Special gift

Today I have something special to share with you. This was Katie's Christmas gift to me about 20 years ago. The cup is one of my favorites. When the ornaments (angel and snowman) aren't on a Christmas tree they have a prominent place in my studio where I can see them every day. They remind me of Eugene and me. I use the box to hold stuff like erasers and pencil sharpeners. I think that we hold on to and treasure says a lot about us. So from now on now and then I'll share pictures of my treasured possessions. What objects do you treasure? What do they mean to you?

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The Bitter End (YA chiller)

     Are you ready for a winter immersive reading experience? Have I got a book for you. Alexa Donne's The Bitter End is a purrrfect read for a blizzard night with the wind howling like a banshee, snow ❄️ piling up, and maybe a power outage. 

     "Ms. Silva squirms under our hot gazes. It's seven against one.

     'I went out this morning to inspect the storm damage. We're completely snowed in. The drifts are five, six feet? Roads completely blocked.' She wrings her hands. 'Not that it matters. We can't call out, so there's no one to reach even if they could get here by car.'"

     The where is an isolated big old house on top of a mountain. The road up the mountain is sketchy even under the best of conditions. Under five or six feet of snow ❄️ it would be extremely hazardous even if they had a car or truck. Which they don't.  

      "So what is this? A digital-detox wellness weekend with noted hard-ass guidance counselor Ms. Silva. She's literally reported seniors to colleges for lying on their applications, and she got one kid's acceptance rescinded a few years ago, rumor has it. Somewhere there's a dartboard with her face on it, riddled with holes."

     The eight students (before they get distracted by weightier matters like staying alive) would gladly put some more holes in it. They all had signed up for more glamorous, exciting Senior Excursion options, only to be bumped to this nightmare at the last minute. They are not happy campers...

     ...nor are they a group you'd want together under the best of circumstances...

     ...never mind in a scene straight out of a survivalist nightmare. Whole lotta bad blood between these kids ever since an eventful party three years earlier. 

       At their first supper one of the students, Eden, drugs the chaperone so they can party. Do they ever! The next morning one of the boys is dead...

     ...And there's no way to call for help...

     ...And another blizzard is intensifying.

     If you're a real chiller affecianado you won't want to miss out on The Bitter End or on Donne's two previous cliffhangers: The Ivies and Pretty Dead Queens. 

On a purrrsonal note, here in Central Maine the temperatures are dropping. We're in for 2 days of really dangerous windchill, possibly accompanied by more snow. But aside from that I am living my best life. I had an amazing day yesterday. The morning was First Friday Bagels. I had my favorite: sweet cinnamon. In the afternoon I was paparazzi for a SWell event on planners where I got some seriously good stuff including 4 adorable squishies for little little land. Catherine complimented me on my running. More people asked for poster board for Operation Valentine. And so many people are so excited about it. It's like real world viral.

And the few with whom I've shared my next project idea are excited for it. 

A great big shout out goes out to all the groups who are participating in Operation Valentine. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Part 2

This is the book wrapped up and the valentines card I made for Eugene. 

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Good stuff

The earrings are the ones Amber gave me Saturday. Aren't they absolutely gorgeous? And the book has an interesting story. Yesterday on campus there was a blind date with a book event. There was a table full of beautifully wrapped books. Each had a description. They were free. I found one I thought would be awesome. When I unwrapped it I discovered it was on my to read list. I'm really looking forward to reading and reviewing it. There were also Valentine card making materials and I made cards for Eugene and my friend Bailey. 

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Why Facists Fear Teachers (adult nonfiction)

     Remember we recently looked at a book that described all the ways oligarchies put almost all of us in serious peril? Why Facists Hate Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy looks at the crisis from another angle, offering a ray of hope in the form of public schools and teachers. Author Randi Weingarten, former teacher and elected president of the 1.8 million member American Federation of Teachers, speaking from history and the personal experience of herself and colleagues, makes a cogent case why we all have a stake in public education. 

     As I think you're aware, public schools and teachers are under attack on many different fronts. There are book banners gunning for unprecedented numbers of volumes, especially those having to do with LGBTQ+ issues and the lived experience of people of color, and historical revisionists diligently whitewashing curricula. There is the taking away of needed resources as in the dismantling of the Department of Education. There are the voucher and charter schools trying to dismantle and replace public schools. 

     It's nothing new. Facist regimes have always early on targeted schools and teachers. Weingarten starts the book off with a description of the courageous resistance of teachers and students to the Nazi occupation of Norway in 1940. So why do they do this? She goes into great detail on four reasons:

*Teachers teach critical thinking, a skill abhored by authoritarians and dictators;

*Teachers create safe, affirming, and welcoming communities for all children and provide the resources that will enable all to thrive;

*Teachers provide opportunities for all which is anathema to those who want to perpetuate a very unequal status quo.

*Teachers build strong unions. Unions are a very strong force against facism.

     In her conclusion Weingarten gives readers a path forward and reasons for optimism but not complacency. I see Why Facists Fear Teachers as a must read for all who care about the future of public education and participatory democracy. 

On a purrrsonal note, I think it's so important to show up for our beleaguered teachers and school librarians. Talk to them. Find out what they need whether it's supplies or advocacy. Let them know you're there for them. Attend school committee meetings and town council budget meetings and don't be afraid to speak up. And if you have the time and inclination run for school committee/board. All too often conservatives try to pack committees with banners, censorers, and other similar minded people. From my eleven years on the Veazie School Committee I can tell you that you do have power and can make a real difference.  

A great big shout out goes out to public school teachers and librarians and their allies. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Me and Eugene...

...at his birthday lunch. He was having a great time. But he does not like having his picture taken. I'm the opposite as you can see. It was a wonderful lunch. The food was divine. I really enjoyed the conversation. Truly a day to remember!

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All Is Calmish (adult nonfiction)

     I almost didn't request Niro Feliciano's All is Calmish: How To Feel Less Frantic And More Festive During The Holidays. I've skimmed enough of these how to books to anticipate bullet points and dogmatism. And under usual circumstances I feel festive rather than frantic. But almost everyone I know falls into the other camp. So I'm always looking for the exception...

     ...and in All Is Calmish I've finally found it. Feliciano starts by asking readers what we actually remember about the last holiday season. She admits that she generally has to look at the pictures stored on her smartphone to recapture any memories with "a warm holiday glow". 

     She says that few people escape holiday stress. One of the things I like best about the book is that she takes into account the intersectionality of the stress. It doesn't take place in a vacuum. Rather it compounds the stresses that may already be going on such as divorce, financial challenges, or a family member's precarious health. 

     "What if this holiday could be different? What if this year we didn't get sucked into the vortex of overdoing and decorating, overspending and stressing? What if we gifted ourselves a meaningful holiday full of memorable moments of joy--ones that we could easily call to mind, year after year?...And what if we held on to a perspective on what really matters every day for the next month--and try to let go of what doesn't?"

     Feliciano's season transforming advice takes the form of thirty-one conversational reflections. The topics they're centered around are ones most of us can relate to: the numerous holiday great expectations;  the unexpected interruptions that can come at the worst times; the dramas that can spoil extended family togetherness; ramped up anxiety; and really disappointing gifts. For each one she not only gives good advice, but personalizes the reflection with questions. On the one about holiday conflict she asks:

"*What is one boundary you need to set this holiday to preserve your peace or the peace of those around you?

*Who can help you hold this boundary or remind you of it?

*What conflict is not worth addressing this year?"

     My favorite reflection is the one in which she reminds readers of the total messiness of the event we celebrate: the unmarried young teen traveling 90 miles on a donkey only to give birth in a messy, smelly, far from sanitary stable. Nothing about it screams Martha Stewart Live.

     I would highly recommend All is Calmish to just about everyone. I know I found it very thought provoking. I just suggest reading it well before December. OK, I know Febuary is probably a bit much. But how about October? That way it's good advice has more time to sink in. 

On a purrrsonal note, growing up in Beverly, Massachusetts, I really loved Christmas and the events leading up to it: decorating the tree, baking and decorating cookies, going to Boston by train to see decorated stores, visiting Santa... But I noticed that it didn't seem as joyous to my mother who seemed to be obsessed with fulfilling obligations: writing Christmas cards to seemingly everyone she'd ever met who hadn't died, making an elaborate meal for just our nuclear family... So when I became a mom I had a toss the obligations and make the most of the subtle and spontaneous mindset that serves me well today. Then in 2023 a Christmas that had the potential to be anything but was joyous. It was the Christmas exactly 3 months after my stroke. I was confined to home like we were during the pandemic spending most of the time working on basic skills so I could be back in school spring semester. I had no presents to give even my nearest and dearest. But surprises kept breaking in. The librarians kept me supplied with books 📚. Amber gave me kids' ornament kits and an Advent calendar with dear little figures of popular toys. Eugene took me on an enchanting decorated trail and drove around to look at Christmas lights. My best friend, Lisa Morin, took me to a special end of semester event at UMaine where people were overjoyed to see me. On Christmas I finally able to ditch velcro footwear for a really awesome pair of high tops I could finally tie before going to the family Christmas party. And my big seasonal epiphany: I gave my family and friends the best possible gift by being alive and getting better. I did tweak my holiday practices. Now I do my shopping at thrift shops and yard sales and start in January. By Thanksgiving they are ready to wrap and deliver. It makes December so much easier. 

A great big shout out goes out to Feliciano for creating this fine book and getting it published. 

Jules Hathaway 

On a purrrsonal note, I had a truly amazing weekend. Saturday was the family birthday lunch for Eugene which was held at Amber and Brian's. Katie, Jacob, Adam, and Brian's mother also attended. Brian made delicious grilled cheese sandwiches, corn chowder, and low sugar carrot cake. We had a delightful leisurely lunch enjoying each other's company. Amber gave me a beautiful pair of cat earrings. 

Then Sunday was the Orono Community Potluck dinner where Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund was involved. We helped with set up and sold tickets to our Valentines basket raffle. At first people were making Valentines. Then there was the dinner which was delicious. I let myself have one miniature chocolate eclaire which was heavenly. As the official paparazzi I went around taking pictures and getting really good ones. It was definitely an evening to remember. 

A great big shout out goes out to all who participated in both events. 

Jules Hathaway 

     

     

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