Let's talk about books!

Today I'm linking up with Booking Through Thursday, a weekly meme about books and reading. You can find out more here.

Today's question is a simple one: What are you reading right now?

As usual, I have a couple of books going. The first is Ted Kooser's Pulitzer Prize-winning Delights & Shadows. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that Kooser, a former U.S. Poet Laureate, is my favorite poet. He writes what many people describe as "accessible" verse, always finding new and creative ways to look at the ordinary, simple things in life. I've read this book before—it's a wonderful collection—and my favorite poem in it is one I've mentioned before, "Tattoo."

I also enjoy this one, "A Room in the Past," which is found in Kooser's One World at a Time. Here he is reading it:



If you're interested in reading some poetry, Delights & Shadows is wonderful—although in my opinion, you can't go wrong with any of Kooser's books.

Another book I'm reading right now is the irreverently titled Sh*tty Mom by Laurie Kilmartin, Karen Moline, Alicia Ybarbo, and Mary Ann Zoellner. It's a somewhat funny (in my opinion), tongue-in-cheek parenting guide. My local library was featuring it, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Would I recommend it? Eh...I'm not sure. There have been moments when I've laughed out loud while reading it, but overall, I think it's just mildly amusing.

A book I do recommend, however, is a young adult novel I finished earlier this week: Every Day by David Levithan. It's about a person who wakes up each morning in the body of someone else, which, because it's the only life the character has every known, seems to work out fine—until, that is, love becomes a factor. The tagline says it all, I think: "Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl." It's not my usual genre, but I found this book to be moving and well-written, and I definitely recommend it.

So that's what I've been reading lately. What are you reading? What do you recommend?


Wishing you a wonderful Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday

A little taste of spring...

Okay, I can't resist a few words... ☺

A couple of weeks ago in Sunday School, my three-year-old daughter planted grass seeds in this little cup. She added a flower made out of a Popsicle stick and a mini cupcake liner, and then made the sun that's hanging in the background out of a clear plastic plate. About a week ago, the grass started to grow, and now, even though there's still snow outside, I feel like I have my own little bit of spring right here in my kitchen.

Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday. ☺

Our World Tuesday

It's time once again for Our World Tuesday, a weekly meme that encourages bloggers to share images of their world. It's a great way to get a glimpse of life through the eyes of others! You can find out more about it here. Even if you don't participate, I encourage you to take a look at the intriguing photos that bloggers from around the world share each week.

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I took these photos of an airplane's contrail just after sunrise one morning a couple of months ago. I always enjoy seeing the patterns these streaks of water vapor leave in the sky. What I like most about these photos, though, is the softness of the colors. It was a beautiful morning.

 

 

Wishing you all a lovely Tuesday. ☺

 

Aww...

Happy Monday, friends!

I posted this video last June, but something reminded me of it yesterday, and I wanted to post it again. It definitely gets an Aww out of me. Enjoy. ☺



Today I'm linking up with Awww...Mondays, a meme in which bloggers post the things that make them say Aww. You can find out more here.

Wishing you all a Monday filled with smiles!

Sunday inspiration

If I had talent like this, maybe I'd be willing to iron more often!

Have a beautiful Sunday, friends. ☺

Six-word Saturday

Craziness over. It's time to relax!

 

Between late November and late February, life is really busy for our family. We pack a lot of events and celebrations into those three months, beginning with Thanksgiving and ending with our son's birthday, which was last Thursday. Thankfully, his birthday party today marks the end of the craziness, at least for a little while. Whew!

Wishing you all a relaxing weekend. ☺



Friday fun

Happy Friday!

Do you have any plans for the weekend? Tomorrow we're having our son's birthday party at a local bounce house—fun, but not exactly relaxing! Still, he's excited, and that makes me excited, too. ☺

Whatever your plans, I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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Watching this news anchor always makes me laugh—although I can definitely understand his reaction!

The reason I didn't sleep last night (now with photo!)

It's done!

Today is my son's sixth birthday! I was up all night baking and decorating his Mario cake—four layers with buttercream icing and homemade fondant decorations—and right now I think I could easily fall asleep on my keyboard.

Anyway, I won't be around much today as we celebrate our son's big day (and I take a nap), but I'm looking forward to catching up with your blogs tomorrow. Happy Thursday! ☺

Wordless Wednesday

 

"Behind the clouds is the sun still shining."

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

  

Our World Tuesday

Today I'm once again linking up with Our World Tuesday, a meme that encourages bloggers to share images of their world. It's a great way to get a glimpse of life through the eyes of others! You can find out more about it here. Even if you don't participate, I encourage you to take a look at the intriguing photos that bloggers from around the world share each week.

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I'm sure most of you know by now that I love photographing trees, particularly winter trees. I love the shapes their bare branches make against the sky. These trees always seem to have so much character; I'm sure they have stories to tell.

Wishing you all a beautiful Tuesday!

 

Awww...

Happy Monday, friends!

This cookie jar makes me smile. My mom kept it for many years and then passed it on to me. It was hand-painted in Japan and features a big, cheery grin that brightens my day. I finally set it out on the kitchen counter last week. The kids love it—but now they want me to bake more cookies! ☺

 

 

 

 

Today I'm linking up with Awww...Mondays, a meme in which bloggers post photos that make them say Awww. You can find out more here.  

 

Wishing you all a great Monday!

Sunday inspiration

Happy Sunday!

Today's video speaks to the idea that inspiration can come from the strangest places—in this case, cheese puffs! Artist Jason Baalman, who posts videos of his work on YouTube under the name Eclectic Asylum Art, likes to use common objects in artistic ways to create art that is accessible to many. In my opinion, this makes for some incredible art!



If you'd like to see more of Baalman's work, check out his YouTube channel (found here).

Wishing you an inspirational Sunday. ☺

Six-word Saturday

Oldest turns six on Thursday. Wow!

I can't believe six years have passed so quickly. I look at my son sometimes and still see him as the baby I brought home from the hospital. I think time really does go by faster once we have children.

Wishing you a weekend full of happy memories. ☺

Friday fun

Happy Friday!

I hope you enjoy today's signs and videos. Have a great weekend!

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This is one of my favorite Improv Everywhere videos:

 

Kids do say the cutest things

In honor of Valentine's Day, I want to share this adorable video created by Lumineux Films for Small Fry Blog. In it, twenty-six children share their views on things like love, kissing, dating, and, of course, Valentine's Day—all with a child's characteristic candor. Enjoy!



Wishing you a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Wordless Wednesday

"Sunlight is painting."
~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Our World Tuesday

Today I'm once again linking up with Our World Tuesday, a meme that encourages bloggers to share images of their world. It's a great way to get a glimpse of life through the eyes of others. You can find out more about it here. Even if you don't participate, I encourage you to take a look at the intriguing photos that bloggers from around the world share each week.

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The beauty after the storm...

 

 

 

 

 

Wishing you a happy Tuesday!

 

Don't cry over spilled milk today!

Image courtesy of Michael Adams-Wade
rgbstock.com

That's right. Today is Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day, a reminder to practice positivity and optimism and to stop worrying about the small stuff that doesn't matter much at all in the grand scheme of things.

In keeping with the day's theme, I've decided not to worry about:

☺ Changing out of my mommy clothes before taking my daughter to storytime. So what if my shirt doesn't exactly go with my yoga pants? Will the three-year-olds really care? And ditto for my hair. Who cares if it's not styled? At least it's combed.

☺ Making sure the dishes are done before my son goes to school. I have enough to worry about in the morning. I think the dirty cereal bowls can wait, don't you?

☺ The fact that I forgot to put an "RSVP by" date on my son's birthday party invitations. His party is during a school break, so now I'll have an excuse to call the other parents to remind them about the event. Problem solved!

As you go about your day today, remember the great words of Bobby McFerrin: "Don't worry, be happy!"


Lyrics here.

Wishing you a wonderful, stress-free day!

Sunday inspiration

Happy Sunday!

I have a fun bit of inspiration for you today—DEADLINE, a Post-it stop-motion animation created by Bang-yao Liu. You can find his Web site here. If you'd like to see how he and his team went about creating DEADLINE, check out the second video below. Enjoy—and have a great Sunday!

Six-word Saturday

Slipped on stairs. Oh, my back!

 

I fell last night after putting my kids to bed. I'm not sure what happened. One minute I was walking down the stairs, and the next I was sitting on the floor at the bottom. I must have hit my back along the way because when I finally managed to stand up, did it ever hurt! I'm feeling a little better this morning, but I think my sore back will be a souvenir of my clumsiness for at least a few more days.

I'm very graceful, you know.  ;-)

Wishing you a happy weekend!
 

Friday fun

Happy Friday! I hope you all have a great weekend. ☺

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Sleepy Thursday

I woke up this morning feeling a lot like the adorable bear in this video seems to feel. I love how he falls asleep, then opens his eyes and looks around as if to see if anyone noticed. ☺ That's the kind of morning I'm having, too.



What about you? How's your Thursday going?

Wordless Wednesday

Snow, seen through the eyes of my 3-year-old daughter.

 

"All things in this world must be seen with youthful, hopeful eyes." ~Henry David Thoreau

 

Our World Tuesday

Today I'm once again linking up with Our World Tuesday, a meme that encourages bloggers to share images of their world. It's a great way to get a glimpse of life through the eyes of others! You can find out more about it here. Even if you don't participate, I encourage you to take a look at the intriguing pictures that bloggers from around the world share each week.

 

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Sometimes we just need a new perspective...

 

Some reflection...

A new way of seeing familiar things:

Snow-covered red mulch...

 

or abstract art?

 

Wishing you a happy day of rediscovery. ☺
 

I'm not going in there!

No way am I going in there!
Image courtesy of Robert Linder, rgbstock.com

When I was a kid, I used to love grabbing some books and seeking out cozy, quiet places to read. My bed was—and still is—a favorite place. The tree house out in the backyard was another favorite, and I also liked sitting in my dad's green recliner because I could swivel it around as I read.

One day I wanted a new place to read, so I looked around my bedroom and decided that I would read under my bed instead of in it. I crawled under and opened my book. After a while, I realized I was hungry, so I closed the book and attempted to slide out from under the bed. I say attempted because I couldn't move. My hair, which at that time was down to the middle of my back, had gotten stuck in the bed's exposed springs. I was trapped!

I remember screaming for my dad, and it seemed like an eternity before he got to the room. He found me in a state of absolute panic. The space that had felt so cozy and secure was suddenly tight and menacing. I was crying hysterically, my breath coming in panicked gasps. The floor was too close to me; the carpet would surely smother me. I knew that I would die. Finally, though, my dad managed to untangle my hair from the springs and pull me from beneath the bed. I could breathe! I never went under that bed again—not even to rescue books or toys. I sent my younger sister in for those.

Ever since that moment, I've been afraid of small, confined spaces. I even have a hard time reading about people who are in those situations, and seeing them is even worse. It's as if I'm the one in the enclosed space. I panic; I can't breathe.

A couple of weeks ago, I watched a TV show in which a man was lying on his back and using his feet to push himself into a tiny cave. The ceiling was so close to him—mere inches away—and he couldn't turn over. I panicked. My breathing grew shallow; I felt like I was running out of oxygen. I was in that cave with him, and all I wanted was to get out. My heart is racing even as I type this...

It's only the wide-open spaces for me.


What about you? Do you have any phobias you just can't shake?

Sunday inspiration

Happy Sunday! I hope you're all having a relaxing weekend. ☺

Today's video, Paintball Pop Art with Marilyn Monroe, proves that people can be creative in unexpected ways. Enjoy!

Six-word Saturday

Wish I could freeze-frame these days.

My children are three and five. I love these ages! They're both so curious and fun, and the things they say are often so wise (and sometimes hilarious). We have such a good time together.

While I know that each stage of a child's life has beautiful moments, sometimes I wish I could freeze time right now, during these wonderful, early childhood days.

Wishing you a weekend of marvelous memories!
 

Friday fun

Happy Friday!

Do you have any plans for the weekend? I'm looking forward to relaxing. It seems that the weeks just get busier and busier, and I need Saturdays and Sundays to recuperate. ☺

Whatever you decide to do, have a great weekend!

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