For the past year or two I have been working at de-busying my life and my concerns, in order to focus my energies and quiet my mind. This includes weeding out the unnecessary activities and commitments. I have a tendency to want to say "yes" when I am aware of a need that I can … Continue reading Review of Your Sacred Yes by Susie Larson
Discovering Out of Town Book Stores
While on holiday visiting relatives in the Denver area, I decided to check the yellow pages for used bookstores, just in case I had some time to visit them. And I lucked out and got to go to three of them! The Bookworm in Boulder, Colorado This bookstore came highly recommended by a friend of … Continue reading Discovering Out of Town Book Stores
Book Review of Until the Harvest by Sarah Loudin Thomas
I am excited to have found this excellent writer! Until the Harvest is a masterful illustration of how hearts and lives are transformed through continued offers of friendship, food and forgiveness. It is a story of family, community, relationships and love; the hardships that they cause; and the beauty that only people can bring to … Continue reading Book Review of Until the Harvest by Sarah Loudin Thomas
Book Review of The Pleasure of His Company by Dutch Sheets
“Pleasure is not only determined by the things we do, but by the company we keep.” Some say that Almighty God wants us to have a close relationship with him, and enjoys spending time with us. One part of this idea naturally appeals to me, but another part resists it. It seems a little too … Continue reading Book Review of The Pleasure of His Company by Dutch Sheets
Packing Lightly for a Writing Retreat
To avoid having to pay for and wait for checked baggage, I decided to only bring carry-on luggage on my trip, so that meant that there was no space for unnecessary items. And since I'd planned a do-it-yourself writing retreat and hadn't decided yet which projects and exercises I'd be working on, I had several … Continue reading Packing Lightly for a Writing Retreat
The Junior Instructor, my First Encyclopedia
The other day I got out two of my favorite books from my childhood, The Junior Instructor, Books 1 and 2. These were originally published in 1916, and the ones my mom gave us as small children were published in 1956. I was looking for some of the children’s prayers I’d learned, and while I … Continue reading The Junior Instructor, my First Encyclopedia
Valentine’s Day Review of Cotillion by Georgette Heyer
What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day—in a literary way—than to read an excellent romance? (Well, chocolate might go head-to-head with a romance novel. But it is February and, as usual, the momentum from holiday chocolate intake has resulted in somewhat of a chocolate addiction, so I’m doing a cleanse. Guess I should have waited … Continue reading Valentine’s Day Review of Cotillion by Georgette Heyer
Review of Looking Backward 2000 – 1887, Part 3
Romance, 1887-style! Or…was it 2000-style? In the introduction to the 1915 printing of this book published in 1887, Sylvester Baxter describes the novel as “the ingenious device by which a man of the 19th century is transferred to the end of the 20th”, and notes that in the decade that followed its publication, the world … Continue reading Review of Looking Backward 2000 – 1887, Part 3
Review of Looking Backward 2000 – 1887, Part 2
In a recent post I began describing this 1887 book written by Edward Bellamy. Here is more about the author. The first page leaves no doubt as to why he wrote this book . “We ask to put forth just our strength, our human strength, All starting fairly, all equipped alike. But when full roused, … Continue reading Review of Looking Backward 2000 – 1887, Part 2
You can make Homemade Christmas Cards with Classic Art
A couple of years ago I was having trouble finding the kind of Christmas cards that I wanted in the stores. I was looking for a Biblical scene and Bible verse, and wanted some extraordinary art. It was early in December, so I decided I'd try to make my own cards. For anyone interested in … Continue reading You can make Homemade Christmas Cards with Classic Art