Hello Spring!

Tulips welcoming spring

Crab apple tree enjoying the sunshine

Willow tree branching out

Easter Happiness, Easter Joy!

CC by Wordless Thursday

Easter comes as the flowers bloom and the earth wakes up with greening leaves and blooming buds. The beauty of the earth surrounds us and the promise of warm weather lingers on the edge of the day. Children search for eggs fashioned with colors and designs and even find baskets filled with treats. The fun of Easter blesses us with happiness. The joy of Easter fills us with hope. I praise God for his son and the love he showed us. I've posted an Easter devotion at http://encouragementjourney.blogspot.com/2014/04/he-has-risen.html. I'd love for you to read it then share an Easter blessing. 

Value of Libraries

I was asked to write a letter to the editor of our local paper. The branch manager at the library explained that the library levy was set to come up in May. I was happy to oblige. The letter was published in both local papers along with others who voiced the need for the levy to pass. I want to share the letter here because I believe that we need libraries in all communities. If your library is up for vote, please show support. As a reader and a writer, I appreciate what the public library has to offer.

Dear Editor:

When I was a little girl, I loved visiting the library. I’d roam through the stacks seeking a story that would sweep me into another time or place. Little Women, Ann of Green Gables, Marguerite Henry’s horse tales, including Misty of Chincoteague entertained me for hours. As an adult with young children, I took my daughters to the library for books, videos and music. We’d read stories together and pick out movies for family night. When I worked at a public library I loved matching patrons with books, especially children. Many of the senior population depended on the library’s resources.

Now this wonderful public service has evolved to offer not only books, magazines, and newspapers. They also have ebooks, DVDs, books on CD, digital downloads, large print books, homebound delivery, free programs for children, teens and adults, meeting rooms for public use, computers, and so much more. Many children look forward to the library’s summer reading program. The activities and challenges offer a wonderful way for kids to keep up their reading skills during the summer. One of my favorite aspects of the library is the web site. It offers easy access to books and items across the state of Ohio. I can place a hold on a book from a library in Toledo and the currier carries it to southern Ohio for me to check out. They also have the latest best sellers in fiction and nonfiction and offer assistance for job seekers.

In May, the citizens of our county will have the opportunity to renew the levy for the public libraries. What a privilege to be part of the renewal process. When the levy passes the average homeowner will pay less than the price of a quarter pounder (per month) for all of these offerings. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to see the levy pass. If you aren’t a library user, go to one of the branches and check out the incredible resources available to all users. Then show up at the polls and vote yes for our library.

What do you love about your library?

Book Review: What Follows After by Dan Walsh

Back Cover Summary:

In October 1962, Colt Harrison and his little brother, Timmy, hatched a plan. They would run away from their Florida home, head for their aunt's house in Savannah, Georgia, and refuse to come home until their parents got back together. But things go terribly, terribly wrong. Colt's mother and father must come to grips with years of neglect and mistrust in order to recover their beloved sons, their love for one another, and their broken marriage.

I loved this well-written page-turner written by an author who goes right to the heart of the story. Dan allows the reader a peek into the present, then sweeps them into 1962. I would have been five years old when the story took place. The memories I have from that era are confirmed by his thorough research and well painted picture of the times. He incorporates the American Dream, of those times, and the views on family and life as he tells the story of a broken family and their journey to recovery.

I finished the book in two days, which is rare for me. As a reader, I sometimes struggle with books written by male authors, but Dan has his finger on the pulse of the characters' emotions as he places them in a world of fear, faith, and love. If you enjoy well-written, fast-paced stories about family and faith, read What Follows After. Five + stars.

Waiting for Spring

Every garden needs a little gnome. He's patiently waiting for spring.

Summer of Joy by Ann. H. Gabhart

Summer of Joy

Summary from back cover: 

For Jocie Brooke, the summer of 1964 certainly was eventful, but it's nothing compared to what's coming to Hollyhill, Kentucky, and the Brooke family next. The past is coming to call, threatening to destroy the relationships that everyone thought were so strong. Two people--one thought to be gone for good and the other no one's ever heard of--are making their way to the small town. And it promises trouble for everyone.

Review:

Ann Gabhart spins a pleasing tale of family, love, and small town life in Summer of Joy. Set in the 1960s while men go to Vietnam and the Beetles sing about love, David balances work, a congregation and an eclectic family. Leigh loves David and wants more than anything to join his lovable clan.

Hollyhill is full of quirky and lovable characters layered with lives of complication, compassion, and faith. I enjoyed meeting each one and watching them bloom. Ann does an amazing job creating the people in this small town. From young Jocie, the local archivist and wanna be journalist to Zella, romance reader and top notch Christian, readers will love the entertaining story lines as the folks are intertwined in each others’ lives. I enjoyed stepping back in time to a slower pace. Grab a cup of coffee and slip into this touching story, sprinkled with comedy and suspense.

Photos from http://www.annhgabhart.com/index.html

Spring!