Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

Especially since the actual presence of a human is not as worrisome as, say, that itch you just can't reach..

Summer Reading Update

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More details when I have time.

Those Scary, Scary YA Books

Okay, most of what I read (for myself) is Young Adult fiction, and I'm the person who orders it for our library, so I think I have a pretty fair idea of what is out there. When I read the Wall Street Journal article stating all YA novels are dark and horrible and that publishers are trying to turn our kids into depressed drug addicts who cut themselves (okay, I'm paraphrasing - but only slightly) I just rolled my eyes and went back to rereading I Now Pronounce You Someone Else.

Unfortunately, there are those parents who trust the Wall Street Journal (um, why?) to tell them what to think about literature. Even more unfortunately, as some bloggers have pointed out, budget cuts everywhere mean that parents may not have someone around with some actual KNOWLEDGE of young adult literature to help them find books appropriate for (and of interest to) their child.

That's why I love this post from The YA5. She has links to some of the best responses to the WSJ article, but even better, a list of suggested titles for the mother in question. What's funny is, my teen is currently sitting ten feet away from me (re)reading one of the books in her first series suggestion.

This same teen will happily read a vampire novel, or a book about anorexia, or The Hunger Games, or just about anything else you put in her hands - and she, to date, has not gone out and burned down any buildings, experimented with drugs, or sold her soul to the devil. The condition of her room is a whole 'nother story, but I don't think I can blame that on the publishing industry.

Off the top of my head, I would add to that list:

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald
After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick (yes, the kid had cancer, but this book is HYSTERICAL)
As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins
Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson

What about you, readers? What YA books would you recommend for the mom of a young teen, who doesn't want too much darkness in her reading?

Missed Picture

From now on, I am driving to work with the camera on and in one hand.

Twin. Baby. Mountain lions. OHmigosh were they cute! And of course that meant mama was around somewhere, watching...at 9:30AM...within sight of several houses...which, of course, is not a good thing, but...they were so CUTE!

Neighbors

There's a barn in the middle of a nice, big field around the corner from us that we always have to stop at in the morning. They have some beautiful horses that the kids always have to say "Good morning" to. Used to be a llama named Fred, but he got in trouble for escaping one too many times and had to move on. You can usually see cats strolling through the weeds, looking for a rodent snack. Occasionally the deer hang out, quietly grazing beside the horses.

Today we spotted a puppy dog, enjoying the sun by the corral.

He was pretty relaxed, looked up at me each time I spoke to him, but didn't mind us admiring him.

 Let's zoom in for a closer look, shall we?

 Mmm-hmm. Puppy dog. If Daddy asks, that's exactly what we saw.



Yep, that's a plain old, domesticated puppy dog. Out in broad daylight. Near houses. Not afraid of people. Looking rather well-fed for an area in a drought. Not a problem.

(Where are those cats, anyway?)

Baby L. Update

Had our midwife appointment today, and didn't get to see our midwife. It seems she was needed in labor and delivery - what, there are other expecting mothers besides me in the world? Hmph. We saw the 'new' midwife, who is very nice and I'm sure knows what she's doing, but it's just not the same.

At any rate, it seems I am still pregnant:

Ya think?

And, just as I suspected, last night's bout of insomnia was due to Junior 'getting into position' (which also explains the lack of feeling in my legs, and the increased difficulty in climbing into the van.) Nothing to get excited about, S. did this about 7 weeks before her due date too - and in the middle of her cousin's wedding ceremony! Wasn't THAT fun! He is also, news flash, carrying very low. And a very active little boy - enough so that the seasoned midwife commented on it more than once. Everything looks good, though - still planning a C-section, but not scheduling it. Daddy and M. were with me, and we filled her in on details of S.'s birth, including important things like the skinning knife used to cut the umbilical cord, and key characteristics of hers and C's personalities.

One thing did puzzle me - as we left, she commented that she always enjoyed starting the day with a good stand-up comedy routine. Whatever could she have meant?

Arizona Wildfires

View from the front deck - pretty picture if you don't realize what it is.