Challenge

My friend Jane posted this challenge.  I'm brave enough now to jump in and join.

I wouldn't have been a year ago.  Back then I was afraid to make a list of books to read.  That list never got  started, let alone finished, so instead I made a list of books I read, and have been doing so on Goodreads ever since.  (Yes, I'm supposed to also list them here, and I haven't done that for a long time.  I'll try to do that soon my friends.  Please,  don't define "soon" for me.)  What a joy it has been for me to see what I've read, instead of what I should be reading.

As my friend list on Goodreads has grown, so too has my "to read" list.  Plus my children also have a list of books they want me to read.  What better time than with Jane's challenge to start tackling the list?

From friends and kids to books I have been wanting to read, here are the books I Plan to Read in 2013:

1. Term Limits by Vince Flynn
2. American Assassin by Vince Flynn
3. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
4. An Untamed Land by Lauraine Snelling
5. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
6. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
7. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
8. Hidden America: From Coal Miners to Cowboys, an Extraordinary Exploration of the Unseen People Who Make This Country Work by Jeanne Marie Laskas
9. Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
10. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Alternates:

1. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
2. Kill Shot by Vince Flynn
3. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
4. The Complete Book of Running For Women by Claire Kowalchik
5. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Note: It has taken me several days to make this list.  I now realize that I pick books on the spur of the moment.  What sounds good now, what intrigues me while browsing the library shelves.  Putting this list together is a little frightening - what if I don't like it? What if I'm not in the "mood?"  Oh well, won't know until I try, so I'm jumping in with both feet.

For All Who Love the Shire

Cheery Things 1, 2, and 3

Cheery Thing 1: Flowers are such a lovely way to brighten the room and the day.

On the dining room table

I think that if I had unlimited funds or a green thumb. . .

On a bedside table

 I would have fresh flowers somewhere in my house all the time.

Or on a bookshelf

Cheery Thing 2: Slippers to keep the tootsies toasty.

Cheery Thing 3: Spices to tantalize the taste buds.

I love this store

My two oldest watched me set these out.  I said, "I may have a problem."  Hannah replied, "I think you can leave out the 'may.'"

A Tale of Two. . .

Plates.

When I was engaged my future mother-in-law hosted a shower for me at her church.  It was a lovely day, meeting and visiting with the ladies of St. John's.  I received some lovely things, including my first Creative Memories Scrapbook and supplies.  (I've been hooked ever since.) One gift that was very practical and used every day was the one given by my future husband's mom.

It was a set of dishes.  Plates and bowls, cups and saucers, a full set she had acquired through the grocery store point system.  They were pretty, blue with flowers, and it was nice that we didn't have to think about purchasing dishes.

We have used those dishes for the last 19 years.  Pieces have broken until finally we were down to this one lonely plate.

No we didn't all share that one plate, we had bought others to use.

But I was always running short on plates, especially if company was here.  It seemed I never had enough and was scrounging for something to work.

Last summer this dilemma really reared its ugly head as we had a never ending stream of company.  I kept telling David I should really look for some more plates at the thrift store, but never did.

Until we decided to host the circuit pastors and their families for a summer cookout.  I realized that buying thrift store plates on half-off day would be cheaper than paper plates. Besides I don't really like to use paper plates or napkins.  Plus it would solve my problem of never having enough plates. So off to the thrift store the kids and I went.

One of the kids discovered one plate that looked liked our set from my mother-in-law.  They were thrilled and wanted me to buy it too.  So I did.

We can't believe how pretty this one is and how used our one remaining original looks.

I guess years of soap and silverware and wear and tear really do age things.

Now we have two plates in that set, one old and one new.  It's kind of neat to see the difference.  And also a bit frightening.

10

Our youngest child turned 10.

Sunday, November 11th.

The same day as his sister's orchestra concert.

His birthday then was spent first at church and Sunday School in the morning, a concert in the afternoon, and finally, the birthday supper.  Thankfully his Aunt Michele was willing to host at her house and fix the birthday supper.  Thankfully Uncle Matt, whose shares the same birthday doesn't mind his nephew picking the meal.

His requests:
Breakfast - donuts
Lunch - Overnight French toast (I added sausage links and fried eggs)
Supper - Corn dogs, baked beans, Cheetos (Aunt Michele also made some yummy chicken and had salad for us adults who needed something a bit more substantial in the protein department)

Cake and ice-cream:

Hannah and Abby decorated it after Sam requested "something Hobbit related."

His gifts:

From his siblings:

Glow in the dark plants and a new pump for his fish tank

From his parents:

A new game - he likes to beat me at it!

He wanted a body pillow ever since his sister Abby received hers

From his Grandma and Grandpa:

The Siamese cats that used to sit on a shelf in the Farmhouse dining room.  A year ago when they moved, Grandpa and Grandma asked all the grandkids what item each would like to have as a keepsake.  Sam picked these.  Grandma was delighted that he remembered when he opened his gift.

Whenever a grandchild turns 10, Grandpa and Grandma give them a keepsake bird.  All the boys receive a cardinal and all the girls a bluebird.

Happy Birthday Samuel!

Weekend Orchestra

Ellie joined the area youth orchestra this fall.  That meant the last 10 Saturdays found her, along with the rest of the orchestra, in the band room practicing.

For three hours.
Beginning at 9:30am.
Did I mention the drive to get there is 30 minutes?

But it culminated in a wonderful Fall Concert last weekend.  They gave two performances, one on Saturday, and one on Sunday.  David and I attended both and agree that the one on Sunday was the better of the two.  The acoustics were better, the lighting was better, the confidence of the orchestra was better.


Guess which one we took pictures of and recorded?




Why, the one on Sunday!

The dress requirement was black and we had our friend Rhonda sew yet another lovely dress that met the specifications.

Thanks Rhonda!

The program was as follows:

* Intermezzo #1 in F# Minor by Kalinnikov
* Ballet Music #2 in G from 'Rosamunde' by Schubert
* Suite for Orchestra, Op. 49 by Saint-Saens

1. Prelude
2. Sarabande
3. Gavotte
4. Romance
5. Final: Allegro Vivace

* Hungarian Dance #5 in G Minor by Brahms

Whenever I upload the pieces, I'll be sure to post so you can listen, if you so desire.

Now we have a break from the Saturday practices until January.  At which time, we will once again spend 10 weeks driving her to practice which will then culminate in a Spring Concert.

I look forward to hearing this group again!

Proves the Point

That this movie is all the dialog you ever need.

More Little Things

A drying rack that holds all the delicates with room for more.

My blooming cactus always makes me smile.

The quilt at the foot of our bed.  The top was pieced by my great-grandma and was quilted by the quilting ladies at St. Paul's in Ft. Wayne.

These two bowls.  The brown one is from my Grandma and the white one from my Great Aunt.  The candy and popcorn are the stash the three youngest collected on the great candy hunt the other night.

And last but certainly not least, and one in which I don't have a picture to share.  The budding romance of two lovely Christian people who've known heartache.  My prayers are with you, and I'm looking forward to the happily ever after.

Have a Pleasant Flight

Our obsessed-with-all-things-Lord-of-the-Rings daughter shared with us this video:



As if she needed another reason to want to visit New Zealand.