Teaser from Breaking Up with God

by Carol9 Comments
I don't go to church, but I do go to the covered stalls of the farmers' market on Saturday mornings—wildflower honey, olive oil, butter lettuce, collard greens, arugula, Swiss chard, beets, snap peas, artichokes, fava beans, haricots verts, strawberries, peaches, oranges, orchids, ranunculus, butternut squash, avocados, heirloom tomatoes, lemons, lavender, basil, thyme—a place in which I can believe. I buy eggs from Varden, a farmer from Nipomo who wears overalls and shows me pictures of hens—my girls, he calls them—and they are not in cages. He talks about his girlfriend, lends me books about soil, makes compost tea, and asks, every week, What's for show and tell? (Tuesday Teaser from pg. 212 (ARC) of Breaking Up with God: A Love Story by Sarah Sentilles)...
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A Maze of Grace by Trish Ryan

by Carol7 Comments
A Maze of Grace by Trish Ryan Tish Ryan lets us into her life, discussing the early years of her marriage. She candidly tells us about the happiness, the struggles, temptations and struggles, and how God has been with her through all of it, even if it doesn't always feel that way. She attempts to inspire and encourage us through relating what she has learned. I have mixed feelings about the book. I like Ryan's attitude that marriage is not "hard," that it can be a fun adventure, a life shared. I like her honesty and the importance she places on prayer. I found some of her comments about marriage and relationships insightful and am glad I read the book. I don't like that she spends over half of the book talking about wanting to have a baby, craving to be a mother, but never resolves those feelings. I know that it's a memoir and the baby's not going to magically appear like...
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Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi

by Carol5 Comments
Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi I don't read many graphic novels, but after seeing a few reviews of this one, I knew I had to pick it up. Sartrapi allows us to spend the afternoon with a group of nine Iranian women, relatives, neighbors and friends. We sit in on their discussions of the men they've known and loved, known and haven't loved, relationship choices they've made. Each story is told with humor, but the woman still deal with the reality of not truly having the freedom and independence that I take for granted. The women tell stories of escaping arranged marriages, of faking virginity, of loving men who are married to others. Their stories are touching, but for me even more important and universal was the support they gave each other. They didn't judge, they may have laughed at each other, but they were each still accepted and supported, no matter what decisions they made in life. The stories also show that women...
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The Tao of Willie by Willie Nelson

by Carol9 Comments
The Tao of Willie by Willie Nelson with Turk Pipkin I'm actually not much of a country fan, but Willie Nelson is an American icon. To be honest, I only know a few of his songs, but this short book caught my attention while I was browsing through my library's audiobook titles. Nelson shares his stories, jokes and lessons he has learned during his life. I enjoyed listening to him talk about his friends, religion, politics. I don't know that he said anything earth-shaking, but that's not the point. It's about him sharing his thoughts and maybe giving you some help finding happiness. Let the jerks of the world serve as the perfect example of what you don't want to be. You'll be a heck of a lot happier, and in the long run, there's a chance that other person at work will end up asking what your secret is. Why are you the happy one? In other...
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Guest Post by Hope Edelman

by Carol6 Comments
Thanks to Hope Edelman for taking a page in my notebook to share a little about her story today. TAKING THE SHORT WAY HOME When my husband first expressed interest in traveling to Belize, I confused it with Ibiza. I thought he was talking about an island off the coast of Spain. That’s how meager my knowledge was about Central America. After a few days of internet research, however, I learned that Belize is the smallest and least populated country in Central America, tucked between Guatemala and the Yucatan Peninsula; that until 1984 it was known as British Honduras, which is why the national language is English; and that for such a small country it has exceptional cultural diversity, with citizens from an entire rainbow of races and ethnic backgrounds: Mestizos; Mayas;  Creoles; Scots; East Indians; Lebanese; Taiwanese; and Garifunas, who are believed to be descended from 19th-century shipwrecked African slaves. It seemed to be a safe country, and also an interesting one...
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Guest Post about Christmas Shopping by Pat Snyder

by Carol8 Comments
I want to thank Pat Snyder, author of The Dog Ate My Planner, for guest posting today. Her story about Christmas shopping made me laugh. ONLY ONE WISE MAN BROUGHT GOLD Ever on the lookout for time-savers, I was blown away when my friend Jean said she didn’t do Christmas shopping for her adult children. “I’m terrible,” she said. “I just write a check.” “Not terrible!” I told her, feet still hurting from last year’s hunt. “Money’s what they want! Money’s what they need! I’ve never seen one of them return it.” The prospect of a shopping strike left me reeling. Mentally, I fast-forwarded to two weeks before Christmas under a no-shopping plan. I am sitting in front of the fireplace, sipping red wine (for my health) and tucking three checks into gift envelopes to be hung from the tree. I have purchased lovely cards for my spouse and my mom. And I’ve gone to the Heifer International website (http://www.heifer.org) and notified my out-of-town relatives...
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