Free Biscuits

I'm giving away biscuits on the K-8 Blog. Don't worry, I didn't make them! Check it out.

Why You Say It--A Book Review

Ever wanted to live the Life of Riley? Well it turns out that Mr. Reilly was a character from a song composed by Patrick Rooney in the late 1880’s. In the song, the character was a daydreamer who didn’t amount to much but imagined what he would do if he stuck it rich. Disregarding the spelling of his name, many people heard the song and wished they could step into this character’s shoes. So, decades later the expression living the life of Riley is still in use. This is one example of the story behind 600 words and expressions we use everyday, from the book Why You Say It by Webb Garrison.

If you love words or teach language arts, or enjoy trivia this book is packed with stories behind the words. Each chapter is divided into a category such as words from sports or business or the world of entertainment. This book would be a good addition to you reference bookshelf and after you have read some of the stories, you can chew the fat with some of your friends about why you say it!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Chocolate Chip Download

Because they now have 40,000 friends on Facebook, Gooseberry Patch is giving away the second chapter of their Circle of Friends Cookbook. You will find it here. It's all about chocolate chips. It makes me want to go to the kitchen and bake some of this cookie goodness. If you didn't get the first chapter it is available here too. It's all about Mac and Cheese. Now, who does not love mac and cheese! Download it too while you are there.

Uninterrupted Conservations

Raise your hand if you have ever been having a conservation with someone who answers their cell phone or looks at a text right in the middle of said conservation. Raise your hand if you think this behavior could/should be classified as rude.
Then, check out this article discussing this subject.

A Poem by Jenny Joseph

Warning


When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Random Thoughts

If I had a dollar for every time I've ever said, "Stop Running" I would be so very rich!!!

Come back guys--leave Facebook for a minute and post something on our blog!!

Wanna win a Vera Bradley?

In case some of you didn't know....I am having a giveaway for a Vera Bradley bag.   Head on over *HERE* to enter!   You only have until the end of this month!  

A Good Story

Still in my coat and hat, I sank onto the stair to read the letter. ( I never read without making sure I am in a secure position. I have been like this ever since the age of seven when, sitting on a high wall and reading The Water Babies, I was so seduced by the descriptions of underwater life that I unconsciously relaxed my muscles. Instead of being held buoyant by the water that so vividly surrounded me in my mind, I plummeted to the ground and knocked myself out. I can still feel the scar under my fringe now. Reading can be dangerous.)

This is a paragraph from the second page of The Thirteenth Tale, a book I just finished. It was passed on to me from my daughter and to her from her friend Rachel, both love to read almost as much as I do! I had picked this book up and looked at it, read the jacket and decided I would not care for it. Now remember, you should never judge a book by its cover!
The Thirteenth Tale will suck you into the story, take you on a journey full of twists and turns and end in a way that you never suspected. That's all I'm going to say. Find a copy for yourself!

The Thirtenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

The "elkpedition" Part 1

Okay, so Misty has this great elk picture she shot and she has seen it up close several times and I wanted to enjoy it too! So, Peanut and I set off for Faix in search of the elk in his truck. I got to the end of the driveway when I realized my camera did not have a card, so we went back, just in case! After I retrieved the card, I said, "Maybe we should have left it that would assure us of finding him since we could not prove it."
We picked up Misty and her boys and off we went in search, binoculars and camera ready. We certainly enjoyed the views searching back roads for the elk, but he did not make an appearance so we started back to Misty's, when we spotted our fellow hunters Miss Veda and Lola. We stopped and discussed where we had each been and decided to give up because it was almost dark.
The "elkpediton" was going to be over for the night and we had all left the truck and were playing with the puppies at Misty's when Veda came back!
She found the elk on her way home! We all jumped into the truck and headed for the place it was last spotted. When we were near, Keyton and Garrison popped open their windows and began making what we thought might be elk noises in hopes of calling him to us! Just ahead we spied Veda's tail lights. She had slowed and we thought she might have him in her sights!
Sure enough, there in an open grassy field was the giant! He was munching away on the grass and when we stopped on the side of the road, the three boys in the truck made some more noise to get his attention. He looked right at us and I snapped this photo.
I know, if National Geographic calls it's Misty that is going to be the photographer. But can you see him? All I got was the reflection of the flash in his eyes. I had to work on the exposure just to get that showing. It was almost dark, we were too far away, I didn't have my good camera!
I'm going back in the daylight, with a good camera and I will get the shot, but I will need to learn how to make elk noises to get him to look at me like he did last night! It's a good thing I have witnesses or you might not believe my photo.
Stay tuned--more elk hunting in the future!

Our "Little" Friend...

So, I guess you all remember *THIS* post last year when Dana spotted the ELK in front of our house. Well, I guess it likes our neighborhood so much, it can't stand to leave because we are still seeing it. The boys and I were in for a HUGE prank on April Fool's morning when it jumped out in front of the vehicle on the way to school. We were pretty shaken up by it because we came so close to hitting it! Ever since then, we have seen it almost every few days somewhere close to our house. Most of the times, I have not had my camera with me and have only been able to get it on my cell phone. This morning...I was prepared for it!!! It did not disappoint us either...enjoy the pics of what the boys are now calling "Our LITTLE Friend."