Superbowl Sunday

February 3, 2008

Superbowl Sunday means a plethora of good snacks: chicken wings, chips and guacamole, cupcakes. I know who is playing; beyond that, I don't know a thing about football. But good snacks do abound. I'm teaching John Steinbeck's The Red Pony tomorrow for my American Lit class, so I've been brushing up on all things Steinbeck today. I'd love to teach a whole class just on Steinbeck's novels. I read this novella last summer when I was preparing my class syllabus, but I thought I'd better give it a fresh reading this weekend. I loved it even more this time around. I look forward to the discussion tomorrow, especially about the boy Jody's passage from child to man.

Speaking of discussion, last week's class discussion on Fitzgerald's "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" was fabulous. We talked about how scandalous having one's hair bobbed was in the 1920s in this particular social setting, and then talked about what might be considered scandalous today in different settings. Wow. They went from tattooes and body piercings to gender reassignments rather quickly.

I'm about halfway through Ann Marie MacDonald's As the Crow Flies. (I had to put it on temporary hold while I re-read The Red Pony.) So far it's very disturbing. I know this happy family is about to fall apart, and I am slightly reluctant to finish the book. I will, of course. Last week's Broken for You promises to have a much higher ranking on my 2008 list than As the Crow Flies--thus far, anyway.

I finished reading Elizabeth George Spear's Sign of the Beaver aloud to the kids this week. They absolutely loved it. I have the movie checked out from the library. I remember watching it after reading the book aloud many years ago when Jesse was little, and we were amazed at the liberties taken with the movie. We'll watch that later this week. I think Johnny Tremain is next on our read-aloud list; I look forward to reading that again, as well. It's been a few years.

I'm not sure what's next on my reading list. I've got a stack next to my bed. I may just take a tiny break from fiction and read The Five Love Languages for Teens. It's one of those books I think I should read, but I am reluctant to cast aside that fat stack of novels for an actual parenting book. We'll see.

Back to the Superbowl blue chair to read while Dr. H. yells at the game...(And I mean, he is really yelling...)