Different Styles in Different Periods
In all ages man has tried as best he could to make his home satisfy his needs and aspirations. If we take a quick glance backward over such of his attempts as have been made in historical times we will see that from time to time, at a given period and among a given people, architects, builders, designers and craftsmen of all sorts get into the habit of doing things in a certain way-of emphasizing certain types of line, form, proportions, ornamental motives and colorings. These ways will always be seen to have grown more or less spontaneously out of the ideals and customs of the past, and to be adjusted more or less perfectly to the ideals and customs of the particular period. And because these ways of doing things conform to the prevailing social, economic and political conditions, and express the prevailing social and ethical ideals, they become general, then dominant, and thus crystallize into what we call a style. Among other peoples with different ideals and needs other styles become dominant. Everywhere styles wax and wane and are succeeded by new styles which more adequately express new ideals or meet changed conditions. Infrequently what we call the period styles have expressed the needs and tastes of a whole people: usually those of the court and the aristocracy only. Always they are in a state of flux, because they are merely the reflection in one medium-as literature is in another medium, and historic costume in a third-of life, which is itself always in a state of flux. Thus each style emerges slowly from an earlier one, climbs to the meridian of its purest expression, declines, degenerates and decays, following the universal law of life.
The civilizations of the ancient world made no important contributions toward the development of the modern house. Neither did the civilization of medieval Europe, with its feudal organization of society and its vast and gloomy castles. It was not until the Renaissance that the modern house and modern methods of furnishing it began to emerge. From the middle of the fifteenth century until the end of the eighteenth-that is, from the Renaissance to the French revolution, when the old regime passed, and aristocracy began to yield place to modern industrial democracy-the tides of life flowed swiftly in Europe, and, as we would expect, frequent and relatively rapid changes took place in the manner of building and furnishing houses.
While the Renaissance began in Italy, it quickly spread to the north and west. In architecture and decoration the Italian ideas, forms and practice soon reached France, and, half a century later, we find them in England, where they displaced or fused with the Gothic ideals and practice. They became dominant in France with the accession of Francois I in I5I5, and in England with the accession of Elizabeth in 1558.
The French styles developed smoothly and logically, that of Francois I being followed by those of Henri II, Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI. After the revolution the Directoire and the Empire styles were created, from foreign elements chiefly classical, by the fiat of Napoleon. In England, owing to frequent changes of dynasty, and to the constant interfusion of foreign ideas through political and commercial causes, the styles changed rapidly, beginning with the Elizabethan, followed by the Jacobean, the styles of Charles the First, the Commonwealth, Charles the Second, William and Mary, Queen Anne, and the Early Georgian, and by the late eighteenth century Adam style and the individual furniture styles of Chippendale, Hepplewhite and Sheraton, and finally terminating in the nineteenth century in the so-called Victorian style.
During the nineteenth century decoration, like architecture, fell into a period of decline. Taste became debased, craftsmanship inferior, and in America, as in Europe, builders, manufacturers and house-furnishers alike gave over all attempt at serious original work, and contented themselves with poor reproductions and poorer adaptations of the work of the past.
Some forty years ago our wealthier people began to want more fitting and beautiful homes. These people had traveled in France, and they turned naturally to France for models, so that there was a period of almost two decades in which French ideas and practice were dominant in the furnishings of important American houses. Later the English styles began to be copied, and presently, almost over night, we had among us the phenomenon of period decoration. The thing went farther than mere copying. Whole rooms-woodwork, ceiling, fireplace, furniture; everything except the pregnant associations and the spiritual quality that made them significant and beautiful were torn out of old English houses and French chateaux and set up, as in the bed of Procrustes, at whatever cost of amputation or stretching, in the great American houses.


Language : English
Paperback : 178 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-0578879796
Item Weight : 9.4 ounces
Dimensions : 5.98 x 0.41 x 9.02 inches
Language : English
Paperback : 278 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-1949723779
Item Weight : 14.6 ounces
Dimensions : 5.98 x 0.63 x 9.02 inches
Legacy to Legend: Winners Make It Happen: A Trailblazer
At different times in his life, Floyd L. Griffin, Jr. has been a cadet, Vietnam Helicopter Pilot, Army Colonel, football coach, professor, businessman, state senator, the mayor and author. Throughout his life of change and challenges, Floyd Griffin has always been dedicated to public service.
Griffin is former owner of Slater’s Funeral Home, INC in Milledgeville, Georgia. He serves on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama and on the Board of Visitors at Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, Georgia. Griffin was inducted into the Winston-Salem State University’s “Big-House Gaines” Athletic Hall of Fame and Tuskegee University’sROTC Hall of Fame. His oral history video is included as a permanent record of the History Makers Collection at the Library of Congress. The Floyd L. Griffin, Jr. papers are held by the Ina Dillard Russell Library Special Collections at Georgia College and State University.
In 1994, Griffin did what political experts said was impossible. He literally stormed onto the political scene and defeated an incumbent Georgia State Senator. The victory made Griffin the first African American in modern times to be elected in a rural legislative district containing a majority of white voters. In 2000, Griffin continued to do what political experts said was impossible by becoming the first African American mayor of the Old Capitol City of Milledgeville, Georgia.
The Honorable Floyd Griffin served as Senator of Georgia’s 25th District for two terms. In the Georgia Senate, Griffin was Chairman of the Interstate Cooperation Committee and served on the Defense and Veteran’s Affairs, Health and Human Services, Higher Education, Local and State Government Operations and the powerful Rules Committees. In 1998 Griffin was candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia. His candidacy for Lieutenant Governor made him the first African American to run for that office in the 20th century. Griffin was elected Mayor of the city of Milledgeville for the term 2002-2006. He was the sixty-seventh Mayor to serve. In 2009, Griffin published his autobiography, Legacy to Legend: Winners Make It Happen.
In 1967 he entered the United States Army. In Vietnam, Griffin served as a helicopter pilot, instructor pilot, aviation platoon leader and commander of a construction engineer company. After combat service he commanded an engineer battalion under General Norman Schwarzkopf, was later promoted to the rank of Colonel and then served on the Army Staff at the Pentagon.
Floyd Griffin has also worked as an educator. At Wake Forest University he served as an Assistant Professor of Military Science. He was the director of ROTC at Winston-Salem State University, where he coached the football team’s backfield as they won two conservative college championships. Griffin has served as a part-time instructor at the Georgia College and State University School of Business.
Griffin holds a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction from Tuskegee University and Master of Science in Contract and Procurement Management from Florida Institute of Technology. Griffin holds an Associate of Science in Funeral Service from Gupton-Jones College. He is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and the National War College.


Wow, sifting through 40 years of delectable reads...trying to pick my top all time favorites. There are so many different flavors of writing that satisfy different cravings. This is a doozy of a brain strain for me. But let me start at the beginning.
Dr. Suess! This is the man that inspired countless hours of giggles, for me as a little girl, and for me as a mother of three girls. My favorite book of his...One fish, two fish, black fish, blue fish...or maybe How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Delightful worlds where anything can and does happen. Imagination run wild, as it should be! It's like a crazy crock pot stew...you never knew what you'd be pulling out of it.
Roald Dahl! I remember pulling James and the Giant Peach off the bookshelf at the little library in Santa Cruz, and I new I had a treasure in my hands. I went home, climbed into my makeshift fort, and didn't emerge for days, okay, so I exaggerate...but I devoured the book, and felt so connected to James left at the mercy of his cruel aunts, poor little boy.
James Herriot! I read every one of these quaint novels about the life and work of an English countryside veterinarian. The descriptions of the countryside and the characters he wrote about (animal and human) drew me in. It satisfies the sweet tooth.
Piers Anthony! I wanted to go to Xanth so bad it's not punny, I mean funny. Loved these books, gorged on them, so to speak. So silly and lighthearted. Fun reads for young adults and adults that want to stay young : ) Warning, might give you gas!
John Steinbeck! I know most kids read of Mice and Men in high school english classes. I never did. I recently read it when it was assigned to my daughter to read. Loved the story and enjoyed the writing style. One of my favorite Bugs Bunny cartoons had new meaning to me...you know the one where the overgrown dog (I think) wants to grab him and squeeze him, and call him George. Those cartoonists were cleverer than I knew! : ) It's meat and potatoes.
J.R. Tolkien! Love, love, love! Amazing world of Hobbits and trolls, of men and dwarves. And the one true ring. Fantastic! Oh, to travel the world on a pony alongside the likes of Aragorn and Gandalf, to spend time (cause you'll need it) talking with the Ents. Like a pint of the finest Ale, this goes down so smooth.
Okay, so one last one. J. K. Rowling! This woman amazed me. We all know her story. Incredible. She is the one that got me thinking, you know, I can do this. She did it with far fewer resources than I have. We have been savoring Harry, Ron, Hermione, and my personal favorites Fred and George, for so many years in our house. I enjoy delving into the pages with my youngest Sierra. When the time is right, many years from now, I'll gladly introduce my Hagrid and McGonagall voices to my grandchildren. Harry Potter books are like those crazy candies from Hogsmeade, magical.
I could probably go on and on. I have read so many books over the years, and I have so many more waiting in my cupboard. Unlike Mother Hubbard, my reading cupboard is never bare. My plate is full to overflowing with tasty literary morsels.


Being a parent is an enormous responsibility. From the moment that tiny little treasure is born, he or she is dependent on you for their entire existence, and it is your job to care for them and prepare for them to one day leave the nest. Among the vital skills that Dad and I taught you was how to walk, talk, use a toilet, drink from a glass, eat with a fork and use a knife.
I wrote on this subject two years ago (Just Make Your Bed) when I spoke of several skills I omitted teaching each of you, such as how to sew on a button, how to hang a picture, and how to balance a check book. (Do any of you actually do that final item?)
When learning how to drive, did I ever impress on each of you the importance of never leaving anything on the roof of your car? I was reminded of this recently after I received a call from a neighbor who informed me that someone had found my library book on the street about ¾ mile from our house.
Like the pizza I had also left on the roof of my car many years ago, I had repeated history—this time with a book. It is amazing that the book almost made the seven mile trip home before ultimately landing on the ground. That is a true miracle.
Sadly, this little error may cost me the price of the book, because when I finally retrieved the book from the neighbor who had found it, it was slightly damp, and the pages were quite wrinkled. I tried placing the book under a heavy object as well as resorting to my hardly-used iron, but alas, the book does not look so Ay-Yay-Yay. I swear I will never do that again! It’s just not a good idea.


LCAC Official Statement on the Banning of Lafayette Public Library Displays
Lafayette Citizens Against Censorship (LCAC) strongly condemns the recent decision by Lafayette Public Library Director Danny Gillane to ban displays deemed “political” or representative of “populations.” Besides the subjective nature of what becomes “acceptable” to display under this new order, this decision and the rationale provided demonstrate conflict avoidance and an attitude of appeasement towards far-right factions in our community. Further, any action taken that bans specific materials from being displayed constitutes self-censorship, and no public library director, specifically one who was hired into a library system which was recognized as the best in Louisiana under the previous director’s leadership, should be negotiating or conceding principles which are the bedrock of American public libraries and First Amendment rights.
Mr. Gillane has provided several reasons for his decision, one of which was the alleged controversy certain displays may generate. Although the last complaint about Pride displays was voiced nearly a year ago by the former Mayor-President Board appointee, Hilda Edmond, Mr. Gillane seized on that narrative as a justification for his decision, claiming that controversial books on displays would increase the likelihood of requests for removal. However, in another interview, Gillane explained that it was about not signaling out portions of the local “population,” a statement both ambiguous and troublesome. Because there is a small contingent of individuals in the Parish who do not believe in equality and respect for all “populations,” is the solution a sweeping cancellation of all displays that qualify under this general term? In yet another article, Gillane indicates that this decision was made right before Pride Month, as he “knew” there would be “issues” with Pride displays. But in a different interview, he claims that the timing of this decision and the start of Pride Month was simply coincidental. The lack of consistency among these explanations provides tenuous trust that this decision was actually made with a clear purpose in mind.
With this decision, Mr. Gillane has fallen into a trap of conflict avoidance and appeasement. In several statements, he indicates he doesn’t want a “fight.” His goal of removing the Library from “culture war issues” fails to understand that when these wars involve attempted marginalization of whole populations and censorship of materials, it is part of the Library’s collection development policy to stand strong for Library and American Library Association (ALA) principles, not recuse itself from conflict. While keeping the peace is sometimes the best course of action, past decisions made by Gillane show that this is another unnecessary change of policy in an attempt to keep a small contingent happy, an unattainable goal when extremist views are involved. He would like to keep the focus on the fact that no books or materials have actually been banned or placed behind a desk, but he mistakenly views his decision as the saving grace for the materials. We have seen in the past year that people will challenge materials they find on hate-group lists, or will simply target materials for their content, regardless of whether the material has been on a display.
Giving select materials preferential placement in the form of displays while forbidding display of other materials, is, in our opinion, not providing equitable access according to ALA’s statements on Intellectual Freedom and Access to Resources. Mr. Gillane is assuming that people who want to find materials not permitted for display will be able to use the online catalog to do so, but he does not take into account the technical challenges this may pose for some, or explain why it is equitable that someone looking for poetry books may be able to easily find them on a display, while someone researching Black History, even during February, will need to take multiple steps to achieve the same goal. Although all materials may in theory be in the Library, it is evident from numerous articles on the topic that displays are an important tool for highlighting and encouraging circulation of collections, much like merchandising is for grocery stores and other businesses. Decisions about material purchases and purges are also partially made based on circulation numbers, enforcing the need for diverse and creative displays which give all materials a chance to be highlighted. Mr. Gillane’s statement to one concerned patron that “Library displays of the nature of your concern [i.e. the ones Mr. Gillane has banned] are not universal in public libraries,” is misleading. While every single Library in the United States may not have displays, to indicate that somehow displays on topics interwoven into American culture, such as Black History, are less common or allowed than a display on fairy tales, just does not seem to be supported with facts. We request Mr. Gillane to provide more documentation on his assertion.
Gillane seems to have drawn himself the hero, doing the best he can under dire circumstances. However, regardless of his intentions, at present he is simply doing the far-right’s bidding and validating hateful views; at best trying to buy time by negotiating with individuals who have a track record of being unreasonable and disingenuous. Whatever his own personal morals and beliefs, citizens are seeing only his actions. Whether these actions are being committed by someone with a sincere belief in our Library system or a nefarious individual brought in by an extremist Board member hardly matters. The outcome - a Library system which is a shell of its former self - is the same. Mr. Gillane, if he does sincerely uphold ALA principles, should either resign before he finds himself the main culprit of the Library’s downfall, or else find the courage to stand up for all collections equally, whether the topic is LGBTQ+ or children’s nursery rhymes. If Mr. Gillane needs tools to better defend the Library system from censorship, ALA has a free toolkit for exactly that purpose.
LCAC urges Mr. Gillane to reverse this decision which has only served to draw condemnation from numerous community groups and individuals, and has again put Lafayette Parish in an unfavorable light once the story was picked up by national news. If his goal with the display bans was to ensure focus on Summer Reading and away from controversy, he should recognize by now that his decision has had the opposite effect.


Notes for CHARLES ABRAHAM LINCOLN READY:
Son of Robert Daniel and Roxena Jane (Day) Ready, Sr.
Born: April 18, 1865 in New Philadelphia, Tuscawarus County, Ohio.
Died: February 12, 1932 in Hayes Center, Hayes County, Nebraska.
1870 - Gold, Bureau County, Illinois.
1880 - Gold, Bureau County, Illinois.
1900 - Hayes Center, Hopewell & Logan Precincts, Hayes, Nebraska.
1910 - Hayes Center, Hayes County, Nebraska.
January 29, 1920 - Nate Avenue, Hayes Center, Supervisor's District 5, Enumeration District 133, Hayes County, Nebraska.
April 3, 1930 - Hughes Avenue, Hayes Center, Supervisor's District 9, Enumeration District 43-17, Hayes County, Nebraska.
Occupation: Lawyer, admitted to the Bar in 1887. He was also the County Attorney of Hayes County. He drew up many of the sales of the sales of the family land around Franklin. He also ran the newspaper in Hayes Center and taught his dad "Taylor" the newspaper business.
Married: (1) Florence Neverve 1893 in Unknown. She married (2) John McClendon After 1900 in Unknown.
(2) Bertha H (nee ?) Ayer 1915-1919 in Unknown. (She married (1) Harry S Ayer b. 1867. d. 1915).
Name: Charlie A. L. Ready
Residence: Gold, Bureau, Illinois
Birthplace: Ohio, United States
Relationship to Head: Son
Father's Name: Robert D. Ready
Father's Birthplace: Virginia, United States
Mother's Name: Jane R. Ready
Mother's Birthplace: Indiana, United States
Race or Color (Expanded): White
Ethnicity (Standardized): American
Martial Status: Single
Age (Expanded): 15 years
Occupation: At School
NARA Film Number: T9-0177
Page Character: A
Entry Number: 3496
Film number: 1254177
Household Gender Age
Parent Robert D. Ready M 47
Parent Jane R. Ready F 42
William A. Ready M 20
Elmer N. Ready M 17
John L. Ready M 17
Charlie A. L. Ready M 15
Jennie A. Ready F 11
Armistead T. Ready M 9
James C. Ready M 6
Robert D. Ready M 3
Ann E. Ready F 19
John Lewis M 51
Name: Chas A Ready
Relationship to Head of Household: Self
Residence: Hayes Center, Hayes, Nebraska
Marital Status: Divorced
Race : White
Father's Birthplace: Virginia
Mother's Birthplace: Indiana
Family Number: 53
Page Number: 3
Household Gender Age
Chas A Ready M 45y
Child Blanche Ready F 14y
Child Gretna Ready F 12y


Over and Over, I hear "just tell me, step by step, what I need to do to be successful."
Updated Aug 3, 2020
The Personal Chef Resource Library is what you've been asking for, but haven't found, until now!
How to Get Leads: This is often the part of business that halts most personal chefs from progressing. Whether you're an introvert or extrovert, the library includes a dozen videos on marketing ideas to fit your personality and business model. You'll have clients flooding your inbox in no time.
New to the Business: It can be overwhelming knowing where to begin and how to get it going quickly. The library includes step-by-step video tutorials of moving your business from "what do I do first" all the way to capturing leads to turn into clients.
Topics Covered: Each topic includes strategy & tactical implementation. You'll be provided with instructions on exactly what to do.
- Marketing and advertising
- Social media
- Pay-per-lead strategies
- Competitor analysis
- Defining your ideal client
- Graphic design
- Scheduling Meal Prep Clients
- Dinner Party 101
- Publishing a cookbook
- Cottage law
- Kitchen equipment
Membership: The $49 cost of the library card is billed monthly, $49 today then $49 a month until you choose to no longer be a member. Cancel at any time. No refunds on this product.
If you have any questions, feel free to send them here.


The Book of Hermes (Out of Print)
The Book of Hermes By Three Initiates
Edited with Introduction and Notes by Dorje Jinpa
Read description and excerpt below.
The Sacred Mysteries can be traced, like a golden thread of light, through the heart and soul of all the great nations of the ancient world. In the early days of our history the Mysteries were ‘radiant with a divine splendor, awesome and fearful to the multitude, benign and beautiful to the wise.’ The Mystery Schools were then widespread and initiates educated themselves by traveling from one Mystery center to another. Pythagoras and Plato are said to have been educated in this way, both becoming initiates of the Egyptian Mysteries The Sacred Schools, though still active, have now completely disappeared from public view. This, it is said, will soon change; the return of the Mysteries is imminent and the Gods will once again walk the Earth with human beings. This is affirmed by Brother D.K., the author of Bailey Books, and by Rudolf Steiner, a seer of remarkable insight and vision. Both of these Initiate Brothers have sought, in their writings, to prepare the way for the return of the Mysteries.
The purpose of the Mysteries, according to Plato, is “to return the soul to the purity of the higher worlds from which it has fallen.” According to the Esoteric Tradition this is accomplished through initiation, a dynamic process of illumination and regeneration in which the Gods Themselves are said to participate. “The initiates,” says Socrates, “are certain to enter into the presence of the Gods.”
Limited to 100 numbered copies, Hardback, Signed by the author


I’m a Torontonian, born and raised, and I love this city. Yes, even now.
One of the things about Toronto that makes me so very, very proud to live here, is our Toronto Public Library.
My A/C-less childhood summers where punctuated with trips to my local branch to carefully select the book for my Summer Reading Club passport. Decades later, Toronto Public Library was there to support me with my research as a ROM researcher and with myd gruelling grad work. As I lived a 1.5 hours away from campus, it became my regular study buddy, and I credit the environment it provided as a huge reason I passed the GMAT. As a way of saying thanks, I volunteered at its Book Lovers’ Ball gala the following year.
Toronto Public Library has been there for me, and given me opportunities to engage with it at every stage of my life. As a full-time-working, childless twenty-something, this is not something I can say for some of my other beloved cultural institutions.
And it just keeps impressing me. Through apps like Overdrive Media and Zinio, I can access countless ebooks, audiobooks, and digital magazines online through my browser or mobile device, for free, with my library card.
We’re not talking odds-and-ends offerings either. New releases and best-sellers abound.
Did I mention there were cookbooks too? Cookbooks, people.
For ebooks and audiobooks, just head to Toronto Public Library’s Overdrive Media site, log in with your library card, and get to checking out available titles to your heart’s content. You don’t even need to return them – when your borrowing time is up, they just disappear. No late fees! Just like the library, you can put holds on books that are currently unavailable. When they get returned, you receive an email notification and they show up in your account.
The Zinio sign-up process is a little more awkward, because you need to sign up for a separate Zinio account, but once you are set up it works like Overdrive Media. Head to the Toronto Public Library Zinio website and pick your magazines.
The great thing about both Overdrive Media and Zinio is that once you’ve downloaded the ebook, audiobook, or emagazine, you don’t need wifi to access them again. I can tell you my commute to work has become a heck of a lot more bearable thanks to that. You can even bookmark pages, email quotes, and in the case of Zinio some magazines have the option of stripping away the layout, leaving you with the bare text of an article for easier reading and sharing.
It just makes me proud that Toronto Public Library is so dedicated to making quality content easy to access. Ok, that’s kind of its mandate. It’s just a bonus that Toronto Public Library is thinking about how to use new technologies and the way folks interact with media to do accomplish this.
So, dearest Toronto Public Library, thank you for being one constant and yet evolving reason that Toronto is great.
(And don’t even get me started on how great its SunLife Financial Museum + Arts Pass is – I’m saving that for another post.)
What say you about Toronto Public Library? Have you tried out Overdrive Media and Zinio? What do you think?


BACK TO LANDER
About the Poet: Readers will wonder why they see Jean T. Cullen or Jean-Thomas Cullen in one place, and John T. Cullen in another. And then there is that John Argo question.
JTC (for short) was born in Europe, an Army brat, son of a U.S. Army NCO and a Luxembourg expat mother. His birth name, after both grandfathers, is Jean-Thomas. He was born a U.S. citizen, with State Department papers to prove it, one of nearly two million born in this manner to parents serving overseas with the U.S. military, State Department, CIA, and other agencies.
After spending his childhood in several European countries, he was brought to his father's birth city of New Haven, Conn. at age 10. In the English-speaking world, he has always used John T. Cullen for ease of passage. He still finds it useful and fun, when traveling in places like Quebec, France, or the Benelux, to go by Jean or Jean-Thomas.
And, readers may note, this other pen name that frequently pops up around his genre fiction, written long after his poetry days were over, and he turned all that creative writing juice loose on the prose pages of his SF and Suspense fiction. When the Internet age began, JTC was enthralled, and instantly became a pioneer digital writer/publisher, using the pen name John Argo. That reflects his Classically trained Sense of Wonder about the early Web, before digital money and cyber crime, in honor of another Age of Wonder. That refers to the Bronze Age, well over three thousand years ago, which came to a crashing halt due to climate change around 1200 BCE. The Bronze Age was remembered with love and awe a millennium later by Classic poets like Homer, Hesiod, and the like; later by Romans like Ovid. In the modern age, Sense of Wonder is a term frequently applied to the best of Speculative Fiction.
So what about Argo? Think of Jason and the Argonauts (literally, 'Argo Sailors') aboard their own ship of wonder, called the Argo. The Argonauts cruised into the outer space of their own age, the Aegean and Pontic Seas, in search of the Golden Fleece and other mythic, wonderous adventures. In homage of all that, which is the foundation of Western civilization, JTC picked the pen name John Argo: now you know why.
But that is all long after JTC's own age of youth and wonder, when as a teenager and Young Adult (YA) he wrote a wealth of poetry celebrated on this website along with his first full novel now titled Summer Planets. As he began writing it, age 15, he originally titled it Cosmopolis: City of the Universe. He completed the last draft at age 19 while a sophomore at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, while bunking in Room 310 in McMahon Hall.


Economics of Violence Book Reviews
Russ Roberts, President of Shalem College in Jerusalem and the John and Jean De Nault Research Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution
"[Shiffman emphasizes] the argument that a lot of what we're calling terrorists, or insurgents, or criminals are providing something else that is masked by the things that are costly to us as the non-participants of the terror, the death, the activities. And that the opportunity to affiliate with these groups gives participants a way to truck, barter, and exchange more effectively because you can trust their insiders… I thought that was the most provocative idea in the book."
Steve Clemons, Editor at Large, The Hill
“As advances in behavioral science reveal the complex but animating dynamics of human behavior, all those forces that make us fear, or fight, or give us courage, or move us to some action, nefarious states and organizations are learning how to manipulate people and become drivers of violence. In his illuminating new book, national security veteran Gary M. Shiffman takes us to the edge of understanding the nexus between behavior and organized violence. This is a must read not only for leaders in the defense and security sector, but all leaders who want to better understand the opportunities and the dangers of manipulating human action.”
Richard Fontaine, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Prior to CNAS, he was foreign policy advisor to Senator John McCain.
“Conventional wisdom often views sub-state violence as an irrational expression of religious, tribal or ethnic identity. In his must-read book, Gary M. Shiffman offers a powerful counter, demonstrating that understanding organized violence requires analyzing individual decision-making - and the available incentives and choices. Shiffman combines his own rich experience with deep economic analysis and case studies that range from Pablo Escobar to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and, in so doing, has written a definitive volume on the insights behavioral science offers to national security policymakers.”
Juan Zarate, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Combatting Terrorism (2005-2009)
“Gary Shiffman has always been a clarion voice in understanding the importance of behavioral science and economics in national security -- never more so than in this work. In this book, Shiffman has provided a seminal study of how economic dynamics and individual decisions affect the manifestations of violence and the evolution of terrorist, militant, and criminal movements in a changing global landscape. By using an economic lens, he breaks down the orthodoxy between traditional disciplines and rigid categories of identity to understand sources of violence and how non-state actors emerge, adapt, and compete. By examining the cases of Pablo Escobar, Joseph Kony, and Osama bin Laden in this way, he is able to explain how each have acted as “entrepreneurs” using force and forms of coercion to capture markets, each in his own way. This should become required reading for those seeking to understand how individual decisions drive sub-state groups and violence and how we might use these insights to counter this violence and fight like entrepreneurs.”
Bruce Hoffman, Professor, Georgetown University, author of “Inside Terrorism,” “Anonymous Soldiers,” and editor-in-chief of Studies in Conflict and Terrorism.
“The Economics of Organized Violence is a pathbreaking work that argues how a more rigorous understanding of human behavior can be harnessed to better counter illicit violence. Drawing on his formidable intellect and experiences in the military, as a Senate staffer, a homeland security executive, entrepreneur, and security studies scholar, Shiffman makes a powerful case for this unique approach to strengthening U.S. national security."
Senator Connie Mack
"Gary M. Shiffman uses the science of Economics as a tool for understanding violent human behavior, and he shows us how better to understand those who would harm us. Gary brings provocative, innovative, and exciting ideas to those seeking knowledge, clarity and peace of mind in the promotion of freedom and security. The Economics of Violence is an exciting new book from an established and important voice in national security."
Prince Turki al Faisal, Chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. Former Director General of the General Intelligence Directorate for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (1977 to 2001)
“Professor Shiffman has provided a valuable insight into what terrorism is, who the terrorists are, why they become terrorists, and what to do to face them. While he explains that it is impossible to eradicate it completely, he does provide a formula for mitigating it. . . . In his book, whose reading is easy and enjoyable, the Professor uses several examples of organized violence in the form of groups like the Mafia, the Medellin Cartel, the Lords Liberation Army, Al Qaida, and the so-called Islamic State. He applies what he calls “market place” rules to them and identifies the almost exact conditions that apply to them. He rejects what became the facile analyses that attribute violence to ethnicity, religion, poverty and upbringing. . . . This is a valuable book that should set records straight about stereotypes, identity, politics, and misleading assumptions. I have been disabused of some of my assumptions and the reader will find the recipe for combating violent groups in the last chapter.
Sharon Weinberger, Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and author of The Imagineers of War: The Untold History of DARPA, the Pentagon Agency That Changed the World
“Why do people fight? It's one of the fundamental questions faced by national security professionals and academic researchers. Gary Shiffman's compelling book places the behavioral and social sciences precisely where they should be: at the center of discussion around questions of war and violence. His intriguing study examines the complex human factors that contribute to modern conflict, and will be a valuable resource for those seeking to prevent it.”
Eli Berman, co-author Small Wars, Big Data: The Information Revolution in Modern Conflict
“Readable and ambitious, the Economics of Organized Violence uses colorful examples to sketch a common approach to studying organized crime, insurgency and terrorism. Professor Shiffman then draws on his own experience to explain how those insights can inform combatting all three. Highly recommended for practitioners, scholars and anyone interested in new thinking on how these threats can be contained.”
Jacob Shapiro, Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University
“Understanding political violence requires turning away from simplistic labels — `ethno-nationalist’, `narco-terrorist’,`religious radical’ — towards the scientifically grounded concepts of scarcity, markets, and firms. Shiffman’s enlightening and accessible prose demystifies today’s national security threats with precise logic, careful case studies, and wide-ranging pop culture references. A brilliant ground-breaking book that every national security professional should read.”


Day of the Dead Altered Book Workshop
With Kelli Perkins
5:00 - 8:00pm
Transform a recycled board book into an altered book that celebrates El Dias de los Muertos, or the Mexican Day of the Dead. We'll incorporate handmade stamps, found poetry, fabric and household junk into a book you'll cherish. You may bring small photos of loved ones and/ or favorite ephemera and charms to include into your book, but basic supplies will be provided.
This workshop is limited to the first 20 registrants. Registration opens on the library's website beginning Sept 26 2013. 300 S. River Ave. Holland, MI


I was a first-time participant in Carrie's reading challenge last year, and I had so much fun! If you consider accepting the challenge, and are even a LITTLE bit like me, please mentally prepare yourself. You agonize over which books to choose...you commit to your list...you put it in writing...and then you look at other readers' lists and realize how many titles you overlooked. The horror! 😱.
(I'm totally kidding. This is a fantastic way to get great recommendations from fellow readers and add titles to your wish list!)
My goal is to read one of these titles each month. With only two exceptions, I have read other books by the authors on my list, and I am extremely confident that my reading time will be well spent!
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi
Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams
Grenade by Alan Gratz
Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
Odd One Out by Nic Stone
On The Come Up by Angie Thomas
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera


His writing is excellent, often illustrating large complex ideas with understandable examples, but he doesn&39;t over-simplify nor repeat himself. Climate change is an exceptionally potent trigger for future shock insofar as it promises an unpleasant and unpredictable dose of upcoming instability in the years ahead; denial is an emotionally. He was a cofounder of Toffler Associates, a consulting firm for companies and governments worldwide on advances in economics, technology, and social change. And while we love tires, they haven&39;t been very effectiv. Future Shock by Alvin Toffler.
The book was written about the future and that future is now. Provided to YouTube by RhinoFuture Shock · Curtis MayfieldBack to the World℗ 1973 Curtom Records, under exclusive license to Rhino Entertainment CompanyProdu. Bentley, which makes high end sports cars, buys 90 per cent of its components from continental Europe, and sells around 24 per cent of its cars into Europe, chief executive Adrian Hallmark told. PETR CECH is preparing to come out of retirement and represent Chelsea&39;s development squad against Tottenham this evening. With Orson Welles, John Bray, Verlin Cobb, Charles Epstein.
Oil and Gas Investment in the New Risk Environment An International Energy Forum Report with Boston Consulting Group. chrononauts futureshock 1 (of 4. Through a focus on axial compliance, it breaks the mold of what we thought was possible in bicycle design. the impulse response functions to a UK monetary policy shock. Surveys can be a great research tool – but your data is only as good as the science of the survey. Tharg&39;s Future Shocks is a long-running series of short strips in the British weekly comic AD in 1977.
The appendices pro-vide details on the data and the identiﬁcation. Describes the constant, bewildering barrage of new technologies and all the resulting societal changes those technologies bring about. Future Shock is a 1970 book by the futurist Alvin Toffler, written together with his spouse Adelaide Farrell, in which the authors define the term " future shock " as a certain psychological state of individuals and entire societies.
The Future Shock 2. Find out how we did it. The next shock absorber to earn a spot on our list is by ACDelco.
19,, file photo, former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani, a lawyer for President Donald Trump, speaks during a news conference at the Republican. The title track, written by Curtis Mayfield and originally recorded by Mayfield on his 1973 album Back to the World. Even though the book was first published in 1970, it is certainly appropriate for the changes of the age of technology. Of all the books that I have read in the last 20 years, it is by far the one that has taught me the most. 1980 gav han ut boken The Third Wave (svensk.
Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight. This is a crossover with Batman Beyond and technically The New Batman Adventures. The Future Shock is a revolution in smoothness, delivering 20mm of travel without degrading speed, handling, or comfort. Meanwhile Marina Granovskaia is stepping up the Blues&39; January pursuit of. The Future Shock is a spring coil cartridge that sits in the headtube of the bike and provide additional compliance and comfort.
It’s a causal relationship. Toffler&39;s shortest definition of future shock is a personal perception of " too much change in too short a period of time ". Alvin Toffler (1928–) was an American writer and futurist whose list of bestselling books includes Future Shock, The Third Wave, and Powershift. Alvin Toffler&39;s classic book Future Shock (1970) argued that in our world of ever-quickening change, the human mind is threatened by shattering. The book perfectly captured the angst of that time and prepared society for more changes to come. The name originates from the fictional editor of AD and the book titled Future Shock, written by Alvin Toffler, published in 1970. "—Le Figaro Future Shock is about the present.
Value at risk (VaR) is a statistic that measures and quantifies the level of financial risk within a FUTURE SHOCK / VAR firm, portfolio or position over a specific time frame. In fact, it does quite the opposite. AN OPEN-ECONOMY FAVAR A large empirical literature has investigated the international transmission of mon-etary and nonmonetary shocks using small-scale structural VAR. Updated: Decem. In the opening minutes of Future Shock, a 1972 documentary based on the book of the same name, a bearded, cigar-puffing, world-weary Orson Welles staggers down an airport’s moving walkway, treating. By Sohail FUTURE SHOCK / VAR Inayatullah, Septem. Future Shock (Gillan album), 1981; Future Shock (Herbie Hancock album), 1983; Future Shock, a 1980 EP by The Gordons.
Similar to its predecessor, the shock sits above the frame in the head tube, the theory being this solution isolates the rider from harsh bumps and road chatter without compromising speed and efficiency. The first front shock absorbers to make our list, these light duty components help to adsorb and dampen all the bumps and vibrations from the road, without weighing down your vehicle. var select =root:". Future shock is also a term for a certain psychological state of individuals and entire societies, introduced by Toffler in his book of the same name. " Future Shock " is the fourth season premiere of Static Shock.
This metric is most commonly used by. Future Shock is a 1970 book by the futurist Alvin Toffler, written together with his spouse Adelaide Farrell, in which the authors define the term " future shock " as a certain psychological state of individuals and entire societies. Eliminating Future Shock – The changing world of work and the organization. When helping Batman and Robin with a mission, Static ends up travelling 40 years into the future. The correct identi-. Sudden and dramatic breakdowns—future shocks—become more likely. 99: 1 var: issue 1 var.
For over 100 years, the bicycle tire has been the best means of absorbing vibrations FUTURE on a road bike. The COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest oil and gas demand shock in history, but its repercussions are likely to extend through a future supply shock as oil and gas companies curtail their spending on upstream operations. Future Shock (1994) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. A trio of promising coronavirus vaccines promises to plunge a stake through the dark pandemic-riddled heart of. Directed by Alexander Grasshoff.
FILE - In this Nov. That compares to a roughly an ounce premium for the December future over the August. Robin Buckson - member online, Detroit News Updated. Publication date 1970 Topics Modern History, Industrialization, Politics, Psychology Collection opensource Language English.
gold futures beginning to overcome coronavirus shock. &39;Future Shock&39; is based on the term &39;Culture Shock&39; & Toffler&39;s book deals with how the future is coming at us so fast that we&39;re all in a state of shock from dealing with the changes. Almost forty years after its publication, the book.
chrononauts futureshock 1 (of 4) cvr e nowlan (mr) . Future Shock by Alvin Toffler discusses change / and what happens to people; how they do and don&39;t adapt. SurveyMonkey offers an extensive collection of templates and survey types you can use as the basis of your research surveys. &39;SNL&39;: Giuliani presents voter fraud witnesses Trump campaigns in Georgia for.
1970 utkom han med boken Future Shock (svensk översättning 1971: Framtidschocken) som beskriver stabilitetens död och hur världen är på väg att förändras mot mer heterogenitet. In the pages that follow, we present 10 such potential FUTURE SHOCK / VAR future shocks. As the world becomes more complex and interconnected, easily managed incremental change is giving way to the instability of feedback loops, threshold effects and cascading disruptions. Future Shock by Alvin Toffler was a huge sensation when it was published in 1970.
Alvin Toffler, född 4 oktober 1928 i New York City, New York, död 27 juni i Los Angeles, Kalifornien, 8 var en amerikansk författare och framtidsforskare. It was many years ago in 1974 when I watched a film written by SHOCK Alvin Toffler. Future Shock ’s thesis was relatively straightforward: Confronted with the technology-driven, ever-increasing rate of change (what Toffler calls, often, and rather pruriently, the “accelerative. Future Shock "The best study of our times that I know. Winds light and variable.
0 is the first new feature in this theme.
-> The Platters Sing Of Your Moonlight Memories
-> Silent White Collections


Featuring an inspirational collection of 250 stitches, Basic Crochet Stitches is sure to inspire your designs to new levels. From a simple Corded Ridge to a textured Flying Shell stitch, a lacy Doubled Lattice design to a classic Crumpled Ripple, each swatch is accompanied by a full-colour photograph with clear and concise pattern instructions.
The Harmony Guides have been tried-and-true references for hand-crafters for more than thirty years. Whether you’re a beginner crocheter or a seasoned expert, the new Harmony Guides are an invaluable edition to your crochet library.
- 250 beautifully photographed stitches made in the latest yarns and desirable colours.
- Comprehensive basics section and tips to get you started.
- A one-stop stitch source for crocheters of all skill levels.


The Golf Apprentice Guide is a book that can be utilized by fledglings and experienced golf players the same. Of course, the book was composed for tenderfoots, however as a Golf Master, I was agreeably astonished by what amount even an accomplished player such as myself can detract from this book. The measure of substance it (more than 240 pages) is fantastic. I’ll need to concede that the insignificant measure of pages terrified me from the outset, however the clear methodology the writer took when composing this book made it simple to peruse, follow, and digest.
The Golf Learner Guide: What Were the Outcomes?
Not at all like the other golf digital books I have evaluated, this book covers everything there is to think about golf. It will show you the nuts and bolts of driving, chipping, and putting down to the best detail. In the event that you don’t have a decent swing, this book covers it. On the off chance that you do not have any sort of establishment in your game, this book will give you a strong one. In the event that you as of now have a strong establishment in your game like me, this book will strengthen it. read more golfplayersguide.com
This book offers useful hints in all features of the game. I truly loved the system the Golf Novice Guide covers for its peruser. Not exclusively will it disclose to you how to hit certain shots, it will reveal to you how to move toward them, both intellectually and genuinely. Golf isn’t tied in with hitting it far and straight, being fruitful additionally has a great deal to do with realizing when to hit which club, when to have a full swing, when to utilize a half swing…etc. The Golf Amateur Guide’s record is extraordinary and efficient as you will have the option to skim back through the book effectively in the event that you are hoping to return to a particular exercise/or point. This is the manner by which I utilized it generally, instead of utilization it as a book, you can utilize it as an as well/or manage and continually allude back to it.


Pat O'Brien has been touring Underneath The Lintel, a thrilling one-man show by Glen Berger, throughout the U.S. and Canada for the last four years.
A reclusive librarian finds a book 123 years overdue and he's compelled to embark on a world-wide quest to track down the borrower and, in the process, uncovers a mystery that transcends the ages. Or is he just mad...
Voted "BEST SOLO SHOW" of the 2011 Minnesota and 2012 London (Ontario) Fringe Theater Festivals
Voted: "BEST TOURING SHOW of 2013" Dallas Fort Worth Theater Critics Forum
"Riveting!...Five out of Five Stars" "An award worthy performance" London Free Press
"Must See!" "O'Brien delivers a "wow"-inducing performance" St. Paul Pioneer Press
Chosen "BEST OF THE FEST" "Spellbinding!" Orlando Sentinel
"A triumph of virtuoso acting" Dallas Morning News


Years ago, I first stumbled on a poem of Christina’s in a small magazine. It struck me immediately how well she was able to cram so much insight and impact into such a compact piece. I knew right then that I needed to keep an eye on her. Now, she has a Stoker under her belt for her first collection and this new bit of tasty treats for my greedy eyeholes.
A Collection Of Dreamscapes isn’t a cohesive grouping of single-focus poems, but it isn’t quite as scattershot as a fully unthemed collection can be. Instead, it is cut up into five sections (The Love Song of Allegra, Fairy Tales, All the Monsters in the World, A Capacity for Violence, and Myths and Dreamscapes). Each section sets a thematic through-line for the poems in that section and gives a sense of continuity to it. I also dig that this breaks up what is a fairly large poetry collection into more reasonable meals.
One of the things CHristina has become known for is her ability to craft entrancing stories full of depth and meaning within her poems. She has this knack for giving the reader just enough on the page to build the images and plot in their head, while leaving enough unsaid that it is not dictated for the reader. Poems like “Never the Light,” which plays with the vampire myth while addressing abuse and the need to break from that cycle, do this marvelously.
Now, I will admit that some will be put off by the first section, The Love Song of Allegra. Especially those who are fans of her usually deciptively straight-ahead and trimmed down style. This section is clearly modeled on the myths of ancient Greece and the style reflects that. It is a little stiffer than her usual approach and can feel a bit more daunting. It fits well with the story she tells, and I enjoyed it, but may not be for everyone. The good news is that you can just skip by it if you want a return to her more typical style.
Overall, A Collection of Dreamscapes is exactly what I have come to expect from Christina: full of heart, personal, and powerful while opening up her view of the world to include a variety of different lenses and angles of approach.


Since October 2017, it has been mandatory to include a Data Management Plan (DMP) with each request. The SNSF provides a DMP in the account of each researcher on MyFNS.
Therefore, the SNSF asks all researchers it funds to :
- archive the research data they have worked on and produced during their work
- share this data with other researchers, unless they are bound by legal, ethical, copyright, confidentiality or other clauses
- deposit their data and metadata in existing public archives (repositories), in formats that are accessible and reusable without restriction by everyone, and that comply with FAIR principles.
The SNSF considers the sharing of research data as a fundamental contribution to the impact, transparency and reproducibility of scientific research. Grant recipients must therefore ensure that the data generated by their project are publicly accessible in non-commercial data repositories and comply with FAIR principles. These are at least the data necessary to reproduce the published results. These data must be made available as quickly as possible, but at the latest at the time of the corresponding scientific publication.
Some data cannot be shared because the applicants are bound by legal, ethical, confidentiality or copyright clauses. In any case, one of these specific constraints that does not allow data sharing must be justified in the DMP.
Sections of the DMP - SNSF
1 Data collection and documentation
1.1 What data will you collect, observe, generate or reuse ?
1.2 How will data be collected, observed or generated ?
1.3 What documentation and metadata will you provide with the data ?
2 Ethical, legal and safety issues
2.1 How will ethical issues be addressed and treated ?
2.2 How will data access and security be managed ?
2.3 How will you deal with copyright and intellectual property rights ?
3 Data storage and preservation
3.1 How will your data be stored and backed up during the search ?
3.2 What is your data preservation plan ?
4 Data sharing and reuse
4.1 How and where will the data be shared ?
4.2 Are there any limitations necessary to protect sensitive data ?
4.3 I will choose digital repositories that comply with FAIR data principles.
4.4 I will choose digital repositories managed by a non-profit organization.
See the SNSF FAQ on the DMP and DMP FNS - example and content
Guide for the Social Sciences
To help you in writing your DMP-FNS, FORS, the Swiss Competence Centre for Social Sciences, has developed a guide entitled : How to draft a DMP from the perspective of the social sciences, using the SNSF template - june 2019.


One of the areas we are exploring is making educational resources available in a variety of formats, including mobile content delivery. In the 0.23 release of eXe, we've added a prototype of an export function that writes the Notes format used by the Apple iPod. There are several limitations imposed by this format, including being restricted to unstyled text, a strict page size limit, and a design that makes it difficult to include images/audio. However even with these severe limitations, certain types of read only resources are still usable and are now very portable.
The File... Export... iPod Notes menu item prompts for a folder to be used for the export. Within that folder, it creates a new folder with the current eXe package name that contains the table of contents and all of the pages. Simply copy that new folder to the Notes directory of an iPod to make the resource available on the go.


We are First Abq. This is our story. Just like yours, it has some ups and downs. We’re glad our past has brought us to where we are today and we’re excited for the future before us.
The following was recorded by Susan Catherine (Bowers) Van Cleave, wife of J.W. Van Cleave, with additions by her granddaughter, June V. C. Saunders:
The first known effort to establish a New Testament Christian Church in Albuquerque was in 1901. Mr. N.B. McGhee, a Christian minister, is known to have preached several sermons on the Restoration Movement, but did not meet with sufficient encouragement to justify organizing a church. Nothing more was done until the fall of 1903 when Mrs. Grant Webster chanced to hear that Mrs. Elizabeth Fouts shared her Christian convictions. They discussed the local church situation and decided to see if they could find enough local interest to organize a Christian Women’s Board of Missions. Ten women assembled on October 8, 1903, and drew up a charter that they signed.
On October 14, 1903, Mrs. J. W. Van Cleave arrived by train with her two sons: Errett age 8 (named for Isaac Errett) and Otto Bowers, age 12. Her husband would arrive soon by wagon with the household furnishings. She was a very active Christian in New Market, Indiana, where she helped organize the New Testament church, and where her husband operated his own lumbery and pump business. She began at once to look for a church home in Albuquerque. She heard of the missionary meeting and attended the next meeting November 12th at the home of Hannah Roush.
Not surprisingly, therefore, the November gathering elected to call a meeting for November 24th at the home of Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Fouts to discuss church organization. At the meeting, just before Thanksgiving 1903, The First Christian Church of Albuquerque was organized.
The Articles of Incorporation were filled with the Secretary of the Territory of New Mexico at 2:00 p.m. on December 28, 1905, and the church agreed to pick up the option on the land at the corner of Gold and Broadway.
Now the work of raising the money to pay for the property and to build a building began in earnest. By January 4, 1906 when the church had paid the Van Cleave’s $500.00, a warranty deed was made to the Trustees of The First Christian Church and filed February 22, 1906, at 9:00 a.m., and duly recorded in book 42 of the Records and Conveyances, page 2; 71 Territory of New Mexico and County of Bernalillo.
Unable to build a church house such as the city demanded, the membership being exceedingly transient, a cottage that could be converted to a parsonage was first built and dedicated the first Lord’s Day of March 1906. Mr. J. H. Garrison came out from the Society office in St. Louis for the dedication.
As I look back over these first three years of church history, many memories crowd my mind. Those were days of earnest hard work, but the workers were faithful. Who can ever forget those first prayer meetings when everybody prayed as if they were talking to their Father in Heaven? Mrs. Elizabeth K. Fouts did more hard work for the church in these first years than most any other woman: visiting strangers, finding new people, caring for the sick, and always about her Master’s business. She, like so many others, moved away and was missed so very much. Many others crossed the great divide, all of them were faithful unto the end and their works follow them.
I have written this history of the first three year’s work of The Christian Church of Albuquerque to be filed for future reference. It is as correct as the early records and my personal recollection can make it. Trusting it may be of use in the future, I am your servant,
Mrs. Joseph W. Van Cleave
For almost a decade the church met in its cottage home. Among the church’s efforts were a choir, young people’s Christian Endeavor, a drama and elocution class, prayer meeting, and a boy’s club organized by Miss Emma Wodman and called the Knights of the Round Table attracting a diverse group of boys.
During these years the building committee continued to work toward erecting a church edifice suitable to the demands of the city. At last, on September 5, 1915, the handsome brick building was completed and ready to be dedicated. The ambitious dedication service was reported in the Sunday edition of “The Albuquerque Morning Journal” with the events glowingly described in the Monday edition. It was an all day affair beginning with Bible classes at 9:30 a.m., Dedication Services at 10:30 a.m., followed by a basket dinner in the new church basement where white linen clothes covered the tables. At 2:30 p.m. was the memorial service that included the communion, Christian Endeavor at 7 p.m. with a religious reading by Miss Nellie Crawford and vocal solo by Miss Charlotte Brixner, plus a diverse program. The final meeting at 8:00 p.m. was a Union Service. The minister at the time was Chas. Lemuel Dean, and the guest speaker was an evangelist from Lewistown, Iowa, named George L. Snively.
A great union choir of all churches led by Mr. Falkenberg and accompanied by Prof. E. Stanley Seder’s choice orchestra sang Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” from the Messiah and other selections including a special dedication hymn set to the tune of “Old Hundred.”
By 1915, the congregation was popularly called the Broadway Christian Church, but they remained the only Christian Church in the area. They were people dedicated to God and not to a building; they were soon to feel the fiery darts of Satan, but with our Lord’s help in adversity, they grew.
The following was compiled from notes and papers collected by Mrs. Laura (Boyle) Van Cleave, wife of Otto B. and mother of June (Mrs. Roy H. Saunders):
Mr. J.W. Van Cleave died in Albuquerque in May, 1916; his wife, Susan, followed in May, 1924. By that time, I, June VC. Saunders, was forming my own memories of the church. Under Bro. Guy we were introduced to Vacation Bible School where in 1923 I learned to sing, “Jesus Loves the Little Children” and “I Wash My Hands This Morning”. Under Bro. Drash the drama club provided me with a vivid picture of Hades with its fire and brimstone, and later a Christian program complete with a star that traveled miraculously to the manger. I remember, too, Wallace Mize’s readings.
More clearly, I recall B.R. Malone with his little mustache and sensitive eyes whose pleas to sinners brought my sister, Effie, to repentance. She told me later that she was only sorry she could not go forward often so he wouldn’t feel hurt. In those days of decision and change some members and some ministers were prone to be hurt, but Christ was victor. Early in the 1930’s, the Vawter Evangelistic Team came – at least twice. During one of these meetings, my brother, Chester, accepted Christ and I followed him. We were baptized the following evening in the baptistery newly decorated with a large painting of the River Jordan.
In the year 1934 a group of people, left the church and formed Central Christian Church, which met in the old Harold building on south Third Street. This church later became Monte Vista Christian Church.
The name of the church was changed back to First Christian Church in the year 1938.
In 1952, First Christian Church undertook a building project. The cottage next to the church was torn down, a new office and educational building built, and the front entrance on Broadway was remodeled. A lot of the work was done by the membership.
During the late 1950’s, a major youth rally was put on in Albuquerque with youth from First Christian, Ridgecrest Christian, North Second Street, and Marble Street Christian Church. Sam Stone, Jr. was a major speaker.
In May of 1960 a major split occurred in the church. Forty-five people that left started a new church in the Northeast Heights, called Central Christian Church. Central met in the Seventh Day Adventist building from May 8, 1960 until October 22, 1961, when they moved into their new building on Aztec NE. This church lasted into the fall of 1963. When this church closed its doors, there were still hard feelings and many of the people did not return to First, but went to many of the other churches in the area.
The church remained in the building at 122 Broadway SE for a little over 57 years, serving the community. During the 1960’s, with the changing neighborhood and the increasing crime rate in the area around the church, First Christian found themselves serving a congregation, which was living farther and farther from the church, while they were not serving the needs of the immediate neighborhood. As a result, membership began to decline. In 1969, the church decided that in order to reverse the downward trend and better serve their present members, they should relocate. At the same time, the North Albuquerque Christian Church discovered themselves in the same situation. In 1967, the average attendance for the morning worship service at First Christian was about 210 and by 1970 this had declined to about 180 souls.
In February 1970, both churches agreed to merge and form one strengthened church and First Christian leased their building to the city and moved into the facilities of the North Albuquerque Christian Church at 4616 Second Street NW until new property could be located and a new building built.
During the next two years, 5.45 acres of land was located on Montgomery Boulevard and construction of the new building was begun in April 1972. During this year, Brother Lloyd W. Dunn became the minister of the First Christian Church.
On February 3, 1973, the worship service for FCC began as usual. However, after a brief opening the congregation was informed that the conclusion of the service would be held in the new church building at 10101 Montgomery Boulevard. The entire church membership in attendance then proceeded to motorcade to the new facility where the services were completed.
The new building contained a floor area of about 10,6000 square feet, which contained a sanctuary that would seat approximately 330 people with an overflow area to seat another 100. Also there were sixteen classrooms to accommodate the Bible study classes.
Attendance continued to grow and by mid-1975 the average attendance at the morning worship service had reached about 260. At this point, the congregation approved construction of an expansion to the existing building. On March 6, 1977, the expanded church building was dedicated. The expansion area consists of about 19,000 square feet, which contains a new sanctuary seating approximately 650 people with an elevated choir area seating 50. It also contains an additional fourteen classrooms.
After moving into the new expanded facility, attendance to the Sunday morning worship has continued to grow. In 1977, average attendance reach 330. During 1978, a new Christian Church, Sierra Vista, was formed in the northeast are of Albuquerque from a core membership from FCC, which amounted to about 40 people. The November 1978, attendance indicated the FCC had recovered to almost the level of attendance before the establishment of the new church, with an average attendance of 320.


If you’re a history’s mysteries lover like me then you’ll love Glenn Meade’s new book The Romanov Conspiracy: A Thriller. Using real life characters and circumstances Meade weaves a tell that gives form to one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century – the mass execution of Russia’s Tsar Nicholas II and his family including all of his children as well as two servants and a family physician by Bolshevik revolutionaries following the end of WWI.
Russian Tsar Nicholas II and Family
Meade employs known historical figures like Walter Hines Page, U.S. ambassador to Great Britain during WWI and Russian-American aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky, along with lesser knowns like Irish-Canadian Joe Boyle, considered to be “one of Canada’s genuine but little known heroes” and Lydia Ryan, a Irish gun runner during the Irish rebellion of 1916, a real life character that results from Meade’s research of her remaining family in Kentucky.
The book revolves around efforts by Boyle’s Russian spy network, known as The Brotherhood who identified themselves with a backwards swastika, in conjunction with Lydia Ryan and a former Russian officer in the Tsar’s army to rescue the Tsar and his family from the Bolsheviks before they carry out their nefarious act. We of course know they don’t succeed but the story is so masterly woven with events that were unfolding in Russia at the time that you can’t help but get caught up with the doomed effort and it’s heroic characters. It a true page-turner until the very end.
One of the aspects of the book that I found so compelling is the tale of Anastasia’s survival. Russian records have always claimed to have found the bones of the entire Romanov family but experts who have studied the evidence raise serious questions as to the veracity of their claims concerning the bones of Anastasia. Meade’s use of the fictional Dr. Laura Pavlov who has been on a quest to discover the many missing details in the death of the Romanovs leads her to the son of two of our main characters, Lydia Ryan and her Russian lover, a former officer in the White Russian army, Uri Andrev who were both involved in the attempt to rescue the Romanovs. Having gotten to the execution site just moments after the slaughter, in the confusion, they and others were able to able to whisk off a barely alive Anastasia through hidden tunnels of the Ipatiev House where the Romanovs were being held. Below is some early video footage of this dark abode with accompanying music that is foreboding and ends with a girl’s high pitched scream evoking the horror that Anastasia and her sisters were confronted with.
Near the end of the book, when Dr. Pavlov questions the son of Uri Andrev and Lydia Ryan as to how Anastasia was able to avoid being detected by “some of the best legal minds in the world, as well as the most experienced investigators and journalists” of that time, he conveys this probable scenario.
“After Anastasia escaped, the Brotherhood was fearful the Cheka [the much feared Bolshevik secret police] would learn the truth and hunt her down. So one of their members, a psychiatrist, came up with a simple but brilliant plan. What if they had a substitute, someone expendable they could pretend was Anastasia? That way, if anyone tried to kill her, the real Anastasia would be safe.
It took many months of scouring the mental hospitals of Europe, until finally they settled on a suitable candidate. The woman the world eventually came to know as Anna Anderson. She matched their criteria in terms of looks, and certain bodily features, like her ears and feet, that she shared with Anastasia.
Scars were deliberately inflicted on her skull during surgery, to be consistent with wounds Anastasia suffered at the hands of the Bolsheviks. After that it was a case of making an impressionable, mentally ill woman believe that she was Anastasia Romanov. Their deception began with Anna Anderson’s supposed suicide attempt in a Berlin canal and her amazing story was born.
(top)Anastasia circa 1917 (bottom)Anna Anderson circa 1923


"It was hard for me to believe that I was actually travelling to the Orient, fulfilling a wish that I had always cherished but not thought achievable..."
February 28, 1923 | Port of Genoa, Italy
Exactly a century ago, Hendrik Petrus Berlage (1856 - 1934), one of the Netherlands' most renowned architects, saw one of his biggest dreams come true: finally, it was time to travel to the Dutch East Indies!
In Genoa, he boarded a steamer, the SS Grotius, bound for Batavia, which he reached in just over three weeks. He then spent the next three months traversing Java, Bali and Sumatra by train, car and boat. It truly was a journey of a lifetime: while travelling, the architect sees himself falling in love with the archipelago. He diligently jotted down his impressions and observations in a journal, which he would eventually condense into 147 pages and publish in 1931.
Titled Mijn Indische Reis ('My journey to the Indies'), Berlage's book is a remarkable publication filled with stunning sketches and even a dozen poems (!). It's also a powerful exhibit of Berlage's pronounced ideas on culture and society. He addresses his views on historic and contemporary architecture and his culture-philosophical contemplations and foresight, as is expected from the master builder and mentor. However, Berlage also offers the reader an intimate glimpse into his personality. He shares surprisingly candid statements and feelings on Western superiority, embarrassing compatriots, colonialism, tourism, and identity. His observations get bolder throughout his trip: wonder makes way for admiration, and astonishment finally evolves into bewilderment.
Apart from a single rave review in a trade magazine, little is known about how Mijn Indische Reis was received, whether or not it found a wider resonance, and if people actually managed to read it between the lines.
Decades later, there was a renewed interest in Mijn Indische Reis. Dutch architect Joris Molenaar retraced the trip and reprinted Berlage's travel sketches with commentary in 1991. In 1996, Max van Rooy, a Dutch journalist, architecture expert and Berlage's grandson, joined forces with filmmaker Ike Bertels to make a documentary. Titled De Hollandse Tropenstijl ('Dutch Tropical Style'), their film was guided by Berlage's journal. More recently, in 2011, Dutch architect Herman van Bergeijk spotlighted Berlage's trip in a meticulously researched book, Berlage en Nederlands-Indië ('Berlage and the Dutch East Indies'). Yet, these initiatives were primarily architecture-focused; other aspects of his journey were not or hardly touched upon. But not for long...
"Rarely has it been so hard for me to bid farewell to a country I shall never see again."
May 27, 1923 | Singaraja, Bali, Indonesia
It may have been hundred years since Berlage went on his adventure to the then-Dutch East Indies, but his observations in Mijn Indische Reis are again—or should we say, still—incredibly relevant.
We—an eight-strong bilateral team of professionals working in the cultural and creative sectors—strongly feel that reviving Berlage's 1923 trip is a great way to address today's hot topics in the Netherlands and Indonesia. These talking points include (de)colonisation, cultural identity and diversity, and sustainable building.
Tapping into a growing interest in (colonial) history and heritage in Indonesia and the Netherlands, Berlage's journey could also bring a fresh perspective to the special connection between our two countries and allow us to rediscover and enjoy this important piece of our shared (intangible) cultural heritage together.
So, high time to dust off Mijn Indische Reis and translate it, literally and figuratively: to Bahasa Indonesia and English and to the 21st century as Berlage di Nusantara.
Our 'Indische Reis 2.0' is not a summary nor a complete analysis of Berlage's trip: it is a carefully curated new edition of the old journal. We studied the diary entries in great detail and put together an abridged version where Berlage's most interesting quotes and thought-provoking passages take centre stage. We selected the most eye-catching and fitting out of the 64 (!) sketches and searched for photos, letters, postcards and other visuals of buildings, situations and places he writes about.
Yogyakarta-based illustrator Upit Dyoni further brought a travelling Berlage to life through gorgeous drawings. We also added historical context and commentary and dived into some compelling questions. Not to find all the answers but to continue Berlage's legacy. Our purpose is to continue spinning the threads of his thoughts where he left them.
Apart from publishing a new book, we also take Berlage's sketches and quotes as a starting point for a series of podcast interviews. We invite people from different walks of life and generations in Indonesia and the Netherlands to share their thoughts on Berlage's trip with us and you. We also ask them to contribute to our book by sharing their perspectives with us through their medium of choice.
And that's not all! A series of exhibitions and activities to further bring Berlage's adventure to life are also in the making.
Last but definitely not least, we invite you (yes, you!) to join Berlage's—and our!—journey by following us on social media, subscribing to our email updates and sharing your feedback with us.
And so, a century later, Berlage's journey continues. All aboard!
Buy the Book
"It’s interesting that 100 years later, the Indonesians think, ‘We have a Berlage!’; like you’ve found a van Gogh."
— Rizky Kalebos, urban influencer
"You read how he struggles with his moral values, and that means a lot to me."
— Amara van der Elst, spoken word artist
"I think the trip to the Indies was an unexpected surprise, like a warm shower. He found here what he had been searching for."
— Huib Akihary, architecture historian
Our ‘Indische Reis 2.0’ is not a summary nor a complete analysis of Berlage’s trip: it is a carefully curated new edition of the old journal, comprising three parts:
1. My journey to the Indies
We brought a travelling Berlage to life in 1923. We selected the most interesting quotes, thought-provoking passages, and eye-catching sketches from the original travel journal. These take centre stage in this new edition of the diary. His writings are about so much more than just architecture; we get to meet the person Berlage as he explores the country through different lenses: as a traveller, an architect, a thinker and finally, a critic. We added historical context and commentary and dived into some compelling questions. Not to find all the answers but to continue Berlage’s legacy.
2. Berlage en Route
Berlage’s itinerary was meticulously planned with talks, visits and meetings in different cities. His arrival was eagerly awaited, and he had the chance to meet fellow architects, family friends, colonial officials, and Indonesian aristocracy. He even went out of his way to see like-minded spirits and linger a bit longer in places he liked. We searched the archives for photos, letters, postcards and visuals of buildings, situations and places he writes about to reconstruct his journey and the people he met on the way.
3. Your journey to the Indies
The purpose of this project is to continue spinning the threads of Berlage’s thoughts where he left them. That’s why we invited twenty great minds in the Netherlands and Indonesia - from singers to street artists and architects to ambassadors – to ponder Berlage’s thoughts and provide their reflections so we could relive his journey in 2023.
With Berlage’s original sketches, historical photographs and new hand-drawn illustrations, the 200+ page book makes for an eye-catching coffee table book or a thoughtful gift. But perhaps more importantly, the Indonesian edition will provide students in Indonesia with a unique opportunity to learn about the old master, his Indonesian architectural legacy and his personal testimony to the artistic tradition and culture in the former Dutch colony. Maybe his century-old viewpoints can fuel today’s debate about cultural identity, inclusive society, sustainable building and even (de)colonisation.
Join Berlage's journey and pre-order our book
for yourself, your friend, colleague, grandparents... or a student in Indonesia!
Meet the team behind Berlage di Nusantara:
Editor-in-chief, Architectural & Historical Research
Ester van Steekelenburg
Initiator, Creative Concept & Project Management
Annemarijn de Boer †
Loes van Iperen
Editor, Social Media (Content Creation & Design), Website
Editor, Project Management Indonesia, Translation & Social Media Moderation
Editorial Support & Sourcing Visuals
Lea Pamungkas & Taalcentrum VU
Translation Berlage Quotes
Dutch to Indonesian
Dutch to English
We invited a group of remarkable individuals, from artists to ambassadors, to revisit Berlage's adventure in the then-Dutch East Indies. The result? Two (100% free!) podcast series, one recorded in Indonesia and the other in The Netherlands, in which we touch on a wide range of Berlage-adjacent topics. Expect fresh insights, personal stories, philosophical ponderings, and even our very own dedicated song.
Listen, watch, and join the conversation: we would love to hear your thoughts!
Taking entries from Berlage's travel journal Mijn Indische Reis as conversation starters, director Raymon Hilkman talks to renowned and lesser-known creatives, experts, and enthusiasts about how Berlage wonders and wanders and what we can learn from his observations and bewilderment in 2023.
A production of #BerlagediNusantara with support from Dutch Culture.
Mission & Vision
#BerlagediNusantara is the literal and figurative translation of Hendrik Petrus Berlage’s 1923 travel diary. We build on the statements the famous Dutch architect penned in his hundred-year-old journal to bring a piece of intangible heritage to the present time.
Instead of pondering what ‘the East should and could learn from the West’, Berlage turns it around: he searches for what we in the West could learn from the East. The famous architect wanted to share a different perspective about ‘The East’, which we take as a starting point for a conversation about colonial history and cultural identity in The Netherlands and Indonesia. Through activities such as a podcast series, travelling exhibitions and an interactive mural, we want to make Berlage’s original travel diary accessible to an international audience, find the common values in traditional concepts of culture, architecture and heritage and add new perspectives that are relevant for today’s generation and can perhaps inspire a future generation.
Do you have a question about Berlage di Nusantara? Would you like to collaborate or be involved in some manner? Have ideas you want to send our way? Anything else you'd like to tell us?
Please feel free to reach out; we love hearing from you!
The historical photos, sketches and other visuals featured in Berlage di Nusantara, on social media and our website have been sourced from the Berlage archives at Het Nieuwe Instituut, Royal Tropical Institute and private and public collections in The Netherlands and Indonesia. All efforts have been made to trace the owners of the images used. Yet, there may be cases where we have not been successful. Anyone who believes they may have a copyright claim should contact us.
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Start spinning by Maggie Casey (Yarn and bobbin not included)
I learnt to spin by watching Youtube and using the "try it until it works" method. This is good and I am a big fan of the view that as long as you get what you are after then there is no wrong way of spinning (or knitting, or lots of other things provided you stay inside the law ;) ).
That said, I am also a nerd and like to know about different techniques and ways I can improve. This book is great for that. It would also be a fantastic book for anyone just starting to spin to supplement other ways of learning.
Information in here covers the basics of wool, basic drafting, twist, spindles and spindle spinning, wheel details and how to spin on one, plying, finishing, detailed drafting information, using handspun, fleece preparation and wheel maintenance. Loads of information with enough detail to be interesting and useful, but not so much you get bogged down.
The photos are the bit that really gets me excited about this book. They are clear, in colour and show the process being described step by step. A lot of the older books I have read/own have few photos, or black and white pictures that are not always easy to see properly. Spinning is not so easy to describe with words, but a photo makes you go from "huh what?" to "oh, I see!".
I would recommend this to anyone learning to spin, but also to anyone in a similar situation to me, you know how to spin and can make yarn, but don't really know all the details. I wish I had this when I was learning and still feel like it was money well spent.


A double major in English and history, I received my B.A from Augsburg College in 2015. I am currently working towards my M.A. in the Geographic Information Science program at the University of Minnesota, where I hold a research appointment at the Borchert Map Library. An active proponent of the digital humanities, my work focuses on the intersection of race, place, and historical narrative.
Born and raised in the Twin Cities, I am a regular contributor to the Historyapolis Project and am currently serving as the project's GIS director. I am also the project manager and GIS specialist for the Mapping Prejudice Project, which is identifying racially restrictive housing covenants in 20th century Minneapolis. By utilizing GIS, optical character recognition, and crowd-sourcing, we hope to build the first comprehensive spatial database of these racial restrictions for an American city. For more on our project, check out our recent feature in the Star Tribune.
In addition to my spatial research, I am currently the lead web developer for both Historyapolis and Mapping Prejudice. When I am not too busy building databases and websites, I also dabble in traditional cartography. You can find some of my cartographic work in the Star Tribune, Open Rivers, and the Middle West Review.


The Daughters of Joy is a novel by Deepak Chopra. It probably wouldn’t surprise you to find out that his writings even in his novels are full of enlightening ideas. This book is an interesting story, thought provoking, and heart expanding. You can most likely find the book in a library or used bookstore. If you enjoy reading a good story and expanding your consciousness at the same time then you will find this an excellent book to read.
This is one of the many lines in the book that stood out for me, “Maybe something in me creates the situation. Maybe the outer is only mirroring what I am inside.” This is an inner question that when explored invites you to take full responsibility for your life. With this kind of contemplative exploration comes a new level of consciousness. Is all you encounter in life really about you? If this is true then maybe you can make inner changes that results in changes in your outer world.
So if things are stuck, if the energy in you is less than fully alive, if you keep on running into the same kinds of frustrating experiences then just maybe this is about you. Then as you go inward things begin to change because the energy of seeking awareness usually opens a doorway to greater insight.
One of the lessons in this book is that love is a powerful energizer. This is love in all manifestations, from passionate to love for the Divine. Wherever love grows so does the energy for living. Energetic blocks that limit love include: fear, doubts, anger, and judgments. Getting past these ego manifested emotions is important work that is best done by being mindful, open and fully present.
“Life is a perfect mirror. If you alter in the slightest, your outer reality will change simultaneously.” These are additional lines from this book and they sit in agreement with the quote earlier. This invitation to change is very hopeful. As you experiment with moving your energy, you will see things happening in your world that will get you even more excited about the infinite possibilities in you waiting to be realized.
By the way if you are open to guidance, the books that are right for you will appear in an effortless way.


Helena Karhu is a northkarelian teacher of shamanism. Helena aims to nurture the connection with nature and wisdom traditions. Helena is writing a PhD research on Finnish shamanism at University of Eastern Finland. The spirit of the Northern ancestors and nature invites her to tell about the northern nature, traditions, and to combine archaic methods and the possibilities of contemporary culture.
TREE OF LIFE - SHAMANIC JOURNEY
A shamanistic journey with the theme Tree of Life - World Tree. We find our place between the earth and the sky, by the big oak. This shamanic journey brings rootedness, presence, stability, and certainty to our life paths. The Tree of Life is the place of alchemy and initiation of our inner life, where transcendence from time and place can experientially bring our inner "evergreen" to life.
SUN AND MOON
This is a meditative journey through the suns and moons of the three shamanic worlds. The Sun and the Moon form the two most important cosmic polarities of human life. Together, the sun and the moon form a perfect bridge of wisdom and creative activity, where peace and truthfulness live. They remind about the cycles of light and shadow both in the shamanic soul travels as in human life.
SHAMAN DRUMS: FORCE FOR CHANGE
Lecture about the meaning of the shamanic, traditional or circle drum in cultures around the world. Is shaman drumming also a Finnish tradition? How have our neighboring nations used it? Why are drums popular today? When can we talk about shamanic drumming? Why has the number of drums increased in Finland, and what does it mean? If you have your own drum, bring it with you.


Please choose one reading from the Old Testament and one reading from the New Testament. Links to the readings themselves can be found below. For a list of the songs, click here to view it on the pdf and for the recordings click here to be brought to the music page.
To go back to the previous page click here.
One (1) reading selection should be made from the following from the Old Testament.
One (1) reading selection should be made from the following from the New Testament.
10 Franklin Place, North Arlington, NJ 07031
Phone: 201-997-0700 | Fax: 201-997-6214


The last few weeks, the kindergarten classes have been focusing on books and authors.
Because last week was Dr. Suess' birthday, they celebrated and studied Dr. Suess books. Paige was really excited as she loves Dr. Suess, especially The Cat in The Hat. She was so excited to take her Cat in the Hat book for show and share last week.
The whole week culminated into one great moment as I was picking her up from the day care on Friday afternoon. The conversation went something like this.
Paige: Mom, can we go to the grocery store tonight?
Me: What for?
Paige: We need eggs and ham and green food coloring. We made green eggs and ham at school today and I like them? They are really easy, it's just eggs, green food coloring and ham.
Me: Well, we probably won't go to the store tonight, but maybe later this weekend.
Paige: But mom, I love green eggs and ham. I would eat them in a house. I would eat them with a mouse. I would eat them in a box and I would eat them with a fox. Mommy, can we please have green eggs and ham. I love them, I love them. Please....
Me: (smiling) Would you eat them here or there? Would you eat them everywhere?
Wow, what fun that was. Well, you can probably guess what we had for supper the next night, can't you?
This week, her class is studying Robert Munsch. I am so excited that she is learning about books and authors at such a young age.
And this past weekend, she decided she wanted to read a book that was not one of the ones sent home by her teacher. She pulled a Mo Willems book off the shelf, one of the Elephant and Piggie ones.
Her little sister spilled a little water on one of the pages and it warped the paper a bit, nothing too damaging, but she was really concerned.
Paige: Daddy, Megan spilled water on one of our special books.
Daddy: It'll be ok. Why is that book special?
Paige: Because it is signed by Mo Willems.
Daddy (to me): What did she just say?
Me: That the book is signed by Mo Willems.
Daddy: Oh, that's crazy that she knows the author Mo Williams.
Me: No, it's Willems, not Williams. She knows. I love it!!
This stuff just makes me happy. (Oh yeah, and she read the entire book with very little help from daddy.)
Happy day all!!


On Friday, I planned a special trip for Gracie and Luke. We have a number of books at home, but we've read them all. Multiple times. Gracie and Lukie love, LOVE, to read and so I decided to take them to the library. When I picked them up from school, we talked about the library and what we would get to do there; how to use quiet voices and how many books we could bring home. In hindsight, I'm very glad that I had that conversation with them. Otherwise we would have brought home about 20 books!
Gracie was at home from the moment we arrived. In fact, if Lukie hadn't needed a diaper change, I suspect Gracie could have sat at her little table for an hour or more. She loved looking at the books and sitting at the table in the Children's section. I think she read 5 books in the 15 minutes we were there.
Alas, Lukie did need a diaper change, rather badly as it turned out, so we walked to the counter and they each put their book up for the librarian to scan. They were so excited! We will definitely be going back soon!
There's nothing better than bringing cupcakes and having free dress on your 10th birthday! These two were so excited that they kept r...


I had no idea how the child learnt to read when I had my first child. I liked to read fun stories books to her before her bedtime to cultivate the love of reading in her. Dr. Seuss books were her favorite books. She often asked me to read over and over again the same book. Sometimes, she could recite the phrases when we came to certain part of the story. When she went to pre-school, the pre-school taught her about phonics and she had to practice writing simple words of 3 letters. That’s how she learnt to read. At age 5, when I bought Scholastic series books from A to Z, she suddenly could recognize the words and started to read independently. Then, I found out the magic of Key words. So, I bought Key words with Ladybird book series. She could finish the series up to level 10 in one year. I suddenly realize that a child can read with LOOK-SAY method rather than learning PHONICS.
With my first child, I used the approach READ TO YOUR CHILD. I read the book and my child just looked at the printed words and listened to me. When I had my second child, I changed the approach to READ WITH YOUR CHILD. I gave her a chance to recognize one or two Key words and encourage her to read them. We took turn to read. This approach worked well. I used Key words With Ladybird book series to teach her to read with the LOOK-SAY method when she was 3 years old. Key words are the frequent words used in the reading and writing of English language. It’s wonderful to know how a child knows its sound and the meaning of the word and memorize the whole word. When she sees it again after few times, she can say it correctly. It’s like a photographic memory.
I know that pre-school emphasizes more on PHONICS method to teach children to read and write at the same time while enrichment program such as reading and writing program, uses LOOK –SAY method for faster result in reading. But you can use both methods together.
Tips for parents to encourage early reading in children:
- Choose books with the big word prints.
- Choose books which have fun story inside and repeated phrases. This kind of books appeal to the children.
- Use various books. Some books have phonics method, some have Key words and some have simple story context.
- The phonics book teaches a child the sound of the word correctly. It does help in writing and reading when a child knows the sound of each letter that makes up the word. Starfall is the site to learn phonics and first reading with PHONICS. I would prefer use PHONICS method to teach my children to write.
- Books with LOOK-SAY method and lots of Key words enable a child to capture the whole meaning of the word and say it.
- Read with enthusiasm. If the story is about the giant, you can read it in a big voice and do the action to make reading fun.
- Involve your child in reading. You can stop at certain words to give a chance for a child to read. When your child can read well, you can take a turn in reading page by page.


Good books can help the soul pursue its creator.
I have recently read the biography of Spurgeon by Arnold Dallimore. Spurgeon called by some the "Prince of Preachers" is a wonderful story of how a man who loved God changed London by preaching the gospel of Christ unashamedly. The book is easy to read and I think it will inspire you to pursue Christ with more purpose and passion. It is always refreshing to me to hear stories of the saints that have gone before us and to hear of their struggles and triumphs. Obviously Spurgeon wasn't perfect but he has taught me about the power of preaching the truth of God's word and the cost and privilege of following Christ in the face of criticism. I would recommend this book to any saint ho wishes to grow in their love for Christ.