FIRST FRIDAY POETRY OCTOBER 2024

I'm joining Beverly A Baird & Linda Schueler in a "year long poetry practice – on the first Friday of each Month," when we, and anyone else who joins, writes a poem and pairs it up with a photo relating to it.

We had the grandkids again last weekend. One of the younger girls came out of the bedroom, naked and slathered with slime. Her father was not impressed. I, on the other hand, was delighted. Of course, I didn't have to clean up the mess. 

I am in awe of this child's creativity, independence, and fearlessness. She is the one who leads the rest of the grandkids in magical adventures - even when they include mud bathing. Today's poem is for her.


this is our darling girl

a warrior princess in training
poised as a disney prima donna
pondering which superpower
to accessorize with today

she’s a wild beast
(even Max couldn’t tame her)
rumpusing naked round house and garden
decorated in mud, paint or slime

she’s a befriender of the unfriended
not one whit intimidated by
dinosaurs, monsters or spiders

wolves frighten her 
but she is only four,
give her time
she'll be leading the pack
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IMWAYR September 30, 2024

Welcome! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next!


Last week is one I will be happy to forget. I did something to my back - somehow one of my ribs got dislocated. It was excruciatingly painful. I couldn't move without causing myself pain. My sweet husband had to help me get in and out of bed. Thankfully, a visit to the chiropractor helped get it back in place. It's still uncomfortable, but I'm able to function on my own.

Weather wise, we had two days of lovely hot summer weather before Autumn, quite literally, blew itself in with a storm of epic wildness. We had left the dining room window open, and it blew my fig tree over. By the time I got home from work, my guy had already cleaned up the mess.
 
The grandkids arrived Thursday night and will leave for home Monday morning. It looks like a small hurricane tore through our house, but we love the wildness. All too soon it will be quiet, clean, and boring again around here. The two older ones are now serious readers. I introduced Ada, who is seven, to Zita the Space Girl, and she became an instant fan. I now plan to get her that series, and Everett, also seven, Ben Hatke's Jack series as Christmas gifts.

Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian or Indigenous Canadian Author and or Illustrator.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.


I love Nancy Vo's picture books and think I've just turned my two four year old granddaughters into fans as well. This one is all about boobies of course: who has them, how many they have, what they look like, and what they are for. When I asked the girls how many stars they would give this book, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, they responded, 100, and 100 million. 


Jack Wong's book is a celebration of the freedom water affords us when we learn to swim. It presents worlds only available to us after we master that skill. 
I read this first by myself, and then with the grandkids. I asked them to pretend they were professional readers so they could give me feedback. The two four year olds thought the book made them want to become swimmers. The eldest, already swimmers, wanted to explore some of the places here. Their reactions to the illustrations were mixed. They all loved the pictures of water, but were less enthusiastic about the faces. I noted that a multicultural cast of characters fill these pages. Everett noticed that one swimmer had a prothetic leg. None of the children commented on the lyrical text, that for me at least, read like free verse poetry. 
Their final starred evaluations were; 3/5, 4/5, and the two youngest gave it 100 million stars. 

YA/ADULT GRAPHIC NOVELS


I wasn't sure about this at first because it is a man writing about a woman's experience. Then when I got into it, I was reminded of a friend who was involved in the art scene in Vancouver while I was in the process of raising children and teaching. Wendy's stories, even if they are from a younger generation, could well have been hers. 
Wendy is a wanna be artist surrounded by other wanna be artists. There's a raw honesty to this collection of stories about her and others in the scene. I suspect that many of us could say we know people like this. Maybe we've even been Wendy at some time in our lives. She's young and makes all kinds of mistakes, but through all the satire, Walter Scott shows us her humanity and has us rooting for her. Near the end there are glimmers that she will be ok. I especially loved her conversation with her grandmother. 
I picked this up because I read an interesting review about the most recently published Wendy novel. I decided to read the earlier books while waiting for it. I now can't wait to find out how she gets on.

ADULT/YA FICTION


This is the story of a Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia who travel to Maine every year to pick berries. In 1962, their four year old daughter, Ruthie, vanishes. A massive search reveals nothing. Her six year old brother, Joe, was the last to see her. He carries his feelings of responsibility and trauma with him into adulthood. 
The story is told from the two children's perspectives just after Ruthie's disappearance. 
I know about, and know Sixties Scoop survivors. What I especially appreciate about this book is that we learn about what life was like for them and their families after they were gone.

CURRENTLY 

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver 

The Vagina Bible by Jen Gunter 🍁

The Book of More Delights by Ross Gay 

I Am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism by Lee Maracle (2nd edition September 1, 1996) 🍁

Weyward by Emilia Hart, Aysha Kala (Narrator), Helen Keeley (Narrator) & Nell Barlow (Narrator)

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

The New Girl by Casandra Calin  🍁

READING GOALS 

#MustRead2024 16/25 one on the go

NonFiction 23/24 one on the go

Canadian Authors 55/50 three on the go

Indigenous Authors 25/25 one on the go

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 164/200   

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IMWAYR September 23, 2024

Welcome! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next.

I did eventually get my husband's birthday present finished, and less than a week late! I've made these kitchen mats for other people in my family and he has been complaining, so....


I am so happy that Autumn has arrived. The cooler weather makes working outside easier, and the nights much more pleasant for sleeping. We got our tomato juice made without mishap last week and from here on, I just have to deal with the tomatoes, carrots, beets, and cucumbers that are ripening in the garden. 

Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian or Indigenous Canadian Author and or Illustrator.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.

YA/ADULT GRAPHIC NOVELS


This profound, coming of age, graphic novel is about three generation of women experiencing intergenerational trauma connected to gender, body image, race, and self worth. It highlights how their individual experiences and hardships are connected. Ultimately each of these three wanted and needed love and acceptance, but received primarily criticism. 
"Told in alternating perspectives, Age 16 shifts seamlessly between time and place, exploring how this pivotal year in adolescence affects three women in the same family, from Guangdong in 1954 to Hong Kong in 1972, and Toronto in 2000."
The book focuses on Roz, the present day teen, but cycles into the back stories of her mother and grandmother. Roz has internalized cultural and familial norms of fat shaming and is certain that if only she was thinner, her life would be ideal. 
When her estranged por por, (grandmother) makes an unexpected visit, Roz and her mother's lived are disrupted by her constant criticism. As long buried secrets become unburied, we are left feeling hopeful for the three women's relationships. 
I adored this book! Of course, I have been a fan of Rosena Fung since I read Living with Viola.

ADULT/YA FICTION


The only thing better than discovering a new literary detective to love, is having that sleuth live in your part of the world. 
Helen Thorpe, previously a buddhist nun, is smart, preternaturally calm, deeply insightful and a trained butler. When her present employers ask her to temporarily take Cartier Hightower, a wealthy, young adult, internet influencer, in hand, she reluctantly agrees to take on the task of preparing her to living responsibly in a world without her father.
What ensues is a frenzy of influencer events where neither of them are really wanted. Hightower is part of a group of content creators. Two of them have already died under suspicious circumstances, but when they nearly get trampled in a nightclub fire and Cartier is wrongfully blamed, they head off to a ranch in the interior of BC. After a few internet free days, Cartier is making progress, but then the rest of her crew arrive. It turns out that they have brought the murderer with them. 
Part of what I love about this series is that while some truly scary things happen, Helen always manages to remain calm. Because she does, I don't get terrified for her. That it's loaded with humour makes it even better. 
I hate that we have to wait for the next in the series, Contemplation of a Crime until May, 2025.

ADULT/YA NON FICTION


"Jennifer Gunter is a Canadian-American gynecologist, a New York Times columnist covering women's health, an author, and a specialist in chronic pain medicine and vulvovaginal disorders."
This book is about women and our reproductive systems. Primarily it's about menstruation and different ways to deal with it. It's also about birth control. The information is sometimes funny, sometimes heartfelt, but always unflinchingly full of facts. Much of what Gunter does is debunk myths and take on those actors in the health and wellness industry who are trying to sell snake oil and take women's money for products that are at best, useless, and at worst, harmful and maybe even dangerous. I learned a lot that I wish I had known when I first started my menses. 
If I had a daughter, this book would be a Christmas present. I'm contemplating getting it for my sons since both of them have daughters. I would do it as a family gift, because I have three granddaughters. However, the oldest is only 7, and the science could change before they need this book, so I'll wait. I'm definitely recommending it to my nieces and daughter in laws. 


"The Book of Delights is about our connection to the world, to each other, and the rewards that come from a life closely observed. Gay’s pieces serve as a powerful and necessary reminder that we can, and should, stake out a space in our lives for delight." 
Thank you Elizabeth Ellington @ The Dirigible Plum for introducing me to Ross Gay and his wonder filled essayettes.  
They made me grateful to be alive. I feel deep kinship with Gay's connection to his garden and the world around him. I fell in love with him while listening to these. As soon as I finished, I put holds on two more of his books. 

CURRENTLY 

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver 

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters 🍁

Wendy by Walter Scott November 11, 2014 🍁

I Am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism by Lee Maracle (2nd edition September 1, 1996) 🍁

Weyward by Emilia Hart, Aysha Kala (Narrator), Helen Keeley (Narrator) & Nell Barlow (Narrator)

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

Cougar Annie's Garden by Margaret Horsfield August 1, 1999  🍁

READING GOALS 

#MustRead2024 15/25 one on the go

NonFiction 23/24 one on the go

Canadian Authors 51/50 three on the go

Indigenous Authors 24/25 two on the go

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 160/200   

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#IMWAYR September 16, 2024

Welcome! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next.

It's been a while since I was able to get a blog post in, but I am determined to get one finished today. In the last few weeks I have been busy with grandkids, gallivanting around Vancouver Island, hosting family and friends here at home, canning tomatoes and making tomato sauce. Today we are celebrating my partner's birthday. Tomorrow we are making tomato juice. Perhaps after all this I will get my reading mojo back.

Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian or Indigenous Canadian Author and or Illustrator.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.


My 7 year old granddaughter is into reading on her own these days. Still, when her four year old sister and started talking our way through this book, she ended up coming over to check it out. 
We had a lot of questions and some fascinating responses. Why are robots looking after the animals? What happened to the humans? Why is there so much water? Are these the only animals left? 
I've tagged this one as a critical literacy title. I would love to share it with older readers!

What a book! It starts out as a science fiction novel with an asteroid headed towards earth. Life as everyone knows it will soon end. Eleven year old Kemi, an aspiring scientist and statistician, is trying to put together a time capsule to bury so that some day other creatures will know something about the beings that once inhabited the planet. She ends up collecting something from everyone except her father, who can't seem to figure out what he loves most. 
And then suddenly, the book shifts and it's about so much more. 
I'm pretty sure I gasped when I came to that point in the novel. I won't reveal any more of the plot because you really need to experience it for yourself. This is a story that addresses racism, gun violence, and grief. 
I adored Kemi and her whole extended family. I love the way she sees the world. I love the way everyone holds each other up. I'm pretty sure you will feel the same way. 


I love the Vanderbeekers! Reading a new book about them, is like visiting with old friends. This time round, life is scary for the family. Laney Vanderbeeker, the youngest of the children, is diagnosed with leukemia. Most of the story centres around her and her time at a children's hospital, where she makes a new friend.  There are some hard times for her and the rest of the family before the story ends. 
I have never had to deal with anything like this personally, but like the rest of this series, it feels authentic. While each of the books has serious aspects, this one is the most profound overall. 

ADULT/YA FICTION

4 stars

Last Woman: Stories by Carleigh Baker & Narrators,  Rachel Cairns, Tricia Black, Amanda Cordner, Jenny Pudavick, Jani Lauzon, Michaela Washburn & Tanaya Beatty March 5, 2024 🍁

In this collection of short stories, Carleigh Baker gives us glimpses of people living unique and quirky lives. Some of these characters could live in your neighbourhood. In other stories, we meet people who live almost supernatural ones. 
"A woman’s dream of poetic solitude turns out to be a recipe for loneliness. A retiree is convinced that his silence is the only thing that will prevent a deadly sinkhole. An emerging academic wakes up and chooses institutional violence. A young woman finds sisterhood in a strange fertility ritual, and an enigmatic empath is on a cleanse. Baker’s characters are both wildly misguided and a product of the misguided times in which we live. Through them we see our world askew and skewered—and, perhaps, we can begin to see it anew.
Carleigh Baker’s signature style is irreverent, but her heart is true—these stories delve into fear for the future, intergenerational misunderstandings, and the complexities of belonging with sharp wit and boundless empathy. With equal parts compassion and critique, she brings her clear-eyed attention to bear on our world, and the results are hilarious, heartbreaking, and startling in their freshness."

CURRENTLY 

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver 

I Am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism by Lee Maracle (2nd edition September 1, 1996) 🍁

Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation by Jen Gunter (Author and Narrator) 🍁

Weyward by Emilia Hart, Aysha Kala (Narrator), Helen Keeley (Narrator) & Nell Barlow (Narrator)

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

Cougar Annie's Garden by Margaret Horsfield August 1, 1999  🍁

READING GOALS 

#MustRead2024 14/25 two on the go

NonFiction 21/24 one on the go

Canadian Authors 48/50 two on the go

Indigenous Authors 24/25 one on the go

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 155/200   

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FIRST FRIDAY POETRY SEPTEMBER 2024

I'm joining Beverly A Baird & Linda Schueler in a "year long poetry practice – on the first Friday of each Month," when we, and anyone else who joins, writes a poem and pairs it up with a photo relating to it.

Our grandkids visited a few weeks ago. After a couple of days of rain, we decided to go hiking in the hills. Our four year old was as infatuated by the smell of sage as I was, and collected pocketfuls of it. She called it her perfume. 

I started this poem a week or so ago before I headed off visiting friends and family on Vancouver Island. I worked on it off and on, but couldn't get it to come together. My brother, James Weichel, helped me see what I needed. I'm not sure I'm really satisfied, but I've run out of time!



after the deluge,
we hike the old reed creek trail

passing a copse of trembling aspen,
we come to a meadow
where stoic, lonesome,
lodgepole pines
reign across millennia

breathing deeply
we embrace the fragrance
of silver grey sage
still giddy from
last night’s downpour

her sweet perfume
extends our senses
expands awareness

enough for us 
to become,
however briefly,
one with all of creation
singing praise 
to the goddess of rain

later on
we trek home
healed and whole,
hearts lifting
along with
the last bits of mist
rising from green hilltops
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#IMWAYR August 26th, 2024

Welcome! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next.

We have the grandkids here so I'm scribbling these reviews off to get a post in today. I will be away next week at my nephews 50th birthday celebration so I won't be posting then. I'll try to at least read everyone's blogs, but I can't guarantee commenting. 

The girls and I have been reading some picture books together, but I'll talk about those next time round. 

Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian or Indigenous Canadian Author and or Illustrator.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.

MIDDLE GRADE NOVELS

5 stars

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko & Javier Prusky (Narrator) June 11, 2024

Eleven year old Hank Hooperman and his toddler sister, Boo, are loveable, unforgettable characters. When their mother doesn't come home for a week, Hank stays home from school and does his best to look after Boo. When he realizes they are in serious trouble, they take a long bus trip to his grandmother's best friend, Lou Ann, in search of help.
Asking for help means the involvement of child services and the foster care system. It means the two children may end up being separated. 
Lou Ann bonds with Boo, but isn't so crazy about Hank even though he does his best to make her like him. Thankfully Lou Ann's neighbour, Ray, takes a liking to Hank and Boo.
When the children's mother returns, Hank has to make the kinds of choices that no eleven year old should ever have to make. 
This is a middle grade novel so of course it's going to have a relatively happy ending, and it does, but I wept buckets before it got there. 

ADULT/YA FICTION


The blurb of this book says that it is 'perfect for fans of The Rose Code and The Nightingale.' I agree. I am a fan of both those titles, and I enjoyed this book as much. 
I especially appreciate that this book is set in Canada and shows us the Canadian experiences and perspectives of women involved in World War ll.
Dot and Dash Wilson might be twin sisters, but they are not remotely alike. Dot is quiet, reserved, loves to solve puzzles and is fascinated by morse code. Dash is outgoing, athletic and into mechanics and flying. When war breaks out, their cousin and adopted brother enlist. Soon after that Dash joined the Wrens. Eventually Dot also joins up. After a stint working on motors in a nasty machine shop, Dash winds up working with Elsie MacGill, building and test flying Hawker Hurricane planes. From there she joined the Air Transport Auxiliary in Britain. Dot's trajectory was very different. Right from the start her capacity for solving puzzles and seeing patterns was recognized and she ended up in a covert listening and codebreaking station connected to Bletchley Park in England. Soon after that she was transferred to Camp X, a top-secret spy school. 
A family tragedy ends up causing a rift between the sisters. This is resolved by the end of the war, but it isn't until forty years later that Dot is finally able to tell Dash about her secret life. 
I appreciated that the story is told from both sisters perspective. I liked that while both sisters found romance, they were minor side plots. I loved how strong and independent both of these women were. I especially appreciate how much research Genevieve Graham put in, and how much more I learned about Canada's war efforts than when I was in high school history class. This is my first book by her, but it sure won't be my last!
 
CURRENTLY 

The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett & Jordan Cobb (Narrator) June 27, 2023 🍁

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver 

I Am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism by Lee Maracle (2nd edition September 1, 1996) 🍁

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

Cougar Annie's Garden by Margaret Horsfield August 1, 1999  🍁

READING GOALS 

#MustRead2024 13/25 one on the go

NonFiction 21/24 

Canadian Authors 46/50 one on the go

Indigenous Authors 23/25 

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 151/200   

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#IMWAYR August 19, 2024

Welcome! It's #IMWAYR time again, when bloggers share what they have been reading and find out what others have been up to. Kathryn hosts the adult version of this meme at Book Date. Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers host the kidlit rendition. These are fabulous places to start your search for what to read next.

It cooled down enough last week for me to show most of the weeds in the garden who is the boss.Unfortunately we all know it's a temporary situation. 

I'm hoping to pick enough tomatoes to make some salsa, and of course, I have a whole lot of other vegetables to deal with. I also have a quilt to quilt before next weekend. Those weeds will be partying again soon!

Titles with a 🍁 indicate this is a Canadian or Indigenous Canadian Author and or Illustrator.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Goodreads page of the book.


I'm planning on keeping this library book until my grandkids arrive next week. I'm certain they will enjoy this look into what being a Vet entails. Beginning with a table of contents, it is loaded with all kinds of important text features. The brightly coloured illustrations show worlds of diversity in both the animals and human beings who work with them. I appreciated all the captioned diagrams and the timeline of the history of veterinary medicine. The Did You Know sections extend the information on that page. 
I'm willing to bet that at least one of my grandkids will be interested in becoming a Vet after reading this book. The write up suggests that this book is appropriate for 6 to 9 year olds. I think it is also an important book for middle grade students. Even adults like myself can learn a lot from it!

MIDDLE GRADE NOVELS


This is a fabulous time travel book! 
When Dally's grandfather dies, her mother takes the envelope he left her and puts it in the safe till Dally is of age. After an argument with her mother, Dally secretly opens the safe and removes the envelope. Inside is information about a bank account, but it also includes a map. When she decodes the map she sets off to find the location he has marked. It turns out to be the Secret Library where books are portals to specific times in history. Each time she opens a volume, not only does she learn secrets from the past, she learns about her remarkable ancestors. Dally's mother is very strict and rigid. Her secret visits to the library are the only adventures she gets. Yet the library has a downside. It has chosen Dally to be the next librarian, but she is only 11 and not ready to give up her life outside the confines of it. 
I loved Dally and ached for her in her confrontations with her mother. It was obvious that Dally had to do something. What she finally came up with was brilliant!


ADULT/YA GRAPHIC NONFICTION


This was an exceptionally hard read for me. The gritty, black and white illustrations tell the story of one of the many Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman and Girls in Canada. 
Betty left her home on the Norway House Reserve to move to a larger centre so she could attend secondary school and eventually become a teacher. One night, on her way home from visiting with friends, she was abducted by a group of white men who brutally raped, beat, and killed her. 
As the novel develops the two story lines: that of Betty's evening and that of the group of white men, I had to stop reading. Even though I knew what was coming, I couldn't continue. It took me over a month before I convinced myself to bear witness to Betty's story and finish the book. This medium made her story come to life and become real to me in a way that just reading the facts of her case never could. 
Betty, who was just a year older than me, was only 19 years old in 1971 when she was murdered.

ADULT/YA FICTION


This is the most recent in the Lane Winslow series. Lane and some friends head up the mountain above King's Cove to see what caused an explosion. They discover a wounded child who they rush to get to the hospital. When Lane returns to investigate the cause of the blast, she finds a dead woman.
Back in Nelson, the police are investigating the murder of the local jeweller and theft of expensive items from his store. As the two cases are unraveled, it is discovered that they are related.
I love this series in part because I get to read a compelling cosy mystery that is populated with delightful characters. I also appreciate that Iona Wishaw fills these novels with information about Canadian history. In this case the focus is on Japanese Internment, but there is also mention of the Sons of Freedom, a radical Doukhobor group. The story behind the balloon bomb and its connections to Japan was fascinating. Another thing I love about this series is that it reminds us that there have always been good people even against historical backdrops of intolerance. 

CURRENTLY 

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver 

I Am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism by Lee Maracle   (2nd edition September 1, 1996) 🍁

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko June 11, 2024

UP NEXT (MAYBE)

The Secret Keeper by Genevieve Graham April 2, 2024 🍁

Cougar Annie's Garden by Margaret Horsfield August 1, 1999  🍁

READING GOALS 

#MustRead2024 13/25 

NonFiction 21/24 

Canadian Authors 45/50 

Indigenous Authors 23/25 

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 149/200   

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