This is not quite a book review, but I'd like to review something relevant to Holy Week, which is coming up. Resurrection Eggs: The Easter Story for Children by Randal Lee Walti, is actually more of a teaching aid for parents and Christian Education leaders. The kit is composed of 12 hollow plastic eggs which contain objects inside that are relevant to the Easter story, and a booklet containing information on how to use the eggs. The kit is produced by Family Life Today, a division of Campus Crusade for Christ.
I bought my set of Resurrection Eggs over a decade ago when I was still teaching Sunday School, and they captured the attention of the students in the program. There were other teaching leaders who were quite taken with idea of the eggs that they utilized them in the programming for other fellowships such as the youth/high school and even possibly the college and career groups. My set is contained in a Styrofoam carton, such as the ones that can be found at the grocer's, but current sets are packaged in more durable plastic containers.
This past week, I've had the opportunity to look at a few other sets belonging to others, and it is interesting to compare how the sets have changed over the years in packaging and construction. The shells are of a firmer plastic than many of the hollow eggs that are sold in dollar stores, but it is still a good idea to open these objects gently. The booklet recommends that you squeeze gently at the seam between the two halves.
I saw a set sold at Walmart in the United States just over a week ago, and it was bilingual, for use in English and Spanish. It also appeared to have some change in the content of some of the eggs; I saw a rooster in the set, which is not an item contained in the set that I have. I did not open the packaging, so I don't know if other items had been changed since the original came out. I tried looking online to find out more information about this, but haven't been able to discover much about it so far.
My set is an English version and the copyright date inside the booklet is 1999. The booklet gives a few hints on how to use the eggs, and includes a brief blurb/explanation/description that can be read as each egg is opened. There are Scriptural references for each section. Some of the blurbs work well as a devotion. There was one that was rather brief as it only covered the narrative. For the egg containing three nails placed in the arrangement of a cross, however, there is a more substantial explanation. It had about two and a half pages describing humankind's problem with sin, our need for a Savior, and how Jesus is able to save us. Towards the back of the booklet, there are a couple pages containing hints how to present the Gospel to children and in leading them to Christ. There is also a chart with 16 more ideas and corresponding Scriptures that could also be included in making additional eggs. The rooster is included in this chart in my booklet, which makes me wonder if the changes between the older and newer sets were made simply through switching items from the original roster with the ones that are on this chart. I don't know if the current sets include booklets with similar information which is contained in the one I just described.
The Resurrection Eggs have been very useful for me in presenting the Easter story to children, both in Sunday School, and with my own children. I keep them stored in one of my kid's rooms, and they know that the set is there. We have been using them for storytime for the past week or so, and the kids are the ones who are asking for the story. The author of the book encourages people to adapt the blurbs and descriptions to suit their needs, and I found this to be especially true, depending on the audience. Smaller children might not be up to listening to the entire description of the blurb. When I first started using the set for my children, I only covered the basics of the narrative, but as the years pass by, I have started to include more information. One of my kids is now old enough to understand the idea of prophecy and I am able to talk about how Jesus fulfilled those prophecies if the content of the egg allows me to expand on that topic. I also volunteer as an English as a Second Language teacher at our church. We are planning to use the eggs in our programming. I have heard of people using the eggs as part of their Easter Egg hunt, although I haven't personally done that myself yet.
I have found this teaching aid to be particularly versatile, and it has been fun to use, for myself and for my children.
Tuesday 24 March 2015
Saturday 14 March 2015
Review: Knitting Beyond the Edge by Nicky Epstein
Today, while walking around a local mall which was having a sidewalk sale, I found a discount bookstore. I did the usual, which was to peruse the crafting section for cheap knitting books, and to my surprise, I found Nicky Epstein's Knitting Beyond the Edge for about 2/3's of its usual price. I've probably already blown the budget for yarn and other related knitting paraphernalia for the month, but I really couldn't pass up on purchasing this book, so I need to make a mental note to go on a yarn diet for the next little while. Anyways, this book is third in the series about knitted decorative finishes that also includes Knitting Over the Edge which I reviewed in January earlier this year, and Knitting On the Edge. However, I think that the copy that I found is actually the first edition of Knitting Beyond the Edge; there are two different covers for the title when I searched for information about this book on Amazon. My copy features a brown jacket with a gorgeous intarsia design (the Belle Epoque Jacket mentioned below) on its cover and the copyright date in this book indicates that this edition was published in 2006.
The book is essentially a stitch dictionary with instructions and photographs to show knitters how to create finishes for their work. Ms. Epstein focusses on four areas: Cuffs and Collars, Necklines, Corners and Edges, and Closures. Each section starts off with a photograph of a completed sample garment incorporating a design that focusses on that area. The instructions for creating these particular garments are provided towards the back of the book. These include the following items: the Belle Epoque Jacket, which incorporates a beautiful intarsia design of leaves and flowers on the lapels, cuffs and hem, the Cardigan with Cabled Points, which has a peplum with an additional tier at the back, the Hooded Shawl which has cables and bobbles, and the Faux Fair Isle Jacket, which features knitted tabs along its hem and twisted loop edging in addition to the closure that is showcased in item. There is a fifth pattern included, the Deep V-Neck Sleeveless Sweater, which is actually affiliated with the section on Cuffs and Collars. There are pages that define terms and abbreviations that appear in the book, stitches that are used, and instructions on some of the techniques used in the book, such as making basic buttonholes, cords, knots and a rounded edge.
There are slight differences in Knitting Beyond the Edge when it is compared to Knitting Over the Edge. Although the samples shown in the Corners and Edges section appear as swatches, the collar and neckline samples that appear in a couple of the other sections are photographed to show how they would appear on a knitted garment. There are notes on how to use the book, on neckline variations, and on how to construct different necklines. The book also addresses the issues of how to alter the neckline, how to fit a neckline into a given neck edge, and how to figure the number of stitches to pick up. There is a page with information on how to adjust the edge, and walks a knitter through the process of making that adjustment using the example of adding a button band to a pattern that is written out as a pullover. Much of this information was not provided in Knitting Over the Edge, so I feel that this is an advantage that Knitting Beyond the Edge has over the other book. Knitting Over the Edge had swatch samples that showed how the patterns would appear, but didn't provide much help in adjusting to the weight or gauge of the yarn used for a project.
In my opinion, this book would probably be more easily used by intermediate and advanced knitters rather than by a novice. However, beginners may still be up to the challenge of adapting these patterns to work for their projects. For myself, I find this collection to be rather innovative and creative. I'm thrilled to have this book in my reference library.
The book is essentially a stitch dictionary with instructions and photographs to show knitters how to create finishes for their work. Ms. Epstein focusses on four areas: Cuffs and Collars, Necklines, Corners and Edges, and Closures. Each section starts off with a photograph of a completed sample garment incorporating a design that focusses on that area. The instructions for creating these particular garments are provided towards the back of the book. These include the following items: the Belle Epoque Jacket, which incorporates a beautiful intarsia design of leaves and flowers on the lapels, cuffs and hem, the Cardigan with Cabled Points, which has a peplum with an additional tier at the back, the Hooded Shawl which has cables and bobbles, and the Faux Fair Isle Jacket, which features knitted tabs along its hem and twisted loop edging in addition to the closure that is showcased in item. There is a fifth pattern included, the Deep V-Neck Sleeveless Sweater, which is actually affiliated with the section on Cuffs and Collars. There are pages that define terms and abbreviations that appear in the book, stitches that are used, and instructions on some of the techniques used in the book, such as making basic buttonholes, cords, knots and a rounded edge.
There are slight differences in Knitting Beyond the Edge when it is compared to Knitting Over the Edge. Although the samples shown in the Corners and Edges section appear as swatches, the collar and neckline samples that appear in a couple of the other sections are photographed to show how they would appear on a knitted garment. There are notes on how to use the book, on neckline variations, and on how to construct different necklines. The book also addresses the issues of how to alter the neckline, how to fit a neckline into a given neck edge, and how to figure the number of stitches to pick up. There is a page with information on how to adjust the edge, and walks a knitter through the process of making that adjustment using the example of adding a button band to a pattern that is written out as a pullover. Much of this information was not provided in Knitting Over the Edge, so I feel that this is an advantage that Knitting Beyond the Edge has over the other book. Knitting Over the Edge had swatch samples that showed how the patterns would appear, but didn't provide much help in adjusting to the weight or gauge of the yarn used for a project.
In my opinion, this book would probably be more easily used by intermediate and advanced knitters rather than by a novice. However, beginners may still be up to the challenge of adapting these patterns to work for their projects. For myself, I find this collection to be rather innovative and creative. I'm thrilled to have this book in my reference library.
Wednesday 11 March 2015
Review: Secretly Yours by Valerie Comer
Secretly Yours, a novella by Valerie Comer is the story of Lindsey Solberg, a chef who has returned to her hometown of Riverbend after spending a decade away from home. She has returned home to be a support to her teenaged sister, Madison, after the passing of their mother. Madison still lives with her father, Lindsey's stepfather, whom Lindsey considers to be a less than ideal parent. Madison somehow railroads a reluctant Lindsey into catering the fundraising banquet that the local church youth group is hosting.
Participating in the fundraising efforts becomes more awkward for Lindsey when she realizes that she will need to work with the youth pastor, Nick Harrison, a guy who Lindsey had a crush on during their high school days, but who had hurt her deeply in the days before he became a believer. In the time that Lindsey and Nick have been apart, Nick has come to own a saving faith in the Lord, but has never forgotten about her or the humiliation that he put her through when they were younger. Now, Lindsey won't give him the time of day; she is skeptical of whether he has truly changed, even though he has become a brother in Christ. Nick decides to embark on a campaign of being her Secret Admirer, hoping to win her over anonymously at first with notes and gifts, and then eventually revealing himself to her.
On first glance, the story seems to be about Lindsay's need to forgive Nick, and Nick's need for Lindsay's forgiveness. However, as the plot unfolds, we find out that Lindsey has issues with seeing herself as she is: a person who is deeply loved by God. Now that Nick is trying to court her, she becomes aware that he has surpassed her in his walk with the Lord, while her own faith has become unsteady. Nick, on the other hand, must hold back his desire for a romantic relationship with Lindsey until things are right between her and the Lord.
It was interesting to read about Lindsey's struggles in her faith and her difficulties in seeing herself in the way that the Lord does. It gave the novella a little more heft in its content. I liked the character of Nick. I'm a sucker for men with characters of strength and patience who have had long standing crushes, as long as they don't act like out of control Neanderthals when it appears that they might possibly win the objects of their affections.
I found it a bit amusing to read the brief author notes at the beginning and end of the story where she supplies trivia unique to British Columbia and Canada, the province and country in which the novella is set. It's true that knitted stocking caps are referred to as "tuques" (this may be familiar to people who are acquainted with Bob and Doug McKenzie of the Great White North comedy segments that used to air on SCTV). British Columbia does have a graduated driver's licensing program. I'm still trying to figure out which existing towns and cities that exist in British Columbia that Ms. Comer used as possible models for Riverbend and Castlebrook, the fictional towns mentioned in the story. It was a novel experience for me to read something that is set in an area that I am familiar with. This was a nice story and I enjoyed reading it.
Participating in the fundraising efforts becomes more awkward for Lindsey when she realizes that she will need to work with the youth pastor, Nick Harrison, a guy who Lindsey had a crush on during their high school days, but who had hurt her deeply in the days before he became a believer. In the time that Lindsey and Nick have been apart, Nick has come to own a saving faith in the Lord, but has never forgotten about her or the humiliation that he put her through when they were younger. Now, Lindsey won't give him the time of day; she is skeptical of whether he has truly changed, even though he has become a brother in Christ. Nick decides to embark on a campaign of being her Secret Admirer, hoping to win her over anonymously at first with notes and gifts, and then eventually revealing himself to her.
On first glance, the story seems to be about Lindsay's need to forgive Nick, and Nick's need for Lindsay's forgiveness. However, as the plot unfolds, we find out that Lindsey has issues with seeing herself as she is: a person who is deeply loved by God. Now that Nick is trying to court her, she becomes aware that he has surpassed her in his walk with the Lord, while her own faith has become unsteady. Nick, on the other hand, must hold back his desire for a romantic relationship with Lindsey until things are right between her and the Lord.
It was interesting to read about Lindsey's struggles in her faith and her difficulties in seeing herself in the way that the Lord does. It gave the novella a little more heft in its content. I liked the character of Nick. I'm a sucker for men with characters of strength and patience who have had long standing crushes, as long as they don't act like out of control Neanderthals when it appears that they might possibly win the objects of their affections.
I found it a bit amusing to read the brief author notes at the beginning and end of the story where she supplies trivia unique to British Columbia and Canada, the province and country in which the novella is set. It's true that knitted stocking caps are referred to as "tuques" (this may be familiar to people who are acquainted with Bob and Doug McKenzie of the Great White North comedy segments that used to air on SCTV). British Columbia does have a graduated driver's licensing program. I'm still trying to figure out which existing towns and cities that exist in British Columbia that Ms. Comer used as possible models for Riverbend and Castlebrook, the fictional towns mentioned in the story. It was a novel experience for me to read something that is set in an area that I am familiar with. This was a nice story and I enjoyed reading it.
Monday 2 March 2015
Review: Countdown to Danger - with Hannah Alexander and Jill Elizabeth Nelson
The month of January saw Harlequin's Love Inspired Historical line with two stories set in the Regency era, so I made plans to purchase those two books. However, I did pick them up from Walmart Canada, which offers three Harlequin books for $15 as opposed to buying the titles for $6.75 each. This is how I ended up choosing Countdown to Danger, a Love Inspired Suspense novel as my third choice to take advantage of the $15 deal.
Countdown to Danger contains two novellas, Alive After New Year, by Hannah Alexander, and New Year's Target,by Jill Elizabeth Nelson. I have read and enjoyed some of Ms. Nelson's previous work such as Witness to Murder, which I really loved, Evidence of Murder, which takes place in the same universe as Witness to Murder, and Calculated Revenge.
Hannah Alexander is a pseudonym for a wife and husband writing team, Cheryl and Mel Hodde. Their biographical blurb in the book sounded interesting; apparently she was ambushed into a blind date with him by their pastor, and upon finding out that Mel was a doctor, asked him if he could help her paralyze someone. That was when she revealed to him that she was writing a novel. Since then, they have co-written a number of novels, one of which had won a Christy Award for Best Romance in 2004.
In Alive After New Year, Lynley Marshall, a triage nurse, has her life threatened through a message conveyed by an anonymous note, unless her family forks over a large amount of money to keep her safe from harm. John Russell, the new police chief with whom Lynley has developed a friendship with, thinks that something is off about the note. There is a genuine threat against Lynley's life; the events that follow demonstrate that she is in danger, but the obvious suspects that the note seems to point to do not make sense to him. While they are wracking their brains to discover who the real culprits are, both Lynley and John must work through issues that keep them from taking their platonic friendship to a romantic one. Lynley, who had been through a divorce from a man who was unfaithful, is reluctant to make herself vulnerable to another man, and John, a widower, is still trying to heal from the loss of his wife to cancer and feels guilt at the thought of finding new love with another woman.
With some mystery and suspense stories, sometimes I am able to guess who the villain is early on, but I didn't with this one, although hints are given through the pacing of the plot and the number of chapters and pages remaining after each revelation of who the guilty party might be. The one quibble that I have with this novella is that there were some acronyms or abbreviations related to medicine or law enforcement that I was not familiar with, which may be common knowledge for those who live in the United States. However, those items were few and far in between, so it didn't detract much from my enjoyment of this story.
In New Year's Target, Seattle detective Cassidy Ferris is shot at while going down a ski run in Aspen, Colorado. Her rescuer is Tim Halstead, her childhood nemesis. He's a legal aid attorney who is now situated in San Franscisco. New Year's Target is a bit of a Romeo and Juliet story, except Juliet really doesn't like Romeo even though she is attracted to him. Besides the personal enmity between Cassidy and Tim, there has been bad blood between the Ferris and Halstead families since the death of Cassidy's cousin, Francine. Francine died in a fire caused by a short in a faulty electrical box while living in a tenement building owned by the Halsteads.
Tim has always had a crush on Cassidy since they were kids, but didn't know how to show it appropriately and ended up tormenting her instead. Now that they are reunited as adults, he vacillates back and forth over wanting to be near her or desiring to give her space, recognizing that their past history may be something that can never be overcome. However, they continue to be thrown together in Aspen when it becomes clear that Cassidy is not the only one whose life is being threatened; Tim's life is endangered as well. With death threats and danger escalating against them, Cassidy and Tim must work together to find out who is behind the attacks.
I found the villain to be a little bit over the top and one dimensional when we finally discover who this person is. However, with the limitations of a novella, there isn't room for more development of this character. We get exposed to much of this person's evil all at once for the climax of the story, although we read allusions to it earlier on. What I really liked about this story was the romantic tension between Cassidy and Tim. I liked the quick pacing and development of this story, and between Alive After New Year, and New Year's Target, I enjoyed the latter more, although the former was a good story too.
Countdown to Danger contains two novellas, Alive After New Year, by Hannah Alexander, and New Year's Target,by Jill Elizabeth Nelson. I have read and enjoyed some of Ms. Nelson's previous work such as Witness to Murder, which I really loved, Evidence of Murder, which takes place in the same universe as Witness to Murder, and Calculated Revenge.
Hannah Alexander is a pseudonym for a wife and husband writing team, Cheryl and Mel Hodde. Their biographical blurb in the book sounded interesting; apparently she was ambushed into a blind date with him by their pastor, and upon finding out that Mel was a doctor, asked him if he could help her paralyze someone. That was when she revealed to him that she was writing a novel. Since then, they have co-written a number of novels, one of which had won a Christy Award for Best Romance in 2004.
In Alive After New Year, Lynley Marshall, a triage nurse, has her life threatened through a message conveyed by an anonymous note, unless her family forks over a large amount of money to keep her safe from harm. John Russell, the new police chief with whom Lynley has developed a friendship with, thinks that something is off about the note. There is a genuine threat against Lynley's life; the events that follow demonstrate that she is in danger, but the obvious suspects that the note seems to point to do not make sense to him. While they are wracking their brains to discover who the real culprits are, both Lynley and John must work through issues that keep them from taking their platonic friendship to a romantic one. Lynley, who had been through a divorce from a man who was unfaithful, is reluctant to make herself vulnerable to another man, and John, a widower, is still trying to heal from the loss of his wife to cancer and feels guilt at the thought of finding new love with another woman.
With some mystery and suspense stories, sometimes I am able to guess who the villain is early on, but I didn't with this one, although hints are given through the pacing of the plot and the number of chapters and pages remaining after each revelation of who the guilty party might be. The one quibble that I have with this novella is that there were some acronyms or abbreviations related to medicine or law enforcement that I was not familiar with, which may be common knowledge for those who live in the United States. However, those items were few and far in between, so it didn't detract much from my enjoyment of this story.
In New Year's Target, Seattle detective Cassidy Ferris is shot at while going down a ski run in Aspen, Colorado. Her rescuer is Tim Halstead, her childhood nemesis. He's a legal aid attorney who is now situated in San Franscisco. New Year's Target is a bit of a Romeo and Juliet story, except Juliet really doesn't like Romeo even though she is attracted to him. Besides the personal enmity between Cassidy and Tim, there has been bad blood between the Ferris and Halstead families since the death of Cassidy's cousin, Francine. Francine died in a fire caused by a short in a faulty electrical box while living in a tenement building owned by the Halsteads.
Tim has always had a crush on Cassidy since they were kids, but didn't know how to show it appropriately and ended up tormenting her instead. Now that they are reunited as adults, he vacillates back and forth over wanting to be near her or desiring to give her space, recognizing that their past history may be something that can never be overcome. However, they continue to be thrown together in Aspen when it becomes clear that Cassidy is not the only one whose life is being threatened; Tim's life is endangered as well. With death threats and danger escalating against them, Cassidy and Tim must work together to find out who is behind the attacks.
I found the villain to be a little bit over the top and one dimensional when we finally discover who this person is. However, with the limitations of a novella, there isn't room for more development of this character. We get exposed to much of this person's evil all at once for the climax of the story, although we read allusions to it earlier on. What I really liked about this story was the romantic tension between Cassidy and Tim. I liked the quick pacing and development of this story, and between Alive After New Year, and New Year's Target, I enjoyed the latter more, although the former was a good story too.
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