What's In My Teapot?

I loved this month's book, Still Alice , and found it to be very poignant, layered with emotions and feelings that were both real and captivating. The subject of Alzheimer's Disease is a difficult one, for most of us have seen it's ravaging effect on loved ones and know just how incurable and irreversible the disease is. Here is something that steals the very essence of a person- memory, personality, abilities to work and function- and leaves a shell in it's wake. Or is it a shell? Maybe, when the ravages of the disease have done their worst we have lost one thing, and gained another. Maybe, we're still Alice. I like to think of this post as more of a book   discussion than a book   review , so I am going to make use of the Reader's Club Guide for Still Alice found in the back of the book in much the same way we might do if we could all sit around with our cups of tea and talk about the book in person. And since I don't like to do all the ta...

Indeed, there is nothing more limited than summer mornings when I get to linger over our my tea while the children make nests at the base of the stairs with sleeping bags, pillows and books and then busy themselves with their own tree-trimming business. Eternal summers might sound like a good idea at moments like these, but suddenly the children tire of their own freedom and you realize just how good some old-fashioned routine is! And speaking of routine, school-days are on the horizon again, and while a part of me dreads the juggling act of teaching and housework, another part of me is anxious to crack open the new books and see what it feels like to have one in second grade and one learning to read! I am not planning to resume a five-day-a-week school schedule until the beginning of September, but I am (dare I say it?) considering doing several days of school a week through August to give us a head start on math and reading. I had grand notions of having Elasa finish up her ...

How soon we have found ourselves at the peak of summer, with a sudden onslaught of things to gather and preserve, not to mention the fresh fruit and other treats to dine on! This is not a bad thing, but one can feel easily overwhelmed by all the good things coming at once, like sitting down to a buffet with too many choices! For instance, today I canned 21 quarts of green beans, added to the growing pile of cukes taking over the bottom shelf in my fridge and waiting to be turned into pickles, and picked a gallon of blueberries. So much abundance and so brief of a span of time in which to enjoy it all! The saying, "Use it or lose it !" is never truer than when applied to fresh produce! I do not preserve food as extensively as many people do, but there are a few staples that I like to keep in stock, such as strawberry jam, frozen strawberries and blueberries, green beans, corn, pickle...

Getting started can be the hardest part of writing- even when I sit down knowing what I am writing about- so today I decided not to take any chances... When I began staring at a blank screen, I got back up and put the kettle on! It may be a balmy 92 degrees outside, but very few things in life cannot be improved upon with a cup of tea. Even in July! Today I would like to introduce you to another great children's book author by the name of Peter Spier ! Unlike Robert McCloskey, whose books are a part of my childhood memories (see my review here ), I did not become aware of the works of Peter Spier until I was an adult, and now I have made sure to introduce them to my children! Several months ago I got Oh, Were They Ever Happy out of our church's library and Parker took an immediate shine to it! I have no idea how many times I read it to him before the book was finally returned, but it was a lot! Then last week, when I was considering doing these books for today...

The splendors of July are in full force and I am delighted by it all as though it were my first summer ever in one of the loveliest spots on earth (so call me prejudice!) There are so many things about this time of year that make me happy, from fresh blueberries, green beans and watermelon, to barefoot children and fireflies, that sometimes I get a hoarding instinct. How can I get the most out of this summer? I ask myself. How can I make the summer last longer? And yet, I know even before the questions take shape that the point is mute and that the best way to make the most of anything is to notice and participate in the simple pleasures and opportunities that are right in front of me... Blueberries on my yogurt. A bike ride on Rails to Trails. Extra reading with the children to fulfill their Summer Reading Challenges Morning walks with my sister. Muddy shoes in the green bean patch. A cup of tea at bedtime (Yes! Even in summer!) Fresh bouquets from the herb gar...

I am pleased to announce that the winner of the reading challenge give-away is:   CHRISTA!!! Who commented: I found "The Long Walk to Water" fascinating and edifying. Salva could have stayed in America and pursued the "American dream." Instead he returned good for evil. That is forgiveness. And think how it spoke to Nya, to have a man from the enemy tribe come give them water. That is love. He will certainly have his reward.  My 2nd book of choice was called " The Seamstress ." It was the true story of Sara, a Jew, who survived the hellish conditions of Ravensbruck during the Holocaust. Sara herself helped write the book. Although Sara never gave God the glory for enabling her to survive the camp, neither did she become a bitter person. I will not give too many details just in case one of you want to read her book. It is very worth your time.  Thanks, Joanna, for bringing "The Long Walk to Water" to my attention. I am happy fo...