Just A Second: March 2021

Tuesday, March 30

Share Four Somethings - March 2021

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Happy Spring! And Happy Easter! As we wrap up the month of March here's Something Loved, Something Read, Something Treasured and Something Ahead.

Something Loved

So a little background: I have been dealing with very stiff and painful knees for a long time, and to the best of my knowledge, it's arthritis. (I have to get an appointment booked soon to get an update) I've had a couple of flare-ups of bursitis in my hip, and I've also had plantar fasciitis. ⇚ With all of that going on, sometimes just walking out to the mailbox is tough. So on the one hand, it hurts to exercise, but on the other hand, I need to get some exercise to help with weight loss and with keeping those joints mobile. Kind of a Catch-22. In a conversation with a good friend a couple weeks ago, she mentioned that she had bought trekking poles to help her hike more safely since she has some neuropathy. And a light came on! I remembered that I'd been thinking about trekking poles myself a couple years ago, but had forgotten all about it. That reminder sent me straight to checking prices and since I had some birthday money left, I decided that was the best way to spend it.

So I got a pair of trekking poles and have had a chance to go walking a couple times with them. I've been able to go for walks with my husband, keeping up a good pace and even gait, and with a lot less pain! Why didn't I do this a long time ago? I'm looking forward to trying them out on some easy hikes and being able to do more walking this spring and summer.

Something Read

I completed three books during the month. I'm definitely off the pace! You can see more about my reading in my Monthly Bookshelf Review for March 2021.

The Purple Nightgown by A.D. Lawrence

The Sly Governess by Everly Rosabell

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Something Treasured

Warmer spring weather, spring flowers, the birds visiting our feeders, rain (instead of snow), and spring peepers! Signs of spring, and of hope. Even the annoyance of ants returning to their annual attempt to take over my kitchen is tempered by the fact that it's an annual occurrence as the days get longer and more pleasant. This year we have additional reasons to be excited about spring as we prepare for our son's wedding, and our daughter's graduation from college.

I'm still reminding myself to treasure the crowded quarters in our house, because the young couple is planning to move out as soon as they can find a place to move into, and although our daughter strongly prefers to transfer to a four-year school close by, there's that possibility that she'll wind up at a school where she'll have to live on campus. And I don't think I'm ready for that.

Something Ahead

The wedding! Now less than two weeks away! Most of the details and plans are falling into place and well in hand, but obviously there's quite a bit left to do. My big job is the rehearsal dinner. Other than that, I guess I am just offering my services wherever needed.

And then yesterday, I found out that my Mother-of-the-Groom dress - the one I ordered a month ago and paid for expedited shipping, and the one that I thought had been shipped a week ago - that one? Yeah, now the website is showing that it is scheduled to be shipped the Monday AFTER the wedding. That is not going to work for me, and I'm very upset. I'm contacting the company to find out what is happening and hopefully get it shipped immediately. But I suppose I will need a backup plan. I'm praying that the dress still arrives on time; otherwise, I will have a relatively expensive semi-formal dress sitting in my closet just in case I ever have opportunity to use it. Plus I'll have to spend more money on another dress.

First world problems, right? But it is important to me, because it's my son's wedding and the whole family will be here and there will be all the pictures and all of that.

This post will be linked at Share Four Somethings hosted by HeatherGerwing.com

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Monday, March 29

Monthly Bookshelf Review - March 2021

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My world has been very busy this month, as we have a wedding coming up in early April, so I'm not all that surprised that my reading list is a bit short. I'm beginning to wonder when things will settle down enough for me to really 'hit the books'!

March's Books Completed and Reviewed

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - I took my time with this classic, because I was reading it with my students in Lit class. Marianne gives free rein to all her passions, but learns that her older sister Elinor's tendency to be more reserved and careful has benefits as well. Both sisters find love as they find a middle ground between emotion and common sense. (Read my full review HERE)

The Sly Governess by Everly Rosabell - Mary takes a post as governess to the nephew of a Duke rumoured to have involvement in piracy, and not surprisingly, she finds love. (Read my full review HERE)

The Purple Nightgown by A.D. Lawrence - Heiress Stella Burke checks into a spa looking for relief from her migraines through fasting. Her friend and chauffeur suspects something isn't right about the clinic but will he be able to reach Stella before it's too late? (Read my full review HERE)

During March I started reading:

Patrick by Jessica Dunn - This is a novel version of St Patrick's biography suitable for teens or adults. Very well written, with drama and realism, but no graphic descriptions of the violence or suffering Patrick went through as a captive and slave.

Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy - This was an online book group pick for the month of March, and I had great intentions of getting much further with it. However, I've barely started, and it's almost the end of the month so I doubt I'll have much to contribute to the discussion.

Hope Between the Pages - Pepper Basham - The timelines in this novel alternate between the turn of the century and contemporary. Sadie Blackwell was the maid assigned to the library at the Vanderbilt estate, and Clara Blackwell is her descendant trying to keep the family bookstore business afloat.

Patrick: Son of Ireland by Stephen R Lawhead - I started this at the same time as the other novel about St Patrick, but I've read it many times before and realized that with the other books I was working on, this one would have to be on the backburner. Having started, I do plan on finishing though!

Coming Up in April!

Heart of a Runaway Girl - Trevor Wiltzen

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

The Only Woman in the Room - Marie Benedict

On my blogs recently . . .

Besides the reviews, here on Just A Second you'll find:

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

Wordless Wednesday - Signs of Spring

Wordless Wednesday - Backyard Bamboo

What I'm Reading - March 8, 2021

Wordless Wednesday - Coffee and Cookies

Share Four Somethings - February 2021

And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Five Minute Friday posts

Online Book Club - Wrapping Up March: St Patrick's Example of Patience

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Coffee Break Reading List (March 9, 2021)

Online Book Club - March Theme: St Patrick

Energized - For Life and For Homeschooling

Online Book Club - Wrapping Up February: An Emphasis on Love

Happy Purim!

January and February Photo Album

This post will be linked at the March 2021 Wrap-Up Roundup and Giveaway hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction; and at the weekly reading list meme hosted at Book Date.

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Recent Reads - Sense & Sensibility

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - This is the classic story of sisters Elinor and Marianne - one carefully governing all her emotions and the other passionate and dramatic about all she feels. Both experience heartbreak and romantic love, but their attitudes and approach are very different. Elinor is prudent and uses common sense, while Marianne is ruled by her emotions (or, in Austen's day, her sensibilities).

Here's the story in a nutshell - The story centers around two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. After their father passed away, they and their mother and younger sister have to leave their family home and the move into a cottage provided by a relative. Before they left their home, Elinor had formed a friendship with Edward, the brother of her step-brother's wife. It was assumed that Edward and Elinor were heading towards engagement but both were very reserved and even Elinor wasn't sure how Edward felt about her. She had thought it best to be cautious and not wear her heart on her sleeve, especially since they were recently bereaved and their future was uncertain.

Shortly after moving into the cottage, the hopelessly romantic Marianne meets Willoughby, a handsome young man who shares all her feelings and opinions and the two of them are soon together all the time. Marianne is extravagant and quite heedless in her affection for Willoughby, and they behave quite improperly, giving rise to the assumption that they will soon be married. Elinor counsels Marianne to exercise some prudence and have a care for reputation but Marianne won't hear it. Meanwhile, a family friend, Colonel Brandon, seems to have fallen in love with Marianne, but she dismisses him as too old and too serious. Then one day, Willoughby abruptly returns to London and Marianne is inconsolable.

They meet two young ladies who are guests at the estate, and Elinor discovers that one of them, Lucy, has been secretly engaged to none other than Edward for four years. Elinor remains quiet about this and suffers her loss and broken heart privately, but when Marianne finds out that Willoughby has married another woman and has a known reputation for being a seducer, she is devastated.

Edward's mother finds out about his secret engagement and disinherits him, but Colonel Brandon offers him a position as vicar. Lucy breaks the engagement, freeing Edward to pursue Elinor, which he does. They marry and move into the parsonage. Eventually Marianne comes to appreciate Colonel Brandon's character, falls in love with him, and they marry.

Each sister finds true love after heartbreak, and although their situations are in many ways similar, their responses are very different. Elinor keeps her emotions under careful control, which helps her avoid embarrassment and impropriety, but she finds that she must allow some expression of grief and affection in order to find healing and comfort. Marianne puts no check on her emotions, and is reckless in her behavior. She's what we might call a drama queen, romanticizing all her emotions from grief to infatuation, and runs headlong into a romance without paying attention to any warning signs or appeals to slow down. As a result she feels publicly shamed and even makes herself ill and puts herself in danger. She learns a hard lesson about governing her passions and using her head as well as her heart.

Both of these characters experience love, although they express it in very different ways. Marianne's fling with Willoughby was not really love, but an infatuation or obsession that she mistook for love. By the end of the book Marianne has learned to think wisely about a person's character and to guard her heart. She finds that love and contentment is much more than what she feels emotionally, but can be learned by governing how she thinks and acts. Elinor learns that expressing herself and allowing herself to share her interests, fears, and joys more openly can also be of benefit. In the end both sisters build romantic relationships that bring them happiness and suit their temperaments.

I love how Jane Austen shows what real love is without ever being preachy. She was able to emphasize these good qualities in her characters, and the goodness of enduring and godly love by telling a wonderful story with endearing and humorous characters.

I read this novel and studied it along with students in my high school literature co-op class. We learned about the story value of love, and discussed the twists and turns that the love stories of the two couples took through conflicts and changes.

Our discussion and study was guided by the textbook Illuminating Literature: Characters in Crisis from Writing with Sharon Watson.

The original version of this review originally appeared on Homeschool Coffee Break as part of the Online Book Club for February 2021. It took me a few weeks before I realized I hadn't reviewed it here!

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Sunday, March 28

Scripture and a Snapshot - Hosanna

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

"Say to Daughter Zion,

'See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey;

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road They crowds that went ahead of hgim and those that followed shouted,

"Hosanna to the Son of David!"

"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"

The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.

"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him.

"Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read,

"'From the lips of children and infants

you, Lord have called forth your praise'?"

~Matthew 21:1-11, 14-16~

This post will be linked at Scripture and a Snapshot hosted by Just A Second, and at Sunday Scripture Blessings, hosted by Peabea's Photos and Scribbles, and at Selah, hosted by A Spirit of Simplicity.

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Saturday, March 27

Scripture and a Snapshot - When You Believed

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment - to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - the praise of his glory.

~Ephesians 1:3-10, 13-14~

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I also link up at Sunday Scripture Blessings, hosted by Peabea's Photos 'n Scribbles; and at Selah, hosted by A Spirit of Simplicity.

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Wednesday, March 24

Wordless Wednesday - Signs of Spring

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This post will be linked at Wordless Wednesday, hosted by Life on Chickadee Lane, and at Pictorial Tuesday, hosted by Peabea Scribbles.

Pictorial Tuesday

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Monday, March 22

Recent Reads - The Sly Governess

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The Sly Governess by Everly Rosabell - Mary Stafford and her sisters discover that their brother has made some decisions resulting in the family fortune being severely diminished. Mary decides to apply for a post as governess and is accepted at Hawthorne Manor in Cornwall. The household is an unusual one, with the bachelor duke as guardian of his young nephew, and an overly familiar and friendly staff. Rumours about the duke's possible involvement in piracy abound in the ton, but although Mary is curious she is determined not to be scared off. She soon grows attached to the little boy and his preoccupation with pirates; and develops a trusting friendship with the duke.

I enjoyed the unusual characters, and it was a unique and interesting storyline, so I was kept turning pages to see what would happen. As a historical novel, it was difficult to pinpoint that it was intended to be set during the Regency period, and there were some anachronisms. This was a very minor concern and in itself did not take away from the story. However, something that did distract from the story far too often were the errors that should never have fallen through the editing process. Errors in word usage were common (such as using wonder instead of wander many times, and shall/will mistakes), as were inconsistencies and mistakes in titles and manners of the era. Even allowing for the eccentricities of the characters, there were many situations that would have been an enormous departure from the social norms and acceptable behaviors, so that indicates to me that more research was needed.

As a side note, this book is listed as Christian historical, but there really was no overtly Christian theme or message. It is definitely clean in terms of language and moral behavior, which is greatly appreciated!

A promising young author with potential that could be more fully realized with the help of an experienced human editor and some more research.

From the publisher:

Something is going on at Hawthorne Manor . . .

When a crippling debt forces the Stafford siblings to sell their home, Mary leaves her life of luxury to take up the position of Governess for the eccentric Hawthorne family.

With rumours of her new employer being involved in the black market and sightings of pirates raging through the Ton - Mary must tread carefully lest she brings further shame upon her family.

However, she soon learns that the daring Duke Hawthorne is not what the rumours make him out to be. As they grow closer and discover more of each other's secrets, Mary finds the desire to return home slowly beginning to fade . . .

*If you enjoy a strong female lead, mysterious Dukes and the high society drama of the Regency courtships, then you will adore The Sly Governess!

This is Everly Rosabell's debut publication and the first novel in the Stafford Sisters Quartet.

I received a digital copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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