NOTES about digital books

Since I hope to be adding to this information ... I might try to fit this somewhere else on my blog ... but for now ... it's here :)  Over the past couple years, I've been reading some FREE books ... kindle books and nook books ... and wanted to start keeping track of them somewhere.  I began reading these free books primarily because I wished to preview them for my kids.

Just so you know ... to some extent, you get what you pay for, in that some of the digital copies have many errors ... and this would likely pose a challenge for less experienced readers.  For example, one book (exiles in babylon?) usually had "li" in places where it should have been an "h".  

Also, many of these older books are british so there might be some things that are foreign, especially to younger readers.  And ... the a_ _ word was an acceptable word to them back then???  I don't know ... but anyway ... I think I've come across it a couple of times.

Finally, my age guesstimates are obviously unscientific ...

KINDLE BOOKS

Ishmael -- Excellent.  Probably 15+ or 17+ largely due to the romance in the beginning ... however the stories about Ishmael as a young boy ... his unscrupulous character ... are great for younger kids.  I read those chapters out loud when the kids were 13, 11, and 7 ... they found Ishmael to be a most interesting boy.

Self-Raised -- This is the sequel to Ishmael.  Also good.  Enjoyed Ishmael more though.

Hidden Hand -- Okay ... a little long.  Ages 15+.  Can't remember much right now.  There was some weird stuff I think.  Please leave me a comment if you read it so I can update.  Sequel is Capitola's Peril ... also okay ... don't know if I ever finished it though.

Cobwebs and Cables -- Excellent.  Powerful story about how choosing sin might first affect us only like thin cobwebs but eventually will bind us in strong cables.  Main man character has some serious financial troubles in the beginning and then decides to pretend he died.  Starts out pretty slow and kind-of "dark" ... but don't let that dissuade you :)  12+ maybe???  Although I think my oldest son read it at age 10 ...

Lamplighter -- Very good.  Cute and sweet main character.  A little long in places and a fairly meandering storyline ... but good overall.

Little Meg's Children -- Don't think I read this ... my oldest daughter really liked it though and thinks it's good for all ages.  8+ if an advanced reader.

Sailor's Lass -- I don't think this is a "lamplighter" title ("lamplighter" author maybe???) ... but it is a cute, rather short, story about a shipwrecked orphan girl and the family that takes her in.


NOOK BOOKS

Jessica's First Prayer -- Good ... just one goofy theological issue that I can't recall right now.  Ages 8+.

Prisoners of the Sea -- Excellent.  Ages 13+???  Not sure on the age range as there is death, violence, pirates, attempted murder ... but I wouldn't say it is bloody or gratuitous ... rather matter of fact. Awesome plot with lots of action.

Exiles in Babylon -- Excellent ... quite a few errors though.  Teenage boy falls into getting drunk at a party ... some "friends" work at keeping his glass full of wine to accomplish this.  The drunkenness ... and being in the wrong place ... bring him further trouble.  And even though the boy repents ... he still has to bear the consequences.  Good lessons on not putting oneself in a position of temptation.  13+?

The Crew of the Dolphin -- Excellent ... 10+.  Not too long.  Young boy offers to sacrifice himself so that his older brother (who has a wife and kids) can be saved.

House of Love -- It was great until the last 15% or so ... when it got amazingly corny ... a man was searching desperately to discover the owner of a beautiful voice he'd heard singing, certain that she was a soul-mate ... this story later pointed out that this is folly to fall in love with a voice ... but of course he ended up with her anyway.  His father also remarries in the book and there is very little development of this relationship pre-marriage ... seems really sudden.  And the a word is used near the end by the father and it made the father appear tacky and juvenile.  All in all ... because of this junk at the end ... I probably wouldn't recommend this book in the free nook version.  It is, however, a Lamplighter title so maybe Mark Hamby cleaned it up some in his editing of the book.  Nonetheless ... if I was going to read it aloud again ... I would have ended it when Doris was finally going to be free of the Wilde house and about to go abroad with an older widowed relation of hers ... as the bulk of the story where Doris is a young girl is really quite interesting and Doris is a great example of loving ones enemies.  This section of the story is suitable for younger children.

Prisoner of Philippi -- Just started.  Awesome so far.  It begins with a partial page scanned ... which is confusing.  Also, early on it mentions how life is so hard some people purposefully fall on the sword, etc..

Peep Behind the Scenes -- Good so far ... stopped midway through to read aloud on a road trip.

Tom Gillies -- Excellent ... however I read it in a Lamplighter version ... so I can't speak to the nook book.  A story about the knots that are created from telling lies.  8+  or  10+  (It's been a long time since I read it so I'm pretty unsure about age recommendation.)

Christmas Child -- Good.  Short.  Ages 12+?

Alone in London -- Good ... ages 10+ ... sweet story.  Mentions the pleasure of pipe smoking at 37%.

The Little Preacher -- All ages.  Loved it!  Fairly fast-paced story about a farming family with four children ... bad neighbors ... and two opposite grandmothers.  A difficult/hard father becomes soft/loving.

Fred and Maria and Me -- short story for all ages.  nephew swindles his aunt and later tries to make amends.

Hester Morley's Promise -- somewhat mysterious.  a tad hard to get into ... but worth it.  interesting in that the devastation of adultery is portrayed without any glamorizing of the sin.  seemed to end abruptly though ... tried to find a sequel.  10+???  12+???

spring & summer ezzisms

Catching up -- just a little though :)

Ezzie is still at that delightful age where he says something funny most every day ... sometimes every hour ... but I forget most of his funnies.  The following, however, is some ezzisms from the past four or five months that I remembered to write down ... by the way, presently "G" refers to our new baby :)

Ezzie was cuddling by me in bed.  He put his arm around me and said, "I will keep you safe, Mommy."
"Safe from what?" I asked.
"From falling off the bed!" 


"I lost somepin (something) and then I found it ... and then I lost it again and then I found it again!"  Ezzie told me.
"What was it?"  I asked.
"Somepin ... I don't remember.

I was about to drop Halo off at the library to quick return some books and Ezzie said to her, "I want to come wif you so I can SEE what's takin' you so long!"

"When I woke up I fought (thought) Buddy was sleeping in his bed but he wasn't.  He was down eating breakfast.  But I didn't cry.  And I didn't yell.  I didn't do nuffin ... I just kept sleeping."

E had some new "carpenter" jeans on ... "There's lots of holsters on my jeans."

G had a baby "gown" on ... "The baby looks like a princess and his toes are like tic-tacs."

Buddy smashed a wood tick on the sidewalk ... "It's a good thing it wasn't me.  I'm sure glad I'M not a wood tick."

Gives Baby G lots of kisses and often runs over to his side singing Jesus Loves Me when he fusses.

Is SO thankful for things that many would overlook ... and usually is the one that reminds the olders to be thankful ... A few examples ... "Thank you for taking us to costco."  "Thank you for taking us to sport." (sports co-op)  "Thank you for taking us to the 4th of July."

Looking at G ... "Does he have his hair styled?"  Ezzie asked me.   

I laughed.  "By who?"  

"You!"  I laughed again.  
"No.  He doesn't have too much hair.  He just wakes up looking this way."

Ezzie had to take a short ride with Daddy and his car seat was with me ... "I sneaked home in Daddy's truck without my car seat ... just buckled in like a big boy.  And the police didn't even catch us!  If they did ... they would handcuff Daddy and me!  And they would say ... (and here he deepened his voice and made it a little gruff-sounding) ... "WHOOO buckled him in?"

When G's "cord" fell off and his bellybutton was finally laid bare ... Ezzie said, "That's NOT a bellybutton!"

Ezzie came with me to a doctor appt and after gettting my blood drawn ... "You're BIG, Mommy!  You didn't cry!!!"  Several days later ... I was bringing him to a second appt for me and he said he didn't want to go me this time because, "It's too doctor-y."

"Come here, Ezzie, can I see you for a minute?"  I called.

"Yep, you can see me for two minutes or three minutes."  

Foofie was telling us (me and Ezzie) that Grandma had called me her little girl and she was laughing over this.  So I said, "Well ... you will always be my little girl and Ezzie ... you will always be my little boy." 
"No ... I'm gonna grow up."

He had gotten in the van and had a cup ... "Can I put my cup (in the cupholder) by the captain's chair?"

I was giving Ezzie a haircut (outside) and he wasn't too pleased about it.  Trying to distract him, I said, "Do you hear the birds?  Hear all the pretty songs they are singing?"
"Yes ... they are saying WHY are you cutting Ezzie's hair?"

How he has been saying goodnight every night for the past few months ... "See you in the morning for lots of times.  See you in the morning for a long time.  See you in the morning!"

Ezra, after being four years old for a whole 81 days, confided to his sisters, "I'm not going to tell anyone ... but being four feels about the same as being three."

We were talking about the co-op we go to starting up and how he will be in kindergarten and will have to listen when the teacher is talking and so on ... and I concluded with, "I'm sure you will be a very little nice good student."  (I think I meant to say very good ... nice little ... but I switched it around some.)

"Yes, and I will be a very little nice good boy too!"

"Mommy, if YOU eat and eat and eat and eat and eat ... and eat and eat and eat ... you will get another baby in your tummy."

When offered a banana for a snack ... "I don't like snacks.  I only like suppers."

After inspecting a large, partially-healed scrape on his arm ... "I've got cinnamon crunch on my arm."  Panera Bagels anyone???

a little more from ezzie

From March ...

Talking to my tummy ... "Are you ready to come out and play cars with me, Baby???"

After reading about Adam and Eve ... "I fink God doesn't want us to eat off trees."

"Are mooses poisonous?"

I had a large box in the van on one of the middle seats and I was trying to help Ezzie get out.  "It's kind-of tight ... but ... can you squeeze through here?" I asked.  "Yes, I can squeeze.  I'm a squeezer!" he answered confidently.

From February ...

"I don't like to read."

"Yes, you do," I said.
"I actually like to talk."

Usually, Ezzie falls asleep in seconds and he wasn't asleep yet because he'd had a late (and fairly long) nap ... so I went upstairs to check on him.  "I'm okay up here all by myself ... but I can't keep my eyes closed."

"There is such a nice baby in your tummy." Then he kissed my tummy.  "I'm going to hold it like this (demonstrates with both arms straight out and his hands palms up) so I don't drop it.  And after it comes out ... we're going to have another baby and another baby and another baby ... THREE more babies, I fink."

I helped Ezzie get out of the van and we were in a good inch or so of snow ... and he said, "Let me make a path for you, Mama."

Foofie and Ezzie were hunting bears. After a successful hunt ... Foofie said ... "You play with our babies while I skin the bear." Ezzie picked up a doll and immediately he made the doll cry ... "Waaah! Waaah! She wants YOU, Foof ... I'LL skin the bear!"

 

Ezzie sniffed the air ... "It smells like a rotten banana dipped in chocolate chips ... it's kinda gross."  He sniffed again.  "Actually ... it smells like a good banana dipped in chocolate chips ... and it's not really gross."

"You sure make me laugh," I told Ezzie.

"I do make you laugh.  And I make Daddy laugh.  And I make myself laugh," he replied.  Then he erupted in laughter :)

a little sewing

Last week, I was about to pitch these linen capris due to their strange fit ... but decided to recycle them into a tote bag :)  If you click on the image and zoom in, you can see the pocket better.  I ripped it right off the pants and didn't even have to fashion a pocket on my own :)

 

My new creation with one of my tote bag models :)

And I finally finished this bib ... which I started months ago?  maybe years ago?

a little more

Alrighty ... well here's a couple of the pix of me.  These shots probably aren't what you were expecting ... Jeff has an older iphone that doesn't take the greatest pictures (plus he was pretty far away from me).  One can hardly tell who this is.  Nonetheless, here I am digging up the second croc I lost.

And now I'm running with it.  (I lost the first shoe almost right away ... closer to our house.)  If you look several yards behind me, you can kind-of make out the end of my tracks which shows how close I actually got to the owl ...

a little owl

Yesterday, late morning, I spotted this owl way back in our woods.  I wasn't satisfied with this long-range shot from the doorway, so I donned a pair of crocs (the nearest option) and ventured outside in my pajamas (boxers shorts and a tee-shirt). 

Not surprisingly, I quickly lost my crocs -- why didn't I wear boots??? -- in the 8 or so inches of snow ... but I continued on.  Every several leaps, I stopped to take a picture in case I wasn't going to get any closer.   And as I was about halfway through the back field, there was a point where the owl looked cat-like to me.  I sure hope it's not a cat ... I thought ... it wouldn't be worth all of this trouble ...

Yes, my feet -- which get numb when the air-conditioning is on in the summertime -- were cold.  Very cold.  But look at this pose -- it looks like the owl has a hood on :) 


After I got this last shot, she finally flew ... or he???  Then, I dashed back towards the house in my thin running socks ... stopped to dig the crocs out of the snow ... and happened to glance up at our living room window and saw my family looking out ... with amusement, I think.  And then I noticed my husband aiming his phone at me ... taking a picture of his 28.5-weeks-pregnant and under-dressed wife running through the snow in her socks ...

When I asked Ezzie later if he saw the owl, he said, "Yeah ... AND ... I saw YOU RUNNING IN THE SNOW!" Apparently they thought I was more entertaining than the owl ...

more ezzie-isms

We were going swimming at a pool ...
"Are there sharks in it?"
No.
"Are there hippopotamuses in there?"
No.
"What's in there?"
Just water.
"Just water?  There's no animals in it???"

---

I was honey-ing Ezzie's sandwich with swirls and such and he said, "It's like letters, Mommy!  It says ... Ezzie, I love you!"
That's right, Little Honey :)

---

While praying ... I asked Ezzie if there is anything he wants to thank God for ...

"Yes," he said, "Thanks for mooses, deer antlers, and bears ... PANDA bears."

---

Little Dude handed me a "list" he made ...

"Here's my list, Mommy!  It says ... play ... shower ... go to bed.  But I don't write with letters ... just bumps."

---

"Do dolphins have meat?"
"Yes."
"Do bears eat dolphins?"
"I don't think so ... I don't think they can catch them ... but maybe they would eat dolphins if they had a chance."
"Would they eat the eyes?"

---

And a little Foof story from this morning as well ...

After Daddy left the house on a "top secret mission" ... Foofie said to me, "I think he's getting us a puppy dog or a prairie dog."
I laughed ...
"Well ... it might be some kind of animal," she stated.
"No way," I answered.

Then she went off to her older sister and brother and told them it wasn't a puppy dog or a prairie dog.  They asked her how she knew and she said, "I asked Mommy and she said 'ha. ha. ha.'"

Daddy returned home ... and Foofie tried to get information out of him.  Then I said,
"Maybe he's just teasing us.  Or maybe he was buying something for me.  Or maybe he was buying one of those top secret things from a craigslist ad," I continued.
"I doubt it.  I am spectacle about that," Foofie said.
After we had a good laugh ... we told Foofie that she meant skeptical -- not spectacle :)

a little sky-gazing

I think this was November 15th ... and it was one of those precious fall days that isn't so winterish yet ... one of those days where you must seize the opportunity for a little sunshine and fresh air ...

the opportunity for gazing up into the sky ...

feeling the breeze tickle your toes ...

and lounging in the grass with a buddy :)

And moi?  Since I was created for a much warmer climate ... I was enjoying the day in my "warmest" Lands' End down parka :)  I probably had my Cuddl Duds on too ...

a little about Ezzie

Some things about Ezzie {age 3.5} ... just a few, of course.  Almost daily there are things I make a mental note to write down -- but I often find it's already forgotten by the time I'm trying to jot it down ... oldish age, I guess ...

brecks-best (breakfast)
Grampa and Grampa (for gramma and grampa)
wah-grr (water)

very interested in animals ... especially bears ... always pointing to the globe and wanting to know where the bears live ... what they eat ... and if they're "kind-of a little dangerous" (danger-wuss)

likes to cut with scissors

like his sisters ... he loves KTIS and can sing along with many of the songs {albeit it is on far too much for my liking and I sometimes threaten to throw the radio out the window ...}

"Mommy ... what are relatives?"
"Grandmas and Grandpas ... aunts and uncles ... cousins ..."
"Do they have swords?"  Ezzie asked.

"Can you help me with this puzzle, Mama?" asked Foofie.
"I can!" said Ez.
"Isn't he darling, Foof?" I said.
"Just don't let me do it, Foofie!  Just don't let me do it," said Ezzie.
I thought he was possibly experimenting with reverse psychology ...
"Why not?"  I asked.
"'Cause I don't wanna," he declared.

He likes a certain Richard Scarry book about Pig Will and Pig Won't.  I like it too :)  Anyway, Pig Won't is a big stinker and Ez doesn't want to be like Pig Won't.  So ... when we get to the part that says "Pig Won't won't learn to read so he can't read a book" ... Ezzie says, "I can read The Truck Book." :) 

Later in the day when we had told the kids we were going to have a new baby ... Ezzie asked Halo if he was the new baby :)

He saw a truck/vehicle he liked at Kohl's ... and he was telling me about it.  "I like that two-wheeled bobcat from Koh's ... not from Koh's-laks, Mommy {we ate at Kozlaks' recently} ... it's from Koh's."

a little vehicle trouble

Jeff's truck died on Sunday morning.  I towed it to the auto body shop {which was rather adventurous}.  Then our minivan got a flat tire.  On Monday, our minivan had a dead battery {my Dad had to come over and give us a jump-start} and Jeff biked to the house {his current project}.

On Monday night, we were discussing whether to put a new engine in it for $4600 or whether to just get a new truck ... which would actually be a new OLD truck {for cheaper than $4600} ...

"Well ..." I began ... "After the house is done and the townhome is fixed up {Lord willing, his spring project} ... what do you see in the near future?  Do you think you'll be building or rehabbing some more ... or taking a break from that for a while and doing something else?"

Jeff didn't answer for several moments.  I think he was about to ask me if he should look in our crystal ball ;) so I beat him to it and said ...

"When you look in the crystal ball ... what do you see???  Do you think you are going to need a work truck after these couple projects are done?   What do you envision six months from now?"

"Farming.  I think I want to buy a farm," he answered.  "I've been doing some research ..."

Who knew?!?!? 

*** This is where I was hoping to end this story and it is such a good place to end.  If I had written this story Monday night, I could have ended here.  But, alas, there is now more to this story of vehicle woes.  Sorry ... ***

So ... yesterday, Tuesday afternoon, Jeff and I and the littlest two went to the "hood" {where all males under thirty are seemingly incapable of properly pulling up their pants} and purchased a $900 POC van from a strange fellow.  I was thinking he might be a scammer ... dishonest ... can't say why exactly.  Probably because he had someone call and inquire about the van during Jeff's two-minute test drive.  Really???  Anyway ... I was telling Jeff I thought he should have looked at a couple other vehicles first ... before deciding on this truck in a mere five minutes.

"Well ... I had to buy something.  Even if we decide to get the truck fixed, I need something now.  I need to haul stuff today.  I can't be immobile for a week while the truck gets fixed.  So ... even though nine hundred dollars is a lot of money ... it isn't a lot in terms of vehicles.  And ... since this van was so cheap ... if I find something better and decide I don't want to use the van anymore, I can just park it."

"So ... what you're saying is ... you want to have one of those yards with six or eight junkers parked all over the grass???" 

He laughed and I didn't.

Then, last night, he said he had a funny feeling about the van after driving it a little yesterday and that he hoped it would start in the morning.

This morning, the van started up and he came and banged on the window ... "It started!"  "Praise the Lord," I called : )  A few minutes later, I happened to glance out the front windows again and he was stalled :/ He'd barely gotten out of our driveway and was completely blocking the street.  Thankfully, a neighbor with an SUV had already maneuvered into an opposite neighbor's driveway and was trying {bumper to bumper} to nudge it back onto our driveway ... this was good news for me ... otherwise Jeff might have had me out there pushing it with my bare hands {which I did on Sunday at the auto body shop when we were trying to get the truck in an actual parking spot} ...

Then, amazingly, the van came to life again and Jeff revved off.  Hopefully he will make it home today!  Otherwise, he'll be calling me for help as I'm his new towing service ...

Oh, I almost forgot, I am already scheduled to tow our dead truck again tonight ... from the body shop to our house.  I wonder how long it will sit in our yard ... maybe 'til we have a farm to park it at ;)

a little fallish...part 2 ~ by Jean

Hi all!!!  I am back with some more of my pix : )

This was from a quick impromptu shoot on Sunday morning before church ... I think she looks quite dreamy and cute : )

Here is another action shot of Foof : ) This one is a bit better than the other one on the previous blog post ... I love her expression : )

Here is a super cute one of Ezzie : )

Another one of Ezzie ... Isn't he adorable??? : )

I call this picture ... The Laughing Leaves picture : )

Well, that's all for now : ) Maybe I will get some winter pix : ) That would be the day! ; ) If you click on my name ... you can see my blog about the theory of evolution!!! Have a GR8 day!
~ ♥ Jean

a little fallish

Thanks again to Halo ... I have another post :) One afternoon recently, she had fun taking some fall pix of Littlest Brother ...  He is holding up his zipper pull because there is a compass on it -- and he thinks it is pretty exciting :)

Then Foof joined in the fun too :)

a little pear (& apple) picking :) ~by Halo~

Hi all :) Today we went on a rather spontaneous field trip.  We visited a family who used to attend our church.  They moved up north to a small farm.  It was a lot of fun -- we even got to pick some pears and apples :) They have 11 chickens, 3 horses (Mia, Chad, Elmer), 1 Shetland pony (Princess, she is not pictured), 3 barn cats (Pierre, Rex, Emmy (Emmy is not pictured), and 1 golden retriever (Maggie).

The pear trees...

Me picking some juicy pears :)

Foofie in the pear tree :)

Buddy in the apple tree :)

Me and Pierre the tabby :)

Buddy and the cat Rex...

Foofie and Rex :)

I especially love this picture...Buddy and their horse Chad :)

Foof feeding apples to Mia and Elmer  :)

Me, Foof n' Chad  :)

Little Man with Elmer coming to visit  :)  "Hi horsey," he said :)

Lil' Buddy and their little boy Jo-Jo  ... who doesn't love trucks?!?!?

a little album: Cabin 2012 part IV

You probably didn't notice -- but in case you did -- I'm skipping over Cabin III as I don't think we took many or any pictures that time. If I find some at a later date ... I'll probably let you know :) Although ... it would probably be mostly pictures of kids with frogs as Cabin III was a froggy affair. The kids caught somewhere around twenty frogs ... oh ... and a pollywog too ...

*** I had a funny video of Ezzie singing along to Frogs, Frogs, Frogs to add here ... but can't locate it :/ So ... posting this as is for now. Maybe I'll try to replicate it sometime ... although the best setting for this song seems to be at night ... in the van. ***

And yes ... we have been very cabin-y thus far this summer :) I think this is a record summer of cabining for us! Enjoying it while we can, you know :)

Cabin IV included lots of fun with cousins ...



G & G had a photographer come out and take a few shots ...
So I took some too :)
We spotted a fawn :)
Halo's big catch :)

And tubing was extra wild with Daddy on board :)

a little prize

You may recall my mention of Gianna's blog here http://lotsoflittles.blogspot.com/2012/03/little-guest-blogging.html where I shared the tale of my rant in the Lego store at Downtown Disney :) Anyway, through her blog, I WON a photo shoot from her cousin at Sarah LuAnne Photography :) Thanks Gianna and Sarah :)

Our blessings :)  I'll be glad when it's time for Halo to get some new glasses ... she has those "transitions" which always look like sunglasses when she is outside ...

The sisters ... she took some of the brothers too {as well as individual shots of the kids} but they weren't on the disk ... so I'm guessing they weren't great???  Afternote: I found out her computer crashed and she only had a portion of the pictures saved at that point ...

It was a beautiful day ...

I'm hoping I can get this one in color ... I think it's my favorite of the whole gang ... this is the "pretend it's our Christmas card" picture :)

And we had pictures taken in front of these gorgeous bushes ... I thought it would make a great background ... unfortunately, the rest of the family had their eyes closed or they were looking away or just looking goofy.  Getting six people to look nice at the same moment can be tricky :)