I Am Not Concerned About the Very Poor

Actually, I am concerned about the very poor, but there's something about that line, right? It just makes you want to click on it. I'm guessing that the day after the Florida primary there were some Romney staffers who just put their heads down on their desks and moaned in the way that Billy Crystal moaned when he was on the phone all depressed with Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally. Remember that scene? "Will you be able to sleep?" "If not, I'll be okay." "What will you do?" "I'll just stay up and moan. [Moan, moan, moan.]"

Anyway! Enough about politics and timeless 80s movies. (But I just have to say . . . isn't it weird that I'm older than both the Harry character and the Sally character at their OLDEST in that film?)

So here's what's going on at our house, in age order:

FORREST is currently sitting beside me playing Angry Birds on my Kindle. He's a little obsessed. It's cute. He's not much of a gamer at all (and real "gamers," I realize, would not call playing Angry Birds something that qualifies you to BE a gamer) . . . but anyway, it's cute. He's been doing strength training, which is more handsome than cute, in that "Hey, look at those new muscles, hon!" kind of way. We haven't had enough snow for him to go cross country skiing at all. He made a really yummy baked potato soup tonight for dinner.

ME, Angela (Angie, Ang, Mom, Mother, Sister Hallstrom, Hey Lady), well I have a couple of fun things to report. One is that Dialogue is going to publish my story, "Field Walking," this summer, which makes me very happy. Another is that a former professor at Hamline, Sheila (who is actually more than just a former professor -- she's been a wonderful mentor and example) asked me to sub for her in April in her point of view class. I wrote my first draft of "Thanksgiving" in that class and she's had her students read it over the years, so I get to go and talk about it with them and help run a workshop. Should be fun. A little intimidating, but fun.

Also, I got my first shipment of books for my new gig as BYU Studies' literature review editor. Jonas asked, "Do they pay you?" And I said no, and then he said, "But I guess they pay you in books, so that's kind of like paying you." I agree. It was fun to slide the new books into the "Mormon lit" spot on my bookshelf. Actually, the Mormon lit shelf is now officially full. (And I don't even have The Lonely Polygamist on it, since I have it with my "hardback novels" shelf.) (Also, true, I might not be keeping all the books I get, because if I ask someone else to review them then I ship them off. Anyway.):

Yes, I realize that for many of you it's disappointing that there are no pictures of kids, but instead a picture of my bookshelf. It's early February, aaight? Give a girl a break.  But back to the books: in the far right corner you can see a poetry anthology called Fire in the Pasture. I just got it a couple of days ago and it's excellent. So many wonderful poems. (I'll be writing the notice in BYU Studies for that one because I'm keeping that puppy.) Why in the world there aren't more Mormon Lit courses at BYU is beyond me. Dispensation, Fire in the Pasture, The Lonely Polygamist, The Year My Son and I Were Born, Sense of Order and Other Stories, On the Road to Heaven, Hooligan -- the syllabus just writes itself, and the quality of the writing could stand toe to toe with that found in any other lit class. Sometimes I have this little fantasy that if we'd stayed in Utah I could have started teaching it at the SL Center (I'd already started asking around). But we'll not go there. Anyway, I hope Mo Lit courses can be taken more seriously, and offered more regularly, at BYU Provo. I know they're doing a pretty good job of it at BYU Idaho.

ETHAN has started to get scads of college recruitment mail because he took the PSAT and rocked it. (It actually was a "P"PSAT for Ethan, since it doens't count until your Junior year and he was only taking it for practice.) I remember getting recruitment mail in high school from places like Bryn Mawr and even though it seemed completely outside the realm of possibility that I would actually GO to Bryn Mawr, it was cool they were sending me mail. Also, he took 3rd place in varsity creative expression at last week's speech meet, which is very cool considering how many students were competing and how new Ethan is to the category. He has a very handsome eagle trophy show for it.

ELISE is in the ensemble of Lake Middle School's musical, Honk Jr. At first she was a touch disappointed that she didn't get a speaking part, but now she's really enjoying herself. The ensemble is in lots of scenes and the songs are fun. She also told me this afternoon that she has to "flirt in slow motion" with the boy lead in one scene. "It's hard enough to flirt," she said. "Try it in slow motion!" Very true.

JONAS is playing a "cool cat" in his school's production of Cinderella: A 50s Version. They do it all in one week, staying after school till 8:00 p.m. every day until Saturday, when they perform it. It's his first play and he seems to be having fun. Looks as if the Hallstrom family is going thespian.

WYATT completely skipped over "eel" in swimming lessons and is now doing the more advanced "ray" class. He could swim all day. He's also really, really focused on asking questions right now. I can't even listen to NPR in the car any more. "Hey, Mom -- Why those guys in Egypt so mad?" "Hey Mom, how come everybody keeps talking about Primary?" (Perhaps if Newt Gingrich had GONE to Primary he'd be a little less Gingrichy. Just sayin.)


And now I need to turn the laptop over to Elise so she can study for her science test. Do YOU know the difference between foliated and non-foliated metamorphic rocks? Me neither, but Elise does.