Maurice Sendak Died

Here is James Gandolfini reading In the Night Kitchen at the 92nd Street Y on Maurice Sendak's 80th birthday:



In the Night Kitchen is often challenged or banned, but it is one of my favorite books of all time.

What I've been reading, OMG I love my Kindle edition

The latest books in several series came out, and I got 'em that very day sent to my lovely lovely Kindle,

• Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch, which had less Aunt Dimity than usual, but more of the Village, and I think is one of the best entries in this long-running and delightfully cozy series. If you haven't read any of the books yet, start with Aunt Dimity's Death.
• I was super thrilled with the latest books by Margaret Maron and Dana Stabenow, two of my favorite contemporary Mystery authors both had a similar idea: they each write two series and they had the detectives from both series meet and work together! I was particularly happy with how Maron brought together Judge Deborah Knott and Lt. Sigrid Harald in Three Day Town. She hadn't written about Sigrid in a long time, but she was able to interact while still being true to their characters. Stabenow has Sgt. Liam Campbell hire Kate Shugak in Restless in the Grave to investigate a sensitive case that may or may not be murder. Such fun to read while she points up the similarities in their lives.
•  The newest book in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, Deadlocked, is good, but not the best in the series. I get the feeling that Harris needs to take a break from these characters so that she can come back to them fresh.
• Insurgent, the sequel to Veronica Roth's dystopian young adult novel, Divergent, came out last week. And it is very good, though less strong than her first book. Very sincere, written in the first-person present, which can be jarring at times, but definitely worth a read.
• Out of the Deep I Cry, the latest in the Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne series by Julia Spencer-Fleming, satisfyingly solves two mysteries at once. One from the present, and one from the Prohibition Era past. Includes a reminder of why vaccinations are important.

I've also read several non-series books:

• 7th Sigma by Steven Gould - very richly written YA novel about the future old west when a species of metal eating bug makes it impossible for people to use technology in the infested areas.
• I generally love Walter Jon Williams' work, but The Fourth Wall was a difficult read for me. The main character is deeply unpleasant. But it is worth powering through it, because the story is imaginative, intricate, and the unpleasantness of the main character is crucial to the story. Nonetheless, it wasn't a book I think I'll read again anytime soon. Unlike his House of Shards, which I've read several times since I first found it in college.
• And I don't remember if I told you all about One Thousand White Women. It's an historical novel about an historical event that never occured. Written in diary form, it is fascinating, engrossing, and believable. 
• Also, Reginald Hill died recently, and I've been reading and re-reading everything he ever wrote. I can't recommend his work enough. The Woodcutter is his latest, and it was awesome.

Outfit Blogging

Today I'm wearing this blouse (but mine is black with beige trimming) over a beige tank.

It is paired with a black, beige, and white floral skirt. I am also wearing black knitted tights and these shoes

Etienne Aigner shoes

I think the outfit works, but haven't had any confirmation of that, so could be really, really wrong.

Uncanny Resemblance

People often remark on Muffin Man's resemblance to me or Mr. Spock.

But then they will ask, "Where did he get the dark brown eyes? Where did he get the curls?"

Cousin Muszka 1964 - 2012

My cousin died Monday night in Paris after a long and valiant struggle with cancer.

Born September 18, 1964, in Paris, Cousin Muszka (family nickname, I didn't make it up) glowed with life.

Muszka (left), at 2 months old, meeting my sister (center) for the first time. Her  mother (right) supervises. My sister is 14 months old in this picture.

She had wonderful almost-black curls, dark brown eyes, and deep dimples. Her laughter was infectious. She was fluent in at least 3 languages, spoke French with a Parisian accent, and English with a Brooklyn accent. It was hilarious to hear her talking to her mom going back and forth between French and English in the same sentence.

Muszka at play. I don't know when or where this picture was taken.

Whenever she came to visit, she and my sister were inseparable. They were as close as two people who are usually separated by an ocean could be.

Muszka and my sister, probably in March of 1969, when I was born.

I don't remember being jealous of their closeness at all, but I do remember wishing I were older and could be like them.

Passover, 1972. From left: Me, my sister, Muszka.

Passover weekend 1972. Back porch of my mom's house. From left: Muszka, my sister, me.

Muszka often came for long visits in the Summer, and for shorter ones in the Winter. It was like having another sister, one who lived far away sometimes.

Summer of 1978. We are on the porch of a house on Fisher Beach in Cape Cod. From Left, Muszka, my sister, me.

Muszka on a winter visit. My sister's room.

Muszka was a professor of American History at a University in Paris. She was highly regarded in her field. She has a beautiful, smart, wonderful 14-year-old daughter (I couldn't find a picture of the two of them together this morning).

I believe this is from my grandma's 80th birthday party. From left: Grandma, Muszka, my aunt (her mom).

She leaves behind an empty space.

July 1989. My sister's wedding. 

I will miss her so much.

Out the bathroom window

Mr. Spock got this picture of the view out our bathroom window.

The end of an era.

Hold your Dose.

I hab a siduz idfecshud. Id is dod pleazadt. For two dayz, I had a headache thad pushed by eyeballz oud of by head.

By doctor recobbedded irrigading with a Dedi Pod, becoz for wad thig, siduz idfecshud's are usually caused by a viruz, add for adother thig, the illdess I god three yearz ago cad cob back if I use addibiodics.

Dow, I am dot a persod who likes wadder up by dose. Id fact, I really hade id. But id turds oud thad using a Dedi Pod reduces the pressure on your siduzes. Who dew? I ab sdill sduffy, but id izd't az bad az id wuz, add by eyeballs are coddedt to sday where they belogg.

A fairy tale.

Once upon a time two days ago, a wicked mother offered to go with her good and handsome son to buy a new two-wheeled steed for him to ride upon while slaying dragons in the surrounding kingdom. The wicked mother thought that this offer would be welcomed by her good and handsome son because her son had, in the past, frequently expressed a desire for a new steed as his old steed had merely been a pony that was given away a while ago to a smaller neighboring principality.

Imagine the wicked mother's surprise when her good and handsome son said that he did not want a new two-wheeled steed, he'd never wanted a two-wheeled steed, "no, and you can't make me".

Well.

So the wicked mother proved her wickedness by asking her good and handsome son if he were "really really sure? We have time to go do it today, we have time for you to learn how to ride a real two-wheeled steed this weekend (one without two small extra wheels), your two best doughty knights have steeds and would like to go riding with you".

"No".

"Okay, well, if you change your mind that's fine, but we may not be able to go tomorrow, though we would have time to practice if you already had one."

"No."

"Okay, are you really sure?"

"Yes. WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME SUCH A HARD TIME ABOUT THIS. I ALREADY TOLD YOU NO."

"Okay."

....
....
....
....

Long about sunset, that evening two days ago, the wicked mother's good and handsome son told his mother that he had changed his mind, that he would, in fact, like a two-wheeled steed after all.

Whereupon his wicked mother said, very well, and his kindly father asked what had changed the good and handsome son's mind. "Nothing".

Whereat the wicked mother wanted to rip her own ears off, but merely said, "very well. You hurt my feelings earlier today by shouting at me, but I will get you a steed anyway because I said I would if you changed your mind. We may not be able to go tomorrow, but we will try."

And thus the wicked mother, the kindly father, and the good and handsome son went on a quest on Easter Sunday to find a steed worthy of the good and handsome son.

The first store they went to, a toy store, had some fine steeds at low prices, but the front brakes on all of them were somewhat sticky, and showed why the steeds were not priced higher.

They then went to three other stores dedicated to outdoor sports (and particularly two-wheeled steeds) that were all closed for Easter Sunday.

Upon arriving back home without a new steed, the wicked mother said to her good and handsome son, "I am about to give you a hard time, because I want you to learn a lesson. Why were all those stores closed today?"

"Because it's Easter"

"Was it Easter yesterday?"

"No."

"What have you learned?"

"That I really need to think hard before I say no to something I probably really want."

And they all lived happily ever after, because the wicked mother did not slay her good and handsome son and eat him for Easter Dinner.

Persistence

This is a story about a project Muffin Man was assigned for Social Studies.

He had to create a time-line of events leading up to the Revolutionary War that:

1. Must include at least 2 sentences about each event.
2. Must include the date(s) of the event
3. Must be clearly placed in order of events.
4. Must be incorporated in a picture, collage, or diorama using a Revolutionary Theme.
5. Must be neatly done
6. Must show thought (can not look like it was done at the last minute)

Muffin Man had a month in which to do this project. He selected his events and planned what he wanted to incorporate into his illustration before we went to Puerto Rico, and got his teacher to sign off on those things...and then he forgot all about it until the Friday before the Monday that it was due.

When I picked him up from after school that day, he was SOBBING. "I'll never be able to get it done! I'll get an F!!

"No you won't. You have all weekend to work on it. I guarantee that you are not the only kid in your class who forgot about it and left it to the last minute. Daddy and I will help you with it. And if you work hard on it, I know that you won't get an F. You may not get an A, but you are smart, creative, and resourceful. You can do a good job."

His original idea had been to hand-draw a battle scene, with the time-line in clouds of smoke from cannons. I suggested that, instead of hand-drawing, he do a collage. He took that idea, and ran with it. He typed up the events in the time line. Mr. Spock helped find appropriate pictures on the internet. I helped cut out. Muffin Man did the layout (and we took this picture so that we could remember the placement), and we all helped glue. It took most of the weekend, but he got it done.

The Clouds of the Revolutionary War

His teacher gave him a 100.

During

Painting done, curtains hung.

Before

White walls, bed in center of room. Cozy, yes, but not as cozy as it could be.

One of the best birthdays ever

Mr. Spock made an awesome card for me -- completely professional looking.

Muffin Man made that animated card -- 700 frames.

Mr. Spock made a delicious chocolate cake from scratch, and it was a thing of beauty too.

I had lobster for lunch, and standing rib roast for dinner.

And Mr. Spock gave me exactly what I wanted for a present, a working radio in my car.

Birthdays just do not get any better than that.

My son got excited and made something for me

The best part is that he made it using something that his dad got excited and made. Yepper. A hand-made animation made with hand-made animation software.

We're back!

We found lots of sea glass, and engaged in cousin worship. The picture above is of my 15-year-old nephew, my 18-year-old niece, and my 10-year-old son being ridiculous on the beach.

Looking for sea glass. Be back next week.

Boy in blue

BTW, this big guy used to be this little guy:

I know. I know.

The way it works

In order to wash one's hair, one must:

1. Get all of ones hair wet, not just get all of one hair wet.
2. Apply shampoo to ones entire head of hair.
3. Rinse one's hair thoroughly.

It's not rocket science.

Housekeeping

Some of the links in my blogroll will vanish. This is not because I don't read them, I do, but they are more appropriate to Doorbell Queen, so that's where they will reside.

Links to blogs that haven't updated in over 6 months will move to the "Gone Quiet" section.

If you've got a blog that I don't link to here or at DBQ, let me know!

What Muffin Man will be doing for Summer Vacation

• One week in a music day camp, testing out the drums.
• Two weeks doing computer graphics and Lego robotics
• Two more weeks doing Lego Robotics
• Two weeks doing I don't know what yet. Maybe we'll go away somewhere?
• Two weeks creating video games, and doing more Lego Robotics.

What? He LIKES Lego Robotics. And they're all very different TYPES of Lego Robotics. They all have very different GOALS.

Yes. I will keep telling myself that.

Plus, he has a Lego Robotics kit and it's good for him to get as much practice programming it as possible.

Cake

DOUBLE DIGITS!

Muffin Man is 10 today. TEN.  

TEN!!

Holy guacamole.

He once was this tiny little thing:

And then he was a little boy:

And then he was a bigger boy:

And now he's this Big Kid:

I love this boy sooooo much.

Happy birthday, my Muffin Man.