completed reading

Being sick for almost a week + a holiday + a great library 10 min. away + Goodreads = TIME TO READ! 

1. The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle

This was required reading for the Suzuki Book 4 training I recently completed. This non-fiction book is written by a guy who wanted to know: where does "talent" come from? What's the secret of getting really good at something? He traveled all over the world observing students and coaches in all areas of the arts: music, sports, etc., and relates the patterns he found. 

What I liked: Daniel Coyle wrote a sciencey book without it feeling suffocating, dry, or incomprehensible. He compiled lots of awesome quotes by famous artists, and included stories of well-known performers today. His revelations helped give me ideas of how I could be a better student AND teacher. 

What I didn't like: Apparently Mr. Coyle believes entirely in evolution and fate, as these were two themes heavily mentioned. As a Christian, I know that it is God that gives ability and strength to persevere and become good at something, and He is the One that created this myelin within us that helps us remember what we need to know through practice. The book also contains some colorful language which makes me glad I don't have to read it again. :P

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This beautiful work of fiction tells the story of a young girl (Liesel) who gets adopted by a German couple during the Holocaust. Shortly after their little family is formed, they are forced to hide a friend of the family, a Jew, in their basement. Through her new-found love of reading and her friendship with the Jewish boy, Max, Liesel learns about love, death, and continuing to live strong in the face of terror. 

What I liked: First of all, Mr. Zusak has an unbelievably raw and gorgeous style of writing. He personifies death, and does it so beautifully and understandably that it will stick with you long after you finish reading. He believes in leaving "a nugget on every page," and he has done just that. Very deep thoughts. Although the way he personifies death is my favorite part of the book, I also appreciate the many different ways love is portrayed. Not everyone shows or needs love in the same way, and Markus lets us look into lots of windows of people's hearts here. 

What I didn't like: Real and relevant as it may be, I never like to read about dysfunctional families. The German couple has marriage problems, the wife has a foul mouth, and their true son leaves home after arguing with his father. Obviously, from the title, Liesel begins stealing books to quench her thirst for reading in a time when Germans did not allow any literature apart from propaganda. While the person she's stealing from knows she's doing it and doesn't mind, it does not make it okay. 

3. The Magic of Ordinary Days by Ann Howard Creel

A minister's daughter, Livvy, is found pregnant out-of-wedlock and is sent away to Colorado to marry a bean farmer, Ray, who believes this situation may be God's will for everyone. Although Ray loves Livvy and her unborn baby from Day 1, it takes a little over a year, lots of deep self-evaluation, and learning to rebuild trust for Livvy to return his love and realize that, with forgiveness and love, she can have a fresh start. 

What I liked: Ray to me was a picture of Christ's amazing redemptive love for people who have known what was right and instead chose to sin. His faithful, calm, and quiet love for Livvy made me ever more grateful for God's great love for us. I also loved Creel's descriptive writing style. Not overly flowery but fresh and interesting. 

What I didn't like: Livvy never really talks of God except to mention she had turned her back on Him, and her regret over the entire situation is more of a sorry-for-herself thing, instead of viewing it from a Christian point of view and asking forgiveness of the Lord. Also, although it is brief, there is a section not recommended to unmarried people, especially. If you've read Christy, you know what I mean. 

4. Agenda 21 by Glenn Beck

America has been gone for about 20 years, and now the Republic is in its place. Emmeline's father has died and her mother has just been taken away, so she must learn to live in the completely controlled, oppressive, totalitarian world alone except for her partner, David. When the time comes for David, Emmeline, and her daughter Elsa to escape, will they make it past all the guards, Gatekeepers, and Authority leaders to the unknown world of freedom that lives just beyond the fence? 

What I liked: Suspenseful and Animal Farm scary, Glenn gets his point across clearly without preaching. The whole idea was to open people's minds to the idea of Agenda 21, the wording of which is softly trickling in to some big cities' plans here in the U.S. Awareness is the first step, and by writing a novel with Agenda 21 taken to the extreme, he gets people's attention and (hopefully) opens their eyes to what the world could someday become if no one speaks up. 

What I didn't like: Obviously, this book is a slightly disturbing one, as it's supposed to be. Innuendo and mild language add to the conclusion that this is 100% not a book for children or even young adults. Highly recommended, however, for more mature readers. 

So, as I always ask, what have you read or been reading? Any suggestions? Hey...and let's be friends on Goodreads, 'kay? :)

thoughts

Winter is coming and I can't wait. Fall was weird this year. Less like a friend and more like a mysterious question. 

Family doesn't necessarily mean you're related by blood. Can you love, laugh, care for, accept, pray with, cry with them? They're family.

Death is a new beginning, both for the dead and the living. 

You're given thousands of second chances every day. Notice them.

Just because the skies are gray doesn't mean the day is. Splash it with your own color. Prisms of blessings are everywhere, but only you can take the time to shine light through to make them noticeable. 

These are the days for poetry. Break out the Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Sylvia Plath, and Ella Wheeler Wilcox. 

Anticipate the holidays. Make gift lists and plans early. Meditate on what you love and appreciate about your friends and family so spending time with them is an anticipated joy. 

Don't ever forget to give thanks. Not everyone woke up healthy, or with a husband or mother or father, or warmth, or all their limbs. You're blessed beyond measure. 

and so it begins.

My Grandpa Paul died tonight. 

This is Day 1 of eternity for him. 

Thank you for praying for him, if you did. While I expected this, it still was shocking to hear, and really it still doesn't feel real. 

Just wanted you to know. 

it's one of those days.

Because next to no one reads this little space where I randomly, haphazardly throw my thoughts into the cosmos, I often feel free to do just that. No one reads, no one comments, or if they do, I don't know about it, so I might as well just be me and get words off my chest.

I just got home from a perfectly flowing day. In spite of getting out of bed 20 minutes later than I had planned, everything was on schedule. I showered, threw dinner in the crockpot (it's some serious comfort food), drove to Naperville to visit my grandma in the hospital, drove to Bolingbrook to get stuff printed out, drove to Aurora to finalize permit garbage, and got home before 1 PM. As I'm getting out of the car, my mom calls and tells me my grandpa (who just had lung cancer surgery) is in the ICU on a ventilator because his breathing stopped, and he has abdominal bleeding. This is in addition to several other complications that have arisen since having the surgery. 

I'm calm. I don't cry on the phone. I have that terrible habit sometimes of keeping my voice the same so I don't upset the person I'm talking to, then melting as soon as I'm alone. As soon as I hung up and got in the door I crashed. My throat hurts. Where do all these tears come from? Verses, doubts, trust, anger - it all surges. Everything all mixed together. I like things organized and in labeled folders. I'm not ready for this. 

Both sides of my family have died from some form of cancer. Seriously. Almost all of them. When I was old enough to finally understand, this fact is what prompted my obsession with the more organic, natural way of eating, especially. I hate hospitals. I've been to the doctor only twice since I was 8 years old (that's 12 years). Needles and surgery and mistakes and money. I hate it all. 

So my grandpa's in the ICU in AL. My grandma is in the hospital recovering from a double mastectomy (cancer strikes again). These are my only grandparents. My dad's parents both died of cancer in just a few weeks - one in 1993, the other in 2007. I'm really and truly tired of cancer destroying and taking my family. 

While visiting my grandma this morning, I read her a poem. It's called Tulips and it's by a woman named Sylvia Plath. Look it up. Clicking a link is too easy and passive. I want you to want to read it. If I'm ever in a hospital bed with cancer (heaven forbid), I believe this poem embodies some of the feelings and thoughts that will be running through my mind. 

I'm shivering, not just with the cold and the damp. I am afraid of "I love yous" left unsaid, and poems left unread, and smiles held back, and words kept bottled up. The time is now. Don't waste a day. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. And whether it's cancer, or a car wreck, or simply old age, God will choose some way for us to go. As Tuck says in Natalie Babbitt's beautiful book Tuck Everlasting, "Don't fear death. Fear the unlived life." 

I want to make every moment count. 

Matthiessen State Park

Saturday Chris and I finally had a day to ourselves. :) That morning we had planned on driving up to Starved Rock to go hiking. On our way, someone recommended Matthiessen. We had never heard of it, but it's only a few miles from Starved Rock. We went to S.R. first, but it was completely packed. (Oh yeah. It's (stupid) Sweetest Day! :P) We had a picnic lunch there, but it was crowded and freezing and windy, so we decided to keep driving till we reached Matthiessen. We got a front row parking spot (thank you, Lord!) and we were off! 

This is the inside of a fort that is right at the park's entrance. 

There was enough rain to make it totally muddy, but not enough for ANY waterfalls. Go figure. :P

Had fun getting some ring shots. :)

Jonamac Orchard

On Monday I went with my aunt Mary, my cousin Cole, my friend Tia, my "cousin-in-law" Jenny, my aunt Laura, and Jenny's two kids Madisyn and Kolten to the Jonamac Orchard in Malta. We had a wonderful time!

Tia and Cole got in on the action. :) (And yes, that's Madisyn completely flattened. :P)

 We waited in line for something like 40 minutes for the apple cider donuts. Was it worth it? YES.

Then we see this random piano in the middle of a field. I had to get pictures with it. Had to. Regardless of the little "No going beyond this point" sign. So, flinging caution and obedience to the wind, we three ran out there and got some pictures before racing back.

 It looks like something The Piano Guys would do. ;)

It was a beautiful day, and the first time I had gone apple picking since I was 5 or 6. It was fun to hang out with family and eat donuts and kettle corn. We had a blast! :)

I take them.

I take at least three vitamins at least once a day. Combine that with a little exercise and no extra sugar, and I'm set for a day of better-than-usual energy. Here are the five capsules/vitamins I took today.

Women's Food Based Multi - (This is the horse pill. :P) I use the Whole Foods brand. This is my favorite overall vitamin as it gives you well over 100% DV of some top vitamins such as A, C, D, E, B12, thiamin, riboflavin, iron, etc. 

B12 - (This is the round pink one.) I use the Nature Made brand. Even though the multi gives me what I need for the day, occasionally I'll take an extra dose. It helps with energy, concentration, immune system, allergies, and a healthy heart. 

Calcium - (The white one, of course.) Again, I use Nature Made. The top use of calcium is strengthening teeth and bones. It also helps lessen PMS symptoms (can I get an amen??), works as an antacid, and studies are being conducted to see if calcium working together with Vitamin D can prevent breast cancer. Pretty cool.

Olive Leaf - (The black capsule.) I use the brand Gaia Herbs. Olive leaf supports a healthy immune response. I usually take this when I get sick, which is dumb because at that point it's kind of late. But it does help me get better faster! I've now started taking it every few days just to help me STAY healthy.

Vitamin E - (The prettiest one of the bunch, and easiest to swallow.) I use Nature Made. This antioxidant boosts the immune system to help fight bacteria and viruses, and helps prevent blood clots. 

Now, I'm interested in knowing --

Do you take vitamins? 

What do you take and how often?

Do you like any particular brands? 

Do any stores have better deals on these things than others? 

Feedback, people. Feedback! :)