Book review - A Sound Among the Trees

This book is very well written and keeps your attention. It is a lovely story. It is a wonderful story about a new bride finding her way and also respecting the traditions and people that are part of the family she married heritage. It bounces back and forth between the present day and the past - specifically the Civil War era. The story takes place in Virginia. The family had divided loyalties with some of the members fighting on each side in the war. While the war in the backdrop, the main thrust of the story is the women in the family, their roles and survival.

It also speaks to the fact that people aren't always what we think they are. It is hard to truly know the inner feelings of another person - and it also speaks to forgiveness and the power of God to work in ones life to bring about positive change.

Book - The Seventeen Second Miracle by Jason F. Wright

It only takes 17 seconds to change a life. That is the premise of this book. Cole's father decides to be intentional. Most random acts of kindness only take a few seconds. Whenever Rex, Cole's father, sees the opportunity to help someone he does it. He instills this value in his son, Cole, who then uses the lessons learned to teach high school students in a discussion group forum. It is really a good book.

While the subject is not specifically about Christmas or Christ's birth, I believe that since Christ is love this book is a great Christmas read. It is only through the help of the Holy Spirit that we can find it within ourselves to love those that seem 'unlovable'. Yet, often those are also the souls that most often need a 'seventeen second miracle' in their life. As we perform those small but meaningful miracles, we point others toward Christ.

So have you done your seventeen second miracle today?

Friendship Bread by Darien Gee

An anonymous gift - begins a wonderful journey of healing for one woman and brings an entire community together. It all begins when Julia receives a gift - a bag of starter and a recipe for friendship bread. She wants to toss it out but her daughter loves the idea - and wants to follow the directions to eventually make the bread with her Mom in ten days. At the end though Julia ends up with more starter bags and gifts those to others. Pretty soon the entire community is making friendship bread. The book bounces telling you a bit about the people who receive these bags of starter - letting you into their lives. It is a great book about friendship, healing and love.

This was a really great book. I very much enjoyed it. And the best part is that there are recipes at the end for making the starter and the friendship bread. I can't wait to try them.

Video tribute

Very cool video ---

click here

Dinner

We had just a fabulous dinner tonight. It was a rather unusual combination but really tasted well together. We had asparagus & green beans (for those in the family that just won't eat asparagus), corn beef (baked in the oven - it was so nice to turn the oven on to take the chill out of the air), Smoky Three-Bean Bake and Hot Potato Salad. The bean bake and the tater salad were new recipes - and WOW were they good. Highly recommend both. Here they are:

This is the link for the recipe for the Hot Potato Salad (really good!).

This is the link for the Smoky Three Bean Bake (also really good!).

I wanted to make a nice dinner for the family as it was the first time in several weeks that we were able to sit down all of us together. It seemed like we should have a special dinner. Normally, we always try to have family dinners - sitting down, praying, eating and sharing what happened in our day. Since my oldest is now going to school - things have changed, schedules have changed and we don't always get to have family dinners together. I miss that.

A Dog Named Christmas & Christmas with Tucker

A Dog Named Christmas & Christmas with Tucker

By Greg Kincaid

I love a good story that involves animals - especially dogs! I have had a dog almost all my life. The joy of owning a house vs. renting is the ability to have pets! We (our family) shares our lives with a wonderful friend - Tanner - a Siberian Husky. We love him.

Both of these stories are really great. They speak to the wonderful place dogs hold in our hearts and lives. Dogs really are wonderful friends. Both books are enjoyable reads. Neither are overly long.

Snow Day by Billy Coffey

Really enjoyed this book. It is fun. The author has a wonderfully, delightful, sense of humor. Living in a northern state like we do, we love snow days! They make life fun. A time to totally put live on hold and just go play in the snow. A time to go sledding. A time to help neighbors shovel out. A time to reconnect with neighbors as we all shovel together. Our family loves snow days!

Snow Day is a book that capitalizes on the fact that snow days are so much fun for kids (because school gets put aside for one day - and it is a day of play). Yet, it is many times a day of headaches for adults. We think of still trying to get to work - navigating through the snow. All the work to shovel out passes through our minds. Snow brings more work and headaches for adults. Not a day of play. In Snow Day, Peter decides to set his normal day aside and enjoy a snow day. It becomes a day of reflection and a self evaluation for Peter. Through basic encounters with others he reflects and evaluates his life, values, focus, goals and ultimately his relationship with Christ. The author does this with such a great sense of humor. It is insightful and funny.