Book Review: American Phoenix by Jane Hampton Cook

American Phoenix: John Quincy and Louisa Adams, the War of 1812, and the Exile that Saved American Independence is written by Jane Hampton Cook and is published by Thomas Nelson.

I am a lover of all things history and this book does not disappoint my appetite for more. Before reading American Phoenix, I knew very little about the War of 1812 or John Quincy Adams and his wife, Louisa. I am coming away from a large (502 pages) volume of great American history.

Well before John Quincy became our sixth president, he was "exiled" to Russia. His was a diplomatic exile, not simply banishment from the country. James Madison was then president and he wanted to develop trade agreements with the large country during a difficult period of world history when England and France were at odds - and dominating the world.

In the early nineteenth century, the United States of America was not even close to being a world power. John Quincy sought to change that. He and Louisa, then, traveled across a dangerous ocean in the autumn, hoping to avoid becoming trapped by the snow and ice that threatened to beat them to Russia. They left behind their two oldest sons, aged six and eight at the time. Would their sacrifice be worth it?

Jane Hampton Cook has done a magnificent job of retelling the true story of the Adams's determination to sacrifice it all to save the United States of America. Much of the gripping narrative (written as if it were almost a novel rather than pure nonfiction) is taken from John Quincy and Louisa's respective diaries themselves. Because of the use of their diaries, their story is very believable and very personal.

I love this book and feel that every American should read it. It reminds us of a time when politicians and patriots did all that they could to further the good of this country and left behind selfish ambition. I only wish there were more John Quincy Adams's today.

*I received a copy of American Phoenix in exchange for my honest opinion. Opinion expressed is my own.*

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Menu Plan Monday - June 9

We had a whopper of a birthday party for my 15-year-old son yesterday. He had been ill for seven weeks and needed a pick-me-up. He got it. My grocery budget for the week went toward this party but it was worth it. Here's what we're planning for this week's menu:

Monday

Lasagna
Green Beans
Tossed Salads

Tuesday

Southwestern Rice Salad
Enchiladas

Wednesday

Loaded Baked Potatoes
Pork Chops

Thursday

Roasted Chicken
Peas & Carrots
Mashed Potatoes

Friday

Pizza and Pop

Saturday

Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Hamburgers
Quinoa Crunch Burgers

Sunday

On Your Own

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Menu Plan Monday - June 3

Okay, so we had a bit of spring/summery weather and already it's cold here - highs just reaching the high 40 degree mark. Ugh! I planted my garden this weekend and am now nearly salivating over the thought of fresh vegetables cultivated without any use of pesticides or GMOs. At the rate we're going, I won't be able to enjoy any of that for quite a while.

Speaking of gardening, sometime around the past Good Friday, I started some tiny heirloom tomato plants. They were doing well until my youngest son became ill. He has since had four hospital stays and numerous emergency department visits. Because I was in and out of the hospital with him, my tomato plants did not get regularly watered. Guess what happens to little tomato plants when they don't get drinks?

Well, the plants were small and not so great looking by the time I got them in the ground. Already, 5 plants have died. The rest look as if they'll make it, but they're going to struggle for a while. To be on the safe side, I purchased a few heirloom plants from the local gardening shop. Those plants look nice, but their price tag was high. I also purchased and planted four tomatillo plants, which I can't wait to watch grow so that I can use their fruits for salsa verde!

Here's our plan for the week's menu:

Monday

Herbed Roast Beef

Potatoes & Carrots

Boston Coolers

Tuesday

BBQ Chicken in the Oven

Mashed Potatoes

Stir-fried Vegetables

Wednesday

Roast Beef and Rice

Sugar Snap Peas

Applesauce

Thursday

Tacos

Beans and Rice

Chips and Salsa

Friday

Pizza and Pop

Saturday

Loaded Baked Potatoes

Salads

Sunday

On Your Own

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Book Review - The Point: The Redemption of Oban Ironbout by William E. Jefferson

The Point: The Redemption of Oban Ironbout is written by William E. Jefferson and is published by Port Estillyen Productions, Inc.

Blue Ink Review says, "The style is allegorical in part reminiscent of John Bunyan and C.S. Lewis. The 'readings' hearken to Donne and Milton as well." After reading The Point, I have to agree, though I will say that it is definitely more modern than, say, The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. This story actually reminds me a lot of Lewis' The Screwtape Letters. Read it and see if you don't agree.

In The Point, Hollie and Goodwin Macbreeze take a vacation to a unique island filled with monks, nuns, animals, and a grizzly old man named Oban Ironbout. Goodwin and Hollie are on a retreat style vacation in which they attend "readings" led by the monks of Estillyen. These readings are based upon Scripture, using Scripture within. They provide deeper meaning by delving into the mind of Satan. 

Hollie and Goodwin meet Oban Ironbout and learn as much or more from him, which wasn't what they ever imagined would happen. Their lives are changed - will Oban's be as well?

I am fascinated with the deep spiritual truths and the way they are presented and explained in this book. Mr. Jefferson is a masterful storyteller who knows his theology. I am keeping this book for my children to read - or maybe for me to reread.

**I received a copy of The Point: The Redemption of Oban Ironbout in exchange for my honest opinion. Opinion expressed is my own.**

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Menu Plan Monday - May 13

This is a tentative menu plan. In the last month, we have literally spent more time away from home and in the hospital with our teenaged son than we have spent at home. We are praying that we are finished with the hospital stays now, but who knows. I don't "plan" on anything anymore. Rather, I "hope" a lot.

Here's what I think I can make with the ingredients we have on hand:

Monday

Hamburgers on the Grill

French Fries

Gluten-free Veggie Burgers

Gluten-free Brownies

Tuesday

Oven-fried Chicken

Mashed Potatoes

Corn

Fruit

Wednesday

Lasagna

Salads

Garlic Bread

Vanilla Pudding

Thursday

Meat Loaf

Parsley Potatoes

Green Beans

Rhubarb Crisp

Friday

Pizza & Pop

Saturday

Hot Dogs (roasted over a fire)

Baked Beans

Potato Salad

Marshmallows (roasted over a fire)

Sunday

On Your Own

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Our Adventure with HSP

Our family has had an adventure for the past month. It's an adventure we wish never to take again. We had an adventure with Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP).

About a month ago, our 14-year-old son, Ryan, started having severe stomach pain after taking a dose of Amoxicillin. He had battled chronic sore throats all winter and the hope was to clear things up with an antibiotic. 

The next day the pain was so intense that we had him in the emergency room. Prognosis? Stomach ache. *Send him home*

This went on for a week - take him to the E.R., be told he just has a belly ache, then, *Send him home* We took him to the pediatrician who put him through a battery of tests that included ultrasounds and an Upper G.I. They found blood and protein in the urine but still nothing much was said.

After the week was up, we had a new development. A ridiculous rash developed all over his body. The brunt of it was on his legs, though it was everywhere. We took him to another emergency department, this one at a larger hospital 1 1/2 miles away. The diagnosis this time?  HSP.

Since that diagnosis, Ryan has had three hospital stays, two of them in a very large children's hospital in our state. This hospital is reported to be one of the best in the country. I'm inclined to agree. In fact, as I write this, we are in his hospital room. Ryan is scheduled to go home in the morning. 

HSP is an autoimmune disease that typically shows up after an upper respiratory illness. More times than not, a rash resembling hives occurs along with horrible stomach pain. I'm talking pain so bad it is a 10 out 10. Along with the rash and stomach pain comes joint pain - true arthritis. It is not uncommon to have blood in the urine and the stool. Capillaries inflame and burst in the skin and the internal organs. Ryan's stomach pain was caused by inflammation in the upper bowel. A child is born with HSP antibodies. It stays dormant until something "triggers" it and makes it active in the body. Nobody knows for sure what triggers it, though there are more cases of it in the winter and early spring. It seems to follow illnesses in many children.

The real dangers with HSP are what it can do to the kidneys and the intestines. Ryan's kidneys were affected so the nephrologist on call last week did a biospsy to assess what damage might already be done. Since the symptoms of HSP and Lupus are pretty much the same, the biopsy was important in that through it she was able to rule out Lupus. While Ryan's kidneys don't appear to be damaged too badly, they could shut down later and go into complete kidney failure. Because of that danger, the nephrologist will be keeping an eye on him for the next couple of years. Our first appointment with her is in five weeks.

Ryan's case was not all that typical at first. It still isn't. He had the stomach pain for a week before the rash appeared. Every doctor we saw has said the same thing, "This is the worst case of HSP we have ever seen." That is a bit frightning. 

It has been a month since HSP first reared its ugly head. Ryan is not completely over the disease - it has to run its course and has not completed that course yet. The team of doctors here agree, however, that he should be over the hump and be on the way to recovery. There's no way to know for sure whether or not he'll have another flare (relapse). I'm praying not.

The treatment for HSP is limited. There is no cure.  The inflammation can be controlled with different medications. Sometimes anti-inflammatory drugs such as Naproxen or Ibuprofen work well. Ryan started out with Naproxen. It worked for a few days until he relapsed with worse stomach pain and rash. He also began bleeding internally so badly that he was ambulanced to the children's hospital 3 1/2 hours from home. The medication was severely harming his kidneys.

Steroids are another option to reduce inflammation. That is what he is taking now, along with muscle relaxers and Tylenol. The pain, as of tonight, is a 1 out of 10. That is so much better! 

As a mom who has had to watch her child suffer with terrible pain for the past month, I can tell you that this is one terrible disease. It typically affects children aged 15 and younger, but can also affect adults. Watching a child suffer and knowing you can virtually do nothing to alleviate that pain is awful. I cannot imagine how I could have handled it had one of my kids had this at a younger age.

One thing I do know is that once HSP is triggered, it lasts for a month or two then just simply goes away. Almost always it stays away for the rest of that child's life.

Prayer has made all of the difference in our lives. People from all over have told us that they have been praying for Ryan and for our family. We are leaning on the Lord for help to get us through all of this. My husband and I have had to miss a lot of work. Our income reflects that. We have had 9 ER visits in the last month along with 3 hospital stays of an average of 3 days at a time. Ryan has kept track of his "pokes" with needles: 39

My conclusion is this: GOD IS GOOD. He will see us through this.

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Book Review - Letters to Katie by Kathleen Fuller

 

Letters to Katie is written by Kathleen Fuller and is published by Thomas Nelson. Katie is a young Amish woman who has spent most of her years longing for the love of one man - Johnny Mullett. The feeling never seemed to mutual, however. 

When illness causes Katie to lose part of her short term memory, things between her and Johnny take a different twist. A mysterious stranger writes Katie letters and she doesn't quite know what to do with all of the emotions and turmoil in her life.

I enjoyed reading Letters to Katie. Katie goes through a lot of personal introspection before she finally decides to put God in His proper place. How this affects Johnny is something you'll have to find out when you read the story for yourself.

Though some of the story might be a little predictable, there are still some nice surprises to be discovered within the book's pages.

Letters to Katie is the third book in the Middlefield Family series. If you enjoy Amish storylines, you will likely enjoy this series.

**I received a copy of Letters to Katie in exchange for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are my own.**

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