Appreciating The Little Things!

This past weekend was the twentieth anniversary of the company my husband works for, so we sent Emily to her Grandmother's for an overnight and we gussied ourselves up to attend the gala event. Before we left we had Emily take our picture since Bobby and I don't really have many pictures of just the two of us.

It was a lively affair with a wonderful catered lunch, delicious desserts, fun photo booths, door prizes, dancing, and mingling. We were surprised to win one of the larger door prizes, a cannon rebel and all of the extras like a tripod, lens filters, a bag, and so much more. And although we already have a fabulous Nikon and don't really need another camera, we appreciated the gift and the party given in  honor of dedicated employees.

The book I read for this week's review also made me stop and think about how important it is to appreciate the little things, especially when life is difficult. When I Was Eight is based on the true life experiences of Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, a small girl born in the arctic, whose only dream was to learn to read Alice In Wonderland like her older sister.

When she finally talks her father into letting her attend a catholic school in the town where they trade, she finds school daunting. One of the nuns cuts of her hair, changes her name, demands hours of tiring chores from her, and demeans her at every turn, but Margaret is determined to learn to read no matter what. Against the odds, Margaret teaches herself to read and gains an ember of self confidence that even the cruel nun can not douse.

Although a very serious book with some dark moments, I think children are bright enough to take away the same messages I took away. Don't let anyone crush your dreams. Don't let difficult circumstances keep you from achieving. And, stand up for yourself!

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, the sequel, Return To Fern Valley, and the soon to be released Cooking In Fern Valley (fall 2015)! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.