Celebrating Seuss

Today would have been Dr. Seuss' 108th birthday. Born, Theodor Seuss Geisel, he also wrote under the name Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone. Regardless of the name, we miss one of our beloved children's authors, who passed away in September, 1991.

Dr. Seuss authored 46 children's books and there wasn't a dud among them. His simple wisdom rings true today with moments like:

Be who you are and say what you think because those that care don't matter and those that matter don't care. ~ Dr. Seuss

The good Dr. didn't actually coin that phrase, but he did improve on it. It originally appeared when a society columnist asked the financier and statesman, Bernard Baruch (1870-1965), how he arranged seats for the notables attending his dinner parties, Mr. Baruch replied, "I don't bother about who sits where. Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter."

Seuss made that sound less-cranky, and less aloof. He made things accessible to people and that may be part of why his works are classics.

In his quirky, sing-song way, Seuss offered up not only Green Eggs and Ham, but a plateful of life lessons as well. Here are three good servings of Seuss' sayings from our table to yours:

2. Be Yourself

3. Follow Your Dreams

1. Care enough to promote change



Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

So, all you Lerkim and Snuvs, you Nerds and you Zax with your kwiggers and wisper-ma-phones, gather up your bar-ba-loots, your wumbus, your thnadners and hump-humf-a-dumpfers, put on your midwinter jickers or floob-boober-ba-boober-bubs and have a sensational Seuss-tacular celebration!


With joy,
Thing 1 and Thing 2
You can decide which thing is who . . .

If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good ~ Dr. Seuss

More Random Good Stuff: Sue/Brian

Here's to Friday! It's the day for listing random lists because it's our blog, and sometimes we just need to be silly!

So here we go . . .

Three types of candy that I like to eat that are NOT chocolate:

Sue
2. Watermelon or green apple Jolly Ranchers
3. Twizzlers - Strawberry and Cherry are good, but I will cheat and note that the Hershey's Chocolate flavor is my favorite!
1. Starburst

Brian
2) Zagnut (like a Butterfinger, but covered in toasted coconut instead of chocolate)
3) Razzles (first it's a candy, then it's a gum!)
1) Gummy things (especially the raspberries)

Three books on a nearby shelf that I've not picked up for quite some time so they are most likely covered with dust:

Sue
2. The Big Book of Juices and Smoothies - (The juicer in the cabinet is just as dusty!)
3. The Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market, 2007
1. Betty Crocker's Parties for Children - This book is circa decades ago. My sister picked it up at a garage sale for me a few years back. I have no idea why I keep it on my shelf!

Brian
2)  We Interrupt This Broadcast
3)  The Galileo Connection
1)  If You Want to Walk on Water You've Got to Get Out of the Boat

Three fall TV show premieres I'm looking forward to because I'm tired of re-runs, reality shows, and infomercials:

Sue
2. The Big Bang Theory
3. Glee
1. Raising Hope

Brian
2)  How I Met Your Mother
3)  The Big Bang Theory
1)  Mad Men

Well, there ya have it. Random good things. Share yours today!

Life's a Beach!

If I had a gazillion dollars, I would live in a nice comfy place on the beach. It doesn't even have to be a huge, fancy beach house like you see in the movies. A small cottage in a pleasant pastel color will do as long as it is steps away from the sand, sun, and sky.

Wanting to squeeze a little bit more summer out of summer before the kids head back to school later this week, we loaded up the Subaru and headed out to what Brian calls the other west coast last Friday - the western shores of Michigan, in our case Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer. The sun was shining and the temps were just right with a gentle breeze blowing in the air. And despite my frustration with not being able to do much on the beach 'cept plop my bum down and relax, I love the beach. Here's three good reasons why:


1. Beach reads: Magazines, newspapers, and books. I brought a book and the Chicago Trib along for my afternoon entertainment, second only to eating salty snacks and people-watching. Taking a gander at my neighboring beach-goers, reading is a popular beach activity especially among the 20 and over set.


2. Beach toys: Like most families, we had to drag a bunch of stuff along to keep the kids busy at the beach such as buckets, shovels, sand-castle building molds, Frisbees, kickboards, small off-road trucks, and one of T's favorites -the sand digging claws. Funny, I didn't spot a beach ball on the beach, but I did note a group of volleyball players, and one couple playing a paddleball game of sorts.



3. Beach features: The aforementioned sand, sun, sky, and of course water. Sand is not always good when it gets all into everything, but it's fun for kids (and kids at heart). I like burying my toes into the sand, and rumor has it that the sand will soften the skin on your feet, and make them all pretty-like. The sun shining brightly on the beach is good for warmth and for tan-seekers, too, but I prefer the shade of a big beach umbrella.


You couldn't very well have a beach without water. The kids and T enjoyed a few dips and frolics in Lake Michigan, which was pretty calm on Friday. I enjoy listening to the sound of the waves roll in and out at the beach as I'm not much of a swimmer these days.

Oh, and the bright blue gorgeous sky! Bonus: We were lucky to be around late enough to enjoy a beautiful sunset. A perfect pink and orange ball of fire fading from the sky into the lake. A good sight from God indeed!

Good reads about interesting people

Besides being a thinker, I am a reader. I love to read. I usually read at night before bed which really bugs T because I keep the light on while he is trying to sleep. The kids also have picked up this trait which I believe runs on my side of the family - remember my post about my dad? He reads really long books in a short period of time.

I like to read many types of books, or genres if you wish to be fancy. However, as of late, I especially like memoirs. Although I have read the memoirs of celebrities or other household names, I also enjoy reading about lesser-known people who have led interesting or extraordinary lives.

Here are three good memoirs I've read over the last year or so:

1.
"Breath - A Lifetime in the Rhythm of an Iron Lung: A Memoir." This is the story of Martha Mason, a woman who lived 61 years of her life in an iron lung after contracting polio when she was 11 years old. With her mother's help and encouragement, she graduates from both high school and college despite her limitations. It's is an incredible story of strength and determination.





2.
"Trafficking in Sheep: A Memoir From Off Broadway, New York to Blue Island, Nova Scotia." In her memoir, Anne Barclay Priest shares the story of how she traded in her life as a New York actress to become a sheep farmer in Nova Scotia. A good read about following your heart, taking chances, and fulfilling your dreams.





3.

"Writing Places - the life journey of a writer and teacher." by William Zinsser. Zinsser, the author of "On Writing Well." a guide for writing non-fiction, a top book on the required reading list for journalism majors, shares his stories about working for the Herald Tribune, then as freelance writer, and finally as a teacher at Yale University. Perhaps he is not well-known outside of the realms of journalism or academia, but his clearly-written memoir is a good read for former journalism majors/aspiring writers like me.


3 people, 3 interesting lives, 3 good reads!

Desert Island Classics

Today, my good things are going to be the three pieces of media I would want with me on a desert island. Before I list them, I'm taking my Bible with me and not counting it among the other three. It's the "Good" book after all, so I don't want to skip it, but I also don't want to quibble over whether it's with me or not.

2) Book

The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

This compilation would keep me coming back over and over, laughing and wondering - what was Douglas Adams thinking?

3) Music

The Police: Message in a Box (box set)
Again - I'm cheating on the compilation - getting the entire catalog of The Police in one shot, but it's my list. You want to make the rules? Make your own list. I struggled with this one, because I find so much music beautiful, charming, inspirational, edifying or just rowdy. For me, this set has it all.

1) Movie

So I Married an Axe Murderer
Will I ever stop laughing at this movie? I think not. It's got everything! Action, romance, a Scottish wedding, poetry, The Pentavaret!