Schools that inspire children to learn – dream or reality?

by Tola Rotimi Abraham

A story that takes us into a different culture in Nigeria. Identical twins take different paths in life after circumstances break up their family, one into modern life and the other into Yoruba tradition.

It's an interesting concept and the language and structure suggests translation from a West African language, but after the first few paragraphs it settles into present tense.

Oh.

Despite this, I was able to read it in small snippets and follow the story of the twins and their separate lives. The chapters change pov among four siblings so you get the contrast of events that leave them in the care of their Yoruba grandmother. There are some disturbing realities of what it's like to be poor and female in a third world culture.

Overall I found the story interesting, but depressing. The present tense writing makes it feel like someone telling a story in a monotone, but with enough horror of events, including sexual assault, that you can't help but listen.

Hi,

It's Sunday and I don't have much to post other than Scotland apparently has not had any COVID-related deaths for a 3rd day in a row, infection rate is low, and businesses are opening up again ... slowly. 

So, it's mostly good news all round. 

However, I'm definitely in a reading slump. I've not really read much at all. Instead, I've been catching up on tv series, Netflix, and ... baking. 

I've come across a new to me recipe this week and managed to make it - with a few substitutions as I have neither apricots nor raspberries, and i didn't not fancy going to the supermarket just for them. I had tinned peaches, tho. They worked a treat! I also added some cinnamon. 

All in all, this is super delicious. It doesn't need the ice cream. It's just pretty perfect as it is.

Happy Sunday!

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer.

Home Fires: My husband and I celebrated 11 years of marriage this past Wednesday. He bought me a small Yankee Candle tumbler candle. I bought sushi and noodles for dinner. 

I received an email from the school district on Thursday. It was a parental survey, looking for input on how to schedule the upcoming school year in the age of COVID-19. Our choices were: to go completely online public schooling via eAcademy; go completely online via remote learning like we did from March to the end of May; hybrid method with two days of school and the rest remote. Also questions on busing and cafeteria issues. This as the number of cases are rising quite steadily here in Kansas - we are in the top ten of hot spots for the disease in the U.S. I am really starting to see my kids being home this fall and winter. 

Adam bought $200+ (he got a military discount) worth of fireworks last night. We are making up for the years we spent in the UK. Our dog's little tornado shelter is going to get quite the workout this week.

Nature is a Mother: Hot, humid, and every storm has been bypassing us non-stop, so we are dry - getting to dangerous levels regarding grass/prairie fires. Sunflowers should start showing some petals very soon. 

Volunteer Valley: Chances of my GS troop meeting in person this fall is fast fading. Don't know how PTO is going to work with us waiting until mid-July to hear how schooling is going to go. 

Craft Corner: Haul time! First is this planner sticker pack from The Happy Planner - this pack is a goddess-sent for book bloggers/instagrammers/youtubers - I loved every page and can't wait to start using this in January 2021. I am thinking I may want to get a second pack now.....

I wanted new needle minders (I've got kids and a dog, I need to know where my needles are at all times while stitching), especially seeing other stitchers pairing their minders to their WIPs. This Triple Moon minder is from TopKnot Stitcher Shop.com. I got this minder from the etsy shop Hartiful. I love Maleficent and Starbucks, so I had to get this minder from the etsy shop Mad For Minders.

I picked up a DMC kit called Love Laurel and will be stitched hopefully by the time my next wedding anniversary rolls around. LOL. I also bought Satsuma Street's Leo by Jody Rice pattern and some black Aida - this is going to be my late July/early August project. Both my husband and I were born under the sign of Leo, so it will go into our room somewhere when completed. Both bought at 123stitch.com. There were two fundraisers I know about from the stitching community to donate to Black and LGBT+ organizations that I picked up: first is Say Her Name by TopKnot Stitcher.com and the simple Black Lives Matter from The Witchy Sticher.com. Both come as a PDF you download.

Book Shelf: I wrote all the reviews due from the five weeks and got them linked to COYER if eligible! Because I spent all that time writing the reviews, there was less time for reading. So this weekend is nothing but reading. I finally found a routine that works to balance blogging with reading.

The kids hit their goal for the third badge and earned yet another book. They can't pick out their books until Tuesday. The kids are doing better at their summer reading than me.

On the Tube: Bookish Realm is quickly becoming one of my favorite booktubers. She is funny and real and a librarian to boot! 

In My Ears: Two mini-series for my recommendations on podcasts this week. The first is WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork by David Brown for Wondery Podcasts; this is a completed series, with I think 8 episodes. The second one is Boom/Bust: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia by Alyssa Bereznak for The Ringer Podcasts; this is almost done, just waiting for the finale this coming week. After listening to these podcasts I do wonder how Silicon Valley can disrupt industries/re-invent the wheel with such incompetence and ego. 

It's been a while since my last Sunday Post but to be fair there hasn't been much going on that was worth writing about since ... whenever it was that the virus took hold. 

So, with lockdown slowly easing in Scotland (and easing at a different speed to the rest of the UK, in case you were wondering), this weekend was the first time I had a chance to meet up with a couple of friends. We tried last week, but the weather wasn't allowing us to have a socially distanced picnic in the back garden AND stay dry.

Yesterday, finally!, we got to hang out in my back garden and chill and catch up and not use video chat and all able to dig into this:

I also made a kiwi fruit and banana cake. (I only forgot to take a picture after I put the glaze on.)

Both were demolished within minutes. We had a lot of fun. But it is fair to say that the sight of seagulls circling above us made us eat faster, too. 

Today I just chilled with John Donne. I finished reading the Everyman's Library collection of his works and look forward to picking up the book for re-reads of some of the poetry whenever the mood strikes. 

But of course, good poetry made me hungry for some equally sophisticated snack, so I played around with an idea for olive tapenade. It was nice.

Happy Sunday!