A Chair For Always by Vera B. Williams, a book review

A Chair for Always by Vera B. Williams is a picture book about a chair. I believe this is another children's picture book whose author is also illustrator.

Rosa loves the chair. It's a big deal because it's the first piece of furniture she and her Mom got after a fire. Even when the chair gets old and worn, she doesn't want to change it or improve it because it's perfect to her just the way it is.

The story is good. I especially love that homebirth is mentioned within the context of the story and the importance of the chair. The illustrations are sweet. The characters, when shown in any perspective other than straight on, look a bit strange. Distorted. I like the illustrations, overall. I love the watercolor framing of many of the pages.

Have you read A Chair for Always by Vera B. Williams? What did you think?

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel, a book review

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel was a bit of a disappointment. One reason is based solely on the book and storytelling. The other is completely personal and probably has more to do with my own life than the book itself.

My first experience with Earth's Children was Valley of the Horses. I saw Clan of the Cave Bear as a movie and thought it was interesting. I imagine that if I'd read the book upon which the movie was based, I would have preferred the book. Now, though, I might not.

The reason I felt disappointed that pertains solely to the book itself is the redundancies. I realize, upon reflection, that this is part of the author's style. I'm not sure if it's purposeful or a result of the author forgetting what she'd previously written and therefore reminding herself about it as she's writing. That's what it seems like is happening. Another point of disappointment is the contradiction within the story. For instance, at one point The First decides to wait for the group to finish touring through the difficult part of a long cave, but as we read through the tour of that part, The First is with them and thinks to herself that she has to do it because it's probably the last time she'll be there. This was not the only example of this kind of contradiction.

I felt impatient with the extreme detail used to describe many aspects of the story. In a few places the story seemed to become an herbalist's field guide more than a story about Ayla and Jondolar. In a couple of other places the effort to describe the caves seems like an effort to prove how much research time Auel spent in familiarizing herself with art from prehistoric times. As a result of these two, I did not enjoy this book as much as I have the preceding books in the series. However, that may be in large part because I have grown in knowledge and experience so very much from the time I read Valley of Horses.

Given my own life experiences, I can't help but wonder if Auel has ever lived a homestead-type life with all the work entailed in starting from scratch. I wonder because she writes about such with rather rose-colored glasses and in such as way as to make such very attractive. In some ways, I'm glad she did. If she hadn't done so in Valley of the Horses, I may not have ever been willing to move to Texas the way we did. It is because of my experience, though that I know how very rose-colored Auel's glasses are.

Skimming or skipping paragraphs in a novel is usually detrimental to one's understanding of the action of the story. Have you ever done it? I rarely do, in all honesty, however, I found myself doing it pretty regularly once I made it to about page 350 in The Land of Painted Caves. I'm relatively certain I didn't miss anything pertinent to the story line. That, in itself, seems to me another confirmation that she and/or her editor didn't perform as much cutting as they could and probably should have.

Have you read The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel? If you have, what did you think of it?

Goldfish and Chrysanthemums by Andrea Cheng, a book review

In Goldfish and Chrysanthemums by Andrea Cheng, a little girl is inspired by a letter her grandmother received from her brother in China. Perhaps Nancy hears the sorrow in her grandmother over the loss of a family property that was so treasured. Room must be made for apartment buildings, so a place she remembers with much fondness is being overtaken.

This Chinese grandmother, Nini, lives with her grandchildren and their parents. Nancy decides to create a garden like the one her grandmother has lost. She does an admirable job with her limited skill set and no expenditure. Her parents allow it, and a neighbor helps, but the little girl does most of the work. She invites her brother to join in the project of finishing the surprise for their grandmother.

Potentially a good story to help children see that they are able to do things to help if they think creatively and are willing to put in some work. Others want to help those who are working hard to make things happen.

Michelle Chang does a good job illustrating this story. The colors are muted, so they didn't hold the attention of my three and five year olds. Still, the rest of my children enjoyed it.  My seven year old especially enjoyed it.  She asked me to review it.  So, here we are.

Have you read Goldfish and Chrysanthemums by Andrea Cheng?

my thoughts: on bullying

For the most part, I really and truly think that many really blow this issue out of proportion. Truly. However, I recently heard from a Mama whose son had truly experienced bullying of a horrendous nature. He was beat up on the bus. His head was beat against the bus window repeatedly, his body was stomped upon repeatedly, and then the bus diver let him off the bus well before his own stop and he walked home. His mother (and I with her) was glad the made it home, but he immediately collapsed and she couldn't get him to wake up. They rushed to the emergency room and he was okay by a couple days later.

But seriously? I mean, another kid did this to another kid! Perhaps this struck me so very painfully because I know someone who was attacked by a group of other men and beaten to a pulp. He ended up in intensive care for many days. He was unrecognizable. After that experience, he became unrecognizable as a person as well. Since that time, he has walked through the valley of the shadow of death. It has been exceedingly painful to witness.

Still, he was an adult. At least he had a relatively happy childhood by all accounts.

After learning about this little boy's experience, I almost immediately monologued to my children. In my verbal explosion of feelings brought on by learning about this little boy's experience of bullying, I basically my own children that they must DO something if they were ever witness to something of this nature, whether physical or verbal.

I believe the man I mentioned above is only alive because his friend realized what was happening to him and covered the man's body with his own. Such an act of self-sacrifice and love! We should all be so brave… but so many are not. Am I that kind of brave? I honestly don't know. I've told people to stop gossiping to me, but mostly I just change the subject.

Gossip is verbal bullying behind the victim's back… so that's why I mention it. So, what have I done, then… waited a few minutes while watching the attack and then redirecting the attackers attentions elsewhere. #sigh#

Have you stood up for someone? I would like to hear about physical and verbal interventions. What did you do? Would you do something different next time?

my thoughts: contentment versus complacency

So, I've been working through this for some time now. I have at least one pretty big issue with Paul, so reading his words from when he wrote/taught the Philippians about contentment was a little difficult. I understand the words and see their validity, but because it was Paul… I'm not sure I can adequately explain my issue.

Anyway… I've felt confused about the difference between contentment and complacency for a while. Mostly because we are told to be content, but NOT complacent. The first definition found via google for each are as follows:

contentment – a state of happiness and satisfaction

complacent – showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements

While those are the given definitions, my understanding of the two words has been more like:

contentment – accepting what is without motivation to pursue more

complacency – ignorance of need for improvement or exceeding laziness of character which stagnates an individual where they are such that they do not move forward or changeable

Based on common usage, I think the actual definition of complacency is very much a combination of my understanding and the definition cited. However, I think the second part of my definition for complacency is the more accurate one based on usage I've heard and read.

So, given all that, I can completely understand how and why we would be advised against complacency. While, especially in the way Paul uses it, I really even still have a tough time with contentment. I do believe we should choose to be happy in whatsoever circumstances we find ourselves. However, if we do so, how do we feel motivated to improve our circumstances? I'm still troubling over this, in fact. I guess if I come to a point where I understand it fully, I'll share what I come up with. Until then, tell me what YOU think! I seriously would love some help with this and reading your perspective could be just what I need! Thank you in advance if you take some time to help me figure this out!

Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen, a book review

While Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen fits easily in women's fiction, I think almost any adult would enjoy it. Those who enjoy and are familiar with Poe's works would probably enjoy it even more than a more general adult audience. I enjoyed the novel.

As an English major, I was already familiar with Poe, but didn't find him as fascinating as many folks I've known found him. For me, Lynn Cullen brought him to life through Mrs. Osborne's eyes and experiences in such a way as to make him far more interesting to me than he ever was on his own!

The notes at the end of the book are extremely interesting as well. In my experience of the novel, those note add relevance and 'meat' to the fictional story preceding them. Perhaps especially the notes about what pre and post dated the events reported within the novel.

I enjoyed the novel and the experience of Poe coming to life for me in a way that none of my university studies and classroom discussions about him and his work ever made him. I appreciate the treatment of the one love scene presented.

My girls will have to wait until they are in their late teens to read Mrs. Poe. This is a novel intended for adults and deals with subjects appropriate to such. I strive to present adult material to my children carefully. The material that would not be appropriate for my youngsters pertains to sex/sexuality, abortion, and faithfulness (or lack thereof).

Have you read Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen? What did you think of it?

A Leprechaun's St. Patrick's Day by Sarah Kirwan Blazek

A Leprechaun's St. Patrick's Day by Sarah Kirwan Blazek is lovely for a few reasons. First, it starts out with a particular rhyme pattern and keeps it going through the whole book. Second, there are some Gaelic words and phrases used and their definitions are very easily seen and understood on the same page in which the word or phrase appears. Third, the illustrations work really well to inform and support the verbal part of the story.

My eldest daughter recognized the illustrator by his work. James Rice has a distinctive style and has illustrated at least one other book we've enjoyed.

If you're like me and want to have a few sweet family traditions, you could use this for one. Buy a copy for your closet and pull it out ONLY on St. Patty's Day to read with your little Leprechauns. Make sure to make it a special thing that you're pulling it out and they'll be sure to look forward to its appearance once a year.

My five eldest children and I enjoyed this book and recommend it. What do you think of it?

writing life: what I do in town

Two or three days a week, most weeks, I go to town to do some work online. This is particularly enjoyable for me because I very much dislike really hot weather. Sitting in air conditioning to work, is easier, for sure.

Most of the time, I work at the Library (which is in the mall) or Whataburger. The latter being somewhat easier some of the time because I'm able to have water there. It's difficult for a nursing Mama to be without water for very long.

GrA is with me when I go to town on my own, which is one or two days each week, most weeks. I prefer going at night because he's getting older and it's more difficult to work while caring for him. When he was younger (and I started going to town to work on writerly stuff when he was two months old), it was pretty easy because he just slept and nursed. Now, though, he wants a great deal more interaction. He does sleep well through the night, so going to town during the night I'm able to get more done than if I try to work through the day.

So, one or two days a week I go to town anywhere from 2pm until sometime in the wee hours of the next morning. Some days I've stayed as late at 7am. Those are days when my arrival is considerably later the night before. Usually, I leave between 5 and 6am.

What do I do online? Well, I usually have a few things to cut and paste and upload. Sometimes I copy and paste writing (like this, actually) in to my blog. Often, I have videos of GrA and other YouTube things to upload. When I was first learning to use the video editing software I use, I watched “How To” YouTubes as I did it because I couldn't figure it out on my own. YouTube is awesome!

The free picture editing tools online are better than any I have, so I do that in town. I also search for free pictures and clipart to prepare various things for different purposes. For instance, pictures may be used for a thumbnail for YouTube, a meme for Facebook, and potentially for my blog as well. If there's no picture for each blog entry, it's not very Pinnable, doncha know!

For the most part, I don't write much while in town. Sometimes I edit when I wasn't able to finish that at home for something that needs to be posted or scheduled. I prefer to get things scheduled rather than just saved as drafts because if it's a draft I still have to think about it. Whereas, if it's scheduled, it's ready to go. I like having things fully ready!

In addition to all that, I also prepare posts for Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. I've started working in Goodreads a little here and there.

Getting things scheduled out, is very important and helpful to me. As a Mama of six, I simply refuse to allow my work life to be a last-minute sort of situation. Knowing myself as I do, that would cause me tremendous anxiety. So, I schedule posts out as far in advance as I'm able.

Before I ever began this effort and venture, I'd read about other bloggers who have their whole calendar fully scheduled for six months in advance. I'm sure there are times where it gets a little less and even some when they have their blog ready for more than that. That makes absolute and perfect sense to me. And since I have so many social media outlets I'm working to build, I attempt to schedule out as much as I can manage.

It's definitely a progression and building process!

From the beginning, I had a plan. It has changed and grown along the way. I think and hope it's all for the better. I'd love to hear what you think of what you've seen!

Can you see how I've been building? Can you tell where I've started? What I've focused on first? I'm curious, if you've been following since I've made this effort public, if you can tell what I've been doing and where it looks to you like I'm going! Do tell!

The Fog Diver by Joel Ross, a book review

The Fog Diver by Joel Ross immediately reveals very little, yet caught this reader firmly. I had to force myself to stop to go to sleep when I felt tired.

Chess is the main character of this future fiction. A future in which Elvis Presley is a constellation and Star Wars and Star Trek have become one crazy story. A time when nanites have cleaned the earth and turned on their creators.

This is an awesome story. My two eldest daughters and I have adopted some of the phrases from the story in our communications (to be silly and to sorta make our own family language). It's the purplest! Seriously. You should read this book so you can join in!

Have you read The Fog Diver by Joel Ross? What did you think of it?

The Pitiful Pirates by Jane Arlington, a book review

My children read The Pitiful Pirates by Jane Arlington before I did. Very soon after they read it, they put it in front of me telling me I absolutely had to read it. They were so excited as I began it, that I couldn't help wondering what was so great about the story. It's not a rhyming story (which I definitely prefer in children's picture books), so I was waiting to realize why they were so excited for me to read it.

When I read the part of the story in which the storm kicks up, I did find it pretty funny. Of course, given our Cap'N Hugh “Strongback” Golly, this book would be pretty appropriate and enjoyable to all of us. Lydian, the little girl in the story, made a suggestion to the pirates after observing their difficulty with the storm. That is why my children were so tickled and excited for me to read this book. It's pretty perfect for us if you think of my very first children's book!

Meredeth Johnson illustrated this picture book. The illustrations are really perfect for the story. The portrayal of Lydia in the illustrations is completely believable and adorable. The other characters are equally fitting and fun.

We liked this children's picture book! Have you read The Pitiful Pirates by Jane Arlington? What did you think?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my eldest daughter!

The Door in the Lake by Nancy Butts, a book review

Nancy Butts caught me and my daughters well, solidly, and immediately in The Door in the Lake. The cliff-hangers at the end of each chapter are such that I neglected the chapter breaks a few times when I meant to stop reading to sleep. I started the book one afternoon and finished the next day, which isn't surprising because it's really not very long.

It is suspenseful without being heartpoundingly unnerving. I particularly enjoyed the imagery pertaining to the door itself. The way Nancy Butts treats time in the novel is perfect. I was imagining, the night after finishing it, what Joey's brother, parents, and others did in the time-line he left. Ripe for fan fiction opportunities me thinks.

My three eldest girls have read and enjoyed it. The youngest of those three being seven, almost eight. It is appropriate for all ages, thankfully!

Have you read The Door in the Lake by Nancy Butts? What did you think of it?

Nancy Butts caught me and my daughters well, solidly, and immediately in The Door in the Lake. The cliff-hangers at the end of each chapter are such that I neglected the chapter breaks a few times when I meant to stop reading to sleep. I started the book one afternoon and finished the next day, which isn't surprising because it's really not very long.

It is suspenseful without being heartpoundingly unnerving. I particularly enjoyed the imagery pertaining to the door itself. The way Nancy Butts treats time in the novel is perfect. I was imagining, the night after finishing it, what Joey's brother, parents, and others did in the time-line he left. Ripe for fan fiction opportunities me thinks.

My three eldest girls have read and enjoyed it. The youngest of those three being seven, almost eight. It is appropriate for all ages, thankfully!

Have you read The Door in the Lake by Nancy Butts? What did you think of it?

Carousel Cat by Robert J. Blake, a book review

Apparently, I really like children's picture books in which the author is also illustrator! Carousel Cat is written and illustrated by Robert J. Blake.

The illustrations in this book were not nearly so captivating to me as in previous author/illustrator books I've reviewed. My children really enjoyed them, though. How do I know? If they don't enjoy the pictures, they get up when I'm reading and the quiet erupts into their noisier play. So, I'm pleased with the art for its ability to keep my children's attention.

I like the story. It left me wondering if the happenings were based on real incidents. Are the characters based on real people? I haven't been curious enough to find out, but it's interesting to think that they could be.

The plot twist involving the cat is pretty fun. My children really enjoyed it.

Have you read Carousel Cat? What did you think?

The Great Kettles, a Tale of Time by Dean Morrissey, a book review

The second following Ship of Dreams, Dean Morrissey as author and illustrator does an amazing job of story telling and illustrating in The Great Kettles, a Tale of Time. My children love these books. My five-year-old boy, in particular loves the paintings. He enjoys pointing out small details. Like the snakes in the train, the Sandman's ship in the sky, and the lantern at Joey's feet as just a few examples.

In this tale, Joey continues his adventure with mythical folk, primarily Father Time. He does come across The Sandman again briefly. He's once again rather stranded. Will he be able to get home?

The illustrations in this book are phenomenal. They are lovely and detailed and perfectly support the story. Morrissey started them in 1992 and finished them in 1996. The time he spent on them is obvious.