kidsmoke

I'm another huge fan of "A Prayer for Owen Meany" And two bobs, you know I love the stuff you've listed! Only somehow I've missed The Phantom Tollbooth, tho' I know my kids have read it. Need to read it myself.

This is such a great topic, and it's going to make my reading selections for this year so much easier! I'll be furiously jotting down titles. As for myself, I have two clear-cut favorites, but will need to consider before coming up with 5. Even so, it'll be "5 books I'm passionate about" more than my top 5. I can't do top anythings because on different days, different ones stand out. But I do have some favorites. Coming soon to a topic near you!

Everybody loves Robert. And why not? Happy happy, dear boy!

Warmest birthday wishes across the miles to my birthday-sharing radiant beauty sis. I thought of you today with much love.

Thank you, everybody....you are fer sure the nicest bunch of internet friends (and in some cases, luckily for me, also real life friends) a girl could ever have. Thank you for all the kind wishes and love. You've made this a beautiful day for me. to all of you! PS - Noodle the puppy is just fine, bjorn...he's grown up to be such a handsome, smart, lovable little guy! He's currently curled in a tight ball on my pillow, exhausted after a day of dragging toys all over the house, flinging them wildly for himself to fetch (who needs humans?!) and tearing up a big hunk of cardboard somebody left

Aw, thank you all so much for your good wishes and congratulations! I'll be sure Tom takes a look at this thread once he comes down from Cloud 9. No need to stop the party! The victuals & drinks & pudding pool have been refreshed for your enjoyment! (Tapioca this time!) And please....no need to return lampshades or grass skirts which have become pudding-sodden. Keep them as souvenirs of this grand date in American history. You're welcome. PS to uncool2pillow: I too am constantly surprised that I have adult children, since I only brought them home from the hospital like, a week a

Thanks. I'm in awe of Tom's scientific brain myself.....he's just a natural. I think he could do some really good things. You've reminded me of a t-shirt I gave him last Christmas. It reads, "I'm no rocket surgeon".

Please join me in a hearty round of applause for my 22-yr-old son Thomas, who got word today that he has been accepted into Graduate School at UC Riverside, in neuroscience. It's been a long, hard haul, but he's made his family very proud and has clearly impressed the admissions people, who accepted him with open arms and the Dean's High Honor Fellowship, which I have probably misremembered the name of (but that's close). Tom's overjoyed....neuroscience is his passion. He wants to go into research, and I have every confidence that he will be brilliant at it. So a celebration is

Wow. That's some mind-bending survival there.

Welcome to Via Chicago, Jar. (Do you mind if I call you Jar?) This is a great community with (obviously) excellent musical tastes. I hope you'll enjoy it here!

I was just reading on CNN that the pilot walked the plane twice after everyone else was off, to be certain no one was still on board. Can you imagine how surreal that must've been for him, slogging down the aisle, knowing he was in the middle of the Hudson?! Never mind the danger factor, since I suppose the plane might still have sunk at any moment. And hats off to him...he sounds like an incredible pilot!

Yep, that's me. Only I only do it once a year, usually on New Year's Eve.

I'm going to try to stay in better touch with everyone....that's such a hard one for me! And also, I'm going to try harder to let the little stuff go, with my kiddos, and just spend more time loving them. Also I plan to finally win the lottery.

A quiet evening at home with the fambly, with homemade potato salad and buffalo chicken wings, and in deference to my latest round of bronchitis, regular doses of codeine cough syrup, chased by something! Anything! to get that nasty taste out of my mouth....midnight will feature some tantalizing sounding almond-flavored champagne, followed by us all trooping outdoors with big pots and pans and huge wooden or serving spoons, and banging loudly to alert the entire local vicinity that, thank God, the crummy year of 2008 has finally ended. Should be good, noisy fun. Yay 2009! May it bless us al

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I'm finding this thread strangely reassuring....I hear that all of you are making careful and yet loving choices about what's really most important, and maybe that's the silver lining to a rotten economy. I'm especially moved by charitable gifts to those who are suffering the most. That's such a great way to remember the real priorities and live the real spirit of the season. For myself, goofy cards aside, the gifts beneath our tree are even more basic practicalities than usual. But getting new stuff, even if it's just for practical use in our lives, is still very nice....and sitting toge

So, I know it's tough all over, and I also know that when the going gets tough, creative people get amazingly creative and resourceful! I was wondering what tricks all of you had up your sleeves for getting through the holidays happily, without breaking the family budget. Here's one of my personal best: you know how insanely overpriced ordinary greeting cards are? Well, in our family, it's been traditional to give a card of loving Christmas sentiments in each person's stocking. But this year I had finally had enough of paying so much for a pretty folded piece of paper! I thought about making

Those are good suggestions! I was just listening in the car to Sky Blue Sky, and realized I hadn't even mention that particular song. Definitely a winter tune.

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Ouch! You be careful out there, you buncha pucks!

Yeah, those are good! I hadn't thought of Reservations, but definitely. And absolutely, "When You wake Up Feeling Old". A favorite of mine. Which older Wilco songs? Like from AM & Being There? I wish we could ask Jeff this question directly; it'd be interesting to know how he sees his own songs, and whether he sees some songs as befitting a certain season. (Jeff, feel free to weigh in! )

Wow, as a native Californian, these stories are so foreign to me....I mean, CA definitely has its own share of natural disasters (Earthquakes/firestorms/mudslides) but listening to the talles you tell, I understand why my folks moved here from Minnesota and Wisconsin. Dad loved to take us up into the mountains to play in the snow, but he loved being able to "visit" the snow, and leave when we were tired of it! I hope all your trees recover from their torn limbs. So sad. M.Chris, in looking at your photo, I thought I should point out....did you notice, there's a HOUSE under there???!!!

I should clarify that I was referring to Summer Teeth the song, not the entire album. Though the album has some wintery elements throughout. I guess I don't really see that whole album as a "Winter" though, for reasons I'm not sure I could put into words. It has too much warmth and brightness. That's as far as I'll try to explain that. I'm enjoying this discussion & listening to how the songs move and influence all of you. Music is a language like no other, for sure.

Yeah, good call. But please, specific songs, people...I'm thinking to actually assemble this mix cd! And possibly even share it, if I can get my act together....but no promises there.... Edit: heehee, lest I seem to be agreeing with myself here (which, however, I do ) my "good call" comment was to stickman. But yes, Patrick, I kinda think you're right on that.

Well, then, you need to recommend me a meritorious movie which also has an admirable beefiness quotient. Christy, the icy, weighted-down branches creaking does sound creepy! Not to mention dangerous. Mt. Bed was describing a storm he went through last year that had tree branches snapping, and it was scary to even listen to him describing it. Be safe, everyone! I wish I could package up some of this ridiculously out-of-season sunlight we're seeing in So. CA right now, and send it eastward. I hope you all have fireplaces and big snuggly down comforters to hunker down under.