Tull Books

Writing on a Friday Afternoon

improvedlife — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:04:05 +0000

the mountain rises high
with cold air that stabs the skin
like a thousand pin pricks
the view is magestic
and different from everyday life
expansive
with a vantage point not normally known to men
so stay up for a little while
drinking the high life
soaking in the Divine
but don’t linger too long
for it’s loney at the top
and living is meant to be done with others in the valleys
and not alone in the summits

Books I Reviewed Today

improvedlife — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:44:29 +0000

Here are the books I reviewed today:

Book 1

Author: Sibyl Hancock
Title: Esteban and the Ghost
Illustrator: Dirk Zimmer
Date Published: 1983
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
First Line: Long ago late in October a merry tinker named Esteban came to a village near Toledo.
Last Line: And he never saw another ghost again.
Synopsis: A man is in a haunted castle to find out why it haunts. This story is based on an old folktale.
What I Thought: A creepy but good story. Might be kind of scary for small children.

Book 2

Author: Barbara Shook Hazen
Title: Even If I Did Something Awful
Illustrator: NAncy Kincade
Date Published: 1981
Publisher: McClelland and Stewart, Ltd
First Line: Mommy, do you love me?
Last Line: Me too, Mommy.
Synopsis: A mother proves she loves her daughter, no matter what.
What I Thought: I liked it, but the illustrations were really what made this book good for me.

Books I Reviewed Today

improvedlife — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:56:08 +0000

Here are the books I reviewed today:

Book 1

Author: Maribeth Boelts
Title: Before You Were Mine
Illustrator: David Walker
Date Published: 2007
Publisher: The Penguin Group
First Line: Before you were mine . . . Did you live in a warm house with warm smells, and a rug that was only yours?
Last Line: So maybe it doesn’t matter what happened before you were mine . . . because now, you’re home.
Synopsis: A young boy imagines what his dog’s life was like before he was adopted.
What I Thought: I really liked this book. It actually made me tear up some and think about the importance of getting pets from shelters.

Book 2

Author: Scott Peck
Title: A Mud Pie For Mother
Illustrator: Scott Peck
Date Published: 2003
Publisher: Dutton Children’s Books
First Line: Little Pig needed something for Mother Pig’s birthday.
Last Line: Do you know, it was just what she wanted.
Synopsis: A pig tries to find breakfast for his mother.
What I Thought: A simple, but effecctive story about not just taking what you want and how you can be rewarded by not just thinking of yourself.

Writing on a Thursday Afternoon

improvedlife — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:46:49 +0000

this is a poem to Niki
whose ship passes mine in the night
she is the strength
to my weakness
outspoken and strong and savoring the spotlight
as I hide behind the curtains and watch
together we float through this life
such a strange patch now
a world of broken appliances and the clutter of toys and clothes
a land of beautiful children who sap our every hour
joyfully, but leaving us both exhausted and limp
so I write this for you, my wife
you, my center,
you, who I gladly float with no matter where the currents take us

Sketch on a Thursday Afternoon

improvedlife — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:21:34 +0000

Here’s a sketch I did today at lunch.

Man Worrying in Chair

Sketch on Wednesday Afternoon

improvedlife — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:35:19 +0000

Here’s a quick sketch I did at lunch today . . .

Man Looking at a Menu

Two Books for Review

improvedlife — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:33:46 +0000

Here are the books I reviewed today:

Book 1

Author: Lauren Child
Title: But Excuse Me That Is My Book
Illustrator: Lauren Child
Date Published: 2006
Publisher: The Penguin Group
First Line: I have this little sister, Lola.
Last Line: This book is probably the most best book in the whole wide world because it is so interesting and so lovely and you know it has the absolutely best pictures of any book ever and the baby chimips are very funny . . .”
Synopsis: A little girl doesn’t want any book except for her favorite one from the library.
What I Thought: I liked this book. I can totally hear t his conversation from my little girls. And her collage-style artwork is really unique and cool.

Book 2

Author: Caralyn Buehner
Title: But Excuse Me That Is My Book
Illustrator: Mark Buehner
Date Published: 1996
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
First Line: Once upon a time in a wild Wyoming town there lived a sturdy girl named Fanny Agnes.
Last Line: “Close enough,” Fanny winked, “close enough.”
Synopsis: A woman wishes to marry a prince but ends up with a local boy, which in the end she decides is just fine.
What I Thought: A wonderful, sweet story about the joy that comes sometime from unaswered prayers.

Writing on a Wednesday Afternoon

improvedlife — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:16:57 +0000

I tap my toe
Waiting
Impatiently in line
It does not move
The tension hangs in the air
“What is taking that lady so long?”
Do I switch to another lane
Maybe it’ll go faster
Or slower
Maybe I can get on with my life
Or do I wait here
And patiently wait my turn
Is Death the ultimate check-out clerk
Letting us get on our way to God
My toe stops tapping
I decide to be patient
Maybe I’m not quite ready to check out yet

Writing on a Tuesday Afternoon

improvedlife — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:44:58 +0000

Writing 3: Write about someone you care for.

Holland is our 1 year old, and I think she looks a lot like me (much more than Abby — who is the spitting image of her mother). I love coming home and when she sees me she says “Da Da” and comes running with her hands held outward. the world could be failling apart around me and I would never notice if Holland were clinging to me.

She gives kisses now — when you say “give me a kiss,” she leans forward and touches you with an open mouth. She sleeps hard and is a strong-willed person. Already 1 years old and I see the strength and determination in her. she is a true powerhouse, and I love the fact that she, her sister, and her mother are strong women.

Holland is the jewel of my heart. She and Abby are the reason I’m here and make me want to be a better person.

Writing 4: Write anything you can think of about the word “write.”

I often feel I cannot write, and that I have nothing to say, and yet when I do write, I read back what I’ve written and I’m amazed at the thoughts in my head.

Often, I had no idea they were even there. “Where did these thoughts come from?” I ask myself. And so I guess I can write.

I think the challenge is to find what I enjoy writing about, and doing it for just that reason alone.

Too many times I’ve tried to write something (novels, screenplays, the Great American Novel) thinking it’ll define me, and free me financially so I can work for myself.

But those are egotistical motives that have nothing to do with what writing is for me. Writing is therapy and a way to figure out who I am and what I believe.

Because without writing I would have no idea how I feel about anything.

October 27, 2009

improvedlife — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:35:52 +0000

Here are the two children books I reviewed today:

Book 1

Author: Laurence Anholt
Title: Big Book of Little Children
Illustrator: Catherine Anholt
Year Published: 2003
Publisher: Candlewick Press
First Line: Here come the babies!
Last Line: You’ll see it’s true, The world can get together too — Sisters and brothers, Fathers and Mothers, I Love You.
Story Synopsis: About what families do, from babies to grandparents.
My Thoughts: I loved this book! The word play was fun, and it really talked about all the neat nuances of families (like making mountains on stairs).

Book 2

Author: Mie Araki
Title: The Magic Toolbox
Illustrator: Mie Araki
Year Published: 2003
Publisher: Raincoast Books
First Line: On Monday, Lulu built a boat.
Last Line: “Nothing to it,” said Fred, “when you have the right tools.”
Story Synopsis: An elephant can build things, and a rabbit can’t, until he finds a magic toolbox.
My Thoughts: I thought the art was really interesting — the pictures were carved in plywood and then printed in watercolor paint on rice paper. But the story didn’t do anything for me.