6:36 ~ January 31, 2011

{Before the Storm}

Izzy Knows

Izzy knows that the best place to snooze is in a pile of warm sheets, straight out of the dryer. With a foot or more of snow, sleet, ice and general icky-ness on it's way, perhaps we should all take a cue from Iz. . .it's just too bad I have to go to work to keep her in cat food!

6:36 ~ January 30, 2011

{University of Findlay Equine Facility}

Right Now

Right now, I am. . .

wanting :: to be rid of this sort of self-imposed silence. i guess waiting, hoping, praying and wondering get in the way of real words.

loving :: that yesterday we had a day of total relaxation – Netflix movies, naps and a fun evening celebrating our friend Bob's birthday.

wondering :: what Thursday will bring.

feeling :: grateful for a bowl of sunny oranges and grapefruits on our table. we got an inexpensive juicer last weekend and have put it to great use.

enjoying :: whole wheat muffins made with the pulp of carrots and oranges that are left after juicing.

smiling :: that Delilah/Kukla also enjoyed the whole wheat muffins yesterday. she stole one off the counter while they were cooling but wasn't smart enough to hide her bounty. she jumped up on the couch beside me to try to savor her snack!

shivering :: with just a little bit of joy at the thought of a foot or more of snow this week! could it be a snow day on Wednesday in Ohio?

enjoying :: the scent of warm clothes fresh out of the dryer.

rejoicing :: that i'm losing a few pounds a week. lots of fresh fruit and veggies. lots of whole wheat. a little less sugar.

planning :: meals for this week. right now there are eggs being hard boiled, brown rice being simmered and tortilla soup on the stove.

wishing :: for a week full of peace, joy and kindness.

6:36 ~ January 29, 2011

6:36 ~ January 28, 2011

{i'm baking a happy birthday apple pie for my friend scott. at the grocery tonight i found this colorful display of apples to choose from. it's a phone pic. . .and i don't have a cool iphone with all the fun apps. boo.}

6:36 ~ January 27, 2011

{someone brought a box full of dozens of eggs into Ali's office yesterday. we both love fresh, farm eggs. grocery eggs taste nothing like real eggs. she also knew i would fall in love with the colors of these eggs. yes, the one on the top left is a gorgeous shade of green! the araucona chicken lays blue/green shelled eggs. want to know more? everything you've ever wondered about chickens and more. . .}

Right Now

{One week of waiting down. One week of waiting to go. I was trying to really think about how all this feels and put it into words. Harder than I thought it might be.}

Right now?

It's the in-between –

the living into the not-yet.

6:36 ~ January 26, 2011

{i stopped for gas in Arlington tonight. i was greeted by a row of pumps, each one dispensing only one kind of gasoline. at first i was baffled and then i thought back to when i first learned to drive. . . each pump has one kind. . . you have to flip the handle on the side of the pump to get it to go. . . and there's no place to stick in your credit card. you actually have to talk to a human being to pay for your gas. . . oh, the good old days!}

6:36 ~ January 25, 2011

{busy making black bean soup for Bible study tomorrow night • i soaked and cooked the beans from dry instead of buying canned beans. $1.29 x 8 cans or .97 x 2 pounds of dry. . .you do the math. . .}

I Am

i am empty.

i am open.

i am waiting.

i am a chalice.

i am a basket.

i am a bowl.

i am a nest.

the universe swirls

around me,

a whirlwind of hope.

a tempest outside

what is real –

but not quite tangible.

i am free.

i am receptive.

i am expectant.

6:36 ~ January 24, 2011

{i needed that bird's nest. . .alas, it was still frozen to the tree. . .i still need a bird's nest.

you will see why tomorrow}

6:36 ~ January 23, 2011

{icicle shadows}

6:36 ~ January 22, 2011

6:36 ~ January 21, 2011

{any guesses?? it's frost on the kitchen window that faces the sunrise this morning at work}

A Tiny Blessing

Timing is everything. So is persistence.

This little fellow landed on our car as we were heading home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. We only stopped for a moment and I looked up to see him sitting on the driver's mirror, looking through the glass at me, as though expecting to carry on a small conversation. He watched me fumble in the backseat for the camera, blinking his tiny button eyes slowly and watching my every move.

Before I could get the camera focused he was gone. We thought.

Seconds later he landed on the passenger's mirror and looked at Ali intently. I shot a few pictures. Sticking the key in the ignition, Ali rolled down her window. He never broke the gaze her was holding with her.

Then, in an instant, he was gone.

And it felt like a tiny little bird blessing on a very special day.

Little Vignette

Setting:: The doctor's office at the fertility clinic. Ali's feet are in the stirrups. The doctor is doing the artificial insemination. I'm watching. It's really quiet, except for the doctor who's singing. . .

Doctor:: OK! {short pause, like he's expecting something}

Ali:: {from the other end of the table, muffled by the sheet covering her lower half} Oh. . .is that it?

Doctor:: Well. . . I guess it's not exactly the real thing. . .but it's the best I can do for you!

{laughter erupts in the room and I wonder how many times he's been asked "is that it" by some woman a little more disappointed than we were!}

6:36 ~ January 20, 2011

Co-Creators With God

There are very few days in the span of a lifetime in which you get to enter into the grand unfolding of life by making a conscious decision which could alter your path forever. Most days are littered with the small decisions of everyday living that might add up to something when viewed in the rearview mirror. Occasionally there are events that are thrust on us with positively no permission being given by us. There are both happy and tragic occurrences that amend our lives in ways we never even see coming.

But today, we get to make a choice. There is no way a lesbian couple will ever accidently attempt to bring a child into the world. And I am unquestionably on board with this decision. I'm excited, terrified and already thoroughly in love with whatever our outcome will be.

Yet I am also apprehensive. There are a million how, what if questions buzzing in my brain and gnawing at the edges of my stomach. Maybe it's because I'm older that these questions seem louder and more obnoxious. When I was younger I would just jump in with both feet and know that I would figure it out as it came. Now I want to see down the road just a little farther than my little flashlight will illuminate.

So, today I make a choice. It's one of those moments that is holy because I am conscious that, along with God, we are choosing to attempt to be co-creators of life. And we make that choice with love and faith and a community of friends and family who love and support us.

And really, what else do we need? The money and the diapers and the sleepless nights will take care of themselves, if it is meant to be.

When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: Either you will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.

6:36 ~ January 19, 2011

{the calendar in R's apartment – it hangs near his kitchen table. when i asked him tonight why tomorrow is already marked off this was his answer: "well, i made it through today. i figure i'll make it through tomorrow too." seems like a good motto to me.}

6:36 ~ January 18, 2011

{Ovidrel, 250mcg; being delivered subcutaneously by a real nurse – and a real friend. Who else would wait up for us to show up in the middle of the night?? And, just for the record, if most other people took pictures of their baby-making endeavors it would be considered p0rn.* Ours is just medical drama. . .}

* i spelled it with a zero so i didn't get a bunch of hits here for those googling the word spelled with an o. . .

Curiousier and Curiousier

The 6:36 picture will not be posted until tomorrow, but I assure you it will be taken tonight at about 11:36 p.m.

Curious?

Here's a hint:

It involves a nurse, a needle and a turkey baster which will not make an appearance until Thursday morning at approximately 11:36 a.m. Don't touch that dial. . .

On Gathering

One of the things that I help my friend R* with is gathering his food for the week. I write gathering instead of grocery shopping or running to the store purposely. Grocery shopping is too mundane. It's too rote. It's what you and I do, mostly without thinking, on a weekly basis. Gathering is a much more intentional word and a much better descriptor of what it's like for R and I to go to Kroger.

We start with a list which typically looks a little like this:

TV dinners

lunch meat

hot dogs

milk

orange juice

soup

bird food

bananas

canned fruit

sandwich buns

He's on a fixed income. He does all his own meal preparation as long as it can be cooked in the microwave. He's not a picky eater and enjoys food.

The thing is, once we get him home from the grocery he's stuck with what we bought. He can't change his mind or say to himself, "I don't really feel like eating that tonight." He can't run to McDonald's and just grab a quick meal. He can't really give in to the whim of choices beyond what's presented in his freezer from day to day.

And I'm shocked at how quickly he goes through food.

If I haven't been there for a couple of days and open the freezer I'm caught off guard that his stack of TV dinners is so small. I think to myself, "We JUST went to the store!" and then I do some mental math and realize he has only eaten one TV dinner a day and maybe I need to run to the store and restock him just a little – just in case it snows and I can't get back for a day or two. He will look at the counter and tell me that all his bananas are gone and I will hide a sigh, knowing that I'm about to run to the store for some more.

Before I started working with R someone else did his grocery shopping for him. They showed up at his house with bags in tow and he ate what they brought. Now, I make a concerted effort to take him along at least once a week. It's a huge effort to get him and his walker in the car and to the store, get him into a wheelchair with a basket once we get there and then reverse the whole process to get home. But it is so worth it.

He gets a say in what he eats. Where he used to eat fruit cocktail from a can, now he requests fresh pears. When we walk past the fresh vegetables he asks for a bag of salad and I smile as we put it in his basket.

Occasionally I get to sit with him as he eats his dinner. He eats slowly. He enjoys what he eats. And it makes my heart sing when he says things like, "Would you help me cut up that pear? I really like pears!"

R is teaching me what it looks like to pay attention to what it is that goes into my mouth. He's teaching me what it is to select food mindfully, with attention to the joy that comes with fresh food. And it's translating into small steps towards a healthier diet for me.

When I go to the store to do our shopping now I think about my trips with R. I'm don't go there in a hurry, running down aisle after aisle, distractedly throwing whatever into my cart. I mindfully look at my choices and select only the things I really love. I choose more fresh. More whole. More raw. Less processed.

I gather instead of run. And it feels pretty darn good.

* My friend with developmental disabilities. I help him be more independent by going to his home a few days a week. More about him here.

** In the interest of full disclosure, this whole thing is also being driven by our church's Biggest Loser campaign. We're spending six weeks talking about physical, spiritual, emotional and financial fitness. We're also trying to lose weight knowing that the billions of dollars being spent on diabetes care in this country could do so much more good in the world if we were just a bit fitter people. I weighed in last Sunday and I wasn't happy with the results. {this also explains yesterday's 6:36 picture. . .}

6:36 ~ January 17, 2011

{before}

{after :: shredded. . .more about what brought this on tomorrow. . .}

6:36 ~ January 16, 2011

{a little bonnet of snow}

It's All Hype

Sometimes, I have these days when I am all put together. My hair is so amazing that I should be in a Pert commercial. There are no zits to be found on my fair and creamy complexion and for once, my pants fit just right.

Life is good and I am awesome.

Then I trip. Or drive to work with part of my coat hanging out the car door. Or I spill something on my shirt or I realize I've been smiling at the world, thinking I was stunning, with a big chunk of green parsley between my teeth. Something. Anything to remind me that I'm not nearly as awesome as my ego and imagination might like me to be.

I have this nasty little habit of believing that the gifts I bring into the world are so amazing, so wonderful, so cool that I am the center of the universe. I occasionally think that my opinions are so needed that anyone who dares to disagree with me is wrong. They are idiotic or at least just plain foolish to ignore the wisdom I am spouting forth.

Except it's all hype.

In reality, I have my fair share of moments in which I am an arrogant, egotistical, know-it-all. And, although I struggle mightily against it there are quite a few scenarios in which I fail. Monumentally.

I could do my best to justify myself. I could claim heredity. After all, any daughter of a fire and brimstone preaching, Southern Baptist minister comes by this character flaw honestly. But doing that would be disingenuous. What I really am is a human being that is broken and flawed and in need of grace.

And the only way to find grace is to come to terms with is that I am never as awesome as my best moment and will never be as lousy as my worst. I fall somewhere in the great sea of mediocrity with the rest of humanity. And as with all the humanity the balance and struggle is to know we are all equally loved by God, and to recognize that all of us are gifted with holy dignity.

It just isn't necessary to step on someone else's neck or soul to make myself feel better.

A Winter Walk

{i'm currently in love with the silhouettes of single trees in these stark Ohio winter fields}

{a little splash of red}

{an empty nest}

{these deer walked here before we did}

6:36 ~ January 15, 2011

{the window in the front door of the old Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church.

the building is now abandoned}

6:36 ~ January 14, 2011

{my friend Bob, next to one his photography entries in the Findlay Art League Black and White and Shades of Grey show tonight}

6:36 ~ January 13, 2011

{near Arlington, Ohio • click to make it bigger if you want. it's kind of cool.

the unedited version of this photo is over there in the flickr sidebar}

Sunset Through the Trees

{taken last evening, near Arlington, Ohio}

6:36 ~ January 12, 2011

{those crazy church people, getting ready to share an incredible meal}

Vignette :: Just In Case I Ever Wondered If I Am Loved

Scene: Yesterday was very snowy and the roads were terrible. Ali picked me up for lunch. As we were making our way back to my work she turned left in front of a lot of oncoming traffic. We slid just a little bit.

Ali:: Oops!! Maybe I should have slowed down a little more before turning that corner!

Me:: Ya think??

Ali:: We could have slid right into that person's front yard! {slight pause} Or the cars coming towards us could have run into us. . .and if they had done that they would have hit your side of the car. . . {she seemed somewhat concerned and that made me feel kind of good. . .}

Ali:: And if they had hit your side of the car you could have gotten hurt! And if you had gotten hurt it would have been really, really bad. . .there wouldn't be anyone to cook me dinner!!

{both of us laughing}

Me:: You know that's going to end up on the blog don't you??

Ali:: That's not fair! Don't I get a say in what goes on the blog?? Don't you have to get my permission or something??

Me:: Of course you have a say! Just quit saying shit like that and I won't write it down!!

6:36 ~ January 11, 2011

{i'm coming to the revelation that my life is incredibly dull. this really isn't news to me, but since i've been attempting to take a photo every night at 6:36 it's really been brought home. there are only so many ways i can photograph my supper. so, rather than abandon the project as i am wont to do when the going gets rough, i will make it a photo a day. and if i haven't taken anything by 6:36 you'll just have to endure my frosted flakes or spinach quiche.

the above photo was an experiment in the snowfall this afternoon. i wanted to try to focus on the flakes that were flying fast and furious, and let the human in the composition blur out. i think it might have been a bit more successful if the flakes had been a little bigger. and had not been coming down like small torpedos out of the sky. whatever happened to lazy flakes??}

One More Thing

It falls under the snippet category –

I'm nearly giddy with joy over the SEC's performance in the BCS Bowl games this year. Living with someone who thinks the Big Ten is all that and a bag of chips. . .let's just say the only way I could have been happier was if Arkansas had pulled it out against Ohio State. . .

And by the way, just in case you were wondering. . .

SEC - 5-5 in BCS Bowls (.500)

Big Ten - 3-5 in BCS Bowls (.375)

{And in case you're wondering, most conversations in our house regarding the SEC and the Big Ten end with the words, "Shut the %$*@ up." And they aren't uttered by me. . .}

Snippets

:: I've started calling Delilah Kukla. Think about it for a second and you can figure it out.

I'll wait.

Get it?

Kukla, Sam and Ollie!!

If you still don't get it, you're too young to be reading this blog! {and yes. . .that's the way my brain rolls. scary huh?}

:: {overheard at an event for people with developmental disabilities} An argument broke out between two brothers. Several other friends in the group tried to intervene. One person said to a brother, "Are you RETARDED?" The brother responded by shouting, "WE ALL ARE!"

{that's what a love about working with people in this community. they don't have the ability to judge themselves, others or me.}

:: my girlfriend doesn't know who Kukla, Fran and Ollie are. . .but that's OK I guess. . .she doesn't read my blog anyway.

:: happy Tuesday to you! if you're getting 6" snow like we are – make the most of it!

6:36 ~ January 10, 2011

{spinach quiche – supper is running a little late tonight!}

Hungry

I'm hungry for color. My eyes devour it as though starving for vitality and spice on a grey landscape. It's like food for thought when my mind is famished.

Seeds cling to these branches because they are life, regenerating.

When winter winds blow we scurry inside, waiting for spring's first warm breezes. But the trees wait more patiently that we do.

I remind myself on a daily basis that the shortest day of winter, the day with the least daylight, is behind us already. The longest day is slowly, gingerly inching its way to us.

The trees always know first. But they aren't saying anything yet.

6:36 ~ January 9, 2011

{at 6:36 i was attempting to fix a hole in a pair of comfortable jeans with a patch i cut from an old madras pair of shorts so i could still wear the jeans to work.

that's izzy. . ."helping. . ."}

Reservoir in Winter

6:36 ~ January 8, 2011

{at 6:36 i am playing around with some photos that i took this afternoon. it reminded me that at christmas i printed, framed and hung some of the photos i took this year. the one pictured here i also framed as gave as a present. scary to give away something you think is good and not be sure someone else will like it! a better representation of the picture is here.}

Old Chairs

the castoffs mumble whispers

aching – loyal. flawed.

lessons in looking for love

{i took this picture last summer in Mount Victory, Ohio.

i desperately needed a creative challenge so i used it to inspire a haiku.}

6:36 ~ January 7, 2011

{the assemblage of ingredients for a pot of bean soup.

what?? i've got a busy day ahead of me tomorrow!!}

GUARANTEED TO BE THE BEST BEAN SOUP YOU'VE EVER EATEN!

1 lb. dried white beans, soaked overnight

2 quarts water

2 large ham slices, diced

1 whole onion, studded with three cloves

1 large carrot, peeled

1 bay leaf

1 dried hot pepper

2 celery stalks, with leaves

salt and pepper

a large "glug" of apple cider vinegar

In crock pot combine beans, water, ham, onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaf and celery. Cook on low for 10 hours.

Discard onion, celery, bay leaf and carrot and hot pepper. Puree some soup to thicken the whole pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add vinegar. Serve. Send me a note thanking me for this recipe that makes you remember your grandmother's bean soup!

Epiphany

Epiphany :: A Christian festival, celebrated on January 6 that commemorates the revelation of Christ to the world. Specifically, the day the Magi found the Christ child by following the star.

Thank God Epiphany has finally come and gone. The twelve days of Christmas are done and the tree and tinsel can come down and get stowed away for another year.

Frankly, I found the whole thing exhausting this year. Sickness, injury, fear, stress and burnout were our gifts. Not to beat a dead horse here. I've whined about it all before. And here's the thing. . .I'm delighted it's finally done.

But I kind of have Epiphany impairment this year. Just not seeing the manifestation of the divine right now. Got no sudden insights or revelations. I'm too tired to give some baby in a manger in Bethlehem much due.

I hope his parents forgive me.

Hey Mary? Joe? Sorry I can't pay attention to your new baby and all right now. You know what I really need? For him to grow up quick and give me a hand here. . .

6:36 ~ January 6, 2011

{baby, it's cold outside! slippers, blankets and couch time tonight!}

Whatever. And Its Antidote.

I got the whatevers. Bad.

whatever::A phrase used by slackers to indicate complete apathy.

I should have taken down the Christmas tree and packed up all the lights.
Whatever.

I should have reinforced Oliver's cone of shame with some duct tape.
Whatever.

I should have eaten dinner last night.
Whatever.

I should mop the kitchen floor.
Whatever.

I should do some yoga and stretch my back.
Whatever.

I should try to resist the urge to go to bed at 7:30 and hibernate under six quilts.
Whatever.

Whatever needed to be transformed before it became even more poisonous to my attitude. So I created.

That ought to help. . .

6:36 ~ January 5, 2011

{this was actually more like 5-something instead of 6:36 – but I knew I would be driving at 6:36! a gorgeous sunset in Ohio!}

6:36 ~ January 4, 2011

{knowing that we were interested in local history and homes, someone at the warehouse lent us this book tonight. 313 E. Sandusky was the Elijah P. Jones House and was built with money from the Oregon gold rush. in 1925 the property was renamed The Lynn Mawr Inn and was a boarding house that offered meals in addition to lodging. the owner of this property recently died and it is now owned by someone in the historic preservation guild. the book is entitled Porches and Parlors: Findlay's Unique Homes, by Rosalinda Paul, Pat Bauman and Renee Smith and was published in 2009 by Allegra Printing, Findlay, Ohio}

The Arrogance of Abundance

Preachers are an arrogant lot. {About 400 sermons give me the right to say that just in case you're wondering.} They (we) get some small idea in our heads and suddenly it becomes a theme. The excitement builds and suddenly you have a series. Then a study!! It becomes a thing that is assumed as "true" so that it can be taught, debated, reasoned and discussed – with the goal of having everyone believe.

And then something or someone comes along and asks one small question that causes the carefully crafted pyramid to come crashing down.

I've struggled with it all week.

Countless times I've preached on the theology of abundance. I've written about it. I've believed it. {God is bigger than our needs. A loving God provides all we need. We get stuck in our own wanting – more, more, more. It leads us to think that we don't have enough.}

And then Oliver brought on the reality. What happens when sometimes there simply is not enough?

December brought Christmas. And then it brought an unexpected car repair of $400. And Oliver's first surgery which clocked in at just over $350. And then his second surgery at almost $200. And something has to give.

Suddenly my own words came back to haunt me. {written here}

"What if there's not enough?"

"What about me/mine/ours?"

Clutching. Fearful. Ruthless.

Stingy. Grabby. Controlling.

A theology of abundance

locked in a struggle with

the myth of scarcity.

Where do I choose to live?

I must choose to believe that

the power of future

is carefully

attended to

watered

nurtured

and cherished

by the hands of those

who trust abundance.

Which is right? Did I simply not believe enough and now my house payment may be late next month? Am I fearful, grabby, ruthless and controlling for taking care of the immediate needs of those I love and I am responsible for? Do I allow my dog to suffer and simply wait for something to happen to prove that God will take care of my needs? Or do I cut back on groceries and worry just a little bit as I wait for the next paycheck to come?

Taken to a higher level, what does the theology of abundance really mean to someone who is hungry? To someone who is homeless? To a mother who has to choose between milk and medicine?

The only time any preacher I know has ever gone hungry is when he skipped lunch. That mostly goes for me as well. But as times continue to get harder and harder for many folks, I wonder about how to keep an attitude of enough alive in my heart. And I think about what it must feel like to know real scarcity.

And I contemplate the arrogance of preaching.

6:36 ~ January 3, 2011

{oly had his second surgery in as many weeks today. closed up the gaping hole in his leg that wasn't healing. now he has the cone of shame. and good drugs. and my bank account is in tears.}

6:36 ~ January 2, 2011

{is it really Sunday night. . .which is always followed so closely by Monday morning??}

6:36 ~ January 1, 2011

{it's Super Mario Brothers Marathon time!}

A Winter Gift

{yesterday was a rare winter gift - 60 degrees on New Year's Eve. coming home from Arlington i saw this old barn and the colors just seemed so brilliant and alive to me. funny how a month of looking at snow will do that to ya! that green barn roof just made me swoon!}

What I Read :: Part 3

The conclusion of my list. . .yes, I'm a nerd. . .but it's all good!


The Five Love Languages - by Gary Chapman
4 Stars
Ideas for connecting with the person you love - in the ways that are meaningful to them – not to you.


The Invisible Bridge - by Julie Orringer
5 Stars
Set in 1930s Budapest just as a young Hungarian Jew, Andras Lévi, departs for the École Spéciale d'Architecture in Paris. He hones his talent for design, works backstage in a theater, and allies with other Jewish students in defiance of rising Nazi influence. And then he meets Klara, a captivating Hungarian ballet instructor nine years his senior with a painful past and a willful teenage daughter. Against Klara's better judgment, love engulfs them, drowning out the rumblings of war for a time. But inevitably, Nazi aggression drives them back to Hungary, where life for the Jews goes from hardship to horror.


Lonely Polygamist - by Brady Udall
5 Stars
When times get tense--and they often do--for Golden Richards, the title patriarch of Brady Udall's The Lonely Polygamist, he turns to a soothing chant of the names, in order, of his 28 children. (It's also practical, when he needs to sort out just which toddler is showing him a scab, and which teen is asking if he can come to her 4-H demo.) While Big Love seeks the inherent soap opera in a man with many wives, Udall finds the slapstick: Golden's houses are the sort of places where the dog is often wearing underwear and a child or two likely isn't. But Udall doesn't settle just for jokes (though the jokes are excellent). Golden may be hapless, distracted, and deceitful, but he is large-hearted and so is his story. There's menace and more than a full share of tragedy there, as well as unabashed redemption and a particular sympathy for the loneliest members of this crowded family. LOVED this book and can't wait for Udall to write another one!


Ratio - by Michael Rulhman
4.5 Stars
The magic numbers you need to cook with your imagination - not with a recipe. Intriguing!

American Subversive - by David Goodwillie
5 Stars
Already wrote about this one. Go read it. Now.


The Heretic's Daughter - by Kathleen Kent
3 Stars
Salem witch trials encounters. Interesting but kind of dry.


Skippy Dies - by Paul Murray
5 Stars
eabrook College is an all-boys Catholic prep school in contemporary Dublin, where the founding Fathers flounder under a new administration obsessed with the school's "brand" and teachers vacillate between fear and apathy when faced with rooms full of texting, hyper-tense, hormone-fueled boys. It's the boys--and one boy in particular--that give this raucous, tender novel its emotional kick. Daniel "Skippy" Juster is a breed apart from his friends, more sensitive than any of them, but never visibly reactive to the pressures that weigh heavily on him. The events that lead to his untimely (though tragicomic) death unfold scene by scene, in a chorus of perfectly executed moments that are powerful enough to make you laugh and weep at once.


A Good and Happy Child - by Justin Evans
4 Stars
Evans' first novel explores the notions of demons--how real they are and how real we are able to make them.

Mesopotamia - by Arthyr Nersesian
3 Stars
his satire of our media-crazed culture unfolds a story of Korean born Sandy Bloomgarten, reporter extraordinaire, who is given an assignment by her tabloid employer to run down to TN and investigate the kidnapping of a young girl. What unfolds is a whirlwind of Elvis impersonators, trailer park woes, shotgun murders and alcoholic misery. A bit too hard-boiled for my taste.



Freedom - by Jonathan Franzen
3.5 Stars
I love The Corrections. This one was a bit harder to piece together for me.

Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Inner Poet - by Susan Woolrich
5 Stars
Poemcrazy is a perfect guide for everyone who ever wanted to write a poem but was afraid to try. Writing workshop leader Susan Wooldridge shows how to think, use one's senses, and practice exercises that will make poems more likely to happen.



Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - by Helen Simonson
5 Stars
The Major epitomizes the Englishman with the "stiff upper lip," who clings to traditional values and has tried (in vain) to pass these along to his yuppie son, Roger. The story centers around Pettigrew's fight to keep his greedy relatives (including his son) from selling a valuable family heirloom--a pair of hunting rifles that symbolizes much of what he stands for, or at least what he thinks he does. The embattled hero discovers an unexpected ally and source of consolation in his neighbor, the Pakistani shopkeeper Jasmina Ali. On the surface, Pettigrew and Ali's backgrounds and life experiences couldn't be more different, but they discover that they have the most important things in common. This wry, yet optimistic comedy of manners with a romantic twist will appeal to grown-up readers of both sexes.

Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings from the Northumbria Community
5 Stars
This book may likely become the only daily devotional I will ever use. For the rest of my life. Highly recommended.

Questions God Asks Us - by Trevor Hudson
2 Stars
Too simplistic for my taste. Read it for a study at church.


Soul Pancake: Chewing On Life's Big Questions - by Rainn Wilson
4 Stars
This book urges you to explore philosophy, creativity, spirituality, love, truth, science, and so much more. With bold questions, intriguing challenges, and mind-bending art, Soul Pancake creates a space for you to stimulate your brain stem, spark your soul, and figure out what it means to be human.


Taking Flight: Inspiration and Techniques to give your Creative Spirit Wings - by Kelly Rae Roberts
4 Stars
Mixed media and prompts to encourage creativity and art journaling.


Photo Idea Index - by Jim Krause
5 Stars
Eye candy at it's finest!

Inner Excavation: Explore Yourself Through Photography, Poetry and Mixed Media - by Liz Lamoreaux
4.5 Stars
This book will guide you through the expressions of photography, poetry/journaling and mixed-media as they pertain to exploring how we not only currently see ourselves, but how we can learn to see new things hiding below the surface. Each of these sub-topics features a different contributing artist (or the author) and includes tips, prompts, meditations and other exercises, along with plenty of full color inspiration.



Expressive Photography: The Shutter Sisters Guide To Shooting From the Heart - by Tracy Clark
4 Stars
When a photograph captivates you and stirs your soul, you know it instinctively. You not only see the image, you feel it. But how do you capture shots like that with your own camera? How do you make your photographs worth the proverbial thousand words? From portraits to landscapes, still-lifes to documentary shots, Expressive Photography will not only show you why certain images sing, but will also teach you how to create your own compelling photographic images-one click at a time.

Journal Spilling: Mixed Media Techniques for Free Expression - by Diana Trout
3.5 Stars
At its core, Journal Spilling is about incorporating journaling and art making into daily life, all the while encouraging a carefree, non-judgmental approach. In addition to step-by-step instruction for getting started in 25 media techniques (watercolor, resist, ink, transfers and more!), you will be guided through exercises to help with writing.



Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter - by Tom Franklin
5 Stars
Edgar Award-winning author Tom Franklin returns with his most accomplished and resonant novel so far—an atmospheric drama set in rural Mississippi. In the late 1970s, Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones were boyhood pals. Their worlds were as different as night and day: Larry, the child of lower-middle-class white parents, and Silas, the son of a poor, single black mother. Yet for a few months the boys stepped outside of their circumstances and shared a special bond. But then tragedy struck: Larry took a girl on a date to a drive-in movie, and she was never heard from again. She was never found and Larry never confessed, but all eyes rested on him as the culprit. The incident shook the county—and perhaps Silas most of all. His friendship with Larry was broken, and then Silas left town. More than twenty years have passed. Larry, a mechanic, lives a solitary existence, never able to rise above the whispers of suspicion. Silas has returned as a constable. He and Larry have no reason to cross paths until another girl disappears and Larry is blamed again. And now the two men who once called each other friend are forced to confront the past they've buried and ignored for decades.