Tidbits and Snippets for August 11th

4 Ways to Reduce Mealtime Chaos - I am working on all of these great suggestions. (The Modest Mom)

Talking to Your Children About Same-Sex "Marriage" - "If you are like me, you may feel like the bottom dropped out of morality on June 26. But the Supreme Court ruling on "same-sex marriage" and the inevitable head-on collision with the Christian worldview is the climax to a steady course our country has been on for decades." (True Woman)

"I have felt the temptation to fear what the future holds for my children. It is overwhelming to consider what could be going on in our country by next year and even more so by the time our youngest children reach adulthood. The toddlers at our dinner table will not remember a day that same-sex relationships did not just visibly exist, but also receive affirmation and celebration from society. But God has not given parents a spirit of fear. God is an ever-present Help in our times of trouble (Ps. 46:1). He is at work in every situation, including what happens in the Supreme Court (Rom. 8:28) 

A Higher Calling Than a Dress - This mother's godly maturity blows me away. I have printed this one off for my notebook so that I can read it often. (Contentment Acres)

Parenting Amidst Mistakes - "Worry and stress are not tools of the Lord. Self-doubt and angst are not part of His call for us. Nothing changes the reality that we are flawed human beings raising flawed human beings." (Brave New Family)

"We can try to do everything right. We can try to be the most educated, the most empowered parents out there. We can do everything we can to avoid the mistakes our parents made, but it won’t change the fact that we are making our own... There is no perfect parent, but there is the parent who is perfecting. And this side of Heaven, that’s as good as we can do." 

How Christians Should Respond to Abortion - "If Jesus was angered by the apostles not allowing the children to be brought to Him, how much more angry must He be that people are massacring God’s blessings in the womb – what should be the safest place on earth for a baby – and then selling their little organs and body parts for profit?" (Full Hands, Full Hearts)

"One day we will all stand before God on the Day of Reckoning. We will have to give an account for our actions, or in some cases, our lack of action. I don’t know about you, but I don’t ever want to stand before the Lord Almighty and have to explain to Him that I was too scared to speak out against the senseless slaughter of His little children."

How to Stay Chic While Expecting - Not my strong point, but it's definitely hers. (Brave New Family)

The Myth of the Perfect Curriculum (And What We Use) - One veteran homeschool mama shares her favorite curriculum picks. (Are They All Yours?!?)


Recipe Corner

Leftover mashed potatoes = this fabulous potato bread.

This Chili Coconut Peanut Chicken was one killer recipe. The family ate like rabid hyenas when I brought it to the table. We served it with rice, sautéed cabbage, and baked sweet potatoes.

(I used this easy recipe for the chili sauce that the recipe required.)

 From the Bookshelf

Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World

Did you know that the banana we eat today (the Cavendish) is a completely different banana than Americans ate 100 years ago (the Gros Michel) - a banana that was so sturdy that it could be tossed into a pick-up truck without so much as the tiniest bruise?

Did you know about the great banana massacre - when one of the large banana companies machine-gunned 3000 protesting banana workers in the 1920s?

Did you know that the banana, and the power plays surrounding it, have contributed greatly to the last 100-or-so years of politics in South America?

I actually picked up this book because I couldn't find anything else to read and figured it couldn't be that bad. I quickly found myself growing more and more interested in the topic. I will never look at a banana the same way again.

This book records the history of the banana, the culture of the banana in human society, and the current crises (stemming from rapidly spreading botanical diseases) facing modern banana agriculture.

Fascinating, educational, entertaining!




The Monogram Murders

I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie, but being that she died five years before I was born, I have never known the thrill of getting "the latest Christie" - until now!

This book, of course, is fan fiction, but it's well done. I had many criticisms, of course, as always will happen in imitation-style literature, but I also was overjoyed to meet my old friend Hercule Poirot again - in top form, and very well-created by the author.

My main criticisms:
1. A bit too long for a true Christie.
2. An overly convoluted and complicated plot, and with too many improbabilities. One example: A rather neurotic woman who devotes herself to living in a graveyard and protecting the grave of two people whom she has never met. Hmm.
3. Anti-Christian themes and character comments. Not only does the vicar's wife (of all people) spend pages making snarky comments about the Bible and historical church doctrines and biblical morals, but the book ignores and/or celebrates the fact that the book's hero is a priest living in adultery.
4. Rather confusing. At the end of the book, I was still cloudy as to who had died, who killed them, and why on earth any of it had happened in the first place.

But again, I loved getting to meet Hercule Poirot again, and the character is well-done.

Thus, my review is mixed - good and bad together. Recommended with reservations.



Humanae Vitae

As I read the forward to this edition, I realized that I had already seen it - and recently! The forward to this edition of Humanae Vitae can be found here - and it's an astounding and highly enlightening read. Definitely click that link and check out the author's analysis - excellent stuff.

Whether you're Catholic or not, this is a great and worthwhile read for anyone and everyone interested in life ethics and the (sorry) history of life ethics in the recent Western world.









What the Bible Says About Child Training   

I just started reading this one and am looking forward to learning more. I very much enjoyed reading the author's wife's book, On the Other Side of the Garden, a number of years ago.














The Christian Parenting Handbook: 50 Heart-Based Strategies for All the Stages of Your Child's Life                

I picked this up at our homeschool convention and am enjoying it very much! I love the clear and concise writing style, and the practicality of his tips. I have enjoyed all of Turansky's books that I've read and hope to pick up more of them over coming years.












 The Education of George Washington: How a forgotten book shaped the character of a hero

A light and easy read that also offers a great deal of historical information and perspective. I am enjoying this during our history reading time.













Dear readers, have a wonderful week!