First of all, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. And now for the roundup…
Quote of the week:
Here’s a good one for Thanksgiving week: “Sometimes I need only to stand wherever I am to be blessed.” –Mary Oliver
What I’m reading:
Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive by Mary Hartzell and Daniel J. Siegel
What I’m listening to:
Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King
I listen to Glennon Doyle’s podcast weekly. This episode about the magic of the marathon really moved me.
I also listened to a couple episodes of the Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books podcast (this episode with Christine Pride and Jo Piazza, and this episode with Lily King).
What I’m watching:
Clickbait on Netflix
Ozark on Netflix (I’m only on episode 3 of Season 1, but I love it)
In the Dark of the Valley on NBC. This documentary is about the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, which was the site of one of the most significant nuclear accidents in US history. My grandfather was on site here for rocket launches and, like many at and near the site, he developed cancer. He died
On a lighter note…
I also took my daughter to see Clifford: The Big Red Dog. It was her first movie in a theater!
What I’m talking about:
- Intussusception (which is this). My husband experienced this lovely condition starting last week. After a few days of severe stomach pain, he went to the ER. He had surgery last Friday and finally got out of the hospital the day before Thanksgiving
- The Boston Marathon! They announced that for the first time since 2013, all qualifiers will get a spot in the April race. That means I’m in! I’m so excited about this!
- The Kyle Rittenhouse verdict. I have tried really hard to understand this. I guess the jury believed that he was defending himself from danger. As Stephen Colbert said, if he didn’t technically break the law by fatally shooting two people, then the law needs to change
- The time people lose by going back to working in an office (check out this calculator in the Washington Post)
- The latest Covid surge (infections are up 30%)–I just got my booster shot
Interesting things I learned this week:
- I live on land that belonged to the Tongva-Gabrielino, Kizh-Gabrielino, and Acjachemen-Juaneño indigenous tribes (you can check the history of where you live here)
- The University of California has removed the SAT and ACT from admissions requirements (read here)
- World Toilet Day was November 19
- 45% of Americans would prefer to just skip the winter holidays (this was shared on Glennon Doyle’s podcast; I didn’t fact check, but I believe it!)
- There may be a shortage of Christmas trees this year (read here)
- According to Pew Research, a growing number of Americans say they plan not to have children (read here)
- In the first stages of the human embryo, the heart is lodged in the head and only gradually slips down to the chest
- Studies show that male cells can be found in a mother’s organs long after her son is born. This phenomenon is called fetal microchimerism
- According to research, falling asleep between 10pm and 11pm is ideal for good health (read here)
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Why do they call it the funny bone?” According to this site: “There are two thoughts on where the name ‘funny bone’ originated. It may be based on the sound resemblance between the name of the upper arm bone, the ‘humerus’ and the word ‘humorous,’ used to describe something funny. It may also refer to the odd sensation you get when it is struck.”
What I’m grateful for:
I’m so grateful my husband is home and recovering. That was a big scare. We’ve had such a rough year as a couple and we’re both looking forward to a better 2022. I’m also so grateful for my family and friends who helped out while he was hospitalized. And, last, I’m so grateful it’s officially Christmas season. My husbands ALWAYS puts up the lights and decorations the day after Thanksgiving. Because he’s recovering from surgery, I got up on the roof and managed not to kill myself.
