Perfectperfectperfect to kick off the weekend. Visit Homer Langley. I've linked his most recent post, but grab another coffee, sit yerself down and read his whole blog. Amazing. Truly.

 Caroline Hagood gets all smartyfarty on us by analyzing Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen. I just always loved the book. Now I know why.

Now, Ken Honeywell puts up a post and in the first para, I see the name Dave Eggers. "Hmmm," I think to myself. "Myself, you just started rereading Egger's first book  The Unbearable Lightness of Being Fantastically Fucked Up (or whatever it's called). This is a sign, Self! A sign to put this link in! Well, that and Shaggy told me to.

 "Oh," I thought to myself. "Perhaps this will be a nice little piece on Australia." I've never been to Australia, but I have a penchant for Aussie movies (Rabbit-proof Fence, The Dish, Danny Deckchair) and therefore consider myself a bit of a know-it-all. The Dingo Baby and Other Misadventures has a great post here that makes me think otherwise. I love the blog name.

While we're travelling, lets go to Romania with Cymraeg. I too travel for work, and I too have eaten and drunk some very weird things in the name of being a good guest. There are times it is wise to drink the weird clear stuff first. Cymraeg provides a great take of what's really going on in a country we only consider every four years when a little gymnast is tying herself in knots.

littleboxofspoons ('nother great name) actually poses a question in her post that I've pondered. She's back in school after years being out, and wondering how now being an avid student plays. I always imagined that if I were to go back, I too would be very avid. Because I pretty much wasted a lot of time the first go round. She compares herself to that little Harry Potter girl - Hermione. A name I pronounced in my head as Her-mee-own for years.

Man, I'm a sucker for feel good stories about people who achieve things against all odds. I firmly believe the only reason my sons haven't created anything but noise and dirt, nor saved legions of children in some war-torn country is because they are being raised too soft. By me. But read this from Cap'n Parrotdead - your day seems a little better when the world seems a little brighter.

I'd like to thank Gwendolyn Glover for making me rethink Star Wars. I've loved Carrie Fisher forever; every time I read one of her books, I wince with recognition and feel thankful I'm not the only one. (GG - describing bipolar as 'emotionally acute' is genius.) Anyway. Gwendolyn rightly points out that Princess Leia was, and is, a wonderful rode model for girls. And women.

You many have noticed a name that pops up in our comments quite consistently. bobbot is a generous guy; return the favour and learn a little about him. This Navy guy has been telling us about boot camp. It's cool.

I consider myself quite an accomplished obituary-writer-and-eulogy-giver, but I would really love to have consonantsandvowels along the next time. Read this post; it's fascinating.

Because Ariana Paz can't sleep, we get to share in her amazing Youtube find. Calling it sand art doesn't do it justice. Watch this phenomenal woman create every emotion from sand.

 You know how I said if someone is writing a series, it's only my job to point out one? Go to Unbreakable's blog, and back up as she unravels her childhood. Most in her shoes would have become unreachable; lucky for us she chose unbreakable.

 The Supermoms - I know there are scores of you in here and this is barely scratching the surface.

The good news is that as long as you don't end up as one of Lesh's posts, you're already a Supermom;) (I make my boys read these posts whenever they say I'm being too hard on them.)

The Divine Ms. Cindy Ross has been baring her soul in a series of posts that trace the tightrope act of parenting a  kid you didn't know you signed up for. I've linked the first one, but read them all. Beautiful work.

Patricia K is doing the work with her son. I smacked her around a little in a previous post (we all know I'm such a bitch), but you'll be rooting for her too, with this post...

Hells Bells. I love this lady. She carries a ton and never complains. Unlike moi. And she actually apologizes to us for not having posted; read the link and see all she's been juggling. Champ.

latethink and I stayed friends even during my flounce. That is a real friend. She's warm. She's kind.She's steely. I've linked an early post about her son, but I strongly urge you to keep tabs on her posts - she really is an amazing mother faced with amazing challenges.

AspergerMom deals with things with far more grace than I could muster. The linked post broke my heart. Yes, I have one. But follow along - just like for the rest of us, parenting is a journey. Expect you're not allowed to get out to pee. Sigh.

Okay, you get to laugh now. I'm just giving you Lisa Kern's blog - she's a hoot.

I've been known to write some humorous pieces about my brats, too. But for some reason, you all seem to like the dead parent stuff better. So I won't link any of my things;)  (Note: My little winker emoticon is really lame. Can someone tell me how to put a little snarky face there instead? Thank you.)

 I would love to showcase all kinds of your work. Let me know, take a turn at the helm, remind me of who I've left out, introduce me to people I'm not familiar with. If I put you in here, it's highly personal. If I've left you out, it's really not. There are lots of Fridays, and I'd love to see this continue.

 Time Machine - A section than could definitely use the input from the old(ish)timers....

Freaky - finally (sort of) delivering on a promise I made. If anyone doesn't know the history of this post, you can go here.

Teddy - this is a terrific post to end with, from Ms. Theodora back in January.

Ahem: Now then. Some Official Business to annouce.

MCC (Mistress of the Covert Cover) is proud to present the first weekly TP - Tiara Pick. For a great run of work all week, raise a cyber cheer for Shaggylocks

Mr. Locks is requested to pm the Mistress with a home address, and she will send him off his tiara. (Or if he lives near a dollar store, he can go get one and save her some hassle. OS members who do not live near a dollar store will have their tiara, should they be future winners, mailed to them. I will not just select people who I already know have tiaras to save myself some hassle. I'm pretty sure Shaggylocks, ferinstance, doesn't already have a tirara)

 There is only one term and condition of winning a TP: At some point in the very near future, you must post a picture of yourself wearing the tiara.

 Once again, thank you so much for those who forwarded links. So many tiaras, so little time....I will be working on next Friday's post all week...let me know if the interest is there, or I look pretty stupid.