Wednesday Workout Review: Self "Sculpt Sexy Legs Fast"

First off, can I just say that exercise DVDs often have silly titles? This one is no exception: it sounds like a how-to for expeditiously creating suggestive limestone limbs. Who names these things????

But setting that aside, Self: Sculpt Sexy Legs Fast! is a great workout. It runs about 45 minutes, which to my mind is the perfect workout length (long enough to be thorough, short enough to still fit in the morning schedule).

The instructor is Violet Zaki, who is extremely fit and appears to truly enjoy exercising. Her demeanor throughout is encouraging and energetic, without being over the top. (Granted, I find her occasional use of the phrase "Like you mean it!" to be a bit much; and why, oh why, does every fitness instructor insist upon using the transition "[We're] moving on!" six or more times per session?; but these are tolerable.)

The emphasis of this DVD is on leg muscles, but the exercises incorporate stretching, so that the net effect doesn't feel like bulking up but rather lengthening and strengthening. And, unlike many other body-part-targeted workouts, this workout goes beyond just focusing on the legs and includes lots of heart-pumping cardio work. Most of the work is done standing, and a portion is done with light hand weights. If you don't want to do the whole workout, it's broken into smaller sections: warm-up, legs, cardio, legs with arm weights, floorwork, cool-down/stretch.

A few quibbles/caveats: a) there is some bouncing in this one, so if you've knees like mine, this may take a bit of modification at points; and b) it's filmed outdoors, which means everybody on film looks a little squinty. But those are minor points. I enjoyed this workout, and I hope you'll give it a try.

You can find other reviews here, here, here, and here; and info about instructor Violet Zaki here.

Michigander Monday: Devin Scillian

I'm pleased this week to welcome Devin Scillian to Michigander Monday!

Debbie: Devin, please tell us a little about yourself.

Devin: I'm married with four children (all of whom have been invaluable in my writing career -- stories have to pass muster at home or they pretty much go back to the drawing board). My "real" or primary job is anchoring the news at WDIV-TV, the NBC affiliate in Detroit. But for as long as I can remember I've had a fascination of and fondness for children's literature. And while it took ten years of trying, my first book, Fibblestax, was published in 2000. That started a surprisingly busy but marvelously satisfying second career as a children's book author. My 12th book will be released in the spring. (And as proof that I may have trouble with focus, I'm also a musician and songwriter.)

Debbie: Wow, you are busy! What an amazing scope of work and creativity. Please tell us about your latest book.

Devin: My newest book is still being illustrated. Memoirs of a Goldfish will be out in the spring. It's the story of a goldfish whose quiet life is suddenly thrown into very crowded chaos by the new guests who keep showing up in his bowl. The idea came from my daughter, Christian, who suggested the title.

My most recent published book is One Kansas Farmer written with my wife Corey. It's a book about our home state of Kansas, and it was released at the beginning of this past summer.

Debbie: Other books and projects on the horizon?

Devin: I'm currently working on an alphabet book about Australia called K is for Koala. I'm working on a folktale called The Legend of Johnny Kaw. And I'm also working on a Christmas story that I like very much called The Smallest Stocking. I'm not sure if other writers have so many manuscripts going at once, but it's the only way that seems to work for me.

Debbie: Any upcoming author appearances?

Devin: I'm currently setting up the school visit schedule for the winter and spring. I've got several appearances with the band coming up. And in March of 2010, I'll be giving the keynote address for the Michigan Reading Association which is a wonderful event. I was delighted to be asked.

Debbie: Your favorite place in Michigan?

Devin: I have many -- I love the Leelanau Peninsula, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Harbor Springs and Petoskey, Saugatuck and Holland, and I'm extremely fond of a summer afternoon at Comerica Park. But Corey and I have really fallen for the Thumb and if pressed, I'd say my favorite place is at our little cottage along Lake Huron near Lexington and Port Sanilac.

Debbie: Favorite Michigan event or happening?

Devin: I do love America's Thanksgiving Parade (even though it means a very early wake-up call on a holiday that never gives me a day off!). Corey and I really enjoy the Ann Arbor Art Fairs every year. And any and every Red Wings Stanley Cup parade is a pretty darn good day, too.

Debbie: Great events, all! How about a few fun Michigan people we should all know about?

Devin: There are so many Michiganders I've come to enjoy, but I have a special admiration for Jeff Daniels and what he's done in his hometown of Chelsea. As a successful actor, he can certainly live anywhere but it was important to him to begin a professional theatre in Chelsea, and the Purple Rose has become a vibrant catalyst for art and business ever since. He's also become a superb spokesman for Michigan. And I'll also point out that he's never given a bad performance as an actor; he's a pro.

Debbie: Something you'd like a non-Michigander to know about our state?

Devin: I've been all over the country and all over the world and I don't believe any place has as much beauty per square mile as Michigan. We're very lucky.

Debbie: I agree with that! Finally, some residents of Michigan refer to themselves as Michiganders; others, Michiganians. For our ongoing vote tally: Are you a "Michigander" or a "Michiganian"?

Devin: I vote for Michigander --- but as a non-native, does my vote count as much? (I just think it's a superior word. And if you've read Fibblestax you know you can trust me when it comes to words!)

Debbie: You get a full vote, and we'll count you amongst the Michiganders! Thank you so much for being here today.

To learn more about Devin's books, as well as his music, please head over to his web site.

Poetry Friday

For Poetry Friday this week, I offer up a poem of mine that originally appeared in the April 2008 Eastside Neighbor. I will admit that I am indeed sometimes guilty of being a "littershrug." This poem is a reminder to myself (and to anyone else who might be willing to listen) that keeping a park or other favorite place clean involves one step beyond simply not littering. In this season of thankfulness, you can show that you're thankful for your parks by helping to keep them free of trash!

Are You A LitterShrug?
--by Debbie Diesen

Of course you're not a litterbug –
But maybe you're a littershrug?

You see some garbage left behind
And try to put it out of mind.

It bothers you, but not enough
To stoop and pick up trashy stuff.

Yet little messes, so contagious,
Grow to messes that outrage us.

Litterbugs and littershrugs
Together lead to litter-ughs.

The cycle, though, can be contained
When littershruggers are retrained.

To make your park a better place
And put a smile on someone's face,

Go grab yourself a bag and glove,
And show your park a little love.

Bill Castanier's City Pulse Article About Amy Huntley's Young Adult Novel

Read about Amy Huntley's The Everafter here, and then come meet her at the Okemos Schuler Books 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17!

If you're in the Monroe area this weekend...

I've got a pair of story times today (Saturday 11/7): you can catch me at the Frenchtown-Dixie Branch Library in Monroe at 11 a.m. and/or at the Bedford Branch Library in Temperance at 2 p.m.

On Sunday I'll be at the Writers on the River Book Fair, along with 30 other authors and illustrators. Please stop by!

Poetry Friday

Fate

You have to hope, for his sake, that the guy was alone

when it happened. Of course, “guy,” is a gender

assumption, but the whole scene’s got “guy” written all

over it. Guy spots an unclaimed treasure left out

curbside, and he can picture just the right place for it in

his basement. Or maybe it was a cast-off from his co-

worker’s brother-in-law. “Sure, it’s all yours. Stop on

by.” So he heads over, pulls over, tosses it into the back

of the pick-up truck. Or maybe jams it awkwardly into a

trunk that somehow seemed bigger when he first

bought the car. A smart guy, he’s well aware there

should be a bungee cord or two involved; but the cord

he really needs is back in his garage, and the cord he

really has is too short to help. Lucky he’s not going too

far. No worries. Good enough. Out on the highway, he

speeds up without even thinking about it, and then,

Thump, a heavy thud informs him he’s hit a bump and

his treasured find has crashed out onto the highway

shoulder, landing in an amalgam of odd angles. And

there it sits, even now, weeks later. For his sake, it’s a

darn good thing he was alone, with no witness to his

folly. Still, he knows that more than likely before the

whole mess mysteriously disappears, his wife will

probably drive by it. When she sees it there, upside

down and shattered, she'll laugh out loud and say,

"What a perfect place for such an ugly old chair.”

The Order of Odd-Fish

I haven't read the book yet, so I can't give you a review; but after hearing James Kennedy speak at an MLA luncheon today, I'm definitely adding The Order of Odd-Fish to my "To Be Read" pile. Click here to read about a book described as "A carnival of odd," "Rollicking fantasy on the grand scale," and "Equal parts Monty Python and Roald Dahl." Should be an interesting read!

Nancy Pearl

I had the pleasure of hearing Nancy Pearl speak yesterday, at the Michigan Library Association annual conference. You've probably run across Book Lust, More Book Lust, and/or Book Crush, and/or heard Nancy Pearl on NPR. Maybe you even have the action figure (standard or deluxe). But if you're not familiar with her, head on over to her site and blog. I didn't realize she had a blog: near-daily Nancy Pearl - what could be better?

Language and Learning

Sherry Y. Artemenko is a speech language pathologist in Connecticut. Her practice, Play On Words, focuses on the speech and language skills of special needs children, and on the needs and questions of parents of young children. Her blog and articles cover topics such as language development, play ideas, book and toy reviews, and more.

Though I've never met Sherry in person, her inclusion of The Pout-Pout Fish in her online article "Cool Picks for Hot Summer Reading" summer before last led me over to her site and blog, and we've since corresponded a bit by email.

And so it was quite thrilling to see a letter to the editor by her in the New York Times. Click here, and then scroll down to the second letter.

Her letter, written in response to an article about the Walt Disney company offering refunds to purchasers of Baby Einstein videos, is a thoughtful and nicely worded reminder of what children truly need in order to learn.

Poetry Friday

Horizon

Autumn shifts in her seat,

and suddenly the landscape changes. Gone

are the sun-kissed golden tresses,
the fiery reds,
the laughter of the pumpkins.
In their place,
low mounds
of soggy brown leaf sludge,
encircled
by the broad, wide scent of decay.

See the statue trunks.
Lift your eyes to the branch silhouettes.
What stands before you?
Is it ache and desolation?
Or is it beauty and magnificence?

Listen closely for the answer.

Hear it on the horizon.


Yes.

Yes, it is.

Where's My Mummy? (Crimi & Manders)

For ages, I have been meaning to write a post about the adorable picture book Where's My Mummy?. Written by Carolyn Crimi and illustrated by John Manders, the story begins, "On a deep, dark night in a deep, dark place, Little Baby Mummy did not want to go to bed."

After darting out into the night for a final game of Hide and Shriek, Little Baby Mummy gets lost and can't find Big Mama Mummy. He encounters Bones (a skeleton creature), Glob (who looks as green and globby as you might imagine), and Drac (a vampire in vampire PJs), all of whom offer him kindly, cautionary advice about being out past bedtime.

Then Little Baby Mummy encounters... a mouse! This dreadful creature of the night scares him right back into the arms of his Big Mama Mummy, just in time to get ready for bed.

The text is great fun and the pictures are adorable (none of the "scary" creatures are too scary). Where's My Mummy? is a great book for the current Halloween season, but also a truly fun story to share with a young child any time during the year.

A Rainy Day in August

Now that the Michigan Reads tour is complete, I look forward to writing up some blog posts about the experience. I've got some catching up to do first, though, so it may be a couple of weeks before I'm able to do that. In the meantime, I thought I'd take you back to a rainy day in August, when this year's Michigan Reads program was formally announced. This took place at the first Young Folk BookFest, held in conjunction with the Great Lakes Folk Festival.

I knew I'd be reading my story at the announcement, but I figured I might also have an opportunity to say a word or two. So I prepared a few remarks. Not being much of a public speaker, I can't say I gave a rousing speech; but my comments were heartfelt. As part of my look back at the Michigan Reads experience, I thought I'd share those comments here.

So here they are, pretty much in their entirety (less some thank yous at the beginning):


It is a true privilege to be here. The Pout-Pout Fish is my first book. My lifelong dream of becoming a published writer came true just last year. It’s been an amazing year and a half since Mr. Fish and his friends first arrived in bookstores and libraries. To be standing here today, to have had my and Dan Hanna’s book chosen for this honor, is extremely gratifying.

But what is important to me is not that this particular book was chosen. What matters is that the Michigan Reads program exists. Michigan Reads is a proactive program that directly supports childhood literacy. The existence of Michigan Reads says great things about our state. It speaks volumes for the importance Michigan places on our #1 natural resource: our kids.

Literacy is what launches a lifetime of learning. Without literacy, children can’t arrive where they are headed. Research shows us that children who have not developed at least some basic literacy skills by the time they enter school are three to four times more likely to drop out of school later. And the lifelong impact of poor reading skills is devastating.

But the good news is that the easiest and most effective way to promote basic literacy skills in young children –- skills that have fancy names such as phoneme awareness and alliteration sensitivity –- is simply to read aloud to kids. To read aloud fun books with silly sounds and plenty of rhyme and word play. To read aloud stories that are so enjoyable they demand to be read over and over again. The particular book doesn’t matter! But reading aloud does. Reading aloud is the easiest way for a parent or caregiver to teach literacy, without ever having to be “instructional.” It’s fun, and it promotes a love of reading that lasts a lifetime.

All of us here work hard in our lives to pass along our love of reading to our children, to our students, to our patrons. For many of us, this is the thing we do that we feel most passionate about. But I would like to suggest to you that there may be even more each of us can do, beyond what we’re already doing. And I would challenge each of you here today to think of some small way in which you can extend your already remarkable literacy reach.

Perhaps for you it might be the simple act of publicly modeling your own reading behavior, being “caught” reading in places kids will see you. For you, it might be offering to be a guest reader at your neighborhood school, or at the preschool you drive by every day on your way to work. Some of you might even consider volunteering time as a reading tutor. Small acts can have a huge impact, and you don’t need to be a celebrity to be a reading hero.

Learning to read is an individual act, but it is one that takes place in a context. When the context is a reading culture –- at the family, school, and community level -- literacy becomes contagious and all but inevitable. Here today, as we celebrate reading and books and kids, we are reminded that we are all a part of that context, that together we create a nurturing reading culture.

What a fabulous thing… that Michigan Reads. Thank you.