tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339136872024-03-12T16:32:07.821-07:00Carmela LaVigna Coyle; Children's AuthorCarmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-84626877748839186772020-05-04T15:17:00.001-07:002020-05-08T09:31:32.582-07:00Dawn Chorus... <h2>
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: #444444;">International Dawn Chorus Day: May 3, 2020</span></u><span style="color: #ead1dc;"> </span></span></h2>
<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Birds love a quiet daybreak</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">,</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> unfettered by noise pollution. With less traffic, bird song carries further through the air. And that's precisely the idea! It's all about being "heard". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times, times new roman, serif;">Deforestation is another reason birds move on to other locales. The forest creates a sort of "sound window" for song and chatter to glide onward to other birds. Needless to say, birds love a good sound window. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Many will leave the city for quieter grounds, to a place where other birds can clearly discern their important messages. Messages like, "I've got food;" "I have a spiffy nest;" "Where are you?;" "I'm over here;" "My song is quite lovely;" "No, MY song is quite lovely;" "You're pretty;" "You're pretty too". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Or something like that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">International Dawn Chorus Day is always the first Sunday in May. The commemoration began in England in 1984, set forth by the <a href="https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/where_to_see_urban_wildlife">Urban Wildlife Trust</a>. It has since spread throughout the world. Birders and non-birders alike, are encouraged to step out an hour or so before day break to witness the symphony. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">But you don't have wait for Dawn Chorus Day, or feel as if you missed it, to revel in the chorus. Any spring or early summer morning will do. Oh, and be sure and come back at nightfall, when the birds sing and chitter-chatter a raucous "nighty-night." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"I thought it was a diamond drop . . . but now I see it's not, not, not."</i> --a morning bird </span><br />
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Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-23896470263307331052015-12-31T15:23:00.003-08:002020-05-05T16:30:23.400-07:00The Conversation<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Ah, once again,</span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-size: large;"> </span>the sheep are by firelight and involved in The Conversation. It's their fourth, or fifth year to gather on a silver-plated platter. ;) <br />
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If you have visited my home over the last month, you are probably aware of the sheep. Because at<br />
some point, I usually direct my guests to the platter. No doubt there are a few (discreetly) raised eyebrows when I start talking about The Conversation. And maybe some sideways glances. But okay, okay, we all know what I do for a living.<br />
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Right?<br />
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My sheep have been around the barn a time or two or three. <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Paper</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #252525; font-size: 14px;">mâché<span style="background-color: white;">,</span></span> </span>felted, S&P shakers, porcelain, crowned, ceramic, woolen. It's all about diversity. And there is always an impostor—a wannabe sheep—a poser. Did you find him? He's cute.<br />
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Anyhoo, the conversation continues for however long it takes to sort through the year. Sometimes, it's a long-winded convo. Lots to discuss. I suspect this year it will be especially winded, contemplative, pensive.<br />
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So, how'd we do, sheep? With our 365? Were our days kind enough, sterling enough, thoughtful enough? Did we offer our best, our brightest light? Did we rise to the (humane) occasion?<br />
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Sheep, did we solve anything?<br />
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It's quiet.<br />
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So. That's the thing with the sheep on the silver platter . . . and The Conversation. <br />
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Happy New Year, my friends.<br />
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<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-78978921191079647792015-01-27T11:26:00.000-08:002015-01-27T11:41:54.908-08:00Meeting Patricia Polacco. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTS_ksl4NX5GsFe4p-YBMclOaaLTWM6Mos2sXGWrMDxjSnacormFh9UstV8lY94dtXntBr-qpUXUAuT53q06NSOP3JMi3TlftoYW7E7agutorON1jKwWGbO08_FuJ_3fqU4KpE/s1600/10940516_10152664327993030_3396733928744650820_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTS_ksl4NX5GsFe4p-YBMclOaaLTWM6Mos2sXGWrMDxjSnacormFh9UstV8lY94dtXntBr-qpUXUAuT53q06NSOP3JMi3TlftoYW7E7agutorON1jKwWGbO08_FuJ_3fqU4KpE/s1600/10940516_10152664327993030_3396733928744650820_n.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">I had the good fortune</span> of making a wish on Patricia Polacco's meteorite a few years ago. And I betcha my face looked a lot like this little girl's. Adults have BIG wishes too!<br />
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I felt different after making that wish on that smooth chunk of iron. Determined. Sure. Resilient.<br />
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Later that day, I was asked by the school's staff if I wouldn't mind driving Ms Patricia Polacco to the airport. Ummm. Yeah.<br />
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Instead of the airport though, she asked me to drop her off at Denver Jewish where her daughter worked at the time. Our conversation idled on the most important things in our lives... our families and storytelling.<br />
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I didn't ask to touch the meteorite again, instead I looked her in the eyes, grabbed her hand and shook it. And that's when I made... another wish. Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-4760996900574849732014-06-09T11:22:00.000-07:002014-06-10T07:40:59.950-07:00Here today. Going, going, gone tomorrow. <div style="font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, the house came down<span style="color: red;"> </span>—</span> a tiny blonde brick house reduced to a pile of twisted window frames and 70-year-old two by fours. Long ago, the house sat on what use to be a dairy farm. As did all the houses around here. But the lay of the land has changed since that last quart of cream. Now, all of our homes sit on the upside of a hill, with </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">nary</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> a cow in sight, aside from the concrete one in my backyard. </span><span style="font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The backhoe has finished demolition — there are no real remnants of family life at their address on Cherry Street, where Maria and Gregory once made their home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">They’re both gone now. Really gone. Maria and Gregory Barlowsky, our Ukranian neighbors. But it wasn’t THAT long ago when they were (t)here, cooking up a storm of borsch or potato pancakes, tending their “estate”, next door to us, speaking Russian or some hybrid dialect combining Russian and Ukrainian. Ever hear a heated argument in Russkrainian? We have. A few.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Maria and Gregory came to America from the Ukraine some years </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">after </i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">surviving WW2 and a brutal concentration camp. They came (wounded) HERE to Colorado with two children, hope, trust, and a few pennies. Gregory came without a left arm, apparently the victim of bomb shrapnel. Maria came with an abhorrence for vinegar, apparently the Nazi concentration camp substituted vinegar for water. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Without a college education, they worked long grueling hours saving their money in hopes of buying the American dream. In the 1970’s, they purchased a humble brick home at 4th and Fillmore and lived quietly for five years. But Gregory was offered a “much-ah betta” job as a deliveryman for a pharmacy in South Denver. So, they sold their Fillmore home and moved southward.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Our little family didn’t arrive next door until the late 1990’s. I recall the two of them standing at the front door, hours before Two Men and a Truck</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> had even pulled away, Maria in a babushka, Gregory gesturing “welcome!” with an arm that wasn’t there. They introduced themselves with a bag of cucumbers, tomatoes, and beets. Every day for the next two weeks they brought homegrown vegetables to our doorstep, hanging them on a doorknob if we weren’t home. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Gregory never allowed his disability to deter homeownership. He enthusiastically mowed, clipped, trimmed, wheelbarreled and gardened. And Maria did everything Gregory did, plus all the cooking and cleaning. </span>She<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> always said they made a good team, but I secretly thought she was the real super hero of the family.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Or angel. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Maria told of an angry young man with a bandaged body during 1940’s Europe. She was intrigued the moment she saw him at the camp. Anger and resentment dripped off of this man, she said, who's buttons were never buttoned correctly. One day she watched from afar as he struggled, one-handed, to button his shirt, expletives flying. Little did Gregory know a sixteen-year-old angel was approaching. Maria took hold of his lapel and began buttoning each one into place. She smiled, then walked away without saying a word. After that, she said Gregory was a changed man with all his buttons in a row. It seemed her small kindness squeegeed and swabbed up all his disappointment and rage, replacing them with compassion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The two were together ever since then. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Today though, it is as if no particle of their beings was ever there. The structure, the house, their home, is no more. My mind has to squint to remember how it all laid out. It’s even hard pressed to find leftovers of Gregory’s buzz cut lawn beneath the rubble. But it’s there, I think, somewhere, for a few more hours, before the backhoe scrapes it clean.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Maria and Gregory Barlowsky lived an abundant life on Cherry Street. Of course their grown children remember. Their children will always remember! But, next door . . . I'll be remembering too.</span><br />
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Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-72085158974424352602014-05-12T16:16:00.000-07:002014-05-14T19:36:53.427-07:00An Unordinary List<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Let’s move</span> the month of May forward with a list! </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvjdn9FKR8UiQQKX5Eo_ioFLPUCU9ZMD4dsdixYJCNAAztPioyidcboSu1G7xx1U0b4C-sJEW6eHO7RFo9cuWSQTcS1NPcNivLC-8hrQNIH6Ru8qngWfhuKbDdxpXTU885A_x/s1600/IMG_2663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvjdn9FKR8UiQQKX5Eo_ioFLPUCU9ZMD4dsdixYJCNAAztPioyidcboSu1G7xx1U0b4C-sJEW6eHO7RFo9cuWSQTcS1NPcNivLC-8hrQNIH6Ru8qngWfhuKbDdxpXTU885A_x/s1600/IMG_2663.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Oh-how I like lists. I inherited that trait from my mother. She is the empress of lists. Mom keeps a pen near her steady supply of plain white paper note pads from Walgreens. There, she jots down all the important stuff in her life: grocery lists, birthday party and holiday to-do’s, (down to the minute) thoughts, grievances, affirmations, reminders, sketches, praise, telephone numbers…</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">But for me, I beat and plunk out my lists using these square plastic <i>apple</i> keys. (I think they’re plastic. Maybe their some kind of hybrid. It doesn't matter.)</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">May. Day Twelve. In perpetual motion <span style="font-size: x-small;">(✓s mark the </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">accomplishments.):</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Look behind you now and then. But keep the pace moving forward, girl. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Stones and sticks (yes) might trip you up now and again. Occasionally pick one up and examine. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Investigate the hunches between your thoughts, the ones slightly to the left of your imagination. (✓)</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Drink something mildly sweet. And OK, creamy and chocolatey. (✓)</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Watch a funny youtube of dogs or kids doing ridiculous things. (✓)</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Inquire about a local art/illustration class. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Watch the (darn) snow melt off of the trees and bushes. (✓) Tomorrow the mess will all be gone. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Lavish over a perfect pink grapefruit. (✓) Said grapefruit wants to know you thoroughly enjoyed every lip smacking bite. (✓)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; letter-spacing: 0px;">Take every fleeting opportunity to hold a pup and tell her she/he is nonpareil. (✓) They like that. </span><br />
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Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-49502867250749722712014-05-02T15:34:00.001-07:002014-05-02T19:48:50.580-07:00 "21" boats and a wish. <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Whooosh.Bam.Zing.Land-HO! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">April is over. </span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6g5bboDxw9xavpSFm6BL_sOEQ3bm0lFDaUHoyhGiEw7kHPoKvhT_NfEhA_0vIbe0iBchxGz7wOcUlt_hmoxO3Hs1hJ-oBo7B41qXc1rauCJCJyIUxcaBx0JhZlU2jRSqzajL6/s1600/IMG_2508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6g5bboDxw9xavpSFm6BL_sOEQ3bm0lFDaUHoyhGiEw7kHPoKvhT_NfEhA_0vIbe0iBchxGz7wOcUlt_hmoxO3Hs1hJ-oBo7B41qXc1rauCJCJyIUxcaBx0JhZlU2jRSqzajL6/s1600/IMG_2508.jpg" height="320" width="245" /></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The second to last day of April came with a "21" boat salute, just as Annie was turning 21-years-old. Imagine that! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We launched my baby girl into a good future. The best future. The only future. She was surrounded by family, food, candlelight, laughter, song, toasts, gifts. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Love doesn’t get any more “white light” than that.</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">A regatta of life-long admirers will always have her back. Tried and true. Thick and thin. Good to know. Hmmm? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A tabletop of seashells, fishing nets, sand, hurricane lamps, rope, and those "21" boats — it was all about that nautical launch... into a sublime tomorrow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Happy Birthday to my love. May there always be a tailwind when you need it most. </span></div>
Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-53157174850179656172014-03-20T10:56:00.003-07:002014-03-20T14:42:27.385-07:00TUMBLEWEED INVASION... <br />
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<a href="http://carmelacoyle.com/images/tumbleweed-came-back-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="right" alt="The Tumbleweed Came Back" border="0" src="http://carmelacoyle.com/images/tumbleweed-came-back-300.jpg" height="320" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="275" /></a></div>
Tumbleweed invasion... some times, real life finds authenticity in story books.<br />
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A Colorado town is being usurped by a flood of tumbleweeds, as reported in The Huffington Post. See the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/19/colorado-tumbleweed-problem-photos_n_4994009.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000026&ir=Comedy">footage here</a>. It's quite an issue for this community near Colorado Springs, but I couldn't help but see the parallel, (or mirror) to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tumbleweed-Came-Carmela-LaVigna-Coyle/dp/1933855835">THE TUMBLEWEED CAME BACK! </a><br />
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"The tumbleweeds came back, the VERY next day...<br />
Even more came back, they just wouldn't stay away!"<br />
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I can just see Granny and the kids skulking through the streets with a pitch fork and (good?) intentions.<br />
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I hope to learn how this besieged town digs their way out of this calamity. More at 10. I hope.<br />
<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-85227924104891098662014-01-20T15:21:00.005-08:002014-03-17T11:16:29.119-07:00Hiking Boot GranolaI know. . . sounds yummy, right?<br />
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Well it is. Don't let my boot title sway you from grabbing a bag of oats and a mixing bowl. You won't regret one morsel of Hiking Boot Granola.<br />
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Hiking Boot Granola is a tribute to the little girl in my <a href="http://carmelacoyle.com/books.php">DO PRINCESSES</a> series. She has a heathy appetite. And is always on the move. Sound familiar? She regularly heads into the kitchen for refueling. Who wouldn't, after all that inquisitive play. Snack, breakfast, 2nd snackzies. You know the drill.<br />
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This recipe is loaded with goodness, made with 100% non-GMO, organic ingredients. Give it a try, won't you?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><u>HIKING BOOT GRANOLA</u> </span><br />
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3 cups rolled oats<br />
1/2 cup coconut (unsweetened)<br />
1/2 sesame seeds<br />
1/2 teaspoon sea salt<br />
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1 teaspoon cinnamon</div>
2/3 cup pecan pieces (or other nut, or none at all)<br />
2/3 cup coconut oil<br />
2/3 cup maple syrup<br />
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Pre-heat oven to 325°. In the order listed, place the first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir, stir, stir. Add coconut oil and maple syrup and stir, stir, stir some more.<br />
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Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. (Or not.) Spread the granola mixture evenly, pressing down with a spatula to the edge of the sheet, but not too close to the edge because you know the hazards.<br />
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Bake in a pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Carefully stir and repress the mixture. Bake for 10 minutes more. Check. It should look nicely golden. Stir some more and bake longer if needed. YUM. Remove from oven and cool on the sheet until room temp. Transfer to a glass jar for storage in the fridge.<br />
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Photo coming soon!<br />
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<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-53643897717102338692013-10-31T14:19:00.000-07:002013-10-31T14:19:53.057-07:00Woo-hoo, it's LAUNCH PARTY TIME<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://carmelacoyle.com/tumbleweed-came-back.php">THE TUMBLEWEED CAME BACK</a> is rolling into town. </div>
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Please bring the little ones this Saturday to <a href="http://www.tatteredcover.com/event/carmela-lavigna-coyle-tumbleweed-came-back">The Tattered Cover </a>, Highlands Ranch CO for a rollicking good time. </div>
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The best part of all? <a href="http://kevinrechin.com/main.html">Kevin Rechin</a>, the fabulous illustrator of <a href="http://carmelacoyle.com/tumbleweed-came-back.php">THE TUMBLEWEED CAME BACK</a> will be in town to demonstrate how he makes his awesome characters. </div>
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Tumbleweed treats, contests, interactive readings and more! </div>
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See you there... yes?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUB2qiHg00tHyfZbZU1MPzeQItoaeTjHCUTQalWvN8oSswAaueH2d3EAi2o7QodeMA4ZNRW8QRHpX-qsZLp5I5ZTCgZWifwtc9DD3F0yK3dd01VwYNqAoHoAWz_fPT4RrFf0D/s1600/Launch+Party+for+Print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUB2qiHg00tHyfZbZU1MPzeQItoaeTjHCUTQalWvN8oSswAaueH2d3EAi2o7QodeMA4ZNRW8QRHpX-qsZLp5I5ZTCgZWifwtc9DD3F0yK3dd01VwYNqAoHoAWz_fPT4RrFf0D/s640/Launch+Party+for+Print.jpg" width="492" /></a></div>
<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-63574138635014358692013-06-22T12:05:00.002-07:002013-06-22T12:07:06.902-07:00Saturday Morning at the Picture Books: On a Beam of Light<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfM9cFcniQwXvGaFSRQyKxgrsdln-oDqQZJKzxz3KFM9baxjr-JOwe4dwvtPJzBjRAX2G8whtk7VYDWgZbvVKmCpxJDAAKLjg0lNcDhQtaZx962kwRVj24mxGXucEallC7sjb2/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfM9cFcniQwXvGaFSRQyKxgrsdln-oDqQZJKzxz3KFM9baxjr-JOwe4dwvtPJzBjRAX2G8whtk7VYDWgZbvVKmCpxJDAAKLjg0lNcDhQtaZx962kwRVj24mxGXucEallC7sjb2/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" /></a></div>
Albert Einstein had me at hello. And so will <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beam-Light-Story-Albert-Einstein/dp/0811872351/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371925323&sr=1-1&keywords=on+a+beam+of+light+a+story+of+albert+einstein">On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein</a> by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky. <br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14955390-on-a-beam-of-light">On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein</a> is a clever, witty, and informative tribute to a historic icon (with a twist of comic strip thrown in for good measure). The story clocks in at a "just right" length for the picture book crowd. It's never clumsy or slow. I found it captivating.<br />
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Of course, a conscience was at the core of Einstein's deeply wondrous wonderings. It's not new that his discoveries left a mark on the world. So did his philosophies and poetic offerings. Yet, in the end, Ms Berne circles us back around to a very personal meaning. Nice.<br />
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Readers will love the tonal illustrative technique used by Vladimir Radunsky, done here in goache, pen, and ink. Beautiful. The art is fresh and superbly alive. <br />
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On a Beam of Light is exquisite. I mean... just look at that!<br />
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<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-66651043148466018552013-06-08T15:18:00.002-07:002013-06-12T15:47:01.330-07:00Grandma LaVigna's Marinara...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>"It's only as good as the tomatoes..."</i> </span><br />
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That's my own quote. Repeat now with a NY accent. (Which I don't have, but do it anyway, just for the effect.) I always say that quote whenever someone compliments me on a dish, specifically Marinara. The recipe itself is nothing special. Wait. I didn't just say that. Did I? Because actually it IS special. Granted, it's lean on ingredients, but it is special nevertheless. It's special because the recipe comes from a spoken tradition of sharing recipes. Clove of this, pinch of that, handful of the other... sloshed aprons and messy counters!<br />
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Truth is, recipes that are passed down orally from generation to generation contain more than just directions on a yellowed slip of paper. <i>Smoosh</i>, smack, and throw are three unlikely action verbs you won't find in any cookbook. Those instructions are reserved for the days when the cook takes you into her/his kitchen (and heart) to <i>show and tell</i> a recipe.<br />
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So stop looking! You won't find which Italian aria to sing over the pot of spaghetti sauce in a cookbook. You won't find which old wooden sauce spoon to use either. And you won't find any footnotes about all the wrist slapping that occurs when an adult child slips into the kitchen to sample a hot spoonful of sauce...<br />
"But Ma! It's the best <i>eva</i>!"<br />
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My Sicilian grandmother, Carmela Celi LaVigna,<i> demonstrated</i> most of her recipes. Okay, from time to time she would reluctantly write down a recipe, even though we would need a translator to read her handwriting - <i>yeesh,</i> at least we got it in writing. A-hum, my grandmother wrote how she spoke, in broken Italian.<br />
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That said my dears, be warned, for my version of Marinara is slightly different from the one my grandma melodiously made Sunday after Sunday. (It's true. I adapted it. <i>Eeek!</i>)<br />
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Over the years I have added a few subtle tricks learned from my Aunt Jinnie, my non-Italian mother (can she legally cook Italian that well?), my cousin Gary, plus my own tribulations. <br />
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If YOU were standing here, right now, in my kitchen, I would hug you all, and <i>show and tell </i>this recipe. But you're not, so here's the next best thing... in broken English.<br />
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Turn up <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul9OTShQ_rc">O mio babbino caro</a>, don a stained apron, and get out that cranky old wooden spoon.<br />
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Let's DO this!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>Marinara</u></span> (5-ish servings)<br />
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8-10 medium very ripe amazing organic cluster tomatoes (or others)<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAoNu8TPno_OIhwjfhQH5t1y2h029cGj2Ed8oWf55q5_UaiHpfAgFEqXZUxk2P1nnwRjlAfob028U05oPsLCs7Dv1slNwCabGrJgCv_7WQ0l9FcgGY1db_rvPhLWZkPjsHqEN/s1600/sauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAoNu8TPno_OIhwjfhQH5t1y2h029cGj2Ed8oWf55q5_UaiHpfAgFEqXZUxk2P1nnwRjlAfob028U05oPsLCs7Dv1slNwCabGrJgCv_7WQ0l9FcgGY1db_rvPhLWZkPjsHqEN/s320/sauce.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marinara (shown here with meatballs)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
10 medium very ripe amazing organic Roma tomatoes<br />
1 6 ounce jar tomato paste<br />
Garlic clove<br />
Olive oil<br />
Basil<br />
Sea salt (Himalayan)<br />
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Begin by removing the peels from all the tomatoes - par boil for 1 minute in a big pot of boiling water. <br />
While the tomatoes cool, place several <i>glugs</i> of olive oil into a medium large saucepan. (Be generous, you'll be glad you did!) Add one to two cloves of garlic, each cut in half. Ever so gradually heat the oil. You do not want olive oil to smoke. If it does... you must start over. (Turns to trans fat.)<br />
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Next, peel the cool tomatoes and discard skins. Squeeze each tomato over the sink to remove many of the seeds and some watery innards. This will make you feel very Italian.<br />
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Now blend the peeled and smooshed tomatoes in a blender until smooth. Add this to the warm garlic oil. Crank up the temp to medium. Stir in one jar of organic tomato paste. (Not Muir Glen.) Fill the jar with water, and add to sauce. Stir (with that old wooden spoon.) Toss in some dried or very finely chopped fresh basil. And a heavy pinch of sea salt. (Be generous, this isn't the time to cut back on sodium. Plus Himalayan sea salt is healthier.) Stir often. Do not cover your marinara for three hours!<br />
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I usually allow mine to simmer for four hours, total. Then it's time to ladle your Marinara over freshly boiled and drained pasta.<br />
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<i>Bellezza! </i><br />
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<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-83819112363275765852013-05-11T16:11:00.001-07:002013-05-29T09:38:34.786-07:00Saturday Morning at the Picture Books: Fly By Night "Is it time, yet?"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSugskfRFeKOiekeHQxtaYPNYe9Aoc34sv1wLO2XR3F4VJhv9njh7k8rlKVQ6ggP_7df_zN70_ceJcYHtC0bLbu_j7pyLPC9kD8DyR_TjojFrl9RG-kEWoqXGHx5UjWx7XRIx/s1600/$T2eC16Z,!ygE9s7HJ-g5BRZjgJJJZ!~~_35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSugskfRFeKOiekeHQxtaYPNYe9Aoc34sv1wLO2XR3F4VJhv9njh7k8rlKVQ6ggP_7df_zN70_ceJcYHtC0bLbu_j7pyLPC9kD8DyR_TjojFrl9RG-kEWoqXGHx5UjWx7XRIx/s1600/$T2eC16Z,!ygE9s7HJ-g5BRZjgJJJZ!~~_35.JPG" /></a></div>
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No dear. It's not time yet.</div>
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Is it time yet? Now?</div>
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No dear. Not yet.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fly-Night-June-Crebbin/dp/0744536278">Fly By Night</a> by <a href="http://www.walker.co.uk/contributors/June-Crebbin-1613.aspx">June Crebbin</a>, and illustrated by <a href="http://www.childrensbookillustration.com/view_artist.php?id=24">Stephen Lambert</a>, is a thesis on the practical workings of patience. </div>
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A young owl named Blink, has primal ambitions to fly. Don't we all, especially during those moments when we feel succinct with the universe.<br />
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But when will it be<i> our </i>time to fly?<br />
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Certainly it's time to fly now. Isn't it?</div>
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Right?</div>
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But no, our wingspan isn't quite big enough yet. Dang.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fly-Night-June-Crebbin/dp/0744536278">Fly By Night</a> is a coming-of-age story for the owl inside us all; children, parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles. It's a meditative piece readying us for flight—preparing us for the follies of real life. </div>
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"The sun slipped behind the fields. </div>
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The moon rose pale and clear. </div>
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A night breezed stirred, 'Time to fly.'"</div>
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And it happens. The time <i>does </i>come. Eventually. What a lovely affirmation for children (er... me)! Soaring above farm, field, and metropolis. </div>
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This theme never grows old. Learning Patience 101 is a course we all must take at some point in our lives. Like it or not. It comes inside everyones LIFE package. </div>
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Blink (and the young listener) discover there is a perfect time for everything. Cool.</div>
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Look for a copy on <a href="http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Fly-Night-June-Crebbin-1995-Paperback-/890492">Ebay</a>. Sadly, it appears <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fly-Night-June-Crebbin/dp/0744536278">Fly By Night</a> is now OP. </div>
Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-33993972942462221452013-04-27T08:23:00.003-07:002013-05-29T09:40:27.866-07:00Saturday Morning at the Picture Books, Grandfather TwilightIn just over 100 words, author/illustrator, <a href="http://bhberger.com/children/index.htm">Barbara Berger,</a> ushers in a bedtime story about the slow emergence of day into night. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grandfather-Twilight-Paperstar-Barbara-Berger/dp/0698113942">Grandfather Twilight</a> is a zen-like treasure with the potential to put even the busiest body to (blissful) sleep.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibxnxG14UiphJLIR85YZ4sbRYcCd4ohWqZgHfrtJex9BxvaHlLmmEf8nfIV6WgRWZ2FWOWVdxrYXINboxZ9oAMZxb9FyybYfoTBM80S8nl-fz2JgG2bbALx6k7Yjw43js6ld-/s1600/Unknown-8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibxnxG14UiphJLIR85YZ4sbRYcCd4ohWqZgHfrtJex9BxvaHlLmmEf8nfIV6WgRWZ2FWOWVdxrYXINboxZ9oAMZxb9FyybYfoTBM80S8nl-fz2JgG2bbALx6k7Yjw43js6ld-/s1600/Unknown-8.jpeg" /></a></div>
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Grandfather, himself, is forever swashed in the colors of dusk. Powdery blues, cloud whites, pinks, lavender. His gentle pace, not too quick(!), is gloriously calming. For you see, Grandfather IS twilight.<br />
<br />
"When day is done, he closes his book, combs his beard, and puts on his jacket."<br />
<br />
Then Grandfather moves from house through forest to the edge of the sea. I won't spoil his mission. But the reader will be enchanted by <a href="http://bhberger.com/children/index.htm">Ms Berger</a>'s wordless spreads as Grandfather moves iridescently closer to his goal.<br />
<br />
If you live on planet earth, and have ever marveled at a quiet twilight, you will most likely love this epic tale. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grandfather-Twilight-Paperstar-Barbara-Berger/dp/0698113942">Grandfather Twilight</a>. <br />
<br />
(This book was originally published by Philomel in 1984, under the tutelage of legend, <a href="http://patricialeegauch.com/">Patty Gauch</a>, no doubt.)<br />
<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-33382176755721970952013-04-20T10:45:00.002-07:002013-04-20T10:54:27.633-07:00Saturday Morning at the Picture Books: Tooth-Gnasher Superflash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi_xU6UuIi96q_jcFhE9tyPYTjGLSXRRZ6gmGGPo-icoP4Fjp9r5ZC3RUH_lqTRv8PXj75A45_jBpdwbaoTaKc0KmG6kdURtC1UeiH9UdGEvsO9RxbajPu4AggoQ_-xp5Ho4t/s1600/31VW3QX6QRL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi_xU6UuIi96q_jcFhE9tyPYTjGLSXRRZ6gmGGPo-icoP4Fjp9r5ZC3RUH_lqTRv8PXj75A45_jBpdwbaoTaKc0KmG6kdURtC1UeiH9UdGEvsO9RxbajPu4AggoQ_-xp5Ho4t/s1600/31VW3QX6QRL.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Need a good laugh?</span> Need a book that moves like a family sit-com? Need a reason to go buy a new car? <br />
<br />
Then you need, <span id="goog_1614313160"></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/TOOTH-GNASHER-SUPERFLASH-Reading-Rainbow/dp/0689714076">Tooth-Gnasher Superflash.</a><span id="goog_1614313161"></span> by Daniel Pinkwater! My children loved this book so much that we named our own super-duper new car after this morph-able auto: "Superflash!" Granted, ours couldn't do everything that the Tooth-Gnasher could, but it WAS a pretty shade of blue.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Pinkwater">Daniel Pinkwater</a> lays down bold primaries, to add even more zip to his already zippy tale. (By the way, you must visit Mr Pinkwater's list of literary accomplishments on his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Pinkwater">Wiki page.</a> He is champion of children's lit!) <br />
<br />
Who can resist:<br />
"...So Mr. Popsnorkle and Mrs. Popsnorkle and the five little Popsnorkle's all got into the worn-out green Thunderclap-Eight and went looking for a nice new car..."<br />
<br />
And off we zoom into the story with the family of Popsnorkles and a car salesman named Mr. Sandy. I won't spoil the rest of the fun in this short little book. But it may have you eyeing that new car with greater verve.<br />
<br />
And I must warn you, car dealers ARE open on Saturday's.Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-89324245704757363262013-04-13T11:16:00.003-07:002013-04-13T11:28:26.050-07:00Saturday Morning at the Picture Books— Aunt Isabel Tells a Good One<a href="http://www.kateduke.com/" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;">Kate Duke</span></a> is a dazzling storyteller<i> and </i>illustrator.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNQeWS36srnu_7y4kwtJW0AkN6ZHp5Wa1cIssAFPVjsM9L50Xrb4RpCTvNANxqsj-hOj1yXx6eiAc5kg3YoGUld9K5vUKPjyQ3Z_vszXwhXF0R0me4xziuW7V6WeYU7dlEISZ/s1600/aunt_isabel_tells_a_good_one_kate_duke-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNQeWS36srnu_7y4kwtJW0AkN6ZHp5Wa1cIssAFPVjsM9L50Xrb4RpCTvNANxqsj-hOj1yXx6eiAc5kg3YoGUld9K5vUKPjyQ3Z_vszXwhXF0R0me4xziuW7V6WeYU7dlEISZ/s320/aunt_isabel_tells_a_good_one_kate_duke-lg.jpg" width="295" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span">In</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Aunt-Isabel-Tells-Picture-Puffins/dp/0140505342/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365876134&sr=1-1&keywords=aunt+isabel+tells+a+good+one"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;">Aunt Isabel Tells A Good One</span></a>, </span><span class="Apple-style-span">she </span>expertly sloshes a palette of forest colors together<br />
with drama, romance, suspense, and good humor.<br />
The result is a rip-roaring mouse adventure.<br />
<br />
It begins at the beginning, with petite Penelope requesting a story.<br />
<br />
"What kind of story? <br />
A good story!<br />
A good story is the hardest kind to tell,<br />
though. We must put it together carefully,<br />
with just the right ingredients."<br />
<br />
And off we go. Aunt Isabel casts Penelope as the heroine, and dubs her writing accomplice. Together they craft a tall-tale that teachers will love. From beginning, to middle, to end, readers are keenly shown exactly what it takes to write... a good one!<br />
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<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-35022565458347057382013-04-06T10:27:00.001-07:002013-04-06T10:31:05.633-07:00 Saturday Morning at the Picture Books; Lost and Found<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_05N1Kmx1Fhg7ZHebl2E2hQzbnOh1VJlfFcnztvUzN64UecCGDXqcER8Fjg1OA0tXt-FtltMhTWXr6bOmxDjEHN5E52m0FGbjephE_rJPoJt7KqO0ZAw1BVUkS77_6UrW9syE/s1600/LostAndFound-OliverJeffers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_05N1Kmx1Fhg7ZHebl2E2hQzbnOh1VJlfFcnztvUzN64UecCGDXqcER8Fjg1OA0tXt-FtltMhTWXr6bOmxDjEHN5E52m0FGbjephE_rJPoJt7KqO0ZAw1BVUkS77_6UrW9syE/s320/LostAndFound-OliverJeffers.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/301141.Lost_and_Found?auto_login_attempted=true"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan; font-size: large;">Lost and Found</span></a> by Oliver Jeffers, will steal your heart away. It sure stole mine. A young boy meets a penguin. He is quite certain the penguin must be lost. Together they embark on a journey through choppy sea and ice to discover the workings of friendship. Children will learn the value of spoken and unspoken communication between friends.<br />
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This cold sea-themed book is written and perfectly illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. (Notice the author's childhood photo on the jacket flap resembles the book's main character right on down to the striped beanie.) <br />
<br />
Lost and Found, was brilliantly adapted into an BAFTA <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://www.oliverjeffers.com/projects/lost-and-found-film"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;">winning short film</span></a>,</span> directed by Phillip Hunt for Studio A.K.A. The film's gentle rhythm will sweep you up in a wave of love, as will this timeless book.<br />
<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-79402342183030319842013-04-03T16:31:00.001-07:002013-04-04T09:12:51.022-07:00Saturday Morning at the Picture Books!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;">Ok... first of all.</span> </span>I'm not mixed up on my days of the week. I know it's Tuesday, <i>er </i>I mean Wednesday, not Saturday. I'm just excited about my new feature:<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><u>Saturday Morning at the Picture Books!</u> </span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDq1cuB5kyk5pISDQ4H2U1hqc4I6OlZcKsGjmHt8rqJ1Z20O4QIRAscNawQN5eJIhHY98QwDHG3TdobgYU9JOvi2MXtLexvsxdDTzdJHnHSVlAZ7LYrqfUGt8wIY_hr6rSYUkX/s1600/Interrupting-Chicken.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDq1cuB5kyk5pISDQ4H2U1hqc4I6OlZcKsGjmHt8rqJ1Z20O4QIRAscNawQN5eJIhHY98QwDHG3TdobgYU9JOvi2MXtLexvsxdDTzdJHnHSVlAZ7LYrqfUGt8wIY_hr6rSYUkX/s200/Interrupting-Chicken.png" width="200" /></a>Each Saturday, I will post on my blog an irresistible picture book. One that you really, really must read. And I will cross reference it to my author Facebook Fan page.<br />
<br />
Two weeks ago, I featured <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqB-Jue1oeA"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Interrupting Chicken.</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span>It's a delightful roller coaster of a ride for storytime. Maybe a little too exciting for bedtime, but the Zzzzzz's at the end surely will help settle the fray. Fun. Fun. Fun. You will fall in love with this caring little chicken and her Papa.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2k1VYE-Z6wsY4xiAhCILzCYq537wXzaWnrcpYvbwr1v8TznCSoWJh00a0GtSt7NZCiBqD-J3K1yvhjDuh8JXAQVw1HwSmhNBPVm3t0zkj74fk_4amD-EWwGSWl0U0M3BgT1vx/s1600/Unknown-7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2k1VYE-Z6wsY4xiAhCILzCYq537wXzaWnrcpYvbwr1v8TznCSoWJh00a0GtSt7NZCiBqD-J3K1yvhjDuh8JXAQVw1HwSmhNBPVm3t0zkj74fk_4amD-EWwGSWl0U0M3BgT1vx/s1600/Unknown-7.jpeg" /></a><br />
<br />
Last Saturday, I shared my newest crush, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYYQW_uCdzM"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I Want My Hat Back. </span></a>It's a terrific tale of truth-telling... and the consequences we face when presented with untruths. Did Bear really snack on Rabbit? Hmmmm... children will carefully wonder.<br />
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Saturday will be here soon. Three days, to be exact. <br />
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<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-23362679045385122092013-03-28T08:18:00.001-07:002013-04-04T09:15:34.217-07:00<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">Young Prince/Princess Drinking Chocolate aka Cocoa!*</span></u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNobVHl2d42IXvwHzBVyUNkNjG7jPoRMUcYct3OQOAwgFHpZ4sDGdP4krffHiin161-1vL2YQd9ag2KHVoP7zZPfXau1d_UPdCUIUW4pc-Rxs3JZIRDqA-pg2J1Snrja-sOZbf/s1600/muJqBly-300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNobVHl2d42IXvwHzBVyUNkNjG7jPoRMUcYct3OQOAwgFHpZ4sDGdP4krffHiin161-1vL2YQd9ag2KHVoP7zZPfXau1d_UPdCUIUW4pc-Rxs3JZIRDqA-pg2J1Snrja-sOZbf/s1600/muJqBly-300x300.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
2 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
6 teaspoons raw sugar<br />
1 Tablespoon milk (of choice)<br />
pinch of salt<br />
several drops of vanilla<br />
2 cups whole milk (of choice)<br />
<br />
*Makes two cups<br />
<br />
Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl to make a batter. Warm 2 cups milk. Add one rounded Tablespoon batter per cup of milk. Heat a bit more, and whisk until frothy. Do not boil. Batter can be kept in fridge for a few days. This cocoa is not too sweet or dense, but yummy all the same.<br />
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This recipe is more child-friendly than my other <a href="http://www.juliehedlund.com/carmela-lavigna-coyle-march-12-x-12-featured-author/">Puttering Princess/Prince Drinking Chocolate recipe. </a>Unless you don't mind your toddlers walking the ceiling or swinging from door to door. :)<br />
<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-14146641970072238432013-03-07T11:11:00.000-08:002013-04-04T09:18:12.398-07:00Making mini daisy crowns...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOq-zmUHYD4UtKaBLz3385nxF4njhpQ-OYN1bTUhq8AsOADCsvVb7-rZXWARqETsfMaD1dSh2oSFcz-LlZ_YeskdcQfCDLYTW4H99pXPvGClAK9fSQ4N6pkgtZYuY-nhwK1O1i/s1600/mini+daisy+crowns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOq-zmUHYD4UtKaBLz3385nxF4njhpQ-OYN1bTUhq8AsOADCsvVb7-rZXWARqETsfMaD1dSh2oSFcz-LlZ_YeskdcQfCDLYTW4H99pXPvGClAK9fSQ4N6pkgtZYuY-nhwK1O1i/s320/mini+daisy+crowns.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Winter</span> </span>was handing out its usual cold packs of frost and snow—a good day, by any writer's standards, to get some work done. A no-excuses-day. A day to write until eyes stung from looking at the screen too long and fingers were <i>darn</i> near plunked out. (Double socks, old jeans, oversized cardigan... who needed a comb? Oh, hi husband.) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was indeed lyrically productive; started a new story, worked on an agent pitch for a beloved mss, wrote a catalog bio for my latest book, tweaked through two PB manuscripts. Busily-busily-busily, life was but a dream. Until...I noticed, next to my desk, two dot-sized piggy eyes staring at me. "Make me a daisy crown," the unblinking eyes squeaked. Yeah, they did. And um, if you're like me, you would never disobey a pink piggy. So, I made my way to the craft closet.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And voila! I fashioned these little swirls of daisyness. ↑</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I made even more. Because, well, because it was snowing. Hard. And I was puttering. Hard. And the crowns were so mini-a-ture and cute. Besides, pink piggy wanted lots! Yeah, she did. (Each measures: an inch and half across. ) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, I attach the miniature crowns to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0873588282/qid=1142871533/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-3077181-9379020?s=books&v=glance&n=283155">Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?</a> bookmarkers as give-aways. Smart pink piggy. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never underestimate a puttering writer with pipe cleaners, silk daisies and a glue gun. </span><br />
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<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-36467983561574751422013-02-19T13:23:00.002-08:002013-04-04T09:20:58.731-07:00All my ducks in a row...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUsnfy7af_xExzIoTZrBCBnyI_1gdwxVIGR8xg0Zf6bu3CpS1Gjk74Y60eDQxDeD_TAlBgpgsTRPnxkAIgsZZNt60HgrEhyphenhyphen4AHfsue7DhBCmk2FfBlCw9qLpGOtFWH3oSk7RU/s1600/goldducks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUsnfy7af_xExzIoTZrBCBnyI_1gdwxVIGR8xg0Zf6bu3CpS1Gjk74Y60eDQxDeD_TAlBgpgsTRPnxkAIgsZZNt60HgrEhyphenhyphen4AHfsue7DhBCmk2FfBlCw9qLpGOtFWH3oSk7RU/s320/goldducks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Easy</span> </b></i></span>to make <i>Goldducks, </i>that taste quite similar to... Goldfish. Only without all the additives with names I can't pronounce. <br />
<br />
Why ducks, you ask? I didn't have a fishy cookie cutter, that's why. Given just the right cutter, you and your children can make all their favorite creatures: goldfrogs, goldsharks, goldmonkeys....<br />
<br />
With soup or as a healthy snack...<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><u><b>Goldducks</b></u></span><br />
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6 ounces (1 1/2 cup grated) extra sharp cheddar or other sharp hard cheese (I used leftover Parrano)<br />
4 tablespoons butter<br />
3/4 cup whole spelt flour<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt (or less)<br />
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (less if think that is too much for your little ones.)<br />
<br />
Preheat 350°F. Toss all the measured ingredients together in a food processor. Run until the dough becomes a big ball. Will take about a minute or 2. And you will begin to wonder if it will ever form a ball. Chill ball in parchment or plastic wrap for a short 30 minutes. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut shapes with cookie cutters & place on parchment lined or ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes until just barely browned around the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a minute before gently transferring. (Revised from smitten kitchen.)<br />
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<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-44300099858149706162013-02-13T10:55:00.001-08:002013-04-04T09:24:28.678-07:00The Things YOU can do to help your young child's self image. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhki-h8nBny7XLbdTeNifFOewXJ4gqR0Zqw-7a_yx-nLH6SVD3JrvpFpOT2Ii7Jz8Lt5BHMjaTindiBEG5E429E3jFHJzOcuJaaXDVdMP1PKu52aQ5t8QSJ5RJHutS3jYO5GBVW/s1600/images-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhki-h8nBny7XLbdTeNifFOewXJ4gqR0Zqw-7a_yx-nLH6SVD3JrvpFpOT2Ii7Jz8Lt5BHMjaTindiBEG5E429E3jFHJzOcuJaaXDVdMP1PKu52aQ5t8QSJ5RJHutS3jYO5GBVW/s1600/images-4.jpeg" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Oh</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">-the-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">things</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">-you</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">can</span></span><span style="color: red;">-do...</span></span>to forestall young girls (and boys) exposure to unhealthy media-soaked images.<br />
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JK Rowling's recent quote regarding concern for her daughters, has stirred a cauldron of response from parents everywhere:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">“I've got two daughters who will have to make their way in this skinny-obsessed world, and it worries me, because I don't want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I'd rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny – a thousand things, before 'thin'. And frankly, I'd rather they didn't give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence whether the woman standing next to them has fleshier knees than they do. Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons. Let them never be Stupid Girls.”</span></h1>
Indeed, it will be a task for JK Rowling to shield her daughters from the "skinny-obsessed world," by her mere proximity to limelight. But it's not an impossible task. She will need a determined commitment. World views aren't going to change overnight. <br />
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It is our children's birthright to love this world, feel its pulse with soft fingertips, and fearlessly move across its peaks, valleys <i>and</i> floors. Perfect parents, we are not, but that doesn't mean we cannot give our kids a sparring chance for a healthy start. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Oh</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">-the-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">things</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">-you</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">can</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">-do </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">list:</span></span></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BtwcaUpggdCV1TpqA3kmTIliENhEzGyPMfias-DMBuQ6Srw5pYk6R8VRd25dfDLfuQLbHtAYrkebJ2pTjCf7ticvfMQsyKufaoIYy4ag9aNst60QPdUh1I5ANrflSab72tFK/s1600/7552ee49cae4017242fdebfdaa29a699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BtwcaUpggdCV1TpqA3kmTIliENhEzGyPMfias-DMBuQ6Srw5pYk6R8VRd25dfDLfuQLbHtAYrkebJ2pTjCf7ticvfMQsyKufaoIYy4ag9aNst60QPdUh1I5ANrflSab72tFK/s1600/7552ee49cae4017242fdebfdaa29a699.jpg" /></a><br />
● Play outside everyday! Even in the snow, rain and mudpuddles.<br />
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●<b> DO NOT keep or bring fashion magazines or tabloids in the house. </b><br />
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● Bring your own children's books from home to waiting rooms.<br />
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● <b>Expose them to images of the world you want them to see. Follow up with discussion. Get them to talk about it... or not! Let them be the guides on this one. </b><br />
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● Avoid grocers with media soaked check-out stands. (Media-free check-out: Costco, Whole Foods, Natural Grocers.)<br />
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●<i> </i><b>GO</b><i> </i><b>prepared to distract you children when you find yourselves standing in front of fashion magazines, tabloids, etc.</b><br />
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● As possible, keep the dialog at home non-judgemental. You are your children's first mirror.<br />
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● <b>Eliminate or limit television viewing for young children. If you must, consider DVDs instead, or children's shows on PBS.</b><br />
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● This is a tough one, but very important. Limit YOUR usage of hand-held smart devices and computers in their presence. A-hum, the mirror? It may be oh-so-cute to see a baby pretending to use a cell phone, but quite the opposite when a six-year-old demands to have one of her own. <br />
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● <b>Seek out magazines with healthy self esteem: </b><a href="http://www.newmoon.com/">New Moon Girls</a>: 8-10 year girls, <a href="http://www.lottamagazine.com/Lotta/Lotta_magazine_for_kids.html">Lotta</a>: 5-10 <b>years, </b> Cricket, Lady Bug, Highlights,<b> Support sites like:</b> <a href="http://towardthestars.com/">Toward the Stars,</a> <a href="http://www.amightygirl.com/">A Mighty Girl </a>.<br />
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● Recite a poem, prayer or quote before meals embracing all the children in the world. <br />
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● <b>Consider NOT opening up the dialog about self image too early. No need to bring attention to image issues, negative OR positive, when your child is too young.</b><br />
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<b>●</b> Tell tall tale stories about them... as mighty characters. Children love being amongst daring-do.<br />
<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-65881674411915488322013-01-18T08:59:00.001-08:002013-04-04T09:32:50.124-07:00Magic at my doorstep <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Being a terrific fan</span> </span>of writing thank you notes, (as over-evidenced in my children's book, <i><a href="http://carmelacoyle.com/thank-you-aunt-tallulah.php">Thank You, Aunt Tallulah!</a>,) </i>I recently wrote (gushed) to our dear friends, thanking them for the box of citrus they sent from their small private orchard near San Diego. (Yes, those are limes.)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dear Worland Orchard,</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Today I opened a priority package from you, and out tumbled and wafted the most lively prana. Organic tangerines, and limes, cleverly disguised as lemons. Luscious. </span><br />
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Thank you-thank you-thank you-thank you! I tore into a tangerine (yes, in every visual sense of the word,) and could not believe how alive it tasted. What water do you use? Do you sing to the trees? Bathe them each night and tell them how pretty they are? How do you keep from eating a bushel a day? </div>
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YUM YUM YUM. I sang the rest of my day. Mike and I are making a quiche and salad tonight and we will douse the greens with a spritz of home grown lime from Worland Orchards. Then we will dessert on tangerines. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAkhdEKyffx_j_7LEiI80KRN6chfqTyWrfxK0I-fp0BbEnESes-7kNgWWSciEv_vdlSEajRqNu-uQJTRyMBypy-dbx52RcNvQ7_qhnyZcEjXWjs10fQlZLO8Rb2ezgDHPk5vE/s1600/DSC_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAkhdEKyffx_j_7LEiI80KRN6chfqTyWrfxK0I-fp0BbEnESes-7kNgWWSciEv_vdlSEajRqNu-uQJTRyMBypy-dbx52RcNvQ7_qhnyZcEjXWjs10fQlZLO8Rb2ezgDHPk5vE/s320/DSC_0012.JPG" width="320" /></a>You, dear friends, were so sweet to send us your crop. I am jealous, here in Colorado's fruitless winter, for one of the first times ever. Very. </div>
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Hugs to all. So very nice. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Love,</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Carmela </span></div>
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<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-87425411832524415532012-12-03T17:12:00.002-08:002013-04-04T09:34:11.861-07:00Mrs Claus is busy...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-j32LQK39eJljQl1lo84Pj9u6vM0gxNjk4SxSIzH7__LVsUOtwxC6v-w3ae67URh1DUFYrZUXwXGXp-YjWh6-ULvriZqtLz5jeRm3L771Kae7ffsb4bbgfzLWNHPxKcLwG9h/s1600/mrs+claus+entry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-j32LQK39eJljQl1lo84Pj9u6vM0gxNjk4SxSIzH7__LVsUOtwxC6v-w3ae67URh1DUFYrZUXwXGXp-YjWh6-ULvriZqtLz5jeRm3L771Kae7ffsb4bbgfzLWNHPxKcLwG9h/s320/mrs+claus+entry.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Mrs Claus is all in a flurry to fancy up her hall. There are fairy lights to scatter, and santa</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"> miniatures to tuck into drifts of snow-like cotton. There are candy cane pillows to fluff, and wispy garlands to hang. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Ah, but by noon Hildegard Claus (do you mean you didn't know that Hildegard is her first name?) sounds</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"> the jingle bells and sets the lights aflare!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Welcome Elves... to Tea with buns and cream and jam and fresh red raspberries. (Which are quite difficult to find at the North Pole these days.) </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-14139168489205404922012-11-30T07:41:00.000-08:002013-04-04T09:36:01.481-07:00Lap Books Are Forever...As November, and <a href="http://picturebookmonth.com/">Picture Book Month</a> winds down, I'd like it to go out with a word, or two...<br />
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Think with me. A twilight blanket covers up each and every day with twinkling stars. Supper is consumed, over rumpus glee. The rhythm of the day becomes a distant drum beat. A slippery little body is bathed and pajama-ed. Maybe a chase ensues in defiance of sleep. At last caught, the child is drawn onto a parent's lap. A big book yawns across them both. Bedtime story. Snap. Picture. <br />
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Memories are made on the lap. The truest words, if ever there were, are read aloud, soft and real. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipo_0IWIaJVK5T76o6Rdn9rMhX9Fp2w-69wD59xttTbg9VR7NyJxN8U8Lk3LoinJBacTd-XPKOgelEZcQEfl9yZ-57DWwlixrhRJJdSKh92HDmzizqiHVGPZBq51CxKFH7Lw2K/s1600/il_570xN.298990589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipo_0IWIaJVK5T76o6Rdn9rMhX9Fp2w-69wD59xttTbg9VR7NyJxN8U8Lk3LoinJBacTd-XPKOgelEZcQEfl9yZ-57DWwlixrhRJJdSKh92HDmzizqiHVGPZBq51CxKFH7Lw2K/s320/il_570xN.298990589.jpg" width="256" /></a>Pictures, luscious-glorious pictures, breathe even more meaning into the story. A picture book might just be a child's first glimpse of Fine Art. Bluest blues, reddest reds, ripe yellow, and toasty browns. Mental notes are taken. Unconscious. Of course. <br />
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Words, luscious-glorious words bounce around inside the child, sometimes never to be forgotten. A picture book might just be a child's first round of poetry or prose. And that lap. Who could ever forget that lap. Time spent in direct contact. Slow words. As rich as slow food. It lulls a child (and parent) into a magical sleep. Unfettered by the doings of the day.<br />
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Wake and repeat.<br />
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This month and every month of eternity, please read a picture book to your young child. You may think, she or he is too old for a picture book. Or that there isn't enough... TiMe. But think with me, and think again.<br />
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Scoop 'em up and fling a big book across your lap. You'll never regret having that memory stuck in your head. I promise.<br />
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(Illustration print available on Etsy by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/89479597/8x10-bunny-rabbit-storytime-fairy-tale">Kim Parkhurst</a>)<br />
<br />Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33913687.post-87140104787245633902012-11-17T09:39:00.002-08:002013-04-04T09:36:13.158-07:00Calling all dads... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTNKChp5LTbLULAGkXNw_T9SdNyyKDclBwBNrohjzRK7LGfomZkxk5QCyYZNRZjwD_Tz0xxJsIDLwAj7Al8gW6JkaxddJbelCIMX9efnbpuq9ztthuYntIVhqMoUdowoDzeox/s1600/annie+&+mikey+7mo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTNKChp5LTbLULAGkXNw_T9SdNyyKDclBwBNrohjzRK7LGfomZkxk5QCyYZNRZjwD_Tz0xxJsIDLwAj7Al8gW6JkaxddJbelCIMX9efnbpuq9ztthuYntIVhqMoUdowoDzeox/s320/annie+&+mikey+7mo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Adore your daughters... it makes their paths to empowerment a bit less winding.</div>
Carmela LaVigna Coylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00412122143178031924noreply@blogger.com0