Cat Has My Back #sol18

Please note: I am not actively participating in the Slice of Life Challenge, but I have a sister-in-law who is. As I texted her earlier this month, “Mayhaps I will participate next year.”

~          ~          ~          ~          ~

I have three A-B-C cats. Abacus is male, while Bibbidi and Cannoli are female. See? A-B-C names, so they are my A-B-C cats. They are littermates born last year. I took them in from a couple in our church family. As best I understand, their mother was dumped off, had her litter of five and was killed only weeks later (I thought she got hit by a vehicle on the road, but I also heard she was killed by neighbor dogs, so I don’t know the correct story and don’t want to know).

            They are outdoor cats, but before you get any ideas that I don’t care about my outdoor felines, please think again. They have their designated “cat shed.” They are spayed/neutered and are up-to-date on shots. They are litter box-trained. During the cold months, I have a heated cat tent and a heated water bowl for their use.

            It is obvious that Abacus, Bibbidi and Cannoli were worked with a lot before they came to live here. They enjoy being held – cuddled – and absolutely love attention. They will follow me around like a dog. When Abacus wants to alert me to a possum in the yard or an empty food dish, he will meow at me very seriously (truly, it is a distinct meow). They all like talking to me when the mood suits. They are fantastic mousers.

            The pictures I’ve shared are of Cannoli in one of her favorite spots – on my back – as I’m dealing with their litter box. My mom happened to be at my house and so witnessed this and helpfully took some pictures. She even gave a play-by-play at one point:

·         “She is grooming her paws.”

·         “Now she’s lying out on your back.”

·         “She’s coming close to your neck like she’s going to sniff you or pat you.”

            It turns out that dogs aren’t the only best friends, though I love them, too. It’s just that cats are this woman’s best friends (of the furry variety)!

Cannoli has my back.

Results of Cannoli having my back during Muddy Season.

The Book Bug Baby #sol18

Please note: If you are commenting on those posts actively participating in the Slice of Life Challenge only, stop reading right now. I know of this challenge through a sister-in-law, but did not take up this challenge myself.

~          ~          ~          ~          ~

This adorable little guy is my nephew, Liam. As with any proud auntie, I will gush about his adorableness and his alertness and his intelligence. I will proclaim his perfection and revel in his smiles, giggles and coos. I love listening to him “talk.” He’s so expressive about it, as his entire body is often utilized in his “conversations,” from waving his arms to bending his knees up and blasting off as he makes a particular point. Unsurprisingly, I am smitten with him.

            Liam enjoys being read to, which is why I couldn’t help but share this photo. It was taken just over a month ago at four months old. Such command of the book he has! What an avid reader he is! Such a prolific life he’ll surely lead!

            Does it surprise you that I go through withdrawal when I haven’t seen him in over a week?

"A Chance at Forever" by Melissa Jagears

A Chance at Forever (Mar. 6, 2018) by Melissa Jagears.*

Living up to one’s name can be daunting, and Mercy McClain has felt the pressure of it, especially with the reappearance in Teaville, Kansas, of George “Aaron” Firebrook. Aaron was her biggest tormentor as a youth, daily harassing her about her right arm, which never fully formed. Mercy hasn’t seen him in over a decade, as she moved in fifth grade, and when she returned to Teaville, Aaron was no longer in the area. She finds fulfillment working at the local orphanage for Nicholas & Lydia Lowe, participates in meetings and group efforts with the Teaville Moral Society and serves on the school board. Though her heart may feel otherwise, her mind has long expected and accepted her spinster status.

            Aaron’s return throws many wrenches in. The biggest childhood bully she’s ever known is licensed and wants to, of all things, be a teacher. Unfathomable! But Aaron has been working to turn his life around one bullied classmate at a time, and Mercy is definitely on his list. When he lands a job working at the same orphanage as Mercy, he finds she’s also on his mind and perhaps even on his heart. But just because her name is Mercy doesn’t mean she will forgive easily. He’s got his work cut out for him and not just because of Mercy. Jimmy, a young teenager at the orphanage, is an angry, hurting, stubborn bully reminiscent of himself at that age, and he wants to redirect his path. Will he succeed? Can old wounds be healed and new, positive paths be forged? Or are these chances ones which will fail?

            The next story in the Teaville Moral Society series, I thought the pace moved steadily forward. Bullying isn’t new to the news, and I found it interesting that the author chose a lead character who was a bully in the past. He is trying to atone for his vast misdeeds of the past, and that is admirable. Meanwhile, Mercy struggles to forgive Aaron. She knows she should, but it’s too easy to hold onto the grudge. They both find it difficult to let go of the past, but you “shouldn’t let the voices of your past or present define who you are. Let God do that” (p. 94). This inspirational, historical fiction (set in 1909) novel is gripping. The only critique I have is that, with everything going on, I sometimes felt the story was too chaotic. Is that real life? Certainly. But there were too many things going on that weren’t central to the story of Mercy and Aaron. From a very difficult orphan to a fire at the lumber mill to the relationship issues between employees Sadie and Franklin to Caroline, there’s extra stuffing. The author wrote it well, but leaving a few items out would not have detracted from the story.

            Also from this series, which I’ve reviewed: A Love So True

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"A Refuge Assured" by Jocelyn Green

A Refuge Assured (Feb. 6, 2018) by Jocelyn Green.*

Lacemaking is an honest trade and an artisan of such a trade nowadays would be rare, but in the 1790s, being a lacemaker to the queen of France, Marie Antoinette, and other aristocrats is enough to send one to the guillotine. So lacemaker Vivienne “Vienne” Rivard flees Paris, “the Paris she loved – and the Paris she hated,” across an ocean to Pennsylvania. When it becomes necessary to leave Philadelphia out of concern for the safety of her young charge and herself, she goes to French Azilum (Asylum).

            Having met Vienne in Philadelphia on his mail runs between there and Asylum, schoolteacher-turned-militiaman William “Liam” Delaney is drawn to the Frenchwoman who is a different person than he initially assumed her to be. Liam served during the American Revolution, but he now feels caught up in the Whiskey Rebellion. How does he dutifully serve the democracy he fought for, but barely recognizes, when the oppressive whiskey tax impacts his own family? Did he trade one revolution for another? Add in the fact that he lives near French émigrés fleeing their own revolution, including a woman and boy he’s come to care for deeply, and what’s a man to do?

            My first novel from Green, I enjoyed the richness of the story with the details the author wove together – the details based on historical fact and those she used literary license with. She was able to weave fact with fiction seamlessly. This inspirational, historical fiction novel is smartly written, and the faith of the main characters supports them and does not overwhelm who they are. Vienne and Liam are relatable characters that I wish I could meet in present-day real-life. And I appreciate Vienne’s thought, which can pertain to anyone who is struggling to put the past behind them: “It was time to lay aside the shape of her old life.” We cannot move forward when we keep looking at the past. This story isn’t just about fighting for peace and safety; it’s about moving forward despite a traumatic past and forming new relationships (and not just of the romantic variety).

            Humor within the pages that I enjoyed: “He killed an ice cream! Such villainy!” -- Martine to Vienne when she shares her horror over a loathsome man purposely beheading a lobster-shaped ice cream to prove his point (p. 100).

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Like a Giant Tree in a Storm #sol18

Please note: I am not a teacher, nor am I actively participating in the Slice of Life Challenge by the Two Writing Teachers. But one of my sisters-in-law is, and when I came across the inspiration for this piece, I couldn’t help but write up my own little slice. If you are someone participating in the SOL Challenge and want to read slices from active participants only, please do not hesitate to leave this page now. But for anyone sticking around …

~          ~          ~          ~          ~

I want to read fortune cookies that have a frivolous fortune, to say something amusing that I know won’t actually happen but am entertained for the briefest of moments.

• “You will move to a mountain chalet.”
• “You will soon find yourself with a great sum of money.”
• “Something pleasantly important will happen to you in the next three days.”

Instead, here is what I read: “Be calm, like a giant tree in a storm.” It was technically my mom’s fortune, but I read it so my mom would not have to put on one of her umpteen pairs of reading glasses (a representative mixture of actual prescription glasses and cheater readers). While not the fortune-made-of-dreams that we would’ve liked, we were still amused.

Because there was some enactment involved. I got up off the counter chair, stood as a sturdy tree trunk and put my arms akimbo like calm limbs. Now picture my mom. She did roughly the same, though her tree-limb arms were all over the place. But she claimed they were calm limbs that happened to be blowing wildly around as she, a giant tree in a storm, remained calm.

It was priceless, and I’m so glad no one else was there to video it.

So, while not a fortune, it is sage advice. The next time you feel like the angry storm or the wild, frustrated winds of an angry storm, be calm. Be calm like that giant tree in the angry storm.

I’d also like to add that those redwood trees have nothing on us!*

* This is a lie, and the writer of this post knows it. As does her mother.

The Positive Page-turner's Challenge: Take 4

I admit that I am a bit mortified with myself. It has been almost 10 months since my last Positive Page-turner’s Challenge! Look how close to a year that is! So my challenge to myself is straightforward and will cover the months of March and April. For half the number of books I read within those two months (chapter books on up), I will donate $10 per book to my home church. For the other half, I will donate a package of bar soap (eight-count or greater) for each of those remaining books. Therefore, if I read 24 books between the two months, I’ll donate $120 to my church and purchase 12 packages of bar soap.

            “Where will the bar soap go?” you might ask. If you’re unfamiliar with my previous challenges, I donate all bar soap to GoServ Global (out of Eagle Grove, Iowa) with the expectation that it will get sent to Haiti. Meanwhile, the monetary donation to my church will go to one of the specific funds. Perhaps the Haiti Project, but I won’t rule out donating it to Sunday School, Altar Guild or another fund altogether.

            Challenges of all sorts can be wondrous, whether you set them yourself (like this one) or take up a suggestion from others. The important thing is that you are challenging yourself to do something more, perhaps even something far larger than yourself. Whether it’s a challenge that pushes you alone or reaches others is up to you. And sometimes, those challenges are not the ones we choose, and if you’re going through any of those, I hope you persevere and rise above them. But this is not a post to focus on the truly tough, the nasty tough, the I-don’t-have-words tough. This is a challenge of positivity in reading. So, with that, happy reading, my friends!