Game Night – Treehouse

by Carol3 Comments
Treehouse Designer: Andrew Looney Manufacturer: Looney Labs Year: 2006 Playing time: 20 minutes Ages: 8 and up Players: 2 - 4 Last weekend, as we were on our way out the door to the fireworks, David said to grab a game to take with us, something to play while we waited on the sidewalk the hour or so before the explosions started. So, what game to bring? There were only four of us, set-up had to be easy, it had to be one David could carry in his pocket, and it couldn't be something that would blow away, since it was an outdoor, pretty crowded area. Treehouse was perfect. All the pieces come in a small tube. The game can take up a small area and wind is not an issues, unlike with cards. It consists of of plastic pyramids and a die. In the initial set up, one set of three pyramids is set up as the "House," the black set in...
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Rainbow-walker

by Carol5 Comments
Last week, I talked about the real Johnny Appleseed, John Chapman. Today, we're looking at the legend he left behind. I read "Rainbow-walker" in American Tall Tales by Adrien Stoutenburg, although I'm sure there are many versions of the story available. While the story does focus on Johnny's love of apple trees and his mission to plant orchards west of Pittsburgh and help others do the same, his love of animals struck me most. He heals them and talks to them. They are his friends and companions during his trek through the wilderness. On days when he found no settlers or friendly Indians to spend the night with, he slept out in the open with a fox or raccoon curled up beside him to keep him warm. One of the animals he healed, a large black wolf, became his friend, followed him constantly as they both grew older. I have to admit to bawling during the part of the story when the...
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Green Pieces by Drew Aquilina

by Carol3 Comments
Green Pieces: Green From the Pond Up by Drew Aquilina This is a collection of cartoon strips set in a pond where led by a claustrophobic turtle named Iggman, the action picks up once humans leave the scene.  Iggy and his friends including an annoying dragonfly, Radic, an omnipotent techno-bullfrog, Cabby, and a rogue raccoon, Roc, give us an entertaining perspective on nature. While for me the cartoons were not laugh-out loud funny, I may be in the minority, and I certainly see the value of the collection. It's a fun way of incresnig awareness about the environment, of teaching kids, and adults, to respect nature, seeing the world from the viewpoint of these quirky characters. Laughing and learning are a great combo. And the strips are amusing. I especially loved Iggy; he and his shell manage to get into all kinds of situations. Publish date: September 4, 2010 197 pages [tweetmeme source=”carolsnotebook” only_single=false http://carolsnotebook.com/2010/07/07/green-pieces-by-drew-aquilina/] I received my advance review copy from the...
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Rehashing the Week

by Carol6 Comments
First a reminder, my giveaway for Montana Destiny by R. C. Ryan is still open. I didn't love it, but you might. Last week, I finished two books, both non-fiction surprisingly enough, and a short story. Johnny Appleseed by Jane Yolen- a kids book telling the true story behind the legend Proust's Overcoat by Lorenza Foschini - biography about a quirky bibliophile “The Adventure of the ‘Gloria Scott’” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - a Sherlock Holmes story This past weekend we celebrated the Fourth of July here. Firday I had to work, so David and Amber went fishing without me. They claim they caught 6 fish between them, but I'm not sure. Saturday we had a cookout at our house, then went over to the fireworks in Toronto, Ohio. For being a small town they have a nice display every year. Sunday we went up to Pittsburgh for the fireworks. We got there a little early, so we stopped for dinner at Packs and Dogs. I'm...
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“I don’t like you.”

by Carol4 Comments
This woman can do it all; she's a great wife, mother, she manages the house, she runs a business, she cooks, she sews—what she doesn't seem to do is get tired! She seems absolutely perfect. Maybe that's why my first response to reading about her was, "I don't like you." (pg. 55, The Confident Woman by Joyce Meyer) Meyer is discussing the woman described in Proverbs 31,  a woman who I actually hadn't given much thought to before. I'm looking forward to reading the chapter about her. Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along. The rules are easy and I only cheated a little. Grab your current read, open to a random page, and give us two teaser sentences. Remember, no spoilers. [tweetmeme source=”carolsnotebook” only_single=false http://carolsnotebook.com/2010/07/06/i-dont-like-you/ ‎] I won my copy and the above is my honest opinion. I am an Amazon associate....
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