Scaifea's 2013 Challenge - Thread 1

Welcome to 2013!

Last year, I started each thread off with a photo from my Mythology course files; this year I thought I'd take inspiration from Paul's threads last year and share photos of places I've lived and interesting attractions thereabouts.
I suppose the best place to start is the beginning, so here is where my own beginning began, the small town hospital in Brazil, Indiana. A lovely building in which to start out in life, no?



Below you’ll find an explanation of my reading habits, which, I warn you, is a bit crazy. Usually I have about 10-12 books going at once, one each from the following groups (and occasionally other books slipped in there too):

1. A library book. In Library of Congress call number order. So, yes, from the beginning of the library's shelves. Crazy? Or crazy like a fox?...

2. A book from the 100 Banned Books book (at least currently. As soon as I finish this list, I'll replace it with another, and oh, I've got tons of lists).

3. A children's book, for Charlie's library. I'm trying to collect books from various award lists, and I like reading them before reading them to Charlie or deciding to add them to Charlie's shelves. For this category, I’m working through a few different lists:
a. Newbery Winners list
b. 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die
c. Parent & Child 100 Greatest Books for Kids
d. The CYOA books

4. A book from the Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List, in chronological order.

5. A book for the Presidential Challenge. Books for this category are read in chronological (presidentially) order.

6. An audio book, which I listen to as I knit/sew/otherwise craft/drive.

7. Lists I'm working through together with my best friend, Rob:
a. The National Book Award list (in alpha order by title)
b. The Pulizer list (in alpha order by author)
c. The Hugo/Nebula/WFA lists (combined, in chronological order)

8. For this category, I cycle through 7 different stacks:
a. A book from my shelves which I haven't yet read
b. Agatha Christie's bibliography (in chronological order)
c. Stephen King's bibliography (in chronological order)
d. Neil Gaiman's bibliography (in some order other than chronological (don't
ask)).
e. Christopher Moore's bibliography (in chronological order)
f. Stephen Fry's bibliography (in chronological order)
g. The NEH Timeless Classics list

9. A bath-time book: I read aloud while Tomm gives Charlie his bath.

So, now you've got a glimpse of just how neurotic I am.
Please feel free to post comments, recommendations, or whatever else strikes your fancy. And Happy Reading, everyone!

What I'm reading now:
-The Harvard Classics Five Foot Shelf of Books, Volume 26: Continental Drama (library book - call #AC1.A4 v.26)
-The Harvard Classics Five Foot Shelf of Books, Volume 27: English Essays Sidney to Macaulay (library book - call #AC1.A4 v.27)
-Women in Love (Banned Books list)
-At the Back of the North Wind (1001 Children's Books list)
-The Best Tales of Hoffmann (1001 Children's Books list)
-The Faerie Queen (The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List)
-The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness (Presidential Challenge)
-The Monster of Florence (audio book)
-Augustus (NBA award)
-Little Men (NEH list)
-Paddington at Work (bath-time book)
-The Children's Hour Volume 12: Tales of Long Ago (I'm working through this series of old volumes that were my brothers' when they were little.)
-The Look-It-Up Book of Presidents (to accompany the presidential challenge)
-Our Country's Presidents (to accompany the presidential challenge)
-Vogue Sewing

In addition to these, I have some classics-related texts that I'm working through (quite slowly):
-Asinaria by Plautus (reading in Latin)
-Iliad by Homer (reading in Greek)
-Latin Literature by Gian Biagio Conte
-The Cambridge History of Classical Literature Volume 1 Part 1
-A History of Greece to 322 BC by N. G. L. Hammond

Books Read:
JANUARY
1. Little Mouse Makes a Mess (CYOA series) - 7/10
2. The Very Lonely Firefly (gift to Charlie from The Ladies Who Live Next Door) - 7/10
3. Lots of Bots (present to Charlie from Santa) - 8/10
4. The Tower at the End of the World (Bellairs bibliography) - 9/10
5. Wall-e (present to Charlie from Santa) - 8/10
6. Eve (present to Charlie from Santa) - 8/10
7. Mo (present to Charlie from Santa) - 8/10
8. Aboard the Axiom (present to Charlie from Santa) - 8/10
9. The Whistle, the Grave and the Ghost (Bellairs bibliography) - 8/10
10. That's Not My Pony (public library book) - 8/10
11. Feet Are Not For Kicking (public library book) - 7/10
12. Was It a Good Trade? (public library book) - 6/10
13. Checklists for Life (christmas present from Tomm) - 8/10
14. The House Where Nobody Lived (Bellairs bibliography) - 9/10
15. Toy Boat (public library book) - 9/10
16. The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer (Bellairs bibliography) - 9/10
17. Oh, What Nonsense! (book off of my shelves) - 7/10
18. Little Panda Gets Lost (CYOA series) - 8/10
19. The Light at Tern Rock (picked up from the library sale shelf) - 6/10
20. Greetings from the 50 States and How They Got Their Names (picked up from the library sale shelf) - 7/10
21. A Grand Old Tree (public library book) - 9/10
22. Valentine Surprise (public library book) - 8/10

A new Charlie picture for the new year:

And the first Bonus Question of the new year:

Which Wizard of Oz character do you most resemble? Explain.

Lovely photos to start off the new year Amber - great to see you back and buzzing.
I would probably be the Scarecrow due to lack of sleep and tousled post shower hair-do.

Paul: Great to see you here! I can't of course comment on the state of your hair, but I hardly think you resemble the Scarecrow in other areas (brain power, for example).

Here is the anticipated photo of my most excellent christmas gift from my parents:



I'm so excited to get it home and try it out!

Hi, Amber--glad to locate you here. That is one beautiful machine!

Glinda, the good witch of the South, who so many don't know because that whole part of the story wasn't in the movie!

I can't decide which makes me smile more - Charlie or your new sewing machine. ;)

Roni: A good witch from the south? That sounds about right. Wonderful to see you here!

Luxx: Aww, thanks, lady! I should be over to your thread soon.

Hi Amber, glad to have found your new thread - and you have had a similar idea to mine for a theme at the top (great minds thinking alike, or probably both inspired by Paul's historical tour through his past projects, I guess you are right).

Which Wizard of Oz character do I most resemble? Right now, the Tin Man because my joints have stiffened up from sitting too long with my laptop on my lap. I need someone to come and lubricate those joints so I can straighten up in order to get to bed (very late).

Wonderful Charlie photo as ever.

Genny: You're spot on with the Tin Man, I think, or at least I'm certainly feeling that way, too, this evening after a 7-hour drive home earlier today. Hoping that a good night's sleep helps!

Oh Charlie is soooooo cuuuuuute! awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

I suspect I'd get hearty agreement if *I* said the Scarecrow, so I'll plump for the Flying Monkeys. Mindless agents of an evil power.

Happy New Year Amber!

Such a cute picture of Charlie, Amber! Happy New Year.

Richard: I can see you as a flying monkey - they were happy to be out from under the ridiculous government of the witch once she was gone, and certain members of our own government strike me as a bit wicked-witchy, no?

Chelle & Susan: Thanks! So excited to see you here!

*****

Crazy busy first day back home today. Grocery shopping this morning and a quick trip to the library to return some books, then I'd really like to at least get started putting the christmas decorations away. Then I need to do some packaging and prepping for the post office for the items I sold while away last week, and then the making of the weekly cookies. Finally, I've so very many LT threads to catch up on! Whew!

Happy New Year, Amber! I'm looking forward to following your thread this year, keeping up with your reading, your sewing & crafting & cooking, and of course dear Charlie.

I also wanted to give a shout-out to your Peanut Butter Pinwheel cookies which have now made it onto our official list of Christmas cookies, but the kids declared they are also excellent "anytime cookies," and I concur. Seriously yummy.

Hi, Laura! Oh honored that the cookies have made your list! Charlie and I are trying out a new recipe today for carrot oatmeal cookies. I'll report back on the results...

*scurries off to find Samantha's thread*
Good to see you!

What a beautiful sewing machine! I have a definite bias towards older machines; my Singer is 50 years old and is the most uncomplicated and reliable machine in the house--if only the same could be same for my poor coffee maker...

I certainly feel like the Mayor of Munchkinland at the moment, how is it that just two little beings can seem like dozens when they both need me at the same time??

I found you! Awe that is a really good picture of Charlie! :) I look forward to this year, I am very positive about doing it this year. I got you starred and watched! :)

I feel like the scarecrow, "If I only had a brain." My brains sometimes feel like the straw that keeps falling out of the scarecrow!

Hmmm. 'Bout time you showed up over here. :)

The Wizard - Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

A happy new year, and bookmarking you, looking forward to your thread this year!

I think I'm the tornado...whirling and spinning and leaving chaos in my wake. Yeah...that's about right.

Happy New Year, Amber!

Well, I'm torn between the scarecrow, for my lack of intelligence, and Dorothy, because when I was in college a girl said I was like Dorothy, the innocent who says there's no place like home. "You even have a little dog, don't you?" "Yes," I said, annoyed. "I have a little dog. Mine's a Westie. Toto was a Cairn."

Another girl compared me to Winnie the Pooh. "It's you," she said. "The teddy bear. The philosophical teddy bear, always wondering about things."

She said I should read The Tao of Pooh and I still haven't.

HI Amber, again a very Happy New Year to you and your lovely family!

What took you such a long time to move over here? And again beautiful photos to look at :)

Happy New Year, Amber! Love the new photo of charming Charlie.

Hi Amber. Of course I'm the cowardly lion, what with all the social anxiety and whatnot...

willowsmom: I'm a big fan of older machines, too. I have a '70's model Viking that I use as my main machine and I have a 50's Singer that is getting a once-over in the shop now. My husband jokes that I should set up a museum in the house (I now have 4 machines).

Melissa: Hi! Good to see you!

Morphy: I feel like that most days.

Jim: Many thanks for all you do here - you're definitely a wizard! I was waiting until we came back from traveling to set up over here, since I knew I'd have a few more books to report for 2012. I'm ridiculously behind on the 2013 threads, though, of course.

Sara: Hi and welcome!

Linda: Oh, excellently clever answer! Love it, and I'm so glad that you're here again this year!

Nora: Right back at you, lady.

deniro: I see nothing wrong with being either a Dorothy or a Pooh. I certainly have a dollop of Dorothy to me, as I get homesick as soon as I leave my front door.

Bianca: Happy New Year! I'm already lurking over on your new thread.

Joe: Great to see you! I need to get over to the cafe for a cuppa, but I shudder at the thought of how long the lines are over there...

Stephen: That's spot on - you're adorable and fuzzy.

Oh Stephen is toooootally the cowardly lion.

I'm Toto - he doesn't talk much, but you kind of suspect that he's the smartest one in the group ;-) ;-)

31: Am not! *Crosses arms* I change my mind, I want to be someone else.

Nora: Toto does seem to be satirically silent throughout, no?

Stephen: Ohmygosh, that's one of the most adorable things you've ever said!

Imposerous!

What a wonderful photo of Charlie. The picture of your gift of the treadle machine brings back many fond memories.

Happy New Year!

Stephen: *SNORK!!* (The first Scaife Snork of the year!)

Linda: I'm so excited to try it out!

*smooch* just cause

Thanks, Richard! I'm hoping to get to your thread (what is it, the third one already?) sometime today or this evening.

I posted book porn...

Happy New Year ! Charlie is as precious as ever. Your sewing machine is beautiful.

Love the pics . . . especially of the sewing machine!

I lived for a while in Greencastle, IN . . . so used to drive through Brazil on my way to other places :)

Will be following your reading adventures.

Richard: Shocking. ;)

Cindy: Thanks!

Here are my first finished projects of the year, t-shirts for Charlie (and I've a few more in the works):

Well, the cookies were a bust; they're okay, but not really a recipe worth keeping, so I'll not repeat it here. Dinner is in the making: homemade gyros and raw vegetables. Something easy to finish out the day - it's been a long one, but I've gotten a lot of stuff accomplish, which is good. Still hoping to get some thread time this evening...

There is rarely such a thing as a bad cookie, but there is such a thing as a not-good-as-other-cookies cookie, so I understand.

Stephen: True.

1. Little Mouse Makes a Mess by Marcia Leonard (CYOA series, 18 pages) - 7/10
A toddleresque mouse tries to help her parents tidy up the house for a visit from the grandparents, but ends up making a mess at every turn. It turns out alright in the end, of course.
The story is a bit silly, but Charlie loves these, so, *shrug*. I still love the Choose Your Own Adventure theory, regardless of how silly the story.

Just noticed I hadn't stopped in yet, so... here I be! *waves*

*waves back* Hi, Faith!

Whew! I'm finally caught up on the threads now, after savagely red-x-ing many of them. I feel a bit guilty about it, but one must draw the line somewhere, and I don't think it's too anti-social to start out following only those one already knows, as I'm happy to track down a new thread if I get interested in someone new who pops up on other threads or even here in mine. I mean, honestly, I simply can't follow everyone, much as I'd like to - I do have a 4-year-old who needs to eat and have a bath occasionally. And I would like at least a bit of time to, well, you know, read. *ahem*

Now, I'm happily off to bed to do just that before drifting off...

Still slightly pooped from yesterday, but another busy day ahead. Charlie returns to preschool this morning, and I'm planning on using that time to catalog some new stuff onto my etsy shop (more of my mom's rugs, brought back from this visit), or at least get a head start on that process. I also need to make a stop at the post office this morning. Then bills need to be sorted and paid, and holiday photos sorted. And more laundry. Hoping for some reading time in there somewhere. I thinking maybe red beans and rice for dinner...

Oh red beans and rice sounds delicious! I don't ever get to make it because my husband rather hates all beans, the only one I can get away with is chili beans. I need some me time too soon, my house is getting behind because of how bad Sammy has been sleeping.

Hi Amber, I love the T-shirts you made for your Charlie. He is such a lucky boy to have a mum who is so multi-tasking.
The only things I am allowed to make for Alex nowadays are beanie(slouchy?) hats and loop-scarves. Which he oddly enough wears with complete pride.

> 46 Stephen hehe - I have absolutely given up on making cookies. They usually get so hard that everyone is worried to loose their teeth and none of my family members are interested in getting "thirds" already.

Melissa: Tomm doesn't care for beans either, but I love them and *I'm* the cook so he eats what I put on the table without much complaint.

Bianca: Yes, I'm dreading the day that he stops liking that I make him things. I'm enjoying it as much as I can now.

Amber, I am slowly working my way around the new threads adding stars as I go. That is a darling picture of Charlie. Such a big smile to welcome the new year. Have a good one!

Happy New Year, Amber! I'm looking forward to following you around for another year of reading! Love the Charlie photo too!

Samantha: I can't complain, really - Tomm is very tolerant of my cooking expeditions into the Unknown, which have varying results...

Donna: Excellent to see you! He is a bit of a darling, no argument here.

Mark: Right back atcha, pal!

My sister-in-law (with whom I don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of other things) had a quotable line when her kids were small and stuck up their noses at the food put in front of them. She just said "It's dinner. You eat it." End of discussion. Neither of her children ever suffered from malnutrition!

Linda: I have a very similar line with Charlie. We don't make a bit deal out of it, and we don't chastise him or punish him for not eating, but he knows that he either eats what's on his plate, or he doesn't eat for that meal (nor does he eat or snack until the next meal, then), and he must eat a healthy amount of what's on his plate (and at least some of everything) or he doesn't get dessert. There have been a few fits on his side of things, but I try to stay matter-of-fact about it, and that seems to work very well. I know that if he skips a meal here or there he's not going to starve.

2. The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle (gift to Charlie from The Ladies Who Live Next Door, picture book) - 7/10

A young firefly tries to find others of his kind in the night, and finds a lot of other stuff before finding success.
Meh. I'm usually a Carle fan, but this one felt a little flat. And weird (and not really in a good way). What's going on with the dog/cat/owl(!?) fight? And how is that in any way related to the main story?

*smooch* worn out from almost burning the kitchen up.

Richard: Well, at least your nether regions got themselves cooled down...

Not too many plans today, as I tuckered myself out again yesterday, spending most of the day cataloging and posting onto etsy more of my mom's rugs. Why that's so exhausting, I have no idea, but it is, for some reason. This morning we're all three going down to Dubuque for breakfast at IHOP (yay!) and then a bit of grocery shopping (and possibly clothing shopping, too - my one pair of jeans are wearing *literally* thread bare (and I use the L word only sparingly and when I really mean it) and Tomm needs new business attire for his new job (apparently academic tweed would make him stand out too much and he needs 'real-world' suits). Then it's back home for Charlie and I to relax and for Tomm to pack for his week-long business trip to New Orleans - starting tomorrow, it'll be just Charlie and I until next Thursday here at Scaife Manor.

What do you like to get at IHOP? I love pecan pancakes.

Morphy: It's always so hard for me to decide, and they have a huge menu, which never helps. I know this is completely dorky, but I went to their online menu last night to try to decide ahead of time (so I'm not stuck in the restaurant this morning undecided and panicky) and I think I'll go for a buttermilk pancake, eggs sunny-side-up and bacon. I love their Belgian waffles, too, though. Have you ever had their French toast? I'm debating that, too. Sigh. So hard to decide! Oh Oh! And they have some amazing HoCho, too!

I haven't been to an IHOP since I moved to Minnesota 23 years ago! They are few and far between up here.

And it's not dorky to go to online menus. I do it all the time!

>66 scaifea: I *always* look at online menus for wherever I am going. By the time I get there I'm usually in the mood for something other than what I picked out, but at least I know what they offer!

Whenever I go to a restaurant with my family, I badger them about where we are going a few days ahead of time so I can load up their menu online and pick what I want before I go. It seems I usually change my mind when looking at the menu in the restaurant as I usually switch to whatever is cheaper, but I always have it narrowed down to a few things and I don't have to panic trying to sift through a huge menu before they come back to take our orders. :)

ETA: I didn't read the rest of the posts until after I posted mine. I guess you could replace the above pargraph with "What Nora said!" :P

>69 Ape: You should just go ahead and get "What Nora said" tattooed on your forehead.

Morphy: I got the French toast and it was excellent.

Nora & Stephen: It's good to know there are others who do out to eat prepared.

Nora: It would probably save me a lot of trouble, and I would have an excuse to talk less, so I'm thinking that's a pretty good idea.

Stephen: Yep, getting a tattoo on your forehead is likely an excellent way to keep people from bothering you...

Well, I've been sewing this afternoon: finished one more t-shirt for Charlie and started on another. Here's the finished one, plus a bonus photo of Charlie modeling the Woody shirt I finished earlier (complete with his Woody hat from last Halloween, of course):





It's been a quiet afternoon; Tomm's finishing up his packing for the trip, Charlie's watching Dora and I'll get myself out of the rocking chair soon to start dinner (simple spaghetti tonight - comfort food).

Amber, the t- shirts are fabulous. Charlie must be the best dressed child at school! What a fun subject you picked for this thread. I would have to agree with an earlier poster about the tin man. I am so stiff in the morning I can hardly get out of bed. Now I know why so many elderly people are killed in house fires. Which means at this point in my life, I can definitely relate to Peter Pan, "i don't wanna grow up"!

Regina: Thanks! T-shirts are fun and quick and super easy. My mom is an *amazing* seamstress (*way* better than I) and she used to make a lot of my school clothing. I loved it, because all the other girls loved my clothes, but they were ones-of-a-kind, which made me unique and very well dressed! Not so sure that that aspect will be attractive for a boy, but I think he really liked the appliques. *shrug*
I feel TinMan-ish some mornings, too, wondering where my oil can could have gone...

Love the pics of Charlie! I had my "baby boy" home for three straight weeks this holiday, and cried like a baby when dropped him off at the airport this morning.

Gotta be the scarecrow--totally brainless most days.

A very late visit to wish you a Happy New Year, Amber, with all the best for 2013. Your sewing machine is magnificent! Those things will sew through concrete. So glad that they loved their quilt. Happy reading!

What on earth is that sticking out from under Charlie's pullover?!
Have a lovely weekend.

Terri: They will always be baby boys, won't they? Is this the percussionist? I'm still so grateful for his help with my set a couple of years ago - tell him, if you think of it please, that Charlie received his very own drumset for christmas this year.

Samantha: But hopefully not his sense of honesty...

tiffin: Many thanks! I'm still worried that my coordination will take some practice at working the treadle.

Paul: Ha! I was wondering when someone would point that out! It's the drawstring for his sweatpants. Hope your weekend is already off to a great start!

Yes, it's the percussionist. I always think of him when you post pictures of Charlie, because he looks so much like Craig did when he was (much) younger. He'll be thrilled to hear about Charlies drumset!

3. Lots of Bots by Kiki Thorpe (present to Charlie from Santa, picture book) - 8/10
An interesting re-telling of Wall-e's story through simple rhymes and excellent illustrations.
Just now getting round to reading his christmas books, as we've been away since the day after christmas and are now finally settling in to being home again. Charlie (and Tomm and I, too) absolutely love Wall-e, so we were all happy when Santa left his one (and a handful of other Wall-e books) for Charlie.

I'll get round to finishing a non-picture book soonish. I hope.

Terri: I'll post pictures of Charlie and his new set once it makes it home. It was a present from my brother (a sort of tribute, I think, to our lost percussionist brother), but there were so many toys to haul home that a few of the bigger boxes had to stay in Indiana until our next visit. I've thought about getting him one before, but I already let him play on my set while I'm there to watch, so I figured he didn't need a preschool one, but it will be fun for us both to play together, and I'm sure the neighbors will love that!

4. The Tower at the End of the World by Brad Strickland (Bellairs bibliography, 146 pages) - 9/10
Lewis is on vacation with his Uncle Jonathan, his friend Rose Rita and their neighbor Mrs. Zimmerman when he is given a strange note on a slip of paper (along with a creepy drawing torn from an old tome) by a stranger. He doesn't know it at the time, but these gifts presage his - and the world's - doom in 48 days, brought on by the son of the evil wizard and witch they all defeated in one of Bellairs' first books. Can he, Rose Rita, his magician uncle and the witchy Mrs. Zimmerman defeat the bad guy in time to save the world?
As those (brave? silly?) few who have followed my reading over the past couple of years may recall, I just adore these books. I'm coming close to the end of them now, and I'm certainly sad about that. In this one, Strickland continues to carry on Bellairs' characters and stories quite faithfully, although this particular entry in the series gets a bit scarier, I feel, than any of the previous ones. There were a couple of moments of close-to-heartracing-heebie-jeebies for me. Not that that's a bad thing, but one of the qualities I've admired about these books is that they're perfect for young thrill readers - creepy and fun, but not scary enough to induce nightmares. This one may cross that line a wee bit; I think if I had read it as a young kid I'd have been in danger of bad dreams from it (although in all fairness I was a scaredy cat).

What I'm reading now:
-The Harvard Classics Five Foot Shelf of Books, Volume 26: Continental Drama (library book - call #AC1.A4 v.26)
-The Harvard Classics Five Foot Shelf of Books, Volume 27: English Essays Sidney to Macaulay (library book - call #AC1.A4 v.27)
-Women in Love (Banned Books list)
-The Whistle, the Grave and the Ghost (Bellairs bibliography)
-The Best Tales of Hoffmann (1001 Children's Books list)
-The Faerie Queen (The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List)
-The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness (Presidential Challenge)
-The Monster of Florence (audio book)
-Augustus (NBA award)
-Little Men (NEH list)
-Paddington at Work (bath-time book)
-The Children's Hour Volume 12: Tales of Long Ago (I'm working through this series of old volumes that were my brothers' when they were little.)
-The Look-It-Up Book of Presidents (to accompany the presidential challenge)
-Our Country's Presidents (to accompany the presidential challenge)
-Checklists for Life (christmas gift from Tomm)
-Vogue Sewing

In addition to these, I have some classics-related texts that I'm working through (quite slowly):
-Asinaria by Plautus (reading in Latin)
-Iliad by Homer (reading in Greek)
-Latin Literature by Gian Biagio Conte
-The Cambridge History of Classical Literature Volume 1 Part 1
-A History of Greece to 322 BC by N. G. L. Hammond

Hi Amber, you make great clothes for Charlie!
I see you read Latin and Greek; do you have a classical background?

Diana: Thanks! I'm a one-time Classics professor turned stay-at-home mom, so, in a word, yes.

How is it possible that I haven't been by your threat yet this year!? I really thought I had. Well, my apologies.

I love the clothes for Charlie! I would be willing to put in a private commission for my boys if you're ever interested! :)

My Mom invited my family to visit Wisconsin (again) where her husband's family lives. For a long list of reasons, I am not inclined to say yes. Although, I do wonder how I could parlay the circumstance into visiting you!

How nice to find another classicist in the 75-ers!

Thanks, Brit! Ha! It would be fun to make shirts for your boys! And I'd be so excited if you can to Wisconsin! So many exclamation points!

Diana (love that name!): You, too? What is your background?

Yeah, me too. Greek, Latin, Ancient History, that's what I studied. And quite a bit of Classical Archeology, Ancient Philosophy, Papyrology. And Law.

Excellent! My research focus is Cicero and I'm more of a Latinist than a Hellenist, but I taught both regularly and I have favorite in both columns. I'm demonstrably not a fan of ancient philosophy, though. *shudders*

I'm with you on ancient philosophy :) And on being more of a Latinist too. For my big research in the end, I have focused on the fable of the Fox and the Raven. I took a Latin version and did comparative research with Greek, late Latin, early Dutch, English, German, French, Italian and Spanish versions and the modern variants.

Neat! So, are you teaching somewhere? Or are you an independent scholar?

I'm neither. I used to be a scholar and I have teached and I've had other jobs.

Well, Tomm is gone to New Orleans until next Thursday, so it's just Charlie and I for a few days. Did some fairly intensive (for me) cleaning this morning in the library room, which involved cleaning out and reorganizing my desk, and it's nice to have that done now. I love a freshly organized drawer, don't you?
Then I worked on getting through my pile of old catalogs, which I shred to use as packing material for my shop orders. I also got a bit of sewing time this afternoon and finished another t-shirt for Charlie. One more shirt to go and then I'll move on to other projects.

I do love a freshly organized drawer, and I'm frequently flabberghasted at how quickly the de-organize themselves. I know every time I put something in there I put it in the right place, so how do these tangled messes keep happening?

Stephen: Well, I have a Charld to blame; I don't know what your excuse it.

My guess is evil drawer gremlins.

Also, I like the term Charld, even if it was a typo. :P

It wasn't. Tomm and I call him The Charld sometimes - a mix of Charlie and child.

Haha, yeah, I thought you were going to say Charlie and then changed your mind and didn't realize you mixed them both. :P

Cool, New Orleans! Hope he has some good food while there. :)

I would love to go to New Orleans. Doesn't have to be during Madi Gras.

Jim: This is his first time visiting NO, so I tried to remember some good places to tell him food-wise. I came up with Tu Jagues and the beignet place.

Cindy: When I was in NO it was January, and I loved it - the weather was lovely compared to Ohio/Indiana, and the French Quarter is sufficiently touristy that every night was a mini Mardi Gras anyway. I'm a bit jealous that I'm not with him on this trip, but two things keep me from traveling with him when he goes on business trips: 1) I'm scared of airplanes and, 2) Charlie. Once Charlie gets a bit older I may try to get over the flying thing so that he can experience these places with us but for now he's just too little to get much out of it.

I've finally gotten here, Amber. Dropped my star and now I'm ready to get the year started! As to your question about The Wizard of Oz, I would have to join Stephen with the Cowardly Lion. I am soft and cuddly, but also a very big coward!

Very behind on threads for the year already, Amber. Great picture of Charlie up top!

I would definitely be Dorothy - I am a firm believer in 'there's no place like home.'

Judy & Stasia: Wonderful to see you two lovely ladies gracing my thread! Charlie and I watched the Muppet Wizard of Oz yesterday, and I think Fozzi makes an excellent cowardly lion, but the young Dorothy (Ashanti? I think?) has some difficulty filling those famous slippers. She has a lovely voice, but who can compare to Ms. Garland?

I spent my first night of Tomm being away knitting and watching an old favorite, Swing Time, with Astaire and Rogers. Sigh. I think it's physically impossible for me to watch those two dance without getting a dreamy, goofy smile all over my face.

Hi Amber, just stopping by to carry on to admire your handiworks. Hmm knitting, so what are you knitting?

Wow, I love the old movies as well. My sister and I tend to watch them together, although we are great Audrey Hepburn fans.

Wish you and Charlie a great Sunday!

Bianca: I adore older movies, and Hepburn is a favorite for me, too (both of the Hepburns, to be honest). If I'm not mistaken, I think our own Mark is a big old Hollywood fan, too. As to the knitting, I currently have 3 projects going: a throw blanket (to keep), a baby blanket (for my shop) and a baby sweater (also for the shop). I knit like I read - several things at once.

5. Wall-e by Frank Berrios (present to Charlie from Santa) - 8/10
6. Eve by Frank Berrios (present to Charlie from Santa) - 8/10
7. Mo by Frank Berrios (present to Charlie from Santa) - 8/10
8. Aboard the Axiom by Frank Berrios (present to Charlie from Santa) - 8/10

These three picture books came together in a box, brought down the chimney by St. Nick for Charlie. Each one retells a big of the story from the movie from a different character's perspective. I love the illustrations for these, and Charlie loves the books - who doesn't love Wall-e?

Haha, I like both Hepburns as well and actually I love most of the old Hollywood movies.

I remember several years back, a friend of mine and my little self went to see Casablanca in one of those small program cinemas. We thought people would cue to see that movie and booked our tickets a week in advance - and guess what? - we were the only people watching the movie *grin*.

*Sigh* I still have got several knitting projects as well. Although, I have been very slow on the knitting front last year, due to joint pain in both of my hands :(. However, I hope that I will finish all my projects in a couple of month.
Would you be so kind to post the link to your etsy shop again, please. Somehow I lost the link.

I'm expecting a quiet Sunday here, I think. Charlie and I are going to re-arrange his room a bit (his bed is currently up against the wall (we put it that way when we first moved him into a 'big boy bed' to keep the falling out onto the floor to a minimum) and I can't stand how hard it is to make the bed that way. I have some packaging to do for my shop so that I'll be ready for a trip to the post office tomorrow, and then I think Charlie and I may do some baking. Hopefully there will be some more sewing and reading tucked in the day somewhere, too.
Wishing you all a lovely end to the weekend!

Bianca: Really? No one else? Wow. But, hey, having a movie theater all to yourself is really nice, no? Bogey is a favorite, too. Sigh.
You know, I think I've seen ads for wrist guards/wraps for knitters with wrist pain...I wonder if they work?
The shop is: www.etsy.com/shop/elizaandelectra

Amber, you're first night with Tomm away sounds like Whitney's perfect night when I'm away! Ha!

Hope you and Charlie are able to have a quiet day! I thought I was going to have a quiet Sunday, until late last night when two of Whitney and my advisees (who are roommates) blew up at each other and now one, if not both, of us will be attending a mediation this morning. Ugh. It was coming though.

Then after nap-time, we (I hope it's a "we" activity) are heading to friend's house to watch the Seahawks game.

wrist guards/wraps for knitters? Well, I think I have to check that out.

And thank you for the link. I will bookmark it differently this time, so that I will not loose it again.

Yeah, actually thinking back, it was great to have the cinema all by ourselves :). Yes, and Bogey was quite cool!

Brit: Ugh, that doesn't sound pleasant (the mediation, not the game!) - when I was on faculty, I avoided a seat on the Academic Infractions Board like the plague because that sort of thing is just no fun to be a part of, I think.

Bianca: I don't think they're specific to knitters - they're just orthopedic wrist support wraps; I keep telling myself that I need to get some, too.

Morning Amber- Yes, I'm a lover of films, old & new. Mamie and Paul are film nuts too! Sadly, I haven't had much time to watch much. Books & LT have crowded out everything else. What bullies! Keep warm up there!

Brit: Pffft, even if the Seahawk's win they are going to have to play my team next week anyway, so does it really make a difference. ;)

*Hugs Amber*

Amber, I love the t-shirts! And that is another cute picture of Charlie. I hope your Sunday is going as quietly as you hoped. I am making granola and eyeing up the ironing. Still, if I turn around I can't see it :-)

*points up-thread* Just poking my head in to say that I'm also a huge Hepburn fan.

Are we having a growth spurt here with young Charlie needing a whole whackload of new shirts? I remember those days of looking at my lads and wondering how their pants had gone halfway up their shins all of a sudden.

Mark: It had been a very long time since I had watched any movies, too, and this was a great one to start back in with.

Stephen: *Lets the sports talk fly right over head, but happily takes the hug*

Susan: So far so good with the quiet Sunday. Granola sounds lovely. Charlie and I whipped up a gingerbread cake this morning and I'm ready to sample it with lunch. Ironing? What's that? Never do the stuff myself, unless I'm sewing.

Laura: They're both tops in my book - do you have a favorite Hepburn movie?

tiffin: No, not really, at least not at the moment. I just had all of these appliques and a stockpile of knit that I wanted to whittle away at a little, and I had intended to get round to them earlier than this, but that ding dang quilt for my parents too so long that I'm just now getting to my other backlogged projects. I measure Charlie every month and he hasn't grown significantly in the past few, so I fear that we're in for a spurt soon.

@ 123

For Audrey Hepburn, My Fair Lady, for sure, though Wait Until Dark and Breakfast at Tiffany's also require a mention.

Katharine Hepburn makes it harder for me to decide, as I just adore and admire her always. Things what leap to mind: On Golden Pond, Bringing Up Baby, Holiday, Desk Set, Little Women.

Oh, Bringing Up Baby is one of my all-time favorites, as is On Golden Pond ("Crafty old sonofabitch!" Love that line.)
As far as Audrey goes, I think my favorite is Charade, although My Fair Lady is, of course, excellent.

A doctor friend told me that most kids have growth spurts in spring and fall. My son mostly followed this pattern, with a couple of weeks of eating everything in sight followed by instant shooting up. If I waited for the seasonal spurt before buying new clothes we did better.

Your treatment of the goth kids would have had me horrified. Don't worry though, I most likely wouldn't have set your desk on fire or anything. I probably would have just blushed a lot and looked embarrassed. Probably.

:P

Stephen: I like to think (although of course I could be completely wrong) that I have a pretty good sense of who I could tease publicly like that and who would really be upset about it (those students I did not single out). As an introvert at heart, I let the introverts and painfully shy just be there and absorb, and I found other ways for them to participate. I would have given you no reason to light anything on fire. Promise.

ETA: Although I have been known - as you know - to call you out on your adorableness, but that's not meant to embarrass you, as I truly believe that the things you do and say are absolutely the epitome of adorable. And I mean that in the manliest sense of the word, of course.

On the agenda for today: Charlie and I are going to drive down to Dubuque to do some errand-running and shopping. We pulled out the Valentine's Day decorations on Saturday (I know it seems early, but he was excited and it can only brighten up a drab January, no?) and I realized that we don't have much. So, off to Hobby Lobby in search of more, plus some craft supplies to make some of our own, perhaps. We rearranged his bedroom yesterday, with the result that he now has a bedside table, and I mentioned to him that maybe we could look at table lamps for him while we're out today and he's very excited about that. So, we'll be in the market for a lamp, too.
We made some gingerbread snack cake yesterday that is making for an *excellent* breakfast this morning with my tea...

*Sets Amber's desk on fire*

:P

Stephen: Your pyromania is so adorable.

This is not fair, being called adorable is so disarming! *Grumbles irritably*

LOL - I read Valentine decoration and thought "that's early" and carried on reading and obviously read your comment in the brackets.
Wow, that sounds like a beautiful day ahead of you. I hope Charlie will find a nice lamp for his bedside table.

Bingo! That's why it works so well in the classroom!

Bianca: Ha! And yes, I'm looking forward to an outing with Charlie, as they are always a hoot. We'll likely eat out for lunch, too - Charlie is a fan of the cheeseburger (or, "sandwich burger," as he calls it).

That indeed sounds like fun, also Alex is already 13 he still enjoys his outing's with mom and eating out are his faves. I am terrified of the day, he decides that he is too old for outings with me :(.

Bianca: I try not to think too much about those future days...

I love that Chalie is so well-behaved that you enjoy taking him to stores. Most parents dread that, y'know.

Sandwich burger sounds so much more...sophisticated. :)

Don't worry Bianca, they always come back. It was humiliating to be seen in public with my mom as a teenager but that stopped shortly after high school. :)

Stephen: Oh, he has his moments, but thankfully (I guess) they mostly happen at home, so the public gets a slightly skewed view of him as a perfectly-behaved child. That's the best scenario, I suppose, but when he was a baby, Tomm and I had a hard time convincing people that he cried a lot at night, as he was a perfectly angelic and happy baby always in public and around other family members.
I know that most kids come back full circle into liking their parents again, but I'm still dreading those teen years when I'll be embarrassing at best and the source of much angst at worst. Tomm jokes that we should just pre-empt all that by sending him away to boarding school from ages 13-21 - ha!

> 139 Glad to hear that Stephen :), in regards to shopping I think it all depends on how you deal with different situations. When Alex was younger and he thought he had to have a tantrum - throwing himself on the floor kicking and screaming - I usually put my shopping basket down, told him to have fun and that I hope he enjoys to entertain the people like that, turned round and left. You will not believe, how fast he stopped his tantrum and followed me out of the shop *grin*. However, I always feel that boys are soooo much easier and straight forward.

Amber: I hope you told Tomm it's not funny! I would die, if Alex would be on a boarding school, I suffer already under the separation when I am in London. :(

Bianca: When he was smaller, Charlie did try, once or twice, to throw a fit in a store, but I just ignored him and went about my shopping. When he discovered that it wasn't getting him anywhere, he stopped, and as he's a fast learner, he's not tried it again. So, yes, I think we have similar (awesome) parenting techniques! :) And Tomm knows that that would *never* fly with me!

My favorite Hepburn movie is Desk Set but my favorite line is from The Lion in Winter:

Henry II (O'Toole): The day those stout hearts band together is the day that pigs get wings.
Eleanor (Hepburn): There'll be pork in the treetops come morning.

Samantha: Mostly its just the decorations, and I'll make some heart-shaped dessert for the day, but Charlie does get a small present of some kind. Tomm and I don't do anything for each other for V-day, though. We love each other every day, and I don't like cut flowers in the house (plus, the floral business is a racket).

Morphy: I haven't seen Desk Set, but you're right about Lion in Winter being excellent.

>145 scaifea: I've had three different boyfriends who declared that they "didn't celebrate Valentine's Day". That would have been perfectly fine with me except that their idea of not celebrating was to completely and totally ignore me for the entire day (when normally we talked or hung out every day) (and one of them was LIVING WITH ME at the time). I tried to explain to them that by treating Valentine's Day differently than every other day, they were in fact celebrating it. Also that they were assholes. But they did not understand.

It backfired on one of them though, as I ended up spending Valentine's Day (platonically) with another guy, who I later ended up dating after I had dumped the first guy for being a neglectful ass.

Samantha: My husband is a lot of wonderful things, but spontaneously romantic isn't one of them, and since I don't really care one way or the other as far as Valentine's Day goes, I've told him from the beginning that he need not do anything for the day. All the same, every year in the first week or so of February, he'll ask me, "Are you *sure* you don't want anything? I'm *really* not going to get into any trouble if I don't get you candy or flowers or something?" Poor thing thinks it's too good to be believed, I think.

Nora: *snork!* Here's an apt poster for you (and your assy exes):

So, we went lamp shopping for Charlie. Silly me, I assumed that he would pick out a kid's lamp, with some sort of cartoony character or something (Mario or Handy Manny or some such). Nope. He passed all of those options right up and decided on this one:



Does my little man have sophisticated taste or what? Ha!

Aww, bless him. At least it will last him as it won't age as he grows up or need changing when he wants a different TV character theme!

*giggle* he definately has a very sophisticated taste. When you talked this morning about the lamp shopping I also thought you would come back with some kind of theme lamp. Well, as Jenny said at least you don't need to worry about him outgrowing the lamp. Definately a timeless piece suitable for all ages LOL.

What wonderful t shirts! Charlie is very fortunate to have you for his mommy!

Can Charlie come over and help redecorate my house? :) He's got great taste!

Bianca & Jenny: Indeed, that's definitely a bonus: that he won't out-grown the lamp.

Linda: Oh, lovely to see you, lady! And thanks - I feel fairly fortunate that I get him as a son, too.

casvelyn: Ha! Hmmm, that's a thought - maybe I could rent him out as a decorator...

Okay, last of the Charlie t-shirts (for now) is finished:



Next up, I may make myself a t-shirt or two. We'll see what patterns I can dig up in my stash...

Wow, yeah, I never expected a lamb like that. I was also picturing the cartoon-themed lamp. Well, that's awesome! :)

My husband would LOVE Charlie's lamp!

I love the lamp! Did he want to keep it on all night, with it being new?

Stephen & Roni: It's a great lamp, isn't it? I don't know why I was so surprised, though; I should have guessed he'd come up with something that cool. Now I'm wondering if I should have ditched the cartoony t-shirts and just bought him a 3-piece suit!

Susan: Wow, excellent predicting skills! He did indeed want it left on last night, and we had a bit of a stubborn contest, but in the end he conceded, knowing that he could turn it on as soon as he woke up in the morning.

****
I'm enjoying what may be the only lazy part of my day this morning, eating gingerbread cake and sipping a cuppa Earl Grey while checking out the threads. After this, I'll need to get Charlie ready for and dropped off at preschool and then hurry off to grocery shopping. Once the groceries are home and put away, I want to get dinner in the crock pot and then work on some etsy stuff before picking Charlie up from school. This afternoon we may work on some Valentine-y crafts for more decorations, and hopefully I'll get some sewing and reading time in, too. I rooted around in my pattern stash last night and found a few that I'd like to try with the remains of the knit fabric, so I'd like to get started on those. Reading is slow this week; I find that with Tomm away I'm just too tired by the time bedtime rolls round to do much reading before I completely conk out.

What characters will be on your shirts? :D

Morhpy: *snork!* I've already used up all the appliques, sadly. Sigh.

Amber, if you do get him a suit, make it an Armani with his taste!

#148 That's awesome!

Charlie has good taste in lamps! I need one like that for my bedside table!

*shakes out wet blanket* That is one lovely lamp. But I bet Charlie IS going to outgrow it when he's about 12---in favor of something funky and "cool". If that happens, though, you just claim it for yourself, and when he gets over that phase, he'll be very very sorry, and want it back for his bachelor pad!

tiffin: Ha! Yeah, right.

Chelle: I thought that was hilarious when I saw it on FB yesterday, and it seemed to suit the occasion.

Linda: Yeah, I thought about that, too, and I'm okay with it if it happens, since I love the lamp too - I'll definitely find a place for it!

Uh-oh. Tomm has a new summer project...

#166: I love that. I saw it on Facebook and immediately told my hubby that I want one!

Stasia: I'm only waiting for Tomm to get back from New Orleans to tell him. It will likely be the first thing he hears upon walking through the door...

#168: I understand that completely!

How do you find time to read so much?! lol

Melissa: Well, the short answer is that I haven't been much lately. Notice that only 2 out of the 9 books I've read so far are not picture books! How's your little man doing? I need to go find your thread and see what's doin' over there...

9. The Whistle, the Grave and the Ghost by Brad Stickland (Bellairs bibliography, 152 pages) - 8/10
Lewis finds an old whistle in the woods while camping and it leads to big trouble, in which a grave and a ghost are involved, oddly enough.
This is one of the weaker entries in the series, I think, but still enjoyable. Only two more to go and I can mark the Bellairs bibliography list as completed! I'm excited to be able to make something off a list, of course, but sad not to have any more of these to read, since I've enjoyed them all very much and I'll miss these characters when they've gone.

Oooooooh, I want one! I have a sledgehammer and duct tape, maybe I can make one... :P

I would want mine to be a little bit bigger though.

Stephen: I do it - make one with your sledgehammer and duct tape and then post a picture, because I need to see that. (I bet it'll be *adorable*!)

Okay! But I lied, I don't have a sledgehammer, only a snow shovel...

I want and need an extra closet for that book nook.

Surely you have a closet that you can use for the transormation, it's all just a matter of priorities. I for one like women with lots of book and very little clothing.

...oh...errrr, I suppose it is possible that last sentence could be interpreted the wrong way...

Stephen: Snow shovel? Ha! Even better! And, oh, I think we're likely interpreting that just the way you meant it...

Cindy: Yes, that is a problem, isn't it? I think Tomm may need to donate his closet.

Hi Amber, that book closet looks absolutey fab. I want one as well. I hope you can get Tomm to make one for you. I even love the colour scheme and I would use one of those shelves as a sort of side table, to park my coffee. :)

Bianca: Oh, excellent idea about the coffee (or tea) parking! And, of course, a space for a plate of goodies, too. I'm wondering if the drawers at the bottom are functional or just for looks, because that would be handy, too.

Thanks, for your kind words toward Alex recovery.
Yes, and I think the drawers have to be functional as well, because we are not allowed to waste any space.

Oh, agreed about the space-wasting. Absolutely not allowed in this house, either.

The drawers are for comfy blankets and junk food storage.

Sounds like a great idea Stephen :)! Although, whilst looking at it again, I thought it would be nice to have some kind of foot stool in front of it as well.

Stephen: Exactly what I would put in there!

Bianca: I read with my legs folded up underneath me, so no footstool necessary, but it's a good idea nonetheless!

Amber, I ask Dave, but he won't give up his closet.

Cindy: Yeah, I doubt that Tomm will, either. Sigh. Maybe I can get him to build a new closet, then renovate that into a reading cubby... :)

Love the >148 scaifea: sentiment, Amber, and I've shared it with my clan. Also like Charlie's taste in lamps and the book nook. Good luck to Tomm - the book nook wouldn't look like that if I tried it, I'll tell you that much. Thumbs O'Houlihan is my carpentry pseudonym.

Joe: The book nook doesn't look all that complex, but that's coming from someone who knows very nearly nothing about carpentry. (I have a brother who is an awesomesauce carpenter, so being related to him is my claim to knowledge on the subject. I'm fairly certain that hammers are involved in some way.) I suspect that Tomm's reaction will be a dramatic sigh and a vague promise of doing it when he gets a Round Tuit, whatever those may be...

True, like you've seen I have started to include an e comic magazine that I am behind on to my challenge. Sammy just went to sleep and I'm debating on a nap hoping it will help me feel better. :)

How is Charlie?

Charlie is just fine; he helped me make some cookie pizzas today to take for his preschool snack tomorrow and it's been difficult for both of us not to eat them today!

That book nook is a great idea! The closets in my house are double wide and not deep so that wouldn't work here. But I do have a spare bedroom in the basement that I could just turn the whole room into a reading oasis ... hmmmm, I should work on that ! :)

Chelle: Yes! Do that! And then I want pictures, please. You could even make it on Richard's thread as book porn!

Hello Amber! What a nice lamp your little man picked out! The picture you shared of the Mickey Mouse shirt made me think of Will's shirt today. It was so small the sleeves were like 3/4 length! Whit didn't even notice (typical) but it was driving me nuts!! He just went through a growth spurt - right after Christmas! Ugh.

Brit: I had a similar moment yesterday when Charlie's 5T (!) jeans looked like high-waters on him. Sigh.

10. That's Not My Pony by Fiona Watt (public library book (Charlie's pick), picture book) - 8/10
A mouse has trouble finding his pony (a mouse had his own pony? What?) and explains on each page why that particular pony isn't his (it's mane is too fluffly, it's saddle is too squishy...). He finds is own pony end the end - don't worry.
Cute, and repetitive in the good way. We made a game of it, wherein Charlie tried to guess why each pony wasn't the mouse's pony (and he was excellent at it, of course).

11. Feet Are Not For Kicking by Elizabeth Verdick (public library book (Charlie's pick), picture book) - 7/10
Charlie chose this one at the library, otherwise I would not have picked it up for him, since it's a book about how one shouldn't kick people and that's not a problem we have with Charlie (at least not yet!). Still, I guess it's a good lesson, although I don't think it's the greatest children's book I've read - not very creative at trying to teach the lesson. *shrug*

12. Was It a Good Trade? by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers (public library book, picture book) - 6/10
A man starts out with a knife (!) and trades and trades until he ends up with, uh, a knife again.
I'm afraid I have to admit that I'm the one who picked this one out at the library, based on the illustrations, which are nice, but the story is weird and pointless. Charlie didn't care for it either and in fact, when we were finished, we talked about how neither of us liked it much and then he said he wanted to read "the other book about the guy" and then went over to his bookshelf and pulled out Joseph had a Little Overcoat. What an awesome Charld I have! He remembered that he has a book that is of a similar structure and theme, but is much more cleverly carried out. Love him. (Oh, and of course we read that one immediately.)

13. Checklists for Life by Kirsten Lagatree (christmas present from Tomm, 304 pages) - 8/10
A collection of various kinds of lists to help one organize one's life, from how to pack for a trip to how to buy a car from a dealer.
I was so excited about this one (it had been on my wishlist for awhile), but was slightly disappointed. Some lists in here I know I'll never use, and of the useful ones I mostly didn't learn anything I didn't already know. There are a handful of lists that I'm happy to have, though, and that's what earns this volume an 8/10. I'll go back through now and mark those lists (they all lists of things to have: in the first aid kit, in the car for emergencies...) and work on gathering and organizing those things.

Morning Amber- 47 today. 55 tomorrow! What? Is this January? I better look. Yep, sure is. Mark is Happy! Enjoy your day.

Mark: Morning! Yes! The coming tropical weather is exciting, no? We're supposed to get rain today, too, which may hurry along the snow melt.

I'm sorry, did you say COOKIE PIZZAS!?!? Those are like the 2 best words ever...

I had to google what a cookie pizza was, but YUM! What a great idea.

I was waiting to see what you thought of Checklists for Life before getting it for myself. Glad I waited! I'll pass, I think.

And for Tomm:

>189 scaifea: I'm fairly certain that hammers are involved in some way.
You should just start hammering the closet and see if it turns into a book nook.

Stephen: They do make an excellent combination...

Susan: Much better than sliced bread, I think.

Morphy: Yeah, we're too seasoned as list-makers to benefit from such a book, really. I've got one of those hidden in a junk drawer somewhere; I should hunt for it...

Nora: *snork!* Excellent idea!

A woman I used to work with wanted a wall removed in her kitchen. After 2 years of asking her husband to do it, he came home one day to find the wall taken down to the wooden framing.

You mean, if we just stand there hammering walls, they turn into book nooks?! Wow.

*Contemplates which wall she should start on*

tiffin: Good on her!

lunacat: *ahem* Um, sure. Let's go with that.

Evening!! I managed to get Sammy to take a nap without his pacifier. I really want to start phasing it out but his so attached to it and i worry about his teeth.

Melissa: From the beginning, we never could interest Charlie in a pacifier at all. I guess in the end that's a good thing, since we didn't need to ween him from it, but those first few months, when he would cry non-stop from 6-10pm, I definitely could have gone for him taking it. Best of luck getting him to let go - I've heard the some people put nasty-tasting but harmless stuff on them, but I have no idea if that really works...

14. The House Where Nobody Lived by Brad Strickland (Bellairs bibliography, 173 pages) - 9/10
Lewis and Rose Rita make a new friend of the new boy at school, David, who stutters and has a hard time with the school bullies, and who happens to have moved into the local haunted house. When Lewis and Rose Rita suspect that David and his family may be in great danger, they call on Lewis' uncle Jonathan and their neighbor, Miss Zimmerman, to help save the day.
Another good entry in the series, with the addition of another great kid character. Pele and her crew of ghostly militia make a cool appearance, too. Just one more left in the bibliography...

What I'm reading now:
-The Harvard Classics Five Foot Shelf of Books, Volume 26: Continental Drama (library book - call #AC1.A4 v.26)
-The Harvard Classics Five Foot Shelf of Books, Volume 27: English Essays Sidney to Macaulay (library book - call #AC1.A4 v.27)
-Women in Love (Banned Books list)
-The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer (Bellairs bibliography)
-The Best Tales of Hoffmann (1001 Children's Books list)
-The Faerie Queen (The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List)
-The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness (Presidential Challenge)
-The Monster of Florence (audio book)
-Augustus (NBA award)
-Little Men (NEH list)
-Paddington at Work (bath-time book)
-The Children's Hour Volume 12: Tales of Long Ago (I'm working through this series of old volumes that were my brothers' when they were little.)
-The Look-It-Up Book of Presidents (to accompany the presidential challenge)
-Our Country's Presidents (to accompany the presidential challenge)
-Vogue Sewing

In addition to these, I have some classics-related texts that I'm working through (quite slowly):
-Asinaria by Plautus (reading in Latin)
-Iliad by Homer (reading in Greek)
-Latin Literature by Gian Biagio Conte
-The Cambridge History of Classical Literature Volume 1 Part 1
-A History of Greece to 322 BC by N. G. L. Hammond

Sigh, the problem with a 1930's bungalow is there is only ONE closet--I need more closets, none to spare!

I hope it doesn't come to that. He only takes it when his tired so he doesn't usually have it during the day unless he hides and gets it later (and he does do that.) I don't know where half of them went off too.

It is a good thing, and Sammy is off bottles. I am glad he literally self weaned at eleven months and never wanted it again he just wanted the real stuff.

#210: I have the same problem, Roni. My house is a Craftsman built in 1930.

Roni & Stasia: When we were first married Tomm and I rented an older bungalow like that and although we loved the feel of the place, closet space was definitely a problem.

Melissa: He hides them? That's adorable, although frustrating, I'm sure.

15. Toy Boat by Randall de Seve (public library book, picture book) - 9/10
A boy makes his own little toy sailboat out of "a can, a cork, a yellow pencil, and some white cloth." He and the boat are inseparable until one day he loses his grip on the string attached to the boat, and the boat sails out onto the big lake all on its own. It meets other big 'real' boats, but in the morning it manages to return to the shore, where the boy is waiting and both are overjoyed to be reunited.
A typical 'cute little toy loves and is loved by his boy, gets separated from him and is reunited' story, but what makes this one standoutish is the amazing illustrations. They make it absolutely worth the read.

Happy weekend, Amber!

Tomm made it home yesterday safe and sound, and Scaife Manor very happily welcomed him back. We're off this morning to take Charlie to his second-ever dentist appointment - fingers crossed that it goes okay on all fronts - and then it should be a nice start to a relaxing 4-day weekend with Tomm at home. Spent most of the afternoon yesterday, while waiting on Tomm to get home, playing Charlie's new favorite game, which he calls Orange Car Red Car, and involves matchbox cars, toy dinosaurs and the coolest Amazon box we've ever received through the mail (a very long, narrow one, which housed my new world map). It's a hilarious and fun game, although I'm not certain of all the rules yet (Charlie is much like Calvin, in that he loves making up his own games and rules to said games).

16. The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer by Brad Strickland (Bellairs bibliography, 168 pages) - 9/10
In this last of the series, Lewis Barnavelt, along with his friends, Rose Rita and Miss Zimmerman, must face his uncle's long lost evil college classmate, who has done something possibly awful to his uncle and is trying hard to hurt Lewis, too. Can he and his friends save themselves and Lewis' uncle?
I'm sad to be finished with these books, as I've enjoyed them all immensely, and this was an excellent end to the series. I'll miss all of Bellairs' characters, and I thought Strickland did an amazing job taking up the stories after Bellairs died. Can't recommend these Bellairs' books enough for young readers who like a bit of a sppoky thrill, but don't like to be outright scared by the stories they read. I'm sad to be finished with these, but - WOOHOO! - I've completed another list! Frabjous day!

What I'm reading now:
-The Harvard Classics Five Foot Shelf of Books, Volume 26: Continental Drama (library book - call #AC1.A4 v.26)
-The Harvard Classics Five Foot Shelf of Books, Volume 27: English Essays Sidney to Macaulay (library book - call #AC1.A4 v.27)
-Women in Love (Banned Books list)
-Oh, What Nonsense (Charlie book)
-The Best Tales of Hoffmann (1001 Children's Books list)
-The Faerie Queen (The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List)
-The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness (Presidential Challenge)
-The Monster of Florence (audio book)
-Augustus (NBA award)
-Little Men (NEH list)
-Paddington at Work (bath-time book)
-The Children's Hour Volume 12: Tales of Long Ago (I'm working through this series of old volumes that were my brothers' when they were little.)
-The Look-It-Up Book of Presidents (to accompany the presidential challenge)
-Our Country's Presidents (to accompany the presidential challenge)
-Vogue Sewing

In addition to these, I have some classics-related texts that I'm working through (quite slowly):
-Asinaria by Plautus (reading in Latin)
-Iliad by Homer (reading in Greek)
-Latin Literature by Gian Biagio Conte
-The Cambridge History of Classical Literature Volume 1 Part 1
-A History of Greece to 322 BC by N. G. L. Hammond

17. Oh, What Nonsense! by William Cole (from my unread shelves, 80 pages) - 7/10
A collections of silly poems meant for children.
Meh. These are okay, but not great. I'm sticking this one in the donate-to-the-library pile.

What I'm reading now:
-The Harvard Classics Five Foot Shelf of Books, Volume 26: Continental Drama (library book - call #AC1.A4 v.26)
-The Harvard Classics Five Foot Shelf of Books, Volume 27: English Essays Sidney to Macaulay (library book - call #AC1.A4 v.27)
-Women in Love (Banned Books list)
-The Light at Tern Rock (Charlie book)
-The Best Tales of Hoffmann (1001 Children's Books list)
-The Faerie Queen (The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List)
-The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness (Presidential Challenge)
-The Monster of Florence (audio book)
-Augustus (NBA award)
-Little Men (NEH list)
-Paddington at Work (bath-time book)
-The Children's Hour Volume 12: Tales of Long Ago (I'm working through this series of old volumes that were my brothers' when they were little.)
-The Look-It-Up Book of Presidents (to accompany the presidential challenge)
-Our Country's Presidents (to accompany the presidential challenge)
-Vogue Sewing

In addition to these, I have some classics-related texts that I'm working through (quite slowly):
-Asinaria by Plautus (reading in Latin)
-Iliad by Homer (reading in Greek)
-Latin Literature by Gian Biagio Conte
-The Cambridge History of Classical Literature Volume 1 Part 1
-A History of Greece to 322 BC by N. G. L. Hammond

Hey Amber! I hope you guys have a good weekend! Not much exciting happening here. I have an away game tomorrow in Delaware and then a big playoff game for my Seahawks!

Brit: Hey, lady! Good to see you! I'll be wishing you and your girls luck today! Tomm is crazy about ACIII so far...

18. Little Panda Gets Lost by Marcia Leonard (CYOA series, 18 pages) - 8/10
A little panda gets separated from his mother in a department store and the reader-as-panda must decide how best to find her.
Simple little story, but, again, Charlie really enjoys these so we'll keep reading them.

Morning Amber- Well, winter is raising it's ugly head again. Temps fall through the day, into the 20s late tonight and snow arrives. 1-3. I wish we would get more than an inch so that would stop talking about. Hey, it's almost mid-January. It's slowly winding down.
Enjoy your weekend.

#210, 212, 213

Clearly none of you should ever consider moving to the UK. We have no inbuilt closets (wardrobes) in my house, and have never had any where I have lived. Or in any houses I've stayed in either!

Mark: Did you have the ridiculous fog yesterday? Very thick stuff here.

lunacat: Yes, but I do love the idea of wardrobes - none of us can get to Narnia over here...

Oatmeal Cookie Cake, anyone?

PM-ing you my address :-))

Susan: *snork!* I don't think it would make the trip very well...

19. The Light at Tern Rock by Julia L. Sauer (picked up from the library sale shelf, 62 pages) - 6/10
A boy and his aunt find themselves staying (and stranded) on a lighthouse island over christmas.
Ugh. Way way *way* too saccharine for my tastes, and I heartily dislike being preached at. Again I say ugh. This one is going right back to the library, where they can put it back on the sale shelf.

20. 50 States and How They Got Their Names by Sheila Keenan (also from the library sale shelf, 112 pages) - 7/10
The title tells it all, really. A nice and fun reference for Charlie's shelves - it gets a lower rating from me for its sometimes flippant and unfunny attempts at humor.

Oatmeal cookie cake? I absolutely must have that recipe. Then I will make it and eat every bit of it all by myself.

I think we're having the same weather as Mark. I think the temperature since this morning has fallen nearly 30 degrees. The good thing about midwestern weather: it never stays the same long enough for you to get tired of it!

Terri: Well, there isn't much of a recipe, to be honest. Just mix together a yellow cake mix by the directions, then add a teaspoon of cinnamon and some crushed oatmeal cookies (the crunchy store-bought kind; I used about 14 of them). Bake as directed and frost with buttercream frosting. That's all there is to it!

Love the closet transformed into a book nook. If I did this, I'd have less space to store books from floor to ceiling.....

Linda: We don't have a lot of closet space in this house, but even just a regular old closet full of books sounds pretty nice!

Each year I vow to add more to the off the shelf or out of the closet category and to give them away after reading. Then, I go to the library and bring home 20 books and read them before tackling any of my own.

Linda: Me too. But, at least we're in good company here, eh?

Wow Amber a book is a book is a book but 20 of them already! Top of the pile methinks for now. Have a great weekend.

Paul: Ha! A little too Steiny for me, I'm afraid; I prefer Hemingway's version: a book is a book is a book is an onion!

OK I am late catching up on threads, so I am commenting on past conversations lol. I love the shirts you made! Learning to really sew is a long term goal of mine. I hope your husband enjoyed New Orleans-it is my hometown and I love it :)

Caitlin: Oh, good for you on the sewing! It's my second favorite pastime and I'm sure you'll love it, too. Tomm did enjoy NO, although it was chilly and rainy the entire time he was there, so he was a bit disappointed that he couldn't be out walking more. I hope that he'll go back sometime when I can go with him, because I *loved* it when I visited a few years ago.

21. A Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell DePalma (public library book, picture book) - 9/10
Follows the life of a tree, how is thrives, shelters and feeds animals, creates new trees, grows old, dies and continues to nourish the earth.
A wonderful way to introduce wee ones to the idea how life works in a gentle, not sappy but not scary way. No melodrama over the death of the tree; it is told in a brief, matter-of-fact way and moves right on to how the tree truly lives on in many ways. I was careful not to discuss what was happening in the book with Charlie, really - and he didn't ask any questions, but I very much like that the seed is planted, so to speak, for a later time. Absolutely recommended.

#21- that looks like a good one, Amber. I'll have to look for it at the library.

Regina: Oh, do! And then let me know what you think.

Love that oatmeal cookie cake. Although, I don't have any idea what a "yellow cake mix" is. Could you use any "light" cakemix to produce that fab looking cake?

Bianca: I don't see why you couldn't use whatever cake mix you wanted, really. Even a chocolate one would taste really good, I bet. I think the idea behind using a "yellow" mix is to let the taste of the cookie come through better, so yes, any light, non-specific flavored cake recipe would work (no need to use a mix if you'd rather make one from scratch, of course).

22. Valentine Surprise by Corinne Demas (public library book, picture book) - 8/10
A week before Valentine's Day, Lily decides to make her mom a valentine, but it doesn't turn out perfect, so she tries again the next day. And the next day. And the next. Until she has 7 Valentine hearts, but none of them are perfect. She's sad, but decides to tape them all together and give them to her mom anyway. The result is predictable but sweet: her mom loves them anyway.
Simple, a tad cutesy, perhaps, but sweet all the same.

>242 drachenbraut23:: "yellow cake mix" might be an American thing. I can't remember ever seeing cake mixes of any kind in English supermarkets. I usually bake from scratch so it could be I wasn't looking, but cakes over there are of a different sort of texture as well -- more of a sponge cake.

That's what I figured, Laura. I think the cookie mix-in would work well with all sorts of cakes, so I think whatever Bianca choses would be fine.

On the agenda for today:
We may be getting back to a normal schedule, about which I'm quite happy. Tomm has been home for a 4-day weekend, which is wonderful and I love having him home, especially after his week-long trip away, but it means that I've been off my week-day schedule for three days instead of just two, and yesterday the prospect of yet another schedule-less day sent me right down into a funk. I need a scheduled life or I get sad. Happily, Tomm noticed my down-in-the-dumpsness yesterday and suggested that he might just follow along with Charlie and I on our regular Monday schedule. That makes me happy. So. For today: a little bit of cleaning (the kitchen today, and some spring cleaning in there, too (I do my yearly big clean in January), a trip to the library, and perhaps a trip to the grocery store and to treat myself to the Goodwill this afternoon while Tomm stays home with Charlie.

*Dusts off the cobwebs, sweeps out the crickets and sets out some cookies and tea*

Ended up having a lovely day yesterday. A nice trip to the library, where I picked up a couple of list books for me and a new stack of books for Charlie, and an excellent Goodwill visit, in which I found 4 shirts, a Latin book and a brand-new tags-still-on pair of Ann Taylor, lined, wool pants, all for just under $20. I love my local Goodwill; I always find amazing stuff in there!

On today's agenda:
Get some more sewing done while Charlie is at school (I've finished two shirts for myself, have another one cut out and three more in the works), work on my knitting projects (which have been neglected of late), and put together some Hungarian Goulash for dinner.

Morning Amber- Just checking in. Are you joining us for Fantasy Feb? If so, start making your list. Keep warm too! It's going to be a chilly week.

Mark: I normally stay clear of in-group challenges and lists, since I've way too many going already! But, I am reading a fantasy or two at the moment... I just started At the Back of the North Wind yesterday, and I'm in the thick of The Best Tales of Hoffmann...

Mmmm goulash.

Ooooh At the Back of the North Wind. I have at least three volumes of that book! I pick every used copy of it I find. It is one of my all time favorite stories. Good luck with all your projects. I haven't picked up my knitting in a couple of years and I miss it. I think you're going to have half this board salivating for goulash!