tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51419542073058787432024-03-19T08:40:36.345-04:00Highly ReasonableStriving to be highly reasonable, even in the face of unreasonableness.
Reading, knitting, and some alcohol may help.Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.comBlogger1817125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-77769094735999313612024-03-19T06:04:00.052-04:002024-03-19T07:50:02.520-04:00Read With Us: Time for a Discussion<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFGF8WUhZ9_ZMRgvNU7piitN5uV-NSTS1eBtk51ghn4zxQCoCRiZOPHm3Qi8l31mHzwqnL5ehd6yr9yaArgzlIVVqF0RAwpUytKiAz1E8PyiWbjrFDinUh2mg_E0lUHy3tx-MdC9vs57OSmbkdo14d3Vyu9VeXX3mUlxHiISGE22dwusyQpV10H-KVKsp/s640/rwuwinter2024_rectangle.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFGF8WUhZ9_ZMRgvNU7piitN5uV-NSTS1eBtk51ghn4zxQCoCRiZOPHm3Qi8l31mHzwqnL5ehd6yr9yaArgzlIVVqF0RAwpUytKiAz1E8PyiWbjrFDinUh2mg_E0lUHy3tx-MdC9vs57OSmbkdo14d3Vyu9VeXX3mUlxHiISGE22dwusyQpV10H-KVKsp/w640-h426/rwuwinter2024_rectangle.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I wish that I had had a group like you to talk about <i>The Poisonwood Bible</i> when I first read it in 2000. I gave it three stars, thought it was too long, and wondered why the Orleanna Price didn't take the first boat home from the Congo when it became clear how ill-prepared the family was and how dangerous the Reverend Nathan Price was. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">I didn't consider what year it was (1959) and that she really didn't have the means (physical, emotional, or monetary) to escape the depths of the jungle. With my second reading 24 years later, I was better able to appreciate so much more in Kingsolver's writing - how she wrote the book, the way she told the story, which characters she chose to tell their stories, and the many political influences at play.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Kingsolver has said, "Before I wrote </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">The Poisonwood Bible</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">, it haunted my office for a decade in the form of a file cabinet labeled "DAB" – the Damned Africa Book. Into that cabinet, I stuffed notes, clippings, photographs, character sketches, plot ideas, anything that struck me as relevant to the huge novel I wished I could write. I did not believe I would ever be writer enough to do it." She clearly was enough of a writer, and I'm glad that I was finally enough of a reader.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZTitzTjqCr_VYvwcIA15H66x7Df022Wm7J_4RRO_u5AC_l1YytNywY3fUgMcVHgmFI35uB33-nTwh_WX_zfWRkDOGOp5O2SenKNMAQa-CeZcwvLABOlc3L77YuWfOFMd_udES55coLgyy8Y5KLR-GfMG2tra64UrSJnvWzkC2lu8bgAAU5BShNAU_uQp/s400/786507.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="258" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZTitzTjqCr_VYvwcIA15H66x7Df022Wm7J_4RRO_u5AC_l1YytNywY3fUgMcVHgmFI35uB33-nTwh_WX_zfWRkDOGOp5O2SenKNMAQa-CeZcwvLABOlc3L77YuWfOFMd_udES55coLgyy8Y5KLR-GfMG2tra64UrSJnvWzkC2lu8bgAAU5BShNAU_uQp/w412-h640/786507.jpg" width="412" /></a></div><p>So let's get right to it; here are my questions about the book. Why do you think that Reverend Nathan Price is not given a voice of his own? Do we learn enough information through his wife and daughters to formulate an adequate explanation for his beliefs and behavior? Does such an explanation matter?</p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm very interested in many aspects of this novel, and I'll be glad to share my thoughts about these questions tonight during our Zoom discussion. These questions on our blogs and the Zoom discussion are your</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"> chance to express</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"> </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">your</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">ideas. Be sure to check out </span><a href="https://dancingattheedge.com/read-with-us-discussion-day-2/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kym</span></a><span style="color: #1d2228;"> and </span><a href="https://caroleknits.net/2024/03/19/read-with-us-the-poisonwood-bible-discussion/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Carole's</span></a><span style="color: #1d2228;"> blogs for their questions, too. </span></span></p><p></p><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #141617; letter-spacing: 0.24px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #1d2228; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">So what do</span><span style="color: #1d2228; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"> </span><i style="color: #1d2228; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">you</i><span style="color: #1d2228; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2228; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">think? I can't wait to hear your thoughts!</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #141617; letter-spacing: 0.24px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #1d2228; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: normal;">The in-person <b>Zoom discussion will be at 7:00 pm Eastern this evening</b>. You can send me an email (the email address is in the upper right) to RSVP and I will make sure you get an invitation with the </span><span style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Zoom link if you haven't already. I hope to see you there!</span></span></span></span></div></span>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-79037261152735627392024-03-15T06:04:00.016-04:002024-03-15T06:04:00.247-04:00Dinner and Dessert<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Sometimes I'm at a loss about what to make for dinner, but I found <a href="https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/chicken-bacon-ranch-casserole"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">this recipe</span></a> and it's a keeper. I made it for John and I and we liked it enough that I made it the next week to take to Justin's. Now that I'm writing about it, I might just make it again this weekend.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCOCLPUv89T8NaRyhyphenhyphenuXrRkXlAGMtNDFlodZePwyZ2cJ6of6p_1biJo_xFyUkZaceAvtA1oVbXV_T-e0OOSeTGavDbzhvTWS6qhuAAe2hcOVsmfdzt8xm06nVJt4k3rnz301O7lPlUIq5yWbKZBBdCG9KyQ0aO-37bmG5giumVRob3xhpq-Qyd7UVtvZe/s4000/IMG_20240314_123910547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCOCLPUv89T8NaRyhyphenhyphenuXrRkXlAGMtNDFlodZePwyZ2cJ6of6p_1biJo_xFyUkZaceAvtA1oVbXV_T-e0OOSeTGavDbzhvTWS6qhuAAe2hcOVsmfdzt8xm06nVJt4k3rnz301O7lPlUIq5yWbKZBBdCG9KyQ0aO-37bmG5giumVRob3xhpq-Qyd7UVtvZe/w640-h480/IMG_20240314_123910547.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I could eat lots of things with a garlic cream sauce.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I used a pound of pasta, half a pound of bacon, half and half in place of heavy cream, and an extra tablespoon or two of ranch seasoning, and it still all fit into a 9 x 13 pan. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRCSVUP_0SIUHgIrcxD8LdeMWlPP8ciTe8Q00OKK4wLBVSbEToP4x9-PovUDo_QR6i9zpYGZThYxZco-jH5ITf0NktgJZ0hzfTMyy__jY_qoXwQilwbjEiM6caGWoJj2EslhxYzb2wEaHJiiYIAmVNNnLjYMFNXI0mDZt9V4LmCyYzOFAVzYjDTUcOr6B/s4000/IMG_20240314_125427616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2942" data-original-width="4000" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRCSVUP_0SIUHgIrcxD8LdeMWlPP8ciTe8Q00OKK4wLBVSbEToP4x9-PovUDo_QR6i9zpYGZThYxZco-jH5ITf0NktgJZ0hzfTMyy__jY_qoXwQilwbjEiM6caGWoJj2EslhxYzb2wEaHJiiYIAmVNNnLjYMFNXI0mDZt9V4LmCyYzOFAVzYjDTUcOr6B/w640-h470/IMG_20240314_125427616.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p>Since this dinner was a good one, a delicious but not too sweet dessert made it even better. I had almost a full five-pound bag of self-rising flour in the cupboard and King Arthur was kind enough to provide a <a href="https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/peanut-butter-cookies-with-self-rising-flour-recipe"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">peanut butter cookie recipe</span></a> when I decided I needed to use it up. This recipe only uses one cup of flour but I will certainly make it again in the future.</p></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99F4DQuxE4IhtgNwiWAkaVsx7Vhq_xQ2A5XVJmE1UOHdp14rr3W2WzmGpMIBeuzvwMyPy7MVtNGHWhMAACg84MQ4aLuB4AAKuzq4DsJqgqZQwal0X9jUYpgTlulVObPjYTwO86Ocra2d62YKJlw5OgQ9w8mMERjaWxABP0tVBLpRGgrvg7A5z8QL-dIsg/s3912/IMG_20240314_110849618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3912" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99F4DQuxE4IhtgNwiWAkaVsx7Vhq_xQ2A5XVJmE1UOHdp14rr3W2WzmGpMIBeuzvwMyPy7MVtNGHWhMAACg84MQ4aLuB4AAKuzq4DsJqgqZQwal0X9jUYpgTlulVObPjYTwO86Ocra2d62YKJlw5OgQ9w8mMERjaWxABP0tVBLpRGgrvg7A5z8QL-dIsg/w640-h490/IMG_20240314_110849618.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p>It's quick and easy to mix and make and I got 18 cookies when I baked them. This is probably still more cookies than two people need, but we managed to eat them in short order. </p></span><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8AQoigbCEw91Itlk4f8xZuQ1Bzadpb_N4jASD6SxXjv4_mfenFS8oI4gtQ5L-q9IGxDvKPS3-lbmAJ7YKvLX-xE7FMt_cnrHPxyd-KhgJBnrQGMUFGj3kRQ7qdW1Tg_RH9-Mki3L3zju3mR6q9tWRYVrb1TeC3ECkpuxTjKrEHqqfjYCnKIi1eswzGnD/s3854/IMG_20240314_110940879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3854" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8AQoigbCEw91Itlk4f8xZuQ1Bzadpb_N4jASD6SxXjv4_mfenFS8oI4gtQ5L-q9IGxDvKPS3-lbmAJ7YKvLX-xE7FMt_cnrHPxyd-KhgJBnrQGMUFGj3kRQ7qdW1Tg_RH9-Mki3L3zju3mR6q9tWRYVrb1TeC3ECkpuxTjKrEHqqfjYCnKIi1eswzGnD/w640-h498/IMG_20240314_110940879.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm a selfish baker; the big cookie is for me!</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Whatever you're having for dinner and dessert this weekend, I hope it's tasty!</span></p><p><br /></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-75193698298032082122024-03-13T06:04:00.126-04:002024-03-13T06:04:00.243-04:00Unraveled Wednesday: 3/13/24<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm happy to join </span><a href="http://askatknits.com/" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kat</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and fellow Unravelers with what I hope is a nearly completed Hydrophily. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVP2wJeTwdFuJyEWHB4RJZLMZuuztROOyreBfHMumbTHCEqAU5Mds65oon0AUNhrpkm5Bgxp5zZe_1LlhKkLdUxVDQt-e3p7vKT2BAMMUTqyuhuLyXY9RiHHQvTjyCOpezT2KOPXZIQGCXMmvKxpQ2nwVpYCBFenqDTJazk3I-mrrc_cpjZVxTkdgFwepn/s3930/IMG_20240312_175900518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2686" data-original-width="3930" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVP2wJeTwdFuJyEWHB4RJZLMZuuztROOyreBfHMumbTHCEqAU5Mds65oon0AUNhrpkm5Bgxp5zZe_1LlhKkLdUxVDQt-e3p7vKT2BAMMUTqyuhuLyXY9RiHHQvTjyCOpezT2KOPXZIQGCXMmvKxpQ2nwVpYCBFenqDTJazk3I-mrrc_cpjZVxTkdgFwepn/w640-h438/IMG_20240312_175900518.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">What you see above is the first stripe of the last gradient color (on the far right-hand side), and there are four more stripes to go. When I say "nearly completed", I still have 61 long rows left but I really hope I can finish this week and get it into a nice bath for blocking. While it's blocking, my plan is to wind my new yarn for my Hitch on the Move and get that cast on. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmbCSapKHUfaNUhl8TUY5sM2ZANZiSHaR_jn_o37IPFtjqb6k9UO80ZmUyyl8g5VL47pzD7uDwe_sQ38greczXwRzFaEVr75_pBHL3MyfRcA_LImnjlS0eiY9orNsF34V8CxgaqDaBpLa8IW2esq9CU_au7OyNYAGA8KEz_iM9MoWLRLYMKEGiBM3BsTD/s4000/IMG_20240312_180056890_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmbCSapKHUfaNUhl8TUY5sM2ZANZiSHaR_jn_o37IPFtjqb6k9UO80ZmUyyl8g5VL47pzD7uDwe_sQ38greczXwRzFaEVr75_pBHL3MyfRcA_LImnjlS0eiY9orNsF34V8CxgaqDaBpLa8IW2esq9CU_au7OyNYAGA8KEz_iM9MoWLRLYMKEGiBM3BsTD/w640-h480/IMG_20240312_180056890_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>John is the cause of my Hydrophily slowdown. He's had some cervical neck issues that have required multiple doctor visits, an mri, a cat scan when he had an anxiety attack in the mri, and chauffering to physical therapy. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCK2gpgR1n-cVi_TmOu-23D3BiZexXoRNlBCFSb_kzbxgY-z8OB4mjSwVUfyME4dCMSijVSInht7NKOEZ5EoZzkhyphenhyphenQYz5t0pAM95UkJH1bwhQ2IVKE8XkeglsRQ3qRLPpR0XsYkVWQdKImZDUSqF1_W8ZjRpxG8gd1zfjyDXnZn7f5BesQoMOqaBjUbLJc/s3915/IMG_20240312_180116042_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1611" data-original-width="3915" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCK2gpgR1n-cVi_TmOu-23D3BiZexXoRNlBCFSb_kzbxgY-z8OB4mjSwVUfyME4dCMSijVSInht7NKOEZ5EoZzkhyphenhyphenQYz5t0pAM95UkJH1bwhQ2IVKE8XkeglsRQ3qRLPpR0XsYkVWQdKImZDUSqF1_W8ZjRpxG8gd1zfjyDXnZn7f5BesQoMOqaBjUbLJc/w640-h264/IMG_20240312_180116042_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">These things just haven't been conducive to sitting and knitting like I'd rather be doing, but fingers crossed he can resolve this without surgery. We'll see, but that's all the more reason to have a Hitch on the Move cast on and maybe a backup Hitchhiker for waiting room knitting. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I did finish several books this week. <span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Now that winter is ending, light is returning, and the daffodils are almost ready to bloom, I thought it was time to finally finish </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137179619-winter-solstice"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Winter Solstice</span></a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">. My outlook is a bit different in March than it was in the depths of January, but MacLaughlin provides us with a wonderful meditation on all aspects of the winter season.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="background-color: white; border-left: 0.2rem solid var(--color-border-blockquote); box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 2.4rem 0px 0px; padding-left: 2.4rem;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Winter tells us, more than petaled spring, or hot-grassed summer, or fall with its yellow leaves, that we are mortal. In the frankness of its cold, in the mystery of its deep-blue dark, the place in us that knows of death is tickled, focused, stoked."</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915;">I found this to be true and especially agreed with the author when she wrote about our urges to honor the dark with festivals of light. I liked thinking about the universality of the experience, even if the winter solstice occurs at different times of the year for those of us in opposite hemispheres. This is a book I'll reread next winter and I look forward to MacLaughlin's </span><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49831767-summer-solstice"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Summer Solstice</span></a></i><span style="color: #1e1915;">. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">As soon as I finished </span><a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/150778780.Leaving" rel="noopener" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;" title="Leaving by Roxana Robinson"><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Leaving</span></i></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> two weeks ago I looked for more of Roxana Robinson's writing. She wrote </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8645801-sweetwater"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Sweetwater</span></a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> 21 years ago and I think her writing was much less developed than it was in </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">Leaving</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">. <i>Sweetwater</i> is the story of Isabel, her life with her husband Michael and his mental health, their struggles with fertility, Michael's death, and her subsequent unsatisfactory life with her second husband Paul. It's told in non-chronologic order which caused me some confusion, but it's also a very bleak story. There was an event that happened so quickly without explanation that I had to go back and re-read to make sure I hadn't missed something. Much of the novel takes place in the Adirondacks and these sections helped me to round this 2.5-star book up to 3 stars. This book felt shallow yet filled with despair, and I would recommend Robinson's more mature writing in </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">Leaving</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> over <i>Sweetwater.</i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">I thought that </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157981706-languishing"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Languishing</span></a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> was a book that had been pretty much written for me once I read the summary, so I was a bit surprised to find that it was just average after reading it. Corey Keyes first does a decent job defining the terms he is talking about. Languishing is an “absence of wellbeing that millions of people were experiencing but found hard to put into words” during the Covid-19 pandemic. He explains that this state of mind involves a lack of excitement, community disconnection, and “the constant feeling of unease that you’re missing something that will make your life feel complete.” Languishing is not depression or sadness, but Keyes does say it is the opposite of flourishing.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">The author then goes on to discuss the daily practices he feels are necessary to move from languishing to flourishing: Learn Something New, Build Trusting Relationships, Move Closer to the Infinite, Find Your Purpose, and Play. Do any of these sound familiar? I haven't read a lot of self-help, but I think that these things have been mentioned in almost every self-help book available. I can't argue with any of them; they are so obvious as to almost be common sense.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">While I respect Mr. Keyes' research in flourishing/languishing, some of his action plans seemed a bit vague to me and I'm afraid they would also feel overly forced. I think that the pandemic was an obvious time for so many people to feel as if they were languishing; before vaccines, we </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">needed</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> to be mired in a state of languishing to feel safe. But I also think that languishing has been a "normal" state for me after times of great change such as having children, the kids leaving home when they are grown, changing jobs, or or retiring from work. I view it as a time where I've paused and asked myself "What's next?". It's not just a stop on the way to flourishing or happiness, but using periodic languishing can be a way toward finding contentment. I think this subject and pertinent information could have been better presented as an article or TED talk.</span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What are </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>you</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> making and reading this week?</span></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-70391381223002197962024-03-06T06:04:00.089-05:002024-03-06T06:04:00.132-05:00Unraveled Wednesday: 3/6/24<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I</span><span style="font-family: arial;">'m happy to join </span><a href="http://askatknits.com/" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kat</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and fellow Unravelers on this first Unraveled Wednesday of March. I'm still working on my Hydrophily, but because it looks much the same (I've only knit another couple of rows in the penultimate purple yarn in the gradient) I'll spare you another photo. I was going to cast on for <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mountain-town-mitts"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">these mitts</span></a> (ravelry link) but a couple of 65-degree days and generally warmer weather made me think they could wait. But every blog post needs at least one photo, so how about one of the yarn for my actual next project?</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tNlQaD83aU2jnaYse3eMZAzANJW6HOKedMxocMQdfHXLVz6EA3R6EtqPy9K6p0SRacM7I2Z4LHYCVML9BlwNfmZxJfLnCVe3VAQatxHBRLzTrInxc712ewDhXeOYJ5sQm0n3daUi5_qrMiFkLyQsK7TLRMw7Ttzd1fGC6qBB5cwOtnxSXRFDd52hSclH/s3883/IMG_20240305_112217006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2597" data-original-width="3883" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tNlQaD83aU2jnaYse3eMZAzANJW6HOKedMxocMQdfHXLVz6EA3R6EtqPy9K6p0SRacM7I2Z4LHYCVML9BlwNfmZxJfLnCVe3VAQatxHBRLzTrInxc712ewDhXeOYJ5sQm0n3daUi5_qrMiFkLyQsK7TLRMw7Ttzd1fGC6qBB5cwOtnxSXRFDd52hSclH/w640-h428/IMG_20240305_112217006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p>Vera has inspired me so it will be another <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hitch-on-the-move"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Hitch on the Move</span></a>, except this time I've got enough yarn to make it as large as I would like. I really, really love this yarn so I am anxious to finish up my Hydrophily and get started on this HotM. I'll have to remember how good the anticipation of a new project feels when I get to the "slog" portion of the shawl. </p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>My reading last week was all above average, with each of them worthy of four stars. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/207538294-mrs-quinn-s-rise-to-fame"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame</span></a></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> is a sweet story about 77-year-old Jenny Quinn and how she ends up as a contestant on </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">Britain Bakes</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">. (Think </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">Great British Bake-Off </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">but with a few welcome changes). She enjoys baking but is a bit wary about applying to the show so she does this in secret and doesn't tell anyone, not even her husband Bernard. Jenny lacks confidence and worries that she might have been cast as a joke, but that is not the case. The chapters are all named for various things she has baked (a chocolate log, shortbread, cut and come again cake, chocolate and orange battenburg, etc.) and most of these bring up a memory or situation that Mrs. Quinn experienced years earlier. These remembrances all up to a poignant backstory. Even though I found this a sweet and gentle book, Olivia Ford's writing never seemed saccharine to me. I enjoyed the septuagenarian main character, all the baked goods, and the heartfelt story. The only thing that could have made this better was if all the recipes had been included.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/150778780-leaving"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Leaving</span></a></i><span style="color: #1e1915;"> by Roxana Robinson </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">was the kind of book that made me want to simultaneously race through it to see how the story was told but still read slowly to make it last. Roxana Robinson writes about divorced, 60-year-old Sarah who recognizes Warren at the opera one night. They had dated 40 years ago but because of youth and a misunderstanding, Sarah chose to end the relationship. There are possibly some unresolved feelings despite Warren being married for many years because their initially tentative relationship soon blossoms into an affair after they find that their tastes, ideas, and opinions are in perfect synchrony. The book brings up many topics, such as the morality of personal happiness, how much parents owe their children and vice versa, and how our family rights, responsibilities, and obligations fit with our choices.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">It was a pleasure to read a novel with beautifully written prose featuring characters of an age similar to my own, and I could understand and empathize with much of what the characters were going through. I also enjoyed that Sarah was an independent woman, and that art was important to both Sarah and Warren in the form of opera and Sarah's volunteer work at a museum. There was one character that I didn't understand, and her actions and the reactions of her family members towards her could have been delved into further. Although the ending was foreshadowed, it was still a gut punch and one I would love to discuss. But these possible drawbacks won't keep me from thinking about </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">Leaving</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> for quite a while.</span></span><div><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15796819-glaciers"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Glaciers</span></a><span style="color: #1e1915;"> by Alexis M. Smith </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">is a quirky little audiobook that I chose from the library because of its cover. Alexis Smith recounts a day in the life of Isabel, a twenty-something librarian who repairs books, shops at thrift stores, and has an appreciation for ephemera. Bits of Isabel's day are told in vignettes, and though this might sound like the slowest story ever, it was not. There isn’t a definite plot, but the book has depth; it’s beautifully written and engaging. I enjoyed the two-and-a-half hours I spent listening on a rainy Saturday morning and would love to find a dress like Isabel's with teal and sapphire black-handled umbrellas. Three and a half stars rounded up.</span></span><section class="ReviewText" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin-bottom: 1.6rem; position: relative;"><section class="ReviewText__content" dir="auto" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="TruncatedContent" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;" tabindex="-1"><div class="TruncatedContent__text TruncatedContent__text--large TruncatedContent__text--expanded" data-testid="contentContainer" style="box-sizing: border-box; max-height: none; overflow: hidden visible; word-break: break-word;" tabindex="-1"><span class="Formatted" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">"Sometimes she envies his ability to forge into the future while she feels compelled to carry the past."</i></span></span></div></div></section></section><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What are </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>you</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> making and reading this week?</span></p></div>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-58556007473479425362024-03-04T06:04:00.143-05:002024-03-04T06:04:00.130-05:00KISS<span style="font-family: arial;">I don't mean displays of affection with that title; it's really just a reminder for myself to Keep It Simple, Stupid. The price for a large pepperoni pizza at our neighborhood pizza place is up to $25, and the kind I really like (barbecue chicken) is $35. This place is nearby and has decent (average) pizza, but once the prices rose that much I decided it was time to start making my own pizza at home. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I bought a <a href="https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/king-arthur-pizza-pan"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">good pizza pan</span></a> from King Arthur, along with their <a href="https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/pizza-dough-flavor"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">pizza dough flavor</span></a> and <a href="https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/easy-roll-dough-improver"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">dough improver</span></a>. I hate having the dough snap back when I'm trying to roll or stretch it, and the dough improver seems to help. Then I started looking for pizza dough recipes. I looked for the "best" recipes online, jotted them down, and I've tried eight or ten different ones.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GHpsjFZNCwBy-v7YQGb3uT7xR-3qYNwNk8TDhDm4WxjgCL-LTUywiuejeAkPfBJShmlQzfjs1JfSX4_duskY9uTfYuIYd8xTZe5P7m54TptjWc2ZTu08QwCVpp1wXjbGvU6xMxlqi4S0elzJztsO_7WSGIXdxUloY72Pze-ljAqZGBoIXcPtVWpHwZ0w/s3860/IMG_20240303_114201429.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3860" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GHpsjFZNCwBy-v7YQGb3uT7xR-3qYNwNk8TDhDm4WxjgCL-LTUywiuejeAkPfBJShmlQzfjs1JfSX4_duskY9uTfYuIYd8xTZe5P7m54TptjWc2ZTu08QwCVpp1wXjbGvU6xMxlqi4S0elzJztsO_7WSGIXdxUloY72Pze-ljAqZGBoIXcPtVWpHwZ0w/w640-h498/IMG_20240303_114201429.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I was not completely happy with most of them, so I researched some more, looking for that Goldilocks recipe that was just right. I read forums and calculated dough hydration levels, wondered whether all-purpose or bread flour was best, and considered the length of time I was letting the dough rise. I even looked at some <a href="https://pizza-calculator.the-bread-code.io/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">pizza dough calculators</span></a>. I became slightly overwhelmed by all of it and haven't made pizza for a month or so.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Yesterday I was asking myself the eternal question, what should I make for dinner yet again tonight?, and I decided I wanted pizza. While looking through my recipe box, I came across <a href="https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/7245/jays-signature-pizza-crust/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Jay's Signature Pizza Crust</span></a>. I had printed it out years ago but then decided it was too sticky to use for making calzones. I don't think I ever made pizza with it, so it was clearly time to try. I also decided that I wanted barbecue chicken pizza and proceeded without consulting any recipes. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRU7YmaMmvalqusDNG0w3Jrvm3VaWJjhEkZvCLyXwjpaya1yIIu3qLicAKhXzYMVCT6YYoS6Ymsx9S_6ltTsOV8qVJeCNmhq3YU1PRBRWkSFECvuxbcbFJcyn-DLYeXI-pINPl7XrHFmh6GuxH4Y9UepBB8rqTI0H9mzs1-IzMmeI5__k8QZOwKrAWlS99/s3932/IMG_20240303_174845630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3932" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRU7YmaMmvalqusDNG0w3Jrvm3VaWJjhEkZvCLyXwjpaya1yIIu3qLicAKhXzYMVCT6YYoS6Ymsx9S_6ltTsOV8qVJeCNmhq3YU1PRBRWkSFECvuxbcbFJcyn-DLYeXI-pINPl7XrHFmh6GuxH4Y9UepBB8rqTI0H9mzs1-IzMmeI5__k8QZOwKrAWlS99/w640-h488/IMG_20240303_174845630.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And it worked! The dough wasn't too sticky and I did manage to get it stretched out on the pan without too much trouble. I used a combination of barbecue sauce with just a little hot sauce (don't tell John) and marinated a chicken breast in it while the dough was rising. I sauteed the chicken breast while the crust was resting and used both mozzarella and Gouda cheese. I don't like really thin and crunchy crust, so I don't need a pizza stone or special 00 flour. I just need to remember to Keep It Simple, Stupid! </span></div>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-28371899646910373382024-02-28T06:04:00.126-05:002024-02-28T06:04:00.142-05:00Unraveled Wednesday: 2/28/24<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I</span><span style="font-family: arial;">'m joining </span><a href="http://askatknits.com/" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kat</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and fellow Unravelers on this last Unraveled Wednesday in February with my Hydrophily once again. I've just added the first of five stripes in the penultimate shade of my gradient. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Amcq6Tk5zpNh0KmCWoMx0F-hhD5xoRzIaGAUtaCj8zOXFDMdNJ3qyz962-IoD2nawyKWktmrMKVr-L1ofXnbiVm7ubhiF_2YFCV7VKZTw-rY0Tdo_2VlcRgMTporrBtM1zfiFenNsepM0ptHmOlinlsME0W4nlHKd9alnA43aD1Vii6EkZjnyKiGnoUc/s3857/IMG_20240227_125312440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2162" data-original-width="3857" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Amcq6Tk5zpNh0KmCWoMx0F-hhD5xoRzIaGAUtaCj8zOXFDMdNJ3qyz962-IoD2nawyKWktmrMKVr-L1ofXnbiVm7ubhiF_2YFCV7VKZTw-rY0Tdo_2VlcRgMTporrBtM1zfiFenNsepM0ptHmOlinlsME0W4nlHKd9alnA43aD1Vii6EkZjnyKiGnoUc/w640-h358/IMG_20240227_125312440.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The photo below </span><span style="font-family: arial;">gives you a slightly better idea of what several of the gradient shades look like.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyJYkRMzXy5wDjCnLziE7oitgqjBAM9jgil-JhcZMPyTRQiiwcSGerSSjYyrIPGjhOHH90eEli7UXXexRxSE5DIbKeyULyn_tK3S1I6tmu5bO4CyHpTmDChqsDxkrZZdRI_UXZGxMrhn67v5jddL1-As-72BL4k4zI37qKwbXtpP9I44x21zFq461_D13/s4000/IMG_20240227_125356762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2984" data-original-width="4000" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyJYkRMzXy5wDjCnLziE7oitgqjBAM9jgil-JhcZMPyTRQiiwcSGerSSjYyrIPGjhOHH90eEli7UXXexRxSE5DIbKeyULyn_tK3S1I6tmu5bO4CyHpTmDChqsDxkrZZdRI_UXZGxMrhn67v5jddL1-As-72BL4k4zI37qKwbXtpP9I44x21zFq461_D13/w640-h478/IMG_20240227_125356762.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />I still have quite a bit of knitting left to do - nine more repeats of the 14-row pattern to finish the full span of the gradient. I did just receive some new yarn for a project that a fellow blogger so kindly enabled recently, and I am anxious to wind the yarn and cast on. It's possible you might even get to see a different project next Wednesday. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I did get to knit quite a bit yesterday because we were at Ryan's while he and John tried to diagnose, disassemble, reassemble, and fix his water softener.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkgLhU3VnrJ-SkwUoXOLUOANE1IbhZaJ9jGUP1mf5Wy4Gz-1kOYBn4aQKKnTaQLncKTn8DN78TgJfmJTap3ClmzlBxydEgmnDa4ByjUMH47VT1Y7oYDQ-CskEovDvxzTuCjyOpiO-fiZLOwXL1LvumWOWBvpvNP37B-AODTTUXXQGY7ulsJF3lvxMzoU3/s4000/IMG_20240227_125725313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkgLhU3VnrJ-SkwUoXOLUOANE1IbhZaJ9jGUP1mf5Wy4Gz-1kOYBn4aQKKnTaQLncKTn8DN78TgJfmJTap3ClmzlBxydEgmnDa4ByjUMH47VT1Y7oYDQ-CskEovDvxzTuCjyOpiO-fiZLOwXL1LvumWOWBvpvNP37B-AODTTUXXQGY7ulsJF3lvxMzoU3/w640-h480/IMG_20240227_125725313.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">They were successful at diagnosing (the cam got stuck in the backwash cycle), disassembling (see above), and mostly successful at reassembling. Five hours of their efforts still didn't fix the problem, but Ryan now has some plumbers coming to maybe fix or more likely replace the water softener. I was glad I was able to tend to my knitting and stay out of the way as there were many utterances along the lines of "Gosh darn this dratted water softener and its chintzy plastic parts!"</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I did finish <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77266.The_Poisonwood_Bible"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Poisonwood Bible</span></a></i> last week. I won't review it here since so many of you have already read it or are finishing it for our Read With Us discussion in March. I will say that this was my second time reading it, and I feel like I was a more mature reader this time and able to appreciate all that Barbara Kingsolver put into writing this book. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What are </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>you</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> making and reading this week?</span></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-61230723297813973252024-02-26T06:04:00.241-05:002024-02-26T06:04:00.126-05:00The One Where I Learn Some New Vocabulary<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm currently reading a pre-publication copy of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201750794-the-bright-sword"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Bright Sword: A Novel of King Arthur</span></a></i> by Lev Grossman. I have a soft spot for almost any form of the King Arthur story and this one is no exception. I've only read 13% so far and I'll talk more about the book later after I finish, but for now, I'm having fun learning some new vocabulary words.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I like to think I have a slightly better-than-average grasp of words, and that may be because I read slightly more than the average person. In 2016, the average number of books read per capita in the US was 12. I'm pretty sure many of you read more than that so maybe you feel the same way about vocabulary, but I'm not judging anyone's reading habits. </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When I read a book, I often encounter one or two words that I'm not familiar with, look them up, and learn something. In <i>The Bright Sword</i>, there are <i>many</i> more than just one or two words. Here are a few of them so far. If you scroll down past the book cover, you can see what they mean.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Machicolations</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Terce</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Gambeson</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Gonfalons</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Gallimaufry</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Flampet</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Mi-parti cotehardie</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Paludamentum</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Lughnasadh</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Almoner</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Hippocras</b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHvqy6EaG1EwMy8p-B0hxskPdpU3V58QctKmTkjqBPhZSA9-lmbiC96tBs1hHo8kUz0Pn8slaVeLGGD2xwV0hIO8DjIBrgwT8ZY87rsUxxxg4pckFv9AmezYotnLK-M-5Q4aHApXjKa_AMVC1hUc3MWT15-JRmDfC2x-eCRMN_B16F5TvKWWUTRHvfs6t/s500/bright%20sword.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHvqy6EaG1EwMy8p-B0hxskPdpU3V58QctKmTkjqBPhZSA9-lmbiC96tBs1hHo8kUz0Pn8slaVeLGGD2xwV0hIO8DjIBrgwT8ZY87rsUxxxg4pckFv9AmezYotnLK-M-5Q4aHApXjKa_AMVC1hUc3MWT15-JRmDfC2x-eCRMN_B16F5TvKWWUTRHvfs6t/w422-h640/bright%20sword.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Machicolations</b> - <span style="background-color: white; color: #252528;">openings in the floor between the corbels of a projecting gallery or parapet, through which molten lead, etc., might be cast upon an enemy beneath.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Terce</b> - </span><span class="label italic" face=""LFT Etica", arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #252528;">mainly</span><span face=""LFT Etica", arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #252528;"> in the Roman Catholic </span><span class="label" face=""LFT Etica", arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #252528;">Church</span><span face=""LFT Etica", arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #252528;"> </span><span face=""LFT Etica", arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #252528;">the third of the seven canonical hours of the divine office, originally fixed at the third hour of the day, about 9 a.m.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Gambeson</b> - <span style="background-color: white; color: #252528;">a quilted garment worn under mail.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Gonfalons</b> -<span style="background-color: white; color: #252528;"> banners suspended from a crossbar, often with several streamers or tails.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Gallimaufry</b> - <span style="background-color: white;">a hodgepodge, confused medley, or jumble. </span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Flampet</b> - pork and figs that have been boiled in ale, then baked in cheese, then encased in pastry.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>Mi-parti cotehardie</b> -<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span face=""Google Sans", Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #040c28;">a long-sleeved medieval garment that was usually thigh-length and belted for men and full-length for women and that was made to fit closely often by buttoning or lacing</span><span face=""Google Sans", Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;">.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Paludamentum</b> - <span style="background-color: white; color: #252528;">a cloak worn by officials and military officers of ancient Rome, especially during wartime.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Lughnasadh</b> - <span style="background-color: white; color: #252528;">an ancient Celtic festival held on Aug 1. It is also celebrated by modern pagans and is also called </span><span class="variant bold" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #252528;">Lammas. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Almoner</b> - <span style="background-color: white; color: #252528;">a person whose function or duty is the distribution of alms on behalf of an institution, a royal personage, or a monastery. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Hippocras</b> - </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252528;"><span style="font-family: arial;">an old medicinal cordial made of wine mixed with spices.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #252528;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So how did you do? No doubt, there are so many new-to-me words because of the period and setting of this book. We still display gonfalons of a sort; there are plenty of gallimaufries in government and politics, and enjoying a bit of hippocras sounds like it might be a good thing. We just don't use those words anymore, but that's kind of a shame!</span></span></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-40617005392160749042024-02-21T06:04:00.050-05:002024-02-21T06:04:00.127-05:00Unraveled Wednesday: 2/21/24<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>I</span><span>'m joining </span><a href="http://askatknits.com/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kat</span></a><span> and fellow Unravelers on this Unraveled Wednesday with my Hydrophily.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8Ikbhh9tf-Tv8HukwnnDvMaOBp0qGCxtnQANyj4yygPcCwRQMZWtJAQLp7Ynb_N2VReB6KaglOy3auuLBd4pcr0rGBuRZd8E0H6ofFTJeqLO37qyl7O03jGq7mHZVyW6V8nTZlJjsqNr15DaJOpw1ZH7_BF4WzNLFO4Ss1Xkm70UJa7q1UCv410oQDtl/s3251/IMG_20240220_171438213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3251" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8Ikbhh9tf-Tv8HukwnnDvMaOBp0qGCxtnQANyj4yygPcCwRQMZWtJAQLp7Ynb_N2VReB6KaglOy3auuLBd4pcr0rGBuRZd8E0H6ofFTJeqLO37qyl7O03jGq7mHZVyW6V8nTZlJjsqNr15DaJOpw1ZH7_BF4WzNLFO4Ss1Xkm70UJa7q1UCv410oQDtl/w640-h590/IMG_20240220_171438213.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span>I've made more progress, completing all five rows with the third contrast color, and if you look carefully, you can see the first row in the fourth contrast color. Color-wise, I'm halfway through the contrast color gradient, but since the rows are getting longer I've got a lot more knitting to do. That's fine with me since this is very pleasurable knitting. </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span>Last week I finished <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196056205-bear"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Bear</span></a></i> by Julia Phillips. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">It'</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">s a bit difficult for me to categorize and review. It is well-written with a strong sense of place (San Juan Island), and Julia Phillips writes a story about two sisters caring for their sick mother. Elena and Sam are both working service-level jobs while trying to care for their mother, and it's clear that they will not be able to get ahead. I'm not giving anything away by revealing that a bear eventually shows up, and his appearance changes the dynamic of the rest of the novel.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">I was surprised by the hands-off approach taken by the Washington Department of Fish and Game in this book and taken aback when I realized that Sam and Elena were not young teenagers. I don't know of many young adults who would be equipped to deal with their circumstances, but both sisters' actions seemed more immature than I expected when I checked their ages. The biggest issue I had was the question of "WHY?" I asked with increasing fervor and intensity about Elena's behavior, but it was never answered. Three and a half stars rounded down.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Thank you to Edelweiss and Hogarth for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on June 25, 2024.</span></span><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What are </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>you</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> making and reading this week?</span></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-39995008912198446782024-02-19T06:04:00.012-05:002024-02-19T06:04:00.127-05:00Who Knew?<p><span style="font-family: arial;"> Over the weekend I made a new recipe from a <span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Venison-Cookbook-Simple-Recipes/dp/164739810X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1F2KI4EWLHIRB&keywords=the+easy+venison+cookbook&qid=1708278881&sprefix=the+easy+venison+%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-1"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">new cookbook</span></a> </span>I got recently. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigiRwSbLRo-RWblTvE06kooFyU4ah7RY_3_MlC21mAhrQjpl3Ou1LjMjYPS7ijO0YluK-jbD0yequGLmZ07z_DDxN3aYmtWcdeUWMtONP6Ca9_8dTKn3gzPr-jQ5U6Hu5JO4ifX7S_T8IEu-hxlJ5jk4n6UWPJ57KpH2D-sopirvZQDm0WfLufWWXKtbD0/s4000/IMG_20240218_125719685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigiRwSbLRo-RWblTvE06kooFyU4ah7RY_3_MlC21mAhrQjpl3Ou1LjMjYPS7ijO0YluK-jbD0yequGLmZ07z_DDxN3aYmtWcdeUWMtONP6Ca9_8dTKn3gzPr-jQ5U6Hu5JO4ifX7S_T8IEu-hxlJ5jk4n6UWPJ57KpH2D-sopirvZQDm0WfLufWWXKtbD0/w640-h480/IMG_20240218_125719685.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I almost always make some kind of bread when I make soup, and decided that <a href="https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/english-muffin-toasting-bread-recipe"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">English Muffin Bread</span></a> would be a good choice. When I looked at the recipe, the first line said "Weigh your flour". I know recipes always advise this but I've stubbornly stuck to dipping a measuring cup in my flour container, leveling it off with a knife, and dumping it into my mixing bowl. But I bought a digital scale back when I knit my Hitch on the Move to weigh my remaining yarn and I keep the scale on top of my microwave. This is right next to my flour container and mixer, so I decided it was time to finally try weighing my flour. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdxC57ksKi8CgqIeHPQ6cam4kE5L94mv4-CMgs5rhLQQeZ42JDukJpjeR_y7ObMJiTL8KATRF-kOzLN_NzPZNVpPtoGtXpIZ8mr08vh0L1UZAdCU-5OktsfTtUJDoD70FNiXsKuYGKDuRh72BzYeCtLsTFdqOTKb2hh_-mTeElOwptkHM69mCtfaZNx7w/s3653/IMG_20240218_124359412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3653" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdxC57ksKi8CgqIeHPQ6cam4kE5L94mv4-CMgs5rhLQQeZ42JDukJpjeR_y7ObMJiTL8KATRF-kOzLN_NzPZNVpPtoGtXpIZ8mr08vh0L1UZAdCU-5OktsfTtUJDoD70FNiXsKuYGKDuRh72BzYeCtLsTFdqOTKb2hh_-mTeElOwptkHM69mCtfaZNx7w/w526-h640/IMG_20240218_124359412.jpg" width="526" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I was a little bit surprised that the 360g the recipe called for was equivalent to only about two and two-thirds cups of flour the way I usually measure it. I didn't weigh any other ingredients but I was very pleasantly surprised at how smooth the batter turned out with minimal mixing.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRn-DhoMYQIljRs6_BCB3sNpc1DrMZGu_KAF7YQWGwJZLFOGUfsWDT3naI3WHS16kXecy7JHa70sEq9MsDX4eKIFFK0XDAXwsUbhxkFMOMTdx1zM_XAawxsV6sZF1zjqNe1L-rlVKV6MHaGmtbmEAN5aiCsMmoKCkKD2e_Griwa7fiuHg9RvzBYPqrWn8/s4000/IMG_20240218_124143065_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2766" data-original-width="4000" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRn-DhoMYQIljRs6_BCB3sNpc1DrMZGu_KAF7YQWGwJZLFOGUfsWDT3naI3WHS16kXecy7JHa70sEq9MsDX4eKIFFK0XDAXwsUbhxkFMOMTdx1zM_XAawxsV6sZF1zjqNe1L-rlVKV6MHaGmtbmEAN5aiCsMmoKCkKD2e_Griwa7fiuHg9RvzBYPqrWn8/w640-h442/IMG_20240218_124143065_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And the bread turned out beautifully. I think I'll keep weighing my flour, especially because the scale, flour, and mixing bowl are all within a couple of steps of each other. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">So the answer to the question I asked in the title is possibly lots of bakers, but now I know, too. You can teach an old dog new tricks!</span></div><p></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-48025345945526254212024-02-15T06:04:00.054-05:002024-02-15T06:04:00.132-05:00A Gathering of Poetry: February 2024<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I</span><span style="font-family: arial;">t's the third Thursday of the month so I'd like to welcome you to A Gathering of Poetry. I came across an excerpt of this poem in an audiobook I was listening to (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205453932-a-quiet-life-in-7-steps?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=yKMKFKcDHh&rank=1"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A Quiet Life in 7 Steps</span></a></i> by Susan Cain) and immediately looked up the whole poem. I'm often amazed at how well poets and poetry can express what I'm thinking and feeling, and this one was a perfect example. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lNGx8J7iP2WQkqTgeu-XdTs5S5NNcvyVBo4rIcWhoxxeOknrW8jgnacHDIXnuz44R_HwVRgyT9Gwg33r38p04sZ3SPwTmT1uZOT40ItrDl6TgCCiypLemVudJQ7HLNswMx3o6qZ6U2MaPUiq-R9naYbbNo79Xsk0c2L56kv5nHCASWSigDlA45TXzCLC/s640/tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="640" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lNGx8J7iP2WQkqTgeu-XdTs5S5NNcvyVBo4rIcWhoxxeOknrW8jgnacHDIXnuz44R_HwVRgyT9Gwg33r38p04sZ3SPwTmT1uZOT40ItrDl6TgCCiypLemVudJQ7HLNswMx3o6qZ6U2MaPUiq-R9naYbbNo79Xsk0c2L56kv5nHCASWSigDlA45TXzCLC/w640-h420/tree.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><b style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><p><b style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></b></p></span></span></b><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Art of Disappearing</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial;">by Naomi Shihab Nye</b></div><p></p><div><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When they say Don’t I know you?<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />say no.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When they invite you to the party<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />remember what parties are like<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />before answering.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Someone is telling you in a loud voice<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />they once wrote a poem.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Greasy sausage balls on a paper plate.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Then reply.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If they say We should get together<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />say why?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s not that you don’t love them anymore.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />You’re trying to remember something<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />too important to forget.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Trees. The monastery bell at twilight.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Tell them you have a new project.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />It will never be finished.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When someone recognizes you in a grocery store<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />nod briefly and become a cabbage.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />When someone you haven’t seen in ten years<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />appears at the door,<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />don’t start singing him all your new songs.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />You will never catch up.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Walk around feeling like a leaf.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Know you could tumble any second.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" /><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Then</em> decide what to do with your time.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">====</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Nye, Naomi Shihab. "The Art of Disappearing". <i>Words Under the Words, </i>Far Corner Books, 1995. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #555555;">You can read more about the poet </span><a href="https://poets.org/poet/naomi-shihab-nye"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">here</span></a><span style="color: #555555;">. </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">====</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #555555; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; text-indent: -5%;">Thanks for reading and joining us for our monthly Gathering of Poetry. Y</span><span style="color: black; font-family: arial; text-indent: -5%;">ou are more than welcome to add your link below if you would like to share one of <i>your</i> favorite poems. The more the merrier!</span></p>
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<!--end InLinkz code-->Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-62750045508712966332024-02-14T06:04:00.084-05:002024-02-14T06:04:00.132-05:00Unraveled Wednesday: 2/14/24<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I</span><span style="font-family: arial;">'m joining </span><a href="http://askatknits.com/" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kat</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and fellow Unravelers for this Valentine's Day Unraveled Wednesday with a wonderful new project. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnjtzDy-bd8jvvlJw7WVBzZauhyphenhyphenOjIQEHOIDayg1xddTs1daTJWJQIvRoXLEtPdwwF8b4SGQPN7nn-FInNNRdyBFz_76__sWegt8tnthdyuVXkewQ7D1VI708rODrtAlaJpYalIuxAQqcJ2HC_SPBJZtEpNhJh0gWnMTQJTT9mCfxW2UrGTqwzksOlOY6/s3262/IMG_20240213_141704142.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2943" data-original-width="3262" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnjtzDy-bd8jvvlJw7WVBzZauhyphenhyphenOjIQEHOIDayg1xddTs1daTJWJQIvRoXLEtPdwwF8b4SGQPN7nn-FInNNRdyBFz_76__sWegt8tnthdyuVXkewQ7D1VI708rODrtAlaJpYalIuxAQqcJ2HC_SPBJZtEpNhJh0gWnMTQJTT9mCfxW2UrGTqwzksOlOY6/w640-h578/IMG_20240213_141704142.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">It's <a href="https://paknitwit.blogspot.com/">Sarah's</a> wonderful pattern, <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hydrophily"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Hydrophily</span></a> (Ravelry link) I chose a lovely gray BFL and a six skein gradient that ranges from pink to deep purple. I plan on doing five "lobes" in each color, and I've just finished the first one in the third color, so only 19 more to go. Each repeat consists of 14 rows, and there have been several times that I've said to myself, "Just 14 more rows!" It really is an addictive pattern, and each time I do the Lotus Cluster Stitch at the end, I marvel that Sarah could have come up with an idea as lovely as this and then figured out how to knit it. Thanks, Sarah!</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I finished two books this week. <span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">The publisher's blurb calls </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199798580-i-ve-tried-being-nice"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">I've Tried Being Nice</span></a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> "a collection of humorous essays about a lifelong people pleaser", and while I found this to be true, it's also a lot more. Ann Leary is the author of several novels but she is also a great storyteller. Some of the essays in this collection are about trying hard to be a people-pleaser, something that I think many women can see in themselves, but at least one of them is concerned with that lightbulb moment when you realize you have no interest in pleasing a particular person. Ann Leary recounts her adventures with being far-sighted and having one-sided hearing loss that resulted in her blaring "Love Shack" in the grocery store and also her interactions with bats. I don't like bats at all but I could laugh at Leary's essay because the bats were not in </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">my</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> house, or on </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">my</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> pajamas. Some of the essays are more poignant, like the one entitled "Three Drinks Short".</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">The only book I've read by Ann Leary is </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">The Good House</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> and I found it both enjoyable and poignant. </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">I've Tried Being Nice</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> is funny, poignant, honest, and full of great stories told well. Thank you to Edelweiss and Marysue Rucci Books for providing me with a copy. This book will be published on June 4, 2024</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">I can't give you a simple reason why I requested </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62929342-real-americans"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Real Americans</span></a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> from Netgalley. The cover was interesting, I haven't read anything by Rachel Khong, but I am a big fan of multi-generational novels. This one spans three generations of a Chinese-American family beginning with Mei, her daughter Lily, and Lily's son Nick. The book is divided into parts with each one centered on a different protagonist. I'll admit that there were times that I felt a bit confused and wondered what had gone on in the intervening years, but it all comes together in Mei's section at the end. There were some aspects concerned with science (science fiction?) that I found distracting but the overall story was an intriguing one. The author writes in simplistic yet descriptive prose that is a pleasure to read. I was especially interested in Khong's idea of making decisions for your children, and what can happen even when you have only good intentions.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on April 30, 2024.</span><span style="color: #1e1915;"><br /></span></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What are </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>you</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> making and reading this week?</span></span></div></div>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-86787524896644772612024-02-09T06:04:00.316-05:002024-02-09T06:04:00.138-05:00Right Now: February 2024<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I last did a Right Now post in October of last year, so I think it's time for one. The picture below doesn't fit with anything I'm doing right now; it's just a photo from Justin's trail camera that I liked. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehvQi9Yfi_76Qy5_lj7RuZe6zxUgsQ3ypmVylBWN9LGAqLv0P8-yNN_Fvx7jCktWJntbSsrT2FngVT7z4u2Gwmjt6CsQc-MBF4Q-MgfaVG2JK-t__SpcmBA0t5tRWVkCGBPmxc61YNf9IGEYHrRp-07E7WlNjg8wkUaKNMa26uJwtBa0r0Z6Ji5IAfWZl/s749/deer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehvQi9Yfi_76Qy5_lj7RuZe6zxUgsQ3ypmVylBWN9LGAqLv0P8-yNN_Fvx7jCktWJntbSsrT2FngVT7z4u2Gwmjt6CsQc-MBF4Q-MgfaVG2JK-t__SpcmBA0t5tRWVkCGBPmxc61YNf9IGEYHrRp-07E7WlNjg8wkUaKNMa26uJwtBa0r0Z6Ji5IAfWZl/w490-h640/deer.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Watching - </b>The West Wing. I know it's a fictional TV show, but there are a lot of seasons, interesting characters/actors, perfect to knit to while watching, and most of all, it helps me avoid real-life elections and politics. I'm not sure what I'll watch when I finish The West Wing, but hopefully, it will be equally diversionary.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Listening To -</b> <span style="background-color: white;">Supreme Court oral arguments on </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">Trump v. Anderson. I'm not interested in any news about Tr***, but I am interested in <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/07/anderson-trump-supreme-court-ballot-00139991"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Norma Anderson</span></a> and what the Supreme Court has to say about </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (the Disqualification Clause). It's not a bad thing for me to learn what <span style="color: #2b00fe;">"<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/self-executing#:~:text=Self%2Dexecuting%20broadly%20refers%20to,is%20signed%20or%20other%20requirement."><span style="color: #2b00fe;">self-executing</span></a></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">"</span> means or to maybe understand more about the Constitution. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Avoiding - </b>Any other news about Tr***. I know he'll most likely be the Republican nominee and I'll have to face that fact eventually, along with the possibility that he may get re-elected. All things in good time, but this is not the time for me to hear or even think about him at all. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Hoping - </b>That Medicare and Social Security have finally arrived at a decision. I've been signed up for Medicare for two and a half years and I thought everything was fine. I reached my full retirement age in December 2023 and thought that a little extra money might be nice so I signed up to receive Social Security benefits. Since then, Medicare and SS have made various decisions (sometimes three different ones in a week) ranging from yes, we'll pay you your full SS benefit, to we're holding your SS benefit for some unknown reason, to determining that I owe them $3800 in back Medicare payments. I hope/think/have my fingers crossed that it's straightened out but will know for sure once I (hopefully) see some $$ by direct deposit on the 17th of this month.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Making -</b> Split pea soup, homemade soft dinner rolls, venison pot pie, sausage quiche, meatloaf, and chili. I don't care about The Super Bowl at all but may need to make some loaded potato skins in the air fryer to celebrate Taylor Swift's boyfriend and all those other guys who will be playing. </span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial;">Enjoying - </b><span style="font-family: arial;">Eating my Funfetti cake. I've even had a piece for breakfast. I think it tastes better if I'm wearing my Funfetti Hitchhiker. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Drinking - </b></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Peppermint tea and sometimes when I want to go wild, I add a glug of Godiva chocolate liqueur. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Knitting - </b>Something special that is not a Hitchhiker (more about it on Wednesday). But I've also realized that a Hitchhiker is my comfort project, one that is easy to carry with me and work on for a few moments when I need to. I will be casting on a new Hitchhiker shortly. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Treating -</b> My hands right. That means doing my own manicure (I don't use polish), buffing my nails, and using plenty of <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/HappyHandsStore?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1448582064&from_page=listing"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Happy Hands</span></a> hand cream. Knitting is much more fun when I'm not snagging my yarn with rough skin and hangnails. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Very Glad That -</b> I finally admitted I didn't know what I was doing where taxes were concerned and found a tax guy. I was in tears three years ago when we had to file NJ, MD, DE, and CO (from selling Ryan's house) state taxes along with federal income taxes, but this guy is great and he is well worth whatever we've had to pay him. I delight in simply putting the tax forms that arrive in a folder and taking it all to Brian in March. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Not Buying -</b> Any chocolate candy for Valentine's Day. I often have my grandmother's cut glass candy dish filled with Hershey's Kisses or maybe even peppermint patties if they're on sale. That was okay when the boys lived here because they ate most of it, but now I'm the one that eats it all. I've got some dark chocolate that Jess brought me from Madagascar and so far I've limited myself to breaking off two pieces and enjoying them occasionally, but I'm going to try not to buy any more candy for the candy dish. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Trusting </b>-</span> <span style="font-family: arial;">That the universe is unfolding as it should.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;">What's going on in </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;">your</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial;"> world right now? </span></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-42567389174920692262024-02-07T06:04:00.098-05:002024-02-07T06:04:00.121-05:00Unraveled Wednesday: 2/7/24<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm joining </span><a href="http://askatknits.com/" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kat</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and fellow Unravelers on this first Wednesday in February with a finally finished Funfetti Hitchhiker!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VmWLHTZzQdUvJLAx-wiB7jKPdZBB_71R7XFvejQFjsBWVAlKcO1kI_rLam_IJme9vag9bfbQL09u7mq-Msak5mh70z8ki5r1kjykdk7LHqKGylVDKQ7K2dbkESspf0PGeZ5GRV2QJB92vciaMNxdjZT6rA9MEdd8aYH5sqii1Z8K-3Z6KbaRZ4z96lgy/s3790/IMG_20240206_162658535.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2226" data-original-width="3790" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VmWLHTZzQdUvJLAx-wiB7jKPdZBB_71R7XFvejQFjsBWVAlKcO1kI_rLam_IJme9vag9bfbQL09u7mq-Msak5mh70z8ki5r1kjykdk7LHqKGylVDKQ7K2dbkESspf0PGeZ5GRV2QJB92vciaMNxdjZT6rA9MEdd8aYH5sqii1Z8K-3Z6KbaRZ4z96lgy/w640-h376/IMG_20240206_162658535.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I was excited to get it done, blocked, and be able to wear it.</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgS5h8x3z9e-2NQUltU8eQzbHGaYTqYxyePmpTd7rLepb8A-KJNdAIitrdZJE-g2HIoVwb6jN3SDn5JHE5lzjrG3rah5e51fBAsRj__VJD958Sm-WDT0_UJWC6qsNeH9pIgJX14dBRUFla_oTsEBy0qwkSmOaQ5jWu7O-HdlA4UJ3UQKM4ItMBdcYW4Rm/s3888/IMG_20240206_141538483.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2902" data-original-width="3888" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgS5h8x3z9e-2NQUltU8eQzbHGaYTqYxyePmpTd7rLepb8A-KJNdAIitrdZJE-g2HIoVwb6jN3SDn5JHE5lzjrG3rah5e51fBAsRj__VJD958Sm-WDT0_UJWC6qsNeH9pIgJX14dBRUFla_oTsEBy0qwkSmOaQ5jWu7O-HdlA4UJ3UQKM4ItMBdcYW4Rm/w640-h478/IMG_20240206_141538483.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p>All of the cheerful colors make me happy and it goes with almost everything.</p></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLsv3oOFOWHP9K4srPZGG3FNaX83zy88Upq-ZBOFKewTE0LEj6Fj6aBueXGNKc0I0d9uA_jRVxMrbWgK4fhGiAKkBGDHaqZKUDX6T86UO1SHvRxN6s3d4DD_Akf2YpJeB6VUQrJkkgcrikV7awlcn1sIa8-dITQKjcn0BDrToZEtIuyPkArPcySqwhQzG/s3801/IMG_20240206_141732572.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2709" data-original-width="3801" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLsv3oOFOWHP9K4srPZGG3FNaX83zy88Upq-ZBOFKewTE0LEj6Fj6aBueXGNKc0I0d9uA_jRVxMrbWgK4fhGiAKkBGDHaqZKUDX6T86UO1SHvRxN6s3d4DD_Akf2YpJeB6VUQrJkkgcrikV7awlcn1sIa8-dITQKjcn0BDrToZEtIuyPkArPcySqwhQzG/w640-h456/IMG_20240206_141732572.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p>I enjoyed the knitting so much that I used two full skeins of <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/971405998/kaleidoscope-single-ply-pure-merino-yarn?click_key=712cf07cba538a64e93403f791a849db7c6ca803%3A971405998&click_sum=95126795&ref=shop_home_active_15&crt=1"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Marianthi Yarns sock yarn in Kaleidoscope</span></a> (but it will always be Funfetti to me). I kept knitting until I didn't have enough yarn for even one more tooth, so it's my largest Hitchhiker so far at 59 teeth. It's possibly also my favorite (so far, and having an excuse to make a cake was pretty nice, too).</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PCyGsZg93lwD5BC0rUkAPlZSLigVz9wQeIS0H_cv8Aa5NFauEccr05PTqswtec7bthMMCenm6FzQH_OMFIqdcbJRvZfo-j2fe2MIukGastFRoZ1MxRXqUXUrUZLr3EvvtPbxzDDrakoEw_0Pj8x5UvKiNt57FBuv2pGu9tFzFLxZorTDGo_fdF4o5sXS/s2232/IMG_20240206_165941406_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2232" data-original-width="1647" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PCyGsZg93lwD5BC0rUkAPlZSLigVz9wQeIS0H_cv8Aa5NFauEccr05PTqswtec7bthMMCenm6FzQH_OMFIqdcbJRvZfo-j2fe2MIukGastFRoZ1MxRXqUXUrUZLr3EvvtPbxzDDrakoEw_0Pj8x5UvKiNt57FBuv2pGu9tFzFLxZorTDGo_fdF4o5sXS/w472-h640/IMG_20240206_165941406_HDR.jpg" width="472" /></a></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I didn't finish any books this week but have been reading <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77266.The_Poisonwood_Bible"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Poisonwood Bible</span></a></i> for our Read With Us discussion on March 19th. I've also been working on a couple of books from NetGalley, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62929342-real-americans"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Real Americans</span></a>,</i> and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201750794-the-bright-sword"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Bright Sword</span></a></i>. Thankfully, they're all different enough that I can keep them straight. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What are </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>you</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> making and reading this week?</span></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-5722938420924628672024-02-06T06:04:00.256-05:002024-02-08T11:37:37.060-05:00Read With Us: The Poisonwood Bible<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TWiD8_3DUAx75nF7o4jp-N07FWIRBtX5rrQOppkhGJ0z_5dtIwwTfVcClracR_AC_sRmYUdU8qi760J87OFvlG4BuiGkrZTEY-nCYdKMgLsy68FV9OBUcp7HdNHRROeKc9hYjwt9DN9Wc0y3waZ5B0d0G7UG-MyGe5pyoe_MbadT3ur1qHJ6KDxgbSaN/s640/rwuwinter2024_rectangle.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TWiD8_3DUAx75nF7o4jp-N07FWIRBtX5rrQOppkhGJ0z_5dtIwwTfVcClracR_AC_sRmYUdU8qi760J87OFvlG4BuiGkrZTEY-nCYdKMgLsy68FV9OBUcp7HdNHRROeKc9hYjwt9DN9Wc0y3waZ5B0d0G7UG-MyGe5pyoe_MbadT3ur1qHJ6KDxgbSaN/w640-h426/rwuwinter2024_rectangle.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By now you probably know that we're reading <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7244.The_Poisonwood_Bible?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=dG5qZJ2tB9&rank=1"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Poisonwood Bible</span></a></i> by Barbara Kingsolver for our Winter 2024 "classic contemporary" fiction choice. This was first published in 1998, and quite a few of us initially read it sometime around then. I first read it in 2000, only gave it three stars, and was so infuriated with the patriarch Nathan Price that I was glad to be done with it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6KF30GOAvhqIHCo_SxAYxh-sZ6Qe92JSFU81udcEL_JZNuDIL_hMm6mvHqShIRLOwu8fz7i4jRm1OgDva_Hu3av6DGvL4XbbbRYQpm6q87ThTve5N79NahurfK7vbciPW2fmJgT0568Jm579KJ-XHxugU3RQ0NwFa3g3EQ9EYmqeU-6A6w48MZ8Q9y1O/s400/s-l400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6KF30GOAvhqIHCo_SxAYxh-sZ6Qe92JSFU81udcEL_JZNuDIL_hMm6mvHqShIRLOwu8fz7i4jRm1OgDva_Hu3av6DGvL4XbbbRYQpm6q87ThTve5N79NahurfK7vbciPW2fmJgT0568Jm579KJ-XHxugU3RQ0NwFa3g3EQ9EYmqeU-6A6w48MZ8Q9y1O/w300-h400/s-l400.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I know some of you have already reread the book for Mary's book discussion but I've been dragging my feet a little bit about starting my reread. I'm anxious to see how I feel about the Price family and the whole situation in the Congo but I hope I don't end up feeling incensed again. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>The Poisonwood Bible</i> covers a span of years from 1959 to 1994. In 1959 an overzealous Baptist minister named Nathan Price drags his wife and four daughters deep into the heart of the Congo on a mission to save the "unenlightened souls of Africa". The five women narrate the novel. From the outset, the attitudes of the five women cover a wide spectrum. The mother, Orleanna passively accepts the turn of events, as she passively accepts everything her husband tells her. Fifteen-year-old Rachel resents her separation from normal teen life. Fourteen-year-old Leah, who alone shares her father's ardent religious faith, is enthusiastic. Leah's twin Ada, crippled and mute from birth is a keen observer, and views the move with a wry and cynical detachment. Five-year-old adventurer Ruth May is both excited and frightened. One thing that the women share, however, is the unwavering faith that they are carrying with them a culture far superior to the one already existing in the village of Kilanga, and that they will therefore be masters of their new domain.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Kingsolver structured this novel differently, with each of the narrators speaking in the first person. The reader sees the story through the eyes of the character narrating at the time; Nathan never speaks to the reader but his self-righteous voice still looms large. Only the women in the family narrate the story, so we learn about Nathan Price through other characters' thoughts and feelings. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The story is primarily set in the Belgian Congo, which becomes Zaire during the tale. Some segments are set in Atlanta and Sanderling Island, Georgia, and others in Johannesburg, South Africa, and the French Congo. In addition to the Price family's experiences, the novel takes place in a dramatic political setting. Congo's fight for
independence from brutal Belgian rule, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the
insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy provides a cataclysmic setting to match the moral and existential upheavals of the Price family. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><a href="https://dancingattheedge.com/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kym</span></a> and <a href="https://caroleknits.net/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Carole</span></a> will be talking about the book and giving additional information in their promotional posts throughout February. Discussion day for </span><i>The Poisonwood Bible </i><span>is scheduled for </span><b>Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, </b><span>so mark your calendars.</span><b> </b><span>We'll ask questions on our blogs that day and then host the always fun, educational, and entertaining Zoom discussion.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This is a book that really needs to be discussed to be fully understood so I'm very much looking forward to hearing your thoughts. I do hope you'll read <i>The Poisonwood Bible</i> with us!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; white-space-collapse: preserve;">"Don’t try to make life a mathematics problem with yourself in the center and everything coming out equal. When you’re good, bad things can still happen. And if you’re bad, you can still be lucky."</span></i></span></div><p></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-64338700971008465282024-01-31T06:04:00.136-05:002024-01-31T06:04:00.151-05:00Unraveled Wednesday: 1/31/24<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm joining </span><a href="http://askatknits.com/" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kat</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and fellow Unravelers on this last Wednesday in January. I have made progress on the Funfetti Hitchhiker, but I'm still two rows and a bind-off away from completion. Then there is also blocking and baking a matching Funfetti cake for a photo shoot, so I'm sparing you from yet another photo this week of knitting that looks almost like last week. You did convince me that ribbons were a pretty dumb idea (but in the nicest of ways)! Instead, I've compiled a list of other "making" I've been doing this week:</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">dinner (every damn night)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">the decision to finally buy a new printer</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">a monumental effort to clean out the computer desk (which yielded two bags of trash)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">the effort to find out where to recycle old printers (Staples but they weren't happy about it)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">progress on the three NetGalley books I need to finish</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And because every blog post needs a photo, I also made a purchase that I hope will serve me well through this year's election nonsense. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dz7pfatnEEe1iDFIGxirNoCa7LXDi_AzlHRW_c3PZxVCqoO5iSX5NALnJ2ZmKsApbgEb1OSPcqO_-wvrqqDTbTsgH6SWzuPncpJB8UDNOUyG1X3Pz3516uW7lB3BTym4RQJTzrsamqKzFajIPQtPCHqZKtO0_eu3lLbolszmHUGEXjnZcDzzR10AO53g/s3685/IMG_20240129_184042529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2839" data-original-width="3685" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dz7pfatnEEe1iDFIGxirNoCa7LXDi_AzlHRW_c3PZxVCqoO5iSX5NALnJ2ZmKsApbgEb1OSPcqO_-wvrqqDTbTsgH6SWzuPncpJB8UDNOUyG1X3Pz3516uW7lB3BTym4RQJTzrsamqKzFajIPQtPCHqZKtO0_eu3lLbolszmHUGEXjnZcDzzR10AO53g/w640-h494/IMG_20240129_184042529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I've already had my fill of political discussions with a few people and I may just resort to carrying this mug around with me. In a foolish move, I sent my "I Just Want to Do Some Knitting and Pretend Trump Is Not President" mug (<a href="https://highlyreasonable.blogspot.com/2022/08/there-was-this-comment.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">it was a real thing!</span></a>) to Goodwill after the 2020 election. I was too busy dancing in the street to remember that he could run for a second term, but I will buy another one if I have to.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I did read a great book last week, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63246652-the-eyes-and-the-impossible"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Eyes and the Impossible</span></a> by Dave Eggers. <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">After several failed attempts to read two of Dave Eggers' books (</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">and</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"> </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">A Hologram for the King</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">), I gave up on him, figuring that I just didn't want to read about existential crises. But when I saw that he had won the Newbery Medal for</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"> </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">The Eyes and the Impossible</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">I decided that it was worth a try. It certainly was.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #181818; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #181818; font-family: arial;">Johannes is a dog that lives in a large coastal park and he proclaims that he can run at the speed of light. There are also three bison that live in an enclosure in the park; they are Keepers of the Equilibrium. The bison have tasked Johannes with being The Eyes and reporting back to them what is going on in the park. He is assisted by a squirrel, a raccoon, a pelican, and Bertrand the seagull. Then changes begin to happen and Johannes has some decisions to make. The author warns in his introduction that" ... most crucially, no animals symbolize people. It is a tendency of the human species to see themselves in everything, to assume all living things, animals in particular, are simply corollaries to humans, but in this book, that is not the case." Sorry, Dave, it was hard for me not to apply some symbolism.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="color: #181818;"><span><i>Charlotte's Web</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #181818;"> </span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span>is one of my favorite books and will always be my benchmark for animal stories. </span></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span><i>The Eyes and the Impossible</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #181818;"> </span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span>doesn't quite reach </span></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span><i>Charlotte</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #181818;"> </span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span>status but it is a darn good book. With a little weirdness, some humor, excellent writing, wonderful characters, and a strong plot, I can't think of any reasons </span></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span><i>not</i></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #181818;"> </span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span>to read this book. You can treat yourself to terrific narration by Ethan Hawke and listen to the audiobook. The only things you might miss with that are some exceptional illustrations by Shawn Harris that other reviewers have raved about. I'm going to the library as soon as I finish writing this to borrow the hardcover version so I can see the illustrations and read the book again. You should definitely consider doing the same thing. Four and a half stars rounded up.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What are </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>you</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> making and reading this week?</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div class="big450BoxBody" style="background-color: white; background-repeat: repeat-y; color: #181818;"><div class="big450BoxContent" style="overflow: hidden; width: 430px;"><div class="reviewText mediumText description readable" itemprop="reviewBody" style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></div><div class="reviewText mediumText description readable" itemprop="reviewBody" style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><p align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p></div><div class="reviewText mediumText description readable" itemprop="reviewBody" style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></div></div></div></div>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-18062691279856771182024-01-24T06:04:00.084-05:002024-01-24T06:04:00.149-05:00Unraveled Wednesday: 1/24/24<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm joining </span><a href="http://askatknits.com/" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kat</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and fellow Unravelers with the Funfetti Hitchhiker, but in an effort to keep from boring you with a photo that looks much the same as the previous week, this one is slightly different. While I've been knitting, I've wondered what it might look like if I laced ribbon through the yarnover rows. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TKaXN5fWS8sTb0Wt3PJ6P5tfJAwtMGuGrJSX0jvK1ONjDzBcT3nMORH-27L9dBVx12Wi8fvcwSxWaFqFf4qsNWjUIh-QwaenufYp1fB4xUCwWoAS7xOmvNrVRhAAtK1O96SP2YqTZBqTwkHjrLiWZrQIpTXHK1PRhpTyPCkvpBxLC5nrrzxPaOGiUUHV/s4000/IMG_20240123_133328638.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2334" data-original-width="4000" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TKaXN5fWS8sTb0Wt3PJ6P5tfJAwtMGuGrJSX0jvK1ONjDzBcT3nMORH-27L9dBVx12Wi8fvcwSxWaFqFf4qsNWjUIh-QwaenufYp1fB4xUCwWoAS7xOmvNrVRhAAtK1O96SP2YqTZBqTwkHjrLiWZrQIpTXHK1PRhpTyPCkvpBxLC5nrrzxPaOGiUUHV/w640-h374/IMG_20240123_133328638.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After seeing this, I'm not sure that ribbon adds anything. First, I'm not sure what I would do with the ends of the ribbon. Maybe just fold them back and tack them down with a few stitches? I only tried light blue and pink ribbons because that's all I had, but there are lots of differently colored speckles in the yarn - purple, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, and hot pink. I think it would detract from the lovely yarn if I used multiple ribbons with all of those colors. So I guess I'm leaning away from ribbon, but if you have any thoughts, please feel free to share them. I have 10 more teeth to go; hopefully, that will happen before next week. </span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p><span>I spent my reading time last week on two NetGalley books. The first one is <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/192761615-the-alternatives"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Alternatives</span></a></i> by </span><span class="ContributorLink__name" data-testid="name" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; flex-basis: auto; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap;">Caoilinn Hughes. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">That great sheep on the cover piqued my interest</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">, and the book didn't disappoint. Caoilinn Hughes has written a lovely tale of sisterhood in which three of the orphaned Flattery sisters come together to find their oldest sister Olwen who has disappeared without a word to anyone. Each of the sisters is different and has a distinctive personality and story. Olwen is a fervent geology professor and Maeve is a caterer and cookbook writer. (The descriptions of her food are wonderful!) Rhona is a high-powered political science professor and poor Nell has cobbled together a living from adjunct positions in the United States. I enjoyed reading about several of the sisters more than others, but they each have their ideas of what is important to care about, whether it is environmental cataclysm, sustainability, citizens' assemblies, or philosophy as a way to reach meaningful goals. Each of the sisters has a Ph.D., but Maeve is quick to tell people that hers is an honorary degree. One of the things that I appreciated the most was that each woman and their interactions are written with very few male characters. I don't have anything against the male gender but it's delightfully refreshing to read about four women finding their paths with very little interference or influence from men.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> This book will be published on April 16, 2024.</span></p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Books that reveal medical research and information through families are interesting, informative, and heartbreaking at the same time. </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198902282-a-fatal-inheritance"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A Fatal Inheritance</span></a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> by Lawrence Ingrassia is no exception. We learn about the research of Dr. Frederick Pei Li and Dr. Joseph Fraumeni, beginning in the 1960s when cancer was considered to be caused by very bad luck but very little was known about real causes. Through their research, the doctors discovered Li-Fraumeni syndrome, an alteration in the TP53 gene. This gene provides instructions to make tumor protein 53, which when properly functioning acts to suppress tumors. The author, Lawrence Ingrassia experienced things in a much more personal way. Cancer killed his mother, brother, and sisters, in terrible and tragic ways. Many of the family members had multiple types of cancer, with some of them beginning at very young ages. After genetic testing, the author was found to be one of the few members of his family that did not have the abnormal gene. When Ingrassia's brother Paul (also a fellow journalist) died after having lung, prostate, and pancreatic cancer, Lawrence felt compelled to tell their family's painful story in parallel with that of Drs. Li and Fraumeni.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">This is a difficult book to read, mainly because of the incredibly painful family history of the Ingrassia family. But it may also be the best way to learn about genes and cancer so we can always remember that there are real people behind genetic research. It will be published on May 14, 2024. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>What are </span><span><i>you</i></span><span> making and reading this week?</span> </span></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-85262432526742687102024-01-23T06:04:00.110-05:002024-01-23T06:04:00.142-05:00Read With Us: It's a New Winter Book <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTrZxjj5rPHnjZoP-5Wmmv_TKesFwy6gtHfjHKdPFSR2WLE-Nfu9ODOlXFnu-iPos23Bv94g5WhnWfvm1q1-h4NtZ4td3DhNG-VU0rOa-2k8sYUlwsTRJxaH3QW3I35T1MsBZAVF3HP1JDLOdY4W6BZh2hRRKgSg681Cc2vNLfQOW4isa3ZgakCtj_HBS/s640/rwuwinter2024_rectangle.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTrZxjj5rPHnjZoP-5Wmmv_TKesFwy6gtHfjHKdPFSR2WLE-Nfu9ODOlXFnu-iPos23Bv94g5WhnWfvm1q1-h4NtZ4td3DhNG-VU0rOa-2k8sYUlwsTRJxaH3QW3I35T1MsBZAVF3HP1JDLOdY4W6BZh2hRRKgSg681Cc2vNLfQOW4isa3ZgakCtj_HBS/w640-h426/rwuwinter2024_rectangle.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>Today's the day we announce a new Read With Us book for winter! </span><span>You might already be aware of this if you were able to attend the last Zoom discussion for <i>The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store</i></span><span>, but now everyone will know. </span><span>Would you like to read a book that has been called "risky yet resoundingly successful"? One with "</span><span style="background-color: white;">vigorously expressed and argued social and political ideas"? </span><span>A Pulitzer Prize finalist in the Fiction category in 1999? Then please join us in reading <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7244.The_Poisonwood_Bible"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Poisonwood Bible</span></a></i> by Barbara Kingsolver. </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhepLwoIAj5xihkCMgo7UqpVbFAUrytA_NGFp7yRdw140M_nuRL-CAZTChLtrzLFYnyfEwy5YndXA9j2Rhg8kP6VFwjx1of0pgSVSOajHkQAl6gTzseqjKbCxkZepbimQMLOF9zPNZhVKLUOHUAJqeX13XqOWX79AADviBtsAI6c2-rkjN2WDh1tLO8A8k_/s400/s-l400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhepLwoIAj5xihkCMgo7UqpVbFAUrytA_NGFp7yRdw140M_nuRL-CAZTChLtrzLFYnyfEwy5YndXA9j2Rhg8kP6VFwjx1of0pgSVSOajHkQAl6gTzseqjKbCxkZepbimQMLOF9zPNZhVKLUOHUAJqeX13XqOWX79AADviBtsAI6c2-rkjN2WDh1tLO8A8k_/w300-h400/s-l400.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>The reaction when Kym announced this book during the Zoom discussion was quite enthusiastic! I'm anxious to read it again; when I read it in 2000, I only gave it three stars but didn't write a review, so I have no idea what I was thinking about the book 24 years ago. I do remember being so angry at the father in the book that I had to put it down for a while. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://dancingattheedge.com/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kym</span></a><span>, </span><a href="http://caroleknits.net/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Carole</span></a><span>, and I will be talking about the book, giving additional information, and doing promotional posts throughout February. Discussion day for </span><i>The Poisonwood Bible </i><span>is scheduled for </span><b>Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, </b><span>so mark your calendars.</span><b> </b><span>We'll ask questions on our blogs that day and then host the always fun, educational, and entertaining Zoom discussion.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The hardcover, Kindle, and audio versions of the book are all available from my library without any wait, and the ebook is available on Hoopla. Prices for the hardcover, paperback, and Kindle versions are reasonably priced at<span style="color: #2b00fe;"> <span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QTE9WU/ref=x_gr_bb_kindle?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_kindle-20">Amazon</a></span> </span>and I'm sure your local bookseller could order a copy for you if you're lucky enough to have a local bookseller. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm really looking forward to the discussion of <i>The Poisonwood Bible</i>, so I do hope you'll Read With Us!</span></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-84816584389879490442024-01-22T06:04:00.005-05:002024-01-22T06:04:00.122-05:00Barbie<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm very late to the Barbie movie party, but I finally watched it over the weekend. It was fun, a little weird, over the top, a bit more than I expected, and had one great part that I can't stop thinking about. If you've seen the movie, you probably already guessed that it's America Ferrera's speech. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CBqlDWHkdHk" width="320" youtube-src-id="CBqlDWHkdHk"></iframe></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #303030;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t think you’re good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong.</span></span></p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; margin: 14px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money because that’s crass. You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman, but also always be looking out for other people. You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining.</span></p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; margin: 14px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You’re supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you’re supposed to be a part of the sisterhood. But always stand out and always be grateful. But never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that but also always be grateful. You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It’s too hard! It’s too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault.</span></p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; margin: 14px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I’m just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don’t even know."</span></p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; margin: 14px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Frustration, honesty, unrealistic expectations, contradictions - this monologue had it all and said it so well. So well, in fact, that it snapped Barbie out of her depression and enabled her to see the solution to the male dominance that Ken has brought to Barbie Land. Obviously, a speech isn't going to solve all the issues in the real world, and I'm willing to bet that men might have their own version of the speech. But I hope that all of you have stopped tying yourselves in knots and have found (or maybe still finding) ways to be yourselves.</span></p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; margin: 14px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Make it a good Monday!</span></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-74508495772752475112024-01-19T06:04:00.011-05:002024-01-19T06:04:00.133-05:00Miracles<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlrh6vhW9H2pFXQafvx4wp95xkxA9kjvJOgiC3gsxZ95iy1W7h4Fhe7hmyYdaG7PgFtOu598rPUhrMoxbKJd1AfonIphAYIno1a6ivFHXTjg1BJBDxtVVNn_ye3_sirmCnDDho_SlQzC_9wO08sfTKudY2VvnJ3-V8MkYiExv1VHgvScJH_JetZ6nZHjT/s960/sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlrh6vhW9H2pFXQafvx4wp95xkxA9kjvJOgiC3gsxZ95iy1W7h4Fhe7hmyYdaG7PgFtOu598rPUhrMoxbKJd1AfonIphAYIno1a6ivFHXTjg1BJBDxtVVNn_ye3_sirmCnDDho_SlQzC_9wO08sfTKudY2VvnJ3-V8MkYiExv1VHgvScJH_JetZ6nZHjT/w480-h640/sunset.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have a busy day today with lots of driving and appointments, but I read <a href="https://wapo.st/47zzALb"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">an article</span></a> in the Washington Post the other day that stopped me in my tracks. (I've gifted this article to you, so it should not be behind a paywall.) Some of you may have read it, but I wanted to share just in case you hadn't seen it.</span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After I started it, I wondered who the author was, and upon checking, I was not surprised to find that it was authored by Anne Lamott. She writes, "<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">My spirits are regularly flattened by the hardships of the world, of our country and of the people I love..." but in this piece, she reminded me about hope and miracles. Whether that is in the form of bigger underwear, Oreos, or quotes from Einstein and Martin Luther King, I hope you've got miracles around you and you're able to see them.</span></span></p><p></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-64726063549421702342024-01-18T06:04:00.103-05:002024-01-18T06:04:00.130-05:00A Gathering of Poetry: January 2024<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>I</span><span>t's the third Thursday of the month so I'd like to welcome you to A Gathering of Poetry. I came across this poem in the Washington Post Book Club Newsletter last week. The author's debut volume of poetry, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123487596-a-history-of-half-birds?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=08mzz8hQNc&rank=1"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A History of Half-Birds</span></a></i>, was selected by Maggie Smith for the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">2023 Ballard Spahr Prize for Poetry. I can't tell you exactly why I liked this poem so much, but there are quite a few of my grandmothers' characteristics included - collections of roosters in the kitchen, a keyboard that we played our melodies on, and tins of butter cookies. One grandmother's tin actually contained cookies and the other's was filled with sewing supplies. Both were wonderful.</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWrEi68CpvyKOoZogzDyJ_LJ84pJu0e5PzumktXagtbicpvpIgcUE8956TDWvPJKzICPVsEn60qs6Y6GHeIuOyGKgQCdn_8ru8E6h8QdrXZcpt1qy84swpJjl5bVHcCVFoWnc7U1n4GvDP3pYh6JF8-COxn88B5uL9r2n1W2xcUhFTKSjSO6TO8VFaYvB/s724/Capture.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="724" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWrEi68CpvyKOoZogzDyJ_LJ84pJu0e5PzumktXagtbicpvpIgcUE8956TDWvPJKzICPVsEn60qs6Y6GHeIuOyGKgQCdn_8ru8E6h8QdrXZcpt1qy84swpJjl5bVHcCVFoWnc7U1n4GvDP3pYh6JF8-COxn88B5uL9r2n1W2xcUhFTKSjSO6TO8VFaYvB/w400-h400/Capture.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><strong style="color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><div style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; text-align: left;"><strong style="outline: none;"><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong style="outline: none;">Patients Regain Song Before Speech<br /></strong><strong style="outline: none;">by Caroline Harper New</strong></span></div></strong><div style="text-align: left;"><strong style="color: #1d2228; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: 29.7px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So many lengths of catgut can be strung<br style="outline: none;" />from a body. Each body could contain hundreds<br style="outline: none;" />of orchestras, Mozart insists against my grandmother's skin.<br style="outline: none;" />I believe some part of her body still vibrates<br style="outline: none;" />beneath all its soft battles and sinews, and Mozart<br style="outline: none;" />understands. He is praised for the silence<br style="outline: none;" />between his notes. No one knows the reason<br style="outline: none;" />for his untimely death, if you can call death<br style="outline: none;" />a simple matter of bones, not the thick oil of memory left<br style="outline: none;" />on the fridge handle, the kitchen window<br style="outline: none;" />where she smashed the gnats. My grandmother<br style="outline: none;" />never learned to cook, but she filled her kitchen with hundreds<br style="outline: none;" />of roosters, perched in wait for the day she could break<br style="outline: none;" />their ceramic silence. Battalions arranged in the bellies<br style="outline: none;" />of unused appliances, or riding the spine<br style="outline: none;" />of the keyboard I never saw her play. She loved the button<br style="outline: none;" />that looped <i style="outline: none;">Eine kleine Nachtmusik</i> through plastic speakers.<br style="outline: none;" />We loved to pound our own melodies over Mozart's<br style="outline: none;" />masterpiece, over her stories. I don't know who to blame<br style="outline: none;" />for the silence, so I sing. Can you hear me, Mema?<br style="outline: none;" />Mozart is the only one who understands.<br style="outline: none;" />Over take-out subs and tins of butter cookies, I hope<br style="outline: none;" />he is scribbling down your stories, and when his quill<br style="outline: none;" />strikes the words you are trying to speak,<br style="outline: none;" />I hope the rooster he plucked it from screams wildly.</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: 29.7px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">====</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: 29.7px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">New, Caroline Harper. "Patients Regain Song Before Speech. </span><i style="font-family: arial;">A History of Half-Birds: Poems</i><span style="font-family: arial;">. Milkweed Editions, 2024. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: 29.7px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">You can read more about the poet </span><a href="https://www.carolineharpernew.com/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">here</span></a><span style="color: #1d2228;">. </span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: 29.7px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: none; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: arial;">====</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: 29.7px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -5%;">Thanks for reading and joining us for our monthly Gathering of Poetry. Y</span><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -5%;">ou are more than welcome to add your link below if you would like to share one of <i>your</i> favorite poems. The more the merrier!</span></div>
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<!--end InLinkz code-->Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-62728469591270857382024-01-17T06:04:00.096-05:002024-01-17T06:04:00.127-05:00Unraveled Wednesday: 1/17/24<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm joining </span><a href="http://askatknits.com/" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kat</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and fellow Unravelers with the same old Funfetti Hitchhiker, looking much the same except for the addition of eight or ten teeth. There are four or five inches of snow on the ground and I couldn't bring myself to go out and arrange the Hitchhiker for a photo in the snow. The best picture I could manage was the Hitchhiker in a pile in front of my snow day baking yesterday (two loaves of zucchini bread and one cheese bread to go with chili from the crockpot).</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2I3Z26qcWnu0rdP8w6h8JjgSVyywj_JxUVTlTOfrdgpzAejiKl8uTSigG2apkDA5KP0wtQ-OL6duf4rC1KTgMKdsMlcXL-5AKTuGPHhwlQalkL6584T54N8GszMHnOqY-eky9NvpkdSAXQomfbGYvty977_U5uq2DLX0wiGavplJ6rZavapmuvHG4Li-E/s4000/IMG_20240116_163554324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2870" data-original-width="4000" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2I3Z26qcWnu0rdP8w6h8JjgSVyywj_JxUVTlTOfrdgpzAejiKl8uTSigG2apkDA5KP0wtQ-OL6duf4rC1KTgMKdsMlcXL-5AKTuGPHhwlQalkL6584T54N8GszMHnOqY-eky9NvpkdSAXQomfbGYvty977_U5uq2DLX0wiGavplJ6rZavapmuvHG4Li-E/w640-h460/IMG_20240116_163554324.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I hope to finish the Funfetti fun soon, but I'm not going to make any promises or even educated guesses. </span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>I finished two books before I started on the many books I requested from NetGalley over the holidays. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58672976-notes-on-your-sudden-disappearance"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance</span></a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124801870-house-love"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">House Love</span></a> </i>were both three-star books for me. If you'd like to read my reviews for them, you can click on the book title in the Read section in the right-hand sidebar. The first ARC book that I finished for NetGalley was a bit of a mindf**k but in a good way. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/177058906-fluke"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Fluke</span></a></i>, by Atlantic writer Brian Klaas, deals with chance, chaos, and why everything we do matters. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">In </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">No Country for Old Men</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">, Cormac McCarthy wrote “You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.” I've considered that on several occasions in my life, but after reading </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">Fluke</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> I may have to consider that luck might not even exist. The author wonders "whether the history of humanity is just an endless, but futile, struggle to impose order, certainty, and rationality onto a world defined by disorder, chance, and chaos.” Klaas opens the book with the story of how Hiroshima and Nagasaki were chosen to be bombed, and it comes down to the fact that Henry Stimson, US Secretary of War, had visited Kyoto and took that city off the list so Hiroshima was bombed instead. Clouds covered Kokura which had been the target of the second atomic bomb but cleared over Nagasaki at the last possible moment.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">The many examples in the book can mess with our views of "everything happens for a reason" and be a bit disconcerting. Klaas writes that "the natural world seems to seesaw between contingency and convergence." "Convergence is the “everything happens for a reason” school of evolutionary biology. Contingency is the “stuff happens” theory." It turns out that very little is in our direct control and that idea is somewhat freeing. Klaas is not recommending that we all just wait in bed for stuff to happen to us because, in a world full of flukes and random occurrences, we can still have an effect: “What you do matters. But it also matters that it's you, and not somebody else, who's doing it.” </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915;">Fluke</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"> provides a readable, interesting way to think about (and maybe even better understand) our infinitely complex world and our role in it. The book will be published January 23, 2024. </span></span><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What are </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>you</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> making and reading this week?</span></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-17605623490498886222024-01-16T06:04:00.123-05:002024-01-16T06:04:00.137-05:00Read With Us: It's a Wrap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UcS44rFsqKSfz1YP-R4nzakYcjvkpPc0vKTLgXU2UMrsH_uuhjfs7igPqEV4kl0GBweW8ejDKoAm55JONlIbtuPfUwnt4hSSduZWef7E9_SKDpK4Vp5jlLJ2WrvuaY6xb2y6GJZy3kA0Q28WeefST2dfCA2PUFs0bxw-V5GvKAsfhX_x5YD38PFToes1/s640/rwufall2023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UcS44rFsqKSfz1YP-R4nzakYcjvkpPc0vKTLgXU2UMrsH_uuhjfs7igPqEV4kl0GBweW8ejDKoAm55JONlIbtuPfUwnt4hSSduZWef7E9_SKDpK4Vp5jlLJ2WrvuaY6xb2y6GJZy3kA0Q28WeefST2dfCA2PUFs0bxw-V5GvKAsfhX_x5YD38PFToes1/w640-h428/rwufall2023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">It's my turn to do the Read With Us wrap-up and I've been considering what I wanted to say about our discussion of </span><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65678550-the-heaven-earth-grocery-store"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store</span></a></i><span style="color: #222222;">. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I did take some notes during our discussion last Tuesday night (although I completely forgot about taking a picture), and I've already patted myself on the back for remembering where I put those notes. </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.3px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJiVFNLt7UVBD9-hCAXVi-0qefP39Kge_anMBemjvH0NLAvKY-ViKXSQCXnE1eyid90bZHobH1qqZhnkYcfEUx0UNbyNqmUB7bqyzvnys-tEnRwoal29nPe5jEaE4jrkIm-dQlVnhZjDH0Si4p9A_JE9HUU_-wxsGKULRuO3GeeOsvnOMqlGri1hni3mw/s262/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="262" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJiVFNLt7UVBD9-hCAXVi-0qefP39Kge_anMBemjvH0NLAvKY-ViKXSQCXnE1eyid90bZHobH1qqZhnkYcfEUx0UNbyNqmUB7bqyzvnys-tEnRwoal29nPe5jEaE4jrkIm-dQlVnhZjDH0Si4p9A_JE9HUU_-wxsGKULRuO3GeeOsvnOMqlGri1hni3mw/w640-h469/download.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We're very appreciative that so many of you chose to read the book, join us (even if you didn't have a chance to finish the book), answer the questions we posed, and discuss the book. Read With Us was conceived as a book group, and while there are three of us, book discussions would quickly reach a dead end if just Kym, Carole, and I were the only ones discussing the books. All of you offer new viewpoints, original thoughts, and opinions and we are grateful for that!</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Kym opened up the discussion by asking what our guilty reading pleasures might be. Answers ranged from Stephen King, Ellie Griffiths, and Louise Penny to Rosamunde Pilcher. Many people seem to enjoy reading historical fiction as a break from more difficult books. </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We talked about characters in <i>Heaven & Earth</i>, and we all felt that even though there were many of them which made it a bit difficult to keep track of them, they served to cross boundaries. We also discussed the communities that the immigrants formed served to put some order in the world along with identifying with others who are like you. This is helpful both culturally and economically. These communities can both work together and be pulled apart, even by a simple act. </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm not sure how we segued to this as I neglected to write it down, but we felt that issues can be solved if we can see the humanity in people. Sometimes small gestures or simple kindnesses can work wonders. I think that was evident in the book and is true in our world today.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #222222;">Many of us agreed that the ending felt rushed. After reading about multiple characters and their detouring storylines, the main story did seem to be quickly wrapped up, so quickly in fact, that several readers wondered if they had missed something. Several people felt that they had enjoyed </span><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16171272-the-good-lord-bird?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=UhIBTR2OS3&rank=1"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Good Lord Bird</span></a></i><span style="color: #222222;"> or </span><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51045613-deacon-king-kong"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Deacon King Kong</span></a></i><span style="color: #222222;"> a bit more, and I would like to read McBride's memoir </span><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29209.The_Color_of_Water"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Color of Water</span></a></i><span style="color: #222222;"> to find out more about his grandmother. </span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #141617; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">If you took part in the Zoom and would like to share some of our discussion highlights in the comments, please feel free to do so. (That might make for a better wrap-up than trying to decipher my fragmented and scribbled notes!) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141617; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">Thanks so much for coming along and for choosing to </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #141617; font-weight: bolder; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">Read With Us</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141617; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">. Stay tuned as we’ll be announcing our spring selection next Tuesday!</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.3px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.3px;"><br /></span></div>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-87398455813311111612024-01-11T06:04:00.140-05:002024-01-11T06:04:00.132-05:00The One Where I Air Fry Everything<p><span style="font-family: arial;">For Christmas Justin got me an air fryer. I've resisted getting one myself for a long time because I hate the idea of one more slightly large kitchen appliance that is of limited use. He got one for Jess a year ago and based on her frequent use of it, he thought I might find it useful. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Yo9zXOHQiRQy8l0mUPJlap8COw4vrEAQGbScd-uFCWfMwXtT5Y9TY0ktkjdxvwyChaKTEELMAmDQREfke3U5oaLbgwGZu0csJ5bnWFqIQKhyphenhyphenYrDQJO5Kwu9w5_yWPMo1wBCcXeTzkHVRz7JRVCT2Tyr2h7sYOiye0FaIxG7DrcVlI3Ftt66teZMZxtVh/s3407/IMG_20240108_125354755.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3407" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Yo9zXOHQiRQy8l0mUPJlap8COw4vrEAQGbScd-uFCWfMwXtT5Y9TY0ktkjdxvwyChaKTEELMAmDQREfke3U5oaLbgwGZu0csJ5bnWFqIQKhyphenhyphenYrDQJO5Kwu9w5_yWPMo1wBCcXeTzkHVRz7JRVCT2Tyr2h7sYOiye0FaIxG7DrcVlI3Ftt66teZMZxtVh/w640-h564/IMG_20240108_125354755.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">And he was right!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We had a big lunch on Christmas Day but I was anxious to try my air fryer so I made a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches for a late dinner. They were okay but the bread was a little crunchy for my taste. I think a pan on the stove still works better for grilled cheese but there were lots of other things to try.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvZN0LVOsYlwNs1lajL_Uz2dmbnikmqcxTgIDjjg_Too_o-CiUwoG9oXXWAOlSOiNYYEQnRMUgOKSq7_DDN00bO_eJtPwVjwNFKirKcQLR_yromway8Ktt0AYZG8LBthWjO5Ty9s9Ot9532fqNaIdOO4eOWTvCRo7NIo36SS626Jt0DPsG0gcN48PEZqe/s3704/IMG_20231225_195052006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3704" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvZN0LVOsYlwNs1lajL_Uz2dmbnikmqcxTgIDjjg_Too_o-CiUwoG9oXXWAOlSOiNYYEQnRMUgOKSq7_DDN00bO_eJtPwVjwNFKirKcQLR_yromway8Ktt0AYZG8LBthWjO5Ty9s9Ot9532fqNaIdOO4eOWTvCRo7NIo36SS626Jt0DPsG0gcN48PEZqe/w640-h518/IMG_20231225_195052006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I had green beans left over from Christmas dinner, so that's what I air-fried next. I dipped them in flour, eggs, then panko bread crumbs and did them in two batches. John ate a few so I finished (and enjoyed) a whole plateful of green beans for dinner one night. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeCfxfmX78CT-8n7g9TynXp8nf8hpaphd1g-82IYkFoZ949jYMiiANjuzdnkOCebJ5hFzoAK1ZZ-NLzJ-Adn6bHPHgkGUz2X3cIzS1svD0kNSf3zVK-MwVx4ivJzuIv6elhBWd8HmD5tWbfA2lOM6FGnVEhNhs-RzBiSBKt2Hw0EwCisdGdBntyhUF6qF/s4000/IMG_20231226_180233919.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeCfxfmX78CT-8n7g9TynXp8nf8hpaphd1g-82IYkFoZ949jYMiiANjuzdnkOCebJ5hFzoAK1ZZ-NLzJ-Adn6bHPHgkGUz2X3cIzS1svD0kNSf3zVK-MwVx4ivJzuIv6elhBWd8HmD5tWbfA2lOM6FGnVEhNhs-RzBiSBKt2Hw0EwCisdGdBntyhUF6qF/w640-h480/IMG_20231226_180233919.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I was beginning to understand how the air fryer worked and gaining a little confidence, so next I decided it was time to try air-frying some meat. We eat a lot of venison so I was glad to find that it worked well for venison steaks and burgers. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZgJmLN5gVAemWV22I_mVnNMDxX4F0JqJUKoLegy8QOn0tAez4AdDZcyQMnhWjW0fQ94UYEPYEUl6JJZs6EMrrLfQMJN04h74Gc9G84TrXx7r4uLXrCse-rT7_OoVlUFjusabvLviJ4NCH2_NDRwmQLUpMZeVb9bUu_6IPO12ym0CYs2PaeRoiQNW_bfo/s4000/IMG_20231228_183133714.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZgJmLN5gVAemWV22I_mVnNMDxX4F0JqJUKoLegy8QOn0tAez4AdDZcyQMnhWjW0fQ94UYEPYEUl6JJZs6EMrrLfQMJN04h74Gc9G84TrXx7r4uLXrCse-rT7_OoVlUFjusabvLviJ4NCH2_NDRwmQLUpMZeVb9bUu_6IPO12ym0CYs2PaeRoiQNW_bfo/w640-h480/IMG_20231228_183133714.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZ678RmuBGUm4s2SqhDy_3D1q-mNi-_xgYaMTDtmp30TQQeFoZHsfeCZdboLfzJMHrO45WzHQzB4iVHHqMGWbkrkvmDjTGumBWTeY18B41vgO0SzgeRv4tjx4p0gqidNzixVC35PLZHzxpQLPb7xu2ZNoY4fYZzpGsmDgN_PF92p4Cv07Y2Kx95jfP94y/s4000/IMG_20231231_184505595.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZ678RmuBGUm4s2SqhDy_3D1q-mNi-_xgYaMTDtmp30TQQeFoZHsfeCZdboLfzJMHrO45WzHQzB4iVHHqMGWbkrkvmDjTGumBWTeY18B41vgO0SzgeRv4tjx4p0gqidNzixVC35PLZHzxpQLPb7xu2ZNoY4fYZzpGsmDgN_PF92p4Cv07Y2Kx95jfP94y/w640-h480/IMG_20231231_184505595.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Next, I moved on to pork chops and brats. John said they were the best pork chops he ever had and I was happy not to have to go out to the grill in freezing weather to cook the brats. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHvCF0nPThcEvKAnjJm3wFlv4WiRLUGh7rMGXkb1W1YHhu1klJhDasfcq9Wi3DwPt7ccL-DzRs3VjHOJjm24cftRLgD0S9sR4IG3FFmoluMvxEgEBiaE6Ccd85ejAAH3xtQOTgb3-4eeefVRfsKQ4daQW6ceSHRhse0uYJoQ_rbxfjDWeuOdn-7D-CP9W/s4000/IMG_20240103_185709453.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHvCF0nPThcEvKAnjJm3wFlv4WiRLUGh7rMGXkb1W1YHhu1klJhDasfcq9Wi3DwPt7ccL-DzRs3VjHOJjm24cftRLgD0S9sR4IG3FFmoluMvxEgEBiaE6Ccd85ejAAH3xtQOTgb3-4eeefVRfsKQ4daQW6ceSHRhse0uYJoQ_rbxfjDWeuOdn-7D-CP9W/w640-h480/IMG_20240103_185709453.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2ne5tz6fpCO0FTN3ZsIhVeQXHC9za5A6CPerS-rs7wNmbLqA2ugRp4UeY3-BqMdwDnr4CdZtncWKbpXPkUpFR99l05rKF585yuMDZhnvrwdmD9jJgv5jxwS_eUZ8N9hG5NKa7PXL0uOV0AXSd0Xy88EEc3vdLCrcPUplFz-9fuEoFm6FV8Bz4QaGGDaZ/s3678/IMG_20240104_183057580.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2511" data-original-width="3678" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2ne5tz6fpCO0FTN3ZsIhVeQXHC9za5A6CPerS-rs7wNmbLqA2ugRp4UeY3-BqMdwDnr4CdZtncWKbpXPkUpFR99l05rKF585yuMDZhnvrwdmD9jJgv5jxwS_eUZ8N9hG5NKa7PXL0uOV0AXSd0Xy88EEc3vdLCrcPUplFz-9fuEoFm6FV8Bz4QaGGDaZ/w640-h436/IMG_20240104_183057580.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I also tried some frozen foods, like clam strips and pierogies and both turned out wonderfully.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbzlrffEp-hs7OMrcmr3mAri8wcoAW9_hyCWbhHRwKIa4UWZMNnNZejeh9cbwEpIIzJXdhF2ojKeTg0X0dejSStLGRbKP1d9eoFUpm6mu6UkeBnDBmgNPygprAlvDyKrENX9kIcF8NhHGCMn58EP-SNW6vjdB0VBbhNABeMI6kcH0QWVUem_dHHx7NCjm/s3827/IMG_20240103_142851250.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3827" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbzlrffEp-hs7OMrcmr3mAri8wcoAW9_hyCWbhHRwKIa4UWZMNnNZejeh9cbwEpIIzJXdhF2ojKeTg0X0dejSStLGRbKP1d9eoFUpm6mu6UkeBnDBmgNPygprAlvDyKrENX9kIcF8NhHGCMn58EP-SNW6vjdB0VBbhNABeMI6kcH0QWVUem_dHHx7NCjm/w502-h640/IMG_20240103_142851250.jpg" width="502" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53JxK7s9tDUS0e95spvPp3MuHRKdAdRBpoUsFGi54Q41jHShEg2m_4zvm7N-OWH36XHgv55QXhcE5tZDNBp1ZkDQv-_kOhL3IugWTyfAXyL8qIRVHBa7ak_94XiXGEqikhwYOWi10B-DIAR1WoxAsZrJKFJUnXqW8B5kmZYTmJtJ55ulCUmjteqYJl6wM/s4000/IMG_20240108_113346030_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53JxK7s9tDUS0e95spvPp3MuHRKdAdRBpoUsFGi54Q41jHShEg2m_4zvm7N-OWH36XHgv55QXhcE5tZDNBp1ZkDQv-_kOhL3IugWTyfAXyL8qIRVHBa7ak_94XiXGEqikhwYOWi10B-DIAR1WoxAsZrJKFJUnXqW8B5kmZYTmJtJ55ulCUmjteqYJl6wM/w640-h480/IMG_20240108_113346030_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I have a block of mozzarella in the refrigerator that I intend to use to make air-fried mozzarella sticks sometime this week. The boys are coming over for lunch on Saturday and air-fried catfish filets are on the menu. John and Justin caught these catfish on a fishing trip they took this summer so I'm glad to be able to serve them when they are both around to enjoy them. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">There's one thing I made that I'm not exactly proud of, but at least I can say I tried them - air-fried Twinkies. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KTonFqjLYHU61pvHBGagXwc8ekl4VK8in3ISXZXPbt6IKRbG9JCIl6Z2lhb8ExgLLDmd2oYI_Mw-8Votdrsf21kfXeDWtgMDyDpdUw2S_nWMvdfDGb7Xvh_yZCS0YKYGVrAmGT9iMY2ucheGobwbor_hcicktY8FiXN44XTyLIWTUUPWAjrY-at3-T6P/s3802/IMG_20231231_211735012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2776" data-original-width="3802" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KTonFqjLYHU61pvHBGagXwc8ekl4VK8in3ISXZXPbt6IKRbG9JCIl6Z2lhb8ExgLLDmd2oYI_Mw-8Votdrsf21kfXeDWtgMDyDpdUw2S_nWMvdfDGb7Xvh_yZCS0YKYGVrAmGT9iMY2ucheGobwbor_hcicktY8FiXN44XTyLIWTUUPWAjrY-at3-T6P/w640-h468/IMG_20231231_211735012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I've never had a real fried Twinkie at a fair so I can't do a comparison, but these were actually pretty good. There is something about the caramelized bits that adds to the taste. I did think about breaking a Kit-Kat bar into long pieces, sticking that in the middle of the Twinkie, and air-frying that concoction, but that sounded like a calorie and fat-laden nightmare that I haven't tried (yet). Plain air-fried Twinkies seem much healthier. :-)</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">So thanks to Justin for a useful and fun kitchen appliance that I look forward to using more!</span></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-74808122738817153202024-01-10T06:04:00.068-05:002024-01-10T06:04:00.127-05:00Unraveled Wednesday: 1/10/24<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm joining </span><a href="http://askatknits.com/" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kat</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and fellow Unravelers with a Hitchhiker picture that doesn't look much different than the one I posted last week. It's raining buckets and the wind is picking up outside, so all I have is a gloomy indoor photo. Even my attempt to make it a little more cozy with a candle didn't entirely work. But I've joined the second skein and will keep plugging along, dreaming multicolored Funfetti dreams while I knit. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPV8EyFRGVgWwbu8aIz2EVq4asqP8J-99_gsZLynP10VozOc7tNAsKhveSRcmNnPBBSMRsP-C_S-r-e-AqXBCksXkE_56Z7bSe6lFIjG0Yb0xOSNo93aS3LgcXdsClj03cMDHKh3FG9CCfq0l37SlO_myIi-pcxaVosXLvbRwx0BhtVI1RU7L9HR-ghNa/s3781/IMG_20240109_142918611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3781" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPV8EyFRGVgWwbu8aIz2EVq4asqP8J-99_gsZLynP10VozOc7tNAsKhveSRcmNnPBBSMRsP-C_S-r-e-AqXBCksXkE_56Z7bSe6lFIjG0Yb0xOSNo93aS3LgcXdsClj03cMDHKh3FG9CCfq0l37SlO_myIi-pcxaVosXLvbRwx0BhtVI1RU7L9HR-ghNa/w508-h640/IMG_20240109_142918611.jpg" width="508" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>I finished two books last week. The first one was <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200387639-while-you-were-out"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">While You Were Out: </span></a></i></span><span style="background-color: white;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200387639-while-you-were-out"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence</span></a> </i><span style="color: #1e1915;">by Meg Kissinger. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">While I applaud Meg Kissinger for all the work and painful emotions that I imagine it must have taken to write her family's memoir of mental illness, I don't think it was an especially intimate portrait. Kissinger and her seven siblings were raised by a mother who was hospitalized for anxiety and depression and a bipolar alcoholic father. The author recounts a lot of family history at the beginning of the book but then steps back to tell the story of how the children grew up with drug abuse, depression, and multiple suicide attempts, but after each crisis "we simply went back to our old routines with no therapy or family discussions. None.” Kissinger became a journalist writing about mental health and with the help and cooperation of her siblings, pieced together their excruciating childhood.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">I think this book is most useful for the author and her family. It would have helped me to better understand the author's siblings if she had included some of her interviews with them and their voices. I was left with questions about what roles genetics may have played and how much damage was done by parents who couldn't talk about things. Much of this happened in the 1970s when it was the norm not to discuss mental health. Even though I think many people now are better able to understand that mental health is just as important as physical health, resources are still hard to come by.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">One of the things I liked most about the book was that the author chose to use a part of Mary Oliver's "In Blackwater Woods" as an epigraph. It struck me as especially appropriate for this sad memoir.</span></span><blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: arial;">you must be able<br />to do three things:<br />to love what is mortal;<br />to hold it<br /><br />against your bones knowing<br />your own life depends on it;<br />and, when the time comes to let it<br />go,<br />to let it go.</span></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #181818;">The other book was an advance reader copy from NetGalley and it was the perfect book to read during a recent winter storm. </span><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/177328214-the-wedding-people"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Wedding People</span></a></i><span style="color: #181818;"> by Alison Espach is</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"> the story of Phoebe who has reached what she feels is the nadir in her life and Lila who thinks she is at her zenith. These two intersect at the Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, along with other realistic and interesting characters, and the results are intriguing. This isn't a cutesy wedding story, but rather one about people trying their best, sometimes falling on their faces, and trying again. There is just the right amount of well-placed humor and great dialogue in the author's well-paced plot. I requested the book from NetGalley because I liked the cover and even Espach's acknowledgments were a pleasure to read. See what I mean about </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">The Wedding People</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"> being the perfect book? I was not familiar with the author before reading this novel but I was glad to see that she has written others, and I've already started </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">The Wedding People</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"> will be published on July 30, 2024.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What are </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>you</i></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> making and reading this week?</span></p>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141954207305878743.post-57526675155099462582024-01-09T06:04:00.001-05:002024-01-09T06:04:00.137-05:00Read With Us: Time to Discuss!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3u4MuCz9rIqSIHsCNFN2gWp42F-HD2qo6VtU0_OYldXPdXbk1f1n_fmOG-zmHpkZTuHZai1edYqH7-k7BjiIsZowK7zfclCaGtLU3qOv4DuStcyyb7cvHeup85Wq1fuVq3CsyKosmzVwKJDsSPsNzN8oN86_zf3XJLGuVu3uixB3j07neYJhKiHDXzV-/s640/rwufall2023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3u4MuCz9rIqSIHsCNFN2gWp42F-HD2qo6VtU0_OYldXPdXbk1f1n_fmOG-zmHpkZTuHZai1edYqH7-k7BjiIsZowK7zfclCaGtLU3qOv4DuStcyyb7cvHeup85Wq1fuVq3CsyKosmzVwKJDsSPsNzN8oN86_zf3XJLGuVu3uixB3j07neYJhKiHDXzV-/w400-h268/rwufall2023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"><span style="color: #141617;">Today is the discussion day for our Read With Us fall selection, </span><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65678550-the-heaven-earth-grocery-store?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Yhau19oOVM&rank=1"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store</span></a> </i><span style="color: #141617;">by James McBride</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141617; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">. </span><a href="https://dancingattheedge.com/" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kym</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141617; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">, </span><a href="http://caroleknits.net/" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Carole</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141617; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">, and I are each posting discussion questions on our blogs today, and you are welcome to respond in the comments. I would also encourage you to reply to others' comments if you choose. This is a book discussion, after all, so there are no correct answers or right opinions. I've been looking forward to discussing this book ever since I finished it, and I don't know of a better bunch of people for a book discussion than all of you.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_NgP2kEtylSvBqBANZEbvi-TcmhVECU2QVXIDE_kal5EG3nFPW7sy7clZx5wuiEwvXXbl5fwq034tiyMmowYq7jeIYYN9gTU1u3Yi9hrZqjJw3WCUJiyfbaGevI0T1FbKH-HaKl5pzAisNzpNhuh1mBgZJW9ZabMfO734T57YvsdJu4-cqo-x2Y4BY3J/s262/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="262" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_NgP2kEtylSvBqBANZEbvi-TcmhVECU2QVXIDE_kal5EG3nFPW7sy7clZx5wuiEwvXXbl5fwq034tiyMmowYq7jeIYYN9gTU1u3Yi9hrZqjJw3WCUJiyfbaGevI0T1FbKH-HaKl5pzAisNzpNhuh1mBgZJW9ZabMfO734T57YvsdJu4-cqo-x2Y4BY3J/w400-h293/images.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Here are my questions. McBride has said that his inspiration for this novel came from his Orthodox Jewish
grandmother, Hudis Shilsky, whom he never knew, and Sy Friend, the director of the Variety
Club Camp where McBride worked. Hudis Shilsky led a tragic life and died at the age of 46.
Are there themes present in the book that these real-life people may have contributed to?
Did McBride “set things right” for his grandmother through the character of Chona? Can
you see traces of Sy Friend and the camp he ran in the book?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm almost always interested in who or what inspired an author to write their novels, and I'll be glad to share my thoughts about these questions tonight during our Zoom discussion. These questions on our blogs and the Zoom discussion are your</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"> chance to express</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"> </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">your</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">ideas.</span></p><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #141617; letter-spacing: 0.24px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #1d2228; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">So what do</span><span style="color: #1d2228; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"> </span><i style="color: #1d2228; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">you</i><span style="color: #1d2228; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"> </span><span style="color: #1d2228; letter-spacing: 0.24px;">think? I can't wait to hear your thoughts!</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #141617; letter-spacing: 0.24px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #1d2228; letter-spacing: 0.24px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: normal;">The in-person <b>Zoom discussion will be at 7:00 pm Eastern this evening</b>. You can send me an email (the email address is in the upper right) to RSVP and I will make sure you get an invitation with the </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman"; letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Zoom link if you haven't already. I hope to see you there!</span></span></span></span></div>Bonnyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11608328439375705263noreply@blogger.com10