Le's talk books

I just finished reading "The Book of Negros" by Lawerance Hill. I liked it. I liked it a lot. In fact I just put it down and thought I might just read that again right now. It is one of the few non-Christian books I've read in a long time that didn't leave me feeling wrung out when I finished it. Most mainstream books that are "all the rave" have some horrible, terrible wicked thing or multiple things that happen in them. For example, I had heard a number of people recommend "Fall on your Knees" so I read it and when I was finished I needed to debrief but I would never ask anyone to read that book. There is a lot of incest among a large number of other things. When I read a book I don't want to feel sick to the stomach when I am finished. Which leads me to my next problem... Christian books. The phrase "lets be real" comes to mind. When I read Christian books I get frustrated with what I would call fluff. "So our heroine is walking down the street having just lost her job. She is devasted and has a quick prayer and when she is done praying she looks up and sees a help wanted sign. She goes into the establishment (which is owned by and incredibly hansome man) and is hired on the spot." That is chapter one.

I recently read a book by Lori Wick who I believe has missed the mark. I have read a number of her books; most often just after I've read something mainstream that has left me shell shocked. In this particular book, the climax is when the main character realizes she is in love with this man who has recently become a Christian. He is going to break up with her because she is not a Christian but at the last minute she realizes she needs Christ in her life and now they can get married. The truth is her audience is a bunch of women who have been raised in the Chruch and are leading Bible belt Christian lives who will call out Amen's when they read these books. I was raised in the Church but I'm still frustrated with this book. I can't call out Amen because I think if we were real, in a real world they would have got married. One Christian and one non-Christian because in a real world that's more likely to happen. That would be the beginning and the book would be about the struggles of the mixed beliefs and values. If you want to reach people other than the Bible belt women then lets talk about the sins, choices, struggles and the consequences that are real in peoples lives. Which brings me back to mainstream recognized books which I believe are too real to reach most people and don't have a message of hope that Christian books include.

I'd like my list of respected and recommended authors to increase. My recommended book list includes all of Francine Rivers (who isn't scared to write the book all the way through the pain of death, loss, affairs, sin, rape and the other hurts of the world with a message of hope) (Does anyone know the name she wrote under before she became a Christian?), Lynn Austin (who has a taste of fluff but weaves a beautiful story), "The Poisonwood Bible" (that will leave you feeling wrung out) and "The Book of Negros" by Lawance Hill, Sophie Kingsella (who writes fluff but it makes me laugh), "Is there anyone out there?" by Marian Keyes (watchout for the mystism), "Belong to me" by Maria De los Santo's. I'd love some recommendations and I'd like to know what you thought of some of these books.

Shirt Goes Missing

Karl’s favorite Iron Maiden shirt recently went missing. It’s faded black with multiple brightly coloured skulls and numerous airvent holes. It was last seen in Karl’s hands where he is quoted saying “Thanks for washing my shirt. Now I can wear it all week and you can’t throw it out”.

The shirt in question has had a long history of controversy. “I think he wore it on our first date. It’s a good thing he’s such a great guy because the shirt really ugly,’ his wife has been quoted saying. It is commonly believed that Anna’s first sentence was “Scary shirt” as she pointed at the shirt.

Foul play is suspected. If you see this shirt, please contact the proper authorities so that the shirt can be properly disposed of.

I dated this guy in college that taught me a lot about what I wanted in a spouse but more specifically what I didn't want in a spouse. It wasn't long into the relationship that I started to gain a picture of what my future would hold with this man and I didn't like it. I envisioned myself working two minimum wage jobs and barely making ends meet . I would come home in my peach coloured waitressing outfit to find my husband sitting on his butt doing nothing all day in our rented interior BC single wide. When asked if he was going to get a job he would always say things like there aren't any jobs out there or he just don't feel like it today or he's better than that job. You get the picture. It wasn't hard to come to this conclusion; in the time we dated he had slept through a job and got fired, he had borrowed money, lived off of his roommates, he had been to the food bank, and he had collected welfare. This was such a foreign thing to me. My parents are hard working and the idea is if you can work you do; at whatever job you can get if necessary.

I am so glad that I married the man I did. He is a hard working man who takes pride in supporting his family. And yet there are men who hate being the bread winner of the family. Hate it. They hate the responsibity and the pressure it carries to get up and go the 9-5 job day in and day out. In some families that's Ok because some women would rather pull their hair out then stay home. In those families the men stay home and the women are the bread winners. In some families both parents are the bread winners. But there always has to be a bread winner or there isn't going to be any bread. (I think that's common sense)

On Your Marks, Get Set

In the not so distant past my husband came home to find that his dinner was not cooked and not even started. Since this is a very rare occasion he didn't really know what to do with himself so he stomped around the house and barked and was just plan grumpy until his tummy was full. I was thinking about this and a number of other similar things yesterday as I baked dozens of cookies and muffins for my family.

There has been talk of me working. For months now we have been living pay cheque to pay cheque and while the bills are getting paid and we have clothes, food and shelter there isn't much for surprises. So as I'm baking, I'm thinking my family really isn't ready for me to be around less. I think my family really has no idea what I do for them and going to work will be a super big shock. Maybe a good shock because there are days when I feel taken for granted. Don't get me wrong my husband works very hard and I am well aware of the things he does do. I'm aware of them because when he does them that's one less thing on my job list. But there are days when I don't appreciate; in fact hate the things on my own job list. Like when the dog shreds the chair cushions that weren't put away properly (by the overworked, overtired husband) it's me who gets to pick up each piece of stuffing that the wind has blown all over the yard.

My friend runs a day home. She was watching sibblings whose Mom was a teacher. They would be dropped off at 730am and picked up at 500pm. They would go home and get to watch one show while the Mom made dinner. They would eat dinner then pick out their clothes for the next day and off to bed by 700pm so they could get up in time to get dropped off.

When both parents are working full time it's a team effort. One of you is feeding the kids while the other one is showering. You both walk in the door at the end of the day tired, hungry and your kids are equally tired and hungry. You're both cooking supper which is something fast (because you're hungry) and cleaning up. The kids are to bed and if I'm teaching then I have planning and marking to do (about 2-3 hours worth.) Then there is the laundry. A load gets done when one of you realizes you're out of socks or underwear. It will get done one evening but not folded or put away until maybe the weekend, it may even sit in the dryer for a day or two. On the weekend one of you is mowing the grass while the other is scrubbing toilets. The kitchen floor may be put off for an extra week. After church you run out for groceries, eat supper, plan for the week and fall exhausted into bed. Oh and that stuffing that has been spread all over the yard... I'm not sure what will happen to that.

Is my family ready for this? I don't think I'm ready for that but the snow pants must be bought so I'm job hunting; reluctantly.

A Gift?

We recently came into a piano. Karl's Grandma has decided to move and no longer has room for her piano. It's old. Really old. We already have a piano, which creates a very unique problem that most people don't have to face; two pianos.

The other piano we have is actually my parents, which we have been in possession of for 11 years. So when the piano talk started we talked. We talked with my parents and my siblings who lived in the area and it was decided that the best place for their piano was right where it is.

Now we have two piano; or almost two pianos. The new one hasn't arrived yet but it leaves to question; what do you do with two pianos? Apparently that shouldn't be a problem because after accepting this heirloom we were told to put the piano is a place where people won't play it.