7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #7
April 22nd, 2007 by Eisha and Jules
It’s time for another installment of 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks . . . For those new to our series, this is where we all stop in every Sunday to report seven (more or less is fine) Good Things that happened to you (or that you read or saw or experienced or . . . well, you get the picture) this week.
Well, it was kind of a weird week, wasn’t it? But we’re here to focus on the good, and that seems like a very good idea right now. So:
1* Since I live in MA, Monday was a state holiday (Patriot’s Day – they’ve got a couple of these weird Revolutionary War-related holidays that no one else celebrates up here). So I had a 3-day weekend, which is always a good thing.
2* FEDERAL TAX REFUND!
3* STATE TAX REFUND!
4* I’m actually writing this on Thursday night, because this Saturday and Sunday the husband and I are househunting in Ithaca. Which is where all the refund money is going to go. But I’m already getting excited about the cost-of-living differential between Cambridge and Ithaca. We’re looking at renting 3-bedroom houses for less than we’re paying for a 2-bedroom apartment here. Ooh, I might have a yard again! Or at least a porch…
5* My sis-in-law sent another mess of baby nephew pics, including this one. This is more or less exactly what my earliest memories of my little brother look like.
6* Jarrett J. Krosoczka told everyone to bookmark us on his blog, and called us (I quote) “kind of like the Inside the Actors Studio of kid lit blogs.” How cool is that? Wicked awesome cool, that’s how cool. Thanks, Jarrett!
7* And Sara Lewis Holmes said in a comment to our John Green interview that our blog name should be a verb, as in (I quote again): “How was the interview?” “Oh, dude, I totally imped it! It rocked!” How cool is that? Insanely, ridiculously, off-da-hook cool, dude. Thanks, Sara!
I’m going to do a blanket, all-encompassing statement here: In light of the sad week the country’s had and in light of Roger Sutton’s thought-provoking post on blogs/reviewing and in light of the impressive work Colleen Mondor has put into this summer’s upcoming Summer Blog Blast Tour (a week-long series of interviews with YA authors that will be occurring) and in light of my own singularly craptacular week (simply having to do with the frustrations involved with spending your days with very young children who are often, by nature, far from rational* and are guided by instant gratification, thus bringing about many headaches for the caretakers involved, and who excel at tantrums; these are hardnesses which every other parent of wee ones undergoes, so I’m not trying to throw a pity party here) and in light of the fact that two friends of mine are dealing with cancer (breast cancer and brain cancer, of all the things), I’m going to say that I’m happy to be alive and healthy and happy that my family members are, too; I’m happy to have an opportunity to write about books online for whomever might care to read and happy to talk about said books with other book-lovers; I’m grateful for comments like Roger’s that get us thinking and talking and arguing; and I’m thrilled to be involved with the Summer Blog Blast Tour, as Eisha and I will be chatting with some really great YA authors (though we know interviews aren’t for everyone).
Now who’s going to give me the award for the Longest, Most Insufferable Run-on Sentence Ever?
Two more quick things:
First, I stumbled upon this last night at the web site for Macmillan Books (in the U.K.): Emily Gravett’s next book, Monkey and Me, will apparently be released in the U.K. in June of this year. I am so in love with her book from last year, Wolves (discussed here by me and Eisha), that I’m really looking forward to this and wonder when it will make its way across The Pond.
Secondly (not book-related in the slightest), I was thrilled to discover there are two new Sam Phillips tunes at her site. Now, I visit her site all the time . . . . She could not. have. a. bigger. fan. So, uh, I felt really dim-witted to find out these tunes have been there for a while, and I didn’t realize it. That doesn’t diminish my joy in finding them, though. “Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us” — now, there’s a masterful creation (and before Sam brings it to the world in early ’08, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant — of all people — will be covering it on an upcoming CD. What a duo. Boggles the mind, it does) . . .
Anonymous postcard submitted to Frank Warren, founder and curator of the PostSecret project
{I needed to read that after the week I had in which I found myself wishing away the days, due to my particularly fussy (for some reason) children. My 18-mo. old has a new stomp-on-the-floor-guess-why-I’m-screaming dance. Calgon . . .}
* “A child is a curly, dimpled lunatic.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
(Oh, and “There never was a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him asleep.” — Emerson)
We’re done with our lists (or “list,” in my case). How ’bout you all?
I hope the house hunting went well, Eisha!
They’re great things to be happy for, Jules. And I love those Emerson quotes!
Here’s my list:
1. I went camping at a nearby National Park for the weekend– it was extremely relaxing.
2. I got to read for hours swinging in a hammock strung between two trees.
3. Toasting marshmallows on a fire is still fun when you’re an adult (something I like to test every now and then!)
4. There were lots of lovely birds including very clear sightings of the beautiful yellow-tailed and red-tailed black cockatoos.
5. I discovered a documentary about David Attenborough’s career, Life on air, on a DVD collection I own (yes, I am a very observant person). Yay! A fantastic insight into one of my favourite presenters.
6. This is so lame, but I’m happy because the washing (I’ve noticed Americans call it laundry) is under control. It’s so much easier to keep up to date once the mysterious pile of clothes in the hamper has been conquered.
7. The freezer door popped open while we were away and it was making such funny noises we were worried it had damaged the motor. But it sounds normal again now which is cause for gratitude! We also had eaten our way through nearly everything in there so didn’t lose much food and now have a very clean freezer. I admit I was surprised at a couple of things that were hiding away in there!
In case anyone is wondering, I keep commenting early as I’m in Australia where it is late on Sunday night. I’m not getting up insanely early and preparing my list!
A typical-spring week at work, finishing up some IEPs yay! Finished up and mailed tax forms too. Now I can focus on fun projects. Interact play coming up this Friday.
Jules, the tantrums will pass. I feel for you, I hear ya, sistah, but “this too shall pass”.
P.S. Jules, take a look at Eisha’s nephew’s photo. Remember those days long gone …. tantrums come in all shapes, sizes, and forms, example “Oh, Motheeerrrrrrr, you’re so old-fashioned.”
Hope you find a great house, Eisha. Love the Emerson, I am passing them on to my daughters. They have young ones.
Am glad for the week to be over, sad, tragic. My ist:
1. Poetry Night went well. It was well attended and the kids were very proud. My Poetry Friday post is about the event.
2. My granddaughter came to school to go to “read and play”, a program by the public library and to see me.
3. Twenty-two poems writen for the month. Eight to go.
4. Play rehearsal with students went well on Saturday. They are such a fun group.
5. I told a second grader I was 54 and he said, “no way.” Of course, he thought I was 20 something. Ha!
6. I have bookclub this evening.
7. Watched the new episode of Grey’s Anatomy.
Have a great week.
Thanks, Betty. Yes, that’s why I like that PostSecret quote. I need reminders like that — and like yours — during particularly screamy weeks.
Emmaco, I’m jealous of your camping trip, but my girls and I did play in the tent in the front yard yesterday.
Jone, congrats on the Poetry Night! Woo hoo! I love Clare’s poem, in particular.
Love your lists, Jules and Eisha. I feel mine is probably close to Jules. (Jone: your #5 is so funny! Love it!! Emmaco! No wasted food!!)
1. We’re all still here and, so far, healthy.
2. We might have the funds and the opportunity to travel to Europe again this summer. This is a big one. The husband is busy making lists and plans at the moment!!
3. Listening to Lionel Shriver’s “We need to talk about Kevin,” which is not exactly the right book for this week. That being said–it’s an amazing book. Incredible.
4. I had a good writing week despite all. I made a major plot breakthrough in my WIP.
5. Because of my Colbert report post, my blog was listed on the John Edwards blog as a source for the Samurai Song poem. Totally random, I know, but I think it’s funny.
6. I stood up to Roger Sutton and didn’t become shrill.
7. I’m slammed with “work” (so much of it unpaid!), but enjoying it all–plus spring is here, so I’m 100% more productive.
1 – Everyone who’s read my fourth (and darkest) Doctor Who fiction thought I’d handled the dark stuff really well – *phew* !
2 – I’ve started writing the fifth one (though I’m worried it’ll be spectacularly rubbish after the fourth one!)…
3 – Elaine Magliaro of “Wild Rose Reader” wrote an Acrostic Poem for me – totally, totally cool !!
4 – I won a book in the Waterstones.com reviewers giveaway – Marcus Sedgwick’s gripping “Blood Red, Snow White” ! You could have knocked me down with a feather when it arrived in the mail.
5 – More “Classic Who” freebies came my way this week – got to love people who give me free “Doctor Who” stuff.
6 – The weather here in the UK continues to be pleasantly Spring-like !
7 – It was David Tennant’s birthday this week and I celebrated by watching various of his performances on DVD during the week – so much fun !!
Eisha, I didn’t see your comment about the Bod until now, but yes, I’ll show you round if you get over here to the UK !
Jules – I can get you a copy of “Monkey and Me” and mail it to you if you let me have your postal address…
Kelly may be in the UK again this summer ? Fantastic !
Kelly, EUROPE! Oooh, I’m happy-jealous for you.
Michele, OMIGOD I’M SCREAMING at the possibility of getting Monkey and Me in my hands!! THANK YOU!! I’ll email you soon with my postal address and talk to you about reimbursing you for it all.
1. This is the second day of marvelous weather.
2. Hubby took the kids out to the zoo. So I am totally enjoying my time alone–no tantrums, no whining–just quiet. Sorry Jules. It really does get easier.
3. I missed part of Grey’s Anatomy on Thursday, and was so relieved it was on tv on Friday. I love that show!
4. Three year old told me she wanted to be just like me when she grew up.
5. I’ve been able to open up the windows and have fresh air circulating around the house.
6. I found some spring clothes that fit nicely. In my closet.
7. Clean house!
Thanks, Vivian!
Hey, I just found this, too: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA335718.html. Note the other new Emily Gravett book. Maybe the library will have that one.
Is it already Sunday? It’s been a busy week — I’ll focus on the good things for now….
1. I had an urgent dentist appointment on Friday and my problems turned out to be much much more minor than I had feared.
2. I met someone who has a lot of potential to be special/important, and got to spend a good part of the week just basking in great “getting to know you” conversation.
3. I went searching for the perfect skirt yesterday, and found it in two different colors… on sale 70% off.
4. I had some particularly good client interactions this week. And I managed to talk a coworker off the ledge after he made a $450,000 mistake (which we later fixed before anyone got hurt).
5. The rain stopped.
6. Have now discovered Sam Phillips thanks to Jules’ comment above.
7. Had the opportunity to consider what situations or people allow me to be my best self, and to do something about it.
Jules, I’m glad my ears are thousands of miles away ! *wink*
Seriously, do email me and we’ll sort something out about the book…
Nancy, do you mean literally “off the ledge” ? If so, good for you !! (And even if you don’t mean they were literally out on the ledge, good for you…)
Happy Sunday, ladies! I don’t think I have 7 Kicks today–but it’s still been a fine week for me.
By the way, Jules, I have a suggestion for a poem about gratitude that you requested over at Wild Rose Reader.
http://wildrosereader.blogspot.com/2007/04/here-is-poem-about1.html
– The sun finally shone here in Massachusetts and spring weather arrived. I sat out on the back deck working on some more nursery rhyme parodies.
– Well, I made it to 22 poems posted in April–which means I have just 8 more to write/tweak before the end of National Poetry Month.
– Once again, someone has said that one of her “kicks” of the week was a poem I dedicated to her. Thanks, Michele!
– Janet Wong has said she’d be happy to be the guest speaker at our reading council’s dinner meeting in May of 2008!
– This is a bit belated: I appreciate all the kidlit bloggers who have been so supportive of my foray into solo blogging. Thanks, everyone!
I miss Patriot’s Day, Eisha! But I wish you well in finding a place to live in Ithaca. Jules, I’ll give you an award for a long sentence, but I didn’t think it was insufferable.
This was a tough week, given what happened in Virginia, making it harder than usual to focus on the positive. But perhaps weeks like this make finding the positive even more important. So, with a little effort, I was able to come up with a few things.
1. The Red Sox have beaten the Yankees twice this weekend. Such a great rivalry, and especially fun when it goes my way.
2. I posted the 13th Carnival of Children’s Literature, my first one, and enjoyed doing it tremendously.
3. I received lovely emails from two authors who I’ll be interviewing as part of Colleen’s Summer Blog Blast Tour. More details to follow.
4. Elaine Magliaro dedicated one of her poems to me.
5. Mheir and I met the fiancée of an old friend, and had a lovely time getting to know her before the upcoming wedding. We’re fortunate that these friends have recently moved to our part of the country.
6. I spend an afternoon at the park with friends and their young children, on a beautiful sunny day.
7. I received an ARC of Mitali Perkins’ upcoming novel: First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover.
Peace to all.
I was just about to write, almost to the word, the paragraph that Jen wrote above about the tough week. So given that I make number one…
1. Spending time, even “just” online, with like-miinded people. Things like sharing the same thoughts with Jen make me understand why I spend so much time in the blog world. You’re my peeps.
2. Today I had my college friends over for an afternoon cookout. We’ve known each other for, gulp, twenty years now and we still make sure we get together sometimes – now with kids and spouses. It was a lovely day outside, and I managed to keep them all from going upstairs to the dangerously messy living room, so that was like a little bonus.
3. Took the Girl Scouts to an overnight at the Maryland Science Center, and we all had a great time. I am convieniently removing the memory of sleeping on the floor of the museum out of my memory of the experience, considering that I didn’t so much sleep.
4. On the drive there, the four girls in my car played Mad Libs. I had one of those tiny moments of both pride and humor when my fifth grade daughter kept throwing out words like “deft,”, “pithy,” and “worrisome.”
5. Spring may finally actually be here, and the cookout made us get the backyard ready for it.
6. Writing words that resonated with people, and more than once.
7. Finding someone at the pet store to show me and my hamster-obsessed daughter a hamster. We’re not getting one now, but I had a gerbil as a kid and wouldn’t mind one. But it was as much fun to hold the idea in my mind as it was to hold the hamster in my hand. Just a nice little ten minutes.
Right back at you on your item #1, MR. Sometimes I question why it is that I choose to spend some much time interacting with people I don’t even know face to face. But you said it well – we’re like-minded people, and you take like-minded friends wherever and however you can find them. Such a gift! Thanks!
You’re welcome, eisha! I’m kind of an interview freak. I love seeing inside the mind of an author/artist I admire. And I love Inside the Actors Studio…did anybody see the Johnny Depp one? Oooh, it was delicious…
Here’s my list:
1. My daughter decided on a college: UNC at Chapel Hill.
2. She’s got a full scholarship there, so double woo-hoo!
3. I was asked to do an interview myself this week, via email, and the interviewer was so professional and nice.
4. National Library Week. I got to be in a library all day on Thursday! I talked to a creative writing class and two middle school “Lunch Bunches.” Pix on my site, if anyone’s interested.
5. Golf w/my husband today. Followed by giant burgers and fries.
6. My words made a difference to someone this week.
7. I checked to see if my local library system had ordered my book, and not only had they stocked it, but all six copies were checked out or on hold!
Nancy, yeah, do you mean literally “off the ledge?”
Elaine, thank you so much for taking the time. What fun!
Jen, the Carnival looks lovely. Nice theme. Good work!
MoReader, happy spring!
Sara, congrats on your daughter’s scholarship. That is great news!
Let’s see….
1. My girls (ages 9 and 11) had the week off school, so I took a week of vacation to stay home with them. (I think the thing I miss the most about the Navy, other than the other 2/3 of my pay, is those 30 days of leave every year.) This means that …
2. … I had a whole week in which the alarm clock only woke me up once! The rest of the week I got to sleep what seem to be my natural hours – go to bed around 0100-0130, wake up around 0900. And the one use of the alarm clock was bearable because …
3. … we went to the Peabody Museum (the one at Yale) that day. My wife took the day off so she could go with us, and all of us – especially the 11-year-old, who had been complaining quite vigourously about how boring it was going to be – had a great time. For me, the Hall of Mammalian Evolution and the Great Hall were the best parts; one reason for that was that …
4. … I finally got to see the Zallinger murals. I’ve been seeing pictures of them since I was a kid, [mumble] years ago, and it was a real joy being able to finally see the actual paintings.
My seven things:
1) Dan Zanes in concert!
2) A week-long’s work of intensive gardening.
3) Pruned trees that bring in the light (see above).
4) Guitar recital– I missed a few notes on the strings, but hit all the notes when singing.
5) Herbs from the acupuncturist are really helping. I’m perky.
6) Rhubarb compote in homemade yogurt.
7) Song ideas.
Hey there, Old Coot . . . I had to look up the Zallinger murals, but now I’m in the know. Neat.
Alkelda, perky can be good. I have a friend who swears by acupuncture. Thanks for visiting and listing your 7 Kicks.
I cannot seem to post my 7 Kicks on Sunday. I think it’s because I’m so busy enjoying the last of my Kicks every week. Basically, this week: Spring x 7. What a relief to have some decent weather.
Eisha, Ithaca is very cool. If I wasn’t so very attached to my home, I’d live there.
Okay, back to writing….
Oh, yes. And also …
5. … on Saturday a friend e-mailed me the best news article I’ve seen in months: The one about Venus Ramey, Miss America 1944. I love reading stories with happy (not to mention highly amusing) endings.
Michele and Jules,
Ha! Not literally off the ledge. We’re on the first floor, so I probably wouldn’t have bothered on that one. Just a very despondent sad-sack of a guy who was waiting for someone to come along and fire him. I had to give him a whole, “It’s not a firing offense to make a big mistake, unless you sit back and do nothing to try to fix it” talk. Then I had to guide him step by step through fixing it. Which was worth it in the end, because we were able to get it pretty well fixed, and he was able to go home and look his wife and kid in the eye without having to tell them why Daddy got fired.
hi imps! congrats on that way-cool quote describing you as the Actors’ Theatre of kidlit blogs. And what a nice idea to talk about good things that happened. my hubby is on a volunteer trip to Indonesia and I just finished watching Brokeback Mountain (SOB!) so i can use this before bed.
good things:
1-our bff’s visited from alabama. watching my 4-year-old play w/ his 4-year-old bff warmed my heart
2-we played tourists and took pictures of the golden gate bridge in the delicious puffy fog. the wind stung, but the smiles were worth it.
3- ate lunch at in-and-out burger. nuff said.
4-get to talk to hubby every night on his friend’s cell phone at the orphanage and it sounds like he’s next door
5-we woke up this morning to a cloudless baby-blue perfect sky
6-cool authors are leaving me cool notes on myspace saying they think my YA novel, SEA, sounds good.
7-i get to go to bed now and snuggle with my little boy.