The Book List - May and 2 health book recommendations

Sugar Love Carpet Lilies - photo by Tabby

You may have noticed, that I have started adding "this post contains amazon.com affiliate links" to some of my blog posts lately.  This simply means that I signed up for Amazon.com's Affiliate program and use their links for books or other products I mention sometimes.  Then, if anyone uses one of those links to buy that product - or anything else after clicking through on my link - then I could earn a tiny percentage of that.  Any money at all that I earn, will be used for blessing others through my Lilly Memorial Project.  :)  You can also click through the amazon.com link at the top right column of this blog.  I'm on sort of a "probation period" with them right now.  When you sign up, you have 90 days to get a sale.  If not, then you're out of the program.  So I figured it is worth a try.

Please don't feel obliged to buy your amazon.com products this way.  But if you do, I just wanted to explain where any money I make off your sale would go.  Thank you!  :)

future recorder player - photo by Tabby

Before I get into last month's list of books I read, I wanted to share two books that I turn to, anytime one of us is sick or has any health issue.  They are both by the same woman and focus on ways to heal with natural methods as opposed to prescription drugs.  (Though the author reminds us, there certainly is a time for those.)  The books are:

Be Your Own Doctor - 101 Stories:  The Informative Guide to Herbal Home Health Care by Rachel Weaver

Be Your Child's Pediatrician: Responsible Home Health Care by Rachel Weaver

I used the tips in the first book to get rid of Frank's last kidney stone issue without him ever having to go to the doctor. 

The author is a mother of 9, midwife, and master herbalist.  Samaritan Ministries did a member spotlight on the Weaver family here and a review of Be Your Own Doctor here.   

Dixie & Sherlotta visited the doctor recently and got spayed - photo by Tabby

Exhaust Pipe had his turn at the vet too.  No more puppies for us! - photo by Tabby

MAY:

Hit the Knee and Other Sage Advice:  A Cheeky Account of My Heart Bypass Surgery by Dennis J. Gwin - This book was written by my brother-in-law Dennis, (Frank's sister's husband.)  It is a humorous and informative story about his heart bypass surgery.  Dennis is a funny writer and I found myself laughing - out loud - at a number of parts of the story.  (You have to understand that though I have a sense of humor, I am not an "easy laugher" so this is certainly notable!)  The book made me think a lot about Lilly's two heart surgeries (one to insert a pulmonary artery band and the other was VSD repair) and made me wonder how things felt for her.  After Lilly died, Dennis wrote this sweet poem about her.  You can get paperback copy of Dennis's book at: http://hittheknee.wix.com/hittheknee and kindle version on amazon here.

Saved at Sea by Mrs. O. F. Walton - I recently went through a unit study on lighthouses with Hunter and this is one of the books we read.  Written in 1879, this was an intriguing tale of a boy and his grandfather and the lighthouse they help tend.  The title - "saved at sea" - has several meanings in the story.  Not only is a baby saved in a shipwreck, but the main characters are saved by becoming Christians.  We have the Lamplighter version of this book (which is the one I linked to), but if you search amazon.com, you will see plenty of other cheaper re-prints.

The Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful by Myquillyn Smith.  I always enjoy reading a home decorating book every once in a while.  We moved into our current home, a 100-year old farmhouse, less than 2 years ago.  Solomon was only 3 weeks old.  The first year here felt like survival mode.  This year, I am finally able to start painting rooms and getting the house in better order.  So I enjoyed  reading The Nesting Place and am thankful for the the inspiration and encouragement I got from it.  The author and I do not really have the same decorating style, but that didn't matter.  The author blogs at: The Nesting Place (www.thenester.com).  She says "Welcome to our home where things aren't perfect.  We trust you can relate."  One of my favorite pictures in the book shows her office staged for a magazine shoot.  Then shows a picture of her office of how it normally looks.  Quite a difference.  ;)  I'll never look at magazine house shoots the same.

the Guinea Hens just moved into their new house! (coop) - photo by Tabby

Soft Rain: A Story of the Cherokee Trail of Tears by Cornelia Cornelissen - This is a historical fictional account of a sad time in America's history.  It is about a girl and her family - and the other Cherokee Indians around them - being captured and forced from their home in North Carolina to relocate west.  Though I was familiar with "the trail of tears" this book really brought it to life and all the sadness surrounding it.  This book was one of the assigned books for the Veritas Press self-paced history course that Tabby is taking - 1815 to Present.  (I read the books and watch the online course too, because I love learning along with her.)

Super Nutrition for Babies: The Right Way to Feed Your Baby for Optimal Health by Katherine Erlich and Kelly Genzlinger - I began reading this book about the time Solomon was ready to start eating solid foods.  Many chapters are divided up into age groups, and I did not read those until he reached whatever those ages were.  So last month I finally finished the book.  This book is the ultimate way to fight back against the SAD way of eating (Standard American Diet).  It follows along with a lot of Weston Price's research.  If you follow the recommendations, you will definitely have a super baby!  I have done pretty well with Solomon, but there were a number of things that I just couldn't or didn't want to feed him.  But I'd say his health is very good - he has only been sick twice I think.

Man of the Family by Ralph Moody - I am reading through the "Little Britches" series for literature with my kids and this is the second one we've finished.  These are true stories based on the author's life, growing up in the early 1900s.  This book picks up where Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers left off, Ralph's father had just died.  The family must try and find a way to make money and survive.  My kids and I were continually amazed at how creative this family was!  These books are just fascinating.  Sort of Little House on the Prairie type books, though from the male perspective.  (Note - there are some cuss words in them, but I just leave these out since I read them out loud.)

25 Ways to Communicate Respect to Your Husband:  A Handbook for Wives by Jennifer Flanders - I find it interesting that in the Bible God instructs husbands to "love" their wives and for wives to "respect" their husbands.  (See Ephesians 5.)  Why does God say this?  Are those some universal struggles for us in marriage?  Like many areas of my life, I know respect is one I can do better in.  The author of this book has 25 practical ways to do this, in easy to read, short chapters.  Many of these ways can apply to anyone in our lives.  In a day and age where it seems so few people truly respect others, this book is a great tool.  The author suggests taking just one "way" a week and working on it to make it a habit.

"Respect? I demand respect!" - Tabby's Silkie Bantam rooster - photo by Tabby