Hygge Holiday Challenge

Hygge Holiday Challenge:
Since I just learned about this minutes ago, I'm already behind with this challenge.  But ... and this is important ... I'm smiling because this seems like a way to be loving to myself.  First, I need to run over to the University City Library and get this book:

The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living ~ by Meik Wiking, 2017, psychology

Embrace Hygge (pronounced Hoo-ga) and become happier with this definitive guide to the Danish philosophy of comfort, togetherness, and well-being.  Why are Danes the happiest people in the world?  According to Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, the answer is Hygge.  Loosely translated, Hygge is a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being.  "Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience," Wiking says.  "It is about being with the people we love.  A feeling of home.  A feeling that we are safe."  Hygge is the sensation you get when you’re cuddled up on a sofa, in cozy socks under a soft throw, during a storm.  It’s that feeling when you’re sharing comfort food and easy conversation with loved ones at a candlelit table.  It is the warmth of morning light shining just right on a crisp blue-sky day.  This book introduces you to this cornerstone of Danish life, and offers advice and ideas on incorporating it into your own life, such as:

Take a break.
Be here now.
Turn off the phones.
Turn down the lights.
Bring out the candles.
Build relationships.
Spend time with your tribe.
Give yourself a break from the demands of healthy living.
Cake is most definitely Hygge.
Live life today, like there is no coffee tomorrow.
Get comfy.

From picking the right lighting to organizing a Hygge get-together to dressing hygge, Wiking shows you how to experience more joy and contentment the Danish way.

I googled the word Hygge and got this, which seems to contradict the book cover (hoo-ga):

"Hygge (pronounced hue-guh not hoo-gah) is a Danish word used when acknowledging a feeling or moment, whether alone or with friends, at home or out, ordinary or extraordinary as cosy, charming or special."

I'm so ready to try something like this.  My version of the rules is to do the things on the list that fit me and my life.

1.  I'm willing to "start a gratitude list," but not "turn off the phone before bed."  Why?  Because I'm retired and live with other retirees, some of whom count on me to be there for them (even in the middle of the night) if they are having a bad reaction to a medication with the room whirling around or if they need me to drive them to the emergency room in the middle of the night.

2.  For the same reason, I'm willing to "go for a 30-minute walk" ― hey, it's on my agenda anyway ― but not "w/o phone."  My mobile phone is always in my pocket, in case I need assistance or someone to come get me.  Yes, I understand why this may work for young folks, but I'm 77 years old.

3.  I won't "invest in a cozy sweater" because I have enough sweaters to last the rest of my life.

4.  "Have a dance party"?  Hmm, I'll have to think about how to adapt that, like maybe dancing around my apartment by myself.  Or maybe I'll "party" by inviting a couple of friends to go out to eat together, letting our words dance all over the table.

5.  If the suggestions don't work on the day suggested, I'll shuffle them around and do what I can when I can.

Anyway, here's to having a fun December doing things suggested by or dreamed up because of Albie's list above and her "How to Hygge for the Holidays."  Thanks, Albie!

Beginning ~ with how to pronounce Hygge

The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living ~ by Meik Wiking, 2017

Hooga?  Hhyooguh?  Heurgh?  It is not important how you choose to pronounce or even spell hygge.  To paraphrase one of the greatest philosophers of our time — Winnie-the-Pooh — when asked how to spell a certain emotion, "You don't spell it, you feel it."

However, spelling and pronouncing hygge is the easy part.  Explaining exactly what it is, that's the tricky part.  Hygge has been called everything from "the art of creating intimacy," "coziness of the soul," and "the absence of annoyance," to "taking pleasure from the presence of soothing things," "cozy togetherness," and my personal favorite, "cocoa by candlelight."

I've already started reading this book and applying what I've learned to living a more cozy life.  I've even taken on what one person is calling the Hygge Holiday Challenge.  Click on that link to read what I wrote on Tuesday about that challenge and what hygge is all about.  Just to intrigue you a bit more, the image above shows not only the book's cover (front and back, with the author's photo) but also a pair of warm, cozy socks.  Yes, new socks.  Let me quote from a later chapter in the book:

"Ally yourself with a nice pair of woolen socks as a hygge insurance" (p. 85).

No, I haven't gotten that far in the book yet, but I have figured out how socks and candlelight and my favorite tea help make my life more ... hyggeligt ... more cozy.  I'm hooked.

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays. Click here for today's Mister Linky.

Hygge Holiday Challenge

Meik Wiking, author of The Little Book of Hygge, which I read in 2017, says hygge has been called all these things, among others:

• the art of creating intimacy
• coziness of the soul
• the absence of annoyance
• taking pleasure from the presence of soothing things
• cozy togetherness
• cocoa by candlelight

Let's take the Hygge challenge, shall we?  Here's what's on the list in the illustration above, plus a few others I've found:

1. Take a break.
2. Be here now.
3. Turn off your phone.
4. Turn down the lights.
5. Bring out the candles.
6. Build relationships.
7. Spend time with your tribe.
8. Give yourself a break from the demands of healthy living.
9. Cake is most definitely Hygge.
10. Live life today, like there is no coffee tomorrow.
11. Get comfy.
12. Start a gratitude list.
13. Add relaxing scents.
14. Sleep in for 15 minutes or more.
15. Learn a new skill. 
16. Turn off the phone before bed.
17. Send a thank-you note.
18. Have a candlelight dinner.
19. Go for a 30-minute walk without your phone.
20. Cozy up with a new book.
21. Have a tech-free evening.
22. Invest in a cozy sweater.
23. Go on a coffee date in real life.
24. Add some greenery.
25. Cook a new recipe with family.
26. Have a game night.
27. Treat yourself to an at-home spa day. 
28. Make a new friend.
29. Let in natural light.
30. Enjoy some hot cocoa or tea.
31. Bake your favorite holiday treat.
32. Get cozy and watch your favorite movie.
33. Have a dance party.
34. Pray, meditate, or just breathe.
35. Give yourself a break.
36. "Unbook" yourself.

I put "unbook yourself" last so I could show it with this shirt that says, "I can't.  I'm booked."  I inherited Donna's shirt when she died.  I was wearing it this week in our Circle@Crown Café downstairs when Melvin looked puzzled and said, "I don't get it."  In my case, "I'm booked" means that "I'm reading another book; so whatever it is that you want me to do, I can't do it because I am busy reading."  Suddenly, Melvin got the joke and laughed.  He is also a big reader and usually has a book with him in the Café, just in case there's nobody around to chat with.  Be sure to notice that #20 on the list above says:  "Cozy up with a new book."  Heck, it doesn't even have to be new.  It's also fun to re-read old favorites.

Anyway, adapting these lists is the key to making this work for us, so pick and choose what works for you and whatever seems comfy and cozy and makes you smile.  It's okay to repeat any of these that make YOU feel good.  I'll end by quoting the author of that book I read:

"Cuddling pets has the same effect as cuddling another person ― we feel loved, warm, and safe, which are three key words in the concept of hygge."

― from The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking (page 41)

Hygge Holiday Challenge ~ third update

Dec. 15 ~ make a new friend

This one was easy-peasy.  I found a new friend named Amy on Facebook and got to know her.  She lives in North Carolina, so I haven't met her face-to-face.  On a slow day, I also got to know Sue in the Circle@Crown Café and "friended" her on Facebook.  Two new friends!

Dec. 16 ~ treat yourself to an at-home spa day

Two quotes from Albie, who came up with this Hygge Challenge:  "keep calm and spa on" and "a cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind."  When I think of "spa," I think of a hot tub.  Or hot water in my bathtub at home.  So I filled my tub with warm water, lit a candle, and read a book while adding more hot water whenever it cooled off.  I also did a bit toward a less cluttered space by sorting another box or two of "stuff" I need to get rid of.  (Yay, me!)

Dec. 17 ~ enjoy some hot cocoa or tea

I had hot chocolate at the party for Crown Center volunteers.  I'm weird — I asked them to leave off the whipped cream.  (I volunteer as an "ambassador" for new residents, and I re-shelve books in our little library.)  Another time, I had tea with someone who couldn't understand why I let it cool, but I don't like tea to burn my tongue.

Dec. 18 ~ cook a new recipe with family

I live alone, unless you want to call Clawdia my family.  Her idea of food is "hurry up and open that can of salmon paté!"  New recipe?  Okay, the grocery store was out of one of her favorites in the Friskies brand, so I got her the Fancy Feast tender liver and chicken feast classic.  She gobbled it down.  Does that count as a new recipe?

Dec. 19 ~ get cozy and watch your fav movie

Now, see, this is the sort of thing that derails me.  Having to watch a movie is not hygge to me.  I'd rather read.  I prefer the movies in my mind as I read a good book.  Nope, not interested.  This month, I returned to the fictional Mitford with Jan Karon's Father Tim.

Dec. 20 ~ have a game night

Donna and I decided to play Scrabble and invited a couple of other residents of the Crown Center.  Not as "hygge" as we had expected, since the other two are SERIOUS about this game and don't waste time thinking about their next move.  Donna and I tend to laugh and talk and enjoy the game.

Dec. 21 ~ let in natural light

Every morning, Clawdia runs to watch me open the blinds and "let in natural light."  Mostly, she wants to see if that sunny white spot comes in so she can chase it.  Imagine this:  turning and turning my wrist so the spot "runs" across the floor and up the wall, with Clawdia turning on a dime to catch it.  Can you imagine such fun?

Dec. 22 ~ have a dance party

Only in my mind.  I do regularly get together with a friend or two and eat together.  Close enough for elderly women?

Dec. 23 ~ bake your fav holiday treat

I got all the ingredients to make "daisies" for friends, but still I procrastinated.  I never did get those daisies made and put inside tin gift boxes for a few friends living here at the Crown Center.  I taught Varvacille how to make a large Daisy three years ago.

Dec. 24 ~ pray, meditate, or just breathe

Probably none of these happened on the date chosen by Albie for us to do these things, but I can say that breathing in and out — in through the nose and out through the mouth — in through the nose and out through the mouth — happened consciously when I started exercising with Risé in the fitness center.

Dec. 25 ~ It's Christmas!  Give yourself a break!

Done!  I was supposed to take Barbara out to eat that day, but her back pain scotched that.  Today, we had lunch together at her table at home.  Whenever she feels up to it, we'll go out to eat.

The challenge
Click this link to see the complete Hygge Holiday Challenge calendar.

Update 1-2-18:  There's a different Hygge Challenge found by Barbara, my friend who wasn't up to eating out on Christmas Day.  Click the link to watch the video.

Hygge Holiday Challenge ~ first update

Dec. 1 ~ start a gratitude list

• Three children ~ Barbara, Sandra, and David.
• Seven grandchildren ~ Kendall, Cali, Brandy, Kenzie, Chase, Jamey, and Cady.
• Six great-grandchildren ~ Raegan, Jaxon, Shelby, Jonathan, Micah, and Shiloh.

Dec. 2 ~ add relaxing scents

I lit a vanilla-scented candle and bought a new hand soap scented with coconut water and mango to use in the kitchen.  I'm already using hand soap in the bathroom that's lavender-scented.

Dec. 3 ~ more gratitude

Since I'm retired, the challenge on the list makes no sense for me:  "sleep in 15 mins or more."  I can do that any day.  Instead, I'll add to my gratitude list.

Randi Schenberg

I'm very grateful for the Crown Center for Senior Living for being the great place for active retirees that it is.  That means being thankful for the wonderful people on the staff and the board.  Randi Schenberg, the Community Relations Director, was the first person I met at the Crown Center, when I applied to live here.  In February, Randi was given the 2017 JProStl Pillar Award, and I posted a 2-minute video about it on this blog.  Thanks, Randi, for your smiles and all you do for the Crown Center!

Dec. 4 ~ learn a new skill

I'm still trying to learn how to operate my new computer.  I've been very annoyed trying to use Windows 10.  Oops!  Being annoyed is not very "hyggeligt" ― it doesn't create a cozy environment.  I'll get someone to help me with the new laptop, but not today.  I'm going to get comfy, instead, and read a book.

Dec. 5 ~ get the Hygge book

I went to the University City Library and got a copy of The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking.  Loosely translated, hygge is a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being.  It's about an atmosphere and an experience, like being cuddled up on a sofa, wearing cozy socks, and covered by a soft throw during a storm.  And don't forget to light a candle or two.

Dec. 6 ~ "unbook" yourself

Too late!  I had already agreed to drive my friend Barbara somewhere today.  Watching her enjoy old friendships was also joyful for me, so it worked out perfectly.  On our way back home, we stopped at the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions for Barbara and for another Crown Center resident, since we were going there anyway.  She and I also had lunch together in the Circle@Crown Café and visited with several people, including Judy and Marianne.

Dec. 7 ~ send a thank you note

I looked through my cards and found this one that says "Thoughts of you..." on the front and on the inside "...are the happiest kind!"  Who and why shall remain between the recipient and me, but the card is on its way.

The challenge
Click this link to see the complete Hygge Holiday Challenge calendar.

Hygge Holiday Challenge ~ second update

Dec. 8 ~ have a candlelight dinner

I call this meal "chicken by candlelight" because I remembered at the last minute to light a candle
for this challenge.  Eating by candlelight doesn't feel more hyggeligt to me, but more like remembering an assignment.  Chatting with a friend is what I enjoyed.

Dec. 9 ~ have a tech-free evening

How about simply "have fun opening a small gift bag" I was given?  The leaders of our two "Life Transitions" groups got us together this week to talk about whether (and how) we should continue as support for each other.  At the end of our session, we received gifts from young people at a local synagogue.  I say "young people" because I don't know if they are seven or seventeen.  Each gift bag included:

• warm knit gloves (mine are purple),
• a pocket-sized packet of tissues,
• five cough drops,
• lip balm (mine is watermelon flavored),
• two Newman's Own tea bags that say on one side "keep calm and brew tea."
• a folded half-page-sized note, each one different.

My note says:  "Hope you have a warm winter! — Lauren."
Thank you, Lauren!  She didn't know about my Hygge Challenge,
but how's that for a cozy hygge gift?

Dec. 10 ~ add some greenery

Okay, but first I'll add to my gratitude list.  I'm grateful for friends, old and new, and that includes my furry friend, Clawdia.  This photo shows her inspecting the crinkly white paper on Tiny's door and sniffing those peppermint candy canes.  When Tiny's phone quit working, she came to our door just down the hall to borrow my phone to call her daughter.  When she left, Clawdia hurried along with her because Tiny is one of Clawdia's best friends.  I told Tiny I needed to shower to take a neighbor shopping and didn't have time for visiting, but she let Clawdia go home with her for a visit anyway.  I was still getting ready when my hall door opened and Tiny announced, "She's home!"  Not just every cat has her very own friends.

Now for the greenery.   I have re-seeded Clawdia's kitty garden with a mixture of barley, rye, oats, and wheat.  It sprouts in four to six days.  I got it for her when she started nibbling my green plants, some of which could kill her.  It's been several weeks since she had any grass of her own, like in this photo that I've posted before, and she really loves it.  So that's my added greenery for December, which will go back on the floor in the kitchen, once some sprouts get a few inches tall.

Dec. 11 ~ invest in a cozy sweater

I'm retired with enough cozy sweaters to last the rest of my life, so instead I invested in some soft, fuzzy, warm, and cozy socks.  These are on sale right now, which makes me even happier.

Dec. 12 ~ go for a 30-minute walk

I'm behind in the walking and exercising I intended to do this month, but I've been doing some of both.  One of my neighbors goes to an indoor gym for walking and promised to take me next time she goes.  It's too windy and cold to do a lot of walking in St. Louis weather right now, and the fitness center in our building has machines, but no place indoors for serious, intentional walking.  Going with that friend means another opportunity to socialize.

Dec. 13 ~ go on a coffee date in real life

I interpreted this as going out to eat with a friend, when Evelyn and I decided to go to Dewey's.  Here's the pizza we shared, her side with sausage and artichokes and mine with feta cheese and Greek veggies.  No coffee for us, though.  I had my usual iced tea, and Evelyn had a Coke.

Dec. 14 ~ cozy up with a new book

This is the day library books are delivered to the Crown Center, and I got Grief Cottage by Gail Godwin.  Click the link to read what I wrote about the book.  I started reading it today, curled up in my recliner.

The challenge
Click this link to see the complete Hygge Holiday Challenge calendar.

Sunday Salon ~ hygge, books, and a calendar

"Cuddling pets has the same effect as cuddling another person ― we feel loved, warm, and safe, which are three key words in the concept of hygge." ― from The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking, page 41

BOOKS ~ added to my Kindle

The Dream of God: A Call to Return ~ by Verna J. Dozier, 2006

Ch. 1 ~ The Dream of God
Ch. 2 ~ The Biblical Story
Ch. 3 ~ The Rejection of the Dream
Ch. 4 ~ The Temptations of the Church
Ch. 5 ~ The Persistence of the Dream

Again and again the Christian church has fallen away from the dream God has for it, a dream in which we are called to follow Jesus and not merely to worship him.

The Daughter ~ by Lucy Dawson, 2017, psychological thriller

Seventeen years ago, something happened to Jess’s daughter Beth.  The memory of it still makes her blood run cold.  Jess has tried everything to make peace with that day, and the part she played in what happened.  It was only a brief moment of desire, but she’ll pay for it with a lifetime of guilt.

To distance herself from the mistakes of the past, Jess has moved away and started over with her family.  But when terrifying things begin happening in her new home, Jess knows that her past has finally caught up with her.  Somebody feels Jess hasn’t paid enough, and is determined to make her suffer for the secrets she’s kept all these years.

In the Beginning...: Science Faces God in the Book of Genesis ~ by Isaac Asimov, 1981

In our Western civilization, there are two influential accounts of beginnings and the origin of life.  One is the Biblical account, compiled more than two thousand years ago by Judean writers who based much of their thinking on the Babylonian astronomical lore of the day.  The other is the account of modern science, which has built up a coherent picture of how it all began.  Both represent the best thinking of their times, and in this line-by-line annotation of the first eleven chapters of Genesis, Isaac Asimov even-handedly compares the two accounts, pointing out where they are similar and where they are different.  Asimov says if the Biblical writers "had written those early chapters of Genesis knowing what we know today, we can be certain that they would have written it completely differently."

Youth ~ by Isaac Asimov, 1952, short fiction

This novelette first appeared in the May 1952 issue of Space Science Fiction.  It's one of the rare Asimov stories with alien characters.

CALENDAR

Click to enlarge the Friendly February calendar

I'm a bit late getting this calendar posted because I only found it this morning.  Here are the first four days of the month, and I'll post the coming week tomorrow.

Feb. 1 ~ Send someone a message to say how much they mean to you.
Feb. 2 ~ Ask a friend what good things have happened to them recently.
Feb. 3 ~ Be gentle with someone you feel inclined to criticize.
Feb. 4 ~ Get in touch with an old friend you've not seen in awhile.

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

New words added to the dictionary

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Merriam-Webster made more words official by adding them to the dictionary in October 2021 and in January 2021.  I'm sharing a dozen of the words (in no particular order) because they made me think.  The first three are from the deadly virus that taught us all the word pandemic and changed our world in 2020.

• vaccine passport = a physical or digital document providing proof of vaccination against an infectious disease such as COVID-19.  I keep my vaccination record card in a safe place and also photographed it so a picture of it is in my phone, in case I need it.
• long COVID = a condition that is marked by the presence of symptoms (such as fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, headache, or brain fog) which persist for an extended period of time (such as weeks or months) following a person's initial recovery from COVID-19 infection.
• long hauler = a person who experiences one or more long-term effects following initial improvement or recovery from a serious illness such as COVID-19.
• TBH = abbreviation for "To Be Honest," used in text messages.
• dad bod = a physique regarded as typical of an average father, especially one that is slightly overweight and not extremely muscular.
• folx = folks, used especially to explicitly signal the inclusion of groups commonly marginalized.
• doorbell camera = a small camera that is designed for use on an exterior door, that includes or connects to a doorbell, and that often has a built-in microphone and speaker.
• crowdfunding = the practice of obtaining needed funding (as for a new business or to pay for medical expenses) by soliciting contributions from a large number of people, especially from the online community.
• BIPOC = abbreviation for "Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color," used in text messages.
• prison industrial complex = the profit-driven relationship between the government, the private companies that build, manage, supply, and service prisons, and related groups (such as prison industry unions and lobbyists) regarded as the cause of increased incarceration rates (especially of poor people and minorities) and often for nonviolent crimes.
• silver fox = an attractive middle-aged man having mostly gray or white hair.
• hygge = a cozy quality that makes a person feel content and comfortable.  I wrote about hygge in 2017 when I read Meik Wiking's The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living.

This article and this one have a bunch more of the words, if you want to keep reading about new words in the dictionary.

Books I completed in 2017

The photo is from January 5, 2018, when the University City Library delivered books to Crown Center's home-bound readers late on a Friday.  A day late, and nobody knew the books were in.  So I loaded up all of the deliveries and took them to people in both buildings.  Otherwise, readers would have had to wait until the office opened again on Monday to get the books they wanted to read.  I parked my cart in the Crown Center library to take this photo after I had started distributing the bags of books.

1. Armstrong, Karen ~ Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths, 1997, history, 8/10
2. Benton, Lori ~ Burning Sky: A Novel of the American Frontier, 2013, fiction (New York), 9/10
3. Blume, Judy ~ Wifey, 1978 (introduction, 2004), fiction (New Jersey), nah
4. Boyadjian, Maral ~ As the Poppies Bloomed, 2015, fiction (Turkey/Anatolia), 9/10
5. Buehrens, John A. ~ Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals, 2003, religion, 7/10
6. Butala, Sharon ~ The Perfection of the Morning: An Apprenticeship in Nature, 1994, memoir (Saskatchewan), 9/10
7. Butler, Octavia E. ~ Dawn (Xenogenesis Trilogy Book One), 1987, science fiction, 7/10
8. Carroll, Lee, and Jan Tober ~ The Indigo Children: The New Kids Have Arrived, 1999, psychology, 8/10
9. Ceccaldi, Paula; Agnès Diricq; and Clémentine Bagieu ~ Stress: The Good and the Bad, 2001, health, 7/10
10. Chevalier, Tracy ~ The Virgin Blue, 1997, fiction (France), 8/10
11. Clinton, Chelsea, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger ~ She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World, 2017, children's, 10/10
12. Cosgrove, Stephen, illustrated by Robin James ~ Hucklebug, 1975, children's, 10/10
13. Crossan, John Dominic ~ The Greatest Prayer: Rediscovering the Revolutionary Message of the Lord's Prayer, 2010, religion, 9/10
14. Davidson, Robyn ~ Tracks: One Woman's Journey Across 1,700 Miles of Australian Outback, 1982, 2012, memoir (Australia), 8/10
15. DeCarlo, Melissa ~ The Art of Crash Landing, 2015, fiction (Oklahoma), 7/10
16. Downham, Jenny ~ Unbecoming, 2016, fiction, 8/10
17. Einhorn, Lena ~ A Shift in Time: How Historical Documents Reveal the Surprising Truth about Jesus, 2016, history, 8/10
18. Flagg, Fannie ~ The Whole Town's Talking, 2016, fiction (Missouri), 9/10
19. Folger, Franklin ~ Girls Will Be Girls, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, cartoons, 6/10
20. Forman, Gayle ~ Leave Me, 2016, fiction (Pennsylvania), 9/10
21. Gamble, Emelle ~ Secret Sister, 2013, fiction, 9/10
22. Gentry, Amy ~ Good as Gone, 2016, fiction, nah
23. Glickman, Mary ~ Marching to Zion, 2013, fiction (St. Louis), 6/10
24. Godwin, Gail ~ Flora, 2013, fiction (North Carolina), 9/10
25. Godwin, Gail ~ Grief Cottage, 2017, fiction (South Carolina), 6/10
26. Gordon, Noah ~ The Physician ~ by Noah Gordon, 1986, fiction, 9/10
27. Gowda, Shilpi Somaya ~ The Golden Son, 2016, fiction (India), 9/10
28. Grainger, Jean ~ The Tour: A Trip Through Ireland, 2013, fiction (Ireland), 9/10
29. Gregory, Philippa ~ The Other Queen, 2008, fiction (Great Britain), 9/10
30. Hegland, Jean ~ Still Time, 2015, fiction, 8/10
31. Hyde, Catherine Ryan ~ Ask Him Why, 2015, fiction, 8/10
32. Irving, Debby ~ Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race, 2014, race relations, 10/10
33. Johnson, F. Willis ~ Holding Up Your Corner: Talking about Race in Your Community, 2017, race relations, 9/10
34. Kaminsky, Leah ~ The Waiting Room, 2016, fiction (Israel), 8/10
35. Kanter, Trudi ~ Some Girls, Some Hats and Hitler: A True Love Story Rediscovered, 2012 (originally 1984), memoir, 9/10
36. Keene, Carolyn ~ The Scarlet Macaw Scandal (Nancy Drew #8), 2004, YA fiction (Costa Rica), 5/10
37. Lascelles, Christopher ~ A Short History of the World, 2011, history, 8/10
38. Lenfestey, Karen ~ A Weekend Getaway, 2014, fiction (Indiana), 9/10
39. Levy, Debbie, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley ~ I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark, 2016, children's biography, 9/10
40. Lippman, Laura ~ What the Dead Know, 2007, fiction (Maryland), 8/10
41. MacLean, Julianne ~ The Color of Hope, 2013, fiction (California and Massachusetts), 8/10
42. Mahood, Kenneth ~ Why Are There More Questions Than Answers, Grandad?, 1974, children's, 10/10
43. McCabe, Erin Lindsay ~ I Shall Be Near to You, 2014, fiction, 10/10
44. Meltzer, Brad ~ The Tenth Justice, 2011, fiction (Washington, DC), 8/10
45. Mitchell, Stephen ~ Tao Te Ching: A New English Version, 1988, religion, 9/10
46. Nagara, Innosanto ~ A is for Activist, 2013, children's, 9/10
47. Nović, Sara ~ Girl at War, 2015, fiction (Croatia), 8/10
48. Omotoso, Yewande ~ The Woman Next Door, 2016, fiction (South Africa), 5/10
49. Palacio, R. J. ~ Wonder, 2014, children's fiction, 10/10
50. Palmer, Martin ~ The Jesus Sutras: Rediscovering the Lost Scrolls of Taoist Christianity, 2001, religion, 8/10
51. Perks, Heidi ~ Beneath the Surface, 2016, fiction (England), 10/10
52. Phillips, Joanne ~ Keeping Sam, 2015, fiction (England), 8/10
53. Picoult, Jodi, and Samantha van Leer ~ Off the Page, 2015, fiction (New Hampshire), 8/10
54. Reardon, Bryan ~ Finding Jake, 2015, fiction (Delaware), 9/10
55. Reutlinger, Mark ~ A Pain in the Tuchis (A Mrs. Kaplan Mystery), 2015, mystery, 9/10
56. Richmond, Michelle ~ Golden State, 2014, fiction (California), 9/10
57. Roderick, A. G. ~ Two Tyrants: The Myth of a Two Party Government and the Liberation of the American Voter, 2015, politics, 9/10
58. Rowley, JB ~ Whisper My Secret: A Memoir, 2012, memoir (Australia), 8/10
59. Russo, Richard ~ That Old Cape Magic, 2009, fiction (Massachusetts and Maine), 8/10
60. Scottoline, Lisa ~ Daddy's Girl, 2007, fiction (Pennsylvania), 9/10
61. Shapiro, B. A. ~ The Muralist, 2015, fiction (the United States and France), 9/10
62. Sharfeddin, Heather ~ Windless Summer, 2009, fiction (Washington), 8/10
63. Smirnoff, Yakov ~ America on Six Rubles a Day, 1987, humor, 6/10
64. Smith, Timothy P. ~ The Chamberlain Key: Unlocking the God Code to Reveal Divine Messages Hidden in the Bible, 2017, religion, 8/10
65. Sotto, Samantha ~ Before Ever After, 2011, fiction, 5/10
66. Shreve, Anita ~ The Stars Are Fire, 2017, fiction (Maine), 8/10
67. Steele, Allen ~ The Jericho Iteration, 1994, 2013, fiction (Missouri), 10/10
68. Stein, Garth ~ Enzo Races in the Rain!, 2014, children's, 8/10
69. Sullivan, Faith ~ The Cape Ann, 1988, 2010, fiction (Minnesota), 8/10
70. Tillman, Nancy ~ The Heaven of Animals, 2014, children's, 7/10
71. Topix Media Lab ~ Coloring Cute Cats: Anti-Stress Therapy for Adults, 2017, picture book with quotes, 8/10
72. Trafford, J. D. ~ Little Boy Lost, 2017, fiction (Missouri), 9.5/10
73. Trenow, Liz ~ The Forgotten Seamstress, 2014, fiction (Britain), 10/10
74. Tropper, Jonathan ~ One Last Thing Before I Go, 2012, fiction, 8/10
75. Tyler, Anne ~ A Spool of Blue Thread, 2015, fiction (Maryland), 7/10
76. Tyler, Anne ~ Vinegar Girl, 2016, fiction, 8/10
77. Wallman, James ~ Stuffocation: Why We've Had Enough of Stuff and Need Experience More Than Ever, 2013, economics, 7/10
78. Warren, Elizabeth ~ This Fight Is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America's Middle Class, 2017, politics, 10/10
79. Watson, Casey ~ The Boy No One Loved, 2011, memoir (England), 9/10
80. Wiking, Meik ~ The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living, 2017, psychology, 8/10
81. Worick, Jennifer, ed. ~ Jokes Every Woman Should Know, 2013, nah

These books are also listed here in the order I completed them, and I shared quotes from most of them.

Sunday Salon ~ family and books

FAMILY

Above are three of my great-grandchildren:  Jaxon, Shelby, and Shiloh on their mother's lap.  Below are my other three great-grandchildren:  Micah, Raegan, and Jonathan.

BOOKS

Recently finished:

The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living ~ by Meik Wiking, 2017, psychology, 8/10

Currently reading:

To Be Where You Are ~ by Jan Karon, 2017, fiction (North Carolina)

Looking forward to:

The Donkey's Dream ~ by Barbara Helen Berger, 1985, children's

He was just an ordinary donkey, but on his back he carried a miracle.  He carried Mary to Bethlehem on the night she gave birth.  Along the way he dreamed he was carrying a city, a ship, a fountain, and a rose.  He dreamed he was carrying a lady full of heaven.

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

Sunday Salon ~ booked and unbooked

Booked

Here's a brand-new novel I put on reserve at the library, since I've been reading all nonfiction lately:

Grief Cottage ~ by Gail Godwin, 2017, fiction (South Carolina)

After his mother's death, eleven-year-old Marcus is sent to live on a small South Carolina island with his great aunt, a reclusive painter with a haunted past.  Aunt Charlotte, otherwise a woman of few words, points out a ruined cottage, telling Marcus she had visited it regularly after she'd moved there thirty years ago because it matched the ruin of her own life.  Eventually she was inspired to take up painting so she could capture its utter desolation.  The islanders call it "Grief Cottage," because a boy and his parents disappeared from it during a hurricane fifty years before.  Their bodies were never found and the cottage has stood empty ever since.  During his lonely hours while Aunt Charlotte is in her studio painting and keeping her demons at bay, Marcus visits the cottage daily, building up his courage by coming ever closer, even after the ghost of the boy who died seems to reveal himself.  Full of curiosity and open to the unfamiliar and uncanny given the recent upending of his life, he courts the ghost boy, never certain whether the ghost is friendly or follows some sinister agenda.

Here's my library loot for this past week:

• Do One Thing Different: And Other Uncommonly Sensible Solutions to Life's Persistent Problems ~ by Bill O'Hanlon, 1999
• The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person ~ by Judith S. Beck, 2007
• The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living ~ by Meik Wiking, 2017

Here's what I'm in the middle of reading with my study buddies:

• Losing Moses on the Freeway: The 10 Commandments in America ~ by Chris Hedges, 2005
• Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to the Women of the Torah and the Throne ~ by Wilda C. Gafney, 2017

Unbooked

What's going on in my life outside of books?  I swiped a photo off Facebook of my son holding his youngest grandchild before her sister's dance recital.  Baby Shiloh's hand is blurred, but I think David is digging Cheerios out of a baggie for her.  That's big brother Jaxon sitting beside his grandpa.  So you want to see the little ballerina, right?

Here's Shelby after the dance performance.
She'll be four years old on Wednesday.

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