All About Awareness: Everything Is Tuberculosis

Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection

by John Green

My older daughter is a huge fan of the Green brothers, so she pre-ordered this book to get an autographed copy. She took it with her to college, so I had to read one from the library.

Mr. Green alternates personal stories of tuberculosis patients (past and present, but most often a young man named Henry from Sierra Leone whose cheerful tour of a hospital focused Mr. Green's interests on tuberculosis) with historical facts and numbers about the disease. His treatment of about everything is necessarily broad rather than deep. 

One omission, for example, is an acknowledgement of the complex process of drug development: basic research, detailed studies, approval, and manufacturing. He argues there's a problem with the way markets drive the pharmaceutical industry:

When markets tell companies it's more valuable to develop drugs that lengthen eyelashes than to develop drugs that treat malaria or tuberculosis, something is clearly wrong with the incentive structure. (p. 130)  

And thinks we should have a different system: 

And so we must fight not just for reform within the system but also for better systems that understand human health not primarily as a market, but primarily as a shared priority for our species. (pp. 174-175) 

I agree there are real conversations we should have about our modern decision to leave all drug development and manufacturing in the hands of for-profit companies, but this book doesn't do more than say we should have the conversation.

My daughter assures me Mr. Green has done extensive videos covering these kinds of questions. I think his decision to mention these issues in the book without providing an in-depth analysis was therefore a strategic one. Those kinds of conversations can happen after he gest people to even care enough to ask the questions.

In my college days, I read books about diseases for fun more often than I read novels. I also have a degree in biology. This is not a scientific book; it's not even a history of science book. This is a chatty book with a single goal: to increase how much people in rich countries care about helping cure tuberculosis. 

This book is written at a middle grade level. There are, of course, descriptions of illness and tragedy. There are also some references to more mature topics, so you may want to have your kids wait until high school to read it. I did not assign this book to my older daughter, but I did include it in the list of resources for health in her narrative transcript. I would do the same for my other kids if they read it.

I respect Mr. Green's dedication to his chosen cause. I believe he's doing a lot to bring the tragedy of tuberculosis to the attention of many Americans. The recent dismantling of USAID has sadly derailed much of the work that was benefiting those with tuberculosis, and we can expect a drastic increase in death and suffering for many years to come from tuberculosis and other diseases. Hopefully this book helps encourage people to demand their congressmen and congresswomen return to the fight against infectious disease around the world.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links. I checked this book out of our local library.

October 2023 Book Reports

Charis in the World of Wonders by Marly Youmans - This was the second time I read this book (first review here). This time I wasn't recovering from Covid and I was able to read it with my book club. I enjoyed it just as much. Charis is able to see the glory and beauty of Creation, and to feel God's loving presence, even in the midst of pain, suffering, and abandonment. I know she's not real, but she is my hero. (received as a gift)

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov - This was another re-read for me, but I hadn't read this one since I was in high school. It was thoroughly enjoyable. Writing this little review now, more than a year later, I am reminded that I wanted to read more of the robot books. Asimov is a master storyteller and a giant in the sci-fi genre. Everyone should read at least some of his books. (library copy)

Goodnight Mind: Turn Off Your Noisy Thoughts & Get a Good Night's Sleep by Colleen E. Carney, PhD, and Rachel Manber, PhD - This is a nice helpful book on the importance of sleep and the strategies for assessing your sleep and improving it. The part I remember best was the research that showed a person's impairment after a restless night is almost always not as bad as they thought it would be. I have felt so much freer when I can't fall asleep to stop worrying about it, and even sometimes to get up and read a book or watch a little show. I wanted to share it with my kids, but then I found one geared toward teens. I bought that one and my kids will read it as part of their high school Health course, but I actually haven't read it myself. I would also suggest recommending prayer to kids who can't sleep, which isn't mentioned in this book. (library copy)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

Reframing Our Experiences: The Expectation Effect

The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World
by David Robson

The brain interprets visual signals based on what it believes is being perceived. Sometimes, it adjusts what you perceive based on the signals, but sometimes, "its predictions may be so strong that it chooses to discount some signals while accentuating others." (p. 13)

This book surprised me on every page. It's not just that we are deluding ourselves, or, rather, that are brains are deluding us, but that our brains actually create physiological changes in our bodies in anticipation of a physical response that creates the physical response. That seems confusing, but the evidence is there. If, for example, you believe you will have a headache in the morning, your brain may literally initiate physiological processes in your body that manifest as physical pain. You do have a headache, but perhaps it's only because your brain has caused it.

Friends, I have had headaches daily since I had Covid in December 2020. Years of headaches. I tried medicines, but the side effects were worse than the headaches, so I've just muddled through. Reading this book hasn't cured my headaches, but I started reminding myself every time I felt like my head hurt that this pain is temporary, that I will not always have headaches. And honestly, I think they've gotten better. Whatever part of these headaches is caused by my belief that I'm going to have a headache - I want to be done with that part.

This book provides examples, evidence, and recommendations for how to reframe our experiences to expect better outcomes. It doesn't promise better outcomes, but gives us the opportunity to imagine and anticipate them, encouraging our brains to work for our best interests across social situations, our education and career goals, and our physical and mental health.

I almost believe this book is essential reading. I intend to add it to our health curriculum.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I borrowed this book from the library and later purchased a copy at regular price. Links to Amazon, Bookshop, and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.

Talking to Ourselves: Chatter

Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It

by Ethan Kross

I heard about this book on an episode of The Happiness Lab (great podcast for older teens and adults with regular advice on choosing wisely for what will really make us happy, even if they don't acknowledge the benefit of a benevolent and merciful God). 

Dr. Kross is a psychologist who studies how we talk to ourselves and how we can use our will and reason to adjust that inner voice for our short and long term benefit. He begins with a few chapters describing what the inner voice is and research on how it important it is.

...we use our minds to write the story of our lives, with us as the main character. Doing so helps us mature, figure out our values and desires, and weather change and adversity by keeping us rooted in a continuous identity. (p. 15)

When our inner voice descends into "chatter," however, it can damage our ability to solve problems and destroy our peace. Sharing about the illness of Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, Dr, Kross explains:

What her experience shows us in singularly vivid terms is how deeply we struggle with our inner voice--to the point where the stream of verbal thoughts that allows us to function and think and be ourselves could lead to expansively good feelings when it's gone...Not only can our thoughts taint experience. They can blog out nearly everything else. (p. 19)

The author then goes through all sorts of ways we can address our own chatter and ways others can help us (and how we can help others). These are presented with plenty of background information and advice, but the end of the book includes a section called "The Tools" which clearly and succinctly presents all the tools. You should really read the book to learn how best to implement these, but you can just flip to the back of the book for a quick burst of information. You'll find tools you can implement on your own, ones that involve other people, how to receive support, and how to modify your environment to reduce chatter.

This book provides a great synthesis of all sorts of research and advice I've seen here and there. It's also extensively researched, with copious endnotes and references to published studies. (I did notice one reference to a student who learned during her genealogical research that she is a descendent of George Washington through his slaves. This surprised me greatly and a brief search online found these claims are highly contested. I imagine they took her word for it, but I would probably have left that bit of her story out of the book.)

It is also a book of its time, supportive of nontraditional lifestyles and, while appreciative of the psychological benefits of being an involved member of a faith community, dismissive of the possibility of an actual greater being who bestows peace or grace on anyone. This attitude was not unexpected or  overbearing.

If any of my remaining homeschooling children want a high school psychology course, I will include this book. I will probably add it to our health course as a free read (but required reading) for all the others. I believe the knowledge of this book would be a great asset for college students and young adults (and everyone else, too).

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop are affiliate links. I borrowed this book from our library (though I intend to acquire a copy for our homeschool).

Our Bodies and the Body of Christ: Fearfully and Wonderfully

Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God's Image
by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey

This is an updated edition, combining two earlier books Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and the sequel In His Image. It's a brilliant book, describing the body of Christ and how it should function through the metaphor of the human body. 

Dr. Brand studied as a carpenter, then served as a missionary doctor in India, mainly treating those who suffer from Hansen's disease (leprosy). His words and thoughts have been brought together and organized by Philip Yancey in a seamless way. All you hear is Dr. Brand, even in sections that were updated after Dr. Brand passed away.

Pain, so often viewed as an enemy, is actually the sensation most dedicated to keeping us healthy. If I had the power to choose one gift for my leprosy patients, I would choose the gift of pain. (p. 180)

One of the main goals of the book is to encourage Christians to reach out more to others in the world, those who are hurting physically or emotionally.

Not all of us can serve in parts of the world where human needs abound. But all of us can visit prisons and homeless shelters, bring meals to shut-ins, and minister to single parents or foster children. If we choose to love only in a long-distance way, we will be deprived, for love requires direct contact. (p. 22)

It is best for more mature readers. There are mentions of promiscuity, drug use, and other issues, always from within the Christian lens, but heavy topics nonetheless.

We have learned that what seems attractive and alluring may in fact prove damaging, and that some guidelines on behavior exist for our own good....The state God desires for us, shalom, results in a person fully alive, functioning optimally to the Designer's specifications. (p. 105)

The book is written by non-Catholic Christians, but I didn't see anything concerning in terms of theology. The few comments regarding communion are ones my kids would recognize immediately as Protestant beliefs and therefore not confusing. Catholics are always mentioned with respect. He also touches on his experiences as a Christian in non-Christian countries and in secular environment like medical school in a practical way. Here, he's using the skeleton as a metaphor for his faith.

As I have grappled with these and other issues, I have learned the value of accepting as a rule of life something about which I have intellectual uncertainties. In other words, I have learned to trust the basic skeleton and rely on it even when I cannot figure out how the various bones fit together and why some are shaped the way they are. (p. 113)

He even ends the book with a quote from Teresa of Avila.

Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.

There's a discussion guide at the end that some students may find helpful. I would also like to point out that the dust jacket for the hardcover is beautiful. It's a little busy for my taste, but it's embossed and reflects light from the images and the lettering. The pages feel very nice, too. It's always satisfying to see a publisher create a quality product in both the content and the package.

This book has been discussed in the Mater Amabilis Facebook group many times. Some people suggest it for biology or health, but it's really not sufficient as a biology book. While it does explain some aspects of the human body, it only does so in parts, using those parts to uncover a truth of the universal church. I believe it fits best as spiritual reading, but will be most useful in that place for someone who has already learned a little about biology and the human body.

I loved this book. The insights brings aspects of God's kingdom into focus. I intend to recommend it as an option for First Son (twelfth grade) for spiritual reading. First Daughter may begin anatomy and health this year (ninth grade), but I think I'll recommend it to her when she has finished those courses, in tenth or eleventh grade.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links. I purchased this book.

Clothes, Devices, and Manners: The Thoughtful Girl's Guide

The Thoughtful Girl's Guide to Fashion, Communication, and Friendship

by Mary Sheehan Warren

I was considering including It's So You by the same author in our high school health course, mainly for my daughters, when one of the members of the Mater Amabilis Facebook group mentioned The Thoughtful Girl's Guide. 

This book is like a casual conversation with a mentor. It covers many topics we all want to discuss with our children but may not know how to broach. (The topics for boys are similar, but the book is expressly written for girls.) There's a little on fashion (clothes and makeup), presentation (speaking, meeting people, interviews), phone etiquette, social media, and manners. Everything is related to the big theme of who God wants you to be and how you reveal that true self to friends and family members.

The only quibble I have with the book is how few of the drawings depict obvious women of color. There are vignettes throughout of people to know and stories to illuminate virtues. Those vignettes feature people of many races, mainly women. The line drawing examples for the fashion sections, however, appear mostly white to me. It also seemed like the (brief) tutorial on applying makeup assumed a light complexion. These are small quibbles, but I think they might make it more difficult to share with young women of color.

I plan to include this book in our health course for my daughters. I'll probably make it free-time reading because it's such a conversational and enjoyable read. I know my older daughter is looking forward to it. I caught her reading bits and pieces of it while I was reading it.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links. I purchased this book.

Read Widely and Be Curious: Range

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World 

by David Epstein

This book was recommended to me by a fellow moderator in the Mater Amabilis group. I immediately recognized it as a kind of counter to Outliers, which I read a few years ago and included in the high school health course First Son completed. 

Range argues against the idea of early and thorough specialization. Early in the book, he explores a 2009 paper coauthored by two researches with opposites points of view who found that early specialization leads to success in only certain domains (like chess). They were able to differentiate those areas as ones that had rapid and consistent feedback, as opposed to fields that don't present clear rules or patterns or where feedback comes too late to allow immediate connections.

The book goes on to elucidate some of the ways we can educate ourselves to apply broad thinking strategies in a wide variety of areas, arguing such training would be beneficial to everyone and perhaps more beneficial than some of the specialized training people receive in college or graduate programs.

Some tactics are applicable in our home education. For example, being forced to provide an answer, even one devised by wild guessing, improves the chance of a student remembering the correct answer at a later time. This strategy is apparent in our spelling or dictation practices where students must write something, even if I immediately point out the correct spelling and ask the student to change it. (My kids hate this, by the way, so I've been telling them all about my recent reading.)

Another key point that is helpful to highlight for children is that encountering challenges or frustration when struggling with problems is a sign of learning, while easily parroting back answers isn't.

For a given amount of material, learning is most efficient in the long run when it is really inefficient in the short run. If you are doing too well when you test yourself, the simple antidote is to wait longer before practicing the same material again, so that the test will be more difficult when you do. Frustration is not a sign you are not learning, but ease is. (p. 89)

I am constantly reminding my children that learning happens when things are hard (but not too hard). If it's easy, either you're going to forget it as soon as we finish or you already knew it. You want to be right on the boundary of what you know. 

Mr. Epstein presents lots of examples of people whose education and career paths meandered through disparate fields of study. Many of them have found a satisfying, challenging, and engaging career by melding their knowledge and interests. Surveys show those who follow their interests are happier, even if they experience a decrease in salary. Also, maintaining a regular interest in playing an instrument or singing seems to be indicative of success in scientific fields, suggesting time spent practicing a hobby can benefit a career.

As I read Range, I was struck repeatedly by how the kind of education edified in the book followed many of the precepts outlined by Charlotte Mason and already present in our little homeschool. We read from a feast of subjects, even into high school, offering readings and experiences in music appreciation, drawing, geography, mythology, and so much more along with traditional mathematics, composition, and sciences. These kinds of vastly different readings offer students different ways to think and reason through a variety of problems. They may provide a spark, a remembrance, of a situation or problem from a different area that can be applied to a current problem.

Also, our wide range of readings are spread over an extended time. We may read from a book only once a week and take an entire year to finish it (or two or three years). The time in between forces children to reflect to themselves about what was happening at the end of the previous reading (reinforcing the material) and allows them to easily make their own connections between completely different topics as they encounter them intermittently throughout a year or level.

One of the things I liked about using Outliers in our health course was how it highlighted the kind of early focus and opportunities that allowed some people to surge ahead in a field, with the idea of guiding my own children to understand 1) the power of opportunities (which are often absent in those of low socio-economic backgrounds) and 2) how focused practice leads to competency and excellence. Range does touch on the second point (often by explicitly contrasting experiences with those in Outliers), but the first I am probably going to address in a modern government course.

There are also a few examples we as Catholics may not appreciate in the same way as the author. One of the people highlighted in the book was the woman who led the Girl Scouts into the modern day by incorporating activities and teachings of which many Catholics disapprove. They don't feature prominently in the book, and I think the idea of someone willing to draw on unexpected experiences in crafting a way forward can be appreciated.

After reading this book, I see again and again in articles and essays descriptions of education and career paths that fit much more with that described by Range than that described in Outliers. 

Overall, Range is an excellent book to read late in a Charlotte Mason education as a student transitions from an education designed and shaped by a parent to one shaped by a college or life-long student. I'm going to replace Outliers with Range in our Range high school health course. If First Son has time, I'm going to assign it to him for senior year as a kind of "get ready for college and life" book.

I have received nothing in exchange for this review. Links to Bookshop or Amazon are affiliate links. I borrowed this book from my library and then bought a used copy.

Habit Training Now: Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones
by James Clear

A few years ago I read The Power of Habit and decided to include it in my plans for a semester of health, which my oldest used when he was in tenth grade. Atomic Habits builds on that book's foundation and transforms the research into an action plan. Mr. Clear explicitly credits The Power of Habit a few times and encourages the reader to read it as well.

I read this book quickly, too quickly to take my time implementing some of the author's tips for habit formation, but based on my own past experience and what I have read in other places, it looks like excellent explanations and recommendations.

There were things I really liked about assigning The Power of Habit. The chapter and information on gambling was, I thought, an excellent introduction to the dangers of gambling that might (maybe?) give a teenager enough information to avoid ever falling into that kind of trap. Other chapters brought up aspects of marketing that are also interesting and important. Overall, though, Atomic Habits is both an easier read for a high school student and more directly applicable in an immediate way. 

I intend to replace The Power of Habit with Atomic Habits for my remaining three kids in our Health course. I'm going to keep The Power of Habit for any student that may be interested in some of the research and more wide-ranging applications of habit formation. I may also consider, if there's time in the schedule, finding a few essays or recent news articles that touch on the wider public health aspects of habits.

I have received nothing in exchange for this review. Links to Amazon or Bookshop are affiliate links. Kansas Dad had purchased this book for his own collection after listening to the audiobook borrowed from the library.

The Last Acceptable Prejudice: The Tyranny of Merit

The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?

by Michael J. Sandel

In this book, Dr. Sandel argues that meritocracy (the idea that we can "go as far as our talents and hard work will take us") has failed. More importantly, he argues persuasively that such an ideal is flawed even if it could be implemented perfectly.

In fact, there is less economic mobility in the United States than in many other countries. Economic advantages and disadvantages carry over from one generation to the next more frequently than in Germany, Spain, Japan, Australia, Sweden, Canada, Finland, Norway, and Denmark. (pp. 75-76)

Later, he writes, "By these measures, the American dream is alive and well and living in Copenhagen."

If our talents are gifts for which we are indebted--whether to the genetic lottery or to God--then it is a mistake and a conceit to assume we deserve the benefits that flow from them. (p. 123) 

I find myself overwhelmed at the thought of addressing everything in this book. You can read an excellent summary and review of it in The Guardian (better than the one in the New York Times). Briefly, a meritocracy leads to two main devastating effects: 1) those who fail to earn a decent living are forced to believe it is their own fault (though it's usually not), and 2) those who succeed erroneously believe success is based entirely on their own efforts and therefore denigrate (subconsciously or consciously), those who are not as successful.

Moreover, the elites are unembarrassed by their prejudice. They may denounce racism and sexism but are unapologetic about their negative attitudes toward the less-educated. (pp. 95-96)

The book criticizes both sides of the political debates in the United States (also the UK and Europe), but its focus is on liberals, not because Sandel agrees with conservatives, but because he blames the liberal elite for the series of attitudes and policies that led to the development of a populist uprising that has (so far) elected Trump in 2016 (and fought for him after the election in 2020) and voted in favor of Brexit. 

Sandel describes a professional and wealthy class that responds to arguments with a subtle but substantial bias against anyone who is less academically educated. I have seen that bias myself, essentially throughout the mainstream media, but also directly from friends on social media, but I think it extends just as much to those who profess a religious belief, even if they hold graduate degrees. Although Sandel briefly mentions faith occasionally (and even approvingly cites Church documents and Papal speeches or letters), he rarely links religious beliefs with this prejudice.

If you read mainstream news articles about abortion, the pro-life position is always presented as if those who hold it are ill-educated. This is a dangerous discrimination. Eventually people stop believing anything they read from those sources. The reasons are two-fold: 1) If they're so wrong about abortion, why should I believe them about anything?, but more pertinent to the book,  2)Why should I listen to anyone who obviously thinks I'm an idiot? I think this leads directly to the difficulty in open discussions of medical practices and the best ways to safeguard our own health and that of those around us. I see this repeatedly in discussions around vaccines and everything Covid related. It doesn't matter who is right if no one will believe a single word anyone else says.

In many ways, this book brings together many of the ideas and thoughts that have been coalescing in my mind for years, not all of which are shared in this blog: the struggles of the working class, the search for a consistent life ethic, frustration at the failure of the higher education system to live up to my ideal of education, the denigration of the dignity of work, and the fractures I feel keenly between many of my family and friends. The clash in 2020 of the pandemic and an intense presidential election forced these misgivings into my daily life--and not just on social media. It suddenly felt like no one could even agree on the most basic truths, and no source of information was universally trusted.

I think I'm going to assign this book to my children when they are seniors in high school, as part of a government credit.

I often felt unsettled while reading this book. Even though I had read and thought much about these topics, this book in particular made me question my own prejudices. I encourage everyone to read this book, and then tell me what you think about it! I found myself constantly asking myself, What would [friend/family] think about this? The chapter on Success Ethics is a bit dense, but the rest is remarkably readable.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop are affiliate links. I checked this book out from our public library.

History, Geography, Culture...Life: Food: A Cultural Culinary History

Food: A Cultural Culinary History (The Great Courses)

by Ken Albala

Professor Albala attempts to cover all of human history through food. His focus is Western culture and Europe, but there are survey lectures for areas in Asia and Africa as well. In the later lectures, there is a definite bias toward local food and the kind of farm and table philosophy espoused by Wendell Berry and others, a bias that happens to coincide with my own. The last lecture, where Professor Albala predicts future movements in food, was my least favorite. Perhaps that's just because I don't want all his predictions to come to fruition.

In the video version of this series, he makes a few recipes. These are less interesting on audio, though they tended to be small parts of the lectures. I think all of the recipes are included in the PDF of the course guidebook. (These seem to be available on only some phones or apps, but they should always show up in your library on the actual Audible website.)

As I was listening, I found many connections and relationships with the high school coursework we are using, including that from Mater Amabilis™. I think a high school student (there are some references to mature themes, though none I remember being central to the ideas) could listen to this course from beginning to end as part of a high school course. It's a little short by itself to be an elective, not quite enough hours even for a quarter-credit.

Many of the lectures, however, would be a fun addition or supplement to other courses. Here are some ideas I had while listening.

European History - Many of these would be enjoyable and give a welcome respite from the heavy reading of Europe: A History.

• LECTURE 2: What Early Agriculturalists Ate
• LECTURE 3: Egypt and the Gift of the Nile
• LECTURE 5: Classical Greece—Wine, Olive Oil, and Trade
• LECTURE 6: The Alexandrian Exchange and the Four Humors
• LECTURE 9: Dining in Republican and Imperial Rome
• LECTURE 11: Europe’s Dark Ages and Charlemagne
• LECTURE 13: Carnival in the High Middle Ages
• LECTURE 15: A Renaissance in the Kitchen
• LECTURE 17: 1492—Globalization and Fusion Cuisines
• LECTURE 18: 16th-Century Manners and Reformation Diets
• LECTURE 19: Papal Rome and the Spanish Golden Age
• LECTURE 20: The Birth of French Haute Cuisine
• LECTURE 21: Elizabethan England, Puritans, Country Food
• LECTURE 22: Dutch Treat—Coffee, Tea, Sugar, Tobacco
• LECTURE 26: Eating in the Early Industrial Revolution

British History

• LECTURE 21: Elizabethan England, Puritans, Country Food
• LECTURE 25: Colonial Cookery in North America (or American History)
• LECTURE 26: Eating in the Early Industrial Revolution
• LECTURE 30: Food Imperialism around the World

Geography of Africa

• LECTURE 3: Egypt and the Gift of the Nile
• LECTURE 23: African and Aboriginal Cuisines

Geography of Asia

• LECTURE 4: Ancient Judea—From Eden to Kosher Laws
• LECTURE 7: Ancient India—Sacred Cows and Ayurveda
• LECTURE 8: Yin and Yang of Classical Chinese Cuisine
• LECTURE 12: Islam—A Thousand and One Nights of Cooking
• LECTURE 24: Edo, Japan—Samurai Dining and Zen Aesthetics

Geography of the Americas

• LECTURE 16: Aztecs and the Roots of Mexican Cooking
• LECTURE 25: Colonial Cookery in North America

Geography of Australasia

• LECTURE 23: African and Aboriginal Cuisines

Health

• LECTURE 27: Romantics, Vegetarians, Utopians
• LECTURE 29: Big Business and the Homogenization of Food
• LECTURE 32: War, Nutritionism, and the Great Depression
• LECTURE 33: World War II and the Advent of Fast Food

Economics

• LECTURE 29: Big Business and the Homogenization of Food
• LECTURE 32: War, Nutritionism, and the Great Depression

I have received nothing in exchange for this post of my honest opinions. Links to Amazon are affiliate links. I purchased this audiobook from Audible.

Modern Medicine: Ten Drugs

Ten Drugs: How Plants, Powders, and Pills Have Shaped the History of Medicine

by Thomas Hager

This book was an audiobook of the day, I think, and caught my eye. I thought it might be a good choice for a high school level supplemental book for chemistry or biology.

Mr. Hager is a journalist and therefore often emphasizes the most awful and sensational aspects of his stories including suicide and violent attacks like the first recorded murder due to a date-rape drug. The chapter on the discovery of the birth control pill assumes the vast benefits of the discovery, though it was not a surprising or unexpected portrayal. Part of the same chapter covers the development of Viagra and an almost raunchy description of a conference presentation.

The book is almost unbiased. It attacks the pharmaceutical industry a bit, though not as much as others might and qualified with commendations for brilliant discoveries. He repeatedly emphasizes that the pharmaceutical companies are very good at doing what they are supposed to do: discover and successfully market medications. They are in the business to make a profit and many of them do it very well.

The best chapters are those on opioids and statins. Writing about opioids, Mr. Hager provides a historical context for the current crisis. He explains the chemical interactions of the drugs and emphasizes their inherent and massive propensity for addiction, exploring how those characteristics within our current societal and medical structures are leading to the current epidemic in modern America.

The chapter on statins discusses how to study and assess medical information as it applies to risks and benefits in our own lives.

Put simply, today's large drug companies are great at finding evidence for therapies that promise profits, pretty good at downplaying evidence that gets in the way, and grand masters at promoting their products to physicians and the public.

Mr. Hager's deep interest in statins started with a letter he received from his insurance company, suggesting he contact his doctor about a prescription.

It was all numbers being crunched and form letters being pumped out. It was health care by algorithm. The result: a physician I've never met recommending that I consider taking a new prescription drug, potentially for the rest of my life. 

He shares the research he did and conversations he had with his doctor about the risks and benefits of statins, not just in theory, but as applied directly to his own life.

The book doesn't really have enough science to add to our chemistry studies. As for biology, it isn't compelling enough to be better than Microbe Hunters or Flu. I did find the two chapters on opioids and statins excellent options for our health course, which First Son is completing now, in tenth grade. (I have scheduled it to coincide with an anatomy course for biology.)

• Chapter 8: The Enchanted Ring - I particularly want my children to read this chapter because it makes the addictive potential of opioids obvious. They are much better off if they never take them at all, and certainly never in a non-medical setting.
• Chapter 9: Statins: A Personal Story - on assessing risks and benefits in modern medicine, which I think will be more and more valuable as we are faced with increasing numbers of medication available for non-curable conditions.

I have received nothing in exchange for this honest review. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

Preparing for a Teen Driver: Not So Fast

Not So Fast: Parenting Your Teen Through the Dangers of Driving

by Tim Hollister and Pam Shadel Fischer

One of the other mothers in the Mater Amabilis™ for High School Facebook group mentioned this book in a thread where I asked about books I could include in a health course to address things like alcohol and the opioid crisis. It's a relatively short and easy read, probably worth the time of anyone with a teenage driver (or an almost teen driver).

Tim Hollister is writing out of personal experience. After his son died in a single car accident, he started to wonder what he could have done differently. After some research, he decided our cultural approach to teaching driving should change based on evidence of what actions by parents and teens can decrease crashes and deaths.

Driving requires the continuous evaluation of hundreds of ever-changing factors and circumstances, and thus experts say that it takes three to five years of experience to become familiar and comfortable with the myriad situations that drivers encounter, not the twenty to one hundred hours that most states require for a teen to obtain a license.

Basically, teens are inherently terrible drivers. We can take some actions to mitigate that risk like requiring a plan (like a flight plan) before driving, eliminating "joy riding" (riding around for fun without a specific place to be at a specific time), and providing vastly more supervised driving practice than is required by law. It is also important to discuss the factors that increase teen crashes like drugs, alcohol, and cell phones.

The authors are strongly against allowing your children to ride with teen drivers. They recommend you not send your younger children with teen drivers and that your teens should not ride when other teens are driving. This is a tough sell to parents who are anxious to share those time-consuming carpool responsibilities.

Parents who conclude that it is safe for their child to ride with a teen driver because that driver is a "sensible kid" who has taken driver's ed are playing with fire. The best advice about riding with a teen drive is don't.

They suggested, if your son or daughter is riding with another teen, that they have a strategy for getting out of the vehicle if they feel unsafe.

[The] most popular is "I feel like I am going to throw up."

I have discussed a code my son could text us if he finds himself in a dangerous or uncomfortable situation and wants out. We promised to come and get him, no matter where he is, and ask no questions as long as he promises to tell us if someone else is in danger. (The code word also means we can provide a "cover story" so he doesn't have to tell his friends he asked us to come and get him.) A code word like this won't get him out of a car, but it will get him picked up if he's standing on the side of the road where they let him out.

I have found myself driving more carefully after reading this book. Even though it seems like my fifteen-year-old is not paying attention, I want him to have a good example.

I intend to have my son read this book as part of his health class in tenth grade. It's not written to teens, but I'm hoping having him read the book may give him a deeper understanding of why we ask him to follow our rules when it is time for him to drive.

The authors of the book do not suggest we don't let our teenagers drive at all...at least, I don't think they do. After all, the only way to become a better driver is to practice driving. There's nothing wrong with taking your time, though, and in considering making the process more thorough than state law requires. All state laws are compromises. After all, we could decrease traffic fatalities dramatically if we lowered the speed limit to 30 mph on all roads, but as a society we've decided we're willing to take on the additional risk. Teenage driving requirements are a compromise as well, and as parents, we have the ability to consider whether we want to make those compromises.

On a related note, I have heard excellent reviews from parents for this driving course, available to teens that already have a driver's permit or driver's license.

I have received nothing in exchange for this review, which contains only my honest opinions. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

Change Is Possible and Some Places to Start: The Power of Habit

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

by Charles Duhigg

This is a book we're probably going to use in our tenth grade health course. It does a good job of explaining how habits work in real life and the steps that may help you identify cues and rewards if you are trying to modify your habits. It shares stories of difficulties in changing habits which will hopefully encourage the kids to develop good habits from the beginning. There are also examples of how people succeed because they spent time anticipating difficult situations, planning a response, and roll-playing it.

"Willpower isn't just a skill. It's a muscle, like the muscles in your arms or legs, and it gets tired as it works harder, so there's less power left over for other things."

It can also be strengthened, like a muscle, when it is exercised.

There's a chapter on data collection by Target. (They all collect data; Target just made for a good story.) It's very disturbing how much companies know about us and how we seem to happily hand it over to them in exchange for a few coupons: thought-provoking for a teen.

A later chapter on gambling is similarly eye-opening. Between the information in this book and what I read in  The World Beyond Your Head (post coming on this excellent book...eventually), I'm starting to view the gambling industry as a curse on all mankind, so I'm glad First Son will have a chance to read a bit about it.

This is not a book by a man of faith, or at least, not a believer willing to admit it. For example, when writing about Alcoholics Anonymous, Mr, Duhigg explains how those who believe in a higher power are more likely to remain sober.

It wasn't God that mattered, the researches figured out. It was belief itself that made a difference. Once people learned how to believe in something, that skill started spilling over to other parts of their lives, until they started believing they could make a change.

Or maybe it's God.

He also reports on gay rights organizations in a laudatory manner. We have been discussing this sort of thing for a few years now, so my tenth grader will be surprised.

I also felt like he might be pushing the habit argument a little in the chapter on the civil rights movement. He qualifies the whole thing by saying there were other factors involved, but even so I think he oversteps. As always, I think Rosa Parks deserves a larger role. I don't think she was  just a tired woman who let the lawyers use her case; she was an active participant and decision-maker in the whole process. But I haven't actually read enough about her to be certain.

Finally, the chapter on Saddleback Church is odd. Perhaps I'm just uncomfortable with the idea (the author's not the church's) that being a part of a community of faith is nothing more than a series of habits. I thought about skipping this chapter in our lesson plans but have decided it might be interesting for First Son to consider how people outside a church think about what's happening inside it.

Overall, a fairly quick and interesting read that brings up skills I want First Son to realize exist and topics I'd like him to consider. I'm fairly certain I'll include it in our health course.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

May 2019 Book Reports

Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape Our Man-Made World by Mark Miodownik - link to my post. (library copy)

Economics: The User's Guide by Ha-Joon Chang - link to my post. (library copy)

The Odyssey by Homer and Elizabeth Vandiver's The Odyssey of Homer - link to my post. (purchased copies)

A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt - link to my post. (PaperBackSwap)

Elemental: How the Periodic Table Can Now Explain (Nearly) Everything by Tim James - This is another book I pre-read in the search of a chemistry free read for my high school son. It's a light breezy book perfect for a high school reading level that includes some great explanations of chemical principles. It's also full of the kind of humor a 15-year-old boy would appreciate (lots of death and destruction). Its greatest defect is the lack of a periodic table anywhere in the text. To really follow the reasoning, you would need to dig one up to keep alongside you as you read. For a Christian, there are also numerous side comments intended to be humorous but I think go just a little too far and are therefore flippant or dismissive toward the faith (any faith). Weirdly enough, the author bio specifically mentions how he grew up in Africa because his parents were missionaries. He also casually mentions a non-traditional living arrangement for a scientist and assumes people who found it scandalous were clearly mistaken. While I wouldn't mind if my high-schooler read this book, I'm not going to assign it. (library copy)

The Omnivore's Dilemma: Young Readers Edition by Michael Pollan - This book is an adaptation I'm going to have my high-schooler read as part of a health course alongside anatomy next year (tenth grade). It's far below his reading level, but that will work well as I'd like to include a handful of other books in addition and the original (which we own) would simply take him too long. It covers all four of the meals (industrial, industrial organic, local sustainable, and hunter-gatherer) plus a new preface and an afterword. Pollan's food rules are included as well. Despite the easy text, I'd hesitate to give it to a really young reader as some of the scenes described, especially in the course of the industrial meal, are quite distressing. I discouraged my twelve-year-old from reading it yet. (library copy)

You Need a Budget by Jesse Mecham - link to my post. (library copy)

Brother Astronomer: Adventures of a Vatican Scientist by Brother Guy Consolmagno - link to my post. (library copy)

I have received nothing in exchange for these posts. All opinions are my own. Links to Amazon, RC History, and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.

Shaping Our World for Relationships: The Blue Zones of Happiness

The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons from the World's Happiest People

by Dan Buettner

Mater Amabilis™families may recognize the author; he's the same one who wrote Sovietrek and Africatrek. We never read Africatrek, but loved Sovietrek. Apparently the kind of man who spends months biking across continents is the kind of man who devotes his later life to exploring what kind of behavior is correlated with happiness.

In the very beginning of this book is a little survey the reader can take to assess their current level of "happiness." Just for fun, I jotted down my answers and scored them only to find I was practically off the chart for happiness in just about everything. Financially, I didn't score as high because Kansas Dad and I have deliberately chosen a lifestyle that allows us to focus on non-financial aspects of well-being. (I also scored a little low on having a goal to work toward, but as Kansas Dad said, if you're goal is just to read a book while drinking tea...there's not a lot of work and planning to put into that.)

The point, though, is that Kansas Dad and I have thought a lot about what makes us happy: faith, family, relationships. Then we shaped our life around those. Mr. Buettner's book identifies many of those same features.

The most interesting parts of this book for me were the ones that concentrated on how communities can choose to shape their laws and ordinances to make it easier for people to choose the kinds of activities that contribute to better health, better relationships, and general well-being. Most cities and towns in America do not consider "happiness" of their residents when developing their communities; they often focus on creating jobs (which are necessary but not sufficient) and economic development (also necessary but often at levels far below what people might expect).

As former French president Nicolas Sarkozy said in 2009, there has been a troubling disconnect in recent years between what government statistics are saying about the economy and what most people are feeling. While production and profits may be rising, people may not be feeling any better about their lives.

In the book, Mr. Buettner focuses on three countries in particular: Costa Rica, Denmark, and Singapore. Though he admits none of them would translate exactly into laws that would work in the United States, it's interesting to see how three different countries have developed different but equally successful ways to help their citizens flourish.

If the world you wake up to every day were designed to support healthier choices, you wouldn't need that extra oomph of willpower. if your grocery store featured the finest produce, if your friends dropped by every afternoon to take a walk together, if your neighborhood had easy-access sidewalks and bike lanes, if your workplace were a mile away from home, think how much easier it would be to make the choices I've outlined in this book that we all know lead to greater well-being!

Each chapter includes some focused ideas for the reader to consider applying to his or her own life. As I mentioned above, most of these are things we are already doing. One change I am considering is planting a small garden with the children this spring. Kansas Dad is the gardener around here; I much prefer to read about gardening. Or, even better, to just sit at a window overlooking a garden while reading Jane Austen. But growing things and especially food would be such a great complement to our homeschool and would augment much of what we're already doing...it seems like something that might be worth the effort.

The book also reminded me that negative interactions are remembered at a much greater rate than positive ones, something I lead in many parenting books over the years.

Offer at least three positive comments to each of your friends and loved ones, on average, for every negative.

Because we homeschool, my children do not have others interacting with them all day every day. They also have to listen to me correct them as their only teacher. As gentle as I try to be, I need to remember to also point out to them what they are doing well and when they are helping to cultivate a culture of love and kindness in our home.

One thing we won't be doing is following the 50-20-30 rule for our finances. It's not that I disagree with spending 20% of our income on financial stability and 30% on personal spending (shopping, entertainment, etc.). The problem, and one that probably affects lots of other people, is that we need more than 50% of our income to cover our essential living expenses (housing, health care, groceries, car payments, and utility bills). We could alter our percentages by changing Kansas Dad's job or sending me back into the workforce. Every now and then we talk about our options, but in the end we've always decided to continue our focus on family and relationships. We're willing to sacrifice these financial aspects to focus on what we think will make us happiest.

Another aspect I think Mr. Buettner doesn't really understand is the role of faith and children. The book encourages regular attendance and involvement in a faith community, but it doesn't seem to matter which one. Of course, we believe there is a difference and that following the truth of the Catholic Church (despite its current struggles) is better than other choices.

As for children, Mr. Buettner points out that they cause a decrease in happiness as long as they are dependents. I suppose that's true if you focus on the stress of raising children and perhaps our day-to-day struggles do cause less superficial happiness, but we believe children are a great blessing and give our lives meaning that would otherwise be more difficult to discern. I think this partly depends, too, on the support we have in raising children. Because we are relatively secure and supported by a loving family and parish, we experience less stress than others who may be worried about feeding their child.

Mr. Buettner's book seems to throw children in with other aspects of life like whether you can bike to work and eat healthy foods, but we would elevate them to another level. Children are not something you have to make you happier (now or in the future) nor are they something you should avoid because you think they will make you unhappy in the short term. All that being said, this view of children is probably outside the scope of Mr. Buettner's book, so I don't really blame him for this aspect of the book.

I received nothing in exchange for this review. I borrowed this book from the library. All opinions are my own. Links above to Amazon are affiliate links.

Seven Quick Takes Vol 11: Just a Typical Summer with Kids

-- 1 --

You may have noticed First Daughter's sling in the Shakespeare recitations I posted on Wednesday. She broke it while roller skating here at home last Sunday evening.

It was a bad break and required more than seven hours in two different hospitals to be set and splinted. We'll be seeing the doctor about every other week for the next six to eight weeks, but, unlike an adult, she shouldn't need surgery. We're praying each night to St. Stanislaus Kostka (patron saint of broken bones) that all heals well.

There's a long list of things she won't be doing this summer, but we're trying to focus on what she can do. (If you have ideas for super-fun not-very-expensive summer activities for an active 8 year old girl in a cast, please leave them in the comments.)

First Daughter now has the distinction of being the first child in our family to have a broken arm. She's also the first for staples, but not for infection-caused-by-LEGO or baby-teeth-crushed-and-extracted.

-- 2 --

The week before the broken arm, the older three children went to Totus Tuus at our parish, which is our version of vacation Bible school. It was Second Daughter's first year and First Son's last year for the day program. Next year, he'll be old enough to go to the evening program. Yikes!

As a homeschooling mom, I struggle with letting my children go and listen to others talk about our faith in a less precise way than I would prefer, but it is only one week a year and they love it so I take a deep breath and tell myself they'll be fine.

-- 3 --

For my birthday, my brother and sister-in-law gave me a five year diary. The first few weeks were really memorable: a vacation in Illinois with my parents, swimming in the pond, Second Son falling in (and being promptly rescued), fishing, an overnight trip with the kids to Chicago (art museum fail, field museum mostly win, train ride win), an overpriced visit to a Legoland Discovery Center (the best place Second Son has ever been), and a series of fun dinner guests. I was just beginning to wonder what I would write when things were calm and boring when First Daughter broke her arm.

-- 4 --

In order to go to said Legoland, we drove nine hours from my parents' house in Illinois to a church in Kansas. Kansas Dad had gone online and found one near our hotel with a Saturday evening vigil. It ended up being a church out in the country, but with a big parking lot. Our kids were not in the most pious frame of mind as they had just spent nine hours in a van, were already hungry for dinner (despite many snacks), and had been partaking of screen time. We were surprised to find ourselves at a Mass with an archibishop, all the Knights of Columbus, and a baptism. Many vigil Masses are 45 minutes long. This one was an hour and a half. Second Son has not behaved so horribly at Mass for years.

I remember one point in the homily when the archbishop was talking about the missionary work of parents who take their children to Mass even though it's difficult. I would not have been surprised if he had pointed right at us, standing alone behind the huge glass doors separating the vestibule from the sanctuary, a perfect example.

-- 5 --

I have a new camera! I bought it with birthday money and am so happy to have one without random circles all over the place. (The old one had something on the lens inside the camera. It needed to be taken apart and cleaned which was going to cost more than a new one. Now, the old one belongs to Second Son, who takes horrible pictures and runs down the battery watching videos on it.)

The new camera can take a bunch of pictures in succession, which gives us fun collections like these:

-- 6 --

Last week the children and I watched The Tale of Despereaux. It was a travesty. I mourned for the poor author who watched a movie studio take her beautiful novel and turn it into that movie. Don't watch it. Instead, read the book.  It reminded us of the horrible adaptation of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Read that book, too, and don't watch the movie.

-- 7 --

A few days ago we went to a house concert, which should have been a tremendous amount of fun surrounded by friends and good music outdoors on a summer evening. Unfortunately, Second Daughter jumped off the swing, landed on her arm, and wept quietly for an hour before Kansas Dad took her to the emergency room. It was his second time in the same week with a daughter and a broken or maybe-broken arm. Sigh. Happily, her arm does not seem to be broken, though it has been aching for a few days.

Join in Seven Quick Takes at This Ain't the Lyceum.

Seven Quick Takes Vol 10: Invest in Kleenex

-- 1 --

The picture above is of the sock monkeys my sister bought for all the grandkids at Christmas. These were made by a woman who went to high school with my sister who now has an Etsy shop. I've forgotten the name, but I'm sure I can find it for you if you're interested. The kids adore these monkeys. The three four-year-old boys were a little rough on them and you may notice a few sock monkey injuries in the picture, but they had fun! Second Son's is now one of his steady bedtime companions.

-- 2 --

This is what happens when I give my niece permission to photo bomb the sock monkey picture.

-- 3 --

We have been juggling sickness since coming home from our holiday trip to Illinois, but the most recent round began two Mondays ago with First Daughter. Everyone took turns, the next getting sick as the previous one started on the upswing. Second Son fell particularly ill with a fever that lasted over five days. He still has a cough, but seems to finally be recovering. (I was pretty worried about him; he's so skinny and he ate so little! Thankfully, he doesn't seem to have lost too much weight.)

-- 4 --

The kids are feeling better, but I am still suffering. I had a terrific ear infection a week ago Tuesday. I can't remember my ear hurting so much. Kansas Dad sent me to the doctor, though not in time to prevent the ear drum from rupturing (if there was any hope of that). I'm hoping it will heal on its own, but I'm at day ten and still have muffled hearing on that side along with constant ringing. I'll have to call the doctor on Monday, I think, if it's not noticeably better.

-- 5 --

A week after the ear drum rupture, I woke up without a voice. I told Kansas Dad it was only right I be dumb while deaf. Not much reading aloud happened this week. The older kids have been keeping up with their independent lessons, but kindergarten and our all-together lessons have been patchy. I told them not to worry; we'll just have school through the summer so we don't miss anything. Ha!

-- 6 --

In good news, I used some of the missing read-aloud time to complete my thought process for our Lenten cross so I could actually make it. Post to come!

-- 7 --

Somehow I managed to convince eight ladies to meet once a month to talk about Charlotte Mason's 20 Principles using Brandy Vencel's Start Here. Luckily, our first meeting was the night before I lost my voice. As the person who proposed the study, I am the de facto leader (though not a confident one, even when I have a voice).  The first meeting was really fun. We mostly just introduced ourselves and talked. We'll tackle the first principle next month. (Yes, I think the meeting had something to do with losing my voice. I always talk too much at those things which is a good reason not to trust me as a leader. I think I was going to lose my voice anyway; it just hastened it.)

Join in Seven Quick Takes at This Ain't the Lyceum.

7 Quick Takes Vol 8: 6 Random Thoughts and a Picture

--- 1 ---

Earlier this week, I received a big box from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts. Nestled inside, surrounded by homeschooling books for next year, was my birthday book (the book I selected this year to buy with my birthday money), The Little Oratory. I've flipped through it a little and it looks just wonderful! I've promised myself I'm going to finish The Idea of A University first, though.

Speaking of Sophia Institute Press (publisher of The Little Oratory), they are having a nice sale with lots of $10 books,  $5 books, and a $5 flat rate shipping. It includes a few of my favorite books like A Life of Our Lord for Children, The Year and Our Children, and The Young People's Book of Saints. First Daughter will be reading that last book next year in second grade for her saints study. (I don't receive anything if you make any purchases.)

--- 2 ---

The two older kids have been at Totus Tuus all week, our parish's version of vacation Bible school. It's a wonderful time of fellowship with our community, but oh my! It is exhausting! There has been much wailing at the slightest provocation (from the kids, of course, never me; I'm not exhausted at all...oh wait). I'll be happy when the week is over, though we're following up with a week of swimming lessons so perhaps we're only jumping from the fire into the frying pan (slightly less painful but still not what you'd call relaxing).

--- 3 ---

I spent the first three days this week working with some of the other catechists in our Atrium. We pulled everything out, washed all the cabinets, shelves, and materials, and reorganized the Level 2 and Level 3 materials to make room for the new ones. The room looks beautiful and (almost) ready for next year. We were so productive we were able to focus on finishing up some of the materials on the third day. I feel so blessed my children will have a Level 3 Atrium, but also very glad to be happily teaching Level 1 myself.

--- 4 ---

Summer is such a good time for nature study. Without any real effort on my part, we've been noticing things. At a small suggestion, the children are eager to pull out their nature notebooks for some drawing. This week I found a brown recluse spider in the cabinet, trapped in an apparently slippery bowl. The kids were fascinated and loved showing it off to the Totus Tuus team members. They all sketched it in their notebooks, too.

--- 5 ---

We have a lot of birds right now. Kansas Dad butchered three earlier this week, but we still have a batch of laying hens (though still too young to lay any eggs), a young batch of meat birds, a second batch of meat birds, and ten keets (baby guineas). Eventually we will have eggs and meat to show for them, but for the moment the meat birds offer a nice greeting to anyone who comes to our door.

--- 6 ---

Second Son recently had his eyes checked under the See to Learn program. An optomotrist will examine your three-year-old's eyes for free. There are quite a few conditions they can treat more easily if they are detected early. (You can find a list of participating providers online.) He did really well, though he kept calling the duck picture a giraffe.

In other health-related news, First Son recently learned his braces will come off in August. Hooray all around! He's already coming up with a list of all the foods he wants to eat that have been taboo for the past year.

--- 7 ---

I think I'm out of takes, so you'll have to make do with a picture I found on First Son's camera recently.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!