A Cat with No Name

The torrential rains bring this song to mind:


::::::::::::Book Review::::::::::




The story of an ordinary girl with busy, unaware parents, in an extraordinary house. Coraline is brave and loyal and realizes getting everything you want isn't really what you want at all. The book is creepy, yet endearing. I was especially fond of the black cat with no name. He didn't need a name because he already knew who he was. My daughter, Rachel, recommended this book to me and I really enjoyed it.

::::::::::::::Another Oldie, but Goodie::::::::


:::::::::::::::Conversations with My Kids:::::

On Thursday Noah and Eve were having a discussion and Eve mentioned something about me being mom. I must preface this with a prior conversation that Noah and Eve had where Eve told me to get her water because I was the maid. Noah, vehemently, defended my position in the family as "mom". Eve finally relented and had to ask politely for assistance. Back to Thursday...Eve asked me something and I sarcastically asked, "Oh, I thought I was 'The Maid'?"

Eve replied, "You're THE MOM!"

Noah said, "You were demotted."

Mom: "So, being a mom is a demotion?"

Noah: "No...well yes. A maid gets paid."

Warm fuzzies...people...do you feel them?

:::::::::::::::Chad Vader:::::::

Rachel, Noah and I watched a show I found on HULU.com. Chad Vader,Day Shift Manager, is about the brother of Darth Vader. Chad works at the Empire Market, which is a grocery store. Each show is about 5 minutes long and completely nuts. Check it out if you are a sci fi geek.

Off to read.

A Fond Memory...

This song is one of my favorite songs. My mom and I used to sing it together on trips to Phenix City, Alabama. She owned a Volkswagen Beetle that logged a lot of miles. I often slept in the very back and woke up very sweaty mid trip.




Something else that I have a fond memory of:






Now for something new:




****Last call for Girl Scout Cookies...mmm...made from 100% real Girl Scouts.

Smiles...

Book Reviews

Reading is AWESOME! Here are some brief reviews on some of the books I have read lately:




Using the fossil record and information from different science disciplines to understand our body make up is fascinating. Shubin adds funny turns of phrases in the book like, "Inconvienient tooth" for a light-hearted approach to this science based explanation of evolutionary traits. Enjoyable read.



Ehrenreich does a succinct job in explaining why looking at the world realistically will give both short-term and long-term benefits. Our moods, be they positive or negative, make us see the world in a skewed fashion and leave us vulnerable. This book gives a healthy dose of realism with wit.


When you have already come to your conclusion there is no scientific proof that can be offered that will change your mind. The curious nature of folks who try to use science while simultaneously denying the results is a bit mind boggling. I suppose they would say it is all about the interpretation of those results.

This book is a fascinating read about the history of the Flat Earth belief and the proofs used to declare its truthfulness. There are many erroneous points taught as fact, which is probably not a surprise, in our text books about what people have believed throughout history. Also, the use of the Bible as inerrant and literal to describe the world and its formation as opposed to those who early on took the verses to be allegorical.

The book is well referenced and provides photos and memorabillia of the history of the different flat earth societies. Not a dry history at all. A very engaging read.



A boy who loses his popularity and finds himself among the nerds that he bullied. Jackson has to find a way to apologize and help the N.E.R.D.S. who don't want him as a part of their group of secret spies. This was a book my 9 year-old absolutely loved. Gadgets, science and nerdy kids...check...all the necessary ingredients for kids who don't fit in, but want to be cool in their own right. It wasn't the best book I've read in this genre, but has potential in the sequel to step it up a notch.





An interesting take on what happens when someone dies. The ties we have with our old lives can keep us from living our new one. I found the main character, Lizzie's, mortification at her last words rather amusing and understandable. I often hope I'm not letting loose with an expletive, or saying something else utterly meaningless. This is a book that reads very quickly, so if you want a different perspective without a lot of time commitment give this book a whirl.

*Just a note for people with kids that might be interested in reading this book...there are just a few expletives.

Trying Minimalism...What Ya Think?

Here is one of the pages I've been working on for the new year:

I tend to love everything and the kitchen sink on my pages, but I'm trying to downsize. I like how it turned out. Eve was rather underwhelmed by the snow accumulation.

Aaronism of the Day

Comment from Aaron for the day:

Aaron: "Hey, mom. You know I've been kinda of paranoid making Ramen noodles ever since I forgot to put water in the pan and almost burned the house down..." "Good times."

Mom: "Yes, Aaron. I remember."

:::::::::::::Fun with Friends:::::::::

I drove Miss Daisy (mom and Carol) to Suzanne's birthday party at Maggiono's at Ashford Dunwoody. We had a great time talking with everyone and the food was excellent. I loved the fried zucchini we had for an appetizer. I ordered the eggplant parmesan with the side of spaghetti with marinara sauce. No ice issues on the way home, which pleased me greatly.

Mom and I stopped off at the health food store for some avocado oil for Eve's eczema. My friend, Elizabeth, who also happens to be a nurse recommended this as something that would ameliorate Eve's symptoms. All the other creams we tried (and they are most of the brands on the shelf) caused a mild burning sensation. The doctor recommended all-vegetable Crisco. The Crisco was okay, but the avocado oil has no odor and soaks in quickly. It can also be used for cooking...BONUS! The avocado oil has been a great help...not a cure...but a soothing help for our lizardy lady.

::::::::::Snow Day:::::::


Okay, it was LAME on the scale of Snow Days, but the kids had fun with the neighbor kids. I made a ton of hot water and mixed several cups of hot chocolate and popped a mess of popcorn. Here are a couple of photos:

Rachel:


Evey

Smiles!

This Lack of Posting Has Been Interrupted to Say...

The Noahism of the Day:

Noah: "Why do kids have to wear warm clothes?"

Mom: "So you want freeze your butt off."

Noah: "I will some day freeze my butt off to have that exact discussion."

Stay frosty!