Bizarre

So, I was doing laundry the other day, and I decided to check the laundry instructions for my bathing suit (I'm trying to get back into the habit of swimming three times a week). And I noticed that on the tag, it stated,

"Use non-chlorine bleach."

Ummm....yeah.... Somehow that makes sense if you don't think about it.

Thoughts

Really fascinating discussion on the ALSC listserve right now about whether or not popularity should come into play when awarding the Newbery. The conversation is getting pretty heated -- I guess some people have some really strong opinions regarding this.

So for good measure, I went to ALA's website and looked up the criteria considered for the Newbery. And found the following:

Interpretation of the theme or concept
Presentation of information including accuracy, clarity, and organization
Development of a plot
Delineation of characters
Delineation of a setting
Appropriateness of style...
[E]xcellence of presentation for a child audience...
The award is not for didactic content or popularity.

And yet, it begs the questions. Should it consider popularity?

If the JNM were awarded solely on popularity, The Adventures of Captain Underpants would have won. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid would have as well. But they didn't. They didn't win, because while they are fabulous in getting a child to read, I have yet to meet a single person who thinks that they are REALLY WELL WRITTEN. Are they popular? Yes. Do they get children to read? Absolutely. But are they well written enough to stand the test of time to become some of the great classics in children's literature? I doubt it.

But then again, there are several Newbery winners that don't measure up to that either. A couple of years ago, I put the book Smoky the Cowhorse (it won in 1927) on display on the end of a bookcase. Where it sat for over a month. Several months later, I put The Wheel on the School (winner in 1955) out on display. A month later, I could make fingerprints in the dust that had gathered on the top.

There are plenty of winners out there that have stood the test of time and are still quite popular, ten, twenty, thirty plus years after they won (A Wrinkle in Time and Bridge to Terabithia are two really great examples). But as the previous paragraph illustrates, there have been some real flops as well.

For the record, my definition of a good book is one that I will recommend to children, and that is still being read and checked out five years after it's published. Does popularity, whether fleeting or enduring, make a book good? No. But should we consider, in addition to all the other criteria, the potential for enduring popularity when handing out awards?

This year's Newbery winner, btw, is Moon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool.

Twelfth Night

Generally speaking, I've lost some of my love for Christmas over the years.

Don't get me wrong. It's still a wonderful holiday, and I enjoy it very much. It's just that, as I have grown older, I've become disillusioned with all of the secularism, over-indulgence, and greed that has come to mark the holiday. Christmas is, after all, first and foremost a religious holiday, and it should be a time for people to remember family, love, and faith, rather than a time for shopping like hysterical maniacs and driving oneself crazy with gifts and food and whatever else.

My family is big on tradition. We always go to church on Christmas Day, we always give gifts for each of the twelve days of Christmas (and the ones received on January 1 are always a calendar and a puzzle), we always decorate the tree and give out stockings on Christmas Eve, and we always have a big family dinner. Always. I can't remember a year when we didn't do all of this. It's always been a part of what makes Christmas so special.

But this year, some of the traditions have changed a little. The dinner was at the nursing home where my grandmother lives, instead of at my aunt's house; and instead of giving gifts out each day for the twelve days, we gave them all on two; and some of the gifts we ordered for each other didn't arrive on time (one of them still hasn't).

But does any of that make it any less Christmas? Does the fact that your holiday season didn't go quite as you expected make the day any less special, or holy?

On this, the twelfth and final day of Christmas, I hope you have a merry one. And as Charles Dickens once said, may we all truly know how to keep it well.

You Can Blame Irene

Things I Don't Get

Braille on drive-through ATM's.

Decaf espresso.

Lo-carb peanut butter.

Kosher salt on pork barbecue.

Why, if global warming is such an issue, incandescent bulbs are not made illegal, all automobiles aren't required to be hybrids, and all newly constructed buildings aren't required to use alternative energy.

How it can be this !@#$%^& blasted cold when it isn't even winter yet.

Sneg!

Neige!
Khioni!
Nix!

Mainly just flurries, and it didn't do much besides dust the walkways, but still -- it was snow!

To Celebrate

Yes, my friends. I have successfully written a 50,000 word novel in the past 30 days. I thought it would be extremely nervewracking and involve blood, sweat, and tears, but I found that as long as I made my 1700 words a day, it wasn't too bad. All that is left now is to write a little introduction. Maybe this is something that could actually get published someday...

Happy Saint Andrew's Day!

I feel like I should go traveling some more.


visited 23 states (46%)
Create your own visited map of The United States


visited 10 states (4.44%)
Create your own visited map of The World

Happy Thanksgiving.

Hickory Dickory Dock

Pros about this month:
I have finished the Noro sock and have started another one out of Cascade Heritage.

I have approximately 29,000 words in my Nano at the moment.

I believe I am exactly where I need to be plot-wise in my Nano at this point in the month.

The first part of the last Harry Potter movie has hit the theaters.

It is exactly seven days until Thanksgiving.

Cons about this month:It is a typical cold, dreary November day.

The sun is not shining, and the wind is blowing.

I am behind on Mr. Greenjeans.

I may be coming down with another cold.

It is a month before Christmas.

My Christmas knitting is nowhere near completed.

Right now, the mouse is partway up the clock. Where's yours?

Don't Let It Hit You on Your Way Out

The universe, I have decreed, is out to get me.

I can tell that you don't believe me, but it's true. This week has been such a stressful doozy that if I could go back in time and just skip these past five days, I would. Really. I've spent the said past five days struggling with a MAMMOTH head cold -- one so horrific that I've seriously been tempted to call in sick every day this week (and didn't only because I would have felt unjustifiably guilty doing so for just a cold), and all I've wanted to do when I get home is crawl into bed with a cup of tea and some Motrin and SLEEP. And to cap it all off, it happened to coincide with a certain time of the month when my hormones are all out of whack.

I've been participating in NaNoWriMo this year, and really I've been so wiped out that the only thing I've been able to get done this week is make my daily word count. And when I say the only thing? I mean the ONLY THING. There has been no housework done. There has been no cooking done (other than the brewing of water for the tea). There wasn't even any KNITTING done until last night (See? I told you this cold was a doozy).

The upside to this whole week is that I have 6800 words written and the toe of a sock.

The downside to this whole week is that I have 6800 words written, the toe of a sock, and a house that has officially reached its capacity for disorganized filth.

This weekend is going to be busy. First on the list? The dishes.

Interesting

Apparently, this is who I am most like in the HP books...


Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.

To Do List

1. Start packing for MM

2. Do laundry. Presumably so I can pack for MM.

3. Try to determine whether or not the pile of dishes in my sink is large enough to warrant washing them.

4. Attempt to get over my frustration that two championship teams, who are supposedly the best in their respective leagues, would commit SIX ERRORS (including two in one inning), hit two batters, and throw a wild pitch all in the same game.

5. Continue working on the Ravensong sweater.

6. Vacuum.

Somehow, I'm not seeing all of these things happening tonight.

Never Mind

Recently, coworker of mine got married, and a bunch of us brought in goodies in celebration. One person (who is allergic to wheat), brought in gluten-free pumpkin blondies.

I asked her for the recipe, and she said that it was just a mix that she added pumpkin to -- because it was too much of a hassle to make gluten-free flour herself. When I asked why, she said it was because there needed to be a whole bunch of different flours that needed to be mixed together. Otherwise it wouldn't taste like wheat.

Which got me thinking: Why does it need to taste like wheat? Granted, wheat has certain properties that provide a finished baked good with a certain flavor and texture, but so do other grains. And those other grains might create a totally different flavor or texture that is favorable to that of wheat. Corn has one flavor and texture. Rye has another. Wheat has a third. None of them are "better" than the other -- they're just different. They taste differently, they feel different in your mouth, and they provide different nutrients.

I have an angora sweater in my closet. It is one of the softest, warmest sweaters I have ever owned. I absolutely loved making it, I love the way it feels against my skin, and it has an unbelievable halo of fluff that adds to its beauty. But angora has other properties besides being soft and warm and fluffy. It sheds like there's no tomorrow, it's not very elastic, and even though I've always hand washed it, there are areas of the sweater that have begun to self-felt -- just from the friction of everyday where. I knew this would end up happening when I knit the sweater, because THAT'S THE NATURE OF ANGORA. My wool sweaters do not do that. But wool is not nearly as soft or as warm as angora. And it usually doesn't create a halo when it's knit up either.

My angora sweater does not have the same properties as my wool ones. That's because angora is a completely different fiber, and therefore creates a completely different fabric than wool. But I knew when I began knitting the sweater that it would turn out different from my other sweaters -- that it would shed, that it would self-felt, and that it would not be very elastic. That's just the way angora is, and when I knit with it, I accept those properties and try to find the right pattern that will accomodate them. And it doesn't mean that I have to go around combining it with a whole slew of other fibers, just so it will feel, act, and look just like wool.

Grain is like that. So corn doesn't have gluten, and tends to create a totally different meal than wheat. That doesn't mean that it doesn't taste good, or that it is unacceptable to bake with, or that it can't be used by itself. When I bake with cornmeal, I understand that it is different than flour -- that it has different properties, and will therefore create a baked good that tastes different than if I use wheat. Which is why, when I use cornmeal, I look for recipes that will take advantage of those properties.

In the beginning of her book No Sheep for You, Amy Singer says, "Though these fibers are novel, there's nothing novelty about them. They're seriously yummy and worth getting to know and knit. No fiber will ever duplicate everything wool does naturally. Scientists have spent more than a hundred years trying, and the best they've done so far is...acrylic? Never mind. I've got a book full of gorgeous fiber to share with you, and none of it squeaks. NSFY is not about us against them. It's about having great stuff for everyone to knit with."

So why can't we do the same with grains?

A Contribution

Helen



Yarn: Fleece Artist Merino Angel (58% Merino, 30% Mohair, 12% Nylon, 366 yards), 1 skein
Needles: 5 mm, US 8
Gauge: Flexible (it's a scarf, not a bikini), but try for 15 stitches to 4 inches in stockinette
Suggested measurements: 11" by 85"

Techniques required: Provisional cast-on, yarnovers, decreases, chart reading

Notes: Only Right Side rows are included in Charts A and B. Do not forget to work the wrong sides.
Chart A is repeated twice across the row; Chart B is repeated 5 times across the row.
The charts are included at the end of the instructions. Click to enlarge.

Merino Angel is limited edition, so it may be difficult to procure. Any heavy fingering or sportweight mohair or mohair blend will work.

Instructions
Using a provisional cast-on, Cast-On 50 stitches. Knit one row.
Row 1 (RS): K2, work Row 1 of Chart A across, K2
Row 2 (and all other WS rows unless otherwise noted): K2, p to the last two stitches, K2
Work Chart A a total of 21 times, ending with a Right Side row.
Transitional Row (WS): Knit all stitches, increasing once across, 51 stitches.
Work Chart B once, ending with a Wrong Side row.
Bind off all stitches Purlwise.

Pick up the 50 stitches from the original Cast-On edge, and make certain you are ready to start a Wrong Side row. Knit one row, increasing once across, 51 stitches.
Work Chart B once, ending with a Wrong Side row.
Bind off all stitches Purlwise.

Wet block to desired measurements. Toss one end over a shoulder and parade through the streets of town like the diva you are.

Chart A



Chart B



Chart Legend
o yarnover
/ k2tog
\ ssk
^ sk2p

.........................................................................................................................
(c)2010, Bethany Hait. This pattern is provided free of charge. As such, please feel free to make a copy for personal use, or make this scarf as a gift or a charitable donation. Please do not make copies of this pattern for others, sell the scarf or pattern for profit, or redistribute or reproduce it for any other reason.

Worms

I just read this article on Yahoo! News.

OK. BEGIN RANT

First off, there's a difference between deciding that Book X does not support the mission or policy of the parent institution and therefore should not be included on the library shelves, and banning it. Lauren Myracle probably wouldn't end up on the shelves of the local college library, or in the library of the local law school, but that doesn't mean that the book is BANNED from either of them, just that it doesn't support either institution's curriculum. Peter Spier, Norman Bridwell, or Margaret Wise Brown probably wouldn't end up there either.

Secondly (and more importantly), NO ONE, not even parents, has the right to ban a book for someone else. If this parent truly feels that strongly about this book, then she can make the decision about it for HER CHILD (and she should be strongly encouraged to do so). If her child brings it home, it is her right (and responsibility) to say, "Honey, I don't want you reading that book right now, because I think it deals with issues that are more appropriate for older children. Let's take it back to the library so you can pick out something else, and in two or three years, you can check it out again."

But to say that she doesn't want ANY child who is the same age as her child to be exposed to the book is NOT within her rights. She does NOT have the right to say, "I don't believe that this book is appropriate for any child under the age of 10, and therefore, I do not want any child who is under the age of ten ever to have to come into contact with it." And it isn't her decision to say whether or not the book supports her school's curriculum, either -- and that would be the only reason why the school librarian would decide not to put it on the shelf.

Not every book in every library is all sugar and roses. There are some really racy or violent or disturbing tomes out there. There are books in my library that (if I had children) I would not want them reading. Mein Kampf comes to mind most readily. There are also books that, if I had young children, I wouldn't want them to read until they were older. Like Twilight. But if someone else were to pick up either Mein Kampf or Twilight and decide they wanted to read it, that's their right to do so, regardless of their age. And regardless of what I, or ANYONE ELSE, thinks.

So lady? Learn to do your own darn job and review the books your child picks out. And let other parents do the same for their kids.

END RANT

Tuesday Musings

1. Do people in Greece ever wear winter scarves?

2. Today is the first day of fall. So why is the weather forecast for tomorrow slated to be in the 90's?

3. What in the world is "gator gumbo"?

4. NaNoWriMo's coming up!!

5. This weekend is the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival. I'd go...except I have to work. Bummer. Maybe I can bribe someone to shop for me.

6. I cannot believe the sheer number of books that urchins can pull off library shelves in the space of a couple of hours. How fast do kids read?

Celebratory Randomness

1. Today is the first day of school, which makes me want to go running out in the streets tossing pennies to anyone who comes by in celebration. (And I totally would, except for the fact that yesterday, I celebrated by going with M to a Nationals game (they won), and, despite the fact that I used sun block, came back with some significant redness on my chest and face, which I'm pretty sure has contributed to the headache that I've had all day today.)

2. I'm looking for a good way to make boucle yarn (that's just an example). I'm not finding the article in Spin-Off very helpful.

3. Note to all you parents: The public library does not have a section specifically dedicated to "AR books." ANY book is an AR book. It may not be on your child's school list, but it will probably have a value assigned to it all the same. And we probably don't have the most up-to-date list from your school, and no, it isn't connected to our catalog even if we did.

4. I'm seriously sick of all the Chef Boyarde commercials about people getting in trouble by mentioning vegetables. For pity sakes, what is wrong with kids knowing that there are vegetables in their food??? Isn't it better that kids learn to enjoy their vegetables and know that not all veggies taste bad than to LIE to your children?

5. Four children came up to me tonight to ask about school reading lists. Ah, the joy of working with children who start their work early.

6. Why is the batter who is right behind the dude on deck referred to as being "in the hole?"

7. I really need to get back to work on the cabinet.

Funny

This is just about the funniest think I've seen in a while. Beats even the hamsters. I've been trying to embed the link to the video itself, but somehow, I'm missing something. So here's the link anyway.

Brigham Young University / BYU - New Spice | Study like a scholar, scholar

Summer Reading

Is now OVER.

Now, if we could just do something about the school year starting earlier....

It All Goes Back to a Lack of Woods

So we're getting into the time of summer when kids are coming in Mongal hords to come and check out the stack of books that they have been assigned to read over the summer. Most of them are checked out, and of course, it all will lead, in the end, to someone (usually either me or the mother) saying, "Shouldn't you have started this two months ago?"

But it's gotten me thinking. What's the point of school summer reading assignments? To stimulate thought and mental activity when school is not in session?
To get children to read when they're not being forced to do so? To keep them out of trouble? To start the school year with some of the work done?

I think educators will say that it's a combination of all those answers, but really when it comes down to it, I think the reason for summer assignments is thus: A: to make the job easier on the English teacher in the fall, and B: to ensure that the children are not bored.

But what's the big deal about being bored? BORED children climb trees. They build treehouses. They explore the great unknowns of their backyards. They rig booby traps for their neighborhood rivals. They write dark and vampant poetry. They take bike rides and go for walks. They draw and paint. They build mud pies and make flower jelly. They sort rocks and collect flowers and steal from beehives. And they read books of THEIR OWN CHOOSING.

I could go on here, but...well...My friend M would say that it all goes back to the fact that kids are no longer playing in trees anymore.

And because they aren't bored.