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Kym
I'm busy figuring out how I want to spend the rest of my life!
Interests: music, knitting, gardening, cooking, reading, photography, sewing, walking, fitness activities, traveling (but not camping)
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Beautiful post, Kim.
XO
Even In The Quietest Moments....
Within each of us there is an intense need to feel that we belong. This feeling of unity and togetherness comes through the warmth of a smile, a handshake, or a hug, through laughter and unspoken demonstrations of love. It comes in the quiet, reverent moments of soft conversation and in liste...
I agree, Margene. It was a perfect YA romance/fairytale (and especially her "romance" with Connor). I would have loved all the drama and intense "self-reflection" (if you can call it that) as a young reader. I found Julia's voice to be a good representation of a strong, independent-minded teenager -- but it did make me wonder how she developed that voice in the first place.
Read With Us: Discussion Time
When Bonny and Carole and I were selecting the next Read With Us book, we were interested in finding something about the Mexican immigrant experience written by a Latinx author. Several lists pointed us to our eventual pick . . . But you know what I didn't know when we chose this book? Th...
I agree with you, Sarah. I would imagine that Julia really WOULD be dealing with all those issues in her everyday life. Young adults are dealing with so much these days, and I think Julia's life situation would make that even MORE the case. I think the author did a good job bringing the issues to light in an authentic way without going into too much graphic detail -- keeping it more appropriate for a YA audience.
Read With Us: Discussion Time
When Bonny and Carole and I were selecting the next Read With Us book, we were interested in finding something about the Mexican immigrant experience written by a Latinx author. Several lists pointed us to our eventual pick . . . But you know what I didn't know when we chose this book? Th...
Thanks, Mary! The book is a pretty fast read. (I only started and finished reading it last week myself!) :-)
Read With Us: Discussion Time
When Bonny and Carole and I were selecting the next Read With Us book, we were interested in finding something about the Mexican immigrant experience written by a Latinx author. Several lists pointed us to our eventual pick . . . But you know what I didn't know when we chose this book? Th...
It really was quite an "adult" book, wasn't it? 13-year-old me would have been absolutely scandalized! But . . . 13-year-old me would also have loved it! Even thought Julia's life was very different from mine, I know I would have been able to relate to the feelings she had -- the desire to please her parents while also wanting to separate from them; falling in love (kinda sorta maybe), being embarrassed by your family . . . but also proud to be part of them, wanting to grow up in a hurry, not sure how to hold on to secrets. Julia was an annoying character, for sure! Very, very whiney. But I still couldn't help rooting for her and hoping everything works out okay! Thanks so much for reading with us!
Read With Us: Discussion Time
When Bonny and Carole and I were selecting the next Read With Us book, we were interested in finding something about the Mexican immigrant experience written by a Latinx author. Several lists pointed us to our eventual pick . . . But you know what I didn't know when we chose this book? Th...
There were definitely LOTS of issues! But I imagine numerous, serious issues are not actually a stretch for kids in Julia's life circumstances -- living at the margins of US society. Being poor . . . being an immigrant . . . being a person of color . . . sadly invites layers of complication. I have a feeling Julia's life looks far too much like many kids' lives these days.
I didn't really get enough information from my reading about the relationships Julia's friends had with their own mothers. I thought Julia's relationships with her friends were authentic and true. (Except her relationship with Connor. Connor seems like the real outlier in this book to me. . . Not terribly realistic to me at all.)
Read With Us: Discussion Time
When Bonny and Carole and I were selecting the next Read With Us book, we were interested in finding something about the Mexican immigrant experience written by a Latinx author. Several lists pointed us to our eventual pick . . . But you know what I didn't know when we chose this book? Th...
My 13-year-old self would have been right there with you! (She would also have been completely scandalized by the issues Julia had to deal with . . . but times are very different now.) I agree that Julia was particularly whiney . . . and that was grating. (I find it's so much easier to love the characters I'm reading about. . . ) But I do think the author did a great job with this book -- creating a main character who can connect across generations -- and probably teach a thing or two to adults and teens alike! Thanks so much for reading with us.
Read With Us: Discussion Time
When Bonny and Carole and I were selecting the next Read With Us book, we were interested in finding something about the Mexican immigrant experience written by a Latinx author. Several lists pointed us to our eventual pick . . . But you know what I didn't know when we chose this book? Th...
Oh . . . you and I shared so many favorite books! The world is so, so very different today than it was when I was a 13-year-old. I would have been totally scandalized by the issues Julia had to deal with. Totally. And yet . . . I would still have been able to relate to her. It's not the situations. For me, it's the feelings. Wanting to be able to grown up and be on my own. Falling in love (maybe kinda sorta). Separating from my parents. Wanting MORE. I am not a fan of YA fiction, but I do think this author did a great job at making the life of a poor daughter of immigrants completely universal. Thanks so much for reading with us!
Read With Us: Discussion Time
When Bonny and Carole and I were selecting the next Read With Us book, we were interested in finding something about the Mexican immigrant experience written by a Latinx author. Several lists pointed us to our eventual pick . . . But you know what I didn't know when we chose this book? Th...
I agree with you, Becky. I didn't think I'd like this book at all -- but I did! Although Julia really did have to deal with a LOT of issues, I'm pretty sure life looks like this for a lot of teens living on the margins of US society (and probably many who aren't living on the margins!). I think the author presented a balanced picture of life for Julia -- and I found I could relate to her even though I didn't have to face most of those issues when I was her age. I can certainly understand her feelings -- the frustration, the desire, the drive! I haven't read a lot of YA fiction (some, but not a lot), but I think this was really well-done -- universal themes, an authentic voice, and a well-written story. Thanks so much for reading along with us!
Read With Us: Discussion Time
When Bonny and Carole and I were selecting the next Read With Us book, we were interested in finding something about the Mexican immigrant experience written by a Latinx author. Several lists pointed us to our eventual pick . . . But you know what I didn't know when we chose this book? Th...
Yes -- my 13-year-old self would have been scandalized by the issues that come up in Julia's life! That said, I'm sure I would have been able to relate to Julia anyway. Even though my life was quite different from Julia's - and I never faced the situations she was facing - I still would have understood the feelings. The wanting to please your parents but also wanting to be yourself. The rumblings of love. The wanting to grow up and be on your own. The frustration at being held back or silenced. The embarrassment in your own family. I think the author really did a great job with some universal themes that most teens -- even those not in Julia's specific circumstances -- could understand and relate to. And . . . learn from.
Read With Us: Discussion Time
When Bonny and Carole and I were selecting the next Read With Us book, we were interested in finding something about the Mexican immigrant experience written by a Latinx author. Several lists pointed us to our eventual pick . . . But you know what I didn't know when we chose this book? Th...
I had a hard time liking Julia, too. I, too, grew up in a very different environment from Julia's, but I still found I could relate to many of the issues she faced -- maybe not the situations themselves, but certainly the feelings that came out of those situations. YA is not my preferred genre, that's for sure! I usually find it to be a bit dull and superficial. I liked this one more than most, and I was surprised by that.
Read With Us: Discussion Time
When Bonny and Carole and I were selecting the next Read With Us book, we were interested in finding something about the Mexican immigrant experience written by a Latinx author. Several lists pointed us to our eventual pick . . . But you know what I didn't know when we chose this book? Th...
I really did like the slice-of-life narrative in the book. I think it was very "real" for a teenage narrator to tell the story that way . . . but . . . I think the time jumps were a bit wild. I was actually surprised by how much time elapsed over the course of the novel.
I had some of the same thoughts that you did about just where Julia WAS in Chicago. I remember reading (may have been in the narrative, but it may have been in a summary somewhere) that she lived on the South Side, but that doesn't seem right. I think she must have been on the West Side . . . And the back-and-forth to Evanston? No way! The most unbelievable part of the book to me . . . was Connor. I just didn't find Connor - and their whole relationship - to be believable.
Read With Us: Discussion Time
When Bonny and Carole and I were selecting the next Read With Us book, we were interested in finding something about the Mexican immigrant experience written by a Latinx author. Several lists pointed us to our eventual pick . . . But you know what I didn't know when we chose this book? Th...
There were a LOT of issues in there, that's for sure! I have a feeling, though, that it might be reflective of the reality immigrant families face every day . . . trying to make their way at the margins of US society. I think the world is both more open and more complicated now than it was when I was a teenager, and that weighs on things, too. I ended up liking this book a lot more than I expected to going into it, and I do think it's an excellent example of YA fiction.
Read With Us: Discussion Time
When Bonny and Carole and I were selecting the next Read With Us book, we were interested in finding something about the Mexican immigrant experience written by a Latinx author. Several lists pointed us to our eventual pick . . . But you know what I didn't know when we chose this book? Th...
Oh, how did I miss this post yesterday!!!! Another swibelling!!!! What BIG AND WONDERFUL NEWS! Congratulations all around. XO
Unraveled Wednesday: Taking it literally
I'm joining Kat & the Unravelers today to share what I'm knitting and reading... and doing. And there's big news! As usual, I've buried the lead, so see if you can find it. Heh. KNITTING Um, yeah... so this happened: I was so close to finishing the first of two repeats of this section and drop...
Yum! I'm really having fun cooking . . . inspired . . . meals these days! It's amazing how much I used to run to the store for missing ingredients before. Not any more! Thanks for these really inspired recipes, Vicki! XO
3TT: Three Recipes
Joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday... I think we're all cooking a bit more, whether we want to or not. Here are three recipes that are high on the rotation list and that we really love... maybe you will, too! There's a little bit more involved than just opening cans (oh, that ...
LOVE this, Vicki! That . . . fungus? moss? whatever???? . . . looks like velvet. Or chenille pipe cleaners. What a wonderful excursion! Happy weekend. XO
Sk-eye Candy Friday (and more)
We did, indeed, head out on a little road trip yesterday. We drove about 1.5 hours N-NE -- not far from where Annie used to live -- to find the waterfall at Veterans Park. Oh, it was so worth it!! There was a stairway down to the river and some paths along the shore. And a really lovely ...
What a perfect get-away, Vicki! I always like to think of you . . . just there on the opposite shore of the lake! XO
3TT: Road Trip
Joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday... We kinda needed to bust outta here last week, so we took a drive out to 1) Lake Michigan. That's about an hour east of us, and it was a nice day for a drive. It just so happens we were on a small portion of the 2) Ice Age Trail. Yes,...
I LOVE Cooking with Jun and Gin! Thanks so much for sharing . . . you ALL have just made my day. (And whenever I'm feeling down, I'm going to re-watch Ginny's "wardrobe malfunction.") They are so wonderful, Vicki. And Ali is the ultimate patient mom. XOXO
Unraveled Wednesday: Mystery, 100 Days, and More Cooking!
I'm joining Kat & the Unravelers today to share what I'm knitting and reading... and doing. KNITTING Well, I'm still working on Nightshift, but after Zoom Knitting on Sunday (hosted by Mary) and seeing both Kat and Margene working on Romi's Mystery Shawl 2020, I caved... These are the two yarn...
This is THE BEST thing!!! Thank you so much for the cheer today. XOXO
(I love seeing Malina doing her thing in the background, too.)
(And I've been thinking about Ann. Is her move on hold -- or did she move before All This????)
Monday morning smiles
So, over the weekend, my sister Ann posted a video to her YouTube channel called "My Cooking Show." She made it to help inspire the students at her school... but also because she's always wanted to have a cooking show, and there's no better time than now! This morning, Alison posted the cutest ...
We had sunshine yesterday, too! It is SO GLORIOUS to find spring happening in our gardens, isn't it? I just love this time of year. So exciting! Thanks for sharing! XO
3TT: Thar she grows!!
Joining Carole & friends for Three Things on Thursday... Thing #1 Peonies! Thing #2 Snowdrops! Thing #3 Bleeding Heart! THE SUN IS SHINING TODAY! After a prolonged period of clouds and rain, the sun is brightly shining this morning and these things will no doubtedly grow a little. The Ble...
I love your Night Shift, Vicki. It is definitely a smaller shawl than you think it's going to be (when you look at the modeled photos in the pattern). I never did a gauge swatch either, but when it was finished, I did measure my blocked shawl and found that, yep, it was (roughly) the size it was supposed to be. I don't mind the size, myself. But I was surprised at how small it was compared to my own expectations (which, of course, were not based on a measurement check. . . so, duh). :-)
It is amazing how much and how quickly life has changed. I'm pretty sure we're all suffering from a serious case of whiplash right now. Enjoy your puzzle! XO
Unraveled Wednesday: Nightshift
I'm joining Kat & the Unravelers today to share what I'm knitting and reading. I can't believe how long it's been since I've done an "Unraveled Wednesday" post! North Carolina! It seems like not only a long time ago, but also another world... I guess it was a different world in February. KNITTIN...
What charming birdhouses! :-) And the school is a treasure! I'm so glad it's being used STILL -- and that your kids got a chance to go to school there. (That tower!!!!) It's been wet and windy here, too. I'm eager for some sunshine and warmer temperatures . . .
XO
Scenes from limbo
I haven't been going on daily walks, but at least a few times a week. It's been very wet here... and dreary. Finally, today, the clouds are breaking up a bit! The photo above is from early last week on the Konkapot Creek Trail, which is just below our house. I used to walk down there all the t...
I needed that lovely break, Vicki! Thank you! (And those turtles. . . )
XOXO
Mexico
Maybe someday I'll feel more like writing about our vacation (or anything)... until then, a video place-holder. I haven't used my 1SE app in quite a while, but it came in handy today. I hope you all are well.
Oh, how great is that!!! Happy Birthday, Malina! XOXO
And now she's 2!!
This bright spot is 2 years old today!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MALINA!!
That Tooth Fairy is so dang flexible! :-) I can't believe Junah is already losing teeth . . . time just flies, doesn't it? Stay well, Vicki. XOXO
Well, this happened...
Junah left a two-part note under his pillow, instead of a tooth. Luckily, the tooth fairy understood and delivered some goodies, anyway! _ _ _ _ _ Our governor has issued a "Safer At Home" order for the next 30 days. I may need to go to work on occasion, as I am in a support position for an ...
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