A Light So Lovely, The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L'Engle - a review

A Light So Lovely is a must read book for fans of L'Engle's work.  Sarah Arthur shares both the brilliance of L'Engle and her flaws, which I appreciate as no one is perfect.  I found it amusing that her children did not remember instances she wrote about in her nonfiction books the way she did.  I have had similar instances with my own family.

I remember being warned of Madeleine L'Engle's books as being "New Age" before I had read any of them.  I'm glad I didn't listen for once I read her nonfiction, starting with A Circle of Quiet, and her well known Newbery Award Winner, A Wrinkle In Time... I didn't find anything New Age about either one of those books (and I was looking).

One of the aspects of this book I liked best was the discussion about L'Engle's at times mixed theology and legalism verses liberalism as they pertain to Christian books in general.  I thought the discussion was very well balanced and put words to my own way of thinking as a conservative Christian who loves L'Engle's books.

I highly recommend A Light So Lovely!

A Light So Lovely was provided by the publisher for the sake of review but the opinions are my own.

Further information can be found... here.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate Links

Sunday Afternoon Tea - The Value of Focused Reading

I have always been a prolific reader and I never thought anything about skipping from one book to another as one was finished.  I was definitely a "love the one you are with" kind of bookish girl.  Honestly, I never thought of any other way to enjoy books outside of a classroom.

Then somewhere in my 20s, I read a suggestion by an author I admired... and it has been so long ago I cannot remember who it was... to set aside times for focused reading.  Focused reading would be to read three or more books in a row before going on to another author or subject. 

The author shared how focused reading helped them to both appreciate certain authors works and continue their education throughout their life.  They continued to read books just for the enjoyment but they would also include times of focused reading as part of their reading life.

Focused reading would include:
1) Read numerous fiction books by the same author.
2) Read numerous nonfiction books by the same author.
3) Read numerous books on a particular time in history.
4) Read numerous books on a particular subject.

Focused Reading of Fiction and Nonfiction Books By the Same Author
My first attempt, as I recall, was made easy by reading and rereading some books written by Edith Schaeffer.  I already had a good sized collection of her books and added to them for years after that.  However, I hadn't read a number of books one right after the other.  It did help to get a better understanding of their ministry and her message, especially to Christian women.

I have enjoyed a time of focused reading for other authors such as Anne Morrow Lindbergh (her diaries and other nonfiction books), Elizabeth George (the Bible teacher), Madeleine L'Engle (nonfiction and fiction), and so many others that there is not enough room to mention here. There are some authors that I will read any book they write.

Of course, as for fiction authors, the easiest would be to read (or reread) a series when available.  It is the literary equivalent of binge watching of a TV series season on Netflix.  I have read a few books in a series quickly when I began reading the series after a few titles had been published.

That happened with the Mitford series, I heard about it after the first few books had been written.  As a teenager, my daughter read a few of the different series of books by Brock and Bodie Thoene having to do with WWII and the founding of Israel. Most had been written already and for those that had not, it was always a difficult wait until the next book in the series was published.  I have not read them but that would be a series I know I would like.

I have enjoyed periods of focused fiction reading with books by authors such as Madeleine L'Engle ("The Time Books") and C. S. Lewis (Narnia stories).

Focused Reading On a Particular Subject or Time in History.
In my former life, I worked in Organization Development and there were a few years of focused reading on the subject of corporations, how they work, and how to be better at my job.  I was self educated in the subject by reading good books and found I could keep up easily with the people who had graduate degrees in the field.  So often people studied for their advanced degrees by reading, anyway.

My bookshelf at various times of my adult life will indicate an interest in interior decoration, cooking, baking, and the general field of homemaking.  There are some books which have remained on my shelves for decades while some have been given to my daughter or sent to charity to be replaced by more recent authors on the subjects. 

We can become very knowledgeable on a wide variety of subjects by focused reading of those books people who are proficient in the field are also reading.  It is never too late to begin learning all about a subject of interest.  I have a Mary Englebreit cutout on the wall over the desk that states "It is Never Too Late to Be What You Might Have Been". 

Certainly it is too late for some interests... like ballet or gymnastics... but even then we can learn more about them and the people who excelled in the fields.  But it is not too late to learn about space travel, the history of the Middle East, WWI and II, gourmet cooking, bread baking, water color painting... just to name a few.

Of course, some of these subjects will require the doing as well as the reading for one must get their hands deep into dough to knead it and one must pick up a brush and take paint to canvas to become proficient but it can all start by reading books.

Where Focused Reading Has Taken Me
One of the fun aspects of focused reading can be the rabbit trails it can leads us down, around, and through at times. Such has happened to me through the years.

In an interview, the biographer David McCullough was asked how he came up with the idea for the subjects he wanted to write about.  He stated that the ideas always came from research he either had done for previous books or was doing at the time.  For instance, in the research for writing John Adams, he collected so much information that he followed it with the book 1776.

[Note: McCullough had originally started writing a book about Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, thinking he would find Adams boring.  However, his research for the book caused him to see Adams was such an important and interesting part of the Revolution that he decided to focus only on Adams in the first book.]

This is how I came to the focused reading about Jonathan Edwards, which I called "Stalking Jonathan Edwards" when writing about it on the blog.  I have always been interested in the American Revolution and it was one of my first areas of focused reading. 

I can't remember a time that I wasn't curious about what led up to the Revolution and the amazing story of how a simple British colony in the New World actually won over the greatest superpower of the time.

Somewhere in that reading, I learned that many historians saw a link between the Great Awakening and the ideas which led up to the American Revolution.  Learning of that, I read off and on about the subject and learned of the importance of Jonathan Edwards, whom I only knew from the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God".

One day I was visiting my daughter in New England when I picked up a book by Noel Piper titled Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God that had a chapter about Sarah Edwards.  That chapter peaked my interest in both Jonathan and Sarah, which led me to read Marriage To a Difficult Man... a very interesting book that Piper mentioned quite often.

I became so interested in them and the Great Awakening, that I read more books by and about Jonathan Edwards until I began to think of him as a real life mentor and friend.  That is the affect of focused reading.

Do I have any focused reading planned in the future?  I plan to once again begin reading about Jonathan Edwards and his family soon.  I own three books by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, including a first edition English translation of The Gulag Archipelago, purchased for a dollar at a library sale.  They are waiting on a shelf until I am in a mood for serious reading. 

His writing had a significant affect on people in the former Soviet Union and thus, world history.  I remember the warning he gave to the American people as he decided to leave his exile in America and return to his homeland when it became possible.  So much of what he saw coming to the States was thought impossible at that time and has already happened.

I have all the diaries of Anne Morrow Lindbergh stacked on a shelf, also purchased for a dollar a book at various library sales.  I would love to reread them at this age... having read them the first time when I was very young.  Her writing is beautiful, even in her diaries.  I doubt most people realize she was one of the most famous women in the world in her generation and I became interested in her diaries after reading Gifts From the Sea... a volume of which resides on my desk next to my address book... as a very young woman.

I have a series of Churchill's biographies on the Kindle, either purchased very cheap (like 99 cents) or they were free at the time for some historical occasion.  I knew I would love to read them someday so they are parked in the Amazon Cloud, waiting for that day. 

When it comes to books, there are so many waiting that I could never read all of them, even if I counted only those waiting on the Kindle.  However, I do enjoy having options available for future focused reading, whether books by favorite authors or books about subjects of interest.   

What is that famous saying, "So many books and so little time"?  I agree.

Mentioned in this Blog Post
John Adams... here.
1776... here.
Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God... here.
Marriage to a Difficult Man (third party)... here and here.
Madeline L'Engle's Time Quintet... here.
The Narnia Books... here (boxed set) and here (in one volume).
The Gulag Archipelago ... here.
Gifts From the Sea... here.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

Image:  Kim Sung, Book Shop

Living the Pantry Lifestyle - This and That

After a long stretch of above average temperatures and humidity (which I think started in March!), we had two cool days this week.  It was lovely.  I celebrated by making chili for dinner and then freezing part of it for later.  We are to return to heat indexes around 100 tomorrow.

However, I've noticed recently that yellow leaves are beginning to fall outside my family room window.  I'm not sure from what trees as everything still looks green and lush and... weedy.  Honestly, it looks like we live in a tropical rainforest and I guest we kinda' sorta' have been this year.

This is an off year for the black walnut tree near our house.  It's a good thing because last year it started raining black walnuts on our roof by now and our yard was full of them. Because of the weather conditions this year, they are HUGE.  In all the time we lived here, I have never seen them so large.

I'm not sure the squirrels will be able to hide them anywhere for winter, much less carry them in their little mouth.  It will be interesting to see what happens for they like to bring some up on our deck and have a picnic while I watch through the window.  Sometimes they hide the walnuts in a flower pot for a later snack.  You may know that almost nothing grows where a black walnut tree is planted and thanks to hungry squirrels, there are black walnuts... everywhere.

My husband was running errands on Thursday and stopped by the parking lot where the farmer sells corn and veggies from a hay wagon.  He bought half a dozen ears of corn and a watermelon. I could live off of watermelon in the summer.  I must say that there are good aspects to summer's heat... corn, watermelon, and tomatoes are best just off the farm (or garden) in August where I live.

However, like so many of us far north of the equator... I am longing for cooler days.  September is much like March around here, it can be chilly one day and hot the next but at least you know the new season is on the way.

I decided to display some of my Friendly Village on the breakfront as a nod to Fall, a photo was put on Instagram (@coffeeteabooksandme).  I'm afraid it was not a very good photo because it is so dark in our house... that whole living in a heavily wooded area thing... but we do the best we can and strive not for perfection.  I will try for a better photo on a sunny day.

As for my formerly infected eye, it is getting better.  Slowly. My eyesight is still blurry and there are string-like floaters that can make it even worse but I'm doing much better than my retinal specialist thought I would be at this time.  I believe that is an answer to prayer.  It continues to limit what I can do but now I'm at a point where it slows me down instead of stopping regular activity.

I still have to be careful chopping onions but it is now do-able by going slow.  Same with carrots.  I haven't spilled water making coffee recently so there is real progress on important matters.

I can actually see to drive better than accomplishing anything close up, it is just the way the eyesight is affected.  Reading brings on eyestrain and a headache if I do it too long but now I can see enough light through the right eye that the left eye compensates. 

I've slowly been reading a review book and hope to post that review this week.  I am looking forward to the Publication Day on September 4th for Sarah (formerly) Clarkson's new book called Book Girl.  I will write a formal review on that day but I can already say that I loved it and I think any book lover will love it.

My daughter read an Advanced Reader Copy on the flight home from Europe and she thought it "perfect"... I do admit she is biased toward her friend... but I agree that it is nearly perfect for any book lover.  We must always provide room to grow so they write another book, you know.  ;)

The pre-order link is still on the Amazon widget on the sidebar and is as you have read again and again, an Amazon Associate link... but I am legally required to keep reminding you of that. Which means I get a tiny percent for sending you over Amazon's way and it cost you nothing extra.  I thank you.

Please forgive typos and such for my eyesight is still wonky.  I tend to locate typos after I've tapped on "Publish".  Sigh.

Image:  Bushel of Apples

Sunday Afternoon Tea - The Gift of Fiction

Somewhere in my years of reading, I remember an author writing something like "Books are God's way of apologizing for our finiteness".  I find that to be very true, especially in the world of fiction.  My love for reading has been even more apparent recently as I took a book with me to my retinal specialist's appointment... even though one eye is still unable to see clearly.

We do suffer for our addictions and I cannot do without the worlds opened to me by the written word.  One learns to... adapt.

I must admit that I spent a couple decades rarely reading any sort of fiction.  Even though I read a lot of fiction as a child and a teen, as a young mom who worked outside the home off and on, my interest was mostly in nonfiction books by favorite Christian authors.

Then when we homeschooled, I mostly read books about homeschooling and those books we were using as part of homeschooling.  Although many books at that time were fiction, they were read in order to relate with my student son.  It did enable me to enjoy genres I would never have thought of reading on my own.

I just found it easier to curl up at the corner of the sofa and read a chapter or two of Edith Schaeffer or Elisabeth Elliot after the dishes were washed and the house decluttered each day.  It took an excellent novel to devote precious time to reading fiction.  Although the James Harriot books made their way into my evenings, as did one of my very favorite books, Catherine Marshall's Christy, and later the Mitford novels.

Besides being quite busy, there were a couple of other reasons I was not interested in fiction.  First of all... I was at an age where I was actively writing the story of my own life with hours full of activity which began early and ended late each day.  The second... and very important reason... I found a lot of "modern" fiction to contain people and situations I would not bring into my real life on purpose.  So why bring them into my home through my reading?

I have friends who have always preferred novels, it is just the way God designed them.  We are fearfully and wonderfully... and uniquely... made.  While I do continue to like a good nonfiction book, I have come to appreciate the value of a story well told.

Did you know people came to Christ from reading Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, even though "religious" books were banned in the former Soviet Union?  They were able to see God's Truth in the stories as they were written.  Such is God's way of using fiction to enter the story of another person, family, or place.

I have gained wisdom from Father Tim's ponderings, learned about bravery from Lucy Pevensie, felt the joys and sorrows in teaching mountain people with Christy, watched the value of friendship with Samwise Gamgee as I walk through the world created by Tolkien, had my eyes open to spiritual warfare in This Present Darkness, and cried over the treatment of my Chinese Christian brothers and sisters in Safely Home.

I read of the world leading up to WWII in The Winds of War and lived through it in the sequel, War and Remembrance.  I learned of a part of the war I had previously not known about in The Guernsey Potato Peel and Literary Society and traveled with Jews seeking their homeland after the Nazi death camps... returning to their land in Exodus.

I love books and I love bookish friends, especially those who introduced me to the works of Elizabeth Goudge and D. E. Stevenson.  These are the stories I run to again and again, whose places have become like a second home and characters as old friends.  They are the literary equivalent of my favorite old sweater that I put on at the first chill of Autumn.

I would never have read Hannah Coulter (and its' literary siblings) if it had not been recommended by numerous friends with good taste.  My Mother's people are from an area not far from where Wendell writes about in Kentucky.  I would never have read A Wrinkle in Time as an adult if my daughter hadn't told me that "I must" read it.  Neither would the lovely Miss Read stories have been enjoyed if they had not been recommended by the author of the Mitford books.

It is risky to name favorite titles because for every one I name, there are a dozen which go unnamed.  The paragraphs above do not even begin to include favorite children's books that I like to reread or the books waiting on the Kindle (I cannot resist using credit on a book I've wanted to read when it is on sale for $1.99).

I have now once again come to a place in life where most of my reading is in the form of stories, returning to my childhood and teen years when I needed books as a form of escape.  (I was Nancy Drew, at least in my imagination.)

Now when there is time to read for enjoyment (not that I do not enjoy review books but you know what I mean), I look first to the shelves of favorite fiction waiting to be read for the first time or to revisit an old friend.  Now I just need that right eye to heal completely (it is getting better but I still cannot see clearly).

Some Books Mentioned in this Blog Post
Christy... here.
At Home in Mitford... here.
Christmas at Fairacre (Miss Read)... here.
A Wrinkle in Time... here.
Hannah Coulter... here.
Elizabeth Goudge (Pilgrim's Inn, my first Goudge book)... here.
D. E. Stevenson (Miss Buncle's Book, my first Stevenson book)... here.
The Guernsey Potato Peel and Literary Society... here.
The Winds of War... here.
This Present Darkness... here.
Safely Home... here.
... and at that my eyes are too tired to continue.  ;)

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.  I thank you.

Please excuse any typos not caught with the one clear eye and one fuzzy looking eye.

Sunday Afternoon Tea - Truth From Unexpected Places

There are more days than I would like to admit that I find myself lost in my To Do list without the ability to quickly assess priorities.  I  feel unteathered... as if a strong wind could topple me over at a moment's notice.  It has been one of those years.

I know my concentration has been off when writing doesn't bring the joy it usually does to my heart.  For awhile I even lost my ponder.  I think it has returned.

When there has been one life hit after another in quick succession, one begins to wonder if life will ever have a look of normal again.  I have been here before and the answer is... yes.  Kind of..  In a way.  For it may be a new normal.

I seek wisdom for I know from experience that God never wastes a trial.  When there have been two or three or four in succession, overlapping before another is resolved, He is especially getting my attention.  The intense need for wisdom and direction is sought more than in the seasons of life when everything is "same old, same old".

Wisdom usually arrives but not always from a direction I expected. I have had Eureka moments while reading a novel, watching a movie, chatting with a friend, hiking trails, and yes... reading my Bible.  However, one expects to find Truth in the Word of God.  From a favorite TV show?  Not so much.

My favorite episode of the Canadian family drama called Heartland, occurs in Season 2 when Amy's horse, Spartan, refuses to jump after being rescued from kidnappers.  Amy decides to seek help from her late mother's friend, Victor, a Native Canadian horse trainer who is known to help traumatized horses.

Victor realizes right away that it is not Spartan who needs help but it is Amy.  Amidst the beautiful background of the Canadian Rockies in winter, Victor takes Amy on walks and even teaches her to play golf (sorta').  Amy continually asks him when he is going to work with Spartan but he always tells her it will be soon.  Instead he spends time with her in conversation.

[Now, I must throw in a disclaimer here for anytime we seek wisdom outside of the canon of Scripture.... we must practice discernment.  As we pray, I believe the Holy Spirit within gives us either peace or a sense of uneasiness.

However, as Augustine is often quoted... "All truth is God's Truth".  We need only to discern if what we are reading or watching or listening to is Truth.  When it comes to some First Nation teaching, I think of Romans 1 when Paul talks about how God's Truth is in the heart of man because of what is around him (nature) that proclaims His presence.]

Victor takes Amy to a location on his land where he has set up a medicine wheel used by First Nations.  As he walks it with her, he explains how our life can get unbalanced, especially when we have suffered trauma as she has with her mother's death and most recently Spartan's kidnapping.

I was amazed that he was actually teaching what we would call the importance of keeping spirit, soul, and body in balance.  Suffering trials can take us off balance and affect every part of us more than we realize.  Any kind of trauma to the body will affect the spirit and the soul.  Trauma to the soul (our mind, our thoughts, how we see ourselves, etc.) can affect the body.

One of the specialists I went to in the Detroit area told me that while they do not know what is the cause of all auto immune diseases (like Type 1 diabetes), there is a strong relationship between high levels of stress (the mind) and developing diseases (the body). 

I watched this episode again recently and it helped me understand that my current state of being unteathered is not due to a lack of faith, or not walking with God close enough, or any other sort of lie the enemy of our souls whispers to bring about doubt and confusion.  I am rather overwhelmed with uncertainty at the moment and it affects... everything

I have wondered why there are times when I find God's Truth in secular places.  I mean apart from the fact that everything was created by Him in the first place.  I came to realize that they offer me a different perspective on a situation.

It is much the same as stepping back to get a better focus or simply coming at a problem from a different angle.  The secular lens can be quite different than the Scriptural way of seeing and when used by God, can be that which shines light onto Truth.

In this episode, before returning to Heartland, we see Amy riding Spartan as he makes every jump perfectly.  Spartan is the same but his owner now has the wisdom and courage to heal from the traumas of her past.  Thanks to a wise teacher, she is once again in balance.

Of course, our secular teachers will never be perfect and neither will they always be 100% Biblical.  However, when one has walked with God for awhile and learned to listen to Him, when one knows what the real Truth is from His Word... then the secular offers us insight we who still walk in the flesh can utilize.

I personally love it when God uses the unexpected.  It is as if he slips one through once in awhile to remind us He can use anything to bring us wisdom and make us more like Jesus.  Even a secular TV show about a horse ranch.

Mentioned in this Blog Post
Heartland, Season 2... here.
Full Circle is available as an episode through Amazon Video... here (#17).

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.  I thank you.

Living the Pantry Lifestyle - My Favorite Aldi Products

I will be back with a post on Saturday when there is something to write about.  My ability to do life as normal is still very limited but my eyesight is slowly improving.  I will find out on Wednesday if my specialist thinks I need surgery.

In the meantime, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite Aldi products.  I stock up once a month with most groceries so last week was a good time to take some photos of my purchases.  There are some items I purchase every month while others are items I'm trying for the first time.

Two items I purchase every month is their Organic Mild Salsa and the Tikka Masala sauce.  The price of both is very reasonable and I can't find salsa anywhere else that is mild enough for my husband's taste while still adding just a hint of heat.  I use it in a lot of dishes so I buy at least four a month.

I love Indian food but my husband hates it so it is of no use for me to make a complete main dish.  However, I've found with the Tikka Masala sauce I can make chicken with a side of brown rice for both of us, and add the sauce just to mine to make a delicious and easy Indian meal.  (The unused sauce keeps well in the refrigerator.)

Sometimes I will brown chicken thighs in a skillet, pour the Tikka Masala in the bottom of a casserole dish, place the chicken thighs on top of the sauce (to keep the skin of the chicken crisp)... and bake about forty-five minutes or more if needed. There are many ways to get my Indian food fix with this sauce.

I have to keep granola bars in my purse and in my cupboard because they are my go to low blood sugar fix.  I've tended to have terrible low blood sugar at times when I am running errands (if I don't stop and eat somewhere) so there are always two or three granola bars in my purse.  These are tasty and inexpensive enough to keep me stocked.

I took a separate photo of these two items since they kept frosting over (they were taken out of the freezer) in the first photograph.  Aldi's Grass Fed Organic Ground Beef is THE REASON I buy ground beef only at Aldi's.  It puts organic ground beef within my budget (although I still have to use it sparingly).

I purchase four packages a month on my regular budget.  If I can spend a little more, I buy extra.  All of them are kept in the freezer and defrosted one at a time as needed.  Yes, it means I normally only have ground beef four times a month.

Should I choose to make something like a meatloaf, I use a good quality ground beef from the grocery store.  Currently my budget does not contain enough funds for a meatloaf containing only organic ground beef!

What can I say about Kerrygold butter?  I adore it.  It reminds me of the butter I remember from my childhood.  Aldi's has the cheapest price for Kerrygold butter of all the stores I go to, I'm talking at least a dollar less (and much cheaper than one of the grocery stores).

I buy four a month and freeze three since usually one is needed immediately.  This is my "sit on the counter" butter so I only buy salted (which is all they carry).  I cut the big block (horizontally) into two blocks, one block fits my vintage Pyrex butter holder just fine and the other block waits patiently in the butter section of the refrigerator.  It freezes beautifully.

I use regular store brand butter for baking.  Even as inexpensive as it is at Aldi's, using it for baking would be too expensive and you wouldn't really notice the difference in the final product.  (Although I have used it in the making of butter cream frosting.)

There are some items I purchase rarely or for the first time at Aldi's.  For instance,  I've been looking for extra virgin olive oil with chilies since I saw on a cooking show that this kind of oil was the secret to a recipe people loved.  The cook drizzled a bit of it over the spaghetti and sauce before serving.  It was too expensive elsewhere for something that may not work out so I was thrilled to find it at Aldi's at a great price.  (I haven't tried it, yet.  Soon!)

The Tajin seasoning is a Mexican product made up of lime, mild chili peppers, and sea salt.  I had a sample bottle of it before and loved it but it was when Nigella was showing favorite purchases on her latest show that I recognized the familiar bottle, even though she didn't share the brand name.  She stated the contents and sure enough, it was the Tajin!

I had seen it before at Aldi's and decided this month to make the purchase, it is not expensive there.  Nigella had suggested using it on watermelon.  So I did.  Yum.

Aldi's has a limited selection of organic herbs and spices.  Italian Seasoning is one I prefer organic and it is very inexpensive there.  I get very annoyed at people saying spices do not have a long shelf life because they do!  However, herbs and herb blends really do lose flavor within a year.  This is inexpensive enough you will not mind replacing it (if you do not use it all up first).

Items Not Shown That I Buy Regularly

Image from Aldi's website

Chocolate
Okay, if you do not shop at Aldi's for any other reason then you must go for their chocolate.  I'm not surprised that it is often the favorite purchase of many articles I have read.

For you see, you can buy European chocolate at grocery store prices at Aldi and it is... delicious.  I have two favorites, their Choceur Milk Chocolate mini bars (sold four or five to a package) are melt in your mouth creamy yummy goodness.  I do not buy them every time because I have no self control.

I do purchase one package a month of the Moser Roth Dark Chili chocolate bars.  I'm not a big fan of dark chocolate even though it is suppose to be good for you (in moderation) but I do enjoy these with either chili, orange, or mint.

I purchase the dark chocolate with the chili the most as the slight heat it gives (not a lot) makes one small bar just right to enjoy at one time.  Unlike the Choceur Milk Chocolate bars, I can half self control with these.  They do sell very, very dark chocolate.

Aldi's has beautiful Easter and Christmas candy options.  Their foil wrapped Christmas chocolate have an Old World look.  I purchase a small bag of them just to display on the breakfront but they are perfect for Christmas stockings.

Cheese
I have found all their Happy Farms brand of cheese to be good.  I always buy a package of the Havarti cheese (plain).  At these prices, you could serve a good size cheese tray at a party for a lot less than it would cost elsewhere... and the cheese is delicious.  They sell other items that can be served with the cheese.

Sometimes they have the Kerrygold cheese that I like but they haven't carried it for a year or so.  I'm hoping it returns soon.

Fish
My very favorite frozen tilapia is the Sea Queen brand at Aldi's.  I buy the 2 pound bag and it provides two meals for us (probably one meal for a family of four).  I cut the tilapia in half horizontally at the natural line between the thicker side and the thinner side of the fillet.  I very lightly bread it and fry the thicker sides first, then the thinner sides.  I have found separating them like this keeps the thinner side from overcooking.

I have purchased their frozen salmon fillets, too.  They were quite good but we actually prefer my recipe for salmon patties to fresh salmon (it is probably our Midwestern land bound roots?).

Bread and Crackers
Aldi's carries a lot of various crackers, although I normally just purchase their version of Ritz crackers called Savoritz Original Buttery Round Crackers. These are just as good as Ritz (my husband likes them better).

Aldi's carries a large selection of breads, some are everyday breads but others are special. For instance, their Brioche Loaf is a delicious, rich flavored bread.  We like the chocolate chip version and freeze most of it when I return home from shopping.  I keep four or five slices unfrozen at a time for snacks.  It is so rich that just one slice makes me feel I've had dessert at far less carbs.

Nonfood Items
Aldi's carries the usual kinds of paper goods.  One item I always buy at Aldi's is their Boulder brand Large Trash bags with Four Flaps.  I use them as large kitchen trash bags and the way you can tie off the flaps makes them sturdy.  I've used these for years and since they come in a 40 count box of bags, they last awhile in our home.

Obviously there are other products we use but this is long enough already.  My husband likes their selection of frozen fruit while I especially like their frozen green beans (and I'm not a fan of frozen green beans).

Their canned tomatoes, fruit, beans, etc. have always been good.  I find their canned pumpkin to be lighter on flavor than my usual brand but it does work great in pumpkin bread (I still prefer Libbys for pumpkin pies).

I often buy eggs there, as well as half and half.  They have a good selection of meat (including a special sale meat each week) and fresh produce.

If you have an Aldi's near you and you have not shopped there yet, do try it out.  It certainly helps my budget.  If you have a favorite Aldi's product that I haven't listed, I would love to hear about it in Comments.

Note:  Please forgive typos and such.  I still do not see clearly.  Thank you.

Fawkes, a review

I started out slowly reading this book because I didn't realize it was a fantasy novel as well as historical fiction.  However, once I realized the difference, it became very enjoyable... although a challenge with only one good eye!  The book arrived just prior to my eye infection.

Fawkes is based on a true event, better known in Great Britain than in the States.  Although I was aware of Guy Fawkes from the graphic novel (and later movie), V For Vandetta, which was a favorite of my son. Bonfire Night (Guy Fawkes Night) is celebrated in England to this day.

In the book, Guy Fawkes' son is the main character.  It begins with his father not showing up for an important ritual at his school, causing him to be kicked out of the school.  This part of the novel confused me a bit but if you continue reading, everything will fall into place.

The story continues as he locates his father and becomes involved in the The Gunpowder Plot.  Now, what makes this even more interesting is that God becomes a part of the younger Fawkes' journey, although known under a different name in this novel (it is fantasy).

What happens with The Gunpowder Plot is known in history but the reader will still be wondering if young Thomas will help kill King James and Parliament or if he chooses to turn against his father and save hundreds of people.  Either decision would have consequences for Thomas.

This is an enjoyable book for those who like a combination of fantasy and historical fiction but want to stay away from content that would be inappropriate for younger people.  Recommended for those who enjoy the genre.

Fawkes was provided by the publisher for the sake of review but the opinions are my own.

More information can be found... here.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

Book Girl

Sarah's new book arrived yesterday.  I had been slogging (s.l.o.w.l.y.) through a novel that I must review but I set it aside to peruse Book Girl immediately.  I could not put it down.  Even with difficulty in reading (due to my right eye not seeing correctly), I wanted to keep reading!

I read through four chapters and perused a couple others. I will be carefully reading all of it before the official review on publication day (September 4th).  However, I can tell you already that if you love books then you will love this book.

Sarah had given Stephanie an Advanced Reader Copy when they met together in Oxford and she has told me it is excellent.  I can agree and promise you that book lovers are going to be keeping Book Girl handy to read and refer back to often.

If you know anything about publishing, then you will know how important pre-orders are for an author.  I'm sometimes hesitant to pre-order until I know more about the book but I can assure you that this will be a favorite.

More on Publication Day!

To pre-order Book Girl, click... here.

I will also be keeping Book Girl in my Amazon Widget on the sidebar for awhile.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

Sunday Afternoon Tea - The Importance of Tradition

“There is something about saying, ‘We always do this,’ which helps keep the years together. Time is such an elusive thing that if we keep on meaning to do something interesting, but never do it, year would follow year with no special thoughtfulness being expressed in making gifts, surprises, charming table settings, and familiar food. Tradition is a good gift intended to guard the best gifts.”   ---Edith Schaeffer, What Is a Family?
 
Schools in our area are beginning a new year over the next couple of weeks.  I still cannot fathom the return to the classroom in August but that is the new way of doing things and has been for awhile.When we were homeschooling, I clung to the old ways when it came to scheduling and began our new year in September.  Because I could...

At the risk of once again talking about the good old days (for they were not always good except in our memory), I do think beginning school after Labor Day had a natural rhythm to it that sitting in a classroom when one should be at the lake does not. I suppose mine was the last generation to adhere closely to the agricultural seasons. 

Whatever time of the year it starts, the return to school was the true beginning of the new year in my youth.  It was in September when new clothes were purchased, our notebooks were clean of pencil marks and eraser crumbs, and there was hope that perhaps this was the year I would understand math.

While I usually write about tradition during the Holidays, the return to school was one of those seasons when traditions were also important.  One of our traditions when my kids were home was going out to breakfast on the first day of school each year.  I'm pretty sure we were able to do so every year.  First with just Stephanie, then with both Christopher and Stephanie for awhile, then it was just Mom and son.

When your daughter's first day of college* is the same day your son starts Kindergarten... it does make for juggling traditions a little more interesting.  There were some years we simply went to McDonald's but when there was time... and that usually meant getting up even earlier than I would like... we made our way to a favorite restaurant.

The beginning of another school year, much like Thanksgiving and Christmas, is prime time for traditions. Quite often the genesis of our traditions came from our own childhood. Sometimes the ideas for new traditions began from somewhere in my reading.  The first day of school breakfast came out of the book, Let's Make a Memory by Shirley Dobson and Gloria Gaither.

If you have read this blog more than five minutes, you will know the profound influence Edith Schaeffer's writing had on my life.  I appreciated tradition before reading her books but Edith's writing helped me to understand the need for tradition in one's life.

The quote under the image is one of my favorite "Edith quotes".  Two of her books I made a tradition of reading at least once a year for a long time were What Is a Family and Hidden Art (The Hidden Art of Homemaking in paperback).

One of the truths that quote teaches me is that quite often, most traditions are best kept simple.  For instance, while I would love to have made a gingerbread house every Christmas, I spent too many years working outside the home to even contemplate that tradition. 

Although now that you can purchase pre-made gingerbread houses that are small and cute and just need decorating, it may be a tradition I began just for my own enjoyment.  But I digress... What I could do was make Christmas cookies and many of those recipes are still baked each year to give as gifts. 

Another tradition that began due to a busy Holiday schedule was serving hors d'oeuvres on Christmas Eve.  I usually made a dessert the day before and served the family various "finger foods" as dinner on Christmas Eve.  It was always fun to use my creativity in planning the menu and I made certain everything was easy to make because I could get carried away and that would defeat the purpose of the tradition.

Some traditions are "set in stone" when possible but since life can change, they have had to change due to circumstances.  During the years we attended a Christmas Eve service, it was far easier to just go out for dinner than try to cook anything.

New traditions continue to be started, long after there are no children at home.  Using my collection of brown transferware in the Fall months and especially at Thanksgiving is one of them.  While I decorate with the transferware all year, actually using it provides a way to enjoy it for a season.

It is fun for me when I hear of traditions my kids took with them to their own families.  Of course, they rarely are exactly the way they were followed growing up because circumstances are different, family dynamics have changed, and they are creative enough to tweak traditions to be even better for their families.

When I first read What Is a Family?, I was a young mom just beginning to make memories for my family.  Now I can look back upon decades and agree with Edith that "time is such an allusive thing".  One doesn't realize just how fast time goes until one day you look in the mirror and see your mother staring back at you. 

So now is the time to brush off old traditions, begin a new one, or think ahead to the Holidays.  They will be here before you know it.  If you have begun hyperventilating, sorry about that.  Make it simple and you will be fine.

Mentioned in this Blog Post
What Is a Family?... here.
The Hidden Art of Homemaking... here.
Let's Make a Memory (revised edition, third party)... here.

*It helped that the University and the school my son attended before we began homeschooling were in the same town.

Disclaimer:  Most links to Amazon.com are Associate links.

A Quick Saturday Update

The grocery store after an earthquake.

My eye is slowly healing but I still cannot see clearly out of it.  I am praying for a complete healing!  Distance is easier to see so I can drive in the daytime.  That is a beginning, I was able to do my monthly stock up at Meijers and Aldis yesterday.

As you can understand, the situation has slowed me down considerably but is not stopping what I want to accomplish.  It is hard to write Saturday posts because they are usually based on something I am doing... and the doing has been limited.

However, since I could do my Aldis shopping, I hope next week to have a post about some of my favorite Aldis buys.  I have benefited from other blogs as they have posted some of their favorites.  That is how I either knew the product was there or it urged me on to try a product. 

I thought the article below to be quite good so I wanted to share it with you today.  It is called "If I Could Only Stockpile 10 Foods" and the author has good advice on building a basic prepper pantry on a budget that is also healthy.

I will have a Saturday post next week (I hope!).

Mentioned in this Blog Post
If I Could Only Stockpile 10 Foods article... here.
(I do not endorse everything on the site but it has very good information.)