Miss Potter

I watched three movies during my last few days of Christmas vacation – Micheal Moore’s Sicko, We are Marshall, and Miss Potter.  My favorite was Miss Potter.  I did not know anything about Beatrix Potter other than she is the author of the little tiny books that always looked a little funny on the shelf because they were shorter than all the others.  Of course I read The Tale of Peter Rabbit as a kid (and thought that Mr. McGregor was a pretty scary dude what with that rake and all).  I thought it was neat that Beatrix Potter wanted the books to be small so they would be affordable.  I was also not aware of her devotion to conservation efforts.  She bought farms in the Lake District to prevent them from being developed.  She left all the land to The National Trust when she died.  She was a forward thinking, generous woman.  Beatrix Potter supposedly said, “Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality” and “All outward forms of religion are almost useless, and are the causes of endless strife. . . . Believe there is a great power silently working all things for good, behave yourself and never mind the rest.”

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep

Kai and I went to see The Water Horse this afternoon.  I’ve been wanted to see a good movie during my break but couldn’t bring myself to see Alvin and the Chipmunks.  The thought of the voices of the chipmunks makes me cringe just a little.  You know the story of The Water Horse.  A sweet kid named Angus finds an egg, a water horse hatches and begins to grow, and the little boy has to try to hide the beast from his mother.  It is a story of friendship and sacrifice.  A review I read said it was “slow and predictable.”  Probably so.  But I’ll take a sweet, slow and predictable story over the chipmunks any day. 

Jim the Boy

This is one of those books I’ve been meaning to read for a very long time but just now got around to it.  I was browsing through the shelves at Lebanon’s coolest new bookstore, Sherlock’s, when I came across Jim the Boy by Tony Earley.  There were lines in this book that were so beautiful I wanted to read them outloud to someone.  Like this one – “The world at that early hour seemed newly made, unfinished; the air, still sweet with dew, an invention thought up that morning.  In the low places near the river, stray ghosts of fog still hunted among the trees.”  The story begins in 1934.  Jim is celebrating his tenth birthday with his family – his mother and three uncles.  Jim begins to grow up and learn much about life and love in the story.  It’s sweet and thoughtful.  It reminded me a lot of my dad and the farm I grew up on. 

Special Topics in Calamity Physics

I heard about Special Topics in Calamity Physics at the 2007 Tennessee Council of Teachers of English annual meeting in Memphis from Kim Ford.  Kim always conducts a session at the conference on book recommendations.  This was one she mentioned, and I bought it that night.  The book is clever.  (clever website as well, http://www.calamityphysics.com/main.htm)  It’s written as if it’s a syllabus for a course.  The title of each chapter is the name of a book, and there is a final exam at the end.  About halfway through I decided I didn’t like the book.  I wasn’t crazy about any of the characters.  Things got more interesting about three quarters of the way through, though.  I’m glad I stuck with it.  The story is told by Blue van Meer, an incredibly intelligent and well-read first year student at Harvard.  Blue’s life changed when she and her father move to North Carolina and she began her senior year at an elite private school.  Blue fell into a group of mysterious and bizarre kids and their teacher, Hannah.  I wanted to go back and, if not read again, at least skim the book again after I read the end. 

Christmas Eve Eve

Star-Child, earth-child, go between of God,
Love-child, Christ-child heaven’s lightening rod,
This year, this year let the day arrive,
When Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive! – Shirley Erena Murray

We sang one of my favorite songs, “Star-Child,” this morning at church.  I can’t remember all the verses, but I was able to find these quotations.  The song has all these images not only of the Christ child but also of other children – “street child, beat child” and “hurt child, used child” with “no place left to go,” “sad child, lost child,” “grown child, old child,” “spared child, spoiled child,” and “Hope-for-peace Child.”  We sang over and over, “Let Christmas come to everyone, everyone alive.”  It’s such a sweet song.   

 I finished my only knitted Christmas gifts just a bit ago while watching Helen Mirren on PBS in Prime Suspect.  I had never heard of this show until last Sunday night when I just happened to catch it.  This was the seventh and last episode, but apparently there are other episodes dating back to 1991.  I really liked it.  I’m not usually a fan of cop shows, but this one kept my attention – there was more to it than blood and gore. 

 Back to the knitting – two dish rags for my friends Dougie and Sarah.  Our families will spend tomorrow night together eating and exchanging gifts before heading to church for the candlelight service. 

I must be in the Christmas spirit because I just wrapped a gift for myself – oops!  I had made three copies of a DVD for my family and one for myself.  I was wrapping and watching Prime Suspect.  Suddenly I realized I had wrapped my DVD.  Oh, well, I guess it will be a gift to myself! 

Finally done!

I could have finished up my Christmas shopping and wrapping this morning.  Instead I finally finished painting my den.  I was not born with the decorating gene.  I must admit, though, that I have really enjoyed painting the rooms in my house.  Now…when I sell this house, I will have to go through and repaint every room because I can’t imagine that anyone else would choose these colors.  I love them, though.  I have a lilac room, two blue rooms, a red and tan room, a kiwi green bathroom, a yellow room, and now a teal den.  I had a lot of trouble deciding on a color for this room.  It’s an odd room – a converted garage.  I had about twenty of those little paint chips taped to the wall.  A friend of mine, Sarah, came over.  I told her to choose one.  She grabbed “Maiden Voyage” off the wall and said this is the one.  I bought the paint the next day.  I’ve got to give Sarah credit.  She picked a good color.  It is bright and cheery now in my little den. 

Dunkin Donuts and Publix Face Off

For the past few weeks I have watched with eager anticipation the progress of a new Dunkin Donuts in Lebanon.  It finally opened yesterday.  My friend Kelli says Publix has the best donuts.  I was sure that Dunkin Donuts would win out, though.  I happened to be in Publix Saturday and saw some shiny glazed donuts in the case.  I bought two.  So good.  Warm.  Crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside.  Tuesday was the grand opening of Dunkin Donuts.  The employees were their friendliest, all chipper and perk.  The donuts were lovely all lined up and glazed and frosted and sprinkled.  I bought two with a coffee.  The verdict…?  Kelli…you’re right.  Publix wins.  Don’t get me wrong.  Dunkin Donuts is going to be a frequent stop for me on the way to school – great coffee and the donuts aren’t bad.  The best donuts, though, I must say come from the grocery store down the road.  So…now you know. 

Christmas Caroling

For as long as I can remember my family and I have gone Christmas caroling one night during the week before Christmas.  Our church does this together.  We all gather at the church, collect our list of names, load our trunks with poinsettias, and head out.  Sometimes it can be a little sad to visit these friends whose health has deteriorated, but mostly it’s fun seeing everyone.  We can never remember the words to the songs, or, worse, some people remember the words one way and others another.  Is it “We wish you a merry Christmas! Glad tidings we bring to you and your friends” or “Good tidings we bring to you and your kin?” Who knows.  We have fun regardless.  When everyone gets back to the church there is much chatter about the friends we visited.  We drink hot chocolate and eat snacks that everyone has brought to share.  This year Hailey, Kai, and Tyler went with us.  Now Tyler is totally confused.  Not only does he call the Christmas tree a “trick or tree,” but he also thinks Christmas caroling is trick or treating.  (And, as I recall, a friend of mine once said it was…only in reverse.)  Hope you get to do some caroling this year!

Gingerbread Houses

Christmas Festivities Continue

Today was a joy-filled day.  It started out this morning with the annual Men’s Club Pancake Breakfast at church.  The gym was filled with folks eating pancakes, sausage, biscuits, hot spiced fruit, and doughnuts.  I love the pancake breakfast because I get to see old friends and celebrate Christmas with my church family.  Then we moved into the sanctuary for the cantata.  Of course my favorite part of that was listening to the children’s choir (Hailey included) sing “Happy birthday, Jesus.  I’m so glad it’s Christmas.  All the tinsel and lights and the presents are nice, but the real gift is you.”  So sweet.  The family who sits in front of us has a set of twin girls who are about two.  They were precious this morning listening to the music on their mom and dad’s laps.  The church was decorated with poinsettias that people had given in memory or honor of someone.  They were everywhere – every nook and cranny of the sanctuary filled with red and green. 

 But…that wasn’t the end.  After lunch the kids came home with me and helped me decorate the Christmas tree.  I tell you what – three kids make fast work of a tree!  Or as Tyler calls it – a “Trick or Tree.”  I think we have a little holiday mix up.  We made some fancy gingerbread houses and ate a lot of candy meant for the houses before collapsing on the sofa to watch Eloise.  

 To be continued…tomorrow night…CHRISTMAS CAROLING!  Woo-Hoo!