What I'm Reading Now

From time to time and when the mood hits me, I write about what I'm reading. I do it for no reason in particular, mostly because I like to see what others are reading and I'm assuming I'm not much different from everyone else. Maybe they want to see what I'm reading, in case it's something they want to check out also.

1. My Delicious Life with Paula Deen. Told through her husband's vantage point, the book provides a glimpse into Michael Groover's courtship with Paula, with some pretty darn good recipes from his files thrown in as a bonus.

2. The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian. Good reading for a parent with children of any age. It's the third time I've read it. I'm reading it again because of the next book on the list.

3. How to Talk Confidently with Your Child about Sex. Do I have to do this? Bring me Stormie Omartian's book to get me through it.

Happy reading.

Love,
TCB

Related Posts:

What I'm Reading in May
What I'm Reading in September

Like Parent, Like Child.

Fact: I'm still writing on the theme of "Family" this month.
Warning: I'm still sappy because my son is away from home for the second week in a row.

I'm sure you've heard the expression, "An apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

For the first three years of our homeschool, I was sure I was the one who could prove the saying false.

I am a reader. My whole life, I have had a book stuck in my face (and sometimes now an e-book) when I have no responsibilities on my plate. Sometimes now, since I am a bonafide, official adult with responsibilities running out of my ears, I sneak away and take a break with a book.

Here I am as a "tween." (I'm not sure that term was coined back then).

(Photo courtesy of my Mama's 1970-something Polaroid camera).

Fresh from the bed first thing in the morning, I grabbed the book. You can see I'm almost finished with it. I was always almost finished with it.

I remember so many great things I learned from reading. When I ran out of books from my trip to the library, I read from my parent's bookshelf (The Bermuda Triangle - fascinating - and Helter Skelter - so not recommended for reading by your elementary school child. I couldn't sleep for weeks after that one).

So - back to the apple falling from the tree. I despaired because I could not interest my son in reading. Even when I took over his education, he still read only when forced and only for the exact time (20 minutes) required by his wonderful (ahem) teacher. I couldn't even get him to enjoy reading the comics. He declared he hated to read. I was depressed. Depressed, but determined.

Then suddenly one day, I found the miracle lineup of books. Robin Hood, Adam of the Road, and King Arthur. I thought I would fight him on reading these books, as some of them have some quite difficult-to-understand Old English words. Something about the swords and castles and knights, and merry men grabbed him. And he suddenly loved reading.

Next, I plugged him into the Warrior series by Erin Hunter. And a reader was born. I rejoiced. Perseverance does pay off.

Looky, looky at this:

He has kept it up all summer Now he's truly the apple of my eye. :)

Happy summer reading to you. I'm in the midst of three books at once. I'll give you the full details on those later.

Happy day!
TCB

What I'm Reading in September

If you've been a reader of my blog, you know I adore reading (and writing). I have been on a non-fiction reading kick for the last year or so, so both of the books I'm reading this month are non-fiction. No surprises there!

Here they are:

1. One Year to an Organized Work Life by Regina Leeds. The title is self-explanatory. The best tips I took away from this book? Learn to say "no" once each day. Also, Regina summed it up best about messy piles in your office: If you have piles of work folders on your office floor (I do), then you probably have not made a commitment, for whatever reason, to the projects they represent. If you're serious about the projects, clear out the clutter to clear out some "brain space" for them and put them in the file cabinet so they will gain prominence and importance.

If you need it, this author also has organization books on finances and life in general.

It's a quick read and organized enough like a reference book to skim through and pull out the tidbits you need for office (and mental) organization.

2. Unglued by Lysa Terkeurst. I'm still reading this Christian book, so I don't have a full report for you now. I always find it refreshing the way Lysa explains Christian concepts and so selflessly uses failures and examples from her own life.

What comes out of your mouth when you're angry? Are you a stuffer or an exploder? The book is focused on how to respond when you have negative, raw emotions to express to those around you. What is the proper way to respond, and why, according to the Bible, should we respond in this manner? It's something I struggle with when people irritate me. I'll be the first to admit this book is for me.

Happy reading!
TCB
PS. Let me know what you're reading. I always need new books for my ever-expanding reading list.

Organize Me

I'm reading one book (besides my Bible) in September. My reading aspirations are low because homeschooling is in full swing. All those years of working for clients when I owned a PR agency taught me how to manage expectations of my clients. Now I'm finally learning how to manage my expectations of myself.

This month's book is"I Used to Be So Organized" by Glynnis Whitwer. There are about a zillion organizational books on the market. This isn't one of them. I like it because the first half of the book is so different from the rest. It focuses on knowing God's will for your individual life and setting your priorities accordingly. That one point should be the driving piece of how you organize your life. Somehow the way Whitwer explains it just simplifies the decision-making process for me.

Does that mean you will need to drop an activity or two from your list of to-do's? Probably. I have two that I will be dropping this month to focus on my main priorities - homeschooling, child rearing, homekeeping, faith growing, and writing.

I'm ditching my cousins - Should and Should Have. They don't need me anyway. And I don't need them. So there.

Have a happy day.
TCB

This Year's Beach Reads

I am famous for sticking my face in a book or a magazine for my entire beach week every summer. I always look for riveting, but light, reading when it's shore time. I just got back from a blissful week at our usual summer beach haunt -a laid-back, quiet, residential island on the South Carolina coast.
My son learned a new skill - skim boarding.

But not without some trial and error.
Here's a successful movie snippet version.

He has a bad habit of thinking he should be perfect at everything the very first time he tries. I have explained to him many times that no one is perfect; we all must practice and practice to become good at an activity. He tried skim boarding a couple of times but when he fell, he gave up and sat down. I wasn't about to spend $50 on a board that he never used again! So, being a COMPLETELY INEXPERIENCED (and some may say stupid) skim boarder, I decided to show him that I would try boarding and that my first attempt probably (definitely??) would not be perfect or even good.

Here's my boo-boo. I probably don't need to tell you both my legs went out from under me and I landed with a painful thud on the sand and shells. I would not recommend this to my other 40-something friends.

The upside? My son saw I was horrible, so he jumped back on the board and soon mastered it. Mission accomplished! (I'm still healing, and by the way - I'm sorry you had to see my bare naked leg).

ANYWAY, on to what I really was writing about today - my fabulous beach reads. After the fall, I retreated to my lounge chair FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK and here is what I read from cover to cover:

Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult
Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

If you've never read Picoult's books, you're in for a treat. Her books are engrossing but light enough to enjoy. What I particularly like about her writing is that she doesn't waste a lot of upfront space in the book with "background" on the characters and their lives. She works it in throughout the first 75% of the book, so you are constantly discovering new parts of the character - just as you would learn things about a new friend over the first few months of your friendship.

Hope you got in some sort of vacation this year. We get homesick for "our island" when we can't visit at least once a year.

Love,
TCB

What I'm Reading in May

As I write this on a beautiful (non-humid!!) Sunday afternoon on the banks of the Broad River, I am enjoying the sounds of birds singing, the flap of Canadian geese’s wings flying over the water, and a just-what-the-doctor-ordered breeze. What a perfect day to be outside with a good book.

Just as I’ve never been one of the earliest adopters of technology, I am not one of the earliest readers of the latest books. I find to be the first is pricey at the book store and downright impossible at the library. I put myself on the waiting list at my local library when The Weird Sisters came out, and I was 60^th in line!

So in May, I have been reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat.Pray.Love. And no, I haven’t seen the movie. I would never do that before reading the book. I’m not sure that I have ever liked a movie better than the book on which it’s based.

For those of you who haven’t read it, I would recommend it as a fun read. Elizabeth’s true story of self-exploration and self-realization is divided into three parts: her travels post-divorce over the course of a year to Italy (Eat), India (Pray), and Indonesia (Love). I have made my way through Italy and India so far and have been entertained by Elizabeth’s clever use of words. I will say from my viewpoint, her descriptions of her life in Italy left me feeling a little sad. And as a Christian, some of her religious insights seem a little hocus-pocus to me. However, all in all, she is an entertaining writer, and this is her partial autobiography, so she is free to tell her story how she sees it.

You won’t have to wait in a long line to pick this one up at the library, although it is still new enough to be in the Popular Reading section. Try it. I think you’ll like it.

Happy reading. Now it’s time for the nap portion of my day by the river.

Love,

TCB

The Book I'm Reading in April

I'm focusing on one book this month, as it is a busy spring month for finishing school activities and planting my garden and flower beds. I'm re-reading an important book my sister-in-law was so nice to give me some time ago: Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp.

The main premise of this Christian child rearing book is that, as stated in the Bible, "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." Tripp teaches parents how to address heart issues and not simply require rote obedience from their children. God has put us parents in charge of our children, and we should direct them toward a biblical perspective when it comes to obedience, not just make them obey because it is convenient for us.

This book contains deep spiritual lessons about parenting. I read it once many years ago when my son was an infant, but it is so much easier to digest now that I have a "tween." There is also a section for teenagers, and who doesn't need help with that??

Happy reading. I'd always like to hear about what you're reading now, too.

Love,
TCB

The March Book

OK...here's a first. I'm only going to be able to read ONE book this month. Even though we are only a handful of days into March, it appears I have too much on my schedule to get through more than one book. Swim practice, swim meet, Cub Scouts, PR projects, writing projects, washing dishes, vacuuming, cooking, anyone??

So here it is....


The Best of Friends: Martha and Me


Were you expecting a thought-provoking best seller? Who knows, it could have been a best seller. Nevertheless.....I have always been enamored with Martha Stewart. Who else could pair housekeeping with cutthroat, kick-your-butt business acumen and make it seem both cool and easy?

This account is kind of a tell-all by one of her longtime best friends, Mariana, who it seems Martha tried to throw under the bus when she was on her way to prison (remember that?). If everything is as Mariana says, it makes you see Martha as a cold and calculating person behind the "It's a good thing" facade.

I'd recommend it for a good read - probably one step up from beach chick lit.

Happy reading always.

Love,
TCB

Make Your Own Butter

Make Your Own Butter

We have been studying the pioneer days for our homeschool social studies and reading subjects during the last few weeks. My son has been reading a book perfect for his third grade reading level, “A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840.”

It is an example of the realistic fiction genre and provides an interesting day-by-day look at how hard it was to accomplish simple homekeeping, hunting, and farming tasks in those days.

He was enamored with a recipe included in the book about how pioneer women made their own butter. It was adapted for a small quantity (no huge butter churn needed), so he was excited to do this project on his own. Here it is, adapted from the book, in case you want to try it:

Ingredients and Supplies:

1 c. whipping cream (room temperature)

Small jar with secure lid

Bowl

Wooden spoon

That’s it! I didn’t even have to travel to the store to buy anything.

He poured the whipping cream into the jar, closed the lid, and shook vigorously. The cream separates into a blue-white liquid (buttermilk) and yellow clumps (the butter). It takes about 10 minutes of shaking to see the solid and liquid start to separate and another 10 minutes before it’s finished. It’s a workout!

Then, pour it all into a bowl. Next, strain off the buttermilk. Wash the butter with cold water and press it against the sides of the bowl with a wooden spoon. Don’t use metal because it alters the taste of the butter. Keep rinsing the butter until it runs clear. Add in a little salt to taste.

Here’s what my son’s finished product looked like.

Minus the large pat for the bowl of broccoli we had at supper, of course.

He learned how butter is made and how difficult it was generations ago to make something we take for granted when we pull it off the Publix shelf. (I did point out to him that at least he didn't have to take it from the cow milking stage. He got to start with whipping cream.)

It also helped him remember some of the other pioneer reading material in the book, as well as the time period it covered. Hands-on learning always works for my son. I don't think he is too different from most boys.

Happy schooling,
TCB

What I'm Reading this Month

What I'm Reading this Month

I'm on to reading two books at once this month and into March.

I told you last month I am reading Francis Chan's Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God as part of a DVD/book-based Bible study.


Francis is the founding pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California. One part of this week's Chapter 7 really jumped out at me. Early in the book, he talks about the Americanization of Christianity. For most of us, we have it good in this country - plenty to eat, plenty of clothes, and a culture that accumulates so much we have entire industries revolving around our "stuff." Think storage unit companies and organizational consultants who show us how to "declutter."

But Francis points out we often accept God's materialistic blessings and say "thank you, thank you" repeatedly to God. We may be grateful but that's as far as it goes. What if Jesus' disciples did the same thing when there was a food shortage and it was time for lunch? In Matthew Chapter 14, Jesus took one boy's 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and gave them to the disciples. The disciples could have acted like many of us today (I'm guilty) and said, "Thank you, Jesus, for providing plenty of food for our lunch today." Instead, they turned around and distributed food to everyone in the crowd, totaling more than 5,000 people according to the Bible.

Why are we different? Why shouldn't we do the same?

Interestingly enough, no one really knows where Francis Chan and his family are right now. He has stepped down from Cornerstone and his blog says he is deciding what God wants him to do next.

The second book I'm reading is Bill Bryson's At Home: A Short History of Private Life.


He is the author of many interesting and knowledge-filled books. You may know about A Short History of Nearly Everything. 

"At Home" is another inquisitive book where Bryson explains the history of how each room in our house came about. How did the Wardrobe begin? What is the history of the bathroom and how did it become a place of bath-taking? From the "one bath a year" mentality to the bathroom's coming of age as a normal, frequently used part of the house, Bryson covers all kinds of interesting angles. He writes about the bedroom, stairs, the nursery, and the attic, among many other rooms in houses in ancient times to modern times. History becomes both odd and fun in this book.

I would love to hear any interesting books you're reading now. I always need something new to add to my list!

Love,
TCB

My Dictionary

My Dictionary

Do I sound a little attached to a Book of Words? I've always loved words and loved reading. And this may sound a little nerdy...ok, very nerdy...but I got this beautiful (once new) unabridged dictionary for Christmas. When I was in kindergarten. (Are you laughing?)

*sigh* It has so many pictures inside to illustrate the thousands of words it contains. I used to just read it for the fun of learning new things. And before you preconceive any notions about me, let me say that I am pretty well adjusted in spite of this nerdy state of mind.

It is well worn. The packing tape seems to hold it in shape enough to get by. I guess I don't have to say that this book is roughly 35 years old.

In homeschooling my son, I have yet to teach him about dictionary.com (gasp from the audience). That's really an easy site to use, and I didn't want him to rely on the easiest method of searching for words and definitions. I am teaching him how to use the good, old-fashioned printed dictionary (although he has an age appropriate version with all the words created in the last 10 years due to the internet).

I think one of my new favorites is the email sign-up for the "Word of the Day" on the home page of dictionary.com. Perfect for any word lover. Might I recommend it for homeschooling your child?

I'd love to hear about any cool sites you know focused on words and how we use them.

Until later,

TCB



What I'm Reading Now

I'll admit I'm a book-a-holic. Usually, I can be found juggling several books at once. If I'm not reading a book, then you know I must be SO BUSY I'M READY TO SHOOT MYSELF.

Thought I'd tell you what I'm reading in January and February, in case it is something you don't know about.

(1) "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. I'm only a few chapters into this one, but the overall theme is teaching Christians who want to be wholehearted for God how to shed their lukewarm ways. One point that stood out to me so far is about how we so often come to prayer with our laundry list of "please help-me's." In Revelation Chapter 4 we get a brief picture of the God we pray to. Chan prompts us to think about how great and majestic He is before we even bother to open our mouths with our prayers. This book has a great web site with short chapter videos, too - http://www.crazylovebook.com

(2) "The Social Media Bible" by Lon Safko & David Brake. Need I say more? Thought I'd learn a little more about the social media fun ride. This big honkin' book is very comprehensive, providing a background to web technology's beginnings. It may be a little basic for those who have been playing in the social arena for a while, but it does serve as a great resource book since it has an expansive index. It is helpful reading for those who want to marry their social media work with marketing endeavors.

(3) "Modern Essentials: A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils" by Abundant Health LLC. This is a very reader-friendly medicinal resource book about how to use essential oils to treat common ailments. I have used this book effectively in conjunction with some of my essential oils to relieve stomachache, toothache, and sinus congestion. The book is even great because it lets you know when an essential oil is safe or not to use on children and if you're preggers.

Happy reading!
TCB