My stuff a buddy snowperson

     Isn't she just adorable? The event was just last night and I'm sure was well attended. A number of people stopped by the dinner and showed me their new little friends. They were so happy! Thank you Center for Student Involvement for bringing back this beloved tradition!

     On a more somber note the National Public Radio newsletter reminded me that Wednesday was International Toilet Day, reminding us that something most of us take for granted is aspirational for a lot of the world. According to NPR, 3.4 billion people don't have access to indoor toilets connected to sewer systems which can mean fecal contamination in drinking water. 

     Although this is primarily in global south nations, it's closer to home than you may think. When Eugene and I moved into Greystone in 1990 (two decades before it became a cooperative) the park was on a well. We had an option of buying drinking and cooking water to avoid fecal contamination. An option unavailable to much of the world. But we were some glad when it was transitioned to city water. 

     Additionally 300 million people have no place besides outside to relieve themselves. This can make them vulnerable to scorpions, poisonous snakes, and predatory animals. Girls and women are also endangered by predatory males. 

     Dedicated engineers and environmental scientists are hard at work on solutions to this crisis. Especially with the rate of climate change, it's going to take a whole lot of money to finance their crucial work. If you can afford to and get the chance to donate please do.

Jules Hathaway 

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Gender Rebels (YA nonfiction)

     "Everyone in this book wanted and wants to live life to its fullest. They want to be happy. They want friends. They want to feel successful. They want to feel loved. And to do that they have to live their truth as trans and nonbinary people."

     Unfortunately right now America has lots of people working overtime to deny us (I am most definitely gender fluid and a drag performer) this most basic right. They are trying to push through laws penalizing people who don't accept the gender we were labeled at birth. They are striving to erase our existence by book banning. In this tumultuous period in time Katherine Locke's Gender Rebels is very much needed. 

     "This is a book full of people who have experienced pain and discrimination in hopes that one day someone like them won't have to experience any pain and discrimination."

     The thirty individuals profiled make up a diverse and fascinating cast. They were born across an over 2,000 year time span bookended by Callon of Epidaurus (250 BCE) and Jazz Jennings (2000) in a variety of continents. They made their mark in diverse endeavors. They include:

*Chevaliar D'eon (1728-1810) lived as a man, spying and fighting in wars. Returning to France at forty-nine she declared herself to be a woman and lived and dressed as one the rest  of her life. 

*Dr. James Barry (1789-1865) was birth named Margaret Anne. He assumed a male gender identity to be able to attend medical school. As a doctor in the British Army, he saw the connection between poor sanitation and illness. No one discovered his secret until his death.

*Coccinelle (1931-2006) was the first French trans woman to publicly get gender affirmation surgery. 

*Ben Barres (1945-2007) discovered the role of glial cells and became the first transgender scientist to get elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

*and so many courageous trail blazers.

     There are also explanations of terms such as two-spirit, drag queen, and gender dysphoria. 

     Gender Rebels is a great acquisition for high school and public libraries. 

On a purrrsonal note, I couldn't go back to sleep after Tobago woke me up like I usually do because of too much excitement. First of all there's so much to look forward to today. Yesterday was fine. I got my stuff a buddy snowperson a day early and advertised that event on campus. Bailey gave me a ride home, stopping at Orono Public Library to pick up my inter library loans. I actually had two blissful 😊 hours to read outside near my flowers 💐. My Valentines Day project is really picking up momentum. (More on that another day). Today there are two special events. In the afternoon there's cookies and compliments. Bailey has promised sugar free cookies 🍪 😋 so I don't have to just say no. Tonight will be a dinner at the commuter lounge catered by Olive Garden. It will be the first time in 15 years I'll have Olive Garden food. Eugene doesn't much care for it so we never go. Who could ask for more?

A great big shout out goes out to all who will be participating in today's events and my Valentines Project. 

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Jules Hathaway 

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The Red Cross had really cool gifts for donors and volunteers. The theme was Pac-Man. There were nice warm socks and balls that transformed into figurines. I also included the Christmas 🎄 cat mug I bought for myself because its so darn cute!!! Can you believe it cost only a quarter?

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Why Does Everything Have To Be About Race? (Adult nonfiction)

     I remember a brief shining evening in 2008. I was one of campaign volunteers going door to door, calling lists of strangers, subsisting on whatever was in the kitchen--a nutritionist's nightmare--to get Obama elected. We were standing around election night, quite fatigued, watching the election results trickle in. Then the electric moment when we learned that America had elected its first president of color. Surely things are going to be better...

     ...except it so didn't happen. There were some changes, both for the better and the worse, but a post racial nation never emerged from the mire of American politics...

     ...but there was now pressure to act like it had. Sure things were bad in the past, the narrative goes, but we've just elected a Black president. Therefore, we're in post racial nirvana. So get with the program and stop kvetching already. Some people actually believed it...

     ...but others with a vested interest,  in status quo maintenance, like a certain president,  pushed the story with a vengeance.

     If, like me, you're really angry at all this bullshit being served up as gospel truth you're going to really appreciate Keith Boykin's Why Does Everything Have To Be About Race? Boykin clearly delineates twenty-five reasons in five categories that it has to be.

     In his first category, Erasing Black History, he explains why "Critical race theory is not indoctrinating kids to be 'woke'". It's aabout the misunderstood concept that has conservatives like Florida's Ron DeSantis banning books, white washing curriculum, and legislating what can and can't be discussed in classrooms.   

     In his second, Centering white victimhood, in White Americans still benefit from the legacy of slavery, he delineates all the ways in which the imbalances that started with the institution of involuntary servitude have been perpetuated and magnified through the centuries. 

     In his third, Denying Black Oppression, he gives all the reasons why complying with the police is not sufficient to protect Blacks. Why Black parents have to have the talk with their kids while white parents can blithely assure their sons and daughters that Mr. Policeman is their friend. 

     In his fourth, myths of Black inferiority, he shatters the illusion, fostered by the welfare queen stereotype, that more Blacks than whites are on welfare.

     In his fifth, Rebranding Racism he analyzes why countering Black Lives Matter with All Lives Matter or Blue Lives Matter is just plain wrong.  

     And he deftly dissects twenty other areas of racial misinformation currently making the rounds. If you want resources to counter the racist bullshit you're probably encountering Why Does Everything Have To Be About Race is a for sure must read. 

On a purrrsonal note, today was the successful second day of the blood drive. I don't know the numbers yet, but we got good donors and excellent volunteers. The mood was upbeat. Nobody fainted either day. What more could one ask for? Before the drive I hit the Orono Thrift Shop. Mostly for Christmas 🎄 gifts. But I'm keeping the cat Christmas mug I found for myself.

Oh, yeah, the great reveal I promised yesterday. I will be able to get my third cat tattoo before Christmas break. I can hardly wait  

A great big shout out goes out to everyone who contributed to making the blood drive a great success and the super volunteers who run Orono Thrift Shop.

Jules Hathaway 

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Blood Drive

Today was the first day of the UMaine November red cross blood drive. Of course I ran canteen. We had pizza, snacks, fruit, cookies, and a fun crafts project for our wonderful donors who had a really good time as you can see in this picture. One of the volunteers I supervised knows me from when she was in high school and I had my Upward Bound internship. It was a wonderful day. Looking forward to tomorrow. 

I got some exciting news. If you're lucky I'll share it tomorrow.

Jules Hathaway 

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If You Can Hear This (YA mystery)

     Moving with her father from San Francisco to the small town of Wild Pines at the start of her junior year is a bit of culture shock for Posey, narrator of Faith Gardner's If You Can Hear This. She'd been deeply engaged with her old school's paper, even winning a prestigious journalism award. Wild Pines High doesn't have a newspaper or journalism classes. It does have an AV Club...

     ...which was founded mere months ago. When Posey goes to the first meeting of the year she's in for a rude awakening. Her fellow club members are far from welcoming. They just want to watch documentaries and reject her attempts to get them organized--even an ice breaker activity. It would take quite a bit to jolt them out of their state of inertia...

     ...as in shocking news on the third day of school when Ms. Moses, the beloved club advisor doesn't show up to teach her classes. The cops don't do anything to find clues to her disappearance. The principal prevents the club from putting up missing person posters. The town doesn't seem to give a damn.

     There are three theories regarding the teacher's disappearance. 1) She was murdered--possibly by her husband. 2) She committed suicide. 3) She took off for parts unknown with no plans to return. 

     The AV Club members are determined to locate Ms. Moses. They're investigating, using social media to glean clues. They're actually pulling together, functioning as a team...

      ...and learning some of their town's dirty little secrets...

     ...but with time ticking away are they too late to make a difference and save someone they care deeply about?

On a purrrsonal note, I had the most wonderful time yesterday. Katie, Jacob, Adam, Eugene, and I gathered at Amber, and Brian's house for lunch. Brian prepared delicious corn 🌽 chowder (with whole kernel corn--creamed corn is an abomination) and grilled cheese sandwiches. We sat around and talked. It was such a joy being together as a family.

A great big shout out goes out to my incredible family. 

Jules Hathaway 

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A big snowflake

Last summer I saw it in a yard sale. Eugene could walk right by it. But I was unable to. It's rather large for a ❄️ reaching my waist. I asked the guy selling it to plug it in. The complex ever evolving light patterns took my breath away. And it was only $3.00. I just HAD TO HAVE IT. So Eugene bought it. I had no idea where I'd put it. But I couldn't pass on the opportunity. Last night, since we're into winter weather, I set it up in my studio. It's hard to photograph because the colors change so fast. And it's more breathtaking with the room lights off. But this picture can give you some idea. 

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Playin' Hard (YA romance)

     High school relationships can be challenging because of physical, hormonal, and emotional changes, increased responsibilities in and out of school, and the need to chart the next life phase, whether or not higher education is involved. They can be further complicated by the expectations laid on teens by parents and by society. That's the plight of the co narrators of Whitney D. Grandson's Playin' Hard. 

     DeAndre's father is a basketball legend, the winner of not one, but five, championship rings and determined that all of his sons follow in his footsteps. He's been training them for this destiny since early childhood. Nothing is to come before athletics: not friends, not romance, not even academics. He's the only parent in the house. The boys' mother ditched them when they were quite young. 

     Cree, whose mother died in childbirth, is the only child of a very disengaged and distant father and his second wife. He is, however obsessed with her weight, fearing that she will lose too much. He's always nagging her to cut down on the dancing that is both a passion and a safe space for her. She yearns for him to understand how much it means to her and take an interest. 

     "At Moorehead High School the Baller's Club was the cause of many female meltdowns. The club consisted of four boys who played on either the basketball or the football team. Tremaine Dickinson was one of them, along with Marcus Hamilton, Chris Casey, and DeAndre Parker. Together they went through girls like they went through Jordans."

     The boys are as well known for their one night stands off the field as they are for their athletic prowess on it. They exude attitudes of toxic masculinity and entitlement. For this reason Cree and her bestie, Troiann, have avoided the group like COVID. Then Cree says something in class that intrigues DeAndre. He wants her as a friend, perhaps even more. 

     The road to potential love is rarely smooth. In this case it's punctuated with more potholes that Maine in February. Can two teens prevail against really steep odds? If you're anything like me you'll really be rooting for them.

On a purrrsonal note, I finally had a chance to attend fiber arts club for the second time this semester. They're really nice, super talented people. I usually have a conflict with my paparazzi responsibilities or I'd go more often. I'm working on a scarf that I started well over a year ago. I lost my Knitting skills because of the stroke and had to relearn them. The quality is back but not the speed. 

A great big shout out goes out to UMaine's skilled and convivial Fiber Arts Club and those of who enjoy knitting, crocheting, cross stitch, and all the other fiber arts.

Jules Hathaway 

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The star of the dirty coffee event greeting guests like the purrrfect hostess.

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Grand Theft and a Little Death (YA chiller)

     If you're anything like me you've read at least one book that leaves you frustrated, not because it's so lackluster, but because it's so good. The characters and their narrative have come alive so vividly you want to know what happens next. Usually you don't find out.  But if you're really lucky the author creates a sequel that is as good as the first.

     A few years ago my older daughter, Amber, who knows my taste in books as well as I do, gave me a copy of Kylee Awiech's Soon-to-be Dead Boys. For me it was love at first sight.

     Since the age of thirteen Ellie, Awiech's protagonist,  has had a vocation to be a detective. (Something I can relate to having felt the same calling after falling hard for the Nancy Drew series). She's climbed through the ranks of Pathfinders, an organization to interest youth in law enforcement careers. She knows her calling creeps many people out. Even her long term bestie, Anika, has misgivings. But she's committed. 

     There have been these purple papers showing up around school listing boys behaving badly with female classmates. And the writers aren't just naming names. They're promising vengeance. On a pathfinders exercise she discovers of the named boys floating in the river. And he isn't the only one to meet up with the grim reaper. 

     Toward the end of the book Ellie voices thoughts that stuck with me because they're highly perceptive and unfortunately too relevant in today's world. "But what are we supposed to do when it seems there's no system of justice to step in either. There are so many stories of boys getting away with assault and everyone worrying that punishing them at all will ruin their lives."

     The idea that someone has to take action when those officially designated to do so are asleep at the wheel is as much  a unifying theme between Soon-to-be Dead Boys and Grand Theft and a Little Death (also gifted to me by Amber) as the cast of Ellie's family, friends, and colleagues. The they again is the police. Stolen cars have been showing up with alarming regularity in front of Sophie's grandmother's house. The police are taking notes.  Nothing else. Their questioning is really stressing the older woman out. Sophie is desperate for someone to do something. She goes to school with Ellie. 

     Ellie is still recovering from the trauma of her first case. And she's having a hard time actualizing the upcoming transition from high school to college or work. She feels like everyone else knows what they're doing. She dreads the breakup of her friend group. And she's having bad panic attacks at the worst possible times.

     But all that won't stop her from getting involved. She's able to connect the thefts with an app developed by a classmate and two alums of her school. Digging deeper she learns that there's a mob connection. And she's probably on their snuff list.

     The relatable characters and roller coaster ride of a plot aren't the only strengths of this most excellent book. The realistic and relatable portrayal of Ellie's panic attacks can really help people who also have or have struggled with them to not feel shame and hopelessness. I know from personal how overwhelming they can be. 

     If you're a chiller affecianado with a desire for justice you need to put both books on your to read list.

     Kylee, any chance you're working on another sequel? If so, I'm really looking forward to reading and reviewing. 

On a purrrsonal note, I made a productive Goodwill/Hannaford run. At Hannaford I got grapefruits and frozen corn and broccoli (nutrition) and Fancy Feast entrees for my best little 🐈 😻 in the world, Tobago. At Goodwill I found a Squishmallow gnome and a Squishmallow tee shirt my size. You know I love my Squishmallows.

A great big shout out to Kylee Awiech for her most excellent writing. 

Jules Hathaway 

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A wonderful day

It started off this haul at Orono Thrift Shop. I especially love the silver sneakers. At campus I publicized and was paparazzi for a dirty soda event. A sweet Dalmatian was a special guest. Catherine saved all the soda cans for me to cash in for precious Tobago. I was given a really yummy turkey sandwich and sides box lunch which was good because I left my lunch at home. Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund meeting went really well. Bailey and Cam gave me a ride home where Eugene had just returned from 3 days at camp. Red letter day.

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Why I Love Horror (adult nonfiction)

     Back in my undergraduate years (Gordon College class of '83) one evening some friends of mine and I were enjoying a horror movie marathon. Some Japanese students were studying diligently in a nearby room. Every time they heard screaming they burst in, valiantly determined to save us from whatever danger we were confronting. About the third time one thought to ask why we insisted on watching movies that frightened us so much. None of us could give a coherent answer. What indeed draws some people to that genre of books and movies? I was clueless--just knew I loved me some Stephen King. My girls followed in my footsteps, cutting their teeth on R. L. Stine before moving on up to Maine's own horrormeister. Why was that the predominant genre of our read alouds? I was still clueless.

     Over forty years later and the proud mother of a published horror author (Amber, Little. White Flowers) I found enlightenment in Why I Love Horror, an anthology of essays by top adult scary story authors on their whys behind their callings edited by librarian extraordinaire Becky Siegel Spratford. 

     In the Introduction Sadie Hartmann welcomes readers "...to this gathering of voices--a kaleidoscope of perspectives from some of the finest writers in the realm of horror. A collection of essays penned by masters of the macabre, revealing their unique path that has led them here, to this way station; a place designed for you to rest from the calling of your stack of unread horror books and enjoy this time of refreshment and unity."

     Brian Keene (Brian Keene's Giant-Size Man-Thing) was a kid in the early 70s. The parents at that time had lived through the turbulent 60s and many were withdrawing into drugs and alcohol or depression and anxiety. A number of his friends were abused, and he knew what went on behind closed doors. 

     His first encounter with horror, The Man-Thing--led him to an epiphany: the grotesque looking shambling being is not always the monster. Rather it can be the normal looking person in authority committing horrific acts covertly. Mr. Policeman is not always our friend. 

     He reminds us that demand increases for horror books and movies in times of national or international turmoil. Faced with school shootings, environmental degradation, climate change, a Trump presidency..."There is a safety and comfort in curling up with make-believe monsters so that we can tune out the very real monsters all around us, if only for a little while."

     Tananarive Due (My Road to Horror) started on that path at eight when she shared a room with a great-grandmother on an oxygen machine that hissed loudly through the night. She realized that she'd eventually get older and die.

     "Meeting mortality up close in my great-grandmother's bedroom--really understanding, perhaps from photos around the house, that she had once been a little girl just like me and that one day I would be an old woman just like her--changed my life forever."

     Jennifer McMahon grew up feeling like an outsider-- dressing differently, having different desires, and having a decidedly different family configuration than her peers. She yearned to become a monster. She actually tried to become a werewolf at the age of eight.  Fortunately she discovered that creating the horror narrative without the physical transformation gave her what she needed.

     "Horror has given me a place where I am not the perpetual outsider, the freaky Monster Girl; a place where I recognize myself in the monsters, the heroes, and everyone in between."

     And there are so many more rich, diverse, complex  narratives on the theme. In the last paragraph of the Introduction Hartmann tells readers:

     "So, whether you are a lifelong devotee of horror or a curious newcomer, I welcome you to lay your bags down at this way station and stay awhile. May these essays deepen your appreciation for the genre and illuminate the power of stories to scare, surprise, and sustain us. Let's love the dark even more--not for its own sake, but for the way it requires us to turn on a light to help us see ourselves and each other."

On a purrrsonal note, today is Veterans Day. I confess to be ambivalent about it. I respect the veterans, many of whom lost their lives or came back from over there with severe disabilities. I don't want the day used to pimp used cars and other merch. I am not, however, respecting those who made the decisions that put them in harm's way. Of all the years America has been a nation there have precious few without a war--declared or otherwise--going on. And those in my lifetime, Vietnam for example, have been wars of aggression. There were NO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION in Afghanistan and there's evidence that we knew that. We expect our kindergarteners to use their words, not their fists. Don't we deserve for the people we elect to the highest offices to use their diplomacy not their weapons? And isn't it interesting how often it's war hawks who try to cut funding for veterans' services. 

A great big shout out goes out to our veterans and their families.

Jules Hathaway 

     

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A night to remember

Last night was the pay what you can community dinner to benefit Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund and Orono Food Pantry. The most excellent food was made by volunteers. The people who run the thrift shop had rounded up a truly eclectic collection of bowls people got to keep. I got a Hello Kitty one. We got lots of people from both UMaine and Orono. What was awesome was that people were really mingling and not just sticking with their besties. Busting the town/gown barrier. Whole lot of peeps asking when we'll do it again. YASSS!!! And we netted $500 for the worthy organizations. Of course I was the paparazzi. I live for nights 🌙 ✨️ like that.

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Pretty Girl County

    "You have the pretty girls like Reya with the all-expenses-paid lifestyle. Their parents are doctors, judges, and business owners, and they are happy to foot the bill for luxury cars and rotating designer wardrobes. It's all tiny golf club sets as toddlers, diamond earrings in middle school, and fancy cars on sixteenth birthdays. An after-school job? For what?!

     As you might have guessed, I do not fall into that category. Instead, I'm standing here at the bus stop, in this blazing heat, because my parents share our one family car and I need to get to work."

     Lisa Morin and I have been besties for about fifteen years. I met her when she arrived at UMaine to start her job. I knew from our first meeting that I wanted to be her friend. We bonded over mutual interests like ending campus student food insecurity. One year she took me to an international conference on the subject. We got to know and love each other's kids. When I had the stroke she was there for me and when I got my degree she was for sure celebrating 🍾. 

     Why this trip down memory lane? Our friendship ❤️ is a story of how beautiful and life affirming a deep for better or worse friendship can be. It gets me mad when society celebrates romance and denigrates friendship. We say just friendship like it's nothing. What I like best about Anita Wilson's Pretty Girl County is that it centers around female friendship. No matter what romances are struggling or thriving the focus is on co narrators Reya and Sommer.

     The girls grew up together closely bonded in a poorer town. They were in and out of each other's homes, doing everything together, sharing hopes and dreams as their parents struggled to provide them with better lives. Reya's mom, by putting herself through law school, is able to move herself and her daughter into a mansion in a much more affluent and prestigious town. Despite attending the same school the girls pretty much lose touch. 

     In their senior year closing in on graduation Reya is in crisis mode. Her life long dream has been to get into Fashion Institute of Technology--"the Dior of fashion design programs"--for a way to get into her dream career. Sadly she's been waitlisted. In order to beat out the others on the list, she's directing and providing the garments for the school's annual fashion show...

     ...which is far from turning into the shining success she needs. Someone suggests she recruit Sommer, whose skill set is just what she needs, to be on Team Reya...

     ...Sommer, feeling betrayed and abandoned, is far from enthusiastic about the prospect. And she's having her own crises. Not only is she trying desperately to afford her dream school, Spelman, but things are about to get more precarious for her family. Her father's beloved bookstore is in the path of gentrification and slated to be demolished...

     ...unless someone with the prestige and connections of Reya's mother...

     ...so can the girls put aside hurts and suspicions to help each other? Can this friendship be saved?

     Only one way to find out.

On a purrrsonal note, the sunrise this morning was so gorgeous it almost took my breath away. Vibrant luminous shades of apricot and rose stretched across the horizon while above pink clouds drifted across a pale blue sky. It was particularly striking when Eugene and I crossed the bridge and saw everything reflected upside down in the river. Particularly vivid sunrises are one of the very few up sides to winter. 

A great big shout out goes out to you, with hopes that you too had a good start to your day. 

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Me and Da Queen

Yesterday Bailey had a sock puppet making event. I was paparazzi. And of course I made a puppet. The challenge for me was that everyone was using hot glue guns. Given my still lagging fine motor skills--not such a good idea. So I used fabric paint. Da Queen came out as awesome as all the others. It was a really special time. People were taking great care with (and great pride in) their creations and having fun. We were using really basic materials. But each puppet had a distinct personality. I'm wearing my new banned books tee shirt and my new free jeans with the extra side pockets. In my opinion, a very good look. Today I'm seeing blue skies. There is barely any wind. I think I'll be able to work outside nearly all day near my still gorgeous flowers. 

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Some Mistakes Were Made (YA fiction)

     "'The same way most things change. So slowly you don't know it's happening.' She smiles wide and passes me the picture...'Life is just a series of small choices, and you can only see the one in front of you, but it leads you to the next and the next. Eventually you've ended up somewhere you don't even recognize.'"

     In this paragraph in her Some Mistakes Were Made Kristen Dwyer neatly sums up the gist of the book. For the most part the narrative revolves around the small incremental decisions of the characters and the reactions of those around them, just like our lives so often do.

      Ellis has the kind of home life that might have you wondering where Children's Protective Services were. Her father is in and out of prison. Her mother takes off for long stretches of time. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase home alone. In contrast, Easton and his brothers live a charmed life with highly engaged parents. Their mother, Sandry, is especially protective of her boys. When Ellis is drawn into their fold it's no wonder she prefers their home to hers--especially because she and Easton become so close...

     ...but when you first meet Ellis she's thousands of miles away from home, graduating from a California high school. She's been forced to go away for her senior year by Sandry after some pretty bad decisions on her part. She's pretty much relegated that family to her past...

     ...when they invite, actually pretty much demand that she come home to help prepare for Sandry's gala fiftyth birthday party. She goes even though she's not sure she really wants to. 

     Dwyer makes great use of alternating time-lines to gradually reveal both the choices on Ellis' part that led Sandry to send her away and the attempts at reconciliation and their consequences on her return. For readers who prefer narratives centered on the relationships of well meaning but far from perfect people it is a most excellent choice for a read.

On a purrrsonal note, I had a most excellent Wednesday. A Christian organization on campus was having a clothes giveaway. I scored a top and 2 perfect fit pairs of jeans, one with 4 side pockets. At Orono Thrift I scored an awesome banned books tee 👕 , a book, a fancy hair ornament, and a critter. In the afternoon I was paparazzi for fondue and friends at the Wade Center on campus. The fondue was great. I let myself drizzle a little chocolate over strawberries 🍓 😋. First chocolate in months. There were beads so I made a necklace. So much fun.

A great big shout out goes out to all the people who created the events. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Another page from my joy journal

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Celebrity Nation (adult nonfiction)

     Have you ever, like me, felt that our nation's obsession with celebrities has gotten way out of hand? A lot of people know more about influencers (at least about the carefully curated images they post) than they know about their neighbors or even family. A lot of us listen to actors and models over trained experts on scientific matters such as climate change and vaccines. We even went and elected a reality show host president. If, like me, you find yourself wondering what's up with that you'll really want to read Landon Y. Jones' Celebrity Nation.

     Jones, former editor of People magazine, starts by drawing a crucial distinction between a hero and a celebrity. He defines a hero as "a person (of any gender identity) of great dreams and great deeds who takes great risks and endures sacrifices to lead others into the future. A hero's fame cannot be manufactured; it is hard earned."

     In contrast celebrities can easily be manufactured. Especially in the ascendancy of social media they can be known simply for being known. And with AI they don't even need to be human. 

     Starting with the ancient Greeks, Jones describes the history of the contrasting roles of hero and celebrity and the ascendancy (and danger) of the latter. What I found most alarming was the shift from the good of the community to self absorption and the need for constant adoration. 

     If you are wondering what is going on in our increasingly celebrity obsessed nation Celebrity Nation is an excellent addition to your to read 📚 pile.

On a purrrsonal note, of course Tuesday I got out and voted. In Maine we had two important questions. Question one was an initiative to restrict who could vote by steps like requiring documents many people don't have access to. It would selectively disenfranchise people likely to vote Democrat. Question 2 was about restricting access to guns by people who there's reason to suspect might use them against an ex or in an active shooter incident. I was thrilled to learn that 1 lost and 2 won by huge margins. This election wasn't a shitsttorm like last year's. 

A great big shout out goes out to all who did their civic duty and 🗳. Democracy is not a spectator sport. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Me At trunk or treat before the kids arrived

See how Catherine had the whole Snoopy Halloween thing going on?

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Please Pay Attention (juvenile fiction in verse)

     Survivors of traumatic events like school shootings can feel a complex blend of emotions for a long time. The reactions of significant others can further complicate the process. In Please Pay Attention Jamie Sumner sensitively and poignantly portrays the journey of a young survivor from terror to hope. 

     Bea is a sixth grader who changes her hair color whenever her mother, Max, who is also her school nurse lets her. She loves her little, the kindergartener she's been paired with. She gets in trouble for drawing on her desk. She hates standardized tests. And because she has cerebral palsy she uses a wheelchair...

     ...which means that when her class hears the shots and the teacher tells them to move she can't. She later learns that the teacher was one of the victims. 

     Afterwards she has nightmares. Fearful of sleeping in her room she beds down on the porch at night. She experiences survivors guilt.

     But help, in the form of equestrian therapy, is on the horizon.

     Sumner's choice of free verse, cutting out excess verbiage, gets right to the heart of a preteen who has lived through what no child should have to experience. 

     She was inspired to write Please Pay Attention by the death of one of her friends, the head of the school, in a school shooting. It reflects not only her grief, but her anger that gun laws haven't been changed enough...

      ..."School should be a space safe from the dangers of the outside world, where children can learn and open their minds to ideas that will shape them into the future leaders of this society. They should not have to be vigilant for the best place to shelter from an active shooter."...

      ...and her determination to fight for stricter gun laws.

On a purrrsonal note, yesterday was full of special moments. Eugene and I had breakfast at Governors. You know I love me some Governors food. When Eugene and I went grocery shopping 🛍 🛒 he popped a big 🐸 Squishmallow into the child's seat of the cart. You know who that was for. Later he took me to Goodwill. I found not only what I needed (a black top and leggings for my tonight's performance) but really cool surprises: a cute cat shirt, a denim jacket to decorate, a little  🐧 Squishmallow with a 🎅 hat, and the most purrrfect baby winter pajamas featuring snowflakes, elaborate cocoa cup people wearing scarves or earnmuffs and topped with whipped cream or marshmallows, and 💕 made out of smiling marshmallows. I wore them last night and they were as comfy as they are adorable. The best surprise, though, was an afternoon so sunny 🌞 and warm I could spend it outside near my 💐. The one thing I did not like was turning the clock back. Now it gets dark too damn early.

A great big shout out goes out to the one and only Eugene.

Jules Hathaway 

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Co splay

A Halloween tradition of mine is having my picture taken with the fine blow up creatures that show up every October in the Union at UMaine to give Black Bear Nation true spooky season vibes. As you can see I'm having fun rocking my homemade Squishmallow costume. Check out the tag. Kudos and big thanks to the folks responsible for setting up and maintaining the otherworldly menagerie. BTW don't forget to set your clocks back 

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The Burning Season (juvenile fiction in verse)

     Twelve-year-old Opal, narrator of Caroline Starr Rose's The Burning Season, lives with her mother and grandmother in a fire tower in the Gila National Forest. Their entire living space is about the size of a small bedroom. There's no privacy. The bathroom is an outhouse on the ground. It's a lifestyle of austerity and precarity. 

     And for the family it's a vocation, one growing increasingly rare in today's technological world. Her grandmother and mother are lookouts, as was her great aunt. Opal has just begun training for this challenging work. During the fire season (between April and August) they must be constantly vigilant every waking moment, scanning a large of forest for fires and summoning help to contain or extinguish them before they get out of control. 

    It's an existence that gives a whole new meaning to minimalism. Since that one room contains professional equipment as well as personal possessions, the latter must only be basic essentials. Since they're in a wilderness area roads, motorized vehicles (except fire trucks), and electricity are forbidden. Shopping trips are few and far between and only for necessities. 

     And it's a very isolated experience, lacking the interactions most of us have with friends, classmates, coworkers, neighbors, and extended family. 

"'Make a wish,' Mom says. 

I shut my eyes and blow out the flame.

Seventh grade at La Plata Middle. 

I want that more than anything."

     Opal is homeschooled. She yearns to go to a real school with a library, a science lab, clubs, and kids who can become friends. There's a family offering to take her in for the school year. Her mother and grandmother say she's not ready. Maybe in two years...

    ...which can seem like an eternity when you're twelve. 

     Opal is keeping a huge secret from the adults in her life. She's terrified of fire. And she is about to face a high stakes challenge.  Her mother is long overdue from a shopping trip. Her grandmother has left the tower. When Opal sets out and finds her injured grandmother she spots a lightning 🌩 strike fire that could kill her if Opal doesn't get it contained. 

     Rose's choice of narrative in verse is brilliant, especially as the action and suspense pick up. The reader is not slowed down by a paragraphs format and superfluous words.

On a purrrsonal note, yesterday was Halloween. I didn't want it to be what I couldn't have namely CANDY! So I decided to aim for having such an awesome, eye catching, original, one of a kind costume peeps would be amazed by it. Easy peasy. People love Squishmallows. There are to my knowledge no Squishmallow costumes or instructions for making them. So I went the DIY route. I started with a deer with a flower headdress onesie costume/pajamas I'd scored for free at Clean Sweep and paired it with gold kids glitter boots ($3.00 yard sale) and a home made tag. Everywhere I went people were astounded by my creativity and originality. My other goal was to have pure, unadulterated, spontaneous fun. I had plenty of that at the downtown Orono Trunk Or Treat. Catherine had her ride all decked out Snoopy and Great Pumpkin themed. The kiddies were loving the vibe. We had so many little ones the Town of Orono had to supplement our candy 🍬 so we wouldn't run out. I was handing out candy. Bailey was keeping count. Catherine was refilling my candy bucket. We had everyone from anxious toddlers to high schoolers. They were loving my costume just like the undergraduates. I gave candy to 733 happy kids. It was a truly enchanted evening. Today the power has gone out. If I'm really maybe it'll stay out long enough for me not to have to cook supper 🙃. 

A great big shout out to the town of Orono for putting on such a special event, Catherine and Bailey, and all the other peeps who decorated their rides and dished out 🍬. 

Jules Hathaway 

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