My Favorite Children's Books

We love Dr. Seuss at our house!  One of my all time favorites of his is Are You My Mother.  I couldn't tell you how many times my daughter and I have read this one.  She loved it from the time she was a tiny baby.  She used to laugh because I would read it doing different voices.

Source:  http://www.goodreads.com/

Goodreads summary...
This is the classic from which many of our staff first learned to read, starting us on a path of unremitting bibliophilia. Are You My Mother? follows a confused baby bird who's been denied the experience of imprinting as he asks cows, planes, and steam shovels the Big Question. In the end he is happily reunited with his maternal parent in a glorious moment of recognition.

_____________________________________

Another of our favorite books to read over the years has been Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.  I'm not sure why she was so drawn to this as a toddler but she absolutely loved it.  It was a flea market purchase given to her by my Dad, who she calls "Papaw with the mustache". (Her other papaw does not have a mustache so obviously she calls him "Papaw without a mustache a.k.a "Nanny's Papaw)

Source:  http://www.goodreads.com/

Goodreads summary...
Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel Mary Anne make quite a team. The inseparable duo digs the great canals for the big boats to travel through, cuts through the large mountains so trains can pass, and hollows out the deep cellars for the great skyscrapers in the city. But the introduction of gasoline, electric, and diesel shovels means big trouble for Mike and Mary Ann...

______________________________________

My all time favorite book that my daughter and I have read together since she was a baby is our "bed time book".  It makes my eyes misty to think of all the nights we've said good night with this book.  I love it! And I love her!  Time sure does fly, and we don't read these books together much anymore.  She has moved on to bigger and better book.  They now sit on my desk as a reminder of all the special times we've had together with books.

Source:  http://www.goodreads.com/

Goodreads summary...

In this delightful companion book to Caterpillar Spring, Butterfly Summer, a cute baby elephant shares his admiration for his mom's specialty talents - using her trunk (a colorful cloth-covered spring that runs through the pages) to reach up high, to play hide-and-seek with him, to give him a quick shower, and to cuddle and kiss him at goodnight.

______________________________________

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
— Dr. Seuss

I Do Have To Say It Got Better!

Source:  www.goodreads.com

Source:  www.stephaniegayle.com

My Summer of Southern Discomfort  by Stephanie Gayle is about Natalie, a young lawyer who is forced to flee her New York City home due to a scandalous love affair at her old law firm.  She moves to Macon, Georgia and becomes a prosecutor.  It's about her struggle to forget the past, her struggle to learn to work with her crotchety coworker, her struggle with prosecuting a man accused of murder who may get the death penalty (she is opposed to the death penalty), her struggle to help a co worker's abused sister, and her neighbor LaLa who has a great garden...are you getting the point?

I have mixed feelings about this book.  At first I really disliked it.  I hate to say negative things about books, but this one just bugged me.  First of all the cover is misleading because I feel like Natalie wouldn't be caught dead in that outfit, nor would she be relaxing while reading in the grass.  I felt like the attempts at showing southern culture were a bit patronizing and judgemental...like she was better because she was from a northern state.

I do have to say that it got better, and I didn't hate this book.   I just feel like I read the middle of the story, and I was yearning for the beginning and the end and the thing that would tie it all together.



This is the second book completed for the...

And Now The Movie...The Secret Life of Bees

I recently finished reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.  I loved it, so of course I wanted to see the movie.

Source:  www.imdb.com

The Secret Life of Bees Movie is rated PG13 and 114 minutes long.  It was released in the U.S.A on October 17,2008.

I really enjoyed this movie, but I have to say that I liked the book better because as always you get more details, thoughts, and emotions in the book.  I think over all, that the movie does a good job conveying the message of the book, and the actors did a beautiful job with the characters.  Of course there were some changes made and some things left out, but that's to be expected.  Even so, I'm so happy that we watched it.

My husband is not a huge reader, but he's always interested in what I'm reading.  If I particularly like a book, I always try to rent the movie version if it's available to give him some idea of what the book was about.  This was the case with The Secret Life of Bees, and he really enjoyed the movie as well.

A Cherry Tree And Two Houses

As you know I'm reading My Summer of Southern Discomfort which is set in Macon, Georgia as part of the "Southern Belle Reading Challenge" I'm participating in.  I haven't finished the book yet, but I came across some landmarks in the first few chapters that I was interesting in looking up.  Here's what I found out...


Yoshino Cherry Tree

Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, GA
Source:  www.cherryblossom.com

"Each March, Macon becomes a pink cotton-spun paradise of delight as over 300,000 Yoshino cherry trees bloom in all their glory. And for 10 days, festival-lovers are treated to one of the most extravagant displays of springtime color in the nation as they visit the town referred to by Congressional Records as the Cherry Blossom Capital of the World."
(Source:  www.cherryblossom.com)

Source:  www.arborday.org

The tree that made the Macon Cherry Blossom Festival famous. Fragrant, white-pink flowers; oriental branching pattern; glossy bark; dark-green leaves. Likes full sun, well-drained soil. Grows to 40' to 50'.
(Source:  www.arborday.org)

_________________________________________________

Hay House

Source:  www.georgiatrust.org



One of Georgia’s most distinguished structures, the Johnston-Felton-Hay House in Macon was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974. It was built from 1855 to 1859 in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, a marked contrast to the more restrained Greek Revival architecture of the antebellum period.
(Source:  www.georgiatrust.org)

__________________________________________________

Woodruff House

Source:  http://www.50plusdc.com/html/body_macon.html



Adjacent to the School of Law is a Greek Revival mansion built in 1836 for a railroad financier and banker. It was designed and built by Elam Alexander, a  local building contractor, architect, business man and philanthropist. The house was once owned by Colonel Joseph Bond, one of the South's wealthiest cotton planters. In 1887 a 16th birthday ball was held in the house for Winnie Davis, daughter of former Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Originally known as Overlook Mansion, it was acquired by Mercer University in 1978 and renamed Woodruff House. The University uses the house for banquets,  receptions and alumni events. It is open to the public only during the Cherry Blossom Festival in March, the run up to Christmas and for special events.

(Source:  http://www.50plusdc.com/)

What I'm Reading Now And Some Southern Food

I started My Summer of Southern Discomfort yesterday, but it's been a busy weekend so far so I haven't read all that much.

Source:  Goodreads

Since this is the month of all things southern, thanks to the "Southern Belle Challenge".  I thought I'd share some of the southern things we've cooked this weekend.  Yesterday my husband's family had a family reunion and it was my job to make the banana pudding and the macaroni and cheese.  You can't get more southern than banana pudding and macaroni and cheese!  At the reunion we had barbecue ribs, fried chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, mac and cheese, potato salad, baked beans, broccoli & cauliflower salad, plenty of watermelon, and lots more.  For dessert there was cake and banana pudding.  We played corn hole and the kids played on a tire swing, played volleyball, and rode horses.  It was a very fun day and all very southern!  I must also add that it was very HOT...also southern.

Today after church we had cabbage with polish sausage for lunch, and my husband made fried cornbread.  Again, I'd say fried cornbread is very southern, and I put strawberry preserves on mine.  We had big glasses of unsweetened iced tea and it was yummy!

I'm looking forward to an extra day at home with my family since there's no school or work tomorrow!

Now I'm off to get some reading done...

This Book's Journey: The Secret Life of Bees

I checked out several books from the library in preparation for a reading challenge I'm participating in this month called the "Southern Belle Challenge".  It is hosted by Brenda Gail over at Curling Up With a Good Book.  September is to be a month of all things Southern:  books, magazines, recipes, movies, and lots of sweet tea

Source:  Goodreads

 The Secret Life of Bees  by Sue Monk Kidd is one of the books I check out and the book I chose to kick off the challenge with.  The library's copy of the book was published in 2002 and donated to the library in 2005.  It doesn't say who donated.  It simply says donated.  It isn't in bad condition, but it is obvious it has been read many many times.  Let's just say it's fragile.  When I opened it the first time, I noticed that the first four or five pages have pulled away from the spine of the book.  I think eventually all of the pages will start falling out.  The front cover is starting to come off a tiny bit, and if not for the protective covering the library puts on all their books, this book would have worn out years ago.  I think all of these things are signs of a good book...you can tell it's been read by many many people.  It makes me wonder how many people have read this copy of the book.  What were their lives like on the days they read this book?  What made him or her choose it?

I chose it for 3 reasons:

1.  My sister, Beth, has read it and said I would like it.
2.  It was on a list that Brenda Gail posted...Southern Belle Challenge Book Choices
3.  I have seen the preview for the movie and thought it looked interesting.  I haven't actually seen the movie though, although I'm sure I will soon.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Source:  http://www.beehives.info/index.php

From the very first words to the last I was hooked.  The Secret Life of Bees is set in 1964 South Carolina.  Lily is a motherless girl with a cruel father.  The only person in the world she has to depend on is her African American nanny, Rosaleen, whom she loves and who loves Lily in return.  When some unexpected events force Lily and Rosaleen to go on the run Lily follows one of the only clues she has regarding her mother, a picture of Mary, mother of Jesus, with the town Tiburon, South Carolina written across the back.  When they get there they are taken in by three black sisters who live in a bright pink house, keep bees, and sell honey.  It's here with these sisters that Lily finally discovers the truth about her past, and it's also the place where she finally finds the Mother she's always yearned for.

August said, "Listen to me now, Lily.  I'm going to tell you something I want you always to remember, all right?"
Her face had grown serious. Intent. Her eyes did not blink.
"All right," I said, and I felt something electric slide down my spine.
"Our Lady is not some magical being out there somewhere, like a fairy godmother.  She's not the statue in the parlor.  She's something inside of you.  Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
"Our Lady is inside of me," I repeated, not sure I did.
"You have to find a mother inside yourself.  We all do.  Even if we already have a mother, we still have to find this part of ourselves inside."

I really loved all the characters in this book.  I loved Rosaleen for her brave in your face honesty.  I could use a little of that myself.  I liked June (one of the sisters) for her stubbornness.  Some people think being stubborn is a bad thing, but I tend to think sometimes being stubborn is a very good thing.  I liked May (one of the sisters) for her innocence, and I loved August (another sister) for her calmness, her failure to judge others, and for her patience.  All of which are things I aspire to be in my own life.  Most of all I loved Lily for just being Lily.  She wasn't whiny or over dramatic.  She was an "it is what it is" kind of girl.  I enjoyed her humor.

Parts of the book made me cry and parts made me laugh.  Sue Monk Kidd did such a great job describing the setting for us.  I could almost feel the heat, smell the grass, and hear the humming of bees.

I know this book has been out for several years, but if like me you missed it somehow, give it a try.  I think you'll be glad you did.

I plan on renting the movie in the very near future!

Half Way Through...

I started reading The Secret Life of Bees last night, and I'm really liking it.  I'm about halfway through, so I hope to finish it today. I'll do a full post when I'm finished.  Check back later!!

Source:  Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads...
Sue Monk Kidd's ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong, assured voice. Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town's fiercest racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love--a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

Sue Monk Kidd
Source:  Goodreads.