This is sort of an update blog on what’s happening with me . . .

Books

A few weeks ago, I finished Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi. Yes, it was an Oprah book, but I read it anyway. It is the story of a dwarf who was born at the end of the WW1 era in Germany and her growing up through WW2. The focus of the book was how she dealt with her “differentness” and how later that helped her see that everyone has distinctions that sometimes exclude them from the rest of society. This was especially poignant as she helped hide Jews from the Nazis.

As it turns out, my sister-in-law bought this book and its “companion” (sequel) at a used book sale at the time I was reading it. So she allowed me to borrow the sequel, and I just started it. I am enjoying this second book called The Vision of Emma Blau.

While Mark’s parents were here, his mom finished a little novella called, Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris. She left it with me, and I read it quickly since it is quite short. It is a light read about a char woman (cleaning lady) in London who gets her heart set on buying a Christian Dior dress in Paris. She scrimps and saves until she can make the trip to buy the dress. If I told the rest of the story, there would be no point in anyone who reads this reading the book. But, while the book is a lighthearted little vignette, I think there is a valuable lesson in it, and I recommend it.

Finally, I am in a book group at the PCA church in Norman, and for that I am reading book one of the Faerie Queen by Edmund Spenser. This is sort of an educational read for me, so it is work. But I am enjoying it. I have especially liked learning that it is really the prototype for all of the knights and dragons stories that my sons love.

Baby Preparations
The biggest job is done. I moved Evangeline out of her room a few weeks back, and I repainted it to make it more boy appropriate. Over the weekend, Mark moved the boys bed into the room. The toys and clothes have been switched. If the baby came tomorrow, she wouldn’t have a bed yet, but she would have a space in Evangeline’s new room across the hall from our room. There are still some finishing touches to do to complete the “decor” of the rooms, but the hardest part is over.