Happy Groundhog Day! I guess Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, so we’re in for an early spring. More importantly, who is watching the Bill Murray movie tonight? One of my all-time favorites. On to the roundup!
Quote of the week:
“We are all meant to shine, as children do… And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” –Marianne Williamson
What I’m reading:
I just started Martha Beck’s The Way of Integrity and I think it’ll be a good one. Before that, I read Dead in Long Beach, California by Venita Blackburn, which was listed as a Most Anticipated Book of 2024 by The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. It’s beautifully written but parts of it went way over my head. If you’ve read it, please reach out so we can discuss.
What I’m listening to:
The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self by Michael Easter. This is a fantastic book that everyone should read. The cover does it a disservice, in my opinion, by making it look a bit cheesy. It’s very well researched with important insights for modern times.
What I’m watching:
I’m finally watching Beef on Netflix, which has been on my list for a while. It’s very good! Earlier this week, I watched American Nightmare, a true-crime miniseries about an odd kidnapping case. I also took myself to the movie theater this week and saw American Fiction. I really enjoyed it!
Interesting things I learned this week:
- Researchers believe they have found Amelia Earhart’s long-lost plane in the deep Pacific (read here)
- The cuckoo bird forces other species to incubate its eggs, laying them in nests where there is already at least one egg. To do this, the female cuckoo imitates the call of the sparrowhawk, scaring off the future adoptive parents of its young and leading them to abandon the nest temporarily. To avoid discovery, this female has developed various tricks, such as laying eggs that are identical to those of the chosen species. WILD
- In 1900, the life expectancy was 47 years. This is incredible to me! 1900 wasn’t THAT long ago
- Women in the 1930s had about 36 items in their closet, on average. Today, the average woman has more than 120 items
- It’s estimated that Taylor Swift has generated about $330 million for the NFL just by attending Chiefs games
- Having plants in your office increases productivity by 15%
- Baby elephants gestate for nearly two years and come out weighing up to 300 lbs
- Bluey was the most streamed children’s show in 2023 #IYKYK
- More than half of Americans don’t go outside for recreation AT ALL
- Americans spend 93% of their time in climate-controlled indoor spaces
- The average American touches his phone more than 2,000 times per day
- Gary Erickson, founder of Clif Bar, named the bar after his father, who introduced him to outdoor adventure
- Half of all renters in the US spend more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities, a historic high, according to a recent study
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Chainsaw childbirth.” I heard that the chainsaw was originally invented to, um, assist with childbirth. What?! It’s true! “In 1780, two Scottish doctors invented the prototype of the chainsaw. Not to cut down trees or clear debris. No, John Aitken and James Jeffray invented the hand-cranked chainsaw to cut through the pelvises of delivering mothers who were having trouble pushing their babies out. It was called a symphysiotomy, and it was largely done without anesthesia. Mothers were completely conscious through the entire process. After seeing how well it worked in the delivery room — according to the male doctors — the machine was then co-opted to saw through wood and other materials, gradually growing in size to become the chainsaw we know today.” (source)
What I’m grateful for:
- More time with one of my best friends! I took the day off work to hang with her and it was so nice. I wish we lived closer to each other (she currently lives in Paraguay!)
- Antibiotics. We had a good run of not needing them in our household, but my daughter’s cold took a turn and it was time. Thank goodness for medicine!
- Making time for a yoga class AND a massage this week. Was feeling in need of some extra self-care stuff
The usual snapshots of pets and clouds:
