2010/06/25

Instructional posters as wall art

Here's another one I want!! (Thanks for the heads up, Melanie!) This one, the Ratio one from Michael Ruhlman (which I will definitely order at the next paycheck) ... I keep finding instructional posters. Someday I'm going to have grandchildren, who, I assume, will have more than one set of grandparents. We'll be the ones with the maps and instructional posters on the walls, and an open kitchen. And goats. And a boggling number of books to choose from. And a field to play in. And a stream. And a zillion-piece Fontanini nativity village to set up every Advent. (Is this daydreaming a result of a looming half-century birthday?) (click on the poster to go to its site. And note: you're (you are) going to its (not it's) site.)

6 comments:

Kathryn said...

I love it! Tho my grammar is not up to par (& i do use ampersands & "tho" & "thru" in my informal writing) i have trouble reading folks who regularly misuse its/it's; your/you're; & especially me/i!

I, of course, make typos (& when i find them they irritate me a lot). But i do have trouble reading words misspelled but are not typos as the person obviously doesn't know how to use the grammar. But then i know i irritate folks with my refusal to use a capitalized personal pronoun!

I'm wistfully thinking of setting up nativity sets with children, or grandchildren. One of the hardest things for me being childless is the Christmas holidays. And of course, the knowledge that there will be no grandchildren either.

Stephanie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Stephanie said...

Oh, Kathryn ... you don't need to have borne or raised children to have a big nativity set and children to help you set it up! (I started collecting my Fontanini stuff a few years ago, and it's now almost too big for the top of the piano. I don't have a whole village yet - nor the grandchildren to help me build it on Advent I)

All you need are figurines and children for a project like that - doesn't matter which Nativity set and whose children. What a wonderful plot line in a book that would be, eh? The neighbor lady who does that every year? The aunt who does? There are lots of children in the world and only a few grownups who'll treat them like people. I say, have at it!

Stephanie said...

(The deleted post contained a typo I couldn't live with) .... LOL!

Kathryn said...

Stephanie - i know other children can be part of our lives & i'm on "the lookout" for one. I've tried to go thru official channels like Big Brothers/Sisters, but our community is very limited in any kind of mentoring program. We are unable to foster for a long list of reasons.

So, now i'm praying that God will bring a tired mama into our lives who would like to have a couple of hours a month to herself & will "share" her child. I'm hoping that we could find such a family thru a church here . . . but it is slow.

It would be the light of my life to have a child to spend time with (& i realize being a non-parent, that means i get the fun stuff like cookie making & tree decorating, not the hard stuff like discipline). But even so, that will never make up for the loss of having children & being a parent.

Stephanie said...

True enough, Kathryn. Part of the thing is not a substitute for all of the thing.

But turn it just a little and look in from the kid's eye view. A child's parents are almost background noise to his functioning. His hands hold things, and his legs run, and he has friends (probably), and teachers ... cousins maybe ... and if he's very very lucky, there is also some other adult - someone special - someone who really sees him. Likes him. Enjoys his company. Is willing to be his buddy.

And how is this very specific relationship possible? Only if that adult is NOT, in fact, his parent. It's not the same as being a parent, and that's the only way it can be what it can be.

I hope you find some kids too. I think the more friendly grownups there are to take an interest, the better off everyone's kids will be.