Read Any Good Books Lately?

My last posting got me thinking about books and reading. I love to read and never remember not being able to read. Mom and dad set a great example of reading. From my ealiest days, I can still remember going into the living room and seeing both of them reading. Granted, there wasn't much competition coming from our small black & white television set. . .

Back in the days of Smith family vacations (decades before the invention of personal DVD players), we'd take books to entertain ourselves during long drives to destinations in the western United States. One year my brother Merrill received a set of James Herriott books for Christmas. We took them and devoured them during the trip. As soon as one person was finished with a book, it was passed to the next, and so on, and so on. I don't remember the destination of that trip, but I do remember the books.

For years during my childhood, we'd go to the Bookmobile which would be parked on Pages Lane in front of Dick's Market in Centerville. The trip to the Bookmobile was always anticipated as a sort of treasure hunt - what would I find to bring home to read that week? There was always something new.

Books can create immediate connections between people. I just found out that Tony, Mark's dad, loves John Grisham books. My mom gave me my first Nancy Drew mystery because she read them when she was a girl. My brother Clay got several of us in the family reading books by Vince Flynn. (Warning - don't start a Vince Flynn book on a work night. You won't be able to put it down until you have read the final page.) If you love dogs, or if you just want a good laugh, read "The Dog Who Wouldn't Be" by Farley Mowat. My dad got me reading Tom Clancy books - The Hunt for Red October is a classic, and the step-by-step description of the start of a war in Red Storm Rising is unforgettable.

Mrs. Goodrich, my third grade teacher, introduced us to the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She read the books out loud to us and made history come alive as we then studied the pioneers. And who can forget the Anne of Green Gables series by L. M. Montgomery? Good stories, good morals, and a great way to escape for an hour, an afternoon, and sometimes even a weekend.

With a few years' growth, Jane Eyre and Little Women came into my life. The people in the books became more than characters in a book, almost like old friends that you meet again after a long separation. I'll admit that every couple of years I'll pull out Jane Eyre and Little Women and read them again. Sure, some of the language is dated, the book spines are cracking, and the pages are dusty. . . but what's a little dust among friends?

I'm seldom without a book, or three, that I'm reading at any given time. It's my favorite way to unwind, clear my mind, and take a mental vacation. So, have you read any good books lately? Let me know. . . perhaps it will be an opportunity to make a new connection.

The Paper Bag Princess

Twenty plus years ago I "discovered" a wonderful book called The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch. Its about a princess who finds out who she really is by using resourcefulness and creativity to overcome adversity. This was a girl power book before anyone even knew what girl power was all about. It's also a cute story with a great message (which I've used in a few Relief Society and Young Women lessons over the years).

What triggered these memories? Mark's nephew's wife is expecting twin daughters and the shower is in just under two weeks. Instead of a card, they've requested a children's book to build the girls' library. So, this book was my first thought, and I wasn't sure if it was still being published. The answer is a resounding "yes!" In fact, the book is having it's 25th anniversary. I guess a few million other people have also discovered this charming tale. If you haven't read it, consider getting it and reading it. Barnes & Noble has it in the children's section, or it's available on Amazon.com. Enjoy!

Being Prepared

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about preparedness and what it takes to be prepared for whatever life throws at you. And although none of us know what the future holds, one thing I've learned is that it's never what you expect. But that doesn't mean we can't be prepared in some basic areas like having our finances in order, getting out of debt, preparing a will, having a basic food and water supply to last anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 years, and being emotionally prepared for change. Easy to say (or write, as the case may be), but not always so easy to do, and I have a long way to go.

Living in an apartment with limited living space, let alone storage space, it's been hard to get real excited about provident living, food storage, gardening, etc. However, last fall we cleaned off a couple of shelves in the basement and just organized the cans and boxes of food that we already had. It was a start. I bottled tomatoes and applesauce and added those to the shelves. It was another step in the process. Two weeks ago I planted 7 tomato plants and 1 cucumber in the tiny planter box that separates our apartment from the owner's garage. Again, it's a baby step, but everything we do adds up to increase our peace of mind.

So now I want to put in a plug for my sister's blog: www.positivelyprepared.blogspot.com. The subtitle of her blog is "fun with food storage, finances, and more" - but trust me, that's only the beginning. There's information about budgeting, gardening, getting out of debt, and some great ideas for getting and using food storage. Way to go, sis! Keep up the great posts.

There's a quote that says "Wisdom is knowledge rightly applied." Well, I have knowledge about a lot of these things, and now I'm starting to apply what I've learned, and hoping, one day, to be a little closer to wisdom.

P.S. I'm also learning that establishing food storage with a man in the house is VERY different than doing it for 1 woman. Another little surpise about married life - it's a lot better for the relationship to store things that everyone in the house likes. Now I just have to figure out how to get it on the shelves before it gets eaten. Any ideas?