Summer is Over, and I am Late! (Books Lately, May 2023)

 
The average reader, noting that for crying out loud it's almost September and why are you posting about last May? may wonder why on earth I am so late with this post.

Life, my friends.

And the fact is that I just don't seem to be able to handle staying current with blogging - even just once a month. The messes are so big, and the to-do list so long, that it just doesn't happen. 

But I do enjoy hopping in when I can. 

This has been a busy summer. 

Our low-budget version of a pool. Actually, we did buy a plastic pool later - three, actually, my husband got carried away - but the kids still love the storage container.

A few highlights:

- The eldest turned 17, and the baby turned 2. The eldest, amazingly enough, managed to graduate from high school, and is now working on finding a job and getting a driver's license. The baby - well, his nickname around here is "Trouble." He keeps us hopping.

- The kids attended music camp, and some of our dancers performed in an Independence Day parade.

- We managed a last-minute vacation to the mountains. 

- After working for what seemed like several hundred hours, I managed to find homes for all nine of our kittens. May we say, HUZZAH. (They were adorable little darlings - we were so sorry to see them go - but so glad they all found good homes.) 

** We used the website ReHome to find homes for two of our kitties. It is a great website with supportive staff, and the user interface is super simple and user-friendly. If you use this website to re-home pets, make sure to follow the website's recommended protocol (which includes phone interview, meet-and-greet, waiting period, a signed transfer-of-ownership, and charging a re-homing fee). All of these steps are to weed out the creeps who are looking to get easy free animals to use for base and/or evil purposes (as reptile food, dog fighting bait, animal sacrifice, animal torture, or selling to labs). Evil people are out there, and boy did we find some of them. So follow the steps to keep yourself and your animals safe! ***

One of our little ladies, whom we nicknamed "Cappy" (long story). 

- We made some more big, life-changing decisions for our family. In the last year or two, that seems to have become par for the course. At some point I'll get used to it.

- Several of our crew received Confirmation.

I am currently getting ready for an (extremely!) late start to our school year, complete with an entirely new curriculum set-up. (Translation: I ditched everything we were doing and was extremely happy to do so. It's a long story. If our new set-up works, I'll post about it next year.)

And now, onto books!

For Adults and Teens

Allergy-Proof Your Life: Natural Remedies for Allergies That Work! (Michelle Schoffro Cook, 2017) – Non-fiction health.
   I used to think that allergies were a minor complaint, similar to the "morning sickness" that women made so much unnecessary fuss about. (*Laughs sardonically*) And just as with morning sickness, I thoroughly got my come-uppance with allergies. While I don't get the worst form every year, I have been through the mill with severe seasonal allergies (which here in the Phoenix valley, oddly enough, seem to hit right around Christmas time), and have experienced the lovely type that basically brings life to a screeching halt. This book was a great resource for information about treating allergies naturally, and I enjoyed it greatly. While it goes far further than I hope I ever have to go, I adopted some of the basic strategies this past allergy season, and they helped tremendously (if I am remembering correctly, I avoided dairy and modern wheat like the plague, and added a ton of water and vitamin C to my regimen). Recommended.

Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters (Abigail Schrier, 2021) – Non-fiction sociology.
   I have wanted to read this book for several years, and I finally got my hands on it - and it did not disappoint. While the author is not a Christian - and could even be labeled technically as "pro-trans," in that she does not argue with the idea of adult "gender transitions" - she is addressing a horrendous and oft-ignored phenomenon that is sweeping through our young people - that is, the incidence of "rapid onset gender dysphoria," or gender dysphoria that comes on suddenly, with no history of such feelings or behaviors, almost always after exposure to online trans influencers and communities. She addresses specifically the skyrocketing incidence of this phenomenon in teen girls, and how this is leading to widespread body mutilation (through artificial hormones and irreversible surgeries), and how acceptance of this behavior is now mandated in most levels of our society. As one commenter said, "Science is dead and now social pressure has taken off." 
    As I have observed what is going on in our society, I have realized that had I grown up in current times, I would have been in serious trouble. I was a child with severe social anxiety, social awkwardness, someone who "always knew she was different," and who firmly rejected any feminine frills. (My mother once bought me shoes with bows. I cried.) In terms of the trans movement, I would have been easy prey.
   And here's the thing: Teens can't think long-term. I know I couldn't think long-term with any sort of reality when I was a teen. If someone had said to me, "Here are these drugs and surgeries that will prevent you from being able to have children or breastfeed," I would have said a big who cares. Pregnancy and breastfeeding meant nothing to me at that point. I could not realistically conceive of my future as a mother. But now, many years later, I have spent the past eighteen years either pregnant, breastfeeding, or both. It is a treasure and a gift from God, something that I can't imagine having forfeited in a burst of teenage immaturity. But I'm pretty sure I might have, given the right circumstances. And the fact that our society is both allowing and pushing this on enormous and growing populations of teen girls is both tragic and criminal. 
   Educate yourself about what's going on. I highly recommend this book. 

A Church in Crisis: Pathways Forward (Ralph Martin, 2020) – Non-fiction. An examination of the crises currently facing the Catholic church - a thorough and excellent treatment, and an extremely well-written one. 
   I first encountered Ralph Martin in his interview on Pints with Aquinas back in 2022, and immediately fell in love with his passion and thoughtfulness. I expected great things from his book, and it did not disappoint. Martin continually amazes me with the thoroughness of his research, and the depth of his knowledge, both of which raise the question: How can one man possibly read and examine so many books in one lifetime? (See the bibliography at the back of his book.) However he does it, he is amazing, and the book is well worth the read. Highly recommended. 

The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays (Oscar Wilde, c. 1895) - Drama. The edition that I read contained Lady Windermere's Fan, A Woman of No Importance, Salome, The Importance of Being Earnest, and An Ideal Husband. I had originally picked up the book to read An Ideal Husband only, as I had had to miss a children's production of that play that happened during the week of our miscarriage, but I ended up reading the whole book (I skipped Salome). I actually ended up reading all four plays over the course of one day when I was in hospital. The plays were deliciously funny and, of course, wonderfully witty. And, in fact, I went back and read the book again later just for the joy of it. If you haven't read these plays yet, I recommend them. 

That Hideous Strength: A Modern Fairy-Tale for Grownups (book #3 of 3 in the Space Trilogy, C. S. Lewis) – Fiction/Fantasy. This book was reading for Day #2 in the hospital, and it was a mind-blower. I have read this book only once before, and it was back in high school (so, about 25 years ago), and it was just as powerful as I remembered it. Being able to read it in entirety in a day was - quite literally - like having a mini-spiritual retreat. Lewis is always a winner, every time. And this is one of his most powerful works.
   Because this book is #3 of 3 in the space trilogy, I do recommend reading the first two books before venturing on this last volume. Additionally, a basic knowledge of Arthurian legendry would be helpful before delving in. Be prepared for a bit of a slow start, and then for the ride of your life. Enjoy.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End (Atul Gawande, 2017) - Non-fiction health.       When I saw what this book was about, I nearly put it down and didn't pick it up again. But I'm so glad that I kept reading. Gawande's book is a treasure. In this work, Atul Gawande deals with the subject of elder care and end-of-life care. How does in-home care compare with nursing home care, versus "assisted living" care? How far should treatments be pushed - especially those last-ditch treatments that can be painful, destructive, and ultimately unhelpful when taken too far? His examination of the subject, based on his vast experiences as a physician, and also interwoven with the story of his father's battle with cancer (and his eventual death), was gentle, thoughtful, evidence-based, and excellent.
   My main concern with this book was an ethical one - is he going to push for euthanasia? And my fears on that point were mainly relieved. While Gawande does briefly state that there might be a small place for euthanasia in elder care - a statement that, as a Christian, I completely and utterly reject - he states with great clarity a point that I also would argue - that the option of euthanasia makes elder care and end-of-life care far worse than when that option is not available, simply because euthanasia makes caregivers lazy (my words, not his). In other words, why worry about dignified and complicated end-of-life care plans, when one can just urge a patient to choose death and save everyone the trouble? (And a friend of mine, a health worker who witnessed the aftermath of the legalization of euthanasia in Oregon, told me that this is exactly what did happen.)
   I have seen a similar phenomenon in the hyperemesis world with the "solution" of abortion. Why worry about treating or curing complex hyperemesis, when one can "solve" the problem by killing the baby? In both cases, having an unethical false solution to a problem prevents real problem-solving from happening. It also results in lazy, immoral, and dehumanized care for the patient. In both cases, you can't use murder to get real and dignified solutions to complicated health problems.
   I enjoyed this book thoroughly, and recommend it to all, because the material is pertinent to all. All of us will have loved ones getting older or in end-of-life situations, and all of us will one day face the same situation for ourselves. Although the topic is uncomfortable, it's good to think about it before one is in the thick of decision-making and difficult choices. 
   Having enjoyed this book so much, I found several other books by the same author and am now going through those. One of them, "The Checklist Manifesto: How To Get Things Right," will be included in June's write-up of Books Lately.

Children’s Books

Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers (first in an eight-book series by Ralph Moody, c. 1950) - Non-fiction autobiography.
   A friend gave me this series years ago - as in, over a decade ago, I am embarrassed to say - and I have only now gotten around to reading them. They comprised some of my reading during our two months of pregnancy loss and recovery after hospitalization, so it was good that there was a lot of material to chew through. 
   These books are excellent. They have been compared to the "Little House" books, and I would say that that is a good comparison - the time period is slightly later, beginning around 1900 - and covering the author's boyhood, beginning when his family moved west to help improve the health of the father (who had tuberculosis), and following the author through his young adulthood up until his marriage. Included in the series is an unbelievable number of different situations, some of which include:

• The family's ranch experience, ending with the father's death after a bad chill.
• The family's life after the father's death, supporting themselves with door-to-door selling of the mother's cooking, a time which included the birth of a posthumous baby, and ends with the family having to leave town secretly to avoid the mother having to testify in a case which might lead to a man's execution.
• The family's life in a new town in which the mother establishes a laundry business to support the family, and in which the author works in a local store.
• The author's life with his grandfather when he is sent away to live with him for a time.
• The author's time working on horse ranches and doing trick riding.
• Most interestingly for me, as an Arizonan, the author's time as a young man doing stunt falls for the infant movie industry (c. 1920) in Tucson, at a time when it was common for both men and horses to be killed or horrendously injured in stunt falls.

And much more. In our current time of extended adolescence, video gaming, and other unhealthy youth predilections, this book was an amazing testimony to the ability of young people to do amazing, productive things with their lives. It was an amazing testimony.
   My one problem with this series was that there were often processes (ranching, farming, mechanical, etc.) described in great detail and at great length, and I often had absolutely no idea what was going on. This does occasionally happen in the "Little House" books, but it was far more prevalent in this series. I just had to learn to keep going and ignore those descriptions, because to a non-farmer, they were unintelligible - my fault, not his.
   If you haven't yet enjoyed these books, I recommend them. If you've read one or more, please write and tell me your thoughts on them! 

New Faces, New Friends (, last book in the Grandma’s Attic Series) – Biographical novel. The Grandma's Attic series was one of my favorite book series from childhood, and I recommend it most fondly. This last book in the series takes place when Mabel is a young married woman with a baby, and concerns the goings-on of their community in small-town 1800s America.
   My main complaint with this book is that it seems to be out of print! - which is a terrible shame. The first four books in the series are commonly available as a boxed set, but the later books in the series - which are my favorite! - are almost completely out of print. They are available as used copies, but it is a pity that they're not currently being printed. If the world at large is listening, please get these wonderful books back in print! 

Cherry Ames, Student Nurse (first book in the Cherry Ames series) – Realistic fiction.
   I bought a certain number of these books years ago at a used book sale - about seven of them, I think - and then never got around to reading them. As I have really needed extra reading material this spring due to all of the illness and recovery going on around here, I finally got this series out (along with the Little Britches series). Cherry Ames books are quick reads - all of them concerning a young woman who becomes a nurse during World War II. 
   The Cherry Ames series was begun during World War II itself, so the series is at first concerned entirely with the war. In the first book, Cherry is a student nurse. In each book, she progresses - through graduation, into practice, and onto the front lines as an army nurse. As the series passes beyond the end of the war, Cherry ends up in a variety of different non-wartime situations - a different post in each book (nursing home, school, ranch, etc.). Each book contains some type of mystery/adventure and a bit of romance, as well as a few steady characters and a continually revolving cast of new characters from each new location. Think "Nancy Drew" with a nursing theme.
   Though nursing and its duties are often described, the more personal or gruesome aspects were glossed over or ignored - something that I think is good in a children's book series.
   The wartime Cherry Ames books in many ways read like wartime propaganda - so much so that I wondered if they really were written as propaganda. Glowing descriptions of "our brave boys" and "our heroic nurses who sacrifice everything for the glorious cause" (my paraphrases) were both charming and somewhat amusing (they were overdone, but that was understandable).
   I would have no problem handing these books off to a daughter of any age. If you do so, however, don't be surprised if she comes home wanting to be a nurse! 

Bud, Not Buddy (Christopher Paul Curtis) – Realistic fiction. A young orphan boy searches for his father during the Great Depression and Jazz Age South.
   I enjoyed this book greatly. It is well-written, funny, and has a well-planned rhythm and flow that results in a very enjoyable read. Our teen son enjoyed it as well.
   My one concern with this book - and it's not a little one - is that the book is filled to the brim with both off-color references and lying. If a child is truly old enough to roll with this material and not take it as an example, I think it's probably okay. For younger children, I really wouldn't recommend this book.
   Your thoughts?

I would love to hear recommendations for great books that you've read lately (and your thoughts on them). Leave a comment below!

A few words from the kitchen...

Actually, this post is so late that I have no idea what was going on in the kitchen way back in May. Mostly, nothing. I was busy with morning sickness, then miscarriage, and then being in the hospital. For the last half of the month, people from our church were bringing us meals in a wonderful show of support and love that we treasured and appreciated. Which reminds me...

I need to write thank-you notes!

As well as catching up with super-late editions of Books Lately. 

But that seems to be life as a mother. There just isn't time - as in, for anything. (I am writing this with a toddler using me as a jungle gym. It never stops.)

So, in the meantime, have a wonderful rest of the summer. And for you non-Phoenicians, appreciate any temperatures you're having that are less than 115 outside! (Wow, it's been hot around here.)

Love to all!

One of my ongoing projects is making one pie per month this year. I think that I'm on pie #6 or #7 - not bad, especially for me. This one was, I think, apple. 

I make pineapple upside down cake for our yearly Monsoon Day celebration (June 24th, which is also the feast day of John the Baptist). Pineapples, you know! Tropical! Like monsoons are tropical! Except that we live in a desert! So you can clearly see the connection there. Too bad we have gotten exactly zero monsoon rain this year. (Not true, we did get ten minutes once, about two weeks ago. Should make for a very interesting fire season this fall.)

Not sure what this was, but it was apparently important enough to take a picture.