Once Upon a Time....

....when I was very young, I loved to listen as my mother read to me from a big red book of fairy tales, which was Number One in a ten-volume encyclopedia-type set called Collier something (if I remember it right). Eventually I learned to read the books myself, and Red Number One became the most worn volume. I can still remember the old-fashioned, whimsical illustrations in The Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff. What was it about threes?

Here's your mission (should you decide to accept it) :

Come up with a new fairy tale (nope, it doesn't have to have fairies or magic in it), titling it something like The Three _______ or The Adventures of the Three ___________.
Your "three" can be animals, but they don't have to be.

Wait, wait.... let me get my jammies and my teddy bear....
Okay, now I'm ready to listen.

What's Cookin' At Your Place?

"Happy Home Recipe"
Mary H. Knopinski

4 c. Love
6 c. Understanding
2 c. Loyalty
5 T. Hope
3 c. Forgiveness
2 T. Tenderness
1 c. Friendship
4 c. Faith
6 c. Kindness
1/2 c. Laughter

Mix Love and Loyalty thoroughly with Faith. Blend in Tenderness, Kindness, and Understanding. Add remaining ingredients and sprinkle generously with Laughter. Bake in sunshine and serve daily.

Okay, I (briefly) searched the internet and found the above "recipe." You've seen them, plaques or needlepoint samplers on the walls of homes, or maybe on throw pillows, with "recipes" for happy homes, happy kitchens, etc. And the ones I've seen really make pretty good sense.

So it's your turn. Please compose your own. It might be a recipe for friendship, a recipe for a boring day, a recipe for a healthy family, a recipe for a good book, a recipe for grandparents (or grandchildren), a recipe for a great pet (no, we're not cooking the pet!), a recipe for getting older (or staying younger), a recipe for success, a recipe for failure, a recipe for misery, a recipe for a great marriage, a recipe for a perfect afternoon, a recipe for -- oh, why not? -- mudpies.

Or a recipe for something else entirely.

Use your imagination..... what "recipe(s)" can you share? And no - in case you find the example somewhat, uh, mushy for your taste - yours doesn't have to be. It can be sweet; it can be tongue-in-cheek; it can be witty. Make yourself at home.

(By the way - in case you were wondering - the man in the picture is Roland Mesnier, who was born in France and grew up to be the White House Executive Pastry Chef for 25 years, before retiring in 2004. The things you take for granted! I didn't even know the job existed.....)

More or Less

I love to read all that you write! I wish I could really give the trip away....... Okay, another challenge. I hope you'll be brave and take this on. I want every challenge I give out to be fun for you, and if you make an honest effort to contribute, that's it.... you get an A. (Yep, you can tell your mom that; ask her to count it somehow :)




Today, I want you to write a short comparison / contrast piece. Think about 2 pets, 2 uncles, 2 trees in your yard, 2 books you've read, 2 ways you've schooled, 2 outfits, 2 books you've read, 2 of ANYTHING. But choose your topic, and as with any writing task, you've done the hardest part. Next, think about ways those 2 _________s are alike, and how they are different. And tell us. Use 5 - 10 sentences. Don't stress over it, just give it a try and see what happens. Waiting to read!