Country Mouse and Johnny

The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse possesses B. Potter's usual whimsicalness endearing it to children plus the subtler humor bent towards the adult reading the tale aloud.  During our reading hour each day Zana tends to turn her own pages but Abe stays hooked the entire time.

Today however the rural paintings coupled with the story full of fun animals kept them both engaged.  In the midst of the story Potter's own horse is featured pulling the cart with the fateful basket holding Timmy Willie inside.  Zana clear as a bell, while pointing, called out, "Tonga."  It of course is not a tonga but rather a horse drawn carriage so common to the early 20th Century country side. What a rich plethora of realities my children are learning.  I love that a book published in England the year WWI drew to a close features illustrations of modes of transport my one year old can recognize because she has seen it in our neighborhood.  What a rich life.

On a side note this was Ms. Potter's last book with illustrations published due to her failing eyesight.  Chalk a block full of beautiful pictures and funny side comments it is pure gold.  I love it as a read aloud and it remains one of Abe's favorite stories.  Even though we live in the city Abe is a Timmy Willie at heart.

Come Back

“Come Back”

“God just wants us close to him.  Whenever we wander away from him, he says to us:

Come back to me

Because I am gentle and kind.

I’m slow to become angry with you

But very quick to forgive you!

So come back home to me

And be sorry inside your heart.

I’m waiting to forgive you.

Wherever you are,

Whatever you’ve done,

Just come!”

~Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing pg. 36

We were sitting in a circle.  Five women.  Four of them, are perhaps, the most beautiful in the world, I was the fifth.  A tall looming German with the typical nose, piercing eyes and impeccable posture pulled back on her graying hair and laughed her larger than life laugh somehow looking imposing as well as warm.  The fair princess sat beside me on the floor looking like some Elfin Royalty out of a Tolkien book.  Her laugh seemed to ripple.  Her sister sat across, with the same light hair, she had stronger features, more softness around the edges to counter her obvious strength of opinion.  Two sisters they are, clearly, yet so different.  Lastly was the girl for whom we partied and her little son growing beneath her henna-ed belly button.  It was hard not to stare at her glorious belly that was covered in an exploding pattern of natural dye.  Her long dreadlocks seemed in contrast to her cute almost apologetic fringe.   Her natural gentle, winsomeness shone through even as she sat with the mommy tiredness of a sag that denotes she may never rise from this particular seat again.  I was at a Blessing Way Party to celebrate the coming of Jasper, son-to-be of Winsome Woman.

We all had scripture and messages with plenty added from those in Australia and then, like a magnificent jewel in a crown, a message to be read from Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing  by Sally Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by Jago.  Undoubtedly one of the most talented duos of all time.  

I knew the book existed but after the Blessing was read from the book and we were all tucking into great snacks (I did say there was a German in the bunch), I kidnapped the book and read as much as I could. 

Within a week I had purchased the book with my children’s Christmas money.  When I got the book I sat down and read it all in a sitting (it is not intended to be read as such).  The next week I did it again, and then again.  This book speaks to my heart.  We received it recently in a package from Abe and Zana’s Grandma Colleen.  Since the other one is already labeled as being from our Core Team (a lovely group of prayer warriors and friends) Chad and I decided to give book two away to someone we love.

I prayed about who to give it away to. It went to a friend traipsing off without her family to another country to get tested for cancer.  Can you imagine?  My heart dips low with the thought and then sings with the thought and reality that the One who created her will carry her.  It is my prayer that while she is there her heart will be safe in the hands of her Beloved Savior.   A prayer I know will be answered with a yes.

Chicago Typewriter

I cannot resist writing out the ENTIRE opening paragraph of a book that made me laugh out loud uproariously.  It is a short pre-teen book suggested for 8 year olds and up.  If I had known about it as a teacher I would have read it as a quick read aloud to my Junior High students.  Of course read-alouds are supposed to be above a child’s or teen’s reading level but this book is a gem with a character so real and so large I wish I could meet her.

“You wouldn’t think we’d have to leave Chicago to see a dead body.  We were growing up there back in the bad old days of Al Capone and Bugs Moran.  Just the winter before, they’d had the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre over on North Clark Street. The city had such an evil reputation that the Thompson submachine gun as better known as a “Chicago typewriter.”"

For those delicate readers questioning this book's appeal our protagonist's gruff nine year old voice mellows with the book.   It is not, contrary to what appears here, full of violence.   However often it does seem that there is a dearth of great male protagonists in young fiction and this book, though much shorter and not yet a classic, has a protagonist who might have been friends with Huckleberry Finn if they had found themselves in the same era.  Both were fond of stuff that makes legends.

Again if you are an avid reader and want a one hour adventure with two grandkids and their grandma be sure to pick up “A Long Way From Chicago” by Richard Peck, a master storyteller.  This book was the Newberry Honor Book, I loved it so much I am curious to see who those Newberry judges had the gall to give the medal to that year!

Carlos, A Bad Dog

I am going offline for about a month.  It is supposed to be a month of respite from the heat and a time for me to focus on language acquisition.  As our city is heating up I realize how impacted I was by pregnancy and nursing.  This will be the first summer I will be in India with my own body functioning at full energy.  Of course I still will have a 1 and 2 year old to chase around but pregnancy sure knocks me out for the count.

I get a month to buckle down and focus, focus, focus.  I am looking forward to be studying with others on my team and not just plugging along under the shadow of my husband’s ten years of language expertise.  It is my hope to make some headway and that the little drips I have consistently been dropping in my bucket will pay off in the long run.

With that said I will not be able to post on a daily basis, or even on a weekly basis.  To keep things fresh I am pre-posting and hopefully there will be new posts often.  They will fluctuate between book reviews of all kinds and short stories on pictures from my life.  I want to keep it about my life in India but also about what I love….. one of things I love is a good book.  So while I continue to drink chai and work on my Hindi  you can enter a month of drinking coffee and perhaps picking up something I suggest to read.

First book in the line up of favorites is Doggies by Sandra Boynton.  If you have never heard of this stunningly humorous author you must pick up one of her short sturdy books and chew on it immediately (unless the book is on loan from your local library). 

Not all her works are created equal but Doggies, dedicated to Bad Dog Carl, is one of our family’s favorites.  As a read aloud it causes giggles no matter who is reading.  Zana goes off into howls of laughter.  Other favorites include; Pajama Time, Barnyard Dance, Opposites, and Blue Hat, Green Hat.  As I said not all are created equal so check them out of the library to see which books attract your, your child’s or both your attention. 

Any author with the gumption to dedicate their book to a dog gets a two thumbs up!  If you concur don't miss the dedication of But not the Hippopotamus.  She sounds like a stunner too.