Musings from Gilead...the Hopeful Homestead.

Saturday Bliss...

HI!  I've had another great day with the girls!  We went to the B-Ball awards program, then to the "mall" to get E's ears pierced & do a bit of shopping for pants.  (Far too busy for us, though we'll go back on a week day, but the ears are done at last!)  Then we went to Goodwill where I scored 8 small white Pfaltzgraff bread plates for $2.14 (tax included!)  They make perfect "snack" plates for the Ladies' tea set.  The 1st Saturday of every month our Goodwill has everything 1/2 off!  Well worth the trip!  We rounded out the afternoon at the bookstore where I finally got my own copy of Square Foot Gardening (I have it so often from the library there's a copy in my van right now, waiting to be returned!)

Another great book I found at the library this week is Green Housekeeping It's a housekeeping book so well written, it makes you want to read it cover to cover (maybe w/ a highlighter)  I plan on getting my own copy ASAP as it's full of info I know I'll want to refer back to again and again.  It's like every great housekeeping and organizing system all rolled into one, and all from an environmentally friendly perspective!  It's great!  -But very relaxed in approach too...(buy towels that match your local dirt color for instance, so dirt shows less & drives you crazy less as well!)

So... That's how I'm spending my weekend... reading up on housekeeping and gardening.  Getting back into my "homestead groove"  and putting some of the things I've read into practice.  A great way to spend the weekend if you ask me!  Have a blessed weekend!

Peace~

Shari

Finished some books

New Contest

I just entered a contest for this book,

check it out, it sounds really good!

From My Bookshelf...

So I just finished Mortgage Free by Rob Roy.  Good book, if you're into that "practical adice on how to work hard, build you own home, and live mortgage (aka: death pledge) free" kinda book.  Which I am.  Especially helpful are the appendices at the back covering everything from "where you're at now" charts, to booklists for further reading, to a list of building schools in the US.  Besides that it was a very entertaining read.  I reccommend it if you're thinking of doing the owner-builder thing.

Peace~ Shari

PS 2 down, 13 to go for my personal Fall Into Reading Challenge!  WOOHOO!!

My Bookshelf

Well, I just finished the first book from my "Fall into Reading" reading list, Just Shy of Harmony, and it was as good as the first book I read by Phillip Gulley, Home to Harmony.  His characters are very real and struggle with real life issues, from gossip to lukemia, to a pastor losing his faith.  I won't say too much in case you want to read it, but I think they're great books. 

I'm almost done with Mortgage Free by Rob Roy also. (I often have one Non-Fiction and one Fiction going at the same time to give me options depending on what I feel like reading...) This one is good practical advice, since we're thinking about building a home in the future since the place we had our hearts set on sold, and we've not found much else.  I've always hoped to live in a house I've designed, so maybe some day!  His section about basements and affordable home size made me re-vamp the house I've been drawing and we're both VERY happy with what I've come up with.  I think we could actually afford to build it at just 24 x36 feet! 

Anyway, Just thought I'd hop on to update my list, hope you're all  having a blessed Sunday!

Peace~

Shari

Fall into Reading Challenge

Hey... I found that Katrina over at Callapidder Days  is having a Fall into Reading Challenge!  This is the same theme I've come up with for my girls' next reading challenge, so I thought I'd take it on, too!

Ok... I don't know all the details yet, but I wanted to get my post & list going so here 'tis...

I decided this was just for me, so this won't include our read-alouds, etc... with the girls other than to say we're mid-Peter & the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and starting the 1st Harry Potter book.  onward...

Mortgage Free: Rob Roy

The Independant Scholar's Handbook: Ron Gross (re-reading for the nth time)

Sailing the Wine Dark Seas: Why the Greeks Really Matter: Thomas Cahill

Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus: Thomas Cahill

As many of the No. 1 Ladies Dective Agency Books by Alexander McCall Smith as I can find through the libraries here: Currently looking for #2 Morality For Beautiful Girls (maybe somethingelse by him as well.)

Same for the Harmony books by Philip Gulley: Just got # 2: Just Shy of Harmony

And also The Covington Novels by Joan Medlicott: Beginning #3- From the Heart of Covington

The Girl Who Married a Lion & Other Tales from Africa: Alexander McCall Smith

Home Comforts: Cheryl Mendelson (maybe I'll finish it this time)

Welcome to the Church Year: An Introduction to the Seasons of the Episcopal Church: Vicki K. Black

and just to be crazy I'll add: The Odyssey: Homer (I may slow down on the other novels to add this in...)

Oh! and one more... I'm beginning to read The Western Experience: Vol I (a world hist. text I got for a quarter at the Library book sale to use to study for a CLEP)

SOOOooooooo.  I guess I'll need to blog less, read more.

I'm hoping that this extra bit of accountability will help me stop procrastinating on a few of these I've really wanted to read.  HAPPY FALL!!! & HAPPY READING  (now... where'd I put my glasses..................hmmm.)