February came and went, and I had every intention of writing a blog post last month, but I was never able to finish anything I started.

February is usually the coldest month in Georgia, and this year was no exception. It even snowed one day, and it was beautiful for a few hours. Mostly it’s been raining and dreary, and now at the beginning of March, we’re getting more rain. But we’re also seeing a few blooms and signs of spring, so that offers hope.

We’ve begun what I fondly call “competition season.” That is, my young pianist will be in the state competition and another one, and we’ve also got a big project we’re working on. We usually hunker down at home this time of year so that we can concentrate on this work and homeschooling. We try to stay healthy and focused, but no matter how we schedule our time, there never seems to be enough time to do everything we need to do. That’s okay. At the end of the summer when I look back over our year, I’m usually impressed with everything we do.

I’ve been reading disconcerting news, following elections, and hoping for the best outcomes. I don’t want to use my blog as a place to complain or whine about things I can’t change. All I will say is: try to read as widely as you can about all the issues. Don’t rely on one news source for all your information. And when you can, Go Vote. And let’s remember that we’re all in this together. What impacts one person impacts another. Words matter. Intentions matter. It can’t be said enough: be kind. When you are angry, breathe. When you are happy, breathe.

If you follow my blog regularly, you’ll know that my family and I love nature, and we like to spend time outdoors when we can. Even when we can’t get outdoors, we watch a lot of nature documentaries and enjoy the views from our windows. We feed our bird friends and get excited whenever a new visitor comes to our yard. We also love books about nature….

I read The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings to my ten-year-old. It’s a classic that was originally published in March 1938. It was a best selling book at that time, and it won the Pulitzer Prize in 1939. Later it was made into a movie. I never saw the movie, and I never read the book until now, but I’m so glad I was able to read it to my son. It’s going on my shelf as one of my favorite books ever. One of the reasons is that when you read this book, you feel like you’re spending time in nature. It’s about a young boy named Jody and his parents who live in Florida in the 1870s. Not only are they surrounded by nature and have many animal encounters, they are part of nature themselves. It’s a story of Jody growing up and learning difficult lessons, but it was a beautiful, beautiful book.

Granted, having been written in the 1930s, it contains some sentiments of the 1930s that would not be appropriate today, but unlike some old books I’ve read, this one is mild. However, if you have a problem with hunting, you may not like it. The book offered opportunities to talk to my son about attitudes that change over time. In addition, Rawlings wrote the dialogue in the vernacular of the people at this time and place, and this will make the book difficult for young people to read on their own. Since I read it out loud to my son, I was able to explain the language to my son, and after awhile, it was easier for him to understand.

If you haven’t read it yet, I recommend that you do! Also on my bookshelf is James Herriot’s All Things Bright and Beautiful, which is the second in this series my husband bought me a few years ago. I’ve been saving them for when I need something light and uplifting to read, and during this busy time, it’s just what I needed.

Since we’ve been hibernating, there isn’t much more to report. And it looks like I finally finished a post! Thanks for reading. 🙂

Have you read any good books lately? Please stay healthy and happy.