Reading to kids

I've just started reading to the 4th and 5th graders at my sons' school. I did the same last year with the 3rd and 4th graders, they seem to enjoy my strange accent (nothing like a southern drawl). To the 4th grade I'm reading Wolf Brothers by Michelle Paver, and to the 5th graders, Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver, 2nd in series (having read Wolf Bros to them last year).
This series is about a boy of 12 called Torak, an Indian, set a few thousand years ago. It depicts how he lives; food, wildlife, tools etc., his beliefs, and the many adventures he has.
I would totally recommend this series for children 9 and older.
It also links in nicely with the 5th grade corriculum on Native Americans.
Just thought to mention this if anyone looking for kids books that actually further their education a little while being exciting to read.

Nederlands proberen...

Ik ben door mijn vriendin verteld, dat ik zo in 't Nederlands moeten proberen te schrijven.
Dat allemaal kan, maar, als ik foutjes maak, en iets vrieselijk verkeerd schrijft, (iets met een dubbele mening bv) dan is het jou de schuld! Dus Miranda je bent nu gewaarscheuwd!
OK en spelling is also a bit double dutch! So, ik have decided om bijda talen te gebruiken.
Then, I kan Nederlandse mensen en English(ok Americans ook) bereiken, well dat is the plan anyway. Ik kan ook naturlijk Engels naar English vertalen, and translate from Dutch to Nederlands, of is dat onders om? I forget, it is erg confusing. Het was in 1979 dat I first set foot in Bergen op Zoom, en weet je where I lived? Yes, de Engelsestraat!! HAHA dat was een coincidence zeg!
In 1982 heb ik een huisje (very "je") on Goudenbloenstraat gekocht, daarna met my now husband moved to Ossendrecht, (naast een boerderij met cows and schaapen).
Dit was very gezellig (this word translates to "cozy" in English, maar eindelijk betekent "small").
My man is ook geen Nederlander, but kan understand heel veel (I like words with dubbele letters).
Well, I'm uit of puff nu,
totziens or how they say in BoZ - ouwdo

Is this the last year of childhood?....

It's been a long summer, a very pleasant one.

We had a vacation, and lots of fun.

It's been friends and laughter, not going slow,

We had excitement, rollercoasters, all go, go, go..

Now, coming home to these blue blue hills,

Is more heartfelt as those fast day thrills,

Now, the fifth grade is here, well for those that know,

(Please tell me.)

Is this the last year of peace? or no?

Paintings of mine..

May Day

Not sure if this is a good photo or not....it's very difficult to get them to keep still!!

Photo above the one above is on a golf course in Phoenix, Arizona.....

(I'll get the hang of adding photos in the right order soon..)

Wednesday day of Woe?

Today is the day for doing not thinking,

today is the day for rising not sinking.

So, I'm not having a day of woe,

I am in fact going to Lowe's!

Buying plants, soil and lots of other green things,

Hoping not only the birds will sing!

To make me happy, perhaps others too,

This is the very thing I really have to do.

But, first I have to go to the Dump and get rid of all the smelly garbage! YEUK!!

Well, there you go....

Here I am again, can't believe I'm doing this! Hopefully someone will read it, although it's just nice to ramble on by myself. Perhaps if I add details of my life, it might help me remember later on........now what was I talking about?


I'm a Brit, although not lived in the UK for nearly 30 years, yes that does mean I'm quite old!


I lived in The Netherlands for 18 years and then moved over here; first to Massachusetts, then Michigan and now here(Oh, you don't know where I am??) clue is in the name of this blog...


But that could lead to a number of States. I'll leave that for you to ponder on, perhaps giving clues later. (Funny, if no-one else reads this I'll have to try and guess where I am without any help). Trying to get a photo again....wait and see...
HA! it worked, this was Balloon Fest in Michigan in 2006, going to try another one now.....

not working this time...still that makes it all the more exciting, well sort of..
I do that alot I've noticed.......yes those things.......is that good ??? oh now those are starting to appear, aren't they????
Going to soak my head for a while...........aaaaaahhhhhh