This amazing a cappella jazz choir from Slovenia not only reinvents Toto’s 1982 hit, Africa, but creates an African rainstorm with their hands as an introduction. It’s been around for a bit, but if you’ve never seen – or heard – it, it’s totally amazing. I’ve listened to it many times, and haven’t tired yet. Such talent.
Author: still a dreamer
The Orangutan and Hound – A Short Love Story
I see a lot – I mean a lot – of cute, (and not-so-cute), animal stuff because it is a large part of my professional and personal life. And yes, I have seen my fair share of cute inter-species animal stories, videos, etc. This one, new to me, was particularly heartwarming.
This made my day – hope it will do it for you, too! Check out Suryia and Roscoe.
(My apologies – photo credit was not provided on this photo.)
Summer’s Last Breath
As the sun and the earth dance through the Equinox, summer exhales and shares her final gifts.
The last perfect rose of summer blooms, defying the empty, withering stalks of Hosta and drying grass.
The tall grasses in the backyard bloom in bursts of sunlit wheat.
The praying mantis I’ve been getting to know, mated, and the next day climbed high up on my office window. That evening she captured and devoured a large moth in the same spot, her last meal. Thereafter, she remained low, near the water spout. I watched, as each day, she became a paler brown and atrophied before my eyes. I thought to take one last picture of her, but could not be so disrespectful as to photograph her as her tiny life faded. In 3 days she was gone, her work on earth completed.
Despite the temperatures already dipping into the 40’s and 50’s at night, my potted petunias and torenia continue to glow in the afternoon sun, holding their beauty `til the end.
Middle Grade and Young Adult Reading/Writing
In my search to learn more about writing on the middle grade level, I made a list of titles that have won Newbery Medals as the logical place to begin my education. As the ALA site does not break the titles down by MG or YA, some of the selections I made turned out to be YA. I figured it was all good, and went for what appealed most. And I have a number of books with some good pointers for me.
I read the following – Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff , Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, Clay by David Almond, Dogsong by Gary Paulsen, A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park, and now Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. Each of these books is extraordinary and deserves a write-up of its own. And all are very powerful in their own way. What I noticed in the first four is that part of their power comes from being written in the first person. A Single Shard is historical fiction, and along with Dogsong and Island of the Blue Dolphins, (an older title), is about a way of life that is unique to their subjects and opened up new worlds to me, particularly A Single Shard.
I am a fan of David Almond, but have to say that with Clay, he has taken another step beyond the unknown, metaphysical or otherworldly, and was frightening even me. I believe a young YA reader 
will be frightened as well, but it is impossible to put the book down. So in Clay, I might not be finding quite what I’m looking for – I don’t think. Then again, I do have an evil antagonist, so perhaps I may reconsider.
Of all these books, I am most drawn to Pictures of Hollis Woods. What attracts me is the suspense, the easy identification with the main character, Hollis, and the continuous alternation of the character’s current story with pictures she has painted which tell, little by little, the story of why she most recently ran away. The story lines join in the end, building up a tremendous suspense and a great ending. What I’ve found in this book is something I want to learn as I, too, have 2 story lines in my tale that must intertwine.
There’s a lot to think about, and while I allowed myself to completely immerse myself in the books while reading them, in the aftermath I see that they are teaching me and helping me with my writing. It is what the editor and agents we meet continue to recommend – read, read read in our genre. Clearly, it can only enrich our writing.
Play the Cheese or Font Game
Here’s a fun little diversion for those of you who are mightily drawn to cheese and/or fonts. Play the Cheese or Font Game – it’s quite the challenge!
You are given the name of a cheese or font, and you have to decide which one it is. Sound easy? Guess again! The game seems to have an endless amount of selections, (can you say addictive?), you will be told after each choice if you were correct or not, and what percentage of players got it right.
So give the Cheese or Font Game a go, and let the cheese begin! (Gotta go – getting some crackers.)
Still A Dreamer 