So excited to join Saturday Celebrations with Ruth Ayres!
It is fun to live my week thinking about what I will celebrate on Saturday.
A week filled with moments to celebrate and remember!
1. Entertained surprise visitors!
Our good friends' trip delay became our good fortune. They were going sailing in the San Juans for a family vacation. Unfortunately, the captain of the sailboat was still making needed repairs. Fortunately, they came to Seattle for the day and spent the evening with us. Four of their five children were with them, and their oldest (born in Houston) is getting married next month. These are friends that we knew in Houston when he was in medical school, and we were all much younger. We were lucky to see them several times as we made the trek from WA to BYU to drop off our kids for college (Idaho is a good stopping point). This is one of those cherished friendships that no matter how many years pass between our visits, it's always a joy to be together!
2. Finished Absolutely Almost!
I picked up this book because of the buzz in the blogosphere. I absolutely (no almost) love this book: the short chapters (a hook that always keeps me reading), the author's craft, and the main character Albie. It deserves rereading with a careful eye to author's craft. Check out a favorite chapter (pgs. 210-211), rain in new york. Every paragraph begins with the phrase "When it rains in New York," the sensory detail is incredible, and there's a wonderful concluding sentence to this short chapter. Quick, request it from the library before the list gets too long, or better yet, visit your favorite indie bookstore for your own copy. You'll want to write in the margins!
3. Joined Poetry Friday!
I've been lurking for far too long, and had promised to join this wonderful community after retirement. The beginning of school marks the official beginning of my retirement, so yesterday I took the plunge. Many of the bloggers are friends from Two Writing Teachers and Saturday Celebrations, some are poets books I love, and others are new friends I can't wait to know. This week's round-up was led by substitute round-upper, Irene Latham at Live Your Poem. I love her novels - Leaving Gee's Bend and Don't Feed the Boy (don't be misled by the "young cover," this is a book perfect for sixth graders with tough issues to discuss). So I can't wait for Irene's new book, Dear Wandering Wildebeest, available September 1. Even if you don't have time to post, don't miss Poetry Friday to bring a breath of poetry into your life each week!
So great to hear about your friends and the serendipitous evening-lucky! I loved Absolutely Almost, as you probably know, already have a teacher choosing it for the first read aloud. And, so happy you leapt into Poetry Friday. I love the doing, and have learned much through the years. Have a great weekend and next week, Ramona!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed Absolutely Almost. I am working my way through Lisa Graff's books. I think The Thing about Georgie is next for me. I enjoy the posts from Poetry Friday--always discover new poetry that way!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you joined Poetry Friday. It's such a great community. Need to read Absolutely Almost. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteRamona, what a delightful post this is brimming with positivity (the topic of my #celelbratelu that is stuck in Twittersphere until it gets rescued at put on the site. You can find it at http://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2014/08/celebrating-week-of-trying-to-chase.html. (Also a stuck title link-technology is giving me a run for my money today.) Can't wait to unveil the gallery-some submissions are still coming in.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed Albie's story. I agree with you that some books need to be underlined or highlighted or have their margins written on. It's a wonderful read!
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