1. Little Nikki the Soothsayer. I truly can't believe there's not more heat on the Russian election interference angle from both sides of the aisle. Foreign interference in a government election is not a partisan issue. Hopefully we won't be longing for the days when we talked about heartless conservatives and drinking the tears of liberals as we stand to salute Mother Russia, eh, comrades? Oh no she didn't open with Khrushchev. Oh yes, she did. If we spent countless dollars and months investigating emails, we can certainly do the same here and absolutely no one should be willing to take the risk that they actually did interfere and we're just going to let it slide. Americans don't let shit like that slide. Get off your ass and get on the phone with your government representatives and tell them you want a full bipartisan investigation.
2. The news out of Aleppo is heartbreaking. Last week I read a fiction book that had the Bosnian conflict of the 1990s as a sub-plot. The terrors of that time that the world watched...like we're watching now. It sucks, to feel helpless. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. I keep thinking we should be more evolved by now but as long as there's greed and a thirst for power and corruption, we will not evolve past slaughtering people.
3. Daily plan of action: be like Jane.
4. Quick tip for when you need ripe bananas for baking but only have green bananas: Line a baking sheet, preheat the oven to 350, and bake them for 25 minutes. Let cool for quite a while, they will be bursting hot. Then they're good to go in your breads/muffins/etc.
5. Every time I get home from a long or a short trip, I unpack, leave shit laying around for weeks, then need to use the spare room so I shove it all in drawers and forget about it. As a consequence, I buy travel items I don't need because they're in the jumble of shit I've shoved away, and it's a mess. I finally conquered it Tuesday night.
6. Christmas shopping is finished, as is Christmas bagging. I wrapped two things, haphazardly, for MFD and Lola Jean. Everything else went in a bag. Christmas baking is not happening, but Christmas eating is as soon as I get my hands on the cookies from my mother.
7. As most of you know, I am a true library lover. It is my natural habitat. However...I have about 498,028 books on my kindle to be read, and a pile of books that I own, so I'm going to attempt to avoid requesting any more books from the library until I get through a lot of those...like, I want to spend January reading them and not going to the library. It's a good time to do this as I have no holds placed and only two books out right now. Plus, I walk there, and January is fucking cold. The photo below is my do not cry, it'll be here in February face. So that's my reading plan: read what I have. Did you guys read through the Show Us Your Books posts Tuesday to get some ideas for your reading list? Or to enter the annual Show Us Your Books holiday giveaway?
8. Tomorrow is the seasonal goals linkup with me & Sara from Journey of Doing! Grab the code below if you'd like.
9. Reminder. Important all the time but especially in a season where there's more demands on your time than ever.
Local friends, The City of Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services has announced a Code Blue alert that went into effect last night at 6 p.m. and will be in effect until December 21 at 6 a.m. Please call 215-232-1984 if you encounter anyone experiencing homelessness who is need of help.
Paul Rusesabagina: I am glad that you have shot this footage and that the world will see it. It is the only way we have a chance that people might intervene.
ReplyDeleteJack: Yeah and if no one intervenes, is it still a good thing to show?
Paul Rusesabagina: How can they not intervene when they witness such atrocities?
Jack: I think if people see this footage they'll say, "oh my God that's horrible," and then go on eating their dinners.
I think that sums it.
We have not evolved.
Good tip on the bananas--I never knew that! I'm also confused why there isn't as big of a push for an investigation into Russia meddling with our elections. You guys gave a crap about stupid emails, but you don't care about this election being tampered with (or even attempted tampering)? Makes no sense to me. And Orange Troll's reaction to the intelligence committee is sickening--so you're just going to keep on believing whatever BS is in your brain and not listen to people whose jobs it is to find this stuff out? Just because it doesn't look good for you? Once again, he's only looking out for himself. Can't stand that a-hole.
ReplyDeleteOk, off my soap box. Good luck with the reading--and it'll be nice to stay out of the frigid temps without the library trips for a bit
I remember reading Zlata's Diary when I was young and it CHANGED ME. It reminded me of The Diary of Anne Frank but it was much more real to me because it was in my lifetime. The stories coming from Aleppo are so sad. And like you, I feel helpless. But I do feel like talking about it and being informed help. Indifference is the absolute worst thing we could do in response.
ReplyDeleteAlso - the banana tip is a lifesaver. I literally had a moment like that last night at the grocery store. EVERY.SINGLE.DAMN.BANANA.WAS.GREEN. Like REALLY green. So I thought to myself I guess my chocolate chip banana bread will have to wait a few more weeks. HAHA.
Jesus H.Christ on Aleppo! Sending massive streams of love and lights and Angels. Jesus! Greed is fugly. So fugly. Grandpop Ferrara resembled Nikita K! A boy in a store once pointed to him and said "There's that man!" Good Lord. I will try and give you some cookies before Christmas! Tidings of comfort and joy to all!
ReplyDeleteLove your momma. 🦋🦋🦋💖💖💖✨✨😇😇☮☮🦄🦄🍀🍀🎅🏻🎄
I love the self care reminder. And the note about being like Jane. Eek you reminded me that I haven't instagrammed any full pictures of our tree yet - I should get on that! hahaha
ReplyDeleteYeah...I just don't understand what's happening in the US right now, I mean I understand what's happening, but I can't figure out WHY. Human psychology is both fascinating and terrifying.
ReplyDeleteI just got my ebooks account set back up with the library and I'm excited to start reading again. I majority failed on my reading goals for 2016 so I'm hoping I can squeeze in a few more books this month and then start 2017 off on a good reading groove!
The genocide happening in Aleppo right now is so terrifying and heartbreaking. I spent yesterday researching where to send money, then tried to google if there's any way to adopt kids from there. Not kidding. I can't stand the photos and videos coming from that conflict. It hurts so much that there are people living and suffering and dying there with absolutely no compassion.
ReplyDeleteOn a totally different note, we don't have a Christmas tree yet. I'm about ready to strangle my husband for continuing to put it off...
Jane is my hero. So I will be just like Jane.
ReplyDeleteI could walk to my library if I felt like taking a 3 mile walk down a main road but I usually don't feel like doing that so I will continue to drive. Which makes it easier to stop by there in the winter.
I love Jane. I want to be like Jane too. And that eecard is so funny. I understand though about the christmas posts. Lately, I've been Instagramming the books I'm scrambling to read to finish off my reading challenge of 100 books in 2016. I've had some unfollows but what can I do. I gotta be me.
ReplyDeleteIf you're not following me there, it would be nice if you'd check me out :-) https://www.instagram.com/karen_runwright/
That's my goal for 2017 - read what I have. I have so many books on my shelves & my Kindle is overloaded too... My book budget is cut to nearly nothing... but you KNOW there's a new book that's going to come out you just GOTTA get ;)
ReplyDeleteSo how you are with the library is how I am with Netgalley. I'm making myself avoid emails from Netgalley so I can read some more books from my list and clean them off. And I'm so terrible about actually unpacking too. Sometimes we leave our suitcases out until the cleaners are coming... Oops!
ReplyDeleteHaha...I don't mind dog pictures (or cat pictures *eyeroll* :), but there is a subset of IG photos that I just can't stop rolling my eyes at. Christmas tree pictures don't annoy me that much because twinkly lights and all.
ReplyDeleteI'm oddly excited to read your (and everyone else's seasonal goals) but I don't write that stuff anymore because I always forget about the meeting-the-goal part.
I just can't even with Russia...like, how are people okay with that? I don't care if the candidate you wanted won. What happens when it's something you DO NOT want? And besides, it's another country controlling OUR country. Like, no. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteLove the self-care photo! All very true. Definitely around this time of the year.
-Lauren
You just reminded me that I have super ripe bananas that I need to turn into bread! I'm hoping to finish my Christmas shopping tomorrow. I plan to bag 100% of it! That self care is such a great reminder.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great list. The banana thing is totally brill. I feel the same about Aleppo (I sent the white helmet guys my paypal balance, but still feel helpless)... I also want to be like Jane. It's ridiculous and embarrassing that this is our country right now. Did you see the scene from Love Actually that has Trump and Putin dubbed into it? OMG spot on if you need a laugh. Those steps for self care are great. I don't think of it in such small terms sometimes, more in actions.. but these are so basic and definitely true! XO - Alexandra
ReplyDeleteSimply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
The 12 steps of self care is getting printed and hung up in my room. I need that list on the daily.
ReplyDelete