Abby Finds Her Calling by Naomi King

The Lambright family's eldest daughter, Abby, runs her own sewing shop. There, she mends the town's clothes and their torn relationships. But the town maidel has sworn off any suitors of her own because of her unrequited love for James Graber, who is about to marry her younger sister, Zanna...

On the wedding day, Zanna is nowhere to be found, breaking James' heart. Zanna has brought shame to her family, but there's more in store for them when they discover how far she has fallen. Long-buried secrets come to light, and they test the bonds of the Cedar Creek community. Abby is at the center of it all, trying to maintain everyone's happiness. But will she ever find her own?

Up until a few months ago, I hadn't read any of the immensely popular genre of Amish Romances, so I decided to try a few by agreeing to review them.  Abby Finds Her Calling is, by far, my favorite of the three I have read.  It connected with several themes that are close to me.  The problem in writing a review is how to tell you about the things that touched me, without giving away the entire story, but I'll give it a shot.

Aging parents:  There is a scene between James and his father, who suffers from the dementia so common to aging.  When his father speaks out during a church service, James doesn't react with anger or embarrassment.

The world went still.  Time crystallized.  James suddenly saw this moment through the bright shine of sunlight on an icicle...something told James to cherish this fine moment when his father was mentally clear - and to believe every word Dat had said.  A sweetness flowed through him.  For the first time in weeks, James felt peaceful and right with the way things were.

The bond between mothers and daughters, and the friendships of women:  To tell you about my favorite mother/daughter moment would reveal secrets I can't tell, but Ms. King accurately depicted the way love overcomes a mother's anger or disappointment.  The women of the community also overcome their differences to join together to help a friend.

As she looked around the table, at familiar faces lined with love and laughter, Abby realized that gatherings like these were the batting and backing that held the crazy quilt of their lives together.  Every one of these women had her own talents and strengths - added her own colors to the community - yet despite differences of opinion and age, they fit together all of a piece, like the multipatterned squares of this crazy uilt they would complete today.

Faith:  Naturally, faith would play a part in any story based on an Amish community, but this book seemed to touch it more, or maybe it was just my personal mood.  Either way, there is deep wisdom in this story that teaches lessons beyond the usual platitudes.

"But you who gossip and place blame - whether upon Zanna Lambright or each other - stand just as guilty in our own way...After all," he continued, "we're quick to consider [spoiler] a big sin while we minimize the sin of gossip and speculation.  Truth is, bearing false witness is breaking one of God's commandments, same as if we engage in infidelity or lewd behavior."

There is also a scene in the book, featuring one of my favorite scriptures, "But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."  It teaches a lesson in really hearing God's word.  There are many verses we know by heart because we've heard or read them so many times, but do we really know what they say? 

Most of all, this is a story of incredible forgiveness and acceptance, and the way God can use open hearts to work miracles.



This review is part of a blog tour organized by Tracee at Review From Here.  I received a free advance copy from the author as part of the tour.

This, That and The Other

Posts have been a bit sparse lately, mostly because life is plugging along pretty much as it always does and nothing much has inspired me to write.  Instead, here's a roundup of the minor things that are bouncing around in my head:

Nook:  Loving it!  I have become one of those annoying people who is never seen without an electronic gadget in hand - but rather than a smart-phone, it's a Nook.  I use it for everything - grocery list, calender, notes on books, phone #/addresses, entertainment (Words With Friends - user name mrschupa - let's play), email, Twitter . . . oh, and I can read books on it, too!  It has made time on the treadmill much less torturous.  The convenience of purchasing books with a touch is, perhaps, a bit TOO convenient, but I've managed to keep myself under control for the most part.  I recently signed up to review mystery books for Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours, and the ease of receiving the book via an e-mail within minutes of scheduling the review is far preferable to waiting for a hard copy to arrive and then rushing to read. Naturally, a few weeks after I bought mine, B&N dropped the price by $50 and the tablet is now available for the same price I paid for the Nook Color.  I'm told the only real difference is speed, so I'm good where I am.  

Nutrisystem:  Speaking of time on the treadmill.  We are almost to the two month mark in our Nutrisystem journey and still doing well.  That is amazing for me - who has never stuck to a weight loss plan for more than three days. I'm not a chronic weigher - in fact I don't own a scale - so I'm not sure of the current number, but I do know I can breath and button my pants at the same time, and a couple jackets that wouldn't close are now at least closer.  I'm not going to carry on about the details, but if anyone has questions about the Nutrisystem program, I would be glad to give answers, information, or encouragement via e-mail (hcl_tami@yahoo.com) or Twitter (@mrschupa).

American Idol:  Are you an Idol watcher?  I'm not a fan of the audition shows - too much time spent on backstory and drama, and I HATE that they let applicants who obviously can't sing get through to the judges so we can laugh at them (can you say "schadenfreude" ?*) - but now that we're down to the Top 13, I'm intending to write a short weekly post about the competition and my favorites.  So far, I'm rooting for Shannon - 16-year-old girl with a great big voice, who sang "Go Light Your World" by Kathy Tricolli.  That has been a favorite of mine for many years and I thought she was brave to choose an older, less known song, and one with a Christian message.

Crafts:  I have always been a crafter, beginning when my mom taught me to embroider many, many years ago.  She had multiple pictures on all of her tea-towels to supply me with projects.  I later moved on to cross-stitch and did some pretty major projects - including Christmas stockings for each of our kids and for Dave.  My plan was to continue that tradition with the grandchildren. I purchased a kit when Amy was expecting her first, but then our little angel, Tali, was stillborn just two weeks before her due date.  Amy asked me to complete the stocking as a keepsake, but I just couldn't get myself to work on that one, so I chucked it and purchased a kit featuring adorable angels.  It's still sitting in the package.  I purchased two more kits when the boys came along, and Treyvin's is approximately 3/4 finished.  Zerrik's is out of the bag, thread colors separated and a half-a-dozen lonely stitches taken, but I just don't enjoy it any more.  A large part of my frustration with it is eye-sight, and carpal tunnel doesn't help.  Anyway, I made the announcement this past December that after seven years of taking a few stitches between September and Christmas, I'm giving up.  I'm assuming (hoping) that there will be more grandchildren down the road and it's obviously a tradition I just can't keep up with.

     I took up quilting eleven or twelve years ago, and have enjoyed making a few simple projects.  When I went back to work full-time in 2005, I set the quilting aside and haven't touched it again until yesterday.  I still love quilting and want to continue, but it is a high dollar craft so I'm looking for other projects to fill some time and creative energy without emptying the pocketbook.  I've tried scrapbooking, but that also runs into money and it's just not my thing.  I am ordering a couple felt sewing projects - Christmas ornaments - to see how I like that.  Anyone have other suggestions?  I would really love to hear what you enjoy creating.

Gardening:  I'm looking forward to our second attempt at raising a garden.  Last year had mixed results, but we learned a lot so this year will be better.  In fact, as soon as I finish this post, and Dave wakes up from his nap, we're going to get our tomato and pepper plants started indoors.  It's about eight weeks to the average last-frost date in our area, so it's time to get things sprouting so they'll be ready to go in the ground in May.  Do you have gardening plans?

That's a roundup of life at Green Acres.  Now you see why I haven't been inspired to write much lately.  What's going on in our world?

* Schadenfreude - A malicious satisfaction obtained from the misfortunes of others.

Eatin' it Real

Trish at Love, Laughter and a Touch of Insanity is challenging us all to go natural for a month . . . in the food department that is.  During the month of March, Trish and her family will be eating no processed foods, and she's inviting everyone to give it a try along with them. There are no specific rules, you can individualize your "go natural" plan to fit your life.  Here are the guidelines Trish will be following, to give you a starting place:

1. We will not consume any pantry food that comes from a box or a can (the exception might be canned tomatoes or dry pasta).
2. We will not consume any processed fridge products other than dairy items.
3. If a recipe calls for a processed condiment (such as ketchup), we will carefully analyze the feasibility of making said condiment from scratch
4. We will limit our eating out together and alone but will not avoid social gatherings such as family dinners.
Everything else should be as natural and unprocessed as possible. Yup—we’ll even attempt to make our own bread. Though we will not be grinding the wheat to make the flour. 

 Since our household is currently on NutriSystem, we can't avoid all processed foods, but at least we are certain that the prepared meals we are eating are nutritionally balanced, low sodium and low fat.  With the provided meals, we add fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, etc.  That is where we will focus on "eatin' it real".  Here are my personal goals:

• No canned fruits or veggies.  This is the majority of our discretionary diet at the moment, so it will get the most attention.  We will have to make more frequent stops at a Mega-Mart because our small-town store does not carry some fresh produce, such as green beans, year round, or adjust our menus to what fresh veggies are available.  This also means no packaged fruit cups in my lunch - especially the "parfait" type with some mysterious custard-like substance.  They are delicious, but of course they contain less actual fruit in order to keep the calorie count similar to a plain fruit cup.  Fresh fruits only.
• No packaged pasta - what little we are eating I will make fresh from whole-wheat flour.
• Homemade bread - again we're not consuming much right now, but I will make our own IF I can determine how it compares in calories/portion size to the ready-made stuff.  Tortillas will have to be an exception, but I already buy whole grain, low fat.
• Dairy - Since I don't know how to make cheese, nor do I have a cow, that will have to come from the store, as will milk, obviously.  
• Peanut butter - don't know how to make my own, so I will look for natural varieties in the store or just eliminate it all together since I don't eat much anyway.  
• Salad dressing - I know there are tons of recipes out there to make it myself and regulate the fat/calories to boot.
• Hummus - This is one of my favorite snacks, so I'll be looking for recipes to make my own.

As you can see, we aren't able to dive into the all natural challenge completely, but we'll take a dip where we can and, hopefully, develop better, healthier eating habits.  If you want to give it a try, visit Trish's blog (link at the top of the page) to sign up and see what others are doing.

The Good, The Bad and The What Were They Thinking?

I love watching the Oscars, not for the awards because I've rarely seen any of the movies that are nominated, but for the fashions . . . and the chance to critique them, because we all know what a fashion plate I am!

The Best:

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Sandra Bullock: Although "the experts" didn't necessarily care for her gown, I loved it.  It's classic, the beading is gorgeous, and the cowl neckline is demure - until she turns around and the back dips to her waist.  Also loved the simple pony-tail do.

Glen Close:  Also timeless and classic.  Applause for her realization that, while she still has an amazing figure, women of a certain age don't necessarily need to show everything they've got, so she topped the stunning gown with a tuxedo-style jacket. On the red carpet I thought the dress was black, but the pics this morning show me it was a deep green.  Either way - beautiful!

Penlope Cruz:  The picture of Grace Kelly - from the flowing ball gown to the minimalist accessories to the hair style. She could be a princess.

Tina Fey:  Tina is a bit of a wildcard pick.  I'm not a fan of peplums, even on the skinniest model, but the simplicity of the rest of the dress and the rich eggplant color made it a winner!

The Worst:

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Meryl Streep:  Oscar fashion a la Scarlett O'Hara, or perhaps the Von Trapp children.  Looks as though she pulled down the drapes and wrapped herself in them, sloppily.

Michelle Williams wore a chenille bedspread, and evidently a twin size, because there wasn't enough fabric to complete the look so the back of the bodice was in a contrasting fabric.

Emma Stone:  Whoever told her that red-orange hair, a fuscia gown and red carpet would be a good look should be fired.  And then there's the ginormous bow drooping on her shoulder.

Viola Davis:  This dress is borderline.  The style was fine, the fit was good, but the fabric/color threw me.  The green was somewhere between lime and pistachio - fine for dessert, but not for fashion.  The sheen on the fabric made it look like vinyl or pleather under the lights.

Hit or Miss?

Kudos to Octavia Spencer for showing off her curves!  I was on the fence at first because I thought the draping may have accented too many curves on the hips and in back.  Then, Jennifer Lopez arrived in a similar white/cream dress with draping emanating from a front starburst pattern.  The curving lines were much kinder to Ms. Lopez's back side, but the impending "wardrobe malfunction" of that plunging neckline was too distracting.  Over all, Octavia won.

WTF???:
Angelina Jolie gets this category all to herself.  What was she doing?  Her black velvet gown was beautiful, but the slit went several inches past sexy into slutty territory and her awkward poses to accentuate that fact were just bizarre!

There was obviously an inside joke between her and Brad, as she grinned at him in the front row as she shuffled around like a gawky teenager at her first prom, trying to strike "the pose".  Perhaps she was practicing the teenage shuffle while her makeup artist was working, which would explain the shiny, pale face and overdone lipstick.

There was one other odd moment - Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez standing with their backs to the camera, then doing a quick flip around to announce the winner (which sparked rumors of JLo's nipple taking a peek, but that has proven to be untrue), then giggling like jr. high girls and babbling incoherenty (like jr. high girls).  But it was nothing compared to Jolie's oddity.

That's my take on The Oscars 2012.  Who was our fav?

Wildcats, Aggieville and.... Tomatoes?

If you've followed this blog much at all over the last two years, you probably know two basic things about us:  1) We are K-State fans and 2) we live on a farm we call Green Acres, after the 1960's TV show, because we don't actually farm, and I'm not normally the outdoorsy type. 

Dave and I attended K-State in the late 70's/early 80's.  He left with a degree and I left with a husband and we were both happy. We frequently travel to Manhattan for football and basketball games.  We've had season tickets at various times - even one year when we lived 250 miles away (bad idea!) Our closet is full of purple shirts; we have purple hats, purple socks, purple coats, purple golf bag, purple club covers, there are purple dishes in our kitchen, purple rugs in the bathroom, my dish soap is even purple.  If there is a color option, we almost always choose purple.  How does this connect to Green Acres?  Follow along...

When we moved into Green Acres last year, we inherited a lot of beautiful flowers and a lovely garden spot from the previous owner who, the locals tell us, turned these two acres into a showplace back in the 70's - brick paths leading to immaculate flower beds; shrubs, perennials and annuals selected to have continual color throughout the summer; even roaming peacocks.  There was even a separate and complete kitchen in the basement she used only for canning.  Unfortunately, the house sat empty and the gardens untended for a good many years while the owner was in a nursing home.  Only after her death a few years ago was the house sold and re-occupied.  We are slowly beating back the overgrowth, cutting up the dead wood and rediscovering the brick paths under the grass. I added a few annuals in pots and in the flower box attached to the front of the house, but otherwise we spent most of last summer just discovering what is already here.

Except for the garden. I have never been a gardener - I once planted some tomatoes and peppers in an unused flower bed, but the rabbits ate more of them than we did. We have always lived in town, where the combination of limited yard space and children and dogs wanting to use that yard, kept us from trying anything more.  But, faced with all this space - not to mention all the neighbors asking if we had our garden in yet - we decided to try our hand.  We planted tomatoes, peppers, carrots, green beans, cilantro, cucumbers, lettuce, cantaloupe and watermelon.  We planted everything from seed and we started way too late.  Never saw hide nor hair (nor leaf) of a pepper or cilantro plant - not sure what happened there - the carrots met with an unfortunate weed-eater accident, we harvested enough beans for about 3 meals, and every time a melon got big enough to be recognizable, a dog recognized it as a ball and ran away with it.  However, we had bumper lettuce, tomato and cucumber crops, so not a total wash for our first try.  In the process we learned a lot about soil preparation, planting season and protecting melons from dogs.  This year we are  prepared, we are enthused and we are going purple!

Through Twitter, I met a lovely lady named Kelly (@toesandtomatos), who has recently started her own heirloom seed business. I didn't really know what an "heirloom" seed was but it did make me wonder if purchasing quality seed rather than the 10 for a dollar variety at Wal-Mart might produce a better crop (cause I'm sharp that way!) so I paid a visit to Kelly's website, The Art of Seed.  What I found were some amazing tomato and pepper varieties that I had never seen or heard of - and some of them were PURPLE AND WHITE!  So, in our garden this summer you will find, Lord willing, some Black Cherry Tomatoes alongside Great White Tomatoes. Go Cats!

Photos courtesy of The Art of Seed

We're also going to throw in some Mini Chocolate Bell Peppers because their brown color has a purplish hue - and they're just so darn cute! - plus some regular red tomatoes and peppers as well.

One thing led to another, as things on Twitter often do, and I also met another lovely lady, Jan, (@twowomenandahoe) who had featured Kelly's story on her beautiful purple blog, Two Women and a Hoe (which is a portion of her web-site dedicated to her awesome landscaping business).  If you have any interest in gardening, landscaping or just like to look at pretty pictures, I encourage you to visit both of these sites, meet these women and get inspired to start making your garden/landscape plans.  In spite of what that groundhog said, summer will be here before you know it.

Summer of Secrets by Charlotte Hubbard

Welcome to Willow Ridge, Missouri! In this cozy Amish town along the banks of the river, the Old Ways are celebrated at the Sweet Seasons Bakery Café, 

and love is a gift God gives with grace.

Summer has come to Willow Ridge, but Rachel Lantz is looking forward to a whole new season in her life—marriage to strapping carpenter Micah Brenneman, her childhood sweetheart. When a strange Englischer arrives in the café claiming to be the long-lost sister of Rachel and her twin Rhoda, Rachel feels the sturdy foundation of her future crumbling—including Micah’s steadfast love. As the days heat up and tempers flare, Rachel and Micah will learn that even when God’s plan isn’t clear, it will always lead them back to each other.

Last fall I read my first Amish romance, mostly out of curiosity over the popularity of the genre, and discovered a new kind of heroine - a woman  who balances independence and strength with the "plain" ways of her religion, which requires obedience and submission.  Through a blog tour arranged by Tracee of Review From Here, I got the chance to try another story of the Amish life - Summer of Secrets, the first volume of the Seasons of the Heart series by Charlotte Hubbard.

The story centers around the return of a daughter lost during a flash flood nearly 20 years earlier. The contrast of the two sisters who were raised in the Amish faith with the sister who was raised by the Englisher couple who rescued her, makes this a fascinating story.   It was easy to empathize with Rebecca as she tried to reconcile the modern lifestyle in which she was raised, with it's freedom, technology and relaxed morals, and the lifestyle  and beliefs of her birth family. I'll confess to being drawn to that lifestyle myself.   Although I know I wouldn't make it a week without computers, TV, and other electrical conveniences, the simplicity of the Amish ways draws me - making this an especially intriguing story. The ending wraps up the major controversies in a satisfying way, while still leaving enough loose tendrils to make the reader curious about the next installment.

Summer of Secrets combines romance, a little suspense and several moral lessons to make a compelling story. One of my favorite lines comes near the end when Miriam, the mother, is being chastised by the church leaders:

"Tis a gift to realize that, just when ya feel you've hit rock bottom, ya have - for sure and for certain - landed on the Rock, indeed.  It's God's own hand you're sittin' in."

I received a free, advanced copy of this book from the author, as part of the blog tour. Thanks Charlotte and Tracee for incuding me in the tour. 

This is Not a Book! by Keri Smith

A curious, engaging, and creative rethinking of what a book can be, from the creator of Wreck this Journal.

In this uniquely skewed look at the purpose and function of "a book," Keri Smith offers an illustrated guide that asks readers to creatively examine all the different ways This Is Not a Book can be used. With intriguing prompts, readers will discover that the book can be:

• A secret message-tear out a page, write a note on it for a stranger, and leave it in a public place.
• A recording device-have everyone you contact today write their name in the book.
• An instrument-create as many sounds as you can using the book, like flipping the pages fast or slapping the cover.

This Is Not a Book will engage readers by having them define everything a book can be by asking, "If it's not a book, what is it?" - with a kaleidoscope of possible answers.

In January, I read this post on Cheri's Chatter that got me curious about making a Smash Book or Junk Journal, so I went on-line in search of more information.  I found the Smash Books (scrapbooking for the non-scrapbooker) and ordered Amanda and I each one.  It's still sitting on my dresser, untouched, because... as I was surfing, I also found This is Not a Book by Keri Smith.  I ordered two copies of it and Amanda and I are completing them as a mother/daughter project.  (We'll get to the Smash Books later.)

As the blurb says, each page of This is Not a Book declares something else that it could be.  Some are writing exercises:  "This is a time machine. Describe a time in your life you would like to go back and relive"* or "This is a plot to rule the world.  If I could take over the world, I would make the following changes..."** Some are more active: "This is a factory that makes very small books" (followed by a template to cut out, fold and form into a very small book then fill with whatever content you want), or "This is a Random Adventure.  Go outside, walk until you see something red...." Some are just potentially embarrassing (I haven't done these yet, obviously):  "This is a performance.  Select a piece of writing you really like and read it out loud where others can hear you."

One of the first pages instructs you to develop a disguise for your not-a-book.  So, what began as 2 plain red books (see image above) have now been disguised using stickers, wrapping paper, a napkin, markers, and a C.J. Banks shopping bag - among other things.  I can't post a picture because then it would no longer be a disguise, right?

This is Not a Book is fun, creative and makes you think "outside the box".  Have you stretched your creativity lately?  

*In case you are wondering, I chose for my time machine page to transport me to the summer of 1993.  Mitch and Amanda were 2 and 1; I was a stay-at-home mom; my best friend, Wanda, was still living and was just a mile down the road.  I was needed, life was simple and, though the house we lived in was a dump, I was happy!

**If I ruled the world I would: Remove all "reality" tv shows from the airwaves; disband political parties; outlaw Facebook; and name Tim Gunn Supreme Commander of the World and we would all live more peaceful, gracious lives.

Ms. Smith has also created "Finish This Book" which will definitely be our next project.

Dear Reader,

One dark and stormy night, author Keri Smith found some strange scattered pages abandoned in a park. She collected and assembled them, trying to solve the mystery of this unexpected discovery, and now, she's passing the task on to you, her readers.

I collected and assembled them, trying to solve the mystery of this unexpected discovery, and am now passing the task on to you.

Your mission is to become the new author of this work. You will continue the research and provide the content. In order to complete the task, you will have to undergo some secret intelligence training, which is included in this volume. Since no one knows what lies ahead, please proceed with caution, but know...this book does not exist without you.

Yours truly,

Keri Smith