My Tax Dollars at Work!

We've just entered the Christmas season, and I already realize that I'm not going to be reading very much. We are having way too much fun learning about Jesus, baking, and making homemade Christmas presents. I still want to keep up my blog, so I have to branch out from my usual book reviews. Maybe I'll occassionally delight you with an old review from my files!

So how have my tax dollars been at work lately? We love our library and take use of many of its resources. Early in November I requested that they purchase Nancy's book. A few minutes ago I received a call that it is waiting for me to pick up. That's so cool! Of course, I have my own copy under the nightstand. But hey, I'm supporting a friend here! So I'll check the library copy out for a few days and then recommend it to all of my Lebanon friends. Let this be your encouragement to request that your library purchase new books that interest you.

This photo is from our family Thanksgiving Eve dinner. It grieves me that so few people treasure our national heritage and put out the effort to study and appreciate our history. We spent the month reading picture books about the real first Thanksgiving. We started our meal with five kernals of corn, too. Our meal included serious moments (but not many with two preschoolers at the table), fun stuff and special treats. Cora wore an Indian headress and Wesley wore a pilgrim hat. These were, incidentally, courtesy of our public library. We made a presidential pardon turkey, Flyer, and sung many serious and silly Thanksgiving songs.

I have two very exciting books waiting to be read. They are the volumes that follow Marshall and Manuel's The Light and the Glory. In case you haven't heard me go on and on and on about this book before, I'll just let you know that it is a beautiful account of our nation's birth. It factually includes stories of the evidence of God's hand in our country's beginning. I peeked over Eric's shoulder last night while he was reading the second volume in the series, From Sea to Shining Sea. Here's the hilarious excerpt that I read, taken from an 1806 journal:

The Kentuckians eat nothing but bacon, which indeed is the favorite diet of all the inhabitants of that State...No people on earth live with less regard to regimen. They eat salt meat three times a day, seldom or never have any vegetables, and drink ardent spirits from morning till night. They not only have an aversion to fresh meat, but a vulgar predjudice that it is unwholesome. The truth is, their stomachs are depraved by burning liquors, and they have no appetite for anything but what is highly flavored and strongly impregnated by salt.