Study Space

Summertime

     Ice cream with friends after church on Wednesday evening, temps in the 100's the rest of the week, grilled chicken and watermelon tonight.  Summer is indeed here, and there are good deal of things to do.

• Summer school -  So far, so good.  I think I'm in the fun part of college now, when the classes start to all build off of and relate to each other.  BONUS: I thought classes started Tuesday.  Nope, Monday.  Too bad I realized that Monday night!
• Canning - Rhubarb and black tea jam, and strawberry-rhubarb jam are both done.  I'd love to learn to make tomato sauce!  
• Reupholstery - Beth and I are going to try our hands at reupholstering two chairs that have lived quiet lives in the basement up until now.
• Reading -  I finished last summer's reading list about a month ago (I know, I know...), and am ready to start another.  I've started How The Gospel Brings Us All The Way Home by Derek Thomas, and highly recommend it so far.  It's not too long, either, so you could bring it with you for vacation reading. 
• Music - One of my closest friends, her husband and their three sweet kiddos are going to a folk/bluegrass music festival, and I get to join them!  I hear that the lemonade is a reason to go in and of itself.

What are you up to this summer?  

Water, is taught by thirst

I've loved this poem from the time I first read it (I think it helped that half the page featured Juncos hopping in the snow). Enjoy!

Water, is taught by thirst

By Emily Dickinson

Water, is taught by thirst.
Land -- by the Oceans passed.
Transport -- by throe --
Peace -- by its battles told --
Love, by Memorial Mold --
Birds, by the Snow.

January, Thus Far

     Christmas break and this first part of January have been very fun. Well, excepting the walking pneumonia and sinus infection that accompanied them.  Those were not fun.  In fact, they were almost miserable.  But I digress.

     Over Christmas break I read several of Gene Stratton Porter's books.  If you have not read Freckles, please make every effort to do so.  I'm not quite as fond of her books The Harvester and Laddie, but they are still wonderfully good.  

     

     I would make a final update of the list, but that will have to wait.  It's not finished...

     

     Classes started again on Monday, and of the four I am taking, I definitely like two.  I haven't decided about the others.  One of the professors said something to the effect of, "People have this belief that university professors are left-wing, radical liberals out to brainwash our students.  And we are!"  I guess we'll see.

     How has your new year been so far?

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

     John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

     Reading seems to be a part of Christmas at our house.  Almost all of our wish lists (especially Dad's) contain books.  The extra time we have during Christmas break can be used up by reading.  David, who specifically told us not to get him any books, because "they're boring", has been frantically searching the shelves for more R.M. Ballantyne adventures to devour.  Maybe it's the cold weather, I don't know.  Whatever it is, here are my four favorite Christmas books:

The Blue Carbuncle by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - a Sherlock Holmes Mystery

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski - One of my favorites

The Substitute Guest by Grace Livingston Hill - I don't like many of her books, but this one - I really do

The Mitten by Jan Brett - A Ukrainian Folktale

Do you have favorite Christmas books?

Other Twelve Days of Christmas bloggers:

• Rachel at The Purple Pretzel
• Sarah and Madeline at Flame in the Darkness

The Third Day of Christmas

 John 1:3-5 "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're enjoying these Christmas posts.  Today is number three.  Good books to give for several people types.

The Artist:  Art for God's Sake by Phillip Ryken, or Francis Schaeffer's Art and the Bible.

The Outdoor Enthusiast:  If young, a Jim Kjelgaard book (preferably A Nose for Trouble and/or its sequel) or Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransom. Another good one is The Birds Our Teachers by John Stott.

The Musician:  I am not one (sniff and sigh), but if I was, this is the book I would want. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Composition.  My friend Kate is a musician, and she says this book is very useful.  

The Historian: A Patriot's History of the United States.  I could go on and on about this book.  Balanced, honest, details (but not too many), timelines, connecting the dots and the reasons behind events.  Yes.

The Classical Person:  Any of the Penguin Classics. These clothbound books are gor-ge-ous. 

Other Twelve Days of Christmas bloggers:

• Rachel at The Purple Pretzel
• Sarah and Madeline at Flame in the Darkness

A Summary of Summer

Busy.  That's what it was.

But since that's not a very satisfying summery, I'll tell you more.

It was a very productive summer for me, all things considered.  I started my first "official" job, sewed often, gardened, painted and spent time with family and good friends.  As for my blog... it fell to the side, but I'm ok with that - summer isn't for sitting on the computer all day.  In the winter things will pick up again, when there isn't as much to do, and I will write more often.  But right now, it's gorgeous outside, and only getting prettier while it cools down for the fall.  So go outside.  As soon as you're finished reading this post.  Or before (that would probably be better for you).  Don't you love unsolicited advice?

I also read a good deal this summer.  Here's what happened:

• And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 
• A Whole Nother Story by Dr. Cuthbert Soup (founder of the Institute for Unsolicited Advice) 
• About eight essays by Wendell Berry, from The Art of the Commonplace 
• Art for God's Sake by Philip Ryken 
• Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
• Most of Comforts from the Cross by Elise Fitzpatrick
• The Homesteader's Handbook by James E. Churchill 

These were some good books.  A Whole Nother Story was silly, witty and hilarious.  It had me in stitches!  Comforts from the Cross is a wonderful reminder and clarifier of the Gospel, and the chapters are in short chapters, perfect for coupling with your Bible reading.  Wendell Berry's essays make me want to live on a farm more than I do now - they're very inspiring.   I have the rest of my original list to look to this fall!

What did you do this summer?  I'd love to hear about it!

Getting Back

Finally.

After a two week whirlwind of graduation prep and party, two groups of out-of-town guests, work, and VBS, we're finally getting back into routine.  I'm getting back to running, sewing/knitting, blogging, walking Dixie regularly, reading, etc. So, so glad.

So, a revised reading list, partly inspired (and constructed) by wonderful graduation presents. 

• Art for God's Sake, by Philip Ryken 
• Knowing God, by J.I. Packer
• Comforts from the Cross, by Elise Fitzpatrick
• Systematic Theology, by Wayne Gruedem
• And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie (read)
• Cranford, by Elizabeth Gaskell or
• Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen
• Ten Big Lies About America, by Michael Medved

I'm not planning to finish them all, but I would like to make good headway by mid-August!

The Wise Sewing Encyclopedia

The Wise Encyclopedia says aprons are a necessity in the kitchen.   Hmm.   I'm afraid I missed that memo.   I'm glad I know now!  Will my pans be that happy when I wear one too?

You like nightgowns for little kids?  They're here, and they're adorable!

I know you've been dying to learn how to sew this peplum!  You haven't?  Oh.  How odd.

I haven't either.

Curtains of all sorts.  Tall, short, starched, lacy, stapled to a board, fringed or plain.  You name it, they'll tell you how to make it, why it's useful, and where to hang it.  In fact, they'll just gush over the curtains (and everything else), if you'll listen.

They did things differently in the 1950's, that's for sure.  But then, different isn't always bad.  I think that, minus the peplums, ascots and gushing, I like different!

Coming Up...

Summer Reading

I'd like to put together a list of books to read this summer, some theology, some mystery, some classic, or ancients, if I feel like it, (though I have my doubts as to whether or not I will), and some non-fiction. Here's what I have so far:

• Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem - I've started, but it's going to take at least the summer to finish.
• The 10 Big Lies about America by Micheal Medved
• Worldliness by C.J. Mahaney et al
• Maybe some Agatha Christy. But I don't know. I wasn't too impressed by the Miss Marple TV series. With one exception, the stories were morbid. But I have not read any of the books - those of you who have, thoughts?

That's a pretty puny list. Any ideas of what I should add to it?

Oh, and this photo and the one in the last post were taken by Beth. Aren't they pretty?

Good Books

Just a few of our family's favorites. Feel free to share your own!

Fiction:

• Minnow on the Say by A. Philippa Pearce
• Swallow ans Amazon by Arthur Ransome
• Martin Rattler by R.M. Ballantyne (or anything else he wrote)
• Henty books - In Freedom's Cause, Under Drake's Flag, and In the Reign on Terror are the best.
• A Cricket in Times Square by George Seldon
  
• David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
• My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
• The works of Beatrix Potter
• The Scottish Chiefs by Jane Porter
• Most of the Holling Clancy Holling books, especially Paddle to the Sea
• Almost all the Jane Austen books

I'm quite sure I could keep you here all day just adding onto that list. But I won't. I'll keep you here all day with a list of our favorite non-fiction books instead!

Non-Fiction:

• The Bible
• A Praying Life by Paul Miller
• The Valley of Vision
• Secrets of the Woods by William J. Long
• Little Brother to the Bear by William J. Long
• Stonewall Jackson's Book of Maxims by James Robertson Jr.
• All the World books by Genevieve Foster
• All the d'Aulaire books
• A Patriot's History of the United States by Schweikart and Allen - wonderful!!!!
• Golden Press Field Guides, Peterson Bird Guide, and the Birds of (state name) Field Guides by Stan Tekiela
  
• Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior by David Allen Sibley
• 1776 by David McCullough

As with the first list, this could be expanded quite a bit. I guess we love books. I like it this way. :)

Cleaning Ex-Library Books

We were manning a bake sale today which coincided with a library book sale, so we peeked at what they had.

There were books about birds, and a Golden Nature Guide about shells. All hardbacks. My mother has passed on the happy curse of loving books to me, so I brought home five of these for a total of two dollars (three were free)!

They were filthy, though! I cleaned them with dish soap on a wet rag, wrapped around my finger. The amount of dirt on these books was disgusting. They didn't look that bad until I started washing, then I could compare the clean part with the, uh, not so clean part. Gross.

It's amazing what a bit of scrubbing can do!

The Valley of Vision

Daddy gave each of us girls a copy of this wonderful book for Christmas. It is amazing! It's a collection of prayers and devotions by puritan writers including John Bunyan. It is so beautiful - these prayers are God-centered, well written, and constantly point the reader to the cross. It is full of prayers that a) say just what I need to hear, b) express just what I'd like to pray, but can't think of the right words, and c) remind me of my need and Christ's sufficiency. Also, they are relatively short (just a small page or two each), so you can read them in small sections throughout the day if you are busy.

Not to mention the face that the gold-lettered black leather cover is just plain elegant. But even if if had an ugly cover, if would still be a treasure!

Happy Thoughts

While the elegant grays, browns and whites of January are beautiful, I'm really beginning to miss the sun... so I'll think of warm, bright, cheerful things!

• A pot of vegetable broth bubbling on the stove and steaming up the kitchen windows
• A vintage, honeycomb-patterned milk glass planter that I found for 50 cents at the thrift store the other day. Hello, new pencil holder!
• This quote from The Valley of Vision, a collection of puritan prayers:
  

"...In all good things there is
somewhat that pleases me,
somewhat that please Thee...."

• The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior, and the fact that David enjoys it as much as (if not more than) I do!
• Christ is alive and intercedes before the Father on our behalf! Though we deserve death, through him we have life!