Books! Books! Books!

It has been a while since I've posted a book review.  Now that I am in school, it gets a little more difficult to find the time to update the blog.  Here is an update of the latest books I've read and the short stories that have been assigned for my university class:

Novels


Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson: This little gem I picked as my book club choice for our summer reading as it is nearly 600 pages long.  I will admit I stumbled upon this one because of  Masterpiece Theater (love it!!).  I really enjoyed the series and once I discovered it was based on a novel, I had to read it!  I was surprised how different it was from the series.  This novel is not primarily characters driven and is more of a picture of what life was like living in a hamlet in the English countryside in the 1800's.  I loved it!!  This novel is actually 3 novels in one and each one improves from the last.  I liked her writing style and had no problem putting other things aside to read.  If you love 1800's England in any fashion, I think you would enjoy this.


Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: This is my first Anne Bronte novel.  I have read Emily's "Wuthering Heights" and Charlotte's "Jane Eyre" and "Villette" and was hoping Anne would live up to her sisters...and she did.  I will say that her writing style is different and this particular story is more straight forward than her sister's books but it was enjoyable, sweet and romantic.  I had no problem sticking with the book and read it whenever I could.  I easily got through it, as it isn't too long.  It's a great book and  I plan on reading her other novels. 


Beauty by Robin McKinley: I have been wanting to read this one for a while.  I first discovered it on goodreads.com and saw that it was a retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales and it had a lot of good reviews.  The opportunity presented itself, when the library's mother/daughter book club announced that for the month of September that we would read our favorite fairy tales. As soon as I finished "Agnes Grey" I picked up "Beauty".  It was a quick read (I read it less than a week) and very enjoyable.  This book was copyrighted in 1976, and I know this because it felt like Disney's movie version so I had to look it up.  There are some differences but A LOT of similarities.  I really like McKinley's writing style and have enjoyed her other books.  This is a fun book and would be appropriate for any girl or woman who enjoys fairy tales.


Short Stories for College (I'll save you my reviews and just give you a star rating based on 5 stars)

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner:

How I met my Husband by Alice Munro:

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe:

Everyday Use by Alice Walker:

Cathedral by Raymond Carver:

To Build a Fire by Jack London:

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien:

A Clean Well Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway:

The Rocking Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence:

A Good Man is Hard To Find by Flannery O'Connor:

Revelation by Flannery O'Connor:

I am currently reading:

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (audiobook)
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau (for Mother/Daughter book club in October)
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (for monthly book club)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (reading to the kids..but it's been a while)
Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace (haven't actively read this for months..so I don't know if it counts for currently reading anymore.)
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (for sisters book club...um...if it still exists...what happened here sisters?!?)
The Professor's House by Willa Cather (I will be starting this next week for class)

My First Day of School

parked outside a student apartment, right by the train station.

I woke up, took the kids down to my mom's house, and caught the train for my 1 hour ride to the University.  I had a spiral bound notebook, 2 pens, my kindle, and a 32oz bottle of water packed away in my backpack.  I was filled with some anxiety of the unknown and excited to be finally working towards my goal of getting a Bachelor's Degree.

As the train filled with people along the way, I realized that my being 36 years old and going to college wasn't as uncommon as I thought.  As the loaded train pulled to the University stop, I jostled my way off, scanned my student id card, and began my trek up the hillside to my class.

I made it only a little past the station when my calf muscles started wondering what I was up to.  By the time I walked under the roadway and started up the steps, by shins began to revolt.  I eased up on my pace just a bit in hopes that my shin splints would go away. Meanwhile all these agile, young, fit, children were zooming past me as if this hike was nothing but a routine stroll.

By the time I was halfway to my classroom I had to slow to a 90 year old woman's walking pace, but I was hoping I was pulling off the "I'm-sauntering-to-my-next-class-as-I-like-to-stop-and-smell-the-roses-and-enjoy-this-beautiful-campus" look.   Quite honestly I probably had the "what-am-I-doing-I'm-going-to-die" look instead.   As I reached my classroom, I was hot, sweaty and in much need of my bottle of water.  I sat down, and proceeded to gulp all 32 wonderful, blessed ounces.

My professor walked in carrying her Bruce Springsteen bag and bottle of water. I started to question her qualifications immediately.  (I mean, really, Bruce Springsteen?!)

She welcomed all of us to English 2020 - Introduction to Literary Forms.  We each took a turn introducing ourselves and what we were majoring in.  The syllabus was passed out and she outlined what to expect this semester and what is expected of us.

Looking through the schedule I saw that we would be reading quite a few short stories, Willa Cather's book The Professor's House, Steinbeck's Travels with Charley, that we would be reading and then watching the movies "The Fly" and "Where the Wild Things Are."

And then, right there on the last page, "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen.  I can read it, as long as I don't have to listen to it.  (Now, I'm sure there are plenty of you out there that like and probably own all of Springsteen's albums, so I will say that I do have an aversion to him, but it is not hate filled disgust.  I hope that admission will put me back in good standing with you.)

She then explained that not everything will be in the book and that she will post those reading on canvas and if we will look on canvas on occasion there will be other things there as well.  I'm writing this down and thinking "Is she going to tell us where on campus these readings will be?...What time will these readings take place? Will I have to come up here on my off days to hear these readings on campus?"   Once I realized she was saying the word "canvas"...I was no better enlightened.

After class, I heard another student ask her what canvas meant.  I quickly stepped over and she showed us that it is a link from our student page to the class page.  "Ohh!....It's a link!...on the computer!..." I think I now have a slight understanding of what it feels like to be out of sync with the lastest stuff (ha! computer pun! did you see that?!)

I'm excited for this class and what we are going to be reading.  I am, however, anxious about my ability to find the deep, hidden meanings in the stories, and my ability to write a concise, well thought out paper.  Here's hoping my literary muse will show up soon!

My weight loss secrets so far

My first month of  attempted weight loss has come and gone and here are a few secrets I've learned so far:


Secret #1: You can't have cookies for breakfast.  This fact may surprise some of you, but it is true.  We have such lazy summer mornings this year that by the time we get up and going, it's been a lot easier to grab a few cookies (any kind will do) and pop them in my mouth as we head out the door.


Secret #2: Exercise is imperative.  Really. I've been told any movement will do, including getting up to change the channel on the t.v. instead of using the remote (do t.v.'s even have those buttons anymore?!) Walking to the mailbox, riding around the block on your bike, tying your shoes (ok that last one may not count, but as hard as I have to work at it, I count it!)

Secret #3: Drink lots of water.  This is much easier for me in the summer than it is in the winter.  I've never been real great at being completely hydrated and it seems that the only time I actually consume the correct amount of water is when I am hiking.  I believe it is 8 glasses of water a day, but I've been told that the more you weigh, the more water you need (and more stops at the facilities!)


So how did I do this month? Fail.  I managed not to do any of the above weight loss secrets, but I still managed to lose 1 lb.....I'm sure that was a fluke.  

I've decided that I will need to take a line from the movie "What About Bob?" and do this weight loss thing in "baby steps"

This month I am going to commit to doing the following:

Drink 8 glasses of water every day.
Have a breakfast that doesn't resemble a baked good of any kind.
Exercise at least 10 minutes 3 times a week.


Doing it this way should be a little less overwhelming.

Pardon what is going to sound like an excuse, but this thing will be a little easier once the kids are back to school and we have a routine again!

Moments at Church

I go to church regularly, sometime begrudgingly and sometimes eagerly and then there are times that I go to church gratefully.  Today was one of those times. 

It started out as any other meeting, the announcements, the passing of the sacrament, and the talks.  And then there was a musical number. 

It was a father and his little boy.  The little boy climbed up and sat on the piano bench and started playing a very simple melody.  As the boy was playing, his father stepped behind him, reaching his arms around him, and, placing his hands on either side, started playing a slight embellishment.  As the song continued, the embellishments became more elaborate and what started out as a simple melody became a beautiful hymn.

I was immediately struck with the image of this father standing behind his little boy helping him make his simple song more beautiful and thought of how this simple gesture is like our Heavenly Father.

He asks us to follow His commandments, to live the gospel the best that we can.  As we take our faltering steps along the path He has shown, He steps behind and embellishes our simple efforts. It doesn't matter that our ability may only lay in playing a simple tune. With His help, with His arms around us, and His hands placed on either side, we can make simple things into great things.

I am so grateful to this father and son who thought they were simply going to play a musical number in church but ended up sharing a testimony and touching my heart.  

Losing Weight

Isn't everyone you know at some point trying to lose weight?  If you are female, I think it is a fore gone conclusion that at some point in your life you will try to lose weight.  I think it must be in our DNA!

What is the first thing that we ask someone who has lost weight?....."How did you do it?" as if they discovered some magical way that is unknown to the rest of mankind.  The simple response is, "watching what I eat and exercise."

I haven't really struggled with my weight until after having children (My choir dress from my senior year in high school was a size 2 and we had to still take it in a bit!).  Now, mind you, I measure 5' tall with shoes on.  I'm somewhere in the 4 feet 11-some odd inches in bare feet..so size 2 in high school was healthy.

Once I started having kids my battle with weight began.  I have gone up and down, up and down, up and down over the last 11 years.  I am currently on the "up" side of my weight.  I have plenty excuses that maybe you share as well.

"I don't have the time, what with the kids around all the time" ("um..except for summer break they were in school all day and you didn't so a thing!")

"I'm too tired" (stop going to bed at 1:00 in the morning...that might help!)

"I don't want to get up early" (you don't have to, you are home ALL DAY!)

"I don't feel like it" (I can't argue that point!)

"The holidays are coming, why try now when it will be so hard?" (give me a break, you can still have treats, just don't eat the whole plate of cookies by yourself!)

"Dieting can be so overwhelming and frustrating" (this is true, so stop doing it!)

"If I wasn't home all day, it would be so much easier to not eat so much" (maybe, but you are, so set up snacky stuff that isn't going to kill your figure!)

"I'll start next Monday" (what is so magical about Monday?)

So the fact of the matter is, I eat like crap and I would much prefer to curl up with a book than hop on the eliptical machine (which is conviently located downstairs in the family room).

It's time for a change and I'm hoping that sending this out to everyone in the known universe will help me stay committed.  I am a firm believer in simply sticking to smaller serving sizes and adding exercise to your daily routine (firm believer in theory...as I haven't implemented any of this as of yet!)

I have some small goals that I've set for myself to measure my progress:

I want to wear my wedding ring again.
I want to be able to tie my shoes without struggle.
I want to be able to keep up with my family when we go on hikes.
I would like to be into a size 5/6 jeans.
Only weigh myself once a month..remember that weight means nothing, how the clothes fit is the goal!
I want to set a good example for my kids.

That last one is probably the most important one for me.  I want my daughters to have healthy attitudes toward food and exercise.  My husband and I have alway tried to correct any of the children if they say something like "I need to exercise so I can stay skinny." with, "No, you need to exercise to be healthy."

So, here's to my first step in exercise. 

Charlie, Buster, and Harold

I was first introduced to the wonder and fun of silent films when I took a film appreciation class in college (yes, I was looking for an easy class to fill my general ed credit requirement).  

The professor played "Gold Rush" starring Charlie Chaplin....and I fell in love!


Charlie Chaplin is one of the most talented actors I have watched.  He has great comedic timing and can express so many emotions through his facial expressions, he is a joy to watch.  Here is the clip from the gold rush that I love:

Thanks to Turner Classic Movies channel, I have been able to introduce my children to the joy of silent movies and I have been exposed to some of the other great silent comedians of the time like Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton.

The first silent movie my children watched was called "Go West" with Buster Keaton.  They were not thrilled when I first sat them down and they saw it was in black and white, and then I almost had a revolt on my hand when they realized there wasn't any sound, and you actually had to READ during the movie.  Once they adapted, they loved it!  

They wanted more, so I hunted down "The Gold Rush" at the library and recorded as many as I could find on TCM. 

We have watched quite a few:

The Gold Rush - starring Charlie Chaplin
Go West - starring Buster Keaton
Modern Times - starring Charlie Chaplin
Haunted Spooks - starring Harold Lloyd
The Kid - starring Charlie Chaplin
The Circus - starring Charlie Chaplin
City Lights - starring Charlie Chaplin

There are more currently on the DVR and we'll be watching them shortly.  If you haven't ever seen a silent film, you are missing out.  Any of the ones listed above would be worth your time.

Summer School

Every year, since the twins (K & C) were in preschool, I have done summer school/ off-track school with my children.  Each year I will get a grade level workbook that covers all subjects and have them do about 4 pages a day in addition to reading. 

This year will be no different.  They are on a traditional school schedule and school was let out on Friday.   I have made summer chore charts using one of my favorite websites (http://www.dltk-kids.com/).

The twins', who just finished 5th grade, summer chores are:

30 minutes of reading
Math page
Handwriting
Times tables
Clean up

My daughter has been dying to read The Hunger Games as apparently all of her friends have read the series and have told her how great it is.  After talking it over with my husband (we both have read the books) I reluctantly agreed.  We shall see what her impression is and if she can really understand all the nuances of the books.

My son is going to continue reading The Warriors series, he's almost done with the first book and we'll be getting him the second book today.  He has loved the first book and gives me an update of what is happening each day he reads (I've never read the books, so some of the information is lost on me)



I have chosen to focus primarily on math this summer for them as they have both struggled over the past two years (they must be my children!).   I found dedicated math work books for their grade level at Staples.  I had no idea they would have anything like that and I just happened upon them while we were there shopping for something else.

Handwriting is a more general description.  My son has horrible handwriting (and this is not an over statement), it really resembles preschool handwriting in many ways.  He still struggles with squishing letters together in a word, and making spaces between words.  He, also, struggles with cursive.  I know most of his problem is being willing to take the time to make it nice.  Hopefully, by the end of summer he will have made some improvements.  He loves to draw and has talked about taking art lessons, I told that if he improves his handwriting he will improve his drawing.  I'm hoping that will give him some incentive.

Handwriting for my daughter is fine, so her handwriting chore will be more on the creative side.  I bought writing journals that they use in school and this will be where she will write her stories.  I have found story starters that will give her something to start with.  I plan on all three of my children using the journals for creative writing.  

Times tables is another area that my son struggles but my daughter has mastered.  As I figured it won't hurt her to review them and because I didn't want my son to feel bad that he had more work than his sister, I put it on both lists.  This will be simple drills with flash cards, starting with 1 and adding the next set as the first one is mastered.

The clean up chore is just that.  I will pick one area of the house that we will all work on each day.

My daughter (M),who has just finished 1st grade, has a somewhat different summer chore list:

10 minutes of reading
Math page
Handwriting
Workbook page
Clean up

The school that my children go to use the guided reading levels to level the children.  She is on a level I.  I was able to find what books are on this level by looking up the teacher book wizard on http://www.scholastic.com/.  I would recommend this site to anyone that wants to make sure the books their children are reading are on level for them.  You can pick between guided reading levels, lexile levels, and  DRA levels when you do your search.  It has been such a useful tool over the years!

She will also do a math page, and work on her handwriting.  But she differs from the twins in that she will be doing workbook pages out of her Comprehensive Curriculum work book.
                                                 


I have found a great website to help me with extra worksheets and activities. http://www.education.com/ will be my go-to website this summer.

I plan on only spending about 2 hours each morning doing school and then the rest of the day will be theirs to do whatever they choose.  I have found doing a little bit of school each day also helps with the boredom they suffer as summer wanes on.

Here's hoping for a great, successful summer!