The Lindsay Clan

And Baby Makes Four!

That's right, FOUR!  Pat and I are expecting a baby the first of June.  I'm telling you, we are as surprised as most of you.  Considering our baby-making history, we were certain that we were done with three.  In fact, Pat just started speaking in full sentences again. (I think he rocked in a corner for 2 days after I told him.)  Gabe is thrilled though.  He really, really, really wants a baby sister and he really wants to name her Sonic.  (We're all with him on the gender but not sold on the name.)  Actually, we just want a healthy baby first (though our house could use some pink and bows!)

I'm 13 weeks along and glad to be leaving the first trimester behind me! I'm lucky-- I don't get morning sickness but food is not my friend for awhile.  And anyone who knows me, knows how much I enjoy eating!  Mostly I've just been tired a lot...I can nap at the drop of a pin.  But mostly I've felt pretty good and I'm exicted for the next six months.

Fall Fun!

Calvin has decided that Fall is the best time of year simply for the piles of leaves that Dad stacks up just for him. 

He will sit and roll and wiggle and throw and squeal for hours!  He comes in with very flushed cheeks and his clothes full of leaves.  Looks like fun doesn't it?

 

It's a book about what??

Yes- it is a book about rabbits but I promise you, after 2 chapters you will not care nor even think about the fact that you are reading about a bunch of bunnies.  Watership Down is an incredible novel for all ages and types and is a must read.

The story is universal and like all great stories, can be understood at the most simple level or one can go much, much deeper.  It is a classic allegory that reflects modern issues.  Anybody ever worry about government run amuck?  Personal choice?  Fighting for your way of life, beliefs, loved ones?  How about society giving up freedom for perceived safety?  Hmmm….sound familiar?  All of these themes are explored and laid bare within this extraordinary novel. 

One thing I promise- you will fall in love with this “family” by the end of the 500+ pages.  And if, at the book’s conclusion, you aren’t crying (or at least choked up), then you have no soul.  (Alright that might be a little harsh, but it is very touching.)

 
"If a rabbit gave advice and the advice wasn't accepted, he immediately forgot it, and so did everyone else."

Blackberry: Men have always hated us.
Holly: No. They just destroyed the warren because we were in their way.
Fiver: They'll never rest until they've spoiled the earth.

I Interrupt this Book Report for a Friday Fill-in

1. The last band I saw live was U2. (I was pregnant with the twins…sheesh, I need to get out more!)
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is stuffing and cranberry sauce. (It's official. I'm old. Old people look forward to stuffing. Young people look forward to sticking olives on their fingers.)
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is already behind schedule.
4. Thoughts of leaving work fill my head.
5. I wish I could wear cropped jackets. (My friend Amy looks so fabulous in these. I just look like one big pear in them.)
6. Bagpipes are so fun to listen too. (We here at the Lindsay Clan take our heritage seriously and that includes kilts and bagpipes.)
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a mountain of laundry to fold, tomorrow my plans include watching the Utes stomp on BYU and Sunday, I want to teach my last RS lesson!

Landscapes and Lives

I’m not the type of person that has to read everything that one particular author as ever, ever written.  That’s no fun; it’s like eating only M&M’s.  Sure they’re tasty, but then you miss out on Snickers, and MilkyWays and Starbursts.  Variety…variety is always the way to go.  That said, I do have several authors that I felt I needed to include more than one of their novels on my list.  Barbara Kingsolver is one of those authors.  While she has written many books, 2 met my criteria of “moving, shaping, and changing me”- Animal Dreams and The Poisonwood Bible. 

 

I read Animal Dreams first.  It tells the story of a young woman who returns to the small town in which she was raised (a town she had hoped to had left behind her) to care for her Alzheimer stricken father.  Her story talks of changes and responsibilities- those of the environment, of her family, of herself and of healing.  Running parallel is the story of her sister and the relationship they have.  Together, these two storylines create a bittersweet, heartbreaking, and cathartic experience for the reader.

 

Lesson Learned:  We are all responsible for that which surrounds us- the Environment, our community, our family, and ourselves.

 

Shortly after it, I read The Poisonwood Bible.  I must warn you- this story is not for the faint of heart.  It is harsh and complex, rich and rewarding, exhausting and uplifting.  It is a story told by the wife and four daughters of an exacting, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it--from garden seeds to faith--is terribly transformed on African soil. What follows is touching and tragic story of one family's undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.

 

Lesson learned:  The post-colonization history of Africa is a sickening mess.  On a more personal level- you cannot teach people if you choose not to understand them. The good and bad in life is inevitable, but the way you allow it to change you, is not. 

 

 

Codi:  "So you think we all just have animal dreams.  We can't think of anything to dream except our ordinary lives."
Lloyd:  "Only if you have an ordinary life.  If you want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life."

“Why is it that only girls stand on the sides of their feet?  As if they're afraid to plant themselves?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"My little beast, my eyes, my favorite stolen egg. Listen. To live is to be marked. To live is to change, to acquire the words of a story, and that is the only celebration we mortals really know.”

My First Favorites

The first books are no-brainers and ones that should be on most people's "must read" list (I'll excuse anyone under the age of 15).  I would go so far as to say they should be on people's "must read often" list. Everyone should read the classics, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and The Good Earth.

These are very formative novels for me as my mom gave them to me to read when I was around 14.  Though at the time I didn't realize it, each of these books shaped my views on class, race, and gender.  All 3 have very similiar views on work ethic as well though they are presented in very, very different ways.  Mockingbird and Tree  are both told from a young girl's viewpoint.  Earth's main character is a Chinese peasant.  Each character explores their relationships with parent(s), siblings, and the world around them in very poignant, touching, sad, and funny ways.  Though harsh at times, each one of these novels will move and inspire you- I promise.

 

"The simple raw imagery of THE GOOD EARTH won Pearl S. Buck the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1932. Its poignant portrayal of a poor farmer's life and his bond with the land is as relevant to our own ancestral roots as it is to rural China. Wang Lung, the central figure around which the entire narrative revolves, is a man of many complexities depicted by his relationships with his wife, his father, his children and his village."  Full review...

 

"The novel is a total masterpiece. At almost 500 hundred pages there is not a thing I’d cut- not a chapter, paragraph, sentence, nor word. It is a work of fiction the equal of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, and some other great works like John Steinbeck’s The Grapes Of Wrath, Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend, Charles Johnson’s Oxherding Tale, and the best of Kurt Vonnegut and William Kennedy. In fact, it might be the best of the bunch."  Full review...

 

 

"They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions," said Atticus, "but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself.  The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience." -Atticus Finch

My friends always called me "The Librarian"

I was just reading a friend's blog about reading and reading good books.  I thought it was serendipitous as I had been thinking a lot about my love of reading lately.  (I know, I know…what type of nerd thinks in depth about that kind of thing?  I admit; I get geeky about books!)  A little background: I read a lot.  Books are piled under my bed, around my bedside table, in closets, I have boxes of books in my basement, and a book shelf stacked 2-3 deep. Poor Pat often finds himself a book widower when I get into a good one.  In my defense, he absolutely knew what he was marrying—I’ve always been this way.  I won’t stay up past 2 am for many things, but I surely will for a book.

I love all types of books.  The English major in me loves the snobbish, high-lit novels.  The Historian in me loves the expose on colonization or the Great War. The geek in me loves the fantasy trilogy and sci-fi series.  And the dreamy girl in me loves the romance where the heroine always gets her guy. 

More than enjoyment, however, books have shaped who I am.  Some reads have deepened my understanding of people, other books have introduced me to new cultures, and still others have opened my mind to new ideas and concepts.  I love closing a book and feeling that I am a better person for having read it.

People often ask me if I have a favorite.  I really don’t- that’s like asking someone if they like chocolate ice cream or strawberry shortcake better: it all depends on your mood.  I do, however, have books that I love. And I love them for lots of different reasons.  As I said at the beginning of this very, very long post- I’ve been thinking a lot about the books I love lately and I’ve compiled a list of not only my favorites but books that have challenged me, shaped me, and moved me.  And because I’ve already gotten a little wordy with this entry, I’m going to post this list in chunks.  So- if you don’t care much about reading, you can skip those upcoming entries but I hope you don’t.  I hope you read the list and pick out a few that look good to you.  And I hope you love these books I much as I do.

Happy Halloween! (2 weeks late....)

Happy Birthday Blog!

It's been one year since I started our blog.  It sure has flown and alot has happened since then !

Here are our new stats:

Lindsay Clan Update-

Gabe- Age 7  Loves Legos, karate, and The Old Spagetti Factory
Calvin- Age 29 months.  Loves Elmo, pancakes and dancing
Josh- Age 29 months.  Loves Thomas, chapstick, and shoes
Michele- Age 30ish.  New loves are blogging and yoga.  Still crazy about her guys!
Pat- Age still older than Michele.  New loves are insulating the basement :)  and his leaf blower. 

I'm so glad I have this record and I'm excited to down load it to publish in book form.  I've heard that its alot of work but very nice to have.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Blech!

Story of the past year for me.  Does work every make you feel this way?