My Friday Afternoon
Saint Paul elementary schools have the day off, so Kristi and I split the day; I took the afternoon shift at home with Emma, who (as it happens) has spent pretty much the entire afternoon playing outside on a truly beautiful day.I've spent a little time working, a little time playing (i.e., working on this year's CDFFL redesign, which is going to kick ass; I promised myself an early start this time around, and delivered), a little time catering to the needs of a slew of kids with squirtguns but no water (I hadn't yet turned the outside taps back on after the winter), and a little time reading my father's copy of Ivanhoe.
I don't know if my brother knows that I have it. It sat for several years after dad died, so I kind of assumed he didn't want it, and on one of my trips to Fresno I took it home with me.
According to the inscription it was given to him by a Mrs. H.
Schreiber in July 1938, just a month or so before his 12th birthday. I actually had never read Ivanhoe before bringing dad's copy back to Saint Paul. It's a fun read -- probably beyond what Emma will be reading when she is 12, but I can see where dad would've liked it enough to keep it for 63 years. We recently borrowed the Errol Flynn Adventures of Robin Hood from the library, and before watching it I outlined a bit of the backstory for Emma -- the whole Norman-Saxon conflict, the Crusades and King Richard, yadda yadda yadda -- all of which reminded me how much I'd enjoyed the book the first time. So I'm halfway through it again.(I kind of figured watching Robin Hood would prime Emma for getting out her archery set, but so far she hasn't mentioned it yet this spring. Which is okay, really.)
posted by MeanMrMustard @ 4:22 PM
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