Reading

This year, with Epiphany being celebrated on Jan. 2nd, I felt that Christmastide was being cut short. Alas, we were not able to hear Mass on Jan. 1st or 2nd because we were sick with a winter cold/cough. We stayed home this Sunday as well just to be sure. However, since we are living in the age of covid, I started us both on ivermectin for 6 days and it stopped the symptoms from becoming debilitating. We also had sunshine so spent our days out on the porch, reading and resting, getting much needed Vit D. And thank God for all the citrus. The Lord really does provide all we need for good health and cheer. But the fatigue--it's real. Today, I finally had enough energy to put away Christmas. But the memories will linger.

We've had some lovely new books to read though. And I begin with this gorgeous Bible, a gift from Max. The typography and layout is so beautiful it's a joy to read. I think this will be a book that I will read over and over because the Word of God is living and every time you read it, you receive what you're meant to. Plus, the Four Gospels are foundational for all Christians. If you know nothing about Jesus, but want to know Him, these are the four books you must read. It's how we fell in love with our dear Lord Jesus. 

Our gift to Max was from a local artist, Theresa Hoffman of Sea Island Art. May he ever hear the lowcountry bid him home. Theresa said that she had just finished this painting the day before. How lucky for us to have found it at the farmer's market. 

And some day, one of our kids will inherit Kris Manning's beautiful cookbook: The Field Guide to Fabulous Food. It's so well-designed, hand-lettered by Kris with watercolor paintings from Barbara Meierhusby. Kris wrote it for her young sons and what a legacy to have a cookbook from your mom with all the favorite things she made. Kris is an artist extraordinaire. This is a limited edition so if you want a cookbook for a young adult, give this to your sons and daughters. There's plenty of white space to jot notes as they embark on their own culinary adventures. Truly, the food you make at home is the best. I feel so privileged to have the chance to work with Kris and hope we can collaborate again. My head is full of ideas :) 

Wings Forever: the true story of Donn Deisenroth, American WWII fighter pilot by his daughter, Verla Kay is another treasure not just for her family but for the rest of us who value freedom. A labor of love, it is an account of his time during the war. And this is why we must fight any and all tyranny, including all the unconstitutional mandates around covid. These brave young men and women didn't fight so that we could be cowed by a corrupt govt. We owe it to them to fight for our freedom now, for the sake of our children and grandchildren.  

Finally, a couple of lovely ARCS: Dodos are NOT Extinct: they're just in disguise by Paddy Donnelly is a humorous book wherein a dodo takes readers through the natural world to show them where the other "extinct" animals are hiding, sometimes in plain sight. Great voice. Fun illustrations. And a summary of the animals that are no longer with us. Shapes and Patterns in Nature by this trio by Magdalena Konečná, Jana Sedlackova, Štěpánka Sekaninová is mesmerizing. The simple text introduces shapes and patterns in nature and is breathtaking in its detail. It works well as a field guide too because the many patterns and shapes are identified in beautiful lettering. Each page also seeks to classify the major patterns. A gem of a book! With many thanks to the publisher for an ARC. What are some of the wonderful books you've been reading during Christmas holidays?