On my way home . . .

It's been a relaxing week--and exhausting--and I'm glad to be headed home.  I'll post some pics as soon as I have dependable Internet service again. 

In the mean time, I hope you ate lots of turkey, got your shopping safely done, and have begun to decorate your home for Christmas!  :-)  Have fun! 

~~Angie

After Thanksgiving Tradition

Actually, I didn't establish this tradition; Lisa Samson did.  But since I sent her the mp3 recording with which she began the tradition, I feel qualified to pass it on. 

Here it is:  now that Thanksgiving is behind us, it's time to begin the Christmas season.  And what better way to do that than to listen to a classic, Oh Holy Night.  This is a Youtube Video, but there's nothing to watch.  Just sit back, close your eyes, and listen . . . then come back here for the recap.  

I actually heard the story behind this song--no, it's not a live performance.  But someone was in a recording studio, and after the paying talent left, one of the sound engineers recorded his own version.  Or something like that.  In any case, here's to a classic song and a famous rendition!  Long may it play! 

~~Angie

A Blessed Thanksgiving to You and Yours

Give thanks for family and friends . . . 

For all good things come from the Father above. 

The Lord always keeps his promises;

He is gracious in all he does. 

The Lord helps the fallen

and lifts those bent beneath their loads. 

The eyes of all look to you in hope; 

you give them their food as they need it. 

When you open your hand, 

you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. 

The Lord is righteous in everything he does;

He is filled with kindness. 

The Lord is close to all who call on him,

Yes, to all who call on him in truth. 

He grants the desires of those who fear him; 

He hears their cries for help and rescues them. 

I will praise the Lord, 

and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever. 

--Psalm 145:13-21. 

~~Angie 

Some Vacation Pictures

If it's Wednesday, the hubster and I are out rappelling or exploring ruins or something . . . but I thought I'd share some pictures from Key West and Tampa Bay.  Enjoy!  

If you see a house here, that's Ernest Hemingway's house.  :-)  If you see no pictures at all, well, that means I'm not having much luck with the satellite signal.  :-(

Angie

Sylvia Plath Poem

I finished the fourth and final Twilight book yesterday.  And yes, Bella is a little over-the-top in her adoration of her boyfriend, but Edward is the soul of prudence and restraint. Bella doesn't believe in religion, Edward is convinced he no longer has a soul and is damned. 

Aren't these wonderful topics to encourage discussion? 

While the fourth book is over-the-top in many ways--it's really different from the other three--I found myself thinking that it's almost a perfect metaphor for heaven. SPOILER HERE:  After Bella receives her "vampire body" and is experimenting with all the things it can do, I kept thinking of what heaven will be like in our new, transformed spiritual bodies. Paul wrote about them, and I can't help but think we'll experience the same delight Bella felt.  

Anyway--if you go looking for things to find wrong about these books, you're sure to find them. But if you settle back and enjoy them, I think you'll find much to discuss with your daughters and friends. I'm looking forward to our book club discussion on the first book.  I'm already halfway through it for the second time.  :-)

A poem today--and a challenge. 

It is a terrible thing
To be so open: it is as if my heart
Put on a face and walked into the world.

Sylvia Plath, “A Poem for Three Voices”

Isn't that profound? 

The challenge is simple:  caption the photo.  :-)

Angie

The Twilight Saga

I heard about the Twilight books some time ago:  teenage girl has a vampire boyfriend.  

I thought the idea sounded silly.  

Then I heard the stories were remarkably chaste--and the vampire boyfriend was a "good" vampire who only ate animals, not people.  And the author, Stephanie Meyer, was a Mormon mother with three sons, not some zany with a point to prove. 

Okay. 

Then I heard they were making a movie.  And that the books had sold over 17 MILLION copies (that's a lot of books).  

Then one of my (adult) girlfriends read all four books and just kept gushing about them. I mean  GUSHING.  So last month at our book club I suggested the first book, TWILIGHT, as a possible title.  Never mind that we usually read books that are a little "higher brow."  I thought it might be nice to see what all the fuss was about, and the other ladies agreed. 

Well.  I'm here to testify that I could not put these books down. 

I read the first in a couple of days.  I read the second in one day--at long stretches, where I hardly got out of my chair.  As I write this, I'm into the third book and I've just come from the movie, and I'm pretty sure that by the time you read this, I'll be done with the fourth book and probably starting the first book over again. 

Why do these books fascinate?  Several reasons I can see.  First, they are filled with tension.   Second, the author absolutely NAILS what it's like to be a teenage girl.  The protagonist is clumsy, introspective, feels like a fish-out-of-water, daydreams, and comes from divorced parents. She's Everygirl.  The love interest, Edward the Vampire, is NOT the bad boy dark angel he's been often been assumed to be.  He's protective to a fault, chivalrous, caring, intelligent, and beautiful in face and form.   Not hard to see why the girls are swooning, huh?  He's superman, and he's always there to swoop down and rescue Bella, the protagonist. 

One note:  these books are NOT demonic.  The "otherworldly" elements are confined to vampires and werewolves--no evil spirits, demons, etc.  I don't like stories that fictionalize things that are real.  I don't mind stories that fictionalize fantasy.  

Furthermore, the "I want to bite you, I'm drawn to bite you, but I can't because it would hurt you" is clearly a metaphor for sexual temptation.  And the way Edward treats Bella with tenderness and respect is quite noble.  

If your teenage daughter hasn't read these, might be a good idea for you to read them together and talk about the books.  Does your daughter want an "Edward" or a "Jacob?"  (She'll know what you mean.)  The books even have discussion questions at the end for further reflection. 

Caveat:  I haven't read the fourth book yet, and I understand that in it (trying not to give a spoiler) . . . well, let's just say the relationship deepens in a mature but appropriate way. This may not be a volume you'd want your younger girls to read.  That's a decision only you can make.  I can't say more because I haven't read it yet. 

These books are impossible to put down--and I rarely say that about any book. The adventures are adolescent, but they've made me feel seventeen again . . . and that's not an easy thing to do.  :-)  

The movie?  Like all movies, if you read the book first, you'll be able to "fill in the pieces" as you watch and you should find it an enjoyable experience.  I would definitely recommend reading first.  

So--who else has read them? What did you think? 

~~Angie

I'm off . . . on vacation!

If this is Sunday, I'm heading out on vacation!  Hubby and I are taking a cruise, leaving the country, and we'll probably be incommunicado for a few days.  But I promise to share pictures when we get back, and then I really have to get to work! 

As you may recall, I've been not-under-a-deadline for the last couple of months, and my time of leisure is coming to an end.  It's been fun--I've done lots of reading, lots of research, and written several proposals.  I've rid the house of rats.  Time off is good for the soul. 

But hey--we also have a new Book of the Month coming up--the new edition of DREAMERS is hitting the market in December, and my box of books arrived the other day, so I'll have to give a copy away.  So please stay tuned! 

Off to sea!

Angie 

The Book Quote Game

The Book Quote Game

Share

Yesterday at 9:21am

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence along with these instructions in a note to your wall, and post your sentence in a comment here as well.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual.

The above comes from Kay Day's facebook page . . . and is perfect because I've been getting ready to go on vacation and have very little to say! 

My book:  DREAMERS, by Angela Hunt (I know that's cheesy, but it's closest because it just came in!) 

"This lad, when correctly harnessed, would pull more than his share of the workload." 

What's yours? 

Me and Glen

I had a thoughtful moment yesterday when I realized the date was November 20th. That day will forever belong to Glenn, the young man you see pictured with a very young me.  That photo was taken in 1977, the year we sang together in the ReGeneration. 

Glenn was my "mike partner"--meaning that we shared a microphone, a stage position, and pretty much sang into each other's faces every night. Glenn and I had something else in common, too, though we only talked about it to each other.  You see, ReGen had ten singers and was known for its exceptionally low bass singer and very high soprano singer.  When those two were respectively lifting the rafters and growling like a bass fiddle, someone else had to cover the lead, so there was another first soprano and another bass.  That would be me and Glenn.  We often joked about being the anonymous "couple on the end", i.e, spare parts, but it really wasn't a big deal.  And trust me--once I developed nodes on my vocal chords, I was grateful to not be the only one singing the soprano part. 

Anyway, Glenn was like the brother I never had.  His birthday was Nov. 20th, mine was Dec. 20th. We wore the same size shoe.  (Not sure I should confess that in public.) :-)  He was funny, charming, handsome, and his voice was like velvet.  I still love listening to him on the albums we recorded. 

Glenn was also the first person I knew personally who died of AIDS.  I didn't find out until a couple of years after he died, because we'd come off the road and gone our separate ways. I knew he was living a gay lifestyle, but he would never admit that to me. 

He brought the AIDS crisis home to my heart. When I heard the news, I mourned him and wrote his mother, who wrote me back and gave me the full story about how Glenn had gone home to his family and had been reconciled with the Lord and his parents before he died.  

Ever since, I've had a heart of compassion for gay people . . . yes, I'm appalled by the way some have refused to accept the will of the majority with Proposition Eight out in California, but still I think of Glenn . . . and I know there's hope.  But we have to see people as people, and not as groups or causes. 

I don't think this post really has a point today, other than to take a moment to reflect upon a young man who lived briefly . . . but touched more lives than he knew.  

~~Angie 

Rest in peace

Found my first dead rat today.  Outside, right by the place where I figured they were getting into the house.  

Now . . . do I owe him a rat funeral?  I do feel grateful that he died outside the house, rather than IN it. 

Maybe I could establish a little rat graveyard in the flower beds . . . 

~~Angie

The Black Hole

My hubby and I found this short video the other day--it's cute.   Gary saw the punch line coming a mile away, but I was caught by surprise.  :-) 

Watch it here. 

Speaking of mouse holes, we have rats in our attic.  Ugh. Especially around dusk, I hear the pitter patter of little feet over my head . . . 

~~Angie 

Love Those Grandbabies!

Because I don't have grandbabies yet, one of my dear friends was kind enough to share pictures of her adorable granddaughter. 

Can't you just SEE this girl's personality?  

~~Angie

Historical Fiction?

What have I been doing lately?  Writing proposals.  Researching.  Learning about neurolinguistic programming. And getting ready to write an article on historical fiction. 

A couple of months ago, Robin Jones Gunn and I put our heads together while we went out for Five Guys Burgers--and a Five Guys Burger can inspire you to move mountains.  :-)   Robin really has a heart for Christian writers overseas, and she knows that they don't have a wealth of conferences to attend like Christian writers in the States do.  One organization, Media Associates International, helps foreign writers learn the craft, but they can always use donations.  So--how can American novelists help? 

We enlisted dozens of our writing friends, and we're helping compile a handbook for writing Christian fiction--involving over 100 authors, I think, and covering every topic we could think of.  The resulting book will be published by Tyndale House, and all royalties will go to help finance scholarships to MAI's international writers' conferences.  I'll let you know more when the book is ready to roll off the presses. 

So--I've already contributed an article on my plot skeleton, and today I have to write an article on writing historical fiction.  I've already asked my Facebook friends for points to cover, but I could use your help, too:  why do you like historical fiction?  As a reader, what makes historical fiction enjoyable or special from contemporary fiction? 

Thanks for dropping by today.  Ahh--by this time next week, I'll be on VACATION!  

Photo: My six-year-old only-bloomed-once orchid is blooming like crazy! Buds all over!

~~Angie 

Amazing Woman

Elsi sent me a link to this video of an amazing Chinese woman!  It's in Chinese, but that doesn't matter because the images speak for themselves.  Enjoy--and be ready to be inspired! 

~~Angie 

Just a-swingin'

Do you remember swinging as a kid?  There is/was a little neighborhood park around the corner from my house, and I remember going there and swinging . . . and no matter how hard I pushed and pulled and tried to go high, I never seemed to move beyond a certain point of the arc . . . and I think I would have scared myself silly if I had. 

To recapture the experience, watch this video . . . just be sure to hang on to something while you're watching! 

~~Angie 

Art in Water?

I love the way some artists are able to see the potential for art in ordinary things--trash, paper, architecture, water? 

Take a look at this water fountain in Japan.  Watch the art as it falls.  Amazing, isn't it?  

~~Angie 

Netflix Origami

I've been a Netflix member for years . . . in fact, I hardly ever go to the theater anymore, because it's just so nice to have movies delivered to my home.  

Anyway, my friend Kathy directed me to this page for Netflix origami.  Now those of us who hate throwing anything useful away can recycle our disposable Netflix mail flaps and create something truly fun.  Isn't that little box adorable?  I want to learn how to make that one so I can amuse my dinner companions whenever I'm at slow-moving banquets . . .   :-) 

~~Angie 

Ever Wanted to Make a Foreign Film?

LOL! Here's your chance!  Watch this example and then make your own subtitled movie. What fun! 

BTW, I'd like to call your attention to a new entry on my blogroll (that list of blogs to the right).  This is the place where I mention Blogs That Did Not Ask to Be Here.  :-)  These are the blogs I love to visit myself, when I have time. 

The new entry, Dirty Harry's Place, is by a blogger who primarily blogs about values in film and the film industry.  But I've really enjoyed and agreed with his blogs on politics--read his entry for November 9th, if you have a minute.  From what I've read, I think he's a classy, articulate, hero kind of guy.  And I don't even know his name!  :-) 

Now, speaking of film, enjoy this Bollywood movie (films made in India are "Bollywood" films. Some of them are really fun.) 

~~Angie

Marching to a Different Drummer

Do you have a child who marches to the beat of a "different drummer?"  If so, you should appreciate and enjoy this little film, created by four students.  It lasts eight minutes, but it's really precious.  

And a heartfelt salute to those who have served our country in times of war and peace. Have a memorable Veterans' Day! 

~~Angie

Christmas Gift-Giving Ideas

If you're like me, a sense of frustration can grow with the approaching Christmas season.  When the children are grown, it's easy to look at our gift list and realize how blessed we truly are--because we don't really need anything under our Christmas tree.  

I also pity the poor postman, who has already begun bringing me pounds and pounds of Christmas catalogs.  I have a tendency to order online and from catalogs, so that means I get a ton of them every autumn. 

Last week, however, the mail man brought me a little catalog that has really tickled my fancy. I call it "Cows for Christmas" or "Heifers for the Holidays" and maybe you'll like the idea, too. 

The book is filled with ideas for gift giving:  for instance, for $120, you can give a goat to a poor family in Peru. The goat can supply a family with several quarts of milk a day, plus provide them with the means to make cheese, butter, ,or yogurt. The goat manure is used to fertilize a family's garden. And if someone else in town has a male goat, there will soon be little goats running all around . . . 

Or, if you'd like to spread your gifts around, $10 will buy a share in a goat.  Your gifts will be combined with others to provide a goat.  

Isn't this a great idea?  The little catalog from www.heifer.org explains how you can give pigs, heifers, sheep, rabbits, bees, water buffalo, and seedings.  Most of all, your gift can give hope. 

So visit www.heifer.org and request a catalog . . . or place your order online.  I'm going to talk to the hubby about doing this for Christmas.  Why give someone another appliance to stick under the kitchen counter when you could give a sheep to a family who knits?  :-)  

~~Angie 

P.S.  This review of THE FACE released today. Amazing, isn't it? 

WOW!!!  This one single word sums up this powerful novel.  Phenomenal author Angela Hunt never disappoints, and THE FACE is the best novel she has penned to date.  I predict it will make a huge impact and win a multitude of awards.  Every single character is vibrant and over-the-top, bringing each and every page alive and pulsating with life, and the characters themselves jump right off the paper and into your heart.  Written in alternating chapters that feature Sarah's and Renee’s first person voices, THE FACE is a commanding piece of work.  It’s a blockbuster novel that deserves every award out there.  I don’t have the power to bestow such accolades, but I can award it a Perfect Ten.  Even at this early date, I will also pronounce THE FACE to be a strong contender for RRT's Best Book of the Year award -- it is nothing less than an extraordinary work of fiction.

Diana Risso

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