2011 ALA Youth Media Awards

Tomorrow is the most exciting day in the children's lit year -- announcement of the ALA Children's Book Awards.


Awards to be announced tomorrow are:

• Alex Awards for the best adult books that appeal to teen audience
• Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video
• Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children
• Coretta Scott King Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults that demonstrate sensitivity to "the true worth and value of all beings"
• Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement  recognizes an African American author, illustrator, or author/illustrator for a body of his or her published books for children and/or young adults who has made a significant and lasting literary contribution
• Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books are published in the U.S. and have, over a period of years, made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children
• Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults
• May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian, or teacher of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site
• Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults
• Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children's book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States
• Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature
• Odyssey Award for audiobook excellence
• Pura Belpre Award for a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work "best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth"
• Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children
• Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience
• Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature given to books honored for exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered experience.
• Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the outstanding book for beginning reader
• William C. Morris Award honors a book written for young adults by a first-time, previously unpublished author.
• YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year.
  
  

I think that's all of 'em. I'm going to try to get in on the webcast and post the winners as announced. Later, I will clean up my undoubtedly sloppy posts and add links and pictures.


Just 10-1/2 hours to go... Can't wait!

Seriously?!? 18 Weeks?

I've seen this little update questionnaire on a few other blogs so I thought I'd give it a shot.

1. How Far Along? 18 weeks today. That seems completely crazy to me!
2. Boy/Girl/Names? We call the Baby "Tex." We're discussing "real" names, but will likely not share until we introduce the Baby to everyone.
3. Appts coming up? Quad screen on Jan. 14; the anatomy scan will be scheduled at that point
4. Thoughts about where you're at in your pregnancy? Still feeling more fat than pregnant, though one of my close friends who I saw for the first time in months yesterday said I definitely look pregnant.
5. What are you working on? Trying to figure out what we want to register for
6. Complaints or worries? My hips hurt, so I'm not sleeping too great, but it's a small price to pay.
7. Cravings? I continue to want pizza for every single meal. (Of course, we only have pizza once a week, but I want it all the time!) Also sweet potatoes. I have one for lunch almost every day. And cherries.
8. Happy moments/blessings? This whole experience is a blessing! It was a good week. I got to have breakfast with NiNi on Monday and Marquinta on Saturday. Spent Wednesday discussing books at CPL. We had more fun and less stress than we expected at Babies R Us; I am so blessed to have a Sweetheart who is completely supportive and involved.
9. Any fun things coming up? Going to the Museum of Science and Industry on Tuesday to see the exhibit, Jim Henson's Fantastic World.

A Brave Little Girl

In Yemen, there is a tribal proverb in the countryside proclaiming: "To guarantee a happy marriage, marry a nine-year-old girl."

While it is important to recognize that different cultures follow different traditions that may differ from our own, it is difficult to understand the belief that marrying a very young child to a man many years her senior could ever be a positive decision.

Yet, that's exactly what happened to Nujood Ali. When she was just ten-years-old (an age which is an estimate by Nujood and her mother as her birth as "out in the countryside, people have bushels of babies without bohering with identify cards"), her father arranged to marry her to Faez Ali Thamer, a delivery man around thirty years of age.

Despite protests from Nujood and her older sister, the marriage proceeded. Although her new husband had promised Nujood's family he would not touch her until she had reached puberty, after taking her to her new home many miles away he raped her, a nightly horror Nujood endured in terror.

After weeks (or maybe months? the timeline is unclear) of crying, Nujood's "husband" agreed to take her to visit her family. Once there, Nujood begged her family for help. In vain. Her father's response? "It is out of the question for you to leave your husband!" Her mother "kept quiet, simply raising her arms to heaven and murmuring, 'That's how life is Nujood: all women must endure this; we have all gone through the same thing.'"

Nujood realized that, were she to ever be free, she would have to find her own solution. After telling her story to her father's second wife, she is advised to go to the court. And so, she does.

Nujood is fortunate to encounter sympathetic judges who assign a confident female lawyer to her case, leading to a battle which ends with Nujood is granted a divorce - the first child bride in Yemen to achieve this.

This story would make a harrowing novel. That it is all true makes it all the more horrific - and inspiring. Nujood's courage to free herself has inspired other children to seek divorces from marriages that, from a Westerner's perspective, seem no more than a way for a father to sell his child as a sex slave.

Nujood's memoir was published in the United States in 2010. It is a slim volume that reads quickly, but will stay with you forever. An epilogue updates us on Nujood's life and a reading group guide is included. There is also information on The Girls World Communication Center, which seeks to help girls who have been forced to leave school and those who are the vicitms of early marriage to continue their education.

An important book, I highly recommend I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali with Delphine Minoui.

How NOT to Tell an Adoption Story

When my mother was newly born, she was adopted by my grandparents, a German immigrant couple who wanted a little girl to love. I have friends who have been adopted, friends who have adopted and a friend who made the selfless decision to give her child the best possible life by allowing another family to welcome him as their son. I believe that adoption is an amazing blessing with the potential to enrich the lives of all involved.


As someone who has always been passionate about books and their connections to children especially, and who spent a lucky 17 years working in public libraries, I am always pleased to find a book that addresses adoption in a meaningful way. Last year’s novel All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burg addressed some of the insecurities and challenges faced by a child adopted from war-torn Vietnam in a sensitive fashion that would speak to children.

Similarly, for younger children, The Red Thread: An Adoption Fairy Tale by Grace Lin uses the fairy tale convention and a Chinese belief about a thread that always binds us to those we love.

Knowing that this often delicate subject can be handled in a gentle and compassionate manner, it was deeply distressing to me to learn about a new book on the market that addresses adoption in a thoughtless and hurtful way.

Quackenstein Hatches a Family by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen is an ugly book. The author’s website offers this description:

“Crack open this tale of family and fright, as cute as it is creepy. All the animals in the zoo have friends and family to play with and love. All of them, that is, except Quackenstein. Lonely and bitter in his ramshackle corner, he decides to adopt an egg. He cares for it diligently, waiting until the moment when it will hatch a baby duck of his own. On a dark and stormy night, the egg hatches, Quackenstein cackles, and lightning strikes, but wait—what’s this? That baby’s not a duck! What will he do? Where can he hide? And will Quackenstein ever find someone (or something) to cuddle?”

So. This nasty, bitter duck decides to adopt (the author introduces this word, making it unambiguously an adoption story). When the egg hatches, it isn’t a duck at all. In fact, in the initial illustrations, it is a red-eyed, long-clawed, black baby with a “chilling glare” who Quackenstein (coincidentally a white duck) quickly labels a “monster” and runs screaming from.

When the storm ends and the lights come on, the “monster” is revealed to be an adorable brown baby platypus. After enduring the horror of being chased by the “monster” Quackenstein is finally convinced by the baby’s persistence to give it a chance and eventually decides he loves “his son.”

So, happy ending, all is well, right?

This reader would answer - Not so much.

For an adopted child who encounters this book, particularly a child who is part of a transracial or culturally blended family, what are the take-away messages? That if you look different from your family (i.e. being a different color) they will consider you a monster? That an adopted child must chase his parent and convince that adult that he is worthy of love?

I don’t think I am being wildly oversensitive here. School Library Journal, for one, recognizes the flaws of this book; it’s reviewer notes, “The idea that prospective adoptive parents would not only abandon, but would also be horrified when the child is not what they expect, or has a birth defect, creates a potentially hurtful scenario.”

And if I am being a little sensitive, so what? Even in the most loving picture perfect adoptions, underlying insecurities and questions may lie dormant – for children and parents alike. Even if a family has been lucky enough to find each other and weather the challenges inherently present in adoptive families, why would you read this book to a preschooler who may be hurt by the idea that if they aren’t very careful and look perfect in their parent’s eyes, they may be rejected?

Ugh. No, thanks. I returned this book to the local library as quickly as I could. I hope no child I love and no child who has been adopted ever has to encounter this misguided harmful book.

How My Sweetheart Did Not Go To Jail

This was definitely an eventful and exciting day. We were determined to go to Babies R Us to see some of the Baby gear we'll need in real life, maybe make a few decisions. We went armed with our library copy of Baby Bargains: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Baby Furniture, Equipment, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear and Much, Much More!, a spiral notebook and pen, and an apple (I knew I'd need an eventual snack!).

I think we were both nervous and when we walked in, we were pretty overwhelmed. We decided tp just go aisle by aisle and see what happened. We took notes on things we think we might like, consulting Baby Bargains every few minutes. Choosing a car seat and stroller was fun, especially taking the strollers for test drives, practicing collapsing them, etc. We don't know that we're going to find out the gender (or share if we do), so we chose something gender-neutral.

We had made a deal to spend no more than $100 today, preferably way less since we know we need to make a registry. No worries. My Sweetheart bought Baby his/her first Converse All-Star sneakers and that was all we got.

After a quick lunch out (BRU ate up about 2 hours of our day), we had to go grocery shopping. As soon as we left Aldi, we came to a red light. Stopped and I read bits of the Baby Bargains book out loud to my Sweetheart when...

BAM!

Someone rear-ended us, pretty hard.

We felt okay, besides me being seriously freaked out and foul-mouthed.

My Sweetheart stayed remarkably calm, although he was completely furious. He called the police who asked us to pull into the Walgreens parking lot while they sent an officer.

We did and the idiot who hit us followed. When we got there, said yahoo lowered his window and asked if we wanted to get out and take a look at the car. My Sweetheart said no, no until the police arrived. Throughout, he stayed completely calm, which helped me calm down.

To understand how great his even temper was, understand that he can occasionally have a wicked temper, especially if he feels that me and the Baby are threatened in any way. Just last week, he blew a gasket at some asshole who ran us off the road and almost hit us.

SO.

The police came and we all learned that the kid who hit us has no license, no current insurance papers, and wasn't even driving his own car.

The officer couldn't have been nicer and, when we left, the kid's friend's car was being towed and he was a guest of the Merrilville Police Department. Our car was pretty okay, save a broken license plate holder, though we will take it in to the shop for a checkup.

We finished off the grocery shopping with one more stop and headed home.

I am so grateful that me and the Baby - and my husband - are fine and that my Sweetheart is a Total Rock Star who didn't waste his energy punching the kid who hit us.

I think we need to celebrate with a calm evening watching some tv and eating some Starbucks ice cream. Here's hoping the rest of the week is uneventful!

I Love You, Baby, But...

As of today, I am 17 weeks and 1 day pregnant.

Just to be clear - I am super excited that we are expecting a new little person to join our family next June (although Christmas gave me stress - to be explained in a later post). I'm looking forward to the next doctor appointment, when I will hear the Baby's heart again and even more to the anatomy scan soon after that, when we will see the Baby. Really can't wait to feel him (her) moving around in there.

But.

Last week, I started having some sciatica pain. Yay. The past few nights, hip pain has joined it, leading to little sleep, and what I get is restless. I've gained more weight than I would have liked already but I still don't have a cute obvious baby bump, just looking poofier. My "fat" jeans still fit, but I'm giving them a few more days at most. All the glowing clear skin, baby bump, shiny haired cuteness? Nope.

Of course, I shouldn't complain too much. I've been amazingly lucky. My bestie told me this morning she would never have guessed I have gained as much as I told her (and she'd tell me true, folks!). I have had a few moments of queasiness, but they've been few and far between and I never had any morning sickness. I've had no spotting or cramping or any problems at all. Until the hip pain, the worst symptom I had was exhaustion (very slowly lifting) and occasional light-headedness.

At every doctor's appointment, the doctor has found the Baby's heartbeat without much trouble and it's been strong. Even with the extra weight, I know that I am still eating mostly healthy (I do not give in to my desire for pizza at every single meal). I have a supportive Sweetheart whose been pretty fabulous.

So, healthy baby and supportive spouse = super blessed. Just have to be sure to remember that when I'm tossing and turning at 2 o'clock tomorrow morning!

It's a Beautiful Ride

Now that it's almost over, I can look back at 2010 and be truly astonished at how full and blessed and unexpected it was.

When the year started, I was nursing a broken heart and hoping for something that just wasn't gonna happen. Basically, my plan was to just hold on and keep moving forward. I was lucky to have amazing friends, especially NiNi and my Sweetheart to help me through and to listen to my angst.

Well, I guess he wasn't yet my Sweetheart, just one of my best friends, my "rock."

In April, my world flipped upside down again when my Sweetheart and I reunited after many years, this time for real and for good. Despite the whirlwind madness of moving and leaving my job and preparing for my new life, there were no doubts and we were wed in September. At a library. By a librarian. Of course.

In October, the world flipped again (no wonder I'm so dizzy some days!) when we learned that we are expecting a little person to join our family next June. After initial surprise, we are looking forward to meeting him (or her).

From feeling utterly desolate to genuine happiness in 12 short months...

The song that keeps running through my head this morning is "Beautiful Ride" by Dewey Cox. I guess even on sad days, I can remember, "It's about make a little music every day 'til you die / It's a beautiful ride."   (And, incidentally, that lyric always reminds me of Woody Guthrie.)

Here's to an amazing 2011 for all of us!

Thank You...

.. to Freyja Silver for the lovely new blog template!

Pardon the Mess

I am finally trying to implement a new layout for this blog. I'm sure it will be a mess for a few days (weeks?) as I experiment with different layouts and try to tweak them to work. This is the first time I have imported a layout instead of just using a blogspot provided one, so please be patient!

Quote o' the Day

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord... And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (KJV, Luke 2:10,11,13, 14)

In the Grand Scheme of Things...

...my day wasn't that bad. I understand that. Still, it's been a rough day.


First of all, my attempts to make a Mocha Torte continued to fail. I do not understand. I have made the cake before and it has always turned out well. Sure, it was never as beautiful as the one's Tante Frieda made, but she has been making them for (literally) 70 years, so that's okay.


Nope. Not gonna happen for me this time. It ended up lopsided and sloppy looking. I am sure it *tastes* delicious, but I would be far too embarrassed to serve it to my Sweetheart's family on Christmas Day, our first Christmas together. It is also too expensive and labor intensive to just toss, so I will be taking it to my auntie's for Christmas Eve and saving the chocolate chip cheesecake I made for Christmas Day. Less impressive, but at least not hideous.


Then, after wrestling with that for a chunk of my at-home time (btw, it is currently in the freezer; I am hoping it freezes in place and doesn;t capsize altogether!), I was trying to get laundry done. I decided to wash the last pair of jeans I have that fits along with my winter hoodie and vest. I emptied all the pockets, threw the wash in and went back to the cake.


When I went down to put the wash in the dryer, I was horrified to see my cell phone in the washing machine. Oh. Shit.


Of course it wasn't working. Immediately I freaked out. I have *never* done anything so blatantly stoopid before. It's a new phone and I only work very part-time. How could I tell my Sweetheart that I screwed up like that? This Zombie Baby Eating My Brain crap is getting SO OLD.


By the time I found his number and texted him via the carrier's website, I was pretty worked up. Amazingly, he was sweet and understanding and calming. He promised it is all okay and we would get a new one first thing tomorrow. I just needed t have a cup of tea and call the store to check on hours,


The Verizon guy couldn't have been nicer. He got some info, gave me a web address and within 5 minutes, I had confirmation that my new phone will be here tomorrow. (Thank GOD we got the insurance!)


My Sweetheart called again to check on me and make sure I was okay and reiterated that I am to have some tea and take it easy. And so I shall.


But before I do, can I just say that I am fully cognizant of how ridiculously lucky I am to have such an amazing and wonderful Sweetheart? (Yes, he is lucky, too, but today I am focusing on how fantastic HE is.) I really do love him so!

Bwa-ha-ha!

Just read an Old Wives' Tale that sciatica pain during pregnancy is an indication that the child is a boy. Perhaps because boys can be a pain in the butt? Ha!

BTW...

My youngest brother recently began a blog, too. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you took a peek.

Good morning!

I am *so* ready for a nap!


Yesterday was a fairly productive day. My mother-in-law came to pick up the puppy for the afternoon so I could ScotchGuard our new couches and clean all the floors on the first floor. (We are hosting Christmas dinner for my Sweeheart's parents and his cousin and her family.) I also got some dusting done, put an area rug in the front room and washed all the puppy's blankets.


I got tired so quickly! After 4 months of this, you'd think I'd accept that I wear out quicker, but it always suprises me. After all, I am used to being a hard worker who just keeps going until the job is done (or until I just get sick of doing it which, to be honest, has been known to happen). I am proud of how nice everything looks; let's hope it stays that way!


I am making my Tante Frieda's famous Mocha Torte for Christmas Day. It's fairly labor intensive, but worth the effort. Unfortunately, I left the cake in the pan far too long yesterday. When I finally removed it, it cracked. Trying to slice it into layers finished it off. No worries. The cake itself was delicious, so I just cubed it up and put it in the freezer. I'll figure out a trifle or something to make later. As soon as the oven finishes preheating, I will put the second (and final!) attempt in the oven. I work at 9:30am, so I hope to get the laundry and cake done before I have to leave.


The shop has been slow this past few weeks. No dooubt because of the snow and cold and holiday. Dad already warned me that he may send me home early today. I kind of hope not; it's nice to earn some money so I don't have to ask my Sweetheart (he gladly gives, but it is a hard thing for me to get used to). On the other hand, if I get to go home early, maybe I can take a nap. Or even veg out and watch a Christmas movie (which I haven't done once this season!).


And there's the oven, beeping to tell me it's ready. That's my cue, folks. I wish you all a day in which you recognize the good things around you. (That's what I'll be trying to do.)

Quote o' the Day

"I got a letter a while back from a sappy woman. She wrote me because she knew I was sappy too. She wanted help - if it was a terrible mistake bringing a baby into a world as awful as this one. I told her what made being alive almost worthwhile for me was meeting saints who were everywhere. By saints I mean ordinary people behaving decently in an indecent society. I hope all of you are or will become saints." (Kurt Vonnegut)

'Tis the Season to be Uber-Busy!

Baking, baking, baking! I decided to make an extra batch of my Sweetheart's favorite batch of M&M cookies so he can take some to work and we can share some without dipping into the special batch I made just for him (they are the only cookies I said he doesn't have to share). As soon as these cookies are done, I hope to get the cheesecake in the oven. That bakes for an hour, so it will buy me some time to get a few other things done - like shower, maybe? Perhaps read another chapter of The Phantom Tollbooth aloud to the Baby, too.


I started baking way later than I had planned today since I had some errands to run first. One of those errands included a visit to my niece, Payton. Yesterday, she was at the coffee shop while I was working. We were preparing for a luncheon, so she helped me put the silverware on all the tables. After the luncheon, the Red Hat Ladies were generous with tipping me (something I genuinely did not expect!). It seemed only fair to share a little of that with Pay-Pay.


I put a few dollars in a card and wrote her a note telling her that she had earned this money for working hard to help me. Then I went over to her house to tell her. Well, first of all, she was distracted because I had also brought her a few clementines (which she loves). She was excited that the card pictured Max of Where the Wild Things Are fame. I *think* she kind of "got it," but she is only 3, so maybe not quite. Right thing to do, though. I made sure to tell her that this was not a present, but something she had earned.


Speaking of presents, we have rather challenging neighbors next door. However, when I went out to shovel (carefully!) this morning, I was surprised to see that they had shoveled a path down the middle of our front walk - the entire way. I was so awed and touched by this Christmas generosity. After I shoveled our driveway and back walk, I put together a box of home made treats and left those with a note thanking them on their front porch. I do believe that everyone has the capacity to be good. Perhaps they are genuinely trying to be better neighbors. Kindness on both sides can only be a good thing.

Holiday Update

Just as they've been for everyone else, the past few weeks have been a flurry of activity here. Actually, it hasn't been that bad; it's just that everything seems to be taking four times as long this year. I blame Tex and how utterly exhausting it is to grow him.


Still, accomplishments have been abundant. Christmas cards were written and sent (and, may I just pause here to say how pleased I am that my Sweetheart wants to sign the, himself and not have me sign for him?). 3 kinds of cookies have been baked and 2 kinds of candies have been made. The Lebkuchen dough is done (though not baked - maybe before work today?). I made seven stollen this year. Gifts have all (but one) been purchased and wrapped. The tree is up and the house decorated. Some decluttering and cleaning has started. All in all, it's been a happy and productive time.


Hard to believe we'll have a small child in the house this time next year. We heard Tex's heartbeat again this past week. It took the doctor a minute to find it - during which thime my Sweetheart says I grew visibly stressed - but, when she did, it was nice and strong. Next appointment isn't for four weeks.


Our insurance - as awesome as it is - doesn't cover a slew of ultrasounds. We saw the baby for the NT scan but won't see him (or her, we don't know for sure) again until the 20 week anatomy scan. It's so weird. I know there's a little person growing in there, but there is no real evidence that all is well since we rarely see him and only hear his heart every four weeks or so. I have gained some weight but, since I was already a little chunky, don't have a cute baby bump. I feel pretty fantastic (apart from exhaustion and occasional moments of lightheadedness). It's the ultimate act of faith, isn't it? We just have to believe that he is continuing to develop the way he should and that all is well.


It's a busy week ahead. I'll be working an extra long day at my parents' coffee shop today. I anticipate being wiped out by the time I get home. I rarely get any kind of break when I am there, though I do try to bring a healthy snack along. I have to make arrangements with my Sweetheart's mom to bring the dog for a visit one day this week so I can Scotchguard our new furniture. Have to bake a cheesecake for Christmas Eve and my Tante Frieda's ridiculously good Mocha Torte for Christmas Day. Have a bunch of cleaning and preparation to do - we are hosting Christmas Dinner and expect between 2 and 8 guests. It will probably end up being about 7 people total (including us), but have to be ready in case we have all 10.


(I wonder if it will be considered rude if I sneak off for a little while on Christmas Day for a nap?)


I still hope to do better with this blog, even if it is just an update on my life and nothing more interesting. For now, though, better get moving so I can get some stuff done before heading to work.

One of the Best Books Ever

So, we're 13+ weeks into this pregnancy and we've already read several chapter books aloud to Tex. ("Tex" is the name we have given the little alien who is growing inside me.) I know Tex can't even hear for another 4 or 5 weeks, but it can't hurt, right?


Currently, we are reading The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I haven't read this book for a number of years and I forgot how amazing and charming it is.  Last night I read the bit about the car everyone had to be perfectly silent in because "it goes without saying" and I laughed out loud. Brilliant!


If you haven't read this masterpiece for a while, I highly recommend it. I'll wager it's even better to you as an adult than it was the first time you discovered it as a kid!

Once Upon a Time...

So, how did I get to this place? Here's the Reader's Digest Condensed Version:

Seventeen years ago, I met a boy. We became friends and, before long I fell in love. He joined the Army, we began a romance through letters and phone calls. Tried dating when he was home. On and off and on and... Didn't work. We parted, kept coming back together, always friends. Finally had a falling out that led to losing touch, presumably for good. Fast-forward. Kurt Vonnegut died and I got an e-mail from the boy. We reconnected. I was in a relationship, he was just out of one. Friends again. Venting, supporting, joking, e-mailing. All good. Fast-forward some more. My relationship ended despite my efforts. The boy was, as always, my Rock, my go-to for a sympathetic ear. We realized we still had feelings for each other. Fell back in Love, got married.

Whew! And that's the super-duper short uncomplicated version!


Now we're living as newlyweds in the suburbs south of Chicago. Lots of adjustments for me - just for starters, I miss the City and my work team in Chicago - but all worth it. We're expecting our first child next June and I couldn't feel luckier!

Can We Start Again, Please?

This blog has been through many incarnations since its inception. Over the past two years, it has mostly been a woefully neglected wasteland, tumbleweeds and all.



Recently, my life has changed dramatically as I transitioned from a crazybusy Administrative librarian who regularly worked 12+ hour days without breaks and little sleep to a newlywed who works part-time in a family owned coffee shop and is preparing to be a first-time Mama.


Rather than begin anew with a fresh blog, I am hoping to revive this one. The postings may be more scattered and less unified around themes as I figure out this exciting and overwhelming new life.