If Animals Kissed Good Night by Ann Whitford Paul

(This post was inspired by your facebook status, Nan! I did know that prairie dogs kiss, although I've never seen it in person.)


If you haven't read this ADORABLE picture book, you must! If Animals Kissed Good Night is one of the cutest books I've seen. It has everything you could want in a children's book- precious pictures, fun word choices in rhythmic verse (see below) and a sweet message. I have already purchased a copy for myself in the hopes of having some snugly goodnight cuddles with my own little one someday. In the meantime, Nathan has been made to suffer through my sing-songy reading of the book and the must-have accompanying couch cuddle.

Walrus calf and her papa

would make whiskery swishes,

rubbing each other

in scritch-scratchy kisses.

And here's a picture of some animals kissing, just to put you in the mood for this great book!

(photo from the book Peeking Prairie Dogs by Christina Zuchor-Walske)

The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan

"Ike Osteen's life spans the flu epidemic of 1918, the worst depression in American history, and a world war that ripped apart the globe. Nothing compares to the black dusters of the 1930s, he says, a time when the simplest thing in life- taking a breath- was a threat."

This nonfiction book depicts the lives of those people who suffered through the driest, dustiest, dirtiest time in American history- the Dust Bowl. The states of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas were ripped apart by the blowing dirt of the "dusters" that lasted most of a decade. In years prior to the 1930s, the extensive plowing and farming of the land led to the complete destruction of millions of acres of topsoil in the Great Plains. As a result, the dirt and dust blew so long and hard in the south and eastward directions that most is said to have ended up at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. During the "dirty thirties," the dust storms were so bad that animals who suffocated and died were cut open to reveal lungs that were filled with thick dirt, and people were diagnosed with a new disease called dust pneumonia. Many died.

This book was recommended to me by Nathan's aunt, Judy. It is also the All Pikes Peak Reads nonfiction selection. I don't always love reading historical nonfiction but this book was amazing! Timothy Egan does an excellent job telling about this decade of our history through the personal stories of it's survivors. Any rational person would be loathe to admit that humans can't have a profound and devastating impact on the environment and weather after reading this captivating book. I highly recommend it.

....I write to my sisters. I write because I believe we hold this election in our hands. This vote is a vote that will determine the future not just of the U.S., but of the planet. It will determine whether we create policies to save the earth or make it forever uninhabitable for humans. It will determine whether we move towards dialogue and diplomacy in the world or whether we escalate violence through invasion, undermining and attack. It will determine whether we go for oil, strip mining, coal burning or invest our money in alternatives that will free us from dependency and destruction. It will determine if money gets spent on education and healthcare or whether we build more and more methods of killing. It will determine whether America is a free open tolerant society or a closed place of fear, fundamentalism and aggression.... -Eve Ensler

Quote of the Day

The presidential debate had just ended. Nathan made the following comment in the same analytical tone as the news correspondants speculating about the debate on the tv in the background....

"Well, there was a fundamental similarity in their approaches. They both took the opportunity to beat around the Bush... administration."

Meme

Ever get one of those e-mails with all those questions you need to answer and then forward to all your friends? Well, I get them. A lot. So, I decided this one I would just answer on here...

1. What is your occupation right now? Literacy coach at an elementary school

2. What color are your socks right now? I'm barefoot

3. What are you listening to right now? Lykke-Li: Little Bit & I'm Good, I'm Gone

4. What was the last thing that you ate? Stir Fry, Sourdough Bread & I drank a Cream Soda

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yep

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Nathan

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Absolutely! (Thanks, Tanya!)

8. How old are you today? 32

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Football

10. What is your favorite drink? Coffee

11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Does highlighting it count?

12. Favorite food? I couldn't even begin to decide

13. What is the last movie you watched? Lars & the Real Girl

14. Favorite day of the year? Depends what year

15. How do you vent anger? Complaining

16. What was your favorite toy as a child? Books

17. What is your favorite season? Summer

18. Cherries or Blueberries? Blueberries

19. Living arrangements? Living in a house with Nathan & Chloey (& the occasional spider)

20. When was the last time you cried? Last night

21. What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes

22. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to? Hmm... I'm not sending this to anybody but the oldest friend I have who reads my blog is probably Sarah.

23. What did you do last night? Ate BBQ sandwiches & french fries that Nathan picked up & worried about my book study meeting this morning (which went pretty well, actually)

24. What are you most afraid of? Something bad happening to Nathan

25. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? Cheese

26. Favorite dog breed? Golden Retrievers

27. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

28. How many states have you lived in? 5 - Pennsylvania, Idaho, Virginia, Oregon, & Colorado (and 2 countries- US & Holland)

29. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds

30. What is your favorite flower? I don't have a favorite

Quotes of the Day

I was teaching a guided reading group today to a 1st grade group. We were talking about tricky words and how we can figure them out as we are reading. The tricky word was 'berries' so I wrote a 'b' on the board and the students told me the sound of the letter. Then I wrote 'err' on the board and two of the students exclaimed excitedly, "Oh, BEER!"


Later, a 2nd grader was swinging on the playground. He was told to get off the swing after calling another student a name. He refused so a female teacher grabbed the swing to slow it down so he could get off. Later, the counselor asks the student, "Why didn't you stop the swing?"

His response... "I couldn't find the brakes!"


Finally, I was in the office making copies when the mailman enters. Always eager to chat with the ladies in the office, he is quite sociable. Today, he enters and dramatically walks around the counter and plops into one secretary's chair with a loud sigh.

"I just want to know one thing," he announces. "Why are women so heartless?!"

Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon

While on her way to a job interview, Rhonda stops at a gas station where she silently witnesses a little girl being abducted by a person wearing a large rabbit costume. The aftermath of this abduction brings to the forefront of the novel Rhonda's own memories of the disappearance of a childhood friend.

This story was entertaining, but nothing special. An easy read, I was interested to know what had happened to each of the three girls whose disappearances are interwoven into the story. However, the characters were not well-developed and I had a hard time sympathizing with any of them. Their relationships with one another and the missing children were only mildly interesting. And the final "twist" of the story seemed a bit far-fetched. I did get a strong feel for the setting in this book and felt like the author does a nice job placing her characters into their environment. It was easy to visualize where the characters were but harder to care that they were there.

It was an okay read, but if you have a pile of books waiting to be devoured (like I did), it's not worth the time.

Tammy's Baby Shower

the beautiful new mommy

belly shot!

tammy loved her presents!

especially the handmade ones....

For All Coffee Loving Teachers...

...Starbucks will give you a free tall coffee on Mondays! All you need is your teacher i.d.

Now, if only I could get Nemos (my favorite coffee shop) to do the same thing on Tuesdays!

And Pikes Perk on Wednesdays...

Quote of the Day

Marika (checking her blog again): "Oooh! I have two followers now!"

Nathan (confused): "What does that mean? Are you a prophet? Are those like disciples?"

I'm Too Old For This

Nathan was supposed to go out of town this weekend.

I know that many of you out there might covet a weekend alone at home with the freedom to relax and do your own thing, however for another 37 days I am still a newlywed and therefore I feel I can freely and unashamedly admit that I miss my husband when he leaves.

And I don't like to be alone in my house at night. (I'm not a baby, I have a very good reason for my fear!)

So, in an effort to avoid those two feelings- missing my husband and scared to stay alone at night- I made as many plans as possible for this weekend. I let most of my (local) friends know I was free and desperate to hang out. Sadly, it was not a brunch bunch weekend or a weekend to meet with old school friends- these two events always seem to nicely fill up an evening or even an entire day out of a weekend.

I happily suggested that my new school book club have their initial meeting on Thursday night (Nathan's first night away). I was glad to learn of an open house some friends were having on Saturday afternoon. I eagerly rsvp'ed for my friend Tammy's baby shower on Sunday afternoon, I made plans to sleep at my mother-in-law's house, and I even encouraged a night out at a local bar downtown with my single friends from work so we can ogle the firemen who are making their annual visit. (As a happily married woman, I, of course, will not be ogling any firemen, only objectively helping my single friends determine which of the firemen seem to display the virtuous and considerate, upstanding moral characteristics that can only be indicative of an ideal potential mate.)

Well, Nathan decided not to leave this weekend. And, I can't very well just cancel on all my friends or they might think I was just using them.

So, Thursday evening my book club met downtown at a restaurant/bar where we drank Apple-tini's, ate sweet potato fries and discussed The Color of Water (among other things).

Last night (at what was about my normal bedtime) we headed to another bar downtown where we battled the insane crowds of firemen and the loud Scottish bagpipe music in the streets to meet Matt & Esperanza and watch a band their friend plays with. This is the third time they have invited us and the only time we haven't already had plans. The band was pretty good, and we met a hilarious new friend.

This morning, I am already exhausted. In between shopping for a baby shower gift (YEAH!), attending the open house, meeting my friends at the bar tonight, and heading to Denver for the baby shower tomorrow, I might find a minute or two to talk to my husband.

Otherwise, I'll see him when the weekend is over.

Literacy Corner: 09/16/08

"Teaching... can be likened to a conversation in which you listen to the speaker carefully before you reply." -Marie Clay

SRES Girls

Dinner with the girls was wonderful, as always.

Awww, sisters!

Lykke-Li: I'm Good, I'm Gone

Palin's town used to bill victims for rape kits
Source: Associated Press.
By Ken Dilanian and Matt Kelley, USA TODAY

WASILLA, Alaska — In 2000, Alaska lawmakers learned that rural police agencies had been billing rape victims or their insurance companies $500 to $1,200 for the costs of the forensic medical examinations used to gather evidence. They quickly passed a law prohibiting the practice.

According to the sponsor, Democrat Eric Croft, the law was aimed in part at Wasilla, where now-Gov. Sarah Palin was mayor. When it was signed, Wasilla's police chief expressed displeasure.

"In the past, we've charged the cost of exams to the victims' insurance company when possible," then-chief Charlie Fannon told the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, the local newspaper. "I just don't want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer."

Now that Palin is the Republican nominee for vice president, Democrats such as former Alaska governor Tony Knowles — who signed the rape-kit bill into law and was defeated by Palin in 2006 — are raising the issue to question Palin's commitment to women's issues and crime victims. Palin appointed Fannon after firing his predecessor shortly after she took office in 1996.

Do You Really Want This Guy For President?

At a Senate hearing on POW/MIA affairs, John McCain argues with Dolores Alfond, chairperson for the National Alliance of Families for the Return of America's Missing Servicemen and Women.

Warm Fuzzies

My hair is in desperate need of a haircut.

My make-up has a way of evaporating off my face by about 10:30 in the morning.

I often spill coffee on my clothes.

Shirts I wear have this uncanny knack of coming untucked whenever I move leaving me looking disheveled and unkept.


At the end of the day today, I covered for a first grade teacher who had to leave school early. When I walked into the room, I was greeted with a chorus of kuddie voices...

"Ooooh!"

"Aaaah!"

"I remember you from kindergarten!"

"So pretty!"

Then one little girl says, "I like your skirt!"

And another calls out, "I love your shoes!"



I need to spend more time with THOSE kids!

The Shack by William P. Young

This book tells the story of Mackenzie Philips and his encounter with God.

Mackenzie's daughter was kidnapped and murdered during a family vacation. Years later, Mackenzie receives a note inviting him to return to the shack where evidence of her murder was found. The overwhelming anger and sadness that permeates his life drives him to return to the shack.

The shack becomes the setting for Mackenzie's weekend with Elousia/Papa (God), Yeshua (Jesus), and Sarayu (the Holy Spirit).

I have such mixed emotions about this book. While the idea of spending a weekend with the Trinity, having one-on-one (or three!) time with God to work through inner turmoil, answer all probing questions, and receive unconditional love is absolutely enthralling, the book itself seemed poorly written. Perhaps there is no way to write a story like this without a certain amount of sap, but this book takes it over the edge. It was pretty cheesy. (Granted, there are some interesting explanations of God's love and mercy that I did appreciate.)

I feel a little guilty about my negative feelings about this book. Since it's about Jesus, I feel like I should love the book, but I don't. I think it could serve as a meaningful read for somebody who is searching for some kind of connection or revitalization of their faith, but if you're looking for an engrossing novel that will transport you to another place and give you the feeling of being somebody else... well, let's just say, this one didn't do it for me. I'm putting this one in the Paperback Swap pile! I would be interested to hear what other people who have read the book think of it.

"Remember, the people who know me are the ones who are free to live and love without any agenda."

"Is that what it means to be a Christian?" It sounded kind of stupid as Mack said it, but it was how he was trying to sum everything up in his mind.

"Who said anything about being a Christian? I'm not a Christian."

The idea struck Mack as odd and unexpected and he couldn't keep himself from grinning. "No, I suppose you aren't."

They arrived at the door of the workshop. Again Jesus stopped. "Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't vote or are not part of any Sunday morning religious institutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some are bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved."

"Does that mean," asked Mack, "that all roads will lead to you?"

"Not at all," smiled Jesus as he reached for the door handle to the shop. "Most roads don't lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you."

p. 181-2

To All Gardeners...

Anybody know what this is? My friend, Liz, has a beautiful garden filled with vegetables and herbs that she planted. Then, in the corner is this one. She didn't plant it and doesn't know what it is. Any ideas?

Rachel & David's Wedding

September Brunch Bunch

Jessica: "Yeah, it's pretty much the exact opposite of what Jesus would do!"