My Sisters the Saints

I recently finished the book My Sisters the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir by Colleen Carrol Campbell, the first book I chose from my earlier What I Want to Read post. And what a book it was! I loved it.

My Sisters the Saints is the story of Colleen's life beginning in college until about her mid-thirties. During that time she faces many struggles including overcoming the emptiness of living a lifestyle focused on temporal pleasures, her father's more than a decade long struggle with Alzheimer's disease, searching for what it truly means to be feminine and how that affects work/life choices, as well as a long, difficult struggle with infertility. Throughout this time she discovers the lives of 6 different women saints who show up in her life (usually in the form of a book given to her) at just the time she needs them. Through their life stories she discovers insights into how to deal with the very real difficulties she was then facing. For instance, the father of St. Therese of Lisieux also battled and died from Alzheimer's. The example of a very holy woman facing the exact same cross in her life provided unmeasurable consolation and strength for Colleen as she watched her dad's condition slowly degenerate. You'll be inspired, as well, by Colleen's dad himself. If I can be a parent to my children the way her dad was to his and suffer with as much love and dignity as he did, then I know I will have done well and pleased God with my life.

This book is very well written, seamlessly weaving the details of the lives of saints into the narrative and making Colleen's personal struggles come alive. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and often had a hard time putting it down so that I could get some sleep. I very highly recommend it!

What I Want to Read

So many good books. So little time.

My goodreads "to-read" shelf is just busting with good books that I want to read. Almost all of them are recommendations from bloggers, podcasters or friends so I have no doubt that every one of them is worth my time. So, these days my problem isn't trying to find a good book but trying to make up my mind as to which good book to read next.

To help me focus, I'm going to make a list of the books I would like to read this year in several different genres. I may or may not get to all of them, but I'm going to try to give some kind of short review of each of them on the blog as they are finished.

Fiction

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. I read The Wednesday Wars by the same author and loved it. Mr. Schmidt is an excellent YA writer and I'm really looking forward to reading this book.

It looks like I need some more light fiction recommendations. Anything? Anyone?

Non-fiction

Something by C.S. Lewis. I'm not sure if I'll read The Problem of Pain or The Great Divorce (oops, this one is fiction, isn't it?) or Mere Christianity or maybe something else. What's your favorite book by C.S. Lewis?
J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century by Tom Shippey. Continuing on my Tolkien kick.
The Inklings by Humphrey Carpenter. Have I mentioned my fascination with Tolkien and Lewis?
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. As an extreme introvert, I need to read this one.

Catholic

My Sisters the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir by Colleen Carrol Campbell. Memoir and saints? I'm there. It doesn't hurt that the author is named Colleen.
Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis De Sales. I'm very intimidated by this one. But, I'm determined to give it a go.
The History of the Catholic Church: From the Apostolic Age to the Third Millenium by James Hitchcock. I think this would be a good follow up to the Walking with God book I mentioned in my last book post and just finished last week.

Read Alouds

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald and The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. Elizabeth and I have been enjoying princess books and both of these were highly recommended.
The Marvelous Land of Snergs by E.A. Wyke-Smith. I think both my older kids should like this one.
The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart. A fun prequel to the Mysterious Benedict Society books. My kids are begging me to read this one to them.

Classics

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I read this in high school and don't remember much except that it was very hot and the characters were all sweaty and uncomfortable. I want to read it again before the movie comes out this year.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. I like to read a Dickens book every year.
Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell. Elizabeth Gaskell is one of my favorite authors. Every book of hers is a treat.

What else do I need to read this year?

Favorite books read in 2012

According to my "read" bookshelf on Goodreads.com, I read 64 books in 2012. At the beginning of the year I had set a goal for myself to read 25. I guess I got on a roll. Here is a short review of some of my favorite books from the past year.

Read-Alouds

Clara, Gustin and I have thoroughly enjoyed the Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems. The illustrations and humor are delightful and they are at the perfect reading level for my little Kindergartner who is learning to read this year. I gave a pack of these books to my four year old nephew for Christmas. They are wonderful books.

Elizabeth and I loved reading The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge and The Borrower's by Mary Norton. Both these books fire up the imagination and are simply lovely, especially for young girls. Elizabeth also really enjoyed The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. This book is unique in that the illustrations are not merely a companion to the prose, but rather they actually advance the story. It's a fascinating book that is great for both boys and girls.

Both Elizabeth and Jonathan eagerly sat through The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart as well as the other two books in the trilogy. The books had them thinking hard trying to figure out the different puzzles and mysteries in the story and often laughing out loud in delight.

Non-fiction

I've been on a literary analysis kick lately fueled by great books like How Harry Cast His Spell by John Granger, which discusses the Christian symbolism of the Harry Potter books as well as the fascinating structural and stylistic choices that J.K. Rowling made while writing the books, and Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit by Corey Olsen. I've posted a number of times in recent months about my admiration for Professor Olsen's podcasts and I found his book just as fascinating.

Eric and I both read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Wow, what an amazing true story and Laura Hillenbrand (the author of Seabiscuit) has the unique ability to make a work of non-fiction flow and engage the reader as well as any fiction author. Highly recommend.

Catholic Non-Fiction


A Catholic book I read this year, gave as a gift to friends, and am sure to read again is Style, Sex and Substance by Hallie Lord. There is so much to learn from this book and the writing is so good that it immediately earned a spot on my mental list of "books to read again".

I took my time reading A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms by Lisa Hendey. The book is formatted to read about a new saint each week with prayers and reflections for each day of the week about the saint. I followed the format and loved my time spent meeting and praying with so many wonderful saints.

I'm about 2/3 of the way through Walking with God: A Journey Through the Bible by Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins but I had to include it as one of my favorites. The book walks you through all of salvation history bringing richer meaning to old Bible stories and unraveling the confusing or obtuse sections of the Old Testament to create a clean, coherent story that leads up to our redemption by Christ. I often found myself stopping and reading particularly fascinating sections aloud to my husband.

Catholic Fiction

I read two light-hearted, fun, but still Catholic, books this year that I thoroughly enjoyed. Looking for the King by David C. Downing is a mystery novel with references to Arthurian legends and the characters interact with several members of the famous Inklings (C.S. Lewis, J.R.R.Tolkien). Catholic Philosopher Chick Makes Her Debut by Rebecca Bratten Weiss and Regina Doman is Catholic chick-lit that is quirky and fun yet also intelligent. It was a great summer read.

Fiction

My list of favorite fiction books is too long to go into each one individually, but I really loved all of them and did not want to leave any out. My favoites include: The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge, The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Blue Castle by L.M. Montegomery, Bleak House by Charles Dickens, Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell, and Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt.

Two others could also be considered great Catholic literature with their complex Catholic characters, moral dilemmas, and insights into the nature of sin, grace, human nature, and God. They are Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset and Gentian Hill by Elizabeth Goudge. These two books are probably my top two books of the year, though I feel compelled to include Bleak House as well, so instead I'll say they are two of my top three books of the year.

Favorite Re-reads

Since I am often drawn back to my favorite books because they seem to have more and move to give with each reading, I decided to re-read The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen, and The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. 

Now, I'd love for you to share. What are some of your favorite reads from 2012 that I simply must add to my "to-read" bookshelf in 2013?

7 Quick Takes Friday: vol.18

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Advent accident. We almost had a catastrophe at breakfast yesterday morning. We light our advent wreath candles for every family meal and so Eric had them lit before the kids came down for breakfast. When Gustin came downstairs he was getting settled into his seat and while wrapping a blanket around himself he leaned forward over the table and managed to catch his hair on fire! I was in the kitchen and heard him scream and turned around to see flames on the side of Gustin's head until Eric quickly patted them out. Thankfully he was standing just a few feet away from Gustin at the time. Though shaken up and with a patch of hair singed away, Gustin was fine. Somehow the skin of his scalp was not burned. I guess I should call this take an Advent miracle!

--- 2 ---

Silhouettes. At our last Cub Scout campout I was able to capture some wonderful silhouettes of my kids by the lake. Silhouettes is one area of photography that I haven't experimented with much so I was very happy with how these turned out! I only had a few minutes of lovely sunset light to work with and, for once, my girls decided to be willing models. Serendipity! Please humor me while I share a bunch of them.

I happen to love that these are not complete silhouettes; the kids' forms are not totally black. A bit of light still falls on their round cheeks or on the folds of their clothes.

--- 3 ---

Zoom lens. My photography output has really slowed to a trickle these days. I pretty much share all the pictures I take here, and you know how rarely I post to this poor little blog these days. Part of the problem is a bit of frustration over my lenses. I love my prime lenses for good photo quality, but I really need the flexibility of a zoom lens. But, whenever I use my cheap zoom lens I'm always disappointed with the results.

So, I'm thinking about getting a nice zoom lens, a Nikon 24-70 f/2.8. The only problem is that it is a very expensive lens. I've been saving my money that I have been earning from selling my photos through Getty Images and I now have enough saved to buy it. But, I'm scared. It somehow seems wrong to spend so much money on a hobby. On myself.

Any thoughts? Should I go for it?

--- 4 ---

 
Nope, not me. The other day Gustin was taking off his socks and he noticed a long hair on his sock.

"Oh, that must be one of mine," I said.

"No, Mommy," he replied, "this can't be your hair. It's gray and you don't have gray hair. It must be a string from my sock."

Such a smart, smart boy.

(The above photo is from 2 years ago. There may be a wee bit more gray now.)

--- 5 ---

Consumable Christmas. I'm all about consumable Christmas gifts this year. I know we have way too much stuff around our house and I don't want to be the one to make other people's homes even more cluttered. So, the kids on my Christmas list are getting lots of art supplies: coloring books, markers, crayons, playdoh, paints and notepads. The adults are getting chocolates, salsas, beer, marinades, coffee, trail mixes and pickles. Of course all of them are special brands that most people don't get to consume on a regular basis. To top it all off, these gifts were really fun to shop for!

--- 6 ---

The Hobbit! Eric and I have plans to see The Hobbit movie this weekend. It will be one of the two times all year that we actually go to a movie. I'm expecting to be impressed. I really enjoyed rereading the book several months ago. To further feed my hobbit appetite I also really enjoyed Prof. Corey Olsen's new book Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. It's great literary analysis for those of us who don't hold advanced degrees in literature.

--- 7 ---

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7 Quick Takes Friday vol. 17

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Unplanned candids. My favorite kind of photograph.

"Peekaboo!"

--- 2 ---

Brain food. I love being a stay-at-home mom, but it can be a challenge to keep my brain from turning to mush during all the hours of laundry and cleaning and potty training. The discovery of podcasts a year or so ago completely changed my life (a great place to start is with any of the fantastic podcasts at sqpn.com). My current favorite, though, is The Tolkien Professor. You can find his feed in iTunes and he has a variety of series including recordings of classes he teaches at Washington College. Right now I'm listening to a series on the Lord of the Rings books (episodes labeled WC Tolkien Course, Sessions 22-40 in iTunes). They are totally nerdy, but also completely accessible to people like me who do not have a background in literature or literary analysis. Fascinating stuff.

Also, if you're interested in the upcoming Hobbit movies, check out Professor Olsen's series, The Riddles in the Dark. In these podcasts they discuss particular aspects of the book, The Hobbit, how they might be adapted to the big screen, and make predictions as to how these themes/characters/back stories may be portrayed in the movies. Lots of fun.

--- 3 ---

A local gem. I am frequently surprised by some of the simple, cheap family activities that surround us but are so often unknown. We recently visited a local orchard (persimmons are in season though we didn't pick any) where my kids had a blast playing on the playground and haystack, going on a long hayride, and just getting lots of sunshine and fresh air.

The highlight of the day, though, was the huge tire swing. You could hear my kids' screams and laughs echoing through the entire orchard. Fun times and good memories.

All that fun and we also supported a local, family owned business. It can't get any better than that!

--- 4 ---

Second time around. I picked up Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset again. I began the trilogy a number of years ago but somehow got distracted and stopped reading somewhere in the middle of the second book. I was enjoying it the first time around, but this time has been even better. I love stories that are both interesting and make me think and Sigrid Undset's medieval Norwegian novels definitely fit the bill. I was struck by this wonderful discussion between Kristin and Brother Edvin:

"... the Devil only [seems] big as long as we harbor fear within ourselves. But if a person seeks God with such earnestness and desire that he enters into His power, then the power of the Devil at once suffers such a great defeat that his instruments become small and impotent. "

Brother Edvin continues:

"There is no one, Kristin, who does not love and fear God. But it's because our hearts are divided between love for God and fear of the Devil, and love for this world and this flesh, that we are miserable in life and death. For if a man knew no yearning for God and God's being, then he would thrive in Hell..."

 So much good food for thought.

--- 5 ---

Kids' Portraits 2012. Here are some of my favorites from this year's portrait session. I made some mistakes photographically speaking that I am forcing myself not to enumerate ad nauseum (even after 4 years of pursuing this hobby, I still have so much to learn!), but overall I'm pleased with the results.

 Clara, age 2

Augustine, age 5

Elizabeth, age 8

Jonathan, age 10

--- 6 ---

Just ask. At our Mom's group at church we were recently discussing how difficult it can be to get to confession when you have young children. The times that confession is available can be inconvenient to young families and it's difficult to keep children quiet and entertained while their parents are receiving the sacrament. One of my fellow mom's then casually approached are associate pastor and asked if he would be willing to hear confession's during the meeting time of the Mom's group since we are already there on the church campus and our children are being cared for in the childcare ministry. Well, our priest enthusiastically supported the idea and was there to hear our confessions during our October meeting where at least two dozen moms received the sacrament of confession, some for the first time in more than a decade! He also committed himself to being available for confession during every one of our scheduled meetings for the rest of the year. It's amazing what can happen if we only ask!

--- 7 ---

A few more candids. I just love it when I can capture them laughing!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7 Quick Takes Friday vol. 16

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Captured. We went on a Cub Scout family campout a few months ago at a gorgeous state park with almost perfect weather and I took an appallingly few number of pictures. I guess we were too busy enjoying the moment.

I did manage manage to get one picture of the resident 10-year-old camera hater. Eric had to trick him to get into photo range with a request for "special help" planning the weekend's scavenger hunt. I think the resulting action shot of my husband and son and Jonathan's best bud (wearing the coon skin cap) is kind of fun.

They look so serious--as if they were planning their next away mission. 

--- 2 ---

Toddler piety. During the sign of peace at mass last Sunday, Clara turned to Eric, stuck out her little hand and said, "Dee dee dih doo, Daddy." Translated as: "Peace be with you, Daddy."

At the end of prayers with the kids last night Clara piped up with, "Dod dess baby dawls. Dod dess daddies." Translated as: "God bless baby dolls. God bless daddies."

Can there be anything cuter?

--- 3 ---

A new favorite blog. You must go check out Bobbi's Revolution of Love blog if you have not already. This sweet mom of four has been blogging for 9(!) years and I just love her style. She's smart, funny, honest and inspiring and she blogs about movies, organizing, parenting, books... so many of the things that I love.

--- 4 ---

Fantastic books. I've been on a roll lately. Book after book that I've read over the last few months has been a home run. Here are a few quick thoughts on my recent faves.

Wish You Were Here by Amy Welborn: Sad, inspiring, hard, beautiful, hopeful, made me a more empathetic person.

The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge: Lovely, refreshing, thought-provoking, an explosion of imagery.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt: The way all YA fiction should be, funny, smart, respectful, touching.

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen: More fantastic YA fiction, skillfully written, engaging, inspiring, made me cry (in a good way).

A Damsel in Distress by P.G. Wodehouse: My first experience with P.G. Wodehouse, hilarious, fun, a great summer read.

--- 5 ---

In awe. I'm am continually amazed at the number and beauty of the state parks within an easy drive of the Houston area. I grew up in semi-arid west Texas where the only things to see for miles around were yuccas, tumbleweeds and oil pump jacks. Though, I have to admit, we did boast some amazing sunsets.

What we did not have was this:

A living map complete with oceans and continents.

Nor this:

An alligator eying us from a mere few feet away. And, no, there were not any fences or barriers of any kind between us and the alligator.

Nor this:

A mysterious substance that is strangely available in large quantities.

It's called water.

If you're ever in the area, go check out Brazos Bend State Park just minutes southwest of Houston. It's too beautiful to be missed. 

--- 6 ---

Garden serendipity. I actually took my camera out the other day. I've only done so about 3 times in the last six weeks. (All the pictures I've taken in that time period are in this particular post. Pathetic.) Every time I follow through with picking up my camera and pushing the shutter release button a few times I mentally lambast myself for not doing so more often. Because if I did, I'd capture more serendipitous photos like this:

And this:

While this last pic is far from perfect (not tack sharp, my 24mm lens was not ideal in this situation, the background is not exactly beautiful or interesting), it captured a neat moment.

--- 7 ---

Where to start? I am very curious about the authors G.K. Chesterton and Flannery O'Connor. I see people quoting them, alluding to them, referencing their works all the time, but I've never read anything by either one of these authors. The problem is that I don't know where to start. Any recommendations?

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

 

About that writing thing...

The master plan went out the window this week as I've been sick. Resting and recuperating were priority over writing and pretty much everything else.

Don't tell my family I said this, but it was almost like a mini-vacation. I felt bad, but not too bad to read, and I felt much worse if I tried to get up and do anything. So. for about three days I was completely justified to sit around and read. Well, not really. I still had four kids to care for, but I gave myself permission to rest way more than normal. And I gave the kids permission to watch more movies than normal. And they were allowed to completely destroy the house if they wanted as long as they left me alone and didn't fight.

As a result, Bleak House by Charles Dickens is now officially in the "read" column. It took the entire month of January (and a convenient illness) to complete but was well worth the time investment. Five stars.

I'm looking forward to getting back in the groove this week. I've got some catching up to do around the house since the kids destroyed just about every room except mine; and, I'm more than ready to get back to blogging and photo editing.

Rest is over. Time to hit the ground running!

7 Quick Takes Friday vol. 12

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I love sun flare, those colorful circles created in a photo when the sun shines directly on the lens.

Also that halo of light in the subject's hair when she's back-lit.

You gotta getcha some.

--- 2 ---

Is anyone else loving the new ABC series "Once Upon a Time"? I'm thoroughly enjoying it and the Secrets of Once Upon a Time podcast on sqpn.com by Fr. Roderick makes the whole experience of the show that much better. Fr. Roderick gives background of the fairy tales behind the stories, which of course are loaded with Christian symbolism and morals. Be sure to check it out! And, if you like what you find over at SQPN, please consider making a donation to their giving campaign and support the amazing work that Fr. Roderick is doing evangelizing through new media.

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So I did it. I set up a Twitter account. I never quite understood Twitter, but so many of my favorite bloggers, authors, and podcasters are active on Twitter and I felt like I was missing out on the fun. So far, I'm really enjoying the format as well as the content. Are there any fabulous people that I really must follow?

--- 4 ---

For her first two years of life Clara hardly spoke. She'd make this buzzing sound--a kind of combination of a buzz and the sound you make when you roll your r's that I can't duplicate--that she used at various pitches and durations to communicate pretty much everything she had to say. But, when her second birthday came around she started to add a few actual words and a lot of babbling. We're starting to think that we have a first extrovert on our hands with the way she goes to town with toddler speak.

I love the way she talks with her hands.

--- 5 ---

We're still struggling with Gustin's potty training. He'll be 5 in May and he still poops in his pants almost daily. He's had some stints of successfully going in the toilet, once for 6 weeks and once for about two months. But, for some reason, he keeps reverting and it's really wearing me down. I don't need any advice at this point (I'm pretty sure I've heard it all at least a half a dozen times each), but I would appreciate some prayers. It's a very frustrating situation for both him and me.

--- 6 ---

I know I've mentioned multiple times how much I love my Kindle, but I have to share another reason why it is so fabulous. For the first time in my life I am successfully reading more than one book at a time. One is usually fiction (at the moment I'm reading Dickens' Bleak House) and then I have another two or three non-fiction books going at the same time (currently How Harry Cast His Spell by John Granger, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms by Lisa Hendey and Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider). So many non-fiction books aren't meant to be read straight though; they should be consumed one bite at a time, stopping to digest what's been read or to implement a strategy. So, often I would start a non-fiction book, set it down so I could think about it, and then never remember to pick it up again after gets buried on my nightstand or bookshelf. With all my books right there on my Kindle home screen, I'm constantly reminded to go back to those non-fiction books for another morsel.

--- 7 ---

Eric is currently reading The Hobbit to Jonathan, my 9-year-old. It is so fun to see him get excited about a book that I love. He was very resistant to start, mainly because Mommy and Daddy suggested it, but now that they began he is really getting into it. He was also convinced that he would never like the Chronicles of Narnia books or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, but of course he loved them once he finally gave them a chance (in other words, we bribed him to let us read him the first chapter). One day he'll realize that when his parents recommend a book they really do know what they are talking about!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

My favorite books in 2011

Thanks to my kindle, I read a lot of books in 2011. Well... at least more than in previous years of recent memory though maybe not an impressive number compared to other avid readers. Many of these books were read while waiting: in car line picking up the kids from school, at railroad crossings, for water/soups/sauces to boil, while I was brushing my teeth, or any other time that I could sneak in a quick peak at my favorite e-reader. Here are some of my favorites from the past year:

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Brad Pitre - I read The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn several years ago and found his explanations of the Eucharist fascinating and my experience of the mass has been enriched ever since. This book covers a bit of the information in Hahn's book but expands upon it and adds so much more of the historical context. I really need to reread it two or three more times to have any hope of retaining a fraction of the fascinating correlations between the New Testament Eucharist and practices and beliefs of Old Testament Jews. Highly recommend!

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger - Peace Like a River is my favorite novel of this year and I even gave it as a Christmas gift to a family member. I mentioned it already in a 7 Quick Takes Friday post, but I love it so much that I had to mention it again. It's a fantastic tale of faith, adventure, sacrificial love and miracles and is so beautifully written. It's one of the best of the best!

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke - I rarely read a book that has not been recommended by someone in whom I have some level of trust in his or her taste in books. I found this book, however, because the kindle edition was on sale for super cheap for one day only. The reviews intrigued me and described the book as a mix of historical fiction, literary fiction and fantasy. It's a story of two English magicians who are trying to revive the lost art of English magic during the turmoil of the time of the Napoleonic wars. It's a very long book (don't skip the footnotes, they are a must!) but was well worth my time.


Heart of Virtue by Donald DeMarco - After a fascinating homily by one of my parish priests, I realized that I understood very little about virtues, what they are and how to attain them. In a search for a good book on virtues from a Catholic perspective, I browsed the websites of several Catholic publishers until I found Heart of Virtue published by Ignatius Press. It was exactly what I was looking for! The book explores 28 virtues, beginning with an example of the virtue in action from history (both secular and religious) or literature and following with an in depth explanation of the virtue. I plan to reread this book as part of my Lenten practices this year.

Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra by C.S. Lewis - Arwen's recommendation at Faith and Family Live! convinced me to give these books from C.S. Lewis' space trilogy a try. They were completely unknown to me, though I've enjoyed a number of Lewis' other works. The books were not available at either my public library or on kindle, but I was able to purchase paperback editions on amazon. These novels were written to make you think. And think. And think. I'm waiting patiently for Eric to finish Out of the Silent Planet right now and when he does I'm anticipating some deep discussions of the nature of sin, angels, God's relationship with His fallen creation and what might have been if sin had never entered our world. I plan to complete the reading of this trilogy in 2012.

The Moviegoer by Walker Percy - Over the past year or so, I've seen The Moviegoer recommended on a number of Catholic blogs. It's an intriguing book with a unique and troubled main character who can't ignore a deep yearning inside himself to pursue "the search". The message of the book is very subtle and while reading it I was often reminded of Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, another complex and subtle work of Catholic fiction.


The Penderwicks at Pointe Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall - We love the Penderwicks! I read this third installment of the series several months ago and have been enjoying reading the first two books aloud to Elizabeth (age 7) this school year. The tales of the four Penderwick sisters are touching and fun and I've loved being able to share them with my daughter.

Unplanned by Abby Johnson - Anyone who call themselves pro-life would benefit from reading this book. Abby's story shows the power of love in the conversion of hearts and gave me great hope for the future and the defense of the unborn. It's unique perspective also helps the reader understand why pro-abortion proponents believe what the do. It can only help the pro-life movement if we understand where the other side is coming from; but, ultimately the movement will only be successful if hearts are converted and that can only happen through love and the gift of God's grace.

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens - Yes, Dickens is long winded and wordy and it's a definite time commitment to read one of his novels. But, I love Dickens. His plots are intriguing, the characters are varied, thought-provoking and memorable and his themes are timeless. Little Dorrit is an intriguing tale and a sweet love story. I also particularly enjoyed the BBC mini-series adaptation.

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen - This young adult novel is sweet and endearing. While light-hearted and fun, it also has some important messages about what makes a person worthy of our love, how we shouldn't judge our neighbors, and the inherent value of the mentally disabled. This is a fantastic story for a teen or tween (or her mother) and the movie "Flipped" is just as good. 

What are your favorite reads of 2011? I'm always looking for more good books to add to my "To Read" list!

7 Quick Takes Friday vol.11

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I am a podcast junkie. The first podcast I found was the Faith and Family Live! Cast and I listened to it on my computer every once in awhile. Then, after several months, I discovered how much easier it is to listen to a podcast if I actually put on my iPod (who would have thought?) and then I was really hooked. I loved listening while doing all my otherwise boring chores: cleaning the bathroom, folding laundry, doing dishes. Now I look forward to those chores so I have an excuse to stick in my earbuds. I also discovered SQPN.com and their line up of fantastic podcasts that are the perfect marriage of Catholicism and nerdy-ness (just like me!). Some of my favorites are Catholic Weekend, The Break with Fr. Roderick and Secrets of The Hobbit. Another favorite is the family podcast called Justa Buncha Hacks.

Are there any other great Catholic podcasts that I need to know about?

--- 2 ---

We recently went on a Cub Scout family campout at Brazos Bend State Park here in Texas. I never realized that such an exotic place was within an easy drive of my house. There are several swampy lakes in the park and they are all inhabited by alligators!

I wish I had a telephoto lens to get good close ups of the gators but I definitely wouldn't want to be physically any closer. Considering there were no fences or other barriers, those gators were really close! It was so cool to see them in their natural habitat with frogs jumping out of their way as they swam through the muck and birds alighting on tree stumps nearby. The views from the observation tower (in the background of the above photo) were really amazing.

The park was just teeming with wildlife! We saw deer, raccoons, armadillos, egrets and even snakes.

Gustin had a bit of a close encounter with this snake. He almost stepped on it! Thank the Lord that he didn't because we think it was a water moccasin!

I really can't wait to go back, but with just our family this time. Or maybe some of my local blog friends would like to join us?

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My maternal grandmother passed away last month. Unfortunately, I didn't know her nearly as well as I would have liked to. I've spent most of my life in Texas and my grandparents and much of my extended family are in Nebraska. I am so grateful that I was able to go back for the funeral as I was able to catch up with all my cousins, aunts and uncles and I learned so much about my grandmother that I never knew when she was alive. She was a vivacious, spunky lady of tremendous faith and she is such a wonderful example for me of how to live my vocation. She will be greatly missed!

--- 4 ---

I love to read but I have to admit that I'm usually very leery of Christian fiction. So often the Christian message of these books is written in a very in-your-face manner with very little depth. The character's spiritual struggles are merely surface level and their prayers and manner of speaking trite. I long for well-written books that force me to examine my own beliefs and through the story bring me to a better understanding of God.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger fulfills all those desires for me. I hesitate to label it as "Christian fiction" because it is so much more than that; it is literary fiction at it's best and is a book to I will be reading again. It is filled with sacrificial love, adventure, fascinating characters, moral dilemmas and miracles and is very beautifully written. I highly recommend it.

--- 5 ---

My mom and dad recently moved just 15 minutes away from us (they used to live on the opposite side of Texas, about a 9 hour drive away) and having them nearby has been wonderful. Besides the joy of seeing my kids' relationship with their grandparents blossom and the readily available babysitting, I now feel confident enough to start some sewing projects because my mom is here to help me. So, thanks to Mom, I started and finished a sewing project this month, a feat I haven't accomplished on my own in years!

Here are my new bedroom curtains:

Aren't they fabulous?! The curtains flank the windows and help define the window seat area of the room. Now this space reminds me of Jane Eyre who would curl up on the window seat and draw the curtains around her and look at books for hours. I've always dreamed of having a window seat like that!

The fabric is bolder than I normally go for when I decorate, but I wanted curtains that would bring out the colors in my photographs that I hung above the bed. Now, I need to add some pretty colored pillows for my bed to complete the look.

As you can see, my room did not stay in a picture-worthy, tidy state for long, thanks to my little helper and model. But, she's so cute that she gets away with it.

--- 6 ---

Here's a quick photography tip: How to make eyes sparkle.

First, turn the flash off on your camera and take your kids outside. Have them sit down in a shady spot and look up at you while you stand close to them and shoot down. The bright sky will create beautiful catch lights in their eyes.

To get Clara to look up, I kept asking her questions like, "Where are Mommy's ears? Where are Mommy's cheeks?" She's all about identifying body parts these days.

If it's a bit too bright out for your child, just tell him to tilt his head up but keep his eyes closed. On the count of three you tell him to open his eyes and you snap the pic!

Note that I did not specifically photoshop their eyes in these images, though I did do some color and contrast editing and sharpening to the images as a whole.

Try it and then marvel at the amazing and unique beauty of the eyes the Lord has given your children.

--- 7 ---

Wow, these picture heavy 7 quick takes weren't very quick so I think I'll leave it at 6. Have a great weekend!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!