Work In Progress (& giveaway)

Work in Progress: An Unfinished Woman's Guide to Grace
by Kristin Armstrong
Published by Faith Words
144 Pages
Women's Self-Help

Because we should all be THAT WOMAN. Yes, the woman who walks into a room and exudes love, peace, joy and grace to everyone. However we are all on the road there, none has completely arrived, although some are much closer to the goal than others.In Work In Progress: An Unfinished Woman's Guide To Grace, Kristin Armstrong goes over what she believes to be the essential key traits in making the way toward that goal. She writes a chapter for each of the qualities: Beauty, Confidence, Softness, Trust, Truth, Generosity, Forgiveness, Courage, Wisdom, Authenticity, and Freedom.

There is nothing that helps a person want to jump in with two feet more than another who is doing it and cheering you on to do the same. I found in Kristin Armstrong a woman who is not proud or flaunting, she makes it a point to show her weakness, to be real and to walk in humility all of which are traits which attracted me to her. This is a great book with key points to which all women in this quest towards grace would certainly feel they can relate to. I enjoyed reading it.

My favourite chapters where those on Wisdom and Authenticity as those are two of the traits I admire the most and would most long to be recognized for. I know that it takes time and endurance and self control to walk the road to Grace, and yes I am definitely and unfinished woman. This book, Work in Progress is just another step in pursuit of that goal, and I really enjoyed this leg of that race.

I also must say that while Lance Armstrong was in his winning streak (what was it 7 years in a row, even with battling cancer!?!) I watched him while I lived in Spain with admiration, as he was the kindred spirit of an American that I could route for. My family LIVED the Tour de France, we loved Motorola and then U.S Postal and yes, Lance was our hero. After reading this book, I got a chance to see into Kristin Armstrong's life and perspective.No matter the pain they have gone though, they are both heroes, in different ways, but yet they are. Lance as far as an athlete goes, is an extraordinary man, Krisitn well, she is an athlete too but I admire her most for her courage and devotion to God throughout the divorce and raising up of their children. I loved getting the perspective on her that I now have, as well as learning from her how to grow and mature in grace.

Which traits do you value the most in someone?

Giveaway!
I have a copy to giveaway! Write a comment on this post by the 18th of March and you'll be included. Sorry no PO Boxes, and only US and Canada addresses please.

Author Website: Kristin Armstrong
Funny Commercial with Kristin Armstrong:

(and I must say that when I was training, it is true I know it sounds weird, but I would get home and chug milk. It sounds gross, but it must have been that calcium that my body craved)

The Milly-Molly-Mandy Books

I am so excited to have my first books reviewed for my new feature "On the Lowest Shelf Children's Book Reviews" I am going to start out with some of our favourites today. I hope you enjoy this new weekly feature on B&b ex libris!!

The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook and More Milly-Molly-Mandy
by Joyce Lankster Brisley
first published in 1928 and 1929
Children's Classic chapter books

The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook and More Milly-Molly-Mandy are the first two books in a series of chapter books written by Joyce Lankester Brisley. She wrote her first one in 1928 and then continued on to complete a total of 4 Milly-Molly-Mandy books.

The main character Milly-Molly-Mandy is a girl who is practical, clever and sweet as well as exuding the qualities that are admirable in children. She lives in a nice white cottage with a thatched roof along with Father, Mother, Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle and Aunty. She has several friends, but Billy Blunt and Little Friend Susan are her every day companions. Sure they get into things, as all kids do, but they are ultimately honest, caring, kind and gentle to all those around them.

At our house, with our little boys (3 and 5 years old) we sit in the middle of the day and read a chapter from one of these two Milly-Molly-Mandy classics. The boys love the smart ink drawings and learning about Milly-Molly-Mandy. She has enough adventures to make even two little boys very interested. The book was written during a time when children played outside, made things with rocks, sticks and enjoyed themselves creating adventures and living in their imaginations. I love reading these books to my two boys because I want that to be inside them as well. That they would dream, imagine and just be kids.

Milly-Molly-Mandy is that they are extremely well written, as Joyce Lankester Brisley does not dumb down and do child speech, she says words such as "presently" and responds to adults as "Yes, sir" and "Yes, mam". The pages are filled with delightful illustrations. Not hasty low-quality art, but black and white drawings that hold vast amounts of vintage style charm. I have not one complaint about either of these books in any of the stories that we have read and my children don't either.

What do the kids say from On the Lowest Shelf?
An Interview with my 5 year old son, Jackson about Milly-Molly-Mandy

b: Do you like reading the Milly-Molly-Mandy books?
j: Yes!
b: Why? Can you tell me what you like about them?
j: Everything. They do fun things.
b: What is your favourite thing that they did?
j: When they made a tree house. Oh and the stamps story! (story in which M-M-M becomes pen pals with a relative her age in America and collects the stamps)
b:Should we get the next book now that we have finished the two we have?
j: Well, um I don't know. You have so many books already. Maybe for my birthday or something.
b: hahaha! Yes, maybe.

---

So in conclusion, it is obvious that this book wins the hearts of everyone picking books off The Lowest Shelf! I think every kid needs this one on their own shelf. Extremely recommended.

What are your kids' favourite classic chapter books? Do you read these oldies, or would you rather go a-la-modern? No right or wrong answers, I just like to chat books :)

My Little Red Book

My Little Red Book
by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff
240 Pages
Non-fiction, Self-Help, Women's Issues


My Little Red Book written by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff is a conglomerate memoir of that sacred experience, which is a woman's first period. This splendid little anthology begins with the story of the editor getting her first period while on water skis in a bright yellow bathing suit, and moves from there to woman after woman, mothers and daughters, grandmas and aunts sharing their horrors, their joys and their stories of shame.

There is an account of a mother telling her daughter how amazing and symbolic this event is in their lives as African American women, she tells of how in the days of their great-grandmothers the beginning of menstruation marked a change from a girl to a woman. That day was feared as it meant that her slave value went up and therefore many times she would be sold away from her family to benefit the slave owner. I just couldn't shake that account, still can't.

Even now so many girls look upon the day of their first period with apprehension, fear, guilt, and shame however I find that this book is pioneer to change that. It is no Judy Blume and I thank God that it isn't as women are tired of learning about belted pads, which are so not happening anymore. The author wants this book to be more than just a collection of women telling their stories, but a breakthrough, a change in the way first periods (and periods in general) are perceived, and everyone's attitudes towards them.

On of my favourite stories in My Little Red Book is an essay by Gloria Steinem called "If Men Could Menstruate" (p. 114) it is over-the-top-funny and I just had to agree (not to her extreme, but still) if men did menstruate it would be a test of manhood, a time of the month filled with pride and glorification. What is wrong with us women!?! Not that periods are great, they really aren't that fun but we should see them as what they are, an amazing ability that we have to monthly remember our common bonds of womanhood, and well, that we have the god-given ability to pro-create!

I really enjoyed this book, it is a great resource to share with your daughter, I can't say that I would let her read every story (if she were my 12 year-old) as there is mature content in a couple of the stories, but it would be great to read through it together. My Little Red Book gets my full recommendation, it is spectacular in that it captures all the angles of a girl becoming a woman.

Personally though reading through this I feel slighted . No, it isn't anything wrong with the book, it is that I cannot remember really anything about my first period. I don't think it was that monumental, I wasn't apprehensive and I wasn't scared that I was dying. I don't remember it at all. I kept thinking throughout the book (and still) that there would be something to trigger my memory in one of the stories, I didn't find it. I can't even remember how old I was. I know I was around 12 or so, maybe almost 13 but that is a guess. My friends have told me of amazing dinners they go out to with their mothers, get their hair and nails done, get all fancied up and have a celebration of womanhood where they learn the importance of what is happening and how to handle it, and how to not be ashamed of who they are as women. That didn't happen for me, I bit my nails so getting them done was out, and I didn't like anyone messing with my hair or wearing fancy dresses, still I would have liked some sort of adapted version of that. If I have daughters, I will figure out what they would enjoy and we will have that celebration!

Because the point of the book is to open women up to talk about their experiences, let's do it. If you are a women, what do you remember about this grand event which was your first period? Would you have wished your mom to make a bigger deal about it? Did she even know when you started?

Here are the other stops on the blog tour:
At Home With Books
She Reads and Reads

Marta's Meanderings

Confessions of a Romance Book Addict

Write for a Reader

Reading With Monie

Marjolein Reviews

Worducopia

The Review From Here

Zensanity

Scribe Vibe

Cafe of Dreams

Carol's Notebook

Ms. Bookish

B & b ex libris

Brimful Curiosities

Cindy's Love of Books

Books in Every Room

Seaside Book Worm Blogger

Books Ahoy!

Bookopolis

The Reading Room

Book Bargains and Previews

Wendy's Minding Spot

The Epic Rat

tweet, tweet, twitter!! (and a new look)

Two things, first I changed the look of my blog (yes, again so come and see if you dare!) and second I wanted to be sure that I'm not missing any of you out there who are on twitter...please follow me on twitter!! Click on the image above an you should head there immediately.

Do you still not have twitter!?! You are really missing out as TONS of fun stuff and interaction that goes on. I like it because you can give just as much as you have time for. It is addictive in the beginning, but then reality sets in and the newness wears off just enough to still keep it crazy fun. Go ahead, try it out!

Walking The Choctaw Road (and a personal account from my own oral history)

Walking The Choctaw Road
Stories from Red People Memory
by Choctaw Storyteller Tim Tingle
128 Pages
Fiction/Native American Studies
Cinco Puntos Press


Walking the Choctaw Road is a book filled with tales told from tongue to tongue, and heard generation after generation. Oral history and the beauty of a culture that makes the time to pass on wisdom, dreams, legends through communication, in person communication. Tingle grasps ancient tribal memories, supernatural events, and historical accounts to further the heritage of the present day Choctaw people. Walking the Choctaw Road contains eleven stories that give a glimpse into the core of the strength and desire to endure of the Choctaw people.

Tim Tingle doesn't leave out the horrors, the sadness or the tale of the journey, he embraces the devastation just as much as the victory as all being of equal importance to the generations to come. In a world of immediate gratification, I see the value in learning to wait, being patient, and not getting everything you want exactly when you first want it.

There is something magical in hearing words passed on which have endured generation after generation. I hope to someday have a chance to sit in on a storytelling, but for now I am satisfied with Tim Tingle and reading Walking the Choctaw Road. I enjoyed reading the stories, it holds and as I read I could imagine myself sitting listening to a master storyteller, with a deep voice and pacing slightly. This was a great read!


What books on Native Americans, storytelling, or oral history have you enjoyed? Is there oral history that you have felt it important to pass on to your descendants?




Personal oral history bit from my family that has passed on through generations:

The Ring

My great, great grandmother had a ring, a silver ring with a fabulous detailed setting and a medium sized diamond. She never took it off for fear of loosing it. One day after feeding her chickens she felt something was missing on her finger, and glanced down in horror to find her ring gone. It was her wedding ring and could not be replaced as it was purchased in the old country when her husband had a good job, now in the US life was much different. Immediately Grandma scavenged all over the house, swept over and over getting no dirt and no ring. She went outside where she had fed the chickens and searched for hours, she did not find the ring.

Many months later she went through the usual ritual of making a meal for her family. Grandpa butchered a chicken and she prepared the meat just as she knew he loved it most. Grandpa always enjoyed the gizzard and no one fought him for it. Grandma cleaned out the gizzard and was stunned with delight to find the ring inside! She then realized that her right must have slipped off that day she was feeding her hens and one had eaten it as chickens love anything shinny. Her second an more impacting was the second realization, that but for her husband being old fashioned and wanting to enjoy every slightly edible part of the bird, she never would have found her ring. She dropped everything and ran over to her husband, kissing him she thanked him repeatedly for giving her the most beautiful ring she had ever seen, twice.


This story is true, my mom has the ring. It is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen as well.
Do you have a family story to share?

On the Lowest Shelf Children's Book Reviews!

I am going to be doing a new feature here! When you see this banner, On The Lowest Shelf Children's Book Reviews then you know that it is where I review children's books with the help of my kids. I have two little boys, Jackson is 5 and oliver is 3 and let me tell you book critics start young! I am going to review a kids book every week. I hope you all enjoy this new feature!

Only the best of the best will get the banner below (the Supa-Dupa Five Star Picks). This award will be given to those extra special books which receive a thumbs up from every member in our family, when that happens we know they are good since we all differ in what is important to us in a book (mostly because of age difference!). A book that receives the Supa-Dupa Five Star Picks award is truly note worthy. So make sure that when you see it that you stop and write the title and author down, as it has been hand-picked by two little boys who both love to read good books, well, they love to have good books read to them and their mamma and daddy. Oh, and the ones that could be considered "girlie books" well, since I still have no daughters (yet!), I will be the judge of those, I'm not willing to let my little pirate-cowboy-sword loving boys get their grubs on them!

Which are your childhood favourites? I loved Harold and the Purple Crayon, The Boxcar Children and The Brute Family! Oh, they do bring back memories!

Anne Of Green Gables

Title: Anne of Green Gables
Author: L.M. Montgomery
Pages: 304
Published: 1908
Genre: Classic Children's Literature

Anne of Green Gables is the tale of Anne and orphan girl child who comes by mistake to live at Green Gables. Which is the mistake? Well, that she should have been a boy, they requested a boy! She is the chattiest creature to have ever entered the life of the older brother and sister, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, maybe the chattiest creature I have read ever. Still, she is genuine, sweet and no matter how obnoxious- she is lovable. I must say that somewhere in the middle of the book she was no longer bothersome at all and I completely fell in love.

For the first several chapters I didn't really know if I'd make it through the book, and then I felt a duty to get at least a little ways into this classic before renouncing it forever. I would have made a horrid judgment call if I had! I don't know where it happened, but it did I fell in love with Anne. It may have been right around where she died her hair green, or where she should have forgiven her best enemy Gilbert, but I am not sure because all of the sudden I just couldn't get enough of her. When the book was done I immediately tried to get my hands on the next book, which is Anne of Avonlea. This is a classic that deserves it's title and honoured position, there is no doubt about it!

Have you read Anne of Green Gables too? Did you read it as a child or an adult? What book do you love that is considered a childhood classic that you just can't get enough of even being an adult?


Find it at: Powell's

A Visit to Powell's

Powell's is big here in Oregon and I know there are many of you that love it too, so I am going to share the pictures from our trip. Portland Oregon is home to the most amazing bookstore. Powell's on Burnside is a full city block, yes and it also is 3 or 4 floors. There is no way we could capture just how amazing our day at Powell's was from the pictures, it is just too big to fit in a camera..but we tried and I hope you enjoy these.









Art Gallery room on the third floor.







On to the Hawthorne Powell's (much cozier and still amazing!)

What do you think? Is a Powell's trip on your calendar?

Orbis Terrarum 2009

I am exceedingly proud to announce that today is the 1st of March, and the beginning of:

The Orbis Terrarum Challenge
Your mission, should you choose to accept: read 10 different books, written by 10 different authors, from 10 different countries in 10 months.

The Orbis Terrarum Film Challenge
This will be a blast and a great break from reading: this challenge is to watch 10 films, 10 different countries, by 10 different directors in the 10 months.

The Orbis Terrarum Bilingual Challenge
This challenge has several different options based on how bilingual you are, check out the link for the options, but really this is one that most would be able to stretch themselves to accomplish.

The Orbis Terrarum Poetry Challenge
In which you may consider yourself challenged to read 5 poems or poetry collections, by 5 different authors, from 5 different countries.


What do you think? I think it is time for you to join in!
This year the Orbis Terrarum Challenge (and all its other challenges) has its own blog, you'd better head yourself over there for some amazing insight into new worlds, new books and new friends!

sunday salon- Powell's, stumptown coffee and good books

Hey!
I am having a great weekend, as my husband and I got out and went to a hotel for two nights in a city full of literary joys. Portland. It is about an hour and a half from our town in Oregon and it is a place where life is in the fastlane, a place that I love to visit, but I am not a city gal.

I am blessed that my husband is just as much a bookie as me, we have had a great weekend. We sold back some books at Powell's yesterday, about a box full. They gave me a card with store credit for $126!!Like a child in a candy shoppe with coins in her pocket I browsed through the selection. There were plenty of books, I had some to look for, but many of them were too new to find used copies. I have a hard time paying the prices for new ones, maybe that is strange, but it is still just hard for me.

Brad picked out a lovely tome of Willa Cather's Early Novels and Stories that has her trilogy of pioneering days in America. Blue Highways by Least Heat Moon and one of Bill Bryson's travel books. I classify those ones as manbooks, but I know there are probably women who love them too. What did I end up with? Well, I am feeling a little silly to admit, but I was pretty stingy with myself and I wanted to hold on to my giftcard. I splurged on New Moon by Stephenie Meyer because there was a used copy (TONS of used copies!) and I have just finished the first of the Twilight saga. Don't judge me for purchasing New Moon....I know you won't, but I just had to say that :)

Right now we are sitting at a splendid little coffee shop, it is my new favourite. Floyd's Coffee Shop in Old Town Portland. I am currently listening to Anne of Green Gables on audiobook since I need to return it to the library tomorrow. But, I have fallen in love with The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaefer, it is a YA book and so it is very well written, and sweet....just as it should be. I'll let you know more about it when I finish it.

Later on we are going to do a little more wandering through Portland, we'll head to the smaller (but I think better) Powell's on Hawthorne. Did you know there are 6 of them in Portland!? Yep, knock yourself out! Seriously. We are getting sushi for lunch and I have been taking so many pictures. I got a talking to at Powell's, a security woman made sure I knew not to take pictures of other customers...yeah, I would LOVE pictures of other people! (right!) My biggest goal was to find a place in Powell's that had NO people. I know it was her job though, so I just said: "thank you, I won't".

Okay, enough ranting....I tend to ramble, especially when excited.