Now, That's Poetry

Hey! yo! It's really not funny yo
That our favorite heroines who had such gumption
Most likely would have died from consumption.
Hey! yo! It's really not funny yo
That us ladies would rather lose our hair
Than miss watching a show about class warfare. 

Thanks, Pretty Darn Funny videos.

—A Chaotic Mind

The Great Kiss-off from CleanShorts.tv

This CleanShorts.tv video is produced by the husband of author Becca Wilhite, Scott Wilhite (who also takes great portraints).  We definitely need to see more of these.   

—A Chaotic Mind

Living Extraordinary Lives

A friend of mine posted a link on Facebook to a political blog (I think) with a headline that blared:  ‘YOU’RE NOT SPECIAL’: WELLESLEY HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER GIVES THE MOST BLUNT COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS EVER. Intrigued with the blurb that the publication chose to quote, I followed the link to the complete text and formed my own opinion.

Erm . . . to be blunt, the headline missed the point.  The point of David Mccullough, Jr.'s speech was not that the 2012 graduating class of Wellesley High School were spoiled and coddled, but that they should go out and make their lives something special.  With kind words and a humorous approach, he managed to deliver his message and still leave his students feeling positive about themselves.  I suspect he is a favorite teacher at Wellesley High School, which explains his role as faculty speaker.

I felt it such a good speech, I wanted to share it.



Mr. McCullough (purportedly the son of David McCullough, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian) summed it all up in his closing statement.

Book Review: The Napping House

Book:  The Napping House

Author:  Audrey Wood

Illustrator:  Don Wood
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, Board Book, Audio Cassette 

Pages:  32

Publisher:  Harcourt Children's Books  (May 2009)

Category:  Children's Picture Book

Style:  Humorous

We chew through children's books out our house.  A lot of books.  We love them to death, which is fine by me.  A worn-out dog-eared barely-holding-together board book means lots and lots of time being abused and dragged about the house by adoring toddlers.  And, the adoration stems from generous dollops of time spent by grandmas and grandpas and mommies and daddies reading with little ones snugged in the crook of their arm, with their heads leaned against their shoulder.

As I said, we go through a lot of books in our house, and this is one of our favorites.

The Napping House written by Audrey Wood and delightfully illustrated by Don Wood is a wonderful cumulative rhyme (e.g., this is the house that Jack built) about a sleepy little house on a dozy, rainy day, a snoring granny, a slumbering child, a dog, a cat, a mouse, and a surprise at the end.  The absorbing, humorous illustrations in quiet and cool colors set the mood and enrich the tale, providing lots of fodder for discussion, discovery, and imagination.

I picked up this large board book off a Sam's Club bargain table (a grandmother's best friend), drawn to it by . . . well, just about everything:  the napping, the rain, the granny, and the androgenous any-child.  Maybe it's the doziness of our too-quiet house, but it spoke to me.  I could not resist taking it home.  It also comes in hardcover, board book, and padded board book.

You will love the quiet laughter and gentle humor of this book.  It's perfect murmured into tender ears at that certain time of the afternoon when eyelids grow heavy and yawns prevail over stubborn wills.  It not only invites slumber but serves as a wonderful reminder that, inevitably, rain stops, naps end, and brilliant sunshine invites play once again.

FTC Disclaimer: This book was independently purchased. I received no compensation from the author or their agent for this content.

Efficiency

As I mentioned in my last post here, my #2 son, Dallas II, is a writer.  (When writing, for disambiguation, I refer to him as D2). He was the editor of his high school newspaper, The Bearchat, his senior year, and penned a widely followed and eagerly anticipated humor column in it for two years.  

I, of course, am his #1 fan.  I claim this distinction over his wife, Lynda, because I have been cheering for and laughing with him the longest.  Even so, it delighted me to learn that  he found an eternal companion who laughs at his (admittedly occasionally obscure) jokes as much as I do.

D2 has just graduated from Texas A&M with a master's degree in mechanical engineering.  He, his wife, and their 15-month-old son will be moving to Austin, Texas, in a few weeks, where he will begin making microchips at Samsung.

While I hope I can claim some of the credit for his love of reading, I blame him at least partially for my eclectic taste.  Through him, I discovered authors such as Orson Scott Card (The Ender's Saga), Robert Jordan (The Wheel of Time), Brian Jacques (Redwall), J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter), and J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings).  He writes engrossing speculative fiction with a delightfully wry voice.

D2 is currently on vacation, and I thought it would be a perfect time to hit him up a guest post for this blog.  I guess he's bored because the following was his response to my query.  Enjoy.

— Penny Freeman

___________________________________________________

Efficiency 

by Dallas Freeman, II