Here we are at the end of 2022! It’s been a rough year for me personally and I am ready for January 1. Here’s the last roundup of the year. See you in 2023!
Quote of the week:
“I know now, after fifty years, that the finding/losing, forgetting/remembering, leaving/returning, never stops. The whole of life is about another chance, and while we are alive, till the very end, there is always another chance.” —Jeannette Winterson
What I’m reading:
I just started A Little Hope by Ethan Joella and I’m liking it so far.
What I’m listening to:
Still listening to Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett. The story is so great, and the narration is wonderful too. For any Audible members, this one is part of the free Audible Plus catalog!
What I’m watching:
I’m about halfway through the second season of The White Lotus on HBO. Loving it. Also watched the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” special on ABC with my daughter. Very well done!
Writing news:
I sent off my latest manuscript to a V.I.R (very important reader) before the holidays, so taking a writing break for now (though I still write in my journal and dabble in poetry daily).
What I’m talking about:
I have been mentally checked out of most things this past week. The holidays are A LOT. Most of my talking has been with mom-friends, with the subject being how to entertain our children while school is closed.
Interesting things I learned this week:
- Boketto is a Japanese word for staring off into the distance and losing oneself in the process. This is why I love other languages. There is no word close to this in English
- The word economics is derived from the Greek root oikonomia, which means “the management of the household” (so, even ancient language supports the idea that the foundation of our society is the household)
- In 1994, the Australian Bureau of Statistics calculated that the value of unpaid labor (largely performed by women in households) was equivalent to 48-64% of the GDP. Other studies have shown that it’s about 55% of the GDP in Germany, 40% in Canada, and 46% in Finland
- According to UN statistics, women spend about 1/3 of their total working time on paid work and 2/3 on unpaid work. For men, the proportions are reversed
- Coral reefs provide $375 billion in goods and services to the world
- The Beyster Family little blue penguins (about 12″ tall, the smallest penguins in the world) poop about 145 times per day
- There are 36 species of sea horses
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“origin of ‘that sucks’.” Apparently, this comes from the early 20th century and refers to the runt of the litter sucking the hind teat (the worst of the teats, I guess). I’ve decided I’m going to use the full phrase from now on: “that sucks the hind teat.”
What I’m grateful for:
I’ve been reflecting a lot on this past year. I’m grateful to have survived it, given that I have been through many of the “stressful events” listed on those psychological assessments of well-being—still reeling from the death of my dad, lost my dog suddenly this summer, Covid, divorce. I’m grateful for my health, for my light-of-my-life daughter, for having family nearby, for friends who get me, for books (the writing and reading of them), for pets, for puzzles, for good beer (and wine), for beautiful sunsets… There’s a lot to be grateful for. I’m excited for what lies ahead.
Snapshots:
