Happy Mardi Gras

I got parading out of my system Sunday. My youngest wanted to spend time exploring and socializing rather than watching the parades, so I didn't see a lot. Since it is so crowded on Mardi Gras, and since we didn't have anywhere to go with easy access to bathrooms, I decided to stay home. My youngest and I went to the playground for a while and found some other party (or shall we say parade) poopers. I also managed to read two books today (and got very little housework done). I read Janette Oke's Once Upon a Summer and Jan Karon's At Home in Mitford.

Once Upon a Summer is set in rural America around the turn of the century. The main character is a twelve year old orphan who lives with his Grandfather, his Great Uncle and his Aunt, who is five years older than he is. Shortly after the book starts, his Great Grandfather joins them. The book focuses on his relationship with his Great Grandfather and with his Aunt Lou, who of course, is courting age. It is Christian fiction but except for one scene, pretty subtle about it. In that scene someone shows the main character about self-sacrificing love.

At Home in Mitford is the first in a series of books about an Episcopal priest in a small town. He works too hard and takes care of everyone but himself. It has a happy ending, and yet it leaves itself wide open for the books which follow. I'm going to be trying to get them, but after Easter.

These two are now on my Bookmooch list.

One Lenten resolution is to read some of the books I have, and want to read, but have been putting off because they require too much thought. They include C.S. Lewis's Surprised by Joy, Heni Nouwen's The Return of the Prodigal Son, a book on recently cannonized saints, Patrick Madrid's Pope Fiction, Charles Carlson's Buying Stocks Without a Broker, Max Lucado's The Final Week of Jesus and a book about teenagers on the Autism Spectrum.