Nothings says ‘Happy Fourth of July’ like a skull and crossbones.
(This is a kids tee in a NYC storefront.)
Whacky holidays!
Posted in Children, Design, Holiday, Humor, Life
Tagged bizarre holidays, children, clothing, Fourth of July, holidays, Independence Day, photography
No doubt — John Irving wrote it better.
In A Prayer for Owen Meany, a woman gets hit by a baseball, dies, and her son and the boy who hit the killer ball remain best friends throughout their lives.
When it happens in real life, folks are a bit more litigious.
A New Jersey woman who was struck in the face by a baseball is suing the 11-year old catcher who hit her for medical costs and negligence. Her husband is filing a separate suit for the loss of “services, society and consortium” of his wife.
The total damages? Close to $500,000.
The catcher’s family, who says they can’t afford the jury trial the woman has demanded, thinks Little League Baseball should help defray court costs since the accident took place during a sanctioned warm-up.
I think they should call Irving. Maybe he can do a rewrite and give this story some heart.
Posted in Books, Children, Commentary, Family, Games, Humor, Life, Relationships, Sports, Summer, Writing
Tagged A Prayer for Owen Meany, baseball, baseball catcher, baseball in the head, best friends, books, children, commentary, court trial, family, Humor, John Irving, lawsuit, life, litigious, Little League, medical costs, negligence, New Jersey, news, Sports, summer, writing
There’s a new bunny in town, and he’s got a story to tell.
Wonder what it will be?
I met this grey fuzzy rabbit this afternoon at my friend Steph’s store, Stoopher & Boots. He had just hopped out of his shipping carton when we said our how-do-you-do’s.
I took one look — and, total disclosure, copped a feel, too — and realized he was a wise, old soul. His whiskers droop downward in understanding. His belly boasts a gentle paunch. His eyes without spectacles look out with intensity and caring.
He has none of the devil-may-care attitude of Snuffles, the bear who has lived with me for almost 25 years. Even now, there’s a twinkle of mischief in his black shell eyes.
But, no matter. Right now there that bunny awaits his BFF and is at the ready, poised for their first chapter together.
Could that somebunny be you?
Posted in Animals, Children, Commentary, Entertainment, Family, Life, Writing
Tagged bunnies, children, Humor, rabbits, Stoopher & Boots, stuffed animals, toys, writing
Poor Snigdha Nandipati.
The 14-year old from San Diego won the 85th Scripps National Spelling Bee…
…the same year that six-year old Lori Anne Madison from Virginia was in the competition.
Lori Anne, who on Wednesday fell four points short of making the semifinals, was treated to a 25-minute news conference with reporters Thursday morning.
One has to wonder if Snigdha will get the same attention. Does her calm and collected manner, her aspirations to become a psychiatrist or neurosurgeon, her coin collection have any chance against a tiny, home-schooled prodigy?
Lori Anne is a reporter’s dream. When asked to describe her experience at the Bee, she replied:
“Overall, it was boring. Really boring! Really boring!”
We spell that S-A-S-S.
Posted in Children, Commentary, Education, Humor, Life
Tagged children, coin collection, commentary, education, home schooled, Humor, life, Lorie Anee Madison, neurosurgeon, news conference, prodigy, psychiatrist, San Diego, sass, Scripps National Spelling Bee, semifinals, Snigdha Nandipati, Television, Viginia
Central Park is green.
No more pastel buds of spring, no more varying shades of color — just a solid canopy of green.
As I was walking Rory Dog this morning — and gazing upward at all those green leaves — I was reminded of the day I got my very first pair of glasses.
I was in the fourth grade. My teacher Ms. Laws had noticed I was squinting at the chalkboard, and ratted me out to my mom. When the optometrist did the eye exam, it turned out —
I was pretty blind. Who knew?
I wasn’t very excited about getting glasses; I was the first in my class and would be teased for months. But I still remember wearing my new glasses on the ride home from the eye doctor, and staring in wonder up at the trees.
“You can see individual leaves?“
Posted in Children, Dogs, Family, Health, Humor, Life, Relationships, Walking
Tagged canopy of green, Central Park, chalkdboard, checkup, children, dog, eye sight, eyes, family, fourth grade, Health, Humor, leaves, leaves on the tree, life, New York City, optometrist, Relationships, squinting, trees, walking
We are smack dab in the middle of National Children’s Book Week…
What is your favorite?
My fav is The Poky Little Puppy, a children’s classic from Little Golden Books. And I’m not the only one who liked it. In 2001, it was the all-time best-selling hardcover children’s book in the United States, having sold nearly 15 million copies.
Of course, I didn’t know that back then.
I liked Poky because of his funny name and cute — if rather ginormous — head. I also liked his independence. In the story, he lags behind his brothers and sisters and ‘does his own thang.’ Sometimes it works to his advantage; other times it gets him into trouble.
Wow. Just call me Poky.
Posted in Books, Children, Commentary, Education, Entertainment, Family, Humor, Life, Writing
Tagged big head, books, brothers, children, children's book, commentary, Dogs, education, entertainment, famiy, Humor, independence, life, Little Golden Books, National Children's Book Week, sisters, The Poky Little Puppy, writing
I had an early appointment downtown this morning. As I made my way from the subway station to the studio, the wind was blowing so hard, I was almost lifted off my feet. I thought…
“What a blustery day.”
I can thank Winnie the Pooh for that.
We all write for different reasons. Some to make a living. Some just hoping to entertain. And then there are the truly gifted who entertain and teach us something about ourselves. And their words live for generations.
A.A. Milne defines that category.
So, all you mothers out there who are reading Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day to your kids — imagine a day like today, decades later (no need to say how many, I hope) when your son or daughter will stand on a windy street corner and effortlessly recall these words.
And smile.
Gopher: If I was you, I’d think about skedaddlin’ out of here.
Winnie the Pooh: Why?
Gopher: ‘Cause it’s “Winds-day.”
– Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
Posted in Books, Children, Life, Weather, Writing
Tagged A.A. Milne, blown off my feet, blustery day, books, children, children's book, commentary, Gopher, life, Manhattan, studio, subway station, weather, wind, Winds-Day, Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, writing
The Oreo turned 100 yesterday. I cheered. Bet you did, too.
But last night I learned that the eerily similar Hydrox sandwich cookie is 104 years old.
Now I have a bad taste in my mouth.
The Oreo — which, let’s face it, has the better name between the two — came second. Was actually inspired by Hydrox.
But somehow Hydrox has always been perceived as the knockoff through the years. So much so that the cookie was removed from the market in 2003. Yet in 2008, in response to an online petition, Kelloggs put Hydrox back on the market, albeit temporarily, under the original Sunshine label.
Now? All I can find is some crushed Hydrox on Nuts.com.
How fitting.
Posted in Children, Cooking, Family, Food, Foods, History, Home, Humor, Life, News, Shopping
Tagged 100th birthday, 104th birthday, advertising, bad taste in the mouth, commentary, cookies, cooking, family, food, Foods, friends, home, Humor, Hydrox, Kelloggs, knockoff, life, Nuts.com, off the market, online petition, Oreos, sandwich cookies, shopping, Sunshine
I’m looking at world through frog’s eyes
Looking at the world through frog’s eyes
Looking at the world through frog’s eyes
And you can just hop off!
My apologies to Heywood Banks. And you can buy the frog hats, too.
(You know you want ‘em.)
Simpler times
I never watched Sesame Street as a kid. I was all about Captain Kangaroo. I loved the Captain, Mr. Moose, Mr. Green Jeans, Dennis the Painter, Magic Drawing Board.
Plus, we didn’t have cable till I was in my teens.
They’re even doing a parody of Downton Abbey. I hope those bloody kids appreciate it.
I don’t remember Captain Kangaroo playing the celebrity card. When I Google the show, it lists the stars he had on the program from time from time. But that’s not what I remember.
I remember the cartoon “Tom Terrific.” Ping pong balls dropping from the sky. The Captain reading stories. Conversations with Grandfather Clock. Dancing Bear.
Man, I wasn’t nearly as shallow when I was young.
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Posted in Children, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Television, TV
Tagged cable television, Captain Kangaroo, celebrities, children, commentary, Dancing Bear, Dennis the Painter, Downton Abbey, Google, Grandfather Clock, Humor, Jon Hamm, life, Magic Drawing Board, Melissa McCarthy, Mr. Green Jeans, Mr. Moose, parody, ping pong balls, Sesame Street, Supreme Court Judge, the celebrity card, Tom Terrific, TV