Hey Diddle Diddle: Books I Loved As a Kid

Bookstores are my addiction; give me some coffee, I’ll browse for hours! Whenever I see a bookstore, especially if it isn’t a mainstream chain, I have to clear my schedule and go spend several hours browsing every section. And even though I don’t have any kids (and not really big on the idea of having them,) I find myself stopping by the children section for the sack of nostalgia.

Not just for the sake of nostalgia, but on occasion I’ll read children’s books and help my mom decide what type of children’s books she would love to illustrate. And last weekend, while spending a good hour or so in the book section at Daedlus Books, I couldn’t help to get all giddy reading some of the books I myself loved as a wee child.

Talk about shelf-life! Some of these books have been around for over a decade and I bet some of the ones I was reading in the 90s have history that go back decades before. Let’s talk about Hey Diddle Diddle. Remember? The cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon, and how about those running spoons? Classic nursery rhyme, a book that I loved as a kid.

Hey Diddle Diddle was (and still is) a great story that is booming with whimsical charm, but there are a few other books I loved as a kid. So in the spirit of memory-lane and the joy that comes from reading a great book, here are a few of the books that I cherished.

Do you have any books that you loved as a kid? Feel free to share!

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Fairy-tales | AlunaGeorge -’Attracting Flies’ [Official Video]

Who doesn’t love the good/bad of fairy-tales? As a kid I loved fairy-tales and the whimiscal stories that my mom read to me, and seeing The Great and Powerful Oz over the weekend reminded me how awesome tales are.

So in the spirit of fairy-tales, AlunaGeorge’s new music video “Attracting Flies” is a perfect modern, sexy, and dark vision of fairy-tales and romance. This video surely isn’t for children, but it’s a dark “adult” fairy-tale that you’ll absolutely enjoy. Plus, the vocals are spectacular and haunting, so it gets two thumbs up from me.

10 Places Where Poetry Hides in My Life

Poetry is everywhere in our lives, we just have to slow it down and find the poetic beauty of each moment. There are 10 Places that come to mind in which poetry hides in my life. How about you? Where does poetry hide in your life? Feel free to comment and share your poetic discoveries.

1. The crackling sound of wood popping in the old fireplace.
2. Sounds of fingers pushing on the keys, as my mom and I sit next to each other on our laptops while watching HGTV.
3. Between the cold, crystal ice, dropped in a tall glass of summer brewed ice tea.
4. Clutching the video game controller.
5. Between the layers of a ham off-the-bone and a swiss cheese sandwich.
6. The churning sound of the treadmill motor.
7. The vibrant laughter ringing throughout the house.
8. Between the drops of rain, falling from the beautiful Maryland trees that seemingly could touch the sky.
9. Perusing YouTube and finding unique videos to place on my expression corner, my blog.
10. Getting lost in the atmospheric sounds of intoxicating house music. 

Yet Another Poem | Ruby.Red.Crush

Now that I’m done with school, I’m really finding a handful of poems and work that I would love to share with y’all, my beloved readers. Most of these poems are assignments from Poetry Writing x Creative Writing courses, so I had to push my creativity and incorporate the guidelines. In this poem, I had to give a set of “directions” and include specific items, such as animals, a season,  a flower, color, etc.

Ruby.Red.Crush

Everyday you stare at her ruby red hair,
Admiring the sunshine dancing on each strand.
You love the way she puckers her lips when
She doesn’t know the answer to a question.
If you knew the answer you’d gladly oblige,
but you could care less about
Introduction to Oceanography.

Ms. Jones asks you if dolphins are mammals or fish,
But you stare at her with a blank grin.
As the words cascade out of her mouth
You begin counting the freckles on Autumn’s face.

How do you ask a beauty queen for
a second, a minute,
or even an hour of her gracious time?

As your designated best friend,
I promise to help you win her heart.
Next time you enter the classroom,
kindly ask if the seat next to her is taken.
Begin with small talk and ask her questions,
it’s all about her, not you…

Asking someone out is never easy.
Once you’ve got the courage,
ask her out on a casual date.
Be a smooth criminal, never a smooth player.
Always be fearless and calm under pressure.

Winning her heart will require more
than a bouquet of roses.
From what I heard, she’s in love with daisies.
Don’t give her tulips…she hates them.

President of the theatre club,
she’s in love with medieval fashion.
Take her to the Renaissance Fair,
and whatever you do, don’t take her to Medieval Times.
Too expensive…slightly overrated.
Plus, you won’t be able to win her a prize.

Buy her a goldfish to remember the day.
If that doesn’t work, then win her a stuffed rabbit.
Girls love cute adorable things…trust me, they do.
Even if you never get another chance,
she’s remember you…the guy who won her a prize.
And maybe one day, you’ll win her heart too.