July 28, 2003

O.K., so I took a

O.K., so I took a little
hiatus. The reunion was well worth the trip. Kinda like stepping into a new
store, you never know what you're going to find, but you hope it's fantastic AND
on sale. It is always so interesting to see people that were so significant in
your life at such a delicate time. I was especially relieved to be able to tell
one of my closest friends how important he was in my life. I'll call him "The
Rescuer." I hated where I was my junior and senior years in high school. The
Rescuer was my relief. He was the first male that I could talk to and not
question his intentions. He wanted to date but I wasn't interested in dating
anyone at the time. What amazed me is that he was o.k. with us just being
friends. He would just show up wherever I was and at the most uncanny times. He
would take me driving and we we just ride with the windows down, saying nothing.
We went for walks and found this really neat old oak tree that we would sit in
and talk. Then we found this old barn and would situp there and talk. I began to
analyze why this is so important to me, remebering those times. I think they
represent freedom from all the responsiblities that I now have. That is so
ironic because I felt so chained up then. Perspective..... More later

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Rae at 10:28 AM | Comments (2)

July 01, 2003

Book shopping is next to

Book shopping is next
to shoe shopping in the thrill of the hunt. There are so many similarities. So
many choices, styles, colors. Some are comfy, some aren't so comfy but look so
damn good you have to wear them! Some are for going out in and some are for
stepping out in. Some are quick and easy. Others are a little more challenging.
I went book shopping this morning. We finally have a decent book store in town
(coffee house, too, but will discuss that one later). I typically get my books
on-line, but I have to be familiar with the book. See, just like shoes, I need
to try on the book: check out the colors of the illustrations, feel the thing in
my hands. Anyway, I picked out some of my favorites to give to Eddie's children:
The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth and Leo Tolstoy; The Quiltmaker's Gift by
Jeff Brumbeau, illustrated by Gail De Marcken; The Empty Pot by Demi; The
Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, and Whoever You Are by Mem Fox. Criteria
for selecting children's picture books: 1) Must have creative illustrations, not
just "pretty" but sometimes unique and positively engaging. 2) Must have good
content. Silliness; seriousness; a bit of both. 3) Maybe a lesson learned, in a
new and un-thought-of manner. The best are the ones that you can't know what the
next page holds. All of the above mentioned books we own and fit all of the
criteria. I usually prefer the original illustrators of earlier works because
the the illustrations represent what the author wanted to convey to the readers
imagination. There is magic in those original illustrations. I took my oldest
daughter to see "Holes" on Thursday night. She had listened to the audio CD and
was just emphatic about seeing the movie. I trust her opinion in literature (she
has impeccable taste and an unusual discernment for her age) and so we went. We
shared popcorn, got our fav drinks, and passed a box of milk duds back and
forth. The movie was interesting and held my attention the entire time. My only
complaint would be that as a person not having read the book, the twists and
turns and trying to make all the connections between them was difficult and
would have been more so had I not had my navigator (dd) with me. Speaking of
books, I read The Wonder of Girls by Michael Gurian last year and it is such an
innovative book. He writes from a refresingly different perspective about how
our daughters develop. Frankly, I was getting overloaded with "it's all
societies fault; men are the bad guys," blah, blah, blah. That's not to say that
those things aren't part of the problem, but they don't create the problems,
only contribute. He writes from a neurological/sociological perspective. I
walked away with fresh understanding of my oldest daughter. I am not the oracle
of wisdom now, but feel as if I have the tools to step away from her hormones
and the monumental changes she is enduring, to have a bit more compassion. I
feel that this book helped me help her feel empowered by knowing herself and
what she wants. He speaks of the imortance of a girl being surrounded and
encouraged by those that know her well and can remind her of who she is and
where she comes from as she reaches to define herself to herself.

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Rae at 10:21 AM | Comments (0)