A Swim in a Pond in the Rain; Infinite Country; and a Cat in a Zoom Meeting

 

Happy Valentine's Day! We're expecting a freeze tonight, with temperatures dipping down into the 20's. It will stay that way all of Monday, and then warm up. We will get another freeze on Wednesday, and then yet another next weekend. It's extremely cold weather for us, with expected icy roads and bursting water pipes and electrical outages. None of us know what to do in cold weather so please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.

I only finished two books last week, but since one was nonfiction and the other was fiction, and since they were both excellent reads, I call it a great week. 

Here are my reviews:

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders. As I read A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, I found I am taking a class on the Russian short story, a class on how to write, a class on close reading; a c ...more

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel. "I often wonder if we are living the wrong life in the wrong country."And that's one of the thoughts that went through my head all through this story. ...more

All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot (Book 2 in the ACGS Series)

Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (Classics Club)

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (Chapter-a-Day Read-along)

Yes, and...Daily Meditations by Richard Rohr (Daily Meditation Reading)

The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson (Naturalist Book Club)

On the Narrow Road to the Deep North by Leslie Downer (Japanese Lit Challenge; Nonfiction)

The Texas Library Association has released its 2021 Lariat List, a list of current fiction that is a pleasure to read. Several of my recent favorites are on this list. TLA also has a Texas Topaz List, a list of the best recent nonfiction. 

My picture book Black History Month celebration calendar is filling up.

And the winners are...The Cybils Awards will be announced on Sunday, February 14th. I'm eager to see which books are the winners.

Good Thing #1: Life in a Day

Life in a Day is a documentary of a day---July 24, 2020---compiled of the best of 300,000 submissions from 191 countries in 65 languages. It's available on YouTube here.

Good Thing #2: Zoom Meeting with a Cat Friend

I had a delightful experience with a cat in a Zoom meeting this week. During our museum board Zoom meeting this week, the cat of one of our members, Adam Burkey, climbed up his neck and swished its tail back and forth in front of his face. I just barely managed to get a screenshot, but I found online someone who had a similar experience and I share that video here.

Good Thing #3: Sending You a Virtual Hug

I feel like we are getting closer and closer to being able to visit with each other in person. Until then, I send you this virtual hug.

I'm happy you found your way to the Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is a place for us to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. It's a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:

• What was your week like?
• Read any good books? Tell us about them.
• What other bookish things did you do? 
• What else is going on in your life?

Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.

Winter

For more wordless photos, go to Wordless Wednesday.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. To participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky at West Metro Mommy Rea

Nolan Ryan, Masked

 Statue in front of our Alvin History Museum.

Let's hear from our hometown fast-ball pitcher:

Take Me Away, Love Stories: Love Stories (I Recently Read) That I Love

I'm just not a fan of most genre fiction. But I make an exception for romance novels. 

And what better time to read a romance than now, during this pandemic. 

Here are some recently-read love stories I love. 

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donohue

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

The Switch by Beth O'Leary

Poldark by Winston Graham

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand 

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

I've done lots of other Top Ten Tuesday lists of love stories:

Eleven Favorite Love Stories in Books

♥♥♥Love Stories I Love♥♥♥

Love Stories for People Who Gag on Romance Novels

Love Stories I Love (and Hate)

159 Love Books I Have Read

Top Ten Book Romances I Think Would Make It in the Real World

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.

Zooming into Volunteer Opportunities, Birding, Nature Drawing, and Loving-Kindness Meditation

 

I've gotten hooked on Kindle ebooks, and every morning I eagerly look forward to the specials of the day. Last week I bought $1.99 or $2.99 copies of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee; The Atlas of Happiness (I already have the hardcover!); I Think You're Wrong But I'm Listening; This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald; Iwigara: The Kinship of Plants and People; Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here; and Nancy Mitford's Love in a Cold Climate....

I get emails from BookBub, Early Bird Books, and Amazon.

My obsession with ebooks might be a little out of control.

The Atlas of Happiness by Helen Russell (Nonfiction)

The Disappearing Spoon and Other True Tales of History and Madness from The Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean (Nonfiction)

Three Simple Lines: A Writer's Pilgrimage into the Heart and Homeland of Haiku by Natalie Goldberg (Japanese Literature Challenge)

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller (2021 Newbery Award Winner)

I enjoyed all of these but I really loved reading The Disappearing Spoon. I think Sam Kean has other nonfiction books. I plan to look for them. He also has a podcast that's great fun, The Disappearing Spoon.

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (Chapter-a-Day Read-along)

Yes, and...Daily Meditations by Richard Rohr (Daily Meditation Reading)

The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson (Naturalist Book Club)

On the Narrow Road to the Deep North by Leslie Downer (Japanese Lit Challenge; Nonfiction)

Teacher Builds Library in Her Garage for Her Students. Thanks to my son, Ben, for sharing this with me.

Black History Month Picture Books, inspired by Stacy of Stacy's Books. I plan to read a picture book each day in February.

Good Thing #1

It was a Zoom-filled week. I learned about Texas Master Naturalist volunteer opportunities. I practiced loving-kindness meditation and nature drawing through the Y. I found out how to use a field guide in a birding presentation sponsored by the public library. 

Good Thing #2

We are in Season 6 of All Creatures Great and Small. I'm pretty sure I can help you if your cows have trouble with mastitis or your sheep suffer from pizzle rot. 

Good Thing #3

Our garden is loving this warmer weather here. We have an abundance of kale, carrots, and tomatoes.

How did your week go? 

Any recommendations for me? We are close to wrapping up All Creatures,

and I need some suggestions for what to watch next.

I'm happy you found your way to the Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is a place for us to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. It's a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:

• What was your week like?
• Read any good books? Tell us about them.
• What other bookish things did you do? 
• What else is going on in your life?

Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.

Wondrous Words: Wabi-Sabi

 

Helen Russell takes a careful look at all the ways people around the world find to be happy. She features thirty of these methods in her book, The Atlas of Happiness: The Global Secrets of How to Be Happy. 

In Japan, the word that sums up the way people find happiness is wabi-sabi.

What is wabi-sabi (pronounced "wah-be-sah-be")? From the book: 'The abandonment of all aesthetic ideals that demand "perfection," wabi-sabi is an appreciation of things the way they are; a reveling in the texture and complexity of real life and the beauty of imperfection." Yes, the beauty of imperfection.

We often think of naming our old house The Wabi-Sabi Cottage.

My drawings and paintings are wabi-sabi.

My baking, like these kolaches: wabi-sabi.

My favorite works of art, like this mural in Paris (l) and this quilt from the Houston International Quilt Show (r), are wabi-sabi.

My favorite photos, like this one of my granddaughter, Annie, and me, are wabi-sabi, I think.

Wabi-sabi. The happiness that comes from accepting life just as it is, flawed and beautiful.

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme where you can share new words that you’ve encountered, or spotlight words you love.  Feel free to get creative! It was first created by Kathy over at Bermuda Onion and is now hosted at Elza Reads.