April 2001
Importing my old entries! The go from newest to oldest. More below the cut.
April 29, 2001
As much as it pains me, I had to take down the song listings ‘cuz I realized people with smaller monitors were having to scroll. I hope this fixes the problem. Since I was loathe to remove Jane, I moved her above the links. Also, the java script isn’t working on some computers but since I know nothing about java, I have no idea how to fix it. Oh well.
April 24, 2001
Today we went to Betsy’s house in Circleville. She has three great little girls and Noah had a lot of fun with them. She lives on top of a steep hill and the kids were running down it all afternoon, climbing back up more and more slowly as the day wore on. I had a terrific time with them. Betsy is really down-to-earth and fun; amazing considering she’s a media titan!
On the way back we stopped at a thrift store where we got a dozen more books (including a perfect copy of a The Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit, a Zilpha Keatley Snyder book, three Clifford books, and another copy of The Catcher in the Rye to replace the one I gave Josh in 1987), a Noah’s Ark mobile, three classic Disney song tapes, a fairy tales story tape, a bag of stuffed animals (picked out by Noah), and a sturdy wooden refrigerator like the ones they have in preschools all for $10.14. The ‘fridge alone was $4.50 and the books were $.99 for 12. I’m high on my good fortune right now! The refrigerator had loose screws and someone scribbled on the front but it’s nothing a screwdriver and some elbow-grease won’t fix. These things retail for something like $75 new.
As I was helping the guy load the refrigerator into the trunk, Noah said doubtfully, “Mommy, I don’t really play with my kitchen set anymore.” To which I replied, “But you like to put your people [meaning stuffed animals] in the cupboards so you can put them in here, too.” He cheered up right away and is downstairs now in the playroom loading his new beanies into the freezer.
I must say that sometimes I love being financially-challenged because stupendous thrift store finds mean oh so much more.
April 22, 2001
Happy Earth Day! We have a white lilac blooming right outside our bedroom window. Brett was just saying with amazement that the previous owners of this house made improvements that make our lives a bit better in small but lovely ways.
I got an Alison Krauss CD for a mere dollar yesterday at a garage sale and a bunch of paperback books for a quarter apiece. Ain’t life grand?
I’ve been researching an article about soy foods for Vegetarian Baby and Child and am now convinced that we need to cut back on our soy foods. Actually, we don’t eat that much but I’m going to monitor it more closely. Noah goes on soy eating jags and it’s him, of course, that I worry about most. Partly because of this and partly because I *know* I’m not getting enough protein, we’ve decided to forego the vegetarian lifestyle in favor of one that is vegetarian-like but includes fish and organic turkey. Want the scary soy story? Look here. And remember that soybeans are present in many processed foods so check the ingredients on your crackers when you’re trying to figure out your soy intake.
April 20, 2001
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I went and saw Billy Elliot today. It’s great right from the beginning with Jamie Bell leaping on his bed in slow motion accompanied by T-Rex’s Cosmic Dancer. (I’m downloading it as I type.) He’s terrific in it and his dancing is great, too. Jamie is this incredibly gorgeous little boy with this smile that somehow makes your heart ache. I bet his mama is so proud. Of course, he reminded me of Noah (when you’re a mother, every appealing child somehow reminds you of your own, I guess) and it made me wonder what’s going to be the thing that gets him through those drear, dread days. For me, it was writing. Brett drew comics. Noah does love music but I don’t really know if he’s going to be musical in any way. |
April 17, 2001
Noah is outside right now. I bought him a child-sized rake and long-handled shovel and he’s out digging in the garden. He’s standing in a little plot of mud with his winter coat and fake coonskin cap on (we’re having snow flurries right now) diligently digging away. He flings the mud over his shoulder and then trots to the shed to get his rake and clean it up. He’s chattering away to Peanut while he works and (like a good dog should), she’s perking up her ears and tilting her head quizzically to listen to him. She chases after the dirt he throws and stays at his heels whenever he’s making his way to the shed.
We’re having one of those nice days that remind me of being a preschooler myself. I never feel better about staying at home than on days like this when I know exactly how happy and content he’s feeling because 20-some years ago, I felt just that way.
April 15, 2001
Mmmm, chocolate! Noah had his easter egg hunt and is chock-full of jelly beans right now.
Last night I was reading A History of the Jews by Abram Leon Sachar. I am so disturbed by what I find on the ‘net when I punch Mr. Sachar’s name into, say, Google. There are all of these scary anti-semitic sites written by people who blame Jews for the death of Jesus and are trying to start a “holy war” by pitting, for example, people of color against Jews. It’s so ugly and frightening. Let’s remember, folks, that Jesus was a Jew who preached to the Jews and had *no interest* in gentiles. Christianity didn’t become a religion for gentiles ’til Paul (Saul) came along. In other words, Jesus loved the Jews; he was a Jew. JEWS ARE NOT THE ENEMY.
Some peaceable links from Christians about the whole who killed Jesus argument:
A promise keeper’s point of view
John R. Mabry’s point of view
Bill Loader’s point of view
That’s all the links I can put up right now. I’m getting too overwhelmed by the other sites I find along with them. The ones that are written by Jews about how Christians are wrong and the ones written by Christians about how Jews are wrong and the ones written by Islamics, Agnostics, Athiests, Pagans, etc. all arguing, bellowing, condemning everyone else. Ughhhh. I’m so glad that I grew up in a melting pot family and am raising a melting pot kid and can disregard all of these ridiculous arguments. God is bigger than our beliefs, people. S/he’s big enough for all of ‘em.
April 13, 2001
Eegads! Friday the 13th! I know it’s Good Friday for most people but Brett doesn’t have it off and I won’t be getting mail so it doesn’t seem like much fun for me; although technically it is still Passover. Our cotton tree is spitting these horrible little sticky pods all over the yard. Peanut gets them stuck in her fur where they drive her crazy and they hitch rides on our shoes so that we’ll drag them into the house. They stain the bathtub yellow and are entwined in our ugly carpet. Ughhh. On the other hand, all this miraculous greenery is coming up through the mud. Now I know why people say you shouldn’t plant anything until you’ve lived somewhere at least a year. All of these plots of dirt were inspiring daydreams as I pored over gardening catalogs but it turns out that they’re already gardens. It’s a beautiful thing to see. My mom is going to come over to help me try and identify the various little spears.
April 9, 2001
I hate this. I’ve had the song Marry Me A Little as sung by Liz Callaway stuck in my head for about three days. It’s a great song but frankly, it’s interfering with my ability to get to sleep for crying out loud.
Super Brett ran a half-marathon yesterday in Athens, OH at Ohio University. We spent the weekend there and had a grand time. Noah went swimming and hung out on a dock. He was completely worn out and I don’t think any of us have entirely caught up on our sleep yet.
It was strange seeing all those kids (college students); they looked like children pretending to be adults. (sigh) My, I’m certainly getting old. I feel like staying home under the covers tonight but I have a LLL meeting to go to.
April 5, 2001
My gosh, I am *tired.*
My friend Mart came over today bearing german chocolate cake. He’s fretting about his move to NYC and I can’t say that I blame him. I have no doubt, however, that he’s going to land solidly on his feet. He’s too smart, too charming, and too fabulous to stay unemployed for very long. And he has a stunning resume, too.
My brother-in-law, Wick, got engaged recently. We got to meet his (now) fiancé over the holidays and they make a pretty wonderful couple. I don’t know if we’ll be able to attend the wedding (they’re talking about saying “I do” at the Oregon coast in September) ‘cuz of finances; I hope that we can at least send Brett out there. Who knows? Maybe we’ll fall into a pile of money before then.
April 4, 2001
The agent *might* be interested in representing my book! I hadn’t heard from her so I sent a note checking in and she emailed back apologizing and saying she liked the project and that she would like to see the proposal “jazzed” up. Then she asked (again) if any other agents or publishers had seen it. Why no, they haven’t. Katie said it all sounds very good and since this agent is also Katie’s agent (that was my “in”), it really must sound very good. I’m not counting my chickens quite yet but I am pretty excited!
I’ve had great luck at the thrift shops lately finding books for Noah. I’m collecting Newbery books and so far I have two shelves full and I haven’t paid more than $1 for any of ‘em. Last week I got My Side of the Mountain and Ginger Pye which are both Newbery winners. I also found Theater Shoes (I loved Ballet Shoes), and Someday Angeline (I really like Louis Sachar, whom I discovered when I was 25). My biggest coup was a near-perfect copy of Rilla of Ingleside which is the 8th of the Anne of Green Gables series. I read these when I was a kid and had no idea that there was a 7th and 8th in the series until I found copies of them at thrift stores. I love that.
I have one friend who only likes brand new books with shiny covers and untouched pages but personally I like getting used books. Not too used, but used enough that you can read them in the bathtub without guilt or worry. I also like seeing kids’ names and addresses scrawled across the inside cover ‘cuz then you know the book was probably well-loved. I bought one book the other day just because the original owner lived in Northbrook, IL which is where we lived during the blizzard of ‘78.
April 1, 2001
Today is our anniversary. Brett and I have been together for 11 years and married for 7. Who woulda thunk that our romance — begun in the beery atmosphere of Mean Mister Mustard’s (a campus dive known by anyone with silly hair in Columbus, OH during the ’80s) — would blossom into a marriage complete with child. Actually, Brett thunk it but I always figured I wouldn’t meet the Man o’ my Dreams until I had been divorced at least once.
Those of you who have not had the good fortune to meet my better-half are missing out on knowing an incredibly kind, patient, loving, smart, funny, strange man (not to mention terribly handsome) who enriches my life in ways that leave me breathless. Every happiness in my life is happier and every sadness is less sad because I know him. Like Mary Poppins, he is “practically perfect in every way.”
I spent the morning sipping chai and making my page prettier. To me, this is an awfully nice way to celebrate an awfully nice event (Brett) in my life. We’ll go out to dinner tonight but having this uninterrupted time on the computer listening to Joni Mitchell’s new album (which is FABULOUS by the way) and knowing that Noah is having a grand time wrestling with his daddy is this loving but tired mother’s idea of paradise. My but it’s nice to be married and nice to be a mom and nice to be enjoying this rainy Sunday in such commonplace ways.
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