Reading is Pun-damental

Here's a recent cryptoquip from our village paper:

If a young bear liked reading a novel every thirty days, could you call him a book-of-the-month cub?

Still don't know who writes these things.

Two recent Newsday cryptoquotes that fit in nicely with my personal philosophy:

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you. -- John E. Southard

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly. -- Richard Bach

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Even in today's troubled times, it can't hurt to hope for peace on earth.

Dogs and Cobras and...

I have not yet seen the continuing education bulletin from our district for the spring session, though I have been keeping an eye out...HOWEVER...I have joined the office yoga group which meets for half an hour at lunchtime on Wednesdays. They do the same kind of yoga that I used to do with the evening group. Because it's only half an hour, it doesn't wipe me out like the evening session did (I was completely useless after each class!) but it does invigorate and relax me, all at the same time.

It's funny, but I used to have a hard time with the upward facing dog and the cobra poses -- both require you to lie flat on your tummy and then stretch your torso up and arch the back -- but during the past two weeks of lunch yoga I've gotten into those postures quite easily. What does that mean? Ah, who cares? Forget I asked.

Boxed In

Last night, as I'm tucking in my sixth grader, my third grader shows up at the door of his brother's room, with his homework planner in hand. "Mom?" The look on his face and the tone in his voice make it pretty obvious that he needs something for the next day and he hasn't told me about it yet. Sigh. If it's something I have to buy or cook, he's clearly out of luck.

When I get out into the hallway to see him, the suspense is already giving me a headache. "I need to bring in an empty tissue box tomorrow." %$#@, I think I just replaced the one in the bathroom a couple of days ago. We look. Sure enough, it's almost full. I glance at my son, who's still looking at me hopefully. Sigh. This is why parents do the goofy things we do. I search in his room (across the hall from the bathroom) for something that will help.

Not that we're expecting visitors in the next few days, but if you happen to drop by the house and use the bathroom, maybe you won't think it's quite so odd to see this:

Signed,

Mom whose kid went to sleep with a smile on his face.

Color Me Exhausted

One of my recent projects (other than taking down all the Hanukkah and Christmas decorations) has been to clean the basement. It's been very good for my soul and has inspired me to organize the upstairs part of the house better, too. And did you know that several charities will come right to your door to pick up donated goods? e.g. Vietnam Veterans of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters, National Lupus Foundation, Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. So much better than taking anything that's still in good condition to a landfill.

Assuming the stuff in your basement is still usable and not junk, these charities are very happy to take clothes, toys, electronics, knick knacks and dishes (packed appropriately if fragile), small furniture items, bedding, and so on. Anything very large, or a very large donation, needs a special pickup arrangement rather than "a truck will be in your neighborhood on this day." Last week the Ovarian Cancer folks received three boxes full of old (working) cameras, wall phones, mugs, picture frames, serving trays, dish towels, and other household things. Another great resource for giving away good but unwanted "stuff" is Freecycle (www.freecycle.org). Also, if you work in an office that has a kitchenette, they may appreciate having some of your unwanted cups, plates, and silverware to use for lunches etc. AND some of your coworkers may know someone who has a use for your soon-to-be-discarded items.

Day care centers are usually very happy to get kid oriented stuff. This morning I brought a Lego bin of crayons and a diaper box full of coloring books (either blank or almost all blank) to the preschool where Son #3 goes to before school care. Every time I thought I'd found the last batch of coloring books or crayons in a corner or a box or a bin, another treasure trove appeared. I think crayons breed if you leave a bunch unattended for long periods of time, but have no data as to whether the color combination makes any difference. Might make a good research paper if I can figure it out.

Anyway, I'm tired but happy. We may actually get to have a finished basement someday.

The New Year Is A-Pun Us

Why not begin January with a groan? This was the cryptoquip solution in one of my recent village newspapers (yes, one of my attempted improvements in life has been to reduce clutter so I'm trying to stay reasonably current with my puzzles...I used to hoard them until my next plane ride, LOL).

WHEN I WALKED UP TO THE BAR WITH THIS PERSON WHO DOES SILENT DRAMA, I SAID, "MAKE MIME A DOUBLE."

I don't know who writes these quips, and it's probably a good thing he doesn't sign his name. Puns like these have been known to incite violence in others. Not me! I love 'em! Happy New Year!

See What I've Gone and Done...

I originally tried the blogging thing to see how hard it was, to see what the big deal was, and to see whether it gave me the release I was looking for. After all, one can't put too much prose on FB and Twitter...at least to have it end up as pretty and as compact as it is here in the blogosphere.

I guess I've walked the walk. This year, as of the other day, I posted 129 times, as opposed to 50 times in 2008. Hopefully everyone's not sick of my photos and my blathering on about the kids and my home life. I'm not one of those could-you-just-vomit parents whose children never seem to do anything wrong, though; you ought to be getting a balanced picture of the smiles and the tears and the overall chaotic way of life.

I look hopefully towards 2010 for improvements in personal economy, global politics, kindness to one's fellow man (woman/child/pet/etc.), stress level, and outlook for the physical state of the planet. Happy New Year to all, with fondest regards.

Putting Gift Cards on Ice

The day after Christmas, we bowled in an adult/junior tournament, same as we'd done the day after Thanksgiving. We'd asked to be placed with our friend C and his eleven year old son, who lives in MA with his mother most of the year but is like a fourth kid of mine when he's in town. During the bowling, C pulled me aside and asked whether we were supposed to be having the kids exchange holiday presents. I shrugged, since we hadn't discussed it this year.

After a few minutes of talking about gift cards, I suggested we just take the kids somewhere as their holiday present. We settled on ice skating...C had never taken his son, and hadn't been in a long time himself...not since his youth when he skated at Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Guess what: they had a blast when we went yesterday, and they want to make it an annual tradition.

Take a look:

Oh, and, for some reason, I bowled better on tournament day than I have in years, a 554 series (196, 167, 191). I'm carrying a 135 average in our league. Hubby had a wisecrack about seeing how well I'll bowl in two weeks when it's league night. Killjoy!