Red Sox and Patriots

What a treat for New England sports fans!! Congrats to the Red Sox for another championship. And my glass is raised to Tom Brady and his team - they rock!

Parenting Advice: A Book To Avoid

It's not even out yet, but I shuddered when I read that Britney Spears mom was penning a book that is touted to offer parenting advice. I'm not sure which aspect of her so-called "parenting" skills scares me more... the use your child to make you lots of money or the I didn't fit in as a cheerleader, so my girls are damn well doing it for me.

I haven't even seen a copy of this book, nor do I want to. Here's my own parenting advice and this comes from someone with two normal children! DO NOT take anything this woman says as decent parenting. If she was a great mom, she would have stepped in and helped out Britney long before now. She's always struck me as a media/drama queen and now with her book on the way and Britney and Jamie not earning enough money for her liking, she's going to ride Britney's coat tails and pull in some of her own money. Run far, far away!

http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=89a9f122-5d3b-4ccd-ad31-aaaf31673872&entry=index&sid=rss_topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories

Can We Move On?

I have a typical morning routine - I tackle writing jobs and then read the online news. Britney Spears is yet again in the news. This time she ran over a photographer's foot.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071019/ap_en_ot/britney_spears_foot_flap;_ylt=ApkjvuYKdZjO7mBL4hDa2xBxFb8C

First off, WAH. Maybe if he'd not been so close to her car and invading what little privacy she has, his foot would have been safe. I still think it is time for Britney to lock herself up somewhere, kick the drugs that she's fallen prey to and then try to start life anew. And meanwhile, could someone please wipe the smirk of Federline's face. He has his hands in her money because he's too pathetic to get a job, and now that the judge has supported his wonderful parenting skills--sarcasm included--he's been nothing but smug.

The quote I read earlier about him telling a pal that "Britney is a hard woman to control..." Perhaps had people allowed her to NOT be so controlled through her childhood and now adult years, she would have had the freedom to make mistakes without everyone jumping at her.

Guess what people, when I was four months pregnant, I lost my balance coming down the stairs and fell down five stairs. I'm not the only pregnant woman to lose my balance and the fact that Britney's stumble on the curve when she was carrying baby #1 and pregnant with baby #2 is still haunting her is just ridiculous.

Sure she's made plenty of mistakes, but you know what everyone has. The only difference is that the average person doesn't have psychos with cameras watching their every move.

Woodstoves

This winter, my husband and I decided that given the extreme expense of propane, and the fact that our company was dropping all pre-pay plans due to the rising costs, we need to revert to heating our home with the woodstove again. Our woodstove is older and I didn't trust it after fifteen years of non-use. With some money we'd saved towards propane, we purchased a new woodstove.

Now, when we first moved in, the previous owner only heated with woodstove. We never had, so inexperienced as we were, we used it and quickly learned it was hard to keep our house from quickly reaching 80 or 90 degrees. We've learned a lot since then. A book that can be of tremendous help -



Woodstove Cookery does teach you how to cook on the woodstove, but it covers far more than that. I am adamant that come the cold of winter when the woodstove is going, we will have pots of stew or soup simmering on the woodstove all day long. First, it is an efficient way to cook, but also it is like crockpot cooking only better - it uses no electricity.

I'm hoping for a relatively mild winter, but I won't hold my breath. In Vermont, mild isn't usually an option. I've seen January lows topping 30 below at my house before, and I know just how much propane can get sucked up after a week of below zero temperatures. I've had it with the propane and gas industry and think it's time to revert to the olden days with wood heating becoming my main source.

Favorite Novels

I read a lot, I mean a lot! Usually, it is not surprising for me to read one or two books per day. While I've never quite tapped into the pacing that Harriet K. claims to be able to read -- in all honesty, I do speed read and don't see how one can read as many books as she claims and still have a life -- I do enjoy reading a book or two after I've polished off my freelance writing assignments and sent them for editing. I usually have a three hour window between the time I finish writing and the time my kids return from school. Then if I'm lucky, I'll read a bit before falling asleep as well.

Over the years, I've read some duds and some real gems. But I find myself always reverting to a few favorites. In fact, two of them I kept after my senior year in high school ended (Sorry Mr. C., but I just didn't have the heart to give them back, but you never hounded me to turn them in either, so I'm thinking deep down you knew.)



George Stewart's EARTH ABIDES is the only sci-fi (though I prefer to title it postapocolyptic) novel I've ever enjoyed. Fans of Stephen King's THE STAND will find subtle common themes between the two. At heart, this is a story of a few people who manage to survive some epidemic and now must repopulate the earth and also figure out a way to survive without electricity and the modern conveniences of life.



Stephen King's THE STAND is similar to EARTH ABIDES. In fact, King admits that he's enjoyed EARTH ABIDES for years. I've read posts from people who think George Stewart's novel is a copy. For that reason, I'll note that Stewart wrote his book decades before Stephen King was an author. THE STAND tends to be a little more creepy, and for those who've seen the miniseries, it can be hard to get Gary Sinise's face out of the mind while reading...



Harper Lee's only novel TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD has to be one of my favorites. It's another book I swiped from high school. I fell in love with Atticus Finch in this novel -- I wish more men would look at others like he does. In fact, there is a blog I frequent, www.freelancewritinggigs.com, in which the author/owner of that blog shows us some of her reader mail throughout the week. Some of the mail is just downright hurtful and there's really no need to send in mail of that nature. I have never understood why people can't argue without namecalling.



Finally, Alice Sebold's THE LOVELY BONES haunted me the day I read it. I picked up that book and stretched out on the back lawn near my kid's swingset. I read it in one sitting and have never cried more during a story. It's been in the process of turning into a motion picture for years and I just hope that Peter Jackson does it justice. Casting an unknown for Susie's role is probably a very good idea. As for the rest of the cast--Susan Sarandon, Rachel Weisz, Ryan Gosling, Stanly Tucci, etc.--I'll just wait and see.

Recent Movies Worth Viewing

It's been pretty dreary and rainy in Vermont for the past few days. While I've been working on my freelance writing projects, and actually caught up, I've also been reading. As yesterday was a family day though, weekends are always family days, it was due time to sit down and do some movie watching. I've always had my favorites and have found some pretty good ones recently. As it is still dull outside, I figured it's a good time to talk about them.

Pleasantville (New Line Platinum Series)

First up is a movie that I've watched and re-watched for years--PLEASANTVILLE. The movie is a number of years old now, but I still watch it and think the producer/writer/director team had a stroke of brilliance. Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde) is one of those actresses who I really enjoy--she adapts nicely to the roles she plays. Pleasantville also stars Tobey Maguire (Spiderman) The pair play a brother and sister duo who get sucked into a 1950's television show and have to figure out how to get out. The problem is that if they behave more modernly, the show begins to colorize. The scene where Joan Allen learns how to pleasure herself is a riot!

Big Daddy


We also watched Adam Sandler's BIG DADDY again yesterday. It's been years since we've seen this movie, but our daughter happens to have an Adam Sandler lookalike for her teacher this year. He's a great guy and mixes schoolwork with lines from some of the movies, so that students who answer the question and name the movie correctly win prizes. She loves going to school every day, and this was on of the only movies she'd not seen yet. (Other than Punch Drunk Love, which I don't think was that good a movie anyway.) Any parent with tweens who are hooked on the Disney show "Suite Life of Zach and Cody" will be interested to know that the Sprouse twins happened to play the little boy in BIG DADDY.

Knocked Up - Unrated (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

KNOCKED UP is a newer movie, but I have to say I've already seen it twice. The movie has this knack for making me laugh and even cry a little towards the ending. What impresses me the most is that they didn't hold back during the birth scene. I happen to know two teenagers, both about to become parents far before I think they are ready, but there is that part of me that thought had they seen this birth scene it might have scared them from having sex. Birth isn't necessarily pretty, but it is an amazing experience, and those in KNOCKED UP did a great job with this scene.

My Fair Lady

MY FAIR LADY is a classic musical. Now some may be groaning now, but for anyone who enjoys a romance, MY FAIR LADY is an exceptional movie, yet the ending still ticks me off. I'd like the chance to go back and rewrite the ending! Audrey Hepburn is a timeless actress, so anyone who enjoys musicals must give it a shot.


These are only a few of my favorites. Today we'll be watching movies I've not seen yet - Adam Sandler's Reign Over Me. Hopefully, it will be a good one. Meanwhile, I have to figure out what's for dinner. With a high temperature of 45 and rain predicted for the day, I'm thinking it might be time to bring out the crockpot for a stew.

Parenting 101: SMARTEN UP

I just read the morning news and this story http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071012/ap_on_re_us/student_arsenal_5 truly disturbs me on so many levels. However, I will cover the issue that bothers me the most - the boy's mother.

What the hell is that woman thinking buying her 14 year old an assault rifle? I have a 14 year old. If he EVER asked me for a gun, I'd be locking him up, not purchasing said gun for him. In my own opinion, this woman now needs to have her children removed while she undergoes parenting 101. Had the boy gone through with his plans, I would hope she'd be charged as an accomplice and thank God the other student and his father called police and that police took it seriously.

Now, I understand bullying and know it can make a student feel helpless. I've been there. Here's a tip to those in that situation. The law is on your side. Instead of letting the bully push you to the point that you feel ending the lives of dozens is acceptable (and hopefully you have the brains to realize this is not okay), talk to your teachers--a teacher you trust. If that fails, slap the bully and his/her parents and the school with a lawsuit, include the school for not working harder to prevent it because schools are supposed to have bullying policies in place. I'm not one for suing over every little matter, but you know what if a lawsuit is what it takes to prevent these high school shootings from occuring, then it's time to try something a little more radical. I can guarantee that a school slapped with a bullying lawsuit, especially if it makes the news, is going to work harder at putting a stop to all bullying in the future.

NECAP Testing

With the school year newly in session, it is time for students throughout Vermont and New England to sit down and spend an entire week taking the government mandated NECAP tests. Now for those who may not be familiar with NECAP (New England Common Assessment Program), they are tests that students in all school districts in New England must take in order to receive any federal funding. Schools whose students do miserably are cut off from government money. In a nutshell, and in my opinion, this means that the students and schools that most need money to provide a better education receive a slap in the face for receiving failing or low test scores.

Tests cover the basics: Reading, Math, and Writing. According to the Principal's Guide, tests are broken into three sessions for each topic and each session takes 90 minutes. Children from the third grade up must take the NECAP tests, so in all it comes to six 90-minute sessions to complete the entire NECAP exam. Is it any wonder children dread this test?

In order to properly prepare children for this test, many teachers spend hours teaching the children how to take the test. That's right, focus is pulled from actually teaching school and instead teaching kids to take long, drawn out tests. I have spoken to many teachers that dread the NECAP tests just as much as the students.

Parents who want an idea on what the questions are like are welcome to answer the following questions taken from the sample test. These are fifth grade questions, so it truly is time to find out--Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?

Now that you have a better understanding of the NECAP tests. It leads to my frustrations, and I'm sure hundreds of other parents feel the same way.

1. Parents are flooded with letters from the school principal and teachers urging parents to move up bed times and ensure the children are fed a full breakfast on testing days. Apparently research shows that children with a full belly are better prepared. While this may be true, the average parent gets home at 6pm if they are lucky. Dinner has to be cooked and homework must be completed before a child can even think about bed time. Now teachers swear they won't give out homework during NECAP weeks. If this is true, I'd LOVE to know why my son had fifty algebra problems and spelling definitions to write out last night.

2. It is also made general knowledge that the children will NOT be allowed to take bathroom breaks during the testing period. When I was admitted into the hospital for dehydration eight years ago, my doctor told me that a person is really supposed to drink enough so that they are peeing every hour. Test sessions are 90 minutes long during which kids cannot drink or use the toilets, let alone walk around or stretch. I am adamantly against keeping a child sitting on a hard plastic seat for a full 90 minutes before offering them a ten-minute break. Can you say thrombosis?

3. Students experience tremendous amounts of pressure by the school before and during these tests. I remember my son and daughter both coming home from school in tears in 4th grade because their teacher kept telling them that students who didn't score highly were letting their teachers down by not having tried hard enough. The teacher and I had words that year. A child should NOT be pressured by anyone, and for a teacher to make a child feel bad if they don't do well on the NECAP tests is horrifying.

What the government has done to our education system is unforgivable. It is time for them to sit down and take a long hard look at suicide rates and talk to the kids feeling this pressure. Childhood is the only time a person can truly enjoy life and act like a kid. Is it really necessary to take that away from them?

Today's Vent: Britney Spears

Going off the usual book topic again. Let me start by saying, I am not, nor have I ever been, a fan of Britney Spears. With this in mind, I am unhappy at the judge's decision to take her kids from her.

While I wholeheartedly agree that Britney needs counseling, drug rehab, and the likes, I just don't see Kevin Federline as being a great parent either. This is a man per the gossip columns was getting $20,000 a month - A MONTH - and wanted more alimony because $20,000 was not enough to live on. I know people who earn that much in ONE YEAR and have to struggle to survive. My message to Federline is to trade in his car of the week, buy a cheaper SUV and get a freaking job.

This is where I think the judge is wrong. Federline now has the kids in hand and I'm sure he's sat in his ritzy little home/apt/mansion (whatever he's living in) and rubbing his hands with glee. With both kids in hand, he now has a great way to tap into Britney's pocketbook. Those kids should have been placed in a good foster home (check it out first because some foster homes suck), put them far from the media's vulture-like stares, and given a chance to enjoy childhood while their mom gets the chance to get help.

For whatever reason, people seem to forget that Britney was a childhood star, her mother seems more than happy to let her child turn into a sex symbol at the age of 12, and also seemed to enjoy the money that Britney had rolling in. No one gave this girl a chance to be a kid and I'm sure that's where the majority of the problems lie. She was thrown into adulthood before she was a teenager, and that's always a recipe for disaster.

I know that there are Federline fans out there who think I'm nuts for insulting their hero. I know that there are those who completely loathe Britney who think she got what is coming. You're more than welcome to your opinions.

Meanwhile, I still shake my head at the fact that Britney's kids have been taken from her and thousands of other kids are starving their children, leaving them alone while they go out for drugs or drinks and social services don't have the manpower to handle all of these cases so non-famous kids are in risky situations and it will take their death before someone says, "Hey, we should have helped them."

Beer Drinking Throughout New England

At a local thrift shop, I came across a book in the dollar bin that I just knew would appeal to my husband. Andy Crouch must have spent a good deal of time touring New England, probably gaining a nice buzz along the way. THE GOOD BEER GUIDE TO NEW ENGLAND is the best guide to all of the brewpubs and breweries located in New England to hit shelves.



As a frequent traveler around my home state and through New Hampshire and Maine, I've been to many of the brewpubs listed within. While I don't always agree with the author's favorites, and that's not a bad thing, the information found within each brewpub or brewery guide is exceptional.

Listings include information on the brewery/brewpub's history, tour hours, regular and seasonal offerings, best beer (his personal favorite), and directions. There is little this guide is missing. He does delve into if the brewery/brewpub offers food or not, but I wish he'd spent a little more time on the menus. Redhook Brewery for example makes an exceptional white chili from turkey and their beer that is definitely worth ordering.

The author even hits places that I wasn't sure the general public knew about, so it is obvious that he spent plenty of time and energy finding every little nook and cranny where homemade beer is served.

Those coming to New England looking to sample some microbrews should not miss this guide. Order a copy before your trip and you'll hit some of the best places in town for a frosty mug of beer or two--or three if you're not driving.

What Gives?

I've been trying to focus this blog more on books, but something happened last week that is ticking me off, so today's blog will be slightly more political.

There are certain houses in my neighborhood that seem to have landed straight from the soap operas, but like it or not, these situations are happening in many areas. Years ago, a local resident decided to open his house to wayward teens who were a step away from juvie hall. While this is a thoughtful act, it has led a lot of miscreants to this family neighborhood. I've yet to hear of a success story from his house, but maybe only the bad seeds are making the gossip rounds. Anyway, I digress.

My next-door neighbor was a single mom for a number of years trying to raise her eight-year-old son and eleven-year-old daughter while holding two jobs to pay for her house and have any shred of a life. I'm the first to admit that she's done some things that I've thought were off the wall, but she's my neighbor and so be it. Today, she has a gem of a beau, a second daughter, and she's doing well. Her two teenagers on the other hand are about to become parents. The son is 16 and the daughter is now 19. Not exactly a prime age to become parents, especially not the son, but it's happened and now they have to grow up rather quickly.

The daughter is the reason for my post today. Her boyfriend is one of the not-so-great seeds to come from this wayward home for troubled kids. I think he deals drugs, though I can't prove it beyond the wad of cash he seems to have and his hanging out on the corner at night talking to people who drive up to him in their cars. He comes and goes from her life more than a yo-yo. Meanwhile, mom kicked her out of the house in an effort to force her to grow up and take responsibility for her soon to be born child. From my vantage point, this girl has done little in the past year but hang around and refuse to work.

She's finally gotten herself a job paying a typical Vermont salary of around $8 per hour, just barely over minimum wage. She has a baby on the way, due in a month, and has found an apartment with a rent of around $700 a month. The apartment isn't anything fancy, but it is inexpensive for the area. Meanwhile, the daughter got her act together and applied for assistance to help her and her baby survive.

Break this down at $8 an hour - that's $320 a week or around $1,400 per month. Take out taxes which usually come to around 18% around here - I'll round it down to 15% to make things easier. She's left with a little over $1,200 per month.

So here comes the rent - she's immediately left with $500 to cover her electricity (heat and water are generally covered by the cost of rent), her gas to get to work (no bus service in this area), phone for emergencies, health insurance, food for her, diapers, renter's insurance, and clothing for both her and the baby. $500 will not last long at all.

Last week, she received her letter from the state as to how much assistance she will be getting. NADA, ZIP, ZILCH. If she wants state aid, she'll have to quit her job, but they know she is capable of working because she has a job. She's left to gain income from her boyfriend who may or may not remain in the picture. Then she'll have to go after him for child support, but he's never worked a legit job that I know of, so there will be no money to get. This leaves her with the alternative of turning him in, but then he's in jail and she still might not get a cent from him while he serves his jail sentence.

While this girl is now struggling to figure out how to survive, my other neighbors, both on disability, haven't worked a day since I've lived here (15 years) because of back problems, but the back problems have never once stopped the husband from climbing up onto his roof drunk or from bending over to tie a push mower to the back of his car so that he could mow his lawn by driving around it.

The system infuriates me. It's time to step back and look at the bigger picture. This girl wants to do right but she's been slapped down. Someone who knows they are riding the system all the way to the bank has the system mastered and the state doesn't seem to check up on it to ensure people really are disabled. Plain and simple, the system is F$%KED.