what’s next door, beyond?
sentinel blocks me, but fails
peek-a-boo neighbor
peek-a-boo by Angie Quantrell
photo by Jamie Quantrell
Fort Simcoe Historical State Park, Washington
Haiku Moment: peek-a-boo
Category Archives: Family
Sunday Inspiration
Photo by Angie Quantrell
Yakima Valley
Happy Father’s Day!
Happy Father’s Day, friends!
Sunday Inspiration
Photo by Angie Quantrell
Yakima Valley
Sunday Inspiration
Photo by Angie Quantrell
Yakima Valley
Book Review: Squish, Squash, Squished by Rebecca Kraft Rector and Dana Wulfekotte
Squish, Squash, Squished
Written by Rebecca Kraft Rector
Illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte
Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021
As the oldest child in a family of 4 children and 2 parents, I can relate to being squished in the car. And squabbling and fighting about it, especially over who gets a window seat. (This was before the time of cell phones, electronic games, and movie viewing options many children have now. Back in the dark ages. We had a car. A station wagon car. With fold up bench seats in the way back, but that was usually full with the family dog and picnic lunch stuff.)
I digress.
I won a copy of Squish, Squash, Squished from Rebecca Kraft Rector through Kathy Temean’s blog, Writing and Illustrating. You can view the original post to learn more about Rebecca and Dana here. THANK YOU, Rebecca and Kathy!
Squish, Squash, Squished is such a delight to read! I loved the problem (squished in the back seat), the characters (adorable cuties with their no-nonsense mom who takes extreme-but fun-measures to stop the bickering), and the imaginative cast of characters who hop in for a ride. The words are just perfect with plenty of language and word-play, and the illustrations are the icing on the cake.
I suggest this book for anyone who has bickering children in the backseat, anyone who has children (or is a child), those who love fun word-play and stories, and creative minds who believe animals can do the things they do in this book.
Why I Love This Book:
~ told in the style of It Could Always Be Worse, the escalating drama is wonderful
~ I love the word-play and sing-song silliness
~ fun cast of characters, a mix of people and animals (love it)
~ adorable setting and the perfect illustrations to make this picture book of the magical sort
~ while not preaching about keeping it quiet in the backseat, readers will get the hint that it could always be worse . . .
Living in an RV, I sometimes drift into the theme of being squish, squash, squished, but I better hush-mush or my hubby might invite in some passers-by…
Sunday Inspiration
Photo by Angie Quantrell
Yakima Valley
Black Baby Bunny
black baby bunny
basks
but
beware
boy blocks, bundles
black baby bunny
bumbles
bounces
burrows
beautiful baby bunny
black baby bunny by Angie Quantrell
Kitty Bioré Strips for Shedding Season
What do furry kitties and people noses have in common?
Both sometimes need de-furring (or de-zitting). I doubt that last is an actual word. But you know what I mean.
I’ve personally used the Bioré strips on multiple occasions, to some success. But after a week of so of poofs of kitty fur falling from Monet (our hunting monster girl cat) and floating around the RV, I was getting pretty tired of wearing gray itchy hair.
After one snuggle session, I accidentally wiped my fur-covered hands on my navy shorts. Oops. So off I went to get the lint strips, which quickly took care of the problem.
. . .
And then. Could it be that easy? Let’s try and find out. (With Monet, this is risky business, trying stuff like sticky lint strips on her body. I could be putting myself in the way of scratches, bites, or hisses. Such is the personality of Her Highness.)
. . .
But it worked! For a few times. And then she was done. But oh, the wonder and delight of cat-ching that much fur before it was displayed around the RV.
Go ahead. Try some kitty Bioré strips this shedding season. Let me know how it goes.
Haiku Moment: letters
a b c . . . y z
combine letters, spell words, give –
love letters to me
letters by Angie Quantrell
letters from Gage (5 1/2, kindergarten)
Love, Laughter, and Life 