Thanks to my sister, Jennifer, I learned that my pirate name is the one listed below. Unfortunately these days the most appropriate part of the name is the RACK! Yikes!

My pirate name is:

Calico Morgan Rackham

Often indecisive, you can't even choose a favorite color. You're apt to follow wherever the wind blows you, just like Calico Jack Rackham, your namesake. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

I think most women have spent some time worrying over the choices she has made. Lately mine have been (and they're not very original, mind you) will this house on the very Eastern fringe of a safe neighborhood and perhaps the southern fringe of a not-so-safe one be a good place to raise a family? Will another extreme repair in this big old house send us, shame-faced, to bankruptcy court? Did we make a horrible decision in light of recent Dan Ryan Expressway hell? Happily, on such a sunny, Sunday April morning, looking out the window and watching the birds in the yard investigate the Lillies and Peonies, or walking down the creaky stairs as the morning sun shines on the poorly-stripped and unpainted hallway, making them look sort of pretty for once, is a strong sense of certainty that this was the right decision for us. I absolutely love it. (I will, however, check back with you when reality comes crashing down after our next inevitable visit from the plumber.)

Reading List

Below is a list of what the book club I am in has read since I joined three years ago. The stars are for the books that I really loved. The others are interesting reads as well, but the ones that are starred are the books that sort of reached out and grabbed me.

The Crimson Petal & The White Michael Faber
Beginner’s Luck Laura Pedersen
The Riders Tim Winton
*Me Talk Pretty One Day David Sedaris
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Dai Sijie, Ina Rilke
*Man and Boy Tony Parsons
Liars & Saints Maile Meloy
*I am Madame X Gioia Diliberto
*The Other Boleyn Girl Philippa Gregory
*Cane River Lalita Tademy
*Middlesex Jeffrey Eugenides
Love in the Time of Cholera Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Three Junes Julia Glass
*Devil In the White City Eric Larson
**The Time Traveler’s Wife Audrey Niffenegger
Running With Scissors Augusten Burroughs
The Photograph Penelope Lively
Caramba! A Tale Told in Turns of the Card Nina Marie Martinez
A Secret Word Jennifer Paddock
The True Confessions of Max Tivoli Andrew Sean Greer
The Book of Salt Monique Truong
The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini
We Need to Talk About Kevin Lionel Shriver
*Rich Part of Life Jim Kokoris
A Painted House John Grisham
*The Wife Meg Wolitzer
When the Messenger is Hot Elizabeth Crane
*History of Love: A Novel Nicole Krauss
The Secret History Donna Tartt
Cast of Shadows Kevin Guilfoile
*The Cape Ann Faith Sullivan
The Glass Castle Jeanette Walls
*Crossing California Adam Langer
*Memoirs of a Geisha Arthur Golden
Bel Canto Anne Patchett
A Million Little Pieces James Frey
*In Cold Blood Truman Capote
*The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. Sandra Gulland
Babylon Sisters Pearl Cleage (This month)

I've Come A Long Way Baby...

Somewhere a Feminist Theory Professor is submitting the paperwork to revoke my Women's Studies minor...

Spring at the farm...

Here are some pictures from this past weekend... (Flickr was being fussy a few days ago when I tried to post.)

Ch-ch-ch-changes...

Congrats mom on a successful court date!

Calling all you lurkers...

Alright, I am asking for advice again. Last time I got two recipes, so thanks for that; now I have other questions:

1. Will a Dogwood tree grow in Chicago? 'Cause I never see them around and I totally love them, but don't want to waste money on a tree that will die. If not, any other suggestions for pretty flowering trees that will grow in Chicago, and

2. Has anyone worked with a local landscaper that they have been happy with? (I know I can look on B.A.P.A., but we had bad luck with our first foray into their trade referrals.)

In which I shamelessly solicit donations...

I really hate asking people for money. (Ask my mother who more than once chipped in on neighbors' newspaper subscriptions because I was too humiliated to go ask for the $1.25 cost of the subscription.)

I am, however, participating in a Walk-a-thon fundraiser for Autism. (This is no three day walk, it is maybe 5k, but the point is that all the money goes to Autism research.) This cause is important to me, not only because there are a few people I care about dealing with Autism or some other diagnosis on the same strand, but also as a teacher I see how issues of the brain affect, not only the students, but families and schools. I don't pretend to be an expert on the subject, but I want to know why the number of diagnosed cases of autism increases every year.

Anyway, if you want to donate there is a link on the left of the screen which says "Donate to Cure Autism Now". This is my homepage. If you donate through that link they do not sell your name, but you will receive ocassional emails from them. (Once a month). Otherwise, you can donate to me or someone in my family.

Also, please feel free not to donate. As I said before, I hate asking for money and promise this is the last time. Enjoy your day.

You've bewitched me body and soul...

The title is from my favorite line in Pride and Prejudice. If you haven't seen it yet and you like that sort of thing, go to the video store now! (Sigh) Mr. Darcy, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Darcy..

That is the best of several new movies I have seen lately. I also highly recommend The Squid and the Whale . Being a child of parents who divorced in the mid (I guess technically late) eighties it struck me as particularly poignant, but I think most viewers would enjoy. (Though maybe not for the prudish.)

I just finished The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B, which I was reading for my book club. The verdict there is that I really love historical fiction, but enjoy it more when I don't read too much of it all together. I also enjoyed Family and Other Accidents. A well-written novel about families that makes me glad I am not a man. On a side note, why do all books that come out now have the title, a colon, and then the words "a novel"? Really, if you look at 90% of the fiction published in the last three years you will see this. It is really annoying because, well, duh. Imagine lacing up your shoes and getting ready for a walk and seeing New Balance: a sneaker. Ridiculous. (and did I really just write sneaker? Am I like 80?)

Anyway, I am on spring break so I am looking forward to more reading and movie watching ahead. Feel free to make recommendations.

I am an artiste....

On Thursday I start taking a stained glass class at the Beverly Art's Center with Kristin and Aunt Colleen. I am sure with my unparalleled artistic abilities I will be reproducing Van Gogh in a matter of weeks. I think there is still room in the class if anyone is interested...don't let my mad skills threaten you.
My goal by the end of the month: