Posters - Do You Love Horses?

Horse by the Side of the Road

Photo by Amy LV

Today is my day off and the first time I've touched a computer in a week - glorious!  Why?  Well, these two weeks find our children and me at Sprucelands Horseback Riding Camp where they are campers, and I am a hill parent.  On Wednesday, the Sprucelands riding instructors offered an evening riding lesson to us moms, and it was such fun! 

Our teachers were extremely patient, and we students walked and trotted around Ring One, laughing and learning together.  I rode a beautiful Appaloosa named Sunrise, and for the first time, I understood why so many people (including Hope, Georgia, and Henry) adore horses.  I will post a photo of this lesson as soon as I have one.

Students - sometimes a poem idea comes from something you feel grateful for.  Today I feel grateful for many things, including my friends and teachers from horse camp.  Taking a few minutes each day to reflect on good happenings is wise, and one fourth grade teacher I know even has her students do this daily in their writers notebooks.   Writing about our "goodnesses" helps us hold onto them and also, I believe, makes us even more grateful.  For what are you thankful? 

One of my favorite things to do in writing is to bring inanimate objects to life through words, and I loved imagining my children's paper horses breathing and cantering around their bedrooms.  There is magic in everything, and in a poem...anything can happen! 

Today's Poetry Friday is over at Book Aunt...so giddy up on over and enjoy the ride.  Many congratulations to our hostess Kate Coombs whose upcoming poetry collection with Chronicle, WATER SINGS BLUE, will be out next Spring.

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Song for Garbage Day - Embarrassed?

"Oh Boy!"

by Amy LV

Today's poem came from an exciting part of life 'round these parts...finding wonderful surprises at others' roadsides!  Earlier in the week, Hope, Georgia, and Henry found a complete aquarium set-up (including sunken ship and filter) in someone's garbage pile.  They asked Mark to stop the car, tucked the tank into our trunk, scrubbed it up with bleach, and gave their fish (one female mosquito fish and one male guppy, both from school projects) a new happy habitat.

Our  "New" Aquarium

Photo by Amy LV

On Wednesday, driving away from the children's swim lessons, I passed this chair . It was well-made, cool-looking, and comfy.  I asked at the door if it was bedbug-free, and yes, it was.  Lucky me!  Lucky study-which-always-needed-a-chair!  

Our "New" Chair

Photo by Amy LV

Students - helping oneself to another's garbage might be considered embarrassing to some people.  I probably would have been embarrassed by it myself many years ago.   But now I am proud of saving and recycling in this way.  Some of our friends find most all of their firewood and many other fascinating things by roadsides, and I am inspired by their thrift and creativity. 

What have you found embarrassing in your life that you might feel good about now?  What do you do that others might raise an eyebrow at?  Such ideas make for interesting writing.  Who knows?  You might even write a song about such a thing! 

When I began to write this poem, I could not decide whether to write it in the 'I' voice or the 'you' voice.  I decided on the latter because I thought it might sound less preachy.  Initially I didn't plan on this having words repeating over and over again, but this poem just wanted to work out that way.  If I were musical, I would play with making up a tune for it.

Do you know this most-famous book?

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When I was a little girl at Our Lady of Sorrows Elementary School, THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS only came in a chunky paperback, and we would pass it around, just marveling at all of the surprising and incredible things that people do the world over.

Now, our own poetry-muse, Lee Bennett Hopkins, will have his own entry in THE GUINNESS BOOK, as "the most prolific anthologist of poetry for children!" See the certificate and read a bit more here at Sylvia Vardell's Poetry for Children.  Many congratulations, Lee!

Tabatha is rounding up today's pile of poetry treasures at The Opposite of Indifference.  Happy Poetry Friday to one and all!

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Poetry Friday - A Birthday Tree

Cherries Against Sky

Photo by Hope LV

Hope Picking Cherries

Photo by Amy LV

Earlier this week, we visited my friend Trish and her family for dinner.  Trish is a serious canner and food person, always making photo-worthy and tasty dishes and giving them to friends.  As we cut eggplants for grilled eggplant Parmesan, Trish raved about picking blueberries.  "Every time I pick blueberries or strawberries or raspberries or cherries or any fruit," she marveled, "I am always amazed.  This plant made FRUIT!"

A person cannot spend much time with Trish without wanting to pick fruit oneself.  And fortunately, Hope's birthday cherry tree is simply dripping with cherries this week.  Yesterday, the two of us got out there and filled two buckets.  We picked and picked, almost unable to believe how many cherries her tree had produced.  Later yesterday evening, Henry went out to see the dent we'd made.  "It doesn't look like anyone picked anything," he noted.

So far we have 12 jars of sour cherry jam and one fresh cherry crisp.  Today the children will fill more buckets.  More buckets!  More jam!  More crisps indeed!

Last week, Mary Lee's Poetry Friday post was titled "Seeing Instead of Just Looking."  Her photo and the poems she shared, coupled with Trish's joy in fresh fruit has me thinking about small daily and seasonal rituals.  

Students - what things do you do each day?  Each season?  This poem is about observing a tree each year and that moment of surprise when one realizes the tree is growing up.  This week I plan to write a series of poems about rituals, things that we do over and over again that give our lives meaning and goodness.

Speaking of rituals, I went through pages of cross outs before I finally arrived at the simple ending of today's poem.  Revision takes a lot of patience, just like pitting cherries or anything worthwhile.  Similar to pitting cherries, revision sometimes leaves me wondering, "Did I get everything?  Should I check one more time?  Will someone break a tooth on this?"

I love this Richard Jones poem about cherries - "Cherries in the Snow."  And Judy Collins sings a beautiful rendition of the traditional nativity ballad, "The Cherry Tree Carol" here.

If you don't know the book CHERRY PIES AND LULLABIES by Lynn Reiser, don't miss it.  It's not a poem, but it is very poetic and generational picture book.

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Today's poetry bounty is served by Mary Lee herself over at A Year of Reading.  May your whole week be full of fresh fruits, vegetables, and words in every color and shape!

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First Assignment - Explosions!

Experiment Ingredients!
by Amy LV

Students - have you ever watched a person have a blast with a project of their own making?  Well, this summer it's been loads of fun to witness our son Henry's experiments, many of which include baking soda and vinegar.  He's sent all sorts of things flying across our yard, and so far all people and pets are safe (though our one-eyed Mini cat did look a bit nervous this afternoon.)   I wrote this poem from my own pleasure of watching Hen have such a super time exploring science.

Are you looking for summer projects which could be more exciting than world travel?  If yes, don't miss this book, Henry's recent inspiration and go-to manual.  It is full of directions for everything from a "Frankenstein's Hand" to "Dancing Mothballs."

If you're on the hunt for a good gift, consider this book along with a gallon of vinegar and a large box of baking soda!

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Parents and teachers - I encourage you to take a peek at this TED talk by Tinkering School founder, Gever Tully, all about the "5 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Children Do."

Elaine Magliaro, word and science lover extraordinaire, is hosting today's Poetry Friday at Wild Rose Reader.  Head on over to her place to see what kind of words she is experimenting with today.

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What Does Your Cat Do At Night?

One Life

Photo by Georgia LV

Students - yes, another sleeping kitty picture!  After I showed today's poem to Mark, he said, "You're not telling that your cat beats up the neighborhood cats at night, are you?"  For the other day, one of our neighbors told us that our cat Mini has mixed it up in the evening with their cat a few times.  Now that we know, we can keep him in after dinner.

This is something I've often wondered: what do cats do at night?  Many times, Sarah or Mini will come home and meow at the door come morning.  Where have they been?  Who have they visited?  Cats have secret night lives, and this wondering and daily happening opened up a world into today's little verse.

Sometimes when you sit down to write, you will not know what you want to write.  That's good.  Let something float to the surface - it will.

If you are a cat lover...or a poem lover...or both...be sure to read Betsy Franco's A CURIOUS COLLECTION OF CATS, full of fun in word and picture!

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Andi is hosting today's Poetry Friday over at a wrung sponge.  Swing on by the sponge for more poetry celebrations!

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