Be Super Today

Today (April 28th) is National Superhero Day! I happen to be a big fan of comic book superheroes.  (Batman is my favorite.)  But there are much more important heroes, real ones, people you might even know.  So, on this very important day - Go hug a firefighter!  I mean, ask permission first.  Don't be a weirdo about it.

Sometimes all it takes to be a hero is to go out there and do your best and try to always do the right thing, like Super Jumbo.

Super Jumbo by Fred Koehler

Super Jumbo is a superhero, even if no one else can see. it.  He is determined to save the day, whether people want him to or not.

First, the illustrations in Super Jumbo are adorable, and make sure you take a good look because a lot of the story telling is done with the illustrations.  The story is fun too.  Little Jumbo is determined to be Super Jumbo, a superhero who saves the day.  He isn't doing it for thanks or praise, which is good, because sometimes he gets it wrong.  However, that does not stop Super Jumbo from being a hero.  Weather he is stopping traffic to let snails safely cross the street or saving  a man's popcorn from the pigeons, he is always there to help those in need.  I really like this book.  It is a cute funny story about helping others and doing your best.  You don't have to be super to be a hero.

   

 

Is it a Chickpea or a Garbanzo Bean?

Whether you call it a chickpea or a garbanzo bean you should celebrate it today because today (April 21st 2026) is National Chickpea Day.  I like falafel and I like hummus but if you told me a couple of years ago that I would be eating a chickpea sandwich I would have thought you were crazy.  Now, I don't know you well enough to know if you are crazy or not but, I have come to realize that the idea of a chickpea sandwich is not.  Crazy that is.  

I am very much a meat eater and I like cake.  So, every once in a while, my husband and I try to eat something that has a little more nutritional value.  One of the things we keep going back to is chickpea salad sandwiches. We have tried several different recipes and have never been able to pick a favorite.

Some we have tried include:

Smashed Chickpea Avocado Salad Sandwich from Two Peas and Their Pod

Whole Grain Chickpea Salad Sandwich from Grain Food s Foundation

Chickpea Salad Sandwich with Lemon and Capers from Adventures in Cooking

Chickpea Salad Sandwiches from Taste of Home

But there are many more out there.

After trying the different recipes, we now only use them as a guide.  We pick the pieces we like from the different recipes and make our own thing.  Sometimes it depends on what I have in my fridge.  I happened to have parsley on hand, so I put some in.  Why not?

A few things that I always use is mayonnaise, celery, some kind of onion and I like to get a nice multigrain bread, both to cut down on the white bread I eat but also to have a good hearty bread to stand up to the salad without falling apart.  I usually add avocado as well.

I have never had a combination that I didn't like.  One of the things that I like about chickpea salad is that I can really make it anything I want.  If I like it, I put it in, if I don't like it I leave it out.  If you are looking for a lunch idea, I think a chickpea salad sandwich is a good choice.  It is not heavy, but it is filling and satisfying.  

I was surprised by how much I like these sandwiches.  I would recommend them to anyone who likes chickpeas.  Give it a try.  Have fun with it.  Mix it up and make it your own.  I think you will enjoy it.

What do you wish for?

Today (April 9th 2026) is National Unicorn Day.  I like unicorn stories.  Especially the ones where the unicorns are not passive gentle creatures.  Although those are good too.  And probably the ones you want if you are sharing them with children.

Thelma the Unicorn by Aaron Blabey

Thelma is a miniature horse who wants to be a unicorn.  One day she gets her wish (sort of).  But her wish doesn't turn out the way she thought it would.

Thelma worries that she is not special, and believes that she is not good enough the way she is.  Which is a feeling people of all ages can relate to.  When she gets her wish, and everyone thinks she's a unicorn, she finds it comes with unforeseen consequences.  Thelma the Unicorn is a story about being happy being yourself.  I think the illustrations are funny.  I love her donkey best friend.  The rhyming words are fun to read.  It is fun for the adult reading it and the children being read to. 

Thelma the Unicorn starring Brittany Howard

When a freak accident turns Thelma the mini horse into Thelma the Unicorn she finds overnight fame.  Thelma's life changes in a instant.  But is this new life what Thelma really wants?

I found this movie entertaining.  I like the animation.  There were impossible things happening, a narwhale always out of the water, talking animals interacting with people and other things but none of it was an issue for me.  It has a nice theme of being yourself and not forgetting the people who like you for who you are.  I liked Thelma's donkey friends.  Unfortunately Thelma was less easy to like.  And since she is the main character that was an issue for me.  Some of her issues I could relate to but I found it hard to connect with her so the heartwarming parts were not as heartwarming for me.  I'm glad I watched it.  It was fun.  But it is not a movie I would go back and watch over and over again.

As with most book and movie comparisons I liked the book better here.  I watched the movie first so I think I had a less dramatic reaction to the movie than other people who loved the book before the movie.  But I still side with the book.  I know that it is a picture book being turned into a movie so things had to be added.  But the whole rivalry between Thelma and the Narwhale took up too much of the story.  And Thelma was just much more likeable in the book.  I also feel something was lost in the movie when Thelma didn't decide on her own to stop pretending.  She was kind of forced to give it up in the movie and that made it less impactful.  Both are worth a look but I think the book is worth owning while the movie I would suggest you just borrow.