I’ve had a weird-feeling week with a case of the blahs. Then I read today that Pluto is “shifting into Aquarius” tomorrow, which only happens every 248 years apparently and is supposed to come with some big changes. I am not a big astrology person and I don’t even know what “shifting into Aquarius” means, but I am willing to set aside my skepticism and trust that I’ll feel like a brand new human tomorrow…right? RIGHT? Okay, moving on…
Quote of the week:
“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.”
—Edward Abbey
What I’m reading:
They’re Going to Love You by Meg Howrey. Oh my goodness, it’s so great. I’m halfway through and taking my time to savor it.
What I’m listening to:
More: A Memoir of Open Marriage by Molly Roden Winter. Some parts of this book make me cringe, but it’s really interesting. Would be fun fodder for a novel.
What I’m watching:
The Curse. I am officially hooked. It’s such a strange show with an eerie vibe. Also very cringey in parts. Emma Stone is great in it.
Interesting things I learned this week:
- The Iowa caucus was decided by 14% of the state’s registered Republicans, so Trump won 51% of 14% of about one-quarter of the population of one state
- The median monthly price of rent nationwide went from $1,647 in December 2020 to $1,966 in November 2023
- Earlier this week, nearly 80% of the US saw freezing temperatures, and roughly one-third of Americans are under wind chill advisories
- According to one study of adolescents in 2008, girls spent more time on household tasks than boys did on school days, and on Sundays, that difference skyrocketed — girls spent, on average, nearly 40 minutes longer on household tasks on Sundays than boys. The researchers wrote, “Like their adult counterparts, female adolescents have greater responsibilities than males for household labor…..It may be that the gender schema for males includes a sense of entitlement to leisure, whereas for girls there is a notion that leisure is residual, or something that happens after other obligations have been met.” Groan
- English poet William Wordsworth was an avid walker. It’s estimated he walked 180,000 miles in his life
- Piloerection is the word for hair standing on end
- According to a study, cats have “surprising social depth” with nearly 300 facial expressions
- Kate Winslet says she keeps her Oscar in her bathroom so that guests can hold it and do their own acceptance speeches in the mirror
- Baby whales do not breastfeed through direct contact with their mothers. Instead, the mama whale expels her milk while her child is near her and the baby drinks it from the water. The milk has so much fat that it doesn’t dissolve in water
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“How LEGO got its name.” Another random curiosity. The answer: The Danish phrase “Leg Godt” translates to “play well.” While googling this, I also learned that there are more than 400 billion LEGO pieces on the planet and 60 billion bricks now being produced each year. I actually thought there would be more because my house alone has 1 billion.
What I’m grateful for:
- Renovating my yard! It’s been on my to-do list since I moved in May and I’m getting around to it now. Doing a lot of “nesting” in the new year and it’s so nice. The number of indoor plants I have accumulated is a little crazy
- Finding community via playdates and moms-only dinners and neighbor chats. I would describe myself as somewhat of a loner, but I cannot deny how much it lifts me to be around others
- Cuddling my daughter and our pets. The best part of every day
Snapshots:
