Quotes – Page 13 – Jennifer's Journal

In Praise of Young Adult Fiction

Published on May 26, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry21 Comments

I used to think I was a bit of a dork for liking Young Adult literature, even though my years as a young adult are long gone.

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Not so anymore. Although some may be too shy to admit to it or call it a guilty pleasure, YA fiction has a huge fan base among grownups; in fact, a recent study states that 55% of its readers are actually adults. And while I also choose from a variety of other genres and often crave the more literary and classic offerings as well, I particularly enjoy writing Young Adult fiction, as two of my upcoming novels will attest.

Why do I and so many others love reading YA novels? I don’t believe it implies immaturity, but rather suggests a more “young at heart” sensibility of the reader. And I am careful about not lumping all of them together; as in every genre there is great writing and not-so-great writing. With that in mind, here is what I find appealing about most of the YA and coming-of-age literature I have read:

It draws you in and hooks you on the first page.
It is usually light on the exposition and heavy on the action and dialogue.
The drama isn’t contrived. The teenage years, with all of its growing pains, can be filled with turmoil. Ordinary situations often feel emotional, and even catastrophic.
Teens are well-known to be impetuous and curious, therefore their actions are often unexpected. This opens up all sorts of drama which may include acting on violence, sexuality, and other previously uncharacteristic behaviours.
We’ve all been there, so we can identify with many of the common conflicts that arise. Other times, we might enjoy reading YA as an escape into wish-fulfillment: a way of righting the wrongs in our own experience.

Still not convinced to give Young Adult a try? Peruse these quotes taken from bestselling YA fiction:

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What do you think of the Young Adult genre?
Do you have any favourite YA quotes to share?

Vivian’s View From Here: Centre of Attention

Published on April 21, 2015July 6, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry41 Comments

Good afternoon, all of you precious peeps out there!

Whether you’re of the furry variety of friend or not, welcome back to Jennifer’s Journal. Maisie and I LOVE when you drop by for a visit, and even more so when we are allowed to be front and centre.

Jennifer woke up with a pesky migraine this morning and couldn’t concentrate on writing, so I suggested she relax, look at some pretty pictures of us, and let me do the talking. So here I am.

As many of you already know, my sister and I have enjoyed being the centre of attention in Jennifer’s “animal-loving world” since 2007, when she and our “dad” rescued us as kittens from the pound. Are we spoiled? Nah. How can one be spoiled by too much love?

And guess what? She hardly misses an opportunity to tell us how she adores being woken up each morning by our soft nudges and warm cuddles, and how much happiness we bring to her life in general.

When she leaves us to go in town for nine or ten days at the end of this week, I know for certain she will miss our fluffy, friendly, purring cuteness more than she’s willing to admit.

We, on the other hand, will muddle through somehow until she gets back.
At least our “dad” will be here with us most of the time.

Jennifer will have to make do with these other critters for animal companionship at her daughter’s house…

Can you imagine? Such a profound sacrifice!

Something tells me, however, that she kind of likes that other cat — and stranger still, that big, curly, doggie creature. Go figure. And I’ll bet you dollars to dentabone treats she’s going to smell like him too, when she comes home. (Ugh!)

But that’s par for the course when you own a human who loves all animals, not just her own. She knows we understand. And she knows we will be waiting here with eager purrs and sandpaper smooches when she returns.

Signing off now, so until next time, thanks for reading, everyone!
~ head bumps & nose kisses,
Vivian ❤

“You know, sometimes the world seems like a pretty mean place. That’s why animals are so soft and huggy.” – Bill Watterson

This has been our contribution to Ailsa’s photo theme: Centre
at wheresmybackpack.com
and
this week’s entry in:

Do you ever have to go away and leave your fur babies behind?
Do you miss them when you do?

Ephemeral

Published on April 1, 2015April 1, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry30 Comments

To trace the remote in the immediate; the eternal in the ephemeral; the past in the present; the infinite in the finite; these are to me the springs of delight and beauty. ~ H. P. Lovecraft

Captured from our doorstep last weekend…

…and a few minutes later.

Photo Challenge: Ephemeral

Little Baker Then & Now

Published on March 3, 2015March 3, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry44 Comments

“If baking is any labor at all, it’s a labor of love. A love that gets passed from generation to generation.”
~ Regina Brett

♥

Our little baker girl at two years old:

**“It’s a good thing you gave me this apron, Nanny.”**

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♥
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And here she is at nine years. Where has the time gone?

11052547_10153041648290395_6138174624025364131_n — **“Wearing my new apron from Auntie Lynn. Please don’t mind my photobombing brother.”**

Our boy is turning SEVEN on Saturday.
Can’t wait to see you on the weekend, my treasures. xo

❤

“Grandchildren are one of the sweetest rewards for raising a family.”
~ J. Kelland Perry

❤

Weekly Photo Challenge: Reward

What does reward mean to you?

Friday Bouquet #13

Published on January 9, 2015February 12, 2020 by J. Kelland Perry23 Comments

A departure from my usual “pat on the back” of fellow bloggers, I found this quote recently and it made an impression on me – as did its author.

“I am an optimist, and I believe that people are inherently good and that if you give everyone a voice and freedom of expression, the truth and the good will outweigh the bad.”

– Matt Mullenweg, founder and CEO, Automattic and WordPress Developer

Matthew Mullenweg, born January 11, 1984 in Houston, Texas, is an online social media entrepreneur, web developer, philanthropist, and musician. He is best known for developing the free and open source web software WordPress, now managed by The WordPress Foundation.

After dropping out of college and working at CNET Networks from 2004 to 2005, Mullenweg quit that job and founded Automattic, the business behind WordPress.com, Akismet, Gravatar, VaultPress, IntenseDebate, Polldaddy, and more. In December 2012, Mullenweg was listed in 2012 Forbes’s 30 Under 30 in Media. His professional blog is ma.tt, a domain hack. ~ Wikipedia

Matt lives in San Francisco, California. His hobbies include photography and music. He turns 31 on Sunday.

*Photo from WordCamp San Francisco 2014 taken by Sheri Bigelow (ma.tt)

Free Spirit

Published on December 16, 2014December 16, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry18 Comments

“Freedom means you are unobstructed in living your life as you choose.
Anything else is a form of slavery.” ~ Wayne Dyer

How do you picture freedom?

To Sea by Virtue

Published on November 26, 2014November 26, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry25 Comments

One sunny afternoon last month, we accompanied friends aboard the Virtue, their Beneteau 400 sailing vessel.
We were only too happy to share in the enjoyment of the October sea and sky.

024 — *Rowing in the little boat to the big boat*

“Throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

“I never get tired of the blue sky.” – Vincent Van Gogh

“Roll on, deep and dark blue ocean, roll… Man marks the earth with ruin, but his control stops with the shore.” – Lord Byron

“Long may your big jib draw.” – legendary Newfoundland saying meaning good wishes for the future

“I wanted freedom, open air and adventure. I found it on the sea.” – Alaine Gerbault

“How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.”
– Arthur C. Clarke

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”
– William Arthur Ward

“When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.” – Buddha

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques Yves Cousteau

“I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and sky; and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.” – John Masefield

Have you ever gone sailing on a beautiful day such as this?

Cat Dreams

Published on October 16, 2014October 16, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry43 Comments

Good day, my friends and fellow felines. Vivian K. Perry here, returning as guest host on Jennifer’s Journal.

Jennifer caught me unawares one morning last week, indulging in a wonderfully delicious cat nap. These pics she took make me wonder: do humans dream the same as I do?

Jennifer says I get twitchy at times when I sleep, where my paws seem to act out the dream-movie playing in my head. In the dream-movie, I might be chasing a shrew or a mouse, or I could be trying to catch up to Paul on a walk.

I wonder, is it the cat version of REM sleep? Except it’s RPM sleep – short for “Rapid Paw Movement”?

I think the camera captured me here resting up for another night of fun and frolic. While the weather is still mild, Maisie and I enjoy napping for most of the day, so we can return to our wild, nocturnal adventures as the moon rises and darkness descends…

…then we pad back home at the break of dawn to stir the house with urgent meows and vibrating purrs.
Time to get up and fill our bowls, humans!

“How nice it is to think that feline dreams, like our own, are painted with creative brush strokes from time to time. Perhaps my cats and I even share the same dream…where every cat has a safe, warm place to sleep.” ~ Barbara L. Diamond

“I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can play together all night.” ~ Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes)

Before I sign off of course, Jennifer insists I include a sleeping Maisie in my post:

Wishing you all – and my dear sister – the sweetest of dreams! ♥

Further Reading:

Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreamy

I Dream – a poem by Jennifer

Do Cats Dream When They Sleep?

Friday Bouquet #8

Published on September 19, 2014February 12, 2020 by J. Kelland Perry

I have been a loyal follower of The Mad Hooligan Chronicles for nearly as long as I’ve been blogging. It went through a metamorphosis last year, and changed its name from the original, The Howling Mad Cat.

HMC

When HMC (Howling Mad Cat) departed for Kitty Cat Heaven at the ripe old age of 21, shortly after Ellie adopted two new cats by the names of Kobi and Bobo, and the Mad Hooligans blog was born.

Along with the adorably candid photos, Ellie treats us with three quotes to ponder, which relate to the topic of each of her posts.

From their profile:

“Verily I say unto you: Ye shall have two cats, and they will cause havoc amongst the household.”
At http://howlingmadcat.wordpress.com/.

A light-hearted read to brighten your day, I suggest you take a look at yesterday’s entry. You just may hit the follow button too:

The Life of Riley

Comments are closed here in hopes you will comment on their site.

Have a good weekend, everyone. ❤

My “Backyard” – Pt. 2: The Beach

Published on September 15, 2014September 15, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry37 Comments

As the last tranquil days of summer disappear, I am drawn to the warmth of the sandy beaches that encircle Perry’s Point.

For a few moments, I can almost forget colder days are approaching…

071 — **This stretch of sand is begging for bare feet.**

“To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower,
hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.”
~ William Blake

It’s good to see that the beach birds are still around.
The sandpipers and plovers seem to be in no hurry to wing their way south for the winter.