Hunter experienced a huge disappointment at the library yesterday. He excitedly signed up for his own library card, carefully selected
6 books, then marched up to the checkout.
The librarian (one whom I've never seen before)
looked at me and said, "These are adult books. He can't check them
out. There are no kids books here. Why isn't he checking out kids
books?" (Unfortunately our favorite librarian wasn't there. She
totally "gets" Hunter and loves to see what he is reading.)
We'll speak to our favorite librarian about this next time we see her.
How We Love: Discover Your Love Style, Enhance Your Marriage by Milan & Kay Yerkovich - A bit over a year ago, I read about this book on Trina Holden's blog. I have always been fascinated studying personalities and why we are the way we are so the idea of this book - that the "intimacy imprint" we receive from our family when we are very young, shapes how we love and interact with others when we are an adult - intrigued me. I didn't get around to reading this book until earlier this winter and I am so glad I did. I would rate this as one of the most helpful books I've ever read in my life. It was written by a Christian husband and wife that work as counselors and is based on attachment styles. When I read the chapter on the "avoider style" I felt like I was reading my autobiography. It was amazing. For the first time ever, I feel like I truly understand why I have always had the particular challenges I do in relationships of all kinds. There are five "love styles" described in the book. The book focuses on marriage and how our particular styles bring challenges to our marriages. However, knowing your "style" will help you understand ANY relationship better. The back section of the book is a workbook, with many questions to help you dig deeper and then bring awareness and healing where you need it.
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| Some of Hunter's book knowledge (and things he's learned from repair videos on YouTube) came in handy last week when he helped me fix the freezer in our refrigerator. Again. |
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| Solomon eating "vanilla rice pudding with sausages sliced on top" |
NOTE: Arnold Ytreeide also wrote Amon's Adventures: A Family Story for Easter which we also really enjoyed.
Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati - I read this book during Tabby's recent hospital stay for some "lighter reading." I had wanted to read it after learning it was spin off of my all time favorite movie - The Last of the Mohicans. The author mixes both fact and fiction in this historical adventure book, which picks up when Hawkeye is a grandfather. This book was both interesting and annoying. The historical aspects and story in general was interesting. But I didn't realize until I had begun the book, that it was "historical romance." I never read books like that and found it annoying when the story would keep stopping for some light romance. The book is 876 pages long and could have been knocked down a couple hundred pages if all those descriptions were left out! My apologies to those of you that enjoy those books. That's fine. They just aren't what I choose to read. ;) I was very glad to finish the book right before Tabby was discharged from the hospital.
By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder - I've been continuing to read through the "Little House" series to Hunter and Solomon and they just can't get enough of the stories. We read at least one chapter most every day, which makes me happy too! In this book, the Ingalls family moves to Dakota Territory and Pa works for a bit for the railroad. Hunter was fascinated with Laura's detailed descriptions of how the railroads were built. After the railroad company moves on to the next spot to work at, the Ingalls family spends the winter in a surveyors house, joined by another couple. What was it like to live like that with no one around for over 40 miles? In the spring, Pa files for a homestead which ends the family's further travels west.
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder - Through all the sickness in January, and then a long weekend of snow and ice, we got a lot of reading done. This was the perfect book to be reading during the 4 or so days we had ice and a bit of snow outside. Frank was home from work then and even he got caught up in hearing the story! (So much so he now asks the boys every night at supper "So what happened in Little House today?") In this book, the Ingalls family is living on their homestead in Dakota Territory. A blizzard hits hard in October, and according to an Indian that comes into town, it will be the first of a long series of blizzards that winter. Because their homestead shanty isn't well insulated, Pa moves his family into town for the winter. He had built a store there and had rented it out, but the renters were gone and it was a nice, solidly built home for the family for winter. I really can not imagine what this must have been like. Blizzards, lasting 3-4 days at a time, with only a few days of sun in between. Temperatures well under 20 degrees BELOW zero. The trains cease running because of the snow and that means no more supplies. The Ingalls family runs out of coal and kerosene. They have to twist sticks of hay to burn in their stove for a little warmth. By the end they are only eating bread, twice a day. These stories are all so amazing, and are based on the author's real life.
Hunter's favorite part is when Ma makes a button lamp for a little light. As Ma tries to remember how it was done when she was younger, before their dependence on that "newfangled" kerosene, Pa understands how she is feeling. He says:
"These times are too progressive. Everything has changed too fast. Railroads and telegraph and kerosene and coal stoves--they're good things to have but the trouble is, folks get to depend on 'em."
Ha! I just laugh and shake my head thinking "Pa - if only you could see things now!"
Laura's future husband, Almanzo, is introduced in this story. Several times the scenes involve he and his brother Royal, eating and making buckwheat pancakes. This got Hunter wanting to try buckwheat pancakes so we found this recipe that was inspired by the book for fluffy buckwheat pancakes. They turned out pretty good!
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| easy cooking on my electric stove |
Uncle Sam’s Farm (lyrics found here)
Of all the mighty nations in the east or in the west,
O this glorious Yankee nation is the greatest and the best,
We have room for all creation, and our banner is unfurl’d,
Here’s a gen’ral invitation to the people of the world.
chorus - Oh, come away, come away, come away I say!
Oh, come away, come away, come right away!
Oh, come to this country and have no fear of harm,
Our Uncle Sam is rich enough to give us all a farm.
St. Lawrence marks our northern line, as fast her waters flow;
And the Rio Grande our southern bound, ‘way down to Mexico.
From the great Atlantic Ocean where the sun begins to dawn,
Leap across the Rock Mountains far away to Oregon.
(chorus)
While the South shall raise the cotton, and the West, the corn and pork,
New England manufactories shall do up the finer work;
For the deep and flowing waterfalls that course along our hills,
Are just the thing for washing sheep, and driving cotton mills.
(chorus)
Our father’s gave us liberty, but little did they dream,
The grand results that pour along this mighty age of steam;
For our mountains, lakes, and rivers are all a blaze of fire,
And we send our news by lightning on the telegraphic wires.
(chorus)
Yes! We’re bound to beat the nations for our motto’s “Go ahead!”
And we’ll tell the foreign countries that our people are well fed;
For the nations must remember that Uncle Sam is not a fool,
For the people do the voting, and the children go to school.
(chorus)
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