A Big Blue Winner!

Today is the final day of our month-long Big Blue Birthday Contest, and this morning my son Ben drew the name of our Grand Prize Winner... drumroll please... Vincenza S.!  You can see a video of the drawing here, at the Blue Sky, Big Dreams Blog Facebook page.  Congratulations, Vincenza!!  Please check out the list of books to pick from here, and then either send me a message on Facebook or reply to this post with your three choices and your address so that I can get your prize sent out to you!  (If you comment here, I will get it in my email, but won't publish the comment so that your address stays private.)

A big THANK YOU to all my readers, for making this birthday month extra special!  Blue Sky, Big Dreams has had more page views this month than any other month in the past year.  Comments here are now double what they were at the beginning of the month. (And that was a year's worth of comments!)  The blog's Facebook page has been busy, as well, with lots of new members and conversations.  I really appreciate all of the support! :)

For anyone wondering about the poem-a-day challenge I made for myself -- I still need to write today's poem, but otherwise, I have met my goal and have written at least one poem every day this month!  I've even submitted a few to some magazines... wish me luck!  Now I need to figure out a good goal for July. :)

Popsicle

Ben, July 2008

Popsicle

P  o  p  s  i  c  l  e

P  o  p  s  i  c  l  e

t    i    c    k    l   e

 t o n g u e      f u n

l  i  c  k  s  i  c  l  e

s  t  i  c  k  s i c l e

p   l    e    a    s    e

d  o  n'  t      r  u  n

d  r  i  p   s  i  c  l  e

s  l  i  p   s  i  c  l  e

m  e  l  t,   m  e  l  t
t    r    i     c    k    y

s  t  o  p   s  i  c  l e

p  l  o  p  s  i  c  l  e

h   a   n   d    a   l   l

s

t

i

c

k

y

~ Joan Bransfield Graham

This is such a fun poem, on so many levels!  I love that it's a concrete poem -- a poem that makes a picture. I love all of the rhymes Graham uses, especially the words she made up, like "dripsickle".  And I love how reading the poem makes me wish that I had a popsicle of my own, right now!

This week's Friday Drawing...

And the winner of today's Big Blue Birthday Contest drawing is... Christine H.!  (You can see the video of the drawing here, on the Blue Sky, Big Dreams Blog Facebook page.) I already have your address, so will be sending out your prize this weekend.  Congratulations, Christine! :)

By the way, if you're reading this and you don't know what the Big Blue Birthday Contest is, you can find out all the information and details on how to enter here.  The grand prize drawing will be held tomorrow, so enter now for a chance to win!

Red, White, and Books: Celebrating the Fourth

Image courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

"Every heart beats true

'Neath the Red, White, and Blue..."

~ lyrics from You're a Grand Old Flag,

written by George M. Cohan, 1906

In just a few days it will be time for those here in the United States to celebrate our country's birthday.  Backyard barbecues, patriotic parades, and fireworks are all great ways to say, "Happy Birthday, America!"  Another way to observe this special holiday is to read about it! :)  Here are a few of the Fourth-related books we've been reading at our house recently:

Apple Pie 4th of July,

written by Janet S. Wong and

illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine, 2002

A Chinese-American girl laments the fact that her parents are keeping their store/restaurant open on  America's birthday.  "No one wants Chinese food on the Fourth of July," she thinks.  In fact, she's dreaming of apple pie.  In the end, she discovers that America truly is a combination of different cultures, including Chinese (they invented fireworks, after all)... and she finally gets a slice of that pie, too.

I liked the way that Wong captures the various emotions of the main character.  I was also delighted by Chodos-Irvine's cheerful illustrations.

***

Happy Birthday, America,

written by Mary Pope Osborne and

illustrated by Peter Catalanotto, 2003

Osborne gives her readers a snapshot of an idyllic Fourth of July celebration in small-town America -- from a pet parade to a dance show to a firefighter water battle to a concert under the stars, complete with fireworks and fireflies.

I especially liked the last few pages of this book, where Osborne's prose seems almost poetic.

***

Happy 4th of July, Jenny Sweeney!,

written by Leslie Kimmelman and

illustrated by Nancy Cote, 2003

With rhyming text and bright pictures depicting a multiculturally diverse community (including a family of brand-new citizens from India), this story follows young Jenny and her dog Rags around their town as everyone gets ready to celebrate the Fourth.

***

A Fourth of July on the Plains,

written by Jean Van Leeuwen and

illustrated by Henri Sorensen, 1997

Based on actual diary accounts and memoirs from people on the Oregon Trail in 1852, this book tells about the holiday celebration of a group of pioneers, through the eyes of Jesse, a lively, creative little boy.  Jesse is too young to go hunting with the men for a 4th of July feast, and can't help the women baking or the older girls sewing a flag.  Eventually, he and his friends come up with their own way to commemorate the day and make it special for everyone.

I appreciated the fact that this story was told from a boy's perspective -- most of the books I've read about this time period were written from a female's viewpoint.  VanLeeuwen does a good job describing life in a wagon train, making readers feel as if they were really there.

***

Summer Beat,

written by Betsy Franco and

illustrated by Charlotte Middleton, 2007

Summer -- particularly the Fourth of July -- is filled with sound, from the shhh shhh of the sprinkler to the sizzle of burgers on the grill to the fwit, fwit of spitting watermelon seeds to the fooooooooosh boom of the fireworks.  This book presents these sounds in a fun, rhyming text as young Em and her friend Joe play through the holiday.

I relished this playful little book, and so did my son, Ben!  It's one that we will read over and over again.

***

America the Beautiful,

written by Katharine Lee Bates and

illustrated by Neil Waldman, 2002

Bates's famous poem (later turned into a song) is paired with Waldman's gorgeous, vibrant paintings of well-known sights around the country, including Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, and Mount Rushmore.  This book also contains the music to the America the Beautiful song.  This book is a treat for children and adults alike!

***

I Hear America Singing,

written by Walt Whitman and

illustrated by Robert Sabuda, 1991

Whitman's famous poem from his Leaves of Grass collection (written in the mid-1800's) forms the text for this book, and Sabuda provides rich linoleum-cut illustrations for each line.

***

We Are America: A Tribute From the Heart,

written by Walter Dean Myers and

illustrated by Christopher Myers, 2011

Walter Dean Myers's free verse, his son Christopher's paintings, plus inspirational quotes from Abraham Lincoln, Patrick Henry, Emma Lazarus, and others, combine to create a book celebrating "the freedom dream that is America: our struggles, our ideals, and our hope that we can live up to them".

I enjoyed the stirring poetry and the colorful, detailed artwork in this book.  I think it would be a good resource for teachers to use in their classrooms.

***

Lionel in the Summer,

written by Stephen Krensky and

illustrated by Susanna Natti, 1998

This early reader book provides four short chapters about Lionel, his family, and their summer experiences, including one chapter about the 4th of July.  (The other chapters focus on the first day of summer, running a lemonade stand, and going on a car trip.)  Using typical childhood situations and a dash of humor, Krensky has created an entertaining book for young readers.

***

Independence Day,

written by Nancy I. Sanders,

with photographs by many, 2003

With chapters about the beginnings of our nation, the Revolutionary War, 4th of July celebrations throughout history, and more, this nonfiction book offers quite a bit of interesting information about the USA's Independence Day, using easy-to-understand language for children.  It also contains several large colorful drawings and photographs.

***

Star-Spangled Crafts,

written by Kathy Ross and

illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm, 2003

This book is filled with fun, simple-to-create crafts to make your holiday celebrations even more festive!  The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow, as well.  Some of the craft ideas inside include a popping firecracker puppet (with bubble wrap for sound effects), Betsy Ross's colonial hat, an Uncle Sam tissue box, and a patriotic antenna tassel.

***

If you're looking for a middle grade or young adult selection to read for the Fourth (or for any other time!), try the Seeds of America series, by Laurie Halse Anderson.  I've read the first two books in the series -- Chains (2010) and Forge (2010)-- and am eager to get my hands on a copy of the third book, Ashes (2011).  At our library, these books are shelved in both the middle grade section and the young adult section.  (Personally, I would also put them in the adult section!  I highly recommend them to  historical fiction fans of all ages.)

Chains, 2010

Thirteen-year-old Isabel is a slave, sold (along with her younger sister Ruth) to a well-to-do couple, living in New York, but loyal to King George.  Set against the background of the Revolutionary War and the battle of New York, this is a story about the quest for freedom -- the Patriots' fight for a new land without a king and Isabel's own struggle for independence.

I absolutely loved this book, and could NOT put it down!  I've enjoyed other works I've read by Anderson, but this one is my favorite by far.  Before reading it, I don't think I'd ever heard or thought much about the history of slaves in the 1700's, especially not in the northern colonies.  (Most of the books I've read about slavery took place in the South, around the time of the Civil War.) While I was certainly aware that there were slaves during colonial times, I don't remember reading about it before.  Anderson paints a gripping, poignant picture of this history, blending factual events with Isabel's heartbreaking story.

Forge, 2010

This book is told from the perspective of runaway slave Curzon, Isabel's friend.  (It can be read on its own, but readers will gain more insight into Curzon's and Isabel's struggles if they've read Chains first.) Curzon joins the Patriot Army, making his way to Valley Forge.  There, Curzon battles for America's freedom and his own, while all of the soldiers fight to survive the desperate conditions.

Though I preferred Isabel's story in Chains, Curzon's tale is also captivating.  (And in both, I learned more about the Revolutionary War than I ever did in any history class!) Anderson's writing really brings the bleak situation at Valley Forge -- and that of the slaves -- to life.

***

Have you read any of the books mentioned above?  If so, what did you think of them?  Do you have any other suggestions for good books to read for the Fourth?  I'd love to hear them, if you do!

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.  The grand prize drawing will be held tomorrow, so enter now for a chance to win!)

Something worth reading...

Image courtesy of NYPL Digital Gallery

"It is not enough to simply 

teach children to read; 

we have to give them 

something worth reading. 

Something that will 

stretch their imaginations -- 

something that will help them 

make sense of their own lives 

and encourage them to reach out

 toward people whose lives 

are quite different from their own."

~ Katherine Paterson

It is probably not a surprise that I strongly agree with this quote from author Katherine Paterson.  Yes, it is very important to teach children how to read.  It is equally important to give them things that are worth reading -- to help cultivate a love of reading, to help children learn more about themselves and others, and to open wide that door of imagination.

On a side note, you will notice that I am using an image from the New York Public Library's digital gallery today.  I read about the gallery in a magazine I was flipping through the other day, when my boys were getting their hair cut, and I wrote down the address so I could check it out when I got home. I'm so glad I did!  The NYPL digital gallery provides free access to thousands and thousands of images from their vast collections.  It's an amazing site to look through!  (There's a link to the site in the image caption above, if you're interested.)  Anyway, you'll be seeing more images from their digital gallery here in the future....

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)

Skulduggery

The word skulduggery [skuhl-duhg-uh-ree], a noun meaning dishonest or deceitful trickery, is a fun one to say.  It makes me think of pirates, probably because "skul" is similar to skull (as in skull and crossbones) and "dug" reminds me of buried treasure.  When I looked the word up on Dictionary.com,  I noticed that skulduggery has several synonyms that are also fun-to-say words, including hanky panky, hocus-pocus, and jiggery-pokery.

"Arrrgh!" growled the raggedy old pirate.  "This is the life--

 ridin' me ship on th' sea, countin' me treasure, 

and plottin' countless acts of skulduggery with me friends!"

The villain in that book commits thievery and various

 other skulduggery before finally having to pay 
for his crimes.

How would you use skulduggery in a sentence?

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)

At the Playground

Ben, June 2012

At the Playground

Away down deep and away up high,

a swing drops you into the sky.

Back, it draws you away down deep,

forth, it flings you in a sweep

all the way to the stars and back

-- Goodby, Jill; Goodby, Jack:

shuddering climb wild and steep,

away up high, away down deep.

~ William Stafford

Every time I read this poem, I smile.  I've always loved to swing, and even as an adult, I still can't resist hopping on an empty swing whenever I spy one.  I like how this poem describes the feeling of swinging, "away down deep and away up high". 

When I was little, I would spend all of my recesses on the swings, if I could.  (If there weren't other kids waiting for a turn, that is.)  My friends and I used to walk over to the school playground in the summertime, just so we could swing and swing.  We would try to time it so that we were swinging in unison.  And I especially liked the swings at one park in my hometown -- the top of the swing set was quite tall, with long, long chains coming down to the seat of the swing.  My dad would push me higher and higher, till I felt like I was flying up to the stars, just as Stafford says in his poem.

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)

When fishing was best...

Sea Gull Lake, BWCA, MN, Aug. 2009

An excerpt:

The lake slowed its thrashing to a soft, even beat.  The mosquitoes dipped low to the water and the water bugs skittered on top.  The moon glowed on one side of the lake while the sun shimmered on the other.  This was the time when fishing was best.

~ from I Love You the Purplest, 

written by Barbara M. Joosse

This passage reminds me of evenings in the Boundary Waters, where our family goes camping (and fishing, too).  I can hear the sound of the water on the rocks.  I can picture the bugs skittering about as the sun shimmers and sets.  I can feel the tug of a fish on my line.  It makes me wish I was there right now.  What books have you read that take you back to a special place as you read them?

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)

Write as if...

My son Ben loves to dance -- and doesn't
care who's watching!  June 2012

"Just as 
we must dance 
as if no one is watching, 

we must write 
as if no one is reading."

~ Robin LaFevers

I try to remind myself of this quote whenever I'm writing -- I need to write for the pure enjoyment of it, without worrying about what anyone else is going to think of the words I've jotted down.  They are my words, my poems, my stories.  They come from my head, my heart, my experiences.  I write them first and foremost for myself, when the words come bubbling out of my brain, begging to be put down on paper.  Yes, my goal is for them to be read by others someday, and yes, I hope those who read them will like my words.  But when I'm in the process of writing, I need to let the words flow, and write as if no one is reading.

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)

Polliwogs

Pond at Reiman Gardens, Ames, IA, May 2008

Polliwogs

   Come see
   What I found:
   Chubby commas,
   Mouths round,
   Plump babies,
   Stubby as toes.
   Polliwogs!
   Tadpoles!

    Come see
   What I found!
   Frogs-in-waiting
   Huddled in puddles,
   Snuggled in mud. 

~ Kristine O'Connell George

This is such a fun poem!  Polliwogs (or tadpoles, as I usually call them) really do look like chubby commas.  And I love how Kristine O'Connell George calls them "frogs-in-waiting", because, of course, that's what they are.  The picture above isn't the best, I know, but I remember how delighted everyone in our family was when we first spotted the pond full of polliwogs!  There were hundreds of them, wiggling around and snuggling in the mud.  There are so many wonderful and amazing things in the world around us, so many poem and story ideas just waiting for someone to take notice.  What have you seen recently that could be turned into a poem or a story?

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)

This week's winner...

Drumroll please...  The winner of today's Big Blue Birthday Contest Friday Drawing is Tara W.!  Yay!  Congratulations, Tara!  I already have your address, so will be sending your prize out soon.

The video of the drawing can be seen on the Blue Sky, Big Dreams Blog Facebook page.

By the way, if you're reading this and you don't know what the Big Blue Birthday Contest is, you can find out all the information and details on how to enter here.

Boredom Busters

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

Personally, I could read and write all day long -- and never get bored -- but I know some kids and adults like to take a break from reading and writing once in awhile. :)  If you're looking for something fun to do this summer, maybe when it's raining or it's just too hot to play outside,  I listed several word-related games that our family enjoys on a previous post (here), and thought I'd share a few more of them today:

Scrabble Crossword Cubes Game...

Listed for ages 10 and up, this game can be played as solitaire or competitively, by any number of players.  It doesn't look like Crossword Cubes Game is still manufactured or sold in stores, but I checked, and it can be found for sale online.  (I picked up our well-worn game box at a garage sale one time.)

Consisting of 14 cubes (with a letter on each side), a cup, and a timer, this game is simple -- shake the cubes in the cup, toss, then form words with the letters on top of the cubes before the time is up, across and down, crossword-style.  Each letter used has a score; just add them up to see who wins the round!

Bananagrams...

Two to seven players (ages 7 and up) can play this game.  (There is also a single player version.)  Drawing from 144 letter tiles, players make their own connecting and intersecting words until all the tiles have been used.  Players do not take turns, but play independently and at the same time.  Words can be rearranged as desired.  There are other rules as well (specific times to call out "Split!" or "Peel!", among other things), but this is the basic game, in a nutshell (er... banana peel).

Rory's Story Cubes...

Our family received this game just a few months ago, and I took the photo above the day we got it.  It has since been opened and played many times! :)  For one or more players, this game is listed for ages 8 and above -- but my 6-year-old loves to play it as well.  According to the creators, Rory's Story Cubes consists of "9 cubes, 54 images, 10 million combinations, and unlimited stories."  Just roll the dice, then use the images to inspire a creative story, either told individually or through group effort.  There are no winners or losers in this game, just lots of imagination and fun!

Mad Libs...

Mad Libs are tablets of short stories, with key words replaced by blanks (and a label telling what kind of word should go there: adjective, noun, exclamation, verb, etc.)  There are many different versions available, including Christmas Mad Libs, Vacation Mad Libs, Star Wars Mad Libs, and Sports Mad Libs... just to name a few!

To play a game, one person looks through the tablet, picks a story, then tells the other players what kinds of words are needed for the blanks, writing each one down in its spot. Any number of people can play, of any age (though younger kids may need explanations about the various parts of speech). When the story is completely filled in, the writer reads the story aloud.  Generally, lots and lots of laughter will ensue! :)

My friends and I used to play Mad Libs in elementary school, especially when it was raining or really cold outside and we had recess indoors.  This is also a perfect game for the car -- we take at least one tablet along on all of our family trips!  You can also play online at the website, It's a Mad Libs World!


The creators of Mad Libs also made this:

Mad Libs Card Game...

This card game is for two to six players, ages 8 and up.  Players draw 10 cards, each with a word on it, either a noun, a verb, an adjective, an adverb, or a "wild card".  Players then use their cards and try to create grammatically correct (though probably silly!) sentences.


If you want to play a game, but don't have anyone else around to play with, some of the games above do have solitaire versions.  There are also many books with one-player word games inside them.  I checked these two middle-grade books out from the library, and there was a whole shelf of others besides (as well as word game books for young adult and adult readers):

Word Teasers, 

written by Dympna Hayes and Melanie Lehmann 

and illustrated by Jeff Dickson, Shane Doyle, 

and Jodi Shuster, 1987

This book is filled with a wide variety of games and activities -- words to unscramble, finding the word that doesn't belong in a list of words, secret codes to solve, silly riddles, and tongue twisters.

Too Hot to Hoot:

Funny Palindrome Riddles,

written by Marvin Terban 

and illustrated by Giulio Maestro, 1985

If you are amused by palindromes and other word play, this book is for you!  It is filled with palindrome riddles (starting out easy, but then getting longer and harder), phrases, sentences, and even palindromic numbers.  In one section of the book, Terban also explains the stories behind three famous palindromes.

You may recall that I issued myself a challenge at the beginning of the month, to write at least one new poem each day in June.  I've met my goal so far -- yay!  One of the poems I wrote earlier this week was about playing a board game; I thought it would be appropriate to share it here:

Fun and Games

You say you’re bored?

Let’s play a game!

Entertainment:

Our goal and aim.

Pick one from the

Game closet there –

I like them all

So I don’t care

Which one we play.

Oh, that one’s good!

Lay the board flat,

Please, if you would.

Choose your marker;

I’ll take this one.

You can go first.

Let's have some fun!

Taking turns now,

Spin the spinner.

Move the pieces –

Who’s the winner?

Now all around

The board we’ve been.

Our game’s over –

Let’s play again!

~ Janelle H.

What are your favorite word-related games?  I'm always looking for new games to add to our family's collection, and would love to hear suggestions!

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)

Powers inside of you...

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

"There are powers inside of you that, 

if you could discover and use them, 

would make of you everything 

you ever dreamed or imagined 

you could become."

~ Orison Swett Marden 

This quote reminds me that I can be whatever and whomever I want, I just have to keep looking for those powers inside myself and then use those gifts to help make my dreams come true.  Among other things, I want to be a published author.  What big dreams do you have?

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)

Lazy Hazy Summer Day

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

In honor of the first day of summer, 

a poem from my friend, Thena:

Lazy Hazy Summer Day

Lazy, hazy summer day

Come and take my cares away

I'm tired of work

And want to play!

Summer breezes and summer fun

Summer clothes and summer shoes

Farewell blahs and winter blues!

Summer, hurry and come to stay...

Oh how I love a summer day

Lazy, hazy summer day!

~ Thena Smith, 

Where is Thena?  I Need a Poem About...

Hooray for summer!  Hooray for lazy days, floating in the pool... for vacations... for camping trips... for days on the beach -- reading books on a towel in the warm sand, collecting pebbles and shells, building sand castles, and romping in the waves... for nature hikes... for homemade ice cream... for cookouts and picnics... and so much more!  What do you like best about summertime?

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)

Portmanteau

About a month ago, I came across the term "portmanteau", in reference to a word.  I wasn't sure what it meant, so I looked it up on Dictionary.com.  A portmanteau [pawrt-man-toh] word is one that is "composed of parts of two or more words, such as 'chortle'  from chuckle and snort and 'motel' from motor and hotel.  The term was first used by Lewis Carroll to describe many of the unusual words in his Through the Looking-Glass (1871), particularly in the poem Jabberwocky."

'Twas brillig and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

~ from Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll*

Not long after learning the word I noticed it again, this time on a friend's blog.  She was talking about a room in her house that is a portmanteau, meaning that the room has more than one use.  We have one of those in our own house, and we actually use a portmanteau word for the room when talking about it.  (I guess I was using portmanteaus before I even knew what they were!)  Our room holds my scrapbooking desk and supplies on one side and another desk with the family computer, scanner, and printer on the other.  For years now, we've referred to it as the scraputer room.  (scrapbook + computer = scraputer)

I decided to try making up a few more portmanteau words.  Here's what I came up with:

skip + jump = skump

The little girl went skumping down the sidewalk, 

her pigtails bouncing in rhythm.

mumble + whisper = mumper

The elderly man spoke in a mumper 

and I could barely hear his words.

orange + yellow = oralow

We drove past a parking lot filled with 

oralow school buses and I was reminded of fall.

Have you ever made up your own portmanteau word?  If not, give it a try!  It's fun! :)


*Note: To watch an entertaining recitation of Jabberwocky, check out this one from author and editor Renee LaTulippe on her blog, No Water River: The Picture Book and Poetry Place.  (You will find many videos of other poem recitations, by LaTulippe and several other poets, on her blog as well.  I highly recommend taking a look!)  And then there's my favorite rendition of the famous poem -- performed by the Muppets -- seen here on YouTube.

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)

In early summer...

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

An excerpt:

     In early summer the trees stood still under the blue sky, held their limbs outstretched and received the direct rays of the sun.  On the shrubs and bushes in the undergrowth, the flowers unfolded their red, white, and yellow stars.  On some the seed pods had begun to appear again.  They perched innumerable on the fine tips of the branches, tender and firm and resolute, and seemed like small, clenched fists.  Out of the earth came whole troops of flowers, like motley stars, so that the soil of the twilit forest floor shone with a silent, ardent, colorful gladness.  Everything smelled of fresh leaves, of blossoms, of moist clods and green wood.  When morning broke, or when the sun went down, the whole woods resounded with a thousand voices, and from morning till night, the bees hummed, the wasps droned, and filled the fragrant stillness with their murmur.

~ from Bambi, 

written by Felix Salten

As the daughter of a forestry professor, I've spent a lot of time in the woods over the years.  I appreciate how, in just one paragraph, Salten describes the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest in early summer so well that I feel like I'm standing there, experiencing it all in person.

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)

Happy Birthday!

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

All month long we've been celebrating this blog's 1st birthday, but today is its actual birthday! In honor of that, I decided to have a special prize drawing this morning. Ben drew a name out of all our contest entries -- see the video here, on the Blue Sky, Big Dreams Blog Facebook page.  Congratulations to our winner, Tracy D. W.! (I already have your address, so will put your prize in the mail tomorrow.)

By the way, if you're reading this and you don't know what the Big Blue Birthday Contest is, you can find out all the information and details on how to enter here.

Quite a Hero

Me and my daddy, circa 1971

Quite a Hero

My Hero is the quiet type,

No marching bands, no media hype,

But through my eyes it's plain to see,

A hero, God has sent to me.

With gentle strength and quiet pride,

All self concern is set aside,

To reach out to our fellow man,

And be there with a helping hand.

Heroes are a rarity,

With all they give and all they do,

I'll bet the thing you never knew,

My quiet hero has always been you.

~ Author Unknown

I don't know if this poem was originally written about the author's father, but when I read it, I think of my dad.  I've always felt extremely fortunate to have such a special, wonderful man for my dad.  He is my hero, the one I've always looked up to and tried to emulate.  Wishing him and all the fathers out there a very happy Father's Day!

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)

The New Moon

Photo courtesy of Public-Domain-Image.com

The New Moon

Hold on to me.
We will slip carefully carefully
don't tip it over
into this canoe
pale as birch bark

and with the stars
over our shoulders
paddle
down the dark river
of the sky.

Do not delay.
By next week
the canoe will be bulging with cargo,
there will be no room
inside for us.

Tonight is the time.
Step carefully.
Hold on to me.

~ Eve Merriam

The first time I read this poem, the words "canoe" and "paddle" jumped right out at me.  Paddling a canoe is one of my very favorite things in the world to do.  I guess that's why Merriam's metaphor of the new moon as a pale canoe speaks to me.  I love imagining that I'm stepping carefully into that glowing birch bark, then paddling across the dark sky river.

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)