Sunday School Rebel

be right back

Sweet blog friends,

Hello there! This is just a short placeholder post to tell you that I am DYING to write my New Orleans post and show you all the neat photos I snapped, but...I am having technical issues. Beaux is going to work on it tonight, unless I can figure it out between now and then. My iPhone is being tricksey and I'm all "OH NO YOU DON'T" because doesn't it know I can't live without photos on my blog?? And I could just upload them to Flickr but for the life of me I have NEVER been able to figure out how to stick Flickr photos in my posts with any success. I'm a loser, baby. 

So that's why I'm holding out on you. But I promise soon I'll be back and tell you all about it. Magical, inspiring, exactly what my soul needed. That's the short version. 

xoxo

Sam-I-am, who walked all over New Orleans and lived to tell about it

 

 

 

12of12: march



(click for bigger pictures)

This month for 12of12, we were out of town, visiting Beaux's grandparents and dad. We haven't seen them since Christmas so a visit was definitely overdue. I love being out of town for 12of12, mostly because it makes my task easier. Still, a few of these pictures are from the day before - why does it always seem that I take better pictures the day before? I don't know. Still, between this and my Instagram habit, no day goes unrecorded around here. And I so love that. 

1. Playing with my toy camera app on my phone. (All of these are iPhone photos, by the way). The weather was delightfully warm but nowhere near hot. I find myself longing to see some leaves on the bare tree branches. 

2. It's funny, now that I'm a little older, I find myself appreciating all the 'vintage' pieces in our grandparents' homes. Beaux's grandma has such treasures everywhere - this is a shot of the deeply soft old sheets on our bed in the guest room. Dang, I sleep good in that bed! (Especially since Thomas will spend MOST of the night on the floor in his Buzz Lightyear sleeping bag.) 

3. Thomas playing, Grandpa L. doing his crossword puzzle. Grandpa L. is pretty patient with little kids playing all around him. Thomas loves going to see "Pepaw" and it makes my heart so happy. 

4. This probably looks like a scribbled mess to you, but it is our first real evidence of Thomas writing his name. Seriously. I am beyond proud. He was sitting at the table with Grandma L. and got his hands on a pencil. I came in and immediately saw the letters amidst the scribbling. Wow. We're not even working on writing letters officially, but he does a tracing game on my phone and with his speech therapist. 

5. On our way back home - Thomas was asleep when we left, and slept until we were nearly home. He woke up with a big smile, which is so much better than the grumpy waking up we sometimes endure. Now that I think about it, that seems to happen less and less these days...

6. Pink azaleas blooming in the front yard. Hooray, azaleas! Azaleas are synonymous with Southern spring...and I'm ready to see all the pink and white swirling sweet blossoms break out in yards and hedges everywhere. 

7. There was this precious little dog that kept sneaking into the backyard. She's a neighborhood dog but no one knows her name, so we called her "Little Dog". I kinda have a crush on her cuteness. Seriously, I could handle a dog like THAT. Rosie (Grandma's dog) and Cole (Beaux's dad's dog) are not so pleased with a usurper in their midst. 

8. Thomas eating an apple. The fruit basket is within his reach and that means I bring our own fruit with us, because he goes on a binge of apples and bananas and sometimes even bites into a tomato by mistake. 

9. More pretty branches. Still need leaves, thank you. 

10. The fridge at Grandma and Grandpa's. I cannot tell you how much I love this fridge. I want one JUST like it when I'm a Grandma. 

11. My cup of coffee and copy of "Just Kids" by Patti Smith, on the back porch. I spent a lot of time on the back porch this visit. Thomas has a ball running around the backyard but doesn't need a ton of supervision. This book was highly recommended - even if you don't know anything about punk or Patti Smith, which I didn't -it's a wonderful story of friendship and the spirit of creativity between two people. 

12. The last episode of Lost. When we got home from our visit, we settled in for the last three episodes. I am sad the story is over and still not so sure I get it. That's okay by me - leave some room for the mystery of it all. 

Tomorrow we're off for another jaunt, this time to my parents, and then I'm headed to New Orleans for the first time in years. I have not been there since Katrina, so that should tell you something. I am so excited - especially since this week I've been down in the mully grubs more often than not. Spending time with my best friend in the world and having an adventure or two sounds like just what my soul needs. 

 

february reads

I have been up since 4:30 AM with a wiggly little boy. We are spending a few days with Beaux's grandparents and dad and Thomas is thrilled to be here. He ran around yesterday afternoon, checking the house for all his favorite things. I checked my phone and was shocked by information on earthquakes and the tsunami in Japan. Obviously, we are glued to the news and horrified by the news from Japan. As I write this, the tsunami wave is about to hit Hawaii. I have decided to make the most of a quiet morning and write a post or two that I've been meaning to write, but I am praying for those in harm's way, those waiting for rescue, those who wait for the worst to come. 

So here's what I read in February: 

I've wanted to re-visit The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood for some time, especially after I read The Hunger Games trilogy last year. I've read it several times since I discovered Margaret Atwood in college (on my own, not through any reading list). I found it even more disturbing now that I am a woman with a child and a husband and viable reproductive system (if you read the book you know why this matters so much). Some of it seems hopelessly implausible (no printed language?) as the world has progressed, and some seems eerily possible. This book is one big flashing warning sign against any government run by a religious group. It's definitely a worthy re-read. Now I'm dying to read The Penelopiad...

I am a huge fan of Rachel Held Evans' blog. She is a soul sister and so articulate, writing about issues that I've halfway wondered myself. I received her memoir, Evolving in Monkey Town, for Christmas. This is a book for anyone who has struggled with their beliefs, especially after being growing in an evangelical, conservative church. If you've ever been amazed at how much you've changed since high school and college - how your own beliefs have grown up and made you question and search for answers - you will love this memoir. What I really love about Rachel is that she had the courage to change - to trust God through her questions. She's a former know-it-all who now admits that there is no knowing it all. I can't recommend this book or her blog enough. 

Next up was In The Woods, which I've wanted to read for a long time. This book reminds me somewhat of the Elizabeth George series, and Kate Atkinson's books - detectives investigating a crime, but this time, in Ireland. There are two mysteries to solve here - one of three missing children in a small town's woods years ago, and now one of the survivors investigating a young girl's death in the same town. The story meanders around a bit, but the conclusion is pretty stunning. Still, not everything is resolved...and I guess it won't be. I keep hearing that the next book, The Likeness is even better - but it deals with another character. It's already waiting on my nightstand! 

After watching my Valentine's Day present of Pride and Prejudice (with a young Colin Firth, NOW I get what all the fuss was about - he was so smoldering and his hair just does something to me) I picked up my copy of Carol Shields' Jane Austen: A Life. I really like Carol Shields, at least, the one book I've read by her. Unfortunately, I didn't get very far - too many library books sitting around yelling to be read before their return dates. Still, I am keeping it in my purse for when I get stuck somewhere. 

I began Major Pettigrew's Last Stand in February but finished it in March, still, I have to include it. Honestly, this is my favorite book of the year so far. I knew it would be right up my alley - a stuffy British major falling in love with the Pakistani village shopkeeper. It's a wonderful story in many ways, full of great characters. I feel like I learned even more about life in Britain, especially as it comes to class and prejudice. I know it's one I'll want to end up buying so I can have it on hand to reread. The love story is so tender and gentle and refreshing. I highly recommend it! 

Now, I've been up since 4:30, so I'm ready to close my eyes for a catnap...but do share what you're reading! I am carefully keeping up with a list of things to-read, and keep pulling it out anytime I'm in a bookstore or library. Being organized about reading is more fun than I thought it could be! 

january reading

Writing about books is not the easiest thing to do. Loving or choosing a book is so personal and it's a bit like your palate - you may love the taste of pesto, but I may not, no matter how hard I try. I may sing the praises of mushrooms but they make your skin crawl - it's okay. I have never claimed to be a great book reviewer but I always love to talk about what I'm reading and hear what others are discovering. I want to get better about expressing the what and the how behind my reading. This year, I am still keeping up with my reading with my little paper journal, but also trying to use Goodreads more. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and it's also where I pledged to read 75 books this year. It's very easy to organize a shelf just for the year and that makes it easier than flipping through several years of books read. 

I usually try to take a picture of what I'm reading, because why not obsessively record my book reading? I've got all bases covered. My grandchildren will never doubt that that crazy darling Granny Sam was a bookworm. 

The funny thing about sharing what you're reading with others is that you start to judge your choices. I admit I ask myself: is this book WORTHY? Would I be embarrassed to tell someone I'm reading this? I try not to let it keep me from what I want to read, because I am not above a re-read of a childhood favorite if that's what my heart needs. Or something silly and light. 

With that said, it's pretty embarrassing that I started off the year with Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper. This is a memoir by Diablo Cody, who, of course, wrote Juno. It was extremely readable. Still, the world of strip clubs is anything but pretty. Cody seemed to fall into stripping, and later, other situations. I admit I learned far more about fetishes than I ever wanted to know when she recounted her stint at one of those peep show places. Look, I'm all about being in touch with your sexuality, but some people are just plain disturbed. If anything, it made me sad for women who get stuck in that life - it's completely disgusting how many strip joints are run. Still, I suppose you could say I enjoyed reading about a whole world that I have no first hand experience in. I couldn't put the book down. 

What really made it interesting is that Cody went in to her experience with a sense of trying to connect with her inner, unexplored bad girl. She was college educated and had a pretty good idea of what she was walking into - and yet she had to wrestle with feelings of selling herself and what that means.How low do you go, and for how high a price? So, it's really not just about stripper heels and weird fetishes. Lots of good things to think about as you read. 

Next up was Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, which has been on my to-read list for quite some time. It was truly funny. I don't often laugh out loud while reading, but this book made me do so. It was pleasant and charming and I learned a lot about Mennonites. Really, it was more about the cultural aspects of the author's Mennonite family rather a spiritual journey, but it was fascinating all the same. See, it's been over a month since I read it and this is all I'm coming away with - nothing too deep, but a fun read. 

I happened to find Little Bee at the library, after picking it up and putting it down several times in bookstores over the past year. Someone told me I absolutely had to read it, so I finally did. The whole deal is that you're not supposed to say what happens in the end, but I can say that it is truly fascinating. Especially with all the rhetoric and tragedy that our own country's immigration policies generate, it's eye-opening to read what other countries do with their own illegal aliens. Of course, it's not just about immigration. I do highly recommend it, though it's not a feel-good read by any stretch of the imagination. 

After all the emotional issues of Little Bee, I gravitated towards an old favorite: Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher. I've read this book countless times since high school and it's always such a comfort. This time, I got very emotional reading it. It's not a surprise when a character dies but I feel so connected to them that I cried several times. The complexity of the relationships struck me this time, and of Judith being so alone in the world. I always come back this book with more understanding: of the war, of relationships, and it stands the test of time. I realize it may not be important literature but it's a story that always calls to me. 

I think I'll give February it's own post, so look at that - another day, another post! Let me know what you're reading and if you want to be friends on Goodreads.