Good Friends, Good Food, Good Times

Is there anything better than having good friends visit? I have had a wonderful day. My book club from Oklahoma came to my house to spend the day! We had such a good visit. I enjoyed it so much! We had Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Caribbean Rice, Waldorf Salad and Dump Cake for lunch.  We talked and talked and talked. Got some great book suggestions. My to read list is getting so long! When I start a book club here this fall we will start out with many many book suggestions!

 Some of my very favorite people!

Thank you so much for coming!

Wednesday Wisdom

"Don't join the book burners. Don't think you are going to conceal thoughts by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don't be afraid to go into your library and read every book"
Dwight D. Eisenhower, speech at Dartmouth College, June 14, 1953 

I am always surprised when I hear people say they refuse to read a book because of it's politics, religious views,  the language used, or some reason other than it's just not an interesting book. Now, I have put a book down because I was bored with it, or it was a subject I'm not interested in, or for just bad writing but to put it down because I don't agree with the author is not something I would do. We are never challenged  if we only read things we agree with.
 
Reading a book I don't agree with doesn't make me "one of them" but may help me understand where they are coming from.
 

Now, after saying all that, I will say there are some types of books I don't like, but not because of their views, I just don't like those types of books. I don't like scary books at all. I used to read only self help books, now I seldom read self help books. I like political books that talk about the lives of the politicians, I don't like books that are about politics. 

I will also add here that reading "books" and not reading the Bible is a dangerous habit. I would like to say that for every hour I read a book, I spend the same amount of time reading the Bible. But I fall short on this. - However, it is a good rule of thumb.

I like reading for fun and entertainment right now. - I say right now, because I have a tendency to switch from one genre to another. 


Tell me about your reading habits. What do you like to read? Leave a comment and let me know what you're reading, and if you agree or disagree with Eisenhower.
 

Independence Day - Thank you Holly and Tim

"This land of liberty"

We live in the best country in the world. I have only been to Canada and Jamaica outside of the United States. I love the Jamaican people. The people in our church there have been a real inspiration in my life. While living there, my kids and I had many conversations about patriotism and several of them have said that living overseas helped them become more patriotic to the United States.

We moved back the the US in the month of June and October found me saying goodbye to my 18 year old daughter, Holly as she left for the Navy. Holly has always been independent and I'm not sure she ever told me the "reasons" she joined the armed services but I knew it was something I couldn't stop.

She visited each recruiting office in Enid, Oklahoma before she picked the Navy and she had very distinct reasons for choosing that branch.  She served 4 years and was in the Navy during Desert Storm.

When Tim got out of high school, he told me he wanted to enlist in the armed service. I asked him to wait until he was older, please. He respected my advice and waited. Once we experienced 9-11 he was ready to go. By then he had been out of high school a few years. So he married Shelley in October and it wasn't long until he left for basic training in the Army. He, like his older sister, looked into each armed service before choosing the Army.  His Grandpa Doane, my Dad was in the army during the Korean war. So I know it made my dad very proud for Tim to choose the army.

Tim served 7.5 years. He spent time in Afghanistan and Iraq. His family became one of the many family's "left behind". 

Being in the service is not easy. It's not an easy job, it's not easy on the families. But I am so very grateful for the service men and women that sacrifice so much for my freedom.

 

There are stories to tell about my children being in the armed services - fighting in wars. But I'm not qualified to tell them. All I'm qualified to do is to be so very very proud of my two service children. And to be a Mom that loves them unconditionally. 

Thank you Holly Larsen Smith.

I love you.

Thank you Timothy G. Larsen

I love you.