Of Time and Space

That sounds a little like I'm going to delve into Einstein's theory of relativity, but I'm not qualified for that so I'm keeping it simple.

Recently, a friend mentioned making space in her life for a creative project. Although I've heard that expression, it resonated with me like it hasn't before, and I realized that I've been too focused on "making time" in my life. 

We can't make time. We can manage it, allocate it, save it, fritter it away, but there's only so much of it to go around. And honestly, I have enough time to accomplish what I want to accomplish, so I should have no excuses, right?

But mentally and creatively, I haven't made the space. Thinking of it that way feels like a huge shift in perspective for me right now. Space opens up room for possibility. And possibility makes way for probability.

I'm hoping Einstein (seen here in a portrait from the Museum of Illusion in Chicago) would agree.

Enjoy the last week of March. See you next month!

It's Here!

 

Book launch day, pub day, book birthday, call it what you like, it has arrived! Having a picture book published has a been a dream of mine for years, and here it is! Artist Susanna Covelli did the most charming illustrations I could have hoped for, and the book turned out great. 

If you have any young space fans in your life, please consider adding In Our Solar System to their book collection. Or suggest your library carry a copy. Or drop some not-so-subtle hints at your local bookstore. It is also available from the big booksellers.

And while you're in a bookish mood, check out the many, many wonderful offerings for kids and adults from Familius Books. I have had nothing but great experiences with this company and am so very fortunate to be a part of their family.

In other space news, there's a total lunar eclipse coming up on March 13/14. When the darkest part of Earth's shadow covers the moon, it appears orangeish, which is why it is called a Blood Moon. I'm hoping for clear skies, but if not, there are a few streaming options.

Oh, and if you want to see me in all my awkwardness talking about my picture book inspiration, there's a short YouTube video interview here. 

Take good care, and I'll see you soon!

Small Steps

Well, last week's post didn't happen, so here we are again!

From a goals perspective, 2024 was not a great year for me. Last December, as I was thinking of goals for 2025, I got a little depressed because I felt like I was making a list of all the things I was going to fail at in the new year.

That's what overwhelm does. It makes everything feel impossible, or at the very least highly unlikely.

So I made an effort to embrace one of the strategies of Goalsetting 101: break down bigger goals into smaller steps. So fundamental, so basic, and yet as soon as I did it, I felt much better about things. Which is what happens when you give yourself permission to move forward with small steps instead of giant leaps.

Yeah, duh.

The title of Anne Lamott's classic writing book Bird by Bird is a perfect example. It comes from advice her father gave her brother when he had a big school project about birds to complete (at the last minute) and was feeling overwhelmed: "Just take it bird by bird."

January rolled over us hard and fast, and if you feel off-balance like I do, small steps can also help keep us moving forward even if we're not in pursuit of a particular goal. Sometimes, just making it to pajama time at the end of a day is enough.

Be well, and I'll see you soon!

Weekly Roundup 52: Word of the Year

No, it's not brainrot, though I probably have more of that than I would like. My word of the year for 2025 is Flow. 

I struggled with a lot of things in 2024, as many of us did. I often felt like I was swimming upstream, which is exhausting. Not even salmon, who are born to do it, recommend it, mostly because they die at the end.

In 2025, I would very much like to go with the flow. I recognize that this will require letting go of the illusion of control. And worrying less. Both of which I'm not very good at.

But I have a whole 12 months to practice, and because I am full of the shining optimism of January right now, I think I can make some progress. Wish me luck!

And I wish you luck with whatever aspirations/goals/resolutions have inspired you at the turning of this new year.

I'm going to take a little blogging break now and see if I can figure out my next steps. Until we meet again, take good care!

 

 

Weekly Roundup 51: Happy New Year!

 

Well, 2024 has reached the end of the trail. What a year of contrasts, contradictions, and challenges. 

It wasn't all bad. I did fun things with fun people. I heard a lot of excellent live music. My friends and family made it to the finish line in one piece, and that's really all anyone can ask for.

But I also struggled with personal, national, and global events. And my creative energy was as low as it has been since I can't remember when.

I know I'm not the only one who feels exhausted by 2024. And thankfully I'm also not the only one who feels hopeful for 2025. 

My wish is that this new year surpasses expectations (in a good way!) for us all.

Stay happy and healthy. Be patient and kind. I'll see you next week for my 52 week wrap up.

Weekly Roundup 50: A Christmas Carol

The other day, I caught a replay of the SNL skit starring Martin Short as Ebenezer Scrooge. Motivated by his desire to do good after the ghosts imparted their lessons, Scrooge throws gold coins from his window, accidentally blinding an orphan. Mayhem ensues, and fake blood sprays everywhere. It's funny and over the top ridiculous.

Scrooge is a great character, who has been played so well by many talented actors, but I think the real stars in A Christmas Carol are the ghosts. 

As Charles Dickens wrote in the preface: “I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.”

Dickens began writing A Christmas Carol in October of 1843. He took six weeks to finish it, and, after a few production disagreements about endpapers and bindings, the novella was released on December 19 of that year. The book was an immediate success, so much so that even the Americans, whom Dickens had alienated with some of his earlier work, fell under its spell. 

In the many years since, A Christmas Carol has inspired a host of adaptations for film, stage, TV, and print, including opera, graphic novels, more versions starring animals than I can count--and most likely the story of another, much greener, holiday curmudgeon who sees the error of his ways (The Grinch, of course).

Though Dickens went on to write four more Christmas novellas, none achieved the popular and critical success of his first. I’m no Dickensian scholar, so I won’t delve into the particulars of the author’s life or the zeitgeist of Victorian England and its parallels in today’s society. I just appreciate the story for its most basic messages: Be generous. Be kind. Be grateful for friends and family. Celebrate. And if your front door knocker gives you a piece of its mind, prepare for a very restless night.

Merry Christmas, my friends!

Weekly Roundup 49: Quality Control

I've just returned from a 4-day weekend in Los Angeles, a city I'd not visited before. We did some touristy things, but one of the main reasons we went was to help decorate a float for the Tournament of Roses (aka Rose Bowl) Parade. It's something my husband has always wanted to do, and it sounded quirky and fun, so I was in.

The parade isn't until January 1st, so mid-December is too early for fresh flowers. Our volunteer gig was one of the dry decorating tasks, specifically gluing crushed walnut shells to the float exterior. Kind of like paint by numbers, but way messier. (The medium brown are the walnut shells.)

At one point, our volunteer coordinator noticed that some of the work done by a previous shift was not up to her standards. It didn't look wonderful, but neither did it look awful. I thought that by the time all the flowers and water features and people were added, no one would even see it, let alone notice.

But she couldn't let it go and asked a volunteer to try scrape it off. The glue had already dried, so it was impossible to do without damaging the float. I'm not sure how it ended up, but I hope she made her peace with it.

It all got me thinking, at what point does quality control (usually helpful) become perfectionism (often unhelpful)? Is it when it slows down the creative process? Is it when good enough is never good enough? Is it when we lose sight of the big picture? All of those, and more?

I ask because I get caught in the trap of perfectionism more often than I'd like to admit, and it can be paralyzing. I tend to be pretty critical of myself in writing and in life. But the truth is that few things--maybe no things--in this world are perfect. Maybe, if we're lucky, we have moments where we come close.

As seasonal side-note, Christmas is a great time for this reminder. There is no perfect gift, perfect meal, perfect photo, despite what social media implies. Cut yourself some slack, and I'll try do the same.

See you next week!

 

Weekly Roundup 48: Life Happens

Hi there! Life happened to me this week, so instead of a post, you get a couple of seasonal pictures and a promise that I will be back next week with a better effort.

Take care!

Weekly Roundup 47: 12/12

Yes, we've reached the last month of the year, the twelfth of twelve. I do like the feeling of a dozen months that can be neatly split into halves of six. Like an egg carton. 

January is named for Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, whose two faces look simultaneously at past and future. But I don't like to look back when the month of January arrives. I prefer for the New Year to feel like it's brimming with forward momentum. So I do my retrospection in December.

I have already identified some very specific disappointments courtesy of 2024, but this year I also learned some lessons about the importance of pivoting, of staying nimble and realistic in regard to expectations. I tried to embrace a new mantra (which I guess I borrowed from Frozen, despite having never seen it): Let. It. Go.

As my husband could tell you, it's a work in progress.

So am I. So are we all, really.

As we stampede toward Christmas and New Years, I will try to make space for some quiet moments to be generous with myself about how this year played out on the large and small scales. And I'll try back off on the overthinking and my ever-so-slight tendency to be controlling.

December is already shaping up to be a the speediest month of the year--kind of like the anchor leg at the end of a relay. In the words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." 

See you next week!

Weekly Roundup 46: Happy Thanksgiving!

A classic for #TBT tomorrow. No matter who's at your table or what you're eating, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Weekly Roundup 45: Breathe

As we close in on the busyness of the holiday season, I'd like to remind everyone to set aside time each day and breathe.

Just breathe.

If you like, try meditation breathing patterns such as 4-7-8 breathing or box breathing. Here are others to choose from. 

But all you really need to do is get quiet and attend to your natural breath. 

Go outside if possible, as being in nature has additional benefits for mental and physical health. 

Sit or stand with your feet firmly planted, so you're grounded. Close your eyes if it's safe to do so.

And breathe. 

Feel the air come in and go out. 

That's it!

Spas and massages are great, but they're also expensive and time-consuming. Mindful breathing is free, and you can do it anytime, anywhere. Along with stress reduction, you might experience increased energy, improved focus, pain reduction, better sleep, and even boosted immune system function.

And did I mention it's free?

Take care, friends. See you next week!

Weekly Roundup 44: Sigh...

Nope, not a sigh of relief.

I tend not to get political on this blog because there are other places for that. But let it be known that as I proudly voted for Kamala, I also voted against misogyny, bigotry, xenophobia, religious extremism, an American oligarchy, and the general lack of truth and decency that pervade politics and society.

You all know how that turned out.   

It was clear to me before November 6 that regardless of the issues, this election was really about anger. Men and women are angry, sometimes for different reasons, but history has shown that a man's anger trumps (I use that word intentionally) a woman's anger every time. I hope I'm wrong, but it seems that a woman's anger is taken seriously only when it is expressed in support of an angry man. (Women can be righteous, but we can't be right? Is that how it is?)

We have an uncertain road ahead. Please remember that we are strong and resilient. Please take care of your physical, mental, and emotional health. Please reach out to your community when you need a shoulder. And please, please be very selective about how much media you consume. We've all reached saturation point after this year (and the years before), and it's absolutely fine to step away from the churn.

Take good care, and I'll see you next week.

Weekly Roundup 43: Election Day

I'm writing this on the afternoon of November 5, Election Day. It's too early for any real results, so I'm trying to keep my mind occupied and my spirits up. This has been an election like no other in my lifetime, and almost everyone I know has felt the impact on their mental, emotional--and sometimes physical--health.

Frankly, there's a lot to be upset about, not the least of which is the rampant misogyny. But as Denzel Washington said, "It is impossible to be grateful and hateful at the same time." So today, I choose grateful.

Thank you to election officials and poll workers who uphold this country's standard of free and fair elections.

Thank you to everyone who took the high road and refrained from sharing disparaging, insulting, and demeaning content.

Thank you to everyone who believes that all registered voters deserve to cast their ballots in safety and without unreasonable inconvenience.

Thank you to everyone who helped their friends, family, and community members exercise their right to vote.

Thank you to everyone who fact-checked and sought out reputable, trustworthy sources of information.

Thank you to everyone who was willing to think instead of simply react.

Thank you to everyone who made me laugh, including SNL and The Daily Show.

Thank you to pets, houseplants, and autumn leaves, thank you to tea, chocolate, and long walks, thank you to my husband, friends, and family for helping me keep my sanity.

And thank you to everyone across the country who submitted artwork for new voting stickers, including the one above, designed by Julia, a 12th grader from Loveland, Colorado. (See other great examples, including the Michigan Werewolf, here.)

I don't know what the next days, weeks, and months will bring, but here's hoping we can all Keep Calm-ala and Carry On-ala.

Weekly Roundup 42: Pebbling

As evidence that medium-sized flightless birds can teach humans something about relationships, please consider the concept of pebbling.

This "love language" that's all over social media began with literal stones. Gentoo penguins often mate for life. During breeding season, the male will select a perfect little pebble and present it to the female. Once accepted, it becomes part of the rocky nest the birds will build on the ground together.

Even with (or maybe because of?) all the words humans have at our disposal, communication can be a tricky thing. Enter the metaphorical pebble. These small tokens of kindness, affection, and love might include texting a funny .gif or meme, sending a card, buying a coffee, collecting some beautiful autumn leaves, recommending a good book, and, yes, finding a smooth, pretty stone...anything that says "I'm thinking of you and want to brighten your day."

A lot of people in the world right now seem to be trying to convince us it's okay to treat each other badly. I do not agree. So, over the next few weeks, I'm going to try focus more on the pebbles and less on...well, you know, that other stuff.

Halloween is tomorrow! However you choose to celebrate, or not, I hope you have a safe and fun holiday and get only the best candy in your trick or treat bag.

Weekly Roundup 41: Spirals

The spiral is one of the most beautiful and most common shapes in nature, ranging in size and scope from galaxies such as our Milky Way down to the famous double-helix of DNA. You might see a spiral in a sunflower, a pinecone, a snail shell, the curl of a pea sprout or a chameleon's tail.

Yet when people talk about spiraling, it's almost always negative. Spiraling into depression, chaos, anxiety. Feeling less able to cope with life's stressors. Feeling out-of-control, dragged down as if by the vortex of a whirlpool (another of nature's spirals). 

I predict that the days between now and the upcoming presidential election will cause many of us to feel the pull of the downward spiral. These are such deeply unsettling times. So let me take this opportunity to remind us all that life is about opposites, which means there is also an upward spiral.

The psychological power of the upward spiral, where positive emotions lead to positive change, is well established. Researchers are finding that it often doesn't take a huge effort to turn a negative mindset into a more helpful one. If you need a boost, please read this post from my favorite joy blogger about the power of the upward spiral. 

Take some time over the next few weeks to seek out the people, activities, and experiences that feel uplifting to you. Humor almost always helps. So do chocolate, cinnamon tea, and scents such as citrus, pine, and rose. Self-care is paramount these days, my friends, so please take time to prioritize your physical and emotional health.

See you next week!

Weekly Roundup 40: Magnetism

Magnetism has long been recognized as a physical phenomenon produced by the movement of electric charges. (It's also what keeps our souvenirs stuck on the refrigerator.)

In the 18th century, the idea of "animal magnetism" suggested that all living things possessed an invisible force or fluid consisting of "fire, air and spirit," which flowed in and out of our pores and affected health and healing. 

Pseudoscience was big in those days, and of course that idea has since been debunked. Later, animal magnetism took on a different meaning, that of an irresistible charm or appeal, especially sex appeal. 

Generally speaking, I think most of us outside of physics class see magnetism as the act of being drawn toward something or someone with a certain appeal. Music, art, a personality, an experience, these things can all be very compelling.

The other side of magnetism is the opposite of attraction: repulsion. When two like magnetic poles are brought close enough together, they will push each other away.

Though we may welcome attraction into our lives, it's a different case with repulsion. Yet, sometimes it is present--not so much in a "gag me, that is so gross" kind of way, but more like a "why do things keep getting in my way?" kind of way.  

If you've been in that position, as I am now, the position of feeling like you can't get the poles to line up, you have my sympathy. It's a frustrating place to be, and it takes a lot of patience to work toward realignment. 

But it is possible. If the Earth's magnetic poles can undergo a geomagnetic reversal, there's certainly hope for those of us who function on a much smaller scale.

I hope you attract great things this week!

Weekly Roundup 39: A Month By Any Other Name

October was the eighth month in the ancient Roman calendar, which explains the "octo" in its name. After Julius Caesar added January and February, October was pushed down to the tenth spot, but it was not renamed. (The same kind of fate befell November and December.)

But October is definitely the best month name to portmanteau.

Here are some October riffs on my radar. (Please note, many of these already exist out there in the world, and I claim absolutely no affiliation with any of them. This is my personal list only.)

Walktober: weather permitting, I'll get out as much as possible

Croctober: we have no crocodiles here, and I don't own any of the shoes, so I'll stick to slow cooker recipes

Socktober: gotta keep my feet warm

Spocktober: I do like Star Trek

Mocktober: a non-alcoholic cocktail perhaps?

Bachtober: J.S. Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D Minor is a Halloween classic 

Rocktober: I saw Jeff Lynne's ELO in concert and spied more painted rocks

Hawktober, Flocktober, Squawktober: bring on the birds! (And maybe Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.)

These are some things I will not try:

Shocktober: I don't like to be startled, horrified, or appalled

Frocktober: no frilly dresses for me

Mocktober (of a different kind): ridiculing someone is not a good look

Lochtober: no plans to be in Scotland

I hope you're having fun with whatever makes you smile this month. See you next week!

Weekly Roundup 38: Detours

 

Summer is road construction season of course, and this year my neighborhood has been affected more than usual. The way in and out has either been closed, restricted, or rerouted for weeks. So I've had to take some detours.

The word detour (from the French detourner, meaning to turn away) has a few definitions that basically mean the same thing: a roundabout way or deviation from a direct way; a circuitous way or course, especially when the main road is closed; a temporary route made to avoid a problem.

That last one is my favorite, because I feel that I have set myself on some personal detours of avoidance this year.

So I have to remind myself that although a dead end might require a detour, a detour itself is not a dead end. It's just a different way to get where I'm going. It's usually slower, but sometimes slowing down is not a bad thing. Neither is learning to navigate a different route between point A and point B.

And when the detour is removed, there's real joy in getting back on track. I hope to be there soon.

Happy October! See you next week.

Weekly Roundup 37: Banned Books Week

 

Weekly Roundup 36: Turning the Corner

Well, hello there, middle of September. Where did you come from so quickly?

I recently saw September described as a month to turn the corner, and that feels so fitting. Summer might still linger, but we're preparing to leave it behind and face the arrival of autumn and winter.

The idiom "turn the corner" refers to a situation that improves after a difficult period, but that doesn't quite describe this September feeling. This is more like the combination of a fond goodbye and a welcoming hello--appreciating the last gifts of summer while we anticipate the rest of the gifts the year has to offer.

Honestly, I am ready to turn the corner on a few things: gardening, the heat, mosquitoes and grasshoppers, and the pressure of my summer to-do list. The weeks between now and Halloween offer some really nice moments for pausing and breathing and slowing down. I'm planning on enjoying soup, candles, sweaters, and hopefully more sleep very soon. 

Leading up to the fall equinox on Saturday the 22nd, September's full harvest-super-blood-moon last night coincided with a partial lunar eclipse. Under a magical celestial glow, this week feels like the perfect time to approach the turning of the corner with gratitude for what was and enthusiasm for what will be. 

See you in autumn, pumpkin spice fans!