good reads

Last Friday, after visiting the Elkton bur oak, we spent some time in Shenandoah National Park.

This is early spring on The Big Meadow.

Silas, who is walking these days more than he’s crawling, took his first steps on the meadow.

We hope to return in late May to see the baby deer that should be arriving soon.

I have been planning to give away a copy of Style, Sex, and Substance here ever since I read it a couple of weeks ago.  My Catholicness (that is a Beatrix term–she adds -ness to words) makes me a bit of an oddball sometimes.  This book reminded me that I am far from being alone, while also challenging me to be the best Catholic oddball I can be.  I had the book in the van with us on Friday, and was struck with the idea to get a photo of it on Big Meadow.  This was possibly a dorky move on my part, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.  Dorky or not, I am excited that Hallie Lord, editor, and contributor to the book, offered to give one of my readers a signed copy.  If you are interested in winning, just mention so in your comment on this post and I will randomly choose a winner on Monday.

I was merely pretending to read in my photo.  On the other hand, If you will notice Jonny’s bowed head in this photo:  He later confessed that while I was taking photos of the kids he was sneaking a peek inside the book.  Were I the betting type, I’d bet he was reading from chapter four.  If you want to know what chapter four is about, I guess you’ll have to read the book.

I did not ask Beatrix to pose, but did turn to find her holding my book just so from her seat in the grass.  I am guessing that she was “reading” chapter five, “Single and Seeking God’s Plan.”

After our fun on Big Meadow we decided to torture ourselves with a downhill hike to see Rose River Falls.

The falls were beautiful and worth the torture of the uphill hike back.  Jonny carried Beatrix on his back, and I carried Silas on mine.  But at some point, I started thinking that I might just have to spend the night in the woods.  Jonny offered to carry Silas in his arms in addition to the B-Rose on his back claiming that it was good training for the Tough Mudder.  I took him up on his offer, but still barely made it back to the car.

Silas insisted on getting down and walking a bit himself.

On our way out of the park we saw lots of does. I branded them all “Mama Deer” and hung out the passenger window with my camera speaking to them in my sing- songy- talk- to- animals- love- language.  I was convinced that all of them looked pregnant and thanked them in advance for the sweet little spotted babies that we will hopefully see next month.

The last wild animal we spotted, (after stopping in the middle of Skyline Drive so Jonny could gobble gobble at a male turkey for a few minutes) was this raccoon.  I had never actually seen one in a tree in the wild before.  I am more accustomed to seeing raccoons shoveling cat food into their mouths as fast as they can while maintaining eye contact with me through the window.

Don’t forget to mention Style, Sex and Substance in your comment, if you would like to be entered in the giveaway!

The winner is Misty:

“Hi Ginny,
We drove from Charlottesville south through the Blue Ridge Parkway for our Easter vacation and saw some similar sights. It was so refreshing to be in the mountains and just experiencing nature firsthand. I cannot believe how grown up Silas looks in that photo – wasn’t he just born?!

Also – I would really enjoy the book as well. Thanks for offering it on your site.”

{ 138 comments }