Things that make you go "hum"

(And yes, I blatantly stole that quote from Chris B.)

Once again, that "vanguard of new thinking," the American Library Association, meets its goal to "enhance learning" by offering these selections from its 2008 list of Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults and 2007 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers*: (preceding two quotes taken from the ALA website)

*edited to include additional link, 7/6/08

The Making of Dr. Truelove: The doctor is in, and he's dreamy and steamy.

Played: Kylie, duped and dumped by a playa. Yes, it says "playa."

Easy: Being easy isn't easy. It's hard.

Boys that Bite: Bitten by a vampire one week before prom really sucks.

Backstage with Beth and Trina: A Scratch and Sniff Adventure : Beth and Trina party hard with the band.

* * *

I think I'll go puke now.

* * *

Compare and contrast that list with a story last week out of my hometown, San Jose, California. Middle school teacher Robert Wright rescued these books, which were dumped by his school library:

Tituba of Salem Village
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Black Stallion
The Yearling
Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow–His Life
Jacob Have I Loved
Medieval Tales
Beethoven
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Babe The Gallant Pig
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs . Basil E. Frankweiler
Ben and Me
Ivanhoe
Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Mutiny on the Bounty
By the Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie
Ten Little Indians by Agatha Christie

All are stamped with an explanation:

This book has been replaced for one or more of the following reasons:
Material is inaccurate
Does not meet district standards
Stereotypes gender or culture

Oh yeah? Apparently, as a homeschooler, I'm teaching inaccurate material, that might not meet school district standards, and perhaps teaches gender or cultural stereotypes.

But I have a sinking feeling that there may be a copy of The Making of Dr. Truelove, or Backstage with Beth and Trina: A Scratch and Sniff Adventure on that middle school library shelf.

Day of horses

This was the week of the annual Roanoke Valley Horse Show. Holly started her Friday off with her usual riding lesson. I haven't mentioned that she fell off her horse while jumping last month. I'm SO glad that I didn't actually see it; I had just come back to pick her up and heard it happen, heard the other girls asking if she was okay. When I came around the corner, she was sitting on the ground. She's talked about the possibility of this for quite a while, and she's watched other kids fall off. As she was falling, she remembered to turn to land on her shoulder. She was quite surprised by it all and got back up on her horse within a minute or two.

Anyway, after her lesson on Friday, we went the rest of the way into town. Although the big events at the Horse Show would be held in the evenings, we knew we could go in to watch whatever was going on during the day. We were happily surprised to catch the junior hunters and jumpers competitions!

We went out to grab a bite to eat and came back for the Jumper Classic. After a few of my pathetic attempts to get photos, Holly took over. I don't have time to type much, but here are her terrific shots. (I'd really like to get her back into a photography class...)

Let the competition begin!

When the jumping concluded, it was time for JACK RUSSELL TERRIER RACES. Seriously. People brought their pet dogs in for friendly races. I've never heard of this before; maybe it goes hand in hand with sweet tea and collard greens. I'd say Stickville too, but I'm sure there aren't 18 Jack Russells in Stickville.



They chase a fox tail down the track. It was a riot.



It was a fun night, and we'll be looking forward to next year. Even if the dogs aren't there. :)

Trevor cooks dinner

(That's just where the buns parted, it's not a bite out of the bread!)

Trevor found a recipe for spicy fried chicken sandwiches, and we made them together tonight for dinner.

YUM!!!!!

Ten things we did to celebrate Rob's birthday yesterday

1. Baked a birthday pie. (Okay, Robert baked it, but it was frozen from a box.)

2. Ate 1/2 a giant box of Lucky Charms for breakfast.

3. Went to a Chinese buffet lunch in Roanoke.

4. We were going to go to the transportation museum, but we (all) changed our minds after lunch.

5. Went to the post office.

6. Holly and I went shopping in town.

7. Had chile rellanos and guacamole for dinner. (Robert made both of those too.)

8. Opened presents. (He had to buy the tape the day before so the kids could wrap them.)

9. He reminded us that Christmas is in exactly six months, so we'd better start saving for his Christmas presents now.

10. He waited for my mom to call him and wish him Happy Birthday, but he's still waiting. (Hint, hint.)

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Things I don't do

Trevor: "What's the difference between washing and ironing? What does an iron do?"


* * *

It reminded me of the time in preschool when Holly asked me what peas were. I was only embarrassed that someone else heard her ask. We had peas a few nights later with dinner, so she'd know. And we never had them again.

But I won't be ironing any time soon.

Weekly menu

hot dogs, breaded noodles, fruit salad
spaghetti, breadsticks, Caesar salad
chile rellanos, guacamole, chips Rob's birthday!
chicken!
sub sandwiches, chips
??
??

Lunch (with or for):
smoothies
grilled PB&J
Linda's Marinated Mozzarella
parmesan pesto things

On the back burner:
cutlets Romano
chicken ala king, rice, strawberries
chicken souvlaki, couscous
bbq hot dogs, pasta or potato salad
chicken jerusalem derivative
pork loin
Chicken Fingers with Lemon Sauce
teriyaki meatballs
Wave Your Flag Cheesecake (search for Taste of Home's Star Spangled Fruit Tart too)

Trevor goes to war--er, I mean, camp!

Trevor and two of his friends attended D-Day Camp at the National Memorial last week. It was three half-days, and even though it was a 75 minute drive each way and we had to leave at 7:30 in the morning, we had decided to give it a try. (Let me say that 7:30 is very early for us, while he and I are usually awake by then, we are never out of the house that early.) But we all have to sacrifice in war . . .

My soldier

After learning for three days about the War, both homefront and field, the parents were treated to a special canteen to end the camp. Some of the group put on a USO-style show, with songs from the 1940s (Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition; Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy; Chicken Blues), comedy routines (Who's on First?), and other entertainment. We then toured the camp.

Oh-so-nicely air-conditioned barracks

The kids donated food items, and care packages were boxed up for soldiers currently serving in the Middle East.

We admired propaganda posters.

I was able to spot Trev's without looking for names

Each private was assigned a post. As visitors toured through, the kids shared information about their area. Trevor was assigned to an equipment and supplies table.

K Rations

Gas masks

Canteens

We were also treated to a light, 1940s Red Cross-style lunch.

Spam, pretzel sticks, turkey sandwiches, watermelon, donuts

It was an honor to have D-Day veteran Jim Bryant drop in. Mr. Bryant was a glider infantryman, 82nd Airborne Division, and he volunteers at the Memorial.

I had a great photo of them shaking hands--
except someone walked right in front of my camera!

Trevor had a blast at camp. It was a blessing that he was able to go, and getting out at 7:30 a.m. each day was well worth the effort!

Memorabilia for home

Book Review - Oceans Apart by Karen Kingsbury

Cynthia got me hooked on this author a while back.

Airline pilot Connor Evans is a happily married father of two, who broke his marriage vows ten years ago with a one night affair. It's a secret that he's never told.

Kiahna Siefert is a devoted single mom to her son, Max. When she became pregnant ten years ago, she never contacted the father, but gave up her career dreams to care for her son. As a flight attendant, she flies a few days a month and spends the rest of her time with Max. When Kiahna dies in a plane crash, her final wishes include that Max spend two weeks with the father he's never known. After the two weeks are up, Connor will have the option to adopt Max--or allow him to be put up for adoption.

The story centers around the marriage of Connor and his wife Michele. Michele is dealing with issues of her own and will ultimately turn to God to decide the fate of Max.

I like Karen Kingsbury. Her books are easy to read and hard to put down. If you enjoy light fiction with happy endings, I recommend this book. (Oops, by saying "happy endings," did I give anything away? Well, what do you think happens!?)

Book Review - Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive by John Eldredge

I've heard good things about John and Stasi Eldredge and chose this book since my library carries it. I'm only logging it here because I read it--I didn't feel that I got anything out of it then, and two weeks later, I've forgotten it completely.

But don't listen to me; what do I know? The amazon reviews are terrific, 4.5 stars after 100+ reviews . . .

I'd still like to read another John or John and Stasi book. This one just wasn't the one for me.

D-Day Memorial

Coincidentally, I finished reading The Bedford Boys at the same week Trevor attended D-Day Camp at the National Memorial. (I'll post camp pics later.) The Memorial was quiet . . . somber . . . remarkable.

The Peaks of Otter, backdrop for the town of Bedford

Cartoonist Charles Schulz donated $1M to the Memorial, enabling groundbreaking

44.5 foot granite arch; "Overlord" was the code name for D-Day

General Eisenhower

Reflecting pool and beach area

"Scaling the Wall"

"Scaling the Wall"

"Le Monument aux Morts"

"Final Tribute"

* * *

Blow softly, bugles, for our honored dead,
and tell them, where they sleep. . . they have not died in vain.
Arthur Stringer, Taps at Twilight

Book Review - The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice by Alex Kershaw

Robert is a WWII history buff, and knowing that Bedford is a small town close to our area, I picked this book up for him at the library. He was quite moved by this book and suggested I also read it.

Bedford is a small, rural, farming community. With a population of 3000 in the late 1930s, many of Bedford's young men joined the National Guard as a way to supplement their income. They didn't expect to go to war. As part of A Company, 116th Regiment, 29th Division of the Virginia-Maryland National Guard, they were activated in 1941.

A Company was in the first wave of the assault to hit Omaha Beach on D-Day. Within 15 minutes of landing, it suffered 120 casualties. Twenty-two of the Bedford Boys were killed; six landed and survived. Nine others missed the June 6 landing.

Written mainly through years of interviews with veterans and family members of those killed, this well-researched book tells the story of the Bedford Boys in the Normandy Campaign. The author provides a brief history of the town of Bedford, introduces the "boys" and their families, and tells of their training in Europe, details the assault, and follows the town's discovery of the tragedy.

I was quickly drawn into the story, although I hated knowing that tragedy was right around the corner. I had minimal prior knowledge of D-Day before reading this book, and I learned a lot.

Today, signposts in Bedford still boast the "best little town in America." No other town in America sacrificed as great a one day loss, and for this reason, Congress chose Bedford as the site for the National D-Day Memorial, which opened on June 6, 2001, marking the "valor, fidelity and sacrifice" of the Allied Forces.

Considering Robert's and my different reading preferences, and our interest and pre-existing knowledge of the subject (or lack of it), this book would appeal to a wide range of readers. I'd only driven through Bedford once; you don't have to be a local to appreciate the story. I highly, highly recommended this excellent book.

Book Review - Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time by Valerie Bertinelli

Although I always wanted to be a Brady, in reality, our family life evolved into One Day at a Time--you know, the long running tv show about the divorced mom and her two teenaged daughters. Valerie Bertinelli was the sweet younger daughter, and in real life, she went on to marry rocker Eddie Van Halen.

The title of this book would lead one to think it's a journey of Valerie's weight gain and subsequent weight loss as a Jenny Craig spokeswoman. That'd be pretty boring. Instead, this is Valerie's story of victimhood and bad choices: her childhood, her years on the sitcom, her volatile marriage to a rock star, mothering, tv mini-series queen, and life as a Hollywood has been.

Early on, Valerie's completely obsessed about her weight, for years journaling every pound gained and lost. She writes in great details of her drug use, temptations and marital affairs, divorce, and weaves in incidences from her husband's life. She remembers every negative comment whispered "behind her back" regarding her weight gain. The whole book was WAAAAAAY too much information. This is stuff I would probably not share with even a close friend, much less publish in a book for all the world--and my children--to see. I was left with the impression that she needed to fill pages to make sure she got the money for writing a book.

The book concludes with Valerie's personal achievements: 1) success as a mother (as she sends her 15 year old son on tour with his father, who continues his cocaine and nicotine addictions, despite two bouts with mouth cancer); and 2) her celebrity weight loss stardom through Jenny Craig, where she's lost 40-50 pounds and kept it off for what, six months? a year? Although I am baffled why a 40-something year old woman would want to get back to her stick thin 120s figure...

I had much higher hopes for little Barbara Cooper. Valerie's too personal story left me with an icky feeling, leaving her unlikeable. This book is definitely NOT recommended.

Fire

I can't believe this yahoo lives next door.

It's been in the 80s-90s for a few weeks. He decides to burn brush in this "clearing."

He apparently doesn't own a hose, because he came to borrow ours after his fire blew out of control and up into the trees.

Robert helping put out the neighbor's fire

Like I'll be able to sleep well tonight...

"Yahoo" was quite a nice word, I thought, all things considered.

Day at the beach

One side of our county is bordered by a 32 square mile man-made lake. Over the past ten years, it's become an upscale residential area, a vacation destination and popular retirement location. It's a great addition to our county; even here in Stickville, on the other side of the county, we benefit from the income the lake area generates.

A new state park beach opened up at the lake a few weeks ago, and we grabbed an opportunity to check it out.

We stopped by with a few of Trevor's friends on the way back from D-Day Camp (another post). We ate lunch and the boys played for a while.



The only sand Trevor's ever seen is from the sandbox. The only beaches he's seen are in the Pacific Northwest, rocky beaches, with water so cold that only children dare to get wet.

The boys built castles and moats.



I baked in the sun (unintentionally). Trevor swam a bit before we had to leave.



I've already promised him we'll be spending a LOT of time here this summer!

Father's Day

Quick recap:

We enjoyed the monthly church fellowship barbeque. With the summer weather, we've moved the bbq from the church to the park down the street. I ran Holly over to Hurley's to ride; she'd already promised to help exercise the horses.



I was SO glad to see Robert when I came back--I had to parallel park to fit into the space I wanted, and pathetically I don't know how to parallel park. For the record, I can't drive a stick shift either. (Lori, feel free to insert any comments here, I can take it.)

I can't park, but I can take pictures of Rob doing it for me.

Trevor forged rivers--okay, creeks--for hours with his friends.


I continued taking pictures when we picked Holly up, despite threats to my personal safety.


It was a great day . . .


for a great guy.

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