Gift and Gifted

in february '05
i volunteered in a spanish/english 1st grade class
at an inner city school
for un-official extra credit
for a spanish class i was taking.

they were the cutest and
most amazing children.
so inquisitive and smart.
it was interesting to go
back to school
teetering the line
between teacher and student
i loved it.

the teacher, a family friend,
gave me this...a gift from her travels.

By Its Cover- Love and Other Near Death Experiences- Pt. 2

By Its Cover is my completely independent 2-part book review column. Selections are made based entirely on the book's cover. I'm testing the old saying in my quest to find new authors.

Title: Love and Other Near Death Experiences
Author: Mil Millington

Part One

He could have died, Rob, the main character. But he didn't. He had to return towels and got tied up in traffic. So he was late to the pub, that ended up getting smashed to bits...hence the traffic. That he 'missed' death, by a set a fluke-ish missteps, sets him to wondering just how much weight he should put on the mundane everyday decisions. It hampers his relationships, his work, his life. So he sets off on a journey unto himself with an ex-Marine (yeah, it's a British book, but the guy comes over from Nebraska...long story).

That's the plot.

My opinion is that it kinda was pithy. Maybe I expect too much from books. Maybe I'm too geared into literature to give modern fiction any props. Maybe I don't get British humor. Maybe I'm out of touch with how people act and think in the world. Maybe it just wasn't good. Maybe one of the secondary characters was enormously grating. Yeah, a pointless cruel character, one that is supposed to multi-dimensional and yet just refuses to submit to change, can ruin a book. The kind where, when someone asks what you think of the book you say, "It would have been better if so-and-so hadn't been in it." This had one of those...and a whole lot of cussing. (again, call me a prude but I'd feel wrong if I didn't let you know.

Mr. Millington redeemed his book some by mentioning Jane Eyre, one the books I love more than any, near the end. And there was a Mansfield Park shoutout. Still...I'll pass on his other books.

400- Knittage

Today Dad had to go update a friend's computer. He took me with him because...well, I'm not really sure. He likes to pick a child, me or one of the brothers, at random to accompany on his little trips. I was griping about it a little, because sometimes I wish he would give a reason for choosing me. Bro2 would have been a better choice. He's into that stuff.

I'd brought my camera and the lady of the house was asking about it and photography. She pulled out two large knitted...shapes. I asked what she was making. "A sweater," she said. Before I knew it I was plopped on the sofa next to her with a skein of red wool yarn and a pair of needles.

A lot of rapid-fire thots pinged around in my mind. How crafting is so communal. How it took her all of five minutes to show me what to do, but the impact it will have will last longer. Knitting is something I've wanted to try for a while, but just kept shelving for later. How if I'd really made a stink and stayed home...I'd be clueless still.

And this is my 400th post. Today was good.

Post Picture: The first few rows and the skein and needles. I'm enjoying it so far.

Conflicted

I got an invite for a show that I missed last year. There are only a few days that I know now are already scheduled. Family birthdays are one of them. This show is going to be on Bro1's bday. What are the odds?

I'm having a little bit of an identity crisis. I can't really afford to get anymore mentally stuck than I have been. But I'm wondering if perhaps I've Jonah'd it all, tried to make a go of something instead of doing the thing I started a long time ago and abandoned because of fear. It's tough, having to face things about myself like this.

Post Picture: Chamomile Mint tea...quite scrumptious, in my I'm Not A Paper Cup that was part of my ThisNext Maven pack.

Weekend Blurble- Shiver

Why is the weather such an...er, ice-breaker? Just curious. I guess 'cause we all have deal with it, it's a universal thing and everyone has an opinion about it.

The temp job is over again. I think I'm gonna try to find something else and not wait for them to call me back. It was good, a nice change from my retail job, which didn't suit me well. Something more permanent would probably be better. Shall see.

Post Picture: New earrings in the shop. I may be jumping the gun a little for Valentine's Day. Had meant to make these last year. I'm particularly proud of the photo.