Self-Inventory - Quiz #2

Today let's revisit the topic of "Growing Up Born Again." You may find my earlier blog posts about this topic helpful, or even if you don't, just humor me and go read them, okay? Just as We Were and Self-Inventory - Quiz #1.

Here's a quiz from the book Just As We Were: A Nostalgic Look at Growing Up Born Again written by Patricia Klein, Evelyn Bence, Jane Campbell, Laura Pearson, and David Wimbish, c2002.

Which of the following sayings would you NOT find in a Daily Bread Promise Box?

1. Haste makes waste.
2. There is no new thing under the sun.
3. To every thing there is a season.
4. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
5. Cleanliness is next to godliness.
6. Money is the root of all evil.
7. Out of the mouths of babes.
8. Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
9. Am I my brother's keeper?
10. The borrower is servant to the lender.
11. Let it be.
12. God helps those who help themselves.
13. A watched pot never boileth.
14. A little child shall lead them.
15. Because you're mine, I walk the line.

Wildlife, Watermelon and Wide Open Spaces

Librarian that I am, I feel that it is my solemn duty to pass along links to websites that I find either: entertaining, educational, enlightening, weird, or all or any combination of these. So, in no particular order, and with no rhyme or reason, I give you the following links:

It's summer so it must be time for WATERMELON! Did you know that watermelon is a vegetable? It is a cousin to cucumbers, squash and pumpkins. Did you know that the largest known watermelon was grown in Tennessee and weighed 262 pounds? At the National Watermelon Promotion Board's website, you can find all things watermelon, from recipes to how to select a watermelon, a Kids' Activities section, and even lesson plans for educators. Be sure to check out the photos of carved watermelons. It's amazing what you can do with a sharp knife, a watermelon and a little time on your hands.

Bembo's Zoo This is a good one to share with younger children or grandchild. Or maybe just for your inner play-baby. The designer has managed to create a menagerie of animals using only letters and punctuation marks. Very creative and fun.

And for those of us who just need to get away, if only in our minds, consider a free mini-vacation at Fabulous Nature. Breathtaking photos. Stay as long as you like.

That's it for now. Hope you enjoy these websites.

Seth

UPDATE: Seth is doing well after surgery. Thanks for your prayers. If interested, you can read about it at The Johnson Family Blog: Seth's Surgery

This little guy belongs to Dave and Leanna (my niece). He has been a wonderful addition to their family.

Please pray for Seth today. He has a three-hour surgery ahead of him this afternoon. The surgeons will be repairing his cleft palette. Pray that they will have wisdom and steady hands. Oh, and I'm sure Dave and Leanna would appreciate your prayers for them as well as they wait for the surgery to be completed.

Thanks!

Children's Picture Books

In the future I will probably talk about some of my favorite picture book illustrators, but for now, I'll just tell you that one of my all-time favorites is David Wiesner. The montage at the top of this post shows covers of some of his books. He tells his story through his artwork, with very few words, if any. Several titles have won the coveted Caldecott Award, most recently, my personal favorite, Flotsam. (Of course, it seems that his most recent book is always my favorite.)

Why You Should Read Children's Books as an Adult

by Jen Robinson http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/blog/

• It's fun.
• It keeps your imagination active.
• It strenghtens your relationship with the children in your life who read.
• It sets an example for the children in your life, making them more likely to become readers.
• It clues you in on cultural references that you may have missed (both current and classical).
• It's fast. Children's books are usually shorter than adult books, so if you don't think you have time to read, you DO have time to read children's books.
• It allows you to read across genres. Children's books aren't limited to mystery OR science fiction OR fantasy OR literary fiction. They can have it all.
• It's like time travel -- it's an easy way to remember the child that you once were, when you first read a book.
• It's often inspirational -- reading about heroes and bravery and loyalty makes you want to be a better person. And couldn't we all do with some of that?
• Did I mention that it's fun? Source: Jen Robinson's Book Page, 2005.

A very wonderful list, but I would add three more:

• Children's books are written with children in mind, so the plot moves along in a way designed to keep the reader's attention.
• Children's books are written with children in mind, so they usually have purer content.
• And the one I always mention to anyone who will listen: The art work in picture books is jaw-dropping. Some of the very best artists and illustrators can be found inside the covers of picture books. Sometime try to read a picture book just by the illustrations. Imagine an illustrator reading the copy for a future picture book and then working up 32 pages of artwork...each illustration designed in a way to flow with the text and hopefully capture the essence of the author's intent.

Father's Day

We spent Father's Day in Dixon with our daughter-in-law, Tara, grandson, Khale, and Tara's parents, Stan and Becky. We had lunch at the Senior Center. They have a Hog Roast a couple times a year in order to raise money for their Meals on Wheels program. Let me tell you, that was the best hog I ever tasted! And the rest of the food wasn't bad, either.

Khale with his favorite dog, Coco

Khale gave Grandpa Fran and Grandpa Stan each a card with a special fill-in-the-blank note he had completed at school. The last line is: "My Grandfather is as handsome as..." and Khale completed the sentence with "the handsomest man on earth." Fran was feeling pretty good about himself until he read the same line on Grandpa Stan's card. His read: "My Grandfather is as handsome as...God himself!" How do you top that? Score one for Stan!

Coco, the miniature pinscher in the photo above, had a near-death experience recently. She wandered out into the highway in front of Tara's house and four cars passed over her before someone could stop and scoop her up from the highway. (Good thing she only remembered the first two points of the "stop, drop and roll" fire safety commands.) Tara and Khale rushed her to the vet's and they observed her for a few days for swelling, since she took a blow to her head. It was during the time when she was back home and, shall we say, a little medicated, that Tara painted her nails.

Anyway, it was a great day. Thanks, Tara and Khale, for always making us smile!

Self-Inventory - Quiz #1

The Growing Up Born Again Self-Inventory
(from the book, Just As We Were: A Nostalgic Look at Growing Up Born Again;

written by Patricia Klein, Evelyn Bence, Jane Campbell, Laura Pearson and David Wimbish; c2002)

Question 1. A sword drill is:
A. an instrument of torture used during the Inquisition.
B. a cadet exercise at West Point.
C. a contest to see who can look up Bible verses fastest.
D. what a dentist uses before he says "Rinse and spit."

Question 2. When you hear the expression "the Fall," you immediately think of:
A. autumn.
B. Rome's decline.
C. man's depravity.
D. Lady Godiva's hairpiece.

Question 3. You generously contribute to YFC because you have a deep concern for:

A. Yiddish factory clerks.
B. euthanasia.
C. euthenafrica.
D. euth everywhere.

Question 4. Mom overslept and didn't start the roast before leaving for church. The family should:
A. go to a nice restaurant for dinner.
B. refuse to eat in a restaurant on Sunday since that would signal approval of working on the Lord's Day.
C. compromise by going to a fast food restaurant.
D. This is a trick question; born again moms never oversleep.

Question 5. Four cars with dashboard accessories arrive simultaneously at an intersection. The born again Christian's car is the one with:
A. the fluffy dice.
B. the plastic statue of Saint Christopher.
C. the compass inscribed with Psalm 103:12.
D. the lady's red garter.

Just As We Were

I had a wonderful childhood, fantastic parents and a brother and sister who were always there for me.

I grew up in the 50's in a Christian family. We attended a little Bible Chapel in St. Louis County and were there whenever the doors were open. Our social and spiritual life pretty much revolved around activities at the church or with church friends. Ever present at our frequent Potluck Suppers were tuna casserole and one or two molded jello salads internally adorned with canned fruit and miniature marshmallows. One Friday evening a month the youth group would go to Sunshine Mission to serve meals and conduct the evening service.

At home we had evening family devotionals, or "family altar time" as some at our church called it. Most of the time they were nice; a few Bible verses read and briefly discussed, then a closing prayer. However, one particular year my mother decided to try something new for the December days leading up to Christmas. She bought a big candle, one that was about 12 inches high and maybe 4 inches in diameter. Down the side of the candle, in a straight vertical row, she attached 24 sequins, equally spaced apart. Alternating the red and green sequins added a festive touch. Then, (Pay attention. Here's were it gets exciting) every evening after supper, we would gather in the living room, mom or dad would light the candle at the beginning of family devotions. Our togetherness would last until the candle burned from the top sequin to the next one down. The idea was to get to the last sequin on Christmas eve.

The devotion would go something like this:

• Dad would open in prayer, then read a chapter or two from one of the Gospels.
• Dad would expound on what we had just read and then ask for our thoughts.
• Awkward silence.
• Mom would interject something.
• More awkward silence.
• My sister would say that she had to go to the bathroom.
• We waited until she returned.
• Dad would add another thought.
• Say it with me: awkward silence.
• Dad would say something like "Well, if there are no other thoughts, then we'll close in prayer."
• Dad would close in prayer.
• We would run for the hills, vamoose, go while the getting was good.

It didn't take too many evenings of this before my brother, sister and I decided my folks needed an "intervention," for their sakes as well as ours. Well, okay, mostly for ours. So we took turns sneaking into the living room during the day when no one was around and we would light that candle and let it burn down a bit. Just a bit. Not all the way to the next sequin. No, that would be too obvious. But down enough to make the evening's togetherness a little more meaningful. A little more bearable. A little shorter. Hey, we had homework to do.

I don't remember hearing the phrase "born again" at that time, although we knew the verse "Jesus sayeth unto him, 'Ye must be born again.'" And we did sing a song that started with "Do you know that you've been born again?" I don't want my tone to be construed as cynical, because my parents were great (as I've already mentioned, but had to say again to cover any residual guilty feelings I may have in writing this), our church family was wonderful, always putting actions behind words. But it was the '50s and out of that emerged, I assume, the prevalence of the phrase "born again."

So do you have similar church memories? Come back tomorrow because there will be a multiple choice quiz that will help you determine your own personal born again quotient. It will be fun. I'll light a candle and tell you when you are finished.

Tree Octopi, Velcro Farming and Camping Computer

Every year I teach the fifth graders a unit on evaluating websites, tying it in with one of their research projects. I show them a variety of bogus websites and we discuss various methods for checking the "facts" presented there. There a quite a few available, but here are a few of my favorites that are appropriate for elementary students:

Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus - http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/

Place a tenacle ribbon on your computer at work in a show of solidarity.

(Left): Rare photo of the elusive tree octopus



California's Velcro Crop Under Challenge - http://home.inreach.com/kumbach/velcro.html This is a very simple site, but a good one for the students to think about. I mean, it is written with a serious tone, complete with a chart, even. Consider:

"Velcro, an engineered crop, consists of two distinct strains: hooks and loops. For obvious reasons, of course, the hook strain must be grown in fields separated from those with the loop strain. "

HA!

World's First Camping Computer - http://www.members.shaw.ca/carsondesign/pages/colemac.html

And then there's Dog Island Free Forever - http://www.thedogisland.com/
"Separated from the anxieties of urban life, dogs on Dog Island are healthy dogs who live a natural, healthy and happy life, free from the stress and hardship associated with daily live among humans."

And here are a few other bogus sites in case you need more:
P.E.T.PU. (People for the Ethical Treatment of Pumpkins) - http://www.geocities.com/petpu4/
Panexa - http://www.panexa.com/ from Merd Pharmaceuticals - read "Important Safety Information"

The Book Whisperer

I'm reading a book called The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child. The author, Donalyn Miller, is a sixth-grade teacher who also writes a blog for teachermagazine.org.

The book is great and I would highly recommend it to any teacher, reading specialist, librarian, or parent interested in helping children discover the joy of reading without being overbearing. I am also enjoying some of the quotes scattered throughout the book. Here are a few:

"To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life. " -- W. Somerset Maugham

"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing." -- Harper Lee

"Reading is not a duty, and has consequently no business to be made disagreeable." -- Augustine Birrell

"No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance." -- Atwood H. Townsend

Miller also includes this little list written by Daniel Pennac. Do you disagree with any of these points?

1. The right not to read
2. The right to skip pages.
3. The right to not finish.
4. The right to reread.
5. The right to read anything.
6. The right to escapism.
7. The right to read anywhere.
8. The right to browse.
9. The right to read out loud.
10. The right not to defend your tastes.

Summer Vacation Begins

In an effort to keep from whittling away my ten glorious weeks of summer, I keep a reverse wish list. Rather than writing out a "to do" list at the beginning of the day, I see how many things I have accomplished by the end of the day and log those into one of my favorite free online applications: Evernote (www.evernote.com/). This way, I'm challenged to be productive each day, instead of feeling let down by what remains undone on my list.

Speaking of Evernote, here are some of the features that I like:

You can search your notes by tags, or what I like ever more, you can type in a word or phrase in the search box and if it appears in any of your notes, it highlights that word. This is how it helps me as a school librarian: I read hundreds of children's books each year, and as I complete them, I type the title/author into a note on Evernote. After the title, I write a few descriptive words. (Hills, Tad:What's Up, Duck? - picture book, opposites, birds, friends, possible purchase) Then, at a later date, if I need to put together a list for a teacher who is introducing the concept of opposites, by typing "opposites" in the search box, I will pull up all areas where I have written that word.

Another use: I have one note that has only my log ins and passwords for various sites that require log ins. Now, the only thing that I need to remember is the log in and password for http://www.evernote.com/. Of course, I don't use this for those few sites that need high security protect.

I also have a note that contains phone numbers that I use but don't have memorized: physician, dog groomer, library, etc.

Miracle Camp and BMA

After reading and commenting on a friend's blog entry about memorizing poetry and songs and Bible verses, I took a stroll down memory lane. It all came back to me: Bible Memory Association, Miracle Camp, Dr. W, and those wonderful little memory books. I suddenly recalled humid nights at Miracle Camp in Shreveport, LA and the song we would sing every night: "Miracle Camp." A few years later, when I heard the anthem "God of Our Fathers," I thought "Hey, they took the Miracle Camp song tune and changed the words!" (Yes, I lived under a rock.) Here are what I thought were the original words to the song:

Miracle Camp, we gather here again.
Miracle Camp, the place that God did plan.
Through many years, Thy wisdom did design
This lovely place for fellowship divine.

Here are the original lyrics:

God of our fathers, whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies.
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.

Which do you like the best?