A Website for Moms
It wasn’t long ago that I heard the word “centenarian” for the first time, and I had no clue what it meant. I turned to the Internet to learn that it was in reference to people living to be 100 years old. I’ve been mesmerized by that word ever since. My great grandmother lived into her late 90’s, and I know I’m very lucky to have been a part of her life. I have been giving this much thought lately, as I try to figure out what to get my grandmothers for Christmas.
Having raised their children, purchased their homes, traveled the countryside, worked hard, and long been in retirement, clutter is the last thing they need. I try to send photos, write letters, and make visits as much as possible. I know that is what truly means something. Yet, I find myself wanting to wrap a little gift to bring along; a little something that says “thanks for helping me to appreciate baking” and “thanks for teaching me the value of saving money”. All of my childhood memories of the holidays include my grandparents, so why wouldn’t I look for a unique item that might bring a smile?
Well, I am happy to report I think I found a great gift this year. It’s a little hard-covered book called, “What I Know- Uncommon Wisdom and Universal Truths from 10 Year Olds and 100 Year Olds” by Roger Emerson Fishman with Joe Rohrlich. I connected with Joe Rohrlich online, and he sent me a beautiful autographed copy of the book. It’s full of great short stories and funny bits of wisdom from people ten to one hundred years old. It’s the type of book you can pick up, flip to any page, and enjoy reading a little or a lot at one time. You quickly see yourself, your kids, your parents and your grandparents in the stories and humor.
One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is sip a hot coffee and peruse the isles of Barnes and Noble. In fact, I took all three of my girls there yesterday, as part of our annual holiday shopping day. What I know is that “What I Know” is available at Barnes and Noble, Borders, and I believe Target even has it. It is very new though, so do a little searching and I’m sure you’ll find it.
*To my family, ahh…well, this idea is obviously already taken. Don’t even try to rush out and get to grandma before me.
I recently read “The Wednesday Letters” by Jason Wright, and couldn’t put it down. It was a quick read, but worth the time. If you love books that catch you right away, keep you reading, have some mystery and love story mixed in, and ultimately send a thought provoking message by the end…you’ll love this book. It reaffirms what it is to be married to the love of your life. It is a book focused on parenting children and raising strong families. There are several adoption-related story lines that are heartwarming! This would make a great Mother’s Day gift for a mom or grandmother!
First, I have to admit that my tastes run a little out of line with the typical mom. Sure, I may have been instrumental in ushering in the Twilight craze among local moms, but generally speaking… well, lets just say that I’ve never read a word of Jodi Picoult or Nora Roberts, and I don’t really intend to. I am a lover of young adult fiction, of fantasy, and admittedly some “chick lit” (I loved The Lovely Bones)
That being said, I just finished reading The Name of the Wind, and I loved it. It is the story of how a brilliant young boy thrived in the face of adversity, and grew to be an epic hero.
I have to admit that I didn’t like the main character, Kvothe very much at first. I thought he was arrogant and smug as he recounted his intellectual prowess. But as the story progresses, and life crushes in on him, you begin to see the man he becomes, when being a clever little boy is no longer enough.
The Name of the Wind is the first (an only published, so far) book in a promising new series by author Patrick Rothfuss of Wisconsin. I found it thorough and brilliantly crafted,much like the Harry Potter novels. Only The Name of the Wind is meatier, designed for adult readers who are looking forsomething more substantial to gnaw on. If you are any sort of fantasy fan (note that my fantasy fandom doesn’t stray past J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, Neil Gaiman and J.K. Rowling) I think you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
I am about a fourth of my way through the book, finding it hard to keep at it. The story is fine, and I am actually laughing as I go. Maybe it’s the bad cold I’ve been fighting or the lack of free-time to curl up and read, but at any rate, I usually read books much faster than this.
I'm Beth Gasser, also known as "Confessions of a Mom" and "ConfessionsMom". This is my playground for what I love; blogging, saving money, having fun, parenting, cooking up fun recipes, and writing about everything under the sun. My daytime fun is at Vivid Image, Inc. where I'm a Social Media Consultant and small business brand advocate for our clients.
