What Inspires Me #8-Oportunistic Reading
“Library” the word is intimidating. It conjures images of at worst, grizzled frowny faces judging or shushing; at best Marian and Professor Harold Hill dancing and singing ala The Music Man! (Okay, if I thought there was a chance of this kind of shenanigans going on inside my library, I’d be there. Yes, I am obsessed with The Music Man revival. Tickets anyone?)
Which is why I’m saying Fie on Home Libraries Fie! Gasp NO!
YES! But wait for it . . . I have a less-intimidating and much more inviting alternative. (And have author Carrie Pearson to thank for it.)
What Inspires #8 Opportunistic Reading
Instead of taking on the daunting task of creating a “library” aka bookshelves lined with gilded spines, study spaces in your room with an eye to providing/inviting reading opportunities and then cluster books in baskets, racks, stacks, barrels, and yes, the occasional bookshelf, in these spots where they are eye catching and easy to grab when a reading opportunity arises. Including near dining tables and in the bathroom—definitely the bathroom!
How to get started? First, make it fun and functional. And if you like me need order. Try this for starters:
Curate and display books by the color of their spines. Children’s books, in particular, are made to engage visually so the spines of hardcover books are beautiful colors. They really pop when they are displayed in similar groupings either vertically or horizontally. Or get really creative and make a book rainbow on each shelf. – Carrie Pearson Books
And this for seconds: Google it! That’s what I did to find “Books Storage Ideas for Kids”!
Need More? And here’s a link to the full blog post featuring this gem from Carrie and 13 others: “Expert Tips to Create a Functional Library at Home | Redfin”
Be warned, while you’re sorting and scattering you’ll most likely be rereading, too! Dang!
What Inspires Me? #7 My Go-To Scroll-To
Confession time: What do I do to recharge when my C-Battery is out of juice or way low? What do I do when I’m standing in check out lines? What do I do when I don’t know exactly what to do? Or how to do it? Or just plain don’t want to do it?
What Inspires Me #7
Pinterest is my Go-to Scroll-to for Inspiration, Recreation & . . . Procrastination.
With the holidays over, the temps in the teens and a list of to-dos, what do I do? (Ghostbusters!)
I click over to Pinterest, click on the magnifying glass search button. Input: “vacation with tiny umbrellas” (caps or no caps, spelled correctly or not) and PRESTO! I’m here: Thank you Still Playing School!
When I’m looking for recipes, especially when I have limited ingredients I search: broccoli recipes kids and Presto: It takes me to pins like this from Super Healthy Kids:
When it’s freeeeeeeeezing outside and I’m laminting our should-be-cozy home’s lack of a fireplace I search: Fireplace ideas . . . Presto!
When I’m looking for books to read, share, gift, study (and maybe, just maybe needing affirmation) I go to Pinterest, input Books about fish, don’t find what I need so begin a new search “Books about Pets” and am rewarded with pins like this Vanessa Pre-K Pages
Instagram is inspiring but it goes away or gets buried in new posts. As Deb Gonzales: author, teacher, coach and Pinterest Master says, “Pinterest is evergreen” once a pin is posted, it stays posted. Save it and it stays saved. And dang, Pinterest creators spend zillions of hours creating these inspiring, helpful posts—I know because I try! Here’s my Pinterest page. Go-To Scroll-To!
What Inspires Me? #6 Paper Sculpting
Calvin Nicholls is an artist, a sculpture. His medium of choice: paper.
Paper is my medium of choice, too. I click away on a computer, sure, but as a substitute for paper (and slave to technology) not by choice. Paper is my happy place. I scribble on it, print on it, stack it, cut it, tear it, crumple it—toss it into the recycle bin, too (rarely score a 3-pointer), and while sometimes my paper scribbles inspire art. My paper is not art.
Calvin Nicholls shapes, molds, cuts, transforms paper into art. Just look:
Here’s a cardinal.
Here’s Calvin Nicoll’s cardinal.
What’s so appealing about creating paper sculpture? Here’s a snippet from Calvin Nicholls:
I still recall working on my first bird sculpture and marveled at how my interest in drawing, model making, sculpting and photography blended so beautifully with my life long interest in wildlife and the natural world…Every piece is a discovery of sorts too. I’m always learning with each
new sculpture.
To see more about Calvin Nicolls and read about his process—and see more of his paper sculptures, click over to his website: Calvin Nicolls
What Inspires Me? #5 Flower Bulbs
What comes wrapped in a plain brown wrapper, stirs anticipatory longing, brings lasting smiles but will not prompt a raid from the vice-squad or disapproval from the noisy lady around the corner?
Flower Bulbs!
Flower bulbs are Mother Nature’s winter gifts. When the holidays are over, it’s time to bust out the bulbs!
Amaryllis, hyacinth, daffodils, tulips, grape muscari, paper whites are some tried-and true indoor bloomers. Here’s the link to Holland Bulbs—which are all on sale NOW!
One tiny hyacinth bulb sprouting in the window is a bright spot on the darkest day.
Flowering Bulbs are the most forgiving, best performers of all! I mean it—no matter how black your thumb!
Buy Bulbs: Buy them when you see them…especially on sale! Spring blooming bulbs sold for fall planting are fabulous winter inside bloomers.
Sprouted already, no problem. In a box with a pot? Sure! Without a pot or dirt or directions? Yes! If they are shriveled or squishy? NO
Make sure the bulbs you buy are firm like a crisp apple, not withered, not soft, not moist.
Chill Bulbs: Spring blooming bulbs need to be winterized for 6-8 weeks before planting. So put them in a cool dark place at white wine temp, chilled but not freezing 40-45 degrees. You can plant them and then store them in the dark or you can store the bulbs in a brown paper bag into the fridge. The unused veggie drawer in your fridge is perfect—but not—repeat not—with fruit or they will not bloom. (I keep them away from veggies, too.)
“Plant Bulbs: Hah! More like set them in dirt or dirt substitute such as a bed of rocks, marbles, glass chips, on in a bud vase with water. (Bud vases can be any vessel with a top narrow enough to hold the bulb in place above water.
Teachers! Parents! Grandparents! Plant at least one bulb in a clear long-necked vase as shown in these pictures. The kids, and kid in you, will love watching the roots develop as the bulb sprouts.
ONE is all you need. One bulb in a vase is a focal point. Even one tiny crocus, 2-inch crocus makes a statement. Otherwise, plant in groups—odd numbers 3-5-7
Some Now; Some Later! Just because bulbs come in packets you don’t need to plant them all at once. Pull them out a few at a time for a pop of color. When one begins to bloom, I pull out a new bulb and start it.
Not my manicured nails; not my bulbs either but, definitely daffodil bulbs.
Rule of thumb: Think light bulb in reverse when planting: pointy end up, globe side down.
Daffodil bulbs and others sold in the fall/winter for spring blooming (Like these pictured) NEED to be winterized for 6-8 weeks or they won’t bloom. Take them out of plastic, put them in a paper bag or box and pop them in the wine fridge.
Bulbs sold in box stores as gifts (amaryllis & paperwhites) have already been winterized. If you want to stall blooming, store them. Or plant and watch now!
Teacher Tip: I have teacher friends who use bulbs as a math and science measuring unit—they have the kids measure and chart the growth—especially of amaryllis which, like these shown have 4-foot-long stalks. Amaryllis grow inches in a day…INCHES! Such fun!
Amaryllis coated in wax, like these from TulipWorld, don’t even need water! That’s how forgiving bulbs are!
Plant Bulbs: Hah! More like set them in dirt or dirt substitute such as a bed of rocks, marbles, glass chips, on in a bud vase with water. (Bud vases can be any vessel with a top narrow enough to hold the bulb in place above water.
MIX bulbs if you’d like. The size of the bulb corresponds to the size of the plant and flower. Plant tiny bulbs on the outside, largest on the inside.
Water is huge. Water is key! Water can be the enemy: If planting in soil, moisten the soil well, soak it and stir it and make sure it’s moist all the way through.
If planting in anything else, nestle the bulb into the medium so the base of the bulb is just barely, maybe 10%, below the surface. A reverse iceberg.
At first, you want the tip of the bulb, the fattest part, to be damp because that stimulates the bulb-saying wet=spring=sprout. But not soaked, not wallowing. Do not submerge bulb.
Scroll up or down and zoom in close on one of those amaryllis. Notice how those thirsty greedy roots are reaching into the water. The water is not touching the bulb.
Beyond that initial planting, DO NOT WATER SO MUCH THAT THE BULB GETS WET. Repeat: DO NOT LET THE BULB SIT IN WATER. Repeat: IF THE BULB SITS IN WATER, IT WILL ROT AND STINK.
VODKA: The trick to keeping bulbs from growing too long and leggy—and having to be staked—is vodka. Once you notice root forming or green tops growing, add a bit of vodka to the water. Vodka stresses the plant and stops it from growing too tall. I mean, a bit—not a jigger—think 1 part vodka/7 parts water. Gin works too, tequilla might—but who has extra? Rubbing alcohol is good too but use less—1 to 10 ratio. Never tried mouthwash…let me know.
Climate/Conditions: Nobody cares where you live! If the inside temp is good for you, the bulbs will love it!
Place bulbs in a sunny spot—by a window, think bright! Watch and wait for it. . .
Christmas-blooming Amaryllis are sold everywhere from October-December (on sale from mid-December. Leftover amaryllis bulbs are on sale now—Google it!). But check to be sure they are still firm and not slimy.) Plant them whenever you want knowing it will take several weeks for them to bloom—but dang it’s fun to watch! This amaryllis was planted the beginning of December and just look!
Note: the water level in the vase—just a bit at the bottom and those roots are slurping it up!
See how my amaryllis are planted in tall clear vases? That’s because I’m lazy. Many spring flowering bulbs get top heavy and may need to be staked. No big deal, chopsticks tied with string, ribbon or twine work great to shore up droopers. And VODKA (reread note above).
First the bulb will sprout, YEAH! then green tops will grow, YEAH! Then the flower buds will begin forming—some bulbs get leaves first; some grow flower buds no leaves first, some get both flower buds and leaves at the same time. Just watch it and wait!
Paperwhites definitely tend to get leggy. Yep. vodka—can you say Martini?
Just so you know, these paperwhites are planted in a plastic-lined box with about 3 inches of dirt and some moss and grass on top that I dug out of my yard. 3 inches of dirt—truly. And they wouldn’t have cared if I forgot the dirt all together. Bulbs don’t care!
Once the flowers begin to bloom, move your bulb anywhere—no need to worry about light, sun, anything except heat. Keep your bulb away from heater vents. Move that bulb any place you’d like a spot of color. In fact, away from light is best as flowers will last longer away from light and warmth.
When it’s finished blooming, cut off the flower. Cut it close to the base of the bulb. If you like the look of the leaves, keep the bulb watered and enjoy them. Some, like Amaryllis will stay leafed out as long as you’ll let it. Other bulb leaves will slowly whither and yellow. When this happens. . .
If you have a yard: Dig a hole and toss the bulbs in. Don’t worry about right-side up or wrong-side down, just toss them in. Dig the whole about twice as deep as the bulb is big. Maybe they’ll bloom next year, maybe they’ll rot, maybe a squirrel will dig them up. Who knows? Who cares?
If you don’t have a yard, toss the bulbs in the compost bin.
Now for the tough part, 3 choices:
wash well—I’m talking soapy water and mild bleach soaking for stones—then plant more bulbs you’ve stored in the fridge. Hurrah!
wash well—same as above—store the stones, vases, containers to use again later.
toss the whole mess—dirt & bulbs in compost! Good by bulbs! See your friends next year!
Yes, there is more to it than that. But, going deeper into bulb cultivation and storage doesn’t inspire me. If it does you, here’s a good how-to for keeping and storing Amaryllis.
What inspires me #4 Two Thousand One Hundred Ten
Babe with Little Ray Kelly
2110 whoopee! Not talking dollars. Or baseball. Although I do love baseball. And I do have a baseball book forthcoming next spring: The House Babe Ruth Built, a celebration of Babe Ruth’s historic first homer in baseball’s first stadium, comes out Spring 2022 from Familius, just in time for the 100th anniversary of the original Yankee Stadium (more about that later).
Today I’m reposting this cat I let out of the bag 1710 days ago. PSSSSSSSST It’s been a secret! A secret-secret I’ve been doing that now, on this 2110th day, I'm Celebrating! Cue the Band!
“...be kind to your fine feathered friends/for a duck maybe some-body’s mo-th-er!”
For 2110 consecutive days, midst three moves, construction, vacations, births, goodbyes, hellos, and oh no! I have generated a poem a day.
No, I am not going to share any of my poems here, now. (You're safe...for now!}
No, I did not do it alone!
Nor would I ever have imagined getting to day 2110. That's why I'm telling you about it.
Is there something you've been meaning to try, but haven't?
Perhaps a personal goal? Maybe a resolution? Do you keep saying to yourself, as I have/do/probably will again: "I'll start next week" . . . "After the holiday, really" . . . "Tomorrow." . . Tomorrow. . . tomorrow. . . tomorrow . . . tomorrow . . . tomorrow . . .
What's the Gimmick? Gotta Have Skin in the Game.
Here's what I mean: I committed to the challenge with a friend. The rules of the game were set in writer's blood (aka "Ink"). We pledged to email or text our assignments to each other every day by midnight. Or else...
It's that "Or Else" that made the difference.
Rewards & Consequences: Some folks respond better to positive reinforcement. I've shared previously how my author-mentor-friend the late Paula Danziger bought herself pieces of amber jewelry but...gave them to her editor to hold until she met a deadline. In order to get SE Hinton to write her second novel (after The Outsiders), her then boyfriend waited each day for her to finish her pages. Others reward themselves by putting dollars into a honey pot. (Big bucks!)
Rewards do not work for me. It is too easy not to pay myself. Nor have I yet found a payoff big enough (and attainable) to entice me to do anything...and I mean An-ny-thing!
I need Consequences, penalties, shame. That's what motivates me. Deadlines with consequences. So, in order to insure that I'd stick with the challenge, I set a penalty a miserable embarrassing consequence. I pledge to complete each days prompt and send it to Cindy by midnight. If failed I vowed to donate $50 to Trump's campaign publically--on Facebook. Pre-election that was the stiffest-realistic-penalty I could imagine. One I was not willing to pay and so, I did the work Every. Single. Day. Here's the 1-2-3 of it:
Set a "realistic" Goal
Set a "clear" Consequence or Reward
Set a Timer (The secret ingredient!) Cindy and I devoted 7 1/2 minutes each day to complete the prompts. That's it 7 1/2 minutes. Read. Set Timer. Go.
I was amazed at what we accomplished in 7 1/2 minutes. GDC: a concrete GOAL, a set DEADLINE, and a CONSEQUENCE for not meeting that deadline was exactly the motivation I needed to stick with the journal, especially through those first couple of days, then weeks, and vacations, and late nights, and yucky prompts. The answer is YES I CAN!
Tomorrow is here. 2110 down, more to go!
Celebrating 2103 Playlist:
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What Inspires Me #3: MLK, the Biggest Dreamer
Martin, “Martin” of the song, “Martin” of the movement, “Martin” our hope for a kinder country.
Martin Luther King Jr. was as human as all of us, and as vulnerable (and maybe fearful, too.) The difference, is that MLK dared to dream big, big dreams. Dreams for himself, for his family, and the biggest—for us, humanity.
Jan 17, 2022 is Martin Luther King day, a national holiday set aside to honor the man—and most importantly his dream for the world with hopes that we will listen and strive toward it.
On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, at the Lincoln Memorial. Below is the recording courtesy of NPR.
What Inspires Me? #2 Dawgs!
You Dawg, you! . . . Sure, when said with a certain intonation it's a sideways compliment, but I personally never aspired to being a Dawg or Dog. Before now . . .
"I really don't want to be dog either. But, I'm not sure a bunny is better option."
What Inspires Me?
#2 Dogs!
Confession time: I read AARP magazine. (The subscription's not mine--really, it's not--It's my mother's...not that there's anything wrong with that.) Or, as they used to say about Playboy: "I read it for the articles..."
Of course I opened it. Kevin Costner aside, who can resist a lead line that reads"6 Bad Habits that are Really Healthy?
Moving on: An article titled Our Dog Years in the Dec. 2014-Jan. 2015 issue, caught my attention. (So, I'm a little behind in my reading.) OMG I thought, wanting to rip it into shreds and compost it. What's the deal with all the books and movies starring dogs? It's as though mid-life crisis, once synonymous with mistresses and souped-up convertibles, is now all about dogs. Reminds me of the play Sylvia, in which an adopted dog becomes the "other woman" in a middle-aged couple's marriage. Funny play . . . Scary thought considering how many other recent movies feature leading men who love their dogs more than humans...Richard Gere, really?
Curious about just how many mid-life dog crush movies have been published recently, I Googled "Dog-Lovers+Movies." This list popped up:
The Greatest Dog Movies of All Time
List Criteria: Films must be about dogs or feature dogs / puppies as major characters
(Turns out it's an interactive list! We--you and me--can influence each movie's placement on the list by voting. I've hyperlinked it above in case you'd like to do some investigating--voting--dog movie watching later.)
Anyway, back to the article. As a non-dog lover, I must confess it was a bit of a yawn:
The best part was the end. (No disrespect intended, David Dudley.) The article closed with a nugget of advice from neuroscientist Elizabeth Head.
Dr. Head studies aging beagles at the University of Kentucky. She’s noticed the plaques (hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease) found in aging dogs is similar to those found in humans (more similar even than those found in primates.) The reason, Head poses, might be that “living in our environment—our food, our water, our homes—has made dogs more vulnerable.” That age-related dementia might actually be a “side effect of civilization.”
If, as Head suggests, domesticating dogs has made them prone to human “Old-timers” then might the reverse be true? Rather than “Gone to the dogs,” meaning something has “gone badly wrong and lost all the good it had,” is the converse true? Maybe going to the dogs the better way? Rather than singing along, should we heed the call of the song: “Duh-duh-duh duh da- dut/duh-duh-duh duh da- dut/duh-duh-duh duh da- dut/duh-duh-duh duh da- dut/Hey baby…”
Dr. Head is confidant she will figure out how to “stop brain decline entirely in middle-age animals" (hopefully humans included). In the meantime, she's offered, via Dudley's article, this sage advice:
“Everything you do for a dog to help them age well, you should do with them”
TREAT YOURSELF AS YOU DO YOUR DOG:
Eat the best food you can afford
Go for a walk, even when it’s raining
Keep your teeth clean and your breath fresh, so that people you lick will not flinch
When someone you love walks in through the door, even if it happens five times a day, go totally insane with joy
Take your vitamins! Like these from topdogvitamins.com!
So now I'm thinking: If we can learn all this from living like a dog, what wellness tips can we learn from our cats? Or our Fish?
Living Like a Dog Playlist:
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What Inspires Me #1-Family Photo Collage
The holidays behind me, I went to bed last night with a feeling of “Tomorrow back to the same-o?” Soooo…? We all thought by 2022—all those welcoming curves and 2 two too me toos—the world would be all sunshine and light, but… Thinking maybe, like me, you too “22” need a little boost, I’m returning to a practice from those darker days of Bird Flu and empty nest syndrome: Collecting inspiration.
Each week, along with my regular posts, a 7-Minute Poetry Challenge each Wednesday & Ask Norman, response to a reader’s letter each Friday, I’m going to post What inspires Me. Here’s #1
What Inspires Me #1
Collage Art by Sharry Wright
You know all those old family photos—the ones of people you know and most especially those you can only wonder about? Sharry, a friend and fellow classmate from VCFA uses them in collage art. And her captions are the best! Check it out!
Here’s a bit of what inspired Sharry to begin creating these delightful collages:
“…found myself pouring over photos of my grandparents and great grandparents, great aunts and uncles, cousins in various categories of removal and my parents in their youth, wondering about their hopes and dreams and all of the “what-ifs” and forks in the road not taken.”-Sharry Wright
To view more of Sharry Wright’s art (and perhaps snag some of her notecards) click over to her website: SharryWright.com
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl). All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in my “Winner-Winner Chicken Dinner” Quarterly Giveaway!