Curiosity is a wonderful thing. How can we learn if we are not curious? One of the earliest signs of intelligence in children is their level of curiosity. Curious children ask a lot of questions. Even with babies we can observe as they focus on colors and movement, and watch as they concentrate on a rattle or other toy, trying to figure out how it works.

http://www.free-clipart-pictures.net

Curiosity reveals itself best in a child’s (and adult’s) interest in reading. The curiosity that leads to the love of reading snowballs into more and more inquisitiveness. A child who avidly reads is more likely to have educational hobbies like organic gardening, rock collecting, playing a musical instrument or raising fish in an aquarium.

The wonder of curiosity can turn into a curse for an intriguing mind, young or old. It has to do with focusing. I myself am so curious about so many things, at times I have trouble concentrating on one task. Here’s an example:

I was preparing to visit a school with an organic garden. I wanted to speak to the students about my organic tomatoes and also give them some facts about organic gardening in the USA. While searching for information online about government regulations, I came across a website with a link to organic seeds. Clicked on that, which had flower seeds that piqued my curiosity. I read about all the varieties of seeds and gardening tips for my own garden, already forgetting about why I was really there. Clicked on the page which had a link with a picture of a flower to a photography website. I was mesmerized by the photos and started to research the photographers’ bios. Fascinating! That got me thinking about the photo I took at Miami Metrozoo of the giraffe eating kale. So I started to go through my humongous iphoto library to find the photo but got sidetracked by a picture of my friend from Chicago. So I called my friend and talked to her for a while. She told me about her son playing pro baseball overseas. So I started to Google him and his stats. Then I researched Americans playing baseball overseas. I found a link in Germany, which sent me down a totally new path of curiosity.

What about US government organic farming laws? Oh, I forgot about that!

See what I mean?

Photos from my sister, Shelley Rosen, this morning, March 29, from her house in Chicago! Beautiful!

After hearing about the floods in Fargo, the snow in Denver and the temps in Chicago, I celebrated living in South Florida by taking photos of all the blooms in my favorite alley in my neighborhood. If you have no flowers in your neck of the woods yet, you can enjoy these until some come your way.

Double Hibiscus

Magenta Bouganvilla – Loves the drought!

Tababoulia Tree – MAJOR Pollen! Achoooo!

Amaryllis

Plumbago

Ruellia (Mexican Petunia) – Once you plant this it spreads everywhere!

Here’s hoping your spring is on its way very soon!

Moms, do you come home from work exhausted and wonder how you are going to get dinner on the table and get your kids to bed, their lunches made for the next school day? Or are you a stay-at-home mom who is drained from running around after your children all day?

Well, today Smart Poodle Publishing is interviewing Shari Rubin, who is a wife and mother of 2 teenage daughters and has been a flight attendant for American Airlines for close to 30 years. We thought it would be interesting to interview her and find out what it is like to juggle work and family with such a crazy travel schedule.

Shari Rubin on her RAGBRAI Bicycle Trip Last Summer in Iowa

Shari, how long have you been a flight attendant?

I started working for Continental in 1979 and have worked for American Airlines since 1984.

What made you choose this for a career?

When I was in college in Arizona, I walked by a Continental Airlines recruiter table on campus. A man there stopped me to ask, ”Have you ever thought about becoming a flight attendant?” I hadn’t, but I filled out an application.

When I told my Dad about it, he said, “If you quit school for this job, I’m never paying for college for you again.” After 2 interviews, I got the job at Continental and stopped going to college. In 1983 Continental filed for bankruptcy and laid me off. At a loss for what to do, I started school again (without my Dad paying for it!) It turned out to be a huge lifestyle adjustment for me, since I was so used to traveling. I missed the flying so much, I decided to go to work for American Airlines. I didn’t finish college, but I sure got a great education on the job.

Give us an example of one of your recent work schedules.

Lately I work 4 days in a row, and get 4 days off. I do turnaround flights and never get off the plane until I get back home. This requires me to get up at 4:30 am for a 7 am flight. You’ve got to look fresh and prepared and have energy for this job, no matter what time of the day it is. I usually land back home at 12:30pm. One time I worked a 4-day trip, 8 flight hours each day. I’ll never forget that.

Don’t you find that exhausting? How do you manage?

Yes, it is exhausting. But you do what you have to do. You do get used to it, however the older I get, the longer it takes me to recover. Flying internationally requires you to constantly reset your internal body clock. It’s a struggle. But working conditions have improved over the years, because airlines do their best to keep their employees healthy and happy. There have been many scientific sleep studies done, and airlines use the findings as a guideline for scheduling pilots and flight attendants. Now there are longer breaks between flights than there used to be.

Your husband, Mark is a pilot for American. Are you ever away at the same time?

No. We make an effort to make our schedules different, because of our kids. One of us is almost always home for them.

Did you meet your husband on a flight?

No. We actually met through colleagues in Chicago at a social event. It is very common for pilots to marry flight attendants. It’s funny how it goes in cycles. When we have a flurry of new hires of pilots and flights attendants, many marriages follow. When there are no new hires for a while, it seems that you hear more about divorces!

What challenges have you faced juggling your career and family, especially when your children were younger?

Time management is the hardest thing. My husband and I have relied heavily on friends and babysitters over the years. Since we do not live near family members, friends and sitters have become family to us. There are times when it is tough because I have had to miss Christmas, birthdays or other special events. But my family has learned to be flexible. I actually find it harder to juggle schedules since my girls are older, than when they were in grade school. There’s just a lot more going on! Once you have a teen who drives, you don’t want to be out of town when she is in the car!

What do you like best about your job?

The people I work with and the passengers I meet are amazing! I love the variety. No two flights are the same. You get to know the people you work with, and the crew changes constantly. Years ago, the travel benefits were the best perk of the job. But with the increase in the passenger load, accessibility of flights on the Internet and last minute deals for passengers, standby is not such a pleasant way to travel. My family has had to separate and get on different flights just to get home from vacations. As many people know these days, it is tough spending hours waiting in airports.

What is the hardest part of being a flight attendant?

It is challenging to schedule life and work and even harder to make last minute changes.

What is your favorite destination in the world?

Home.

Can you share with us a funny or unique story about an experience you had while working?

I always laugh when I ask passengers if they would like breakfast, and they reply, “I only want toast.” Food service is so limited on planes, and we do not have toasters. We no longer have microwaves either. It never ceases to amaze me what people bring on the plane. I have seen standing floor lamps, paintings that are 4 ft X 6 ft, and more. Passengers smuggle pets on planes all the time! We don’t discover this usually until the flight has taken off.

By far the strangest request I ever received was from a world-renowned celebrity in the music business (who shall remain nameless). We were traveling from Miami to LA non-stop. She got up out of her seat to speak to me. She wanted to talk to the Captain of the flight and demand that he land the plane at the nearest airport. She was simply tired of being on that plane and wanted to get off. She said she’d pay for the expenses associated with the unscheduled landing. My reply? “I’m sorry but that is impossible. Now you’ll have to go back to your seat.”

You are an avid exerciser like me. But how do you stick to it when you are so exhausted from flying so often?

Energy creates energy. Doing nothing makes me feel terrible. If I did not exercise, I would not be able to do my job! My favorite thing to do is ride my bike when I get home from a trip – even if I am exhausted.

You have completed the RAGBRAI Bicycle event 2 summers in a row! Can you tell us about it?

RAGBRAI stands for Registers Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. Two news reporters started it in 1972 and it runs every summer. Basically it is a weeklong ride across Iowa, about a 450-500 mile journey. There are challenges – rain, heat, wind and hills. 10,000 weekly riders are allowed to join the group, and an unlimited number of day riders join in too. We camp in tents and rough it for a week. I love it because this is not a pro athletic event. The participants are regular people like you and me – families, husbands and wives, from the very old to very young. You meet a lot of great people and cultivate new friendships.

What advice do you have for a mom (or future mom) who is thinking about becoming a flight attendant?

Remain flexible. If you are rigid and a schedule nut, don’t do this for a living! You can make a good income, but you’ll never get rich. You’ll get to see the world, and best of all, when you are not working, you can completely leave your job behind.

Thank you Shari for your insight into the life of a Mom/flight attendant.

P.S. Shari says she is just “an average Mom” and does not consider herself to be a Super Mom. But we do!

We salute Shari and all of the billions of moms in the world who are dedicated to working hard while taking care of their families.

Want a great activity for you and your kids? Experiment with your camera to take fun pictures of your pet! Here’s out latest photos.

Gigi Getting her Teeth Brushed

Gigi rolling in the grass for some unknown reason

More rolling

Hanging Out Listening to Music

Sittin’ on the Arm of the Couch!

I often write about what inspires me to write. The best inspiration, no doubt, comes from personal experiences and daily observations. I find that that’s what children write about too – stories about their lives or experiences they’ve witnessed. I’ll let you in on a nutty habit of mine (and now my daughter’s) that has really helped both me and my daughter get more creative when developing characters and stories.

I categorize people.  Okay. I admit it. This sounds rather odd. But it is very entertaining. It doesn’t hurt anyone. And frankly it encourages me to be more observant. The more observant I am, the more inspired I will be to write.

“Exactly what does categorizing people mean?” you ask.

Well, when I see people on the street, interact with others in public places or listen to a story about a person, I put that person into a “category.” Essentially, everything in the world can be categorized. When you read my list below you will realize that you too can relate to categorizing. Here are 50 of the many categories I have created. (Keep in mind that I live in Miami, so you may or may not find all of these types in your neck of the woods):

1. Senior citizens who ride old fashioned bikes (no gears) with baskets and are slim but with over tanned, saggy skin (“leatherettes”)
2. Young moms who drive SUVs like aggressive maniacs
3. Women smokers who reek of cigs and have deep voices and chronic wet coughs
4. Children who stand up in grocery shopping carts and throw temper tantrums
5. Parents who do nothing about their kid’s obnoxious behavior in public places
6. Men who shave their heads but always have facial hair
7. People who cannot communicate well both orally and in writing
8. Nurses who are morbidly obese and who also smoke
9. Old ladies who get their hair done once a week at the salon and never wash it themselves in between (head rot!)
10. Men who are with their wives in public places and are way too obvious that they are checking out other women
11. Cute, friendly old couples who go together like peanut butter and jelly
12. Couples who have been married for years but don’t seem like they know each other and don’t go together well
13. Ultra conservative moms who don’t approve of Grandpa Willy’s Farting
14. Young men who drive fancy cars and always look around to see who is noticing their wheels (who cares!?)
15. People with no sign of having personalities (boring!)
16. Artsy young people who deface themselves with oddly colored hair, facial piercing and tattoos and then get furious because others are looking at them (like they are shocked people are looking)
17. Men announcers on TV and radio who yell!!!!!!
18. Bank tellers who are so unfriendly I want to slap them
19. Grocery store cashiers who comment on what you are buying and what you will make with the ingredients when you get home
20. Grandparents who brag about their grandchildren to the point where it is embarrassing
21. Ultra religious people who smile creepily while standing in parking lots giving away brochures almost no one wants
22. Women who put on makeup while driving
23. Ultra sensitive disc jockeys
24. Adults who have never voted in a presidential election but have strong opinions about politicians
25. Women who complain incessantly about their husbands
26. Husbands who tune out their wives most of the time
27. People who are addicted to Starbuck’s or Dunkin Donuts Coffee and drive to their local store several times per day to get their fix
28. Down-to-earth rich people who do not act like or ever mention that they are rich
29. Cheap people who talk about how expensive everything is all the time
30. Wealthy, superficial men who only date younger women for what they look like
31. Overachieving students who are not ultra smart but work extra hard and do very well
32. Women who are addicted to online dating but are not really looking for love, rather they are only looking for someone rich to take care of them
33. People who you’d never think would (but actually do) drink alcohol from tiny bottles on their way into the office and toss the bottles on the ground in the parking lot at work
34. People who find something positive in everything and everyone, no matter what the situation may be
35. People who find something negative in everything and everyone, no matter what the situation may be
36. Women who crisply iron everything they wear and it shows
37. People with fake charm who make promises and never keep them
38. People who are NEVER on time
39. Nasty parents who leave dirty diapers on the ground in parking lots
40. People who volunteer countless hours and then complain about it
41. People who volunteer countless hours and never expect anything in return
42. People with dusty houses full of excessive cheap knickknacks and clutter
43. Tourist drivers who come to Miami and have no idea where they are going or how to drive here
44. People who cannot get along with anyone
45. People who can get along with everyone
46. People who never read anything
47. Avid readers
48. People who do not need a lot to be happy
49. Women who chronically have roots darker than the rest of their hair color (do they dye the roots to keep it that way?)
50. People who do not fit into categories (Each one of these people is his/her own category)

After all these months, I am still constantly asked  about the Smart Poodle Libraian Contest. We anounced the winners in mid December last year.  In March alone, we’ve had over 6,000 hits on the essay page of our website!

clipart from http://www.kcmlin.org

Her’s an article I wrote about my experience with librarians and the contest . . .

As a writer and bibliomaniac, I have always known that libraries are among the greatest and often most underutilized resources available to humans. But I’m embarrassed to admit that I never gave much thought to the people who run these galleries of great treasure – that is until last June. While attending Book Expo America, I sat in on two excellent seminars administered by panels of librarians from all over the country. As I expected, the librarians were articulate and informative. But to my surprise, they were also downright funny! Librarians with a sense of humor? You bet. It’s hard to imagine laughing out loud to presentations about acquiring, processing, cataloging and shelving books, but I can tell you, I was not the only one chuckling in that room.

It was there at the conference that it occurred to me – for the first time in my life – that if I routinely misunderstood, as well as under-appreciated librarians, so have many others.

Following this epiphany, through my publishing company, I created an essay-writing contest for librarians. With an essay theme of “What I Wish Everyone Knew About Librarians,” librarians were invited to tell us unenlightened non-librarians what they’d like us to know about their work and to dispel to the world the myths of the “stuffy, unapproachable librarian.”

The contest drew 45 extraordinary entries from a diverse group of librarians including public, private, corporate, law, musical, theological, medical, university, college, middle school, and even a prison librarian. The essays were more entertaining, educational and original than ever expected.

Here’s what the judges learned from the What I Wish Everyone Knew About Librarians contest entries:

Librarians are excellent writers, with a unique ability to make words flow off the page and into our souls.

“Surrounded by thousands of books, we can’t help but pick up a few words, here and there, as well as an image, a sensation, an emotion: the soulful eyes upon the cover of a glossy magazine, the rustle of newspapers, dried jam along the edges of a board book, the muffled cry of a child against his mother’s skirt, a warm shaft of afternoon light falling across the news tables, or the silhouette of a head bowing before a book like a monk before a psalter.”
– Lisbeth Boutang, Children’s Librarian, Cloquet Public Library, MN (Grand Prize Winner)

Librarians have a witty sense of humor.

“To some of those that tell me how they desire my easy job, and my big fat paycheck (yeah right!), I often reply, ‘Why after about three days of working here, you’d be running down main street screaming incoherently, with someone in a white coat trying to put a straight jacket on ya!’”
– Mark Tidwell, Director, Jellico Public Library, TN

No librarian does just one job – they all must multi task in a major way and be flexible at work.

“I wish people knew how many hats we wear, how often we change them and how we sometimes stack them in ridiculous ways to accommodate varied job duties.  Choice of hat varies greatly from one librarian to the next.”
– Brenda Talley, Adult Services Supervisor, North Richland Hills Public Library, TX (Second Place Winner)

Librarians want to be approached and asked questions.

“Contrary to popular opinion, librarians want to be interrupted at the reference desk. I know that we sit there, looking serious and busy, and you pause before you approach us. You think, ‘Oh, she’s going to laugh at my question’ or ‘But she doesn’t have time to help me.’ Take it from me—that is not true.”
– Brandy Sanders, Librarian, at California State Prison – Corcoran

Librarians seek information for patrons, and in the process become scholars themselves.

“One might think that librarians know a lot, but what I love most about being a librarian is that we figure out how to locate information about things we often don’t know ourselves, based on our understanding of the library user’s question, and our understanding of the network or universe of available information sources.”
– Andrea Rubin, Assistant Librarian, Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass,
San Francisco, CA (Honorable Mention)

Librarians are seasoned at dealing with extreme budget and program cuts and do so with and innovation and acceptance.

“We’ll create a museum ready display with some old yarn, five binder clips, used postcards, and some origami paper we found on clearance. We know the value of a dollar and can stretch money like a mother of six growing up in the Depression.”
– Sue Kowalski, Pine Grove Middle School Librarian, East Syracuse, NY  (3rd Place Winner)

Librarians are required to have advanced degrees.

“Librarians are smart. An M.L.S. degree, Master of Library Science, is a year-long study of libraries and their care and feeding. Many librarians have additional degrees. In our law library, three of us are lawyers as well as librarians.”
– Anne McFarland, Reference and Research Librarian, Cleveland Law Library Association, OH

Librarians love their jobs, and most would not want to do anything else for a living.

“On my first day … a woman walked in with a small bundle in her arms. I was certain she had a young baby … There was no baby in that bundle! There was a hedgehog! This young woman wanted me to find out the breeding habits of hedgehogs. At that moment I knew I was going to love my job.”
– Anne McClung, Branch Librarian, Goshen Public Library, VA

Librarians are unfairly and inaccurately stereotyped.

“Interestingly there seems to be a simultaneous perception that we are all women, and failures at femininity; unmarried or divorced, fat or scrawny women with gray hair in buns, horn-rimmed glasses, dressed in clothing from the local thrift shop, with no other social life than that which can be scraped up at the Library. And we’re either tittering romantics, or distant, censorious and severe. Hah!”
– Helen Waite, Library Assistant, Lewes Public Library, DE

Librarians have challenging jobs.

“I want people to know … that this is a tough job. You really have to be prepared to deal with all types of people—rude, noisy, smelly, obnoxious, friendly, shy, demanding, and just plain creepy. You have to be prepared for anything to happen in the library.”
– Elizabeth Dellavedova, Collection Development Librarian, NVCC-Annandale, VA

Librarians love to read but, contrary to popular belief, they do not have time to read on the job.

“’It must be nice to read books all day.’ Why yes, that would be nice. Me? In the last 3 years in the children’s department I have cleaned up pee, poop, and vomit off the floor. I find lost moms. I help children with homework that was due yesterday. I break up fights, I fix computers, I clean nasty dangly things off the books and try not to gag in the process.”
– Missy Littel, Children’s Reference Librarian, Tuscarawas County Public Library, New Philadelphia, OH (Honorable Mention)

Strange, memorable events take place in libraries every day.

“Then there’s the story of the day my staff warned me not to reprimand the ‘voodoo’ lady for causing a disturbance in the restroom. They said she’d put a curse on me. But I asked her to leave anyway. I broke my toe that night… But that’s another story….”
– Helen Whittaker, Library Manager, Kingsport Public Library, TN

I hope that this essay contest educates others as much as it did me. Sure, we’ve got a long way to go to dispel the myths of a “typical” librarian. But I, for one, will never go back to my old ways of thinking. There’s nothing “typical” about librarians. And that is a very good thing.

The winning entries from the What I Wish Everyone Knew About Librarians contest can be read here.

People never cease to amaze me. On Saturday at the Southwest Book Festival, an elderly woman came up to the seller at the children’s book booth next to me.

Here’s how the conversation went:

Buyer: I see this book is marked $7.99. Are you willing to bargain with me on the price?

Seller: I am a distributor and cannot really change any prices. That is already a very low price and a great value.

Buyer: Are you saying that you will not bring the price down from $7.99 to $7.95?

Seller: Let me get this right. You are asking me to lower the price 4 cents? You will be happy with 4 cents off that price? (Seller looks over at me and I show her my flexed biceps and point at the buyer. Seller is trying not to laugh.) Well today is your day because I am feeling nice and will give you this book at 4 cents off.

Buyer: At least I will know I received a discount. I do not pay full price for anything. Oh, and by the way, here’s my credit card. Please don’t charge me any sales tax. I don’t want to pay for that.

You’ve got to be kidding me!!!!

Downtown Fort Myers came to life yesterday at the Reading Festival! There were thousands of visitors, and the Badilly family got to speak to hundreds of children and their parents and grandparents and sell books. There were authors, illustrators, entertainers, crafts, food and more. And the event was held along the beautiful waterfront downtown. We had a great time! Every city in America, big or small, should have a reading festival every year!

Check out the photos from the event.

A gorgeous day & great event along the waterfront in downtown Ft. Myers.

Setting up our booth

Our booth attracted a lot of local teachers

Grandpa Willy and Lilly

The Lee County state-of-the-art BookMobile – Incredible!

Inside the BookMobile 4,000 titles, including Lilly Badilly!

Susan Roseberry, librarian extraordinaire!

Our new friend and  next door exhibitor, Shari Rodgers from Barefoot Books

We will be in millipede costume and will have a booth at the Southwest Florida Reading Festival tomorrow in downtown Fort Myers. All 3 Badillys will be there!

If you are in the area, please stop by to say hello!