Where have we been?

Where have we been?  "Where haven't we been?" is more like it.  And writing updates to this blog is one place to start with where we haven't been.
Since school has been out, we certainly have been keeping busy.  All those household tasks you mean to get to next weekend, like cleaning the basement, organizing storage, putting the winter sweaters away, finally start disappearing from the to do list.
Thanks to Glidden, we now have a cool cobalt downstairs hallway, that in it's own way reminds me of a smurf massacre.  We'll next be transforming the kitchen into a pale green.
We were in Cadillac visiting my husband's family.  We redecorated his childhood room and made it a welcoming guest room for just under $200.  The renovation involved removing wallpaper that was probably older than he is, only to discover an even older and more hideous layer of paper underneath.  We painted, built a new upholstered headboard, converted a twin bed into a "day bed" with a couchy feel, sewed new cream curtains and scrounged the house for some fitting accessories. Rich also help put up a new privacy fence.  We'll be heading back soon to spearhead a kitchen cleaning and restoration.
We've also been to see two baseball games--one MLB and the other was the local AAA team.  Both had fireworks that followed that we didn't wait arround for.  Both sold concessions and souvenirs that were overpriced and could be passed on.
For the 4th, we had family gatherings.  Our dog Roz was petrified by the noise and has been hiding in the basement for at least the past three evenings.  Our neighbors are idiots and were firing roman candles at each other in some sort of "tag" game.  How dumb can you be?  Peanut couldn't sleep with all the commotion, so we walked to the corner where we had a great view of the downtown fireworks, without the crowds or traffic.
In the coming weeks, my mother and father both have different surgeries slated, so we'll be staying close to home.--This is good since the budget can only handle so many adventures.

Book Review: Flightless Goose

Peanut and I are participating in the reading program through our local library this summer.  While peanut is more interested in flipping the pages than hearing the story per se, I'm always looking for great new stories that can have a positive impact on his charecter.

The Flightless Goose, by Eric Goodman and illustrated by Natalyia Goodman is just such a book.  We were provided a copy of this book in exchange for our review.  We were given the incredible opportunity to participate in the publishers promotional book tour, and today we're hosting a stop.

Gilbert is the main goose of the story.  He begins the story as any other goose, who loves to run and play, swim and fly.  Then one aweful day, tragedy strikes and he is hit by a car.  Though he survives, he can no longer fly. Slowly his friends turn from him and are cruel.  Worst of all, the other geese fly south, leaving Gilbert cold and lonely at the pond.  Yet Gilbert learns to fly and run fast.  When two evil men attempt to poach the geese upon their spring return, Gilbert escapes unnoticed.  Gilbert approaches his human friend Johnny.  They take a stand against these bullies and causes a scene to inform the authorities.  The flock is released and Gilbert, the flightless goose becomes a welcomed hero and asset to his flock.

I love message of overcoming disabilities and accepting differences.  I appreciate that Johnny is also a kid who lives with a disability and also has a role in becoming the hero of the day.  The illustrations are carefully constructed watercolors that beautifully enhance the story. The anti-bullying message is also important for juvenile audiences.  Mostly, I love that Goodman has taken the age old, "don't judge a book by it's cover" lesson we all learned from the ugly duckling and given it a fresh spin, making it a modern, palatable age-apppriate moral story without sounding overly preachy to a young audience.

If you'd love to add The Flightless Goose by Eric D. Goodman and illustrated by Nataliya A. Goodman published by Writers' Lair Books to your summer reading list, you can order it via your favorite local bookstore, or through the books website. The suggested hard cover price is $15.95.


For more fun, have your kids check out this books sponsored interactive website for your young reader.
I received a copy of this book in order to read it and share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own, and not that of the author or publisher. I received no further compensation.