Memoria Arts~ Life in the Making

Best Reads of 2009....

Ah, the plans of mice and men...

So much to tell you about but so very little time! Huge changes going on behind the scenes here at the blog and in real life. Life in the Making is moving to its new home January 4th if the bits and bytes will mind their manners. That is, if I can find the keyboard underneath all the packing boxes...

Our house went on the market yesterday. As my mother said: "I thought I heard a giant leap of faith today!" I want to tell you all about it in detail, why we're making this choice right now, and a million other things. I hope to, in time...but right now, there's those boxes. 

Instead (inspired by Stephanie) I thought I'd do a Best of 2009 series to end out the year. Hope you enjoy!

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My reads this year have been in a practical bent...I haven't had a whole lot of time to read recreationally and I sorely miss it. As you can tell by the titles, I have been studying to improve my 'job performance', particularly in the frugal cooking and money management areas. The reasons are probably obvious! ~big grin~(If you haven't been reading LiTM very long, my husband lost his job a year and a half a go, at the beginning of the crash.) 

 

Hearthside Cooking by Nancy Carter Crump

This was a library read...I happened upon it while looking for something else and it looked fascinating. One of the few books I read 'for fun'- also the book I was reading when I realized that Ben could, really, really, read. (He had been pretending that 'he couldn't do it'. Long story.)- I was drawn to this book for many reasons, but mostly because I live in a rural, mountainous area of Tennessee where these skills have not yet been lost. This book is half encyclopedia, half journal, half cookbook, half history lesson. You'll learn a tremendous amount of information about the roots of 'modern cooking'. It might surprise you!  

 

 

 Food, Inc. edited by Carl Webber

My husband picked this one up, and then I filched it because I was curious- needless to say, he sort of lost his book for a few days. James and I have read extensively on the modern state of food (you can click on my Sustainable Living category for more links and books), so this isn't a random pick. That being said, if you're wondering what everyone is referring to in the media or whatever about the 'food crisis', this is a good primer book from a lot of people involved in non-industrial food production. Joel Salatin, Michael Pollan, and Eric Schlosser are just a few of the writers included. This is now my 'start here' book when people ask about my passion for local, organic, minimally processed food.

 

A Sane Woman's Guide to Raising A Large Family by Mary Ostyn

What can I not say about this book? Blog on steroids with tons of practical, useable suggestions, written in a witty, friendly style. Lots of "I've been there" anecdotes from other mothers of many. Mary Ostyn herself is mama to ten, and has written Owlhaven.net for a long time. I got this about three, four weeks ago- the beginning of December? It's already dog-eared, well-loved, coffee and ketchup splattered because it is going everywhere with me. Lifehacks for moms of many. Hallelujah! (Honestly, an answer to a very desperate prayer!) 

 

 

Family Feasts for $75 A Week by Mary Ostyn

This I bought on a recommendation from Hannah, at Cultivating Home. DUDE. It can be done! I am doing it! It's blowing my mind. You can really eat well and healthfully and have fun doing it for less than we would spend at a good restaurant! This is great for any family- the recipes are written for 4-6 people, but all are easily doubled. This is sort of half instruction manual, lifehack for frugal cooking, and half recipe book. Lots of advice, pointers, and recommendations. Let's put it this way- I think this is going to be my new 'gift to give' for the families in my life! It pays for itself a thousand times over. Heck, it paid for itself in the first week, for me...

 

 Photo Freedom by Stacy Julian

I have to preface this with the fact that this is a book written by a scrapbooker to a scrapbooker. For those of you that aren't into that, just skip down to the next. Now, if you're a scrapbooker like me that used to enjoy it and weren't worried about all the photos and then suddenly, life happened...and you can't stand chronological scrapping...run, don't walk to get this one! (It's rapidly disappearing after the CK shut-down, transfer, whatever brouhaha thing happened.) It gave me the courage to dive back into scrapping after a year and a half hiatus. This system makes a lot of sense to my non-linear, non-chronological, very story focused, moment-focused way of scrapping. It is what it says- freedom to create and have fun again!

 

 "Parenting is Your Highest Calling" and 8 Other Myths That Trap Us Into Worry and Guilt by Leslie Leyland Fields

I read this one at Ann's recommendation. I don't know how to explain why this one was so essential to my development as a parent this year. It's hard. I've spent a lot of time shooting myself in the foot with a lot of these myths, edging on clinical depression (there, I said it...). I remember crying and praying and reading, going to the Bible, coming back to the book, crying, praying, reading some more. It would not be too far off to say that this book had a part in saving me from myself. I was getting to a pretty dark place before this book came along. This was a ray of light. I don't know how to talk about my depression- maybe I'll get the nerve to talk about it more in the coming year.

 

 

 Learning to Live Financially Free by Marybeth & Curt Whalen

Marybeth writes Cheaper by the Half Dozen. She's a homeschooler. She and her family are like a lot of families I know. And while I've read a few books about financial stewardship, this book stands out to me for it's "we're right here in the middle of this", sitting across the dining room table with a cup of coffee, practical conversational style. So many books are from a finance guru who has never been smack in the middle of life with a regular, run-of-the-mill life with a regular-run-of-the-mill income who've gotten into debt. I cannot recommend this book enough. A lot of the decisions we're making right this second have come from working and talking through this book. It is above all, practical. Doable. Full of encouragement!

So that's my round up for 2009! What did you love reading this year? Link me to your posts or the books you love- I am in the process of making my book list for 2010 and would love suggestions!

Weaving the threads...

    Our first semester of home schooling is wrapping up this week, and I find myself looking back over the last five months and evaluating how things have gone so far. The most noticeable thing for me has been the flexibility inherent in a home school curriculum. We technically started school July 2nd (which I chronicled here) and will end this Friday, Dec.19th. At first, I was a bit overwhelmed at the fact that Ben wanted to start early- while I didn't feel unprepared exactly, I felt like I wasn't quite ready. Homeschooling with babies underfoot is quite the undertaking, and I won't deny that. This was my primary fear, I think, as we began: could I keep everything balanced between the needs of my school children and the needs of my babies? I think we found a sweet spot with that about late September, early October, and we've followed a similar rhythm of routine since then. But back to the flexibility: We worked from July to the 1st of August, at which point we went on a vacation to celebrate my best friend's wedding. Unbenowst to me, I began to miscarry during that wedding weekend. By the time we returned, the roller coaster of losing the baby and the surgery began, stretching from the 11th of August to the the 23rd, with the surgery falling on the 20th of August. A whole month was "lost" (but not really, upon examination). My mother was able to pick up with the children during the last week of August, and schooled them for a week and a half until I was feeling well enough to return to teaching them. We then worked, with decent regularity, for the next two months into November. It didn't feel that way at the time, actually. Isaiah had multiple therapy appointments on different days and covering two towns in the process (vision, speech, physical, and occupational). It seemed like everything was all over the map, literally and figuratively. Looking back at my homeschool journal, though, we got through the lessons, as planned- fitted in around the multiple car trips and appointments. Our school day probably didn't look very typical, but that's fine- that's what homeschooling is all about. We stopped schooling again in the middle of November, in part due to Thanksgiving break, but also to a week of doctors' appointments and sickness. We picked back up the first week of December. All this to say, according to the 'traditional' school calendar (using our local school district for reference), we should be at week 17 in the lesson plans. Amazingly, we are right on track for the year, ending at week 17, right on schedrule. This is the beauty of homeschooling- I can't imagine what this would have looked like if Ben and Isaiah had been in a traditional school setting. Just thinking about signing Isaiah in and out of school for therapy appointments makes my eyes cross. Sonlight has been a great fit for us this semester, in so many ways.
    Ben, so far, is doing very well. We are still struggling a bit with reading, but it has come along steadily. I am trying to find the balance between 'fun' and required to help encourage him in this area. Writing is similar- his handwriting is improving steadily (he's using the first grade curriculum from Handwriting Without Tears, which I can't reccomend enough.) He absolutely loves math and science, and would double or triple his math lessons regularly if I let him. (I do sometimes, but I am more concerned with mastery and understanding over speed.)
   The enviornment that home schooling provides for Isaiah is so, so important. Everyday he gets highly individualized, tailored instruction from me at his skill level,  something that would not be available in a traditional setting. With his Sensory Processing Disorder, he struggles with some of the basic skills: following directions, sitting erect in a chair, holding a pencil properly and applying appropriate pressure to the the paper, sequencing- all are a struggle. He lacks the muscle control that a normal kindergartner would have. We have yet to start a "math" curriculum with him but continue to do 'real-life' counting in conjuction with physical activity, like counting to ten while hopping. Both are very important for his development right now. And by helping to integrate his body with his mind on multiple dimensions, it helps with the sensory processing. (In short, SPD kids struggle with integration- where is my body, what is my body doing, what is my brain saying to my body.) He's whip smart, which you probably wouldn't notice if you could only see his failure to perform typical kindergarter skills. He is interested in science, and is almost reading (he has picked it up much faster than Ben has), and if his muscle control wasn't such an issue, would probably write stories. Right now he settles for writting long scribbles that look like sentences. (And while he thinks he's not doing anything, he's actually doing a lot. Just having the patience and control over the pencil for that long and leaning all the scribbles in the same direction says a lot for his prewriting skills.) He seems to struggle very much with sequencing both in the logical and practical sense: like beginning, middle, and end (this happened, and then this happened...), math skills often show skipped numbers or no understanding of which number comes next or before, and when you lay colored beads in a pattern, he can copy it exactly, but can't figure out which colored bead would come next in the sequence. So we're gonna keep working on that, both here at home and with his therapists.
    It's gone a bit better than I expected, and a bit worse for the wear. I see things that I will definitely change for next semester that (hopefully) will allow things to run a bit smoother. The boys definitely need a folder to keep their language arts and Explode the Code work in, because I am so tired of trying to figure out who has done what when and how! (Especially since I make copies!) Isaiah will probably start with Math U See in January- we'll see how it goes there. It seems to make a lot more sense to his brain, than, say, Ben's Horizon (Alpha Omega) curriculum. I really want to adjust our morning routine so that we finish our 'home' routine and then move into our 'school' routine with less bumps and breaks. I think that I am going to focus most of our reading assignments during that time and then move into the individualized work from there. We'll see.

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In a related vein:

• Kevin (Elise's husband, of A Path Made Straight) has done a great write up on how they choose literature for their boys, and gives a ton of great suggestions. I think this will definitely help me in the "fun" reading category!

• Tonia did a series of "field notes" that cover what she is currently experiencing as all of her children are moving into the middle school and high school years. She offers an important perspective from someone who has been at this adventure for a while.
• Ann has a ton, and I do mean a ton, of homeschooling posts, all of which are encouraging and inspiring. Sometimes when I have a really rough day, I go re-read the archives to get refreshed and encouraged and ready for battle again. Highly recommended.
• Molly, of Mommycoddle, wrote such a clear, concise, 'this is why I homeschool' article on Momformation that is just dead on. Great article to hand to family members and the like at those requisite holiday gatherings who are questioning your sanity for homeschooling.

Spinning a yarn...

I've recently been making it a point to read more. (Stop laughing, mom.) So what if I am a book 'eater'; I haven't really been reading continuously at all. Big gulps of sweet treats behind the closet door sort of things, in between scrubbing sticky putty out of Ben's hair and telling Isaiah to get off the window sill, and racing to the stairs to close the gate before David goes tumbling down. A chapter here, a paragraph there. But all of the sudden, I am addicted again. The Mitford Chronicles by Jan Karon. The whole series...oh my heavens. They've been out for a long time, I know, I know. Who would have thought that an aging Episcopalian priest would be so interesting? And so encouraging. And enlightening. And convicting. And whoa...it's pretty crazy. Jan Karon is a masterful storyteller with such an amazing handle on the craft.  I haven't had an addiction like this since Robin Jones Gunn in middle school. I've read the first three novels over the weekend, I have laughed, chuckled, and cried. And then, be still James' beating heart...there's a cookbook. I predict we are going to have a Mitford sort of a fall. Glorious, comforting, and yummy.

Thoughts gathered...

    Book lover, ponderer, that I am, my list of 'must-read' books grows exponentially during the summer as I mark one book after the other off the list that has been growing over the winter months. With my children it seems that only in summer do I get to devour one book after another. But in every pile there are always a few that demand pause, a savor... repeated turning back of pages to ponder a thought, a line...such is this book.
    I join the ranks of reviewers (Anne and Andrea, for example) who have a hard time categorizing this book, Stone Crossings (InterVarsity Press). It is memoir. Yet, it is also a journal, a working out of thoughts. A treatise, if you will. An expansion, and yet, a contraction of what a spiritual walk looks like. It teaches, just as it learns...I have never met LL in person, and have only recently begun to get to know her online...but I have a feeling I could pick her out of a crowd and call her kindred in a second. The work is so suffused with a graceful "thinking out loud" sort of conversational way to it. You'll need a hot pot of tea or coffee and a quiet hour for this...you'll not want to leave when it is over either.
    This is a "dwelling" book, as I call them. You dwell with it, turn it over in you mind, sit with it a while, remembering morsels here and there...it is is also a building block sort of a book...the book has only been in my hands two weeks (as usual, I read it in a day) and I can already see where its affect has fallen on my life...enabling me to consider different paths I had not even noticed before. She speaks of stones, but in my minds' eye, I saw a secret garden, upon which each door opens onto a more beautiful and ponderous vista than the one that came before. You could probably read it a million times and come a way with something new. It is suffused through out with Scripture and thought to engage and sharpen you.
    I find it hard to talk about just one aspect, just one thing...I started to make notes and discovered that I would end up copying over practically the whole book. It is all wonderful, thoughtful, engaging. I found myself drawn in particular to Ch 12, Clefts of the Rock~Responsibility. Others probably would be affected by different chapters. But for me, this caught me right where I am at...in a transition from youth to adult, from no cares to responsibility that wears down upon one in the middle of the night. Oh yes, I've been married six years and have children ranging in ages from five to less than a year, but it's only within the last year or two that I have fully accepted that I am in fact an adult. Even then, I still slip and try to hand off my calling and responsibilities in a childlike way.  LL gently reminds:

We are each like little kings privileged with a patch of ground, even if it's less than a quarter acre, like mine, and more likely to grow dandelions than a vineyard. We each hold a scepter of influence. And we each exist in the narrow "clefts of the rock " like the Song's lovers (Song of Solomon 2:14)- In relationship to someone, or a group of people, or even God, who all spy eagerly to see what our face and voice will reveal. We are each, to put it simply, responsible for our blessedness. Whether or not we let temptations woo us into irresponsibility is up to us. (pg. 89)

She continues on in the chapter talking about the consequences and benefits of being responsible, and what it means in life. What is striking about the book is how gently, yet how straightforward, LL touches upon the most painful and troublesome of issues. You don't leave the book feeling preached at- if anything you feel inspired to go deeper in your own walk of faith. 

    You will truly enjoy this book...and it'll probably find a home on your favorite bookshelf. I know it did on mine...

LL Barkat's blog is Seedlings in Stone. (She also has two others, a poetry blog and a green living blog). You can find a discussion blog for Stone Crossings here. And of course, for the ever expanding wish list, here it is on Amazon. You can find out more about LL and her book here.

Clarity of thought...

Ok, so now everyone is teasing me about how neat my car console was. In my defense, I took that picture right after the car was bought, and I was messing with settings on my camera. I was not flaunting my neatness by any stretch of the imagination! I think I might post a current pic of my car just to satisfy a certain naysayer... *laughs*

I wrote Shuffle:Play right before I started reading Raising Children to Adore God: Instilling a Lifelong Passion for Worship by Patrick Kavanaugh. This book was interesting- it jumped of the shelf at the library at me, and I was curious. So much of what he talks about is actual acts of worship (music, prayer, etc.) but nearly all of it could be applied to the act of parenting. I've truly enjoyed reading his perspective. As I finished the book, a section in his last chapter explained what I was thinking regarding shuffle:play so much better. He says:

Built to Last, an excellent book on business management by Jim Collins, studies a number of large corporations that have endured for many decades. In his careful analysis, Collins discovered two principles that each of those successful companies possessed. These points, in my own words, are (1) Each company had a mission statement that was utterly unchangeable and would never be neglected, yet (2) The manner in which this mission was accomplished was completely flexible,  changing freely from one idea to another.

We see the parallels between Collins' fascinating findings and Christian parenting. Like those successful corporations, we parents need to have certain biblical principles that we hold onto without exception. But we also need to be flexible and creative as to their practical implementation. In other words, there are two categories of parenting concepts. The first is absolutely unchangeable, and the second is absolutely flexible.

Jesus said that the Father commanded Him "what to say and how to say it" (John 12:49). When raising children, the basic "what to say" category remains constant. But "how you say it", that is, how these key principles are implemented, will change as your children move from infancy to young adulthood.  (158-159)

Bookeaters Anonymous

James says that this book should have been called The Incredible Book Eating Girl and that I should have been the feature character. And I am quite certain my mom is giggling as she reads this, too, because where else do you think I learned my book-eating skillz from? I devour books. I can get through a normal size novel in about a two hour stretch reading straight through. I have learned from experience not to read a series of novels until the last novel is out, because the suspense will drive me insane. I am only now reading through the Beverly Lewis Amish series, for example.

It's a delighful, delightful book. The artwork is  collage-esque (my personal favorite) and Mr. Jeffers use of type is skillful and fun at the same time. Between fits of giggles while reading to the kids, I actually was inspired art-wise, and what more could you ask from a book?

We regularly pick up somewhere close to 30 books in a library run- some that I've picked out based on reccomendations, others that have caught the kid's eyes, still others that Daddy finds (he's quite the scout...) Book eating is a skill everyone can benefit from, and I've found that the best way to do that is to make sure there is plenty of "food". I don't try to push it on the kids other than talking about reading times in an excited tone: "Are we ready to go on another adventure?" They've caught the bug pretty well- you can often find at least one of my children "reading" at any given moment in an afternoon.

Right now, I've been munching on these:
Romans
Hinds Feet in High Places by Hannah Hurnard (Used as my devotional)
Living the Simple Life by Elaine St. James
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a'Kempis
Desiring God by John Piper
The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
The Mother's Almanac by Marguerite Kelly

And I devoured a few Grace Livingston Hill Novels:
Beauty for Ashes
Rose Gillbraithe
Happiness Hill

Oh my word...

Ok...one word. Grace. Whoa. Refer to my 7 random items post here in which I jokingly say that I better inherit my mom's Grace Livingston Hill collection. I was thinking in the far away future. I would never imagine that I would get these sweet gems now...I have been content to check them out at the library. Over and over and over again. But said momma read my blog, and I just returned home with 92(!!!!) Grace Livingston Hill books. Can we say heaven?????? Oh my. I shall 'eat' on these for weeks, and months, and years. Such an amazing gift...and one of my most treasured. I know what these books have meant to my mother...and I know what they will mean to me and Lorelei. I just can't believe that I have been so blessed!

Jane Austen...

I found this the other day and totally giggled while taking it. I am not the least bit surprised by the results.
Which one are you?

Which Jane Austen Character are You? (For Females) Long Quiz!!!
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