Friday the 13th—cue spooky music. Let’s hope there’s nothing spooky today. I am at capacity. Here’s the roundup!
Quote of the week:
“There is too much bad news to justify complacency. There is too much good news to justify despair.” —Donella Meadows
What I’m reading:
Don’t Be a Stranger by Susan Minot. I can’t remember how this one ended up on my to-read list, but I’m glad it did. Enjoying it so far.
What I’m listening to:
Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau by Ben Shattuck. I just listened to Jenny Slate’s latest and decided to check out her husband’s writing too. I went into this book completely blind and it’s been delightful.
What I’m watching:
Finished up season 2 Shrinking and am in the middle of season 2 of Bad Sisters—so good. Seeing “Wicked” in the theater is on the agenda this weekend.
Writing news:
Just about six months away from the release of Woman on the Verge. My publisher and I are finalizing the cover and I can’t wait to share. I’ve just wrapped up some self-editing for my 2026 novel and will be sharing that with my early readers NEXT WEEK (ah!).
Interesting things I learned this week:
- The ocean is, on average, 2 miles deep
- The ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” were sold for $28 million at auction
- Taylor Swift gave $197 million in bonuses to Eras Tour performers, crew on top of their salaries
- Sotheby’s is selling a stone version of the Ten Commandments that it says is the world’s oldest, dating to A.D. 300-800. Some experts question the stone’s authenticity
- Because they don’t have to expend resources secreting colored pigments to be visible to insects at night, night blooming flowers are usually white. The white color refracts light, making them visible for pollination
Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“men versus women lightning strikes.” I read in a book that men account for 80% of lightning strike deaths and I couldn’t believe it so had to google. Yep, it’s true! In the US, males account for about 85 percent of lightning-strike fatalities and females only 15 percent.
What I’m grateful for:
- I’m almost done with my Christmas shopping. Is it just me, or are the holidays like a part-time job?
- Volunteering in my daughter’s class—always a good time to hang with the kids
- Pet cuddles… they will always make my gratitude list
- Getting back to running after some time off after my Thanksgiving 10K
Pet snapshots of the week:
