Smallgood Hearth

An Announcement

2013-05-20T19:05:00.000-04:00

Amidst bad news, I received a wonderful opportunity. I have been offered a position to work part time in a library. I can't tell you how elated this makes me. I am thrilled to get actual hands-on experience in this field instead of simply relying on texts and theories. It reminds me when I was working on my undergrad, and I had a textbook titled, "But Will It Work With Real Students?" So now I get to find out if this stuff really works.

via Flickr (thejester100)

The bad side is for a time (hopefully, a very short while) I'll be working my full time job and this part time job. I will be going full throttle for about 12 hours a day. This whole job business came about at a break neck speed, and it has me worried at the relentless pace of work. I am not the sort of person who predicted that I'd become a workaholic. I don't think I'm a workaholic, and yet here I am willingly transferring previous hours of leisure to those of work. I have some serious doubts about how this will go down. I am terrified. And so hyped up off adrenaline (library job!!!) that I suspect there's a possibility I might actually pull this off. Though all ready, I'm getting my days slightly mixed up.

One thing that I have been so grateful for with my current job is my ability to get loads of sleep and rest. I have a fantastic schedule where I come in later than the usual work day and stay later. I get home, eat, goof off, do schoolwork, and sleep (glorious sleep). My guess is that a second job is really going to cut into some of my leisure activities and sleep. And writing the blog.

But holy cannoli! I'm going to be working in a library! eee!

I am recognizing already the differences between the expectation of library work and the real atmosphere. There's systems and screens to toggle. There's urine in the children's section that needs reporting. There's members with the most bizarre requests (will this book teach me Excel for my Bingo group? say what?). I've had to be meteorologist. I've had to be geographer. I've had to be a fine collector.

I am realizing I've been given a precious opportunity as everyone asks me what experience I have in the library. Uh...none. I must have rocked hard at that interview. Just sayin'. But despite my being very wet behind the ears and my asking probably a thousand or so ridiculous questions a day, I've been welcomed in to the fold. They gave me a cookie cake for my first day with a little welcome poster. And no one's scoffed at me yet.

And in case you think, "Wow, that Bigbad. He has it made. A kept man while his wife works two jobs," a glimpse at his day includes lots and lots of job searching, endless chores (laundry and dishes), mowing the lawn, and being nagged about the job search. Just in case you were wondering (which I doubt you were).

And yes, he does have it made. He married me after all. ;) All the same, please be crossing fingers and sending him good vibes for the job hunt and an interview he has coming up.

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts or follow along at other social media sites.

Chalkboard Beer Flight Paddle Graduation Gift

2013-05-18T19:28:00.001-04:00

For Punky Brewster's graduation, I was able to find a collection of beer themed items for her gift. All of these came from the Dollar Spot at Target. We bought her a beer bottle shaped ice cube tray, bottle cap coasters that read "Beer goes here", small tasting glasses for beer, and a paddle for a flight of beer. In case it needs reminding, Punky Brewster enjoys beer (drinking it and making it).

The paddle was around $1-2 I think. It was plain wood. If you can't find one at a Target, I'd suggest checking around the Internet. There are some places that have affordable options, there are restaurant supply options (if you want an entire case), and there's etsy for handmade options.

I knew I wanted to be a little creative with decorating the paddle. I came across Three Scoops of Love's chalkboard beer flight paddle and knew that would be a great idea for Punky Brewster's gift. The chalkboard finish would allow her to number or label the samples at a party for tasting. Fun? Right!

I found a red glossy spray paint from Wal-Mart that matched her college's colors. Bigbad came up with the genius idea of using Dixie cups to mark off the red circles for when I sprayed the chalkboard paint. For the win! So much easier than the hassle of trying to tape off those circles.

And I raise a virtual toast to all of the graduates! Congratulations on your hard work!

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts or follow along at other social media sites.

Double Graduation

2013-05-12T08:55:00.000-04:00

Sort of like a double wedding, we experienced a double graduation this weekend. My sister Punky Brewster (finally!) graduated with her undergrad in microbiology, and Bigbad (finally!) completed his Master's in English lit.

Everything leading up to this graduation has felt like a water droplet in suspension. Will it ever be over? Will he/she/I get a job? It's been a long time coming, and the wait of possibility is finished. Finished for the time being.

The university had Punky Brewster and Bigbad's department graduations at the same time in different buildings. Bigbad wanted things to be easy, and I didn't want to have to choose which to go to, so they both attended the enormous university wide ceremony. Despite the thousands in attendance, we were still able to spot Bigbad and Punky Brewster.

The ceremony was long (it took over 50 minutes for the graduates to proceed in). Thank the ever loving Lord, the band did not play Pomp & Circumstance once. They seemed to favor more adventure movie scores. The ceremony had some awkward moments during speeches when I'm sure everyone turned to their neighbor and wondered if they were filming commercials for various products and companies, but overall the mood was one of excessive pride and wonderful energy.

See the two rows in front of Bigbad? Those are newly commissioned officers from the NCSU's ROTC. In front of them are the valedictorians of the colleges (students with over 100 credit hours and a perfect GPA). The vet school graduates seem to have a competition every year on who can out do everyone on decorating their mortarboard. These caps had balloons, animated toys, helmets, and flamingos, and all sorts of zany creations. And twice, the forever alums were honored. They were NCSU graduates from at least 50 years ago. Some pride lasts a lifetime I suppose.

Both Punky Brewster and Bigbad had some serious school pride going on with their wardrobe selections. Punky Brewster had her fan feet heels on (I wore mine--obviously not NCSU to the large ceremony to balance out all the State pride). Bigbad wore his wolf tie that came from Bigbad Papa's collection.

We all got together (and when I say all--I mean me, Bigbad, Smallgood Granny & Pop, the Bigbad parents, Smallgood parents, Tempest Mermaid, and one of Punky Brewster's graduating buddies) to mark the celebration with a dinner at Klara's and a gift exchange.

We had to get a new family portrait. And finally you see a new photo of the Rocker. Seven and a half post secondary degrees among us.We're racking them up.

And now, what's next? What is the after now that we are no longer suspended in the various stages of denial and unbelief and terror that is graduating? Punky Brewster is job hunting while simultaneously packing to likely make a big cross country move. Bigbad is job hunting and playing the bajesus out of Defiance.

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts or follow along at other social media sites.

On our plate: Deviled Eggs

2013-05-06T09:46:00.000-04:00

Being the Southerner that I am, one of the things that I hold to be true is the notion that if it's an event, there will be deviled eggs. Bigbad laughed at this when we first started dating, but he's quickly come to believe the truth in that idea.

A holiday = deviled eggs are essential.

A special occasion like graduation = someone will bring deviled eggs.

Just a Tuesday = nope, no deviled eggs.

I couldn't tell you why this is the case, but it is. And I'm not complaining.

This was a new experiment of putting breakfast sausage around the boiled eggs. Scotch egg recipe from All Recipes. Then obviously devil the yolks.

We tried fried deviled eggs on our recent trip to D.C. They were delicious, but even Bigbad admitted they weren't as good as Marmie or Smallgood Granny's typical fare.

I couldn't tell you why they are so delicious, but they are.

Our ingredients are similar to Paula Deen's (hey, there's no butter in this recipe!). Relish is key. And I'd never heard of the idea of putting hot sauce in deviled eggs before searching for a recipe online:

7 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
Salt and pepper, for taste

We don't typically garnish with paprika-- not that I'm against it. The contrast is beautiful. But somewhere along the generations, someone must have run out of the spice and someone else must have assumed that's the way our family's always prepared it.

P.S. I'm adding a new tag to some of my recipe/food posts: there's an app for that. Clever, huh? For all my appetizers (which let's be honest are mainly what I can handle).

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts or follow along at other social media sites.

May 4: Free Comic Book Day

2013-05-04T12:37:00.000-04:00

Growing up, I suspect the Rocker wanted his daughters to enjoy some of the hobbies and interests he had as a child. From his introduction, we dabbled with music, chemistry kits, erector sets, and comic books. The comics we read were not your garden super hero variety. We went old school-- Casper, Little Lulu, and Archie.

When I began reading chapter books, I don't think I picked up another comic book. But I'm glad for the resurgence comic literature is making. I was thrilled to find out about Free Comic Book Day in time to participate. With 53 titles available for free, it was a great opportunity for me to be re-exposed to the vast world of comic books and comic art.

This short video explains a bit about what Free Comic Book Day aims to do and why comic books are special to folks.

The weather was brisk for a May morning, but rain held off. There were many nerds. Nerds with super hero shirts. Nerds with costumes. Nerds with kids. Nerds with kids in costumes. Nerds with their parents. It was a wonderful community very excited about getting some comics.

Once the line was allowed in the area, everyone moved quickly. I was glad I had considered the descriptions from the website and also this cheeky guide from NPR to make my selections ahead of time.

I ended up with Marble Season and Damsels Mermaids since the first was an excerpt from a memoir and the second just looked pretty bad ass (and I love folk tales and fables). I might just keep the Pippi comic with adorable vintage panels I picked up for Smallgood Co-worker. Bigbad really wanted Judge Dredd. Finally, we picked up several others from our friend Grande's list.

What about you? When was the last time you read a comic book?

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts or follow along at other social media sites.

Embers of the Month: April

2013-04-30T15:01:00.000-04:00

What I did: participated in World Book Night
What I ate: gazpacho (we used this recipe or something similar)
What I watched: Game of Thrones (catching up on Season 1). I call this the Dragon Show around Bigbad.
What I read: Persepolis for school (I don't have time for a review, but I enjoyed it and could see myself getting into more graphic novels. Suggestions?) and New Family Traditions
What I made: not much...been working in the garden though
What I celebrated: Bigbad's finished with traveling to D.C.
What I heard: poetry reading at Morning Times in Raleigh
What I turned up: house concert with Callaghan

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts or follow along at other social media sites.

On my nightstand: The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox

2013-04-26T22:31:00.000-04:00

I really wanted a break from YA fiction, so I decided to borrow The Book of New Family Traditions: How to Create Great Rituals for Holidays and Every Day (new updated and expanded version) by Meg Cox from the library. I devoured this like a dish of ice cream after a week of dieting. Seriously, I sat at my desk during my lunch hour and barely looked up.

Cox explains why rituals and traditions are so important for a family. She includes a quote by Chip Conrad to emphasize her point:

There is a great difference between routine and ritual. Routines are obligatory activities that require little or no thought. Rituals encompass spirit, magic, and that overused word, empowerment, to transform you to new levels of accomplishment and being.

Yes! I'm drinking this Koolaid. Rituals and traditions matter. They matter because they connect us to our past and give us a sense of direction.

Cox lists the 10 Good Things Rituals Do for Children as:

imparting a sense of identity
providing comfort and security
helping to navigate change (hello, transitions)
teaching values
passing on heritage
teaching practical skills
solving problems
keeping alive a sense of departed family members
healing from loss or trauma
generating wonderful memories

The book is thankfully a good length (I never want a too short ebook) with chapters split between the more everyday rituals and holiday rituals. Everyday rituals included patterns and activities for going to bed, sharing meals, shopping, and just about anything in a typical day.

That isn't to say her suggestions were typical. Yes, some I'd heard before like flicking the headlights on and off to signal "I love you." But most were new ideas that I will gladly incorporate. How could you not try to keep the peace by having your squabbling teens only use Shakespearean insults? Even Bigbad who is not a fan of many prayers loved Cox's suggestion of a Quaker grace before meal: "Us and this: God bless."

I appreciate that Cox was aware enough and sensitive to different family units and included notes and suggestions for families of divorce or blended families. I wish that she had included ideas about growing families and births (mainly since I am focused on my niece's arrival and what rituals can surround that change).

Also, about midway through the ebook, there began a stream of many terribly sloppy typos (mostly "h's" turned "k's"). That sort of thing drives me crazy. I would probably buy the ebook if not for those egregious errors. Instead, I think I'll try to find a print copy.

Linking up at Art @ Home.

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts.

April 23: World Book Night

2013-04-23T07:30:00.000-04:00

World Book Night is back again. It's the day when I get to play Book Santa and give away 20 copies of a fantastic book to light and non-readers to promote reading and literacy. It's such a fun project, and I hope that if you are in a participating country you will consider applying to be a donor next year (sign up for their newsletter or follow them on Facebook to get alerts about applications). If you missed it, you can read a bit more about World Book Night and how I participated last year on this post.

This year, Smallgood Co-worker decided to participate again. Joining the fun was Bigbad Momma. Smallgood Marmie missed the application deadline, but the bookstore where we pick up had an extra box of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency that she was able to nab for giving.

I'm so excited because we all got our first choices this year. And they are terrific choices for good content and in many cases short reads. I am giving Glaciers (which I reviewed here), Bigbad Momma is giving Good Omens, Smallgood Co-worker is giving The Alchemist (which she's never read. I love her bold risk-taking), and Bigbad is giving away Fahrenheit 451. Can't you tell? (I bought him that t-shirt from the Library of Congress).

I love that we'll be giving in such different places: downtown streets, thrift shops, parks, and corrections facilities. I was able to give extra copies of Ender's Game last year out to our students in the detention facility. I hope the boys enjoyed the story; I know they get desperate for reading material and something to distract them.

Go out today and see if you spot any over zealous book givers in your community. I think most of the readers here are fellow book lovers and bibliophiles too. Y'all recognize the amazing qualities of books. Books are our friends and great comforts. And yes, books are ermahgerd so exciting. Giving away books is exciting too. I can't teach the world to sing, but I can pass out books. That's my small part in world harmony.

Bigbad doing his best ermahgerd berks face. I promise I won't let him make this frightening face when giving out the books. (Meme from memegenerator.com)

If you are a giver, leave me a comment letting me know how the day went.

And if you aren't a giver, please leave a suggestion for what book you would be ermahgerd over the moon to give away. Last year they asked for suggestions, and I can tell World Book Night considered them strongly in creating the list of titles this year. What book would spark the interest of a non-reader? It can be classic or contemporary, fiction or non-fiction. Anything.

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts.

Real Life Lessons from Sitcom Couples

2013-04-22T15:00:00.000-04:00

Not going to lie. I watch more TV than I'd like. When we move, I hope that we can just cancel cable altogether. But until then, I DVR a lot of sitcoms. They are mostly brain fluff. I don't want to have to invest so much energy keeping a storyline straight and navigating crazy plot lines (read: I've moved beyond my Lost and 24 phase). Instead, I love taking my perch in what we refer to as the Princess Chair in the living room and laughing at the silly antics of young people trying to get by.

While sitcom couples are mostly hyperbolic stereotypes (inducing much eye rolling or gagging), hidden among those exaggerated moments are little gems about human relationships.

From Marshall Eriksen and Lily Aldrin, you gather opposites can make for a nice pairing (hence Olive Theory), but embracing shared connections, memories, and traditions are the substance of a happy, healthy relationship. Practically every episode of How I Met Your Mother includes Marshall and Lily recounting a memory of how they got together or sticking to traditions they've created (like sharing what they eat for lunch every day). Their past is something they cherish, and togetherness is always a worthy and esteemable choice.

via Tumblr

From Sheldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler, I learned you have to be willing to compromise and adjust to your partner's needs while respecting their comfort levels. Every couple has their own time table and a different journey. Sheldon and Amy certainly have their quirks, and I haven't always enjoyed their storyline as a couple on Big Bang Theory. However, when Sheldon makes gestures of kindness to fulfill his boyfriend obligations, I'm reminded that relationships are emotional work. Different people have different difficulties about affection and love.

Penny: Sheldon, can I ask you a question?
Sheldon: Of course.
Penny: You ever gonna sleep with Amy? [Leonard and Sheldon just stare at her]
Sheldon: That's awfully personal.
Leonard: [a little scared] We don't ask Sheldon things like that.
Penny: Maybe you don't, I do. What's the deal?
Sheldon: Well, word around the university is I'm giving her sex organs a proper jostling.
Penny: All right, come on. Be serious. Look, you guys have been going out a long time. She would clearly like to have a physical relationship with you, so what are you doing?
Leonard: All right, we're down the rabbit hole. What are you doing?
Sheldon: Well, first of all, I'm quite fond of Amy.
Penny: Then what's the problem?
Sheldon: Penny, all my life, I have been uncomfortable with the sort of physical contact that comes easily to others—handshaking, hugging, prostate exams. But I'm working on it, you know? Just recently, I had to put VapoRub on Amy's chest. A year ago, that would've been unthinkable.
Leonard [speaking to Sheldon]: Now you know how I feel when I have to put it on you.
Penny: Okay, hang on. Are you saying someday you and Amy might...actually get physical?
Sheldon: [long pause] It's a possibility.
Penny: [silently, grabbing Leonard's shoulder] Oh, my God! Sheldon, I know this wasn't easy for you, and I'm really glad we could have this conversation.
Sheldon: Oh, yeah. [Penny starts to punch and slap Leonard in excitement.]

From Sheila and Fred Shay (of Suburgatory), I learned sometimes you have to challenge gender stereotypes. Challenging gender roles doesn't mean you aren't supportive of each other's involvement. After Fred loses his job, it's Sheila who admits "I'm a lioness. Maybe I should bring home the gazelle." Fred replies, "And what should I do?" "Find a side dish for gazelle." Sheila can be alpha-female and one tough lady, but her family is always her first priority.

(via Los Angeles Times)

What do you think? Who is your favorite TV couple and what do they have going for them?

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts or follow along at other social media sites.

Bookshelf Art with Blueprint Photographs

2013-04-18T15:18:00.000-04:00

I mentioned before how my grandfather has these awesome photographs from his time in the Navy. He took his little Brownie camera all over the world. I have his photographs of battleships in Cuba, camels in Cairo, and dummy torpedoes. They are all super cool even though I have not heard too many stories related to the photographs.

When I saw the idea to use photographs blown up as blueprints as a cheap decor item, I loved it. Because what better way to display these little snapshots from around the globe than on my bookshelves, which hold the books who also transport me around the globe?

I decided to do a trial run, so here is the project so far.

This was taken in Genoa, Italy. The man walking by with his hands behind his back is my favorite part about the composition.

I think it's important to have perspective. The photograph I chose for this project was about 2x3 inches, and I was blowing it up to 2x3 feet. I had it printed at Office Depot who didn't bat an eye about it being a photograph (they were concerned about the size of the original and if the image would be distorted). The other quirky thing was they didn't exactly print it as a blueprint like I asked but an enlarged photo with glossy finish.

The cost was more than I've seen quoted around the blogosphere, but I thought it was still affordable (less than $12). I was comfortable with the price mostly because the quality seems much higher than the blueprint or draft prints which kind of have a photocopied look to me.

The glossy finish means I can't just Mod Podge that sucker on the back of the bookshelf. When I'm ready with the other photographs, I'm thinking I'll use a spray adhesive and brayer to attach the photos to the back. Unless anyone has another idea?

I'm really happy with how it turned out, and I've got some other ideas for large oversized prints too.

I'm linking up with the Craft Challenge gals, The Inspiration Gallery, 30 Handmade Days, etc.

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts.

Hunt Library

2013-04-16T09:55:00.000-04:00

I've talked about the Library of Congress and the Folger Shakespeare Library, so it only makes sense for me then to visit an incredible library in my backyard: the new NC State University Hunt Library.

When you first enter Hunt, you come into a space that reminds me strikingly of an IKEA. A large yellow staircase intrudes in a large room. To your right is a wall of glass. Behind the glass is a dizzying display of floor to ceiling stacks. Instead of book shelves, they are shelves of metal bins that contain about 40-60 books each. Four book bots retrieve bins containing requested items.

My shadow is riding the book bot...hehe

There has been controversy about the book bots and concern that they were replacing humans. I think there are positive elements to this and some things that are a bit unfortunate. The positive is that for a huge academic library, the book bots are quite efficient. The human element has not been taken out entirely because there is a crew of folks who will come to you and help you with assignments and projects. The book bots even get smarter because only about 20% of an academic library collection like NCSU's is actively read and circulated. The other 80% is checked out maybe once every 15-30 years or so. So the book bot puts frequently requested books closer to the deposit.

This gives some perspective for the size of the book bot area. The metal bins go down another floor (basement level). You can see how high they reach. And they run nearly probably half the length of the entire building.

The thing that disappoints me about the library is no open shelving. While this has created ample space for gathering (see below), it means you cannot simply browse. This changes search strategies. I am the type where I like to find something I need and then poke around to see other similar or related items next to it on the shelf. Those might be valuable too. While NCSU allows you to see similar items digitally in the catalog, you'd have to request them to see them in full. I wonder how information seeking behaviors are changing and if the book bots will be underutilized, with students favoring full text databases instead. I also wonder what introduction and orientation for searching new students are given for the library. Bigbad and Punky Brewster (students at NCSU) had never been to Hunt before this trip.

But enough geekiness, on with the tour. After viewing the book bots, Bigbad decided he would take a seating tour of the entire library. There is no shortage of a place to rest your bum. And with at least 3 dozen different styles of seating, there was lots of testing.

I think all are in agreement that the egg/ball chair is phenomenal.

We spotted the 3D printer in action. Way cool. I felt like we were on the set of Big Bang Theory for a second. We brainstormed ideas of what we'd create with it if we had the skills. D&D figurines, eyeglass frames, and treasure rings with a hidden hinge are at the top of our list.

And finally the terrace. I'm thankful that they included this space that overlooks a small lake because Raleigh is a beautiful city and Centennial Campus is quite pretty, a little oasis gem in a corporate town.

Ignore the metric ton dumping of pollen. It's everywhere this time of year. Nothing escapes a pollen shower.

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts.

On my nightstand: The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There

2013-04-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

I love love loved The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making. You can read that review here. But really, I encourage you to just read the book. It won't take you long and you'll probably enjoy it more than my review.

I created a book talk video for TGWCFIASOHOM for my YA class. It's silly and I do weird things in it.

Because of this strong affinity for TGWCFIASOHOM, I decided to pick up the sequel. I was overjoyed knowing the tale continues. And that's about where my affinity ends. The Girl Who Fell Below is not The Girl Who Circumnavigated. Yes, they both feature September in Fairyland and they have outrageously clever characters, but The Girl Who Fell Below doesn't seem to have as much at stake. I kept falling asleep while reading it (so it didn't capture as much adventure as the first-- or just had more complicated vocabulary).

I was disappointed because the premise sounds fantastic: September must reunite with her shadow who has now become the Queen of Fairyland Below and stop the magic from leaking out of Fairyland. Only the episodes in this book are more uncomfortable than allegorical as far as I can tell. Maybe I'm missing something (I did fall asleep a lot while reading. I can't remember how the Night Dodo joins this troupe of adventurers). They didn't strike me as very funny. It's been sort of like watching Napoleon Dynamite. I'm waiting for the impetus, and frankly in TGWFBFALTRT it comes too late for me to care. (Though to be fair, there is a warm, touching ending to this book which I'm thankful for). I think my journey with September ends here despite the rumor that there will be 5 books in the series.

Linking up to Rae Gun Ramblings and Art at Home.

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my RSS feed or by email.

On my map: National Museum of the American Indian

2013-04-10T08:07:00.000-04:00

A few years ago, Bigbad and I went to Cherokee, NC and visited the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. I'm fascinated by the stories in the Cherokee culture though I have no familial connections with the Cherokee nation. I have a novel idea that's been batted around in my brain (and a bit on paper) with characters of the Cherokee nation, both Eastern and Western band.

I love the Cherokee museum. It is rife with information, so I was hoping for some inspiration and just some interesting tidbits from the National Museum of the American Indian. I was hoping for a similar feeling.

I'll be honest, I didn't spend much time really digesting all of the knowledge of the National Museum of American Indians. There were hordes of school-aged children to dodge and my stomach was growling and plenty of chaos.

There were sections that I skipped over entirely because people were just being obnoxious (one man would blitzkrieg a room with flash photography without really examining anything) or the spaces were too dark for me to really see what I was looking at.

I tended to like the quiet spaces away from the field trip kids and the exhibits featuring a lot of contemporary art pieces using traditional techniques (like the basket woven out of 35mm film).

We ate lunch at the cafe at the museum. It was an enjoyable experience. Even though it was crowded like a ant farm in there, I'm still really happy that we ate there. The restaurant is split up somewhat representative of different areas of the Americas with different foods and flavors of those areas. Marmie and I shared a meal (and it was plenty of food) from the northern woodlands of turkey breast with strawberry sauce, carrot puree, hominy and asparagus, and fry bread. It was absolutely delicious and a great "home-cooked" style meal.

Jury is still out. I suppose this museum needs another visit so that I can slowly go through the exhibits and give my full attention to the stories contained. They have some beautiful pieces that I think were lost amongst all of the noise I experienced. They also have a pretty banging gift shop where Marmie bought a scarf made from Native Northwest.

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts.

On my map: Navy Memorial

2013-04-07T10:30:00.000-04:00

If you ever find yourself in D.C. getting off the metro at the Archives stop, you'll find yourself literally on top of the Navy Memorial. The escalators pretty much spit you out on to the map.

We had been walking to several museums and other locations on our first day in D.C., but because we were still new to the metro system decided to come back to the Archives stop for our return trip. That's when we discovered a small museum for the Navy on the corner. The Naval Heritage Center is quite condensed-- a small selection of Navy uniforms, models of ships, and portraits of Presidents who served in the Navy, some plaques, and a corner gift shop. It seems diminutive in comparison to the larger memorials and monuments, but it serves a wonderful purpose.

Possibly my favorite feature of the museum was the encouragement for Navy veterans and servicemen and servicewomen to share their experiences via Navy Log. For anyone who has a family member who served, I would encourage you to download the outreach brochure that helps put together the information needed for the Navy Log so your loved one can be included in their records.

I have designs to scan in Smallgood Pop's photographs from his time in service, so stay on the look out for that post. My grandfather didn't serve particularly long, but by golly he took a lot of pictures and in his preciseness captioned them all.

This was one of the few memorials I've seen to truly honor the many facets of military service. Many women were included as part of the reliefs and on plaques, reflecting their involvement in service, as well as a relief of the military family. I was happy to see that sacrifice reflected and memorialized alongside the military duties.

Since it's Sunday, a Sabbath for some, I'm adding the link here to prayers for troops and military leaders and victims of war. ☮

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts.

On my map: Folger Shakespeare Library

2013-04-04T07:30:00.000-04:00

I have been super proud of Bigbad for his opportunity to study at the Folger Shakespeare Library in D.C., but I must admit that I'm not obsessively fanatical about the Bard. He's okay, but I don't nerd out over Shakespeare. When we came to D.C. to visit, I wasn't sure I'd venture out to Folger, but since Marmie and I had blown off being moral support at Bigbad's conference, I felt a bit obligated to show some interest and devotion somehow.

I'm really glad we did go visit Folger Library. I was having second thoughts when the docent mentioned her tours generally last over an hour. I was worried I'd be bored stiff listening to Shakespeare trivia for that long, but she was sweet, funny, and very informative. We even learned some information about the Folgers that Bigbad knew nothing about (like Folger does have connection with the coffee, but the big money came from oil).

The outside of the building has miniature replicas of statues at Stratford upon Avon, an entirely too-accurate English garden with herbs and bushes mentioned in Shakespeare's works, and these reliefs from scenes on the front of the building. Inside is a small theater and gallery with manuscripts, items, and again beautiful architecture (you'll forget you're in D.C.--I'm being so serious about the Hogwarts vibe). The current exhibit in the main hall was curated by one of Bigbad's former professors. It was nice to see our alma mater mentioned.

When our tour finished up, Bigbad's session let out for lunch, and I was thrilled about his excitement when he came bounding over to show me pictures on his phone. He was totally nerding out hard core because he and his classmates had been given an opportunity to get an inspection of one of the first folios (Folger has 80 of them). Bigbad didn't get to touch it or anything although he said he was in sneezing range.

My photo of the first folio was taken behind a sneeze shield of glass. ;)

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts.

On my map: Library of Congress

2013-04-01T19:30:00.000-04:00

Bigbad was presenting at a conference this week in D.C. He was kind enough to let Marmie and me tag along (even though we didn't attend his conference at all). Instead, we trekked about D.C. going to several museums and places of interest to us.

First up, I felt compelled to go to the Library of Congress. For a future librarian, it seemed sort of obligatory. But the place also received high reviews on event/trip planning sites. And I can see why.

I wore my Tims (probably the first time since freshman year). I forgot how heavy they were. Aren't these mosaics on the floor spectacular? I almost felt bad for walking on the art.

You can only view the Jefferson building if you don't have special LOC privileges, but it is worth it. Rounding the corner out of security, I felt like Belle in Beauty and the Beast (and for my favorite and applicable meme, click here).

Art on the ceiling, art on the walls, art on the floors, art in the pages, art everywhere. And everywhere a story. If it doesn't make you want to spin around and around and get dizzy drunk off of beautiful architecture, your neurons must not be sending the right signals.

We peered in to the main reading room observatory, and while I'm sure it's pretty awesome to be researching and doing scholarly work in that space, it's dull to be an outside observer of a library-- any library, even one as impressive as Library of Congress.

We checked out one of the exhibition rooms with a curated collection of early America pieces- maps, globes, early dictionaries, etc. The best of course was a gold coin stolen by pirates.

I was not anticipating all of the sculptures and allusions and delicate nods to knowledge everywhere. If I were the type of person to sketch, I'd be back early in the morning to work. But as I'm not an artist, I was mesmerized by the inscriptions on the walls. My favorite: "Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things." If you want to know more of the quotes that adorn the walls at Library of Congress, NPR did a nice feature.

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts.

Embers of the Month {March}

2013-03-31T10:30:00.000-04:00

This is my monthly recap series where I link up to posts on my blog I want to feature. I also share things from my twitter and instagram. It's just a chance to catch up and breathe before the new month begins.

What I did: cheered on the Canes, attended work conference at Carolina Beach and got wonderfully lost for a bit in Wilmington, saw Delta Rae again with Smallgood co-workers (and because they are ridiculously cute here's a video from NYE when Ian from Delta Rae proposed to his girlfriend. So sad I missed this!), visited DC again
What I ate: food truck options
What I read: Before Ever After (check out Ricki Jill's review. Imagine The Time Traveler's Wife meets Tuck Everlasting but less richness than either of those books in my opinion) and I'm also chipping away at The Secret Garden
What I saw: Life of Pi at Raleighwood, Silver Linings Playbook
What I heard: The future of libraries (I really need to check out the book bot at NCSU)
What I turned up: Ry Cooder's "John Lee Hooker for President" and Youngblood Hawke's "We Come Running"

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my RSS feed or by email.

Somebeardy that I Used to Know

2013-03-24T14:41:00.001-04:00

A few years ago I came across this picture in a photo album at the home of Bigbad's Italian grandparents. I couldn't stop chuckling when I looked at it, so I scanned a copy of the picture for myself.

Look at these goobers. In the center, recreating a scene from The Godfather is Italian Grandfather. Surrounding him are his son and sons-in-law. He's since gained two more sons-in-law, who also on occasion sport beards and mustaches.

I've never seen any of these men so serious or stern in real life, so I imagine whoever took the picture coached these guys on their scowls. What a riot! Nowadays, these guys are a little more gray, wrinkled, and/or heavier. Their children are resembling this picture a bit more than they are (minus those serious frowns).

At the moment, Bigbad doesn't though. He has thankfully shaved off his thick beard. I'm a fan of Movember, but it's March. It was time for that thing to go. Good things come to those who shave, right? Now he'll look like a human being instead of wolfman or a mountain hermit for his conference he's speaking at.

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my RSS feed or by email.

Take Care

2013-03-19T08:27:00.001-04:00

I had a fantastic time at a bi-annual work conference this past week. It's a wonderful event that strives to give everyone who works with a difficult population the chance to rejuvenate and take care of themselves (when you take care of yourself, you can then take care of others).

But it meant even more time away from my husband. A few nights before I left, Bigbad and I cleared up some misunderstandings. Lots of "Oh, I thought you wanted it this way" and "What you said made me think that you felt this way and not that way." And lots of my whining that I was scared that I would be the breadwinner forever and that I just wanted more recognition because it's hard. And marriage is hard at times.

When I came back from the conference, Bigbad was gone to his seminar in D.C. But he had taken our conversation to heart. He had left Post-It notes all over the house to let me know that he was thinking about me. They were very effective eliciting smiles.

Back when we first started dating and everyone in the dorms was on AOL Instant Messenger, Bigbad had orchestrated something similar for many of my friends to message me at the same time with the same message, "I admire you." Yes, Bigbad is incredible about making me feel like a rock star. Thanks for that dear.

But I also received bad news when I returned from my conference. I found out my best friend is getting a divorce. I know that if I didn't feel so centered with my work sphere because of this conference and if I didn't feel so on track with my marriage sphere because of our discussion and Bigbad's actions, this news would have been more devastating to me.

Because the truth is, I like her ex, and I like them together.

Because I like their story.

Because I don't want her to hurt. And I don't want him to hurt either.

Because I don't want to play a "What if" or "How could that happen" game in my mind and jeopardize what's going on in my personal life.

Because I don't want to seem unsympathetic while trying to safeguard my own happiness. But my own fears do not have to play out in a prescribed course similar to anyone else's.

I do feel like I've been sucker punched. I desired that happy ending for this couple because they are so deserving. And it's taking me a few steady breaths to understand that their happy ending will not be with each other. But it can still be happy.

She sounds good (as can be). She sounds confident (though a bit lost for words). She sounds healthy and happy (though not without feelings of embarrassment and guilt). I'm praying she takes care of herself as she works on her new life mission. You have to take care of yourself to take care of others.

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on my posts.

Food Truck Rodeo at Durham Central Park

2013-03-13T13:00:00.000-04:00

Adults in face paint are so creepy to me. I'm also pretty sure the guy in the plaid shirt was a doppelganger for one of those One Direction boys.

Bigbad and I ventured out to Durham for the Food Truck Rodeo. Smallgood Co-worker came across the event and was so thankful it was on a Sunday, so she didn't have to stick to lent restrictions.

Among the three of us, we tried a fair amount of interesting foods. If we had arrived to the event earlier (and also not when we hadn't eaten anything), we probably would have tried a lot more. But the lines snaked down long stretches of pavement. Smallgood Co-worker waited 40 minutes for her crepe. She said it was worth it.

Bigbad and I stood in line for Baguettaboutit, a sausage in a baguette truck, for close to the same amount. The website and the actual food appears uh...vulgar, but it was dang good. Lots of "that's what she said" jokes had to be left unsaid for the eating of this baguette and for the writing of its deliciousness.

My favorite truck that I tried was Bandido's. $2 tacos? Hell yes! And they had walking tacos, or what I refer to as taco-in-a-bag (yeah, that's a link to Betty freakin Crocker's taco in a bag recipe. The poor soul who needs a recipe for that is ridiculous). They only had beef left when I arrived (all out of chipotle chicken), but the tacos were still out of this world amazing (probably due to some fabulous queso). Thankfully, my co-worker helped me with the salsas and stopped me from ruining my food by putting El Scorcho on my tacos. I laughed, "I thought it was something like ranchero sauce." Bullet dodged.

Whatever gods of afternoon festivals and food truck rodeos were shining down on us because we spotted a beautiful red table with three seats completely void of messy foods or people. We grabbed it so we could chow down on some nachos and tacos and listen to this jazz group. The KoolAid at the event must have been spiked, either that or the music put the kids in a trance where they were all very expressive, dancing with hoola hoops, dancing with scooters, dancing while playing soccer, or just dancing. It was too cute, especially when the band was jamming to "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

For the most part, I'm not all gung-ho about the delusions of a Durham revival. Seriously, anyone from Durham talks about how much they love living there and how Durham is a really awesome town (the art scene, the restaurants for foodies, blah, blah, blah). Sorry I don't buy it and I'm not drinking your KoolAid (even if it will make me dance like a free-spirited child). I'm loyal to Raleigh, but dangit, Raleigh, why must you be so anti-food truck?

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my RSS feed or by email.

A Brand of Fandom

2013-03-11T13:07:00.000-04:00

I'm not going to wax poetic about a hockey game. No worries. It's just one of those fabulous perks of our non-profit job to every so often have our organization invited to a suite, sponsored by one of the players on the Canes team. It's spoiled me surely. I cannot go to other sporting events without feeling a bit mediocre. I mean, when we're in the suite, we are considered VIP (the parking pass even proves it).

I had been looking to Thursday's game a bunch, but in a typical Scorpio mood swing, I started off the evening in a foul, foul mood. I'm glad it turned around though. I wasn't going to be able to keep my Eeyore cloud while watching our students' faces filled with excitement as they experienced the VIP treatment (and for most of them their first hockey game period).

The newest hockey fans were certainly enjoying themselves. They were bouncing around like typical teenage hooligans trying to attract Stormy's attention and get a t-shirt launched at them. They were inquisitive about Zambonis and if hockey players really had to play by any rules. They were attentive and well-mannered during both national anthems (we were playing the Montreal Canadiens). And at the end of the night, hearing, "Thank you for bringing me" is the best VIP feeling.

I spent most of my childhood avoiding sports. I wasn't athletic and didn't bother putting in the practice to get better. I think I missed out on a lot of fun and a lot of lessons though. I hope that our students have the chance to participate in sports, to play on a team, to experience wins and losses. I hope that they break out of a fixed mindset of "I'll never make a goal" and embrace challenges and a lot of hard work. I hope they will accept that sometimes they are spoiled VIPs and sometimes they'll be seated in the nosebleed sections, but even there they can be the loudest and most loyal fan of the game.

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my RSS feed or by email.

On my mind: Literacy Matters to Me

2013-03-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

I don't share a lot of work stories in real life or here on the blog. Possibly the reason I don't in real life (aside from confidentiality issues) is because the stories are always tinged in some sadness. Seeing an adult or young person struggle in basic literacy is demoralizing because I am acutely aware of the limitations this person has had/will have for a lifetime. It isn't fun to think about a student's likelihood of being incarcerated or never gaining employment past unskilled labor.

But every now and then I have days that remind me why I love my job. Because I do love my job. One of the things I love about my work is hearing stories about how tutors relate to their students. They provide heartwarming witness to not only the work that we do to improve their language skills, but tutors pass on other lessons to me-- lessons of virtue.

At our annual volunteer appreciation breakfast I sat next to a woman who has been tutoring her student for over a year. He is from Yemen and was able to pass his citizenship test this year. I cannot tell you what elation this is; you really must experience it first hand by going to the ceremony to see our new citizens who have studied tirelessly, sacrificed so much to be there in that moment taking their oaths of allegiance. It is the sort of thing that will make you want to sing our national anthem (and learn the words to all of the verses). Your heart will swell with a sort of patriotism you didn't expect to be there.

I won't speak too much of the sacrifices of our students. Another tutor mentioned his student was a woman who had been an attorney in the Dominican Republic. She now works as a custodian as she learns English. I think it really speaks to what immense privilege we have in our country that we often do not recognize and value that adults are willing to give up comfortable careers and happy lives to move to the United States and become a taxi driver.

This tutor I sat next to mentioned her student had just received his US Passport and was working to bring his family over to the United States. The tutor had asked where they would live and without hesitation he had replied, "With me, of course." As much as I value my independence, I have to admire the virtue of familial closeness. It is a bond that I don't think any politician can aptly describe with the buzzphrase "family values." Family values sounds so pat and trite in comparison to the devotion and commitment that binds these families. I don't think I've made any secret of my endorsement for boomeranging in the right situation. But I don't think I've always considered it the "of course" answer. I don't think I've valued my family and desperately wanted to care for them in the same way some of our immigrant students do.

Our students work damn hard-- not just for themselves, but unselfishly for the pursuit of happiness for all of their families. I admire them. They do all of this work in the face of great obstacles, including blatant discrimination and often unfortunate poverty. And they show up week after week, devoted to learning. Because education is a way out. Because education is a portal to a better life experience. Because education is a gift that they will not squander or undervalue. Because education is a lifeline. Because it is necessary.

Our office is decorated currently with student work. The adults (ABE and ESL) finished the prompt, "Literacy matters to me because..." I was humbled by the responses. They were direct and meaningful. The students listed things such as wanting to learn more, get better jobs, help their children in school, write a birthday card, get a GED, etc. My favorite one reads:

I don't mean this post to self-aggrandize me or aggrandize the tutors or students I work with. Not really. I mean, there are the moments after a family reunion where everyone around the table is sharing all of the amazing stuff they've been doing (y'know the kind of stuff like saving lives in Haiti and actually discovering some interesting link of science or directing rocket ships or rock concerts), and I look at Bigbad and shrug and mouth, "I teach people." Sort of a big deal in my book, but I'm not performing brain surgery.

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Smoke Stacks: Raleighwood Cinema Grill

2013-03-04T20:24:00.000-05:00

For library school, we had to create our literary autobiography. It was a fun assignment to trace back my experience with reading and books-- all the way back to preliterate stages of Reading Rainbow and memorable preschool books (Corduroy anyone?).

I think I can do the same for my relationship to Bigbad through movies. It's not that I didn't enjoy movies before him, but I can remember the first movie we saw together (Intolerable Cruelty). Movies were free for us on campus during our undergrad and one year they ran a contest to see who could see the most. We had to have been in the top ten for sure (we didn't bother going to the very last showing where they tallied up results).

For as much as we like movies, we don't go to the theater a lot. When we started teaching there would be that awkward moment of either having a student working the box office or worse running into them inside the theater itself. Even if our students aren't there, the movie theater is one of the few places where I become very curmudgeonly. I sound like a character from a the Dennis the Menace comic strip and mutter, "Turn off your damn cell phone" akin to "Get off my lawn." I'm so much more agreeable watching movies at home on Netflix.

But there are some movies that you just have to see in the theater, some that just lend themselves better to that environment (cough*Avatar*cough).

Raleighwood is about the only theater I enjoy now. Yes, part of the reason is because it isn't packed with teenagers. But that's only part of the reason. The teens don't flood the theater because it isn't a megaplex. It's in an older strip mall with a Home Goods and Dollar Tree and a frozen yogurt place. It's unassuming and isn't even visible from the street. But I do like the nice details they have (mosaics, murals, and the little bulbs bordering the mirrors in the bathroom to emulate makeup stations).

Tickets are about half of what the other theaters charge. I'm sure they make most of their money on food (isn't that how it usually goes). But for a date night, you still come out ahead I think. It's a dinner and a show experience in a movie theater. They have lots of casual bar type food (I tend to order the broccoli cheddar bites because really how could you not?). One of these days I'll have to try their burgers. What goes well with popcorn? Alcohol of course. Marmie ordered dessert last time, and I have to say I was really impressed. It was a lot of food for the price.

They tell folks to arrive early and so while you are waiting to place your order or trying to find just the right seat (also they don't have the usual theater chairs-- they have office desk chairs that spin), you can catch an episode or two of The Muppet Show. We were going to see Life of Pi (excellent by the way), but I did enjoy Candice Bergen's appearance with the muppets. They don't this for every showing (maybe just matinees), but I really appreciate that you aren't stuck listening to other people's conversations or staring at the sound proofing.

Sandy Duncan singing "Try to Remember"

With Oscars having recently been doled out, are there any movies that you want to see? Any movies from this year that you'd recommend?

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my RSS feed or by email.

Embers of the Month {February}

2013-02-28T10:55:00.000-05:00

What I did: worked a Hurricanes game (so glad the lockout has ended), attended the Bigbads' annual beer tasting party
What I celebrated: Valentine's Day of course (this is a vintage postcard Bigbad Mama picked up for me at a thrift shop)
What I made: nothing. I made no crafts, no drinks, nothing to share. And I'm okay with that because February and March are kicking my butt with schoolwork.
What I ate: empanadas from Calavera (my favorite is the sweet potato and black bean- yum!)
What I read: YA (lots and lots)
What I had to share via Twitter: I was looking up something for work that promoted reading in unusual ways and remembered this story of about a winemaker adding short stories to their wine bottles and earlier in the month I saw this video about sexual objectification and a plan to address it
What I turned up: Bigbad got me Babel by Mumford & Sons for Valentine's Day
What I heard: I actually haven't been listening to too much NPR for a change. I heard Radical Face on 88.1 State's radio station though

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my RSS feed or by email.

On the nightstand: Monster by Walter Dean Myers

2013-02-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

I didn't pick this book. It was another assignment for school. Walter Dean Myers though is a very popular and prolific YA author. I remember when I was student teaching, a student in my honors English I class read this book outside of class. She was not the sort that I had pegged to read a book about a boy on trial for murder. But she said it was very good.

My biggest criticism of Monster is for a highly tumultuous event, there is very little inciting action to hook readers. We don't know Steve Harmon before the trial and so we don't know whether or not we should sympathize with his plight or not. In the beginning, his fear is described, but it is a fear for what could happen not as much for what he'd be missing.

I liked that Myers gave a unique structure to the novel, having the narrator Steve write about the trial in third person via a screenplay. His attention to detail gave us a bit more characterization than straight narrative would. What Steve chooses to highlight shows us what he is concerned about.

It's a quick read; though I suspect the struggling readers who may be intrigued by the plot may doubt that and be turned off by its 280 pages. That's a shame. The book challenges readers to think about justice and whether Steve truly is innocent and what role actions play in defining character. The message is clear without being moralistic and childish.

And just because I'm proud of my archive/gallery page, you can check out how I've organized ~~all~~ most of my book reviews from the blog here.

I blog about books, crafts, educational ideas, food, and my life. You can subscribe to my RSS feed or by email.