Seb | A little light reading

I swear, somehow this kid knows that Hillsdale is his home. I was busy making myself a little coffee, while Seb was, I thought, watching The Rescue Rangers. When I came back to the living room this is what I found. I'm not even sure where he found the Alumni Magazine that came just a few days ago, but he was just nonchalantly perusing it's pages like he was a seasoned reader, and learning all kinds of wonderful things about Dr. Geyer (let's face it, that's why he wanted to read it...).

I guess he knows a quality publication when he sees one. Or he was sufficiently brainwashed during all the time he spent in the Publications office before he was born.

The Books: Update

For those that have been waiting with bated breath, I have finished Winter's Tale! Check out "The Books" page for a mini-review and to see another fabulous and scandy vintage Hanes ad. If ever I have a library in our home, this is going to be on the wall.

Do you have any suggestions for what I should read next?

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Books | Anne of Avonlea Wisdom

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Golden nuggets from Anne of Avonlea:

"I'll be eleven. You'd never think it to look at me, would you? Grandma says I'm very small for my age and that it's all because i don't eat enough porridge. I do my very best, but Grandma gives such generous platefuls... there's nothing mean about Grandma, I can tell you. Ever since you and I had that talk about praying going home from Sunday School that day, teacher... when you said we ought to pray about all our difficulties... I've prayed every night that God would give me enough grace to enable me to eat every bit of my porridge in the mornings. But I've never been able to do it yet, and whether it's because I have too little grace or too much porridge I really can't decide. Grandma says father was brought up on porridge, and it certainly did work well in his case, for you ought to see the shoulders he has. But sometimes," concluded Paul with a sigh and a meditative air, "I really think porridge will be the death of me."

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery, Pages 126-127

And a verse I like:

"In the elder days of art

     Builders wrought with greatest care

Each minute and unseen part,

     For the gods see everywhere."

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery, Page137

Home | Winter.

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One can't deny that it's beautiful. As I type, a fresh layer of snow is falling outside, and I can't help but get a little excited about the huge flakes.

This blog gets me excited about living on the East Coast. Out of the options, I hope Connecticut is our final destination. Only time will tell. Cody is hard at work on grad school apps right now, so we should find out in the next few months where we'll be moving.

You know those divinely gorgeous clothbound books from Anthropologie? Well, I made a discovery. (Maybe I'm the last to have made it?) Those same books are called clothbound Penguin classics and can be found here, and you can buy them from Amazon for way cheaper than Anthro. I would like to get this one and this one next.

I finished Treasure Island last night (!), and have to say that I was blown away. I never wanted to read it because I thought it would be dull, but it was anything but that. I actually finished the last two chapters while I was on an elliptical! This inconvenient reading spot got me thinking, maybe a Kindle would be a good future purchase? While I was wedging my book atop my water bottle and behind the stationary handle bars, I was thinking a nice flat book would be just the thing. Do you have a Kindle? What do you think of it?

Now to decide what to read next...

Home | Contentment

I honestly can't remember when I have read something quite so wonderful and encouraging, timely and convicting, hopeful and ordinary, as this. If you've ever felt that your life was dull, that if only you could reach that next promotion, or that wedding day altar, or take a European vacation every year, then life would be perfect, then you need to read this. Thanks to AH for bringing it to my attention. I feel as though I have renewed vigor for tomorrow.

An American in Paris-2000 Streets

My friend Hannah is living and working in Paris for a year, and shares her experiences, amazing photos, and love of all things culinary on her blog, 2000 Streets. A few of her photos are below, but I would highly recommend checking out her blog for yourself. Her vivid descriptions of life in France are breathtaking and I know you'll find yourself enraptured by her zest for life and enthusiasm for flowers, food, color and the atmosphere of Paris.

She writes, "Paris draws in the lost and wandering and fosters dreams that you forgot,or never knew you had. It is a safety valve of sorts, an Elysian escape from real lifewhere we imagine that we could flee and rediscover ourselves among the backdrop of artists and gypsies, centuries old architecture and modern philosophies, color, light, smells, and sounds."

Although this photo was actually taken by Hannah's brother, I had to share it with you. Isn't it lovely? I guess talent runs in the family!

Update: Hannah has a new blog about her post-Paris life, and it is every bit as fabulous.