Ellesmere
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Posts posted by Ellesmere
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I finished The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, which was my green cover book for the week. I borrowed the e-book through our library and on the website, the edition had a green cover. I sort of just dove into that book without having any idea what it was about and so I wasn't quite prepared for it. Oh, well, I am still glad I read it.
One more book for this week -- I feel like I'm the last person to finally read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo -- also a library loan, after being on the waiting list for months. Finished it today and thought, "wonderful, but THAT is not happening!" but I still am glad I learned how to fold my clothes back when I first heard about it.-
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I am afraid to admit it but here it goes..... my children have never liked Richard Scarry books. :leaving:
They are all strong Mo Willems fans. We love the pigeon in this house. My favorite book of his is Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs. That book is very funny for grownups.
I can understand not being into Scarry. I treasure the copies that my mom saved because they are old & familiar, one has a lovely inscription from my aunt who gave it to me. And one of my kids is in love with my old Scarry books.
One of my Scarry books -- I've never looked at since childhood. It's in decent shape. The other -- it is all ragged and taped up, so I loved the quote Stacia mentioned. I remember my parents taping a lot of my old books.
Speaking of Mo Willems (our kids love him, too) -- not sure if this was already posted:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/18/arts/design/mo-willems-and-the-art-of-the-childrens-book.html
"If there’s a living creator of children’s books who stands a chance of occupying a cultural position akin to a Dr. Seuss or a Charles M. Schulz, it’s Mr. Willems. "
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My green covered book for the week is an edition of The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver that has a green cover. I really wanted to read something from Ireland but my mind is still in February and St. Patrick's took me by surprise. But I did get a grow kit so the kids could have little pots of clover. Thanks to dh, the seeds actually were planted and all is well. The less I have to do with them, the more likely to survive. I did find all our Irish-themed books to read aloud with the kids and am enjoying that as always.
I have so much to say and not enough time atm to post about Between the World & Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Took forever to get it from the library and I should have just bought it anyway because I immediately thought of someone I should loan (well, give) a copy to because I know we'll be able to have some good conversations about it.
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In honor of St Pat's day, a recommendation. I read this last year, but I really loved it and haven't shared it before.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/may/03/the-green-road-anne-enright-review-exquisite-collage
It's a lovely book, teetering on the edge between beauty and sorrow, and in some ways, a hymn to a lost Ireland.
~
Robin, when I was a girl, I used to love all those old mournful convict folk songs! It's hard to imagine, being sent to an unknown land on the other side of the world, almost certain to never return.
I won't get it in time for this week, but I am requesting The Green Road from the library. Thank you for mentioning it.
I finished The Sound of Things Falling. So good. I am now reading Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail, another excellent recommendation from Stacia.
I finished My Side of the Mountain with the kids. I had forgotten that my dd loved the book but hated the ending. She felt like it was unsatisfying, so we spent a good deal of time inventing alternate endings.
We are Now reading There's an Owl in My Shower, also by Jean Craighead George. It's a short book but is causing me no end of trouble since both of my kids are now desperate to bring home a bird of prey to live with our family. They really could care less if it's an owl or a falcon. Either will do.
I have been reading Aesop's Fables with my son who has a whole host of learning disabilities, and it has been such a great and sneaky way to work on reading comprehension. He generally is so reluctant to talk about what we are reading, even if done conversationally, but he is so eager to tell me what he thinks a good moral for each fable should be. His morals are usually hilarious and often way better than Aesop's. I am often terrified about this child's future, but this gives me hope.
The kids adore Jean Craighead George and we've been checking on the owl cams every day. Thank you for mentioning There's an Owl in My Shower -- they will love it.
Btw, Kathy, Richard Scarry is my favorite children's author. I even have a favorite quote by him saved over on my Goodreads page...
And, just so you know, many, many of the highly-beloved Richard Scarry books in our house have Scotch tape as an integral part of them! :lol:
So, :cheers2: to books being worthy enough to need Scotch tape!
:hurray:
My mom saved two Richard Scarry books from my childhood, the first books I rec'd as gifts when I was a toddler. They went through a lot of Scotch tape when I was little. (One book was duct taped, in desperation.)
I just checked the Scarry books and noticed one of the kids taped added a library checkout card on the inside cover with a due date of "descembr".
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I have been using Paula's Choice for years. I used to get her newsletter back in the old days and still check in with Beautypedia for her reviews. After all this time, I feel like I know where we agree and disagree, so it's been a good guide for me.
My favorites are this cleanser and this BHA. I shop when it is on sale.
I am also interested in hearing more about Asian skin care. I saw this Korean skin care guide on PC's website but it doesn't have any specific recommendations. I started to look at Sephora but got lost in all the options. -
Ok so what did you do prior to starting MM? Dgs is going to be 5 and starting K. If dd were going to use this starting at 6, what would be good for his K year?
Here is what MM's author recommends for K math:
http://www.homeschoolmath.net/teaching/kindergarten.php
One of my kids did RightStart A before MM1. I think we jumped into 1BR when my oldest started with MM. But since I'm not organized enough to use MM, I didn't use RS the second time around. So I agree, I wouldn't go all in for RS if you plan to use MM. I did keep the abacus and games to use for K/1st, though.
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Oops. Double post.
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I really am trying to finish some books I'd already started, but at the beginning of the week, I started a quick children's book -- The Cat Who Came in off the Roof by Annie M.G. Schmidt, translated (from Dutch) by David Colmer. The kids were laughing about it last week, so I read it while I wasn't feeling well and needed something quick and cozy. Since it featured cats and was a bit quirky, it was a nice book for my little Catwings-loving child.
I'm still finishing the book of Agatha Christie's plays. And I
am finishing up Cosmos by Carl Sagan, which I had forgotten to put on my currently reading list. So hopefully at the end of the week I'll have finished those two but my list will only be down by one. Oh, well. One is better than none.
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I am so late checking in on the thread this week. So much I wanted to respond to. Just a couple things:
NoseInABook, :grouphug: on your foster. I'm glad the placement was for the best. You & your family have such generous hearts, in spite of knowing you have to endure the pain of goodbyes too. True heroes, you are.
Kathy (re: last week's thread), I'll send you Ajax Penumbra. (Btw, I kind of giggle now when I see that title because in the movie Deadpool, the 'bad guy' was named Ajax & there were some cracks made about his name & not trusting someone named after a cleaning solution, & so on. It's completely juvenile but it still makes me laugh.)
Although I try to finish my book club books, there are plenty I don't. I do think you are way more generous in that respect than me. :lol:
Here's my info about Love in the Time of Cholera (feel free to skip it if you don't want to read it)....
For years I thought I should read that book because a few people I knew raved about how it is the best book ever written & other superlatives of that extreme. I guess I did try it at some point, didn't like it & abandoned it. I apparently also completely & utterly wiped it from my memory. Years later, my book club chose it. I started reading it (having no clue or memory that I had ever even read it before) & just had the weirdest, eeriest feeling for the entire first half of the book since I already knew what was going to happen, etc... even though I was sure I had never read it. It took me forever to remember that I had actually tried it & I still wonder why I so completely bleached it from my brain...? :huh: (I usually don't forget books I've read. Plots maybe, but I could still tell you the book title or what the cover looked like or something about it). Here... just nada.
Anyway, I just didn't like it. I didn't care one iota for any of the characters, their choices, the plot seemed boring, & that's about as much as I can remember as to why I didn't like it. I think, mainly, I pretty much disliked every character. A lot.
However, so many people absolutely love that book. Maybe there's hope...? :leaving: (I'm not reading it again, though. :tongue_smilie: )
I should be working on my banned/no longer banned New Zealand book but my brain feels fried & I find it such a chore to read a kindle version of anything. So I know I should pick it up & read, but I'm just not. Maybe I'll have to break down & acquire a hardcopy. Not sure.
My book club is going to read Bossypants so I need to start that soon. Various others I'm contemplating. But, my brain is just tired & I'm not even up for much reading these past couple of days.
Did get to go do another fun thing last night. Dd's big Christmas present was to get tix to the Cirque du Soleil show Kurios (fun steampunk-y theme), along w/ a friend. Since they needed a chauffeur <ahem... me>, I made sure the chauffeur got a ticket too. <grin> So, we have a fun girls night out for dinner, the show, & a super-late-night coffee afterward.
And, thanks again, all my BaW friends. :grouphug: You have all been so kind, so supportive, & so wonderful as my life has been chaos for awhile. I'm happy to report that my dh is starting a new job tomorrow. (Unfortunately, it is in another state & pays a bit less than his previous job. We are not planning to relocate the family, but will need to find him an apartment or other accommodations.) But, still, it's an improvement. And, it's with a company he loves & really wanted to get into. There are quite a few other crazy & stressful things going on now too, so I'd certainly appreciate any continued good thoughts as 2016 progresses. But, thanks again, my friends. You all, you guys, y'all, or all y'all (or however you want to say it) have been a tremendous help, support, & encouragement to me. I am humbled & grateful for the kindness of this group. Sending much love to each & every one of you. :grouphug: :001_wub: :grouphug:
:grouphug: Best wishes for the new job and all the changes.
Kurios sounds so fun! One of my kids would love that!
I was going to read Love in the Time of Cholera. Might still give it a whirl, but am glad to hear your feedback on it.Possibly something that could take us up to Prince Edward Island. (If only there was a book we could read set there ...)
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruises?destinationRegionCode_ATLCO=true
Good choice --have always wanted to see P.E. Island!
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I thought Good Omens was hilarious, and my dd13 is reading it right now - I keep hearing her giggling around the house, and I know she's got her nose in that book!
You're a girl after my own heart - I was just feeling proud that I've gotten my "Currently Reading" list down to 8 books. That's about right - one all-year read, one read aloud with dd13, one audiobook, 4 "serious" books on a rotating stack, and one candy book that I read right before bed to help me fall asleep. It's when Iet that serious book stack creep above 4 that I start to get into trouble.
Now, don't get me started on the teetering To Read stacks towering over the current stack . . . they are a little scary!
I'm looking forward to my kids reading it Good Omens a few years, too! I just realized it's not as far off for my oldest as I thought.
Yeah, my goal is to get my currently reading down to under 10 with a healthy mix of fluff and serious stuff. Eight would be great. Officially my count is 16, but there are some I know I've started, could pick right back up without backtracking, and I forgot to put on the list.
My To Read list is so long. And it doesn't include all the books I already own, so I feel guilty when I get anything while I still have a stack of unread books. I've tried to feel better by going to the library so I'm at least not spending money, but still. So many books, so little commitment.
I'm glad you and others posted about the Bingo squares too because I had dismissed it at first (again, commitment issues) and didn't think I'd remember to keep track. But it is helping me choose when suffering from indecision.
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I finished Good Omens this week (loved it) and I even remembered to come here and post. (Usually I forget and am here posting about what I read the previous week.) Now that I'm done with that, I still have sixteen books on my "currently reading" list and am suffering from "I have nothing to read syndrome". When I start feeling better, I will perk up and be able to commit. I hope. If not, I'll breeze through some more of the children/YA books I need to look at.
If I finish re-reading a book of Agatha Christie plays and read a book by a Nobel Prize author, I'll have one row on my bingo sheet done, so I should probably let that help direct me since I haven't been able to decide any particular book today.
But since it doesn't do this to me, it would be hard to give it up because it's in most everything I love! A friend dropped it when he noticed a link to his migraines, and I know it's hard for him because he still likes the taste of gluten-full food. So sometimes he thinks, "well, maybe it won't hurt this once." But I agree--if it was obvious that gluten made me feel horrible it would not be so appealing. I think it's just hard when there is a change--you could once eat it but now you can't.
I understand that. I have severe health issues from several food groups and have had to give up a lot of stuff. It's been hard for me. Not sure if it is because of my age when it started or if it's because my social circles are really food-centered or some other reason. I miss the taste of a lot of the foods I can't have. It's hard to be the only one at the table who can't have it. I don't assume it's hard for everyone but it is hard for me. I realize it is a small problem in the grand scheme of things and my list of restrictions is a bit longer than some, so I know my situation neither dire nor ordinary. Anyway, I sympathize with people giving up food whether because of allergies or celiac or migraines or blood pressure or other health issues.
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Still sick and just not able to focus. Earlier in the week I thought I'd use the down time as an excuse to revisit a cozy favorite but I have so many to-read books on my list. I read two books from the children section: The Apothecary by Maile Meloy and West of the Moon by Margi Preus.
I picked The Apothecary mostly because of the cover. And I ended up liking the cover more than the book, which is not a slight against the writing. One of my kids & I both enjoyed West of the Moon quite a bit.
I did dive back into Good Omens and I'm not sure why I had gotten sidetracked from it before!
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Got to do a fun thing with ds tonight. For Christmas, I had gotten tickets to my favorite radio show, Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me.
Ds & I went to tonight & had a fabulous time. Great crowd there tonight. So funny. Probably a few things they will be editing out. :lol: Panelists were Paula Poundstone, Roy Blount, Jr., and Faith Salie. Tricia Yearwood was the guest. Loads of fun. I think the recording from tonight will be the one they broadcast this Saturday.
My terrible iphone photo of the stage:
ETA: And, it was at the Fabulous Fox Theatre, so that's always a win. It's such a gorgeous venue & a must-visit if you're ever in Atlant
Lucky ducky! That is my favorite and I have been scheming to try & see it when it comes to our area. I doubt it will happen but it's not completely out of the question.
Beautiful theater!
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Quoting from that same paragraph "This came up when I asked the kids if anyone has ever touched them inappropriately before, and my oldest said only one person, this man. "
So it wasn't a speaking up at the time, it came up because (I believe she said somewhere a book was read) and she asked directly.
Obviously there's a huge difference between the memories of a 2yo and the memories of a 5yo.
Ok, I see that now. Her story is spread over so many posts that I could be wrong. From what I read: there was an incident that happened at age 2/3 and he didn't speak of it until age four (?). Then MIL said what I put in bold in her story below, meaning that at age 5 there was also a rough housing incident and he spoke up at the time. So now she is wondering if there were two incidents. Again, I could be wrong in how I read all her posts. So if he was five and speaking up, regardless of how I felt about the memories of a toddler, then I would say that is cause for concern along with all the other red flags going up.
(Sorry I messed up the multiquote and your name is on top here):
I talked to with her.. She was trying to think of anything that seemed out of normal. She told me the last time he was here was December 2012 so that would make our son 5 and they were apparently rough housing and my son said "you touched my private parts, you can't touch private parts". That sounds like my son! I felt like I recalled that moment, so I asked her if she remembers us being in the room, and she can't remember, but that it was on the couch or tv room. I had already told her it happened on the couch, which we still have.
...
Now I am conflicted on whether or not to ask my son whether or not he recalls rough housing when the touching happened.
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This is where I've gotten the age 2/3 thing from, I assumed it occured while they were living together, which was age 2-3. And she referred to it happening on the couch.
Looking at her own words she said he was four or five, didn't she? And he spoke up at the time?
So when my son was around 4 he says he was touched over his pants.I talked to with her.. She was trying to think of anything that seemed out of normal. She told me the last time he was here was December 2012 so that would make our son 5 and they were apparently rough housing and my son said "you touched my private parts, you can't touch private parts". That sounds like my son! I felt like I recalled that moment, so I asked her if she remembers us being in the room, and she can't remember, but that it was on the couch or tv room. I had already told her it happened on the couch, which we still have.
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Forgot to post last week but I enjoyed Karen's post about romance. I haven't read anything that was listed but I probably should give it a try someday.
Glad you got mostly good news, Stacia. Eye issues can be so tricky. I'm dreading my next exam this spring.Last week, I mostly took it easy. I read another play in my book of Agatha Christie plays but I didn't re-read the novel (Appointment With Death) this time.
I also finished The Late Age of Print by Ted Striphas and am glad I read it. I was reading the chapter about Harry Potter, publisher control, and piracy just after the next HP book was announced. Looking at the list of what I've read so far, I'd rank it highly among the books I've finished this year.
Now, I have to figure out what to finish or start next. Since Good Omens was mentioned, I might finish that since I was enjoying it up until I got distracted and forgot to go back to it. We are all down with fevers and coughs and general yuck. And it's been yet another dreadful (but not tragic) week, so I may just dig out an old favorite that I haven't read in years.
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Bumping in case anyone else has suggestions, too.
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Yep, I get it, especially when I am stressed.
research neurally mediated hypotension. Here is one article that discusses some theories to go with it.
I am in the process of getting dd17 possibly diagnosed with Erler Danlos (connecitve tissue disorder) and this can be a complication in some of the ED variations. ED is genetic. If she is diagnosed, then I am likely the source of those lovely genes and the hypo tension is likely a result of the connective tissue disorder.
My doctor had me add salt to my diet (I tested on the very low end of normal range) and purposefully add caffeine at lunch to keep my blood pressure up. I have coffee in the morning so I make sure to have another form of caffeine by 2pm each day. That is enough to get me through until I am home in the evening.
Someone also posted this PDF on NMH/POTS on another thread. It mentions Ehlers-Danlos, briefly. I started out just trying to figure out my hypotension issues and someone I know with Ehlers-Danlos asked me if I was looking into dysautonomia.
At first I figured neither were connected to my symptoms but both keep coming up in everything I researched (and also while looking at a family member's mast cell disorder) and I talked with my parents to see if anything rang bells for them, and it did. So we're looking into it, too.
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Have you seen this one? It came home from the library today. It's fascinating and has a lot of humor, too; I'd describe it as a coffee table book rather than a book you're likely to read from cover to cover.
Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words which is by the xkcd artist, Randall Monroe
"Have you ever tried to learn more about some incredible thing, only to be frustrated by incomprehensible jargon? Randall Munroe is here to help. In Thing Explainer, he uses line drawings and only the thousand (or, rather, “ten hundredâ€) most common words to provide simple explanations for some of the most interesting stuff there is, including:
- food-heating radio boxes (microwaves)
- tall roads (bridges)
- computer buildings (datacenters)
- the shared space house (the International Space Station)
- the other worlds around the sun (the solar system)
- the big flat rocks we live on (tectonic plates)
- the pieces everything is made of (the periodic table)
- planes with turning wings (helicopters)
- boxes that make clothes smell better (washers and dryers)
- the bags of stuff inside you (cells)
How do these things work? Where do they come from? What would life be like without them? And what would happen if we opened them up, heated them up, cooled them down, pointed them in a different direction, or pressed this button? In Thing Explainer, Munroe gives us the answers to these questions and so many more. Funny, interesting, and always understandable, this book is for anyone—age 5 to 105—who has ever wondered how things work, and why."
Regards,
Kareni
I have that on the way!
I know I keep complaining that I've already started too many books but I justified this as a book for everyone to browse through :)
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If we could add a garage, put on a small deck in the back (not a necessity in my dream house but it would really help on this particular piece of property), re-do the entry (nowhere to put coats or shoes, and we have a long winter), and add a half bath (now that the kids are older, all of us on one bathroom is getting harder), I'd happier in the house. We really need new windows since we would lose tons of heat if we didn't put up plastic all winter. It's still cold, dusty no matter what, and uncomfortable.
It's not too small, but the layout is terrible. The basement is too damp to use for good storage and we can't finish it. I dislike the location. It is not a house I want to grow old in as it is already difficult enough living here, physically. I am also tired of constantly driving to get anything done.
Most days I try to focus on the good things. It's a house. It's sturdy.Unlike the apartment I used to be in, I can do laundry here. Our own parking even if the driveway is terrible. No neighbor troubles. I could be in far worse places. I feel restless here but I know the grass isn't necessarily greener. -
We would be interested, if still available. Thank you!
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I don't think I posted what I actually read last week. I took it easy and re-read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. It was one of those books that I'd read many years ago, growing up on her books. But I am not sure I ever read it again past high school. I had seen the latest movie version last month and had been thinking of reading again this year anyway. Since I needed something that wouldn't tax my brain, I grabbed it even though I had something like 17 books already started.
I actually had started out reading her stage version after intending to read The Mousetrap again. And I had The Mousetrap on my mind because I had listened to The Blizzard by David Ives. If I'd had more time I would have done more with reading the books and her stage versions in this volume and watched any filmed versions out there but another time.
This article is a bit old but it said And Then There Were None was voted as readers' favorite AC book. I am never sure if I like some of Agatha Christie's books because of the familiarity and memories or if tit is because they are some of her better works. But at any rate, I wouldn't vote it as my favorite.
This week: I'm probably not going to finish it, but I'm reading The Late Age of Print by Ted Striphas. I'm enjoying it but it's been a dreadful week (nothing terrible, just stressful and I can't get out of my own way) so I haven't been able to devote as much time to it as I'd like. I'm pretty sure I'm abandoning The Birth House, at least until I am in a better frame of mind for it.
I'll post book related stuff in a separate post.
Yesterday was a sad day in our household. I had made an appointment (THE appointment) for our dog for Tuesday, but he was in such bad shape Friday night that we knew it wasn't fair to make him wait that long. We had hoped for a few more days to say goodbye, but we feel we made the right decision. Fortunately our vet has half day hours on Saturday, so when I called in the morning they said we could bring him in. They were very caring and understanding and let us have as much time as we needed before actually doing anything.
Ds' girlfriend came over early in the morning, went to the vet with us, and stayed most of the day and a good part of the evening. I was grateful to her, and I think her presence really helped him deal with his sadness. Of course our grieving is not over, but yesterday was the hardest and I'm glad she was able to be here to help him through it. She volunteers at an animal rescue thrift shop on Saturdays, but when she called and told them why she couldn't come in, they completely understood.
As I mentioned, my heart is breaking from missing the dog, but also for my son, who grew up with him. They were the poster for "A boy and his dog." I don't want to end this post on such a sad note, so I want to share a message sent to me by a friend. It was in response to a comment I made about seeing my big 18 year old man fall apart over the loss of his childhood pet. I though it was a wonderful sentiment.
This is so so SO hard. The thing is...Dingo left Dennis with a gift he will carry with him his whole life: compassion, and the ability to love and look after a creature put under his care. This, in some way, is Dingo's legacy: he left behind a boy, a young man in pain, but who is a better person for it.
Hugs. What a beautiful message. My childhood dogs are long gone but they still come up in memories and conversations, making us smile & share. We can't have dogs but we have a pet for our kids and I've dreaded the day when her time will be up, but that is a message I hope to remember for them.
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I measured after reading that link awhile back and I was surprised! I think it explains why mine have never fit. Once I stop changing sizes so often I am going to try buying with that measuring technique.
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I'm intrigued by the Jag jeans. They look like the jeans I get for my toddler at Gymboree! How is the sizing?
Looking at their size chart, I was having trouble because my hips were two sizes smaller than my waist. I chatted with a rep at zappos and she recommended going by my waist but I was afraid they would be too big all over and sag. I ordered a couple sizes and sent back what didn't fit.
I ended up fitting best in the size that that, according to their chart, matched my hip measurement. I have lost some weight since buying and they stay up well enough. The dark blue ones had a strong odor but it went away after time/washing.
Book a Week 2016 - BW12: Vernal Equinox
in The Chat Board
Posted
Happy Spring! I am freezing. I spent the weekend either running around, trying to get chores & errands done or freezing under many blankets, with books. I found out that borrowing books actually motivates me to finish them, so maybe I should see if tricking myself and borrowing all the books on my "currently reading" list lights a fire under me.
Finished yesterday, from the library: Moonwalking With Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer and The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
I had these on my to-read list and they were at the library, so I grabbed them last week. I had no idea that memory was a theme in The Buried Giant -- I picked it because of the cover, had no idea if I'd even bother with it, and had no idea what it was about. I was halfway through Foer's book when I read the beginning of The Buried Giant (and was tempted to ditch, glad I pushed ahead with it) when I realized what it was about and figured I just had to read them both. I am no good at checking out books for the kids to match up with their lessons and I'm even worse at following themes for myself or getting to books when I mean to, so I thought the luck of getting two books related to memory at the same time was not to be ignored.