Book Review: Notes From A Blue Bike

I finally finished this book that has been sitting by my bedside for the last month or two.  I have not kept my promise to read every night at 9:00.  Lots to do around this house.  Ironically this book is all about intentionally living, and I am doing everything but.  I am living from one major event to the next. 

The book, Notes From a Blue Bike, by Tsh Oxenreider, appealed to me for several reasons.  First my bike is blue and I love riding my bike.  2.  I read Tsh’s other books, One Bite at A Time and Organized Simplicity and I loved them.  3.  Her new book is about intentionally living, a topic I am interested in. 

Tsh recounts the last few years of her life and what has lead to the decision she makes, but when it really comes down to all her experiences there is a underlining purpose….slowing down and living the life she wants to live. 

Tsh defines intentionally living as “staying true to yourself and your family….and making daily choices so that your life lines up with your passions and values.”    She writes that we can make little changes each day to make choices to live a slower life. 

Where do you start creating a life that is intentionally….of course you need a plan.

1.  Write a purpose statement.  Name the things that are important to you.  

For me intentionally living will mean --- taking care of myself first.  It sounds selfish, however my children are all above the age 25 and they are capable of taking care of themselves.   It is just my husband and me and together we need to start thinking of slowing down, working less, and focusing on taking care of ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually.  We are also in a place where we can “discover the blessing of living for something beyond” ourselves.  We are in a place where we can give more….and we have. 

My favorite part of the book was when Tsh wrote about the importance of reading to your children.  (This has been my theme song for years with my four children and with my students at school.)

She quotes a friend, Rachel, who is speaking from a parent point of view, “Although we don’t teach them the details of what they learn, we teach them how to learn.  We do this by reading, reading, reading and more reading.  We do this by modeling lifelong learning, by teaching them how we solve problems and discover solutions.”

Tsh writes about the most important item they, as parents, have in their household,  BOOKS. 

“People who read more are naturally better inclined to learn, and people who make reading a habit at a younger age are more likely to spend the rest of their lives reading.”   AND  “Students whose parents often read books WITH them during their first years of primary school showed markedly higher scores”  on standardized tests.  

No Kidding….most likely because with the reading, comes conversation and learning. 

I am going to use this quote in my parent presentation at the beginning of the school year and for my son who is expecting his first child.