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cjcris23.bsky.social
Cara
@cjcris23.bsky.social
200 followers 200 following 240 posts
Middle school counselor | mom | partner |reader | Chelsea FC fan | Protect Trans Kids | Black Lives Matter |
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cjcris23.bsky.social
One of my favorite things this summer has been pretending I’m on vacation in my own city.
Leaving the house in the morning, taking a walk, going to a cafe. Perfect.
A pond in the foreground is reflecting the images of the large green trees on the other side An abstract mural on the side of a brick building that has many different colors (orange, white, black, red, blue, yellow) A mural of pink and yellow flowers painted on a brick building Sitting on a table are a book, a pain aux raisin on a white ceramic plate, and a pistachio latte in a white ceramic mug
July 29, 2025 at 2:10 AM
cjcris23.bsky.social
I’ve decided to start many mornings this summer the way I do when I’m traveling: walking to a cafe.
Today, I drove with my husband to his strength training and then walked through a park to get downtown and try out MK Cannelle. They had my absolute favorite: pain aux raisin!
Picture shows a table top in a cafe with 3 items lined up left to right: A copy of Wolfish by Erica Berry A plate with a pain aux raisin, knife and fork on it A white mug with an Americano in it sitting on a coaster
June 16, 2025 at 11:20 PM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Happy Pride, everyone!
Started our annual Pride At Home a day early and found Pride shoes when shoe shopping for my son today, so obviously I got new shoes too.
Photo shows a red sign in a front yard that says “Share your pride at home.” It has a QR code on it linked to a donation page for The Trevor Project. In front of the sign are pride flags in yard vases. Some progress pride flags and some trans flags. Photo shows a woman’s legs and feet showing off a new pair of white shoes that have a pride flag on the back and subtle pride colored stripes on the side.
June 1, 2025 at 12:35 AM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Parenting teenagers is so fun and funny. Of course there are harder parts too, I’m not here for toxic positivity. But the fun part is really great.
Text thread that reads: Person 1: I’m heading downtown Person 2: We’ll try to save chicken for you Person 2: This chicken is indeed incredible Person 1: (all caps) You better leave me at least 4 pieces Person 2: gif of Prue Leith from Great British Baking Show saying “We’ll see” Person 1: (all caps) Noooooo
May 18, 2025 at 12:51 AM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Finished @moudhy.bsky.social’s incredible book. I’ve been learning about this area for 20+ years thanks to my husband’s work (and he got a lovely shout out in the notes of the book), but this shed brand new light on it.
Now off to listen to her on @gregjenner.bsky.social’s Dead to Me podcast!
Cover of Between Two Riveds by Moudhy Al-Rashid
March 29, 2025 at 12:34 PM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Today was a day in counseling. I closed my door and sobbed for 60 seconds this morning and then got over myself and got back to the work.
But it was a rough one.
And then one of my students said “Hey, twin” and handed me this in the hallway to share his Pi Day treat with me.
There’s my why.
A white woman’s hand holding part of a chocolate and marshmallow brownie. The brownie is smushed from being held in someone’s hand.
March 14, 2025 at 8:55 PM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Transformed the corner of my room into a space that makes me really happy.

#booksky
A shelf with a Lego library, candle, two stacked boxes that look like books, two Lego flowers, and a banner full of enamel pins. A table filled with stacks of books, covers showing: Ottoman Odyssey Russia Magical Venice London: A History in Maps Ghostland Wild City Rule Britannia Underland Mother London Eve Watching the English A side table with a wax burner that has an image of a bird in a cage, a few bookmarks, a candle, and a stack of library books: Boudicca Medgar and Myrlie Imagine a City Winter Pasture Queer Footprints Iceland Summer The Art Thief
March 2, 2025 at 4:01 PM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Turning a corner of my room into a reading nook meant also making the choice to turn this table into a beautiful display of some of my to-be-read/currently reading books.
Image shows a table with books stacked on it: the top row is 5 books across. The bottom row is 6 books across. The covers showing are: Ottoman Odyssey Russia Magical Venice London: A History in Maps Ghostland Wild City Rule Britannia Underland Mother London Eve Watching the English
March 1, 2025 at 4:52 PM
cjcris23.bsky.social
I have a bunch of books in my counseling office. A couple of kids were with me today and started talking about graphic novels, so I grabbed a few off my shelf. One of them borrowed this one and returned it at the end of the day proclaiming it to be “really, really good!”
Graphic novel cover of We Are Big Time by Hena Khan, illustrated by Safiya Zerrougui. Cover image is of a team of 5 girls playing basketball. All 5 are wearing hijabs.
February 20, 2025 at 4:04 AM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Oh we’re not going to do the “just you wait” nonsense. Of course it gets harder. And better too. Here are my 16 and 11 year old still both snuggling up (at the same time!)
White woman wearing a Star Wars sweatshirt looks down at camera. An 11 year old is snuggled on her right shoulder, and a 16 year old is snuggled on her left. Both of the kids’ faces are blocked by red heart emojis
February 6, 2025 at 1:09 AM
cjcris23.bsky.social
My 16 year old texted me a picture of this book when they were at a bookstore this week.
I can take a hint.
Ordered it immediately from Bettie’s Pages via Bookshop and will be diving in this weekend.
Book cover which says Faux Feminism: Why We Fall for White Feminism and How We Can Stop by Serene Khader
February 1, 2025 at 2:13 AM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Two cats snuggling together on a bed…right where their human would like to lie down.
January 31, 2025 at 1:37 AM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Today was yet another *day* in the counseling world. I am so so glad that my students come to me with their very important issues, and I was so relieved when my husband texted and asked if I wanted him to bring me a Zingerman’s sandwich today. ❤️
Half of a Zingerman’s Cuban sandwich on a paper plate sitting on top of paper wrapping
January 24, 2025 at 10:20 PM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Love StoryGraph’s wrap-up images so much.
I might finish another one tonight, but finishing with the lovely How It All Ends is too perfect.
Image showing my reading stats for the year. First book: Foreign Correspondence Last book: How It All Ends Longest book: To Paradise Shortest book: Powwow Day Total: 172 books Pages: 58,437 Top genres: Memoir 40+ History 40+ LGBTQIA+ 20+ Fantasy 19 Mystery 18 Top authors: Rick Riordan Agatha Christie Lucy Worsley 5 star reads: Dear Mothman Storygraph wrap up for @coffeeandbooks23
January 1, 2025 at 12:06 AM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Shout out to Target for having Marks and Spencer items this time of year, because it’s making this London fan so happy.
Mug with a London winter scene on it including Marks and Spencer, Big Ben and the London Eye.
December 25, 2024 at 6:52 PM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order.
No explanations.
No reviews.
Just covers.
#BookSky
💙📚

Day 20
Cover of Four Hundred Souls by Ibram X Kendi and Keisha N Blain. The cover image is an abstract painting of people
December 22, 2024 at 2:26 PM
cjcris23.bsky.social
I gradually bought “mystery” books from a queer woman-owned bookstore in Grand Rapids (www.bettiespages.com ) over the last several months in order to create a book advent calendar for myself.
Best idea ever!
Picture shows a stack of books wrapped in gold wrapping paper on a slanted bookshelf.
December 4, 2024 at 10:00 PM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Okay, this analysis is hilarious!
The Charming Chronicles of Cara: A Middle School Counselor's Journey through the Bookish Wilderness Meet Cara: the witty middle school counselor who juggles life with the finesse of a circus performer on a unicycle... while reading 146 books a year. " An enchanting blend of academic mentorship and cozy bookishness, sprinkled with just the right amount of sarcasm.” 85% authenticity 60% thought leader 95% books 80% parenting
December 1, 2024 at 10:03 PM
cjcris23.bsky.social
My November StoryGraph wrap-up.
Love their graphics!
Graphic showing my reading in November. 18 books, 5934 pages, average rating 5.0. Highest rated read was Dear Mothman. Average book length: 329 pages. Average time to finish: 1 day 61% non-fiction 29% fiction Most read genres: history, LGBTQIA+, true crime, travel, middle grade. A graph at the bottom that shows pages read each day. And a pie graph that shows 94% print and 6% digital (which is inaccurate, because I never remember to pick the correct one).
December 1, 2024 at 4:22 PM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order.
No explanations.
No reviews.
Just covers.
#BookSky
💙📚

Day 19
Book cover of The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls by Mona Eltahawy. The cover is red with the title and author written in yellow letters. The cover image is of a Black woman’s hand and arm raised in the air with the middle finger raised.
November 30, 2024 at 6:27 PM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order.
No explanations.
No reviews.
Just covers.
#BookSky
💙📚

Day 18
Book cover of Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock. Cover image is of a blonde White girl with blue eyes. She looks about five or six and only one side of her face is showing. She has a blue ribbon in the side of her hair above her ear.
November 28, 2024 at 2:23 AM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order.
No explanations.
No reviews.
Just covers.
#BookSky
💙📚

Day 17
Book cover of The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. Cover image is a black and white photograph of many Black people posing in front of and on the balconies of a city apartment building.
November 27, 2024 at 1:43 AM
cjcris23.bsky.social
I love the coziness of my middle school counseling office.
I would love to have an electric fireplace but for now the electric candles will do.
Image shows a portion of a counselor’s desk. The top of the image is of the window to the outside. One side of the window is covered in colorful stained glass. There are plants and little figurines on the window sill. On the desk is (left to right) a Lego radio, a pencil box of stickers, an orange mug with a white flower design, an electric candle, a picture of London showing Big Ben and Parliament, and another electric candle.
November 26, 2024 at 12:41 AM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order.
No explanations.
No reviews.
Just covers.
#BookSky
💙📚

Day 16
A whites woman’s hand is holding the book Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. The cover image is of two silhouettes of planes meeting in the middle of the cover separating two faces. One person is a Dominican-American teenager with her hair up in a bun. She is wearing a blue buttoned shirt that is open over a green t-shirt. The other person is a Dominican teenager with curly hair that is down past her shoulders. She is wearing a peach-pink shirt.
November 26, 2024 at 12:39 AM
cjcris23.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order.
No explanations.
No reviews.
Just covers.
#BookSky
💙📚

Day 15
Book cover of A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman. Cover image is of an elderly man wearing a blue suit jacket, gray trousers and a gray flat cap standing with his back to us looking out on a blue sky with a few fluffy clouds floating in it. At the man’s feet is a brown and white cat also looking away from us.
November 25, 2024 at 12:33 AM