One of my favorite books is The Cider House Rules by John Irving. The story illustrates how there are different types of rules, and the difference between the letter of a law and the spirit of a law. Some rules exist more for the benefit of the rule maker, rather than to protect those that must obey the rule. Some rules must be followed implicitly, others have some wiggle room.
I have never been all about The Rules. I excercise good judgement, the golden rule, karma, etc. and have managed to pretty much stay out of trouble most of my life.
I recently came up against one of Those Rules that just makes no sense whatsoever for those that must follow it. The kids and I were at Six Flags riding rollercoasters. This year, they implemented a "no loose articles" rule. This means that that silly bear you won at skeeball, or the $4 souvenier cup, or your little shoulder bag with sunscreen, a water bottle and snacks cannot FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER be brought anywhere near a roller coaster. Gone are the little cubby holes you used to stow this stuff in while you were riding the roller coaster. New are the banks of lockers outside every ride, where for ONE DOLLAR, you can stow your loose article each and every time you ride a roller coaster.
I don't think so.
So, I would simply sling my little bag over my shoulder and then put my hoodie on over it and none of the Park Monkies who police the line looking for loose articles were the wiser.
Some of the rides were to scary for Bridget. So, we'd get to the head of the line, and I'd hand her my bag, she would cross the platform to the other side, and wait the 30 seconds that Aidan and I were screaming our heads off, upside down over solid concrete. A pretty good little system.
So.... here we are, blithely heading for yet another roller coaster and I figure Bridget can be the Keeper of the Loose Articles since she isn't riding the ride. She IS, however, waiting in line with us, as I am not leaving my 10-yr old daughter unattended on some park bench in the middle of Six Flags.
The Park Monkey stops us. "Ma'am, you can't take that on the ride" he gestures with his official height-checking stick. I point to Bridget and say "She's not riding this roller coaster, she'll hold it for me." He says, "If she's not riding the ride, she can't be in the line." I don't even have to point out to you, intelligent blog readers, the Very Big Flaw in this Rule.
I say to the kids, "C'mon kids, let's go ride another ride." Aidan immediately freaks, "MOM! I really really really want to ride The Titan!" "Shhhh!" I hiss out of the corner of my mouth "Just follow me and keep quiet!"
We round a corner and I hand him my bag. "Put this on," I say. His mouth drops open as if I've just asked him to be my Mule. Hmmmm.... I guess I just have. He starts arguing, I give him The Look. He shrugs the bag onto his shoulders and I tell him to untie his hoodie from his waist and put it on over the bag and zip it up.
Meanwhile, I don my baseball cap which was in the bag, and take MY hoodie OFF and tie it around my waist. "Ok, we're ready! Let's go ride The Titan!"
Aidan is confused. "But, but, but...." Look," I say. "That kid won't recognize us. You WERE wearing green, now you're in gray. I WAS wearing pink, now I'm in blue. AND I have a hat. We are now a completely different family."
Up to the head of the line we sashay, just like we own the place. "Have a nice ride, Ma'am!" the Park Monkey says.
I think I've just schooled my kids in the art of deception. That's almost as bad as teaching them to lie! How long 'til it comes back to bite me in the butt?
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Friday, November 7, 2008
Smartie Pants
ALERT! More braggin' on my kids!
Can I just brag on my Little Miss for a bit?
She is an Academic Triathlete.
This morning was her school's contest for the National Geographic Geography Bowl. Bridget was one of 10% of 4th & 5th graders that qualified.
In about a month, she is representing her school in the state academic competition, UIL. She is doing "Ready Writing" where she is given a topic and a certain amount of time in which to compose an essay. She had to try out, and is one of three 4th graders from her school doing this.
And a few weeks after that, she is one of about a dozen kids who qualified to compete on behalf of her grade in the first step of the Scripps Spelling Bee.
I credit her love of reading. Books expose you to the world at large and she often has her nose in one, kinda like me when I was a kid. I can remember when she first began reading, she would sit in Ray's lap and read Forbes and Business Week to him. Obviously, some of it stuck!
The Geography Bee was hard! I was amazed at some of the questions, especially towards the end. Bridget got knocked out about Round Three, I think. But there is always next year.
And, like the movie stars say, it's an honor just to be nominated.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Locavorism
Anyone heard of the term "locavore" ?
It basically means eating what is grown locally and (by default) in season.
I think one could say that the movement was pioneered by Alice Waters (Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA) who initiated the idea of restaurants serving foodstuff that was produced by local farmers. Her ideas gave new life to small growers in northern California, reintroduced the ideas of farmer's markets and brought the absolute freshest, healthiest foods to the table.
It's caught on at the most "local" level possible. Many people are realizing that most fresh produce has travelled farther than they ever go on a vacation just to reach their table. Do you realize what kind of a "carbon footprint" this creates? Think about what it does to small American farmers!
Ray and I recently read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver in which she chronicles her family's efforts to eat only items that came from within 100 miles of their home. On an extreme and basic level, this is probably more than most of us are up for. Especially me! It involves primarily shopping at farmer's markets and ferreting out local farmers who keep livestock, etc. In some geographies, this is probably more possible than others. On top of all that, one would need to learn preservation techniques such as canning, smoking, freezing, etc. to have a wide variety of nutrients through the lean winter months.
I'm not up for that. While I do enjoy the kitchen arts, I don't know that I want it to be my full time job. I HAVE, however, gotten in the habit of visiting the weekend farmer's market while Aidan is churning laps. Texas isn't all that bountiful, but I can sure incorporate a LOT of fresh local tomatoes, onions (many varieties!), potatoes, peas, beans, and beets into our diet. I found fresh lima beans at the farmer's market last weekend. Bridget LOVES lima beans, and until now, had only ever had them from a freezer. They were GOOD! I often get my eggs from a lady down the road who keeps chickens, and I am looking for local milk. We're getting the supplies to make our own soft cheeses. I even think I know of a neighbor who occasionally has freshly slaughtered beef to sell.
I know it sounds weird and tree-huggerish. But there is something that speaks to me about synchronizing with nature's rhythms and my local environment. The native Americans seemed to get along just fine without bananas (which come from South America). OK, so I'm not willing to give up proscuitto. Or olive oil. Or mayonaise. A whole host of things. But I CAN try to help the economy, enviornment, farmers, etc. by now and then stepping off the Convenience Foods Carousel and making more of an effort.
So far, it's been worth it. I roast, then puree tomatoes, garlic and onions from the farmers market and have the tastiest sauce that I use as dip, sauce, marinade, etc throughout the week. Ray recently recycled a ham hock into a pea soup and used something he found at a local market called CREAM PEAS. Never heard of 'em. I tell you, this pea soup tastes like it is FULL OF CREAM. Not a drop. Hooray for experimentation!
We are considering, considering, mind you, growing some of our own stuff. My idea was a small bed near our driveway. Ray's idea was the back acre. We'll see. My track record as a green thumb is pretty dismal. But I'd like to try to manage tomatoes, beans, lettuces, root veggies, more herbs than I currently grow, squash, and maybe even some cutting flowers. The beauty is hard to resist.
I like the idea, the idea, mind you, of getting more in touch (literally!) with my food, and helping my children to understand where their food actually comes from. So few people understand the origin and cycle of soft spring greens, the sweet summer fruits, the harder vegetables of fall, the roots of winter. There is something primal in me that longs for this, and wants to instill it in my children.
Meanwhile, I will continue to visit the farmer's market, ask the produce guy at the grocery store "what's local?", and even go knock on the door of the house down the road that has the terriffic garden and ask to buy their surplus.
Nature can't be wrong. I think it'll be worth it to listen to her music and dance her dance.
.
It basically means eating what is grown locally and (by default) in season.
I think one could say that the movement was pioneered by Alice Waters (Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA) who initiated the idea of restaurants serving foodstuff that was produced by local farmers. Her ideas gave new life to small growers in northern California, reintroduced the ideas of farmer's markets and brought the absolute freshest, healthiest foods to the table.
It's caught on at the most "local" level possible. Many people are realizing that most fresh produce has travelled farther than they ever go on a vacation just to reach their table. Do you realize what kind of a "carbon footprint" this creates? Think about what it does to small American farmers!
Ray and I recently read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver in which she chronicles her family's efforts to eat only items that came from within 100 miles of their home. On an extreme and basic level, this is probably more than most of us are up for. Especially me! It involves primarily shopping at farmer's markets and ferreting out local farmers who keep livestock, etc. In some geographies, this is probably more possible than others. On top of all that, one would need to learn preservation techniques such as canning, smoking, freezing, etc. to have a wide variety of nutrients through the lean winter months.
I'm not up for that. While I do enjoy the kitchen arts, I don't know that I want it to be my full time job. I HAVE, however, gotten in the habit of visiting the weekend farmer's market while Aidan is churning laps. Texas isn't all that bountiful, but I can sure incorporate a LOT of fresh local tomatoes, onions (many varieties!), potatoes, peas, beans, and beets into our diet. I found fresh lima beans at the farmer's market last weekend. Bridget LOVES lima beans, and until now, had only ever had them from a freezer. They were GOOD! I often get my eggs from a lady down the road who keeps chickens, and I am looking for local milk. We're getting the supplies to make our own soft cheeses. I even think I know of a neighbor who occasionally has freshly slaughtered beef to sell.
I know it sounds weird and tree-huggerish. But there is something that speaks to me about synchronizing with nature's rhythms and my local environment. The native Americans seemed to get along just fine without bananas (which come from South America). OK, so I'm not willing to give up proscuitto. Or olive oil. Or mayonaise. A whole host of things. But I CAN try to help the economy, enviornment, farmers, etc. by now and then stepping off the Convenience Foods Carousel and making more of an effort.
So far, it's been worth it. I roast, then puree tomatoes, garlic and onions from the farmers market and have the tastiest sauce that I use as dip, sauce, marinade, etc throughout the week. Ray recently recycled a ham hock into a pea soup and used something he found at a local market called CREAM PEAS. Never heard of 'em. I tell you, this pea soup tastes like it is FULL OF CREAM. Not a drop. Hooray for experimentation!
We are considering, considering, mind you, growing some of our own stuff. My idea was a small bed near our driveway. Ray's idea was the back acre. We'll see. My track record as a green thumb is pretty dismal. But I'd like to try to manage tomatoes, beans, lettuces, root veggies, more herbs than I currently grow, squash, and maybe even some cutting flowers. The beauty is hard to resist.
I like the idea, the idea, mind you, of getting more in touch (literally!) with my food, and helping my children to understand where their food actually comes from. So few people understand the origin and cycle of soft spring greens, the sweet summer fruits, the harder vegetables of fall, the roots of winter. There is something primal in me that longs for this, and wants to instill it in my children.
Meanwhile, I will continue to visit the farmer's market, ask the produce guy at the grocery store "what's local?", and even go knock on the door of the house down the road that has the terriffic garden and ask to buy their surplus.
Nature can't be wrong. I think it'll be worth it to listen to her music and dance her dance.
.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Favorite Books and Authors
If I ever have a few minutes "spare time" you'll usually find me with my nose in a book.
I bring books to the gas station, to the kids' swim practice, the hair salon, the doctor's office. I try to find my "angle of repose" whenever and wherever I can. One of my favorite spots when I actually DO have real lazy time is my hammock out back. With my furry bunny blanket if it's a bit nippy.
Two of my all-time favorite authors.....
Diana Gabaldon and Wallace Stegner. Give them a try, if you haven't!
Ms. Gabaldon write big, meaty tomes that defy genre. Mostly, I consider them historical fiction, and her books are serials. The main series starts in the Scottish uprising of 1745 and has (to date) followed these Scots on their emigration to America on the eve of the Revolutionary War. The historical detail and character development are phenomenal. Which is why each book is nearly 1,000 pages! Occasionally, this author gets "distracted" by a secondary character and explores what they were doing when they weren't a part of the main story. These distractions have resulted in a series of "novellas" (longer than a short story, shorter than a novel) that are also delightfully written.
Wallace Stegner (may he rest in peace) is considered an "early American writer" and founded the creative writing program at Stanford. His fiction works deal primarily with "late" pioneers (late 19th to early 20th century), and not just geographical pioneers. Many of his characters are explorers, dreamers, chasers, renegades. He's also done a lot of nonfiction and activism relating to our enviornment. He's an amazing writer and highly intelligent. A man who can really "turn a phrase." My two favorite books of is are Angle of Repose, and also Crossing to Safety.
Because of this blog, I just found out my friend Jean grew up w/ Mr. Stegner's granddaughter. She'd not read a lot of his works, and I hope my blog has sparked her interest. Jean and I enjoy a lot of the same books and were in a book club together when we both lived in Dublin.
"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. She writes wonderful earthy fiction that I find hard to describe, but it usually includes down-to-earth characters doing their best in a crazy world. This book though is a non-fiction work describing her family's commitment for one year to "take the oil out of food." Not "fat" oils - petroleum. They won't eat/buy anything they didn't grow/raise themselves or know who did. Everything has to be local. Oh, sure, you say.... hit the Farmer's Markets, etc. But what about things like mayonnaise? It's got me all fired up about the far reaching benefits of eating only local, in-season foods. Maybe even growing my own, if I didn't have such a crummy track record with gardening!
I recently read "What is the What" by Dave Eggers.... also non-fiction, which is pretty rare for me. Dave Eggers is also a man with an amazing gift for language and a slightly sardonic style. He tells the (true) story of one boy's journey (over several years) out of Sudan, into Kenya, Ethopia, and ultimately Atlanta GA where he attended college and started to raise money to educate those left in areas like the Sudan so there will be no more "lost boys" like him. Achek Deng is the young man's name and it is an amazing story.
What are YOU reading?
I'm always looking for suggestions (leave them in the "comments" section!) and since the Uptight Righteous "christian (ha!)" Biddies kicked me out of book club recently, I need new reading suggestions to keep me from getting stuck in a literary rut (which is MUCH better than being stuck in an Uptight Righteous Hypocritical rut as far as I'm concerned!).
I bring books to the gas station, to the kids' swim practice, the hair salon, the doctor's office. I try to find my "angle of repose" whenever and wherever I can. One of my favorite spots when I actually DO have real lazy time is my hammock out back. With my furry bunny blanket if it's a bit nippy.
Two of my all-time favorite authors.....
Diana Gabaldon and Wallace Stegner. Give them a try, if you haven't!
Ms. Gabaldon write big, meaty tomes that defy genre. Mostly, I consider them historical fiction, and her books are serials. The main series starts in the Scottish uprising of 1745 and has (to date) followed these Scots on their emigration to America on the eve of the Revolutionary War. The historical detail and character development are phenomenal. Which is why each book is nearly 1,000 pages! Occasionally, this author gets "distracted" by a secondary character and explores what they were doing when they weren't a part of the main story. These distractions have resulted in a series of "novellas" (longer than a short story, shorter than a novel) that are also delightfully written.
Wallace Stegner (may he rest in peace) is considered an "early American writer" and founded the creative writing program at Stanford. His fiction works deal primarily with "late" pioneers (late 19th to early 20th century), and not just geographical pioneers. Many of his characters are explorers, dreamers, chasers, renegades. He's also done a lot of nonfiction and activism relating to our enviornment. He's an amazing writer and highly intelligent. A man who can really "turn a phrase." My two favorite books of is are Angle of Repose, and also Crossing to Safety.
Because of this blog, I just found out my friend Jean grew up w/ Mr. Stegner's granddaughter. She'd not read a lot of his works, and I hope my blog has sparked her interest. Jean and I enjoy a lot of the same books and were in a book club together when we both lived in Dublin.
What am I reading now?
"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. She writes wonderful earthy fiction that I find hard to describe, but it usually includes down-to-earth characters doing their best in a crazy world. This book though is a non-fiction work describing her family's commitment for one year to "take the oil out of food." Not "fat" oils - petroleum. They won't eat/buy anything they didn't grow/raise themselves or know who did. Everything has to be local. Oh, sure, you say.... hit the Farmer's Markets, etc. But what about things like mayonnaise? It's got me all fired up about the far reaching benefits of eating only local, in-season foods. Maybe even growing my own, if I didn't have such a crummy track record with gardening!
I recently read "What is the What" by Dave Eggers.... also non-fiction, which is pretty rare for me. Dave Eggers is also a man with an amazing gift for language and a slightly sardonic style. He tells the (true) story of one boy's journey (over several years) out of Sudan, into Kenya, Ethopia, and ultimately Atlanta GA where he attended college and started to raise money to educate those left in areas like the Sudan so there will be no more "lost boys" like him. Achek Deng is the young man's name and it is an amazing story.
What are YOU reading?
I'm always looking for suggestions (leave them in the "comments" section!) and since the Uptight Righteous "christian (ha!)" Biddies kicked me out of book club recently, I need new reading suggestions to keep me from getting stuck in a literary rut (which is MUCH better than being stuck in an Uptight Righteous Hypocritical rut as far as I'm concerned!).
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Angle of Repose
Angle of Repose. Definition: an engineering term meaning the angle at which dirt and pebbles stop rolling and come to rest.
The other title I'd considered for my blog was a long title of a country song: I love this crazy tragic sometimes almost magic awful beautiful life.
Contrary ideas, those.
No matter. Life is full of contradictions, juxtapositions, conflicts and compromises. Meeting these gracefully, to find one's own angle of repose is a way of acheiving balance, sanity, gratification.
Angle of Repose is also the title of a Pulitzer Prize winning book by one of my favorite authors, Wallace Stegner. There will be a lot about books in this blog. Books are where I find my own angle of repose and escape for a few minutes from the crazy/tragic.
So. There it is. My first blog posting. One of these days, I'll start putting up things that I hope will interest my friends. Stories, photos, memories. Watch this space.
The other title I'd considered for my blog was a long title of a country song: I love this crazy tragic sometimes almost magic awful beautiful life.
Contrary ideas, those.
No matter. Life is full of contradictions, juxtapositions, conflicts and compromises. Meeting these gracefully, to find one's own angle of repose is a way of acheiving balance, sanity, gratification.
Angle of Repose is also the title of a Pulitzer Prize winning book by one of my favorite authors, Wallace Stegner. There will be a lot about books in this blog. Books are where I find my own angle of repose and escape for a few minutes from the crazy/tragic.
So. There it is. My first blog posting. One of these days, I'll start putting up things that I hope will interest my friends. Stories, photos, memories. Watch this space.
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