Book Notes

It seems I can't put two thoughts together to make a worthwhile post these days, but in an effort to at least try, I thought I would review the last few books I read.  It is a rather eclectic list.  A little non-fiction, and a little more fiction.  I don't keep a written list of the books I read anymore.  I stopped doing that when I started using Goodreads, which is a great thing, but I miss my book journal, and it seems if I don't record the book right away, it tends to slip my mind, even two days after I finish it, which happened to me with the last book I read, even though I really found it an engaging book.  Early onset Old-timers.  :)

So, starting with the most recent, here we go...

Letters in the Jade Dragon Box - Gale Sears
This book is based on the first native convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hong Kong.  That man is the Uncle in this book.  He becomes guardian to his young niece when her mom smuggles her out of China during the reign of Mao Tse-Tung.  When Wen-Shen is a teenager, they receive a box with an inlaid Jade Dragon on the lid.  It contains letters from her mom and paintings done by her grandfather, who is also the Uncle's brother.  The mom and Grandfather are trapped in China, subject to the cruelties and insane ideas of Mao.

As they read the letters, they learn of the atrocities their family members have endured.  Wen-shen learns about her father, who she has no idea about.  She figures out why she has the same recurring nightmare, she learns why her mom did what she did in letting Wen-Shen go.

I particularly enjoyed the author's notes at the end of each chapter that described terms in the chapter related to terms or instances that were from this time in Chinese history.  I knew a little about it, but learned more about what went on during Mao's reign of terror.  I actually know a woman who was sent to the country to work in the fields during this time.  She had no idea of the other awful things that happened, even though she lived through it!

(I had the same incredulous feeling reading this book that I did when I read The Help.  I can't believe those horrible things were happening during my lifetime!!  I know I'm no spring chick, but this is the stuff of tyrants, and crazy men like Hitler.  I guess no one in the United States really knew what was  happening over there at the time, which is a little unbelievable in our day of instant news and constant rehashing should that news be of the sensational sort.)

The Light Between Oceans - M.L. Stedman
A fiction book set on an island about 100 miles from the Southwestern tip of Australia.  Although I thought it was set on an actual island called Janus Island, I was mistaken.
Tom and Izzy are a young married couple who live on the island where Tom is the keeper of the lighthouse.  They are happy together, despite the fact Izzy has lost several babies to miscarriage.  One day a boat washes up to shore with a dead man and a live baby.  Tom knows they should report it, but gives in to his grief-stricken wife who, of course, falls in love with the baby almost immediately.

Beyond that, I would be spoiling the plot with more information, so I will just tell you that it is a well-written, but heart-wrenching book!  I was listening to it on CD and one disc ended at a very dramatic point and I had to call a friend who I knew already read the book to make sure I wasn't going to be devestated if I kept going.  :)

I also enjoyed this book because it is set in the same part of the world that Ashley and Brandon so recently dwelt in!  The part of the world I did not get to.  :(

As You Wish - Cary Elwes
I was almost afraid to read this memoir of the making of "The Princess Bride", one of my all-time favorite movies.  I was afraid it would tell of tempramental actors, cranky directors, and all around a bad experience in filming the movie.

I'm happy to say, I couldn't have been more wrong!  It was a delightful journey of Prince Westley's (Cary Elwes) experience and the gratitude he feels for the movie that really gave him his big break.  Although it was a low-budget movie, with a poor lead-up to its premier (the advertising people had no idea what kind of movie to describe it as), it developed a cult following and is now well-beloved by many people.  We have been known to recite a line or two at the dinner table, and apparently, we aren't alone.  Many of the lines from the movie are popular and heavily quoted!

It was an easy read, but very satisfying!!

Death Comes to Pemberley - PD James
This was my first book to read for the book club I recently started attending!  (Yay, I'm in a book club again!)  It was another book I was a little wary of reading because I love Pride and Prejudice so much, I was afraid of what a spin off book might end up like.  I am still haunted by Scarlett, a sequel to Gone with the Wind which was not a good thing as far as I'm concerned.

As it is, I didn't LOVE it, but I also didn't HATE it.  I felt the author was true to Jane Austen's writing style, she stayed true to the characters, and it was an interesting twist to Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy's very regular life.

If you are wondering about reading this book, you should at least give it a try.  You might like it.

Schulz and Peanuts - David Michaelis
I am still not sure if I'm glad I read this book.  I pretty much grew up on the Peanuts comic strip, during the height of its popularity. So I was curious about the author of the strip.

He is not painted in a very good light throughout most of this book.  He's portayed as rather a loner, almost afraid to travel, and an unfaithful husband.  He seemed to have a hard time being happy, despite the success of his comic strip, and he appears to have been a pretty distant father.  His relationship with his parents is a bit confusing, and I actually felt sorry for him as a child.  It is a long book and truly toward the middle to end, I felt like I was slogging through, but had to finish.

After I was finished, I went on-line and tried to find out a little more about his children.  One of them is actually a convert to the Church, and in an interview after the book came out, expressed her and some of her siblings' disappointment in the final product.  That makes me wonder what the author did with the information that was freely shared with him.  All in all, it left me with a rather dubious taste in my mouth.

And finally, I listened to 2 Flavia DeLuce books (author Alan Bradley).  If you have ever read a book in this series, you will know what I mean when I say they are engaging and delightful.  Flavia is the perfect protagonist and although I am usually quite opposed to dead bodies, I can't seem to be turned away, even as she finds yet another corpse in the small village where she and her family, a widower dad and 2 intolerant sisters, live in her deceased mother's mansion.

I read the first several books in this series, then one day picked up the next book on CD and I will never go back.  One of these books is the perfect companion as I run around town during the day.

Whew!  That was a long post.  I think I better break up the list next time.  To leave on a high note though, I'm pretty sure I touched on every book I have read this year!  I'm happy with the length of the list so far!!

Over Half-way Through

Truly, I can't believe I am typing this, but Sister Rietz is over 1/2-way finished with her mission!  Wow!  That time has FLOWN by!!  She loves it, she is growing, she is maturing, it has been a great experience for her.  She has only been in two areas, and has fallen in love with both of them.  She has been involved in several baptisms, and has taught a lot of people, done a lot of service, and made life-long friends with her companions.  

I am a rookie missionary mom* and didn't know I was "supposed" to send her a 1/2-way package.  I only know this because I ran into another missionary mom and after I told her how long Amber has been out, she asked me if I sent the above mentioned package.  Well, of course I didn't!  She gave Pinterest all the credit for the box she sent her son - 1/2 a package of cookies, etc.  I'm just feeling a little bad that I missed the boat on that one!  I'll have to make it up to her in May with a 1-year package.  Luckily, Amber hasn't mentioned anything in her emails, so hopefully she doesn't feel too slighted, and will continue on working hard and loving missionary life. 

Rookie mom or not, I am still her mom, and can honestly say I wouldn't want her to be anywhere else.  She is so happy, and although she is learning that life can be hard, and that things don't always go the way you expect, she is also learning that the Lord listens to her prayers, and that the Holy Ghost will be with her if she is worthy, and will help her say the things her investigator needs to hear.  A small accident left her with stitches in her lower leg, and eventually a big scar, but that hasn't deterred her and in her own little humorous way said it was just a matter of time before she had to use the mission insurance!  (I second that.  It was an inevitable thing.)  She has a strong testimony of the Priesthood as she has had to exercise her faith in it through several bouts of illness.  And she knows the importance of OWE - Obedience with Exactness, something her dad reminds her of each week - and the blessings that can come from obedience.

So here's to the next nine months.  November will be here before we know it, but for now I am so happy to be a missionary mom and support my favorite missionary!  Keep up the good work, Sister Rietz!!

Proof that she is no sissy!  A souvenier from a district soccer game.

With Gideon-Moroni, her trusty bike.  She loves it, and wants to ship it home at the end of her mission.  

Showing a little attitude with Sister T.  (Both of them are from Idaho!)

Amber just got to speak at the baptism of these cute girls.  They are from her first area, but they wanted her to speak, so she got to go back.

*and just to cement my "Missionary Mom of the Year" award, it has really been over a week since her 1/2 point.  I am just getting around to getting this post written.  Sigh.  (I may just be hopeless at this.)

Out with the old, in with the new...

If there is a cardigan post, then there must also be a clog post.  So here is a blog about a clog.  (Really more than one, but I couldn't resist the play on words!  :)  These clogs, specifically.  Merrell clogs.  Brown clogs.  Comfortable clogs.  Wear everywhere clogs.

I know, I know.  I already swooned over cardigans and proclaimed they are my favorite clothing item. (See above link.)  So, just to keep things on the up and up, I am declaring that these are my favorite shoes to wear.  Period.

The old pair have been my faithful companions for about 7 or 8 years.  My kids gave them to me one year for Christmas, although I'm not sure which one.  It was love at first sight!!  They have worn like champions, and haven't given me a speck of trouble until recently.  Every so often, when wear them, my feet hurt.  It seems the arch support isn't quite what it used to be.  And, clearly from the picture, they are worn out.  I can't remember for sure, but I highly suspect they were once not smooth, but had a little suede feel to them.  No more.  Very smooth to the touch.  And even I, non-fashionista that I am, know there is a limit to how ratty your clothes can look before you have to stop wearing them.  It's quite evident that these have served their time and can now enjoy a well-deserved retirement.  (Although, I'm pretty sure the only thing they will be doing from now on is sitting in a landfill.  Seems a poor way to treat friends, but remember the arch support thing?  That is pretty big for me, so I won't be wearing them, even around the house.  And I know looks aren't everything, but I highly doubt anyone would be grabbing these off the thrift shop shelf.  Sad.)

Which brings us to the new pair in my life.  Trevor was showing me a pair of pants he liked on-line and the site he was on had a banner or something that showed Merrell clogs.  I had looked a little here and there to find a new pair, but nothing serious until that day.  There were several options, although none exactly like my old pair.  And none as inexpensive as I would have liked.  (I know, what else should I expect from a pair of Merrells?)  So, this pair is where I landed.  A lighter brown, suede uppers and What?  A furry lining?  Yes!  That is something I had often times thought about the benefit of, but never really considered getting.  At any rate, here they are.  New, non-scuffed and lined, and mine!  Love!!!

As I type, the waterproofing spray is drying on them.  Another few coats, and we'll be good to go.  Lots of adventures await me and my new clogs!!  (And by adventures I mean trips to Costco, the bank and any other errands that happen to be on my list.  ;)  That's just the kind of adventurous life I lead.  What can I say?

For the Beauty of the Earth and a little dog sledding...

“Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you.”

-Thornton Wilder

This quote was in my inbox the day before we left for Yellowstone this month.  We went down for our usual snowmobiling trip with Vision Source.  It was fun.  The weather was good, a little foggy to be able to go to Two Top, but we still had fun, were able to snowmobile a lot, and in a new twist, we both got stuck at different points in the day.  

This quote is from "Our Town", a play by Thornton Wilder.  I imagine Emily is saying it as she looks down on her town after she dies.  She realizes how great the earth is, what she had when she was there, and what she is missing now that she has passed on to the other side.

My first thought when I read this is how beautiful and wondrous the earth is.  I can't help but utter a prayer of Thanksgiving when I am out in Nature.  At times I am close to being overcome by the Earth and her MANY facets.  Each beautiful in its own way.  In fact, one of my favorite instagram accounts is usinterior!  Each day I get at least one amazing photo of this place we call Earth, and the diverse beauty of it.  One of the best examples of our gorgeous world is Yellowstone National Park.  Unfortunately, this year, I really didn't get any good pictures, so I stole from my archives for this post.  The great thing about that is the sights are still there, still breathtaking, and barring some volcano or other natural disaster, will be around for a long time.  

The Snow Giants

The falls of the Firehole River - Yellowstone National Park

One of the many geothermic features at Yellowstone National Park

So, yes Emily, Earth is to wonderful for us to realize...in so many ways!!  I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves us so much, He sent His son to create this wonderful planet for us to live on.  Yes, it has its problems, (although, I'd say the majority of those are caused by the inhabitants, and not the planet itself) but, everyday, I am grateful to be here, in such a lovely place to live, to love, and to prove I am up to the challenge of living in such a way so I can return to that same Heavenly Father, whose daughter I am, someday.  That is what life is all about.

Now, on to less weighty matters...

The day after snowmobiling, we got to try dog sledding!  That was a great experience!  Definitely a new one!!  There were two rules.  1 - Hang on.  2 - Don't let go!   You have to hang on because the dogs LOVE to run!  They are bred to run.  As soon as they realize it is almost time to go, they bark, they jump, they whine, they can't contain themselves until they get down to the business of pulling the sled!  So, should the driver not be able to step on the brake, they will take off down the trail!

Well just let me say in my defense that it is really hard to steer the sled, and at one point, I leaned hard into the turn, and thought we were going over!!!  I broke rule #2.  Luckily, our guide, Moffet (is that the greatest name for a sled dog guide?) was in the front of the sled and jumped out, and stopped the sled.  Who knows where John would have ended up otherwise??  I ran fast to catch it, but would have been toast if not for Moffet.

John was a much better driver, to say the least.  I was happy to turn over the proverbial reins when we got back to the start, and he had another successful run with the dogs.  He did not break Rule #1 or Rule #2.  He is a good listener!!

At the helm of the dog sled.  (Do you hear the foreboding music???)

The Cardigan Post

This post has been rattling around in my head for about a week.  It all started when a friend and I were having a discussion (through email, not a face to face discussion) about the pearls she wore to church.  In the course of said discussion, she commented that some day she wanted to own as many cardigans as Mimi and me.

Now, Mimi and I do have a lot of cardigans, and more than one of which could be considered the same (or close to it).  Many is the time we have shown up at church wearing alarmingly similar outfits.  We've even joked that we should call each other before we leave the house to make sure we won't be twinners!  :)

Slight digression - As you can already tell, we both have much the same taste in clothing styles.  We both like to shop at Eddie Bauer and yes, we know that sometimes (many times) the clothing there is a little expensive.  We have the "Eddie Bauer theory" that when you purchase something that is a little steep, we both can completely justify the purchase because we are also very much keepers of said clothes, for a long time, therefore, getting many wearings out of those quality Eddie Bauer clothes.  Note that I rarely buy something at EB that is not on sale, so that makes our theory even better!  This, of course, would not work if one or both of us were fashionistas and wore something for one season, then passed it off to the thrift shop.  Come to think of it, rarely do I give something to my favorite second hand shop that I don't feel a little bad because it is usually out of style and very worn out - possibly with a broken zipper, a stain on it or a hole in it.  I'm not sure I'm doing them any favors being a donor.

Now, back to the original post...

Cardigan - a usually collarless sweater or jacket that opens the full length of the center front

Origin - James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan †1868 English soldier

First Known Use: 1862

Geographical location - former county W Wales ∗ Aberystwyth

As far as cardigans go, they may be my favorite clothing item -
-They don't have to be a perfect fit, like jeans.  Ugh!!  In other words, THEY ARE COMFORTABLE!!
-They keep you warm.  My favorite time of year is when the autumn air starts getting crisp, and the weather begs for a cardigan!  Heaven!!!
-They are not fussy.  They just do their job, then quietly wait for the next time they are called into service.
-They are versatile!  I can wear a cardigan all day long, starting with Seminary, switching out of my skirt to pants/jeans, and go the rest of the day!  You gotta love such an accommodating piece of clothing.  In fact, today, that very thing happened.  I am still wearing the cardigan I put on at 5:45 this morning.  Again, ya gotta love it!!
-For the most part, they are easy to take care of.  (At least the ones I buy).  As long as I remember to wear an apron when I cook, I don't have to wash my cardigans very often, and when I do, they seem to come out of the laundry room no worse for the wear.
-They invoke images of Mr. Rogers, and librarians.  Two things I love!  (One of the blogs I like to follow "The English Geek", is written by a part-time librarian, and she posted about her life as a librarian and they part cardigans play, but I can't seem to find it at the moment.  You'll just have to take my word.)
-It seems they were first used exactly 100 years before I was born!  That has to mean something!
-Given my love for all things across the pond, it seems fitting they are named after a place exactly there - across the pond!  :)
I'm sure there are more, but suffice to say, those are reasons enough.  I (heart) cardigans.
Ah cardigans!!

Not convinced of my adoration for the cardigan? Consider this quote from Ashley during planning for her wedding.  I was stressing about what to wear, and she said "Mom, you cannot wear a cardigan and khaki skirt!"  :)  It still makes me chuckle when I bring that to mind.

(In case you are wondering, I do not have a count on my cardigans.  I know there are a lot, but I haven't had to build a wing onto my bedroom to house them, so I think I'm okay.  Plus, I can justify their presence in my closet because I wear them!  OFTEN!  Especially this time of year.)

Have I mentioned that I just got one in the mail?  Today.  From Eddie Bauer!  Yes!!

A New Discovery

While I'm not one to shy away from new food, and certainly not from squash, I have never done much with Spaghetti Squash.  I may have bought it years ago, or had a fresh one from someone's garden, but I'm not sure I made it into something that we all really loved.  In fact, I am sure of it, given that it has been so long since another one has come home from the grocery store.  But all that changed when I decided on a whim to buy one a few months ago, and then searched the internet (the fountain of all cooking wisdom) for some way to use it.

And now, Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies is the new recipe that is getting rave reviews around here. (Not my photo, my dishes aren't near that nice, and flat leaf parsley is not something I usually have hanging out in my vegetable drawers :)  I do like to make it with ground Italian sausage, and I'm not sure I use the exact amounts of red and green peppers, but so far, everyone has liked it.  Actually, I can't say everyone.  Even as I type, Trevor is wondering why we have been having it so often, so I guess not all are fans!  :)



So, in the interest of good food, I'm sharing it with you.  Give it a try, maybe it will become a favorite at your house too!

And in the interest of movies about food, if you haven't seen The Hundred Foot Journey, with Helen Mirren, you may want to give it a try!  It's both sweet and funny, and we all enjoyed watching it!

Bon Appetit!

Au revoir, 2014...

Just a quick post about 2014.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  (Since it will be quick, it will probably be incomplete, but oh well.)

The good - Where to start?
-A new grandson - pictures here
-Sister Rietz serving in the California Rancho Cucamonga Mission.  She's 7 months in and going strong.  You can follow her adventure at her blog
-Teaching Seminary.  Who knew I would love it so much?  And love it I do.  I have a great class who show up, stay awake and are a joy to meet with 5 mornings a week - see this post
-Thanksgiving with the family.  see this post
-The first Roommate Rendevous  - see this post
-Many good books - Non-fiction seemed to be my genre this year - here is one I really enjoyed
-Watching my family continue to grow and seeing the great people they are becoming - you'll have to peruse the blog to find examples.  I'm sure I included plenty!  :)

This is just a sample of the good.  So many things to remember and to be grateful for.  I hope I appreciated and will continue to appreciate them enough.

The bad - Luckily not the longest list, but still long enough...
-Too many people we know passed away too soon - here is one story
-We didn't go to Australia - I could list this under "ugly" because it makes me very sad, and the regret       I feel about this is something I have to let go, because I can't change anything.  Lesson learned             though - take the matter into my own hands if I want something badly enough.
-Not enough blog posts, quilting, hiking or bike riding...no posts, just 3 resolutions for 2015!

The ugly - okay, there really isn't anything to put here unless you want to see a picture of my varicose veins, and really, who wants to see that?  ;)  My life is great, and my family and I are richly blessed.  Sure we have ups and downs, but isn't that what life is all about?

I'm excited to have a new year ahead of me.  I just saw a quote today about how we have 365 pages of a new book to write on.  I'm looking forward to seeing how our story unfolds in 2015.

Happy New Year!!