Books I'm / we're enjoying

Searching for Sacred Ground
Way back when I started this blog I promised I'd read this because of the reference to axis mundi. The book breathes the energy and awakeness of Raylene Hinz-Penner, a beloved person to me.

Marguerite Makes a Book
Beautiful illustrations, great if you're wanting to study medieval times with children.

A Door in the WallAgain, on the medieval topic, a wonderful story, engaging for both reader and those read to.

Old Mother Westwind's "How" Stories
Henry loves 'em and, in keeping with what I'm learning about the Charlotte Mason method of education, they're good "living" books.

Except for Searching for Sacred Ground, these were all checked out from the local library, along with a pile of others. What gifts! Makes me think of the quote (it's too late now to go check the refrigerator magnet that tells me who said this...) "A room without books is like a body without a soul."

Since I'm not the one reading it to Henry, I almost forgot this final beloved book of Joel's and now Henry's (since we've read through the Hobbit and the LOTR trilogy): The Silmarillion. How could I forget that? It's one of the books keeping the "soul" in our living room.

What's not to love?

Her nickname is Puddin'.

two faces

I've been seeing a lot of these two faces as I nurse Anna and lie in bed. One is ancient, the other new. One dark and expressive, the other light and basic. I like to see them together. (Had to photograph them outside for better light). They're poles I'm hanging out between right now...complexity versus simplicity, suffering versus joy, you get the idea.

I was reading the newest Newsweek at my folks' place today. Do you think we live in a child-centered society? That's what I thought the mag was contending? I don't know about that. I don't think so, really. We may live in a narcissistic society that encourages children not to mature, but I don't know that we really excel at honoring the needs of children, or adults, for that matter.

I like to stare, gaze I guess is the word, at Jesus on my wall. This icon sits on the prayer table in the house where I used to go to twice-weekly early morning prayers. I had missed it since moving back to Kansas, so Joel got it for me at Eighth Day Books several years ago and now it hangs by the changing table, next to the basket where Anna's doll rests.

At what have you been gazing?