How many of you have been in the whirlwind that is back-to-school week? I had no idea this was such a THING. I think I am more emotionally exhausted than my daughter. As the weekend approaches, we are now preparing for Hurricane Hilary, which is set to hit southern California as a tropical storm. I am looking forward to relative calm in the near-ish future.
Quote of the week:
“You live your life as if it’s real… The evidence accumulates that you’re not running the show, but you make your choices with the intuitive understanding that it’s unfolding as it must… And if you can relax in that… if you can even touch it, or if it asserts itself from time to time, then the invincible defeat is transcended.” –Leonard Cohen
What I’m reading:
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. In this busy phase of life, I rarely tackle books longer than 400 pages, but I heard too many great things about this one (it’s 560 pages). The writing is PHENOMENAL. Such a unique main character with a truly distinct voice. I’m enjoying it.
What I’m listening to:
A Living Remedy, Nicole Chung’s latest memoir. It’s about the deaths of her parents and her grief is very relatable.
What I’m watching:
I finished Season 2 of The Bear last night. Such great characters. I’m ready for Season 3! While deciding what to commit myself to next, I started watching Tiger 24, a documentary about a tiger who is labeled a murderer after the deaths of four people.
Writing news:
Stephanie Willing won a One Voice Award for her narration of my book, Ways the World Could End. Yay!
Interesting things I learned this week:
- Hilary will be the first tropical storm to hit southern California since 1939
- Hawaii has the highest cost of living in the U.S., and it had the 4th highest homelessness rate in the nation in 2022, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development
- The Maui Relief Effort Readathon started on August 14 and runs through August 28. You can participate by filling out the Google form, reading books by Hawaiian and Polynesian authors, talking about the readathon on social media by using the tag #ReadForMaui, and pledging to donate to Maui relief organizations
- It may not be a great idea to donate anything besides blood to the Red Cross (read here)
- Barbie surpassed $1 billion in box office earnings less than 3 weeks after opening, making Greta Gerwig the first ever solo female director to pass that mark
- Mortgage rates have hit 7%–the highest in 21 years!
- In the 1800s, Oregon passed three Black exclusionary laws, prohibiting Black people from living there or buying property there. I had no idea about this… very upsetting
- Neurodivergent people make up at least 20% of the population
- An increasing number of mothers, including 2/3 of moms with young children, are breadwinners, and 4 out of 5 Black mothers are the sole or primary provider for their households
- The prevalence of food allergies increased 50% between 1997 and 2011, according to the CDC
- More than 2,400 Swiss women over the age of 64 are suing Switzerland for violating their rights by not doing enough to protect them from climate change
- Researchers have discovered a new pack of endangered gray wolves in California’s Sierra Nevada, at least 200 miles away from the nearest known pack
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Does gum have plastic in it?” My youngest nephew insisted that it does, so we had to google. And it does. From google: “A key ingredient in most chewing gums is polyvinyl acetate (plastic) which is also used in the production of glue, plastic bags, and bottles. Plastic is the ingredient that makes chewing gum… chewy, and you will find it listed in the ingredients list as gum base.” Um, gross. I think my gum-chewing days are officially over.
What I’m grateful for:
- Surviving the first week of kindergarten! I had a really rough time starting kindergarten when I was little and it’s like all those emotions came flooding back as my daughter started this week. She did great and I am slowly recovering from my own stress about it all
- Lots of fun activities lately—going with a friend of mine to another friend’s beautiful wedding, a beach day with my daughter and her preschool buddies, celebrating my nephew’s birthday with a pool/pizza party
- My first great-feeling long run in a while—16 miles this morning! Chicago Marathon is about 8 weeks away
Snapshots:
