The Bean Trees

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver is the second novel I have read by her. It is defintely a book that kept me interested in the storyline and wondering what would happen next. Taylor lives in Kentucky and decides she wants to get out of the small town she lives in. Once she saves up some money, she leaves for some destination in the west. In Oklahoma she ends up acquiring a toddler from a stranger. She continues on and ends up in Tuscon, Arizona because her car cannot go on. Taylor makes some new friends and learns a lot about life in another place. I would recommend this book because it is a quick read but also makes you think. A book club would have plenty to discuss after reading this as well.

The Shape of Mercy

Susan Meissner's newest book is The Shape of Mercy. This book is contemporary fiction, but also deals with the Salem Witch Trials that happened in the 1600's. Lauren Durough lives in California and is a rich girl attending a state school. She decides to get a job, but does not get any job, but a job transcribing a journal of Mercy Hayworth for the journal's owner, Abigail Boyles. Mercy lived in the Salem area during the time of the Salem Witch Trials.

I enjoyed reading the story because Meissner keeps you wondering what will happen and how what happens will change Lauren. She does a good job weaving a story from this century with the story of Mercy Hayworth. This also made me wonder more about the Salem Witch Trials as mostly I have just heard about them in passing and I don't remember if we talked about them in American history. This would be a good book for a book club to read, though it does jump back and forth from present to past, which I know my sister does not like. I will likely read it again sometime, and I think it is one of Meissner's better books. If I had to choose my favorites of Susan Meissner's, it might be a tie between this one and Blue Heart Blessed.

French by Heart

French by Heart by Rebecca S. Ramsey was not a book on my to read list, but when I stumbled across it at the library, I figured it looked good enough to read. I wasn't disappointed, as there were parts of it that made me laugh, and I think Rebecca did a good job depicting her life in France. She and her husband Todd moved to France because of her husband's job with Michelin with two school age children and her almost one year old son. They are from South Carolina, and spent four years living in a not well known city in France. Her neighbor Madame Mallet is a character that shows up in many chapters as Rebecca tries to navigate life in France. She finds some new interests-Joan of Arc, Lourdes, and statues of the Virgin Mary. Anyone that has lived overseas might like reading about the adventures and challenges the Ramsey's faced, but you might also enjoy this book if you have been to France or studied French in high school or college.
While I was reading, it made me think that maybe I would like to live overseas for a while. Or at least visit France even though I know no French.

And for Amanda, yes, I did like the book. In fact, it might be one of the choices that I bring for book club when it is my turn to bring books. I think that Ramsey is working on a book that tells how life for their family was when they returned to the States.

moving

I am in my new place-a rental house. It took about two hours to relocate nearly all of my belongings. It included one van load, two pickup truck loads, and two trailer loads. So far, I am glad that I now have a garage for my car to live in, a washer and dryer in the basement to use, and only three steps to my front door. It is going to be an adjustment to not have as many closets (my old apartment had seven), but overall I have more space. My bedroom and kitchen are organized, but I have about a half dozen boxes with odds and ends that need to be sorted and stored-photos, letters, and other random items. A couple more perks of the apartment-I live one and a half blocks closer to work (it is now two and a half blocks instead of four), I have a three season porch and a backyard, and it is on a quieter street. Thanks to Cathy, Leland, Marcia, Joel, Bill, Snookie and Vi for all their help.
If you are a relative, you may be getting a note in the mail shortly with my new address (if you haven't already). My phone number has not changed.

What I made this summer

This is a little girl dress I made. It is from Simplicity pattern 9602 and this is the newborn size, though from experience I think it would fit a nine month old. I love the seersucker fabric.

This is a dress for a two year old. It is Simplicity pattern 5118. I made another one like this for my friend's two year old daughter and it was bright blue and white checked.
My new purse. It didn't take long to sew and the fabric is leftover from my heart quilt I made this spring.
A simple pillowcase.

A zipper pouch that I made with the help of my sister.

This is the quilt that I made in June. It is a small twin size that I am keeping for myself.

I also made several tote bags (two for my own groceries and one for my aunt), some napkins, and a simple backpack for my niece Mariah's birthday.

Same Kind of Different As Me

This book got on my reading list because my friend Cyd recommended it. We both read a lot, though I read a lot more fiction than she does. This book,

Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore, tells the story of a unique friendship. Ron Hall and Denver Moore live in Fort Worth, Texas, but in very different circumstances. When they cross paths, both of their lives change in ways that they never could have predicted. Not a fairy tale by any means, but a book that will make you think and wonder what kind of impact your life is making on others.