Hi! I need to touch grass today, and maybe you do too.

What's your earliest positive memory of reading?

Reading has been complicated for me. My relationship with it has changed a lot over time, with some starts and stops along the way. But one memory still feels really warm.

I remember being six and learning to read. In class, we would move up to the next reader book after successfully finishing the one before it. I used to stay after school so I could keep working through whatever level I was on.

I also remember going into my school library and discovering the American Girl books. I can still remember the smell of the library, the feel of those books, and the crinkly sound of the plastic covers the librarian put on them.

It was such a simple, wholesome kind of joy. I miss that feeling.

What about you? What's one of your earliest happy reading memories?

Over the last few days, I've added so many books centered around language to my 'interested' or TBR list. As if the universe were listening, one of my students came up to me, held out a crayon, and said, "What do you call this?" I pronounced it "cray-on," to which she immediately turned around and said, "See! Who says 'cray-ahn'?"

I totally cackled because I’ve gotten into this exact argument with my husband, who says "cray-ahn" while I say "cray-on." This tidbit led to a fun spin-off conversation about the different ways we say things.

We talked about language differences between just the Hawaiian islands, how our Hawaiian Pidgin (Hawai'i Creole) varies from one to the other, and then moved to the broader spectrum of the continental US and the world.

So, please chime in and tell me some fun words or phrases you use that, when others hear them, make them say, "Oh, you mean __________?"

Like, "No, I meant what I said, and said what I meant."

Over the last few days, I've added so many books centered around language to my 'interested' or TBR list. As if the universe were listening, one of my students came up to me, held out a crayon, and said, "What do you call this?" I pronounced it "cray-on," to which she immediately turned around and said, "See! Who says 'cray-ahn'?"

I totally cackled because I’ve gotten into this exact argument with my husband, who says "cray-ahn" while I say "cray-on." This tidbit led to a fun spin-off conversation about the different ways we say things.

We talked about language differences between just the Hawaiian islands, how our Hawaiian Pidgin (Hawai'i Creole) varies from one to the other, and then moved to the broader spectrum of the continental US and the world.

So, please chime in and tell me some fun words or phrases you use that, when others hear them, make them say, "Oh, you mean __________?"

Like, "No, I meant what I said, and said what I meant."

Just when I thought I couldn’t relate to murderbot more, it makes a comment recognizing the supremacy of clothing with sealable pockets