A Good Read

There's a wonderful set of books by Jacqueline Winspear that are all about circa-post-Great War female "psychologist and investigator" Maisie Dobbs. Grab one of these if you'd like a delightful read -- it's easy, but definitely not fluff. They're like eating an entire bowl of popcorn by yourself on a rainy day (substitute whatever metaphor is appropriate for you!) I also have to highly recommend Leif Enger's new book, So Brave, Young, and Handsome. I cried at the end, not because of the ending, but because the story was over and my new friends were gone.

Stuff White People Like

So, a new acquaintance (Thanks Tyler!) put me onto this blog: www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com It's not meant to be offensive and is very, very funny. Here's one that seemed appropriate for my blog:

#75 Threatening to Move to Canada: http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/2/24/75-threatening-to-move-to-Canada/

Happy Mother's Day!

So, let me begin by saying that I'll be the first to admit that I have no idea what celebrities are like in their "real lives." (Other than, that is, sitting across from "Bo Duke" at a parent-teacher conference. He is "real" people! -- Some of you may have heard the story, ad nauseum, about John Schneider's daughter being in the first 5th grade class that I taught - my brush with fame!) But I digress... I find it fascinating that we often like to think that we know what celebrities are like because we are faithful followers of their TV series, or we've read about them in People, or we've seen them interviewed by Barbara Walters. I mean, we really know them, right? Case in point, a recent survey where people polled (I always want to know who these people really are) said that they thought that Jennifer Garner was America's best mom. Really? How did they know that? Do that many polled people run into Jennifer at Violet's preschool Christmas pageant or observe Ben Affleck and Jennifer reading their children stories at night? Or disciplining them in the grocery store? I can only assume that because they have given their children unique names, stay pretty much out of the tabloids, and seem "down to earth" that they (or she, really) deserves this title of Ultimate Parent. Now, I don't mean to be unkind at all to Jennifer, who is, as far as I know, a decent person. One who probably gets tired of reading about her life on the blogs of know-it-all citizens like myself. I just think it's interesting that fame can earn you the kind of title that I would like to reserve for mothers who do a great job and have no nanny or housekeeper whose resources they can utilize when they're feeling tired at the end of a long day (can you tell that I'm feeling tired at the end of a long day?) I suppose what really gets me (and may get to Jennifer and Ben and their celebrity comrades) is that people who don't really know them, get to act as if they do. Another case in point -- "Which celebrity would you be most confident in as a babysitter?" Another totally inane question. Runner-up?: The childless, but obviously uber-sitter, Jennifer Anniston. Why do "we" think she would be a faithful and conscientious sitter? Because we like her hair? Because we enjoyed her body of work on "Friends"? Also in contention for this title were her nemesis and ex-partner, Angelina and Brad (I find it odd that people with 6 children should lose to someone with less child-sitting experience). Winners in this category were Ellen De Generes and her partner Portia Rossi. They don't have children either, but Ellen has a popular talk show, so they must be good choices, right? If I were asked the question, I swear that I would have had to say that since I don't actually KNOW any celebrities - (although I wouldn't hesitate if anyone - celebrity or not - offered to take my kids for the evening )- how do I know who would make the best (or worst) babysitter? My personal heroes are the people I know who, with less money and less support, do heroic things every day -- friends who selflessly care for disabled children, friends who sacrifice precious money and time to pursue the adoption of children who've been abandoned (and who don't have names like Madonna or Angelina -- though I think it's good of them, too), friends who are single mothers who work long, hard hours with little thanks or appreciation, mothers who can single-handedly drive 5 kids from coast to coast in a Volvo wagon that "blows a gasket" in the California desert and still manages not only to get kids and luggage to Disneyland (whereupon they all survivie an earthquake) but manages to get them on a plane headed for a foreign land. And all without breaking a sweat. Thanks Mom! :)