I'm a little too excited about these books...

I've been eying this 39 Clues series for a while now.  I like Rick Riordan (from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series) who wrote the first book plus the overall story arc.  There are ten books (or possibly more, or maybe the later ones are another series) written by various authors.  I finally decided they would be age-appropriate for Zack and I to read together so it's our first "summer project".  We're reading a little every day (and he's begging for more! Me? I read the whole thing to start with or I wouldn't have been able to stand it!).  

There is a mystery for the child heroes of the book to solve plus plenty of adventure and danger.  Until this year I've been limiting the amount of "high peril" (as it's called in some book reviews) in Zack's reading material, but he's matured a lot since starting school.  I still don't know where the quite right lines are, but I'm glad we're reading these!  

There are lots of hard words, I've discovered, that I didn't notice while previewing it (all the six year olds tell me what rendezvous means!).  But, he hasn't lost patience so here we go, off on our 39 Clues adventure!

Where Did January (and most of February) Go?

Where did the time go? Mostly to road-tripping and reading! We added another trip, this one to west Texas, to our mileage count, which does take a lot of time investment between preparing, going, and recovering.

But a LOT of time went to fiction.  Oh, fiction.  I continue to find myself unable to stop once I get started!  A friend brought me a series of eleven books.  ELEVEN fun, suspenseful, page-turning, can't-stop novels, so of course I had to read them all, in a row.  Sheesh.  Then once I was on a reading roll I had to read four or five more novels.  Fun stuff but it takes all my blogging, picture taking, scrapbooking and card making time (and some of my sleeping time too.  And perhaps some of my time that should be going to everything else).  I think I'm taking a little break from obsessive fiction reading.  I've started back on some scrapbooking that I want to show you and I even took some new pictures of my children - wow.

These are from last month, but hey, here they are - a rare snow event for Austin.

Book Review: The Big Picture by Stacy Julian

I really really love this book.  

I've never really reviewed it because it's out of print... but really, I think I never reviewed it because I had too much to say about it to try to capture it all.  But now, I am so excited to report to you that Stacy Julian has acquired some copies of this out of print title and is selling them on her website!   She has also reacquired the rights to the content, which is awesome for her.  So, in honor of the occasion, I'm going to give it a try.

Stacy Julian, founding editor of Simple Scrapbooks Magazine (which is sadly no longer with us), is a really compelling personality.  She's passionate, silly, open, approachable and yet fearless.  This book is about scrapbooking like that - capturing thoughts and memories in a way that enhances your life and the lives of those around you. 

If you aren't a scrapbooker, this book would show you the point of it all and the joy and meaning of it.  If you are a scrapbooker who feels always behind, this book will liberate you from the obligation and free you to capture what matters most to you.  If you are a scrapbooker who is happy with your art and your story, this book will give you ideas and inspiration.  Really really good stuff.

Book Review: Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt

Today I'm over at For the Love of Books with a book review of Honey for a Child's Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life.

I've already pulled some of the recommended titles from the book lists to request at the library, but I'm even more excited about some of the habits she suggests for reading together.  Check it out!

1981 and 2010

Deanna, 1981

Zack, 2010

Don't these two photos need to go together on a scrapbook layout? One of the things I have realized recently is that the kind of scrapbooking I want to do is the kind that makes connections and tells stories close to my heart.

So far, I've done baby books, gift albums, and mini albums about trips or holidays. I have been thinking about what is going to happen when I get the baby books done. Although I love to make pages with pictures from a holiday or birthday party, I am not excited about the idea of trying to put all the events we attend in scrapbooks. I would always feel behind and I'd end up writing about birthday parties and not the things I want to write about.

These two photos are more the kind of thing I want to write about. My bookworm-nature was a major aspect of my life as a child and I see some of the same tendencies in Zack. His personality is so different in a lot of ways (so boy!) but I wonder how he'll be the same.

Special thanks to my sister who has been scanning our family photographs!!

Check out my fancy-pants lunch!

I had to try another recipe out of the Artisan Bread book. I went for the Onion and Rosemary Focaccia (p. 150). This used the same dough I already made and stored in the fridge but took a couple minutes longer because it has an additional step to saute the onions. Since I already had a pan dirty, I went ahead and sauteed some mushrooms and extra onions to top my salad (of greens from the garden, yum!). It also made a second additional dirty dish because it is baked on a cookie sheet greased with olive oil. But it was still easy and very tasty. It probably took less time than making myself a nacho sampler (Chuck fans, anyone?), which was my original plan for lunch.

I love savory flavors so I like this bread even better than the regular boule. The crust doesn't brown as much but is plenty crispy and I like the cracked pepper on top. Definitely one we will eat again!
(Below: dough before baking, lunch inspired by fancy bread)

(I ate three pieces that size for my lunch, not just that little piece on my plate!)

Artisan Bread: First Five Minute Day

I was inspired to try the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day method by a couple of people, including C.Beth and House on Hill Road. (Some of these ladies have been doing the Artisan book for a while and have moved on to the newest book, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, in case you want to check out what all they've been doing.)

Here's my first loaf!

And for my report:

The book calls for some semi-specialty equipment. Nothing too exotic, but I had to make do with what I had, which involved very minor variations (which were helpfully given in the book). First, they specify not to use bleached flour because the dough will be too wet; I'll buy some unbleached but for now I only had bleached. I wanted to start right away so I just went about 1/8c heavier on the flour (based on the advice in the book for too-wet dough). Second, I didn't have a pizza peel (that long handled, pizza-sized wooden spatula that they use for pizza ovens. Is this something people usually have on hand at home?? ) so I used a cutting board and extra cornmeal. Worked fine. I'm not really seeing myself purchasing a pizza peel. Last, I didn't have a baking stone, but I did have a stone dish which was large enough that I could bake a free-form loaf in the center of it. The sides got in the way when I transferred the loaf but not much. If I find I continue this regularly I might buy a baking stone - I've been wanting one anyway. I did have a large storage container with a lid (I used my popcorn bowl) and a good serrated knife already. I think if you don't have all the equipment they recommend it's still worth trying.

I was really curious about that "five minutes". Seems like it could be rather underestimated, but no - I really did have active involvement for five minutes, or even less. This was the most basic recipe so I'm sure some of the variations take longer, but this was super-fast. This book gets full points for keeping its promises on that front!

I also wondered about cleanup. If cooking takes five minutes but cleanup takes twenty, I'm probably not going to do it every day. Well, cleanup was a cinch. They say you can mix the dough in a mixer or food processor but I say it would not be worth the trouble. It took only a couple of minutes to mix it with a wooden spoon in the bowl I was using for storage so my cleanup on mixing day was a grand total of ONE wooden spoon (what? please tell me you don't wash a measuring spoon after you use it for salt). On baking day, I've got the serrated knife to wash and a dusty cutting board (which I'll be dusting off and using to chop veggies for dinner). That's it. The baking stone is something that you season rather than wash with soap and anyway, it just has a little flour and cornmeal on it. That's a really easy cleanup.

And now to the real heart of the matter: YUM. YUM. YUM. It came out just like it was supposed to! Isn't that exciting? The crust is crispy, the inside is soft with just the "custard crumb" character they describe in the book. It's a very simple flavor (there isn't even any oil in the dough) but still really good. The raw dough tasted overly salty but the finished bread is just like a table bread at a nice restaurant. James said, "Wow, that looks like it came from the store!" Zack, Sammy and I (James is sick, poor guy!) ate the entire loaf at dinner.

As far as barriers to doing this regularly, I can only see one: the need to think ahead. You only have to be involved for five minutes, but you need to pull the dough out to rest at least two hours before you want to cut it. Sometimes I just don't get started that early. I'll keep you posted as I continue!

(Below, top to bottom: resting dough, after slashing and right before baking, after baking)

A follow-up item from this week's Storytime reading lineup - check out this cute book, A Pirate's Night Before Christmas! The author is one of the librarians at our local branch. Zack told him we loved it and it seems to make his day.

Last week one of the ladies at our church showed us her collection of Night Before Christmas books - she probably has 40 different editions. It was so neat that it made all of us want to run out and start a collection. Zack already loves the traditional words, and this one was so cute too. Looks like it's in stock at some of our local bookstores- I hope to get a chance to pick it up.

Storytime

Wednesdays are Storytime days at the library. We go almost every week that they have it. There have been a variety of storytellers of the the past couple of years. Sometimes it's really well done and sometimes it's a little flat, but it really doesn't matter to the kids. I think they like the routine of it as much as the content of it. They know the Children's Librarian at our local branch and are happy to see her bring out her Clifford the Big Red Dog puppet.

Until this past week, I'd been keeping Sammy in his stroller for the Storytime. It's the preschool storytime (as opposed to the younger-focused toddler time), and he was a bit disruptive walking around. Sammy was mostly happy in the stroller, still watching the story. But the previous visit, when I let him get down to play after the little program was over, I discovered he was doing some of the motions to the songs that had been in the program. Last week, I finally let him sit on the floor with Zack and boy were they cute together.

Afterwards, we head to the children's section and I let the kids pick out books to their hearts' content (which is how we ended out with 63 items checked out earlier in the fall). I pick books for them too, trying to pull some theme-related items, some non-fiction, and some surprises.

Oh, and I always have a few items on hold waiting for me too. I pick up television shows a season at a time, books for book club, and non-fiction so that I can read and still be a pleasant member of my family!

This will definitely remain a staple of our weekly routine.

Boys and Books

These boys love books. I'm really, really glad. Their grandparents (both sets) deserve a hefty amount of credit for spending time reading with them, but it may be in their blood too. Even the little one is getting in on the book-action.

I'm not sure how well it shows in the picture collage, but sometimes we find Zack has sequestered himself in a little hidey-hole, especially when there's a lot of background noise.

I'm enjoying trying to snap some boys and books pictures. I especially find myself running for the camera when they are reading together. That's a sight to warm a mother's heart!

The Little House

It's been such a busy time at our house, but we've been having lots of fun! Now that Zack's birthday is finished I'm anxious to write about a few things that have been going on here.

I've been discussing book recommendations for Zack with a lot of the thoughtful and well-read people around me (aren't I lucky that there are so many of those people!). A friend recommended Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was wondering if this series would be a bit beyond him, or how interesting it would be. I remember loving it as a kid, but I also remember some fairly sober moments late in the series. My friend is reading it to her kindergarten-aged son and made the good point that they were reading it now, since a female heroine might not appeal later.

Not too long after that, Zack went to pick out his prize from the library's summer reading program. It was quite late in the program and none of the picture books that remained were in English. Most of the chapter books were well beyond him, so he picked Little House on the Prairie. [Confession: I had a really hard time letting him get the second in the series when he hadn't read the first. Yeah. Silly Mommy.] We promptly picked up Little House in the Big Woods.

The other weekend we started reading it aloud. It is so entertaining and adorable! I had forgotten how very slice-of-life it is. Zack is finding it really fascinating. He loves the stories that the father tells most of all. There is no central crisis in the book, really, just a very sweet description of life in that time and place. He doesn't follow a few little subtleties, like Laura's feelings of comparison with the blond and ladylike older sister Mary, but overall it's really perfect for Zack's age. There is so much wonder in the special moments of life for a five year old.

Where do you find great book recommendations for kids? I bet some of you have great ideas and resources! I finally bought my own copy of The Read Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease (extended summary of what I learned from this book here), so I have some good recommendations in it, but I find I'm always on the lookout for more! What have your kids been reading?

Fiction

I just finished The Time Traveler's Wife and I really enjoyed it. I found it evocative without being depressing ("depressing" is at the top of my list of things I don't want in entertainment, which, unfortunately, rules out a lot of high-quality literature). It was touching and puzzling and well-written. It's funny to me that I spent half the book tensed up and not enjoying it for fear of a bad ending because, well, there is a lot of that theme woven into the book.

I don't usually review fiction books here. But maybe that's because I haven't been reading a lot of fiction books lately. Fiction books are kind of a problem for me at this point in life. Once I start reading something, my mind is forcibly partitioned into reality and More Than Reality. As long as I'm reading the book it's hard to fully think of anything without also thinking of the book in the peripheral vision of my mind. In some ways, my life is more real to me by comparison but in other ways I'm on the outside, looking in, narrating my own life in my head in the style of whatever author has currently trapped my attention. When the style is funny, my life is a Seinfeld episode with breaks for me to step in and point out the crazy bits. When it's literary, the moments suddenly look sweeping and poignant. The running commentary in my head is self-involved and yet not involved in the present. And the characters are almost more real than the people around me, maybe because thanks to the author I have more insight into what they are thinking. I keep trying to function like a normal person but I'm obsessed to get more Story. Even my physical, literal eyes feel like they don't want to focus on anything but a page (making it difficult to supervise small children). I want to do nothing but read and I have to know what happens but then when it's over I feel terrible that there's no more and I'm cranky and a little self-pitying for some reason I can't pin down.

I just re-read the above paragraph and am proclaiming myself a crazy person.

But you get the idea. Fiction is a little too consuming to be practical.

Nevertheless, I'm attending a book club next week and the book choice was The Time Traveler's Wife. I would never have chosen this book on my own; there was too much chance of it being sad. But I am excited about the book club (and hoping we actually talk about the book!) so I went for it. It was so enjoyable. The characters were intense and compelling, shaping themselves and each other in the paradox of what they knew and didn't know. It was powerful without being moralizing. I liked how the plot fit itself together like a puzzle. I definitely recommend it, though I am not sure if it's something other people will like (but they must or it wouldn't be becoming a movie, right?). My friend who loaned it to me didn't care for it (which surprised me at first though I get it a little now), so I guess I have a copy to loan if you are interested!

Disclaimer: the language and content are not PG-13. And some would say it did end depressing, though I didn't think so. Just so you know!

p.s. My bread was nowhere near as good at the mix. It was fine, just not special. I am ready to try again but I guess I should wait until we finish eating this loaf. Harrumph.

Kiddo Book Club

My friend Jennifer recently invited me to be a guest at the Summer Book Club for her Moms of Preschoolers Club. It was so cute and so clever, I couldn't get over what a great idea it was. The moms read a chapter-book aloud to their four year olds during the month, then a few of the moms hosted a little party with book-themed crafts, activities and snacks.

They have done several books; this one was on Fantastic Mr. Fox* by Roald Dahl. The comprehension level was just right, and Zack really enjoyed the book. The themed "feast" (there is a feast at the end of the book) of donuts and apple juice fit perfectly with the book and the crafts were easy and very cute. The kids made puppets with colors and glue, then were given other little puppets as party favors and everyone who wanted to got a turn to put on a puppet show in a little playhouse puppet theatre. Zack still hasn't quit playing with his party favor puppets.

One of the things I'm really interested in is fostering a love of learning in my kids. Wanting them to help them really love learning is one of the things that keeps me on the fence about considering homeschooling. I think Zack will enjoy the traditional school environment, but I worry about loosing that sense of curiosity and exploration with which children approach the world. So, something focused on books and reading, but with other kids and made really fun, seems like a fabulous activity. I tend to think (grain of salt here, since I don't actually know what I'm talking about) that if we wait until kids (especially boys) are "old enough" to do activities like book clubs, they will already have decided they aren't interested. This was a super way to learn but also make it really fun.

I will note that Zack was puzzled at the lack of reading at the book club - I guess he thought it would be more like storytime. Afterwards he didn't really seem to think there was enough book discussion, though he didn't participate when the hosts asked the kids about the book! The hostesses kept it light and fun so that everyone, even the younger siblings who hadn't read the book, had a great time.

* [Just so you know, there was some ugly language from the antagonists to each other (I'm talking ugly language for a four year old - "stupid" and "shut up") but we talked about how these were the mean characters in the book and we're not mean so we don't talk that way. So far it hasn't come back to haunt me. Also, guns figure prominently in the book. Some of the little girls found that really foreign but Zack has already started fixating on guns (boys!) so it wasn't something I felt we needed to avoid. It was a fun story, but you might pre-read it and make sure you are ok with the content.]

Book Review: Outliers

Have you read Malcom Gladwell's books? I think they are some of the most entertaining non-fiction out there. Outliers is his latest book, after earlier titles The Tipping Point and Blink.

Gladwell has a fascinating way of addressing the world. In Outliers, he discusses how certain people become sucessfull outside the common pattern. He doesn't talk about how some people are smart, talented or determined, but how some smart, talented, determined people (not all smart, talented, determined people) excel beyond the usual. The Beatles, Bill Gates, Mozart, and many others are the subject of his investigations, but it's the phenomena he describes along the way that are so interesting.

You wouldn't think that the number of syllables in the aisian languages' words for numbers would seem so relevant in every day life, but after reading this book, that's exactly what comes to mind when I'm trying to remember an appliance model number.

That's what I really like about Gladwell's books - the observations and stories come back to me over and over when I'm in the midst of figuring out other things. Plus, you really don't want to put them down! I definitely recommend this fast-reading, smart, interesting read.

Review: Made from Scratch

The book Made from Scratch, by Jenna Woginrich, also the writer of blog Cold Antler Farm, was a fun little read.

It may have just been my recent obsession, but I thought the first chapter, on her adventures starting to keep chickens, was the best. I did enjoy the overall premise, which was on homesteading for the newbie. Jenna talks the reader through various subjects related to a homemade and sustainable life with anecdotes of her own efforts. She includes the expected subjects of gardening and farm animals, but also antiquing, playing an instrument, and having working pets.

I'm not quite sure how we discovered this book. My mom had reserved it from the library, but when it came in she didn't remember looking for it herself and thought I had chosen it. I hadn't heard of it, but it did sound like something that fit my recent interest in learning more homemade skills. Although neither of us remembered hearing of it, we picked it up and read the first chapter out loud (hey, you never outgrow being read to!). We really enjoyed the chapter, but after that it had a little less punch.

I think the narrative style would have been a better fit for a narrative oranization to the book. The book was organized by subject, and it did follow an emotional development, but the lack of chronology was a bit distracting. The author moved from Tennesee to northern Iowa to start her homesteading, but the progression of the book doesn't parallel the move and development.
There are small sections concluding each subject giving basic instructions for getting started and although the information is fine, it repeats some of that discussed in the narrative; I didn't care for the division of each subject into separate sections.

Overall, I did enjoy the book, mostly because of the interest of listening to a young woman share her passion for getting into how to do old things.

Book on Food Chains

I finally finished The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan. I say finally because it seems to take me forever to finish anything, but also because it really was quite long and took a bit of discipline to get through. If that sounds like a poor endorsement, though, it isn't meant to be. I really enjoyed reading this: some of it was eye-opening and some thought provoking but all of it was a good read.

The author traces four meals from their source in nature or agriculture all the way to his table, reporting on the details of how it is produced along the way: the Industrial Meal, the Industrial-Organic Meal, the Organic Meal, and the Hunted-Gathered Meal. When Mommy Town recommended this book to me, she said, "somehow Pollan makes the agricultural history of corn page-turning stuff. (Corn is sort of the villain of the book.)" Corn does indeed play a disturbingly prominent role in the industrial food chain, the one most of us eat from most of the time. Pollan concludes that if we are what we eat (and from a carbon standpoint we are) then we are "corn walking". How sinister that is is left to the reader, but it made me see processed food differently. It also sheds light on the transition of Organic from a movement to a market niche. Again, the conclusion of whether this is a bad thing or not is left open, but much information is shared along the way.

Pollan is a journalist and writes with an investigative bent, but the purpose of the investigation is philosophical and the prose is at times lofty. Some phrases are beautiful; some take a second reading to process. There is one small section where the philosophy didn't connect with me at all, but I think that had more to do with our different world views. Overall, I appreciated the expansion of world view that this book afforded and I definitely recommend it, hopefully minus the library fines I racked up finishing it!

Book Journal

It's a shame I haven't done anything interesting this week. Been too busy pretending I'm in a never ending Mucinex commercial. But, I thought I would write about an idea of my sister's that I'm trying.

My memory is very strange. I know a lot of random facts (to quote my sister: "Deanna, not everyone is full of useless bits of information!"), but I can't remember my chemistry classes (pathetic, as my major was chemical engineering) or what I signed up to do at the last whatever meeting. I have very specific memories of some things and none of others. So, when I read a non-fiction book and think I'm going to use the content, I like to make some notes. The problem with these notes is that they are in random places and I don't always know where to put my hands on them again. One recent set was on a large post-it in the book, where it remained when I returned the book to the library (half read and overdue, as usual).

Julie uses a journal as a place to take notes on books or write explorations of thoughts they prompt. I decided to try it, though I don't often stick with doing such things regularly. I have journals, purchased years ago when I was on one kick or another, still blank. This is a nice one, spiral bound so that it will lay flat for writing, sturdy, pretty but not sappy. I transferred a set of notes on a favorite parenting book and now I'm trying to get down some notes on that Crunchy Cons book.

After all, it's due back to the library...

Book on Crunchiness

You'll never believe it: I finished a book.

I first saw this book on a webpage, I'm sure of it. I think it was Facebook, but it could have been on a blog or... I don't know. I tried to trace back where but didn't find anything. It was during the height of the election this past fall and I immediately felt drawn to read it. It took me a while to get it from the library, and then of course I had to read half of it and return it, repeat. In the intirim, my head has been buzzing with the ideas and perspectives of this both conservative and countercultural author.

The title, Cruncy Cons, in confusing. He means "Cons" as "Conservatives" rather than con-men or convicts, two unfortunately intuitive guesses. I find myself stuttering around the title when I talk about the book: Crunchy Cons: How Birkenstocked Burkeans, Gun-Loving Organic Gardeners, Evangelical Free-Range Farmers, Hip Homeschooling Mamas, Right-Wing Nature Lovers, and Their Diverse Tribe of Countercultural Conservatives Plan to Save America (or at least the Republican Party). "Crunchy" is in the sense of the granola-types, usually leftists, but not this time.

I struggle with my politics; I feel like so much of what I believe is a logical following of my faith and convictions, yet my attitudes don't seem to match anyone around me. I've been wondering how politics are supposed to fit in anyway, since I can't agree with most of the examples I see. A dear friend of mine once described those who can't seem to pick Republican or Democrat as "morons!" and while he didn't know he was describing me, he didn't change his stance when he found out. Remembering the conversation still makes me chuckle. It wasn't offensive; I understand that I'm the one who doesn't fit. And in a lot of ways I'm not politically well read or educated enough to figure myself out. But this book tied together some threads for me.

This book is full of ideas about stewardship of the land, the ubiquity of overwhelming consumerism and the dangers of elevating the free market economy to the highest good. There was some that resonated with me and some I didn't agree with, but the viewpoint was useful and I definitely recommend the book.

I think I've still got a lot of thinking to do.

Half.

The last three books I've read have been fascinating. And by "read", I mean thoroughly read, digested and even made an occasional note... on the first third of the book. Ok, let's be generous and call it the first half. These books were checked out from the library, which has a three-week loan. At least one, maybe two, of them I was able to recheck for a second three-week stint. Six weeks and I can only get through half a book?? Mommy or no, that's pathetic.

I've got holds on all three to check them out again and I'm waiting my turn. Let's see, maybe I can get through half of two or three more books before I get these back.

Food Policy

Today Soulemama had a link to the article "Farmer in Chief" from the New York Times. It is long, but very interesting (edit 11/5/08: you can listen to the content in this npr interview). I hadn't really thought the impact national (and global) agricultural policies have on fuel consumption or public health. Truth be told, I hadn't thought a lot about agricultural policies at all.

I had been thinking about joining a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture. A friend of mine is a member of Johnsons Backyard Garden and loves getting the variety of locally grown fresh produce. I've gotten an extra box of veggies from their delivery a couple of times and it always enriches my cooking for a couple of weeks as I find ways to use in season and sometimes unusual items. The items are of great quality and a broad variety. The only thing that stopped me was that it was a little pricey compared to the grocery. Now I'm thinking it's worth it in other ways. They have a waiting list but I put my name on it.

A few days ago I noticed a friend on Goodreads was reading Food Politics. I don't know why it struck me at the time, but it looked interesting, so I reserved it at the library and was able to pick it up yesterday. I was a bit dismayed at the length - yesterday I thought I might not read it after all. Now my appetite for the subject has been whetted and I think I'll at least try it. I'll let you know how it goes.

p.s. I know some of you have interest in the subject and have good books to recommend, but I can't remember what they were so don't be shy :)