Born To Swing
Juvenile herstory
"I was just born to swing, that's all. Call it what you want,
blues, swing, jazz, it caught hold of me way back in Memphis and it
looks like it won't ever let go."
Lil Hardin Armstrong, subject of Mara Rockliff's Born To Swing,
grew up in Memphis close to Beal Street. She was so young when she
started learning to play the organ she had to have a cousin work the
pedals. Her mother tried to protect her from what she called the
Devil's music. But when she was able to play at Sunday school she
added her own twist, causing the minister to frown.
During the Great Migration Lil's family moved to Chicago. She
got a job playing piano in a music store that also hooked bands up
with musicians. Girls called canaries sang in jazz bands. But none
played piano in them...
...until...
...read the book and see.
On a personal note, I am making some progress in learning how to use
computers. Last semester and this semester I had an annotated
bibliography to do. Last semester I had no clue how to use the
databases. I needed a lot of help from Amber Grey, reference
librarian extrodinaire, in looking up my articles. This semester I
just asked her two questions and looked up the articles myself. :-)
Also today I learned about devices called thumb drives that will make
it easier to get my papers printed. Back in September learning
computer felt like putting together a huge jigsaw puzzle with no box
top picture. Now it feels like I have many of the edge pieces in place.
A great big shout goes out to all who have helped me get this far.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Friday, March 8, 2019
The Queen Of Water
The Queen Of Water
YA/adult fact based fiction
"And then there were us, the indigenas, with skin as rough and
ruddy as freshly dug potatoes, cheeks rubbed raw by the sun and wind.
The mestizos called us longos, stupid Indians, dirty Indians, poor
Indians. We had awkward, backward names like Farignango, which our
grandparents signed with an X on contracts they couldn't read. In
this way, our grandparents sold their land and then, forever after,
paid the mestizos half their harvest to rent what was once theirs."
When author Laura Resau visited Maria Virginia Farignango, a
student at the Colorado community college where Resau taught English,
they talked for hours. As a very young indigenous child in Ecuador,
Virginia was one of very many girl children sent to live with well off
mestizo (non indigenous) families.
"...the arrangements were often vague. There was a blurry line
between giving daughters away, having them work as nannies or maids,
and selling them. It was sometimes unclear to the girl how often she
would return home for visits, how much--if anything--she would be
paid, and even whether the arrangement was temporary or permanent. In
some cases, when the wealthier families did not uphold their end of
the vague bargain, the girls were essentially stolen..."
Virginia was stolen. For eight years she didn't see her
family. Her bosses had lied to both, telling her that her parents
would sell her to someone else and telling them she was now too
refined to want anything to do with them. During those years she was
treated like a slave, sleeping on a rug on the floor, eating from
separate dishes, often locked in the house. While only a child
herself, she was tasked with cleaning, cooking, and caring for a
toddler. The wife beat her severely. When she began to develop a
figure the husband started to make improper advances.
But Virginia was clever and took advantage of every opportunity
she could find or make. She was a covert student. With her teacher
bosses sure she was still illiterate, she taught herself from their
textbooks to the point that when she had a chance for formal schooling
she was an outstanding student. It was her cleverness and spunk that
made Resau want to write her life story. Luckily for her and for
readers, writing her story with the help of an experienced author was
one of Virginia's life goals.
On a personal note, I had a really good week. Class was great. Work
was also. I really had fun serving Thursday. When I serve I make
sure I can answer any question our student clients can ask about the
food. I hit the jackpot: almost two dozen about the panini and seven
about the corn fritters. When I serve I'm going to be simply the best
because our clients deserve no less.
I got the listing of break out sessions for the conference I will
attend next weekend in the Big City (Portland). It is going to be
amazing!
A great big shout out goes out to everyone who has been working hard
to make the conference a reality. It will be such an opportunity for
all of us who have the great good fortune of being able to attend.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA/adult fact based fiction
"And then there were us, the indigenas, with skin as rough and
ruddy as freshly dug potatoes, cheeks rubbed raw by the sun and wind.
The mestizos called us longos, stupid Indians, dirty Indians, poor
Indians. We had awkward, backward names like Farignango, which our
grandparents signed with an X on contracts they couldn't read. In
this way, our grandparents sold their land and then, forever after,
paid the mestizos half their harvest to rent what was once theirs."
When author Laura Resau visited Maria Virginia Farignango, a
student at the Colorado community college where Resau taught English,
they talked for hours. As a very young indigenous child in Ecuador,
Virginia was one of very many girl children sent to live with well off
mestizo (non indigenous) families.
"...the arrangements were often vague. There was a blurry line
between giving daughters away, having them work as nannies or maids,
and selling them. It was sometimes unclear to the girl how often she
would return home for visits, how much--if anything--she would be
paid, and even whether the arrangement was temporary or permanent. In
some cases, when the wealthier families did not uphold their end of
the vague bargain, the girls were essentially stolen..."
Virginia was stolen. For eight years she didn't see her
family. Her bosses had lied to both, telling her that her parents
would sell her to someone else and telling them she was now too
refined to want anything to do with them. During those years she was
treated like a slave, sleeping on a rug on the floor, eating from
separate dishes, often locked in the house. While only a child
herself, she was tasked with cleaning, cooking, and caring for a
toddler. The wife beat her severely. When she began to develop a
figure the husband started to make improper advances.
But Virginia was clever and took advantage of every opportunity
she could find or make. She was a covert student. With her teacher
bosses sure she was still illiterate, she taught herself from their
textbooks to the point that when she had a chance for formal schooling
she was an outstanding student. It was her cleverness and spunk that
made Resau want to write her life story. Luckily for her and for
readers, writing her story with the help of an experienced author was
one of Virginia's life goals.
On a personal note, I had a really good week. Class was great. Work
was also. I really had fun serving Thursday. When I serve I make
sure I can answer any question our student clients can ask about the
food. I hit the jackpot: almost two dozen about the panini and seven
about the corn fritters. When I serve I'm going to be simply the best
because our clients deserve no less.
I got the listing of break out sessions for the conference I will
attend next weekend in the Big City (Portland). It is going to be
amazing!
A great big shout out goes out to everyone who has been working hard
to make the conference a reality. It will be such an opportunity for
all of us who have the great good fortune of being able to attend.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Why We Sleep
Why We Sleep
Adult nonfiction
I love my sleep, my dreams, and jumping out of bed in the
morning full of energy. If I don't get enough slumber I don't feel
like myself. I don't believe people can get by on a mere four or five
hours a night. Matthew Walker Ph.D.'s Why We Sleep confirmed my
beliefs. This excerpt from the first chapter should give us all food
for thought.
"...Routinely sleeping less than six or seven hours a night
demolishes your immune system, more than doubling you risk of cancer.
Insufficient sleep is a key lifestyle factor determining whether or
not you will develop Alzheimers disease. Inadequate sleep--even
moderate reductions for just one week--disrupts blood sugar levels so
profoundly that you would be classified as pre-diabetic. Short
sleeping increases the liklihood of your coronary arteries becoming
blocked and brittle, setting you on a path toward cardiovascular
disease, stroke, and heart failure..."
Do you realize what the man is saying? We can stack the odds of
getting the scariest diseases known to humanity in our favor by
increasing our consumption of something pleasurable that doesn't carry
a list of harmful side effects. If your inner skeptic is starting a
chorus of "yeah, right." tell it to shut up and try at least a few
chapters of the book. It will be time well spent.
Walker starts off with the sleep basics such as the circadian
rythym (which explains, BTW, why some of us are morning larks and
others night owls), sleep pressure (a less familiar chemical
barometer), and the factors regulating them. He ties them in with
familiar experiences such as jet lag. If you've ever wondered why
your coffee or energy drink will short circuit your sleep drive, only
to lead up to a total crash later, here's your chance to find out.
We've all heard about REM and non REM sleep. Walker shows a
sleep cycle that is a lot more complex than that. He proves that each
componant is essential in its own way to optimum physical and mental
health. He shows how sleep patterns typically change over a life time
and how poor sleep hygiene can lead to the dreaded diseases I
mentioned earlier.
What I appreciate the most is that Walker addresses lack of
sleep as a policy and public health concern as well as a private
health issue. Optimally people have a large chunk of night time sleep
and a short afternoon nap. Modern buzz kills such as electric lights
turning night into day, electronics, and shift work schedules are
really messing with our sleep hygiene. It's not just a matter of so
sad, too bad. Companies, schools, and governments need to take (and
will totally benefit from) actions.
A very convincing example Walker provides is changing too early
school start times for teens. Since teens fall asleep later, early
rising robs them of sleep stages necessary for learning. So later
start times should enhance academic achievement. Some schools have
made this adjustment and gained this benefit as well as unexpected
ones such as reductions in teen traffic accidents.
I've wondered why I am the way I am. At a stage where most
people at least contemplate retirement I'm balancing a masters program
and a student job in dining services. I wake up without an alarm
clock ready to sing. My blood pressure is low and I have a kick ass
immune system. I have the energy to perform in drag shows and one of
the sunniest dispositions on the UMaine campus. Maybe Walker has
provided at least part of the answer.
On a personal note, time for bed! Good night!
A great big shout out goes out to you, dear readers! Sweet dreams!
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
I love my sleep, my dreams, and jumping out of bed in the
morning full of energy. If I don't get enough slumber I don't feel
like myself. I don't believe people can get by on a mere four or five
hours a night. Matthew Walker Ph.D.'s Why We Sleep confirmed my
beliefs. This excerpt from the first chapter should give us all food
for thought.
"...Routinely sleeping less than six or seven hours a night
demolishes your immune system, more than doubling you risk of cancer.
Insufficient sleep is a key lifestyle factor determining whether or
not you will develop Alzheimers disease. Inadequate sleep--even
moderate reductions for just one week--disrupts blood sugar levels so
profoundly that you would be classified as pre-diabetic. Short
sleeping increases the liklihood of your coronary arteries becoming
blocked and brittle, setting you on a path toward cardiovascular
disease, stroke, and heart failure..."
Do you realize what the man is saying? We can stack the odds of
getting the scariest diseases known to humanity in our favor by
increasing our consumption of something pleasurable that doesn't carry
a list of harmful side effects. If your inner skeptic is starting a
chorus of "yeah, right." tell it to shut up and try at least a few
chapters of the book. It will be time well spent.
Walker starts off with the sleep basics such as the circadian
rythym (which explains, BTW, why some of us are morning larks and
others night owls), sleep pressure (a less familiar chemical
barometer), and the factors regulating them. He ties them in with
familiar experiences such as jet lag. If you've ever wondered why
your coffee or energy drink will short circuit your sleep drive, only
to lead up to a total crash later, here's your chance to find out.
We've all heard about REM and non REM sleep. Walker shows a
sleep cycle that is a lot more complex than that. He proves that each
componant is essential in its own way to optimum physical and mental
health. He shows how sleep patterns typically change over a life time
and how poor sleep hygiene can lead to the dreaded diseases I
mentioned earlier.
What I appreciate the most is that Walker addresses lack of
sleep as a policy and public health concern as well as a private
health issue. Optimally people have a large chunk of night time sleep
and a short afternoon nap. Modern buzz kills such as electric lights
turning night into day, electronics, and shift work schedules are
really messing with our sleep hygiene. It's not just a matter of so
sad, too bad. Companies, schools, and governments need to take (and
will totally benefit from) actions.
A very convincing example Walker provides is changing too early
school start times for teens. Since teens fall asleep later, early
rising robs them of sleep stages necessary for learning. So later
start times should enhance academic achievement. Some schools have
made this adjustment and gained this benefit as well as unexpected
ones such as reductions in teen traffic accidents.
I've wondered why I am the way I am. At a stage where most
people at least contemplate retirement I'm balancing a masters program
and a student job in dining services. I wake up without an alarm
clock ready to sing. My blood pressure is low and I have a kick ass
immune system. I have the energy to perform in drag shows and one of
the sunniest dispositions on the UMaine campus. Maybe Walker has
provided at least part of the answer.
On a personal note, time for bed! Good night!
A great big shout out goes out to you, dear readers! Sweet dreams!
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Congo Stories
Congo Stories
YA/Adult nonfiction
"When I talk about Congo in the United States, most people first
just want to know where the country is located. In Europe, however,
people know well where Congo is. This is probably because of the
colonial past linking Europe and Africa. You see, colonization was
not just about bringing religion and civilization to the 'barbaric'
indiginous people of Africa. In Congo, colonization was about
controlling and exploiting the strategic natural resources of a
country that could not defend itself from these outside forces. To
some extent, especially for ordinary Congolese people who are deeply
impacted by the violent exploitation of our natural resources, this is
still the case."
Now that I'm in grad school during the semester I normally
reserve non homework books for the commute to and from UMaine and a
little cat assisted reading before bed to help me sleep. But when I
picked up John Prendergast and Fidel Bafilemba's Congo Stories:
Battling Five Centuries of Exploitation and Greed I could not put it
down. It was literally that compelling a read. It gives Americans a
look at a complex and fascinating nation through three tightly braided
strands.
The first strand is the nation's history. For centuries America
and Europe have plundered Congolese resources: humans for the slave
trade, ivory, rubber, copper, gold, and the minerals without which we
can't have our ubiquitous electronic devices. Workers mining the
resources have been and are too often treated cruelly. Illicit
financial gains have fueled bloody civil wars replete with atrocities
such as mass rape and kidnapping children to be soldiers. The tide,
however, is turning with native activists, aided by allies in other
countries making strides toward peace and wellbeing.
The second strand is narratives: profiles of "upstanders" (in
contrast to bystanders) who risk their lives to "defend human rights,
press for peace, resist dictatorship, provide education, and prepare a
better future for their fellow Congolese." These stories are
incredible. People profiled have suffered atrocities most of us can't
imagine and gone on to fight and work for change. Honorato, for
example, was kidnapped by a militia and held as a sex slave for
fifteen months. When she was able to escape her husband resfused to
let her come back to their family. She works to help other survivors.
The third strand is Ryan Gosling's photographs of Congolese
people in everyday life: a toddler learning to walk, children playing,
students and a teacher in a classroom, couples, sleeping babies...
This was my favorite part of the book.
The authors of Congo Stories want us to disregard the narrative
that we have been fed by the if it bleeds, it leads media--that the
Congo is hopelessly broken, a cesspool of death and depravity, and
whites are the all knowing saviors. The Congo has resources including
forests that contribute to the health of the planet and a strong,
resilient people rising up to create a more peaceful, prosperous
future for their beloved nation. We may and must help in ways that
respect their agency and autonomy...
...such as making sure that the companies that make our
electronics gain minerals in ways that don't finance civil war and
human rights atrocities.
"This is our challenge: To help tell the whole truth about
Congo and its people. And to believe that there is hope based on that
truth. And to demand from our political leaders and the companies we
buy products from that they support positive change and partner with
Africans as equals in an interconnected world."
On a personal note, in my assessment class we got back our final
drafts of our surveys. I was pleased and proud to get 28 out of 30 on
mine. I've only just begun with it. I am going to, in the not so far
off future, use it to do research on behalf of my beloved dining
services. That class is so inspiring! Every time we meet I come away
just dazzled by all the new possibilities.
A great big shout out goes out to my classmates and professor, all of
whom I learn a great deal from.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA/Adult nonfiction
"When I talk about Congo in the United States, most people first
just want to know where the country is located. In Europe, however,
people know well where Congo is. This is probably because of the
colonial past linking Europe and Africa. You see, colonization was
not just about bringing religion and civilization to the 'barbaric'
indiginous people of Africa. In Congo, colonization was about
controlling and exploiting the strategic natural resources of a
country that could not defend itself from these outside forces. To
some extent, especially for ordinary Congolese people who are deeply
impacted by the violent exploitation of our natural resources, this is
still the case."
Now that I'm in grad school during the semester I normally
reserve non homework books for the commute to and from UMaine and a
little cat assisted reading before bed to help me sleep. But when I
picked up John Prendergast and Fidel Bafilemba's Congo Stories:
Battling Five Centuries of Exploitation and Greed I could not put it
down. It was literally that compelling a read. It gives Americans a
look at a complex and fascinating nation through three tightly braided
strands.
The first strand is the nation's history. For centuries America
and Europe have plundered Congolese resources: humans for the slave
trade, ivory, rubber, copper, gold, and the minerals without which we
can't have our ubiquitous electronic devices. Workers mining the
resources have been and are too often treated cruelly. Illicit
financial gains have fueled bloody civil wars replete with atrocities
such as mass rape and kidnapping children to be soldiers. The tide,
however, is turning with native activists, aided by allies in other
countries making strides toward peace and wellbeing.
The second strand is narratives: profiles of "upstanders" (in
contrast to bystanders) who risk their lives to "defend human rights,
press for peace, resist dictatorship, provide education, and prepare a
better future for their fellow Congolese." These stories are
incredible. People profiled have suffered atrocities most of us can't
imagine and gone on to fight and work for change. Honorato, for
example, was kidnapped by a militia and held as a sex slave for
fifteen months. When she was able to escape her husband resfused to
let her come back to their family. She works to help other survivors.
The third strand is Ryan Gosling's photographs of Congolese
people in everyday life: a toddler learning to walk, children playing,
students and a teacher in a classroom, couples, sleeping babies...
This was my favorite part of the book.
The authors of Congo Stories want us to disregard the narrative
that we have been fed by the if it bleeds, it leads media--that the
Congo is hopelessly broken, a cesspool of death and depravity, and
whites are the all knowing saviors. The Congo has resources including
forests that contribute to the health of the planet and a strong,
resilient people rising up to create a more peaceful, prosperous
future for their beloved nation. We may and must help in ways that
respect their agency and autonomy...
...such as making sure that the companies that make our
electronics gain minerals in ways that don't finance civil war and
human rights atrocities.
"This is our challenge: To help tell the whole truth about
Congo and its people. And to believe that there is hope based on that
truth. And to demand from our political leaders and the companies we
buy products from that they support positive change and partner with
Africans as equals in an interconnected world."
On a personal note, in my assessment class we got back our final
drafts of our surveys. I was pleased and proud to get 28 out of 30 on
mine. I've only just begun with it. I am going to, in the not so far
off future, use it to do research on behalf of my beloved dining
services. That class is so inspiring! Every time we meet I come away
just dazzled by all the new possibilities.
A great big shout out goes out to my classmates and professor, all of
whom I learn a great deal from.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, March 3, 2019
A Trio of Picture Book Treasures
A Trio of Picture Book Treasures
Picture books
I am realizing that I am erring on the side of adult in my book
choices. (Think this has anything to do with graduate school?) Today
to try for a little balance I'm offering up a trio of picture books
for my mentor, Jodi, and all the other parents of very young children.
The Seeds Of Friendship
Although he misses his former home, Adam loves his new
apartment. But the world beyond his window seems bleak and grey. His
first snow leads to friendships as he shows some other kids how to
build creatures like rhinos and lions.
At his new school, as spring arrives, Adam loves the garden.
His teacher gives him seeds to plant in the window boxes at home...
...and this is only the beginning.
The Seeds Of Friendship can be a wonderful inspiration for
children and families wishing to add a touch of home or beauty to
their environments.
The Night World
When I was a child during the day the basement of my house was
familiar and cozy. It was a place for storage, laundry, and play. We
had a huge wood table dedicated to messy crafts. I had a little play
house with blanket walls, a comfy chair, and all kinds of books and
good things. (My first studio). When night fell, however, it was not
a place I wanted to be--sinister shadows, ominous furnace noises...
Heck, when I was in undergraduate college the president's
residence was set off in the woods, accessible by a path. In addition
to being hired for social events put on by the pres and his wife, I
was best friends with classmates who rented there and often slept
over. I have fond memories like the president's wife appearing in
bathrobe and slippers to invite us for snow day pancakes. The woods
path was pretty and scenic in the day, but six times as long after
darkness fell, seemingly full of creatures from Stephen King's
imagination.
When Mordicai Gerstein was four he woke up needing to pee. He
and his father stopped in the kitchen on their way back to bed. They
looked out a kitchen window into a very transformed back yard.
Readers of The Night World will see that that experience stuck
with him well into adulthood.
A cat, whose green eyes are the only touches of color in a
shades of grey world, wakes a sleeping child. The cat wants to go
out. The child thinks it's too late. The cat persists. Cat and
child tiptoe through a sleeping house to a shadowy, star studded dew
wet outside night world...
...where something special is on the way.
A lot of kids have night time fears. If any live in your home
The Night World will be a fine investment.
Wolf In The Snow
Matthew Cordell's Wolf In The Snow is a wordless book with a
timeless message.
A bundled up child walks away from a school in a snow storm.
Trudging through thickening flakes, that little one finds a lone baby
wolf too young to survive on its own. The child picks up the cub and
searches for its mother, collapsing in the snow from exhaustion after
the reunion takes place...
...and the wolves find a way to help their new friend. Read the
book to see how that happens.
On a purrrsonal (Joey is sprawled out on my legs) note, I had a good
week. I was not a fan of the two really cold days when my commute was
a real challenge. (At work I talked to a lot of students about the
importance of dressing to prevent frostbite.) My best day was Friday,
my dress up day. I decided to assess people's reactions to my
strawberry ice cream pink angora sweater which I wasn't sure I liked.
(I had people, on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 the ugliest thing you've
seen today, 5 beautiful, and 3 meh, rate the sweater. All 5s. It's a
keeper). It was first Friday bagels and coffee at the commuter
lounge. Wonderful tradition! I found enough articles for my
annotated bibliography just in the nick of time. More homework I
can't do at home. I unexpectedly saw my good friend, Mazie. I got to
do a craft at women's resource center. We collaged notebooks.
Everyone's looked amazing. It's an easy and useful craft. All you
need is a notebook, magazines with pictures, glue, stickers, and your
imagination. You can have a fancy journal at a notebook price.
That's what mine will be. And I saw Jodi for the first time in two
weeks. We went over my progress in the new GROW (guided reflections
on work) program she chose me :-) for. I had lost my watch. She gave
me one with cats on it. She also gave me a ride home which was an
excellent way to start my weekend. This coming week I'm both nervous
and eager to find out how I did on my survey final draft. I'm very
excited for the work training scheduled for Saturday on stuff like
customer service and food safety. I am going to bring a notebook,
pens, and my listening ears.
Great big shout outs go out to Mazie, the Women's Resource Center gang
who will make this Women's History Month memorable, Jodi, and Anna who
is arranging the training opportunity.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture books
I am realizing that I am erring on the side of adult in my book
choices. (Think this has anything to do with graduate school?) Today
to try for a little balance I'm offering up a trio of picture books
for my mentor, Jodi, and all the other parents of very young children.
The Seeds Of Friendship
Although he misses his former home, Adam loves his new
apartment. But the world beyond his window seems bleak and grey. His
first snow leads to friendships as he shows some other kids how to
build creatures like rhinos and lions.
At his new school, as spring arrives, Adam loves the garden.
His teacher gives him seeds to plant in the window boxes at home...
...and this is only the beginning.
The Seeds Of Friendship can be a wonderful inspiration for
children and families wishing to add a touch of home or beauty to
their environments.
The Night World
When I was a child during the day the basement of my house was
familiar and cozy. It was a place for storage, laundry, and play. We
had a huge wood table dedicated to messy crafts. I had a little play
house with blanket walls, a comfy chair, and all kinds of books and
good things. (My first studio). When night fell, however, it was not
a place I wanted to be--sinister shadows, ominous furnace noises...
Heck, when I was in undergraduate college the president's
residence was set off in the woods, accessible by a path. In addition
to being hired for social events put on by the pres and his wife, I
was best friends with classmates who rented there and often slept
over. I have fond memories like the president's wife appearing in
bathrobe and slippers to invite us for snow day pancakes. The woods
path was pretty and scenic in the day, but six times as long after
darkness fell, seemingly full of creatures from Stephen King's
imagination.
When Mordicai Gerstein was four he woke up needing to pee. He
and his father stopped in the kitchen on their way back to bed. They
looked out a kitchen window into a very transformed back yard.
Readers of The Night World will see that that experience stuck
with him well into adulthood.
A cat, whose green eyes are the only touches of color in a
shades of grey world, wakes a sleeping child. The cat wants to go
out. The child thinks it's too late. The cat persists. Cat and
child tiptoe through a sleeping house to a shadowy, star studded dew
wet outside night world...
...where something special is on the way.
A lot of kids have night time fears. If any live in your home
The Night World will be a fine investment.
Wolf In The Snow
Matthew Cordell's Wolf In The Snow is a wordless book with a
timeless message.
A bundled up child walks away from a school in a snow storm.
Trudging through thickening flakes, that little one finds a lone baby
wolf too young to survive on its own. The child picks up the cub and
searches for its mother, collapsing in the snow from exhaustion after
the reunion takes place...
...and the wolves find a way to help their new friend. Read the
book to see how that happens.
On a purrrsonal (Joey is sprawled out on my legs) note, I had a good
week. I was not a fan of the two really cold days when my commute was
a real challenge. (At work I talked to a lot of students about the
importance of dressing to prevent frostbite.) My best day was Friday,
my dress up day. I decided to assess people's reactions to my
strawberry ice cream pink angora sweater which I wasn't sure I liked.
(I had people, on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 the ugliest thing you've
seen today, 5 beautiful, and 3 meh, rate the sweater. All 5s. It's a
keeper). It was first Friday bagels and coffee at the commuter
lounge. Wonderful tradition! I found enough articles for my
annotated bibliography just in the nick of time. More homework I
can't do at home. I unexpectedly saw my good friend, Mazie. I got to
do a craft at women's resource center. We collaged notebooks.
Everyone's looked amazing. It's an easy and useful craft. All you
need is a notebook, magazines with pictures, glue, stickers, and your
imagination. You can have a fancy journal at a notebook price.
That's what mine will be. And I saw Jodi for the first time in two
weeks. We went over my progress in the new GROW (guided reflections
on work) program she chose me :-) for. I had lost my watch. She gave
me one with cats on it. She also gave me a ride home which was an
excellent way to start my weekend. This coming week I'm both nervous
and eager to find out how I did on my survey final draft. I'm very
excited for the work training scheduled for Saturday on stuff like
customer service and food safety. I am going to bring a notebook,
pens, and my listening ears.
Great big shout outs go out to Mazie, the Women's Resource Center gang
who will make this Women's History Month memorable, Jodi, and Anna who
is arranging the training opportunity.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Total Cat Mojo
Total Cat Mojo
Adult nonfiction
"In the sanctified realm of our home among our family members
true empathy shouldn't be reserved for one and not the other, for some
and not all. As enlightened as we may fancy ourselves, as long as
there is even a splinter of treating our animal family members as
things we own as opposed to those we love, that splinter will infect
the body of our family. This splinter has a name: ownership. The
way forward also has a name: relationship."
Jackson Galaxy, author of Total Cat Mojo, source of the above
quote, worked in an animal shelter for ten years. For many of the
cats in this and other shelters (millions each year) surrender becomes
a very undeserved death sentence. His vocation is all about by
preventing that by helping people better understand the felines with
whom they share home turf as sentient beings rather than possessions.
I can give you an example of cat as thing. Decades ago I had a
week long pet sitting gig. The cat in question--not even a year old--
had just been spayed and declawed...
...We now interrupt this review for a public service announcement.
NEVER DECLAW A CAT!!! It's basically removing its fingers and toes up
to the first joint. Not only is it painful and often botched, but it
effects the way it walks and leads to arthritis. If you are
contemplating the act ask yourself. IS THIS WHAT I WOULD WANT DONE TO
ME?...
...and she returned to her home, barely out of anaesthesia, to see her
human companions departing for who knows how long and leaving a
relative stranger in charge. That poor cat didn't let me out of her
sight even long enough for me to use the bathroom. And any time I sat
or lay down she was glued to me. Her people returned without a clue
that the experience might have been traumatic.
Galaxy wants us to know that our cats aren't all that far
removed from their in-the-wild ancestors. For example, even if they
derive most of their nourishment from Nine Lives, they are wired to
hunt. Cat mojo comes from a confidence of owning one's territory.
Joey, for example, shares our studio with me. His catio, a cat
bed on top of a coffee table in front of the biggest window, gives him
access to what Galaxy calls cat tv, the fascinating sights of the
outside world. A soft chair and bed give him the chance to mingle his
scent with mine. When I'm there he can cuddle, lie nearby or at a
distance, or leave the room.
Galaxy helps readers understand cat world and create an
atmosphere that lets felines rock their mojo, vastly improving life
for both human and feline. He covers situations such as introducing a
new cat into the family, introducing a new baby to the resident cat,
solving litter box avoidance and furniture scratching problems and so
much more. Even if life with fur baby is going splendidly, at least
from the human perspective, Total Cat Mojo is a fascinating read.
It's down to earth enough for a possible first time adopter. But I've
been bringing my cat companions to Veazie Vet nearly three decades and
I learned quite a bit.
So who should buy the book? Anyone who shares a home (or
contemplates sharing a home) with a feline friend. It's a very
worthwhile investment at a quite affordable paperback price.
On a purrrsonal note, Joey, at 15 1/2 seems to be thriving. He eats
well, uses his litter box, and follows a routine he seems to enjoy.
He always has a lot to tell me when I get back from UMaine. When I
come back from serving at the dining commons he draws in lungfulls of
his favorite meaty perfumes. Lucky for me, he is a real cuddle bug,
especially when I am in our studio. One of his cutest tricks is lying
across my neck and purring in my ear. Despite what that old ad says,
the coffee in my cup takes second place to my human-cat reunion as the
best part of getting up.
A great big shout out goes out to all who help keep our beloved feline
(and canine) friends in the game like the Veazie Vet gang.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"In the sanctified realm of our home among our family members
true empathy shouldn't be reserved for one and not the other, for some
and not all. As enlightened as we may fancy ourselves, as long as
there is even a splinter of treating our animal family members as
things we own as opposed to those we love, that splinter will infect
the body of our family. This splinter has a name: ownership. The
way forward also has a name: relationship."
Jackson Galaxy, author of Total Cat Mojo, source of the above
quote, worked in an animal shelter for ten years. For many of the
cats in this and other shelters (millions each year) surrender becomes
a very undeserved death sentence. His vocation is all about by
preventing that by helping people better understand the felines with
whom they share home turf as sentient beings rather than possessions.
I can give you an example of cat as thing. Decades ago I had a
week long pet sitting gig. The cat in question--not even a year old--
had just been spayed and declawed...
...We now interrupt this review for a public service announcement.
NEVER DECLAW A CAT!!! It's basically removing its fingers and toes up
to the first joint. Not only is it painful and often botched, but it
effects the way it walks and leads to arthritis. If you are
contemplating the act ask yourself. IS THIS WHAT I WOULD WANT DONE TO
ME?...
...and she returned to her home, barely out of anaesthesia, to see her
human companions departing for who knows how long and leaving a
relative stranger in charge. That poor cat didn't let me out of her
sight even long enough for me to use the bathroom. And any time I sat
or lay down she was glued to me. Her people returned without a clue
that the experience might have been traumatic.
Galaxy wants us to know that our cats aren't all that far
removed from their in-the-wild ancestors. For example, even if they
derive most of their nourishment from Nine Lives, they are wired to
hunt. Cat mojo comes from a confidence of owning one's territory.
Joey, for example, shares our studio with me. His catio, a cat
bed on top of a coffee table in front of the biggest window, gives him
access to what Galaxy calls cat tv, the fascinating sights of the
outside world. A soft chair and bed give him the chance to mingle his
scent with mine. When I'm there he can cuddle, lie nearby or at a
distance, or leave the room.
Galaxy helps readers understand cat world and create an
atmosphere that lets felines rock their mojo, vastly improving life
for both human and feline. He covers situations such as introducing a
new cat into the family, introducing a new baby to the resident cat,
solving litter box avoidance and furniture scratching problems and so
much more. Even if life with fur baby is going splendidly, at least
from the human perspective, Total Cat Mojo is a fascinating read.
It's down to earth enough for a possible first time adopter. But I've
been bringing my cat companions to Veazie Vet nearly three decades and
I learned quite a bit.
So who should buy the book? Anyone who shares a home (or
contemplates sharing a home) with a feline friend. It's a very
worthwhile investment at a quite affordable paperback price.
On a purrrsonal note, Joey, at 15 1/2 seems to be thriving. He eats
well, uses his litter box, and follows a routine he seems to enjoy.
He always has a lot to tell me when I get back from UMaine. When I
come back from serving at the dining commons he draws in lungfulls of
his favorite meaty perfumes. Lucky for me, he is a real cuddle bug,
especially when I am in our studio. One of his cutest tricks is lying
across my neck and purring in my ear. Despite what that old ad says,
the coffee in my cup takes second place to my human-cat reunion as the
best part of getting up.
A great big shout out goes out to all who help keep our beloved feline
(and canine) friends in the game like the Veazie Vet gang.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Thursday, February 28, 2019
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