I don’t know if it’s age or what, but I feel like the seasons affect me more than they ever did before. It’s been chilly where I am (low 40s in the mornings is chilly in my book) and I just want to hibernate in cozy blankets with my pets and my daughter. I am usually a very productive, active person, but have felt very sloooow lately. I don’t hate it. Here’s to embracing winter pace.
Quote of the week:
Calvin: Look at all the stars! The universe just goes out forever and ever!
Hobbes: It kind of makes you wonder why man considers himself such a big screaming deal.
—Bill Watterson
What I’m reading:
I tore through The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams. Highly recommend. I’m now reading Time’s Mouth by Edan Lepucki and LOVING it.
What I’m listening to:
I just finished Brutalities: A Love Story by Margo Steines and it was so beautifully written and raw. Such a great memoir (but difficult at times, with several triggering topics).
What I’m watching:
I started watching The Curse because I love Emma Stone. I’m a couple episodes in and not sure what I think yet.
Interesting things I learned this week:
- In a survey of 1500 Americans’ 2023 reading habits, 54% of respondents read at least one book in 2023; 33% read at least 5; and 21% read 10 or more
- A recent study analyzed three brands of bottled water and found a liter contained an average of 240,000 pieces of plastic
- Crime is down! In the past year, the number of murders in U.S. cities fell by more than 12% (the biggest national decline on record). Recent data also suggests that the violent-crime rate in 2023 was near its lowest level in more than 50 years
- In parts of East Asia, rates of nearsightedness in teenagers surpass 90%. Scientists say this is linked to how much time they are spending indoors, away from sunlight. The sun primes the retina’s dopamine receptors, and those in turn control the shape of the developing eye
- Homo sapiens officially became an urban species sometime in 2008. That’s when the World Health Organization reported that for the first time more people throughout the world live in urban areas than rural ones
- The human nose can detect 1 TRILLION odors
- According to the U.S. National Park Service, 83% of the land in the lower 48 states sits within 3,500 feet of a road, close enough to hear vehicles
- Gordon Hempton, a sound engineer based in Washington State, traveled the country in search of the few remaining quiet places. By his count, the entire continental U.S. has fewer than 12 sites where you can’t hear human-made noise for at least 15 minutes at dawn. He discovered that the quietest place in the country is a spot in the Hoh Rainforest at Olympic National Park
- The Australian lyrebird is the world’s best mimic, and can imitate chainsaws, car alarms, and the click of a camera shutter
- In the Gaelic language, crizzle is “the sound and action of open water as it freezes”
- Last month was the warmest December California has experienced since 1958, and the 4th warmest since record-keeping began in 1895, according to data from the Western Regional Climate Center
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Joy of pasta study.” An author-friend of mine posted something about this on Instagram so I had to look it up. And, yes, there was a study that proves that pasta increases happiness.
What I’m grateful for:
- My daughter is back in school and we are in somewhat of a routine again (though it’s been super hard to get up in the morning this week)
- Anne Lamott! I got to see her speak last night at an event and it filled my cup
- I signed up for a half-marathon at the end of February. Nice to have a goal to work toward!
- Pet cuddles. I cannot get enough lately
A couple pet snapshots (sorry, that’s all I got):
