Money Secrets of the Amish- A BookSneeze review

I was glad to discover this book on the BookSneeze website. Lorliee Craker is an upbeat writer, a mom with young children, and a person with an appreciation for the Plain people. Each chapter contains interesting insights into the Amish culture and people, along with very practical suggestions for saving money.

Chapters on the troublesome aspects of paying on credit and maintaining debt were nothing new, and yet were inspiring. Shopping secondhand, buying in bulk, bartering and recycling all contained reminders of the benefits and joys of living in communities which engage in such practices. If nothing else, I gleaned from reading this book that community living has many, many joys, including the potential for saving money! It is certainly an affirmation of my own personal experience.

The author's deep respect for the faith perspective of the Amish shines through her writing. Her interviews with Amish men and women contained in each chapter are thoughtful, light-hearted, and kind.

It is a warm,respectful book with many practicial applications.


I review for BookSneeze. The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through BookSneeze®. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Reading

I'm trying to catch up on my reading and I'm having a good time.
Here are some of the books I'm reading right now:

Journey in the Wilderness by Gil Rendle. Our Synod is reading and reflecting upon it. It's a dense read, but very, very interesting.

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson. Part of my summer with Eugene Peterson, I am enjoying this book on the psalms of ascent.

The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer. This is a great book by a renowed professor of ethics at Princeton University and makes a remarkable case for how challenging, yet possible, ending world poverty could be.

Money Secrets of the Amish by Lorilee Craker is a BookSneeze read I'll be reviewing soon. It's filled with good, sensible advice.

Two books by David Walsh, on parenting called No- Why Kids of all ages Need to Hear it and Ways Parents Can Say itand Why Do They Act That Way? Good parenting guidance offered here.

This Odd and Wondrous Calling by Lillian Daniel and Martin Copenhaver. Tremendous book. I appreciate every word.

Hope Will Find You by Naomi Levy. I've long been a fan of Rabbi Levy's writing. This reflection on her daughter's disease and her own response as a person of faith is most moving.

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I'm re-reading this as a place to find writing prompts for 750 words per day. I'm developing a good practice here that is a lot like taking deep breaths to start the day.

The Wisdom to Know the Difference by Eileen Flanagan. I just finished this wonderful book this evening. It is a forthright look at our response to change. I felt as though I was having a conversation with a friend while reading this honest Quaker author's reflections.
That's what I'm up to this week. What are you reading?

My Perfect Morning

There's a thread on Twitter today called "my perfect morning."
I'm working hard to find bloggable things to share, in an effort to get back on track here.

I'm absolutely a morning person. I love the fresh start of a new day, the dew of a crisp, clear dawn, and the sounds and scents of morning. I love birdsong and lilac, both of which have accompanied me on morning walks lately. I received a new bike for my birthday last Saturday, and I've been out on it every chance I could, even in between rainstorms last weekend.

A perfect morning for me would look a lot like mornings when DH and I were first married and after FBC was born. We lived in Cape May, New Jersey, just two blocks from the Atlantic Ocean and a boardwalk tailor-made for bike rides with great scenery on either side. A perfect morning would include a bike ride at the beach, followed by coffee and bagels at our friends' store, Bodacious Bagels, followed by a bike ride home. Reading the paper at breakfast, chatting with folks, playing with a child were all parts of an idyllic time. I remember thinking just that, twenty years ago: "This is the picutre in my head of a perfect morning."

It still is.

image from visitnjshore.com