At Home in Mitford The Mitford Years Book 1

Father Tim, a cherished small-town rector, is the steadfast soldier in this beloved slice of life story set in an American village where the grass is still green, the pickets are still white, and the air still smells sweet. The rector’s forthright secretary, Emma Garret, worries about her employer, as she sees past his Christian cheerfulness into his aching loneliness. Slowly but surely, the empty places in Father Tim’s heart do get filled. First with a gangly stray dog, later with a seemingly stray boy, and finally with the realization that he is stumbling into love with his independent and Christian-wise next-door neighbor. Much more than a gentle love story, this is a homespun tale about a town of endearing characters– including a mysterious jewel thief–who are as quirky and popular as those of Mayberry, R.F.D. –Gail Hudson

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars A book that starts out slowly and draws you in
In the first few dozen pages of this book, as Jan Karon is letting you get to know the characters, not a lot happens, and I confess that I fell asleep a few times. But soon I took the bait of Mitford and was hooked. It’s a comfort to read, and I came to have affection for Father Tim, following closely his relationships and caring, as he did, for his parishioners. It’s of the same ilk as The Number One Ladies Detective Agency, in that some serious issues are dealt with in a way that doesn’t make the reader feel beaten up emotionally. This book is a comfort read, and after I finished it I was anxious to start the second in the series.

4 Stars At Home In Mitford
Wonderful book. Best fiction I have read in many years. Light, friendly reading about a town you would love to be from.

5 Stars A delightful treat!
Jan Karon is one of my favorite authors and this first book is one of her best. One of the reasons it’s so enjoyable is that she covers the whole spectrum of Mitford as she introduces you to her characters and their town. Karon is a master at characterization, plot and setting–no wonder her books can’t miss! She sprinkles them liberally with humor, as she brings in some serious subjects, but is never heavy-handed. Her books are a joy to read and to re-read, which certainly cannot be said of every author.

5 Stars My Mom loves this Audio Book
I got this audio book CD for my mom (60) for Christmas. She has a long commute and she has really enjoyed entering the world of Mitford to pass the time. She feels like she knows the characters. She enjoyed it so much, that my dad got her the second book in the series as soon as she was done with it.

4 Stars A Warm and Delightful Novel
I finally dwelved into the Mitford Series, beginning with the first book in the series, At Home in Mitford, by Jan Karon. The book features Father Tim, the local recor, and the many colorful characters that make up the denizens of the fictional town of Mitford. Karon paints vivid picture of this peaceful town and the rolling hills that surround it. This is a feel good book, that has a meandering pace, and a great heart. Father Tim often quotes verses from the Bible and will pray for strenght and guidance. There is the old cliche about how somethings are like crawling into a warm comfortable bed, well this book is like crawling in a warm, comforatable bed, with a fire going ini a stone fireplace, and the sound of a steady rain outside. A delight!

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Natural Remodeling for the Not So Green House Bringing Your Home into Harmony with Nature Natural Home and Garden

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars PERFECTION!
I could not put this book down. It answers all of my questions and concerns as I begin to contemplate the large undertaking of creating a healthy, eco-friendly home for our family. Very thorough, creative and well-written… I only wish I could hire these women directly. Just enough information to cover all of the key considerations, with plenty of guidance on how to dig deeper if necessary. Should be required reading for every builder on the planet!

5 Stars Textbook potential
I’ve been teaching at a community college for 16 years on the topic of energy efficiency, Passive solar, Building Science, green building, healthy home and alternative structures. These fields have evolved over this period of time. During the past 5 years there have been many good books on new construction, but few on Remodeling.

Since remodeling would recycle a whole building, it is “greener” than new construction, especially in Suburbia or rural agricultural land. I would like to emphasize Remodeling in community colleges and think this would be the best textbook on the subject. The photographs alone are worthwhile. I also own the book, “Green Remodeling” by David Johnston and would use it as a secondary reference.

I would also recommend Natural Remodeling for homeowners.

4 Stars good ideas
There were many good ideas in this book. Some more expensive than the average person could afford. I read Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods Earth Plaster * Straw Bale * Cordwood * Cob * Living Roofs; By: Clarke Snell (Author), Tim Callahan (Author). Which was very comprehensive and enjoyable. While Snell and Callahan focus on building from scratch I was more interested at this moment in remodeling. I wouldn’t dismiss this book, but I would identify what your needs are first.

5 Stars Go get it! You will love it!
And I am glad I did! I am even gladder to know that more people are waking up to the idea of natural remodeling. I am not sure whether it alone will save our earth but it’s a good start. If enough people do it, it will certainly raise the level of our appreciation of nature to a higher level.

We’re in the process of buying a house. Having been brainwashed by the mainstream culture and the media, I had grand dreams of huge expansion with piles of the latest and the biggest “goods” we’re all programmed to consume - things like an all powerful over sized profession stainless oven even though I would never use it. But I now have a completely different mind set after reading this book.

We’ve decided to go small and practical and recycle, reuse as much as possible. Let mother Nature live so that we can too!

5 Stars Read this book before remodeling.
This is an outstanding book on remodeling your home to blend in with nature, and to avoid introducing toxic products into your home. Great ideas and photos.

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Manifest Your Desires 365 Ways to Make Your Dreams a Reality

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Wonderful book, but?
As always the Hicks give us a beautiful book, well written book. I enjoyed it and also agree with the other reviewer thinking by virtue of the title it would be more of a how to book. It does give processes. Another book I enjoyed Living The Secret Everyday: My Secret Workbookis also great in that I love the workbook format and shows you “how to” through their numerous exercises and also gives you a journal to follow up with your journey. Enjoy both.

4 Stars Beautiful Book, But Not a How-To
Manifest Your Desires: 365 Ways to Make Your Dreams a Reality by Esther and Jerry Hicks, is not what I expected. I pictured a how-to book on ways to manifest. Instead, the book is a collection of 365 affirmations that is packaged in a delightful, small and colorful book. (Actually, I’ve noticed that this is a trend with authors nowadays.)

Included with the affirmations is a short introduction: “We’ve put together this information-packed little book, which presents the teachings of the Non-Physical entity Abraham, to help you learn how to Manifest your desires so that you’re living the joyous and fulfilling life you deserve.”

“Each day you’ll come to understand how your relationships, health issues, finances, career concerns and more are influenced by the Universal laws that govern your time-space reality–and you’ll discover powerful processes that will help go with the positive flow of life.”

Sounds great–but for practical, down-to-earth advice on how to really manifest your desires, my favorite book is Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet. This book includes what you may already know about the law of attraction with some extra energy boosts to help ensure success.

I also recommend Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t for learning the hows of manifestation.

However, if you are looking for a lovely book to raise your spirits, then Manifest Your Desires is a must-have.

4 Stars Pretty reminder of the teachings of Abraham
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R25V3BZK99MTF This is a brief video that shows you a little bit about the book.

This is a small book, a little larger than my hand. It has concepts taught to us by Abraham in a much more abbreviated fashion than we normally find in the CD’s and DVD’s. While it lacks some of the passion that gets communicated when you hear it directly from Ester, it’s nice because it is bite-size, and gives you the opportunity to meditate on each thought.

Abraham has told us previously that while we have many questions, they have only one answer. While that is true, the answer is a somewhat complicated or layer message for us mere mortals. In this book they reiterate their message:

* Our emotions are our guidance system. If something feels bad that is a message not to be ignored.

* Our thoughts and our feelings create a vibrational escrow (I always want to call it an emotional escrow) that creates our future.

* Controlling our thoughts and our resulting feelings controls the vibration we offer, and therefore that which we attract.

* The universe only gives us that which we are in vibrational alignment with.

* Contrast (which to me means knowing what we don’t want) helps us send “rockets of desire” for what we do want.

* We need to focus on what we want to create that vibration to be matched. We should not focus on what we do not want because that is offering a vibration which is also matched.

* The desires that our ancestors had, made the world a better place for us today.

* We can get anywhere we want to be from where we are today.

* Imagining, expecting, and remembering good things causes them to come into being.

* We aren’t here just to observe the world, because in simply observing, we will get more of what we see. If it is good, it will get better. If it is bad, it will get worse. We are here to create, so by all means let’s create good!

These are just some of my favorite concepts. As Abraham says, “There is much love for you here.” Namaste.

4 Stars Calendar as book
Abraham’s words in any format are like being wrapped in a warm blanket when you come in from the cold. These words are indeed wonderful guidance delivered in small easy to understand and absorb doses. That said, I was a bit disappointed that the book was just the calendar quotes in a book format, especially since I already have the calendar, which I LOVE! Guess I was hoping for some more of Abraham’s wonderful processes.

This book would make a WONDERFUL gift and is perfect to keep by your bedside or favorite reading chair for a gentle walk thru at any time you need a lift. It is too beautifully illustrated to put on a bookshelf!

4 Stars My travel Bible
This book contains exactly the same material as Ask And It Is Given Perpetual Flip Calendar: A Calendar to Use Year After Year (Perpetual Calendar) I prefer this edition because it’s smaller. I can easily fit it in my purse or find the passage I want. The art through out book is beautiful. The feeling it invokes puts me in appreciation mode effortlessly.

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Gathering Blue

Lois Lowry’s magnificent novel of the distant future, The Giver, is set in a highly technical and emotionally repressed society. This eagerly awaited companion volume, by contrast, takes place in a village with only the most rudimentary technology, where anger, greed, envy, and casual cruelty make ordinary people’s lives short and brutish. This society, like the one portrayed in The Giver, is controlled by merciless authorities with their own complex agendas and secrets. And at the center of both stories there is a young person who is given the responsibility of preserving the memory of the culture–and who finds the vision to transform it.

Kira, newly orphaned and lame from birth, is taken from the turmoil of the village to live in the grand Council Edifice because of her skill at embroidery. There she is given the task of restoring the historical pictures sewn on the robe worn at the annual Ruin Song Gathering, a solemn day-long performance of the story of their world’s past. Down the hall lives Thomas the Carver, a young boy who works on the intricate symbols carved on the Singer’s staff, and a tiny girl who is being trained as the next Singer. Over the three artists hovers the menace of authority, seemingly kind but suffocating to their creativity, and the dark secret at the heart of the Ruin Song.

With the help of a cheerful waif called Matt and his little dog, Kira at last finds the way to the plant that will allow her to create the missing color–blue–and, symbolically, to find the courage to shape the future by following her art wherever it may lead. With astonishing originality, Lowry has again created a vivid and unforgettable setting for this thrilling story that raises profound questions about the mystery of art, the importance of memory, and the centrality of love. (Ages 10 and older) –Patty Campbell

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars The Girl with a Twisted Leg - KCS
Kira is a 2 syllable girl with a twisted leg. In her village, those who are diseased or unable to contribute to the village are left to die in the Field, but Kira was saved by her mother. The village is of little technology and is ruled by the Council of Guardians. When Kira’s mother dies, she is left alone as an orphan. She is to be put into another family, but instead, the Council of Guardians takes her in. Her task is to restore the Singer’s Robe, the robe worn by the Singer on the day of the Gathering, with her great weaving skill. There are other gifted orphans living beside her, such as Thomas the Carver, and Jo the soon-to-be Singer. With the help of her little rascal of a friend, Matt, they unravel a dangerous mystery that could get them killed.

This science fiction novel teaches you to be brave and to stand up for what you think is right. This book starts out pretty slow in the beginning, and the ending seems too short and incomplete. The author’s writing style is magnificent; she can create another world so well that it makes you believe it is real. I had a blast reading this book as Kira and her friends go through hilarious and touching moments. I would recommend this novel to everyone because it is a wonderful book to get lost in.

4 Stars Gathering Blue, Written by Laura Deemer
“`Can you make blue?’ she asked.

But Annabella frowned. `You need the woad,’ she said. `Gather fresh leaves from first year’s growth of woad. And soft rainwater, that makes the blue.’ She shook her head. `I have nought. Others do, but they be far away.’

`Who be others?’ Matt asked.

The old woman didn’t answer the boy. She pointed toward the far edge of her garden, where the woods began and there seemed to be a narrow overgrown path. Then she turned toward her hut. Kira heard her speak in a low voice. `I ne’er could make it,’ she was saying. `But some have blue yonder.’”

When Kira’s mother dies of sickness Kira is left all alone to die because of her crippled leg. Then unexpectedly the Council of Guardians grants Kira a place as The Weaver. While working to repair the Singer’s robe Kira works with the old dyer Annabella, and learns that they have no woad to make blue. While living at the Council Edifice Kira finds out many secrets, about the Council, herself, places yonder, and their future. As she ventures into ideas she’d never even dreamed of her role becomes clearer. She must change the future to save the town from the Council, and help gather blue.

Gathering Blue fits right along with The Giver. In both worlds there are secrets hidden from the town, and the main characters uncover the secrets. They also both try to save the town and make the townspeople stronger. The leaders of the towns rule the people and leave the people clueless. Gathering Blue has deeper emotions, and is better than The Giver. If you like The Giver you will definitely enjoy reading Gathering Blue.

In Gathering Blue there are more complex characters. The main character Kira is filled with adventure and suspicion. This makes the book interesting and makes the reader want to read on. Matt is her little friend that follows her everywhere, and he matures during the book, to understand Kira more. Jamison is Kira’s defender, who is a suspicious and very uncertain character. Thomas is very serious, and is knowledgeable. He helps Kira unravel the secrets of the council.

In the end, Louis Lowry leaves you to imagine what happens to Kira next. I was disappointed that it was another cliffhanger ending. The book could have used a little more resolution, like The Giver. I was so frustrated when I didn’t get to find out if Kira actually succeeded in her mission or not. I’ll always be wondering what happened. Read the book Gathering Blue and see what you think will happen to Kira after all. Happy reading!

5 Stars A time-honored tradition - Power
Gathering Blue, like The Giver, delves into a recurring theme found in humanity - power and control and the consequences thereof. Once humans moved beyond hunter and gatherer and created complex societies, a hierarchical class structure also developed - the Haves and the Have Nots. Lowery delves into this class structure by blatantly pointing out how power, in the hands of the few, shape society to their liking - at a cost. Both Gathering Blue and The Giver illuminate this aspect of human society irregardless of time period or setting; it is yet present today in the USA as it was in the Middle Ages. I believe this is one theme, Lowery may want the reader to think about.

4 Stars Good read
This book was interesting and a parrallel to The Giver, being a primitice society while The Giver presented a futuristic society. This is a worthwhile book like I said, but I read it because I was told it was a “companion” to The Giver, which is my favorite book. If you are looking to find out what happens to Jonas and Gabe by reading this book you won’t find an answer! The conclusions of the characters from both The Giver and Gathering Blue are given in the third companion, The Messenger.

4 Stars Gathering “Blue” Against the Savagery
In this post-apocalyptic society, culture has regressed to a primitive form, with art and advanced technology being almost completely lost. This scenario seems more believable than the advanced, utopian society of The Giver; Lowry presents the savagery of human nature when it needs to survive. The few artists here are the rational, creative opposite of that instinct (while also being enslaved to it).

Despite being written for young readers, Lowry does not talk down to her audience or point out the blatantly obvious, as so many writers in this genre do. I’ve always appreciated her writing for that, and this holds up to her standard. The characters are solid, sometimes even truly shocking in their capabilities for cruelty. I enjoyed the symbolism she hints at with gathering, literally, “blue”– the color of peace and calm that is gone from their particular village.

I do have one nitpick: the ending. While the story builds up to an ominously dangerous scenario for the main characters, it then ends, and on an oddly optimistic note. I understand the sequel, Messenger, picks up a few years after this book ends; now I have no choice but to read it! Instead of making Gathering Blue self-contained, as The Giver is, Lowry leaves the bulk of the resolution to the next book. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but the sudden (and a little too cheery) ending threw me off.

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The New Ecological Home A Complete Guide to Green Building Options Chelsea Green Guides for Homeowners

Shelter, like many other elements of human existence, comes at an extraordinary cost to our planet and its inhabitants. In the U.S. alone, construction of 1.2 million new homes a year results in a massive drain on Earth’s natural resource base. Today, nearly 60 percent of all timber cut in the U.S. is used in building houses, not to mention construction wastes and the huge amounts of resources used in the day-to-day operation of the “modern” household. In addition to environmental costs, there are the personal economic costs–the thousands of dollars each homeowner spends each year to heat, cool, and power our homes. Today, a new generation of architects and builders is emerging, intent on creating homes that meet human needs for shelter while causing only a fraction of the environmental impact of conventional housing. The New Ecological Home provides an overview of green building techniques, materials, products, and technologies that are either currently available or will be in the near future. Author Daniel Chiras provides a wealth of up-to-date, practical information for home buyers, owner-builders, and anyone interested in building for a sustainable future. Included are chapters on: * The Healthy House; * Green Building Materials; * Wood-Wise Construction; * Energy Efficiency; * Earth-Sheltered Architecture; * Passive Solar Heating and Passive Cooling; * Green Power: Electricity from the Sun and Wind; * Water and Waste: Sustainable Approaches;* Environmental Landscaping.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Good General Guide
Having been the first of it’s kind I have read, this book is well-organized and readable. It seems good for the person brainstorming on what steps to take in the design of their eco-home. For more specific information to carry out the tasks, I would suggest other resources.

5 Stars Excellent introduction to wide array of green building options
During the planning phase of building our first home, this book was very helpful. We liked the emphasis right at the start on site selection — what to look for in everything from the overall community to aspects of the land itself and how to environmentally protect that land during construction. A comparison checklist for assessing lots is included. Even though ours will not be a “natural House” (rammed earth, straw bale, etc.) and though those types of construction are covered, there was plenty of solid information on building a more energy efficient, and less wasteful, home of wood and concrete. Also included are chapters on design, using green and non- or less toxic materials, sustainable approaches to water and waste, environmental landscaping, and enery-efficient design, heating, and cooling. As this will be a retirement home, we especially appreciated the chapter on accessiblilty and ergonomic design.

5 Stars great textbook!
This book could very easily serve as a textbook for a green building course. It’s not a coffee table book - the photos are small, and black and white - but very useful in supporting the text. This is a serious book about alternative building written by and about a group of people who have been creatively, responsibly, thoughtfully building for a very long time. It’s a good choice for builders who want to learn more about sustainability, students who want to go into the field, or homeowners who are looking to build. It’s not so much glitzy and inspirational as it is informative and useful: comprehensive from site selection and design through building options and techniques, to landscaping, it also contains a great resource guide.

5 Stars An Excellent Overview of Green Building…Superb!
Author Dan Chiras has produced a series of amazing books on green building, including The Natural House, The Solar House, Superbia!, and The Natural Plaster Book. His books are extremely well written, well organized, comprehensive, and extremely well illustrated. He’s truly one of the best, if not the best, writer in the green building field.

The New Ecological Home is no exception. In fact, I think it is one of the best books he has written. Although the cover is pretty drab, the book is a beauty inside. The book is engaging, easy to read, and full of interesting and helpful information that will assist those who want to explore the many options for building homes that are good for people, the planet, and the economy. This book should be read by all who are considering building a new home as well as those who are thinking about remodeling their homes. It is also a valuable resource for architects, builders, and students of architecture. Adding to its value, this book has a detailed resource guide that adds considerably to its value.

3 Stars Ok, but not great
This book was a little bit hard to understand, especially if you are not knowledgable on the subject. I would recommend something more clear and easier to read.

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