A God of Order

Numbers....who would have thought that this book would teach me about who God is and what He likes?  I like order...it helps me stay sane...and God likes order also.   The first 3 chapters ...so far...are about order..a census is taken..the Israelites are told how to arrange themselves in the camp and in what order to leave and exit camp.  There are specific people to do specific jobs....this tells me that not all are called to do the same thing.   Thank goodness... you would not like my color choices and lay out of rooms if I were asked to decorate.  But give me some books and a shelf...boy howdy,  I could make you (and me) very happy and orderly. 

Which brings me to the book sale.   We had the first of the three for the year at the main library this past Fri.  It goes through Sun.  but I try to only go one day..I spend less that way.  Yes,    I spend 4-5 hrs in a basement looking at books..and I am NOT ashamed or give ANY excuses.  It is pure fun. 

I have an ORDER to my search.  This time I took all my children because I couldn't be at all the places at once.  What I mean by this is....there are different sections of the sale, and I look for specific books from each section,  history,  children's,  religious,  the old books..so this time I needed more than one person so we could run walk calmly over to the sections at one time and look before anyone else got there.  Oh,  I didn't just say that did I?  Forget that.  I really was not as jittery as I am normally am.  Sometimes I don't sleep very well the night before I am so nervous and excited.  Terrible,  I know.  REALLY..I took the kids because they each had books they wanted me to look for and I knew I wouldn't be able to look like they could..so they went to find their books..and a couple of mine on my list.   I didn't find them, but I did find some for others...that's just as much fun to me.  Here is a pic of some of our finds. 

Also,  this time,  I took only cash,  had a limit,  and MET IT.    You can't possibly know how revolutionary this was for me, unless you compare it to shopping.  THEN you understand.  Or dieting.  Let's not go there in this post.    I usually SAY a  limit of 3 boxes and come out with 5,  wheezing at how much I just spent and wondering how to tell my husband and where we will find room on the shelf.  I actually only had about 15-20 (books)  of my own personal (not going on the kids shelf) books.  I did accidentally leave behind about 8 books on the floor.  But I look at it as God's protections against greed.  

And what do books have to do with the book of Numbers...besides that they are books...?   Well,  I ordered my spending,  and preordered my shelves to accommodate new books, and have all my new books on my shelves,  and nothing lying around.  My books are in order.    I see the connection.  And I feel very sane...at the moment. 

Here is a random picture of lentils in a pot.  Very ordered, and pretty. 

thanks for reading,

Reb

Time Flies

I really believe 2 weeks have passed with me not blogging.    We have been busy with...with...with...well, with life.  But I also sometimes feel that what I have to say is so...so...so ...plain, boring, not interesting.  Then I think about the blogs I read and what are they about?    Dogs,  food,  gardening,  homeschooling,  a days events,  a project begun or finished. 

So I blog tonight on ....  a book.   I picked this book off the cook book shelf at the library.  Sometimes I go up and down the aisle just looking for  a book to jump out at me, and boy did this one jump.  I will say I think I saw it mentioned on the the common room's   blog. 

Anyway,   the name of the book is Sixpence in Her Shoe by Phyllis McGinley.  I LOVE this book.  It is a collection of essays on begin a wife, mom, and homemaker.  She has such wit,  such great use of language,  such candor and common sense.  I have been reading portions of it aloud to my husband and we HMM together.  Here is a quote I am in love with.  Of course it is about books.

"Children, of all people, deserve the best.  At this age their tastes are forming.  From the first nursery rhyme to the last Arthurian legend, they should have what their elders do not often get in a story--accomplished style,  honest motivation, characters proficiently drawn."

Here is very good reason we use great books instead of workbooks and textbooks for school.   Here is another quote, in speaking of  the taking out  great long sentences and difficult words in children's books so has to make them more understandable to the child.

"And we have done more than smother word discovery;  we have deleted magic and fantasy from children's lives.  Most modern textbooks try to appeal to the young by talking about what they already know,  their everyday activities." 

She then quotes from a popular children's book on how Bill took paper and pencil to school and drew his neighborhood and was it north or south,  the title being "Bill Carter's Map".

"Bill Carter drew a map and took it to school.  The map showed his teacher where he lived.  First he drew Main Street.  Then he drew Indian Road.  Bill drew a small picture for his house.  He drew a bigger picture for his house.  Bill marked North and South on his map.  Is Bill's house South of the School?"

Oh MY!!!   She compares it to a story from McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader.  (My kids love these.  We use them for read aloud practice.)

"One cold night, after Old Mr. Post had gone to bed,  he heard a noise at the door.  He went out to see what it was, and what do think he found?  He found a little babe on the doorstep, crying from the cold."

Much better beginning and even I want to know what happens now.   Good thing I have the book.

So I guess this was a book review.  If you find this book,  and I hope to find it at the used book sale in 4 weeks,  pick it up and read through it.  And be sure and look in the cook book section, and pick up a book on Gluten Free cooking cause you KNOW your wheat loving family is going to jump up and down for joy and beg you to never make homemade bread again and cook with rice flour and such.  Or better yet,  just get a cook book  on cookies,  bake some,  grab Sixpence in Her Shoe,  and eat and read. 






thanks for reading,  (if you are still here!!)

Reb