kindle vs. the real deal

If you read the title of this post you have probably already guessed which side that I have taken in this argument.  Don't worry, I have no intentions of being a snob or belittling the wonderful world of technology and those who revel in it, I simply wish to explain my stance on the subject. 

Every time I have been forced to participate in this argument, I have found that the results are very similar to those that come about after a heated discussion about the film The Princess Bride:  You either love it or you hate it and not even a stampede of wild elephants will cause you to change your mind.  Don't laugh, you know it's true!!! 

While, I have never had a reason to actually dislike a Kindle or any other e-reader (I had never even held one in my hands until this weekend), I have always had a rather strong opinion on the subject.  However, this opinion has nothing to do with the Kindle itself.  I just have reasons why I personally don't want one.

I have trouble reading off a screen. 

It's true.  It doesn't matter if it's on a 60 inch plasma screen, it gives me a headache if I stay at it for a certain period of time.  Even with my new glasses, I just can't seem to stay at it for very long.  In addition to the headaches, I also can't seem to comprehend what I'm reading.  I see words and my eyes scan the screen, but I have to work very hard to focus so the words actually register.  Because of this, it takes me ten times longer to read off a screen rather than paper because I have to read and re-read and re-read small paragraphs until I finally "get it".  I even have to write my blog posts in short intervals.

There is just something special about holding a book in my hands.

Ever since I was a little girl, books have been some of my best friends.  If you could see my bedroom you would see that I am constantly surrounded by many, many friends.  I even take them places with me (which is why I carry such large bags).  Each one hold special memories for me and each has impacted me in a different and equally special way.

The other day, I took down my well worn copy of A Little Princess.  Just running my hand over the cover made my heart smile.  That small little book holds so many precious memories.  I remember sitting in Mama's lap as she read it to me, eagerly waiting for her to turn the pages and find out what would happen next.  As I got older, I remember carrying it a little basket down to the big oak tree by the barn.  I would sit there, beneath the constant downpour of acorns, and read for hours.   Suddenly, I became Sara Crewe, forced to live in the cold attic, mistreated and hungry.  Hot indignation would rise in my chest as Miss Minchin (whose first name just happened to be Amanda...) unjustly punished and humiliated Sara before the other girls.  But then, it was always replaced by a peaceful triumph as Sara repaid evil with good.  Just looking at the cover of this beloved book causes all of these memories and feelings to come rushing back.  Somehow, looking at a chunk of black or white plastic just doesn't have the same effect...

Some of my books have pages that have been stained with tears and some have flowers pressed in the pages.  There are some whose pages are brown and crackly around the edges.  This is because they had the misfortune of being in the direct path of one of my many coffee spills.  Sometimes I come across a book that has pages falling out of it or one that has lost it's cover.  It doesn't matter.  I love them despite their defects.

Why?  Because they are my friends.  They have sparked thoughts and emotions in my heart and I can hold them in my hands and treasure them as long as I live.  One day they will be in the hands of my children and grandchildren and in a way, they will be holding a piece of me.

On the other hand, an e-reader will one day be useless.  Like my papaw's eight track player or those giant "mobile phones" that mom used to carry.  Sure, they're still tucked away in the garage, but do they work or serve any purpose whatsoever?  Aside from making us kids laugh at their "Dark Age" technology, no.

I love the smell of books.

You know, that musty, earthy, book-y smell that smacks you in the face whenever you walk into a library.  I love it.  The smell of an e-reader when it gets overheated just isn't the same...

I love looking at books.

Isn't that just beautiful?

One of the arguments I've heard in favor of the Kindle is that "you can take a thousand books on a trip with you". 

My automatic response is, "Why in the world would you want or even need a thousand books on a trip?  No flight or road trip is that long.  Besides, you would need an approximately ten year vacation to get through them all.  That is, of course, assuming that you are an expert speed reader".

All sarcasm aside, I do think that it's cool to be able to carry around a library.  If you ever needed to look something up, it's right there at your fingertips.  Or if you were having a conversation with someone and wanted to quote a passage from a book, you could simply pull it up and read it rather than trying to remember it.  But personally, I'd rather take three or four books with me and come home to a beautiful library like the one in the picture above.  Of course, I don't have an in-home library as of yet, but one day...

I understand that many people absolutely love their Kindles and other e-readers and I respect that.  I also realize that in some instances, they can be very useful.  For all I know, I may even have one sometime in the future (the very distant, unforeseeable future).  But for now, my personal preference is printed, hard/paper backed, fragrant, taking up space that I don't have, real books.

reading habits

Old habits die hard.

Oh, how true this is!

Despite my efforts to bring a bit of order and organization into my methods of reading, over the past few weeks I have managed to revert back to my old, unorganized ways.  Not that there is anything wrong with it, it's just less...well, organized.

In theory, taking a new book off the shelf, reading it from cover to cover before selecting the next title, is the most ideal way to journey through the world of literature.  Right?  Of course it is!  So, I select a title, take it off the shelf, settle into my favorite corner of the couch and by the end of chapter 3 my eyes begin wandering towards my shelf of unread books...

Ok, I'm ADD.  I admit it.  I am happier with a great stack of books to shuffle through rather than to have one lone title sitting on the corner of my night table.

My current stack.  :)

Oh well.  I suppose that this is one area of my life that shall remain unorganized.

for the love of reading...

Before I start my actual post, I just wanted to insert a quick note: Yesterday my prayers were answered.  After a rather impressive display of thunder, lightning, a torrential downpour and pea-size hail, the sun finally came out!  We were graced by it's presence for almost a whole hour.  Exciting!  Of course, after his little airing, Mr. Sun retreated back into the clouds and gave way to more rain, but I won't complain.  I had my one hour of sunshine and I am perfectly content!

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Last night I made out a schedule for all of my reading.  Okay, I admit, it's taking things a little far, but having it all written out and being able to see "the end of the tunnel" is quite refreshing.  I take great pleasure in having an agenda down on paper.  Whether or not I actually follow it to the letter is another story.  But, I like to keep it around because it's nice to able to pinpoint a finish date on the calendar and begin looking forward to a fresh start.  I love to read, and turning that last page is something that I really look forward to.

I have a schedule for just about everything.  When and what to read, when and where to clean, when and what to cook, when and where to go, when to bake bread, when to wash my hair (if you had my hair you'd understand!), you name it and I probably have it scheduled out.  As I said, writing it out is one thing, but actually following it is another.  I have gotten much better at this over the years, but there are still times when I toss the schedule out the window.  I'd hate to become so focused on what needs to be done that I couldn't enjoy the day.

Anyway, back to the reading.  In addition to finishing up the Bible reading challenge (Yes, I got a little behind.  I didn't always keep to my schedule :), reading Idols of the Heart by Elyse Fitzpatrick (which I plan to re-read many many times!), and reading for Sarah's combined History, Literature, and Writing, today I am beginning another study.

I received the Great Christian Classics from Generations with Vision as a Christmas gift.  While I've been itching to pick it up for weeks, I really wanted to finish some of the other books before I really got into it.  Last night, I could stand it no more and I decided that today was the day.

This morning was spent copying pages out of the study guide so that I could write on them freely (and in pen!).  I wish I had done that with other workbooks when I was younger.  There are some that I would love to use again. 

This study contains excerpts written by St. Augustine, St. Patrick, John Knox, John Bunyan, and John G. Paton.  I have the Missionary Patriarch: The True Story of John G. Paton, but I've never read the entire book.  That might be a good one to begin at the end of this study.

I am so looking forward to working through this book!
 

restful reading...

I was blessed this Christmas by receiving an abundance of books.  I can't tell you how much it thrilled me to put them on my shelf and check them off my list.  There is something about the smell of books that I just love.  If someone could make the smell of knowledge into a perfume I would absolutely wear it.

Some of the books I received have been on my list for many years.  I nearly squealed when I pulled back the wrapping paper and laid eyes on Webster's 1828 Dictionary.  I have wished for it for ages and I am so grateful to my Grammy for getting it for me!  It's been put to good use ever since Christmas.  I also received a copy of So Much More by Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin.  That particular book has been on my list ever since it was first published in 2005 and it was definately worth the wait.  Now that it is resting on my shelf it has been replaced on my list by their newest book, It's Not That Complicated.

I tried to restrain myself and finish After the Flood, which I started before Christmas, before I began any of the new titles, but I gave up after about a half hour.  I have no self-control when it comes to having new books in the house.  So, I am now in the process of reading After the Flood, So Much More, and St. Augustine's Confessions. 

It's been a nice break after all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season to lounge on the upstairs sofa and read to my heart's content.  Add a cup of coffee and a hot foot spa (courtesy of Mama!) and it doesn't get much better than that. 

parades, road trips, books, etc!

I've gotten a little behind on my posting so please bear with me!  I will attempt to make this as organized as possible.

This past Saturday was Cleveland's Chrismas parade and our church decided have a float in it this year.  Sarah and I got really excited about the idea since we had never participated in a parade.  Well, technically we have, but we don't count it for reasons known only to those who were present at the time.  Anyway, we had a really good time with some of the other church families.  Unfortunately, Mama and Daddy couldn't join us because of lingering sickness, but they did stop by to wave as we rushed down the street.

Mary and Joseph

 The "riders". :)

 Crowded????

 The candy hander-outers.

 By the end of the parade we were all exhaused.  Especially those of us who

were walking, I mean *ahem* running!

Sunday, we set out on a 28 hour road trip to South Georgia.  Several months ago Daddy sold our business trailer and has been looking for a bigger one.  In the meantime, we have 5 fryers and our entire set-up housed in the garage.  That's been interesting.  After much deliberation, Daddy finally decided on which trailer he wanted.  Then we found out that it would be a lot cheaper for us to pick up the trailer at the factory ourselves than to have it brought to us.  So, as usual, we turned business into a family outing. 

As we were trying to decide what to do to make the trip more interesting, we realized that we've never been to downtown Atlanta.  I've been to the outer parts of Atlanta several times and driven through it on the Interstate many times, but I've never seen downtown.  So, that's what we did.  We didn't have time to stop and walk around, but we drove through downtown.  I wanted to get a picture of the Varsity, but I didn't have my camera ready and there was no turning around in that traffic!

There was a huge mob in front of the Fox Theater.  I was to busy taking pictures to get a

good look at the marquis, but I think it was a production of the Nutcracker.

I must have been an interesting sight passing by, hanging out of the window of our huge suburban

with a death-grip on my Canon!

I can't wait to go back sometime when we have a chance to do some

real sightseeing.

We had a really had a good time, even though by most peoples standards we didn't really do anything.  But, I enjoy being  in the car with my family, as long as I'm allowed to take a nap at some point!  And of course, staying in a hotel is interesting in this family!  We went to 5 different ones checking prices before we finally settled on one and then we got all of our stuff inside and realized that it wasn't as clean as we thought it was.  So, we packed our stuff back into the truck and drove around some more before we finally found a place to sleep.  This was about an hour long ordeal.  And then of course, there was the adventure involving the room heating unit and the smoke alarm....

Never a dull moment in this family folks!

Aside from entertainment, this trip gave me the opportunity to catch up on some reading.  I've been working

on The Deadliest Monster by J. F. Baldwin this week.  I have approximately 73 pages left and I can't wait to get through them.  If you are looking to a good introduction to worldview I would highly recommend this book. 

It uses Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde vs. Frankenstein to clearly show the difference between the Christian and secular worldviews.  Christians are, in a sense, Dr. Jekyll: we believe that all men are naturally wicked and sinful and there is no good in him except that which is given by the Father through salvation in Christ.  Man has no power to save himself.  And if he toys with his sin, it will ultimately be his death

Baldwin compares non-Christian worldviews (ranging from atheists to Jehovah's Witness) to Frankenstein and the belief that man is born good with no concept of sin.  However, his environment and associations taint this "goodness", therefore teaching him to be wicked.  This worldview teaches that man can save himself from judgement nullifying the need for salvation outside of himself.  Namely, Jesus Christ.

I've had this book for years, but for some reason I never took the time to read it.  I'm so glad I did!  It's a wonderful source for those who wish to understand all of the implications of the biblical view of the nature of man.  It's been an eye opening read and I look forward to reading others of a similar nature. 

I have a whole list of other books to read that just keeps getting longer by the day. 

This is just a little piece of it (the whole thing is roughly 9 pages long!) and as you can see, the books that I want to buy and read (italicized/blue) vs. the books I actually own and have read (underlined)... well... let's just say, there's a lot of blue on there!  If only money grew on trees...

on a rainy day...

I'm sitting at my sewing table listening to the rain pounding on the roof.  I just love rainy days.  That is, I love watching rainy days through a window.  The gray sky, the dim light, the soothing pitter patter, and on cold winter days a fire and a cup of tea.  Love it!  However, getting out in the rain is a completely different story.  I don't like getting wet.  I don't even like going swimming these days.  But, it always happens that God sends the rain on the days that I'm out the most.  I suppose He sees it as character building.  I've already dried out once from going out this morning.  Now, I am psyching myself to brave the vicious precipitation for a piano lesson later. 

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This past weekend we were in the small town of Athens, TN at the Pumpkin Town festival.  I grew up just north of there in the even smaller town of Sweetwater, so, it was kind of like going home.  We saw a lot of people that we hadn't seen in quite a few years.  One gentleman was a member of the little church my dad pastored when I was little.  We hadn't seen him in about 15 years.  Others we saw were members of our old homeschool group and other people that we don't see much of since we moved to Cleveland.

Jennifer, one of my oldest and very best friends, stopped by to see us.  I don't get to see as much of her as I would like, so it was a real treat for her to come.  She and her family just got back from Ghana a few weeks ago.  They were there visiting their new brother, Nicholas.  I can't wait to meet him when they are finally able to bring him home.

Oh Jen, we've been through so much together!  I think she knows just about everything about me that there is to know.  That's kind of a scary thing now that I actually think about it! 

We've been best friends since we were about 7 years old.  We met when we were both on the homeschool basketball team.  Yeah, you read that right.  A group of homeschooled 6 to 9 year olds on an actual basketball team.  It was just as scary as it sounds!  But we survived!  Maybe a little scarred from the experience, but we survived!

I love you Jen!

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Before we got busy, I had a chance to walk around the block and see what was going on.  Upon turning a corner, what should I see, but a big banner that read "Creation Museum".  I was sooooo excited!  I've always heard about the Creation Museum, but I've never been.  My family has only been north of Knoxville three times that I can remember, so we've never really had the opportunity. 

The gentleman running the booth was very friendly.  We talked way longer that I intended to.  It was so nice to discuss my beliefs with someone who understands.  So many times I feel as if I'm being judged when I voice my beliefs.  His conversation was really a breath of fresh air!

He gave me this book: Already Gone, by Ken Ham and Britt Beemer.  I've been wanting to read this book ever since I first saw it in a catalog, but my book budget kept interferring.  I'm already about a third of the way through it and I have to say that it is one of the best books I've ever picked up.  Every professing Christian should read this book.  It is a definate eye opener concerning issues that many of us have chosen to turn a blind eye to.  It is truly a must for every Christian library.

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In my spare time, I've been tying up some loose ends in the sewing room.  Here's a little project that I started several months ago and then forgot about.  It's a large bag made from some of my Thimbleberries scraps.  I finished it last night with the assistance of Misses Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. :)

Genevieve was kind enough to model the finished product for the camera.

I got to use it for the first time this morning to carry my books with me to a class I've been taking.  It carried quite nicely I thought.

Here's a picture of the burgandy afghan I've been working on for the last few months.  I was commissioned by my aunt to make this after complaining of boredom back in the days of my nannyhood.  I've finally reached the home stretch in this project.  It's been one of the easiest crochet projects I've ever undertaken.  Easy, as far as the pattern, that is.  Making an afghan is still an arduous task no matter how easy it is.  I've never actually finished one.  I started one many years ago and ended up turning it into a scarf.  Mama is a really big fan of this one.  I think she might be planning to take possession of it herself!

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Wow, this has been a really random post.  Sorry about that!  My mind is about as random as they get.  ;)