Our Cozyathon Wrap Up

Earlier this month, in my post: Connecting Through Book + Cozyathon, I shared my desire to participate in a readathon with my daughters in hopes to connect with them.

In this post I’d like to share some pictures and my overall thoughts in having participated in this readathon.

1. Read in a Coffee Shop or Tea Room

This was a fun moment with my daughter, Grace. We both really enjoyed ourselves. She had her jug of milk and I had a peppermint mocha coffee. It was such a delicious combination! We read about Daniel Tiger and his friends. I think it was one of my favorite days from this readathon. I look forward to going on more reading dates with my children.

9. Read a book with red or pink on it

10. Read a book with a sweet title

There’s our book with red in it and since we didn’t have a book with a sweet title, I decided to use this cozy pijama with a sweet picture on it in place of that challenge. Grace wore it while we read. 😊

3. Cake Shop Date: Read while eating cake or cookies

It was so fun to set up these moments for them. Here we had blueberry oatmeal cookies and milk. We read “On The Night You Were Born” by Nancy Tillman. This is a Spanish translation we have. It’s one that we really enjoy. The colors in this book are beautiful. I love the blue colors throughout it, so I thought it went well with our blueberry cookies.

13. Buddy Read a Book With Someone

Here are our buddies and our read. 😊

4. Movie Date: Read while eating popcorn

This was the first time I made stovetop popcorn. I realized after I made it that it probably wouldn’t be safe for my children so I did this one alone. Although, I chopped up some fruit for them while I ate popcorn and read “Villette” by Charlotte Bronte on my phone.

7. Stay at home date: Read while wrapped in a blanket

In this case, I found her wrapped in my sweater. It was so cute. I’m creating a little bookworm. 😮

As for myself, there were many evenings I found myself reading “Villette” while wrapped in my blanket.

All in all, this was such a fun and relaxed readathon to participate in. It was fun to include my daughters and find ways to complete our challenges. It really helped set the mood for coziness and lots of reading within our home.

My husband was also very supportive. We hung out a couple of nights and read, “The Sign of The Four” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle while he played a video game. He also brought me a huge bar of chocolate. I didn’t get to read while eating chocolate but I did make black bean brownies. It was my first time making them.

For the challenge on reading a book about love or a relationship, I read the Book of Ruth in the Bible. I really enjoyed reading about Naomi and Ruth’s relationship. I learned a lot from Ruth’s loyalty and devotion to her mother in law. Another relationship that I was able to read (or listen to in my bible app) about was about Jonathan and David’s relationship. I really enjoyed learning about their intimate friendship.

I had also mentioned that we weren’t able to buy books at the moment so we were working with what we have. But thankfully, now that my husband is back to working, we were able to buy three books, which helps fulfill the last challenge about buying a bookish present. We bought three books for our daughters which they are both really enjoying.

One of them is about Caillou not using diapers anymore so it’s really inspiring Grace and Joy is learned to say, “Caillou!”

Those were some of the moments we enjoyed while participating in this readathon. It’s something that we may continue practicing especially during these colder months.

I would love to know if you participated or if there are any cozy things you like to do while reading. Thanks for reading about our Cozyathon experience. 😊

Book Thoughts: “Villette” by Charlotte Bronte (#9)

(In this post I share some overall general and personal reflections as I have reached about the halfway mark in “Villette” and share a link of a book review by another blogger that could be helpful to anyone who’s reading “Villette” also.)

“The hermit—if he be a sensible hermit—will swallow his own thoughts, and lock up his own emotions during these weeks of inward winter. He will know that Destiny designed him to imitate, on occasion, the dormouse, and he will be conformable: make a tidy ball of himself, creep into a hole of life’s wall, and submit decently to the drift which blows in and soon blocks him up, preserving him in ice for the season.”

This book has become significant to me on a personal level. I’m sure that we all have gone through some form of mild-severe depression whether it was for a season or for an extended amount of time. This is what is currently gripping me about this story, at the moment. It is Lucy’s descriptions of her inward struggles.

I love how she manages to communicate all that she is going through inside. She does it in such a poetic manner too. Especially, at the beginning of the chapter that I am currently in, which is Chapter 24. She starts off:

“Those who live in retirement, whose lives have fallen amid the seclusion of schools or of other walled-in and guarded dwellings, are liable to be suddenly and for a long while dropped out of the memory of their friends, the denizens of a freer world.”

At the moment, as a mother who is still adjusting to living in a new state which is completely different from my original hometown (from NYC to Ohio), I can relate so closely to this quote and her internal struggles. I love how she compares the isolation and coldness she feels to season of winter, which, coincidentally, the season we are currently in. I am finding so much solace in reading this book.

The other day I had a wonderful small discussion with a fellow blogger, Emily, at A Writer’s Beginning . She did such a thorough review on “Villette”. I thought I might share it with others here in hopes that it can offer a better an understanding to others who might be reading. It is linked at the end of this post. The review and discussion was definitely helpful to me and offered answers to some of the confusions and curiosities I had.

She wrote about the context of the story and we discussed a little about how I felt Lucy can seem arrogant, at times. I know that may sound harsh but I don’t mean it in a judge mental way. I was really curious about whether it was something intentionally done by the author, Charlotte Bronte. Or if that was just part of Charlotte Bronte’s character naturally coming across through Lucy. Emily shared the she could come across as cold hence her name Lucy Snowe. Her articles also offers some insight into the speculation I had on whether Dr. Bretton or M. Paul being the love interest. If you don’t wish to know just yet then you can return to the article at a later time.

The reason I thought she may have been arrogant at first was because of the way she was referring to the intelligence of some woman she saw at the concert who were all beautiful and finely dressed, as she described. & also the way she relates to Ginerva which I actually find endearing and funny. 😆 I’m not sure, I wonder if anyone else got that from her. I could be wrong.

Once I had that conversation, I found it interesting how the chapter I am in now makes references to coldness:

“And, perhaps, one day his snow-sepulchre will open, spring’s softness will return, the sun and south-wind will reach him; the budding of hedges, and carolling of birds, and singing of liberated streams, will call him to kindly resurrection. Perhaps this may be the case, perhaps not: the frost may get into his heart and never thaw more; when spring comes, a crow or a pie may pick out of the wall only his dormouse-bones.”

I also admire how Lucy is trying to cope with her inward struggles. She mentions taking on different activities like, reading books, learning German, taking up a lacing project etc. It reminds me of how I am trying to fare this winter: reading books, picking up my guitar again, drawing with my children, etc.

Overall, my reading experience with “Villette” has been rather hard but so worth it. I’m also very thankful to the the people I have been able to discuss this with. Most people say it is worth sticking it through and so far it has been. I’m looking forward to continue reading about Lucy Snowe. She has truly been a source of solace and inspiration to me during this season if my life.

Have you ever had a book or character that was meaningful to you during a particular season in your life? If you would like to share any other thoughts feel free to leave a comment. I hope this was helpful.

Emily’s Book Review On “Villette” (A Writer’s Beginning) https://emilyweatherburnblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/08/villette-book-review/

Source for quotes:

Excerpt From

Villette

Charlotte Brontë

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/villette/id510937652?mt=11

This material may be protected by copyright.

Taking Walks

Taking walks are a special thing for Matthew and I. We took plenty of walks as friends, while we were dating, as newlyweds without children, while pregnant with our first baby, and so on and on. When Matthew became increasingly ill, taking walks became a rare thing but we still tried. Now that he is better, I am excited to see the places we will go, as the weather and the Lord permits, of course.

Yesterday we went on a walk. I think it was our first long walk since Matthew’s recovery. The day was significantly warmer. It was in the 50s! It had been snowing and under 10 degrees for many weeks, so we finally got a chance to step outside as a family.

One of my favorite things about our walks are our conversations. We talked about our faith, how we were grateful for God’s mercy on us for healing both of us. Last year, I had suffered terribly with a skin condition and taking a walk, like we did yesterday, would have been extremely painful on my skin. I’m glad I can thank God in the little things now, like how the air touches my skin and how I don’t feel pain. Or how I can freely bend my joints without feeling the pain of cuts caused by the stretching of my dry skin.

We also made jokes, as always. We talked about our desires and aspirations for our family, like having more children, possibly having a house one day. He mentioned wanting to have a personal gym area somewhere in the back of the home. It’s fun to imagine what these things would be like and to talk about them with him but I’m grateful for where we are today and my desire is to continue to seek God and His righteousness.

This walk gave me a moment to connect with him while our daughters calmly strolled along with us. Since his recovery, he had been busy eagerly looking for a job and now that he has a job, we don’t see each other as much as when he was at home in bed all the time.

I mentioned to him that these kind of walks are therapeutic for me, mentally, because I think my skin benefits from soaking in some sun (although this day was cloudy), my lungs receive fresh air, & my eyes behold different sights.

Here’s one of the sites:

There was a parting in the sky, that we thought looked like a backwards J for Joy, our youngest daughter’s name. 😆

Our walk didn’t last as long as I would have liked because it was going to rain real soon. We actually felt some drops coming down as we made our way back. At this point, Joy had fallen asleep on my back in the carrier. By the time, we made it closer to home, I think the drops woke her up. 😆

Writing all this takes me back to taking walks around the city (our hometown NYC) by Nyack College or Times Square Church, Central Park, 5th Avenue, Astoria Park, Steinway, Ditmars Blvd, or Jackson Heights down 37th Avenue, or Broadway, down Hampton Street to the Queens Center Mall, or Northern Blvd. Our life has taken quite some detours and we have found ourselves even walking among scenic Amish community roads. Yesterday we found ourselves walking up Coshocton Avenue and down Yaguer Road. I wonder where will be walking next? 😆

I remember one time, on a very snowy NY day, when we were friends, we left school and he walked me to the place I was working at, at the time, and then home. I remember his black Vans covered in snow. His feet must have been wet and frozen. I kept telling myself that he would have done that for anyone, and he would. I just didn’t want to become too optimistic with the thought of him liking me.

I look forward to continue walking with Matthew well into our elderly years. ❤️

Cabin Foolishness

How can I compile all that I have learned from what I observe in my children or how I have grown as a wife?

For example, last night, I could sense myself growing weary from being inside for so long. I haven’t been out with our daughters because it has been very cold. Usually, when I have been inside for so long I tend to get antsy and irritable towards my children and my husband. I don’t know if it is because of the lack of sun, or fresh air, or if I’m just being foolish in general. I’m sure it’s a mixture of all of those because I start to get angry at Matthew for not “working” hard enough to work things out so I can go out. That’s exactly what I was feeling last night.

It truly is foolish of me for even allowing myself to think that way because it is far from the truth. In fact, my husband has been working really hard. Recently, he started working again. (Praise God!) He had been earnestly looking for a job soon after experiencing relief from his Fibromyalgia. Finally, he found one at the McDonald’s right across the street from us. What a blessing! It’s been his first week there and he’s already had to do an overnight shift but he is completely grateful to the Lord for allowing him to feel strong again to work. & I am so thankful too!

But yea, last night I felt anger trying to creep up on me causing me to be bitter against my husband. It truly is crazy because as I sit down writing this; its 7 AM, it’s snowing, & my husband is at the store buying groceries for us after having gone to the gym earlier this morning. Just to give a little perspective, we don’t have a car so all our trips to the Walmart are by walking which we don’t mind but it does add a challenge. Thankfully, it is not as cold as it has been.

In general, he has been working really hard. He’s actually communicated to me to please be patient. His desire is to help us get back on our feet so that we can go out and enjoy being out together as a family. But first he wants to make sure everything is taken care of (financially and other things within the home). & the cold weather is not something that is in his control. So I want be patient and grateful. I know that he is working really hard to have everything in place so we can start enjoying life now that he has been basically healed. Many of our days, while his illness had been here at home so since he’s gotten better I’m so anxious to enjoy this new life. But again, I want to be patient. Lordwilling, that time will come.

A person who is dear to me, gently corrected me and reminded me that:

“The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14:1‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Being angry at my husband because I haven’t been out is foolish. I want to be wise and build my home.