Quote of the week:
“Do everything as if it were the only thing in the world that mattered, while all the time knowing that it doesn’t matter at all.” –Pema Chödrön
What I’m reading:
You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation by Deborah Tannen — very interesting
What I’m listening to:
The Long Goodbye: A Memoir by Meghan O’Rourke
Also, the latest episode of the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast is fantastic: SELF CARE: How do we identify our real needs and finally get them met?
What I’m watching:
The U.S. Gymnastics Olympics Trials
The new season of Alone (almost caught up)
The new season of Top Chef (haven’t watched the finale yet, so no spoilers, please!)
Writing news:
No big news this week, though I continue to be so touched by all the love for No Hiding in Boise. I really appreciate all the tags on social media (the below photo is from @thereadingraccoon on Instagram).
What I’m talking about:
- Derek Chauvin’s sentence. I don’t think it’s enough. I’m sickened by the thought of him being free in a couple decades and getting to live the remainder of his years as a free man. But, as Bill Maher said on his latest episode, this sentence is progress compared to cops getting off for so many crimes in the past
- Bill Cosby’s release. Also sickening
- The Florida building collapse—just horrific and I do not understand how a building can just collapse like this
- Climate change—in the West, we are in the midst of the worst drought in 2 decades and having incredibly high temperatures
- The value of childcare infrastructure (and Biden’s plans) (read here and here)
- Britney Spears. It seems like the “Free Britney Spears” movement is the one thing that can cross party lines. We can all agree something is wrong with this whole conservatorship thing. Even if she has mental issues, it doesn’t make sense. Lots of people have mental issues and can live their lives (and decide for themselves what kind of birth control to use). This would never happen if she were a man
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“What do snails eat?” My daughter took one from our garden and put it in a bowl in our kitchen. According to google, snails eat “just about everything.” We returned it to our garden after a day. It did appear to eat some grapes.
Interesting things I learned this week:
- 80% of the world eats insects as part of their regular diet
- Starting in 2023, the UK is banning advertising of junk food on TV before 9pm
- Transportation produces about 30% of all US greenhouse gas emissions
- Increasing green spaces in urban areas can lower local temperatures by 10⁰F
- Cher’s full name at birth was Cherilyn Sarkisian La Piere
What I’m grateful for:
Running. I get my love of running from my dad. As he’s been in his final days, I’ve felt so connected to him while running. Last weekend, I did the Sierra Club Virtual 5K and ran a PR of 21:57 (average pace of 7:04). I didn’t know I had it in me! When I told my dad, he raised his eyebrows just a bit, which made my eyes well up. He can’t communicate much these days so an eyebrow raise means the world.
I love this quote: “Running for me is an active form of mindfulness that is about engaging with my physical self and getting all kinds of emotional, mental, and spiritual benefits. It makes me a better person, a better parent, and more present and grateful in my life.” –Rich Roll, Runner’s World magazine
