"Hooked on Books"

Growing up I was WAY too kewl to be seen reading a book! A Metal Edge, Bop, Hit Parader or Tiger Beat Magazine, for sure, but NEVER a book. Forget Jane Austen, I was way too busy reading up on the antics of Keanu Reeves, Bon Jovi and Ozzy. My scrapbook was not a book it was my bedroom... SCARY I TELL YOU!Well we all grow up sooner or later, as do the celebs we idolize as a teenager, mine are scary these days. Now my appreciation for things published are much much different than my days of yore! I now LOVE to read read read, and listen I must add.

I read a vampire series in my early 20's, (B.B. before baptism) and that was about the extent of my reading. About 4 years (or so) ago I was in an airport with a friend and we went into a bookstore, I was buying a recent installment of the old vampire series, hoping I could stomach it in my now mature minded years. My friend suggested I buy a Harry Potter book instead after I explained my concern. A kid's book? Puh-leez! She insisted I purchase it along with my other choice. What can I say.... she was right! Three and a half weeks later I had gobbled up all 5 available books at the time! (after I had tossed the other book at about page 50) The most reading I had ever done in my lifetime. Thank you J.K. Rowling for sparking a new love in my life.

I must admit, I am quite a lofty reader still. I like some romance, I like dragons, I like period and I love to laugh! Can you say novel? I usually have a library book in my lap and a audiobook in the cd player in the car. I commute a ton, so I get alot in this way. Its great, until I find myself still sitting in the driveway waiting for a chapter to end.

So what is the best book you have read recently??

I am torn! So I will name a few. I am currently reading/listening the Phillipa Gregory series, The Constant Princess (good) The Other Bolyen Girl (scandalous), (I skipped one I think) The Bolyen Inheritance (so far cant stop listening).

But if I were to recommend a recently published book to you I would say... The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield... It will be my next hardcover purchase, I want this book in my life.

Settle down to enjoy a rousing good ghost story with Diane Setterfield's debut novel, The Thirteenth Tale. Setterfield has rejuvenated the genre with this closely plotted, clever foray into a world of secrets, confused identities, lies, and half-truths. She never cheats by pulling a rabbit out of a hat; this atmospheric story hangs together perfectly.
There are two heroines here: Vida Winter, a famous author, whose life story is coming to an end, and Margaret Lea, a young, unworldly, bookish girl who is a bookseller in her father's shop. Vida has been confounding her biographers and fans for years by giving everybody a different version of her life, each time swearing it's the truth. Because of a biography that Margaret has written about brothers, Vida chooses Margaret to tell her story, all of it, for the first time. At their initial meeting, the conversation begins:
"You have given nineteen different versions of your life story to journalists in the last two years alone."
She [Vida] shrugged. "It's my profession. I'm a storyteller."
"I am a biographer, I work with facts."
The game is afoot and Margaret must spend some time sorting out whether or not Vida is actually ready to tell the whole truth. There is more here of Margaret discovering than of Vida cooperating wholeheartedly, but that is part of Vida's plan. The transformative power of truth informs the lives of both women by story's end, and The Thirteenth Tale is finally and convincingly told. -

I am trying to read classics as well, since I was too busy backcombing my hair as a youth. I loved The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas.. A favored movie of mine too.

Something fun my girlfriends and I did was read Rhett Butler's People, which is Rhett's side of the G.W.W. story (my all time favorite movie). Then we watched the movie again, and wow we were able to connect so much more with the story line and not just Scarlett's tale. It helped me to appreciate the Civil War again as well.

Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer..... Edward...need I say more?... eek!

Please comment, I am always looking for a new book to read!!

Civil War Renactment, a B.C. Right of passage..

For the last 11 years the B.C. 5th grade has done a Civil War Reenactment. To be a key part of the ceremony the student must complete the required memorization and reports to become a "Great American". Then you receive an award as well as other privileges. It is not a required assignment, the students complete the G.A. outside of their regular curriculum. Anyway, Zach was given the privilege of portraying General Robert E. Lee of the Confederacy during the ceremony. We had a great time preparing his costume and filling water balloons for the battles.Zach started off as a Union Soldier fighting for the end of slavery. A soldier fights and goes down for his country.The surrender of the south to the north.Zach with the two retired teachers who started the whole thing. Mr. Coe and Mr. Tobler (the father of our friend Bill Tobler). What a great experience this was for the kids, they really learned alot about our great country and what a wonderful way to take stock in what we have in this great land of ours, and so many blessings in our lives.

open house happenings

It was time for Raegan's 2nd grade class open house. Here are some outakes from the visit. The first is of Raegan's mealworm. eeeew!

Our favorite display was Flat Stanley. Raegan mailed him to Aunt Melody, Uncle David, Joel and Seth. They took him sledding in Flagstaff and sent him back with the most entertaining letter and pictures. We had not seen F.S.'s return and were thouroughly amused. Thanks Ward family! And the family ham's blue tounge that matches her eyes.. Well done Rae!

Pinewood Derby 08

Well as you know with boys come scouting and with scouting comes the dreaded (by me) and much anticipated (by the boys) Pinewood Derby. Our troop 211 here in B.C. happens to be the Pinewood Derby fundamentalist troop. The wards pitched in last year and bought a state of the art track and the week before, sons and dads are stressed out about who will make the winning car. It is serious business I tell ya! You win some and you lose some. Zach has come in last, 4th, 3rd and now due to a wheel malfunction back down to 5th but not last. And Mike is glad its over for another year. This year's car was by far the best looking that is for sure! The P.W.D. is also a great lesson in humiliation and sportsmanship. While Zach was disappointed he handled himself better this year than he had in the past. There is a new glint of maturity every day in the Zach man!

"Goin Buggy"

Raegan's 2nd grade class put on the cutest show tonight called "Goin' Buggy". Raegan was one of the fireflies in the play. The first picture was in the opening credits. Yes thats our girl posing away for the camera. Too cute for her own good, well her father's good at least.

The fireflies did a little dance number, fully choreographed with fiber optic light wands, we were quite impressed. These were the best pictures I could get. The school's spotlights are these horrible red deals that my camera hates, it always makes me grumpy because it is so hard to get decent shots. Oh well, Rae will be in another school next year for 3rd grade, and their lights are just fine. OK off my soap box..... Great job Raegan!

Blinding me with Science!

Zach and his partner Christian did a few science projects together. The first one involved a potato plant, but our faith in the potato's ability to grow is not so strong. So, the boys thought a fun and easy backup project would be fun. This one is a force of energy demonstration, I think. You take a can, some rubber-bands and 20 pennies and assemble them. Then you roll the can away from you and it eventually stops on it's own and rolls back to you. Here is the link to the project, http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/petcan.html . They thought it was pretty cool!

We'll keep you posted on the potato project.