Book Bag - no. 20

So we are back in Cambridge and I feel like I'm dreaming.  With summer, and bikes and the library; words cannot express the change I feel about this next chapter. Yesterday I met an old friend at the library. We talked and swapped our latest family favorites while the kids got lost in the shelves.  It felt indulgent.  For a couple of hours, I think I experienced what I have heard called the "sweet spot" of parenting.  As annoying as that sounds, it is a little bit true. Translation:  I didn't know the precise location of my kids for a time, and I finished my ice coffee on my own terms.  

Today the parenting story is a bit different. The highs and lows are present every day, but really how low can they go? It seems as though summer tempers and moving box chaos have tested that limit.  I want to determine myself to set the highs as a back drop for our dips.  I am not great at this.  When I am in the midst of a struggle, I reach despair rather quickly, helping no one.  For example, when today it was hard to find a trace of empathy in my son towards his younger family members, it doesn't mean that yesterday's kindness no longer counts. It is like everyday I am trying to set the world record for consecutive days of sibling harmony, and failing.  Is this the long winded and awkward way of saying, life is not a zero sum game? Probably. 

Tomorrow morning we are headed to Concord for an outing with a picnic.  We hope to rent a canoe, and paddle away our worries.  The treat of being able to do this in twenty minutes was basically why I moved. Sort of. I love this town. It really is a thrill to drive by Louisa May Alcott's old, brown house.  I think this year the kids are ready for the actual tour. Especially after rereading, Alvin Ho.  It is his hometown too, you know.

***

Remember, The Great Brain? Myles finished it yesterday and said it might be his new favorite book. I love new favorites.  

Book Bag - no. 18

That little green book you see is called, This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness.  I had to do a double take at the library, to make sure I was seeing the title correctly. It is collection of poems written by a sixth grade class, and then the responses to them. Beautiful and Funny and Poignant.

This time we treated, Follow Follow as a game of riddles. One of us would read the poem, and the rest would have to guess which fairy tale it was created for.  I think that's the whole point of the book, but the game deeply satisfied Fiona, who is always asking me for a riddle, at which my mind goes completely blank.  So now she can look back on her childhood with fond memories of her riddling mother. Mission accomplished. Thank you, Marilyn Singer.

***

Tonight is one of those Friday nights that I am actually looking forward to. It feels like it has been a while with March threatening to freeze us to death.  We are dismissing Fiona early from to school to go to one of those crazy trampoline parks. There was a sale running, and a friend going, and with sheets of ice as far as the eye can see; I am more excited about this than I care to admit.  And then we come home to pizza, and root beer, and licorice and Dr. Doolittle.  Fo' shizzle! And this is just even more amplified because I actually got my brother's wedding gift in the mail a good three hundred and sixty days earlier than etiquette required me to. Talk about peace of mind. I found the most amazing, cast iron candle holders at Patch NYC in the south end of Boston. They were exactly what I was hoping to find, along with one of most memorable shopping experiences I have had in years. 

And on that note, I bid you, adieu. I hope that something in your own evening tonight brings you rest. 

Book Bag - no. 17

Today was an, I-made-it-day. What day isn't really, but I think at the end of those other days you don't really feel like saying, you-made-it.  We had nothing special planned. Just more snow and cold. But with the help of pizza, chocolate, and a Mardi Gras mindset we did alright.

Book Bag - no. 15 and 16

January snow.
February snow some more.
Books will keep us warm.

***

I can hardly contain myself, for I have just pre-ordered my copy of, Home by Carson Ellis.  I love this person.

The emotional roller coaster ride of a snow storm is something to be seen. There are highs and lows. Cozy fireside chats, and high decibel demands. We have baked, and knitted, and read, and read.  Today the sun could blind you. The kids are out playing in the glimmering deep drifts and I am thankful.

Book Bag - no. 13

Bittersweet, the harvesting of squash families, new books. So many good things in this season. Remember Round is a Tortilla? What a delight to find, Green is a Chile Pepper this week. Our family grew chile peppers this summer to concoct some homemade hot sauce. So now I am feeling inspired to begin that process this week. 

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The kids and I escaped to my aunt's house this weekend, in coastal NH, with my sister. It was wonderful to see cousins and yellow leaves and a dinner on the table that I didn't help prepare. My aunt has my mom's beach cruiser in her shed, so my sister and I always take it for a spin around the block to feel sad, yet closer to her at the same time. I was with my mom when she picked it out. She wanted to ride to her store in downtown Exeter on beautiful fall days, like the one we had today. She didn't get to do that hardly at all. Cancer made sure of that.  Sorry to go dark on you all. But where else is there to go these days?  Bittersweet, indeed.

Book Bag - no. 12

It took a great deal of determination to take these pictures today, and even more to be typing these words. I guess one could say that our new routines have felt a little consuming. Free time to write and record and reflect, takes a lot more initiative and planning, and its been hard to carve that space out.  But today, the rain came. And with it brought a calm that had been hard to find up until it's release.
 Contentment eludes me, more often than I wish.  Even when I am living a choice that I had freedom in making, I have the terrible habit of self doubt. I worry that I chose poorly.
Today was a relief from that. Things flowed. Myles listened. Fiona was herself, and most importantly I knew what I was making for dinner.

Some mysteries are worth getting to the bottom of. Blog formatting is not one that I have time for right now, so apologies on the awkward layout.

Book Bag - no. 11

Here are the week's highlights. Mini Grey strikes again with a new hero, Hermelin. She will always be a favorite of mine. And after reading this post on Bomb, we had to give it a try. No review yet, for the title is still giving me the shivers. In terms of a family read-aloud we are floundering a bit. We can't quite land a new title for us all to gather around. I hate that feeling.  We finished the annual fall reading of Little House in the Big Woods, but now we are ready for something deliciously new to us.  While we wait for something to drop from the sky, we are listening to The Hobbit on audio.  Of course, wonderful, but there needs to be snow on the ground for Tolkein, I think. What are you all reading aloud?

- - - 

Captain John Smith arrived on time to Cohasset Harbor, and looked appropriately confused to see us all standing there. He read a letter upon coming ashore giving his opinion of the land's nature and qualities. The authenticity of the reenactment would have gone up a couple notches had all of Captain Smith's crew been costumed, or at least removed their sunglasses, but it was a wonderful affair nonetheless.

The Wampanoag Nation was represented as well, and led the children in bread making and dance. A sight that will not be soon forgotten, I am sure.

This Salvation Army purchase made my day!* 

*Not pictured is a three dollar, cozy, Patagonia fleece for Myles, that he refuses to take off. 

I hope everyone enjoys this deeply September week.

Book Bag - no. 8

Well, that was a trying week. Beautiful and free, but exhausting. These titles were definitely some highlights. I wish I could say I was looking forward to the weekend...but you know what? Maybe, I'll just say it for discipline's sake. - " I can't wait for the weekend!" - Here's to hoping. 

 Somehow I completed three of these skirts. I had begun the project months ago, and finally picked them back up this week. They are far from perfect, but finishing the work was a comfort and just in time for a friend's birthday. 

Book Bag - no. 7

Best counting book ever?

Moving is hard. And good byes, feel bad.

Boxes for Katje makes me cry every time. One time I emailed Candace Fleming on bended knee thanking her for a book she wrote, and she sent a reply.  In a thrilling exchange, she told me how she became a writer. I love her.

My new favorite biographer: Demi.

Queste; read by the magnificently talented Gerard Doyle. He is famous in our house.

Gravity amazes.

The Book Bag - no. 6

For the Little.

 The Littler.

And the Littlest.

Narnia enchants us again. -- My visit to the library this week breathed life into my world.  It was one of those trips that gives you hope in goodness. I found out that a fourth season existed of our favorite series of late, Treme. I checked out a bunch of classical music to cook by, and I got some good audiobooks for our weekend driving. I think what stood out the most, was a chat with a librarian who I had never encountered before. He commented on one of my selections confirming that, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin is indeed wonderful. We then exchanged complimentary thoughts on her skill as an author illustrator.  It was an interaction that makes you thankful to be a thinking reed. I recently read this thought of Pascal. "Man is only a reed, the feeblest reed in nature; but he is a thinking reed"  At the library, we are all thinking reeds especially. Equal in our fragility, but reeds gaining strength. Trying to see farther.  Trying to go slower. It is a place where things are still improving.

There are no plans for Sunday...hopefully. I hedge my bets for Mother's Day. I stay very quiet, trying to ensure that a similar nothingness will occur on Father's Day. You could call this part of my feeble state.

The Book Bag

 Myles arrived home from what might be the highlight of his childhood, trying to be all, no big deal... but we could see the happiness around the corners of his mouth.  Bracing myself for his re-entry, I found a new, never been read before issue of Lucky Luke. It was resting nonchalantly on the coffee table, waiting for his arrival.  He dove right for it and it helped take the edge off his first night of, the party's over blues. The right book is the best crutch ever.  I used to do that for him when he would wake up from his naps as a two year old. I would stage board books on the floor of the living room, propped up like a little library, hoping it would help kick the grogginess out. It sometimes would.  I am happy that some things never change.

the out takes...

The Book Bag

Here are our highlights for you. Have a great weekend!

The Book Bag

Here we are. Its currently 19 degrees outside. But since this is not a weather blog, I will move on. The symbolism of Spring astounds me at times. New birth, new color, things waking up.  I feel my soul being tugged along, whether I like it or not. Yesterday we dipped back into winter, and I found asylum at a friends house. If I hadn't invited myself over, who knows how things would have gone over here.

Since Fridays tend to be the day that I take stock of my life. Every Week. Something I don't recommend. I struggle to find the balance of joy and gratitude for things that I have, in the face of deep suffering all around. It feels so random. I must believe that it is not random, and that really what it means is that there will one day be a reckoning of peace for all.  Listening to a starving, pregnant woman being interviewed on a world news segment, as I chop my onions for a St. Patrick's Day feast is really the worst.

PS. The dress at the bottom right is for my niece, Verity.  I heart new hobbies.

The Book Bag

Here are the highlights of this week's loot. I had the privilege of going to the library with Eric this weekend. I kind of laugh when my towering stack makes him cringe.

The Book Bag

There is a new series brewing over here at bingbangcrashboom. Its really a transformation of my old, underwhelming list of "What's in the library bag."  It will be the highlights of the week we tote home, and things we found, ranging anywhere from mildly amusing to the best book ever category.  Titles that may not warrant a post of their very own, but still give one an idea of what's laying around, and current books that are getting us through, oh I don't know, the fortieth winter weather warning in affect.  I hope you enjoy!