Archive for November 20th, 2012

Sourdough Starter Day 3 (and Other Stuff)

November 20, 2012 @ 3:52 pm | Filed under: ,

This isn’t a great photo because I’d already stirred the starter before I remembered to take a picture. It was wonderfully bubbly this morning–lots of activity happening in there. The light here is reflecting off the little bubbles left after I stirred. Is developing a nice sour aroma already. We have high hopes.

Day 3 notes: Stirred, discarded half the starter, added 1/2 cup distilled water, 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 all purpose flour.

Other tidbits from this day:

Rose sewed a quilt top this morning and we backed it with some nice rich brown fleece, no batting, no quilting—the superquick “snuggleblanket” method we used a while back for our favorite sofa throw. The fleece backing gave us fits, there was so much stretch in it, but Rose wound up with an extremely cozy little lap quilt and we’re all preparing to fight over it now. We found the precut quilt squares in our stash yesterday—a Moda Layer Cake set I’d picked up who knows when—and that meant this was a no-fuss project that could be accomplished in one morning: so satisfying.

Beanie discovered our copy of Material World and spent the morning poring over that, entranced.

On our walk yesterday we spotted a full-grown amaryllis in a neighbor’s front yard. San Diego never ceases to amaze me.

“Some books absolutely beg to be read aloud”

November 20, 2012 @ 8:59 am | Filed under: , ,

A wonderful review of The Prairie Thief at Writing on the Sidewalk:

And then, the must of all musts for reading a story aloud… the language. The Prairie Thief is rich with gorgeous, evocative language that begs to be heard as well as read. We feel as though we’ve been transported back in time when we listen to expressions like, “He was wailing loud enough to curdle milk,” or “Ye look like last year’s scarecrow.” Even the simple “Balderdash!” sounds better out loud. Wiley uses big words too – words that some kids will latch on to and roll around in their minds and mouths – like audacious, gesticulations, rapscallion, scrutinizing – they add to the mood and help us sink into this world.

via Book Thoughts: The Prairie Thief by Melissa Wiley « Writing on the sidewalk.

(See more reviews here.)

I love it when friends ask me for book recommendations.

November 20, 2012 @ 6:30 am | Filed under:

Julianna Baggott asked a bunch of her author friends for for book recommendations for gift-giving. These are my picks:

Home of Baggott & Asher & Bode: SERIOUSLY! BUY BOOKS FOR KIDS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

Also! Ginger Pye is $1.99 on Kindle today. One of my gang’s all-time favorite read-alouds. I have the fondest memories of my three little girls laughing themselves to tears over this book. Am looking forward to enjoying another round with the younger three, as soon as Huck is ready.