One week haul from the farm share:





One of the many items it became (can you guess what it is?):

For Stacey

Picture For Mom

This is my last guess and then I give up!

First Robin!

I saw my first Robin of the year yesterday! The temperatures also plunged down to the low 20s with high winds and a wind chill of 12 degrees. Needless to say, the excitement of the promise of spring coming was blown away by the same bitter wind that probably blew that poor robin back south again!

Tigers/Cubs

Tiger tickets went on sale today...we'll be going to see the Cubs when they come to town. WooHoo!!!

Warriors Don't Cry

I just had my February Book Club meeting where we discussed "Warriors Don't Cry". This is a brief account of the 1957 integration of Central High School in Little Rock, AR. Melba Pattillo Beals was one of the "Little Rock Nine" who suffered a year of torture in the name of justice. It is a small book and an easy read, but it openned my eyes to the extreme suffering that the civil rights movement entailed. It also showed the stunning ugliness of hatred and racism that was so much a part of our nation not that long ago. It was a book well worth reading.

It was short enough that I was able to start another book before our next one was assigned. I started reading a MUCH longer book entitled "Walking with the Wind" which is John Lewis' full account of the civil rights movement. So far I've found this book to be excellent and am sad that I've got to set it aside for a while.

Infidel

I just finished my book club book before our discussion Friday morning. The book was entitled "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I would highly recommend it.

Ayaan was born in Somolia and grew up in Saudi Arabia and Kenya in a devout Muslim home. She experienced and witnessed extreme violence and oppression against women all done in the name of religion. She has escaped to become a Dutch citizen now living in America and has fought for women's rights, especially Muslim women's rights. She as also since left the Muslim faith.

Her insider view of Muslim society is sobering. She cannot agree with the common statement declaring that "Islam is a religion of peace" and considers acceptance of that statement to be evidence of ignorance of what is happening around the world and what the Koran commands. Needless to say, she has been, and probably still is, being hunted.

The story of her life is intreging and the lessons learned are powerful. While she leaves all religion behind, it is interesting to consider whether the freedoms she so values and credits to the political system of the West are really to be credited to the Christian underpinnings of the West.

It will be an interesting discussion on Friday. And it is very interesting that she is one of the speakers at the January series at Calvin College this year. I may need to show up for that one!

Happy Birthday Brant!

Happy Birthday today to Brant! 9 years old! It is hard to believe this is our final year with a child in the single digits!