Wordless Wednesday - Round Barn

My mom's side of the family comes from Wisconsin. My cousin still lives on one of the original farms. This is a photo of their unique, round barn.

People come from all over to take pictures of their barn and several other round barns that dot this part of Wisconsin.

I used to play with my brother and cousin in this barn. Then it housed dairy cows on the lower level and mounds of hay in the upper part.

This is inside the upper, domed part of the barn.

On the farm, my uncle installed a parking meter for fun. If you look closely, you can see 2 nickels will buy two hours of parking. What a deal!

These pictures remind me of my childhood and farms and barn cats and cows. For a city kid, visiting the farm was a magical treat! Even though things are very different now, I try to go back when I can. And bring my daughter. She needs some farm magic too.

Today is Wordless Wednesday, where pictures speak for themselves. I'm linking up with these great blogs, plus NapTimeMomTog.

The Turkeys are Back

The turkeys are back! They came visiting our yard again and are looking much PLUMPER than last time.

This flock (or rafter) of turkeys, lives somewhere nearby. I've heard that a neighbor raises them when they're young and then lets them roam around the neighborhood.

This is unusual - and humorous - since I live in the middle of a large city. But everyone knows the turkeys and looks forward to their visits.

These turkeys had better watch out the closer we get to Thanksgiving! But, they'll always be safe in my yard. My daughter and I don't like turkey.

On Thanksgiving, I'll stick with the mash potatoes and pumpkin pie!

So Mature, yet So Young

Junior High kids think they are so mature. And in many ways they are.

They take on a lot more responsibility, like crossing busy streets and remembering to wear lip gloss.

They have more sophisticated tastes, like listening to the Black Eyed Peas and wearing jeans that show butt cleavage when they bend over.

And they sure as heck want to be treated like junior adults.

"You don't understand anything!" they say. Because, of course, they understand everything.

"Why can't my friends and I go to the mall/midnight movie/boy's house by ourselves?" they ask. Because, of course, they are so mature now that they can handle anything.

And yet.

Junior High kids are young. Very young. They still love their stuffed animals. They want to be tucked in at night. They cry when friendships go awry. They love puppies.

And they still want to go see Puss and Boots at the movies. With their mom.

Well at least, my daughter wanted to. She asked me to go see Puss and Boots with her yesterday. We did and it was fun.

And it reminded me about the incredible dichotomy that is the Junior High age child.

Home Improvement from Hell

Six years ago in October, we started a major home improvement project. We loved our neighborhood, but were convinced we needed more space. So, we decided to put an addition on our nearly 100 year-old house.

Oct 2005: The back entry comes down.

Nov 2005: The addition starts to take shape. My daughter wants to leave the big floor area open so she can have her own personal stage!

Nov 2005: I'm convinced our ancient kitchen is covered in lead paint! Did I go overboard with my clean-up outfit?

Dec 2005: I'm now convinced no amount of cleaning will make our old kitchen nice. It all comes down. Our kitchen now looks like a Crack House!

We find interesting things in the wall. A newspaper prior to WWII with Hitler in the headlines, a beauty salon appointment card, and a Betty Crocker recipe pamphlet.

Jan 2006: Things start to look up. Dry wall makes me happy! More performance area for my daughter.

Feb 2006: Ahhhh. The new kitchen cabinets arrive.

April 2006: My amazing father-in-law comes to build all the woodwork for our addition for FREE! My daughter helps paint and supervise.

Oct 2006: We are finally, really, almost done! The IKEA shelves are up and the books are moving in.

Nov 2011: Thank God, Thank God we don't have to do that ever again!

How did I forget that it took an entire YEAR to finish? My neighbors are adding onto their house right now. I feel their pain!

Have you ever done a major home improvement project? How did it go?

Writers Workshop - Author FAQs

I'm the author of three books for children. People always ask me questions about being a writer and my books. Adults and kids tend to ask very different questions!

Here's some of my most frequent FAQs.

Adults Ask:

1. How did you become a children's author?

I took a class on writing for children when my daughter was about 1 years old. I thought, "Hey, my life has changed so much already, why not try something I've always wanted to do?" Then it was a lot of work and perseverance.

2. How do you think up your ideas?

I get ideas everywhere! When you have kids (or have been a kid, which is all of us) there are tons of ideas floating around. The idea for Muriel's Red Sweater came to me in the middle of the night. I recommend keeping paper and a pen on your bedside table.

3. How did you find your illustrator?

I didn't. In fact, I've never met her. The publisher typically buys the story (manuscript) first and then matches the story with an illustrator.

4. What do you recommend if I want to write a book for children?

Take a class and join a writer's group. Later, join SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators) and go to conferences. If you live in St.Paul/Mpls, or like to take online classes, check out The Loft Literary Center. That's where I got my start. Plus, I teach there now!

Kids Ask:

1. Are you famous?

Well, you know who I am, so I must be!

2. Are you rich?

No. But I sure have fun writing books.

3. What's your favorite beverage?

Water. Oh, and coffee.

4. How old is Muriel?

She's 8 years old. (The answer changes depending on the age of the kid asking.)

5. Why does Muriel live on the water?

Because it's cool! Plus, she's a duck.

6. Can I pet Muriel?

You bet! Come on over. (I bring my Muriel puppet to my school visits. She's a hit!)

Today I'm linking up with Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writers Workshop. Go check it out!

Wordless Wednesday - Garden Gnome Blues

I took some pictures in the garden this week. Oh, my poor, poor garden. Tended so well in the spring, neglected by mid-summer, and totally abandoned by fall.

Here's a little garden gnome that's seen it all.

He seems to be saying to me, "Come closer, My Dear. I have something to tell you."

Then as soon as I lean in to hear his whisper, he'll hit me on the head with his stick and say, "That's for neglecting my garden!"

At least one flower is still hanging on.

The very last geranium!

Maybe I should stick to pumpkins.

Our Halloween pumpkin never got carved, but at least it looks good on the porch!

Kick Butt Mom

I like to think of myself as a Kick Butt Mom. What I mean is that I feel very passionate about kids and their wellbeing, and could seriously Kick Butt if needed to keep kids safe.

For anyone who's read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, you know the character Lisbeth Salander is a serious butt-kicker. While I am definitely more well-adjusted, and less punk, than Lisbeth, I can channel my Inner-Lisbeth when necessary.

(Lisbeth Salander from movie, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.)

A few years ago there was a guy driving around our neighborhood flashing young girls. He would stop and ask for directions. Then, when the girl would come closer to help him out, he would flash her. Not nice.

This happened to two girls I know. They both did the right thing - they ran as fast as they could to safety and told an adult.

After the second incident, I was at a cross-walk with a group of older elementary kids. I said, "I wish that guy would try something while I was around."

A boy asked in astonishment, "Why would you want that?"

"Because I would kick his butt." (I might have said ass, but I'm not admitting to swearing in front of a 5th grader.)

"In fact," I continued. "The best punishment for a guy like that would be to lock him in a room full of angry moms!"

I'm not sure the kids fully understood what I was saying, but they got the message. Moms can kick butt, especially when their kids (and other people's kids) are threatened.

Luckily for the flasher guy, he was caught by police before the Mom Squad took over. I imagine he'll be safer in prison this way.