have easily stayed with Rochester and lived a life of luxury and love but she knew that it was wrong. She was able to walk away, and leave everything behind. She knew if she stayed any longer that it would be too hard to leave. She wanted to be able to respect herself, even if that meant she would be solitary and friendless.

You learn a lesson from Mr. Rochester that you shouldn't be so quick to judge a person's character. He married Bertha quickly and recklessly without really knowing her and her family. Even before he knew she was crazy, he didn't like her. It would be so sad to be stuck in a marriage of that sort. Before you make a commitment of that magnitude, you should make sure that you know the person who is going to become your spouse. He is also to be admired for taking care of her. Sure, he kept his wife a secret, but he says that he would never physically hurt her, and he made sure that she was taken care of.

Mrs. Reed is such a sad character. She had such hate for Jane, simply because her husband was fond of her as a baby. As she said though, the things that we don't worry about in health, seem to plague us on our death bed. I found it interesting that she didn't consider Jane a blood relative. I mean, sure she wasn't related to her, but she was related to her children. She obviously regretted her previous behavior in her last hours.

I was glad that Jane didn't want to settle for a loveless marriage with St. John, although she was pretty close to giving in before she heard that fateful "Jane! Jane! Jane!" on the wind. She admitted that she would probably grow to love him if they got married, but he wouldn't want that. John seems like a good guy, but he has his weaknesses too. He's so obsessed with his "higher calling" that he doesn't always think of the little people. I liked when Jane said "it would be folly for the feeble to wish to march with the strong." She didn't feel that stirring or prompting to serve as a missionary. I think that is really important. We all have different abilities and gifts, some people can touch and affect large numbers of people, but others are meant to influence those close around them.

Jane was a pretty independent woman, full of integrity and honesty. That would have been hard in her situation and class in society when she had nothing. I think the separation of Jane and Rochester was necessary. Jane was able to find her cousins and help the kids at the Morton school. Mr. Rochester learns that God has a larger view of the world, He "judges not as man judges." It was good to see him acknowledge God's hand in his life, even through his tragedies - he was eventually able to feel remorse and a desire for repentance. He humbled himself greatly through his infirmities. When Jane comes back, they are both in a much better place to make the most of their love and relationship.

Daily Food for Thought

2008-12-05T21:12:00.002-07:00

"Children have a style of learning that fits their condition, and which they use naturally and well until we train them out of it. We like to say that we send children to school to teach them to think. What we do, all too often, is to teach them to think badly, to give up a natural and powerful way of thinking in favor of a method that does not work well for them and that we rarely use ourselves."

- John Holt How Children Learn

BTT: Five Questions

2008-12-04T15:13:00.004-07:00

1. Do you have a favorite author?

I have several favorites. At the top of the list is probably Janette Oke. Her stories are so simple, but they are touching and I love the relationships she creates and the values she teaches.

2. Have you read everything he or she has written?

I actually have read every book written by her. I think the only other authors who's books I have read all of is Dan Brown and Stephenie Meyer, and that's not too hard since they each haven't written very many so far. ;)

3. Did you LIKE everything?

I have liked all of her books. There are some that I like more than others, and that I will reread many times throughout my life. The Love Comes Softly series, and The Bluebird and the Sparrow are some of my favorites. I probably won't read some of her other books again. I did like them, but they just didn't touch me the same way. And there are so many new books to read, I don't reread a book unless I really love it.

4. How about a least favorite author?

I can't really think of a least favorite. If I start a book that has a lot of profanity or is inappropriate, I usually won't read any more books by that author. Also, I have a love/hate relationship with Nicolas Sparks. I really like his style of writing, and his characters, but I hate that someone always has to die. I haven't read any of his books in a while because it is just hard for me. I like healing books that have happy endings.

5. An author you wanted to like, but didn’t?

I can't think of a specific author. I want to like books that are more deep and profound and theological, but I have a hard time reading that kind of stuff. It's an appreciation that I am working towards gaining.

Daily Food for Thought

2008-12-03T16:16:00.001-07:00

"God’s purpose for the artist is to inspire, to give us visions of ourselves that we might not otherwise see, to make us better than we would have been. The world is better for the arts and righteous artists in it. In the quest to achieve greatness in artistic pursuits—whether in painting, dance, music, drama, film, sculpture, or the written word—we should always seek first to achieve God’s purposes. “All great art is the expression of man’s delight in God’s work, not his own,” said John Ruskin, the great nineteenth-century English art critic."

- M. Russell Ballard Filling the World with Goodness and Truth

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-30T21:47:00.003-07:00

“Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend … when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.”

-Sarah Ban Breathnach as quoted in Finding Joy in the Journey by President Thomas S. Monson, October 2008 General Conference

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-29T21:13:00.002-07:00

"My dear girls, I am ambitious for you, but not to have you make a dash in the world - marry rich men merely because they are rich, or have splendid houses, which are not homes because love is wanting. Money is a needful and precious thing - and, when well used, a noble thing - but I never want you to think it is the first and only prize to strive for. I'd rather see you poor men's wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, than queens on thrones, without self-respect and peace."

- Louisa May Alcott Little Women

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

"She stretched out her arms for the three little selfish children they would never envelop again. Yes, they did, they went round Wendy and John and Michael, who had slipped out of bed and run to her.

" 'George, George!' she cried when she could speak; and Mr. Darling woke to share her bliss, and Nana came rushing in. There could not have been a lovelier sight; but there was none to see it except a little boy who was staring in at the window. He had ecstasies innumerable that other children can never know; but he was looking through the window at the one joy from which he must be forever barred."

- James M. Barrie Peter Pan

BTT: Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T20:35:00.001-07:00

So–just for today–how about sharing 7 things that you’re thankful for?

1. I am grateful for my beautiful family. I have an amazing husband, and two sweet little boys who are wonderful. I feel so blessed to have them in my life, and I am continually amazed by how wonderful it is to be a wife and mother.

2. I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has brought so much peace and understanding to my life and I know that I would be so lost without it. I am thankful for the Savior's atoning sacrifice so that I can be forgiven of my mistakes, and I am grateful for the guidance of the Holy Ghost in all of the choices I make.

3. I am grateful that we have moved near our family. We lived 20 hours away from our family the last couple of years and that was a good experience for us, but it also made us appreciate our extended family more. I'm so glad that we live closer now so that we can spend the holiday's together and see each other more often.

4. I am grateful for the good ole USA. The freedoms that we have are an amazing blessing. I am thankful that I can worship as I choose, educate my children and myself as I desire, and that we all have the ability to make the most of our lives. We are truly blessed.

5. I am grateful for books. They are some of my best friends. I love reading about anything and everything. I'm glad that I get to share my joy of books with my children and see them developing a similar love for reading.

6. I am grateful for theatre. It has been a passion of mine for a long time. I haven't done any theatre in the last few years, but it is still something that I love. I love the emotions that are expressed, and the ability to view another time, situation, or relationship through song and dance.

7. I am grateful for all of the necessities of life that I have been blessed with. I'm grateful we have a roof over our heads, a shower to get clean in, clothes for my family, food to eat, and cars to drive. I don't have the nicest of things, but some people don't have anything at all. I'm so grateful that my basic needs are met each day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-26T20:21:00.003-07:00

"Greatness isn't the work of a few geniuses, it is the purpose of each of us. It is why we were born. Every person you have ever met is a genius. Every one. Some of us have chosen not to develop it, but it is there. It is in us. All of us. It is in your spouse. It is in each of your children. You live in a world of geniuses. How can we settle for anything less than the best education? How can we tell our children that mediocre education will do, when greatness is available?"

- Oliver DeMille A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-25T23:26:00.003-07:00

"Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages."

- General George Washington as quoted in 1776 by David McCullough

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-24T11:04:00.002-07:00

"Up to a point a man's life is shaped by environment, heredity, and movements and changes in the world about him; then there comes a time when it lies within his grasp to shape the clay of his life into the sort of thing he wishes to be. Only the weak blame parents, their race, their times, lack of good fortune, or the quirks of fate. Everyone has it within his power to say, this I am today, that I shall be tomorrow. The wish, however, must be implemented by deeds."

- Louis L'Amour The Walking Drum

Twilight Tag

2008-11-24T10:51:00.001-07:00

I found this Twilight Tag on another blog and thought it would be fun to do! We just saw the movie on Saturday and I thought it was great. :)

Who introduced you to the books? My mother in law gave me Twilight for Christmas last year. I had never even heard of it before then! I read the first book super fast. Checked the other two out of the library (we lived in Missouri at the time so there wasn't a big demand) and read them quick also. I usually don't want to follow the crowd, but I can't deny when I like a book and can't put it down!

What character would you most compare yourself to? Well, I guess Bella. lol. I don't mind being being on my own like her and her dad. I'm all about true love and seeing the best in people. I'm not the greatest at sports, I've had my moments of clumsiness - but not as bad as her.

What character would others say you are? Well, my husband says that we are just like Bella and Edward. lol, minus the blood diet, the super fast speed, the ice cold pale skin, the amber eyes, etc. haha. He did write a song for me when we first started dating, and we are going to be together forever. And he is a real vegetarian. :)

Team Edward or Team Jacob? Of course Team Edward! Jacob is a nice enough guy, but Bella is obviously meant to be with Edward.

Favorite car mentioned in the book? I like all the stuff about Rosalie's BMW convertible. It's just funny how much it bugs Edward and how "ostentatious" he thinks it is.

How many times have you read Twilight? Twice - once on my own, and then I read it to my husband.

Favorite quote from the book? I lent the book out, so I can't give you exact quotes...I like the one where he says "And so the lion fell in love with the lamb" but the part after that is funny - something like "what a stupid lamb" "what a sick masochistic lion". I also like "You are my life now"

If you could have one of the powers the Cullens have what would it be and why? I like Jasper's ability to sense other people's emotions and change the emotional atmosphere in a room. I guess it would be nice to be award of how others are feeling and be able to help them.

What is your favorite part in Twilight? Probably the meadow. It's such an important part to the relationship's development.

Favorite Cullen sibling? I love Emmett. I just think he is hilarious.

Phoenix or Forks? I'd probably go with Forks. I like smaller towns better, and I don't like intense heat and sweating all of the time. I'd rather wear warmer clothes anyway and be close to the ocean.

If you were Bella and you can't have Edward what other male from the book would you pick and why? hmm, that's a toughie. I'm not a big fan of Jacob, to be honest with you. And I don't much like any of the other high school boys. I'd probably just stay single - unless one of the other Cullen's was available. ;)

Would you rather be a Vampire or Werewolf? Definitely a vampire...a vegetarian vampire. They're so beautiful and graceful. You can't help but admire the Cullens, whereas the werewolves all act like a bunch of whiny, annoying teenage boys - not my cup of tea. I definitely sympathize with Leah being stuck with that pack of werewolves.

I tag any other Twilight fans out there!

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-23T21:41:00.004-07:00

"Attacks on churches and intimidation of people of faith have no place in civil discourse over controversial issues. People of faith have a democratic right to express their views in the public square without fear of reprisal. Efforts to force citizens out of public discussion should be deplored by people of goodwill everywhere.

We call upon those who have honest disagreements on this issue to urge restraint upon the extreme actions of a few that are further polarizing our communities and urge them to act in a spirit of mutual respect and civility towards each other. "

-News Release from The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-20T21:13:00.001-07:00

"Boys are more competitive, energetic, visual, physical, risk-taking and so on than are girls. Boys need a different learning environment than girls. The “girly”-oriented educational system in the United States demands that boys become like girls or be medicated.

Boys need more physical movement in the curriculum. They need recesses to work off that male energy, they appreciate reading more male-friendly subjects, they like projects, and they enjoy competing rather than cooperating and all getting the same grade. Boys do better with male mentors, and boys need teachers with more of a sense of humor toward “boy antics” without punishment or demeaning reactions."

-Dr. Laura Stop Picking on Boys!

BTT: Reviewer's Honesty

2008-11-20T11:25:00.003-07:00

Some authors seem to feel that if they send you a copy of their book for free, you should give it a positive review. Do you think reviewers are obligated to put up a good review of a book, even if they don’t like it? Have we come to a point where reviewers *need* to put up disclaimers to (hopefully) save themselves from being harassed by unhappy authors who get negative reviews?

I am not a book reviewer, but my husband is an artist, he also writes music and is trying to get into the children's writing industry, and we have both done a lot of theatre performing. From that point of view I would expect nothing but honesty from a reviewer! Isn't that their job?

Not everyone who sees you perform is going to agree with your acting choices. Everyone who looks at my husband's art has a different opinion. Some people love it, some people think it is weird, and there might be some people who hate it. We all have different styles and opinions. As an author, you can't expect everyone to like your book, and you shouldn't get offended when someone is doing their job by giving you their honest opinion. It is hard to get honest criticism from family and friends, because they don't want to offend you. Part of the job of being an artist, author, or performer is to take the criticism in a constructive manner. I don't think I could be a book reviewer because I hate offending people, but I would like to think that over the years I have learned how to take honest criticism. If it is given in a respectful manner it can be very helpful in improving your art form - whatever that may be.

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-19T22:25:00.003-07:00

“She who can paint a masterpiece or write a book that will influence millions deserves the admiration and the plaudits of mankind; but she who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters, whose influence will be felt through generations come,…long after paintings shall have faded, and books and statues shall have decayed or shall have been destroyed, deserves the highest honor that man can give, and the choicest blessings of God. In her high duty and service to humanity…, she is co-partner with the Creator himself.”

– David O. McKay as quoted in I Am a Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-18T21:38:00.003-07:00

"Yet we must never forget that the land and the waters are ours for the moment only, that generations will follow who must themselves live from that land and drink that water. It would not be enough to leave something for them; we must leave it all a little better than we found it."

-Louis L'Amour The Lonesome Gods

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-17T21:23:00.004-07:00

"Whatever an education is, it should make you a unique individual, not a conformist; it should furnish you with an original spirit with which to tackle the big challenges; it should allow you to find values which will be your road map through life; it should make you spiritually rich, a person who loves whatever you are doing, wherever you are, whomever you are with; it should teach you what is important: how to live and how to die."

-John Taylor Gatto Dumbing Us Down : The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-16T20:43:00.002-07:00

“Righteous love is the secure foundation of a successful marriage. It is the primary cause of contented, well-developed children.

Who can justly measure the extent of the righteous influence of a mother’s love? What enduring fruits will result from seeds of truth a mother carefully plants and lovingly cultivates in the fertile soil of her child’s trusting mind and heart? When a mother is consistently in the home, at least during the hours the children are predominantly there, she can detect the individual needs of each child and provide ways to satisfy them. Her divinely given instincts help sense a child’s special talents and unique capacities so as to nurture and strengthen them.”

-Richard G. Scott Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-15T20:31:00.001-07:00

"We will choose in our lifetimes between an era of aristocracy and an era of freedom. And it will be the regular people who choose. Even those who feel powerless and without resources are making the choice.

The choice is simple, if not easy. It is as simple as: fearing the news versus turning it off and studying the great thinkers. It is as simple as being dependent on a job versus thinking like an entrepreneur. The hallmark of aristocratic society is a mass of people who consider themselves limited, stuck, inferior. The hallmark of freedom, in contrast, is the individual who puts aside labels or limits and lives his/her dreams. The American dream is not a government program—it is a state of mind, a choice to be better and work harder and be independent.

America is not in economic crisis so much as it is in freedom crisis. Will our generation turn to government to solve our crises, or to ourselves to apply initiative, ingenuity, tenacity and risk to building a better world? Our grandchildren will inherit an aristocracy or a free nation—whichever we give them."

- Oliver DeMille The Era of Liberals and Conservatives is Over

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-14T18:11:00.001-07:00

"It is probably a mistake, anyway, to assume that whatever little children touch they will destroy, and that we must therefore keep them from touching anything that is not theirs. This dampens their curiosity and confidence. More than that, it probably makes them too fiercely possessive of what is their own. We should try instead, I think, to teach that respecting property does not mean never touching what is not yours, but means treating objects carefully, using them as they are meant to be used, and putting them back where they belong. Children are perfectly able to learn these things; they are less clumsy and destructive than we suppose. And it is only by handling and using objects that children can learn the right way to handle them."

- John Holt How Children Learn

Book Worm Award

2008-11-14T13:03:00.006-07:00

Sally at Book Critiques gave me a Book Worm Award!

Here’s how it goes.

Open the closest book to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment, to page 56.

Write out the fifth sentence, as well as two to five sentences following there.

The book closest to me is Pride and Prejudice. It has been sitting on my desk for a while, ever since I posted my Reading Through History comments.

Here's page 56:

"It has often led him to be liberal and generous, - to give his money freely, to display hospitality, to assist his tenants, and relieve the poor. Family pride, and filial pride, for he is very proud of what his father was, have done this. Not to appear to disgrace his family, to degenerate from the popular qualities, or lose the influence of the Pemberley House, is a powerful motive. He has also brotherly pride, which with some brotherly affection, makes him a very kind and careful guardian of his sister; and you will hear him generally cried up as the most attentive of brothers."

ahhh, you gotta love Mr. Darcy. Even though he's proud, it's a good kind of pride.

I'm supposed to pass this on and award five more bookworms, but I just started this blog and haven't really gotten to know anyone else yet...so if you are reading this and are interested, I hereby dub you with the Bookworm Award! ;)

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-13T21:42:00.001-07:00

"The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father’s children are different in some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole."

- Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin Concern for the One

BTT: Why do you buy, or borrow?

2008-11-13T10:26:00.004-07:00

The gist of today's BTT question is why you buy or borrow books...

For the most part I am a borrower. I prefer the library because I only want to read most books once. I do a lot of reading, but not all of it is worth a second read. So what is the point in buying a book if I don't know that I will like it?

I do buy books that are my favorites. If I have already read it and I know I want to read it again, then it is worth owning. I also am getting into the habit of buying classics whenever I see them at thrift stores. The basis of our homeschooling method is reading classics, so I'm trying to build up our inventory. It's also important to me that we have a lot of books in our home to inspire our children and show them what is most important.

BTT: Book Survey

2008-11-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

This is an older question from BTT, but I thought it would be fun to do.

What was the last book you bought?
I just bought Eragon and Eldest from the used book rack at the library. I've heard a lot of people say that they are good books. I've never read them, but it was only $2. :)

Name a book you have read MORE than once
Well, The Book of Mormon is probably the book I have read the most times in my life. Besides that I would say Love Comes Softly. I could probably read that one at least once a year.

Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?
I would say The Book of Mormon, but I grew up reading and learning from it, so it's never really changed my life, but it has definitely shaped the way my life is. A Thomas Jefferson Education changed our whole view on education and the environment we want in our home.

How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews
I usually will read a book based on recommendations, or reviews. I don't like to get involved in a book only to find out it is inappropriate, so I like to hear other peoples recommendations. I will also look at the summary to see if it is interesting.

Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Definitely fiction, but I do enjoy a good non-fiction every now and then.

What’s more important in a novel - beautiful writing or a gripping plot?
Probably a good plot. Most authors have decent writing - otherwise they wouldn't be published. There have been some authors whose tone I just can't really stand, but I will still finish the book if I'm interested in the characters and plot.

Most loved/memorable character (character/book)
I love Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables. She's such a fun character, with a great heart. Sure, she has some mishaps now and then, but her intentions always seem to be good.

Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?
Jane Eyre

What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it?
Yesterday I read "First Love and Forever" by Anita Stansfield.

Have you ever given up on a book half way in?
I have. Usually because of bad language. I have no desire to read a bunch of swear words. Also, if the writing in a book isn't intriguing to me, I will skip through the book and get the basic plot and read the important parts, but I won't waste my time reading the whole thing.

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-12T21:09:00.002-07:00

"Boys at other schools probably learned more from books, but less of that better wisdom which makes good men. Latin, Greek, and mathematics were all very well, but in Professor Bhaer's opinion, self-knowledge, self-help, and self-control were more important, and he tried to teach them carefully. People shook their heads sometimes at his ideas, even while they owned that the boys improved wonderfully in manners and morals. But then, as Mrs. Jo said to Nat, it was an odd school."
- Louisa May Alcott Little Men

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-11T22:04:00.002-07:00

"How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can’t—at least not in the moment. I don’t think my mother was suggesting that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don’t think she was suggesting that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life.

If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness." - Joseph B. Wirthlin Come What May, and Love It

TAT: Our New Bookshelf

2008-11-11T12:58:00.006-07:00

I have been reading The Lazy Organizer's blog for about a year, so I am excited to do my first TAT post. This week is supposed to be a home tour. Well, we live in an apartment and the place itself isn't that exciting, but I thought I'd tell you about our cool new bookshelf!

When we moved into our new apartment, we realized we needed another bookshelf. With our decision to homeschool has come the never ending acquisition of more books. We have learned with all of our moving that cheap bookshelves just don't last very long. We were hoping to find an awesome real wood bookshelf at a thrift store, but after a couple of weeks of nothing turning up my husband finally decided to build a bookshelf! This is something he has never done before, and I think it turned out great!

At first he was going to just nail the boards together, but then he decided to get a little more creative - that's his nature. So he got out a pocket knife and made the edges all wavy, and now it has more character!

Here is the bookshelf all loaded with the books - it mostly has adult and children's classics on it - but also all of the other kids books. I also put our education books on there, and pretty much anything that we feel is important for the learning environment in our home. We have another bookshelf that has all of our church related books on it. And then in our room we have our old cheap bookshelves with the less important books. We still have some room for more classics on our new bookshelf, but I told my husband he's probably going to have to build a couple of more bookshelves at some point!

Daily Food for Thought

2008-11-10T16:09:00.003-07:00

"Leadership Education describes a framework in which people are taught to govern themselves based on principles that preserve liberty. Children are not taught in an environment of tyranny, but are invited to embrace freedom in a manner that allows them to have the upper hand in their own education."

- Oliver and Rachel DeMille Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning

RTH: Pride and Prejudice

2008-11-10T16:02:00.004-07:00

The Reading Through History book for October was Pride and Prejudice. This month we are reading Jane Eyre. Feel free to join in! Head over to the RTH blog for more information.

I loved reading this book, it's one of my favorites! The character you have to feel sorry for is Charlotte. I couldn't believe it at the beginning of the book when she said that "happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance." It is hard to believe, but that is really how it was back then. So many people had to marry because of status or money that often you weren't able to marry the one you really wanted. I am so grateful that we have the freedom now days to marry who ever we please. And I do believe that happiness in marriage, and in life, is a choice that we make...not a matter of chance.

It is amazing that the Bennets raised daughters that all turned out so different...but I suppose that is the way it always is. One part I liked was when Lady Catherine was being critical of Elizabeth's education, and the fact that she never had a governess. Elizabeth replied, "Such of us as wished to learn, never wanted the means. We were always encouraged to read, and had all the masters that were necessary. Those who chose to be idle, certainly might." So again it's about the choices we make. Elizabeth and Lydia both had the same environment and the same parents, but they made different choices. Lydia obviously chose to be idle and to waste away her time with flirtation. I also like the message that we are in charge of our own education. We are not victims of circumstance.

The last quote I'll mention is when Mary says that "vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us." So, pride isn't always a bad thing, it's more important to avoid vanity. Mr. Darcy may have been a proud man, but I don't believe he was vain. Sure he had some lessons to learn and he needed to humble himself some, but he only knew the life he had been raised in. At least he figured it out, once Elizabeth told him that he wasn't behaving like a gentleman! :) He finally realized that he didn't need to be so judgemental of her family.I think this book has some great lessons about the way we treat others, and to not always go with our first impressions (good or bad). We also need to humble ourselves when we realize we have been wrong about someone.