This and that and books

Thank you for the kind comments about the "new look".    Blogger assured me the new templates were easy so it gave me the confidence to give it a try, especially when they said I can try it out first before making the change permanent. 

I've heard too many horror stories over the years of fellow bloggers losing information (at least) and at times... their entire blogs deleted when changing templates... to attempt a change before.

As it turned out, the hardest part of the change was making a final decision on which one I liked the most.  I thought this one was nice and springtime fresh.  Blogger has come a long way since I started using it when it was not nearly as "user friendly".

Thank you again to everyone who entered Amazon through my widget.  I was able to order a Franklin Springs West Lady DVD about canning.  Most of the time I stretch my credit by buying used items but I'm hoping to purchase a few of these West Lady DVDs which add to my homemaking education.  There is always something to learn. 

Oh, regarding how my blog looks when you receive it through e-mail... try unsubscribing and then subscribe again.  I don't know why but for some servers, the picture gets all jumbled when a change has been made to the structure of the blog.  I suppose this new template could really mess things up.  I receive the e-mail posts and there was no problem with the latest change but it is different with each server (and I suspect e-mail provider).  When others have had the same problem in the past, unsubscribing and re-subscribing helped to solve it.

I wanted to read one more D. E. Stevenson book before the end of the month so I chose one of the three unread books on my shelf.  I started Still Glides the Stream and was so happy I'd made that choice.  It is completely different than the other three Stevenson books I read as it doesn't have the humor but it is such a good story. 

I had ordered it from Amazon at one time (to add to my collection) only because it was so inexpensive (and some of hers are way out of my budget).  Then, as I did some research on Stevenson's books, I noticed it was on a favorites list of many of her fans. 

I have enjoyed L'Engle's books. Thanks for mentioning them in comments.  I've only read a few of her nonfiction books but liked them very much.  It has been awhile since I read them.  I know some people are concerned about her writing, thinking she's too much on the "liberal" side of theology but I'm pretty conservative and found nothing in the books I read to be troubling.  She is one of those writers whose prose is as beautiful as poetry.  I appreciated it when she was in the old Victoria magazine quite often.

I love, love, love her "Time" books, especially A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet.  I've also read the fourth in the series but have never read the fifth, which she wrote much later.  The mother in the books (Mrs. Murry) is one of my favorite fictional characters. 

While the Time books are considered children's classics, they make for interesting grown up reading.  My daughter read them when she was young and encouraged me to read them when I had the opportunity to purchase the Time Quartet when we were still in homeschooling mode.  I have since re-read them a few times.

As with most science fiction and fantasy books for children, I would read them before giving them to the kids to read so you're ready to have a conversation about them.  Of course, if you are reading the Time books aloud to the kids, questions can be answered at that time.

Some families choose not to read science fiction or fantasy and I do understand that decision.  Parents know instinctively what is good for their own children.  I was an original Trekkie (Star Trek obsessive fan) and both of my children inherited the gene.  :)