Joshi's Leadership Lesson

Joshi just read a great book for school. It is called "Yonder Mountain A Cherokee Legend" told by Robert Bushyhead and written by Kay Bannon. What a great story!

The story is about a great chief who has aged and knows it is time to pass on his position to a younger man among his people. He calls three young men who he thinks might fill the spot. He tells them they must travel to the top of the mountain yonder. He tells them to bring back what they find there.

The first man goes part way up, finds beautiful rocks and says he shall bring them back, for they will brings his people money.

The chief tells him he has done well, but they must wait to see what the others bring back.

The second one goes a little farther up and brings back herbs, to heal the people. The chief also tells him he did well, but they must wait for the last man.

Several days pass, and the last man finally comes back, empty handed. When he gets to the chief he tells him that he went to the top of the mountain, and it was a tough road, but when he got up there he saw a signal from somewhere beyond, there are people there that need help.

And this is my favorite part:

Sounding Eagle rose to his feet. "Chief Sky," he pleaded. "We need to go to them quickly. They are in trouble."

Chief Sky stood straight before his people and the three young men. Pausing for a time, he lifted his eyes to the mountains and watched the mist settle on the peaks. He then turned to his people and spoke. "We need a leader who has climbed to the top of the mountain. We need one who has seen beyond the mountain to other people who are in need." (Bushyhead and Kay Bannon, Yonder Mountain)

Wow.

I love the way the chief was looking for someone who was brave enough to travel outside their reach, and then notice the need of others. Where the other two men brought back good things, they didn't risk it all and go to the top; they didn't see beyond the needs of their own people.

I couldn't help but relate this to the church today. One of the things I love and respect about the leadership at The Orchard is the way our focus, as a church, is constantly being directed on those outside the church walls. And it isn't about trying to convince anyone that Christ is the way to go; it is about loving others without an agenda. Christ can do His own work, we just need to love and He will do the rest.

And so I say to the church everywhere, we need leaders who are willing to travel the rough road and see the people who are in need, and then act.

Under the Weather

So I have been a little under the weather the last couple of days. But a couple of great things came out of it.

First and most importantly my kids rock!! I have to brag here but I am not exaggerating. They did so great.

We are pretty consistent as far as their schooling goes. I use the same planning sheet for them every week and I work on it a good part of every Saturday. I plan out all their stuff for the week and print out any worksheets they may need and leave them in a pile with their books they need to read for the week.

It is pretty self guided. That has always been my goal. From the start of this I have always wanted to get to the point where the kids were in charge of their schooling. I am the director and they are the managers. And this week I think they really proved themselves.

For the last two days as I have laid on the couch in a semi attentive state, they have gotten their work out and done it in a reasonable time, correctly. Kylee and Seth even started their extra project, a model Greek temple, with little help from me. Faith got all her work done and even went and babysat for three hours for our neighbor down the street. And in the midst of it all Kylee made home made rolls for dinner last night and helped to make a big pot of home made chicken soup! (I chopped the veg. and chicken, I am not that brave yet) And the house isn't trashed!

I am pretty proud of them.

Another less exciting, but still awesome, fact is that I was able to finish two books over the last two days. Right before I got sick I finished Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See which all I can say about it is READ IT! I loved it. It isn't terribly long which was nice because I have been reading all of these really long books lately and I needed a quick read.

Anyways, the first book I finished this week was Save Myself From Me by Brian "Head" Welch. It is an amazing story. He was the lead guitarist for Korn and has a dramatic conversion story. The last few chapters get a little weird for me but I think he is just a very intense person in everything he does and that includes what he does for God.

The second book I read was Sex God by Rob Bell. I have been wanting to read this for a while because I love Rob Bell and his writing style. Velvet Elvis rocked my world. If you haven't read it, read it. I think I am still absorbing Sex God. I don't think I could give a fair review of it. So read it! Especially if you are raising kids, in a marriage, in a relationship, or single. (does that cover everyone?)

Okay, the kids did a great job but I have some extra disinfecting to do today!

Kristen

Dinner and a Movie

My good friend, Paula, and I went out last night for a night of fun. We had a fabulous dinner at an Italian restaurant and then went to see the movie that we have been waiting for, for half of a year!!

We read The Other Boleyn Girl last year and shortly after finishing it found out that it was being made into a movie. We knew that it couldn't possibly be as good as Phillipa's book but were hoping for SOME similarities.

Look, I can understand that you can't fit in every detail from a book of that magnitude but at least keep the characters consistent with they way they were written.

But we still enjoyed it. It was just great being out on the town for the night.

So, I don't know about whether I would recommend it or not. The acting was good. And maybe if you hadn't read the book you would enjoy it. But I suggest reading the book and forget about the movie.

Kristen

Empress Orchid

Wow! I just finished this book and I loved it so, so much!! It covers the first part of the last empress of China's life. It is so well written. I don't know how much of it was fact or fiction, since there is a second book that covers the rest of her life, and I don't want to read up on her too much until I finish the second book. It is written in first person so that leads me to believe that it is fictionalized quite a bit. But the bits of Chinese history in there are so fascinating.

This book reminded me a lot of Memoirs of a Geisha, which I loved.

So I am going to brave the snow and cold today to get to the library. I do have books that have reached their renewal limit, but also, I have to get the second book!!!

Kristen

Deathly Hallows

I am pretty excited. I have just about finished the seventh Harry Potter book. I have about 150 pages to go. Little sad to come to the end though. I have really enjoyed them. They aren't my usual reading choice but I am glad I took the time to read them. Faith is pretty mad at me because I told her I had to read the last book first. Every time I gasp or laugh she about has a fit. I wanted to be surprised by the ending and knew that wouldn't happen if she read it first.

I have two new historical fiction books waiting to be read as soon as I am done with Harry, so I will let you all know how they go.

Kristen

Cleopatra

In the spirit of Egypt I picked up Margaret George's historical fiction novel Cleopatra. It has taken me five weeks to read the 957 page book. Having finished it last night, I can say, I am a little sad for it to end. What a great book!!

George is an exceptional author. She really finds a way to keep things historical while adding in a touch of fiction to keep things going. She did a nice job of presenting "her side of the story". George talks in the author's notes about how not only was Cleopatra's side of the story kind of wiped out, since she was not the victor, but also the leading writers of that day were her enemies. They did not have a lot of good things to say about her. But through her research she was able to uncover a lot of great stuff about Cleopatra that, in the past, has not been focused on in other accounts of her life.

Any ways, it was a great book if you like historical fiction do not be turned off by the size of the book. It is totally worth the time.

But you may want to buy it so you don't have to renew it three times like me :)

Kristen

Tapestry of Grace

I got my new curriculum on Friday. It is very exciting. I took my first real look at it this morning after Mike left for work. I didn't get very far when I realized I would need close to 30 books per week from the library. Not such a big deal, we go to the library a lot. But just about all of those books need to be put on hold from other libraries. I was in a bit of a panic when I went to the library this morning.

I asked the librarian what their policy was on holds and when I explained to her my dilemma she told me about the down town library's home school program. I had heard briefly about it before but didn't think it was worth the trek. But what she told me today made em reconsider my opinion of it.

Not only do you get a special library card that allows you to keep the books longer but if I give them a list of the books that i need they will compile them for me and have them ready for me to pick up!!!!

Sign me up!

Kristen

Memoirs

So my friend Paula and I have been reading a ton of historical fiction novels lately. I am embarrassed to say how many I have read in the last couple of months. People might think that is all I do. The truth is that I am a really fast reader and skim a lot.

Anyways, I got kind of obsessed with one author who writes a lot on Henry the eighth's court and the times surrounding him. Such great, great books. The author is Phillipa Greggory but she comes with a small warning. She is a fabulous writer but can get a bit graphic at parts. Let's face it Henry was not so innocent and she doesn't hold back at times. So if you can get past that her Boleyn books, and books about the queens are awesome.

But, then the other day Paula asked me if I had ever read Memoirs of a Geisha. Okay, I skipped the book and saw the movie when it came out a few years ago and I have to say I remember not loving it. But I decided to stop my little Henry obsession for a couple of days and give it a read. I just finished it. It was EXCELLENT! I loved it.

I will have to see the movie again and see what it was I didn't like about it. The book is so worthy.

If you have never read it or you just saw the movie or it's been a while since you have read it pick it up, it is totally worth it.

Kristen

Books, Bagels, Battle Star Galactica

Okay, books and bagels but the battle star galactica was for those Office fans out there.

We are just about finished with the frontiersman and trappers and will be moving on to Native Americans. There is soooo much material that we will spend at least two weeks on the unit. Maybe more. I will see once we get started.

We made a trip to the library, like we always do when we are starting a new unit, and left with close to 50 books. Basically, I had to get four different level books on each thing I want them to study. So Seth got some easy juvenile biography, Josh got a ton of books on Native American tales, Kylee got bios as well as the Kaya series, and Faith got some bios from the young adult and teen section as well as a couple of bio-novels. It took quite a while but I did all my research before I left the house so it was just a matter of finding the books. Other than Josh bringing me 10 Spanish picture books that he had pulled off the shelf and wanted to check out it was a fairly uneventful trip.

Then we came home and I decided that I wanted to make bagels to go with our breakfast dinner. When Mike has a late night we often make breakfast, it is easy and the kids like it and I don't have to be too creative. I found this recipe and tried it out. So easy and they were wonderful!!! I have been a little apprehensive to try making bagels because I had a bad bagel making experience. But this was so easy and very, very, delicious. I followed the recipe all but I made it in my kitchen aid and I did add a little extra water because it seemed dry when it started mixing. I didn't have any cornmeal so I skipped that and they turned out great.

Kristen

Two Books in Two Weeks!

If I could identify a plus side for me with Mike being preoccupied the last couple of weeks with the coming services it is that I can read to my hearts content in the evenings and not feel guilty. So I read two books and loved them both!!! Really life is too short to read a bad book, right Paula? So the first one was another Adriana Trigiani book called Queen of the Big Time. Excellent book. I can't say enough about this author. All of her books have just been really great reads. If you are looking to just enjoy a book these are perfect.

The next one I read was Eve's Daughter's by Lynn Austin. She is a christian author and I have to admit I have shied away from christian authors in the past. I have tried a few and just found their writing to be shallow with the characters and plot underdeveloped and predictable. This can be a bad thing for me because I have this problem, once I start a book I have to finish it. Mike can't understand why I don't just stop reading it. I just can't. There have been times when I have read an entire book hoping that the main character would just turn up dead so that the book could be over.

Okay so I got off the topic there. Eve's Daughter's was the story of four generations of women in one family and how their choices all effected the next generation. It was very well written and even had me on the verge of tears a couple of times. I highly recommend this book. I am looking forward to getting a couple more of her books and seeing if they are as good.

Happy reading!!

Kristen

Faith on Reading

One of my biggest challenges in schooling the kids is finding appropriate reading for Faith. She reads so much and so quickly that I have a hard time keeping up with her. For example since we got home from NC (so that is two weeks) she has read, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken, Heidi by Johanna Spyri, Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry by Mildred Taylor, and A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer.

I actually read Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry for the first time just this last week. What an awesome book. What a shame that it has been taken off reading lists around our country. I loved it.

I can't tell you the joy it brings me to find a book that is part of a series. It gives me at least a couple of weeks rest in my search for suitable reading. Roll of Thunder is the first in a series so YEA!!! And actually so is the wolves book. She loved both books so I am set for a while if I can get the library to get the books. Challenge number two!!

Okay so if you have any books-in-a-series ideas let me know. But before you do she has read all of the Little House series, Artemis Fowl, and Anne of Green Gables. So if you have any other suggestions I would love to have them.

Quick!!!

Kristen

Book Review: Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

I just finished this book last night! Thanks Paula!! It was a great read. I was at first interested in it because it is a historical fiction novel based on the artist Vermeer and one of his paintings. I was a Humanities/Art History major in college and knew I would enjoy it because it was one of my favorite time periods. After reading the book I found the only thing historical about the book are the names of the people, the places and time period in which it takes place. The story behind the painting is totally fictitious. But, I enjoyed it. I feel like she stayed true to the time period and it is very well written.

Have you read it? Tell me what you think.

Kristen

Lucia, Lucia

I just finished a great book. It was Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani. She is the author of the Big Stone Gap series which was also good but I like Lucia Lucia better. It is not educational or anything it is kind of the chick-flick of books. But the thing I like the most is that it is told as one older women telling another younger women the story of her life. She just has a nice way of writing that makes you want to know the characters and find out what happens next. Sometimes I just really want a book that I don't have to think too much about. One that you can just sit back and enjoy. This book definitely did that for me.

If you read it I hope you enjoy it and if you have read it what did you think?

Kristen

Pass the Buck

If you know me you know I like to read....A LOT! I love all kinds of books. One of my recent favorites is The Good Earth by Pearl Buck. If you haven't read this, or haven't read it in the last ten years, it is a must read! To me the most amazing thing about it is that it was first published in 1931 and it is still such a great read. Sorry, but I sometimes have a hard time with older books and them still being relevant to my life. And I have to admit when I first decided to read it I was reluctant. It sounded a bit like something I was forced to read at some point in my school career. But because I read so much I happen to be without a book at the time and decided to give it a try. It is one of those books that you become so involved in you begin to neglect your family....If you like to read you know what I am talking about. I am not going to say anything more about the book but if you read it and want to talk about it tell me what you think!

Oh, and guess what I just found out it was the first book in a trilogy!!!! My poor family.....

Kristen