Book Review ~ The Midwife of St. Petersburg

 Karena Peshkova is a young Russian landowner's daughter who dreams of following in her mother's footsteps and becoming a midwife and nurse.  Unfortunately, her admittance to medical school is being hindered by the fact that her family has Jewish roots.  

While visiting her cousin who moves in high society Russia, Karena meets a Colonel in the Russian army, who it is said might be her cousin's fiance in the near future.  But sparks fly, good and bad, between Karena and the Aleksnadr Kronstadt.  Leaving Kazan, Karena thinks she will never see the Colonel again, but as Russia moves into turbulent times, her family comes under investigation when her brother becomes involved with the Bolshevik uprising and Karena and her mother must flee the family farm.  As Alex faces his feelings for Karena he must risk his own military career in order to keep her safe and hopefully have a future with her.

This book started off a bit slow for me but really started to pick up once past the first chapter or so.  It was interesting that I picked this up soon after I read "The Kitchen Boy" (review #11) as it is written about the same time period.  This book was also rich in historical detail and while the Kitchen Boy dealt mostly with the Romanov families last days, this story filled in a few details of the uprising and turbulent time that brought the Tsar down.  

The fictional story was very interesting and the growing attraction between the main characters was sweet.  The tension from the events surrounding the uprising and how the family was dragged into it really kept this book a page turner for me.  However, there was many loose ends left at the end of the story.  It's like it was written with a part 2 in mind but no part 2 is there that I can find.  It's unfortunate, because I would have loved to have found out what happened to each character.  The author wrote the characters so well and I really became invested in them as the story went on.  In the end, I felt like I was left hanging with so many things left unresolved.  Still I really enjoyed the story though to me it was not a stand alone story left as it was.

For more of my reviews on The Spring Reading Thing and books I've read this year go here.

Friday's Fave Five #136

Hello everyone and welcome to Friday's Fave Five.  Please join us as we look back over the week and find those things that were blessings and uplifted us, those things big and small.  This week has been absolutely overwhelming for me as my dear Mom-in-love went to be with Jesus on Easter Sunday morning.  While we grieve she is gone, we also rejoice because she is with the Lord, free from suffering.  She was a dear, sweet woman who always had a big hello and a hug for everyone she came in contact with.  She will be sorely missed.  While I am not going to participate, not because we haven't seen God move and give us blessings in our grief, but simply because of time, I invite you to take a look back over your week and notice at how God might be moving in your days, even if you are experiencing hard ones.  I'll be back next week when I can breathe.

Taking a little break

I'm just popping in to say that I am taking and need to take a bit of a bloggy break.  Things are going on healthwise within the extended family that are taking my full attention, time and emotion. Which makes trying to think of something to blog about really difficult for me.  Also my oldest is arriving tomorrow for a visit and I just don't get to see her nearly as much as I would like so I'll be spending as much time as I can with her.

Friday's Fave Five will be cancelled for this week only because of Good Friday.  Instead, I pray we would think on what Jesus sacrificed for us and then celebrate His Resurrection on Sunday!   May you have a blessed Easter! and we'll see you sometime next week.

"People say the cross is a sign of how much man is worth. That’s not true. The cross is a sign of how depraved we really are, that it took the death of God’s own Son. The only thing that could save a people like us was the death of God’s own Son under the wrath of His own Father paying the price, rising again from the dead. Powerful to say, this is the Gospel of Jesus." — Paul Washer
"A quote I saw on Barb's blog this week"

Sometimes I just get a whole lot out of a book. 

 And I want to go back and reread.  

Or take a note or ten.  

Or write down a quote.

But paper and pen is in a land far, far away.

  And sometimes that book belongs to another.  

How could that be?

I know.

But it does happen.

What to do when the temptation to underline is too great?

So it dawned on me I had these post it tabby thingies sitting in my drawer doing nothing with their lives. 

Voila, problem solved.

And they're just happy to be out and about doing their thing.

I heart the post it sticky thingies.

Photo Hunter ~ Road

Boy, I've missed participating in Photo Hunter.  It's been awhile.  But hopefully I can get back to it in on a regular basis again. Today's theme is "Road".  I've got just the perfect picture for it.  One my regular reader's saw this past Thursday.  And though you may think it was taken in a past winter it was actually taken Thursday morning after we woke up to a huge, wet blizzard of spring snow.  Gotta love Southern Alberta!

 To check out other takes on the theme of road go here

Friday's Fave Five #135

Hi and welcome to Friday's Fave Five.   I just about put up my winter button this week, and if you want to know why, go here, but I just couldn't do it.  So we keep the tulips and we will move along and look for our favorites out of the week.

1.  This Book.  I originally saw it highly recommended by Carrie and I am so glad I took her recommendation.  It was an excellent read and kept my interest from the first page to the last.  Thanks Carrie.  My review is here (scroll to #11).  That makes 6 completed off my Spring Reading list.

2.  Celebrations.  At our ladies study this week we had a party to celebrate accomplishment of one of the ladies graduating and recieving her Master's degree in psychology.  We have watched her go through a 2 year journey of going back to school and all that entailed to watching God provide for her in every way even when circumstances were saying otherwise.  We've watched her faith grow and we are so excited to see what awaits her.

3.  A purring, cuddly cat.  Lately our cat, Muffin, has gotten back to being affectionate and cuddly once more with me.  She really started to get that way with me last year but when the new puppy, Todd, came to live with us she bolted and pretty much stayed downstairs for the first few months.  She started hanging out in the living room again with us and now she's starting to get affectionate with me once more.  I've missed it so I'm soaking it up when she offers it.

4.  A new jacket.  My jacket's zipper finally bit the dust a couple months ago.  I finally picked up another one last weekend.  I love it.  It's super light weight and yet warm for those colder spring days.  It's keeps out the wind which is a necessity around here, is a gorgeous blue color and best of all it was $30 off.

5.  Sharing a Costco supper with youngest daughter.  It wasn't so much what we ate, it was time spent together, without rushing to be somewhere.

What were your favorites this week?  If you're new you can get details here, then do up a post and join us by adding yourself to Mr. Linky.  Please link your specific post and not your home page so it makes it easier for others to come by and read your FFF post.  Have a great weekend everyone.

The Never Ending Story, It Seems

Hello and welcome to Living to Tell the Story.
What is my story, you ask?

Well, I'll give you a hint.
These pictures are not from this past winter.

They were indeed taken early this morning.

This April 14th morning.

My story is snow.

And lots of it, branch breaking, heavy, wet snow.

I must admit, though, it is all my fault.

I take full responsibility.

You see, I sent all the snow suits home with the dayhome kids early this week.

And I had the audacity to pack away the shovels.

Shhh, but don't tell anyone here.

I think it's absolutely beautiful.

Stunningly gorgeous.

He, however, is not impressed.

Monday Mish Mash

It is finally starting to look a bit like spring around here with some sun and blue skies poking through.  On the weekend, we just had to take advantage of those moments and took some walks with the dog who very much appreciated getting out there.  We took our first walk in the riverbottom park yesterday.  It started off beautiful but within minutes of getting going the wind came up and clouds rolled in.  But because we were fairly protected by the trees it was still a nice walk.  The dog thought he was in heaven.  So much to sniff he didn't know where to go first.

Saturday I got my monthly massage.  This is something that is a need for me due to some neck and back issues so don't be too jealous because it is not necessarily a relaxing experience.  This session was one of those times where it was not so much fun.  She beat me up good.  Not really, but it sure felt like it when she was working some of those knots out. I almost felt myself automatically calling up the breathing exercises they taught in prenatal.   She told me I'd feel tender but better the next day and I told her I'd better or I was looking her up.  We laughed but I wonder if she thought I was serious.  I was.  No, not really, I'm kidding.  But I was thoroughly exhausted for the rest of that day.  Whew.

Hubby was a sweetheart and treated us to supper that night.  We couldn't decide between pizza and chinese food so we ordered pizza from a place in town that has really unusual kinds of pizza.  They compete in the international pizza competitions in Las Vegas and have come in as high as Top 13.  We got one of our favorites with ttomato sauce, mozza, provolone, feta prosciutoo, tomatoes and fresh grated parmesan.  My mouth waters as I type this.  Then we tried a new one to add a bit of "chinese" food flavor in there.  It had honey garlic sauce (instead of tomato sauce), chicken, pineapple, bacon, sliced almonds and cheddar.  It was really different and really good.

I've finished reading 5 books off my Spring Reading Thing challenge.  I'm three behind from how many I've read at this point last year, but that's okay because I've done 3 non-fictions in the last month which if you know me, is a minor miracle.  If you're interested at all, the reviews are here.  Scroll to #'s 6 through 10.  I'd love for you to comment (I always love to hear what you think about different titles) but please mention the name of the book you are commenting on in your comment.  The blog is set up so that one year's reads and reviews all end up as a running post.  It's easier that way to link in my sidebar. But if you don't mention the title it gets a little confusing.

So that's about it for my rambling thoughts on a Monday morning.  How was your weekend?

Friday's Fave Five #134

It's Friday and that means looking back over the week and finding five favorite things from out of your week.  What were your favorites?  Here are mine:

1.  Cadbury Mini Eggs.   Oh, how I love these.  Oh, how I shouldn't be buying them.  Oh, but I did.  And oh, how I ate them.  I won't even tell you how many.  But oh, were they ever good!

2.  This just made me grin ear to ear.  And it made me cry.   I asked my oldest if she thought we could ever talk her Dad into something like this when the time comes.  I better start praying about it now while I have unlimited time.  LOL.  But it would be so fun.




3.  Tulips.  Bet you didn't know it was my favorite.  As if the button wasn't a hint.  I bought my first bouquet of the season.  I chose red with yellow for this week.  Next week I might go purple.  Or orange.  Or pink.  Or maybe some of all the colors.  :v)

4.  A clean sink.  I don't always accomplish a totally empty sink scrubbed shiny at night but when I do it sure feels good.  And looks great.  Hubby has surprised me a couple of times this week by finishing up what's left in there and doing it before I get up in the morning.  That's really nice!

5.  Organizing shows like "Enough Already with Peter Walsh".  Shows like that motivate me to declutter and keep things organized.  I need the visual.  There is something about watching the process that someone else goes through that lights the fire under me.

What have been your favorites from the week?  Share in a post and sign on up on the Mr. Linky.  Then don't forget to visit around a bit.  That is the other half of the fun.

Book Tour ~ Lazarus Awakening

"Lazarus Awakening - Finding Your Place in the Heart of God" by Joanna Weaver


Publisher's Summary:  
For many of us, moving the truth of God's love from our heads to our hearts is a lifelong process. As we consider our inadequacies or grieve our shattered dreams, we find it difficult to believe that God cares for us personally.

Now, in the final installment of her renowned Bethany trilogy, best-selling author Joanna Weaver shows you how to embrace the truth that Jesus loves you apart from anything you accomplish, apart from anything you bring. Just as He called Lazarus forth to new life, Jesus wants to free you to live fully in the light of His love, unbound from the graveclothes of fear, regret, and self-condemnation.

My Thoughts:

This was my first book to read by this author and I will definitely be reading the other two books in this series (the Bethany Trilogy).  Joanna Weaver takes the story of Lazarus and does an indept study on the idea that Jesus loves us apart from anything we bring to the table, in this book focusing on Lazarus.   From the time Jesus receives the message Lazarus is gravely ill and could He please come, to Jesus tarrying to finally arriving and giving Lazarus the gift of resurrection and life again, the author takes us through lessons that show us that even in the hardest times, God has a plan, and truly loves us and that He can move us from those things that entomb us and keep us in grave clothes to true freedom and living in truth.

Though an indepth study, I found this book easy to read and took many, many notes.  I especially liked the 10 week study in the back that can be used with small groups and the appendixes that teach "who we are in Christ",  "Identifying Strongholds", and "Hints for Unwinding Grave clothes".  If I had one criticism of the book if would be the small sections within each chapter that were intermittently stuck in in a grey blocked area.  While the thoughts and info in them were great to read I find them distracting to the body of the text.  I either had to stop reading the main body or remember to go back and read them.  But that is just a personal preference and I definitely would recommend this to anyone struggling to know God's love for them or for anyone wanting to help those who struggle.

Thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah for a free copy for review.  All opinions are my own.

To purchase a copy you can go here.

Monday Mish Mash

Welcome to spring in Southern Alberta!

This was the scene we woke up to  first thing Saturday morning.  Our winter storm warning was no April Fool's Day joke.  Or maybe it was.  A cruel, cruel joke nature played upon us.

What you don't see in these pictures is that the snow is actually coming down.  And it came down all. day. long.  By the time it took a break there was more than a foot of snow on that bbq.  A foot of heavy, wet, cold snow.  Sigh.

But did that keep us hearty Southern Albertan hunkered down in our homes.  Nope.  I still went to the Wally Mart.  I mean when one needs cleaning and laundry supplies, one needs cleaning and laundry supplies.  That's just the way it is.  And who let's a little winter storm warning stop them.  Not us, if the crowded Wally Mart was any indication.

So today, I'm still looking at a bunch of snow on the lawns though it has mostly melted off the roads.  I am so ready for spring!  If anyone is on good terms with nature, can you please put in a good word for us!  It would be muchly appreciated!

Friday's Fave Five #133

Welcome to Friday and welcome to Friday's Fave Five.  Time to look back over our week and share some of those blessings that have touched our lives.  Looking with intention for blessings even when we have hard weeks helps us to keep perspective and uplifts us, giving us strength to keep on keeping on.  If our week is great, it helps to keep us thankful.  Please join us this week.   For guidelines you can go here.  And now to go on to looking for blessings and try to forget that it's April 1st.  I totally do not enjoy April Fool's Day.  So focusing my mind now:



1.  The novel "Unlocked" by Karen Kingsbury.  Review is here.  Scroll down to #7.  This was on my Spring Reading Thing  list and I was looking forward to reading it.  It didn't disappoint.  I thought it was a great read.

2.  A beautiful sunny, spring day!  It was glorious being outside with the kids and dog playing in the backyard for a few hours today.  I got a good fill of the warmth before the predicted "light" snow that is to come on Sunday.  **Edited to add:  I knew I needed to be thankful for that beautiful day  and soak in every minute I could because, believe it or not, we are now under a winter storm watch for the weekend.  Sigh.  The weatherman really needs to get the memo that it IS SPRING!

3.  Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks delivered by a sweet parent when they brought their child one morning.  I love Starbuck's Chai, nice and spicy, and I love the thought that a parent wanted to be a blessing to me.

4.  Getting back to regular walks with the dog.  Had to hold off on our longer walks for about a week after his "boy dog surgery".   Hubby and I had a good laugh.  On the vet paper it said no long walks and no jumping for about 7 days after surgery.  Tell me how you keep a rambunctious puppy from jumping on furniture and running around.  The day after the anisthetic wore off he was ripping around all over the place no matter what we did.  Anyway, I missed the long walks over the week we didn't do them and can't wait to build back up and surpass our 2 miles a day.

5.  Pasta Carbonara.  I have never had this wonderful creation before.  I made it last night for the first time.  Oh yum, is all I can say.

What have been five of your blessings this last week?  Share them in a post and link on up so that we can come and visit.