Tag Archive | Death

Rest in Pieces… a book review

So I have been playing catch up watching Ask a Mortician on YouTube HERE. I cannot suggest her loudly enough. There is great merit to facing death and the resulting activities now. Zander has started watching some of the videos with me, Caitlyn Doughty and her crew cover topics with such great respect and research. Seriously… give her a try. She is entertaining, humorous and a great educator on all things death, dying and how we deal with the physical body left behind.

Anyway, a few of her episodes she suggested multiple books and I ran out to the library and requested the ones I could get my hands on. First to review, Rest in Pieces by Bess Lovejoy.

Perhaps not for the faint of heart, as she does go into some detail, but I really enjoyed this well organized look at “The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses.”

She covers all sorts of people from all over the world from a huge span of time. Curious about the fate of Lord Byron? The full story of Eva Peron, whose corpse could have used a passport? What about the unsolved mystery of Edgar Allen Poe’s final resting place?

This book discusses some of history ‘s most interesting death rituals for dealing with the remains of love one. What do we do with the body once the consciousness is truly gone? Were the last requests honored? This was a real page turner. Well researched, well written and beyond interesting. I would greatly recommend Rest in Pieces for the adult reader.rest-in-pieces-9781451655001_hr

The Holiday Nanny… a book review

Another library gem… And seasonal to boot… just once again the wrong season. (I will admit I looked no luck on the Halloween Love Inspired books) The Holiday Nanny by Lois Richer is a fun seasonal contemporary romance set (of course) during Christmas. Some of the same elements as previous reviews are there… a child (this time the widow’s daughter), the single woman problems of her own (Connie Ladden on the search for her father who left her to live in a loving foster home suddenly). Don’t forget a grieving step mother (our hero Wes’ step mother) in the mix.

I have a few major loves on this one – the step mother is neither evil nor cruel, she is wounded like the others in this story which is something the writer actually recognizes and incorporates into the story. There are multiple issues in this story to deal with… faith, fear of love, parenting, there is so much to be examined and worked through. So much introspection and a few true mysteries to solve.

I am a huge fan of Christmas romances. And this one did not disappoint. There is a history for each of the characters to explore, love to be recognized and fears to be faced. I will warn you a few more volatile topics are discussed… infidelity, potential of a child being the product of that… abandonment and long term illness as well as multiple accidents.

A bit of a slow burn on this one… but a wonderful romance with a nice healthy dash of faith. Check it out (literally at the library).51seWbAJzpL._SX314_BO1,204,203,200_

Enjoying the Images

Ok, so I am lazy on the updates tonight, here are some images from back in October and November!! I promise to keep catching up the rest of the week!! Things are coming along here at home… and it is… HOME… Christmas presents are getting made and wrapped… learning is happening and immigration is answering questions. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to make America our permanent home!

I just could not resist making another filler blog entry of our overflow daily pictures!

Poetry in motion

Busy reader (Gavin)

Death in her jimjams

Careful building (Zander)

Intense!

Styling

This is what happens when you let your 4 year old sister do your hair!