Happy Birthday....

Helen Keller! One of my favorite stories in history is that of Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan Macy.
I think that their story is phenomenal, not only because of the great obstacles that Helen had to overcome, being deaf and blind, but the tenacity of her teacher. I see in this story a great philosophy of education. Ann did not allow Helen to be pampered just because of certain circumstances, she expected Helen to behave and she expected Helen to learn. In today's society, people are much too fearful of dampening children's spirits or hurting their self-esteem, thus children are mollycoddled and consequently dwarfed. Helen achieved all that she did, because one woman refused to let her be handicapped.

Her first lesson "was the lesson of obedience, which required that Helen's vagrant and stubborn impulses... be firmly controlled." "One might expect that she would have been corrupted by kindness, but Miss Sullivan saved her from being a spoiled child..." Isn't that the job of any parent or teacher? To teach obedience so that a child can learn and truly be himself? And the result? Even if a child faces seemingly unsurmountable odds, handicaps whether physically or emotionally, they can learn how to overcome them and turn these roadblocks into stepping stones. (and how much more so, when they are taught about the love of God and His desire for the best out of every circumstance!)

In a report of Helen's progress dated March 20,1887, Miss Sullivan wrote: "The great step- the step that counts- has been taken. The little savage has learned her first lesson in obedience, and finds the yoke easy. It now remains my pleasant task to direct and mould the beautiful intelligence that is beginning to stir in the child-soul."

And the result? "That which distinguishes her is not her handicap but the extent to which she has overcome it, and even profited by it."

All quotes taken from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller, Dell Publishing Co., Inc., NY, 1961.

And I quote....

Well, I'm on a L.M. Montgomery kick. I think Stephanie is partly to blame! :) I finished Mistress Pat... very good, but I should have read the prequel first: Pat of Silver Bush. I haven't got my hands on that one yet.
I think that, in a way, true writing is somewhat of a lost art. Let me explain... I do enjoy many of todays authors - I am speaking strictly of fiction here. However, I think that much of the joy of writing and reading is lost in our fast-paced society. Most writing is now verb based versus adjective/noun based. Strong verbs are important, don't get me wrong, but sometimes the adjectives add necessary color. Most of today's writers are writing to this fast paced world, and thus the verbs and the action. People tend to get bored if the book isn't moving as quick as they like - grab them in the first page or don't grab them at all. Sometimes it is good to take a breather from the "new" fiction, and return to something older. Reading to me is a chance to get away from the busyness and frightfulness of this age and escape to a more charming time or place. To expand my mind with new vocabulary and structure - even just the structure of how the words are put together. Hmm.... deep thoughts, any comments?
And now, before I have to prop my eyelids with toothpicks... I'm really tired! :) Here is my quote for today from L. M. Montgomery's Story Girl:

There is such a place as fairyland - but only children can find the way to it. And they do not know that it is fairyland until they have grown so old that they forget the way. One bitter day, when they seek it and cannot find it, they realize what they have lost; and that is the tragedy of life. On that day the gates of Eden are shut behind them and the age of gold is over. Henceforth they must dwell in the common light of common day. Only a few, who remain children at heart, can ever find that fair, lost path again; and blessed are they above mortals. They, and only they, can bring us tidings from that dear country where we once sojourned and from which we must evermore be exiles. The world calls them its singers and poets and artists and story-tellers; but they are just people who have never forgotten the way to fairyland.


How eager we are, sometimes, for children to grow up! That "age of gold" is so short! Let them be children with all their imaginings and joys!!

More books.....

Well, I've been reading again!! :) I just thought I would do a few little book reviews.

I picked up a book on cake decorating at the library a few weeks ago. It's called Creative Cakes Anyone Can Make by Jill Foster. She has come up with an easy way to decorate cakes - simple and quick! The book also includes an instructional dvd. I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in cake decorating. Many of her cakes are kid-friendly, meaning that even kids can help decorate them. She used a lot of different candy for color and extra "yum" factor! :)

I finally got ahold of the latest Sisterchicks book: Sisterchicks in Gondolas! I enjoyed reading it, but I have to say that it wasn't as good as Sisterchicks Down Under, which is probably my favorite so far. I do like the way Robin Gunn ministers through her writing. She has been one of my favorite authors for years.

Finally a book I just started, but not new by any means. Mistress Pat by Lucy Maud Montgomery. She is of course the writer of Anne of Green Gables. If you haven't read any of her books, I encourage you to do so. She was a genius at characterization and figurative language. She is inspiring to me, and reading her books is like going on a vacation to a happier world. I love her description of trees:

Trees...to veil and caress and beshadow... trees to warn you back and beckon you on. Lombardies for stateliness...birches for maiden grace... maples for friendliness... spruce and fir for mystery... poplars to whisper secrets. Only they never really did. You thought you understood as long as you listened... but when you left them you realized they had just been laughing at you... thin, rustling, silky laughter. All the trees kept some secret. Who knew but that all those white birches, which stood so primly all day, when night and moonlight came, might step daintily out of the earth and pirouette over the meadows, while the young spruces around the Mince Pie field danced a saraband?


I guess reading her books makes me feel like one of the characters: "I feel shimmery to-day... as if I was made of sunbeams."

Here is a challenge: Read a classic this summer!! :) I know there are a lot of new things out there, but there is something about an old book that expands the mind and broadens the horizens!!!

For The Silent

I just wanted to post a bit of explanation about the links I have to For the Silent. This is a ministry started by some friends of ours. Kenny and Julie really have a heart for the Lord and a desire to serve Him. They recently started this ministry to help stop sex trafficking of children. They are taking a trip with several others at the end of this month (to Cambodia, I think) to start figuring out how these children can best be helped. They explain in more detail on their MySpace page - the second video on the right - underneath the first one. Please help me in prayer for them, this is a awesome undertaking that I want to help support.

Titled People!

As some of you know, my family tree has several aristocratic branches. (Charlemagne, King John....) But, I'll bet you never knew I was titled!! :)

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Lady Charity the Abrupt of Fritterton on the Marshes Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Mark's Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: His Eminence the Very Lord Mark the Discombobulated of Yetts O'Muckhart Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

(I love the "Discombobulated" part. Great word! Although it doesn't really describe Mark.) :)