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Cute gift idea from Fred and Friends!

These cool plates, approximately 8" in diameter, are food-safe, crafted from restaurant quality high-fired ceramic, and will provide loads of fun at the table for all ages. 



You can choose between Mr. or Ms. Food Face -- the possibilities are endless! I enjoyed creating Pat the Poet last week, and look forward to sharing more of my Food Face creations with you in the future ☺!


(Click to enlarge.)

Available online or at select kitchen/novelty/gift shops nationwide. Sold in attractive, sturdy gift boxes.

♥ This post is brought to you by Food Face and FUN, FUN, FUN!

♥ More F is for Fall posts here.

Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.

Brrrrrrrrrrr! Call me Nanook.

Dem cold winds are blowing! Way too early for this sort of thing, if you ask me. Just walking to my mailbox feels like an arctic expedition. If this keeps up, I'll have to call out the sled dogs.

The good news is, I don't have to venture out to the Mall or the post office. I've just about completed my holiday shopping and mailing, except for a few stocking stuffers. I've got a good supply of green tea, warm cider, and raisin cinnamon English muffins. And soon the cookie baking will begin. Warm oven = warm house.

Meanwhile, here are eight good things:

  Yay! I successfully completed the PiBoIdMo Challenge! *pauses while everyone applauds* I came up with 48 picture book ideas in 30 days. Of course not all of them are viable. Some are half-baked and need stronger hooks. Some require more research before I can decide whether they have legs. But there are about 15 solid ideas I'm quite excited about. ☺

This was a good brainstorming challenge which got me into the habit of recording things without obsessing too much about whether they were good enough or not. Looking over my list, I am surprised at how many ideas are really floating out there, how one idea begets another, and how your perception of simple things is altered when you make a habit of really paying attention. I'm not one of those writers who is always flooded with great ideas and regrets not having enough time in one lifetime to develop them all. I struggle to find subjects really worth pursuing. So this challenge was very freeing and made me stretch in different directions -- I've got quirky and quiet, multicultural, foodie, and historical on my list now. Oh, the possibilities . . . enough to keep me busy for a long time. ☺ Thanks again to Tara Lazar for organizing the challenge.

 Giveaway Reminder: You have until midnight (EST) Sunday, December 12th, to enter to win a signed copy of Maha Addasi's new picture book, Time to Pray (Boyds Mills Press, 2010). Click here for all the details. My review of this title is here.

Chronicle Books Happy Haul-idays Giveaway: You have until this Friday, December 10th, to leave a comment on any of the participating blogs for a chance to win $500 worth of books. Check out my wish list and get all the details about this incredible contest.

The Winter Blast Blog Tour (WBBT), organized by Colleen Mondor, is in full swing. There are some fabulous in-depth interviews with the likes of Cynthia Hand, L.K. Madigan, R.J. Anderson, Josh Berk, and Salley Mavor, among others. Check out the full schedule at Chasing Ray.

Loved

"The pace of the music picked up as she gathered speed, and everything left her except the feel of the cold air on her face, her blades on the ice, her movements in time to the music." ~ Kate Messner, Sugar and Ice


         

It's time to put on our sparkly skirts, lace up our skates, and do a triple toe loop and a couple of flying spins to celebrate the official release today of Kate Messner's brand new middle grade novel, Sugar and Ice (Walker, 2010)!!

Last year, Kate gave us The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z (Walker, 2009), which won the E.B. White Read Aloud Award, definitely enhanced my appreciation for autumn leaves, and got me hooked on  introduced me to a delicious distraction called Nonna's Funeral Cookies (nom nom).

 

And now, with Sugar and Ice, we have a small town maple farm, the fascinating world of competitive figure skating, a bit of beekeeping, a Thai restaurant, a Fibonacci school project, a cast of interesting, fully-realized, believable characters, and a highly palatable menu of enticing edibles: hot chocolate, corn chowder, egg salad and turkey sandwiches, pad thai, pizza, PopTarts, and *wait for it* -- blueberry pancakes!  

PANCAKES PANCAKES PANCAKES!


Ricotta Hotcakes (recipe here) from michelle une-deux senses/flickr.

Mmmmmmmmmmm. Tall stack dripping with melted butter and maple syrup. Want. (You will soon want, too. Trust me.)

Seventh grader Claire Boucher leads a busy life helping out on her family's maple farm and coaching kids at a nearby community rink. She loves skating on the frozen cow pond and looks forward each year to performing in the local Maple Show, never dreaming that one day a Russian skating coach would be impressed enough with her skills and natural talent to offer her a summer scholarship at the Lake Placid Olympic Center.  


Old sugarhouse, Parker Family Maple Farm.


The Parker Family Maple Farm, which offers pancake breakfasts and horse-drawn carriage rides during sugaring season, provided much of the inspiration for the setting of Claire's story.

Love this retro moment! Keep its beautiful lyricism close to your heart as you make your way through the day.

Have a good week!

♥ My post about "Sweet Baby James," my all-time favorite JT comfort song, is here.

Photo of Joni Mitchell by Joel Bernstein (1976)

Happy December and Happy Holidays!

'Tis the season of joy, miracles, and giving, warm gatherings with family and friends, the lighting of candles.

In the coming days, bells will be ringing, we'll raise our voices in song, and around every corner, fa la la and ho ho ho. And yet I feel sorry for December. Not because it's the last month of the year, having waited patiently 344 days for its chance to shine. Not because its days are noticeably shorter, darker, and colder. No, I feel sorry for December because so much rests on it.

It's a month crammed with hectic activity, frantic over-spending, zealous over-eating. Suddenly we run around hither and yon, determined to make sure every single person we've ever known or loved is somehow acknowledged. We are pressured to socialize whether we want to or not, tip back that eggnog (glug glug), and by jingle by gum, be HAPPY.

Don't misunderstand. December doesn't really mind being Happy. It doesn't mind all the glitter and sparkle and lit-up faces of kids opening presents on Christmas morning. It certainly doesn't mind all the cookies, candy canes, or gingerbread men. No, December minds the remembering --  of childhood Christmases never to be relived, the missing -- of loved ones living far away, deployed overseas, or no longer with us, and the knowing -- that many are having hard times and will have a lean holiday, if at all.     


Godog84/flickr

Being the last month of the year, everything falls to December. Everything that could have, should have happened the past 11 months, but didn't. Missed chances, dashed hopes, youthful dreams losing more luster with each passing second. The across-the-board wake-up call when high expectations must meet reality is a lot for a single month to bear.

And yet the celebrations will continue, and we will go on, finding a singular beauty in the sadness, sporting badges of honor for having survived this long. We can skate away, if we like, escape to a place of emotional safety, selective remembering and quiet joy.

Joni Mitchell's "River" (here covered by Sarah McLachlan) has become a favorite non-traditional "Christmas song" for many people. Perhaps it is because unlike the traditional carols, this song about a romantic breakup addresses some of our reckonings and deep-seated longings. How much we yearn to see the light in our lives. How much it has hurt us trying to find it. How much we hope it will burn bright enough to get us through December.



♥ Special thanks to Cynthia Lord, who posted this video earlier this week.

♥ You can find Joni's original version of "River", which was included on her landmark album, Blue (1971), along with the complete lyrics here.

                      


Okay, this is probably the coolest holiday book giveaway ever!

And it's sponsored by one of my favorite publishers, Chronicle Books, whom I've loved since the days of Griffin & Sabine (1991). They're asking bloggers to post a wish list of books they'd most like to win, up to a value of $500. And, *wait for it* --if alphabet soup wins the giveaway, one commenter on this post will also win the entire list!!

Can you imagine?! Awesome overload and then some! You can get a lot of books for $500!

Anyway, I had a fabulous time going through Chronicle's quirky catalog of artfully designed titles (drooling over most of them), and came up with a delectable buffet of children's books, cookbooks, art and pop culture books, and a couple of notecard sets. Think whoopie pies, macarons, crumpets, the fab four, Jane, soup, even paper dolls. It was so much fun being a kid in a candy store, dreaming of winning the big prize.

Check out my hopeful haul:

The Beatles Anthology (2000)

Noonie's Masterpiece by Lisa Railsback, illustrated by Sarajo Frieden (2010)



Tea & Crumpets: Recipes and Rituals from Tearooms and Cafés by Margaret M. Johnson and Leigh Beisch (2009)



Delicious: The Art and Life of Wayne Thiebaud by Susan Goldman Rubin (2007)

Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell (2010)

      

I ♥ Macarons by Hisako Ogita (2009)

     

The Jane Austen Handbook by Margaret C. Sullivan (2007)

                     

Don't Let Auntie Mabel Bless the Table by Vanessa Brantley Newton (2010)

Maha with Time to Pray and her first book, The White Nights of Ramadan.

Recently I attended a booksigning at my local Barnes & Noble for Maha Addasi's new picture book, Time to Pray (Boyds Mills Press, 2010).

You may remember that I featured it in a special Soup of the Day post this past summer. This is a lovely story about Yasmin, who learns how to pray while visiting her grandmother in the Middle East. It's beautifully illustrated with Ned Gannon's oil paintings, which showcase the intricate geometric patterns and earth tones of Arab architecture.




No booksigning is complete without a little chocolate!

I picked up an extra copy and had Maha sign it for one lucky alphabet soup reader! Time to Pray would make a wonderful holiday gift or a welcome donation to any school library. High quality picture books about Arab/Islamic culture are rare and in high demand by educators. Time to Pray is a wonderful introduction to Salah, the five times a day worship practiced by Muslims, and will help satisfy the curiosity of American children. The bond between Yasmin and her grandmother makes for a warm, satisfying story that's not in the least bit didactic, and it resonates on a universal level.



For a chance to win a signed copy of Time to Pray, simply leave a comment here no later than midnight (EST), Sunday, December 12th. You can also enter by emailing me: readermail (at) jamakimrattigan (dot) com, with "Time to Pray Giveaway" in the subject line. Extra entries for tweeting, blogging, or Facebooking (just let me know in the comments). Open to U.S. residents only.     
"Familiarizing Islamic prayer through realistic fiction makes this a fine choice for most collections." ~ School Library Journal.

"A girl's visit to her grandmother in an unnamed Middle Eastern town introduces her to her spiritual heritage in this visually arresting tale, which subtly addresses the challenges and importance of passing on faith traditions from one generation to the next." Publishers Weekly

♥ Click here to read my Soup of the Day review, which includes spreads from the book.

♥ This post is brought to you by Fajr, the first, pre-dawn prayer of the day.

Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.

Last week I heard about a cool project via Sara Lewis Holmes: the "Stand Behind Military Kids Wall of Thanks" at the National Military Family Association website.

People from all over the country are submitting photos to show their support and say "thank you" to all the military kids who serve their country by saying goodbye, stepping up at home, writing letters, and giving up one of their parents for months at a time.

Of course, when the Rattigan teddies heard about this, they insisted on participating. We'd like to encourage everyone to upload a photo between now and December 31st. It's very easy to do: just go to militaryfamily.org, download the PDF of the sign, fill in your name or organization, take the photo and then email it to the address provided. Your photo should be added to the slideshow within 24 hours.

We hope you'll take a few minutes from your busy holiday schedule to show these kids how much you appreciate their service. Click here for all the details and to see the slideshow of photos already submitted. Please Facebook, blog, and/or Tweet this info so we can build a huge Wall of Thanks!



♥ Check out Sara's post, which includes photos of some of the authors and teachers at the recent NCTE Conference in Orlando!

♥ Sara also posted a comprehensive list of resources for Connecting with Kids from Military Families.

alphabet soup STANDS BEHIND MILITARY KIDS!!

Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.

           

Velcome Vamps!

Time to give away the Blessed ARC!

This is of the utmost importance, because the longer it stays in my possession, the more I vant to suck your blood, the more obsessed I become with the letter "V" -- voles, venom, vipers, vitriol!

*sips blood wine*

Thank you all for entering. I salivvvvvvvated uncontrollably reading about your favorite red foods.

There were juicy strawberries,

penwren/flickr

ravvvvvvishing raspberries (fingers taste good, too),

D. Sharon Pruitt/flickr

a raft of tomatoes,

taekwondoweirdo/flickr

spicy, bubbling spaghetti sauce,

mrjoro/flickr

and one of my all-time favorite vices, cherry pie.

kellydna/flickr

Several of you were enamoured with that luscious Southern favorite, Red Velvet Cake. Oh yes, all excellent choices!


taleitalei/flickr

The carnivvvvvores threw down a slab or two of rare beef steak. The bloodier, the better.

FotoosVanRobin/flickr

But when all was said and done (i.e., when the Random Number Generator spoke), the vinner's red food of choice was decidedly PINK:

stickygooeychef/flickr 

Now, I'm happy to announce that the ARC of Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith goes to --

(drum roll, please),


shellnut/flickr

Deadtossedwaves!
 
(How I love a person who prefers vood vit vins!)

Heartfelt Congratulations to Kathy Erskine on winning the National Book Award for Young People's Literature!







As I said before, I loved this book from the first paragraph, and was thrilled when it was named a finalist. 

I'm sooooooooooooooooooo very very very very happy it won the award!! WooHoo!!

We love you Kathy! Thank you for writing Mockingbird!

Besides giving us a beautifully crafted, moving story, you've now given us the best reason ever to celebrate with huge amounts of your favorite food, chocolate!

Bring it on!


Nutsinbulk/flickr


QuintanaRoo/flickr


stu_spivack/flickr


427/flickr


Ciro Boro - photo - /flickr


estzer/flickr

♥ Read all about Kathy receiving the National Book Award here.

♥ You can read a short excerpt from Mockingbird at the National Bo

"Say not in grief that she is no more, but say in thankfulness that she was. A death is not the extinguishing of a light, but the putting out of the lamp because the dawn has come." ~ Tagore


evavero/flickr 

November has always had a certain melancholy about it, despite being a month full of birthdays -- my father's, Len's, my brother-in-law's, and mine. Our celebratory joys continue to be tempered with sad news. 

Tuesday, another of my aunts in Hawai'i passed away. Aunty Ellen was my mother's older sister, and she died almost exactly a year after we lost Aunty Ella. So a fresh grief has arrived before we've even had the chance to fully process the other.

And you probably remember my blogging about Len's cousin Liz, who at this posting, is barely clinging to life, like the very last leaf on the branch. So, I've been asking myself, what is it about November? 

Some come, and some go. A time of reckoning as the year ends.



With Thanksgiving just a week away, thought I'd share a poem which offers a philosophical brand of gratitude, a celebration of the seasons which reassures us that no matter what happens in our mortal lives, a greater power is at work, and the earth will continue to turn.

The essence of "giving thanks" seems to intensify with age, the scope widening to include miracles in the vast world around us, as well as the small, everyday things we too often take for granted. For me, this Thanksgiving will be a time to celebrate and express gratitude for the lives of three women -- one who passed last year, one who died this week, and one who is at this moment navigating her unique passage into immortality.

THANKSGIVING SONG
by Br. David Steindl, Rast O.S.B.

As the Great Dynamo who powers the wheels of seasons and years
Turns autumn once more into winter,
At this season of Thanksgiving,
We give thanks for all seasons.


algo/flickr

For winter, who strips trees to their basic design,
For stark, minimalist winter,
We give thanks.
May we let go, and grow bright as stars in a clear, frosty night,
The more we are stripped of what we thought we could not do without.


LHDumes/flickr

For the springtime that bursts forth,
Just when we think winter will never end,
For irrepressible springtime
We give thanks.
May we never forget the crippled, wind-beaten trees,
How they, too, bud, green and bloom,
May we, too, take courage to bloom where we are planted.

andreajoseph/flickr


Why hello.

Come join me on the couch (I straightened everything up just for you). ☺

It's mid-November and our wild turkeys are nowhere to be seen. Every year, right after Halloween, they sense the coming of mashed potatoes and gravy via wattle radar, and hightail it out of the country. Can't say I blame them.

The holidays are upon us! Let us not count the days till Christmas. No, let us not. Let us instead focus on the here and now. My hairdresser called me "Dahling" the other day. Yes, I like Linda a lot. We have a running joke about how everyone always mispronounces my first name. Vivian, the receptionist, calls me, "Jamma-lamma-ding-dong." Linda tries hard to remember, but sometimes lapses into, "Jaw-mah." I told her not to worry one little bit. "Your Highness" is perfectly acceptable. So, I was beyond pleased when she came up with "Dahling" all by herself. And she did a great job cutting my hair.

PiBoIdMo UPDATE



Fifteen days in, and I've come up with 23 picture book ideas! Half are food-related (big surprise). Some want to be nonfiction picture books, which would require researching the history of a particular food (LOVE doing that), while others feature human or animal characters -- two chefs, a squirrel with a penchant for apples, a Japanese grocery truck man, a girl whose parents own a restaurant, a very unusual recipe.

The guest posts over at Tara Lazar's blog, Writing for Kids (While Raising Them), have been very helpful and inspiring. I like the idea of "Embracing Your Weirdness,"  "Going on a Road Trip," and "Being a Rule-Breaking Outlaw." I've always struggled with plotting, and have been banged over the head for years with "beginning-middle-end-story-arc" proselytizing. I love a good narrative thread or storyline with a strong emotional core as much as the next person, but I also enjoy concept books, poetry, and essay-like treatments that don't have traditional plots. Picture books lacking any semblance of conflict seem to get published all the time, but I feel as though I've never been "allowed" to write them. It's important to re-examine structural options, to let an idea breathe and find its own form by breaking the rules once in awhile.

NOTEWORTHY



♥ Northern Virginia author and writer-friend Maha Addasi will be signing her new picture book, Time to Pray (Boyds Mills Press, 2010) at the Fair Lakes Promenade Barnes & Noble

My mother, Margaret, and her younger brother, Joe.


Some people are fond of saying they "love a man in uniform."

As for me, I'm proud to say, "my mother once wore a uniform." Olive drab wool and khaki, to be exact, when she enlisted in the Women's Army Corps back in World World II.


Margaret is in the 4th row from the top, far right (click to enlarge).

In 1944, Margaret joined the first company of WACs from Hawai'i -- a unique contingent of 59 women (ages 20 to 44) representing almost every ethnic group in the Islands, 15 languages spoken among them. All were "local girls," most of whom had never been to the Mainland. They wanted to serve as well as see other parts of the country. About 50 of them were from O'ahu; some had been under enemy fire, others had seen their homes or businesses ravaged by bombers.

When we were in Hawai'i last month, my mom recounted how they first boarded a troop ship (converted tourist liner) bound for California. It was a dream come true for many of them, who for years had seen the Matsonia bring visitors from all over the world to Honolulu.


Margaret (second from left), Aunty Ella (far right).

After crossing the Pacific, the Hawaiian Wacs traveled by rail to Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia, for basic training. I can imagine the excitement of their first train ride, as they watched the changing landscape along the Southern route, passing through Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, and Tennessee. They must have been thrilled (as I once was), to see snow for the first time on mountain and hillside.

Fortunately, they were housed together for basic training. Mutual support and comradery helped them survive six weeks of rigorous drills, inspections, KP duty, classroom time (military customs and courtesies, hygiene, map reading, "supply secrets"), and sometimes cold showers. Not to mention freezing through their first Georgia winter. But on Saturday nights they could relax -- see a movie, attend a party (some brought their ukuleles, others were good hula dancers and singers), play cards, talk story. From all reports, these women impressed their superiors as excellent trainees -- fast learners who were not only efficient and cooperative, but ideal ambassadors from Hawai'i, always friendly and quite a novelty in the Deep South.

        

After basic training, Private Margaret attended administrative school at Ft. Des Moines, Iowa, and was eventually assigned to Camp Stoneman, California, where she worked in Personnel, Special Order Section, processing shipping orders for overseas troop assignments. She was then reassigned to Hickam Air Force Base on O'ahu, and briefly returned to California (Travis Air Force Base). It was while driving a flashy Jeep at Hickam that Corporal Margaret supposedly caught my father's eye. Seems he couldn't resist a "woman in uniform." ☺


At work,

                 

Attention!

Are you a fan of feathers, fur, fanged fiends, blood thirsty vamps and villians?

By special arrangement with the un-dead, we are pleased to offer an ARC (advance review copy) of Blessed (Candlewick, 2011), the soon-to-be-released third book in Cynthia Leitich Smith's New York Times best-selling YA gothic fantasy series!

It's the perfect way to celebrate the 163rd birthday of Bram Stoker, author of the most famous horror novel ever, Dracula (1897) -- Cynthia's original literary inspiration for Tantalize (2007), Eternal (2009), and Blessed, which unites the casts of the first two novels. 



Now, I must confess I don't read many dark fantasies populated with vampires, were-creatures, or shape-shifters, because the mere mention of blood makes me ravenous for red foods (I devoured three gallons of ketchup and five quarts of raspberry jam after reading the first chapter of Twilight). 

But I made an exception for Tantalize, because it features Sanguini's: A Very Rare Restaurant, inherited by smart, funny, red-cowboy-booted, 17-year-old Quincie, who is seduced by a fiendish vampire chef de cuisine, Bradley Sanguini. "Wickedly delicious and deliciously wicked."
 
In Blessed, Quincie's story continues. Now undead, she must "adjust to her new appetites, she must clear her best friend and true love, the hybrid-werewolf Kieren, of murder charges; thwart the apocalyptic ambitions of Bradley Sanguini . . . and keep her dead parents' restaurant up and running." No small order, with the prospect of "hundreds of new vampires on the rise and Bradley off assuming the powers of Dracula Prime." But she does hire a new chef and adds Zachary to her wait staff -- can they save the world as well as Quincie's soul?


Stock up on garlic now! (photo: mksavage/flickr)

Sounds tantalizing, no? If you're seriously salivating over the prospect of more amped-up vamps, generous servings of diabolically delicious suspense, romance, wit and gothic gore presented in a contemporary setting, enter this giveaway post haste! Be among the first of your blood thirsty friends to revisit Sanguini's for some veal tartare, breaded pig's feet in Merlot and onion cream sauce with fettucine Alfredo, blood and tongue sausages with new potatoes, rice pudding blood cakes, or its signature dessert, chilled baby squirrels simmered in orange brandy and bathed in honey cream sauce (infused with Brad's own blood, of course)!

Oh, yum. Who'd have thought a baby squirrel among friends could wreak such ungodly havoc? And you have to love a main character who says, "Menu was my first language." *swoon*

Okay fiends friends, to enter, just leave a comment here (with your contact info if you don't have an LJ account), mention

               

Who's that hiding behind the fence with the gray fur and pointy ears?



Could it be Desmond, a shy cat who likes to blend in the background and disappear? He's quite clever with his disguises:

 

What happens when Gloria, a very outgoing rabbit, arrives at school? Not only does she like being noticed, but she seems to notice Desmond no matter where he tries to hide. Pretty soon, Desmond realizes he enjoys interacting with others after all.

Disappearing Desmond has already received glowing reviews from Publishers Weekly ("socially confident readers and shrinking violets alike will be won over") and School Library Journal ("Young viewers will enjoy spotting Desmond in his ingenious costumes and identifying others trying to stay out of sight in the schoolyard . . . This low-key story of how friendship can support and encourage others will be a welcome addition for most libraries").

Don't miss your chance to win one of 10 copies in Anna's special giveaway. To enter, just click on the image at the top of this post any time between now and November 14th. (You can enter as many times as you wish.) Anna will announce the lucky winners on November 15th! (More details here.)

♥ Check out Anna's Disappearing Desmond webpage for Activity Kits for libraries, story hours and classrooms, reviews, and process posts. At her blog, Painting Bunnies, you can see more about how she created some of the illustrations from sketches to finished art.

♥ Nice online book review at Journey of a Bookseller.



DISAPPEARING DESMOND
written and illustrated by Anna Alter
published by Knopf BFYR, August 2010
Full color Picture Book for ages 4-8, 40 pp.
Cool themes: shyness, friendship, social interactions, inclusion.



What are you waiting for? Clickety click click click!

*Spreads posted by permission, copyright © 2010 Anna Alter, published by Knopf BFYR. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.

"Without courage, honor, compassion, pity, love and sacrifice, as William Faulkner pointed out, we know not of love, but lust. We debase our audience. But we can enable and enrich our viewers and ourselves in our journey through this good time, this precious time, this great and wonderful experience we call life." ~ Earl Hamner, Jr.


Earl Hamner's boyhood home in Schuyler, Virginia.

Saturday, when the air was cool and crisp, and autumn leaves were raining down like shimmering gold coins, Len and I drove out to Schuyler, Virginia, birthplace of Earl Hamner, the real "John Boy" of the popular Emmy-award winning TV series, "The Waltons."

       
           Earl Hamner, Jr.


Richard Thomas as John Boy Walton.            
                  
Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Charlottesville, Schuyler (sky-ler) is more a community than a traditional town (there's no main street to speak of). Call it a hamlet, whose main feature is a meandering country road going up, over and around hills, with houses nestled here and there.

The Hamner home has been completely restored thanks to a Waltons fan, who purchased the property after hearing it was slated for demolition. It's now open to the public (you can see photos of the interior here), and is across the street from the Walton's Mountain Museum, which is housed in the old Schuyler Elementary School building (now a community center).


This was once a high school as well as an elementary school. Earl graduated at the top of his class in 1939.

The museum features Waltons and Hamner family photos and memorabilia, as well as several rooms of set replicas.

There's John Boy's bedroom:

Boatwright, John Boy's fictitious alma mater, was actually the University of Richmond.


 

the Waltons' living room:

 

Ike Godsey's store (not an exact replica but designed to represent an old fashioned country store),

 

Happy November!

A brand new month, and an intriguing challenge. I don't do many of these, but this one sounds like too much fun to pass up: Picture Book Idea Month, organized by Tara Lazar at Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)!

For the month of November, I will have to jot down one new picture book story idea each day. I decided this would be the perfect birthday gift to myself. I'm going to "flavor" my list by trying to think of as many food-related ideas as I can. Makes sense, right?

At last check, there are about 80 people already signed up. If you'd like to join us, there's still lots of time -- sign up deadline is not until November 7th. Tara has arranged for all kinds of cool prizes too -- critiques, original artwork, books, jewelry, and feedback from literary agents. Guest posts by published authors and illustrators will offer lots of inspiration. Click here for all the details.

Now, a good challenge calls for extra chocolate -- a major food group that has been scientifically proven to inspire the best ideas. Let's start with these:

olya/flickr

Okay, I'm all set. I've got my official badge, and will keep you updated of my progress as the month goes on.



Fellow PB fans: Ready, Set, Go!

And those of you doing NaNoWriMo, good luck!

Everyone, have a great week!

Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.

abigailsbakeshop/flickr


Happy Halloween!

Hope you're having a nice Sunday. I can't believe it's already the end of October!

Are you all set for tonight? What's nice about living here is that all the kids in the neighborhood trick or treat together (I don't think there's more than a dozen or so kids in all) -- which means our doorbell rings only once, we pass out candy, and then can relax the rest of the evening.

Since the houses are spread far apart, it's quite a bit of walking for some of the littlest munchkins, especially to reach our house (at the end of a long, dark driveway). But they've come up with the perfect solution. One of the neighbors hitches a trailer full of hay bales to his tractor -- a trick-or-treating hayride! The kids love it, and some of the older ones take turns driving the tractor. The parents walk alongside and make a progressive party out of it, stopping at each house to chat awhile.


Bakerella/flickr

Had a lot of fun celebrating National Cat Day on Friday. Thanks again to all who came by, and to those who contributed photos and stories. Here's a bonus photo of Julia Denos and Seri -- isn't it quintessential Halloween? Gorgeous!

          

Check out these posts for more cattiness:

♥ YA author Sonia Gensler posted some cute pics of her cat, Cedric.

♥ Rich and famous artist, Kevin Slattery, shared some awesome cat drawings and cartoons.

♥ Vince, a highly literate cat living with author Pat Zietlow Miller, has reviewed a couple of children's cat books at Read, Write, Repeat. Charming and amusing!

♥ YA author Robin Graf Prehn shared some pics of Grey Kitty. Cute poses :).

*If you know of any others, please point me to them!

Help yourself to a kitty cupcake and some candy! And have a Spooktacular night!!



BTW, what's your favorite Halloween candy? Cornelius is passing out mine ☺!

Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.

♥ especially for jules




















Zombie cupcakes by jamieanne/flickr.

Happy Halloween!

*This post is brought to you by Fall-derol.

Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.

              
             Crazy Bliss/flickr


Holy Catnip!

The alphabet soup kitchen is crawling with tail swishing, paw swatting, head rubbing cats! And I'm running out of milk. Yeow, mew mew, miaow, scritch scratch all day long.

Yes, your Majesty. No, your Highness. Another serving of tuna, your Excellency?

Gulp. I feel so . . . inferior.

If you'd like to meet some crazy cool superior beings, join us this Friday, October 29th, when we celebrate National Cat Day! I've rounded up some crazy cat people from the kidlitosphere. Some are absolutely crazy about their cats. Others are crazy because of their cats. The rest are just crazy, period. (I cannot claim any responsibility for their catastrophic behavior.)

Stay tuned for fun, folly, felines, and mega-fur. Why not post a picture of your cat on your blog or Facebook profile on Friday?

Meanwhile, help yourself:

A Mouse Race (like a Rat Race, only tastier).


So, what are you looking at?!

*Winchester, pictured above, lives with author Candice Ransom.

*Mouse Race by two moon sky/flickr.

Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.

           

Why, hello.

I was just on my way to the Pumpkin Farm. The weather's perfect today -- warm and sunshine-y with deep blue skies and not a single cloud in sight. Wanna come along?

Hmmm. So many pumpkins, so little time. Which one should I choose?



Decisions, decisions. Too tall, too round, too wide.


Too bumpy!


No. Something's not quite right.


That's better, just my size:


What's in there?




Nice!

Mmmmmmm, pies!



Look! My own army!


I love how all the apples have different names. Some like to be cooked, and some like to be eaten just as they are.
 



Guess it's time to go. I found the perfect pumpkin!

Mine, all mine!

TaTa for now. Thanks for tagging along!


Love ♥,
Cornelius
xxxoo

P.S.

Oh, almost forgot. Just because I like you, you can have some of my pie ☺!



*This post is brought to you by Farm, Festival, and Fun. Hope you're enjoying each and e

It's always a good day when we spot one of our favorite "yard pets" enjoying himself on a lazy fall afternoon.

This is only the second time in 11 years that I've been able to snap pics of Fuzzy the Fox. He's very camera shy and mostly nocturnal, but I guess he just couldn't resist sunning himself, taking a brief nap, and savoring the change of seasons. I wish you could have seen the way he closed his eyes and turned his face up to the sky with an expression of sheer pleasure.

How often do we take the time to be still and feel ourselves in the world?
 
For as long as we've lived here, we've had the privilege of observing fox families. Fuzzy is one of many descendants of The Great Reynaldo, the first fox we became acquainted with -- a dashing fellow with thick red fur and black stockings, who carried himself with a decided air of aristocracy and discerning tastes. These days, the others speak of Reynaldo in hushed tones, still in awe of his incomparable flair, rugged good looks, and finely honed hunting skills.



But today we have Fuzzy (who is likely female, but we refer to all the animals as "he"), who thinks he's a dog. Len has trained him to come for his supper (leftovers and puppy biscuits), by opening and closing our kitchen door (loud slam), and calling his name. Fuzzy must have read the book about the "fox in the hen house," because he's mad about chicken (dem bones, dem bones, dem fowl bones). We love that he's not a picky eater -- it's fun watching him slurp up long spaghetti noodles, puzzle over sushi, nibble up blueberries, and gather up bits of bread to bring back to his kits.


Fuzzy photo of Fuzzy.

We often wonder what Fuzzy thinks of us, besides free food. Strange people living in a big box, watching the leaves turn.

*This post is brought to you by Foxes, Forests, and Feeling.

♥ More F is for Fall 2010 posts here.

Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved

      
      Robert Louis Stevenson at age 7.

I've been thinking how different poets speak to us at different times in our lives.

Take Robert Louis Stevenson, for example. "My Shadow," from A Child's Garden of Verses, was the first poem I truly loved. I picked it out of a library book when I was 8 or 9, and was convinced it was written just for me.  

I memorized the poem and never took my shadow for granted ever again. She was much better than an imaginary friend, but what a copycat! ☺

When I had lunch at the Wai'oli Tea Room recently, I was fascinated by a picture I saw of Stevenson with King Kalakaua (the "Merrie Monarch"). I knew that Louis, as he liked to be called, spent about three years (1888-90) sailing around the eastern and central Pacific, visiting the Marquesas,  Society Islands, Tahiti, etc., with an extended stay (5 months) in Hawai'i, before purchasing 400+ acres and building a home in Samoa (where he is buried). I wanted to know more.


RLS and his wife Fanny in the Gilbert Islands (click to enlarge).

After a little digging, I stumbled upon an online exhibit at the Edinburgh City Libraries website, featuring a scrapbook of Louis's South Sea adventures which belonged to his stepson, Lloyd Osbourne. What a treasure trove of goodies!

There are rare never-before-been-seen private photos of a relaxed Stevenson and his family, which offers a unique peek at how island life was perceived by foreign travelers during Victorian times. 


RLS with his wife (Fanny), the King, his mother (Margaret Stevenson), and Lloyd Osbourne (seated on floor), aboard the Casco, a yacht Stevenson chartered in 1888 for his South Seas voyage (click to enlarge).

Of course, I most love the photos of Louis in Hawai'i. Louis became great friends with the King; both were world travelers who enjoyed champagne and a good game of whist. Here is a poem Louis wrote for Kalakaua in February 1889:


RLS with Lloyd Osbourne and King Kalakaua in the King's Boat House (1889).
(click to enlarge)

TO KALAKAUA
(With a present of a pearl)

The Silver Ship, my King - that was her name
In the bright islands whence your fathers came -
The Silver Ship, at rest from winds and tides,
Below your palace in your harbour rides:
And the seafarers, sitting safe on shore,
Like eager merchants count their treasures o'er.
One gift they find, one strange and lovely thing,
Now doubly precious since it pleased a king.

The right, my liege, is ancient as the lyre

Pooh plays one of Julia's pieces.

Tra-la-la, tra-la-la,
Rum-tum-tiddle-um-tum.

Seems my niece Julia might be taking after me in some ways ☺.

She loves to read and write, plays the piano, and is crazy for stuffed animals, especially Pooh. Yeah!

      

Since she lives in Hawai'i, I don't get to see her more than once a year or so, and each time I look at her, I get this giddy feeling I'm looking at myself. Okay, she's cuter.

But . . . I have to admit that when it comes to art, she blows me out of the water.

Recently, I was impressed by this sketch:

        
           (click to enlarge)

And I love her dioramas, which are on display in the dining room.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory:

(click to enlarge)


(click to enlarge)

and Ginger Pye:



(click to enlarge)

I'm hoping to convince Julia to write a little something for alphabet soup sometime. Her brother Jared did a restaurant review last year, and I was hoping to get some of Julia's thoughts on any one of her favorite books. She said she wanted to, but changed her mind. Ahem! You know these temperamental artists. Stay tuned.


Julia's bears tucked in for the night. Now, where have we seen this before?

*This post has been brought to you by Family, who always comes first.

Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.