Non Fiction

Chloe is currently taken with the concept of non-fiction. We read a book from the library about a black cowboy, and in the beginning it tells you "This book is based on actual events." She is thrilled with that idea, and now asks about every book. It's nice to have this way to put into words whether something is true or false, so she isn't afraid of those crazy witch and evil step mother books so much (afterall, those are fiction.) :o)

So yesterday she sits down, pen and paper in hand, and tells me "I'm going to write you a non-fiction letter, Mom." She comes to me a bit later with her letter: "Der Mom. U R A Mom. U R Mie Mom." Awww, how sweet is that? And everything she wrote was certainly true, so it qualifies as non-fiction, no?

Last night we popped popcorn and sat down to watch Newsies on Video On Demand. Did you know that Newsies is based on actual events? Ohhhhh that made her so happy. Who would've thought? hehe

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On the subject of non-fiction, I have now finished Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac. If you are a knitter, you need to read this book. If you are not so much a knitter, it's still worth the read, though probably wouldn't be quite so fascinating and wouldn't give you shivers down your spine as often as it did for me. Truly, EZ is a genius when it comes to knitting - so many things I never thought about, but thankfully she did. I will without doubt read this book over and over again. And the little stories here and throughout about what her life really was like - imagine sitting down with an incredible, kind, intelligent old woman, having some tea, knitting up a sock, and having a little chat. That's what this book is like. She gives you suggestions on parenting, she tells you important things about a long-lasting marriage. She tells you little stories about camping and fishing and being snowed-in (her Heart's Desire as she calls it, and it finally happened.) Honestly, this book is solid gold. I want to read everything EZ has ever written now, in hopes that it will all be so wonderful.

In reading about this year in her life, I realize I probably shouldn't feel guilty for all the knitting I do. I mean really, I knit obsessively. I hardly put my knitting down except to do things like laundry and dishes. Anything else, I can usually do with knitting in hand - I can even hold a sleeping baby, or practice reading and writing, with needles clacking. Thanks to Elizabeth Zimmerman, I don't feel guilty about that anymore.

So yeah, everyone go out now, and buy that book, and love it, and read it through and through. It's worth it.