Cleery's Alley

Personal Project: Learning About Russia

2011-02-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

At any time, I am usually reading three books. I have my daytime book, my audio book for daily car travel, and my bedside nonfiction, which is usually spiritually inspiring or instructive. In the past, I've enjoyed pre-sleep wisdom from The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith by Marcus Borg, The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew-- Three Women Search for Understanding by Ranya Idiby, Suzanne Oliver and Priscilla Warner, Without Buddha I Could Not Be A Christian by Paul F. Knitter and special favorites Longing for Darkness: Tara and the Black Madonna by China Galland and Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (Shambhala Classics) by Sharon Salzberg. Without going into a laundry list of my spiritual beliefs, I'll just say that learning to be a kinder, more compassionate person is very important to me. This brings me back to books.

For my recent beside spiritual reading, I chose Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life (Borzoi Books) by Karen Armstrong. I certainly recommend it, and admire the way that Armstrong suggests that you learn about compassion in action in history, as well about educating yourself about those different from you, now. I apologize that I don't have the book in hand at the moment, but I can tell you that one of the steps mentions that you may adopt a foreign country and learn about it and its people. You can read their stories, listen to their music, celebrate their holidays and follow their news. I thought it over, and I’m choosing Russia. For one thing, I was born in the 1960s and I'm sure that most of my view of Russia was shaped by the Cold War. Russia was the Soviet Union and its people were Communists and a threat to the USA. Russia was the spies Boris Badenov and his crony Natasha from the cartoon " Rocky and Bullwinkle," the Beatles song "Back in the USSR" and villains from James Bond movies. But also, it was fascinating, the "Land of the Midnight Sun", with folktales of Baba Yaga and her house on chicken feet, glamorous Faberge eggs, and the tragic massacre of the royal family in 1918.

Although I have learned a better balance of information since my younger years, I am still admittedly quite ignorant. So, I plan to focus on learning about Russia for six months or so. I know that I can only find out a very modest amount in that time, but it will be more than I knew before.

Where to begin? As a former children’s librarian and lover of picture books, an easy in for me is reading illustrated fairy and folktales from Russia.

Other reading:

• Russian literary classics

• Novels about Russia

• Novels by Russian authors

• GLBT experience in Russia

• General nonfiction about Russia

• Nonfiction Russia travel books

• Nonfiction history books

• Art books

• Other cultural arts: dancing, music, handicrafts

• Cookbooks

• Poetry

• Fairy and Folktale collections

DVDs:

• Fiction movies

• Movies in Russian

• Documentaries

• Travel

Music:

I’m basically clueless here. Without research, I’d say:

• Russian ballet

• Classical

• Russian Gypsy Music

Language learning:

• Databases: Byki and Mango

Other activities:

• Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis

• Russian restaurant

• Current news

I plan to write here about the resources that I use. I welcome any input and suggestions!

Welcome to the family Maisy Rae!

2010-11-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

Here is our new kitty, Maisy. We adopted her from the Humane Society on Saturday. Maisy is 7 months old and 5 lbs big. She is very sweet and loving, and is tolerant of the dogs, at least from her perch on her cat tree. I'm so glad that we found her!

I was a forty-something zombie!

2010-10-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

We did our Zombie Makeup 101 program for teens at the library this week. The incredibly talented Gabriel Wimmer came to Zombify us. I was thrilled to be a creature of the night!

More Flowers from Our Garden

2010-08-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

Delphiniums, Blue Butterfly, I think

Hollyhocks, Peaches and Dreams

and Chater's Double Red

Close up of Hollyhocks

Foxglove, Camelot Rose

Snapdragons, Pansies, Nasturtium in small front bed

Visiting friend

These photos were taken in July. The Hollyhocks look sad and bare now, unfortunately. The Delphiniums are rebloomimg, though and so are the Foxglove. Kristian's vegetables are going to town! Our corn stalks are growing little ears. I'm very excited. We've also had tomatoes, peppers, peas, beans, and sun berries. We are farmers! ;)

Now, I'm looking ahead to spring and I'd like to start planting bulbs. I long for Crocus, Tulips and Daffodils, but it will mean clearing another bed. We'll see how ambitious I get!

Early (May-June) Photos of our Flower & Vegetable Gardens

2010-07-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

My second year perennial garden in a wannabee Cottage Style

Pink Columbine, Biedermeier Mix

Dirty Gardener on the Job

Swan Pink & Yellow Columbine

Pink Bleeding Heart

Unknown Purple Iris

Kitty garden art in honor of my dearly departed cat, Rubaiyat

Cottage Pinks

Campanula Blue Clips

Anytime Rose Stocks

Peaches 'N' Dreams Hollyhocks

Bare earth just waiting to become K's vegetable garden.

Beginning to make the boxes

Box frames ready

Final garden plan, early June picture

Long shot of both gardens in progress

Little Eggplant flower

Jack and Zoe want to help!

More information to be added! Check back soon.

A Giraffe Goes to Paris: Just a Really Nice Book

2010-06-01T09:03:00.001-07:00

In the unusual picture book, A Giraffe Goes to Paris by Mary Tavener Holmes and John Harris, illustrated by Jon Cannell, we learn the true story of Belle, a nineteenth century famous traveling giraffe. Belle, born in 1824, was an elegant gift from the pasha of Egypt, Muhammad Ali, to the king of France, Charles X. Belle's story is told by her loving caretaker, Atir. He answers our pressing questions: how does a giraffe, never before seen in France, get there from Egypt in 1826? What does she eat on her journey? What company does a single giraffe keep? Belle fascinated the people, who couldn't figure out what she was, and started a giraffe merchandising craze! I think that this is just a dear book, beautifully illustrated in watercolor and ink, with actual historical artifacts and art from Belle's heyday. A French pronunciation guide is included.

An adult book has also been written about Belle, Zarafa: A Giraffe's True Story, from Deep in Africa to the Heart of Paris by Michael Allin, which is now on my reading list. Interestingly, Mary Tavener Holmes has written another true picture book about a journeying animal, this time a hippo, My Travels With Clara. I can't wait to get my hands on it. Adults can also choose Clara's Grand Tour: Travels with a Rhinoceros in Eighteenth-Century Europe by Glynis Ridley, which I've been meaning to read for years. Pick up one of these titles and see our beautiful creatures through fresh and wondering eyes!

Volunteering to End Hunger

2010-05-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the opportunity to volunteer for a truly worthwhile project: helping to feed children in Haiti. Organized by Feed My Starving Children, a Christian organization which distributes food to children of all religions, there was 24 hour food packing at the Southdale Mall in Edina, MN. My husband and I, along with members of the church that employs him, Edina Community Lutheran Church , pitched in for a three hour shift. Tables were set up and food was packed through the assembly line technique. Plastic bags were placed over a funnel and filled with chicken (vegetarian chicken bouillon, we were told), dehydrated veggies, soy and rice, then the bags were sealed, boxed and placed on pallets. I was the soy and rice scooping girl. They played upbeat music, the time passed quickly and I felt great after.

Here is the after-the-fact information from Feed My Starving Children :

Thank you to all who volunteered at the One Community event! Thanks to your support, the final numbers are truly astonishing:

5,166 volunteers

1,710,288 meals

On May 21 and 22, the South Metro community gathered in an unprecedented effort to pack meals for Haiti. The One Community event was truly for everyone - students, families, clubs, teams, churches, businesses, and more - all working together to hand-pack specially formulated meals for starving children in Haiti.

We took over the former Mervyn's store at Southdale Mall for 24 hours starting May 21 at 6:00 p.m. It was a 24-hour blitz to fill Southdale not with "mall rats" but with "pack rats." It was one community uniting for one day with one purpose: Feed Haiti.

FMSC provides nourishing food to:

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mexico, Namibia, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

If you have a group of ten or more friends and you live in or are visiting Minnesota, you can volunteer for a shift to pack food. See Group Volunteer Information .

If you're like me, and probably generally can't whip up ten willing friends who are all free at the same time, you can still help by donating. See Donate or Gift of Life and Hope Catalog.

Thanks for reading.

Queens of Burlesque at the History Theatre

2010-05-24T10:36:00.000-07:00

Finale with MC Mack (Scott Jorgenson)

Rose does Lili's routine

Blaze's Little Bo Peep number: Just where are those sheep?

The ladies shine for the newspaper man

The fabulous Gina Louise, Choreographer

Photos from History Theatre

Knowing I'm a huge burlesque fan, my husband surprised me with tickets to History Theatre's play Queens of Burlesque, written by David Mann and directed by John Miller-Stephany. We just squeaked in under the wire, because this past weekend were the last performances. I was especially pleased to see it, because Gina Louise Woods did the choreography, and I had taken a hair/makeup workshop with her through Lili's Burlesque last fall.

Here is a little teaser from History Theatre:

A funny, poignant, and revealing look at the lives of burlesque performers both on and off stage. With a wink and a nod to both naughty and nice, you will be transported back to a hot August night at the Gay 90s in 1953 where the drama in the ladies’ dressing room is rivaled only by the dancers’ sizzle on the stage. As an era comes to an end in the wake of televisions and changing social mores, these performers find themselves caught between economics of the time and the talents that they’d spent their lives honing. Stand up comics and girls with boas draped over just the right places make for a provocative night of music, dance, and laughter.

I had a grand time. I liked meeting all the ladies: the seasoned artist, Gladys Page (Greta Grosch), the ditsy comedienne, Barbette DeLight (Daisy Macklin Skarning), the ambitious and alluring blonde, Rose DuBois (Emily Rose Skinner), and the glamorous and gutsy working mother, Blaze Comet (Stacia Rice). The story was by turns funny, saucy, and poignant. Of course, I especially enjoyed the burlesque numbers, particularly the finale, and the pretty costumes. The Theatre displayed photos and clippings from the Twin Cities' Burlesque past, which sweetened the pot.

If this play runs again, try it catch it. It's glitzy and heartfelt fun! And until then, you can console yourself by checking out the beautiful women of Lili's Burlesque at one of their fantastic Underpants Shows.

Moments With Baxter by Melissa Joseph

2010-05-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

A co-worker brought my attention to Moments With Baxter: Comfort and Love from the World's Best Therapy Dog by Melissa Joseph, photographs by Dennis Bussey. Amy knows how animal crazy I am, so as soon as this was checked into our library, she pointed it out. As you can see above, the dog on this book's cover is incredibly cute, which hooked me immediately. But, this book has much more to offer than a sweet cover. If you are an animal lover and are interested in some inspirational non fiction, you should literally check out the story of Baxter.

Now deceased at the age of 19, Baxter, a Golden Retriever and Chow mix, brought much love and comfort to people during his lifetime. He was a rescue dog turned gifted therapy dog, regularly visiting the folks in San Diego Hospice and actually getting in bed with them for a cuddle.Heavily illustrated with color photos, the book covers 36 brief stories of Baxter's relationships with his hospice friends. He loved them all, young, old, disfigured, frail, it didn't make a difference to him. I found this book incredibly touching and it inspires me to spread kindness in the world. I would love it if my daschunds could be therapy dogs, but we have a ways to go. Joseph describes the things that Baxter had to do to pass his certification test. Our doggies would flunk early on, beginning with ignoring other dogs. There's some obedience training in this pet parent's future. :)

All proceeds from this title go to charity. Enjoy meeting this "Angel of the Hospice."

New Front Flower Bed

2010-05-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

David Phlox from Garden Soyvey

Bright Eyes Phlox from Dunge Valley Rhododendron Gardens

Chianti Mix Pansy from Dave's Garden

Lemon Berry Fizz Pansies from Green Fingers

Alaska Nasturtium from Rich Farm Garden

Rocket Mix Snapdragons from Good Life Farm

Yesterday evening, I dug up the flower box (maybe 3' x 3') in my front yard that had been bricked in by the previous homeowner and filled it up with soil to plant my little garden. I added the flower types that you see above, plus a red snapdragon and a Johnny Jump Up that I will need to report back on. It was a beautiful evening, perfect for gardening and I was visited by two dogs taking their people for walks and a beautiful lone cat.

The "Real" Alice in Wonderland: Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin

2010-05-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Alice Liddell

Alice and Rev. Dodgson

Dodgson/Carroll

Young lady Alice

Mrs. Alice Hargreaves, mother of three

Eldest sister, Lorina Liddell

Edith Liddell

Prince Leopold

As I have mentioned before, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass are definitely my favorite children's books and probably my favorite books ever. This, of course, creates my curiosity about Charles Dodgson and the real child who inspired his book, Alice Liddell. So, I was interested to learn of the new book Alice I Have Been: A Novel by Melanie Benjamin, which presents a fictionalized version of the "real" Alice's life. Benjamin gives us Alice as a privileged child with a special friend who will become "Lewis Carroll", as a haunted young woman in love with Queen Victoria's youngest son, Leopold, and as a mature woman mourning the loss of two of her sons in World War I. This Alice has spent most of her life trying to reconcile her identity compared with Carroll's fictional girl. Who has seen Alice most clearly? She has tried to get beyond her past and avoid the gossip, insinuations, and questions about her family's abrupt break with Rev. Dodgson. What happened between them after all and how has this shaped her life's path?

Reading, I believed in Benjamin's characterization of her Alice, and saw enough of Carroll's Alice in her to be satisfied and drawn into her story. I felt for Alice in her confusion, sadness and strength. Naturally, the book made me want to read more about Dodgson/Carroll and happily, it piqued my curiosity about the other characters: Liddell's family, especially her sisters Lorina and Edith, Prince Leopold and his royal bride, and the unflatteringly portrayed John Ruskin and his women. The book also made passing reference to photographer Julia Margaret Cameron, whom I admire, which encourages me to read more about Victorian photographers.

If you are interested in nonfiction material, take a look at The Other Alice: The Story of Alice Liddell and Alice in Wonderland, a book aimed at children. It is a nicely illustrated little treasure for Alice fans.

Some of my other favorite "Alice related" fiction titles are Fantastic Alice: New Stories from Wonderland, a book of short stories by various authors, and Dreamhouse by Alison Habens, a trippy novel with many Alice references.

Mad Men Hairstyle Tutorial courtesy of Super Kawaii Mama

2010-04-23T15:00:00.001-07:00

Top 100 Kids Books Quiz

2010-04-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

I don't know where this originated from, but I stole it from my friend and colleague The Floating Lush.

Top 100 children's books; bold the ones you've read.

100. The Egypt Game - Snyder (1967) C

99. The Indian in the Cupboard - Banks (1980)

98. Children of Green Knowe - Boston (1954)

97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - DiCamillo (2006) I plan to read it.

96. The Witches - Dahl (1983)

95. Pippi Longstocking - Lindgren (1950) C

94. Swallows and Amazons - Ransome (1930)

93. Caddie Woodlawn - Brink (1935) C

92. Ella Enchanted - Levine (1997)

91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School - Sachar (1978)

90. Sarah, Plain and Tall - MacLachlan (1985)

89. Ramona and Her Father - Cleary (1977)

88. The High King - Alexander (1968) C

87. The View from Saturday - Konigsburg (1996)

86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Rowling (1999)

85. On the Banks of Plum Creek - Wilder (1937) C

84. The Little White Horse - Goudge (1946)

83. The Thief - Turner (1997)

82. The Book of Three - Alexander (1964) C

81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Lin (2009) Plan to read.

80. The Graveyard Book - Gaiman (2008)

79. All-of-a-Kind-Family - Taylor (1951) C

78. Johnny Tremain - Forbes (1943)

77. The City of Ember - DuPrau (2003)

76. Out of the Dust - Hesse (1997) Own it.

75. Love That Dog - Creech (2001)

74. The Borrowers - Norton (1953) C

73. My Side of the Mountain - George (1959)

72. My Father's Dragon - Gannett (1948)

71. The Bad Beginning - Snicket (1999)

70. Betsy-Tacy - Lovelace (1940) C

69. The Mysterious Benedict Society - Stewart (2007)

68. Walk Two Moons - Creech (1994)

67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher - Coville (1991)

66. Henry Huggins - Cleary (1950) C

65. Ballet Shoes - Stratfeild (1936) C

64. A Long Way from Chicago - Peck (1998)

63. Gone-Away Lake - Enright (1957) C

62. The Secret of the Old Clock - Keene (1959) C

61. Stargirl - Spinelli (2000)

60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle - Avi (1990)

59. Inkheart - Funke (2003)

58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase - Aiken (1962) C

57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 - Cleary (1981)

56. Number the Stars - Lowry (1989)

55. The Great Gilly Hopkins - Paterson (1978)

54. The BFG - Dahl (1982)

53. Wind in the Willows - Grahame (1908)

52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007)

51. The Saturdays - Enright (1941) C

50. Island of the Blue Dolphins - O'Dell (1960)

49. Frindle - Clements (1996)

48. The Penderwicks - Birdsall (2005)

47. Bud, Not Buddy - Curtis (1999)

46. Where the Red Fern Grows - Rawls (1961)

45. The Golden Compass - Pullman (1995)

44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing - Blume (1972)

43. Ramona the Pest - Cleary (1968) C

42. Little House on the Prairie - Wilder (1935) C

41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond - Speare (1958) C

40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - Baum (1900) C

39. When You Reach Me - Stead (2009)

38. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Rowling (2003)

37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Taylor (1976) C=teen

36. Are You there, God? It's Me, Margaret - Blume (1970) Just the "good" parts. :)

35. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Rowling (2000)

34. The Watson's Go to Birmingham 1963 - Curtis (1995)

33. James and the Giant Peach - Dahl (1961) C

32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - O'Brian (1971) C

31. Half Magic - Eager (1954) C

30. Winnie-the-Pooh - Milne (1926) C

29. The Dark Is Rising - Cooper (1973)

28. A Little Princess - Burnett (1905) C

27. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass - Carroll (1865/72) C

26. Hatchet - Paulsen (1989)

25. Little Women - Alcott (1868/9) C

24. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Rowling (2007)

23. Little House in the Big Woods - Wilder (1932) C

22. The Tale of Despereaux - DiCamillo (2003) Own it.

21. The Lightening Thief - Riordan (2005)

20. Tuck Everlasting - Babbitt (1975)

19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Dahl (1964) C

18. Matilda - Dahl (1988)

17. Maniac Magee - Spinelli (1990)

16. Harriet the Spy - Fitzhugh (1964) C

15. Because of Winn-Dixie - DiCamillo (2000)

14. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Rowling (1999)

13. Bridge to Terabithia - Paterson (1977)

12. The Hobbit - Tolkien (1938) C=teen

11. The Westing Game - Raskin (1978) Just read half.

10. The Phantom Tollbooth - Juster (1961)

9. Anne of Green Gables - Montgomery (1908)

8. The Secret Garden - Burnett (1911) C

7. The Giver - Lowry (1993)

6. Holes - Sachar (1998)

5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - Koningsburg (1967) C

4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - Lewis (1950) C

3. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Rowling (1997)

2. A Wrinkle in Time - L'Engle (1962) C

1. Charlotte's Web - White (1952) C

I think that's 72/100 for me. C= read when I was actually a child.

Garden Kitty Angels

2010-04-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

Here are the beautiful garden angel kitty statues that I had made to memorialize my cats Guinan (left) and Thelma-Louise. I plan to plant climbing David Austin roses up an arch and place the kitties nearby. I have a second year perennial garden growing, and my husband will be making raised beds for his Heirloom vegetables this year. I love cottage gardens, and if you're growing one, please share your blog links with me.

I found these angel treasures on Etsy. Please check out: PhenomeGNOME . She did a wonderful job and gave me great service!

Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor

2010-04-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor was a National Book Award finalist in the Young People's Literature category in 2009. I had read and enjoyed Taylor's Blackbringer (Dreamdark), so I've been eager to read this latest, especially with the critical acclaim that it has received. It didn't disappoint me.

Taylor's book is actually three separate stories: "Goblin Fruit", "Spicy Little Curses Such as These" and "Hatchling." Each tale is preceded by illustrations by Jim Di Bartolo and each contains an important kiss. "Goblin Fruit" has its roots in Christina Rosetti's poem "Goblin Market," in which two sisters are tempted by the rare offerings of Goblin men, with near disastrous results. Taylor's story centers around the grandaughter of the more prudent of these sisters, who, like her elders, runs smack into some wicked temptation.

In "Spicy Little Curses..." We meet an elderly widow who has spent her life bargaining with a demon from a hell beyond the Judeo-Christian understanding, saving innocents from premature deaths. This insistent fellow jockeys to get his best deal, trading many lives for the demonic pleasure of a curse placed on one baby girl. She will have an incredibly lovely voice, but all those who hear it will die. This child's fate is the crux of this fairy tale and myth infused story.

The longest tale in the collection, "Hatchling," offers multiple points of view in a story of shapeshifting, souless Drujs (demons), their beautiful, blankly cruel queen, and the unfortunate humans whose lives she has roughly shaped. The Druj queen lives in a rocky domain surrounded by hungry, grasping beasts, and keeps a string of human girls for pets. It takes a Druj unlike any other to offer the possibility of a different future for the Druj race and the humans that they use for entertainment. This complex story explores abuse, betrayal, unwise choices and eventual healing.

New old glasses

2010-04-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

Since I'm in glasses full time now, I wanted to get the most "me" glasses that I could. I found the perfect pair at: The Spectacle Shoppe . I went to their West St. Paul store and was really impressed with their selection and help. Thumbs up!

Best Fiction for Young Adults Nominees

2010-04-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

Meanwhile, back at the Clueless Ranch... I just learned that the BBYA list is now the BFYA list. Here are the most recent nominees (info. and book summaries from: Best Fiction for Young Adults ). The titles that I'm anxious to read are in red.

Best Fiction for Young Adults Nominations
Updated April 2, 2010

Almond, David. Raven Summer.
Being led by a raven to discover an abandoned baby and a jarful of money is just the beginning of Liam’s remarkable summer.

Avasthi, Swati. Split. Jace, 16, fights back against his abusive father and is thrown out of the house. He finds his older brother which begins a journey toward healing for both brothers.

Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. Nailer is a light crew scavenger tearing up old hulks of ships, living day to day, until a rich girl and her gleaming ship run ashore in a storm on the beach and his life gets more dangerous.

Christopher, Lucy. Stolen. Gemma, 16, writes to the young man who kidnapped her and held her captive in the Australian outback, revealing the complexity of her feelings for both Ty and the land.

Dashner, James. The Maze Runner. Thomas’ memories don’t serve him well when he wakes on an elevator, only to find himself in the Glade, trapped by monsters and a maze that changes daily.

Edwardson, Debby Dahl. Blessing’s Bead. This book is a beautifully written account of life in Alaska through the eyes of an Inupiaq family. One child is given a special bead which threads the generations together.

Erskine, Kathryn. Mockingbird. Ten-year-old Caitlin has to figure out how to make the world work now that her brother Devon has died.

Fisher, Catherine. Incarceron. Trapped in the massive prison world of Incarceron, Finn searches for his true identity; outside, Claudia searches for the truth about Incarceron and its warden, her father.

Koertge, Ron. Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs. Fourteen-year-old Kevin Boland’s biggest problem isn’t the baseball playoffs: it’s what to do when he’s dating one girl but emailing poems to another.

Marchetta, Melina. Finnikin of the Rock. Finnikin and his fellow exiles from Lumatere wish to return to their cursed homeland. Finnikin must go on an epic journey with a mute novice named Evanjalin to return home.

McCaughrean, Geraldine. The Death-Defying Pepper Roux. When Pepper Roux was born his aunt had a vision from Saint Constance that the boy would die on his fourteenth birthday, but Pepper Roux has other ideas.

Myers, Walter Dean. Lockdown. With a few months remaining on his sentence in a juvenile detention facility, Reese struggles to overcome racism, prejudice and his volatile personality to cope with life on the outside.

Nelson, Jandy. The Sky is Everywhere. When Lennie's beloved big sister suddenly dies, she gets help pushing past her grief from two very different boys.

Oliver, Lauren. Before I Fall. Sam’s seemingly perfect life has ended in a terrible crash. But, it turns out she has to relive the last day of her life seven times to get it right.

Paulsen, Gary. Woods Runner. In 1776, 13-year-old Samuel returns home from hunting in the woods to find the settlement burned and most of the settlers murdered.

Peters, Julie Anne. By the Time You Read This I’ll be Dead. Determined to get her death right this time, Daelyn Rice logs onto a website for “completers” and starts the countdown of the last 23 days of her life.

Saenz, Benjamin. Last Night I Sang to the Monster. Weeks in therapy go by and 18-year-old Zach is still unable to remember the monstrous events that left him alone and haunted by nightmares.

Scott, Elizabeth. The Unwritten Rule.
Sarah missed her chance with Ryan long ago, before he started dating her best friend Brianna – or did she? Guilt about an unexpected kiss threatens her friendship with both.

Simner, Janni Lee. Thief Eyes. On a trip to Iceland to discover what happened to her mother Haley runs away and disappears. She and new friend Ari are caught in the spell of an ancient curse.

Stork, Francisco X. The Last Summer of the Death Warriors. Seventeen-year-old Pancho grapples with the mysterious death of his sister while accompanying his new friend, D.Q, on his own quest to face down death.

Summers, Courtney. Some Girls Are. Regina used to be a member of the Fearless Five but is now being frozen out by her friends and must find acceptance among the peers she used to terrorize.

Ward, Rachel. Numbers. Jem, a British girl of 15, is on the run with her erstwhile boyfriend Spider, because of complications from her "talent" of seeing the date that people will die when she looks in their eyes.

Twin Cities Cupcake Taste Test by Heavy Table!

2010-04-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

A tray of my personal favorites, the Red Velvet at Cupcake Cafe. Love the Cream Cheese frosting!

Cupcake review! Heavy Table compares the best cupcakes in the Twin Cities.

They taste at:

Cake Eater Bakery

Cupcake Cafe

Cocoa & Fig

Franklin Street Bakery

Salty Tart

Sweets Bakeshop

Read all about it and drool at:

http://heavytable.com/twin-cities-cupcakes-a-local-taste-test/

I've got some bakeries to visit.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

2010-04-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I'm weary of the vampire, werewolf, and zombie trend in books of late. I guess that they're just not my supernatural cup of tea, since I'm still interested in books about the faerie world, especially urban faerie stories. I wasn't sure about City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, because I saw that it's about demon hunters, but it came highly recommended from strangers whose reading taste I trust. Also, I loved The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding, which featured a "wych-hunter", so I wanted to give this a chance. And guess what, I really like it and I'm on to the next in the Mortal Instruments series, City of Ashes.

Every day I drive back and forth an hour each day to get to work, so I like to have an audio book to pass the time. When I find one that I especially like, it's a great pleasure. When it's a series, it's a bonus. I borrowed City of Bones, read by Ari Graynor, from my library and it's just fun! The enjoyment reminds me of when I listened to all of Libba Bray's series about Gemma Doyle, read by Josephine Bailey. Sometimes it's very satisfying to just glut yourself on certain characters' stories.

In City of Bones, fifteen year old Clary and her best friend Simon go out to a nightclub, and Clary experiences some weird goings on and meets some maddening but fascinating teens. When Clary returns to her home to find her mother missing, her apartment destroyed and a nasty demon creature hungry for her flesh, she learns some alarming information about her new friends and herself. This leads her to dealings with warlocks, fortune tellers, an enchanted rat, various night creatures and a sarcastic and appealing guy named Jace.

I found the story exciting, enjoyed the various surprises in the plot, and appreciated gutsy Clary.
Since I'm not on the cutting edge here, Clare has finished City of Ashes and City of Glass, and apparently will release one more book in the series, as well as a new series, the Infernal Devices, due in August, beginning with Clockwork Angel. Learn more at: http://cassandraclare.com/ .

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

2010-03-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

To my knowledge, their are very few books written for teens with transgender characters. I have read Luna by Julie Anne Peters, told by the sister of a M to F girl and Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger, from the point of view of a F to M guy, and appreciated both, for their excellent writing and the authors' willingness to break new ground and tell the stories of people we haven't before met on the page. Brian Katcher continues this work, introducing us to high school senior Sage, a girl with a big secret, and Logan, her classmate and friend who falls for her.

This is Logan's story, as he struggles with his complicated relationship with Sage. Living in a small Missouri town, Logan has recently been betrayed and dumped after a three year relationship, and is wary of females. Then Sage shows up in his biology class. She is living as pretty, fun-filled girl, and no one, Logan included, has any idea that she was born biologically male. He likes her and then hopes to date her. After Sage reveals her secret to Logan, he struggles with the truth. What does his attraction to Sage say about him? Can he continue to be her friend and lend her support when her parents won't? Could Logan and Sage possibly still be more than friends? And what if her secret is discovered by others?

Katcher has created characters that you enjoy one minute and want to shake the next, but that you always care about. In Sage, he shows the courage that transgender people must have just to live their lives being true to who they are. Though Sage's road is rough and sometimes dangerous and Logan is shaken out his comfort zone, they continue to grow. They work through issues of trust, love, honesty and beginning anew in this bittersweet novel.

Beauty Sleep

2010-03-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

My new sleep mask from Mini Lime !

She made it just the way I want, all pink and foofy. I can't wait to try it out!

Update 3/30: This is even cuter in person. Very soft and comfortable. A small luxury for next to nothing!

Rocky Horror Chickens Come Home to Roost

2010-03-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

I pretty much love Facebook. Yesterday, when I was checking my email, I noticed that a former high school classmate of mine had posted some of his old photos from our school newspaper, and here I am big as life dressed like Magenta, with my best friend Sheila doing Frank. N. Furter.

This was for Spirit Week, and we also did the "I Can Make You a Man/Whatever Happened To a Saturday Night" number for our senior talent show. We were fiends for Rocky Horror and Tim Curry and I met a guy in a theater in Pittsburgh playing Rocky who eventually came to Michigan to take me to prom. We got our cast together and acted out the movie in front of the local big theater screen, and then graduation came and blew that all away.

But, it was extremely fun while it lasted.

Etsy Purchase: Vintage Floral Serving Spoon!

2010-03-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

I love Etsy. And vintage. And collecting things. That's why I was so easily inspired to buy this beautiful spoon after reading The Vintage Table: Personal Treasures and Stand-Out Settings by Jacqueline DeMontravel. It features such pretty pieces mixed and matched. So, it put me on the hunt for the lovely things that I did not inherit, but still long for.

I found this treasure of a spoon at:Round to It and Vintage.

Here is the description:

"Grand styled deeply etched serving spoon from the 1930/40’s era but could be earlier. Hallmarked with a shamrock and labeled “EPNS (electroplated nickel silver) ENGLAND”. Spoon measures 7.5” long and the bowl is 1.75 across which indicates a good serving size."

I love the dimensional flowers! I have visions of my table covered with an embroidered cloth, with mismatched dishes and accessories with loads of personality. And pretty iced cakes and adorable teacups. Dream with me, here.

Vintage compact purchase

2010-01-29T14:48:00.000-08:00

I am super excited about this pre-1950s compact that I bought on Etsy. I found it in Vintage Warehouse's shop.
It is one of those dealies that has a handle that holds a small lipstick, and under the compact part there are spots for powder and rouge. A few years ago Benefit made reproduction compacts like this and I've kicked myself that I didn't buy one then.
So, hooray!

'Cause I'm (now) a Blonde

2010-01-21T10:34:00.001-08:00

Time for a change, and here it is. I've never had such light colored hair before. In the 1980s, Julie Brown had an opinion:

'Cause I'm a Blond

Because I'm blonde, I don't have to think
I talk like a baby and I never pay for drinks
Don't have to worry about gettin' a man
If I keep this blonde and I keep these tan

'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!

I see people workin', it just makes me giggle
'Cause I don't have to work,
I just have to jiggle

'Cause I'm blonde, B-L-O-N-D
'Cause I'm a blonde, don't you wish you were me?

I never learned to read and I never learned to cook
Why should I bother when I look like I look?
I know lots of people are smarter than me
But I have this philosophy - So what?

'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
I see girls without dates and I feel so sorry for 'em
'Cause whenever I'm around, all the men ignore 'em

'Cause I'm blonde, nya nya nya!
'Cause I'm a blonde, nya nya nya!

They say to make it you need talent and ambition
Well, I got a TV show and this was my audition:
Um okay, what was it, okay um, don't tell me. Oh yeah, okay - "Duck Magnum, duck!"

'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!

I took an IQ test and I flunked it, of course
I can't spell VW, but I got a Porsche

'Cause I'm a blonde, B-L-I-N-D!
'Cause I'm a blonde, don't you wish you were me?

I just want to say that being chosen as this month's Miss August is like, a compliment I'll remember for as long as I can. Right now I'm a freshman in my fourth year at UCLA, but my goal is to become a veterinarian, 'cause I love children

'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
'Cause we're all blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
Girls think I'm snotty and maybe its true
With my hair and body, you would be too

'Cause I'm a blonde, B-L... I don't know!
'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!
'Cause I'm a blonde, yeah yeah yeah!

Gentleman, please!

2010-01-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

In Michael Northrop's Gentlemen, Mr. Haberman's remedial English students are surprised when he brings in a barrel and asks them to whack it with a fish club and guess what's inside. Haberman does it as a teaching hook to get them thinking about Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and guesses range from a watermelon to a big slab of meat. This is not his usual teaching style, and he never tells what is inside.

Students Mixer, Bones and our protagonist Micheal (misspelling intended) think Haberman is a jackass, but when he asks them to help move the barrel to his car, what can they do? The bulky container won't fit in the teacher's small sports car, so they dump out the wrapped contents, which seem strangely jointed. Haberman still won't reveal what's inside, and as the days pass, he seems to be taunting the guys as he discusses murder in Crime and Punishment. Since Tommy, a student in his class, has gone missing, this seems suspicious and more than a little threatening.

The guys have been friends since grade school, and although Tommy has occasionally vanished, it has never been so long without word. Is Tommy off crashing with a friend, or has he met a worse fate? What game is Haberman playing? And what, if anything, can his friends do about it?

My antique Hair Receiver

2009-12-17T12:16:00.000-08:00

I recently purchased this frosted glass hair receiver from Cape Cod Mercantile at Etsy . I'm very fond of it. The seller included a length of lace so the pot can be used as a dispenser, but I'm thinking about using it the old fashioned way: to collect my hair to make a rat to use in a hair roll. Is that too icky?

New family pet: Jack Zipes C.

2009-12-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

Over Thanksgiving weekend, I lost my very beloved 16 1/2 year old cat Thelma-Louise. She is irreplaceable, and I miss her very much. Our dachshund Zoe seemed a little lonely, though, with only one cat (Griffin) left to play with, and we decided to look for a new playmate for her and us.

Happily, our local pet rescue Homeward Bound, had a dachshund who needed to find a new home. We visited their PetCo adoption day and found a perfect new friend. I immediately fell in love with him, and Zoe and Kristian were game. So, we added our Jack to the family. We've named him after one of my heroes, former University of Minnesota professor, respected folklorist and author Jack Zipes.

Our Jack looks to be a very handsome dachshund, but his legs are pretty long and he is quite bouncy, so maybe he's a mix. He has a very sweet disposition, wags a lot, hardly barks and loves to sleep. Once home, Zoe made it clear that she is the boss, at first refusing to let him upstairs and fussing when he shared our laps with her. Now, she seems to be enjoying him and they are learning to cuddle and play together. Jack is an altogether satisfactory addition.

Fabulous Website: Augusta Auctions

2009-11-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

LIBERTY & CO. AESTHETIC EVENING GOWN, 1908-1910 - LOT 120

I have to swoon over the beautiful gown above, shown on Augusta Auctions website .

For many more fine items from Karen Augusta click here. Happy browsing!

Vintage 1930s film: It Happened One Night

2009-11-18T13:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, he's eating a carrot.

Lovely, floating gown, incredibly cute actress.

The gorgeous couple.

Until this week, I had never seen It Happened One Night, released in 1934 and directed by Frank Capra. Can you believe it? I like old movies, romantic comedies and Clark Gable, and it had never even crossed my radar. Well, in case you've been living captive in an Oak tree like I apparently have, I recommend it to you. I really, really liked it.

Claudette Colbert plays a rich girl, newly married to a man of whom her father disapproves, on the run from her family, and Clark Gable is the newspaper man she meets on the bus who comes to assist her. In the special features it was stated that Colbert did not enjoy making the film, but you can't tell a bit onscreen. Gable and Colbert have believable chemistry as they fall in love. They are plucky,sassy and sexy. Plus, they're both absolute eye candy. Her outfits, though few, are fabulous, and she looks so dear in his pajamas. Try not to love the hitch hiking scene.

I award this movie extra points for the group sing on the bus of "The Man on the Flying Trapeze," and just for fun, here are the lyrics (at least one version):

THE MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE (1934)

(George Leybourne)

Once I was happy, but now I'm forlorn

Like an old coat that is tattered and torn;

Left on this world to fret and to mourn,

Betrayed by a maid in her teens.

The girl that I loved she was handsome;

I tried all I knew her to please

But I could not please her one quarter so well

As the man upon the trapeze.

He'd fly through the air with the greatest of ease,

That daring young man on the flying trapeze.

His movements were graceful, all girls he could please

And my love he purloined away.

This young man by name was Signor Bona Slang,

Tall, big and handsome, as well made as Chang.

Where'er he appeared the hall loudly rang

With ovation from all people there.

He'd smile from the bar on the people below

And one night he smiled on my love.

She wink'd back at him and she shouted "Bravo,"

As he hung by his nose up above.

Her father and mother were both on my side

And very hard tried to make her my bride;

Her father he sighed, and her mother she cried,

To see her throw herself away.

Twas all no avail, she went there every night,

And would throw him bouquets on the stage,

Which caused him to meet her;

how he ran me down,

To tell you would take a whole page.

One night I as usual went to her dear home,

Found there her father and mother alone.

I asked for my love, and soon they made known,

To my horror that she'd run away.

She'd packed up her box and eloped in the night

With him, with the greatest of ease;

From two stories high he had lowered her down

To the ground on his flying trapeze.

Some months after this I went to the Hall;

Was greatly surprised to see on the wall

A bill in red letters, which did my heart gall,

That she was appearing with him.

He'd taught her gymnastics and dressed her in tights,

To help him live at his ease,

And made her assume a masculine name,

And now she goes on the trapeze.

She'd fly through the air with the greatest of ease,

You'd think her the man young man on the flying trapeze.

Her movements were graceful, all girls she could please,

And that was the end of my love.

Antiquedress.com : My favorite website to dream on

2009-11-15T12:41:00.000-08:00

If you need a touch of beauty and glamour to perk up your day, click right now to see the website for Antique Dress . She has just gorgeous things listed.

Fabulous coat.* c. 1926/1927: read description Here

Simply divine Victorian Corset

Sassy 1940's set

Also look at the museum collection. Here are some gems:

1912 Pink Silk Gown

1914 Gold Lame Hobble Gown

1930s Floral Lame Chiffon Gown

I'm crazy in love with these c. 1900 Camibloomers !

Click to see the rest of this c 1900 Dressing Gown Confection

1930s Nightgown & Peignoir

Oh, if I were a rich girl!

*Cleery's possibly hypocritical fur disclaimer: I would not personally buy new fur items, but I figure with vintage fur, you're just ensuring that it doesn't go to waste and the animal(s)didn't die in vain. Thank you for reading my blather.

Vintage 1920s Silent Film: The Hands of Orlac

2009-11-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

I watched this at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church the night before Halloween. They show a creepy silent movie annually, and their organist improvises the music. It is great fun sitting in the crowded sanctuary in the dark, eating popcorn or animal crackers and seeing a new old favorite.

The Hands of Orlac is about a pianist (Conrad Veidt) who loses his hands in a train wreck, only to have them replaced by the hands of the notorious robber and murderer Vasseur. Orlac feels that his new fingers are not to be trusted, and he will no longer play music or touch his wife with the villianous digits. They soon lose their money and are unable to pay the bills. Will Orlac be able to repair his life, or will evil conquer him?

National Book Awards Finalists: Young People's Literature

2009-11-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Deborah Heiligman, Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith

Phillip Hoose, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice

David Small, Stitches

Laini Taylor, Lips Touch: Three Times

Rita Williams-Garcia, Jumped

Young People's Literature Judges: Kathi Appelt, Coe Booth, Carolyn Coman, Nancy Werlin, Gene Luen Yang

Click the names above for book descriptions.

I have only read Stitches so far, and I think that it is very interesting. I have mentioned before that I'm not generally a graphic novel fan, but this one bowled me over. I am familiar with David Small through his children's book illustrations, and even met him and his lovely and sweet wife Sarah Stewart back in the early 1990s. So, I might be slightly biased, but I think that his story of childhood trauma and recovery is tops.

I also have (have had prior to this finalist announcement) a request in for Laini Taylor's new book. I read her fantasy novel Blackbringer from the Faeries of Dreamdark series and I thought it was original and memorable, so I want to see what else she's cooked up.

I plan to read the other finalists. Have you read any?

Unshelved's Pimp My Bookcart 2009

2009-11-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge strip

Are you familiar with Unshelved, the comic strip about libraries? It is done by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum and for the last four years running, they have sponsored a Pimp My Bookcart contest. Contestants find a crummy old cart, pick a theme and pretty it up.

Here are a few of my favorites, but don't forget to go to Unshelved and find your own!

Where are the Wild Things? by Beaumont Branch of the Lexington Public Library

Horton Hears a Who by Monroe County Public Library (Bloomington, IN): Collection Services

Wild About Reading by Mount Laurel Library

Vintage 1950s Halloween film: House of Wax

2009-11-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

Is Sue taking a nap or awaiting something more sinister?

Professor Jarrod loves his figure of Marie Antoinette.

Gratuitous Can-Can scene!

In this 1953 version of the story, Professor Henry Jarrod (the wonderful Vincent Price)is a talented sculptor in a wax museum who is betrayed and driven mad by a greedy colleague. Vowing to begin his creations anew, but unable to use his hands to do his fine work, he turns to an unorthodox method of making his mannequins.

Carolyn Jones plays the giggly blonde Cathy,who meets with an ill fate, which makes her friend Sue (Phyllis Kirk) suspicious of Prof Jarrod and leads to the revelation of the nasty secrets of the Wax Museum.

I enjoyed the scene of Cathy preparing for an evening out with the help of Sue. Definitely some pretty little underpinnings being displayed. Start at about 22 seconds into the clip above and please excuse the hanging scene that precedes it.

I remember watching this film on a childhood Sunday. When I was a kid there were frequent B movie horror films on TV on weekends. I now have a fondness for Vincent Price and his distinctive voice.

If you haven't seen this one, you really should!

Halloween Folktale: Mr. Fox

2009-10-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

Photo from lilredtank on Flickr.

For your pleasure, one of my favorite scary folk tales:

The Story of Mr. Fox

England

Once upon a time there was a young lady called Lady Mary, who had two brothers. One summer they all three went to a country seat of theirs, which they had not before visited. Among the other gentry in the neighborhood who came to see them was a Mr. Fox, a bachelor, with whom they, particularly the young lady, were much pleased. He used often to dine with them, and frequently invited Lady Mary to come and see his house. One day that her brothers were absent elsewhere, and she had nothing better to do, she determined to go thither, and accordingly set out unattended. When she arrived at the house and knocked at the door, no one answered.

At length she opened it and went in; over the portal of the door was written: "Be bold, be bold, but not too bold." She advanced; over the staircase was the same inscription. She went up; over the entrance of a gallery, the same again. Still she went on, and over the door of a chamber found written:

Be bold, be bold, but not too bold,

Lest that your heart's blood should run cold!

She opened it; it was full of skeletons and tubs of blood. She retreated in haste, and, coming downstairs, saw from a window Mr. Fox advancing towards the house with a drawn sword in one hand, while with the other he dragged along a young lady by her hair. Lady Mary had just time to slip down and hide herself under the stairs before Mr. Fox and his victim arrived at the foot of them. As he pulled the young lady upstairs, she caught hold of one of the banisters with her hand, on which was a rich bracelet. Mr. Fox cut it off with his sword. The hand and bracelet fell into Lady Mary's lap, who then contrived to escape unobserved, and got safe home to her brothers' house.

A few days afterwards Mr. Fox came to dine with them as usual. After dinner the guests began to amuse each other with extraordinary anecdotes, and Lady Mary said she would relate to them a remarkable dream she had lately had.

"I dreamt," said she, "that as you, Mr. Fox, had often invited me to your house, I would go there one morning. When I came to the house I knocked at the door, but no one answered. When I opened the door, over the hall I saw written, 'Be bold, be bold, but not too bold.' But," said she, turning to Mr. Fox, and smiling, "It is not so, nor it was not so."

Then she pursued the rest of the story, concluding at every turn with, "It is not so, nor it was not so," until she came to the room full of skeletons, when Mr. Fox took up the burden of the tale, and said:

It is not so, nor it was not so,

And God forbid it should be so!

which he continued to repeat at every subsequent turn of the dreadful story, until she came to the circumstance of his cutting off the young lady's hand, when, upon his saying, as usual:

It is not so, nor it was not so,

And God forbid it should be so!

Lady Mary retorts by saying:

But it is so, and it was so,

And here the hand I have to show!

at the same moment producing the hand and bracelet from her lap, whereupon the guests drew their swords, and instantly cut Mr. Fox into a thousand pieces.

Source: Edwin Sidney Hartland, English Fairy and Other Folk Tales (London: Walter Scott, 1890), pp. 25-27.

My source for this is Professor D.L. Ashliman's webpages , with much great information on fairy and folk tales.

Today's Vintage Beauty: 1900

2009-10-29T10:23:00.001-07:00

Amorita

From http://www.bestpriceart.com/

I just love this photo, called "Amorita". She's like a Mucha girl fulfilled.
I found this on Shorpy,which is a terrific blog of old photos from the 1850s to the 1950s. You can also order prints of the images.

Happy Browsing!

Hair and Makeup Workshop at Lili's Burlesque Academy

2009-10-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

Our lovely instructoress, Gina Louise, Ophelia Flame and Nadine Dubois!

Last Sunday my friend Sara and I went to learn about Burlesque hair and makeup at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis at a workshop taught by the beautiful and talented Gina Louise. So, I packed up my Caboodle (yes, from the 1980s, but at least its pink and roomy)with various forms of eyeliner, my favorite mascara, many red lipsticks and anything else that might provide glitz and glamour. I was looking at it as a kind of sleepover without the ghost stories, snacks and sleeping over.

The seven of us got comfortable on the floor near the mirror, and Gina showed us pictures of many gorgeous ladies for some inspiration, shared some tips, and then we played with our makeup. She brought hers too, with lovely tubes of glitter to match the various eye shadow colors and lipstick.

She showed me a look for my eyes, which are hazel, using L'Oreal HIP shadow in Showy, which looked quite bright blue in the container but nice and smoky on the eye. Sara tried one eye in blue and the other in purple.

We had a great time! Possibly blurry photos to come.

Ghost story for adults: The House of Lost Souls

2009-10-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

Several things attracted me to The House of Lost Souls by F.G. Cottam. Its story spans from the the 1920s to the 1990s, partially centers around a beautiful flapper photographer, and involves a malevolently haunted house in the British Isles. So, creepy tales from the past, a mysterious woman, and a scary house full of secrets. Check! and I'm in.

In the 1980s, Paul helps his new girlfriend with her dissertation by researching Pandora Gibson-Hoare, an edgy fashion photographer of the 1920s who ran with a rich and decadent crowd. Ten years after her career peaked, she ended her life seemingly destitute, her body discovered in a scummy river. Paul sneakily procures her journal from an attic trunk and soon, learning more about Pandora becomes an obsession, leading him into a house of incredible evil and black magic from which he barely escapes.

Twelve years later, he has remade his life as best he can, when he learns that four college students and their professor have entered the house, with one girl already a suicide and the others mad and apparently headed in the same direction. A call from an old acquaintance encourages him to help those women and their families. And his haunting begins again, with music wafting from his aged and unplugged cassette player...

This is horror with a slow build and a careful back story, without a lot of gore and with some extremely shivery moments. I enjoyed Cottam's mentions of real people such as Aleister Crowley, Nick Drake and Sandy Denny from the band Fairport Convention. It was pleasant for me to do a little back up reading on each of these people, and learn how Cottam uses them to enrich his fiction.

If you like a subtle scare, give it a try!

Vintage 1960s Halloween Film: The Birds

2009-10-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

>
Tippi Hedren

Cast and Hitchcock; note how elegantly Tippi's coat complements her hair color!

Flocking up before the attack on the schoolkids

We all know the story of The Birds: our feathered friends go mad and attack us. This 1963 film was based on a short story by Daphne Du Maurier, directed by Hitchcock, and stars Tippi Hedren (former model and mother of Melanie Griffith), Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette and (child actress) Veronica Cartwright. Today, the special effects may look more campy than creepy, but even now we must admit this movie has style. Leading lady Hedren is the picture of cool blonde beauty as she lands her man, then attempts to fight off her winged enemies. The scenes of her battling the birds have inspired Halloween costumes and even a Barbie doll.

I think that the most impressive scene is when Melanie (Hedren) goes to pick up Cathy (Cartwright) at school, and she waits for the child on an outside bench. The children inside sing:

The butter came out a grizzle-y-grey. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, Now, now, now!

The cheese took legs and ran away! Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, willoby-wallaby, Now, now, now!

She let the critter get away. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, willoby-wallaby, Now, now, now!

I asked my wife to wash the floor. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, Now, now, now!

She gave me my hat and she showed me the door! Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, Now, now, now!

I married my wife in the month of June. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, Now, now, now!

I brought her off by the light of the moon. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, willoby-wallaby, Now, now, now!

She combed her hair but once a year. Ristle-tee, rostle-tee, hey donny dostle-tee, knickety-knackety, retro-quo-quality, willoby-wallaby, Now, now, now!

Behind Melanie, the monkey bars are filled as more and more birds alight (see photo above). We know it before she does and combined with the weird little background song, this makes for a tense scene. The growing menace is scarier than the scene that follows, when the schoolkids are dive bombed, pecked and chased (which was probably plenty scary for them).

Enjoy!

Vintage 1950s Halloween Film: Invasion of the Body Snatchers

2009-10-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

Life as they know it is just about over, but Becky still wears a bitchin' dress

Becky, Miles and Jack look over Jack's evolving double, with Teddy at a safe distance

I saw the 1978 version of this film with Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum and Veronica Cartwright, not too long after it came out, and it had some chilling moments. Granted, I was young and I hadn't seen too many Sci Fi/Horror films at the theater, but I can vividly remember several key scenes. But, until yesterday I had never seen the original.

The 1956 film stars Kevin McCarthy as local doctor Miles Bennell (my husband and I recognized him from The Twilight Zone, Wikipedia identifies that episode as Long Live Walter Jameson), Dana Wynter as his girlfriend Becky, and King Johnson and Carolyn Zones (of The Addams Family TV fame) as their friends Jack and Teddy. Miles is surprised to discover that he is being urgently summoned to treat patients, only to have them calmly brush him off when he sees them. There is also a growing "mass delusion" among the townsfolk that their loved ones are no longer who they used to be. They have all the familiar thoughts and memories, but no displays of emotion. When Jack finds a partially developed, fingerprint less, body in his home, the friends know that something is terribly wrong.

Alien pod people are taking over the town!

But, you already knew that. Although this version didn't make me jump like the 1978 one, the basic premise is still deeply frightening: the one you love has changed into someone unrecognizable and the capper is that you will be losing your self hood and probably your soul to a "human" vegetable.

Kid's Halloween Read: Half-Minute Horrors

2009-10-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

Half-Minute Horrors, edited by Susan Rich, is a timely new collection of 71 very short, fun and scary stories. This is an excellent variety of authors known for writing for adults (Faye Kellerman, Gregory Maguire) teens (Libba Bray, Melissa Marr), and of course, kids (Lane Smith, Lemony Snicket). All kinds of frightening topics are visited, such as creatures under the bed, alien takeover, unpleasant babysitting gigs and (shudder) clowns. Some of my favorite tales include "Grand Entrance," by James Patterson, "The Legend of Alexandra and Rose," by John Klassen, "Chocolate Cake," by Francine Prose and "The Final Word," by John Greenhut and illustrated by Brett Helquist.

This is a very quick read and would make good read aloud material for families and classrooms!

Blessing of the Animals

2009-10-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

Our dog Zoe meets a piglet at last year's Blessing of the Animals

During one of my favorite church services of the year the pews are crowded with wagging dogs, adaptable cats and assorted adorable pocket pets. Last Sunday morning, we had the Blessing of the Animals at Hennepin Church.

“But ask the animals,
and they will teach you;
the birds of the air,
and they will tell you;
Ask the plants of the earth,
and they will teach you;
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among these does not know
that the hand of God has done this?" — Job 12:7-9

I am a crazy animal lover, so I get a thrill from walking around before the service and visiting with the pets and their people. Then we have prayer, song, sharing of what we learn from our animal companions (punctuated with woofs, howls and me-ooows) and our ministers bless each animal. We take our daschund, Zoe, who is overjoyed to see pastors Leah, Bruce or Sally. Our cats Thelma-Louise and Griffin prefer to stay home, so they are blessed by proxy through their photos. We also took a photo of Guinan to be blessed.

Bless the Beasts and the Children

(Perry L Botkin, Jr. / Barry De Vorzon)

Bless the beasts and the children
For in this world they have no voice
They have no choice

Bless the beasts and the children
For the world can never be
The world they see

Light their way when the darkness surrounds them
And give them love, let it shine all around them

Bless the beasts and the children
Give them shelter from the storm
Keep them safe, keep them warm

Light their way when the darkness surrounds them
And give them love, let it shine all around them

Bless the beasts and the children
Give them shelter from the storm
Keep them safe, keep them warm

This year among the faithful, we saw a King Charles spaniel puppy, a Brussels Griffon, a Bassett Hound, a dear Corgi named Hoover Von Vacuum, and many others. A few brave kitties were also there, including a slightly put out twenty year old Himalayan. The smallest vistor we saw was a hamster transported in his habitat. Our friends Mickey and Sara were their with their Border Collie mix Brumby, Springer Spaniel Ellie and Chi-Weenie (Chihuahua & Daschund), Wednesday.

A Prayer for Animals

Hear our humble prayer, O God,
for our friends, the animals,
especially for animals who are suffering:
for any that are hunted or lost of deserted
or frightened or hungry;
for all that must be put to death.
We entreat for them all Thy mercy and pity,
and for those who deal with them
we ask a heart of compassion and gentle hands and kindly words.
Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to animals
and so to share the blessings of the merciful.
- Albert Schweitzer

Vintage 1950s movie: Auntie Mame

2009-10-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

Mame and Patrick get acquainted

Fabulous negligee! Love the poofy wrap. Mame and her actress friend face the (cough) morning.

"Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!" You've probably heard that line. Auntie Mame (1958) is silly and fun, and I had a good time watching it.

Mame Dennis (Rosalind Russell) loves the unusual, the flamboyant, the diverse and this is reflected in her lifestyle and person. When her brother dies unexpectedly, she becomes the caretaker of her ten year old nephew, Patrick, who first meets her at one of her many parties. Mame has him keep a list of all the new words that he overhears during the festivities. He has an absorbent mind, and the two soon get along famously.

"Mame: Well, now, uh, read me all the words you don't understand.

Patrick: Libido, inferiority complex, stinko, blotto, free love, bathtub gin, monkey glands, Karl Marx... is he one of the Marx Brothers?"

Mame raises Patrick to embrace new things, and live every day with vigor. Through her, he meets an interesting bunch, including her hard drinking actress friend (Coral Browne), her drab secretary waiting to bust out, Agnes Gooch, and the students of his progressive school, who get naked and imitate fish to learn their natural science. Whether she's creating a party mood during hard times, falling in love with a well to do southern gentleman and standing up to his people, or meeting Patrick's snooty finance, Mame does everything with style.

I am pretty fond of Rosalind Russell (I love her in Gypsy), so I enjoyed this more than Mame, the 1974 musical starring Lucille Ball, but I haven't seen that in years. What's your preference?

October's Scary Reading Possibilities

2009-10-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/merciewinters/

I seldom read Horror, except for in October. Then, I read only creepy, scary books. True, some are for children, but that is about my speed. I also prefer ghost stories and Gothic tales to monsters and slasher stories. Some I've read and enjoyed during Octobers past:

Teen/Adult:

The October Country by Ray Bradbury

Cat in Glass by Nancy Etchemendy

Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

It by Stephen King

Kids:

Sweet Miss Honeywell's Revenge by Kathryn Reiss

Breathe by Cliff McNish

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

This year's possibilities:

Teen/Adult:

The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

The House of the Lost Souls by F.G. Cottam

The Ghost's Child by Sonya Hartnett

Bonechiller by Graham McNamee

Ruined: A Ghost Story by Paula Morris

Kids:

Seer of Shadows by Avi

All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn

Half-Minute Horrors edited by Susan Rich

Vintage 1950s film: Calamity Jane

2009-09-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

"She ain't very good lookin." "That ain't all she ain't."

Calamity defends Katie to the crowd

Adelaid Adams and the girls

Glamorous Calamity And Bill

I had fun watching the musical Calamity Jane, starring Doris Day and Howard Keel and released in 1953. True, brave and resourceful Calamity "pretties up" to catch the attention and affections of her friend Wild Bill Hickok, which is annoying. There is also very negative portrayal of Native Americans, which is troubling. When I watch these old films, I just have to grit my teeth and remind myself that they are product of their times. Barring those considerations,the music in Calamity Jane is catchy, Ms. Day is charming, the showgirl costumes are great and there's queer subtext, which made it a pleasant viewing for me.

Calamity can shoot, drink (sarsaparilla), tell tale tales and apparently sing with any man in Deadwood City and beyond. When the locals go crazy for cigarette card girl and actress Adelaid Adams (Gale Robbins), the town tavern owner promises an appearance by another talented beauty. Unfortunately, the promised performer Francis(Dick Wesson)is not all that is expected (see above). To make amends, Calamity heads to Chicago to convince the aforementioned Adelaid to perform in the Wild West. Confusion ensues and when she does bring home a glamour girl, she finds that she has also created competition for the man that she believes she loves. But, this is a happy musical, so trouble doesn't last for long. New resident Katie Brown (Allyn Ann McLerie)and Calamity become best friends, and each finds romance.

Might they also find love with each other? Intentional or not, there is gay and lesbian subtext in the movie, which I first heard about when watching The Celluloid Closet. Dick Wesson's cute drag performance aside (what would Hollywood be without drag?), Calamity and Katie seems a mite close ;). (See the video above or commentary at StinkyLulu's blog). All to the better if you ask me.

Finally, I jealously drooled over Adelaid's costumes. The little pink number with the bustle and the gold bust fringe was quite delightful, as was the black one with pink roses!

Burlesque Costume Workshop at Lili's Burlesque Academy

2009-09-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

Lola Bel Aire photo above from Atomic Pin Up

Photo above from Sugar Bomb Daddy

Sally Rand with her fans. Find feather fan kits at Ostrich.com

You can be sparkly like Dita with crystals!

Try Rhinestone Guy for Swarovski crystals

Photo from: http://parisatelier.blogspot.com/2009/03/these-are-few-of-my-favorite-things.html

On Sunday afternoon, I went to a costume workshop held by Lili's Burlesque Academy in Minneapolis and I had a terrific time! Taught by the lovely Burlesque dancer Lola Bel Aire (above)the class was two hours of tips, tricks, beaded fringe and Swarovski crystals. Lola showed off some of her beautiful costumes and I took copious notes, hoping to glam up a bit for my husband and who knows? I'm taking beginning dancing at the academy; maybe I'll end up in the student showcase in the spring.

If you would be interested in other Lili's workshops, such as Overcoming Stage Fright and Hair and Makeup (I'll be there) click Lili's Academy PDF

Vintage 1940s film: A Yank in the R.A.F.

2009-09-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

A YANK IN THE RAF(1941) Original Theatrical Trailer

The casual sexism in some of these old films is getting to me. In A Yank in the R.A.F., showgirl Carol Brown (played by Betty Grable) has two suitors, Tim (Tyrone Power) and Wing Commander Morley (John Sutton). Tim is an American, a former boyfriend of Carol's, and a bounder who cheerfully admits that he is a worm. Morley treats her respectfully and speedily proposes to her. Guess which one she can't do without?

I picked this one up because I figured that the early World War II setting (this film came out in 1941) would please my husband, and I would be happy looking at the fashionable Ms. Grable. K. enjoyed seeing the planes, many of which, he tells me are no longer around today in flying condition. I had the pleasure of seeing Betty looking smart in military uniform and showgirl dress. She also appears with her bangs down. No pompadour! Check out the trailer above to see what I mean.

Vintage 1960s film: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

2009-09-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

The despicable Martha

The hapless Nick and his vomiting wife Honey

Well ick. I knew that this was about a feuding married couple, but I hadn't known just how horrible all the characters are. University professor George (Richard Burton) and Dean's daughter Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) are the miserable pair, and they have no problem infecting others with their venom and madness. They invite new math professor Nick and his wife Honey over for some very late night drinks, and are soon ripping each other to shreds in front of their company. Martha impresses us as a screeching Harpy, and while you may at first pity George, he quickly shows himself as aggressive and cruel. Using a little emotional blackmail, they soon have an unwilling audience, and as the nightmarish hours pass to morning and the alcohol flows, everyone falls apart. Unsavory secrets are revealed and none are left unscathed. Nick comes across as disloyal weakling and Honey is just pathetic, physically feeble and betrayed by her husband. The end packs an extra unpleasant punch.

While this play is classic Edward Albee and I'm sure that the film is well done, it just left me with a nasty feeling. Not one that I'll watch repeatedly.

Rest in peace Guinan ?1990-2009

2009-09-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

Cuddling in 2006

We lost our oldest cat, Guinan yesterday. She was about twenty years old, and she was failing, so we had to put her down. It was a bad and sad day and she is really missed. My husband had her almost her entire life. I was privileged to be her Mama for two and a half years.

Guinan was a gutsy, sassy girl. She was very bossy about mealtimes, and in the morning she would pat your face with her foot until you woke up and fed her. This was not always gentle, and it could result in little scratches. Once you were up,she would escort you down each step of the staircase, looking up into your face to ensure that you were with the breakfast program.

She was very stubborn and we used to joke that the roof could fall down around her and she still wouldn't move from her chosen spot. She loved sunshine and flowers. We thought that she could levitate because she could always find a way to chew a bouquet of flowers, no matter how high up we placed them. She loved to be put in the window overlooking the back yard, so she could sit in the sun, be petted and oversee the goings on outside.

After I got home from work, Guinan would come and sit with me and cuddle up under my chin. She slept at the foot of my side of the bed. At the vet's they said that we were lucky to had a cat with such a great spirit. I will always love her.

Vintage 1950s Film: Father of the Bride

2009-09-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

When I was a girl, I enjoyed Father of the Bride. I don't think that I am as crazy about it as an adult, but it is fine. Spencer Tracy plays a dad whose only daughter (Elizabeth Taylor) suddenly springs her engagement plans on her family. Three months later, she is married, but not first without lots of drama and fuss.

My main thought when I watched this time was they sure did drink a lot :) . And they got that pretty wedding together pronto. It was fun to hear them complain about the cost of things, with guests costing about $3.50 a head. Billie Burke played the groom's mother, sounding very much as she did as Glinda, the Good Witch of the east, and looking nearly as beautiful. My favorite movie fashion is the hat sported by Joan Bennett ( Moms) above. That is not a good shot, but it's the closest I could find. You may not agree, but I feel that Taylor's film wedding dress is spoiled by the horrible insert with the little collar. I'm also no fan of the veil. I'm sure that thay were period perfect, but...

You probably also know that this film was remade in 1991 with Steve Martin, Diane Keaton and Kimberly Williams, as the bride to be.

Vintage 1950s film: A Streetcar Named Desire

2009-09-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

Hubba Hubba

Stanley and Blanche

Stanley and Stella

Jessica Tandy

Natasha Richardson

Rachel Weiscz

Oregon performance

Stuttgart Ballet

What new thing can I say about A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)? You've probably long known the story of animalistic, insensitive Stanley Kowalski,
his passionate marriage with Stella, and how everything falls apart when her fragile southern belle sister, Blanche, comes for an extended visit. We know all about the star turns of Marlon Brando (and seriously, how hot is he in this film?), Vivien Leigh and Kim Hunter. So, I did some internet surfing and branched out a bit. I found that Streetcar originally starred the lovely Jessica Tandy in a stage version that also included Brando and Hunter. Noteable Blanches also include Jessica Lange, Natasha Richardson, Rachel Weisz and Marge Simpson ;). Hot but dangerous Stanleys were Alec Baldwin, John C. Reilly and Ned Flanders (Who knew?). The play seems to have been performed on stages from high schools to Broadway, from ballet to musicals to drag shows and by people of diverse age, race and sex. With the Zombie trend going on these days I wouldn't be surprised to see an undead version!

Keturah and Lord Death

2009-09-02T13:23:00.001-07:00

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt, is a must for my Fairy Tale related book collection.

This was a National Book Award finalist ( in my opinion it should should have won the Young People's Literature category)and gives us an exciting, mysterious story with a brave and tenacious heroine.

Following a seemingly enchanted hart into the forest, Keturah soon becomes lost and, after several days, is close to death. Yet when she meets Lord Death, she is able to strike a bargain with him that may save her village from plague, give her friends and family their heart's desires and provide her with a chance to find her own true love. To accomplish these tasks, Keturah must deal with the village witch, hostile townsfolk, many possible loves, and her own uncertainty, not to mention the handsome and imposing figure of death.

Levine subtly references several tales, and I greatly enjoyed picking them out. I noticed :

similarities to Scheherazade's suspenseful storytelling in One Thousand and One Nights
a character with the sight to know if someone will live or die as in Grimms "Godfather Death"
willful boasting spurring action such as in "Rumpelstiltskin," where the maiden's father brags that she can spin straw into gold
a potential but frightening lover and the good woman as in "Beauty and the Beast."

There may be more. What can you find?

Pincurl Tutorial from LisaFreemontStreet

2009-09-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

Vintage 1950s Film: Cat On a Hot Tin Roof

2009-09-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

Brick and Big Daddy

Gooper and Sisterwoman

A No-Neck Monster with her hands in the ice cream

Liz works the simple slip!

Is Newman handsome or what?

I have seen this one before, probably for the first time years ago in junior high or high school. I was fascinated by it, as well as A Streetcar Named Desire and especially Suddenly Last Summer, Tennessee Williams' other gems. The fascination still holds, even after all this time and experience. Sex ( in the forms of gorgeous Paul Newman and smokin' Elizabeth Taylor), tantalizing secrets, eccentric characters named Big Daddy, Sisterwoman and Brotherman and children scorned and referred to as No-Neck Monsters interested me then and now.

Beautiful couple Maggie (Taylor) and Brick (Newman) are visiting with Brick's parents due to his father, Big Daddy's (Burl Ives), recent illness, which may be serious or not. Also present are his older brother, called Gooper (Jack Carson), his wife Mae (Madeleine Sherwood), and their many bratty children. It is immediately apparent that attractive or not, Maggie and Brick are a miserable couple, in a family seeped in denial. They are childless, which stands against them in the inheritance game. We learn that this is because Brick can't stand Maggie and refuses to make love to her, for reasons that will unravel later. Big Mama (Judith Anderson)blames Maggie for her son's unhappiness and dependence on alcohol. Big Daddy can't bear his oldest son and his wolf pack of a family, but despairs over Brick's breakdown and his own health. For her part, Maggie wants to get close to her husband again, and get past an unfortunate incident in their past. No matter what. Confrontations ensue.

I never realized before just how handsome Paul Newman was. Wow! Elizabeth Taylor looks amazing in her simple white slip and dress. I guess with such attractive actors and such a dramatic story, the costumes don't have to be elaborate.

Vintage 1930s film: Top Hat

2009-08-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

Top Hat was released in 1935 and stars Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Fred is suave, Ginger is dreamy and the film is surprisingly funny. Jerry (Fred) and Dale (Ginger) are attracted to each other from the go, but a case of mistaken identity and a careless marriage prolong the achievement of romantic bliss. Edward Everett Horton and Helen Broderick play their long married and cheerfully manipulative friends.

Unsurprisingly, there's lots of fabulous dancing and the sweet old song "Cheek to Cheek".

Checkout the clip above to watch Jerry hoof and meet the lovely Dale for the first time. This is my favorite costume of Ginger's in the film. I love the satin and lace. Talk about your glamorous night clothes and bedchamber. Lush!

Vintage 1940s Film: State Fair

2009-08-27T18:22:00.001-07:00

Emily sings

Eleanor can't go to the fair!

This film of State Fair came out in 1945 and apparently was the second version of the story, with a 1933 and 1962 film bookending it. This one has Jeanne Crain starring as innocent country girl Margy, with Dana Andrews as Pat, her newspaperman love interest. Margy has a boring

fiance back on the farm and is filled with general dissatisfaction, but when her family travels to the State Fair and she meets Pat, things definitely perk up. Her brother Wayne (Dick Haymes) has a lovely girl at home, Eleanor (Jane Nigh), but then he meets sexy redhead Emily (Vivian Blaine), a savvy woman with a great singing voice and a secret (interestingly, it appears that Ann Margaret played this part in the 1962 remake). Margy and Wayne 's parents (Fay Bainter and Charles Winninger) have fun at the fair too, with potential prize winning pickles, mincemeat (with a secret ingredient!) and a great big boar named Blue Boy. They also take in a slightly naughty show together, with a chorus line of pretty girls in little red costumes.

Since this is a Rodger's and Hammerstein musical, I found the songs pretty enjoyable, especially "It's a Grand Night for Singing" and "Isn't It Kinda Fun." The ladies' costumes tend to be sweet rather than slinky, except for the glamorous Emily, but they are still quite pretty, as you can see above. I love the red velvet and cherries number!

Many of these photos came from: http://curiousmel.blogspot.com/

Vintage 1930's film: Dancing Lady

2009-08-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

I've decided that as a fan of vintage and history, I need a better film education. With that in mind, my husband and I have decided to devote ourselves to watching movies from the 1920s through the 1960s, as well as modern films that depict those times.

Last night, we viewed Dancing Lady (1933) starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable. Joan looks young and lovely with huge eyes and great legs. Clark has complete leading man sizzle. It also includes some dancing with Fred Astaire and an appearance by Ted Healy and his Stooges (aka the Three Stooges, whose comedy I've never been able to stand). I'm ignorant of the film's other actors, but I swear there was a man who sounded like Winnie the Pooh, so maybe it was Sterling Holloway. In spite of the DVD box cover, this one's in black and white.

The basic plot is that Joan's character, Janie, is working in a Burlesque house when she's spotted by a rich gentleman who wants to give her a hand. She wants to succeed on her own, and eventually begins to dance in the chorus of a Broadway show directed by a Patch (Gable). Will Janey become a star? Will she marry Mr. Rich Man or will Patch turn her head?

I enjoyed this, even though the plot was a little thin and the dance numbers were somewhat silly. Joan could really dance! The costumes didn't knock me dead, although it was still fun looking. One of the dresses had alarming large feathered sleeves (?), and at least one other had too much going on at the neck (see above). But, the dress with Joan on the staircase is fabulous, isn't it?

Pictures from: amazon.co.uk, lolitasclassics.blogspot.com,nfsa.gov.au, and picasaweb.google.com

I'm a classic dame

2009-08-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

Your result for The Classic Dames Test ...

Myrna Loy

You scored 10% grit, 24% wit, 33% flair, and 43% class!

You are class itself, the calm, confident "perfect woman." Men turn and look at you admiringly as you walk down the street, and even your rivals have a grudging respect for you. You always know the right thing to say, do and, of course, wear. You can take charge of a situation when things get out of hand, and you're a great help to your partner even if they don't immediately see or know it. You are one classy dame. Your screen partners include William Powell and Cary Grant, you little simmerpot, you.

http://www.helloquizzy.com/tests/the-classic-dames-test

Best Books for Young Adults Nominations

2009-08-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

In the delightful struggle that is trying to keep up with new teen books, I always keep tabs on the nominations in the Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA) list, compiled by the ALA.Here are some of this year's choices that I'm anxious to read (descriptions come directly from the list :

Anderson, Laure Halse. Wintergirls. Lia is haunted by her best friend's death from anorexia, as she struggles with the same eating disorder.
Bray, Libba. Going Bovine. Cameron knew there was something wrong when he started seeing pillars of fire and angels, but he never imagined he had mad cow disease.
Brooks, Laurie. Selkie Girl. Sixteen-year-old Elin Jean, ostracized because of her webbed fingers, discovers the reason for her mother's unhappiness after finding evidence of her own mysterious origins.
Davies, Jacqueline. Lost. Essie, 16, sews all day for pennies at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory to help feed her fatherless family and now to forget her little sister's death. Then the fire happens.
George, Jessica Day. Princess of the Midnight Ball. When the decade long war ends, professional solider Galen finds work as a gardener in the king’s garden, only to help solve the puzzle involving twelve dancing princesses.
Livingston, Leslie. Wondrous Strange. Faeries, pixies, Janus guards, and struggling actresses populate this fantasy that weaves Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream with a contemporary New York City setting.
Meminger, Neesha. Shine, Coconut Moon. Samar (Sam) is a Sikh ostensibly Americanized, until her uncle shows up, igniting her interest in her culture and past in a post-9/11 world.
Pike, Aprilynne. Wings. Laurel discovers she is a faerie when a beautiful flower blossoms out of her back, and she and her friend David seek to find out her place in the world.
Rapp, Adam. Punkzilla. Jamie has run away from his family, military school, and his troubled past. He sets out via bus to visit his dying brother, writing letters along the way.
Ryan, Carrie. The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Mary’s village is protected by a fence keeping out the Unconsecrated-who are undead craving human flesh-until a massive breach launches the teenage girl into a fight for survival.
Simner, Janie Lee. Bones of Faerie. Liza is caught in a world where magic is deadly and her powers lead her on a quest to find her missing mother.
Stiefvater, Maggie. Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception. Shy and ordinary Deirdre finds herself caught up in an ancient struggle in the faerie world when she meets Luke, a sexy musician with a very dark past.
Stoffels, Karlijn. Heartsinger. Mee, the singer of sorrows, and Mitou, the merrymaker, are destined to meet and change the life of a princess. Can they change one another?
Thompson, Kate. Creature of the Night. Juvenile delinquent Bobby resists his mother’s plan to move to the countryside, but his anger becomes fear as he learns about local history and the creatures who rule the fields.
Whitcomb, Laura. The Fetch. Calder, a 350-year old "Fetch" that accompanies souls to heaven, breaks all his vows for a woman, wreaking havoc in the world of lost souls.

Library Reptile Visit!

2009-07-31T14:48:00.000-07:00

Dora eats for the crowd

The mighty Jamie, Executive Director of RadZoo and his charges

Allie

Jamie and me with a beautiful snake

Carol and her new friend: a bearded dragon!

RADZoo came and showed us and about 100 families a great time with many fascinating reptiles and amphibians! Our guests were turtles, tortoises, toads, frogs, lizards, geckos, snakes and an alligator! Jamie was an excellent presenter and thrilled the kids. After he told us about all of the animals, the children got to line up to pet Dora the tortoise and the big, gorgeous snake that we are modeling above. If you are in the Twin Cities area and are looking for a fun educational and/or birthday event, I would definitely recommend RADZoo.

If we were Madmen characters!

2009-07-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

Kristian

Donell

My husband will love "my" hair!

Bollywood at the library

2009-07-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a Hooray for Bollywood party for teens at the library. It was a blast! Katie (pictured above) and I went shopping beforehand and decked ourselves out, which was a joy for me. I loved being able to be so fancy.

Katie's friend Cathy brought extra sari's, so we we able to wrap up the girls and women who came (we had no guys show up, although Cathy was prepared with men's clothes, too). We had Bindi making, Indian snacks and a big display of Bollywood films and other movies about India.

It was great fun.

No Choirboy: Murder, Violence & Teenagers on Death Row

2009-07-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

I have to confess that I didn't really want to read No Choirboy. It's dark subject matter, and I get plenty of that in the teen novels that I like to read. This is non-fiction, and I thought that it just might be too much, or else written with so much restraint that it would be dry and impersonal. But, it is on the reading list for a Minnesota reading camp that I'm counseling at this summer, so I took it home. I'm so glad that I did, because it is excellently done: compelling, heart wringing and ultimately hopeful.

The men in this book were accused of murder and sentenced to death when they were still teens. Each chapter gives voice to a different person. The focus is not on the crimes committed, but of life afterward. Three prisoners talk about their experiences, regrets and hopes for the future. One chapter is devoted to an executed man's family: the feelings of his mother and younger brother. Another is from the points of view of the siblings of a seventeen year old employee senselessly killed in a fast food restaurant robbery.

Overall, I found the stories interesting and moving. It put a human face on the issue. These people were not necessarily given fair trials. Some had no criminal records and were successful in school and life prior to their crimes. In prison they try to do more than just survive. I was especially impressed with prisoners Roy and Nanon trying to grow and improve themselves as much as the system allows.

Even if this is not your typically reading material please give it a look, especially if you work with teens. It's worth the time.

Mama Mallard's Family Hatches

2009-07-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

Hatching babies

Fuzzy ducklings

Mama tucks them under

At our library, this pretty Mallard duck made a nest right outside our front doors, in the garden between some plants. She sat for more than three weeks, and we staff worried about her and protected her from people who wanted to pick up her eggs.

Yesterday, we were all thrilled when her little ones hatched! She has since taken them away, hopefully to the pond behind the library.

Pictures courtesy of Floating Lush.

2009-07-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

Daisy Mae from Feline Rescue

Kitty photo from the Snuggle website

Last Thursday, eight library teens , my lovely and talented co-worker Suzie and I spent an hour learning to knit or crochet a Snuggle blanket for local homeless cats. Suzie is super at both needle crafts and got the teens into it. I can muddle by with crochet, and showed them the rose and pink Snuggle I had produced over about three Desperate Housewives episodes the night before. We intend to donate our handiwork to a no-kill cat shelter in Saint Paul called Feline Rescue. Another library friend, Amy, is a shelter volunteer and tells me about the lovely kitties who live there, such as Daisy Mae (above).
The patterns for Snuggle making can be simple and don't require much yarn (mine took 1 skein) and cats and dogs aren't critical of your stitches. In spite of my imperfect handiwork, my cat Thelma at home was crazy to try out the Snuggle as it emerged.

For more information, visit the Snuggles Project.

My Wild Self

2009-06-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

Animal instinct from http://buildyourwildself.com/

Amazing Read: Unwind by Neal Shusterman

2009-06-27T13:33:00.001-07:00

I haven't been so shocked, sickened and fascinated by a vision of the near future since reading M. T. Anderson's gritty teen classic Feed. It's made me an instant fan of Shusterman, and I'm definitely going to catch up on his many other titles. Unwind will definitely grab your teens and get them thinking and discussing.

It's after the United State's second Civil War, and if you're a certain kind of teenager, you had better watch out. If you've broken your parents' hearts, or taxed the system's resources a little too long, or if your parents believe in tithing with all that they value, you might learn first hand about a new process called Unwinding. In this society, abortions may no longer happen, but unwanted teens are scrapped and put to a new use, as organ donors. Every piece of them is kept alive within other humans. This may have satisfied the warring factions of the Life Army and the Choice Brigade, but for runaways Connor, Risa and Lev, it is not just a political move that ended a war, it is their horrifying intended fate. Follow them through this thriller and witness storking, clappers and the eerie urban legend of Humphrey Dunfee, whose family had him Unwound... but, in spite of regrets, couldn't put Humphrey together again.

Vintage Reading: read with your pets

2009-06-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

1926 from Carl-Fredric's photostream

1931 from SnapShot1951's photostream

Books for Creative Teens

2009-06-18T13:18:00.001-07:00

I put together these suggestions for my sadly unattended book group.

The Plain Janes and Janes in Love by Cecil Castellucci & Jim Rugg (art, graphic novel)
Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You by Dorian Cirrone (ballet)
Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes (rock band)
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson (acting)
King Dork by Frank Portman (rock band)
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia by Susan Runholt (art, mystery)
Troll Bridge: A Rock 'N' Roll Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen & Adam Stemple (music, fantasy)

Books for Creative Teens
Originally uploaded by cleery

More book related cupcakes!

2009-06-17T14:43:00.001-07:00

From Yummy Yummy in My Tummy. Look Floating Lush, your favorite piglet!

Another Book Meme

2009-06-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. TRILOGIES COUNT AS ONE.

1. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
2. Betsy-Tacy series
3. Magic in the Alley by Mary Calhoun
4. The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving
5. Godmother Night by Rachel Pollack
6. Longing for Darkness by China Galland
7. The Persistence of Vision by John Varley
8. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
9. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek By Annie Dillard
10. Grimm's Fairy Tales
11. Lovingkindness by Sharon Salzberg
12. The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys
13. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
14. Feed by M.T. Anderson
15. The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk

Book Cupcakes

2009-06-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

Peter Rabbit cupcakes!

From my favorite cupcake Blog: Cupcakes Take the Cake

Fantastic creations:

Edible Book Cupcakes

Playing with Picnik

2009-06-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

Zoe and Mama 1960s Filter

Duo-Tone

B & W Focal

Infrared Filter

Neon

Orton-ish

Pencil Sketch

With Stickers

Wow. I love Picnik . What a fun photo editor and so easy to use. The above photo is the day I got engaged, showing off my garnet ring and Zoe, my new doggie by marriage.

My dog Zoe

2009-06-10T14:18:00.001-07:00

Frog Wedding to Bring Rain

2009-06-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

I love this. An elaborate frog wedding to please the rain gods and end the drought.

Frog Wedding

Swell Vintage Doggy Photo

2009-05-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

From http://www.flickr.com/photos/spixworth/, 1903 photo found on Life In Grayscale

I've been looking at Flickr mashups on my Librarian page, and one I enjoy is Life In Grayscale. It searches old photos in Flickr, based on the years that interest you. You can browse pictures on a sliding timeline from 1900-1970. This is heaven for a history loving browser such as me. Once you find a picture that you like, you can save it under your Flickr favorites. A couple of things keep it from being perfect, however. Many of the photos that come up aren't really in any way connected to that particular year. Luckily, you can flag those pictures to be reassigned. More frustrating, though, is that once you enlarge a photo to view it, there seems to be no way to close only that window. When you close it, you close everything, and you have to entirely reenter the site. Still, it's interesting enough that I'll have lots of viewing hours ahead of me.

My Cottage Garden choices

2009-05-19T13:45:00.001-07:00

Photo credits and/or places to purchase:

Sarah Bernhart Peony from http://www.touchofnature.com/

Peaches n' Dreams Hollyhock from http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/

Silverado Iris from http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/index.html

Lady's Mantle from https://www.anniesannuals.com/

Heavenly Blue Morning Glories from http://www.parkseed.com/

Sweet Dreams Catmint from http://www.naturehills.com/

Indian Springs Hollyhock from http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/

Spring Beauty Cottage Pinks from http://www.burpee.com/

Biedermeier Mix Columbines from http://www.perennialfavoritesnursery.com/

Angel Tiger Violas from http://www.parkseed.com/

Bowle's Black Pansies from http://www.seedman.com/

Breakers Iris from http://www.vanbloem.com/

Stairway to Heaven Iris from http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/

Ultima Baron Mahogany Pansies from http://floriculture.osu.edu/

Nothing But a Smile

2009-05-18T18:02:00.001-07:00

If you, like me, enjoy 1940s culture, vintage pinups and a good story, you should read Steve Amick's slightly naughty new book, Nothing But a Smile . It's nearing the end of World War II and Wink is a former serviceman, an artist with a newly disabled drawing hand. Sent by his military buddy Chesty to deliver a message, Wink meets Chesty's wife, Sal. She is minding the family's ailing Chicago camera shop and is secretly supplementing their income with a new business venture-- girlie photos, with herself as the model.

I enjoyed watching Wink and Sal's relationship develop, their saucy friend Reenie, and the "cameo" appearance by Gil Elvgren. It was also interesting to read about the carefully staged pinup shoots, tailored to suit the climate, with suggestive but wholesome shots for the boys at war and more skin once they returned to their women at home. I had bonus fun because part of the story is set in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where I once lived.

Love, Ruby Lavender

2009-05-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

Years ago, I heard that this was a special book. When we recently received the audio book, narrated by Judith Ivey, I thought that it was time to give it my attention and I loved it! Ruby is a funny, plucky, imperfect nine year old with a loving and supportive grandma, a newly "liberated" small flock of hens, and a curly-haired, tappity-shoed enemy, Melba Jane. When Miss Eula (her grandma) decides to leave their town of Halleluia, Mississippi and take an open-ended vacation to Hawaii, Ruby thinks that her summer will be miserably boring. But, that is before she meets Dove, an aspiring anthropologist, prepares for new arrivals in the Pink Palace greenhouse, squares off with Melba and reports it all in her frequent letters to Miss Eula. I loved the memorable characters, the gently-handled theme of forgiveness and Ms. Ivey's amusing delivery of Ruby and company.

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-05-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Pink is my favorite color

2009-05-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

This one's for you Mickey:) from

http://www.imagegenerator.net/browse/bad_comment/date/1462/

Finally Flowers!

2009-05-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

Viola Angel Tiger Eyes. Photo from: http://www.georgiavines.com

On Saturday, my husband and I went to the the wonderful Friends School Plant Sale in Minneapolis to expand our garden. I had a ball choosing out of the perennials, annuals, wildflowers, water plants, and more that were stocked. They have the three day sale annually on Mother's Day weekend, so if you're local, check it out here for next year.

I have been planning for this since March, making lists of cottage garden flowers, and then pouring over the sale catalog to pick the best types of each. While I am interested in flowers and my husband wants fruit and vegetables. We want to expand the garden year by year to eventually get rid of most of our back yard and have a lovely cottage garden. I have been enviously looking at some beautiful blogs to learn from the talents of those gardeners.

Presently, we have raspberries, evening primrose, bellflowers and cranesbill. I had grand ideas of putting in twenty new perennials, but since I had the surgery, that seems out of reach. So, scaling down, I got Heavenly Blue Morning Glories to train up a trellis, and Pansies and Johnny Jump Ups that I planted in pots in the front yard. My perennial additions were Irises, Hollyhocks, Lady's Mantle, Columbine, Cottage Pinks, a pink Peony and bareroot Bleeding Heart. My husband got beans, heirloom tomatoes, grapes, cukenuts, corn, zucchini and maybe more.

Details soon!

Desperate Housewife?

2009-05-08T12:14:00.001-07:00

My favorite character!

Your life as a (room in) a House

2009-05-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

I am a living room. I live it up.

You Are the Living Room

You are laid back and casual. You can have fun in almost any situation.

You believe in being easy going. Life's hard enough, and you're not going to make it any harder.

You are sociable and friendly. You welcome almost anyone into your life.

You are completely unpretentious. You prefer living in a comfortable home to living in a showy home.

What Room of the House Are You?

When God was a child...Oloyou

2009-05-07T15:18:00.001-07:00

Returning to the library after a month off, I found a lovely new book waiting for me: Oloyou by Teresa Cardenas. With text in both Spanish and English, it is a retelling of a Yoruba myth, where God-child creates the first creature, Oloyou the cat, from a passing cloud. The two are beloved friends, but when Oloyou accidently falls from the sky and falls in love with the daughter of the sea, his fate is uncertain. Cardenas is a famous Cuban storyteller, dancer and priestess of Santeria, and she gives us a touching story of love, friendship and creation.

I became aware of the tale when I was skimming a book review and fell in love with a picture of a happy God-child hugging the dreamy-faced, smiling cat, much larger than his maker. I immediately ordered the book from my library system. That same appealing art that drew me in fills the book, illustrated by Mexican artist Margarita Sada. Her bright oil paintings carry and enhance the charm of the story.

I'm taking this one home to read to my husband. I'd also love to hear it read in Spanish.

A Little Off the Top

2009-03-30T17:51:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you know that I will be having surgery very soon, and so I probably won't be blogging for a couple of weeks. Thanks for reading!

Meeting Chris Crutcher!

2009-03-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was privileged to hear and meet the award winning teen author Chris Crutcher, author of Whale Talk, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, The Sledding Hill and many more. He spoke at the the Central Saint Paul Library for about an hour and a half. I've seen a fair amount of teen and children's authors, and, Crutcher is an exciting, relaxed presenter. He read to us from The King of the Mild Frontier, telling us childhood stories of the "neat times" he had with his persuasive (cough) older brother. I laughed so hard that I cried. Guess what book I checked out as soon as I returned to my own library?

He graciously signed my proof of Whale Talk and I floated away a giddy, thrilled fangirl.

Crutcher also spoke eloquently of the censorship of his books and told us about the children who he met when he worked as a therapist and how they made their ways into his stories. He can speak about himself much better than I can, so read up on him at:
http://www.chriscrutcher.com/ and if you haven't already, pick up his books!

Prom is fun!

2009-03-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I loved the prom, and I love Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson.

Many years ago, I went to the proms my sophomore-senior years. My favorite thing about them was putting together my outfits. Dates and the actual proms were secondary. :) For my senior prom, I wore a vintage white eyelet lingerie dress, a family heirloom. My mom made a pink satin sash to go with it and I wore a ring of pink rosebuds in my updo. I loved getting together an entire look, from gown to jewelry to shoes. I loved going out to a fancy restaurant on a double date with my best friend.

Unlike me, Ashley in Prom, doesn't want those things. She doesn't care about the foof and the sparkle and what she really wants is to get out of school and move in with her boyfriend, T.J., and out of her family's noisy house. But, when the school's budget for the dance disappears, Ashley's best friend Nat is desperate for help in scraping together some kind of prom, no matter what. Things get awfully busy for Ash as she works as a dancing rat in a pizza parlor, staves off T.J.'s alarming apartment choice, handles her crazy, loving family, worms her way out of her many detentions and plans for the year's biggest dance, which she may not even attend.

Prom is an enjoyable read whether you're attending your first prom, blowing it off, or waxing nostalgic like I am. For added pleasure, try listening to the audio version, read by Katherine Kellgren. She does a terrific job bringing the character's off the pages!

Music Meme: 25 albums

2009-03-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

Think of 25 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, and emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of musically shaped your world.

I would have a really hard time doing this with books, But music? Here goes:

Dreams: Fleetwood Mac
A Night at the Opera: Queen
Get Your Wings: Aerosmith
Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack
Rocket To Russia: Ramones
Telekon: Gary Numan
High Voltage: AC/DC
Friend or Foe: Adam & the Ants
Simple Man: Klaus Nomi
Mondo Bongo: Boomtown Rats
Hair Soundtrack
Passage: Tannahill Weavers
OMD: OMD
Fables of the Reconstruction: REM
The Hounds of Love: Kate Bush
Filigree and Shadow: This Mortal Coil
Innocence Mission: Innocence Misson
The Flirtations: The Flirtations
The Innocents: Erasure
Little Earthquakes: Tori Amos
Graceland: Paul Simon
Hedwig & the Angry Inch Soundtrack
The Definitive Collection: ABBA
Road Rage: Great Big Sea
Play: Moby

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/picture-perfect-designs-jewelry/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldpixels/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31676630@N02/

Giant Redhead

2009-03-17T12:34:00.001-07:00

Could this be Oonaugh?

Giant Redhead
Originally uploaded by MacGBeing

An Irish Legend for you!

2009-03-16T18:22:00.000-07:00

From http://www.flickr.com/photos/darraghb/

A Legend of Knockmany

What Irish man, woman, or child has not heard of our renowned Hibernian Hercules, the great and glorious Fin M’Coul? Not one, from Cape Clear to the Giant’s Causeway, nor from that back again to Cape Clear. And, by-the-way, speaking of the Giant’s Causeway brings me at once to the beginning of my story. Well, it so happened that Fin and his men were all working at the Causeway, in order to make a bridge across to Scotland; when Fin, who was very fond of his wife Oonagh, took it into his head that he would go home and see how the poor woman got on in his absence. So, accordingly, he pulled up a fir-tree, and, after lopping off the roots and branches, made a walking-stick of it, and set out on his way to Oonagh.
Oonagh, or rather Fin, lived at this time on the very tip-top of Knockmany Hill, which faces a cousin of its own called Cullamore, that rises up, half-hill, half-mountain, on the opposite side.
There was at that time another giant, named Cucullin–some say he was Irish, and some say he was Scotch–but whether Scotch or Irish, sorrow doubt of it but he was a targer. No other giant of the day could stand before him; and such was his strength, that, when well vexed, he could give a stamp that shook the country about him. The fame and name of him went far and near; and nothing in the shape of a man, it was said, had any chance with him in a fight. By one blow of his fists he flattened a thunderbolt and kept it in his pocket, in the shape of a pancake, to show to all his enemies, when they were about to fight him. Undoubtedly he had given every giant in Ireland a considerable beating, barring Fin M’Coul himself; and he swore that he would never rest, night or day, winter or summer, till he would serve Fin with the same sauce, if he could catch him. However, the short and long of it was, with reverence be it spoken, that Fin heard Cucullin was coming to the Causeway to have a trial of strength with him; and he was seized with a very warm and sudden fit of affection for his wife, poor woman, leading a very lonely, uncomfortable life of it in his absence. He accordingly pulled up the fir-tree, as I said before, and having snedded it into a walking-stick, set out on his travels to see his darling Oonagh on the top of Knockmany, by the way.
In truth, the people wondered very much why it was that Fin selected such a windy spot for his dwelling-house, and they even went so far as to tell him as much.
“What can you mane, Mr. M’Coul,” said they, “by pitching your tent upon the top of Knockmany, where you never are without a breeze, day or night, winter or summer, and where you’re often forced to take your nightcap without either going to bed or turning up your little finger; ay, an’ where, besides this, there’s the sorrow’s own want of water?”
“Why,” said Fin, “ever since I was the height of a round tower, I was known to be fond of having a good prospect of my own; and where the dickens, neighbours, could I find a better spot for a good prospect than the top of Knockmany? As for water, I am sinking a pump, and, plase goodness, as soon as the Causeway’s made, I intend to finish it.”
Now, this was more of Fin’s philosophy; for the real state of the case was, that he pitched upon the top of Knockmany in order that he might be able to see Cucullin coming towards the house. All we have to say is, that if he wanted a spot from which to keep a sharp look- out–and, between ourselves, he did want it grievously–barring Slieve Croob, or Slieve Donard, or its own cousin, Cullamore, he could not find a neater or more convenient situation for it in the sweet and sagacious province of Ulster.
“God save all here!” said Fin, good-humouredly, on putting his honest face into his own door.
“Musha, Fin, avick, an’ you’re welcome home to your own Oonagh, you darlin’ bully.” Here followed a smack that is said to have made the waters of the lake at the bottom of the hill curl, as it were, with kindness and sympathy.
Fin spent two or three happy days with Oonagh, and felt himself very comfortable, considering the dread he had of Cucullin. This, however, grew upon him so much that his wife could not but perceive something lay on his mind which he kept altogether to himself. Let a woman alone, in the meantime, for ferreting or wheedling a secret out of her good man, when she wishes. Fin was a proof of this.
“It’s this Cucullin,” said he, “that’s troubling me. When the fellow gets angry, and begins to stamp, he’ll shake you a whole townland; and it’s well known that he can stop a thunderbolt, for he always carries one about him in the shape of a pancake, to show to any one that might misdoubt it.”
As he spoke, he clapped his thumb in his mouth, which he always did when he wanted to prophesy, or to know anything that happened in his absence; and the wife asked him what he did it for.
“He’s coming,” said Fin; “I see him below Dungannon.”
“Thank goodness, dear! an’ who is it, avick? Glory be to God!”
“That baste, Cucullin,” replied Fin; “and how to manage I don’t know. If I run away, I am disgraced; and I know that sooner or later I must meet him, for my thumb tells me so.”
“When will he be here?” said she.
“To-morrow, about two o’clock,” replied Fin, with a groan.
“Well, my bully, don’t be cast down,” said Oonagh; “depend on me, and maybe I’ll bring you better out of this scrape than ever you could bring yourself, by your rule o’ thumb.”
She then made a high smoke on the top of the hill, after which she put her finger in her mouth, and gave three whistles, and by that Cucullin knew he was invited to Cullamore–for this was the way that the Irish long ago gave a sign to all strangers and travellers, to let them know they were welcome to come and take share of whatever was going.
In the meantime, Fin was very melancholy, and did not know what to do, or how to act at all. Cucullin was an ugly customer to meet with; and, the idea of the “cake” aforesaid flattened the very heart within him. What chance could he have, strong and brave though he was, with a man who could, when put in a passion, walk the country into earthquakes and knock thunderbolts into pancakes? Fin knew not on what hand to turn him. Right or left–backward or forward–where to go he could form no guess whatsoever.
“Oonagh,” said he, “can you do nothing for me? Where’s all your invention? Am I to be skivered like a rabbit before your eyes, and to have my name disgraced for ever in the sight of all my tribe, and me the best man among them? How am I to fight this man-mountain– this huge cross between an earthquake and a thunderbolt?–with a pancake in his pocket that was once–”
“Be easy, Fin,” replied Oonagh; “troth, I’m ashamed of you. Keep your toe in your pump, will you? Talking of pancakes, maybe, we’ll give him as good as any he brings with him–thunderbolt or otherwise. If I don’t treat him to as smart feeding as he’s got this many a day, never trust Oonagh again. Leave him to me, and do just as I bid you.”
This relieved Fin very much; for, after all, he had great confidence in his wife, knowing, as he did, that she had got him out of many a quandary before. Oonagh then drew the nine woollen threads of different colours, which she always did to find out the best way of succeeding in anything of importance she went about. She then platted them into three plats with three colours in each, putting one on her right arm, one round her heart, and the third round her right ankle, for then she knew that nothing could fail with her that she undertook.
Having everything now prepared, she sent round to the neighbours and borrowed one-and-twenty iron griddles, which she took and kneaded into the hearts of one-and-twenty cakes of bread, and these she baked on the fire in the usual way, setting them aside in the cupboard according as they were done. She then put down a large pot of new milk, which she made into curds and whey. Having done all this, she sat down quite contented, waiting for his arrival on the next day about two o’clock, that being the hour at which he was expected–for Fin knew as much by the sucking of his thumb. Now this was a curious property that Fin’s thumb had. In this very thing, moreover, he was very much resembled by his great foe, Cucullin; for it was well known that the huge strength he possessed all lay in the middle finger of his right hand, and that, if he happened by any mischance to lose it, he was no more, for all his bulk, than a common man.
At length, the next day, Cucullin was seen coming across the valley, and Oonagh knew that it was time to commence operations. She immediately brought the cradle, and made Fin to lie down in it, and cover himself up with the clothes.
“You must pass for your own child,” said she; “so just lie there snug, and say nothing, but be guided by me.”
About two o’clock, as he had been expected, Cucullin came in. “God save all here!” said he; “is this where the great Fin M’Coul lives?”
“Indeed it is, honest man,” replied Oonagh; “God save you kindly– won’t you be sitting?”
“Thank you, ma’am,” says he, sitting down; “you’re Mrs. M’Coul, I suppose?”
“I am,” said she; “and I have no reason, I hope, to be ashamed of my husband.”
“No,” said the other, “he has the name of being the strongest and bravest man in Ireland; but for all that, there’s a man not far from you that’s very desirous of taking a shake with him. Is he at home?”
“Why, then, no,” she replied; “and if ever a man left his house in a fury, he did. It appears that some one told him of a big basthoon of a–giant called Cucullin being down at the Causeway to look for him, and so he set out there to try if he could catch him. Troth, I hope, for the poor giant’s sake, he won’t meet with him, for if he does, Fin will make paste of him at once.”
“Well,” said the other, “I am Cucullin, and I have been seeking him these twelve months, but he always kept clear of me; and I will never rest night or day till I lay my hands on him.”
At this Oonagh set up a loud laugh, of great contempt, by-the-way, and looked at him as if he was only a mere handful of a man.
“Did you ever see Fin?” said she, changing her manner all at once.
“How could I?” said he; “he always took care to keep his distance.”
“I thought so,” she replied; “I judged as much; and if you take my advice, you poor-looking creature, you’ll pray night and day that you may never see him, for I tell you it will be a black day for you when you do. But, in the meantime, you perceive that the wind’s on the door, and as Fin himself is from home, maybe you’d be civil enough to turn the house, for it’s always what Fin does when he’s here.”
This was a startler even to Cucullin; but he got up, however, and after pulling the middle finger of his right hand until it cracked three times, he went outside, and getting his arms about the house, turned it as she had wished. When Fin saw this, he felt the sweat of fear oozing out through every pore of his skin; but Oonagh, depending upon her woman’s wit, felt not a whit daunted.
“Arrah, then,” said she, “as you are so civil, maybe you’d do another obliging turn for us, as Fin’s not here to do it himself. You see, after this long stretch of dry weather we’ve had, we feel very badly off for want of water. Now, Fin says there’s a fine spring-well somewhere under the rocks behind the hill here below, and it was his intention to pull them asunder; but having heard of you, he left the place in such a fury, that he never thought of it. Now, if you try to find it, troth I’d feel it a kindness.”
She then brought Cucullin down to see the place, which was then all one solid rock; and, after looking at it for some time, he cracked his right middle finger nine times, and, stooping down, tore a cleft about four hundred feet deep, and a quarter of a mile in length, which has since been christened by the name of Lumford’s Glen.
“You’ll now come in,” said she, “and eat a bit of such humble fare as we can give you. Fin, even although he and you are enemies, would scorn not to treat you kindly in his own house; and, indeed, if I didn’t do it even in his absence, he would not be pleased with me.”
She accordingly brought him in, and placing half-a-dozen of the cakes we spoke of before him, together with a can or two of butter, a side of boiled bacon, and a stack of cabbage, she desired him to help himself–for this, be it known, was long before the invention of potatoes. Cucullin put one of the cakes in his mouth to take a huge whack out of it, when he made a thundering noise, something between a growl and a yell. “Blood and fury!” he shouted; “how is this? Here are two of my teeth out! What kind of bread this is you gave me.”
“What’s the matter?” said Oonagh coolly.
“Matter!” shouted the other again; “why, here are the two best teeth in my head gone.”
“Why,” said she, “that’s Fin’s bread–the only bread he ever eats when at home; but, indeed, I forgot to tell you that nobody can eat it but himself, and that child in the cradle there. I thought, however, that, as you were reported to be rather a stout little fellow of your size, you might be able to manage it, and I did not wish to affront a man that thinks himself able to fight Fin. Here’s another cake–maybe it’s not so hard as that.”
Cucullin at the moment was not only hungry, but ravenous, so he accordingly made a fresh set at the second cake, and immediately another yell was heard twice as loud as the first. “Thunder and gibbets!” he roared, “take your bread out of this, or I will not have a tooth in my head; there’s another pair of them gone!”
“Well, honest man,” replied Oonagh, “if you’re not able to eat the bread, say so quietly, and don’t be wakening the child in the cradle there. There, now, he’s awake upon me.”
Fin now gave a skirl that startled the giant, as coming from such a youngster as he was supposed to be.
“Mother,” said he, “I’m hungry-get me something to eat.” Oonagh went over, and putting into his hand a cake that had no griddle in it, Fin, whose appetite in the meantime had been sharpened by seeing eating going forward, soon swallowed it. Cucullin was thunderstruck, and secretly thanked his stars that he had the good fortune to miss meeting Fin, for, as he said to himself, “I’d have no chance with a man who could eat such bread as that, which even his son that’s but in his cradle can munch before my eyes.”
“I’d like to take a glimpse at the lad in the cradle,” said he to Oonagh; “for I can tell you that the infant who can manage that nutriment is no joke to look at, or to feed of a scarce summer.”
“With all the veins of my heart,” replied Oonagh; “get up, acushla, and show this decent little man something that won’t be unworthy of your father, Fin M’Coul.”
Fin, who was dressed for the occasion as much like a boy as possible, got up, and bringing Cucullin out, “Are you strong?” said he.
“Thunder an’ ounds!” exclaimed the other, “what a voice in so small a chap!”
“Are you strong?” said Fin again; “are you able to squeeze water out of that white stone?” he asked, putting one into Cucullin’s hand. The latter squeezed and squeezed the stone, but in vain.
“Ah, you’re a poor creature!” said Fin. “You a giant! Give me the stone here, and when I’ll show what Fin’s little son can do, you may then judge of what my daddy himself is.”
Fin then took the stone, and exchanging it for the curds, he squeezed the latter until the whey, as clear as water, oozed out in a little shower from his hand.
“I’ll now go in,” said he, “to my cradle; for I scorn to lose my time with any one that’s not able to eat my daddy’s bread, or squeeze water out of a stone. Bedad, you had better be off out of this before he comes back; for if he catches you, it’s in flummery he’d have you in two minutes.”
Cucullin, seeing what he had seen, was of the same opinion himself; his knees knocked together with the terror of Fin’s return, and he accordingly hastened to bid Oonagh farewell, and to assure her, that from that day out, he never wished to hear of, much less to see, her husband. “I admit fairly that I’m not a match for him,” said he, "strong as I am; tell him I will avoid him as I would the plague, and that I will make myself scarce in this part of the country while I live.”
Fin, in the meantime, had gone into the cradle, where he lay very quietly, his heart at his mouth with delight that Cucullin was about to take his departure, without discovering the tricks that had been played off on him.
“It’s well for you,” said Oonagh, “that he doesn’t happen to be here, for it’s nothing but hawk’s meat he’d make of you.”
“I know that,” says Cucullin; “divil a thing else he’d make of me; but before I go, will you let me feel what kind of teeth Fin’s lad has got that can eat griddle-bread like that?”
“With all pleasure in life,” said she; “only, as they’re far back in his head, you must put your finger a good way in.”
Cucullin was surprised to find such a powerful set of grinders in one so young; but he was still much more so on finding, when he took his hand from Fin’s mouth, that he had left the very finger upon which his whole strength depended, behind him. He gave one loud groan, and fell down at once with terror and weakness. This was all Fin wanted, who now knew that his most powerful and bitterest enemy was at his mercy. He started out of the cradle, and in a few minutes the great Cucullin, that was for such a length of time the terror of him and all his followers, lay a corpse before him. Thus did Fin, through the wit and invention of Oonagh, his wife, succeed in overcoming his enemy by cunning, which he never could have done by force.

From Celtic Fairy Tales, collected and edited by Joseph Jacobs

My little world

2009-03-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

View Larger Map

I made a Google map of my favorite places in the Twin Cities. Explore if you like.

I'll be your Heroine

2009-03-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

Be a hero at http://cpbintegrated.com/theherofactory/

Marriage Photos

2009-03-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

Kristian and I having dinner afterward at McCormick & SchmickAt the church with fine friends and witnesses Laura and Brenda

Getting the Marriage License.

We were legally married on January 16, 2009, so these photos are belated. But, I'm darn happy to have sealed the deal!

100 Teen Books: How many have you read? 50 for me.

2009-03-02T16:19:00.000-08:00

Karen Brooks-Reese (Pittsburgh, PA) wrote:

With the help of some of my teen librarian friends, I've compiled a list of 100 Teen Books teens love and adults who serve teens should know about. Here it is! Feel free to gank it for your own purposes.

The following list of books teens love, books teens should read, and books adults who serve teens should know about was compiled IN ABSOLUTELY NO SCIENTIFIC MANNER and should be taken with a very large grain of salt.

Instructions:
Put an "X" next to the books you've read
Put a "+" next to the books you LOVE
Put a "*" next to the books you plan on reading
Tally your "X"s at the bottom
Share with your friends!

1. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy / Douglas Adams
2. Kit's Wilderness / David Almond *
3. Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian / Sherman Alexie X
4. Speak / Laurie Halse Anderson X+
5. Feed / M.T. Anderson X
6. Flowers in the Attic / V.C. Andrews X
7. 13 Reasons Why / Jay Asher X
8. Am I Blue? / Marion Dane Bauer (editor)X
9. Audrey Wait! / Robin Benway *
10. Weetzie Bat / Francesca Lia Block X
11. Tangerine / Edward Bloor X
12. Forever / Judy Blume
13. What I Saw and How I Lied / Judy Blundell *
14. Tyrell / Coe Booth *
15. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants / Ann Brashares X
16. A Great and Terrible Beauty / Libba Bray X+
17. The Princess Diaries / Meg Cabot
18. The Stranger / Albert Camus X
19. Ender's Game / Orson Scott Card
20. Postcards from No Man's Land / Aidan Chambers *
21. Perks of Being a Wallflower / Stephen Chbosky X+
22. And Then There Were None / Agatha Christie X
23. Gingerbread / Rachel Cohn
24. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist / Rachel Cohn and David Levithan X
25. Artemis Fowl (series) / Eoin Colfer
26. The Hunger Games / Suzanne Collins
27. The Midwife's Apprentice / Karen Cushman X
28. The Truth About Forever / Sarah Dessen
29. Little Brother / Cory Doctorow
30. A Northern Light / Jennifer Donnelly X+
31. Tears of a Tiger / Sharon Draper
32. The House of the Scorpion / Nancy Farmer X
33. Breathing Underwater / Alex Flinn X+
34. Stardust / Neil Gaiman
35. Annie on My Mind / Nancy Garden X+
36. What Happened to Cass McBride / Gail Giles X
37. Fat Kid Rules the World / K.L. Going X+
38. Lord of the Flies / William Golding X
39. Looking for Alaska / John Green X
40. Bronx Masquerade / Nikki Grimes
41. Out of the Dust / Karen Hesse
42. Hoot / Carl Hiaasen
43. The Outsiders / S.E. Hinton X
44. Crank / Ellen Hopkins
45 The First Part Last / Angela Johnson X
46. Blood and Chocolate / Annette Curtis Klause
47. Arrow's Flight / Mercedes Lackey
48. Hattie Big Sky / Kirby Larson
49. To Kill a Mockingbird / Harper Lee
50. Boy Meets Boy / David Levithan X
51. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks / E. Lockhart X
52. The Giver / Lois Lowry X
53. Number the Stars / Lois Lowry X
54. Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie / David Lubar X
55. Inexcusable / Chris Lynch X
56. The Earth, My Butt and Other Big, Round Things / Carolyn Mackler X
57. Dragonsong / Anne McCaffrey
58. White Darkness / Geraldine McCaughrean
59. Sold / Patricia McCormick *
60. Jellicoe Road / Melina Marchetta *
61. Wicked Lovely / Melissa Marr X
62. Twilight / Stephenie Meyer X
63. Dairy Queen / Catherine Murdock
64. Fallen Angels / Walter Dean Myers X
65. Monster / Walter Dean Myers X
66. Step From Heaven / An Na X
67. Mama Day / Gloria Naylor
68. The Keys to the Kingdom (series) / Garth Nix
69. Sabriel / Garth Nix *
70. Airborn / Kenneth Oppel X
71. Eragon / Christopher Paolin
72. Hatchet / Gary Paulsen
73. Life As We Knew It / Susan Beth Pfeffer X
74. The Golden Compass / Phillip Pullman X
75. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging / Louise Rennison
76. The Lightning Thief / Rick Riordan X
77. Always Running: La Vida Loca / Luis Rodriguez
78. how i live now / Meg Rosoff
79. Harry Potter (series) / J.K. Rowling X
80. Holes / Louis Sachar X
81. Catcher in the Rye / J. D. Salinger X
82. Push / Sapphire
83. Persepolis / Marjane Satrapi
84. Unwind / Neil Shusterman *
85. Coldest Winter Ever / Sister Souljah
86. Stargirl / Jerry Spinelli X
87. Chanda's Secrets / Allan Stratton
88. Tale of One Bad Rat / Brian Talbot
89. Rats Saw God / Rob Thomas X
90. Lord of the Rings / J.R.R. Tolkien X
91. Stuck in Neutral / Terry Trueman X
92. Gossip Girl / Cecily Von Ziegesar
93. Uglies / Scott Westerfeld X
94. Every Time a Rainbow Dies / Rita Williams-Garcia
95. Pedro and Me / Judd Winick
96. Hard Love / Ellen Wittlinger X
97. American Born Chinese / Gene Luen Yang
98. Elsewhere / Gabrielle Zevin
99. I am the Messenger / Markus Zusak X+
100. The Book Thief / Markus Zusak X+

= 50 books

That doesn't seem like very many. :(

130 Things Game: What have you done?

2009-03-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

You are required to answer ALL the following questions.

Level 1
(x) Smoked A Cigarette (only a clove one)
() Smoked A Cigar
(X) Kissed A Member Of The Same Sex
(x) Drank Alcohol

Total: 3

Level 2
(x) Are / Been In Love
(X) Been Dumped
() Shoplifted
() Been Fired
() Been In A Fist Fight

Total: 5

Level 4
(x) Had A Crush On An Older Person
(x) Skipped School
() Seen Someone / Something Die

Total: 7

Level 5
(x) Had / Have A Crush On One Of Your Facebook Friends
(X) Been To Paris
(X) Been To Spain
(x) Been On A Plane
() Thrown Up From Drinking

Total: 9

Level 6
(x) Eaten Sushi
() Been Snowboarding
() Met Someone BECAUSE Of Facebook
() Been in a Mosh Pit

Total: 10

Level 7
(X) Been In An Abusive Relationship (mentally abusing...)
(x) Taken Pain Killers
(x) Love/loved/like Someone Who You Can't Have
(x) Laid On Your Back And Watched Cloud Shapes Go By
(x) Made A Snow Angel

Total: 15

Level 8
(X) Had A Tea Party
(X) Flown A Kite
(x) Built A Sand Castle
() Gone mudding
(x) Played Dress Up

Total: 19

Level 9
(x) Jumped Into A Pile Of Leaves
() Gone Sledging
() Cheated While Playing A Game
(x) Been Lonely
(x) Fallen Asleep At Work / School

Total: 22

Level 10
(x) Watched The Sun Set
() Felt An Earthquake
() Killed A Snake

Total: 23

Level 11
(x) Been Tickled
(x) Been Robbed
(X) Been cheated on
(x) Been Misunderstood

Total: 27

Level 12
(x) Won A Contest
() Been Suspended From School
() Had Detention
(x) Been In A Car / Motorcycle Accident

Total: 29

Level 13
() Had / Have Braces
(x) Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night

Total: 30

Level 14
(x) Hated The Way You Look
() Witnessed A Crime
() Pole Danced
(x) Questioned Your Heart
() Been obsessed with post-it-notes

Total: 32

Level 15
() Squished Barefoot Through The Mud
(x) Been Lost
() Been To The Opposite Side Of The World
() Swam In The Ocean
() Felt Like You Were Dying

Total: 33

Level 16
(x) Cried Yourself To Sleep
() Played Cops And Robbers
(X) Recently Colored With Crayons / Colored Pencils / Markers
() Sang Karaoke
() Paid For A Meal With Only Coins

Total: 35

Level 17
(x) Done Something You Told Yourself You Wouldn't -
(x) Made a Prank Phone Call -
(x) Laughed Until Some Kind Of Beverage Came Out Of Your Nose
(X) Kissed In The Rain

Total: 39

Level 18
(x) Written A Letter To Santa Claus
(x) Watched The Sun Set/ sun rise With Someone You Care/Cared About
(x) Blown Bubbles
(x) Made A Bonfire On The Beach or anywhere

Total: 43

Level 19
() Crashed A Party
() Have Traveled More Than 5 Days With A Car Full Of People
() Gone Rollerskating / Blading
(x) Had A Wish Come True
() Been Humped By A Monkey

Total: 44

Level 20
(X) Worn Pearls
() Jumped Off A Bridge
() Swore at the teacher, in front of them
() Swam With Dolphins

Total:45

Level 22
() Got Your Tongue Stuck To A Pole/Freezer/ice Cube
() Kissed A Fish
(X) worn the opposite sex's clothes
() Sat On A Roof Top

Total: 46

Level 23
(x) Screamed At The Top Of Your Lungs
() Done / Attempted A One-Handed Cartwheel
(x) Talked On The Phone For More Than 6 Hours
() Recently stayed Up for a while talking to someone you care about

Total: 48

Level 24
(x) Picked And Ate An Apple Right Off The Tree
(x) Climbed A Tree
(x) Had/Been In A Tree House.
(x) Been scared To Watch Scary Movies Alone

Total: 52

Level 25
(x) Believed In Ghosts
() Have had More Then 30 Pairs Of Shoes
() Gone Streaking
(x) Visited Jail

Total: 54

Level 26
() Played Chicken
() Been Pushed into a pool with all your clothes on
(X) Been Told You're Hot By A Complete Stranger
() Broken A Bone
(x) Been Easily Amused

Total: 56

Level 27
() Caught A Fish Then Ate It Later
() Made A Porn Video/got asked to make one
() Caught A Butterfly
(x) Laughed So Hard You Cried
(X) Cried So Hard You Laughed

Total: 58

Level 28
(x) Mooned/Flashed Someone
(x) Had Someone Moon/Flash You
() Cheated On A Test
(x) Forgotten Someone's Name
() French Braided Someone's Hair
(X) Gone Skinny Dipping
() Been Kicked Out Of Your House

Total: 62

Level 29
(x) Rode A Roller Coaster
() Went Scuba-Diving/Snorkeling
(X) Had A Cavity
() Black-Mailed Someone
() Been Black Mailed

Total: 64

Level 31
(x) Been Used
(x) Fell Going Up The Stairs
(x) Licked A Cat
(x) Bitten Someone
(x) Licked Someone

Total: 69

Level 32
() Been shot at/or at gunpoint
() Had sex in the rain
() Flattened someones tires
(x) Rode your car/truck until the gas light came on
(x) Got five dollars or less worth of gas

TOTAL. 71

Almost March; spring please come!

2009-02-27T13:31:00.000-08:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shesnuckinfuts/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/labrys3/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/powi/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24638640@N05/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashleyberryphotography/

Gertrude Stein for kids!

2009-02-25T08:48:00.000-08:00

Once a university professor announced to our class that Gertrude Stein wrote The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, a book about an imaginary person. My friend John and I were completely horrified. I took for granted that Stein was widely known as a writer, Toklas as her partner and supporter in creative endeavors, and both as associates of such artistic greats as Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway and the like. Although the prof. meant it innocently enough, we were very disturbed by the invisibility of this important couple. Geez.

So, I was excited to see Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude written by Johah Winter and illustrated by Calef Brown. Intentionally written in a style suggestive of Stein, with bold and colorful art done in acrylics, this is a somewhat odd and pleasing little book. My favorite parts include Basket the "popular poodle," the car named Auntie, and the quiet cow that ends the book. According to the publisher, this book is targeted to 4 to 8 year olds, but it seems to me that it would be better enjoyed by elementary age kids who are learning about art and creative writing.

Even if you don't normally read picture books, you should check out this loving tribute to Stein, Toklas and their society. Then tell me what you think!