as National Poetry Month winds down...

I'm bit disappointed with myself for not spending more time exploring the worlds of poetry this month. But today I was treated to quite the wonderful poetry experience. A poetry reading. Seventeen wonderful poets shared both examples of their own poetry and favorites of theirs by other poets.

My invitation was delivered a couple weeks ago, and I've been impatiently waiting for today to arrive ever since. Walking into what had been a typical third-grade classroom before today was quite a treat. It had been transformed into a lovely poetry coffeehouse. Yes, complete with a stage for the poets, with tables graced with tablecloths and vases of fresh flowers, with a coffee/hot chocolate/juice bar, and donut/bagel/muffin bar. They worked so hard to make this a fun experience for everyone! And these seventeen poets...man, they rocked!

Including this incredibly cute fellow here (said with all the impartiality that a mommy can muster). This kind of thing is so far out of his comfort zone, but he pulled through. The photo came at a price, however. I knew Gray was nervous enough about the whole thing, and he hates having his picture taken as it is, so I really didn't want to push things. I'd asked him if I could bring the camera to take pictures and wasn't the least bit surprised when he said "no". But I brought it with me in case he changed his mind. He knew I wouldn't break my promise not to take any pictures of him unless he agreed...so he made the most of it. Yep, the little rascal ended up with an IOU for a trip to Pizza Hut, and I ended up with this photo. That's okay...don't tell him, but I think I got the better end of that deal. Unfortunately, he won't allow me to share the poem he wrote for the occasion.

*****

Okay, and since this is sort of poetry related I'm going to share this here, too...

So, you all know that sweet, generous, creative guy
Carl, right? Well, in yet another unbelievably awesome gesture to Miss Annie, he sent her a special birthday package. I'll let her share with you the other goodies, but I just had to show you all this. Carl not only bought her this beautiful journal (oops, should have taken a picture of the cover, too, because it truly is lovely), but he made it just over-the-top incredibly special by printing up one of Annie's own poems that she posted on her blog and personalized the inside cover of the journal with it. Is that not just the coolest idea ever?!! Carl, I honestly can't begin to tell you how much she loves it!!!!

*****

And thus ends a sort-of-poetry-post for National Poetry Month.

goodbye winter, hello Once Upon a Time

If I had to choose just one reading challenge a year (sheesh, I hope it never comes to that!), I would undoubtedly choose Carl's Once Upon a Time Challenge. This challenge holds a special place in my heart for so many reasons...

I'd never really even read fantasy before I ran across Carl's first Once Upon a Time Challenge. And I joined it as a way of sharing my daughter's love of fantasy. And yes, Annie joined, too, of course. Well, I fell in love. And it was really the beginning of my ever-expanding reading horizons. What a gift...to be given the keys to open whole new worlds.

But apart from the reading itself, Once Upon a Time is directly responsible for introducing me to some of the people I now cherish as some of my very best friends. Any idea how huge that is to someone who tends to be a bit of a recluse? Trust me, it's HUGE.

And Carl, well, I don't need to tell any of you who know him what an incredible guy he is. But aside from being a wonderful, wonderful friend and seriously one of the nicest people on the planet (no hyperbole there, I promise you), he is the King of Challenge Hosts! He builds a community of sharing and learning and just plain fun.

So, yes, after checking his blog multiple times a day for the past week, as I'm willing to bet many of us have been doing, this morning I was rewarded with the official announcement that will have me happy dancing through the weekend. I've decided to try Quest the Second this year. This will be my first try at this one, and frankly, I'm quite excited about it. My only concern is that I may screw up in putting books into the appropriate categories. But Carl will forgive me, I'm sure. And feel free to tell me if you think a book would better fit in somewhere else.

Okay, so here's a potential pool of each of the categories:

Myth:
*A Taste of Earth and Other Legends of Vietnam by Thich Nhat Hanh
*Native American Myths by Diana Ferguson
*Warriors Gods & Spirits from Central & South American Mythology by Douglas Gifford
*The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell
*The Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursa
*The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Folklore:
*The Book of Ballads by Charles Vess and others
*Outfoxing Fear: Folktales from Around the World edited by Kathleen Ragan
*Best-Loved Folktales of the World selected by Joanna Cole (though I won't read all of this during the challenge)
*Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

Fairy Tale:
*The Illustrated Treasury of Fairy Tales designed by Rita Marshall
*Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales (though I won't read all of this during the challenge)
*The Complete Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales (though I won't read all of this during the challenge)
*The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
*Pay the Piper: A Rock 'N' Roll Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple
*The Sisters Grimm: The Unusual Suspects by Michael Buckley
*Fables: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham
*Fables: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham
*Fables: March of the Wooden Soldiers by Bill Willingham
*Fables: The Mean Seasons by Bill Willingham

Fantasy:
*The Princess Bride by William Goldman
*The Good Fairies of New York by Martin Millar
*Green Angel by Alice Hoffman
*The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint
*Solstice Wood by Patricia A. McKillip
*What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy by Gregory Maguire
*The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
*The Book Without Words by Avi
*Strange Roads by Peter S. Beagle
*River Secrets by Shannon Hale
*Attica by Garry Kilworth
*Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest by Matt Haig

And possible books to mine stories for Short Story Weekends:
*The Golden Apples of the Sun by Ray Bradbury
*M Is for Magic by Neil Gaiman
*Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
*Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint
*The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
*Paper Cities: An Anthology of Urban Fantasy edited by Ekaterina Sedia

No, it does not escape my notice that these are ridiculously long lists. I've already weeded them down a great deal, but then I got stuck. Besides, a gal needs options.

Annie, of course, will be joining the fun again. Like I could stop her if I wanted to. :) And I'm really, really excited because I think I have Rich convinced to do The Journey again...and to read American Gods! This alone leaves me giddy to the core!

The only concern: the exponential growth of the old wish list!

(Title of post is a bit misleading, or maybe just wishful thinking...we woke up to more snow this morning. Once Upon a Time more than makes up for it though.)

a much better showing than last year

Hooray...I did it...I finished Quest the Third for Carl's Once Upon a Time II Challenge!

Last night Rich, Annie, and I finished up our reading of A Midsummer Night's Dream. What fun! This is one of the many of Shakespeare's plays that I had never read. I knew it was a "lighter" one, but geez, why didn't anyone ever tell me how funny is?!! Truly, laugh out loud funny. This is the second Shakespeare play that Rich, Annie, and I read aloud, and I have to say that it is a great way to experience these plays. Now if we could just go see it performed live!

Anyway, back to the challenge itself...

I enjoyed every book I read:
*Horns & Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson
*100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson
*The Rose and the Beast by Francesca Lia Block
*The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
*A Wolf at the Door and Other Retold Fairy Tales edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
*A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

And while I enjoyed some more than others, I'm not really sure I could pick a favorite. I would most definitely read more by any of these authors! In fact, I'm having a really hard time not starting the next Sisters Grimm book right now, but I promised myself I would finish up some of the books I've got started before starting any more.

Thank you Carl for everything...being the most wonderful challenge host imaginable, hosting the coolest challenges, and most of all, for being such an incredible person!

odds 'n' ends of this 'n' that

*Need anymore proof that Carl's picture should be in the dictionary illustrating generosity? If so, take a look at the necklace Annie's wearing here, and then pop over here to read the story.



*Little boys are tough on the heart. If they're not causing you palpations with their daring antics, or bringing on chest pains with their trouble-making ways, then they're melting it to pieces with their sweetness.



*We've discovered a new species of shark inhabiting the upstate New York area. We've named it the kinder shark (short for kindergarten). Check out this specimen's lower teeth!



*Today's been a big day for Miss Annie, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to post about that later, because frankly it's been a bit tough on her old mom.