Nine Things

Because I have found Fun Things recently, and if you really expect me to write a thinky post between Christmas and New Year’s, you’re madder than I am.

1) Nine traits of creative people. This is, somewhat surprisingly, a very insightful article that made me sit back, smiling, and give the happy sigh of the Understood.

2) Photos from the 18 & 1900s of various dog breeds. While some pics demonstrate the sad lengths that breeders will go to, I feel somewhat vindicated by the fact that Labradors look very similar, then and now. Moral of the story: the more quinessentially DOG your dog looks, the more likely it is to be hereditarily health. #AmyWisdom.

3) Yoga for Handstands. Pics of the various yoga poses you can practise to help you learn how to do a handstand. New Year’s Resolution #1: learn to do handstand.

4) The Curiosities. A collection of short stories by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton and Brenna Yovanoff, with random, illuminating, and sometimes hilarious annotations by the authors. Hands down THE BEST short story anthology I have ever read to date.

5) The Midnight Rainbow. A pretty, pretty, PRETTY book full of hope and imagination and the real, genuine magic that only comes from the mind of a five-year-old. You’d think a story narrated by a 5-yr-old girl would be simple; you’d be wrong. You’d think a story about a mother suffering postnatal depression after a stillbirth would be horribly, horribly sad; you’d be wrong. You’d think a story about night rainbows would be fantasy; you’d be wrong. You’d think that, because it’s not fantasy, there would be no magic; YOU WOULD BE WRONG*. This is the most beautiful, quirky, hopeful book I have read in a very, very long time. Also one of the most genuine. Please go read it now.

* Although if you are defining ‘magic’ narrowly as ‘supernatural occurences and the like’, then yes, you would be right. Not wrong. Moving on.

6) Paying for People’s Drive-Thru. Because there are people out there who know how to be Decent Human Beings, and we should celebrate them.

7) The Art of Oversharing, by Fizzy Grrl, because Important.

8) Earth’s poles are shifting due to climate change. Trufax. New Scientist said it so. /nodnod. One day, I could live in the NORTHERN hemisphere, y’all!!!*

* Without moving out of country. Obviously I could live in the northern hemisphere if I emigrated to, say, Russia.

9) And last but not least, if you haven’t seen the silent monks singing the Hallelujah Chorus, you’re in for a treat. Hurrah! 🙂

So there you go. 9 things, just for you. Hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season :o) *cookies*