(Photo by Steve Rawley)

from today’s Publishers Lunch, under New Deals:

Richard M. Cohen’s I WANT TO KILL THE DOG, a humorous memoir and countercultural ode about living with his wife Meredith Vieira’s animal menagerie and the havoc the pets create; and Scratch and Peck blogger Lauren Scheuer’s illustrated ONCE UPON A FLOCK: Adventures with My Backyard Chickens.

Make a stand for fiction. Go buy a copy of my novel.

Happy Thursday, y’all!

— nancy

(Photo by Steve Rawley)

Out for a job interview this a.m. Dressed-up! Grown-ups! Resumes and W-4s and INS forms and here’s my passport, woot!

Ran errands: Fred Meyer, lunch, but seemed like double that cuz of rain, wind and traffic.

Perky weathergirl on country station, on the radio: “We do have some folks without electricity, due to the high winds. We had a 3.1 earthquake off the Oregon coast and tomorrow we might have snow!”

Ye Gods.

I drove home through flying branches and tree limbs, scattering all over the road, to no power at the library = can’t check out books. Blown-down fences, lights out all over the place… branches covering the driveway at our place, but lights on, house warm, cats confused.

Ah, winter. Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?

(edited Tues to say: it snowed like crazy half the day, then stopped and the sun came out. crocus and daffodils dancing in the breeze, happy. Steve and I had Thai food for lunch, so perfect. Green curry, tom kha soup and salad rolls. Spring is on the way, i don’t care if it’s snowing or not.)

“May Heaven guard and keep you

— from “The Book of Songs,” Blessings on Gentle Folk

“Cut these words and they would bleed; they are vascular and alive; they walk and run.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)

speak it, speak it.

— wm

“I have tried to resolve this absent writing a post about it to no avail. We have an election to win and Republicans to keep out of this country’s collective vagina. I simply do not have time for this.” — ABL

Her blog.

“My child, we are not born to hold a gun, we are born to love. Love is the only weapon we carry.” — Thich Nhat Hanh, from “Creating True Peace: Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community, and the World”

http://youtu.be/nNbadNyHBSU

re: Rush Limbaugh’s statements (that only sluts use/want birth control, do I have that about right?)… I think maybe American women need to go on a sex strike until the men who need to shut up, STFU. And the brothers who aren’t speaking up, speak up for us. Whaddya say?

Heteros only — lesbians, sister power, get a pass.

Amy Chua has gotten a load of grief over her memoir, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” about parenting her two daughters. I liked the book — I thought she was brave and forthright, and funny, too. She’s the first one to admit her flaws, people, so get off her back. I agree with some of her methods. I know, I know — she got a little extreme. But you know what? Motherhood makes you crazy. It’s the truth.

Maybe we could talk honestly about our struggles and demons, instead of going all judgmental and focusing on finger-pointing. When did it become such a sticky wicket, “modern parenting”? Try to do the best you can and call it a day. Gah.

“Next Stop Grand Central” is another great picture book by Maira Kalman. It was published in 1999, but I just got a copy of it a couple of months ago. I’m trying to collect everything by Kalman — some of it is expensive and hard to find, but if you poke around on eBay and Amazon, or at the used book stores, titles show up and you can find them at reasonable prices.

Just received a review copy of Sophie Kinsella’s latest, “I’ve Got Your Number.” (My disclaimer.) I started it and it is fun and engaging, like her books always are. I needed something a little lighter — I’ve been on an F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald kick — novels, bios, short stories. I like these self-imposed author studies I do, but it’s a little much sometimes, eh, Sylvia? So Ms. Kinsella, thanks for another good read.

(Edited on 3/12/12 to say: Finished the Kinsella book last week — loved it. There’s a touch of sorrow and intensity to this one, woven through. V. good.)

“No one wants to hear stories about about bad things. That’s the truth. I remember that my tutor at college once asked me if I was all right and if I wanted to talk. The moment I started, he said, ‘You mustn’t lose your confidence, Poppy!’ in this brisk way that meant, ‘Actually I don’t want to hear about this, please stop now.'”

Next: Somehow, when I was doing my library work, I missed reading Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith’s picture book, “The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!” (flipside in Spanish: “!La Verdadera Historia de Los Tres Cerditos!”). You know why? It’s such a great book that the students and teachers always had it checked out and I never got to enjoy it! How dare they! Ha. Found my kids’ old copy awhile back, out at their grandma’s house, and brought it home with us.

I give this one five out of five stars. Yes. !Si!

Jarrett J. Krosoczka (who also wrote the hilarious “Lunch Lady” series of graphic novels) has a new picture book out: “Ollie the purple elephant.” Too. Cute. Really liked the art in this one, and the story is fun. That’s it for books. Now how about a short film and some music? Alright.

This short film won an Oscar last night. I just adore it.

http://youtu.be/Adzywe9xeIU

And now, just because I am still so bummed about Whitney Houston’s death, another video — this one of an impossibly young Whitney and her incredible mom, Cissy. Peace, peace, peace to the Houston family

http://youtu.be/jXSpThaakp8

* watching General Hospital. I’ve never really liked Patrick all that much. OK, I’ve never really liked him one bit. But now, I’m kind of hating his guts because He Is Wuss. Also, where’s the hospital chaplain?

* why didn’t Sonny just shoot Anthony when he had the chance?

* I don’t like Kate much (Sonny’s old/new girlfriend). Or Maxie (the new one or the old one), Spinelli/Spicoli, who else?? I like Monica, Tracy, Luke. Dante, when he’s not w/ Lulu; Olivia, but not Steve Hardy; Lizzie, but only when she’s an artist not a nurse; Carly, Sean, Sean, Carly… I think that’s it for now.

* had a nice lunch with Steve — Indian buffet. oh, yum. i like having a little time alone with my husband, it’s cool. In May, it will be fifteen years since our first date. We went out for… Indian food! I dropped my naan in my water glass, I was so nervous ;)

* I’m trying to ease up on the coffee (one cup a day, #canshedoit) and switch to tea. Trying… trying… I do love my tea. Didn’t used to love coffee this much, but I’ve become quite the little addict over the years.

* speaking of giving things up… booze. It’s been ten months since I stopped drinking. Feels good every day. Clear-headed. The writing is going well, too.

* It’s hard for me to read the blogs and Facebook now, when everyone’s all, Is it cocktail hour? Is 10 a.m. too early for a drinkie? Moms’ Night, Wine, wooooooooooo-hooooooooooooooooo!!! Mommy Wants Booze, etc. Then they’re dissin’ on Whitney for being weak. Are you diabetic, or bordering on, but you still drink alcohol? Are you on anti-depressants and you drink with them? Are you depressed and you drink to feel better? (Alcohol is a depressant, keep that in mind, would ya?) Do you “need” that drink or do you just want one? Are you having a couple of drinks (or more) and then driving? Yeah, let’s not talk about addiction, America. I’d rather not have that conversation with you.

* All for now. Oh, yeah… I love this picture. Happy Friday, everyone.

— wm

(Photo by Steve)

Dear Bobbi Kristina,

I’m so sorry you lost your mom.

love,

nancy

ps — I appreciated this report by Lee Hawkins, I thought it was good.