Pam Brown: Grandchildren Quotes

photo credit: freedigitalphotos

Those gasps of astonishment, those shrieks of pleasure, those sights of delight, lost long ago when your children grew wise and worldly, are suddenly given back to you by your grandchildren. What seem to be the same small hands clutch yours, dragging you from one excitement to another - "Look! Oh look! Come on! -- Pam Brown

Pam Brown was a British writer, actress, and television producer.

Pamela Brown was just 13 when she started writing her first book, The Swish of the Curtain, in 1938. A year later, when World War II broke out, she left Colchester County High School - a selective grammar school for girls and went to live in Wales with her family. She continued with her writing, however, sending chapters of the book to her friends back in Colchester, Essex, and finally finished the book when she was 16.

The Swish of the Curtain tells the story of seven stage-struck children who form an amateur theatre company in a town called Fenchester, Brown's made-up name for her home town of Colchester. She herself was passionate about the theatre and, from an early age, put on plays with her friends. She went on to write several sequels to her first book, and other children’s novels. Her career as an actress and television producer provided her with much detail about early television and life in repertory.

More Pam Brown Quotes

photo credit: mvictor

One day we think, at last, we have escaped the ties of children, their troubles and their demands. And then we feel a little tug - and find ourselves bound, once more, by the needs of our grandchildren. And their love.
                   -- Pamela Brown

photo credit: yarnh

Time has taken edge of vision,
ears' perception, hands precision
yet bow can any feel bereft
when wonderment and love are left?  -- Pam Brown

Recommended Books

 Grandma Tillie looks like a mild-mannered granny with a bag full of knitting, but when she arrives to babysit Sophie and Chloe, she brings some crazy alter egos with her. The grandkids will love meeting Tillie Vanilly, Chef Silly Tillie, and Madame Frilly Tillie. Laurie A. Jacobs' text is imaginatively illustrated by Anne Jewett.

Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie

Grandpa Green by Lane Smith tells a grandfather's life story through the topiaries he creates, adding up to a creative grandpa book for children.

Grandpa Green

I have fond memories of my grandmother. Because I am Greek, the word for grandma is yia yia. I have changed the spelling to YaYa to make it easier for more 5 grandchildren. I am so blessed to be a grandma and I love each one of them so very much.

Here's a photo of my lovely granddaughter and yours truly!

How about you? Do you have a personal journal or family mementos from your grandmother's notebook?

My daughter loves these books on family. Take a closer look at The Barefoot Book of Children.



Happy Reading!

-- LadyD


“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” -- C. S. Lewis

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What Shapes Do You See?

One of the cool things about visiting Santa Barbara is discovering exciting ocean liners and sailboats!

"All aboard! Come along with me! Let's see what shapes we can find on the sea."

I have four charming grandsons and they love to look out on the water and talk about the movement out at sea. Oh, how we love our beautiful Pacific Ocean! Our boys are mesmerized by the size and shapes of the vessels that ride upon the sea!

At Oceanside Harbor, we have the opportunity to walk around the jetty, admire all the boats and then head to the playground for some fun!

As I reflected on some of the photos, I was reminded of a cool book called Ship Shapes for children, ages 1-4. This exciting book is available in paperback and sturdy board book. The author Stella Blackstone has written many other books as well.

About The Book

Spot the shapes atop rolling waves and on sandy shores. This sea-based early learning selection features rhyme and repetition, as well as a full-page summarizing the shapes for reinforced learning.

My Thoughts

One particular grandson, our Riley who is 4-years-old, loves to engage in the learning activity of identifying triangles and rectangles. He gets excited when he points to the boats and counts aloud how many there are. The best part of the book is the colorful illustrations. Plus, you will see a sea monster's tail, a green submarine, and beautiful island treasure. This is a fun book for preschool.

Order Ship Shapes, here.

Happy Summer!

-- LadyD

 “You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” -- C. S. Lewis
© copyright 2008-2017– All rights reserved
Barefoot Books-LadyD

We're Roaming in the Rainforest: A Barefoot Book

Olive Trees

“When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side, there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.” John 18: 1-2

One of my favorite authors, Lysa Terkeurst wrote a short blog post that greatly impacted my life. I read and re-read her words during a time in my life when I needed tremendous encouragement and a new perspective to endure difficult times. I would like to share her words with you now...

"The olive tree is such a picture of why our hearts must go through the crushing times.

The crushing times are necessary times.

First, in order to be fruitful, the olive tree has to have both the east wind and the west wind. The east wind is the dry hot wind from the desert. This is a harsh wind. So harsh that it can blow over green grass and make it completely wither in one day.

The west wind, on the other hand, comes from the Mediterranean. It brings rain and life.

The olive tree needs both of these winds to produce fruit — and so do we. We need both winds of hardship and relief to sweep across our lives if we are to be truly fruitful.

The crushing times are processing times.

Another thing to consider about the olive tree is how naturally bitter the olive is and what it must go through to be useful. If you were to pick an olive from the tree and try to eat it this month, its bitterness would make you sick.

For the olive to be edible, it has to go through a lengthy process that includes:
washing,
breaking,
soaking,
sometimes salting,
and waiting some more.

It is a lengthy process to be cured of bitterness and prepared for usefulness.

If we are to escape the natural bitterness of the human heart, we have to go through a long process as well … the process of being cured.

The crushing times are preservation times.

The final thing I want to consider about the olive is the best way to preserve it for the long run. It must be crushed in order to extract the oil. The same is true for us. The biblical way to be preserved is to be pressed. And being pressed can certainly feel like being crushed.

Crushing is the way of preservation for the olive. It’s also the way to get what’s most valuable, the oil, out of the olive. Keeping this perspective is how we can be troubled on every side yet not distressed … pressed to the point of being crushed but not crushed and destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8)

When the sorrowful winds of the east blow, I forget they are necessary.
When I’m being processed, I forget it’s for the sake of ridding me of bitterness.
And when I’m being crushed, I forget it’s for the sake of my preservation.

And so, He created the olive tree."

I hope you have been blessed by Lysa's words to keep going no matter how difficult life may seem at times! 

One book that is in our home library is about trees. No, not the beautiful olive tree but an exciting rainforest!

We're Roaming in the Rainforest

Do you have a book about rainforests? Have a peek inside our Barefoot Book.

What is the book is about?

Three children embark on a day-long trek through the rainforest, discovering all sorts of exotic creatures in their natural habitats. The charming, rhyming text highlights an adjective for each creature. The story is complemented by educational endnotes about the creatures in the story, and the peoples of the rainforest.

 Who is the book for?

Ages 4 to 10 years

 Who wrote the book?

Written By: Laurie Krebs
Illustrated By: Anne Wilson

What is the price of the book? Where can I purchase the book?

You can get the book at my daughter's store.
Paperback $7.99
Hardcover $16.99

Happy Reading!

LadyD

“You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” — C. S. Lewis

How Horses are Helping Children with Cancer

photo credit: Violeta Pencheva

I would like to introduce my readers to Jenny Holt! Jenny is a freelance health and nature writer. She came across a former post of mine, Pony Riding and Curb Walking when I was participating in orange and blue photo memes. Jenny was reminded of an article when she read my blog post.

Jenny has teamed up with a small pet health site to develop a simple guide for parents explaining how horses are just one animal involved in helping children with cancer. You can view the article at, http://www.particularpaws.com.

You will feel Jenny's heartfelt passion for horses helping children with cancer through her word crafting. I am thrilled we found one another!

Horses Helping Humans: Equine Therapy for Cancer Patients

Facing a life-changing diagnosis or surviving a life-threatening illness is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges in life. Traditional medical treatment is prescribed to fight the condition physically, but even if successful the psychological impact can be enormous. Supporting the mind and soul is equally as important as curing the body, but it requires a different approach.

Inclusive and Supportive

Engaging in equine-assisted therapy can be an excellent method of support during a period of illness, or as part of a rehabilitation process once given the all-clear. Equine therapy programs address both physical and emotional issues. Through participating in tasks such as grooming, taking the horse to the paddock, and moving equipment, people can rebuild physical strength and stamina which may have been lost during extended stays in hospital with reduced activity. Riding develops balance, muscle tone, and flexibility, but there are also options for non-riders to work with horses from the ground. Crucially though, a study undertaken with breast cancer survivors showed that equine-assisted therapy improved the overall quality of life for the women, not just their physical condition. Learning new skills promoted a sense of self-worth and pride, improved confidence, and gave the women feelings of accomplishment. 

Learning to Cope

People who have taken part in therapy programs have spoken about how undertaking tasks in an unusual environment helps them to cope with the unfamiliarity of their condition. The horse represents the obstacle of their illness, and they learn how to work towards a solution rather than focussing on the problem. Becoming a participant, rather than a victim, helps them to be in control rather than feeling helpless.

Being Mindful

Horses are non-judgemental, and live in the present. Interacting with horses and engaging in tasks with them requires you to think about what is going on immediately around you, rather than worrying about your condition. This approach to thinking is commonly seen in mindfulness techniques used to treat other psychological conditions. Sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder engaging in equine-assisted therapy reported reduced anxiety, reduced symptoms of depression, and less severe emotional responses to stressful situations. Similarly, a study of young women diagnosed with social anxiety found that the equine therapy program helped them to feel less anxious and more empowered; these emotions are also experienced by cancer survivors. Equine therapy can offer people a chance to focus on something else, and to be something more than their diagnosis.

Thank you, Jenny! Best wishes and continued success!

Just a quick note from yours truly... Awhile back I shared a few photos with my readers of my grandson riding on a horse. This experience was in Maine when he was young. Have a look, here. Ben's therapist recommends horse riding because he has special needs. If you're not familiar with CdLS, there's more information here.

The above photo is where Ben currently rides in the hills of Santa Barbara!

I'm so pleased that our guest blogger shared such excellent writing on a subject dear to our hearts!

Thanks again, Jenny!

Warmly,

-- LadyD


 “You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” -- C. S. Lewis
© copyright 2008-2017– All rights reserved
Barefoot Books-LadyD