Joy Sometimes Looks Like A Stripy Sock

This past week seemed to fly by, but probably not fast enough for Emily who had to take a state algebra test. However, she is glad to be done with all major testing for the year. And of course we joyously celebrated Easter with my brother, his family, and my sister.

For Christians, Easter is a celebration of joy. The book I read this week was also a celebration of joy. And through the simple story of a grey rat on a grey day, one comes to realize as my sister is fond of saying, "Joy is a choice"!

In this book, A Rat In A Stripy Sock, written by Frances Watts and illustrated by David Francis, we follow the story of a grey rat sitting in the rain on a dreary day. However, his day turns completely around when he finds a stripy sock. That funny rainbow sock is all Rat needs to start dreaming. And Rat dreams big. Rat dreams of all the things one could do with a stripy sock.

It just goes to show, that it doesn't really take much in life to find joy. You simply have to look around you and take pleasure in what you find.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by 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.

A Great Celebration and Two Great Books

This past week we celebrated Easter and my youngest nephew's birthday. His birthday is significant because my father passed away three days before he was born, and this is how I keep track of how long he's been gone. In addition, during our time of sorrow those six years ago, my nephew's birth gave us a reason to rejoice and to this day he continues to bring great joy to our family!

The first book I read for my review brought me joy as well. When I saw it on the shelf at my library, a little tingle went up my spine as I immediately recognized it as a book by my friend and fellow Ohioan, Lisa Amstutz. Lisa's book, Applesauce Day, tells the tale of a family and a special pot. A pot that has been used through the generations to make applesauce. A simple, ordinary pot signifying family ties, stories, love, and traditions. A pot passed from Great Grandmother to Grandmother to Daughter. A pot that causes a little girl to dream of the day it will be passed on to her.

Besides a wonderful story that both children and adults will enjoy, Lisa gives added value by including her family's recipe for applesauce and some interesting apple facts. So if you've never tried home made applesauce and have a love of stories that encourage family togetherness, run out and grab a copy for yourselves.

The second book I read, made me laugh. I laughed not because the pages contained humor, but because it rang true. In Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth, a small rabbit wants to go to the circus, but his mother tells him he can't go until he cleans his playroom. Grumbling and complaining the entire time, Little Rabbit manages to make more of a mess instead of tidying up and loses his chance to attend. He decides to sneak out and only to find that the Ringmaster will not let him join the circus unless he has a talent causing Little Rabbit to declare that he has the Meanest Mother on Earth.

The Ringmaster tells him if he can sell 100 tickets he can bring his mother and join the circus. Several exaggerations later he has sold his tickets and conned his mother into coming. Needless to say the crowd are not wowed by the ordinary, non mean looking mother. How the story ends is quite heartwarming, but I don't want to give too much away, so just grab a copy from your nearest book store or library.

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.

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. 

The Little Things In Life!

 
Enjoying the little things in life is an important and integral part of living. If one is unable to enjoy the special little moments that happen each day, then life becomes dreary and unbearable. I am a firm believer in this and that is why I take such great pleasure when my daughter reads to me on the way to school.

This morning, on our thirty minute ride, she read two of her accelerated reading books to me. Both books she read happened to be by the legendary Mercer Mayer. The first book was titled Just Grandpa and Me. This story is about little critter and his grandpa spending the day together and shopping for a new suit.  Even though I could not see the pictures as she read from the back seat, I laughed repeatedly when little critter said things like, "I had to hold Grandpa's hand so he wouldn't get lost." As an adult I know very well that all the things little critter says he is doing for the benefit of Grandpa, really pertain to him.That is probably what makes it so funny.

The next book she read was Me Too. This book happened to be about little critter and his younger sister. Every time little critter does something, his little sister says me too. Every time little critter has something, his little sister wants it too. In the end when little sister has a candy cane of her own and little critter says, "Me too,"sister agrees and shares. It was  a wonderful story about how children often learn by the good example set for them.

As I laughed,  I thought how pleasant it was to be able to spend those joyous moments with her. Sometimes, as adults, we don't laugh as often as we should. When my daughter is grown and I am long gone, I want her memories of me to be pleasant, positive, joyous, and many! I guess that is why I work so hard at appreciating the little things in life.

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