Quote of the week:
“Language is our portal to meaning-making, connection, healing, learning, and self-awareness. Having access to the right words can open up entire universes. When we don’t have the language to talk about what we’re experiencing, our ability to make sense of what’s happening and share it with others is severely limited. Without accurate language, we struggle to get the help we need, we don’t always regulate or manage our emotions and experiences in a way that allows us to move through them productively, and our self-awareness is diminished. Language shows us that naming an experience doesn’t give the experience more power, it gives us the power of understanding and meaning.” –Brené Brown
What I’m reading:
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez — I’ll finish this one today. I really enjoyed it!
What I’m listening to:
The Pessimists by Bethany Ball
What I’m watching:
Don’t Look Up on Netflix. Took me 5 nights to finish it. Kind of silly and too long, in my opinion.
Writing news:
Nothing of note this week.
What I’m talking about:
Omicroooon. I’m glad to hear we may have “peaked” and there may be light at the end of this torturous tunnel. Everyone is so weary.
Interesting things I learned this week:
- Sales of print books were up about 9% in 2021 (good news!)
- A study found that face masks make people look more attractive
- The wealth of the world’s ten richest men doubled during the pandemic
- Romania introduced a National Reading Day (and it will be February 15)
- “Baby Shark” is the first YouTube video to pass 10 BILLION views (my daughter is responsible for at least 1 billion of those)
- The word “sarcasm” comes from a Greek word meaning “to tear flesh”
- TSA does an annual list of the top 10 confiscated items (the list for 2021 included a chainsaw and a meth burrito)
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Meth burrito” (see above).
What I’m grateful for:
I had a nice getaway with one of my very best girlfriends (and my daughter) this past weekend. It was so refreshing. We got to stay in a tiny cabin (those of you who know me know I love tiny houses… Hence, my third novel, Tiny). A change of pace seems more necessary than ever in these weird times.
I also finished this puzzle and it made me so happy. I need to hunt for more book-themed puzzles.
