100 Acre Wood

My Gift got up and mowed a trail to the 100 Acre Wood this morning. Here we are, enjoying it.



When I showed him this picture, he remarked that this is the best picture we have ever had of her, that she looks happy. I thought "eh? We have tons of great pictures of her." I meant the daughter. He meant the dog.

a cousinly day at the lake

Friday Poetry: Mice by Rose Fyleman

Today's poem is in honor of the little mouse that Parsley brought in last night and let loose. As far as we know he is still here, alive and well.

Mice

I think
Are rather nice.

Their tails are long,
Their faces small,
They haven't any
Chins at all.
Their ears are pink,
Their teeth are white,
They run about
They house at night,
They nibble things
They shouldn't touch
And no one seems
To like them much.

But I think mice
Are nice.

~ Rose Fyleman

Here is the coding if you want a button with a link to this week's round-up.
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:: this post is part of the Friday Poetry roundup hosted by Writing & Ruminating.

poetry

huh?

So I am sitting in a chair at a meeting and the woman next to me leans over and asks:

Are you mulatto?

What on earth am I to say to that? I don't actually recall what I did say. I wish I had said, "No, are you?" but I doubt if I was that quick. I have never ever in my life heard that word spoken in actual conversation, only in books or conversations about books.

origins: a freebie & free shipping

I love free shipping. It means that it really is cheaper to order it online than it is to get in the car and drive to the mall. From now til Sunday, you also get a free lipgloss.

be careful who you sleep with: a public service announcement

I give this advice to my classes and to the young adults in my circle. Feel free to pass it on.

Be careful who you sleep with as they very well may be picking out your children's step-parents.

Whistling Season by Ivan Doig

Loved it. Loved it loved it loved it. I just finished The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig and am all excited about it. The Milliron family (father & 3 sons) live in rural Montana and are in need of a housekeeper, whom they acquire. Rose Llewellyn "can't cook but doesn't bite" and arrives with an unexpected companion and a bit more of a past than she lets on.

The story is elegantly told and the characters are shapely and robust. Two and a half of the characters are linguistically adroit and delightful to spend time with. I loved this book. I want to go live there with them.

If you enjoyed Peace Like a River, you will enjoy this one (and fewer people die in this one). Speaking of Peace Like a River, I am a few pages into Lief Enger's new book, So Brave, Young and Handsome which I will report on shortly. I did, btw, finish the Fannie Flagg book. Though it picked up a bit with a dramatic disappearance, it never did grab me.