The Hibernator is married!!!

Gunflint Lake - Grand Marias Minnesota

Hi, my name's Rachel (the_hibernator). I'm recently married to a science-fiction reader/gamer (Aaron) who has two kids: D (8yo) and M (6yo). I have two handsome nephews and one beautiful niece: J (14yo), B (4yo), and L (2yo). I have three cats: Myra, Hero, and Puck.

I try to read a variety of books, both fiction and nonfiction.

2018 Books Read

1. American Psychosis, by E. Fuller Torrey
2. Incarceration Nations, by Baz Dreisinger
3. Roots, by Alex Haley
4. Against the Tide, by Tui T. Sutherland
5. Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann
6. Get Ready to Get Pregnant, by Michael C. Lu
7. Mouse Guard Fall 1152, by David Peterson
8. Shadow Land, by Elizabeth Kostova
9. Caesar's Last Breath, by Sam Kean
10. When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi
11. The Princess Diarist, by Carrie Fisher
12. The Island of Doctor Moreau, by H. G. Wells
13. The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde
14. I Stop Somewhere, by T. E. Carter
15. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J. K. Rowling
16. Time Jumpers, by Brandon Mull
17. Hammered, by Kevin Hearne
18. Owl Diaries: Eva Sees a Ghost, by Rebecca Elliott
19. Kung Pow Chicken, by Cyndi Marko
20. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J. K. Rowling
21. Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes
22. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
23. No One Cares About Crazy People, by Ron Powers
24. Beyond Belief, by Jenna Miscavige Hill
25. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J. K. Rowling
26. Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan
27. Doctor Who: 10th Doctor Tales, by various

Hi All! I'm back from my honeymoon and ready to post lots of pictures. I'll start with pictures of the wedding. I ended up wearing a salwar kamise instead of a sari because my sister was very averse to the sari idea. Plus, I decided that maybe I didn't want to deal with a sari on such a busy day. So here are some pictures. I will post more when I get the professional pictures.

And for my honeymoon we went to Gunflint lodge, which is in Northern Minnesota, bordering on Canada. It had hiking, boating, canoeing, horseback riding, and ziplining. It did not have phone signal and only had wifi at the lodge. *gasp!* I missed the ziplining because of my pregnancy. We also skipped the horeseback riding in favor of other activities.

Here is a view from our cabin window:



On the first day, we went for a short hike, then motor boating, and then another short hike.



On day 2, we hiked the "difficult" high cliffs trail - it was, indeed, difficult for me. Then we drove an hour into Grand Marais (phone signal!) to hike to a waterfall at Judge Magney State Park.





On day 3, we were going to go on a long canoe day-trip, but we realized how tired we were as soon as we got in the canoe. We got to the first portage, on Canadian land, and scouted the trail only to discover that it was beyond our skill level. Aaron says that if I'd encouraged him to do it, he would have tried - but luckily we both recognize our limits. :) The Mounties didn't have to rescue us. We did violate the treaty which says that we're only allowed to use the land for transport, and took some pictures (which is technically recreation). Sorry Canadians! We returned home and relaxed the rest of the day.



We returned home Thursday (a 6 hour drive during which we listened to Hammered, by Kevin Hearne).

Congratulations!! I love the photos; that looks like such a beautiful place for a honeymoon.

Looks wonderfully happy Rachel. Congratulations.

Great photos! Congrats on your wedding and happy honeymoon!

YOu both look very happy, Rachel. Congratulations and the best of wishes for your life together.

Congratulations, Rachel! It looks like a lovely honeymoon spot. I love that you crossed the border doing illegal things like taking photographs. We won't tell!

Congrats!

Congratulations!! A fabulous wedding and honeymoon!! And on behalf of some of my other Canadians, welcome, whatever, we're actually FAR more laid back about this whole border thing than Americans are... (Which is why the two sides of my dual nationality are at war within me constantly now...)

All the best for a happy and book-filled, cat-filled, kid-filled, joyous life.

Congratulations to you and Aaron, Rachel. You two look appropriately gloriously happy on your lovely honeymoon. Thank you for sharing the pictures. Many blessings in your life as a wife and mother.

Great photos and CONGRATULATIONS!

Hi Rachel!

Congratulations! I love the photos.

Congratulations on your marriage, Rachel and Aaron, you both look so happy in the pictures!

Congratulations! And the photos look amazing!

Congratulations to both of you! The salwar kamise is gorgeous. You look lovely and happy. :)

Congratulations, Rachel!!!!!!

Congratulations, Rachel! You both look wonderful in your wedding day picture, and very happy.

Happy New Thread, Rachel! Love the Gunflint Lake topper, (I would love visiting this place) and nice to see the newlywed photos. You are positively glowing.

Many congratulations to you and Aaron Rachel! I love the dress and you all look wonderful in the photos!

So many salutations in order, Rachel.

Wedding, honeymoon and lovely photos must be first up of course. It really is wonderful to see you so happy.

Happy new thread. xx

Wonderful photos, Rachel. Congratulations.

Congrats to the happy couple! The pics are beuariful and it looks like outstanding weather at the lodge!

Congratulations, your honeymoon location looks lovely!

Congratulations, Rachel. Those are great pics of you guys in your wedding duds. No problem that you strayed into this country it's a great place to take photos of.

Thanks for all the congrats everyone! It's so nice to see how many people care about me. :)

As an update about my actual reading (after all, isn't this what the thread is supposed to be about):

Currently Reading



I got SOME reading done on my honeymoon, but mostly I hiked and canoed and rested. So I’m still reading the same old books as last week.

Completed



A and I listened to Hammered, by Kevin Hearne on our trip – and found it quite delightful. Review coming soon. My nephew J, BFF L, and I have been watching Doctor Who together for a while, but we decided to start over (with the newer series) for my new husband, because he hasn’t seen them.

Acquired



My list of acquired books is really a list of books that have gone through my hands this last week. As gifts for my attendants, I gave my BFF L (who actually officiated) and my new husband the South Reach Trilogy, by Jeff Vandermeer. I am eager to read them myself. We Two and Victoria’s Daughters were for T, another good friend and attendant. The Complete Calvin and Hobbes was given to my sister, C. The military books to my nephew, J, who was my third attendant.

My husband gave me How Democracies Die, The End of Policing, and the second and third books to The Great Library series.

When Dimple Met Rishi and Baker’s Magic were this week’s free Sync books.

Congrats Rachel! Gorgeous pictures. I'm glad you had a good time on your honeymoon!

Congratulations, Rachel!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Thanks Nora, Darryl, and Terri!

I just got the professional pictures too, and I thought at the very least I should share pictures of the kids - because who doesn't want to see kids?


Our Torch-bearers M (stepson) and B (nephew). B accidentally picked off part of the construction paper we had taped over the light sensor, so his torch didn't work. He was SO sad. :( But he took it like a champ and walked down the aisle anyway. M would have thrown a temper tantrum and delayed the wedding.


Our flower girls, D (stepdaughter) and L (niece). D did a fantastic job of showing L how to sprinkle the flower petals, so they did a perfect job.


D was so proud of her jewelry






We had a hard time finding a picture of M where he wasn't making a silly face. It made the group photos almost impossible because we had to deal with the attention span of a 2 year old (L) along with a 6 year old (M) who had his tongue sticking out in most of them. Aaron and I were pretty frustrated both at the time and now (looking through the picture and trying to choose one for the album). But I thought this one was pretty cute.






I feel a little silly including J in the "kids" section, but he's not an adult either. This is a fantastic picture of him because we rarely catch him smiling in photos. He's been so angsty (and depressed). That makes this picture really special.



L and B playing with bubbles.

Hi Rachel!

Wonderful, fun, sweet photos.

I love the photos!

Sweet pics, Rachel! Everyone looks joyous...even after the unlit torch dilemma!

Great photos, Rachel! Umm...does your username (The Hibernator) still apply, now that you have a husband and (if I understand correctly) stepchildren?!

Wonderful photos Rachel!

Thanks Karen, Zoe, Lynda, and Heather!

>35 kidzdoc: Lol, Darryl, unfortunately there is little time for hibernation. The kids take up a lot of time - as kids generally do - though their moods have become much more manageable since I limited their screen-time from unlimited to 2 hours a day and started feeding them vegetables. I wouldn't have believed the changes that the screens could inflict on their young lives!

Sweet photos. Thanks so much for sharing them.

Your “new” children look so happy in the photos! Good thing, right! D’s hair matches her dress perfectly. All of them are just adorable. Thanks for sharing, Rachel...and I’m glad you came out of hibernation. 😉

Wonderful pictures! Looks like everyone was having a terrific time. You have been such a great change in the lives of those young people!

Karen O.

Is is too late to pop in for a slice of wedding cake?

Many many hugs and congratulations on the big event.

Admire a person who sets her sights on a thing and then goes for it.

Love ya!

Congrats!!

Beautiful photos :)

Stopping by to get caught up. Congratulations, Rachel! What a beautiful wedding and honeymoon. Thank you so much for sharing the pictures.

Congratulations, Rachel. Great pictures. The kids are cute.

Rachel!!! Congratulations! Your wedding looks lovely and your dress is stunning. I love the Gunflint Lodge--what a great place. Jealous that you got to spend time there. Well, okay, it was your honeymoon--you deserve it. : ) The kids are adorable in the photos -- thanks so much for posting and sharing your wonderful life with us! Wishing you and yours much, much happiness.

Lovely pictures Rachel. Everyone looks like they were having fun :-)

Thank you all! I have been silent for a while as I'm having another difficult period of my pregnancy. I caught a virus and it keeps getting worse and better, worse and better. I have an appointment with my doctor on Tuesday to make sure I don't have pneumonia. I don't think I do as I do not have a fever and my cough is mostly dry. But just gotta check.

I can visit a few threads while sitting in bed on my phone, but don't expect brilliant replies. 😁

Oh no! Sick is no fun. I hope it's not pneumonia, and that you feel better soon.

Oh my; I missed your transition to your new thread.

Congratulations! You guys look so happy on your wedding day and honeymoon. And the kids look adorable. Wishing you all joy and happiness in your new lives together.

Thanks for dropping by to visit my thread. I hope your virus issue is resolved soon.

Hope you start to feel better permanently very soon!

Well, it's pneumonia. I was put on antibiotics and hopefully will feel better in a few days. Just in case, Aaron's mom is flying out to help, in the mean-time.

Good news, though. Aaron got a new job! It pays a lot more and he'll be doing computer programming, which is what he's always wanted to do. It's fantastic for him. He'll start on the 11th.

Also, the kids have been better. D is out of therapy, and M is on ADHD meds, which make an amazing difference.

I am re-reading the Harry Potter books, and am on book 3.

>51 The_Hibernator: At least it’s good news for the most part. Yay for the new job! And your new MIL seems nice.

Get better soon and take care of yourself.

Get well soon Rachel - hope the antibiotics make a difference sharpish.

Feel better soon, Rachel!

The early Harry Potter books are the best ones. Her "world building" was free and wide ranging and exciting to watch.

Later books I think she sometimes painted herself into a corner had to revisit old corners of the Potter-verse because she couldn't' invent anything new.

And the later books badly need an editors blue pencil magic.

I remember when someone sent me a British copy of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone and i liked it but never thought it would become the world striding juggernaut that it did

I can't re-read the one where Harry is made to torture himself with the magic pen that cuts into his hand -- too grim for me.

Hope you're feeling better

Thanks Nina, Charlotte, and Darryl!

Jim, I feel that the first three are the best, and I totally agree about the torture scenes. Too dark. It's possible I will move on to other books when I finish the third. So much to read, so little time.

Today I am feeling slightly better, though that just may be the lifted "burden" of taking care of the kids when I'm feeling so sick. Aaron took the day off yesterday (which was very understanding of his boss, since he's already given his notice) and today is a holiday, so he's at home. His mom flies in tonight.

I also have another "burden" lifted from me. Dad recently had his license revoked, so I have to drive them around. But I'm not allowed to be around the elderly for another 10 days. So they're on their own. Sad, but it makes my life more restful for a few days while I recover. Hopefully he doesn't do too much illegal driving!

Oh my! I seem to have missed an entire year of your life - and what a year! I've skimmed to catch up, so I will now express my congratulations on your marriage and your expectancy, sympathy for your pneumonia, good luck for Aaron's new job, and best wishes on all fronts. Whew!

As for >55 magicians_nephew: and >56 The_Hibernator:, the torture stopped my Harry Potter reading cold. I couldn't finish the book and didn't skip it to go on with the series. That's ok - there are other books to read.

I hope you get better soon.

Oh no! I'm so sorry about the pneumonia. Even summer head colds seem miserable to me when mixed with the heat, so I hope you're in a comfortable spot. Hooray for Aaron's Mom coming out to help and for his new job.

I keep thinking that reading the entire Harry Potter series sounds so good, but I haven't mustered up the energy.

Nooooo! So sorry you have pneumonia, but hopefully now that it is diagnosed and you are on meds, it will go away soon. Congrats to Aaron and his new job! It is always more fun when you are doing something you WANT to do. And better pay never hurst. : ) Please take care and get well.

>57 ffortsa: Hi Judy! Yes, a lot has happened in this year. Thanks for all the congrats. :)

>58 streamsong: Hi Janet! I was pretty miserable for a while, but am feeling much better, though I'm still going to take it easy until my MiL leaves town on Wednesday.

>59 Berly: Thanks Kim! I'm sure I'll be better soon now that I'm on antibiotics. It's made a world of difference.

This picture above looks nothing like me, except the pregnant part. Especially since my weight loss goals were derailed first by a change in medication and then by becoming pregnant. But never fear! Someday I will get back down to my ideal weight! I have faith! If you’re interested, here’s my latest graph (which I find interesting because I like data).



I’m eating plenty of healthy foods (my cravings lean mostly towards fruits and veggies – and in case you think that means I’m having a girl because you’ve been reading silly internet myths, it’s a boy). I have NOT been getting much exercise, though, because I first caught some nasty virus and then developed pneumonia. I'm getting much better on my antibiotics, as I've said above.

The kids have been doing great ever since M went on his meds for ADHD. Though the other day he requested to be homeschooled. He seems to associate school with being “bad.” We’re trying to convince him that first grade will be so much better because he’ll have the meds and the new social skills he’s been learning. Regardless, I have been doing research into other options. I’m certainly not ready to maintain my own curriculum on such short notice, but the online public school system looks promising. I don’t suppose anyone has feedback about Connections Academy, do they? I have read the reviews, and they seem mostly positive, though there are certainly some negative ones as well. I guess it all depends on the kid and how she learns. I will be going to an information session next week to determine whether this might be a good choice for me. A is skeptical, but M’s mom seems open to the idea.

While we’re on the subject of school difficulties, does anyone have experience with dysgraphia? We are concerned that D may be showing signs, and will be watching her carefully next year. She has very distressing writer’s block, poor legibility, and poor spelling. Of course, she’s just entering the third grade, so this may just be her natural progression. But I was just wondering if anyone out there has had experience?

Currently Reading



I’ve gotten to the point where I’m reading too many books at once again. It’ll probably fade away with time, but for now I’m re-reading the Harry Potter series for some light reading, Handmaid’s Tale for some more literary fiction, No One Cares About Crazy People as a general nonfiction book, The Explosive Child, which was suggested by M’s ADHD assessor (and now seems unnecessary since he hasn’t thrown a temper tantrum in a couple of months), and What to Expect When You’re Expecting, for obvious reasons.

Completed



M read two Scholastic Branches books to me recently. They are presumably above his reading level, as they appear to be aimed at second graders and he’s going into the first. But for the most part he’s doing great. I need to help him with a word every now and then, but that’s no problem. I’m so proud of him!

I finished the second Harry Potter book and started the third. And I watched Game of Thrones Season 1 with A and my nephew J. Yeah, we got J’s mom’s approval before subjecting J’s young mind to all that sex and violence – but apparently that’s the kind of stuff she watches with him. J is now addicted and has moved on to season 4 himself. Season 1 is as far as I’ve gone.

So sorry about the pneumonia! Glad you’re starting to feel better. Congratulations to Aaron on the new job! And glad the youngsters are doing better.

What to Expect When You’re expecting is the book that got me through my pregnancy. (Earlier edition I’m sure.)

Happy Saturday, Rachel. Sorry to hear you were sick. Hope that is mostly behind you now.

Glad to see reading being done too. Have a great weekend.

Having pneumonia while being pregnant sounds pretty serious to me. I’m glad you are feeling better, Rachel. It sounds like life is settling down a bit, at least until the new baby arrives.

When is Junior due? Your new MIL sounds like a gem. I hope she can make a return visit when Baby makes his entry into the world.

Sorry to read you have pneumonia, Rachel, I hope you feel better soon.
I started to re-read the Harry Potter books last month, 2 down, 5 to go.
Like mentioned above, I still vividly remember the tortue parts, although I found them worse on screen than on paper. Somehow visuals have more impact on me.

Rachel-- How is D's reading? Dysgraphia and poor spelling are also sometimes linked to dyslexia. Otherwise it could be just dysgraphia, a problem unto itself. Testing?

Glad you are on the mend. Keep it up!!

>62 tymfos: Thanks Terri. I'm getting better and better.

>63 msf59: Hi Mark! I am trying to get SOME reading done.

>64 Donna828: Hi Donna! The baby is due 12/12. Being pregnant with pneumonia was not fun, but at least I'm getting better.

>65 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita! They are fun books, aren't they?

>66 Berly: Hi Kim! D's reading is fantastic. Certainly not dyslexia. She's 8, and some of the dysgraphia tests can't be done till she's 9. Also, we'd have to talk the school into paying for the tests with an IEP request, as I understand it.

>67 The_Hibernator: Glad to hear it is not dyslexia. Sounds like you just need to keep an eye on it until she's old enough for the testing and talk to her teachers for further input. IEPs are a pain, but well worth it if needed. Good thing she has you on her side to navigate the system and provide support!

I've actually never heard of dysgraphia before; good to know it's not dyslexia.

Yay! Another December baby; he can join my boys. Have you started thinking of names?

I'm glad that you're feeling better, Rachel!

Glad you are doing better Rachel!

Your reading is probably reflecting your busy life, but it seems like a good kind of busy to me!

The wedding pictures of the kids are fun. It looks like they are enjoying themselves. It's good to hear that you are feeling better and you have good support.

An update on straying across the border. Apparently it is not good to stray from Canada into the US. A French jogger who was visiting Canada went for a jog on a White Rock beach and accidentally crossed the US border. She was caught by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and detained for two weeks.

>68 Berly: Hi Kim! Yeah, she may not even have dysgraphia...just be slower in her development. We will see what the teacher says without biasing her either way. She does have an anxiety disorder, and it always acts up when she needs to compose something. That is very distressing for everyone involved. Her teacher last year blamed it on defiance and laziness no matter how many times we told her it was anxiety. That may have given her a bad association with writing that has nothing to do with dysgraphia. We will see with time.

>69 humouress: Hi Nina! Dysgraphia is often missed because it is mistaken for laziness or cooccurrent with dyslexia. I suspect that's why it is less known.

>70 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl! I'm still not able to spend a whole day out of bed, but the cough is world's better. I'm glad she gave me antibiotics rather than saying she couldn't hear pneumonia (she couldn't) and sending me home. I could hear it myself while lying down, but I'd been sitting a while when she listened. The antibiotics worked within a day!

>71 EllaTim: Hi Ella! It IS a good kind of busy. I read many books because I like variety and because some are directly helpful to me right now.

>72 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg! Mostly I was joking about the illegal activity in Canada. The Boundary Waters Recreation area is one place you can stray across the border legally. You just need a Boundary Waters pass. We're just not supposed to recreate in Canada. No sitting and eating, hiking, etc. Pictures are technically part of recreating, but we were told that pictures are ignored. As we were only in Canada about 15 minutes, and most of that was trying to find the portage path, we were safe. ☺

Hello, Rachel. Lovely photos here, and it looks like your wedding was full of joy - the black and white photos are my favorites. I was sorry to read you have pneumonia on top of everything else - sending you healing mojo and hoping you get better quickly.

My oldest daughter, Rae, has dysgraphia. When she was in school, she had an IEP in place that allowed her additional time on tests and the use of a keyboard. The keyboard made a HUGE difference.

Great Mamie, I'll PM you if you don't mind.

>75 The_Hibernator: I don't mind at all - I responded to your PM this morning, as I didn't see it until then. Feel free to ask whatever.

Summary: Thor, Norse god of Thunder, has created many enemies over time – and more than one of them is friends with Atticus O’Sullivan, the last remaining Druid on Earth – and someone who has a proven ability to kill gods. Against his better judgement, Atticus is drawn into an assassination attempt on Thor.

My Thoughts: This is the third book of the Iron Druid Chronicles, and although it’s not as fantastic as the first, it is hilarious and kept my husband and myself happily occupied for our long drive to our honeymoon. This series is highly recommended to people who like urban fantasy – but I’d suggest starting with the first.

I hope you're feeling better, Rachel. Take care.

Thanks Beth! I'm still pretty tired, but I'm getting some reading and writing done. Nothing too very exciting.

How to Read the Bible, by James L. Kugel Chapter 1

In 2016 I started a project to read the Bible, including the book How to Read the Bible, by James Kugel. I began by writing chapter-by-chapter summaries of this information-packed book while reading the Bible at the same time. This year, I have restarted my project and restarted the book, hoping for better results – is that insanity? This time, I will read this book first (along with other supplementary books) and THEN begin the Bible. This is intended on being a multi-year project, as my attempt to “read the Bible in a year” proved too difficult.

In his first chapter, Kugel describes the content of the Hebrew Bible. It is partly a history of the people of Israel, starting at the very beginning of time. Interspersed within this history are many laws of the Hebrews. A third aspect of the Hebrew Bible is the pronouncements of various prophets, and a fourth aspect is the writings of Israel’s sages (the “wisdom writings”). The final aspect of the Hebrew Bible is prayers and songs of thanksgiving.

Kugel suggests that an allegorical reading of the Bible was not originally intended by the Hebrews. It was meant to be exactly what it was – a mixture of history, laws, prophetic statements, and prayers. The allegorical meaning came later when the Hebrews wanted to make the Bible seem up-to-date. The Jewish commentator Philo of Alexandria (ca. 30BCE-Ca. 55CE) was a leader in allegorical interpretation. An allegorical interpretation was especially important to the Christians, who wanted the Hebrew Bible to fit their new faith (for example, predict as much as it could about Jesus) and be applicable to the present day. Soon, Christians had a belief that each passage in the Bible could have four-fold meaning – the literal, the allegorical, the moral, and the anagogical.

Biblical interpretation until the Renaissance was left to scholars, as the general population couldn’t read and didn’t own Bibles. This is why, when more people began to learn to read, and had more access to printed word, many long-held interpretations of the Bible were overturned. This, of course, helped stimulate the Protestant Revolution.

Another revolution in Biblical interpretation came with the scientific arguments of Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543), Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) and Johannes Kepler (1571-1630). Science seemed to be able to unlock the secrets of life without divine revelation – and it even suggested that some of the points written in the Bible were false.

In his introductory chapter, Kugel points out that there are some confusing or conflicting passages in the Bible; therefore, four assumptions were made in ancient times to interpret the Old testament and get rid of these inconsistencies.

Assumption 1: The Bible is a fundamentally cryptic text, and there is hidden meaning.

Assumption 2: The Bible is a book of lessons meant to apply to our own times as well as the time in which it was written.

Assumption 3: The Bible contains no contradictions or mistakes.

Assumption 4: The Bible was divinely inspired.

These assumptions have lasted through time. However, in the late 1800’s, after the publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species and other revolutionary and “heretical” scientific theories were being discussed, people started questioning these assumptions. Was the Bible indeed verbally inspired (that is, did every word of it come from God, or just the basic idea)? Clearly, the Bible contained “errors” or inconsistencies in the text. Also, did Moses really write the Pentateuch?

The question of who wrote the Pentateuch is one of the touchiest subjects in modern Biblical scholarship. Some reasons to believe that Moses, indeed, did not write the Pentateuch is that he would have had to know things that he couldn’t possibly have known during his own lifetime. Counter-arguments suggest that Moses is a prophet, so of course he knew things that he wouldn’t have normally known. Another questionable section is when the Bible states “Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth” (Num 12:3). Would such a humble man write that about himself?

Many modern Biblical scholars believe that the Pentateuch was written by at least four or five different authors over a period of centuries. Two of the authors can be identified by the way they refer to God: some parts of the Pentateuch referred to him as “‘elohim” other parts referred to him as “Yahweh.” The author who referred to God as “Yahweh” is now called J, and the author who referred to God as “‘elohim” is now called E. The author of Deuteronomy (who had a different writing style and apparently lived in a different era, based on knowledge of the past) is now called D. On top of all that, style analysis showed that there was yet another writer – one who was a priest and focused on laws – who is now called P.

The purpose of the rest of Kugel’s book is to describe modern vs. classical interpretations of the Bible, in reference to specific passages.

So many wonderful news since I last visited (except for the pneunomia of course - sending lots of "get well" wishes!)!!
Totally belated BIG congratulations on the wedding and the pregnancy. Lovely happy pictures, thank you for sharing them! The kids' pictures are so great! Love your wedding clothes! How many happy !!!!!! can I type without it looking rude? :)

Hi Nathalie! Yes, I have a lot going on in my life right now - including having moved from working to being a homemaker. That's new for me, but gives me more time to read. :)

Not much to say about this week. I spent a lot of it recovering from the fatigue of pneumonia, and I’m getting better every day. The kids, unfortunately, got a lot of TV time as a result, but I got a lot of reading done, so…..I added a lot more books to the pile of “currently reading,” probably because I have been feeling so stir crazy and wanted some control over my life while stuck in bed.

We had a serious talk with M and he said that he wanted to go to brick and mortar school after all. I’m glad that was his decision, as he really needs to develop his socialization skills, and the choice gave him empowerment in a time when he feels very helpless about what’s going on in his life.

Currently Reading



Yeah, that’s a lot of books, but I get restless when I’m sitting in bed, and I have a short attention span, lol.

I’m also working through a few of the Great Courses, which is how I chose some of the books I’m reading:



In my own twisted way, I feel that these courses, and my reading of the Bible, all fit in together quite well. But like I said, I’m getting a bit stir-crazy with all the bed-rest.

Acquired



I’ve always wanted to learn a little more about philosophy, and as soon as I finish this course, I will start the Eastern Philosophy course. The Coppleston books were borrowed from my dad, as they are rather expensive.

I plan to spend a lot of this weekend reading, and hopefully next week I will be up and about a little more. At least enough to wash the dishes and pay my bills.

It looks like you are being very productive during your bed rest, Rachel. Hopefully you can get up and about more soon.

So glad to hear that M decided for himself to go back to a physical school!

It’s good to hear you’re recovering. Take care of your health.

Also good to hear that M has decided for himself to go back to school; especially since - once the baby arrives - you’re going to need 36 hours in a day to get things done. :0)

Happy Weekend, Rachel! Hope you are continuing to feel better.

Hi Rachel--Continue to feel better and I am glad M has decided to attend a brick and mortar school. Wishing him luck. You reading is quite varied--hope it grabs your interest!!

Hi Rachel, sorry to read about your health struggle. Feel better soon. I'm glad M's ADHS meds are working fine. My younger daughter took them too and it helped a lot.

>61 The_Hibernator: Has D dyslexia? In this case here in Switzerland they get a therapy and at school we take that serioulsy and help them to find their way. They get more time with tests.

Thinking of you and sending lots of healing vibes.

Hope you are starting to feel better!

Hope you are on the road to recovery Rachel - I've been swopping books around a lot at the moment too, but nothing to attribute it to, really.

Hi Rachel! I'm sorry about the pneumonia, glad to hear that the antibiotics and rest are helping. Glad that M has chosen a bricks-and-mortar school. Hooray for Aaron's new job, and etc.

I re-listened to the HP books from June 2017 - April 2018 (for the fourth time). I don't commute any more, and since I only listen to books in the car it takes much, much longer. They are soooo good.

Good luck with the Bible study. You'll get there, for sure.

>84 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg! I had a rather productive day yesterday - driving my parents around on errands in the morning and then driving M around in the afternoon. But I'm feeling the strain of it today. I guess it's good to know that if I have to pull a long day I can - even if I have consequences.

>85 _Zoe_: So am I Zoe!

>86 humouress: Hi Nina! Yes, I considered the pain it would be to take care of a brand new baby while homeschooling M, but luckily it won't have to happen. :)

>87 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda!

>88 Berly: Hi Kim! Yes, my reading is pretty varied. It helps me concentrate. And, really, in my own head there's a pattern. lol.

>89 Ameise1: Yes, M's meds are working great. Though he still has some hangups about other things (his mother), which need to be addressed.

>90 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle!

>91 charl08: I always do to a certain extent, Charlotte. Short attention span means that if I read the same book too much then I get frustrated with it and stop reading altogether. Unless I'm really fascinated by the book, which can also happen.

>92 karenmarie: Thanks Karen! I'm sure the Bible study will go better since I'm not setting myself up for such a tough goal, and am amazed that you all managed to pull through last time! Good job!

So, life here is going ok. Yesterday I spent all morning taking my mom to get a haircut and my dad to get a pedicure and mom to CVS, etc. Dad got D a pedicure at the same time, though, so that was cute. I also bought her a large ice cream cone at DQ and got a huge laugh out of her face. She tried SO hard to finish it, and promised not to throw up. She didn't, and she didn't. :)

After that, I got back just in time to take M to therapy and then to his social skills group. I think he's making huge progress in both, and it's not just his meds. The therapy is actually helping. Though we hit a bit of a roadblock yesterday because we were talking about why his make-believe stories always have his parents dying, and we asked him if he was afraid his dad was going to leave him. He said "no." But he said "yes" when he was asked if he was afraid his mom was going to leave him, and then he totally shut down and almost started crying.

For a little backstory, when his mom first left his dad when M was 3, she took 50% custody. But then she called Aaron up one day and said "You need to take the kids 100% of the time, I'm afraid I'm going to hurt them." (She'd apparently picked M up and thrown him across the room, and then regretted it.) During the custody arrangement, Aaron talked the mom up to 15% custody, which she's had ever since. D has survived all this quite well, but M is angry, hurt, and a little paranoid about it.

We thought maybe now is the time to sit them both down and ask if they have any questions about the divorce or about the custody arrangement - hoping that this will break through the roadblock with M so that he feels it's ok to talk about. It would be better coming from the mom, but she's useless about such things because she runs away whenever the topic is brought up.

M: "I'm sad that dad gets so much more time with me than mom does."
Mom: "Lucky dad! Well, gotta go! Bye!" *leaves house.

Yes, that happened. And other conversations like it.

The question is, do we just tell them "Your mom has a mental illness and, as much as she loves you, she does not have the energy to take care of you half of the time. She is doing the best she can right now, and with luck she will get better in the future."

That's what we plan on saying if they directly ask, but should we just say that without prompting? I just don't know. Also, that brings more questions to the picture. Dad has depression. Rachel has bipolar disorder. THEY take care of us most of the time. Rachel's been sitting in bed recovering from pneumonia, clearly we can't take up THAT much energy?

How do we address THOSE questions if they come up? Tell them that their mom is a flake who's chosen that she doesn't want to see them? (Which is at least a half-truth, the other half being that she doesn't believe that she can do it, which is a recipe for failure.)

I'm so stuck. I'm going to call M's therapist today and see if she has any suggestions. :/

How to Read the Bible, by James L. Kugel Chapter 2

Chapter 2 covers the story of creation and of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. In short, God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge or they would die on that day. Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, and gave some to Adam. They were expelled from the Garden of Eden, and had to now toil to survive. Adam lived till 930 years old.

Ancient interpretation: Ancient readers saw a problem with this story. Why did God say they would die on the day they ate of the fruit, if they were allowed long lives? Was it an empty threat? Certainly God doesn’t give empty threats. At some point before the second century BCE, someone thought of connecting this problem to a verse in the book of Psalms:

For a thousand years in Your sight are as yesterday, the way it passes, or like a watch in the night. (Ps 90:4)

If God’s “day” was a thousand years, it makes sense that Adam would have lived almost that long before dying.

Another interpretation that was made after the fact (and was not directly included in the Bible) was that Adam and Eve were immortal and sinless when they were in the Garden of Eden. This explains why death is the punishment for eating of the forbidden fruit. The disobedience of Adam and Eve were then thought of as “Original Sin,” from which all subsequent sins followed. Ancient interpreters named the punishment for this sin “The Fall of Man.” This is how the story of Adam and Eve was thought of until modern times. In fact, there are many people who are surprised to learn that the terms “Original Sin” and “The Fall of Man” weren’t ever mentioned in the Bible. What’s more, the interpretation that the snake was the devil was also a later interpretation, and it was not mentioned in the Bible.

Modern Interpretation: The idea that the book of Genesis was actually etiological (that it explained the way things became the way they are now) was suggested by the German biblicist Hermann Gunkel (1862-1932). Thus, the story of Adam and Eve moving from the Garden of Eden to toiling for food outside the Garden was the story of how humans moved from hunter gatherer to an agricultural system. They now had to toil long days to plant seed and harvest it.

Modern scholars also know that the discovery of agriculture corresponded to the discovery that a man had to plant his seed in the woman in order to make her pregnant. Thus the quote the man “will cling to his wife and they shall be one flesh” (Gen 2:24).

How to Read the Bible, by James L. Kugel Chapter 3

Chapter 3 covers the story of Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve. In short, Cain was jealous and angry at Abel because Abel seemed to be preferred by God. Cain murdered his brother. God punished Cain by making him roam the lands without a permanent home. In order to prevent him from being murdered because of his deeds and roaming, God said that anyone who murdered Cain would suffer vengeance seven times over.

Ancient Interpretation: Ancient interpreters decided the meaning of this passage was that some people will stop at nothing – not even murder. But God will punish those who are wicked. Thus there is a moral order to the universe.

In addition, they decided that Cain was not human, but that he was half demon. Although most modern translations of the Bible say that Eve bore Cain “with the help of the LORD,” the word “help” is not included in the original text. What the Bible literally says is “I have gotten a man with the LORD.” Of course, that does not mean that the LORD God was the father of Cain, as angels were also referred to as LORD. The conclusion ancient interpreters reached is that an evil angel had impregnated Eve, and that Cain was the offspring.

Modern Interpretation: Again, the modern interpretation that Kugel mentions is the etiological one. In this interpretation, the individual Cain actually symbolized an entire group of people called the Kenites, who were fierce warriors and who were nomads. Thus, when one Kenite was killed, they would retaliate by killing “seven” Israelites.

Wow! Looks like I've missed a whole lot going on in your life, Rachel. I know I'm not the first (may be the last), but huge congratulations and best wishes on your marriage! Glad you are recovering from the pneumonia. I had it once, and it was dreadful - I spent an entire week in bed barely able to move (rather than on vacation to Guatemala as had been planned).

As for helping the children of former spouses, I haven't got any advice, except to say that my daughter's dad (my ex) is also mentally and emotionally unstable, and that is what I told her growing up, but that he was doing the best he could and that he loved her but it was difficult for him. She's 35 now and treats the issue matter-of-factly. Each child is different, though, so I think you're doing the best thing by working with M's therapist.

>97 Storeetllr: Yes, I think addressing the situation headon with M is best. We DID decide to have a talk with their mother to forewarn her that we will be talking about this with the kids.

As for the pneumonia, I took a turn for the worse on Sunday. They refuse to give me a chest x-ray because of the baby. I am coughing up some disturbing stuff. My OB today said he'd write a note in my record to give me a chest x-ray since I am not being taken care of properly.

Oh, no! I'm so sorry to hear you took a turn for the worse. I know it's not recommended when pregnant, but a chest x-ray shouldn't hurt the baby, especially with the lead apron you'll be wearing.

Well, as I said in >98 The_Hibernator: my cough and fatigue have gotten worse since Sunday. I had an emergency visit with a doctor I'd never met yesterday (because I'm coughing up blood) and he put me back on antibiotics again, and did some bloodwork. The bloodwork shows that there's not likely a bacterial infection (anymore - I'm pretty sure the first set of antibiotics did exactly what it was supposed to do). So I asked him if I could please just have a chest x-ray. If they do it with proper care, it shouldn't hurt the baby, and even if it shows nothing, that's SOMETHING. This is very frustrating. I'm willing to accept that the extreme fatigue might be the pregnancy and/or psychiatric, but not the worsening cough.

ETA: Doc says finish the new antibiotic course he gave me and see what happens. He'll give me a chest x-ray if I don't improve or get worse.

On a positive note - I finished and wrote a review of my white whale Don Quxoite. I'll get it up next time I have energy to go to my computer.

Wow... I know that I only occasionally poke my head in but, geez, a lot has been happening over here since my last visit! OMG! Congrats on all the good news and here is hoping the antibiotics do what they are supposed to do for pneumonia you are battling.

I will tell you what I tell my kids. Stop coughing! :0)

>102 lkernagh: Thanks Lori

>103 humouress: It's not like I cough for my own amusement! :)

>104 The_Hibernator: *sigh* I know. I have the same issue with my nose and sneezing, no matter how many times I tell it to shut up. It gets going if the air-conditioning is too cold, if there's dust in the air .... Last night my son commented that my nose is always blocked, in response to my husband asking if I've caught a cold. I can't remember the last time I actually had a cold, but sneezing non-stop is a daily occurrence. It's very irritating.

Feel better soon, Rachel.

I am so sorry to hear about the continuing illness, Rachel. I hope you get this taking care of soon and get back to good health. Sending healing vibes from Chicagoland...

>103 humouress: Good advice. I agree completely.

Rachel, is it possible that you have pertussis (whooping cough)? I coughed for three months when I contracted it during my last year of residency.

>108 kidzdoc: See, Rachel? The doc says so, too. ;0)

Get better soon!

>105 humouress: lol and here I thought we were quoting Jane Austen!

>106 Ameise1: Thanks so much!

>107 msf59: thanks to you too!

>108 kidzdoc: Pertussis kills unborn children, so I was checked for that right away. I am safe from that, at least.

>109 humouress: I do my best to follow doctor's orders.

I'm so sorry to hear that you're still sick and with new symptoms, Rachel. I hope that the new antibiotics work, but am glad that the doctor has said he'd take an x-ray as the next step.

So much going on with trying to decide how much about their mother and the divorce to talk about, too. I'm glad to hear that D got a pedicure and an ice cream, and that M is mostly doing well, but also so sad that M shuts down about his mom.

And look at you going on the Bible! Brava.

I'm so sorry to hear about the setback. Sending lots of positive thoughts and good vibes that you'll be feeling better soon!

Your summaries of How to Read the Bible are fascinating. I may have to add that one to the wishlist.

>111 karenmarie: Thanks Karen! Yes, things are difficult with what to say to the kids about the mom. We are going to go with honesty, because it's better than the flawed logic excuse (we wanted you to stay in the same school) that their mom wants to come up with. Though we have a dinner planned on Sunday where we will tell her what we are going to tell the kids, and tell her she's welcome to tell them first.

Thanks for the Brava, but I haven't actually started reading the actual Bible. I've decided to read some supplementary works first, so that I'm not overwhelmed like last time. After all, I need to make some changes to my failed plan of last year, or I'll just fail again.

>112 streamsong: Thanks Janet! I'm really enjoying How to Read the Bible!

I did notice the book you were reading, just wrote the wrong thing. Brava for the How to book!

Book 21: Don Quixote, by Miguel Cervantes

Summary: When Don Quixote goes insane and decides that he is a knight errant, he adopts a simple-minded friend to be his squire and they sally forth into the world to right all wrongs. He has many misadventures due to his tenuous hold on reality.

My Thoughts: This was an incredibly difficult book for me to read. I have wanted to read Don Quixote for a long time, ever since falling in love with the soundtrack for Man of La Mancha. However, I have made 4 failed attempts to get past the first half of the book. This time, I finally prevailed.

The first part of the book was very difficult for me because the story of Don Quixote and Sancho was interspersed with way too many very long side stories about other (often unimportant) characters. Frankly, I found it boring, but I SO wanted to know how the story ended.

The second half of the book was actually much easier to read because it covered the story of Don Quixote and Sancho without developing any unnecessary characters or reading any unnecessary love letters/novels. I’m glad that, in the end, I stuck with this book and finished it up. 🙂



The following is my analysis adapted from Susan Wise Bauer’s The Well Educated Mind’s description of how to think about a novel. It will have spoilers.

👽What is the most central life-changing event?

There are two central life changing events in Don Quixote. The first is when he goes insane at the beginning of the novel. He begins to think he is a knight errant, and he sallies forth to right all wrongs. The second life changing event is at the end of the book, when he suffers defeat at the hands of another knight, who tells him to go home. After this event, Don Quixote begins to see ever more clearly that he has been living in a fantasy world.

👽Am I transported? Do I see, feel, and hear this other world?

In the second half of the book, yes, I was transported. The first half, no. I think the purpose of this book was to make people laugh and to parody books of chivalry rather than to engross people in a deeply engaging story.

👽Can I sympathize with the people who live there? Do I understand their wants and desires and problems? Or am I left unmoved?

I do sympathize with both Don Quixote and Sancho. I feel bad at how Don Quixote is taken advantage of and made fun of throughout the book – especially during the second half. Don Quixote only wants to right wrongs (and to be the most valorous night in history, of course), and he is kept from his goals by his unrealistic views of the moral values of others in the story. Sancho, on the other hand, isn’t only out for his self-interest – no matter what he keeps saying – he clearly loves Don Quixote and would follow him to the end of the world. He just wants to be able to talk a lot while doing so.

👽Is this a fable or a chronicle?

This story is supposed to be a “true history,” and should therefore be considered a chronicle. It follows the “true” life of Don Quixote from the beginning to the end of his madness.

The next question is: If the novel is a chronicle, how are we shown reality: Physical? Mental? But how do I even answer that? Are we shown reality at all? Sometimes, through Sancho, we can get an idea of what’s going on, and sometimes the narrator tells us what’s going on. But often, we just hear Don Quixote’s words, which we know aren’t a reflection of the “true” reality. But it is real to Don Quixote. Therefore, I’d say we see reality though both a physical and mental lens.

👽What does the central character want? What is standing in his or her way? What strategy is pursued to overcome this block?

Don Quixote wants to right all wrongs and to become the most valorous knight in history. His own madness is standing in his way. He sees things not as they are, but as he wants to. For instance, when he “helps” the boy who is being beaten by his boss, he takes the evil man’s word that he will “give the boy what he deserves.” Don Quixote thus abandons the boy to a worse fate than he’d have had if the knight errant hadn’t intervened. This is because Don Quixote views everyone else as having the same moral sense of right and wrong as he, himself does. But he is using an antiquated moral sense that no one shares with him.

Don Quixote never overcomes this block, other than to realize that he is mad, and then to die.

👽Who is telling you this story? Is this person reliable?

This story is generally third person limited, though there are times of omniscience, and other moments of first person when Cervantes talks about his own adventures trying to get this history written. No, I don’t believe the narrator is reliable, especially in the first half of the book. He seems to have a prejudice to be too kind to Don Quixote. The second half of the book has a much more reliable narrator, though it seems that Cervantes wasn’t himself the narrator of that section, rather it was a fictional historian.

👽Where is the story set? Is it natural or human constructed? If natural, does nature reflect the emotions and problems of characters? Or is the universe indifferent?

The story is set in the lands surrounding La Mancha, Spain. This is a natural environment, and nature does (sometimes) reflect the problems of the characters – as when it gets very dark on the night of the adventure of the water mill. But this was in the first half. In the second half, I’d say the universe is indifferent.

👽What style does the writer employ?

The style is humor narrative.

👽Images and metaphors. Are there any repeated images? If so, is this a metaphor, and if so, what does it represent?

The images that are most often repeated are descriptions of how scrawny and long-faced Don Quixote is. Perhaps this was just for reality’s sake. But to me, it represented the wasting away of mental illness in a time when there was little sympathy for the mentally ill.

The other image that was very common was that of the inn. In the beginning, Don Quixote always believed that the inns were castles, but as his madness waned, he realized they were inns. I think they were meant to show us just how mad Don Quixote was at any given time.

👽 Does the end have a resolution or a logical exhaustion?

The logical exhaustion of the story is when Don Quixote becomes self aware and realizes the gravity of some of his mistakes.

👽Do you sympathize with the characters? Which ones, and why? Did the author choose characteristics to make a statement about the human condition?

I sympathized with both Don Quixote (who was mad and treated poorly by many people, though treated well by others) and with Sancho (who was treated well only by Don Quixote, and then, only sometimes). I think the “human condition” point that Cervantes was trying to make (other than just making fun of books of chivalry) was that people’s worth should not be judged by their status in life, but by their deeds and intents. The Duke and Duchess were horrible people – cruel to Don Quixote and Sancho. But Sancho, despite being a fool, was a wise and fair governor.

👽Did the writer’s times affect him?

Whose doesn’t?

👽Is there an argument in this book? If so, do you agree?

I think the main argument is as I said above, a person’s status does not reflect the quality of that person as a moral human being. And, yes, I totally agree.

That’s my little nugget (apparently the size of a mango). Isn’t he adorable? The doc says that he is turning out “pristine” – in other words, no noticeable defects, or disorders of those that have been screened. Though after seeing this image of his face, I’m a little concerned he will come out looking like this:



Uncanny resemblance, no? Luckily the profile pictures are a little more reassuring.

Currently Reading



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Orphan Train and Code Talker were for my nephew, who had to pick two books out of a reading list for his summer reading. Because, yeah, he choose to go to a prep school where they do things like that. 🙂

Completed

>110 The_Hibernator: :0/ totally missed it

>113 The_Hibernator: Honesty is the best policy. Clichéd but true, especially when it comes to kids. I do my best not to lie to my kids in the hopes that a) they'll always trust me and b) they won't lie to me (hah!). Parenting is tough.

>116 The_Hibernator: It's so hard to tell with scans. You think you know what you're looking at and then the doctor tells you it's that tiny shape over there. I thought I had the hang of it towards the end of my second pregnancy - but then my OB was showing off her 3D scanner and I couldn't work out a thing from that scan.

Wishing you a speedy recovery, Rachel, those symptoms sound bad.

>115 The_Hibernator: Congratulations on finishing Don Quixote. I liked it better a few years back (I checked and hardly believe that it was nine years ago!), and I liked the first half better than the second ;-)

I hope you feel better soon, Rachel. How frustrating!

>117 humouress: Hi Nina! Our conversation with the biological mother went so well last night. She agreed that telling the truth would be the best idea right now, because she's noticed he's been getting more and more angry at her lately (telling her she's going to abandon him and that she doesn't love him). So the plan is now that she and I will go to M with therapy on Tuesday and she will tell D during her "special mommy time" after the appointment with M. Then Aaron and I will talk to both kids a couple days later and ask if they have any questions. I think that this may cause a bit of trouble with processing at first, but it will help in the long run.

>118 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita! I know a lot of people love the first half of Don Quixote because it has a much more light-hearted air to it.

>119 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda!

In Chapter 4, Kugel discusses the story of Noah being saved by the great flood. In short, God became unhappy with the evilness he saw in humans, and he decided to flood the entire world and let only Noah and his family survive. They were to build an ark, and take all life (in either twos or sevens depending on the chapter) to safety with them.

Ancient interpretation: Despite what many people believe, the Bible never said that God told Noah to warn his fellow people about the oncoming flood – this was an ancient interpretation that lasted throughout the years. It came from this line:

So the Lord said “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.” (Genesis 6:3)

Because Noah and his family lived many more than 120 years, the assumption the ancient interpreters made was that Genesis 6:3 meant that God would give Noah 120 years to complete his task of building the ark. While doing so, they interpreted that Noah tried to convince his neighbors to repent their evil ways.

Modern Interpretation: In 1872, the English Orientalist George Smith of the British Museum discovered a passage that would later be considered part of the Epic of Gilgamesh. The similarities between the stories was unsettling to most Biblical scholars because the Epic of Gilgamesh predated the Bible, and this suggested that the Biblical story was borrowed from another source.

Kugel also discussed the minutia of the multi-author theory, pointing out the inconsistency between two sections:

And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing on the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. (Genesis 6:19-20)

Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. (Genesis 7:2-3)

Well, because I'm not getting much better (though the symptoms have not worsened, either), I have an appointment this late afternoon to get checked out by the first doctor who gave me antibiotics (throughout all this, I've been seeing a different doc every time because they've all been last-minute appointments). I have a note from my OB saying that it's ok to give me a chest X-ray, as long as my belly is covered properly. So I will insist on a chest x-ray and sputum culture. If they come back negative - fine. At least I'll know I don't have lung cancer or an abscess or something. I mean, I don't really expect it to be anything horrible like that. It's possible I* had viral pneumonia, which makes me more susceptible to bacterial pneumonia, which is why the antibiotics worked the first time and not the second time - I no longer have a bacterial infection. Hopefully it's something simple like that. Although I don't know if antivirals are safe with pregnancy, so who knows what would happen then.

What I do know, is it's not "walking pneumonia" because I can't even empty and then fill the dishwasher in one go. I have to sit down for 10 minutes to rest in between. This is an improvement, though, because a couple weeks ago I couldn't even empty the dishwasher in one go. phew!

I had a really frustrating day yesterday because my sister has decided that she's afraid M is a budding sociopath and is no longer allowing me to bring them around her kids. I told her I'm not going to promise not to bring them to my parents' house, and she freaked out, calling me selfish and blocked me on both Facebook and on the telephone. So I decided I just don't feel like talking to her for a while.

Her problem is that M has been playing the "dead mommy" game a lot lately - play-pretending that his mommy is dead, and then mourning her loss. That's his way of coping with the abandonment issues. Problem is, he encouraged B, my nephew, to play along with him, and my sister was not amused at him pretending she was dead. A bit of an overreaction, if you ask me. Especially coming from someone who wouldn't believe me that my 6-year-old stepson could POSSIBLY have suicidal ideation. So a 6-year-old can be a sociopath but not have suicidal ideation? *rolls eyes.

ETA: Finished the third Harry Potter book this weekend. Yay! That's book 24 this year. At my increased rate of reading, I should make it to 75 by the end of the year after all. :)

>120 The_Hibernator: >122 The_Hibernator: Wishing you luck on both counts.

>123 humouress: Thanks Nina!

The x-ray actually went fine. If I indeed had pneumonia (which I believe I did, based on my response to the first set of antibiotics), it's gone now. The doc thinks that my lungs have become inflamed from too much coughing, and gave me a steroid inhaler to help with that inflammation. The other option, as Darryl so wisely suggested, is that I had a false negative on the pertussis, and actually had whooping cough. In which case, my cough might last a while longer. However, I don't think whooping cough is the culprit because, as I understand it, that is a very dry cough. Pneumonia makes much more sense, and is less of a threat to my baby. So I'll believe what I want.

Today, M's mom will go to therapy with us (yes, she actually wants me along for this) to tell M about her mental illness and how it inhibits her from seeing her kids as much as she would like to. I'm still shocked that she agreed to this, and am worried that the processing of this information will take some time (during which, M's behavior will worsen), but I think it's the right thing to do in the long run. At least then he won't wonder anymore. And maybe it won't feel quite as much like abandonment.

ETA: Finished Book #25! Reviews upcoming.

Summary: Ron Powers alternates the story of his own family, as his two boys grow up and eventually are diagnosed with schizophrenia, with a history of how the mental health system has failed to take care of mentally ill people.

My thoughts: I wanted to like this book. I did. But the historical sections weren’t anything I hadn’t read before in many a better-researched book (though they might be interesting to someone who has no background knowledge of the subject). Powers’ family story was interesting at first, but then it became apparent that he was going to make his sons into little saints whose only failures were due to either nascent schizophrenia or to the illness post-development. Not true. The kids were human beings who made mistakes. Dean didn’t get along with his dad as a teenager not because he was going to later fall into the grips of a mental illness, but because he was an angsty teen who had been through a lot of hardship in life. The car accident that was the life-changing event for Dean was, indeed, at least partly his fault. It doesn’t sound like he deserved the punishment he received…but then again, he HAD been underage drinking (though Powers says he was not legally drunk) which is a crime. And not a crime that was due to nascent schizophrenia – one that many (dare I say most) teenagers commit without any impending mental illness at all. And what can I say about Kevin? He was perfect. Not a mistake in his life. So talented. So amazing.

Kids make mistakes, Mr. Powers. Yes, the mental health system failed them. So, so true. But why make them into saints?

>124 The_Hibernator: I hope you feel better, Rachel, and that all went well with M's mom at the therapy session.

Hope you start to feel better quickly! Not much is worse than being pregnant and sick. Hope you are getting rest!

I hope the therapy with M's mom went well.
Sending get well wishes and wishes for a lovely weekend! I'm impressed about that scan, that's quite different and much more detailed than the few I saw in my life.

Rachel, it sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now! I hope the therapy went well and that the inhaler helps with the pneumonia and inflammation. Feel better soon!

Thank you Anita, Chelle, Nathalie, and Mary.

My cough is worlds better with the inhaler, and the fatigue has slightly abated. Hopefully improvement will continue.

M's therapy session was hard. I think his therapist and mom got the point across to him, but he shut down after a while so we let him play with toys for a while. Then his therapist wanted me to tell him that he wasn't going to get to play with B anymore because he had played a scary game (the dead mommy game, mentioned above, which M denies ever playing though we've heard him do it lots of times). I felt it was bad timing, plus hurtful to say, but both his therapist and my therapist thought it should be said sooner rather than later. He has social skills problems, and this is a lesson.

Kid was in a bad state at the end of therapy. I told him he could skip his social skills group (which is an hour after therapy) because I thought he'd get nothing out of it and potentially be disruptive.

On the flip side, he asked his dad some questions after several hours and seems to have started to process the info. We'll see if he gets along with his mom any better now. Apparently, he's been a horror with her recently. (He's mostly sweet with us, lately.)

Hi Rachel. Glad to hear that you're improving with the inhaler and that the fatigue is abating.

Sorry about M's session being so hard, but it does sound like he was paying attention and is now asking questions and processing the info. Not being able to play with B any more has probably gotten his attention, too. I don't particularly like the phrase tough love because it can cover a multitude of motives, but as all this work with M is being done out of love by you, Aaron, and M's mom, it fits. Good, if painful, stuff.

>131 karenmarie: Thanks Karen! I DO know that being a parent (or step-parent) means sometimes doing things that make life difficult for the kids. You're totally right, the kids need to learn these lessons sometimes, even if it hurts everyone involved to teach them.

Synopsis: Guy Montag is a fireman – in other words, his job is to burn down houses of anybody who is found to own books. He thinks he’s happy with his job until he meets Clarisse, a teenager who makes him question his belief about books, his marriage, and society in general.

My Thoughts: Loved it. I’m a fan of Ray Bradbury as it is, but this is my favorite so far. It’s so meaningful and scary. I suggest anyone read it, even those who are not interested in dystopias generally. This is not your typical teenage dystopia that are being mass produced at the moment.



The following is my analysis adapted from Susan Wise Bauer’s The Well Educated Mind’s description of how to think about a novel. It will have spoilers.

👽What is the most central life-changing event?

Meeting Clarisse changing Montag’s entire outlook on life.

👽Am I transported? Do I see, feel, and hear this other world?

Oh yes, this world was very real to me.

👽Can I sympathize with the people who live there? Do I understand their wants and desires and problems? Or am I left unmoved?

I am moved by Montag’s desire to understand what he has been doing, and why society has become the way it is. I feel for him when Clarisse is removed from his life, and he mourns her loss.

👽Is this a fable or a chronicle? If the novel is a chronicle, how are we shown reality: Physical? Mental?

Despite being a dystopia, this world is very believable. It chronicles the time of Montag meeting Clarisse to the moment he discovers what he is going to do about the mess that has become of his society. The book takes place mainly in the mind of Montag, so I would say reality is shown mentally.

👽What does the central character want? What is standing in his or her way? What strategy is pursued to overcome this block?

Montag wants to understand the world around him, and to spend as much time with Clarisse as possible. Clarisse is taken away from him, which is tragic to him. He is also blocked by the illegality of his desire to find out more about the past in general and books in specific. His strategy to overcome this is to perform illegal acts which lead to his eventually being found out.

👽Who is telling you this story? Is this person reliable?

Montag is telling the story in his head. I would guess that this person is reliable, other than having been indoctrinated in society’s rules for all of his life.

👽Where is the story set?

The story is set in a futuristic dystopian society in which it is unwise to think for yourself and illegal to own books. The universe is indifferent to Montag’s plight.

👽Images and metaphors: Are there any repeated images? If so, is this a metaphor, and if so, what does it represent?

The repeated images are Clarisse, who represents revelation and clarity, books, which represent knowledge, and fire, which represents destruction of knowledge.

👽 Endings: Does the end have a resolution or a logical exhaustion?

The story does have a resolution – the city is destroyed by war, and Montag runs into a group of people who has memorized certain passages of books so that when society grows again, they are able to start reprining the books.

👽Did the author choose characteristics to make a statement about the human condition?

Yes, the human condition in this represented as becoming less and less interested in knowledge and more interested in instant gratification and zoning out the life that surrounds them.

👽Is the novel self-reflective?

To a certain extent, I believe that Bradbury is worried about where society is going, and that, in a way, is self reflective. But I don’t think Montag is supposed to be a reflection on himself.

👽Did the writer’s times affect him?

Always

Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

This is a project starting in 2018 – I would like to read books from a larger variety of international authors (especially books in translation), so I will keep track of the international authors I read, marking them on this map and listing the book below. I will only list one book per country – my favorite.

Spain

Don Quixote, by Miguel Cervantes

United Kingdom (UK)

The Island of Doctor Moreau, by H. G. Wells

United States of America (USA)

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

Hi Rachel! I've been absent for a while and missed the big goings on. Congratulations on getting married and having a little one on the way. That is awesome! Lovely wedding pictures; vivid and colorful.

Not only that but some of your acquisitions, book-wise, are intriguing.I will wait patiently for your thoughts on Annihilation, Black Hawk Down, and The Boy on the Bridge.

I hope your husband is enjoying the Doctor! Eccleston was good. I wished he had stayed around a little longer. And, Rose. I love Rose. 'Dalek' was one of my favorites of that season. I thought 9's reaction to seeing the chained up Dalek was fantastic (!) in its emotion.

Edit: M might enjoy Wedgie and Gizmo or imaginary veterinary by Suzanne Selfors. If too advanced, you can read them. :-)

Anyone interested in a Suicide Awareness theme read in September? It is important to decrease stigma in mental illness, and Awareness month is coming up! I was thinking of reading Plath's The Bell Jar.

I hope you are feeling better, Rachel. Your pregnancy is a rough one but coping with being a caring step-mom on top of that must take up most of your energy.

>135 brodiew2: Hi Brodie! "Dalek" was one of my favorite episodes that season, too. Thanks for all the congratulations. I actually ended up DNFing The Boy on the Bridge. Just couldn't get into it.

>137 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg! Yeah, I've had a hard past couple of months both due to the illness and to drama with the kids. But both seem to be calming down (hopefully). M's mom is paying a lot more attention to his therapy now, actually volunteering to take him half the time since (apparently) almost all the emotional problems he's been having are centered around her. In fact, we've seen a great change in him recently - after we put him on medications for ADHD. His impulsivity has decreased and he's better able to control his anger at our house. He's more introspective, too. If only he could kick the screen addiction. :( He seems to have become suddenly disinterested in chess, and I suspect it's because he's been watching WAY too much TV while I was sick. I shouldn't self-blame for that, but part of me does anyway.

As you can see, I decided to chop my hair off. It’s never been this short before, so this was a big move for me.

In chapter 5, Kugel describes the very short section of the Bible concerning the tower of Babel. In this story, the descendants of Noah decided to build a great city with a tall tower. At this time, they all spoke the same language. For some reason unexplained, God took insult at this, and destroyed the tower, halting the building of the city. He scattered the people around the world, confounding their language so that they could no longer understand people from different regions of the world.

Ancient Interpretation: Interpreters of ancient times thought that the purpose of this story was the Tower of Babel itself. That this is a story of human hubris, in which the people were trying to reach heaven by building such a tall tower.

Modern Interpretation: People of modern times look back at the ziggurats of ancient Mesopotamia – how they were built of materials that would easily crumble with time. They figured ancient people saw these ruins and wrote the story of Babel to explain them. They also have an etiological interpretation in which this story explains how so many languages developed from one prototypical language.

>139 The_Hibernator: - Fabulous haircut!

>139 The_Hibernator: Very nice. Imagine that I could wolf whistle.

I’ve been dithering for years as to whether I should cut my hair or not. It’s not as long as yours but I’d go much shorter to cope with the climate here. For me it’s not an easily reversible decision because I can’t cope with that in-between length when it’s long enough to make me hot but too short to tie up.

I’m not planning on reading the Bible myself, but I really like the modern interpretation bits you’re putting in. I’ve always found such things fascinating, like the way fairy tales are based in facts. Snow White was based on a real person who lived (I think) at the Spanish court though she was from Germany. I saw a documentary on it once. The pieces of the jigsaw are all there, but they fit together differently.

>139 The_Hibernator: Love the new look, Rachel. I hope you’re finally feeling better.

Your new look is so beautiful, Rachel. I've read The Bell Jar recently. It's a very good story.

I love your new hair style! Beautiful!

Hi Rachel!

Love your haircut - it's flattering. I bet you like how much easier it is to take care of, too. I do not have the kind of hair for that kind of cut and have always been envious of people who do. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Lori, Nina, Donna, Barbara, Mary, and Karen!

>142 humouress: That's fascinating about Snow White. Never heard that before. There is also a real-life beauty and the beast that they think the story was based on.

Well, I've had a pain this weekend. T, the mom of my stepkids, called us up to tell us M was destroying her house and wanted us to come take him away. We agreed to come mediate a conversation, since we thought taking him away would increase his raging mommy abandonment issues. While we were there, T threatened M "If you keep throwing temper tantrums, it'll be hard to stay at mommy's house." Keep in mind, this isn't something that just popped out of her mouth. She paused in the middle of the threat to come up with the best phrasing.

On Monday, we had group therapy with her to make suggestions about how to deal with his temper tantrums (leave him alone and he gets better much, much more quickly - he wasn't hurting anything, just being noisy and throwing stuff at the floor in his room). We also brought up the threat. She defended herself, saying that she has been taught (in therapy, I assume) that you cut people out of your life when they treat you poorly. We tried to tell her that you don't do that with your own kids, but she only got more defensive. Now she's angry at us.

Aaron wants to tell her that we didn't go to rescue her (she had thanked us, and said it was good to know we were there to help if she needed it), we went to help M, and we are not her on-call helpers. I am also concerned that she is so pissed off that she will consider getting rid of seeing M most of the time - where she is planning special mommy/daughter time with D, and leaving M out. For instance, a trip to Harry Potter world, and coaching D's Lego League. She's dropping taking M to chess club and chess lessons because that is just too many promises.

GRRRR.

Synopsis: Ms. Hill describes growing up within the inner echelons of Scientology. How, at first, she was fully indoctrinated (brainwashed, as she later called it), but after much emotional abuse she realized the church was not for her. She became an advocate for those who also escaped the inner echelons of Scientology, which (if her description is accurate) can only be described as a cult.

My Thoughts: This book was an eye-opener for me. I try not to call any religion a cult, even though I read Dianetics at one point and felt that it was very silly indeed. But if Ms. Hill’s descriptions are accurate (I also tend to take the descriptions of former members of churches with a grain of salt), Scientology is indeed a cult. And a fairly abusive one at that. I enjoyed listening to Jenna’s journey from indoctrination to disillusionment, and was emotionally involved in whether she would escape with any semblance of a family life.

>148 The_Hibernator: Ugh! That woman sounds like she needs a lot more therapy. I especially like what you said about not cutting your own kids out of your life, especially when they are, you know, kids. Abusive adult child? Maybe, depending, but not a child.

>149 The_Hibernator: Yes, it is a cult. I got pulled into Scientology by a boyfriend in my mid-20s and managed to escape without any real damage, but I was one of the lucky ones. I'll have to check out that book.

>150 Storeetllr: Hi Mary! I don't really know much about Scientology other than what my dad has told me about the time grandpa knew L. Ron Hubbard as a sci fi writer (he also knew Ray Bradbury!) and from reading Dianetics. It certainly sounds like a cult, but this is my first anti-scientology book I've read. And I've heard a lot of people call the Mormon church a cult, which I don't agree with (despite finding some of their beliefs a bit iffy). *shrug. I am inclined to believe you that it's a cult. May read a little more on the subject.

Yes, I'm not sure how any mother can feel cutting her own child out is ok. He NEEDS a mother! He has me, but still. After some mulling it over last night, I am wondering if she may not be on the same page with Aaron and me about the root problem: M has told us he is afraid his mommy will leave him. That, to us, is an abandonment issue, and should be worked out with mommy through therapy. But she said she had another theory...without stating what it was. I am wondering if she thinks he has oppositional defiant disorder and is a budding sociopath. That could explain why she was surprised when I disagreed with her on whether M has feelings that can be hurt. Such a belief would explain her bizzare reactions to his abandonment issues.

As an aside, he's certainly not a budding sociopath....

Abandonment issues are real in children. When she was little (maybe 3 or 4?), my daughter, whom I loved beyond life, all of a sudden started getting clingier than usual and wouldn't let me out of her sight. I couldn't figure out what was wrong until I remembered that one day, in a fit of frustrated pique over something that was upsetting me (don't remember what), I said I was going to change my name to Hermoine (that was before Harry Potter, btw) and move to Australia. She took it deadly seriously, and it was a long time before I could convince her I was joking. What finally worked was telling her that, if I did move to Australia, I'd take her with me.

Also, btw, my daughter, who is a loving, caring woman, used to sometimes act like a little sociopath, maybe even psychopathic at times. Of course kids are self-centered, and tantrums can be scary, but they usually grow out of it. I admit I kept my eye on her development to be sure she wasn't really going that way, but it turned out she only acted out with me and, to a lesser extent, her dad. But even during the worst of her acting out I never thought of abandoning her.

How fun that your dad knew both Hubbard and Bradbury. I've read most of their work. Hubbard should have stuck with writing scifi, but the money he made off his fake "religion" was too good I suppose.

>152 Storeetllr: It sounds like you went through a lot as you raised your daughter. It would be very difficult to deal with potentially sociopathic behavior. Good for you for staying strong!

M had some bad behavioral issues before we put him on an ADHD med that helps with impulse control. At the time, we were a little concerned (though not seriously) about a lack of empathy. Now, he can stop his temper before it gets "violent" and even had the self awareness once to apologize unexpectedly for taking out his temper on his dad when, he said, he was actually angry at his mom. A lot of adults don't have that sort of self awareness.

To us, he behaves quite sweetly, with a normal 6yo temper tantrum every few weeks. He is kind and loving to us and our pets. Just not to his mom, from her perspective. But his abandonment issues are because she DOES abandon him at times, and shows an obvious preference for his sister. :(

Hey there! Wow, sounds like so much is going on for M. He is very lucky to have you on his side trying to help work things out. And thanks for posting the pics of your new hairdo! I would have had trouble recognizing you when you come visit. LOL

In Chapter 6, Kugel writes about Abraham leaving his homeland, as ordered by God. He is said, in the Bible, to be blessed.

Ancient Interpretation: The question the ancient interpreters asked is why was Abraham so special? They figured he must have stopped worshiping the gods of his homeland and begun to worship the one true God. He was therefore the first monotheist (in their view – modern scholars believe that Zoroastrianism was actually the first monotheistic religion). But why did he stop worshiping the other gods. Possibly because he realized that the other gods made so little sense. Why was a year 365.25 days instead of a nice round number (as was known in Mesopotamia at the time)? Certainly a god would have chosen a more round number.

One ancient interpreter, Philo (c. 20BCE 0 c. 50BCE ), believed that Abraham also had an allegorical meaning: that he symbolizes any soul looking for God.

Modern Interpretation: Modern interpreters are having trouble agreeing whether Abraham really existed or not. Many scholars believe that Abraham is an etiological explanation for why the Jews are entitled to the Promised Land. But there is archaeological evidence that the cities that Abraham traveled through did, actually exist.

>154 Berly: Hi Kim! Usually the kids' mom is a minor annoyance, so I don't really have that much to complain about. This was just an eye-opener for me about the state of her mental health. She really, truly believes that she is babysitting the kids on her weekends, and that (like any babysitter) she can just call us up and return them if they turn out not to be worth the reward. Apparently, this is the same attitude she had when she decided (during the divorce settlement) that she wanted 0% custody. Aaron had to talk her up to 15%.

Aaron wants to ask for child support if she backs down to 0% physical custody again, but I told him if she does that, I think it would be better for me to adopt the kids so that they don't have their mom strolling in and out of their lives at her own convenience.

Just a quick note before popping over to your new thread. Today my daughter told me she probably should have been on anti-anxiety meds when she was a kid. I was surprised at first, but after a few minutes' thought, I can totally see that. She saw a therapist off and on over the years, and I'm surprised they didn't pick up on that.

Glad M is doing better and is able, at least after the fact, to see what he's doing so clearly.

Would the mom agree to relinquish custody so you can adopt him?

>156 The_Hibernator: Therapists don't always suggest meds, especially to kids, I notice. My husband had the same problem with his depression.

I highly doubt the mom would want to relinquish custody. It's just wishful thinking on my part that she won't stroll in and out of their lives whenever she wants.