Book recommendation/Caveat

The "dog" ate my Kindle?

It's March, and I have just enough time to squeeze in a book review for Reading Month. Unfortunately, my Kindle bit the dust some months back, so I haven't been indulging in literature much as of late.

However, I have a series that I wanted to share. I've started to write about it a few times and always stopped just short. The first book in the series is called "Chop, Chop" (by L.N. Cronk) and you can download it free for Kindle here. 

And what's worse,' she went on, 'is that on Sunday we're going to get back onto a plane and go back to our houses and our TVs and our hot tubs and we're going to forget about all this.'

'No we won't, Laci. We won't forget.'

She wiped her eyes and glared at me.

'Yes, we will. You say we won't, but after we get home we'll feel differently. It won't ever feel like this again.' -Chop, Chop (L.N. Cronk)

So....how to describe this series? For one thing, the dialogues are all like the excerpt above; pretty down-to-earth banter from a group of friends. This first book features their years as members of a high school youth group, and the conversations are very believable. I felt almost like I was back in high school, writing in my diary or reading a note from a friend.

As the friends come of age, the subsequent books continue their stories throughout their adult life. Though the author realistically portrays the most mundane moments of daily life, she also tackles a multitude of "heavy" topics, including divorce, alcoholism, adoption, teen pregnancy, child abuse, terminal illness, car accidents, and murder (I keep remembering more and adding them in). There are also episodes where characters are on the mission field, which that same excerpt is alluding to. 

Since this is a series favoring Christian values, I really appreciated the handling of such tough events in the light of God's saving grace. Though there were moments of redemption, they weren't portrayed in a fluffy or cheesy way. When I read about the topics I'd dealt with personally, I felt myself nodding in agreement. Some of the conversations felt like they were taken out of my own life. And the other ones were dealt with so poignantly that I felt compassion for anyone experiencing them.

So why would I NOT recommend these books? Well, there are pros and cons to covering so many heavy topics. A little soap-opera-ish, maybe? Though I don't think the author necessarily exaggerated on the specific issues, I wonder what the odds are of them all occurring within one close circle of friends or even within the same town. Of course that takes a little away from the realistic factor.

But my main caveat is just in how many emotional triggers come up in reading this series. A few is okay, but constant heartache is a little rough. Again, these are stories of redemption, but that doesn't lessen the grief. I especially found it hard reading about the progression of Alzheimer's, as told through the patient's eyes! It stays with you.

So I really don't know how to conclude, as I feel like these are all really important topics for discussion, and I'd be interested to hear if any of you have read this series, or would like to give the first book a shot! Just keep in mind, you will likely need to have some tissues handy! 

Outings and non-outings

I'd been attending rehearsals for a "praise and worship" night for about the last 6 weeks, and then woke up yesterday feeling congested-yuck. So I stayed home.

It was a week of staying at home. Even though the sun came back, there was a rather brisk wind that made it pretty chilly for outdoor excursions. It was really nice to get caught up on some indoor activities. Andrei had a heavier teaching schedule, so David and I had lots of bonding time.

One day, we needed something to do and I had decided not to attempt naptime for scheduling reasons. So we stalled at home as long as possible and then headed outside to the tram stop to wait for Andrei. The last time we did that, we somehow missed him...we froze while waiting, and he came home to a missing family and no lunch ready or anything!

So I made the decision to hop on the tram in the direction of the metro. The only thing that made me nervous was that Andrei hadn't contacted me at all, and there was the possibility of him passing us on a tram going the other direction. That and the fact that David could have a meltdown and not want to get off the tram or go home or whatever. When we got to the metro, Andrei was just leaving work, so we went inside to wait for him near the escalator. David was squirming around and lounging on the ground as he's been doing lately....making his legs go out, if you know what I mean.

Eventually Andrei emerged, and he had run into his dad in the metro, so we all walked to the tram together. Mission accomplished!

Even though David can ride the tram now okay, errands are still kind of iffy (without the stroller) since he can run away at any moment. Plus, the stores themselves aren't always close to the tram stop. So I guess I would stick to stores with shopping carts he can ride in.

The other event this week was hosting Bible study, and that went pretty well. Nina brought some hand-me-down toys for David, and he enjoyed playing with some wooden blocks. There were also some random picture frames that were being discarded. I like the challenge of "re-purposing" something that's actually old, as opposed to specifically buying something in order to "hack" it. Got some fun art projects coming up on the horizon, can't wait!

Apartment Life

Before it snowed and got yucky again, we had some nice sunny days (including a partial solar eclipse last week!), and some spring maintenance projects were underway.

Like this one.

Action is towards the upper middle...

Every few days, a dump truck comes and dumps a full load of sand, then leaves. For the next week, a few workers gradually shovel the sand into a wheelbarrow, then take it over and lower it into the basement via the window. And then back for another load. And then the dump truck brings a delivery to the next building on the list. They started out with the building to the right of this one, and had already moved on to the one on the left, when we suddenly got snow again.

Definitely not a job to envy!

Lenten Update

I haven't been doing much to prepare for Easter. Our church is having a series of sermons, but I tend to accompany D. to Sunday school during that time.

I dug out some old Sunday school supplies to make an Easter flannelgraph for David. It depicts Christ teaching, being arrested, on the cross, and appearing again to his disciples...yeah, I squeezed it all onto one board.

David likes listening to the story even though he doesn't understand completely.

I've run across many blogs featuring Easter "gardens" with a makeshift tomb covered by actual grass. I'd like to gradually gather the supplies to make something like that, maybe next year. Right now we have some onion and garlic tops growing as a yummy spring project.

On the decorating front, it's still a little bit of dilemma. Bunnies and chicks aren't relevant enough, yet crosses aren't really garland material. I think I might do some palm fronds or something for the front hallway, and then add a Resurrection message as the holiday approaches. Come to think of it, this would be a really good place to stencil a Bible verse or other uplifting message. Hmmmm....

Christmas/Valentine's decor, soon to be replaced!

In Bible study we are discussing the Ten Commandments right now, and I guess in a way it's an appropriate introduction to the Resurrection: realizing how impossible it is to measure up to God's law, and our need for salvation.