Back To The Classics

I would definitely be considered what some would call a "book worm".  I love books for a variety of reason of which I won't bore you with, but I could spend a daunting amount of time in a bookstore and still wonder if boredom could find me.  I doubt it.

Anyway, I could confidently say I have read a million books (or almost), but I cannot say I have read some of the most endearing classics.  I almost feel guilty when someone says ... "Have you ever read?"  Follow that wide open question with "A Tale of Two Cities",  "Oliver Twist", "Emma", "Gone With the Wind" or even a full tale of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn and I would answer with a resounding no.  I know enough about each one to grapple through a conversation, but there are a number of classic literary giants that have shaped so much and I have never read a word.  So, being the true nerd I am...(and Santa knew it) I did have  two of those works stuffed in my stocking.  So, hopefully I can trim the list a little this winter.

I think this adventure will spill over into cinema as well.  I JUST watched "Miracle On 34th Street" for the first time ever!  There are a few other cinematic treasures I will probably view just for my own self indulgence if nothing else.  Plus, it's a good excuse for buttery popcorn and a big ol' blanket.  Wanna come? :)

A Little Chuckle

I am taking a slight blogging break, but still had to share something my mom wrote to us kids and my dad about her day yesterday. So, far be it from me not to allow a guest blogger....
I more than welcome fill in's while I stall out for a bit...

So she wrote:
So...today has been a long day...a very profitable day (for store owners) but my tale begins a couple weeks ago.....One night on my way down to the basement I saw a critter run across the basement floor...
Bad news...it looked like a rat.
Good news... Dennis walled up a hole (used for drainage) believing the rat was gone.
Bad news...2 nights ago the rat trap was sprung and there was a blood trail to the wood pile (told you this was not for the weak stomach)
Good news...it should die.
Bad news...last night as Dennis was going down to take care of the fire when he got home the rat was on the top step but did go down.
Good news...it moved slowly...obviously injured...hopefully will die.
Bad news...it was back on the top step when Dennis went down last night to feed the fire.
Funny news....he went and got his BB gun and shot at it. I think he hit it.
Bad news..it ran.Good news..Laureen will NOT feed the fire.Interesting news....Laureen spent ALLLLL day in Oneonta... seeing many people to talk which was nice but made the day VERY long...
Bad news...by the time I got home (at 7PM) Dennis had left to do his shopping
Good news...he wouldn't see what I had bought him.
Bad news...I opened the mudroom door to a wall of smoke.....
There must be good news..oh yeah....my house was NOT on fire but the stove pipe had come apart and had filled the house with smoke
Bad news...I had to go into the basement (remember the rat) and try in the midst of eye hurting.. throat hurting smoke to get the pipe together
Good news...when I kicked the fallen stove pipe no rat ran out of it.
Bad news...my house was FILLED with smoke and I had to open windows and doors and freeze as I carried in arm loads of stuff (did I mention how happy the store owners are?)
Good news...I cannot believe the rat could survive all that smoke inhalation.
Bad news...I can still smell a little smoke
Good news...I love Dennis...I have my house and tomorrow night we can have smoked rat for supper.

Oh yea...still waiting on some sun ray pictures.... ok, until next time...:)

Is Jesus In There?

There were two things this past week that my son Austin (2) has said that have stuck. His innocent little words have kept repeating in my in a way that just makes you smile and realize that children are truly God's design in allowing us to see slightly beyond the world we create as adults.
As we drove home from church Sunday morning, Austin held up one of our small Bible where the cover of the Bible zips in protection around the pages. He opened up part of the zipper and look inside the Bible almost like prying open a present, but you sneak a peek before you tear the wrapping off.
"Mom?" I turned to lok at him. He held up the Bible and showed me the partially exposed pages throught the zipper. "Is Jesus in there?"
I could only smile as he looked back down at the pages and tried peering into the zipper hole again.
"Yes, Austin." I laughed at the pure reality of the question. Of course my answer caused Andrew to raise his eyes as if to say...mom, let's be real...here.
"Ok, well the stories of Jesus are in there." I said with a wink at Andrew that seemed to satisfy him.
"Oh wow," Austin repeated still peering into the pages and looked at Andrew to show him. "Look Adrew (we still don't say the "n" yet) Jesus is in there. Andrew nodded and smiled, then looked at me once again to share our inside knowledge that it was actually the true stories of Jesus that we were all referring to. But it was a simple reminder that when we look at our Bible...that Jesus is in there.

On another note; as Austin and I were driving to pick up Andrew from school Austin kept repeating something I could understand.
Finally, after a few consecutive "whats" I realized he was talking about "sunshine". As we rounded a turn on our road I looked up at the mostly cloudy sky. However, the sun did manage to poke through just enough. It was one of those scenes that you slow the car down just to look at for a second because its just so beautiful. The rays of sun stretched from sky to ground. It was the only place where the sun was shining, the rest of the sky was cloudy and dark.
So, I looked back at Austin who was smiling at finally conveying his message with success.
"What did you say?" I asked him to repeat his words. He looked at the sky and pointed again.

"Look mom, the sunshine is falling."

So, albeit for me to not have my camera with me at the time, I am now dying to try and photograph or find a photograph that would represent something of what we saw....the kind where the sunshine is falling. So...if any of you find something...let me know :)