Sunday, September 10th is Grandparents Day. Last year I booked a signing at Barnes and Noble at it was so successful I’m going back this year.
Mmm, I’m a bit younger
If you are in the Spokane Valley, Washington area this Saturday be sure to stop by the Barnes and Noble. After story time at 11 am I will be signing books until 3pm.
If you can’t make it you can purchase a book from your favorite online source and let me know and I will send you an autographed book plate.
Celebrating somedays!
Someday We Will celebrates that special connection between grandparents and grandchildren. The book was inspired by my visits with my granddaughter. I couldn’t wait for all those special somedays we would share together.
My frames are red—but I don’t think the illustrator knew that!
And my second grandchild is due for her debut coming up the end of this month! I can’t wait to read my book with her.
August around my parts is a combination of 90+ heat and smoke saturation creating one to two weeks of limited outside adventures. Fortunately I had a stack of really good reads to pass the the time. These are ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ reads.
Wink by Rob Harrell
image: Amazon
Kid cancer stories. Usually maudlin, right? Not so with Wink. The author, basing Wink on his personal experience with eye cancer, creates an uplifting story of seventh grader Ross who must cope with not only dealing with all that goes with cancer treatments, but he also faces friendship schisms, bullying, crush disappointment, along with the usual angst of being a middle schooler.
The Leopard is Loose by Stephen Harriman
image: Amazon
The Leopard Is Loose is a surprise read. The cover seems deceptively simple more suited to a juvenile read than a novel that reexamines a childhood trauma through the perception of an adult. The narrative is from a seventy year old man remembering the summer when as a five year old a leopard escaped from the town’s zoo. The loose leopard becomes a working metaphor as it represents a threat to the security to young Grady as does other aspects such as the volatile personality of his Uncle Frank who suffers from PTSD from his WWII experiences. Then there is the possibility of his widowed mother marrying which would mean moving away from all Grady has known. The author is deftly able to capture events and describe situations through the eyes of a five year old, yet embellish the unfolding with the perception of an adult looking back with gained knowledge and wisdom.
Wool by Hugh Howey
image: Amazon
A success story certainly deserves attention. Hugh Howey’s feat of shaking up the e-publish world with his short story and then the subsequent editions, proves ingenuity still survives. A unique dystopian idea where people live in underground silos as “seed” for better times definitely garners praise. While there are some plot holes as to how these people are able to successfully live from generation to generation as a self-functioning society, it’s the interpersonal connections that makes the long hike through the 500 page Omnibus so mesmerizing.
I read it eight years later after watching the Amazon series. After watching Rebecca Ferguson’s interpretation of Juliette I decided to reread the book. I wasn’t eager to revisit the story, remembering how it was difficult to fully get involved in the setting—a community living in a giant silo for how many generations? Yet, the story riveted me the second time because the series helped me visualize it this time around. Rebecca captured well Juliette’s plucky determination and most of the plot was covered.It’s a case of the book is the book and the movie is the movie.
I do suggest watching the series first and then reading the book. Shocking, I know. But it did change my rating from a four to a five.
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
image: Amazon
Lab Girl is a hybrid of a scientist’s insights about plant life and a revealing memoir that reveals the soul of poet who happens to be quite adept with the workings of a lab. She’s built three of them so it’s not surprising that Hope Jahren is recognized (by many, despite how she reckons women scientists don’t get all the credit due them) as a scientist of merit. Jahren’s intertwining vignettes, like the tree rings she fondly refers to, form her memoir, one that eloquently and at times is profoundly lyrical as she shares with her readers her unique perspective of seeing science through an English literature lens.
S by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst
image: Amazon
With JJ Abrams listed as author I knew The Ship of Theseus would go where no book reader has gone before. Yes, his directorial credits of Star Trek and Lost are on full dial. However, Abrams is more of a show runner than author for this meta fiction wonderment. The writing credit goes to Doug Dorst, who may not be as well known yet proves he is a talented writer.
There are two novels. The first is The Ship of Theseus (SOT) which is an enigmatic tale of an amnesiac who sails kim with a gruesome crew and is tasked with ridding the world of a despotic autocrat. And our hero (antihero?) searches for the woman he deems as the key to his identity (as well as his heart).
The second novel consists of two college students. Jen has serious senioritis and Eric is an expunged grad student living in the shadows of the campus while he tries to complete research on VM Straka, the mysterious writer of SOT. These two tell their story through marginalia that first consists of their interactions and interpretations of SOT which leads to a friendship that blossoms into a relationship. As they trade ideas they reveal an undercurrent of espionage, intrigue, and conspiracy that is involved with Straka.
This not your usual read. While there is great effort to create a real book, library markings, aged pages, etc. it is all false. It is the illusion that there is a Straka, a conspiracy, two readers who literally get caught up in the book. It is very impressive and visually a treat. It is an experience and not merely another good read chalk mark on my Reading Challenge.
Oh, and the book contains over 20 inserts ranging from newspaper clippings to postcards to a decoder wheel. I enjoyed all the reviews, fan sites, and analysis about the book almost as much as reading it.
William Shakespeare’s writing has provided some fairly memorable quotes, words, and expressions. While Billy Bard can take credit for most of what is tagged with his name, he doesn’t quite get all the credit.
Let’s play “How Well Do You Know Your Shakespeare?” You will be given two quotes. One or both quotes are presented. Decide which, or both, belong to Shakespeare.
1.A. “Bated Breath” B. “Breathlessly Waiting”
2. A. “A Blinking Idiot” B. “Foolish Ninny”
3. A. “Take Your Last Breath” B. “Breathe One’s Last”
4.A. “Give Them An Inch” B. “Budge An Inch”
5.A. “The Crack Of Dawn” B. “The Crack of Doom”
6. A. “Kindness Is A Cruelty” B. “Cruel To Be Kind”
7. A. “Fortune’s Fool” B. “A Fool And Their Fortune Is Soon Parted”
“Bated Breath” from The Merchant of Venice, 1.3.115-116, 123-129
“A Blinking Idiot” also from The Merchant of Venice, 2.9.54-62
“Breathe’s One Last” from Henry VI, 5.2.39-42
“Budge an Inch” from Taming of the Shrew, induction.1.7-15
“The Crack of Doom” Macbeth, 4.1.112-117
“Cruel to be Kind,” Hamlet, 3.4.173-179
“Fortune’s Fool,” Romeo and Juliet, 3.1.132-136
Bonus:
Who said “A fool and his money (fortune) will soon be parted?
Answer: Dr. John Bridges from Defence of the Government of the Church of England, 1587
And what was your score?
Next time–sayings Shakespeare really, really did not say…
Moving into the “k” section it is surprising how many clichés begin with “keep.” Here are ten of the top keepsakes of that section:
Keep a stiff upper lip: don’t show your true feelings. Oddly I tend to think of this being of British origin as it is uttered often enough in literature and films, especially in WWII period dramas. However, the book indicates it from early 1800s America, referring to not allowing the upper lip to tremble, an indication tears are about to fall. In actuality it is the bottom lip that usually does the trembling prior to crying.
Keep your chin up: don’t lose heart or courage. A well-established cliché since at least 1840, the original body part and due to its slang connotations was exchanged for chin to emphasize keeping one’s head up in adversity instead of other misconstrued meanings.
Keep a straight face: look appropriately serious for the occasion. Derived possibly from Henry Miller’s 1953 Plexus where a character states: “All felt called upon to do was keep a straight face and pretend everything was [all right].
Keep at arm’s length: to keep someone or something at a distance. A long time expression harking back to the sixteenth century when it began as keeping “at arm’s end” which then became “at arm’s length.”
Keep your fingers crossed: hoping for the best outcome. An ancient belief of making the cross with avert harsh outcomes. It can also mean to keep from telling a lie, as in “xing” out the deed or what was said, a transfer from children’s games.
Keep under your hat: hiding a secret. In the old days, when hats were more predominantly worn, keeping items under one’s hat could be handy since it was hidden. A song from the 1920s sings out: “Keep it under your hat!” You must agree to do that. Promise not to breathe a word.”
Keeping up with the Joneses: living beyond one’s means. A cartoonist, Arthur R. Momand used the term in one of his cartoon titles as a reflection of living on a tight budget in an upscale New York suburb. While his cartoons may not be remembered the expression lives on.
Keep one’s head above water: to avoid being overwhelmed. Going back to the eighteenth century writer John Arbuthnot wrote in the 1712 John Bull: “I have almost drowned myself to keep his head above water.”
Keep your eyes peeled: have your eyes wide open. A reference from as early as the 1840s when people were on the lookout for possible hazards, as in pioneers being watchful for trouble while scouting out in the woods.
Keep your shirt on: don’t get upset. A nineteenth century American expression relating to the men removing their shirts before getting into a fistfight. It has since come to mean to not lose one’s patience.
When I was teaching I would consider July to be my true vacation month since June was wrapping up school for the year and August was preparing for the upcoming one.
Being retired means every month is a vacation month and for me that means I can read more without guilt of ignoring grading assignments or being too tired to read.
My usual Goodreads goal is 101 books and I would barely squeeze that in. This year I hit that target by the end of July. I didn’t break out the celebratory cheesecake but I did wonder how many books I can possibly read now that my reading time is unfettered and free. One year (2020, I believe, when school was abruptly shut down, along with the world) I read 165 books. We’ll see what happens in the remaining months.
Here are the top ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ reads:
Warblers and Woodpeckers: A Father-Son Big Year of Birding by Sneed B. Collard III
Sneed B. Collard’s father-son record of their Big Year caught me by surprise. I thought it would be interesting, since I enjoy birds, and I thought it would be endearing, because how many thirteen year olds like birding and hanging out with their dad? It was both and it was also memorable. I had no idea birding could be so competitive. And I had no idea there existed something known as Big Year.
When Grandfather Flew by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrations by Chris Sheban
Patricia MacLachlan proves once again her ability to portray family moments in this tribute to a well-lived grandfather. Through a shared love of birds the grandchildren and grandfather experience the passing of the grandparent as he slips from vibrant to being bed-ridden. The accompanying illustrations complement the lyrical story with their surreal, dreamy presentation which mirrors the somewhat wistful, magical realism of the ending.
Enola Holmes #5: The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline by Nancy Springer
“I hoped, also, that I seemed considerably older than my fourteen years.”
This, stated by Enola, is the heartbeat of the series. At only fourteen Enola solves crimes, lives an independent life in London, and outwits her famous brother Sherlock. She does seem considerably older than her given age, and as implausible as it seems that this teenager can do so much at so young an age, it does make for fun reading. I look forward to watching the series and I am diligently waiting my turn to arrive. The holds list is a practice in anticipation.
In the Night Garden by Barbara Jose, illustrations by Elizabeth Sayles
Going to bed is not so easy when playing is preferred over sleeping. With a winsome combination of text, complete with fun onomatopoeia, and soft, dreamy illustrations, children are lulled into transitioning from romping in the garden into snuggling under the covers. A bedtime book that is both fun and easy to repeat read. A sure hit for storytime.
Teatime for the Traditionally Built (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency #10) by Alexander McCall Smith
I put off reading this series for such a long time and I am becoming quite a fan. The books are short and deceptively simple in that there is more wisdom than mystery solving taking place in the plot. They are relaxing and refreshing to read and I fortunately have many more to look forward to since the #23rd is due out. The TV series is just as delightful.
It is difficult to avoid clichés. I am hyper-sensitive to them, yet I still insert them verbally into my sentences (when writing I tend to be a bit more editorial and catch them before they make it to the final version). Do you catch yourself saying any of these ubiquitous clichés? Which ones are difficult to excise from your stable of sturdy go to phrases?
image: Amazon a surprisingly fun read
Adding insult to injury: this one is covered more thoroughly in a previous post, but how else to best express that feeling of being doubly hurt? Keeper
Albatross Around Your Neck: credit Coleridge and his “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” poem in which a sailor has to wear the albatross he killed. Chicken-killing dogs were made to wear the dead bird around their neck to deter them from killing any further chickens–this must have been the strategy for Coleridge’s poor sailor. Talk about a fowl, unpleasant punishment! Associating dead, rotting birds around my neck with unpleasant tasks makes this a cliché unsavory. Avoid
Forever and a Day: Shakespeare is thought to have penned this phrase from Taming of the Shrew, yet it was found in earlier texts before the 1600s. Taking a long, long time isn’t as poetic as taking an eternity and then some, as in reference to those irritating traffic lights that seem endlessly red. I do use this one when the right occasion pops up. Keeper
Happily Ever After: a standard fairy tale ending that is credited to the fourteenth century Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio. His stories usually ended with the phrase, “so they lived very lovingly, and happily, ever after.” This became shortened and when used today the speaker and listener is well aware of how cliché the phrase sounds. Avoid, though no harm, no foul
Little Did They Know: a phrase with tracings back into the nineteenth century and made popular by suspense writers in the thirties, forties, and fifties. Again, this one is easily identified as a cliché. No harm no foul
Not to Put Too Fine a Point on It: Charles Dickens is given credit for this one, which is derived from his novel Bleak House. Mr. Snagby liked to utter this phrase as a means of speaking plainly. Frankly I don’t use this one and don’t hear it much either. Moot
Pot Calling the Kettle Black: In Don Quixote there is a line where the frying pan insults the kettle, and since they are both made out of the standard black cast iron it is rather hypocritical for the frying pan to call out the pot being being relatively the same. I admit to using this one; however, do people know what a kettle is these days, let alone the obscure reference to black when there are so many choices in cooking ware available? Avoid, reluctantly (finding it tough to replace this one–calling out someone as a hypocrite is fairly blunt)
Well–how did you rate your own use of these clichés? Find some keepers, despite them being overused and eye roll worthy when mentioned? If they do slip out, no worries (which is becoming a cliché in its own right).
I am a huge fan of our local library. Great location, amazing staff, supreme layout, not to mention its splendid collection that even includes telescopes and seeds.
Last year the library increased its coolness factor by adding a garden. Did I mention the library also boasts a shady reading area with a waterfall?
To get right to the point, the library garden is holding local author story time this summer, and yes—I am one of the authors. Below are a few photos from the event. I read my book last year in the garden, but this year was more amazing because of the addition of a pergola (such a nifty word).
Considering the temps were in the mid 80s with only a hint of a breeze, the turnout was encouraging and there were almost more kids than adults, which is always appreciated. After reading my book and going through the process how a book becomes a book we broke out popsicles, bubbles, and sidewalk chalk–all aspects found in the book.
I have yet to do any classroom visits, but now that I am retired that should be more doable. Reading my book in a garden setting is a memorable way to make connections with the community and I look forward to more connection time with other library events.
The junco is a common bird, true; however, it has plenty of personality. We learned about juncos this winter when we took to tossing out birdseed under the living room window to avoid trudging in the snow to fill the feeder. Daily a troop of birds ranging from sparrows to doves to juncos would pop by. The consistent crew was a group we referred to as the Jolly Juncos. They would merrily hop about foraging for food in their somber dark hoods and grey suits. They were determined and undeterred in their daily sweep for seed. They helped break the monotony of winter.
In spring we were delighted to find a junco had created a nest in one of my hanging flower baskets.
Leave for a long weekend and surprise!
Quite an artful rendering
Yes, the eggs are tiny
Four eggs!
Mama bird settling in for sitting
Hatchling!
Feed me!
Feed me two!
Dad bird shows up with groceries
Mama bird takes a nest stretch
Unfortunately the birds flew the coop early, no doubt due to the fact that they nested in our patio area and we go through there multiple times a day. I felt terrible until I read about a ornithologist who runs into the same problem when studying juncos. The extra attention needed to band them for tracking can force fledglings to leave the nest early, but the good news is that the survival rate is high. This (I told myself) is what probably happened with our four little nestlings. Mama did return once or twice to the empty nest then disappeared.
I miss having our little junco family as neighbors and wonder if they will return next year.
I had no idea there existed a birdwatcher Olympics. I learned of this by reading Sneed Collard III’s book Warblers and Woodpeckers, which is a journal of sorts how he and his teen son go for a Big Year.
The book is entertaining and illuminating as Sneed and his son bond over birding. This led me to watch the movie The Big Year. It was okay. I like birds but not enough to fly to Alaska to tick them off a list. Also, not a fan of Owen Wilson.
image: Whidbey Island Audubon Society
So I am inspired to do my own Big Year. There won’t be any extravagant trips planned which means the birds I count are ones mainly from my backyard. Granted, July is a bit late getting into the game yet looking for birds is different than at birds. I know there is an official list; however, I will work with what I have available.
So far:
Crow
European Starling
Mourning Dove
Swallow (Tree? Violet-Green?)
Robin
Chickadees (Black-capped and Chestnut-backed)
Hummingbirds (they are too fast to identify)
Nuthatch
Sparrows (I get them all confused)
Finches (ditto)
Hawk (no idea)
Bald Eagle
Golden Eagle
Junco
Western Tanager
Cedar Waxwing
American Goldfinch
Bullock’s Oriole
Question: Are you a birder (much more serious than a birdwatcher) or someone who simply enjoys birds?
I’m somewhere in between, but after watching Jack Black’s dedication in The Big Year–he listens to bird songs on his headphones?–I’m thinking I don’t know much about birds after all.
Thanks for the reader feedback on how you are enjoying the word selections. I enjoy finding them almost as much as I enjoy sharing them with you all. This past week has consisted of a multitude of words that cause me to say “There is a word for that?”
Splooting: a behavior that some animals use to cool their body temperature. Squirrels are finding cool surfaces and lying on their stomachs, legs spread, to cool off. For awhile we had a winsome little squirrel that would visit us and eat peanuts from our hand. In the summer she would come up to the patio and hang out. I thought she was being a companionable squirrel when she was actually seeking some relief from the heat by splooting.
image: NY Parks and Recreation
parapraxis: when you say one thing and mean another, especially when the words are close sounding. Would you care to call your mother—I mean brother?
catachresis: using what is thought to be the correct word because it sounds like the word you meant to say. “She was reticent about going to lunch.” Umm, she was reluctant about going to lunch? Or perhaps in her reluctance she wasn’t talking about it.
spoonerism: credit Reverend Spooner for the slip of the tongue that causes the transposition of consonants in a sentence. “Go hush your brat” is not the same as “Go brush your hat.” One directive will definitely cause a stir.
solecism: accidental or intentional misuse of grammar. “I am what I say I am; I is what I say I is.”
malapropism: close to a catachresis, this word is attributed to a character, Mrs. Malaprop, in a 1775 play, who unknowingly inserted incorrect words in her utterances. “She was the pineapple (pinnacle) of perfection.”
mondegreen : coined by writer Sylvia Wright who misheard a line in a poem as “Lady Mondegreen” instead of “laying him on the green”, the word refers to mishearing lines or words or lyrics. My nemesis mondegreen was Clearance Clearwater Revival’s line about a “bad moon rising” which I heard as “bathroom on the right” which made sense to me because knowing where the nearest bathroom is located is handy.
eggcorn: similar to mondegreen, an eggcorn replaces the original word, yet it still makes senses since the new meaning hasn’t rendered the original intent incorrect.
free reign” for “free rein”
“in one foul swoop” for “in one fell swoop”
“jar-dropping” for “jaw-dropping”
“old-timers’ disease” for “Alzheimer’s disease”
“on the spurt of the moment” for “on the spur of the moment”
mumpsimus: an insistent use of an eggcorn, being attributed to a monk Erasmus once knew who would say “mumpsimus” instead of the correct “sumpsimus” when reciting the liturgy.
“they’ve got another thing coming” —sorry Obama, that should be another “think” coming
“it’s a doggy dog world”—yeah, it can be ruff out there, but it’s actually “it’s a dog eat dog world”—ooh, it’s ruffer than we thought
“nip it in the …bud”—not the other (thinking gardening, not corporal punishment)
“first come, first serve”—not a Sunday buffet sign because it is supposed to be “first come, first served” (grammar can be tense, I know)
Cacology: when it’s said and done it’s how you said that could do you in—those Spoonerisms, malapropisms, solecisms—all those above, including incorrect pronunciation, could lead to a faux pa, a big mistake.
Splooting has nothing to do with speaking correctly, yet the next time you spot a squirrel doing the hot day sprawl you will know what you are talking about.
Pam Webb 