Top 10 Reasons to Visit Portland, Oregon

Top 10 Reasons to Visit Portland, Oregon

10. Voodoo Doughnuts where your can get married and eat your doughnut too.

9. We do not have sales tax.

8. Looking for leprechauns? They been seen at the “World’s Smallest Park”: Mill Ends Park (24 inches in size) on Naito Parkway.

7. Portland also has the largest forested city wilderness in the nation: Forest Park, 5, 000 acres in size.

6. Mt Tabor, an extinct volcano. Portland is one of two cities in the US with and extinct volcano within the city. The other one is in Bend, Oregon.

5. Portland is also known as “Beervana” for being the epicenter of micro brewing.

4. Cupcake Jones Nirvana! I will have some available at the conference.

3. Stumptown Coffee
2. Powell’s City of Books Plan to meet here on Friday night and then head to a local microbrewery for dinner
However, the Number One reason to visit Portland is:

THE SECOND ANNUAL KIDLITOSPHERE BLOGGING CONFERENCE:
“Bridging the Worlds of Books and Blogs”.

Great discussions about books and blogs! Great networking! Great fun!
For more information visit Kidlit 2008 or contact me at “macrush53 at yahoo dot com”.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Summertime Vacation

I am around. I just have not been posting on my blogs much. I think it is fallout from participating in the national boards for teaching. Which, by the way, I now get to wait until around November to hear the results.

 I had plans, oh big plans, to blog from the road trip I just returned from last week. Nevertheless, I did not. I did not read anything of merit on the road trip.  I have started reading about the behavior of dogs for a project I am working on.

I just returned from the public library.  This has become a renewed love affair because I can be more “green” through purchasing less. I went to the library as a child and through my teen years.  It was a time when big corporate books stores did not exist and very few independent ones as well.

I participated in the summer reading programs and worked to get my chart filled up faster than “Jack Snap”, whoever he might be.  I returned to a library habit this spring because I needed to listen to books on tape or cd in preparation for the national board’s exam.

Today, I cruised by the “Twice Sold Tales”, a perpetual used book sale that the library has.  A five-dollar bill provided me with The Friday Night Knitting Club, The Art of French Kissing, and a J.A. Jance: Web of Evil.  Nothing like Jance to interrupt a reading vacation.

We leave for the coast tomorrow the week. I am hoping (again) to blog from our location.  It will be because of J.A. Jance if I do not.

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Non-Fiction Monday: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Baby Animals

In my mailbox was this delightful book, Baby Animals: Little Ones at Play in 20 Works of Art.  Its arrival provided a much needed break from typing on my protfolio entries for the national boards. (Due to be sent next week!)

What a delight! The illustrations are excerpt from larger works of art and depict baby animals from dogs to elephants, crayfish to boars.  Artist include Leonardo da Vinci, John James Audubon, Rosa Bonheur, Mary Cassatt as well as illustrations from quilts and clothing.  Did you know that a baby porcupine is called a porcupette and that baby bats are called pups?

There is an appendix giving the full background of the artwork.  This book can be used on so many levels. What a perfect timing to receive this book just as spring begins this week. 

Have a great week.  Head over to Picture Book of the Day for more fabulous non-fiction.

Happy Reading,

MsMac

Happy Valentine’s Day! Happy CYBILS Day: The Big Reveal

I love Valentine’s Day. As a child whose birthday was so close to Valentine’s Day, my mother often made me a heart shaped cake. Then there were the giving and receiving of Valentines as school and the excitement leading up to it. That has not changed at school, students have been wild with excitement this week. A kindergartener told me “Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving!”she was so filled with anticipation. Her classmates quickly corrected her.

So today here are two other reasons my heart sings:

It is my 16th wedding anniversary. You might have thought my anniversary was two days ago. I arrived home to a wonderful bouquet of roses. I was told that he was worried they would run out of them. I think maybe he caught the some of the kindergartener’s anticipation.

Today the CYBILS Awards were announced. These are the top books in children’s and young adult literature as determined by a dedicated community of kidlitosphere bloggers.  I sat on the poetry committee for the second year. I do not know if this is  true in all categories but in the poetry category, the quality level was incredible this year. But This is Just to Sayby Joyce Sidman was truly an amazing adventure and collection of poems. I hope you will run out and buy it immediately.

So capture that child like spirit and let your heart sing today. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Reading.

MsMac