Quote of the week:
“Being yourself is a continuous effort. There is always another expectation placed upon you, another person pulling you toward their preferences, another nudge from society to act a certain way. It’s a daily battle to be yourself, not merely what the world wants you to be.” –James Clear
What I’m reading:
Monogamy by Sue Miller (I’m liking it, but it’s taking me a weirdly long time to finish… I’ve had a hard time focusing lately)
What I’m listening to:
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins
What I’m watching:
Nothing at all. Like I said, I cannot focus.
Writing news:
Nothing to report this week. I should have a cover reveal for my 2022 novel soon!
What I’m talking about:
- The abortion ban in Texas. I firmly believe in a woman’s right to choose. I know of so many stories of women who have been in extremely difficult circumstances and needed to make that choice (for example, finding out a baby has severe defects and will not survive). And I will never be okay with a bunch of men deciding this type of thing
- Afghanistan and war, in general. My heart has been so heavy
- The commodification of self-care. This podcast with Rachel Yoder inspired me to think about self-care as being still with oneself, knowing oneself. It’s not all bubble baths and spa treatments. For me, self-care is running, writing, and napping (though I have not enjoyed that luxury in too long)
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Do cats fart?” This was my sister’s inquiry and I decided to investigate. Interesting answer here. Also, if you type in “do cats…,” the first search term that follows is “fart,” so we are clearly not alone in wondering about this.
Interesting things I learned this week:
- Emophilia is the ease with which people fall in love (people with higher levels tend not to need very long before falling head-over-heels)
- Americans average less than 6 hours of sleep per night. YIKES! My magic number is 9 hours, but I usually get 7 to 8
What I’m grateful for:
I’m grateful for my girlfriends. And for my sister and mom. I’m grateful for marathon training (the structure of it has been so good for my soul). I’m grateful for books (I only wish I could read faster!). And I’m grateful for this giant dog who made my daughter smile so big.
