Notes
wore out ～を使いきる、〔衣類・靴などを〕着古す;

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We can see many people wearing yukatas at summer festivals, mainly when they go to see the fireworks. In the old days, people wore their yukatas every day in summer. People wore them until the yukatas wore out. Then, people made dusters and diapers out of them. When I was young, my mother made several yukatas for me. But by that time, people didn’t wear them so often. My yukatas were sleeping in my chest of drawers for a long time, so this summer I decided to make summer blouses out of them. I made two blouses. These blouses are more comfortable and cooler than regular clothes. (by a reader)
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Notes
impression 印象;
pass away 亡くなる；

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I remember reading a book called “The Bluest Eye” years ago. It made a strong impression on me. The story is about a black girl. People around her say that she is ugly, but she wants to be beautiful. She has a doll with blue eyes and dreams of having the same beautiful blue eyes as the doll. This novel was the first book written by Toni Morrison, a famous American writer. Morrison went on to write more than 10 novels and win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. She passed away on Monday at the age of 88. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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