Buried Treasure: Top Ten

Top Ten Lists

Tasha Tudor
Howard Pyle
N.C. Wyeth (he was Pyle's pupil at the Brandywine School of Art)
Trina Schart Hyman
Carl Larsson
Mary Cassatt
Beatrix Potter
Claude Monet
Maxfield Parrish
Frederic Remington

Top Ten Authors

G.K. Chesterton
Dorothy Sayers
Jane Austen
John Buchan
C.S. Lewis
Edith Schaeffer
L.M. Montgomery
P.G. Wodehouse
Elizabeth Goudge
Charles Dickens

Top Ten Birth Ideas

1)Be light-hearted, but confident. While the contractions are still mild, talk about how much you are looking forward to the birth and go over some of the things you all want to do when the labor gets more intense.

2)Try to keep the momma moving. Have her walk around. Let her sit in a rocking chair and rock the baby down, down, down. Have her slow dance with hubby and keep her hips swaying so that the pelvis can loosen up and move the baby down. Some hospitals (like the one we were in) are laying down the law about keeping hooked up to a fetal monitor. When the doctor arrived, she was supportive of letting my friend move around, and the nurses acquiesced to her instructions. There was also a wireless monitor with an antenna available.

3)Use a birth ball or tub of warm water. The hospital had a birth ball, and Kayla, the doula, showed my friend how to use it. My friend sat on the ball, facing the bed, and she rested her arms on pillows on the bed. She rocked on the large ball while leaning forward, and the buoyancy and the motion made her comfortable and helped open her pelvis to allow the baby to descend more easily. I sat across from her on the other side of the bed and gently held her hands and talked her through her contractions.

4)Pray together. I quietly prayed with my friend through many of her contractions, especially finding things to thank God for: the new baby, her loving husband and family, God's providential timing, even for the pain which gives an opportunity to really depend on God. Remind her husband to pray, too.

5)Breathe. I don't have any special breathing techniques, but I think it helps to slowly and deeply breathe in through the nose then slowly blow out through the mouth. That seems to help until the transition stage. Then, when the contractions are more "spiky" and sometimes have double peaks, I have her moan out the breaths with very low tones, almost a groaning sound. I make the noises with her to keep her focused.

6)Relax. During almost every contraction I reminded her to relax and loosen her body. I specifically told her to relax her forehead, her jaw, her mouth (even letting it hang open), her shoulders, her arms and her hands, because those are the places that tend to tighten, and the pain is worse when you tense up. I would sometimes touch those places to remind her to loosen them up. While I was doing that, Kayla was massaging her back and pushing on her back where she was having some labor pains. Lower back pain is common in many labors, and it helps a lot to have someone pushing there with closed fists. My friend had a sore hand where blood was drawn, and we directed her attention to that sore spot when she was having a contraction, getting her to focus on that pain instead, even pressing a bit on the back of her hand (at her request) to remind her to think about the pain there rather than her labor pain.

7)Cold cloths. It really helped today to have cold washcloths available for her forehead, neck and face. We frequently rinsed them out to keep them cool and she really liked having them available. Lots of water in a cup with a straw is also good, giving sips in between contractions. If someone is at the birth who isn't sure what to do, assign them the job of keeping the cloths rinsed and the water cup filled.

8)Focus. When transition starts and the momma becomes shaky and fearful, speaking very directly, looking in her eyes, reminding her of how the labor is almost over and encouraging her with praise and confidence is really helpful. Sympathize with her feelings but don't let her get caught up in her fears. Tell her she can do it! She will be in her own little world, but she will hear you and respond to what you say.

9)Groaning. When it's time to push, she doesn't have to relax any more. If she is upright, rather than lying flat, it is much easier to push out the baby. Let her squeeze your hand. Have her tuck her chin down and remind her to keep it down, and have her groan or grunt deep sounds when she is doing the hard work of pushing. Make these noises with her, if it helps her. Encourage and remind her that when the baby's head is out, she will feel a LOT better. Speak forcefully and be confident at this point. There may be times when she needs to slow down the pushing so she doesn't tear, so be ready to encourage her to do this, too.

10)Rejoice! I couldn't hold back the tears when the little guy came out. He was beautiful. It is amazing to see someone else's baby being born. I am also grateful that everything went so smoothly and that the people in the hospital could see not only that a natural birth could have such a good outcome, but that we were all praying and trusting God for the outcome and that He was the reason for our joy and our confidence.

Top Ten Books

The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
This one needs to be reread a few times because unlike most mysteries, it becomes more confusing the closer you get to the end.
That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis
Some people really dislike this book; I find it so prescient about our current worship of science and the rise of the religion of humanism.
Mr. Standfast by John Buchan
Part of the Richard Hannay series which begins with The 39 Steps, it has a theme of Pilgrim's Progress and a touching story of friendship and sacrifice.
Mr. Mulliner stories by P.G. Wodehouse
Most people are fond of Jeeves and Wooster, but Mr. Mulliner is my favorite... he is a master story-teller and the possessor of the world's most odd relations.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Have you noticed how many of the authors of my favorites have initials instead of names? This selection may seem a little trite, but I really think that Lucy Maud was a master of characterization, a feat accomplished by few authors.
Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
This is a favorite of many reformed Christian women; this book truly changed my life with its unfolding tale of transformation through suffering. It shows so clearly how God brings trials to us because of His loving plan for our lives.
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
Before Scarlett O'Hara there was Becky Sharp...Gone With The Wind, which I love, was a rip-off of this story, except Becky Sharp gets more of a comeuppance than Scarlett.
Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
Can you believe this is the world's bestselling book...although I haven't heard if it has been surpassed by that other religious bestseller, Harry Potter. I just bought a beautiful children's version with illustrations by Robert Lawson.
Paradise Restored by David Chilton
David used to be our pastor; he died of a heart attack a few years ago at the young age of 44. This book changed my eschatology which is why I keep going instead of giving up...it's also one of the reasons we have 10 children.
A Lantern in Her Hand by Beth Streeter Aldrich
I have a review of this on my website ...I'll try to add more reviews in the near future, but I'm not making any promises!

Top Ten Christmas CDs

There's nothing special about this listÑwe just got out all the Christmas music and I picked some of our favorites, in case you needed some suggestions for a new CD this year. I welcome any suggestions you might have for me, too!
Christmas in the Aire by Mannheim Steamroller. Everyone knows about this one, but it has some really nice songs done in their trademark instrumental style; our favorite on this CD is Pat a Pan. There is a free song from them to download at Amazon, too.
Beyond December by First Call. This one may be hard to find. It has mostly new songs with Christmas themes, some well-known Christian guest vocalists on several songs. The arrangements are very creative, some with an old-fashioned Celtic sound.
A Medieval Christmas by Kemper Crabb. Kemper is a strange, eclectic guy with a very neat voice. This CD has "Let All Mortal Flesh Be Silent" along with many old, traditional Chrismas carols. You can download one of the songs at Amazon.
Carol by The American Boychoir. Mostly traditional carols, beautiful voices, lovely arrangments (many by John Rutter).
Handel's Young Messiah. This may be sacreligious to some who have issues with messing with the original, but I really like the contemporary (1990) arrangements of some of Handel's Messiah highlights (and I'm all hymns and psalms in church). Singers include Matthew Ward, Annie Herring, Twila Paris, Cynthia Clawson, Russ Taff, Sheila Walsh, Wayne Watson, First Call and The Imperials.
Home Alone soundtrack. Since I shocked you with the last one, I thought I'd sneak this one in, too. The music is composed and conducted by John Williams, and it has a beautiful version of my favorite Christmas song, "O Holy Night."
The Music of Christmas by Steven Curtis Chapman. Very Christ-centered, a combination of new and traditional.
The Promise by Michael Card. All original songs about the birth of Christ, includes the song "Immanuel."
The Holly and the Ivy from John Rutter. Beautiful choral music and lots of it.
In the Christmas Mood by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Every night after dinner we put on some music for Baby Braveheart and dance with him. Several of the songs are secular wintertime tunes, but they are fun to dance to with a lively toddler!

Top Ten Christian Books (to encourage you in your walk)

The Christian's Daily Walk by Henry Scudder
Not a book to curl up with in front of the fire, but this reprint of a Puritan classic is meaty and practical. Some of the areas which it addresses: Of beginning the day with God, special duties of superiors and inferiors, of bodily refreshment and recreation, of the Lord's Day, rules concerning sleep, of walking with God alone, of keeping company, rules for our religious conduct in prosperity, directions for walking with God in adversity, of uprightness, concerning false fears, and much more. There is even a section on reading! "Besides your set time of reading the holy Scriptures, you will do well to gain some time from your vacant hours, that you may read in God's book, and in the good books of men..."

The Holy Bible
This is the only book on my list with no flaws. People need to spend a little less time reading books about this Book and more time reading this Book. Perhaps you've heard the saying, "This Book will keep you from sin, but sin will keep you from this Book." Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten your understanding as you read, and pray for Him to show you how He wants you to apply what you read. I really like the Reformation Study Bible, which has excellent notes from a reformed perspective. Also, a good catechism can help with understanding basic doctrine. Read the first question in the Heidelberg Catechism to see how a catechism can be meaty and encouraging, not dry and dusty.

Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon
Forget about 40 Days of Purpose and find 365 days of purpose, twice a day. This excellent devotional book will grab you by the shoulders, slap you around a bit and make you feel more loved and confident in God's grace than most other books written by mere men. From this morning's entry: "Believer, here is encouragement. Art thou praying for some beloved one? Oh, give not up thy prayers, for Christ is 'mighty to save.' You are powerless to reclaim the rebel, but your Lord is Almighty. Lay hold on that mighty arm, and rouse it to put forth its strength. Does your own case trouble you? Fear not, for His strength is sufficient for you. Whether to begin with others, or to carry on the work in you, Jesus is 'mighty to save;' the best proof of which lies in the fact that He has saved you. What a thousand mercies that you have not found Him mighty to destroy!"

Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
This gregarious and prolific Roman Catholic author gets it right so many times, that he has become an icon of godly wisdom to us reformed iconoclasts. Nobody could get a point across as creatively, humorously and pointedly as this man. This book presents Chesterton's view of the Christian life as seen from the perspective of the Apostle's Creed and his personal experience. "But nearly all people I have ever met in this western society in which I live would agree to the general propostion that we need this life of practical romance; the combination of something that is strange with something that is secure. We need so to view the world as to combine an idea of wonder and an idea of welcome. We need to be happy in this wonderland without once being merely comfortable. It is this achievement of my creed that I shall chiefly pursue in these pages."

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
One of the most exciting, insightful and convicting stories ever written. How many times I've thought of Christian straying off the difficult path and ending up in the castle of Giant Despair! This story is always pertinent, reminding us of the need to persevere and trust God when He sends each of us on our unique journey to the Celestial City. The version of the book to which I've linked is from the people who did the excellent dramatized audio version of the story, which I highly recommend.

The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
Though considered a classic by many evangelicals, the author quotes extensively from reformed and Puritan sources. This is a very accessible book which shows that holiness in the Christian life is essential and attainable. "In all of our thoughts, all of our actions, in every part of our character, the ruling principle that motivates and guides us should be the desire to follow Christ in doing the will of the Father. This is the high road we must follow in the pursuit of holiness."

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs
Another Puritan classic, the cover says that the author "was much concerned to promote (1)peace among believers of various 'persuasions' (2)peace and contentment in the hearts of individual believers during what he describes as 'sad and sinking times.'" Sounds like a good book for 2004, doesn't it? "It is the way of God to work by contraries, to turn the greatest evil into the greatest good. To grant great good after great evil is one thing, and to turn great evil into the greatest good is another, and yet that is God's way: the greatest good that God intends for His people, He many times works out of the greatest evil, the greatest light is brought out of the greatest darkness."

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Senior demon tutors junior demon in how to subvert the faith of a young Christian. Insightful look at the pitfalls to which we all are prey. "My dear Wormwood, I have been in correspondence with Slumtrimpet who is in charge of your patient's young woman, and begin to see the chink in her armour. It is an unobtrusive little vice which she shares with nearly all women who have grown up in an intelligent circle united by a clearly defined belief; and it consists in a quite untroubled assumption that the outsiders who do not share this belief are really too stupid and ridiculous. The males, who habitually meet these outsiders, do not feel that way; their confidence, if they are confident, is of a different kind. Hers, which she supposes to be due to Faith, is in reality largely due to the mere colour she has taken from her surroundings." Ouch.

Stepping Heavenward, by Elizabeth Prentiss
This is one of the books that has most changed my life. It has given me a more God-centered perspective so that I don't see difficult circumstances as something against which I should rebel and complain, but I see God's loving hand in every situation. This is fiction written by the woman who wrote the hymn "More Love to Thee, O Christ." From the book: "'I only wish I had understood this years ago,' I said. 'I have made prayer too much of a luxury, and have often inwardly chafed and fretted when the care of my children, at times, made it utterly impossible to leave them for private devotion|AMP|mdash;when they have been sick for instance, or in other like emergencies. I reasoned this way: Here is a special demand on my patience, and I am naturally impatient. I must have time to go away and entreat the Lord to equip me for this conflict. But I see now that the simple act of cheerful acceptance of the duty imposed and the solace and support withdrawn would have united me more fully to Christ than the highest enjoyment of His presence in prayer could.'" "'Yes, every act of obedience is an act of worship,' he said."

The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis
A slim book of essays, reminding us that we are part of something much greater than our limited perspective of dailiness would lead us to believe. Of course, the title essay is my favorite, and heavily underlined. "Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased."

Top

Top Ten Cookbooks

Betty Crocker's Cookbook
One of the best basic cookbooks, everything you need to know without weird ingredients or ostentatious oratory to distract you. I've had my copy since we got married over 22 years ago, and both the front and back covers are coming off. It's time to replace it with one of the newer editions with photographs of the food. I love looking at pictures of food!

Cookin' With Home Storage by Vicki Tate
Written by a Mormon lady whose mother wrote a classic book about food storage, this book obviously is geared toward using the items you might have left over from your Y2K provisions, but it is filled with plenty of recipes for creatively using the items in your pantry. If you want to cook from scratch and stretch your food dollars, this is the book for you. It even has home remedies and beauty treatments. If you get desperate, there is a section on wild edibles, including how to gather and prepare locusts.

The Cupcake Cafe Cookbook
I first heard of this book in an article in Victoria magazine, when I drooled over the pictures of beautiful cakes decorated with frosting wisteria and sunflowers. The directions for baking and decorating those cakes are in this book, but there are many other baked goods, too. We have tried many of the muffin recipes and some of the doughnuts. We have also used the buttercream frosting recipe and had cupcake decorating parties, using the beautiful photographs for a guide.

The Fannie Farmer Junior Cookbook by Joan Scobey
Easy for young cooks with simple instructions, and the food really tastes yummy! We love the blueberry muffins and the corn bread.

Hearth and Home by Karey Swan
Karey and her husband Monte are popular homeschool speakers. This is filled with more from-scratch recipes, interspersed with Karey's banter about family, faith and life. There are many quotes and poems, as well as lyrics to songs written by her husband.

Make-a-Mix by Karine Eliason, et. al.
One of my most-used cookbooks, it has many recipes which fit the bill for a big family, but can be packaged in smaller containers for freezing for smaller families. Our favorites are the white sauce mix, the meatball mix, the sloppy Joe mix and the hot roll mix which makes great hamburger and hot dog buns. There are recipes for each of the mixes, and you can make anything from seasonings to main dishes to desserts with this book.

The Pioneer Lady's Cookbooks
Jane Watson Hopping is the Pioneer Lady, and she has penned a whole slew of down-home, over-the-fence cooking books which have much more than recipes. These cookbooks are filled with memories of her huge extended family and childhood, old-fashioned poetry, and photographs and illustrations that Prairie Muffins will love. These are easy to find from used book sources.

Sue Gregg's Eating Better Cookbooks
I have changed my thinking about healthy eating, and I no longer subscribe to the low-fat, vegetarian is better thinking I used to have, but these cookbooks (there are 6 in the series) still have lots to recommend them. They are full of information on food history, nutrition and cooking advice. They tell how to do lots of things from scratch. They have scads of yummy recipes. They have menus for all types of eating programs, as well as shopping lists. There are even cooking lessons and recipes for children to make. Some of our favorites are the turkey breakfast sausage (which we like to eat for dinner) and Good Earth whole wheat rolls.

Sunset Cookbook of Breads
I have bought several editions of this at thrift stores. It has so many bread recipes that it's fun to just read through and dream of opening a bakery. My son has become very adept at making huge loaves of braided Challah bread, and we love the bagels, the pretzels, the scones and the Irish soda bread for St. Patrick's Day.

Whole Foods for the Whole Family, from the La Leche League International
The La Leche League has done a lot to promote breastfeeding, but it is a seriously liberal organization. This cookbook however, which has been through many editions, has many practical recipes contributed by members, and they are mostly family-pleasing and easy to prepare.

Top Ten CDs You May Not Know

- Soundtrack for Anne of Green Gables by Hagood Hardy (this is good tea party music, from a Canadian composer, but skip his other music)
- Days Gone By by Ted Jacobs (for children, 19th century poetry set to music, folksy, a couple of the songs will make you want to cry)
- Rigoletto soundtrack by Kurt Bestor (from a movie which is a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, released by Feature Films for Families, a Mormon company...acting is so-so, but we like the movie and the music is beautiful)
- 2nd Chapter of Acts, The Roar of Love (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe set to music, I first bought this as an LP in high school, then the Lewis estate caused problems and it was no longer available, until recently...the song about the Stone Table is spinetingling, although the synthesizers are outdated)
- Barber's Adagio by Samuel Barber (the same simple piece of music performed in eight differents styles: strings, flute, brass, clarinets, even a choir)
- Baroque Music for Trumpets by Wynton Marsalis (I bought this for the great rendition of Pachelbel's Canon in D, but you may need to be a musical neophyte like me to appreciate it, judging by the comments at Amazon)
- Linus and Lucy by George Winston, a tribute to Vince Guaraldi (many of the songs are renditions of the music written for the Peanuts specials)
- Hymn by The American Boychoir (great choral singing, wonderful selections of sacred music)
- Liberty! by Mark O'Connor (soundtrack to a PBS show about the American Revolution, also has James Taylor singing, YoYo Ma and Wynton Marsalis)
- Secret of Roan Inish soundtrack by Mason Daring (from a weird and wonderful movie, very Irish)

Top Ten Hits (x 2.7)
You can find the words and/or music for these at The Cyber Hymnal or The Trinity Hymnal

A Mighty Fortress by Martin Luther
All Hail the Power by Edward Perronet
We Gather Together (a victory hymn from the Reformation in the Netherlands)
Look Ever To Jesus by Horatio Palmer
More Love to Thee by Elizabeth Prentiss (author of Stepping Heavenward)
Fairest Lord Jesus from Munster Gesangbuch, 1677 (origins much older)
O, The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus by Samuel Trevor Francis
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling by Charles Wesley
Take My Life And Let It Be by Frances Havergal
My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less by Edward Mote
Let Children Hear The Mighty Deeds by Isaac Watts
Jesus, Lover of My Soul by Charles Wesley (I sang this and "A Mighty Fortress" when I was in labor with my last baby)
I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say by Horatius Bonar
Whate'er My God Ordains Is Right by Samuel Rodigast
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise by Walter Chalmers Smith
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross by Isaac Watts
Arise, My Soul, Arise by Charles Wesley (how did this Arminian write such God-centered hymns? He must have been conflicted)
Jesus, What A Friend For Sinners by J. Wilbur Chapman
This is My Father's World by Maltbie D. Babcock (poetic license, not pantheism)
Praise to the Lord, The Almighty by Joachim Neander
O, Worship the King by Sir Robert Grant
Be Still My Soul by Katharine von Schlegel
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence liturgy of St. James (listen to this at The Cyber Hymnal)
Be Thou My Vision attributed to Dallan Forgaill in the 8th Century (I wish so many people didn't like this one...it seems trite to say it's one of my faves!)
O Sacred Head Now Wounded by Bernard of Clairvaux (?)
Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus by Charles Wesley (not a rapture hymn!)
God Moves in a Mysterious Way by William Cowper (great words)

Top

Top Ten Homeschooling Catalogs

Beautiful Feet Books
Run by Rea Berg, who used to live in the California gold country but now resides in Massachusetts. Her catalog has quality living history books. She was responsible for republishing the D'Aulaires's excellent biographies for children as well as Genevieve Foster's "World Of" books. The catalog is small, but filled with with excellent books as well as literature-based study guides designed by Mrs. Berg and her family.

Bluestocking Press
Run by Jane Williams who lives in my neck of the woods. She publishes Richard Maybury's "Uncle Eric" books, which have given children and parents a well-reasoned view of economics and history, if a little more libertarian than conservative. Their catalog is full of history resources which you may not easily find other places, as well as historical crafts, toys and projects. Many audio resources, too.

Doorposts
This company is run by a reformed Christian family, and their products are Bible-based and intended to promote godly character. I've been most impressed with the "Polished Cornerstones" curriculum (a huge unit study guide for girls), the "Ruby Doll" kit, "A Night of Reformation" guide for having a group Reformation Night party, and the booklet "A Day of Delight" about making Sunday a day set aside for the Lord.

Elijah Company
This company has been around for a long time and offers a wide selection of quality homeschool books in a very manageable catalog. They have lots of advice about homeschooling in the catalog, as well.

Farm Country General Store
Another large catalog, filled with lots of goodies including a section on health, nutrition and home. Discounted prices.

Greenleaf Press
The Shearers were some of the first to urge homeschoolers to teach history to their children in a chronological manner, beginning with ancient times. They have provided some of the best living books for homeschooling families from all periods of history. Their reviews are always interesting to read.

Library & Educational Services
P.O. Box 146, Berrien Springs, MI 49103, (269)695-1800 They now have a website, and their prices can't be beat. Their newsprint catalog is published quarterly, along with some sales supplements. They carry a lot of evangelical bestsellers and twaddle, but there are many gems, too. These include books by G.A. Henty, Focus on the Family Radio Theater, many Christian and historical biographies, creation science books and more. Their prices are wholesale, and they sell to homeschoolers, too.

Lifetime Books and Gifts
Bob and Tina Farewell (a fellow Bookroomie) publish "The Always Incomplete Resource Guide and Catalog." According to their website, they are not printing their catalog right now, but it can be downloaded from their website and you can also view it on the internet. This is a huge catalog, and it is filled with good ideas for literature.

The Urban Homemaker
Not specifically homeschooling-oriented, but it is full of everything a homemaker-in-training (and her mother, too) would ever need or want to supply her kitchen and educate herself about cooking and nutrition. There are also books on family life, many from a reformed perspective. Lots of encouragement for us career homemakers. I bought my first grain mill and K-Tec mixer here, as well as many other quality kitchen items.

Veritas Press
This one is so ubiquitous that it's hardly worth mentioning, but it has great articles from some of the best reformed thinkers and it is filled with books I still don't own but would love to have! Classical approach.

Top Ten Ideas for a Memorable Family Vacation

1. Don't wait till the day before to pack. When you start dreaming of a trip, then start keeping lists as ideas pop into your head. If you are leaving on a Saturday, find a spot to put your things and begin gathering supplies in one place early in the week, checking items off the list as they make their way into the pile. Remember that you will probably not use half of what you pack. I only read a couple of the dozen books I took with me :-).
2. Think of some easy snacks to take in the car that you can pass around when everyone gets bored. I brought sandwich-sized ziploc bags to put goodies in to send to the back seats of the van when the natives got restless. We took trail mix, beef jerky, grapes, granola bars, and bottles of water. Gum is a nice treat for those old enough not to swallow it or stick in in their hair or their brother's ear.
3. Provide some suitable entertainment while driving. I have a philosophical objection to playing DVDs in the car. I would rather my children look out the window at the new scenery, read a book, or have a conversation. I will not hold it against you if disagree. I do, however, bring audiobooks, sermons and talks, and music on my iPod which connects to the car's stereo system.
4. Plan activities, but leave some down-time, too. Most of us are so busy in our everyday lives that it seems unnatural and even a waste of precious travel time to not jam as much as possible into a trip. It takes effort to relax. I admit that I did not achieve my goal of enjoying myself with abandon as much as I hoped, but some of the best moments of our trip were spent just staring at the ocean and listening to the pounding of the waves.
5. Keep meals simple and use the grocery store. It helped that we had a kitchen and an entire home away from home on our fabulous vacation. We only ate out a couple of times, and those were not our favorite meals while we were gone. The best meal was a picnic in the car. We had visited Fort Clatsop, where Lewis and Clark's westward journey ended, and we intended to have a picnic at the park there, but found that a nameless someone had forgotten to pack the bagels we were going to eat with the salami and cream cheese. An executive decision was made to continue on to Astoria and look for a store to buy bread, but we had trouble finding a store until I spied a bakery in the distance. We made a beeline and bought some sourdough bread from the very hip (as in "hippie") establishment, then drove to a nearby wharf to watch a lazy sea lion while we munched on our repast. The bread was amazing, and the car picnic was memorable with the entertaining wildlife watching. Another yummy meal was rotisserie chicken and bagged salad from the store. Eating on the road can be expensive, but it's not necessary to have restaurant meals every day.
6. Alternate physical activities with more cerebral pursuits. We went to the beach almost every day and chased waves, flew kites, and hunted for sea shells. One day we took a 2 1/2 mile hike which was very strenuous. But we also visited a cheese factory, a maritime museum, an airplane museum, and an historic fort. Even grown-ups can handle only so much information before it all blurs together. Make sure there are plenty of opportunities to stretch the legs as well as the mind.
7. Have some familiar, homely objects or rituals so that homesickness does not put a damper on your time away from home. A stuffed animal, pillow, book, or favorite movie (we do bring movies to watch once we get there) can help ease the unfamiliar transition to a new spot. I took my blankie and my pillow with me. Try to keep regular bedtimes as traveling can be wearing, and it's not much fun when everyone is grumpy and on each other's nerves because of not enough sleep.
8. Don't put too much emphasis on making it "picture perfect." If you do, you will put too many unrealistic expectations on your family and be disappointed. It's easy to get grumpy with one another when thrown into close quarters for an extended period of time—keep things lighthearted and be ready flexible enough to change plans if necessary. When we got home, I laughed at most of the group pictures: I can remember cajoling and threatening to get everyone to look at the camera at the same time, let alone smile. I don't think I have a single perfect picture. But we do have lots of happy memories of our vacation, and that's better than having memories of Mommy fuming because she didn't get her way.
9. Make new friends, try new experiences. Be spontaneous. Those enticing roads to explore, or interesting eateries that you chance upon, might be the brightest spots of your time away from home. We drank the best mochas at a hole-in-the-wall coffee house in Astoria. We were disappointed in the seafood dinner at a well-known tourist spot, but we prepared a delicious meal from the seafood counter in a nearby town. The kids took a couple of funny pictures of Mommy and Daddy trying to pick out some dried jerky to buy at the Road Kill Kafe. And since we had Homer with us, we stopped and talked to every corgi owner we met and took Homer's picture with his new friends.
10. Don't forget to use the opportunity of going away to remind your children that there is "no place like home." The best part of every trip is coming back to the place you love best.

Top Ten Movies

The Thin Man, with William Powell and Myrna Loy
Ben Hur, with Charlton Heston
The Shop Around the Corner, with Jimmy Stewart
Braveheart, with Mel Gibson
The Patriot, with Mel Gibson
Arsenic and Old Lace, with Cary Grant
North by Northwest, with Cary Grant
Emma, with Gwyneth Paltrow
Pride and Prejudice, the A&E version
You Can't Take it With You, with Jimmy Stewart and Jean Arthur

Top Ten Picture Books

The Maggie B. by Irene Haas. A little girl wishes on a star and gets to sail in a cozy little boat with her "dear baby" brother, James, practicing her domestic skills. Watercolor illustrations enhance the dream-like tale which includes some Longfellow poetry.
The Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown, illus. by Garth Williams. First published in 1946 with a faux fur cover, it is again being published with a furry cover, making it not only a cute story of a funny little creature with a loving home, but a comforting toy to clutch in chubby hands. It's teeny-tiny size makes it easy to pop into a bag or a pocket.
A Kiss For Little Bear by Else Holmeland Minarik, illus. by Maurice Sendak. The illustrations resemble old-fashioned woodcuts, and the animals are lifelike while conveying human characteristics. The kiss is delivered to Little Bear, from his mother, in a round-about and amusing fashion. The skunks who hold up its delivery are precious.
Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain by Edward Ardizzone. I have reviewed this book at my reviews page. All the Little Tim books are wonderful!
The Church Mouse by Graham Oakley. The books in this series are very collectible, although some have been reprinted. They are still available at many libraries, and we were excited to find many at a library book sale a couple of years ago, in excellent condition. The mice in the story really reside in a church with a (usually) friendly cat named Sampson. The illustrations are very detailed and add a great deal to the enjoyment of the story, with funny asides and extra dialogue, as well as humorous touches with the author's British humor quite evident. When I bring out these books (they are so valuable I put them in a special location), my children ~~fight~~ wait patiently to read them :-).
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. Another classic story, about Mr. and Mrs. Mallard who go to great lengths to provide a safe home for their babies. The Boston setting, the realistic illustrations by the author and the delineation of proper family roles make this book a treasure.
The Young Artist by Thomas Locker. For older children. The paintings are reminiscent of the artists from the Hudson River School of Art, particularly Thomas Cole or Albert Bierstadt. Read the Amazon review by my son, Hans.
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. Everyone knows about the author's The Very Hungry Caterpillar, but this story about a ladybug who woke up on the wrong side of the leaf is my favorite. She can't find anyone to take up her challenge to fight, so she keeps finding bigger and bigger creatures to challenge. The book is cleverly designed to show the passage of time during the day, and a whale's tale is built into one of the pages to make a big splash!
Barn Dance! by Bill Martin, Jr., illus. by Ted Rand. Every child dreams of toys that wake up while he is sleeping. This is about an entire farm that comes to life after everyone has gone to bed...but the skinny kid can't sleep and he stumbles upon the animals and the scarecrow having a dance. Rhyming and bouncy text makes this a very lively read.
Henry the Explorer by Mark Taylor, illus. by Graham Booth. Henry is a little boy who thinks of himself as an intrepid explorer in his very rich imagination. He leaves home quite well-prepared to meet any challenge, with his faithful dog, Laird Angus McAngus. With their inexhaustible supply of flags to claim new territory, they calmly face a real adventure. This is another out-of-print (OOP) book which has become highly collectible, although I noticed a used copy is available at Amazon for good price. There are a couple other books about Henry, as well, and they should be easy to find at the library.

Top

Top Ten Poetry Anthologies

Marguerite de Angeli's Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes
This was a Caldecott Honor book in 1955 for the illustrations, which are delicate and lovely, especially the full-page color illustrations. From the author's foreword: "Saying or singing rhymes seems always to open a long corridor in my mind through which I see generations of mothers going about their needful work, the children at their heels or in their laps enchanted by the rhythmic sound of words." This volume has one of the most complete collections of nursery rhymes I have seen, and there are a few riddles, too.

Piper, Pipe That Song Again selected by Nancy Larrick
A slim volume with simple poems and illustrations appropriate for younger children. Many are just the right length for copywork or memorizing. The editor says, "Poems are meant to be read aloud just as songs are meant to be sung aloud. As you read a poem again and again, it becomes part of you. The rhythm seems to flow from you the way a song you love pours out as you sing. And you will want to enjoy it time after time."

Favorite Poems Old and New selected by Helen Farris, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard
Many homeschoolers have heard of this volume. At almost 600 pages it is pleasantly plump with a feast of poems within its leaves: poems about nature, seasons, family, holidays, history, fantasy, traveling and even epic sagas. The editor grew up in a book-loving home with a preacher papa. "Shakespeare was especially Papa's. When he was working his way through the old University of Chicago he took on an extra job in order to buy the Complete Works." A heritage of books!

Wings From the Wind selected and illustrated by Tasha Tudor
Many of the selections reflect Tasha Tudor's New England upbringing and her love for nature. I can't resist her illustrations. There are a couple of corgis in the pictures...this must be one of the earliest books where she drew them as her later illustrations are often crowded with corgis!

An Inheritance of Poetry collected and arranged by Gladys L. Adshead and Annis Duff, decorated by Nora S. Unwin
My friend Laura D. is the one who inspired me to buy this collection of poems. The first section has poems about God, including "Saint Patrick's Breastplate" and other traditional Celtic poems. This is another fat volume, but it has many verses which may not be familiar, making it fun to explore.

The Standard Book of British and American Verse selected by Nella Braddy, preface by Christopher Morley
From the preface: "But how clumsy and evasive is the strongest novelist by comparison: like a longshoreman in rubber boots plodding along the beach, while the poet, bare athletic swimmer, is diving from the end of the pier." This collection begins in the Middle Ages and continues through the early 20th century. These are classic poets; many names will be familiar. This large volume is a good reference for this genre as well as an enjoyable read.

The Top 500 Poems edited by William Harmon (dedicated to his 3-year-old daughter)
This is another large collection of classic poets and their works, beginning in the Middle Ages, but it has included more poems from modern times. It may be redundant to have both this and the previous volume if you are looking for a general anthology...this book is over 400 pages longer than The Standard Book of British and American Verse, however, and it has short biographies of the poets and some background information about some of the poems.

Anne's Anthology selected by Margie Gray
These are poems that L.M. Montgomery "quotes or alludes to in Anne of Green Gables." Many of the poems are Victorian epics. There is quite a lot of helpful annotation. This book is used in the literature-based unit study Where the Brook and the River Meet.

The Harp and Laurel Wreath edited by Laura M. Berquist
Subtitled: "Poetry and Dictation for the Classical Curriculum." The selections are organized by levels, beginning with the early years, then the grammatical stage, the dialectical stage and the rhetorical stage. There are helpful ideas for encouraging memorization, and each section has passages of prose to memorize as well as passages for dictation. The sections for older students include study questions (and their answers) and explanations of literary terms.

The Golden Treasury of Poetry selected and with commentary by Louis Untermeyer, illustrated by Joan Walsh Anglund
This is a book for children, and the commentary and sweet pictures make poetry more accessible to them.

Top Ten Poets

Gerard Manley Hopkins
Robert Service
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Edgar Guest
Edna St. Vincent Millay
G.K. Chesterton
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Anne Bradstreet
Rudyard Kipling
Robert Louis Stevenson

Above Suspicion by Helen MacInnes. A newlywed couple is recruited by the British to spy on the Nazis while on their honeymoon; full of suspenseful moments.
Brother Cadfael mysteries by Ellis Peters. Set in the Middle Ages in a monastery, lots of detail about life during that time.
Declare by Tim Powers. A cross between horror and fantasy, written by a Catholic man, one of Dr. Grant's favorite authors. Powers skillfully weaves spiritual themes and history in many of his books, and this story about the link between communism and demonic activity is fascinating, much better than that Peretti guy.
Jane Austen mysteries by Stephanie Barrons. Written by a Jane Austen scholar, Jane is the heroine, and real events from her life are included in each fictional story. Written in first person narrative and includes lots of footnotes explaining customs, history and Miss Austen's life.
Josephine Tey's mysteries. A British author who only wrote a few mysteries, but each one is unique and strange. The best is Daughter of Time which deconstructs the popular theories about Richard III's murder of the young princes in the Tower.
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. Excellent writing and unique plots in these short stories. Bradbury is a good student of human nature, thus these stories can be rather depressing.
Miss Read's tales of English village life. Nothing deepÑlife in a Cotswalds village, compared often to the Mitford books, though Miss Read precedes Miss Karon.
Mitford series by Jan Karon. Great, believable characters living real life with real problems in a small town. Lots of Christian themes are, for the most part, casually undergirding these books.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman. I first read this book in junior high when I ordered it from the Weekly Reader Book Club. Nobody had heard of it then. It was the funniest and most imaginative book I had ever read. I loaned it out until it was falling apart, and everyone who read it, loved it. I need this in hardcover. Much better than the movie.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. A more modern Jane Eyre type of story, where a young woman comes to maturity through trials and her relationship with an older man who has a mysterious past.

Top Ten Ways to Be Productive at Home

1. Education: Dr. Allan Carlson has chronicled the decline in the family, and he notes the change from home-centered activities and work to first fathers and then mothers leaving the home and turning the teaching of their children over to "experts," to the detriment of relationships in the home and the ultimate demise of cultural values. He sees homeschooling as a positive return to a family economy of sorts, reclaiming the important functions of household cohesion through working in this primary function of learning together, rather than outsourcing huge amounts of time to social engineers. Many homeschool mothers have also discovered that their own educations are greatly enhanced (a well-known benefit to those who teach others) as they learn along with their children. They also have more time to read good books.

2. Financial rewards: The accepted wisdom is that it takes two incomes to keep a household running. While the tax burden in our statist society does make it difficult to make ends meet, the cost for a woman to work outside the home is often higher than the income she might bring in. For any family, there are many economic contributions a homekeeper can make to help her husband, who is called to be the primary breadwinner for the home. Some have home businesses or help in a family business. Others become frugal shoppers, from groceries and clothing to insurance and real estate. Women can use their time to make their husband's salary often stretch much further than the amount of money they might bring in from a job which takes so much time and energy they end up having to spend more on convenience food, eating out, gasoline and car upkeep, wardrobe, and other incidental expenses which come from working outside the home.

3. Hospitality: The ministry of hospitality is not optional in the Bible. We are to share freely what we have with others in order to bring glory to God, especially other believers. It can also be a tremendous opportunity for evangelism. Many Christians do not even know their neighbors. Our homes can be resources of service, but someone needs to be home to make it happen. One of the qualifications for eldership is showing hospitality, as is a qualification to be a widow worthy of support.

4. Creativity: The world seems to be getting the idea that one's home can be an artistic canvas. A plethora of home decorating and cooking magazine and books are available with ideas for domestic bliss, ranging from the simple country style to elegant and ornate. While much of this advice is overdone and materialistic, there is a gold nugget of truth in the notion that we ought to create beauty within our homes. The purpose is not to present an untouchable showpiece to evince envy in others, but we imitate God's creativity when bring beauty to our homes and we minister comfort (strength) to others—our family and friends and neighbors—when we bring order out of chaos in our sphere of influence, as we invite them to partake of the beauty we offer. In addition, the homekeeper has more time to add special touches to meals, to learn and practice skills which are forgotten in the busyness of modern life, such as sewing, knitting, quilting, and gardening. Music can be another means of beautifying our homes, whether it's on a CD or even better, produced within our own family.

5. Spiritual pursuits: While she may not have a glamorous "ministry" in a foreign land, the keeper at home is nevertheless busy in important ministry work. First, she is intimately involved in the spiritual training of her children, modeling as well as teaching them the Gospel and obedience to God in every area of life. She also has the important job of praying for her family, praying fervently each day for their spiritual well-being and other requests regarding their daily lives. She also has a love for her local church and finds opportunities to serve there depending on her season of life, but always building loving relationships within the body of Christ, teaching the younger women and learning from the older women. She is especially aware of the blessed opportunities for humbling which come from the daily interactions at home, and she learns to be content in the place God has given her.

6. Romance: There is this silly idea that it is much more glamorous to be in a career, particularly one which involves travel and power lunches. Those poor shoulder-padded, besuited women don't know what they are missing. It is much better to be besotted with your own husband, spending time and energy on pleasing him, rather than worrying about making finicky clients happy in endless meetings and never-ending projects. Make a project out of loving your husband, remembering the special romance you enjoyed when you first loved one another, and renewing that love in a deeper way by showing him how important he still is to you. Learn again what he likes to talk about, what food he prefers, how he wants to spend the evening with you. When you expend that effort to let him know how special he is to you, you may find that your husband is much more romantic than you believed he could be after all those years of marriage.

7. Health care: This is controversial, and I am not saying that you need to avoid doctors and hospitals, but you can avoid them more often if you gain some basic skills and practice some common sense about taking care of your family's health. Some find that home is a fine place to have a baby, and it can be very exciting to have a home birth, and very challenging learning about and living through the details of childbirth, whether at home or in the hospital. Every family has to endure illness, and a wise mother learns how to discern whether a doctor is needed or whether she can deal with the sickness at home. Though there were many superstitious old wives' tales regarding how to treat certain illnesses, there also was once much more practical knowledge about how to deal with common fevers, scrapes, sprains, aches, and other health problems. There is much to learn in this area that doesn't take a nursing or medical degree.

8. Gardening and animal husbandry: It doesn't take a lot of land to grow some vegetables or even to raise some animals. Not everyone feels called to the agrarian life, but once upon a time it was unusual for homes even in neighborhoods to not produce some of their own food. We live in a time now when we can run to the store in a few minutes and buy almost any kind of treat that our heart desires, and taking care of a garden seems like a "fruitless" and unnecessary pursuit. But, as the Paul Overstreet song says, it can be a way of "Sowin' Love" for your family, teaching your children many lessons about patience, hard work, and responsibility. Home-grown food can sometimes be much more flavorful and a reminder of the richness of God's blessings as you watch the entire process, from seed to harvest, unfold. Caring for animals (and this can include pets) is a reminder, too, of compassion for beasts, nurturing creatures who depend on us totally. The tenderness many children feel for their animals is worth cultivating, and sometimes the death of those animals, whether to provide food for the family, or the loss of a beloved pet, is also a vivid reminder of the consequences of sin and the hope we have in God because of the immortal souls He has given us and our salvation through Christ.

9. Organization: This is not the most popular aspect of keeping a home for many women, but it is an important and necessary aspect of it. One of the consequences of the sin of our first parents, we well know, is that there are now a lot of weeds to pull as we do our work. Within our homes these weeds manifest themselves as dirty laundry, piles of papers, toys littering the floor, dirty dishes, and even squabbles among our children. We never lack for something to straighten out or straighten up. But just as our husbands need to find contentment in their calling and not complain about the trials that accompany it, so we ought to roll up our sleeves and determine to tackle those things that always need our attention. There is great satisfaction in a job well-done, and though some of those jobs never seem to end, we can take proper pride in bringing order out of chaos, keeping our homes running smoothly and not allowing life in our dominion to spiral out of control. If we don't do it, then who will? We must not denigrate the crucial task of directing and organizing our homes.

10. Counselor: Dr. Laura is a household name, for dispensing advice and helping those who seem unable (or unwilling) to help themselves. She seems to rely on a lot of good old-fashioned common sense, mixed with a bit of exasperation for those who foolishly insist on violating her brand of morality. Well, you donÕt need to have a title in front of your name or millions of listeners in order to be a good counselor. The only title you need is ÒMom,Ó and your listeners may only be counted on both hands (you might need some toes if you are really influential, or so blessed). As a Christian, you are in a far stronger position than Dr. Laura to give good advice, even if you havenÕt heard of Piaget or Pavlov. The important thing is that the law of kindness be on your tongue, and your advice works best if you practice selflessness as much as possible, something in which you probably have received much practice already if you have a few children. Unfortunately, it is a skill which cannot be mastered, and sometimes you need to use some of the counseling skills you have learned on yourself. If that's the case, you might want to forego Dr. Laura and try this much more practical advice from psychologist Bob Newhart: "Just stop it!"

book

Top

Original site by Hans Friedrich -- (Valid XHTML)