Assembly, by Natasha Brown. Pub 2021 This little book was a Christmas gift from a fellow book-clubber, and also a recommendation from them. It is a quick (one day) but demanding read, as the material gets a bit intense in places and the writing style is curious blend of lyrical/poetry and stream of consciousness/interior. The... Continue Reading →
Big Feelings, by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy. Book report extra #7 (2022)
Big Feelings, by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy. Pub 2022 I chose this book based on the social media hype and discussion about it. Many will be familiar with the illustrations and comics by this pair of workplace and development consultants. This is their second book (the first was No Hard Feelings from 2019, which looked... Continue Reading →
Looking on the bright side
I had a chat today with a colleague and friend. We’re about the same age, and have been working for about the same number of years (30+ for me, close to the same for her plus school and family). She said, “When does all this hard work start to pay off?” We talked about it... Continue Reading →
Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston. Book report #7 (2019)
Vacations makes such a lovely time to read... (books 7, 8 and 9 all read on holiday.) Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston. Pub 1937 It took me a bit to get into this book, partly because of the colloquial dialogue but more because of the main character -... Continue Reading →
The Dip, by Seth Godin. Book report #13 (2018)
The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick), by Seth Godin. Pub 2007 I was led to this brief book via this article. I am dealing with some team issues at work (people leaving), and I was struggling to understand the choices that people were making. I wasn't... Continue Reading →
Book of Treasures: Grade 4
Grade 4: 1975, Van Bellingham Elementary School, Winnipeg, MB Teacher – Mrs. Delaquis Both Mrs. Delaquis and I graduated to Grade 4, and with many of the same kids in my class again. The “room” was open-area again, right next door to the previous year’s room. With the same school, teacher, room and classmates, I was... Continue Reading →
Item #4: Highlighter
Alternate title: the purloined pen. I've had this highlighter since 1991. I keep it now for sentimental reasons, but also out of astonishment - it still works. The highlighter comes from the lab where I worked. Back in those days, highlighters were a standard tool for project chemists, reviewing data outputs and identifying key results... Continue Reading →
Morning person
I never used to be a morning person. Early morning rising used to be something reserved for special or dreaded occasions: early starts for trips or vacations, field trips, exams, new jobs. Saturday and Sunday mornings were cherished sleep-in times, almost inviolable rituals of indolence. The past few years have brought change in preference, perspective... Continue Reading →
The Insider
A recent newspaper article (no longer available) (as well as coverage earlier in July on CBC) troubled me greatly, and not for the reasons that either journalist intended, I'm sure. I am troubled by the narrow perspective on the facts in both instances, as well as the potential damage these articles could do to the important... Continue Reading →