Yard/Bake Sale

So we finally have a weekend that appears to be full of sunshine instead of rain.

We will be moving forward with our yard and bake sale for Saturday. If you have donations (items to sell, or baked goods to donate) please bring them on over. And of course, please stop by and say hello if you can! We'll be starting at 8 am.

The money raised will go towards our adoption expenses.

Thanks to everyone for your love and support!

Mommy's Gonna Buy You a Billy Goat... and transport it home in a way that is nothing short of genius!

So my friend Full Plate Mom posted this picture on her blog today. I about died.

This is quite possibly the funniest picture I've seen in a while. FPM had this to say about the picture:

I didn't take the pic, nor did I witness it, but it reminds me of driving around Accra with Kingsley. Shelley told him the story of when she first got to Ghana and saw all the goats wandering around freely. She told him that at first she thought they were dogs. Ghanaian dogs. Kingsley laughed SO hard!!! Then Shelley asked him how he avoided hitting all the goats in the streets with his car, because they just kind of wander. He laughed again "Oh, Sister Shelley, you can't hit a goat!!!! Goats are smart, sheep are stupid". So, for those of you traveling soon, make sure you tell Kingsley that when you go. He'll know you were talking to Shelley and Becky, and, it will make him laugh.

I think this is the answer to our bike-riding dog problem. Every time we go for a ride and Eden comes along, her paws get all torn up. They bleed and are sore for days. Strapping her to Robert's back is genius! But maybe Robert won't think so!

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Again, with the books that I read ages ago {or, more accurately, months ago} but haven't blogged about yet.

This book. I read this book in the midst of a long book for book club, right after a page-turner, and with 3 books I couldn't wait to get to sitting on the shelf.

I think under less pressure, I would have enjoyed it more. The writing was good. But it wound around too much. The characters were likable, but I was bored by them.

It was tedious. I skimmed through most of it. I should probably read it again when I have more time, but that's never going to happen. I'll move on and forget. And when someone mentions they read it or are reading it or have heard about it, I'll wonder if I should read it again. But I will have too many other books I want to read.

And I will mourn the fact that I probably missed out on appreciating and possibly even loving a book because I read it at the wrong time.

And so it goes.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

I am WAY behind in my blogging. In all categories, actually. {This is OT, since I'm supposed to be doing my book review of PLaR, but oh well, stream of consciousness is my forte}

My boss has been drilling into me that I am only one person and when everything is happening at once, something has to go up on the alter. Which makes perfect sense but I still have a hard time actually admitting it and doing it. I like to hang on to everything because, like probably all of you, I just KNOW really can to everything if I really try really hard.

So anyway, when things get really busy, blogging gets thrown up on that alter pretty quickly. Which makes me sad. But it's either that or So You Think You Can Dance.

So anyway. That is why I am months behind on my book reviews and you've been getting pathetic blog posts lately. So sorry.


On to the book. It's been a while, but I really loved Enger's writing style. The language is poetic and the characters are amazing. It felt very real to me. The descriptions (character and location) were incredibly detailed without being burdensome.

I love reading stories about families, trials, and the faith people have - in each other, in God, in whatever. I find it fascinating to step into another life - real or fictitious - for a bit and see what goes on when you can see their thoughts and their hearts.

And when that is coupled with a great story, terrific writing, and fun characters, it makes for an enjoyable read.

I also love a good coming of age story.

This book has it all. Even a little mystery.

Andrew Roe of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote one of the reviews on the book, and it was so lovely, I just had to share - I actually think this is the review that made me want to read it to begin with:

"Peace Like a River serves as a reminder of why we read fiction to
begin with: to commune with a vividly, lovingly rendered world, to
lose ourselves in story and language and beauty, to savor what we don't
want to end yet know must."

That's the way a book should make you feel. Every book, every time. It makes me well up. Seriously. I'm honestly crying a little - that review is THAT good.

And so is the book. Justin case you wanted to know.

Yard and Bake Sale

We have been inspired by some friends! We are organizing a yard sale and bake sale to help pay some of our adoption expenses. The sale will be June 13th.

If you have anything you would like to donate, please drop them by my house anytime before the 12th or contact me and we can pick them up.

If you want to make some goodies for the bake sale, send me an email or post a comment on the blog, so I can be in touch. Thanks for all the love and support - and of course, if you are in the area, please stop by and say hello!

(And yes, I copied our announcement from our friends! Why mess with perfection?)