Where Are We Now

Maine Wedding Celebration

2012-01-21T20:11:00.005-05:00

Just after Thanksgiving, we held our third (and thankfully final) wedding celebration. This one was very casual. No dress, no cake, no DIY decorations. We held it in my parents' house. My mom did a great job decorating with red and gold. Our colors worked very well for a Christmas time celebration.
We invited guests that I knew mostly from my growing up in Maine and had a great turn out especially because it is a difficult time of year. Some of my favorite guests were these kids.

Two couples win the award for traveling the furthest. I am so pleased to have some of my Boston friends there. Joe and Joanne made a weekend of it. It was great to catch up especially because Joanne and I had both married since we had seen each other.

Laura and Tim also visited from the Boston area. I was delighted to meet Squiggles. Until then I had only been adoring photos of her from Laura's blog.

I was also so excited to have some of my friends from the high school days.

Apparently we all enjoyed seeing each other.

A lot of the other guests were friends from church and growing up. It was so wonderful to see all of them. It was a joy to catch up with all the people who have had a profound effect on my life.

Ice, Ice Baby

2012-01-17T14:00:00.003-05:00

Edmonton holds an annual ice sculpture festival. Ice sculptures are displayed and extreme artists gather to create winning sculptures. Here is a bit of what we saw.

I think the Canadian Goose was my favorite piece. It seemed so dignified.

You are not looking at a giant, lightly toasted marshmallow standing next to the panda sculpture. That is actually me.

Jerry licked ... I mean ... liked the penguin sculpture a lot.

Everything was pretty aMAZing.

Most of the sculptures were just there for show, but the competitors were busy chiseling away at their artworks. If I were a judge, this would have gotten the blue ribbon.

Sinterklaas

2011-12-07T12:55:00.004-05:00

Sinterklaas kapoentje,
Gooi wat in mijn schoentje,
Gooi wat in mijn laarsje,
Dank je Sinterklaasje!

Saint Nicolaas
Throw something in my little shoe
Throw something in my little boot
Thank you, Little Saint Nicolaas

Every year in early December, in The Netherlands, Sinterklaas and his .... um, well ,,,,, friend (that's what we'll call him) Zwarte Piet arrive on a boat bearing goodies for the well behaved children. On the evening when he comes (not Christmas Eve) children set out their shoes and expect them to be filled with goodies the next morning.

Sinterklaas found his way from the Gray, Drizzly Low Lands to the Cold White North and filled our bunny slippers. I would say that he did a great job this year bringing Jerry the traditional chocolate letter, and Michelle festive candies that tasted just like candy corn.

The Skirt

2011-12-01T13:18:00.005-05:00

About two weeks ago, I finished my skirt. I learned a lot along the way about things that I have basically forgotten at this point, but I completed it. I made some gospel analogies along the way - seamripping = repentance (I did a lot of this), my inability to sew a straight line = apostasy (this created the need for seamripping), learning to read a pattern = understanding the scriptures (the pattern was like a foreign language) etc.

My goal was to wear the skirt in public. So the first Sunday after I finished, I put together this outfit. I haven't decided whether I looked cute or just a little frumpy, but here I am.

Stockings

2011-11-15T22:12:00.003-05:00

I have been wanting to learn how to sew for a long time, and a lack of a work permit has given me the freedom. I have my very own sewing machine and am in a class where I am learning with moderate success to sew a skirt.

I decided I wanted to make stockings to commemorate our first Christmas as married people.. I succeeded and I am very proud.

Experienced seamstresses (or the male version thereof) might be able to see areas where improvement is needed. I sure do. But this is my first sewing project success, and I am going to bask in the glory of it until tomorrow.

It Begins ...

2011-11-14T19:58:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, Jerry looked out the window and said, "Oh, Michelle you aren't going to like this!" Well, I guess it had to happen sometime. Snow has hit the Great White North.
From this view from our apartment, you can tell that it wasn't a huge storm. That came today as the snow went from small specks to ominous marble sized flakes. True to first-storm-of-the-year tradition, drivers forgot how to drive and children were filled with Christmas cheer.

I took these on Saturday. On my way to the library, I walked through a small park downtown. I was shocked to find a tree that still had leaves on it.

The long winter is starting and it is time to put some real effort into finding boots for this Snow Grinch.

The River

2011-11-07T13:26:00.004-05:00

Yesterday morning, Jerry peered out the window and informed me that ice chunks were floating down the river. Today, I decided to take a morning constitutional and check it out for myself. I bundled up and took a brisk walk across the bridge and found this.

If I can bear the cold, I will get another shot when the river is completely frozen.

Honeymoon Part 4: Universal Studios and Epcot Center

2011-11-01T14:41:00.010-04:00

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is just a small sliver of Universal Studios. Jerry and I spent some of our time exploring other areas as well.
Jerry loved the Marvel superheroes.

My interests were slightly more literary. In Seuss Landing, they actually had a roller coaster dedicated to my favorite Dr. Seuss story. I was a little disappointed though when I did not have star on my belly by the end.
We also found this giant book.

The last hours of our honeymoon were spent at Epcot Center. I love the country exhibits that they have here and was so happy to get to return.

The Mexico pavilion is probably my favorite. Inside they have a very cheesy ride that takes you to lots of stereotypical places.

Jerry's favorite was China, of course! He even grew his hair out for the occasion.

We watched a street performer in Italy as the weather started to get bad.

Then last, but certainly not least, was the Canada Pavilion. Don't tell Jerry, but their film was probably the most interesting.

And thus ended our honeymoon adventures. After Epcot we headed to the airport and flew back to start real life together.

Honeymoon Part 3: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

2011-10-29T13:40:00.008-04:00

After disembarking from our cruise ship, we drove up to Orlando to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. Despite the fact that I thought it could have been slightly larger, it was pretty much mind blowing. We entered Hogsmeade to find the train station.
We spent our first hour or so exploring the town. It might look like a winter wonderland, but it was actually very hot.

Zonko's joke shop had puking pastilles, U-No-Poo, extendable ears, and many other magical prank devices.

The candy shop had an every flavor bean dispenser, chocolate frogs and much much more.

We wandered into the Three Broomsticks for lunch. I ate fish and chips and Jerry had chicken and corn.

The food was okay, but what was really good was the butter beer!

Jerry became a little addicted, and I thought it was a tasty treat.

Next stop was Olivander's to find ourselves a wand.

We had a lot to choose from. I chose Hermione's wand and tried to convince Jerry to buy Ron's wand. He said he only would if it was broken and came with duct tape.

During our Hippogriff ride, we found Hagrid's house. For some reason this really impressed me.

We found that Hagrid is still protecting Buckbeak. While I know that Buckbeak is very nice after you get to know him, I still thought he looked scary.

We spent a great two days with Harry Potter and took hundreds of pictures of which I have shared a few. Check my family blog for a tour of Hogwarts Castle.

My Latest Accomplishment

2011-10-26T16:11:00.003-04:00

Check out my latest accomplishment on my family's blog! I am very proud!

Honeymoon Part 2: Cozumel, Mexico

2011-10-25T16:50:00.011-04:00

The highlight of the cruise (besides the amazing sandwich bar) was Cozumel, a little island off of Mexico. You can see the island as we approach. Those fluffy clouds turned out to be a little ominous as it did rain when we first arrived. We didn't worry too much. We stayed on the boat and ate a sandwich.
The boat dumps you into the world's largest tourist trap with all sorts of duty free items. I was literally frightened that this was all there was going to be. But we actually found somebody that was selling snorkeling excursions and we took advantage. Let me digress a little and offer a cruise tip. Cruise ships sell excursions at highly inflated prices. Their sales pitch is often based on fear that you will not return to your boat on time if you choose an excursion after you get off the boat. If you wait, you can find many similar excursions from the locals at much lower prices. We discovered that everyone on the island lives by the cruise schedules. Unless you make a really bad decision an off boat excursion can be less expensive and more fun.

So, we found a snorkeling boat. They took us to two reefs. The water was clear and gorgeous and the fish swarmed around us when we fed them tortillas. Jerry and I were probably the strongest swimmers in the group and we stayed up witth the tour guide. He found us a sea cucumber and showed us lots of amazing things. I loved it.

After changing our clothes, took a taxi into town for Mexican food. While waiting for our meals we were serenaded with "La Bamba."

I was pretty excited to eat Mexican food in Mexico. This chicken and mole was delicious.

Jerry got a Mexican food sampler.

We strolled along the walk by the beach as the sun started to go down.

Then headed back to our ship (the one on the left. The island was flooded with eager tourists because hurricanes in other areas diverted most of the cruise ships to Cozumel.

Check back for our mainland Florida honeymoon adventures.

Honeymoon Part 1: Cruise Ship and Key West

2011-10-24T01:28:00.012-04:00

So, two months later, I have decided that all of you will be interested enough in our honeymoon to endure it in more than one post. We took a lot of photos which is not typical for us, but it was quite an adventure. The night before the cruise, we wondered around Miami and found a restaurant that served some of my favorite Nicaraguan food. I was happy.

Every good cruise line features towel origami. I took a photo of it each night, but I think you get the point.

So my take on the cruise is this. It is literally the most relaxing thing ever. There is no schedule. Transportation, food, and entertainment are taken care of. But on the other hand it is five days of guilt-ridden gluttony. Whenever we found ourselves by the pool, I felt like I was at a floating frat party. But we found some lower key things to do. Our schedule went something like this - eat, sleep, swim, play mini golf, eat, sleep, swim, take a walk, eat, sleep, swim, read etc.

The boat even had a library. It may not surprise you that this was not the most crowded place on the boat. We ducked in here during our "Fun Day at Sea" and played some games. (I always have to visit the library)

Did I mention that we ate while on the boat. This is the lovely group of people that we ate dinner with every night. Two of the couples were taking vacations from their kids. The other two were coworkers that decided to go on a last minute vacation. One couple was Mormon and another was Canadian. You can see that we got along well.

Our first port of call was Key West. I am not going to lie, there was not a ton to do there and they didn't give us much time. We wandered into a toy store, and Jerry found this hat. I thought he looked pretty gangster.

We found a quirky little art museum called the Custom House. They had these art installations that would project your movements onto a framed piece of the installation. We got to be a part of art!

If you think that sounds like it was fun, just wait there's more!

Edmonton Reception

2011-10-15T14:58:00.010-04:00

Because one wedding reception wasn't enough, we decided to have one in Edmonton as well. This gave Jerry a chance to celebrate with his friends of which there are many. Unlike our California reception this was held in a cultural hall and as previously mentioned was intensely DIY.
Luckily we had help. Pictured here was our de facto wedding coordinator. Everything beautiful, creative and interesting about our wedding was her idea. She was also our cook and made hundreds of little heart shape grilled cheese sandwiches for us.

The nice thing about having two wedding receptions is having two chances to get it right. For example, I always wanted cheesecake at my wedding. Also, my preference for cakes is square. We had a round wedding cake in California, but this one was square.

These are two of my new nieces. They make me laugh. The older one was very concerned that if she wore white to the reception that people might think she was the bride. The other was telling stories about the wild play date she had had earlier.

Here I am explaining how glad I am that they gave away the top of the cake. I think my in laws were feeling guilty that they started dishing it out.

Jerry feeding me cake. I'm pretty sure that we actually did better at this the first time. But it was fun to do again.
We had a lot of fun and Jerry really enjoyed his friends. I posted different photos on my family's blog if you want to take a look.

Origami FHE

2011-10-05T19:57:00.003-04:00

Jerry and I are just getting the hang of this FHE thing. We have had some trouble finding noncompetitive FHE activities. On Monday, I decided we should try some origami. We decided to fold paper flowers. My folding resulted in a wad of paper. (Please, see the bottom right of the photo for the ideal result.)

Jerry decided to teach me to make a star. I only photographed his star.

DIY

2011-09-20T18:12:00.005-04:00

I am not ashamed to admit that for my wedding and California reception, I took the easy way. What I didn't hire out, I used the DSE (delegate to someone else) approach. In so doing my job as the bride was made very easy, and I am extremely grateful for all of the help.

Examples include but are not limited to:

a) the gold calligraphy name cards made with a very stinky marker. Thanks, Mom! (and I think Jen helped too). I'm afraid they may have lost a couple brain cells.

b) the gold bell wedding favors. Tags and bows NOT made by myself. Thanks, Stacey.

Now with my Edmonton reception just three days away, I find myself in DIY madness. Let me tell you a secret. I am creative, but not crafty. My ideas don't usually turn into artistic masterpieces. Our wonderful, unpaid wedding coordinator told me to sit down in front of a movie and make 70 paper roses.

After the Back to the Future trilogy and slightly more than 1 audiobook, I finished up these beauties.

We are also providing a candy bar, for guests to select red and gold treats as they leave. Yesterday, I realized we had no candy bags.

In a little more than an hour, I DIYed myself 99 of these. (I would have had 100, but misspellings happen.)

Tomorrow, I'm making tissue paper pompoms. I am looking forward to Friday.

Last Day

2011-08-13T21:12:00.002-04:00

My last day of work was filled with the hustle and bustle of last minute business. I did the usual last day things. I chatted at goodbye parties, pranked lockers, disinfected my desk, and shredded unneeded paperwork. I was busy reading stories while struggling to hide my tears. But, much to my coworkers' delight, there was still time for one last puppet show.

Lazy Days of Summer

2011-08-01T13:16:00.004-04:00

Summer Reading just ended and things are starting to wind down for me at work. I should be taking care of this ...
Instead I am testing out the relative safety and entertainment value of this year's summer reading prizes.

I am calling my latest masterpiece "February Snow"

Catalina

2011-07-15T17:37:00.004-04:00

My time in California is nearing an end. Therefore, I must do everything on my why-has-it-taken-you-so-long-to-get-around-to-this list in the next five weeks. On Monday, I went with my friends Jessica and Stacey to Catalina Island. Catalina is an island with a very small town called Avalon and then the rest is wilderness which includes some rather amazing wildlife. For this trip we stayed in town.

Here we are on the boat. It was a two hour boat trip from Marina Del Rey. Before we left for the trip, I was expecting the island to look like Maine.

It didn't.

The highlight of the trip was the glass bottom boat tour. They feed the fish so they will swarm really close tot he boat. When the greedy fish weren't around we could see underwater plants and the garibaldi fish.

This is a photo from the glass bottomed boat. The clouds burned off as the day went on.

Of course, we found the local library. (We love libraries). It is a very tiny branch from the same system I work for.

No blog entry about California is complete without a flower photo. Hibiscus? Correct me if I am wrong.

Meine Lieblingskarte

2011-07-10T23:54:00.003-04:00

I have blogged before about being part of Postcrossing. I have received some amazing cards from around the world - mostly Europe and Asia. Usually members take your preferences in stride and send you a nice card. Usually it is some sort of famous monument, nature scene or artwork. One day, I found this in the mail.
My fellow postcard fanatic in Germany saw that I was a bibliophile. She sent me this absolutely amazing card. She said that it was homemade. Look at the amazing detail in it. I am not sure there is a card to top this.

I Had Forgotten

2011-06-15T00:55:00.005-04:00

Becoming one with nature in Los Angeles is difficult. You can fight the traffic all the way to Griffith Park and go hiking. You can drive up and down the Pacific Coast Highway, find a treasured spot to parallel park and walk along the beach. In both of these instances, you will enjoy nature along with 7.5 million other people who are breathing the same mixture of pollutants, nitrogen, and oxygen as you are. If you really want to rise above the pollution and the population, you must drive for at least 2 hours into the mountains. (This estimated time does not account for traffic).

I had forgotten how easy it is to enjoy fresh air and glorious views in Utah. This weekend I took a scenic drive into Provo canyon. We crossed over the nearly overflowing Provo River and passed a couple crowded parks. We pulled into Big Springs Park to find this view.
The higher peaks are still snow capped providing Utahans with that pesky fear of flooding and me with a beautiful vista.
The relatively abundant moisture makes the plant life unusually lush.
Although, we picnicked far from the water, the rapids provided the soundtrack for our evening.
I think I could tolerate these views on a long term basis.

Happy Early Birthday to Me!

2011-06-07T00:03:00.004-04:00

I learned a few things on my mission. I learned that ALL Dutch people love windmills and Delft blue pottery. I am, of course, not exaggerating. I also learned to love tea. As a result I love teapots. My friend/mission companion/maid-of-honor/former roommate found this for me.

It is actually a clever salt and pepper shaker. Isn't it adorable?
It utterly and completely fulfills my need to surround myself in Dutchness.

Do I Work Too Much?

2011-06-01T00:52:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, I was walking back to work from my lunch break and standing at the corner of a very busy street waiting to cross. I knew it was going to be a minute so I moved into the shade. A moment later, two boys and their mother approached carrying McDonald's food. The boys were typically developing young children and as such were kicking each other.

Trying to escape, his older brother, the smaller one moved closer to me. He was probably five, but seemed very small on that very busy street corner. He had a round face, round glasses, and his hair was cut to look like a bowl. He stared up at me in almost amazement. This was our conversation.

Boy: Do I know you?
Me: Do you go to the library? I work there.
Boy: I go to the library all the time!
Me: Well, then you know me.
Boy: Mom, look! There's the lady that lives at the library?

Water Conservation Garden

2011-05-26T15:24:00.004-04:00

Last weekend, I visited my friend Stacey in San Diego. In El Cajon, there is a lovely water conservation garden. It is filled with lots of interesting tidbits on water usage and other "Green" topics which I mostly ignored. I just thought it was pretty.
I wandered around the lovely gardsn, ...
felt very "Monet" by the tadpole pond, ...
admired the purple flowers, ...
admired more flowers,* ...
learned about recycling lightbulbs, ...
and finally took a nap.

* Confession: I truly love and admire almost all flowers, but I know next to nothing about them. If you were to ask me a flower's name, I would be wrong 9 times out of 10.

Curling

2011-03-30T01:32:00.001-04:00

For a faithful account of my curling adventures please visit E-Procrastinator.

A Portrait of a Librarian

2011-03-28T22:45:00.003-04:00

A few Saturdays ago, a cute little girl was at the library. We each have a different version of her name not that I would share it on my blog anyway. She was bored waiting for storytime, so one of our pages suggested that she draw a picture of me. She ran into the meeting wide-eyed and glowing with pride and presented me with a portrait of myself.
I'm not sure when I went bald, but I guess I should take what I can get.

Engagement Photo Fun

2011-02-27T15:08:00.003-05:00

On Valentine's Day, Jerry was in town and we took out engagement photos. We had tons of fun doing it. The photographer was a lot more artistic than I expected him to be. Here are tow of our more unusual photos. I think they are very cool although they probably won't end up on an announcement.

Bryce, my photographer, asked me ot ut a link to his blog Fisher Fotographie. I'm not sure if our photos are up there or not.

I Love Cacti

2011-01-30T01:14:00.005-05:00

I have found that when I visit a new location, I become obsessed with the native vegetation. On my recent trip to visit Emilysa and her husband in Tucson, I searched high and low for some vegetation, and I found the saguaro. I love them, but I don't love them nearly as much as the sequoia. With that said, they are still fascinating.

Look how excited I am to be in front of the cactus. I tried to hug one, but saguaro are rather unfriendly plants.
And, finally, we have the traditional self-made photo of Emilysa and me. I love Emilysa more than I love saguaros and sequoias combined.

On Love

2011-01-22T00:04:00.003-05:00

Love is strange. It is like being struck by 1,000 arrows.

Sometimes it feels like you radiate light.

12 Reasons Why Libraries Are Awesome

2010-12-28T18:15:00.001-05:00

Check it out!

12 Ways Libraries Are Good for the Country

Lawndale Library in the News

2010-12-21T20:31:00.004-05:00

In case anyone is interested, my manager just earned a National Award. I have included the article.

She's One for the Books

Dear California Drivers

2010-12-18T21:32:00.002-05:00

While living in Boston, a city know for its notorious drivers I faced one automobile-related brush with death. Was I jay-walking? Most likely.

Now all you California drivers out there. You brag about your logical city blocks, and your six lane freeways, and your good drivers. I have heard you scoff at Bostonian drivers. If I may be so bold, I would like to contradict you. Since living in California, I have been hit by a car once. Was I crossing legally? Of course! Only lunatics jay-walk in this place. (Luckily I was on my bike and sustained no injuries.)

As for brushes with death, I have had many. Tonight, for example, I was crossing on a green light, I was wearing light colors, and I looked both ways. And yet the person turning left felt no need to slow down and missed me by inches. If he/she could not have seen me, he/she should not be driving. If I had a dollar for every time this happened, I could buy more people Christmas presents this year.

Now I realize that wherever you are going is far more urgent than where I am going. But it is really in your best interests to wait for me to briskly cross the street before turning left. I promise you I will walk fast enough that you won't get stuck at the light. If nothing else, think of the cramp an accident would put in your schedule.

Warm Regards,

M

World Peace through Postcards

2010-12-03T22:50:00.002-05:00

Lately, I have been working on a number of projects. I've been creating homemade gifts for family members, reading the Bible, attempting to sew a skirt, etc. When my sister asked me how I have time to do these things I replied that it is what I do while I am waiting for the phone to ring. These days that is much less pathetic than it sounds.

I have also found a hobby in The Postcrossing Project, a website devoted to sending snail mail postcards to strangers around the globe. I love it! The site generates addresses for me to send postcards to, the recipients register their card, and then a different person sends me a card. I've received cards from China, Canada, the Netherlands and more.

I picked up this replica of a vintage card while in Sacramento. I chose to send it to someone majoring in history in hopes that she will appreciate it.

I have had this beauty since my mission, but decided to send it on to Oregon. The recipient loved it! Who wouldn't really?

Just when I hit my peak of autumn withdrawals, I received this card from Quebec! It is wonderful to get something besides bills and Trader Joe's ads in the mail.

Some might think this is a waste of time. Admittedly, I have found a geeky pastime. But think of it this way - I am spreading the love of culture and positive international relations around the world one postcard at a time.

A Post About Books

2010-11-17T17:02:00.002-05:00

I decided to post about books because it has been awhile. For those of you with young children, you may find this interesting. Enjoy!

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

Bear’s friends party at his house while he sleeps through the winter. Rhymes and repetition make this a fun book to share.

Bubble Bath Pirates! By Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Kids celebrate bath time with this fun filled pirate rhyme.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

Kids love to say “no” to this selfish, but fun-loving pigeon.

Don’t Worry Bear by Greg Foley

Bear is a faithful friend and watches anxiously while his caterpillar friend lives in a cocoon and turns into a silk moth.

Guji, Guji by Chih-Yuan Chen

This is great story about the power of family. Mother duck hatches a crocodile and eagerly accepts him. It’s up to him to save the day when the mean crocodiles want to hurt the duck family.

Jamberry by Bruce Degen

Rhyming, counting, and beautiful illustrations make this book fun to read over and over.

Llama, Llama, Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

Llama, Llama loves his mama and can’t wait for her to tuck her in at night, but he goes a little too far. This is a fun, bedtime story.

The Magic Hat by Mem Fox, illustrated by Tricia Tusa

A magic hat floats into town and starts turning people into animals. Use the rhyming text to guess what animal they will be transformed into.

Move Over, Rover by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by Jane Dyer

Rover is feeling very lonely until a rainstorm hits and the doghouse becomes a little uncomfortable. Have kids chant “Move over, Rover,” along with the text.

Sacramento

2010-11-16T21:44:00.002-05:00

So I am just finishing up my weekend conference in Sacramento. I arrived Friday and had one of the best meals of my life at the Firehouse in Old Sacramento. Delicious, including sorbet to cleanse the pallet. I spent most of Saturday anxiously awaiting the time to five my presentation. I heaved a sigh of relief when it was finally over and people said they really liked it.

The rest of the trip, I have spent waiting to go home. I am sitting at the airport now. This morning, I went to the train museum and took these photos on my cell phone which accounts for the poor quality.

One on the trains in the museum

This is the postal train car. Without stopping the train picks up the mail and it all gets sorted as teh train is moving. Pretty cool!

This is a golden spike such as was driven into the ground in Promontory, Utah. It was very shiny.

Fall Things

2010-10-25T19:33:00.002-04:00

Laura has very politely reminded me that it is time for an update to my blog. I have dexiced to oblige with a couple updates. In late August, Jerry came for a visit to LA. Luckily it wasn't too hot, but we had sunny weather. He took me to Solvang, a tourist trap Danish town with windmills and pastries.
He took me to Sea World for my birthdayday. I LOVE WHALES! We had a great time and saw the Shamu Show twice. We sat so close that Shamu literally spit on us. We also saw the dolphin show, fed dolphins, and got very wet.
Next my parents came and we went to Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks. The trees and overall beauty were stunning. I loved them almost as much as the whales. I did not get tired of all of the trees and beautiful vistas.
I think that every should go there. It was truly an example of God's masterwork.
Since then, I got to go to conference. Jerry met up with me Utah and it was fantastic to be in the Conference Center and see family.

My Best Friend's Wedding

2010-09-08T00:05:00.006-04:00

My best friend, Emilysa, got married in August. I had the privilege of being the maid of honor and wearing orange. I had a friend make me the dress.
The night before the wedding, we had a small shower for her. Each of us had our photo taken with the star of the show. Eventhough we were laughing, we decided this was a cool picture.

This is a nice picture of me in my dress.

I really had a great time with Emilysa's family and friends. This is Emilysa's friend Lora, who I got to spend a lot of time with.

It was such a pleasure to be a part of the wedding. It was wonderful to be in the San Diego Temple for the sealing and to be a part of the weekend.

Green Thumb

2010-08-03T22:51:00.002-04:00

A few months ago, I blogged about my small garden. Now I have a small piece of fruit. I think I'm going to take Cat's advice and turn it into some jam!

Contrast

2010-07-15T23:57:00.003-04:00

About a year ago, I could easily be described as a stress ball with a bun. My first year of summer craziness made me unable to breath let alone relax. This year, hewever, I am like a whole new person. A year of experience and a few other distractions have made me ... well, zen.

This is me just after a successful chalk art program. I'm pretty sure I didn't smile for the entire month of July last year.

I Am a Master

2010-06-06T21:14:00.004-04:00

This week I used my Master's Degree to:

scrub obscenities off a book drop.
teach young children the crab walk.
make a vegetable costume.
explain to young ones that soccer is an outside game.
and place 1,232,673 holds on Diary of a Wimpy Kid (the book, not the movie).

It's a good life!

An Assignment

2010-05-13T00:18:00.003-04:00

On the bus ride to work today, I was told
that I looked "neat and tidy."

On the bus ride home, I was told that I
looked like Britney Spears.

What is wrong with this? Discuss ...

A Berry Small Garden

2010-05-06T23:04:00.003-04:00

As I was preparing to move to California, I told everyone who was willing to listen that I wanted a small bit of dirt to grow things in. California seemed like the ideal place. My first apartment had just that, but sadly I did not take the opportunity. Luckily, I work for a garden obsessed library.
Meet my container garden - two little strawberry plants. It will sit and grow on my little stairway. I will love it, and water it, and sing to it, and maybe even hug it a little until one day a small berry will grow. Then I will eat it and feel very proud that I have accomplished one thing I set out to do.

The Huntington

2010-04-25T14:05:00.004-04:00

My mom came for a brief, but wonderful visit last weekend. Whenever I have guests, I always try and do something I have never done before. We headed to the Pasadena area where there is a place called The Huntington - a combination library, art gallery, and garden. The gardens were delightful and we spent most of our time there.
This is looking towards the Japanese gardens and the tea room, which was originally built in Japan, dismantled and sent to California.

The roses never cease to amaze me. I've blogged about this a year ago, but I am still obsessed. I think they are amazing.

After visiting the gardens and perusing the art galleries, we headed into the bookshop. I normally get a bookmark from every place that I visit, but I stumbled upon the collected works of Randolph Caldecott. Caldecott was a pioneer in children's illustration and the prestigious Caldecott Medal is named for him. After taking stock of my wants and my needs, I decided I couldn't live without this book. I now own a little bit of children's literary history.
The day was sunny, wonderful, and ended with some frozen yogurt. Glorious!

Another Bus Story

2010-04-08T00:21:00.003-04:00

I've gotten used to my bus riding routine especially on Wednesdays. Typically, I wait in intense sun for my first leg of the trip. If glares could kill, the driver of this bus would have murdered me months ago. I can feel hate emanating from her aura. (It is not necessarily directed at me, but all who would have the audacity to ride her bus.)

At night, I'm used to seeing the same friendly driver. I sit near the front to avoid the riff-raff in the back. We make small talk usually about the broken money collecting machine, the weather, and our gladness that the day is nearly over. Then, I wait for what seems like eons for my last bus to come. That driver gives no indication that I regularly ride his bus.

Well, it's been a couple weeks since I've done my regular Wednesday night routine. Today I got on the bus greeted the usual driver, and we chatted for a bit. She asked me why I haven't seen her and what I've been up to. Then she told me that last week when she didn't see me, she decided to wait a few minutes. She didn't want me standing alone in the dark wondering when the next bus would be along.

I decided that that was pretty much the nicest thing ever! At the end of the day, when she could have sped forward and gotten of work a few minutes early she waited for me. I am pleased to announce that there are some nice bus drivers out there.

Rockin' Rexburg

2010-03-29T19:52:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I returned from a visit to Rexburg. Having gone my entire Provo experience without visiting Idaho, I assumed I was in the clear. Now four years later, I flashed back to college life for the weekend. Some family friends from Maine graciously allowed my friend, Meagan, and I to stay with them while we visited my other friend, Sarah.
Here we are happy to be reunited. We drove from SLC to Rexburg in excellent time, but some confusing Google Map directions made us very happy to finally see each other.
Sarah gave me a tour of the BYU-I Library. I was quite impressed. I'm a library tourist. It being late March in Idaho meant that it was still pretty cold. Meagan and I tried to cope, but complained occasionally and stayed bundled up.
On Saturday, we were pretty tapped out on ideas of what to do in Rexburg. We drove out of town. We found this lovely park and river in St. Anthony.
This giant root beer mug is Ashton, Idaho's claim to fame.

This trip was relaxing and fun - my two favorite things.

Dress Shopping

2010-03-20T00:33:00.005-04:00

Emilysa will be getting married in August. As her best friend I am taking my role as wedding planner very seriously. I told her that I wanted to wear a mustard colored dress and sent her some examples.

Chic!

She would prefer that I wear something a little more modest, and has chosen this for me.

Hot!

Because she has chosen my wardrobe for the day, I went ahead and chose her wedding dress. I also decided that she should have a nautical themed wedding.

Classy!

To see Em's first choice follow the link: http://www.eglobe1.com/word/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/ugly-wedding-dress.jpg

Just wait until you see the centerpieces I picked out!

My Favorite Doctor

2010-03-06T21:32:00.010-05:00

This week the library/education world has celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday with a nationwide program called "Read Across America." Yesterday, I was invited to read at a local school, and today, we celebrated at that library. This means that I have spent the last 2-3 days thinking in Seussian rhythm. Each of my thoughts seems to include some strange word or radical invention. What I love about Dr. Seuss is how well his books translate to my life.

"I am the Lorax I speak for the trees." from The Lorax

The Lorax is an enviromentally motivated story starring this lovable creature. I would never describe myself as "green," but did I ever tell you that I am obsessed with redwood trees. Someday I will see them. Seeing as I live in the right place for that it will be sooner rather than later. I am Michelle, and I speak for the sequoia.

"The Waiting Place" from Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Seuss describes a place where people wait and wait for their lives to happen to them. I'm sick of waiting for the perfect time to fix my internet connection, clean my desk, and organize my drawers. The time to apply for a promotion is now not in a few months. I'm moving out of the never-ending waiting room and moving on.

"Say! I like green eggs and ham! I do! I like them Sam-I-Am" from Green Eggs and Ham

I recently read that trying new things actually contributes to a person's happiness. I believe this. One simple example is that I just finished reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians. A friend of mine pestered me for months to read it. I have a ton to read so I kept putting it off. Plus, I did not want to find a replacement for my love of Harry Potter. Yep! The books are fun. (It was no Harry Potter, but it was entertaining.)

"I said GO and GO I meant..." from Marvin K. Mooney Will Please Go Now

This is how I feel every day at closing time.

Thank you, Dr. Seuss, for being a life-long influence.

Ode to an Awesome Friend

2010-01-25T17:52:00.003-05:00

I have nominated my most awesome friend, Emilysa, for the "Most Awesome Friend of the Year" award.

Qualifications include:

being a great mission companion, roommate, and friend for nearly six years.
teaching me how to make cookie dumplings, rice and beans, and other concoctions.
always asking the right questions.
being willing to drive approximately 115 miles to cheer me up on a rotten day, and waiting unfazed while I periodically felt the need to stare into the toilet during her visit.
embarking on adventures that some may call "geeky" and others call "nerdy," but we call "fun."
finding the time to see me in some less than convenient places like the Salt Lake Airport and a church in the Phoenix area.
being a fabulous example.
understanding me.

Vote for Em for the most "Awesome Friend of the Year Award" and wish her a "Happy Birthday" this week.

Recovery

2010-01-07T15:26:00.005-05:00

I'm bored! It's day eight of sickness. What I thought was a migraine, turned out to be the flu, then turned into pneumonia. Yep, it's been fun. I wish I could invite you all over to share in the joy. Some of the best moments when were I thought to myself, "Oh, it's 2010, I wonder if I am allowed to take more Tylenol," or when I was told it would be a 45 minute wait at the pharmacy for prepackaged antibiotics.

But like all trials, I have learned some things. Allow me to share.

1) Broth - The doctor told me to eat soup - lots of it! I'm not sure what her definition of "a lot" was but let me tell you mine. I can't muster more than one can a day. I have tried. I have failed. I am supplementing my broth eating with hot herbal tea and warm Jell-O. Is that sufficient, doctor?

2) Asking for help isn't the worst thing in the world. I really hate asking for help. People have turned out in droves to help me though. My roommate did my laundry. A friend brought me yellow Gerber daisies. I got a blessing, and my Relief Society president brought me real food last night. Roasted chicken has never tasted so good! I am spilling over with gratitude which brings me to my next thing.

3) I've become grateful for unique possibly weird things.

First, Sir Alexander Fleming, all of humanity should praise you. Antibiotics are a miracle. Thank you for your discovery. Without antibiotics, I would probably be in a hospital or worse by now.

Second, I am always a little happy every time phlegm comes shooting out of my mouth during a full body convulsive cough. Yes, people this is TMI, but I think it means I'm getting better. I could be wrong, but I'm trying to stay positive. Do NOT contradict me!

Third, I am grateful I have a place I would rather be than sick. I would take work over sick days anytime. I'm not looking forward to my backlog of work I have to do, but I am excitedly anticipating my return.

4) Lastly, I'm practically better. I was convinced on Monday night that the world was coming to an end, but it hasn't. 8 days really isn't that long afterall.

The Prodigal Blogger Returns

2010-01-02T14:58:00.005-05:00

It has been ages since, I have sat down to write an update of my life. But so as not to disappoint my reader(s), I return. I find myself in day three of the flu (the pigless kind). Besides feeling horribly uncomfortable, I'm terribly bored. I can't muster the strength to clean my room, but it takes far less energy to exercise my fingers.

The reason for my blogging delinquency is simply that I've been busy. Yes, folks, it's true. I tend to write more when life is pretty slow. In addition to my relatively busy schedule I've been sick, traveling or in all other ways lacking the desire to blog. So here are a few highlights of November and December 2010.

My parents came to visit. We visited the Newport Beach Temple, the Getty, Hollywood, and San Juan Capistrano. It was fun to share my life with them and get to do a few things I hadn't done yet.

The week after that I flew to Utah on Thanksgiving to enjoy turkey with my sister's family. I made the cranberry sauce. Even people who hate cranberry sauce claimed to enjoy it.

I was in charge of the library staff holiday party. I learned a couple of things in the planning of this party. People expect decorations at holiday parties, and The Office is more true to life than most people are willing to admit. My manager declared it a success. Maybe party planning, has potential of being a talent of mine.

On December 19th, I anxiously awaited my flight to New York where I would spend two days with my brother and sister-in-law before heading up to Maine. Well, obviously my flight got cancelled. I arrived in New York on December 21 and spent approximately 11 blissful hours in New York. I did get to see the tree at Rockefeller Center which did not disappoint.

The rest of my holiday was spent in Maine. I slept late, watched schmaltzy Christmas movies, ate delicious food, and had a great time with my family. Unfortunately, I'm lacking photos of the experience.

Well, I'm getting a little sleepy. To all of you out there. Happy New Year. Here's to a wonderful 2010.

Recent Reads

2009-11-08T21:53:00.003-05:00

I realized that it has been ages since I've mentioned anything that I have read. Considering that this was the original purpose of my blog, I am going to rectify that situation. Recently I've taken a course on the Newbery Medal. For those of you who do not know, the Newbery Medal is awarded annually by librarians to a distinguished American Children's book. As students we chose a book from each decade since the award ariginated. Here is my list starting with my favorite and ending with my least favorite.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson - Some of you may have seen the movie, but of course the book is better. Jesse and Leslie become great friends and play together in a magical land of their imagination. Paterson tells a wonderful story of their friendship and Jesse's grief. Paterson is a great writer and storyteller.

Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen - This book was the biggest surprise for me. Marley and her family decide to move from the city to Maple Hill in hope of healing. The family comes together as they focus on a simpler life. This book has an Anne of Green Gables quality to it that I enjoyed. Give it a try! You just might like it.

Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt - This is one of my mom's favorite books. I admit I had read it before, but nothing else from the 60's looked remotely interesting. When Julie's mother dies, she must live with her spinster aunt in the country. Julie matures under the firm, but gentle eye of her aunt. This is the only true coming-of-age story that I read in this course. This is a wonderful, if slightly old fashioned story.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth - This short book is a treasure! A Japanese artist is comissioned to paint Buddha surrounded by animals at his death. Cats are the only animals not allowed into heaven in Buddhist tradition. But the artist finds strength from his pet cat and some surprising things happen. This book deserves more credit than it gets. It's from 1931, but is not dated. Not to mention that it is touching.

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron - Lucky lives with her guardian in a desolate town in the Majave Desert. Lucky is searching for her higher power and a way to keep her guardian from abadoning her and returning to France. The quirky characters kept this story alive which was good because the plot was slow to the point of nonexistant

Missing May by Cynthia Rylant - After May's death, Summer and Uncle Ob are trying to grieve. Convinced that May's spirit is trying to make contact with them, Ob, Summer, and their friend Cletus go on a journey to find a medium. This short, well-written book would have traumatized me. If you are looking for a good book by Rylant, I suggest The Van Gogh Cafe.

The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene Du Bois - The concept for this book is fabulous, but the storytelling killed it. In search of privacy a retired teacher intends to live in the sky for a year. Seagulls foil his plan, and he lands on an island assumed to be uninhabited. He discovers great wealth, amazing inventions, and fascinating people. Doesn't it sound like a great book? Well, the way it is told does not make it fun or fascinating.

A Visit to William Blake's Inn by Nancy Willard - This book is significant because it won the Newbery Medal and a Caldecott Honor. During discussions, my classmates and I decided it was forgettable. This is true. Now 2 weeks from reading it, I can't tell you what a single poem contained. It wasn't terrible it just wasn't enough to make it wonderful.

Congratulations you have made it this far. I should give you a prize. Instead I will tell you my least favorite from the course.

Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field - Hitty is a doll whose life begins in Maine (yay!). She travels around the world meeting fascinating people and getting lost and found again. After the first to chapters I lost interest and was not able to figure out why everyone thought this doll was so special. Perhaps I didn't like it because it was the most dated of the bunch.

P.S. If you are wondering why I didn't include classics like The Giver and A Wrinkle in Time, it is because I have already read them. I was trying to expand my knowledge during this course.

One Year

2009-10-31T22:29:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I celebrated one year in Southern California. I've either lived in or visited many places and LA has seemed like the greatest adventure of my life to date. This has probably been the hardest, most exciting, most challenging, and most incredible year of my life. I say this fully aware that life will probably only get harder, more exciting, more challenging, and more incredible. I look forward to it.

Here are a few highlights.

Life - Most of this year has been consumed with figuring out how to be a children's librarian. I can proudly say that I've succeeded. I've endured the occasional failure, learned from it and moved forward. Yesterday, I decided I love my job when I heard some toddlers squealing with delight.

I attend a small ward with amazing people. I'm grateful for the lessons I've learned from them.

New Things - New experiences energize me. This year I have visited San Francisco (awesome!), Denver (cold!), and Chicago (miserable!). I have eaten street tacos, visited the Getty Villa, and frequented Disneyland. I've been the proud owner of a refrigerator, a flat screen televisions, and a couch.

Gratitude - One of my favorite hobbies is complaining about Los Angeles. I need to suck it up and be grateful. Some reasons why:

I have met people from all walks of life. I love it!
I still have a job despite layoffs.
I get to be around children every day.
The beach (need I say more)
It doesn't get cold here.
The Lord has blessed me with new talents and magnified my old ones. This is probably the thing I am the most grateful for. I have done things I never thought I could do.
And much, much more!

Seriously So Embarrassed

2009-10-29T00:14:00.003-04:00

Tonight's evening commute started with a bang. One of my coworkers always drops me off at the gas station by the bus stop. Today, I saw the bus pulling through the intersection as my coworker was rolling to a stop. I was out of his truck before he was finished moving.

SMACK! I ran directly into a tree branch.

Then ... SLIRP! My brand new Clark's shoe slid through the mud. I managed not to fall flat on my face.

I nearly died ... of embarrassment. I'm sure the teen librarian saw the whole mishap. The bus driver gave me a long flirtatious lecture which included lines like "I would have waited for you. Not other people but, of course, you." and "Do you roller skate? I roller skate a lot; you have good balance."

Oh, dear! My pride hurts.

5 Life Lessons

2009-10-02T21:59:00.004-04:00

As should happen in all weeks I learned many things. Here are the top 5.

5. The Los Angeles Green Line Train isn't half bad, and is more efficient than the Boston Green LIne Train by far.

4. Actually enforcing consequences, improves kids' behavior. I know this isn't that huge of an epiphany. It also makes kids really mad.

3. Not all plums are disgusting. A farmer at the local farmer's market actually had a delicious variety.

2. Jicama is a large root vegetable with very little flavor. It doesn't just appear on vegetable trays in sticks. A whole jicama looks like this.

This week it was $.99/lb. at Ralph's. The most important part of the lesson. Jicama is heavy. I walked over 2 miles with two jicama. My arms are sore.

1. In the event of a power outage in the workplace and a subsequent closure. RUN! Do NOT walk to the nearest exit. Otherwise, the power will return before you have had time to vacate the premises.

Lies!

2009-09-23T00:31:00.004-04:00

This quote was published in CareerBuilder.com on September 21, 2009. I wonder if they spoke to any public librarians before printing these lies.

Jobs for Quiet people

"Librarian - It might seem obvious, but given that librarians work in a mostly "no talking zone," it makes sense that a librarian position suits quiet workers. Most of your time is spent organizing and maintaining library publications and materials, and the rest you'll spend directing people to whatever they may need."

Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com

Zupek at least needs a librarian as a fact checker. Even now this delusion of what a librarian does is making my blood boil. Even my 8 hours at work today can prove this description wrong.

There was talking - loud even
I neither maintained nor organized my library publications.
"Directing people to whatever they need" generally requires what librarians call a reference interview. I can't think of one reference interview that I had when I was not speaking. It requires great people skills to draw out of patrons what they are actually looking for.
I dealt with A LOT people in various capacities being required to be mature, friendly, and respectful at all times. This isn't always easy.

All I'm really saying is that Zupek should reconsider her argument and tell the world who we really are. We are intelligent information professionals who are able to meet the needs of our customers often in a stressful environment.

My Soundtrack

2009-09-12T22:55:00.003-04:00

You may have noticed that I've been in a little bit of a blogging drought. One of the kids at the library inspired me with her homework assignment. She had to choose three songs to be on her soundtrack. I decided to only include the parts of the songs that applied the most. So here goes.

1. Late Morning Lullaby by Brandi Carlile

The first sign of morning is gray and alarming
It's so disappointing the day has come so soon
While the rest of the world greets the day and feels new
I will push it away just like I always do, I will be
Dreaming, dreaming, dreaming,
Your real world away

Only beautiful, beautiful bright eyes, lie
Only beautiful, beautiful bright eyes cry
Late morning lullaby
Late morning lullaby

I would darken my window so I can fall asleep
While the critics frown down on the hours
I keep that leave me
Dreaming, dreaming, dreaming,
Your real world away

Anyone who has been my roommate knows that I am not a morning person. I'm usually grumpy in the morning. If I could I would "darken my window" and dream for as long as possible. If my life were a movie, I would use this at the beginning credits.

2. Better Things by Dar Williams

Here's wishing you the bluest sky
And hoping something better comes tomorrow
Hoping all the verses rhyme,
And the very best of choruses to
Follow all the doubt and sadness
I know that better things are on the way.

Here's hoping all the days ahead
Won't be as bitter as the ones behind you
Be an optimist instead,
And somehow happiness will find you.
Forget what happened yesterday,
I know that better things are on their way.

It's really good to see you rocking out
And having fun
Living like you just begun.
Accept your life and what it brings.
I hope tomorrow you'll find better things.
I know tomorrow you'll find better things.

I know you've got a lot of good things happening up ahead.
The past is gone, it's all been said.
So here's to what the future brings,
I know tomorrow you'll find better things.

This song is a great cure to a bad day. It's a reminder that despite the little bumps, I have a great life. The glass always changes from half empty to half full when I hear this tune.

3. I Need Thee Every Hour

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

It would be remiss to not include a hymn. I think this is the song I sing most often in the shower, on long walks, or when I am stressed. I often substitute the Dutch chorus. "Heel mijn hart zoekt naar u" roughly translated means "My whole heart craves thee." I really like that sentiment.

So who's going to make the movie to go along with this soundtrack?

August Highlights

2009-08-31T17:43:00.002-04:00

It's been a busy month. I'm taking it easy at work and spending some time planning, but other than that life has been hectic. At the beginning of the month I went to New England for Kim and Richard's wedding. This was a good kind of hectic. I couldn't be happier, and it was wonderful to be with my family and see so many friends.

Just after I got back from Maine, I decided to move to an new apartment with a roommate. I packed up my boxes, took down my pictures, and here I am in my new apartment. Photos to be posted when the apartment looks a little more settled.

Tomorrow's my birthday. I'm trying ot embrace the coming of another year.

Survival

2009-08-03T00:19:00.003-04:00

This summer has been filled with a lot of work. A work filled summer is not something I'm used to. Summer reading has taken a lot out of me. But I succeeded. Activities included a Harry Potter Birthday Party, a Blues Conecrt, puppets, a turtle race, lawn games and much, much more. I have learned many lessons in the process mostly while scrubbing stains out of the carpet. This Jackson Polluck style painting created by library regulars is a symbol of my success. I'm going to frame it. It's called "Survival."

Support Your Local Library

2009-07-26T13:42:00.004-04:00

I'm posting this mostly for myself. The quotes discuss the necessity of libraries and their value in building local economies. If you don't care, I will not offended, if you don't read this post. But do remember that libraries (particularly those that are well funded) will always have an important, positive impact on every community.

From the article: Libraries at the Heart of Our Communities by Wayne Senville

“There’s been a dramatic change in the mission of libraries across the country. No longer just static repositories of books and reference materials, libraries are increasingly serving as the hub of their communities, providing a broad range of services and activities. They are also becoming important "economic engines" of downtowns and neighborhood districts."

“To put library visits in perspective, consider that in 2007 the attendance at major league baseball games was 81 million and NFL football, 22 million – add in NCAA men’s and women’s basketball (43 million) and football (49 million) and the total is less than 15 percent the number of visits to public libraries.”

Quiet

2009-07-22T00:33:00.004-04:00

I finally had a chance to go to the temple today. We battled the traffic to Santa Monica Blvd. and made it to the temple.
As I walked in the door and was greeted by the friendly workers, I instantly appreciated the quiet. Even before the door closed out the sounds of the busy street below, it was much more still than the world. Today, I am grateful for the temple and a place that is truly quiet.

RELAX!

2009-07-19T22:14:00.005-04:00

The past three weeks have been crazy! With programs everyday, work has been nonstop. I've gone out of town two weekends in a row. Everyone around me has noticed that I am in need of some R&R. One of my coworkers will look at me and immediately say "Relax!" It is her one word mantra to me.

Apparently, others have the same advice. After church, I was enjoying Linger Longer with my ward. I dropped my sandwich and chips on the ground. After disposing of my sandwich remains and cleaning my hands, I turned around. On the counter behind me were huge letters spelling out "RELAX." I bursted out in laughter. No one knew what was funny. I certainly learned something at church today.

"Don't You Know There's a Recession!"

2009-07-03T00:24:00.003-04:00

It was Tuesday morning. I was experiencing the typical beginning of the week dread during my morning commute on the LA Metro bus. I proceeded to plunk my quarters into that tall box by the driver and found my seat near the back door. The ride really isn't that bad as long as everything is on time, and the other passengers keep to themselves.

Then, there she was - the woman who refused to pay. She loudly announced that she did not have any quarters to plunk into the machine, coughed, then annoyed the driver so much, he allowed her to move on back. She dragged her large laundry bag down the aisle, the whole time justifying her lack of funds saying "Don't you know there's a recession." She repeated it and repeated it and repeated it as if that was a good reason. A lump of indignation formed in the bottom of my stomach. I imagine the dozen of us who paid fairly didn't feel much sympathy. None of us carry around our endless supplies of bus fare.

Nevertheless, I've decided to follow this woman's example. I'm going to go to the grocery store and find all the essentials including gummi worms and frozen taquitos. When the checker tells me that I owe $237.13, I will declare "Don't you know there's a recession!" and run out with my armfulls of groceries. Oh wait ... that's stealing!

The Good, the Bad, and the Scaly

2009-06-28T14:49:00.003-04:00

This week has been an unusual mix of the wonderful and the horrible. On Monday, I enjoyed watching the bright red sun fall below the clouds at the beach. The water reflecting the dark blue of the sky. That was followed by a few sleepless nights leading up to the beginning of my busiest time at work. All of that apprehension turned to triumph when everything was successful. Triumph quickly turned to exhaustion as a few other unusual things happened. Luckily my job has a few perks. This week it was putting a lizard to sleep. Unfortunatley I didn't get to keep the dollar bill.

The Best Patrons Ever

2009-06-16T23:56:00.002-04:00

On Friday I had a visit from some of the best library patrons ever. They came to the library ready for some fun and enjoyed a play kitchen, trucks, math trivia and lots of books.
At the end they got to check out books by themselves, and read them at my house. Liz checked out a Cam Jansen mystery. Nathan chose a Magic Tree House. Within about 5 minutes of getting to the library, Michael found an oversize book on fire engines. I helped Megan find a book to get her excited about going to the beach. But judging by how much Megan loved the water, she didn't need much preparation. They were great patrons!

A Brief Visit is Better Than No Visit At All

2009-06-13T01:06:00.003-04:00

After receiving an email from Becca, a great friend from Maine, a few months ago informing me that she would be visiting Maine, I was inspired to do the same. I wish I could have stayed for a couple weeks, but a couple days was good too. I got to see a new niece, a future sister-in-law, and spend some quality time with family and friends.

Evalyn was ADORABLE. We read stories, sang songs and had a great time.

Spencer reached his first landmark in his academic career at his preschool graduation. He was so proud!

Maddy is my newest niece and is a beautiful, sweet thing.

My visit to Boothbay with Becca and her boyfriend Matt was rainy. It was still wonderful to catch up and enjoy telling stories of out latest adventures.

Becca had never been to Big Al's. The world's most random store. WE think this is him and even if it isn't we are going to say it was.

THIS VISIT WAS TOO SHORT!

Live Long and Prosper

2009-05-23T00:37:00.003-04:00

This party helped me reach a whole new level of geek. Yep, I celebrated Star Trek. I was practicing for weeks. I still haven't seen the movie.

America's Next Top Hand Model

2009-05-21T01:31:00.002-04:00

Even without a manicure it looks amazing. Surf's Up!

A Short Update

2009-05-18T00:07:00.002-04:00

I haven't had a lot of interesting anything to share with the world on the internet. I contemplated writing about my church in Boston that burnt, but I'll leave that to people who experienced it. I could describe the 2o seconds of terror I felt during my first California earthquake ...

I considered telling the story of the large, pepperoni pizza I found outside of the box laying in one piece on the lawn. Without a photo that isn't very interesting. Then there was a world record holding juggler who I got to see perform. I do have a photo of that ...

Thus, I decided to tell about an experience on LA public transportation. Often riding the bus here is exasperating. I don't want to hear anyone in Boston complain to me about transportation there. I guarantee you it is worse here, but the other day I had a rewarding experience.

About three weeks ago, I was waiting for the bus after work at about 8:30 PM. I was tired; my legs were achy. I wanted to be home. The bus arrived, and I paid and asked for a transfer. He shrugged his shoulders and told me that I was out of luck. There were no more transfers. I had to pay twice. Livid doesn't explain my exhausted reaction. After a long day, I am actually able to get mad.

This Wednesday feeling much the same after a long day, I was running for a bus that I missed. About 15 minutes later another arrived and there was the driver I had yelled at. He recognized me and didn't make me pay. He even gave me a transfer. Maybe one bus driver does have some customer service skills. For all of the other customer service infractions I have experienced on the bus, you can ask to see the list of grievances I am keeping.

Spring Obsession

2009-04-20T19:19:00.002-04:00

Flowers and plant-life are in full bloom here in Southern California. My allergies aren't loving it but my eyes are. I've noticed a difference in the kinds of flowers here. Tulips seem to be few and far between which is a bit disappointing. But I have noticed the the roses here are gigantic.
Every time I comment on them, I am told that they are perfectly normal, but I don't think I've ever seen such amazing roses. I'm obsessed.

No Time For a New Hobby

2009-04-16T23:45:00.002-04:00

Although I am thrilled to have a television, I have found little time to enjoy the endless entertainment it offers. Instead I have been leaving my usual stomping grounds and exploring the greater world around me. Emilysa stayed with me for a week while working in the area and we went to the Getty Villa in Malibu. While the seemingly endless Greco-Roman art was interesting the landscape and architecture were the highlights. I enjoyed the ocean vies, smell of fresh rosemary, and the green hills.
J. Paul Getty scored even more points by offering a Braille/Large Print Map. It made for a more enjoyable navigating experience.

Emilysa left on Friday and I flew to Utah in the evening. It was a great trip! I saw tons of family and friends that I have been aching to see. Here's a slightly detailed version of the happenings.

Saturday - I went out to breakfast with my mission companion Teneill. I love reconnecting with old friends. In the afternoon, I spoke at my niece's baptism and got to enjoy the wonderful event that it was. I spent the afternoon lounging at my sister's house before enjoying a dinner with my parents.

Easter Sunday - I had many options of were to go to church. I opted to go with my grandma which meant I got ot sleep in, finish a book and relax. Then came the onslaught of Easter celebration and family visit. I'm so happy I got to see so many cousins, aunts, and uncles on both sides of my family. Thanks for making time for me!

Monday - I had big plans to attend the temple and visit BYU campus. This was unfortunately foiled by disease. Instead I sat on my sister's couch most of the day. Jen and I played all 12 rounds of Scattergories. She won (but only because dehydration weakens the mind). My cousin Angell graciously drove me to the airport. I enjoyed the extra time I had to visit with her and hear about all the exciting news. Thanks again!

I'm home and back to the grindstone. Don't worry, I'm still struggling to find time to enjoy my new hobby. Obligatory reading and exhaustion seem to take precident.

My New Hobby

2009-04-05T21:57:00.003-04:00

At New Year's, I set a goal to find a new hobby. After some trial and error, I think I found one.

The Previous Week

2009-03-23T13:14:00.002-04:00

Here is another week in review.

Monday - I spent last weekend in San Diego. On Monday, I headed down to Old Town San Diego ate a giant hamburger, dipped candles, saw the Wells Fargo Wagon, looked at graffitied plants, and missed my train home.

Tuesday - I did make it home in time to attend work and run around like crazy trying to get things done.

Wednesday - This was opening day. The library was filled with curious customers and children. Every copy of Diary of a WImpy Kid got checked out within about an hour.

Thursday - I actually found time to go to the grocery store. This didn't happen very often in the past couple weeks.

Friday - I celebrated my survival of the week and hit a sale at Banana Republic. I love sales at that store.

Saturday - Our ward had a nerd night that included Wii, Karaoke and Rock Band. Needless ot say I fit right in.

A Visit From Fabulous Friends

2009-03-07T23:46:00.003-05:00

Kim, Alyson, and I all grew up in Maine together. In order to escape winter and see me, Kim and Alyson flew into the City of Angels. This meant that I got to do some touristy things, I have had yet to do. Our original plans included attending and possibly being a contestant on The Price is Right. My dreams of winning a dining room set that would never fit in my apartment were dashed when Drew Carey got pneumonia. My mom even went to extremes to get us matching Maine T-shirts to wear on the show.

Instead we wore them in front of the Hollywood sign.

Kim* enjoyed the palm trees as much as I do. The variety of palms is one of my favorite parts of California. My preference is actually the small, stubby palms not shown here.

Somebody has an entire library painted on their garage. After some encouragement I decided to explore it.

These photos are only a smattering of the fun we had. It was a great trip and I'm so glad they came. The house feels empty without them.

*All photos courtesy of Kim.

Italian Anyone?

2009-02-24T23:46:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I experienced a break in the monotony of my humdrum little life. My friend, Emily, decided to show me some of the best spots in LA and took me to a wonderful Italian restaurant on the beach. That morning I thought to myself, I would love some pasta today. I got my wish in the form of Penne al Fumo which included eggplant and fresh tomato. I can't say enough about it.
We ate outdoors and the sun kept us nice and warm. After the huge meal, we went for a walk along the pier. I love being able to go to the beach in February.

A Winner

2009-01-31T23:09:00.004-05:00

Swanson, Susan Marie. (2008) The House in the Night. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

I was at the press conference when they announced that this book had one the Caldecott Medal. I'm always a little skeptical. When all of the librarians practically started doing the wave, I became cynical. What I did not know is that I had read the book before and loved it.

I went to read it today and I realized what a fabulous and beautiful book it is. The author rewrote the words of a favorite nursery rhyme into a beautiful, peaceful bedtime story. The illustrator contrasts shadowy black and white illustrations with golden light as you can see on the cover. The combination creates a serene wonderful book. It made me feel good all over. I would say it is even "virtuous, lovely, ... of good report [and] praiseworthy." Check it out from the library! Read it to your kids! It is wonderful!

P.S. I read a lot of picture books and most don't stand out to me.

Then and Now

2009-01-27T13:13:00.003-05:00

Last year, my wonderful roommate, Laura, dropped me off at my ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia. The photo below shows where I stayed. We were 28 to a room and I was unable to sleep due to the noise of the night club across the street.
This year, I checked myself into the Hyatt in downtown Denver (at a low conference rate) and got upgraded to this room. Note the table for 6, the flat panel television, and the Murphy Bed. I even managed to be able to take naps.
I attend these conferences to fulfill my duties for a committee I am on. Usually, they put us very far away from the rest of the convention in a drab lifeless meeting room at an obscure hotel. This year they had us at the Brown Palace Hotel - one of the most luxurious and beautiful hotels in Denver. (Photo courtesy of Denver.org)
I can certainly cope with this contrast,

A Visit From Em

2009-01-20T23:46:00.002-05:00

Emilysa decided to spend the long weekend with me. After work on Saturday we headed up to the LA temple then went out to eat. Afterwards we celebrated her birthday in style.

What future physical therapist could be happy without a jigsaw puzzle book of human anatomy?

On Sunday, we went for a drive and found Malaga Cove Park. This is one of the cliffs.

Sorry to all of you New Englanders, but it's been gorgeous and sunny here. On Monday morning we spent some time on the beach. Other highlights included a car trip to the grocery store, a round of my favorite game, Scattergories (Emilysa nearly won), and rice and beans Emilysa style.

Five Days in Review

2009-01-16T23:34:00.003-05:00

Monday - I spent 3 hours at the Dentist. The most significant thing that I did at the dentist was read the majority of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. I'm still trying ot decide what to read when I return this week to get my fillings as it will undoubtably be a long visit.

Tuesday - The bus that i have to connect to in the morning was very late. When it finally arrived, the bus driver decided it was more important to step out of the bus and flirt with some girl than get customers to their destination on time.

Wednesday - When I went to buy a soda at a nearby gas station, some gentleman confused me with Cinderella. I was less than flattered and wanted to suggest (but of course didn't) that he find a new pick-up line.

Thursday - I went to a work meeting where we discussed the linguistic differences between "Kid's" and "Children's." I have strong opinions as you might expect.

Friday - I decided to get a massage which was probably the most relaxing 20 minutes of my week.

A Dutch Day

2009-01-10T21:06:00.004-05:00

This morning I was running out of my house to catch the 7:46 AM bus. Half way there I realized that I had no quarters with me. Unable to make it back for money and back to the on time, I decided to quickly change my clothes and take my bike.

It was a warm sunny day (I'm not trying to rub it in.) still cool in the morning but not bad. For California there were quite a few bikers on the road even. Some were commuters and some were definitely on the road for sport. We greeted one another as we passed. It almost felt like biking was normal - first Dutch feeling.

I got to work, carefully locked my bike to the rack, and started my day. This even felt a little like my mission when at a certain point I had tons of kids swarming around me. Combine that with a few language barriers etc. and it was quite the flashback.

We closed a little late today. Two librarians hung back while the rest of us left. As I was unlocking my bike, I reached over to turn on the lights and nothing was there. They had been stolen! That was the most Dutch thing of them all ...

... until I tried stuffing my huge bike into my coworkers tiny hatchback car. It fit by the way. Suddenly I remembered many a transfer when we were attempting the same thing.

Today, I have lost two bike lights and a little faith in humanity. But I can now see parallels to two worlds that have seemed so dissimilar.

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-01T15:34:00.004-05:00

I've been inspired by the many New Year's blogs I've seen and am now sharing mine. Telling people always forces me to be responsible.

1) Find a dentist. I have insurance and there is no reason to wait.

2) Think about work as little as possible when I'm not at work.

3) Which leads me to this one ... Find a hobby that is not book related. I have a few in mind but I was thinking of taking a community course, finding a yoga studio, etc.

4) Lastly, eat healthy food. This involves taking my lunch to work with me and making healthy food choices at the grocery store. This will not only improve my health, but also my finances.

Christmas With Family and Friends

2008-12-26T22:42:00.006-05:00

Christmas started for me last Sunday morning when I arrived in Salt Lake to do Christmas with my sister's family, mom, and grandparents. I lounged around the house avoiding the cold weather and enjoying my nieces and nephews. That evening we celebrated Christmas; the hightlight, of course, was watching my niece and nephews instantly fall in love with their brand new scooters. The blizzard in Orem put a damper on some of our plans on Monday, but I managed to get my 72 hour kit (my super exciting Christmas present). Salt Lake didn't get as much snow so we did get to enjoy Temple Square that evening before I had catch a plane back to LA. I was disappointed that I didn't get to attend the temple that day, but it was great to soak up the peace on Temple Square.
After 2 days of work, I headed down to San Diego, where my friend/mission companion/former roommate, Emilysa, and her friend picked me up from the airport. We intended to go Midnight Mass but went to Denny's instead - Big Difference! We laughed and talked until 3 AM and then went home and finished talking at 4 AM. I typically think people who do this are insane.
A few hours later we started opening presents. Santa found me in San Diego, and Emilysa's family spoiled me with books and treats as seen below. I think they were even inspired at some of the presents they gave me.
After 4 hours of present opening (Emilysa has a big family and we took a break), we ate a ham dinner and lounged around. I feel that Christmas is for lounging so this was wonderful. Just before I left for home, the family gathered around the grand piano for caroling. A very merry Christmas thanks to a wonderful and generous family.

Snow in LA

2008-12-18T22:43:00.002-05:00

A sudden cold snap fell upon Southern California this week and it snowed in the northern parts of the county, causing some libraries to close. Luckily, I live in the South. We just got pelted with rain, but we made snow of our own as seen below.

Notice how my art is intended not to intimidate children. I want them to out shine me with their artistic talents. Until future notice, I'm content with construction paper snow.

Celebrating the Season with Goofy

2008-12-14T15:29:00.004-05:00

Disneyland, the happiest, most decadent place on Earth, is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from me. They candy cane striped, Christmas treed, and lit up the whole park just for me it seems.
My new favorite ride is "It's a Small World" which they decked out for Christmas as well. The funny thing is that it really is a small world. On my first trip to Disney, just after I moved here, I ran into a long, lost roommate.
Unfortunately, I missed the fireworks and thus the snow that Disney pours down every night. It might be the only snow I see all year.

Charlie Brown Would Be Proud

2008-12-04T01:16:00.006-05:00

I wouldn't say I've decked the halls per se, but I did find some festive decorations for my favorite time of year. I think Charlie Brown would think that it looked just great!

If you look carefully, you'll see the musical note ornament which is my favorite.

This is a blurry photo of what it looks like in the dark.

I love Nativity sets and had to have this one the moment I saw it.

Merry Christmas!

Gratitude and a Lot of Food

2008-11-30T13:04:00.006-05:00

Thanksgiving season this year has involved a lot of food. It started in Boston when I celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with myroommates and friends. Then last Sunday I had a second Thanksgiving dinner, followed on Monday by an FHE Thanksgiving Feast. The real fun began early Thursday morning when I flew to Utah for a quick trip. Jen's family picked me up at the airport and we drove to Ogden where her in-laws live. Thanksgiving dinner #4 was truly delicious and I was so grateful that the Chantry's let me be part of their family for a day.
Megan and I spent some quality time together. She also liked pretending to be my teacher and just being plain cute.
Michael practiced the art of sneaking up on me and was pretty proud of himself. He showed me his excellent reading skills using Green Eggs and Ham, and taught me some songs I'm sure to use in storytime one of these days.
This is Jen and I enjoying the feast. We didn't purposely try to look like Christmas decorations, it just happened that way.

On Friday, I took the Frontrunner, Trax, and the 811 Bus down to Orem where I got to spend time with my grandparents. In the morning, I played Dominoes and visited with Grandma Houghton. She even let me pick out the ceramics that I wanted for Christmas. (Usually I just have to wait and see what I get.) She used her master packing skills and I had plenty of room to carry them on the plane with me.

Now I have a few Christmas decorations!

That afternoon I headed over to my Grandma and Grandpa Call's house where I enjoyed my fifth and final Thanksgiving Feast. Grandma even made her delicious rolls because she knew I would want them. I loved being there and telling them about my new life and hearing about the rest of the family. Grandpa Call drove me to the airport, where Emilysa and I "happened" to cross paths. It made the wait in the airport wonderful. I got home and made a new friend during the shuttle ride. For a quick trip, it was great and even relaxing.

Once in a Lifetime

2008-11-22T23:05:00.005-05:00

Here's a look at how my week went. Amazing to say the least!

Lawndale turns a page with dedication of new state-of-the art library

Combine that with bike riding, warm weather, the hokie pokie, and an almost empty matinee and I would say it has been a great week.

The Infinite Power of Hope

2008-11-17T13:25:00.004-05:00

I'm not one to write about anything too personal on my blog, but today I have decided to. I feel a little like a copy-cat because I had a friend blog about the same thing recently. Oh well!

I spoke in church yesterday using Pres. Uchtdorf's talk "The Infinite Power of Hope." from the October Conference. I chose it for 3 reasons.

1) I think about Hope often because it is not given as much attention as Faith and Charity.
2) The world would be a better place if we focused on True Hope and not doom and gloom.
3) The definition of Hope in a spiritual sense is much stronger than the term used in other contexts

Here's a couple parts from Elder Uchtdorf's talk that I liked a lot. (Emphasis added)

"Hope is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance."

"We hope in Jesus the Christ, in the goodness of God, in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, in the knowledge that prayers are heard and answered. Because God has been faithful and kept His promises in the past, we can hope with confidence that God will keep His promises to us in the present and in the future."

I discovered that Hope is consistently linked with good works. This means that like Faith, Hope is a principle of action and leads to Charity, the Pure Love of Christ.

"When frustration and impatience challenge charity, hope braces our resolve and urges us to care for our fellowmen even without expectation of reward. The brighter our hope, the greater our faith. The stronger our hope, the purer our charity."

I appreciate that Pres. Uchtdorf took on this topic. In a world that can feel so hopeless to so many people, it is great to know that we can have real Hope based on a firm foundation.

Introducing ...

2008-11-10T21:04:00.004-05:00

My Brand New Bike! (I have yet to name it and am taking suggestions.) I bought it on Saturday at a little bike shop here in Torrance and was so excited I decided to ride to the beach.

I don't navigate using maps, I just sort of go. Any of you who have tried to go anywhere with me may have picked up on this. So I just started West and figured I would hit The Strand (the area of the beach I was heading for.) Needless to say, I got lost in some neighborhoods and found some really steep hills that I was not expecting. But after some trouble I found this ...

The view, cloudless sky, and salty air made this a glorious ride. I also got a mild case of "too much sun" which has never happened to me in November before.

On the way home I had a minor problem with my bike. The seat slid down very low. My bike is currently living inside my house with me until I determine how to solve the problem.

A Big Change

2008-11-08T11:30:00.002-05:00

In an attempt to keep friends and family apprised of my goings on, I have decided to change this blog to a general discussion of my life rather than an analysis of books I have read. You may find a book review or two in the future. But this is no longer the express purpose of my blog.

So I've survived my first week of work which involved training at a library that I was temporarily assigned to. It is great to finally get payed to do what I love. Yesterday, I did a bilingual storytime. The kids were adorable and I got to practice my Spanglish. Then I went to Library Headquarters and look at books. In the future, I'll get to place orders for my library, but because I'm completely unaware of what is currently there, I just helped the other librarian I have been working with. All in all I have learned a lot this week. I've also discovered that being a librarian involves a lot of paperwork and nobody told me that in library school.

Tomorrow's Wizard, by Patricia MacLachlan

2008-09-25T19:54:00.005-04:00

MacLachlan, Patricia (1996). Tomorrow's Wizard. San Diego: Magic Carpet Books, 66 pages.

I am a huge fan of this author, and when I saw this book on my roommate's bookshelf, I decided I must read it. I didn't know MacLachlin had tried her hand at fantasy. Tomorrow's Wizard, his apprentice, Murdoch, and their talking horse set out to respond to villagers' wishes. Tomorrow only wants to deal with the big problems, but Murdoch is willing to take a more human approach. They help cure grouchiness, perfectionism, and loneliness in chapter long episodes, and come to realize that they may want more than they have.

This book is great. It's entertaining and humorous, but at times cliche. The chapters each tell a story within the entire story which make it great for an independent reader. It's simply and swiftly told. It is a lot less magical than I expected it to be. I would say practical, which is probably why I liked it.

If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period, by Gennifer Choldenko

2008-09-18T16:31:00.005-04:00

Choldenko, Gennifer (2007). If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period. New York: Harcourt, 217 pages.

Aaaaah, another quirky, angst-ridden middle school drama, with a twist reminiscent of Days of Our Lives. Told from the perspectives of both Kirsten (her chapters in first person) and Walk (strangely told in the third person) the story begins with a new year at Mountain Private School. Kirsten is your typical rich, white student whose parents are constantly arguing and whose best friend is following a more popular path. Pair those things with her distorted body image and she's in for a hard year. Walk is an African-American student who worked hard and earned a scholarship. He excels in school but becomes angry when stereotypes affect him and his friends. It turns out that Walk and Kirsten are more connected than they ever imagined.

This isn't a bad book. It is fast-paced and has short chapters to hold a reader's attention. Small if not predictable events keep the story moving. All the loose ends are carefully tied up by the end which is a little too Full House for me, but I can see the appeal. I had a hard time deciding who I would recommend this to. The writing seems appropriate for a younger audience, but the themes (especially the plot twist) would take a more mature reader to handle - hence my labeling it young adult. I would say middle-school students would enjoy it the most.

Your Own Sylvia, by Stephanie Hemphill

2008-09-16T16:42:00.002-04:00

Hemphill, Stephanie (2007). Your Own Sylvia, a Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 261 pages.

It's obvious that I'm in a poetry rut at the moment and probably imperative that I read something different for awhile. This biography of Sylvia Plath is simply o.k. The author took on a hard task trying to mimic the work of a master. Hemphill did well, but not good enough for me to love the book. She tells the story of Plath's life from beginning to tragic end using poems written from the point of view of those who knew her. There was the occasional insertion of one of Plath's poems rewritten to describe her life.

Here are a few impressions from the book:

The author had a heavy feminist bias. Apparently men only use you as an object, drain all of the talent out of you, and break your heart. She did not relate it well only to Sylvia's situation which made the work biased..
The descriptions of Sylvia's suffering were excellent. The poems were fast-paced and agonizing - this was good work.
I did find that most of the poetry lacked in the occasional emotion as mentioned above. The metaphors seemed off and it all seemed like a stretch to be poetic rather than fluid poetry.
I can see the appeal in this book for a young audience especially those interested in Plath's writing or other similar characters.

Overall, however, the book really wasn't for me. Now to move away from poetry.

Carver: A Life In Poems by Marilyn Nelson

2008-09-04T09:38:00.005-04:00

Nelson, Marilyn (2001). Carver: A Life in Poems. Asheville, North Carolina: Front Street, 103 pages.

Before I give a summary of this book, you must know that I was biased to begin. I've heard praise of this book from many sources and was expecting to enjoy it. In fact, I found it nearly flawless. It was refreshing to read a work so artfully written.

Nelson tells the life of George Washington Carver, using vivid poetry. Rather than focusing the poetry on Carver's agricultural accomplishments, she emphasizes the type of person he is. I felt a bond with Carver by the time I was finished. Rather than just saying that Carver was a well-rounded man who broke through many barriers for his race, it was almost sung. The imagery was beautiful. In one poem a woman refers to Carter as a "sepia boy" describing his color. Another poems says "Beauty is commonplace, as cheap as dirt." And again, "history is a jetsam of stardust." I rarely read such well-written works.

There are many things about this book that I loved, but the emphasis on Carver's faith in God was probably my favorite. He was criticized by the science community for claiming that inspiration helped him in his work. But Carver was a great example of a man who believed in God, and Nelson freely included this in her poems. Nelson quotes directly in the poem about Carver's bible class "Your Creator, he said, is itching to contact you." Communication with God is described as a "vast broadcasting system."

To sum this up there are very few people to whom I would not recommend this book - peanut lover or not. It brings together important information, excellent storytelling and real poetry.

"A personal relationship with the Great Creator of all things is the only foundation for the abundant life. The farther we get away from self, the greater life will be."
George Washington Carver

*One of the labels of this post claims that this is a novel. It is not a novel, but in this case uses verse to tell a true story.

Enchantment: the Life of Audrey Hepburn by Donald Spoto

2008-08-30T16:06:00.004-04:00

Spoto, Donald (2006) Enchantment: the Life of Audrey Hepburn. New York: Three Rivers Press. 352 pages.

It may come as a surprise, but this biography was not written for children or young adults. This detailed look at Audrey Hepburn's life combines life events, analysis of film, and some interpolations of fact to give an intriguing and well-balanced look at a timeless icon. Spoto tells her life story candidly not hesitating to include Audrey's insecure or even scandalous moments. He does, however, tell these events without sensationalizing what isn't necessary.

My favorite feature of the book is Spoto's frankness about Audrey's desire to have a quiet family life contrasted with the pressures of being a movie icon. Her dreams of being a mother were repeatedly dashed; when she finally had the opportunity, it was difficult to give up her acting for a quiet life. My second favorite part of the book was the attention given to her role in The Nun's Story. This role prevented her from being typecast and gave her ample opportunity for introspection. Spoto often brought in personal events from Audrey's life and compared them to roles she played in film.

This was an excellent and realistic look at an actress who I personally admire. She did not have the royal life that some might suspect after watching Roman Holiday. This book shows her as a real human who became famous and did something with it.

After the Death of Anna Gonzales, by Terri Fields

2008-08-21T16:43:00.007-04:00

Fields, Terri. (2002). After the Death of Anna Gonzales. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 100 pages.

The best word I could use to describe this book is weak. Told in poetry, it gives the reaction of 47 people to Anna Gonzales's suicide. Students, teachers, and friends give feelings or mostly their lack-there-of to the shocking news that Anna has taken her own life.

The poems allude to students' somber faces, but the majority of the poems were shallow, selfish reactions to the incidents. One cheerleader's concern is that the pep rally will be canceled. Another kid can't wait to uncover the inside scoop. Another wonders how long she has to wait to take Anna's desk which is next a cute boy. The teacher's on the other hand all had profound thoughts about the death. How patronizing for the young adult reader! I couldn't believe how the author portrayed these teens. It was infuriating and I'm not a teenager. Give the teens some credit!

The poetry was lifeless, and she had to tell the reader when she used metaphor. (Because a reader might not understand it in all it's frankness.) It was hard to tell one voice from another. This could have been a really good book, and I think it failed.

Sarah Morton's Day by Kate Waters

2008-08-21T15:19:00.003-04:00

Waters, Kate & Russ, Kendall (1989). Sarah Morton's Day. New York: Scholastic, 32 pages.

Most people may be able to tell by now that I am a fan of nonfiction especially that work which will appeal to the recreational reader. This book uses photographs and first person narration to give a day in the life of Sarah Morton, an actual pilgrim who lived at Plimoth Plantations. Photographer, Kendall Russ uses Amelia Poole to reenact what might be a typical day for Sarah Morton. The real life photographs which were taken at Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts bring her story to life.

The narration uses the old style of language, but is still simple and accessible to the young reader. The day begins when Sarah gets dressed. Photos show each piece of heavy clothing that she is required to wear. She takes the reader through her daily chores, games, lessons. She also describes her insecurities about having a new stepfather that she wishes will accept her. Sidebars and boxes highlight a recipe and a Bible passage she may have memorized. Overall the story is well told in a way that is accurate and can relate to children today.

This would be a great November read aloud for elementary school children or could be read independently by a good reader.

Hitler Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

2008-07-23T13:41:00.006-04:00

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell (2005). Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction, 176 pages.

Bartoletti tells the story of the Hitler Youth program from its inception until the fall of the Reich. Using personal accounts from from various boys and girls, she tells the stories of those of both those supported and resisted Hitler.

I listened to this book. The narrator had good intonation and pronounced all the German names and phrases correctly - which is more than I can say for Bartoletti whose accent was painful for me a German speaker. She did clearly define all difficult concepts and words. The book is informative for more than just youth. The writing was sophisticated and not patronizing. Bartoletti did her research and used real accounts of soldiers who destroyed Allie tanks, students who opposed the Reich, and even average members of the Hitler Youth.

The book shed light on aspects of the Third Reich secondary to the Hitler Youth, but it still fit. For example, propaganda explained Kristallnacht as a spontaneous reaction to the murder of an official by a Jew. In reality it was a planned attack against the Jews. Also, the government forced the Jews to pay for all the damage. The German news announced that Hitler died fighting on the front lines in the Battle of Berlin rather than the true story. These lies were linked to the films and propaganda that the Hitler Youth were educated with. To reeducate the soldiers and youth raised as Anti-Semites, the showed the Germans films of footage from the concentration camps. Many of them were difficult to convince that the man who they fought for was a mass murderer.

Overall this was an excellent book that was sensitively written and hit on what I think are the major aspects of being young during the Third Reich.

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, by Ann Brashares

2008-07-19T10:24:00.003-04:00

Brashares, Ann (2003). The Second Summer of the Sisterhood. New York: Delacorte, 373 pages.

In this sequel to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, the four girls have waited until this summer to pull out the pants and let them work their magic. Bridget, normally impetuous and confident, has hidden herself under hair-dye and excess weight. Spontaneously she leaves for a summer in Alabama to reacquaint herself with her mother's mother. Lena finds out that last summer's Greek boyfriend Kostos has a new girlfriend, but he manages to surprise on her doorstep. Carmen again has troubles with her parents, this time her mom. Tibby heads of to a summer film program in Virginia and learns a few things about what is good film making.

I liked this book even though it's cheesy and didactic. Besides the quotations at chapter breaks the dialog is full of those cliche adages about life, friendship and family. I think this is one of the reasons the book is so popular. It's comforting to see friendships exist as only in dreams. A pair of pants that fits four different shaped girls isn't the only fantasy here. The fantasy of being free to roam from state to state, sneak in and our of dorm rooms undetected, and having friendships so unconditional don't actually exist for teenagers. But the idea is attractive. The pedantic messages are often comforting and provide an objective viewpoint for a teen reader.

This book is full of those writing issues for which I criticized Meyer. I hold Brashares under the same scrutiny. But to be honest the quick pace of the book and the movement between characters distracted me from the writing.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

2008-07-15T11:25:00.002-04:00

Meyer, Stephenie. (2005) Twilight. New York: Little Brown & Company 498 pages.

Bella, a clumsy and somewhat jaded teen, has just moved back to Forks, Washington to live with her dad. At school she is mystified by Edward who seems different from the rest and saves her life on multiple occasions. Edward is a vampire and before Bella knows it she's in love with him and the adventure begins.

So most people know that I struggled with this book. But it is my goal to write a fair and rational review. Thus, I'm going to start with what was good about it. Edward was attractive and at times downright sexy. I personally prefer men with a heart beat, but Meyer made him heroic in the most traditional sense. This made him easy to fall for. Second, although I had to wait almost 400 pages for it, I must say the climax was creative and exciting. That's all I'm going to say in case there are blog readers out there who haven't read the book yet.

Now for the critique. The writing left a little to be desired. In my opinion adverbs are the root of all evil and given Meyer's heavy use of them, she disagrees. The word "incredulous" was used multiple times in various contexts. It drove me nuts. To steal from The Princess Bride, "I do not think that means what she thinks it means." Second, probably over 100 pages of this book were spent with Edward explaining to Bella how dangerous he is. I kept thinking, "I know, I know - get over it! Less talking more action, Please!" Third, was the lack of a strong female character. I'm not used to reading books where the girl is constantly unable to take care of herself. I found this difficult to handle. Edward always had to be there to save her.

For the record, I did get sucked in. I think the only option is for Bella to become a vampire herself, and I'm proud of Stephenie Meyer for being so successful.

Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows

2008-07-12T16:21:00.004-04:00

Barrows, Annie & Blackall, Sophie (2006). Ivy and Bean: Book One. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. 113 pages.

Mischievous Bean, formally known as Bernice, refuses to get to know Ivy, the new girl, because she is "nice," and nice equals boring. But when Ivy helps Bean escape the wrath of her older sister Nancy and shows Bean her secret spot, Bean starts to think that maybe she isn't so bad. Ivy even knows a couple witch spells to help keep Nancy in her place.

Ivy & Bean is a relatively recent transitional series to become very popular with good reason. The story line is fluid. simple and combines a lot of fun illustrations. The story is comical with a strong moral at the end which just makes the story fun. Bean and Ivy are both quirky in their own special ways making this a great team for a series of books.

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff

2008-07-04T11:03:00.004-04:00

Giff, Patricia Reilly. (2002). Pictures of Hollis Woods. New York: Scholastic, 166 pages.

Hollis Woods was abandoned as a child and since then has bounced from foster home to foster home from which she has a tendency to run. Now, she is 12 and at Josie's house, a lovely older woman who has the tendency to forget. Hollis brings her pictures to Josie's in which unfold her strong desire for a family and the story of how she almost had one once. When the social worker threatens to take Hollis away from Josie, she escapes with Josie to the place where she first found family.

I was so excited to read this book. I loved the title and the little silver medal on the cover. I must say I was disappointed. It was short, but slow and honestly just dull. It all seemed extremely melodramatic and unrealistic. I can see how a child would like it but I was left wanting.