i've always loved a good book

I’ve always loved a good book. So far this year, I’ve read about 30 books. I love to add them to my list and watch it all add up. But, I need to add a word of caution: just because it’s listed here in the margin of my blog does not mean I recommend it, only that I've read it. I think it's hard to generally recommend a book to a specific person. So, here’s an opinion about some of what I’ve read so far this year. If there’s a * that means I would read it again.

Pages from the Past is written by an LDS author. I like the fact that the gospel background doesn’t stand out from the story, but is a natural part of it. This book is about history and love of country and defending what you believe in with espionage thrown in.

Beedle the Bard — take it or leave it

* Team Moon LOVED it. We read it because it was a Bluebonnet Book but loved what we learned. Like how the seamstresses figured out how to sew the astronauts uniforms and make them airtight (with cement) and how the photographers had to figure out how film would work in cameras on the moon. Very interesting! Great pictures! Perfect for the 40th anniversary excitement!

* Persuasion First time I’ve read it. Loved it as most female readers love Jane Austen. Just melt into it.

* The Mayflower Loved it--but I love anything with some good history to it. Very easy to read and understand and keep all the people straight. History from Mayflower to the Cornflower. White people trying to survive to taking over. Goes over many important alliances and battles that were critical to the early history of our country.

* Potato Peel Loved it! Fun to read. Loved the format of letters. Sometimes I wish we relied on old-fashioned letters more. You can tell it was written by book lovers. Love the history in it.

* Girl with a Pearl Earring Good book. Loved the setting, especially since I was a Nederlander for a year.

Shopaholic a very fun read but not convincing.

Johannes Vermeer This was from the kids biography section in the library. Just wanted to know how he compared with his representation in "Pearl Earring."

* East My girls recommended it. Loved it! Fun, mythical, good story.

Mormon Scientist Good read—Nice to find out a bit more about the Eyring family and understand ART and how that relates to the atom bomb. Interesting, easy to understand, a little slow at times.

Elijah Good writer. Interesting story. I don’t like circuses.

13th Reality James Dashner writes a good fantasy story. This is second in the series and is one of the many series I read to the kids. If you like fantasy stories, by all means read it!--I probably wouldn't read it if the kids didn't enjoy it so much.

Surprised by Joy This had a few good nuggets but overall kind of boring.

* Freefall Cait recommended this one and it was a fun spy thriller, with a smart and pretty LDS senator’s daughter getting kidnapped by terrorists and falling in love with the SEAL that saved her, who also happens to be LDS. A little predictable but the story moved at a good pace and I enjoyed it.

* Half-Blood Prince had to read it before the movie came out. Love the HP books. (I thought the movie was disappointing.)

A Case of Need I love Michael Crichton. His Jurassic Park books are SO much better than the movies. This book was his first written after he finished medical school. Interesting tidbits about doctors and medical culture in the 70’s. The story was interesting (about abortion), but not as polished as his other books. I don’t like the downside of 70’s culture and this book focuses on it a lot.

Thousand Pages recommended by my girls. Fun and easy to read. A princess, and her lady in waiting, are bricked into a tower by her father because she doesn’t want to marry his choice (bad guy). His kingdom is burned and everyone dies by this bad guy and she doesn’t know and is still stuck. And her true love hasn’t come to check on her in a very long time.

* O Pioneers is wonderful. Loved the descriptions. Enjoyed the book. I do wish it was a bit more suspenseful. It’s missing something in the build-up at the end.

M. Poppins A whole chapter on constellations coming to life and having a circus?

Summons Definitely not Grisham’s best. I don’t like when I can guess the end and have it figured out halfway through and that’s how this one was. I felt sorry for the house that hadn’t been cared for in years and I didn’t feel much for the characters.

* Penderwicks I love this series! This is the second one and I hope there will be more. This is a Bluebonnet Book. It reminds me of a modern-day "Little Women." Well-written with endearing characters.

Change of Heart I went to the library to find "My Sister’s Keeper" and of course there was a long request list so I checked this one out to see if I liked her writing. I did and I also liked how she tackles hard topics. This lost credibility for me though when she describes an encounter with mormon missionaries. Totally unrealistic—sorry, they always travel with companions, they are not all from Utah farms, and they never ask for money. I also didn’t like the MANY comparisons between the protagonist and Jesus Christ. The gist of the story is about a woman whose hubby and daughter are murdered, the murderer is on death row and offers his heart to this woman’s other daughter who needs a transplant. She brings every religion into the story somehow—a bit of overkill.

* Bud Another good one of Christopher Paul Curtis. Newberry winner. Second time I’ve read it.

* My Antonia I enjoyed reading this a lot and liked it as much as "O Pioneers." I love the life out on the farms, trying to make a go of things. I started to lose interest when the family moved to the city and I wished it could have ended different and been more of a true romance. I guess the romance was the journey, not the ending.

* We Are the Ship Loved it! Another Bluebonnet book with beautiful illustrations. I have always loved baseball but didn’t know much about the Negro League. I learned that is where bunting came from and they also had the first night games. Interesting and informative without boring me—lots of fun stories.

Midnight Whispers A little unrealistic but loved the Australian setting. An LDS love story.

My Sister’s Keeper was a good book. I wanted to read it before I saw the movie and I still haven’t seen it yet. Written in the same style as "Change of Heart" (every chapter is different character/first-person). Good topic and she doesn’t let you down at the end, but a bit too much sex, drugs, and f-words for me.

* Seedfolks Erin recommended. Loved this book. Read it in 30 minutes and I wish it had been longer. I want to look for some more of his books.

* Buffalo Boy Stef recommended. Loved learning about Vietnam and its culture and traditions. Good story with a happy ending.

I've always been a reader, but have never considered myself "bookish." I remember getting my pillow, putting it against the wall, and laying on my back with my legs going up the wall. I could stay in this position for hours reading the day away. Now I read at night after the kids are in bed and I always have a book in my purse for those "waiting" times. Since it's summer and I have a couple of slow mornings I'm reading in the mornings sometimes, too. I like reading for the pleasure it brings--being caught up in someone else's life and circumstances, learning about how things "used to be," and finding a new perspective on something ordinary.
Why do you read?

It's All About The Food

This last week Jace turned 13 and for the last 2 months he's been telling us exactly what he wanted for his birthday dinner. He's always been a little persnickity about food. He finally narrowed it down to his basic favorites. Sushi from HEB, macaroni salad, fresh pineapple, and for dessert, NO birthday cake--just homemade chocolate almond ice cream. That's a menu I can definitely approve. The only things I have to worry about making are the salad and the ice cream. Easy!

His birthday was on a Sunday and we teased him that morning by saying, "Sorry we forgot to get you presents and since it's Sunday, you're going to have to wait until tomorrow to get any." It didn't even phase him--"Mom, I don't care about presents this year. I know I'm getting the food I want and that's what's important." Does this mean he's growing up? I still don't get it. He got presents anyway and enjoyed them.

Here's some cute pictures of him.

He's always loved the piano and all music.

Holding a gater in Destin, FL

Beach Bum

I think this is about 5th grade. Swim team.


Here are the recipes for Jace's favorites:

MACARONI SALAD
from: Marca Merrell

1 pkg. (12-16 oz) Shellroni, cooked as directed on package, drained, and rinsed
4 green onions, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 pkg. Petite frozen peas
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced
1 6 oz. package of frozen salad shrimp, thawed and rinsed
Garlic salt
2 T. parmesan cheese
½ tsp. Lawry’s seasoned salt
¾ c. mayonnaise
2 tsp. Sugar
2 T. evaporated milk

Sprinkle mixture of shellroni, green onions, cucumber, peas, eggs, and shrimp with garlic salt, Parmesan cheese, and seasoned salt. Mix mayonnaise, sugar, and milk together. Toss all ingredients together. Makes large bowl full.


Chocolate Almond Ice Cream

2/3 c. sliced almonds, toasted (350 for 5-7 min.)
3 c. half and half
3 c. heavy whipping cream
1 c. sugar
1 T. vanilla
1 - 16 oz can Hershey's syrup

In a large mixing bowl, combine the half and half, sugar and vanilla and stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Use a 4 or 5 quart machine, makes 2 quarts. We've also dipped the almonds in chocolate (and let them set in the fridge or freezer) before adding them--extra yummy.

Talking with Benj

Me: So, Benj, what do you want for your birthday dinner?

Benj: Sweet and Sour Chicken

Me: That sounds good.

Benj: Yeah, does it have the sauce in it?

Me: Well, I bake it in the sauce, so the sauce is all over it.

Benj: But does the sauce go in it?

Me: I'm sure the chicken soaks up some of the sauce. And I turn the chicken every 15 minutes while it's baking so it gets lots of sauce all over it.

Benj: But, can you put the sauce into the chicken? (he's starting to get frustrated and using his hands to demonstrate putting sauce in chicken.)

Me: I don't know how to do that. I think it will turn out how I usually make it.

Benj: Do we have any corn dogs?

Staycation Summer

Staying in Houston all summer is no vacation. And if it’s no vacation, then a staycation is totally out because that’s half the word. So, my new word is stayprison. It means staying in a really hot place with high humidity for a long time with no hope for escape.
Hhmmm, sounds kind of like he??
Anyway, we are trying to enjoy our last month before school begins again. Houston is a great place for the occasional day trip so I think we’ll survive.

Saturday night we went to Miller Outdoor Theater and saw Tuts performance of 42nd Street. The musical was pretty good and Loretta Swit had top billing so it was fun to say we saw her. It was very casual. We found a great spot on the hill and spread out our quilts. We were all pulling off our shoes as soon as we sat down. Jace brought a deck of cards and we played war and Egyptian Rat Crew until the show started and again during intermission. The most enjoyable thing about the whole night was watching people. The entire hill was full of people sitting on blankets enjoying the show. The couple to our right brought their two white poodles that wore matching pink outfits. The dogs were dressed better than the people. The large group of 20-somethings in front of us was more interested in socializing than watching the musical. The group reminded me of a singles ward, Erin said they were still in high school. One girl with large hoop earrings got up to go fetch things for the group probably 20 times. We decided she had ADD or restless leg syndrome or something. She was up and down the whole night. Someone was flying a kite at the top of the hill, behind us, throughout the entire performance. There were two middle-aged ladies sharing a blanket to our left. One was lying on the blanket and I don’t think she saw much of the show. The other, who wore a bright yellow t-shirt, sang along to every song and even entertained us with her sit-down dance moves. We decided she must have been in the chorus when she was in high school. The couple behind them brought a bottle of wine, two glasses, and these cool wine glass holders that they spiked into the grass. Obviously it wasn’t their first time to the hill. Into the second act there was a large man dressed in what looked like camouflage scrubs who walked behind us and then stood to our right. He looked around for a few minutes and then pulled out his cell phone. "Where are you guys?!? Do you see me standing here? Wave your hand or something! What are you talking about? Put your mama on the phone!" Then he hung up and walked two blankets to the left of us and sat down. We started cracking up! Isn’t the purpose of wearing camo to get lost? Blend in? His wife was wearing a camo hat so maybe he couldn’t see her, either. The theater is very close to the medical center and we heard many helicopters taking off and coming back. We wondered who was on them and how bad it was. We also ran into some friends from church that we hadn’t seen in a while, since ward boundaries changed. What are the odds, that out of a thousand people, we would be walking toward the performance at the same time as this family?

It was a wonderful time to spend together as a family, enjoying life around us.

Busy June

As you can tell by my scarce postings lately, June was a busy month. We had the last week of school which included Benj in the school talent show and Jace gathering a bunch of awards for academics. Caitlin took the ACT again and bettered her score by a couple of points. She also had her senior pics taken--yes, she is now a senior! Stefanie had orchestra camp for a week and started color guard. She'll be on the rifle line next year and is practicing hard.

Cait and Stef had a week of stake YW camp. You can't call it "rough camp" here--because air conditioning and a swimming pool and someone cooking your meals is not very rough. It's more like a YW conference or retreat. It's a good thing and camping skills are passed off and testimonies strenghened, but it's not camping. Chris and I went up for Bishop's night on Thursday, and spent some time with our ward's girls. We took up the traditional Champions Ward treat--IBC root beer and cream soda-- and enjoyed being with them. We have an awesome group of YW in our ward! The day before, on Wednesday, Chris had gone to Galveston and spent the day with the YM on their High Adventure. They were learning to sail and kayak. The day after we went to visit the YW at camp, we had a funeral in our ward. That was one of those weeks that it takes a couple of days to recover from.

The next week, Benj had cub day camp. I went with him every day as a Den Walker. It's nice to be with him and good to be a part of scouts. Scouts is one of those things that you really don't understand unless you're doing it, so I try to do all I can--especially in cubs. The drawback of the week was the weather. Our city had its hottest June on record and the week of 100-plus weather was during cub camp. One day driving home we saw a thermometer registering 109! But, we survived!

During the week of cub camp, Stef had her 15th birthday! I thought I would post a few of my favorite pics of her. These are from when she was a little squirt.

Hanging onto Dad.

So proud that she put her shorts on all by herself!
Yes, that's an empty leg hanging out the back.

Showing off Easter dresses with her big sisters.
Do I really have to pose with these girls?

I hope she had a good birthday even though I was pretty hot and tired through it all. June starts our Birthday Season at our house. We have a birthday a month until Christmas. (except for Oct, but then we have 2 in Nov to make up for it.) For her birthday dinner she chose grilled chicken, ravioli, pasta salad, and carrot raisin salad. I knew I would not be able to make all of that after being at cub camp all day so we split it up and had ravioli with green salad one day and chicken with pasta salad and carrot raisin salad on her birthday. She also had triple chocolate cake--a favorite for all of us! We like to have that warm with vanilla ice cream melting into it. (Tip when having warm birthday cake: don't put candles in it--they all melted into the cake!)

The day after cub camp ended, Jace left for his scout camp and Chris went for some of the time with him. I hope they're having fun! We also started watching my friend's kitty for her while she's out of town. We have been enjoying that a lot! I think the best way to have a pet is to just have it for a while and then give it back. Benj has to say goodnight to the kitty before we put her in the laundry room for the night and the first night he nuzzled her a bit and said, "Good night Paisley, I love you." then a short pause, then "AAaah! I can't believe I just said I love you to a cat!" The second night, he nuzzled her again and said, "Good night Paisley, I love you. Aaaah! I can't believe I did it again!"

Katie, our niece that is now a part of our family, finally found a job! Her first day is today and I think she's glad she's got that taken care of finally! She was holding out for an accounting job but just couldn't find anything in that field. She's taken a job with a dental office.

Well, on to July. Things will hopefully slow down a bit. It's time to enjoy the summer!