Books and Life Journeys and Finding Oneself: Oprah's Wild New Book Club Pick

I was so excited when I learned via Twitter that Oprah had restarted her book club.  I think that was my first real dive into social media, and I loved taking part in the online discussions of Anna Karenina, As I Lay Dying, East of Eden, and others.  I read books I never thought I would read.  Oprah helped me appreciate classical literature, and to read many other classics on my own, like The Count of Monte Cristo, A Tale of Two Cities,  and Jane Eyre.  All of these books are high up on my list of all-time favorites.  Sometimes when I'm looking for a new book to read, if it has the "Oprah's Book Club" seal, I choose it just for that reason.  Without it I might have never read The Pillars of the Earth or The Poisonwood Bible (by the way, when is that one going to be made into a movie already??)  And I dug my copy of Icy Sparks out of a box in my attic the other day, and downloaded Say You're One of Them onto my e-reader.  Hopefully I'll read those books this summer.

As soon as I found out about Oprah's re-"kindle"d book club--yes, pun intended, ha ha--I downloaded her latest pick, Wild by Cheryl Strayed, onto my iPad's Kindle App.  (And now that I have a brand-new DROID 4G smartphone with a Kindle app included, I can read all my books on that, too.  Woot!)  When I read the synopsis--Girl Goes on Long Hike on Pacific Crest Trail to Overcome Troubled Past and Tragic Death of her Mother and Emerges as New Woman--I thought, OK, sounds interesting.  Kind of like a cross between Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, a riveting and funny memoir of the author's adventures hiking the Appalachian Trail, and Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert's around-the-world quest to "find herself."  (Which, by the way, was another Oprah's Book Club selection.  Do I sense a theme here?) Reading Wild, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe Cheryl tried a little bit too hard to make it like both of those books, because it kind of was, except not as much fun to read.

I'll give Cheryl credit for doing what she did; I know I never would have been brave enough to set out on a long solo hike like that.  She tells us about her childhood; growing up without her father, living in a house with no electricity or running water with a mother who loved her children deeply and a stepfather who cherished them as he would his own children; about getting married too young and cheating on her husband and taking up with a heroin addict, ultimately becoming a user herself and getting pregnant and having an abortion.  (What bothered me most about that was not that she aborted her baby, which is tragic enough; she didn't seem to have any second thoughts about it.  Even later in the book when she recalls that nine months after her abortion she thought, "Gee, if I didn't have an abortion I'd be having a baby right about now.  Isn't that something."  I wonder if she ever thinks about that child who is blatantly missing from this story.)

And Cheryl is a talented writer and storyteller, that's for sure.  I enjoyed the accounts of her adventures on the trail, the friends she made along the way, and was moved by the tragic stories of her past--her mother's death, her divorce, the early years when her father abused her mother.  I found the story of how she and her younger brother made the decision to shoot their old horse that they loved particularly poignant.  But is this a book I would read again?  Not likely.  Despite her brave attempt to inspire us with her own story of Finding Herself, frankly it kind of falls flat.  And Cheryl (who I've never met and I'm sure is a very nice person) comes across as kind of selfish.  "Yay me!  I walked a bajillion miles all by myself!  And I met lots of cool people, and I even got laid!!  Woo-hoo!"  (Oh, and she makes sure she tells us that when she and her siblings were preparing to spread her mother's ashes in a garden they had planted, she took a couple of the bigger chunks and swallowed them.  Ohhh, Kaaayyy...)

What I don't understand--in addition to her bizarre compulsion to swallow her mother, ew--is why she needed to hike the Pacific Crest Trail to "find herself."  Maybe that's because I never had time to do anything that adventurous, and that I've "found myself" just by living my life.  The decisions I've made and the paths I've taken along the way.  Earlier in my life I was all gung-ho to join the Peace Corps, and thought that somehow two years of living in a remote village in Africa would be just what I needed to Find Myself.  After almost getting in, almost getting sent to someplace in South America (they wanted me to be a teacher trainer.  What a joke.  I had no teaching experience at the time.), I ran across a couple of brick walls and my application stalled.  At which time I met my future husband, and was faced with a choice whether to persevere with this Peace Corps thing or find out where my new relationship with this amazing man was headed.  I chose the man.  (Later I realized that finding oneself is the wrong reason to join the Peace Corps.  It ought to be a selfless act for the good of others.  Duh.)  I married him, became a Catholic, started my family, et cetera; and here I am.  That was all I needed to do to find myself, and do you know what?  I'm still Finding Myself.  Sure, I've made some mistakes along the way; who hasn't? I'm sure I'll make many more.  My journey here won't be over until they put me in the ground.

I enjoyed Wild, and I'm glad I had a chance to read it.  Someday perhaps I'll get to hike parts of the Pacific Crest Trail (my husband and my sons walking with me, of course).  Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing what Oprah chooses as her next book club selection.  And yes, I'll probably read it.

Take a walk down this Broken Path

When I got the email from Lisa Kyle at American Life League, asking if I would be interested in receiving a copy of Judie Brown's new book, The Broken Path to review, I eagerly agreed. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Ms. Brown and the tireless work she has done for the unborn over the years at American Life League. I wondered what the book would be about; perhaps her own spiritual journey? Or maybe the flawed feminist movement, or the struggles pro-lifers face day in and day out?

It wasn't until I received the book in the mail that I noticed the subtitle: The Broken Path, it said; How Catholic Bishops Got Lost in the Weeds of American Politics. Oh crap, I thought; politics. My least favorite subject. Not something I would have chosen to read on my own, and I wasn't sure how I would feel about reviewing a book that might be critical of Catholic bishops. I was determined to hold up my end of the bargain, though, so read it I did. And I found it hard to put down. (As you can see from the photo, my copy is well-worn already.)

Ms. Brown explains how right around the beginning of the twentieth century, the Catholic Church in America started to drift from its roots as a solid institution built on faith and tradition, to an organization willing to adapt to the whims of society. People, including Church leaders, began to ignore or misrepresent teachings that were inconvenient for them or caused any amount of persecution or ridicule from others. Then came Vatican II, which was so badly misinterpreted by some that many of its core principles were lost in the nonsense and confusion. Contraception became widely available, and Pope Paul VI was alarmed enough to write his prophetic encyclical, Humanae Vitae.

Today in America, it is legal to kill an unborn baby for any reason. We expect mothers to abort children who are diagnosed with disabilities. Homosexuality is widely accepted and even encouraged. One by one, states are redefining marriage so that men can marry other men, and women can marry other women. Pornography is a major problem, and half of all marriages end in divorce. Politicians who profess to be Catholic openly support abortion and gay marriage, and even try to mandate contraception coverage in health insurance plans. And according to Judie Brown, too many Catholic bishops in America are looking the other way.

In The Broken Path, Judie Brown outlines the many different ways some bishops and Church leaders have given Catholic teachings a back seat in favor of public approval or personal power. While there are plenty of great bishops and priests who stand up for the truths of the Catholic Church and preach faithfully and unashamedly to their flocks amid ridicule by the secular world, there are more than a few who keep silent when they should be speaking out, and even seem to go against certain Church teachings altogether. Judie discusses the bureaucracy within the USCCB; and while there are many faithful bishops within that organization--first and foremost its new president, Cardinal Timothy Dolan--some of its programs do not necessarily support Church teachings (remember the hoo-ha a couple of years back surrounding the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and its support for ACORN?) She talks about Catholic colleges and universities, and the way some of them seem to have turned away from the Church and have become secular institutions with Catholic names. (Like the way the University of Notre Dame's president Father John Jenkins showed his public support for abortion by inviting President Obama to speak at commencement and gave him an honorary doctoral degree, and subsequently ignored and defied pleas from the public to withdraw his invitation. Ms. Brown praises Bishop John D'Arcy for his public statements denouncing this move, and his decision not to attend the ceremonies.) She discusses the widespread use of contraception, and how some bishops and priests seem to have resigned themselves to the idea that folks are going to use it anyway, so there's no reason to say anything about it. She wonders why they fail to teach their faithful why the Church condemns contraception, and how its pervasive use has led to so many social problems we see today--abortion, pornography, and high divorce rates, just to name a few. (She even proposes that our shortage of priests can be partly blamed on contraception because families are getting smaller--fewer potential candidates for the priesthood--and if parents are unwilling to be open to God's calling to have children, why should their sons be willing to answer God's call to the priesthood? Very interesting.) She discusses how some Catholic hospitals regularly commit abortion, distribute contraception, and perform sterilizations without so much as a peep of protest from Church leadership. She points out the silence from bishops on gay marriage, on personhood bills, on the blatant disregard (and even defiance) by Catholic politicians for the teachings of their own Church. And she talks about the way some bishops made the problem of sexual abuse by priests much worse by ignoring and covering it up for so long.

I would recommend this eye-opening book to every faithful Catholic. Even if you don't agree with Ms. Brown on every point she makes (like, should priests and bishops refuse the Eucharist to Catholics who publicly support abortion and homosexuality? Ms. Brown would say yes; I know many who would say not so fast, that's a matter between them and God), you will certainly be made more aware of the Church's role in society today. Since I started reading The Broken Path, I've found myself paying more attention to what bishops are saying--or not saying--about certain issues that are at the forefront of America. Recently homosexual marriage became legal in Maryland; and in Virginia, a personhood bill was defeated and one requiring women to undergo an ultrasound before having an abortion passed and was signed into law. What have the bishops in Maryland and Virginia had to say about these developments? If they've said anything, I sure haven't been able to find it. (If you know of any statements these bishops have made recently about these, please let me know!) Of course, it's been wonderful to see all of the United States bishops standing together against the Obama Administration's HHS contraception mandate, and I'm sure Judie would agree.

Read The Broken Path. Pray for all of our priests and bishops. Thank the ones who consistently and faithfully teach the truth, and encourage the rest to bravely stand with them.

Decisions, Decisions...What to read?

I've been in a bit of a reading funk lately. For the last couple of weeks, every book I have picked up and started to read has for some reason lost my interest pretty quickly. The last book I finished was My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult, one that's been on my to-read list for a long time. The book is very good, and raises some important moral questions. (Don't bother watching the movie. It stinks.) Before that it was Stones into Schools by one of my heroes, Greg Mortenson. The follow-up to Three Cups of Tea, it's written in first person and you can get a sense of Greg's own thoughts and struggles as he works to provide education for children in some of the poorest and most isolated parts of the world. He also discusses some of the history and geography of the parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan where his organization, Central Asia Institute, is building schools.

Since then it's been a struggle for me to choose a book and stick with it. I'm not sure why. First, I started reading The Accused, the third in Craig Parshall's "Chambers of Justice" series. I enjoy Craig Parshall's books, but for some reason I just wasn't getting into this one. Next I picked up If Your Mind Wanders at Mass by Thomas Howard (you can see my blog post about him here). I'm disappointed in myself for giving up on that one--only temporarily!--because as a convert to Catholicism I'm fascinated by the history and the richness of the Mass. (When I read The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn about a year ago, I could hardly put it down.) I decided to try something a little lighter, and started Nicholas Sparks' latest novel, The Last Song. After reading about a chapter and a half I realized I just wasn't in a Sparks frame of mind. (This has NEVER happened before. I thought I was ALWAYS in the mood for Nicholas Sparks.) Meanwhile, one day at Costco I ran across A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. I suddenly remembered--and confirmed with my handy-dandy Droid smart phone--that my online book club (which I haven't participated in for many months, I'm sorry to say) had chosen that book to read in March. I don't know if I'm going to be able to take part in the discussion, because the month is almost half over and I still haven't started the book.

What am I reading now? The Culture of Corruption by Michelle Malkin. I'm borrowing this one from the library, and I know when it comes due I won't be able to renew it because there are likely a couple of hundred people waiting behind me for the book. Yesterday I got another library notice for a book I reserved, Andre Agassi's autobiograpy Open. I've been itching to get my hands on that one. My goal is to do quite a bit of reading this weekend, and to decide already whether or not to finish Michelle Malkin's book. If not, it's a mad dash to the library for Open before they pass it on to the next person. I will make this promise, though (and I don't often make promises on this blog); whatever book I finally read from start to finish, I'll be sure to tell you about it here.

On a side note, I have read very few blogs since the beginning of Lent (trying to limit my time on the computer, don't ya know), and guess what? I'm getting a lot done. My house is looking less and less like a disaster every day! Well, I also have a new best friend to help me--The Fly Lady. But that's a subject for a future post.

What are YOU reading now? Any books you've recently finished and want to recommend?

7 Quick Takes, Volume 3--What I've Been Doing Instead of Blogging

1. Traveling and Celebrating. Last Friday we hopped in the car for the 9-hour trip South for our niece's baptism. She is the first female grandchild for my husband's parents, and on Saturday she was officially brought into the family of God. Another nine-hour trip on Sunday (during which time I did quite a lot of reading--more on that in Quick Take #4) brought us safely home from a wonderful, whirlwind weekend. Is it just me, or are "whirlwind trips" often the ones you have the fondest memories of?

2. Substitute Teaching. Actually, this isn't much of an excuse for neglecting my blog, since I've only substituted three days in the last two weeks. I'm happy to be earning a little income again, while keeping enough free time to still feel like a stay-at-home mother. The best part is I'm in school with my kids, getting to know their friends and the other families at the school.

3. Watching and Listening to Sarah Palin. I haven't read her book yet, only because it came in the mail two days after it was released, and I had already started another book that morning. I watched the Oprah interview, as well as the ones on Fox News with Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly. I recorded last night's "20/20," where she was to be interviewed by Barbara Walters, and I'm hoping to watch that this weekend.

On a side note, I am somewhat jealous of two cousins of mine (specifically, my first cousin's wife and her daughter-in-law--but I don't bother with technicalities; cousins they are, and therefore family) who attended her book signing yesterday in Cincinnati and had the privilege of meeting her. I hope they'll post pictures on Facebook--hear that girls?

4. Reading Books. So, what am I reading now instead of Going Rogue? This one:



I began following Elizabeth's blog recently, and it's fascinating and inspiring. Of course when I saw that she had written a book about her conversion from atheism to Catholicism, I went over to Amazon and ordered it (along with Sarah's book; Elizabeth's happened to arrive first). The other day while at the auto dealership waiting on some car repairs, I had a chance to read a significant chunk of it. Elizabeth has an incredible story, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the book.

Two other books I have read recently--most of it in the car last weekend-- are St. Louis DeMontfort's True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin (more on this in Quick Take #7) and Trial by Ordeal by Craig Parshall. If you enjoy John Grisham, I would recommend checking out Craig's books. He's a Christian attorney whose wife Janet, is a fairly well-known Christian radio host. Although he isn't Catholic, his books have Chritian themes (no sex or profanity, also a plus), and are as exciting and suspenseful as any national bestsellers.

5. Watching "V" and "Flash Forward," with a bit of reluctance. Truthfully I don't know how many more episodes of "V" I can endure. As much as I enjoy looking at Scott Wolf (Is he the reason I began watching? Maybe. Hubby remembers the show from the '80s, and that's why he was interested) the acting from him and almost all of the other players on the show is mediocre at best. Or maybe it's poor script writing. I'm also a little perplexed about the portrayal of one character, Father Jack, who is a Catholic priest but doesn't seem very priest-like. He has a strange friendship with a leading female character (played by Elizabeth Mitchell from "Lost"), and when the two met, he didn't tell her he was a priest. Now she calls him "Jack." Huh? Not Father Jack? It's not offensive, really; just strange, as if the writers don't quite know what the role of a Catholic priest really is. Plus the concept of aliens suddenly bearing down on the world and expecting everyone to kowtow to them seems a little icky.

As for "Flash Forward," at this point I have a kind of love-hate relationship with that show. In the first episode, everyone on earth blacked out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds, and during that time saw a vision of their own future. Or was it REALLY a vision of the future? Those that survived (after all, if you're driving a bus and you black out, you're going to crash and people will die) must decide whether to try to prevent their flash forwards from coming true, or live their lives in order to bring them to fruition. A number of things on the show have made me cringe, though, especially one episode that portrayed two women in a same-sex relationship. That part didn't bother me all that much; it was more the flippant and in-your-face way their relationship was portrayed. Particularly offensive was a conversation they had where lewd comments were made about two prominent American women (I won't say who--I have too much respect for both of them and their positions in our country today) that were in very bad taste and completely unnecessary. I've stuck with the show, though, and I will say that the most recent episode raised some interesting--and dare I say--even pro-life questions. The subject of a future blog? Maybe.

6. Washing Dishes By Hand, since our dishwasher went on the fritz this week. I've also been trying to catch up on some much-needed housework.

7. Praying More--but just a little. My women's Bible study group recently discussed "True Devotion to Mary," and Father L. has been talking to the group about making the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. I bought the book as well as the booklet that contains the meditations and prayers for the 33-day preparation, but I am not proud to admit that I have not been consistent with keeping up with the prayers. I have tried to say the Rosary almost every day, and followed the consecration preparations for several days, but slacked off; for a few days this week I tried to play catch-up, but sadly have let it slide once more. I missed most of Father L's talks because of sick kids and school activities, and I haven't attended any of the seminars offered by our church as well as a nearby parish. I haven't decided NOT to make the consecration, but I don't know if I will be prepared enough by December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Admittedly, I haven't even talked to my family about it, either (Why? I'm not sure--but I guess I should now that I've put it on my blog); but it's something I have been drawn to consider doing, if not this time, possibly in the near future.

I wish I could list one more: Getting More Exercise. Sadly I can't because it's not true. I hope I will be able to include it in my next edition of "Seven Quick Takes!"

7 Quick Takes, Volume One (Better Late Than Never)

This will be the first time I've participated in this meme, hosted by Jennifer over at Conversion Diary. It's normally for Fridays, but what can I say, lateness seems to be a thing with me. OK, here goes!

1. I am a bookoholic. Here are five books I have purchased in the last two weeks:

My women's Bible study group at church is reading Hail, Holy Queen, and one of the priests from our parish, Father L, is giving a series of talks on the book with our group. Our first meeting was yesterday, and I'm looking forward to reading the book and talking about it with Father L and my church friends.

I saw the author of Fit For Eternal Life on EWTN recently, and he had a lot of interesting things to say about our spiritual and mental health. I started Charity in Truth, but frankly I think I'm going to need a study guide for that one. Maybe I'll ask Father L if he'll be willing to study that one next with our group.

Of course, I also have a plethora of secular books on my shelf that I haven't read yet: The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger; My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult, and several books by Barbara Kingsolver and Amy Tan.



2. Meanwhile, I've also been reading Don Quixote since July. In three months, my copy has gone from brand-new to this:

Mind you, I read Anna Karenina in six weeks. That's one heck of a thick book. I still have a long way to go with poor old Don:
I'm hosting a discussion of Don Quixote on Goodreads, with an online group aptly named "The Book Addicts." If you want to check it out or even join in, click here.


3. I've read lots of great books since the summer, and I'm hoping over the next few weeks to tell you about some of them. I won't make any promises though, because it seems that every time I blog about something I want to blog about, I don't get around to blogging about the thing I want to blog about. Stay tuned...


4. Last Monday our parish began a new school year of Religious Education classes. I have a class of three third graders, all boys. This will be the smallest class I've worked with so far. I'm hoping with such a small class I'll be able to cover more material and do more fun things with them than I've been able to in the past. The downside is that we're in a small space in the basement of a house that used to be our parish convent, and it's situated in such a way that people going to their classes in other rooms have to walk right through our classroom space. It's not really a room, really; and the table where the kids work is really a small pool table covered with a piece of plywood. I have found that in the past, the Lord has given me the grace to do the best I can in less-than-perfect circumstances, so I'm not worried! I'm looking forward to a great year.


5. Last weekend our parish had their annual ice-cream social and cakewalk. I brought a coconut cake that I made from a recipe passed down to me by my mother:

There were dozens of cakes to choose from (unfortunately we didn't win one), and my mousy-brown cake looked so plain next to some of the colorful and whimsical entries. Here's a sample:
One family made a cake that was a replica of our parish school, where the event was held. They even made little models of Father R, our pastor, and Sister S, the school principal:

6. If you are looking for a great movie to watch WITHOUT your kids, I highly recommend Gran Torino. Be warned--there is lots of profanity and violence, because gangs and gang violence plays a big part in the movie. It's a powerful story about forgiveness, and sends a strong positive message about the relationships between people of different races and cultures. Unlike many films you see today, it also shows the Catholic Church in a positive light. Clint Eastwood has never made me cry until I watched this film a couple of weekends ago.


7. This Wednesday kicks off the Fall 2009 40 Days For Life campaign. This is a fast-growing grassroots pro-life movement of prayer and fasting to end abortion. The upcoming fall campaign is said to be the largest one yet, with 212 cities participating. If you want to find out about a 40 Days For Life campaign in your area, click here.

Bookworm, Blogworm--I'm still here!

I thought the summer would bring me more free time--time to read, clean my house (ha, ha, who was I kidding!), and blog. I have had more time for reading, and I have been devouring books one after the other. I've tried to keep up a pattern this summer of alternating fiction with nonfiction titles, and so far it's going very well. I've been more selective in the books that I'm choosing, and so far I haven't read one I haven't liked and/or learned a great deal from. I was away from my computer over the 4th of July weekend, (a fabulous trip to Watkins Glen, NY for the Indy Car race there, and a wonderful weekend with friends. I hope I get a chance to tell you more about it; it's beautiful up there and we had a great time.) I spent about a half hour this morning reading up on some of the blogs I'm following--not all of them, I'll admit, and I left no comments.

Here's a rundown on some of the books I've read recently:

1. Population Control: Real Costs, Illusory Benefits by Steven W. Mosher, the president of the Population Research Institute. It's an eye-opening account of how big organizations like the World Bank and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) are encouraging government leaders to control the birth rates of their respective nations. Everyone knows about China's one-child policy, and China arguably has the most oppressive population policies, but did you know that the UNFPA actually partners with China to encourage population control? Mosher tells some horrific antecdotes that he has collected over the years from Chinese women, and women from other nations as well, who have been intimidated into having abortions and sterilization procedures. Overpopulation fears began as early as 1798, believe it or not, when Rev. Thomas Malthus predicted that by 1890, the Earth would be dangerously overpopulated. In the 1960's there were fears of a population boom (or "bomb" as the term was often used; presumably an analogy to the atomic bomb), and some decided that we must do something about this "problem." To make a long story short, big and powerful people began imposing population control programs in many countries; in fact, some global relief organizations refused (and still refuse) to supply aid for their nations' poor unless contraceptive services were encouraged. In many developing countries, clinics are well stocked with contraceptives, but have no supplies and medicines to treat diseases such as malaria and other preventable infections. To control the spread of HIV, condoms are handed out, and abstinence is given a dismissive wave of the hand. The HIV epidemic is getting worse in many places, and there is evidence that it's actually being caused by population control programs: A woman goes into a clinic for a shot of Depo-Provera; except the needle has been used on an HIV-positive woman (unbeknownst to anyone because she's never been tested) and not properly sterilized. (Plenty of contraceptives, but inadequate equipment to sterilize tools properly. Go figure.) In many countries, there are, or soon will be, too few young people to help support the elderly populations, because people have been discouraged or prevented from having children. I would recommend this book to anyone, whether pro-life or pro-choice, who is concerned for the welfare of Earth's poor.

2. The Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv. This is a must-read for every parent and teacher. Remember when you were growing up and you spent all your free time outside? Especially in summer, when you roamed the neighborhood and built forts and tree houses, played hide-and-seek, and searched for crayfish in the creek. You played pickup football in the vacant lot, or maybe in your neighbor's side yard. What do kids spend their free time doing these days? Playing video games and surfing the Internet. Kids go to school and learn about how the rainforests are quickly disappearing, and humpback whales are becoming extinct; but too many kids don't know what plants and animals live in their own neighborhoods. How will kids grow up with concern for the spotted owl in Oregon when they haven't really played outside much at home in Virginia or Florida? Spending time in nature is a great way to reduce stress--how many times did you climb a tree or go fishing or head down to the creek to skip rocks when you were upset and needed to cool off? I will tell you this: my youngest son, I am happy to say, is NOT a victim of nature-deficit disorder; every day he brings some new critter into the house that he's found under a rock or down by the lake near our home. He likes to watch the birds hop around the yard looking for food. My other two boys are not quite as attached to nature as the youngest, but I hope we are limiting their "screen time" enough and encouraging enough outdoor play that they will appreciate and take good care of the natural world around them. The most recent edition has great resources for parents and educators, including specific activities to do with kids to help them develop a love for nature.

3. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks. I read this one over the Fourth of July weekend. I admit it--I'm a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks, even though some friends and family members cringe every time they hear his name. I know Sparks' novels tend to be somewhat predictable and full of his own cliche's, and they typically follow a similar pattern: in coastal North Carolina, a boy and a girl meet and fall in love. Things seem to be going great until some tragic event or strange twist of fate threatens to tear them apart. Sometimes one of the lovers ends up dying, leaving the other to try to get on with life without them; other stories have happier endings. The Lucky One reads like a typical Sparks book: a soldier serving in Iraq finds a photo of a girl in the dirt, and when no one claims it, he keeps it. Soon he discovers that carrying the picture everywhere he goes seems to protect him from harm, like a lucky charm. Once he's finished with his tour of duty, he sets out on foot from his home in Colorado to track her down to Hampton, North Carolina. The two end up falling in love, much to the consternation of her ex-husband, who is the father of her son and the deputy sheriff. Yes, it's predictable, but there are enough surprises and little twists to keep you reading; and I will say that the ending is satisfying if not a little sad. If you like Nicholas Sparks' books, The Lucky One is as good as any of them.

I hope to write a few more blog posts before the end of July; I want to tell you about our recent trip to the Finger Lakes and the racing we watched there. (Every year I become a bigger fan of the sport, it seems.) I hope to blog some more about other books I'm reading or plan to read; and later on this summer I will DEFINITELY tell you about our trip to Yellowstone National Park, which is coming up soon! I'm sure I'll post some pictures, too.

Blogs or Books?

I've fallen behind. Not only have I not been posting lately, but I haven't kept up with the blogs I follow very well, either. I spent the last half hour scrolling through some of the posts, and read a few of them, but left no comments. I suppose this is the life of a blogger; our lives are busy, and reading and writing posts are moved to the back burner. I have been doing quite a bit of reading though; I think when I'm keeping up with blogs I don't read as many books, and now that I'm picking up books again, I don't read and write many blogs. I hope to find a way to do both (AND go to work, keep my house clean and my family fed, and make sure everyone gets to where they need to be, not to mention keep in touch with my friends and family).

I love books, and summer is the time when I'm able to sit for longer stretches and read. I devour books during the summer. I've already begun my summer reading, and I've read three excellent books just in the last few weeks:

1. The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, who is the President of World Vision, U.S. Stearns talks about how he went from being the CEO of Lenox--you know, the one that makes expensive fine china and crystal--to heading a major Christian relief organization. He talks about how most Christians, even churchgoing ones, tend to look the other way when it comes to the poor. We see news stories about people suffering, and feel sadness and maybe even are moved to send a check; but then we turn to the sports section or flip the channel and forget about them. Once a friend of his took all 66 books of the Protestant Bible and cut out all of the passages that referred to helping the poor and the suffering. There was almost nothing left, just tatters. He points out that God calls all Christians to live the WHOLE Gospel: going to church and witnessing to others is all good, but we must not forget the poor, the sick, the oppressed, the orphaned. He gives eye-opening accounts of the suffering he has personally witnessed: children orphaned by AIDS, people dying from a lack of clean water, families displaced by war, politics, and even genocide. The statistics are staggering: every day 26,500 children die because of their poverty. Because so many people worldwide cannot get food, clean water, and medical care for their children, it's as if 100 commercial jets full of children crashed every day. Reading this book will inspire you to want to act on behalf of all suffering people. You can read more about The Hole in Our Gospel, World Vision, and get suggestions on how to help others here.

*Catholic's Note: Mr. Stearns was raised Catholic, but because his parent's weren't strong in their faith, he drifted away from the Church. He had turned away from God completely, but when he met his future wife, a devout Baptist, his life began to change, and he eventually gave his life to Christ. Wouldn't it be amazing if he came back into the fullness of the Catholic faith? :)

One of World Vision's missions is to combat AIDS in Africa. This is an evangelical Christian organization, not a Catholic one; while they do not promote abortions (I always check this out when I'm looking for humanitarian organizations to support), they do stress an "ABC" approach to AIDS prevention: Abstinence before marriage; Be faithful in marriage; Condoms if you must. Something to keep in mind if you are Catholic and are opposed to condom use. (World Vision does many other things, too, which would not compromise anyone's Catholic moral view; including drilling deep-water wells for the driest regions on Earth, providing farm animals so families and viliages can have sources of food--kind of like what Heifer International does--and allows families to "sponsor" a child by providing funds for his education, as well as his basic needs.)

2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. This is a novel which takes place in 1946, just after WWII. It is written entirely in letters, mostly between the main character, Juliet Ashton, a writer living in London, and her friends and acquaintances. When a coincidence causes her to begin corresponding to residents of the island of Guernsey in the English Channel, she begins to develop friendships that she never would have imagined having. Slowly through the letters we begin to learn of the oppression the people experienced when Nazi Germany occupied the Channel Islands for five years, in hopes of eventually conquering the rest of Britain. Juliet eventually makes her way to Guernsey for the purpose of talking face-to-face with her new friends, and eventually writing a book about their ordeals. It's a beautiful story, and one I would highly recommend, and would be a great book club pick.

3. The Lambi's Call by Tom Fame. Tom is a physician in Salem, Virginia, and a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. His parish participates in a twinning program (American churches developing relationships with communities in poor countries) in Haiti, and he has traveled many times to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and gotten to know its people and culture. His parish helped build schools for the children of St. Gabriel's parish in Lascahobas, Haiti, and a clean-water project is under way. This is a moving account of Tom's own journey of faith through his relationships with the people of Haiti. You can read more about Our Lady of Perpetual Help's Haiti project here; there is a link to a summary of The Lambi's Call, as well as an online order form. Proceeds for the book help pay the salaries of the teachers in Haiti.

I've just started Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. I'll let you know my opinion of this one in a future blog (I hope).

My little garden is still growing; my bean plants are coming up, and some of my tomato plants look pretty good. A friend gave me a cucumber plant the other day, and I'm thinking of uprooting my less-than-healthy tomatoes in my biggest pot and replacing them with the single cucumber plant. Or maybe I'll just buy another great big pot.

I've now spent more than two hours on this blog post. I hope I can read some more of my current book before I drop off to sleep.

Random Thoughts #2: Celebrations, Praises, and Good Books

1. A Day of Celebration Our youngest son celebrated his first communion on Saturday. We are so proud of him! These past two weeks have been extremely busy, and I've put blogging on a back burner (although, I have been reading some, and I keep adding more. I need to update my blog list soon...) Between our school's yard sale for Pennies for Peace, in which we raised over $200, and then First Communion, I'm finally getting around to writing again. I must say, too, that we are blessed to have so many friends and family members who share our happiness for our son. and the kids pushed each other on the tire swing. Right after they ate. No one got sick, thank goodness.

2. A Fabulous Book Do you like Jane Eyre, or Wuthering Heights? Check out The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield. It tells the story of a young writer who becomes the reluctant biographer for Miss Vida Winter, the most popular author in Great Britain. As the old novelist tells young Margaret her bizarre life story, Margaret becomes more and more fascinated by it, and finds herself mingling her own past with that of Miss Winter's. The book contains quite a few irreverent themes--incest, rape, murder, suicide; plus a little bit of spookiness, but only a smattering of profanity. (Come to think of it, doesn't the Bible have most of these things, too?) Once I started reading this I could hardly put it down. I am trying to read a mixture of spiritual books and fiction, so this was my first post-Lent juicy novel.

3. Praise! Okay, I'm so behind I decided to put this week's Praise post here. Praise God for all this rain we're having here--it's no fun, but it will help my garden grow. Praise God for a supportive family, Protestants who celebrate with us in our Catholic spiritual growth. Praise God for the catechists in our parish who have helped our children grow in the faith. Praise God for my fifth grade CCD students and their families; by teaching them I'm learning, too! Praise God for children who show a love and talent for music. I hope they stick with it longer than I did. Praise God for my husband, who finds the time and energy to spend with me and the boys no matter how busy he is at work. I am so blessed to have found him.

So Many Blogs, So Little Time!

I love this new hobby called "Blogging." I've connected with many wonderful people (mostly mothers like me, plus a few radio hosts and apologists, and other folks much smarter than me), and learned a lot! I've even hooked up with a couple of bloggers from my own church, and I've enjoyed getting re-acquainted with them! I love using this medium to share my thoughts with others. I love to read books, but lately I've been reading blogs so much that some days go by without my reading a single page. That's OK, though; I'm still working on creating that balance. Right now I'm reading "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield. Fascinating.

I sat down at my computer 45 minutes ago intending to write a big chunk of a post that's been buzzing around in my head (actually, there are several of those); I spent the whole time reading and responding to YOUR posts instead. I love it!! Hopefully I'll have time to post back here later, because I'm eager to write about these topics ASAP:

1. The 2nd Anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings, and the wonderful talk by Greg Mortenson we attended the other night

2. This hoo-ha over the Georgetown thing and covering up the IHS symbol--I'm still not sure what to make of that

3. The Homeland Security's paranoia that pro-lifers like me are violent right-wing extremists. I still need to read that report before I comment further, though.

Meanwhile, I have a busy couple of days ahead of me, so forgive me if I don't write anything for another week. Hopefully I'll be posting much sooner than that.