Sunday, November 30, 2008
A Player Piano Player
And if the uncles' stories weren't enough, Harry provided additional entertainment for the evening.
Thanksgiving - Day Two
Like the pilgrims of old our Thanksgiving feast tends to overflow to two days. The second day is at my cousin's house - and often is more crowded than the first night - this year it was actually less so - due to conflicting schedules. But there's something quite wonderful about sitting by the fire listening to your uncles tell stories about when they were young - and about their Uncle Will's Cider Mill during prohibition that just can't be beat.
A Day at the Museum
This year, instead of going to the wonderful toy museum we've gone to for years on the day after Thanksgiving, we went to the Rochester Museum and Science Center. It was a blast with a lot of wonderful hands-on exhibits, inlcuding a hover chair and digging for dinosaur bones. The kids could make their own weather report and figure out how the locks work on a canal.
Thanksgiving - Day One
It's always wonderful to get together with aunts and uncles and cousins and remember that family is really something you can be thankful for.
Friday, November 28, 2008
The Blessings of Family
103 years ago Max and Rose got married.
Rose was the daughter of German immigrants.
Max's ancestor had come to America and lived with and worked for Miles Standish in the 1630s.
He was not a passenger on the Mayflower and hence not a part of the "first Thanksgiving feast" in Plymouth, but his close association with Miles Standish leads me to believe that he must have heard first hand accounts of that meal with the thankful pilgrims and the native people who where their neighbors.
Yesterday, as we do every Thanksgiving, a bunch of the descendants of Rose and Max gathered at their grandson's house to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving feast.
Like every year the day was filled with laughter and reminiscing and a little political discussion thrown in for good measure. And of course lots of good food.
When I was a child these gatherings often took place at my aunt and uncle's farm where in order to burn off energy us kids would go and run around in the hay - there was a rope you could swing from in the rafters of the barn too. Now the kids simply run back and forth in the house to burn off the energy (where's a good barn when you need it).
The most important time before any meal however is grace. And in our family we have a non-traditional tradition.
23 years ago my grandfather decided that he wanted to start a family tradition (now I know how that is done - someone with clout announces it will happen, and by golly it does).
Before the meal we gather and join hands and we sing:
Followed by the Great Amen.
This year we sang it twice (we had a rather fluid party - with people coming and going). The first time we sang along to my grandfather's accompaniment via recording. It was a blessing to hear his voice again - but I know I was not the only of there who got teary eyed at hearing his voice sing that familiar song again. The second time we sang it we left out the recording (it was easier on our emotions)
The one thing everyone could agree on yesterday - whether they were there for the champagne toast, the snacks, the dinner, the sandwiches later, or the whole thing - is that we are very very blessed to be a part of this family.
And I suppose we have Max and Rose to thank for it.
Note: the picture in the header is of Rose and three of her children, including my grandmother.
Rose was the daughter of German immigrants.
Max's ancestor had come to America and lived with and worked for Miles Standish in the 1630s.
He was not a passenger on the Mayflower and hence not a part of the "first Thanksgiving feast" in Plymouth, but his close association with Miles Standish leads me to believe that he must have heard first hand accounts of that meal with the thankful pilgrims and the native people who where their neighbors.
Yesterday, as we do every Thanksgiving, a bunch of the descendants of Rose and Max gathered at their grandson's house to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving feast.
Like every year the day was filled with laughter and reminiscing and a little political discussion thrown in for good measure. And of course lots of good food.
When I was a child these gatherings often took place at my aunt and uncle's farm where in order to burn off energy us kids would go and run around in the hay - there was a rope you could swing from in the rafters of the barn too. Now the kids simply run back and forth in the house to burn off the energy (where's a good barn when you need it).
The most important time before any meal however is grace. And in our family we have a non-traditional tradition.
23 years ago my grandfather decided that he wanted to start a family tradition (now I know how that is done - someone with clout announces it will happen, and by golly it does).
Before the meal we gather and join hands and we sing:
Fill my house unto the fullest,
eat my bread and drink my wine
the love I bear I hold from no one,
All I have and all I do I give to you
Followed by the Great Amen.
This year we sang it twice (we had a rather fluid party - with people coming and going). The first time we sang along to my grandfather's accompaniment via recording. It was a blessing to hear his voice again - but I know I was not the only of there who got teary eyed at hearing his voice sing that familiar song again. The second time we sang it we left out the recording (it was easier on our emotions)
The one thing everyone could agree on yesterday - whether they were there for the champagne toast, the snacks, the dinner, the sandwiches later, or the whole thing - is that we are very very blessed to be a part of this family.
And I suppose we have Max and Rose to thank for it.
Note: the picture in the header is of Rose and three of her children, including my grandmother.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
No 'Writing Wednesday' post today - too busy getting ready for Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday's Proverb
A son who fills the granaries in summer is a credit; a son who slumbers during harvest, a disgrace. (Proverbs 10:5)
From the Elementary School Library
On Tuesday mornings I play librarian over at my son's elementary school. I check books in and out, shelve the returned books and try to direct the students to the books they are looking for. Sometimes this is easy.
Animal books? See the shelf where the rest of your classmates are standing. That's where they are.
Books about airplanes? look for the number 629
Joke books? Right here on this table - I've learned not to bother shelving them because as soon as I do someone else wants them
Thanksgiving books? All up on top of the shelves for easy picking.
But there were two questions today that I just didn't have an answer for.
1) Where's the whale book that Cainan was holding last week?
(note, not the one he took out - because then I might remember checking it in, but one he had in his hand - last week.)
2) Why is there no color inside this book?
This was from a little girl who after taking out a pretty pink book about Valentine's Day opened it up and discovered that the illustrations were all in black and white. She was so disappointed that the book had no color she returned it and found another book.
So - thank you to all the librarians out there who deal with this kind of thing all day, every day. I tip my hat to you.
Animal books? See the shelf where the rest of your classmates are standing. That's where they are.
Books about airplanes? look for the number 629
Joke books? Right here on this table - I've learned not to bother shelving them because as soon as I do someone else wants them
Thanksgiving books? All up on top of the shelves for easy picking.
But there were two questions today that I just didn't have an answer for.
1) Where's the whale book that Cainan was holding last week?
(note, not the one he took out - because then I might remember checking it in, but one he had in his hand - last week.)
2) Why is there no color inside this book?
This was from a little girl who after taking out a pretty pink book about Valentine's Day opened it up and discovered that the illustrations were all in black and white. She was so disappointed that the book had no color she returned it and found another book.
So - thank you to all the librarians out there who deal with this kind of thing all day, every day. I tip my hat to you.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Another Interview
Beth Revis over at Writing it Out was kind enough to interview me for her blog. So go on over and check it out!
Thanks Beth!
Thanks Beth!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
I'm Honored
Easter has presented me with this very cool award! I am very honored.Now I know I have to pass this on to a few people so:
Liz at A Chair, A Fireplace and A Tea Cozy,
PJ at Roots in Myth
Kelly at Big A little a
Margaret at Minnesota Mom
Karen Edmisten
and
Beth at Writing it Out
Because I think you are all really cool. I think lots and lots of blogs are cool - but I did need to limit myself a bit here.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
It's Almost Thanksgiving
It's come to my attention that next week is Thanksgiving!
How did that happen? Didn't October just end? And Christmas is little more than a month away? Sure I've been hearing Christmas songs on the radio with a disturbing regularity and the Christmas trees and decorations have been up for weeks in some of the stores. I know the kids have been back at school for awhile but I think I've been laboring under the assumption that it's still early September or something.
And you know who I blame (not me for not paying more attention, let's not be silly here). I blame the stores. They put their decorations up so early that I simply ignore them. "Oh, there are the Christmas trees, I'm wearing short sleeves - yeah, whatever." But I get so good at ignoring all the signs of the impending holidays that I get sideswiped by the holidays themselves.
Now, I knew Thanksgiving was next week. I have our hotel reservations up in upstate New York where we go to visit relatives, I have some surprises for the kids for in the car. But the reality that it was a week away hadn't really sunk in.
I don't have to cook for the holiday. But as I wandered around the grocery story tonight (buying milk and decongestants) I saw the yams and the marshmallows and the pie crusts and pumpkin filling, and sugar on sale and flour on sale and all of a sudden something in my brain clicked and I realized that Thanksgiving is next week!
So - here's hoping everyone has lots to be thankful for!
How did that happen? Didn't October just end? And Christmas is little more than a month away? Sure I've been hearing Christmas songs on the radio with a disturbing regularity and the Christmas trees and decorations have been up for weeks in some of the stores. I know the kids have been back at school for awhile but I think I've been laboring under the assumption that it's still early September or something.
And you know who I blame (not me for not paying more attention, let's not be silly here). I blame the stores. They put their decorations up so early that I simply ignore them. "Oh, there are the Christmas trees, I'm wearing short sleeves - yeah, whatever." But I get so good at ignoring all the signs of the impending holidays that I get sideswiped by the holidays themselves.
Now, I knew Thanksgiving was next week. I have our hotel reservations up in upstate New York where we go to visit relatives, I have some surprises for the kids for in the car. But the reality that it was a week away hadn't really sunk in.
I don't have to cook for the holiday. But as I wandered around the grocery story tonight (buying milk and decongestants) I saw the yams and the marshmallows and the pie crusts and pumpkin filling, and sugar on sale and flour on sale and all of a sudden something in my brain clicked and I realized that Thanksgiving is next week!
So - here's hoping everyone has lots to be thankful for!
My First Interview!
Today over at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy, Liz B has an interview with me discussing the first steps in my road to having a book in print!As she mentions in the interview we have known each other since fourth grade. It's great to have someone you've known for that long. We've been reading each other's stories since then. What she doesn't tell you is that it's because of her that When Mike Kissed Emma got written at all. She was reading a draft of another story I had and she said "Um, Chris, don't kill me, but I think you have a whole story within a story here". She then proceeded to pull out the pages that had that story line, put them all together in one file and show me where I had the complete story arc of an entirely separate story.
Many edits and revisions later it all came together! So Thanks Liz. You can truly say you were there at the beginning!
cross-posted at Simply Put
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Talking about Bookmarks
Come on over to Simply Put and tell me the strangest bookmark you've ever used.
Tuesday's Proverb
The slack hand impoverishes, but the hand of the diligent enriches. (Proverbs 10:4)
Monday, November 17, 2008
One plus One equals... um One?
I have two children. And it's interesting to see how two children who are in some ways so similar are so different.
For example - they look very much alike. Okay, true if you compare the 11 year old girl with long hair to the 8 year old boy with a buzz cut it's a little harder to see the similarities. But compare pictures from the same age - especially when they were babies and had no hair... let's just say I had to make sure I labeled all the baby pictures. I joke that they are my twins separated by three years.
They are also both intelligent, funny, musical and love to read.
But... they are opposites in funny ways.
Band-aids and Boo Boo Cream
When they were little Pippi loved Band-aids. Any minor blemish on her skin needed a Band-aid. But don't put any boo-boo cream on. Just a Band-aid, thank you very much.
Harry on the other hand hated Band-aids. Didn't matter how much blood was pouring out of him - all he wanted was some boo-boo cream and he'd be on his way. Band-aids when applied (because when there is blood coming out as a mother I want a Band-aid there) it would be removed as soon as he got the chance.
(they've both moderated on this one, and will each accept what is necessary, be it bandage or cream or both)
Counting
This is one of the funniest. When Pippi was three she didn't like to say the numbers four and five. She would count: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 - sometimes coming back to four and five later.
In fact she resisted saying the number four so much that one time I was reading her a number story book - (a story for each number) - and I made her say the number first. When we got to four she wouldn't say it. She just wanted me to read the story. I kept coaxing and cajoling. "What number is this?" She clamped her mouth shut. "I won't read the story until you say it," I said. "Now, tell me, what number comes after three?".
She looked at me and smiled and said "quatro". Yeah, she won that round. She got the story and she didn't have to say "four". (once she turned four she was okay with the number)
Harry on the other hand - when he started counting - started with four and five. Don't ask me why.
Food
One of the meals I make is a German meal consisting of Sauerbraten (a marinated beef) and Spaetzle (homemade noodles). Pippi would only eat the meat. Harry would only eat the noodles.
A summertime salad we enjoy has both tomatoes and olives in it.
Harry takes the tomatoes - won't touch an olive
Pippi is the other way around.
Math/Language Arts
Pippi recently finished an enrichment program in the district for 3rd thru 5th graders where the students are 1 year ahead in math and 2 in language arts. Two days a week they get together with the other students in the program and are taught those subjects - the rest of the week they are with their own class and have "packets" for language arts and math. Harry is in the program now.
For three years getting Pippi to complete her math packet was a struggle. If something was wrong she'd be convinced she couldn't do it and much angst would ensue. The language arts packets went swimmingly - she breezed right through them.
And you guessed it now Harry is doing the same work. Well, the math is always done. But getting him to sit down and complete the language arts (if it wasn't done in school) becomes a challenge involving all kinds of threats and incentives.
As I sometimes tell them, if we were just to combine the two of them we'd have one normal kid. (or at least one who would count all the way to ten in order)
For example - they look very much alike. Okay, true if you compare the 11 year old girl with long hair to the 8 year old boy with a buzz cut it's a little harder to see the similarities. But compare pictures from the same age - especially when they were babies and had no hair... let's just say I had to make sure I labeled all the baby pictures. I joke that they are my twins separated by three years.
They are also both intelligent, funny, musical and love to read.
But... they are opposites in funny ways.
Band-aids and Boo Boo Cream
When they were little Pippi loved Band-aids. Any minor blemish on her skin needed a Band-aid. But don't put any boo-boo cream on. Just a Band-aid, thank you very much.
Harry on the other hand hated Band-aids. Didn't matter how much blood was pouring out of him - all he wanted was some boo-boo cream and he'd be on his way. Band-aids when applied (because when there is blood coming out as a mother I want a Band-aid there) it would be removed as soon as he got the chance.
(they've both moderated on this one, and will each accept what is necessary, be it bandage or cream or both)
Counting
This is one of the funniest. When Pippi was three she didn't like to say the numbers four and five. She would count: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 - sometimes coming back to four and five later.
In fact she resisted saying the number four so much that one time I was reading her a number story book - (a story for each number) - and I made her say the number first. When we got to four she wouldn't say it. She just wanted me to read the story. I kept coaxing and cajoling. "What number is this?" She clamped her mouth shut. "I won't read the story until you say it," I said. "Now, tell me, what number comes after three?".
She looked at me and smiled and said "quatro". Yeah, she won that round. She got the story and she didn't have to say "four". (once she turned four she was okay with the number)
Harry on the other hand - when he started counting - started with four and five. Don't ask me why.
Food
One of the meals I make is a German meal consisting of Sauerbraten (a marinated beef) and Spaetzle (homemade noodles). Pippi would only eat the meat. Harry would only eat the noodles.
A summertime salad we enjoy has both tomatoes and olives in it.
Harry takes the tomatoes - won't touch an olive
Pippi is the other way around.
Math/Language Arts
Pippi recently finished an enrichment program in the district for 3rd thru 5th graders where the students are 1 year ahead in math and 2 in language arts. Two days a week they get together with the other students in the program and are taught those subjects - the rest of the week they are with their own class and have "packets" for language arts and math. Harry is in the program now.
For three years getting Pippi to complete her math packet was a struggle. If something was wrong she'd be convinced she couldn't do it and much angst would ensue. The language arts packets went swimmingly - she breezed right through them.
And you guessed it now Harry is doing the same work. Well, the math is always done. But getting him to sit down and complete the language arts (if it wasn't done in school) becomes a challenge involving all kinds of threats and incentives.
As I sometimes tell them, if we were just to combine the two of them we'd have one normal kid. (or at least one who would count all the way to ten in order)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
I Guess the Logic Works... Kind Of
When I told Harry that he might have to miss one of his basketball games due to a scheduling conflict he was okay with that.
Harry: "That's good. 'Cause that would probably be the game where I got hit in the nose with a ball. Every season I get hit in the nose with the ball."
Me: "So you figure that would be the game it would happen at and if you're not there you won't get hit with the ball this season."
Harry: "Yeah."
Um. Okay. I guess that works.
Harry: "That's good. 'Cause that would probably be the game where I got hit in the nose with a ball. Every season I get hit in the nose with the ball."
Me: "So you figure that would be the game it would happen at and if you're not there you won't get hit with the ball this season."
Harry: "Yeah."
Um. Okay. I guess that works.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A Writing Blog
I've decided to divide my blogging into two parts. Here at Simple and the Ordinary I will continue to talk about any of the simple and ordinary things that make up my life and at my new blog: Simply Put I will blog about writing.
It's still a work in progress, and for the meantime I will be publishing any writing posts in both places - but in time, I hope you will find a reason to regularly stop by Simply Put and see what's up with me and my writing life.
It's still a work in progress, and for the meantime I will be publishing any writing posts in both places - but in time, I hope you will find a reason to regularly stop by Simply Put and see what's up with me and my writing life.
Writing Wednesday - NaNoWriMo continued
I haven't been blogging a lot because I've been writing a lot - plowing ahead with my new WIP for National Novel Writing Month.
And you know what? It's fun.
I've had this idea for a story brewing in my head for many years. I started it once way back when, started it a second time a bit later, but I never got into the meat of the story. And the thing about this story (unlike so many ideas that pop into my head) is that I knew how I wanted it to end.
The middle was a little unclear. But that's okay - that's where I am now - and I'm figuring it out as I go. The story took a few twists I didn't expect. And I'm thinking in re-writes there are some factors I need to explore more deeply. But the great thing about NaNoWriMo - it forces you not to worry about the re-writes yet. You think this part or that part could be better? Great - you'll take care of it next time around. For today - just plunge ahead. And I've been plunging.
The goal for NaNoWriMo is 50,000 words in the month of November. I'm up to 32,000 so far and trying to figure out at what point I start the downward slope toward the end of the novel.
I'll confess that I love revisions. I love knowing a story so well that you can really focus on making it the best it can be. But this is the second first draft of a story I've written this year - and I'm really enjoying this part too.
What can I say - I love it all!
And you know what? It's fun.
I've had this idea for a story brewing in my head for many years. I started it once way back when, started it a second time a bit later, but I never got into the meat of the story. And the thing about this story (unlike so many ideas that pop into my head) is that I knew how I wanted it to end.
The middle was a little unclear. But that's okay - that's where I am now - and I'm figuring it out as I go. The story took a few twists I didn't expect. And I'm thinking in re-writes there are some factors I need to explore more deeply. But the great thing about NaNoWriMo - it forces you not to worry about the re-writes yet. You think this part or that part could be better? Great - you'll take care of it next time around. For today - just plunge ahead. And I've been plunging.
The goal for NaNoWriMo is 50,000 words in the month of November. I'm up to 32,000 so far and trying to figure out at what point I start the downward slope toward the end of the novel.
I'll confess that I love revisions. I love knowing a story so well that you can really focus on making it the best it can be. But this is the second first draft of a story I've written this year - and I'm really enjoying this part too.
What can I say - I love it all!
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