finding murder in manchester
A recent stay at the parental home on the outskirts of Manchester afforded me the opportunity for some well-spent time in the centre of Manchester. Over four decades ago I worked at Jardine’s Bookshop in Peter’s Square - sadly closed in the mid 1980s and the block where it was housed was demolished years later to make way for a smarter high-rise building.
Trawling secondhand bookshops has long been a favourite occupation, although, sadly, the excellent Paramount Books on Shude Hill was closed. However, pleased to say that I spotted the book market nearby and spent some glorious time exploring the treasures there.
‘A bookshop is a first rate place for unobtrusive observation,’ he continued. ‘One can remain in it an indefinite time, dipping into one book after another, all over the place.’
Crime reporter and amateur detective Francis MacNab again assists Scotland Yard in this treat of a bibliomystery, set against the backdrop of London’s Charing Cross Road and the House of Commons - an MP’s detective story, Death on the Desk, has some relevance to the case! The latest release from the British Library is another great treat for GA readers - John Ferguson’s Death of Mr Dodsley, (1937), published on February 10th. He was the author of ten mysteries, including Murder on the Marsh (1930) and The Grouse Moor Mystery (1934).
I’ve certainly got ‘Death on the Desk’ - including ones I’m looking forward to reading including, Jacqueline Winspear’s The White Lady, a standalone mystery set in 1947, introducing heroine Elinor White, from the author of the wonderful Maisie Dobbs series, published in March. Another from Allison & Busby, published this month, is Christina Koning’s Murder in Dublin, the seventh in the series.
The first two in the series, The Blind Detective (aka Line of Sight), Murder in Regent’s Park (aka Game of Chance), are also being re-released. The latter two I’ve read, along with the others that will be available later in the year - wonderful covers!
Just re-released from Joffe books, are five V C Clinton-Baddeley Dr Davie books, including Death’s Bright Dart, My Foe Outstretche’d Beneath the Tree & Only a Matter of Time.
And from the attic - an apt title from the biblio-mysteries stack when seeking a ‘lost’ mystery - ha!
That's it for this week - back with more finds soon!
(Do get in touch - firstname.lastname@example.org)
V. C. Clinton-Baddeley: Death’s Bright Dart (9781804056790)
My Foe Outstretch’d Beneath the Tree (9781804056806)
Only a Matter of Time (9781804056790)
John Ferguson: Death of Mr Dodsley (9780712354721)
The Grouse Moor Murder (9781616464073)
Murder on the Marsh (9781915475183)
Christina Koning: The Blind Detective (1) (9780749029531)
Murder in Dublin (7) (9780749029838)
Murder in Regent’s Park (2) (9780749029685)
Jacqueline Winspear: The White Lady (9780749029135)
A Not-so-long goodbye to 2022
Hello and welcome to 2023! Hopefully a big first year for Cambridge Crime proper!
Having finished the second read-through a few weeks ago for our most recent GA reissue - John Ferguson’s Murder on the Marsh, I must say what a cracker it is - a slow-burner of a detective story, an ingenious brooding treat with, I believe, an incredible sense of place.
That sense of place is huge in also another book I’ve just finished - The Brutal Tide, Kate Rhodes’s latest DI Ben Kitto title. This is the best yet in a wonderfully atmospheric Scilly Isles series, where there’s much to occupy our intrepid detective - the imminent birth of his first child, contention in the community, a body on a building site and a deranged killer headed for the islands. Terrific! Earlier this summer I’d re-read the previous five in this series - the same with Nicola Upson’s Josephine Tey books, though confess I’ve not read Dear Little Corpses yet but it’s on the stack! Other re-reads have included the brilliant though underrated Rennie Airth’s Madden series, beginning with River of Darkness (1999): In the aftermath of WWI several horrific killings at a country house leave inhabitants of a small Surrey village bereft, local bobbies' believing a burglary has gone awry. As further unsavoury evidence comes to light, Scotland Yard despatches war-damaged policeman, Inspector John Madden, to investigate. A meticulously plotted masterpiece of psychological suspense.
Bought these beauties today in the secondhand bookshop - unfortunately no copies of Farewell, My Lovely or The Big Sleep (1939) - though a few editions of the latter already reside on my bookshelves as one of the top 5 of my 100 favourite detective stories: Oodles of complications occupy a world-weary and cynical PI Philip Marlowe in The Big Sleep, the first of eight hard-boiled novels featuring him. Sharp dialogue pervades this noir classic – pure gold from first scene to last word.
Only a partial catch up with Barry Maitland’s DCI Brock & DS Kolla, as after zipping through my Hamish Hamilton proof of The Marx Sisters, there was more than a slight desperation to locate copies on the loft shelves and floor of the others (and what a hunt that was!), apart from the later lot in the series, published by Allen & Unwin, (which I haven’t bought yet!). I see there’s The Russian Wife (14th in the series) due March 2023.
And the Rutledge series from Charles Todd - A Test of Wills (1996) is a cracking start to the series: In a meticulously plotted mystery set post WWI, Ian Rutledge, a shell-shocked Scotland Yard detective, is despatched by his unsupportive superiors to Warwickshire, after the shooting of a colonel, whose headless body is found where he'd been riding. All too soon suspicion falls on the fiancé of the colonel's ward who'd argued with him the previous night. Rutledge finds the unravelling of this case tougher than he'd imagined, as the goading internal voice of soldier Hamish that he'd had shot for cowardice, doesn't let up.
These are firm favourites - with many more to be savoured, twenty four in the series so far with another thirteen in the Bess Crawford series, which I’ve yet to start reading!
My top detective stories for the year:
DV Bishop: City of Vengeance
Jacqueline Bublitz: Before You Knew my Name
Ray Celestin: Sunset Swing
S A Cosby: Razorblade Tears
John Hart: The Unwilling
Abir Mukherjee: Shadows of Men
Chris Offutt: The Killing Hills
Kate Rhodes: The Brutal Tide
William Shaw: The Trawlerman
Laura Shepherd-Robinson: Daughters of Night
I wish you many happy hours of reading in 2023 - there are just too many books to look forward to - for now though, I just need to concentrate on those titles submitted for the Gold Dagger as the competition has now closed for this year! Although just re-reading the Puffin edition of Susan Cooper’s Over Sea, Under Stone, the first in The Dark is Rising series. Wonderful!
Cheerio for now,
The beginnings of routine
“I pursued the elusive book through several rooms and did not find it in any of them, but each time I did find at least a dozen, perhaps two dozen, perhaps two hundred, that I had never read.”
Two hundred books unread… safe to say that’s my experience (bound to have dipped into some of them…) and more, oodles more - decades of collecting providing an unwieldy though comprehensive but never complete collection - some GA becoming possibles for reissue (or not) - hence titles recently available through OREON & Galileo.
Delighted to find an encouraging extract from Nicholas Taleb’s The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, referencing Umberto Eco (The Name of the Rose - one of my 100 favourite books), philosopher, writer and book collector:
“The library should contain as much of what you don’t know as your financial means, mortgage rates and the currently tight real-estate market allows you to put there. You will accumulate more knowledge and more books as you grow older, and the growing number of unread books on the shelves will look at you menacingly. Indeed, the more you know, the larger the rows of unread books. Let us call this collection of unread books an anti-library.”
Enough said - picking one up, soon absorbed - glorious!
Of course, when responding to a certain frequent question - ‘we’ve got that - want to borrow it?’ my wife might well say ‘and pass it not back when you’ve finished it!’ And the ensuing hunt sometimes fails miserably (we’ve few rooms) - and sometimes there may be good reason why it can’t be found…
Oh - some recent additions to my booky-book stacks - Revenge of the Librarians: Cartoons by Tom Gauld (9781838858216) and Remainders of the Day: More Diaries from the Bookshop, Wigtown (9781800812420) by Shaun Bythell - both glorious laugh-out-loud treats!
As for what’s next to be read - just a few out of these - have polished off the Cavanagh and the Disher - both living up to expectations!
That’s all for now
Susan Hill Howard's End is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home
Nicholas Taleb The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
Umberto Eco The Name of the Rose
Tom Gould Revenge of the Librarians: Cartoons
Shaun Bythell Remainders of the Day: More Diaries from the Bookshop, Wigtown
John Dickson Carr The Black Spectacles
Welcome to the blog! It's been nearly three months since my ‘retirement’ from Heffers - and among the generous leaving gifts, a first edition of Baroness Orczy’s The Old Man in the Corner - an unnamed armchair detective sits in the corner of teahouse ‘solving those crimes baffling to the police’. I, too, like sitting in corners and have been doing so, reminiscing on this past year.
Similarites abound (apart from the obvious - an inability to find solutions to real crimes), there’s been a regular frequenting of nearby cafes (and hopefully nothing will change in that direction), publishers generously paying for drinks and occasional meals (enormously grateful!). I’ve always liked chatting about books, especially crime (fiction) - and in turn remain ‘fed’ by everyone’s choices too - probably why I’ve stacks of books…
Reflecting on my ‘paid hobby’ of bookselling at Heffers - and of a special memory, earlier this year, of taking in the whole length of the shop from an easy chair in the front corner window, adjacent to shelves housing books about Cambridge, and marvelling at this beautiful space (nooks and crannies - surely book-drop heaven). Indeed, once upon a time bookshelves would’ve obscured this view. It was a special evening, listening to Kate Rhodes and Sarah Vaughan in conversation, discussing Sarah’s latest book, Reputation.
Just the other day in Heffers, I removed several small posters (with permission!) attached to the side of the bookcase by my old desk on the right-hand corner of the gallery. Apart from one for the British Library mystery classic, Bernard J.Farmer’s Death of a Bookseller, published earlier this year, there was also a poster featuring favourably kind comments from reviewer Barry Forshaw on a past event - Bodies in the Bookshop, held annually each July for twenty two years, with many crime writers participating, signing books and chatting to readers. My thanks go to those colleagues who willingly helped and for Mike Ripley’s support and his regular organisation of an after event supper at a nearby restaurant - fun evenings.
In more recent years, pre-Covid, several multi-author crime evenings took place each year: in the summer - What’s Your Poison?, Murder Will Out in April and Murder under the Mistletoe - at Christmas; each event hugely enjoyable though with fewer authors attending, each of them speaking for a couple of minutes, providing a flavour of their books and then signing.
And talking of Mistletoe - there’s a Christmas Golden Age Crime list up on the site now, with an additional selection of crime fiction by contemporary authors & non-crime offerings for your perusal - by no means the full list yet! Check it out here.
And quickly back to Death of a Bookseller, I had the privilege of meeting Bernard’s daughter earlier this year. Little did I realise she was a great friend of a former colleague who encouraged my setting up and curating of a crime fiction section at Heffers in the late 1980s - small world and a lovely unexpected connection!
One from the Attic: Up in my loft study - slightly more chaotic than I’d wish at the moment, the entries for the Gold Dagger are stacked up around the desk. I stumbled across a yet-to-be-read copy of Hallam James’s Fair-Isle Jumper Mystery: The Exciting Story of a Holiday Party in Wales. Looks fun! Secondhand copies can be found for quite reasonable prices!
I've also come across another favourite I must mention here - although aimed at children (of all ages) Lane Smith’s picture book is a joyous quick read. It’s a Book is definitely a must-have for any bibliophile!
And finally, a glance at the next on my TBR pile - a stand-alone from Garry Disher The Way it is Now (Viper). I’ve really enjoyed the previous ones in the ‘Hirsch’ trilogy (a fourth, ‘Days End’ due 08/23) - set in the Australian outback - all wonderfully well-crafted police procedurals (Bitter Wash Road, Peace, Consolation). I loved them.
That's it for now - 'til next time!
Test BLOG POST
“This is Inspector Brews,” she said. “Something tragic has happened. Mr. Hay Smith has been found dead.”
“What was it? Heart attack?” he asked.
“Murder, sir,” said Brews carefully. “His head has been half blown off by an explosive bullet, or dum-dum.”
Now Mr. Sape did start, and looked horrified. “How ghastly!”
Crime expert at Heffers for 40+ years, Chair of Judges, CWA Gold Dagger and crime fiction lover.


Written in 1906, One Hundred Recipes is a collection of “tried” recipes from the Domestic Science School in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The book contains information about food costs and preparation and the size of suitable portions. The recipes are easy to understand and require very little preparatory work. Most aim to serve one to two people and include the price of the ingredients, suggesting the book was meant for the newly married couple.
Founded in 1898, the Domestic Science School aimed to teach young women household management, a key attribute of femininity in turn-of-the-century Canada. Notable domestic science crusader Adelaide Hoodless advocated for this sort of education for women, to “prevent divorce” and any “domestic shipwrecks.” To capably manage and run a home, Hoodless and others stressed that Canadian women needed to learn about domestic affairs in a recognized, formal setting like a school. Since women did most of the household shopping and food preparation at this time, cookbooks like One Hundred Recipes helped with concerns such as budgeting, portion size, and kitchen problem-solving. Such books, in addition to a domestic science education, were considered fundamental in creating a “true home.”
Tried Recipes from Domestic Science School, Halifax, N.S. Halifax, N.S.: McAlpine Publishing Company, Limited 1906. Gift of Una Abrahamson. Archival & Special Collections, University of Guelph.


Build a campervan, travel the world
Want to wake up to a breathtaking new view every morning? Have you been dreaming about owning a vehicle to fuel your adventures?
Building a campervan gives you total freedom to create your very own rolling home. Escape the daily grind, hit the open road and re-write the way you live.
The Van Conversion Bible is the ultimate guide to planning, designing and converting a campervan.
- 331 page book to help you plan, design and build a campervan
- Available as a physical hardback book or a PDF ebook
- Over 350 detailed illustrations, graphs and photographs
- Detailed gas, water and electrical system diagrams
- We will plant a tree for every order with Ecologi


The Vedas are intended to serve a different purpose. They have to be learnt by heart, understanding the correct way of pronouncing the mantras by listening to the rendering of the mantras by the guru (teacher). The Veda mantras so learnt should become the guide in our daily life, in our Karmaanushtaana, Tapas, Isvara aaradhana, etc. If, in India, the Vedas retain their original vitality even today, it is because these hyms are being continuously repeated by students and teachers of the Vedas, and the purity of the sounds and accents of the words are retained in that process. It is only by practising the Vedic injunctions that we can obtain the grace of God, both for our individual welfare and for the welfare of the whole world. That is why the mere preservation of the Vedas in well-bound volumes cannot secure us the benefits for which they are intended.
Veda adhyayana, without knowing the meaning thereof is like preserving the body without the soul.
Veda Mantraas uttered with a knowledge of their meaning will lead to Paapa-parihara(expiation of sins), and Arishtasaanti(liquidation of evil), and pave the way to Brahma-saakshaathkaara(God realisation).
The Vedas are the roots of our religion. All other Paraphernalia, like feast and festivals, are like the leaves and fruits of that tree, depending for their sustenance on the Vedic roots. Though imbedded in mud, the internal core of the roots is as fresh and fragnant as the fruits and flowers on the top. It is no use feeling gratified that the Vedas have been written down, printed and published by Western Scholars. To us, Veda adhyayana and their employment in the sacraments of our daily life are important. For that purpose it is necessary to learn them by heart, understand their meaning, and recite them in the prescribed manner.


Physical books are great. Whether it is a hard back or paper back, it doesn’t matter. The feeling of a physical book in your hands is like no other and, if you’re like me, the smell entices you. It pulls you in – into reading mode, into reading world – and helps you to be a part of the story.
Now, while most say that Kindles or Nooks aren’t the best way to read, it allows you to still do a lot of the same things as a physical book does. The only difference is, you get your books instantly when you purchase them and you can take well over 10 books with you on one single trip. At the moment, I personally have over 70 books on my kindle and can download them at any moment to read them at my own leisure.
Another way to read is through Audiobook. Many say that listening to someone read is not the same as reading the words yourself. I disagree. As a teacher, I read to my students all the time. Reading aloud to them gives me the opportunity to change my tone and voice so that the students will get more out of it. Listening to audiobooks allows readers to do this with their own individual reading. Any speaker can pull a reader into a book in their own way and in their own time.
All three ways of reading, whether it be physical books, kindle/book books, or audiobooks, help readers do the one thing they want to: read. They help readers connect in many different ways to the novel and grow as a reader.


Thanks for stopping by my website, Memoir &
Mindfulness, M & M, for short.
Why M & M? Because they’re two subjects that have a lot in common, though they’re not usually found together. Two subjects that I’m passionate about. Two subjects that bring so much joy and fulfillment. If you haven’t already, try them out. Please browse the website and see what you think.
After writing my memoir (King of Doubt) and teaching memoir writing, and after practicing mindfulness as my basic life philosophy, I realized something intriguing: the more mindful I am, the better memoir writer I become. The better memoir writer I become, the better mindfulness practitioner I am. Nice that it works that way, right?
Memoir is a search for truth from the past, the story beneath the story. Mindfulness is a search for truth in the present, life absent the tricks and deceits of the mind. Memoir and Mindfulness together create a path to the creative life, peace and freedom from fear. For more on why and how and how you might want to try out this powerful, exhilarating and creative combo, please check out my blog; come to one of my events; read King of Doubt; stay tuned for my forthcoming Write Your Story, Claim Your Life: Memoir & Mindfulness; and let me hear from you!
For the first 17 book clubs that select King of Doubt as a book club choice for 2017 and invite me to visit with them (in person or via Skype), I will host a private, free, on line “Introduction to Memoir and Mindfulness” webinar. This webinar––exclusively for members of these book clubs––is all about the process of engaging in personal writing using the M&M approach. And for each book club that accepts this challenge, I will donate one free copy of King of Doubt to their local library.
In a small town on the west coast of Scotland, five-year-old Peter Gibb trades his soul to the devil in a futile attempt to win the approval of classmates, teachers, and parents. Follow the story of Peter's humorous but desperate struggle to find a way out of the dungeons of doubt. An insightful tale of lost and found, King of Doubt grips you with tension as it warms you with heart. Anyone who has ever struggled with self doubt -- and who among us hasn't? -- will see themselves in these pages. This moving story, one man's journey from doubt to wonder, will fill you with hope and promise. The story rivets your attention to the final word, while the beauty of the language still sings long after the reading.BUY NOW ON AMAZON
“Daddy, you should write a memoir. You’ve done so many interesting things,” my daughter Caitlin urged me.
“Memoir? Not for me,” I said. I looked down on memoir. Not really so creative, I thought, just regurgitating the facts of your life. Self-absorbed. Boring.
I was confusing memoir with autobiography. Autobiography tends to be chronological, from birth (or before) to today. Plodding forward. Think history text book but on a personal level. Nominally objective. Memoir, by contrast, is theme oriented.
If you are interested in starting your writing journey, check out my blog for more insights about memoir and mindfulness and how you can begin to share your story with others.


The Postmodern Era:
From WWII to the Present
American culture and society in the post-World War
era immediately following the war was incredibly positive and optimistic, at
least on the surface.
were undercurrents of fear, apprehension, and discontent, however:
of nuclear war, which many thought was inevitable.
sense of impending doom.
sense that there is no longer any order or logic to life.
pressures to conform, for men, women, minorities, children and young
rise of the white-collar middle-class and the suburbs:
more affluent, educated culture--as much as 50% of the population is
college educated; workers are protected by strong unions.
more mobile culture—the average family moves once every five years.
shift in focus from the extended family to the nuclear family.
of family, community, work, wealth, success.
emphasis on appearances (which often masked unpleasant realities).
establishment of a “teen culture.”
further establishment and extensive growth of popular, consumer culture.
This pressure-cooker of conformity explodes in the
1960s and 1970s:
between conformity and individuality; tradition and innovation; stability
of the diversity of America.
of personal identity and experience, of how the personal and the social
interact to form the individual.
tendency to critique and question anything or anyone that sets themselves
up as “right”, or as “the truth.”
of the subjectivity of all “truths” including political truth and moral
of the extent to which rhetoric forms our concepts of “reality.”
Postmodern Literature and
In many ways, these decades witness a continuation
of the trends and ideas of Modernism, but in reference and reaction to a
society that is “progressing” at a much greater rate and in a multitude of
decentering of authority.
eradication of traditional boundaries between high and low, art and
struggle against the anonymity that contemporary society accorded most
focus on pointing out the rhetoric of society, the half-truths and
untruths that people are convinced to believe.
focus on the experience of the individual, of how the personal and the
social come together to form identity.
focus on the concept of “voice”—how, in this vast culture, does one
establish any sense of individuality?
How does one find a meaningful way to express and explain
oneself? How do people achieve


This webinar focuses on the Community Magazine in Edusoft’s English Discoveries program. The webinar systematically explores the numerous features of this rich, ever-growing resource with a specific focus on how it can be used to promote English proficiency.
Participants are shown the value of the magazine from the perspective of the learner and the teacher. Teacher participants will go away with numerous practical ideas which they can immediately incorporate into teaching and learning.
The Webinar explores:
- Each of the many magazine features in detail with a focus on the pedagogical function
- How the magazine can contribute to developing all language skills in an integrated fashion – not only reading
- How the magazine provides a unique and ideal resource for project work. Specific detailed examples will be shared.
- The enrichment feature per unit – spotlighting articles to include in the online curriculum
This webinar is obviously ideal for participants who are new to the English Discoveries Community Magazines. However, the webinar is equally valuable for those familiar with the ED platform, as the webinar provides very practical suggestions on how to integrate this resource in ways that may not have been considered in the past.
We look forward to seeing you there.


Lady of the Moon and the First Born in Ithilien
Dates: Born in Fourth Age 4
Parents: Lothien Sílestel and Haldir
Children: A son, Eltir
Name Meaning: Moon maiden
Aliases: Esteleth, Estel, Hope
Titles: Lady of the Moon, Lady of Ithilien, White Huntress, Furred Huntress, White Elf, Ithilien's First Born
Ithilwen is the first child of Haldir and Sílestel, and the first elf born in Ithilien. She is especially beloved by her uncle, Lord Legolas, as she has brought hope for the future of his people. Ithilwen adored her little brother, Halmir. She looked after him when he was young, and taught him the ways of the scouts as he got older. After the death of Aragorn, Ithilwen journeyed with her parents to visit what remained of the Woodland Realm of her grandfather's and of Lothlórien and Rivendell. During her visit to Rivendell, Ithilwen met Elrond's twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir, and became very close friends with the younger Elrohir. When Elrohir decided to leave Rivendell, and go with Ithilwen back to Ithilien, Elladan joined them as well. There, Elrohir and Ithilwen were married and had a son, Eltir.
While her parents and brother left for Valinor on Legolas'; ship (Elladan joined them as well), Ithilwen chose to stay in Middle-Earth with Elrohir, and they became the head of Ithilien. They later sailed to Valinor with the last of the Elves from Middle-Earth.
Ithilwen's name means "Moon Maiden" (ithil = moon; gwend = maiden), and was chosen by her mother as she is the first born in Ithilien and for her passion for the moon. Her Ataressë or "Father-name", Esteleth, means "of Hope"; (estel = hope) and was presented by her father. Elrohir gave her the Epessë, Nifferil or "White Huntress"; (nim = white; feril = huntress), due to her skill as a huntress and a scout and her tendency to wear white fur.
*Ithilwen is an OC of the Lord of the Rings


The conscious seed
There is a lot to learn from a simple seed about the universe. The universal principle of karma is hidden and coded into a simple seed.
Just as a seed, becomes a fruit and then a seed again, similarly the causes we create have an effect on our lives which appear in the future. Our actions intern create further causes.
The seed is the cause and the fruit, the effect.
This is the endless cycle, birth after birth that keeps us recycling in the material world. Every situation that we face has a prior cause that we have created in some past - this life or a previous one! Our response to these situations has consequences which creates further seeds of karma - good or bad.
The mystic law as explained in the Lotus Sutra encapsulated as Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo beautifully details this law. A detailed understanding of karma and its attributes is abundantly and authoritatively available in the Vedic literature.
My Spiritual Master, Nalin Nirula’s book - Cracking the Karma Code explains karma and the machine language of the universe in a simple and most profound way. The book is a spiritual gem 💎 that can help anyone overcome the shackles of karmic bindings and win in life!


House Conference is for all those investing with children, young people and families.
Children’s Ministers and Youth Ministers, Chaplains and Scripture Teachers, Senior Ministers and Students of Theology.
All under one roof.
All working in partnership.
All super keen to see gospel work amongst young people strengthened for the glory and joy of Christ.
$20 for the set of papers from House 2019 by the Rev Dr David Höhne.
Two papers on the person and work of the Holy Spirit in making Disciples by the Rev Dr David Höhne.
They will be emailed to you in PDF form.


The Vaniyas living in North Malabar revere Muchilot Bhagavathi as their guardian deity. They also refer to her by the names Eezhala Bhagavati and Mannaḷamma.
Muchilot Bhagavathi Theyyam
Theyyam is a traditional art form performed in the northern parts of Kerala. To learn more about Theyyam, you can read about it here.
Muchilot Bhagavathy holds a significant place among the revered local deities in North Kerala. The annual Muchilot Bhagavathi Theyyam festival involves the distribution of food to thousands of devoted devotees. The exquisitely adorned form of Muchilot Bhagavathy captivates with its remarkable aesthetics. Cherukunnu and Kannapuram witness the annual performance of Muchilot Bhagavathi Theyyam, while in several other Kavus, this sacred ritual takes place over intervals of 12 years or more. The Muchilot Bhagavathi, a magnificent Theyyam, is primarily worshipped and enacted at the ‘Muchilot Kavu,’ established by the ‘Vaniya’ community. Various legends surround the origin of Muchilot Bhagavathi.
Muchilot Bhagavathi Story
Muchilot Bhagavathi manifests boundless knowledge and prosperity. Numerous narratives contribute to her mystique. Some devotees said she emerged from Lord Shiva’s sweat during his celestial dance, the Tandava. Another widely adopted tale describes her as a virtuous Brahmin maiden, well-versed in the profound teachings of the Vedas. Her unmatched ability to engage in compelling arguments and counter-arguments distinguishes her.
On an important day, Peringellur Mootha Gurukkal, a knowledgeable Brahmin, and his disciples directly challenged the local ruler, the Naduvazhi, to a discussion on the Vedas. Seeking an advantage, the Naduvazhi enlisted the assistance of the talented Brahmin girl. Her flawless arguments and counter-arguments left the Gurukkal astounded and consumed by envy towards her intellect. Recognizing their imminent defeat, the Gurukkal and his disciples devised a plan to trap her.
They directed two questions towards her: “What is the most excruciating pain?” and “What is the greatest pleasure?” Unaware of their deceitful tactics, the Brahmin girl failed to perceive their hidden agenda. In her innocence, she openly replied that “labor pain” represented the most excruciating pain, while “erotic pleasure” stood as the greatest pleasure. Their intentions were fulfilled precisely as intended. Intrigued by her confident responses, the Gurukkal interrogated how she could assert such convictions, questioning how, as a virgin, she possessed firsthand knowledge of either. Seizing an opportunity, They claimed that she was not a virgin.
Expelled from her house, she sought refuge in the temple of Shiva at Karivellur. Overwhelmed by despair, she contemplated meeting him through suicide. Finally, Shiva sends her soul back to Earth with boons, weapons, a golden fan, and jewellery, all meant to bring redemption to the world.
The Brahmin girl transformed into a goddess and descended to Earth. She arrived at Pernijallor and entered the home of Muchilodan Padanayar, where she quenched her thirst from Muchilodan’s sacred well, known as Manikkinar. The goddess adopted the family name of ‘Muchiloden’ and requested Muchilodan to construct a temple for her within one of the rooms of his house. In due course, this Brahmin girl was revered and deified as Sree Muchilot Bhagavathi.


Careers and education paths for STEM and Design
Robotics And Beyond will have a series of free career and college experience Open Houses for students going into 9th grade and older. The events will be at New Milford High School in the library. Adult professionals and college students will share their career and education path decisions and experiences one-on-one and with small groups of young people and parents.
New Milford High School library, 388 Danbury Road, New Milford CT 06776
College information events – Wednesday, July 19, 5-8 pm and Saturday, July 22, 10am-12:30 pm.
Career information event – Saturday, July 22, 1-4 pm.
Who may attend:
All students beginning 9th grade or higher in September of 2017. Adults accompanying students.
College and Career information events are sponsored by


1. Nepal Western Management and Engineering College (NWA)
Nepal Western Management and Engineering College (NWA) established in the Far-Western Region is a management and enginering college in 2009 A.D. It is the first college in mid western and far-western region to provide 4 years Bachelor degree in Hotel Management(BHM) and Business Administration in Banking and insurance (BBA-BI).The college is situated on a lovely plot of land near regional police office in Santoshi Tole.
We commit for continual strive for excellence of instruction, adaptation and exploration by meeting the highest level of satisfaction and devoted to quality standard.
Our Vision is to develop students to be efficient and sellable human resources with good attitude and values.
To develop the platform for learning and exploring every aspect of individual knowledge and experience.
To create environment for enhancing professionalism, humanism and social responsibility through quality education.
Develop enthusiastic and self-motivated graduates.
To promote education that would be liberal and progressive which contributes to the new dimensions of the education.
Campus on a tour designed for prospective graduate and professional students. You will see how our college like, facilities, students and life in this college. Meet our graduate admissions representative to learn more about our graduate programs and decide what it the best for you.
The college has a very sound library facility. The Library is well equipped with paper and digital resources that cannot be found anywhere in the local market along with reading facility for the benefit of the students and faculty. With the links with the top libraries in the country and with our University, we ensure that students have full access to all the needed library materials. The library is fully digitalized to keep track of the books issued and for updating of stock. The computers in the library are linked with internet and loaded with e-books. The college provides free net access to all the staff and students. This is mainly to enable the students to get maximum exposure to the web world, e-journals and update their knowledge in all the subjects.
Providing rich set of reference books for optimum academic information services and a conductive and comfortable environment for learning, with fully air conditioned and A/C library. • Promotes reading habit among students to broaden the knowledge across one text book.
Nepal Western Management And Engineering College strives to create digital learning environment for its students by providing them access to best available electronic information to enhance their knowledge and skills. NWMEC believes that students, through the Internet, can effectively gather and learn through various academic sources available during and after classes. The main motive of college is to make these facilities available specially for all the needy students who can’t afford personally and it can hamper the quality of their knowledge and make them less competitive. So, the college makes sure that no student is deprived of materialistic facilities that compress their level of their knowledge building The College’s computer lab is well equipped with over 50 branded laptops while it provides ample space for students who want to use their personal laptops for group study and project works.


Elder Advisors to Research
The Elder Advisors to Research (EAR) is an innovative, active group of older adults who plan and execute the Art of Aging Successfully Conference, hosted by the IOG, each year. They also give feedback to the IOG on issues affecting older adults in the Detroit area that helps in developing relevant outreach and research programs. Most members are over age 60, retired or semi-retired, with a deep interest in improving the well-being of older adults. Members can volunteer or be invited to join the EAR by the IOG director, faculty or other EAR members.
Elder Advisors to Research (EAR)
Cheryl Deep is the media Relations and Publications Manager for both the Institute of Gerontology and the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child & Family Development.
Carol Edwards joined the Institute of Gerontology Board of Visitors in 2011, and began volunteering for the IOG in 2012. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Walsh College. Retired from the Oakland County Intermediate School District, where her position included interacting with local school districts, and working with non-profit and for-profit organizations in the community. She enjoys interacting with people, and serving on the EAR gives her the opportunity to be involved in encouraging seniors to stay active, keep positive, and continue learning.
Amy W. Jackson is the mother of three, grandmother of three and great grandmother of three. She is otherwise known as "Ami" (the TV & Decca recording singer/pianist/ harpist), "Ami D" (the Storyteller) and Amy, the Co-Facilitator of the Michigan Parkinson Foundation's Detroit Support Group. Amy has been an active member of the EAR for many years.
Donna MacDonald (Chair) began working at the Institute of Gerontology in May of 2006. Currently she is the Director of Community Outreach and Professional Development for the Institute. Donna provides direction for the Art of Aging Conference, Issues in Aging Conference, Speaker's Bureau, Windows on the World of Aging, HBE learning series and the Healthier Black Elder's Health Reception.
Gene Pisha, retired as a Dearborn insurance agency owner seven years ago. Since then, he has been an active member of several organizations that impact senior issues, namely the Michigan AARP, Michigan Peer Review Organization (MPRO) and the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology.
Gloria Sniderman was an educator and librarian at Wayne State University for 29 years. Before that, she was a school librarian and a special librarian in industry. Gloria feels that the IOG, through the Elder Advisors to Research, brings forth information to many seniors who otherwise might not learn about elder issues.
Deborah L. Vinson is a native Detroiter recently retired from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago after a 30+ year career in banking operations, audit, supervision and regulation. A graduate of Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan, she is an avid crafter who loves sunshine, smiles and making good things happen, especially to older adults.
Janet Whitaker's career began as a school secretary for 17 years, then she attended WSU night school to earn her education degree, taught for 16 years and finally served seven years as an administrator. Janet retired in 1997 after 40 years with the Detroit Public School system. She received her BS degree from WSU, earned an MA from University of Michigan, and returned to WSU for her EdS.
Kay Cresci, RN, PhD


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Nichiren Shoshu Buddhists recite the sutra, called Gongyo, everyday. The sutra refers to the Lotus Sutra. Our founder, Nichiren Daishonin, states in the Gosho, “On the Four Stages of Faith and the Five Stages of Practice:”
The five characters of Myo-Ho-Renge-Kyo are not merely the text of the sutra, nor its meaning. They are nothing other than the intent of the Lotus Sutra. (Gosho, p. 1114)*
At our next New Member Meeting, our Chief Priest will continue our study of the Basics of Practice book, Chapter 3, How To Do Gongyo. He will explain about the Lotus Sutra and significance of the lotus flower.
*Reference: Basic Terminology of Nichiren Shoshu, Lotus Sutra of the Text, Meaning and Intent, p.74


- This event has passed.
Providence Public Library Renovation Presentation and Building Tour
Tue December 13, 2022 at 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
The presentation will be conducted by Nate Taylor, project manager from Stephen Turner Inc., along with Mary Ann Upton the architect and Partner at designLAB architects and will feature the Providence Public Library building located in Providence, Rhode Island.
Please join us for a tour of the Providence Public Library Renovation. This tour and commercial energy code training will highlight how the project was constructed and built to meet the requirements of the State Energy Code (SBC-8-2013), which references the 2012 version of the international Energy Conservation Code (2012 IECC) with RI Amendments – the code in effect at the time of permitting.
- Learn about the current Rhode Island commercial energy codes, energy code background and energy code compliance pathways
- We will discuss how energy efficiency measures were incorporated into the building design
- Along with the high-performance building enclosure with improved thermal envelope, high efficiency HVAC equipment and lighting controls
- Learn about C-PACE the funding mechanism and Nuveen Green Capital the financial institution that was utilized to subsidize the project along with Rhode Island Energy’s Energy Code programs, which offers free training and technical support.
- Meet & greet in the Auditorium
- Refreshments and networking in the Seminar room
- Simultaneous student tour and presentation in the Auditorium
- Building tour 2


Use iBooks Author to create and submit books to Apple Books or distribute anywhere on the web.
iBooks Author is a free app available in the App Store on your Mac that you can use to create and publish ebooks. Using the tools in the app, you can add artwork and metadata to a book. You can also export EPUB files that you created in a different program to iBooks Author, and then sell them on Apple Books or distribute them for free.
To publish your book from iBooks Author, you must first export it as a PDF, text file, EPUB, or .ibooks file. To choose the best format for your book, first decide how you plan to distribute it.
Publish your book on the Book Store
You can create a book in iBooks Author in EPUB (.epub) or iBooks (.ibooks) format and publish your work to the Book Store in Apple Books. You can also use Pages to publish a book.
Publish your book for an iTunes U course
To submit your work for publication on iTunes U, save it as an .ibooks or EPUB file.
To publish your book on iTunes U, you must have an iTunes U site. If you don’t have an iTunes U site, you can apply for one.
Distribute your books on the web
You can distribute works that you create with iBooks Author on the web as a standalone purchase or subscription product or service. When you sell your book on the web, you must use a format other than .ibooks, such as PDF or EPUB. If you want to sell your work in .ibooks format, you can sell it only through the Book Store in Apple Books. When you provide a work for free, you can distribute it in any format (including .ibooks) through the Book Store or by other means.
You retain all of your rights in the content of the work that you create in iBooks Author. If you distribute your work in .ibooks format, it’s subject to the distribution restrictions described above.


SUNY Workforce Development and Pathways (Part 2): Aligning Workforce and Pathways
May 23, 2022
Presented by Alma Kanic-Franco, Renee Dimino, Jennifer Miller, and Denise Zieske
Description: Part 2 of 2 sessions. This session will focus on how to create cross-divisional bridges including establishing institutional support for alignment practices, engaging faculty and staff, advising students about credit and non-credit options, and generating and sharing data.


“providing reading and educational materials to prisonersthrough gifts to prison libraries”
The Prisoners’ Reading Encouragement Project, Inc. (PREP) is a not-for-profit organization, incorporated in November 2000, to serve as a support organization to prison libraries and educational programs. Our mission is threefold:
i) to enhance literacy and educational opportunities for inmates by soliciting and making gifts to prison libraries;
ii) to educate the public about the need for libraries and educational programming within correctional facilities; and
iii) to establish scholarship funds for tuition and textbooks for inmates engaged in courses or independent study while in prison.
The organization’s activities are conducted entirely by volunteers, mostly professional women with careers outside the criminal justice system. PREP operates with donated books, services and cash contributions, which are used to purchase needed books that tend not to be donated. PREP works in cooperation with the New York State Department of Correctional Services, which provides advice, contacts with prison libraries in need of support and transport from our New York City collection area to correctional facilities.
PREP conducts on-going solicitations for new and gently used books, audiotapes and videotapes for the prison facilities with which the organization has established a relationship. Since 2000, PREP donated more than 55,000 books to 23 New York State prisons. Books are transported by volunteers to a central storage area, where they are inventoried; the inventories are offered to the prison librarians who select which books they would like to receive; then the selected books are transported, either by mail or by the State Department of Correctional Services to the correctional facilities. PREP also fills requests from prison librarians, teachers or counselors for educational materials, all at no charge to the prisoner and prison facility.
PREP sponsors the Words Travel program at correctional facilities, a program by which inmates can record children’s books and send the books and tape to their children. As of 2007, PREP donated more than 600 children’s books for this program, benefiting more than 180 inmates and scores of children.
PREP was founded by two attorneys and three librarians with interest in education. Their interest in criminal justice originated with the New York State League of Women Voter’s Balancing Justice project in 1999-2000. From this, the co-founders developed the conviction that education of prisoners is a powerful factor in reducing crime and facilitating re-entry of the 27,000 prisoners who return to their communities in New York State each year. Concerned over the retreat at the federal and state level from providing education for inmates, they founded the Prisoners’ Reading Encouragement Project as a means for volunteers to contribute to prisoners’ development and education.
PREP is a 501(c)(3) corporation, eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions, for which tax receipts are issued to donors.
Updated: June 4, 2009


The Sorceress' Tale
Prologue to Purcell’s
Dido & Aeneas
1995; original libretto by composer; revised 2002
For the same forces as Purcell's
Dido & Aeneas, conceived as a companion work.
The story behind the story of Dido and Aeneas. From the Sorceress' point of view.
Mezzo, 2 sopranos,
high baritone, 3 non-singing parts;
ca. 20 mins.
Commissioned by the London Festival Orchestra, with funds
from Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust.


Welcome, I'm Lars Walker, fantasy author (Lars Rhymes With Farce, Not Cars ). Welcome to my website, where you can learn all I choose to tell you about myself and my books. I'm the author of a series of historic fantasies about Erling Skjalgsson, a great Viking lord, and some loosely connected fantasies based around Epsom, Minnesota. Get a taste for these novels on the books page.
In April 2019 I spoke at Union University on Christianity coming to the vikings. Watch the video through the link, and be sure to read my blog Brandywine Books. You'll get the latest news from me there.
It's 1022 AD. In Norway, the balance of power is poised between two mighty men — King Olaf, full of new ideas about central government, and Erling Skjalgsson, defender of the old democracy. Two worlds are watching as they contend — the familiar world we live in, and the unseen world around us, full of witches and elves and the dead who walk in the night.
Erling is fighting for survival, and for the future of the land. The steps he must take aren't always gentle ones. At his side is his Irish priest, Father Ailill, concerned that Erling might gain the world and lose his soul. Concerned, also, about Erling's nephew Asbjorn, a proud young man inclined to cut corners with the law.
This is the six book in the Erling Skjalgsson series. For the rest, look for these titles:
In a land divided, Erling Skjalgsson rules the West-land of Norway in peace and justice. But a rumor is abroad in the land, songs and tales of a man of destiny coming from across the sea, a man who would be king. In The Elder King, can Erling keep a fractious alliance of chieftains together long enough to defend their freedoms from an ambitious princeling whose ruthlessness knows no limits, and who believes himself the instrument of God?
Erling's priest, Father Ailill, must balance his clerical vows against his growing love for a woman on the run, a woman with a dark secret and a bizarre fate. Meanwhile, in the mountains, the Elder King waits. He is ancient. He is wise. He is powerful. And he is entirely mad. In the face of his deadly plan for the whole world, bitter enemies must put aside their differences and make a last stand together.
I released several pages of The Elder King on my blog, so start reading there and pick it up with your Kindle tomorrow.
The fourth book in Erling Skjalgsson's adventures takes place just after 1000 A.D. Hailstone Mountain is an H. Rider Haggard-esque story, in which Erling is struck by a curse that could kill him slowly. In order to break the curse, he must sail north (along with Father Ailill, Lemming, and others) to confront the source of the magic face to face. Meanwhile, Lemming’s niece Freydis is kidnapped by her relatives from up in Halogaland, and it’s not a nice kind of family, so she must be rescued. And that sets off repercussions that could destroy the whole country. Erling must join forces with a bitter enemy to stave off a monstrous horror.
"Lars Walker shows brilliance in taking us into the skulls and skins of those incredibly daring... men and women of the ancient world. [He] knows not only his Norse history, but Viking society, manners and technology as well, making the book a painless education in the ancient world's ways of living and thinking." - Hal G. P. Colebatch
Besides being a novelist, I’m a Norwegian translator. I’m very proud of the recently released work, Viking Legacy, by the Norwegian scholar and historian Dr. Torgrim Titlestad.
Viking Legacy is a groundbreaking book that makes two controversial claims. First, that the Icelandic sagas provide useful information that can be useful to historians, if handled with caution. Second, that we owe our western ideas of democracy at least as much to Viking legal tradition as to ancient Athens.
I might also mention that Erling Skjalgsson, the hero of my Viking novels, is a prominent character in this work. I first became acquainted with Prof. Titlestad though our mutual interest in this larger-than-life saga character.
I can tell you are a discerning reader. That's the reason I can recommend Troll Valley, my first e-book. It's the fairy tale your grandparents never told you. Your childhood has been shafted until you read this book set in 1900 southeastern Minnesota. It follows Chris Anderson, who is a unusual farmer's son. For one thing, he has a deformed arm. For another, he has a fairy godmother (not the Disney kind). He's also bedeviled by apparitions--red, pointed Norwegian caps which dance around him on the ground when he allows himself to get angry (for which reason he always stuffs his feelings. Sort of the perfect Norwegian).
In the near future, suicide is a constitutional right. Tom Galloway is an ordinary single father, just trying to keep his rebellious and depressed daughter from going to the Happy Endings Clinic. The last thing he needs is a ninth-century Viking time traveler dropping into his life. But Tom is about to embark on the adventure of his life. One that will change the world.
I originally wrote Death's Doors several years ago. As I did with Wolf Time, I simply sighted along the lines of current cultural trends and imagined what the world would be like a little way down the road. I deal with two cultural developments. One is assisted suicide. I’m sure some readers will say that a constitutional “right to die” would never be extended to minors, and certainly not without parental consent. My answer is, “Yeah. Remember how well that worked with abortion.”
The other is the worldwide expansion of Islam, particularly in Europe, but also in America.
Gene Veith says, "It’s suspenseful, exciting, and wildly imaginative, both in the author’s story telling and in the way it stimulates the reader’s imagination."
Pick up the anthology, Renegade Swords III, to read my story, "Magic's Price.' It's about a wizard, berserkers, and a bereaved husband. I know nothing about the other stories, or the authors. But my story alone makes the book worth having. It goes without saying.
The good people at Baen Books are selling four of my books and e-books directly. Buy them here, and consider giving them as gifts to your discerning family and friends for whatever holiday is just around the corner. Late Christmas presents are always welcome, and don't forget gifts for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, various parent days, birthdays, U.S. congressional holidays, Norwegian Constitution Day, and tomorrow--all great days for giving.
You may also buy any or all of them from through Amazon.
Q: Your Erling books concern an Irishman living in Norway. You have an Irish last name, so I assume your heritage is Irish-Norwegian. Right?
A: Wrong. One of my Norwegian great-grandfathers took the name Walker more or less at random after arriving in America (which was rather courageous of him, considering he couldn't even pronounce the letter “W”). I confess to being a quarter Dane though.
(Photo credit: Philip Patton)


The Bible is one of the most influential books in human history, revered by millions for its spiritual teachings and historical accounts. At the core of the Bible is its timeline, a chronological sequence of events that spans thousands of years. The Bible timeline holds great historical significance as it provides insights into the development of civilizations, the rise and fall of empires, and the progression of religious beliefs. In this article, we will explore the historical importance of the Bible timeline and the impact it has had on our understanding of the past.
The Creation of the World and Early History
The Bible’s timeline begins with the creation of the world, as described in the Book of Genesis. According to biblical accounts, God created the heavens and the earth in six days, culminating in the creation of humankind. The timeline then follows the lives of significant figures such as Adam and Eve, Noah, and Abraham, tracing the origins of humanity and early civilizations.
The Exodus and the Israelite Nation
One of the pivotal events in the Bible timeline is the Exodus, the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. This event, led by Moses, is believed to have occurred around the 13th century BCE. The Exodus marked the birth of the Israelite nation and their journey to the Promised Land. The Bible provides a detailed account of the Israelites’ struggles, triumphs, and encounters with other ancient civilizations, shedding light on the geopolitical landscape of the time.
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah
After settling in the Promised Land, the Israelite nation was divided into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. The timeline of the Bible follows the history of these kingdoms, including the reigns of famous figures like King David and King Solomon. These monarchs played significant roles in shaping the religious and political landscape of ancient Israel.
The kingdoms of Israel and Judah faced numerous challenges, including the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions, which ultimately led to their downfall and the exile of the Israelite population. The Bible timeline captures these tumultuous times and the subsequent return of some exiles to rebuild their temple and restore their nation.
The Life of Jesus and Early Christianity
The New Testament of the Bible introduces a new era in the timeline, focusing on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection form the foundation of the Christian faith and have had a profound impact on civilization for over two millennia. The timeline of the Bible highlights the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire and the emergence of early Christian communities.
Following the crucifixion of Jesus, the Apostle Paul played a crucial role in spreading Christianity beyond the Jewish community, establishing churches in various regions of the Roman Empire. The Bible timeline offers insights into the growth and challenges faced by these early Christian communities, as well as the theological debates that shaped the development of Christian doctrine.
The Reformation and Beyond
In the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther challenged the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and sparked a wave of religious reform across Europe. This event marked a significant turning point in the timeline of the Bible as the scriptures were translated into vernacular languages and made more accessible to the general population. The Reformation also gave rise to various Christian denominations, each with its own interpretation of the Bible and understanding of its historical significance.
Since then, the Bible has continued to shape the course of history through its influence on art, literature, politics, and social movements. From the abolitionist movement to the civil rights movement, the teachings and principles found within the Bible have inspired individuals and groups to fight for justice, equality, and human rights.
The Bible timeline holds immense historical significance, providing a chronological framework for understanding the ancient world and the development of religious beliefs. From the creation of the world to the spread of early Christianity and beyond, the timeline outlined in the Bible offers a glimpse into the past and the profound impact of its teachings on human civilization. By studying the Bible timeline, we gain a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of historical events and the enduring legacy of this sacred text. Find more relevant information on the subject by visiting this carefully selected external resource. https://Biblestudytogether.com/where-to-start-reading-the-bible, supplementary information provided.
Deepen your research with the related links below:


TEACHING LANGUAGE ARTS WITHOUT TEXTBOOKS
On the subject of books, Charlotte Mason said, “The only vital method of education appears to be that children should read worthy books, many worthy books.” She also said, “The best thought the world possess is stored in books; we must open books to children, the best books; our only concern is abundant provision and orderly serving.”
Charlotte Mason referred to such books as “living books.” A living book is one containing ideas clothed in literary language, not predigested facts. Living books tell stories, rather than present isolated bits of information. Human beings are not computers; we forget strings of facts and dry data. But tell us a story, and we remember much more. Living books discuss people’s lives and emotions. They are usually written by a single author with an intimate acquaintance with and passion for his subject matter. Textbooks, on the other hand, are often written by committees and present only the dull, dry facts.
Charlotte Mason’s schools were not about a particular group of books; she changed selections frequently, always striving to use “the best books available,” and I believe we should try to do the same. To learn more about living books, read bibliographies, consult catalogs, and use booklists. But how do you determine whether or not a particular title is a living book? Catherine Levison, author of A Charlotte Mason Education, recommends the “one-page test,” or reading just one page selected at random. If you find yourself eager to find out more, then you probably have discovered a living book.
Once you have found the books, there are three simple techniques at your disposal for using them to teach language arts. They are copywork, narration, and dictation.
The first technique Charlotte Mason used for teaching language arts was narration. Narration involves simply asking your child to tell you back in his own words everything he remembers from a passage of reading. Make sure the reading selection you have chosen for him to narrate is, in fact, from a living book written in a good narrative style. Then, rather then requiring your child to answer comprehension questions or fill in workbook pages to verify what he has learned, ask him to tell you back what he has learned. In this way, you will find out that your child does know rather than expose what he does not know. Once a lesson is narrated, it belongs to the child, and will not soon be forgotten.
Charlotte Mason believed that narration should follow only one reading of a passage. She explained this by saying, “It is impossible to fix attention on that which we have heard before and know we shall hear again.”
There are two types of narration. Beginning at about age six, Charlotte Mason asked children to narrate orally from passages they had heard read to them or had read for themselves. Aesop’s Fables are great to begin with. They are short and lend themselves well to narration. Also, many editions are beautifully illustrated, which is great for younger children.
Then, beginning at about age 10, Charlotte Mason had children begin writing some of their narrations, although she continued having them narrate orally. Again, children can narrate either books they have read themselves or books you have read to them. Charlotte Mason said that by asking children to narrate from their lesson books, “composition is not an adjunct but an integral part of their education in every subject.” She also said, “Having been brought up so far upon stylists, the [older] pupils are almost certain to have formed a good style; because they have been thrown into the society of many great minds, they will not make a servile copy of any one but will shape an individual style out of the wealth of material they possess; and because they have matter in abundance and of the best they will not write mere verbiage.”
Charlotte Mason felt so strongly about narration that she said, “There is but one right way, that is, children must do the work for themselves. They must read the given pages and tell what they have read; they must perform, that is, what we may call the act of knowing. We are all aware, alas, what a monstrous quantity of printed matter has gone into the dustbin of our memories, because we have failed to perform that quite natural and spontaneous ‘act of knowing.’”
The next technique Charlotte Mason recommended for teaching language arts was copywork. Copywork begins at about age six with the ABC’s and progresses to words and sentences and eventually paragraphs from living books. I generally select my children’s copywork assignments from passages found in the living books we are using for our history and science lessons. In the beginning, it is best to let your child copy directly beneath your handwritten model. Later, he will be able to copy directly from a separate page or book.
Copywork teaches spelling (because the child is seeing and copying correct spelling, in context), mechanics (capitalization, punctuation, etc.), and grammar (because the child sees and copies excellent models of literary style and correct expression. Neatness is essential. Hold your child accountable for doing his best. If the work is not done correctly, ask your child to do it again on his own time.
In her book Endangered Minds, Jane Healy says, “Because pre-adolescent brains do not cope well with abstract rule systems, grammar is best learned initially through exposure to oral language and/or reading good books… Children in elementary or even middle school…should…spend a great deal of time listening to and generating—orally and in writing—the richness of nouns verb tenses, sentence expansions, sentence combinations, dependent clauses, and all the other shades of complexity that will take them beyond the media’s sandbox syntax. Abstract rules for grammar and usage should be taught when most students are in high school. Then if previously prepared, they may even enjoy the challenges of this kind of abstract, logical reasoning. Only, however, if the circuits are not already too cluttered up by bungled rule teaching.” Narration and copywork provide the kinds of experiences Ms. Healy recommends.
Finally, Charlotte Mason advocated the technique of dictation for teaching language arts. Dictation usually begins in about the second grade with the days of the week, the months of the year, money words, etc. Then, beginning when your child is about age ten, you may choose from several options. Select a passage containing an inspiring thought, or a poem (perhaps a poem your child is memorizing), a passage containing vocabulary words from your current topic of study in history or science, or a passage containing a literary convention you wish to emphasize, such as capitalization of names and places or quotation marks. Go over this passage with your child. Help him mark anything that looks difficult. Then assign it as copywork on Monday. Your child’s job is to study the passage throughout the week. Then on Friday, choose a portion of the assigned passage and dictate it slowly, one phrase at a time, with no repeats, while your child writes it down, word for word. The goal is one hundred percent accuracy in spelling and punctuation.
All my children’s written work goes into a notebook, along with a list of all books read pertaining to a particular subject area. The result is a lovely portfolio, which my children enjoy looking through and which never fails to impress the most skeptical of friends and relatives.
Of course, there is more to language arts than mere mechanics. Karen Andreola, author of A Charlotte Mason Companion, says, “Homeschoolers following Charlotte’s philosophies and methods try to give their children abundant portions of the humanities at regular periods. They don’t allow themselves to get stuck in a routine that emphasizes skills alone… When fear of a poor showing on the achievement test allows skills to take precedence, humanities take a back seat. The result: lessons become wearisome, children become fed-up, mom gets burned out. The children are starving for knowledge touched with emotion, and for ideas.”
So consider using living books to teach your children poetry and Shakespeare. Try reading a poem or two at the beginning of your family read-aloud time or while your children have an afternoon snack. Keep in mind that for some children, poetry is an acquired taste. Give it time, and find the right selections. A good anthology, such as Favorite Poems, Old and New by Helen Ferris is helpful. And children can begin to memorize poetry beginning at about age six. To introduce your children to the works of Shakespeare, choose a book such as Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit or Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb for great retellings of Shakespeare plays. Then, when your children are older and begin to read the plays in their original forms, they will already be familiar with the story lines.
Hopefully, this discussion has inspired you to incorporate more living books into your language arts curriculum. As Charlotte Mason said, “The teacher who allows his scholars the freedom of the city of books is at liberty to be their guide, philosopher and friend; and is no longer the mere instrument of forcible intellectual feeding.”
Copyright 2003 by Pamela Asberry
All Rights Reserved


Empowering Books to Read to Ring In The New Year
With a new year comes a storm of people declaring their New Year’s goals on social media and a lot of them were to read more books.
If you’re someone who is looking to read more in 2019, I have some book recommendations for you. These books are perfect if you need a little empowerment in your life--especially if you’re a woman.
These books will make you celebrate your womanhood and make you feel like you can take on the world--because you can.
Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger by Rebecca Traister
Rebecca Traister is a bestselling author and feminist journalist whose latest book explores how women’s anger has been a transformative force throughout history. It also looks at how women’s anger is viewed by society today and how its perceived by others, especially in the political realm.
This book is deeply researched and full of anecdotes and quotes from powerful women in politics and media today. I especially loved this book’s emphasis on white women and what white women need to do in the feminist movement today.
The Terrible by Yrsa Daley-Ward
Although this book isn’t overtly empowering, Daley-Ward tells the story of her life through poetry and prose in such a raw way. She doesn’t shy away from telling the story of her life and is emotionally honest throughout telling her experiences about fear, addiction, and sex.
This memoir will make you feel empowered to tell your own story and make you feel like you have a safe place to do so.
Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust
This is a stunning feminist retelling of Snow White. Yup, you read that right. And it’s awesome. This fantasy novel is told from the perspectives of Lynet (Snow White) and Mina (the step-mother). While the two women are pitted against each other, just like the classic fairytale, they are determined to settle their own fates.
This book is full of women supporting one another and triumphing in the end. There’s also incredible LGBTQ+ representation throughout.
Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Fill Your Soul by Nikita Gill
Going along with the fairytale theme, this delightful collection of poetry and short stories by Nikitia Gill retells all the classic fairytales in a new light. It’s perfect for adults and children alike as it re-tells fairytales from all new perspectives giving each of us new lessons to learn. Most of these are lessons of empowerment, understanding, and self-love.
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
This book has been exploding in popularity lately, and for good reason. Hollis is a popular Instagrammer and blogger and she wrote this book to help other women realize their worth and to ignore the lies that are bringing them down.
Throughout the book, she tells stories of her own life and mishaps while helping women shift their mindsets to become more self-confident and achieve their goals.
While you’re trying to achieve your goal of reading more books this year, make sure that you’re giving yourself books to read that will empower you and your soul.
What are some of your favorite empowering books? Tell us in the comments below or on our Instagram! @nannocare
*Images contained in this article are sourced from Google image and Thought Catalog.


We are delighted to announce a massive price reduction for MARVELS, the extraordinary biography of Clarence Bicknell. Now might be the time to read it yourself or to send copies to friends.
LOCKDOWN OFFER - Only £10
(approx €11.50 or $12.75 - plus postage - Amazon price £18-£20)
Purchase your copy or have one sent to a friend at www.clarencebicknell.com/shop - worldwide shipping available. PayPal, cheque, transfer or card
About the Book
A treasure trove of research discoveries enlightens Valerie Lester’s biography of the captivating scientist and artist, Clarence Bicknell. Over 5 years, Lester pored over hundreds of newly-discovered letters, botanical watercolours and arts-and-crafts designs in archives including the Natural History Museum, the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, the Conservatoire Botanique in Geneva and Genoa University. Every letter and diary entry provides Lester with Clarence’s voice; and each of his vellum-bound albums reveals drawings, watercolours and whimsical creations. The biography’s text, supported by more than 200 images, gives remarkable insights into how and why this man strove for perfection in each subject he tackled.
Published by Matador in 2018, ISBN 9781 7890 1494 5 hardback. You can buy it direct ex-stock from the book’s producers, the Clarence Bicknell Association for £10 + postage. www.clarencebicknell.com/shop. Our price was £18.95 and it remains at £18 - £20 on Amazon. We will ship to you direct from our bulk stock near London.
About the Author
Valerie Browne Lester, an independent scholar, writer, and translator was descended from Clarence Bicknell’s maternal grand-parents. She was the author of Fasten Your Seat Belts! History and Heroism in the Pan Am Cabin (1995; Phiz, The Man Who Drew Dickens (London, 2004), a biography of Hablot Knight Browne, Dickens’s principal illustrator (Clarence Bicknell’s uncle and Valerie’s great-great-grandfather); and Giambattista Bodoni: His Life and His World (David Godine, Boston, 2015), her biography of the great Italian printer Giambattista Bodoni (1710-1813). She sadly died of cancer at her home in Hingham Massachusetts in 2019.


The International Pearl-poet Society once again has a strong presence at the International Congress on Medieval Studies, with five sponsored sessions at the 2020 gathering at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. We’re also proud to once again be co-sponsoring a session with the Medieval Association of the Midwest (MAM).
Thanks to our new VP, Ashley Bartelt (Northern Illinois University), for the snazzy poster! (Full text below, too).
International Pearl-poet Society Sessions for ICMS 2020
Abstracts (max. 300 words) and a completed PIF are DUE 01 SEPTEMBER 2019
Ashley E. Bartelt firstname.lastname@example.org
- Form and Structure in the Cotton Nero A.x. Manuscript (Roundtable)
Beyond tightly structured narratives and precise poetics, Cotton Nero A.x. contains diverse material from 12 illustrations and marginalia to ornate initials. Recent scientific and technological advancements from pigment analyses to multispectral imaging have begun to reframe our understanding of these paleographic details. Building on analyses from scholars like Murray McGillivray and Christina Duffy (2017) and Piotr Spyra (2014), this session invites participants to reconsider the connection between the intricate paleographic and narrative forms of this dynamic manuscript.
- “In aventure þer mervayles meven”: The Mystical Tradition in the Pearl-poet and Analogues
In Pearl, struggles to comprehend and accept the ineffable, torn by his overwhelming grief and attachment to the material world. This tension recurs throughout the Pearl-poet’s works and has fascinated scholars from Nicholas Watson (1995) to Cecilia A. Hatt (2015) as they explore the poet’s relationship to, and understanding of, the Church. Renewed critical attention to movements like the medieval mystics calls for a reexamination of the poet’s other religious influences, so this session will explore the intersection of the mystical tradition and the works of the Pearl-poet and analogues.
- The Pearl-poet: Modern Connections, Adaptations, and Evolutions
As one of the more prominent poets from the fourteenth century, the Pearl-poet continues to captivate audiences with his nuanced and timeless narratives, inspiring centuries of writers and artists. This session will explore the resonances and continued relevance of this prominent poet’s work in modern renderings, films, stage productions, and other media.
- Acceptance and Resistance: Emotional Tension in the Pearl-poet
From a distraught Dreamer and a wrathful, anthropomorphized God to a petulant prophet, the Pearl-poet’s characters are often complex figures struggling not just in morally complex situations but also with tumultuous emotions. Some find peace with their experiences while others remain besieged by or succumb to their inner demons. This session will delve into how the poet’s complex characters resolve or resist their deep emotional turmoil.
- The Final Frontier: Embodied Space in the Works of the Pearl-poet
The Wilderness of Wirral, a green woodbine, a bejeweled stream, the Green Chapel. Well-known for intricate spatial descriptions, the Pearl-poet often uses these locations as the focal points of significant human experiences, forging an intimate connection between mental and physical environment. This session will explore the spaces and places in the Pearl-poet’s works and what they reveal about the characters who inhabit them.
- Aint’s Misbehaving: Medieval English Women Who Do Good Work by Nefarious Means
This panel is co-sponsored with the Medieval Association of the Midwest (MAM), and proposals should be submitted to their contact, Alison Langdon. For more information, including the official CFP, see the MAM website https://mmaotm.wildapricot.org


One cannot go wrong with an Agatha Christie, can they? Of all the projects that I have started and left midway, reading the entire Agatha Christie collection was the one that I almost came close to completing. Maybe I was near completing it only because I had started it during my school days and our library suddenly had replenished their book stock with lots of Christie's. I have decided to re-read as many books of hers as possible this year and try and revive the reviewing habit. Of course, I would be continuing to read and review other books as well. So let us take our plunge, right away.
Book Name: 4:50 from Paddington
Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Fiction Thriller
Characters: Miss Jane Marple, Lucy Eyelesbarrow, Mrs Elspeth McGillicuddy, Luther Crackenthorpe, Emma, Alfred, Cedric and Harold Crackenthorpe


New Releases Coming Soon
MONSTERS & MAMBOS
The Blood Witch Saga, Book Six
'Meet Hailey Bradbury: Hedge Witch and Vampire.'
She's trained in the ways of vampirism, the path of the night.
Witchcraft + Voodoo + Vampirism = bloodwitchery.
Most witches won't mess with the power latent in blood.
It's dark. It's dangerous. But if you can master it...
You can harness the power of life itself.
Ever harbor a resentment and wish someone dead? Even if you didn't really mean it? You never realize how much a bad attitude can impact your life...
...until it manifests as a flesh-and-blood monster. And it won't sleep until it fulfills your darkest desire.
Why is this happening? Where did this new "energy" that's making these monsters come from?
As deep as the depths of human depravity is the well of monsters Hailey now has to fight. These creatures don't die easy. It takes all Hailey's power to kill just one of them, and she barely survives.
How can she possibly destroy them all?
Family Reunion*Wisdom of the Ancestors Book 24
Alex-Mont Kids Saga Book 5
Professor Dena Montgomery might be young, but she is a mathematical Olympiad with a genius-level IQ. Yet her large family calls her The Absentminded Professor. Dena can recite the calculus for the Pythagorean theorem as if it were her home address, but can’t remember what is on her grocery list. Shaped like a Barbie Doll, she’s no lightweight. Her skills serve her well one cold, blustery night when she encounters the abduction of two tender-aged children.
Police Lieutenant Darrius Pappas, who catches the case, doesn’t know what to make of the beautiful young woman in his interrogation room. Darrius has had more than his fair share of women. However, something about Doctor Montgomery creates an itch he can’t seem to scratch.
The situation becomes even more complicated when a shadow enforcement entity created by the G7 takes over the case. Darrius is swept up into the FBI/CIA/Interpol task force and taken away to an undisclosed location, where he learns that Doctor Montgomery is much more mysterious than he could have imagined.


The Board of County Commissioners will hold their Staff Meeting
The InfoZone News Museum is an interactive news museum. The InfoZone News Museum's mission is to provide broader knowledge of news and information. The museum focuses on journalism, the First Amendment, historic news and current events that affect our world. The museum serves to promote the joy of reading and writing, to preserve and interpret the archives and artifacts of The Pueblo Chieftain and provide educational programs and exhibitions that enhance the Pueblo City-County Library District.
Where else in Colorado can you ride a roller coaster for a quarter and visit an African Lion? The Pueblo City Park offers a year-round zoo filled with more than 400 animals and beautiful native-plant gardens. The City Park Rides are open all summer, and rides cost only a quarter. The historic carousel is original to the Park, recently restored and worthwhile nostalgic trip.
Pueblo is the hometown of four Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. This memorial honors each of these men with a life-size statue, and includes the engraved names of 3,400 other recipients. Visitors can learn the stories behind each name with a computer database and display inside the Convention Center. The database also features the stories of local veterans who are commemorated on the newly built Veterans Bridge, which sits adjacent to the Convention Center parking lot.
In honor of Pueblo’s four Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients, the Pueblo Convention Center built the "Home of Heroes" Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial Plaza. The four larger-than-life, sculpted and bronze statues flank the main entry and welcome you to the Pueblo Convention Center. The Medal of Honor is the highest military award that can be bestowed upon a member of the United States Armed Forces; Teddy Roosevelt lobbied for one but never received it, and General George Patton said "I'd sell my immortal soul for that Medal."
The Pueblo Railway Museum is a program of the Pueblo Railway Foundation ("PRF"). The mission is historic preservation of railroad equipment and history. The ultimate goal is to promote and foster an interest in railroading, the study and preservation of railroad history, the impact of the railroad on the history of Pueblo and the growth of the United States and related subjects for the education and satisfaction of all.
With seven rotating galleries, the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center is a must-see stop for art lovers. The Arts Center boasts several art collections that embody the American Southwest, including: the King Collection of Western Art, the world’s largest repository of work by Printmaker Gene Kloss, and a growing collection of historic and contemporary Santos and Retablos.


Book Title: Beginning Your Journey: A Guide for New Professionals in Student Affairs (Fourth Edition)
Publisher: National Association of Student Personnel Administrators
Author: Marilyn J. Amey
The transition from graduate school to a full-time position in student affairs can be filled with both opportunities and challenges. In order to be successful, new professionals must understand the organizational and political realities of working on college and university campuses. Beginning Your Journey: A Guide for New Professionals in Student Affairs addresses the most critical and current issues for those entering the field. In this comprehensive guide, seasoned student affairs leaders and new professionals share practical advice and offer broad perspectives on: managing the first job search and networking professionally; seeking opportunities for career advancement; supervising student affairs staff Achieving work-life balance; defining professional and personal ethics; collaborating with faculty colleagues; handling critical incidents and larger crises; assessing student learning outcome; and using technology and social media effectively. Whether you are moving into student affairs from a graduate preparation program or making a career change, this book shows you how to navigate and negotiate within the higher education landscape.


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International Feature Film Competition 2023
Director: Inka Achte
When Finnish-Somalian Mustafe discovers his ancestors' land in the horn of Africa is full of copper and gold, he decides to swap his family’s safe but boring life in Finland -the country hailed as the happiest and most equal in the world- for Somaliland, a self-declared state in East Africa. As Mustafe struggles to lift the treasures from underground, his children embark on a bumpy journey to uncover where they really belong.
Director: Francesco De Giorgi, Giovanni Iavarone
Puglia, May 2021. A group of folk music artists decides to make a 200-km journey on foot from Torre Guaceto (Brindisi) to Santa Maria di Leuca (Lecce) along the ancient roads of the Via Francigena. A young farmer and his donkey named Bartolo join the group, creating the "Company of Wise Donkeys." The documentary is the story of a musical journey into the memory, traditions, and popular culture of Salento.
Director: Filipa Cardoso
To hear the sound of the ocean in the Himalayas... This unlikely wish takes a film director and her three girls to Gyütö, where a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, perched high, echoes day and night the sound of sacred tantric chants of meditation, «which sound like the waves of the ocean». Wandering freely about wherever their curiosity leads them, they discover the daily life of 400 monks living there. Over time, a dialogue develops and a growing complicity emerges. From this intimate immersion, a film takes form, unfolding like a wave both visually and in sound. The reality of Buddhism is revealed in a way that is unprecedented, in the spontaneity of the questions asked, as well as with the sensitive understanding of a child’s point of view and with no proselytization at all.
The Order of Things
Director: Ramona Badescu, Jeff Silva
At the ripe age of 90 years old, Alexandru gardens, jokes, and continues to repair watches in the workshop opened by his father in 1909, somewhere in southern Romania. But what is invisible to everyone, and what has changed his life forever, is his past as a political prisoner. The Order of Things is an attempt to record the fragmented memory of one of the last direct witnesses of the Romanian forced labor camps and political prisons as well as an ode to resilience.
Director: Aitor Sánchez Smith, Lander Ibarretxe
Balika tells the story of Dipendra and Sushmita, two teenagers living in an orphanage in Kathmandu. The protagonists, like all his friends, were abandoned by their families.
Only Roundup Remains
Director: Brian Liu
In central Montana, the Highwood Cattle Roundup has been happening exactly this same way since 1912. As the world changes and modernizes, this proud iconic American culture struggles to preserve its way of life. Through the perspective of an aging father, his two sons, and their extended family of Montana cowboys, Only Roundup Remains provides a rare and intimate glimpse into the disappearing lifestyle of proud generational ranching families, their tradition, hard work, honor, and what might be their final roundup.
Arkadaşloch - Nobody's Problem
Director: Nilay Kılınç, Markus Bauer, Alexander Brugger
“Arkadaşloch – Nobody’s Problem” is an essay documentary film that tells the story of Özgür Kal who was deported from Germany to Turkey, and depicts his self-transformation from being the poster-child of failed integration to becoming a family-oriented business owner in Antalya. Based on Nilay Kılınç’s Ph.D. research, the documentary offers a closer look at the lives of second-generation Turkish-German migrants who have to deal with the precariousness of existence without a fixed abode and economic prospects, even after ‘returning’ to Turkey – their so-called “homeland”.
The Samaritans: A Biblical People
Director: Moshe Alafi
The biblical Samaritan community is fighting for its life and to save its language and faith from extinction.
The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree
Director: Bojan Dakić
In the attics of Roma houses throughout Vojvodina, we found about a hundred VHS tapes showing the most important event in the life of the Roma, the wedding and wedding customs. The recordings were made at the end of the 1980s and during the 1990s. Some of the wedding customs have been preserved and are practiced today, others have experienced a transformation, and others were on the verge of being forgotten and were finally remembered in this film. Early and arranged marriages and the cult of virginity are an integral part of the Roma tradition. The older and younger generations talk about those customs that were dictated by their wandering past and to what extent these customs are desirable today.
In the hearts of the living
Director: Marielle Duclos
Exclusion is a long journey that continues into death. Over the seasons, volunteers organize the burial of people who have experienced living on the street, trying to bring together their families and loved ones so that they do not leave alone, in oblivion and indifference. Each year, about twenty ceremonies are held in the cemetery of Cornebarrieu on the outskirts of Toulouse. A presence, gestures, songs, and stories accompany these deceased. Through their presence, which might seem vain, at the funerals of strangers, these volunteers question the scope and meaning of such a commitment beyond religious beliefs. By offering a dignified ceremony to the most precarious, they contribute, in a spirit of brotherhood, to honoring their memory. For the true tomb of the dead is the heart of the living.
Director: Kristina Atovska
Country: North Macedonia
The film “Siren Lulbabies” is an independent feature length documentary about the war in Ukraine in 2022, covering the first four months of the war. It’s a personalized story narrated by the director Kristina Atovska, who was the only journalist from her country in Ukraine… and went there alone.
This movie is made mainly by Kristina’s passion for journalism and giving voice to the people that can’t be heard, in this case because of a war in their yards. That's why the main focus in this film is on the people who remained to live in war. Through their stories we see all the faces of war, from crimes against civilians to solidarity as a form of resistance, all of which are covered with exclusive footages.
Kristina's journey starts in Lviv, goes through occupied Kyiv, the battlefield on the Zhytomyr highway, the Bucha and Irpin massacre and ends in the everyday bombing in Kharkiv. This is the movie that shows the feeling of having to change everyday routines in order to survive at least one more day under the rain of bombs and constant threat.
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"The Lavender Herbal"
"The Lavender Herbal" is written as a basic introductory guide to the budding American Herbalist unsure of where to start.
The book covers such subjects ranging from choosing your first herbs, starting your first herb garden, and what to look for when purchasing plants in various forms to how to create basic remedies, as well as how to properly use and store them. “The Lavender Herbal” also covers more serious topics such as the laws surrounding the use of herbal medicines in the United States, and a plethora of safety and emergency information, precautions, and warnings.
Please be aware that the author is not a licensed herbalist and holds no titles or formal education and this book should be carefully used in conjunction with more official sources.
Purchase on Amazon (Kindle and Paperback)
Review on Goodreads


For thousands of years the Coeur d'Alene Indians have lived
in the Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington along the Spokane
River Basin. Unlike the tribes of the plains, the Coeur d'
Alenes and their neighbors, the Spokanes, the Kootenai, the
Kalispell, the bands of the Colville Confederated Tribes and the
Kootenai-Salish, or Flatheads, were not nomadic.
Morris Antelope an Coeur D'Alene Indian Chief.
Coeur d' Alene Indian villages were established along the
Coeur d' Alene, St. Joe, Clark Fork and Spokane Rivers. French
fur traders named the tribe Coeur d'Alene--"heart of an
awl"--saying they were the finest traders in the world. The
tribe's trade involved year-long trips to the Pacific coast as
well as to the Great Plains to exchange goods. They called
themselves Schee chu'umsch, which, in their native Salish
language, means "those who are found here."
The Coeur d'Alene Indians lived in large permanent villages
along the Spokane and St. Joe Rivers, near Lake Coeur d'Alene
and Hayden Lake and on parts of the large prairie known today as
the Palouse country, an area of about 5 million acres. They
enjoyed a close relationship with the inland tribes of Canada
and the Northwest, sharing a common language and fishing
grounds, intermarrying, and attending big trade gatherings and
celebrations. Silver was discovered in the Idaho panhandle in
the 1870s, setting off a frenzy of mining activity. The Coeur
d'Alene Indian Reservation, established in 1873, originally
included all of Lake Coeur d'Alene. By a series of treaty
agreements, the reservation was reduced to its present size.
Ancient trade routes connected the Coeur d' Alenes with the
Nez Perce, the Shoshones and the Bannocks to the south and
southeast. To the east were the tribes of the Great Plains and
the vast herds of buffalo. With the coming of horses, young
Coeur d' Alene men journeyed east to hunt buffalo. These
journeys, however were not necessary for survival. The Saint Joe
River was plentiful for whitefish in the late fall and the
Spokane River in the summer provided large amounts salmon. The
jpourneys were viewed as adventures, with rites of passage, for
youth who would step into manhood and then on to leadership
The first white people to encounter the Coeur d' Alenes were
French trappers and traders. It was one of these Frenchmen who
found the tribe to be vastly experienced and skilled at trading,
thus the name "Coeur d' Alene, "meaning "heart of the awl." The
nickname stuck. One Frenchman described the tribe as "the
greatest traders in the world."
The Coeur D' Alene area is also home to one of the first
Catholic missions to be established in the West.
Mission was originally established on the St. Joe River in
the early 1840s. Because of flooding the mission was moved to a
bluff overlooking the Coeur d'Alene River in 1848. Today the
mission remains Idaho's oldest building. Both the mission and
the parish are part of Old Mission State Park.
The Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation is located south of the
resort town of Coeur d'Alene in Idaho's panhandle and only
occupies a fraction of the tribe's original 5,000,000 acres. The
arrowhead-shaped reservation includes the edge of the western
Rockies, half of Lake Coeur d'Alene, and portions of the fertile
Adjacent to the Reservation is Steptoe Butte, the highest
point in the Palouse (towering more than 1,000 feet above the
valley floor) and one of the most important sacred sites of the
Coeur d'Alene. Its peak was a site of meditation, prayer, and
ceremony for centuries. The butte, covered with downy grass, is
solid rock, 500 million years old.