Reading now: Walter Brueggemann's Prayers for a Privileged People


Jean-Pierre de Caussade's The Sacrament of the Present Moment


Muriel Barbery's The Elegance of the Hedgehog


and because I'm fighting the blues I grabbed my Grandmother's copy of Prayers New and Old, 1937 The Forward Movement, for my devotionals this Monday morning.


St.Casserole

I drove to and from the church for a wedding weekend. Six hours in the car allowed me to finish The Poisonwood Bible. What a relief to finish the story. I kept thinking the author had nothing more to say during the final three audio CDs but on she went. The Price women kept going with more aphorisms, cruel and brittle insights and descriptions of Africa. On the sixth hour of driving, as I entered my home county, the story ended.

The Congo is in the news again. Has been for years. I googled info about the current situation even going to the gov CIA site, though after reading the book I doubt the contents. The history from our perspective I ignored but the health stats broke my heart. Nothing is better there. Not enough food, bad health care, violence beyond reason (isn't all violence this?), dictators, no infrastructure, and more.

Lord, for all those who teach, for healthcare workers,for the people of the Congo, for those who love and serve the people of the Congo, have mercy.

St.Casserole

I'm reading the newest Phil Rickman novel with clergywoman sleuth/deliverance minister, Merrily Watkins To Dream of the Dead.

I love this series.

Thanks, Phil, for getting this book out before Christmas! Thanks for introducing me to singer Nick Drake, too!

Last year Amazon kept telling me the book was available only to delay it.

I wonder if UK readers appreciate Merrily Watkins? I was surprised that three bookstores in Ireland hadn't heard of Rickman. Why were these bookstores even bothering to be in business.

Yours,

St.Casserole

P.S. I am behind listing my books read. Let me add this to my to-do list.

Monday Things

*I'm loving pandora.com. I have a Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake station. Loving that Nick Drake.

*I need to update my 2008 Books Read. Can't recall all the titles or authors to do it now.

*I found new leather driving shoes at Amazon by going to the Women's shoes, then seeing what was offered for 70%. Two lovely leather pairs arrived last week.

*I'm itching to try to drill through a china plate with my Dremel. Dremel doesn't offer a drill for china so I'll substitute something else. Don't know what but if you hear hollering and china shattering, it's just me.

*LD will be home for a long weekend. She's taking exams this week. I'm praying she'll find her happy attitude to do her work well and see some progress in her adjustment to the Art School. It's not easy to be 16 anywhere. If she could see herself as I see her, she'd take on the entire world.

*Little Church restoration is going very well. We are looking beautiful and dignified. Just found out last week that the furnace coils and motor are blown out. Age and humidity ruined the system. We need more money. I'm trusting we will be able to have heat this winter.

*Fall is here! I wore closed toe shoes last week! No more sandals even if the heat today was in the mid-80's. Mornings are cooler.

*If you weren't my friends, I'd be soooo lonesome. Thanks for being with me.

Love,
St.C

2008 Books Read

Stephenie Meyer, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse Popular Teen Lit. LD read these first, then passed them to me.

Finished John Grisham's The Appeal. Very troubling story.

2008 Books Read

Christianity for the Rest of Us Diana Butler Bass

Resurrection Rowan Williams

The Good Husband of Zebra Drive Alexander McCall Smith
The Morality for Beautiful Girls
The Miracle at Speedy Motors

Books Read 2008

Carol Osborn, The Art of Resilience, Three Rivers Press. 1997 Rather like having a kind friend stand over your shoulder while you get your hope on.

Hiroko C.Kataoka, Japanese Cultural Encounters and How to Handle Them, Passport Books. 1991 Looking at the world with different eyes. Enjoyed the book.

2008 Books Read

Elizabeth George, A Great Deliverance Inspector Lynley Mystery

Matthew Pearl, The Dante Club Very Clever

Susan Isaacs, Any Place I Hang My Hat Delightful Main Character

Caroline Alexander, The Bounty the True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty Fascinating, well written

Books Read 2008

Excellent Women, Barbara Pym Enjoyed this book.

2008 Books Read

The Careful Use of Compliments by Alexander McCall Smith

Fourth in the Isabel Dalhousie series.

Loved it. Isabel, a philosopher, goes through all the thickets of philosophical thought to make decisions, loves poetry and art and falls for a younger man. She's in her early 40's, he's in his twenties.