During our time at Fort Frederica National Monument I enjoyed knitting hats from the book “Knitting the National Parks” by Nancy Bates. My friend, Chris Ferlinc, gave me the book for my birthday and I really got into it while I was working at a National Park site. As soon as we got to Fort …
From Off the Shelf
Writing Other Duties as Assigned
One of the reasons Tom and I did not volunteer at a national park this last summer was because I wanted to finish writing a book. I always have several outlines for books going but it seems like I never have time to write them. Or, I start writing them, do about 100 pages, and …
Best Books of 2022
Making a best books list is very personal. What appeals to me as a reader may not appeal to anyone else. I am, however, an eclectic reader. Over the last 12 months I have read a huge variety of books. Memoirs, autobiographies, thrillers, LOTS of mysteries, romance, history, non-fiction, religious, devotional, classics, historical fiction, self-help, …
The Shepherd’s Life by James Rebanks
I love books that open my mind to new ideas. “The Shepherd’s Life: A People’s History of the Lake District” is one of those books that introduced me to a new idea and, a month later, I am still thinking about it. James Rebanks is a shepherd in the Lake District. Being a shepherd is …
Books I Read in 2021: 120+ and Counting
For the last few years I have counted how many books I read each year. This is easy because my Goodreads app keeps track of my books. The app also suggests other books I might like as well as letting me see what some of my friends are reading. The book reviews on the app …
Westerville Public Library
Now that things are open again, Tom and I have been exploring Westerville. Recently we went to the Westerville Public Library for the first time and got a library card. I’ve always had library cards wherever we lived. Why buy a book when I can get it at the library? I have especially cut back …
“We Came, We Saw, We Left” by Charles Wheelan
I recently finished the delightful book, “We Came, We Saw, We Left: A Family Gap Year” by Charles Wheelan. With travel curtailed for many of us during the last year, this book is a wonderful story about a two parents and three teenagers who decided to take a year away from home and work responsibilities …
Invitation to Pilgrimage by John Baillie
As part of my morning devotions, I recently read the short book, “Invitation to Pilgrimage” by John Baillie. John Baillie’s book “A Diary of Private Prayer” is one of my favorite devotional books and I read it frequently. The language in both books is beautiful and they are very thought-provoking. John Baillie was a Scottish …
Group, a Book about Therapy by Christie Tate
“Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life.” I was going to write this whole title above but it wouldn’t fit. I have been a little concerned about my reading. It has been difficult to get engrossed in a book. One of the things I love about reading is getting so …
Overground Railroad by Candacy Taylor
Most of us have heard of the underground railroad, but have you ever heard of the overground railroad? I had not until the movie “The Green Book” came out. I didn’t see the movie, but hearing about it made me explore the premise and look up what exactly the Green Book was. As another example …