Circle of Quilters

I just finished the latest Elm Creek Quilts book by Jennifer Chiaverini, and it was a nice, easy read. Like the rest of the Elm Creek books, it pulled me in and just gave me an escape for a while. This time, the Elm Creek Quilters are inteviewing potential replacements for two of their members who are moving away. Like Cross Country Quilters, this book focuses on new characters: those who are interviewing to become new instructors at Elm Creek Quilt Camp. Still, my favorite characters were there, and I did enjoy meeting the new ones.

All spruced up

Everybody got all fixed up for Easter, but I realized our four-legged friend missed out on getting a new look. So, he got some time in the pet salon this week. Since his legs get so dirty and matted, I decided to forego the traditional schnauzer cut and just go short all over. He still looks pretty intelligent with the schnauzer beard, though, I think. I love how the one ear is down in this picture. That's how he looks when he's all relaxed and comfortable. I know something's wrong or drawing his attention when both ears are up.

Hands on experience

I was walking our dog this week when a little Jack Russell terrier down the street broke free of his line and decided to defend his territory against my puppy. Before it was all over, my dog had proven himself to be somewhat less than heroic (he hid behind my legs for the entire encounter), and I walked away with a pretty nasty bite on my hand. The Jack Russell's owners were apologetic and handled things very responsibly. They checked on us, brought me the dog's rabies vaccination certificate, and told us the dog would be muzzled when left on his line from now on. One tetanus shot, a lot of cleaning, and some antiobiotics should leave me almost as good as new. The doc said if it were any other kind of wound he would have stitched it, but apparently dog bites are prone to infection, so they didn't want to close it. I can still play piano and knit, so all is well. I'm still amazed that I found myself in the middle of a dog fight on a Monday afternoon.

Eggstra special day

After church on Easter we drove down to my husband's sister's house, where we were met by other family members for a nice Easter dinner and a backyard egg hunt. The boys did most of the hiding while the five-and-under crowd did most of the hunting. All the eggs had little treats or prizes inside. The younger girls (hunters) were kind enough to share their found treasures with the older boys (hiders) when the hunt was over.

Easter blessings

Everybody got to wear something new to church to celebrate Easter and the blessing of knowing a risen Savior. The boys decided they'd be more comfortable in jeans since our church is pretty casual most of the time, so I got them each a new pair and bought new shirts to go along with the pants. The church service was amazing, with the gospel presented through preaching, drama, and song. I got to play the keyboards and sing with the praise band. It was a truly blessed time for all of us. Christ is risen!

First dress

I know this photo doesn't show a whole lot of detail, but that may be for the best, since this the first dress I've ever sewn myself! I made costumes for the kids last fall, but this is my first real article of clothing that I made with my own two hands. There are plenty of rough spots, including the zipper, so I'm glad my daughter wore a sweater to church. Still, she loved it, and I had a good time making it. I would have liked to have hand-sewn the hem, but I was on a time crunch and ended up doing the hem on the machine. Still, I think it turned out okay for a first dress project. It was a very simple pattern (Simplicity #4250, view B). I sewed the bodice in a size 4 but used size 8 for the length, since the pattern has the hem just at the knee and my daughter wanted it really long. We found the fabric several weeks ago at a fabric store.

Short cut

Our five-year-old decided last week that she wanted to cut her hair chin length. I started to set up an appointment, but she wanted to wait until Saturday, the day before Easter. I think she really wanted to surprise everyone at church and at our family Easter gathering with her new look. So, at 3:00 on Saturday we went to the beauty shop, where our little princess got the full treatment. She was very much in her element. I talked her into keeping her hair just a tiny bit longer than chin length so that she can still pull it back if she wants to. I love her new look! It just makes her eyes sparkle.

Newberry hits and misses

It's been a long, long time since I cried while reading a book. The last time I can remember shedding literary tears was when I read Lonesome Dove for the first time over ten years ago. Well, I had to pull out the tissues for Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson (1978). It's an incredibly well-written book about a fifth-grade boy named Jess living in rural Virginia during the post-Vietnam 1970s. His friendship with a Leslie, a girl whose parents gave up life in the city to simplify things, changes Jess in profound ways. Leslie goes through a few changes herself as the two children build their own kingdom, Terabithia, in the woods near their homes. It's a beautiful book that teaches kids to be true to themselves and their dreams. A word of caution: The "Does God really send people to hell" question arises as Leslie visits church for the first time, so be prepared to discuss this if your kids read this book.

I also read the 2005 Newberry award book, Kira-Kira, by Cynthia Kadohata, and was disappointed. There was rich content in this book that was handled poorly. The writing was a bit choppy and fragmented. It was as if Kadohata tried too hard to speak as she thought an elementary-school-aged girl would. She never quite captured a believable voice to me. The story itself and the setting are good, but the presentation was lacking. Not sure how this one won the Newberry. There had to be better books eligible for the award last year.

I really enjoyed The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare (1959). Set in New England during the 1680s, it follows the trials and triumphs of Kit Tyler. Kit had to leave her home in Barbados to live with her aunt, uncle and cousins in a Connecticut Puritan community. She soon realizes that it can be dangerous to be different in a place where people fear and kill "witches." This book takes kids right into a Puritan home and shows them just what life was like there, complete with descriptions of daily chores and routines. I highly recommend this one.

The Giver, by Lois Lowry (1994) is one of those books that will stick with you and may even haunt you. It's shelved in the young adults section of our library, but I think my ten-year-old is mature enough and has the mindset to handle it. My eight-year-old isn't ready for it and may not be for some time, just because of how deeply some things affect him. This one will keep him awake at night. The story is about Jonas, a 12-year-old boy who lives in a perfect world, literally. There is no poverty, no crime, no hardships at all. The price for this utopia is that there is also no independent thinking. Jonas reaches the age where all children are given their life assignments, and he is chosen as Receiver of Memories. His new job opens his eyes to the hefty price his world has paid for its perfect stability, and Jonas must decide if his perfect life is worth the sacrifice of humanity. The ending is a little strange to me, but if you're a George Orwell fan or enjoyed Brave New World, this is your kind of book.

The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin (1979) was just a whole lot of fun. It's a good book for your young mystery lover, set in an apartment building whose residents are all suspects in a murder that isn't all it appears to be. Sometimes it was a little hard for me to follow all the twists and turns, so stay alert if you read The Westing Game.

Miracles on Maple Hill, by Virginia Sorenson (1957) is a good choice for the young nature lover. It's a sweet little story of a family who moves from the country to the city and how the new surroundings slowly change the family in positive ways. Not all that gripping, but an easy read filled with detailed descriptions of nature's beauty.

The White Stag, by Kate Seredy (1938) is an okay choice for the kid who enjoys mythology. It's a pretty mystical, mythical account of how Attilla the Hun came to be and then conquered. Not my favorite, but I think it would be okay for the right kind of audience.

I read some good books after this most recent trip to the library, but I still have to say that Shiloh is my favorite.

Kindergarten registration

It's official: our youngest will start kindergarten in the fall. She had her kindergarten physical, immunizations (she was very brave), and went to the school to fill out all the paperwork and visit a kindergarten classroom. She was thrilled to meet a real kindergarten teacher and recieve the official kindergarten registration coloring book! We celebrated afterward by going out to lunch.

More monumental interests

Just another photo of our cute little visitor. He's actually our godson and is such a sweetheart! He stayed with us a couple of nights while his parents went on to a wedding in Baltimore. I was amazed at how well he did. He is constantly smiling and only cried when he was hungry or tired.

Monumental interests

Last weekend the family (minus mom, who had already committed to an out-of-town event) went to D.C. to see the cherry blossoms and whatever else they could see. My best friend and her husband had flown up with their little boy to spend some time with us. So, it was straight from the airport to see the sights. I hated that I wasn't there to visit the monuments, but I joined everyone at home on Sunday and enjoyed a fantastic week with our guests.