Tell Me Something Good

FW: Vegetable Bean Soup

2012-02-13T09:37:00.001-06:00

From: Judy Sines

Vegetable Bean Soup

3 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 small carrots, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1 (14 oz.) can chopped tomatoes, undrained (I used a chili-flavored can)
2 (15 oz.) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed (I used 3 cans)
3 cups chicken broth
Coarsely ground black pepper
6 cups fresh spinach, chopped (I used a big bag and forgot to chop it :-) haha)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Cook bacon until almost crisp. Add onion, celery and carrot; cook five minutes. Add zucchini and garlic; cook three minutes.
Add tomatoes, beans, broth and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer ten minutes. Stir in spinach. Ladle into
soup bowls and top with grated cheese.
Makes ten cups. Serves six.

Joel at soccer camp

2012-02-09T16:03:00.001-06:00

July 2010: I forgot to mention that Joel also went to a UK soccer camp and birthday parties. The English coaches seemed to appreciate his unique personality.

zoo action July 2010

2012-02-09T16:02:00.000-06:00

zoo action July 2010

Song lyrics! Enjoy!

2012-02-09T16:01:00.001-06:00

Its the time of year
Now that Spring is in the air
When those two wet gits with their girly curly hair
Make another song for moronic holidays
That nauseate-ate-ate
In a million different ways
From the shores of Spain
To the coast of Southern France
No matter where you hide
You just can't escape this dance

Hold a chicken in the air
Stick a deckchair up your nose
Buy a jumbo jet
And then bury all your clothes
Paint your left knee green
Then extract your wisdom teeth
Form a string quartet
And pretend your name is Keith

Skin yourself alive
Learn to speak Arapahoe
Climb inside a dog
And behead an eskimo
Eat a Renault Four with salami in your ears
Casserole your gran
Disembowel yourself with spears

The disco is vibrating
The sound is loud and grating
Its truly nauseating
Let's do the dance again

Hold a chicken in the air
Stick a deckchair up your nose
Yes you'll hear this song in the holiday discos
And there's no escape in the clubs or in the bars
You would hear this song if you holidayed in Mars

Skin yourself alive
Learn to speak Arapahoe
Climb inside a dog
And behead an eskimo
Now you've heard it once
Your brain will spring a leak
And though you hate this song
You'll be humming it for weeks

Hold a chicken in the air
Stick a deckchair up your nose
Buy a jumbo jet
And then bury all your clothes
La la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la la laaaaaaa

Star Trekkin' across the universe,
On the Starship Enterprise under Captain Kirk.
Star Trekkin' across the universe,
Only going forward 'cause we can't find reverse.

Lt. Uhura, report.
There's Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow;
there's Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, Jim.

Analysis, Mr. Spock.
It's life, Jim, but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it;
it's life, Jim, but not as we know it, not as we know it, Captain.
There's Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow;
there's Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, Jim.

Star Trekkin' across the universe,
On the Starship Enterprise under Captain Kirk.
Star Trekkin' across the universe,
Only going forward, still can't find reverse.

Medical update, Dr. McCoy.
It's worse than that, he's dead, Jim, dead, Jim, dead, Jim;
it's worse than that, he's dead, Jim, dead, Jim, dead.
It's life, Jim, but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it;
it's life, Jim, but not as we know it, not as we know it, Captain.

There's Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow;
there's Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, Jim.

Starship Captain, James T. Kirk:
Ah! We come in peace, shoot to kill, shoot to kill, shoot to kill;
we come in peace, shoot to kill, shoot to kill, men.

It's worse than that, he's dead, Jim, dead, Jim, dead, Jim;
it's worse than that, he's dead, Jim, dead, Jim, dead.

Well, it's life, Jim, but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it;
it's life, Jim, but not as we know it, not as we know it, Captain.

There's Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow;
there's Klingons on the starboard bow, scrape 'em off, Jim.

Star Trekkin' across the universe,
On the Starship Enterprise under Captain Kirk.
Star Trekkin' across the universe,
Only going forward, and things are getting worse!

Engineer, Mr. Scott:
Ye cannot change the laws of physics, laws of physics, laws of physics;
ye cannot change the laws of physics, laws of physics, Jim.

Ah! We come in peace, shoot to kill, shoot to kill, shoot to kill;
we come in peace, shoot to kill; Scotty, beam me up!

It's worse than that, he's dead, Jim, dead, Jim, dead, Jim;
it's worse than that, he's dead, Jim, dead, Jim, dead.

Well, it's life, Jim, but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it;
it's life, Jim, but not as we know it, not as we know it, Captain.

There's Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow;
there's Klingons on the starboard bow, better calm down!

Ye cannot change the script Jim.
Och, #!*& Jimmy.

It's worse than that, it's physics, Jim.

Bridge to engine room, warp factor 9.

Och, if I give it any more she'll blow, Cap'n!

Star Trekkin' across the universe,
On the Starship Enterprise under Captain Kirk.
Star Trekkin' across the universe,
Only going forward 'cause we can't find reverse.

Star Trekkin' across the universe,
On the Starship Enterprise under Captain Kirk.
Star Trekkin' across the universe,
Only going forward, still can't find reverse.

MORE pictures of our kids!

2012-02-09T15:59:00.004-06:00

Summer Movie Outing with Sarah

2012-02-09T15:59:00.003-06:00

July 2010

festival pictures

2012-02-09T15:59:00.001-06:00

pictures from the social

2012-02-09T15:58:00.003-06:00

6-26-2010

Kalinowski Render family pictures

2012-02-09T15:58:00.001-06:00

Mira and Joel at Church

7-18-2010

Condom Thief

2012-02-09T15:57:00.001-06:00

7-17-2010

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/crime/police:-condom-thief-stuffed-his-pants

The Broad Ripple Marsh was robbed by a man who stuffed condoms down his pants... I hope it wasn’t any one we know!

Black Bean Brownies

2012-02-09T14:16:00.000-06:00

Black Bean Brownies
These brownies are gluten-, dairy-, and soy free.
INGREDIENTS:
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed
and drained
3 eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8
square baking dish.
2. Combine the black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla
extract, sugar, and instant coffee in a blender; blend until smooth; pour
the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over
the top of the mixture.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to
pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

A design I like

2012-02-07T17:22:00.001-06:00

Life back and think of England

2012-02-07T16:50:00.001-06:00

The state of things

2012-02-07T16:49:00.001-06:00

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

2012-02-07T16:48:00.001-06:00

If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been. ~Robert Brault

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. ~Abraham Lincoln

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest. ~Irish Proverb

You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back. ~William D. Tammeus

It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't. ~Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams

Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children. ~William Makepeace Thackeray

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. ~Washington Irving

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ~Albert Schweitzer

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~Marcel Proust

All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his. ~Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895

A man's work is from sun to sun, but a mother's work is never done. ~Author Unknown

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone

Parents often talk about the younger generation as if they didn't have anything to do with it. ~Haim Ginott

There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it. ~Chinese Proverb

Setting a good example for your children takes all the fun out of middle age. ~William Feather, The Business of Life, 1949

Your responsibility as a parent is not as great as you might imagine. You need not supply the world with the next conqueror of disease or major motion-picture star. If your child simply grows up to be someone who does not use the word "collectible" as a noun, you can consider yourself an unqualified success. ~Fran Lebowitz, "Parental Guidance," Social Studies, 1981

A Polish immigrant went to the DLV

2012-02-07T16:47:00.001-06:00

A Polish immigrant went to the DLV to apply for a driver's license.

First, of course, he had to take an eye sight test. The optician showed him a card with the letters:
'C Z W I X N O S T A C Z.'

"Can you read this?" the optician asked.

"Read it?" the Polish guy replied, "I know the guy."

Two books I want to read ASAP!

2012-02-05T18:59:00.000-06:00

2012-02-05T18:32:00.000-06:00

spinach and goat cheese recipe

2012-01-13T08:06:00.000-06:00

1 medium onion finely chopped
2 TBSP butter
4 tsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
2 cups shredded cheddar
16 oz crumbled goat cheese
3 lb potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups spinach
1 tsp vegetable oil
8 eggs
2 TBSP water
6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
1 large tomato chopped

directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium saucepan cook onion in butter over medium heat for 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper. Stir in milk; cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in CHEDDAR cheese until melted.
2. In a 3-quart baking dish, layer potatoes, then cheese sauce. Bake, covered, about 55 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
3. In a large skillet, cook SPINACH in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, until nearly tender, stirring frequently. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, water, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper. Pour over spinach in skillet. Cook over medium heat, without stirring, until mixture begins to set on bottom and around edges. Using a spatula, lift and fold partially cooked egg so uncooked portion flows underneath. Cook 2 minutes more or until egg is cooked yet still moist. Spoon over potatoes. Top with bacon and goat cheese and bake 5 more minutes. Remove and top with chopped tomato. Serve immediately.

Joel, Chewy and Santa

2011-12-10T08:05:00.000-06:00

It made me a little sad taking Chewy to see Santa where we used to take Toby. It isn’t fair to deny him though, is it!

Emma

O my Lord, If I worship You from the fear of hell, burn me in hell. If I worship You from the hope of Paradise, bar me from its gates. But if I worship You for Yourself alone, grant me the beauty of Your Face.—R?BI’AH OF BASRA

Christmas Pictures from our cookie exchange at Danielle's house!

2011-12-07T16:07:00.000-06:00

The Reading Group, Elizabeth Noble

2011-12-04T16:05:00.001-06:00

Fall reads 2011 (best of)

2011-11-21T17:45:00.001-06:00

Love walked in, Marisa De Los Santos
Eye Contact. Cammie McGovern
A perfect Proposal, Katie Fforde
The Thing about Jane Spring, Sharon Krum
Bare Necessity, Carole Matthews
40 love, Madeleine Wickham
Parallel play : growing up with undiagnosed Asperger's / by Page, Tim,
Whip smart : a memoir /by Febos, Melissa.v
Aspies on mental health : speaking for ourselves / by Beardon, Luke.
After the party : a novel / by Jewell, Lisa.
Be different : adventures of a free-range Aspergian with practical advice for Aspergians, misfits, families & teachers /by Robison, John Elder.
Girl from Mars, Julie Cohen
Rockabye, from wild to child, by Rebecca Woolf
Time of my life, Allison Winn Scotch
Candy Freak, Steve Almond
The Two Mrs. Robinsons, Donna Hay

TOBY DIED

2011-10-11T17:18:00.000-05:00

Toby died last night of kidney failure. He was only two years old and we are really shocked and sad. I

Joel's finally gone off the deep-end

2011-08-17T20:47:00.001-05:00

Your note has been created.
Joel went off the 300ft high (or so it seemed to me) diving board at the rivi . He and friend Sarah (daughter of David Christoff) wandered out of my sight. I found him scaling the ladder of the tallest diving board at the pool. Sarah dove gracefully, the it was Joel's turn. Joel walked to the end of the diving board and froze. Then he freaked out. The life guard told him to turn around and go back which alarmed him more. IN the end, What made him finally jump was a wasp who came to see what all the noise about. The kids watching clapped.
Then I told Joel I would get him an ice cream and.... the Rivi had run out of ice cream!

the speed of water rippling on a lake in a calm breeze

2011-08-17T20:25:00.001-05:00

Last day of summer for Joel. We did everything at Joel's speed. (the speed of water rippling on a lake in a calm breeze). We watched dogs be groomed at petsmart, lunch at Panera Bread, school lunch shopping at Trader Joes' swimming at the Rivi and then dinner at the Cheesecake factory.

Summer reading

2011-08-04T10:03:00.001-05:00

Getting away with it by Julie Cohen
Every Boy's got one by Meg Cabot
Flirting in Cards by Alisa Kwitney
Sushi for Beginners, Marian Keyes - well written book about 30 somethings in Ireland
Poetry speaks : who I am /by Paschen, Elise.
Entrez Nous, Debra Olivier- okay , but I imagine that a Francophile would love it.
The lost Guide to Life and Love, Sharon Griffiths – a woman explores her roots by accident. Takes place in England
The Anti-Romantic Child, a story of unexpected Joy, Priscilla Gilman. - memoir of a mother with an autistic child.
Miss Scarlet's school of patternless sewing : a crafty chica novel /by Cano-Murillo, Kathy.
Merde Happens by Stephen Clarke. An Englishman travelling the US with his French girlfriend in his mini.
The book thief /by Zusak, Markus.
The accidental time traveller, Sharon Griffiths. I LOVE time travel books - the mind boggling match ups. Character development could be better but for 300 pages this was not a bad read!
My Parents were Awesome edited by Eliot Glazer
Crush : 26 real-life tales of first love edited by Richesin, Andrea N
What would Emma do, Eileen cook.
The life and times of the last kid picked, David Benjamin
Crush : 26 real-life tales of first love edited by Richesin, Andrea N.
The Dictionary of Failed Relationships edited by Meredith Broussard
Loose Girl, Kerry Cohen
Pillow Talk, Freya North
The life and Times of the last Kid Picked by David Benjamin

Red Raspberry Vinaigrette

2011-07-20T16:28:00.001-05:00

Red Raspberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 (10 ounce) jar seedless raspberry jam
Directions

Combine the olive oil, rice vinegar and raspberry jam in the container of a blender. Process until smooth. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.

Guy Barker posted on your Wall.

2011-06-22T15:24:00.000-05:00

Guy wrote:
"Two books read so far and liked. Prophecies and Dingus"

The big book list

2011-06-22T15:21:00.001-05:00

I love my e-reader because a lot of my old favourites, and some new ones, are available free from the Gutenberg project. I can take a whole library with me on something little bigger than a Penguin paperback.

New and rediscovered favourites are:
Loom of Youth - Alec Waugh ( a new discovery)
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Edward Gibbon
Many P G Wodehouse

Love Daddy

Best read cities in the US

2011-06-02T09:06:00.001-05:00

http://mashable.com/2011/05/26/amazon-reveals-most-well-read-cities-in-the-u-s/

Assuming everyone buys their books from amazon.

Autism and Asperger Syndrome by Simon Baron Cohen, The other half of Asperger Syndrome by Maxinse C. Aston, A parents guide to Asperger Syndrome by Sall Ozonofff, Finding a different kind of Normal by Jeanette Purkis, Aspergers and Girls, Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin, Atypical by Jesse Saperstein, The way I see it by Temple Grandin, Pretending to be Normal by Liane Holliday Willey

2011-05-27T16:13:00.001-05:00

This was my reading list for the week.

Which books were good and which weren't? They were all good but some were more enjoyable/useful than others.

They are all non-fiction. Four are memoirs:

Atypical by Jesse Saperstein
Finding a different kind of Normal by Jeanette Purkis
Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin
Pretending to be Normal by Liane Holliday Willey

I really enjoyed Jesse Saperstein's book about suffering from Asperger's Syndrome. It was a pleasurable read because Saperstein is a writer who expresses himself with humor. You can tell that he considers self expression an art

Jeanette Purkis is an artist. I could not relate easily to her or her story - she was an unsympathetic character in her own drama. Temple Grandin and Liane Holliday Willey made you like them, as did Saperstein. Liane interests me because she is a female with Asperger's Syndrome. Temple Grandin is autistic and is very clear and concise in her writing - she writes as you would expect someone with autism to write.

The next five books discuss how to help a relative with autism or Asperger's Syndrome. Temple Grandin's book is a collection of essays on different subjects. Asperger's and Girls is a collection of essays by a collection of authors. The other half of Asperger's Syndrome is a guide for partners of someone with aspergers.

Autism and Asperger's Syndrome by Simon Baron Cohen
The other half of Asperger's Syndrome by Maxinse C. Aston
A parents guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Sall Ozonofff
Asperger's and Girls, various
The way I see it by Temple Grandin

The other half of Asperger's Syndrome is a little gruff in tone. It is written by someone who does not suffer from Asperger's Syndrome.

I could write more but there is too much more to write!

The top books are:

Autism and Asperger's Syndrome by Simon Baron Cohen
The other half of Asperger's Syndrome by Maxinse C. Aston
Atypical by Jesse Saperstein
The way I see it by Temple Grandin

These four are well worth reading!

Austism and Asperger Syndrome by Simon Baron Cohen ,The other half of Asperger Syndrome by Maxinse C. Aston, A parents guide to Asperfer Syndrome by Sall Ozonofff, Finding a different kind of Normal by Jeanette Purkis, Aspergers and Girls, Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin, Atypical by Jesse Saperstein, The way I see it by Temple Grandin, Pretending to be Normal by Liane Holliday willey

2011-05-27T16:00:00.000-05:00

Austism and Asperger Syndrome by Simon Baron Cohen ,The other half of Asperger Syndrome by Maxinse C. Aston, A parents guide to Asperfer Syndrome by Sall Ozonofff, Finding a different kind of Normal by Jeanette Purkis, Aspergers and Girls, Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin, Atypical by Jesse Saperstein, The way I see it by Temple Grandin, Pretending to be Normal by Liane Holliday willey

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan: It's what for dinner!

2011-05-24T16:55:00.001-05:00

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

Prep Time:
5 Min Cook Time:
10 Min Ready In:
15 Min
Yield 8 servings
Ingredients

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets
Directions

Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Late entries for the book recommendations!

2011-05-22T20:09:00.001-05:00

Growing Grateful Kids by Susie Larson
Six Ways to Keep the Little in Your Girl by Dannah Gresh
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
In Our Backyard by Nita Belles (this one is on domestic human trafficking and I've actually met the author--she's from Oregon)

All of these I thought were worthwhile. I also like the Bad Girls of the Bible study series by Liz Curtis Higgs.....Very Bad Girls of the Bible was my favorite followed closely by Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible. That's my list :)!

Dishwasher

2011-05-16T09:38:00.001-05:00

It is what I am reading today! One man’s memoir on his effort to was dishes in all 50 states. Pete Jordan. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishwasher_Pete

2011 SUMMER Reading list

2011-05-16T09:29:00.000-05:00

*Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese
*Girl with the dragon tattoo; girl who kicked the hornets nest and girl who played with fire, Steig Larson
*Little Bee by Chris Cleave
*Sarah's Key, Jodi Piccoult
*The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
*The Christmas Box Miracle by Richard Paul Evans
*Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
A Fatal Grace - by Louise Penny
A Perfect Day by Richard Paul Evans
A Still Life - by Louise Penny
A Thousand Sisters by Lisa Shannon
A Touch of Frost by R.D. Wingfield
Abigail Adams - A Life - Woody Holton
Absalom, Absalom! The Corrected Text by William Faulkner
Always Looking Up, Michael J Fox
An Irish Country Doctor - by Patrick Taylor
An island called home; returning to Jewish Cuba
Atlas shrugged, Ayn Rand
Books by Kathy Reichs
Books written by Leo Buscaglia.
Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet
Born to Run by Christopher McDougal
Bowling Across America by Mike Walsh
Brown-Eyed Handsome Man, by Bruce Pegg. A well researched biography of Chuck Berry. It details how a poor black man from the mid-West invented rock and roll and changed culture forever. Along the way, it sheds light on his financial and legal problems, as well as his sexual perversions. Brilliant and true!
Chasing the Dragon – Autobiography of Jackie Pullinger, evangelist in Hong Kong – inspiring
Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman
Churchill’s Wit, Richard M. Langworth <
Copper Bracelet - Jeffrey Deaver et al
Corporate  by Guy Cranswick (http://www.theshortreview.com/reviews/GuyCranswickCorporate.htm )
Country Driving by Peter Hessler. Drivers and roads in China and life in a village and a factory town.
Crazy Love - by Francis Chan
Echoes from the Dead by Johan Theorin
Elegance Kathleen Tessaro
Eleven Minutes: A Novel by Paulo Coelho
Elizabeth George / PD James phase
Eye Contact by Cammie McGovern
Faerie Door by B.E. Maxwell- I read it to the kids every night at bedtime.
FATHERS AND SONS, Turgenev. I remember enjoying the character of Bazarov (sp?) a great deal.
Field notes from a catastrophe, Elizabeth Kolbert
FIGHT CLUB by Chuck Palahniuk. I loved that. I might read it again.
Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans
Forgotten Garden by Kate Moreton. It was awesome! It is about 500 pages. It is written from three different time periods, from a little 4 year old girl left alone on a dock to the girl being a grandmother and her granddaughter taking over the search for finding her roots. I loved the whole thing!
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Frost at Christmas by R.D. Wingfield
Half-Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls. The author of The Glass Castle tells the story of her grandmother who grew up in the West and became a schoolteacher at 15.
Hard Frost by R.D. Wingfield
He loves me – Wayne Jabobsen – about living in and really knowing Gods love (not a novel…)
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
House Rules, Jodi Piccoult
How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie - This should be required reading for every human being.
I think I love you; by Allison Pearson
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (Paperback)~ Michael Pollan
Innocence by Kathleen Tessaro
Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: How a Generation of Swashbuckling Jews Carved Out an Empire in the New World in Their Quest for Treasure, Religious F by Edward Kritzler
June Bug by Chris Fabry
Just Cause by John Katzenbach
Lake of Sorrows and Haunted Ground by Erin Hart; these involve the bogs in Ireland which I found especially fascinating!
Last Chance Saloon, Marion Keyes
Last Words by George Carlin
Lift - Kelly Corrigan
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Men and other mammals, Jim Keeble
Mickey Mantle and Sandy Koufax bios both by Jane Leavey
Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Moab is my washpot, Stephen Fry
Mum on the Run, Fiona Gibson
My Sisters Keeper, Jodi Piccoult
Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen
NEVER LET ME GO by Kazuo Ishiguro
Nineteen Minutes, Jodi Piccoult
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton.
Patriot Games, Tom Clancy. Interesting story but quite heavy going.
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett,
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
Pyrrates by George McDonald Fraser
Queenan Country, by Joe Queenan
Ravenscar Trilogy by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Recipes for a perfect marriage: a novel by Morag Prunty.
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers – a novel, based loosely on the book of Hosea. Good for conversation – we did it in our book club. It is a love story and although does refer to conversations with God is not so full on! I loved it though…
Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly. I think it is a must read for all Catholics!
Resilience by Elizabeth Edwards
Restoring Grade, Katie Fforde
Rock of Ages, (History of Rock n Roll)
Room for Love, Andrea Meyer
Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler
Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella
Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella
Snow Crash or Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
So Long, Insecurity: You've Been a Bad Friend to Us - by Beth Moore
Somerset Maugham by Selina Hastings
Something Blue by Emily Giffin
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Spoken from the Heart by Laura Bush
Stupid White Men, MIchael Moore.
Superfreakonomics : global cooling, patriotic prostitutes, and why suicide bombers should buy life insurance /by Steven D. Levitt
Survival of the sickest by Sharon Moalem. He is an evolutionary biologist and neurogeniticist. Pretty interesting twist on things with an easily digestible style.
Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult.
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
The American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Baptism of Billy Bean by Roger Allen Skipper was a great read.
The Beach House by James Patterson. It's a perfect summer read! It's a murder mystery that takes place in the Hamptons
THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO. By Junot Díaz
The Brutal Telling - by Louise Penny
The Chopin Manuscript - Jeffrey Deaver et al
The Cross & The Switchblade – about a pastor who helps drug addicts in New York, totally inspiring
The Debutante: A Novel by Kathleen Tessaro
The Flirt by Kathleen Tessaro
'The Gate House', Nelson DeMille. a ten year or so sequel to 'The Gold Coast', although I still think DeMille's best was 'Up Country'.
The Girls Guide to Homemaking, Amy Bratley
The Happiness Project: Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
The Immortal LIfe of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Slkoot
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington - Jennet Conant
The Island of adventure, Enid Blyton
The Knife of Never Letting Go
The Lady in the Van– Alan Bennet
The Letter by Richard Paul Evans
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
The lost art of walking by Geoff Nicholson
The Lost City of Z by David Grann a journalist discovers the secret of the disappearance of an English archaeologist and his son who disappeared in Brazil in the 1920s.
The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty
The New Kings of Nonfiction by Ira Glass
The Orange Girl by Jostein Gaarder
The Piano Teacher, Jodi Piccoult
The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie O’Martian
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (
The Rice Mother by Rani Manicka
The Secret Lives of Buildings: From the Ruins of the Parthenon to the Vegas Strip in Thirteen Stories by Edward Hollis
The Shack – William P Young – awesome! And a good read for people who are on the edge of faith too
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England, Ian Mortimer
The To-Do List – Mike Gayle
The Uncommon Reader – Alan Bennet
The year 1000: what life was like at the turn of the first millennium: an Englishman's world /by Lacey, Robert.
Those who save us, Jenna Blum
Timepiece by Richard Paul Evans
Truth about Melody Browne, Lisa Jewell
Twilight saga, Stephanie Meyer
Vox by Nicholson Baker
War of Flowers by Tad Williams
Wish you were here, Mike Gayle.
Wounded Warrior by Lawrence Glazer. Biography of Michigan's youngest elected governor who lost both legs in World War II.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas

In Our Backyard by Nita Belles (this one is on domestic human trafficking and I've actually met the author--she's from Oregon)

Growing Grateful Kids by Susie Larson Six Ways to Keep the Little in Your Girl by Dannah Gresh

All of these I thought were worthwhile. I also like the Bad Girls of the Bible study series by Liz Curtis Higgs.....Very Bad Girls of the Bible was my favorite followed closely by Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible. That's my list :)!
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

The mystery of the disgusting smell is solved! Jerry has been peeing on Toby's bed in our bedroom and Toby has been licking it to clean it. Poor dog. No more cat in the bedroom!

2011-02-18T09:40:00.000-06:00

I do not like Late Arrival! it gives Joel too much time (2 hours) to think about how much he does not want to go to school.

2011-02-17T09:44:00.000-06:00

Memphis 2011, Archivers, Hueys, Neely's, toothpicks, Jagermeister, barbecue, candy, knitting, surprises, scrapbooking, aprons, laughing, snorting, talking and bonding.

2011-02-11T09:52:00.000-06:00

Best of Memphis 2011

2011-02-11T09:47:00.000-06:00

Memphis 2011, Archivers, Hueys, Neely's, toothpicks, Jagermeister, barbecue, candy, knitting, surprises, scrapbooking, aprons, laughing, snorting, talking and bonding.

2011-02-11T09:46:00.000-06:00

Fabulous February. Jeremiah helps Joel with his homework. Toby and Emma conk out after a hard day.

2011-02-11T09:43:00.000-06:00

Memphis 2011, Archivers, Hueys, Neely's, toothpicks, Jagermeister, barbecue, candy, knitting, surprises, scrapbooking, aprons, laughing, snorting, talking and bonding.

2011-02-10T09:45:00.000-06:00

Is this kid spoiled or just happy?

2010-12-12T12:21:00.000-06:00

"You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger." --Buddha

2010-12-07T12:52:00.002-06:00

"You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger." --Buddha

Merry Christmas from the Kalinowskis!

2010-12-06T19:06:00.000-06:00

We were surprised this past Saturday at how Toby took to Santa! I think it is because he wants more from Santa than the nothing he got last year. Happy Christmas all!

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars. Khalil Gibran

2010-12-01T09:20:00.001-06:00

your life is your life

2010-11-05T15:26:00.001-05:00

don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.
@Charles Bukowski

School pick up 10-2010

2010-11-03T19:48:00.001-05:00

pumpkins carved! Guess which one is Joel=?ISO-8859-1?B?uQ==?=s

2010-11-03T19:47:00.001-05:00

pumpkins carved! Guess which one is Joel’s

more memories of Halloweens past

2010-11-03T19:44:00.001-05:00

memories of Halloweens past

2010-11-03T19:43:00.001-05:00

2010 ZOO BOO

2010-11-03T19:42:00.001-05:00

Day of the Dead festival, Zoo boo, church - he's laughing at me because I fell over.

2010-11-03T19:41:00.001-05:00

October 2010: stoney creek with the Suttons - a tradition, carving pumpkins, a walk on the monon, India garden and pottery with mom.

2010-11-03T19:33:00.001-05:00

My Fall Guy 2010

2010-11-03T19:18:00.000-05:00

Raking leaves – Joel loves fall-more than any other season.

Oct 2010 Toby and Winston in the fall leaves at Broad ripple Park. Toby and I meet Susan and Winston every morning to play.

2010-11-03T19:16:00.000-05:00

October 2010; in which I clean Joel's room and watch it get messed up again, get beaten up, pose among sun flowers, take Joel to pick apples and celebrate Carrie's birthday

2010-10-31T19:30:00.000-05:00

October 2010; in which I clean Joel's room and watch it get messed up again, get beaten up, pose among sun flowers, take Joel to pick apples and celebrate Carrie's birthday

Halloween Horror

2010-10-31T19:25:00.000-05:00

Halloween pictures

2010-10-31T17:14:00.000-05:00

Halloween Action

2010-10-31T08:18:00.000-05:00

suicidal squirrel!

2010-10-20T11:21:00.001-05:00

Riding my bike yesterday I swerved to avoid a squirrel in the road. It was just sitting there. It watched me peddle away and then it laid itself down in the middle of the road! Is this some kind of sick part of modern squirrel culture? He looked like an elderly squirrel.. had he been sent out to die by his family?

September Highlights: Aaron finishes his shed, roller blading on the monon, new artwork by Joel, Colts fundraiser or Horizon House, climbing in trees with friends, dinner with the Ricks, cub scout action, not getting arrested, magic tricks, cards for mom and dad, soccer action, Kierspel's visit, flying kites, general naughtiness

2010-09-30T12:34:00.000-05:00

September Highlights: Aaron finishes his shed, roller blading on the monon, new artwork by Joel, Colts fundraiser or Horizon House, climbing in trees with friends, dinner with the Ricks, cub scout action, not getting arrested, magic tricks, cards for mom and dad, soccer action, Kierspel's visit, flying kites, general naughtiness

What Aaron does: September 2010

2010-09-19T17:08:00.001-05:00

Aaron works hard all day and then all evening he works on his shed that he designed himself and is building all by himself.

Joel's photo shoot - August 2010. This is our world as Joel sees it.

2010-08-28T17:11:00.000-05:00

Lake Michigan vacation August 2010

2010-08-20T17:29:00.000-05:00

Brett's Visit August 2010

2010-08-20T17:19:00.000-05:00

We dined by the canal at the Canal Bistro.

Emma wants to connect with you on Skype

2010-08-18T13:55:00.001-05:00

Emma wants to connect with you on Skype

Skype

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Emma (Skype Name: emmaisemmaisemma) wants to talk to you for free using Skype. Give me a call!

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Boston braai

2010-08-15T12:47:00.000-05:00

Michel did us proud with some traditional South African food by way of Belgium and Boston!

June 2010

Emma and Joel found a use for silver and gold spray paint!

2010-08-15T12:43:00.002-05:00

July 2010: The Kalinowskis had the pleasure of hanging out with the Parks on their two yearly visit from wherever they happen to be living.. this time from Japan

2010-08-15T12:43:00.001-05:00

July 2010: cat sitting we did a catnip drop for Rose=?ISO-8859-1?B?uQ==?=s cat while she was on vacation

2010-08-15T12:42:00.001-05:00

July 2010: I forgot to mention that Joel also went to a UK soccer camp and birthday parties. The English coaches seemed to appreciate his unique personality.

2010-08-15T12:42:00.000-05:00

zoo action July 2010

2010-08-15T12:41:00.001-05:00

We took our new friend Kelly who was visiting form Taiwan. I met her in my Women in the Word Summer Bible study. She said “I wish I was your son so you could take me to the zoo”. I said – hey come with us!

We had lunch at Starbucks and stopped into the comic book store so Joel could spend his allowance.

historic maritime Boston

2010-08-15T12:40:00.000-05:00

eating eating eating... everywhere we went!

USS Constitution

2010-08-15T12:39:00.000-05:00

Cee cee was eager to partake of some FREE US history. Joel was pretty sure it was a pirate ship

Boston 2010

2010-08-15T12:38:00.001-05:00

Leon showed us around BU

family happiness in Boston 2010

2010-08-15T12:38:00.000-05:00

We couldn’t seem to get everyone together for pictures at the same time. Andrea is missing from one picture and Colin from the other group snap!

Our Michigan Adventure. August 2010

2010-08-13T17:23:00.000-05:00

July 2010: Joel was a serious collector of silly bands

2010-07-24T12:41:00.000-05:00

July 2010: Joel was a serious collector of silly bands and we went to Aarons’ work picnic and the Knights of Columbus Brick Yard Festival

Emma's poemsie

2010-07-13T19:09:00.000-05:00

Joel is on the toilet before bed. Aaron and his dad are buying lumber for the shed Aaron is building in the back yard. Today Joel had soccer in the morning and a birthday party in the he afternoon. Usually we go tot he pool everyday but yesterday someone did a poo in the pool and we are waiting for the extra chlorite to dissipate before we go back. It was a big poo – with skid marks. It was at the 5 foot mark , so it was not a little kid.
We have gone to Michigan and are going back to spend a few days on the beach there. We are also going to U of I for a few days and visiting friends.. like my friend Amy. Brett is coming to visit in a couple of weeks too.

Joel has soccer camp this week

2010-07-12T19:08:00.000-05:00

Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:59:59 -0500

Joel has soccer camp this week – 9 am to noon. The camp is coached by some 20 somethings from England. Joel is on the sofa watching TV with a bright red face. I am looking forward to restoring order to our house. it is a huge mess after having Joel home every day last week.

Aaron’s dad is in town so maybe Aaron and I will go on a date tonight.

Kalinowski 4th of July picture 2010

2010-07-04T19:06:00.000-05:00

Kalinowski 4th of July picture

Pirates who don't do anything

2010-06-27T19:04:00.000-05:00

Date: Sun, 27 Jun 2010 13:48:20 -0500

Joel and Emma are taking his friend Josh and his older brother Jack to see “Pirates who don’t do anything” It is at the movie theatre at 96th and Binford BLVD. Afterwards we are going to McDonalds for lunch.

Please let us know if you would like to join us.

The move is TUESDAY JUne 29 at 10 am. It is FREE. 96th and Binford BLVD

a bird shat

2010-06-14T19:01:00.000-05:00

Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:05:34 -0500
I was enjoying reading my book until a bird shat all down the front of my body and on the book. Now I can’t ever read it and I had just got to a really good bit! Needless to say, the basement is clean. I think that Aaron was behind it. He is the bird whisperer.

May Highlights!

2010-05-30T20:20:00.003-05:00

watching Joel and his friend Josh run through the sprinklers in our back yard and hearing Joel say "This is the best day of my life"

Coloring the picture Joel drew for me so that we could give it to "Daddy".

admiritng Joel's art! I might like to make stuff but I can't draw and he really can! He copied a picture from the book that Ceecee, Sophie and Michel gave him for Christmas last year.

Saxon conqueror?

Getting back in the K of C pool Memorial Day weekend!

seeing the happy smile on Joel's face as he was surrounded by friends on his school's field trip to the zoo. He really loves to travel in a pack!

Two of the uncles coming to visit Joel for his birthday

Grandma visiting!

Cheering on Joel at his soccer games... and seeing him really improve toward the end of the season.

Practicing with Joel getting Toby ready for the dog Olympics and then watching him croak when it came to the real deal. He came last in the t-shirt race even though he had practiced. He jumped through a hoop, which we had not!

To my favorite grandparents!

2010-05-25T12:20:00.001-05:00

We always used to spend the holidays with Grandma and Grandpa. They used to
live in a big brick house but Grandpa got retarded and they moved to
Florida. Now they live in a tin box and have rocks painted green to look
like grass. They ride around on their bicycles and wear name tags because
they don't know who they are anymore.

They go to a building called a wreck center, but they must have got it fixed
because it is all okay now, they do exercises there, but they don't do them
very well.

There is a swimming pool too, but they all jump up and down in it with hats
on.

At their gate, there is a doll house with a little old man sitting in it. He
watches all day so nobody can escape. Sometimes they sneak out, and go
cruising in their golf carts. Nobody there cooks, they just eat out. And,
they eat the same thing every night --- early birds. Some of the people
can't get out past the man in the doll house. The ones who do get out,
bring food back to the wrecked center for pot luck.

My Grandma says that Grandpa worked all his life to earn his retardment and
says I should work hard so I can be retarded someday too. When I earn my
retardment, I want to be the man in the doll house. Then I will let people
out,
so they can visit their grandchildren.

Happy Mother's Day Ladies!

2010-05-09T11:33:00.001-05:00

I hope you had a great mother’s day. I am certainly enjoying mine. Joel, Aaron and I went to early church and then to Taste for Lunch where I got my favorite Quiche! I have just come in from planting a new flower garden in the front and am soon going to start playing the stickers and copper wire they got me! Of course, I have already eaten all the chocolate – Joel helped me. Off to Joel’s Soccer game this afternoon!

Love, Emma

retirement plan

2010-04-23T15:28:00.001-05:00

Outside Bristol Zoo there is a parking area for 150 cars and 8 buses. For
25 years, its parking fees were managed by a very pleasant attendant. The
fees were £1 for cars, £5 for buses .

Then, one day, after 25 solid years of never missing a day of work, he
didn't show up; so the Zoo Management called the City Council and asked it
to send them another parking agent.

The Council did some research and replied that the parking area was the
Zoo's own responsibility. The Zoo advised the Council that the attendant was
a City employee.. The City Council responded that the lot attendant had
never been on the City payroll.

Meanwhile, sitting in his villa somewhere on the coast of Spain (or some
such scenario), is a man who'd apparently had a
ticket machine installed completely on his own; and then had simply begun to
show up every day, commencing to collect and keep the parking fees,
estimated at about £350 per day -- for 25 years.

Assuming 7 days a week, this amounts to just over £22 million!
......

And no one even knows his name.

HISTORY MYSTERY and the 20 Dollar Bill

2010-04-23T10:49:00.001-05:00

History Mystery

Abraham   Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head

Now it gets really weird.

Lincoln 's secretary was named   Kennedy .
Kennedy 's Secretary was named Lincoln

Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson .

Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.

John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.

Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born  in 1939.

Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.

Now hang on to your seat.

Lincoln was shot at the theater named ' Ford '.
Kennedy was shot in a car called ' Lincoln ' made by 'Ford'.

Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theater.

Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

And here's the kicker...

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe , Maryland
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe .

WHO FIGURED THIS OUT?

INCREDIBLE
1) Fold a NEW $20 bill in half...

2) Fold again, taking care to fold it exactly as below

3) Fold the other end, exactly as before

4) Now, simply turn it over...

What a coincidence! A simple geometric fold creates a catastrophic premonition printed on all $20 bills!!!

COINCIDENCE?

YOU DECIDE

As if that wasn't enough...
Here is what you've seen...

Firstly The Pentagon on fire...

Then The Twin Towers.

Christmas gift suggestions:

2009-12-27T20:22:00.001-06:00

“Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.”

Oren Arnold (1900 - 1980)

Joel's Christmas Program

2009-12-22T18:25:00.000-06:00

We actually behaved very respectably at the concert/performance. I could not understand a word the kindergartners were saying, but they were certainly enthusiastic!

Getting the sillies out

2009-12-22T18:22:00.000-06:00

Joel had his school Christmas program on December 16. He had to get dressed up in his suit and before he left looking all handsome, we had to get some of the sillies out.

Reading recommended by Emma and her friends

2009-12-13T20:30:00.001-06:00

Here is the list of recommended books so far! If anyone needs to get a Christmas present in a hurry, here are some ideas.

Books recommended by more than one individual are bolded

American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson (He is so articulate and entertaining in print!)
Any Alistair McCall Smith Book
Any Nick Hornby book
Anything by by Maud Hart Lovelace
Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigian
Bluebird: Women and the New Psychology of Happiness by me - Ariel Gore - book out in January. Promise it rocks."
Boysterous Living: Celebrating your Loud and Rowdy Life with Sons by Jean Blackmer
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia by Tom Bissell
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Confident Parenting by Jim Burns
Corpse Diplomatique by Delano Ames
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Daughter of Fortune - Isabel Allende
Disgrace by Coetzee (very dark)
Don’t Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Frangipangi by Celestine Hitiura Vaite
Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets by Sudhir Venkatesh
Girl Who Played with Fire
Girl with the Dragon Tatoo
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
Grace (Eventually) by Anne Lamott
Hannah Swenson Mysteries -- Joanna Fluke -- aka Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder Mystery, Blueberry Muffin Murder Mystery;
Have a New Kid by Friday by Kevin Leman
Honolul , Jennifer kerr
How to Talk so Kids will Listen and Listen so Kids will Talk by Adele Faber
I, Che Guevara - John Blackthorn
In patagonia - Bruce Chatwin
Into the Woods - Tana French
Into Thin Air- Jon Krakauer
Jaber Crow by Wendell Berry
Japanese Children’s Favorite Stories compiled by Florence Sakade (it’s great fun to compare these folk/fairy tales to American or English ones)
Left to Tell                     Imaculee Iribagiza (NF)
Lethal Secrets by Pete Earley
Life on Planet Mom: a down to earth guide to your changing relationships by Lisa T. Bergren
LOST CITY OF Z by David Grann"
Loving Frank: A Novel by Nancy Horan
Making Work at Home Work by Mary Byers
Masters and Commanders by Andrew Roberts
Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman
Maus II: A Survivor’s Tale: And Here My Struggles Began by Art Spiegelman
Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
Mommy Diaries, Finding Yourself in the Daily Adventure by Tally Flint
Moonbeams: A Book of Meditations for Children by Maureen Garth (this has helped us immensely in chasing away Alex’s nightmares)
Motherhood: the Guilt that Keeps on Giving by Julie Barnhill
Murder of a Medici Princess - Caroline P. Murphy
Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
My Sister's Keeper         Jodi Picault           (F)
My Two Polish Grandfathers: And Other Essays on the Imaginative Life by Witold Rybczynski
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
one hundred years of solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
*** Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell ***
Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety by Judith Werner
Pillars of the Earth, ken Follet
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
*** Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith***
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
Quantum Wellness: the 21 Day Cleanse
Queenan Country: A Reluctant Anglophile's Pilgrimage to the Mother Country by Joe Queenan
*** Raising a Responsible Child by Elizabeth M. Ellis, PH.D.***
Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by John Gottman
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
Search for Significance by McGee
Septembers of Shiraz
Shantaram by Gregory David Smith
Siblings without Rivalry by Adele Faber
Sir Fartsalot Hunts the Booger by Kevin Bolger (a good read-aloud for kids and parents… lots of adult word-play along with kid humor)
Sleepers by Lorenzo Carcaterra
*** Someone Knows My Name: A Novel   by Lawrence Hill ***
Starvation Lake by Brian Gruley
Suzy, Led Zeppelin, and Me by Martin Millar
Tell No One Who You Are by Walter Buchignani
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
The Barracks Thief by Tobias Wolff
The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory
*** The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne***
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
The DNA of Relationships by Gary Smalley
The Eyre Affair -- Jasper Fforde
The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
The Graveyard Book
*** The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows***
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers
The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
The House of the Spirits - Isabel Allende
The Last Empress - Anchee Min
The Likeness - Tana French
The Lisbon Crossing by Tom Gabbay
The Mountains of Tibet by Mordicai Gerstein (lovely drawings & engaging story about reincarnation, if you believe in that sort of thing)
The New Kings of Nonfiction by Ira Glass
The Omnivore's Dilemma
The Pact by Jodi Picoult
*** The Reader by Bernhard Schlink***
The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents by Deepak Chopra (very useful for us non-Christian parents who want our kids to develop spiritually)
The Shack William P. Young
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
The Temple of my Familiar by Alice Walker
The Twentieth Wife
The World According to Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith
***Three Cups of Tea, by Mortensen***
Three to get Deadly by Janet Evanovich
Three Women by Marge Piercey
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Twenties Girl: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich
Unaccustomed Earth: Stories (Vintage Contemporaries) by Jhumpa Lahiri
Waiting for Autumn by Scot Blum-Blom
Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide by Peter Allison
White Mughals by William Dalrymple. A non fiction story of India in the early days of Britain's involvement. Well researched and hard to put down.
Wild Swans - Jung Chang
Wild Things: the art of nurturing boys” by Stephen James and David Thomas (2009)
Woman with Birthmark by Hakam Nesser
World Without End (both of these are Ken Follett)
You Are Special by Max Lucado (definitely a Christian tilt, but great non-denominational messages)

Books I read in 2009

2009-12-13T20:17:00.001-06:00

This list is not as complete as usual as I stopped keeping track in February 2009, which coincided with Solomon’s death, and so I had to try to remember most of them. Here is the list. Some are embarrassing!

26a: A Novel (P.S.) by Diana Evans
A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans
A Piano in the Pyrenees, Tony
An Offer You Can't Refuse by Jill Mansell
Austenland: A Novel by Shannon Hale
Babieville, Jane green
Betsy and the Great World/Betsy's Wedding by Maud Hart Lovelace
Betsy Was a Junior/Betsy and Joe by Maud Hart Lovelace
Bidding for Love by Katie Fforde
Bitter is the New Black : Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass,Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office by Jen Lancaster
Born on a Blue Day, Daniel Tammet
Breadfruit by Celestine Hitiura Vaite
Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me? by Jen Lancaster
Carney's House Party: A Deep Valley Book by Maud Hart Lovelace
Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia by Tom Bissell
Choosing Simplicity: Real People Finding Peace and Fulfillment in a Complex World by Linda Breen Pierce
Confessions of a Failed Grown-up: Bad Motherhood and Beyond [IMPORT] (Paperback) by Stephanie Calman (Author)
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
Cracks in my foundation, Marian Keyes
Dress Him Up in My love, Diane Stingley
eye to eye, Grace Carol
Frangipangi by Celestine Hitiura Vaite
Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets by Sudhir Venkatesh
God Lives in St. Petersburg: Short Stories by Tom Bissell
Going Home by Harriet Evans
Good at games, Jill Mansell
Heaven to Betsy/Betsy in Spite of Herself by Maud Hart Lovelace
Housekeeping vs. the Dirt by Nick Hornby
I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley
Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison
Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time by Rob Sheffield
Love the One You’re with by Emily Giffin
Me and Mr. Darcy: A Novel by Alexandra Potter
Miranda’s Big Mistake, Jill Mansell
My Two Polish Grandfathers: And Other Essays on the Imaginative Life by Witold Rybczynski
Open house, Jill mansell
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Prester John Buchan John
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Seth Grahame-Smith
Queenan Country: A Reluctant Anglophile's Pilgrimage to the Mother Country by Joe Queenan
Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman
Shakespeare Wrote for Money by Nick Hornby
Slam by Nick Hornby
Speaking with the Angel by Nick Hornby
Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, or Why Pie Is Not the Answer by Jen Lancaster
Suzy, Led Zeppelin, and Me by Martin Millar
Tea Time for the Traditionally Built (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Book 10) by Alexander McCall Smith
The Barracks Thief by Tobias Wolff
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel by Alexander Mccall Smith
The Ex-boyfriend's Handbook by Matt Dunn
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
The Love of Her Life by Harriet Evans
The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith
The New Kings of Nonfiction by Ira Glass
The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
The Power of Small: Why Little Things Make All the Difference by Linda Kaplan Thaler
The Reader, bernhard schlink
Someone Knows My Name: A Novel by Lawrence Hill
The World According to Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith
This Charming Man: A Novel by Marian Keyes
Three Cups of Tea; One Mans Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations...One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
The Miracle at Speedy Motors, Alexander McCall Smith
Twenties Girl: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella
Unaccustomed Earth: Stories (Vintage Contemporaries) by Jhumpa Lahiri
Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide by Peter Allison
Who We Were: A Snapshot History of America by Michael Williams, Richard Cahan, and Nicholas Osborn

I HIGHLY Recommend:

Twenties Girl: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella
Unaccustomed Earth: Stories (Vintage Contemporaries) by Jhumpa Lahiri
Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide by Peter Allison
The Reader, bernhard schlink
Someone Knows My Name: A Novel by Lawrence Hill
The New Kings of Nonfiction by Ira Glass
Any Alistair McCall Smith Book
Any Nick Hornby book
The Barracks Thief by Tobias Wolff
Suzy, Led Zeppelin, and Me by Martin Millar
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Queenan Country: A Reluctant Anglophile's Pilgrimage to the Mother Country by Joe Queenan
Anything by by Maud Hart Lovelace
Frangipangi by Celestine Hitiura Vaite
Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets by Sudhir Venkatesh
My Two Polish Grandfathers: And Other Essays on the Imaginative Life by Witold Rybczynski
Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia by Tom Bissell
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

fascination, desperation and determination

2009-12-13T19:20:00.000-06:00

Tell Me Something Good

FW: Vegetable Bean Soup

Joel at soccer camp

zoo action July 2010

Song lyrics! Enjoy!

MORE pictures of our kids!

Summer Movie Outing with Sarah

festival pictures

pictures from the social

Kalinowski Render family pictures

Condom Thief

Black Bean Brownies

A design I like

Life back and think of England

The state of things

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

A Polish immigrant went to the DLV

Two books I want to read ASAP!

spinach and goat cheese recipe

Joel, Chewy and Santa

Christmas Pictures from our cookie exchange at Danielle's house!

The Reading Group, Elizabeth Noble

Fall reads 2011 (best of)

TOBY DIED

Joel's finally gone off the deep-end

the speed of water rippling on a lake in a calm breeze

Summer reading

Red Raspberry Vinaigrette

Guy Barker posted on your Wall.

The big book list

Best read cities in the US

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan: It's what for dinner!

Late entries for the book recommendations!

Dishwasher

2011 *SUMMER * Reading list

The mystery of the disgusting smell is solved! Jerry has been peeing on Toby's bed in our bedroom and Toby has been licking it to clean it. Poor dog. No more cat in the bedroom!

I do not like Late Arrival! it gives Joel too much time (2 hours) to think about how much he does not want to go to school.

Memphis 2011, Archivers, Hueys, Neely's, toothpicks, Jagermeister, barbecue, candy, knitting, surprises, scrapbooking, aprons, laughing, snorting, talking and bonding.

Best of Memphis 2011

Memphis 2011, Archivers, Hueys, Neely's, toothpicks, Jagermeister, barbecue, candy, knitting, surprises, scrapbooking, aprons, laughing, snorting, talking and bonding.

Fabulous February. Jeremiah helps Joel with his homework. Toby and Emma conk out after a hard day.

Memphis 2011, Archivers, Hueys, Neely's, toothpicks, Jagermeister, barbecue, candy, knitting, surprises, scrapbooking, aprons, laughing, snorting, talking and bonding.

Is this kid spoiled or just happy?

"You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger." --Buddha

Merry Christmas from the Kalinowskis!

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars. Khalil Gibran

your life is your life

School pick up 10-2010

pumpkins carved! Guess which one is Joel=?ISO-8859-1?B?uQ==?=s

more memories of Halloweens past

memories of Halloweens past

2010 ZOO BOO

Day of the Dead festival, Zoo boo, church - he's laughing at me because I fell over.

October 2010: stoney creek with the Suttons - a tradition, carving pumpkins, a walk on the monon, India garden and pottery with mom.

My Fall Guy 2010

Oct 2010 Toby and Winston in the fall leaves at Broad ripple Park. Toby and I meet Susan and Winston every morning to play.

October 2010; in which I clean Joel's room and watch it get messed up again, get beaten up, pose among sun flowers, take Joel to pick apples and celebrate Carrie's birthday

Halloween Horror

Halloween pictures

Halloween Action

suicidal squirrel!

What Aaron does: September 2010

Joel's photo shoot - August 2010. This is our world as Joel sees it.

Lake Michigan vacation August 2010

Brett's Visit August 2010

Emma wants to connect with you on Skype

Boston braai

Emma and Joel found a use for silver and gold spray paint!

July 2010: The Kalinowskis had the pleasure of hanging out with the Parks on their two yearly visit from wherever they happen to be living.. this time from Japan

July 2010: cat sitting ­ we did a catnip drop for Rose=?ISO-8859-1?B?uQ==?=s cat while she was on vacation

July 2010: I forgot to mention that Joel also went to a UK soccer camp and birthday parties. The English coaches seemed to appreciate his unique personality.

zoo action July 2010

historic maritime Boston

USS Constitution

Boston 2010

family happiness in Boston 2010

Our Michigan Adventure. August 2010

July 2010: Joel was a serious collector of silly bands

Emma's poemsie

Joel has soccer camp this week

2011 SUMMER Reading list

July 2010: cat sitting we did a catnip drop for Rose=?ISO-8859-1?B?uQ==?=s cat while she was on vacation