Poetry Friday

It’s National Library Week! Do you love your library? I do! With our bookshelves bulging, it is nice to take the kids to the library, read, and take the books back. I like to check out the childrens’ magazines and check out poetry books for myself as well. Once in a while I’ll even check out a book for adults! A few days ago I took my four year old to the library I went to when I was a child. I frequent that one and the one in my current town. The towns are close to each other, as I didn’t move far away from my home town. I’m crazy and adventurous like that.
The fabulous Cynthea Liu is having a Library Lovin’ Challenge. Stop by her site to comment, and she will give fast hard cash to a library! Her goal is 1000 comments! You can also receive a signed bookplate for her next book Paris Pan Takes the Dare and a chance to win the book, too!

I LOVE THE LIBRARY by Kelly Polark

Silent reading.
Lots of seating.
I like the comfort of the library.

Moms shushing.
No rushing.
I like the calm of the library.

Aisle browsing.
Quiet carousing.
I like the variety of the library.

Patrons learning.
Easy returning.
I like the value of the library.

Internet, magazines, DVDs.
Can we go to the library, please?
I love everything about the library!


Becky's Book Reviews has the Poetry Roundup today!

Keep Fishin'

I received a great surprise in the mail yesterday. The April issue of Nature Friend magazine was in an envelope with a check! I didn’t even know they accepted my submission. I did receive a few emails that they were considering my work, but I did not know it would be in print! My rhyming riddles titled "Fishing for Answers" is on page 7 of the April issue. Here’s a pic!

Fishing is HUGE in my family and my husband’s family. I seriously got excited when my hubby (then boyfriend) told me he fished, because I knew he and my dad would be great fishing buddies! (and they are, they’re musky nuts!)
To celebrate my "Fishing for Answers" article, today’s Tune for Tuesday is the Weezer song, "Keep Fishin’". It’s a great video starring the Muppets! My kids say the last line of the video all the time, “That wasn’t half bad…It was all bad!”
Weezer is a Grammy award winning rock band from Los Angeles. Their songs are very catchy and fun to sing along to. Some hits include "Say It Ain't So," "Beverly Hills," "Buddy Holly," and "Pork and Beans."
"Keep Fishin'" is from their 2002 album, Maladroit.
Great song, funny video. Check out Kermit in a Weezer tshirt!

Meet Daisy Mae

Happy Easter! I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend. We had a blessed weekend with lots of family events and a new family member. We adopted a new puppy on Saturday from Have a Heart Dog Rescue!
I've been looking at puppies on petfinder.com (a website that shows animals in shelters and rescues who are available for adoption) for months for just the right dog. My first dog ever, Puppers, died in December. We also have a 12 year old miniature pinscher, Goofy. We knew we wanted to get a puppy, since our kids never experienced the craziness of puppyhood. I saw a pup on petfinder.com that looked like a cross between Puppers and Goofy. She had Puppers soft, floppy ears and Goofy's black and tan color.
Puppers and Goofy


Here's our new pup, Daisy Mae!

Daisy's mom was rescued from southern Illinois. She was a pregnant stray. They think she is a King Charles cavalier spaniel or a cavalier spaniel mix. We don't know what kind of dog the father was so it will be interesting to see how Daisy looks when she grows up! We just knew she was adorable and needed a home.
The kids are beyond excited about their new puppy. First we had to decide on a name for this playful pup. We were debating between Brandy, Lily, and Sookie. Then I looked on the internet to look at female dog names. We added Lucky and Daisy to our list. The kids really liked Daisy, and we liked it, too. So she is Daisy!
Here's when Daisy met Goofy.

Happy Tails!

Here is some info from the dog rescue's website.
There are approximately 45 cats and dogs for every person born.
Only 1 out of 10 dogs born ever get a home.
Approximately 800 dogs & cats are KILLED each HOUR in the United States,because there are not enough homes for them!
Please SPAY and NEUTER! If looking for a pet, please rescue!

Poetry Friday

Did you know that April 4 was Tell A Lie Day? I actually forgot about it that particular day, but I did write a poem about it a few months ago! There are actually e-cards for Tell A Lie Day! If you feel bad for lying on April 4, National Honesty Day is April 30. This day is to remind people that honesty is the best policy, and to try and tell the truth all the time (all the time that is except for April 4!).

Please check out my poem about Tell A Lie Day in the April issue of Stories for Children magazine here!

This week's poetry roundup is at Carol's Corner!

This or That Thursday

Rena has awarded me the Lemonade Stand Award! This award is given for great gratitude and/or attitude. Thank you, Rena! You can pre-order Rena’s newest book A New Job for Dilly here!
I decided to go along with the lemonade theme for This or That Thursday today.
Lemonade, that cool refreshing drink…(Anyone remember that from the Eddie Murphy Delirious special long ago? Watch it on Youtube. He is impersonating Elvis, and it is so funny!)
Which refreshing drink do you prefer? Do you like lemonade or iced tea? Or an Arnold Palmer (lemonade and iced tea mixed)?

I can’t choose. I really do like both drinks equally. I’ve never ordered an Arnold Palmer, I bet I’d like it! So tell me, do you like this or that?

Tune For Tuesday

I’ve been wasting time lately on Facebook taking quizzes about music trivia, Harry Potter, and state capitals, listing celebrity crushes, and general Facebook chit chat. After taking the music quizzes and looking over my silly crush list, I realized that I haven’t had a tune for my Tune for Tuesday by one of my favorite musical artists – Motley Crue. I liked the Crue in their heyday of the 80’s, but never bought a Motley Crue CD until after I read the book, The Dirt, by Motley Crue in 2002.
The Dirt is a detailed account of the highs and lows and general debauchery of the four members’ lives. Motley Crue is Vince Neil (vocals), Mick Mars (lead guitar), Nikki Sixx (lyricist, bass guitar, and a crush of mine), and Tommy Lee (drums). The book is definitely entertaining, and they are definitely notorious bad boys. The book chronicles Vince’s manslaughter charge and jail time, Mick’s battle with a bone disease, Nikki’s heroin addiction, Tommy’s love life with blonde celebrities and his jail time, and crazy stories from tours in the eighties. I would read crazy parts aloud to my husband, because I could not believe they put some of this stuff that would make anyone cringe on paper.
After I read the book, I bought a greatest hits CD and listened to it over and over and over. I really liked their songs. I now knew the story behind some of them, and they were darn catchy. I became a fan, and bought many more of their CD’s. I saw them in concert in 2003 in March, then again in August of 2003. Their live show is amazing. At the August concert, I bought a special ticket that allowed me to meet them, get an item signed (the book), and get a picture with them plus get front row. My husband was appalled that a conservative girl like myself wanted to meet the same guys that did the dirty deeds that I read aloud to him. I went to the concert with my mom and sister, and it was my first concert ever with an actual front row seat. That experience was incredible in itself, but I do have to say it was also a thrill to meet the musicians that I frequently listened to. They were all very cordial, gave me a hug, and chatted with me briefly. I’ve seen them live two more times since then. The lead singer, Vince Neil, also tours as a solo act sometimes, and I’ve caught his concerts as well. So, here is my favorite Motley Crue song. It isn’t one of their big hits like “Girls, Girls, Girls” or “Kickstart My Heart.” “Afraid” is from a 1997 album, Generation Swine.
Check it!

Mötley Crüe - New Music - More Music Videos

Back to Reality...and Snow!

I'm baaaaaaaack. I had a great family vacation in Wisconsin and Iowa. (My blog went to the beach in St. Lucia, not me. She had a fab time!)

My week started with a surprise 30th birthday party for my husband's cousin. Usually when his big family gets together, it is kids and all and always a good time, but we hired sitters (teen cousins) for our small children so the adults could have a night out. Needless to say, we all had a silly, fun time out at the party (as seen here).

My family of five then headed to my inlaws' vacation home for the week with my inlaws. We had a relaxing week of swimming, reading, watching movies, doing puzzles. We took a hike one day through the trails in the woods and found a tree shaped like a P (see top pic)! I read Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse during the week as well (my favorite so far of her series). My hubby and children also videoed me dancing in different locations for my condensed Dance Off with Ely...They think I'm nuts. Now I have to figure out how to transfer it and edit it on my computer!

I'd say the most eventful thing happened while I was driving my hubby, his parents, and our three children home from dinner. It was twilight, and I am not the most confident driver in the world. During the ride we were actually discussing my refusal to ever drive in downtown Chicago, because it creates such anxiety for me. Anyhoo, I was driving and noticed a large looming figure coming toward me in my lane. I thought it looked like a cartoonish large man in a black overcoat at first as I started pushing on the brakes. Then I realized it was a huge, freaking BULL walking toward me! Thankfully the suburban stopped mere inches in front of this behemoth! It looked at us then went around our car. I was shaking all the way home. A deer crossed the road in front of me when we were almost home, too! Then my hubby and his mom drove back to make sure no one got hurt and pulled into the farm, and the bull followed them into the driveway then ran into the farm field. Crazy! And that is no bull.

We ended the week going back to Iowa for a night where a cousin trained my oldest son at a baseball facility then we had another big family night.

Lastly, April is Poetry Month! Congrats to Laura Purdie Salas! Today her newest book, Stampede: Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School comes out! Visit her launch party here!

Anything new happen in blogland while I was gone?