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We recently attended the 2009 International Reading Association Conference. While we were there middle school media specialist Cathy Nelson was kind enough to talk about her experiences using Orca Books with her students (on film).

We have a poster at work that is titled “Unlucky Arithmetic; Thirteeen Ways to Raise a Nonreader”. It really reminds me that there are many different ways to raise a reader despite the poster outlining what not to do (Here is a pdf version of the  poster). I think the point of the poster is to show us that reading should be fun and varied. There isn’t a right way to read.. any reading is the right way. 

There is a little article here where Frieda Wishinsky which outlines her ideas for successful reading out loud and the benefits it has for the upcoming generation of readers. Enjoy!

In Summer of the Spotted Owl, Dinah Galloway and her buddies save a family of spotted owls from crooked developers in the North Vancouver rainforest. Spotted owls are among the world’s most endangered animals – but they just got a glimmer of hope. In a recent story, the Los Angeles Times reported: “President Obama [recently] overrode the Bush administration on a key step in applying the Endangered Species Act, restoring a requirement that federal agencies consult with experts before launching construction projects that could affect the well-being of threatened species.” CTV News recommended Summer of the Spotted Owl for young readers seeking to learn about fragile ecosystems.

Johannes Gutenberg would be pleased. The German goldsmith (1398-1468), who invented the printing press in 1439, can rest easy in his grave. Computers will never replace print, avers Jeremy Klaszus in the Calgary-based Fast Forward Weekly. Never mind those exciting paperback thrillers that it’s fun to cuddle up by the fire on a rainy day –  as one news vendor points out, even a good-sized newspaper would be too much for your eyes if you tried to read it all onscreen.

I was tagged by Josh Pincus, Joanie (Applehead Art), Merdith Gimbel and Carli (Carli's Corner) to reveal 7 facts about myself, then pass the torch to 7 others. So here goes:
1) I would love to post some of my art in my blog header, but there is some glitch in my blog that has repeated the header under the header, so if I add artwork to the header, it shows up in code in the repeated header under it (see above where it repeats "Kathleen Rietz - Artist / my creative diary" under the header). I have tried to get rid of the repeated words, but they won't go away. So I feel my blog looks rather.....boring.
2) I have always loved wearing brown, even as a child.
3) I like flax seed oil, salt, pepper and raw sunflower seeds in my grits (yes, I am a Northern girl who eats grits). How do you like yours?
4) I have never spent a night in a hospital.
5) I have to consciously try not to swallow my gum...yes, it is a bad habit....and no, it does not stay in your stomach for 7 years.
6) I still have my tonsils.
7) I used to be part of a women's jail ministry team for about 3 or 4 years. It was a co-ed jail. It was a very enlightening experience.
Okay, I tag:
Julia Freund
messy jessie
Bill Ross
Josh Musarter
Elizabeth Metz
Phyllis Harris
Flower Girl

There is a lot of talk about change at the moment with elections on both sides of the border. Want real change? Then Bilaal Rajan’s your man! Bilaal is the author of the just released book - Making Change: Tips from an Underage Overachiever.

Bilaal has recently been named one of the Top Twenty Under Twenty and is the current UNICEF Child Ambassador. Bilaal also holds the title of “Youngest Orca Author.” Watch the video below to learn more about him.

My poetry book And Then There Were Eight: Poems About Space might be inaccurate already or soon. Some poems it contains are silly and are not intended to be factual, like this one:



Here, Girl!

She rolls
   and roams
      and wags her tail
She never needs to see the vet


I love her
   silver
      shiny coat
She's my planetary pet!

Caption: The mars Lander explores Mars.

But other poems are intended to be both fun and accurate, like this one:

Then There Were Eight

Poor ball of ice, we know you exist; but you're
Little and solid and we must insist on
Undoing the past, so though you'll be missed, we've
Taken you 
Off of the "real planet" list

Caption: Pluto was removed from the list of planets in 2006.

My friend Vijaya Bodach emailed me last week with a link to this Associated Press story that mentions the number of planets--and it's not eight! The article states, in part: 

"National Geographic Children's Books created the contest in response to the recent announcement by the scientific community that there are now 11 recognized planets — Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Eris."

Dang. Now what? First, I don't even know if this is true. I couldn't find any other mention of this new announcement, including at the site of the International Astronomical Union, the group that makes these kind of decisions. So maybe this is just rumor. Or a group of dissenting scientists?

But either way, it brings the question to mind: What do you do when you have a factual book and then the facts change? Does your book become a quaint relic? Do publishers reprint the book (only if it was selling very well, I assume)? I would guess science writers who write on cutting edge topics face this hazard all the time. I'd love to hear about your experiences.

We still have all our Christmas decorations up; as it's another tradition I hold fast to. My youngest son's birthday is in January and we customarily keep the decorations up until after his birthday. It's so hard to put everything away and go back to being what feels like bare though it's far from it. That and the fact that due to the "project" I can't get to my Christmas boxes yet. Yippee, I can put it off until next weekend!

When my husband and I have two days together it is always jam-packed. Working full time and cramming in all the to-do's and wish lists on the weekends is always a challenge.

Good Morning All:

Here it is, June 7th and it's chilly enough to wear a light jacket. I'm forcing myself to enjoy it though, as I know that within the next week or so, the temperature could be in the 90's to low 100's and I'll be wishing for a little chill!!

I spent a small portion of the afternoon yesterday going through a box of my treasures. Included in this box is my mom's wedding ring set from 1946, a strand of pearls given to me by an old lady named "Pansy" that lived next door to me when I was a little girl, and lots of other goodies that would most likely be junk to anyone else!

Also included in this old shoe box is my Grandma Watson's glove. A single glove, as the mate belongs to one of my mom's sisters. I don't know exactly how old it is, but I know that the gloves were sent to my grandma by my grandpa during World War I. I don't even know where he purchased them, although I've been given the broad idea that it was "somewhere in Europe, maybe Germany".


It is so delicate and tiny. I wonder if my grandma ever wore the gloves, as it looks as though it really wouldn't fit an average sized woman.

I imagine it is made from silk lace, but I don't know for sure. There are two mother of pearl snaps on the wrist...



and it has turned a beautiful light tea color over the years. It's kept in the same envelope that my grandpa sent them in originally. Unfortunately, the stamps are long gone and the writing on the envelope was done in pencil and is mostly worn away.

I'll keep this one single glove, along with my other little family treasures, in the old shoe box until it's time to divide them up. But...every once in a while, I'll open the lid and take a peek at the history that will one day belong to my kids.

*************************************************

I took a stroll through the garden today and Jr. came along with me. He's not too helpful, but he means well......


And, as usual, here's a link to My Etsy Shop. I've listed a set of 3 "Ghostly" collage ACEO prints today. As always, if you're interested in purchasing something in my shop, but you don't have an Etsy account, simply email me through my blog and I'll be more than happy to work with you.

The Lonely Ghost


The Ghostly Owners


Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls

Good Morning:

I'm back from my morning walk, and it seems as though I'm in for another busy day. I much prefer the slow pace of a day in the garden, but life must be lived, sometimes busily, sometimes not. Today will be busy.

Gary had to take one of our vehicles into the shop this morning on his way to work. Diagnosis is still to follow~~ I am taking my mom to the bank and to do her grocery shopping. After she has finished with her shopping, my daughter and I will do our grocery shopping. Of course, in between the daily business, there are various odd and ends that need to be taken care of. Laundry comes to mind...

So, I wanted to take a moment to stop and breath. To be aware of my surroundings and the little pieces of joy that make my home a home. As you can see in the photo above, one of my "favorite things" is a very old and very used "Three Little Pigs" pot. Most of the paint is chipped off and I've never put a plant in it as I don't want to distract from it's basic beauty. This pot was given to me by my neighbor who deals in antiques. She knows that I love fantasy and fairy tales, and she said she knew as soon as she found this piece that she had to get it for me!! It sits comfortably, along side so many of my other old treasures, on my dining room hutch.
Isn't it lovely?



I would also like to share an old photo with you. This photo actually belongs to the same neighbor that gave me the pot. We both are in love with this photo. It has been creased down the middle but is in over all good shape. I think she intends to keep it for herself instead of re-selling it. She is so very generous. Anytime she gets a box of old photos or a handful of unusually exquisite photos, she lets me copy them before she sales them. This particular photo image absolutely needed to be collaged. I've already started the process and I hope to have it finished in the next day or so.



I hope this post finds you all well and ready for a beautiful spring day.

Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls