TreasuresInTerraCotta

I started to send a couple individual emails to keep in touch with friends far and near.  For the sake of speed, however, I'm sure everyone in ether-space is interested in what we've been up to here in Sunny Arizona.  Andrew got it in his mind that he wanted to make a Blueberry Pie.  I told him we needed a lot of blueberries....6 cups.  So he saved exactly 6 blueberries for the pie!  Needless-to-say we made a trip to the store for 99 cent blueberries.  I used the America's Test Kitchen recipe for blueberry pie and the crust.  (That's for you Kimberly and you Grandpa.)  Good thing Tyler didn't marry me for my crust-making-ability!  (Need some tutoring from Cousin Beth and Aunt Mary K.) I received this stack of books in the mail today, so this little picture is for Michelle and all my book group friends.  If you knew what a grin I had on my face while pulling them out you would know I am a bookworm....

The book selections in our house seem to run the gamete.  We are now a household of board books, picture books, "readers," chapter books and comic books; arts and crafts books, historical fiction, non-fiction in many genera, devotionals and Bible studies.  It's no surprise that we've been getting a lot of inspiration from our books. I've had this post half-written for months, so it's about time to push Publish.  I suspect many more posts in the future will fall into the category of Books are Inspiration.  Of course, the craft books have been giving me lots of inspiration.  One of my new favorite authors and bloggers is Amanda Blake Soule.  She provided the inspiration and instructions for the Mama's bag  sewing project a few months ago.      She has a son named Calvin so we had to make "Calvin's Paper-Mache Bowls" We used up some of our junk mail.   And I ...

This week I listed my one-thousandth gift!   After reading the book I started my list.  As you might expect I wrote ferociously for a while.  I would work on my list intentionally and somewhat methodically.  Then days would pass and I would realize my gratitude journal was on the table...at the bottom of the stack.  But my heart and my attitude kept missing the presence of gratitude and thankfulness, so I would pick it back up again.  And this week I wrote 1000! Since the beginning I wondered what 1000 would be.  Whether I would choose it intentionally or whether it would very naturally be something fabulous.  As it turns out, it was both.  I sat and pondered the "gifts" of the day and started writing.  A comment kept rolling around in my mind and I decided that it was a gift.  Just a little comment, posted on a blog, a sort of challenge, that had me pondering and writing.  Yes, I think it's a gift....

We have borrowed the story of Stone Soup from the library many times.  I am especially fond of the Jon Muth version with an Asian flare and beautiful watercolor pictures.  The Pete Seeger version includes a catchy little song that my boys sing regularly.   Recently Calvin announced, "We should make Stone Soup!"  So we borrowed a few more books for comparison and invited some friends. We read the story with the kids and then said aloud, "What we need is three smooth stones...to make stone soup."  Off they ran to collect stones! A big pot, a few stones and some water is all you need for Stone Soup. Unless, of course, a bit of salt could be found.  It is even better with a bit of salt. Until someone observed, "This soup is good, but it would be even better with some carrots." Or, "The last time I made stone soup corn made it especially delicious." The kids eagerly added corn and peas, carrots and onions, meat and potatoes.    And once ...

How many posts have I created about books?  I just can't get around it. I love books. I love to read.  And in fact, I recently found myself feeling frustrated. Tired of cleaning. Bored with cooking. Wearied with the heat. Wandering around the house aimlessly while boys were napping or happily occupied elsewhere.  I repeatedly opened the refrigerator, or wiped off the counters, or flipped through a magazine, or checked email, or looked at my bookshelves. And nothing really satisfied. Is it geeky to feel, "I just need something to read." I finally reserved a few books at the library, ordered a couple new books and looked at my reading wish-list.  So... Since Truman was born I: finished reading I Dared To Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheikh read Raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis read The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp read When Heaven Weeps by Ted Dekker read Organized ...

I finally pulled out my mother-in-law's sewing machine that I've had for about 4 years now. It is an Elna SU Air Electronic made in Switzerland. And it is over 30 years old. I added a little sewing machine oil and it works like a charm. And it even has a home in a sewing cabinet. Unlike the sewing machine I've been using for the past 13 years or so, which resides in the foam packing inside it's original box. Not because it hasn't been used, but because it doesn't have a home. Every time I wanted to sew I would pull it out of the box, set it up on the kitchen table and then head back-and-forth to my sewing tote in the closet for scissors, bobbins, a seam ripper, etc. Imagine my joy when I could reach in a drawer to my right for a replacement needle or a safety pin or thread. Everything is at my fingertips. It makes me wonder why it took me so long to use it. I guess I just wanted what was easy. If I wanted to sew I wanted to sit down at a machine that...

The Scribe by Francine Rivers The story of Silas from the Sons of Encouragement novella series. When I was introduced to the joys of Christian Fiction a few years ago I was introduced to Francine Rivers. She has come to be one of my favorite authors and I have read many of her books, novellas and series. The Sons of Encouragement series includes five five books, however this is the first one I've read. We meet Silas in a place of reflection and recovery after he has flead the persecution of Rome and watched many of his friends martyred. I felt Silas' fatigue on the first page, "But all Silas saw was the darkness of men, the triumph of evil. I am tired, Lord. I am sick of this life. Lord, please take me home ." The story then follows Silas as he reflects on his experience with Jesus, his journeys with Paul and Peter, and the encounters they have along they way. The narration closely follows Acts with pieces filled in from Paul's epistles and with beautiful f...

I have been thinking about doing book reviews here on my little blog and have, in fact, had this post half-composed for over two weeks. I attend a book group once a month and it is one of my life's great joys. In addition to reading for book group I usually read one or two other books a month. While I'm certainly not a voracious reader or even an "adventurous" reader I do love books. And sometimes I think I might like to share them. So if that's something you, my three readers, are interested in I think I'll do it. I am going to start with Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations by Alex and Brett Harris Why did I read this book? I am nearly 20 years out from the teenage years and I didn't even love them when I was there. I don't work directly with teens and I don't have teenagers. Honestly, I don't know what initially drew my attention to this book but the concept caused me to place it on my wishlist months ago. P...

You Capture: Yellow The You Capture photo project is in the back of my mind almost every week but I rarely take the pictures for the challenge or post them. This week's "topic" was Yellow. Life seems full of yellow right now so I took advantage of photo opportunities. Yellow: In The Garden Yellow: In The Desert Yellow: At Home Every time I see a photo of crayons I love it! This is a totally staged picture, but I loved the multiple yellows and I really liked all the yellow words! Ironically enough this shipment of books arrived just this week! Six out of seven books fit with the yellow theme. I see a trend here . I promise I did not pick the books based on the binding color! A couple books are for Book Club this summer. A couple were on super sale. And a couple were from favorite authors of mine.

As a mom I keep finding aspects I love about Children's books. I have discovered a fondness for Children's book author-illustrators. I am impressed that one individual can possess the literary abilities to craft a story and the artistic talent to create pictures to go along with it. I am intrigued by the idea that if an author also illustrates a book then the illustrations truly reflect what the author had in mind. And since it seems like such a daunting task to both write and illustrate, I am also more lenient with an author-illustrator if I perceive some "fault" in the book. Never-the-less books that are "Written and Illustrated by..." are one of my favorite things. Some recent favorites: Duck and Goose by Tad Hills Riki’s Birdhouse by Monica Wellington The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger Bats at the Library by Brian Lies How Big is the World? By Britta Teckentrup A Good Day by Kevin Henkes Big Bear Hug by Nicholas Oldland Mooch and Mutt ...