honest scrap

Okay, I have been meaning to do this for weeks and weeks and weeks. The lovely Shannon at It's Never Too Late...To Be What You Might Have Been passed the Honest Scrap Award on to me months ago, and I’m finally passing it on, as well.

The Honest Scrap Award is given to blogs that are found brilliant in content or design. (Thank you, Shannon!) I’ve given awards to a number of my favorite bloggers over the last two years, but I am consciously passing this award on to blogs that are new (or old, but new to me.) I am passing the award on to 4 bloggers I admire. Then I am supposed to list 10 honest things about myself, but I’m going to skip that part because if you read this blog, you probably know more than you ever wanted to know about me. (See my previous post about what happens when I begin to cough uncontrollably.)

Play School: Adventures in Family Learning — This is Carrie Pomeroy’s new blog, and it’s really wonderful. Her writing is lovely, and I always find myself nodding my head when I read her words. (She also has a wonderful essay in the anthology Riding Shotgun: Women Write About Their Mothers.)

Mind Body Mama — Well, Lynne Marie is really amazing. She articulates so many of the worries I have about raising daughters. What a pleasure to know her.

The Blue Suitcase — My dear friend and extremely talented writer, Bonnie J. Rough, has just started a blog about her family’s travels. Bonnie is an essayist at heart, so if you love the essay form, you must read her blog. You won’t be disappointed. I promise.

Maggie World — I’ve only been reading Sally’s blog for about a month, but I’m loving it. There is so much tenderness in her writing about her children, but underlying her tenderness is a steely determination that I admire very much.

Check out these wonderful blogs! And thanks again, Shannon. I’m sorry it took me so long to post this!

six unspectacular things about me

I was tagged by Ellen at A Girl’s Garden of Menopause, which I love, to list six unspectacular things about me. This won’t be difficult.

Here they are:

1. I am almost always tired.
2. I am newly addicted to granola bars (any size or flavor).
3. I want to be a gardener, but I hate to weed.
4. I finally have wireless internet at home and no longer have to pirate my neighbor’s wireless. (They cut me off, so I had no choice.) Note: I don't think they cut me off on purpose. Regardless, it had been a year, so it was time.
5. I love Neil Diamond, especially the really old stuff.
6. It’s difficult for me to listen to music and think at the same time.

Meme Terms & Conditions
1. Link the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. List 6 unspectacular things about you
4. Tag 6 other bloggers by linking them

I tag:

Rhena
Andria
Suzanne
Lisa
Melissa
Meredith

catching up on a meme

Last night I was faced with the task of hemming Stella’s princess dress. (I know. It’s utterly shocking that she has chosen to be a princess for Halloween.) But I couldn’t muster the strength to go down in the basement and get the sewing machine and try to remember how to use it, so I used masking tape instead. I thought of stapling the dress, but decided the tape would be more discrete. I still have to iron it this morning (to create a professional finish).

It just seems difficult for me to manage anything these days. A thought is a struggle, writing a complete essay an impossibility. My head is an intellectual dead zone. This seems to have extended even to memes. I have two tags on which I’ve been meaning to follow-up, but it has seemed like such a big deal to sit down at the computer and just do them. (I don’t remember being this dull-witted while I pregnant with Stella, but I probably was.)

Here it goes. I was tagged by Jennifer at pinwheels to list seven of my favorite children’s books. I’m reading at a child’s level now, so this was pretty easy. Note that the following books are my favorites. Stella decides on a new favorite every day, so it would be much more difficult to track her preferences.

Ellsworth’s Extraordinary Electric Ears and Other Amazing Alphabet Anecdotes by Valorie Fisher. This book is filled with extravagant alphabetical dioramas. For example: “Pepitas pink paper parasols were particularly popular with pirates. Perfectly puzzling!” Little pirate figurines stand in front of Pepita’s store holding pink drink parasols. I love it. But the fun doesn’t stop there. The page is filled with other P figures. Can you find them all? Therein lies the challenge. Every letter is as much fun as the last.

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes. I actually love all of Kevin Henkes’ books, but I thought I should just pick one. Henkes is a master of creating a great kid’s story with enough quirky language to entertain adults. I must also mention Chester’s Way and Chrysanthemum. There is no end to the fun with these unusual mice.

The Listening Walk by Paul Showers, illustrated by Aliki. I’m actually not sure why I like this book so much. A girl goes on a walk with her dad and lists all the things she can hear when she is quiet and just listens. Maybe I’d like to be more like her? Capable of stopping the whirring thoughts long enough to enjoy a walk? (Of course, I’m referring to a time when I could actually think and when I was still able to go on walks.)

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. This is a beautiful book about a girl who wants to be like her grandfather and travel to faraway places and end up living by the sea. Her grandfather tells her she must do a third thing: make the world more beautiful. She grows up and travels to faraway places and settles by the sea, and then finally realizes how to make the world more beautiful. The illustrations are lovely.

Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot by Margot Theis Raven, illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankhuyzen. This is a true story of the Berlin Airlift and the pilot who dropped candy from his plane over Berlin. I’ll admit it—it makes me tear up each time I read it.

Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Harry Bliss. A seriously funny book about a worm and his observations on life. There is one error in this book, which I will mention lest you think it escaped me. (Stella actually noticed it before I did, but whatever.) In some of the early pages, the worms are drawn with teeth, but later in the book it is stated that worms don’t have teeth. Oops. Definitely still worth the read, though. I laughed out loud the first time I read it.

Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully. This is about a girl who doesn’t give up. Her strength and determination inspire a washed-up high wire walker. A good role model for me, too.

I’ll wait on the next meme, a writing meme, until tomorrow. (See, I feel I’ve stretched my mind enough for one day.) I want to specifically tag Toby’s Mom with this meme because she reviews children’s literature on her wonderful blog, but I’d also like to extend the tag to anyone who is interested. Link to your post in the comments, so I can visit your blog for your favorite kids’ books.

Gorge yourselves on candy. I plan to.