The Horse and His Boy

by C.S. Lewis
I am so glad I decided to read all the books in the Narnia series. I'm enjoying each one so much.

"The tale begins with a poor slave boy named Shasta escaping from his adopted fisherman father who plans to sell him to a brutish stranger. A dignified talking war horse named Bree helps Shasta flee. The horse and his boy hope to travel north to Narnia, and encounter numerous adventures and strange characters. The most memorable supporting characters are another escaped child, a tough girl named Aravis, and her talking mare called Hwin." -The School Library Journal

Eight Things About Me Meme

I posted this meme on my other blog - In Season. Please do come by for a visit.

My Grandfather's Blessings

by Rachel Naomi Remen
I started this book many months ago, but didn't get far. My husband lent the book to his sister, who read it and then her husband read it. I finally got it back and finished reading it. It's a great book to pass around and share with friends and family.

This is the perfect 'bathroom' book. Short sections of 2 or more pages provide meaty kernels of wisdom. It's the type of book you'll want to own because you'll want to highlight many passages. My husband read this book first and highlighted in yellow. I loved pausing and considering the parts he marked. I used a soft lavender crayon-type marking tool to differentiate mine from his. Of course, there was lots of overlapping. I could fill pages with the quotes, but I will choose just a few for this review.

A blessing is not something that one person gives another. A blessing is a moment of meeting, a certain kind of relationship in which both people involved remember and acknowledge their true nature and worth, and stengthen what is whole in one another.

Many times when we help we do not really serve. When we help we become aware of our strenght because we are using it. Others become aware of our strength as well and may feel diminished by it. Service is a relationship between equals. A helping relationship may incur a sense of debt, but service is mutual. Serving is also different from fixing. When we fix others, we may not see their hidden wholeness or trust the integrity of the life in them. Fixers trust their own expertise. When we serve we see the unborn wholenss in others; we collaborate with it and strengthen it. (italics are my own)

Whenever someone has found the courage to live more deeply, more courageously than before, no matterhow short a time it may be, theyhold open that door for anyone who tries to follow.

Life wastes nothing. Over and over again every molecule that has ever been is gathered up by the hand of life to be reshaped into yet another form. The molecules in you and me and indeed in everyone are secondhand, borrowed for the occasion and returned when outgrown. How strange to think that great pain may be impermanent. Something in us all seems to want to carve it in granite, as if only this would do full honor to its terrible significance. But even pain is blessed with impermanence; slowly, drop by drop, it may be worn away until even the most devoted searchers cannot find it unless they look for compassion or some other form of wisdom.

Meaning is dynamic. Over time, new meanings may evolve that are far less universal and more our own. It is important to revisit our woulds to see what new meanings may have grown there. If we become frozen in anger and pain, it may be many years before we recognize what these are.

Spiritual awakening does not change life; it changes suffering.

The Buddhists say that one of the signs of true enlightenment is the experience of a vast, immutable joy that underlies the personal joys and sorrows of this life. The Cosmic Giggle suggest that for those in the know, the essential nature of life is such goodness that the only possible response is joy.

Books About . . .

I'm asking for more help. Before my trip in July I would like to read some books about or set in the places I'm visiting. If you know of or have read any books set in Toronto, Montreal , Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia , Newfoundland, or Prince Edward Islands - I would appreciate any recommendations - fiction or nonfiction. (Of course, I know about the Anne of Green Gables books. Dh and I are going to listen to them on our drive.) I also have Shipping News checked out already. There's a real good chance that I won't be finishing all the challenges I've listed on my sidebar, but I think I'll still finish up some of them.


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Seeking Travel Suggestions

My dh will retirie the end of June and would like to celebrate with a trip. You don't hear me squaking. I'm thrilled to death, but need some help. And who better to ask than my blogging friends. I'm going to list some of the places we are considering and if you know of any 'must see' sights or 'must do' activities in those areas, please let me know. We will be vacationing during the month of July, if that helps, but we don't need any suggestions as to where to watch the fireworks on the 4th.

Suggestions do NOT need to be the normal touristy places, but they can be. If there's a terrific library, beautiful park, peaceful cemetery bench, interesting architecture, etc. that you know of, let me know.

St. John's Newfoundland and the Island of Newfoundland
Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Quebec
Montreal
Ottawa
Toronto
Vermont
Bar Harbor and Maine
Northern New York
Chicago
Michigan
Wisconsin
Minnesota

As you can see, I need lots of help in deciding where we will be visiting and what we'll be seeing. Sell me on some ideas, please.