Top Ten Books

So, Felicity shared a top ten list of her favorite movies, and so in order to not seems a copy-cat, I will share a list of my favorite books. ;)
 Just keep in mind that it may change a little over time.

 

10. Anne of Green Gables


Nearly everyone who loves classics has read about the beloved redhead from the small town of Avonlea on the beautiful and enchanting Prince Edward Island.
I always loved the movies, and when I was older, I fell in love with the books as well.
The adventures of Anne are so innocent and funny, with some sadness along the way, like the time she dyes her hair, or when her and Marilla lose their beloved Matthew.
There is such an air of happiness in the books, in a time when life was slower, and more peaceful.
I love this book! 

                                                  


9. Candle in the Darkness


Candle in the Darkness is actually part of a series by Lynn Austin, but this one is my ultimate favorite.
It takes place during the Civil War, and is centered around a young girl living in the South on a plantation.
Caroline’s father is a slave owner, and everyone around the girl believes deeply in the South’s cause.
Even her beau is a strong Confederate.
Yet, Caroline believes in a Heavenly Father who created all men equal, with rights and freedoms. Her love for the Negros causes her to be called ‘that strange one’.
In a vital moment, she has to decide between her family and loved ones, or the beliefs that God has convicted in her heart.
A deeply emotional story, filled with sadness and turmoil. One of my all-time favorites!                                 

 

 

 

      

8. Heart of India Series:  #1"Silk", #2 "Under Eastern Stars" and #3 "Kingscote"

Angry Hindus, mysterious abduction, and even a death at sea. All from the exciting series by Linda Chaikin!

I have always loved India and Arabia, so this series was really intriguing for me.

It is three books in all.

 It takes place in India on an English silk plantation with a young silk heiress as the main character. She takes in an orphaned native child, and then the drama begins when he is believed to be murdered. The girl doesn't believe this to be true and begins a search for her child, while also trying to start a school and mission for the natives.

There are some political things in the books that are over my head, but it is still an interesting Christian mystery, with a clean love story. Cobras, poisonous spiders and tigers are featured in some intense scenes, along with a few crocodiles and even trained crows.

 Although it has some action, it isn't really a boy's book, and even some girls found it boring, but I really enjoyed the series. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes a long mystery!

 

 

 

7. Queen of the Home

Queen of the Home is a book filled with poems, essays, and speeches on Biblical womanhood and feminine beauty.
I asked for this book for Christmas on whim, not really sure what it would be like, or if I would even like it.
I read it and loved it!
There are beautiful paintings at the beginning of each chapter, and it is filled with lovely poems on mothers, woman, and godly beauty.

Definitely a book worth reading, for old and young woman alike. Inspiring!

 

 

 

6. Sherlock Holmes

 

Ah, Sherlock Holmes.
The first thing that comes to mind when someone says that name, is a thin-faced man sitting a cozy chair by the fireplace, a pipe between his lips, as he contemplates his latest gruesome case.

Criminals can never get past this man with a sharp eye and mystifying mind.

Filled with danger, suspense, and humor, the complete, unabridged collection of Sherlock Holmes is by far the best mystery series I have ever read.

Snakes, lions, poison, murder; I could go on and on, but I won’t ruin it for you. Read it yourself! :)

 

 

                                                   

 

5. Abraham Lincoln: Heartwarming Stories of our Most Beloved President

I actually purchased this book for my dad one Christmas. He is a history buff like me, so I thought he would be interested.
He loved it and so did I.

The author did deep research, and read eyewitness accounts of the wonderful President, so I felt I could believe most of his words.

It is such a beautiful picture of my favorite President, filled with humor and sadness.

I cried numerous times while reading it, and chuckled at some of the jokes Lincoln told.

Anyone who loves Lincoln should read this book!

 

 

 

 

4. Little Woman

 

Little Woman was a lovely book to add to my shelf.

 Nearly everyone knows the story Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy.

But reading the unabridged version, I got a much deeper, emotional picture of the March sisters.

 I was happily surprised at the amount of times God and Christ were mentioned in the story, and was completely swept away into the world of Jo and her sisters.

 There is a little bit of all of us in each sister, and I could relate to the characters.

Meg is sweet and proper, respectful and polite, yet has a weakness for fine things and struggles to be content with her poor lifestyle.

Jo is happy, cheerful and fun, while she struggles to be the feminine woman God meant her to be, battles her fiery temper constantly, and hates change deeply.

Beth. Sweet, dear little Beth.

 Who can forget the seemingly perfect younger sister, with her gentle voice and quiet nature?

Even Beth has her faults, though, as she struggles with her shyness and fear of people, preferring to hide herself away in her home with her beloved piano.

 Amy, the youngest girl, is pretty and sweet when she wants to be, although she is slightly spoiled and selfish, while being much too self-conscience about her nose and looks.

 All in all, it is a book I always enjoy, and a great novel for girls!

 

 

3. The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln: Six Months in the White House

This book was written in 1866, one year after our beloved President was killed by Booth's bullet.
 The author was a painter who had stayed at the White House with the President for six months (hence the name) painting the famous signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
 He tells of his time with Lincoln, his daily routine in office, and of his guests and Cabinet member in the White House.
 He writes of watching the President pardon soldiers, shake hands with thousands at a time, and most of all, he writes of watching Lincoln walk sadly through the great halls of the White House, his tall frame bent as he mused over the crisis of the Nation.
 It is a truly beautiful picture of my hero and I enjoyed it greatly.
A ten star for sure!

2. The Daybreakers
(sorry for the small picture)

Now if you're a Louis L'Amour lover, you'd know that you simply can't pick one of his books as your favorite.
 Shalako, Borden Chantry, To Tame a Land, Bendigo Shafter, Ride the River, Lonesome Gods....
I have over dozens of the I could name off, and that would more than fill up my whole list.
 So I thought I'd just pick one to tell you about.
The Daybreakers has always been one of my favorites since the very beginning of my Louis L'Amour days.
 Tyrel Sackett is one of my favorite Sacketts, and his love story is just the cutest ever!
When he shoots Long Higgins in order to save his brother Orrin, Tyrel as to leave his home in the mountains at the age of eighteen.
 Big brother Orrin joins him, and together they ride the range, fighting white and red savages, rounding cattle, and helping people in need.
 Along the way, Tyrel meets Drusilla, a young Spanish girl living with her grandfather, and they fall in love.
 Full of action, it is an awesome Sackett book, and the parts with Tom Sunday are sad, changing it from a typical western to a more emotional and exciting novel.
 Louis L'Amour beats any other western writer out there!

 

 

 

1. Uncle Tom's Cabin

 

Now we come to number one.

 This book is truly a wonderful work of art, and I can understand when it is referred to as 'the book that started the war'.

 I cried many times reading it for the first time.

Uncle Tom is such a sweet person, with a simple, yet unwavering faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 He goes through so many trials in the book, and I hurt so deeply for him, as I did for all the other slave characters.

 Little Eva is another wonderful person in this book, and when she died, I felt as if the world had lost their only ray of sunshine.

 It accurately shows the horrors of slavery in a complete different light than most books do today.

Not only does it show the physical tortures that the slaves endured, it also shows the emotional and spiritual tortures the poor blacks had to endure.

 There were so many times in the book when I wanted to beat the slaver owners' with their own whips.

 Yet Uncle Tom forgives them all, every time, and even prays for their souls as he lays bleeding and wounded on his pallet at night.

 He is a beautiful picture of what we all should strive to be.

  A story of forgiveness and faith, and a good read when you really want to cry! ;)

 

 

 

Well, there you are. I love reading, so I have dozens and dozens of favorite books, but this is just a short list of some that I enjoy.

 I hope you'll try to read them sometime!

                                                                    God Bless,

                                                                                         LaKaysha

 



 

 

 

 



What Is Beauty?

I am a girl who loves feeling pretty. I adore dressing up in nice clothes, curling my hair, and feeling like I at least tried to accomplish looking neat and feminine.
 I struggle with my looks a lot of the time, feeling homely and insecure, especially now that I have glasses. If anything makes you feel unfeminine, glasses would be my number one.
 But I know that it isn't our outward beauty that matters, but a much deeper beauty, one that a lot of people in the world can't understand. 

Let's say there are two girls sitting side by side.
Both are dressed in nice, pretty clothes, and have their hair dressed in a feminine style.
 One is sitting with her hands clasped in front of her, avoiding eye contact with the passing people and sometimes flipping open her phone when she finished complaining to her friend.
She is a very pretty girl, with rosy cheeks and perfect skin, and not a hair out of place.
 The other is listening respectfully and quietly as she sits with an air of serenity and pure contentment. Her nose seems a little large for her face, and she had a small splash of acne on her cheeks.
  An elderly woman stops beside them, addressing both, asking for directions for a certain destination.
 The girl with the phone rolls her eyes and pretends she hasn't heard, bending farther over her phone.
The other sets her book down with a smile, happily giving the woman directions and wishing her a good day.
 The elderly woman leaves thinking the young girl the most loveliest thing in the world, while she thinks of the other girl with a disbelieving shake of her head.
And now, the same girls went to a party at a friend's house.
 One comes in with a sweet smile, the room instantly filling with a gay air as she enters.
She greets her young friends, sweetly and politely addresses the parents there, and all the children instantly run to the young woman, their arms outstretched.
And then the other girl enters the room.
 She has disposed of her phone for now, yet it hasn't seemed to make any difference.
She snubs the adults, sits down beside her friends ready to let loose her latest complaint, all done with a sneering, haughty look on her physically pretty face.
 She suddenly doesn't look so pretty anymore. She is vain, deceitful, uncaring, selfish, and unhappy.
Which one do you want to be?

One girl was sweet, happy, loving, understanding, and respectful.
The other had an air of annoyance and arrogance.
 Even though the sweet one didn't have the porcelain beauty of her friend, she truly looked prettier, the smile on her face lighting up her gentle eyes.
Beauty isn't what the media says it is.
 It isn't large eyes with dark eyelashes, and powdered eyelids.
It isn't rosy red lips, and even white teeth.
It isn't long glossy hair and the ability to toss your head like a movie star.
 No, it isn't even a dainty nose that makes one beautiful.
 It's the beauty of Christ, shining from inside us, that is truly important.
Love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, these are all true beauty, the beauty that is from God.
 Walking in a happy, yet humble way, spreading Christ's love in word and action.
Christ thinks we are all beautiful, no matter our age, race, or physical appearance.
 I must confess, that I should practice what I preach, considering how many times I have complained to others how ugly I am.
 I guess it is something all girls struggle with.
Yet, believe it or not, I am more insecure about my character and inward appearance than I am about what I look like.
 I am striving to be a virtuous young woman, and it can be hard struggle for all of us.
 Praying for all young woman like me, who long for different kind of beauty, something so much more.
 God bless!
                                                    LaKaysha E

Lemon Pie

A yummy lemon pie recipe we found in Felicity's cowboy cookbook! I've made it twice already and it's a hit here in my house!

Lemon Pie

3 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup sugar, divided
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 baked 9 inch pie crust

Cook egg yolks, water, 1/2 cup sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat. Stir until thick, and set aside to cool. Beat egg whites 1/4 cup sugar, and cream of tarter until stiff peaks form, then fold into the first mixture. Pour into a baked pie shell and brown slightly under broiler.

*We use Grandma Seppala's pie dough recipe for the crust*

Though the Wrong Seems Oft So Strong

I woke up this morning, with these beautiful words running through my mind.

Such peace filled my being.

Have you ever pondered these words?

 

This is my Father's world, O let me ne'er forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.

 

Oh, I needed that this morning. I thought maybe someone else would, so...

Short post... :) 

                                                  LaKaysha

My Own Memory Lane

I read Felicity's blog post about her own memories, and I began down my own memory lane, where life was so much simpler, and so much sweeter.
 I remember going to The Friendly Farm in with all of the family, and feeding the baby goats from my hand, and feeling a little nervous, while my Aunt Marita picked up one kid.
  Most of my earliest memories are from the ranch or New Hampshire.
I remember laying in a throw, giggling, while I stared up at my uncles Nolan and Marlon as they held the corners and swung me gently, laughing. I wasn't too happy when they put the other kids in with me. I was slightly selfish then... ;)
 Swinging on the giant rope swing in the Ranch's barn, Grandma smiling at me and giving me push while telling me to hold on tight.
 Playing 'house' in the room in the barn, mixing sawdust and water in old pots, while Felicity swept the concrete floor, and Marissa pretended to start a fire in the old stove.

This Saturday, the family had a barbeque, so we could spend some time with Mikey and Missy, who were visiting for the weekend.
 I watched the little kids run around the yard, playing "war" while Chancy and the boys captured them and dragged them off to their base.
 I was swept away into a different time, when I was one of those little kids being taken prisoner and carried away to the big kids base, which usually was Grandpa's shop.
Little Casey and Marissa were almost always the captains of the big kids, while Austin and I were the little kids leaders. Oh, where has the time gone? I wish I could go back and truly appreciate the time I had with Austin and Casey...

One year I went with my mom to drop Felicity off at Casey and Debby's for Little Casey's birthday party, and Austin came running out of the house, and bounced in front of the van window, asking if I could stay, too. My mom agreed, and I happily jumped out of the old van. We had a lot of fun building a fort out of tarp and wood, while the sun danced between the swaying trees. Such good times...

The most clear memory I have is the day my sweet, wonderful grandma finally left her cancer behind and went to be with our Savior. I was watching a movie, but I don't recall what it was, with the other kids, when Felicity came in, her head down, and her eyes red. She stopped in front of me, and whispered, "Grandma died."
  I couldn't believe it. I had known she would, but when those words were spoken, I couldn't get my mind around it, and I glared at my sister to show her that I didn't think she was funny.
 She had to be joking. It wasn't possible.
But I knew by her red face that she wasn't lying, and I jumped up from the Lazy Boy, running to throw back the blanket that hung in the doorway of the dining room where Grandma was staying. The sound of crying could be heard, and it was Uncle Clint who put his arm around me and told me that she was in heaven now, away from pain. That is the most painful, yet wonderful memory I have....

Things seemed so much easier in those old days of childhood...I miss them a lot.
But it has been a nice walk, and it felt nice to take that little stroll.

                                            God Bless,
                                                LaKaysha

Dress Up

Alright, I'll admit it. I still enjoy dress up.
 Although, I prefer to say that I simply appreciate the historical significance that clothes are.
For years, every October, we would have our Harvest Party and dress up in costumes.
 Oh, I loved that! I would start planning my costume in January, and came up with the most elaborate designs ever known to mankind.
 I still enjoy it, but the adults no longer join in on the dressing up, and "sadly", I am becoming an adult, so...
  I love finding a historically accurate outfit of any time era.
 Medieval, Revolutionary War, Regency Era, Civil War, Pioneer, Turn of the Century, Twenties, Thirties, Forties, Fifties, even Eighties!
 So maybe I am childish like some say. You know, the kind that will never grow up. ;)
But I really don't mind it.

Emily, Me, and Marissa at a Civil War Re-enactment

Daminika 1940's

Me, 1940's

Well, those are just a few pictures. I wish I had more, because I have dressed up more times.

Anyways, I was hoping sometime to put on a post about certain trends in different eras. But just for now, Bye!

                                                        LaKaysha



 

 

Different

Lately I've been realizing how different I am from most girls of today.
I thought it would be kind of fun to name off some of the things that aren't considered "normal" by today's standards, or at least "unusual".

1. I love the woman's styles of the 1930's, 40's, and 50's. They were so much more feminine than most clothing today, although I do love the maxi skirts that are in the stores.

2. I LOVE history! Every single date and era gets imbedded in my mind, and I rub my hands together with glee each time I learn something new about America. You might say I'm just a bit passionate about these things. ;)

3. I like old country. None of that Miranda Lambert and Lee Brice, but real, clean good country  music, like George Strait, Lionel Cartwright, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Donna Fargo, Eddy Arnold...yeah, the list goes on.

4. Now here is one that gets a lot of people's attention. I love old rock music.
No, not the scream rock where people shout and jam out, but the old original rock from the 50's, where a lot of the "rock" music was slow and sweet love songs like Ricky Nelson's, "Wonder Like You" and the Everly Brothers' "Dream".
The music had so much more moral and value back then.
Almost always the guys married the girl.

5. I like the old movies. From "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" to "Old Yeller", I would much rather watch them than those new mixed up love stories any day.
Movies that both children and adults can watch are much more enjoyable and edifying for all of us, and I'd rather have my kids watch "Johnny Tremain" for history rather than some lame library "educational" dvd that talks to the children as if they are three instead of twelve.

6. Books. How many girls do you know these days that enjoy reading "Sherlock Holmes" and "Uncle Tom's Cabin"?
Or Louis L'Amour's old westerns? Nancy Drew? Hardy Boys?
I still read some books that are considered childish by most people, as Nancy Drew is in the children section at the library.

7. Frank Sinatra's crooning voice relaxes me much better than Scotty McCreary's ever could. Crooners of the 30's and 40's had such moods when they sang.
 Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire are favorites, too.

8. Cowboys and bob-wire. (yes, bob-wire, not Barbed-wire. There is such a word)
I LOVE the old west and cowboys.
Spurs and chaps.
There is something so free about being in saddle, or sitting around a fire, beneath the twinkling stars.

9. Cabins and big fireplaces.

10. Big porches, picket fences and a porch swing. I guess I'm just an old-fashioned girl stuck in a very new-fangled world. ;)

             Just some thoughts!

                                                             Vaya Con Dios,
                                                                    LaKaysha

Just a Story

"What was Grandma like?" she asks as she bounces on your knee,
You smile down into her eyes and answer her little plea.

You speak in gentle, earnest tones, of the sweet woman you knew,
How she loved little goats and great big skies of blue.

The honest smiles and great bear hugs, she'd always have for you.
The trips to her beloved ranch, the trips to the zoo.

"She was a wonderful person." You say, with a great deep sigh.
And one lone tear slides from your blinking eye.

For to you, Grandma was your grandma, your own special one.
A woman who filled your happy days with love, peace and fun.

Yes, to you Grandma was the dear angel, who has gone home to glory.
But to the little girl on your knee, she is just a story.
                                  
                                LaKaysha Stenersen

Just Some Thoughts

I'd like to share some of my thoughts in the Civil War.
I know that this can be a touchy subject, but I'd like to share some personal feelings.
Many people have heard me argue about this troublesome time in our nation, and I'm sorry if I ever got a bit too passionate.
God has convicted me in some of these things, and sometimes I get carried away. I really don't know why I have such an interest in the Civil War, but it is something I truly enjoy learning about.
It was a truly sad time in our nation, and I'm not prejudice about the South, nor do I mention it to start a hot argument.
Some people do think it's simply fun to get into a nice, fiery debate over which side was correct, but that isn't ever my intention.
It's something much too sorrowful for me to do that.
There is something so deep, so sad, in the way that brother had to rise against brother, father against son, to take up arms and kill people they love.
When people mention the Civil War, I don't see glory and honor, although there was a lot of that ,too. I see sorrow, like I see every time I look into President Lincoln's eyes. I see pain, like I see when I read first-hand accounts of the war. I see grief, like I see each time I see a mother who has lost a child.
Many didn't come home from those bloody battlefields, many lost an arm, an leg, their eyesight, their hearing. Many were permanently disabled from serving their nation.
And there is more than just their physical injuries. Have you ever killed another human being?
You can't even imagine the pain and regret those poor men had to face each time they thought back to those horrible moments.
War is a terrible thing that no one should have to endure, and when we look back on the Civil War, it should be with compassion, not hate.
Thankfulness that you never had to take up arms against your own.
Forgiveness for your enemy, and pride for all those poor men.
Just some of my thoughts on this December afternoon...
Merry Christmas!
                                                                            LaKaysha    

Reminiscing

Lately I've been missing the old days of yesterday, especially at Christmas time
I thought I would just share some of my memories with you.
I remember going to Grandma's at Christmas time was a pure joy for all us kids, and getting there, the house would be warm, Uncle Casey's voice would be singing from the cd player, and the adults would be gathered around the kitchen, mashing potatoes, and seasoning the gravy.
When it would come time to open gifts, we would all gather in the family room, while Grandpa read aloud the Christmas Story to us wide-eyed youngsters.
The gifts never really mattered. We were always happy with whatever we were given, because they were from Grandpa and Grandma. The pure happiness of being together was clear to us even then, at such a young age.
At home, John Denver would play from our stereo, while we jumped along the couches in our Sunday dresses.
The holidays were always filled with music when I was growing up. Either we sang, or a tape or cd would sound about the house. There was always music. Always.
Grandma loved singing, and guess that's where most of the grandkids get it.
I really miss her this Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
                                                                LaKaysha