Let’s talk about books! 📚 

This past year found me working at one of my favorite places: the public library. I had previously volunteered at school libraries and also worked at the public library as a teen, and being back there—on the other side of the desk!—feels wonderful.

Education and literature are my passions, and so many amazing books passed through my hands this year: books on travel, dogs, biographies, and a plethora of cookbooks; romance stories and historical fiction; picture books galore; graphic novels for all ages and genres; and so many mysteries! I added many books to my mental TBR; however, Reader’s Advisory Librarian Becky Stratford wisely states, “You will never read all the books!” (But, don’t we all want to try? ☺️) So, while I found many I would like to read in the future and many that I felt that I ought to be reading—because they are so popular, I had to keep reminding myself that I will never read all the books!

Being at the stage in my life when I am no longer rereading The Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry to my kiddos every night before bed, I was able to read dozens of books this year. A small few were duds, but many were great. And while it is difficult to choose the best of the year, there are several that I really enjoyed:

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is an adventurous spacecapade about an unlikely astronaut on a mission to save humanity. This science fiction novel is thrilling! I began listening to it on audiobook and quickly went to buy the book so that I could read along with the narrator. There’s a lot of science in this novel, but don’t let that deter you. The story is optimistic and heartwarming, thanks to the plucky main character and his ability to solve problems and keep on keeping on. The movie adaptation is coming in March 2026.

• 
  The Revenant by Michael Punke. In the year 1823, a group of fur traders from St. Louis set out on the Missouri River to establish a fur trading post. Along the way, a member of the company, Hugh Glass, is brutally attacked by a grizzly bear. His companions do not expect Hugh to survive, and they rob him and leave Hugh for dead. But Hugh survives and begins crawling upriver to get his revenge against the men. This gripping story was incredibly narrated in the audiobook version by Holter Graham, and he brought all the characters to life. One amazing aspect to this book is that this is a true story! Hugh Glass really did survive a bear attack and crawl his way back to civilization. This book is gritty and raw, but it leaves the reader with a sense of awe at the willpower of the human spirit.

• 
  Have You Eaten Grandma?: Or, the Life-saving Importance of Correct Punctuation, Grammar, and Good English by Gyles Brandreth. Hilarious book! The cover art and title are comical, and the example sentences the author uses to teach the reader grammar are whimsical and humorous. I laughed out loud many times. This book is so witty and clever, and it is a great tool for teaching English rules.

Give them a try! 

I also wanted to list a few that I saw so many times at the library. These books are in such heavy circulation and are always being requested; it’s rare to find them back on the shelves: The Wedding People by Alison Espach and The Women by Kristin Hannah. Also, anything by Allen Eskens and Freida McFadden. And children love Creepy Crayon by Aaron Reynolds! There’s also Creepy Underwear and Creepy Carrots to keep your child entertained with creepiness night after night.

Thanks for reading my Reading Rainbow 🌈 reviews! To all my reading family and friends, I hope you found a book or two that you loved this year. Remember, “You will never read all the books!” Goodreads wants us to focus on the number of books, but really, it’s about the activity itself and garnering joy and peace with some quiet time with a book. And it’s okay to reread Kevin Sherry every night to your kids. Or Creepy Crayon. 😄 And to my non-reading friends, I hope you were able to engage in a passion or hobby this past year that brought you joy as well. ☺️

What my mom means to me.

Yesterday I received some of the saddest news that a daughter can hear: My mom would be dying soon. The cancer that has been creeping through her body for the past three years has consumed her, and she can no longer fight it. I hesitate to use that phrase--"fight cancer"--as I know that my mom hates it, and she has never wanted to be described as having "battled" cancer. But you know, when you look at the logistics of all the treatments that my mom has endured I would have to use the cliched words to describe what she has undergone. She truly has fought to keep the cancer spots at bay, and she has been willing to try every treatment that her doctors have suggested. But just as every soldier at some point has to put down their sword or gun, my mom has to lay aside the burdens of this world and go to her heavenly home.

Words cannot adequately convey the depth of emotion of how much I will miss my mom. But I wanted to share some of the things that I feel best encompass my mom and her character and the legacy of caring and love that she has cultivated.

What My Mom Means to Me
Love at all times
Laughter often
Tears from laughter
Always a smile
A phone call just to check in and see how your day has gone
Having time to talk
Hearing your full name said in a manner that only mothers can master
A listening ear
Giving advice
Daily emails
Pictures emailed one at a time because she could never figure out how to send them all at once
Calling me "Nik" but spelling it "Nic"
"Nickel-Ann"
Repeated words of wisdom
"The squeaky wheel gets the grease."
"If you don't want to be a doormat then get up off the floor."
"Tow the line."
"If you want it done right then just do it yourself."
Reminders of just who is the parent in my family: myself or my children. "Don't stoop to their level."
A hindey boosh [I am probably spelling that horrendously, but others from my family will know exactly to what I'm referring.]
Delicious foods
Essig kraut and dumplings
Pumpkin bars
Food care packages
Pancakes, french toast, or omelettes on the weekends for breakfast
Swan Lake summer sausage
Canned goods
Pickles!
Hamburger hotdish in the red, wheat bowl
Home made stir fry
Not liking her tacos
Big gardens
Her bewilderment over my lack of enthusiasm towards cooking
Yearly pumpkins for the children
Chic clothing
Going shopping, or as Mom would say "rutching" [I sure wish I knew German.]
Phrases uttered in German and then a chuckle
Frequently wanting to buy me clothing. "You never buy anything for yourself, Nicole. You always find something for the kids and David but not for you."
A screw in her elbow
Watching her do countless floor exercises
Snoring and her mouth wide open
Her love of country decor
Reading biographies
Letting me stay home from school if I would do household chores, especially laundry
Super appreciating my skill at cleaning bathtubs
Remembering important family events
Surprise cards in the mail for my children
Always trying to honor Luke's memory
Her complete anguish over Luke's death
The tender way she snuggles the babies
Teaching me how to give a baby a bath
Wanting to be of service
Coming home and finding that she has washed my dishes for me
Trying to help me and my family in any way that she could
The importance of traditions
Her love of pets
Trying to get me to play a sport in school
Her pride in my academic achievements
Her constant reassurance that I am a great mother and wife and that the life I have chosen is honorable and every bit something to be proud of
Her mannerisms displayed in me
Putting up a brave face for all of us
Being our mountain of strength even though inside she was facing an avalanche
Love at all times
~~~

3/6/13 Note:
I want to thank all who read this tribute for their love and support. It was such an uplifting experience to read your memories of Mom and your testimonies of her character.
I submit here some of the shared memories by you and some more of mine.

A box of Preference blond hair dye
M&M cookies in the school bus box
2% milk (nothing else would do)
Being asked to bike to Hy-Vee to pick up milk ☺
Homemade salad dressing
Atomic "mild" salsa (I couldn't even be in the same room when she was canning this, my eyes watered so badly)
Buying us several slip n' slides for the summer and letting seemingly the entire neighborhood come over to play
Apple trees
Laundry on the line, even socks
Chronic back pain and having Ron "put her back in"
My first trip to Duluth
Supplying flowers for my first garden
Delphiniums and purple cone flower
Porcelain dolls around the house
Extreme generosity
Compassion
Empathy
Learning to embroider
Making her bed for her
A cedar chest full of memorabilia and bridesmaid dresses that I wanted to fit into desperately
A closet full of shoes to use while playing dress up
Clever hiding spot for Christmas presents, but we always knew where they were hidden and we peaked
The importance of family
Compliments. "You're hair is so long, Nic." "You're so thin." And even during her hospice time, "You smell good!"
A Japanese jewelry box that I loved to lock and unlock and stare at the jewels inside
Telling her "five more minutes" in the mornings before school when she would turn on my light to wake me
A cupboard full of Tupperware but not being able to find a bottom and a matching lid
Questions about technology
Having to patiently show her how to do things related to technology
Supplying the kids with their own craft boxes
Doing crafts with the children
Making cookies with Em. "Emma's cookies turn out better than mine!"

Etiquette. It's not just for the other guy.

We can all use a good reminder now and then of how to wisely live among the billions of other people inhabiting this planet.

Grievance 1: Shopping carts. I pull into the parking lot and attempt to park my vehicle when I spot it: A rogue cart in the stall. I begrudgingly back out and find a new spot. Ugh.

How difficult is it to properly return your cart, really? I do realize that there are times when the corral is twenty feet away, but it only takes a few seconds to walk that distance pushing your cart. And how about those people who DO return their carts, but instead of pushing them all the way into the corral they leave them at the entrance, and then EVERYONE afterwards just decides to pile up their carts after that first cart. Now there are 10+ carts sticking out into the driving areas simply because that first person couldn't walk the extra six feet. If I see this I will try to push those carts back into the corral, but often there are so many stuck together that they are too heavy to push. Add packed snow/ice into the scenario, and there is no way anyone can move those carts without that special red cart car. JUST PUT YOUR CART INTO THE CORRAL!

Grievance 2: Facebook posts. Oh man, could I say a lot about the posts I see on Facebook. But I would like to call special attention to the political debates and the posts that are just too personal.

First off, if you are going to post an opinion that is politically divisive PLEASE have an open mind and be willing to accept that at least one of your friends does not share your opinion. If you are going to post anything that is political in nature or is an issue of hot debate you have to realize that you are opening yourself up to people's comments, and we all know that an Internet debate will be the result. NO ONE wins an Internet debate. No one's opinions are swayed by your eloquently worded, fact-filled post. Moreover your friends just get all worked up by the discussion, and both sides end up upset. This isn't helpful to anyone.

During the election there was a lot of posts from people who wanted others to vote no to the marriage amendment. But instead of simply saying to their friends "I am going to vote no, but you can vote however you feel is right." people posted nasty, one-sided posts regarding how selfish the other side was and that they were most certainly wrong, etc. There were some who went so far as to say, "Tell me now if you plan to vote yes so I can unfriend you." Wow. That is extremely petty. Are you so close-minded that you don't even want to be friends with someone who doesn't agree with you? Sounds kind of cultish to me. Not once did I see a mean-spirited post by a person who planned to vote yes. All their posts were courteous, friendly, and considerate to others' opinions. If you want others to respect your beliefs then you need to extend them the same courtesy.

Onto the posts that are just too personal, aka TMI. Rule of thumb: If you wouldn't stand up in a crowded room and announce whatever it is that you have to say, then don't say it on Facebook. It's that simple.

Grievance 3: Family interaction. "Why should I have to pick that up? I didn't make the mess." "I put away my Legos. Those other ones are hers." My girls are struggling with this attitude lately.

Being part of a family means pitching in and helping out, even when you aren't responsible for the mess. Maybe you weren't the one who had the idea to play with the Littlest Pet Shop toys, but you certainly did play with it. That means that yes, you have to help put it away.

The other question I hear is, "Why can't you do it?" When a family member asks someone else to do something for them it is generally because they have a valid reason for asking, and responding to a request with a question like that just causes frustration and shows self-centeredness. Instead you ought to be asking yourself what is preventing you from doing what was asked. Is it because you are hindered, or is it because you simply don't want to do it?

I often remind my girls of Jesus' example of washing the disciples feet. -- The disciples and Jesus had been walking all day, and now they were going to sit down and have a meal together. But first someone needed to wash the dust and dirt off their sandal-wearing feet. It was a disgusting job that only the lowest of servants performed; none of the disciples wanted to do it. And yet Jesus did it for all his disciples. -- That kind of example of servitude is what we ought to be exemplifying in our homes. By "we" I mean every family member: children and parents. Sometimes we are asked to perform tasks that simply suck, but when we follow Jesus' example of doing a gross chore without complaint that brings much glory to our Father.

Lots of baby deliciousness.

The girls and I have taken a gaggle of photos of Nolan the last few days. Who WOULDN'T want to take a bunch of photos of a cute baby and then post them for others to silently view? (I'm sure you're thinking I can think of someone: Me.) But since I love my little squishy man I'm posting the pictures anyway. ☺

Em snapped this cute shot of Nolan and I. "Why the hat?" you may ask? Well, I had to take Nolan to the doctor by 8 am, and thus I was having a particularly bad hair day. Bad hair = hat day.

Emma wanted me to take a picture of her and Nolan at Menards. Okay, Em.

Nolan is fascinated by the show Yo Gabba Gabba. It makes me lchuckle whenever he stares at the television, like in this picture.

 

My show is done, so I will now blow raspberries.

 

Nolan has started to sit by himself. Milestone!

 

I was trying to get a decent picture of Nolan alone, but Abby kept asking to be in the pictures, too. At least she likes her brother...for now.

Finally all by himself, and he moves too much!

 

After his nap this afternoon Nolan was very content just to snuggle by his mama.

 

Making the kitchen better. I still don't want to cook.

A few weeks ago we started updating our kitchen. The bathtub in the bathroom above the kitchen had leaked a few years ago, and thus the wall and ceiling were ruined in the kitchen below. We--and by we I mean David ;-)--finally got around to beginning to fix it.

I grabbed a few color pamphlets from Ace Hardware to help us get ideas for paint colors, as that was the first item on our to-do list: Repaint. One pamphlet was for historic homes, and since our house was built in 1915 I figured our house qualified as "historic". ☺ We found a palette that we both liked, and more importantly that EM liked. She is a budding interior designer. ;-)

 

Michigan Dunes for the kitchen walls, Blithe Spirit for the dining area, and Ala Mode for the kitchen trim and cabinets. The orange color we would incorporate via a copper ceiling. (I'm SO excited for that!)

On a snowy day in December we began painting. Our walls were a particularly abysmal shade of blue.

 Abby helped paint, too. She used a small brush from our school paint set, and she painted the bottom of the walls. She was very careful and stuck with the project for awhile. Well done, Abby!

 

Look at my shirt, Mom! I'm advertising for Ron's Repair!

 

David and I were slightly perplexed by Emma's method of painting, i.e. paint a large circle on the wall. But at least she was helping. Beggars can't be choosers, right?

 

In one day the three of us painted the dining area/entry way and a large chunk of the kitchen. We started painting the trim as well, just to get an idea of what it would look like. I was absolutely convinced that the kitchen wall color was mixed incorrectly. The color looked very yellow to me; not the way I saw it on the color sample. But once we got the white trim next to the yellow color--and away from the harsh fluorescent ceiling light--the color looked better to me. Now I really am happy with it.

.

 Hi, Kitty.

 

 Before we began our kitchen project my mom gave me a table cloth. It matches the new colors perfectly!

 

Those shades are every bit as hideous as depicted in this photo. We plan to replace them with white shutters.

 

Yesterday during lunch hour David replaced the fluorescent light that was our kitchen lighting. We now have drop-down track lighting. And then tonight he installed spot lights that shine down on the counter.

I will now have to keep my kitchen counter extra clean. ☺

 

Eventually those dark cabinets will be white, and we plan to install indirect lighting all around the room. David will also put up that faux copper ceiling I mentioned. I cannot wait to see the entire kitchen come together. I know it will take awhile to complete, but so far I am really enjoying the little updates as they happen. It makes me smile to see the freshness. But like I said in the title of this post: I still do not like cooking. But I love to sit and drink my cappuccino in my cozy kitchen. ☺

 

Baking and babies but not baking babies

Mom invited the kids and I to do some Christmas baking at her house. We took a day off of school and instead enjoyed a nice day of cookie and popcorn making. It was delicious! I wish I could say that the goodies lasted until Christmas, but David and the kids and I tore into those treats like we were ravenous beasts. ☺ Can we make some more, Mom? ;-)

I was very meticulous while decorating my cut-out cookies because everyone knows that when you see a poorly-frosted cookie it doesn't make you want to eat it! :-P

 

While at Mom's I decided to give Nolan his first official taste of solid foods. He had some applesauce, but he didn't really eat it. He still prefers his yummy milk.

He looks so tiny in that high chair!

 

Miss Abby turns 4

Last Tuesday we celebrated Abby's fourth birthday. Like all parents I have succumbed to using the old adage, "They sure do grow up fast." And they do. ☺

Abby is very eager to be just like her big sisters, trying to do the things they do like playing the DS or a Lego game on the XBox. Or you will find her building a house out of Legos with Emily. Abby enjoys making puzzles, but she often insists that I come help her make the puzzle even though I know she'll only allow me to put maybe four pieces together, and then she'll decide she can make it herself. That makes me smile. She also loves to play board games, especially Dora Memory. I don't even have to let her win; she beats me fair and square. Speaking of Dora, Abby still is a large fan of the little bilingual explorer. Abs HAD to have a Dora birthday cake for the second year in a row. I suppose that took the guesswork out of choosing what kind of cake to get. :-)

My favorite Abby-birthday moment was before we had her party. I asked Abby about a month beforehand what she wanted for her birthday. She replied, "A cash register from Runnings." !! A very specific request. ☺ Apparently she had seen the toy during a shopping trip with Gram Gram. Every time I asked Abby what she wanted it was always the same: the cash register. So we went to Runnings, and Abby took us to the back wall of the store to the exact spot where the toy cash register was. The whole scenario was so sweet and cute.

I love my little Miss Gooby!

Abby really enjoys reading Barbie books. Every time we visit the library she and I have to go to the Reader's section and find as many Barbie Readers as we can. Now she has her own. ☺