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I wasn't sure when I began my transition to WordPress whether or not I would continue here with more personal posts. At this point in time, all posts are being made there. Thanks for sticking with me and I hope to see you there!

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No Feature Friday

Well...it's Friday, and I don't know how that happened.

I've been very busy reading, and enjoying what I'm reading, but none of it has been published (yet) and I can't share. So yeah. See you next week!

Julia

Also, don't forget to check out byersediting.wordpress.com

Mindful Monday - Update, Diversity in a WIP

So a while back, I wrote this post on how I don't feel like I have the right to write about another culture.

I'm constantly expanding the number of people I follow on Twitter, there are just so many with something to say that resonate with me! Or make me think! And I realize now how very cowardly that previous post was. In fact, I think I kind of knew there was something wrong with it, but sometimes we need distance to see such errors, and an honesty which honestly can be hard to come by.

So I don't know how to portray a PoC (person/people of color), what does that mean? That I have research to do and conversations to engage in. And if I ever get to a point where I can use beta readers or critique partners, I need to engage with some who identify with that character, so they can tell me what is offensive, what I got wrong, and--hopefully--something that maybe I got right. I can't let the fear of being utterly wrong stop me from trying, and learning in the process.

There are people on Twitter who offer themselves up to answer questions about their sexuality/disabilities/culture/everything, go find them if you have questions. Someone tweeted a link to Diversity Cross-Check, and while I haven't spent much time perusing it yet, it seems like a place where it may be possible to connect with others willing to answer questions.

No, I'm not going to take down my original post where I display, for the world, my ignorance. No, I'll leave it as a reminder to myself that there is always growth and learning to be done.

Let's try not to let our ignorance reinforce plaguing stereotypes. In today's time, our resources are unlimited, and so is our potential.

Until next time,
Julia

Don't forget to check out my latest adventure: byersediting.wordpress.com!

Feature Friday - Sub Melts!

My husband and I really enjoy eating at Subway, but it seems ridiculous to pay so much for a sandwich. Often times I wind up making comparable sandwiches at home, so I thought I would share one of our favorites.

What's really great about this is it is totally custom to what we like! Actually, I came upon this as a mix of my standard sub-sandwich making and the accident of not being able to find the right bread. You see, the grocery store I usually go to has a great bakery, but sometimes their sandwich rolls are a bit tough, and I wasn't up for that. So I was in the bread aisle, looking for pre-packaged sub/steak rolls, when I came upon some hawaiian bread hamburger buns. I just knew this had to be good!

I get my meat inspiration from the Subway Melt: ham, turkey, and bacon. I like the already cooked, just heat it up bacon because I don't have to bother with cooking it before the rest of the stuff. Choose whatever meats you like!

Choose a cheese!

Choose your veggies! (I'm the only one here who'll eat them, so I just don't bother, I hate for things to go to waste.)

Choose a condiment!

Are you ready for this?

Ingredients

 Gather your ingredients. Set your oven to broil and let it get nice and toasty while you prepare.

Prepared for the oven!

Put the bottom half of the rolls/buns/bread you've chosen on a cookie sheet (I line mine with foil because they really need to be replaced, but I'm too cheap for that...). Layer on your chosen deli/lunch meats, and top with the precooked bacon.

Pop it in the oven.

Waiting for their turn.

Don't walk away! The bottoms will only be in there a few minutes! While they are warming up, place your favorite cheese on the tops of the rolls/buns/bread you've chosen. I like cheddar and husband likes swiss, and these are super-convenient for pleasing everyone! I fold my cheese up like this to fit on the buns.

In you go!

 When the meats are warmed through and the bacon is just about right, slide the bottoms out of the oven, and add the tops.

Pop them back in the oven, but only long enough to melt the cheese!

Add your toppings and...

Hot and melted goodness.

Voila!

Transfer to plates and add toppings/condiments.

Enjoy!

And don't forget to turn off the oven. ;-)

Sub Melts

All of these are just options, choose whatever flavors fit your liking!

Ingredients (as pictured):

• Bread/buns -Hawaiian hamburger buns
• Lunch/deli meat - turkey, ham, and pre-cooked bacon
• Cheese - cheddar, swiss
• Veggies - if you like
• Condiments - mustard, mayo

Preparation:

• Heat oven to broil.
• Place the bottom half of chosen bread on a baking sheet. Stack lunch meat on the bread, top with bacon.
• Place baking sheet in warm oven until meats are warmed and bacon is hot.
• Place cheese on top halves of the bread.
• Put the cheesy tops on the baking sheet.
• Place baking sheet back in oven. Don't walk away! Keep a close eye, and remove once cheese has melted.
• Top with your choice of veggies and condiments.
• Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do, and I'll be sharing my "pizza sub" recipe once I make it again (so that I can have pics).

Julia

Don't forget to check out my latest adventure: byersediting.wordpress.com!

Mindful Monday - Quick update

It's Monday!

Yeah, I know, "hooray," right?

Well all this trying to adjust to a new job and all that didn't go so well, and we realized that it wasn't the right fit for me or our family, so I am back to being a stay-at-home mom again. That's a real reason to cheer!!! The decision was not made without much deliberation, but I am glad that it worked out the way it has.

This is not to say I'm not doing anything. My dream for a long time now has been to be an editor. I kept coming up with all the reasons I couldn't try to do it on my own yet, but they fell flat. The only thing holding me back is myself. So, I've begun my freelance editing career, and you can check it out at byersediting.wordpress.com, and I really hope you do!

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time,

Julia

Feature Friday - "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

Last week I began listening to an audiobook version of Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. I fell in love immediately. An unexpected pleasure was that there were two very good narrators, a female for Eleanor's sections and a male for Park's. I admit that I really enjoyed this because sometimes I'm a speedy reader, especially if I'm reading solely for enjoyment, and I am no stranger to missed visual cues, so they saved me that trouble. Now, onto the story itself! Click here for info on Amazon.

The story is set in 1986, and Eleanor is the new girl at school. Park lets her sit with him on the bus that first day, and over time they develop a relationship that is unlike anything either of them have ever known. It starts by them sharing the bus seat. Then Park realizes Eleanor is reading his comics. Then they start to share music, and things continue to build from there. Eleanor is scared to let Park know just how bad things are at home, but she comes to rely on him, on the memory of him, to get her through the nights filled with the cries of her mother and days filled with bullying at school.

What I loved:

• Both Eleanor and Park had a unique voice, their own lens with which they viewed the world. This made for interesting moments when the view switched back and forth quickly, to see what they were thinking or how they were feeling, and what was different between the two. This also made it very distinct who was thinking what. I also just absolutely loved them both!
• Their wit!
• The story felt so genuine, I was sucked in immediately and it was hard to come back from. 
• The supporting characters felt just as real as Eleanor and Park did.
• Eleanor's reference to Dicey Tillerman (Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt).
• THE FEELS!

What I didn't like:

• I can't think of anything that I didn't really like. There were elements of the story that I wish weren't a part of this world in general, but they are, and they were presented really well.

Other:

• While the language didn't bother me, a family member is a middle school librarian, so I keep that in mind when reading YA. Probably not acceptable for a middle-school library, in case you were wondering.
• I think that someone who was a teenager in this time would probably like the references to the music, but I have to admit that I'm a failure in terms of pop-culture, so I had to take them at the value presented in the book.

Should you read this? Yes, but you need a certain amount of "emotional bandwidth" (as S. would say) available.

Until next time,

Julia

Mindful Monday - The Contract of a Job

With the SCOTUS ruling on marriage equality, there has been resistance by those who issue marriage licenses to do so. And this brings to mind something I was thinking about a couple of months ago as I underwent the interview process for the job I have. They asked me about a time when I disagreed with something I was told to do. I've never really been the rebellious type, usually do as I'm told, no qualms about it. But it got to me to thinking, and here's the more pronounced answer/opinion that I have for the next time I go through that: when you accept a job, you are signing a contract between yourself and the employer that you will perform the duties described.  If you are worried that the position may have you compromising your morals/ethics, perhaps you need to explore that further before signing on. Now if the company is asking you to do something illegal, there's probably a procedure to fix that. But when it comes to a matter of conscience, that's up to you, especially if it is going to keep you from performing your duties. I think this is especially true for those who work for the public. If you have qualms about being able to carry out the duties you were selected for, then get out and let someone who doesn't have those qualms serve the public. It is not your religion that stops you, it is your prejudice. Your religion has not stopped you from issuing marriage licenses to those who are or will become thieves, racists, terrorists, murderers, arsonists, pedophiles, sex-offenders, and more; it shouldn't stop you from marrying couples that have come together in love to partake of their rights--that's discrimination.

/end rant

Until next time,
Julia