Currently Reading: Where the Wind Leads

Compelling.

That is what I would say if I were asked to sum up Where the Wind Leads in one word.

It is "a refugee family's miraculous story of loss, rescue, and redemption" written from the perspective of the son, Vihn Chung with Tim Downs.

Chung begins by laying out his family's history in their homeland of Vietnam.  The story is tumultuous as the family survives various coups and wars.  Each time they are uprooted and upset, yet they press on.

Eventually they decide that they cannot live this way any longer and in 1979 they become "boat people" who sail away from Vietnam in hopes of finding a better life.

Intertwined with the Chung's story is the story of Stan Mooneyham, the second president of World Vision.  When a friend challenged Stan to learn more about the boat people and find a way to help them, Stan resisted at first.  Soon, however, he was convinced that his Christian organization should be helping these refugees who were fleeing their country for safety, yet unable to find a country to welcome them.

Chung's description of their time on the boat and as new refugees is agonizing.  Eventually they are rescued and, with World Vision's help, are allowed to enter the United States.  There are still difficulties once the family is settled in Arkansas, but they work hard and persevere.  Chung fulfills his father's dream when he graduates from Harvard Medical School.  Chung now lives and works in Colorado Springs, Colorado and serves on the board of World Vision.

This is an excellent book.  Chung (and Downs) told a gripping, riveting story and appropriately interwove both humor and history.  I am more familiar with stories of immigrants, but this book opened my eyes to the experience of refugees.

I was a bit worried about the ending.  In the last chapter, Chung asks questions about why his family was rescued and why others were not.  I was afraid that the book might turn the corner to preaching a prosperity gospel (e.g. "They called upon God and therefore all their problems were taken away").  But it didn't.  I was impressed the way Chung turned the question around, explaining that why they were the ones rescued isn't the correct question.  Instead he says that he should ask the question, "What does He expect me to do now?"

Chung answers the question with this: "Now that I am safely ashore, He expects me to send the boat back for someone else."  

I was left with a renewed realization of how much I had been given in this life and, as Chung says, "I believe that blessing is something I am expected to pass on to other people in any way I can."

Please note that all the author royalties from this book are donated to World Vision.



** I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Product Review: eShakti Dresses!

Four Warnings to Accompany This Post:

1.  It is completely frivolous.  
2.  It will be very long
3.  It will be very honest
4.  It will contain substandard pictures (neither of us are photographers and we snapped these pictures before we left for Church on Easter because I was actually wearing mascara AND lipstick - an Easter miracle!!  Also, I am an uncomfortable model) :)

I have very mixed feelings while writing this review, but I'm committed to being honest so fasten your seatbelt for a long post.

When I first heard about eShakti I thought it was a fabulous idea.  They say that fashion should be for all sizes and I agree!  Their dresses come in sizes 0-36 and for only $7.50, your dress can be made to your exact measurements.  Add to this the fact that all the dresses are adorable and comes with pockets??  I was sold before I had even tried them out!

I was elated when I was picking a dress to review - there were so many wonderful options!  I narrowed down my original list of nine dresses to the one that I wanted, submitted my sizes and waited.  And waited and waited.  

The short version of the story is that there was a mix-up with my dress and I didn't get it for seven weeks!  And that was after I made multiple attempts to contact them about it!  The yellow dress below is the one I picked to review.  I warned you about the pictures and the model, remember?


 


The dress looks pretty cute, but I am not thrilled with it.  The neckline is too big which means I have to be careful about bending over.  This means it is a terrible option for the mother of a toddler.  Additionally, the fabric is too fragile to wear everyday.  I'm sure that I'll wear this dress a few more times, but it will not be an everyday option like I had planned on it being.  I was very disappointed.  :( 

But...

I decided to give them another try.

Mostly because I wanted to be able to write a GOOD review and I really do like wearing dresses.  Because of my erythromelagia I am limited to shorts or a dress from about April - October so I need a good inventory of dresses on hand.    I like wearing dresses all sorts of places - to Target, to the playground.  I want dresses that I can be active in and not have to worry about wearing.  

The second time I bought two dresses for myself and bought one for my sister as well.  She had used eShakti once in the past and had a GREAT experience.  

Again, my dresses took longer than projected to arrive.  This might not have been their fault - I think it came from the shipping service.  But it was still disappointing.  I had to call multiple times and they kept assuring me that this was uncommon.

I want to note here that each time I called the customer service people they were very kind.  One lady in particular (I wish I could remember her name!) worked quickly to resolve my problem.  She was gracious and actually listened to me and followed up the next day.

The dresses arrived and I knew right away that I didn't like one of them.  I've since returned it and am waiting for a refund.  I have mixed feelings on this navy dress on the left.  It is very comfortable and easy to wear, which I love.  This dress is cotton which means I can wear it to church, or to meetings, or to take my son to the playground - my favorite type of dress!  But even though I gave my measurements, it is a bit too big.

I'm going to have to pay out of pocket to have a seamstress fix a few things.  The cross-over part at the top wasn't sewed shut.  I'm not sure why they wouldn't sew it (perhaps to accommodate different bust sizes?), but I tried safety pinning mine and decided that I actually need it sewn.  

Additionally, the dress hangs to the bottom of my knee - NOT what I was expecting.  There was an option to have the dress above the knee, but I read a reviewer who requested that and got a dress that was shorter than the average mini-skirt.  So I asked them to leave the skirt length as shown (which I thought was the top of the knee).  I will have it altered to be a bit above my knee, which is where I prefer it.  

While I still love the idea behind eShakti and have heard of many people who have positive experiences, I can't say the same for mine.  The dress I received to review is not my favorite - I would have returned it if I spent my own money on it because I probably wouldn't have gotten enough use of out it.  I am disappointed that I spent much more money on the blue dress than I normally would have, but I STILL have to pay to have them altered.  For a family who doesn't have a lot of extra cash on hand, this experience has been frustrating.  I am not sure that I will be using eShakti in the future.

So there you have it: my honest opinion.  Have you had any experience with eShakti?  Or do you have any dress recommendations for me?  


**In exchange for sharing my (very) honest opinion, I received the yellow dress for free. 

bedroom redo AND an interview with Brittany from Honeytree Home Decor

This month we finally upgraded our bedroom.  For the first year of marriage, we had a mattress and a box spring on the floor.  That was IT!  No dressers or nightstands, for us.  :)  I used a metal folding chair for my nightstand.  Then we bought a bed frame so that we were at least a few inches off the floor.  The bed frame was nice, but we still didn't have dressers and our room was bare.  Thanks to an early tax return, we decided that the time was finally right to buy a bedroom set.  We took awhile decided because we needed to find one that we both liked AND find one in our price range.  But we finally found the right one and had it delivered a couple weeks ago.  Here are a couple pictures:

My favorite part is my nightstand, where I'm sure I'll collect a pile of books in no time.  There's another dresser that I don't have a picture of, but it's much larger and has a mirror attached.

Now that we have actual furniture in our room, I started thinking about decorating it as well.  We have wedding pictures that I want to hang once I can find some cheap frames.  I scoured Pinterest for ideas that I could do myself even though I'm not really a DIY kinda girl.  Somewhere on Pinterest I saw a line from the chorus to Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros:

Home is Wherever I'm With You

I knew the moment I saw it that that was what I wanted in our bedroom!  Since we're an Air Force family, our house changes.  But I loved the idea of taking the print with us, hanging it on the wall, and being reminded that home really is wherever I'm with him.  I still needed to find a sign or a print.  Eventually I found my way to Etsy and to a shop called Honeytree Home Decor.  I fell in love with her chalkboard print of these lyrics.  I love the look of chalkboards, but I can't stand the feeling or sound of writing on them.  So this a great way to get the look (and the lyrics) without having to actually use a chalkboard myself.

I had a question for the owner, Brittany, so I messaged her and soon she messaged back.  It turns out that she is also a military spouse and our sons are pretty close in age!  My husband and I like to support the businesses of military spouses because we know how hard it is to have a steady job with military life.  So today I want to share a little about Honeytree Home Decor through an interview with Brittany, starting with this picture of her adorable family.

1. Tell me a little about yourself and your family!

Hi! I'm Brittany, and I live & grew up in Northern Virginia. I met my husband, Justin, when he was stationed here with the US Coast Guard. A few years later, we were married and our sweet boy Grayson came along. He is now 1 1/2, and most days acts like a little sour patch kid. Ya know, first they're sour and then they're sweet?? Yep. That's him. Good thing he's cute! We recently learned that we will be packing up our lives and moving all the way to Southern California. I honestly couldn't be more excited for the adventure that lays before us!

2. What's the story of your Etsy shop? Why did you start it and how did you choose the name?

I have always loved covering my home in things created by people, rather than by a factory. Those details make a home feel so much more warm and inviting, in my opinion! After receiving compliments from friends on some prints I created for my own home, the thought popped up to maybe give Etsy a try. When we learned that we would be PCSing, and I would be transitioning into stay at home mom territory for a while, I decided to take the plunge! A while back I thought about selling some wooden paintings, and asked a close friend for tree-related suggestions for the name. Thus, Honeytree was born! Even though the name was thought up for a different product, it makes me feel all giddy so I kept it.

3. Do you have any favorite prints or any that hold special meaning to you?

The print that reads "I love you to the moon and back." definitely tugs at my heart strings. It's a piece that I originally created for my son's nursery. Every night, I tell Grayson that I love him to the moon and back. Sometimes, he'll give me a big ole' open mouth baby-kiss, and I know that he loves me too.

Thanks, Brittany, for the interview and sharing about your life!  I'm so thrilled that we were able to work together on this and that I was able to write about Honeytree Home Decor!

Additionally, Brittany has graciously offered a 15% discount off anything in her shop!  So cool!  Click over to her shop to see all that she has to offer and then use the coupon code: "GLORIOUS15" when you check out! 

  

**In exchange for this post, I received a complementary print from Honeytree Home Decor.  Here's another link to the one I picked! :)

currently reading: Notes from a Blue Bike

Do you ever read a book and find yourself thinking (or shouting), "yes! yes!!" the whole time?  Or, if you're an annotator like me, you keep writing it in the margins, accompanied by a mixture of stars and underlining and brackets and arrows?  When I like a book, you can tell just by flipping through because it will be embellished with my pencil markings.  And if you were to pick up this book, I think you'd realize pretty quickly that I liked it.  It resonated with me in a deep way.  

Tsh Oxenreider is the founder of TheArtofSimple.net, a website inspiring people to live simply.  Her latest book is Notes from a Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World.  In this book, Tsh shares about the journey her family has taken to duplicate the slower lifestyle they enjoyed overseas as they have transitioned back to the States.

The book is divided into seven sections.  With an introduction and a conclusion as bookends, Tsh writes about the five areas in which they have chosen to be intentional: food, work, education, travel, and entertainment.  Notes from a Blue Bike is a collection of essays with tips for simple living sprinkled throughout, instead of a "how-to" book.

I hadn't heard of Tsh before this book or seen her website, so this was truly my first introduction to her writing.  And I loved the book!  I loved the essay format and hearing how their family decided upon these intentional steps and reading how it actually worked within the family.  I appreciated all the sections (really!), but, at this point in life, the work and education sections held the most meaning to me.

In the work section, Tsh talks about managing a business from her home with her husband.  She writes about finding time to write in the midst of being a busy mom with little ones at home.  It was a message I needed to hear: that it's okay for me to take time to do something I love.  She writes of slowing down and setting limits, but also of valuing your work and treating it like it is "worthy of my dedication, practice, focus, and excellence. (Because it is)."  I was interested to hear how she and her husband manage the business together, but I also appreciated that she included examples of many other families with different work schedules who have made adjustments in order to find what works for them.  In other words, Tsh isn't expecting that what works for her family is what will work best for mine.    

I also appreciated the chapter on education as Tsh shares their journey to find the right fit educationally for each child, each year.  After swearing that she would never homeschool her children, Tsh spends a year homeschooling and falls in love with parts of it.  But later they decide that the best decision for their family is to send their children to public school.  She writes about the value of exposing your children to books and of giving them room to be creative.

Other reviewers have mentioned that Tsh's life doesn't seem simple and I understand where they are coming from.  Her life certainly isn't straightforward - she's lived all over, she works strange hours, and her children have had multiple schooling options within a few years.  Her life is complicated.  But I believe she wants to live a full life and is choosing to do so as simply as possible.  If you're looking for a practical, step-by-step guide to simple living, you will probably be disappointed.

Notes from a Blue Bike is balanced, which is what I like about it.  The main message is to find what is important to you and then adjust your life to reflect that.  Tsh doesn't write expecting that every reader will move to a farm and live off the land.  She writes for ordinary people and ordinary families looking to make small changes.  And I like that because I am an ordinary person with an ordinary family.  I hope that you read it and, if you do, let me know what you think of it!







I was given a copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.



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currently reading: The Question That Never Goes Away

I think I should rename this series "books from the pile on my bedside table".  And by 'bedside table' I mean the metal folding chair that I use as a bedside table.  My life is so glamourous!  ;)  This week I have been actively reading three books: one to review, one to enjoy, and one to help my husband and I figure out how the heck to parent our toddler thoughtfully.

The book I am reviewing this week is The Question That Never Goes Away, courtesy of BookLook Bloggers (formally BookSneeze).

  

Philip Yancey is the author of Where Is God When It Hurts?, which he wrote in 1977 to explore suffering from a Christian perspective.  Now, over 30 years later, he released a sequel: The Question That Never Goes Away.  Since writing his first book, Yancey has become somewhat of an expert on the topic of pain, receiving countless letters from hurting people and numerous speaking invitations.  The Question That Never Goes Away is based off of Yancey's personal experiences with three different events: the four year long siege of Sarajevo, the 2011 tsunami in Japan, and the 2012 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.  Each of these events were horrific and ghastly in their own way, but they raised the same question: Where was God during this and why did He let it happen?

I was thrilled to see this book available for review from BookLook Bloggers.  I've read Where is God When it Hurts? and Disappointment with God (both by Yancey) before and thought I would like this one as well.  I wasn't disappointed.  Yancey is a thoughtful, compassionate author.  Since I am interested in the theology of suffering, I have read books by multiple Christians authors on the subject.  Yancey is one of my favorites.  Unlike many others, he avoids offering platitudes or prescriptive advice.  Yancey points to Jesus' example of avoiding answering why suffering exists, instead focusing on our response to suffering.  I appreciate that Yancey faces the issue of suffering head-on and writes of how he was affected personally rather than tackling the subject from a strictly academic perspective.

Some may be disappointed by this book.  Yancey doesn't offer a definitive answer on suffering.  But that is what I like about it.  I feel that any answer he could have given would have probably fallen short.  He wrote rawly about his experiences and emotions in Sarajevo, Japan and Newtown and instead of tying them up with a flippant clique about God's will, Yancey lets the heaviness of these situations resound.  Yancey is an author who seems comfortable admitting that we don't have all the answers, but instead, gives us tools and encouragement to continue living under the weight of unanswered questions.  This book is so important for all Christians would read - I wish that more people would take the time to consider this topic seriously before spouting off harsh words following tragedies.

**I received a copy of this book from BookLook in exchange for an honest review.

**This post contains Amazon Affiliate links

currently reading: Jesus Feminist

"exploring God's radical notion that women are people, too"

"I'll never fit in with Christian women..."

I said these hushed words to my husband as we left a small group one night.  

Looking back, I can see that it was kind of a silly statement.  The night had been discussions of children and cooking and clothing - things that I actually do enjoy, but they felt frivolous at the time.  I was missing deep conversation and connection.  During the long, lonely hours as a SAHM I was (am) mentally wrestling through all that I read on popular Christian sites.  

Why were these amazing debates taking place online and in books where Christian women spoke with strong voices and yet, when I went to Church, I felt like all the women talked about were recipes and kids and decorating and dieting?  Was the conversation only happening online?  

Reading Sarah Bessey's book, Jesus Feminist

, I'm realizing that I was wrong ( and that I should probably get used to that feeling).  I think that all over Christendom these women - strong women who want to challenge and to be challenged - do exist.  But maybe, like me, they're used to churches telling women to be "gentle and quiet", but not telling them to use leadership skills.  And they're used to churches with a "brain-check" at the front door next to the coat check.  And they're used to feminism being "the f word" in Church.  And so, like me, these women have decided to just take the easy route and keep their voices to hushed tones.

But what I'm realizing is that strong women who want more from the Church are all around me.  And I'm so excited to see where that takes me in the next year of hard conversations and growing friendships and women challenging women to do more and be better.

Whew.  All that was just an intro to my thoughts on the book.  I'll try to hurry up after this.  :)  

{I am a bit self-conscious about posting pictures of myself...and I am a Jesus feminist ;) 

 Also, if you didn't know, Sarah collected pictures of people with similar signs.

I didn't come up with this idea on my own. }

Jesus Feminist

 surprised me.  I expected Sarah Bessey's writing to be bold and scandalous and very heavy on research.  And it was, in some ways.  But what surprised me was how personal this book was.  Sarah wrote to ME.  Her words were like a thick blanket wrapped around my shoulders, cocooning and comforting.  She asks her readers to "lay down our ideas, our neatly organized Bible verses, our carefully crafted arguments" (p.1) and instead, invites us to a conversation.     

From the beginning, Sarah wrote gently and kindly and truthfully.  While many people might have negative stereotypes they associate with the word "feminist" (read: angry, bitter), Sarah's tone is completely different.  It was a bit off-setting for me at the beginning because this book was not what I expected.  If you're looking for a book goes through each verse pertaining to women and painstakingly proves (or disproves) why you should be a feminist, this is not the book you're looking for.  This book is about leaving our entrenched sides and coming together to see the Kingdom of God at work.  It was obvious that the book was well-researched, but it was not scholarly.  

I loved how Sarah used her own life stories (and those of her friends) in this book.  She writes of childhood and childbirth, marriage and ministry, hurts and happiness.  She combines stories and Scriptures and quotes and hard truth, and when it all comes together, it works.  It captured my attention and engaged both my brain and my heart.  

One part stuck out to me: "Often when a woman exhibits leadership, she's accused of having that Jezebel spirit.  I look forward to the day when women with leadership and insight, gifts and talents, callings and prophetic leanings are called out and celebrated as Deborah, instead of silenced as a Jezebel" (p. 92)  Yes.  Yes!  I wish this wasn't revolutionary in western Christianity, but it is!  And I too look forward to the day when women are celebrated as leaders, scholars and pastors in the Church.  

I've read criticism that Sarah's book didn't go far enough.  And I understand where those people are coming from.  In some ways, I do think she could have pushed further.  But I think she ended up with a gracious book that will speak to both sides and will start the conversation rolling in churches.  Rather than focusing on the minute details, Sarah looks at the bigger picture.  To her, being a feminist is being part of the Kingdom of God here on earth.

Before reading this book, I was comfortable calling myself a Christian and a feminist.  But Sarah's book helped me delve deeper into the conflation of those, which I appreciate.  This is a book I plan to read again and will recommend to friends, both male and female.  I am already looking forward to the conversations that will take place because of Jesus Feminist

.

My rating: 5 stars

{Finished book on my little red desk}

If you've read Jesus Feminist

 (or read Sarah's blog), I'd love for you to let me know what you thought! :)

**This post contains Amazon Associates links

Our Stay at the Fisher House at WPAFB

My son and I are trying to get over a nasty virus this week, so we've been staying in to avoid giving our germs to anyone else.  But I'm trying to take advantage of the downtime by catching up on the posts about our trip last month.  So today I'm sharing about our stay at the Fisher House, which is similar to a Ronald McDonald house, except it's only for military members!

The Fisher House Foundation builds houses near big military hospitals where military families can live free of charge while receiving medical treatment.  Because of the way our military healthcare works, families often have to travel for medical procedures so having a nice place to stay without worrying about the cost is an amazing blessing!

Read below to learn more about the Fisher House Foundation and see pictures from the WPAFB Fisher House!  (As always, I feel the need to say that I am NOT a photographer, so don't expect perfect pictures:)

We traveled from Offutt AFB (Nebraska) to Wright-Patterson AFB (Ohio) for my husband's corrective eye surgery.  Since it was an elective surgery, we were put on a waiting list at first, but about two weeks ahead of time, we were contacted saying that they had room for us.

 

When we first arrived, we were greeted by the house managers who gave us a tour of the house and explained the house guidelines.  Guests who are physically able are asked to help with basic things like emptying the trash cans, unloading the dishwashers, and shoveling the walk to keep the house nicer for everyone.  

The house is beautifully decorated and well cared for.  The sitting room (above) contains books, music, games and puzzles for guests to enjoy.  On the right you can also see a sweet doll house - I had to keep Hadden away from that because he probably could have done some damage!

The dining room has a booster seat and a high chair, which was great for us.  A couple times a week, meals would be provided by a community or base group, but usually guests prepare their own meals.  Guests are only permitted to eat in the dining room or the kitchen which makes sense.  But was a tad difficult for us since Hadden is used to snacking throughout the day and not used to sitting in a high chair each time.  

The picture of Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher hangs in the dining room.

The kitchen is gorgeous!  They have everything you need to prepare meals (pots, pans, baking sheets, etc).  Milk and juice is provided for your use and there are a couple cabinets containing staples for everyone to use, like boxed mac and cheese or canned soup.

In the upper right hand corner of the cabinets above, you might notice that each one has a label.  Each room is assigned a cabinet and a shelf in the refrigerator to keep personal food items.  It was so nice to have access to a kitchen while we were there.  To be honest, we ate out a lot, mostly at Chick-Fil-A because Hadden could release energy on the play area.  But we normally ate breakfast and either lunch or dinner at the Fisher House.

Often there was fruit and baked goods sitting on the counter for everyone to enjoy.  It was these small touches that made it feel more welcoming.

Off the kitchen is the laundry room where we could do laundry free of charge.  Again, since we were staying there for 10 days with a toddler, this made things easier for us.

The back of the house had a sitting area (above) and a TV area (below).  There were also toys back here for little ones to play with.  That came in handy because there were quite a few other children there during our stay.  The sitting area had a large assortment of magazines that I enjoyed flipping through.  And the TV area had video games, DVDs and board games.

Since we were there in the winter, we weren't able to enjoy the back porch (out the doors on the right), but it would have been wonderful in warmer weather!

Hallway leading to guest rooms

 Since they knew we were bringing a toddler, the house managers provided a pack n play for Hadden.  

To the left is the mirror and vanity and to the right is a walk in shower.

We came back to our room a couple different days to find a stocking filled with gifts waiting for us - just another little touch they added to make our stay nicer.

Here's a picture of Hadden unpacking our first stocking

(we'd just taken his winter hat off which is why his hair looks so matted)

I always liked the idea behind the Fisher House, but now that I've stayed there and met other families who have benefitted from the foundation, I appreciate it even more.  Our stay and my husband's surgery were relatively easy.  We struggled a bit with keeping Hadden busy since there were many things he could get into.  And we had a really hard time getting him to sleep there, which left us all a bit tired and cranky.  But I have a sense of peace knowing that if we face medical issues in the future and have to travel to a different base for treatment, there will likely be a Fisher House where we can stay.

If you'd like to learn more about the Fisher House Foundation, you can visit their website here.

2013 In Review (because all the cool kids are doing it)

Here's our year in review along with my favorite Instagram picture of the month. :)  There are links throughout so click away!

In January I officially became a Key Spouse for our squadron (but I didn't write about it until April) and we celebrated my husband's birthday with a date to Joe's Crab Shack.

In February we decided to create a separate blog for our family updates.

In March we started our gratitude wall.

In April we started our summer produce challenge to eat more seasonally.

In May I read my favorite book of 2013 and fell in love with Shauna Niequist's writing (I received Bittersweet for Christmas this year and can't wait to dig in).

In June I was a bridesmaid (brides-matron?) for my friend's wedding and we traveled 2,217 miles in 11 days to see family and friends all over the place.  We hope we never have to do that road trip again!  During June I also wrote about about a post about feminism and the Church.  I'm not incredible proud of the writing or the depth because I know I could do better on both of those.  But I am very proud that I overcame my 'fear of man' just a little bit by pressing "publish" on that post.

In July Hadden learned to walk and hasn't slowed down since!  I wrote a second post about our favorite baby items which was a follow up post to this one from last September.

In August we celebrated Hadden's first birthday, I was named as one of the top 10 military mom bloggers and my blog had a much needed makeover!

In September we started our first Whole30 (we'll be doing another in January!)

In October we celebrate Halloween and I reviewed our commissary's pick up system (one word: awesome!).

In November my sister's family came for Thanksgiving which was the best ever!

And finally, in December we traveled to Ohio so my husband could have corrective eye surgery (more on that in upcoming posts).


**This post contains Amazon Associates links

currently reading (my LAST book review of 2013): A Star for Mrs. Blake

While we were away for my husband's surgery, I was contacted about reviewing the book A Star for Mrs. Blake

 by April Smith.  I read the summary and it caught my interest so I agreed.  When we got home from the trip, I was TIRED.  It had been a long two weeks of chasing a toddler around, helping with my husband post-op and I needed a mental break.  This book was waiting for me when we got home and I thought I'd just read a couple chapters to see what I thought.  Things didn't exactly go as planned because soon I was swept away into Mrs. Blake's world and reading non-stop.  In less than 24 hours I had read the entire 334 pages!  If you want to read a little more about the book, check out my review below or look for it on sale on January 14th!

(Image from Amazon)

A Star for Mrs. Blake

 is a historical fiction book set in 1931, thirteen years after the end of World War I.  The story follows Cora Blake's journey from her small town in the United States to visit the grave of her son, Sammy, in Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery with a group of Gold Star Mothers (referring to the gold star that hung on their service flags after a family member had died).

Cora Blake, a volunteer librarian, lives on Deer Isle, Maine where she cares for her three nieces, and keeps tabs on her trouble-making brother-in-law.  Living the midst of the Great Depression, Cora makes ends meet by working in the cannery and a frugal lifestyle.  When a letter comes from the US government, Cora has a flashback to the letter she received 13 years ago telling her that her only son, who had lied about his age to enlist in the Army, had been killed in action.  This letter, however, was an invitation to join other Gold Star Mothers to visit their sons final resting places in France, paid for by the United States.

With little hesitation, Cora decides she will join the pilgrimage.  She travels to New York City where she meets the group with whom she'll be traveling - four other Gold Star Mothers, a young nurse and a newly commissioned Army officer.  The women are all unique, coming from different religions, ethnicities and socioeconomic levels, which adds drama to an already emotional journey.  Once in France, Cora meets an American journalist, Griffin Reed, who was injured during the war and is now forced to wear a metal mask to cover his wounds.  When Cora tells Griffin the story of her pilgrimage, including a secret she's kept for years, he writes an article about her that brings with it a surprise ending.

A Star for Mrs. Blake is based on the stories of deceased Army Colonel Thomas West Hammond, "whose first assignment as a graduate of West Point Academy was to accompany a party of Gold Star Mothers...on the pilgrimage to France."  After I finished the book, I did some researching of my own and found that April Smith had done an excellent job of weaving historical fact within her fictional story.  The characters quickly grew dear to my heart and I was moved to tears many times throughout the book.  As I read about mothers crying over their sons graves, I found myself stopping the book for a moment to scoop my son into my arms and tell him about much I love him.  This book gave me a greater appreciation for the sacrifice of our veterans and their families and a great appreciation for my own family.

My Rating: 5 Stars

**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

**This post contains Amazon Associates links

Click2Go eCommissary - review

A few months ago I was thinking about deployments and how we could make it easier on the parents who are at home with children.  I told my husband that it would be great if we could find a local grocery store that lets you order online.  About a week later, I learned that the commissary (grocery store on military bases) was doing the exact same thing as a trial program AND that Offutt AFB (where we are stationed) was going to be one of the test locations!

I was excited to try it, but the timing wasn't great - about a week after the trial started, the commissary was furloughed due to the government shutdown!  This week, however, everything was back to normal and it was the perfect time to try it out as my family was sick and I didn't really feel like taking a sick toddler in for groceries.

One night after our son went to bed, I sat down at the computer with my grocery list and started clicking away.  Click2Go was easy to use, but I'm sure the more often I used it, the faster I'd become at finding things.  Items are well organized within sections (Produce, Fruit, etc), but sometimes it took a try or two before I found what I was looking for.  There is a search bar at the top and that made it a lot easier to find a specific item - just type in the product name like Horizon Organic Milk.  I submitted my list online and chose a pickup window (e.g. 11:30-12pm) between 11am-6pm.  About 30 minutes after I "checked out", I realized I had forgotten a few things so I signed back in and added those things to my cart.

The next morning, I pulled up to the side of the commissary and pressed a button to talk with the person working Click2Go.  They asked for my last name and told me to pull ahead into a spot.  When they brought out my groceries, they checked my ID, ran my credit card and loaded everything in my car.  It was great!!  There is no charge to use Click2Go and you're not allowed to tip the commissary employees so I only paid for the things I bought.


What I Liked:
Click2Go was easy and convenient!  The website allows you to "favorite" items so if you knew you were going to be buying the same items often, you could save time that way.

You have the option to "allow for substitutions" which means that if the commissary is out of a particular item, they will call you and ask if they can substitute a similar item for your order (e.g. Organic Valley Skim Milk instead of Horizon Organic Skim Milk).  I didn't check this option, which meant they were missing a few things I need (I was informed of this ahead of time by email).  Next time I'll allow substitutions to make sure I get everything on my list.

What I Didn't Like:
I was a little unsure of having someone else pick out my produce, so I didn't buy a lot.  What I received was in good condition so I would trust them again for a few things.  If I knew I was buying a lot of fruits and vegetables though, I would probably prefer to pick them out myself.  Also, you have to pay attention on the website when ordering produce and be specific (there's a notes section on each item so you can explain what you want).  I heard from someone else that when you put bananas in your virtual cart and request 1, they will give you one banana, not one bunch! :)  I had the same problem with onions - the website asked for the number and weight of onions I wanted.

At this point, we can only pick up groceries on three days (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday).  It's a great start, but it would definitely be nice to have it available on more days.

Overall:
Assuming that Click2Go grows to other bases, I can see myself using and recommending it to others.  It will be great during deployments (especially if you have several children) or when you're sick and don't want to expend extra energy.  Last winter I cooked two months of meals at a time (which meant one biiiiig trip to the commissary).  I definitely would have used Click2Go had it been an option at that time to save hunting around for various items.  I also like the option of having my husband pick up our groceries on his way home from work without it taking up his time or having to send him a list of what I need - I can get exactly what I need and it would be very easy for him to pick up.  That being said, I don't plan to use Click2Go on a weekly basis because I still like to go in to the commissary and pick out a lot of my own things.

If Click2Go was available at your commissary/grocery store, would you give it a try?