My favorite Henry James quote is, "Summer
afternoon - Summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most
beautiful words in the English language."
Well, my "summer afternoons" have been full this month.
The long, lazy days of summer have afforded some time for reading,
writing, playing, cleaning, organizing and traveling! We ended June by
attending ICRS in St. Louis where my Dr. Phil
and I got to visit with my publisher and reconnect with lots of friends
in the publishing world. We had dinner with our pals from Harvest House, I signed books and
had interviews. It always inspires me to see how God is working in
Christian books and music. We also went to a Cardinals Game (fb video: last sixty seconds), and the
St. Louis Science Center, and
capped it off with a pie from pi with dear friends. Man, lots of
fun...lots of walking too!
I've just got to tell you about the most amazing shoes! I promised myself if I stayed on my treadmill for four weeks, I would get new tennis shoes. They are Reebok Women's EasyTone Inspire Walking Shoe. They supposedly tone and strengthen legs and help you burn more calories. They feel like you're walking on cushy sand because they have balance pods under the forefoot and heel. But they aren't the big obnoxious pods that look like you're walking on huge, white, inflated marshmallows! All I know is they are amazingly comfortable and I love them. I guess, like Cinderella, I'm proof that a pair of shoes can change a girl's life (and thighs!)
My reading for this month? I'm halfway through The Age of Lincoln by Orville Vernon Burton. The book
focuses on the five decades related to Lincoln's presidency, beginning
with the 1840's through Secession, the Civil War and Reconstruction. It
is striking how Lincoln--the mighty, humble leader--identified with "the
hopeless sinners, not the smugly saved." According to Burton,
Lincoln's "religious fatalism transmuted into a clear belief that God
was working out a plan for human history, and that he himself was an
instrument in that plan." I am fascinated with Lincoln's quiet and
steady leadership. Also, the author profiles other notables from that
era, like Harriet Beecher Stowe and Henry David Thoreau. It really is
an interesting, accessible read so far. You should give it a taste
test!
So, give these things a
taste test:
1. Read a good book from one of the authors I
saw at ICRS. They really are tops.
2. The Age of Lincoln by Orville
Vernon Burton