Saturday, September 29, 2007

Pastor Greg's blog

Hey! Go visit our pastor's blog - the second post on the page really touched my heart. Sometimes we just need to be reminded. :)

posted by Sonja @ 7:41 AM 0 Comments

Friday, September 28, 2007

Books

Maybe it is because we are getting back into the swing of things with school, or maybe I just remembered how much I love reading ... whatever the case may be, I've been reading a lot more lately. I finished Pride & Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, Love Comes Softly, Love's Enduring Promise, Nights in Rodanthe, Three Weeks with My Brother, Inside Delta Force ... I think there was one more, but I can't remember it.

Anyways, I wanted to comment on a couple things. Northanger Abbey used to be billed as my favorite book. After reading it this week, I've decided it is not. :) It was an earlier work of Jane Austen, and the heroine is much different from her others. The narration is wordy and sometimes seems cumbersome. Austen still has the art of using words to convey many things that aren't said, and that was enjoyable. But reading the book this time was a lot like trudging through mud - you just want to get out. The reason I had listed it as one of my favorite books was because I thought Catherine (the heroine) was so kooky, she was endearing. But the part I remembered most (where she decides to discover whether or not the lady of the household is not really dead, but being held captive in some dark recess of the abbey) was not as great this time around.

Guess I have succumbed to popular thinking since I really like Pride & Prejudice now. :)

Another thing I wanted to comment on is the Love Comes Softly series (by Janette Oke) vs. the new films on the series (produced by Michael Landon, Jr.). I read these books when I was pretty young - I was around 11 when I started reading them. So when I saw the movie at Blockbuster, I was pretty excited. It isn't too often Christian things get produced so nicely. I took the first movie home & watched it (while doing dishes, of course). Sadly, I was disappointed. I was pretty sure there were quite a few things missing in the movie. Next chance I had, I went to the library to get the book. The first book vs. the movie was okay. There were a couple things off - like the movie having Missy (the baby in the book) being six when Clark asks Marty to marry him. But, it presented a good example of a Christian family.
The second movie was supposed to be based on the second book - Love's Enduring Promise. I decided to read that first, then get the movie. The book was ok - I have moved on, I think, in my depth of reading (sometimes I wish Christian writers took more care in their writing - like Francine Rivers), but it was ok. The book covers quite a bit of ground. The movie was NOTHING like the book. The only thing that was the same was that Clark cut his leg with an axe. This made me very sad, as the book was good - and could have been easily followed in a plot for a movie. It would have been more along the lines of the "Christy" TV series/movies, but it still had the potential of being good.
I happened to watch the third movie before I was able to get the book from the library. This movie, too, deviated a good deal from the book. I had the feeling it was, just becasue nothing seemed familiar about it. It was ok - but I would have rather they stuck with the book. I wonder what Mrs. Oke thinks.

While I was at the library, I went in search of Emma (another Jane Austen book - the only one, I think, that I haven't actually read). We had a subscription to Audible.com a while back & I listened to Emma on there (while doing dishes ... once again!!), I also love the movie starring Gwyneth Paltrow. For the life of me, I couldn't find the "A's" in the fiction section. However, I did find The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas. So I'll be reading that soon! :) There was the thoguht of reading The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but someone told me it was awfully treacherous to get through. I've heard the same about Moby Dick & Frankenstein. It'll probably be a while befoere I attempt digging into those. :)

Have you read anything good lately?

posted by Sonja @ 4:27 PM 2 Comments

Did you know?

Well, I couldn't find what I wanted to link to, but I will eventually. The other night on Special Report with Brit Hume, we heard a report on the town of Irving, TX. Apparently in Irving, the police have been doing something radical. When they pull someone over for speeding, or going through a red light, or any other traffic violation, they ask for identification. If the person cannot produce identification and/or insurance, the police take them to jail.
Once the people are in jail, the police find out if they are here legally or illegally. If they are here illegally, they send them to Dallas for deportation. Now the place in Dallas that handles deportation isn't too happy with this. They, in fact, warn people who come to them for help to steer clear of Irving. Because, as the man said, "You might get picked up because of how you look."
I found it appalling that this man would so misrepresent things. The police in Irving are not doing anything they shouldn't be doing. If anyone in America is pulled over & can't produce identification, they are taken in -- no matter what color their skin is or how they look. It is a sad state to be in when police can't even do their job without being criticized.

posted by Sonja @ 3:42 PM 0 Comments

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

A haiku

a foggy day
snuggled under the covers
perfection

posted by Sonja @ 10:18 AM 0 Comments

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Our life

Life seems to be going at 100 miles an hour right now. I keep thinking it will slow down, but it just seems to gain speed & momentum!
This week is busy for us. Yesterday I had to go to the church and work on a bulletin board. I had a phone conference with my teacher for WAVA while I was there. Then I came home and hung out. I was going to do laundry, but ended up doing it this morning. My friend Sue came & walked with me. That was good - we did two miles!! Then I fixed supper, did dishes and went grocery shopping. :p
Today I did laundry, now Jef is at an appointment. When he gets back, I need to go to work. Then we have a board meeting tonight (which I don't have to go to).
Tomorrow I need to finish the bulletin board (as much as can be done), and take the kids to Baskin Robbins. Then Daniel has soccer practice & we need to go to AWANA. It will be our first night. I am a co-director of the Sparks club.
Thursday there's something in the a.m., but it is escaping me right now - then Bible study & library in the afternoon.
Friday is co-op and something else in the afternoon, oh, right - I have to work on Friday night.
Saturday Daniel has a soccer game; Jef is going to the church to help put in a drain; I am supposed to help arrange flowers ...
Sunday is church, congregational meeting, soccer practice with Kamali, Jacob's birthday dinner, and a baptism service (JONATHAN might get baptized!!!!)

whew! I'm tired already!!!

posted by Sonja @ 12:43 PM 1 Comments

Did you know?

Last night we were watching FOX News on MobiTV. We are trying out the trial version to see if it is something we might want. I like having FOX News and other channels (they have A&E, History, Cartoons, etc.), but I didn't like how depressing the news is. After commenting to Jef on how it would be neat to have a news station that only reported on happy things, he tells me there is!

Here it is - http://www.happynews.com/. Check it out!

posted by Sonja @ 12:40 PM 0 Comments