It Definitely Feels Like Autumn Wednesday Hodgepodge

Time for another Wednesday Hodgepodge presented by Joyce From This Side of the Pond. As usual, there is a smorgasbord of questions, some simple, some not so simple. Link up your blog too, or leave some answers in the Comments section below.

1. The USA will mark Columbus Day this year on Monday, October 14. What's something you need or want to explore (literally or metaphorically speaking)?

This is a hard one! I am always, always contemplating some new topic I want to learn more about such as the role of the disciple Thomas in the Gospels. I love the fact that he didn't accept what others told him, but wanted to see for himself.

2. The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, Ursula from The Little Mermaid, or Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty...who do you most love to hate?

The Wicked Witch of the West still creeps me out.

3. Is open-mindedness a virtue?

I think open-mindedness is a virtue as long as it is accompanied by discernment.

4. How often do you weigh yourself?

I never weigh myself because we don't have a scale, but I always know when I'm gaining weight because everything is feeling tight - like right now.

5. This question comes to you courtesy of Rebecca over at Making Memories, so thanks Rebecca! 
Costa Rica was recently named the happiest country in the world on the Happy Planet Index. What's the happiest country in the world to you, and what makes it so?

I've only ever been to the U.S. and Canada so I don't have much to go on. I have heard great things about Costa Rica, but I suppose how one defines the happiest country in the world can vary depending upon which items or conditions one chooses to quantify.

6. Besides The Bible, what is one book you think should be mandatory reading for high school students? Why?

I think To Kill a Mockingbird is a good choice. It deals with profound and challenging issues vital for teens to consider and discuss such as justice, honor, and racism.

7. I went shopping at some nearby outlets last week, and while I was there, I picked up a couple of Christmas gifts. How about you? Have you started your holiday shopping yet?

While I haven't begun shopping, I have begun thinking about what I will purchase. It's probably a good idea to start shopping now. I hate shopping when stores are crazy crowded.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I am ahead of the game this week. Since it was my day off, I cooked enough food for four days worth of dinner and some lunches too. Hooray for me!


Image: Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee/freedigitalphotos.net

If You Were Stranded . . .

. . . on a deserted island, what book or books would you want to have stashed in your survival
pack?

Being a smart-aleck, I'd say, "I would have my Kindle with dozens of books loaded on it." Poor idea. No electricity on a deserted island.

What has enough oomph to keep me mentally engaged, challenged, and  entertained for who knows how many years?

Pick number one would be the Bible. The contents are meaty enough to chew on for a lifetime. If I couldn't have the entire Bible, I would choose Psalms, Isaiah, and Philippians. Psalms because it teaches me how to pray and praise. It comforts me when I am distressed and overwhelmed. Isaiah because it assures me that what God promises and prophesies always comes to fruition. It plainly outlines that evil will be punished. It reminds me that He will return. And it is long - lots of reading material to while away the day. Philippians because it is a book of love and encouragement. Whenever I read it, I feel soothed, encouraged, and loved by God.

A second pick would be anything by C.S. Lewis. His thought processes, logic, and huge intellect are mind bending. Even a short book by Lewis takes me forever to read because each sentence is packed with layers of meaning.

Because my survival pack has to be stuffed with essentials other than books, there probably wouldn't be room for any more, but if I had a verrry large pack, I would want to include Jan Karon's Mitford and Father Tim books. I've read through the series two or three times and never tire of them. Books filled with genuine, fallible characters who choose to love each other, despite being frustrated by each other, are inspirational. Besides, if I were all alone, they would feel like my friends and neighbors.

Oh, and I'd want to have my reading glasses.

What would be your pick? Fiction or non-fiction? Fantasy? Inspirational? Romance?


Image: adamr/freedigitalphotos.net

Sittin' on the Roof Looking for God

For the last few months, I've been attempting to discover how women fit in the 21st century church, specifically where I fit in. I haven't had any light-bulb moments yet, and have some books in my reading pile on the subject, but a couple of months ago a friend lent me a book that was, well, different from what I might normally choose to read.

A Year of Biblical Woman: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband "Master," by Rachel Held Evans is not what you would call a traditional book on the role of women in the church and perhaps that is why I enjoyed it so much.

Evans is a young woman who found herself wondering what the Bible said about the role of women. She decided to read it with that in mind to see what she would discover. Her plan was to pick one topic to explore every month for a year and try living out that ideal in the 21st century.

The topics she focused on were gentleness, domesticity, obedience, valor, beauty, modesty, purity, fertility, submission, justice, silence, and grace. Each month, Evans chose to learn skills, practice character qualities, or educate herself (particularly during justice month) in that month's topic. How she does that is what makes the book so funny and so real. No high-flying theological theorist, no idealized Proverbs 31 woman, Evans is Everywoman.

You must read the book to discover why she slept in a tent on the lawn for a few nights, carried a seat cushion with her, grew out her hair, and made a dress as one of her very first ever sewing projects. All of this in the pursuit of discovering what it means to be a Biblical woman.

Whether or not you agree with her methods, convictions, theology, or conclusions, you will laugh (and sometimes cry) your way through the book. I don't have the courage, creativity, or stamina to try a similar experiment, but reading Evan's book gave me yet another perspective on women in the Christian church, Christianity, and the Bible.

And that Proverbs 31 woman who is called a virtuous woman? Well in Hebrew it actually means valor. I've never felt I could live up to that virtuous woman, but I think I could be a woman of valor.

Nonfiction, a Vegetable?

One of the amusements of idleness is reading without the fatigue of attention,

and the world, therefore, swarms with writers whose wish

is not to be studied but to be read. 

Samuel Johnson

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Reading fiction is one of my special joys. Nonfiction? Not so much. It isn't that I don't find nonfiction enriching, inspiring and growth-producing, but when I have the time to read, I generally turn to fiction. For me, fiction is like cakes, ice cream, cookies and pie all rolled into one. Nonfiction is more like vegetables. I know veggies are good for me, but I far prefer sweets.

Would you choose a plate of salad over a bowl of ice cream?

Last year I decided I needed to add more nonfiction to my ever-growing stack of books and after reviewing last year's reading list, I realized the books that affected me most profoundly were nonfiction. For that reason alone, I intend to hang in there and try to read 1 nonfiction for every 5 fiction books, or maybe 1 for every 10, or 15.

What are your favorite nonfiction reads? Your favorite might inspire me!

Hoarders

I've never watched the popular cable show about hoarding, but I can understand how people who tune in might feel a sort of horrified fascination. I think it might be akin to our interest in reading celebrity gossip columns in the newspaper or magazines. (I officially know I'm getting old because I've never heard of most of the people being written about.)

Sorry, I'm rabbit trailing. I want to talk about hoarding for a moment - virtual hoarding .

After receiving my Kindle Fire for Christmas last year it didn't take long for me to find out how I could receive daily emails informing me about free or low-cost ebooks. Before I knew it, my Kindle library was stuffed with dozens of fascinating books I knew I would love to read.

How many have I actually read? I am too ashamed to reveal that pitifully small number.

The other source of virtual hoarding for me is Pinterest. I think I joined Pinterest last year and initially spent hours trolling through everyone's newest pins every day repinning like crazy. (Here's a major confession. I went onto Pinterest to double check something while writing this, got sucked right in and was pinning and repinning before I knew what hit me.)

Do I ever go and look back to see what's on my boards? No.

Does this suck hours away from my day?  Yes.

Are Pinterest and downloaded ebooks inherently evil?  No.

Is downloading books I won't live long enough to read and pinning ideas on my boards that I don't even bother looking at a wise use of my time?  No.

Why do I feel compelled to become entangled in virtual hoarding? In real life I'm the antithesis of a hoarder. I'm constantly sorting through my possessions and donating or throwing them away. I am entranced by the thought of simplicity and minimalism.

I don't like piles, I don't like mess and I don't like chaos. But I do like books and reading. Storing books on my Kindle allows me to indulge my passion for reading at no expense of money and space.

I also like recipes, humor, decorating and craft ideas and Doctor Who (I really need to write about my Doctor Who fixation sometime soon.) and Pinterest allows me to collect and store all of these "ideas".

I don't have any collections of things in my home (mainly because I hate having to dust), but Pinterest allows me to collect whatever I like for free and without having to find room to store my collections or dust them.

But, realizing the ridiculousness of hoarding virtual books and ideas a few months ago, I stopped reading the daily emails that lured me to download lots and lots of free books I might want to read someday. I just open those emails occasionally. When I see something interesting I stop and ask myself, "Will you really, honestly read this book?" Most of the time I ruefully answer myself, "No, you idiot." And so, I don't download.

What about Pinterest? I just stopped cold turkey. Every month or two I'll pop on and take a look, but at the end of my browsing I see that an hour or more has passed and am shocked that I've used so much time accomplishing nothing. That realization is what keeps me from away from Pinterest.

So, like all things in life, I need to exercise moderation. The things I am attracted to and enjoy aren't usually bad, but should probably be enjoyed in very small doses.


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Cut It Out! - A Giveaway

It couldn't have come at a better time.

Whenever I turned on the news last week, I heard about the drought in many parts of the United States.  The drought will drive up grocery prices as early as the autumn.  So Kate Megill's new e-book, Cut It Out!, arrives just in time.

Kate's book is about how she feeds her family of 10 for $500 a month without using coupons.  I am a frugal grocery shopper, and always have been, out of necessity.  As a mainly single-income family for more than 20 years, and having a family or six, I learned how to make a dollar stretch because I had to.

Sloppy habits have overtaken me lately and I'm not as careful as I used to be.  I need Cut It Out! so I can get back on track and pare down my grocery bill again.

I appreciate that Kate's emphasis is not based on couponing.  I've gone that route before, and while you do save money, it does take time and coupons in the ads are often for items I don't usually buy.

Enough chit chat about me, here's what Kate shares.  By using a systematic approach to meal planning and grocery shopping it is possible to save money without going to six grocery stores every week.  She explains how many years ago she set up a Master Meal Plan and a Price Book to systematize her weekly meal plan and grocery list and enable her to determine which of the three stores she shops at has the best price for the groceries she needs.

I felt overwhelmed when I initially read about the Master Meal Plan and Price Book because they are a lot of work.  Then I considered two things: first, the majority of effort occurs in the beginning as you develop the documents, after that it's just a matter of occasional list maintenance; and second, Kate provides downloads!  I don't have to create my own Excel documents.  Okay, I told myself this won't be so bad after all.

As I continued to read, I recognized I might actually save time by having established Master Meal Plans.  No more wondering as I wrote my grocery list what we would have for dinner that week. The meals I normally cooked would all be listed in one convenient place.  Additionally, it would be easier to shop the grocery ads and match up our meals to sale items.

I can't lie, though.  Filling in your Price Book and devising your Master Meal Plan will take time, but like all organizing plans, once the initial work is complete, the bulk of the effort is over, forever.

Kate also provides information on developing a well-stocked pantry and how that is feasible even on the tightest budget, how to implement her suggestions if you're only cooking for one or two and she furnishes a copy of her Master Meal Plan.  There are even more goodies tucked into this little gem, but I'll let you discover those on your own.

Let's sweeten the deal.  Kate is allowing me to run a giveaway of Cut It Out!  One lucky reader can win a copy by following the Rafflecopter instructions below.  The drawing will be held on Thursday, August 2.  But, if you want to read the e-book Right Now, Kate is offering it for only $1.99 from July 30 until August 3.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

While you're at it, visit her website Teaching What Is Good where she shares inspiring messages about God's love, motherhood and life.


The author provided a free copy of her book for my review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Warning!  Excitement Ahead!

Transitional-Woman is one of the thrilling stops on two book blog tours.

Friday, Sebastian from A.E. Howard's new book (which was released Today!) Flight of Blue will be stopping by for an interview.  It's a little tricky interviewing a dog, but stop back on Friday to see how we worked that out.

Want to win an autographed copy of Flight of Blue?  Stop by her blog today and enter to win a free copy.

While you're visiting her blog, be sure to visit the other stops on A.E. Howard's tour, which begins today, so you can learn more about this terrific book (my review here) and this lovely author.

And just because it's summertime and the fun keeps on happening, next Monday I'll be reviewing Kate Megill's new ebook, Cut It Out! How I Feed My Family of 10 for $500 Without Coupons and you can win a free copy!  Leave a comment on next Monday's post and you'll be entered into the drawing on August 2.  

As a special promotion Kate Megill will be offering her book for only $1.99 from July 30 though August 3, so if you don't win, you'll still be able to get a terrific book at a terrific price.  I don't know about you, but I want to know how she feeds that big family with such a small food budget!

Let's show these lovely transitional women and new authors our support by reading their books.

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Writer's Life For Me

Were you aware that there are about seven billion writers and wannabe writers in the world?  That's a rough estimate, but while reading through hundreds of the more than 1,000 blogs that are part of the Blogging A to Z Challenge I have encountered an extraordinary amount of writer's blogs.

Everyone writing a blog is actually a writer to some degree, but there are innumerable people who would love to earn their living as writers - particularly as writers of fiction and poetry.  The writers whose blogs I've read exhibit an amazing amount of creativity, energy and excitement.

While writing fiction has never been one of my dreams, mainly because  I don't have plots and characters running around in my brain, I am in awe of those who are actively pursuing their dream of becoming a published writer by actually writing, not merely talking about it.

The only thing left to say is, Write On me hearties yo ho!

Today's Blogging A to Z letter is W

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Kindling the Flame or Ode to the Kindle

My heart's on fire for you,
my Kindle Fire.
Never would I dream,

I could love a book,
not made from paper.

My love affair with books
begun so young
has never ceased.
Suddenly, you came along,
turned my head, inflamed my heart.

Was it your color,
your sleek looks,
the weighty feel of you in my hand?
The luxury of never being caught
without a good book?

In truth, I must confess
it is the WiFi that lured me,
tempted me,
caused me to abandon
my long time love.

With you I check my email,
the weather forecast,
interact on Ravelry, Facebook,
Goodreads, Pinterst
with the lightest touch.

I can never abandon you,
my faithful book.
Our history is long,
intense, passionate.
But, we change.

Transitions,
transitions must occur.
We adapt, grow.
We change
and enlarge our lives.

I know, I believe
there is room for two.
You can co-exist,
together in my life,
my Kindle, my book.

Blogging A to Z Challenge, the letter K

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