I HEART BOOKS!!!


Rev Stacey has kindly added me to her list of links. Trust me friends, if I had a clue how to add links, I would be adding all kinds of people. :)
She also tagged me with this little questionaire about myself. Considering the fact that I write about myself all the time, this shouldn't be a stretch, but it really was!

1. Number of books owned: uh, millions? billions? mostly children's picture books which I love. My mom is to blame for my love of books. Amazon thanks you too, mom...

2. Last book bought: David Sedaris audiobook. This thing cracks me up! Also Stichin' Bitch, the knitter's guide.

3. Last book completed: Uh this is a hard one. As a reading teacher, I don't actually read. Well, I read lots of kid's books, but nothing substantial. I have about 6 or so books that I am in the middle of.. I guess Harry Potter #7 I actually finished....wow! Go me!!!

4. Five or more books that mean a lot to me:
Real live Preacher.com is the best! I refer to the stories all the time!
World According to Chuck, because it is also great writing and he signed it for me! Love that!
Any of the Mitford Series. I love that little minister man.
Reading Recovery guidebook... it is my Reading teacher bible.
About the Author... a great guide for teaching writing in the K-1 classroom.
Who's Mouse are you? my favorite book of childhood. Lots of great memories in that book!

5. Four bloggers I am passing this on to...
my friend Jay... so he can write about himself and not about the book of common prayer.
My BFF ginger... she is a fantastic writer... this will force her to do some writing.
My friend David Mahfood... because no matter what, he is a deep thinker and he can turn this whole quick question thing into a study on religion for sure.
Paula...because even though I just met her, we are soul sisters for sure.

Another Birthday Zoom Song...

please scroll down and read about the zoom song before reading this.
Annie...

There is Annie hiding in the monument to slactitude...

Well, the vet told us August was when Annie must have been born, so I figured I would write a little birthday zoom message to her as well...
The school I worked in when I first met Annie was quite old and had some really strange classrooms. The only doors to the rooms were from the outside. Hallways were for wimps.
I arrived at work, early as usual, and noticed several kids outside messing with something in the bushes. Now, as a teacher, the sight of several third and fourth grade boys messing with something in the bushes is, as a rule, never a good thing.
So, I got ready to face the chaos and went over to talk to them.
There in the tree was the tiniest little kitten ever! She was full of fleas and as thin as she could be. She was so tiny she could actually fit in the palm of my hand. I took her away from the mean older boys and took her inside the school. What was I going to do with this little thing? I couldn't leave her out there for more kids to come up and torture. I had to do something. Luckily, we had a little atrium in our school where she could go and we could keep her safe during the day. But then, what would we do with her after school was over?
I felt responsible! I had found this little thing! I was going to have to take her home. I made the call home and prepared for the worst. Here I was, the cat person, calling the dog person in the family, to break the news that we would be having a cat come live with us. Needless to say, BT was not pleased. But he did go to the store and purchase all the needed supplies for her to live comfortably at our house.
On the drive home, she slept in a box the entire time. I was so worried she was sick... I just knew she wouldn't make it.
As soon as we arrived home, BT made her a bath and gave her medicine for the fleas. She didn't move or fight when we put her into the water. We fed her, we loved her, and we watched fleas jump for their lives to avoid the medicine on her body. Neither one of us thought she would make it.
She was that sick. But something happened because once the fleas were gone and she got some good food in her, she was like a different kitten. She was running all over the house jumping and playing and being silly. She became our cat from that moment on!
That first Christmas when BT was gone the whole month of December, Annie and I became best friends. She slept on his side of the bed and looked after me as much as she could. She and I bonded. She was sure not happy when BT came back home! Her side of the bed was being taken over again. When she was little, she slept so that her body was leaned against my heart. I loved that.
Annie is no longer the teeny tiny little kitten with huge bat ears. She is big and fat and lazy and takes up half the bed, but she still sleeps right at my heart... right where she belongs.

Birthdays and the Zoom Song...

When I was little, my parents bought me one of those super cool floppy 45 records, that played the coolest song I know.
It was MY song. It had MY name in it and it was about some space captain named Zoom who was flying through space just to wish me a happy happy birthday.
I think I played it like a million times. Especially on my birthday of course!
Once I got to high school, I was too cool for such childish things and that floppy record went away.
Then college came and my friend Julie had that same record. This time, Zoom was talking to her... it had her name in it.
Once I got over the initial shock of not hearing MY name...(what??? Zoom sings to everyone???) I grew to like that silly song again. Now, whenever someone in my family has a birthday, we call each other up and sing the zoom song to them!
Unfortunately, I am way too lazy to actually buy the actual CD, so I don't know all of the words...only the ones posted in the little snippet on the internet. So, thankfully it is usually pretty short when sung.
I got to realizing last night that lots of significant people's birthdays are coming up or had just recently passed. Since they might find me calling them in the middle of the night singing the Zoom song a bit odd... I think I will do this instead...
Here is some info about people I know and love, who's birthdays are coming up or have just passed, and why you would like them too...

Consider it a cooler version of the zoom song...

Meet My DAD...
Maynard...yep, that's his name... that's what I call him anyway. NO one else calls him that but me.
His birthday was in June and I didn't get to see him on his birthday. He has the unfortunate luck of having his birthday before or on father's day every year. But, I guess that means more gifts for him.
My dad is the oldest of three kids, so that comes with lots of responsibilities. He has a great way of calming the waters when things are tense or crazy with his brother and sister. He also has the job of taking care of my grandfather, which is a full time job sometimes. He is so kind and sweet with my grandfather. You should see him! As much as my grandfather drives us all crazy, my dad is so patient and kind and willing to help him.
My dad is an incredibly smart guy. Although it was never diagnosed, I swear my dad has ADD and Dyslexia. He thought he was dumb in school because he had such a hard time reading. That didn't keep him from doing what he loved though. He became a teacher, and a principal and eventually retired as the Director of Fine Arts for the school district. Not too shabby for a guy with some reading problems. He is one reason I do what I do now... teach struggling readers. My dad didn't have it easy in school. He didn't have someone to focus him and help him when he struggled.
My dad is a great speaker. He loves to tell stories. You should see his face light up when he starts to tell stories. Some stories are not necessarily even close to the truth, which I guess helps since he is a fisherman and a golfer. :)
I can remember fondly walking down the dirt road with my dad, hand in hand. His big hand engulfing my little one. I remember looking at those two hands and knowing that he would always take care of me. Always.
My dad is a pretty great guy. He has a heart of gold and he means well. He would do anything for anyone and I love him a lot!!

There's your zoom song dad!!!



Ginger

I almost forgot Ginger's birthday since it was the beginning of August and I got involved in getting myself ready to go back to work! I meant to call her on her birthday too and force the Zoom song on her, but I don't know what happened. I suck.
So hope this helps...
Ginger and I met in college. We weren't really friends though until senior year when she moved in across the hall from me in the dorm. We hit it off and became pretty good friends, but not what I would consider close. She was part of the Circle of Friends though, so we were at things together. I fondly remember spring break of our senior year when we decided to rebel and not go home. We stayed with the boys instead and hung out at their apartment. I can remember being shocked when she washed her bra and hung it up in the boy's bathroom for all to see. I don't know why that really shocked me so much at the time. What a prude I was back then!
Ginger and I have become really close friends within the past ummm... 4 years now? She moved to Texas and I fell in love with her little red headed son. He is my bestest friend on the planet. If they didn't live 2 hours away, I would see that little Miles man every weekend! I love him so much!
Ginger is a fantastic writer. She is the kind of writer I want to be like when I grow up. She can take words and use them to make something that was ugly into something totally beautiful. She has a gift for that. A knack! She is my fashion guide and help. "Ging, I am going to some semi formal thing... what the hell does semi formal mean these days??? I am a teacher! I wear khakis on a regular basis!"
Ging calms me down and talks me through my fashion issues. She is also my positive influence. She is always looking on the bright side of things, when I want to just scream and yell and throw a temper tantrum, she is always there with a positive comment.
She and I have exchanged official BFF necklaces... the one with the half of the heart. Not really, but I know that if I ever needed her, she would be there... and I hope she would feel/say the same thing about me!!!