Story Junkie Motherese Flunkie

"The world is not made of atoms. It is made of stories." - Muriel Ruykeser

How bout a riddle?  Q: What do Stevie Nicks, Demi Moore, me, and Carrie Fisher have in common? A: We all flunked out of Motherese 101!  (You know, motherese—a term used in child language acquisition for the way mothers talk to their young children, including simplified grammar, exaggerated speech melody, diminutive forms of words such as doggie, and a highly repetitive style.) I never have been much of a coo-er.  Let’s just say it wasn’t in the cards or in the cords. Can you imagine Barry White reading Good Night Moon in high falsetto?  It’s kinda like that.  

So I may or may not have mild envy for storytellers with the right voice to make stories hum instead-a rattle. Recently, a friend of mine turned me on to her sister’s You Tube channel devoted to reading picture books out loud. Rebekah’s animated and into it, and kid-friendly entertaining. She reads some awesome picture books too. Not to mention she’s giving You Tube airwaves a better name. Got stuff to do? Grab your littles, huddle them around the glowing screen, and check out Rebekah at The Cozy Chair. 

P.S. Tis the season for Halloween reading and she’s bringing it!

Posted by Tracy

Weekly Wrap-Up

“There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met.”—Jim Henson

WHAT WE LOVE THIS WEEK

Alma Loveland. We asked her to recreate where it all began for us and she more than delivered! How darling is this illustration? Just looking at it makes us nostalgic for our days at 27. If you spent time in this lovely abode and feel sad you don't have a print of your very own, we've got splendid news: Alma created one for you too (same print, minus the two of us). Even more splendid? To celebrate the upcoming anniversary of our blog (1 year!), she's agreed to let us offer it here as a free printable. Thank you, Alma!

Here's the skinny on how to download and print one of your very own:

Designed by Alma Loveland (for personal use only)

To download, click here. Available in three sizes. While you can print at home, for best results we recommend printing on card stock at a print shop like Staples.

The smallest size would look great in an 8x10 frame or a 5x7 frame.

The medium size would look great in an 8x10 frame (shown above).

The largest size would look great if printed on 11 x 17 card stock, then cut down to fit in an 11 x 14 frame.

COMING NEXT WEEK

More posts and giveaways celebrating one year of Two at Twenty-Seven!

Throwback Thursday

 

“A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain.” 

I’m much obliged to Seabiscuit. Yep that’s right, deeply indebted to the undersized prizewinning racehorse of the depression era.  I owe the unlikely champion because he led best-selling author Laura Hillenbrand to Louis Zamperini.  And Louis is the subject of one of my all-time favorite books: Unbroken. When I say all-time favorite I mean top 20—like run it outta the house if it were about to go up in flames. 

For a slim quarter, eight-year-old Hillenbrand bought Come On Seabiscuit at a used book sale.  She fell in lasting love with the stallion. No doubt she won across the board when researching the horse’s history because Seabiscuit shared the newspaper headlines with one Louis Zamperini—another unlikely champion. From world-class Olympic runner, to bombardier, to plane crash survivor, to war prisoner, Louis’s story is as unbelievable as it is remarkable.  

His story changed me.  Zamperini taught me that the human spirit can bend without breaking. If tenacity and hope are yoked together, resiliency is born. Years after reading Hillenbrand’s masterpiece, I find I’m still marveling at the extraordinary life of Louis Zamperini. There is no doubt about it, Unbroken is a “one-in-a-billion story…[complete with] all the blurby adjectives we normally try to avoid: it is amazing, unforgettable, gripping, harrowing, chilling, and inspiring.”

Posted by Tracy

Feeling Mutual

“There it was, there it is, the place where during the best time of our lives friendship had its home and happiness its headquarters.” —Wallace Stegner

Rachel asked for 8 minutes and I aim to give them to her.  (I’d give her 8,000 if she wanted more.)  Granted, I’m not very punctual, am I?  Therein lies the good news—Rachel knows I’m behind, overwhelmed, understaffed (she’d find a euphemism that sounds softer to make me feel better), and she understands perfectly.  Four phenomenal words: And she understands perfectly.  Not sure how or why, but that’s the magic of it.  Everyday my heart ticks on, and every day I’m more awed by her brand of empathy.  It’s as lovely as it is scarce.  And I’m so thankful to have found her. 

In Crossing to Safety, Stegner reminds us that “Friendship is a relationship that has no formal shape, there are no rules or obligations or bonds as in marriage or the family, it is held together by neither law nor property nor blood, there is no glue in it but mutual liking.  It is therefore rare.”  That’s so true. Makes me wonder if Wallace secretly met Rachel. He’d like her—that’s for sure.  But not nearly as much as I do. I’ve thought about this (not about Wallace Stegner liking Rachel, that just came to me now)—about why our friendship feels as natural as breathing or blinking or hearts beating. About why it seems effortless, although we both make time and drop everything in a fast second for one another.  Honestly, I like to give Rachel all the credit; you would too if you knew her.  But maybe Wallace is onto something.  Maybe it’s just because of mutual liking.  Plain and simple…and incredibly rare.

Posted by Tracy

Throwback Thursday

It is love and friendship, the sanctity and celebration of our relationships, that not only support a good life, but create one. Through friendships, we spark and inspire one another's ambitions.

Do you follow Ann Dee Ellis on Instagram? You should. Her feed is a favorite around here. I'm loving her #8minutememoir series and when Day 21 involved our September book club pick, you bet I was all in. Bonus: a book review (of sorts) in 8 minutes. That's a golden ticket to this time-starved mama.

Ann Dee posted a pic of the quote above from Crossing to Safety with these instructions: "Friendship. Write about a friend who sparks and inspires your ambition and maybe you do the same for them. 8 minutes." Here goes:

I wonder if there's a part of our soul that steps aside and takes a mental snapshot of moments that at the time may seem small or even insignificant, but end up being life-changing. For Larry and Sally Morgan, that moment was a dinner party. For me, it was waving my first hello to Tracy across several lines of people at JFK Airport while a mutual acquaintance shouted introductions. There must have been an inkling that I'd just met a once-in-a-lifetime friend because I remember that moment in vivid detail. 

While Tracy and I stayed close in college, we lost touch a little after we both married. Not for long though, we reconnected when our oldest kids were still babes and quickly became each other's lifelines when the never ending demands of child care felt heavy. Like Anna Quindlen, we had our books and each other. We encouraged each other to keep reading, keep writing, even if we only got a few lines in before our heads hit the pillow. Our conversations stimulated creativity on days filled with diaper changes and feedings. She was my Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest. Those years of reading the same books, searching for the perfect reads for each other, and long discussions brought us here today: to Two at Twenty-Seven. We're glad you've come along for the ride.

*First, 8 minutes goes fast! I'll admit I cheated and added the last two lines after the timer went off. This obviously isn't a typical review, but as Crossing to Safety is a beautiful study of friendship, I hope you'll forgive me. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the book. Or if the mood strikes you, your own #8minutememoir!

Posted by Rachel

Red-Hot Read

 

The only things dragons love more than parties or tacos, is taco parties.

I served up tacos for dinner, compliments of Café Rio.  Not because I’m a procrastinating parent or a derelict cook, but because it’s National Taco day.  I’ve lived for 40 some odd years (round down) not knowing that I needed an excuse to eat tacos. Maybe ignorance is bliss?  

At any rate, since it’s kid lit Tuesday and a day dedicated to tacos, I thought I’d recommend an “irreverent crowd pleaser” from the award-winning tandem of Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri. It’s hard to resist a children’s book about dragons. If you’re anything like Rachel and me, it’s hard to resist salsa.  (We’re aficionados, for real.) So this book is rather perfect for kids (big and small) who love a taco party where dragons are guests who aren’t afraid to enjoy some sauce.  This is a red-hot read.  I love a book that inspires hilarity.  Your littles will laugh out loud as they get their silly on.   

P.S. The watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil cartoon illustrations in Dragons Love Tacos are pretty hot too!

Posted by Tracy

Bookstore In Love

I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, 'Where's the self-help section?' She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose. —George Carlin

Rachel’s fallen and she can’t get up.  She must have bonked her head on the way down because she said, and I quote, “Enough about Colin.”  I have a mind to drive to Vegas tonight.  Time to watch Pride and Prejudice, The King’s Speech, A Month in the Country, Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Magic in the Moonlight all over again. What a fine idea at this late hour!  (I’ll bring the corn Rae; you supply the cokes.)  

We could tack on Shakespeare in Love if we’re feeling spry. That reminds me…we haven’t mentioned that a Riverside Shakespeare was blithely discovered (and purchased) in The Last Bookstore.  Naturally, we made our way there when we were in Cali. Rachel has officially been vindicated. And her forgettable boyfriend, Robert Whatever, can breathe a sigh of dramatic relief.  If only Bruce Young would pontificate once again for margins’ sake.  The place was pretty spacious, kinda dusty, and all around awesome.  We stayed till close.  I found a charming little book about Jane Austen. Rachel and I both purchased Far from the Madding Crowd in Penguin Clothbound.  Oh and Rae snagged a used copy of The Scarlet Pimpernel too.  What a fun memory from our trip. If you find yourself in downtown LA with a bit of spare time, be sure to check it out.  You’ll be glad you did!

Posted by Tracy