Today: I have been very aware of songbirds. They have been singing so loudly and sweetly. For some reason I've been noticing them more than usual this week.
Yesterday: I volunteered with a few others from my church at L'Arche Farms. L'Arche communities are worldwide for individuals living with mental disabilities. The L'Arche community in Tacoma has a farm and the individuals work on the farm growing produce and plants for sale at Farmer's Markets in the area in the summer. In the winter they make soap and greeting cards from paper they made themselves. It is a very cool organization. Check out your area to see if they have a L'Arche community and learn how you can volunteer.
Last evening: My hubby and I went to McNamara's Irish bar so that I could have a glass of cold draft hard cider. It is a new favorite of mine.
This past week: we had our last Bethel S.D. Librarians meeting of the year at my house. Five individuals are retiring this year from our ranks. It was a wonderful celebration of their service but it is really hard to imagine the school year without them.
This next week: is all about textbook collection at work. Seniors last day is Friday so all their books must come in and fines/fees cleared. Lots of work ahead. In honor of it, here are a few haiku I wrote about textbook collection (See all here):
"I didn't do it,"
the red-faced student complains.
Graffiti on page.
Black tape: bent corners,
Glue broken spine, tape ripped page.
Book repair on cheap.
End of day drive home.
Listen to audiobook.
Only literary fix.
- Jepp, Who Defied the Stars by Katherine Marsh...set in the 1500s the story centers around Jepp, a dwarf who is forced to serve in Court of the Infantata. An audiobook selection.
- Freewill by Chris Lynch...the story of a boy who is experiencing a mental breakdown related to unresolved grief over the death of his father. This book was a challenging read because a portion of it was written in 2nd person as if the voice in the boy's head were someone else. This is the first book for which I've actually given a rating of 1 (bad).
- Courage Had No Color: The Story of the Triple Nickles America's First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone...Interesting and infuriating in equal measure. The racism in our country's history just makes me sick.
- Uses for Boys by Erica Scheidt...a graphically portrayed description of the life of lonely teenager who becomes involved sexually early and for all the wrong reasons.
- The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr...Lucy is a piano prodigy who quits playing suddenly to the consternation of her family. This is a story of how she finds her way back to music and discovers what she loves along the way. This was an audiobook selection. At the end of the book we are treated to a list of songs that Lucy loves. One is Beethoven's 5th Symphony, the 3rd movement. I was going to post a YouTube video of it here for you but decided instead for Beethoven's 7th Symphony, 2nd movement. I like it better.
Currently reading:
- The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson...set in Brazil in some far off future.
- Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen...I'm nearly half finished. At this pace I will complete it within a six-week window of time. Pretty good considering it took me a year to read Emma.
- Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia...my upcoming audiobook selection.
Scripture today: Luke 16: 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
I'm praying for: My daughter. She has a job interview tomorrow. Also prayers for a friend who is struggling mightily with chronic fatigue and lack of calorie absorption.
Quote of the Day: "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." — Mother Teresa
Oh, I have yet to find a way to cook salmon, fish of any kind, without it being too fishy in taste ;0
ReplyDeleteI love Jane Austen and can re-read her books, often! I am yet to read Beautiful Creatures, but I hear it's a great book!
Enjoy your retirement!
I think the trick to salmon is making sure that it is fresh and not overcooking it. Our favorite way to fix it is to marinate it in a homemade marinade that includes soy sauce, olive oil, lemon, and fresh ginger and then BBQ it on a piece of foil. This is our favorite food to serve guests because it is always good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the retirement wishes but I am not retiring. Five other librarians in my school district are retiring. A lot of wisdom and years are leaving us.
Wow, you have read some good (and not so good!) books lately - not bad for such a busy time of year!
ReplyDeleteSalmon is my all-time favorite food. It;s what I order whenever we go to a restaurant, and I also make it at home every few weeks or so (the boys would rebel if I made it too much). My family's favorite is Maple-Roasted Salmon, a recipe I got from Cooking Light many years ago - marinate in maple syrup, rice vinegar and ginger (though I can only use a tiny bit because my husband and son don;t like it!), then cooked in the oven on very high heat - yum!
Love the haikus!
Sue
Book By Book
Big Book Summer Challenge
Today was day one of our textbook collection (seniors were last Friday) and tomorrow is the last day of school so I hope a whole lot of books come in during our short 4 hours. Textbook collection is just so tiring (and boring!)
ReplyDelete