Books

Last night, I was thrilled to find a message from Carol in OR on my Facebook page. Carol, an avid and eclectic reader, stumbled across this book and thought of me. I was so pleased. Then I read the first chapter of the book at Amazon and was amazed. The book is a collection of short essays on Saints who were educators. The first essay was about St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. I read about St. Elizabeth Ann Seton a year or so ago and I've been calling on her ever since to pray for my vocation as a teacher. Reading more about her life, though, I was rather stunned to see how many things she faced which apply to my life. Specifically, she was known as an educator who loved each and every one of her students, yet she also had strict disciplinary codes. Each morning on my way to substitute teach, I pray for the right balance between love and discipline. Most days, I feel the answered prayer in action.

This morning, I came across this brief review of this book and plan to read it soon. It's about an MIT graduate student who moves to an Amish-type community with his new wife to live among the technology-shunning people in order to study how technology (or the lack thereof) affects our daily lives. Have I ever shared how often I've daydreamed of living an Amish-style life? We have an Amish community about an hour away from us and we've driven through several times. The first time we visited with friends who worked with an Amish family and we called on this family on a hot Sunday afternoon. We were entertained with ice-cold water (kept in an unplugged deep freeze with ice blocks in it)under a huge oak tree. It was so comfortable and so quiet with no cars or other machinery anywhere. The only sounds we heard were from the baseball game across the road and the few horse and buggies that passed up and down the road. I am well aware of how hard the Amish work and how much I depend on technology but I'm still intrigued by their lifestyle. I am very excited about this book.

Speaking of books and technology, do you Kindle? We got Terry a Kindle for Father's Day. I try to get him something he would never buy for himself. He loves his gadgets and he reads his smartphone all the time. I thought he might enjoy the Kindle and so far, he has. I'm such a lover of books I don't know if I would be happy with the Kindle but I can see its advantages. Imagine leaving for a long trip and only taking the small Kindle along because you have loaded five or six books onto it and can load more any time you like?

Cassie has been home since Friday and we have enjoyed her visit so much. We've spent a little time hanging out in the pool, a lot of time visiting her ailing grandmother (the reason for her visit), time eating at home and at her favorite hometown restaurants. She is leaving today and I'll miss her. When my nest is empty, I find plenty of things to stay busy and I am content with the quiet. When my kids are home and the house reverberates with their presence, I am blessed.

What's on your bookshelf at the moment?