Classical Music, Baseball Games, And Magic Treehouses
Hi folks!
Been a while since I posted and I know I have some catching up to do, so here goes!
This week has been good fun. I was lucky enough to be able to take my girlfriend Tammie to the Savannah Sinfonietta while covering the performance for Richmond Hill Reflections Magazine on Thursday. It was an incredible performance of eight Baroque pieces, the first half being early Baroque and the second half being comprised of the later Baroque artists that we know so well. Not only was it beautiful music, but we also learned many interesting tidbits about the various composers during the pauses. I’ll tell you all about it in the upcoming issue!
Today I went to Alden’s baseball game and he made two solid base hits! His team won seven to three and it was a gorgeous day at the ballpark. While we were there, we saw Mitch and Wendy Wash, who were kind enough to give “Yore” a positive review on Amazon, playing musical fields with their three superstar daughters!
Today I also read one of Alden’s Magic Treehouse Books, “Stage Fright on A summer Night” (#25) by Mary Pope Osborne, and gave it a review on Amazon:
This was my first Magic Tree house book and I was really impressed. The story was well-done, and the concept of the tree house time machine reminded me of when I was a kid with a tree house in the woods with books strewn across its floor. In a way, many of us did or do have a tree house time machine to carry us away on wings of imagination, and I guess that’s one of the reasons why these books are so popular. Osborne is a skillful writer, and I liked that she was realistic about the medieval culture that the siblings visited while still remaining a children’s fantasy. Many young adult books set in medieval times shy away from the fact that civilization smelled horrible in those days and life was lived unhygienically by today’s standards. A modern person entering the culture would be shocked by the smell, and most time-travel books ignore this, even the adult ones. But it adds to the suspension of disbelief that in this story, Jack and Annie notice such things.
I also learned things about Shakespeare and his era from this book, even though I’ve taken classes on the Bard in both highschool and college. Osborne includes facts in an unpatronizing way that really supplements the story. The extra facts listed in the back of the book are a great added bonus, and I’d be willing to bet that most kids read and remember them as well as the story.
I’ll be ordering more of these great books next time my kid brings home the old Scholastic form for sure!
-J. Lyon Layden (Author: The Other Side of Yore)
Other than that, I’ve been enjoying my day off, catching up on some reading and all my internet chores, and I even had a chance to wash Tammie’s car in the sun. Ahh, days off are so nice…and no bedtime!
