It was a short work week but it felt long. I haven’t recovered from the holiday weekend yet. Hoping to get some recovery time in this weekend. And hope you do too!
Quote of the week:
“I’ve seen enough change in my lifetime to know that despair is not only self-defeating, it is unrealistic.”
—Susan Griffin
What I’m reading:
I just finished Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities by Rebecca Solnit. For anyone feeling despair in the wake of recent political and social turmoil, this book is a salve. I’m also reading Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow an Intentional Community by Diana Leafe Christian. I’m really into cohousing communities…who’s with me?
What I’m listening to:
The People We Keep by Allison Larkin. It’s gotten so many great reviews. It feels too young for me. I have a few hours left so I’m holding my final opinion, but seems like it would be better for a teen reader or someone in their 20s.
What I’m watching:
Not much. Still doing the tired-mom thing of going to bed right after my daughter.
Writing news:
Nothing to report this week, though I continue to write poetry and I’m still fiddling with my children’s book.
What I’m talking about:
- The first anniversary of my dad’s death on July 6. I felt strangely okay that day, but then very sad the next day. Grief continues to fascinate me
- The mass shooting on the 4th of July. Only in America… Reading some of the stories of the victims in this shooting makes my heart hurt. I continue to research leaving the U.S. because the gun stuff terrifies me and there has been way too little legislative action
- Derek Chauvin’s sentencing in the death of George Floyd. He should have gotten life in prison, but 21 years is something
Interesting things I learned this week:
- California is in the midst of its third-largest Covid surge of the pandemic, with roughly 19,000 new cases being reported each day (and that doesn’t include home tests). I assume my household will be hit soon…
- The term “spinster” originated as early as the 1300s, referring to unmarried women who spun wool and earned their own living. By the 1800s, being a spinster was a secret source of pride: It was a privilege for a woman to remain unmarried in a time when the majority of women were economically bound to men
- There were 2.5 million people in the U.S. when the Declaration of Independence was signed (roughly the population of Chicago today)
- Under a new proposal, some Texas schools may call slavery “involuntary relocation.” WTF
- Brad Pitt says he suffers from facial blindness (aka prosopagnosia)
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Ugh Merriam Webster.” I was curious about the official definition. For those wondering, it is: “used to indicate the sound of a cough or grunt or to express disgust or horror.” For me, it is also used to indicate existential despair.
What I’m grateful for:
- A one-night family camping trip. There was a whole tent just for my daughter’s dolls. She had a blast
- A fun 5K on 4th of July. I was going for a PR and I got it! My time was 20:39 (6:40 average pace)–8th woman overall and 2nd in my division. I really have gotten faster with age!
- Celebrating the 4th with friends and their kids. All the little ones made it until fireworks with minimal meltdowns
- My sister’s birthday. I am so grateful for her presence in my life and it was wonderful to celebrate her this past week
A few snapshots:
