Monday Reading, The I'm Ready For Spring Edition

Good Monday, friends.

Today was grey and gloomy, but air smells earthy and green, and the trees are dressing themselves in their pale and delicate ball gowns - resplendent in bloom - and suddenly, I know... I'm really ready for spring time. Are you? 

But anyway, right now what I really want to know is this: WHY is it that Mondays seem to sneak up on me each week? It's not like I don't know it's coming. Seriously.

And worse, all week I'm keeping my eyes and ears open for things to put in this post! 

So here it is, Monday evening, and I haven't written a word... But all that's about to change.

Ahem.

So anyway.

This last week has been interesting. I've done a lot of reading (and you're thinking, "So what else is new?" but it really is quite a lot!), then sort of found a new groove (in my own life - the Daddy thinks I've been replaced by a Stepford wife or something because the house is actually mostly clean MOST of the time), been plugged back in to the local farmer's markets after being rather out-of-the-loop for the last couple of months, met some amazing new friends, and wrote this post which has started me down a path of posts that I'm excited about writing. Yay!

In other news, I'm currently listening to the Daddy play a game with the girls and there's much giggling and screeching - it's a glow-in-the-dark game for kids about vampires and garlic (it's also hilarious and FYI, I am *completely* horrible at it). I'm betting on the Ladybug winning, she's got skills.

We are not going to be taking a "spring break" so-to-speak in our household, I'm thinking. All the "breaking" to be had was in January, and you know, I'm honestly considering the benefits of (mostly) year-round schooling, at least while we're homeschooling. Thoughts, anyone? I'd love to hear if anyone else does this - I know of one person who does this, and it seems to work well for them, but we've not actually talked about it.

That having been said, today was completely and utterly useless for anything even remotely resembling traditional schooling. However, time outside and slave-driver-Mommy-makes-the-children-clean the domestic arts were highly favored.

As well as informal drama. Hours of informal drama. Actually, I kind of live in an informal drama class most of the time. I wonder if I could count all the hours spent amidst screaming and wailing and gnashing of teeth and apply them toward an "extracurricular activity"? I mean, seriously, that's gotta be worth at least two full weeks' worth of school time so far! And think of all the practice she's getting! How will she know how to be utterly dejected and completely miserable without all the PRACTICE???

Not that I have any idea where she might get a flair for the dramatic or anything.

And, just for a fun mention, we had another spider episode today. This time both of them came screaming and dancing and bawling and careening down the stairs, although the Ladybug didn't even know WHY she was screaming and running, just that sister had done it, so it MUST be important and scary.

KayKay was convinced that it was a "giant mutant black widow" grown big enough to "suck my brains out." Can we say, ACTIVE IMAGINATION? Mix that up with her current (and reigning) title of Drama Queen, and if the child doesn't have a career in Hollywood awaiting her, I'll be mightily surprised.

And even better... This time, the spider was already dead. Seriously. I hit it with a shoe for good measure, while they both stared at me from up high and far away ('cause you know, it might suddenly sprout wings and try to fly at them to suck their brains out) and threw it in the toilet. Which completely grossed the Ladybug out for some bizarre reason.

RIP, little spider friend. I'm sure you probably died of fright from the screeching. Unless it was the dancing. Oh, well. Enjoy spider heaven with all your other relatives.

And speaking of spider heaven - in actual, REAL heaven, I really hope there are not spiders. Otherwise me and God are going to need to have a conversation. Because that I *really* won't understand. 

Anyway.

We also went to see Tangled today at the local dollar theater. I wasn't so sure about this Disney movie after seeing the original trailer for it, but OH! it was SO GOOD. And so funny!! I am so glad we went to see it! I am totally Rapunzel in so many ways. I haven't ever so closely identified (besides absolutely wanting to BE one of them, HELLO!) with any of the Disney princesses before now. I don't really know what that says about me, but whatever. She's pretty and funny and has spunk and a great personality and big dreams. If that's me, then I'm happy, whatever my other flaws may be (although I'm sure to work on them!). Here's a clip:

So anyway. That was totally fun.

Now. On to reading. Yay!

Books

Okay, so here's the deal: I've got several books going right now, so I can't give a total rundown of any of them (except one, and I wasn't really even going to mention it on here), but there are several that I've read in the last year that I've been desperate to share with anyone who'll listen (I LOOOOOOVE to talk about books I've read or am reading!), so today I'm going to share one of those - in addition to general stuff about the other books I'm currently reading.

So first: I picked up Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert at a thrift store a couple of weeks ago. I'm not generally a New York Times Bestseller kinda girl, because really, it kinda feels cliched to me... I wouldn't mind WRITING a New York Times Bestseller, but I don't really read them. In fact, the last one I read was well-on a decade ago. Discovering that this is an OLD bestseller makes me feel some better about it, though. But ANYWAY. 

I started it. And I totally admit, I love it. It's a little new-agey for my tastes (I don't adhere to the whole "God is in everything, God is everything, the Universe is God." yada-yada. God is God. But whatever, this is not a post about my theology.), but her writing style is totally my speed and she's got an excellent sense of describing places and people and scenarios in exciting and interesting ways. And I simply *adore* the way she talks about food (I'm in the Italy section right now). It's an utterly perfect account of an altogether imperfect woman who asks all the hard questions of herself and doesn't always like (or understand) the answers. And it's messy and REAL. Love it.

Now, I haven't gotten to India or Indonesia yet, and so, I may change my mind by the time I finish with the book, but at this point, I am enchanted. For the first part, I give it two thumbs up. Best ninety-nine cents I've spent in a good long while. We'll see how the rest goes.

I also sped my way through a young-adult fiction book called Loving Will Shakespeare, by Carolyn Meyer. So... 

Cons: The whole "Shakespeare" aspect that kinda left it wanting. I had much higher hopes for it. The story was an entirely fictionalized account of the life of William Shakespeare's (older-than-he) estranged wife, Anne... But the Will Shakespeare wasn't much of a character in this book - there wasn't much Will to love, if that makes sense. The story didn't gel until the last thirty-or-so pages, and there needed to be more of it in order to make the read worth it, in my opinion. It was also a little adult for young-adult fiction, whether the word "adult" is in there or not... Not that it was all that racy, but there are several scenes where physical intimacy is either discussed or alluded to or happens outright (no details are given, though, thank goodness!).

Pros: As historical fiction goes, it is obvious that Ms. Meyer did her research thoroughly. There was a very good sense of the place and time period. The mood and feel for the period is impeccably written. The characters are pretty well-developed, and Anne's story is pretty engrossing. If it were not entangled with the name Shakespeare, it would have been much more satisfying of a read, and if you can put that part aside, it is a good book. 

Conclusion: It was kinda... Meh. Don't get me wrong, as a book, it wasn't bad. It simply didn't live up to my expectations. I'd give it two-and-a-half or three stars. 

Then there's Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories. You may be horrified to learn that I had never even heard of this book until my equally horrified (and utterly delightful) friend Collette found out and bought it for me on the spot.

I have since been reading it to myself (at night) and aloud to the girls (during the day). All three of us are utterly and completely captivated. When I finish it, I will give a complete analysis, but for now let me just say that it will have a happy and well-loved home on our bookshelf for the remainder of our days.

Okay, so now the book I mentioned in the beginning - the one I finished a while back. This one is one I had wanted to read for some time now, and finally ordered it off of Amazon because I KNEW that it was going to become a part of my permanent library... And it is:

In My Hands, by Irene Gut Opdyke. This is an unbelievable book. It is the story of a Holocaust rescuer in her own words. Irene was a beautiful young Polish woman when the Nazis came into Poland, and she risked her life to help those that she could help, rather than standing by and watching it all happen. It is a beautiful, powerful story that needs to be known. I am not going to spend an over-long time discussing it, but here is the breakdown:

Cons: Very few, to be honest. My one word of caution: this is not a book to be used for younger readers just learning about the Holocaust. It is a *fantastic* story, but an edited version of her story should be communicated to younger middle-school and high-school children. There are some very adult themes that are addressed in the book, in particular about her sexual relationship with a Nazi officer, and while there are not very many details given, it is not something that needs to be shared with younger ones, nor is it something all parents will want even their older children reading about. There may be a for-school version out there that I haven't seen, so you might look to see if you really want your child to read about her.

That having been said...

Pros: Oh, my, where to begin? The writing is excellent and the story is beyond compelling. In my opinion, it simply doesn't get much better than that. In the literature about the Holocaust, this is one of those few, shining books that tells a story of hope. It is easy to get lost in the horror of the Holocaust, and also easy to want to see only the "good" things that happened, but this book is a balance - Irene Gut Opdyke bravely does great good in her life, but at a personal cost. And although it is, so-to-speak, an outsider's view (because she is not a survivor), she tells quite plainly of what she saw being done to the Jews of Poland during World War II.

Conclusion: This is a MUST-READ for anyone serious about learning more about the Holocaust, or anyone who wants to teach about the Holocaust. Her story is one that must be told, and helps put into perspective that not all Poles were anti-Semites (it can seem so at times because, unfortunately, a great many were and still are). It also is a fantastic moral story about hard choices, as well as what it means to actively choose right and righteousness in the face of great and pervasive evil.

So that's my book list (and oh, there are more, but I'm trying to keep it short!) for this week. On to links!

Links

This has been a fun week for links. Lots of people, like me, who are *ready* for spring to be here! 

We're Going On A Colour Hunt: The Imagination Tree. While I think this post is for littler ones than what I have, I think it's a fantastic idea - and might be fun with bigger ones, too! I love the rainbow! 

Rainbow Play-Dough: Tinker Lab. Again with the rainbows! So fun. I have never yet made homemade play-dough, and I think it may finally be time. The girls would love it, I know!

Cinnamon Roll French Toast: Clutzy Cooking. While this is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY *NOT* on my list of foods I should EVER eat... I'm suddenly greatly desiring to make this. NOT HEALTHY. *Sigh* Although of course, I would like to actually make my own homemade cinnamon rolls to make the French toast out of. So maybe I could *try* to make it somewhat more healthy? Hmmmm. And total yum! My mouth is watering at the thought. 

Tax Breaks Vs. Budget Cuts Infographic: AmericanProgress.org. To break with the theme: not springy at all. And definitely thought-provoking. And while I am not going to go into my own personal politics here, I will say, this infographic (shared by a friend via Facebook, the ultimate source of all knowledge necessary to the world-at-large) was hugely disturbing to me. Ugh. I really despise a lot of what happens in D.C. 

Ten Ways To Get Rid of Cabin Fever: Momtastic. I wish I had read this earlier in the day. We had some of that going on. Great ideas! 

Separating The Makers From The Followers: Scoutie Girl. I think someone I know posted this, but I'm not certain. However, what I *am* certain of is that this is a FANTASTIC read. Totally worth the time!

Skipping Meals Can Make You Healthier: Wellness Mama. This is a really interesting post and sheds some light on how skipping a meal or doing a short fast can really help your body.

Is There A Fairy In The House? A Kid's Garden Fairy House: Pink And Green Mama. Oh, MY. Do I love this. Do I totally daydream about having one of these for myself (the girls would have to have their own!). We may have to try our hands at making one. It is too delightful!

Brenna's Book Fabric Page: Design Sponge. And speaking of making, this would be an awesome project to do with kids because it's easy and versatile. This is one that *I* personally can really get into. (You know me, the easier, the better!) So I actually think I'm going to go to Goodwill simply to buy a couple of books that we can tear up!

Credit Card Art: Housing A Forest. Oh yes. And THIS one, too. So totally easy. SO TOTALLY FUN. (And no, I'd never heard of this, either!)

And just to keep you off-balance and keep it interesting, I have to throw in a couple of DIY decorating projects like these:  

Pottery Barn Distressed Clock Knock-Off: Creative Juices Decor. This is SO AWESOME. I need this woman to make me one, because A) I don't have the time, B) I don't have that kind of mad painting skills, and C) I don't have all the awesome spray paint and supplies to even TRY to have the skills. But seriously, SIX BUCKS??? Wow. 

Yes, Please, I'll Take This Chandelier: A Little Bit of Sanity And A Lot of Chaos. Again with the total awesomeness. And again with the, "I totally need you to make me one of these." But I'm definitely feeling inspired!

And last, something beautiful. Because I love beauty. And love to share. And love Etsy.

So that's that. G'night, friends. Happy reading. Happy Monday!