Indeed - Where IS the rage?
Well said. I can add nothing more.
Blog Nod: A Wrung Sponge
Archive for May, 2007
Island Food, Portuguese Style
I’ve been meaning to take my camera into the grocery store to snap a shot of the extensive selection of Portuguese sausage - or linguica - that’s available, but I keep forgetting. It’s worth a photo; some stores have an entire 8-foot section dedicated to this island staple. I’m half Portuguese, and grew up with linguica as a rare treat, sometimes picked up - handmade - at the annual Portuguese festival. It was definitely not a staple at our local grocery store, though we’d run across it every once in awhile and be in breakfast heaven. To have this childhood treat available all the time is a wicked temptation, to say the least. But I digress. Since I haven’t taken photos of the sausage section, I’d like to direct you over to Tasty Island, where the importance of Portuguese sausage is evident by the Great Portuguese Sausage Shootout. It seems like Portuguese food is the theme of the moment over there; you’ll also find a post about (mmm) malassadas and Portuguese bean soup (complete with recipe).
Enjoy!
The Case Against Homework - update
I just noticed a post about this book at Boing Boing, via Chris O’Donnell. I haven’t had a chance to read it, but plan to check it out later today. If nothing else, the comments section of COD’s post about this is worth a read.
8 Things Meme
It’s a meme-y week! Tammy wanted to know 7 quirky things about me, and now Jen over at JKR Books has tagged me for the 8 things meme. More than you ever wanted to know about me, certainly, but I’ll play along!
Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
- I cannot function without my oversized year-at-a-glance calendar. I need to be able to see my deadlines on that orderly 3 x 4 grid.
- When I do not have a deadline looming on that big year-at-a-glance calendar, I spend my time answering memes like these rather than tackling the big laundry pile taunting me from the corner.
- I grew up on an apple farm. During my childhood and into my early twenties, August through November meant late nights of sorting, culling, and packing apples. During this time, I fulfilled my “apple a day” obligation and then some.
- If I were stranded on a deserted island and could have only one food item I would not choose apples. I’d choose Cheezits. Really. Totally and completely contrary to the kinds of food we normally eat, but there you have it.
- In my previous life, I worked in the field of landscape architecture designing landscapes and irrigation systems for residential and commercial properties.
- I do not like people to talk to me in the morning. I don’t necessarily mind being UP, but I need to be alone in my own head for an hour or so before I’m ready to converse. As a parent, this doesn’t work out so well most of the time.
- My first piece of published writing was an essay that took third in a writing contest back when I was in high school (and likely very, very bad - the essay, not me. I for sure was bad). My next piece of published writing came about 20 years later and was also an essay.
- I can sew, though most of my sewing these days is limited to costume making and sewing very square household items like curtains. I have, however, made complete outfits including pants with a zipper, and several quilts. Though I don’t sew as much as I’d like, I am very fond of fabric. I could easily find myself overwhelmed with stacks of fabric and no time to do anything with them.
So now it’s my turn to tag…
Theresa over at Lapaz Farm
Surely Andrea needs something to do?
Shelly (oh, wait, you don’t have a blog! You must have such a clean house!)
Not June Cleaver
My newest commenter, Debra
Annie at Here and There Japan
Jo Knowles, my new Jacket Flap friend and author of the soon-to-be-released “Lessons from a Dead Girl“
Robin at Martinzoo
Denise over at Fast Times at Homeschool High
Aspiring Children’s Book Authors
I know that some of you have visions of someday publishing books for children and young adults. Cynthia Leitich Smith has an interview up on her Cynsations blog with author and editor Harold Underdown who wrote The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books. It’s an excellent interview with links and information that you might find helpful.
Recent Reads
What I’ve read recently:
If I am Missing or Dead, Janine Latus
The Higher Power of Lucky, Susan Patron
The Colony, John Tayman
Good Things, Mia King
A Drowned Maiden’s Hair, Laura Amy Schlitz
The Titan’s Curse, Rick Riordan
Currently reading:
The Department of the Lost and Found, Alison Winn Scotch
Up next:
Kabul Beauty School, Deborah Rodriguez and Kristin Ohlson
Physik, Angie Sage
The Case Against Homework
No, it’s not a group of rabid home educators. It’s the title of a book. In it, the authors speak out against too much homework, asking,
“Does assigning fifty math problems accomplish any more than assigning five? Is memorizing word lists the best way to increase vocabulary—especially when it takes away from reading time?”
Looks like a good read.
Me? Quirky?
1. I cannot stand to have the windshield wipers stopped in mid wipe. It is important to turn the wipers OFF and allow them to come to a complete stop before the car’s engine is turned off. This is not a problem if I’m driving. However, the other adult in this household - who sees no problem with windshield wipers hovering over the windshield - finds me to be a bit annoying.
2. I went from living in a completely furnished, normal looking house to living with an assortment of furniture that has over the past two years included a (very sturdy) cardboard box table and a lawn chair in my living room. We definitely made some concessions to be able to relocate, but letting go of the stuff has been very liberating.
3. I love office supply stores. Sticky notes? Pens? Notepads? What more could a girl want?
4. I love chocolate milkshakes, though I only have them infrequently anymore. When I do have them, they must be made properly: with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Blending up chocolate ice cream does not classify as an an actual chocolate shake in my book.
5. And while we’re talking food, bananas are only to be eaten fresh. Banana bread, banana splits, banana anything is really just pretty gross to me. Fresh bananas must not have spots.
6. Thinking, thinking…I have a collection of depression glass that I started when my favorite aunt introduced me to it when it could still be picked up at garage sales for less than a quarter a piece and I was less than ten years old. It’s in boxes and stored away, but someday (someday!) I’ll have a cabinet to display it in.
7. I have worn long pants exactly twice in the past two years. Once to ride horses, once on Mauna Kea to watch the sunset.
So. Anyone else want to fess up to their quirks?
Borders and Me
For well over a year now I’ve been talking with the people at my local Borders about carrying my books. For some unfathomable reason, they couldn’t seem to pull off getting them in the store. One manager left and a new one took over. Then their system showed that my books were simply unavailable (Panic! What do you MEAN unavailable??). They even wanted me to do a book signing for their educator’s week but couldn’t get my books in stock (nothing to sign, no signing!). It’s crazy making, let me tell you, to have books in a warehouse far, far away and be completely unable to get them here.
Last week, I stopped at Borders and did my usual check of the shelves, ever hopeful. And this time I was rewarded with:
Yes, I am a dork and I took pictures of them! Note that my colonial book is snuggled up close to The American Story by Jennifer Armstrong (who was a fellow Cybils judge). Yes, I know that our last names being so close in the alphabetical world is the reason for this, but it was a fun coincidence nonetheless.
