2010 Book #2: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver

This is a book I simply did not want to end.

Having never read anything by Barbara Kingsolver, I didn't know what to expect. Each time I've mentioned that I was reading this book, someone would exclaim their love for her writing or this book in general. I was a skeptic. Did I really want to read about her family's gardening adventure? Did I care to read 400 pages about vegetables? It turns out, I did!

This book documents the adventures of Barbara Kingsolver, her husband, and their two girls, as they commit to eating only locally grown food for a year. Her writing interweaves unbelievable statistics, hilarious tales of farming adventures, and deep questions about how the food we choose to place on our table now will impact the next generation. Camille, Barbara's oldest daughter, documents the teenager's perspective after each chapter. She shares recipes and how this experience impacted the family.

I consumed this book in about a week; reading whenever my schedule would allow. You know it is a good book if I can't go to bed and just keep on reading long after Cliff is asleep. (He is gracious enough to let me keep the bedside lamp on and read in bed.)

For gardener, skeptic, and locavore alike, I'd recommend this book wholeheartedly. I hope it will cause you to think more deeply about the food choices you make; it certainly did that for me. What are you supporting with your dollar?

My action items after reading this book:

• A renewed commitment to growing our own food (We're getting this year's garden plans together now.)
• Learn how to can, in order to preserve the food we grow (I just took a class last weekend!)
• Learn how to make my own cheese
• Shop regularly for produce at our local farmer's market and/or continue our organic produce delivery
• Keep trying to talk Cliff in to letting me raise chickens (not having much luck)
• Buy only grass fed, organic meat and poultry (probably at our local farmer's market)
• Continue to learn and educate myself about how the choices I make in the grocery store affect our health, the health of our planet, and our local economy

Currently Reading: Womanly Dominion: More than a Gentle and Quiet Spirit (by Mark Chanski)

Our Garden Adventure Begins...

Believe it or not, this is the time of year us west coasters start thinking about our gardens. Cliff and I haven't quite motivated ourselves to actually DO any hands in the dirt gardening yet, but we did a lot of talking this weekend particularly about our vegetable gardens.

You might remember that last year, we built vegetable beds in our backyard. We had some luck growing peppers, celery, sugar snap peas, and squash. Learning from last year's experience though, we definitely needed more of a plan and to do more than guess what works best for growing our own veggies. We learned that it is a bit more complex than our "throw it in the dirt and it will grow" philosophy.

For the last year, I've been intrigued by my friend Stacy's blog, Growing Green. She's had such success with her gardening adventure and her experience really motivated Cliff and I to be more thoughtful this year.

In developing the plan for our garden, we learned about the book, Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work by Mel Bartholomew. This book is amazingly simple and really helped us plan our garden for the year to hopefully maximize our yield.

On Saturday, after putting our plan in place, I ordered our seeds for the year...

cucumber, beans, brussel sprouts, carrots, spinach, onions, radishes, beets, peas, leek, kale, lettuce, and swiss chard. The only plants we have yet to buy are tomatoes, red peppers, jalapenos, and our seed potatoes. We're ready for this growing season to begin!

2010 Book #1: Death by Love

One of my goals this year was to read at least one book per month. So far, I've met my goal. (I love the success of resolutions in January!) I wanted to share my thoughts about my first book of the year. If this sounds interesting, I'd encourage you to add it to your list!

Death by Love: Letters from the Cross (Re:Lit) by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears
This book is a series of letters that Pastor Mark writes to different people he has counseled or come into contact with over the years. Each section or chapter starts out with him describing the person's situation and the context in which he knows them. Then Pastor Mark writes that person a letter to help them see their sin, need for Jesus, and ultimately shares the Gospel with them. He writes to a woman devestated by sexual abuse, a husband who is not faithful to his wife, and even to his youngest son, emphasizing that his faith must be his own.

As a member of Mars Hill Church, I have the priviledge of listening and learning from Pastor Mark each week. What I appreciate about him as a pastor and preacher came through loud and clear in this book. He has a deep love for Jesus, which he communicates on each page. He also does not mince words. He writes like he speaks; with clarity, passion, and a whole-hearted submission to Jesus.

This book was a good reminder that we all need Jesus and the answer is always the Gospel. Whatever our life experience, whatever sin we've committed or has been done to us, Jesus is the answer. He died on the cross to forgive my sins and yours and those who sin against us. Death by Love presents this truth in an interesting and unique way.

Currently Reading: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (Review coming soon!)

Mackenzie's 2010 Reading List

Last year, Cliff and I sat down at the beginning of the year and established goals for ourselves in a number of areas: spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, social, financial, etc. In keeping with this new tradition, tonight we reviewed our list of goals from last year and set new ones.

I noticed that I had "read one book a month" on my list from last year. I may have done this most months, but I had no purpose or intentionality with the books I chose to read or any confirmation that I'd accomplished the goal. This year, I wanted things to be different!

Cliff suggested that I make a list detailing the books I will read this year. He knows me well...I like to check things off a list! As I read the books, I'll try to review them and share what I've learned.

The books I plan to read in 2010:
Death by Love: Letters from the Cross (Re:Lit) by Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears
Womanly Dominion: More Than A Gentle and Quiet Spirit by Mark Chanski
The Majesty of the Law by Sandra Day O'Connor
Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul David Tripp
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.) by Barbara Kingsolver
Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist by John Piper
Real Food: What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck
The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name by Sally Lloyd-Jones
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
From Clutter to Clarity: Simplifying Life from the Inside Out by Nancy Twigg
Humility: True Greatness by C. J. Mahaney& Joshua Harris

Throughout the year, I'll also be reading:
Morning and Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon
The Bible (ESV): I'm working on getting through the New Testament this year!

If you have any suggestions of books I should add to my list, please let me know! What are you reading this year?