Love, Laughter, and Life

Adventures With a Book Lover


Leave a comment

Top 10 Reasons to Create Little Free Libraries in Your Community by Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan

We often support schools and communities with promoting summer reading.  We want students to continue their “readerly lives” over the summer.  A few years ago, we were researching ideas to get book…

Source: Top 10 Reasons to Create Little Free Libraries in Your Community by Tammy Mulligan and Clare 

I want to do this at my house! There are 3 little libraries in our neighborhood. Love them!


Leave a comment

Catitude Haiku

Monet expressing her cat-ness

yes, I am Gray Queen

royal bed and rest doth call

stop bothering me

by Angie Quantrell


Leave a comment

And it was just right… The Rule of Three.

Three blind mice. Three little pigs. Three wishes. Most of us have figured out that three is a magic number in western culture. One theory has it that three is magic to us because that’s the triumv…

Source: And it was just right… The Rule of Three.

Wonderful examples and information for writers of picture books. Thanks!


Leave a comment

Smorgasbord Easter Egg Hunt – Bloggers who are ‘Jolly good eggs’

It is Easter and no doubt there will be chocolate!  Oh yes!.  I am not fully present here on the blog at the moment as I am busy filling boxes with items I cannot part with and charity bags with th…

Source: Smorgasbord Easter Egg Hunt – Bloggers who are ‘Jolly good eggs’

Thank you, Sally! Sally is truly a jolly great egg. 🙂


Leave a comment

How to Get Over Bad Book Reviews

Phew! What a whirlwind this week has been! The weather flip-flopped between winter and summer, the Bat Mitzvah RSVPs flooded in and my fourth book released to critical and commercial acclaim. It wa…

Source: How to Get Over Bad Book Reviews

You hang in there, Tara!


Leave a comment

Top Ten Reasons Picture Books Rock…

I am thrilled to count myself among the ranks of children’s picture book writers. I believe, whole-heartedly, in the power of picture books. Of course, there are thousands of reasons to love pictur…

Source: Top Ten Reasons Picture Books Rock…

Picture books rock! Thanks, Michelle!


Leave a comment

Nothing is Normal Here, Norman! (plus a GoodReads giveaway!)

A four-foot-tall stuffed NORMAL NORMAN sits in my house and my 12-year-old forgets he’s here, so she jumps upon spotting him, not unlike Gloria’s reaction to dog-butler Barkley on Modern Family. OH…

Source: Nothing is Normal Here, Norman! (plus a GoodReads giveaway!)

Here is an opportunity to meet Normal Norman! Thanks, Tara!


Leave a comment

Love is Spoken Here

Are they more than just words on a card?

Love is spoken here.

These words could be trite, overused, or just a pretty saying.

Are they more?

Maybe those who send or utter, “Love is spoken here,” are well meaning and sincerely offer encouragement, love, and affection.

Do words speak louder than actions? Or is it the other way around?

Do my actions shout in agreement with my quiet words or engage in battle between what I want to do and say and what I actually do and say? Sometimes the answer is both.

Love is spoken here.

Love is shown here.

Love is experienced here.

Love grows here.

Love is here.

Love is.

Love.

These thoughts remind me of the often used love verses for wedding ceremonies, though I think love is not just for marriages. You can read them in 1 Corinthians 13.

What do you think of when you consider love?


2 Comments

Old Words

 I was preparing to take a relaxing bubble bath in my claw foot tub last night when I saw a wadded up log of newspaper on the floor.

The paper log was actually old newspaper. Old 1949 newspaper.

It was super dusty and fragile, so I didn’t undo it, but went ahead and enjoyed my bath, contemplating the sudden arrival of newspaper in the bedroom.

This morning, long after honey had gone to work, I noticed the newspaper had been carefully unrolled and somewhat flattened.

That was when I saw the date on the antique (or is it vintage?) Seattle Times. Sunday, March 27, 1949. Fascinating.

I do love looking at old newspapers, especially the ads. Odd, I realize, but the price comparisons between then and now are amusing and sad. The articles in this bundle also told tales of the times – fashions, comics, businesses, and even child rearing and feeding advice.

This was no ordinary newspaper. It was mystery newspaper that had been recycled to provide padding for an old wood and woven jute chair. We didn’t even know it was stuffed. Look at how creative folks were at repurposing way back before the word was even in use.

Now we know more about the chair (it is older than both of us) and the news of the day from several decades ago.

Words are valuable. No matter how old or in what format they are discovered.

 

What are some words that are valuable to you?


Leave a comment

Read to Me

“Nana, read this to me.”

I was happy to read a stack of 10 books to my 4-year-old granddaughter. This only worked because baby brother was fast asleep. Sister loves books.

Today, sister had another task for Nana. After busily writing on paper, she handed me her story.

“Nana, read this to me.”

You can imagine I was a bit challenged. So I asked her to read it to me.

Khloe: I can’t read.

Me: What is it about?

Khloe: Uhm, Lava Girl and Shark Boy.

Me: Ok. Once upon a time . . . Lava Girl and Shark Boy went on a picnic. They went swimming. They had a fun time. The end.

Khloe: No, you’re not done yet.

Me: They had a flat tire and had to fix it.

Khloe: No.

Me: What else?

Khloe: (whispering to me) They help other people!

Me: Oh! Lava Girl and Shark Boy helped some people who had a flat tire. They helped fix the tire. Then they enjoyed their picnic. The end.

Khloe: (smiles and nods) Ok.

That was only the first story. She had another waiting in the wings. Nana was on call as storyteller.

I am pleased that she loves stories, writing, reading, and words. Literacy begins long before they reach school.

What is your favorite story to read aloud?

I’d love to hear.