Simple Pleasures

About The Book: Simple Pleasures: Stories from My Life as an Amish Mother (MennoMedia, March 2016).  Young Amish homemaker Marianne Jantzi invites readers into her family's life on the snowy plains of Ontario.  The mother of four young children and wife of a storekeeper, Jantzi writes about her daily routines and heartfelt faith with equal measures of wit and warmth. Sewing, cleaning, cooking, gardening, and helping to manage the store take up most hours in her day, but Jantzi finds time to pen columns for the Connection, a magazine beloved by Amish and Mennonite readers across the United States and Canada. Never sugarcoating the frustrations of motherhood, Jantzi tells it like it is, broken washing machine and bickering children and all. But through her busy days, Jantzi finds strength in simple pleasures of family, fellowship with her Amish community, and quiet time with God.  Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1p0SQvJ
About The Author:  Marianne Jantzi is an Amish writer and homemaker in Ontario, Canada. Formerly a teacher in an Amish school, Jantzi now educates and inspires through her "Northern Reflections" column for The Connection, a magazine directed mainly to Amish and plain communities across the U.S. and Canada. She and her husband have four young children and run a shoe store among the Milverton Amish settlement of Ontario.

My Thoughts On The Book: I have always had a fascination with Amish life and read a lot of Amish fiction.  I asked to review this book because it was stories of an Amish mother and let me tell you, this book was spot on.  It was a actual visual of what Amish life is like. Marianne Jantzi shares stories of her personal life as an Amish mother in an Amish community.  Each detail of her book gives a vividly painted mental picture of simple pleasures found among the plain world.  I loved it.  The book reminded me of stories my grandmother would tell about her childhood.  A true joy to read!  
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publishing and Herald Press as part of their Blogging Review program.   I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!    

L Is For Listen To The Music

Wow!  It is hard to believe that we are over the hump.  12 more days to go.  My theme is music, my letter today is "L", and my song today is...well before I tell you I must say I love a lot of L songs.  There are so many good ones....Lightning Strikes, Lodi by CCR, Lean on Me by Bill Withers, Let it Be by the Beatles/Everly Brothers, Love Me Tender by Elvis....and the list goes on.  My song today is Listen To The Music by the Doobies.  There were definitely a Motley Crew back in the day...but they could get down with some music.  The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band. The group has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide throughout their career.   The band has been active in five decades, with their biggest success occurring in the 1970s. The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.  I think that is pretty impressive.

Doobies

I LOVE Them....and this song!  I hope you enjoy it.  It is a great song for the day before the weekend to get your groove on.

Sit, Stay, Love

 

About The Book:  Sit, Stay, Love (Harvest House, April 2016)
Take one abrasive professional athlete, a quirky out-of-work schoolteacher, and an overweight geriatric dog, and you're ready for a lesson in love . . . Tippy style.  Pro baseball pitcher Cal Crawford is not a dog guy. When he inherits his deceased mother's elderly dog, Tippy, he's quick to call on a pet-sitting service.  Gina isn't thrilled to be a dog sitter when her aspirations lie in the classroom. Furthermore, she can't abide the unfriendly Cal, a man with all the charm of a wet towel. But with no other prospects and a deep love for all things canine, she takes the job caring for Tippy.
As Gina travels through Cal's world with Tippy in tow, she begins to see Cal in a different light. Gina longs to show Cal the God-given blessings in his life that have nothing to do with baseball or fame. When her longing blooms into attraction, Gina does her best to suppress it. But Cal is falling in love with her too . . .Discover the charming story of Tippy, the dog who brought a family together.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1W95mqe

About The Author: 

 

Dana Mentink lives in California, where the weather is golden and the cheese is divine. Dana is an American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year finalist for romantic suspense and an award winner in the Pacific Northwest Writers Literary Contest. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, earned a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third and fourth grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with her husband, two daughters, a dog with social anxiety problems, a chubby box turtle, and a feisty parakeet.

My Thoughts On The Book:  I was attracted to the book by the little dachshund on the front cover.  I honestly thought the book was going to be about animal training and was delighted when it wasn't.   This book was so much fun to read.  I found myself laughing out loud with many of Tippy's antics.  Mentink does a great job in the character development area. Each character seems to come right off the page and I felt as if I knew each one personally.  This was a fun and easy read.  I loved the book!  I think this book would be a great feel good movie!  I would pay to see this!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publishing and Harvest House Publishers as part of their Blogging Review program.   I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!  

Hodge Podging On Wednesday

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. I, like Joyce am doing the A-Z Challenge and having a blast.  My theme is musical and involves songs that have touched my life.  For all you Hodgepodgers here today, please note Joycel be on Spring Break next week. She does need a breather about this time every April, so thanks for understanding. There will not be any Wednesday Hodgepodge next week, April 20th. The Hodgepodge will be back in action the following week, April 27th.  Okay, back to the here and now...this week's questions and my answers. If you've played along today add your link at the end of Joyce's post, then go say hi to your neighbor.

1. What's the last thing you did that could be described as 'taxing'?  This one is easy, I

worked on my taxes and got them sent it!  Gives me a major headache.

2.  If you cold plant a garden of anything, what would be in it?  Flowerwise it would have to be Gerber daisies in all colors.  Foodwise it would have to be tomatoes.

3.  April 10-16 is National Library Week...will you celebrate with a visit to your nearest library? When did you last make a trip to the library? What are you reading right now? What's one title on your want-to-read list?   I love the library. I love browsing the shelves, the smell of old books, and checking out real books, I have just finished up Sit, Stay, Love and it was delightful.  If you get a chance you must read it.  I am currently reading  Song of Silence by Cynthia Ruchti.

4. Share a saying or an old wives tale you heard while growing up, you believed to be true or that you paid attention to 'just in case'.  Never take a broom along when you move. Throw it out and buy a new one.

5. Are you a fan of onions? Garlic? Ginger? What's a dish you love that contains one, two or all three items listed?   Yes,. I like all three and I love Oriental and Italian  food which typically contain one or more on the list.  I love the ginger dressing on the salad at our favorite restaurant, Mikata's.  It is to die for.

6. Where does nurturing end and indulging begin? What are some skills or qualities you think a person needs to posses in order to be viewed as mature?  I have to agree with Joyce on this one.  I wanted my children to grow up with the expectation they would work for what they wanted in life. I also wanted them to understand there's a difference between needing something and wanting something, a message I think is contrary to what society tells them. When we begin protecting our children from the consequences of their own actions, their laziness, poor planning or lack of planning, we've become indulgent. 

7. What leading figure in any field would you like to hear speak, and why?  This is a hard question.  I would love to hear Billy Graham speak again.  He is an amazing speaker and the two times I have heard him I was so impressed with his message. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.   I am going to follow Joyce and use this space again today for my A-Z Blog Challenge post...

K Is For Killing Me Softly

I chose a music themed Challenge and so far it has been relatively easy.  The problem is the end letters of the alphabet are much more difficult than the beginning ones.  My song today is one by Roberta Flack that came out sometime in the early 70's.  I am like most girls from that time period.  I have composition books full of poems, thoughts, short stories about love, peace, unrequited love that I wanted no one to ever read.  In the early 70's I was in college and the first time I heard this song it touched my very core.....and then one night I was sitting in a dinner theater with friends when a young man came out and went to the piano on the stage and the song became real to me.  As his voice filled the air I found it filling me softly.  I have never forgotten this song.  It haunts me still.   Lady's and Gentleman today's song is Killing Me Softly by Roberta Flack.  Is there a song in your life that touches you that way?  Drop me a comment and tell me about it.  I would love to hear from you.

A Dream Of Miracles

About The Book:  
A Dream of Miracles (Thomas Nelson, April 2016)

Amish widow Mattie vows never to love again . . . until a suspicious outsider with a shadowy past comes crashing into her fragile world.  Mattie Diener can barely keep it together. A young Amish widow and mother of two young children, she faces the lingering heartbreak of lost love, her son's mysterious illness, and a torrent of accusations that threaten to undo her.  Bo Lambright is a fast-rising social services investigator whose high-society mother won't rest until she finds his Mrs. Right. Despite Bo's worldly success, the raw ache of a shadowy past and a series of unsettling dreams have left him reeling.  When Mattie and Bo cross paths, all signs point to disaster. Yet as they face a crucible of trials and tragedies together, longings begin to stir that seem destined only to end in more heartbreak. Is a miracle possible---not only of healing but of forbidden love? What secrets lie in Bo's dreams? And will Mattie find the courage to face her uncertain future . . . or will she simply run away?  Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1S7DC2v

About The Author:    
Ruth Reid is a CBA and ECPA bestselling author of the Heaven on Earth series. She's a full-time pharmacist who lives in Florida with her husband and three children. When attending Ferris State University School of Pharmacy in Big Rapids, Michigan, she lived on the outskirts of an Amish community and had several occasions to visit the Amish farms. Her interest grew into love as she saw the beauty in living a simple life.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

My Thoughts About The Book:    

A Dream of Miracles by Ruth Reid is the third book in The Amish Wonders series.  I have not read the others and did not have a hard time coming in during the middle of the series.  Ruth Reid's book was well-written and easy to read just like all of her other books.  She is one of my favorite authors.  I know that the Amish world is very sheltered compared to the English world but I did find it difficult to believe that anyone in this day and age could be so uniformed about the government and life in general.  Mattie really has a hard time with the English system of law and Child Protective Services.  As always,  I look forward to the next book by Ruth Reid. Even with the lack of knowledge of the system that Mattie possesses I still could not stop reading  until I got to the end of the book. 
 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publishing and Thomas Nelson as part of their Blogging Review program.   I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!  

J is for Jesus Loves Me

This is  day 10 of the 2016 A-Z April Blog Challenge.  I don't know about you but I am having a ball writing and reading the posts for the month.  Today's song is a juvenile song.  "Jesus Loves Me" is a Christian hymn written by  Anna Barlett Warner (1827–1915). The lyrics first appeared as a poem in the context of an 1860 novel called Say and Seal, written by her older sister Susan Warner(1819–1885), in which the words were spoken as a comforting poem to a dying child.

Jesus loves me—this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to him belong,—
They are weak, but he is strong.

Jesus loves me—loves me still,
Though I'm very weak and ill;
From his shining throne on high,
Comes to watch me where I lie.

Jesus loves me—he will stay,
Close beside me all the way.
Then his little child will take,
Up to heaven for his dear sake

 

The tune that we all know and love was added in 1862 by William Batchelder Bradbury(1816–1868). Along with his tune, Bradbury added his own chorus "Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus Loves me..."After publication as a song it became one of the most popular Christian hymns in churches around the world, especially among children.  There is nothing prettier to me than hearing little children sing this song.