Caleb sitting at the counter at dinnertime

"I just feel the urge to talk, but I don't know what to say."

Politician, or Preacher in the making?

H - Guilty Pleasures

Arly Hanks is the featured character in the Maggody mysteries by Joan Hess. I read Maggody in Manhattan. There were parts of this book that I really liked, but they were few. I didn't really dislike the book, it just wasn't a thoroughly engaging mystery... it was a little too easy to put it down. But I think I might like to read another Maggody mystery, one that takes place in Maggody, because the characters were quite likable.

G - Guilty Pleasures

Philip Gulley has written a series of books based in Harmony. When I chose Just Shy of Harmony off the shelves at my library, I had no idea what I was in for. It was a thoroughly delightful book. The characters were ones I related to and enjoyed like friends. I laughed and cried, especially as the pastor in the book goes through a 'crisis of faith'. I am looking forward to reading more about Harmony, and highly recommend this book.

In the face of convention...

All the experts say it is important to have family meals together. It creates a time of bonding and fond memories, so they say.

Well, we have had family meals, since before Caleb was born. Sometimes multiple times a day.

Last week, after another meal of spending more time talking about manners at the table than talking with each other, we decided to break with convention. For nearly two weeks, the kids get dinner about a half hour before Marc gets home. They sit at the counter, and eat together. I pick up the kitchen and talk to them, or sit and knit and talk with them. Marc gets home, and they get to be with Daddy on the terms that they most love... snuggling and reading, or wrestling and tickling. And they get to see Mommy and Daddy have time to eat together. They are often getting pajamas on while Mom and Dad sit together, peacefully, at the table and eat our meal together.

The experts may say otherwise, but I think our family is onto a good idea... we sure seem to be enjoying ourselves more.

My Project

Look what I just finished!














My friend Izzie let me borrow her book Knit 2 Together (Ullman & Clark) and this is one of the patterns. I love the book, and the pattern.

Rite of Passage

For as long as I can remember, one of the signals of Christmas coming has been Chex Mix. It was something that we always had around the holidays. Today, Caleb was initiated into the Holiday Tradition, and made his first batch of Chex Mix. YUM!

like Christmas!

a lot

It's beginning to look

The Golden Compass, Follow Up

Well, in all the zeal of my previous posts about The Golden Compass, I truly attempted to read the second book of the trilogy, The Subtle Knife (by Philip Pullman). I really tried. But it just didn't hold me. (This is the second science fiction book that I've tried to read this year that has lost me... I think it just might not be my thing).

Anyhow. Marc persevered through the second book, while I got some far more interesting and fun ones from the library. Marc's thoughts can be found here at his blog.

As for me, I can't recommend the books, and I'm not sure if it is because of the genre preference, or if because the writing and story became less engaging. My sense is that his trilogy might have been stronger if he had stopped after one book. Maybe this will be one instance where the movie is better than the book... we'll see when it comes out on cable next year.