It's mid-February so what I'm reading is IRS pubs as I prepare to do our taxes. Ugh! I hate this. And I miss Donald Booker whom we could really trust to do it for us. Now we TurboTax. When I was growing up Mother always served salmon croquettes (she made hers with Post Toasties) with canned tomatoes and store-bought (vs. the homemade we took for granted) cookies when she worked on taxes.
It's an election year so what I'm reading is information in the hope of making an informed choice in the primary elections. Early voting begins today so I'm hoping to have my endorsements before the weekend so we can VOTE! One source of good information is the League of Women Voters with links to the party sites. I agree with the Chronicle's endorsements of Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Bill White for gubernatorial candidates.
We're also having a colder than usual winter so instead of working in my yard I'm browsing seed catalogs and websites. Houston isn't Pennsylvania, California, or Virginia--it isn't even Dallas--so don't expect general garden books to work. I get my gardening advice Kathy Huber's garden site at The Houston Chronicle but there are a couple of books I also recommend:
River Oaks Garden Club: A Garden Book for Houston and the Gulf Coast which is unfortunately out-of-print although used copies are available and so much the better since this book is going to be more at home in your garden than on a shelf. Its circle of the year and monthly lists of what to plant and what is in bloom are much needed.
Cathey, H. Marc & Bellamy, Linda: Heat-Zone Gardening. How to choose plants that thrive in your region's warmest weather is most useful because it's a colder than usual February but July & August will be HOT!.
I was invited to read and comment on two works by friends:
McGrgor, Keith: The Beacon. I was privileged to have a pre-production read of Keith's newest play. Visit his webiste: ravenwriters.com
Becker, Joseph Peter is completing his Ph.D. thesis. He has done some really fascinating work on grace. His thesis deals with a short section of Corinthians but it has implications for all scripture and for the life of believers. I told Joe that "this changes everything." One of the things it has changed is my view of Pauline scripture. As my theology has grown increasingly "feminist" I have found Paul to be a "thorn in my side." No more. I cannot wait until Joe's work becomes more generally available. I have not read a book that more changed my understanding since Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy.
Non-fiction:
Eugene Peterson's Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places. A conversation in spiritual theology is still on my Kindle and I am finishing up and rebrowsing this book which I highly recommend.
Foster, Thomas C.: How to Read Novels Like a Professor. A jaunty exploration of the world's favorite litereary form. New York: Harper, 2008. David finished and passed this one on to me which is proving almost but not quite as delightful and informative as this author's previous book How to Read Literature... I highly recommend this book to students who are preparing to attend college.
Austen, Jane: Emma. Kindle. The recent PBS programs remind me that it's time to re-read Miss Austen.
Bedside Books:
Mabie, Hamilton Wright: Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know. Doubleday, 1905. Project Gutenberg. Kindle. I'm reading one or two a week. I forget how frightening some of these stories are. I'm pretty sure that I would not choose to read them to a young child. Let's rate them PG.
Paulson, Beth: Wild Raspberries. 2008 I'm prolonging the pleasure from this delightful poet. Previous books are The Company of Trees and The Truth about Thunder.
Merrill, Nan C.: Psalms for Praying: an invitation to wholeness. New York/London: Continuum, 2006. This reworking of the Psalms emphasizes "God is love..." It is by no means an accurate translation but it is a response to the timeless text and gives a fresh voice to psalmic prayer. I am only allowing myself a psalm or two at a time hoping to make the book last through Easter.
SEASONS:
Whitaker, Evelyn: Laddie. We finished our discussion of the 19th Century woman novelist as theologian. My introduction and downloadable .pdf of Laddie with my annotations are available at my domain: evelynwhitakerlibrary.org/
Showing posts with label Paulson Beth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paulson Beth. Show all posts
16 February 2010
06 January 2010
What I'm Reading...
Today is Epiphany, Twelfth Night, which celebrates my favorite aspect of the Christmas story: wisdom and power bow down before mystery and vulnerability and offer gifts of wealth, worship, and sacrifice. Our tree remains since it's still drinking water and its needles are still soft and its fragrance fresh but eventually I will have to take it down. It's not surprising that I'm still reading Christmas notes, newsletters, gift books, post-holiday sale catalogs, and catching up on periodicals.
I have been reminded of why I bother subscribing to and reading The Economist as I have greatly enjoyed the holiday double issue, dated December 19th 2009-January 1st 2010. Of particular note were articles on violin-making, the virtues of pessimism, too many chains (religious freedom), the Harry Potter economy, hedonism & claret, dark matter rumors, language, joys of dirt, network effects (techonology and newpapers), an interesting book review (Wade, Nicholoas: The Faith Instinct: How Religion Evolved and Why It Endures. Penguin Press.), and comments on an exhibition on human identity and on the vampire lit phenom.
I also read all the fine print at http://www.medicare.gov/ as I gathered information and helped people enroll in Medicare Part D Prescripiton Drug Plans.
My daily Bible reading this year will be from http://www.pcusa.org/lectionary/
Fiction:
Mabie, Hamilton Wright: Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know. Doubleday, 1905. Project Gutenberg. Kindle. Beatrix Potter got me started so I'll be nibbling children's lit for a bit.
Numeroff, Laura & Bond, Felicia: If You Take a Mouse to the Movies. Harper-Collins, 2009. The latest addition to the charming series that both DMP and I enjoy. We love to share the "if you give" books with children who come to visit. This edition is a gift from Sonya and includes a CD and sheet music and cookie recipes and family activities. What fun! http://www.mousecookiebooks.com/
Willems, Mo: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! New York: Hyperion, 2003. Caldecott Honor Book. Another gift from Sonya. A clever little book that teaches a young child how to say "no." I'll be adding this book to the children's collection in the church library.
Poetry:
Paulson, Beth: Wild Raspberries. 2008 Another gift from David because "she seems to speak what you feel" and this Ouray, CO poet is one of my favorites. Previous books are The Company of Trees and The Truth about Thunder.
Bedside Book:
Merrill, Nan C.: Psalms for Praying: an invitation to wholeness. New York/London: Continuum, 2006. This reworking of the Psalms emphasizes "God is love..." It is by no means an accurate translation but it is a response to the timeless text and gives a fresh voice to psalmic prayer. Highly recommended!
Peterson, Eugene H.: Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A conversation in spiritual theology. Kindle. I've lingered in the section on Eucharist and hospitality, fascinated with the discussion of Dom Gregory Dix: The Shape of the Liturgy (1941) which notes four verbs: take, bless, break, and give. In fact, I'm probably going to read that section again.
SEASONS:
Whitaker, Evelyn: Laddie. We continue our discussion of the 19th Century woman novelist as theologian.
I have been reminded of why I bother subscribing to and reading The Economist as I have greatly enjoyed the holiday double issue, dated December 19th 2009-January 1st 2010. Of particular note were articles on violin-making, the virtues of pessimism, too many chains (religious freedom), the Harry Potter economy, hedonism & claret, dark matter rumors, language, joys of dirt, network effects (techonology and newpapers), an interesting book review (Wade, Nicholoas: The Faith Instinct: How Religion Evolved and Why It Endures. Penguin Press.), and comments on an exhibition on human identity and on the vampire lit phenom.
I also read all the fine print at http://www.medicare.gov/ as I gathered information and helped people enroll in Medicare Part D Prescripiton Drug Plans.
My daily Bible reading this year will be from http://www.pcusa.org/lectionary/
Fiction:
Mabie, Hamilton Wright: Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know. Doubleday, 1905. Project Gutenberg. Kindle. Beatrix Potter got me started so I'll be nibbling children's lit for a bit.
Numeroff, Laura & Bond, Felicia: If You Take a Mouse to the Movies. Harper-Collins, 2009. The latest addition to the charming series that both DMP and I enjoy. We love to share the "if you give" books with children who come to visit. This edition is a gift from Sonya and includes a CD and sheet music and cookie recipes and family activities. What fun! http://www.mousecookiebooks.com/
Willems, Mo: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! New York: Hyperion, 2003. Caldecott Honor Book. Another gift from Sonya. A clever little book that teaches a young child how to say "no." I'll be adding this book to the children's collection in the church library.
Poetry:
Paulson, Beth: Wild Raspberries. 2008 Another gift from David because "she seems to speak what you feel" and this Ouray, CO poet is one of my favorites. Previous books are The Company of Trees and The Truth about Thunder.
Bedside Book:
Merrill, Nan C.: Psalms for Praying: an invitation to wholeness. New York/London: Continuum, 2006. This reworking of the Psalms emphasizes "God is love..." It is by no means an accurate translation but it is a response to the timeless text and gives a fresh voice to psalmic prayer. Highly recommended!
Peterson, Eugene H.: Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A conversation in spiritual theology. Kindle. I've lingered in the section on Eucharist and hospitality, fascinated with the discussion of Dom Gregory Dix: The Shape of the Liturgy (1941) which notes four verbs: take, bless, break, and give. In fact, I'm probably going to read that section again.
SEASONS:
Whitaker, Evelyn: Laddie. We continue our discussion of the 19th Century woman novelist as theologian.
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