tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76961234283007758462012-01-15T14:43:12.886-06:00In pursuit of self-education.Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.comBlogger1261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-36295072065669702532011-10-28T16:33:00.000-06:002011-10-28T16:33:43.117-06:00

Since there hasn't been any chatter about what books ya'll would like to read together, I think I'm going to pick out a pair of how-to book to work with for a while. I've been wanting to improve my sewing for a while, so I'm going to work on that. The first book is Stitch-by-Stitch. I already have a copy of this one, and most of the projects are pretty easy. What I'm looking for with this is to

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-13603924532183634792011-09-22T22:05:00.000-06:002011-09-22T22:05:01.473-06:00

Even if we don't finish posting about the books we read, I feel like having a place to talk about the books we're reading - together or independently - is useful. To that end, I'm sharing a great list of historical and historical fiction authors that I came across this evening. Anything look interesting to you girls?

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-25420575703148161222011-08-09T20:22:00.001-06:002011-08-09T20:24:31.123-06:00

Hey, girls, check out this cool Timeline of the English Bible I found. This year is the 400th anniversary of the King James Version, and I'm putting this cool little book into my Book of Centuries. I've been thinking I need to learn more about the events that brought us the Bible for a while now. This is the first article of a 7-part series that was in the Ensign, about how we got the Bible, that

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-35933084210741074992011-07-24T13:26:00.001-06:002011-07-24T13:41:08.536-06:00

I read a bit more of Enchanted this afternoon. It's still an interesting story, though not as captivating as the WWII portion was. After I'd done some reading I hopped onto YouTube to see if there were any clips of Sabrina, since that's the section I'd just finished, and there are. A couple of things jumped out at me. It's odd to read about how Hepburn and Bogart were getting along... and he

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-91971990936303899542011-04-12T13:59:00.007-06:002011-04-12T14:37:17.697-06:00

Whew! Ok, I've actually had this segment read for a while it's just a matter of articulating thoughts and then posting them up here.Chapter 4I love how the beginning of Audrey Hepburn's career was so fairytale-like; it's all about being in the right place at the right time and doing her best at each point. In fact, it all happened with such "fanciful" and "serendipitous whimsy" that Ms. Hepburn,

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-8782121541765128232011-03-05T16:45:00.000-06:002011-03-05T22:27:01.782-06:00

I've learned about World War II in the past, and read The Diary of Anne Frank, though it's been a while, but somehow the brutality of it all never ceases to catch me off guard. It was the same way with reading about Audrey Hepburn's war experiences.It's been a while since I looked at the sequence of events, so I pulled up a WWII timeline site and added a few dates to my Book of Centuries. It's

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-33197961517052825982011-02-03T20:24:00.005-06:002011-02-03T20:40:25.681-06:00

I wasn't actually sure if I'd seen any of Audrey Hepburn's films, so I hought I'd make a list of her big ones. Here it is, courtesy of Wikipedia's entry on her:Roman HolidaySabrinaOndineWar and PeaceFunny FaceParis When It SizzlesLove in the AfternoonGreen MansionsThe UnforgivenThe Children's HourBreakfast at Tiffany'sCharadeMy Fair Lady (ah, there's one I've seen! Apparently the role nearly went

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-29580015052892573522011-01-30T20:32:00.009-06:002011-01-30T21:33:25.017-06:00

I can never think of a clever way to lead in to posting my thoughts on these things, so I'll just jump right to it.Chapter 1I loved how the author started the book off, talking about Ella, the Baroness van Heemstra. In the first two paragraphs, we begin to gain a little more understanding of this woman who was Audrey Hepburn's mother: "Thanks to the composure of the Dutch baroness, her eight- and

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-48990149745162752132011-01-15T11:20:00.002-06:002011-01-15T11:20:54.421-06:00

Woo! Today I'll start reading my book :) Looking forward to the discussions!

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-90658709721121158092010-12-17T09:19:00.002-06:002010-12-17T09:22:05.976-06:00

Looks like Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn will be our next book. I'm thinking that a start-date of about Jan. 15 sounds like that will give us enough time to finish out the holidays and get copies of the book and be ready to go. What do you think?

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-12634009604955214832010-12-13T23:12:00.004-06:002010-12-13T23:40:07.436-06:00

I'm still playing around with what happens when you photograph music. It's a fun game. Did we come to a consensus on if we're doing The Good Earth or Enchantment?

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-8390664827651511122010-12-08T23:22:00.002-06:002010-12-08T23:40:53.575-06:00

So, I know we've all but chosen The Good Earth for our next book, but can I suggest that we consider Enchantment: the life of Audry Hepburn anyway? Apparently she was part of the Dutch resistance in WWII, and carried secret messages in her ballet slippers & got caught & put on a German truck one time, but escaped, and it just sounds interesting.

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-87222946596904213762010-11-09T17:41:00.016-06:002010-11-09T18:42:56.185-06:00

After studying aperture in action, I wanted to play with shutter spped, but it took me a while to find the right moment. And then wouldn't ya know it, I didn't have my tripod. But we were at the park, and it was beautiful, and Monkey's orange hoodie was awesome against the late fall colors, so I ran with it.Lesson #1: Bring the tripod. I'm considering tossing mine in the trunk on a semi-permanent

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-14051257688421772862010-09-27T13:49:00.015-06:002010-09-27T14:25:27.854-06:00

Well, I've been wanting to get out and take some specific pictures for a long time now, and today I was finally able to do it. I put the camera in shutter-priority mode, and went to visit a fountain at one of our parks with my tripod. I've decided that I like the S-priority & A-priority modes better than the full manual, because the interface for adjusting them is a bit awkward, and it's very

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-9919738515251946342010-04-20T18:25:00.005-06:002010-04-27T21:15:59.369-06:00

In the last paragraph of the introduction, the author comments that "For many readers, the material in this book will be brand new territory, while for others, the material may serve as an affirmation of what is already known (pg. 11)."  I'm deciding that I clearly fall in the first category. When I got the book and flipped through the pages, I felt all inspired by the pages of dazzling picutres

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-14813494459942924862010-04-19T15:03:00.003-06:002010-04-19T15:11:52.346-06:00

Hurray for new books! I'm very excited about this book, though I'm finding the process of learning the manual controls is still frustrating. Not that I want much; just instant perfection! For some odd reason, my pictures didn't immediately look like the photographer-author's the instant I opened the book! Ah, well. I guess that I'll have to learn it a bit at a time, just like everyone else. (I

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-91011845448423653582010-02-12T16:23:00.004-06:002010-02-12T16:29:07.528-06:00

Hehehe... so it's only four months behind schedule (besides, I think we decided not to officially finish with our book club anyway), but I have FINALLY finished David McCullough's 1776. Yay!It was a little rougher read than I expected; I had a rough time keeping track of who was who and what they were doing where. However, I do think the author did an excellent job juggling all the different

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-79471342282584468312009-11-24T14:54:00.000-06:002009-11-24T14:54:56.885-06:00

So, I admit I've been a little lax in my reading of the 1776.. but I have been reading more in the Eleanor Roosevelt biography and I came upon some stuff I thought was interesting and that I'd share.So, a while back, Ritsumei, you and our Cousin were having a discussion on Facebook about politics and parties and party loyalty. Now, at the time, I didn't really have much to add to things, so I

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-19372279604483064982009-10-31T15:06:00.002-06:002009-11-02T08:47:30.330-06:00

I see that the last post was on the first day of October. Today is the last day of October, so we'll have neatly bracketed the month. Hey, it's getting done, right? At the end of the year we'll be better informed than we were in the beginning. Hurray for setting goals! So. Just to recap. Boston has fallen and the British fled. The Continental Army got some sweet spoils from the deal: much of what

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-84468806075192447582009-10-01T00:34:00.001-06:002009-10-01T11:37:57.448-06:00

The difference in tone, between this chapter and the previous chapter, was very striking. In Boston the American troops had had great luck and blessing with their successes. They won Dorchester Heights, and spirits were buoyed up as they headed out to their next place of battle. In New York, not so much.As Chapter 4 begins, the American Troops had begun their march from Massachusetts to Rhode

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-18377583391135113032009-09-25T12:23:00.001-06:002009-09-25T12:24:10.217-06:00

Turns out I don't have anything to say about the rest of chapter 3. So I read chapter 4, and I expect that I'll post something about it soon.

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-44706937177482971972009-09-06T16:04:00.002-06:002009-09-06T16:05:59.079-06:00

I updated the reading schedule this afternoon, since clearly we're not going to be finished by the end of July! I've got some busy-ness going on this week & the week of the 21st, so I did 2 weeks for the next two chapters if that's OK with you. Let me know if it needs to be tweaked some more.

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-17002841582374614412009-09-05T23:47:00.001-06:002009-09-05T23:47:46.992-06:00

Anna and the King of Siam is a 1944 semi-fictionalized biographical novel by Margaret Landon.It's also our next book selection.

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-11144555427559750142009-09-05T14:50:00.008-06:002009-09-05T23:45:04.418-06:00

Where Are We?The first thing I did when I was looking at this chapter was try to figure out where they were talking about. I was surprised at how tricky that was! Of course, then I got distracted, and when I came back I googled again and it came right up this time. Go fig. Anyway, here's this map of Boston from 1775. And here's the map of present-day Boston. You'll have to zoom in about 3 times,

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-63785663453695768152009-08-13T09:40:00.007-06:002009-08-13T08:55:32.945-06:00

Whew! Finally I finished this chapter! Yay for all that travel time, sitting around, that allowed me to buckled down and finish.Such an exciting chapter! I was intrigued by the differences between the attitudes of the two armies' leadership and manner of promoting people. In the British army, if you had title, rank and money, you would be promoted. In the Americans' army, it was whoever was on

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-1432878314651053252009-07-23T09:36:00.002-06:002009-07-23T09:39:57.803-06:00

I had a hard time getting into the chapter. But once I got going, I could hardly put it down. I was up till 1:30 last night finishing the chapter, and had to discipline myself to stop and write before I read the next chapter.

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-40054714187193929802009-07-15T13:32:00.003-06:002009-07-23T09:40:28.826-06:00

I don't know if we want to officially participate, as in it's part of the "assignment" we set ourselves, but this General Conference "book club" looks interesting. Maybe we could do it on a when-we-get-to-it basis? What do you think?

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-25442157227375275882009-07-15T12:10:00.001-06:002009-07-15T11:13:19.827-06:00

Sadly, I haven't got much to say about 1776 today... Back in June (due to changes with work) I switched up my general day's schedule. When this happened, I thought it was rather a bother. (I miss that extra hour of sleep!!) However, there has been some good things that have come of it. Most notably, I've had more opportunities to read over my lunch hour. It's really great!! I've had two or three

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-63951113034652448612009-07-05T13:38:00.002-06:002009-07-05T14:54:47.845-06:00

I found this chapter a bit harder to get into, but I think I've finally made it. There's a siege at Boston. George Washington was there, trying to whip the soldier into shape so they would not only be a useful fighting force, but also they'd stop getting so sick. Sounds like conditions were terrible in part because folks weren't being at all careful about where they went to the bathroom. Gross.

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-29395136256227721772009-06-27T20:14:00.006-06:002009-06-27T20:22:29.976-06:00

Let me just say, WOW this chapter is just jam-packed with information!! Mr. McCullough certainly can pack it in there :) But it's all good. I really like that the tone of the book isn't too text-booky (or maybe my tolerance for these educational sort of books has dramatically increased since high school), either way, I feel like the author does a good job explaining things and, for the most part

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-67133324206316392892009-06-10T14:47:00.003-06:002009-06-10T14:52:52.970-06:00

... with the movie. I got the movie Little Women, the one that got the best reviews, with Katherine Hepburn and everything. I was sooo disappointed!! I didn't even finish it. It's not that it was a bad movie, it just lacked the depth of the book. You lost the lovely interaction of Marmee with the girls, you lost many of her best teaching moments. You lost the distinction between "Little Women"

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-14330017651507176552009-05-29T22:45:00.000-06:002009-05-29T21:45:24.211-06:00

I must admit, I was a little jealous that your version had such fancy pictures! (heh.. see how serious i am about all this. i get all excited about reading a "heavy" book and then pout about not having as cool of pictures!) Then, I flipped a little further into my book and realized that I, too, have pretty pictures in an insert in the middle. Yay!Alrighty.I really don't know what I was

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-24359234443508717812009-05-27T14:37:00.015-06:002009-05-29T20:34:51.860-06:00

I borrowed the illustrated edition of our book from the library, and this picture of King George (now in the public domain) was one of the first pictures in the book, preceded only by George Washington. I am sure that His Majesty the King would not have approved such placement, though of all the royalty that I have read about (not that the list is long), King George seems the most real. The least

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-45853843628819566952009-05-19T21:52:00.002-06:002009-05-19T22:15:55.237-06:00

It looks like 1776 is about 200 pages shorter than Little Women, but the chapters are a bit longer. Last time we were doing 30-35 pages a week. Most of the chapters in this book are about 40-45 pages, except chapter 2, which is 70 chapters. Looks like the text is pretty readable, so I propose the following schedule:Chapter 1: (17 pages) read & post by May 29. (1 week)Chapter 2: (70 pages) read &

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-11886276364261970852009-05-18T15:32:00.006-06:002009-05-18T14:43:50.705-06:00

My edition of the book didn't have any interesting questions in it, but I thought I'd take a couple from those we have listed in the left column.How does the author's style contribute to (or detract from) the book?Early on, we discussed how Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women in the style of realism. I think that, overall, this was a benefit to the story. That style aided in making her

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-43068838887135096482009-05-18T14:51:00.000-06:002009-05-18T13:51:43.289-06:00

Heh, so here I am with my rather late installment :)Chapter 45I think it's interesting that we get such a detailed story about Meg's marriage, household and babies, and the other two's life events are sort of touched on, but quickly moved past. This was a cute chapter though.Chapter 46I thought that the scene under the umbrella was very sweet. It doesn't bother me nearly as badly as it does Rits

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-38509716640446853362009-05-17T20:44:00.004-06:002009-05-17T22:05:13.010-06:00

My copy of Little Women has some interesting quotes and questions for discussion at the back. Here's the first one that caught my eye:Do you feel Alcott pressuring the reader, no matter how obliquely, to take Jo as a role model?I don't think that I do feel that way. One of the quotes included comes from Louisa herself. She wrote in her diary: "Mr. N. wants a girls' story, and I begin 'Little

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-55435085977552617762009-05-15T15:30:00.004-06:002009-05-17T20:41:19.885-06:00

VocabularyConjugal: 1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of marriage: conjugal vows. 2. pertaining to the relation of husband and wife.SummariesChapter 45: Daisy and Demi, Meg & John's twins, get into a variety of scrapes. Demi also accidentally exposes Mr. Bhear's intentions toward Jo.Chapter 46: Jo and the Professor finally come to an understanding that they each love the other. Sadly, they

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-89572905143093144552009-05-10T22:13:00.004-06:002009-05-12T15:30:17.439-06:00

Vocabulary:Homily - 1. a sermon, usually on a Biblical topic and usually of a nondoctrinal nature. 2. an admonitory or moralizing discourse. 3. an inspirational saying or cliché.Ponderings:Chapter 43: This chapter opens with a homily touching the virtues of being kind to spinsters, who perhaps are not as miserable as one might think. I thought this was interesting, as it seems to me that it's the

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-90321310651617994122009-05-10T21:36:00.002-06:002009-05-10T22:41:40.941-06:00

Vocabularyabnegation - n. Self-denial. a denial; a renunciation. Summaries & Ponderings:Chapter 42: Jo and her parents deal with the loss of gentle Beth. Jo struggles, and feels that without some help she'll never make it. This is a difficult time for Jo, but also a time of great growth. But someone did come and help her, though Jo did not recognize her good angels at once because they wore

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-10342669159315784542009-05-05T09:54:00.000-06:002009-05-05T08:54:50.515-06:00

My 1776 book arrived this morning. Yay!! I'm getting very excited to delve into this book, I think it'll be interesting to learn more about that time period and all the exciting happenings way back in the day.Though, I discovered that there are drawbacks to buying a used books.. I thought I'd be all super-bargain-hunter-like and get a gently-used book online. When I opened the package this

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-26519588736297978542009-05-01T12:24:00.000-06:002009-05-01T11:24:19.774-06:00

Woot! We're closing in on finishing a book :) Yay! It's been a fun read, but I am definitely looking forward to our next book, 1776. I've ordered it and it should be in any day now. Wohoo!But back to Little Women...Chapter 42Poor Jo. Her little Beth has left her and she promised to be good and to be a comfort to her parents, but it's a difficult thing for Jo. "...these were dark days to her,

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-15747468340004652812009-04-29T08:55:00.001-06:002009-04-29T08:59:46.328-06:00

"In our Savior’s great intercessory prayer recorded in the seventeenth chapter of John, he prayed for us, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent” (John 17:3). Then he spoke of the Apostles and of the believers of that time: “For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me” (John 17:8). The kind of knowing which came

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-74769556222236648002009-04-27T11:57:00.004-06:002009-04-27T12:32:58.351-06:00

Chapter 39Laurie stops his aimless wandering to spend time with Amy; hoping to enjoy the familiarity that a friendly face provides, he sticks around for a while. However, Amy, upon seeing the lazy state he is in, gives Laurie a piece of her mind, but then feels bad when she realizes that this change in Laurie was caused by Jo turning him down. However, Laurie takes her reproaches to heart and he

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-64324640528702859102009-04-22T11:10:00.005-06:002009-04-22T22:35:21.219-06:00

Chapter 39: Laurie, lazing around Europe, spends some time with Amy, who gives him a piece of her mind, not realizing that he & Jo have had words. She then feels terrible about it; but the "damage" is already done: he decides to shape up.Chapter 40: Beth dies. It's a very sweet chapter. I actually cried more over learning that she was going to die, than I did over the actual dieing, strangely

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-62983711561896541752009-04-20T15:29:00.007-06:002009-04-20T19:19:21.211-06:00

I like that we're working on catching up; I find that after that last bunch of chapters my momentum is lagging. I'll probably see if I can't do another batch in the next couple of days before it runs out altogether. Josh is bringing the next Work & Glory book on Thursday...Chapter 36: Beth is dying. She and Jo talk about it during their trip to the seashore, and it is obvious to Father and Mother

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-49397668848930780122009-04-20T14:46:00.003-06:002009-04-20T15:20:41.725-06:00

Well, for once I can't say that I enjoyed the chapters we've read. Jo is making a terrible mess, and it's not pretty to watch.Chapter 33: This is letters home to Jo's family, which, for some odd reason includes, specifically, "a young man by the name of Teddy." Seems rather unkind, as she's gone away specifically to give him a chance to fall out of love with her. The sad thing is, she doesn't

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-40504343369221389162009-04-17T13:36:00.006-06:002009-04-18T08:48:37.491-06:00

Alrighty, so I know I just posted an installment yesterday, but I thought (since we'd talked about doing double for a while to catch up a little bit) I'd do another one today.Chapter 36Life is full of difficult truths. In this chapter, we explore the frailty of this human condition. Our dear Beth is fading before Jo's very eyes. With the money that Jo made during her summer in New York, she takes

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-10585015067022468682009-04-16T11:32:00.001-06:002009-04-16T10:43:01.311-06:00

Chapter 33In this chapter, we read about Jo's adventures as she begins her summer in New York. It seems that the boarding house is a bit of a change for her; it is big and full of strangers, she does have some homesickness and mainly keeps to herself and really only talks to Mrs. Kirke and the kids she's teaching. However, Jo is still Jo and she takes great interest in her surroundings and finds

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-72270999246345855852009-04-06T10:25:00.007-06:002009-04-06T20:09:44.622-06:00

Chapter 30I thought this chapter had some interesting ideas present in the circumstances described. I found myself admiring Amy a little more than I have previously. For example, when she and Jo went and did their social calls, I felt that Amy's behavior was a little over the top (as was Jo's, just in the opposite direction) and kind of stilted and unnatural and, over all, a bit confusing and

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-64623932161996644982009-03-31T15:06:00.000-06:002009-04-01T22:37:31.131-06:00

I peeked ahead, but I did it online. Jo does, indeed, get married. But not to Laurie.And now, on to the thinking part.SummariesChapter 30: May Chester has revenge on Amy for Jo's pranks when they were out visiting. Jo talks Laurie and his boys into rescuing Amy from the out-of-the-way table she'd been sent to at the fair. Amy holds up with amazing grace. Jo learns that Amy, not herself, will be

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-78384199959918515442009-03-30T15:13:00.001-06:002009-03-30T14:58:06.556-06:00

SummariesChapter 27: Jo begins to make money at her writing, and publishes several small "sensational" stories, as well as her first novel.Chapter 28: Meg and John begin their life together. We read of some of her mishaps. She tries currant jelly, which won't jell, and then gets upset because John forgot and chose that day to bring home an unexpected guest. Meg also gives into temptation to live

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-60106983546186744462009-03-28T14:32:00.005-06:002009-03-28T16:32:05.209-06:00

Chapter 27This week's reading starts out with Jo beginning her career as a published author. She finds there's a market for light reading that pays quite well. While Jo is grateful for the extra money and she uses it to help her family (trips to the sea, paying the butcher bill and buying new carpet for the house), she seems to find little real satisfaction in it. In Chapter 27, page 270, is

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-48035560371920620212009-03-22T20:44:00.005-06:002009-03-23T15:05:39.529-06:00

Summaries:Chapter 24: A bridge between book 1 and book 2, this chapter also gives a description of Meg & John's new home & a brief look at the preparations for their wedding.Chapter 25: Meg's wedding. If she couldn't have a temple wedding, this has got to be the next best thing. Kudos to her for keeping the simplicity that she wanted, and three cheers to her family for supporting her in it!

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-85211652894989120422009-02-28T18:27:00.006-06:002009-03-01T11:32:26.689-06:00

My Ponderings:Chapter 24Time has passed and we fast forward our story a little and it's three years later. Our characters have continued and progressed, and now it is time for Meg's much anticipated wedding.I found the description of the little home that was put together for the new Brooke Family a little bit on the annoying side. I recognize that it's probably fitting with the time this book is

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-40496859827045409472009-02-27T18:43:00.001-06:002009-02-27T18:46:15.160-06:00

I ran across some random origami paper this evening on my craft table, and as I'm needing a couple of bookmarks, though I'd look up a folded version. This pattern is easy to follow and makes a nice looking bookmark. Obviously, it wouldn't need to be origami paper - scrapbooking paper, wrapping paper, or just whatever you had on hand would work just as well.

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-57049526725556407672009-02-24T10:28:00.004-06:002009-02-24T10:38:47.194-06:00

As always, Ritsumei has summarized the chapters beautifully. However, there were a few things in here that I wanted to add to our Vocab Section:Precipitately: to hasten the occurrence of; bring about prematurely, hastily or suddenly."Undine and Sintram" - from the context, this is clearly a book that Jo has been wanting for a while, but I was curious what it was about. After a little online

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-41156540041208805542009-02-23T00:11:00.004-06:002009-02-23T00:29:59.028-06:00

So, here we are at the end of the first book. The end of the March girls' childhood. It's something of a reflective moment. Initially these 2 books were published separately, so there was a great deal more meaning to Ms. Alcott's "So grouped, the curtain falls upon Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Whether it ever rises again, depends upon the reception given to the first act of the domestic drama called

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-52405594651186532052009-02-22T22:28:00.004-06:002009-02-23T00:11:42.234-06:00

Summaries:Chapter 22: Christmas at the March home is made complete and wonderful by Father's return. Mr. Brooke comes with him & wishes to speak of marriage to Meg.Chapter 23: Aunt March irritates Meg, which helps her realize how much she loves Mr. Brooke, or "my John" as he's now known. Jo continues to struggle with the engagement, though she does see some good in it.Ponderings:It's interesting

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-91853471378513162182009-02-22T09:12:00.004-06:002009-02-22T22:28:01.214-06:00

Summaries:Chapter 19: Amy, while she stays with Aunt March, learns a bit more patience and humility. She struggles to meet the demands placed on her with grace, but Esther (the french maid) helps. Being away from her family is also a trial to her, but she does her best and it turns out to be pretty good. If I remember correctly, the drawings that she makes of that painting are to be important

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-90238476393050824122009-02-16T12:08:00.000-06:002009-02-16T12:09:05.527-06:00

Alrighty! So we've been doing pretty well keeping with things, and so here's my latest installment to keep up the momentum :)Chapter 19Poor little Amy. This time away from home is rough on her tender, young heart. However, it actually seems to be a blessing in disguise. Through her distance from the strong, positive influence of her mother and sisters, she no longer was able to take them for

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-17106208787913485512009-02-08T11:04:00.005-06:002009-02-08T12:13:57.415-06:00

This week I have another word to add to Rit's already started Vocabulary section:Didoes - [ˈdī-(ˌ)dō] 1 : a mischievous or capricious act : prank, antic —often used in the phrase cut didoes 2 : something that is frivolous or showyIn Hannah's letter to Marmee: "Mr. Laurie is as full of didoes as usual, and turns the house upside down frequent; but he heartens up the girls

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-44596540899821808792009-02-07T13:26:00.005-06:002009-02-07T14:29:39.535-06:00

I went ahead & updated the schedule with new and improved dates that reflect the reality of busy lives! I think we're actually doing pretty well, just lost our momentum for a little while, but now we should pick up some more steam again. There's not a lot left to the first part; we're nearly halfway. So here goes my contribution to the steam building!Summaries:Chapter 16: Marme sets off for

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-70448972133071513602009-01-26T23:25:00.000-06:002009-01-26T23:26:28.946-06:00

"Character is the aim of true education; and science, history, and literature are but means used to accomplish the desired end. Character is not the result of chance work but of continuous right thinking and right acting. . . . True education seeks, then to make men and women not only good mathematicians, proficient linguists, profound scientists, or brilliant literary lights, but also honest men

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-2910927059769176542009-01-25T19:36:00.002-06:002009-01-25T20:25:52.295-06:00

Summaries:Chapter 13: The Busy Bee Society meets, doing a variety of useful things outdoor. You see a bit of Alcott in Jo: "I want to do something splendid before I go into my castle -- something heroic or wonderful that won't be forgotten after I'm dead. I don't know what, but I'm on the watch for it, and mean to astonish you some day." She also gently teaches about the value of work and the

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-69877967623128043602009-01-16T18:10:00.008-06:002009-01-16T21:09:45.523-06:00

I am really enjoying how Ms. Alcott uses her story to teach lessons. I don't know.. it's not like that is something I've never heard of or anything... I guess it's just that I keep being pleasantly surprised by how this is more than just the "fluffy fiction novel" I originally thought it would be.In Chapter 13 we get a lesson on the importance of being industrious. She starts off with an unhappy

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-25219793307476542612009-01-10T21:36:00.001-06:002009-01-10T21:36:52.725-06:00

These chapters seems a little lighter than the previous three. Ms. Alcott is a gifted writer; she takes us from severe sadness and then brings us right up with some light-hearted humor in a very smooth way. (Though, I did feel like Chapter 11 was sort of the finale in that series of lessons on virtues from the last few chapters.)In Chapter 11 the girls learn, up close and personal, the importance

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-86549366012421758312009-01-10T13:08:00.003-06:002009-01-10T13:13:17.534-06:00

I had actually intended to propose reading "The Allegory of the Olive Tree," which is a collection of essays about Jacob 5. It's a good, dense read, and one that I think would submit well to this sort of thoughtful exercise that we're doing here. It's put out by FARMS, and the parts that I've read so far have been really interesting. Here's the catch: it's a difficult book to find. So if you're

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-2410016986509957122009-01-09T22:37:00.005-06:002009-01-09T23:43:00.193-06:00

Still More Characters:Miss Crocker: a gossipy spinster neighbor who happens to drop by the day Marmee & Hannah take the day off.Ned Moffat: of the Moffat family that Meg earlier visited. Says he came just to see Meg.Miss Kate, Fred Vaughn, Grace: guests at Camp LawrenceSummaries: Chapter 10: A hilarious peek into a "secret society" meeting. I wish that I had someone to be in a secret society with

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-89640475416725529862009-01-09T22:35:00.001-06:002009-01-09T22:36:47.741-06:00

So, we're not even halfway through the current book, but I'm reading Beethoven's Hair, which is awesome and would be a fun one to revisit in a more thoughtful way in a few months. Something to consider, anyway.

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-38252049635486480322009-01-07T00:40:00.000-06:002009-01-07T00:41:21.232-06:00

My, but the March family has been having a tough time in these chapters! Everyone seems to be hitting a lot of trials more or less all at once. Characters:Mr. Davis: Amy's teacher. He does his best to teach and keep order, but isn't terribly gifted at it. He makes Amy dispose of her limes & then slaps her hand.Katy Brown, Mary Kingsley: part of Amy's "set" at school.Jenny Snow: a girl at school

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-40211111460663019862009-01-03T11:00:00.006-06:002009-01-03T23:28:03.585-06:00

Right-o. Holidays are awesome! 2008's holiday season was pretty fantabulous :) There was the family time and presents and all that, but mainly, there was all sorts of relaxing. Awesome.Back to business though :)Ok, so Chapters 7 through 9.I feel like, as we've continued on through this book, Louisa May Alcott is passing the expressing of opinions more fully to the characters. As readers, I think

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-32330462894245774712008-12-14T22:49:00.006-06:002008-12-17T14:48:49.423-06:00

Cast of Characters:Meg (Margaret): She remembers living better and struggles to be graceful about their straightened situation, although it has obviously been the way things are for quite some time.Aunt March: She is childless & offered to adopt one of the girls when the March family fell on hard times. She was upset by their refusal and initially refused to speak to them, but has since mellowed

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-59227514090447893042008-12-13T11:13:00.004-06:002008-12-13T17:08:31.549-06:00

Our story is definitely picking up speed and gathering momentum. There was so much advancement of the plot in these three chapters; so very dense chapters. And heavy on the character development: Meg, who seemed so lovely and darling, is shown to have a cranky side. Jo, who was sketched to be so clumsy and awkward in all things, gracefully befriended a lonely boy, and brings the whole family in

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-52104869374943652032008-12-07T17:38:00.004-06:002008-12-07T20:36:19.071-06:00

Well, since Ritsumei already posted a wonderful break down of the character list and summaries, I'll start with my thoughts and initial ponderings.So far there are lots of things that I like about this book. I like the world that Louisa May Alcott has created in Little Women; such a wonderful family and home. I like the dynamics between the sisters. I was amused by the description of the King

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-45956477456482646922008-12-05T15:54:00.004-06:002008-12-05T16:54:37.265-06:00

Little Womenby Louisa May Alcott, 1868 & 1869Somewhat autobiographical: Louisa & Jo are closely related.List of Characters (in order of appearance):Jo: Leading Lady. 15 years old, described as boyish, though she seems more awkward than masculine. Bookworm.Meg: Jo's older sister, 16 years. Prim & a bit fussy, kind & mothering.Mother/Marmee: A Christian woman in every sense of the word. Loves her

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-58684526977690966732008-11-28T14:50:00.002-06:002008-11-28T14:59:00.850-06:00

I'm going to put some information about Louisa May Alcott into my Book of Centuries. I've discovered a cute little thing called "lap books" which is usually a file folder that's got some fun little fold-out parts that kids have written and drawn different types of information about the topic at hand. (I've only run into it in homeschool circles, but I'm not paying much attention to public school

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-27574127432788973852008-11-26T12:28:00.002-06:002008-11-26T12:41:12.396-06:00

Little WomenChapters 1-3: Read & post by Dec 6.Chapters 4-6: Read & post by Dec 13.Chapters 7-9: Read & post by Jan 3.Chapters 10-12: Read & post by Jan 10.Chapters 13-15: Read & post by Jan 17.Chapters 16-18: Read & post by Jan 24.Chapters 19-21: Read & post by Jan 31.That's about half the book, so at this pace it's going to take a while. Let's start out & see if this schedule is realistic. Now

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-89575140137791989142008-11-24T20:52:00.002-06:002008-11-24T20:55:00.964-06:00

How do you want to do this book? Do we want to do things in a more orderly fashion - a set goal for a chapter, that sort of thing? Or do you want to just read & post our thoughts as we go along? I was sort of leaning toward a more orderly reading. A chapter a week, 30 pages a week, what have you. Then we could look at those questions I collected in the side bar, or other thoughts the reading

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-32014929662716356262008-11-24T16:12:00.002-06:002008-11-24T16:13:49.770-06:00

Right on! I am so in.Now I just need to find a bookstore here in my new neighborhood so I can go out and acquire Little Women and get on the ball with reading. Maybe I'll just pickup a copy when I'm up at the parents' house this weekend.. hehe.Yay for new books!

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-54095223901318321622008-11-23T15:12:00.002-06:002008-11-23T15:32:18.467-06:00

Kate & I were thinking that it would be nice to take a break from all the Serious Nonfiction we've read and try a nice fiction book. We were planning to read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott next. I figure that we could officially "start" right around the 1st of December, if that's something that's going to work for those that want to participate.

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-37290384484570052402008-11-12T23:32:00.003-06:002008-11-13T00:32:21.457-06:00

I picked up a book from the library, America's Constitution: a biography. I haven't gotten very far in it, but I thought that I'd post a bit from it here & some of my thoughts as we haven't been working on 1421 recently. (Speaking of 1421, do you want to go back to that, or move on, now that the wedding is done?)PrefaceAmerica's Constitution beckons -- a New World Acropolis open to all. Ordained

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-36352334906099891492008-09-30T22:34:00.003-06:002008-09-30T22:53:08.835-06:00

Well, I haven't done a thing with our "assigned" book, but I've been reading nonetheless. And it's been making me think, and I've been meaning to post a bit about it.1st book: The Secret Garden.I read this book in school. Probably late elementary or junior high school. Likely both, actually. I liked The Secret Garden. It's one of the titles that was in that box that vanished. Anyway, I've

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-43067154525706261612008-07-24T20:30:00.002-06:002008-07-24T20:34:03.549-06:00

Seeing as we've been stalled on the discussion action, I suggest that we think about picking a new book to read. I ran across a website with a couple of likely possiblities here, or if ya'll have seen anything that looks interesting recently, we could do that to. Whadya think?

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-53812860596022659072008-06-10T15:29:00.000-06:002008-06-10T14:29:50.563-06:00

This was a most interesting chapter. Like my previous post said, I was excited by the world map and the thought paths that it led me down. And the remainder of the chapter did not disappoint.Mr. Menzies continued his narrative outlining the path of Admiral Zhou Man's fleet. In four months they went 16,000 nautical miles, down the western coast of North and South America; from Canada to Panama.

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-75419715094098340972008-05-29T11:42:00.004-06:002008-05-29T12:27:53.610-06:00

2000 GirlsGeez, no wonder the harems are places of politics and intrigue! 2000 women, cooped up with (at least according to popular depictions) nothing to do, but if they can attract his attention they can have the ear of the Emperor. Or they can have nothing. Yikes. Talk about catty!(pg 50)History RepeatsI'm neither a student of economics or of Chinese history, but it seems to me that history is

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-83444488879552127642008-05-23T22:15:00.002-06:002008-05-27T06:12:38.430-06:00

I'm not actually finished with Chapter 9 yet, however, this chapter has already sparked my thoughts and led me down some tangential paths and has given me several days worth of information to research and learn about.So it all started with the world map, Universalis Cosmographia, published in May of 1507, drawn by cartographer Martin Waldseemüller. This map, Mr. Menzies says, is "the first to

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-50025789328316964562008-04-21T20:11:00.005-06:002008-12-10T12:31:44.207-06:00

So, the first thing that I wanted to know about when I started chapter six is this extinct warrah - the Falklands' fox. Wikipedia to the rescue! They had this public domain picture in their entry for the Falkland Island Fox. There's a little bit more information on Wikipedia, but you can't expect a whole lot for a species that went extinct almost 150 years ago! Mr. Menzies says that he thinks

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-41555281467264154612008-04-08T16:27:00.001-06:002008-04-09T11:11:33.060-06:00

Alright, in continuing our discussion of how much navigation detail Mr. Menzies puts in the book, Chapter 6 is no exception. The author spends a lot of time providing evidence for his postulations, which is good. However, I feel like he spends so much time taking about his methods of deduction that I lose track of where the characters of the story are and what they're doing. (this could be just

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-52982944338372842042008-03-14T14:30:00.002-06:002008-03-14T13:41:53.853-06:00

Ok. So I've just finished with the 4th chapter. There is so much information squashed into that chapter! It's really interesting to hear about Mr. Menzie's methods and path of deductive reasoning as he's pieced together this bit of history.I sort of felt torn about this chapter. Part of me really appreciated that he was so thorough in the support of his claims about his abilities of deduction

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-75033700830818467032008-03-03T13:15:00.002-06:002008-12-10T12:31:44.396-06:00

He's an interesting character in our story, although Mr. Menzies doesn't go into a great deal of detail about him until the end of the book, he does mention him in the introduction, which I am still laboring through. I, of course, wanted to know a little more.But you know what I found out? There seems to be a lot of disagreement online about what is actually factual in this guy's life. But at

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-43302478801084660062008-02-14T23:23:00.004-06:002008-03-17T11:53:25.910-06:00

Mr. Menzies keeps talking about all these explorers, and it's been quite some time since I studied them in school. Therefore, I am taking all the European explorers that he mentions in the introduction and putting them in chronological order, with the stuff that they "discovered."1488 - Bartolomeu Dias (page 33) rounds the Cape of Good Hope (southern Africa)1498 - Vasco da Gama (page 33) becomes

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-33359210351114368372008-02-12T19:50:00.003-06:002008-02-13T00:17:40.701-06:00

So, this second time through I'm planning to take the time to look up all the odd little bits that last time I wasn't sure what exactly what going on, but I wanted to know the story, so I just pressed on past it. Places I can't point to on the map, people and explorers that I'm unfamiliar with, that sort of thing. So here goes.The first one is this cartographer, Zuane Pizzigano. So I googled him.

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-81420187976135227432008-02-12T14:01:00.001-06:002008-12-10T12:31:44.747-06:00

So, learning history is much much easier when you have a story to hang it all on, and reading this has made me much more interested in the stuff that my Asian history class tried to teach me in college. Back then I couldn't remember names or places or keep the one separate from the other in my mind. It was just a big mish-mash. But now that I've got some story to hang the various parts and pieces

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-11462151216041078702008-02-07T10:29:00.000-06:002008-02-07T10:50:18.621-06:00

Heh.. Ok folks. I'm starting to feel like a blabermouth on here. Feel free to add posts in between my huge long ones.. *hint hint nudge nudge* (Anyway, with that disclaimer aside, I'll go on and say my bit about the next chapter)Oh my goodness! The turn around of fortune from the previous chapter was so drastic! Gavin Menzies is a very compelling author. He is very gifted in putting a spin on a

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-12992135608672869462008-02-02T22:29:00.000-06:002008-02-02T23:03:31.381-06:00

I finished the first chapter tonight. So much happened!Throughout the entire chapter I was impressed again and again by Zhu Di's ingenuity and powerful, driving ambition. His rise to power was intense to say the least. I mean, the man faked insanity, lived in squalor for several months and hid out in plain sight to avoid being killed for being a threat as a potential rival to the chosen heir, Zhu

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-91093289713430503042008-02-01T12:28:00.000-06:002008-02-01T12:39:18.303-06:00

I did it this afternoon while my baby was sleeping: I finished the book. I kept wanting to turn the pages, and pretty soon the spot where I was reading was a very long ways away from where I had been studying the many many interesting things that this book has to offer. I now plan to go back to the beginning with my notebook and my Book of Centuries in hand and probably look at a lot more maps...

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-41728835705531921332008-01-26T00:17:00.000-06:002008-01-26T00:23:31.337-06:00

So, I'm just thinking out loud here, so don't go getting crazy on me or anything, but here's what I'm pondering tonight:Sunday School this week covers the rest of Nephi's Vision, including the discovery of the Americas. Go read this.Now, in light of the information in this book, I have to wonder, was Christopher Columbus perhaps included in the "other Gentiles" rather than being the man the

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-71580105488164419942008-01-24T11:52:00.000-06:002008-01-24T12:07:45.851-06:00

Alright. I'm really looking forward to this book. I recently went out and got it and have now read through the entire Introduction. I really like the tone so far. (it seems an accessible sort of history book) Hehe.However, in just the Introduction, I have decided that I need a Book of Centuries. Otherwise I will never keep all these dates straight. Also, once I got started thinking about it,

misskatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03715643540524650052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7696123428300775846.post-11524162688085496802008-01-20T23:57:00.000-06:002008-01-21T00:04:40.146-06:00

I ran across this interesting article today about what it is to "do history." As our book is a history book, I thought it relevant enough to mention here. To study history is to do history. And the only way we can do history is to examine the available records from the past and then write about them. So, doing history means writing history.I like his reasons! He gives a number of reasons why

Ritsumeihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06283473059747130843noreply@blogger.com0