Reading with the Kids: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

One of our summer's biggest delights are the stories, tales, and written words read by both myself and my kids.  They aren't li'l ones anymore, so we all read independently, but even each of us reading our own separate worded worlds while all of us are in the same room feels like we're sharing our books together.

More than once there has been one kid reading from a printed book on one end of the sofa, while I'm on the other, reading an ebook on my phone, while the other kidlet sits on the floor right next to us and reads an ebook, checked out from the library on the laptop.

And occasionally, two or three of us might share a special story.  Recently, I started reading Anne of Green Gables aloud to my sweet girl and with each word spoken, I wander down memory lane, revisiting when those words were my first time reading them as a girl myself.  She loves sharing the story so much that her prized yard sale find this summer is her very own copy of the old book that she picked up for fifty cents.  Now, I read aloud as she follows along, gingerly turning the pages of her newest treasure.

And even better, a book that again allows me to wander through my memories and that I'm then able to pass on to another generation.  The imaginative tale of  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl has been just that tale.  My boy was first introduced to Dahl reading Matilda with his class a few years ago and laughed himself sick.  And my girl has been experiencing his worlds with James and the Giant Peach before Charlie arrived on our doorstep.  

Dozens of books, thousands of pages, and millions of words have yanked the three of us into dozens of different writers' imagined worlds.  And we are smiling because of it.

What are you reading this summer?  If you have kids, what books, pages or screens, are they sticking their noses in?

This post was inspired by the classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. To celebrate, Penguin Young Readers Group, in partnership with Dylan’s Candy Bar, the world-famous candy emporium, and First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise that provides books for children from low-income families, is launching a year-long international celebration.

Head over to From Left to Write to learn how you and your child can have a chance to win the Golden Ticket Sweepstakes where the grand prize is a magical trip to New York City plus much more! For every entry submitted, Penguin Young Readers Group will make a donation to First Book. Then, join From Left to Write on July 24 as we discuss Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. As a book club member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

From Left to Write: Summer Fun

With three weeks left on the countdown clock 'til the school's last bell rings, the buzz coming off the kids is palpable.  Ready or not, summer is coming.

And while I am more than excited to ditch the 5:40 am alarm clock, I would rather be ready and have some activities planned out, or at the very least, thought out.

There are the inexpensive to free activities that will be the staples to fill our days:

~ Trips to the coast to build sandcastles & take adventure walks along the
    beach
~ Summer library reading programs to keep li'l & big brains from getting
    jellified
~ Tending to our growing edible garden in the backyard
~ Riding bikes through the neighborhood
~ Playing with neighborhood friends
~ Mornings at the park (mornings, because uber hot days & I are not on
    the friendliest of terms)
~ Painting with the kids (looking forward to framing some new pieces)
~ Learning how to play the guitar

And then there are those activities that cost some dough, but are totally worth it:

~ Taekwondo (Big Bro began taking classes over a year ago and four
    months in, Li'l Sis jumped in too)
~ Swimming lessons
~ Local day camp
~ A couple of local museums we want to visit
~ The Zoo
~ Jelly Belly Factory tour
~ Mrs. Grossman's sticker factory tour
~ Exploratorium

That should keep us pretty busy!  What are you up to this summer?  Any exciting plans?  Any fun destinations you're looking forward to visiting?

This post was inspired by Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, a novel that exposes the gothic underbelly of an American dynasty, and an outsider's hunger to belong.  Join From Left to Write on May 20th, as we discuss Bittersweet.  As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

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From Left to Write: Sparkle Words Shine in Ruby

"Use your Sparkle Words!"

Flashing back to my son's first grade classroom, I easily hear his teacher rallying her students to include descriptive adjectives into their writing.  As they were six years old, those words often consisted of a favorite color from an eight pack box of Crayolas;  or the words a lot, very, many, great, or cool.  As simplistic as those words are, even several years later, I still think of those or any descriptions as Sparkle Words.

Clearly, those lettered images grow as kidlets' vocabularies increase.  And by the time words are whipped into published story, hopefully those stitched together letters and phrases paint pictures for readers to see into the writer's world.

Cynthia Bond transports her reader, creating magic with her Sparkle Words, in her debut novel, Ruby.  The imagery her words paint firmly embeds a reader into time, place, sight, sound, and smell.

My eyes sucked in the opening of Bond's tale, telling of a mad woman, but it was only the second paragraph that grabbed and pasted me stuck like a winged creature on a permanent fly paper pit stop.  Bond uses her version of Sparkle Words to tell us of Ruby Bell.

Eyes read those words, just as I was taught at three, moving from left to right across the page.  But, once was not enough.  And I still did not have enough, even reading it five, six, seven times.  Due to its subject matter, the book is not one my kidlets are ready for, but I knew those words in the second paragraph - the ones that would not let me go - are the perfect sample of where I hope they learn to grow their own versions of Sparkle Words, so I read it to them.  And even still, it was not enough.

It took me at least a day before I was able to move beyond just the second grouping of sentences.  And the very last set of words from that second grouping held so tightly to my breath, I fell asleep several nights watching them parade across my closed eyelids.

Fortunately, Bond continued to share her rich and layered imagery for my eyes to greedily suck in the hundreds more paragraphs in her tale.

I hope your world is adorned with Sparkle Words - words you hear, words you read, words you write, words you speak.

This post was inspired by the novel, Ruby, by Cynthia Bond, a gripping story about overcoming our past and embracing love in a racially charged rural 1950s Texas.  Join From Left to Write on May 8th, as we discuss Ruby.  As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

From Left to Write: Hope's Dream

Young, elementary school kidlets stepping up to the podium, taking the microphone in hand, sharing their dreams for their classes' I Have a Dream presentation carved a niche in me.  They spoke from their hearts and touched mine.

Thinking on my response to reading Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement with From Left to Write this month, those speeches bubbled up.  This is a bit different than my typical post, but where both the book and those children's words took me.

Hope’s Dream

Martin Luther King, Jr. -
Ideas cut through the air, rolling across hundreds of thousands.
Orated ideals, shuttled forward through decades to come;
Words chauffeured through time, but not all lands.

“I have a dream…”
Children speak their own whispered hearts.
Trees for forests, healed and healthy parents, worlds without war -
They have a dream.
Breathing environments, cornflower blue skies, crystal streams channeling dirt-
They have a dream.
Kids free of fear, shining seas, feathered and furry friends left to roam free -
They have a dream.

Dozens of children hope for the wider world around them.
One child hopes for a world he came from, a world he knew.
A future holding more,
A future lacking less,
A future without dirt floors,
A future without empty bellies,
A future with hope.
He has a dream.

This post was inspired by the novel Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement.  Ladydi grew up in rural Mexico, where being a girl is a dangerous thing.  She and other girls were "made ugly" to protect them from drug traffickers and criminal groups.  Join From Left to Write on February 18 as we discuss Prayers for the Stolen.  As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.  Opinions and response are my own.

From Left to Write: Arriving at Downton Abbey

Just a li'l chat between hubs and I about a year ago, before season 3 came out here, in the States.  He was driven to make me fall down the Downton Abbey rabbit hole.

Downton Abbey.  Have you seen it?

No.

Have you seen it?

No.

You have to see it.

You think?

No, really, you have to see it.

I'm getting that.

You know, if you're looking for something to stream, you ought to try Downton Abbey.

You really want me to watch, don't you?

Well, yeah.  I think you'd like it.  It's so good.

I get that it's totally you.  British.  Historically based.  PBS.  But, will I like it?

Watch it.

Maybe.

No.  You need to watch this.

We'll see.

So, you're going to watch it, right?

{Head. Desk. Ouch.}  Okay, okay, okay.  I give.

While there was oodles of hoopla surrounding the show post season two, I wasn't convinced it would be something I would like.  But, clearly, unless I wanted to keep having the quite cyclical conversation, I caved and hit PBS online to catch the first season.

It didn't take long at all to get completely hooked on the show and rapidly found myself signing up at Hulu + to see the second season.  I was thoroughly taken in by the smallest period details of the show.  And what caught me most significantly, was the subtlety in which the most poignant and powerful life moments were conveyed.

A fantastic period piece, whether via a visual medium in a show or movie, or through the words of a fictional book, will inevitably send me in the direction of the nearest source for the real story behind the scenes, the real story of that time period, the real story of the location, the real story of the people.

Do you do that?  Do you like to uncover the next layer of the story?  To move from the fictional tale to the histories that inspired the fiction?

This post was inspired by Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon.  Learn more about the family who lived in Highclere Castle, where the popular British series, Downton Abbey is filmed.  Join From Left to Write on December 17, as we discuss Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey.  As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

From Left to Write: The Cartographer of No Man's Land

I'm not sure when it happened.

It could have possibly happened when I lived on the west coast, just one state south of the border, in Washington, as a young child.

It could have happened when I lived on the east coast, just one state south of the border, in New York, as a kid.

It could have happened when I dove into Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, landing on a farm on Prince Edward Island.

I'm not quite sure exactly when it happened.

But, at some point it did.

I fell in love with our neighbors to the north.  I fell in love with Canada.

Was there any love lost for my home country?  As a child, absolutely not.  However, I vividly remember my Canada curiosity.

Could I have both?  Live here, love there?  And what exactly was it that I loved so much?

Truthfully, when this affinity struck, I don't believe I had ever even been north of that map line.

As a kid in New York, we once went to Niagara Falls, but I couldn't tell you what side of the Falls we were on.

While living in a number of locales across this country, I have not travelled much - I leave that to my baby brother and his wanderlust.  But, when I did finally travel the wee bit I have, I headed north to British Columbia in '95 and 2000.  And instead of a remembered childhood love of the then abstract place on a map, Canada, I looked around and breathed deep.  As much of a tourist as I was - and yes, I did indeed do the typical tourist activities - it felt more like stepping out into a favorite corner of my backyard.  It was comforting, fresh, natural, and of course, a visually stunning feast for the eyes.

It's been thirteen years since last visiting and I dream of going again.  In the meantime, I think I'll keep exploring that remembered childhood love through words woven across a printed page.

 

This post was inspired by The Cartographer of No Man's Land: A Novel by P.S. Duffy.  Angus enlists in the Nova Scotia WWI regiment and travels to Europe to search for his missing in action best friend and brother-in-law.  Along the way Angus discovers more than he ever wanted to know.  Join From Left to Write on November 14th as we discuss The Cartographer of No Man's Land.  As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

From Left to Write: Afterwards

Tall black rubber rain boots, navy chino shorts, topped with a nearly too small Pokémon t-shirt.

Utilizing her new skill, she pulls her hair back into a low ponytail, heading for the screen door.

Metal on metal sounds as she slides the worn screen door open, calling out, “I’m coming, Dad!  Wait for me!”

Rain boots making her tiny feet look and sound bigger than they are race across the deck as her ponytail dances on her shoulders, absolutely tickled with delight to help her Dad with yard work.

An audible gasp escapes my lips, caught in one of those rare moments when life simultaneously stands still and flashes forward.

She’s a decade older, a sixteen year old girl a few feet from me, embracing life, even the simple moments.

I couldn’t tear my eyes from the little girl in front of me or from the teenager I’ll one day meet.

She’s burned into my heart now.

Looking forward to when the two girls will become one, but for now, I’ll hold on to the li’l girl and her small hands that still look for encouragement and guidance a while longer.

 

 

This post was inspired by the novel Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton. After witnessing her children's school set ablaze, Grace attempts to find the arsonist as her teenage daughter lies in a coma in Lupton's suspense thriller. Join From Left to Write on April 11 as we discuss Afterwards. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

From Left to Write: The Expats

Moving from one home to another, state to state, town to town, one coast to the other and back again, layers up inconveniences and work.  It also affords grants many favors and freedoms.

Beginning a childhood career of moving at three weeks of age, it took many less years that one might think to garner awareness of these delights.

From early on - though, not quite that first move at three weeks old, for sure - I reveled in the excitement of a move.  Dad always left for the new location, Mom prepared the house for sale, and there were lots of visitors that I learned, as I grew, were people looking to buy what would become our old home.

Sure, there was the pain in the backside to packing - whether it was a company move that provided help or not - deciding what to keep and what could be parted with permanently.  And when little, the parade of people visiting your home is fun, but as you get a little bit older, you have to help prep the house for each potential buyer.  The man that came with the video camera who insisted I stand in the pictures for his wife, so she could get an idea of scale - even though I was home sick - was certainly worthy of a groan.

There's the work and the inconveniences and the good-byes and all the changes.

And then, there's all the changes.

Moving to a new place means everything is new.  A new house to explore.  New friends to find.  New schools to enroll in.  A new neighborhood to navigate.

And a new You.

Everything is new.  Everything is full of possibilities.

Loaded baggage will travel with you from one place to the next.  But, each new location also leaves one hand free to explore what might happen if that baggage is laid down.

Baggage can always be laid down, regardless of a new location, a new you.  But, inevitably it is a much easier and obvious choice to make when geographically starting over.

Moving more than many military families growing up, I can vividly remember the dazzling excitement of a new locale...at least, until I was old enough to assume the responsibilities of moving myself - then, it was a whole lot of work!

And now, happily living in one location for more than a baker's dozen years, I also know the peacefulness of remaining still.

But, no longer will a new location invariably create a new me with little effort.  Staying still means any change I now want, I have to create.  And that is an entirely different, and foreign to me, journey to travel.

This post was inspired by mystery thriller novel The Expats by Chris Pavone. Kate Moore happily sheds her old life to become a stay at home mom when her husband takes a job in Europe. As she attempts to reinvent herself, she ends up chasing her evasive husband's secrets. Join From Left to Write on January 22 as we discuss The Expats. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

From Coincidence to Connection

Dating the man who is now my husband was an adventure in my own family history.

In the first few weeks, we learned that we were both came from families with Germanic ancestry.  We are both the oldest children, with only one sibling each.  Our mothers were both one of three sisters.  They were both the middle sister in their families.  Their mothers, our maternal grandmothers, both married men named Henry.  Well, a Henry and a Heinrich.

But, it wasn’t until both our maternal grandmothers passed away - on the same day - that led to us learning some pretty amazing connections between our families that move past coincidences.  (Don’t worry, this isn’t a sad post…stay with me!)

Driving to my grandmother’s viewing at the funeral home, my husband’s arm suddenly flung out as he pointed to a street we passed just a few blocks before arriving at our destination.  “My Opa and Oma lived down that street,” he casually remarked.  He was talking about his paternal grandparents who emigrated here from Russia by way of Germany in the fifties.

Once at my grandmother’s viewing, we mentioned that his paternal grandparents lived nearby when they were still with us.  That prompted a series of questions for the man that my extended family was still getting know, my then fiancé.  We were all surprised when we realized that my aunt and his father both went to the same high school years ago, right after he came to this country.  The revelations weren’t over as we also realized that our maternal grandparents must have belonged to the same Germans from Russia group.

The coincidences had always made us laugh.  Somehow, even though losing our grandmothers on that same day was sad, we not only felt closer, but also meant to be together.  About nine months later, we were married.  And we like to think our grandmothers are up in heaven chatting it up!

 

This post is inspired by Sarah McCoy's The Baker's Daughter. In a small Texan town, Reba discovers Elsie's German Bakery and falls in love with more than the pastries. Shes drawn to Elsie's life in Germany during the last year of WWII. Join From Left to Write on August 29  as we discuss The Baker's Daughter. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.  Affiliate links are used.

Just how much do we really know about the other?

My husband and I have been together for fourteen years now as we come up on our twelfth anniversary of marriage.  And while I like to think I know every bit about about him, I didn't know him until a little over fifteen years ago.  So there were a whole lot of years and experiences that grew him into the man he is today, causing him to think this way or that....same goes for me.

My closest friends, those rockin' awesome Four Musketeers, have been a part of my life for twenty-two to twenty-four years (depending on the Musketeer).  All these years later, they are my sisters, Aunties to my kidlets, and who know more about me than most.

Yet, just how much do any of us really know about another human being, no matter how tight the relationship is?

Nine point nine times out of ten, I can predict what my husband or any of those three women, my Musketeers, would do, say, or think in any given situation.  But, there are those moments that I whip my head back hard for a complete, "Say what?!" moment.

Logic tells me that that point one moment stems from some other event or interaction in their life which guides them to that unpredictable (to me) direction they've headed in.  And rational thinking reminds me of a moment in the last year when one of my Musketeers was painting my nails a requested black.  She said something to the effect of her knowing all there is to know about me, to which I replied, "You don't know everything."

Truth is, she does know most everything.  But, even as close as we are, I don't think anyone ever discloses their whole soul.

Do you?  Would there be any surprises lurking for even those closest to you?

This post is inspired by mystery thriller GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn. They may not have the perfect marriage, but after Amy goes missing, Nick becomes the number one suspect. Can he discover what happened before it's too late? Join From Left to Write on June 12 as we discuss Gone Girl. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

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Plane, Train, Automobile, or Armchair

Is your soul filled with wanderlust?  Are you most content at home?  Do you travel the world?  Do local experiences give you what you need?  Does your mind do the wandering for you, across photos, books, websites, stories read and heard?

Me?  I'm not a big traveller, though I did journey out of the area more before having kidlets.  I married a homebody who is quite content to enjoy the nest.  And while we (or I) still take some jaunts around California, traveling isn't something we're partaking a whole lot in right now.

Thankfully, my Four Musketeers and especially my brother, like to travel and fill my head with their out of area adventures.  Wanderlust and my brother are very well acquainted with each other.  Sometime back I shared just a bit from his summer trek up to Mt. Everest Base Camp and if I can convince him to let me, I'd love to share some of his other travels across the continents.

In the meantime, in addition to the well travelled loved ones in my life, guess where I've turned to, filling my eyes with magical locales and destinations?  If you said that place where many of us just can't stop clicking 'See More Pins' one more time, Pinterest, you hit the mark.

I keep two boards primarily geared towards this new armchair travelling:  Dreamy Destinations and Favorite Places and Spaces.  The first are places that peak my interest or are simply beautiful; the second, are places or approximations of spaces I've been.

These boards actually began as something else entirely.  They began as visual inspiration to use when I write, fiction and/or memoir.  Having a photograph to spark a memory or as a jumping point for a scene can put an entirely different spin on words click clacked out across the keyboard.

And now?  I use my boards for both writing inspiration and the ever fabulous, entirely inexpensive armchair travelling.  One of these days, I'll get to some of the destinations on my list, but in the meantime, just one more reason to read tales in exotic locales, wander the web, listen to friends' adventures, and keep pinning!

When Julia travels to Burma to search for her missing lawyer father, she discovers much more than she expected. Join From Left to Write on February 1 and read posts inspired by the book,  The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker.


As a member of From Left to Write, I received a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

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Quiet can be Loud

Are you an introvert or extrovert? Author Susan Cain explores how introverts can be powerful in a world where being an extrovert is highly valued.

Join From Left to Write on January 19 as we discuss Quiet: The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain. We'll also be chatting live with Susan Cain at 9PM Eastern on January 26. As a member of From Left to Write, I received a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.


Are you an extrovert or introvert or a balance of the two, an ambivert?

Growing up, I would say I was an extrovert. I loved socializing, so much so, almost every school report card I had said, "Talks too much," and most people I'm friendly with today might even say the same thing. Yes, I can be quite chatty. I loved singing in choirs, playing in band, summer school drama classes, and definitely did not shy from attention.

Fast forward to my twenties. Something changed in me. I don't like being the center of attention, I prefer one on one or small groups, and I actually enjoy time alone now.

I'd even venture to say I'm more of an ambivert or possibly an introvert.  So, I wasn't overly surprised when I took Susan Cain's Introvert Quiz and did indeed score as an Introvert. Whatever the reasons may be, I definitely no longer feel those extrovert qualities singing out.

There are lots of ways I've seen this shift factor into my life in the fifteen years since the shift began.  I won't bore you with a long list, promise.  Let's just stick to one way here:  the creative growth in independent thought.

Susan Cain discusses the New Groupthink in her book in terms of how we as a society have jumped into that pool of thought that working in groups is better, more productive, more creative.  Schools and companies have all jumped on this bandwagon.

I remember when group assignments in college went from on occasion to the norm during the 1990s.  And I was never a fan.  When working in groups, there was always a pack mentality and independent thought was watered down.

Cain shares Steve Wozniak's creative tech innovation and how it did not come to fruition in committee as an example of what an introverted thought process can bring to the table...after working independently.

For me, in these years since becoming more introverted, I've experienced a kind of creative rebirth.  I absolutely love the creative energy that is shared in all directions being with creative friends.  That energy is almost palpable and definitely inspiring.  But, it is when I am on my own that I take that inspiration and try new things, take creative risks.  It's where I feel free to explore a new medium, a new process, a new idea.  When I have pulled it together, then I share.

Whether my old extroverted self will continue to haunt me in the shadows, pop out for some play on occasion or I develop my newer introverted nature or even learn to enjoy the best of both worlds, Susan Cain's Quiet has given me a lot of food for thought.

What about you?  Are you an introvert?  An extrovert?  An ambivert?  And whether you are a writer, a scientist, a rockin' awesome mama, an attorney, an artist, does it have an effect on your independent creative thought?

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2011 One Little Word Wrap-Up

For the last two years, I've chosen One Little Word to guide me for the year.  As a fan of Ali Edwards, her thoughts on the effects of choosing just one word, resonated with me.  And so I began the process in the last days of 2009, choosing 'Live' for 2010 and 'Grow' for 2011.

As I began reflecting on this last year, I pleasantly discovered that I had accomplished several of my goals and did indeed, Grow in many ways.  Sharing some of the ways I've grown on here at Time Crafted, seems only appropriate since so many of you have given me both inspiration and support.

I began the year taking Ali Edwards' year long One Little Word workshop at Big Picture Classes.  And while it was great to see Andi, Siri, and other familiar, friendly faces, I mostly worked on this offline.

She's repeating the workshop for 2012 and I'm leaning towards signing up again.  It definitely helped me keep 'Grow' close at heart throughout the year.

One night on Twitter, @thienkim urged me to check out The Sketchbook Challenge.  Her enthusiasm was infectious and I was excited to create along.

Creating an art journal always seemed intimidating to me.  It might sound silly, but many creative bloggers and artists I visit, have mad crazy talent and I fretted about not measuring up...until I realized that the goal isn't to 'measure up', but rather to grow, try new things, learn new skills, and improve on what I already do.  So, I did.

After reading the creative writing goodness that Mandy weaves with her words, I wanted to get back into my own creative writing.  I missed it and knew that it had been far too long since I swam with crazy colored words.

I decided to start small and began with a microfiction meme.  It's the shortest of short fiction, written in 140 characters or less, including spaces & punctuation.  Turns out, microfiction is a whole mess o' fun!

Looking at where Mandy was sharing her fiction with, I headed over to The Red Dress Club, which is now Write on Edge, a virtual writing community.

I began writing and sharing my fiction with their Red Writing Hood prompts, as well as some memoir with their RemembeRED prompts.

And then I got brave.  In November, a group of writers within the Write on Edge community participated in NaNoWriMo and I joined in.

I didn't hit the word count, but I'm okay with my results.  If you want to know what I thought was so cool about the whole process, check out my really short post: NaNoWriMo in 8 Sentences.

When Bruna, @beeswithhoney, said she wanted to feature me on her Let's BEE Friends series, I was tickled pink.  And when Sarah, @MamaRiceCake, asked me to write a positive guest post for her, I went Dancing with Rainbows.  Mandy asked me to guest post on Makes Fun and I wrote the low down on The Little Red Bear.

And speaking of writing, one more area I wanted to grow was right here on the blog.  In this case, I wanted to literally grow...more posts, that is.  I didn't set a goal or a specific number to hit; simply that I wanted to post more than I had last year.  And with this post, I'm coming in with 51 more posts than in 2010.  Grow Goal, accomplished.

I spent most of 2010 knowing that I needed wanted needed to upgrade my Point & Shoot camera.  I had squeezed out every ounce I could from it and was itching for a DSLR.  In February last year, it was time to take the leap.  I bought a Nikon D3100 and while I'm still learning how the heck to use it in manual, photography is something I've grown to love since beginning this blogging journey.

2011 became the year of the virtual Book Clubs, starting with Andrea (a sweet Book Fairy) leading one on the SITS Girls site, which is now over on her site Great Thoughts. She selects great books and we wrap our reads up with fun monthly Twitter parties, tweeting with the books' authors, using the hashtag #Gr8Books.  You should join us!

This fall, @thienkim asked me to be a From Left to Write Contributor.  What's wonderfully unique about this book club is that we write posts inspired by the books we read.  As a result I was able to share Who Will Tell Your Story?, as well as a favorite artist of ours, Michel LeRoux.  Another unique bit is that the book selection here really varies, widening my viewpoints, and hopefully, others' too.

This was a looong post, I know.  If you're still here, give yourself a pat on the back, a taste of Nutella, a cuppa java, or an ice cold martini.  Thanks for hanging in there!

The One Little Word, Grow, has taken me on quite a journey this year!  How about you?  Do you chose just one little word to hold near your heart, to guide you, to focus you in your year ahead? 

 

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Michel LeRoux ~ Pacific Ocean ~ New Traditions

Fall of 1995 saw both my husband and I in Vancouver, British Columbia. But, we weren't together. Actually, we had yet to even meet!

When we did meet in the spring of '97, began dating a year later, got engaged and later married, it was quite an easy decision for us to head back to the Pacific Northwest & British Columbia for our honeymoon.

Many new traditions began while honeymooning. One, was to forgo individual wedding presents, and later anniversary presents, in favor of picking out a piece of original art to enjoy together in our home.

Only one hardfast rule applies this tradition: the piece of art we choose has to "speak" to both of us. You see, we have quite different aesthetics, so initially, we thought this one guideline would be a challenge for us.

Out early, we walked the nearly deserted streets before the galleries opened (you could say we were a wee bit anxious to get out and enjoy the city we loved so much!). Low in one gallery's window sat a stunning Michel LeRoux painting. We stopped to look and moved on.

Gallery after gallery, a restaurant for lunch, a pub my husband had stopped in at when he was there years earlier with his best friend for a pint, more galleries, a little shopping, and we returned to the gallery with the painting sitting low in the window.

They gladly pulled the piece that looked as if it were colored in strokes of light, rather than paint, into the middle of the gallery for a better look.

We looked at it. We kept looking at it. I was distracted for a bit by a gorgeous Marcelle Dube painting that I can still see inside my head to this day.  But, my gaze kept returning to the Michel LeRoux painting that we first set our eyes upon, hours earlier.

What we initially thought would be challenging - our rule - was quite simple for us.  We had found an original piece of art that captured, raptured, us both.  It needed to be in our home for us to enjoy for many more years to come...and for over a decade now, everyday we see it hanging on our wall, we've enjoyed it.

I found this video on YouTube filled with his art.  I don't know anything about where it came from and while our painting is not in there, it is a good representation of his work.

Our honeymoon destinations included Seattle, Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands, Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia, and led to another favorite tradition to celebrate each year of marriage near the water.  Happily, Fort Bragg, California most frequently finds us on our anniversaries.

We look forward to the day we can return to the waterside locales, stocked full with smile worthy moments.  Until we can, we look up at our Michel LeRoux painting, remember, and smile.

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In Lost Edens, author Jamie Patterson struggles to save her marriage which may or may not be already over. Keeping her attempts a secret from her family, she attempts to mold herself into the wife her husband wants her to be.

As a member of From Left to Write book club, I received a copy of this book for review (book links are affiliate links, all other links I'm sharing are purely informational).  You can read other members posts inspired by Lost Edens by Jamie Patterson on book club day, October 27 at From Left to Write.

Who will tell your story?

This post was inspired by the book Cleopatra: A Life where author, Stacy Schiff digs into the history books to share with us who the true Cleopatra was.

I'm a new contributor for the book club From Left to Write and you can read other members posts inspired by this same book on book club day, September 27 at From Left to Write.


Oprah says we all have a story.  And since you're here, living and breathing...  You are living, right?  You are breathing, right?  I haven't heard of any recent zombie attacks, so I think it's safe to assume that you are, at a minimum, living and breathing as you read this.

Back to Oprah and that story she says we all have.  What do you think?  I think we do.  Sometimes it can easily get buried under the mundane and sometimes it lives amidst fireworks blazing through the sky.  But, it's there.  Do you see it?

I didn't, for a long time.  But, I'm beginning to.  I know I have a gasping tale to tell in regards to the near fatal car accident I was in fifteen years ago.  But, that's not really my story, just a tale woven within it; one, that altered my story, but does not comprise it in its entirety.

Your story starts from the day you are born.  Each event, each simple day, every soul you encounter shapes the next curve, bump, plateau, or hill you journey through.  Mere moments effect the kind of glasses you see your world through.

This journey, this adventure, this life, your life is a story; it's your story.  Do you document it?  Do you write it down?  Do you scrapbook it?  Capture it on fabric, through the stitches of a quilt?  Color it through the pages of an art journal?  Snap both the precious and simple snippets of time with your camera?

If you aren't documenting your own story, who will?

Remember the childhood game of Telephone?  When the first person whispered 'something' in the ear next to them and as it was passed down the line through all the others, it became altered by each person passing it on.  And when the last person repeated that 'something' aloud, it was almost always different than what the first person had originally said.  It's the same thing with your personal tale, filled with thousands of 'somethings'.

Your tale is unique.  You have something wonderful to share, that only you can.  If others are left to tell of your journey, it can only include the Who, What, Where, and When.  Sure, it can infer the Why, but you can offer so much more to that story, to your story.

So, write it down, blog it, scrapbook it, stitch it to textiles, paint it, journal it, capture it with a click, click, click.  It's your tale to tell.

And do it soon, do it often, do it before those zombies attack!


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I personally purchased Cleopatra: A Life for my library. The book links are affiliate links.

SITS Book Club: Secret Daughter

Guess who won another book from the Book Fairy?! William Morrow Publishers gave away 25 copies of the current SITS Books Club book, Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda and I was giddy to learn I won!

Andrea, our rockin' awesome (see?! I told you I was outright stealing the phrase! ;>) SITS Book Club leader listed Secret Daughter in her Top Ten Books for 2010 and now that my copy of the book has arrived, I cannot wait to start reading!

In July, we read Exposure and had such a fantastic Twitter party with the author of Exposure, Therese Fowler.  I've read books with other groups of people, but I have to say, getting the chance to ask the person behind the words, the writer, questions, give and get feedback about the book truly trumps all other group reading experiences I've had.

If you're not already participating in the SITS Book Club, I highly recommend that you check it out!  Here is a list of the books we'll be reading for the rest of the year.

Come join us for the Secret Daughter Twitter party with Shilpi Somaya Gowda on September 22nd, from 8-9:00 pm CST.  Use or search the hashtag #SITSBooks to learn more, see who else is reading & join us tweeting on the 22nd.  If you want to find me, tweet me @TimeCrafted!

Exciting { Exposure }

Opening my email today was uber exciting!  You wanna know why?  I got great news!

Andrea, of Great Thoughts, emailed to let me know that this SITSta won one of the twenty-five copies Random House gave away of the SITS Girls July read, Exposure by Therese Fowler!!!  I literally squealed out loud when I read the uber awesome news!

Andrea called Exposure a "21st century Romeo and Juliet" and says this is her favorite book of 2011.  It's a story of what happens when teens text messages and (inappropriate) photos while dating and the trouble that can follow.  This is such a modern topic and I can't wait to read it.  Definitely swing by her place to read her review!

 

Over the Spring we read The Dressmaker of Khair Khana (which I most definitely recommend reading!) by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon and it was such an insightful experience to participate in the #SITSBooks Twitter Party with Gayle herself. To be able to ask the author questions and discuss what we gained from the book was amazing. So, I am very much looking forward to the Twitter Party for Exposure with Therese Fowler, Andrea, and all those great SITStas reading on July 14th!

I hope you'll join us reading and tweeting! I'll be looking for you! :>

What books are on your Summer 2011 reading list? I'm always looking for another great read and hope you'll share!

Disclosure: I play by the FTC's rules;  all book links are affiliate links.  The links to the other great sites are informational and definitely worth the click! :>

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana & SITS

Last month, when I read that SITStas would be reading The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, for the SITSGirls Book Club, I sat straight up, excited and devoured the post.

This book appears to be one that I will love reading.  It is a true story about a woman, living in Afghanistan, under Taliban rule who manages to create a way to support herself and family against numerous odds.

And I finally have my copy in my hands today!  The clock cannot tick fast enough 'til I can start reading it later tonight!  What a perfect way to start our Spring Break here, don't you think?! :>

Obviously, I'm not able to review what I have yet to read, but thankfully, SITSta, Andrea of Great Thoughts has written a review that you can check out to see if this is something you might like.

And guess what?!  It gets even better.  The SITSGirls are having a Book Club Twitter party on May 5th, using the hashtag #SITSBooks and.....wait for it.....the author, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, will be participating.  Now, how cool is that?!  (And if you're not a SITSGirl yet, what are you waiting for? It's a great group of women bloggers! :>)

Okay, if you'll excuse me now, I'm off to try to get the clock to tick tock a little faster (hmmm...usually I'm trying to slow time down, trying to speed it up is a new one for me!).  The fact that my boy has a minimum day, leading into the arrival of Spring Break....finally (!!!), should help.

What are you reading right now?  Are you fan of crisp paper pages to thumb as you read or have you made the switch to an e-reader?

Disclosure:  I purchased The Dressmaker of Khair Khana myself.  All opinions are my own.  And yes, the links to the book are affiliate links.  All other links are informational and great sites!