J is for Jealous of Rob Ryan's art.

Oooh. I'm jealous. Man, oh man I wish I had created this. The book is available via Chronicle Books.

This world is full of artists, craftspeople, athletes. Everyone is one.

S is for Super Puppy!

Last night I read an Italian Folktale to C about a king who had a beloved son who was a pig. On his wedding night he rolled around in mud so that he might be extra attractive to his bride, the baker's daughter. By the end of the tale the pig is a handsome prince. There is some romance and gore in the between. Italo Calvino's Italian Folktales is one of my all time favorite books. ...

Well, in our tale our son is not a pig; he is a dog. J is Super Puppy. Playful, fun, affectionate, loves to be outside, patient, beautiful and smart. He is also very imaginative. Hate to think of what he might roll in before his wedding!!! We'd better work harder on reversing the spell before then!

Reminds me of the joke: A man walks into the doctor's office and says: My wife thinks she's a chicken.
Dr: Oh dear. I think we can fix that with some medication and therapy.
Man: Oh no! We'd miss the eggs!