by Laura Beth

Commentary #58: “The women who don’t know they’re autistic”

I stumbled upon this article via Facebook back in July. I thought it was fascinating, and it prompted me to learn more about autism.

Here’s the link to the original post:

The women who don’t know they’re autistic

The article primarily focuses on what’s known as “high-functioning” autism in women. This means autism without intellectual disability.

According to the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities:

Intellectual disability is a disability characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, which covers many everyday social and practical skills. This disability originates before the age of 18.

For years, it’s been studied, and widely publicized, that more boys than girls are diagnosed with autism.

Autism is defined as the following:

a mental condition, present from early childhood, characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts.

It’s estimated that 1 out of 68 children in the United States are on the autism spectrum. For boys, it’s around 1 in 42. For girls, it’s around 1 in 189.

Some of autism’s signs can now be recognized as early as 18 months of age, but are usually identified and diagnosed between the ages of two and three.

Parents are encouraged to seek evaluation of their child without delay. Early intervention can improve outcomes.

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In 2013, all autism disorders were merged under one umbrella diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Previously, they were distinct sub-types, including autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger Syndrome.

Despite more childhood diagnoses, it’s becoming more common for people to be diagnosed as adults.

According to the Madison House Autism Foundation:

Those with autism may have exponentially acute senses. Bright or fluorescent lighting can be overwhelming. Loud sounds and crowds of people may be as well.
The ability to concentrate for long periods of time on one thing, and their attention to detail is something those without autism find enviable.
They are often highly visual people, and many have found ways to communicate through multiple mediums besides with words.
Those with autism may avoid eye contact with other people and, because they often take language literally, may have difficulty with metaphors, humor, and sarcasm. Interpreting what others are thinking or feeling is challenging because they have difficulty understanding social cues, such as tone of voice or facial expressions.
It is a myth that those with autism are unable to feel empathy.
Those with autism think, process, and behave differently than neurotypical individuals.

As renowned animal rights activist and professor Temple Grandin says, they are “Different, but not less.” They can, with support and slight modifications, become assets to every community and the workforce.

The main point I’m trying to get at – Individuals with autism are individuals. They are amazing. They may think and behave a little differently than others, but it’s important to recognize them and appreciate them.

The original article provided and cited a variety of sources:

This article shone a spotlight on women and how we can recognize smaller, less noticeable signs of ASD.

Compensating for communication impediments they may not be consciously aware of.
Not being good at guessing what people are thinking.
Hypersensitivities – Smells, sounds, bright lights, etc.
Reduced sensitivity to pain.
Misdiagnosed psychological disorders.
Taste for solitude.
Intensity of passions.
Talking about one subject / topic for extended periods of time, longer than normal (i.e., spending hours focusing on one thing in particular and not deviating).
Not wearing jewelry because of the way metal feels on the skin.
Not wearing certain clothing because of sensitivity to fabrics, tags, buttons, zippers, etc.

Given some of these signs and symptoms, it’s fairly easy to interpret or assume that a woman may be an introvert, be shy, have an undiagnosed anxiety disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a speech impediment, or some form of a developmental or intellectual disability.

As the article indicates, ideally, a lot of women being diagnosed with autism as adults could have / should have been diagnosed as children. Luckily, these childhood diagnoses are improving every day. Leaps and bounds have been made in the last 20-30 years, and research is ongoing. However, doctors and psychologists alike need to remain vigilant, and keep a close eye on young girls exhibiting similar signs and symptoms, especially since autism symptoms in girls have appeared to be less obtrusive than those in boys.

For more information, here are some more links and resources. Education is so important. Continual learning and studying will help all of us better understand ASD, and start to take away the stigma!

I have immense respect for those who work in special education, work with individuals with ASD, and parents that have children with ASD. My hat goes off to all of you!

April is National Autism Awareness Month. The Autism Society encourages everyone to join them in promoting awareness, action, inclusion, acceptance, and appreciation.

World Autism Awareness Day is April 2nd of every year. It’s one of only four official health-specific United Nations (UN) days.

Several movies have been released, featuring prominent characters with autism or ASD behaviors. Children of the Stars is an award-winning documentary about children with autism in China.

What do you think? Do you know someone that is autistic?

Do you have any ideas about how to help those with ASD?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

09.02.17

by Laura Beth

Tag #27: Disney Princess Sidekicks Book Tag

Image Credit: Book Princess Reviews

I found this adorable book tag on YA and Wine, authored by the amazing Krysti!

Here’s the link to the original post:

Disney Princess Sidekicks Book Tag

Mushu from Mulan / Olaf & Sven from Frozen

The Comic Relief – Name your favorite hilarious character, or your favorite comedy / funny book.

Image Credit: Potter Talk

Hands down, Ron Weasley from Harry Potter.

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the-seven-dwarfs

The Seven Dwarfs from Snow White

Favorite Group / Ensemble

Image Credit: Potter Talk

The entire Weasley Family / Clan in Harry Potter.

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pascal

Pascal from Tangled

The loyal cheerleader chameleon (Not a frog, Flynn Rider) – Name a book that started out one way, but changed for you.

Image Credit: Goodreads

I remember being immensely skeptical when assigned to read Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld, for my Young Adult Literature class at Longwood in the spring of 2011. But, I ended up really liking it, and appreciating the depth Westerfeld brought to the story. I need to read the other books!

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meeko

Meeko from Pocahontas

Pocahontas’s sly and sneaky raccoon friend – Name a plot twist that you did not see coming.

Image Credit: Amazon

Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane. If you haven’t read any of Lehane, do it. He also wrote Mystic River, and Shutter Island is just as creepy and spine-tingling. The movies are excellent, but I love the books! I want to re-read both of them.

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Rajah from Aladdin / Flounder from The Little Mermaid

Gentle with their princess, but protective with everyone else – Name your favorite best friend in a novel.

Image Credit: AG Playthings

I have a three-way tie here. I love Linda, Susan, and Emily, in the Molly McIntire American Girl book series, all by Valerie Tripp. I identify with all of them, in a way. These were my favorite books for years, and I have them all now.

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louis sebastian beauty-and-the-beast-gang

Louis from The Princess and the Frog / Sebastian from The Little Mermaid / Cogsworth, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, and Chip from Beauty and the Beast

The Musical Bunch – Name a novel where music played a big part, or made you want to sing its praises.

Image Credit: Goodreads

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, by Rachel Cohen and David Levithan. I absolutely loved this book, and I’ve devoured every book that Cohen & Levithan have written!

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maximus

Maximus from Tangled

The Obstacle in Flynn Rider’s Way – Name a character that faces a lot of obstacles.

Image Credit: Rainbow Resource

Jethro Creighton, the main character in Across Five Aprils, by Irene Hunt. I remember being assigned to read this book in school, and I was deeply moved and affected by it. I’m also planning to re-read this one.

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meridas-bros

Hamish, Hubert, and Harris from Brave

Favorite family dynamics in a novel.

Image Credit: Amazon

The March girls, from Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. In ninth grade English, we had to pick a book to read, and report on it. Back then, this was a dense book, and difficult for me to read. Now, I recognize it’s a classic, and I love it!

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Ray from The Princess and The Frog / The Three Fairies from Sleeping Beauty

The Advice Givers – Book that most impacted your life.

Image Credit: Potter Talk

Let’s see – Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, even Professor Snape … Shall I go on?

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hei-hei

Hei Hei from Moana

Name a character that steals the show.

Image Credit: John Green

Margo Roth Spiegelman, from Paper Towns, by John Green. I love most all of Green’s books, but something about Margo makes this book my favorite.

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gus-and-jaq

Gus & Jaq from Cinderella

Opposites Attract – Name your favorite or worst opposite attracts pairing.

Image Credit: Goodreads

Nathan and Lisa, from Letting Go of Lisa, by Lurlene McDaniel.

This was such a fun tag! I love Disney, and the sidekicks have always been some of my favorite characters!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

09.01.17

by Laura Beth

Getting Personal #82: September Goals

Image Credit: Kara Cozier. Kara is a wonderful leader with Young Living!

September is the kick-off to several months of excitement. To name a few: A crazy awesome bachelorette weekend, an epic wedding, celebrating birthdays, and more!

Here are my goals for the month of September:

Celebrate seven years together with Al!
Enjoy Savy’s bachelorette weekend!
Make / purchase several photo canvases.
Make a series of home improvement blog posts.
Write at least 300 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt.
Move my bookcase from my parents’ house to ours.
Inventory my entire personal library.
Make and start using homemade deodorant.
Start using my Savvy Minerals makeup.

Here’s the breakdown:

Celebrate seven years together with Al!

This one is probably the easiest! We will celebrate our “dating anniversary” on September 4th! I can’t believe it’s been seven years!

Enjoy Savy’s bachelorette weekend!

I’m so excited to get away for a weekend to celebrate Savy!
This will also be my first-ever airbnb experience!
I have new hiking boots, hiking pants, and workout-style shirts ready to be used!
I’m also excited to make breakfast for everyone on that Saturday morning – French toast, bacon, scrambled eggs! With coffee and orange juice, of course.

Make / purchase several photo canvases.

Our living room walls are sadly bare!
I want to have more documentation of our engagement session, and our wedding!

Make a series of home improvement blog posts.

Be prepared for many Before & After photos!

Write at least 300 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt.

I’m absolutely determined to surpass the 11,000 word mark this month!

Move my bookcase from my parents’ house to ours.

Hopefully, the weather will actually cooperate this month!

Inventory my entire personal library.

This coincides with moving my bookcase. I’m excited to go through everything!

Make and start using homemade deodorant.

I knew most traditional deodorants and antiperspirants contained chemicals, but I’m definitely ready to make the switch now.
The recipe I just learned has baking soda, arrowroot powder, organic coconut oil, Purification essential oil, and Lavender essential oil.

Start using my Savvy Minerals makeup.

I’m beyond ready to clean out my makeup bag!
There are so many awful chemicals in makeup. Ugh, it makes me cringe. I don’t even want to wear any of it.
With Savvy Minerals, their new makeup line is non-toxic, and never tested on animals. Yay!

Do you have any goals for the month of September?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.31.17

by Laura Beth

Getting Personal #81: August Goals Recap

Image Credit: Pinterest

August felt like a long month, but it was full of exciting things! I celebrated another birthday, we had AC all month long, I got addicted to LuLaRoe (More on that later), and my work department moved to a new, renovated office space. Yay!!

Here’s the link to my August Goals:

Getting Personal #78: August Goals

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Ready?

Here we go!

Register for the fall semester. — Accomplished!
Donate blood. — Accomplished!
Clear out the clothing clutter, once and for all. — Semi-Achieved.
Celebrate my birthday! — Accomplished!
See The Dark Tower. — Accomplished!
Write at least 300 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt. — Did not accomplish.
Move my bookcase from my parents’ house to ours. — Did not accomplish.
Update my resume and LinkedIn profile. — Semi-Achieved.
Make a series of home improvement blog posts. — Did not accomplish.
Make the Succulent Sphere craft for Savy. — Semi-Achieved.

Here’s the breakdown:

Register for the fall semester. — Accomplished!

FINALLY! I triumphed over the course of four hours on Friday, August 4th. I met with an awesome academic adviser, who removed the English prerequisite, and I registered for Legal Writing.
I started the class last week, and I’m loving it so far. Our professor is super laid-back, but also knowledgeable. She works in one of the Legal Departments for Dollar Tree!

Donate blood. — Accomplished!

Yay! Spencer, my favorite phlebotomist, was there during the drive on Saturday, August 5th. I dropped a pint, and later learned that it went to the main hospital in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Red Cross sends an email to all successful donors and tells them where their donation went!
The next drive is Saturday, October 7th!

Clear out the clothing clutter, once and for all. — Semi-Achieved.

I got my Donation Bag from thredUP, and filled it to bursting. But I haven’t had a chance to send it in. I feel awesome. This weekend!

Celebrate my birthday! — Accomplished!

My mom bought an awesome birthday cake to share at the blood drive!
My parents took Al and I out to Spaghetti Eddie’s on Sunday night – Delicious!
Mom and Dad found “the gift that I have always wanted” – See the photo below!
I took my birthday off from work, and had a shopping spree at MacArthur Mall, and Best Thrift. I also went out to lunch at Uno’s with Al, and his co-workers Kathryn and Frances. They gave me Prosecco, an awesome phone stand, and a journal!
Al and I went out on Monday night to Ninja Sushi, and then Sweet Frog for dessert!
It was an absolutely wonderful birthday, and weekend. Here’s to 29!

See The Dark Tower. — Accomplished!

We saw this on Saturday, August 5th!
Even though I haven’t read any of the books, I really liked the movie.
I’m hoping for more!

Write at least 300 new words for my 2012 NaNoWriMo attempt. — Did not accomplish.

This just didn’t happen. I’m putting it on the list for September!

Move my bookcase from my parents’ house to ours. — Did not accomplish.

Ugh. I wanted this to happen! Every weekend was either busy, or my parents were out of town!

Update my resume and LinkedIn profile. — Semi-Achieved.

I successfully revamped my LinkedIn profile – Yay!
Still working on the resume. Piece by piece.

Make a series of home improvement blog posts. — Did not accomplish.

Making this happen in September!

Make the Succulent Sphere craft for Savy. — Semi-Achieved.

I have all the things to make it. But, I’m trying to time it correctly so I can give it to her closer to the bachelorette extravaganza!

Final Thoughts:

I was able to put Accomplished next to four out of 10 goals! Woohoo!
The three goals that were Semi-Achieved: I’m happy with my progress with these goals. More to do next month!
The three goals that I did not accomplish: Timing is everything. Making time for things is so important!

What about you? Did you have any goals for the month of August?

Come back tomorrow to see my September Goals!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.29.17

by Laura Beth

Commentary #57: “Trump has no idea how much health insurance costs”

Image Credit: thenesthome.net

Even though this article was published well over two months ago, it sparked a fire in me.

Here’s the link to the original post:

Trump has no idea how much health insurance costs

Reading this article, I was appalled. Granted, a lot of things about our current President are appalling. But, I digress.

How much do you pay every month, or every pay period, for your health insurance? (This is a rhetorical question, of course.)

I think we all WISH it was as little as $12 or $15.

Sadly, it’s not.

Al and I both are incredibly fortunate to have decent/good employer-sponsored health insurance. This means that health insurance is one of the benefits at the companies where we work. But, even though our employers offer it to us, it’s far from a simple process.

At my work, we can choose from several different options. Depending on what we pick, that factors into how much money we pay. For me, I’ve elected to pay for my plan out of every paycheck, and it’s automatically deducted.

Toward the end of the year, the two of us will sit down and re-evaluate the plans that both our companies offer, side-by-side. We will figure out if we will continue to pay for our own individual plans, like we have been, or if one of us will go on the other’s insurance plan since we’re now married. There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these strategies. So far, it’s worked out that we’ve paid for two individual plans. We will also have other decisions to make when we plan to grow our family. The short answer: Spouses and children are a tad bit expensive (to put it lightly).

I won’t say how much we pay, but it’s much more than $12 or $15 a month. That’s a pipe dream.

I thought this was an interesting link:

Average Cost of Health Insurance (2017)

I don’t swear by these numbers, but it certainly gives me a good indication at how much prices have skyrocketed!

And, it’s a bit mind-boggling to think/know that every singe state in our country shows different prices.

Recently, I’ve seen multiple arguments / pleas / thoughts about the U.S. needing to convert to “universal health care” or go to a “single-payer system.”

So, what does this mean?

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Canada, Australia, Taiwan, and several countries in Europe, offer their citizens “universal health care,” which basically means that health care is provided to everyone, no questions asked. Also, prices are typically lower / more affordable.

That conglomeration of ideas is certainly enticing to many. However, there are trade-offs.

For the most part, many citizens of these countries pay higher taxes.

Non-emergency approved surgery have significantly longer wait times. Sometimes, patients are waiting for at least six months for some surgeries, if not longer.

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“Single-payer health care” is sometimes referred to as “Medicare for all.”

The way I interpret it, is that all citizens of a country pay into one pool. That pool of money is used exclusively for all health care costs. In this instance, health care is considered a right, not a privilege.

As some of the sources I’ve consulted point out, the U.S. already has an established single payer system, meaning Medicare and Medicaid. However, only certain people in the U.S. qualify for these programs, such as people over the age of 65, young children, the blind, and people with certain disabilities. Even so, there are strict rules in place. For example, not all states have expanded Medicaid – Virginia is one of those states. If you make too much money, you don’t qualify. And on and on. It’s immensely confusing, and frustrating.

—

Here’s a list of resources / articles that I found helpful:

In short, health care in the U.S. has become increasingly complicated, convoluted, and expensive. I realize that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) fixed some things, but it also created other problems. A lot of the big health insurance companies, along with the pharmaceutical companies, are purely driven by greed. They only care about the bottom line, not about the patients that are trying to get health care and medicine that they need.

I certainly don’t have the right answer.

In my research, I’m all for making health care more affordable. Every American should have equal access to health care at all times. But, making that happen is a tough challenge. In my view, if our country can revamp Medicare and Medicaid and make those existing programs into universal health care for America, that would be a step in the right direction.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.28.17

by Laura Beth

Book Review #43: “Gunpowder and Tea Cakes: My Journey with Felicity”

Image Credit: American Girl

If you haven’t already, I would recommend reading the two other Book Reviews I’ve written about Felicity’s books:

I think I loved this “Journey Book” more than all the ones I’ve read so far!

I know I’m biased because I live about 45 minutes away from Colonial Williamsburg. Regardless, I love how American Girl has portrayed Williamsburg in the present day, as well as the colonial period.

Our modern girl lives with her dad and grandmother, above her grandmother’s antiques shop. A miniature portrait on a chain catapults her back to 1775, and she meets Felicity and her friends. I loved how the author incorporated the current Williamsburg interpreters into the adventure!

Maybe it was just me (I haven’t counted all of them), but I feel like Felicity’s Journey Book has the most adventures that the reader can choose. It was really cool, but it was part of the reason why it took me longer to read it than the other two volumes.

There wasn’t really anything that I disliked about this book. If you’re looking for adventure, heart-stopping thrills, and an education on colonial times, this is an awesome book to check out!

This reader definitely wants to dive deeper into Colonial Williamsburg and its history. For me, I have no excuse!

5 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.27.17

by Laura Beth

Tag #26: “Keep It Fresh Award / Book Tag”

Image Credit: audreywritesabroad

I saw this post on Marie’s library. She loves many types of books!

Here’s the link to her original post:

Keep It Fresh Award / Book Tag

The Rules:

Post the rules before starting and link back to this post as a reference for other bloggers.
Part A: Answer each of the fruit questions (Each fruit corresponds to a book!), and add pictures, plus why you thought that particular book deserves that particular fruit if possible.
Part B: Choose your favorite fruit (Even if it is one of the fruits in part A). Come up with a question that we didn’t ask, and answer it.
Part C: Create your own smoothie from the fruits in Part A (Imagine a Lemon-Tomato-Apple smoothie ~ yuck), and find a book that would correlate to your smoothie!
Nominate as many and anyone that you think are deserving of this award but it would be nice if you nominated a minimum of 5!
Notify your nominees of the nomination.
The most important rules? Have fun, and of course, keep it fresh!

Part A

Strawberries – Name the sweetest book you’ve read (e.g., sweet in terms of the characters, or if the story takes place in a sweet world, etc.)

Image Credit: Wikipedia

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Coconut – What’s a book that you would bring on vacation with you to a tropical destination? (Or if you’re just relaxing at the beach…)

Image Credit: Mix and Match Mama

Anything by Elin Hilderbrand!

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Pineapple – What’s a book that you didn’t think you would like by judging its cover / summary / the first few pages, but started to grow on you?

Image Credit: Wikipedia

I remember feeling incredibly skeptical when this book was assigned for my Young Adult Literature class during my final semester at Longwood. I hadn’t read anything from John Green until then. But, after this book, I was hooked.

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Orange – What’s the juiciest book you’ve read? (e.g., a book with tons of action, romance, etc.)

Image Credit: Amazon

For the life of me, I cannot remember how I found this book, but I loved it!

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Watermelon – A watery book (e.g., there wasn’t tons of substance to the book / the details were just too watery, etc. Don’t get us wrong though, we love watermelons!)

Image Credit: Amazon

I tried so hard to like this book, especially since I devoured The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I just couldn’t get into it. This is one of those rare books that I never finished.

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Dragonfruit – What’s the most unique book you’ve read? (e.g., unique in writing style, characters, plot, etc.)

Image Credit: Paste Magazine

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Lemons – Name a book that made you feel sour (e.g., the emotions were just sour, you just felt sour reading the book, or the book includes sour characters, etc.)

Image Credit: goodreads.com

Check out my Book Review.

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Tomato – What’s a wonderful book that you think should be more widely known? Or a fantastic author whom you think deserves more recognition (Since some may not know that tomatoes are actually fruits!)

Image Credit: books.google.com

I’m so excited that Brubaker Bradley is releasing a sequel in a few months – I’ve been eagerly waiting since January! It’s not a delightful topic by any stretch of the imagination, but I loved it. Check out my Book Review!

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Apple – Name a really stereotypical book of a certain genre, just like apples, which a typical fruits. In the end, was that book good or not? (e.g., a very typical contemporary / fantasy book, etc.)

Image Credit: en.wikipedia.org

Read my Book Reviews!

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Blueberries – Name a book that made you feel blue (Any sad, depressing books that you’ve read.)

Image Credit: Children of the 90s

Most anything by Lurlene McDaniel. I devoured her books in middle school and high school, but most of them are very sad!

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Grapefruit – Any bitter books? (e.g., a book that was blue, but more. Do you have any bitter resentments toward characters from a book? Any sour turned bitter emotions? Any uber-hateful villains?)

Image Credit: Amazon

Check out my Book Review.

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Limes – Name a funny book that you’ve read because limes add flavor, and so does humor with every book.

Image Credit: Amazon

Check out my Book Review!

Part B

Limes – Name a book that you can read, or re-read, while drinking your favorite beverage (For me, Corona with lime).

Image Credit: Goodreads

Part C

Smoothie: Pineapple, Oranges, and Limes

A book I thought I wouldn’t like by judging its cover / summary / the first few pages, but it started to grow on me.
The juiciest book I’ve read.
A funny book.

Image Credit: The Odyssey Online

Hands down!

This tag was so much fun, but also challenging!

I’m not tagging anyone in particular, but if you want to participate, please do so!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

08.24.17

by Laura Beth

Book Review #42: “A Stand for Independence: A Felicity Classic 2”

Image Credit: American Girl

If you haven’t already, I would recommend reading the review of the first Felicity volume before this one:

Book Review #41: “Love and Loyalty: A Felicity Classic 1”

Volume 2 doesn’t quite pick up where Volume 1 leaves off, but that is easily forgiven. Like Love and Loyalty, Volume 2 covers the remaining three books of the original six-book series: Happy Birthday, Felicity!, Felicity Saves The Day, and Changes for Felicity.

Felicity turns ten years old early in the book, surrounded by family and friends. There are several surprises to be had – Grandfather gives her an amazing and precious gift, but warns her to be careful and be responsible with it. Mother is expecting a fourth child, and Penny the horse is due to be a mother as well! So much excitement!

Felicity learns an important lesson about responsibility as she outright disobeys Grandfather. She struggles with guilt and shame, but ultimately tells the truth. Will she be forgiven? Will the gift be taken back?

The second part of the book follows the Merrimans away from Williamsburg, and headed to Grandfather’s spectacular King’s Creek Plantation on the York River. I immediately recognized many of the names and places in the book. In my research, the plantation land has long been converted to a neighborhood full of houses and cottages, but the views of the York River are still breathtaking and beautiful. Seeing the modern photos (thank you, Internet), made me close my eyes and imagine what it looked like in 1775. The book helped immensely too – I saw Felicity, Nan, and William enjoying every one of their summer days, outside all day long! How carefree and wonderful.

The summer, however, is not without trouble. Mr. Merriman’s apprentice, Ben, becomes restless and impatient, and decides to run away. Luckily, Felicity comes to the rescue. The weaving of history is incredible. Ben struggles mightily with wanting to serve out his seven years as an apprentice to learn the trade, but the preparations for revolution grow stronger, almost every hour. At sixteen, Ben wants to join the fight. Will Felicity help him?

As summer fades to fall and winter, health issues plague members of Felicity’s family. Penny is due to give birth, but experiences complications, and an old enemy’s help is needed. Grandfather falls gravely ill, and the entire family pitches in to take care of him. The weather is just as violent, and the fight for independence grows stronger. Everyone spends the winter cooped up inside, trying to understand what’s happening in their family, as well as their colony.

Between the two books, I felt so much childhood nostalgia. I was propelled back to the early 1990s when I read and re-read the original six books, staring longingly at the beautiful illustrations. As I finished this book, I felt my excitement growing for Felicity’s newest book, Gunpowder and Tea Cakes. Review coming soon!

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

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Commentary #57: “Trump has no idea how much health insurance costs”

Book Review #43: “Gunpowder and Tea Cakes: My Journey with Felicity”

Book Review #42: “A Stand for Independence: A Felicity Classic 2”