Hello Book Bums families!
This week I got to have lunch with an old friend. Amy was my very best friend from second grade until just after I was married and had my first son. We’d first met in Mrs. Murphy’s class at Maineville Elementary School. We used to play Barbies and sing, “It takes two hands to handle a Whopper, ‘cause a burger is bigger at Burger King” for our “commercial breaks.” We wore matching denim, wrap-around skirts and wrote secret admirer letters to Chris Phillips. We made sit-upons together at Girl Scouts; and during recess, you could find us doing cartwheels, swinging on the rings, or playing tetherball against the tough guys. We enjoyed lots of popcorn and Kool-aid while watching Love American Style on TV. I spent nearly as many weekend nights at her house as I did my own.
Not long ago, I heard the song “Old Friends” by Ben Rector, and my heart ached for my oldest of friends.
Not long ago, I heard the song “Old Friends” by Ben Rector, and my heart ached for my oldest of friends.
When you read the lyrics, below, who comes to mind?
I can still find Wiley's house
Riding on my bike with eyes closed
I could name every girl that he took out
And from my memory, dial his house phone
Can you take me back when we were just kids
Who weren't scared of getting older
'Cause no one knows you like they know you
And no one probably ever will
You can grow up, make new ones
But truth is there's nothing like old friends
'Cause you can't make old friends
I can still feel the windows down
Listening to Jimmy Eat World
Riding 3-wide on Blake's bench seat
My God, it's been ten years now
I would have his back tomorrow
And he'd still fight anyone who tried to touch me
Can you take me back when we were just kids
Who weren't scared of getting older
'Cause no one knows you like they know you
And no one probably ever will
You can grow up, make new ones
But truth is there's nothing like old friends
'Cause you can't make old friends
And I've got some good friends now
But I've never seen their parents' back porch
I wouldn't change how things turned out
But there's no one in this time zone
Who knows what inline skates that I wore
Can you take me back when we were just kids
Who weren't scared of getting older
'Cause no one knows you like they know you
And no one probably ever will
You can grow up, make new ones
But the truth is
That we grow up, then wish we could go back then
There's nothing like old friends
'Cause you can't make old friends
You simply must watch the video on YouTube to get the full effect of the song. It was recorded in Ben Rector’s parents’ garage, and each of the musicians playing was one of his childhood friends. During the video, we learn some really wonderful tidbits about them. It’s delightfully nostalgic.
Perhaps you’ll be inspired to reach out to someone you’re reminded of. So often, we let too much time pass and then it feels a bit awkward to try to reconnect. Do it anyway.
My friend, Amy, was home visiting her dad, so we decided to meet near our hometown of Maineville, Ohio at The Monkey Bar and Grille—just off 3C Highway. When we’d been little girls, our church was just down the street, and it was said that this biker bar was home to a monkey (hence the name) that smoked cigarettes and drank beer.
Here’s an interesting article about Sam the Chimp
Though Amy and I had once thought this was a very scary place, now it happens to be a great spot with good food, live music, wonderful views of the Little Miami River, and an extraordinarily friendly staff. Want to know how I know the staff are friendly? Amy and I sat at The Monkey Bar and Grille for just under eight hours! We had decades to catch up on, and we were made to feel right at home as we did just that. (https://themonkeybarandgrille.com)
**Please note, we recently learned that earlier in the week the Monkey Bar and Grille suffered a kitchen fire. Our thoughts are with them as they clean up and repair their beautiful space. They plan to reopen as soon as possible.
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Word of the Week
nostalgia (nuh-stal-juh) noun/person, place, or thing - a wistful yearning for a return to some past period or condition
As the older man watched the father play with his kids at the park, he felt nostalgia for his own days as a young dad.
Literary Calendar
• May 9 is Peter Pan Day in honor of author J.M. Barrie's birthday.
• Barrie's story begins with the famous first line, "All children except one grow up."
• From the original storybook through the Disney classic, Peter Pan has had many incarnations and retellings in books and film.
From our Bookshelves
Should I Share My Ice Cream?, by Mo Willems, is a delightful book about friendship that the kids you love will be sure to enjoy. Grab this book, head to your favorite ice cream shop, and enjoy.
Firefly Lane, by Kristin Hannah, is now a series on Netflix. It’s gotten a bit of a bad rap, but the book is good, and it certainly made me think about my friendships over the years—especially Amy. If you enjoy cheesy, romantic stories, you’ll enjoy this book. Firefly Lane is a coming-of-age story that's sure to keep you entertained and thinking about your friendships.
Tips for Families
If you decide to rekindle a friendship or initiate a new one, here are some ideas of things you could do:
1. Invite them to your house for tea, lunch, or dessert.
2. Go on a walk or hike together.
3. Run errands together.
4. Take a low-key class together.
5. Do non-awful outside chores together.
6. DIY your/their space together.
7. Explore a new coffee shop each week.
8. Explore your city’s touristy stuff.
9. Host a clothing swap.
10. Go thrifting together.
11. Have a co-working date.
12. Craft together.
13. Cook, bake, or meal prep together.
14. Have an Article Club, Podcast Club, or Book Club.
15. Play pickleball or tennis together.
16. Go to the farmers’ market.
17. Find the live music events and plan to attend some together.
18. Can and/or freeze produce together and split it between your families.
19. Volunteer together. (*The Faith Alliance Summer Literacy Program, June & July)
20. Go strawberry picking (May-June) https://www.bloomsandberries.com/u-pick/, blackberry picking (July) http://www.indianspringsberryfarm.com, and apple and peach picking (August) https://www.branstoolorchards.com. For lots more “pick your own” locations, visit https://www.pickyourown.org/OHcinc.htm
Tips for Readers and Writers
What is a compound word? I usually think of butterfly and birthday when I think of compound words, but did you know that . . .
Compound words can be closed, like this: friendship and firefly.
Compound words can be open, like this: ice cream and high school.
Compound words can be hyphenated, like this: self-care and up-to-date.
*Remember, we don’t hyphenate words that follow the noun they’re describing. (He was a first-time runner. He ran for the first time.)
Compound words can be most parts of speech (nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, etc.).
Portmanteaus /port-man-TOES/ are blended words like smoke + fog = smog, whereas in compound words, each individual word remains unchanged.
Teacher Gift Ideas
As we near the end of the school year, we’re sharing gift ideas for the teachers you adore. We shared this a couple of Christmases ago but thought it might be helpful, now, too.
Remember, teachers love your thoughtful gifts, but don’t stress yourself about it. Keep it simple! Here are some easy-peasy ideas.
1. Starbucks gift card
Even if they don’t drink coffee, there are other items they can purchase. It’s always appreciated, and it’s an easy gift to share. Think: drive thru
2. A card with an invitation to order lunch, on you, from a local restaurant
You can deliver it to the school, just before lunch break, on an agreed-upon date.
3. Gift card to buy lunch one day
Have you realized how much teachers enjoy having a meal with the outside world? One of the best parts of summers is the ability to go out to lunch and not have to rush.
4. Invite the teacher to list some favorites (candy bar, soda, coffee drink, flower, gum, etc.) and then sporadically bring those items to school (or send them with your child) throughout the remainder of the school year. I loved this one!
5. A family favorite recipe (cookies for example) and a sample.
I STILL have treasured recipes from treasured families!
6. A really great electric pencil sharpener. (about $40 at Office Depot)
One cannot have too many pencil sharpeners!
7. A heartfelt email stating what you truly treasure about the teacher and how they’ve impacted your family. Copy the school principal and/or the district superintendent to make it extra special.
This was a gift I was given many, many times. It’s nice to know that our work is appreciated and that our superiors can also take pride in the great things we’re doing for our students.
8. Gift card to a local bookstore
We all need great books to enjoy in the hammock or lying by the pool.
9. A live plant for the classroom or the home
Plants make every space feel calmer and they positively impact mood.
10. Cookies and tea.
We recommend: Delicious Designs, https://www.facebook.com/deliciousdesignscookies/) and Firecracker Bakery https://firecrackerbakery.com as well as some Hot Cinnamon Sunset tea from Harney & Sons Fine Teas which you can purchase at Target.
Wordology Workshop
• The Greek root algia means pain.
• You can find it some medical words like neuralgia and analgesic.
• It is also the root in our Word of the Week, nostalgia.
• Consider how the wistful yearning of nostalgia includes some pain.
Practical Grammar
This is funny— even for a phonics fan.
There are folks who say our language is just a whole lot of exceptions and learning letter combinations and their associated sounds is a waste of time . . . Too often, those naysayers simply don’t know the rules that govern our language. That’s okay. They are probably doing fine, but we want to equip our kids so they fare even better than we have.
There are 26 letters in our alphabet. Those letters can represent 40+ sounds, and those sounds can be spelled 80+ ways. That sure is a lot more manageable than memorizing thousands and thousands of words!
At Book Bums, we strive to equip kids to “Make the sounds you see.” We want them to know that it’s a “No Guess Zone.”
Admittedly, some words are doozies!
Now, would you please pass the ghoughphtheightteeaus?
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