An Uncommon February

For those of you who are familiar with Ohio weather in February, you know it is usually cold, snowy, and extremely dreary. But this past week we have had an uncommonly mild week. So mild in fact, that on Saturday it was almost seventy. That also happened to be the day of the Richland Public Health Department's Winter Walk for Health. They were sponsoring the walk at three separate locations and we chose to walk at Malabar Farms the former home of Louis Bromfield.

We walked the one mile Doris Duke Trail and had the unexpected pleasure of being the only hikers on that particular trail. We took our time. We took pictures. We enjoyed nature and each other. And quite possible, Emily heard a Who.

 

We had an uncommonly good time on our uncommonly warm February walk. And it just so happens, that I also read an uncommonly good book as well. A book titled This Is The Rope by Jacqueline Woodson. I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Woodson last May at the Hudson Children's Book Festival, and I wish I had read this book previously so I could have told her how much I enjoyed it.

It is the story of one family's migration from South Carolina to New York and a piece of old rope that ties the generations together. Ms. Woodson expertly weaves a tale of the many uses of the piece of rope, a tale that starts with a new mother and ends when that same woman is a grandmother. It is a story I heartily recommend for children of all ages.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Drop by the Literacy Musings Monday blog hop where you will find other great literary blogs. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, the sequels, Return To Fern Valley,  and Cooking In Fern Valley, along with my very first picture book, Quack and Daisy! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.