In which we go to Legoland, visit Hans Christen Anderson at home ...

and I bid a temporary farewell to Forgotten Classics.

Authors' Love for the Narrators of Their Audiobooks

We all know I'm a sucker for a good audiobook but it hadn't occurred to me to wonder how authors may feel about the way their books are literally brought alive by narrators.

You can read some of their fan mail at Audible. I admit I loved seeing Jonathan Maberry and John Scalzi praise the voices I've come to love as those of their characters.

Green Beans Dijon

I finally tried a recipe I'd been hanging onto for years. The results are at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Worth a Thousand Words: In the Orchard

Edmund Tarbell, In the Orchard, 1891
Souther siblings, Mrs. Tarbell at far right

Worth a Thousand Words: Kingfisher

Kingfisher
taken by Remo Savisaar

Simply splendid.

Be sure to click through the link to see this photo in full size.

Well Said: Faith in the Word

Christianity, of course, is not a "religion of the book" but rather faith in the Word — that is in that Word of God who in Mary's womb "was made flesh" and "lived among us," and "we saw his glory." (John 1:14a)

Timothy Verndon, Art and Prayer

I never really thought about what is wrong with that lumping together of Christianity with other faiths as a "religion of the book." Until I read this, of course. Yes, I am a believer in the Word, not in the book.

Well Said: A Worm in the Apple of the Heart

Most people desperately desire to believe that they are part of a great mystery, that Creation is a work of grace and glory, not merely the result of random forces colliding. Yet each time that they are given but one reason to doubt, a worm in the apple of the heart makes them turn away from a thousand proofs of the miraculous, whereupon they have a drunkard’s thirst for cynicism, and they feed upon despair as a starving man upon a loaf of bread.

Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas

Why is that? I can be just as bad, having to talk myself into believing the miraculous instead of instantly finding a thousand reasons to doubt ... even when I know better.

The Faithful Traveler: Exploring the California Missions

"San Carlos Borromeo Mission" by Jsweida - Own work.
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Diana and David von Glahn, the husband-and-wife team behind the travel series, The Faithful Traveler, which broadcasts on EWTN, are turning to Kickstarter to raise funds for their latest series, Exploring the California Missions.

The 10-13 episode travel series will look at the history and Catholic tradition behind all 21 California Missions, and will be produced in time for the canonization of Bl. Junipero Serra.

With just 45 days to fund the project and six months to get it ready for broadcast, the producers are hopeful that potential funders will support their efforts to tell the story behind the Missions.

There is hardly a more romantic and Catholic part of U.S. history than the California missions. Diana and David would be the perfect guides.

They've got wonderful photos and information up at Kickstarter, where you may contribute to their series.

Worth a Thousand Words: Gorilla, Gorilla

Gorilla, Gorilla - Western lowland
taken by Valerie, ucumari photography
Some rights reserved

Well Said: More to Read Than We Can Read

We all have a lot more to read than we can read and a lot more to do than we can do. Still, one of the things I learned from Mom is this: Reading isn't the opposite of doing; it's the opposite of dying.

Will Schwalbe, The End of Your Life Book Club

Well Said: Not Before God

There's a thing in The Dark is Rising, the Christmas one, which is definitely the best of them, where Will does magic in a church, and the vicar asks about the magic crosses and they say they're before Christ, and he says, "But not before God. ... In children's books with magic everything is always very black and white though not of course in Tolkien. But "not before God" made me think.

Jo Walton, Among Others

I came across The Dark is Rising before realizing it was part of a series, in fact the second in a series. I liked it so much that I then tried the first book which I didn't like as well. This quote and Jo Walton's use of it makes me want to reread it.

Floridian Adventures in Health - UPDATED

Mom's happy home time lasted three days before the exact chain of events happened that sent her to the hospital last time.

This time I was with her all day and had the dubious pleasure of calling 911 (my poor sis did it the first time). There are few things as surreal as standing in a darkened bedroom, groping for health details of your mother, while six large men are running heart monitors, barking code to each other, and (in turn) all asking very similar questions.

I did ride in the front seat of the ambulance to the hospital with a very calendar-worthy young EMT who was also very polite and conversational.

We've had various other experiences in the hospital, including discovering the world's worst doctor, and delving into the depths of the health care system to find out how to fire one's doctor when the system says you have to keep him until you go home.

God bless patient care advocates is all I can say!

Needless to say I have extended my stay for another week.

UPDATE
Mom's definitely on the upswing. All it took was a doctor who'd actually come by to see her, listen, and then order tests to begin figuring things out. Crazy, right?

Gone to Florida - UPDATED

I'm off to visit Mom in the hospital and give some relief to my sister who's been bearing the brunt of keeping an eye on things.

I'll check in when I can ... and I ask for your prayers.

Thank you!

UPDATE
Huzzah! Mom is home! She has health problems that will need vigilance but nothing that can't be managed with a regular lifestyle, so we are very blessed.

Thank you so much for all your prayers!

The Ancient Path by John Michael Talbot and Mike Aquilina

The Ancient Path: Old Lessons from the Church Fathers for a New Life Today by John Michael Talbot and Mike Aquilina

John Michael Talbot tells the story of how the Church Fathers deeply influenced his spiritual, professional and personal life. Coming to the Christian faith as a young man during the turbulent 1960s, he soon grew a fond of the Church Fathers, including St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. Augustine and Gregory the Great and found guidance, reassurance and wisdom on his path to Jesus.

“The First Epistle of Saint Peter,” writes Talbot, “tells us that we are ‘a spiritual temple built of living stones.’ The early Church Fathers represent the first rows built upon the foundation of the Apostles. And that sacred building project continues throughout history to our time today. But it rests on the Fathers. It depends on them.”

C.S. Lewis famously wrote that “A young man who wishes to remain a sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading.” John Michael Talbot could testify to the truth of that statement. He wasn't atheist but reading the Church Fathers pushed him from a Protestant path into one that he never could have predicted. The Ancient Path tells how Talbot's life and work were shaped by his encounters with those ancient writings.

It is a story with an unusual trajectory that you'll either find fascinating or odd. In this it echoes that of the Church Fathers themselves who have often earned those same adjectives because they were following an internal logic, God's logic, that was difficult to see from the outside. You get a good dose of Talbot's life as he founds a monastic community, marries, becomes a musician, etc. You get an even bigger dose of the Church Fathers and their influence on his internal growth. This means it also spills over into topics like prayer, liturgy, community life, environmentalism and more. As we read about Talbot's life we also are led to consider those topics in our own lives.

It's a good mixture and a good way to remind us how applicable the Church Fathers' lessons are to modern life, to our lives, wherever we are and whatever we do.

The Drop Box - mark your calendars, reserve your tickets now

The Drop Box

South Korean Pastor Lee Jong-rak's uses a drop box – built like a depository – to accept unwanted babies who would otherwise be abandoned to die.

I just saw a screening of this documentary last night. It is powerful and moving.

It is also showing only during March 3-5 at selected theaters.

I'm bursting to tell you more but I can't publish a review until the last week of February

I can, however, give you a heads up so you can buy your tickets now. Don't miss this one.

See the trailer and buy tickets here.

Read an interview with the director here, where perhaps the most powerful statement about the film is that it changed his own life.

I actually became a Christian while making the film so my hope and prayer would be that first and foremost, moviegoers would be able to experience God’s adopting love as a Father because that’s what changed my life. Additionally, I think people will be impacted by the film’s emphasis on the value and importance of all human life.

UPDATED: Prayers Please for My Mother

She had to go to the hospital yesterday and they're waiting for her system to settle down from dehydration, etc. so they can analyze her health and what caused this current crisis.

Any prayers would be much appreciated.

UPDATE
Thank you so much for the prayers. It turns out that Mom had a heart attack.

I'm heading to Florida, hopefully to keep her company during a quick recovery.

Your prayers are very much appreciated!

Side note: I noticed that once I got the news and knew I'd be leaving town I had three priorities: 1) What books to take; 2) What movies to take; 3) What audiobooks to take?

Clothes, luggage, flight reservations ... I eventually get around to them. After the serious packing.

Worth a Thousand Words: Waxwing

Waxwing
taken by Remo Savisaar

I just love Waxwings. Their clear gray contrasts so perfectly with the bright red accents, and all of it goes well with the bright red berries they love to eat. There is nothing so fascinating as seeing a large flock descend on a bush and denude it of fruit within 10 minutes.

We always called these Cedar Waxwings. I looked them up and saw that they are much more colorful than this bird which was labeled as a Bohemian Waxwing.

Well Said: Satan and Scars

Satan may appear in many disguises, and at the end of the world will appear as a benefactor and philanthropist — but Satan never has and never will appear with scars.

Fulton Sheen, Life of Christ

The Resurrected Christ keeps his scars. He shows his hands and side to Thomas to feel. I've thought about that before but never in relation to what Sheen says above. It resonates in my life because of how often I try to avoid giving of myself that might inconvenience me, or in other words ... leave a scar.

Worth a Thousand Words: The Quack

Gerrit Dou, The Quack, 1652

I love these crowd scenes because their reactions usually tell us a lot about both the main subject, in this case The Quack, and about the people themselves. I came across a good commentary on this painting which takes that further.

In this witty visual narrative about deception, the individuals in the crowd provide a visual commentary about the quack’s work. Like the hunter, he preys upon the vulnerable, just as the pickpocket preys upon the gaping woman, and the child baits the small bird. Like the pancake seller, the quack trades in truths that are "half-baked" (in Dutch, " raw or uncooked"); her act of cleaning the child seems a scatological comment on the quality of the quack’s productions. ...

There's a lot more to find out so do check the link.

Well Said: Pretend

I find it works best to suppose just one thing. Pretend you are a ghost, or Pretend your chemistry set works magic, or Pretend this dog is the Dog Star. Then I go on to explore the implications of this supposition. Quite often, I am totally surprised by the result.

Diana Wynne Jones, The Children in the Wood

This is a wonderful bit of advice for any fiction writers out there. It is also something I've begun keeping in mind when I'm reading. Quite often the books I don't like are Pretending about too many things or they have forgotten to explore the implications (and just sit around pretending without doing anything). One is chaotic and the other is dull.