Janece Moment

This is an example of a painting by a friend of mine. This painting is for sale at: http://janecemoment.etsy.com.

I love Janece's work. I'm sure you will, too.

Her blog is: http://www.noordinarymoment.com/

Collecting Dust

It is more than a year since I was tutoring at Cliveden Park House. The books we collected together are sitting, neatly shelved, collecting dust. Only one person runs a program of any kind at the house now, and he doesn't use the books to my knowledge.

I'd like to split up the collection and donate its parts to local area schools. At least then the kids would get the chance to look at and handle the books. They might even learn to read using them. Where they are currently located, the kids can't go unless someone unlocks the building.

A friend told me about http://www.donorschoose.org back in December. Our family ended up donating parts of gifts to two of the programs there - one in Chicago, one in Philadelphia. I am so happy to be able to give resources to teachers who can really use them. So many of the teachers are looking for copies of the sorts of books we collected - you and I. So I hope you'll forgive me if I do this, and put our books in to the hands of children who want to learn to read well.

When I know more about what will happen, I'll be sure to let you know. I can't thank you enough for all your support, all the money you spent, all the books you sought for my little reading program. There are so many "ifs", but the truth is that there aren't enough people giving of their time to run the house the way it could be run. If grown-ups don't seek to take the problem of illiteracy seriously, how can the children be expected to?

Readerville Journal 2.0

Readerville.com - a site for everyone who loves to read (dubbed The Social Life of the Mind), brought out a print magazine a few years ago. Although The Readerville Journal was a thing of exquisite beauty, it ran out of money before really taking off in the world.

Here's the good news: The Readerville Journal is back, better than ever. You can check it out today at:
http://journal.readerville.com, where it resides in digital form.

Its content changes daily and includes original articles, themes, interviews, links and more excellent book recommendations than you can shake a stick at, if stick shaking is your thing.

The Journal is free. The site also incorporates a vast discussion forum for which members pay minimal fee ($8/mth). I've been a member of the Forum for many years and can honestly say that I have gotten my money's worth. It's worth a look, I guarantee.

Please feel free to make note of this on your own FB site or blog, & spread the word - thank you!

Start the Week right

Wahey! Dad's book went from 23,500 (about) to 178 on Amazon.co.uk after the BBC broadcast (Start the Week, hosted by Andrew Marr) this morning. It took less than three hours! The program repeats tonight, but here it is for anyone else interested: Scientists and the Enlightenment.

Since typing this post, he has risen again - to 107!

Passing time

I have been absent. Absent in more ways than I can count. My mother died unexpectedly on February 1st.

I suppose one could argue that it wasn't unexpected - we all expect it eventually - but this was sudden. And frankly, we never know what it will be like when someone we love dies. So it is inevitable, but still unexpected.

I have been in England since her death.

Caroline's Cookie Book Forum

My dear friend Caroline just alerted me to the fact that she is currently writing a book column for Cookie magazine.

Please check out her writing at

http://www.cookiemag.com/entertainment/2006/11/bookclubnov

and leave a message in the forum if you like what you see!

School's in

Wowee, I had no idea it's been so long since my last post. I knew that I wasn't posting, but that's because I've been busy posting a lot in other places, or just reading and learning throughout the summer. I've been having a fine time. And, I'll admit to not tutoring during the summer months. I'm afraid to say I got used to having Monday evenings to myself.

In any case, October came and I had every intention of getting down to Cliveden to see my Girls, but I had a long cold virus and then we went to Vermont & Canada over Columbus Day weekend, which was excellent. So, I finally got back to tutoring last monday night.

And I have a new student. He's seven years old (just days older than the girls), loves math (typically he'd rather be in math than in reading!) and is having trouble sounding out words. Clyde actually worked with him for the last few weeks, because he was showing up on Wednesday nights. Anyway, I was a little flummoxed because now I find that the Twins had tutoring throughout the summer and have advanced exponentially. They aren't fabulous readers, but they are way better than they were. M particularly.

So what did I do?

I played hang-man with them. ;-)

Over the weekend I need to dig out my book of word family activities, games, etc because I can't find it and I think it's going to come in handy.

Walt Patterson

I want to plug this website:

Walt Patterson on Energy

If you have any interest in power, energy, sustainability, the nuclear debate, et cetera - this is the place to go to read about the subject. Through this site, Patterson has made available for download all his writings, from 1970 to today.

For more about who he is, and why he is qualified to write and speak about these issues, read this mini-bio.

Full disclosure: Walt Patterson is my Dad.