I just finished this book in record time for me, about a week and a half.  Kudos for our library for getting a copy upon my request.  I was interested because it is set in Black Mountain and I heard of the book while visiting friends there.  I like the emphasis on how a community can be resilient. 

Kind of makes me want to learn to hunt.  If you like war books this would be a good one for you.  It shows the evil side of humanity and how communities’ have to keep their neighbors in check.  I don’t however like the scare tactics that Newt and the author are  trying to use.

did the brr with a team of strangers by the end of 30 hours I called them friends.  here is the course.  man I love NC.  notice there are 3 pages to see the whole course. to see the other pages click on the map.

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saw this video and it has some great photo of wilkes county.  Melissa will go to the cattle sale tomorrow.  And yes folks still tot thier riffles around.

Clay cannot sit up by himself yet, but the fact that he resembles a bobble head figurine less and less each day is pretty neat. I can prop him up here in the corner of the couch and he magically stays upright.  Oh, how silly we mothers are about milestones!  He will not smile for camera, but he is a very smiley baby these days and each take of this video was punctuated with a big grin.  As soon as the camera got ready to capture it, he would put on his thinking face and the smile would fade (much like his father and grandpa Summers!)   

And he is starting to stand  on his legs when we hold him up by his little hands.

Practicing his standin' up while Aunt Caroline and cousin Lizzy Jane visit!Clay is dashing in tie dye!

Phillip finally has the playmate in Clay that he has been waiting for; well, at least he can get in his baby backpack now! He truly is growing up so fast (Clay I mean, not Phillip =)!  

well, it will not let me embed but to check out

thanks to Charity at in photos for her visit.

daddy bike

I got this bike for my friend Doug a few years ago from the Clean Machine.  Recently he was ready to be rid of it.  I like this bike for it’s commuter sensibilities (it can accommodate fenders and is a beater; scored it for $100).  For my birthday I got fenders, and on the first rainy day afterward I was in hog heaven until I hit a grate, which did a number on my rear wheel.  Enter our friend Jorge, who is also a bike lover.  He had a set of wheels that he graciously gave me.  The only trick was that their axle was too narrow for my chain stay.  Jorge came to the rescue again with an article on how to reset steel frames, and that is how you see the beautiful, fully-functioning bike above.  God is good.

I received a copy of John Eldridge’s book Walking with God for Christmas. I finished the book over Easter (truly the most important holiday of all time). It is a journal of sort, with a lot of preaching thrown in.   I was glad to read messages such as abide in “my love” referring to the awesome love of God.  However I felt that other parts came off a bit judgmental.  But I do appreciate the author’s honesty about his personal faith in Christ Jesus.    Solo Cristo.