AT HOME IN MITFORD by Jan Karon The floor's open for discussion! Do you want to start with the outcome of the painting (oh my goodness- the bill), Emma (her character and her problem - gotta love her), Father Tim's forgotten birthday (Vespa), Uncle Billy (dedication to Miss Rose and future), vacation (a much needed break, but the stress of trying to figure it out may call for a vacation of its own), the lilies, or Dooley (the very down to earth little boy)? So much good stuff here!

AT HOME IN MITFORD by Jan Karon The floor is open for discussion! Do you all wish you had a Puny Bradshaw in your life? Dooley is a character that pops up multiple times in these chapters. He definitely is bringing new life to Father Tim's days, but he appears to be welcoming it, doesn't he? How about Uncle Billy's artwork that is going to have its own show? Who in the world broke into the Chapel and what are they after? The painting maybe? Oh my, the Meadowgate Farm happenings and after promises were made to Puny! Lastly, the mysterious Olivia Davenport... Take it away with your thoughts and comments!

AT HOME IN MITFORD by Jan Karon I'm going to throw a couple thoughts out here to get the discussion started, and then you all can take it from there! Our chapters this week are filled with beginnings and endings. Death was a recurrent theme though tempered in Karon's excellent story telling ability. Olivia Davenport is dying, the visiting of the terminally ill at the hospital, the mention of Hoppy's wife, the story of Puny's mother, the story Miss Sadie wants to share before she dies, and the passing of Pearly McGee. Juxtaposed in between all of these are such beautiful examples of life and beginnings. Harold comes asking Father Tim for Emma's hand, the appearance of Cynthia Coppersmith, the birth of Rebecca Jane, and the smile on Hoppy's face now that he has met Olivia. My heart breaks for him with what the future may hold. How about that foreshadowing where the new police chief comments on never knowing what "goes on behind the rose arbors." What do you think may be going on that we aren't aware of yet? Speaking of wondering what's going on, what is going on with the food disappearing out of the fridge? There are so many more places to go - Dooley, Cynthia's understanding of Father Tim's tastes, Uncle Billy's art show, the burning of the ink drawings , and more. Take it away!

AT HOME IN MITFORD by Jan Karon I don't know about you, but ""moving" is the word that sums up so much of this week's reading. Beginning with the man Father Tim finds in the sanctuary crying out to God, there are deep waters to navigate in these chapters. How many times we forget "God with us." I know I am guilty of this. Then Olivia Davenport. How did you feel about Father Tim's request of her? She leaves her old home to have a chance at life without her diagnosis hanging over her, and she falls in love with the one man who has already lost his wife and barely recovered from it. Father Tim is the one that has to share the news with him. We can't forget Dooley in the middle of all of this. Russell Jack's case of pneumonia puts Dooley with Father Tim for Christmas. A place this little boy doesn't want to be. Everyone's suspicions about the bicycle come true. He disappears for days, and we learn about the alcohol addicted mother who gave her five children away. Somewhere out there are Dooley's four siblings. Suddenly our understanding of Dooley begins to take shape. Maybe Puny's right. Maybe it isn't strong discipline that this young boy needs, but love and steadiness that seem to have escaped him his entire life. (Yes, he is with Russell now who clearly loves him, but I find it telling that Dooley commands him not to die. Upheaval is stirring again with the threat if it.) So what does he do? He jumps on his bike and rides to his Momma. No one else knows where she is, but Dooley does. (I would imagine Russell does as well.) His mother sends him back. The relief for us readers, but also the heartbreak. If that isn't enough we have so many other things packed into these chapters - jewels and ashes (Did you gasp when Father Tim realized that the ashes have been worked into the flowerbed?), the worry about Cynthia spending time with someone else, and all the responsibilities piling up on our Father. My mental image of this is every burner on the stove covered with boiling pots all demanding attention at the same time. I am wondering if the chapter title "An Empty Vessel" is alluding to more than an empty urn. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

AT HOME IN MITFORD by Jan Karon Wow. I keep thinking I've surely just read the best chapters and then I read the next two. This week's chapters summary word for me is "burdens." Father Tim is carrying a load. Dive in anywhere you want. Do you want to talk about the missing items and the feeling of "foreboding" Father Tim is experiencing when he walks into his church (and now the police are involved)? How about Hoppy and Olivia and the small matter of a heart transplant? If a heart is ever found will she survive to even have the operation? Then there's Puny and her desire for a family of her own. How about the wisdom of Homeless and the life lessons he's learned about chasing material wealth? The running of Absalom Greer and God's call on his life? Last, but not least, Dooley and Cynthia. Where are these relationships going? All truth be told, as I am reading this book I am finding that Karon has me examining my heart. I find myself thinking about Jesus' parables. There was a time for preaching and there was a time that the right story was told that struck a chord in the hearts of the people. "Once there was a shepherd with a lost sheep. Once there was a woman who lost a coin." And in Father Tim's world, "Once there was a man who chased the dollar so much he lost himself and everything of true value in the process. Once there was a man who God had gifted to preach, but the man couldn't believe it." Oh, Heavenly Father, am I walking the path you have called me to? Am I chasing worthless things instead of loving the precious gifts you have given me? I could talk about these chapters for a long while, but I'll let you direct the course of conversation from here. Step out with some thoughts, and I'll be right behind you!

AT HOME IN MITFORD by Jan Karon I don't tend to get super emotional about books, but I have to say there was a bit of a lump in my throat when George Gaynor started talking. Folks, it is time to acknowledge the elephant in the room and just say that we NEVER know when someone else is listening. Can I get an Amen? Sometimes good things have happened from things people have overheard me say. Sometimes I have really blown it. I'm also going to say that we NEVER know the internal work the Holy Spirit is doing inside someone. I was a dispatcher for a PD in my younger years. My co-worker had been going through a series of difficult circumstances in his life for quite a while. I finally looked at him and told him he needed Jesus. I would never have guessed that Jesus would ever have crossed this guy's mind. His response to me was that I was the second person that week that had told him that. God was pursuing him. Our book started off with Father Tim questioning his value to his parishioners. I think we are getting a very clear picture that his simple life, his simple mannerisms greatly affect Mitford, because He genuinely CARES about them. We don't have to be a pastor to do that for our community and those we know. I will tell you that I get worn out sometimes by people. The need is great and you can be used and picked over until there is nothing left of yourself. Ask my husband about a saying I periodically say when I am dealing with difficult people. I tell him, "I just want to pick my toys up and go home. I don't want to play anymore!" Does anyone else recognize those feelings? BUT! Then we have those George Gaynor moments. The moments when you can visibly see the hand of God at work. There is so much that can be said about George Gaynor. The shoes given to him, the police that attended his baptism, his story, the symbolism of the Death Bell. Take and run with whatever part you want to! I feel like there's so much more we can discuss: Dooley and his blow-up, Puny and her parade , Barnabas' kidnapping, Cynthia... I am all ears.

AT HOME IN MITFORD by Jan Karon Cynthia. Just that name invokes lots of mental pictures and the most beautiful of thoughts. Don't you just admire her? Her willingness to go in and sit with Uncle Billy and Miss Rose, to eat the pound cake (wonder if she'll regret that tomorrow), to crawl into Miss Rose's childhood room that hadn't been entered in years. Wait a minute. Forget all that! How about the ability to connect with Miss Rose to the point that Miss Rose invited her into her most sacred place. Amazing! And don't you just love Cynthia's honesty. I loved the game that she and Father Tim played back and forth about things they don't love. Her Courage. To ask about Father Tim's parents (my heart is breaking). How many times have we thought we could change someone who didn't want to be changed? Have you ever attended a church where frostbite was a real possibility? Back to Courage. The steps she takes in asking what Father Tim likes about her. She pushes but just a little. Did you smile later when she asked him if he wanted to go steady? So many other places to go with these chapters. The fact that our FT still questions if he is making a difference in Mitford, but we all understand where he's coming from don't we? Don't we question ourselves in the same manner. Leave it to Cynthia to point that out. The difficulty of Russell Jacks. (I loved how FT noted where Dooley's bull headedness comes from. The letter J.C. Hogan received from the boy and his father wanting to know how to be saved. Dooley and his fight with Buster Austin. (Ever find yourself in a dilemma on how to discipline your kids? What do you think about how FT handled it?) So much more, but the rest is up to you!

AT HOME IN MITFORD by Jan Karon Oh my. This week we've got to start off with family feuds and the withholding of forgiveness. Ever seen this in real life? Not always, but often the discord stems from petty things. The fallout is devastating. The bitterness, the resentment that grows, and sometimes it is never righted. Are we surprised that Miss Sadie is wiped out in revisiting this part of her past? Torn between two men that she loves and the secret that she has carried all these years of what actually occurred in Lord's Chapel that dreadful night, Miss Sadie's dreams of the rift healing were demolished. The young lady who so desperately wanted to be a Mrs. remained a Miss. Now, I cannot wait until Father Tim makes it back over to Uncle Billy and Aunt Rose's place to learn what was inscribed on the beam. If that wasn't enough, Louella's confession about Olivia just adds another layer, doesn't it? Now Olivia has a new heart. She's come through the operation, and we rejoice don't we? And yet, in the middle of that rejoicing we realize that someone else died. Another family is suffering somewhere out there. Olivia has a long road of recovery ahead of her. How about Dooley opening up about his siblings? Any comments about the sighting of Barnabas? Any thoughts on the continuation of the going steady question?

AT HOME IN MITFORD by Jan Karon I can hardly believe we are to the last post of this wonderful story. I hope that you have enjoyed this delightful book as much as I have. Maybe you've laughed a little, maybe you've cried a little, and maybe you've been challenged just a little. The good news is this series continues on, and it does not disappoint! I don't know about you, but I feel that I am a better person from getting to know Father Tim, even if he is only a character in a book. The world needs more Father Tims in it, and guess what? That can be you and me! So take heart, grab your cup of coffee or tea, and open your book for one last time. I think if I had to sum everything up in one word for these two chapters, it would be "opportunities." Forgive my briefness in this intro before I dig in, but Father Tim has a new opportunity at life, a new opportunity at a relationship, a new opportunity in his trip to Ireland, and a new opportunity with Barnabas. Dooley has a new opportunity on the farm with the Owens. And Homeless has a new opportunity as well, but I'm going to save that for a moment. Let's talk about the diabetic episode for a minute. Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you were going to lose your life? If you have it changes you, and we see that with Father Tim. He knows he needs a break. Later, as he sits on the plane,he realizes that everything is taken care of and he can leave, but wait a minute. Everything's taken care of and he isn't needed to make it happen. Can you feel the moment of pity? I can. I've known that feeling before. BUT, we know something that Father Tim hasn't realized, don't we? Karon has just brought us full circle from the opening where we saw him question if he was making a difference in the lives of the people of Mitford. We've seen the proof from the relationships that Karon has given us front row access to this entire time. These people value Father Tim. They need him in their lives, and because of this, because they care about him, they will step up and let him go for his health with the promise that he will come back. Let's switch to a lighthearted moment for a minute- the picnic. I hope these pages gave you a good laugh! The cloud shapes, the relaxing, the reminiscing, the bull. Cynthia is good for Father Tim, don't you agree? I was caught in a moment of thought when Cynthia asks, "Why don't we laugh more" and FT replies with, "I think we forget." Maybe each of us should have that on our to-do list. Before we get into bed, we ask ourselves if we've had our daily laugh. If not, have at it before you close your eyes! Did you cheer when Barnabas bounded into the scene? His dedication at returning home is exactly what we hoped for. Did you cringe when you realized what this big, lovable dog had endured? Thank you, Jan Karon, for tying up that one for us! I'm going to close with Homeless Hobbes.His faith has returned. I just loved the earthiness of his word choice about Heavenly matters, didn't you? The fishin' and the thinkin,' the lack of risk. This is going to be what loops us back to my choice of the word "opportunities," because each of us has one, too, and Karon shares it with us in the best of ways, because God's gift of salvation is for Homeless Hobbes, jewel thieves, traveling business men, Father Tim, for all of us. I hope that each of you has accepted the gift of salvation and know Christ personally. I hope one day maybe we can all sit around together in Heaven and discuss books.  I'd love to meet you all face to face. Thank you for joining me on this journey! It's been such a delight to spend this time with you in Mitford!

AT HOME IN MITFORD by Jan Karon You just have to love our sweet Father Tim just a little bit more after these chapters! From the concerns about the movie to forgetting his birthday to crawling through the attic of Miss Rose's house to read the inscribed beam, you can't help but wish every person had such a devoted, caring, and honorable man in their life. I'm going to start with Father Tim's visit with Bishop Stuart. What a dear friend and confidant. One that is willing to verbally spank him a little because of his lack of care for himself. (And we know something's brewing don't we?) Do you have such a friend or spouse? One that lifts you up, yet calls you out when you are running yourself into the ground? It is so easily done in today's day and age isn't it? Carve moments for yourself, dear friends, of respite and relief. I am speaking to myself as well right now. Cynthia and her curler, oh how I laughed, because we've all been there. We get home and realize our clothes didn't match, we're wearing two different earrings, makeup on only one eye, etc. We stand in front of the mirror with the realization of how we looked, and we just want to melt. But everyone's been there in one form or another! How interesting Father Tim's struggle with what to do with the curler. How telling when we see the memories flood his mind of his father's delight in letting his mother know her "shortcomings." Oh the difference of helping someone with a mishap versus a gloating of put downs. Speaking of memories of the past, we finally learn what Willard left on the beam to Miss Sadie- Winterpast. I just let that roll around on my tongue. It was a house dedicated to letting old things being left in the past and new things coming forth. Oh how I could carve that on the beam of my mind! As always there are so many other thoughts to pursue, but I leave the floor to you!

If you want to enjoy the food mentioned in this wonderful series, then Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader is for you! Filled with all of your favorite comfort-styled food, this cookbook can quickly become a staple in your kitchen! And yes, it does contain a recipe for Esther's Orange Marmalade Cake!

STARFISH by Lisa Fipps Starfish is one of my Top Picks for 2024. Even though it was written a couple of years ago, it is new to me and a fabulous read.  Told in verse form (DO NOT LET THAT STOP YOU FROM CHECKING THIS BOOK OUT!), Starfish is the story of Eliana Elizabeth Montgomery-Hofstein better known as "Ellie." Ellie is a kid who has been made fun of for her weight since she was 5 years old. Strangers approach her and make comments, but even more difficult than that is her own family. Ellie's mom and siblings are constantly putting her down, and now her mom wants her to have surgery despite the risks With the help of a therapist, Ellie learns how to confront people, including her own family. She learns to have confidence in the fact that there is more value to her than just her physical appearance. So where does "Starfish" come into play? The only safe space that Ellie has found for herself is in her backyard pool where she can spread her arms and legs out like a starfish. Here she is weightless and her size doesn't matter. As you read this book you will think it's not possible that people could be so cruel to another human being. Lisa Fipps tells us at the end in her notes that "a variation of every thing that is said to Ellie in this book was said to her as a child." Think about that as you close the cover. HEADS UP- Obviously there is a lot of issues between Ellie and her mother. While there is some resolution at the end of the story, it's not as neat and clean as we might like it.