Tagged again
August 3rd, 2007 by Eisha and Jules
We’ve been tagged! It’s Nancy’s (aka Journey Woman’s) birthday; she’s 39 and asked us to consider thirty-nine reasons to be happy today. Consider it an early
7-(plus some)-Kicks list, but fear not! We’ll still be here on Sunday with our featured illustrator of the week and will be looking forward, as always, to reading your kicks this week.
We’ll divide our 39 reasons amongst the two of us. Here goes:
Jules’ Reasons:
1). It’s Nancy’s birthday!
2). The Alice image that illustrator Frank Dormer did just for us, which we’ll add to our site soon.
3). Corresponding with author/illustrator G. Brian Karas all week and lining up an interview and 7-Kicks-featured illustration with him.
4). Ditto for Mo Willems! (And Eisha and I anxiously awaiting the arrival of Knuffle Bunny, Too at our respective doorsteps).
5). Having a huge stack of Karas books to pore over in preparation for the interview.
6). The art my three-year-old made this morning. Since we’ve been noticing how illustrators show action, she’s been drawing spirals in the air for wind like Grace Lin does and little lines under her people for showing running and jumping like Keiko Kasza does (we’ve been heavy on the Grace Lin and Kasza books lately).
7). My almost-two-year old pulling around a toy on a string and calling it her roller skate, à la I Want a Dog by Dayal Kaur Khalsa.
8). Peter Sis’ The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. Wow. Wow. Wow. And to think he almost never finished it. (We hope to co-review soon).
9). The fact that I might have Indian cuisine for dinner tonight.
10). Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan, whom we’ll be interviewing in two weeks.
11). Meeting twenty-day-old Oliver Thomas Fotopulos, my friend’s new son, yesterday. He’s a sweet punkin puddin’ head. And sugar britches, too, Eisha.
12). The huge stack of great picture books I have here at my desk, though I’m too slow in reviewing them.
13). The Swiss Mocha Almond coffee I had this morning.
14). The Ghirardelli chocolate brownie I had yesterday.
15). Re-discovering Emmylou Harris’ live-from-The-Ryman CD, thanks to my awesome friend, Wem Glo.
16). Liz Garton Scanlon’s great book news, which I was slow in getting to but am glad I finally did. I love Marla Frazee’s work — and Liz’s, too, of course. Congratulations again, Liz!
17). Fuse’s post on evaluating — at this mid-year point — the picture books and intermediate-aged novels thus far in ’07 — all in the name of seeing where we are and what stands out.
18). Watching old Muppet Shows on DVD. My daughters are obsessed with this, which apparently was the first skit to appear ever on the show. I have to say I laugh, too, when he’s back there in the back mumbling “mahna mahna” to himself:
19). Having plans to see “The Simpsons” movie tomorrow. My friend, whose love for “The Simpsons” rivals mine, has seen it and tells me — in his enthusiastic words — that “IT COMPLETELY DELIVERS!!” and that, best of all, Ralph is the first character to appear. My. favorite. Simpsons. character. ever.
Happy birthday, Nancy! Here’s Eisha’s list to complete our 39 reasons . . .
eisha’s reasons:
20* I finally found our silverware! Well, the spoons, at least. Now if we could only find the printer…
21* The ever-growing list of people who I’ll finally get to meet at Robin Brande’s Kidlit Conference in Chicago.
22* The neighbor’s white lilies are blooming, and they are gorgeous!
23* Planet Unicorn Episode 5 is out!
24* My husband came home from Barrington Stage this week, and we’ve been exploring our new town together.
25* We made his favorite couscous salad for dinner last night.
26* Ithaca has a Police Beetle.
27* The color of my new home office’s walls – a lovely light sage green.
28* Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan.
29* Corresponding via email with Margo Lanagan, who is becoming one of my literary heroes.
30* The thunderstorm we just had.
31* This Where the Wild Things Are mural we accidentally stumbled upon yesterday.
32* Naps – the big perk of being unemployed.
33* The adorable little electric table fan I bought at Target yesterday.
34* The incredibly handy little folding book holder I got at Barnes & Noble. Now I don’t have to hold the book open between my knees and the keyboard tray when I’m typing a quote into a review.
35* This pic of my cousin’s baby, Ally.
36* My sister got another dog – and she named him Seamus Brown. He and Gus get along famously.
37* Yummy beer from a local brewery.
38* That Frank Dormer Tea Party image – I love it too!
And – from both of us:
39* Co-reviews!
We tag the following people: Adrienne and Sara and Alkelda . . .
Thanks for the birthday wishes and for playing along with my meme.
That picture of Ally is GORGEOUS. And it makes me giggle.
The Eisha is strong in Ally. I can tell Eisha is related to Ally’s mama.
Ally LOVES her stuffed Tigger right now. Can you tell?
Jules, I’ve got to try to figure out how to send you that beer. It’s called the Kaffinator – there’s espresso in the beer!
Thank you for the very, very sweet tip of the hat. You guys are true blue.
Now I’M happy, times 39.
Thanks for the tag! 🙂 I just posted mine.
You do have quite the lists of things to be happy about. Eisha, I love Ithaca Apricot Wheat beer, but I have never seen this Kaffinator. I must locate some posthaste.
I plan on participating in this as well. I’m happy right now, and I hope that feeling lasts.
I wish you two had been there yesterday when I got a phone call with HAPPY news for once. I got the part, e&j. Now let’s hope I keep it! 🙂
woo-hoo, little willow!!! congrats!
adrienne, yes! the apricot wheat is good too. the kaffinator is a special limited-batch kind of thing, i think.
and i don’t think i said it yet, but – happy birthday, nancy!
Congrats, Little Willow!!
Thank you!! You two have been a great means of encouragement throughout this.
The artwork for 7 Kicks is gorgeous. Forgot to mention that in my response. Going to have to look at the Sis book, happy to see that Planet Unicorm has a new episode. I do love the ridiculous. And that baby!! How sweet.
Jone, the Sis book does not disappoint. Let us know what you think, too. We hope to co-review it soon.
Thanks for the tag! I’m gonna be late with it, though. And I’m going to have to re-read all your posts when I get home, because I can’t stand skimming them. I’m resisting clicking on links right now. They’re just too good to rush through. Dang it, I wish you could get Internet on a five hour plane ride!!!
Happy Birthday, Nancy!
No rush, Sara. I just figured you have a definite joie de vivre (sp? — as somewhere my high school French teacher cringes) that would make your list a kick to read.
Jules and eisha: As usual, I didn’t do my homework the “right way,” but I hope you’ll like what I did with the meme for Poetry Friday: 39 Reasons to Write (’cause writing makes me happy.)