Eine Kleine Catchup Musik

OK, so there's no music, nor is there any of the red tomato substance, but there IS a little bit of catchup coming your way. The title merely tells you how punchy I am as I type this at the ripe old hour of 9:30 p.m. That's right, it's early by many people's standards, and very early by my typical schedule, but with "Best Family Adventures: San Luis Obispo County - SECOND EDITION," (WOO HOO!) still hangin' out on the printing press, my nights have suddenly involved (GASP!) sleep! That means less time online.

Add to that the state of my desktop computer. It has built two books and countless newspaper articles, plus more words than I care to count in this blogging effort. For years, it worked just fine with the camera and external drive, but sometime last year it decided the external drive was something it would rather scramble that use cooperatively. I hate to think how many photos were lost before I figured out the two really weren't ever going to get along again. But now I depend upon Mr. B's computer (the newfangled one that Microsoft made obsolete within a month of its purchase - thanks for the heads up, Mr. Gates) to download the camera and upload to the Internet. While I know more than a few of you believe I'm pretty bossy, but if you think I'm going to kick a working man off HIS computer during HIS playtime, then I really need to work on my public image.

Let's get this update show on the road.

I'm backtracking to E's birthday because I'm amazed that she's already into the double digits, and I know some of the family would be interested in seeing photos from her day. I know, they're a little behind. I blame technology. Of course, I can't blame technology for forgetting to give her the wrapped gift we'd had in the garage for months. Her birthday morning, she opened a gift from her Aunt Karen (a journal with a voice-activated lock), a couple of cards, and an envelope from us with a certificate announcing her registration for dance camp later this summer. It was an alright start to the day, but I could see she was a little disappointed with basically one immediately usable gift. But she bucked up just fine.


A week later, I remembered the surprise gift that still awaited, wrapped, in the garage.

Better late than never?

March Heat Wave

I know: I'm a bit behind on blogging. We've been pretty busy around here, and I'm trying to be at least SOMEWHAT focused on the edits and updates for "Best Family Adventures: San Luis Obispo County - SECOND EDITION." Maps have been delivered. All links, phone numbers, addresses and driving directions have been updated. On to editing, layout, ISBN bar code, photos, printing and, yes, learning how to turn it all into an e-book. I love print, but it looks like this is the way things are going, and since at least part of the purpose of writing these books is to help augment the family income, I've gotta go with the flow.

The computer work is done largely after dark, when the kids are in bed and the quiet chores are completed. That makes for slow going on a project this large. By daylight, we've been enjoying a crazy spring with heat waves and cold spells, windy weather and beach days.

March went out with some pretty intense heat after our cold (on Central Coast scale) and wet (see same scale) winter. After an afternoon out with the horse, we collected one of the other horsey kids and returned home to cool off in the sprinkler. I love sprinkler play, and I'm so glad that, while they seem to be growing out of some of the great "kid things" in life, this is one they still enjoy:

Busy, busy times

I know... it's been quiet on the blog. But I haven't heard any clamoring for posts, so I've allowed my energy to be directed elsewhere. SO much going on here, and I suspect this upward trend in activity will only continue for the next, oh, decade.

So, what's up with us?

E is dancing several hours per week now thanks to our change from her old dance academy to the local community college offering. She's in beginning pointe now, no shoes but strengthening, preparing and learning the skills she'll need when she finally grows strong enough to wear those torture specialty slippers. She's also still taking Latin, and piano. is enrolled in a theater workshop, and has begun crafting with some other girls her age. Last week: knitting. Next gathering: who knows?

This morning, E wrapped up work on the porcelain doll she's been making for a 4H project. She started by selecting a doll, then returned to the studio to find her greenware ready for scraping and detailing. The head, arms and legs, once prepped by her, were then fired again to harden. The following week she tinted the legs, arms and head and added color to the cheeks and lips. One lesson was dedicated entirely to adding the eyebrows. I thought she'd taken an EXTREMELY long time at 45 minutes to perfect one eyebrow. The instructor informed me, however, that she's had adult students spend as much as 2 1/2 hours on making a pair of eyebrows! The eyeball selection week was a hoot for me. (Imagine: a bin full of eyeballs...I sure hope those photos turned out well...we shall see as soon as we get the hard drive/computer compatibility issue solved.) Today, the body stuffing was completed and the flexible armature in place, so arms, legs and head were attached. She selected a wig she'd like, and it should be in next week. I'll try to get the photo issue resolved by then so we can share the final result.

E and I will soon sing in regional competition with Sweet Adelines International's TriCity Sound Chorus. She looks so cute on that front row. I wish I could be in the audience to see her shine, but feel so honored to have this opportunity to share the stage with her.

E & V and I have all been enjoying our Saturdays at docent training at La Purisima Mission State Historic Park in Lompoc. E has been wanting to volunteer there for about four years now, but she was always too young. No kids, they said. But this winter we received an invitation to take part and the girls, especially, are having a fantastic time. One Saturday, I had to promote books at a kids' fair in Santa Barbara. The girls had the option to join me there (and play in any of the more than 100 vendor activity areas) or go to docent training. They're unanimous response, "We want to go to docent training because it's really fun!" Volunteers Shelley and Ed have been fantastic with the kids. I've enjoyed my adult training, too, but I didn't get to mash adobe with my feet or ring the bells or work with pottery or any number of other super fun hands-on projects they've enjoyed in the kids' program.



V is cruising along, going with the flow. Her interest is still in animals. She's been entertaining us all with her tortoise, Leo, and helping to take care of our other animals. She enjoys collecting the eggs our hen, Flo, began laying while we were all out of town skiing in February. It seems she needed a little lock-down time to finally get the eggs going - or maybe it was the longer, warmer days. Hey, whatever works. V is also having a great time riding horses weekly, and playing out at the ranch with E and the other horsey kids while I work with our Mattie.

Speaking of Mattie - we've had some valuable lessons recently.

Lesson One: carry an extra cinch in your trailer/gear - When we arrived at the trailhead for the 4H horse group trail ride last month, E's cinch was missing. We didn't have an extra one with us, so she was almost out the ride. But her group leader opted to ride bareback so E could borrow the leader's cinch. THANK you, Brenda!

Lesson Two: carry an extra halter - I finally purchased the leather trailer halter that was on my list. It seems people haul with leather so that if there's an accident, the horse doesn't hang herself on a rope or nylon halter. The leather headpiece breaks away. Sounds better than hangin', but seems less than ideal to me...then you have an unrestrained horse. Still, I did what seemed right.

For this month's 4H horse group meeting, I agreed to take another little girl and her horse in our trailer with our horse. The horses didn't know each other, but did well with the center divider providing enough protection from each other (and their mellow personalities) that they made the short drive without incident. But while the horses were tied up for tacking, hers jumped, then Mattie spooked, the other horse spooked at it was ON. Mattie pulled back to the end of her rope.

When a horse hits the end of the rope, they don't back off...they pull harder. She tugged until she was sitting on her haunches. Then the leather broke. She skipped away a couple of body lengths before standing still to assess the situation. There she was, no halter, no rope. Just standing naked in the parking lot at the arena. Fortunately, I was able to reach under her neck, grab her mane on the other side, and lead her back that way. Then we just tacked her up for the group meeting/ride.

Another fortunate thing is that the leather is easy to manipulate. Since she was on the tightest settings for this head piece, I just adjusted the remaining half down to the lowest hole, then pierced a new hole on the other end. It's not pretty, but it worked to get her home. Now...back to the tack store. (And, of course no tack store within 50 miles has the replacement piece. SIGH!)

Lesson Three: when introducing new gear, do so in a round pen or arena - Yesterday's was the most exciting lesson of all. We want to use Mattie for packing our gear when we hike (camp). I finally gathered the packing gear we'll need. I did so months in advance of our propose first trip because I knew I'd have to work with her and the gear before hitting the trail. Yesterday we had lots of time on our hands, and it was a beautiful day to spend at the ranch. So...

I put on the first pannier and she was a bit leery of the big orange bag sticking out her side. She walked sideways with it for awhile before settling in and ultimately taking a snooze at the hitching post with it still on her side. So, I added the second pannier. She gave it a sideways look, but seemed to settle in with the idea. So, I released her from the hitching post (she wasn't actually tied there, but her rope was looped to give her the illusion of restraint). When we started walking away from the post, she swung her but around so that she hit the pannier against the post. Of course it made an odd (to her) noise, and it was ON! She spooked, tried to run away from the panniers which were chasing her on BOTH sides now, hit the end of the rope I was holding, pulled back even HARDER because now, as mentioned before, she was at the end of the rope, then bolted.

The property where we keep Mattie is fenced on four sides, but there is a healthy opening on one side and, of course, she ran straight for it, then through it, then out of sight. With the help of other horsefolk who were there we were able to find her within minutes, panniers still attached. She was standing, grazing, as if nothing had ever happened.

Sometimes it's good to have a single-minded horse - if that single mindedness involves food.

And finally, I thought I'd post some photos here of Mattie's travel rig. I'm pretty happy with it, though I did find a spot that could use some work...after I wrap up this second edition of "Best Family Adventures: San Luis Obispo County," and get next month's school activities planned, and, and, and...

Winter Update - LOTS of activity

I know, I KNOW! It's been awhile. But we've been busy around here, and my New Year's Resolution involved spending a lot less time on the computer despite a predicted increase in freelance work and the summer release of the second edition of Best Family Adventures: San Luis Obispo County. (I hope this old computer can handle THAT workload!)  With little feedback on this blog lately, I decided this was the place to start with cutbacks. If you've missed us, I'm sorry. (We've missed you, too!) Remember: the phone rings both ways, as do e-mails and blog entries. So many ways to keep in touch these days!

I've been having some compatibility issues with this "old" computer and the giant external hard drive which decided this past year that it no longer liked our old-fashioned Windows XP. At least we THINK that's what the problem is. The pair cruise along for weeks with no problems, then there's a catastrophic crash and images are scrambled beyond repair. I don't know at this point how many photos have been lost forever - I shudder to think! So, I'm leery of it, and with the recent horsey outburst of spending, a new computer's not in the cards. Plus, doesn't it just suck that we have to purchase new, expensive hardware so often to keep up with these insane changes in software?

So what have we been doing with our time? We enjoyed some fantastic winter storms in December complete with LOTS of water and flooding in some areas here on the Central Coast. It was such a pleasant change from the everyday sun with which we're spoiled here. We visited family, enjoyed our horse, took our first family hike/ride (boy, those pioneers with just ONE animal to share among the group were far more fortunate than those without!), and enjoyed Santa Maria's first skating rink. E has also gotten more involved in 4H. She's volunteered for a variety of committees (ice cream social, toy drive, pizza party, senior movie night, etc.) and continues to enjoy her project work (sewing, cooking, beginning 4H, porcelain dolls).

Here's a photographic peek into our world in December:


We also enjoyed an all-too-brief gathering in Riverdale with cousins galore:


When I get up the nerve, I'll upload the January images to the external drive, and hope for the best. Then I'll send a more recent photo update. Meanwhile, what's new with you?

More Bookstores Closing

I read a really great article recently about the demise of society in the face of this electronic revolution. What happens when libraries die? None of us think it will happen, but did we think the bookstores would be closing right and left? Even the mega-chains have been set back by the electronic age.

This week, I learned both Borders and Barnes & Noble are closing their State Street locations in Santa Barbara. (Borders will maintain its Goleta location for now). Since the publication of my first book in 2006, every bookstore offering new titles in San Luis Obispo County has closed. Want a new book there? You either have to drive into SLO or order online. My favorite locally owned shop in downtown SLO, The Novel Experience, has struggled to stick with it both faced by the challenge of head-to-head competition with the major chain literally down the block and the internet "bookstore."

In northern Santa Barbara County there are few stores selling new titles, and in Santa Maria, there are none. So if we want to own a new book where do we go? Online or wait 'til we can get to The Big City to visit a real bookstore.

We still have our libraries, though! THANK HEAVENS! We couldn't afford to BUY all the books these girls can go through. They voracious readers! But with budget cuts and misplaced priorities, how long will they last?

My distributor has asked me to move ahead with revisions and reprinting of "Best Family Adventures: San Luis Obispo County." They move in local bookstores, but, honestly, they sell better in places like Doc Burnstein's, a local ice cream shop, and The Toy Zoo, a local educational supply and toy store.So I think I'll go for it. Maybe I'll even move into the new century and work the e-book version. We shall see.

Meanwhile, here's my assignment for you: whether you've read it before or not, run down to your local LIBRARY and check out a copy of Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451." It's a fast read, and more relevant today than ever. Then support your local library every way you can. Donate your old books to their used books sale (funds from which are used to maintain the stacks). Renew your library card. Talk up the library to friends and family. Write letters in support of library funding to decision makers in your community.

Thanks for reading.

Sharing the Wealth Giveaway - Second Winner and New Contest

Congratulations to Prairiemaid, our randomly* selected winner of the second Sharing the Wealth Giveaway here at Best Family Adventures. Her family wins a three-book set of paperbacks that includes Camping Out, Level 1 (Little Critter First Readers) by Mercer Mayer, Wake Up, Sun! (Step-Into-Reading, Step 2) by David Harrison and Dolphins! (Step into Reading, Step 3)by Sharon Bokoske and Margaret Davidson. Thank you for stopping by, Prairiemaid, and for your comments. We also heard great comments from other homeschoolers as well as parents of emerging readers. If you missed it and you're interested in language arts links, click back over to the giveaway blog entry for loads of online activities for emerging as well as advanced readers. (Even games for playful grownups.)

Turkeys at Lopez Lake, CA courtesy Hey Paul under Creative Commons License

This week, in honor of the grand opening of the holiday season, I'm giving away a copy of Tammy Takahashi's new book, "Zenschooling: Living a Fabulous & Fulfilling Life Without School." With so many festivities, activities and obligations in the coming weeks, who doesn't need a little Zen in her life? I won my copy over at Secular Homeschool and thought I'd share the wealth here.The book offers moral support and words of hope and support for parents who have chosen to educate their children at home as well as those who are considering the leap.

To enter to win this week's drawing, leave a comment below. How do you balance your needs as an adult and the time required to educate your children at home? How do you find time for your children and yourself? What do you do when you find yourself overwhelmed by the stresses of daily life? One winner will be randomly selected from those who leave a comment to this blog post by 8 p.m. Sunday, November 28, 2010.

And if  you're looking for some curriculum ideas to celebrate throughout these winter holidays, here are a few leads. We've found these sites useful over the years for planning, playing and online discovery.


Thanksgiving
Voyage on the Mayflower - Interactive games, videos and text regarding the voyage and the first year on North America. It follows the traditional Thanksgiving lore.
Fowl Science: Talking Turkey - the Exploratorium's webcast of turkey science.
Thanksgiving Village - lots of printable activities and decorating ideas kids can complete to dress up the holiday
Everyday mysteries- What's the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?
Sleep Turkey - What's in a turkey that induces Grandpa's nap after Thanksgiving dinner?
Thanksgiving Feast - an arcade-style game focused on teaching about nutrition
NYPL Recommended Reading - A Thanksgiving-themed list from the New York Public Library
Writing Prompts - Want the kids to write but can't think of a subject? Here are some grade-specific writing prompts.
Thanksgiving poems
Picture-Perfect Turkey Day - A fill-in-the-blank story generator with a silly Thanksgiving theme
Mr. Turkey & Mr. Duck - a song to the tune of Yankee Doodle for the holiday season. Words, sheet music and mp3 all available free. explore the site for more kid-friendly music by Nancy Stewart.

Chanukah
History Channel Chanukah - Here are the basics of the holiday, with links to key figures, themes, events and other information related to the festival.
Jewish Virtual Library - Further information, including writings and practices
Torah Tots Chanukah - the story simply told, music and games all designed for the youngest set
Chanukah Games - quiz, word search, dreidel spin and more games online

Christmas
Carol online - A pretty healthy list of traditional Christmas carols, including links to lyrics and sound files.
Christmas Tree Curriculum - This Canadian tree farm has created a six-lesson plan for tree-focused learning.
Christmas Bells, by Longfellow -  Librivox recording of Longfellow's holiday. (Here's a quick look at the 38 other stories related to Christmas available at Librivox.) Peruse Librivox year round for an expansive list of recorded writings in the public domain.
Christmas Carol, by Dickens - a Librivox recording of the classic tale
Christmas Quiz - How much do you know about Christmas history, mythology, lore and music?
History Channel Christmas - the basics of the holiday with links to more info about folks, figures and places
Christmas around the World - Listen to how "Merry Christmas" is spoken around the world. This site also has HOURS of reading and activities related to Christmas.
Online Advent Calendar - Updated daily with links to Christmas-season related facts and activities
Chudleigh's Matching game - an electronic version of concentration with a Christmas theme
The History of Gingerbread - a lengthy article with some links
Gingerbread & Smut - did you know gingerbread was actually created to mask a wheat disease known as smut?
And more gingerbread science

Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum - of particular interest to the young ballerina and others interested in the classical Nutcracker Ballet.
Crafts and Gifts - One of many online resources for crafting and gift-making ideas with a kid focus
Christmas-themed Language Arts Activities - More ideas for the writers in your life
Christmas card online - Click about this village scene to give it a warm holiday feel.

Various
Folktales, Fairytales, Myths & Legends - including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa and New Years
Learning through the days of the year - Another November calendar
Homefires' November Learning Calendar - day by day historical moments with links to DVDs or stories. Perhaps a little late this year, but maybe next year?
Web holidays - dates and info about a variety of holidays and pseudo holidays

Sharing the Wealth Giveaway - first winner and new contest

Thank you for your feedback and great ideas for teaching math! Congratulations to blog commenter Breann Hollon who was selected by random.org as the winner of Best Family Adventures blog's first giveaway. She'll receive her copy of Harcourt Family Learning Writing Skills - Grade 2 workbook. dspringer mentioned some games I've never seen before and will definitely be looking up. And I particularly liked Melanie Ussery's suggestion to use license plates for math. We've used them for color, shape, letters and numbers, but I never thought to use them the way she proposed. I wonder if my wise 8 and 10 year olds will play along. Some ideas are brewing...

Meanwhile, I'm moving ahead with giveaways, both physical and virtual. First, the real deal. This week's giveaway is a set of beginning readers. My girls are avid readers. They read so fast (and have so much time to read) that I just can't keep up anymore. While I drive, they read. While I cook, if they're not cooking with me, they're probably reading. They wake up early to read, and I suspect they sneak in some reading after lights-out. And I still read to them at bedtime if they get to bed on time.

Again I'll use random.org to select this week's winner from the comments posted to this blog entry. Does your child enjoy reading? Avoid reading? How have you addressed reading challenges if you have found a solution? Deadline for entry is 6 p.m. Sunday, November 21, 2010. The winner will receive a three-book set of paperbacks that includes Camping Out, Level 1 (Little Critter First Readers) by Mercer Mayer, Wake Up, Sun! (Step-Into-Reading, Step 2) by David Harrison and Dolphins! (Step into Reading, Step 3)by Sharon Bokoske and Margaret Davidson.

Meanwhile, here are several links to reading resources online which I've found useful over the years. Some I explored by dark of night and the girls never had time to use (there are SO MANY). Others, like Starfall, were among their favorite pastimes when given the opportunity to "play" on the computer.

For pre-readers:

* Bembo's Zoo - Click on a letter to discover an animal that not only begins with the letter, but made from letters. Very innovative, artistic and fun.
* Alphabet Activities and Games - game play ideas that foster alphabet learning
* Alphabet Printables - Worksheets, coloring pages and games
* Lil Fingers Toddler Page - interactive games, animated videos and more. We never really got into this site, but there's lots of cute stuff here.

For emergent readers:

* Starfall - one of our favorite learn-to-read programs is sequential, logical, online and free. I love that young readers "rewards" are short, appropriate animated films.
* Skillwise - Lots of interactive online language arts activities focusing on everything from sentence building to the intricacies of grammar.
* Buzz Book - An interesting concept to use phrase completion to emphasize various language arts lessons (spelling, grammar, etc.)
* Story Nory - British program includes classic and modern stories for young readers. Available as text online and as audiobooks. We found several of the modern stories to include really obnoxious characters, but we're oversensitive - ask anyone.
* Internet Public Library Story Hour - read alongs, or just read online.
* BookBox - free stories to download in PDF form, audio form (various languages) and coloring books.

For advanced readers:

* Project Gutenberg - a fabulous collection of works of fiction in the public domain. Updated nightly. Available in various formats from text online to e-readers, scans of original works (including sheet music) and audio books.
* Laura Ingalls Wilder activities - from the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library
* Dear America - Scholastic's site dedicated to their historical fiction series largely told from the female perspective. Interactive activities, stories and more. One of E's favorites.
* Ulysses for Literary Cheaters - The entire tale of Ulysses told in a series of 18 cartoons. Originally called "Ulysses for Dummies," the author was apparently pressed by the "...for Dummies" folks to reconsider. I've renamed it here, but I think he's sticking with his original title because is everything "for Dummies" now copyrighted? How dumb.
* Online Literature Library - full and unabridged texts of classic works of English literature
* American Folklore - a collection of American and Canadian ghost stories, myths, legends and other tales.
* Lord of the Peeps - Lord of the Rings told visually with Peeps as props. Very entertaining for LOTR fans. Doesn't mean much to those who've yet to read the (or listen to audio) books.

* Naughty Shakespeare - Some phrases so clearly understood in Elizabethan England are lost on modern Americans. This introduction to Michael Macrone's book may help clarify a few things. (Not for the young set.)

For various levels:

(These sites have activities, works or audio files that may be of value to readers and pre-readers alike. Use them creatively to encourage further your readers of all levels.)

* Baldwin Project - Like Gutenberg Project, but designed for youth. Literature is available both to view online and to purchase through reprints.
* Merriam-Webster's Word Central - grammar and spelling games, build-your-own dictionary, dictionary, thesaurus and more
* Ashliman's Folktexts -a collection of hundreds of myths and legends available to read online
* I Know That - Lots of games not only for language arts but other subject areas, organized by subject and grade level.
* Long Long Time Ago Stories - stories from myth, legend and more for all readers.
* Kids Are Authors - annual writing/illustration contest sponsored by Scholastic, designed to promote teamwork. Open to children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Spring deadline.
* PBS Kids Island - Language arts-related games and contests
* Literature on Radio - Old-time radio shows rebroadcast on the 'net. Fabulous adaptations of classics for programs.
* Poetry Out Loud National Poetry Recitation Contest - View young people's interpretations of poetry, or enter the contest.
* Poetry - official site of the Academy of American Poets offers a variety of activities including great poetry, modern poetry, tips for teaching poetry and more.
* Many Things - language arts acquisition games and activities. Designed for English as a Second Language students, but works for early readers just as well. After all, we're not born reading.
* Poe - a site dedicated to Edgar Allen Poe including information about his life, personality, as well as his works in text and audio versions.
* Classic Audio Books - Free classics to download to iTunes. An abbreviated list.
* Activated Storytellers - Folklore available as text as well as audio (podcasts).
* Award-winning Children's Literature Database - Looking for reading ideas? Check out this database of award-winning books, searchable by a variety of parameters from gender of protagonist to literary genre.
* It's Good To Read - a parent's guide to LOTS of children's books, searchable with various parameters or simple lists.
* Battle of the Books - reading list by grade level for the annual competitive reading program
* Internet Children's Library - online library of scanned books provides art and works by various authors. Very unique search tool at this link, too.
* Read Kiddo Read - online reviews of a variety of books for children from illustrated works to advanced readers. What I like best about this site is that each review includes a list of "if you liked THIS book, then you might also like THIS one."
* Hans Christian Andersen - Most of his published works, as well as some audio files, autobiography and links to further HCA information available online.
* Jules Verne Collection - a site dedicated to the study of Jules Verne, including access to many of his works, stories about his life and times and links to other Verne sites.
* Classic Audio Interviews - of authors, performing artists, scientists and more, from the BBC.

Best Family Adventure Summer Hiking Series - Johnson Loop

This summer, the girls and I...wait. I mean I have committed to leading a family friendly outing every Thursday this summer. (The girls, of course, are along for the ride, and the hike, and whatever other adventures we find along the way.) The girls and I used to hike every week, but we've fallen out of that habit in recent years as other obligations (classes, travels, social events) began to fill the calendar. But with the release of each "Best Family Adventure" book I've heard from fans that they'd like to hike more regularly but that they need either the security of a buddy to go with, motivation of a friend on the trail with them, or just someone to show the way. So, when it came up again one late night, I started scheduling.

The first Best Family Adventures Summer Thursday Hike was held on June 3. I chose Johnson Loop south of San Luis Obispo because it's newer than the first edition of "Best Family Adventures: San Luis Obispo County," and I'd heard a fair bit about it. All reports were that it would be a mellow enough loop for a gaggle of kids. Plus, with the print run coming to its end, it's probably time to start researching again for the second edition.

It was incredibly warm (some might even have called it downright hot) right off the bat. But we persevered and celebrated shade when we found it. We had a really nice group show up, and E was particularly enamored with a boy her age who also likes to tell stories and explore. Once they figured out they shared a common interest to talk about along the way, they were off and running.



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On Good Press and Santa Claus

After a week spent away from the computer, the telephone and all things electronic (more on that to follow), we returned to civilization today to find some great surprises for Best Family Adventures.

First, I picked up a copy of the Santa Barbara Independent while swinging into town for our post-camping ice cream. Lo and behold, this week's edition included a nice review of the new book! Our first publicity in Santa Barbara! (I'll tell you, Santa Barbara media is a tough nut to crack! Review copies of books, calls, e-mails, letters - only the Santa Barbara Independent has responded. SO thankful for their coverage.)

Then made my way to the Internet after the girls settled into bed. Here I found, among the hundreds of e-mails (egads!), a Google News link to the book's inclusion on one of Santa's blogs. No idea who maintains this site, but glad to be included on Santa's list. (Turns out the fat man in the red suit has LOTS of blogs...busy guy!)

Also got our first order from the two-fer deal I posted on the website just before we left town. Given the locality and profession of the person who placed the order, I suspect some promotion from my mom may have had something to do with it. She is, by far, the books' number one promoter! (Thanks again, Mom!)

It's fun researching and writing these books, but I confess we're now down to hard work. Books don't sell unless people hear about them. Word of mouth is KEY. So...I just keep on talkin'!

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Deeds 'n' Snow 'n' Blogs - OH MY!

So sorry to have been out of touch with this blog lately. It's not that I haven't been writing. I've been fiddling here and there. Okay! Not here! But certainly here, and more recently here. Not to mention trying to keep up with design here and here and sometimes even here.

Thanks to completion of "Best Family Adventures: Santa Barbara County," which I'm told is on a truck headed for the Central Coast, I'm actually sleeping most nights. And thanks to some difficulties with our external hard drive, I'm less tempted to fiddle with the pictures I'd LIKE to upload here, but which will most likely vanish (again!?) when I plug it into this machine. While a bummer on one hand, it means a lot less time at the keyboard for me.

In coming weeks, I hope to be able to show you pictures of our latest adventures which have included: cycling for ALL of us (no more training wheels for ANYone in this family - woo hoo and wah all at the same time); skiing in the Sierra (ever been stuck on a ski lift during a power outage? Great way to find some one-on-one time with your kid); garden spring cleaning and planting (weeds out, peas in); horseback riding in the wind (and sometimes rain); hiking Montana de Oro (the waves. OH! the waves!); and generally enjoying each other's company (and silliness), largely at home.

I continue to find the world a baffling place:
- a federal ban on texting for commercial bus and truck drivers (what about the rest of the idiots who think texting and driving mix)?
- school shootings ever more prevalent (in Tacoma (WA), near Jefferson County (CO), Knoxville (TN), Madison (AL), at the university level and as far away as Germany), one of the millions of disgruntled taxpayers took violent action, and, closer to home, a local university faced threats of violence.
- state budgets going to hell in a handbasket (selling state-owned buildings - is it really enough at this point?) and everyone else following suit.
Even Nature's going haywire.

Yep, I listen to the news. It's troubling, and while I blog here, raise my children the best I can, vote, write letters and try to do the best I can as an active citizen, I can't help but feel like a speck of dust crushed by the cogs in the wheels of a larger machine.

Back to the garden - where news doesn't find me.


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Two More Family Friendly Businesses Closing Doors

Two weeks ago, I sent my book out for publication. In another couple of weeks it will be here. But already, some of the information is outdated. Chiefly, two of the venues are closing their doors.

Judith Hale Gallery in Los Olivos is closing after a quarter century of service to artists, aspiring artists and art lovers. I just got off the phone with Phyllis, and she said the doors will remain open ’til the end of the month, then we’re on our own. Artists have reduced their prices (including jewelry) 40-50%. Plus, the garden remains a beautiful oasis of curiosities.

Motionz in Santa Maria Town Center is also going through some hardships. Motions “will close on March 28, 2010 due to hard economic times.” The owners are willing to sell the business if anyone’s interested in taking it on. Otherwise, it’s lights out for Santa Barbara County’s only organized, indoor laser tag facility.

Since releasing "Best Family Adventures: San Luis Obispo County" in mid-2006, an incredible number of businesses have failed. There are no more sellers of new books in all of northern San Luis Obispo County. Want a new book there? You have to drive in to San Luis Obispo proper, or order online. The last seller of new books in Santa Maria Valley closed its doors last month. Other retailers are nailing shut their doors as well. Scary times.

If you’re considering making any purchases, don’t forget the local businesses who are here to support our schools, our families, and the community 365 days a year. Sure, we might be able to order something for a buck cheaper online, but then there’s the additional cost of shipping; and even if shipping is included, isn’t it worth that buck to know there’s a store around the corner that has what you need in a pinch?

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Protecting the Family: Resisting the Urge to Hole Up

I can't tell you how often people have told me I'm brave to venture out with my kids. While some women have told me they could never venture out on the road the way we do, others have told me they've been inspired to branch out. I've been called brave, energetic, smart, crazy, nuts even careless. Some men tell me they would never let their wives roam the way I do. (Thank heavens those men are not akin to mine.)

But let me tell you, I don't go into these adventures with my eyes entirely shut. I do consider the possibility that something, often any number of things, could go wrong. I try not to dwell on them, but to take whatever precautions and make whatever preparations I can, then carry on. Still, I do, on occasion, find myself having to resist the urge to stay home, holed up in relative safety, in hopes of protecting my children from the dangers outside our door. Today was a case in point.

Mr. B (aka Safetyman) and V headed out for a walk this morning while E and I wrapped up some projects at the house. They were headed to a park about a mile and a half from our house; a walk that involved crossing one very busy street, in our community's terms. Mr. B doesn't jaywalk. He believes in the power of the crosswalk, the safety a traffic signal should provide. And he's right - those things should provide pedestrians some added safety. He and V pushed the magic button, waited for the light to turn in their favor, then looked both ways.

"It looked like everyone was slowing down for the light," he told me over lunch. "But one car didn't stop. We almost got hit. That could've been it right there."

At the last minute, the driver realized his error and, as he sped by, gave Mr. B an apologetic look. What good would that have done if Mr. B and V had been a step ahead, a few feet further into his path?

I have a pretty vivid imagination, and I have to force myself not to go there lest I panic and lock my family inside. It helps to remember that, really, we're not safe there, either, and that this life is meant to be lived, to be enjoyed, to be celebrated. While staying home and relaxing with family for the sake of family unity and joy is one thing, locking ourselves away from the world is not the answer.

So we continue to venture forth, and hope for the best.

If you're thinking about hitting the road with your kids in tow, don't let the fear of a flat tire slow you down. Learn to change a tire, and practice before you hit the road. Carry a credit card with a credit limit large enough to help in other emergencies. Carry a cell phone so you can call for help, whether it be roadside assistance or a sympathetic ear. Bring your sense of adventure, your family and supplies - and enjoy the ride.

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Websites and printers and deadlines - OH MY!

It's been a quiet month here at Lake Book-Be-Gone. We've enjoyed some wonderfully heavy rains which have begun rejuvenating our aquifer while giving us some wonderful downtime by the fire. We've had some beautiful days at the beach and hiking the green hills. We've enjoyed visits from family and friends. We've had time to read some wonderful stories from Aztec and Maya cultures, not the least of which has included some of their mythology. The girls forge ahead on their math and spelling, read voraciously and have taken in a performance by the Moscow Circus. We're looking toward the Superbowl this weekend, then will begin a unit study focused on the Iditarod.

Why bother with the Iditarod, you ask? Who needs to know Alaskan geography, the history of our continent's far northern reaches, the math of the world's most famous dog sled race? My answer: why not? The race and all that surrounds it provide opportunity to study in depth a portion of our country, our world. And it's as relevant to kids in California as study of any of the other 48 states outside their own. Plus, V, our youngest, loves anything that involves animals, so the tie to dogs should help pique her interest. The fact that a cousin has a cabin on an Alaskan island also gives the girls a heightened sense of personal value in this information. We'll study the state, its history, geography, biology, its people past and present, its weather. There will be ample opportunity to explore the science of snow, animals, weather, cold and ice, planetary movement all in the context of an exciting and unusual event which kicks off in 26 days. In researching the unit, I've already learned a lot, and I really look forward to sharing it with them. (Did you know there's a Junior Iditarod? Starts in only 20 days!)

In other news:
After one tough year of putting the results of our research to paper, designing, formatting, laying out and ultimately completing work on "Best Family Adventures: Santa Barbara County," the book files have been sent to the printer. WOO HOO! That means free time now, right?

Well, there were some other things to be done: rebuild the website both to improve it and to reflect the new title, catch up on things at home, catch up on volunteer work for my chorus, begin lining up publicity and find a distributor covering Santa Barbara County. Not to mention the daily work of raising a family, homeschooling, and trying to find some time for exercise.

Then the book proof came back with some surprises. Chiefly, the text on the pages had shifted so they no longer aligned with photos and so some entries' titles no longer shared a page with the entries' details. It all seems to have come down to running our computer system with an entirely different computer system - miscommunication isn't just a human flaw.

I'm aiming for a Spring Equinox release of the new book - what better time to help spread the word that there is a LOT to do in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. I learned SO much about this area I've called home nearly all my life. My girls have learned that, while we tend to wander, there's really more to do in these two counties than a person can possibly master in a lifetime. And we haven't even hit the wilderness yet.

Enjoy the rain and the green bursts of life it brings, the wildflowers that are bound to pop in the next couple of weeks and each other. Life is most certainly wonderful.

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