care to join me for some bush tea?

typically my summer reading works itself into a frenzied theme. i've had a talking animal book summer (the chronicles of narnia, redwall series, wind in the willows, beatrix potter, watership down, mrs. frisby and the rats of nimh), a pendragon summer (the once and future king, lewis's science fiction trilogy, susan cooper's greenwich series, tales of king arthur, lloyd alexandar's newbery winning high king series), fairy tales retold summer (wicked and all other's by gregory maguire, eragon, and several other's ferreted out at the library whose names i can't recall), my non fiction summer (galileo's daughter, the professor and the madman, longitude), and even a summer at sea (patrick o'brien's aubry/maturin series, treasure island, mutiny on the bounty). as has been the habit, this summer has proven to reveal it's own theme. after completing last summer's theme (on a down note i might add) by reading "son of a witch," the sequel to maguire's "wicked," i began what may be the best summer reads i've had in 13 years (except maybe the christmas i re-read the laura ingalls wilder books, and couldn't wait to get up to my room to find out what laura was up to). this has been the summer of "the no. 1 ladies detective agency" and the gently perceptive precious ramotswe as she sleuths about in the peaceful country of botswana. the smell of her red bush tea lures me in every evening. these quite possibly might be the most charming books i've ever enjoyed.

and it helps that red bush is my tea of choice (try it with a little cream and sugar).

never too late

letter noodles!

yesterday!

(we cheered and jumped like we were 7 in the aisle at the market-the people around us gawked.)

we deemed it the "find" of the summer.

i hate verizon.

paper or plastic?

in keeping with my most recent reminders of tournaments that require intellectual stamina, i feel a responsibility to mention the highlight of the tournament season: the annual rock, paper, scissors championship. the dualing begins monday night at 10/9 central on a & e. don't miss it!

(make sure you find a little extra time today in your schedule to practice some juvenille hand-slapping yourself. it might come in handy when making those big decisions.)

what we can't see

last sunday nite at church we had a brief testimony time. typically i’m not one to get up and say anything even in the tiny church in which i grew up (yes, they endured the perm, the sometimes scarry easter dresses, and the bandanna phase). rather, i find it much safer to expose my feelings in writing to a large group than in person. in the midst of the testimonies about GOD’s simple provision of salvation and fellowship, the LORD slammed me with: “more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!”--the very mantra He’s whispered in my soul since october! i heard Him say: “erin, are you willing to let me keep doing this work? my work? remember this was never about the things you wanted, but about us. this is more of the more and more people you asked for.” and the next thing i knew i found myself up on my feet speaking of the relentless pursuit of my Father through promised sanctification. oh what grace! more and more praise.

“every detail works to your advantage and to GOD’s glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise! so we’re not giving up. how could we! even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where GOD is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. these hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. there’s far more here than meets the eye. the things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. but the things we can’t see now will last forever.” ii cor 4:15-18

more dragon-adventuring

"but how do you begin being a Deliverer?" philip asked, sitting up and feeling suddenly very grand and manly....

"there's lots of different ways," said mr. perrin. "your particular way's simple. you just got to kill the dragon."

"a live dragon?"

"live!" said mr. perrin. "why he's all over the place and as green as grass he is. lively as a live kitten. he's got a broken spear sticking out of his side, so someone must have had a try at baggin' him, sometime or another."

"don't you think," said philip, a little overcome by this vivid picture, "that perhaps i'd better look for lucy first, and be a Deliverer afterward?"

"if you're afraid," said mr. perrin.

"i'm not," said philip doubtfully.

"you see," said the carpenter, "what you've got to consider is: are you going to be the hero of this 'er adventure or ain't you? you can't 'ave it both ways. an' if you are, you may's well make up your mind, cause killing a dragon ain't the end of it, not by no means."

"do you mean there are more dragons?"

"not dragons....not dragons exactly. but there...i don't want to lower your heart. if you kills the dragon, then afterward there's six more hard things you've got to do. and then they make you king. take it or leave it. only, if you take it we'd best be starting....."

"suppose i don't want to be a Deliverer." said philip slowly.

"then you'll be a Destroyer," said the carpenter. "there's only these two situations vacant here at present."


"the magic city" by e. nesbit:

ursprache

a few pictures from the pre-bee activities:


"quick! somebody hand me the noodles, i need a "t"!"


(the flurry of spelling with spaghettiO's)

to bee or not to bee

don't forget about the most shocking television on tonite. this annual event will be feasted with fish and alphabet soup at our house (the former as brain food, the latter as practice). go see bee information (look at the pictures for the most intensely geeky kids ever. they're spelling in their free time!)

can you spell ABC?
that is the question.

(oh, i couldn't leave well enough alone! yes, that's a boy with a list of words at a PIZZA PARTY! if you look closely at the mom's shirt, it says "WORD." geeky people being cool is so cool. you think i'm making fun. i'm not. love this stuff.)