Kim Hooper's Blog, page 9

Weekly Roundup: December 22, 2023

Anyone else buckling under the weight of a massive to-do list? I feel like I am working three full-time jobs–my actual full-time job (I’m an advertising copywriter), motherhood (which is particularly challenging this time of year with school closed for SEVENTEEN DAYS, but who’s counting?), and Holiday Project Coordinator (a job which is not only unpaid but also costs an absurd amount of money). I do not have to travel, so that is a win. Whatever your holiday plans, I hope they involve SOME relaxation.

Quote of the week:
“We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.” ― Pema Chödrön

What I’m reading:
I read my very first Agatha Christie book this past week—Hercule Poirot’s Christmas. My book club selected it and I was apprehensive at first because I don’t gravitate to mysteries, generally. But it was really enjoyable. I may have to try more of her books. I’m now reading Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami. Been a while since I read a Murakami book.

What I’m listening to:
I just finished The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue and loved it. The narration is fantastic. I’m now listening to Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic Independence by Kristen Ghodsee.

What I’m watching:
I finished Bad Surgeon and am now onto another docuseries about people doing crazy things—Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God. I have one episode left. I find cults so fascinating in that can’t-turn-from-the-trainwreck way.

Interesting things I learned this week:

The average age in the United States for no longer believing in Santa Claus is 8.4 years old Pope Francis approved blessings for same-sex couples (though he specified that these cannot be marriage blessings….. meh) Americans spend an average of $430 billion on retail during December, at least $69 billion more than in any other monthNew research has revealed that women hunted in 80% of foraging societies. Researchers even found that women may have rivaled males when it came to taking down big game (read more here)As of 2018,  Guinness World Records  listed Agatha Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time. Her books have sold more than a billion copies in English and another billion in a hundred other foreign languages. She is outsold only by the Bible and ShakespeareChimpanzees and bonobos can recall faces of other apes that they have not seen for years, a study suggests. One bonobo recognized a face after 26 years, a record for nonhuman speciesWomen were more than 4 times as likely as men to say they don’t work because their partner doesn’t want them to, according to a PEW Research Center studyWomen weren’t allowed to be included in clinical trials until 1986, and it wasn’t until 1993 that it became federally required to include women and people of color in clinical trialsIn a 1957 survey from the University of Michigan, 80% of those surveyed thought that people who chose not to marry were sick, immoral, or neurotic More than 1/3 of today’s divorces are people over the age of 50USA Today has hired a full-time Taylor Swift reporter (his name is Bryan West)

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Oldest living person.” My daughter has been talking a lot about death since our dog died. She is very upset that he was “only 14.” I explained that humans tend to live much longer than animals and she asked who the oldest person alive was. That person is María Branyas Morera, who is 116 years old. The oldest verified person to have ever lived was Jeanne Louise Calment who was born in 1875 and died in 1997 at the age of 122. Wow.

What I’m grateful for:

Health! So many viruses going around. I’m sure my turn is coming, but grateful to feel good for nowLots of fun stuff with my daughter. Before having her, I was a bit of a holiday Scrooge, but she’s helped me rediscover the magicA couple good rainstorms. See photos below. I love the rain hereChristmas shopping complete! I think… I’m sure I forgot somethingCommunity. One of my big focuses for 2024 will be building more community—spending quality time with people I enjoy. I’ve been doing more of it lately with neighbors and mom-friends and it’s really uplifting

Snapshots:

Took this while walking to my daughter’s school. So lucky to live where I do. On my morning run. Looks like a painting. Second rainbow sighting in two days.

The post Weekly Roundup: December 22, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: December 15, 2023

First off, thank you to everyone who reached out about the death of my dog, Vinny. I am feeling much better this week knowing he is at peace. My other pets have been giving extra snuggles (animals are so cool). Here’s the roundup!

Quote of the week:
“To live is so startling, it leaves little room for other occupations.” –Emily Dickinson

What I’m reading:
I just finished Jhumpa Lahiri’s latest, a collection of stories called Roman Stories. I’ve heard mixed reviews on this one, but I really enjoyed it. I love her writing. Last night, I started Mom Rage: The Everyday Crisis of Modern Motherhood by Minna Dubin and I am HOOKED. It’s so good.

What I’m listening to:
I listened to After the Lights Go Out by John Vercher this week and loved it. The narration is fantastic and I’m still thinking about the main character. Such a moving story. Next up: The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue. My writer-friend, Hollie Overton, has become my go-to source for audiobook recommendations.

What I’m watching:
I watched Leave the World Behind, based on the novel by Rumaan Alam. Meh. Too “out there” for me (I felt the same about the book). It starts off strong and then you’re like “Wait, what?” I also watched Flora and Son, which was indie-movie charming. I’m one episode into Bad Surgeon because I cannot get enough of documentaries about abhorrent con artists.

Interesting things I learned this week:

After much debate, diplomats from almost 200 counties at the U.N. climate summit in Dubai approved a global pact that explicitly called for “transitioning away from fossil fuels.” It’s about damn timeIn the first half of 2023, Netflix users consumed 100 billion hours of contentA group of flamingoes is called a flamboyanceIn South Korea, some women adopt a lifestyle called bihon where they refuse to get marriedThe continent of Australia is wider than the moon

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Switzerland guinea pig law.” I heard that Switzerland prohibits the ownership of just one guinea pig (on the basis that they are social animals and need a buddy). It didn’t sound believable, but it’s true! This led me down a rabbit hole of other weird animal laws and I found this: “It turns out that jurisdictions across the United States also have interesting laws on pet owners’ responsibilities. In Juneau, Alaska, pets are prohibited from entering hair salons. If you are hunting in West Virginia, please remember to leave your ferret at home. According to §20-2-5(a)(12) of the West Virginia Code, any attempt to ‘hunt, catch, take, kill, injure, or pursue a wild animal or wild bird with the use of a ferret’ is a misdemeanor.” Also: “various municipalities in Washington state have enacted laws protecting the creature known as Bigfoot or Sasquatch.”

What I’m grateful for:

Nearing the finish line with Christmas shopping. I love buying gifts for people, but it is madnessThe love of pets. There’s nothing like it. The bestFriends who send me random gifts in the mail, friends who celebrate my good news, friends who schedule happy hours and dinner dates My literary agent, who believes in me even when I start to have doubtsThis self-compassion workbook (was incredibly helpful for me) plus my therapist. The older I get, the more at peace I feel

Snapshots:

Love my mornings in bed. Coffee, book, pets = the best. Took my daughter to goat yoga. Yes, that is a goat on top of my daughter on top of me. My cat, Bowie, has become quite the cuddler since my dog died. I used to see him once a day, maybe, and now he’s out all the time.

The post Weekly Roundup: December 15, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: December 8, 2023

It’s been a rough week over here. My old dog, Vinny, died on Monday and I miss his presence so much. The day after we said goodbye, my daughter got a stomach bug, which resulted in very little sleep and a ton of laundry. I am exhausted and staring down a holiday to-do list that is a mile long (#firstworldproblems). If you’re reading this, I hope your week has been less eventful than mine.

Quote of the week:
“Understand me… I do not have time for things that have no soul.” –Charles Bukowski

What I’m reading:
The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok. Interesting storyline. I’m almost done and trying to decide what’s next.

What I’m listening to:
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell. If you feel like the pace of the modern world has hijacked your brain, read this.

What I’m watching:
I finally watched the Barbie movie. I meant to see it in the theater, but a canceled babysitter thwarted my plans and it just didn’t happen. I think I would have enjoyed it more in the theater with an audience, but I still enjoyed it. Last night, I watched May December with Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman. The acting was fantastic and I’d never really seen a story like this on screen.

Interesting things I learned this week:

De Winton’s golden mole (Cryptochloris wintoni), an elusive blind mole that “swims” through sand and lives in inaccessible burrows, was thought to be extinct, but it was just rediscovered in South Africa. The last sighting was in 1937! According to Microsoft’s Work Index Report, the average Teams user has experienced a 252% increase in time spent in meetings since February 2020. It’s out of control!A national survey (from the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital) reported that 84% of moms and 69% of dads turn to Instagram and Facebook to get and discuss parenting tips; only 16% of parents said that what they saw on social media helped them worry less about their parenting. My assumption is that social media makes most parents worry MOREAlthough American women won the right to vote in 1920, married women were legally obliged to vote under their husband’s surname until 1975According to the US Department of Agriculture, a child born in 2015 would cost a middle-income married couple $233,610 to raise from birth to age seventeen, not including the price of any higher educationA man named Charles Fourier is often credited with coining the word “feminism.” Some quotes from his writings in 1808: “the extension of the privileges of women is the basic principle of all social progress”; “the happiness of men is proportionate to the freedom enjoyed by women”; “women, in a state of liberty will outdo men in all mental and physical functions which are not dependent on bodily strength.” Pretty impressive for 1808!

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“longest plank hold.” I heard it was multiple hours, so I had to look it up. Whoa: “A man from the Czech Republic has performed the longest abdominal plank ever recorded, as confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records. Josef Šálek, known to his friends as Joska, undertook the physically grueling challenge on May 20, 2023, maintaining a strict plank position for 9 hours, 38 minutes, and 47 seconds.”

What I’m grateful for:

I’m grateful I got to be with my dog when he died. I brought his favorite bed to the vet and was able to lay next to him and rub his ears. I know he felt loved and comforted. It was awful, but very peaceful I did not get my daughter’s stomach bug. Knock on woodI got my own Christmas tree for the first time! I was so proud of myself for putting it up. Then it fell over. Because that’s how this week has been. It is back up now, so… yay

Snapshots:

Last walk with my boy. The other pets seem to understand what’s happened and have been extra cuddly with me. Tree lighting at the neighborhood park. I love where I live. Been taking my daughter to see the lit-up whale since she was a baby. Still a favorite. Started my day with a run this morning and enjoyed this view. I’ve been feeling super sluggish with everything going on, but glad I got out there.

The post Weekly Roundup: December 8, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: December 1, 2023

And here we are in December! I missed last week’s post because I was consumed with some pet drama. My old dog, Vinny, seems to be in his last days. He’s still with us, but I’m not sure how long that will be the case. It’s been emotional. There have also been numerous other stressors the past couple weeks and I would like to take a week-long nap. It’s been a wild year for me and I’m ready for 2024.

Quote of the week:
“I need solitude. I need space. I need air. I need the empty fields ’round me; and my legs pounding along roads; and sleep…animal existence.” –Virginia Woolf

What I’m reading:
Real Americans by Rachel Khong. I LOVED her debut (Goodbye, Vitamin) and I have to say this book is totally different and may be even better. I have less than 50 pages left and I’m sad for it to end. I got an advance copy so mark your calendars for April 30 when it’s released.

What I’m listening to:
I was delighted by Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights earlier this week and am now listening to Fight Like a Girl by Clementine Ford.

What I’m watching:
Last week, I watched Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche, which was riveting. I am a sucker for a good documentary. I tried to get into All the Light We Cannot See since I just read the book, but I just wasn’t in the mood. I tore through Escaping Twin Flames and was slack-jawed for the duration of the series (if you like cult documentaries, check it out). And last night I watched American Symphony, about Jon Batiste’s rise to musical fame in the midst of his wife’s battle with cancer. His wife is Suleika Jaouad, author of Between Two Kingdoms. When I read her memoir, I had no idea that the “Jon” in it was Jon Batiste. Blew my mind when I found out.

Interesting things I learned the past couple weeks:

The word “latibulate” from the 17th century means “to hide in a corner in an attempt to escape reality”… Seems like we should still be using this word, no?Starting in 2024, California will require media literacy education for K-12 students. Delaware, Illinois, and New Jersey have similar laws on the booksRelated to above bullet: A recent Stanford study found that 82% of middle school students couldn’t distinguish between real stories and adsThere are currently 10,000 active cults in the U.S.Merriam-Webster’s word of the year is “authentic.” Some people think this is a subtle jab at AI A group of ducks is called a raft (because when they are together in the water it looks like a raft)Nearly 1 in 5 adolescents uses melatonin to sleepIn a study comparing running to antidepressants, researchers found that 16 weeks of a running program can offer similar benefits to medicationAlfredo Aliaga, age 92, is the oldest person to hike the Grand Canyon from rim to rimWith the swearing in of Judge Mary Moreau, Canada will have a female majority Supreme Court for the first time since the court was created in 1875More than 40% of amphibians are at risk of extinction due to climate changeGentoo penguins are the fastest swimming birds and can reach speeds up to 22 mphThe top 20% of Americans hold 71% of the nation’s wealthA new type of pepper has emerged as the spiciest on earth. It’s known as Pepper X and it’s 2.69 million Scoville units—500 times hotter than a jalapeno There are more than 1,000 varieties of bananasIn his twenties, Stephen King worked as a janitor and lived in a trailerVera Wang designed her first dress at age 40. Related: Samuel L. Jackson didn’t get his first major movie role until he was 40A 2022 analysis of government data from the nonprofit KFF estimates that nearly 1 in 10 U.S. adults owe at least $250 in medical debt. About 11 million people owe more than $2,000Colombia is beginning a campaign to sterilize roughly 170 “cocaine hippos.” These are the descendants of four hippopotamuses that belonged to cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar. Escobar brought the hippos to his estate in the 1980s and when he was killed in 1993, the hippos took to the wilds of Colombia and thrived. Officials in Colombia estimate that without intervention, there could be as many as 1,000 hippos in Colombia by 2050, which would have a devastating impact on the local environment

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“dimes have nickel in them.” I read this in Rachel Khong’s book and looked it up. From google: “The dimes, quarters, and half dollars in circulation today are a clad form of coin with a surface made of 25% nickel and 75% copper and a core of 100% copper. The 1-cent coin is made of a zinc core with copper plating.” Also, apparently nickels are not all nickel: “the metal alloy in a nickel is only 25 percent nickel. The rest is copper.” Weird.

What I’m grateful for:

A nice Thanksgiving with family that required zero travel. I made an apple pie and blueberry crumble and was very proud of myselfSeeing “Mamma Mia” at the Pantages with my daughter and my mom—one of my favorite musicals!My first official yoga class with my daughter. She made it until the 45-minute mark before asking me when it was overBook club! A couple hours chatting with a great group of women really lifted my spirits this weekBeautiful weather, beautiful skies—truly my favorite time of year in southern CaliforniaChristmas decorations. I’m not a huge holiday person, but I admit the lights are cheery

Snapshots:

Me and my old boy. Trying to give him as much love as I can. Thanksgiving morning. 10K PR for me at the Turkey Trot (43:17, 6:59 average pace) Puppy and I love the way the light hits our house. Evidence of why it’s my favorite time of year in southern California. Fresh air does wonders.

The post Weekly Roundup: December 1, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: November 17, 2023

I’m finding it hard to believe that Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK. I’m also struggling with the Christmas decorations everywhere. I’m not ready, people! On that note, does anyone want to put up lights at my house? The dread I’m feeling about this task is immense.

Quote of the week:
This is a stanza from a poem I read this week…

“I shall not lament
the human, not yet.
There is something
more to come, our hearts
a gold mine
not yet plumbed,
an unchartered sea.”

–Dorianne Laux, In Any Event

What I’m reading:
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I know, I know, I’m way late to the party on this one. I’ve had this book on my shelf for YEARS and have just never picked it up. Historical fiction is not typically my genre of choice. Seeing the trailer for the Netflix series was the motivation I needed to read the book. Of course, it’s wonderful. I plan to watch the show as soon as I’m done.

As an antidote to all the heaviness and grief in the world right now, I’m reading a couple poems a day from How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope, edited by James Crews. Highly recommend. The poem quoted above is from this book.

What I’m listening to:
Soundings: Journeys in the Company of Whales by Doreen Cunningham. It’s a very interesting memoir about her time spent tracking the northward migration of the grey whales (with her toddler in tow), as well as about her time living with an Iñupiaq family in Alaska seven years earlier.

What I’m watching:
I watched Pain Hustlers on Netflix a few nights ago. One more film about the dark side of pharma sales, this one focusing on a fentanyl medication. Upsetting, but important.

Writing news:
I had a poem published today on Every Writer! It will be included in their year-end issue.

How Ridiculous That I Am

This morning, I fought
with my daughter about
her refusal to take another
bite of vanilla-flavored
Greek yogurt while, a world
away, other mothers fought
for their children to live
another day.

On that small strip
of land, two million people
wait on death row, sentenced
to terror for the crime
of existing. Half of them,
children. So many
children. One killed every
ten minutes, the headline
reads. The post below it—a
joke about the inconvenience
of the end of Daylight Savings.

Dawg it feel like it’s 14pm.

I laugh and then wonder how
such a thing is possible—
how can any human being laugh
now, or ever again?
I am stressed about jury duty
and the Santa Ana winds making
my eyes burn and the dog-sitting
I shouldn’t have agreed to and
the school closure on Veterans Day
when I have to work at my job,
spending hours on Zoom calls
about how to better sell
expensive beauty products
to women who feel inadequate
without them.

How ridiculous that I am
capable of stress when there are
no airstrikes here, no bombs
dropping like meteors from the sky,
when I have food and water
and shelter and the basic
assurance that my daughter
and I will be alive tomorrow.

How ridiculous that I am
capable of brushing my teeth
and taking my vitamins and
bookmarking pad thai recipes
without sobbing about
the chubby baby arms
sticking out of rubble.

How ridiculous that I am,
when so many are not.

Tonight, we will watch
Fancy Nancy and lick popsicles
and I will tell her a bedtime
story about unicorns and
magic and think about
all those children, so many
children, who will never believe
in unicorns or magic
because even if they live,
they’ve seen too much
to believe in anything.

I will let my daughter sleep
with me and she will pull
all the sheets to her side and
I will wake up cold, perturbed.
How ridiculous that I am
anything but overjoyed to
watch her sleeping face,
mouth open, eyelashes fluttering.
How ridiculous that I am
anything less than grateful
for the warmth of her body,
the smell of her hair—fruity
from the detangler spray.

How ridiculous that I am,
when so many are not.

Interesting things I learned this week:

Iceland is bracing for an unprecedented volcanic eruption about 25 miles outside Reykjavik. Seismologists have recorded thousands of earthquakes in the region in recent days—YIKESAn average of 380,000 visitors enter New York’s Times Square on foot EACH DAYOur current Congress is on track to be the least productive Congress since the Great Depression, with only 21 bills making it into lawQueen guitarist Brian May is also an astrophysicist and helped NASA land on an asteroid4% of books earn 60% of profits. For more depressing facts about being an author, read hereThe word “Utopia” derives from the Greek roots for “not” and “place,” which means that “Utopia” references a “no place” or nowhere, although it is also a homonym for the word “Eutopia,” which means “good place”One 2018 survey from the American website BabyCenter, found that only 4% of children have their mother’s surnameThe 2018 Cigna US Loneliness Index report found that only 53% of Americans had “meaningful in-person” interaction on a daily basis

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Turkey gender poop.” I heard that you can tell a turkey’s gender by its poop, which seemed worthy of a google search. What I learned: “One certain way to find out if a turkey is male or female is by checking their droppings. A male’s poop will be shaped like the letter J, while the female’s is more spiral-shaped.” So weird.

What I’m grateful for:

Celebrating my oldest nephew’s 13th birthday! The cliché is true—time really fliesDinner out with a good mom-friend. I rarely get out, so this was specialA nice, one-day rain storm. I love the rain and my plants are so happyA fresh haircut (evidence below)

Snapshots:

The best coworkers. Lots of days with glorious skies. Coloring time with my daughter.

The post Weekly Roundup: November 17, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: November 10, 2023

It’s been one of those weeks full of first-world problems that shouldn’t have bothered me so much, but did. I was on call for jury duty all week (I do not know how they expect working mothers to do this), my daughter and I keep devolving into the worst versions of ourselves around 6pm every night (because, seriously, it feels like midnight and WHEN IS BEDTIME?), I slammed my hand into the front door of my house (will spare you the photo of my purple fingers), and when getting myself a much-needed glass of wine, my wine opener corkscrew broke off in the cork. My new wine opener arrived today and I am ready for the weekend.

Quote of the week:
“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

What I’m reading:
I’m double-fisting with What We Fed to the Manticore by Talia Lakshmi Kolluri (a really beautiful short story collection) and Everyday Utopia: What 2,000 Years of Wild Experiments Can Teach Us About the Good Life by Kristen Ghodsee (which showcases the benefits of intentional communal living, something I’ve been passionate about for a few years now).

What I’m listening to:
What About Men?: A Feminist Answers the Question by Caitlin Moran. I have much respect for Moran and am generally enjoying this book, but I’m struggling with the concept of women having to read a book about the challenges men face (and, I admit, there are many). This seems like more emotional labor for us. Are men reading books about women’s issues? I think not. Anyway, I’m still interested in understanding “the other side” better and expanding my empathy, so this has been helpful.

What I’m watching:
I started Nyad last night, about Diana Nyad’s mission to swim from Cuba to Florida at age 60. I have about a half-hour left. It’s great.

Writing news:
Nothing of note this week. Still writing poems that I may or may not share with the general public.

Interesting things I learned this week:

Whereas the general cost of goods in the US has increased about 115% in the last 30 years, the price of hardcover books has only increased about 8%. That’s a mere $2.05 increase from $24.95 in 1993 to $27 nowWearing headphones for just an hour could increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times—GROSSThere are 293 ways to make change for a dollar“Dreamt” is the only English word that ends in the letters “mt”According to new data from the Pew Research Center on the state of friendship in the US, 38% of Americans say they have 5 or more close friends; 55% say they have between 1 and 4 close friends; and 8% say they have no close friendsThree pandas at the Smithsonian National Zoo have returned to China (on a special FedEx plane called, you guessed it, the Panda Express), meaning there are only 4 pandas left in the US. China has always owned all the world’s pandas but loaned some to the US in a gesture of goodwill. It looks like the goodwill is overTuesdays elections showed what matters to voters: Ohio voters passed a constitutional amendment enshrining reproductive freedom, including the right to abortion, into the state constitution. In Virginia, abortion supporting majorities were voted in and will now control the state Senate and AssemblyDemocrat Cherelle Parker will become Philadelphia’s first female mayor after beating out her Republican opponent in this week’s election A new study published this week in JAMA Pediatrics found that, even before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, states that implemented restrictive abortion laws saw an 11% increase in the number of children placed in foster careIsrael has agreed to daily 4-hour humanitarian pauses for civilians to flee south. I hate that this is what we’re applauding, but I guess it’s better than NO “humanitarian pauses.” What’s happening to humanity right now is just devastating

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“how to open wine bottle without wine opener.” I discovered some very unique methods with this google search. I decided to attempt using a key and, surprisingly, it worked. It didn’t really pull the cork out in one graceful maneuver, but I was able to use the key to dig out the cork that remained. I did not harm myself in the process, which is a real win for me this week.

What I’m grateful for:

Not having to go in for jury duty. I understand this is my civic responsibility, but it’s a ridiculous system. I really don’t know how I would have been able to do it had I been called in. I would have been expected to show up at a courthouse nearly 45 minutes away at 7:45am, which is when my daughter’s school starts. I do not understandA new pup in our lives. My ex-husband adopted a new puppy, which means I get the benefit of hanging out with the puppy while not having any actual responsibility for the puppy (this must be how grandparents feel). My daughter and my dogs love the new addition. I am letting him stay at my house tonight while my daughter does an Adventure Guides camping trip with her dad, so there will likely be at least 4 animals in my bed tonight (I have 2 cats as well)Seeing Led Zepagain (an awesome Led Zeppelin cover band) last weekend. Some of my favorite musicGoing to yoga class! I made it to two classes this past week!

Snapshots:

This is my favorite time of year to run! I took a moment on this run to stop and think about everyone running the NYC Marathon! I hope to be there next year! My ex-husband’s new pup. He’s so much fun. The wine bottle opener debacle.

The post Weekly Roundup: November 10, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: November 3, 2023

Anyone else still recovering from Halloween? Our school district has a no-school day after Halloween “so the kids can sleep in after all the festivities” (aka the teachers do not want to deal with the sugar crashes), and we’ve had early dismissal every other day this week. It continues to baffle me how the school system is STILL set up with the assumption that one of the parents (aka the mother) does not have a job. The juggling act with work and childcare is so hard! Needless to say, I am looking forward to the weekend.

Quote of the week:
“I feel that art has something to do with the achievement of stillness in the midst of chaos. A stillness which characterizes prayer, too, and the eye of the storm. I think that art has something to do with an arrest of attention in the midst of distraction.” –Saul Bellow

Related: Last night, I saw U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón speak at Scripps College and she talked about this topic. What is the point of poetry? She described poetry as giving us a chance to pause, to grieve. She talked about the healing power of art. To paraphrase, “A poem may only heal its writer…but isn’t that enough?”

What I’m reading:
I am finally finishing up Wellness by Nathan Hill. It’s 600 pages so it’s a commitment, but so worth it. I’m in awe of his writing and the TONS of research he did for this book.

What I’m listening to:
On my long drive to/from the Ada Limón event last night, I listened to Blue Hour by Tiffany Clarke Harrison. Next up: What About Men? A Feminist Answers the Question by Caitlin Moran.

What I’m watching:
Still nada. Haven’t had much time for shows lately.

Writing news:
My second novel, Cherry Blossoms, turned 5 this week. This book is quite different than my other novels—male main character, lots of dark humor, research heavy (I took a Japanese class as part of writing this book!).

Interesting things I learned this week:

Only 3% of book owners sort their books by color, and they are more often under the age of 30, according to a recent survey. When I moved houses, I decided to have a “blue office” so I only have blue books on my shelves, so I guess that counts as sorting by colorRecent data suggests stricter gun laws DO help: Stricter gun laws passed by 40 states from 1991 to 2016 reduced gun deaths by nearly 4,300 in 2016, or about 10% of the nationwide total. States with stricter laws, such as background checks and waiting periods, consistently had fewer gun deathsBritney Spears’s memoir sold 1.1 million copies in its first weekHippopotamus derives from the Greek term for “river horse”A man in Ontario has just applied for a World Record for a zucchini he harvested that is 8 feet, 4.79 inches longAn elephant is pregnant for up to 22 monthsA Georgia restaurant went viral this week for charging a $50 surcharge for “adults unable to parent” unruly childrenThe Hollywood sign debuted in 1923—it turns 100 on December 8. Related factoid: In 1943, either strong storms or vandals took out the “H,” leaving the neglected sign to read “ollywoodland” for SIX YEARS, when the chamber of commerce replaced the “H” (and also removed the “land”)The Author’s Guild reports that writers have seen their income decline by 40% over the past decade. In 2022, a full-time author earned a median income of $23K, according to the Guild’s most recent survey. This is why many of us are not full-time authors The body has a smaller immune response to colds in winter versus summer. I read this in Wellness, which is a fiction book but has so many interesting factoids (like I said above, he did SO much research for this book. There is an 8-page bibliography at the end of it!). From the book: “The brain perceives the shorter days, the lack of sunlight, the cold temperatures, and it thinks: This is the season of scarcity. And so it does not spend as much energy fighting colds as it does in the summer, the season of abundance”Less than 1% of the U.S. population has completed a marathon

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Does an octopus have bones?” Okay, so my good friend was in town this past weekend to help me celebrate my birthday and she came along to my daughter’s school’s “trunk or treat” event on Friday evening. One of the cars was decorated with a beach theme and included skeletons of various sea creatures… including an octopus. My friend and I, who I assure you are quite intelligent people with Master’s degrees, looked at each other and said, “Wait, an octopus has bones?!” We googled it and it turns out that, no, they do not. Per our google search, the skeleton featured at the trunk or treat is sold by various outlets (like here) and, in our opinion, is spreading misinformation. Ha.

What I’m grateful for:

My good friend visiting this past weekend. It was such a treat to see her and have some quality time. We hung out with my daughter, hiked in the hills near my house, went out to eat yummy food, talked for hours—so nourishingA fun Halloween. I admit, I am not a holiday person. I hate the pressure of holidays. But this one was fun. I volunteered at my daughter’s Halloween class party, we did the “trunk or treat” at her school, and we went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood (they really go crazy for Halloween where we live). My daughter was a police officer for the second year in a row while me and her dad dressed up as burglarsMy daughter starting casual Spanish lessons with our neighbor, Rosa. This makes my heart so happy. I was fluent in Spanish when I was younger and would love to see my daughter discover the benefits of thinking in another languageSeeing Misery (based on the Stephen King book) at our local playhouse with my mom. I’ve always loved this story and the production was so well doneSeeing Ada Limón, U.S. Poet Laureate (and my personal favorite poet), at Scripps College last night. She read 9 poems and I could have listened to her all night. Then she had a conversation with Lynne Thompson, former Los Angeles Poet Laureate, and it was just so wonderful. I wish I had a recording of it

Snapshots:

Halloween night sky. Ada Limón with Lynne Thompson Birthday flowers still going strong. 30 years of friendship. What a gift.

The post Weekly Roundup: November 3, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: October 27, 2023

It’s my birthday! I turn 44 today and I’m so grateful for all the good in my life. I had a nice breakfast out this morning, followed by a restorative yoga class. I’m going to my daughter’s class Halloween party in a few minutes, then picking up one of my best friends at the airport. It’s going to be a nice weekend and a good year ahead.

Quote of the week:
“We grow neither better nor worse as we get old, but more like ourselves.” –May Lamberton Becker

What I’m reading:
I’ve been engrossed with Nathan Hill’s latest book, Wellness. I LOVED his first book, The Nix, and this new one is also wonderful.

What I’m listening to:
Still making my way through Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll.

What I’m watching:
Nada. I’m in between shows at the moment. I need something good to get into.

Interesting things I learned this week:

Julia Child’s first cookbook was rejected by 21 publishers before going on to sell millions of copiesMovies are getting longer. The average blockbuster now runs 30 minutes more than films did in the 1990s, according to a recent Economist survey Amazon is on track to control 80% of the book market by 2025. Yikes, this is scary! Please buy indie! If you don’t have a local indie shop that’s convenient, shop at Bookshop.org!Nearly half of the population of Gaza is under the age of 18. So many children affected by what’s happening. It’s really heartbreakingCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law allowing for up to five days of time off work for reproductive-related losses. It’s about time. I hope other states follow suitWe’re in for an El Niño winter… and it’s supposed to be a strong one, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The northern part of the US will be drier and warmer, while the south and west will see a lot of rain

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Is a banana a berry?” I heard this somewhere (likely something kid-related on YouTube) and thought it could not be true, but it is. From the Interwebs: “In botany, a true ‘berry’ is a fruit that grows from a single ovary. It usually has a slightly soft exocarp (outer peel), fleshy pericarp (middle portion), and soft endocarp (area that surrounds the seeds). Typically, berries also have many seeds. They don’t have a stone or pit like, say, peaches or plums… The banana flower contains one ovary, which grows into a single banana. The banana also has a somewhat soft skin, juicy flesh, and many tiny seeds. So, bananas are true berries.” Who knew?

What I’m grateful for:

44 years! I’m healthy, which is winning the lottery in my bookA dinner out on Wednesday to celebrate my dad’s birthday. I like to think he was with us, even if we could not hug himSeeing the Taylor Swift Eras Tour movie with my daughter. She danced so much (and then sat in my lap because it was THREE HOURS LONG). I’m not a Swiftie by any means, but it was a fun experienceMy good friend arriving today. We haven’t seen each other in about a year-and-a-half so it will be nice to have some quality time

Snapshots:

Me at 44. My first run as a 44 year old. And the winner for best card goes to… A beautiful arrangement from my friend’s new florist shop—check it out here! I just love how cats cuddle themselves.

The post Weekly Roundup: October 27, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: October 20, 2023

Things continue to feel heavy in the world. I read yesterday that more Palestinian children were killed in 1 week than Ukrainian children were killed in 1 year… and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that. I’m trying to find joys in everyday life (although then I feel guilty that I have those joys while others are suffering). It’s hard to be a sensitive person—who’s with me?

Quote of the week:
“Every moment there are a million miracles happening around you:
a flower blossoming, a bird tweeting,
a bee humming, a raindrop falling,
a snowflake wafting along
the clear evening air.
There is magic everywhere.
If you learn how to live it,
life is nothing short of a daily miracle.”
–Yoga teacher and spiritual leader Sadhguru

What I’m reading:
I finished Tom Lake by Ann Patchett and enjoyed it! I’m now reading an advance copy of After Annie by Anna Quindlen. It’s quite sad, but well written. I’m also making my way through Ada Limón’s newest poetry book, The Hurting Kind. I put hearts by poems I like and that’s almost every page in this one.

What I’m listening to:
I listened to Why Fathers Cry at Night, Kwame Alexander’s memoir. It was so beautiful and I could listen to his voice all day. I just started Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll.

What I’m watching:
I tried to get into Lessons in Chemistry, but found the first episode pretty dull. Does it get better? I loved the book. I watched Take Care of Maya last night and I’m still devastated by it.

Writing news:
All the Acorns on the Forest Floor has a book birthday today! It turns 3! I loved writing this book. It’s made up of interlinked stories and writing it was like putting together a puzzle.

Interesting things I learned this week:

There are more atoms in a glass of water than glasses of water in all the oceans on EarthThe  symbol doesn’t mean something is actually recyclable. The main purpose of the symbol is to identify the type of plastic something is made from. (For example, if there’s a “3” in the center, it’s PVC, which most curbside recycling programs don’t accept.) The logo is so widely misunderstood that last year California banned its use on things that aren’t recyclableHuman babies are the only mammals that smile at their parentsAdults laugh about 60 times per day (small children laugh up to 300 times per day!)Roughly 35 percent of women of reproductive age in the U.S. don’t have sufficient amounts of iron in their bodies, and the nutritional deficiency often goes undiagnosed. This was me! I found out I had low iron mid-training for Chicago and supplements totally helpedGovernment officials said Monday that they plan to remove 21 species from the Endangered Species Act because they are extinctDuring the most recent water year, which ended 2 weeks ago, California received 141% of its average annual rainfall. The state’s snowpack this spring reached the deepest level recorded in at least 40 yearsCalifornia became the first state to ban the artificial color Red Dye No. 3 in foods, three decades after the F.D.A. prohibited its use in cosmetics

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“broken handle Stanley cup.” So, I got one of those large Stanley cups as a gift. I know they are all the rage, but I do not understand. They are SO clunky and heavy and cumbersome. I was holding the handle while twisting off the top and the handle just broke off. I briefly looked into repairing it, but that didn’t seem promising according to YouTube, so I threw it away. RIP.

What I’m grateful for:

Making it to yoga class for the second week in a row!Easing back into running. My heart rate on today’s 3-mile run was higher than it was during my marathon. Ha. The fitness changes so fast!Fun kid activities—fall carnival, outing to see a play called “It’s OK to be Different” (based on stories by Todd Parr), soccer fun (with a special visit from family friends who drove down for the game)Connecting with a local writer-friend and talking writing. I need more of this in my lifeMy daughter got student of the week for her class today!

Snapshots:

New favorite tee, a surprise gift from my great friend. Cats are just the best.

The post Weekly Roundup: October 20, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.

Weekly Roundup: October 13, 2023

It’s been a heavy week. I’m so sad for all those in Palestine and Israel who are suffering the effects of this eruption of violence. I’m the first to admit I don’t know all the history and, frankly, I’m less concerned with WHY all this is happening and more concerned with the fact that IT IS HAPPENING. People are dying—including children. We are all being exposed to such an ugly side of humanity and it’s a lot to take in. Perhaps it’s too simplistic to wish for peace, but that’s what I wish for.

Quote of the week:
“Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

What I’m reading:
My plane flights to and from Chicago gave me LOTS of reading time. I tore through Touched Out: Motherhood, Misogyny, Consent, and Control by Amanda Montei. Such a great book. I also read my friend Stephanie Walker’s play, Friends With Guns—very thought-provoking. And I read A Quitter’s Paradise by Elysha Chang, which I enjoyed. At Unabridged Books in Chicago, I bought Woman Without Shame, Sandra Cisneros’ latest poetry collection, with the intention of reading it next month. But I started it on the plane and couldn’t stop. I loved it so much. I’m now reading Tom Lake by Ann Patchett for my book club!

What I’m listening to:
I started Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen because my good friend’s book club is reading it and I wanted to play along. It’s fun so far.

What I’m watching:
I watched all the coverage of the gymnastics World Championships, where USA took the team gold and Simone Biles won the individual gold. I also watched Race to the Summit the night before the marathon to remind myself that the human body is capable of crazy things. I’m a few episodes into Based on a True Story on Peacock and it’s a fun show.

One of my favorite quotes about writing.

Interesting things I learned this week:

Friday the 13th (today!) may be considered unlucky here in the U.S., but other countries have their own unlucky days: April 4th (4/4) for the Chinese, Friday the 17th for the Italians, September 9th (9/9) for the Japanese, and Tuesday the 13th for the Spaniards Florida is the fastest-growing state in the U.S.U.S. employment grew by 336,000 jobs last month, almost double economists’ forecasts—some good news!Chicago is second to Amsterdam in its number of bridges. Learned this on the river cruiseLos Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw’s great uncle Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930For every human on Earth there are approximately 1.6 million ants. The total weight of all those ants is about the same as the total weight of all the humans on Earth

Weirdest thing I googled this week:
“Female frogs fake their own death.” I saw something about this on Instagram, so had to investigate. Female frogs will fake their own deaths to avoid unwanted male attention, according to a study published Wednesday in Royal Society Open Science. This is hilarious.

What I’m grateful for:

A great experience at the Chicago Marathon! I finished in 3:30:08, which is about an 8-minute PR for me and will qualify me for NYC 2024 and Boston 2025! I was happy with that and am currently happy that I’m no longer sore! I got to meet up with runner-friends while I was there, eat a lot of yummy food, take a river cruise to explore the architecture, and enjoy some beautiful days. It was a wonderful tripThe biggest hug from my daughter when I got home. I’m the luckiestFun dinner out with a good mom-friend last night. So grateful for the ladies in my life!Yoga class this morning. It’s been a minute since I went to yoga class. My body was very happy

Snapshots:

Done! Such a pretty city! My favorite month… My old boy turns 14 this month (don’t know the exact day so I give him special treats all month).

The post Weekly Roundup: October 13, 2023 appeared first on Kim Hooper's Blog.