Wow – I just looked at my blog posts and it looks like all I’ve been doing for the past month is read. Really – that’s just what I’ve posted on my blog. I’ve been plenty busy doing other things.
For example, remember this post about my cycling adventure. You may not, it was back on May 22. I have done more cycling and have more planned. DH and I rode in a 31 mile ride that started at Davidson College. We did all 31 miles in 2 hours and 15 minutes, which I think is pretty awesome. The picture to the right is right after we finished – I don’t look too much the worse for wear. DH could have done it much faster but he kept waiting for me. I have decided that when we move, it will be to a place with no hills.
We have another ride, 40 miles this time, coming up on July 18th. That will be up around the Lake Norman State Park. I’m not nearly as nervous about that ride as I was the first one. I know that if I can do those 31 miles then the 40 won’t kill me.
We are also taking a class at a local bike store where we are learning how to handle hills more efficiently (I still think not riding hills would be most efficient).
All of this is really building up to the first weekend in October, when we are riding in the MS bike ride. DH rode in this charity ride 3 years ago and hasn’t made it since due to church Senior High Retreat obligations. But this year we’re riding it. Not together, however. He will be riding 100 miles on Saturday, I will do a separate and shorter route. Then maybe we’ll ride together on Sunday.
Having said all that, I will make the pitch now. The MS ride is a charity ride and it is for a very worthy cause. People are diagnosed with MS every day and there is hope for them. Please consider making a donation for me on my MS150 page, or a donation for my DH on his MS150 page.
We’ll see you on the road! (Please give us plenty of room, I’m not good at staying steady on the white line yet.)
It’s that time again.
Here is the list of books I hope to read in the month of July.
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Here is the list of books I planned to read in June, with progress made:
- Dred Scott’s Revenge by Judge Andrew Napolitano (Thomas Nelson book review blogger) – finished
- Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Nation by Richard Norton Smith – finished
- The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman – finished
- The Odyssey by Homer – keeps getting crowded out by library books
- Believing God by RC Sproul Jr. – finished
Other books I read this month:
- I also read Honey, I Don’t Have a Headache Tonight by Sheila Wray Gregoire – very funny and very good. This was on my nightstand a few months ago and I’m glad I finally read it.
- I picked up A City of Bells by Elizabeth Goudge and it was wonderful! Now I need to read the other 2 in the trilogy.
- I also found a new author – still life by Louise Penny. There are another 4 in that series that I will enjoy reading. This was a well written mystery with great characters.
- I read The Mysterious Benedict Society, loaned to me by an 11 year old – very good book
- And the sixth Maisie Dobbs book, Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear came out so I read it as well.
Now we know why I didn’t finish The Odyssey.
Spring is over – Summer is here!
I mostly finished my reading list! And read several other books along the way, due to library schedules or getting distracted. For example, I read the Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman and really enjoyed it! I also read a biography of George Washington that wasn’t as enjoyable, but was a good start on what is turning into a major reading project around the Founding Fathers.
The beauty of a challenge is that it keeps me on task, so I don’t get too far off track with additional reads without reading at least some of my original objective.
My original list with links to book reviews or summaries.
- Consequences of Sin by Clare Langley-Hawthorne
- Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo (an advance readers’ edition, it’s coming out June 2009)
- Get Outta My Face! by Rick Horne
- The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns
- The Odyssey by Homer
- Spectacular Sins by John Piper
- How Long, O Lord by DA Carson
- Emily Climbs by LM Montgomery
- To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
- The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
- The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
- finish Les Miserables (I’ve read 1 volume)
- Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
- Foxe’s Book of Martyrs by John Foxe-the ChristianAudio May freebie
- Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson – the ChristianAudio June freebie – started but not finished.
- Believing God by RC Sproul, Jr.
- George Muller bio by Pierson – on Kindle
I picked up a copy of Believing God at the Ligonier National Conference in March. I even had RC Sproul, Jr, autograph a copy for a friend of mine. From the first time I read a description of the book I knew it would be great content that I needed, written well.
I was right. He spends 12 chapters reviewing promises in the Scripture, discussing why we don’t believe them, why we should believe them, and what they say about the God who made the promises to us. He picks the big ones, the ones we try to reword to let God off the hook. And he shows us that they say what they say and why that is good news!
I have been convicted by this book. It brought to light beliefs, behaviors, and needs of mine that need to be corrected. I have also been encouraged by this book as 12 wonderful promises have been revealed and applied to me. There is lots of food for thought here, and I will be revisiting this book for more.
Check out this youtube video report about Inflammatory Breast Cancer.
My cousin died of this last year. Often there are no lumps. Instead look for spots that look like bug bites, other odd shapes or spots, hot to the touch. Mammograms do not find this. MRI or other tests are required. Your doctor may not have heard of it or ever seen a case. Both of you should get educated!
There is some information about IBC at the Susan G. Komen website.
