Royal Reads - The 5 Wishes of Mr Murray McBride

It's been a while since I've reviewed a book on here, but I just could not let the year end without telling you about these two books.  I read both of them in the last week and am so glad I did!

"The 5 Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride" by Joe Siple has definitely earned a spot on my faves shelf.  It was sweet, moving and thought provoking.  It tells the story of Murray--a 100 year old man--who helps Jason--a 10 year old heart patient--fulfill his 5 wishes.  If you're looking for realistic and logical, then just pass this book on by.  But if you are looking for something that will make you feel, grab it fast.  It's on Kindle Unlimited so super easy to get.

Joe Siple also wrote a follow up entitled "The Final Wish of Mr. Murray McBride" and I can't decide if I like it as much as the first or better.  It picks up with the life of Jason as an adult.  Murray is woven throughout this story as well as an 11 year old girl named Alexandra.  

There is something about the holidays that makes me want to read some fluff that will make me smile AND cry.  These books both did that.  Have you read them?  If so, please let me know what you thought!

When Change is Good

I may be the only person on the planet to think this way, but I love time change aka daylight savings.  I love when it starts getting dark earlier in the fall.  I love when it stays lighter in the spring.  I act like it's the first time I've ever experienced it every 6 months when it happens.  Please don't shoot me, but it fills me with joy.  

To me, that change has a purpose.  I know, I know, most of us aren't farmers and don't need to take advantage of the extra daylight for work, but I think our bodies still need it.  

Fall is a time to let go, slow down and settle in.  In the fall, I want to create comfy spaces inside.  

Spring is a time to gain momentum, to feel anticipation, to come out of hiding.  In the spring, I want to plant flowers and herbs and vegetables and be outside as much as possible.  

The older I get, the more firmly I believe we need spring and fall to recover from winter and summer.  Summer is bright and big and harsh.  Winter is deep and dark and dead.  Both require all of us--there is no halfway--leaving us exhausted and spent.

I used to think I didn't like change, but looking back, I realize I don't mind change...as long as it makes sense.  It's the change for change sake that drives me crazy. The "let's do something different because I'm bored" kind of change.  

I believe our bodies react to the changing seasons just like the grass and flowers and trees--even animals.  

Being on the farm for a full seasonal cycle, I see this clearly.  The dog gets a thicker coat in the winter and sheds it in the summer.  The chicken takes a break from laying eggs when the days are shorter.  The tree changes her colors and drops her leaves.  The grass stops growing.  It's just so tangible.  

For us humans, it's not always that black and white.  Our hair doesn't grow faster or thicker.  We don't lose limbs.  Most of our change occurs in what we do.  We shift from grilling to making stews and soups.  We spend more time inside rather than outside. 

I used to find myself wasting the season I was in, wishing I was in the midst of a different one.  In spring, I was ready to see the flowers in full bloom.  In summer, I was ready for a break in heat.  In fall, I was wishing for a white Christmas.  In winter, I craved the green of spring.  Can you relate?

I'm learning that the key to pretty much everything in life is being grateful--including in the season we are currently in.  Soaking in the sun--in small batches when we hate the heat.  Getting some pretty sunset pics in the fall.  Snuggling in and enjoying the quiet of winter.  Buying a new pair of rainboots in the spring.  Being all in where I am.  

But I'm not advocating to pretend.  It IS okay to mourn the passing of a season and to anticipate another. In fact, that's healthy.  But when we kick our feet about a necessary change, we miss out.  We don't get to be a part of shaping and pioneering the phase.

It's like the freak freeze we got last fall at the farm.  The trees were full of leaves--they were not ready to drop them yet.  When the freeze came, their leaves became too heavy and not only fell, they took whole branches and trees with them.  Those leaves, that should have been dropped earlier, will suffer the effects of that holding on for years to come.   

Today, I'm embracing the sun after a morning of hard rain and tornadoes.  I'm anticipating in a few weeks when the clocks fall back and the days are shorter.  

And I'm thankful for the change that's on its way...

Why I Write

In order to know why I write, I need to first let you know why I read.  Reading and writing go hand in hand .,, 

A few years ago, I was trying to encourage a friend who had to sell some of his hobby items.  I'm sure I said the wrong thing, probably tried to placate instead of just listen and empathize.  Out of nowhere, he criticized my love of reading by telling me I didn't understand what he was feeling because books were not a true hobby and kept me sedentary.  

I responded with a passion I didn't realize I had.  That offended me in a huge way.  For the first time, I put into words why I loved reading so much and it has stuck with me.  Books took me to places I knew I would never go physically.  Books created an escape from a pretty dreary childhood.  Books were friends for a highly emotional, nerdy, goody-two-shoes little girl.  Most of all, books reminded me that there was hope in the middle of circumstances that seemed hopeless.  

Most kids play "house" or "store" or "post office" when they are little.  I played library.  I put my desk in the corner of my bedroom and placed books all around it.  This was back in the day when there were cards in the book that you signed when you checked them out, so each book had a card in it.  I would coerce my brother and sister to come in and check out the books.  I think I even did a story time every now and then.  I wanted to be a librarian when I grew up so I could read all the books--whenever I wanted.

I'm going to date myself, but this was back in the day when kids were left alone at home while their parents worked.  I was only 9, but I babysat my sister and sometimes my brother.  We were not allowed to go outside while Dad and Mom were at work and we didn't have cable tv.  My parents paid me by buying me books.  I got a Weekly Reader subscription and every month, a couple of books would magically appear in my mailbox.  I would read them over and over again until the next month.  

We were not rich or even middle class.  We didn't take vacations. unless it was to drive to Missouri to see grandparents.  We didn't have a lot of toys.  We didn't even have a lot of books, but I loved the ones we did.  We had a set of classics that came with our Encyclopedias and at the age of 10, I started reading Gone WIth The Wind and Rebecca and continued to read them at least once a year.  

In third grade, the school library closed a couple of weeks before school was out for summer.  I was devastated.  My teacher found me crying in the hallway and offered to let me borrow the books behind her desk.  Do you remember those books your teacher had?  They were her private stash and she would choose one to read aloud to the class after lunch.  We would put our heads down on our desk and just listen to what Ramona and Beezus and Laura Ingalls Wilder were up to now.  

Anyway, that third grade teacher made my year!  I probably read 4-5 books in that few weeks until summer arrived.  The only one I remember is "The Borrowers," but I remember the feeling so special, being allowed to not only read those books, but that I was trusted to take them home.  My 4th grade teacher followed her lead and allowed me to do the same--she had "The Secret of Nihm" and "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm" and many others I can't remember.  I'm not sure why we didn't go to the public library, but other than the weekly reader books, I didn't have any new ones in the summer, so I gobbled up as many as I could during the school year.  

Almost as long as I wanted to be a librarian, I wanted to write a book.  I wanted to put something on paper that would make people feel, to give them an escape from the mundane life they were living.  As I got older, I wanted it to be something that would change someone's life.  I don't know that I ever knew what kind of book I wanted to write until a few years ago.  

I decided back in 2016 I would write "#Asking for a Friend."  It would be a collection of short devotional-type stories.  Between each chapter would be a page of my "askingforafriend posts.  Then, Jen Hatmaker came out with a book that basically did the same thing and she could say things so much more eloquently than me.  And I couldn't purchase the domain "askingforafriend" because it was already taken, so I didn't pursue it.  

When I moved to the farm last year, I thought, "Now is the time!"  I had lots of material about seasons of life from watching Gran and seeing the flowers and trees and sunsets.  So I wrote a few things in the cracks of taking care of Granny.  I was invited by a sweet friend to a writer's group that met over zoom and I jumped at the chance.  I started putting things together, but felt like everything I wrote had been written before.  I mean, think about it, how much is out there on the seasons of life and comparing planting and harvesting to our daily lives?  

So I stopped pursing it again.  "One day, I will write a book" became something I said whenever someone asked me what I thought I would do after Granny died.  

I never wanted to write children's books.  I don't even know the popular books anymore.  My girls never liked to read, so I didn't keep up with all the latest trends in kids books.  We just read "Go, Dog, Go" and "where the Wild Things Are" over and over.

But the words just flowed.  I looked at our animals and realized each had a challenge they faced that was almost identical to what kids were facing today. 

So I typed them up.  And shared them with my writer's group for critiques.  And they were well-received so I started trying to figure out how to finally follow through on this idea to publish a children's book series.  

I was hoping for doors to open quickly--to be the anomaly, but it's slow going.  Everyone knows a publisher, but it hasn't panned out for me yet.  I have an illustrator, but when I finally figured out the details of what the pics needed to be (who knew there were SO MANY rules on size and color, etc), she started back to work and school and is incredibly busy right now.  

I've kinda lost my momentum, but I will continue to pursue getting them published, because I think parents and kids need to hear them.  My hope for these books is two-fold:

1). Give kids words to put with their feelings and help them realize there is no shame in those feelings by allowing them to see them through the eyes of an animal they love

2).  Give parents an opportunity to discuss the hard stuff with their kids.  The stuff that doesn't always come up in conversations.  To equip them with tools to speak their kiddos' language.  

I don't know when or even if the books will be published.  I have 3 written so far with themes of anxiety, bullying and ADHD.  I have @10 more ideas for others that are percolating in my head.  I get discouraged and fearful a lot.  I can tell myself all the things to keep me from following through on getting them out to the public.  It may be decades before they are published and it may end up being self-publishing.  Most days, I'd like someone to come along and do all the hard work for me...

But in the meantime, I continue to write...

Blooming with Crunchy Brown Leaves

We have at least 50 zinnias in our flowerbed by the driveway.  I have loved watching all the different colors pop up from the ground  randomly and I'm kicking myself for not getting a picture when they were all in full bloom.  

The last few weeks, I've noticed the blooms losing their petals, the colors fading from vibrant to gray, and the leaves turning into a crunchy brown.  They are starting to look a little ragged, to put it mildly.

What's weird to me is that many are brown at the bottom, but the tops are green and still blooming.  When I first saw the sea of brown, I assumed they were all dying and would be gone pretty quickly.  It's been several weeks now, and they are still growing--despite their unsightly bottoms.  

Living here on the farm has made Jesus' way of talking in parables so much more real to me.  I've also read so many authors who have used flowers and planting and blooming as analogies for the Christian life.   I've debated about writing this bc, it's just one more parable type post and my thoughts are not new ones. You've probably read the same thing from someone else at some point.  

But I just can't let it go.  

I am drawn to those zinnias every time I'm outside in the yard.  Most of them are growing despite the brown--esp the ones where there are two or more blooms.  Once I trim the dead blooms, other stems appear with new buds ready to open.  

But those dang crunchy bottoms take away from the beauty with their withered-ness! 

A lot like us.

We can still look great on top even though we have some mess down below.  We can even think we are hiding the mess by all the blooming we are doing.  And the blooms truly are real.

But that brown just spoils the overall beauty of us.  

And then there are the zinnias like this one.  Something got in its way and it grew sideways for a while.  BUT IT NEVER STOPPED GROWING and now is reaching for the sun once again.  There is so much in this world right now that could stunt our growth, but we have the choice to either let it stop us or to grow through it until it moves and we can see the sun again. 

And I find it interesting that the flowers with more than one bloom are doing better than the ones who are spending all their energy into just themselves.  Those stems are working together and taking turns blooming--some even at the same time. They are uniting themselves for the beauty of the whole flower.  

There's so much going on that can cause us to lose hope and to quit or even start working against the other blooms on our same stem.  And here's the thing...I don't think it's the big decisions that matter as much as the little ones.  The ones where we choose to read that devotional today.  Or text that friend.  Or respond with grace when someone is unkind.  Or even ignore the opinionated post and choose to walk away without typing back a rebuttal.

I don't know about you, but I do not want to end up with my roots having to be pulled out because there's no life left in me.  I want to continue to press on--even if it means I have a few extra curves. I don't want to wither or even let the hard things overtake my bloom.  

I want to reach high and be a vibrant and fully alive zinnia. How about you?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...NOT!

We have officially entered into my least favorite time of year. The time when the heat just becomes obnoxious. When the sun scorches everything in site. When the summer fun is over, but fall has not made his appearance yet. When the days feel long, even though they are getting shorter. 

I love new. Spring buds, leaves changing, the first snowfall. I am all about seeing the beauty in those things.

But this waiting between summer and fall makes me weary. The heat feels never-ending and it sucks all the energy from every last bone in my body. I struggle to find things to take pics of because even the flowers are tired. 

Do you feel it? 

It's hard to hope in this season. Change is coming, but it's just far enough away to allow myself to worry about it, instead of anticipate it. 

BUT...

I'm holding out. I KNOW the good will come again. I trust these hard days are killing off the things that need time to die before the new takes hold. I accept that my exhaustion is forcing my body to rest before the next season. 

I believe fall is coming...

Do you?

Royal Reads - 7.7.21...One Second After

I probably talk about this book a couple of times a month and being here at the farm has made me even more thankful I read it in book club several years ago.  

Next to the Bible, One Second After by William R Forstchen has made me think more than any other book.  I'm not am "the world is ending" kind of person.  I didn't really prep for Y2K.  I don't have a stash of ammo or dry goods or powdered milk.  I don't even have a kit to convert bath water to drinking water or those life straw things.  I've always just said, "I'm glad I'm married to Brian Royal."  That man is one you want to know if there is a natural disaster!

Back to the book...the premise is that an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon is used by terrorists and wipes out all electricity and power.  Cars don't work.  Refrigerators become just boxes taking up space.  The world changes dramatically in an instant.  

One Second After follows the life of John Matherson, a widower with 2 daughters.  Seeing this new world through his eyes softens the scary-ness in places and heightens it in others.  It definitely opened my eyes instead of just taking our modern conveniences for granted.  It's a book that Homeland Security suggests all read--especially those working with them.  

I've also read the 2nd book in the series "One Year After" but I don't remember a lot about it, just that I liked it, too.  I didn't realize there was a 3rd book  (The Final Day) until just a few weeks ago.  I plan to re-read the first 2 before I read it.  I'm hoping I can get Brian to listen to the audible version at the same time so we can talk about it.

I could discuss this book all day long!  If you read it (or have already read it), PLEASE let me know so we can talk!  

Royal Reads - 6.30.21 - Never Unfriended

I'm going back several years for this book, but it has been on my mind lately.  Never Unfriended by Lisa Jo Baker is on my all-time favorite list.  I first read the book on my own.  Then I did the coordinating study--We Saved You a Seat--with a group of friends.  

When I was in Texas last month, I saw my copy of this book and almost pulled it out of the box, but knew I just didn't have anywhere to keep it here at the farm, so I left it.  I've been kicking myself ever since.  There are so many great quotes and takeaways in it!  I tend to look at others' friend circles and wish I had one like that, when, in fact, I have my own circle--we all do.  

One nice thing about the book and the study is that you can do each of them individually without having read the other.  Many of the ladies I did the study with had never read the book, they only watched the videos that went with the study.  Those videos, by the way, were awesome!  I would recommend you get the leader kit that includes those if you are facilitating the study!

The group I was a part of did it on facebook.  I would post the video each week and we would all meet on the group page to discuss.  Some of the ladies had never met in person or seen each others faces until we had dinner after we finished the book.  I am technologically disadvantaged so I didn't want to venture into zoom or facebook live at that point.  Needless to say, this was several years before the pandemic.  LOL.

I actually bought the teen version first, thinking I would lead a bible study with one of my girls and a few of her friends.  Then I figured I'd better read the book first.  After that, I decided I didn't really want to lead a group of teens, but would love to hear some other women's opinions.  I was shocked by the response and number of women who actually showed up online each week--back when that wasn't really a thing yet.  With some studies, you grow close as a group.  We didn't build lasting friendships in ours, but each woman said it helped them in their current friendships.  

Never Unfriended is a not just another book about friendship.  It's about going first.  It's about courage.  It's about loving the people God has given you and not the people you think you want.  I think it's a must-read for all women--whether on your own or in a group setting.  In fact, I think I'm going to dig it out of that box the next time I'm in Texas--it's definitely worth reading again.  

Royal Reads 6.23.21...Wrapped in Rain

Every now and then I find an author that I just can't get enough of.  Charles Martin is one of those.  I read Wrapped in Rain last year, but was reminded of it again the other day and wanted to share it with you.  

There are 3 main characters--4 if you count Miss Ella who is dead but who's influence is what drives Tucker.  Each of them has trauma and grief in their past and each has dealt with it in a different way.

One of the things I love about this author is his way of weaving Jesus into his books subtly, in a loving and graceful way that I think makes God proud.  It brings a hope to his stories that wouldn't be there without it.  

Charles Martin has written SO many more books--one of which was made into a movie--The Mountain Between Us.  One of my other favorites by him (which was also the first I read) is When Crickets Cry.  Others I enjoyed were Water From My Heart, Send Down the Rain, Long Way Gone and Chasing Fireflies. 

I do hope he decides to write a sequel to Wrapped in Rain because there are more stories to tell within the characters' lives.  

Have you read any of his books?  Which was your favorite?

Matching Socks

I remember when my girls were little and wanted to help with laundry (yes, it was a very loooonnng time ago).  Part of me was happy they wanted to help, but the other part sighed heavily under my breath.  Their "help" meant that it would take 2-3 times as long.

That memory flashed in my head this morning as I brought a basket of Granny's laundry into her room.  She was eager to help--which doesn't happen often.  Her doctor and home health nurses have all said she needs to have chores to help make her feel useful.  Now, the first time I tried to get her to help me fold a basket of towels, the conversation went like this:

Me: "Granny, can you help me fold these towels?"

Granny: "Why?"

Me: "Well, first of all, because we need to get them put away before they get wrinkly.  Secondly, your doctor said folding laundry would be good for you."

Granny: "You can tell that doctor he can come over here and fold it himself!"

SMH! 

Sometimes I just leave a basket of towels sitting on the coffee table in the living room and after a few days, she gets tired of seeing it and starts folding it.  But she's never really happy to do it, so I was a little surprised she seemed excited when she saw the basket today.

She started folding a pajama shirt methodically and neatly, but she tried to put it away without the bottoms.  Then she couldn't remember which drawer it went in.  Next, she grabbed some mismatched socks and tried to put them away, opening and closing drawers, looking for the one she had just tried to put her jammies in. 

When my girls were little, I always worried about breaking their spirit when I corrected them.  I'm sure they would tell you I was--and still am--too critical.  With Granny, I felt like I was walking that same tight wire except I wasn't worried about breaking her spirit, I just didn't want to embarrass her.  

So, I dug into the basket and pulled out all the socks and put them on the bed while she was throwing a dryer sheet away in the bathroom.  She came back and immediately started matching socks.  I tried to slow down on her hanging clothes and pajamas so that we would finish about the same time.  

Watching her search for the mate to the sock in her hand once again reminded me of my girls doing the same thing.  She felt proud she had accomplished something today--she just didn't jump up and down saying, "I did it!  I did it!" like the girls did.

Many times in caring for Granny, I feel I am parenting a toddler again.  I would never say this aloud to her but there is such a balancing act that happens on a daily basis!  It's hard to not "parent" a determined103 year old, who needs it but doesn't think she does--even harder than a strong-willed 3 year old.  

The toddler/preschool years were not my favorites, so I find it ironic that I'm re-living them.  Some days I feel like it's a second chance for me to get it right this time and not be impatient and harsh.  Other days, I question why God would call me to this when I am so totally ill-equipped for the job.  

But, just like I am thankful for the sweet moments of parenting my girls, I'm thankful for the sweet moments in caring for Granny.  I'm learning to live in the moment--because you never know what the next will be.  I'm learning to pick my battles and let things go more often than holding tight to them.  

I don't always get it right, but I will keep trying--just like Granny methodically matching her socks and putting them in the right drawers.  

These are a Few of My Favorite Things...6.20.21

It's been a busy week here at the farm!  Granny celebrated her 103rd birthday and the week was all about her! Here are a few other favorite things from this week:

Hobby Lobby

My family makes fun of me, but HL really is my happy place.  I could probably spend half a day in there.  On Thursday, I talked Brian and Caroline into dropping me off while they went to Academy and Home Depot.  Caroline decided to enter the chosen land with me instead, but I did warn her that she was not allowed to rain on my parade.  Instead, she added several things to my cart.  I only had @30 minutes this time because we had lots of errands to run, but I was able to find the cutest plates and decorations for Granny's birthday.  Do you have a store that you can never seem to get enough of?  

Girl Scout Thin Mint Blizzard

Y'ALL!  I found my treat for the summer of 2021!  Have you tasted the Girl Scout Thin Mint Blizzard from Dairy Queen yet?  I was hesitant.  I like mint, but was worried it might be too much.  I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't--and there were lots of cookies in it!  There isn't a DQ close to me, so this will take some planning, but I will definitely be having another this summer!

Wagon-full of Wood

I convinced Brian to cut some wood for me this week.  First of all, let me say, I'm sure I could cut the wood myself if he would show me how to work the saw, but he's worried I will cut an arm off.  Anyway, he cut some blocks and some branches down and now I have a wagon of possibilities.  I opened an Etsy shop this week and am trying to figure out how to put some of my photos on canvas to list on there, along with some creations from the wood.  Every time I look at the pile, I feel a breath of fresh air.  Creativity brings me life, but I often let myself get worked up about making something perfect so I don't start a project.  Do you ever do that?  It's silly, but it's a real thing.  Hopefully I will take the plunge this week and  get some things listed.  As much as I like being creative, I'd also like to find a way to bring in some extra income while I'm here with Granny.  Wish me luck!

Family

One of my favorite things about living here at the farm is being so close to family.  Brian's family has always included me like one of their own.  Did you know that Granny is actually Brian's grandmother and not mine?  His aunt and cousin live here on the farm so I see and talk to them frequently.  His other cousins visit often.  This past weekend my mother-in-law and father-in-law came as well.  I'm sad that we've moved further from them, but always enjoy our time together here.  My side of the family is all spread out over the country, so I've missed being close to people who KNOW me and have no problem telling me my gray hair looks bad or that I need to simmer down.  

With today being Father's Day, I thought a lot about my dad.  He would be so happy for me.  He grew up on a farm and while he didn't like it much and got out as fast as he could, he liked the fact that I loved chickens and that Hope loved to ride and that we loved our dogs so much.  He might have cringed in heaven when he saw that we got a cat, but I think he would be smiling to see me in a slower pace of life. I truly think I was made to live in a small town, on a piece of land and not caring about going out in public without makeup.  Getting to be with family more often, makes all of that even better.

I'm looking forward to a little bit of a slower week and then more friends will be arriving on Friday to stay with us for the weekend.  Until next time, here are a few of my favorite pics from the week with that #farmcharm:

We had some beautiful sunrises this week

It seems like every few weeks, random flowers pop up in Granny's yard that I never remember seeing before--and they are always pretty

She loves to put her hands in the soil

Who needs a bone when you have random wood laying around?

Hunter on point (for some reason, the family calls him Teeny now and he won't come to Hunny anymore for me

Flynn enjoying a catnap in Gran's chair

This hydrangea has been slow to bloom, but is huge

We had a few mosquito-free nights and I loved sitting outside with family

Caroline is acclimating Flynn to the outdoors--cracks me up too see him on a leash

Why did the chicken put her head through a fence? Yes, she can pull it back out

The birthday girl 

All of the cards and goodies that came in the mail this week--SO much love was sent!

My first raisin pie

Photo cred to my cousin Diane for this great shot

Another of Diane's shots--Gran liked us singing happy birthday to her

I see the moon and the moon sees me