Did I just type “2022” instead of “2023”? Yes, yes I did. I thought I was ready to leave 2022 behind, but apparently my subconscious is not so sure. In any case, I hope you’re having a great start to 2023. Mine has been a bit blah as I’m recovering from the holiday frenzy and feeling a strong pull to hibernate. Here’s the first roundup of the new year!
Quote of the week:
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.” –Neil Gaiman
What I’m reading:
I’m almost done with A Little Hope by Ethan Joella. It took me a little while to get into it, but I’ve really enjoyed it overall.
What I’m listening to:
I saw The Heart and Other Monsters on a list of “memoirs you’ve never heard of” and decided to check it out. It’s about a woman coming to terms with her sister’s death, which was labeled a drug overdose though foul play seems possible… It’s a story of grief and loss, with some true crime mixed in.
What I’m watching:
I finished the second season of The White Lotus on HBO. Loved it! I’m ready for season 3! Last night, I started the docuseries Wild Wild Country on Netflix, which is about Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh’s cult in the Oregon desert in the 1980s.
Writing news:
I’m awaiting feedback on my latest manuscript, so I’m currently enjoying some downtime. I have learned to embrace phases of dormancy with my creative writing. The stories come when they’re ready.
What I’m talking about:
- Why January may not be the best time to “resolve” anything. In ancient times, the New Year was actually celebrated on the Spring Equinox in March. Winter is typically a time for going inward and slowing down (makes sense with colder temps and less daylight). Spring is when hibernation ends, light returns, and days get warmer. Seems logical to set goals then, right?
- The Kevin McCarthy fiasco. This circus is making the House of Representatives (and the Republicans, in particular) look like a joke. Truly embarrassing
- George Santos, the liar. We all know politicians lie, but this guy is on another level. He claimed he graduated from Baruch College and worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Turns out he didn’t receive a college degree and didn’t work at either place (he was actually a customer service agent for Dish Network). He claimed to have founded an animal rescue charity. He did not. He said he lost four employees at the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting. He did not. He claimed he lost his mother on 9/11. He did not. He talked about a family fortune in real estate, not there are no property records to support this. Records do show evictions and credit card debt. Again, this is so embarrassing for the political system as a whole
Interesting things I learned this week:
- Results from phase 1 trials of a breast cancer vaccine have been promising, and phase 2 trials are set to start this year! This is amazing!
- 50% of the United States does not require a license to carry a gun
- Americans are 25x more likely to be killed by a gun than people in other high-income countries
- The median annual pay during the Great Depression was 22% of the cost of an average home. Today, it’s 14%
- Waldeinsamkeit is a German word for the feeling of solitude and connectedness to nature when being alone in the woods
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“World’s largest collection of salt and pepper shakers.” In Rabbit Cake, it’s mentioned that there’s a Guinness World Record for this so I had to see if this was true. IT IS! LaVerne Tish has 6,971 different pairs of salt and pepper shakers, as of January 2011, that he has collected since 1984. All of his shakers are displayed in this house.
What I’m grateful for:
I’ve been in a bit of a funk (I say this enough to warrant a book titled A Bit of a Funk: A Memoir). I’m grateful that I’ve learned to sit through these and not assign them too much meaning. The funks pass. I’m grateful for all the things in my toolbox—my trusty antidepressants, good sleep, chats with people who know me well, cute pets, invigorating runs, comforting tea (and wine too), engaging puzzles, so many stories to immerse myself in (in books, on screens, via earbuds). I’m grateful to go into this new year healthy (-ish; cold viruses abound!). I’m so grateful for my daughter and my family nearby. And for California rainstorms followed by sunshine.
Snapshots:
