The second book in Conrad Richter's The Awakening Land trilogy is The Fields. It continues the story of Sayward Luckett but now she has grown up, married and has a family of her own. The book follows her development of the land her father left her when he abandoned his family in the prior book after Sayward's mother died. The historical novel takes place in the early 1800s in south eastern Ohio. Although the place names are fiction the location would be modern Ross County Ohio, which is the Chillicothe area. Not only does Sayward's story continue in this second book but so does the story of the other people who live in the area. I am enjoying this trilogy and will listen to the third book too. The audible version is narrated by one of my favorite vocal artists and he handles the dialect wonderfully. Please click on the book title and the author's name above to follow the links to more information. And enjoy the video that follows. I hope others will enjoy some of the work by this classic American 20th Century author.
In its kindle format this book is difficult to follow. Although I was able to understand parts of it the various charts were disconnected and of no use in the ebook form. I think in order to benefit from the information in this book I would need to take a class in it or be guided by a practitioner. There might also be value to having a print copy as a reference book in my personal library. The basic premise of essential oils offering emotional support I know to be true through personal experience. But the actual practice of how to use oils to make progress in processing emotions and altering behavior and reactions is not within my grasp after reading the book. This book is not for the beginning oiler. But it is one I return to as I grow in my oily knowledge base. Please click on the authors name and book title above to follow the links to more information. And enjoy the two videos that follow.
This book was written in the 1940s and is about a pioneer family in Ohio. It is historical fiction and takes place in the late 1700s. It was made into a mini series at one time starring Elizabeth Montgomery. It is about a family who journeys from Pennsylvania to Ohio and since two of my ancestral families arrived in Ohio about that time it is interesting back ground reading for me. The family in the novel suffer losses but the book ends on a happy note. For those who are interested in reading historical novels of this time period it will be an interesting and satisfying read. It is a trilogy and I just downloaded the second one of the series and am anxious to get started on it. Please click on the book title and authors name above to follow the links to more information and enjoy the videos that follow.
Listening to Dan Rather read his book on audio was delightful. His re-telling of many of the news stories I grew up with was a walk down memory lane. I especially enjoyed his comments on watergate. And while I think every U.S. citizen should read this book, chapter 5 should be put on a loud speaker loop till everyone gets it. Rather's positive slant on life is refreshing. His perspective on the United States and what we have in common verses our differences is a message that everyone needs to hear today. I am very glad I listened to this book and highly recommend it everyone! Please click on the book title and author's name above to follow the links to more information and enjoy the video that follows.
I have always had an interest in the Trail Of Tears and wanted to know more so when I saw this novel I thought a historical novel would be a route to try and understand the experience. Although I enjoyed the book, I felt the first three quarters of the book was more about the Jewish peddler experience than the Native American experience. But then, the last quarter of the book pulled it all together and the novel made a lasting impression on me. Mary Glickman creates likable and realistic characters and spins a tale that holds one's interest. Please click on the author's name and book title above to follow the link to more information. And enjoy the video that follows.
Most people diffuse eucalyptus essential oil when they need respiratory support. I have also found its anti-inflammatory tendencies to ease my osteoarthritis type aches and pains when I diffuse it. Each individual has their own causes of discomfort and different things are effective for different things and each individual must research and discover what helps them on thier own. Eucalyptus was one of the first free oils I received as a promotional item a few months after I became involved in Young Living. It is a plant that has been known to be distilled since the mid 1800s. Much of it has been grown in Australia. I keep it on hand in case I get a head cold and I diffuse it occasionally at bedtime to maintain comfort. Get your first order placed HERE. Please click on the two links above and listen to the video that follows for more information.
This short little book only took 2.5 hours to listen to. It is about research by Dr Masaru Emoto, who studied the effect of different stimuli on ice crystals. It is an interesting book but I found parts of it a little far out there. Over all though I liked the main ideas the author was explaining. I believe there is a lot to be said for energy and the impact our behavior, thoughts and words can have on others. I believe there are frequencies that are different for different things. He lost me when he was talking about the effect of the written word on water crystals but I could follow him on the effects of the spoken word on them. I would recommend this book to others. I enjoyed it and thought it had some really good ideas. I hope other scientists are continuing to study this field. Please click on the words at the beginning on the blog to follow the three links to more information. And enjoy the video below. It is a bit outdated as Dr Emoto died in 2014 but the video does a good job of explaining his work.
Sometimes I run across an audio book that I not only listen to when I am in the car but I pop in my ear buds when I am walking and even while I dust or fold laundry and work on other household tasks. The Book Woman Of Troublesome Creek is one of those books. My sister in law was reading it and recommended it. She did not steer me wrong. I have mentioned it to several people and told them how much I liked it. It is a book about a young woman who is a pack horse librarian during the depression in the Appalachian mountains. She is considered by many of her community to be a different race because her skin is blue due to a little known type of anemia. I became tearful at least three times during the book. Kim Michele Richardson has written a beautiful story. Please click on the book title and author's name above to follow links to more information and enjoy the video that follows. And take the time to read or listen to this book. It is one of the best I have enjoyed this year.
This novel has been a nice escape the last couple days. It is an easy read and I gobbled it up quickly. It is an historical romance which is a little more fluff than my normal genre of the historical novel. It is based during WWI in England. It has gardening and herbs. It has folk medicine. Therefore it appealed to me as far as a book I wanted to read. The characters in it were likable people. I recommend this book as one you will finish fast and enjoy. It is not a deep or challenging book but instead one that everyone can enjoy. Please click on the book title and author's name above to follow links to more information. And enjoy the video that follows.
When an individual choses to purchase a membership to Young Living, they do so by selecting a starter kit. The Premium Starter Kits are shown in the graphic above. When I joined I chose the starter kit in the picture that has the "+" beside the price. But which starter kit one choses is based on one's interests and tastes. The cost of a starter kit begins with the basic starter kit which is 35$ and not many products are included. One of the premium starter kits gives a person a good sampling of available product at a reasonable price. The Welcome Home Kit is often selected by people who already have a diffuser. It has a nice selection of oils. The Little Oilers Premium Starter Kit is for mom's with littles to oil up. The Thieves Premium Starter Kit has a sampling of the Thieves line by Young Living and if natural cleaning and natural personal care products are your jam this is a great jumping off point. The Ningxia Red Starter Kit includes items that would interest someone who wants to dig into the Young Living supplements. And the CBD premium starter kit is for those interested in a source of high quality essential oil infused CBD. Here is another graphic showing the oils in the Premium Starter Kit that has the "+" by the price. In addition to the essential oils, there are other items included in this kit. The cost differences in the various oil premium starter kits are due to which diffuser you select. The cost listed is for the Desert Mist diffuser. The "+" is because some diffusers are more expensive.
What do you get when you purchase this starter kit besides the best value EVER? A membership, kind of like joining Sams Club, only you get a starter kit filled with wonderful products instead of receiving a plastic membership card for your money. You do not ever have to buy anything else - but goodness why would you not??? If you purchase one fifty dollar order a year you retain your wholesale status. There is an optional essential rewards program that does require a monthly self customized subscription box. And there is an optional sharing rewards model for those that are interested. When you are ready to jump in, obtain your kit HERE to connect with me and be plugged into awesome optional educational programming and information support.
Please enjoy the following video of the contents of the Desert Mist Premium Starter kit.
Several months ago I listened to Brene Brown's TED talks. She has a couple of really good TED talks out there and since watching them I have had her on my radar as an author who I wanted to read some of her books. I also have a goal to rotate some personal development reading into my life. I chose Daring Greatly to listen to on audio this past few weeks. Brene writes it isn't about winning or losing - it is about courage. She covers the topics of interpersonal relationships, work relationships, spousal relationships and parent/child relationships. The author talks alot about self image, loving ourselves and feelings of worthiness. She refers Theodore Roosevelt's famous speech throughout the book. See the video below for the one minute portion of the speech Brene uses as the underpinning of her book. I found the book helpful and recommend others read it. I will look forward to reading more of Brene Brown's books. Remember to click on the book title and author's name above to follow the link to more information.
After George Floyd's death I recommitted myself to interspersing into my reading lists some of the body of work that would help me understand where we are and where we have come from in this country's race relations. I reached out to a black classmate from my high school graduating class of 1975 to see what she might recommend as far as reading material. She said a book that changed her life was "Black Like Me". I added it to my reading list and just finished listening to it on audio.
This book is a classic. Everyone should read it as a part of their eduction. It is the story of a white man who darkens his skin and enters the black world of segregation in the south in the late 1950s. The edition I listened to had an epilogue by the author that was added in 1976. John Howard Griffin died in 1980. I wonder what insights he would have today.
My friend CJ was correct. This book is life changing. I encourage everyone to read it. Please click on the book title and author's name above to follow the links to more information, and also watch the video that follows. But most importantly, update your personal reading list to include material to educate yourself on the racial issues we face as Americans. And begin to read that material. I mean it. Really.
The local daytime library book group selected this book for one of their selections last spring. My work schedule required me to stop attending the meetings but I still enjoyed the books that they picked for last year. I am very late in finally getting this one completed. I listened to it on audio and even though I am not currently commuting as much as I used to be, I could have finished it much sooner by utilizing the time I am walking or while driving to other places. But to be honest, this book is not a favorite. It was good enough to finish. But not interesting enough to me to draw me back into it. It is the story of a woman who is born over and over with some residual memory of past lives. Therefore she attempts to correct the tragedies from prior lives. She is adult during WWII and experiences all the bombings in London. She even died during the bombing of Berlin in one life. So she gets the idea that if Hitler could be stopped the world would be a better place. The book ends with her apparently shooting him but I am unsure as to whether or not she wounded him or killed him. It is an odd book. There is a sequel and I do not intend to read it. Please follow the links by clicking on the book title or author's name above. And watch the video that follows.
Known as the "Bentley" of Young Living's premium starter kits the Aria premium starter kit is frequently out of stock. But tomorrow! it will be back in stock (Monday 9/28/2020) at approximately 8:30 am - 9:00 am MT. This high demand kit will be in the US for new enrollments only. People who wish to reactivate or upgrade can also grab this kit by calling in to member services. The last time this diffuser came back in stock it flew off the shelves (I heard but can it be true?) in thirty minutes! When purchased separately the Aria diffuser along with the oils and other extras in the starter kit exceed $600. Just the Aria diffuser alone is $231 and you can NOT even buy it outside of a starter kit right now. The Aria starter kit is $265 so you will be getting the twelve oils and other extras for $34! Once sold out it will be another few weeks before this starter kit will be available again. What do you get besides the best value EVER? A membership, kind of like joining Sams Club, only you get a starter kit filled with wonderful products instead of receiving a plastic membership card for your money. You do not ever have to buy anything else - but goodness why would you not??? If you purchase one fifty dollar order a year you retain your wholesale status. There is an optional essential rewards program that does require a monthly self customized subscription box. And there is an optional sharing rewards model for those that are interested. If you are one of those people with discriminating taste please click HERE to order your Aria premium starter kit. The Aria diffuser has both lights and sound. Watch the following videos to see the beautiful Aira diffuser in action.
Yesterday a brand new premium starter kit was added to Young Living that is just too cute!! It is called The Little Oilers Premium Starter Kit. This kit is for NEW wholesale customers only. Limit one per person so if you want more than one sign up your spouse or sibling too! What comes with it besides the best value for the cutest set ever? A membership, kind of like joining Sams Club, only you get to choose a starter kit filled with wonderful product instead of receiving a paper membership card for you money. You do not ever have to buy anything else but goodness why would you not??? If you purchase one fifty dollar order a year you retain your wholesale status. There is an optional essential rewards program that does require a monthly customized subscription box. And there is an optional sharing rewards model for those that are interested.
This Little Oilers set is something all the moms and grand moms are going to want for the littles in their lives. Be sure and grab yours! If you choose to sign up with my link during this month I will send you a $25 rebate. To do that click HERE. This kit is filled with all the goodness shown in the graphics below!
AND there is a kids power blend that is included by Young Living for those that jump on this month.
All these oils arrived pre-mixed so are a kid safe strength. The value of this cuteness overload is amazing. Feather the Owl has lights and sound!! Watch the following short video to see all of Feather's features.
I am looking forward to working with all of you soon!
"I Contain Multitudes" by Ed Yong is a great book. It is full of fascinating information about the microscopic creatures in the world we live in. It is a work of non fiction and tells both sides of the story about microbes. So often we think only of negative connotations about the bacteria that surround us. And while it is true that many bacteria cause diseases, some bacteria have positive roles in our lives. Ever since Pasteur's time we have spent all sorts of time and money trying to kill all the germs around us. So much so that the microbes that help us can't survive in these germ free environments. Mr Yong covers much of the animal kingdom and explains what he calls synergistic partnerships between insects and microbes and animals and microbes. He covers ways that building a home or hospital may someday change to accommodate new information to introduce and incorporate beneficial micro-organisms. Yong explains how microbes can be utilized instead of chemical pesticides for controlling pests in farming. Bill Gates wrote a wonderfully detailed review of the book which can be found HERE and during that time interviewed the author. Watch part of that interview in the video below.
Since we have that wonderful bog post by Bill Gates available to us, I won't repeat a detailed book review here. But I promise if you read this book you will not be disappointed. It is excellent! Ed Yong did a great job explaining complex concepts in easy to understand language. The material is covered in a thorough manner and reading it really makes the microscopic world pop to life. It was a New York Times Bestseller and has been nominated for many while receiving some awards. It is a book that everyone should read. Especially in 2020. I intend to read more of what Ed Yong has written and will watch for what he writes in the future.
I came across "I Contain Multitudes" as I was reading up on gut health. Between my interests in cooking healthy meals for my husband and myself, safe house cleaning practices, trying to keep my immune system top notch and maintaining my health for as long as I can, gut health came across my radar. I found what Ed Yong writes about probiotics especially interesting. He explains the probiotics which we take do not make it out of the stomach because they are destroyed by the stomach acid. And he said that if they did make it to the colon, to add the bacteria without giving the body enough to feed them causes the good bacteria just introduced to die off instead of allowing it to recolonize. He suggests eating foods that will feed and nurture the bacteria in the probiotic and he mentions something called a prebiotic that he feels might solve this problem. Foods he suggested included onions, garlic, bananas, and chicory. I take Life9 probiotics by Young Living. They are time released to enable them to make it to the part of the gut where they need to arrive. And I drink Young Living's multivitamin drink Ningxia Red daily. It contains the wolf-berry which is a prebiotic. I am a wholesale customer with Young Living so pay wholesale prices for the items I purchase from them. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain these and lots of helpful healthy products.
In closing, when you have time, enjoy the video that follows.
In the 1960s when I was a kid the local governments had trucks drive around in the evenings with bug spray spewing out the back to control mosquitos. As the pictures above indicates we chased the trucks. My parents, once they caught the fact we were doing this, told us to stop. Their reasoning being if the spray was bad for mosquitos it couldn't be good for us either. But that is how life was in the 1960s. It is 2020. Today as the noon news played out the unrest and sickness we are struggling with in our larger communities, I began to day dream. In my fantasy, trucks drive around with diffusers attached. They diffuse essential oils. While I can't "prescribe", I can suggest what I would use to "promote" certain things in my world. I would have the trucks make the rounds a few times each day, and what was in the trucks would depend on what was happening in the community. In the mornings, the Young Living blend Valor would start our day keeping us on an even keel emotionally and full of courage. Then later, the Young Living blend Thieves would purify the air during flu seasons or pandemics. In the afternoon our focus would be brought into clarity with some peppermint. As we wound down in the evenings the YL blend Stress Away would help us relax. And then once it became dark Lavender would help us all wind down to prepare for a restful nights sleep. The possibilities of which oils to use is endless and it is a wonderful mental vacation to think about it.
Of course it is a pipe dream to think about such trucks in our streets. But we do have control over what we do in our homes. We can diffuse oils to promote health and wellness and to support our emotions on a daily basis in our homes. We can share with our friends and family and thereby enable them to do the same. I doubt it is a coincidence that the areas which are most troubled by disease and unrest are the areas the farthest from the plants that grow in the wooded areas and meadows. These plants are our partners in health. If you are interested in knowing more please click HERE and enjoy the video that follows.
From 1920-ish to 2020. 100 years of food preparation history recorded in the woodgrain. What stories could it whisper to us?
In the 1890s, in North East Indiana, a free standing kitchen cupboard was designed by a man named James McQuinn. He designed it for a housewife named Mrs. Brewster who asked him for a baker's cabinet. It became known as the "step saver" cabinet and was also called the "Hoosier Cabinet". By the early 1900's it was a very popular item in kitchens until the 1930's, when built in kitchen cabinets became popular. One of these old hoosier cabinets was purchased approximately 45 years later, around 1975, at a garage sale in Northwest Indiana for $35. The sale was held in an old house with a store front that was at one time a neighborhood food store for things like milk and bread. My aunt purchased it and the garage sale free standing kitchen cabinet was moved to her basement and used for tool storage until about 2006 or so. At that time we loaded it into my little black Suzuki Aero car and I drove it to my condo in North East Indiana, where it sat in my garage, filled with catch all items, until December 2013. In December of 2013 it was loaded into a U-Haul trailer and moved to South West Ohio and placed in our pole barn. At which point it promptly was filled with assorted junk.
Then in the winter of 2018 a friend mentioned the need of a project. After a lengthy discussion, it was decided that in the summer when his garage area could be open to provide adequate ventilation we would transfer the cabinet in sections to his home where he would work on it. For three summers, with the help of his "mamaw and papaw" (who are expert antique furniture refinishers) the old Hoosier Cupboard was restored to a new life.
Each spring various pieces would be hauled from our home to his and each fall they would be brought home. Some summers required switching items throughout the summer. Hours of work by my friend and his grandparents resulted in my beautiful "new" antique cupboard being delivered to my home last week! Although the brackets still need applied that secure the top to the bottom (my husband will find time soon) so that I can fill it up, I wanted to take some pictures and post about my hoosier cabinet. I am so thrilled and excited for it to be home. I just love it and appreciate all the work that went into it by so many people. My friend and his grandparents who did all the hard work, my step daughter and her fiance' who lugged pieces back and forth each spring and fall, my step grandsons who delivered the finished product to me this past week, and my husband that has been very patient although bewildered at my love for this old piece of furniture, have all been a part of this wonderful acomplishment.
To read more about the history of Hoosier Cabinets click HERE, and HERE and HERE and HERE .
The State Library of Ohio issues library cards for all Ohio residents. Since I have a state library card, I can check out ebooks on my kindle app. This evening, I finished the book I most recently checked out. The novel, Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks, is amazing. Brooks has written five novels and I have now read three of them and really liked each one. I intend to read the other two. Caleb is a young Native American male who lives in the last half of the 1600's on the island that becomes Martha's Vineyard. He is taken under the wing of the family who are missionaries on the island and, being exceptionally bright, becomes accepted into Harvard. These facts about Caleb are true but the book is fiction. Brooks has woven a wonderful story from these sparse facts. She has become one of my go to authors. I highly recommend any of her novels to anyone looking for a good read. Please click on the book title and author's name above to follow the links to more information. And enjoy the video that follows.
This evening I finished listening to the audio book Talking To Strangers By Malcolm Gladwell. This book does not oversimplify what is a very complicated issue in the United States. It does not point fingers to one side or another. Instead it struggles to clarify outcomes created by misunderstandings and expectations. The book has as its beginning and its ending the tragic death of Sandra Bland about whom HBO did a documentary in 2018. In between these two bookends the author covers a wealth of information. He explains human nature's tendency to assume the best and societies expectation that those in authority have the ability to know when not to trust someone. He explains the origins of police training manuals which teach assumptions that have been removed from environmental context. The audio book is a work of art. It is done in podcast style with audio footage from interviews and news reels properly placed according to the content of the book. The song "Hell You Talmbout" by Janelle Monae f. Jidenna is interspersed at chapter breaks and other appropriate times. I am the first to admit that I am not very good at social skills in general and when it comes to reaching across cultural barriers am often uncomfortable and inept. My take away from Gladwell's book is to communicate with restraint, humility, care, and attention instead of blame will move us toward the path of progress. This book is not easily understood. I had to pay attention. But it is worth the effort it takes to follow the details of how we ended up in our current mess. Gladwell does not point fingers at the authorities or the public but instead explains areas of misunderstanding and decisions that were made along the way that caused us to be where we are today. Not blaming individuals but examining a very complicated broken system, the explanations in this book are important ones to study. Please follow all four links above to more information. And enjoy the two videos that follow. Then listen to this audio book. It is an important one.
