In less than a week, I have enjoyed (sort of!) two different encounters that re-established to me that I middle age is here. Generally speaking, I don't dwell much on my age - I like to think I am doing pretty good, considering what I've been through! And, I had my children "late in life" (love that - when I was in my 30s). This means that as I participate in their activities, or host their friends at our home, I am generally with women who are younger than me. I still think I am 28 most days, so this seems to work fine.
This past week, however.....
Last week we were at a fellowship and I was enjoying a conversation with a young man, fresh out of college. We discovered that we had attended the same church, and lived in the same area. He said, "You went to Fox? Maybe you knew my mom!"
Of course, Nevin is laughing as I say, "Your mom? Don't you mean your older sister?" I then asked his age. Twenty-four. Sigh. "Okay, what's your mom's name?"
Then yesterday, we attended a fellowship meal at church. We had gotten the food all ready, the children seated and their plates ready. Then, as the ladies were getting ready to eat (I love it that the ladies get to fill their plates first) the pastor's wife turned to me and smiling, said, "Mrs. Koranda should go first because she is the elder woman."
WHAT!!!!!!!!?????!!!!!
Oh my, I was. Except for one senior lady (who did not stay for dinner) I WAS the elder woman. Granted, it is a very small church with only five other women, but I was the oldest. By two years.
Somebody get me my cane! I am wondering, too, if there is not something about potluck fellowships that is causing all this...
I was not so offended, however, as to refuse to go first at the buffet. No need to take too defensive a stand.
So, suddenly it occurs to me that I am, more and more, in the position of being the older woman. The Titus 2 woman. I have a responsibility to the younger women. Even though my chilren are still young, I do have some life experience. I have graduated college, held jobs, been married for 15 years, established a home, birthed four sons, gotten two of those sons into their double-digit years, homeschooled for eight years, raised some chickens, processed some deer, own a business with my husband....
And I think that I am holding up very well, especially considering what I have been through!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Reading log, May 2010
Trying to keep this updated in a timely fashion!
31. Murder at Longbourn – 3 – Tracy Kiely – sort of cute mystery, not great. Lots of red herrings, some funny moments, but on the whole, pretty unbelievable.
32. The People of Sparks – 3.5 – Dupree – sequel to The City of Ember – read aloud with the older boys.
33. And the Shofar Blew – 4.75 – Francine Rivers – read for book club – story of a pastor who takes over a dying church with elderly congregation and turns it into a mega church, and loses his way. Very telling about seeker-friendly churches, etc.
34. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate – 4.75 – Jacqueline Kelly – excellent story of an 11 year old girl – Calpurnia – living in Texas in 1899. She wants to be a naturalist and study science; while her family expects her to spend her time learning to knit, tat, cook, etc. She is nurtured by the relationship with her grandfather, who lives with them. He is one of the founding members of National Geographic Society, and teaches her how to be a naturalist, to study and make scientific observations of the world around her. Her “evolution” is her growing and discovering what she wants to do for herself. It does ties in with the naturalist studies of Charles Darwin, but there is no indoctrination in his origins of man. It is more about his work as a naturalist. Her grandfather does upset her mother by wanting to discuss what the fossil record means to the Book of Genesis with dinner guests, but discussing ideas should certainly be allowed! All in all, if you can get past any predjudices against seeing Charles D.’s name anywhere, it is a wonderful story. Calpurnia reminds me of Flavia de Luce, but without the edge – she is a naturalist, not a chemist, and doesn’t have Flavia’s fascination with poisons.
35. The God of the Hive – 4.5 – Laurie R. King – the newest Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes mystery. This was an immediate sequel to the last (which came out a year ago!) so it was hard to get back into the storyline. It was okay, not as good as the others. Mary and Sherlock were apart for about 90% of the book, and that is what I like best – the interaction between them. That is what makes the whole story. So anyway, that’s where we leave off – hopefully it won’t take her another year to write the next one!
36. The Unbearable Lightness of Scones – 3.75 – Alexander McCall Smith – next in the 44 Scottland Street series. It was okay. I’ve liked others better. This one had a lot of dull points. The last two were really good, so maybe this just suffers by comparison.
37. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – 4.5 – Rebecca Skloot – excellent non-fiction – in 1951 Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman from Baltimore – died of cervical cancer. Before she died the doctor took samples of her tumor, and grew a cell line from them. This cell line, named HeLa, continued (and still continues) to grow and has been used in every imaginable sort of experiment, developing medications and vaccines, testing the effects of space travel and nuclear weapons. Her children, who were basically uneducated and poverty-stricken - did not find out until 20 years later. It is the story of Henrietta and her family, and what happened when the world found out who the HeLa cells came from and how it affected their family. Usually this would not appeal to me, but it was a fascinating story from page 1. Highly recommend.
31. Murder at Longbourn – 3 – Tracy Kiely – sort of cute mystery, not great. Lots of red herrings, some funny moments, but on the whole, pretty unbelievable.
32. The People of Sparks – 3.5 – Dupree – sequel to The City of Ember – read aloud with the older boys.
33. And the Shofar Blew – 4.75 – Francine Rivers – read for book club – story of a pastor who takes over a dying church with elderly congregation and turns it into a mega church, and loses his way. Very telling about seeker-friendly churches, etc.
34. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate – 4.75 – Jacqueline Kelly – excellent story of an 11 year old girl – Calpurnia – living in Texas in 1899. She wants to be a naturalist and study science; while her family expects her to spend her time learning to knit, tat, cook, etc. She is nurtured by the relationship with her grandfather, who lives with them. He is one of the founding members of National Geographic Society, and teaches her how to be a naturalist, to study and make scientific observations of the world around her. Her “evolution” is her growing and discovering what she wants to do for herself. It does ties in with the naturalist studies of Charles Darwin, but there is no indoctrination in his origins of man. It is more about his work as a naturalist. Her grandfather does upset her mother by wanting to discuss what the fossil record means to the Book of Genesis with dinner guests, but discussing ideas should certainly be allowed! All in all, if you can get past any predjudices against seeing Charles D.’s name anywhere, it is a wonderful story. Calpurnia reminds me of Flavia de Luce, but without the edge – she is a naturalist, not a chemist, and doesn’t have Flavia’s fascination with poisons.
35. The God of the Hive – 4.5 – Laurie R. King – the newest Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes mystery. This was an immediate sequel to the last (which came out a year ago!) so it was hard to get back into the storyline. It was okay, not as good as the others. Mary and Sherlock were apart for about 90% of the book, and that is what I like best – the interaction between them. That is what makes the whole story. So anyway, that’s where we leave off – hopefully it won’t take her another year to write the next one!
36. The Unbearable Lightness of Scones – 3.75 – Alexander McCall Smith – next in the 44 Scottland Street series. It was okay. I’ve liked others better. This one had a lot of dull points. The last two were really good, so maybe this just suffers by comparison.
37. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – 4.5 – Rebecca Skloot – excellent non-fiction – in 1951 Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman from Baltimore – died of cervical cancer. Before she died the doctor took samples of her tumor, and grew a cell line from them. This cell line, named HeLa, continued (and still continues) to grow and has been used in every imaginable sort of experiment, developing medications and vaccines, testing the effects of space travel and nuclear weapons. Her children, who were basically uneducated and poverty-stricken - did not find out until 20 years later. It is the story of Henrietta and her family, and what happened when the world found out who the HeLa cells came from and how it affected their family. Usually this would not appeal to me, but it was a fascinating story from page 1. Highly recommend.
Saddle Up Your Horses......For the Great Adventure
I haven't blooged much, even though so much has been going on in our lives - I am not able to put into words what God is doing with us. Our family has been on such an incredible journey the last few months. We left our safe harbor and have voyaged out, and it has been amazing. Unsettling at times (most times!). Scary sometimes. Hard to figure out what to do with all my "mental free time" now that I am not focused on that anymore. But it is a wild adventure - we have met so many people, been sucked into worship and studying God's word and doctrine in a whole new way, re-committed to our original family goals that we made so long ago. Right now, I just feel like anything is possible, and hold on - the ride gets bumpy at times. The Holy Spirit is showing us things and leading us in directions I never imagined, and my hunger to read my Bible, and study doctrine, and learn from those who have gone before is just growing.
Life right now is like that Steven Curtis Chapman song:
"Saddle up your horses - we've got a trail to blaze!"
This is the great adventure!
Life right now is like that Steven Curtis Chapman song:
"Saddle up your horses - we've got a trail to blaze!"
This is the great adventure!
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