Quality Time

Hey everyone. Sorry there wasn't a post last week, but a cold took hold of me, and I was just too sniffy and drippy to get much of anything done but the laundry. This past week sailed by much more cheerfully. Emily finished up her school work, and we are both looking forward to this week's spring break. Bobby and I went looking for new flooring for our living room and have someone coming to measure very soon. And, I sold Emily's old kitchen set which added to our travel fund.

At the end of May, Emily, my sister, and I are planning to visit Niagara Falls. It's been many years since I've been there and Emily has never been there, so it should prove exciting. We have plans to view the falls, visit the aquarium, and check out what Goat Island has to offer. I should probably go see what reading material my library has on the falls.

We also spent some quality time as a family playing Board games and Emily only had a slight case of electronic device withdrawal.

 And last but not least, I read two fine picture books. The first book, Sing, Don't Cry, was a sweet book about a brother and sister's Abuelo (Grandfather) visiting from Mexico. He shared with them his life long experience on how to deal with disappointments and difficulties which was to___ sing, don't cry. The end papers of the author's real Abuelo, who looked handsome in his Mexican musician ensemble, are definitely worth spending a few minutes on before the actual reading commences.

The second book, Hooked, had me hooked. A book about a boy who loves fishing and wishes his dad loved fishing too has the most beautiful of endings. While definitely about fishing, the underlying theme of spending quality time together shines through superbly. I give this book a five out of five stars!

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by Literacy Musings Mondays for more great blogs as well as my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Libraires, Friends, and Family

I can't believe how much has happened in the last four days. This past Thursday, I hosted a Farmers' Market meeting at my local library to update my vendors on what will be happening this year; and while I was there, the library director asked me to fill the vacancy on the Board of Trustees. So now I am a trustee member and will meet with the other trustees once a month to determine library policy and other library business. I also switched out the children's display to get ready for the Summer Reading Program. This year's theme is Building A Better World.

Next I took Emily to a round of parties. The first was an end of school party where the girls played tag and made fancy candle jars. The second was a bowling birthday party.

And finally, I spent a day and a half preparing for a family get-together with my husbands relatives. It's been quite a while since all twenty-two of us have been able to get together in one place for something other than a funeral, so it was nice.

 

"But did I read any books," you ask? Of course. I managed to read two books this weekend. First, I read a book about finding books at the library called We're Going On A Book Hunt. Totally appropriate for a library volunteer and Board of Trustees member, and a fun read for kids four to eight as they watch a class of bears take a trip to the library in search of the just right reads!

The second book I read was called Fox and Fluff and was an adorable tale of family. This story of a Fox who accidentally adopts a small chick shows that family doesn't always have to mean the people you are born too, but can mean the people you come to love. This book is a bit older (2002), but I would definitely check to see if your local library has a copy.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by Literacy Musings Mondays for more great blogs as well as my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Family__The Thankfulness Continues

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone, and all the pie and cheesecake is gone as well. But, that is probably a good thing. I had and continue to have so very much to be thankful for.

A beautiful day spent at my brother's where Emily got to hang with her crazy cousins.

 

 

A couple of days spent geocaching with Emily and Bobby.

 

 

 
Black Friday shopping and bargains galore; my best bargain being the $150.00 coat for Emily for which I paid a mere $19.99.

In other words. Family, Family, Family.

And the family book I read this week was Gator Dad by Brian Lies. It was a celebration of dads and the things they do with their children. My favorite part of this story was the phrase was, "Let's Squeeze The Day". Whether you think that means to squeeze all the fun one can out of a day, to squeeze all the fun one can into a day, or to squeeze all the love you can into every minute of the day, it boils down to putting family first. And family is always something to be thankful for.

  
Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by and join the Literacy Musing Monday Link Up where you will find other great blogs, or my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days. 

Choosing Joy

This past week was a normal week with highs and lows, moments worth remembering and moments worth forgetting. And having lived almost a half century, I have finally figured out some things. Life consists of a few really spectacular events like the day I graduated from college, the day I got married, and the day my daughter was born. It also consists of a few really horrific events like the day my first husband died, the day my best friend died, the day my father died, and the day I was in an automobile accident. But the really important events, the events that define my life, are the many moments in between. The every day moments, that while possibly not extraordinary, are the ones that give me opportunity to choose joy and see beauty in God's creation.

The good moments that bring a smile to my face along with the bad moments that I can allow to ruin my day or I can decide to face with a positive outlook. Joyful and beautiful moments like birds visiting our feeders, making art on a cookie canvas, weeding the garden and enjoying the flowers, and Easter with my family.

And bad moments like the fact that Easter Sunday was the fourth anniversary of my father's trip to heaven. But as I mentioned before, I had a choice. A choice to either wallow in my sorry and loss or a choice to remember the multitude of wonderful memories I have from the years I was able to spend with my father. I chose to remember.

And it never ceases to amaze me how often I pick a random book out of my stack from the library and it coincides with something that has gone on in my week. This week's random book was called Here in the Garden and it was the story of a boy choosing to remember the beautiful moments he once shared with a pet rabbit. And although the rabbit was missed beyond measure, the boy chose joy. He chose to think of all the wonderful days they had been able to share.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by and join the Literacy Musings Monday Blog Hop where you will find other great blogs, or my personal website, Fun With Aileen, where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own early grade Fern Valley chapter book series and my Quack and Daisy picture book series. And finally, you can find me on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days. 

Not Every Day Is Totally Great And That's Okay!

It's December, Christmas is almost upon us, and the days pass in a scurry of busy activity. Some days are fun snowflake making days, but some days don't turn out as well as we hope. Some days there are harsh words and stubbornness. Some days you drop your frozen fruit on the floor. And some days your book sales are disgustingly dismal.

But the great thing about less then stellar days is the fact that they are just a small piece of the puzzle we call life. The good days, the apologies, the time spent with friends and family make those bad moments seem to disappear. Or they at least make us appreciate the good moments a bit  more.

Amazingly enough, the beautiful Christmas book by Eileen Spinelli titled Together At Christmas shares this same idea. It is a story of ten cold mice who leave their huddle one at a time to find shelter from the storm. Each does indeed find a place of refuge, but in the end they realize something even more important then enjoying a cozy dwelling alone.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. 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.

The End of A Season

This past Saturday was the end of a season__ the end of the farmer's market. I had an amazing time managing the market this year. I met some great new people I would never have met otherwise, I sold lots of baked goods and earned enough money to have my 1940's glider refinished, and Emily had a blast selling magnets and hanging out with her friend Katie.

Unfortunately, our last day was cold, rainy, and very, very windy. But I can't complain because despite all of that, I had a great sales day, the dj was fabulous and added a dimension of excitement, and we shared our venue with the chili cook-off which turned out to be a tasty addition. It was anything but boring!

And although the title of the first book I read was Meet the Dullards (Extra Boring Edition), the book was like my last market day and was anything but dull. The Dullard parents are dull and want their children to be dull, but page after page shows the Dullard children breaking the dull tradition in the most thrilling ways. They read books, they play outside, and they even join the circus. No matter how hard the parents try to keep their children dull,  like when they order vanilla ice cream without a cone and without the vanilla, the children always manage to have some fun when their parents aren't looking. This is the type of book that is so ridiculous you just have to laugh. You might even laugh out loud.  

The second book I read was Meanwhile Back at the Ranch and it too was anything but dull. It was a hilarious tall tale about a rich widow who inherited a ranch in Texas where everything is bigger. Even the widow's problems were bigger when every unmarried man for  miles around showed up in order to propose marriage. Some creative solutions and a wonderful chef named Charlie eventually lead to a very happy wedding.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. 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 sequel, Return To Fern Valley, the soon to be released Cooking In Fern Valley (fall 2015)and my very first picture book, Quack and Daisy! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Getting Back To Normal

After our fun Cedar Point trip, this past week was all about getting back into my normal routine. That meant baking away for farm market. One of the things I love most about farm market is my vendors who have become like an extended family to me. We laugh, we joke, we help each other, and we visit. And every Saturday, I take joy in each item that my vendors show up with whether it's a beautiful sunflower from Rosemary's garden or Dale's hot pepper butter.

Taking time to smell the roses, appreciating everything, working hard at all we do, or thinking of how we can enrich the lives of others is not always a concept that children grasp, but as a parent, they are lessons I want my daughter to one day practice wholeheartedly. And once in a while, I find some great books that subtly bring home these messages.

This week, one of those books was In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van. It is an extremely simple story told with very few words, but it conveys the importance of family. It starts with a small house in a fishing village. It describes the house. It tells who is in the house. It tells who occupants are wishing was with them. Finally, it comes beautifully full circle when it shows the fisherman wishing he was home with the family who was missing him. 

The second book I read was Moustronaut by Astronaut Mark Kelly. It is the story of a small mouse who worked hard in preparation for a space voyage despite the opinion of his fellow mice that he was too small to be chosen. Delighted beyond words when he is chosen, Mouse searches diligently to find a way to be useful to the crew. Eventually he finds his purpose and it brings him great joy. I imagine he felt the same joy I feel from managing the market and finding ways to be useful to my vendors.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. 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 sequel, Return To Fern Valley, the soon to be released Cooking In Fern Valley (fall 2015) and my very first picture book, Quack and Daisy! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Giving Dogs a Fair Shake!

Last week's book review involved cats because I am a cat person. I mean I would have to be to have three wouldn't I? But, I want to give dogs a fair chance as well, so here is are four of my favorite dog books in no particular order.

1. Harry The Dirty Dog

Harry hates to take a bath, so he runs away. He spends the day getting so extraordinarily dirty that his family doesn't even recognize him when he returns home. Will Harry ever get his family to let him back in the house, and if they do, will it involve a bath?

2. Hugs and Kisses

 

 

Hugs the puppy sets out early one morning while his family is still sleeping because he has something he needs to find out. The kind farm animals along the way help him with his requests and when he returns to the barn and his family he finds the answer for which he was looking!

3. Buddy Finds A Home

This story of how one family found a very imperfect dog and how he made a perfect addition to their family is a good lesson in how love can overlook differences. My daughter truly enjoyed this book, especially when she realized it was a true story. I would recommend this book for children six to eight.

4. Schnitzel Von Krumm Forget-Me-Not

Told in rhyme and accompanied by beautiful illustrations, Schnitzel Von Krumm: Forget-Me-Not is a great little book for children four to eight. As Schnitzel's family busily packs for vacation they remember everything but him. To find out what happens to Schnitzel when this happens you need to read this book for yourselves!

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. 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, and my soon to be released sequel, Return To Fern Valley, coming summer of 2014! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.
                             

Good For Valentines: Great For Anytime!

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching I thought I would review a few books that are perfect for the holiday. Actually, these books are great for any time of the year; but since Valentine's Day is a remembering, kissing, and hugging kind of holiday you are probably going to want to read these books now!







The first book Hugs and Kisses, by Christophe Loupy, is a book my daughter received two years ago after completing the summer reading program. Not only did we read and enjoy it then, but many times since. This is one of those truly re-readable books. The main character, Hugs the puppy, sets out early one morning while his family is still sleeping because he has something he needs to find out. The kind farm animals along the way help him with his requests and when he returns to the barn and his family he finds the answer for which he was looking! What exactly was Hugs looking for? To find out you will just have to read this great book for
yourselves.


 

The second book, Schnitzle Von Krumm: Forget-Me-Not, by Lynley Dodd, is told in rhyme and is accompanied by beautiful illustrations. This is a great book for children 4 to 8 years of age and was actually read to me by my daughter who is quite the little narrator. Schnitzel is a cute little wiener dog whose family busily packs for vacation and remembers everything but him. Does Schnitzle Von Krumm get reunited with his family. You know what you have to do to find out.




  
How About A Hug, by Nancy Carlson, is a total success as far as books go in my humble opinion. My daughter usually does most of the reading since she has to log minutes for school, but last night she asked me to read this book to her. I must admit I really loved this book not only because it has great illustrations and short and sweet text, but because I come from a long line of serious huggers. I even like the dedication which read, "In memory of my uncle Bill, who always gave me Big Hugs!" Having lost  my dad last year I completely understood where this book was coming from and I make sure I take every opportunity to hug the family and friends that are with me still!




And there you have it my friend, three good books for Valentine's Day or three great books for any day.

Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!