Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

"People aren’t like numbers.  They’re more like letters and these letters want to become stories.  Dad says that stories need to be shared.”

-Oskar Schell, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Sad and sweet and full of loss and searching and courage and even forgiveness and hope.

I read that Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has received a ton of negative reviews, but I fall on the side of the Academy Awards. I walked away glad I had the experience of watching the film, and that hasn't happened often lately. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close told a story that I would recommend to all.

Love You More

"When you become the parents of a child of another race, you become a conspicuous family," a social worker said when my husband and I began the adoption process. "Are you ready for that?" I said I was but it still throws me that seeing my family can have the effect of causing perfectly well-mannered people to turn off their filters and use their "outside voices" to express whatever thoughts pop into their heads."

Such begins the story of international adoption for author Jennifer Grant in Love You More. Love You More documents the journey from hearing the whisper of God prompting the author to consider adoption, through the seemingly endless application, paperwork and red-tape of waiting for a baby, to the moment of welcoming a wonderfully made little girl to the Grant family, and into the experience of watching that daughter grow alongside them. The author movingly describes the range of emotions that she, her husband, and three young children experienced in the waiting. And she tells of some of the ideas and steps that they used in the adoption process and as parents of a "conspicuous family."

I found Love You More to be both a captivating and informative read. Grant well tells the tale of the emotional rollercoaster of the adoption process, and how faith, friends, and the everyday responsibilities that come in loving and caring for her biological children grounded her during that time. I especially read with interest how the story proceeds after the long-awaited little girl arrives home, and how the Grant family so very intentionally speaks with openness about adoption as a gift to their family while acknowledging the sacrifice of the biological mother.

I have the profound blessing of knowing "conspicuous families," and I found Love You More to ring true to their stories. I am eager to pass this book on to a friend in the beginning of the adoption process, and I will enthusiastically recommend it to others wanting to learn more about adoption.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Surprised by Oxford

"The truth is in paradox, Miss Drake. Anything not done in submission to God, anything not done to the glory of God, is doomed to failure, frailty, and futility. This is the unholy trinity we humans fear most. And we should, for we entertain it all the time at the pain and expense of not knowing the real one."

Carolyn Drake did not know what to make of the statement made by her revered undergraduate professor. Drake was confident that she was her own master. She was headed to Oxford University on a full scholarship, ready to experience all the magic that 700 year old academic institution of England had to offer. And little did she imagine that she would be as much challenged by God and questions of Christian faith as she would be by her studies to obtain a masters of philosophy in Romantic literature.

It was romance that Carolyn found, but perhaps not that in the manner she had anticipated upon arriving at Oxford. In Surprised by Oxford: A Memoir, Carolyn Weber writes the story of that academic year at Oxford, and how a providential meeting to save money in overseas correspondence set her on a journey that would challenge and confront her beliefs and force her to choose an entirely new path.

I found Surprised by Oxford a compelling read, because so many of Weber's arguments in confronting and questioning what she believed on the path to Christian faith rang so similar to my own journey. “Repentance. Resurrection. Redemption. Grace? Such words meant nothing to me,” she writes. And yet, slowly over months of discussion and reading and evaluation and meditation and prayer, Weber finds the answers to those questions which have challenged her. Unexpectedly, with thoughtful intellect and reason, she finds that even a feminist academic from a broken family can find the joy and yes, grace, that only belief in Jesus, who is everything He says He is, offers.

As you might expect of a memoir written by a doctorate of philosophy, literary quotes and references fill Surprised by Oxford. Weber also takes care to paint a picture of the tradition and beauty of Oxford. At times, I did wish that the story would speed along a bit- I wanted a conclusion more quickly than her experience allowed. But overall, I would recommend this book to others, particularly to those who enjoy biographies and the questions of those who struggle with questions of faith.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Liturgical Year

The Liturgical Year (Hardcover)- The Spiraling Adventure of the Spiritual Life by Joan Chittister

I was given this book as part of BookSneeze at Thomas Nelson publishing. I wanted to like this book. I wanted to read it and experience a new aspect of living by faith. I wanted to find new ways to look at the Christian calendar and the Christian year. I had great expectations.

In truth, this was a hard book for me to get through and I never quite finished it. Not coming from a liturgical background, I had hoped to find more about practically living out the Christian calendar. I had hoped for more on how to recognize and acknowledge and celebrate the liturgical year.

I did appreciate how Chittister brought a perspective of Christ into every aspect of the calendar. And I did very much enjoy Chittister's poetic prose. She writes from a perspective of looking at the whole of the calendar in awe of the presence of God, as we read in this passage on Advent:

"Advent is a period of preparation for Christmas but, unlike Lent, it is not a period of penance. It is a period that focuses on joy... We come to realize more each year how great our blessings, how beautiful is a life lived in concert with the Jesus who came to show us the way. We learn the joy of anticipation, the joy of delighting in a sense of the presence of God all around us, the joy of looking for the second coming of Christ, the joy of living in the surety of even more life in the future."

I recommend The Liturgical Year for those truly interested in learning a new and perhaps more historical aspect of the Christian calendar, knowing that it is not a merely a surface look at the subject.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Felinos de Africa

Felinos de Africa  is a great movie! 
The footage of the cats is fantastic- how majestic is His Creation! 
And, at times, how harsh!  Cheetahs attack gazelle; lions attack zebra; cats attack each other.
The babes are adorable; the adults are fascinating.
Great job, DisneyNature.  We're hooked.
(and, ps- we saw it in Spanish. I read that the English version is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson but I thought the Spanish voice was great!) 

Toy Story 3

Well it took two months, but my family finally saw Toy Story 3 today. 
And if your family is yet even more behind the times than mine, really, go see it. 

It must be a crazy time, to hang out with those folks at Pixar who write Toy Story.  The toys find themselves in situations completely improbable, and yet, you root for them as if they are human characters on the edge of survival.  They deliver lines ever so true to the characters that they are.  And we laugh the entire way through.  Until...

Woody and Buzz and those kooky toys of Andy's, they are as old as my kids. My kids have grown up just like Andy has. And if you don't cry as Andy goes off to college, I need to know why.

Towards the end Andy tells a little friend, "Now Woody, he's been my pal for as long as I can remember. He's brave, like a cowboy should be. And kind, and smart. But the thing that makes Woody special, is he'll never give up on you... ever. He'll be there for you, no matter what."
::sniffsniff::

Not to mention, the Gipsy Kings version of You've Got a Friend In Me in Spanish cannot be missed!
It is not too late for you either.
Go see Toy Story 3.

(photo credit:  Woody peeking at us from a billboard just as we crossed over the George Washington Bridge in New York City in June.)

Midsummer Night

How dost one tell this tale anew?

To make it fresh as morning dew?

Save pouring Oberon’s juice of the purple flower?

Tell it Midsummer Night, in a forest, for hearts to devour.

Midsummer Night’s Dream

We had the pleasure of taking in a performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream, a production of the Words Players in Rochester, Minnesota, this week. The Words Players are a troupe of youth thespians, and they did a terrific job of interpreting Shakespeare for a young crowd.

The casting for this production captured the essence of the Midsummer characters. Puck and the band of faeries flitted around while conducting their naughty mischief on the star-crossed lovers. The “Polite Mechanicals” interpreted the scene ahead with hilarious irreverence. And all of the cast cleverly used both the outdoor venue of the park, and the audience itself, to play on the hilarity of Shakespeare’s words.

For many years, we’ve been part of the audience at Omaha’s Shakespeare on the Green. It was fun to take in Shakespeare in a new setting this summer. Bravo, Words Players!

Jones Bros Cupcakes

With 4 of 5 kids away last night, the remaining three of us lived it up.  Shhhh... don't tell the girls.  We had steak for dinner.  And we went here for dessert...

Jones Bros. cupcakes is a brand new spot in Aksarben Village.  And it is a cool lookin' place.  We walked in at 9:01.  They close at 9, but the young ladies at the counter were very hospitable nonetheless.  We walked out with one Red Velvet cupcake, one Coconut cupcake, and one Lemon cupcake.  Tasty.  Oh the lemon!  Tasty.

It is difficult for me to get my head around paying $2.95 for a cupcake.  Or $33 for a dozen cupcakes.  Little normal sized cupcakes that  you would make at home.  Truthfully, I'm partial to ice cream.  Jones Bros. is a treat, not a family spot.  But if you are hankerin' for some amazing buttercream frosting and dense flavorful cake, you won't go wrong at Jones Bros.

Kabul 24

“Free books.” That is a phrase that is veryvery difficult for me to pass up. And so, with the promise of receiving free books, I have become a book review blogger for Thomas Nelson Publishers. I have just finished the first book offered- Kabul 24 by Henry O. Arnold and Ben Pearson.

“The thick, blue cotton fabric was little protection from the sting of the whips and the blunt strikes from the wooden rods on her body as she stumbled along the dusty streets of Kabul…” From the first page, readers are quickly moved into the always oppressive and frequently violent world of Afghan life under Taliban rule. Kabul 24 tells the story of the arrest, 105 day imprisonment, and dramatic rescue of 8 Christian workers from Shelter Now International (SNI) in 2001. As the prisoners, a group of men and women, young and old, of varied occupations but of one call- to serve the oppressed of Afghanistan, are captured, and then begin the torturous wait of hope for rescue, readers are dramatically reminded of how very different the extreme Muslim culture is, and of how little respect for human life and dignity it allows. Yet despite conditions and suffering unimaginable by American standards, the source of hope for the prisoners remains clear, hope in God to provide through the unexpected and the unlikely.

Kabul 24 begins in the weeks prior to 9/11, and continues through the first days of the US/Afghan war. It is in that highly charged setting we gain appreciation for the extreme oppression common under Taliban rule. Human rights abuses are frequent. Prison conditions are inhumane. As a reader, I struggled with the hostages to examine where would my strength lie under such conditions. To read of the hostages abiding faith in God, as they were composing songs of praise, continuing in study, and constant in prayer, was an encouragement to me.

My primary frustration with the book was that it seemed mis-titled. There were indeed 24 hostages, 8 Westerners and 16 Afghans, but the story focuses primarily on the 8 that were imprisoned separately from the Afghan 16. I wanted to know more about the story of the 16. The book also refers to a Taliban informant, the “Afghan angel,” crucial to rescue of the westerners, and I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to know more about how their story ended as well.

Overall, I would recommend this book to others, particularly to those with an interest in non-fiction and those desiring to learn more about conditions under Taliban rule, an increasingly relevant topic in world events today.

Slumdog Millionaire

We ventured down to the Film Streams theaters last night to see the highly acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire. (click there for a trailer clip!)

If, like us, you haven't seen any other Academy Award contender this year, go see Slumdog. The film tells the tale of Jamal Malik, a kid growing up on the streets of Mumbai, India, who finds himself in the hot seat of the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and inexplicably winning beyond reason. When accused of cheating, the movie weaves the story of how Jamal's life experiences have provided the answers to the Millionaire questions.

This is a tough movie- the scenes of the reality of street life are difficult to watch. But the script is rich and the actors, especially the kids, are terrific. The ending- will he win or not?- is a delight. And, there's a fun Bollywood dance scene that runs during the credits, besides.

Hands down, the best movie we saw this year.

Mia's Bongo Room

My breakfast buddy and I tried a new spot today, branching out from the usual to try something new. I've passed by Mia's Bongo Room for a while in my traversing through Benson, but had not taken time to stop. My loss! Tastiness awaits you at Mia's! The decor is fun, and there's local artwork on display and for sale as well. The service was good, and the food piping hot. The coffee dark!

The lunch and dinner menu looks intriguing as well, so this could be our next date night destination...

Mia's is just the kind of place that makes Benson great! Give Mia's a try!

El Conguero

Overheard walking out of the Holland Performing Arts Center at intermission, a conversation between two teenage boys:
"One hour of Poncho Sanchez is enough to make you give up rap?!?"
"Dude, I'm never listening to rap again!"

It was THAT good.
We were thoroughly entertained by the Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band last night. The sounds and rhythmns that Poncho Sanchez gets out of the congos is amazing, as is the entire band. Those guys can play! And they played the Holland like it was a club. They got us up on our feet and dancing in the aisles. Terrific musicians and terrific entertainers. If Poncho comes to your town, don't miss him and the Latin Jazz Band.

Here's a promo video for this concert tour, just to tease...

Feist-y

A friend and I took K and 3 friends down the street to Memorial Park to watch Feist on Saturday night. The mayor told us that this concert was "for the young and the young at heart." Thanks, mayor! :-)

It was a fun concert, for the young and the young at heart. Feist had live video, even showing the inside of the upright while playing. Live flute and live trumpet. Good sound, but not too loud. And, it was fun to people watch before the music started, besides...

I just read that Feist recently taped a version of "1234" for Sesame Street. So those of you with youngers might see Feist pretty soon, too.

(The photo is terrible, but that seems to be what I get on the "night" setting. Alas!)

Shakespeare on Saturday

We were at another great O! summer event this week- Shakespeare on the Green. We saw King Lear last week and Much Ado About Nothing on Saturday night. Oh how much happier do you leave from Much Ado! That King Lear is such a downer.

Thanks to our faithful tarp-putter-outer H, we had a great location for both shows. It was a surprise to look backwards and see how many folks were behind us.

There was a lot of overlap in the two casts, and it was fun to figure out who was in who in Lear, and then this week, in Much Ado. We are impressed that the actors learn two complete sets of lines, and perform both within a couple of weeks.

A lady with a camera took our picture, supposedly for the Shakespeare on the Green website. If you see us, let me know! Meanwhile, make a note to come with us next year.

Sunday Night Theater

Iron Chef America, watch out! There's competition from over the Pond!

The ladies of the household gathered together tonight, all in one very cozy bed, I might add, to watch this week's installment of PBS' Masterpiece Theater, The Complete Jane Austin. Tonight introduced us to Catherine Morland and Northanger Abbey. We especially delighted in the ending, and I believe that at least some of us will be back for Mansfield Park next week.

A Movie Review

Willing suspension of disbelief:
a literary term, referring to the "willingness of a person to accept as true the premises of a work of fiction, even if they are fantastic or impossible. It also refers to the willingness of the audience to overlook the limitations of a medium, so that these do not interfere with the acceptance of those premises."

Take a heaping helping of willing suspension of disbelief when you go to see National Treasure 2, Book of Secrets. But don't let that stop you from you from going to see it.

The H. family enjoyed National Treasure 1 (not to mention, the draw of Mount Rushmore in the previews, my all-time favorite national landmark, was too much to resist!) and so with a kind gift for the kids (thanks Aunt Lu!), we pooled our resources and queued up for a rare first-run movie viewing with the entire family. NT2 finds the characters searching for treasure, this time in order to save the Gates' family name and honor. A crazy succession of events and scenarios follows (and plenty of gasps of THAT couldn't happen! from me), but it was fun and family friendly and good entertainment on a winter day, and what more can you ask for in a film? We especially enjoyed the goofy character of Riley, the idea of the President hitchhiking on the side of the road, and pondering the thought of how all that gold got there, anyway?

14 H thumbs up for NT2!