Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Organizing on the cheap: spices

I've been doing a lot of organizing lately. It's been fun. For some reason it soothes me. Here are some of my projects:

My spice cupboard is my pride and joy. I am immensely practical and this situation works. There is a three tier shelvy thingy (I believe that that is the technical term). So I think I picked something like this up somewhere. Knowing me I bought it on sale or second hand.





And then I bought spice jars at Dollarama, as you can see they are 3 for a dollar.


And then I used my handy dandy labeller that I got for free with a mail in rebate. I have a pt-2100 and it allows me to plug it into my computer and print labels with icons on the computer. I don't think you can see but there is a little salt and pepper shaker next to the name of the spice. I have 2 shelves of this many spices and the great thing about is that spices come down for a recipe and then they just have to find the right empty spot to be home again. this is the final look:



Book review "In Too Deep"

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group
".  
 
 

I love this series by Mary Connealy. The first in this series was Out of Control. The series is about 3 boys, raised in the west in the 1800s. As children, their parents were distant and non-caring. So they explored the countryside with no restraints. There was an incident that scarred the three of them in different ways. The first born (in Out of Control) learned to deal with the world by trying to control his environment. The second born, Ethan (In Too Deep), reacted to the incident by not allowing himself to feel for anyone. Anytime he felt any emotion he would slap a big old smile on his face and not feel the emotion anymore. 

I thought it was very much like how we all cope with whatever life throws at us. Some people pretend that it never happened and doesn't affect them. Some people, like me, try and control every situation so that we never get hurt again. And some people just break. 

I love this book. Imagine a real hero. A person that for all his grinning is incredibly broken inside and avoids emotions like the plague. But despite his fear, does what is right. Ethan agrees to marry Audra because of circumstances. And then Audra helps him to see that his views about himself are not accurate. I don't think you necessarily need to read the first book to get this book but it sure makes some stuff easier to get.

Here is the back cover bit:


In 1866 Colorado, Ethan Kincaid agrees to a marriage of convenience with the same casual disregard he gives every decision. Audra Gilliland, young mother of two, accepts his proposal because she wants to stop being a burden to her newly married stepdaughter.


And suddenly both of them are in far deeper than they'd planned.


Ethan doesn't expect Audra to affect him so profoundly, and when she begins to, he's terrified of the pain he's felt before when someone he loved was seriously injured on his watch. He's determined that his new wife will do as he says so he can keep her safe from the dangers that lurk on their ranch.


Audra has been cared for all her life by one man or another--and they've done a poor job of it. Now she's planning to stand up for herself. And her new husband had better agree or get out of her way!


What will it take to transform two wayward hearts fearful of getting in too deep into two trusting hearts ready to risk falling deeply in love?



Thursday, January 12, 2012

Book Review "Confident Heart"






I have no idea why this book is not appealing to me. It is not that it is not relevant to my life. I need more confidence in God's truth in me. It is not that it isn't well written, it is. I cannot put my finger on why I cannot read more than a couple of pages without putting it down. I guess I cannot connect with the author. I connect with her circumstances, but when she explains her thoughts and feelings, I cannot relate.

Maybe it is the wrong time for this book. Maybe in another season it will work for me.


Book Review "The Doctor's Lady"

This was a great book. Two very strong characters with a plot based on a historical story. Priscilla and Eli are two young Christian's that are determined that God has called them to be missionaries. Unfortunately the missionary board has decided that unmarried missionaries are not to be sent out. Which puts them in a bit of a pickle, so they decide to get married.

They are sent west. Not a lot of women have made it west. The journey is fraught with danger. Disease, famine and freezing temperatures are all endured and survived. The love story between them was complicated (of course). He did not think that a woman could make it, and she thought that his opinion meant that she was not worthy. Throughout the trip, he was pushing them to keep up with the wagon train. But through misadventure and sickness they were not able to keep up. She was given custody of a baby along the way, and then a ruthless man tried to blackmail her into coming with him to be with the baby. He learned to lean on God instead of the wagon train. And she learned that she was all that God wanted and to trust God despite all.

At the end she was re-united with the baby and the her husband. Sigh...