Silent

Lovely.

Pissing you off

Hot Coffee is a documentary that raises questions and will very likely piss you off.  I'm a fan of pissing folks off in the best ways - ways that lead to action.  Tort reform sounds like a dry subject until you see the folks screwed over by it.  This film explains a few cases in which people are hurt by award limits and shows how business interests have changed local elections.  It's something that shows how important it is to take part in every election to make a difference locally.

Meant

Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other is a sweet little memoir written by NPR's Scott Simon.  He talks about the adoption of his two daughters.  It does not dive into issues in any depth, but it is super sweet and honest about his own personal experience.  6/10.

Little big thing

I treated myself to this darling little whale the other day.

Cassoulets, soufflés, and pates

My Julia Child obsession is well documented.  Imagine my delight to stumble upon a picture book about the great lady.  Minette's Feast is about Julia and Paul's cat.  It's darling - full of pretty artwork and direct quotes from Julia's letters.  A very sweet book to read to the baby.  I particularly loved the index in the back telling the reader how to pronounce the various French phrases.  8/10.

So true!

McSweeney's bit on strangers offering advice to new mums.

Lately

I have been on a photo printing binge I'm determined to not rely on electronic storage of photos and actually print the suckers and put them in an album. Here's one I love:

 

Winnifred in the bathtub.

Fraggles!

All things must change

Facts

The Lifespan of a Fact is a fascinating back and forth between an essayist and a factchecker.  It is at times hysterical and at other times poignant.  The book has an interesting format with the essay in the middle of the page and the conversation happening all around it.  Really good read.  7/10.

Hello!

Want this!

Rags

I'm tempted to try my hand at making a rag rug.  This pretty one is listed on etsy. 

Any suggested resources for trying my hand at this?

Hang down your head

Woke up with this song in my head this morning.

Advice from strangers

Sucks.  This McSweeney's piece hit the spot rather well.

As does this onesie on etsy:

Charming

Bwthyn glan môr, a photo by Valériane Leblond on Flickr.

Love this whole set of paintings.

Pods

I didn't realize that the seed pods on radishes were edible.  So going to harvest them next year.  Useful!

Illusion as science

Glamour in Glass is the unexpected sequel to Shades of Milk and Honey.  Unexpected mainly by me I suppose.  The first book didn't seem to need a sequel.  Still, it was nice to revisit a world where illusion is a science and art of its own and magic is a normal thing during the time of Napoleon.  I am certain now that there will be a third book, and I suspect I'll read that one too.  6/10. 

Silly-ish

I think I just don't get Pedro Almodovar most times.  I watched Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown the other day and did not get any amazingness.  It's a silly sort of story that didn't translate itself to much humor.  I much prefered Volver.  2/10.

Not even the rain

The babe has put this line in my head.  Seemed appropriate to put on the porch blackboard.  Entire poem here.

Ghost ship

Tiny Beautiful Things is a collection of an advice column but that sounds way too simple.  It's full of gut-wrenching, beautiful, soulful responses.  It's the best thing I've written in a long time. 

 

“I'll never know, and neither will you of the life you don't choose. We'll only know that whatever that sister life was, it was important and beautiful and not ours. It was the ghost ship that didn't carry us. There's nothing to do but salute it from the shore.” 

So good!