Thinking about gratitude

When life seems negative, I realize I need to start thinking positively.  One way I've discovered to change my attitude is to start thinking of things that I'm grateful for.

(1)  I'm grateful that it is now okay to use the preposition "for" at the end of a sentence.

So I think I'll list a few things for which I am grateful.  (See?  I can also write a sentence the way my teachers taught me.)

(2)  I'm grateful for teachers.

(3)  I'm also grateful that some things change, like how we use words.

(4)  I'm grateful for my friends, even those I've never met (in person, anyway).

Have you read what I have at the bottom of my right sidebar?  "You might be a book blogger if you've never met some of your closest friends."  For example, I've never met Helen of Helen's Book Blog, but I know her and her family, in a way.  Are you one of my book blogger friends?

Two waterfalls

I have been comparing waterfalls with Helen of Helen's Book Blog.  She visited New York's Taughannock Falls recently (photo above), and I visited Tennessee's Fall Creek Falls many times when I was younger (photo below).

Here are the statistics we found:

1. Taughannock Falls = 215 feet, the tallest single drop waterfall east of the Rockies.
2. Fall Creek Falls = 256 feet, one of the highest waterfalls in the eastern United States.

Both of these waterfalls are impressive.  You can find more information on the websites of Taughannock Falls State Park and Fall Creek Falls State Park.

Bonus third waterfall

Angel Falls in southeastern Venezuela drops 3,212 feet and is 500 feet wide at the base of a flat-topped plateau called Devils Mountain.  Because a dense jungle surrounds the falls, they are best seen from the air.  Helen, this one dwarfs our two little waterfalls!

Thinking about tigers, Chinese style

Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life ~ by Alice Wong, 2022, memoir, 402 pages

In Chinese culture, the tiger is revered for its confidence, passion, ambition, and ferocity.  Alice Wong has that same fighting spirit.  She draws on a collection of original essays, previously published work, conversations, graphics, photos, commissioned art by disabled and Asian American artists, and more, Alice Wong uses her unique talent to share an impressionistic scrapbook of her life as an Asian American disabled activist, community organizer, media maker, and dreamer.  From her love of food and pop culture to her unwavering commitment to dismantling systemic ableism, she shares her thoughts on creativity, access, power, care, the pandemic, mortality, and the future.  As a self-described disabled oracle, Alice traces her origins, tells her story, and creates a space for disabled people to be in conversation with one another and the world.  Filled with wit, joy, and rage, her Year of the Tiger will galvanize readers with big cat energy.

Two of my best friends ever were both born in the Chinese Year of the Tiger:  Jane in 1926 and Donna in 1950.  Unfortunately for me — "fortune" cookies, notwithstanding — both have died, but they live on in my memories.

Now that Helen of Helen's Book Blog has made me aware of this book, I've put it on reserve at my library.  Helen and commenters on Amazon rate it highly.

A novel idea, continued

What happened to our novel idea from last Sunday?  Four people commented:

Mark said:  "The biggest question I have is what genre is our character in.  That's going to determine who they are and what drives me.  I usually read mysteries, so the biggest driver there is wanting to make sure that justice is done.  Quite often that includes clearing a personal friend who is a suspect.

Deb said:  "I'd recommend choosing a character who is like you, but is a better or worse version of you.  Or I'd choose a character who is based on someone you have met in your life who you found intriguing."

Shelleyrae said:  "Hmm…revenge is always a good motivator, or perhaps atonement."

Helen said:  "The main character should have a cat who is almost a character in itself.  Perhaps the main character is animal-driven (think crime or murder at the local ASPCA)."

So Mark and Shelleyrae and Helen seem to lean toward making this a mystery or thriller, but after reading several of the cozy mysteries on my friend Donna's Kindle, that doesn't interest me.  If the main character is like me (as Deb suggested), she isn't into murder and mayhem.  My "problems" are more mundane, like how to get through this week.  Or even how to get through today!

  

I notice that Helen says that "the main character should have a cat."  She's been reading my blog so long that she probably remembers Kiki (on the right), the cat I had before my little black cat, Clawdia.  Excellent idea, Helen!

If every end is a new beginning, let's incorporate that into our novel.  What has ended, and what is beginning for our protagonist?  As you make suggestions, remember that what I want to compose is a literary novel — not a cozy mystery or thriller or romance novel.  So what is literary fiction?  It does not fit neatly into an established genre, but is character-driven rather than plot-driven.  It examines the human condition, someone said.  Let's do that.

So here's what I think so far.  The characters are BJ (that would be me, though "I" need a name in my novel) and her best friend DC (Donna also needs another name).  Let's call them Betsy and Diane.  Betsy has a cat; what shall we call her?  The cat, I mean.

Now let's decide this:  What are Betsy's goals, and what would she risk losing if she is unable to meet those goals?

The Cruelest Month ~ by Aaron Stander, 2012, thriller, 262 pages

This book I'm reading now has a dog in it named Roxy, but no cats that I know of.  I'm having a hard time getting into this book and have to keep starting over, because I forget what I read yesterday.  I may abandon it.  Maybe it's more fun to write a novel than to read one.  Yay!

By the way, that photo at the top shows A Novel Idea, a bookstore in North Chattanooga that sold used books.  I worked at A Novel Idea for a short time before Donna and I opened Book Buddies, a bookstore several miles north of there in Red Bank, Tennessee.

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

Thursday thoughts

Light has no shadow.  I've been thinking about odd things today, I guess.  But also, I've been enjoying friendships I've made here at the Crown Center where I live.  I went down to our Circle@Crown Café for breakfast and chatted with Kari, Judy, Melvin, Alyssa, Iva, and Brenda.  I've been reading devotional essays by Joan Uda and thinking about calling Joan to talk about some of what she wrote.  She lives in Montana now (again), near two of her children.  When I met her, she was living in the apartments next door to the Crown Center, which is maybe half a mile from the home of one of her daughters.

Helen of Helen's Book Blog once asked me how I met so many authors.  Well, Helen, it helps to live near one and have the secretary of the church I'd been attending call to ask if I'd give a neighbor a ride to church.  Joan didn't have her car here, having flown in to bring her husband for specialized medical care in St. Louis.  After he died, she moved back to Montana, but we remained friends.  I flew to Montana in 2019 with her daughter and son-in-law, who took me with them to surprise Joan on her 80th birthday.  I've also had fun meeting other book bloggers.  So Helen, if you ever "drop by" St. Louis in your travels, let me know and we can meet at the airport or my place or somewhere.

I'll leave you with a laugh:

Action for Happiness ~ the app

At the beginning of each month for years, I've been posting the calendars from the Action for Happiness folks.  This month has been Self-Care September, and today's "action" is the one shown in the illustration above.  I'm showing it today because I just downloaded the free app for my iPhone.  I knew Helen of Helen's Book Blog was getting the daily notifications, and I don't know why I didn't go ahead and get it for myself.  Anyway, the October calendar is now waiting to go online here after midnight tomorrow night.  Be sure to take a look at it on Friday.

September 26 to October 2 is Banned Books Week

I forgot to include Banned Book Week in yesterday's post, but the week is still new.  Here are the top ten most banned books:

1. George ~ by Alex Gino.  Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting "the values of our community."
2. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You ~ by Ibram X. Kendi and
   Jason Reynolds.  Banned and challenged because of the author’s public statements and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people.
3. All American Boys ~ by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely.  Banned and challenged for profanity, drug use, and alcoholism and because it was thought to promote antipolice views, contain divisive topics, and be "too much of a sensitive matter right now."
4. Speak ~ by Laurie Halse Anderson.  Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint, it was claimed to be biased against male students, and it included rape and profanity.
5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian ~ by Sherman Alexie.  Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and allegations of sexual misconduct on the part of the author.
6. Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story about Racial Injustice ~ by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin.  Challenged for "divisive language" and because it was thought to promote anti-police views.
7. To Kill a Mockingbird ~ by Harper Lee.  Banned and challenged for racial slurs and their negative effect on students, featuring a "white savior" character, and its perception of the Black experience.
8. Of Mice and Men ~ by John Steinbeck.  Banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist stereotypes and their negative effect on students.
9. The Bluest Eye ~ by Toni Morrison.  Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and depicts child sexual abuse.
10. The Hate U Give ~ by Angie Thomas.  Challenged for profanity, and because it was thought to promote an anti-police message.

Helen of Helen's Book Blog wrote:  "If you're really into lists, check out the 100 most challenged books by decade (1990-1999, 2000-2009, and 2010-2019).  When I scan the list, I am stunned by the incredible literature that is included."  Thanks, Helen, for reminding me that it's Banned Books Week.

Silly and fun and serious

I found this YouTube video on Helen's Book Blog, and she mentioned Ann of My Head is Full of Books.  I suggest you go read Ann's Sunday Salon post for today and enjoy the cartoons.  My favorite is a TV personality:  "I'm sending in troops."  TV viewer:  "Interesting reelection strategy, invading your own country."

WindowSwap

If you've been reading my blog, you know I've been fascinated with WindowSwap since I found it on Tuesday.  Down in the bottom left corner of their page is a link to what WindowSwap is all about:

"Let's face it.  We are all stuck indoors.  And it's going to be a while till we travel again.  Window Swap is here to fill that deep void in our wanderlust hearts by allowing us to look through someone else's window, somewhere in the world, for a while.  A place on the internet where all we travel hungry fools share our 'window views' to help each other feel a little bit better till we can (responsibly) explore our beautiful planet again."

Click to enlarge the image

Where did you "visit" today?  I "traveled" via WindowSwap to...

Andreas's window in Lucerne, Switzerland, which looks out over the water and the mountains in the distance.

Obviously, this aerial view is NOT from Andreas's window.  However, it does help me to imagine myself in Lucerne.  Click on the link, if you want to "open a new window somewhere in the world" using WindowSwap.  If you want to learn more about how WindowSwap got started, here's an article posted nine days ago.  I learned it was "created by Sonali Ranjit and her husband Vaishnav Balasubramaniam, two advertising creatives based in Singapore."

It's Time

There are a lot of things that are long overdue.  We've been hearing about them for ages, and Daily Kos made a list of things that are long overdue.

Weather

We are still under a heat advisory in St. Louis.  Yesterday, it was 92° and felt like 105° Fahrenheit.  Humidity was 61%, so it was muggy.  And it's supposed to be more of the same today.

Blogging, getting outside, and looking at swag

Today, Google posted this image.  When I scrolled over it, these words appeared:

Stay Home.  Save Lives : Help Stop Coronavirus

Look at the letters.  The first G is reading a book.  The two Os are making music, one singing and the other playing the guitar.  The second G is talking on a cellphone with the final E, and the L between them is exercising with two weights.  Thanks, Google.  What are YOU doing to keep busy and/or entertain yourself?

GETTING OUTSIDE

At 2:00, the temps here in St. Louis reached 73, so I opened the windows for Clawdia (and me).  She jumped up on the windowsill to look down at the budding trees below our windows, and I went to shower (finally, in mid-afternoon) so I could take her out for a breath of fresh air and a walk in the grass.

DR. FAUCI SWAG

No, really!  You can now buy Dr. Anthony Fauci swag, like mugs, socks, fan club buttons, lawn signs, candles, cushions, and tee-shirts.  Fauci is now saying he doesn't know why the United States hasn’t instituted a nation-wide stay-at-home order amid the spread of COVID-19.

VIRUS ECONOMICS

"Virus economics" is a term I heard today, uttered by Austan Goolsbee on CNN.  He's an economics professor, who says (I'm paraphrasing), "We have to fix the virus problem before we can fix the economics problem."  I don't have to tell you how many people have suddenly lost their jobs because we're staying home and not shopping and traveling and meeting in large groups.  We are all either feeling lost in the middle of so many changes or feeling that lots of folks around us THINK they are experts.  Let's listen to the experts.

CONNECTING

The lobby in my building is now COMPLETELY empty, unlike the day I discovered the "shocking" almost-empty lobby a couple of weeks ago and took a photo.  Instead of two chairs and a few table, there are no pieces of furniture at all except the little table with hand sanitizer and a lamp on it.

So now we call each other.  My neighbor Faye came home from the hospital Wednesday, so I called her yesterday and talked for almost half an hour.  Tiny, Susan, and Pamela called me, and I called to wish David and Sharon a happy anniversary yesterday.  I read what a neighbor has written on her Beverly's Notebook blog (she's not as wordy as I am), and showed Helen how to solve the visual puzzle I'd posted (click the link to do it yourself or read the comments for the long, convulated way to get the right answer).

I've been in touch with several people on Facebook and by texting, like Rosy and Lauree, who sent pictures of her cats.  While I was typing this, I got a text from Sharon down the hall:

"Fresh cornbread outside your door."

And it was still warm!  I ate it immediately, with a glass of good cold milk.  Clawdia thought I should share, until I put a crumb in front of her and she changed her mind.  She was trying to take a bite (or maybe just sniff) before she noticed the camera aimed at her.

Where is your happy place?

Today, Helen asks, "Where is your happy place?"  Hers is her front garden, where a "pink bougainvillea was showing through the only tree whose leaves change color."  I love trees and have had favorite trees wherever I've lived.  Click the link to read about oak trees, an elm, a plum tree, a pecan tree, a dogwood climbing tree, a Japanese cherry tree, maples, magnolias, an ornamental cherry tree, a hickory tree, and crepe myrtles.

The yellow tree above is new since I moved in here in 2014, but it's beautiful.  My kitchen window is on the sixth floor, just above the green tree (and the two windows) in the left column.  That means I can see this little tree when I glance out.

This beautiful tree is on the opposite (west) side of the building.  The photo is obviously from the spring.  I snapped this one near our gazebo in April 2017.  I guess what I'm saying is that my happy place is where I can enjoy green growing things.  Hmm, and at this point in my life, I think my happy place is living here at the Crown Center.

Now tell me, where is YOUR happy place?

Monday Mindfulness ~ happiness report

Click to enlarge calendar

Second week of a new year, so it's time to pull up another seven days from the Happiness Calendar (see below).

Jan. 8 ~ Go to bed an hour earlier than normal.
Jan. 9 ~ Take ten minutes to sit still and just breathe.
Jan. 10 ~ Use one of your personal strengths in a new way.
Jan. 11 ~ Learn something new, and share it with others.
Jan. 12 ~ Ask other people about things they've enjoyed recently.
Jan. 13 ~ Thank three people you're grateful to, and tell them why.
Jan. 14 ~ Get back in touch with an old friend you miss.

I'm planning to "go to bed an hour earlier" tonight, mostly because it's been a busy few days and I'm tired.  I think I'll also find time, tomorrow, to "sit still and just breathe" as I think about happiness in the world and in my own life.

Happiness Report

At the end of last week (in other words, yesterday), Deb and Helen and I had a sort of conversation on our various blogs.

• Deb left a message on Helen's blog thanking her for sharing the January 2018 Happiness Calendar.
• I commented on Deb's blog, saying, "I love it!  You got the Happy New Year Calendar from Helen, and she got it from me.  So we'll be doing it together, in a sense."
• Deb came over and commented on my blog post:  "I love it!  I got it from Helen, and Helen got it from you, and you got it from Jan .... happier and happier!"

Happiness is spreading.  Can you feel it?

Sunday Salon ~ science and books

Science

My book blogger friend Helen marched for science on Earth Day, holding a sign that says:

Science, not ignorance

Click to enlarge the photo and see the yellow sign in the middle:

Science, not silence

And the white sign in the middle:

Defiance for science

Under Helen's sign I can read one that says, "Bill Nye is my Hero!"  Good for you, Helen and everyone else who marched that day!

Books

Books I've completed since my last Sunday Salon post three weeks ago:

32.  Stuffocation: Why We've Had Enough of Stuff and Need Experience More Than Ever ~ by James Wallman, 2013, economics, 7/10

"The runaway success of consumerism is now not only causing what may be irreversible climate change, for instance, but also, which is perhaps worse, the greatest extinction of plant and animal species since the dinosaurs died out" (loc. 764).

33.  As the Poppies Bloomed: A Novel of Love in a Time of Fear ~ by Maral Boyadjian, 2015, fiction (Turkey/Anatolia), 9/10

"The Turkish government had separate laws for the Christian citizens than for the Muslim" (p. 15).

34.  Daddy's Girl ~ by Lisa Scottoline, 2007, fiction (Pennsylvania), 9/10

"They're law students.  They should be interested in justice."  "No, they're interested in law, and there's a difference" (p. 10).

35.  A Weekend Getaway ~ by Karen Lenfestey, 2014, fiction (Indiana), 9/10

"You need to balance planning for tomorrow with enjoying what today has to offer" (p. 283).

36.  The Other Queen ~ by Philippa Gregory, 2008, fiction (Great Britain), 9/10

"She [Queen Elizabeth I] and her archadvisor Cecil have such suspicious, embittered minds that they have imagined their own undoing and so brought it about.  Like fearful, suspicious people always do, they have dreamed the worst and made it real" (p. 157).

"How can we have fallen so quickly into such suspicion and fear?" (p. 396).

37.  The Muralist ~ by B. A. Shapiro, 2015, fiction (the United States and France), 9/10

"Alizée taught me that just because there aren't any objects in a painting, that doesn't mean there isn't a subject.  She said you're not supposed to recognize what's in it as much as feel the artist's emotion" (p. 302).

38.  The Chamberlain Key: Unlocking the God Code to Reveal Divine Messages Hidden in the Bible ~ by Timothy P. Smith, 2017, religion, 8/10

"...Genesis 30:20-23 ... was the only place in the Scriptures that displayed a highly improbable biographical connection to me and my family (my father having six sons and a daughter and I also having six sons and a daughter)" (p. 183).

"When some Jewish communities in Europe were compelled to convert their synagogues into Catholic churches during the Inquisition, they replaced the Torah ark with a statue of the Virgin Mary to represent the ark, or physical vessel, of the Word of God" (p. 204).

Bloggers gather in the Sunday Salon — at separate computers in different time zones — to talk about our lives and our reading.