Ordinary Time

Three quotations from two very different sources to start us off. "Allowing horses opportunities for decision-making -- such as choosing a route on a ride or approaching a novel object at their own pace -- stimulates dopaminergic circuits involved in reward, motivation, and curiosity. These include pathways connecting the ventral regmental area to the nucleus accumbens, systems that support approach behavior and promote cognitive engagement. Structured choices, introduced in controlled settings, help horses learn that they can influence their environment, building flexibility and trust. These moments of agency are not just training tools; they are exercises in shaping the brain. They reinforce circuits that allow horses to remain curious under pressure, rather than shutting down or reacting defensively." (p. 144, Horse Brain Science: The Neuroscience of Ethical Horsemanship by Dr. Stephen Peters) "From a neuroscience perspective, psychological robustness comes not from o...

Yesterday I spent the day driving places... carting children places, going to the grocery store, going to another grocery store, going to the library, etc. It left me with awkward bits of time throughout the day. This turned out to be a good thing because I was in the middle of a book that I desperately wanted to keep reading. It seemed the perfect activity for all those awkward bits of time where you can't really begin anything. When the day began I was halfway through a 650 page book. At 11:00 last night I had finished it. Now I read fast, but that was a pretty good amount of reading to get done even for me. It also shows how totally engrossed I was.  And what was the book? The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson. First off, it's fantasy. If that's not your genre, this is probably not the right book for you. Some aspects of the book were pretty typical for fantasy: contests to see who would rule the county next, different houses/clans/mentors that organize society, magic, an...

I'm in the middle of a book called, "The Renaissance Soul: How to make your passions your life" by Margaret Lobenstine. I had randomly come across the title and was curious. Here are a few questions from the opening quiz: "Are you capable of becoming passionately excited about a wide variety of subjects? Do you have a hard time choosing between one interest and another? Do you find yourself interrupting yourself, dropping one task to pick up another before it's done? When you really understand how something works, or master a new activity, do you feel bored and ready to try something new?" (p. 16) It probably won't surprise you that I answered yes to nearly all the questions on the quiz. I felt for once as though I was actually someone's target audience. It was an unusual experience.  Until I realized I am not really the target audience. This is because this book is aimed at people who haven't figured out that it is okay to have a myriad of inter...

I was not expecting to be so blown away by A Tale of Two Cities. I haven't even really begun a new book yet and it's been over 48 hours since I finished it. Usually I close the book I've finished and immediately pick up the next book and begin reading. It is the very unusual book that makes it impossible for me to do this. I'll also say that A Tale of Two Cities has leapt into my top five favorite books of all time, displacing Possession by A. S. Byatt.  I wonder if my reaction to it is because I went into it cold. Not really knowing anything about it other than it was set during the time of the French Revolution was one of my reasons for picking it up. I did scan the introduction a little bit and it gave me the clue that there was a substitution of victims, so I was aware of that part, but I did stop reading the introduction because they are dreadful about spoilers and I didn't want to know any more.  That said, I'm going to pause here for a moment. If you have...

I was informed by the Internet that today is National Book Lovers Day. This seems as though it is a special day I should mark. Because I believe that loving books starts early in life, I will celebrate the occasion by giving my list of books that I think every parent should read to their child(ren). (Considering the current demographic of my readers these days, I should probably also add grandchildren.) Am I being a bit bossy? Yes, probably. But these are really good books, are well worth the effort, and shouldn't be missed. So, in no particular order: 1. Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Mine. Give your child the gift of the originals and not some Disneyfied version. Though in full disclosure the old animated version Disney made was an enduring favorite of mine. Mainly, I think, because of the books opening and the story and characters literally coming to life. Still, the originals are exceptional, don't let your child miss them.  2. Five Children and It by...

I was listening to a podcast this morning while cleaning the barn and the woman being interviewed was telling about her book club. They met four times a year and chose a classic to discuss. (This explains the need for three months in-between.) I was immediately smitten.  I do not have good luck with book clubs. I tend not to enjoy typical book club choices. I'm fact some of my least favorite books of all time were titles I read for one. In full disclosure, the feeling was mutual in that usually the entire book club membership disliked my suggestions when it was my turn to pick. I really love the idea of book clubs, though... everyone reading the same title, having interesting discussions, becoming good friends over the course of time. I'm theory they sound fantastic and I'm a little jealous of those people who have managed to attain that sort of bookish camaraderie.  But a book club based on reading classics? This might solve my biggest issue. You could even broaden it a bi...

Long time readers won't be surprised at how much thought I gave to what books I was going to bring with me last week. It was tricky. I had a lot of things I needed to take along which meant there really wasn't room for the usual four or five books I typically bring along. I also really dislike running out of books to read. (I must interject here that this concern was actually ridiculous because there are plenty of books at my brother-in-law's.) I think I came up with a pretty brilliant solution.  A Tale of Two Cities has been on my shelf to read for a while. What could be more perfect than a long and dense novel in a mass paperback form? I knew that even taking plans rides into consideration I wouldn't be able to finish it before returning home. (I'm almost halfway done for those who are curious.)  I am really enjoying it. Dickens knows how to tell a good story. There have been a couple of times when something would happen and I thought to myself, "Well, I didn...

"The solution to the craving for possessions is not to stifle it, but to transfer it to nature and art, there to be embraced. Instead of going to a big box store to buy an object that has stimulated your craving, go into a forest or park, hungry for the natural world displaying itself. You will not be surprised at the store, but nature will startle you and offer you new discoveries. The gift of nature will satisfy more than the expected thrill of a new possession, which may succumb quickly to buyer's remorse and soon fade away. You bring things into your house and hold onto them, but in nature you encounter potent displays of layered richness." (p. 19) from The Cure at Walden Pond by Thomas Moore I find this to be so accurate, both from an experiential point of view as well as a brain science one. We want what we focus on. Having worked in a department store I can tell you that exposure is everything. A dress would come in and we would all think it was so ugly no one woul...

A few days ago I finished The Pelican Brief by John Grisham. I had picked it up because I heard someone mention it as being a book she reread every so often because she enjoyed it. I had never read anything by Grisham, so it seemed like a good summer pick.  It was okay. I finished it and the second half felt engaging enough that I finished it quickly, but I'm not sure it's aged well. Social mores change and the whole 50+ year old male law professor having the affair with the 24 year old female law student felt icky. It pretty much ruined the book for me. It was published in 1992, which meant it was probably written about the same time I was just out of college. I am fully aware that there were teacher student relationships, but while it didn't quite reach the point of being scandalous, it was also not quite right, either. And for the author to be male and writing about it... Just ick.  There was something else that struck me when I had finished the book. Much of the plot in...

I am very close to finishing the book, "Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives" by Daisy Fancourt. I also need to share a few quotes with you because they touch on some of my very favorite topics: Connection, creating, and play. "We humans are an inherently social species. Throughout our evolutionary history, we have relied on others for our survival -- so much so that if we find ourselves socially isolated (and therefore vulnerable), we are biologically primed to reconnect with others. Our brains and bodies flood us with hormones, distress signals, intrusive thoughts, and feelings of depression until we take the hint and reconnect. If we ignore these urges or can't find social contact, we put ourselves at substantially heightened risk of every adverse mental illness, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, frailty, and mortality. One of the most interesting evolutionary theories for the arts I've come across is that they evolved to help us become m...

There have been a spate of books about trad wife influencers that have been published recently. I read them, though I'm not sure I should because I find myself being incredibly annoyed even if I am enjoying the overall story. Earlier this year I read Yesteryear and this week's iteration is Everyone is Lying to You by Jo Piazza.  In the most cursory way, the trad wife influencer characters are very similar to each other, but the course of each book is vastly different. In both books this character has multiple children, homeschools, and bakes their own bread while sharing details their life with the wider world. In its barest outline it feels as though it hits a bit close to the bone. I've already written about why I am not (and never have been) a " trad wife ", so I won't go into that here. What has been causing me to grind my teeth a bit in this most recent book is the author's take on large families. Large families being six children or more. So to get ...

It is too hot to think much less do anything else other than care for the outdoor animals and make them as comfortable as possible. I find myself thinking of colder weather... of being chilly enough that wearing sweaters and snuggling into blankets sounds appealing. And who else is around in winter? The wild geese, of course. So for today's post, a wintery poem by Mary Oliver from her collection, Owls and Other Fantasies. Wild Geese You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body      love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world off...

When we were in Michigan last month, I binge read the first book in a new (to me) mystery series, A Case of Mice and Murder. The series is called The Trials of Gabriel Ward, with Gabriel Ward being a barrister at the Inns of Court (and very reluctant detective) in early 20th century London.  It was a clever plot, but it was the character and evolution of Gabriel Ward that I found most interesting. Today he would probably be considered autistic. He is extremely intelligent, has various rituals that help to keep him centered, and finds much of human emotion in others to be challenging. Over the course of the books, while he does not change his character, he finds ways to broaden his life to include a few other people in it. He is also just a charming character.  Today I finished the second (A Case of Life and Limb) and went to put the third on hold only to discover that it won't be published until January. Alas. Which brings me to my other bookish news. I took a friends advice a...

So it seems everyone is okay with me blathering on about whatever happens to flit through my mind, so I'll keep going with that.  Today was one of the days that L. worked so I needed to drive her. It's about a 25 minute trip one way. (She is a deckhand for the paddlewheel river boat on the Fox River .) This also meant I would need to pick her up. I worked in the studio after lunch for a while, checked the time, and realized I needed to leave to collect L. G. wanted to ride along, so we both got in the car and headed for the river.  As I'm pulling into the parking lot next to the boat, I glance at the clock and notice it's showing an hour earlier than I think it is. My first thought is to wonder why I didn't remember that we hadn't changed the car clock when daylight savings began. That didn't seem to make much sense, so checked my phone. Yes, I was an hour early. No, I don't know how that happened.  There was no way I was going to drive home only to turn...

Having finished the last volume that is published of the Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, I am bereft. I feel as though I have lost a group of good friends and it's going to be far too long until I reconnect with them. Pity the book I just read after them because they were a hard act to follow. The world feels fairly flat without Emma and Pierce and the Duke of Islington and Young Hawks. Why can't authors write faster and books be published sooner?  To add to my woe, I don't have anything to write. I'm not even sure who my audience is these days. I don't really mind no one commenting, but it also means I have no idea who is reading. So my comment-shy readers, what are you interested in? I'm happy to continue my nightly blathering, but am not completely sure where I should aim. Help a blogger out. (With actual topics, it also means you avoid having to read posts such as this.)

Buddy would like me to tell you he is tired of the weather and that it is hard being a pony.  First it was miserably hot so he and Vienna had to be inside the barn so the big horses could have access to the shelter of the stalls. Then when the weather was slightly better and everyone was out, storms started coming through so the ponies had to move back into the barn. Again. It's not fair and the big horses get all the cool stuff.  Having delivered Buddy's message, I'm going back to my book. I brought the last three Emma M. Lion books home from the library yesterday. I finished volume 6 before bed last night, I'm well into volume 7, and fully expect to read volume 8 before the weekend is over. I suppose if I were really nice I would go out to the barn and read them to the bored ponies. 

Having finished Moby Dick, I wanted to talk a bit about reading the classics. I try to read a couple books a year that would fit into this category. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, I know there are books out there that I haven't read and I want to. I think Huckleberry Finn will be next on the list. (No, I never read it in school, just as I never read To Kill a Mockingbird. The honors English classes read things such as The Odyssey and Don Quixote.) J. read the book James earlier this year and I want to read Twain's version first.  The second reason is that I find if I read too much contemporary fiction, my concentration and reading skills become... less robust. Sentence length and grammatical complexity are much, much simpler in the majority of books written in this century. While it can be relaxing to whip through an easy book, it is too easy to lose skills if that is all you read. I do worry that older literature, which includes truly excellent books, will beco...

I am happy (thrilled? relieved?) to report that I have finally finished reading Moby Dick by Herman Melville. I started it last year, got about halfway through, then set it aside for the lighter, easier books that were arriving (sometimes daily) at the library. This continued for about a year. Then last week, I had many books that I was waiting for, but none that had arrived, and I looked at Moby Dick next to my bed gathering dust and decided that I was tired of seeing it and needed to finish it. It took me about five days to finish it off.  If you had asked me what I thought about Moby Dick before this week, I would not have been overly excited. There were a few amusing bits, but there were an awful lot of bits that felt like a slog. I was worried that the rest of the book was just going to be a three hundred page slog to the finish line. It wasn't. In fact, I actually ended up liking it. Kind of a lot. And the ending was particularly satisfying. I was surprised by my reaction, ac...

One of my birthday gifts was the book, Art Cure: the science of how the arts save lives by Daisy Fancourt. If you are interested in the arts and also interested in reading about various brain studies, then this book is for you. I will admit, that it is kind of preaching to the choir for me, but it is nice to have it all in one place. Really, I can sum the entire book up into one sentence: Participating in the arts is good for you in terms of physical, intellectual, and emotional health... plus, get some exercise.  To give you a taste of what's in the book, read this exerpt. "What, then, makes some people more resistant to the symptoms of dementia, despite physical evidence of changes in their brains? And why do some people experience gradual decline in their cognition with dementia, like walking down a gentle slope, while others are seemingly fine and then have a rapid decline, like falling off a cliff? The answers lie in the concept of reserve. Reserve comes in two forms: har...

What is summer for if you can't spend the afternoon reading? Today was a day with nothing on the calendar. Since summer tends to be my busy season in terms of EAL, this was a kind of gift. Then when you combine that with the fact that I found a new series, binge read the second book last night, and had the third sitting on my shelf, what, I ask you, was I supposed to do? I, of course, did the sensible thing and binge read the third book this afternoon. The trouble is that I am on the waiting list at the library, so cannot immediately start the fourth. That is actually probably a good thing.  And what is the series? The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower. There are eight volumes in the series; I may have to buy them all. Ultimately, they are just fun. They are set in Victorian London, but the setting is merely window dressing for quirky characters, a quirky neighborhood, and lots of tongue in cheek storytelling. I love an author who doesn't take herself too serio...