Thursday, June 30, 2011

Wealthy

How is it that we are never satisfied? We always want a bigger paycheque, a better car, more stuff. Most of us don't think we are rich, but we have a home, plenty of food, nice clothes and enough money for lots of things that we don't really need. Doesn't rich mean "abundantly supplied with resources, means, or funds"? Well? Most of us are. According to most people in the world (click here to see how many live on less than $2 a day), we are filthy rich.

Money isn't everything. In fact, most people who win the lottery are soon more miserable than they were before. I have learned in the last few months that, really, I have enough. We don't need any more money. My husband's salary is plenty; it covers our needs and then some. God has blessed us so much. (I also believe that He has blessed the poorest person in the world, although I don't understand why He allows them to live on so little while I have so much. Maybe so that I will have the opportunity of giving.) God is all we really need; He supplies everything. Psalm 119 verse 72 says, "The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces."

I would love to see your comments on any of my posts. Whether you agree or not.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Canada's National Parks

A Celebration

A large coffee table book of beautiful photography of scenery, plants and animals from all of Canada's national parks. At the end of the book, there is a short profile of each park.

I love national parks and this book is so nice it has even made me, for the first time, want to visit the arctic.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Canning & Preserving

with Ashley English
All you need to know to make jams, jellies, pickles, chutneys & more


A detailed instruction book with 28 recipes. Ideal for beginners, but great even for those with more experience. I really want to try the Tomato Basil Sauce and the canned Whole Peaches.

I used to help my mom can peaches, but have never tried it by myself. I will need to get a lot of peaches because I also want to make several batches of peach jam, which is my favourite. I use the Garden Fare No-Cook Freezer Jam Jelling Powder packets to make it, and I don't peel the peaches--just wash them well and chop finely. Beautiful and delicious jars of summer flavour.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Still Life

There's an art to catching a killer

by Louise Penny

In a quiet village in Quebec, an older woman is found dead in the woods. Was it a hunting accident or was it murder? The chief inspector comes from Montreal and watches the residents carefully for someone to give themselves away.

This book definitely kept my interest; however, I couldn't quite figure out what was the point of Agent Nichol's bungling things up, her nasty attitude, or her weird father. I really liked the fact that the story happens in Canada, in an area that I very much enjoyed when I drove through it a couple of years ago.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Franklin and Eleanor

An extraordinary marriage

by Hazel Rowley

This was an interesting biographical book about the lives and especially the relationships of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Still Walking

The Story of a Life Full of Love, Laughter and Lessons

by Rob Oliver

In this autobiography, Rob tells of his accident-prone childhood, how he got saved, some of the good times he had growing up, and about his relationship with Becky. He describes the body-surfing accident in which he was paralized, his rehabilitation, marriage and the arrival of children. Throughout the book, Rob recounts the difficulties he encountered and the lessons he learned.

I remember hearing about Rob's accident when it happened, so I was particularly interested in reading his book. It's a short book, easily read in a day, but very engaging. I found it a very upbeat story, full of life and humour.

Visit Rob Oliver's website at http://www.yourmotivationalspeaker.com/ to buy this book or to learn more.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Son of the Hawk

A Nova Scotian Boy in '76

by Thomas H. Raddall

A novel about a young man fighting for liberty in Nova Scotia in the 1770's. David Strang from Liverpool, NS, is rescued from a press gang in Halifax by Richard Uniacke. After returning home, he flees through the forest with a native friend to escape British soldiers and later joins other rebels to fight more British at Fort Cumberland where he is wounded.

David's adventures make an exciting story with several narrow escapes. The book is well written and the history is well researched. Worth reading if you like adventure or if you'd like an enjoyable way to learn some Nova Scotia history.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Get Growing

An Everyday Guide to High Impact, Low Fuss Gardens

by Frankie Flowers

A guide to growing flower and vegetable gardens. Begins with the very basics and is arranged by seasons. This book doesn't promote organic or sustainable methods. Lots of nice photos, easy-to-follow instructions.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Plants for Atlantic Gardens

: handsome and hard-working perennials, shrubs and trees

by Jodi DeLong

This is a great encyclopedia of plants that will do well in Atlantic Canadian gardens. Many great plants are featured with plenty of useful information for how to grow them and nice photos.