Ushering In A New Season

Every kid loves summer vacation but growing up I was also excited about returning to school. Back then I wouldn't haven't articulated it the same way, but I know now that school provided a kind of haven for me, a place where I could imagine and excel. School meant being with friends and supported by adults who cared about me.

I see fall as a beginning, a time of year when things are both exciting and familiar. Now that I'm older, fall means slowing down and enjoying the changes in season. I'm more aware and appreciative of the passage of time. In the fall I'm keenly aware of when the sun rises and falls. I feel the change in temperature in my bones. I anticipate the comfort foods I love this time of year and there's a bit of anxiety and anticipation concerning the holidays.

The fall is a time of slowing down and things dying but for me there are new stirrings. In the fall I take stock of how the year has gone. I contemplate if I feel stronger and better about what I did that year. This year I'm at the midway mark of my weight loss goal and there are some areas I'm frankly failing at. In terms of my weight, the biggie is tracking. I suck eggs at it. I'm comfortable with what I'm eating but if I want to continue to lose I'm going to have to track and plan. Organization and structure might as well be aliens from another planet in my world. The likelihood of me meeting ex terrestrials are higher than me successfully planning and journaling daily.

My goal this season is to learn to be methodical and organized and I'm not feeling confident at all. I'm a lot of things but no one has ever said organizational skills and goal-setting were among my strengths. I am more confident and excited about adding new classes and routines to my workouts. Simplifying. De-cluttering my life. I don't want to stall but slow down and enjoy what really matters: plugging in to places and with folks I love, enjoying a good cup of coffee, meditating and laughing more with the kidlet.

School starts Tuesday so I'll be returning, too. I still worry that I'm losing the battle when it comes to imparting to her a love of reading and learning; she'd rather go to the mall. ((sigh)) but I think we're finding a groove at home and it will be a better school year. This fall I want to find a way to balance guiding my daughter through the school year while meeting my own personal health goals and enjoying early evenings curled up on the couch reading a good book.

Confession Tuesday

Ah, confession time. It's fall and I'm looking forward to new beginnings. That's not my confession; my confession is that I've realized it takes me a lot longer to accept change and to adapt despite my belief that I am open-minded and flexible. Clearly I'm not as much of either as I thought. I've been angry and sad for awhile because of some very difficult changes in my life this year. I became so fixated on what I no longer had and what I could no longer do that I failed to put my energy into what I could do and on what I do have. Well, I've finally got off the pity pot. I was seriously at risk for getting sores from sitting so long.

As some of you know, despite my lack, I was light when it came to pounds and the extra weight was increasing my risk for my family history of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. I've lost twenty pounds. Yay, me. However, the reality is I have twenty more to go. At the moment all I'm losing is stamina not so much that I'm no longer watching what I eat, but I've hit a plateau. I don't have the same enthusiasm. Frankly, I don't want to plan my meals and count points (Weight Watchers system instead of counting calories) but I have too if I want my weight loss to continue a downward spiral. The upside is I now have a wardrobe I can actually wear instead of just staring at.

Lastly, staring at my slimmer, naked self in the mirror this morning, I conceded my boobs are heading south. I felt a tinge of guilt and regret. I'm the only woman in my family who actually has a sizable pair and I failed to harness and care for my girls. I was alternately too lazy or too cheap to get fitted for a good bra. I wonder if I have time to slow down the descent.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Each week readers share what they are reading for the week. I've been in a reading drought so I am anxious to learn what's new and what I should add to my tbr for the fall. If you have recommendations, please share them with me at Color Online. I'm building a list.

Currently, I'm reading The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. I'd really like to know if anyone has read this and The Help and tell me how they feel about the works. Are they comparable? I love the writing and the relationship between the women is complex and troubling for me.


I also discovered that I have a copy of Seeds of Change by Wangari Maathai, a book I wanted but was out of stock. The publisher sent me a copy. Review very soon.

What have you read this week? You can find more WAYR entries at One Person's Journey hosted by Sheila.

Recommded Summer Vacation Reads

A few months back, someone sent me a copy of Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson (See Ari's review). I carried the book with me on my bus commute with the intent to read it over a couple of rides and lunches at work. Well when I got to work, I shared the book with a co-worker whose son is a reluctant reader. She's always looking for something for him. Without thinking, I offered the book. Later when I asked her if he liked it she told me her son started reading it but she could tell he was reading it because she wanted him to so she gave it to her niece (she wasn't happy about the girl's normal reading choices). She said her niece immediately got into the book so much so she apparently told her cousin about the story then he wanted it back. When the niece finished the book, my friend asked if her son could finish reading it. This go round he, too, became engrossed with the book staying up late to read, something my friend says never happens. When he was done with the book, his younger sister wanted to read it so he gave it to her without telling his mom he had finished. In the end my gifted, soft cover book endured a real good wearing from three teens. My co-worker felt so bad about the condition of the book, she got me a hard cover. So to Varian, I apologize for not reviewing your latest but I hope you and other readers will appreciate how well received the book was among these teens, two of whom are preacher kids.

Before summer I read Tortilla Sun by Jennifer Cervantes. I wrote about it though not a full review. Loved it. Before I went on leave I shared this book with the same co-worker mentioned above. I'm pretty sure I know what she's going to say.

Next is One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia. I love this author's work and this book is no exception. Do check out the video clip at Zetta Eliott's blog. I was twenty pages shy of finishing when I made the same mistake of sharing a book too soon. I told a friend of my daughter's how much I enjoyed it. Actually, she had come to see my daughter and while waiting she noticed the book on the hallway bookcase ( my daughter's friends often eye my books and then shyly they will sometimes ask to borrow one). I watched her her read the book titles and I knew she was going to ask. I started to say let me finish but I couldn't risk her not coming back (she's actually a regular reader and likely would ask) but I seize all opportunities to give kids books.

Last book is Elizabeti's Doll by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen. I received this book from the publisher. It's a lovely book about a little girl who wants to emulate her mother. Her mom recently had a new baby and Elizabeti wants one to care for, too. The story takes place in Tanzania. The little girl doesn't own a doll so she searches for something to be her baby. She settles for an oval not to heavy or large rock. She takes good care of her baby. She makes the sweetest comments such as she's relieved her baby doesn't make the same mess in her cloth like her new baby brother does. Really enjoyed this. Look for it.

Confession Tuesday

Arrgggggggggggggg. Cranky, tired and weepy. Why did it take me two days to realize I'm pmsing? Seriously, how long have I had a cycle? I am sick of being suzy downer. Maude, I really can't stand being in this funk- not now.

Confession, I've fallen off the book mobile and I feel so ashamed. I'm afraid to step back into the truck. I imagine the driver giving me a look that says, "You've got a lot of nerve showing back up here."

I do have a few summer reading suggestions so let me work on those after dinner. Maybe a dose of blog hopping. Physical Therapy tomorrow. Hoping that goes well.

Affirming My Whole and Peace-filled Self

Here's what Linda Spangle has in store for us to do today: Tell yourself "I can do it." at least 10 times. Use this to cheerlead yourself through the entire day! In your notebook, write "I can do it because. . ." and then add a few supportive phrases such as "I'm capable of doing anything." Read your phrases often, using them to reinforce your goals and build your enthusiasm. Good luck! Looking forward to your posts.

If I still had my car, I'd would have gone to Meeting. A few years ago, I began attending Quaker Meetings in Ann Arbor. My first service was everything I needed.We practice what is called silent worship. It's a kind of collective meditation. It is a serene peaceful way to connect with God. I look forward to becoming still, being open to expectant listening.

Today's lesson is attuned to what I embraced in the 90s, you know, the New Age era where affirmations and meditation were celebrated like a new (nothing new about it) found religion. I believe in the power of the spoken word. When we say a thing we are asking the universe to align our reality with our thinking.

Day 7 of 100 Days

For today's lesson, I affirm, I can do this because:

I am everything I need to be right now in this moment.
I am living and breathing perfect health and wholeness.
In my world, I can do anything.


Starting weight: 171 lbs.
Current weight: 153.2 lbs.
Current week: -1.4 lbs.
Total weight loss: -17.8 lbs.

*Periodically I'll share my progress because the assignments are about more than weight loss. For me they are about healing and creating the life I want.

Confession Tuesday

Wouldn't you know just when I'm finding my groove again, my pc decides to spazz out on me. It was down most of the day and when I could get on, I had a few other writing assignments I wanted to complete. Then I had a community meeting for my apartment complex. Then dinner.

I confess I almost bailed. Then I thought how I'd feel if I couldn't get on tomorrow. Nope, do it now.

Apparently, I have a low tolerance for pain. When I banged my knee at the gym, despite trying to feign toughness, I passed out because of the pain. Before my surgery, they had to medicate me (polite way of saying dope me up) because my blood pressure spiked and it only escalated. Now I had some pain but nothing that should have caused the spike. Throw in a little anxiety (I hate hospitals and the idea of anesthesia really scares me) and you get one spazzed out chica. Lesson: I need to remain healthy. Pain and fear is a nasty stroke- inducing cocktail for me. I have to do better to relax and take my recovery slowly or I risk raising my blood pressure which means more medication. Like I said, I must stay healthy.

My daughter is currently reading Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros. She tries so hard to impress me. I confess I initially let an exasperated sigh slip through my lips (I feared she'd be bored and it would be more weeks before she picked up another book) but I rebounded and asked her what she thought. As it turns out the more she reads it, the more she likes it. I confess I haven't told her I haven't read it yet. My daughter assumes I've read everything. While she's running around with her buddies, I'll have to read it so I can ask her more and we can enjoy talking about a book we've both read. She is still my reluctant reader so when we both like a read it is a huge treat for me.

From Biggest Loser To Injury To 100 Days

Back in April I joined a group of co-workers in a biggest loser weight loss challenge. Eight weeks in, my cousin died. He was the ultimate health enthusiast. He trained every day and was a healthy vegetarian for more than two decades before his spinal injury two years ago and later the heart attack that killed him. Week nine, three weeks before we concluded the challenge, I injured my knee at the gym. I've been homebound since.

Each member in the challenge sought her own way to lose the weight. Four weeks in, I joined Weight Watchers with a co-worker who was really getting it done. Access and cost were restraints for me so for support and ideas, I joined the online community.

I had surgery last week and it went well. I'll likely be hobbling back to work soon. The challenge at work has ended. My efforts have stalled. I'm still eating well and tracking my food most of the time but not being able to go to the gym and the financial strain of being off work has distracted me from setting new goals and working towards them. When I hurt my knee, my biggest fear was gaining weight back. When I continued to eat sensibly and continued to lose, I stopped worrying but I was stuck.

While the past few months have been rough, they don't compare to how I felt knocked on my ass when Mikey died. There are still days when I feel stunned. Before his death, I felt burdened and I couldn't see a direction. I injured my knee running into an immovable object. I went down hard. I was disoriented and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I felt this way emotionally before my accident and at times after Mikey died, I've felt the same way.

This is the strangest segue I'll probably ever write, but through a book, I'm embarking on a lifestyle change. I'm participating in a challenge based Linda Spangle's book, 100 Days of Weight Loss. Based on my family and our medical history it makes sense that I'd latch on. I've busied myself with losing weight. I have withdrawn from those who know me and the things I love. I couldn't fix my knee or stop my grieving or pay the rent but losing weight was something tangible. This book is about by creating balance and letting go of the weight. I want to let go of the weight, the hurt and the imbalance in my life. I want what Mikey showed me was possible: to lead a life I love, to be whole, to be healthy and happy.

One of the reasons I've been successful with my weight loss so far is because I thrive in community efforts. I do well with group support and structured activities. I am blogger. I write. I need to record what I think and feel. So here I go again. I won't be blogging every assignment (another goal is to get back to books) though I will complete them.

Assignment #1

Make a list of any fears or negative behaviors that have hurt your weight-loss success in the past. Read each one out loud, and then say, "I used to be that way, but now
I'm different." •Then write new endings for them by completing this sentence: I used to ______________ (fill in your old behavior), but now I __________________ (write in your new ending). •Read these new outcomes often, and then live in a way that makes them true.

My list:

I refused and was afraid of tracking my food.
I refused to total calories.
I refused to measure my food.
I refused to join any weight loss program.
I refused to consider I could weigh 130 pounds.
I feared trying to become really lean; what would I look like lean? Would I recognize myself?
I feared taking pictures.
I feared I wouldn't be able to maintain a healthy weight.

Then and Now:

I used to be afraid to track my food, but now I do track and it's not as scary as I had feared.

I used to refuse to total my calories but now I do and it's empowering to know what I'm eating and learning where I can improve.

I used to refuse to measure my food, but now I find myself doing it without thinking about it.

I used to refuse joining any weight loss program, but now I belong to a wonderful community and I have a plan that is working for me.

I used to refuse to believe I could weigh 130 pounds, but now I don't think that's impossible. I can achieve a weight that is good for me.

I used to fear trying to become really lean. I couldn't imagine what I'd look like or if I'd recognize me, but now I'm open to seeing a me I haven't seen before.

I used to fear taking pictures, but now I want to get to place where I want lots of pictures. I'm moving in that direction.

I used to fear I wouldn't be able to maintain a healthy weight, but now I 'm eating better, losing weight and not feeling hungry. These experiences have bolstered my confidence that I can maintain.

Starting weight: 171 lbs.
Current weight: 154.6 lbs.
Current week loss: 0 lbs.
Total weight loss: -16.4 lbs

Saying Good-bye: Michael Wilson

Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts. Services were yesterday. I want to thank two fine poets, January O'Neil and Maya Ganesan. When I'm hurting, I turn to poetry and in your words I found comfort. At the services I recited two works: "Take Care" by January O'Neil from her collection, The Underlife and "Invitation" by Maya Ganesan from Apologies To An Apple.

Summer's Eve and Grief: Michael Wilson (Jan 12, 1962- May 31, 2010)

The older I get the more nostalgic I become. I spend more time each year thinking about my childhood summers, revisiting a time when my family was large and I felt secure knowing my family was close and I was loved. This summer's eve marks the year my familial net came undone. My cousin Michael passed away on Memorial Day in the early afternoon.

I don't want to be in this space, this time so wander with me. I want to go back to where I grew up, a neighborhood where if you did something you had no business doing, news of it got to your house before you did.

I want to hear the bell from the ice cream truck. I want to get a headache from eating a Bomb Pop too fast or guzzle a Faygo Red Pop. I want it to be the end of the school year and its getting warm and my sister and I save our bus fair and buy ice cream instead from the small ice cream shop next to University of Detroit High School. Having that ice cream was worth walking the fifteen blocks home.

In the third grade my sister and I were catching the city bus to school. By fourth grade I was a taking the bus regularly to my Auntie's (we were each other's favorite). She lived on St. Marys, a good twenty to thirty minute ride and I had to walk from 6 Mile down to her actual block closer to Puritan. I spent most of my summers and free days with my aunt who was childless until I entered high school.

I remember a gazillion kids piling into a car to go to Edgewater Park. It had a wicked roller coaster and the park was nestled in the middle of a residential area on the west side. And it wasn't summer without long days spent at Boblo Island, another amusement park on small island on the Detroit River. The boat ride was an affair unto itself. Everyone I knew regularly had family picnics at Belle Isle and I remember running the perimeter of the island for track practice.

I remember when the Renaissance Center opened. There were only four towers and I had my first real job there shining shoes. I met stars like Marvin Gaye and Gino Vannelli during my time there. I spent a lot of time checking out spaces still under construction in the RenCen during those early days.

I grew up with my cousins. My mother's other sister, Joyce had six kids. All of us except my brother attended Cass Tech. Mikey was the second oldest among us. Losing him has been hard. I've lost someone who looked out for me, someone who cared for me even when I messed up. I was the oldest among my siblings and being the oldest meant a lot was expected of me. It was my job to take care of my brother and sister. With Mikey, I knew there was someone to take care of me.

We had a large extended family. Holidays meant huge gatherings, too much food, loud talking, drinking adults and kids playing till they were exhausted. Many members in our family were poor so there was always family helping family: money, shelter, taking in someone's child or caring for the sick. I grew up knowing family took care of each other. I never felt alone. I grew up knowing no matter how bad things might get, I had my family.

Then I grew up and what I had taken for granted began to change. More of our large gatherings were funerals instead of holiday get-togethers. All those elderly uncles and aunts and those third and fourth cousins I didn't know well but whom I was accustomed to seeing annually began to die. Our family circle grew smaller until it wasn't just senior members passing on but in 1984, we lost my Auntie (Mattie) and in 2001, my Aunt Joyce, Mikey's mother. And now death has snatched someone of my generation, someone who was an anchor in my childhood and young adult life.

With Mikey, it's not our elders but we who are dying. We are burying one another. That's just too much. I'm not prepared for the gulf between my memories and today. Losing Mikey is too much. I've lost a part of me.

Sunday Salon: The Diva Rules

Is blogging like riding a bike? I'm struggling to balance writing and reading and managing my off-line life. I miss being in this space though. Today, I begin again.

It's spring so let's talk about cycles, specifically our menstrual cycle. Did you read Eva's post about the Diva Cup and the book, Flow? I still haven't read the book, but I can tell you about the Diva Cup, a wonderful, green way to deal with your period. After reading Eva's article I knew I wanted to try the cup and lucky me, I won one from my friends at Feminist Review.

Love my cup! My flow can be heavy so I wasn't sure if a reusable container would work for me. May marks my second month of use and I'm sure now that I won't be going back to pads. I gave up on tampons years ago. They weren't ideal for me.

The Diva Cup comes in two sizes (pre and post-childbirth). It's made of bi-compatible silicone and you insert it similar to how you'd use the Sponge contraceptive. I wouldn't say a tampon because when I think tampon I think of insertion as vertical where with the Cup, you want to think horizontal so the cup can open properly. I've never used a diaphragm but the cup works much like the diaphragm: it blocks and holds versus absorbs the way a tampon does.

The instructions are fairly straightforward though I admit, I felt a little unsure the first couple of days. I had no discomfort so I wasn't sure if the cup opened properly (You're suppose to turn it using the stem one full rotation to ensure it opens but how was I suppose to 'feel' a full rotation?). Failure to open properly would mean the risk of leaking so my suggestion is to wear a pantyliner until you're comfortable that you know what you're doing.

I was more confident removing the cup. You simply bear down and pull the stem just a bit; the rim of the cup will emerge and then it's easy to remove then tip the cup's contents into the toilet. Wash the cup ( use clean hands when removing/inserting) with a mild, no-detergent, fragrance-free soap and reinsert.

The first month, I checked constantly to see if the cup was full. I suggest avoid doing this. I pinched and irritate my skin unnecessarily by removing and reinserting the cup too frequently. Better to use a pantyliner and change the cup as often as you normally would a regular pad or tampon. Max is up to 12 hours before changing. I empty my cup approximately 3-8 hours. My cycle goes from heavy first days then tapers off.

This month, I felt like an almost pro. I am comfortable with the cup. Cleaning is easy. The website is very helpful. I like that I'm not creating unnecessary trash and I don't miss forgetting or not having enough pads with me. No rushing to the store and looking for brands I prefer. And while leakage can happen with the cup, I found the cup is a better receptor for someone like me who suffers clots. Anyone who has clots know they can wreak havoc in your underwear. With the cup, a heavier flow shows up with a less damaging spotting in the toilet when I urinate.

Now changing at work can be tricky. You'll need wipes and water you can take into the stall with you or use a unisex bathroom where you have complete privacy and can use the sink. Most public spaces have family bathrooms. The time to remove, clean and reinsert takes little time with practice.

Moving on. Please consider sponsoring me for Take Steps Be Heard. The date is June 26th. It's around the corner and I have very little in my bank.

I joined the walk at the same time I joined a weight loss challenge at work and my goal is to earn a dollar per pound per donor. My 12-week goal is 15 pounds. Fellow participants in the challenge are walking with me for Crohn's and Colitis. If you can please donate.

Each week we have an exercise, lifestyle and food challenge. The weight is coming off slowly and I mean very little. According to nutritionists, given my age, activity level and metabolism, I’m losing at a healthy rate. I’ve worked my way up to exercising 5-6 days a week. I read food labels and I’ve improved significantly in eating only the recommended serving amount.

Update: Life Interrupted

Friends,

I apologize for being MIA. Full week and life in my household is equally challenging. Will update tonight and make my rounds of reading and commenting.

If I owe you a book or an article, please drop me an email if you're concerned. Will mail all books this week.

Confession Tuesday: An Affair with Food

It's Tuesday. That means it's confession time. Keeping this short. Dinner's ready. My confession tonight is about why I can’t lose weight. I could name a few reasons but you all would undoubtedly say "lame excuses" and tell me to step away from the table, and I couldn’t argue so I’m going to share the biggies with you and they are big. I don’t care if you agree with me or not.

The truth is I LOVE to eat and my guy is a helluva cook. In fact, smelling dinner is what inspired this post. It’s hard to lose weight when the love of your life satisfies your second greatest love affair.

Thank Maude I worked out like a demon at the gym right after work and I walked home from the gym. And let me count my blessings that the incredible aroma coming from the kitchen is Polenta. That saves me a confession I don’t have to make.

Back from Dinner which was fantastic. First course was a layered mozzarella salad with fried tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and a three vinegar and Dijon mustard dressing served with kalamati olives. Main course was a lovely polenta cake with flecks of red and yellow peppers and smoked salmon served on a bed of mixed greens, basil and lemon wedges.

According to my guy the meal was not the fat fest I feared. The tomatoes were quickly fried and drained. And the dressing was three parts vinegar and one part mustard. The meal was aromatic and seasoned perfectly. The presentation beautiful. No seconds. No guilt.

Loving a cook is a wonderful thing.

Little Lov'n Monday

It's Monday. It's a day we give a little lov'n. Comments let bloggers know you're reading them. "I like this" in the comment section says plenty. Commit to reading and commenting to 5 blogs this week. Stop by the following links and drop a few links of your choice, too.

"Growing Up Asian American" @ Moms of Hue
My parents immigrated from the Philippines in the 70s. Both had three jobs each at any given time to make ends meets.

Tim Tingle's SaltyPie @ American Indians in Children's Literature
I always knew we were Choctaws, but as a child I never understood that we were Indians. The movies and books about Indians showed Indians on horseback. My family drove cars and pickup trucks. Movie Indians lived in teepees. We lived in modern houses. Indians in books and on television hunted with bows and arrows. My father and my uncles hunted, too, with shotguns, but mostly they fished.

"Ain't they black!" @ Fledgling
How could it be that with two black girls now living in the White House, African and African American authors are credited with less than 2% of the five thousand books published for children in the US each year?

Foxy: My Life in Three Acts Book Giveaway @ Color Online.

It's Monday: What Are You Reading?

Each week readers share what they are reading for the week. I joined because there is no way I can review every book I read.

Very hectic week. See my Sunday Salon post.

Read:

The Most Loved In All The World: a story of freedom by Tonya C. Hegamin, illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera. This children's book tells a compelling story in a way small children can comprehend. It might raise some worry or concern but the tenderness is clear. Focusing on the love, a caregiver or teacher can help a child understand why a mother would send her child away to freedom. Ms. Cabrera's illustrations are impressive. The colors are vibrant and warm, and her images translate the urgency and passion of the undertaking. Ms. Hegamin's measures up, too. Writing isn't easy for any writer but for the children's writer, the challenge is even greater. The language has to be precise and accessible. The writer has to have a keen awareness of how children process language and information. Ms. Hegamin's has that skill. I am so glad I read this. I'll be sharing it often with as many readers as possible.

In the queque: see last week's post.

Another good week for donations. See my New Crayons post here and the one at Color Online. Looking forward to reading the Aya Sequels.


What did you read this week? What's next on your tbr? Find more posts at One Person's Journey. WAYR is hosted by Sheila.

Sunday Salon: Taking Steps To Be Heard for Crohn's & Colitis Foundation

If you noticed the lack of posts last week, it's because I've been busy with off-line activities. In short order: I'm gearing up for an district contest with Toastmasters on Saturday. I'm facilitating our Brown Bag It Book Club at work on Thursday. On Friday, I'm launching a fit challenge with a newly formed club, The First Friday Fit Club. The fit club isn't officially running yet we've signed on for a local walk to help raise money for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. I'm Team Captain.

My personal weight loss goal is 15 pounds over 12 weeks (length of the challenge). How about matching me dollar per pound? You can make donations at my Take Steps page here.

Not much reading. I've exercised three of the last four days and spent some time spring cleaning. The weather is nice. Yesterday I was ambitious and walked 1.5 each way to a local retail store to get prizes for our fit club. I have literature to print for my meetings next week and I promised my guy I'd make potato salad to go with his Easter ham.

Today is my daughter's 25th birthday. She's spent most of it at church. She's a teen leader. Where did the time go? Hope you're enjoying time with those you love today.

New Crayons: What's New On Our Shelves

Remember when you were a kid and getting new crayons was a big deal? Getting new books holds the same kind of magic for some of us big kids. Every week on Sunday, I post what's new in our box. I think crayons is a pretty cool metaphor for multicultural lit. Every week we receive a book at Color Online is a good week.

This week turned out to be equally plentiful so I'm blogging here and at Color Online about the wonderful donations we received. Check these out:

Rattlesnake Mesa: Stories form a Native American Childhood by Ednah New Rider Weber
I have rediscovered children's books. Thanks to Debbie Reese at American Indians in Children's Literature, I'm interested in finding positive and authentic Native titles. I'm looking forward to reading this.
After her beloved Grandmother dies, EdNah, a seven-year-old Pawnee girl, goes to live with a father she hardly knows on a Navajo reservation miles away. Heartbroken but resilient, she begins to create a new life for herself in this unfamiliar place.

Born Confused by Tanuji Desai Hidier
This is funny and smartly written. The combination of Hidier's artistic sensibility renders a fresh, face-paced read for a mammoth of a book. No character was a prop and Hidier manages to touch on budding sexuality, romance and sexual orientation without be stiff or didactic.
Not quite Indian, and not quite American, Dimple unsuccessfully tries to blend in, riding on the coattails of her blue-eyed, blonde best friend, Gwyn. The author nimbly describes the shared outsider status that drew together the two, "the rich little girl who lived like an orphan and the brown little girl who existed as if she were still umbilically attached to her parents." During Dimple's 17th year, however, the tables suddenly turn when Dimple's parents introduce her to Karsh Kapoor, the son of their close friends from India. Through their meeting, the author reveals Dimple's mother's own secret creative aspirations (to become a dancer in her youth) as well as another first-generation teen's attempt to straddle both cultures.

Aya by Magurerite Abouet (GN) I read this first volume and I can't say enough of how pleased I was to see a modern African society with characters today's teen could relate to. The graphic novel is so entertaining, the reader could easily fail to realize the informal way the author relays a cultural and history lesson.
spinning a multifaceted romantic comedy that would satisfy even without any political agenda behind it. Set in 1970, Aya follows the travails of some teenage girls in the peaceful Abidjan working-class neighborhood of Yopougon (which they call "Yop City, like something out of an American movie")

Aya of Yop City by Magurerite Abouet (GN) and Aya: The Secret Comes Out by Magurerite Abouet (GN). I've been looking forward to the sequels. Thanks to Olugbemisola, I'll have a chance to read these before sharing them with others.

What did you get this week in the mail, at the book store or on trade? Post a link to your Crayon post at Color Online, and your name is entered in a monthly random drawing. Kristi at the Story Siren also hosts In My mailbox.

Little Lov'n Monday

It's Monday. It's a day we give a little lov'n. Comments let bloggers know you're reading them. "I like this" in the comment section says plenty. Commit to reading and commenting to 5 blogs this week. Stop by the following links and drop a few links of your choice, too.

Getting Hatemail From Custer at Last Woman: Political & Cultural Snapshots
How often do we ask young people to work with our Tribal Communities and to work on behalf of the next seven generations?

Arc & Hue by Tara Betts reviewed at Feminist Review
Rich in vivid images and musicality, this collection is an authentic portal into the very pulse of life. With the use of repetitive forms like sestina and canzone and the smooth lyrical flow of her free verse, Betts’ poems are imbued with hope, strength, and beauty amid trauma, violence, and the isolation of otherness.

Black Writers Respond to the Environmental Crisis at If you Want Kin, You must plant kin

Sunday Salon: Health Care Reform at Color Online
Has your family been affected by the absence of national health care? Should we have national health care? Tell us why or why not.

"Did I Teach Them That?" at The Daddy Life
One of the joys of parenting comes when you see your child use some skill you’ve taught them. During these moments a parent realizes that their work of imparting life-lessons to their children has not been wasted.

It's Monday: What Are You Reading?

Each week readers share what they are reading for the week. I joined because there is no way I can review every book I read.

Read:
Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate. Verse novel for younger end of YA. Familiar immigrant story told in a fresh an intimate way. Fits my YA and POC challenge.


Wait For Me by An Na. I am biased. I love poetry and Na's prose reads like poetry. This is romantic, lyrical and hopeful. Everything you hope young love will be. Fits my YA, POC and Women Unbound Challenges.

Bound by Donna Jo Napoli. Love the intimate look at culture and history of the Ming Dynasty period. Far more impressed with this take on a classic fairy tale. Fits my YA, POC, Women Unbound challenges.

Picked up several titles I had on hold at the library. I sorely need to get to some adult titles and nonfiction so we'll see how it goes this week. In the queue:

The Pistachio Seller by Reem Bassiouney. Translated by Osman Nusairi. Saw this at Feminist Review. Fits my Women Unbound and POC challenge.
A devout Muslim, Wafaa desires Ashraf, but hates herself for lusting. Her desire is driven by imagination, prejudice, and the unachievable. This is where the beauty of Bassiouney’s complex characters shines. No character is singularly blameless or nefarious. Do I love Wafaa for being honest and passionate, or hate her for being judgmental and dogmatic?

Naming Maya by Uma Krishnawami. Reading this for YA, Women Unbound, South Asian and POC challenge. First saw this title at Reading In Color.
“Language can make you a stranger in many places, but only if you let it,” Maya observes in a place where Hindi, English, and Tamil all compete for her attention. How does Kamala Mami bring Maya’s family together in spite of their differing languages and customs? Read full review at Papertigers.org.


Babyji by Abha Dawesar. Reading this for YA, Women Unbound, South Asian and POC, LBGT challenge. Don't know much about it but I've learned it fits several challenges so I'm giving it a go.
To my knowledge,this is the first book by an Indian author,esp a female which has so explicitly dealt with lesbianism. See review by Abha Deveshar.

Feminsita by Erica Kennedy. Heard nothing but good things about this book and I sorely need an adult read. Reading this for Women Unbound and POC. My most recent review read was at Doret's.
Kennedy created an honest, take no crap, flawed, strong, smart, vulnerable, funny character in Sydney. Whenever Sydney is asked about her heritage she quickly responds with Afro Cuban, Portuguese, French and Irish. Feminista is as diverse as a novel set in the city of Manhattan should be. Kennedy's writing is seamless, everything from Sydney's inner monologues to the dialogue is spot on good.

An Ocean Apart, a World Away by Lensey Namioka. Fits my Women Unbound, YA and POC Challenge
Yanyan is not a girl who bows down to conformity. She is fascinated by science, the treating of wounds and health improvement. That’s why she wants to study medicine so she can become a doctor and save other people’s lives. Lucky for her, her father fully supports her decision considering it’s 1921 in China where women rarely attend university. See full review at Books Love Me.

Also got several books in the mail for Color Online. See my New Crayons post here and the one at Color Online.

I tend to read in binges and multiples books in a similar vein and that's how I like to talk about them. I think this year I'm really ready to let go of my guilt about individual book reviews. I love reading reviews, but I neither have the time nor the interest to review every book I read. I'm in oh, seven book challenges. I do however want to promote and support writers so for me I have to find other ways to engage readers here in book chat.

What did you read this week? What's next on your tbr? Find more posts at One Person's Journey. WAYR is hosted by Sheila.

New Crayons: What's New On Our Shelves

Remember when you were a kid and getting new crayons was a big deal? Getting new books holds the same kind of magic for some of us big kids. Every week on Sunday, I post what's new in our box. I think crayons is a pretty cool metaphor for multicultural lit. Every week we receive a booka t Color Online is a good week.

We received so many books that this week I'm blogging here and at Color Online about the wonderful donations we received. Check these out:

Michelle and First Family by Deborah Hopkins, illustrated by AG Ford. Mr. Ford is featured during the celebrated 28 Days series hosted by The Brown Book Shelf. Friend and illustrator, Don Tate sent us a box full of titles that I will be sharing with parents, educators and young readers. Thanks to all the authors and illustrators who shared with Don who in turn was generous to us.


The Adventures of Sili Page: The Case of Benjamin Laire by Dew Platt
Silli Page is no ordinary teenager with her sleepwalking and lucid daydreams. But when fifteen year old Benjamin Laire drops dead after a lab accident, she begins a new adventure in reality.

Legacy: The Becoming by Dew Platt. Eighteen-year-old Tutu Bade has it all going for her: a bright future, a loving family, and great friends. But what she inherits from her grandmother sends her life into a different direction. With a new supernatural awareness, when her best friend's cousin's death is labeled a suicide and the dead sixteen year old cries foul, she is thrown into an investigation.
Saw these at Reading In Color. I confess I was jealous. Listen, it helps to know Ari. Thanks Ari and Dew for sending us copies. Will be sharing these with the community.

Retaliation: What Would You Do If.... by Yasmin Shiraz. Saw an interview with the author at The Brown Bookshelf and wanted the book then. Thanks to the folks at Rolling Hills Press for sending us two copies. We will be connecting readers with Ms. Shiraz' work.
My novel Retaliation aims to shed light on how no one really wins when retaliation against others is the focus. I don’t think the general public realizes how violent girls and young women have become. The number of women incarcerated continues to grow annually at an alarming rate.

Crossing by Andrew Xia Fukuda. I've heard about this novel and I was psyched to get an ARC in the mail. I've been working on reading more titles with male leads and this looks like something this is going to be a satisfying read.
One of the great joys of this novel is in trying to figure out if Xing is a “reliable” narrator (in the grand tradition of Ishiguro and Highsmith), piecing together clues from what is said, or, more importantly, what is left unsaid. It’s a tricky, subtle high-wire act that Fukuda pulls off with the skill and élan of a seasoned novelist. Terry Goodman (Senior Acquisition Editor, AmazonEncore).

What did you get this week in the mail, at the book store or from the library this week? Drop a link at New Crayons at Color Online and you'll be entered in a monthly drawing for a book of your choice from the Prize Bucket.