Cuppa tea
I was surprised to discover in Iza Trapani's book I'm a Little Teapot, the illustration ending the story is of a tea party in which the teapot merely contains hot water. Each individual has a bag in his or her cup. It struck me as strange that someone would use a teapot as a mere kettle. A teapot, after all, is for brewing tea.
My family almost never made tea by the cup, and I don't think it's some Anglophile affectation. Partly, I suspect, my mom preferred the frugality of boiling water just once and popping two bags in a pot that will fill 5 mugs. But mostly the communal pot communicated that tea is a social beverage. You brew a big pot and fill cups around the table. Even today, meals with my family of origin don't feel complete without a shared pot of tea and after-dinner chat. All of my siblings do this when we visit one another, even though all of us have been "out of the nest" for decades.
I suspect the companies that market tea to the US are partly to blame for American's individualistic tea drinking. The bags they make are so darned small compared to what you can buy in the UK. And drinking by the cup uses up bags far more quickly than drinking by the pot. My large Royal Worchester pot holds about 12 cups, to which I add just three tea bags for a very pleasant brew. The proper use of teapots is one custom the Bigelows and Twinings would probably prefer not to catch on here.
1.31.2006
1.28.2006
Jesus, master of the zombies?
Claire and I have been reading Jesus Begins His Work by Ella Lindvall this week. I regularly check to see how much she comprehends and remembers the stories by asking her to tell me in her own words.
When we got to her version of Jesus raising Jairus' daughter, Claire said: "A little girl was sick and her daddy got Jesus and said, 'Jesus, come help my little girl be well.' So Jesus went but everyone was crying because the little girl died. So Jesus touched the little girl and made her undead."
Perhaps it's a sign I've been playing D&D far too many years, but I wondered whether Simon Peter or James or John had the needed silver weapons to combat the zombie girl.
Claire and I have been reading Jesus Begins His Work by Ella Lindvall this week. I regularly check to see how much she comprehends and remembers the stories by asking her to tell me in her own words.
When we got to her version of Jesus raising Jairus' daughter, Claire said: "A little girl was sick and her daddy got Jesus and said, 'Jesus, come help my little girl be well.' So Jesus went but everyone was crying because the little girl died. So Jesus touched the little girl and made her undead."
Perhaps it's a sign I've been playing D&D far too many years, but I wondered whether Simon Peter or James or John had the needed silver weapons to combat the zombie girl.
1.23.2006
Thoughts on the "four things"...
The list in my previous post was tougher to compile than I first imagined. I think I got especially hung up on the "four books I could read over and over." Developing criteria for this got me thinking first of "comfort food" books-- the macaroni and cheese of literature, so to speak. I could have as easily listed my favorite Rosamunde Pilcher book, September, or Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy. Jan Karon's works fall into the same category in my mind. These books take you away to lovely places. The characters have their foibles, but they change and grow in satisfying ways. But none of these books changed me.
I can, however, think of some books that created a shift in my life--either how I understand the world or how I want to live in it. But these are not necessiarily the kinds of books one can read over and over. You read them, they change you. Were you to approach the text again, you would not experience the same tectonic shift, because you're already different.
So here's a partial list of tectonic shift books that I heartily recommend, and themes they touch on:
Cry, the Beloved Country, Alan Paton (injustice and atonement)
Dead Man Walking, Helen Prejean (justice)
Glittering Images, Susan Howatch (authenticity)
The Heartbreaker, Susan Howatch (redemption)
The High Flyer, Susan Howatch (authenticity)
Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (regret)
A Prayer for the City, Buzz Bissinger (hope)
Sapphira and the Slave Girl, Willa Cather (powerlessness)
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Bronte (courage)
Traveling Mercies, Anne Lamott (grace)
Witchwood, John Buchan (deceitfulness of sin)
The books I listed as my "four books I could read over and over" fell somewhere in between the "comfort food" and tectonic shift. They encourage me to grow, though in a gentle way.
The list in my previous post was tougher to compile than I first imagined. I think I got especially hung up on the "four books I could read over and over." Developing criteria for this got me thinking first of "comfort food" books-- the macaroni and cheese of literature, so to speak. I could have as easily listed my favorite Rosamunde Pilcher book, September, or Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy. Jan Karon's works fall into the same category in my mind. These books take you away to lovely places. The characters have their foibles, but they change and grow in satisfying ways. But none of these books changed me.
I can, however, think of some books that created a shift in my life--either how I understand the world or how I want to live in it. But these are not necessiarily the kinds of books one can read over and over. You read them, they change you. Were you to approach the text again, you would not experience the same tectonic shift, because you're already different.
So here's a partial list of tectonic shift books that I heartily recommend, and themes they touch on:
Cry, the Beloved Country, Alan Paton (injustice and atonement)
Dead Man Walking, Helen Prejean (justice)
Glittering Images, Susan Howatch (authenticity)
The Heartbreaker, Susan Howatch (redemption)
The High Flyer, Susan Howatch (authenticity)
Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (regret)
A Prayer for the City, Buzz Bissinger (hope)
Sapphira and the Slave Girl, Willa Cather (powerlessness)
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Bronte (courage)
Traveling Mercies, Anne Lamott (grace)
Witchwood, John Buchan (deceitfulness of sin)
The books I listed as my "four books I could read over and over" fell somewhere in between the "comfort food" and tectonic shift. They encourage me to grow, though in a gentle way.
1.19.2006
Tag, I'm It
Four Jobs I Have Had:
Summer camp arts and crafts director
Church janitor
Dispensing optician
Magazine editor
Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over:
Amadeus
Princess Bride
LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring
Emma (Gwyneth Paltrow version)
Four Books I Could Read Over and Over:
Susan Howatch, The Wonder Worker
Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Jhumpa Lahiri, Interpreter of Maladies
Jill Briscoe, Running on Empty
Four Places I Have Lived:
Williamsport, PA
Cheltenham Spa, Glouchestershire, UK
Alexandria, VA
East Lansing, MI
Four TV Shows I Watch:
Gilmore Girls
Dr. Phil
Supernanny
The Simpsons
Four Places I Have Been On Vacation:
Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming (childhood)
Dublin, Galway, Cahir and Cashel in Ireland (after study abroad)
Rhossoli Downs, Wales (during break studying abroad)
Montreal and Quebec City, Canada (honeymoon)
Four Websites I Visit Daily:
Me? Get on the Internet DAILY? ROFL! How about sites I visit with some regularity...
Yahoo mail
Google
Merriam-Webster
My blogroll
Four Favorite Foods:
Popcorn
Ice cream, esp. chocolate marshmallow and homemade vanilla
steamed bay scallops
turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy
Four Places I’d Like To Be Right Now:
Having tea with my oldest niece in a charming little English village, Bourton-on-the-Water
Sitting in a sunny balcony overlooking Florence like Lucy in Room with a View
Horseback riding in Hyde Park, London
Taking a writer's retreat at my former pastor's house in Trout Run, PA. The Lycoming Creek dances along just a stone's throw from the kitchen window. Many wise trees grow along its banks.
Four Bloggers I'm Tagging:
Sylvia Duggan
Paul Duggan
Christiana Fitzpatrick
Annie Barlow
Four Jobs I Have Had:
Summer camp arts and crafts director
Church janitor
Dispensing optician
Magazine editor
Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over:
Amadeus
Princess Bride
LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring
Emma (Gwyneth Paltrow version)
Four Books I Could Read Over and Over:
Susan Howatch, The Wonder Worker
Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Jhumpa Lahiri, Interpreter of Maladies
Jill Briscoe, Running on Empty
Four Places I Have Lived:
Williamsport, PA
Cheltenham Spa, Glouchestershire, UK
Alexandria, VA
East Lansing, MI
Four TV Shows I Watch:
Gilmore Girls
Dr. Phil
Supernanny
The Simpsons
Four Places I Have Been On Vacation:
Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming (childhood)
Dublin, Galway, Cahir and Cashel in Ireland (after study abroad)
Rhossoli Downs, Wales (during break studying abroad)
Montreal and Quebec City, Canada (honeymoon)
Four Websites I Visit Daily:
Me? Get on the Internet DAILY? ROFL! How about sites I visit with some regularity...
Yahoo mail
Merriam-Webster
My blogroll
Four Favorite Foods:
Popcorn
Ice cream, esp. chocolate marshmallow and homemade vanilla
steamed bay scallops
turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy
Four Places I’d Like To Be Right Now:
Having tea with my oldest niece in a charming little English village, Bourton-on-the-Water
Sitting in a sunny balcony overlooking Florence like Lucy in Room with a View
Horseback riding in Hyde Park, London
Taking a writer's retreat at my former pastor's house in Trout Run, PA. The Lycoming Creek dances along just a stone's throw from the kitchen window. Many wise trees grow along its banks.
Four Bloggers I'm Tagging:
Sylvia Duggan
Paul Duggan
Christiana Fitzpatrick
Annie Barlow
1.18.2006
Feeding the wolf
I picked up Elizabeth Berg's The Year of Pleasures from the library because it deals with similar situations and themes that I'm writing about in my novel.
I've not seen much evidence that Berg's writing is informed by a particular faith tradition, but she did include an insight about the natural vs. spiritual man that I think resonates in interesting ways with St. Paul.
"There is a story about a Navajo grandfather who once told his grandson, 'Two wolves are inside me. One is the bad wolf, full of greed and laziness, full of anger and jealousy and regret. The other is the good wolf, full of joy and compassion and willingness and great love for the world. All the time, these wolves are fighting inside me.' 'But grandfather,' the boy said, 'Which wolf will win?' The grandfather answered, 'The one I feed.'"
I picked up Elizabeth Berg's The Year of Pleasures from the library because it deals with similar situations and themes that I'm writing about in my novel.
I've not seen much evidence that Berg's writing is informed by a particular faith tradition, but she did include an insight about the natural vs. spiritual man that I think resonates in interesting ways with St. Paul.
"There is a story about a Navajo grandfather who once told his grandson, 'Two wolves are inside me. One is the bad wolf, full of greed and laziness, full of anger and jealousy and regret. The other is the good wolf, full of joy and compassion and willingness and great love for the world. All the time, these wolves are fighting inside me.' 'But grandfather,' the boy said, 'Which wolf will win?' The grandfather answered, 'The one I feed.'"
1.16.2006
Oso del teddy
Whenever Claire and I work on "school" things--art, music, counting, identifying letters and sounds--she asks if we can do a Spanish project. I'm certain this fascination with Spanish comes from Rosita on Sesame Street. Unfortunately, I know little of the language since I studied German in high school and college. I certainly don't want to discourage her interest due to my lack of expertise, however.
So this weekend, when she asked about a Spanish project, I said, "What words do you want to learn?" I pulled up Alta Vista's trusty Babelfish program and translated a few words to get us started. Spanish for "teddy bear," for example, is oso del teddy.
But this is a kind of dumb and disorganized approach. There has to be some book or video or tape series designed for teaching languages to preschool kids. I could really use some recommendations.
Whenever Claire and I work on "school" things--art, music, counting, identifying letters and sounds--she asks if we can do a Spanish project. I'm certain this fascination with Spanish comes from Rosita on Sesame Street. Unfortunately, I know little of the language since I studied German in high school and college. I certainly don't want to discourage her interest due to my lack of expertise, however.
So this weekend, when she asked about a Spanish project, I said, "What words do you want to learn?" I pulled up Alta Vista's trusty Babelfish program and translated a few words to get us started. Spanish for "teddy bear," for example, is oso del teddy.
But this is a kind of dumb and disorganized approach. There has to be some book or video or tape series designed for teaching languages to preschool kids. I could really use some recommendations.
1.13.2006
Casting
Over Joel's winter break we have been watching videos galore. Among the lighter fare was Bewitched, based on the TV show that was in syndication all through my childhood. The film is about as deep as the old show ever was. Cute, light fun. I was surprised at how well Nicole Kidman does comedy. And she has a fairly strong resemblance to Elizabeth Montgomery.
The Darrin character, however was badly miscast in my opinion. Will Farrell is great at slapstick, but not comedies of manners. The TV Darrin was always so concerned about others' opinions of his familiy, always a bit nervous and fussy. Darrin just isn't a gallumping slob. I really think Jim Carey would have been a far better actor for the role. He does nervous/neurotic well, and I'm sure he could have nailed those bug-eyed Darrin expressions.
I've heard that some new Pink Panther films are being made. Sadly, more bad casting will likely doom them to flopdom. I enjoy Steve Martin, but he's no Clouseau. I've seen Martin attempt European, and he just seems moronic. I think you need an actual European to really nail the role. What was so hilarious about Sellers was his embodying so many of the British stereotypes of the French. For my money, I'd really like to see Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean, Black Adder) bring Clouseau back to the screen.
Over Joel's winter break we have been watching videos galore. Among the lighter fare was Bewitched, based on the TV show that was in syndication all through my childhood. The film is about as deep as the old show ever was. Cute, light fun. I was surprised at how well Nicole Kidman does comedy. And she has a fairly strong resemblance to Elizabeth Montgomery.
The Darrin character, however was badly miscast in my opinion. Will Farrell is great at slapstick, but not comedies of manners. The TV Darrin was always so concerned about others' opinions of his familiy, always a bit nervous and fussy. Darrin just isn't a gallumping slob. I really think Jim Carey would have been a far better actor for the role. He does nervous/neurotic well, and I'm sure he could have nailed those bug-eyed Darrin expressions.
I've heard that some new Pink Panther films are being made. Sadly, more bad casting will likely doom them to flopdom. I enjoy Steve Martin, but he's no Clouseau. I've seen Martin attempt European, and he just seems moronic. I think you need an actual European to really nail the role. What was so hilarious about Sellers was his embodying so many of the British stereotypes of the French. For my money, I'd really like to see Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean, Black Adder) bring Clouseau back to the screen.
1.10.2006
Scary parenting
One of my Christmas gifts was the book Mommy Knows Worst: Highlights from the age of bad parenting advice by James Lileks. Lileks is the author of another humor gem, The Gallery of Regretable Food, which highlights the scary foods in vogue in the 1940s and 50s.
A fair amount of the humor relies on Lileks' commentary on the images from advertisements and parenting books, so it's a little hard to blog. But I'll share some of his general observations from the beginning of a chapter that is truly ROFL-worthy.
Here's an example:
"If there's one thing the old books agree upon, it's the importance of leaving young children to bake in the sun, preferably until they have attained the hue of pot roast. It's the most striking example of how things have changed in recent years....Now, of course, parents regard the sun as a giant flaming ball of death, and will not let children stand near the window unless they are covered in gunk whose SP rating is equivalent to roofing tar."
I've only made it through a few chapters so far. It's frankly a rather exhausting book to read. Laughing yourself teary and breathless every few pages makes each chapter quite a work out.
One of my Christmas gifts was the book Mommy Knows Worst: Highlights from the age of bad parenting advice by James Lileks. Lileks is the author of another humor gem, The Gallery of Regretable Food, which highlights the scary foods in vogue in the 1940s and 50s.
A fair amount of the humor relies on Lileks' commentary on the images from advertisements and parenting books, so it's a little hard to blog. But I'll share some of his general observations from the beginning of a chapter that is truly ROFL-worthy.
Here's an example:
"If there's one thing the old books agree upon, it's the importance of leaving young children to bake in the sun, preferably until they have attained the hue of pot roast. It's the most striking example of how things have changed in recent years....Now, of course, parents regard the sun as a giant flaming ball of death, and will not let children stand near the window unless they are covered in gunk whose SP rating is equivalent to roofing tar."
I've only made it through a few chapters so far. It's frankly a rather exhausting book to read. Laughing yourself teary and breathless every few pages makes each chapter quite a work out.
1.08.2006
Truth telling
I've learned a valuable lesson in believing one's child, especially when there's no reason for the child to lie. (This story is not for the squeamish.)
A few days ago, I noticed that Claire's cold seemed to be getting better, except her nose. The nasal discharge had thickened and begun to smell bad. She began complaining that her eyebrows hurt. I checked all my medical books, and certain that she had sinusitis, I called for a doctor's appointment. The triage nurse, when she learned that Claire was only 3, asked "are you sure she didn't stick something up her nose?" I assured her, no, surely her nose would hurt if there was something stuck.
So we see the doctor Saturday and when asked about her nose and how it felt, Claire said, "I stuck some tissue up there." The doctor couldn't see anything but mucus, so she figured Claire was just descibing wiping her nose. She wrote a script for antibiotics and sent us home.
Tonight, after Claire had been on antibiotics for over a day, I noticed a marked improvement with one nostril but not the other. But the blocked nostril looked white inside rather than green.
"Did you really put tissue up there?" I asked.
"Yeah Mommy. I had stuffies and I put tissue up there."
"You were trying to clean your nose and the tissue got stuck?"
"Yeah."
Oh Lord. I fetched a pair of tweezers, sterilized them and began a gentle fishing expedition. I pulled out three or four little bits of what looked like facial tissue. Then I got hold of a wad about the size of a shelled pecan. It smelled terrible, but with it gone, the nostril was clear. A quick squirt of Ocean Nasal Spray cleansed her nose more.
Poor kid! If we grownups had only believed her story we could have relieved her pain so much sooner!
Guess I'll be calling the doctor again in the morning. Eight more days of antibiotics to go.
I've learned a valuable lesson in believing one's child, especially when there's no reason for the child to lie. (This story is not for the squeamish.)
A few days ago, I noticed that Claire's cold seemed to be getting better, except her nose. The nasal discharge had thickened and begun to smell bad. She began complaining that her eyebrows hurt. I checked all my medical books, and certain that she had sinusitis, I called for a doctor's appointment. The triage nurse, when she learned that Claire was only 3, asked "are you sure she didn't stick something up her nose?" I assured her, no, surely her nose would hurt if there was something stuck.
So we see the doctor Saturday and when asked about her nose and how it felt, Claire said, "I stuck some tissue up there." The doctor couldn't see anything but mucus, so she figured Claire was just descibing wiping her nose. She wrote a script for antibiotics and sent us home.
Tonight, after Claire had been on antibiotics for over a day, I noticed a marked improvement with one nostril but not the other. But the blocked nostril looked white inside rather than green.
"Did you really put tissue up there?" I asked.
"Yeah Mommy. I had stuffies and I put tissue up there."
"You were trying to clean your nose and the tissue got stuck?"
"Yeah."
Oh Lord. I fetched a pair of tweezers, sterilized them and began a gentle fishing expedition. I pulled out three or four little bits of what looked like facial tissue. Then I got hold of a wad about the size of a shelled pecan. It smelled terrible, but with it gone, the nostril was clear. A quick squirt of Ocean Nasal Spray cleansed her nose more.
Poor kid! If we grownups had only believed her story we could have relieved her pain so much sooner!
Guess I'll be calling the doctor again in the morning. Eight more days of antibiotics to go.
1.07.2006
My 2005 lists
It's time I overcame my blog intertia, so here are some of my favorite things from 2005.
Best books read this year
Searching for God Knows What, Donald Miller
Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling
Best videos watched
Wives and Daughters
Itallian for Beginners
Gilmore Girls season 1
Bride and Prejudice
Firefly season 1
Best new discoveries
I still like to write
Netflicks carries TV shows
Franklin's adage about "early to bed, early to rise" is true
Best changes
potty training daughter
keeping homeschool log
writing regularly
delegating library accessioning
rearranging bedroom
carpooling to choir
Best days
Good Friday, singing Mozart's Requiem to SRO audience
August 10, a full day free as a kid at Knoebels Grove amusement park
Goals for 2006
Hold church library book sale
Scrapbook Claire's first 18 months
Write 6 more chapters of novel
It's time I overcame my blog intertia, so here are some of my favorite things from 2005.
Best books read this year
Searching for God Knows What, Donald Miller
Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling
Best videos watched
Wives and Daughters
Itallian for Beginners
Gilmore Girls season 1
Bride and Prejudice
Firefly season 1
Best new discoveries
I still like to write
Netflicks carries TV shows
Franklin's adage about "early to bed, early to rise" is true
Best changes
potty training daughter
keeping homeschool log
writing regularly
delegating library accessioning
rearranging bedroom
carpooling to choir
Best days
Good Friday, singing Mozart's Requiem to SRO audience
August 10, a full day free as a kid at Knoebels Grove amusement park
Goals for 2006
Hold church library book sale
Scrapbook Claire's first 18 months
Write 6 more chapters of novel
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