Review: Mary Poppins

 

 

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have never actually read Mary Poppins, I've only seen the Disney movie. The book was much better and had extra stuff in it. That said, I guess I'm getting too old for these books. I really appreciate being able to read this classic. And it is a classic. it is full of magical moments and happy moments, yet also correcting moments as Mary Poppins teaches the kids.... and adults. It was nice to read, but nothing I'd want to read again and again. Like I said, I must be getting too old for this. Or perhaps I just prefer books that not only entertain but uplift and inspire me to become a better person. This book mostly entertained. I give it 3 stars - although being a classic it probably deserves 4 stars. I would recommend everyone read it at least once. Especially to children. :)

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Review: Burying Our Swords: How Christ Can Remove Rebellion from Our Hearts

 

 

Burying Our Swords: How Christ Can Remove Rebellion from Our Hearts by Kevin Hinckley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book. It was actually published the very year that events began to happen which in 2011 would cause me to need this very counsel to bury OUR swords of "war".

This is short, easy to read, told in story format book about how even thought other people make decisions that cause us great hurt and pain, and even though that hurt and pain cause ripples in our lives and those of the extended circles in our lives, it is nevertheless OUR responsibility to do what WE can do to overcome, to forgive, to trust, to believe, to hold to hope, and to never give up doing the right thing. We cannot control others. We can, however, control how we react to the effect of others' behaviors. Therein lies the secret to success if we are seeking peace and joy in this life.

No one is perfect,we all make bad choices (though to varying degrees for sure) that affect us and those around us, and we are not better than any other person to presume that we do not "deserve" to be hurt by others. Therefore, we are left with choices to make. How will we react when another person's behavior affects us so negatively and painfully? There are really only "two roads that diverge" down that path: we can hold grudges, rancor, hatred, pain etc, inside and live with the effects of all those, or we can choose to bury OUR "swords of war" and choose forgiveness, healing, true Christlike love (aka: charity), and keeping hope not only in ourselves and our Savior but in the very person who hurt us as well. Oh yes, it is super hard to do that. And honestly, it comes in stages, as we work on it. But to never give up that hope is key to the story of our success. The book doesn't really say these words, but it does in its own way. The message is the same: we can only control ourselves and how we react to what life hands us. Why spend years in pain when we can life with joy, peace and hope instead?

One of the many favorite passages from the book:

"As Sherry sat down the teacher was how to carefully prepare pottery clay for the wheel. She had taken some ordinary clay was carefully washing it in the water. She describes how dirt and impurities would ultimately cause the pot to crack if they weren't removed; for this reason the raw clay needed to be completely washed and clean first. The teacher was also explaining that even after the clay was washed it would still contain dirt particles. For that reason the clay had to be firmly rolled and kneaded to remove the remaining dirt, which was hidden deep inside. She firmly massaged the newly-washed clay over and over and over like a lump of dough. In fact, explained the teacher, in ancient times they often stepped and stomped on the clay with their feet, similar to how they crushed grapes for wine. This is where the Biblical expression "being trodden underfoot" comes from. And you thought they did it just to grapes, didn't you?

"The longer the teacher worked the clay, the softer and more pliable the clay became. The result was clay that was not only pure and clean, but it was also soft enough to be molded. "Hey, I recognize this process," Sherry thought with her heart beginning to pound. The Potter had taken the 'dust of the earth' and washed it in Living Water, and was now preparing to mold it into something much better than it had been before. And no one beside the Potter knew what the end product would actually look like.

"Now she was excited. She remembered a scripture she'd read earlier. As the pottery class progressed the scripture's significance kept tumbling over and over in Sherry's mind. "But now O Lord, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our Potter, and we all are the work of Thine hand." (Isaiah 64:8)......

"Sherry's thoughts were interrupted by the enthusiastic voice of the instructor. She was saying, "And now we are ready to place the clay on the wheel." She went on to explain the importance of placing the clay in the exact center of the wheel. In order to demonstrate why centering was so significant, she placed part of the clay slightly off-center. When the wheel began to spin the off-center clay began immediately to wobble and sag on one side. The faster the wheel turned, the more the clay was pulled farther and farther away from the middle. Finally, the misshapen clay just snapped and fell off the wheel completely. Secretly, Sherry actually found herself feeling sorry for a deformed piece of clay. It had been cleansed and purified and placed on the wheel to become what it was supposed to be. Then, when it had gotten off-center, only just a little, now it would have to be discarded. Seemed like such a huge penalty for a tiny flaw.....

"In a flash, she saw Kyle's life in miniature. He, too, had gotten off-center just a little. As he did, the forces of the world's wheel began to pull him farther and farther off-course, until he, too, spun off altogether......

"Looking up, however, Sherry noticed that the teacher had taken the clay that had snapped off the wheel and was now carefully rejoining it with the rest of the clay in her hand. "Remember," she said, "clay that's still soft and flexible can be reworked as much as you need to. Don't be too quick to give up on it, even when the clay seems stiff and resistant. Allow it to soften up and try again. It may require a number of tries, but I keep working the clay until it becomes exactly what it should be." That phrase began to echo in Sherry's mind. "I keep working the clay until it becomes exactly what it should be."

"Under the expert hands of the potter, the clay was remolded and firmly placed back on the wheel. The wheel began to spin again, this time the clay was held firmly between the teacher's hands and remained perfectly centered, regardless of what the wheel did. Now, the same forces that had pulled the smaller piece of clay off the wheel, were helping to produce its distinct shape. It became obvious that the clay, with the help of the potter, simply needed these forces to be transformed. Finally, the teacher began shaping the clay in earnest. She worked first, not on the outside shape, but with the inside. Looking up, the instructor pointed out, "You always begin with the inside, or the inner vessel. The inner vessel determines a great deal about how the outside will appear." As the wheel began to spin, the gray-haired instructor took a moment to address the class. "I understand most of us buy pottery based on what it looks like on the outside, certainly we're drawn to the outer beauty. However, a good potter looks at the inner part of the vessel first, it's that crucial inner part that creates the real strength and enables the pot's outer beauty to form. When you know what you're looking for you'll end up passing up on a lot of "pretty pots", that are weakly formed and will crack the first time they are used. The greatest pots are those that have been carefully molded in ways that are not visible from the outside." Sherry sat motionless. Her eyes transfixed on the spinning clay. As the teacher predicted, the outer shell began to take shape as the instructor carefully worked the inside. Turn by turn, the careful hands of the teacher used the spinning of the wheel to form the beautiful, distinctive shape of the urn. The urn had simply 'emerged' from the shapeless lump of clay. When the wheel finally stopped, the teacher held it up for the class to see. Staring at the finished urn, Sherry felt an impression form in her mind. It's said simply but clearly, "Sherry, the real Potter loves all His creations. He never gives up on them. He's the One who knows what we can be. You need to trust Him to do His work." Along with the voice, she also felt a sense of calm and peace settling over her. Sadness was still there, but it seemed tolerable next to the overflowing calming peace."

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Review: My Inventions Nikola Tesla's Autobiography

 

 

My Inventions Nikola Tesla's Autobiography by Nikola Tesla
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A short and interesting read, especially if you like autobiographies. It was not as great a book as I had hoped. The ADHD and likely Asperger's mind of Tesla vacillated between narcissism, his actual personal story (autobiography) and the detailing of his glorious inventions, how they came about, how they worked and why he should be given all the credit. I found myself only half-way listening through the parts where he aggrandized himself, and intently listening to the parts he told about his childhood, his life, his family, his experiences that molded him.

Since it's a very short read, it might be worth reading in one day as a way to pass time. After all, regardless of the narcissistic parts, its worth knowing the men who gave us so much and who truly helped to change the world and its history.

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Review: Stand a Little Taller

 

 

Stand a Little Taller by Curtis Jacobs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Good audio book, as good audio books go. Nothing I didn't already know, or was aware of - but still inspired me to try a little harder to stand a little taller. Pun intended.

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Review: Miracle Creek Christmas

 

 

Miracle Creek Christmas by Krista Jensen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A nice book to 'veg' with. I read a lot of information, historical, and biographical books, so sometime I just like to listen to something easy and I treat it like binge watching a great movie. This "movie" was very nice. I really appreciate book sans cursing, taking the Lord's name in vain, and sexual or violent lines. This fits that category.

A story of a man and a woman that perchance meet and become friends with each other - something that most people haven't seemed to be able to do with either of them in the past. Of course, it becomes a love story as well. I like that the author intersperses "life lessons", too, because it causes me to ponder them and feel like I'm still learning even while "vegging" with this "movie".

Smooth reading and pleasing to the soul. A great little "vacation" for the reader.

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Review: The Divine Center

 

 

The Divine Center by Stephen R. Covey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is truly a how-to-human manual. Most people have heard of Stephen R. Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Well, this book is to our personal spiritual and earthly life what that book is to the professional and interrelationship life. Just READ IT! :) So much good and wisdom in this book that I find it paralizing to try to pick just a couple to mention. Loved it. (ps - this is my second time in reading it. The first time I read it was in 1992 when I was going through some personal therapy. I've had it in the back of my mind to read it again 'someday', and I am so grateful I have!)

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Review: Blackout: How Black America Can Make Its Second Escape from the Democrat Plantation

 

 

Blackout: How Black America Can Make Its Second Escape from the Democrat Plantation by Candace Owens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent book and highly informative. Owens has done her homework. I've been aware of much of the history on black Americans that she shares in this book, but there were quite a few parts I was not aware of. While Owens is shaped by her own life experiences, and shares some of those in this book, she is also open-minded enough to be willing to learn and see facts through an unclouded prism. She is willing to call a spade a spade, and yet she is in possession of so many facts relating to the black American experience and history that she makes her points clearly, powerfully, correctly and in an inspiring way. I don't believe it's possible to refute her claims, as history stands on her side, unless, of course, one simply wants to negate history and refuse to change their own biased paradigm.

Some highlighted take-aways:
CHAPTER 1:
-- “Over and over again, somebody else’s real pain or tragedy are reduced to media talking points to further a political agenda. Emotions are elicited and concern is feigned. Until the bigger story comes around.

“This soured my perspective of the world early in life. Fundamentally, I began to believe that the world was happening to me, that I was a tragic Shakespearean figure doomed to fail because of the unfortunate circumstances of my childhood.

“This, quite naturally, let me down a path of liberating myself from any concept of personal responsibility. I drank, I partied, I got into fights. Everywhere in my life I created chaos because chaos came to falsely represent a state of freedom. I felt freed from rules, freed from regulations, freed from any accountability. And because I felt that my life’s narrative had been decided for me, I turned to anorexia to reassert Control.

“For four years I restricted how many calories I consumed. The lighter I felt I could make myself physically, The lighter I felt mentally. I felt freed from the weight of my past. But with time, what was supposed to feel like freedom, began to feel like bondage. I was pretending that a life with no rules made me feel freer when in reality, it made me feel insecure. I was losing more than pounds, I was losing myself. This was “leftism” unleashed.”

-- “The glorification of victimhood is exclusively promoted by the left. It becomes necessary that I first define exactly what I mean when I refer to leftists and liberals throughout this book, and why I will many times use their identities interchangeably.

“Liberalism is defined as a political philosophy based on liberty and equality before the law. It is an allegiance to a set of principles that guarantee those who follow them a society with more individual freedoms. True liberalism pursues principles like the right to life, the right to vote, freedom of speech, etc. When our Forefathers wrote ‘right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ they meant the right to life literally. On behalf of black America I will make the argument that liberalism has only ever been practiced by conservatives in this country.

“Leftism is defined as any political philosophy that seeks to infringe upon individual liberties in its demand for a higher moral good. Leftists concern themselves, not with principle, but with some greater morality that must be achieved. The issue with leftism is that moral goodness is, of course, subjective. Not so long ago, white supremacy was deemed the higher moral good, and in its pursuit leftists infringed upon the rights of black Americans.

“Today, economic equality is the established higher moral good the left is after, and we will soon unpack just how many liberties have been arrested in its pursuit.

“So why are we seeing resurging conservatism throughout Western societies? Because self-described liberals, those who like to view themselves as “centrists,” are realizing that the hallowed middle ground of politics has been consumed by leftism. Leftists have been able to operate under the guise of liberalism by claiming to want a certain type of equality. But demanding economic equality can be accomplished only by infringing upon individual liberties. The nuance here is important. Both liberals and leftists find themselves allied by the concept of equality and an inability to recognize that their goals stand in radical opposition to one another. In essence there is NOTHING more illiberal than leftism, and although many liberals have awoken themselves to this impossible partnership, others remain unable to achieve such clarity.

“Alas, what remains of the doomed union between liberals and leftists exists under the Democrat Party, a political group that champions leftist solutions to the perpetual detriment of Black America. The entire Democrat platform is built upon an everlasting stream of victims vs oppressors, and Black America is their favorite horse to bet on when it comes to jamming through their policies.

“In the left’s over-simplified version of American history Blacks are a permanent underclass who must commit their votes to Democrats politicians for rescuing. Democrats see inherent racism and struggle in nearly everything, thereby destroying nearly all racial progress that has been achieved thus far. The sad truth is that nearly every policy they promote invariably harms Black America. Indeed, there is something about progressive policies that always leads to aggressive results for Black America.

“But what if Black America simply refused their offers? What if we formally rejected the victim narrative, thereby rejecting the slow poison of leftists’ policies? What might happen if Black America collectively called the left’s bluff on racism, thereby reducing their claims of perpetual victim hood to the ill-effected emotional strategy that it is? Could we collectively make a return to our Conservatives roots?”

CHAPTER 4:

-- “In an article titled The Cautionary Tale of Amari Allen, Tom Ascol, the President of Founders Ministries, addressed the Allen controversy and what it said about the current state of our society. He said:


“We live in a hyper-racialized culture that undermines real racial harmony. Those who insist that every offense or slight that takes place, as well as every inequity that exists between racially diverse people is necessarily due to racial injustice, contribute to this combustible situation. All injustice is due to sin, but not all injustice is due to sinful partiality. But when racism is redefined in terms of post-modern power structure formulas, then every failure of those impugned with “whiteness”, is attributed to racial injustice.”

“To say that racial harmony is being undermined is an understatement. Our media pounces at every chance to cover discrimination, because the Ghost of Racism Past has proven to be a profitable model. With money as their motive I suspect they give little thought to what their negativity has inspired among the black youth. They must disregard entirely the fact that their fevered coverage is leading some to spin wild tales in a quest to live up to the hype of their own perceived oppression, while others experiment with self-imposed segregation, and in the process the relationship between white and black Americans continues to fray, neither group benefiting benefiting from the resulting distance between each other.”

CHAPTER 6:
-- “Like like most children who spent the vast majority of their day in classrooms, I looked to my teachers and textbooks to provide a further understanding of the world, and because I attended a public school those answers fit a clearly defined pattern, one that favored black victim propaganda over truth.

“Parents would like to think that schools are safe environments for their children to group up. Having come a long way since the days of Ruby Bridges, few can imagine that inferiority is learned in the classroom. It is. Kids in schools all across this country are being taught the flawed concepts of white privilege and inherent black oppression, that their skin color makes them different. In public schools children are taught that the difference between families like mine, those who live in low income housing buildings, and families like Laura’s is a matter of systemic injustice.

“Over the slow years of our educational brainwashing we are made to believe that slavery, clan rallies, water hoses and attack dogs during the Civil Rights Movement are the prime explanation for ever current ilk that befalls black America today. This packaged theory is applied across the board. The poor are pitted against the wealthy, women are pitted against men, and so forth. This victim vs oppressor method of teaching is particularly detrimental to the spirits of black youth. As it turns out, being told why we will not be held responsible for any of our shortcomings does little n the way of inspiring hard work.

“Of course the schools I went to never bothered to teach me anything that would lead to my concluding that perhaps Laura’s family was well off due to her father’s entrepreneurship, perhaps it was his good life decisions that played a role in his business success. Nor would any of my lessons have explored the inverse culpability of my own parents’ decisions. Perhaps my mother’s lack of a high school diploma and her decision to become pregnant as a teenager may have stifled her early potential. Perhaps my father’s financial irresponsibility contributed to our economic instability. No, the school would have never dated teach a black person about the consequences of personal decision making. Not when the narrative of systemic oppression is so preferred.”

CHAPTER 8:
-- "It is unfortunate that with the all-too fashionable claims of racism and sexism people miss out on opportunities for growth. It is unfortunate that black America in particular, is encouraged to deny that we play any role in our own misfortune, thereby forfeiting realistic means to transform."

CHAPTER 10:
-- “If one should desire to know whether a kingdom is well-governed, if its morals are god our bad, the quality of its music will furnish the answer.” - Confucious, as quoted by Candace Owens in Blackout, Chapter 10

There is A LOT more to drink in from this book. Highly Recommend it for ages 16+

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Review: The Dowry of Lady Eliza

 

 

The Dowry of Lady Eliza by Anita Stansfield
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great little book! I really enjoyed reading this during my walking. It is a book akin to Pride and Prejudice - not the exact story line but about two sisters and their love interests. Take a couple of unexpected turns, and keeps your interest if you like to read some books just for fun and "down time". (many times I read books where I need to take notes or quotes so I can use them later in other areas/groups I'm in or teaching.)

As the story line progresses with these two sisters, their friends, and romantic interests, some good principles are shared as well throughout the storyline. Principles like forgiveness, humility, self-restraint, kindness, charity, understanding, patience, helping others, and not being so proud that you don't allow others to help you too. I guess I just really like reading books or watching movies that also teach me something, otherwise I feel it's a waste of time for the most part. I don't like wasting my time.

I would recommend this book for anyone ages 12+. It is all "PG" and that is something else I really appreciated about it.

A happy story of two sisters, their lives in upper class England, their interactions with the Vicar, their romantic interests, and their house help. Very Jane Austen-ish, yet different enough to not be "same ol', same ol'."

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Merry Christmask 2020 & Happy New Year 2021!

Ho Ho Holy Cow! What a year! Rest assured, I washed my hands before writing this letter!

We started out this year by going to see a movie on January 1st with dear friends. We watched “Jumanji: The Next Level” & little did we know that was just the beginning of our very own Jumanji 2020! Ha! However, with all the craziness of this year, I know we can all find our silver linings, for I am convinced nothing “bad” is allowed to happen but that blessings come from it too! I hope you have or are finding your “silver linings”!

Some of our silver linings this year are:

Emily (19): Graduated from Homeschool last December, (see photo finally taken in Feb!) Completed her 1st year of college through the Pathway Worldwide program & has been accepted at Brigham Young University-Idaho where she will attend this January as an Art major; Voted for the first time this year! Also had her first real car accident this year as well as her first “big breakup” (tough.) She enjoyed some brother/sister dates, painting a watercolor of the Teton Mountains for Jonathan’s birthday (photo); cuddled/walked/played/cuddle some more with her adorable dog, Honey; got in several shooting/target practice sessions; got a job at GAP but recently was offered a better job at a local DIY Pest & Weed Control store; spent special bff days (bff’s are the best!); helped Bob strip her carpet/install new flooring in her bedroom & painted the room; progressed in her art skills; donned the traditional Christmas tree skirt when we put up our tree as well as our tree-top angel donning our Mariachi hat ornament! (See pictures) She did miss being part of MCO choir this year, but life forced it.

 

 

 

Jonathan (26): Continues to live in his own apt. in Carrollton, Tx, (25 min drive from us); He also enjoyed his brother/sister dates with Emily; Also got some shooting/target practice in; continues to work for AmerisourceBergen in their IT department & enjoys his work though it’s been tough working from home in ‘quarantine’ with very few social outlets available - so, he bought a 1970 Ford truck as a fixer upper hobby; enjoyed a special visit by dear friends from his mission (the Lurkers) who came to Waco, so we just had to make the trip to meet them in person (what great people!); also helped with Emily’s new bedroom flooring a bit and will continue his online senior classes at Brigham Young University-Idaho where he will hopefully be graduating in the 2nd half of 2021 with a B.S. in CIT (Computer Information Technology) & *Debt-Free!* (So proud of him!)

 

Jessica (30): Wait! Did that just say she’s THIRTY?? Yup! I can’t believe it! How did that happen so fast!? She & Taylor continue to live in Richardson where they are raising Genna (4) & where Orli (7) spends half her time when she’s not at her father’s. Jessica continues to work for Chase Bank in their call center & Taylor is working at Whole Foods. We got to spend their birthdays & a couple other times with them (social distancing & all!) as well as face-timing "during covid." We can’t get over how fast Genna & Orli are growing. Orli lost her two front teeth this year! She’s looking older with those “big teeth” coming in! We love spending time with those grandkids!

 

 

Bob & Teri: Bob continues to work for AmerisourceBergen, too, as end-point manager & I’m grateful he enjoys his job & does so well at it! He has received several “blue stars” of commendation from several people in the organization for the incredible work he does. He is always Johnny-on-the-spot & people appreciate his expertise & kind/friendly/humorous/can-do attitude. We celebrated our 31st anniversary in Feb. & miss attending the temple since they closed over CV19; Bob learned how to install our new A/C, traveled a bit (one of the times was to his old Army-boot camp stomping grounds, Ft Knox, KY; lead us in holding “Church at home” & administering the Sacrament at home (so grateful for Priesthood Authority!); we traveled to Wichita Falls in May for my cousin, Spencer Rowley’s funeral and got to spend some quality-though-very-short time with cousin Sharlet/husband Joe/son Granger, met Spencer's sweet wife, Kimberley & her parents, & Bob was able to host a family Zoom for those not able to attend, a truly special time; we all gathered at cousin Chrissy (and Chris) Wilson’s home in July when cousin Kim & family came down to meet their new/first grandchild (so cute!) & we celebrated all the July birthday peeps; enjoyed going out to eat for each of our children’s birthdays at a restaurant of their choice; Bob learned how to make homemade yogurt from dear friend, Jim Midgley and has been eating that for breakfast the past few months; He realized installing new flooring takes a bigger toll on your body when you’re over 50 than when you’re 30; & helped throughout the year for church (and other’s) activities with sound/lighting, such as our Church’s socially-distanced “Christmas Outdoor Drive-In Movie” event! (See photo) That was fun! He also helps care for/walk Honey when Emily is not home to do so. We learned how to cook with an InstantPot, use Zoom for business, personal, & church meetings; oh! and Teri learned to use the Marco Polo app and loving it; Teri began lifting light weights & started walking for flexibility in January & has since tripled her time/distance! We finally “updated” our 31y/o Christmas Tree with ribbon instead of garland! (See photo / who said fake Christmas trees don't shed??) Bob continues as 1st Counselor in the Bishopric & Teri as Stake Social Media Specialist among other callings.

 

 

 

  

All installed! (more work to be done on doors and trim, but we got the big stuff in!

We love our Savior & we love you! Because of Him we are blessed & all things are possible, even amidst a “pandemic.” We’re SO thankful!

Yet still... We are pooped out by 2020! 

Merry Christmas Y’all!