Facebook Friday

Image from a great website I follow via facebook. ‘Let the children Play’…. click through to check out the blog.

Book Club: Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M Auel.

Image from the Book Depository.

Still a little behind on the book club reviews… and trying to catch up. Not sure where my time is going. Doesn’t the saying go….”You’ll have so much time on your hands” and “You won’t know yourself” when your children are all at school? Well, the answer to the first is a resounding NO and yep…still me last time I looked!.

Anyway….

The Clan of the Cave Bear was a book I was not keen to read when it was selected by one of our book club members. I was even less encouraged when I bought my second hand copy only to find it had a very ‘Mills and Boone-esque’ cover. This one I would not be reading in public if I wished to maintain any literary respect!

I was somewhat, surprisingly, turned around. I say somewhat as it wasn’t one of the best books I have read, but it was a compelling and interesting read. I learnt things I didn’t know before about surviving a prehistoric lifestyle. I enjoyed the somewhat predictable narrative, the writing style and characters kept me coming back for the 500+ pages.

The novel begins with a girl, Ayla  begin found by a tribe of people different to her own. This tribe are, throughout the novel, pitched as a less developed clan of cave people to the one she is originally from…. although they are not aware of this and continue on there merry way believing and acting in the way they have been taught. These practises include a deep spiritual leadership and hierarchy , a strong following of male headship and a very functional use of women.

You may be guessing by now what the introduction of a more developed ‘newer’ woman means. Yes, she upsets their beliefs at every level…. although the book ends with very little changing in the clan.

It smacks of a feminist work, which for us living in the wake of activist* type feminism, it all seems a little surreal. We had to stop ourselves a number of times during the discussion of this book to remind ourselves that there was once a world where women were ‘less than’…. and that the whole notion wasn’t a strange one to write a novel around at the time of it’s penning in the early 80′s.

Image from the Book Depository.

We did have some great discussion about belief and faith in the spiritual world, generational learning (and unlearning… it should be a word) and lots of thankfulness for the time we live in.

Our next book…. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne.

* As opposed to the more refining type feminism we see more of today.

Book Club: The Unbearable Lightness of Scones by Alexander McCall Smith

Image from Book Depository.

It feels like an age ago now that we looked at The Unbearable Lightness of Scones (or ‘Scones’ as we all affectionately called it) by Alexander McCall Smith in book club…. and it was. For the sake of completion, though, I thought I would give it a quick review.

McCall Smith writes this one in the same serial way that Charles Dicken’s wrote all those years ago for the newspaper. The main idea is a chapter at a time with a week or a month before the next installment of the story. It’s a writing technique that we don’t experience much now that we have the instant digital age of impatience. So, that in itself made for a new reading experience.

The chapters end more suddenly. The story gets paused and strands seem to get forgotten about…. sometimes for the entire book and sometimes for extended lengths of time.

We talked about how at different chapter endings we couldn’t wait to move on and see what had happened to this or that character, and could see how a reader under the serial story restrictions would have been bursting at the seams to pick up their next copy of the weekly rag…. and you definitely wouldn’t go without a copy, as you might miss a very important part of the story.

I found myself going back over what I had already read, as I feared that I had missed what had happened to a character, only to find that that character was no longer of importance to the story.

The book felt very much like a series of ‘coffees’ with people who vaguely knew each other because they lived in the same street. The reader becomes the confidant of sorts. A conduit for gossip, and like gossipy conversations I was left wanting to know more than I was being told .

My criticism with the book and style lies here.

I didn’t really know enough about the characters to care for them or be disgusted by them. The interactions between the characters always felt very surface. Unfortunately the book felt to me like it didn’t really go anywhere.

Image from Book Depository.

Alexander McCall Smith comes with a pretty big wrap, so some of it may have been that my expectations were too high. I know lots of you reading are fans. Tell me which book I should be reading.

That said, I am glad to have read something in this genre. I may even have a go at Dickens now.

Image from Book Depository.

Our Christmas holiday book was Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brookes (who is a favourite of mine) however with everything else going on I haven’t read it and didn’t make it to the discussion….. so I might come back to that one.

The next book in line was The Clan Of The Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel. I will review that one for you soon.

 

Time to move on……

....she tells me the dress is NOT pink.... really?

It’s all over for 11 year old. Yes, today was her last day of Primary School.

Big changes afoot for her and us in the new year.

Although our first (now 13 year old) started high school last year, it’s always different with different children…. and it’s always big. I don’t feel like it is easier. Our hopes and fears are specific to each of them (although of course there are a lot of similarities). We are hoping and praying for her high school years to be a time of great blessing, both for her and those who know her. We also hope the decision for her to attend an all girls school … which is something we have resisted…. will work out.

I am started to tear up now… because these days of finishing and starting aren’t just big for them, but they are big for the parents as well. She is such a proud follower of Jesus, taking hits for it as recent as yesterday when she dared mention his name in her year book. She really rows her own boat and thinks her own deep thoughts.

She has been offered a place in the Gifted and Talented Performance Stream at Canterbury Girls High School . Her performance of choice: drama. We are so excited for her. She has a great Christian friend there already (who will be in year 8 next year), and has been dancing this term with the group at the school. God has been very generous so far to her and us.

In the new year she is hoping to get back into her blog. It will mostly cover her loves of history, drama and reading. I will link to it from time to time and also let you know if she is performing ….. as I am sure she would love to see friends in the audience.

34 Handmade Gift for Little Boys + Little Girls….. with Tutorials

Ideas for Little Girls 

1. Upcycled Knit Pom Hair Accessories by Lil Blue Boo.

2. Puffy Bead Bracelets by Running With Glitter.

3. Non Slip Hair Bows by Make It and Love It.

4. Little Girl Romper by Make It and love It.

5. Braided Headband by Skip To My Lou.

6. Bonsai Tree Applique by Lil Blue Boo.

7. Lazy Days Skirt by Oliver and S (download).

8. Black Apple Dolls by Martha Stewart.

Ideas for Little Boys 

9. Upcycled : Shirt to shorts by Saltwater Kids.

10. 'Gak' by Make It and Love It.

11. Picture Matching Word Cards by Canon.

12. I Spy Bag by Make It and Love It.

13. Boys Shorts with Cargo Pockets by Craft Passion.

14. Upcycled Fused Plastic Belt by Lil Blue Boo.

15. Green Robot Stenciled T-shirt. by Lil Blue Boo.

Little Kids 

16. Personalised Memory Game by Momtastic.

17. A frame play tent by My Cakies.

18. Alphabet Wall Art by The Handmade Home.

19. Owl And Elephant Collages by Martha Stewart.

20. Kids size Ironing Boards by Duo Fiberworks

21. Rolling Pin Stamps by Redefining Creativity.

22. Nesting Dolls by the ETSY blog

23. Stick Horse by Light Blue Grey.

24. Felt Cookie Presents/Playfood by Redefining Creativity.

25. A Matching Game (Tutorial and Download) by Lil Blue Boo.

26. No Sew Pennant Banner by Place To Bloom.

27. Libray Totes by Noodle Head.

28. Dr Suess Activity Blocks by Sugar Bee Crafts.

29. Painted Block Puzzle by Momtastic.

30. Window Garland by Noodle head.

31. Accidental Painting by Lil Blue Boo.

32a. Thrifty Fort Building Kit by Saltwater Kids.

32b. Fort Building Kit ( all packed up) by Saltwater Kids.

33. Birthday (or Picnic) in a Suitcase by Funky Time.

34. Fabric Dollhouse (or Barn) by UK lass in US.

22 Handmade Gifts for Men or anyone really….. with Tutorials.

1. Vintage Trophy Coat Rack by Design Sponge.

2. Gardener's Apron by Martha Stewart.

3. Leather Journal by Duo Fiberworks.

4. Honey Walnut and Dried Fruit Topping by Martha Stewart.

5. Car Wash Kit by Martha Stewart.

6. Oilskin Zippered Pencil Case by Momtastic.

7. Upcycled Messenger Bag From Cargo Pants by Noodlehead.

8. Framed Initial by Make It and Love It.

9. Whimsical Key Chains by Living With Punks.

10. Dishtowel Apron by Made By Petchy.

11. Wooden Pendant Necklaces and Keychain by Lil Blue Boo.

12. Retro Duffle Bag by saltwater Kids.

13. Personalised Coffee Blend by Martha Stewart.

14. Toffee by Martha Stewart.

16. Homemade Book Plates by Martha Stewart.

15. Jam recipes with Printable Labels by Funkytime.

17. Rollie Pollie Pillows by So You Think You're Crafty.

18. Large Paintings Full of Text by Redefining Creativity.

19. Paint Chip Wall Art by How About Orange.

20. Car Travel Kit by Martha Stewart.

21. Monogram Mugs by Designmom.

22. Big Scrappy Painting by Redefining Creativity.

Facebook Friday

Thanks Shelley

Book Club: We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver.

Image from Book Depository.

After what felt like a long wait, the book club got back together. Because we are all mums, we haven’t been meeting in the school holidays, so sometimes it feels like a while. Even though it was a long break I didn’t manage to get the book from the library even though it was on hold for over 2 months….. does that say something about the book?

So, for the first time since the start of book-club I listened to the book rather than actually read it. Yes, I felt like a bit of a cheat, but I didn’t want to let this one pass….and I had been looking for an excuse to listen to a book-club book for a while now. One of our members ONLY listens to the books and she retains so much. I was keen to give it a try, and now I have. I like it! I think I might even have loved it! Now if I can just get my earphones to say in my ears!!

The first thing to note is that this Lionel Shriver is a female, which came as a great relief to all of us as the book is written from a mother’s perspective and it was a little unnerving that a male author would have such finite understanding of women’s emotions and thoughts. The second point to mention is that the book is a hard read. Very dense metaphoric passages left some of the readers going back over sections to make sure the meaning was fully captured. It also has a full serving of bad language which can be quite confronting to read. Listening to it …I ‘m sure was easier on this ….. it was like a close friend downloading and reminiscing and regretting aloud. Getting things off her chest. Explaining her perspective.

The content also is heavy going. ‘Kevin’ is a story of a mother’s uncertainty before conception and during motherhood…. mixed with a bit of defensiveness about her choices and her lack of action, and lots of what she goes through resonated with us. As I mentioned before, we are all mothers. We came to motherhood with mixed feelings and have felt different levels of ‘success’ across the years so far. Some of us share similar issues to the ones she experiences. None of us have older teens, so we haven’t yet reached some of the years she describes. Kevin has done something unthinkable (I don’t want to give too much away). Something we all pray and hope our children never come close to. But as she describes his childhood the reader is left wondering at what point does a parent seek help. How do we assess if something our child does is ‘normal’ or ‘passing’? Other big questions like ‘Should women who don’t want children have them?’ and ‘Are our children a product of our parenting successes (whatever that means) and failures?’…and lots of other questions and uncertainties.

I wouldn’t recommend it to parents who already lean toward the anxious, because it is unnerving. I, we, began to second guess ourselves in the choices we are making as parents, which at one level is helpful, but can be in itself pretty destructive. It can leave the reader feeling powerless.

Image from Book Depository

Have any of you read it? What did you think?

Next month we thought we would lighten it up a bit, while exploring the genre’ of periodical writing. We will be reading ‘The Unbearable Lightness Of Scones’ by Alexander McCall Smith. My first of his (I know, I know where have I been…..hiding under a rock?)…. should be interesting.

13 Handmade Advent Calendars…. with Tutorials

1. Pottery Barn Inspired Advent Calendar by Hallelujahs for Joy.

2. Bucket Advent Calendar by Curbly.

3. Pocket advent Calendar by Noodlehead.

4. Advent Tree How To by Paige + Russell.

5. DIY Advent Calendar (Burlap) by Funkytime.

6. Advent Calendar Tutorial (House) by See Mommy Sew.

7. An idea to adapt for Advent Calendar by Hambley Screen Prints.

8. Countdown Calendar by Maya Made

9. Button Advent Calendar by Craftstylish.

10. Fabric (Paper Type) Advent Calendar by Roots and Wings.

11. Simple Advent Bags by Moment to Moment.

12. Burlap Sack Stocking Advent Calendar by Making the world cuter.

13. Giving Advent Baskets by Molly Piper.

….no tutorials for these but I think you get the idea!

14. IDEA: Advent shoes by Great Craft Disaster.

15. IDEA or Purchase Advent Calendar Printed Pouches by nuvonova.

16. IDEA Printable labels by Poppy Talk.

16. IDEA Parcels in a parcel by Women bible Life.

More Ideas from Last Year

What our family did in 2010…including contents ideas.

What our family did in 2009….. including contents ideas.

Cathy’s content’s ideas from Women Bible Life (a simpler and more complex version….. keep going to the end of the post for the easier one!)

Ruth’s ideas via 168 hours

Jesse (Jesus) Tree reading ideas from the voice.

Book Club: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Image from the book Depository.

 “Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He’s always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being.”

 Ch. 9

Well…. what a challenge we set ourselves this month. We had a mixture of readers, listeners and triers. No-one refused to have a go and that is a win I think.

I’ve got to say that although I found it hard work at the beginning, once Nell started to narrate the story of the families, I was hooked.

Those of us who finished loved it.

Those of us who struggled to listen to it or read it, were left wondering what the big deal was. Why is this such a classic?

Wuthering Heights is unashamedly dark. Gothic, and at times twisted in it’s betrayal of a couples passionate relationship, it explores the consequences of what we would now call dependent relationships. Heathcliff and Cathy’s obsessions effect not only themselves it captures in it’s wake all who come into contact with them…. through generations. We get a picture of what happens when personalities are left unchecked. Personally I love the darkness and faultiness of the characters. No-one shines…..I’m not sure why….but I like that.

It helps to know a little about the Bronte sisters themselves and the kind of life they inhabited when reading it. If you would like to know more, have a look at this short biography of the Bronte sisters. They are a truly fascinating family.

“It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton’s is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.”
 Ch. 9

 

Image of bookcover from Book Depositiory.

“If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger: I should not seem a part of it.”
 Ch. 9

…as you can see Chapter 9 was a bit of a favourite.

Next month ‘We need to Talk about Kevin’ by Lionel Shriver