The Saturday Six

One.

My friend Natasha sent me this video last week {it is on a Facebook page, so I couldn't embed it - or at least I couldn't figure out how. My skills are minimal} - and it is SO GREAT! The woman had a chance to shoot a basketball from half court in hopes of winning half price tuition at her daughter's school the next year...

Two.

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I don't think I need to explain to you my delight over EVERYTHING about this adorable hot cocoa bar, do I??

Three.

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For my fellow Little House fanatics, I found this post all about the first season of the TV show and it included some fun trivia that I didn't know. {Some of them I had heard, but some were new to me.} TV trivia always fascinates me, so I thought I'd pass it along! :)  

Four.

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I know we all say we just want to be loved - and I believe we do! - but for some, it takes such courage to ALLOW love into a hurting and/or hardened heart. This post by Bonnie Gray is powerful. And even if you don't struggle to receive love, this is a good read to understand those who do!

Five.

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With 2016 lurking just a week away, I thought I'd share this 2016 Bible reading plan. If you're looking for a layout for your reading for next year, this might help! 

Six.

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I spent another day immersed in the life of a small town this week - and I loved every minute of it. This time my book travels took me back to the 1830's in little Trinity, Pennsylvania, to read about the adventures of a midwife! Having been to four births myself, I was excited to read about the ways and practices of a midwife in that time.

The Midwife's Choice by Delia Parr is the second in a series {based on the "other books" page in the front of the book, I imagine it will be a trilogy} called "At Home in Trinity." I hadn't read the first book but did not feel that I was behind in any way because I picked up with book two.

The book captures the story of widow Martha Cade, the much-loved and respected midwife in the little community of Trinity. While the book does let readers peek into the practices of childbirth in that day, Martha's story is so much bigger than her profession. She's struggling to rebuild a relationship with her runaway teenage daughter, she helps at a bakery run by two sisters who also let Martha live with them, and she is part of a deeply rooted sisterhood community made up of all the women of the town.

While I wouldn't classify the book as suspenseful, particularly, it certainly never lacks for action. Every chapter ends with a cliffhanger, so putting it down was quite difficult! The author masterfully weaves many storylines together, which is something I so admire since I don't have that kind of writing skill in me.

Because the book was set in such a different period in history, I found it interesting to read how the people in that time handled their relationships and  difficult issues, such as infant loss and domestic violence. Those kinds of issues were prevalent then just as they are now, but they were not talked about as openly. It was fascinating to read how they were perceived and dealt with so long ago.

Delia's characters were charming and endearing, and despite the presence of many people in the book, I felt their stories were well told and developed - and I didn't feel confused or frustrated in trying to keep them straight.

In fact, the only thing that did confuse me in reading was keeping Martha's age straight in my head. Though she was in her early 40's, I kept feeling she was much older. Part of that, I'm sure, was her name and the fact that she was a widow, and also her deep level of influence within the community. Plus, her daughter seemed older than 17 years, so that made me think Martha should be more in her 60's than her 40's.

Really enjoyed this read - which was set in winter and brought a bit of cheer to our extraordinarily warm winter without any of the actual hassle of winter itself!

* Thanks, Bethany House, for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. *