A couple of years ago, urged by a friend, I read Life of Pi, by Yann Martel.It left me fascinated, and a little confused. I guess I'm not so good with obscure stuff. So I was quite interested that the Festival of Faith & Writing brought him to speak. Would he explain the book for the slow-of-brain?The evening began with an amusing glitch. Martel was introduced by a … [Read more...]
More vacation pictures–and a gross face-in-place
It's a nature bonanza here on the coast of Florida! Last night, we fell asleep to an owl's hooting. As I walked to the bath house this evening at dusk, I heard a mockingbird going nuts, singing a crazy medley of migrating birdsongs one after another fast and furious. This Great Blue Heron hangs around near the fishermen. So regal. He moves with smooth … [Read more...]
The Blessing of Boredom
"I'm bored," a child whines. Oh, no! Quick, pull out the paints or Playdough—heaven forbid the child actually sits with nothing to do. In our entertainment-obsessed society, we almost panic at the thought of having nothing to do, at being bored. The world seems to want to fill every spare moment with productivity or fun. But is boredom such a bad thing? Could boredom … [Read more...]
Kid-Hosted Tea Party
The kids knew that we were planning on a tea party in the afternoon, so as I worked on something else, two of them set the table with a blue cloth and prepared the treats. They artistically arranged Girl Scout cookies, Trader Joe's Oreo-style cookies, truffles, and Andes mints on plates and pulled silk flowers out of the storage cabinet for a centerpiece.The small white … [Read more...]
Monday FunDay (week 7)–Tea Party
I'm a little late with my Monday FunDay post. I'm still in the post-retreat Slow Zone (sigh). Please accept my apologies. Welcome to:Monday FunDayWhat? You didn't know about Monday FunDay? Why, it's a carnival dedicated to swapping simple, amusing–maybe even silly–everyday ways you enjoy good, clean fun.Just post a story, idea, or explanation at your blog of how you and/or … [Read more...]
Weekend Retreat
The retreat center was out in the boonies, as somebody said, where we had no cell phone reception. The rustic buildings were set on a vast, wooded property.The retreat planners set up a room where people could sit to visit or relax. Aromatherapy candles and vases of flowers were placed on side tables and hot water was available for tea (check out the name of that tea: … [Read more...]
The Simplicity of Reading
I recently came across a passage in a book called Graceful Simplicity. In a chapter entitled "The Politics of Simplicity," in a section subtitled "Education for Simple Living," the author claimed that "In educating for simple living, three building blocks stand out: fostering a love of books, developing a stronger aesthetic sensibility, and enhancing our … [Read more...]
Quiet? Time?
What do you do to enrich your times alone with the Lord?Are they quiet? Do you have enough time? Are you structured? Spontaneous? Do you follow a book that leads you through Bible study with guided questions? Do you meet with someone periodically for accountability?I'm asking because I'm collecting ideas for Quiet Times and Bible study.So far, here are some things I've … [Read more...]
Love Those Lentils
Years ago, my sister-in-law told me about a cookbook called More-with-Less Cookbook (suggestions by Mennonites on how to eat better and consume less of the world's limited food resources) by Doris Janzen Longacre The copyright dates back to 1976 and has been renewed, renewed and renewed. Mine leads up to the 43rd printing in 1996. "There is a way of wasting less, … [Read more...]
How the Cuckoo Found its Voice – Resurrecting Forgotten Talents
At a friend's house, I took note of a beautiful cuckoo clock hanging on their family room wall. "I grew up in a home with a cuckoo clock," the host explained, "and I wanted my kids to enjoy one, too." I looked at my husband. He looked at me. "Do we still have it?" he asked. "We sure do," I answered. Take Time to Warm Up to Old … [Read more...]
The Best Way to See Art: With Kids
We went to the art museum to see an exhibit of Roman art that was in our fair city on loan from the Louvre. En route, I had the kids take turns reading short chapters about ancient Rome from a kids' history book. I wanted them to have some historical context for the sculptures, busts, and reliefs they were about to view, so they took turns reading about … [Read more...]
I Love to Tell the Story: How Advent Traditions Invite Us to Reflect, Together
A few years ago we bought a preformed Advent wreath at Michael's. I wrapped some ribbons and beads around it, stuck some plastic red berries into the greenery here and there, and deemed it ready for service. It was hardly an example of artistic brilliance, but it would serve us fine. It was festive. It would hold the … [Read more...]
An Oasis in our Fast-Paced Lives
Ken Gire, in his book The Reflective Life, described the plentiful options we have before us to fill our plates, our days (I'm adding a few and updating to reflect opportunities present in 2007): Vehicles to transport us wherever we want, even off-road, with audio technology and reading material--iPods, books on CD, podcasts--to keep the ride from getting … [Read more...]
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