Laurie L.C. Lewis's Blog: Bloggin' It Up Here, page 75

THE CURRRIER AND IVES CRAZIES

Things are nuts over here. It's all wonderful stuff . . but even wonderful stuff can seem overwhelming.

Our second son, Adam, is getting married in Ohio, during August, to a girl who makes his eyes crinkle with joy. That absolutely thrills us.

We're getting our entire family together for the big Looney Lew vacation in two weeks--our second favorite week of the entire year, so what's not to love about that?

And then we're hosting a reception here in Maryland for about a million of Adam's closest f

GOD-BLESS-AMERICA-MONDAYS

Willamsburg-THE COLONIAL VILLAGE

(I'm dedicating the next six weeks' posts to various sites in and around Williamsburg, starting with the historical colonial village itself.)

Let me begin by saying that the best way to approach any visit to an historical site is by preparing to have an "experience"--plan to leave your world behind and immerse yourself in the one you are visiting. It's easy to do in Williamburg.

The colonial setting, with historical reproductions and restorations of original buildi

MR. DAVID McCULLOUGH on "THE GLORIOUS CAUSE OF AMERICA"

Few people understand the individuals and the sacrifice required to establish America better than, two-time Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of 1776 and John Adams, David McCullough.

He visited BYU on 27 September, 2005, and delivered this magnificent forum assembly address. It is one of the most tender, touching essays on the Founding Fathers, George Washington and the Continental Army you'll ever read.

When stripped of all the folklore and hoopla, and distilled to the simplest truths, we realize th

WE HAVE A WINNER, AND A NEW CONTEST!

Congratulations to Liz Adair, winner of June's book drawing!

New Drawing for JULY!
The prize is a spectacular book titled:"The Declaration of Independence, A Museum in a Book"
You have to see this beautiful volume to appreciate it. From Deborah Hopkinson, reviewer for "Children's BookPage":
". . . In addition to its lavish illustrations, the book includes replicas of actual diaries, private journals and artifacts related to the drama of independence. Reach into a pocket on page five, for instance,

BOOK NOOK REVIEW of TRAIL of STORMS

Trail of Storms
By Marsha Ward


Trail of Storms, written by award-winning author, Marsha Ward, is her third novel about the Owen family in her post-Civil War series. Marshaling adept storytelling with an intimate understanding of her subject matter, Ward delivers loyal fans an exciting continuation of the series, while new readers will rate Trail of Storms a satisfying stand-alone read that will send them back for more.

Prepare to be transported to another time . . . another place. Ward's grasp of

GOD-BLESS-AMERICA-MONDAY

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG


Of all the places I've visited, none are more dear to me than Williamsburg, Virginia. Some whine that it's too commercialized now, but all I know is all that beautiful history was nearly lost, and now it's restored thanks to the vision of a single Episcopalian priest named Dr. Goodwin, and the philanthropy of the Rockefeller family.

We travel to Europe to visit old castles. Well, here is our American equivalent--the birthplace of a nation, the place where

GULP, GULP, GULP. . .

Bill Hemmer of Fox news made a quip that really resonated with me. Commenting on our elected representatives' penchant for rapid-fire voting without reading any of the pending bills, he said, "It's like they're drinking from a fire hose down there. Open wide. . ."

Should bills be presented like speed-dating? Especially with the price tags and ramifications currently affixed? If you don't think so either, check out how your reps in the House voted on the Climate Change Bill. Take a moment and shoo

"DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT" UPDATE

We've been told we can either learn from the past,
or we'll be doomed to repeat it. I've spent six years studying and writing about the War of 1812, whose bicentennial is fast-approaching, and sadly, I think the similarities between then and now are eerie.

Sadly, freedom frequently leads to complacency. We are not passengers on the good ship America, we are the deck hands and the ensigns at the helm. We forget that sometimes. So did they in 1812.

Consider this:

Prejudice, poverty, religious intoler

HOW BEING AN AUTHOR HAS INFLUENCED MY TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH SMITH AND THE BOOK OF MORMON

I've been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since I was eight-years-old. The story of my conversion is unremarkable in and of itself. We were renting a home from an LDS (Mormon) family, and one day the owner asked my mother what was then called "the golden question"--"What do you know about the Mormons, and would you like to know more."

We did.

My family was taught the Gospel by a missionary couple, we read the Book of Mormon, and within a few months, three of us--my moth

How Joseph Smith Wrote the Book of Mormon