Book Review "Hideaway"

I finished "Hideaway" by Dean Koontz last night. Wow. Hmmm....

Let me start by saying that I had never read Koontz until about six months ago. I was looking for a book for my 12 year old to read that was in his "Lexile" range. "Lightening" by Koontz was listed. My first thought, was, there's no way he's reading it before I know what's in there! Its home at B & N is in the adult fiction section. I have decided, that while I thought "Lightening" was great, there's no way my son will be reading any of Koontz's books until at least high school, late high school. Oh, and I definitely will not be using the Lexile list for recommendations ever again.

Back to "Hideaway." It's creepy. It's intense. If you have any hee-bee-gee-bee's about demons or dark subjects, you won't like it. A member of our local library book club said something to the effect of, "I felt like I would be going to hell just by reading it." I chuckled, but understood. Koontz gets into the heads of his antagonists, which in this case is a mass murderer who started his career at 12...it's dark.

But wait, there's more! I had to read this book in small segments, probably no more than 20 minutes at a time because of the intensity and my brain shouting at me, "Where is this guy going with this???" It was like brain aerobics. This is a good attribute of thrillers and one I enjoy.

One thing that I noticed about Koontz's writings is that he has a persistent notion that we can invite evil into our lives by our thoughts and emotional responses. Is this true? No idea. It's an interesting thought, but, if I look at the handbook for all things God, i.e., the Bible, there would be no mention of how evil enters into peoples lives, just that is exists in the world and does affect people. I reject his premises based on my knowledge of what the Bible says about evil. It is an interesting thought though. I, personally, believe that God is much bigger than my thoughts, actions, and emotions and, I trust Him, so I don't have to be afraid of anything...hence, the ability to read books like this without getting all freaked out.

The ending of the book was surprising in a good way. I had a hunch here or there, but I like how he strung it out until the last chapter to reveal what was actually going on. The commentary after the story, I think, was my favorite. I am always interested in peoples thoughts and what motivates them to do what they do. I really enjoyed Koontz's explanation of what stands his books apart from the other books in this genre. Light and dark. Good and evil. I happen to agree with him on these points. Books (and movies) that are evil vs. evil are really hard to take. I had a really hard time with the Harry Potter movies because of this. Of course, this was my ignorance (I didn't read the series before I watched the first four movies) by not reading the books first. The movies didn't do the books justice, which, of course and unfortunately, is the norm. The best books and movies, I mean THE BEST, all have plots where good and evil are clearly delineated and you can root for the good guys through the whole thing and share in the glory of their triumph when they overcome their adversary. This is probably why I don't enjoy horror or slasher stuff. Well, first, the people on the receiving end are usually just stupid (seriously, why do they always turn their backs to the closets or go into the houses where they know the killer is!) and, secondly, evil always appears to have the upper hand. Where's the use in that? Where's the hope stringing you along, making you anticipate the point where good will triumph and save the day? Give me a good old fashioned tale where the hero, the good hero, triumphs, and chances are that I'll love it no matter what the package it is put in looks like.

So, in conclusion, if you can handle intense creepy, it's a good book. It's well written and the characters are well developed and likable, with the exception of the antagonist whom I loathed because I'm pretty sure I was supposed to loathe him.

I have two other books I'm reading, so I'll have more reviews shortly. Happy reading.

The Sea Captain's Wife

I recently finished Beth Powning's "The Sea Captian's Wife."

Set in the 1860's, Powning gives us a view of how life was for the wives who stayed behind while their sea faring husband captains went to sea for months or years at a time. We also get a good view of life at sea and how perilous it was for those in the trading industry.

Azuba Galloway-Bradstock was a likable character. Married young to wealthy parents, she married well. Sometimes I thought she had some good introspective thoughts, but a lot of the time she really got on my nerves with her naivete. How many situations could she get herself into that she refused to see the implications of her actions? I felt bad for her husband throughout the book because she was completely oblivious to what she was doing to him.

There isn't much to analyze in this book. Powning has a nice writing style and many of her passages allowed me to see and feel what it was like during a storm going around Cape Horn. She did a great job helping me to identify with the desolation at sea, the joy at seeing land, the simple awe of the weather, and the fear of things that we cannot control.

Overall, this was a good read.

Geniune Red Beans and Rice

Sharing my love affair with Red Beans! Soooo good!

Red Beans and Rice

3 to 4 cups cooked long grain white or Jasmine rice

2 to 3 cups cooked Small and Large Red Beans

Olive Oil

1 Large Sweet Onion

Creole Seasoning

Celery (optional)

Potatoes, diced & cooked (If you make it too spice, add the potatoes and it will mellow the spice)

Saute the Onion (and celery if you want it in there) in the Olive Oil until caramelized. Add the rice and beans to it. Add 2 Tbl. Creole Seasoning. There is usually salt in store-bought seasoning, so if you want it less salty, make your seasoning from scratch, recipe below.

A great way to serve this is to wrap a tablespoon or two in a large, blanched cabbage or collard green leaf. Line them up in pan and bake. Really tasty!!

Creole Seasoning

2 Tbl. each: Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Dried Oregano, Dried Basil, Black Pepper

1 Tbl. Dried Thyme and Cayenne Powder

5 Tbl. Paprika

3 Tbl. Sea Salt

Combine well and store in an airtight container.

More Than a Skeleton

From the back cover:

"What if Jesus returned for an interim appearance before His final coming? And in a manner least expected?...."

This book was a great follow up to Paul L. Maier's "A Skeleton in God's Closet." I know I probably shouldn't be comparing him to Dan Brown, but a conspiracy is a conspiracy and they are fun to read! Paul Maier has vastly improved his dialogue in this one, too. It moves along at a descent pace and only once or twice did I think to myself, "Well, that's kinda out there." While the bones of his story are reminiscent of Brown, his knowledge of Church history makes Brown look like he's barely researched the subject.

One of Maier's strengths in his novels is that he educates you about the processes of archaeology, logic, authenticating proofs, and being a good skeptic. His main character asks a lot of questions, investigates, and weighs the evidence before coming to a conclusion. This is great thinking!

It is rare that a fictional book will make me look at my life and really think about my beliefs. This book made me take a hard look at where I am today, verses where I was 5 years ago. Maier has a huge emphasis on ecumenicalism. My background, so I have discovered and am quite disgusted at myself about, is not one of seeing the best across denominational borders. My past is riddled with being judgmental and critical about those who hold different secondary and tertiary doctrines that differ from my own. In the past I wouldn't have even considered the possibility that someone else might hold a different view on a secondary or tertiary doctrine and they might be right, too. They, apparently, were not 'walking in the Spirit' or they had, obviously, 'back-slidden,''fallen away,' or were just 'lesser Christians with their priorities wrong." God, forgive me, I was an arrogant, spiritual snob. How many people have been turned away from faith in Jesus because of arrogant people like me? How many people have left the church because they held a belief that was different (but accepted by the Church) and got tired of defending their choice and/or being hammered on that they were wrong and needed to change their belief or they were less than the 'spirit-led' person than they should have been? The Church's many schisms and divisions have led to groups who only know their particular beliefs. They read only their side of issues and don't bother to read or shun anything that is different or opposing to what they hold to. Doesn't spiritual maturity demand a fair hearing from all sides of an issue?

Proverbs 18:17 says,

"In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines." (TNIV)

If my church group presents a doctrine and claims that "This is the right one. No other view makes any sense," do they ever teach what the other, acceptable, views are? Am I encouraged to look at all the evidence and decide for myself what I want to believe? Does your pastor read books from authors who hold the other views? Do you ever hear from the pulpit, "Here is what we believe, but here is what X, Y, and Z believe and these are legitimate and historically accepted by the Church" ? Is it right to continue to breed hostility, thereby encouraging more division in the church, against other believers? What about that unity Jesus prayed for in John 17? A large emphasis of this book is that, as believers, we should embrace ALL those who acknowledge that Jesus died for their sins and resurrected on the third day and now sits in heaven awaiting the time that He will return. We shouldn't be judging others for our differences, that, frankly, don't matter eternally. Different styles, different music, , different levels of formality, different end-times views......isn't the Church about Who Jesus is?

My next review will be "The Great Gatsby," by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Stay tuned.

Home Made Cleaning & Hygiene Products

For many years I have been, little by little, trying to use products that are as natural as possible. It hasn't always worked, and, frankly, sometimes I just like a commercial product so much I refuse to change.

Most of the changes I have made are for health reasons. I try to avoid the paranoia the media produces by their daily reports of toxin-induced illnesses, however, I have first hand experience of how diet and the environment impact our health. I am choosing to eliminate what toxins I can in hope of decreasing the chemical burden on mine and my families overall health...and, this way, it can't hurt us or our pets.

I have two tested "recipes" for household cleaning, and one for personal hygiene that I'm going to share. They are all really easy and they work.

No Wax Floor Cleaner

Prep Time: 15 minutes

White Vinegar, 2 cups

Castille Soap (or any oil-based bar of soap), grated, about 2 Tbl.

Boiling water, 5-6 cups

Essential oil for fragrance, if desired

Boil up the water. Turn the fire off. Add the grated soap & stir. When it's dissolved, add the vinegar and fragrance. Pour into a container & use. I like Rubbermaid's Reveal mop. This solution works really well with the sprayer. Store the extra and you can use it for your tables & countertops, too.

Furniture & Floor Wax

Prep Time: 15 minutes

1 oz. Pure Beeswax (Hobby Lobby has it)

1 oz. Paraffin or Gulf Wax (Wal-Mart)

3-4 cups of Oil (Vegetable, Olive, etc... it doesn't matter)

essential oil for fragrance

Carefully melt the beeswax and paraffin on low heat. It can burn easily, so don't use a high heat! When it's melted, slowly drizzly in the oil. Mix it well. Turn off the fire. Add fragrance until it's strong enough for you (25-30 drops). Let it cool a bit.

Tip: If you want a more "set" wax, to rub into wood for example, use less oil. If you want to use it for your floor and need it more liquid, use more oil. If you're using it on no wax floors, obviously, the oil is not going to soak into the wood...use it very sparingly. If you use too much, it can cause any adhesive holding the floor together to dissolve. I think it helps keep the pet hair from flying all over the place! For the floor, I put the finished product into a Wilton frosting/candy bottle that has a small opening. You could put it into an old, washed out, floor wax bottle, too.

Completely Aluminum and Chemical Free Deodorant!!!

Prep Time: 15-30 minutes

Note: With a history of Alzheimer's in my family, I am extremely paranoid about aluminum going onto or into my body. Whether or not they have evidence of a causal agent of how aluminum gets into the body, the proof is that they have found large amounts of it in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. The thought that it could be an inherited disease scares the crap out of me! For years I have tried to find natural solutions, only to be disappointed over and over.

All Antiperspirants have some form of aluminum in them. I'd rather sweat. "Natural" deodorants claim to be aluminum free, but can have different forms of aluminum so it appears that they are safe. I'm not buying it. I've tried the salt mineral stuff, too. Not impressed, and some of the "minerals" in the salts are aluminum. Figures.

So, here is what I came up with. I use it and have not had a hint of B.O. (that I am aware of). The hardest part about this recipe is getting the correct amount of oil so that it's not too hard or too soft. It will take 15 minutes of experimenting on your part, but I've been happy with the end results.

Ingredients:

1/2 to 1 oz. of grated Pure Beeswax

3 Tbl. Olive Oil

3 Tbl. Coconut Oil

1 tsp. Sea Salt (Salt is a natural anti-bacterial product)

1/4 c. Baking Soda

1/4 c. Corn Starch

Essential Oil for fragrance (I used Lilac and Vanilla)

An old stick deodorant container.

Extra wax for the deodorant container

Unscrew the little tray out of the deodorant container. Melt some wax and coat the bottom of the tray. You need a solid surface so that when you pour the deodorant in, it doesn't just leak through the bottom. Dip it several times until there aren't any holes. Let that harden and then replace the tray & screw it down to the bottom of the container. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the oils, salt, soda, and corn starch. In an old saucepan, melt the beeswax over a very low flame. Add the mixed ingredients and stir until completely smooth. Add the fragrance. Immediately pour the liquid into the deodorant container. Let it set overnight.

Note: It might sting right after shaving. Just a warning.

Note: It took me two tries to get mine to a good consistency. If it's too hard, just screw it out of the container, remelt and add a bit more oil. If it's too soft, you need a bit more beeswax. Just remelt it to a liquid and redo. It doesn't take that much time to redo.

Musings on Mr. Darcy

Often a situation, usually when I am disappointed by someone, will happen in my life that will garner in my mind, the phrase, "my good opinion, once lost, is lost forever."

Anyone who is familiar with Jane Austin's "Pride and Prejudice," will recognize this partial quote from one of Mr. Darcy's most memorable speeches.

The whole quote reads:

[Lizzie] "I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect. He owns it himself without disguise."
"No," said Darcy, "I have made no such pretension. I have faults enough, but they are not, I hope, of understanding. My temper I dare not vouch for. It is, I believe, too little yielding— certainly too little for the convenience of the world. I cannot forget the follies and vices of other so soon as I ought, nor their offenses against myself. My feelings are not puffed about with every attempt to move them. My temper would perhaps be called resentful. My good opinion once lost is lost forever." (Pride & Prejudice, Ch. 11, Wikiquotes)

The context is Lizzy trying to detect a character flaw in Mr. Darcy. So...why does this quote come to my mind when people disappoint? Probably because I like it! The last part of the quote, frankly, tends to suite my attitude quite well.....unfortunately!

I know, I know. I'm entitled to think whatever I like and if that's the worst that happens in a disappointing situation, then it's not so bad, right?

I cannot help but think, though, that the bulk of Mr. Darcy's revelation about his character also voices my attitude....

"I cannot forget the follies and vices of others so soon as I ought, nor their offenses against myself. My feelings are not puffed about with every attempt to move them. My temper would perhaps be called resentful. My good opinion once lost is lost forever."

I, like Mr. Darcy, have a really hard time forgetting the "follies and vices" of others, when they affect me. I seem to take forever to reconcile someone's bad behavior towards me and forgive them. There are, however, a very few people who have wounded me so grievously, that I cannot fathom, even years later, reconciling with them or ever giving them another chance. Those few I have forgiven, but will never let them into my life again. Sound harsh? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe it's wisdom or self-preservation. Maybe, when one has been so wounded or burned by another, it bears a wariness to all around them. Who can be trusted? What friend cannot turn on me in betrayal? If I choose to invest my heart in another's life, will that be used against me? Do loyalty and integrity matter to people anymore? The questions keep coming......

I know I need to work on my faults to be a better friend, wife, mother, sister....and I hope, one day, to have a heart that is generous enough to not be offended in the first place. Then no need would exist for even remembering anyone's follies and vices. In the mean time, I will learn from my difficulties and try to move on.

Starting Over

I've had this blog for a number of years. I have deleted all but a few of my former posts. My world is still infused with cinnamon, but a lot of things in life have changed: some expected, some chosen, some unwelcome, and some I fight everyday.

I still read a ton. I garden. I am involved in all my kid's activities and their school. I am my husbands wife and my kid's mom. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Welcome if you're new.

Welcome back if you've been here before.