Brassy Apple: DIY Sweater pillows - cozy up!

She has some AWESOME ideas for old sweaters!!

Brassy Apple: DIY Sweater pillows - cozy up!: This project is a great way to cozy up your couch in the Winter time! Not only does it add warmth and texture to the room they just invitin...

Another book review - no wait, two!!

Thanks to NPR, I have another author I love and would never have found without them

It's not an overwhelming story, and yet I find it sticking with me., pooping into my head at the strangest times.  In the story, a cataclysmic event is taking place on the planet while the young lead of the story still tries to get on with moving from preteen to teen to adulthood. I've gotta say, while it's been almost 30 years since I've been in her shoes, the nerves, angst that goes along with the first crush came rushing back while reading "Miracles." That's not to say this is a "coming of age" novel. Nope. Just an entertaining character study during an unbelievably terrifying disaster. Run to the library and grab this one today.

This next book I found was in the midst of searching the shelves for another NPR book, Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks. Normally I don't run for the medical-true-life books for light reading but Terry Gross' interview was so COOL, I had to read this book. For that review, however, you will need to return later since the copy was checked out.

On the same shelf was "Muses, Madmen & Prophets" by Daniel B Smith. 

I had high hopes for this one since the author's father (and paternal grandfather) suffered from hearing voices, which is what spurred the book. I really liked how thought provoking the book was, how once it was permissible to hear voices as they were considered a divine gift.  Now, the minute someone mentions hearing voices, your right index finger starts twirling near your ear. 

It was also a little disturbing (there is that negative bias I mentioned last sentence) to find several historic figures who did GREAT things (included founding a certain faith near and dear to my heart) claimed to hear voices. Unfortunately, while I appreciate the history the author laid out, as well researched and thought provoking as it is, I kinda wanted a more "Oof" at the end. My, how beautifully descriptive. Of course, it could be my "best seller brain" being biased, too.  Still, worth a read if you want to start freaking yourself and friends out ("Did you hear that voice?"). 

Enjoy your weekend, all!

A Rainy, Circumspect Day...and a Request for Assistance

This blogging, if you want to do it right, is a time consuming gig! My schedule's been so crammed lately that the only blogging I've been getting done has been in my head.

We've got a cold & rainy day here in Wisconsin this morning (at least it isn't the snow The Plains is being hammered with). So, with no urgent chores and a cup of coffee, it's time to put fingers to keyboard  and post the mental blogs.

As a 1st time parent in my 40's, I find myself doing a lot of reflecting on what memories I want The Congee Kid (C.K.) to have when she's my age. For me, the child of a Theater Major and an Engineer, I had a pretty wide variety of experiences that have stayed with me.

With Mom, I remember participating in clowning routines, wearing handmade matching outfits, making candles at "The Strawberry Patch" in Muskegon, and licking the butter wrapper while we made cookies. There was even 1 summer vacation where we hooked up with the Ringling Brothers circus and literally ran away with the circus for 2 weeks. Then there were the trips to the library and community Easter Egg hunts.

With Dad, it's using my chemistry set to make plastic, which immediately adhered itself to the test tube. It's trips to the family cabin (The Cabin) where we would cross country ski in winter and picnic in the snow. Since Dad's parents supplemented their meals with wild game, I have more than a few memories of hauling deer back from the scene of the "incident" to The Cabin, as well as learning to fish from a tipsy yellow kayak. I remember sitting on the hard wooden bench at The Cabin trying desperately to stay awake for just 1 more minute while Dad, Grandpa, Grandma & Uncle Fred and Aunt Bea played Pinochle.

These are the moments I treasure and the ones who helped make me the woman, wife & mother I am today. What will C.K. remember? How can I give her wonderful memories like these?

I have some ideas, some that have worked and others that haven't So, I'm asking you for help. What wonderful memories do you have of your childhood? What fun activities have you done with your kids? Please share and let's see if we can inspire each other.

1st trip to the planetarium