The Artisan's Wife - Refined by Love Series

Previously, I reviewed the first and second books in the Refined by Love series by Judith Miller.  While it is not necessary to read the first two books in the series to enjoy The Artisan's Wife, the first book does give an introduction to all of main characters in the books and explains their immigration history.  I also highly recommend the second book in the series, The Potter's Lady which is wonderful historical fiction that can stand on it own merit.

While I enjoyed all three books in the series, I do believe my favorite was this last book.  Partly because of the resolutions, but also because the author delved into the world of asylums in the late 1800's.  She introduced me to several facts that shocked me.  But before I get into that, let me give you a brief plot synopsis of The Artisan's Wife.  

 

The Artisan's Wife Book Review

Ainslee Mckay only agreed to leave the rest of her family and move to Weston because her artistic twin sister wanted to run a tile works shop.  Since she and Adaira would embark on this new adventure together, Ainsless wasn't too concerned, even though she hated to leave her teaching position at the Pottery Works.  However, when Adaira elopes with her new beau, Ainslee feels betrayed by her sister and is quite angry.  Because her family has already purchased the tile works for the twins, she is forced to move to a new city and embrace her sister's dream alone.  Only when her brother, Ewan, agrees to sell the tile works as soon as possible, does Ainslee feel any relief or hope for her own future. 

 The Artisan's Wife (Refined by Love)Ewan helps Ainslee move to Weston and gets her set up in a boardinghouse for women.  He stays in Weston with her for several weeks as she adjusts to all of the changes.  Since she has never before run any business, she is faced with quite a monumental task.  Originally, the plan was for Ainslee to run the office, while Adaira dealt with the workers, the designs, and the bid proposals.  Now, it all fell to Ainslee to handle alone.  She braced herself to make a success of the tile works so it would be easier for Ewan to sell.

Levi Judson was also new to Weston.  He had left he job, left his dreams behind, and moved there to be close to his brother who had been committed to the asylum.  Both Levi and his brother were artists, but Levi believed his brother was truly more gifted.  Unfortunately, Noah had mental difficulties and lapses caused by a high fever when he was a child.  Levi moved into a boardinghouse for men and went in search of a new job.  He started at the local tile works where he presented his letter of introduction to the pretty girl at the front desk and ask to speak to the owner or manager about job openings. This, of course, made for a entertaining moment in the book.

Because Ainslee had just landed a new contract and because Levi was recommended, plus experienced in multiple areas of tile works, she hired him immediately. 

Like everyone else in town, Ainslee was frightened by what and who was within the walls of the asylum.  She was surprised one day when she ran into her employee, Levi Judson, leaving the grounds of the asylum.  She was even more surprised when she discovered he taught art there to a small group of men.  Being uncomfortable with deception, Levi shared that his brother lived in the asylum.  When he found out how much Ainslee enjoyed teaching, he recommended that she consider teaching a group of women in the asylum.  But it wasn't until Ainslee was hurt on the job and needed immediate medical attention, that she was taken inside the doors of the asylum to the only available doctor in town.  

When Ainslee decided to start a library in the asylum for the women, she met several of them and discovered they had been committed by their husbands.  Some were there for depression or grief, but others were there simply because their husbands had tired of them and wanted rid of them.  One lady was committed because her brother wanted access to her bank account.

Ainslee had now found a place where she was needed in Weston, but she still wanted to make the tile works successful.  To do that, she needed Levi and his brother, Noah.  The artists who could revolutionize the tile industry.


Conclusion

The Artisan's Wife is a wonderful Christian fiction book that reminds us to wait and watch for the unexpected blessings from God while we are busy making other plans.



Reviews of the Books in the Refined by Love Series

The Brickmaker's Bride (#1 in the series) Book Review

The Potter's Lady (#2 in the series) Book Review

Read More Book Reviews at
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Ken Follett’s The Century Trilogy Books Reviewed

I am thoroughly enjoying Ken Follett’s the Century Trilogy and totally unable to put it down.

The three books are based on what happened in world history between the years of 1911 and 2008. Those story lines include the Russian Revolution, the suffrage movement, the rise of Nazi Germany, World War II, the atomic age, the Cold War, civil rights, assassinations, mass political movements, Vietnam, the Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile Crisis, presidential impeachment, revolution, rock and roll and of course both good and bad from all of those time periods.

To tell this story, Follett skillfully weaved together generations of five families from America, Russia, Germany, England and Wales.

I picked up the first book, FALL OF GIANTS, as a good long read for our recent Panama Canal cruise and I have been steadily working my way through the series for a couple of months. I am often pulled away kicking and screaming from books in order to turn my attention to an “assigned” book club book. Leaving the second book, WINTER OF THE WORLD, for a grumpy old geezer in A MAN CALLED OVE was downright difficult although worthwhile in the end.

Currently, I have had to put the third book, EDGE OF ETERNITY, down to read LEAN IN, a book about women, work, and the will to lead, which is not compulsive reading for me and definitely not middle-of-the-night when-you-cannot-sleep reading.

Anyway, in case you cannot tell from my enthusiasm, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Ken Follett’s Century trilogy. I caution that as a world history book it definitely has violence and it also has sexual content. However, I believe that most of the violence and some of the sexual content was required to tell this realistic story.

The three-book series contains 2,991 pages and each book is encyclopedic in length so for ease of reading I highly recommend purchasing it as an eBook or if not an eBook, then as a paperback book. We own the hardcover version and each I just weighed them and discovered that each one weighs an average of just over 3 pounds. They are heavy. Ordinarily, I prefer to read physical books because I spend much of my working life using a computer but in this case because of the sheer weight of these books I really, truly preferred to read them on my cellphone.

You can find the Century Trilogy in hardcover, paperback and electronic versions on Amazon by clicking right here. I looked for and with some difficulty eventually found a boxed set both in paperback and hardcover editions. You can find the gift sets here. I believe that this series would make an absolutely brilliant gift idea for anyone male or female who likes a good historical novel. Of course, gifting the first volume alone would be a good idea, too.

Is there a movie? No, there is not and Follett himself says in this Washington Post interview, that if they were to make a mini-series that it would be the longest mini-series ever made, that it would be very expensive to make at least partly because he would not allow it to be done cheaply and that a mini-series was therefore, not likely to happen.

Have you read Ken Follett’s Century Trilogy? Are there any other Follett books that you have read, thoroughly loved and would recommend to us?

See you at the bookstore!

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

Quick Link:

Buy Ken Follett's Century Trilogy books on Amazon.

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Review This: Personal Flotation Devices and Pool/Water Safety for Children

We all want our families to have fun and enjoy their summer time.  Let's Review how to keep our children safe around water!

Everyone likes to relax and enjoy the warmth and sunshine that comes our way during the summer months, but, it's not a good time to let down your guard.  Families will be planning trips to the beach, swimming pool, cottage or campgrounds to enjoy this wonderful season.  Let's take a look at how to make lasting memories that will be wonderful and happy with our families.  Because after all, good memories can only be made one at a time and last forever. So let's make those memories and be safe at the same time.

Pixabay Image Link

Water, water, everywhere!  Summertime and water go hand in hand.

Children love to play in the water all year long, but when summer comes,  the idea of playing with water seems to become even more fascinating. After all it is summer, it's hot and water keeps you nice and cool.  The hours can fly by when the children are busy playing at the water edge or even deeper.  That is where and when the dangers of summertime come to the fore!  We all know that children forget their safety rules when they are so immersed in having fun.  Parent's must be diligent in keeping their little ones safe.

Personal Flotation Devices (PFD's) are essential Summer Safety Gear.

If you have young children, I would highly recommend that each one of them has their own Personal Flotation Device or PFD.  All that playing in and around the water requires that parents keep an extra special watch out for their youngsters.  Even if they know how to swim, it is a great idea to have some form of  PFD available for your kids.  Water, sun and fun can tire out even the best swimmers.  Better to be safe than to be sorry.  Rules for playing around water should also be enforced.  No exceptions to these rules.

Five Rules that Must Be Enforced

1.  Never go into the water alone.

2.  Always, wear your PFD when you are in or near the water's edge.

3.  Adults, make sure you are within arm's reach of young children.

4.  Get out of the water and  rest every now and then.

5.  Keep your eyes on your children when they are in the water or near the water's edge..

Even if they are wearing a PFD that does not mean you can take your eyes off of the children.  PFD's are just one way to keep them a little bit safer, but they are not Life Guards.  You are their life guards!

There are many types of Personal Flotation Devices and some are meant as toys, while others are meant to keep your children floating safely.  Make sure you have a device that will keep your children floating, face up(I have shown you Certified PFDs).  Inflatables are toys, that are meant to be  enjoyed in the water, but they are not meant to keep you from going face down in the water.  Only certified PFD's are meant to keep you face up and floating.  Beachballs, blown-up air rings and such are toys.  Sure they are fun and some even look really cute, but they are not PFD's.  Just look at what can happen when children are left alone!
Totally Unnecessary Trauma For This Child and His Parents!
Inflatable rings are not meant to be life savers.  Never Ever leave your child unsupervised just because they have an inflatable ring around them.  Please pass this on to all your friends and family, you never know, you just might save a life!

Who needs a Personal Flotation Device?

Without a doubt any child who is spending a lot of time in or near water, should have their own PFD.  Now when I'm talking about water, I mean a pool, lake or river.  Water coming out of a hose does not require that you to wear a PFD.  

Personal Flotation Devices are available for small children and adults as well. Depending on the types of water activities you are undertaking, having your own PFD is a great idea.  If you are just playing at the water's edge, only small children really need to be wearing a Life Vest of sorts.  Bigger kids or children who are adept at swimming will be fine in shallow waters, with adult supervision.  Supervision is the most important part of any water activity time.  Children forget the dangers, parents need to be extra cautious. We don't want to think what could happen if our children are left on their own.

My own grandson, will not go near the pool in his yard without his "floaty" as he calls it.  Rest assured that I don't want him near the pool  without it, either.  His sisters are a different story.  In the pool they are well advanced in their swimming capabilities.  Does that mean they can go into the pool alone?  Not a chance.  Even they know that an adult must be with them, or they don't go into the water.  Water safety means that there is an adult always present.  If this rule is ever broken, they know that the repercussions are severe.  It's one rule that is never, ever broken, it doesn't matter how hot it is outside. Pool safety for children is about educating them and making sure they know the rules.  Pool safety for children means making rules and sticking to them with no exceptions. You will enjoy your time much more if there isn't any chance of a child being hurt because you let down your guard.


Happy Summer to all, may you stay safe and enjoy your vacation  time!

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Aurora Teagarden Mystery Series Reviewed

Interesting Mystery Series With A Female Sleuth

Mystery Woman image courtesy of Pixabay.com

Let me introduce you to a new mystery series that I started reading last week. The Aurora Teagarden mystery series is a fun little series written by Charlaine Harris that I am finding enjoyable to curl up and read.

The female sleuth in the books is, as you might guess, Aurora Teagarden. I'm not sure if her mother was a fan of Sleeping Beauty or felt that she had a real princess in the mist when she decided to give her that moniker just after birth, but it is the name she gave her daughter.

Roe, as her friends call her, is a young 30 something librarian living in the southern region of the United States near Atlanta, Georgia. She is single and hasn't had much success in the dating game in the past and that bothers her just a little. She is also a fan of reading about the real mysteries of life, the murders of the past have always captured her interest. So much so that she belongs to a group called "Real Murders". The group meets once a month and discusses a crime from the past, as the first book in the series opens, Roe will be the presenter for the evening. 

Real Murders Book 1 of Aurora Teagarden Mysteries

As Roe arrives early to prepare for the evening's discussion she finds one of the members of the club dead in the kitchen of the facility where they meet, the local VFW. If that isn't bad enough, she realizes that the scene is staged to resemble the very murder she planned to discuss that evening. What sick person would do such a thing?

As the investigation unfolds other members of the club seem to be targeted. Some, will be found dead and staged as a famous murder case while others seem to be implicated in the murders. Someone seems to be playing a really grotesque game!

Ms. Harris has created an interesting cast of characters and a different story line for murder mysteries. Roe, Aurora, is a believable character who is smart, funny and a tad insecure. She isn't the beauty that her mother is, although she is much more attractive than she believes herself to be.

Do not be turned off by the murder part of this mystery series. So far, in the two books that I have read there is not a lot of gruesome details but instead an interesting journey to find out the culprit of the crimes. The ending of the first book was a surprise, as the solution was not what I expected.

The books are well written and have been well received. Hallmark actually made a movie out of book 1 so that says something! I think if you are a fan of the mystery genre and you enjoy a female sleuth, this is a series that you will enjoy a great deal. I know I am enjoying them.

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How to Beat the Heat While Living in a Rental

The first heat wave of the season is approaching my area and I am preparing. If you live in a rental you may have less control of things that keep you cool such as: energy saving air conditioning systems, insulation of the building, and assorted repairs and maintenance that improve your ability to remain cool. I live in such a rental. The apartment is poorly maintained and poorly insulated. If I do nothing except turn down the thermostat in order to fight the heat, my utility bill jumps by over 4 times. While I am preparing for this predicted heat wave, I thought I'd review some of the ways I am able to beat the heat.

Block Out the Sunlight that Heats Your Living Area

I have been determined to find ways to take control of my utility bill despite having no control with the physical aspects of this apartment. Over the winter I discovered the YOJA thermal room darkening curtains.  I used them to keep the cold out. Now I'm using them to keep the heat out.  

The amount of energy savings from blocking the sun from the inside of your home is amazing! Before I purchased the YOJA curtains, I used a large piece of cardboard in order to test my theory that blocking the sun would be effective. It was so effective that I purchased the curtains. 

Whether you live in a rental as I do, or whether you in your own home but are focused on doing the most you can for the environment, give this experiment a try. See how much cooler your home is by darkening the windows. You can test it in just one window, with a large piece of cardboard. After a few hours of blocking the window, place your hand between the window and the light blocker you placed there and feel the difference.

Eat Light/Eat Fruit

melon slicer and corer

Eating heavy meals during a heat wave makes me feel miserable. So I turn to very light meals, cold salads such as my couscous salad, and fruit. 

Keeping a bowl of sliced fruit in the refrigerator is a handy way to have a cool meal or snack ready. Cutting fruit can be a chore, so finding ways such as Susan's pineapple slicer/corer. This kitchen gadget makes having refreshing pineapple a breeze.

There are kitchen gadgets to help slice and serve whatever fruit you choose to keep in your fridge for these heat wave days.

Strategically Placed Fans

Get to know which windows provide cooled air and which provide hot air, and the timing of those changes through the day. For example, my bedroom window is east-facing and is above a parking lot. Through the night and before sunrise, a window fan blowing air in from that window is cooling. But as the sun comes up, heat bounces off that parking lot, and allowing the fan to remain in that window is the equivalent of blowing oven air into my apartment. As the sun rises higher in the sky, the cool air comes from the opposite side of my apartment, through the balcony doors. Later, beginning early afternoon, the sun has moved and heats that balcony and the oven is on the west side of the apartment.  

During moderately hot days, just moving the fan and adjusting whether it is blowing in or out, can change the temperatures in my apartment by as much as 5 - 10 degrees. Especially in the mornings and early evenings. Clearly, during super hot days, the windows stay closed and I use the fan to circulate the air within the apartment.

Take Brief but Cool Showers or Baths

I try to remain conscious about how much water I use, but I do "rinse" off two to three times a day during the worst of the heat wave. I use chilly water. I can feel that it lowers my body temperature and I feel much more comfortable afterwards.  I also like to use my favorite peppermint soap during heat waves as it has a cooling, minty quality that is very refreshing. 

Use a Cooling Towel - They Really Cool 

What is a cooling towel? A year or two ago I found a fantastic product called a cooling towel. This cloth can be wet and wrung out and it evaporates in such a way that it feels cool to the touch.  I hang it around my neck and use it to wipe my face in order to keep cool. 

I originally purchased one for camping and hiking but found it to be extremely comforting during a very hot day when our power went out for nearly the entire day.  I now have three of these towels; one in my hiking bag, one in the apartment, and one that remains at my summer camping spot. 

cooling towel

Stay Hydrated - Drink A LOT of Water

I'm not certain that drinking water makes you feel cooler, but I am certain that during high temperatures it is important to remain hydrated for your health. I feel as though drinking fruit-infused water or mint water (I just float a couple of leaves of mint in my ice water) makes me feel cooler.  

I fully believe that having a favorite container with you at all times helps make drinking water more convenient. 

Barbara shared her favorite water container with us: the Contigo water bottle. My favorite way to ensure I drink enough water daily, and that it remains cold ice water, is to fill my Bubba tumbler with ice water after I've finished my morning iced coffee.

Whatever your favorite delivery system, water is an important way to feel better in the heat. What if you don't like the "taste" of water Using a fruit infuser is a way to improve the taste of water, if you need that help. 

fruit infusing pitcher

Beating the Heat, Saving Money, and Going Easy on the Environment

These hints are ways I beat the heat in order to save money and to increase my comfort in an apartment that I have little other control of otherwise. However, when I move into my own home, I will continue to use these means of remaining cooler while keeping the air conditioning running as little as possible - in order to decrease my impact on the earth where I am able.  

No matter your reasons for looking at an article written to beat the heat without turning the air conditioner on full blast, I hope you have found something helpful here.

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In Case You Didn't Know by Brett Young - The Best Dedication Love Song From a Man to a Woman

'In Case You Didn't Know'

Featured on Drageda.com - The Heart of Country Music

When you've been married for over three decades and one day your hubby, while tidying up the kitchen and listening to the radio, sweetly says, "this song, have you heard it, it says what I feel about you ... it's my song to you".

Well, um yes ... I was caught off guard. Completely off guard.

You see I'm the one who writes about the meaning behind song lyrics for Drageda.com - The Heart of Country Music, and my husband isn't one who closely listens to the lyrics of a song ... or so I thought??

A few hours later the song played again, and with John standing on the other side of the kitchen and I by the radio, our eyes met in a long stare while I took the lyrics in for the first time. As we both began to slow dance, I remember thinking how life and love continues to surprise me.

It doesn't matter how old we get, just like a field of wild flowers, love can continue to grow.

From young people who accidentally met 36 years ago to our lives today, we've managed to survive some pretty crazy odds. Our life was never perfect, far from it, but one of the biggest factors that sustains us is our willingness to keep moving forward through it all.

Each year for our wedding anniversary I select a song that speaks about our relationship, but I never really think the 'ole hubster will pay attention to the lyrics in those chosen tunes.

For our 29th anniversary I selected Better Man by Tim McGraw, and for our 30th the celebration song was Dance With Me by Johnny Reid.

But for anniversary year 32, without ever suspecting it, the task of choosing a song wasn't left to me. 'In Case You Didn't Know', chosen by my husband, is song 32.

If you're looking to dedicate a love song to her, don't hesitate, this is a gorgeous song.

The song, sung by Brett Young and written by Young, Trent Tomlinson, Tyler Reeve and Kylie Schlienger, charted to number one in Canada's Country Billboard as well as number one on the US Hot Country Billboard. It currently remains in the USA's top ten country songs on iTunes.

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World at War, 1944 - Review of a Magic Tree House Super Edition

by Mary Pope Osborne

Synopsis:




In World at War, 1944, a Magic Tree House Super Edition, Jack and Annie are transported to World War II by the Magic Tree House.  Europe is in trouble and they must go behind enemy lines to crack a code that could save a lot of lives. And.... this has to be accomplished before D-Day - which is the day after they are transported back in time to England, then parachute into Normandy, France. 



 

June 6, 1944

Sometime after midnight, 100,000 allied soldiers invade by sea & air to drive the Nazis out of France. It was to be the beginning of the end of World War II.

Super Edition Books from the Magic Tree House Series

 

Magic Tree House Books

This particular book is one of the Super Edition books, which goes beyond the story about Jack & Annie's adventures in time just prior to D-Day. With a longer story and additional facts and photographs, the Super Edition books also give facts about that point in time.  In World at War, 1944, young readers in the age group 7 to 10 years learn about spies and the resistance movement in France, the National Pigeon Service where trained carrier pigeons carried secret messages, and what life was like for the people of France during the second World War when their country was occupied by German forces. 

Background for the Magic Tree House Adventures

The Magic Tree House adventures for Jack and his sister Annie began one day in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania when a mysterious tree house filled with books appeared in the woods behind their house. Jack & Annie soon discover it was magic and that they could go to any time and place in history just by pointing to a picture in one of the books. As you read the Magic Tree House series, you will see how this magic came to be.

In each Magic Tree House book Jack & Annie are able to travel to various points in time.  They touch a picture of the place they want to go, say the magic words "I wish we could go there" and.... the wind begins to blow, the tree house spins, then everything is absolutely still.... and they are there!  This is also how they return home!

Why I Purchased "World at War, 1944".

David with his first Magic Tree House Book

In March, my young grandson, David, visited 'grandma's house with his family.  While the family was here in Coastal Georgia, we toured Fort Pulaski, a Civil War monument located east of Savannah, GA. David was quite fascinated with the cannons and the rooms set up in historical representation of that time in history. At the end of our tour, we stopped in the 'gift shop' and David found the Magic Tree House adventure about the Civil War. He was absolutely delighted with that book, so much so that he carried it everywhere their entire vacation and had read it 3 times before they left for home at the end of the week. You can read my review of that book, Civil War On Sunday, here on Review This!

David and his Birthday Book

David had his 8th birthday coming up the following month, so I'd asked him what he'd like to have and he pointed out the next Magic Tree House book he wanted, in a list at the back of the Civil War book.  He picked the next war history he wanted to learn about -- World War II and D-Day. This image shows David with his birthday book ~ World at War, 1944! And this is my review of the book, which I read before I mailed it to David in his birthday package from grandma. 

Happy Birthday.... and Happy Reading, David!

World at War, 1944 (Magic Tree House Super Edition

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The Potter's Lady - Book 2 of Refined by Love Series Reviewed

Last week, I reviewed The Brickmaker's Bride from the Refined by Love series by Judith Miller.  If you haven't had a chance to read that review, I invite you to visit that review since that book is the foundation for the entire series.

The Potter's Lady picks up the story two years later from where The Brickmaker's Bride ended.  If you haven't read the first book in the series, this article will be a spoiler.  However, The Potter's Lady would be a delightful read regardless of whether you have read the first book.  It can easily stand on it's own merit.

This Christian historical fiction takes us back to the late 1800's where women were not encouraged to explore the working world.  Outside of being seamstresses or house help, there were very few acceptable jobs for women and none of them were considered proper for women in high society.

Review of The Potter's Lady

Rose has just graduated from Philadelphia School of Design for Women and she is quite anxious to get back home to her family, her place of security and love.  Because she is an Irish immigrant, she was not well received by the other girls in the school.  They took every opportunity to make fun of her and to remind her that, regardless of her connections with the Woodfield family, she is still an outcast in high society. 

 The Potter's Lady (Refined by Love)As soon as she sees her brother, Ewan, she knows something is wrong.  She insists that he tell her what has upset him.  When he finally relents and shares the latest news from home, Rose is distressed to hear that Ewan has been forced out of the family brickyard business.  Since he was never made a partner as promised, when Uncle Hugh died, his wife, Margaret became the sole owner and she had her own plans for the business.  On the train ride home Ewan needs to stop to visit two other businesses that are for sale.  He hopes to start over and would like his sister's help in deciding which company would be the best investment.

They visit both a small brickyard and a pottery works company.  Even though all of Ewan's experience has been in a brickyard, the family decides to purchase the pottery company instead.  Since Rose is an artist and Ewan has management and contract negotiating experience, the family believes they would make a great team in a new business.  That decision is also based on not wanting to compete with Margaret's brickyard and potentially causing a greater divide in their extended family.

At her graduation party, Rose reconnects with Joshua Harkness.  His family also owns a pottery works in another city and she believes he might have some insight to help her succeed.  Joshua has other ideas of his own and starts courting Rose, but he also takes a mistress who happens to be Ewan's daughter's nanny.  

Rylan Campbell is a longtime employee of the pottery works that Ewan and Rose purchase.  He is key to helping them grasp the intricacies of the pottery works business.  Rose immediately sees several changes that need to be made to the daily business.  She desires a cleaner environment, as well as a school for the children working at the pottery works.  She gets a tremendous amount of resistance from the workers and even though Rylan doesn't like change, he strives to help Rose implement her ideas.   Rose and Ewan's twin sisters come to the factory to set up the school that will teach around the children's work schedules.

In spite of their hard work and factory changes, the pottery works can't seem to land any new contracts.  That is, of course, detrimental to the success and longevity of the company.  When Rose hears of a contest with a reward of a huge pottery contract, Rose and Rylan go to work on a new design that they hope will win.  However, just as before, Joshua Harkness has other ideas and plans.


My Recommendation 

As I said in the introduction, this book can easily stand on it's own merit.  Honestly, I enjoyed reading this book more than The Brickmaker's Bride, but I was glad I knew the family background, especially where Margaret was concerned.   It was also nice to already be familiar with the history of how Ewan and his family came to America and met the Woodfields.



Reviews of the Books in the Refined by Love Series

The Brickmaker's Bride Book Review

The Artisan's Wife Book Review 

Read More Book Reviews at
ReviewThisBooks.com

The Potter's Lady Book Review Written by:

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Quick Flip Questions for Critical Thinking Charts: A Review

What Ever Happened to Critical Thinking in Education?

As we look around our American universities and the streets of many cities, we see that many people no longer care about critical thinking or examining any opposing opinions. In fact, you don't have to look any farther than social media to see that.  Yet schools used to teach logic and critical thinking. As recently as a few years ago, when I was still selling books online, my best seller was a small flip chart: Quick Flip Questions for Critical Thinking. Recently, its publisher, Edupress, sold its educational supply business to another supplier. Fortunately, it's still available for home, school, and business use.

Top Selling Critical Thinking Aid for Students, Educators, Writers, and Speakers
Collage of my scans edited on PicMonkey

When I Was Still Selling Teaching Resources Directly, This Flew Off My Shelves and I Shipped It All Over the Country.

Several years ago when I got my Edupress dealer catalog, it had a new item in it -- a small chart called Quick Flip Questions for Critical Thinking. I decided to try a few of them and listed it in my catalog. 

The results amazed me. It quickly became a best seller. Large school districts were ordering it in volume so they could give one to every teacher in the district. I discovered that education professors were giving workshops and recommending that everyone in the workshops buy this little chart. 

'Critical Thinking' Shirt with black text

Why is this inexpensive little chart so valuable to educators?

This handy chart, which is easily held in one hand, started a stampede of educators to get it because it took the work of Benjamin Bloom and made it easy to understand and refer to. Quick Flip Questions for Critical Thinking was the work of Linda G. Barton, who based it on the original Bloom’s Taxonomy. 

This little spiral bound chart can be held in the hand while teaching a class or leading a discussion. It doesn’t take up much room on a teacher’s desk when he or she is planning a lesson or writing a test. As you can see in the photo to the left, it has a separate page for each level of thinking in the cognitive domain. If a teacher wants to make sure her test or discussion questions and lesson plans cover each level, all she has to do is flip from page to page.

This Mug Will Remind You or Someone Else to Think Critically 

Do you know someone who needs it? 

Demand Evidence Think Critically Coffee Mug

As you can see in the picture below, each page is easy to flip open. On the other side of the page you open is a definition of the level of knowledge that page covers — in this case, Comprehension. Under the definition is a list of keywords — verbs– that tell how one would demonstrate mastery of this level of knowledge: eg. classify, explain, outline, summarize, etc. Under the spiral are open-ended questions that students would need comprehension to be able to answer.  

This little chart is so useful it finds its way into the hands of workshop leaders, Bible discussion leaders, and even writers. Why writers? It helps them organize writing, and its questions can also act as writing prompts when writer's block attacks. The questions can encourage you to take your topic in a new direction. 

A New Flip Chart Appears

Quick Flip Questions for Critical Thinking was so popular that more flip charts were introduced. People loved the original Quick Flip Questions for Critical Thinking but had also been requesting an updated version. Before long, it was followed by Quick Flip Questions for the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. While it was still new, I sold more of these than of the original flip chart. But soon others discovered what I already knew -- this dirty little secret.

There is nothing new in this updated version. The words for the headings have been changed, but "Creating" has the same material as "Synthesis" had in the original version, and everything else that appears different is just in a different order. The levels of the cognitive domain of learning have been divided by the authors into these levels: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating.

Either of these handy resources helps one improve thinking skills at any age with the flip of a page. Either is an indispensable tool that helps teachers write lesson plans, master Bloom's Taxonomy, and develop higher levels of thinking. It will help students develop analytic skills. They will learn to ask their teachers the right questions and to see through some of the nonsense they will find in their social media feeds.

How to Use the Flip Charts at Home

You Can Even Use the Flip Charts at Home
Photo © B. Radisavljevic

There are many ways to use the flip charts in families. They can even help improve child/parent communication. There are both threatening and non-threatening ways to ask questions. If it's your words which put children in a defensive stance (not your tone of voice), this resource can help you frame your questions in a way that may not raise the same barriers to communication. (I would not hold the book in your hand for these encounters. Learn the most useful questions and keep them in your head.)

Homeschoolers will also find these charts valuable. I still like the original version best. Home educators should get a copy for each child of middle school age and older. When the parent assigns reading she can also have the children answer one or two Level IV-VI questions orally or in writing afterward. After the family watches a video, TV commercial, or show together, maybe one of these Level IV and VI Questions would be appropriate to discuss together at the end:

1. How would you prove...? disprove? 
2. What choice would you have made?
3. How is _____ related to...?
4. What motive is there?

Parents need to help children get into the habit of analyzing what the media puts in front of them instead of just accepting it at face value. 

Why Not Get one of these Handy Critical Thinking Tools Now?

Edupress EP-504 Questions for Critical Thinking Quick Flip Resource, 0.38Quick Flip Questions for the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy

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Killers of the Flower Moon Reviewed

When Life For The Osage Should Have Become Easier

Perhaps The Flower Moon (image courtesy of Pixabay.com)

It isn't often that I read a non-fiction book but this was an exception so, today I will be reviewing the book Killers Of The Flower Moon by David Grann. It would be difficult to say that I enjoyed this book because the subject matter is more than just a little disturbing; however, I will say instead that I found it fascinating and heartbreaking. 

This book tells about the Osage Indians and the disturbing events that occurred on their reservation in Oklahoma during the 1920s. One might think that by this time the atrocities toward the Indians of North America would have been over. One might be mistaken. Yes, it was after the Indian Wars. Yes, it was after the tribes had been herded off to reservations like a bunch of cattle. Unfortunately, even in the 20th century many white men were not finished with their inhumanity towards the native peoples of the North American continent, in this case the Osage Indians. 

Mr. Grann does a remarkable job of detailing these horrible acts against the tribe. There were greedy people taking unfair advantage and there were murders of the Osage people for one reason: money. You see, it just so happened that the reservation that was created for the Osage tribe turned out to be more than just a rocky barren place for them to eek a living on. There was oil under those rocks! Lots of oil! 

Killers Of The Flower Moon

Typically in the history of the US if there was something of value that was found on an Indian Reservation our government would find a way to take it away from them. An instance would be the gold that was found in the Black Hills. At the time of that discovery the Black Hills was a part of the Sioux reservations. In order to get that precious land back, the government came up with an allotment system which forced the Indians to become land owners but there was a twist. In the guise of being fair, there would be a few parcels of land that would be alloted to non-indians (whites). Should we be surprised that the plots of land that had the gold on them would be the ones that were allotted to non-indians?

The allotment system had been dismissed by the government for quite a long time in the early 20th century. There was a push to get the "heathens" to better assimilate into the white culture and it finally became the Osage Indians turn to get serious about leaving their old ways. What the government did not know but the Osage did was that there was oil on their land. In a rather clever set of negotiations between the government and the tribe, a deal was struck. The Osage would agree to the allotment system but (and this is a huge BUT) they wanted the sole rights to the minerals on the land. And that my friends is where the Osage pulled one over on the men who thought they were pulling one over on them. After the agreement was signed, the Osage announced the discovery of oil. It would appear that the Osage had won!

Suddenly, the Osage people were rich, filthy rich! They built mansions, they drove brand new automobiles, they dressed in fine clothing and they hired servants. In the eyes of many white men this was absolutely unacceptable! So, it was declared that the Indians were not smart enough to handle their own money. The whites couldn't take the oil rich land away but they could control the money and keep a lot of it for themselves. It gets worse!

Mr. Grann walks us through the events of a time known as The Reign of Terror by the Osage. He tells of the deceit and wicked ways that many followed to get that money from the Osage people. Some married an Osage in order to get their grimy hands on the oil money. Some, even systematically ended the lives of the Osage so that the division of the monies grew as there were less to receive it.

This is not a pretty story. It is a factual one and a heartbreaking one but it is not pretty. If you like to read about real history, this might be a book that you will find fascinating. It is often times difficult to read about the dark side of humanity; however, it can also be enlightening. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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