I have reasoned it out to myself long ago that by nature I am lazy. I believe if I allowed myself I should be always dreaming & never doing anything. Best being forced either to work or to own none of the graces and beauties of life. I have will power enough to compel myself to do things. Human beings can do anything they set their minds to-if they set them hard enough.
Frances Hodgson Burnett – quote from Unearthing the Secret Garden: The Plants & Places That Inspired Frances Hodgson Burnett by Marta McDowell, p.44
What is inspiring you or bringing you joy currently? Please join me in comments, in your journal, or on your blog!
π·Iβm grateful today forβ¦π·
||for newly minted 14 yo daughter π₯°||her delight in completing her Redwall Series collection ||reliving memories and enjoying photos of almost 2 months of participating in a local production of The Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe, what a wonderful experience and lots of new friends ||people who devote themselves to care for others in dangerous or difficult places|| those who are adoptive or foster families || new to me music, Sarah Sparks || for Jane Brocket, Sarah Clarkson, Tresta Payne, andTerri Conlinβs email newsletters, full of beauty, encouragement, and delight || for my church ladies Bible study on Philippians||
||sunlight on forsythia and Charlotte Mason, glimpses of spring hope || springy play lists || for little boys who ask for Christmas trees π during spring snow storms || friends who send me videos and photos of our local Aurora Borealis sightings || prayer π || daffodildowndillys and the promise of tulips π || clothesline flapping noise|| cat snuggles, whiskers and darling purring with contented closed eyes || lovely return visits to favorite reads, in this case The Alpine Path by LM Montgomery || warm, brown sweatshirt and oversized cozy black sweater || warm, cozy glow of lamps||
|| birds daintily eating dog food on deck|| wrestling with a short piece on Gerald Manley Hopkins for friendβs magazine β₯οΈπΏβοΈπ||time away with hubby learning about serving our world with love, with a bit of space for quiet contemplation|| delicious, quiet breakfast with our pastor and his wife|| enjoying the nooks and crannies of our hotel|| long car conversations with my husband ||birthday surprises arriving and special food ingredients waiting on countertop ||little boy excitedly helping me wrap gifts for sister|| trying how to figure out how to send a surprise to Canadian penpals πππ€ππ¬π¦ πΈπ€π|| lovely books stacked everywhere here to dip in and out of||
||our friendly local public library || a felted bit of sunrise, gift from a daughter, shining into my soul||magazines +coffee + Trader Joeβs + my sisters = β₯οΈβ₯οΈβ₯οΈ||contemplating books that impacted as a woman/mother/caretaker in an ongoing series|| sunshine π in Wisconsin, never take it for granted ||plan to take daughter & friend to craft store and fancy ice cream π¦ soon, sheβs so excited ||
I believe this is βLa Discessa dello Spirito Santoβ mentioned on pg 155, School Education by Charlotte Mason ~ so gorgeous! {Google image} If itβs not the right one, oh well, I still love it! πβ₯οΈ
Hello, friends and fellow beauty chasers! β₯οΈβΊοΈπΏ Iβm finally getting a chance to list my favorite reads from the first quarter of this year! Hopefully, you find a delicious new read among these!
Dragonfly Poolby Eva Ibbotson- 5 stars π This is a childrenβs WWII historical fiction with a classic feel to it! We follow Tally as her widowed father sends her out of the city to an alternative, unschooling-type boarding school. This felt so cozy and it reminded me of our Charlotte Mason homeschool. Matthias was such an interesting character and there was an assignation plot with a Nazi angle.
The Thirteenth Childby Patricia C. Wrede- 4.5 stars πthis was a slow, introspective clean YA fantasy! It is an alternative history of the westward expansion in Americaβs frontier. Magical beasts threaten the pioneers and magicians help set protective barriers. Eff is the 13th child of a family of 14 children and seeing the world through her eyes was interesting! I love stories with big families! The 2nd in this series is a bit slow, love the 3rd.
Live No Lies by John Mark Comer – 5 stars π This reads like a classic nonfiction on the Christian faith. This was super challenging and a high calling while being βrelevantβ, in which Comer shared his thoughts on todayβs cultural and spiritual landscape. He really dove into the resistance of the world, the flesh, and the devil with Scriptures and practicing spiritual disciplines. It will be interesting to see if the specific topics he addressed will make this book feel dated, but I really was challenged!
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien – 5 stars π (reread) What can I say?! My reread of this was only made more wonderful by discussing this via Zoom with some Booktuber friends. πβ₯οΈ
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arim – 5 stars π(reread) This was sooo what I needed to read at the time I picked it up! Beauty and nature as a healing agent, the intricacies of marriage, being fully human, religion vs. relationships, and so much more! This follows the lives of four women who spend April together in an Italian villa. I also rewatched the film and it was just as good as I remembered!
Sinking City by Christine Cohen – 4 stars π wonderful, clean YA fantasy set in a dreamy Italian setting. Creepy sea creatures have a mysterious pack with the Italian nobles. We follow the daughter of one of these nobles who has to take matters into her own hands and teems with a powerful, unstable magician!
Dragon & Thief by Timothy Zahn – 5 stars π This is the 1st in the Dragonback series, a childrenβs sci-fi fantasy story! This surrounds a symbiotic relationship between dragon-like alien and a orphaned boy! The dragon becomes a tattoo on the boyβs back. They work together to try and find out who betrayed the dragonβs kinsfolk and to clear the boyβs name.
Disenchanted: The Trials of Cinderella by Megan Morrison – 4.5 starsπ The plight of the working class weighs on Ellaβs shoulders and Prince Dash is lost without the curse that has plagued their family for generations. Fairy-Godfather Serge is struggling to return to his roots of caring for people in a meaningful way. These three characters as well as many others, converge into a WONDERFUL adventure story with a surprising deeper message. One caveat, I wouldnβt give this to younger children, due to some content.
Above Suspicion by Helen MacInnes – 4.5 stars π This 1940βs thriller/ mystery follows a married couple who find themselves falling into an espionage plot right before Britain entered WWII! This was a psychological, slower, introspective story and I loved the married coupleβs relationship. Slight humor and the last third of the novel picks up the pace.
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park – 5 stars π Tree-Ear and Crane- Man are lovely characters in this story set in 12th century Korea. Tree-Ear admires and befriends a celadon potter. Beautiful lessons about found family, hard work, and love.
The Dollβs House by Rumer Godden – 5 stars π This follows two girls and their doll family, with interwoven reality and βunrealityβ. So poignant , deep, thoughtful, and full of longing. About family, love, and what does it mean to be alive. This is very sad and maybe a bit scary for a sensitive child. The Tasha Tudor illustrations make it shine. I read this with a friend via Voxer.
Gods, Graves, and Scholars by C.W. Mercam – 4 stars π I believe I got this recommendation from Carol years ago and Iβm so happy I finally tackled it! This was a fascinating nonfiction look at archeological discoveries up to about the 1950βs and the people that broke the codes, made the discoveries, or dug up the ruins. Egyptian, Greek, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Central America/Mexico finds were all touched on. I think what I loved most about this is how much this tied into my Bible reading especially in the beginning Old Testament books, because this made the Bible come alive.
Evelina by Francis Burney – 4 stars π This long novel is said to be Jane Austenβs favorite! This was set in the 1700βs and is full of subtle, snarky British humor and a lot of class dynamics. I can definitely see Burnleyβs influence on Austenβs writing. I found the excessive formality hilarious and there was a large cast of quirky characters. This has very little plot, but it was interesting to follow the young woman, Evelina, as she navigates growing older and finding her way in society. I listened an audiobook of this and really enjoyed the reader.
How about you? What have you read this year that you REALLY enjoyed? Iβd love to chat below! β₯οΈπΏ
Simplicity is the special quality of Kindness; people can be kind only when all their thoughts are given to the person or creature they are kind to, and when there is no backward glance to see how the matter affectsοΏΌ self.
β’monochromatic children playing in school yard, black & bright splashes against the drab gray of early springβ’ puddles fizz-pluming under my tiresβ’theater life, two childrenβs makeup-encrusted smiles, as they see me gazing up at them, role reversalβ’spring yard clean up, imprints left in the soaked grassβ’ bags of purge waiting to be someone elseβs treasureβ’ruddy grinning cheeks, watery eyes, runny noses, muddy springy play, cold wind grasping at strawsβ’
β’bookish mugs for bits & bobs, gifts from friends β’ soft-colored sticky tags, enough to shareβ’ splashes of color against red-brown brickβ’ discussing Grapes of Wrath, sipping oat milk latte, and conversation with a sweet friendβ’ foam heart on latte, day of small thingsβ’ little boy with bandana, ninja, he saysβ’ blocks on book shelf in alternating patternβ’ epic soundtrack as I slip through gray countryside, just a hint of green under her skirtsβ’an unexpected flash of stain glassβ’
β’little bodies being compass roses, pointing arms northβ’almost 14 yo birthday gift buying, disconcertingly not little girl things anymore β’ shafts & shadows of longer sunlight β’shockingly orange chairsβ’ midwestern goodbyes β’surprise book won, Katherine Wentworth by D.E. Stevenson β’ reviewing, revamping, & renewing rhythmsβ’ charming nooks & cranniesβ’
A.M. Pine - Hearth Ridge Reflections 