My Scribbler’s Heart

Conquering Self: The Growing Pains of Discipline

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“But I don’t want to!”

I hear that complaint frequently from one of my children. It’s an age-appropriate response to a myriad of less-than-appealing tasks: cleaning up toys, getting ready for bed, trying certain foods, or ending playtime.

One of the best measures of maturity is willingly choosing to do things that we don't want to. Share on X

Plato Quote on Discipline

Most often, my response to my child’s complaint is a variation on the theme, “We all have to do things we don’t want to.”

After all, do I enjoy the many tasks I’m responsible for? Doing dishes four times a day? Changing poopy diapers? Administering discipline?

We choose to do unpleasant things because we know we must. We choose to do those things because we have foresight and know the consequences of our action or inaction. Sometimes because we’ve made a decision to love. Ultimately, we come to learn what’s good for us, and often that means self-denial. Continue reading →

An Open Book

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An Open Book

Before I dive into what’s being read in our household this month, I have some exciting news to share! Starting in May, An Open Book will be hosted at this site AND at CatholicMom.com! So, when  you add your link here, it will appear there as well. You may see a little CatholicMom logo added to the post and image, but everything will operate in the same way. Now, on to the books.

My husband is still slogging through the Star Wars novel he’s been reading. In addition, when he stopped by a local author festival I attended Saturday, he snagged a couple more Star Wars novels for cheap. Now that Disney owns Star Wars, apparently many books have fallen from the official canon and are now merely legends. Either which way, the books by Joe Schreiber that he picked up look more promising than what he’s currently reading.

No Lifeguard on DutyThis week, I’m reading A Black Horse Campground Mystery Book 2: No Lifeguard on Duty by Amy Bennett. I picked it up on the heels of Book 1, End of the Road. It seems unlikely I’ll be able to stop there. Two more books in the series await, and I’ve grown so attached to the characters, I may need to read straight through! Amy Bennett’s writing is crisp and polished, which makes it a pleasure to read. In addition to the central mystery, there’s a gently simmering love triangle involving campground owner  Corrie and two law enforcement officers: her former boyfriend Sheriff Rick Sutton and former narcotics agent J.D. Wilder. I don’t read mysteries often, but I find myself wondering why.

Game OverThe GiantMy seventh-grader also snagged one of Joe Schreiber’s books at the author festival. Game Over, Pete Watson reminded him of a couple series he’s enjoyed: the Origami Yoda and Jedi Academy series. He zipped through the book in a day. He’s also reading The Giant and How He Humbugged America by Jim Murphy. It tells the story of the Cardiff Giant, a 19th century hoax that became a big attraction. (Apparently, the apple does not fall far from the tree, since this is right up my crypto-lovin’ husband’s alley. )

The Third WheelThe second-grader in the household discovered her older brother’s Wimpy Kid books. She’s currently reading The Third Wheel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 7) by Jeff Kinney. This from the kid who experienced inexplicable terror at the sight of the infamous playground cheese slice responsible for “the cheese touch.” Apparently, she’s over that.

Easter Bunny's Amazing DayMy preschoolers were pretty engrossed by the free book about animal pets that they got with their chicken nuggets at Chick-Fil-A last week. (God bless you, Chick-Fil-A, for giving kids books instead of more crappy toys.) Since it’s still Easter season, we’ve also been reading Easter stories at bedtime. The picture book Easter Bunny’s Amazing Day by Carol Benoist and Cathy Gilmore is the newest Easter book in our collection, and the kids are enjoying the simple story of a fearful rabbit who ends up as witness to the greatest miracle.

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A Litany of Humility for Authors

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It’s been my experience that authors and writers are a generous bunch. The vast majority of my interactions with fellow writers over the past several years has been positive. I’ve discovered support and easy camaraderie in a variety of author groups – some religious, some secular; some online, some in real life. Author friends are quick to share their experiences, advice, and sympathy. They’ll cheer your successes and bemoan your dejection, ready to boost your spirits and, if it’s within their means, your book’s success.

Author Litany of Humility Continue reading →

Top 10 Tuesday: My Latest 5-Star Reads

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I’m linking up with The Broke and the Bookish (which describes me quite well) for my latest 5-star reads! I know first-hand the importance of reviews, so I review most – but not all – books I read. I reviewed each of the books listed below on Amazon and Goodreads. Each was read sometime between early January 2016 and now, and for those who are concerned with such things, all are “clean” reads. I’m kind of surprised as I look over this list that only two are standalone novels – Jenny B. Jones’s I’ll Be Yours and Quenby Olson’s The Half-Killed. Now, on to the list! Continue reading →

Alleluia! An Easter 2016 Link-Up

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Bonnets, Baskets & Bunnies

Best wishes for a happy and blessed Easter!

Here are a few of my favorite Easter things:

Christ Is Risen From the Dead HymnEaster Hymn

Apparently, my favorite Easter hymn, “Christ Is Risen From the Dead,” stopped appearing in hymnals decades before I was even born. I guess that explains why it was always printed on a separate sheet of paper in the pew. To me, this hymn is synonymous with Easter. It contains just enough Latin to make it extra special. Resurrexit sicut dixit, Alleluia!

Bunny Tales coverBunny Tales

Somewhere in his travels, my husband picked up the hardcover version of this now out-of-print book, The Hutchinson Book of Bunny Tales (tales, not tails, get it?). It contains ten illustrated bunny stories, including “The Easter Bunny,” that make great read-alouds for children. My favorite is “Carrot Tops and Cottontails,” which culminates with this frightful carnage: “And when the carrots were slain, the rabbits turned upon the radishes and the beetroots, the cabbages and lettuces and the earthy turnips who had gathered round to watch. When night fell, the garden was laid waste.” Shudder.

Sarris Chocolate EggChocolate

To prove not everything I love about Easter is out of date, take a gander at this Sarris chocolate. Made in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania (hometown of singers Perry Como and Bobby Vinton), this is by far our favorite chocolate. Yes, I live near Hershey, and I like its chocolate well enough, but Sarris is my favorite.

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#5Faves: Kitchen Stuff

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fivefaves

There is little I like about our kitchen itself. So, to find the joy in the kitchen, I have to look to gadgets and other “fun” stuff. These are five of my current kitchen faves.

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Banana Hanger

I often wonder if I’m raising a troop of monkeys. Poo flinging, nitpicking, and other monkey action aside, the sheer number of bananas consumed is staggering some weeks. Finally, instead of multiple bunches littering our limited counter space, they hang above it. I don’t know whether it has any effect on their ripening or shelf life, but it’s a space saver.

Banana Hanger

Also keeps small monkeys from snatching fruit from the counter.

Continue reading →

Author Interview with Stephanie Landsem

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The Well, the first book in The Living Water Series, is a spectacular debut novel. I don’t cry easily while reading, but the book’s portrayal of sacrificial love left me with tears streaming down my cheeks. How did you come to fiction writing and how long was The Well brewing (or bubbling), so to speak, before its publication?

The Well by Stephanie LandsemThank you so much, Carolyn. I am truly happiest when I’ve made my readers cry. ☺

As for my writing journey, I can see now that I was inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit. When I decided to write historical fiction, I had no idea what or whom or when I wanted to write about. After about a year of no ideas, I was ready to give up. Then, one day at Mass not long before Easter, I heard the Gospel account of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman. Sitting in my pew, I began to wonder about her—who was she? Who was her family? And most of all, what happened to her after she met Jesus?

By the time I got home, I knew that it was her story that I wanted to write. I even had a rough idea of Mara’s character and that of her mother, Nava. Since that day, I find my best inspiration at Mass or at our perpetual adoration chapel. Continue reading →

Seven Quick Takes

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Seven Quick Takes Friday

Useful Free iPhone Apps Edition

I still feel like a neophyte with my iPhone since I only upgraded from a flip phone last summer. I love my phone and use it most heavily for social media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Goodreads are used multiple times daily. Aside from social media and email, these are my best-loved apps. (You may also want to check out this list of top free apps for 2016.)

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Feedly

Feedly is my go-to source for keeping up with blogs, websites, and news I track. When our local daily newspaper switched to publishing only three times a week, I eventually lost interest. I don’t watch local news or TV. (Typing that actually makes me cringe being that I studied broadcast journalism, but it’s the truth.) That leaves the Internet as my main news source. (Yikes!) With Feedly, I can follow the feeds of national or local publications, magazines and blogs. I can easily see the latest news sorted by category, scroll through headlines, save for later reading, or share.

Continue reading →