Library Love

It's a lovely spring day, and I've been thinking about some of my favorite places in the world -- libraries and bookstores. For me, there is nothing more relaxing and beautiful than a library or a new or used bookstore. I grew up reading Nancy Drew while curled up in a chair in my hometown library, and I have been a supporter and patron of all sorts of libraries since becoming an adult. In graduate school, I spent two blissful years working in a university library; I also did a good bit of studying there!

Bookstores, too, entrall me and comfort me. Barnes & Noble, Borders or some of my favorite used bookstores all make me feel indescribably happy. So, here are some links to my favorite libraries and bookstores. Happy reading!

Jackson Street Booksellers in Omaha's Old Market

Barnes and Noble

Borders

Hastings

Morton-James Public Library in Nebraska City, NE

Northwest Missouri State University Library, Maryville, MO

Also, had a lovely telephone conversation with an old friend over the weekend. Sad circumstances -- his dad died -- but great to visit with one of my best friends from high school:-)

Re-Reading:

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Quote of the Day:

"All of my stories are about the action of grace on a character who is not very willing to support it."
Flannery O'Connor

Friends

A sunny, if chilly day here in southeast Nebraska. I want to write about how thankful I am for friends. There are those people with whom we are thrown together, for one reason or another, and with whom we become acquainted, although they are never really, truly our "cup of tea." A recent incident has brought home for me the importance of finding, and keeping, really good, true friends. These lovely people, rather than being people who only want to hear from us when news is good, are people we can count on and trust to stick with us through it all:-). What a blessing it is to have friends who share in our joys and triumphs, but who also stick around to support us when we are down or need to vent our frustrations and sadness. For me, these people are so invaluable! Thanks Melissa P., Jodi, Rachael, Mom, Pixie. I love you!

Homeschooling Wednesday

It's a busy Wednesday here in Nebraska. Luke has library storytime, and both boys and I will be attending a mock city council meeting with the rest of our homeschooling group. The mayor will spend about an hour discussing city-related concerns with the group. Then Trent is off to trombone lessons, and oh, did I mention school work? Yep, Trent is working hard on a biology chapter on evolution, from the wonderful Exploring Creation with Biology text from Apologia. He's also reading a short story and completing a story plot flow chart as well as a reader response worksheet. In addition, he's starting a new chapter in World History, reviewing his spelling words, spending about 15 minutes writing creatively, working on Latin and completing an algebra lesson on word problems. Whew!

It's been said that perhaps homeschooling is not rigorous enough. To this I say, "Yeah, right!" Some believe homeschoolers lack socialization opportunities. To this I say, "So far from the truth! On the contrary, my boys have many opportunities to socialize -- in a positive, safe environment!"

Lovely blessing, this homeschooling:-)

A Child Does Not Equal Punishment

I write with a heavy heart today, sickened by the comments of presidential candidate Barack Obama. I have for months given Obama the benefit of the doubt as far as his radicalism. I didn't rush to judgment when I received an email about him not saluting the American flag. There is ample evidence that he does. I have been waiting until all of the facts are in (or most of them), and it seems clear at this point that he is the probable Democratic nominee. He is also the clear left-wing media favorite. His association with a radical, separatist church was bad enough. But yesterday Obama, in a Pennsylvania speech, told a crowd that if his daughters ever got into "trouble," he wants the abortion option there for them because they should not be "punished" with a baby or an STD. In this clip from YouTube, he clearly equates a precious child with punishment or a sexually transmitted disease. How far we have fallen as a nation and as Christians when this relativistic, dangerous, sad, hate-filled rhetoric comes from a man admired by so many, including so many young people.

Barack Obama claims to be a Christian. Each morning when I open my eyes I pray, "Lord, make me meek and humble, help me to be a good wife and mother, help me to do Your work today." I pray this every day because I know, as a Christian, I am supposed to be about my Father's work at all times. As sinners, we all fall short of this standard, but as a follower of Christ I feel I must try my best to be about my Father's work. I wonder if Barack Obama, the Christian, feels that giving a speech like this is doing "the Father's work." I wonder if, when he equates a child with punishment, or with an STD, he is doing "the Father's work." I wonder if, when he counsels his daughters concerning this subject he will be "about the Father's work."

I pray Jesus will open his eyes and the eyes of everyone who thinks of a child as anything other than a precious, precious gift on loan from our Lord Jesus Christ. Looking at children in this way, rather than as burdens or punishments is truly "doing our Father's work."


Carl, Trent and Luke are the best things about me. Lovely life with all three of my sweet boys:-)

Opening Day

Well, the boys of summer are back, and I could not be more excited. Of course, the Royals are off to their usual start (Brewers 5, K.C. 2), but there's a whole season of baseball yet to be played! I must say that some of the happiest moments of my life, aside from the biggies like marriage and children, have been spent at the ballpark. There is nothing more lovely, for me, than sitting at Kauffman Stadium with Carl and the boys, watching the scoreboard, dancing during the 7th inning stretch, seeing favorite players in person, watching the game I love. Of course, Carl only truly loves Kauffman Stadium when the Red Sox are in town:-) Can't wait to get down to K.C. for a game or two or three...

Equally as lovely for me are the times spent watching any kind of baseball. One of my fondest memories from my time in Maryville was the beautiful summer evening Trent, my best friend Melissa Pratte and I spent sipping Sonic drinks and watching a summer ball league play until the sun went down.

I also had a lovely time last summer watching my little Luke play t-ball. From his red high-top sneakers to him picking his nose in the outfield to his injury when he got hit in the eye by a ball, I will always remember the special times spent watching my sweet boy play the game I love. Can't wait to do it all over again this summer:-)

Reading like crazy this week! Here's the scoop:

Short stories by Crane, Cather and Poe as Carl, Trent and I continue our literature circle. Lovely reading:-)

I'm off to Wal-Mart to purchase Nature Notebooks for the boys. Spring is here so it's time to get outside into nature and check out all of the cool birds, bugs and fish. Speaking of which, I must remember to purchase my fishing license this week too. Steinhart Park has already been crowded with people fishing, and I want to take the boys next weekend. A fishing trip would definitely cap off what promises to be a lovely weekend -- Trent is training as an altar boy Saturday morning (so, so proud of him) and Carl's surprise (sort of) 44th birthday party is Saturday afternoon with the whole Calfee crew here from Clarinda, IA. Can't wait!

Flannery, I love you!

It's a spring Saturday here in Nebraska, and that means garage sale time! Carl and the boys are holding our annual garage sale to move stuff out and get ready for a new season of Omaha garage sale trips! Love, love, love garage sales so much:-)

Started Henle Latin with Trent this week, and I am pretty scared about learning a new language. Trent is off and running, while his mama has to admit she is not a language expert!

Reading a ton right now. Here's a list:

What's So Great About Christianity by Dinesh D'Souza. Just finished What's So Great About America by the same author. These books will change the way you view America and the Christian faith!

Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty Over Liberalism by Sean Hannity

Plan to start (again, for the millionth time) The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor. You know, Flannery O'Connor is my literary hero. I first discovered her in the graduate English program at Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, MO. I immediately loved her stories. I was drawn to the dark humor, but also to the faith in her writing. I was so angry one summer when my favorite English professor (now Graduate Studies chair) decided we would not read O'Connor's ground-breaking novel Wise Blood during a course called "American Novel 1945 - Present." He said he had no knowledge of the Bible or religion and would not be able to discuss the novel. This novel was also on the reading list for the Comprehensive Exams graduate students must take. Soon after I entered the program, O'Connor's novel was replaced by a Margaret Atwood novel, for goodness sake! I had had my first taste of life on a secular university campus! Atheism really does abound!!! Thankfully, I did later complete a course entitled "The Bible and Literature," where the professor discussed the Biblical themes in much of O'Connor's work in great detail. This man was a Christian who never did quite fit into a liberal English department more concerned with "queer theory" than an author as important as O'Connor. Lesson learned: religion is a dangerous threat on a liberal college campus. I never did feel the same enthusiasm for the instructor who had once dazzled me with his insights on postmodernism. It was kind of a spiritual awakening for me. Luckily, I've been reading and re-reading Flannery O'Connor ever since. I have her collected letters, and those, too, reveal what a deeply devout Christian woman she was. Her themes are never easy; indeed, they are still controversial today. How lovely that a small, sickly, deeply devout writer from the Deep South is still so relevant today. So here is a list of my favorite Flannery quotes:

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."

“All my stories are about the action of grace on a character who is not very willing to support it, but most people think of these stories as hard, hopeless and brutal.”

"I am not afraid that the book will be controversial; I'm afraid it will not be controversial."

“When a book leaves your hands, it belongs to God. He may use it to save a few souls or to try a few others, but I think that for the writer to worry is to take over God's business.”

“Everywhere I go I'm asked if I think the university stifles writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them.”

"Conviction without experience makes for harshness.”

"Faith is what someone knows to be true, whether they believe it or not.”

"The novelist with Christian concerns will find in modern life distortions which are repugnant to him, and his problem will be to make them appear as distortions to an audience which is used to seeing them as natural; and he may be forced to take ever more violent means to get his vision across to this hostile audience. When you can assume that your audience holds the same beliefs you do, you can relax a little and use more normal ways of talking to it; when you have to assume that it does not, then you have to make your vision apparent by shock ~ to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the blind you draw large and startling figures."

Spring is Finally Here!

Spring is finally here, and I've found a bit of time to blog. The weather is warming, and the boys are itching to get outside for fishing and running and owl tracking (a new adventure). Trent began his birding earlier this year, and he has already identified many birds. Soon both boys will have Nature Notebooks in hand, drawing animals and documenting everything nature related. Although life in Florida sounds WARM right about now, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else but here in Nebraska. Love seeing all of the deer and grass, flowers and clouds. How lovely:-)

No pithy quotes from my boys recently, so here's what I'm reading:

Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right by Ann Coulter

Here's a link to the Kansas City Royals website. Check out their Opening Day countdown!!! It's almost here:-) Love baseball so much:-)