My online group, Sunshine, had a sew-along day where we all made the same pattern: Horizon from this blog -- klein meisje quilts . It was designed by that blog creator, Lynn. We chose it because it is a quick and easy block and perfect for a big group project, requiring very few directions.
Here are the quilts we made on our sew-along day and a few days after (20 of them so far). They'll be wrapped around some cute kids some time in the relatively near future.
We are having a very hot and dry summer. We are trying to establish a new lawn this year, which is virtually impossible during a raging drought. But at least we are not in a fire zone (knock on wood). We just see hazy skies from fires in Canada. I hope everyone near the fires will be safe.
I am tired of the heat and mostly stay inside. I have been working on this for the last couple of days:
I live in a St. Paul suburb and don't get to Minneapolis very often. Today while running errands I realized I was not far from George Floyd Square. I had never been there, so I decided to pay a visit. Cars can now drive through, but slowly, because there are still many tributes set up in the street along the sidewalk by Cup Foods and on the spot where George died. People still visit and mill about, so cars go carefully. Also, the famous raised fist and garden is in the center of the intersection of 38th and Chicago, which helps slow down the traffic. I did not feel in danger from traffic while there.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Read this one for my book club. We like to try to read different genres. This is of a type that I rarely read.. not sure how it is officially classified, but I would say maybe science fiction? It was based on an interesting idea: what happens when we die? Suppose there are parallel universes? What are those like?
I got tired of it after a while, but it was at least food for thought and entertaining.
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler
A family: Dad, Mom, three kids. The family life is strained; the kids grow. The kids as adults are not really close but stay connected. They also maintain their old rivalries. In other words, it's a somewhat typical family, but at the same time they are atypical to the point of being dysfunctional. It is overall sad but also has glimpses of uplifting moments and expressions of love. The writing is great. Characters are very well developed. I really like Anne Tyler but hadn't read anything by her in several years. Glad I read this one.
Hum if You Don't Know the Words by Bianca Marais
I loved this book! The story is captivating, and the writing is superb. It takes place in South Africa in the mid-1970s when Soweto rises up to protest their oppression under apartheid. The story revolves around a white girl of 9 or 10, her Parents/Aunt, and the black woman who winds up as her caretaker. It's a story about apartheid atrocities and cultural upheaval and how the young girl begins to learn and see the complexities of life in South Africa.
My only disappointment is that the voice of the 10-year-old girl is awfully mature, especially in the last few chapters.Other than that, there are many beautiful moments in this wonderful book.
Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer
Krakauer researches the responses made to rape and sexual assault reports in college towns, specifically in Missoula, Montana. These responses come from campus police, city police, county prosecutors, and college officials. I was hoping things were getting better. Read this book and see if women still suffer ostracism, bullying, and slut-shaming if they dare to report a rape. You can pretty much guess what the answer to that query is.
Some cases where I live (a Minnesota college town) were big news for some of the same reasons they were in Missoula... and the outcomes were the same. I should have been able to predict the trajectory of this book.
Hard to read due to the details of the events, but important to know what is (still) going on. This is a scourge in our culture. We need to raise our awareness of the true nature of what rape is, and to raise our children to not be rapists. We obviously have not yet figured it out.
