Childish Things

I remember when I was young, listening to the radio with my mother. It seemed as if every song that came on was her "favourite song", or at least every other song was. I thought she was crazy. How could so many songs be her "favourite"; it didn't make any sense.

Now I understand. The more I read, the more quotes I find that I love. I have many, many favourites. My favourite can change at any moment depending on my mood. They may not all be my very favourite at this moment but have been a favourite at different times of my life. I love them and carry them with me.

Today, I thought I would write down my new favourite quote...for this moment anyway.

"When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."
~ C.S. Lewis

 I was an early reader and read the Little House on the Prairie series, Charlotte's Web and others when I was six and seven. When I was ten I read Sweet Valley High books. At 11 and 12 and 13 I collected Stephen King and V.C. Andrews novels and I would stay up reading until the early morning hours because I was too frightened to go to sleep.

As an adult some of my favourite books are the Anne of Green Gables series (which I read for the first time when I was pregnant with my daughter), Little Women, The Secret Garden, the Little Princess, Harry Potter and many others. I read to my kids everyday and have loved exploring some of the literature I missed out on (or that wasn't available) when I was younger.

Photo Courtesy of William Rance

As I watch my 11 year old try desperately to seem more grown up: refusing to be in the room if a cartoon is on (because they are SO stupid), and not wanting to read "baby books" (anything with pictures) to her brothers because they are SO beneath her. I am reminded of my 11 year old self and how hard those pre-teen and teen years could be and how desperately I wanted to be an adult. I am grateful for age and the wisdom I have gained to know that it is okay to stand out and be different and it is also okay to just be a kid sometimes no matter what your age is.

off my bookshelf February 2011

Another month with a lot of books...

Did I ever mention how much I love books?

This is what has been off my bookshelf this month...

My heart is still in England this month as I continue reading through Jane Austen's novels...Mansfield Park this month...another favourite. I actually suggested calling my third son Edmund but my hubby wouldn't go for it. Tudor England is one of my favourite historical periods so I am brushing up on some of my history with Henry VIII - Reformer and Tyrant. Not a great read for everyone, but I enjoy it.

And continuing with the British theme, my hubby and I have been reading this together. It is taking awhile to read as it is hard to find time to read together and because it is also a subject we are passionate about and the book often gets put aside for some heated discussion and a little bit of ranting on my part. (a small piece of advise...do not get me into a conversation on the industrial food system...I will have a lot to say...and my voice might rise a little...just ask those in the car with my dad and I over the week-end who got to listen to three hours of heated discussion...I think I may take after him just a little). That said, I do love reading the Prince of Wales and he (and his thousands and thousands of pounds worth of education) says things a lot more eloquently than I do.

On a similar and a lighter note...

this is what I have been reading with my kids. My eleven year old daughter and I have been reading one of my favourite books together...Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver ( my daughter and I have been wishing my hubby had a nice farm hidden somewhere we could go and live off of). It has been fun discussing what we can do...(our organic CSA emailed this week with this seasons prices and I can't wait to sign up!). My two oldest boys and I have been reading Farmer Boy and I am having fun sharing my love of Little House on the Prairie with them. (We have previously read Little House in the Big Woods which they also enjoyed but this one has a little more testosterone so it is more fun for them!) And all three boys have been enjoying Dr. Seuss this month.

I am always looking at different points of view and advise on how to make our homeschooling experience more effective and fun.

I picked these up at a used book sale in the fall for 50 cents each. I've been eyeing up the poached egg page. I have never made a poached egg. I have always been scared of failing miserably. As soon as I can get my hands on some VERY fresh eggs I am going to do it. 2 1/2 months until the farmer's markets open up...free range farm fresh eggs...can't wait!

I have picked out my first knitting pattern to attempt. I learned how to knit just over a year ago; but have only attempted scarves and face cloths and things I could do without a pattern. Next month...I am learning how to read patterns and mix colours...I hope it turns out!

And to satisfy my magazine obsession...

Can I just say how much I love How Women Cook! This is the second issue and it is on sale now...LOVE it!

This is what has caught my eye and held my interest this month. What have you been reading?

off my bookshelf Jan 2011

In 2011 I decided that I wanted to read more. I already read a lot but over the past few years much of what I have been reading has been decided by university professors rather than by myself. So for 2011 I decided that I wanted to read a minimum of 52 books, at least one per week. In order to help me keep track of what I have been reading I have decided to post a monthly log of my progress. So, here is what has been off my bookshelf this month...

I love Jane Austen. I decided that I would like to read all six of her novels back to back this year. I am just finishing Emma. If I had to choose a place and time where I could have been born this would have been it, late 18th - early 19th century England. As a teen I was very nearly obsessed with all things English. I am definately an Anglophile. While most blogs I look at seem to have a fascination with France and all things vintage French (and I do love these things as well); my heart really is in England...

Continuing with the English theme... Monarchy gives a great general overview of the British monarchy (obviously) from the Tudors to the Windsors. It's a good easy read...as is Bryson's book. Bryson decides to travel through England by public transit and describes some of the changes that have taken place since his first trip in the 70s. While I enjoyed this book I did get a little upset by some of the descriptions of the "americanization" that is happening in some places (such as replacing small quaint high street shops with outside of town malls). When I finished it I had to switch back to Austen to replenish my pastoral, romantic notions.

I usually like to read more than one book at a time, just to satisfy my many moods. So while I love getting my British fix, sometimes I need a change...

I also love food writing or as Anthony Bourdain calls it: food porn. I love reading Anthony Bourdain and I hadn't read this one yet (I have previously read Kitchen Confidential and Medium Raw). I don't know why I love reading Bourdain I guess it is because he is very informal, direct and he doesn't try to be politically correct; I love that. (While I personally love reading his works I would give a warning to anyone sensitive to swearing and/or people saying what they think and I don't really think any subject is taboo with Bourdain).

I got this for Christmas and have been reading it from cover to cover...

My boys recieved some "ologies" for Christmas and we have been reading through them this month.

My eight year old REALLY loves them, especially Monsterology. We have had to have a few discussions about how they are just stories as they are written like old scientific journals...very cool.

I have also been reading these with my eight year old. He is studying the Canadian Provinces in school for Social Studies and was learning about food that is produced in different regions...I thought it would be a good time to introduce him to reading cook books...and he actually enjoyed them. I am determined to have all my children in love with good food and knowing what to do with it before they leave home.

and as I mentioned in the original "off my bookshelf" last April...I have a bit of a magazine fetish. These are a few of my favourites. I have collected a large stack of the British Edition of Country Living magazine and I often encourage my husband to take a look at them so he can visualize what I would like my life to look like...

What have you been reading this month?