{"id":662,"date":"2007-06-03T00:01:23","date_gmt":"2007-06-03T06:01:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=662"},"modified":"2007-07-28T13:18:47","modified_gmt":"2007-07-28T19:18:47","slug":"7-imps-7-kicks-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=662","title":{"rendered":"7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #13: Featuring Jeremy Tankard"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>LOOK, EVERYBODY! IT’S GRUMPY BIRD! And he’s mustering his best smile for us! Yes, three 7-Imp cheers for Jeremy Tankard<\/a><\/strong>, who sent us this illustration for us to kick off our 7-Kicks lists this week. Remember how last week<\/a><\/strong> we experimented with a different image for the list (instead of the usual<\/a><\/strong> Alice-with-the-White-Queen image)? And then we thought we could use a different illustration every<\/em> week, and Jules suggested Grumpy Bird (the star of her favorite picture book thus far this year<\/a><\/strong>)? And even Adrienne<\/a><\/strong>, who wasn’t so sure she could let go of last week’s illustration<\/a><\/strong> (which Nancy<\/a><\/strong> now owns!), said she’d totally go for Grumpy Bird? Well, just ask and you shall receive. Jeremy says that this illustration of Grumpy Bird is a piece he did for the cover of a French children’s book catalog (we asked for an image of Grumpy Bird actually smiling<\/em>, if possible, since we’re listing happy things every week, though we would have gladly accepted a grumpy pic, too. Jeremy says, “He looks sort of happy here. He’s smiling at any rate”). Many thanks to Mr. Tankard!<\/em><\/p>\n

{Speaking of grumpy, one of Jules’ favorite word fun facts — ’cause, yes, she’s a Super Nerd — is that “gruntle” is an actual verb<\/a><\/strong> (as in “disgruntled,” of course), meaning “to put in good humor.” Jeremy Tankard has left us gruntled<\/em> with this illustration. And lordhamercy, go read Grumpy Bird<\/strong><\/em><\/a> right now if you haven’t already. It’s a fine, fine book} . . . <\/p>\n

Okay, let’s get to the lists then. Here’s our usual intro for any new people: 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. Absolutely anyone is welcome to contribute, and your lists don’t have<\/em> to be book-related. <\/p>\n

* * * * * * * Jules’ list * * * * * * *<\/strong><\/center> <\/p>\n

Queen Julie here. My daughter refuses to let me call her by her first name this week. She’s Princess Piper instead (“Piper” being her middle name), and I’m Queen Julie. Not Queen Mommy, but Queen Julie. Hmmmm, Queen . . . Damn skippy.<\/p>\n

\"Dana<\/a>My week had me feeling rather disgruntled, due to some computer issues. I say that at the risk of sounding like an online-addict, but what was more disturbing was the bad, bad customer service we received — from more than one service provider, actually. Sigh. I know I’ll sound like The Grumpy Old Man<\/a><\/strong> (“In my day, we didn’t need moooovin’ pitchurrrres . . . there was only one show in town — it was called ‘Stare at the sun!’ … That’s right! You’d sit in the middle of an open field and stare up at the sun till your eyeballs burst into flames! And you thought, ‘Oh, no! Maybe I shouldn’t’ve stared directly into the burning sun with my eyes wide open.’ But it was too late! Your head was on fire and people were roastin’ chickens over it. … And that’s the way it was and we liked it!”), but I do sometimes think the world is getting ruder (call waiting — don’t even<\/em> get me started on that). I’ve attached a pic of Grumpy Old Man. See, that was me this week. <\/p>\n

So, here’s my list (in no particular order), which is mostly full of simple pleasures of the summer, since I spent my week mainly dealing with Comcrap<\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n

1). Visiting with a friend<\/a><\/strong> and watching her three-year-old, Ollie (not the Ollie pictured here, but I’ll take any opportunity to evangelize those Dunrea books), and my three-year-old run around in their suits and play in one of those old-skool baby pools and watching Miriam’s eyes light up at Ollie’s super-cool playhouse in his backyard (complete with a working doorbell) and eating strawberries and drinking lemonade outside in the shimmering sun. Ah, three-year-olds in the summer. It just doesn’t get any better. <\/p>\n

2). Getting a really nice compliment this week about our blog from Robin Brande<\/a><\/strong>, having the opportunity to correspond with authors and illustrators whose work I admire, and — oh! — Eisha complimenting me on my acting skills in our second meme response<\/a><\/strong> this week. I haven’t done straight-up, non-ASL-related acting in so long. She made me miss it a bit, and maybe when I exit the boot camp that is early motherhood, I’ll return to it (though, according to some of our favorite<\/a><\/strong> bloggers<\/a><\/strong>, things stay busy even as the wee ones get less wee). <\/p>\n

3). My oldest daughter, who isn’t even three-and-a-half yet, is reading and recognizing a few words. I’m trying not to sound like Braggy Mom here. I’m just really excited, ’cause, well, you all know I love to read (der). I just want to do a little dance. <\/p>\n

4). Alkelda’s 7-Imp-esque interview<\/a><\/strong> of the fictional children’s book historian Penny Esmarkus. Funny stuff. <\/p>\n

5). The baby finches left in a nest in the fern hanging on our front porch have all learned how to fly and moved on (\u00e0 la Leaving the Nest<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, Mordicai Gerstein-style). I’m glad they made it. I’ll miss that mama finch being all protective and chirping at us every time we so much as looked at our fern. <\/p>\n

6). Finally reading last year’s Dizzy<\/a><\/em><\/strong> by Jonah Winters and Sean Qualls<\/a><\/strong> (go see Qualls’ site and see those illustrations! Maybe we can boldly ask him to contribute an illustration for next week’s list?). Wow. How can you not like a book that ends like this (and I tried to space it like it is spaced in the book, but alas and alack, I cannot):<\/p>\n

“‘Bebop.’<\/p>\n

That’s what Dizzy called
\n this CRAZY kind of jazz
\n that he had invented just
\n by having the courage to be himself<\/em>
\n until the very thing<\/em> that had gotten him into trouble
\n so much<\/em> —
\n being a clown, breaking all the rules —
\n had become the thing that made him great<\/em>,
\n his ticket<\/p>\n

into Jazz Heaven
\n where, on certain nights,
\n Dizzy Gillespie
\n still shoves the angel Gabriel out of the way
\n and shows him how to play<\/p>\n

Bebop”<\/p>\n

And I also read and LOVED<\/em> Kady MacDonald Denton’s Would They Love a Lion?<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (published way back in ’95). I have Eisha to thank for pointing it out to me after I reviewed her latest illustrated book here<\/a><\/strong>. Just look<\/em> at that cover! I adore this woman’s artistic talents. And then, last but not least, I have David at The Excelsior File<\/a><\/strong><\/em> to thank for reading the wordless The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard<\/strong><\/em><\/a> by Australian illustrator Gregory Rogers. This is an ’04 title I hadn’t seen before, and David mentioned it here<\/a><\/strong> in a review of Rogers’ new title, Midsummer Knight<\/strong><\/a><\/em>. The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard<\/em> is a visual feast. And, hmmm, the pissed off Shakespeare (shaking his fist) is so funny, a side of him I’ve never seen before. I loved it and am anxiously awaiting my library copy of Midsummer Knight<\/em>. <\/p>\n

7). Really good biscotti.<\/p>\n

* * * * * * * eisha’s list * * * * * * *<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n

All hail, Queen Julie! All hail, Princess Piper!<\/p>\n

My list is pretty much all simple pleasures this week, too. No big parties, didn’t meet any authors or illustrators. Just little things, like…<\/p>\n

Earl & Joy - seriously, people, watch this show!<\/a>1* Well, for starters, Monday was a holiday! Woo-hoo, three-day-weekends! We spent a lot of it watching my graduation present from my husband: Season One of My Name is Earl<\/em><\/strong><\/a> on DVD. I. Love. This. Show. It’s exactly like going home for me, but so much funnier.<\/p>\n

2* Also, we had a guest over last weekend, and went to Fried Okra at Redbones!<\/a>Redbones<\/strong><\/a>, a very yummy BBQ place. Being vegetarian, I don’t get too excited about BBQ, but OH MY GOD, it’s the only place up here I’ve found fried okra. Sure, they serve it with salsa (blasphemy!), but whatever, it’s good.<\/p>\n

3* Treated my friend Jamie to long-overdue dinner and beer at Bukowski’s<\/strong><\/a>. This is the only place I’ve found anywhere that has vegetarian chili dogs. They also have killer sweet potato fries.<\/p>\n

Peter Bjorn and John<\/a>4* I’ve been happily grooving to the Peter Bjorn and John<\/strong><\/a> CD Writer’s Block<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. That song “Amsterdam”<\/strong><\/a> is in my head all the time<\/em>, which could get annoying soon but right now I still love it. I really wish I could whistle, though.<\/p>\n

5* Sleeping with the windows open.<\/p>\n

6* I had a tummy bug Thursday and Friday, and spent most of both days on the couch. But I got a lot of reading done, including Flora Segunda<\/em><\/strong><\/a> by Ysabeau S. Wilce. It’s pretty good – a little sprawly, but imaginative. And I started Skulduggery Pleasant<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, and so far it’s really fun.<\/p>\n

7* Finding out I helped Jules on her way to becoming a children’s librarian in that 8 Things Meme post<\/strong><\/a>. I’m honored. The profession is definitely a better place to be with you in it, Jules.<\/p>\n

Looking forward, as usual, to everyone’s lists . . . <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LOOK, EVERYBODY! IT’S GRUMPY BIRD! And he’s mustering his best smile for us! Yes, three 7-Imp cheers for Jeremy Tankard, who sent us this illustration for us to kick off our 7-Kicks lists this week. Remember how last week we experimented with a different image for the list (instead of the usual Alice-with-the-White-Queen image)? And […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-seven-good-things-before-monday"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/662\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}