Pushing my princess...

Today, I'm pushing my princess books a little bit. I'll be signing books at The Bookery Nook. this Saturday Oct 10 at 10:30. The little ones have been encouraged to wear their princess outfits and hiking boots. And the owner has informed me that those that purchase a princess book get a princess wand! I know I'm gonna want one.

Princess in the news: Here's to "real girl power" and a neighborhood discussion in The Denver Post about Pinkalicious and Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots? And a video of a Bloomington librarian reading... well, you'll just have to see for yourself. :O)

And here's another one, if you're finding yourself with a little extra time on your hands.

singing for his surgery...

Recently, my dad sang for his surgery, well, actually he played the harmonica for his surgery. Let me explain....

In pain from two molars broken to below his puffy gums... my 86-year-old dad was informed by the VA, that patients are not covered for dental and oral surgery, unless completely disabled.

So, my dad did what any self-respecting former Navy radioman from the Bronx would do... He whipped out his harmonica and began playing "Clementine" for the VA physician assistant-- right there, in her office. Granted, he dramatically slowed through the part "...you are LOST and gone forever, dreadful sorry, Clementine..." because remember, he had just LOST the top part of his molars. "Dreadful sorry..." :(

But here's the best part... The physician assistant alighted, visibly touched, "Ted. No one has EVER played harmonica for me before."

She promptly made a few calls, pulled a few strings, and the result?... he is scheduled for oral surgery at the VA this Wednesday.

"Ohhhh-MY-darlin'...!."

DEEP shade

A July morning, a mile high, I'm mincing in and out of cottonwood shadows, alongside a gurgling Highline Canal. The sun plays a sneaky game of tag with me... "You're IT. " Except I am trying my darndest to hide behind a clump of inky green shade. "NOT IT!!"

I'm rather fond of shade, you see. It's July, remember? Yet still, there's something to be said for a little dab of both: sun-soaked sidewalks slow dancing with a handsome wood.

Not at all the same... without the other!

Everything is possible...

Sheesh... I guess with a little practice you CAN do just about anything.

Let's see... I can tie a knot in my hair using one hand. Ummmm... and I can sing like Tiny Tim.

So there.... :O)

Dove's Beauty Campaign continues to educate....

Dove has done it again with their campaign for real beauty.  

Those ready for a little grit, click on  Onslaught   

But also watch "Amy" while your there...  I love it.

Hairy Potter!

                                       lulu...

Personals:   loves doing impersonations of superheroes; favorite treat involves stray popcorn;   will work for belly rubs; gold medal in sprinting around the block;  misses Nicky-- but tries to keep a stiff upper lip (hmmm do dogs even HAVE lips?);   is able to leap tall beds with a single bound;  goes along for the ride;  longs for social visits from auntie thea, grandma tena, grandpa tedy, ben, max, david, jason, wyatt:  triple jointed;  chases bunnies; owns a polo shirt;  performs sing-alongs with the recorder or harmonica... 

comfy cozy...

Princess-Boots-cvr
Originally uploaded by carmelacoyle

Annie (age 15) created a cubby in her closet last night... a sleep cubby with puffy purple pillows (okay, YOU try saying that five times fast.)   She constructed her comfy cozy hideaway for snoozing and reading. Her boyfriend commented with sarcasm, "And you like being eight again??"

I doth proTEST!  This is the same sweet boy who gave her a build-a-bear for Valentine's Day.  Hmmm... and the very same boy who was quick to inquire, when he arrived to take her out for the afternoon, "Can I see the cubby?" Hah.  Jealous...

This has reminded me of why I wrote Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots? eleven years ago, when Annie was four.  It was my nonconformist tribute to beauty,  peer pressure,  scholastic achievement and athletic performance.    And although the story now is read to little girls across America and beyond,  the original impulse will always belong to Annie-- take the trail less traveled;  snort when you laugh-- if you must;  wear mismatched socks by all means; and build cozy cubbies when you damn well please.   

No... Annie 's not off trying to save the planet, yet, (all in good time...) or inventing a panacea for our economic ills or reveling in political activism... but she amazes me everyday with her level of heart.   

It is all too easy to measure teens by how "adult" they behave, and how pleasingly mature their extracurricular activities.  Looky here, my teen has started her own business!   Honors, AP, IB, 4.5 gpa...  It's tempting to buy into it, and admire it all-- I do, but I don't.   (Thank you, Waldorf Education. ) I can't help but wonder if our children's hearts and souls are ready for that level of achievement?   Too much too soon.   (Eventually they might need to escape to their very own little cubby too.)  

  

Truth is,  I am an advocate for letting teens be teens, letting them experience a portion of life that goes by fleetingly fast, and  harbors lessons galore- albeit painful and pleasant.    I say...  let it rip.    As long as parents are willing to set boundaries, and put in the time it takes to parent a full-fledged teen.  Get ready,  it may not be the prettiest time of their lives.  They might be selfish, narcissistic, and roll their eyes a lot.   But they may also warm your day beyond calculation with a smile or a hilarious story.   

Disclosure:  I am the parent of another teen-- the high achiever type,   HA, is my acronym of choice.   Regardless, he remains a teen.  He's not yet setting the world on fire with plans to reconstruct the Amazon Rainforest. (But if anyone could... )   Instead he is learning and observing how the world ticks.   In all his intelligent glory, he  intentionally leaves a trail of (carbonless) footprints behind him in the dirt.  Just so we can catch up with him, eventually.  "Wait up, Nick!" 

Annie is readying herself for whatever her worldly contributions will be simply by being who she is...  a teenager.  I take comfort in knowing she will make that quintessential discovery and it will be rich and rare.  Okay, so she's taking a few moments to acquiesce, reconstruct something from her childhood, akin to the fort.   I feel blessed to have teens who are teens, by their own standards,  even if there are a couple pairs of peat brown eyes rolling all over the house.   

There. I'm done.   I need a nap--  And I know of just the right place...  

Comfy cozy cubby (five times fast!)

My husband sent this youtube of Australian Nick Vujicic over 10 days ago and I never seemed to have time to watch it.  

Today, I watched it...    An Amazing Man

Here he is.... my guy all grown up- well mostly, sort of.   Making his way, forging a path through college.  

  

              Nick 2009 2nd semester Freshman,  CU Boulder Colorado

Reading two at a time...

In addition to The Time Traveler's Wife,  I'm ALSO reading The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.   (A brazen tribute to imagery great and small.)  I can almost taste the dry gusty swirls of dust and lonely debris from that 1930's drought.  Quick!  Get me a lemonade.   

Somehow the Grapes of Wrath avoided me in high school.   But, fast forward a few decades and my daughter Annie, the sophomore,  is reading it for her Waldorf Block class.  What an unavoidable time for me to read it too!   Don't you think?  I plan to pace my reading with her assignments, so we'll always be reading the exact same chapter.  Wooo-hooo...

"I'm reading it so we can have our  own little book club.  Just you and meeeee," I say, ending with a big toothy grin.  (Mine, not her's.)

As her eyes stammer and revolve from left to right like wind shield wipers, she replies with a waver, "Oh boy..."   

She's excited about it too.  I can tell.... 

  

  

Looking for a respite?

I am inspired by the quotes (and delicious photos) in this short slide montage... (click on the link)

Finding Joy... 

PATHETIC!!

That's what I am.  

Presently, I'm reading The Time Traveler's Wife-- and yes, it has become all too apparent to me how trippy "time" is.   One moment it's here... and the next moment... it's here.   Only different. Trimmed down and lean with loneliness.  Or fat from a diet of constant companionship.   

At least that's the way it is for Henry, the librarian.  Hopping to and fro, tip-toeing hither and yon, through out-of-order moments in space/time.  Naked. (Apparently you can't time travel with stuff, including clothes.)  How does he have time to restock books?  Zip zapping around like that...   

As for me... I'm flummoxed to a good ol' fashion linear time line,  kerplunked down on the grid, wearing jeans, a t-shirt and sweater, oh and occasional eye make-up.    The only excuse I have is "time" is in constant motion ticking and tocking until there just doesn't seem to be a second left in the day to write.   See?  That's how it  happens.  When I checked my blog site entries this morning,  I had to squint, blink a dozen times, and rub my eyes.  August??  You've got to be kidding!!  

As I continue this week to read about the time leaping naked husband,  I'm hoping to take this whole "moment to moment" continuum thing more lyrically-- toss some new words around the time line-- and supplant a lazy five minutes with a sentence or two.   Are you with me on this??