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.

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