Good Things in January

A combination of None Else and Mr. Pipes has been helping me think more about who God is and to praise Him; the hymns even find their way into my prayers.

I saw the dentist because of concerns about a couple teeth. He said that there's no signs of decay and it may just be a slight shift in my teeth affecting my bite; since it doesn't really hurt, we can leave it for now. I'll get a cleaning done next week (it's been a few years because of not having insurance) and that may help things too.

One little habit I've started this month is afternoon tea or coffee time. It's a little thing, but somewhere between 3:00 and 3:30, when I'm home, I stop everything, make some tea or coffee (in the nice mugs) and a little snack (on the nice plates) and enjoy about 30 minutes of quiet time. Sometimes I use it to muse about things; often I use it to read a bit of something light and enjoyable. It's just nice and then I get back to whatever needs doing.

The snow over the past few days has been very pretty. I love the way it coats the tree branches and makes everything look clean for a while.

All of the new recipes I tried this month turned out very good. I would make them all again.

The cleaning and organizing and purging is done and things look tidier (especially the bedroom where mess tends to accumulate). It was helped by replacing the old rickety bookcases with the nice white ones that the church was getting rid of.

It's been a good month. It's been a good start to the new year.

What I'm Reading

My current list of books:

None Else: 31 Meditations on God's Character and Attributes by Joel Beeke and Brian Crosby

This is my morning read. I take two days to do each meditation; the first is for the reading portion and thinking about the questions, and the second for writing out answers to questions and some of the digging deeper (not the additional reading suggestions as I would then generally be trying to read a book or two for each meditation).

Isaiah's Great Light: The Salvation of God in the Servant Songs by Kyle Swanson

I've been reading this slowly and enjoying the deeper look into the Servant Songs of Isaiah.

Man Called Intrepid: The Incredible WWII Narrative Of The Hero Whose Spy Network And Secret Diplomacy Changed The Course Of History by William Stevenson

I got this for Christmas and I'm enjoying it. I just haven't been reading it as much since I have so much else to read! It's a bit large for carrying on the bus or even reading in bed.

The Mr. Pipes books by Douglas Bond

Yes, these are for children (9-12 years old), but I'm really, really enjoying them! The title character is teaching two children about the great hymns of the church and the history of the hymn writers. They travel to spots where the writers lived, see great cathedrals, and have adventures. History and hymns are a great combination!

Growing Your Faith: How to Mature in Christ by Jerry Bridges

We're reading this for the women's discipleship class that I teach at the church. 

From a Helper

Most of my homeschool and Sunday School stories come from the kids, but this one comes from one of the helpers! He is only 16 and many of my earlier stories were about him, so it's no surprise that he's still coming up in "things the kids say".

Anyway, I was with my older group of younger kids when this particular helper came from his room across the hall to talk with me. The conversation went something like this:

Him: I need to leave the room for a couple minutes.

Me: No you don't.

Him: I need to get some water.

Me: You're supposed to do that before we start.

Him: I know, but there's something wrong with my coffee. There's something strange in it.

Me (and the children): <guessing random things that may be in his coffee>

Him: No, there's something black in my coffee.

Me: Is it coffee?

Him: No, it's like black bits in the coffee.

Me: So coffee grounds?

Him: Oh...yeah....I didn't think of that!

Me: You were concerned because there was coffee in your coffee?

Him: I was wondering of the sugar could go bad or something.

He left and returned to his room while we laughed and then returned to our game.

A Story About Storytime

This morning I was back in with my Wednesday morning kids. We haven't had women's study since the end of November, so I was really happy to start up again. For trivia we did Birds of North America which turned out to be incredibly challenging. Then I read my little guys our weekly stack of picture books. 

We were reading Room for More by Michelle Kadarusman, illustrated by Maggie Zeng. The story takes place in Australia during a bushfire. Two wombats, Dig and Scratch, are happily hiding out in their nice, deep burrow when they hear footsteps overhead and start inviting animals to join them to escape the fire. First there's a wallaby and her joey, then a koala. Then along comes a tiger snake. One wombat is concerned because snakes have venom.

After I explained what venom is and that if a venomous snake bit you, you would get sick or maybe die, and that's why the wombat was worried, one small child piped up, "I bet that's what happens!"

Honestly, what type of children's story do the think I'm going to read to them? Happy, friendly animals until they rescue a tiger snake who bites them all?

I mean....there was the Babar incident. I had quite forgotten that his mother dies at the beginning of the story (shot by poachers while Babar was on her back) and that later the king turns green and dies. And the first one I read in the homeschool room many years ago was Charlotte's Web, so there is that. 

But these ones were just babies when I read those stories (in fact, Charlotte's Web was so long ago that these ones may not have been born). All they get are happier stories, but they still predict (or hope for) character death every now and then.

I should read them Where the Red Fern Grows. That would scar them for life!

Weddings

Lately I've been at a wedding (or two) pretty much every year. It's the second wave of weddings: the first is when your friends and siblings get married and the second is when their children get married. (Then there is the second wave of babies and baby showers and those have started as well!)

This year I have two weddings already planned and two younglings in serious relationships that may or may not result in weddings by the end of the year. And one "maybe" relationship (he's interested for sure; she's at least interested in getting to know him better; nothing has happened yet). Plus the other relationships that are more peripheral to my world (people I know, but not "my" children whom I've taught and watched over for years).

I, of course, think they're all too young to get married. At the same time, I've very happy for the children when they meet someone they want to spend the rest of their life with. And I enjoy the weddings.

What I particularly like is that my children have weddings that not only celebrate the happy couple but also point to God and the gospel and the biblical view of marriage. I've been to weddings without God and while they are beautiful weddings, there is always that bit missing that makes it something more, that makes the marriage something more. I know it doesn't guarantee a perfect marriage (is there any such thing?) but I think the reminder that it's not just about them helps them start off on the right foot.

And now I need to look at more blanket patterns so I'm ready to make gifts for all these weddings!

A Book Recommendation

I just finished reading The Keeper of the Hidden Books by Madeline Martin. It falls under the category of "World War 2 historical fiction about librarians/bookstores" which is a particular favourite of mine.

The book takes place in Warsaw, spanning the years of the war (with an epilogue that takes place after the fall of communism when Poland is finally free). It's about a young lady who works at a library, gets involved in the underground, and hides banned books from the Nazis. It's also about so much more: life in Warsaw during the war; the attempts of the Nazis to destroy Poland's culture and keep them poorly educated; and the challenge of knowing how and when to fight back and when to keep silent; the importance of literature in people's lives even (especially) when they have nothing else.

This is the third Madeline Martin book that I've read. The other two were The Librarian Spy and The Last Bookshop in London (both World War 2 historical fiction about librarians/bookstores). I have enjoyed all three books: her characters read like real people; there are no easy answers to the problems they face; not everything turns out perfectly (but enough turns out well to make the reader happy). She doesn't downplay the war and a lot of bad and ugly stuff happens, but the books are about the people who are living their lives in the middle of the turmoil. And while there is some romance, it's not the point to the story and it's kept clean. Overall, they're really enjoyable books.

So far this year....

I have had plans to get going on various projects, but something comes up to stop me or things take longer than expected. Not much has been started. I did get started on organizing and purging, but only because I'm getting new bookcases for the bedroom tomorrow to replace the old rickety shelves.

I undecorated from Christmas but just discovered 4 angels still on a shelf.

I had plans to eat better but then Mum's Christmas parcel with Christmas treats came, so it's Christmas again! Although my main meals are mostly healthy (I did get fast food for lunch with a friend today).

I remind myself that it's only January 9th and not everything has to be figured out already. It's okay to take time to figure out what plan will work best for this year (or at least this month).

And....I started a new devotional (None Else: 31 Meditations on God's Character and Attributes by Joel Beeke and Brian Cosby) that I'm quite enjoying.

I spent time with a friend today, partly cleaning out the Sunday School rooms and partly just hanging out and catching up and enjoying each other's company (with a bonus visit from another friend who ended up at the same fast food joint as us).

I've been reading and resting and recovering from a very crazy November and December and a miserable virus or something (my throat is still not quite up to par again) which is also important.

I'm starting some tutoring again next week with a family I love.

So, really, it's been a good year so far. 

Baptisms

Yesterday was a baptism Sunday. There were 5 ladies being baptized, with five more people getting baptized next week. I like hearing the testimonies and how God has worked in each person's life. Sometimes the stories sound similar (especially when there are a lot of younglings who grew up in the church) and sometimes they are so different. The common factor is God's grace in calling each person to Himself in salvation.

One thing I particularly like about baptisms at GraceLife is the introduction. Before anyone gets baptized, the elder takes the time to explain what baptism is and why the people are choosing to get baptized. It isn't a magical process and they aren't super Christians (he uses different words of course!). Baptism is an act of obedience to Christ for all believers, a declaration of a person's commitment to Christ, and a time to testify about what God has done and to give Him the glory.

One More 2024 Book Post

Sometimes I like to try different reading challenges. I have found that I don't like them too long or too structured; I would rather have more flexibility in my reading. I tried a history challenge, but determined that I would spend too much time trying to find books that fit each category (and there were a lot of categories) and gave it up. The bingo type ones are better because I can make my books fit the categories, but they still have categories that don't interest me (I don't want to read horror). 

Last year I found The Book Girls' Guide and their various yearlong reading challenges. I decided to try the decades challenge, which is basically read a book from a different decade each month. Not only do I get to read historical fiction, memoirs, and nonfiction about history (all things I love), it's one book a month so it's not too demanding. Also, the Book Girls have done a ton of work to gather book recommendations for each month and have included genre, a summary, and their thoughts on the books. They have a variety of genres so there's something for everyone. It was fun to find new books and authors. I have a pile of books still waiting on my "for later" list in the public library.

Last year I didn't sign up to "officially" do the challenge; this year I am signed up to do two challenges (we'll see how that goes). I am doing Book Voyage: Read Around the World and their new one: Book Lover's Challenge (books about books, reading, libraries, and bookstores are generally favourites). All the challenges can be found here. 

Last year's books (many of which I have mentioned in the previous two posts):

1880s or 1890s: The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee, about being Chinese in America in the late 1800s

1900s or 1910s: Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee, about the San Francisco Earthquake

1920s: One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson

1930s: Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts

1940s: I was tutoring a child in WW2 at the time, so the list just says "All the WW2 books"! There were several nonfiction (including picture books) and a few fiction books. I didn't write them all down.

1950s: Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

1960s: Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

1970s: Argo by Antonio Mendez and Matt Baglio (granted, this takes place mainly in 1979 and 1980, with the actual rescue in early 1980, but I'm counting it because it starts in the 1970s)

1980s: As You Wish by Cary Elwes, about the making of The Princess Bride

1990s: The Nineties: A Book by Chuck Klostermann, about the culture and such of the 90s; not my favourite book

2000s and 2010s: The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede, stories about the people of Gander and their guests when the flights were diverted after 9/11

Books that Spain Multiple Decades: The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson, moving between the 1900s and 1910s for one part of the story and the 1990s for the other part.

2024 in Books: Fiction

In looking over my lists for the past year, I discovered that I read a lot more fiction than nonfiction, something I hope to change next year. Some of it is because fiction is great for reading on the bus and during my busy months I spend a lot of time on the bus. Some of it is that fiction is usually just easier and quicker to read. Still, I'd like more in-depth reading this year.

That said, here is my list of favourite fiction books read in 2024:

The Fate of Arcrea and The Isle of Arcrea by Nicole Sagar. I read the first book in the trilogy in 2023 and finished it up in January.

Orange for the Sunsets by Tina Athaide. This one is youth fiction about the expulsion of Indians from Uganda under Idi Amin. I learned a lot of history that I had never learned before (along with the story was a timeline of the actual events, and of course I did some research as well).

The Percys and Aunt Jane's Hero by Elizabeth Prentiss.

Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards. I wanted to see if Julie Andrews could write or was published because she was famous. She can write.

Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson. There was only one bit of "No, that doesn't mesh with Anne of Green Gables."

The Staff and the Sword series by Patrick Carr. I got the first book for Christmas and borrowed the other two from my friend's son. Also, I just remembered that we have the first 2 in the church library and I need to buy the third one.

The Last Devil to Die and We Solve Murders by Richard Osman. The first is part of his Thursday Murder Club series; the second is a new series (I hope).

The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. The book starts when Aminata Diallo is a child and is kidnapped from her home in Africa and sold into slavery. It tells of her life in slavery; how she found freedom; her involvement in the Revolutionary War; her time in Canada and eventual return to Africa. It is a brilliant piece of historical fiction. 

Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts. Letts describes her book as "a fictional story based closely on the truth". It is the story of L. Frank Baum's wife, Maud. It tells of her childhood, her life with Frank, and her interactions with Judy Garland during the making of the movie The Wizard of Oz. While it is fiction, it is very well researched fiction.

Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan. I've written about this preciously (I really, really liked it). While is is fiction and the main story is pure fiction, the parts about C.S. Lewis are at least based on fact.

War in the Wasteland by Douglas Bond. More historical fiction, again about C.S. Lewis and his time in World War One.

9 books in the Elm Creek Quilts series by Jennifer Chiaverini. For the most part, these are fairly simple reads (and great bus and bedtime books). They are sometimes historical fiction about the people who once lived in and around the Elm Creek area, and sometimes contemporary fiction about the people working at and attending the quilt camps. Also, there are a lot of quilts.

The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson. Technically I finished this on in 2025, but since it was around 2:00 this morning and I hadn't gone to sleep yet, I'm counting it as the last book of 2024.

I read many more books, of course, but those were my favourites. I haven't started with this year's book yet, but I have a stack of library books, a new one from Christmas, many that I own and haven't read, and more coming (thank you, givers of gift cards). The only challenge is what to read first!