Thursday, January 15, 2009
What Smaug would drink?
I’m catching up on describing some of the interesting teas I have tried lately. My next Revolution tea sample is Dragon Eye Oolong, a very unusual and distinctively flavored tea. It tasted green, flowery, fruity, smoky and dignified, just what I can imagine Smaug drinking while he hoarded his treasure. I don’t have much experience with Oolong yet so I’m not sure how this compares to others (I’ll let you know). It’s a bold, wild tea, not quite calming for evening or meditative for Scripture reading and prayer, but worth experiencing if you’re ready for something really different.
Tea review: Teavana Almond Biscotti
We’ve been considering books for a while here on LiterariTea, but I don’t want to overlook the teas we love to enjoy with our reading!
Since Betsy introduced me to Teavana, one of the first teas I ordered was Almond Biscotti. Now, it’s definitely more expensive with shipping (unless you happen to be walking down the street in Charleston and see a Teavana store right there!), but a wonderful treat if you’re looking for one. Now for flavored teas, I’m a fan of Celestial Seasonings’ herbal Dessert teas after dinner when I don’t want the caffeine. I especially like Almond Sunset because my Grandma served me “cambric” Almond Sunset tea with milk and sugar when I was growing up, but Almond Biscotti is a unique choice for the beverage connoisseur who divides their choice of pleasure between good coffee or good tea, preferably in a choice location, while reading a good book.
Almond Biscotti tea is just different. It has a nutty taste (probably because of the chopped almonds mixed in with the leaves), and with a little sugar, definitely reminiscent of a good cookie (without the chocolate). But it’s still an excellent tea, and you can’t miss that, and shouldn’t.
Definitely one to try.
Since Betsy introduced me to Teavana, one of the first teas I ordered was Almond Biscotti. Now, it’s definitely more expensive with shipping (unless you happen to be walking down the street in Charleston and see a Teavana store right there!), but a wonderful treat if you’re looking for one. Now for flavored teas, I’m a fan of Celestial Seasonings’ herbal Dessert teas after dinner when I don’t want the caffeine. I especially like Almond Sunset because my Grandma served me “cambric” Almond Sunset tea with milk and sugar when I was growing up, but Almond Biscotti is a unique choice for the beverage connoisseur who divides their choice of pleasure between good coffee or good tea, preferably in a choice location, while reading a good book.
Almond Biscotti tea is just different. It has a nutty taste (probably because of the chopped almonds mixed in with the leaves), and with a little sugar, definitely reminiscent of a good cookie (without the chocolate). But it’s still an excellent tea, and you can’t miss that, and shouldn’t.
Definitely one to try.
Friday, January 9, 2009
In Defense of Food
Do you ever ask someone for his or her opinion merely to hear your own opinion reinforced? This is especially gratifying if you're asking someone who's more knowledgeable, respected, or interesting than you are....Guilty as charged! That's exactly what I felt like when I finished this book. Ah ha! I told you so! Well, Michael Pollan told us so, but I knew it already....
In Defense of Food is an engagingly written critique of processed foods (and the accompanying industry), the "science" of nutrition, the obsession Americans have with food/nutrition/etc., and the way America eats (both what and how). Pollan is a whole foods advocate, but doesn't sound as edgy as some whole foods advocates do. He comes across as a man of common sense who is troubled by the inconsistencies and discrepancies he's learned of in relation to food and how we consume it in America. I found his comments on the necessary, but lamentable, reductionism in nutritional science very interesting and thought-provoking.
At the end of the book, he develops his opening 7 words in more detail: Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants. His approach strikes the reader as both doable and sensible. Even more refreshing, it sounds tasty and enjoyable. I've been mulling over some other thoughts related to Pollan's ideas that I hope to flesh out more eventually on Tarnished Teapot, but for now, I'll end with the encouragement to everyone to think more about what you eat and how you eat it! Read those nutrition labels, eat your veggies, and slow down....
A final note: Pollan is most definitely coming at this issue from an evolutionary/non-religious standpoint. As one who believes adamantly that God created the world (from nothing) and created humans as the pinnacle of that creation, I must disagree with Pollan's comments about humans and their diet evolving over time, almost magically. Nonetheless, I do think we, as Christians, have some responsibility to evaluate our lifestyles, including our diets, and make sure we are being good stewards of the earth and ourselves as we seek to glorify our Creator.
Recipes for an English Tea
(Oh, poor, neglected little blog of ours.... )
My aunt picked up a delightful little book for me when she was in England with my cousin this past year. It's a tiny book with the alluring title: Recipes for an English Tea. Perfect! I'll be trying out some of these little recipes hopefully and posting any that seem worthy, but for now, I'll leave you with the wonderful opening quotation:
"Tea, though ridiculed by those who are naturally coarse in their nervous sensibilities...will always be the favorite beverage of the intellectual."
~Thomas de Quincy 1785-1859
p.s. I've now looked through my little book... I won't be making these recipes, but they are charming examples of a Victorian tea! We don't even use measurements/ingredients like this anymore, so I'll have to find some modern interpretations.
My aunt picked up a delightful little book for me when she was in England with my cousin this past year. It's a tiny book with the alluring title: Recipes for an English Tea. Perfect! I'll be trying out some of these little recipes hopefully and posting any that seem worthy, but for now, I'll leave you with the wonderful opening quotation:
"Tea, though ridiculed by those who are naturally coarse in their nervous sensibilities...will always be the favorite beverage of the intellectual."
~Thomas de Quincy 1785-1859
p.s. I've now looked through my little book... I won't be making these recipes, but they are charming examples of a Victorian tea! We don't even use measurements/ingredients like this anymore, so I'll have to find some modern interpretations.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
From Head to Toe
Eric Carle is a household name in most homes with young children. His art captivates children, and many of his books are simple enough for the youngest child to enjoy while also introducing early academic concepts (time, color, shape, animals, letters, numbers, etc.). Our current favorite is From Head to Toe. Published in 1997, it's had a solid decade on the market, but for some reason I was unfamiliar with it. It should be put right up there with The Very Hungry Caterpillar!
In FHtoT, children mimic different movements of animals (penguins turn their heads, gorillas thump their chests, cats arch their backs, and so forth). After every movement, the child on the page (and, presumably, the child hearing the story) says, "I can do it!" This invites so much participation from children! It's a book to read when you have time and energy to be active, not a bedtime book. It captivates young children, gets them directly involved in the book, and is a lot of fun to share. I think the bigger book version is better (as opposed to a board book) because the pictures seem to do well in a bigger format. Check it out from your local library at your next visit!
For other Eric Carle books, click here. For activities that relate to FHtoT, click here.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
A new reviewer...welcome, Melody!
Melody is an avid and thoughtful reader on many subjects...she is a true friend of librarians (which is how we became roommates before we happily found more permanent arrangements in blissful matrimony to our sweethearts). I have been trying to persuade her to contribute her insights to LiterariTea, and so here is one of her submissions:
The Mother-Daughter Book Club: How Ten Busy Mothers and Daughters Came Together to Talk, Laugh, and Learn Through Their Love of Reading by Shireen Dodson
This club started with a mother’s worries about the growing lack of communication with her 10 year old daughter. Since both mother and daughter loved to read, the mother broached the idea of starting a book club with the daughter’s friends and their mothers. They met once a month on Sunday afternoons and discussed a book that they had all read. The biggest benefit of the club mentioned again and again was the improved communication with the pre-teen. The book discussions allowed the girls to talk about someone else’s problems and family, thereby discussing issues without talking about “me and you.” Moms were able to say things that would have seemed like preaching had it just been the one mom and her daughter. Another side benefit of the club was moms and daughters brought together for a purpose other than school, homework, and chores. The Mother-Daughter Book Club instructs readers how to start their own club, how to run it, gives book suggestions, and activity suggestions etc. I also loved the book recommendations in the margins scattered through-out the book.
The Mother-Daughter Book Club: How Ten Busy Mothers and Daughters Came Together to Talk, Laugh, and Learn Through Their Love of Reading by Shireen Dodson
This club started with a mother’s worries about the growing lack of communication with her 10 year old daughter. Since both mother and daughter loved to read, the mother broached the idea of starting a book club with the daughter’s friends and their mothers. They met once a month on Sunday afternoons and discussed a book that they had all read. The biggest benefit of the club mentioned again and again was the improved communication with the pre-teen. The book discussions allowed the girls to talk about someone else’s problems and family, thereby discussing issues without talking about “me and you.” Moms were able to say things that would have seemed like preaching had it just been the one mom and her daughter. Another side benefit of the club was moms and daughters brought together for a purpose other than school, homework, and chores. The Mother-Daughter Book Club instructs readers how to start their own club, how to run it, gives book suggestions, and activity suggestions etc. I also loved the book recommendations in the margins scattered through-out the book.
The conclusion of the matter
(at least for now...)
Since you have all been so patiently waiting, diligently evaluating, weeding and sorting all your books, here is how to display, acquire and safely lend books.
Shelf labeling
Now that you have organized your books, give them the dignity of shelf labels. You can purchase very nice products at Demco or Highsmith, or you might fashion your own with cardstock, either hand-written on cardstock or printed in appropriate font. Whatever you do, make sure you can adjust the positioning of the label on the shelf as necessary.
Acquisition
Self-interview questions when considering a book purchase (yes, even if the book only costs $0.10 at a library booksale) (Questions 1-8 were taken from The Bloomsbury Review; I will personally be asking #9 for the rest of my life. Thankfully, my Darling doesn’t usually ask.)
1. Do I need this book? This book, right now?
2. Is this the best book on the subject?
3. Will it make me a better person, a happier person?
4. Can I find it in a library?
5. Do I already have a copy of this book? Is this copy better?
6. Do I have room for this book?
7. Do I have money to take care of this book? (i.e., shelf space)
8. Is this a great book?
9. Can I justify this purchase to my husband?
A few places where I like to get books:
(A very cruel thing to do to people who already have more books than they need)
www.abe.com of course
If it's in print, and I have to have it, and someone kindly gives me a gift certificate for Christmas... This is also a good place to find reviews, both peer and professional, if you don’t subscribe to Horn Book or School Library Journal.
Givens Books in Lynchburg, VA.
I’m all in favor of supporting local independent bookstores. They will gladly place special orders for you, make recommendations, etc. If you're looking for character, try local independents.
Borders/Barnes and Noble.
I admit, I like looking at their bargain books, but I am getting much more picky these days. You should never feel obligated to buy a classic just because it has a bargain sticker on it. Make sure it is of unique benefit to you.
Where to find out about new books:
- Ask your librarian! (Do Like a Duck Does or Kitten Red, Yellow, Blue might be currently checked out)
- Scan the new books shelf at your local library
- If you want reviews, read Horn Book or SLJ (ask a librarian if they have copies you can scan). You can also check Amazon.com
- Many magazines have lists of “great new books” and authors you should become familiar with. (Ignore 99/9% of the celebrity titles they promote. I’m rarely impressed with them.)
- The New York Times Parent’s Guide to the Best Books for Children
- Check your library catalog homepage for links to the Boston-Globe Horn Book awards, along with many others. Don't limit yourself to the Newbery and Caldecott prestige.
Lending out your books
You’re a homeschooler. You have just finished a unit on the Middle Ages, and have an enviable collection that you have gathered from library booksales, discount bookstores, and even chosen from catalogs. Now a family that you have known for years wants to cover the same material. You see them every month at support group meetings and field trips. Safe, right?
You’ve just read a great book that has inspired you deeply. Insisting to your friend that she’ll love it as much as you did and it will revolutionize the way she cleans house, loves her husband, raises her kids, flips pancakes and sees the world, you lend it to her, knowing that she’ll read it as quickly as you did and return it next week.
I hate to create mistrust among friends, but there’s no quicker way to lose a book or create tension in a friendship. Believe the testimony of one who has lent (and lost) many, and returned borrowed items two years later. There has to be a system of accountability. Why do you think libraries charge fines? Not because they depend on them for salaries and book budgets, but to make sure that items are returned in a timely manner.
Bloomsbury Review Booklover’s Guide has a sample contract (211). A simpler approach would be to keep a register, whether it’s a notebook, index card file, receipt log or in your computer database. But as much as you trust anyone, write down the title, borrower, the borrower’s phone number, the date of lending, and perhaps a general agreed-upon date for return. This creates accountability and demonstrates that you do, indeed, care about the book’s return. If the borrower is not prepared to read it in the allotted amount of time, suggest that they write the title in their "books-to-read" notebook with top priority. (You all keep a list of books you intend to read, right?) Or offer the book again when you know your friend is going on a long trip and is more likely to have time to read, since you believe it will matter so much.
The Conclusion of the Matter
Start with one shelf. Before you remove the books, look at it and evaluate what your general classifications might be. Go through a box. Are there any that are not entitled to an investment of time and space and would be of better service elsewhere? When you have determined your essential collection, begin with the first stage, organizing, and carry it through. Make notes of your classifications so that you can be consistent later. If some of your books must remain in boxes, so be it, but make sure you know where each item can be found. “Somewhere” isn’t satisfactory.
Later you can indulge in the task of making a list, once you are comfortable with each book in its home. Keep it simple, so you can keep up with it. You may enlist the help of someone who can be trusted with maintaining the system once it is introduced, so that you do not give up hope if you fall behind.
Introduce yourself to your personal library, your newly settled companion. Enjoy your fresh acquaintance and role as its guardian, proud of your achievement, and wait for your bibliophile friends recruit your expertise in conquering their own gathered assembly.
Select Bibliography
Basbanes, Nicholas A. A gentle madness: bibliophiles, bibliomanes, and the eternal passion for books. New York: H. Holt and Co., 1995.
Challies, Tim. “How to Organize a Personal Library.”
Coblentz, Kathie. Guide to Organizing a Home Library. Philadelphia: Running Press, 2003.
Ellis, Estelle, Caroline Seebohm and Christopher Simon Sykes. At home with books: how booklovers live with and care for their libraries. New York: C. Southern Books, 1995.
Raabe, Tom. Biblioholism: the literary addiction. Golden: Fulcrum, 1991.
Rabinowitz, Harold, and Rob Kaplan, eds. A Passion for Books. New York: Random House, 1999.
Rosenberg, Margot. The care and feeding of books old and new: a simple repair manual for book lovers. New York: Thomas Dunne, 2002.
Wagner, Patricia Jean. The Bloomsbury Review booklover's guide: a collection of tips, techniques, anecdotes, controversies & suggestions for the home library. Denver: Bloomsbury Review, 1996.
Earlier posts in the series:
Home Library Organization, Part 1
Home Library Organization, Part 2
Home Library Organization, Part 3
Home Library Organization, Part 4
Home Library Organization, Part 5
Since you have all been so patiently waiting, diligently evaluating, weeding and sorting all your books, here is how to display, acquire and safely lend books.
Shelf labeling
Now that you have organized your books, give them the dignity of shelf labels. You can purchase very nice products at Demco or Highsmith, or you might fashion your own with cardstock, either hand-written on cardstock or printed in appropriate font. Whatever you do, make sure you can adjust the positioning of the label on the shelf as necessary.
Acquisition
Self-interview questions when considering a book purchase (yes, even if the book only costs $0.10 at a library booksale) (Questions 1-8 were taken from The Bloomsbury Review; I will personally be asking #9 for the rest of my life. Thankfully, my Darling doesn’t usually ask.)
1. Do I need this book? This book, right now?
2. Is this the best book on the subject?
3. Will it make me a better person, a happier person?
4. Can I find it in a library?
5. Do I already have a copy of this book? Is this copy better?
6. Do I have room for this book?
7. Do I have money to take care of this book? (i.e., shelf space)
8. Is this a great book?
9. Can I justify this purchase to my husband?
A few places where I like to get books:
(A very cruel thing to do to people who already have more books than they need)
www.abe.com of course
If it's in print, and I have to have it, and someone kindly gives me a gift certificate for Christmas... This is also a good place to find reviews, both peer and professional, if you don’t subscribe to Horn Book or School Library Journal.
Givens Books in Lynchburg, VA.
I’m all in favor of supporting local independent bookstores. They will gladly place special orders for you, make recommendations, etc. If you're looking for character, try local independents.
Borders/Barnes and Noble.
I admit, I like looking at their bargain books, but I am getting much more picky these days. You should never feel obligated to buy a classic just because it has a bargain sticker on it. Make sure it is of unique benefit to you.
Where to find out about new books:
- Ask your librarian! (Do Like a Duck Does or Kitten Red, Yellow, Blue might be currently checked out)
- Scan the new books shelf at your local library
- If you want reviews, read Horn Book or SLJ (ask a librarian if they have copies you can scan). You can also check Amazon.com
- Many magazines have lists of “great new books” and authors you should become familiar with. (Ignore 99/9% of the celebrity titles they promote. I’m rarely impressed with them.)
- The New York Times Parent’s Guide to the Best Books for Children
- Check your library catalog homepage for links to the Boston-Globe Horn Book awards, along with many others. Don't limit yourself to the Newbery and Caldecott prestige.
Lending out your books
You’re a homeschooler. You have just finished a unit on the Middle Ages, and have an enviable collection that you have gathered from library booksales, discount bookstores, and even chosen from catalogs. Now a family that you have known for years wants to cover the same material. You see them every month at support group meetings and field trips. Safe, right?
You’ve just read a great book that has inspired you deeply. Insisting to your friend that she’ll love it as much as you did and it will revolutionize the way she cleans house, loves her husband, raises her kids, flips pancakes and sees the world, you lend it to her, knowing that she’ll read it as quickly as you did and return it next week.
I hate to create mistrust among friends, but there’s no quicker way to lose a book or create tension in a friendship. Believe the testimony of one who has lent (and lost) many, and returned borrowed items two years later. There has to be a system of accountability. Why do you think libraries charge fines? Not because they depend on them for salaries and book budgets, but to make sure that items are returned in a timely manner.
Bloomsbury Review Booklover’s Guide has a sample contract (211). A simpler approach would be to keep a register, whether it’s a notebook, index card file, receipt log or in your computer database. But as much as you trust anyone, write down the title, borrower, the borrower’s phone number, the date of lending, and perhaps a general agreed-upon date for return. This creates accountability and demonstrates that you do, indeed, care about the book’s return. If the borrower is not prepared to read it in the allotted amount of time, suggest that they write the title in their "books-to-read" notebook with top priority. (You all keep a list of books you intend to read, right?) Or offer the book again when you know your friend is going on a long trip and is more likely to have time to read, since you believe it will matter so much.
The Conclusion of the Matter
Start with one shelf. Before you remove the books, look at it and evaluate what your general classifications might be. Go through a box. Are there any that are not entitled to an investment of time and space and would be of better service elsewhere? When you have determined your essential collection, begin with the first stage, organizing, and carry it through. Make notes of your classifications so that you can be consistent later. If some of your books must remain in boxes, so be it, but make sure you know where each item can be found. “Somewhere” isn’t satisfactory.
Later you can indulge in the task of making a list, once you are comfortable with each book in its home. Keep it simple, so you can keep up with it. You may enlist the help of someone who can be trusted with maintaining the system once it is introduced, so that you do not give up hope if you fall behind.
Introduce yourself to your personal library, your newly settled companion. Enjoy your fresh acquaintance and role as its guardian, proud of your achievement, and wait for your bibliophile friends recruit your expertise in conquering their own gathered assembly.
Select Bibliography
Basbanes, Nicholas A. A gentle madness: bibliophiles, bibliomanes, and the eternal passion for books. New York: H. Holt and Co., 1995.
Challies, Tim. “How to Organize a Personal Library.”
Coblentz, Kathie. Guide to Organizing a Home Library. Philadelphia: Running Press, 2003.
Ellis, Estelle, Caroline Seebohm and Christopher Simon Sykes. At home with books: how booklovers live with and care for their libraries. New York: C. Southern Books, 1995.
Raabe, Tom. Biblioholism: the literary addiction. Golden: Fulcrum, 1991.
Rabinowitz, Harold, and Rob Kaplan, eds. A Passion for Books. New York: Random House, 1999.
Rosenberg, Margot. The care and feeding of books old and new: a simple repair manual for book lovers. New York: Thomas Dunne, 2002.
Wagner, Patricia Jean. The Bloomsbury Review booklover's guide: a collection of tips, techniques, anecdotes, controversies & suggestions for the home library. Denver: Bloomsbury Review, 1996.
Earlier posts in the series:
Home Library Organization, Part 1
Home Library Organization, Part 2
Home Library Organization, Part 3
Home Library Organization, Part 4
Home Library Organization, Part 5
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)