tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14457690490077378552024-02-19T06:04:27.065-05:00Katrina Ray-SaulisI read. I write. I watch.Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.comBlogger267125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-43249343429375785392020-12-13T11:05:00.005-05:002020-12-13T11:05:59.719-05:00The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield<p> In the past, deciding what book to read next has been a really long process. I have stacks of books in a little shelf by the bed, plus a few boxes of books here and there in the attic, under the bed, etc. I usually will pick and choose, looking through the pile, but recently I've been doing something different. I'm just grabbing the next book on the stack. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFrT22nI6AfIj8czVK3BB8mud5OSdZ6lSAMZlAvHAOOYTp8hlNDHxVb84om6F8dGy0FO3e8SR8kyO-3AklenOy2QUuZuqDenbj0I5lprVUpjuD_AXYyN3Wz2_RKP7l13doOqB9KgqJyyd/s471/the+thirteenth+tale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFrT22nI6AfIj8czVK3BB8mud5OSdZ6lSAMZlAvHAOOYTp8hlNDHxVb84om6F8dGy0FO3e8SR8kyO-3AklenOy2QUuZuqDenbj0I5lprVUpjuD_AXYyN3Wz2_RKP7l13doOqB9KgqJyyd/w216-h320/the+thirteenth+tale.jpg" title="The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield" width="216" /></a></div>I've got books that have been in my to-read stack for so long I don't even know where they came from. Some books in my to-read stacks I bought two or three houses ago, and I just keep moving them from place to place. Time to finally make my way through this backlog of books and either read them or give them away.<p></p><p>Which is how I ended up reading <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40440.The_Thirteenth_Tale">The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield.</a> This haunting, beautiful book is exactly what I needed, and I'm not sure I would have picked it out of the stack if I had been pickier. Not because it didn't sound intriguing, but because I hadn't heard a lot of people talking about it. It's on the to-read list for a lot of my goodreads friends, but not many have read it yet. <br /></p><p>This book sits in the literary world somewhere between Jane Eyre and Frankenstein, with a dash of Girl Friday. A book seller turned journalist ends up interviewing a mysterious author essentially on her deathbed. The journalist, who has her own traumatic past, learns about the author's sordid, gothic childhood and uncovers murder, secrets and drama. Throughout, however, the mystery of what the "Thirteenth Tale" is remains... </p><p>The most impressive thing about this book is that even when I had figured out the big secret, I was still completely enthralled by the storytelling. Usually, once I've solved the mystery I get bored with a book, but this one still kept me reading. Even though I knew what was happening, I was wrapped up in all the details of HOW it would happen.</p><p>As a writer, I always want to pay attention when an author can keep me intrigued even if I know the end of the tale already... (ie. Hamilton, or Titanic...) </p><p>And that's all I'll say about that, because anything else would be spoilers. </p><p>The next book in my stack is: </p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18079776-the-invention-of-wings">The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd</a><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLk6yY5Eh9LQvubXiqogUQzu5r5m8widTJI6Hyp9K59gQKjMD0LdIkBong4f7o4RfTnk6NrpMDNKquZhAf9GSSdDsbewDAOKOmUKaP-ulMS7wXSfkO_7DtJZ2nYo1xWngnELB-MdcgPuk/s475/The+invention+of+wings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLk6yY5Eh9LQvubXiqogUQzu5r5m8widTJI6Hyp9K59gQKjMD0LdIkBong4f7o4RfTnk6NrpMDNKquZhAf9GSSdDsbewDAOKOmUKaP-ulMS7wXSfkO_7DtJZ2nYo1xWngnELB-MdcgPuk/s320/The+invention+of+wings.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I also recently read and enjoyed: </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44014779-a-tale-of-magic">A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFonnTi1FHxA-qNKkl8-jdZO5hbe71jOU7O1TIt2CGvumNAX6OrpAj2e1hwf_5s72YgowxiThP93aq3gabY5yWMFtsyRm0i2J43Fi55qMER608FL2AH05p0JwQGRHQOdneKhkBrPjhj0Fr/s346/A+Tale+of+Magic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="238" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFonnTi1FHxA-qNKkl8-jdZO5hbe71jOU7O1TIt2CGvumNAX6OrpAj2e1hwf_5s72YgowxiThP93aq3gabY5yWMFtsyRm0i2J43Fi55qMER608FL2AH05p0JwQGRHQOdneKhkBrPjhj0Fr/s320/A+Tale+of+Magic.jpg" /></a></div><p></p></div>Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-33381753107440958972020-08-10T09:06:00.005-04:002020-08-10T09:06:39.932-04:00Magic Lessons - Book Review<p><br /></p><p>Like so many of us, I was first introduced to Alice Hoffman through "Practical Magic." I was a huge fan of the movie, sought out the book, and never stopped reading. Her return to the lives of the Owens women in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34037113-the-rules-of-magic">The Rules of Magic</a> was lovely. And in October she'll be releasing <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50892349-magic-lessons?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=VxopWgYKNM&rank=1">Magic Lessons</a>.</p><p>I love any moment when an author gives us a glint of an idea about a character, and we can wonder what the rest of the story was. Washington Irving's hints at who the Headless Horseman may have been has been on my mind for years. And Maria Owens has always been that for me as well. Hinted at in Practical Magic with just a few references to the rope, and a short fanciful backstory about how she survived hanging, Maria has always felt like this overshadowing mystery behind the curse on the Owens women.</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuUhfJnR3KKVlwWgLK-eE6uDLTt0sbBB2GRc5FMtM4_Yt0PQDVgcG7THp-K_hYwPohAiXOz7G5KMiYbP7SHF-bcrnhKVvv4IccsdgbJNXXqhvYQXgQijDKFTiJxcuLMFEGm8mK6kc2tG6/s2048/50892349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuUhfJnR3KKVlwWgLK-eE6uDLTt0sbBB2GRc5FMtM4_Yt0PQDVgcG7THp-K_hYwPohAiXOz7G5KMiYbP7SHF-bcrnhKVvv4IccsdgbJNXXqhvYQXgQijDKFTiJxcuLMFEGm8mK6kc2tG6/w215-h320/50892349.jpg" title="Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman" width="215" /></a><div><br /><table border="0" cellspacing="1" class="myActivity" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Lato, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="readable reviewText" style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hoffman did even more than I imagined she would, though. She has (once again) woven a tale of female empowerment inside a tale of magic and sprinkled a whole lot of history on top. This story is both timeless and timely. Like all history there are forgotten details that Hoffman fills in with this tale. And those forgotten details show how the women of yesterday relate to the women of today. How much has changed and how much remains the same. <br /><br />What I'm reading next:<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fed4M3oDP2A9uW7jxUpCOvlFhIdrM4GKao9s7BfIMBrXRb7zxJWsTrTIxX1-gfEWK6UNiQJ8weYruu3BdnncJIelJvQS6jAgwc8fZF4cXwChSmNj9QLIB-bRXvlm7l9DbuPb2JQUAS3F/s475/77390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="294" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fed4M3oDP2A9uW7jxUpCOvlFhIdrM4GKao9s7BfIMBrXRb7zxJWsTrTIxX1-gfEWK6UNiQJ8weYruu3BdnncJIelJvQS6jAgwc8fZF4cXwChSmNj9QLIB-bRXvlm7l9DbuPb2JQUAS3F/w198-h320/77390.jpg" width="198" /></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> <br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77390.Anne_of_Avonlea">Anne of Avonlea</a><br /><br /></span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table>What I'm listening to: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirEtNirO4gGmBiXOmDFonLhI6-f2xmKmMgbZFJPyYrmzrM8VhQ2cj2tpK0Perz2j0srfjLXXkJlv24zaaCmH1E8SHaEhQepqLT4k14Azp9k1S6gx8eWMeJkEJGdf5dWl0O3JMMyI2XYzLZ/s475/853510._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirEtNirO4gGmBiXOmDFonLhI6-f2xmKmMgbZFJPyYrmzrM8VhQ2cj2tpK0Perz2j0srfjLXXkJlv24zaaCmH1E8SHaEhQepqLT4k14Azp9k1S6gx8eWMeJkEJGdf5dWl0O3JMMyI2XYzLZ/w199-h320/853510._SY475_.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/853510.Murder_on_the_Orient_Express">Murder on the Orient Express</a><br /></div></div></div>Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-46989894871615615482020-08-07T08:46:00.003-04:002020-08-07T08:46:31.037-04:00Education in the Time of Covid19<p> I've turned to Facebook recently, with long posts on current events, and it strikes me that I may not always have Facebook to record those things. I should start posting such musings here, as well as getting back to my regular book reviews. <br /><br />So, today, some musings on education in a pandemic: </p><p><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 1em 0px;">On 9/11/01 I was in class writing notes to <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1213809597&extragetparams=%7B%22__tn__%22%3A%22%2CdKH-R-R%22%2C%22eid%22%3A%22ARCnsNNNZlCeqsizTgwbcaYq_ks-Z1gKUTQJSRMjomvgoUMC-h2ftwXhEIlLMy_8KWQlZ2bNdL9qUDjt%22%2C%22fref%22%3A%22mentions%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/nina.benning?__tn__=%2CdKH-R-R&eid=ARCnsNNNZlCeqsizTgwbcaYq_ks-Z1gKUTQJSRMjomvgoUMC-h2ftwXhEIlLMy_8KWQlZ2bNdL9qUDjt&fref=mentions" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Nina Benning">Nina</a> and <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=580156610&extragetparams=%7B%22__tn__%22%3A%22%2CdKH-R-R%22%2C%22eid%22%3A%22ARDWExRjODqBTM6V9SmJDwBHnllg5sshhXC2ryVRnM0In8lC9ZVqja52u3BDAPHWqoBb0uS7zhQ2wASR%22%2C%22fref%22%3A%22mentions%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/celtic.venus?__tn__=%2CdKH-R-R&eid=ARDWExRjODqBTM6V9SmJDwBHnllg5sshhXC2ryVRnM0In8lC9ZVqja52u3BDAPHWqoBb0uS7zhQ2wASR&fref=mentions" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Venus Murphy">Venus</a> in Elvish. We had been reading The Hobbit. Someone knocked on the door and told the teacher what happened. He came back in. He told us. He turned on the television. The rest of the day is a blur to me, but I know I spent a large chunk of the day in the music room with the other band and theater geeks, watching the news. The curriculum was put on hold because tragic history was unfolding before our eyes. We watched as over 2,000 people died.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 1em 0px;">We didn't fully return to math tests and The Hobbit for a few days afterward, because it wasn't possible. We spent class time talking about what had happened, what was still unfolding. The world was different. We were different. We were learning, but we were learning other things. We were learning about heroes, we were learning about mortality, we were learning about the importance of each breath.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 1em 0px;">So far, 160,000 people have died of Covid19 in America. People are dying today of Covid19. This minute, as I write this. And our children are around us, learning. They are learning about how we can respect others through the use of a mask, they are learning about how important it is to savor the hugs we can get, and they are learning that they are resilient, and can survive heartbreak and loss.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 1em 0px;">I know you want your children's education to continue, and I know parents need to be able to work and having public schools open is a huge part of that. But you can't look at the world today and think that we can make it look like the world one year ago. It isn't the same world. And learning doesn't happen in the same way in this world as it did in the world of 2019. We can't just go back. There is no going back. There is no perfect solution, only the solutions that will allow us to survive.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 1em 0px;">We have to stop seeking the world that was, and focus our energy on surviving in the world that is.</p>Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-54662141587865780402019-12-30T08:20:00.002-05:002019-12-30T08:24:29.456-05:00Daughter of the White River - Audiobook Review<div>
Ten years ago I was lucky enough to be invited to an S.J. Tucker house concert in Salem, Massachusetts. I had been a fan for a few years by that point, and it was a magical night of music and good company.<br />
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S.J. Tucker’s music has this wonderful, faery charm and I can’t stress enough how good it is. Each album has its own sound, and purpose. Some are more spiritual and pagan-focused, others play a different direction, but every one of them is good.<br />
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When I heard Sooj had recorded an audiobook I had to jump on that. Then I found out it was a true crime story about an incredibly complicated woman who exacted revenge on the man who killed her father and I was even more excited. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwNuXMJc1bptU8XYG1VN6AHszeWljoUK37PJk81v8YTM7gVUwwyEuTHfS9GO1disOnVnjlnjZsp6gYKv_1xsgz4_9zkAgO0IMKAivl62dyEhQCWsYguYEa6OnK71nn-SueQ8LVTwsCzOO/s1600/C0BA4A31-2B36-4343-A649-F888BA349387.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="200" id="id_7881_70c2_de48_e670" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwNuXMJc1bptU8XYG1VN6AHszeWljoUK37PJk81v8YTM7gVUwwyEuTHfS9GO1disOnVnjlnjZsp6gYKv_1xsgz4_9zkAgO0IMKAivl62dyEhQCWsYguYEa6OnK71nn-SueQ8LVTwsCzOO/s200/C0BA4A31-2B36-4343-A649-F888BA349387.jpeg" style="height: auto; width: 212px;" width="132" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18229828">Daughter of the White River</a> by Denise White Parkinson is like a roller-coaster, in all the best ways. From soft, tranquil moments of southern charm, to wild, heart-racing murder and prison escapes, this story has everything a true crime fan could want.<br />
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Parkinson offers us a story of crime and poverty that begs us to question what we view as justice. </div>
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S.J. Tucker’s reading performance is beautiful and soothing. I hope I can experience many more audiobooks read by her. </div>
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What I’m reading next:</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42975172">The Testaments by Margaret Atwood</a></span></div>
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Another book I recently read and loved:</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43909499">Giant Days, Volume 11.</a></div>
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(I have loved this entire series.) </div>
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What are you reading? </div>
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Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-25594180602562280942019-03-19T16:41:00.001-04:002019-03-19T16:41:13.658-04:00Gloria Steinem - Women’s History MonthAlright, so today’s woman isn’t an unknown feminist. In fact, she’s probably one of the most well-known feminists in history. But she’s always worth a closer look, in my opinion.<br />
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<a href="https://www.bustle.com/articles/71389-10-gloria-steinem-facts-that-will-make-you-love-her-even-more">Ten Gloria Steinem Facts That Will Make You Love Her Even More</a><br />
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<br />Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-11852747335609629612019-03-16T08:55:00.003-04:002019-03-16T08:55:45.201-04:00Catching Up on Women’s History MonthThings got a little behind so here’s a few women in one post for you!<br />
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First, the Notorious RBG. Ruth Bader Ginsberg has moved women forward legally for decades. She saw the long-game from the start. I highly suggest the recent documentary about her, <a href="https://www.rbgmovie.com/">RBG</a>.<br />
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Of course, there are a thousand other places to find info about this incredible woman, but it’s just a really good film.<br />
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Next, let’s stick with the SCOTUS thing. Judge Sonia Sotomayer was the first latina judge appointed to the Supreme Court. <a href="https://www.biography.com/people/sonia-sotomayor-453906">Read more about her</a>.<br />
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Frida Kahlo is always worth a look. I can’t even begin to describe how amazing she is. The most notable thing for me, though, is that all my friends know who <a href="https://www.fridakahlo.org/">Frida Kahlo</a> is. I’m not sure many of them could name her husband, even though when they were alive he was the celebrity, and she was seen as his “little wife” who dabbled in art.<br />
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<a href="https://www.expressnews.com/sa300/article/1900s-journalist-and-educator-Jovita-Idar-12454358.php">Jovita Idar was a journalist,</a> a Mexican-American activist and supporter of women’s rights.<br />
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Lilian Bland was <a href="http://www.lilianbland.ie/">the first woman to design and build an airplane</a> and she’s pretty amazing!<br />
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Alright, hope that was a good makeup for the few days I took off. Who are you learning about this month?Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-74346381695484964582019-03-08T13:50:00.001-05:002019-03-08T13:51:58.440-05:00Celebrating Emma Thompson on International Women’s DayToday is International Women’s Day and today I want to focus on a living woman who is doing amazing things for women.<br />
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Emma Thompson. </div>
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Recently she signed an <a href="https://www.pride.com/celebrities/2019/3/04/emma-thompson-shows-support-trans-women-open-letter">open letter supporting transfolks.</a></div>
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She <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/movies/emma-thompson-letter-john-lasseter.html">backed out on a movie becaues she wouldn’t work with Lasseter.</a></div>
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She’s doing a lot today for women and showing her cards as an ally on a regular basis. She’s pretty awesome. </div>
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Celebrate yourself today, too! Happy International Women’s Day! </div>
Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-78545768723127352462019-03-07T22:28:00.001-05:002019-03-07T22:29:47.757-05:00Anna Botsford Comstock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xkNTRNoMcSEtXl1fz_LtH3_k2_ka16kM2FIQ8L344YrASb9gyJ8KPKZDdpqqM4ugbOiVF0cCrgm84AS683dhRzZEXTfWoayZ9hlAjn78iUjZkKKYVXOjuVrEWnnO9M8D-kuDKzKMDANY/s1600/635F42F7-33EC-4496-8AA0-68A5CD128377.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="221" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xkNTRNoMcSEtXl1fz_LtH3_k2_ka16kM2FIQ8L344YrASb9gyJ8KPKZDdpqqM4ugbOiVF0cCrgm84AS683dhRzZEXTfWoayZ9hlAjn78iUjZkKKYVXOjuVrEWnnO9M8D-kuDKzKMDANY/s320/635F42F7-33EC-4496-8AA0-68A5CD128377.jpeg" width="176" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">How about an environmentalist? I’d like you all to meet </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Anna Botsford Comstock.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anna-Botsford-Comstock">Britannica</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://earlywomeninscience.biodiversityexhibition.com/en/card/anna-botsford-comstock">Early Women in Science</a></span>Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-71586137233080360182019-03-06T14:55:00.003-05:002019-03-06T14:55:38.922-05:00Grace O’Malley and Molly Brown - Women’s History MonthTwo for one day. Somehow I forgot to publish yesterday’s post.<br />
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First up, another pirate. Okay, so I have a thing for pirates... and nautical history. I read a lot about shipwrecks. It’s a thing.<br />
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Anyway, Grace O’Malley. Here’s some links:<br />
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<a href="https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/grace-o-malley-16th-century-pirate-queen-ireland-001773">Ancient Origins</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.irishpost.com/life-style/irelands-pirate-queen-twelve-fascinating-facts-legendary-grace-omalley-129406">Twelve Fascinating Facts from The Irish Post</a><br />
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<a href="https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blog/meeting-grace-omalley-irelands-pirate-queen/">UK National Archives</a><br />
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Second today, Margaret Brown. The Unsinkable Molly Brown, if we want to stick with that nautical theme.<br />
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Seriously, she was on the Titanic. Go check her out. She’s been one of my favorite historical figures basically since I heard Debbie Reynold’s sing “Belly Up to the Bar Boys” when I was very small.<br />
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<a href="https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/molly-brown.html">Encyclopedia Titanica</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Molly-Brown">Britannica</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.biography.com/people/molly-brown-20638583">Biography</a>Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-78090689025441513122019-03-04T20:27:00.001-05:002019-03-04T20:27:30.739-05:00Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti - Women’s History MonthFunmilayo Ransome-Kuti was an amazing Nigerian feminist you should definitely know about. Learn more with these links:<br />
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<a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Funmilayo-Ransome-Kuti">Britannica</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.africanfeministforum.com/funmilayo-ransome-kuti-nigeria/">African Feminist Forum</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9YD5-sO_IA">Meet Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti </a>Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-41462065911125339172019-03-03T08:40:00.004-05:002019-03-03T08:40:50.539-05:00Wilma Mankiller - Women’s History MonthWilma Mankiller. Activist, feminist, Cherokee Chief.<br />
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Mankiller spent a lifetime changing the world.<br />
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<a href="https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/wilma-mankiller">Women’s History</a><br />
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<a href="http://mankillerfdn.org/">The Wilma Mankiller Foundation</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.notablebiographies.com/Lo-Ma/Mankiller-Wilma.html">Notable Biographies</a><br />
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<br />Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-33678798537246470572019-03-02T06:26:00.002-05:002019-03-02T06:26:37.763-05:00Sayyida Al-HurraToday’s Woman from History is a pirate queen named Sayyida Al Hurra. Here are a couple of videos about this fascinating woman:<br />
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<br />Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-46459000510990112372019-03-01T08:17:00.001-05:002019-03-01T08:17:32.013-05:00Mari Evans - Women’s History Month - Day One<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi475rjL_FOX-051JiZSjL4JH7Vl0pAGSEbK7zpAt6az_nHZfn6ZgMFSOjvZwD10NjY5IYLf5V6SGFZT3QbnMZLu6BS_r6cnlhJU59wcPD4bvBrb4lFX0_2crPiYZE7pI-4hh0KngucOUe3/s1600/Mari-Evans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="500" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi475rjL_FOX-051JiZSjL4JH7Vl0pAGSEbK7zpAt6az_nHZfn6ZgMFSOjvZwD10NjY5IYLf5V6SGFZT3QbnMZLu6BS_r6cnlhJU59wcPD4bvBrb4lFX0_2crPiYZE7pI-4hh0KngucOUe3/s320/Mari-Evans.jpg" width="320" /></a>March is Women’s History Month!<br />
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I’ve decided to recognize this month with a Woman a Day post.<br />
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Some of these women you probably have heard of, but some will likely be new. Some of these women may be problematic, because women are flawed humans.<br />
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All of these women have been a voice, in one way or another, for women’s rights, women’s liberation and a figure in women’s history.<br />
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They all deserve a closer look.<br />
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For today, I’m going to start with <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/mari-evans">Mari Evans.</a><br />
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Evans is a poet I was recently introduced to, and I’ve fallen in love with her work. Harsh, stark, and powerful, her work, like the best poets among us, speaks to the truth of the human condition.<br />
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Here are a few places you can find more info on Mari Evans:<br />
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<a href="https://aalbc.com/authors/author.php?author_name=Mari+Evans">AALBC</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.poemhunter.com/mari-evans/">Poem Hunter</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.lunalunamagazine.com/blog/a-poet-ive-never-heard-of-mari-evans">Luna Luna Magazine</a><br />
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<br />Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-25127207448666582852018-02-26T10:06:00.001-05:002018-02-26T10:06:43.996-05:00The Princess Diarest Audiobook: A Short Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghS953Gg5aaUy3JhlSZHoVZ5NcpjiuGAGP7t7Y5AvYrz3pWY7esCUI6M_Dr-fz26M6UX3QxWChk7Ihi3ZBEnklN3awXE6ACdGTbxSC5AspTL5KpJmDygvKrXa0yhO1E0ftyOqNuokQZU_I/s1600/26025989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghS953Gg5aaUy3JhlSZHoVZ5NcpjiuGAGP7t7Y5AvYrz3pWY7esCUI6M_Dr-fz26M6UX3QxWChk7Ihi3ZBEnklN3awXE6ACdGTbxSC5AspTL5KpJmDygvKrXa0yhO1E0ftyOqNuokQZU_I/s200/26025989.jpg" width="131" /></a>Some books can be read on paper or as an audiobook, others are just soooo muchhhhh betttter as an audiobook. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26025989-the-princess-diarist">The Princess Diarest by Carrie Fisher</a> one is one of those books. (See also: Lauren Graham reading her book <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30253864-talking-as-fast-as-i-can">Talking as Fast as I Can</a>.)<br />
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Carrie’s undeniably unique voice was such a light and refreshing break from everything happening in the world right now, and I needed it. I needed to hear her acceptance of her own flaws and her strength in overcoming so many hurdles in her life. I needed her sense of humor.<br />
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Carrie Fisher is the cheerleader we all need in our lives. I’m so glad this audiobook came to me and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a comical, someone insane break from the insanity.<br />
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Next I’m reading:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpqZILhLaeQafII0kD6q1V8RoaNqc5urcRWbixeN64E-VwVPsrNJJhpIP1VbNBIYHdBWGytwl35JbTGKnbPCkTfcG4YN7cnPygRo0xyYUxmDahlKq6s5CUjd55ciOiEbiGXNtO42lSmO0/s1600/4961048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpqZILhLaeQafII0kD6q1V8RoaNqc5urcRWbixeN64E-VwVPsrNJJhpIP1VbNBIYHdBWGytwl35JbTGKnbPCkTfcG4YN7cnPygRo0xyYUxmDahlKq6s5CUjd55ciOiEbiGXNtO42lSmO0/s200/4961048.jpg" width="129" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4961048-wishful-drinking">Wishful Drinking</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqcWb5eGr2dJwpoG5REbzbfsZQS2KLQe1AWNel4-lsUuwaA-FYl3H7ErRAtCEgWy76voFIn-B8P2Jqo4xtb70Aon7XDA15kGZMOJT9PYOJmRsGVPJHQH5vqanLSQgE_ksyivOWHvAq6cB/s1600/187020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqcWb5eGr2dJwpoG5REbzbfsZQS2KLQe1AWNel4-lsUuwaA-FYl3H7ErRAtCEgWy76voFIn-B8P2Jqo4xtb70Aon7XDA15kGZMOJT9PYOJmRsGVPJHQH5vqanLSQgE_ksyivOWHvAq6cB/s200/187020.jpg" width="129" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/187020.Empire_Falls">Empire Falls</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-20794800798403962352018-02-04T09:04:00.002-05:002018-02-04T09:36:00.143-05:00Goddess Dishcloth Pattern<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjlzmRShUkWNA1fIqK4M1rYePADLS6s9t781mXrZdX6ejxd3kcKx9z3nfcRv7VXoZvEHUVCO0g4IWpX2WPK9BRB68Z9Dypy-C1RiPTnWGzOEaFscZ7imPwk3nhJqxAWYQsp7UP7w9rMc8/s1600/IMG_7129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjlzmRShUkWNA1fIqK4M1rYePADLS6s9t781mXrZdX6ejxd3kcKx9z3nfcRv7VXoZvEHUVCO0g4IWpX2WPK9BRB68Z9Dypy-C1RiPTnWGzOEaFscZ7imPwk3nhJqxAWYQsp7UP7w9rMc8/s320/IMG_7129.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Goddess dishcloths<br />
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I have knit this pattern three times now, with slightly different borders on each. This version came out 11” wide and 10” tall. I used size 8 needles and Lily Sugar & Cream cotton yarn.<br />
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Don’t forget to share your creations with the hashtag #KatrinaDesigns so I can see your beautiful work!<br />
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The Pattern:<br />
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Cast on 45 stitches</div>
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Row 1-5 – K1, P1 to end</div>
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Row 6 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K37, P1, K1,
P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 7 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P35, K1,
P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 8 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K37, P1, K1,
P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 9 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P35, K1,
P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 10 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K15, P7,
K15, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 11 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P13, K9,
P13, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 12 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K13, P11,
K13, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 13 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P11,
K13, P11, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 14 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K11, P15,
K11, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 15 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P9, K17,
P9, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 16 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K10, P17,
K10, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 17 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P9, K17,
P9, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 18 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K10, P17,
K10, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 19 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P9, K17,
P9, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 20 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K10, P17,
K10, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 21 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P9, K17,
P9, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 22 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K11, P15,
K11, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 23 - K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P11, K13,
P11, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 24 - K1, P1, K1, P1, K13, P11, K13,
P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 25 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P12,
K11, P12, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 26 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K14, P9,
K14, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 27 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P14, K7,
P14, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 28 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K15, P7,
K15, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 29 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P15, K5,
P15, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 30 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K16, P5,
K16, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 31 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P15, K5,
P15, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 32 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K16, P5,
K16, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 33 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P15, K5,
P15, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 34 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K16, P5,
K16, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 35 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P14, K7,
P14, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 36 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K14, P9,
K14, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 37 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P13, K9,
P13, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 38 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K13, P3, K1,
P3, K1, P3, K13, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 39 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P11, K2,
P3, K3, P3, K2, P11, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 40 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K11, P2, K3,
P5, K3, P2, K11, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 41 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P9, K2,
P3, K7, P3, K2, P9, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 42 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K9, P2, K4,
P7, K4, P2, K9, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 43 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P8, K2,
P4, K7, P4, K2, P8, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 44 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K9, P2, K5,
P5, K5, P2, K9, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 45 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P8, K2,
P6, K3, P6, K2, P8, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 46 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K9, P2, K15,
P2, K9, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 47 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P8, K2,
P15, K2, P8, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 48 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K9, P2, K15,
P2, K9, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 49 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P9, K2,
P13, K2, P9, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 50 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K11, P2,
K11, P2, K11, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 51 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P11, K3,
P7, K3, P11, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 52 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K37, P1, K1,
P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 53 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P35, K1,
P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 54 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K37, P1, K1,
P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 55 – K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P35, K1,
P1, K1, P1, K1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 56-60 – K1, P1 to end</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
BO</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhwUBwt3f1ZxbGZEbRKomo70cLilPx501Da8Pq0Q7AoS3ct9A6S6Z84rBbIMd8e-TfsgI5BMKVPebD3KkVUboaG5hncxOTalXicld7ABhY4CBqASNcimF7qsNucYYYfTqwFI2NJeDVAWz/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-04+at+8.56.20+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="595" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhwUBwt3f1ZxbGZEbRKomo70cLilPx501Da8Pq0Q7AoS3ct9A6S6Z84rBbIMd8e-TfsgI5BMKVPebD3KkVUboaG5hncxOTalXicld7ABhY4CBqASNcimF7qsNucYYYfTqwFI2NJeDVAWz/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-02-04+at+8.56.20+AM.png" width="626" /></a></div>
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Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-5286147479323380752018-01-22T09:23:00.001-05:002018-01-22T09:23:13.579-05:00Rebel Alliance Hat<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytbfb6x7RLYKuQIavBwEoKvzlcKLOgFbjSNhfIMr-7IjBe3trvBOnlidTZaoyeE36VTx00vfH6twWiDEcEiNF5C1Hf8m5ptiCBKPAwu8SOLt1V8tz6dDeVXJHXTDX7TE2HiuEq6mRSqb0/s1600/IMG_6941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytbfb6x7RLYKuQIavBwEoKvzlcKLOgFbjSNhfIMr-7IjBe3trvBOnlidTZaoyeE36VTx00vfH6twWiDEcEiNF5C1Hf8m5ptiCBKPAwu8SOLt1V8tz6dDeVXJHXTDX7TE2HiuEq6mRSqb0/s320/IMG_6941.jpg" width="240" /></a>This design is free for your use. I
don't own the rebel alliance logo, obviously, so I’m not going to try to make money off of it. I just think we should all be rebels and we should all have rebel hats! Plus, Long Live General Leia.<br />
<br />
Please use the hashtag #KatrinaDesigns if you post your work on social networking so I can see what you create.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This hat fits most adults.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I used 16 inch circular needles in size 13, 9.0mm. I switched to double-pointed needles in the same size for the crown.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I used Patons Classic Wool Roving Yarn
for my hats.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Color A – Dark Grey</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Color B – Plum</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVBLPa8c7qJzo27hPqa-_PvJzE6uKG0SSRkJw2O0Qhj4SzsqWlEibi6jO86K7XyyJCL5CLnSnFwvIdfUPPwhMGJ9oT-v_17C0RVVrzkCPH967YzSZOlgC13HQwLANMve0Udp8z0I8T-Qm/s1600/IMG_7050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVBLPa8c7qJzo27hPqa-_PvJzE6uKG0SSRkJw2O0Qhj4SzsqWlEibi6jO86K7XyyJCL5CLnSnFwvIdfUPPwhMGJ9oT-v_17C0RVVrzkCPH967YzSZOlgC13HQwLANMve0Udp8z0I8T-Qm/s320/IMG_7050.jpg" width="240" /></a>Any chunky yarn would work.
Adjust your pattern for your head size and your yarn if need be. For instance, I've also made
a baby hat with this pattern, using a smaller yarn and casting on 56
to start. With the baby hat I repeated the chart 4 times. It just
required some math. (Yuck. Math.) (Seriously, though, email me. I’ll help you adjust the pattern.) </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
CO 44 st in Color A – Join in the
round</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
(K1, P1) for rows 1-5 (I’ve done a few hats with different ribbing in this design, but the one with this ribbing I felt looked the nicest.) </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Row 6 – K11, M1, K11, M1, K11, M1, K11, M1,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Rows 7 - 9 Knit </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Rows 10-22 Knit 3 in Color A, Knit Chart, repeat three times</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Note: Make sure to keep a close eye on the tension while knitting this part of this hat.
Because the sections of Color B are so wide, it's easy to end up with
either super long ladders, or stitches too tight to fit around the
head afterward. Test it as you go, if need be.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAX6qIj1jeCzFJTnLAMUS6KgRxFMTy9_QBjPeSNmFFknZDNEWjT5s4Zu5uXcWmj2YEg7JA2oF5otlGKM4PUkfK5m3w-5W7k-OQ2QiGq3SywIEoFY6Y59CmN8TaXPzQBiga1-9cJb2ZBNiM/s1600/IMG_7051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAX6qIj1jeCzFJTnLAMUS6KgRxFMTy9_QBjPeSNmFFknZDNEWjT5s4Zu5uXcWmj2YEg7JA2oF5otlGKM4PUkfK5m3w-5W7k-OQ2QiGq3SywIEoFY6Y59CmN8TaXPzQBiga1-9cJb2ZBNiM/s320/IMG_7051.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After knitting the full chart cut and tie
off Color B. The crown is in Color A.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Knit in Color A for five rows.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hat should measure about 7 inches at
this point. If it doesn't yet, knit a few more rows until it does.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is my method for the crown:<br />
<br />
I put 4 stitch markers
evenly distributed around the hat. The first one is usually in a different color so I can still keep track of my rounds. Then, as I knit around, I knit 2
together before each stitch marker until there are 12 stitches left. Somewhere in there the hat will become too small for your circular needles, and you’ll need to switch to double-pointed needles. Then bind off and tie. Weave ends in.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3N_cs6Rww9j3WsqRK1FzE6ntV6hPb6ATSVXKmvSBwo8X9CaiUkbKH5jmvb7X6QgecbB0lVchTelZc3xk3QvwMvPyIBcg_tbCkI-gOta5cWqjO-i4WBhRuqQVIdd8AIXnZX3obm5lCWte1/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-22+at+9.12.43+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="808" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3N_cs6Rww9j3WsqRK1FzE6ntV6hPb6ATSVXKmvSBwo8X9CaiUkbKH5jmvb7X6QgecbB0lVchTelZc3xk3QvwMvPyIBcg_tbCkI-gOta5cWqjO-i4WBhRuqQVIdd8AIXnZX3obm5lCWte1/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-01-22+at+9.12.43+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script> Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-68384437210542443092017-11-09T10:04:00.004-05:002017-11-09T10:04:51.563-05:00Podcasts for the ResistanceThis week marks one year since The Election. For those of us completely opposed to the prejudice, vitriol and racism being spewed on a certain twitter feed, it can be difficult to find balance in staying informed while keeping our mental health intact. Today, a few podcasts that have become extremely important to me as a part of The Resistance.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.bitchmedia.org/feminist-podcasts">bitch media's Backtalk & Popaganda</a><br />
This ever-amazing podcast talks about everything pop culture, politics, and the ways the two keep criss-crossing in America these days. They aren’t afraid to cover all the topics we need to hear. Also, Amy Tan’s growl-scream of frustration on nearly every episode is just as cathartic for the listener as I imagine it is for her.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510310/npr-politics-podcast">NPR Politics</a><br />
This podcast is my go to for calm, rational evaluation of current US politics. It’s a twice a week podcast (occasionally more if big things are happening) that gives a good overview of American politics and where we are. The journalists on this podcast know politics, they understand the nuance and complications behind the American Experiment and will give you multiple viewpoints into our world.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://the1a.org/podcast">1-A</a><br />
Joshua Johnson is hanging out over on NPR having some powerful conversations. Everything from first amendment rights to the risks of capitalism to the story of human genes and what it says about racism. This show makes an effort to include diverse guests and cover a wide range of topics.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch">Code Switch</a><br />
Okay, so perhaps it appears as though NPR is my go to for all things resistance. Well, there’s a reason for that. They have so much programming that is undeniably good, and Code Switch is definitely among those shows. Everything you ever wanted to understand about race relations is all here in this podcast.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.levarburtonpodcast.com/">Levar Burton Reads</a><br />
Who doesn’t want Levar Burton to read to us like he did when we were children? Levar Burton Reads is part of this list because the stories he’s reading are reflective of our culture. They tell stories about how we got to where we are that also include jewels of wisdom about where we need to go. Learn from literature. The lessons are there. [Insert his catchphrase here. You know it, right? Okay. Because I hear he’s getting sued for it, so I’m not gonna say it...]<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/">Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me!</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This one is here for levity. When I'm feeling overly informed and perhaps a bit overwhelmed, this is where I go to laugh about it all. A classic, this show is always good. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://podcast.cnn.com/explore/Christiane-Amanpour">Amanpour</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Christiane Amanpour is obviously a big name in journalism, but it’s important to note how her CNN show (which is also a podcast) is covering the rights of women worldwide. While here in America we’ve had the “Me, Too” movement, Amanpour has also been talking about the French movement <span style="background-color: white;">#BalanceTonPorc (Out Your Pig) and amplified the voice of a British journalist standing up against an MP who sexually harassed her. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.goodmuslimbadmuslim.com/">Good Muslim, Bad Muslim</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">These two women are just hilarious and wonderful. They are singlehandedly changing minds about religion, prejudice and stereotypes, while also finding room to laugh about life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What podcasts are keeping you sane under the current administration?</span>Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-34134953461796120812017-11-04T14:24:00.001-04:002017-11-04T14:24:25.801-04:00My Relationship With Comic Books (and a Short Review of Wonder Woman)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6evCqSfCti-101eE-LQ0g06EYjMq_zz1O2zBkDwkow_r-0Qnb4x2hxA1mV3Gee71-Wr1LwAbBPji1qFtVTJPzJ5eOQ_Q7zc5dif8kyEFQ9g5J_i9HstzEpbfsaUtUW7Ca9EK1rA-mEAE/s1600/31616114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6evCqSfCti-101eE-LQ0g06EYjMq_zz1O2zBkDwkow_r-0Qnb4x2hxA1mV3Gee71-Wr1LwAbBPji1qFtVTJPzJ5eOQ_Q7zc5dif8kyEFQ9g5J_i9HstzEpbfsaUtUW7Ca9EK1rA-mEAE/s320/31616114.jpg" width="206" /></a>If someone had asked me a year ago if I was a comic book fan I would have said, “Eh, not really.”<br />
<br />
However, I just read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31616114-wonder-woman-volume-2">Wonder Woman, Vol. 2, Year 1</a> and halfway through it I got thinking about my relationship with comic books. I realized that somehow some patriarchal stereotype of who a comics fan is had made me think I was something I wasn’t. I am totally a comic book fan, I just never read “boys” comic books.<br />
<br />
There was a time I owned a notebook with every “Blondie” strip from the Sunday comics taped inside it. I also read every "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," “Archie," and "Betty and Veronica" book I could get my hands on. I read Garfield until I wore through the binding, and I discovered and devoured Dilbert years before I understood the office politics involved.<br />
<br />
What I didn’t read was superhero comic books, and the stereotypical image of a “comic book fan” includes superheroes. I fell for that trope so hard I questioned something I’ve known about myself for years.<br />
<br />
I am most definitely a comic book fan.<br />
<br />
My quick review: I definitely enjoyed this book. The artwork was beautiful, it was timely commentary on our modern world, diverse, and inclusive. It was empowering, and a great accompaniment to the spectacular movie this summer.<br />
<br />
And in the future I’ve got to remember that I really am a comic book fan.Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-57000900411959603652017-10-20T19:06:00.001-04:002017-10-20T19:18:30.191-04:00Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - A ReviewI have extremely mixed feelings about this book and I’m going to explain them in two parts.<br />
<br />
Part one - The Part Without Spoilers:<br />
<br />
This book is, as my wife so eloquently put it, “Willy Wonka for video game nerds.” Also for comic book fans and 80’s music and movie buffs. <i>Ready Player One</i> is a dystopian, set roughly in the 2040s. Global warming and fossil fuel shortages have taken their toll, and now everyone lives, works and plays in a virtual MMO style video game world called The Oasis. When the creator of the game, Halliday (quirky guy, Steve Jobs type) dies he leaves an easter egg in the game waiting to be discovered. Whoever finds it first gets everything. All Halliday’s money, and complete control over The Oasis. However, in order to find the egg you have to basically memorize everything about pop culture in the 1980’s. Oh, and learn everything there is to know about Halliday himself.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJmEQyFdqsFdNo3lzFzQX_2Rt8b_ZeZFA_XfXT4KcbDKniKcC2Y2shAlT2gy14xdoO-9xBe4AaQRXFhchDyUh_W3GnLL3oHG567kgajPXTyMPsds0PCKZc6mZSmXmc-zr8lQpuBMG53N8/s1600/9969571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJmEQyFdqsFdNo3lzFzQX_2Rt8b_ZeZFA_XfXT4KcbDKniKcC2Y2shAlT2gy14xdoO-9xBe4AaQRXFhchDyUh_W3GnLL3oHG567kgajPXTyMPsds0PCKZc6mZSmXmc-zr8lQpuBMG53N8/s320/9969571.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9969571-ready-player-one">Ready Player One by Ernest Cline</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Seriously though, you won’t go two sentences without an 80’s reference in this book. The characters even talk like they are in the 80’s. (I can’t remember the last time I heard someone say “smooth move ex-lax”) The tests to find this egg involve "Monty Python," "War Games" and Pacman. This book is dripping in 80’s nostalgia to almost a nauseating point. Almost. It walks a fine line, and really most of the 80’s nostalgia I enjoyed.<br />
<br />
There is, however, a lot of exposition. I mean, there is an entire world to build here, I get that. But there are so many pages of this teenage boy talking to us, explaining the world he lives in. There had to have been a better way to handle that.<br />
<br />
Still, I couldn’t stop listening. I “read" this book as the audiobook version performed by Wil Wheaton (who, incidentally, can mimic old video games perfectly) and I just kept listening. I listened to all fifteen hours in just three days. It was mesmerizing. I totally recommend reading it if you in any way have any interest in video games, or 80’s pop culture.<br />
<br />
Part two - The Part With Spoilers:<br />
<br />
First of all, “Reality is real.” My GODDESS I hope they find better final dialogue for Halliday in the movie version, because that’s about the worst bit of advice you can give to a kid who just WON THE INTERNET in a literal sense. Overall, there’s a lot of cheese like this. I definitely recognize the cheese was intentional, it fed into the whole 80’s feel of the book. But it also made the book a bit too predictable. I mean, obviously THAT GUY is going to come to the rescue. Obviously one of these avatars is being played by a person of a different gender or race...<br />
<br />
And speaking of gender, why am I reading yet another book about a mediocre white boy who wins everything simply because of circumstance and luck? I mean, yeah, Wade put in a lot of research. But Artemis found the first gate before he did, AND she’s the only reason he gets through the third gate at all! Basically all my issues with the book are in the supporting characters.<br />
<br />
A) Artemis was way more interesting than Wade. And should have won it all. Instead she gets the boy. As usual.<br />
B) Aech deserved a book of her own. (I hope you really paid attention to the “spoilers” notice above because I would hate to ruin that twist for anyone, if you don’t see it coming on your own...) Seriously, though, HER STORY WOULD KILL. I want to know more! I want to know about her relationship with her mother. I want to know about her life as a black lesbian in this computer world. I want to hear from her.<br />
C) Shoto and Daito, also could be great characters. But we’re so busy learning about the world they all live in that we don’t learn enough about them, and we’re left with rather flat, cliché, Japanese video game nerds.<br />
<br />
It really was a great book and I will plan to be there opening weekend of the movie. But I’m kind of sick of the white boy who is conveniently surrounded by a diverse cast, who all seem smarter than him in about ten thousand ways... and yet he still wins it all in the end.<br />
<br />
Including the girl.<br />
<br />
In a garden maze.<br />
<br />
Where she’s gazing into a fountain...<br />
<br />
Really. That happens.<br />
<br />
Next week I’m going to review:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllVHZPOaSmJyyeN9SAE3a8RR99qZKzPH3QBhJj9yZtnwYq8r6u8Gafo517OTgW1CWN8mrDRU465Cr-CqSuleHIunYiwHHnhIAMHRPF7qFcVyJVDX-c2jVNnKqNUvfyCb9Gq8id-PRsbj3/s1600/31616114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllVHZPOaSmJyyeN9SAE3a8RR99qZKzPH3QBhJj9yZtnwYq8r6u8Gafo517OTgW1CWN8mrDRU465Cr-CqSuleHIunYiwHHnhIAMHRPF7qFcVyJVDX-c2jVNnKqNUvfyCb9Gq8id-PRsbj3/s320/31616114.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31616114-wonder-woman-volume-2">Wonder Woman</a></td></tr>
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<br />Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-38999312649398038692017-10-16T17:28:00.006-04:002017-10-16T17:28:59.817-04:00Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoOIfngGZ8BIPLcQOsATO9fEefoR74yT9KWtVrzzDp6jeLVYojS6j4js22pCJp_XjPaPN32hYkLDJ6ktDe5JHzQ2cdtVannlwdYzqXRSki76bNQ9oCiYmDkGzbVdxsBTU03eE0jCdyBIm/s1600/25526296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoOIfngGZ8BIPLcQOsATO9fEefoR74yT9KWtVrzzDp6jeLVYojS6j4js22pCJp_XjPaPN32hYkLDJ6ktDe5JHzQ2cdtVannlwdYzqXRSki76bNQ9oCiYmDkGzbVdxsBTU03eE0jCdyBIm/s200/25526296.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I just finished listening to the audiobook version of </span></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25526296-every-heart-a-doorway" style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Every Heart a Doorway</a><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"> by Seanan McGuire and I keep thinking, “Oh so-and-so would love this book, too!” It was a quick, easy listen, a delightful story and a wonderful break from reality. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"> Nancy is a teenage girl who spent some recent time with the dead. Now back on earth, distraught and missing the land she calls “home" she has been sent to a school for kids like her. Children, mostly girls, who have wandered through looking glasses and fell through trap doors into fantasy worlds, and want desperately to return.</span><br />
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<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Think <i>Ms. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children</i>, throw in a dash of <i>Alice in Wonderland</i> and sprinkle a healthy dose of Neil Gaiman on top. </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">I was first introduced to Seanan McGuire through the novels she published under the name Mira Grant, and she has yet to disappoint me. She has a deftly develops characters, making them whole and real people within pages. Her handling of modern day social issues is timeless, and will likely read well decades from now. She is always a good read, her novels an escape for the reader as they watch the characters in this book escape into their own fantasy worlds.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
Next I’m reading:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tlOyfz1Q2Wi66Vv-CbyTJjT0j7UhEOc3gNAimCdK-yf1O3J_2I3pQaJRlMp_I4lrQVlgW5pyp2TEDifE4aO1EThWafAq3z6JF0yopshgbJf24v4AL3NBHWWp1Gkmrma2-N7lIEy-HWaJ/s1600/9969571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tlOyfz1Q2Wi66Vv-CbyTJjT0j7UhEOc3gNAimCdK-yf1O3J_2I3pQaJRlMp_I4lrQVlgW5pyp2TEDifE4aO1EThWafAq3z6JF0yopshgbJf24v4AL3NBHWWp1Gkmrma2-N7lIEy-HWaJ/s200/9969571.jpg" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9969571-ready-player-one">Ready Player One by Ernest Cline</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDLzEf7Czu1rZeoWNthlIPs4GbgGdoT1Gr1Sge9sB-bfPkz6udSUvWPwrAUfHMY8r7SFS-LfrIznVEU8nJ6tFNXRbqnsRJXgsnDawy3frgoTx7lvzhtNTgp_zWluXQ4Y20bWDx1BrVeyW/s1600/19161852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDLzEf7Czu1rZeoWNthlIPs4GbgGdoT1Gr1Sge9sB-bfPkz6udSUvWPwrAUfHMY8r7SFS-LfrIznVEU8nJ6tFNXRbqnsRJXgsnDawy3frgoTx7lvzhtNTgp_zWluXQ4Y20bWDx1BrVeyW/s200/19161852.jpg" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19161852-the-fifth-season">The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin</a></td></tr>
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Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-23770739146198488892017-10-08T07:08:00.000-04:002017-10-08T07:08:39.557-04:00Brunonia Barry’s “The Lace Reader"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7_WW2I-_-5jc2Xj1PJfCwmNKT45m9KfvqbR6sru2t-22hJwglr55pC84KJlHPUlC1TMtPkFBt9AYAkCXQT-zRCjIxppPYMpjfgu6uuw9OAxFWD32_CIfAjx1r5ZqmmFMwgTde7f6SAiU/s1600/1951125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="256" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7_WW2I-_-5jc2Xj1PJfCwmNKT45m9KfvqbR6sru2t-22hJwglr55pC84KJlHPUlC1TMtPkFBt9AYAkCXQT-zRCjIxppPYMpjfgu6uuw9OAxFWD32_CIfAjx1r5ZqmmFMwgTde7f6SAiU/s320/1951125.jpg" width="204" /></a>I have probably had a dozen people tell me to read this book, and somewhere along the way it ended up on my shelf, but I hadn’t touched it. Last week I was looking for something with a little magic in it, and I finally pulled <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1951125.The_Lace_Reader">The Lace Reader</a> by Brunonia Barry off of my shelf. It was exactly what I needed.<br />
<br />
A little magic. A little history. A whole lot of Salem, MA.<br />
<br />
It’s Salem that really won me. I’ve read a lot of books set in New England and often it is painfully obvious that author hasn’t spent a lot of time here. Perhaps they were inspired by one single trip to the region. I’ve written to authors to find out they hadn’t been here at all. This book, though, oozes Salem. I knew immediately Brunonia Barry must live in the area. She knows that little town, she understands how the town’s history has impacted its current tourism industry. She gets it.<br />
<br />
Barry’s book has one unreliable narrator trying to figure out who she is, a missing woman, maybe a murder, maybe a suicide, some witches, a cult and a few psychics. So many intriguing details in this story, I couldn’t stop reading it.<br />
<br />
The book is a tad confusing and for the first half I thought it was a bit hard to follow. It’s hard to tell what is reality, and what is not. It’s hard to follow the chronicle history of the characters as dreams and psychic revelations get in the way. I don’t want to say too much because spoilers suck, so let me say this the only way I know how: The confusion is intentional. Go with it. It will pay off.<br />
<br />
I live just two hours north of Salem, and this book reminded me that I don’t spend nearly enough time there.<br />
<br />
You may like Brunonia Barry if you like:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdzTFBPjYSMvMkNFdK9qtY5vmLodwFACJeaNbkpXl9mCiDUOU48OYRdyWxznRtIRRwnwBcF_BY-6U3t9GzBW0ZkZ79WOwJUI5f_zVPOKXdFYaLpw5KOkCA_Fm1rTum-EepC5Qwyw7tB8O/s1600/1366744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="294" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdzTFBPjYSMvMkNFdK9qtY5vmLodwFACJeaNbkpXl9mCiDUOU48OYRdyWxznRtIRRwnwBcF_BY-6U3t9GzBW0ZkZ79WOwJUI5f_zVPOKXdFYaLpw5KOkCA_Fm1rTum-EepC5Qwyw7tB8O/s320/1366744.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22896.Practical_Magic?ac=1&from_search=true">Practical Magic</a> by Alice Hoffman</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6DEMZoL1qXNQdE3M0ZRlXM2WyexadSf0qcuyUkvOiM0klzsTvhMYGuzKTZdaJfwOLAYOCPOVsyCuoZY2915vCB0PlGYUTTPVpDY7mFlIsYw_SIZMPZKURW4h5jxjTHwaxlx1mo-zF9Ga/s1600/15107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6DEMZoL1qXNQdE3M0ZRlXM2WyexadSf0qcuyUkvOiM0klzsTvhMYGuzKTZdaJfwOLAYOCPOVsyCuoZY2915vCB0PlGYUTTPVpDY7mFlIsYw_SIZMPZKURW4h5jxjTHwaxlx1mo-zF9Ga/s320/15107.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15107.Chocolat">Chocolat</a> by Joanne Harris</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22294061-romantic-outlaws"></a><br />
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<br />Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-24393187824511369732017-08-31T21:02:00.002-04:002017-08-31T21:02:54.044-04:00Books for the Third Grade<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7fjWd5kT1whjiWHmXVaqXjvxE1tnxuvCKoGIV_41EwDuFpbgUYKbq6M-jP-H4Trko901V37_IEbKhLrJgaD_QE6JLqOl_vPKioem497eO0u2HGWCHEA8Gh8LHpHyvfqtxiEQYlp7vpyO/s1600/134095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7fjWd5kT1whjiWHmXVaqXjvxE1tnxuvCKoGIV_41EwDuFpbgUYKbq6M-jP-H4Trko901V37_IEbKhLrJgaD_QE6JLqOl_vPKioem497eO0u2HGWCHEA8Gh8LHpHyvfqtxiEQYlp7vpyO/s200/134095.jpg" width="165" /></a>In honor of my friend Renée, who started her first year as a third grade teacher this week, these are all the books I think should be in a third grade classroom:<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/134095.The_Whingdingdilly">Wingdingdilly by Bill Peet</a><br />
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Here’s the rule with Bill Peet: Don’t pull out this book unless you have a glass of water nearby. Or any Bill Peet book. They are wordy, and if you’re reading them aloud you’re going to need a beverage. But they’re so worth it. There is magic here. A dog wishes he was a horse, until a witch turns him into the Wingdingdilly and he learns to value who he is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgorOeV4RnplrKoBFMLqFKNlWMtycNgLkDWwGQnkdMqbDbrebLRTmCGXmIEHN3sPdy9QBY58JKaMSiQd-xoXQZy_tx8z2sGJp3RDlr84q1KZVr07otN29EY65g6BZJevf8OnSEoA_fpcD/s1600/34608694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgorOeV4RnplrKoBFMLqFKNlWMtycNgLkDWwGQnkdMqbDbrebLRTmCGXmIEHN3sPdy9QBY58JKaMSiQd-xoXQZy_tx8z2sGJp3RDlr84q1KZVr07otN29EY65g6BZJevf8OnSEoA_fpcD/s200/34608694.jpg" width="163" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34608694-she-persisted">She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton</a><br />
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Every child in every classroom in America will learn about certain American women. This book, however, includes many of the women our history books forget. Every classroom needs a book that reminds us that women have persisted, and through this persistence women have shaped our world.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17262290-journey">Journey Trilogy by Aaron Becker</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpy9bN9mPmregTeMx4Ga3QtSc-wewzH58uG63Z77jvYkweT8Vg7dDlizE9IWDOo-ncbGJup329nC3dxnGnCUonk2CSoFExD3A6Kjwbu8Wx8y7nRz6ir973i-ueU9809qP0KUXOnL43XdX/s1600/17262290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="318" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpy9bN9mPmregTeMx4Ga3QtSc-wewzH58uG63Z77jvYkweT8Vg7dDlizE9IWDOo-ncbGJup329nC3dxnGnCUonk2CSoFExD3A6Kjwbu8Wx8y7nRz6ir973i-ueU9809qP0KUXOnL43XdX/s200/17262290.jpg" width="200" /></a>A girl draws a door on her bedroom wall. That door opens into another world where colors mean everything and art comes to life. This entire trilogy belongs in every classroom. Unlike Bill Peet, Becker’s books have no words, giving children the opportunity to tell the story themselves.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLgFFXRtVraxwGnnMIF8L2rK9qvkjesZMM3QCsllwR-xTV4ZVIYhyphenhyphenMPL-702biVAh14iCSIEkSSVaQo8_ZJzyIM1Ip67Tp0034UsfW7lvmQVs3NwPc-v6u_q8THhMswJLQo_XUtY1O8l4/s1600/7784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLgFFXRtVraxwGnnMIF8L2rK9qvkjesZMM3QCsllwR-xTV4ZVIYhyphenhyphenMPL-702biVAh14iCSIEkSSVaQo8_ZJzyIM1Ip67Tp0034UsfW7lvmQVs3NwPc-v6u_q8THhMswJLQo_XUtY1O8l4/s200/7784.jpg" width="146" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7784.The_Lorax">The Lorax by Dr. Seuss</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwDekRY9k_rsgL4Cs00fyFhPI3BSmrRjrjjXwVApdfnkCfBPjaIkwXcqQdsPhgU7CEyobSjvN68hoBinZgNv7-n-tvfz5HCYNH8azpR3ZdUTtlN39Nh4Xo71fvyRJBT2gl5mPtEK_jRPj/s1600/28259095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="310" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwDekRY9k_rsgL4Cs00fyFhPI3BSmrRjrjjXwVApdfnkCfBPjaIkwXcqQdsPhgU7CEyobSjvN68hoBinZgNv7-n-tvfz5HCYNH8azpR3ZdUTtlN39Nh4Xo71fvyRJBT2gl5mPtEK_jRPj/s200/28259095.jpg" width="155" /></a>Read this book with your children, and then spend time with it. Talk about what it means. Talk about who the Once-ler is as a person. This book is a heavy-handed examination of environmentalism, but it’s also a great way to introduce children to nuance and the gray area between good and evil where most people exist.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28259095-i-am-a-story">I Am a Story by Dan Yaccarino</a><br />
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I think I reviewed this one before, but it’s still so beautiful. What is story? What does it mean to share narratives and tell tales? Easily one of my favorite little history picture books I’ve ever read. A love letter to story-telling and perfect for children who are learning to fall in love with writing.Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-14435435377365185242017-08-17T08:05:00.001-04:002017-08-17T08:05:37.420-04:00False Equivalencies and Confederate MonumentsI’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts in regards to the recent events in Charlottesville, VA, Baltimore, MD, Durham, NC, and upcoming events scheduled for this weekend. Here’s a collection of a few particularly good ones.<br />
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Feel free to comment with more podcasts you appreciated on this topic.<br />
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<a href="http://the1a.org/shows/2017-08-16/a-monumental-problem">A Monumental Problem from NPR’s 1A</a><br />
This podcast episode from NPR’s 1A touches on the history of the Confederate monuments, including opinions on both side of the argument. I consider this episode essential listening.<br />
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<a href="http://the1a.org/shows/2017-08-14/charlottesville-rally-violence">Charlottesville Rally Violence</a><br />
This episode from the same show touches on the specific events in Charlottesville, how they played out, and where we are headed.<br />
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It’s Been a Minute With Sam Sanders<br />
This episode discusses how to talk to your kids about current events, and how white people can help. (You should already have this in your podcast queue. You do, right?)<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="290" scrolling="no" src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/543545843/543555197" title="NPR embedded audio player" width="100%"></iframe>Portland Press Herald’s Opinion Podcast. This is a local Maine newspaper’s opinion podcast, but worth a listen no matter where you live. It covers not only Charlottesville, but what this says about our political atmosphere right here in Maine as we head into our gubernatorial election.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" height="90" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5648573/height/90/width/450/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/no/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/c62828/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="450"></iframe><br />
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My last thought comes directly from a Facebook post I put up last night:<br />
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I have seen the phrase “false equivalence” used about ten separate times today. I used it once myself. And I heard it on a podcast. </div>
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Basically, what I’m saying is that all your attempts to justify the confederate flag and confederate statues by comparing them to other situations... they’re all false equivalencies.</div>
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And there’s a reason you haven’t found an argument that actually is logical and effective...</div>
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Attempts to say that this is equivalent to Vietnam War Monuments and (seriously?) Muslim Mosques is absolutely ridiculous. Stop trying to justify your bigotry with examples that are completely unrelated. </div>
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As Jillian Johnson on 1A’s “A Monumental Problem” episode says, “These statues were not put up to venerate confederates, they were put up as monuments to white supremacy.” </div>
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And I’m not okay with venerating white supremacy any longer in this country. </div>
Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-81811779728807501082017-06-29T05:51:00.002-04:002017-06-29T05:56:09.789-04:00Hockey-Loving Princesses and LumberjanesLast Autumn I began a new job as a nanny to two wonderful children. With this job comes a lot of reading children's books, so I'd like to review a couple of them: <br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28259095-i-am-a-story">I Am A Story by Dan Yaccarino</a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXjR9mtlf_251kt0gUdS1XRt4AhMjseK7sJ-5xscBFhGY7BBk9_Momdyh9Ab3DT9vJmX-7H8nj-1L92MQ5vi2yz1k-RUxNeenmWt39hvanZZ-FNEmjqBKYI6F081Z0ecuAQsPs8CJXC2s/s1600/28259095.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXjR9mtlf_251kt0gUdS1XRt4AhMjseK7sJ-5xscBFhGY7BBk9_Momdyh9Ab3DT9vJmX-7H8nj-1L92MQ5vi2yz1k-RUxNeenmWt39hvanZZ-FNEmjqBKYI6F081Z0ecuAQsPs8CJXC2s/s200/28259095.jpeg" width="155" /></a><br />
On Mondays, my weekday off, I tend to run through the library and grab random books on my way through based strictly off of the cover art. This was one of those books, and I'm so glad I grabbed it. This beautiful book is a history of storytelling, broken down for children. It covers everything from cave paintings to kindles, and even sparked a conversation about book burning and censorship with one of the children I read it with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cOjM00x1hvWv9Qp-s2MwMvnWIiL7NHv0iOx9dh-fDoEYS1Yyvae9_ueSgaes8TJbwuIOfSzY_K-hH0J86D0BMKo4E0lLbQqq1vhYJiSwhd1dddNHzNjFv9S5hpP7dx1bPJkq0JIXpIuc/s1600/25745002.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cOjM00x1hvWv9Qp-s2MwMvnWIiL7NHv0iOx9dh-fDoEYS1Yyvae9_ueSgaes8TJbwuIOfSzY_K-hH0J86D0BMKo4E0lLbQqq1vhYJiSwhd1dddNHzNjFv9S5hpP7dx1bPJkq0JIXpIuc/s200/25745002.jpeg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25745002-mother-bruce?from_search=true">Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins</a> <br />
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Bruce is a grouchy loner of a bear, who ends up adopting a flock of baby geese when they hatch before he can turn them into breakfast. This book is for children, but has enough entertaining adult jokes to keep the rest of us interested<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28963889-hotel-bruce">Hotel Bruce</a> is just as fun.)<br />
. (Also, <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomtS8lKp6lnFVTvXPDVNzKBJ0vE7NzDcrpxjxeHzdRHmKDCktgEekrz8h3vAqmYKjuPoQEGKf0X6KREG69cVYuMY1eJJhNiw6aW-lGfSdMmdSmEoZv9RpiUSZaCgbqmALphoCTBSDeLjq/s1600/6546107.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomtS8lKp6lnFVTvXPDVNzKBJ0vE7NzDcrpxjxeHzdRHmKDCktgEekrz8h3vAqmYKjuPoQEGKf0X6KREG69cVYuMY1eJJhNiw6aW-lGfSdMmdSmEoZv9RpiUSZaCgbqmALphoCTBSDeLjq/s200/6546107.jpeg" width="191" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6546107-the-princess-and-the-packet-of-frozen-peas?ac=1&from_search=true">The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas by Tony Wilson</a><br />
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This prince doesn't want a whiny princess who complains all the time about things like peas under mattresses and dinner that's too cold. He wants a tough princess, who can handle an entire package of frozen peas under her mattress, and also it's best if she likes camping and hockey. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4OYlcOAjd_n0mbBbcvDlJxALicThuDLZRAvuoinJm9GVEaVuMwuqiq2117g0ZfEWLx9rAMB5LSbjbQzGFoI6Pt9m_Zf6qmLrqpfd5PU4nnoDkDPi4_9Vgund5_vRqiuQGs5ZuJoxphAg/s1600/22554204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4OYlcOAjd_n0mbBbcvDlJxALicThuDLZRAvuoinJm9GVEaVuMwuqiq2117g0ZfEWLx9rAMB5LSbjbQzGFoI6Pt9m_Zf6qmLrqpfd5PU4nnoDkDPi4_9Vgund5_vRqiuQGs5ZuJoxphAg/s200/22554204.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22554204-lumberjanes-vol-1?from_search=true">Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Brooke A. Allen</a><br />
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The children I nanny aren't old enough for this yet, but I have a couple of nieces who will likely end up with copies of this graphic novel in the near future. Lumberjanes is about summer camp, it’s about being a girl and it’s about being a little weird.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPw8DkRPIU6IFZRmxyoy0d0XtQuoyhvTRAV0kmCauQIT8QDqbtnvfXQ9JoHaqcNMVS426CcP2u450QVKMpkk-ZzxuhqmHD2vsFF5uXP-G57TceLb-jf4uRxx-MaoTPwNLxZuYytuYPxND1/s1600/13083239.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPw8DkRPIU6IFZRmxyoy0d0XtQuoyhvTRAV0kmCauQIT8QDqbtnvfXQ9JoHaqcNMVS426CcP2u450QVKMpkk-ZzxuhqmHD2vsFF5uXP-G57TceLb-jf4uRxx-MaoTPwNLxZuYytuYPxND1/s200/13083239.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13083239-the-fantastic-flying-books-of-mr-morris-lessmore?from_search=true">The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce</a><br />
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I think I’ve shared the short film of this book before, but if not <a href="https://youtu.be/Ad3CMri3hOs">click here.</a> This book is a love letter to books. I read this one by myself, not just with children.Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445769049007737855.post-5964188733856379362017-01-03T10:55:00.000-05:002017-01-03T10:59:14.812-05:00A Book Update: Politics and Feminism and a Book about a Book<b>What I just read:</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULI2mALjw84yxBTdiwf4xVExgsERTrHSJCBculj6rDyYA_hVO4N2eF3eU0LhEYKFFvu5Au9kI2U4FOZtlcT3ANJcNVd_SFYEX5QfdqGK-5zLUuSGM8Inh05fJuxl_0OIbrE30CIiVnf-h/s1600/8134210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULI2mALjw84yxBTdiwf4xVExgsERTrHSJCBculj6rDyYA_hVO4N2eF3eU0LhEYKFFvu5Au9kI2U4FOZtlcT3ANJcNVd_SFYEX5QfdqGK-5zLUuSGM8Inh05fJuxl_0OIbrE30CIiVnf-h/s1600/8134210.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8134210-nation">Nation by Terry Pratchett</a><br />
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I’m relatively late to the Terry Prachett world. Why? I’m not really sure. I should have been here decades ago! At this point, though, every Terry Pratchett book I’ve read has been an entertaining insightful examination of our world. This beautiful book explores the path of a tribal boy becoming a man after a tidal wave wipes out his entire community. He befriends a woman named Daphne, and as they learn to speak each other’s languages, they also learn who they are and what their role in the world is.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1379961.People_of_the_Book">People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2n5hXaNOWIUSnxCiHxc595LVOknYYJUuoSxvaQN_-Y_8dc9TNgRTlamZyiFLpjGw3HmTKNCVOPR3NKvtiTI1Ki5tSWN1juhjWOn3f8d5AOgyJ_kw1TdmGPl4kiE1j1mwKpWAjuh_m86C/s1600/1379961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2n5hXaNOWIUSnxCiHxc595LVOknYYJUuoSxvaQN_-Y_8dc9TNgRTlamZyiFLpjGw3HmTKNCVOPR3NKvtiTI1Ki5tSWN1juhjWOn3f8d5AOgyJ_kw1TdmGPl4kiE1j1mwKpWAjuh_m86C/s200/1379961.jpg" width="125" /></a>I picked this book up just after the election thinking it was time for me to read something light and beautiful that would distract me from the horror of the political election. About thirty pages in I realized that this book was not going to distract me at all. It’s a penetrating examination of prejudice, holocaust and otherness. I’ve always had a minor fascination with the job of a book restorer, and this book is about those people, along with book creators, book saviors, and people who have been willing to live and die for a book.<br />
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<b>What I’m Reading Now:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqn8HpRIyVBNrd8PVXmxeQZbB-HWpSiPM-pz4gMe20LmclxyHPLL3CCcGx6WN1MT2flBRsaturbhh_mbJ48cQsV5MMsg97elrbOFdphYq5oHpEDFHmp5zxrv3aPSbS4wut5kBSoMspJVZ/s1600/1370806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqn8HpRIyVBNrd8PVXmxeQZbB-HWpSiPM-pz4gMe20LmclxyHPLL3CCcGx6WN1MT2flBRsaturbhh_mbJ48cQsV5MMsg97elrbOFdphYq5oHpEDFHmp5zxrv3aPSbS4wut5kBSoMspJVZ/s200/1370806.jpg" width="129" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31741420-our-revolution">Our Revolution by Bernie Sanders</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1370806.First_Ladies">First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Laura Bush by Betty Boyd Caroli</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGMAzayTZs5pX8qFGBVuxBueYOZ5ZCBDDQHlSRDgPpAejIaTYjrHedc2YcTBgM_EMDUirYuHZS2EXzPCnQ9wdHriYN4dvXiS4fCGaytSwpSXmhTwjiKT47QJ4zfOC0Mj-k9gwxNPQdS-Q/s1600/31741420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGMAzayTZs5pX8qFGBVuxBueYOZ5ZCBDDQHlSRDgPpAejIaTYjrHedc2YcTBgM_EMDUirYuHZS2EXzPCnQ9wdHriYN4dvXiS4fCGaytSwpSXmhTwjiKT47QJ4zfOC0Mj-k9gwxNPQdS-Q/s200/31741420.jpg" width="131" /></a>Aside from making my way through the Game of Thrones series, I’ve also been reading about politics. Many of you know that last year I was a Bernie Sanders Delegate at the Maine Democratic Convention. I learned so much about politics this year, about how our system works and how a person can make change.<br />
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One of the things I’m fascinated by is how the women married to our past presidents have made change, most notably (currently) Hillary Clinton, who did a lot to reframe what the job of the first lady is.<br />
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With these two books I’ve been exploring these thoughts further and exploring my own role as a voter and socially-conscious person in this country.<br />
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<b>What I just added to my To Read Shelf:</b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIKtgjgoW3CmDYldrBHmNgEQecI1fn9JpZ3X0YT9cA-O-dhT0nMBTNIq9lKNnFmTEZHO_6IPREWmtbuIw93YiyoTGPIomsitcvO7vcY1cUuDfmKUASM9rD5N51G2oNXKFbMwmW-HZHuEo/s1600/1237300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIKtgjgoW3CmDYldrBHmNgEQecI1fn9JpZ3X0YT9cA-O-dhT0nMBTNIq9lKNnFmTEZHO_6IPREWmtbuIw93YiyoTGPIomsitcvO7vcY1cUuDfmKUASM9rD5N51G2oNXKFbMwmW-HZHuEo/s200/1237300.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1237300.The_Shock_Doctrine" style="text-align: start;">The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpc59ue5e4LiVqnuJ9bMtPRh5GzzUbL8MYBVvyXy2WWDP3UUKpEcWRNen8vrqC26iX6XRehDY2pFE9T6H3K0opgYKamrccFaxEJx3mCjILjNIqvGAviaQWkGBfiyrJd53fuc3olcXVqBz/s1600/29902263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpc59ue5e4LiVqnuJ9bMtPRh5GzzUbL8MYBVvyXy2WWDP3UUKpEcWRNen8vrqC26iX6XRehDY2pFE9T6H3K0opgYKamrccFaxEJx3mCjILjNIqvGAviaQWkGBfiyrJd53fuc3olcXVqBz/s200/29902263.jpg" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29902263-notes-from-a-feminist-killjoy" style="text-align: start;">Notes From a Feminist Killjoy by Erin Wunker</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Katrina Ray-Saulishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133289456924972998noreply@blogger.com0