Tag: grammar

On the (figurative) nightstand

I don’t actually own a nightstand…or a headboard for that matter (we are clearly not quite grownups yet), but I do love to read. Here’s my current stack.

  • Luther’s Small Catechism. Last summer, our Sunday morning Bible study read the entire New Testament. I loved it. I had structure and a weekly goal. After it was over, I floundered for awhile wondering what to read next. I usually start in the Old Testament and get bogged down around Numbers, so I decided to go with the Catechism this time. It’s always good to review why you believe what you believe.
  • The Elements of Style. I read my old copy ragged, but it’s been awhile. Let’s just say I’ve gotten (metaphorically) fat and happy as a writer. I’m cringing through every page as I note my flagrant transgressions of the rules.
  • The Mosaic Artist’s Bible of Techniques. My sister challenged the family to do homemade craft projects for Christmas this year. Now she’ll have a hint of what I’m working on, but shh! Don’t tell mom and Trina, okay?
  • EntreLeadership. Derek and I are big Dave Ramsey fans. He’s got a new book about being a good business leader that I’m excited to dive into.

On the Kindle for Android:

  • A Year with C.S. Lewis. This book has dated daily readings taken from Lewis’s body of works. It’s a nice little read when I’m killing time in the car, at piano lessons, etc.
  • Law 101. This book covers in decent detail the six main courses everyone studies the first year of law school. I decided that if the book, which reviewers have termed “dry,” made me fall asleep every night I should reconsider law school. Happily, I’m finding it incredibly interesting.
  • The Lutheran Study Bible. The Kindle version is rather clunky to use as a study tool (flipping around between notes, references, and verses) but I hear an iPhone app is coming out soon. (Yay!) Hopefully Android is next. Meanwhile, this version is more portable than the actual book.
  • The Happy Lawyer. Everyone knows most lawyers hate their jobs. I wanted to find out why and whether it was possible to be in the minority (happy) camp. The answer, I think, is yes. I’ve interviewed plenty of lawyers for articles and the ones I’ve talked to love their jobs. I think the ones who are unhappy probably shouldn’t have gone to law school in the first place, but they didn’t know what else to do after college.

Okay, what are y’all reading? Put up a blog post or spill it in the comments, please!

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Publish date:
October 10th, 2011
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Fun with the phone

The kids love my camera phone. “Take my picture! Take my picture!” is a constant refrain around here.

Last night, Derek was at volleyball, so the kids and I went up for baths and a photo session. It started when all three of them were cuddling in my lap and I wanted to get a photo.

But Jonathan, like a fly who disappears just when you break down and get the swatter, sensed the camera and ran off to play with Kate’s cowboy hat. Which turned into a “let’s dress the baby up!” session. At least they weren’t dressing him in pigtails and a skirt.

Next, we switched to the front camera and took some self-portraits. Jonathan loves seeing himself in the camera, but gets mad when I won’t let him grab it. Check out his scowly face.

More lap time…

and then Kate and I tucked the little ones into bed and went downstairs to practice her spelling. Homonyms this week.

I’m pretty sure I enjoyed it more than she did.

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Publish date:
October 5th, 2011
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How to kill 6 hours at DTW

Watch the jumping fountains and think how much your kids would like them. Wish kids were with you.

 

Find a place to sit. Remember you’re using your CPH travel bag and try to take picture of self with bag to send to Bruce. Get self but not bag, or bag but not self. Put camera away because you feel stupid, and anyway, the lighting makes you look old, and you’re not quite 34 so that’s not right.

 

Watch guy next to you snore and get camera out again. Surreptitiously take picture of him sleeping and hope he never comes across it on your blog.

 

Window shop. Roll eyes at “inspirational” messages.

 

Check flights and feel sorry for all the people going to the New York area whose flights were cancelled. (Thanks, Hurricane Irene.)

 

Shop some more. Buy a pillow you’ve always wanted but never wanted to spend money on. Realize at this point you’re buying it purely out of boredom.

 

Resist the urge to buy your children things they don’t need, that you’re tempted to buy purely out of boredom.

Not pictured:

  • Eat chocolate.
  • People-watch.
  • Wonder why short-shorts are in when 99 percent of women don’t look good in them.
  • Wonder why women who don’t look good in short-shorts wear them anyway.
  • Walk around aimlessly.
  • Wish fervently that you had taken five minutes to run into the library to pick up some reading material, even as you admit retrospectively that you really didn’t have time.
  • Watch tram go back and forth approximately 47 times before you break down and get on the internet for $7.95.
  • Consider capitalizing “internet” and decide that AP and Chicago are behind the times, and that it’s a common noun.
  • Wonder why sitting around in airports makes you so tired.
  • Realize it will all be worth it when you wake up in Paris the next morning.

 

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Publish date:
August 27th, 2011
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Grammar cop

I was trying to find this blog’s administrator’s page on my phone, but got this error instead:

Do you see the run-on sentence? I had to go into the css (a dangerous jungle for a hack techie like me) and change it.

Now it looks like this:

It’s a little better, anyway. And I still loooove the blog theme. (Did I mention it’s free? Yep.)

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Publish date:
August 24th, 2011
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1 Comment
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