A Card Perfect for Me

My beautiful niece, Kirsten, had a bridal shower a short while ago. I was unable to attend, but still wanted to send her a monetary gift and fill out the recipe card her sister had requested. Thus, I offered up my favorite Jell-O Pudding recipe for Berry Delight (a dish that was such a hit at the last women's gathering, where I brought it, that people were fighting over seconds). Then, I tucked it away in this little card I have been hanging onto for years (because it was so perfect for me, I never wanted to part with it). By sharing it here, I can still keep it forever - ha!

And for those interested in the recipe, you can find it here at the KraftCanada.com website. One look will make you click on that link:

 (Photo from the KraftCanada website)

Book Review: The Secret of Lost Things

I love to happen upon unusual books. While visiting my mother-in-law a few months back, we popped into the local thrift store for a look around. My husband found a clever little coin counter and I discovered this book, The Secret of Lost Things. The cover, with its image of old books and declaration by The Philadelphia Inquirer as an "Altogether enchanting" book, seduced me. Moreover, it bore a sticker declaring it to be "Joanne's Pick" from its time in the Pages for All Ages bookstore. The inside cover contained over a dozen endorsements. One of the endorsements was the clincher: "Most bibliomaniacs are suckers for a novel that focuses on books, a bookstore or characters who also suffer from bibliomania. In Sheridan Hay's debut, the reader gets all three." (- Portland Tribune) Being a bibliomaniac, I handed over my buck and went home with the book, full of eager anticipation.

I can see why so many were willing to provide accolades. It is, indeed, full of "endearingly eccentric characters" (USA Today), "subtle literary threads" featuring Melville, Auden, and Shakespeare (The Charlotte Observer), and a "shadowy, at times thrilling, atmosphere" (Willamette Week). I agree with Nuala O'Falain that it is a "brilliant version of the coming-to-adulthood-in-Manhattan story with a page-turner of a plot about a lost manuscript for which the people around the charming heroine are willing to do very nasty things." Set in a bookstore and focused on a treasured missing manuscript by a famous author, the story is one with great appeal for anyone book lover. However, I still hesitate to endorse it fully, mostly because of the crudity.

While there were interesting characters (including a transexual), while the bookstore was entrancing, and while the allusions to Melville, Auden and Shakespeare filled my heart with joy, I felt uncomfortable with certain aspects of the novel. The sad thing is that this debut novel could have soared to heights with all readers had the author simply left out the unnecessary description of halting sexual encounters. Although I understand that the romantic elements were necessary in order to create the level of conflict Rosemary experiences, the actual sexual activity could have been muted or simply alluded to.

The main character, Rosemary, is an orphan who flees her home in Tasmania hoping to begin life anew in New York City. She stumbles into The Arcade, a fascinating bookstore, and knows immediately that this is where she wants to work. (Who wouldn't want to work there?) She is surprised when they give her a job. She begins to meet all the odd and unusual characters working in the store. When the manager, an albino with failing eyesight, begs her to read a letter, which tells of a mysterious manuscript by Melville obtained illegally and up for sale, Rosemary is sucked unwittingly into a plot of mammoth proportions.

I was most impressed with the vocabulary level of the novel. I have rarely encountered as many unfamiliar words while reading. I made a short list of the words I didn't recognize: palimpsest, gimcracks, reliquary, isolatos, farouche, recherche, janissary, votary, obloquy, oenophile, limned, and enfilade. Most words were easily understood in the context of the sentence, but it was, nonetheless, fun to meet new (to me) words.

For expanding vocabulary and meeting eccentric characters, you cannot go wrong here (not that I anticipate actually using those unusual words). If you can overlook minor trashy elements, and if you love books and bookstores and the very thought of a missing manuscript, then you will probably enjoy this novel. It has much to recommend it and many speaking of its merits. For a debut novel, Sheridan Hay has done quite well.

A New Welcome

One of the best decisions we ever made was to take our family up on their petition for us to move into my husband's grandmother's house in order to keep up the property. It has afforded so many blessings: the ability to focus on my writing instead of working in a job, the chance to be home with my sons full-time, the opportunity to send my sons to very fine schools, and the freedom to give them space and and a beautiful environment in which to grow. Despite our continued fondness for our old friends and stomping ground in DeKalb, Illinois, we do not look back with regret for our move to Indiana.

Nonetheless, living in an older house always brings with it the demands for continued improvements. We have really changed the way the old house looks. When we arrived, puke green carpeting paved the dining room, dark wood paneling covered the walls, and ancient furniture reigned within. Over time we scraped off the unattractive wallpaper in the halls, replaced the carpeting with wood laminate flooring, removed the paneling and put up drywall, remodeled two of the bathrooms, and exchanged old furniture for new.

Now, we have a new entryway. As usual, our efforts to improve things met with resistance when we couldn't find the right size pillar to replace the corner column. In the end, we had to simply stick with the old and provide a fresh coat of paint. Still, the new door looked so stunning that we decided against covering it with a screen door.

Here is what our new entryway looks like now:

Here's a photo from last summer:

Gone are the cat-scratched wicker pieces. The darker colors on the door simply make the entryway pop. Now, all we need are some guests to come walk through the stunning doorway. Hopefully, we will remedy that soon, as I have invited a small church women's group to gather at our house in mid-August for their monthly meeting. I'm not gifted in the realm of hospitality. I don't have a show-case home or decorate with great aplomb. I'm uncomfortable being responsible for serving up food for masses. Yet, I hope that anyone who visits will feel more welcome just by viewing this grand new door.

Book Review: The Summer Before the War - Highly Recommend

Helen Simonson has a gift for bringing characters to life and painting the picture of their lives with beautiful brush strokes of lovely prose. I adored Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and had a feeling I would enjoy her newest book, The Summer Before the War, just as much. It was stunning and sad, engrossing and entertaining.

Beatrice Nash has just arrived in the small coastal town of Rye to apply for a position as the Latin teacher. The residents hadn't expected her to be so forward-thinking (she wishes to be recognized as a writer and scholar) or quite so young and beautiful. Now she must make a place for herself or be reduced to depending on her deceased father's family for support. Her primary advocate, Agatha, introduces Beatrice to her young nephews, Daniel (a poet) and Hugh (a medical student training to become a surgeon). With the mischievous help of these two (successfully inebriating her only rival for the job), Beatrice secures a place and a small room in a cottage in the village.

Beatrice encounters many of Rye's most colorful characters and fights for scholarly recognition both for herself and for one of her young students, Snout, a gypsy boy with an impressive grasp for Latin. Before life can grow too comfortable, the unthinkable happens and they are all thrust into a state of war. Hugh, Daniel, and Snout all head to the front lines in different capacities, leaving Agatha and Beatrice to worry over their safety.

The novel highlights prejudice and progress. Beatrice can sympathize with the plight of the poorly reputed gypsies because her own personality is perceived as too progressive (she is more highly educated than most women her age, she rides a bicycle, and she yearns for a chance to prove her own literary chops). Class wars and cozy village scenarios abound.

This piece of historical fiction captures so well the climate of war and its influence on the lives of the people. Moreover the writing is elegant and beautiful. Here is an excerpt that reveals the flavor of Simonson's prose and the altered attitudes war creates:

"Hugh had quickly found he hated playing the surgeon, making the morning rounds of the rows of the injured and indicating with a crook of his finger which cases he would take for the day. After a few weeks, he had instructed his nurses that he would choose only 3 head trauma cases a day. For the rest of his shift, he was to be sent any case that was considered most pressing. Hugh often lost track of his hours as he stood on a brick floor, slick with blood, and worked through an endless train of stretchers heaved on and off his operating table. He rubbed his hands together, slowly, his fingers dry and sore from hot water, carbolic soap, and the brush with which he cleaned his hands between patients. He never skimped on his hand-washing even when the nurses were holding together ripped arteries, even when he could hear the patients breathing blood. He was deliberate in his movements, moderate in the tone of his commands, and calm in the face of the most appalling injuries. This had earned him notice from his superiors such as he had long sought in his medical school years, but he took no interest in their praise now the dream of acclaim and fortune as a surgeon with a prosperous practice and a tall house in Harley Street had been rendered insignificant and empty in the face of the daily carnage. His calm was merely the numbness that saved him from insanity."

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the British accent of the narrator, Fiona Hardingham, as she read these stunning passages. Despite the length of the book (16 hours of listening pleasure), I remained fully engrossed in the tale and wept in spots toward the end when the harsh realities of war were most pronounced. I fell in love with the characters and thrilled at the triumph of love and despaired at the destruction of lives. I will happily keep my eye out for more from this talented author (and will seek the books out in audio form because the listening brings such satisfaction).

Book Review: The Daniel Prayer

The journal I purchased for this year (sadly, I'm not doing well at all in keeping it up), has a wonderful feature in the back with a year-long Bible reading plan. It works through the entire Bible in the space of a year, so the portions of daily reading are never too overwhelming, but significant enough to glean something each day. Moreover, after stumbling upon the Sweet Blessings website, I have taken to writing out Scripture using her monthly plans (although, if July's topic doesn't suit me, I might simply find verses I wish to cement in my brain).

Like my intentions to better journal my days, my intentions for prayer have gone by the wayside, as well. When I used to walk along the high school track, I would spend the time praying. But now that I walk on the treadmill more frequently and listen to books on CD instead of praying, I have found that my prayer life has suffered. Sure, I pray throughout the day for various things and offer up instant thanks when He answers frantic petitions (like when I left my cell phone in a shopping cart at the store a few weeks ago and thanked Him repeatedly when it was found still in the cart), but I'm sorely lacking in concentrated prayer time.

Anne Graham Lotz, daughter to evangelist Billy Graham, writes in The Daniel Prayer: Prayer That Moves Heaven and Changes Nations about the importance of concentrated, intentional prayer time. Following the life and prayers of Daniel, the author recommends diligent, fervent prayer for our lives and our nation. We cannot afford to be lackluster in our prayer life and God is waiting for us to step up to the plate and petition Him boldly on behalf of our nation.

As the inside cover proclaims, "The Daniel Prayer is not an everyday type of prayer. It's a prayer birthed under pressure. Heartache. Grief. Desperation. Or it can be triggered by a sudden revelation of hope. And answer to prayer. A promise freshly received. A miracle that lies just over the horizon. But whether you pray out of triumph or tragedy, The Daniel Prayer works!"

This book is a call to repentance and a plea for revival. Lotz doesn't mince words when she addresses the ills of our present national crisis spiritually. But, she doesn't dwell on despair either. She focuses her energies on the powerful, living God as the answer to every problem in our lives and in our world. She speaks Scripture boldly: "Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing." (Joel 2:13-14)

If you feel a growing sense of disillusionment with our society and our governmental structure, if you crave a deeper prayer life, if you wish to bend the Lord's ear in a mighty and powerful way, you cannot go wrong by starting with this book and following it up with dedication to spend time in the Lord's Word and in communication with your Maker. You will not regret the time spent in these pages for they will inspire you to take action. Truly, "the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16 - KJV)

Book Review: The Letter from Penobscot Mills

From an early age, I knew that I wanted to be a writer. In my grade school years, I would sneak my journal out from under my pillow and creep to the dim light shining from the hallway beneath my closed bedroom door at night. There, lying on my stomach, I would compose poems and stories long after my bedtime. While my parents might not have lauded this disobedience, they certainly encouraged me to write. In addition, I was blessed with some good teachers who also stood on the sidelines, nurturing my enthusiasm and, perhaps, my abilities. One such teacher was my fourth grade teacher, Mr. Philip Bouchard. When I discovered recently that he had published his own novel, I was determined to not only read it, but also own an autographed copy.

The Letter from Penobscot Mills takes a fresh approach for a novel. It is written in nine short stories about the inhabitants of the small paper mill town, Penobscot Mills. These stories culminate in a final one that reveals the truth of the interwoven tales and solves the murder mystery. Bouchard has done an excellent job of weaving the details together, much like the pieces of a kaleidoscope merging together to create a colorful image. Each chapter provides snippets of varying perspectives. With excellent pacing, the conflict steadily intensifies. The villain is despicably evil and the reader cannot wait to see him brought to justice.

While the writing was very good, there were times when I might have put the book down if I hadn't known the author, but this was primarily because it wasn't quite as clean as the books I tend to pick up. Thus, I wouldn't recommend it to my Christian readers or my minister parents. Still, I have to say, apart from a few unsavory bits, it was a good read, full of suspense and intrigue. I wanted to know what really happened. I wish Mr. Bouchard the best of success with his endeavors and many satisfied readers for any future books he might write. Maybe one day, I'll be able to send him an autographed copy of one of my own novels. One day.

More Than Corn in Indiana

Indiana Beach's famous theme song says, "There's more than corn in Indiana, at Indiana Beach." Well, there's not a whole lot more than corn, but we still find ourselves going back year after year for old time's sake. Frankly, after you've been to Cedar Point, it is hard to get very worked up about a simple trip to the Indiana Beach Amusement Park. Moreover, the park just isn't what it once was. The boys are almost too big for the appeal of a family-friendly park (i.e., the rides are very basic and instead of improving, the park tends to decline year after year). It used to be run and manned by local folk and things were fairly inexpensive. While you can still pay to simply walk around the park (something we always appreciated in years when I was pregnant), lots of things have increased in price (you now have to pay $7 for a locker to store things for the water area, whereas it was always only 50 cents before).

The one thing in its favor, (which cannot really be a good thing, if you think about it) is that you don't have to fight off crowds. We went on a Wednesday and barely waited for a single ride. Plus, we do have a few things we like to do in a ritualistic way. For example, the boys always want to have money for the arcades and insist on spending some of it in the Ghouls Shooting Gallery:

They always beg to ride the Sky Coaster (even though it adds further expense):

We have a few favorite rides (The Falling Star, The Cornball Express, The Tig'rr, Double Shot, and The Steel Hawg). You can clearly see the lack of a line:

Plus, this year we rode the Shafer Queen around Lake Shafer:

The boys rode the one new ride (new as in it had never been there before, but old as in it still has the FireBall sign on one side, while Indiana Beach has named it ZeroG - must be some other amusement park's castoff). We pined away for the taste of a fruit smoothie (because they have removed that particular booth, along with the Noble Roman's pizza and the booth where we once purchased wire name sculptures - too many cherished memories deflated). We were still able to finish the day with a delicious elephant ear, so all was not lost.

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As of 2/19/20 Apex Parks announced Indiana Beach will be closed for good. Here's an ode to Indiana Beach and a few of our treasured memories.