Readers’ Workouts – 7/4

by Carol5 Comments
Hope you had a happy 4th of July. We were pretty quiet today, we had our cookout yesterday. I made my step goal this week. Saturday I ran in a 5K. My time was just under 32 mins, which is fine.   This week: We were out-of-town a couple of days this week looking at colleges and we had to help move stuff at my mom's again, so I got exercise in, just not the kind I tend to list. Tuesday - Walk with the dog Saturday - 5K, Walk with the dog And here's a picture of my dog, Scrappy. Meal ideas: Shrimp with penne Corn and black bean salad Spaghetti Hamburgers Year Fitness Goals: - Lose weight. Goal - Lose 26 lbs. - Run 2 5ks, 1 10K and 1 half. Completed - 1 10K; 1 5K - Hit my weekly step goal (56,000 steps) for 48 weeks. Weeks completed: 21 How was your week? Readers’ Workouts is hosted by Joy at Joy’s Book Blog....
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Spotlight: Tell on You by Freda Hansburg

by Carol1 Comment
Read an excerpt: “Oww!!” eight-year old Brandon Jordan screeched as his sister Nikki twisted his arm in an Indian burn. “Nikki, stop!” His cries brought Mom crashing into Nikki’s room. “Nikki, I won’t have you bullying your brother again. Let him go this instant.” “But I caught him in here messing with my stuff!” Nikki gave Brandon’s arm a final wrench before releasing him. Pouting, he scurried from her room. “I don’t care what he did. I told you, keep your hands to yourself.” Her mother turned away, judgment delivered. Probably in a hurry to get back to her vodka and reality TV. “At least when Dad was here, somebody stuck up for me,” Nikki called after her. Mom’s angry face reappeared. “Stuck up for you?” A bitter laugh. “Stuck it to you, and all of us, is more like it.” “Wasn’t me he left,” Nikki said. “Really? When’s the last time he even phoned you?” Her mother walked off with that parting shot. “Like you’d know, bitch.” Nikki said...
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Thursday’s Tale: Cinderella and the Furry Slippers by Davide Cali

by Carol2 Comments
This is a modern twist on the classic Cinderella fairy tale. Cinderella, per usual, spends her days cleaning and doing her stepmother's and sisters' hair. She sees the prince in a magazine and dreams coming to save her. When she finds out he's having a ball, she calls up a fairy godmother and makes an appointment. That's when it all starts to go awry. The godmother is not what she expects - and neither are the clothes. Even the ball is disappointing, and the prince - well, let's just say he was more attractive in the magazine. So she makes her own happy ending. I like the girl-power feel of this one, and the illustrations are bright and funny. I think this would make a good book to read aloud to any little girl, reinforcing that a girl can be whatever she wants to. And that pictures in magazines aren't always realistic. Thursday's Tales is a weekly event here at Carol's Notebook....
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The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

by Carol3 Comments
I really liked The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, but I don't have much to say about it. Do you ever run into that problem. For the most part, we're hanging out with the crew of the Wayfarer who are an awesome group of "people" - humans and other species, even a sentient AI. They are wormhole tunnelers, which is can be tough, but this newest job is the chance of a lifetime. Often, it seems like sci-fi is about the politics or the weapons or the conflict, whatever it is. In The Long Way, all those things exist, but it's more about how the crew are a family, how they face the big issues. We tag along on their adventures in ports or planets where friends live. We worry with them when they face a crisis, but know it will work out, because together they can handle most anything. I became attached to them all. I may have...
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Readers’ Workouts – 6/27

by Carol5 Comments
I missed my goal this week, but not by much.   This week: So I didn't really increase my weight training or make it to the gym this week. I did get Pilates in twice. We spent the weekend getting my mom's basement ready for the waterproofer and carrying our stuff to the curb for the large trash pickup day, which was a lot of carrying and walking. Tuesday - Walk with the dog Wednesday - Walk with the dog, Pilates Thursday - Walk with the dog Monday - Walk with the dog, Pilates I need to remember to take a photo of my dog on one of our walks. I forgot last week. Meal ideas: We ended up eating at my mom's every day over the weekend since we were over there working. So, two of these ideas are repeats I didn't make last week. I did make this, which was yummy. https://www.instagram.com/p/BVlCiMXAxQ5/?taken-by=carolsnotebook Shrimp with penne Corn and black bean salad Chicken fried rice Cookout - probably burgers We're going out of town for a...
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