Literary Lines

Literary Lines

In an effort to find a quote to include in the family scrapbook, I ran across a wealth of wonderful quotes about books and reading. I'm thinking of framing some for the library at our house. Which quote about books/reading is your favorite?

Good as it is to inherit a library, it is better to collect one.  ~Augustine Birrell

"Tell me what you read and I'll tell you who you are" is true enough, but I'd know you better if you told me what you reread. ~François Mauriac

 There are books so alive that you're always afraid that while you weren't reading, the book has gone and changed, has shifted like a river; while you went on living, it went on living too, and like a river moved on and moved away. No one has stepped twice into the same river. But did anyone ever step twice into the same book? ~Marina Tsvetaeva

Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house. ~Henry Ward Beecher

TV. If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they'll have with twenty-six. Open your child's imagination. Open a book. ~Author Unknown

The smallest bookstore still contains more ideas of worth than have been presented in the entire history of television. ~Andrew Ross

You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend. ~Paul Sweeney

I know every book of mine by its smell, and I have but to put my nose between the pages to be reminded of all sorts of things. ~George Robert Gissing

The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,
And all the sweet serenity of books.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A house without books is like a room without windows.  ~Heinrich Mann

Never judge a book by its movie.  ~J.W. Eagan 

The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them. ~Mark Twain, attributed

To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.  ~W. Somerset Maugham

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.  ~Richard Steele

A truly good book teaches me better than to read it.  I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint.... What I began by reading, I must finish by acting.  ~Henry David Thoreau

To read a book for the first time is to make an acquaintance with a new friend; to read it for a second time is to meet an old one.  ~Chinese Saying     

 

 

 

 

 

10 Signs of Spring

#10 ~ Unfortunately, one of the signs of spring that I don't like is ants. (I promise they get much better after this one. : ) Every year this time when it rains, they come scouting out by the windows in our living room. At least it has wood floor and is easy to spot them and get rid of them. I could not bring myself to take and actual picture...so the one at the left is a clip art.

#9 ~ Flowers blooming. These jonquils are the first to bloom every year at our house. They don't last long, but they are a beautiful reminder that more plants will be in bloom before you know it. These are a transplant from my Grandma Voelker's flower garden, so they have a sentimental connection for me as well.




#8 ~ More jonquils on their way up. The iris' are on their way up too!












#7 ~ The Hydrangeas are budding. I can't wait to have the hydrangeas back again this year. They are my favorite flower and I envision the day when they fill this whole area on the side of the house.


# 6 ~ Open house projects are under way.
Elaina and I spent the afternoon working on her book report project about Buffalo Bill Cody.

Meanwhile, Rylan was busy in the garage. This year, for his Iowa project for fourth grade, Rylan and Papa are building a sod dugout. Early Iowa settlers lived in dugouts as temporary housing in order to qualify for the homestead act of 1862. Can you imaging living in a house of dirt? Dirt floors, dirty walls, dirt ceiling. Imagine the insects, the worms. They certainly would be hard to decorate. It makes me thankful for my house, that's for sure.

#5 ~ Swinging in your pajamas right before bed in the evening. Cool breeze, dusk, giggles, grins...love it!

 #4 ~ Flip Flops! Ok...technically, these came out for me back in February or so...but still, I'm going to count them.

# 3 ~ Clothes (blankets) on the line...need I say  more?

# 2 ~ Spring Soccer Season:

Rylan's team, Orange Crush, won their first game. Elaina's team, Pinkaliscious, did too!

I love the picture below of the two girls high fiving as they run down the field after some great teamwork that led to a goal! (Elaina is on the right)

And....the #1  sign of spring...is....

 

Seriously, if you haven't tried them...you should. I am not a fan of the normal jelly beans, but these ones? You have to buy at least one bag a year. The blue ones are the my favorite. 

Try them out! You won't regret it.

What signs of spring have you seen lately?

Flat Stanley Visit's Portugal

Elaina's Class recently wrote letters to family members and mailed out Flat Stanly to visit various places around the country and around the globe. Elaina's Flat Stanley made the trek across the Atlantic Ocean to Portugal. Here are a few highlights of his trip. 

Can you find…..

1 game timer….because “Love is patient”  1 Cor. 13:4

“HOPE” (x2)….because  ” love… hopes all things”  I Cor. 13:7

1 watch…..because   “love never ends” I Cor. 13:8

3 (Lego) friends…because “Greater love has no one than this, that

someone lays down his life for his friends.”  John 15:13

1 family….because we are to  “love one another”   I John 4:11

2 houses…because the Bible tells us to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  Gal. 5:14

1 globe…..because “God so loved the World that he gave his one and only Son.”

John 3:16

1 cross….because “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ

died for us.” Rom. 5:8

1 gift….because the “gift of God, is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord…” Eph. 2:9

Happy Valentine’s Day!

“We love because He first loved us!!” I John 4:19

 

 

Updated Office/Craft Room

The new nightstand just begged to have a headboard accompanying it in the guest room. We found an old, scuffed up wooden headboard at Hope for $5.00. A can of primer and a coat of black gloss later, it looks like new and matches the nightstand pretty well.

I was getting a bit antsy stuck inside during January and decided to work on some very CHEAP projects to spruce up the downstairs office/craft room. Here are a few before and after shots.

All in all, a nice winter weather project with very little money spent. Elaina especially loves this room in our house as she loves to spend hours at her table crafting and creating. Previously, it tended to be 'decorated' with things that got moved from upstairs so it was nice to give it a style of its own.

table transformation

 Our Adult Bible Fellowship Group had a 'regift' exchange for our Christmas party. Everyone brought something they already had that they didn't use much anymore. I guess you could also call it a White Elephant gift exchange. Anyway, I came home with a  plant stand/end table (thanks to being the last person to be able to 'steal' : )   I had visions of what to do with this little table as soon as I saw it. Over break, I had the time to work on it. Here is the table in its various stages of transformation.

The before shot:

After a little stripping of the clear finish and some sanding:

 

After priming with a gray primer:

 

After the first coats of black gloss:

 

 

Adding the final coats of black and a stenciled flower in red:

(Jason cut out this very detailed stencil for me using an old binder divider and a template I found online. He is so much better at detail cutting like that. Thanks Jas!)

And finally...in place in the guest room. Ready to hold an alarm clock, a bedside Bible and (of course) a picture frame. 

The finished table:

 

Here is a another before and after side by side comparison:

 

Before                                                                   After

I love how therapeutic a sander and 

a couple cans of spray paint can be.

12 years ago...

 Our wedding day twelve years ago was not nearly so sunny as January 2nd this year. 

On January 2, 1999 there was a blizzard. We even had to send someone with a truck out to fetch the organist. But, the snowstorm is only one small part of what makes that day memorable. 

 

Here's a few other random memories from the day:

1. singing for Jason...and not being able to decide if the microphone should go over or under my veil

2. crying during said song

3. James and his myriad of rings that were pinned inside his tux coat

4. my colors: wine and silver....doesn't that remind you of the nineties?

5. Ironing the bridesmaids dresses...with the bridesmaids still in them : )

6. An usher sitting out in the snow reading the paper to save a parking spot for the groomsmen

7. My Grandma showing me a necklace she was wearing that was a gift from Grandpa...telling me that it was just like he was there too

8. Getting to the church really early...ready early...lots of waiting: )

9. pictures by a big window with the snow in the background

10. getting kidnapped at the reception....they took my shoe and asked for 'donations' to fill up the shoe to return the bride. Made for a nice little nest egg for the honeymoon : )

11. The look in Jason's eyes when we met for the first time that day to talk and pray (before pictures)

12. pictures....lots of pictures

13. getting hugged and kissed by a myriad of people...some to this day that I don't know who they were

14. smiling so much my face hurt

15. my sister almost passing out and having to sit down during the ceremony

16. those yummy cream cheese mints...my mom even put together a baggie for us to take with us on our honeymoon : )

17. walking down the aisle with my dad...I remember  his smile

18. hugging my mom

19. the line up of people as we were getting ready to leave ringing their little silver bells...and some of them chucking those silver bells at us instead : )

20. Dried rose petals that Jason had given me over the years adorning the tables and sprinkled down the aisle by the flower girl.

Most of all, I remember the feeling of starting

a new life together with the one I love

 

If they were to write about
The story of my life
They would have to mention you
With every page they'd write
There's another side to every story told
If i were the ocean
You would be the shore
And one without the other one
Would be needing something more
We are the shadow and the light

Always love me
never leave me now
now you are the other side of me
Always love me
never leave me now
now you are the other side of me

I have known the emptiness
Of feeling out of touch
And living life without you here
Would be living half as much
Cause i've a need that only you can fill

If love was mathematical
You'd understand the sum
To the heart's equation
Where one and one makes one
And lonely equals me minus you

 "The Other Side of Me" 

~Micheal W. Smith

 (a song that was sung at our wedding)

I love you Jason Daryl Poole! I love you bunches!

Happy 12 year Anniversary!