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Weekly Roundup: April 23, 2021

Quote of the week:
“Sometimes I think,
I need a spare heart to feel
all the things I feel.”
― Sanober Khan, A Thousand Flamingos

What I’m reading:
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron
What Comes After by Joanne Tompkins

What I’m listening to:
The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

What I’m watching:
I haven’t been watching much lately, but I am keeping up with the new seasons of Top Chef, Shark Tank, and Couples Therapy. I also watched the 20/20 special about the Gainesville Killer (I’m a true crime junkie).

Writing news:
No big news this week. Just your usual reminders:

People Who Knew Me will be re-released on May 11 No Hiding in Boise will release on June 15My sixth novel will come out in 2022–stay tuned for details!

What I’m talking about this week:

The guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin. THANK GOD. I’m still saddened that there was even a question that he’d be found guilty. These words from the New York Times resonated with me: “Chauvin’s conviction does not automatically signal a new era of police accountability. The Floyd case was the exception of all exceptions. A video, watched around the world, showed Chauvin pressing his knee onto Floyd for more than nine minutes. That footage led to weeks of protests that were among the largest in U.S. history. And at the trial, the so-called blue wall of silence — that is, many officers’ willingness to protect colleagues, regardless of their misbehavior — crumbled. ‘For so many, it feels like it took all of that for the judicial system to deliver just basic accountability,’ President Biden said late yesterday.” Barack Obama’s words also resonated: “True justice requires that we come to terms with the fact that Black Americans are treated differently, every day. … And it requires us to do the sometimes thankless, often difficult, but always necessary work of making the America we know more like the America we believe in.”How female academics have had less time for research due to childcare responsibilities during the pandemic (read here)A study that defines the specifics of the mental load that many women/mothers carry (read here)The below meme, which continues to make me giggle

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
Grief lymph node.

Interesting things I learned this week:

Several studies show we replace as much as half of our social network every 5 to 7 years (read here)The oldest cat in the world lived to be 38 years old

What I’m grateful for:
My mom and sister. My family is going through a lot right now, and I’m so grateful we have each other to lean on.

The post Weekly Roundup: April 23, 2021 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: April 16, 2021

Quote of the week:
“We’re young, until we’re not. We’re healthy, until we’re not. We’re with those we love, until we’re not. Life’s beauty is inseparable from its fragility. ” —Susan David

What I’m reading:
The Loneliest Polar Bear: A True Story of Survival and Peril on the Edge of a Warming World by Kale Williams

What I’m listening to:
The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir
“Break Free of Empathy Overload” (Intuitive Warrior workshop)

What I’m watching:
“Shameless” — finished the final season, felt a little emotional

Writing news:
Scary Mommy published my new essay, “New Zealand’s Miscarriage Relief Bill Is Not Good Enough.”

Reminders:

People Who Knew Me will be re-released on May 11 No Hiding in Boise will release on June 15My sixth novel will come out in 2022–stay tuned for details!New cover! Bonus chapter! Coming May 11!

What I’m talking about this week:

Healthcare in this country, specifically how it sucksFunding for caregiving in Biden’s jobs plan–so necessary (and I’m annoyed that it’s up for debate)

Interesting things I learned this week:

According to a study, the effect of multitasking on people’s performance is comparable to driving drunkLow-grade daily stress can prematurely age brain cells by as much as a decadePolar bears will become extinct in some areas by 2040, and may disappear completely by the end of the centuryMale seahorses give birth to their young

What I’m grateful for:
My dad. Nine years ago, we hiked Half Dome in Yosemite. It was one of the most thrilling adventures of my life and I’m so glad I shared it with him.

The post Weekly Roundup: April 16, 2021 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: April 9, 2021

Quote of the week:
“There’s a point…when you have to choose whether to be like everybody else the rest of your life, or to make a virtue of your peculiarities.” –Ursula K. Le Guin

What I’m reading:
Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life by Susan David

What I’m listening to:
The Push by Ashley Audrain
“Reframing Sensitivity” (podcast)
“Being a Highly Sensitive Person” (podcast)
“What Almost Dying Taught Me About Living” (Suleika Jaouad’s TED Talk)

What I’m watching:
Q: Into the Storm (docuseries about QAnon) — Just finished this. Wow. 

Writing news:
Just your usual reminders this week!

People Who Knew Me will be re-released on May 11 No Hiding in Boise will release on June 15My sixth novel will come out in 2022–stay tuned for details!

What I’m talking about:
I’ve got a lot on my mind this week. Here are just some of the things:

Ashley Audrain’s multimillion-dollar book deal for The Push. It’s a riveting book, but this type of advance is the problem with big publishing. Many authors can barely make a living because publishers put all their eggs into one chosen author’s basket. The goal with a big advance is to generate buzz. Publishers know the book will never earn back that much money. I could go on and on about thisThe origins of the QAnon movement and the identity of Q. Watching “Q: Into the Storm” on HBO was illuminating. Millions of people have become swept up in chaos likely generated by a geeky website administratorThe ongoing efforts to understand the origins of Covid-19 (this is a good read)The anxiety of returning to “normal.” I’m not ready to socialize, people! (this is a good read)The value of child care. YES! All hail child care providers. This great article includes this quote: “‘We have never valued the work that goes into caring for our families — we’ve never accounted for it, we have made it invisible and have always taken for granted that women will shoulder the responsibility,’ said Ai-Jen Poo, senior adviser for the nonprofit Care in Action and an expert on the care economy. In fact, the whole industry ‘is still often referred to as ‘help’ as opposed to a ‘profession,’’ underscoring the overall perception that caring for children is not a job of any real value, she added.How the pandemic has exposed the need for major structural changes. This great piece includes this quote: “For me, the silver lining has been that for the first time, I’m seeing the beginnings of a real conversation about how to make lasting change. I’m seeing politicians speak about the paid and unpaid work women do, and the resources needed to support us. I’m seeing an acknowledgment of the racial and economic barriers holding us back. I’m seeing relief. And I’m seeing this as a moment to organize for even more.”The realities of postpartum depression and how we need to stop saying it’s “just hormones” (great read here)The “intersection of ambition and parenthood” (inspired by the below Tweet from @ashleysimpo). It’s hard to want to do so many things in this short, fragile life

Interesting things I learned this week:

My husband and I took our daughter to pick strawberries this week and we learned that each strawberry has 200 seeds each and there are more than 600 varietals of strawberriesJon Batiste is Suleika’s Jaouad’s long-time partner. Ok, my discovery of this was very strange. I’ve been a fan of Jon Batiste since he starting playing music for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. I decided to get his new album, We Are, and I LOVE it. Recently, I read Suleika Jaouad’s memoir. In it, she mentions a Jon in her life, but I didn’t think much of it. Then I stalked her on Instagram and saw photos of her with Jon Batiste and it all clicked–“THAT is the Jon in the book?!” I’m now even more enamored with both of themThe World Economic Forum estimates it would take 267.6 years to close the world’s gender economic gap, while reaching gender equity in politics would take 145.5 years (read here). Insert long sigh

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
I didn’t do much googling this week. Another busy week. Most of my googling was researching various health conditions–not because I’m a hypochondriac (though I kind of am), but because most of my work clients are healthcare companies.

What I’m grateful for:
The aforementioned strawberry picking with my little family. I’m so grateful for them. If you’re in Orange County, I highly recommend Tanaka Farms.

The post Weekly Roundup: April 9, 2021 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

April 9, 2021

Quote of the week:
“There’s a point…when you have to choose whether to be like everybody else the rest of your life, or to make a virtue of your peculiarities.” –Ursula K. Le Guin

What I’m reading:
Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life by Susan David

What I’m listening to:
The Push by Ashley Audrain
“Reframing Sensitivity” (podcast)
“Being a Highly Sensitive Person” (podcast)
“What Almost Dying Taught Me About Living” (Suleika Jaouad’s TED Talk)

What I’m watching:
Q: Into the Storm (docuseries about QAnon) — Just finished this. Wow. 

Writing news:
Just your usual reminders this week!

People Who Knew Me will be re-released on May 11 No Hiding in Boise will release on June 15My sixth novel will come out in 2022–stay tuned for details!

What I’m talking about:
I’ve got a lot on my mind this week. Here are just some of the things:

Ashley Audrain’s multimillion-dollar book deal for The Push. It’s a riveting book, but this type of advance is the problem with big publishing. Many authors can barely make a living because publishers put all their eggs into one chosen author’s basket. The goal with a big advance is to generate buzz. Publishers know the book will never earn back that much money. I could go on and on about thisThe origins of the QAnon movement and the identity of Q. Watching “Q: Into the Storm” on HBO was illuminating. Millions of people have become swept up in chaos likely generated by a geeky website administratorThe ongoing efforts to understand the origins of Covid-19 (this is a good read)The anxiety of returning to “normal.” I’m not ready to socialize, people! (this is a good read)The value of child care. YES! All hail child care providers. This great article includes this quote: “‘We have never valued the work that goes into caring for our families — we’ve never accounted for it, we have made it invisible and have always taken for granted that women will shoulder the responsibility,’ said Ai-Jen Poo, senior adviser for the nonprofit Care in Action and an expert on the care economy. In fact, the whole industry ‘is still often referred to as ‘help’ as opposed to a ‘profession,’’ underscoring the overall perception that caring for children is not a job of any real value, she added.How the pandemic has exposed the need for major structural changes. This great piece includes this quote: “For me, the silver lining has been that for the first time, I’m seeing the beginnings of a real conversation about how to make lasting change. I’m seeing politicians speak about the paid and unpaid work women do, and the resources needed to support us. I’m seeing an acknowledgment of the racial and economic barriers holding us back. I’m seeing relief. And I’m seeing this as a moment to organize for even more.”The realities of postpartum depression and how we need to stop saying it’s “just hormones” (great read here)The “intersection of ambition and parenthood” (inspired by the below Tweet from @ashleysimpo). It’s hard to want to do so many things in this short, fragile life

Interesting things I learned this week:

My husband and I took our daughter to pick strawberries this week and we learned that each strawberry has 200 seeds each and there are more than 600 varietals of strawberriesJon Batiste is Suleika’s Jaouad’s long-time partner. Ok, my discovery of this was very strange. I’ve been a fan of Jon Batiste since he starting playing music for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. I decided to get his new album, We Are, and I LOVE it. Recently, I read Suleika Jaouad’s memoir. In it, she mentions a Jon in her life, but I didn’t think much of it. Then I stalked her on Instagram and saw photos of her with Jon Batiste and it all clicked–“THAT is the Jon in the book?!” I’m now even more enamored with both of themThe World Economic Forum estimates it would take 267.6 years to close the world’s gender economic gap, while reaching gender equity in politics would take 145.5 years (read here). Insert long sigh

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
I didn’t do much googling this week. Another busy week. Most of my googling was researching various health conditions–not because I’m a hypochondriac (though I kind of am), but because most of my work clients are healthcare companies.

What I’m grateful for:
The aforementioned strawberry picking with my little family. I’m so grateful for them. If you’re in Orange County, I highly recommend Tanaka Farms.

The post April 9, 2021 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: April 2, 2021

Quote of the week:
“Virginia Woolf said that writing a novel is like walking through a dark room, holding a lantern which lights up what is already in the room anyway.” ― Margaret Atwood

What I’m reading:
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski

What I’m listening to:
Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad
High Sensitivity and Anxiety (HSP webinar)
(Pandemic Parenting podcast)

What I’m watching:
Q: Into the Storm (docuseries about QAnon) 
The Topic (short film on YouTube)

Writing news:
Just your usual reminders this week:

People Who Knew Me will be re-released on May 11 No Hiding in Boise will release on June 15My sixth novel will come out in 2022–stay tuned for details!

What I’m talking about:
I haven’t been talking about much because I’m in my stress cocoon. I resigned from my full-time job (my last day was a week ago) and I’ve been trying to get a grasp on my new freelance schedule this week. I have too much on my plate so I’ll have to figure out how to adjust. It’s a good problem to have, but my brain is fried.

Interesting things I’ve learned this week:
I have absorbed nothing this week. It’s sad.

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
I had no time for googling. This is a very boring post, sorry.

What I’m grateful for:
My husband and his patience with my slightly-unhinged state. Also, my pets, who lower my blood pressure on a daily basis.

The post Weekly Roundup: April 2, 2021 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: March 26, 2021

Quote of the week:
“Possibly, then, writing has to do with darkness, and a desire or perhaps a compulsion to enter it, and, with luck, to illuminate it, and to bring something back out to the light.” ― Margaret Atwood, Negotiating with the Dead

What I’m reading:
What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster –really liking it

What I’m listening to:
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara — so very long, so very good
Jon Batiste‘s new album, “We Are”

What I’m watching:
Q: Into the Storm (docuseries about QAnon) 
Mental Health: The Impact of Anti-Asian Racism (EducAsian live stream episode featuring my dear friend, Dr. Huong Diep) 

Writing news:
All the Love: Healing Your Heart and Finding Meaning After Pregnancy Loss released on Tuesday.  We had a great online event to talk about the book and support people going through pregnancy loss. We celebrated by donating $200 to SHARE: Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support.

A couple of my essays went live this week:
“If Men Had Miscarriages” (Ms. Magazine)
“How Not to Hate Your Husband After a Miscarriage” (Scary Mommy)

My co-author, Meredith Resnick, and I wrote this piece for Writer’s Digest: “Writing a Book with a Friend: How to Merge Styles Every Step of the Way“

My other co-author, Dr. Huong Diep, wrote this amazing blog post: “Just Keep Working Hard: My Thoughts on Writing a Book and AAPI Hate“

I also had a couple podcast episodes go live this week:
“Life After Pregnancy Losses” (And Then Everything Changed podcast with Ronit Plank)
“Multiple Pregnancy Losses: Impacts on Mental Health and Subsequent Pregnancies” (Mom & Mind podcast with Dr. Kat)

Whew. It’s been a BUSY week.

Your usual reminders:

People Who Knew Me will be re-released on May 11 No Hiding in Boise will release on June 15

Also…
Novel #6 is coming in 2022. I just signed the contract this week. This one is a very special book to me. I can’t wait to share it with the world.

What I’m talking about:

Expanding vaccine eligibility. It looks like I’ll be able to get my first shot SOON. I am so excited!New Zealand’s revolutionary legislation granting bereavement leave for pregnancy loss–WE NEED THIS HERE (read here)The Colorado shootings. I saw something on Instagram this week: “If guns aren’t the problem, people are the problem, then why would you give the problem guns?” The facts are simple–less guns, fewer deathsThe Equal Rights Amendment (it’s 100 years old at this point and STILL not a part of the Constitution…. though we may be getting closer–read here)The fight for equal pay in women’s sports (read here)The opportunity for pandemic posttraumatic growth (read here)Making room for grief in a post-Covid world (read here)

Interesting things I learned this week:

There will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050 (mentioned by John Oliver in his latest episode)Americans gained an average of 2 lbs per month during the pandemic (CNN)Gun violence kills as many Americans per year as vehicle accidents and breast cancer (about 40,000 people, respectively) (New York Times)Italy is known for tomatoes, but they originated in Peru. Thailand is known for chilies, but they originated in Central America. Germany is known for sauerkraut, which started in China (James Clear‘s newsletter)

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
Shrimp tail in cereal. (I had to look it up after hearing about this on multiple news programs. You can read about here).

What I’m grateful for:
I’m so grateful to all the people who showed up to our online event for All the Love on Tuesday. I was reminded yet again of how pregnancy loss is the worst club with the best members. I’m so honored to be part of this community, even though I’m sad about the reason we are connected. 

The post Weekly Roundup: March 26, 2021 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: March 19, 2021

Quote of the week:
“…things get broken, and sometimes they get repaired, and in most cases, you realize that no matter what gets damaged, life rearranges itself to compensate for your loss, sometimes wonderfully.” –Hanya Yanagihara, A Little Life

What I’m reading:
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid — just finished last night; an enjoyable read, like all her books
What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster — starting today

What I’m listening to:
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara — this is a long one (and very good); might take me another week or so
Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing by Margaret Atwood
HSP podcast: Honor Your Intuition and Use It As Your Guide
Pandemic Parenting webinar: Pushed to the Limit–How the Pandemic is Impacting Working Moms

What I’m watching:
Palm Springs (movie on Hulu)
Surviving Death (Netflix docuseries)

Writing news:
Working Mother published one of my essays, “Going back to work after a miscarriage.” I have a couple more essays coming soon.

Also, All the Acorns on the Forest Floor was named a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Awards (general fiction category). Yay!

Here are your usual reminders:

All the Love: Healing Your Heart and Finding Meaning After Pregnancy Loss will be released NEXT WEEK (on March 23).We are doing an online launch event on Tuesday at 4pm–register here (it’s free!)People Who Knew Me will be re-released on May 11 No Hiding in Boise will release on June 15

What I’m talking about:

The shootings in Atlanta and the rise of Asian discrimination and hate crimes since the start of the pandemic. I’m so disheartened by all this. I’m sad that my Asian friends have to worry about walking around in publicSarah Everard’s death. She was just walking home. Again, so disheartened… We need to shift the conversation from what women can do better to stay safe and talk about how to stop violence against womenEverything we’re still learning about Covid. The long-term effects on the body are terrifying (this story brought me to tears)

Interesting things I learned this week:

Japan’s laws demand married couples ; this seems so antiquated. I did not change my name when I got married and would have been annoyed if I’d been forced toAmazon used enough plastic bubble wrap in 2019 to encircle the globe 500 timesThree men were banned from Yellowstone National Park after attempting to cook 2 chickens in a geyserEndangered black-footed ferrets are being inoculated against COVID-19 (they and other mustelids are very susceptible)The mass of human-made things now exceeds that of all living things on Earth

(I learned the last 4 bullets in the latest issue of Sierra Club magazine)

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
Pain over eyebrows. (I developed a fun sinus infection this week.)

What I’m grateful for:
My little family. I am so, so, so lucky.

The post Weekly Roundup: March 19, 2021 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: March 12, 2021

Quote of the week:
“After love, forgiveness is the strongest glue holding every family together.” — Leesa Cross-Smith 

What I’m reading:
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (so lucky to get an early copy of this one!)

What I’m listening to:
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Call Your Girlfriend podcast: “Burnout“
The Double Shift podcast: “The Childcare Game-Changer“
Fab Fertility podcast: “A Reproductive Immunology Success Story with Author Hollie Overton” (Hollie is a friend and I’m so happy for her and her TRIPLETS!)

What I’m watching:
I Care A Lot 
Moxie
60 Minutes interview with Simone Biles (LOVE her)

Writing news:

All the Love: Healing Your Heart and Finding Meaning After Pregnancy Loss will be released in LESS THAN 2 WEEKS (on March 23).We are doing an online launch event on that date–register here (it’s free!)People Who Knew Me will be re-released on May 11 No Hiding in Boise will release on June 15. Goodreads is doing a giveaway now (ends Monday!)

What I’m talking about:

The Covid relief bill. It’s one of the most popular pieces of legislation EVER (70% of the American public in favor) and yet ZERO Republicans voted for itMeghan Markle. Wow. Her honesty with Oprah was so refreshing…and disturbing. I’ve never been that interested in the royal family (it’s always seemed very odd and antiquated to me), but now my indifference has turned to active dislikeHow economic recovery hinges on daycare for kids (good articles about this here and here)The real phenomenon of pandemic brain fog: “Managing too many details can definitely make you feel ‘foggy,’ and make you feel like your memory has declined” (from this article)Job gains for women (yay) (read here)How women are still losing it (ugh) (read here)How institutions have failed women: “Mothers do not need more advice on how to manage their anger. They need to be funneling their anger at the institutions that have so thoroughly failed them. And we should be asking ourselves what we can do to support them. We need to prioritize safely reopening schools over bars and restaurants. Congress needs to fund new sources of paid leave so that parents, fathers and mothers, can perform the essential social function of raising children” (from here)The white-women-QAnon phenomenon. Seems like many of them were pulled in via posts on social media about the horrors of child trafficking, which is a very real issue… and then it spirals from there when the Facebook algorithms go to work serving up more content that gets increasingly weirder. The latest episode of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee has a great segment about thisHow Zoom (with large faces right up in our personal space) triggers our “fight or flight” survival reflex, according to a new study out of Standford (read here)Why people are choosing to quit their jobs during this pandemic (read here)

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
Johnny Damon arrest video

What I’m grateful for:
This Instagram post from Michelle Penelope King.

The post Weekly Roundup: March 12, 2021 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: March 5, 2021

Quote of the week:
“Literary novelists are slightly defensive about being repetitive. I think it is perfectly justified: you keep doing it until it comes closer and closer to what you want to say each time.” — Kazuo Ishiguro (this quote helped me understand why I  continue to explore grief in my novels)

What I’m reading:
This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith

What I’m listening to:
Vox by Christina Dalcher — about to finish this; so good
The Blonde Files Podcast: Emily Fitz Randolph–Transcendental Meditation and Its Effects on Mind, Body, Anxiety, and Aging

What I’m watching:
Doctor Foster — about to finish Season 2

Writing news:

All the Love: Healing Your Heart and Finding Meaning After Pregnancy Loss will be released THIS MONTH (on March 23). We are doing an online launch event on that date–register here (it’s free!)People Who Knew Me will be re-released on May 11 No Hiding in Boise will release on June 15. Goodreads is doing a giveaway now (ends March 15)

What I’m talking about:

Voter suppression and the Republican party’s complete lack of shame about itAndrew Cuomo. Gross.The good vaccine news–most of us should be able to get vaccinated by May!Jackson, Mississippi–they still have no running water and NOBODY IS TALKING ABOUT THIS

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
Anemia symptoms. (Can you tell I have a touch of medical anxiety?)

What I’m grateful for:
A getaway. I’ve stayed close to home for the past year, so it was really nice to go to the mountains with my great friend for a couple days (she’s fully vaccinated and I get tested regularly, FYI). We did yoga and read and made use of the hot tub at our Airbnb. It was so rejuvenating. 

The post Weekly Roundup: March 5, 2021 appeared first on Fiction Writing Blog.

Weekly Roundup: February 26, 2021

Quote of the week:
“The reason it’s worth it is because you’re giving a gift to readers. You’re giving your best thought, your best feeling, your best technique. And it’s not about fame; it’s not about fortune. It is about giving with generosity. Because this is how we repay the richness we have received from the literature we have absorbed from the time we were young, which changed our perception and revolutionized the way we see something, so we could never see it the old way again. To me, that is one of the hallmarks of great literature: It is the transformation of our perception.” –Charles Johnson, to Kevin Larimer, editor of Poets & Writers magazine (March/April 2021 issue)

What I’m reading:
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

What I’m listening to:
Vox by Christina Dalcher

What I’m watching:
Doctor Foster (Netflix) — finished season 1, on to season 2

Writing news:

All the Love: Healing Your Heart and Finding Meaning After Pregnancy Loss will be released on March 23. We are doing an online launch event on that date–register here (it’s free!)People Who Knew Me will be re-released on May 11 No Hiding in Boise will release on June 15. Goodreads is doing a giveaway now (ends March 15)

What I’m talking about:
I’ve been too busy to talk about much of anything lately. Most of my conversations are with my 3-year-old, or with my husband about our 3-year-old. 

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
What is California’s birthday? (It’s September 9, FYI)

What I’m grateful for:
This comfy cowl my sweet neighbor knit for me. I have the sweetest neighbors (just went on a walk with another this morning).  Our mornings have been chilly (by my California-girl standards), and I’ve been wearing this while I work/write at my desk.

The post Weekly Roundup: February 26, 2021 appeared first on Fiction Writing Blog.