What to Read: Part I

I need to explain today's post a bit. A few new readers ["Welcome" to you!] may have already read it published as a guest-post on another blog, and long-time readers of this blog will recognize some of the content. But besides being pulled together in a new way, there will be something new coming up in this short series that you will not want to miss: free downloadable book-lists!

But first, let me back up and introduce myself...

Hello. My name is Hannah, and I love to read! Maybe the same is true of you. Or you may have children whose voracious appetite for books is hard to keep supplied with wholesome fare. Possibly you have the opposite challenge of finding any books that could interest your child in reading!

I have been gleaning the benefit of other people's book-lists through the years – including suggestions from some of you blog-friends! Plus when my nephew finishes a first time through his new chapter-books, he passes them on to us. Yes, this 2-year-old has "read" each and every book he gets as gifts. Children are never too young to enjoy read-alouds… and parents [or aunts, uncles and grandparents] are never too old to enjoy children’s books!

Some of my earliest memories include our parents reading aloud to my two sisters and me. Beatrix Potter and Laura Ingalls Wilder were favorites with Mom, while Dad brought Poor Ralph, The Droodles and The Chronicles of Narnia to life. We also loved poring over the Kurt Mitchell illustrated editions of the Biblical books of Jonah and Esther, both during read-alouds and on our own.

Even though my childhood and youth were filled with books, I have probably read more in the past eight years than the previous three decades combined. For that I have chronic illness to thank. But due to a combination of physical and adrenal weakness and the resulting PTSD, I haven’t been able to handle many of the books I used to enjoy. So, while I used to read a higher percentage of heavier and non-fiction books both for school and leisure, these years have leaned toward more fiction and biographies - especially those written for children and youth. It is a joy to see how God turns that limitation into a blessing as I now have more books to suggest to parents.

Another blessing that has come out of years of weakness is learning to appreciate audiobooks. Since our local library didn't have enough good options, I began searching online. That led me to LibriVox.org: a growing library of free, downloadable audiobooks recorded from works old enough to be past copyright and in the public domain. Though most of the volunteer readers are not professional, my family has enjoyed book after book as if friends are reading aloud to us.

At some point during those first months of listening, an old dream began to revive. Years ago when my Grandpa, an avid reader, lost his eyesight to macular degeneration, I wanted to record books for him to enjoy. But that was not possible due to copyrights. Since joining the team of LibriVox volunteers in 2015, I now help to record public domain books that can be enjoyed by anyone around the world. I am still amazed that God gave back this dream when so much of life as I knew it had crumbled.

Besides learning to be an audiobook narrator, I now have the joy of sharing book reviews and recommendations on several platforms. This eclectic blog often features the books I am enjoying, and my LibriVox reader-name of HannahMary has inspired the following accounts.

Instagram: @storytime.with.hannahmary
YouTube: Storytime with HannahMary
Telegram channel: Storytime with HannahMary

At the request of another blogger I have now put together some book lists that I hope will be a blessing to you and your families. I’d also love to hear of your favorite books! Simply leave a comment below.

I'm nearly through with this lengthy introduction, but hopefully it helps explain where I'm coming from as you watch for the book lists in upcoming posts.

For now, please note that my inclusion of an author does not condone all of their books. I have read many more by some of these authors as well as by authors not listed. If I know a reader or parent personally, I can maybe suggest more. But in these lists I tried to include only the cleanest and best for the imaginations and characters of any reader.

Also, while my lists are ordered roughly from younger to older readers, please do not feel stuck to reading in any order. As C.S. Lewis wrote, “No reader worth his salt trots along in obedience to a time-table.” Every reader is unique!

I also once heard C. S. Lewis attributed with saying, “Good fiction is a ship carrying a cargo of truth.”

And since I personally learn best from stories – both real-life (biographies) and fictional, my lists include many of them. You will see that fiction and non-fiction are all mixed together. I believe that can be a healthy way to read. Just as a balanced diet includes a wide variety of foods, our hungry minds need a mixture of healthy facts and nourishing stories to help us learn and grow strong in character and faith.

As a favorite children’s book (which I first read as an adult) puts it:

A man must have a care to what he puts in his mind, for when he’s alone on a hillside and draws it out, he’ll want treasures to be his company, not regrets.

• Mountain Born by Elizabeth Yates

My hope is that you will find many new treasures for your reading in the days ahead!

~ Hannah

Shut In – Day 100: When Waiting Turns to Years

Another month has passed since we checked in with Noah.

See previous posts in this series here:
Part I: The Lord Shut Him In
Part II: Day 10: The Animals
Part III: Day 20: The Man Noah
Part IV: Day 30: The Walls
Part V: Day 40: What God Says... He Does
Part VI: Day 70: After the Crisis

The rain stopped pouring 2 months ago, and Noah and his family are still shut in the Ark.

One hundred days sounds (and feels) like a rather long time. But what about when the days and months turn to years? You may not feel able to relate to Noah’s trials because yours have gone on so much longer. (Ignoring the fact that once he was let out of the ark, his challenges were far from over.)

Well, the Bible has other examples of waiting and suffering… for years.

I have once again been studying a favorite life-history in the Bible – that of Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob (aka: Israel). You remember… the 17 year old whose jealous brothers heartlessly sold him into slavery and told their father he was dead. (Find his story in Genesis 37-50.)

On the surface, this life of slavery could look like God had abandoned Joseph. But the fact was quite the opposite!

What sticks out to me this time through the account is the phrase:

The LORD was with Joseph.

In chapter 39, as Joseph was enslaved for years and then falsely accused and thrown into a prison in Egypt, we find four clear statements of God’s presence with him through it all. Even the pagans could see this and ended up trusting Joseph with all they owned.

Joseph gives us an amazing example of how to live in years of slavery and prison-life. (For our application think: years of pain, disabilities, grief, betrayal, injustice, lies, or whatever you are facing).

Joseph always:
- served his best to help others succeed
- earned trust and honor from those over him
- refused to sin against God through repeated temptations
- gave God the glory and credit

As a result, look for how many times God blessed Joseph and those he served!

And yet, he was “shut in”… away from his family – and then even away from the responsibilities and respect he had so richly earned as a slave. When a chance finally came to appeal his case, the man who was supposed to help Joseph forgot him…

… for 2 whole years longer.

By this time, 13 years had passed since Joseph was sold into slavery. It could have felt as if the prime of his life was gone. But God’s timing was perfect.

If he had been released 2 years earlier, it would only have been to get out of prison. But at this point, it was to be promoted from the prison to second in command of the entire nation!

“And Pharaoh said to his servants, ‘Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?’” – Genesis 41:38

This put Joseph into position to not only save the nation of Egypt through the upcoming famine, but also the lives of his family. (And yes, he was united with them again more than 20 years after being sold into slavery! But you’ll have to read that fascinating history for yourself.)

Our stories will be far different than Joseph’s or Noah’s. But we can still learn from them!

Is God with us? Then He will bless us – even in the darkest times of our lives.

Next Post in Series:
Part VIII: Day 150: Touch Down!

Mold Update: Looking Worse Before Better

The month of May was the time for this sad-looking (but clean!) basement to get even worse before it got better. 

The Library walls look so empty in the photo below.

We moved out while 2 jackhammers attacked the basement floor to install drain tile and holes were drilled each chamber of every bottom wall block for drainage.

That was done just in time for heavy rains to test it out. No wonder we had a hidden mold problem!

Next came grinding glue off the walls and floors, installing Kevlar pillars to reinforce cracked and bowing walls, pouring new cement, spraying radon-seal on walls and floors, covering walls with waterproof dimple-board, capping tops of block walls... and now lots of drying and airing out since the crew finished Friday morning.

Though the house is still too full of toxic cement dust and strong fragrance from the dimple-board for us to live in it, we are thankful to have soft water and hot water again after more than 2 weeks without. Many thanks to our aunt and uncle who let us take over their showers several times while we've been camping in our back yard and sealed-off "bakery" addition. (Click Here for Elsa's old blog from bakery-days.)

Is it worth all this upheaval, expense, and mess, you may wonder? We no longer wonder!

There are enough signs of improvement in all three of us mold-sensitive family members since the remediation in February, that we are thankful. There is a long way to go, but we see more hope in our physical symptoms than for a long time.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow!

And thank you for continued prayers as we deal with set-backs and symptoms from all the clean-up still needed.

See previous Mold Update: A Hidden Leak

How Does Our Garden Grow? - Part II

Besides Dad's patch of 75 asparagus plants, our fruit trees are showing green- including the apple espalier.

Garlic planted last fall is emerging while we are still eating last year's crop.

Same for the rhubarb!

And bunching onions are ready to enjoy.

So much change in the 2 weeks our attention was elsewhere! Just look at God's artwork! 

Enjoy a short video tour including Dad planting this week at this link: Click Here

Thirst-Quenching Lemon-Water

Are we drinking enough water?

Let me re-phrase that...

Are we staying hydrated?!

Did you know that drinking too much plain water can actually work against cell hydration by stripping your body of the needed minerals?

We've all heard about drinking 8 cups of water a day. But even that is not enough for all the detoxing we are working on around here. So we have to make sure we are getting enough minerals to optimize our hydration.

One way we do that is by drinking salted lemon-water! [Lemon juice is helpful in so many ways... including detoxification.]

Watch this short video for the explanation and recipe: Thirst-Quenching Lemon-Water

Another way to replenish the body while hydrating is through coconut water. My sister and nephew recently introduced us to this delicious treat! [below photo by Maren]

How Does Our Garden Grow? - Part I

Two successful half-weeks in the greenhouse business are complete!

Now we are hardening in the flowers and vegetables we brought home... still protecting them from too-cold nights.

Speaking of veggies, see this 43-second video of (most of) what we picked: Click to Watch

Meanwhile, at home the asparagus harvest has begun!

Mold Update: A Hidden Leak

After the mold was professionally removed from our house:

...from a closet corner...

...the bathroom we sisters share...

...and behind most of the basement walls...

Plumbers recently fixed the hidden source of our strong reactions to fabric stored in our bathroom drawers.

A drywall nail from when the house was built in 1976 caused a slow leak in the drain pipe behind our sink. The plumbers made sure it won’t happen again!

Isn't it amazing how such a tiny leak can lead to such big problems... even decades after the mistake was first made? How many examples of this can you think of in all areas of life?

See first post on this: Mold

Family Time

Our snow is finally gone and grass suddenly green from plenty of rain! But this flower is not found in our gardens yet.

Rather, we spent half of last week surrounded by flowers... a treat after a long winter!

Ever since Maren was married, seeing Mother's Day on the calendar has a new meaning: Greenhouse Season. 

And ever since we got the little Rpod camper to head south for a bit of winter at our doctor's suggestion (in the winters of 2019, 2020, and 2021), we have also used it to park behind the greenhouses around Mother's Day and work together with the whole family.

This is the third spring where Auntie-time is part of our job... and now it has doubled!



The above photo shows a rare view of Dad sitting. He and Mom walk miles each day helping keep the sales area stocked during the rush of customers. Meanwhile, Elsa and I often help Maren's mother-in-law during the rushes at the checkout counter.

The rest of the time we try to keep up with a busy 2-year old and bouncy 4.5 month old!

Despite weary and achy bodies, it is encouraging to be able to compare year-to-year and see some progress in our stamina!