Wonderfully imaginative use of Delica beads. These sculpted beaded earrings are very unique. The author shows real imagination with the array of designs in this book. I was inspired by what I could make with tiny glass cylinder beads. Picture patterns including the cutest clowns. A wide variety of patterns, something for everyone.

Wonderfully imaginative use of Delica beads. These sculpted beaded earrings are very unique. The author shows real imagination with the array of designs in this book. I was inspired by what I could make with tiny glass cylinder beads. Picture patterns including holiday designs. A wide variety of patterns, something for everyone.

This volume presents skills from very basic to very complex which will be used in a variety of clinical settings. This volume is probably not something a novice would snap up because of the price, but it a reference that every practicing nurse would want on the shelf - novice or expert. The pictures include current equipment. The steps of the procedure are detailed and include safety tips and equipment needed. Good idea for the student's special Christmas present or the nurses' station.

I really enjoy reading this book and looking at the pictures of procedures being done on patients. I am entering an LPN program soon and I feel that this book will be a great asset to me during my studies and throughout my career. Much recommended to anyone interesting in the nursing profession.

I have several cook books but this one is definitely a favorite.
There are some great recipes for entertaining. The Spinach-Artichoke spread is always a real hit.

Growing up in Kenova WV my grandparents and the Smiths' were friends and we attended the same church. I had eaten Mrs. Smiths cooking too many times to count and it was always awesome! When I heard about the cookbook I couldnt wait for it to hit the stores! The recipes are clear and easy to understand. It is laid out with a checklist for the ingredients most things you will already have on hand. I use it to make something every time my friends and i are having a get together. Her recipes make you look like you can cook well enough to be on Emeril Live! This is a must have for everyone who enjoys cooking at its best.

Dear Friends:

I am just back from the International TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages)Convention 2003, where I had the great privilege of hearing Dr. Smith speak. His topic was Language Teaching and Spirituality.

Let me tell you that he impressed me as one of the finest language professors out there! His ideas were well thought out and incorporated strategies that engage students at a significantly deep level...not just according to Christian tradition...just "What kind of values and purpose do you have in your life today? What values would you like to see in yourself in 5 or 10 years from now? Is there ever a time when a person needs to stand up for what they believe in (like Sophie and Hans Scholl)?" These are all open-ended questions that do not force any sort of doctrine on the student, but only encourage them to think, think, think and explore! I believe his method incorporates language learning, great student interest and engagement, emotional intelligence, and values. Dr. Smith uses a certain textbook in his German classes, put out by Charis ...in England...very, very impressive. He claims his students learn just as much or MORE of the target language when they are asked questions that relate to their lives at such a deep level!

The part about the responsibilities and privileges of the stranger (immigrant) and the host (society) were exceptional as well...truly enlightening and full of "ah-hahs". I firmly believe that this book could be used to teach language in any culture and any situation, as it guides the student to think about what matters to THEM in the target language (the one they are learning).

This is authentic language learning for authentic purposes, people. Don't miss out on reading this gem! Your students and administration will thank you for years to come! :-)<...

How does Christian thought relate to foreign language teaching? At first thought, this question may not seem pertinent. Why would one's theology influence whether they used Krashen's model of language learning, Total Physical Response drills, or any other method or theory?

The Gift of the Stranger answers these questions and others by applying the teaching of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible to these contemporary issues. The authors, both of whom identify themselves as Christians, argue that the biblical image of the "stranger" should be applied to language teaching. The added dimension of ethics and morality is a significant contribution to the field. The book argues that language teaching should prepare students to participate appropriately in the foreign culture as a stranger and to welcome strangers from this culture when they come to the student's home area.

In addition to the biblical case studies, the authors also present fascinating historical notes on Christian language teaching programs throughout the Christian Era.

I recommmend this book to all language teachers, even if they do not share the authors' Christian background. The book can help teachers consider how their own moral and ethical philosophy influences their choice of teaching materials and methods.

Austin, TX writer Barbara Burnett Smith has done it again--Jolie Wyatt, everywoman and perfect amateur detective, is up to her ears in flood waters and murder in the latest Purple Sage mystery. Things start innocently enough when Jolie and best friend Diane arrange a tribute dinner for a couple of old friends from their past. But thanks to the monsoons, before the night is out, one of honored guests has had the humiliating experience of being hosted in her former home by the husband who left her and his new trophy wife--and the other Guest of Honor is dead.

Then the sheriff announces that the death may be a suicide--and Jolie's on the warpath. Dr. Bill did NOT kill himself--and she's going to prove it. Complicating her mission are a host of suspects who may have believed they had ample reason to hate Dr. Bill, the arrival of Jolie's estranged mother, and Jolie's own fluctuating temper and emotions--is it sheer frustration from multiple directions, PMS--or even humble pie, as Jolie discovers friends who are foes, foes who might become friends, black is white, Truth may be relative and...well, the waters run very deep.

This Purple Sage contains the things we've always loved about Smith's books--the great small-town politics and tangled personal relationships--and takes them in unexpected directions. If you enjoyed the other Purple Sages, don't miss this one. And if you haven't tried them yet, what are you waiting for? And yes--I think you can start with this one, if St. Martin's STILL hasn't reprinted the others!

Purple Sage is a small Texas town founded by nine religious fundamentalist families and even today their influence can be felt. Jolie Wyatt, a newcomer to the town and married to native-born Matt, is hosting a party in honor of retiring Dr. Bill Marchak and Beverly Kendall, who has returned after a three year absence to take care of her ailing father.

The only problem is that most of Purple Sage is flooding and the house where the reception is supposed to take place is underwater. They are forced to hold the party at the home of Beverly's ex-husband Tom who divorced her to marry Leigh. A gracious Beverly insures no one feels uncomfortable. Later that night, Dr. Bill's body is found tightly wedged in a drawn wrenched ditch. Nobody knows the cause of death but rumors abound. Shortly thereafter, Leigh disappears. Julie finds the body believing that the same person murdered both people.

The protagonist, trying to achieve justice for the dead, almost finds herself becoming the third victim of a demented killer. Her bravery and unwavering quest for the truth as well as her loyalty to friends and family are only some of the reasons the heroine is easy to like. Sad to say, the killer's identity is totally believable and raises some interesting legal and social issues. After a two-year absence, it is good to see the Purple Sage gang reunited again.

Harriet Klausner

This is the most outstanding career retrospective ever published on a movie star, a flagrant labor of love done with intregity and intelligence. The end result is an example of quality ever film star biographer ought to follow. Each of Stanwyck's 80+ films are profiled in depth with exclusive commentary from scores of her coworkers - leading men, directors, screenwriters, etc. This landmark book was extremely important in reestablishing Stanwyck's reputation as one of the truly great women of the cinema. I fell in love with this book twenty years ago as a teenager in a local library - I had grown up watching reruns of Barbara in THE BIG VALLEY and had no idea of her incredible film career. I was thrilled when the author published a revised edition in the late 80's enabling me to actually own a copy of this gem and now with Miss Stanwyck's death (10 years ago - how time flies! It seems like yesterday) it is truly time for a second revised edition. If you own one book on one movie star LET THIS BE IT.

Ella Smith's coffee-table book on the career of Barbara Stanwyck is, bar none, the finest of its kind that this writer has ever read. Instead of being content to merely list Stanwyck's films and reprint old reviews (in the tradition of most "Films of" books), Ella Smith has gone the extra mile, and then some. This is because the idea originated with Smith (as opposed to a writer being "assigned" the project by a publisher), and it's entirely her baby. Smith designed the layout, selected the photographs and determined which of them would get the full page treatment (and her choices are absolutely breathtaking!)

In addition to including original reviews of Stanwyck's stage, film, and television work (as well as highlights from Stanwyck's interviews from that period) Smith personally viewed all of Stanwyck's work, and her observations are marvelously perceptive (drawing as they do on her own experience as actress, director and teacher). I was particularly pleased that she notes the powerful impact of Stanwyck's SILENT moments (whereas too many critics remember only the explosive ones). But most of all, I value the interviews Smith conducted with Stanwyck's co-stars and directors. These anecdotes are, in turn, touching and funny --- and reveal aspects of Stanwyck's personality that add greatly to the readers' regard for the woman, as well as the actress.

Of all the books written about Barbara Stanwyck, THIS is the only one worthy of her.

I read this book cover to cover and would recommend it for any substitute teacher. It tells you things to remember from the moment your phone rings with a call to sub (what should you have by your phone and what should you ask each time they call) to what you should bring, checklists and supplies and forms to fill out to report back to the permanent teacher. Also, very good are the filler "sponge activities" to use if you have empty time. These filler activities were tailored to each specific subject area with sheets to copy and everything. For instance, what to do if you are a sub for a Spanish class and you do not know Spanish. Good ideas about discipline too and certain legalities regarding subs. All in all this is an excellent handbook. I would recommend it highly.

The best book on how to substitute 9-12 students. You don't need any other book.

I''ve attended two different workshops on how to be an effective substitute teacher (each sponsored by a different entity), and they both highly recommended this book OVER ALL OTHERS ON THE SUBJECT.

Don't waste your time on anything else.

--George Stancliffe

I highly recommend TEACH ME LORD... for both new and veteran homeschoolers! The Smiths share essays of encouragement and exhortation about lessons they learned while homeschooling. Instead of offering us "human" wisdom, they point us to the Lord and His Word and challenge us to be willing to be taught of Him instead of allowing the world's ways to be our standard. How refreshing to find not just another "how to" book filled with human opinions! TEACH ME LORD... is full of "quotable quotes" to inspire and encourage you in your day to day homeschooling. --Tamara Eaton

In the middle of my first year as a home-schooler, I revisited the essays in this wonderful book. The Smiths manage to encourage and challenge at the same time, as they recount the myriad ways in which the Lord worked on their character as they taught their children. This is not a "how to" book; it is much deeper and richer than that. Consistently, in every essay, through every lesson learned big and small, the Smiths point to the foundational premises of Christian home-schoolers. Or, to be more precise, to the one sure foundation of Christian home-schooling. It is so easy to lose our way, and to become caught up in the cares and/or the goals of this world. We can so readily be derailed by loneliness (ours or our children's), exhaustion, exasperation, impatience, and anxiousness. We can so readily adopt the world's goals for our children, forgetting what it is that God would have us do. What does it profit a child to achieve perfect SAT scores, the Smiths ask, yet lose his own soul? Our God-ordained role as transmitters of God's Word to our children is the primary purpose of home-schooling our children. You will recognize yourself on these pages; and you will find tremendous encouragement here, as well as a clear challenge to turn to God's Word for guidance. This is Biblical exhortation at its best, and every Christian home-schooling parent should have a copy close at hand.

REVIEW: Wild Sweet Notes Fifty Years of West Virginia Poetry 1950-1999, 418 pages Publisher's Place, Inc., Huntington, W. Va. www.publishersplace.org

Today, for many people, home is a state of mind. Home of the past and the home of the future. "Wild Sweet Notes," Fifty Years of West Virginia Poetry l950-1999, edited by Barbara Smith and Kirk Judd is a literary treasure for not only West Virginians and others of the Appalachian region, but for readers of poetry and prose of any geographic locale. This collection contains a rich texture where universal themes are rendered with evocative voices.

The editors are to be complimented on their artful selections and placement of this diverse range of poetry and bringing together a cohesive book of superb quality. Certainly, the pride of West Virginia comes through; and as a West Virginian, I feel there is much to celebrate with this publication. The writers represented cry out on issues that are all about humanity.

The word "confluence" comes to mind--a word that the late Willie Norris used to describe his world of the South. Yes, there is a confluence in this collection where the personal becomes public and the public becomes personal because of the intense commitment to the landscape, family, and friends. A strong appreciation exists for what money can't buy--the feeling that a person is a part of something larger than the self.

Several of these writers have a national reputation as poets and as writers of fiction and nonfiction. However, every writer represented in this book is equally worthy and deserves the highest praise and recognition. Reading this book you say to yourself, "One is as outstanding as the other." When I studied creative writing with Lester Goran (Isaac Singer's translator) at the University of Miami, Goran repeatedly said, "The arts are not about a democratic process." It took a few years of experience writing and submitting my work to appreciate his words. Thus, I believe in giving equal tribute and praise when deserved, and I particularly feel this way in regard to this anthology.

Striking images appear in the late David Jarvis' poems that breathe with keen observation and emotion. I have a bias for what he created having read his chapbook, The Born Again Tourist. Jarvis' work leaves much for the reader to complete in his or her own mind. It is the same kind of feeling that I have when I view a Walker Evans photograph. Following is an excerpt:

Sometimes I hear them call my name at night.

Why do they make me wear these chains

And stake me to this land,

Land stained with their sweat and blood

And rich with their bones

This faceless choir that's chanting now from mountaintops

An ageless aria that penetrates the rock

And writes through hollows

Where streams rush like their ancient bloodlines. ***

Joseph W. Caldwell's, "BELLS ON PARCHMENT CREEK" resonates with an immediacy of the kind that lasts for decades, and you sense it will be handed down to the next generation as an historical document. Excerpts of the first and last stanzas are as follows. (Stanzas two and three are extraordinary in lending to the development of this poem but are omitted here because I believe it is unfair to reveal too much in a review).

ON THAT FEBRUARY MORNING

DINNER BELLS SURGED AND SWELLED ALONG THE CREEK

CARRYING SHARPLY IN THIN AIR,

SENDING THE WORD SOMETHING

HAD HAPPENED AT THE HANNING FARM.

EIGHTY-NINE YEARS LATER

SHE RETELLS THIS STORY

ABOUT A MOTHER SHE HARDLY KNEW,

AND THE BELLS STILL TOLLING.

Barbara Smith's Apple Pie Dying has a personal quality, the kind of a reflective conversation where, as the reader, you feel she is conversing with you and sharing intimate thoughts. She causes you to pause and think about your own life. An excerpt of the first stanza is as follows:

How I wish I had been with her

As she measured the flour and the salt,

Cut in the shortening

And sprinkled on water,

Baling the dough,

Rolling it out, lifting it--

Peeling the applies, slicing them

Spicing them and crimping the crust,

Listening to Paul Harvey or Cokie Roberts

Or Oprah in the background,

Mopping the floor and changing the beds,

Filling the birdfeeder while the pastries were baking,

Then cooling, then being basketed and backseated

And on to the church.

In Wilma Stanley Acree 's "At Honanki," she takes you on a journey with her where you examine the vastness of space and time--understanding that which flees and what still remains. An excerpt from the first stanza is as follows:

At Honanki (the Badger House)

the guide,

Arizona Hopi face

framed by gray braids,

leans against the red cliffs,

points at the pictograph, and recites, "This is

Kokopelli,

the Sinagua symbol

of fertility,

fertility of soil,

of woman,

of action and thought.

See the raindrops he scatters."

One of the most compelling pieces I have ever run across on the importance and the beauty of the written words comes in Grace Cavalieri's poem entitled Letter. This will be a piece that I will read at my writing workshops at The New School, in New York City where I teach. Excerpts are as follows:

If you ask what brings us here,

starting out of our lives

like animals in high grass,

I'd say it was what we had in common

with the others--the hum of a song we

believe in which can't be heard,

the sound of our own

luminous bodies rising just behind the hill,

the dream of a light which won't go out,

and a story we're never finished with.

We talk of things we cannot comprehend

so that you'll know about

the inner and the outer world which are the same.

Someone has to be with us in this,

and if you are, then,

you know us best. And I mean all of us

the deer who leaves his marks behind him

in the snow, the red fox moving through the woods.

The poetry and prose that is here is accessible and creative in form. This book can serve many purposes--the main one for the pure and simple joy found in reading. It also makes a lovely gift, which is how I came to know this book. It was given to me as a birthday gift from my brother, Sam Kessell, and Larry Halsted. They also happen to be friends with the late David Jarvis' brother. A West Virginia heritage is like that--we find one another, one way or the other, sooner or later. On another level,"Wild Sweet Notes," has tremendous academic and historical value, which can make a strong contribution in an academic setting. The voices are authentic, direct, and powerful. They serve as excellent examples of fine writing in terms of language and form.

--Reviewed by Mary Sue Kessell Rosen

Bio: I teach writing workshops The New School in New York City (An Essay Writing Workshop and The Bloodroot of Our Voices Workshop, a multi genre course).

Wild Sweet Notes: Fifty Years of West Virginia Poetry leaves me in awe of the poetic achievements of West Virginia writers. Rarely does a poetry collection read as compellingly as a novel and possess the same power to hold a reader so strongly in its grip that it is nearly impossible to put the book down. But Wild Sweet Notes accomplishes this and more and in the process reveals that West Virginia is not an intellectual and cultural black hole but rather a place where poetry is a natural and necessary response to life in a harsh, unyielding and sometimes strange place. These poets could all be Welsh given the way they see and feel and touch their world and let it touch them; the way they use language and the music of words to capture the experience of the mines and miners, the black and barren waste of land and men, the mystery of the back-woods hollows and mountains and people who live there, the dreams of the young and the memories of the aged. West Virginia surprises the visitor in many ways - its beauty, its drama, the tenacity and strength of its people, its landscape where nature nurtures and destroys. It is a land where appearances are illusions, where the man who runs the little roadside grocery could have the wisdom of a sage and the heart of a poet. But who would know it from his rumpled clothes, his weathered face and gnarled hands, except perhaps by looking into his eyes and reading what they have to say. Wild Sweet Notes is not a simplistic down-home collection of local poetry, but rather a universal journey through time, the mind, landscapes, essences, and the enduring spirit of people and a place so little known, so misrepresented and so misunderstood. Few poetry collections are as satisfying, moving, enlightening and rewarding as Wild Sweet Notes.

Barbara Smith edits Bear's Paw, which uses the theme of a quilting contest to explore innovations in design and color which participants presented. The Bear's Paw block is displayed to maximum potential in this fine book blending color photos of completed projects with instructions quilters can easily duplicate.