The Secret Life of a Librarian

My own little fairy tale

2011-12-11T19:43:00.000-08:00

Dear "Secret Life" readers. I feel like it's time to tell you all that I have a second secret life, and a story to go with it.

Fanny's Dream by Caralyn and mark Buehner is the story of a young farm girl who dreams her fairy godmother will come dress her up for a ball. But when the fateful night arrives, Fanny is met in the pumpkin patch not by her FGM but by the farm boy next door who convinces her that all of her dreams will come true if she marries him and moves to the farm next door.

I'm a firm believer in fairy tales especially when the fair maidens remind me of myself. Come join my little fairy tale adventure at Our Happily Ever After.

If you like Fanny's Dream, you may also like these funny fairy tale twists:

Christmas Reading

2011-12-05T20:58:00.000-08:00

This Christmas I have a stack of books that fortunately or unfortunately keep piling up. For Classics Book Club we are reading The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. For the fun of it I've picked up:

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Van Trapp
Chester, I Love You by Blaine M. and Brenton G. Yorgason
White Demon by Tiffany Black
and
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois

And then I was inspired as I watched the Christmas Devotional this past Sunday, and I added these three books to my list:

The Gospel of Luke
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
and The Mansion by Henry van Dyke

You may not own your own copies of these Holiday Classics yet. Perhaps you will be as thrilled as I was to find all three available for reading online. Have a Merry Merry Christmas as you read and remember that Christ and His love for us is what truly makes December so merry and bright.

2011-10-05T07:29:00.000-07:00

This month's Classic Book Club book: Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser. It promises to be a racy one.

Last month we read The Hiding Place by Corri Ten Boom. I love thsi book, and I have some questions for you, because I know if you have read it, you love it too. When did you first read The Hiding Place. How did it make you feel. How does Corrie Ten Boom's life change your outlook and make you want to be better? What truths does Corrie Ten Boom share that resonate with you?

Teaching, the best way to learn.

2011-08-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

So, I heard once, or maybe I read it, that teaching is the best way to learn something you think you already know. Last fall I began teaching knitting classes to some friends. In the last year, the friends have created a TJed based Mom-taught school for their homeschooled children. This Fall I'm teaching 2 knitting classes. I'll let you know how it goes.

Yogurt Cream Cheese

2011-07-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

1) I made yogurt.

2) I put it in a strainer lined with cheese clothe in my fridge for 6-8 (or maybe more) hours.

3) It didn't strain very well and was still a bit runny.

4) It tastes like yogurt.

Any suggestions?

Starting Over With Sourdough

2011-06-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

My new cookbook has a recipe for whole wheat sourdough starter. After saying for weeks that I was going to try something out of this cookbook I decided this would be a good place for me to start.

My husband says the bread reminds him of bread in Germany. I can't deny, it does have a very "rye" type of taste . . . which got me thinking. I wonder if bakers in Germany use their own cultured yeast instead of commercial yeast.

The recipe makes 5 loaves, so after the first loaf I was a bit tired of the new taste. I'll be excited to see how the taste changes as my new start matures.

Anyone intersted in trying a loaf of whole wheat sourdough bread?

Change in Priority

2011-05-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

I love books. But the more I read, the more I realize I'm not a book critic. I just love books. I didn't become a librarian because I love books, though. I because a librarian because I love to learn things and I couldn't think of another profession that would put me as close to the source of knowledge as this one.

With that said, I hope you'll visit often, not for book suggestions, or to see the newest, greatest things I'm reading, but rather, to see the newest greatest things I'm learning from what I've read.

I'm a pretty random reader, too. For instance: in the last few months I've read a cook book from cover to cover.

which has propelled me into many new cooking adventures and nutritional research, a few children's books

and one Russian classic that includes children in a surprising way. I hope you'll be willing to endulge me, and maybe even join a conversation or two as I talk about what I'm learning, and what projects I'm inspired to start as I read.

Looking for something to read?

2011-04-26T15:36:00.000-07:00

I know how it is. You go to the library with your children and can't seem to find anything "new" that doesn't push the envelope a little too far. I don't personally read enought young adult books to recomend any new stories to you, but here are some suggestions that I hope will help.

* Read the classics. Classics to me are any book that is just as apealing today as it was when it came out 50+ years ago. Things like S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders and Lewis Carol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

* Check out what's new in the Children's Department. Lots of Children's authors write wonderful stories that are just as wonderful and engaging for teens and adults as they are for children. A few of my favorites are K.G. Going and Kate DiCamillo. And don't forget those classics again! =)

*Check out this blog And others like it that give suggestions for books you like.

On Reading Classics. . . again!

2011-03-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

I just finished this book, and wouldn't you know, it just made me want to read more classics! But not just classic novels. I want to read biographies of great people, I want to read nonfiction (no surprise), and I want to be inspired to think great thought by reading the great thoughts of the great men and women who lived before me.

At less than 200 pages, this book is a very quick read. Everyone, go out and read it and then come back and tell me what you think.

A Word About Nonfiction

2011-02-14T20:17:00.000-08:00

One day, my sister came to visit me at the library at which I worked. As we chatted in the fiction section where I was evaluation the collection and making big, future book ordering plans another friend of mine came up and asked what we were doing. "Just keeping it real," I said. my sister began laughing like I had told the most hilarious joke in the world.

I love nonfiction. My favorite nonfiction books are autobiographies of non famous people and historical travel memoirs, like this one:

Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay.

Is it about traveling about the world? Yes

Is it about the histories behind the colors of the rainbow? Yes

Is it written in first person? Yes

Past that, I can't really explain to you what it's about. I just finished reading the chapter on Orange and learned an increadible amount about Italian violin makers. Books like this remind me of myself, just a little random.

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

2011-02-08T21:36:00.000-08:00

History:
When I was in Jr. High my sister read Kim and loved it. I was determined to read everything she read, so I started reading Kim and didn't get very far. I was expecting something with a little more adventure. I put Kim away and read everything I could find by Lloyd Alexander instead.

What I liked about Kim:
I can't help it, I love history. I love finding out something about history that I didn't know before, and I love when two books I read randomly collide historically in an unexpected way. I had just finished reading the first Sherlock Holmes tale, "A Study in Scarlet," in which Holmes and Watson first meet. Watson was in the British military and had just gotten home from one of the three Afghan Wars. And wouldn't you know, Kim takes place during that same time in British history.

History can feel very distant and unimportant, but if you really take a look at what is going on you will realize that people are people and they act the same throughout history. I like this type of stuff because it gives me an idea of how old the world really is and why certain countries or cultures don't like each other. The Afghan wars were basically the beginning of a Cold War type power struggle between the British Empire and the Russian Empire and India and Western Asia were stuck in the middle fighting for their own personal freedom.

What I didn't like about Kim:
This wasn't my favorite book. Sorry gang. It's the same old story as back in Jr. High. I went in hoping for a really great adventure story. I got some good quotes and a touching enlightenment story, but not the great adventure I was hoping for.

Not sad I read it, though. Did you love it? Share your thoughts.

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

2011-01-26T08:38:00.000-08:00

Picture me, a young English Major taking a Children's Lit class and hoping to be entertained, if just a little, as I worked much harder in my other more challenging classes. I had no idea what this class would teach me or how it would change my outlook on life and build my testimony of Christ.

That was the first time I had ever heard of The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare, and judging from it's cover, I had no idea what it was about. This book is Speare's historic fiction classic about a local Jewish boy living outside of Calpernium during the Roman rein and Christ's three years of ministry. At the beginning of the book Daniel bar Jamin has run away from his apprenticeship as a blacksmith and is living and working with a group of Jewish zealots in the mountains. He, like his group leader, is waiting for the great prophesied Messiah to come and lead his group and others like it to over through the Roman government and bring freedom to Juda once more.

But, as all good main characters do, he has some eye opening and mind changing experiences during the course of the story. He meets two rich Jewish children from the city who let him know that during the year he has been gone his Grandmother had become very ill and can no longer take care of his invalid sister. He also meets the other town blacksmith who befriends him and offers Daniel the use of his shop while he goes to learn about a new traveling teacher who has been said to do miraculous things. Of course this "teacher" is Christ, and of course Daniel and his friends get a chance to see him speak and even speak the him.

As a follower of Christ, I thought I could guess what Jesus would say to Daniel about his life and choices and what he needed to do. But every time I read this book I am surprised by the answers that Jesus gives Daniel. I'm also surprised at the over whelming feeling of peace to comes into my heart as I read their conversations. I feel like if I had a chance to talk to Jesus, those are the type of things he'd say to me as well.

I've always believed in Jesus Christ and wanted to follow his example and teachings, but I've never truly considered what it would be like to meet him and speak with him until I read The Bronze Bow. Now, when I read his words in the scriptures somehow they are more real.

Because of The Bronze Bow I also have much more empathy for the Jews during Jesus time. Should they have known and recognized him when he came. Yes. But their situation and struggle helps me be more aware of my own weakness. I realize that we can all get carried away in what's happening locally and forget to do the things that help us remember to grow spiritually.

The Bronze Bow is a wonderful book and I recommend it to anyone.

If, after reading it you are interested in learning more about the life of Christ, I also recommend Jesus The Christ by James E. Talmage.

I know that Jesus lived. I know his live was not just the good life of a teacher, but was the life of the Son of God, sent to earth for a specific purpose. He set an example for all of us. He taught us who we each needed to become to return to our Heavenly Father. And He helped us know how to become that person. And then He suffered pain and agony for our sorrows and sins and died on the cross so that when we make mistakes and feel sorrow for ourselves, we can turn to Him for help and mercy.

I look forward every year to Spring and Easter and our celebration of Christ's resurrection to life. He lives! And because He lives we can also live.

The Book Club

2011-01-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

All my life I've imagined being part of a book club that only read books on my 10,000,000,001 book long book list. Of course I gave up looking for it and trying to organize it because no one wants to read the types of books on my list for fun . . . Classics.

Then, one wonderful day one of my neighbors said,

"Sarah, it's my turn to pick a book for my book club and I need help. We only read classics."

"Oh," I tried not to sound too excited. "I'm trying to read Middlemarch by George Elliot. Have you read that one yet?"

"We're discussing Middlemarch at the beginning of next month. Do you want to come."

And that is the short conversations that got me into the best book club in town.

Am I a dork because I want to read classics? I'm trying to make up for my skimming years in college or something. And I love the discussions.

This month we're reading the first half of The Brother's Karamazav.

The other thing is I'm not a fast enough reader for book clubs and especially not this type of book club. But I've been told I have a talent for listening and picking up details. So, here is my secret . . . Librivox.org. Free downloadable audio recordings of volunteer readers reading books now in the public domain. Classics! Yippy! Now I can read my classics and do other stuff too.

So it's been a while!

2011-01-13T19:17:00.000-08:00

About 6 months ago I had a very fleeting thought that I should actually write something on this blog about the books I'm reading. But then the thought fled.

Getting my family started and keeping them happy has been an all day, everyday learning experience for me the past two years. Now that I feel like I finally have a little better handle on things I think I'll start again sharing some of the great, and not so great books I've been reading (and listening to). For starters, I've been keeping a list of all the older children's and adult books I've read since 2006. I think I'll share them. If you see any on the list that you particularly liked (or didn't) I would love to hear about them.

2006
If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn't be Hard by Sheri Dew
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
Tuesdays With Morri by Mitch Albome
Thoughtless Acts by Jane Fulton Suri
Other Side of Heavenby John H. Groberg
The 5 People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albome
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt
Olive's Ocean byKevin Henkes
Leadership and Selfdeception:Getting Out of the Box by The Arbinger Institute
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Ida B. by Katherine Hannigan
Oriental Love Poems byMichelle Lovric
The Phantom of the Opera byGaston Leroux
Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown byAdena Halpern
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carol
Hoot by Carl Haasin
Stumling Upon Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan
Boy by Rauld Dahl

2007
Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
Pull of the Ocean by Jean-Claude Mourlevat
Night by Elie Wiesel
The Book Theif by Markus Zusak
The Fairytale Collection by Caroline Levine
Having Our Say by The Delany Sisters
Princess Accademy by Shannon Hale
Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth Georget Speare
How to Eat Fried Worms by by Thomas Rockwell
Eggs by Jerri Spinelli
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The Shakeress by Kimberley Heuston
The Diary of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain
Keeper of the Doves by Betsy Byers
The Hourse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson
Our Search for Happiness by M. Russell Ballard

2008
Rachel Field's Hitty, her first 100 Years Addaptedby Rosemary Wells
Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf by Jennifer L. Holm
Magyk byAngie Sage
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradberry
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
What Jamie Saw byCarolyn Coman
LevenThumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye
Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge
So Young, Brave, and Handsom byLeif Enger
Man's Search For Meaning byViktor E. Frankl
The Book of Mormon (again+++)
The Book of Job
Basketball (of Something Like it) by ora Raleigh Baskin
Laika, a graphic novel about Sputnic II
Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
The Garden of Eve by K.L. Going
The Joys of Love by Madeleine L'Engle
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster
The Mormon Way of Doing Business by Jeff Benedict
Flipped byWendelin Van Draanen
The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
Brooklyn Bridge by Karen Hesse

2009
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
The Grave Yard Book byBeil Gaiman
Cattie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
The Guirnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
Whethering Heights by Charlotte Bronte
The Lightning Theif by Rick Riorden

2010
The Cirse of the Titans by Rick Riordan
The Battle fo the Labytinth by Rick Riordan
Girl With the Pearly Earing byTracy Chevalier
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Middle March by George Elliot
Ella Minno Pea by Mark Dunn
At Knit's End by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
The Book of Mormon
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
The Tale of Two Cities by Carles Dickens
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
Kim by Rudyard Kipling
The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wild

Because I didn't really forget!!!

2009-08-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Rebecca,

Monday was your birthday. I celebrated by finishing a book that I think you will like and starting another book that I know you might love. Thank you for understanding that my mind is not what it ought to be.

Book #1:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This book is written in all letters and notes. I loved every bit of it, so much infact, that when I finished I felt like I had to say goodbye to some good friends that I might never hear from again.

Book #2:

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James

I can not tell you exactly what I think of this book yet, because I haven't read more than 3 pages, but I really like the idea of it. Oh, to find Jane Austen's journals and see what she was really thinking.

I hope you can find these at the library, and I hope you read them and find time to tell me about what you think of them.

Love,

Your sister

Some Research on Reading

2009-07-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

A few months back, my friend asked me for some info on the benefit of parents reading to children. I thought it might be nice to have this here too. Some of it's a lot heavier than others, so use what you want and ditch the rest.

Here are a few online websites and resources are basically the basis for all information on parents reading to children and building pre-literacy skills

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/ecrr/index.cfm
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/crmc/cdb/
http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer

And here are some brief handout type things that give quick info and tips for parents. If you come into the library I can give you more that aren't on the internet anymore.

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/initiatives/borntoread/btr_1205.pdf
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/ecrr/workshopsab/workshopmaterials/handoutsecrr/handouts.cfm
http://www.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/early_learning_handout.pdfdocID=3081&AddInterest=1153
http://www.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/earlyliteracy2pagehandout.pdfdocID=2681&AddInterest=1145
http://www.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/Vol_22-4f.pdfdocID=1182&AddInterest=1145
http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading/publications/pdf/low_res_child_reader_B-K.pdf

Another really great place to check in the local Partners for Prosperity group. They have other sources for great tips for parents reading to young children.

"Did you see the paper today?"

2009-07-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

Here's the Story

That's me! I'm glad I had a cute shirt on that day. One thing I've learned from this job is that you NEVER know when someone with a camara will show up at the library. I've been caught unprepared before. Ofcourse, I'd never put those clips on here. Here are some good ones from the past year.

Summer 2008
June 2008
January 2008

This was actually a really fun time. I didn't even know they were there until they came up at the end and asked how to spell my name.

For those of you who missed last week's story time, here are the stories and songs we sang.

And Then What Happened?

Books:
That’s Good! That’s Bad! By Margery Cuyler and David Catrow
Previously by Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman
Yes, Please, No Thank you! byValerie Wheeler and Glin Didley
The End by David LaLochelle and Richard Egielski

Story Rhymes:

3 Blind Mice

Three blind mice,Three blind mice,

See how they run!See how they run!

They all ran after the farmer's wife,Who cut off their tails,With a carving knife.

Did you ever see such a thing in your life,As three blind mice.

Humptey Dumptey

Humptey Dumptey sat on a wall,
Humptey Dumptey had a great fall;
All the King's horses and all the King's men,
Couldn't put Humptey together again.

Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack got and home he ran,
As fast as he could caper.
There his mother bound his head,
With vinegar and brown paper.

Fishing

One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a fish alive,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
Then I let go again.

Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on the right.

Craft:
Create your own Finger Puppets and stage. Make up your own stories with your puppets. Here are a few suggestions:

No Cute Texas Twang Here!

2009-06-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
Boston
The West
North Central
Philadelphia
The Northeast
The Inland North
The South
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Didn't want to miss this one!!!

2009-06-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

So here it is! Happy Happy Birthday (tomorrow) Lorraine.

Let me tell you something about Lorraine that I had just briefly mentioned to a friend today at my Book Babies storytime (which is a blast by the way - Tuedays at 10:00am at the Idaho Falls Public Library.) We were talking about why I went to Germany on a two week vacation. (Eventaully there will be pictures at my other blog.) We basically chose Germany because my husband wanted to revisit and show me his mission. That conversation led to a conversatio about why I didn't go on a mission. After some discussion I came up with the fact that 1) The Lord had other plans for me, and 2) I couldn't think of any better reason to stop those plans and go besides the fact that I have always wanted to be so much like my big sister who went on a mission.

I'm good now! I've finally found my own identity, but I still love and look up to all of my sisters so much.

So happy birthday Lorraine. This year, I'm sending you a book.

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

Just published in 2009 by Little, Brown and Company. ILL it. I know you'll love it.

Oink

2009-04-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

Pay It Forward. Isn't this a lovely picture of friendship. I found it on my Sister's blog. The first three people who leave their comments about this porcine wonder will receive something hand-made a fabulous from my. You might even get to make a request if you'd like. Here's the catch though. Take this picture and put in up on YOUR blog and then come back and leave the comment to let me know you're in!

Love you all and thinking of fond memories of all of our friendships!!!

Happy Early Birthday Mom!

2009-04-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

Look what I just found. I love this book. I love all of Helen Oxenbury's characters, but I especially love these characters. And I love birthdays! If I had to pick a favorite character in this book, it would have to be the little bear.

This is a great book for repetition! "It's my birthday and I'm going to make a cake." is repeated on almost every page.

You should definitely look for this book at the library.

It's My Birthday by Helen Oxenbury

Crocodiles Happen

2009-04-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

This is my word cloud! I love it. I had no idea how interesting this blog was or howmuch I talked about love and dragons. My favorite part is the little space that just happens to say "crocodiles happen." Can you find it?

What a great sum-up of life, right. Amoung all the good and wonderful things, sometimes when you least expect it, crocodiles happen.

If you want to make your own word cloud (which I highly suggest) go to wordle.net.

When Cats Fly

2009-02-23T15:29:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I find a book that reminds me of someone I know. This one reminds me and all I want to say is, "Don't worry about it. Some cats are meant for greater things."

Caramba by Marie-Louise Gay

I love her books, I love her illustrations, I love Sam.

funny books

2009-02-20T11:36:00.001-08:00

Here are two very funny and odd books that I found the other day while looking for something completely different. My friends Annie and Katy would call these "crazy what-evs" books. And they would be right. This first one,
Hiding Hoover by Elise Broach with pictures by Laura Huliska-Beith is about two kids who can't have a pet because Dad says "NO." But then, they find a dragon in their backyard during a rain storm, and and who can resist and wet hungry dragon. Well they bring the dragon in and feed it and decide no matter what they have to keep it.

This second one reminds me of a friend of mine. Boris is very very neat. He is the cleanest person in Booville. Unfortunately his closest neighbor, Bella is a complete slob. They hate eachother of course. But when they both decided to through parites just so they can NOT invite the eachother, they are both thwarted by Harry Beastie's Biggest Ever Halloween Bash. Well, they both end up crashing the party and they both like to dance. Well, all I can say about this book and my very clean friend is that I hope someday he find his Bella and she helps him to be a little bit messier sometimes.

Read Boris and Bella by Carolyn Crimi and Gris Grimly You'll laugh and love it.

Maybe I'm just hungry

2009-01-12T15:27:00.000-08:00

I just read a book that made me hungry and made me laugh at the same time. I am a little hungry. This morning I put a Texas style brisket in the oven to slow cook, and during lunch (because the top element in my oven is broken) I went home to flip it over. One sniff of that and I've been dreaming of dinner ever since.

Sort of silly then that a book with lemons and bananas on the cover can make my mouth water.

Counting Crocodiles by Judy Sierra; illustrated by Will Hillenbrand

I hope you can find it at your library. It's a counting book with a very fun rhyme.

Here is a haiku and a short cooking tip too, because it's been so long since I've offered anything:

The long night
The Monkey thinks how
To catch hold of the moon.
-Shiki

I love homemade banana chips made in my food dehydrator. I add a little extra flavor to mine by dipping the bananas in lemon juice before drying. Yum! Now that makes my mouth water.

Here is something fun!

2009-01-08T14:50:00.001-08:00

I've been looking forward to this day for a long time. I've just not had the time to let it happen. Please go here.
Love,
Sarah (and Matt)

So Thankful!

2008-11-26T06:41:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I became a cousin all over again! I love it. Ivy Lena Perry was born to my cousins Nat and Steve. See? See?

I don't know how I became so blessed, but I made it to the instant text list! How fun is that.

On Tuesday, my visiting teachers came over to share messages of hope and positive attitudes. Which I needed! and then Matt and I watched a movie and ate fried chicken. (Yum, Yum, my favorite.)

Today, Matt and I are driving down to Utah to spend Thanksgiving family style! I'm oh so very excited. On the way down we're going to work on our music collections. =) We have some good ones.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I am sooo very grateful for you. Whether you are family or friends, coworkers, or past roommates, you have added something to my life that I'd rather not try to do without. Thanks for your love and everything you've taught me though your examples and faith. Have a Happy Thankful Thursday!

And did I mention: Matthew Calvin Jackson!
The BIG 16
Happy Birthday!

Car Songs!

2008-11-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

Hey Moms,

I know some of you are taking some long trips with your kids in the next week or so. For those of you who like to sing in the car, here are some new ones. (I hope you don't already know them.)

Love,
Your personal children's librarian

Drive, Drive, Drive

Sung to: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"

Drive, drive, drive your car,
All around the town.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Up the hills and down.

Turn, turn, turn the key,
Make the engine roar,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Let's go to the store.

Press, press, press the pedal,
Give the engine gas,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Now we're going fast.

Turn, turn, turn the wheel,
That is how we steer.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Make a turn right here.

Push, push, push the brake,
Make the car slow down.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Now we are in town.

Car Song...
Sung to: "Bingo"

Look at my bright shiny car
I'm driving it today-o.
C - A - R (BEEP! BEEP!)
C - A - R (BEEP! BEEP!)
C - A - R (BEEP! BEEP!)
I'm driving it today - o!

(We put on our seat belts, put the key in the ignition, got gas etc. before we sang our song. Then we pretended we were driving and turning thesteering wheel while we sang and of course we BEEPED our horns!)

Less Than A Month

2008-11-14T09:42:00.000-08:00

I realized this week that in less than a month I'll be a married woman. That's a weird thought until I think about who I'm marrying, then I get super excited! The announcements are getting closer to getting into the mail (FYI), so keep an eye on your boxes. And here's a sneak peak at things yet to come later on.

This is actually the only pic I had on file right now, but it's a cute one and I wanted you guys to see the happiness!

And in other news: I have two birthdays shout outs.

Dear Jack (Nov 13) and Ellen (Nov 14),

I love you both and wish you a happy (combined) 30th birthday! I don't really like cake, so I hope this giant ice cream will tempt you sufficiently.

Love,

Aunt and just plain Sarah

Why we're going to make it!

2008-11-10T05:50:00.001-08:00

Just a short one.
So the other day, as Matt was driving me home after a night of bowing with friends, he turned to me kind of out of the blue and said, "Sarah, I like you because you're spiritual AND cool." I didn't quite know how to respond to that, but I like it.

Thanks Babe. If we take it all down to brass tacks, I like you for the same reason. (It's really not the dough.)

How to . . . what?

2008-11-07T08:09:00.000-08:00

It's been about two months since I abandoned my community garden plot, and I've really missed it. Along with having a lot of squash, I also planted some sunflowers with the intent of trying to make my own sunflower seeds. When I felt like the sunflowers should be ready, I picked a few and looked up on the internet (a librarian's best friend) how to roast them.

Thanks to the University of Minnesota Extension Service, I learned that I had picked my sunflowers a little early, and they needed some time to think about if they really wanted to be edible.

Here are the intructions I found:

HOW TO HARVEST AND ROAST SUNFLOWER SEEDS: If you're growing sunflowers to harvest the seed heads, whether for human or animal consumption, don't cut the heads until the green disk at the back of the flower has begun to turn yellow. At this point the seeds will mature properly if left on the head and kept in a dry, well-ventilated place. After the ray flowers have fallen off, cover the head with a cheesecloth or paper bag to keep birds away until you cut it and bring it inside. Seeds are ready to store or eat when the disk at the back of the flower has turned dark brown. You can easily remove the seeds by rubbing two heads together, or just rubbing your palm over the seeds.

Who knew?

pre-soak - and still a little green

After I let my flowers sit for a while and turn brown and get ready, Matt and I pulled all the seeds out, washed them, and soaked them in a salt water for a night. That's not easy because sunflower seeds float. Again, who knew?

The next day I put them in my dehidrator to try out (I learned from a second batch, san-dehidrator, that this was a very good choice.) Then, when I came home from work, I toasted them for about 5-7 minutes in my 350 degree oven.

post-soak

Yum Yum! They actually turned out really well. I gave some to my friend who really likes seed and she said they are the best she's ever had.

"He's Got Some Dough!"

2008-10-25T14:54:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, I was thinking all day that the weather is perfect for making doughnuts. (Wednesday in Idaho Falls the temp was 19 F with a feel temp of 50 F.) To my surprise (I'm still always surprised when this happens) and excitement, Matt called me up Wednesday night to ask if we could make doughnuts Thursday! =) Can I just say we're M.F.E.O.!!!

So Thursday, Matt picked me up and we went to get "ingredients." (I was not prepared for what was about to happen!) As we drove to the store I naively questioned, "what do we need, I have flour; I have yeast," each time, looking at him to see if that is the ingredient he thought we were missing. "Do we need eggs? No, we have LOTS of eggs; I have milk . . . wait, I don't have milk. We need milk." He smiled. I thought for sure we were going to the store for milk.

We walked in and went straight back to the dairy section, right past the milk, and over to the biscuits. He asked me what kind I wanted. I was so confused! He said, "Haven't you ever made biscuit doughnuts before?"

Nope! I had no clue that was possible. I don't even consider canned biscuits to be made of real dough. Don't ask me why. It just seems fake to me, and because of that fact, in a last ditch effort to save "homemade doughnut night" I suggested that we pick up some yummy pre-made pizza dough as well.

We were at a place where you bag it yourself, so at the check out, as I walked down to the end to bag, Matt put 5 cans of biscuits and one bag of pizza dough on the belt. "Wow! that's a lot of dough," said the lady at the register. Then she turned to me and laughed, "He's got some dough." I smiled and winked and said, "I know. That's why I like him." She went on about the dough, because honestly, it was a pretty funny joke (at the time), and then we bagged and ran.

Back at home Matt heated oil and cut holes. I steered clear (because bad things happen when I stand by Matt & hot oil at the same time . . . but that's another story) and carved more pumpkins. About 5 minutes later, Matt handed me the most perfect looking doughnut I've never tasted! And it was good. It didn't even taste like biscuits. I was impressed!

Not only does he have some dough . . . he knows what to do with it!

Here's what you will need to repeat this adventure for yourself:

1 can of any kind of biscuits

1 pot of cooking oil

1 large round bottle cap

cinnamon-sugar in a bowl.

paper towel

medal salad tongs or a slotted spoon

Here's what you do:

Heat oil. Mix cinnamon-sugar in a wide mouth bowl. Open the biscuits and reshape them on the counter. Use the bottle cap to make a hole in the middle of each biscuit. When oil is hot enough, drop each piece in and cook until golden brown. Remove with tongs or slotted spoon. tap on paper towel. Cover with cinnamon-sugar. Eat!

If you decide to try my idea and use pizza dough, just make the doughnuts and then let the dough rise in a low heated oven before frying.

Little Boys and Little Girls

2008-10-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, Matt and I went over to his aunt's house to visit and show her the ring. While we were ringing the doorbell a little boy voice from the other side of a hedge in the yard said, "Are you the Library Lady?" I peeked though the hedge and said, "Yes I am. Are you going to come out and say hi?" Snickers insued, and three little boys ran to the porch of the neighbor's house.

We had a nice visit with Matt's aunt (dispite the little faces peering though her basement window, and the funny "she's with a boy." "is that her boyfriend." "I think she's on a date." conversation that was happening just outside.) Then as we stood on her porch again to say goodbye, three little boys, giggling in the distance, mustered their courage and trotted out in front of us in a straight line. (No primary teacher in the world could have created a straighter line.) I said, "Well Hello." and in response, the leader of the pack said, "We have something to say to you." "And what is that," I said. Then the count-off, and unexpectedly (although I sould have know better) three little boys started hureling berries at me and Matt.

Of course this story has a happy ending. Matt defended my honor and the boys were tackled and challenged to a push-up contest.

This week we were talking about little boys and the funny things they do to get the attention of little girls. I said, "Little boys flirt by throwing rocks at girls."
"No they don't!" said Matt. "Boys only throw rocks at people they don't like."
I brought up our night at his aunt's house as an illustration.
"What were they throwing?" He said. "Not rocks."
"No, I guess they were just throwing berries."
Matt got a big grin on his face. "Well there you go. Boys of all ages know that if you like a girl, the best way to get her attention is to throw food at her."

How true that is!

Pumkin Carving

2008-10-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

These are pumkins that I got from my garden this year!

Not all of them turned out good, but they all look pretty good in this picture!

This is Matt, getting ready to plunge into the job at hand.

This one is my job. I picked it because it has an extra long stem . . . and because I know I have more time and other options if this doesn't work out they way I always hope it will . . . . which means, fabulously.

And this is the final result. Happy early Halloween! Stay tuned for more thrilling pumpkin carving adventures.

It All Adds Up

2008-10-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

I love counting books. I love how predictable they are and how much fun small children have counting with the pictures, over and over again. It had never accured to me that there might be counting books for older kids. There are tons of fraction books, like Jon Scieszka's Math Curse meant to teach and entertain older children. But here are two funny counting (or maybe more like Adding) books for that middle age.

One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab
By April Pullay Sayre and Jeff Sayre
Illustrated by Randy Cecil

This book, as noted on the cover, is a "counting by feet" book.

Quack and Count
by Keith Baker

How many ways can you count to 7?

Do you have a favorite counting book? Please share it with me.

First gift of the season!

2008-10-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

Our "season" has started a little early here. Thursday the stroytime children told me it was snowing outside, and Saturday was an ugly mess of rain slush. Sunday morning was beautiful though. These pictures don't show the beauty of it very well, but I woke up to an inch or so and pretty white flake still coming down. It feels like Christmas Morning.

I also woke up to this:

Matt came by to give the first gift of the season . . . and what a gift it is. There is nothing more wonderful in life than the feeling you get when you give and recieve thanks. Sister Hinckley once said, "If you don't have anyone to thank, look at your toothbrush and say, 'Thank you.'" I have so very many people to thank!

By the way, if you haven't heard, Matthew and I are engaged and getting married here in Idaho on Dec 13th. =)

David Dear!

2008-10-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Happy Birthday David Dear. Happy days will come to you all year. If I had one wish than it would be a Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Birthday to you from me.

How funny is it, really?

2008-10-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

I've been reading some articles about how important it is to let kids pick out books that they like rather than picking out books that are good for them. You know, like letting kids read Amazing Paper Airplanes instead of The Boring Adventures of Sam the Man. (Neither of those are real books. All but one of the names of the books in this post have been changed to protect the innocent.)

When I was in the 1st grade and learning to read I really wanted to read The Beautiful Purple Unicorn Story and These Bears do Funny Things, but instead, I was given the opportunity to step up my reading in the progressively harder and even more Boring Adventures of Sam the Man. I read about Sam the Man. I read Sam the Man and His Boring Friends and Sam the Man Loses His Silly Hat. All of my reading adventures that year culminated with the boring adventure of Sam the Man Drives his Flying Car With His Friends and Loses His Silly Hat.

I'm not dumb enough to blame all of my disinterest in reading on Sam the Man and his progressively harder and progressively less entertaining step up reading system, but I will say that I might have had more fun and laughed a little more in 1st grade if instead my teacher had handed me These Bears do Funny Things swiftly followed by Those Bears Sure Make Me Laugh. Or Maybe this one:

Lucille by Arnold Lobel

If you like funny books, you'll like Lucille!

Matthew

2008-09-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

This is Matthew

He is from Bluffdale, Utah. He looks really good in a white shirt and tie, and he knows more show tunes than me. What a catch!

Matthew sometimes likes to try on my cloths. I don't like that because sometimes he looks better in them than me! But I forgive him because he's a good gardener and he likes long walks on the beach ( and anywhere else for that matter).

He's a big hunk! a hard worker! a good cook! thoughtful, kind, curious (it's true), friendly, smart, and silly.

He makes me laugh, and today is his birthday!

This almost sounds like a personal add, so let me just say before any of you other girls get any ideas . . . Matthew is the man of my dreams, a deal too good for me to pass up. The best part is he'd say the same about me.

Garden Gourmet

2008-09-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

Friday night Matthew and I cooked up something yummy from the fresh veggies we picked a few weeks ago.

Our meal started with some fresh garden tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Our meal kind of had a spinach theme, so we sprinkled some Tastefully Simple spinach & herb mix on top.

Then we hollowed out some "Sunburst" (patty pan) squash and stuffed it with a yummy, creamy spinach filling. (recipe below)

Please forgive my pictures. I'm not the best food blogger.

Matt brought over a zucchini and made the most wonderful sauteed zucchini and rosemary chicken.

And of course we decorated the table with fresh cut garden sunflowers.

Spinach Stuffed Squash

2 medium sized patty pan squash
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
Seasoned salt
Black pepper
Cracker crumbs
Parmesan cheese, grated

cut off one end of squash and remove seeds, leaving think sides and a hollow middle. Boil or bake until just tender. Cook spinach and drain well, squeezing out excess moisture. Combine Spinach with sour cream, butter (softened), seasoned salt, onion and pepper. Stuff squash; sprinkle with cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 325 F. for 30 minutes.

(from www.dianaskitchen.com)

Garden Update

2008-09-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Garden!

There are lots of reasons why having a garden this year has been the best thing ever!
1. It's out in the country, but only about 6 miles from my house. I biked out there on Labor day. It was so much fun.

This is the front side of the garden. Can you see the bikes?

2. I planted lots of fun things in my garden, but got lots of interesting surprises too. I LOVE SURPRISES!

Can anyone help me name these mystery squash and gourds that just popped up in odd places?

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

Exhibit D

Thanks,
These other things, I think I can identify!

palm size Cantaloupe & baby Watermelon

Oh how cute. I didn't think I would have any of these because they were planted so late in the season! But look, look, look.

Pumpkins!

I planted lots so I could carve lots for Halloween.

Tomatoes! Pear & Regular

The wind keeps blowing them over, but I'm excited to go out a pick some!

Crookneck Squash!

I like to pick them when they are small and eat them in salads. Thanks for the idea, Grandma J.

Yellow Frilly Squash!

Okay, you might have to help me out on this one. I can't remember its name either.

Back to the reasons why this is the best thing ever.

3. In the Back of my garden, I have rows of wild flowers and sunflowers. I love it because I've had fresh cut (wild) flowers on my table all summer long.

The back of the garden.

The back of my garden also hides my favorite veggies, so I can go back and weed and forget that I'm right off a busy country road.

Beans, (which I didn't take a picture of because we picked them all) and

Peas! Yum, My absolute favorite.

4. Sometimes I would just sit behind the sunflowers and eat peas instead of weeding my garden. That's one of the perks of being a grown up, I guess.

Look who else I found hiding behind the sunflowers. Matthew really likes my garden too.

And Carrots!

It's what I do.

2008-08-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

Recently, I went to the library, or 'rabia' as my four year old niece lovingly calls it, with my sister and her children. I love my sister and I think she is a great mom, but that fact did not stop me from doing what I do. I went to the library catalog and looked up picture books about horses because my niece loves horses. I went to the board book section and picked out 4 or 5 books that seemed fun for my 18 month old nephew. I talked to the librarian about her storytime craft.

I guess when you spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, most weeks a year, doing something, it kind of becomes who you are. So, moms, be aware. I love you and I know you are doing a wonderful job being moms, but if you take me to the library, don't be surprised when I act like a concerned children's librarian and maybe tell you things about books and reading and early literacy that drive you crazy. It's what I do . . . the only difference is the mom's around here pay me for it, and you get it for FREE!

If you would like to know why I've become so passionate about my job, please read:

The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease

Growing a Reader From Birth by Diane Mcguinness

Memory Lane - it's like a game, only more fun!

2008-08-02T12:05:00.001-07:00

Leave me a comment about one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! I'm sooooo excited to remember with you.

Then, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments. I can't wait to see what people remember.

Speaking of Birthdays . . .

2008-07-30T21:36:00.001-07:00

The best, cutest Happy Birthday ever is right here! A special clip of my niece, Ellen singing happy birthday to herself! I can't get over it. When if first came out I watched it over and over and then invited everyone who I could lore close enough to the computer to watch it with me. I just watched it 4 times in a row before I started writing this post because there is nothing sweeter than a birthday wish for yourself. Good job Ellen, you've got it right!

What's coming next . . .

2008-07-26T23:45:00.000-07:00

I've been asked a lot of interesting questions in my short life. I love questions. I uses to always want to have the right answers to all the questions I was ever asked. Then, half way thought college I realized it's much more fun to give a funny answer first and then give the right answer because I like to make people laugh more than I like to intimidate people with how much I might know. And then, very recently, I found that the questions get harder and harder and sometime there are no right answers and sometimes there are no wrong answers so giving a funny answer first gives you time to think of a sufficient answer for the time being.

Sent in from a friend in Indiana, this is the question of the week:

"Do you spend much time, if at all, thinking about what's coming next?"

My first, and hopefully funny, answer is this, "Only when I'm at a dinner party where I get a complete meal that I didn't order from a menu."

My real answer starts like this:

Sometimes I'm having a bad day where nothing seems to be going right, and I think, "What in the world could be coming next?"

Sometimes I'm having a really good day with lost of surprises, and I think, "I wonder if there's anything else?"

And then, there are those moments in life when I know there is something coming. Something big is right around the corner. I can feel it. I don't always know what to do about it, and I never know what it's going to be. But when it finally comes, I know that's what it is, and this is what I need to do.

So, I ask you, "Do you spend much time, if at all, thinking about what's coming next?"

Obviously, the answer to that question for me is, "yes."

Raging rivers and calm lakes

2008-07-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago, I went hiking with friends up to Palisades Lake. Some of us went to the Lower Lake spot and some the the Upper Lake spot and one beyond. We all registered though.

Here we are chillin' on the way back and documenting the fun.

Here's the raging river. There had been so much wonderful water this year that the river overlapped onto the trail and we had to ford a little way. That was so much fun.

How does your garden grow?

2008-07-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

Apparently one of the benefits of community gardening is shared veggies. I had no idea, so I was pleasantly surprised yesterday, when my neighbor gardener shouted out to me, "Sarah, do you like radishes?" Well I love radishes. They are some of my favorite things. So, I said so. "Well, good. ours are ready to pick and only my husband likes them. Help yourself." When I hadn't "helped myself" by the time they were ready to leave, she asked me to come over and take a tour of her garden, then pulled some radishes for me . . .

and cut some lettuces . . .

My garden is doing alright, but isn't as far along as hers, but I hope when my potatoes come up they will be nice enough to share.

Oh, the joys of gardening.

The long awaiting story of my trip to Taylor Mountain

2008-07-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

Off on the southern side of Idaho Falls, you can sometimes see a hazy cloud around a very green and inviting foot hill. The hill is called Taylor Mountain, and my friend's mom told me once, like an old wise woman from a fairy tale, "No good can come to someone who goes up to those parts . . . Especially at night!" Que dramatic music. Taylor Mountain all of the sudden became Witch Mountain in my mind.

Well, one Friday night, way back when, I went shooting with one of my friends and he decided the best place to go was Taylor Mountain. He knew some people with land up there . . . So we went, during the daylight hours, of course, and had a grad time shooting pistols and pictures. I couldn't figure out how to get my target up here, so you just have the pictures, but here they are! Not as Witch Mountain-esq as I would have hoped, but beautiful.

A broken down fence next to a rambling brook.

A lovely little water fall on that same brook. There were a few of these. It was a great brook.

A hill with a rock on it. That rock has a tree growing out of it. Isn't it amazing how trees can grow almost anywhere.

And the aspen forest. So beautiful, so green.

Here is my personal favorite, the Mountain Blue Belle, is what they call this, I think. It looks a little out of place here, but I'll take a Blue Bonnet (the Texas state flower) any way I can get it. See Lorraine, I found one this year. :)

Sounder . . . a short reflective essay

2008-07-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

Why I am glad I finally finished reading Sounder

First of all, I can't believe my 5th grade teacher read this to us. Secondly, I know why it's a Newbery Medal winner. And third, I wonder what other shocking things I experienced in 5th grade that I've blocked out.

I can only imagine what Mark Twain would say about William H. Armstrong. It's probably a good thing they didn't live at the same time.

But to Armstrong's credit, not just anyone could write a book like this and sell it as children's fiction. Wow!

Well, I'm being a little to dramatic really. Sounder won the 1970 Newbery award because it is very well written, it discusses critical issues is a child's point of view, and it's very literary. The end and the beginning are tied together very well, and the story flows. It's just that . . . it was like reading James Joyce.

I'm glad I read it. I'm not sad I'm finished.

Why my roommate is like Mary Poppins

2008-07-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

Don't take this literally because 1. I'm not a literal person, and 2. my roommate is not and has never acted like an English Nanny.

That said, I would like to start out by "reading" you the advertisement that brought Mary Poppins to the Banks' doorstep:

Wanted a nanny for two adorable children.

If you want this choice position
Have a cheery disposition
Rosy cheeks, no warts!
Play games, all sort

You must be kind, you must be witty
Very sweet and fairly pretty
Take us on outings, give us treats
Sing songs, bring sweets

Never be cross or cruel
Never give us castor oil or gruel
Love us as a son and daughter
And never smell of barley water

If you won't scold and dominate us
We will never give you cause to hate us
We won't hide your spectacles
So you can't see
Put toads in your bed
Or pepper in your tea
Hurry, Nanny!
Many thanks
Sincerely, Jane and Michael Banks

And do you remember how Jane and Michael got exactly what they wanted and also exactly what they needed at the same time?

When I moved to my current residence, I didn't know if I was getting what I needed or wanted, but I shortly found out that I got both:

Someone who doesn't judge me by my good or bad qualities, doesn't mind when I'm messy, and let's me be who I am and do what I do even if that's not what she is and she has absolutely no interest in what I'm doing. She cares because she knows I care. Someone who listens to me complain until 2 in the morning and doesn't say a word about what I ought to do with my life. And she doesn't get annoyed when I get up at 7:00am and bang around in the kitchen. We don't fight about money, we don't fight about boys, and we borrow each other's shoes and hair stuff and food with very little pain. And all she asks of me in return is for me to pay my part of the rent, be honest with myself and with her, and let her be herself.

How did I get so lucky? I don't know. I can only hope that I'm that good of a roommate this next time around.

The First Day of the Happiest Month!

2008-07-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

Happy 182nd day of the year.

Two years ago, around this time I was having the hardest time with life. For lots of reasons my heart was aching and I didn't know how to fix it. One morning I couldn't handle it any longer, so I called my mom . . . at 5:00am. (She's a early riser.) I started out the conversation by crying into the phone and when she asked me what was wrong I weeped out, "Oh, Mom. I'm the saddest girl in the world." (I've always been a little over dramatic.) My sweet mom paused for a few moments as if to take all of this in and then said, "Well, how can this be when it's the first day of the happiest month."

I love July! I always have. It truly is the happiest month. just think about it . . . it starts with a Bang and then follows up with watermelon and baseball and trips to the lake and the water park and rafting and hiking and washing cars and just sitting in the park having a good time. So, where ever you are in life, how ever you feel today, happy or sad or lonely or confused or frustrated or ordinary or fabulous, take a moment and think about how wonderful it is that today is the first day of the happiest month, and smile. (and if you're having a hard time this year, just think, you've made it half way.)

Loves Always,

Sarah

Jumping for Joy!

2008-06-13T19:03:00.001-07:00

I was thinking today about some of the things that make me jump for joy, probably because I had watermelon, and that is right up there at the top of my list. But it couldn't have been just that, because I had watermelon way after I thought about how happy I am to talk to good friends, and how excited I get when I learn a new song on the guitar and stay up way too late practicing.

Other things in the list include:
The orange color of the world during a really nice sunset
The smells of rain and lilacs and baking bread (not necessarily mixed together)
Discovering new things that I've never seen or known before
Getting to the end of a hard job
Warm blankets and soft pillows
Seeing things grow
Hearing that someone really really liked a book I gave them
Sharing my silly side and actually getting a laugh
and Songs that make me want to dance, dance, dance

#14 It's okay that I forgot her birthday.

2008-06-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

This title is a quote from the favorite sister. . .

You know. Ever since about 2004, I've had this really bad habit of remembering (and therefore celebrating) my loved ones' birthdays one day ahead of schedule. And then forgetting to celebrate the day of . . . that would have been Tuesday!

Oh Lorraine, to celebrate your birthday I kicked of Summer Reading at the library, invited a bunch of kids to a fly-tying and fly-fishing demonstration, and dominated in a "name that hymn" competition by naming 8 hymns in a total of 21 notes.

I also dreamed of preparing this splendid cake for you, the day before that is!

Happy, happy, happy, happy, Happy, happy, happy, happy, Happy, happy, happy, happy, Happy, happy, happy, happy, Happy, happy, happy, happy, Happy, happy, happy, happy, Happy, happy, happy, happy, Happy, happy, happy, happy Birthday To You From Me!

Six Things About Me. Take 2 . . .

2008-06-09T23:08:00.000-07:00

So, in case you missed the first run . . . here are 6 more things about me that might not show on the outside.

1. I learned to tie my shoes in college. Yep, my freshman year I had a friend who was kind enough to teach me how to do the double-spin tight tennis-shoe tie, and I've never tied my shoes with a single knot since. The tricky part is it looks like a single knot. But it isn't.

2. I like climbing on rocks. Love it, actually. I like rock climbing with ropes and friends, but I also like just going out to a big pile of very large rocks and climbing around, in and out and under and through. My favorite place is up by Rexburg, ID. It's lovely and the rocks are big and easy to climb.

3. Some of my favorite books I read because they were a boy's favorite book. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton was one of those type of books. So was Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters by J.D. Salinger. Both now favorites of mine. But The Catcher in the Rye was not one of those books. I read that one for myself.

4. I always put in and take out my left contact first. I don't know why. Can anyone tell me if this has something to do with being "right-brained." Who knows?

5. I'm a skipper. I love to skip. And when I say skip, I don't mean "skip class." I mean, I like to put a little hop into my step sometimes. Instead of stairs, my library has a ramp, and I never tell the children not to run down the ramp because, secretly, I want to run down it every time. One day, while I was thinking, I would like to run down this ramp, I got really excited and just did a little skip instead. A friend of mine saw me, and to this day, he has not let me live it down. I'm a skipper. I like to skip.

6. Sonic is my favorite fast food restaurant because their drinks remind me of snow cones and I love snow cones, so going there is like getting snow cones year round. My favorite is a lime slush with white coconut, which always reminds me of summer. But I just discovered something fantastic. Snow Cone Flavor: Cherry slush with white coconut and vanilla. I'm in love.

Bowling Anyone?

2008-06-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like a bowing pin,

But actually, it is going to be a . . .

Monkey!
Good job Natalie. To be finished shortly - to whom should I send the finished product? (I promise it will be a lot cuter than this bowling pin, if that's possible.)

Thank you everyone for participating. Check back for some great photos and a story about my second-ever shooting trip on Idaho's infamous Taylor Mountain.

A Bit of Earth

2008-05-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

Ever since elementary school when my science class put Lima beans in plastic bags with wet paper towel and watched them grow, I have been fascinated with growing things. I love flowers, but I especially love growing things that I can eat. I've never been able to before because the things I want to grow, like corn and peas and watermelon and pumpkins don't grow in rocky soil or (my mom's alternative) big plastic bins. Or under the Hot Texas sun without a lot of help.

Finally, after helping other people weed their gardens for so many years here in Idaho, mine is actually planted in a bit of earth just south of town.

Side note: In the USSR the government gave every family a little plot of land out side of town for a garden, and in Ukraine some families still have the plot that they have been growing on for generations. They go out on weekends to work on their little gardens, like a break from life in the city.

What is in my garden?:

A row of red potatoes and a row of Yukon Gold potatoes - because in a State of baking potatoes you can never had too much variety.

Watermelon (Sweet Red and Golden Yellow) - Because it is my favorite summertime fruit. Someday, I'll try to build a green house so I can have watermelon year round.

2 Cantaloupe plants - Do I have to tell you why I'm growing cantaloupe? I have three words for you. "Mmmm. Mmmm. Mmmm..."

A row and a half of Squash - Butternut, Crookneck, Summer Frill, Eight Ball, and Jack o' Lanterns (because if I grow my own, I can carve as many as I want), and I think we might have some rough gourds in there from last years planters.

The Salsa Garden - This is a special part of the garden with only one thing in mind! My need for salsa. tomatoes of all kinds, even tomatillos, cilantro, onions, garlic, jalapeños, assorted bell peppers, and banana peppers.

A row of Eggplant and Cucumbers - don't ask me why they're on the same row, that's just how they landed.

A row of Wild Flowers and Sunflowers with a special artsy clump of Shasta Daisies - simply because I'm Sarah. And the Sunflowers are actually in charge of shading the . . .

Peas, Carrots, and three different colors of Beans - two rows with this stuff on them. There are purple beans, green beans, and yellow beans, so that when I make bean salad this year it will be colorful and fresh.,

The plot is a part of the church farm, and is backed up to the corn fields, so our coordinator told us not to plant corn . . . just glean if we needed some. Grandpa Dean plants really yummy sweet varieties of corn, too, so I'm pretty sure I'm set for corn this year.

Lest you think I'm ambitious enough to do all of this alone, let me tell you, my friend Anne is a horticulturist, and this is her garden too. Also, since you know how bad I am at watering things . . . if you don't, I'll tell you about it later. The plot is watered for us every Monday and Thursday. All we have to do is plant (done), weed (doing), and harvest. Hooray!!!

Not a Hat!

2008-05-28T23:24:00.000-07:00

I guess it could be a hat, depending on who you ask. But as you guess on this much harder crochet-guessing challenge, let me just tip you off by saying that this project was not started with head-warming in mind.

To up the ante, I'm going to say that the first person go guess correctly will get to choose who this project goes to. Any Idaho friends who have seen this project in progress are automatically disqualified this time around. Sorry guys, I'll do something special for you next time. Maybe a camel, Matt.

I Miss My Sis!

2008-05-26T06:47:00.001-07:00

Yep! You guessed it. I talked to Mary last night on the google talk computer phone, and this morning I checked my mail and she had sent me a rocking puzzle card and it all just reminds me that when she comes home she'll really be going home to Texas and not home to anywhere remotely close to me. So I'm saaaad!

Here is Mar stealing shots of herself wearing two pares of glasses.

Me and Mar bundled up for fashion.

I just can't think of anyone else that is more fun to be goofy with! And now, all my three day weekends are going to be spent wishing I could drive down to Utah to visit Mary.

Mar in the back seat . . . because it's cooler!

And who is going to send me cards from foreign countries that boost my self esteem? I'm excited that she will be back in the country . . . I just wish she was coming back to my part of the country! Sorry Mom. I'm just selfish like that.

I'm a little Piggy With a Curly Tail

2008-05-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

How cute is this face!?!

And that one floppy ear gets me every time I look at it. Thank you Jane Davis for writing your book Crochet and making this little guy possible.

He even poses for the camera. That's just too much.

Go Maveriks?

2008-05-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you a story about my life and Basketball:

Ever since I was about 11 and my brother got a backboard, hoop, and net for Christmas, I knew Basketball was something that cool people should like. I can't say that it was really important, but it was definitely COOL! The backboard was mounted and my cool older brother and his cool older friends would shoot around in our half court sized back yard driveway. By brother was actually a soccer player, so I didn't go to many basketball games. I only remember going to one in High School, but then I really only remember going to one soccer game, as well. But I'm jumping ahead.

In Jr. High I fell in with what I felt like was the cool crowd. "Fell in" is a strong description. I think more likely, I tagged along on the fringes and they tolerated my presence because they were taught in Baptist Summer Bible Camp to be nice to people who are different. So at lunch I would sit in the last seat at the end of the cool table and try to look interested as the girls talked about makeup and the boys talked about . . . what ever cool Jr. High boys talk about. At Midway Jr. High (a small school in Texas) in March, all of the "Channel One" TVs in the lunch room were turned on so we (and, I suspect, the teachers on lunch duty) could watch the college basketball games.

I didn't know anything about basketball teams. I didn't know anything about basketball, except that the ball is orange and you shoot it at the box and hope it falls into the hoop. I tried to ask questions and learn something, but let's face it, Jr. High boys speak in a way that Jr. High girls do not understand. Or at least these boys didn't, and there weren't any translators around . . . So I would go home every night to my non-sports family feeling uncool because I didn't know anything about basketball and there was no one I felt safe asking. I'd steal my brother's ball and for hours I would stand in the driveway alone shooting free throws under our big yellow flood light, hoping that shooting baskets would teach me something about the game and make me fluent in basketball and therefore cool.

No Luck. All my cool friends went on, as many Jr. Boys in TX do, to become members of the High School Basketball team, even the short ones. And, Like I said, I went to one High School Basketball game. I "won" a basket ball from a seminary fair in High School, but that still didn't make me feel any cooler. It just meant that I didn't have to steal my brother's to shoot the bug infested evenings away. After High School I played a few down a dirty street games with the single adults in my stake. There was one boy in particular who liked to play two on two with me because 1) I could shoot half decent shots from the free throw line, 2) if he was playing against me, I fowled a lot, and 3) he thought it was really funny to hear me try to talk trash, which I did. . . still do.

And now, I live in Idaho Falls where, for some reason, basketball is a big thing, and I still feel uncool because I know NOTHING about basketball. But I still like to hear about it and sometimes watch it, and I LOVE to shoot free throws. So I got this book:

Basketball (Or Something Like it) by Nora Raleigh Baskin

I know it won't teach me anything about basketball either, but, I'm already half way through and I can't put it down. So, I guess something about basketball still makes me feel cool.

Odd Photography

2008-05-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

My brother likes to take pictures of piping. He's not a plumber; he just likes odd photography. With that in mind:

Find a Face by Francois and Jean Robert with Jane Gittings

is a book about seeing the ordinary world differently. Would that we could all see piping the way my brother does.

For those more interested in seeing the world with a more adult perspective:

Thoughtless Acts?: Observations on Intuitive Design. by Jane Fulton Suri of IDEO

Congrats for being a UT Grad William.

Hint Hint

2008-05-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

Alright, you guys thing you know what's going on. It's not Piglet or Miss Piggy. But don't get up. This one is going fast!

The Difference between Knitting and Crochetting

2008-05-17T08:01:00.001-07:00

Knitting and crocheting are different, but the same. When you knit you use pointed needles. When you crochet you use one hook. The technique is different and the outcome is different, but the basic concept is the same. . .

pull the yarn though the loop.

I like them both, but I'm much faster at crocheting than knitting. For example: I'm working on a knitting project I've been knitting on and off for a year. Here's a picture:

For those who are interested this is a blanket knitted from a Log Cabin pattern from Mason-Dixon Knitting.

It's taking me so long because I get board. It's a big blanket and I don't like doing the same thing over and over again, which is what this pattern is all about. So, I have to change it up a little bit and do a crochet project and then go back to the blanket later. Here is what I started last night while I watched the sad ending of the Jazz/Lakers game with my roommate and friends.

It's not a hat. It's not a hot-water bottle. It IS HOT PINK! Do you want to guess what it is? Go ahead. I'll give you hints along the way.

Check it. . .Click.

2008-05-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

I want to share my favorite baby with you. Now, before I go on any further, let me say that I have a lot of wonderful babies in my life. There's Eva and Even in Dallas, Ellen, Jack, and Bentley in Lubbock, Sophie in California, and Josh, Caleb, and Claire in Minnesota. Not to mention all of the cute babies in my Book Babies class at the library. But this one is special. He talks! And he knows that age is relative!

Check it . . . Click!

Enjoy!

To My Favorite Mother!

2008-05-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

The best thing about Mothers Day, in my opinion, is that it's so close after my mom's birthday. Which means, if I miss the first one, I always get a second chance.

So, without any further ado, The top 10 things that make my mom my Favorite!

10. She's a redhead - something I'm sure she passed on to me, at least in spirit if not in reality.

9. She can sew . . . anything!

8. She gets up early and does stuff. . . lots of stuff.

7. She's asleep by 10:00, not just in bed, but completely OUT!

6. If there is a way to grow something, she'll find it. Even if you live in the middle of the dessert and the ground is basically radioactive, she'll plant something, somewhere, in some kind of pot, filled with home-made composted soil, and it will grow.

5. She has a smile that can light up all of the state of Texas!

4. And her eyes sparkle.

3. She can turn a meal for 4 into a meal for 12 as if she were just pulling food out of the air.

2. She gives good advice, even when she doesn't realize she's giving advice, she give it and it's good.

1. She gives everything she's got. Her testimony, her love, what she knows, what she's learning, her time, her strengths, and even her weaknesses. Her talents, her advice, and then some more of her love. And she's not picky about who she gives to. If you're around, She's be there for you. So, you'd better watch out. You are going to be loved!

And these are just a few reasons why I love my mom.

What I do? Or Reasons to be Glad You are not the Boss.

2008-05-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

This week has been a special week at work. It has also been finals week, which has been special all by itself. I don't want to complain, because I just read a lovely blog post about one of my friend's challenges and achievements and not complaining about them. So, I would just like to share some special moments from my week, and mostly from today, my Saturday as the Boss of the library.

Let's go in Chronological order here:

Wednesday, I got to report to my coworkers about what I've learned this past semester. That was a little like sitting for a board of judges. They asked be questions about what they learned in library school and I had to try to answer with what I learned.

Then I got to go to Head Start for my last First Book storytime of the season. Then, back to the library where I accidentally ran into the Mayor having a meeting with all of the staff. Oops! I forgot about the Mayor!

It's a good thing I could make it up to myself by doing a long distance interview, talking to my director, and going home earlier than usual. (I still put in a full day, but it's a treat to go home before 6:30 around here.)

Thursday, I'm sitting at the desk when all of the sudden, BOOM! A large man who had come in with a group hit the floor of the children's department and started convulsing. I've been a witness to seizures before, but nothing this big (the man or the seizures). His group of friends included some trained professionals, which was good, because all I thought to do was move some books out of the way and look rather silly as I watched.

Saturday, was the best of all. I'm not actually out at a service desk. I'm in my office doing some work and answering any supervisory questions that come my way. This is how it went . . . I started out the day with two of my staff members misreading the schedule and coming late, continued on with a run to Radio Shack for some adaptors. Went ahead with the usual angry patrons, flushed a severely maimed fish from our library pond, and rounded out the afternoon with a trip to the men's restroom to clean up some one's sickness.

As I carried my mop and bucket (and can of disinfectant) back to the janitor closet I was thinking how great it would be to go back to just "schlepping" books. But I couldn't. I love my job!!! The good parts are too good to go back!

That red book about the little boy.

2008-05-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

I don't remember reading a lot of books when I was younger. I remember classics like Bears on Wheels by The Berenstains Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish, and The Shape of Me and other Things by Dr. Seuss.

And then I have these odd, half memories of books that I know I heard, but can't remember anything but a glimmer. For this reason, I completely understand when people come into the library with a hopeful look in their eye and say, "I read a book when I was younger . . . it was red. It was about a little boy, I think?" And then they look at me as if I just put that exact book back on the shelf and can run and get it for them.

This week, I was shelving books and I found something familiar and frightening. Not only had I remembered parts of this book,

Little Rabbit's Loose Tooth by Lucy Bate

In my odd little mind, I had gotten Little Rabbit's story all mixed up with Julian's Stories from,

The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron

I hadn't seen Little Rabbit since grade school, but I remember how she tried to loose her tooth in all kinds of foods, and then finally it falls out in her pudding.

Julian, I searched for and rediscovered a few years ago because I couldn't get the story of "Catalog Cats" out of my head. Julian also has a story about pudding, and a separate one about loosing a tooth. But in Julian's story, his dad tries to tie his tooth to a door handle with a string. NOT the same as I remember.

Isn't memory a funny thing.

I've been reading Sounder by William H. Armstrong for months now. The book has 105 pages and shouldn't be taking me this long, but I'm stuck. I have this memory of my 5th grade class cracking walnuts on the playground black top, trying to get them out of the shell whole because of a book my teacher read us. After reading the first chapters, I realize that she read our class Sounder. I always wondered what book that was . . . mystery solved.

Happy May Day!

2008-05-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

So, Welcome to my world. I think I'm going to start calling Idaho "The World of Ice and Snow." Remember Last year? When it snowed on May 5th. Well, here it is. May 1 and white.

Could this day get any better . . . apparently it can, because when I got home from work, I found a letter from Taiwan in my mail box. Yep! My Sis. sent me lots of love. What do I need a man for when I have a little sister who sends little paper loves across the ocean for me. Look . . .

I got some close ups for you. This one made me laugh!

We can't send love long distance without saying, "mwah!" It's like some kind of unwritten rule.

I mean, come on. Compliments don't get better than this. Who else can I count on to boost my self esteem so colorfully?

And this is my all time favorite one. Especially since one of my other sisters told me she had a dream that I was dating a traffic cop. Thank you Mary, for making all Heather's dreams come true.

So, recap on this day: 1. It snowed which could have been bad, but it meant I got to wear my cute rain boots, so I'm good.
2. I had "like" 5 meetings which could have been yucky, but I was in charge, so they ended when I wanted them to.
3. Summer Reading is only one month away.
4. I got long distance Love.
5. I'm the luckiest girl!

It's the Grand ChaHee's Birthday!

2008-04-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

My mother is wonderful. She is the type of person who never forgets your birthday. I, on the otherhand, am not my mother . . . yet! I can only aspire to be so great. In honor of the woman who taught me that everyday can be a good day and a work day all rolled together, and that time is relative, A Cake.

It's like my mom and my Fairy Godmother are the same person. I'm the luckiest girl in the whole world!

Happy Birthday Mom! I think we are the same age this year.

Passing the Pot Luck Test

2008-04-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

I love my Cousin's blog. It is my source for all that is good and edible. And she is just a cute blogger with lots of fun pictures and stories. I'm always printing off recipes that look good, and making my grocery lists and big plans to cook, and then I remember . . . "I'm a lone reed."

So, I magnet my favorite group recipes to the side of my fridge and wait for the right occasion to arise. Today, it was a pot luck. I was sooo excited I bought fresh parsley and then forgot to use it. I burned the sesame seeds while I was toasting them, and I got a LOT of dishes dirty all for one salad.

The Special Sesame Chicken Salad!

Yum yum. I put it all together and then thought, there are a lot of different things in here that people could hate. That didn't stop me though.

Confession: I've always had this secret (not a secret any more) desire to have the best dish at the pot luck party. I want to be the lady carrying home the empty dish and a handful of recipe requests.

I also know that the best way to check to see if a recipe is really worth it in bulk is to administer the Pot Luck Test! Take the unmarked item to a pot luck and see how it goes. Not so good? Well, I wouldn't make it again.

I'll stop keeping you hanging. On with the story. I took my salad with all it's questionable parts to my pot luck party, and it was the greatest hit! It was a really good pot luck, lots of yummy things to eat. I think I'll keep this special salad in my cookbook.

meedlee meedlee, deedlee deedlee, deeeeeeee

2008-04-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

I just want to tell you all that I've been practicing my guitar. I'm basically pro! I know there are some people (like loan officers and pre-dent students and pharmacists and male kindergarten teachers) who don't think librarians can ROCK, but let me tell you. I ROCK! I ROCK in all of the following chords . . .

Just kidding. I'm not going to list the chords I ROCK in, but I will tell you that I just got brave enough to tune (or untune) by guitar to Open D, and I totally ROCK in Open D. Everyone go get out your last Goo Goo Dolls CD and listen to Black Balloon and realize that I sound like that!

Let's ROCK! Let's ROCK Today!

My Favorite Frost Poem

2008-04-24T15:17:00.001-07:00

I like Robert Frost. He's always been at the top of my list for good thoughtful poets, but when I was in college I took a little time, one day while I was supposed to be shelving the books, and read a few pages of his collected works.

I've decided you find the most amazing things in books when you're not supposed to be reading.

I found this sonnet:

Into My Own
by Robert Frost

One of my wishes is that those dark trees,
So old and firm they scarcely show the breeze,
Were not, as 'twere, the merest mask of gloom,
But stretched away unto the edge of doom.

I should not be withheld but that same day
Into their vastness I should steal away,
Fearless of ever finding open land,
Or highway where the slow wheel pours the sand.

I do not see why I should e'er turn back,
Or those should not set forth upon my track
To overtake me, who should miss me here
And long to know if still I held them dear.

They would not find me changed from him they knew --
Only more sure of all I thought was true.

***
There are many things about this poem that I love. 1) It's a modern sonnet which is easy to read but, I know from personal experience, not so easy to write. 2) It's about having the courage to leave home and face the world and, in college, that was something I was only able to do in theory and with a lot of safety nets. I wanted the courage in this poem to be mine. 3) I like the last two lines. When I read them for the first time I wasn't sure I knew exactly what they meant, but I knew, for me, they were true. Now, many years after finding this poem that I love so much, I can say without a doubt that the last two lines are true. Faith in all kinds of true things grows greatest when we feel most alone but we take courage and do what we feel is right anyway.

The Paper Bag Princess

2008-04-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

There are just some books that I have a hard time holding on to. It just seems like when I buy certain books for myself, I end up finding some one who needs it more than me. And there it goes, into the arms of a better owner.

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch is one of those books. This is the story of a Princess who finds herself alone in a singed castle after a dragon comes, ravages the land, and captures her prince. With nothing else to wear but a paper bag, she goes over to the dragon's cave to rescue her true love and cleverly defeats the dragon only to be told by the prince in question that she looks crummy. She tells him to take a hike and she and her paper bag go off to find better conquests.

True story: I've always had low self-esteem. It's not any ones fault; it's just the way I am. So, in High School, when one of my friends told me that I could look good even if I were wearing a paper bag, I laughed, and loved this book even more. (See those scrawny legs and that ratty hair. That girl if front of the dragon is totally me.)

Story continued: After college I actually took a chance and made a dress out of two paper bags for Halloween. It was a hit, but not the most durable costume I've ever worn.

More story: One of my sweet, sweet friends went shopping for me last month and bought me a dress:

Need a close-up?

Hummmmm. . .
So, that

plus this. . .

And these. . .

minus this . . .

Equals Fabulous!

It never felt so good to be the Paper Bag Princess.

Special Delivery

2008-04-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

We're on our way!

We're also made to play with and wash. Our outsides are 100% acrylic (en espanol: 100% acrilico), and our insides are a poly-cotton blend.

Have fun!

Wǒ Ài Nǐ, Ni ai wo, and other tender mercies.

2008-04-07T06:33:00.000-07:00

Last night at midnight I needed to talk to my little sister, but she is in Taiwan and she was teaching an English class. So, instead of talking to my sister, I said my prayers and went to bed. I didn't go to sleep for some time because I was thinking about the state of my life - hence the reason I wanted to talk to Mary.

This morning I was doing some computer work and Mary popped up to chat. Right off the bat, she sent me this:

Wǒ Ài Nǐ, Ni ai wo

I love my sister. Even when she doesn't know that I need something really really badly, she always ends up sending me just the right thing. It's going to be a good Monday! We will make it so.

Reflection of Christ

2008-04-06T19:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend was General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one of my most favorite times of year. Two times a year we get to hear the Prophet, Thomas S. Monson and the other leaders of the church give their testimonies of Jesus Christ and his mission, and help us understand what we can do to become better people, people who truly follow Christ's teachings and live his Gospel.

I always feel so very loved and blessed when I listen to these men and women talk about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Here is another wonderful pictorial testimony of Jesus Christ and his life and works that my sister-in-law posted. I'm excited to pass it along.

And I love to sing along with the hymns and know that somewhere in another timezone my family is singing with me. No matter how far apart we are, I always feel close to them at conference time.

Minneapolis: the good parts version

2008-04-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

You know when you go on a trip and you get home and you tell all your coworkers one story and all your friends the good parts version? Well here it is: Minneapolis: the good parts version!

It was sunny all week, I promise, until the day Josh and I woke up and looked outside to find a foot of perfect snowman snow! We rolled and rolled and turned it on it's side because the balls were too heavy to stack. So, this is Our (Josh's and my) sun bathing snowman.

Rebecca had a book of good things she had collected over the years. This was one of the pictures in her book. I love it. It totally reminds me of me, especially after this conference. Just kidding!

This is not the hotel we stayed in. No, this is the hotel out of the 6th floor lobby window. Another good part that I didn't get a picture of was the goat. Not a live goat though. No! Not at all. My friend and I went to an African restaurant and ate roasted rack of goat. An experience for sure. I only have to have that one once.

Speaking of food. This is a great new game I got from my conference. Toast (which I learned in Minnesota you say "toost") is very big in Early Literacy right now. If you'd like to know why, go to your local library and ask for Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson books.

***
And last of all, but definitely not least
I didn't make it out of Minneapolis without a nifty and shockingly insensible pair of shoes.
Very "Lipstick Librarian"

Here is a pic with them on!

Za-Za-Zing!

disillutionment and the search for a good handbag

2008-03-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

Every idealist comes to a point in their professional career when they decide to stop fooling themselves. They realize that what they really want to do, which is usually play some role, no matter how small, in bringing about World Peace, is really just a dream and that under their current working conditions . . . what ever those might be, they will continue to do what is required of them on a day to day basis until the inevitable occurs:

They end their current careers to become large scale abstract artists in Minnesota.

Or, if they are Children's Librarians, they might just go "shopping" for a new handbag.

I picked up a few free ones from the vendors this year that I really like. The theme seems to be red and white, maybe in honor of Target! Maybe not, either way I'm still a fan.

This first one, as you can see is better than the standard library conference bag. It has a front pocket and a red reinforced bottom, and who wouldn't love to take a Merrian-Webster bag to the beach. "Very Smart." "Two thumbs up."

This next one is snazzy. It has a rounded bottom and grosgrain ribbon for handles in red, white, and blue. Scholastic was very generous. I thought I had found the best of this year's bags with this one, but then,

I found this little gem. This came at a small price, that's how good it is. It's a small bag, just big enough for a few paper backs or my scriptures, with a nice pen pocket on the front. I sat through a 10 minute presentation and asked one dumb question to "win" this bag.

With prize in hand, I'm now happy to go back to work and face another day as a Children's Librarian without accomplishing my greater goal of World Peace.

Authors, ant tunnels, and greek snacks

2008-03-26T17:12:00.002-07:00

This week I'm in Minnesota for the Public Library Association's annual conference, but secretly, I'm here to get some free books, meet some authors, and find out about the town my sister lives in. My prize for being a good librarian and sitting in classes for the next two days is 4 days with my sister and her family. Here are some things I've done so far.

Monday, I and my 3 coworkers flew in to Minneapolis. We dropped our stuff at the hotel and went shopping. Down Town Minneapolis is amazing! It was cold and windy outside, but that wasn't a problem. The whole city is connected by "Skyways" (not "skywalks." They get defensive about the name.) that connect many of the buildings. For lack of a better comparison, it's as if the whole down town area is a huge ant colony, and all the people move though it in ant tunnels. "When in Rome . . ." We got our map and made our way though the down town shopping district by tunnel.

Yesterday, I talked about great toys for kids in libraries. One of my new favorite things that I've learned in the last two years is that there are things children can learn beginning at birth that will help them be more comfortable with the idea of reading. Reading is a hard concept. There are very few children who just wake up one day miraculously knowing that letters fit together to make words. For the rest of us, it was a long hard road.

I can't tell you how excited I was to learn about Early Literacy Skills. These are the things a child knows about books and letters and sounds before they get to the business of learning to read. Like holding a book the right way or knowing animal sounds, these skills are so simple that most people don't realize they are so important, but a child who doesn't know these simple things has that much farther to go when his teacher hands him a book on the first day of school. Early Literacy Skills aren't a cure-all for late bloomers, but they are a good start. And the great thing is, most parents practice the skills naturally as they play with their children. They just don't realize how important that play time can be. So . . . my most favorite part of my job is the help parents remember to play with their kids (hopefully with books and letters and stories).

At lunch I met Meg Cabot . . . and . . . she is just like her book characters. And, if this means anything to you, I've never read more than the back side of any of her books, and I'm not planning on cracking any of them open now. Is that too harsh? I'll end my opinionated remarks like this, She is an artsy soul, a real free spirit.

At the end of the day I walked by a table where Jon Scieszka was signing copies of his new beginning reader truck books. I grabbed a poster and walked on up. "Mr. Scieszka." I said, "My family has been following your career since I was ten. The Jacksons are all very excited that you are our ambassador." hope it's alright if I added all of you into my excitement. "Oh," he said, "So you must have jumped on board during the Stinky Cheeseman days?" "Yes, Sir." He laughed and signed my poster. I'm still a big fan. BIG FAN! I'll crack open all of his new Truck Town books. Just as soon as they hit the library floor.

Today, I got up, not so early, and took the ant maze to find some shoes that might go with a dress I brought. Minneapolis is the headquarters for Target! There is a HUGE, three story, city block sized target right outside my hotel window. Don't get excited. I was excited, but I quickly learned, as cool as Target is, it doesn't get any cooler with size. It stays at it's same level of coolness. So, if you want to buy a bikini from Target and you're not excited about the selection in Idaho, don't come to Minnesota. The selection is the same, there is just more of them.This is only a problem if you are tempted to buy clear plastic shoes. For some reason, it seems all that more tempting when there are MORE of them. (Don't you think they look like Cinderella's? Oooooh dear! and just across the street.)

After a Greek Salad lunch and a short nap, I went to "Market," so to speak. Everyone who has anything that librarians might want to buy sets up a booth and tries to get the librarian's attention by throwing free books and pens and stress balls at them. I caught a few books. I talked to a few vendors, and I met . . .

Leif Enger! He is coming out with a new book in May! So Brave, Young, and Handsome is in my hot little hands. You guys can read the summary and then tell me if you want the next shot at my uncorrected proof. I'll send it anywhere when I'm done.

I ended the day with a lovely "Welcome to the conference" snack buffet, all Greek food again. Just my luck. Did you know that ground up olives is an expensive Greek spread? And apparently dill weed rapped in phylo is big in that part of the world. Go figure.

Thanks for reading. I'll let you know how it goes.

The 6th . . . 7th . . . what Wonder are we on?

2008-03-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

I love patterns and connections! One of my most favorite things In The World, is when I talk to someone about something, or see something, then later I see something or hear something that connects back to the first thing. Does that make any sense at all???

Here is a rough example of the type of strange phenomena I'm sure only I find connected and exciting. Last night, I was talking to one of my friends about how, for the most part, women just wish men could read their minds. And, if I'm remembering right, (See, sometimes I make these connections because I don't always remember things the way they actually happened.) he said, if guys could figure out what ladies were thinking it would be a break-though as big as the Wonders of the World. It would be the next world wonder.

Now, I'm in Minneapolis thinking about how true that is. Why am I still thinking about it, you ask? Well, besides the fact that it is very true, I'm thinking about it because this book Wonders of the World by Francesco Boccia was sitting on the table in the hotel lounge. That to me is a connection.

There are more than 7 wonders, you know. But I like the original 7 best.

This is Pooh's grumpy face

2008-03-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

If you couldn't tell, Pooh is not smiling this morning.

That pile of yarn under his arm is 5 extra rows of stitches I tried to add to his head. Sorry, Pooh.
Happy Easter, Baby Jack.

Sunburn Adventure AKA Snow Shoeing

2008-03-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I went Snow Shoeing in Kilgore, Idaho at "The Crater," a little ranch with a big name. There's only one way to get to The Crater this time of year, and it's not the way we went at first.

These are my friends, Jonathan and Alisa, who came on this little adventure with me. We are standing at the end of the road that runs by the St. Anthony sand dunes (hwy 33). Well, not exactly the end of the road, just the end of the plowed road. There is a five foot mound of snow blocking the road behind us.

This is how beautiful the day was. Mountains, clouds, and nothing but white snow in front of us (and hopefully a little cabin where we can stop and have lunch). The snow was even fresh. It had fallen while we were driving. But, no worries, the sun came out as soon as we found the ranch gate.

I'm not going to lie. I'm really out of shape and we walked for what felt like forever, even though it was only about a mile and a half. Jonathan went on cross country skis, and he went up every hill he could find so he could ski down. Alisa and I just went around most of them.

Ah! we made it. It looks way different in the snow. The whole time I was thinking, "I hope I'm in the right place." But even if I wasn't, who would know? There was no one else for miles.

Happy Good Friday

2008-03-22T00:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

For Good Friday I made some fried rice and Kung Pow Chicken and typed a paper about Shelly, ID and their Library. Exciting, Huh!

But Before I go to bed, after a long night of home made Chinese and rural Idaho statistics, I'd like to tell you my favorite Easter story.

It was the night before Easter, and Sister Cramer still hadn't decided how she would get though another primary class. The ten year old boys she taught were all so rowdy, and her lessons about the gospel fell flat each Sunday. Tomorrow was Easter Sunday and nothing she had thought to do seemed right. How could she share her feelings about the Savior and the Atonement in a way that would touch her class and help them see the importance of Easter.

She read though the story of Christ's reserection one more time, then put down her scriptures and knelt to pray. She prayed that somehow she could feel the spirit as she taught, and somehow her class could feel it too. Then, she went to bed, hoping for a miracle, that everything would come together in the morning.

Easter morning came more quickly than Sister Cramer had expected. By the time she had everything together, her family was up and ready to go. The Easter baskets she had put out the night before had obviously been found. They were dis shoveled, each plastic egg opened and emptied of its candy. Seeing the plastic eggs on her way out the door she grabbed 6 of them and pushed them hastily down into her primary bag.

As she listened to the speakers in sacrament meeting talk about Spring, Easter, and the joy of the season, Sister Cramer formed a plan in her mind. She knew what she was going to do. At least it would be fun, she thought as she smiled to herself.

As her boys bumped and snickered into class, she sat quietly in front with the eggs on the table. She counted them as each boy came in, making sure she had enough. When the last boy, came in, she closed the door and announced her plan.

"Today is very special," She said. "And so, I thought, to start off class, we could go outside for a few minutes and enjoy this wonderful Spring day." The talk of going outside got the boys attention. Sister Cramer pick up an egg from the table. "I have an Easter Egg for each of you," she said. "While we are outside, I want each of you to find something that reminds you of Easter, and put it in your egg." The boys chatted excitedly, already thinking about what they could put in their eggs. Sister Cramer smiled. As she handed an Egg to each boy, she thought to herself of the types of things they might bring back and how she could use their creativity to talk about the beauty of God's creations and perhaps the true meaning of Easter.

When they all had an egg, they made their way out. Each boy held back a sprint until they got though the church doors, then they were off. All were running and shouting, all except Sam. Sam was the youngest and the smallest member of Sister Cramer's class. He rarely spoke, and although he smiled sometimes when one of the other boys told a joke, he did everything he could to not be noticed. Today, he was the last to the door, and he stood there, looking as if he was unsure about going out at all.

"What's the matter, Sam?" asked Sister Cramer. "It's such a beautiful day, why don't you run out with the other boys?" Sam looked at his feel. He stepped out of the door and let it close behind him. Then, he shuffled a pebble on the side walk with his toe.

"I don't know," he finally said. Sister Cramer waited and listened. She knew that Sam didn't say much, and she didn't want to rush him. "I don't know what to put in my egg." He paused again and looked at a tree, and then the grass. "Sister Cramer?"

"Yes, Sam."

"What reminds you of Easter?"

Sister Cramer was a little bit startled. None of the boys had asked her a question like that. She thought for a moment, then said, "Well, when I think about Easter, I think about the beautiful garden around Jesus' tomb. I think of the beautiful flowers of spring and about all of Jesus' friends coming to visit his tomb and seeing the stone rolled away." She paused for a moment to make sure she hadn't gotten carried away in her own thoughts. She looked down at Sam, who looked thoughtful, and much older and more care worn than the other boys who were playing and laughing, some throwing grass and twigs at each other as they ran across the lawn.

"I," Sam started. Sister Cramer brought her attention back to her littlest boy. She saw a little smile creep across his lips. "I think I know what to do, now." His smile broadened as he ran to were some of the other boys were talking. Sister Cramer smiled, excited to see what the boys had chosen. She called out, and they all gathered around and made their way back into class. Sam trailing in right at the end.

Back in the room, Sister Cramer asked the boys one by one to open their eggs and share with everyone why they chose their item. There was a blade of grass, a bird's feather, a new Spring leaf, each chosen for it's beautiful Spring significance. One boy chose a nice round rock because it looked like an egg, and another a twig with a bloom on the end. Sister Cramer talked about each one and how beautiful they were. She tried to think of a way to tie them into the Reserection, but nothing came. Now, all of the boys had opened their eggs and shared except Sam, who sat quietly by the wall, smiling to himself.

"Sam, we are all very excited to see what you have in your egg," Sister Cramer said.

"Yah, Sam. Wha'd ya get," said one of the boys.

Sam looked down at his egg and smiled. Then he looked up at Sister Cramer. He looked at the boys sheepishly, then cracked open his plastic egg.

"There's nothing in there," another boy cried out. All of the boys started to snicker.

Sister Cramer put up her hand. "Boys, please. Sam, tell us about your egg. Why is it empty?"

Sam looked down at his feet and smiled. Then he looked up as Sister Cramer again and said, almost in a whisper, "Because when Jesus' friends came to visit his tomb, it was empty."

All of the boys turned from Sam to Sister Cramer. She was crying. She smiled, and one big tear rolled down her cheek. Little Sam had answered her prayer for the perfect Easter lesson. "That's right, Sam. That's right," she sniffed. "We have Easter because the tomb was empty."

A few words about my face

2008-03-19T20:08:00.000-07:00

This post is brought to you by Pond's dry skin cream. Pond's keeps my 28 year old face looking 18. Pond's is the reason a boy who is still in High School walks over to the library during his lunch break to ask me out. Pond's skin cream is the reason this comic strip is so true and so funny to me.

Pond's is also the reason I feel okay about getting a horrible sun burn on Saturday that has turned into dry flaking skin and the whole left side of my mouth and chin (yes I said and chin) turning into one big fever blister. Mom and Lorraine, if you were wondering, it's starting to heal and feel much better now, even though it's still really gross to look at. I'm excited for the next 5 days to go by. Thanks to Pond's (and a few cold sore products) I'm going to make it.

P.S. there will be no pictures posted of my unfortunate looking face, so Don't even think about asking, Mary.

O ~ VIP ~ A ~ ROUS

2008-03-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Egg-stravaganza everyone. I found a book that has "cracked" me up.

Chickens aren't the only ones by Ruth Heller

Published in 1981 this little book is a gem. Here is just one of my favorite parts. Hit it Ruth!

"Animals with fur and fair

Who nurse their young

And don't lay eggs

Are knowns as Mammals or Mamalia.

But these are two exceptions,

(Pictures of Spiny Anteater and Duckbill Platypus)

And they both live in Australia."

Ps: it's a book - about a life

2008-03-06T21:07:00.001-08:00

Ps: Look what book I picked up at the library workshop I went to this week in Boise . . .

My Life by Isadora Duncan

I don't know what it is about that name, but ever since I read Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, book the fifth, The Austere Academy, I've been obsessed with Isadora Duncan, history's first modern dancer. I think I just like her name.

The book was free, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

7 degrees to Kevin Bacon (IF Style)

2008-03-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

Do you remember that game we used to play? The one where you can link any actor back to Kevin Bacon by less than 7 other people. Well, I do. I remember it well. I remember thinking about how connected everyone in the world really is, and how easy it is to find out that you know someone who knows someone who dated some one's brother.

Well, I'm going on my 5Th year in Idaho Falls and today it dawned on me . . . I'm the Kevin Bacon of Idaho Falls!!!! And I don't think that is funny or admirable, just in case you thought I was bragging.

This week two people asked me for someone else's phone number (one I had to ask someone else for), one person asked me if I knew a random guy (and someone else tried to set me up on a blind date with a guy I'd already been out with), and a few people said, "Yah, I know you. You're Sarah." Eric made his "do you know . . ." t-shirts in college as a joke, but I was thinking, it would be pretty scary if I made "do you know Sarah" t-shirts and spread them around Idaho Falls. I'm afraid that everyone would say yes and be able to track our relationship back through less than seven people.

Wha makes ya'll thank we tawk fony?

2008-03-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

One of my friends just got his mission call to the south, and some of the tips that the other guys are giving him include, "Don't worry if you don't understand anyone at first. They really do speak English down there."

It just makes me laugh. I love it. I even have a little book with Texas/English translations for people who need a little help, or a little laugh.

I found this book today and thought ya'll might like it. I bet your library has it, especially if you live south of the Mason/Dixon line.

Petite Rouge: A Cagun Red Riding Hood by Mike Artell; illustrated by Jim Harris

Progress?

2008-03-02T15:52:00.001-08:00

So, here he is. I know Pooh looks pretty funny without a head, but that's just the way he is right now. Give me a week and we'll have his random thoughts securely locked inside his little brain.

I was just thinking, if I were the Raggedy-Anne type crafts person, this would be the perfect time to add something cute like a candy heart. Hummmm. . . I'll have to think on that before I get the ears attached.

Reading, what's that?

2008-03-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

I forgot that one of the greatest downfall for me of going back to school is not having time to read what I want. I wanted to let you guys know that, time or no time, I'm doing it anyway. I'm just learning to read faster and to read at odd times during the day. ie: always take a book with you to the grocery store because the five minutes waiting in line to check out will feel like 30 seconds. Or, leave a book in the car just in case you end up waiting for someone or something, But, resist the temptation to read at stop lights.

I'm just posting this to say that I've updated my "what I'm reading" list, if anyone wants to see what I'm really reading right now, and not what I was reading before.

The wonderful thing about Tigger

2008-02-29T20:37:00.001-08:00

So, I've been working on something for a very long time. a little project that was kind of a "special order" for my nephew. And since it's really for him, and he can't read, I don't think I would be spoiling any of the fun if I posted my progress here. So, Lorraine, so you can see that I haven't forgotten about your precious little one-year-old.

A few months ago I was making something else for my other one-year-old nephew (but I can save on shipping by sending them together, so don't wait for the mail just yet.) It was so funny to do because every time I finished a part my roommates would clap and make some funny joke about random body parts lying around the house. Well, it was funny to me anyway.

This one is funny too, because when my roommate walks in and sees me crocheting she says something like, "There you are, making Pooh again."

I'm so excited to show you the next part . . . when I finish it that is.

Claire Annabelle - isn't that BEA-utiful

2008-02-27T16:50:00.000-08:00

It's a Girl!!!

I'm an aunt. You know, there is something about new babies that makes life feel new and fresh all over again.

Claire Annabelle Woodsworth was born at 6:31am February 27th. At 8lbs 7oz and 20 1/2 Inches she should be able to hold her own agaist her two burly brothers.

We're Growing

2008-02-27T06:28:00.001-08:00

About 3 years ago I lived in a little apartment with two roommates. It was fun, but cramped and I was having a hard time feeling like myself or knowing what I wanted to do with myself. In an act of desperation I planted this little puppy.

He doesn't have a name if anyone wants to offer.

Well, lots has happened since then and the plant has grown a little. I just thought I'd post a picture. He's in a window he really likes in my new apartment and has sprouted 4 new leaves in the last two weeks.

Grow baby! Grow!

Look! My hair is growing too, just a little. Christie rearranged it for me.

And also . . . Look what I figured out how to do!

Yeah for the book "Let's Bake Bread!"

Stay tuned for preview of projects that should have been sent as gifts around President's weekend. *wink * wink*

Because animal lovers need books about elephants

2008-02-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

Chelsea J. Don't be confused. This post is especially for you and your stack of animal books. I just thought you might like this one. It's not a children's book. This is The story of Bram and Modoc, boy and elephant stars of the German circus in the late 1930s. Interlibrary Loan it today.

Modoc by Ralph Helfer

The funeral singer

2008-02-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

What a wild and woolly week, or maybe just weekend. Saturday, I went to stake woman's conference and sang with Christie at her Great Aunt Bernice's funeral. Rewind a few days. Sunday night while we were talking about out plans for the next week Christi asked me if I would sing with her. Sure! I'm a pro at funeral singing. I've sung at 2 now. We decided to practice Monday night. But when I say practice, I really mean Christie and her mom handed me a song that I'd heard a couple of times, but didn't really know and then started running through it at break-neck speed. I realized halfway through the 3rd run that I was going to need to kick it up a notch. So, By the fifth time I had "For Good" by Steven Schwartz memorized and ready to go. I worked Tuesday night, and we practiced again Wednesday night.

Thursday, I took the suggestion of my sister-in-law and picked up The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye

And I was asked out to the Institute after Valentine's dance. So that's what I did Friday night. So much fun.

Friday, at work I learned that author/illustrator Harry Horse died in 2007. It's so sad when good children's authors and illustrators die. It's also so sad sometimes just how much you can find about about a person on wikipedia. I hope I'm never famous enough to be on there - although I suppose all I'd have to do is add myself.

Big news for children's books

2008-02-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

Did you hear about this?

Jon Scieszka, that author whose name everyone remembers but no one can say has been named as our first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. (The way they put that makes me think, "Oh good. I needed an ambassador." Even though I'm not the "young people" they are talking about. I don't know why they couldn't just say, "National Ambassador for Children's Liturature." Maybe that doesn't cover 0-18 anymore. Maybe they were trying to include me.)

Do you want to know what he says about it?

I always love reading the question answer articles. It seems like they go so much faster for me. I was just thinking, if every book was set up like a magazine, with a new chapter ever one-four pages, I'd blast though books much faster. But that's just me.

Valentine's Day Book

2008-02-14T16:10:00.000-08:00

My present to you today is more than a sad synopsis of my fear of virtual media. I offer you a new book. This is one that, as usual, I just found while I was walking around in the shelves. It's perfect for Valentine's Day and it is . . .

The Secret-Keeper by Kate Coombs; paintings by Heather M. Solomon

Don't let me ruin it for you, but I've decided, besides the obvious favorites, my favorite character is the baker.

Actual Real Life

2008-02-14T14:22:00.000-08:00

"Sam went to Bajing, in actual real life China." - Doug McDavid

I was watching a colloguia speach about 3D internet and virtual technology. McDavid was talking about the beginnings of Second Life, and what I always feared about virtual media, people getting confused about their virtual life and their real life, happened. McDavid was never confused, which is good, but I was a little confused listening to him.

How would it be to not have enough of this life, or to not like this life so much, and have to create a new life, on the side. It sounds to me like a very large juggling act. How do you remember if you talked to someone in real life or virtually, and how do you make it clear to other people that you visited China on your comunter, that you didn't actually leave home. Yicks.

Chicken Drama

2008-02-13T18:39:00.001-08:00

I was just looking up some info on growing herbs in my kitchen window and I found this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJJm3fz0w9I

Cut, paste, and enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day

xoxoxox

Feeling Ordinary?

2008-02-12T12:00:00.000-08:00

This past week I have been feeling very ordinary, less than ordinary even. I've been feeling down right lacking in skills an abilities. Today, I had a little time off work, so I'm trying again to bake bread (something I've never figured out how to do), and as I was doing the dishes and thinking about how unimpressive I felt, this thought came to mind.

"The work of the world is done by ordinary people who have learned to work in an extraordinary way.”

I'm so grateful that I was one of those people who always went to the firesides in college, and that I got to hear President Hinckley say that. He must have known that lots of us feel ordinary sometimes and we need to be reminded that it's not how we feel, but what we do that really makes the difference.

I'm grateful for the Holy Ghost, too, and the power he has to help me remember things that I've heard a long time ago because I need to hear them again.

Now, back to bread-making. I found a book in the library that I hope will help me.