It’s my birthday! I turn 44 today and I’m so grateful for all the good in my life. I had a nice breakfast out this morning, followed by a restorative yoga class. I’m going to my daughter’s class Halloween party in a few minutes, then picking up one of my best friends at the airport. It’s going to be a nice weekend and a good year ahead.
Quote of the week:
“We grow neither better nor worse as we get old, but more like ourselves.” –May Lamberton Becker
What I’m reading:
I’ve been engrossed with Nathan Hill’s latest book, Wellness. I LOVED his first book, The Nix, and this new one is also wonderful.
What I’m listening to:
Still making my way through Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll.
What I’m watching:
Nada. I’m in between shows at the moment. I need something good to get into.
Interesting things I learned this week:
- Julia Child’s first cookbook was rejected by 21 publishers before going on to sell millions of copies
- Movies are getting longer. The average blockbuster now runs 30 minutes more than films did in the 1990s, according to a recent Economist survey
- Amazon is on track to control 80% of the book market by 2025. Yikes, this is scary! Please buy indie! If you don’t have a local indie shop that’s convenient, shop at Bookshop.org!
- Nearly half of the population of Gaza is under the age of 18. So many children affected by what’s happening. It’s really heartbreaking
- California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law allowing for up to five days of time off work for reproductive-related losses. It’s about time. I hope other states follow suit
- We’re in for an El Niño winter… and it’s supposed to be a strong one, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The northern part of the US will be drier and warmer, while the south and west will see a lot of rain
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Is a banana a berry?” I heard this somewhere (likely something kid-related on YouTube) and thought it could not be true, but it is. From the Interwebs: “In botany, a true ‘berry’ is a fruit that grows from a single ovary. It usually has a slightly soft exocarp (outer peel), fleshy pericarp (middle portion), and soft endocarp (area that surrounds the seeds). Typically, berries also have many seeds. They don’t have a stone or pit like, say, peaches or plums… The banana flower contains one ovary, which grows into a single banana. The banana also has a somewhat soft skin, juicy flesh, and many tiny seeds. So, bananas are true berries.” Who knew?
What I’m grateful for:
- 44 years! I’m healthy, which is winning the lottery in my book
- A dinner out on Wednesday to celebrate my dad’s birthday. I like to think he was with us, even if we could not hug him
- Seeing the Taylor Swift Eras Tour movie with my daughter. She danced so much (and then sat in my lap because it was THREE HOURS LONG). I’m not a Swiftie by any means, but it was a fun experience
- My good friend arriving today. We haven’t seen each other in about a year-and-a-half so it will be nice to have some quality time
Snapshots:
