August was packed with events, emotions, tears, laughter, joy and sadness. There were worries and lots of happy moments.
It was too warm. The second warmest summer on this planet, which makes me wonder how they know that? Did they find the temperature charts from 4.6 Billion years ago, or perhaps from 3000 years ago? The official recording of thermometer-based records started in 1850? (Don’t you love it when Google makes us look so smart?)
I have written and complained about our health issues already, so let’s not go there. Our dogs got flees. I got attacked by a wasp and the mosquitos in our yard were as big as elephants this year again. Oh, and a wasp taught me a life lesson. (This will be an extra post.)
Books
I managed to read three books this month. One was a family saga by the Norwegian Author Aslak Nore “The Sea Cemetary.” The translation is good, but the book is a bit hard to understand because so much is happening on the first pages. Too many names and confusing family relations (Dah it’s a family saga), which is a huge turn-off for me. Interesting storyline and the author/translator painted a beautiful scenery of Norway in my mind. The second book I started reading I closed by page 50. (Of course, the book is good, it’s me. 🙂
The third one, also a translation from Japanese to English, is a must-read and already a bestseller. “The Courage to Be Disliked.” For someone like me, who is still and forever on the become-a-better-person-trip, and who hasn’t given up on personal growth (yet), it was a must-read. The book helped me see my life from a new perspective. The way the author explains complex psychological concepts in a simple and accessible way is impressive. It encourages you to question yourself and your attitude, especially when it comes to how much we allow ourselves to be influenced by the opinions of others. The dialogue format in which the content is presented makes it easy to follow the ideas and empathize with the discussion. I gained a lot of valuable insights that helped me to develop more self-confidence and to be less guided by external expectations. Absolutely worth reading for anyone looking for personal growth!
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Movies
“Irena’s Vow”.The Polish nurse Irena Gut Opdyke had no intention of ever sharing her story but opened up when she crossed paths with a “Holocaust denier”. (Yes, there are idiots out there and there are many.) That’s when she realized if she and others didn’t start talking, history could easily repeat itself. It was hard for her to tell her story, talking about the things she had witnessed and lived through. One day at her daughter’s school, Irena shared her story of how she hid twelve Jews from the Nazis right underneath their nose and it was then that she realized how powerful her story was and what a difference it could make.
When you watch the actress Sophie Nélisse portraying Irena in the movie, you can’t help but admire the bravery Irena showed. Other scenes and the brutality will leave you speechless. The movie is one I will remember.
Irena’s fear was sadly spot on. History can repeat itself. Look at us! We live in a time when so many nations show hatred toward strangers and hate toward a particular race or religion. We mourn some people openly and we show their names and share their stories, while thousands of others don’t seem to deserve our attention. (This never stops to amaze and sadden me).
Irena’s story should be known to all.
Music
We lived in Texas for ten years and when we left I always joked that I was country-ed-out. After a decade of hearing it everywhere 24/7, it’s just not my music genre anymore. I don’t care for the modern fusion of country and pop, but I love some of the old country and folk songs. ‘El Paso’ by Marty Robbins and of course Patsy Cline and many others. I turn on the TV at night during my bedtime routine, which includes petting both dogs, kissing my husband (order might be wrong), taking some supplements, and all the good stuff we do before our head hits the pillow. “I Love Raymond” is the show I tune into because nothing beats a smile before the sandman takes you away.
The same channel shows only country music videos in the morning, and in the short time it took me to switch channels, a song got my attention and I couldn’t get the melody out of my head all day.
I love the singer as well as her story and now I can proudly announce that perhaps 1 Million of the 32 Million clicks on her YouTube Video have been made by me.
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Work
The 96 cushions tops turned into 150 and I have to say I love the result.
The customer is happy. It didn’t leave me much time to do anything else, other than finish up a rather large project.
Good news
★ Environment & Climate: According to researchers, almost a quarter of Europe’s land area could be naturalized.
★ A start-up has found a method to produce new paper from old leaves. Releaf paper (Ukraine)
★ Researchers at the University of Birmingham have found in a study that trees can remove methane from the atmosphere in addition to CO2 and store it in their bark.
★ Sweden shows how it can be done: The country has reduced its net emissions by 80 percent since 1990 and at the same time allowed the economy to grow strongly. Can we please take this as a model? ★
★ Researchers from India and Magdeburg, Germany have found a new approach to the treatment of neurogenerative autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and arthritis. (I am keeping my fingers crossed that in my lifetime there will be a cure for ALL autoimmune disorders.)
★ A newly developed AI tongue scanner can detect diseases such as cancer, fungal infections or Covid with 97 percent accuracy.
★ Researchers have developed an “intelligent” insulin that reacts in real-time to changing blood sugar levels and could revolutionize diabetes therapy.
★ More and more medical implants and prostheses can be produced with 3D printers to fit perfectly.
★ Breakthrough in the incurable nerve disease ALS. A first patient can speak again thanks to a brain implant.
★ Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) have developed a novel corona vector vaccine that shows a long-lasting immune response in animal models, even with altered virus strains. This could perhaps make booster vaccinations superfluous in the future.
★ An mRNA vaccination against lung cancer is entering its first test phase and experts expect groundbreaking results that could be a “game changer” in the fight against cancer.★ Unemployment among young people has fallen worldwide.
★ The British Labour government wants to consider misogyny as a form of extremism in the future and take stronger action against violence against women. Gets a big applause from me!
TV Series
We watched the last season of ALL AMERICAN and please, don’t ask me why we started watching it to begin with. Do you want the lamest storyline ever? That’s the show to tune into. Do you want the most unrealistic storyline ever? Yep, Bingo! Some of the worst acting ever? Bingo again! Still, over the years we watched all seasons because it started out as a football TV show, which then slowly turned into a rich kids’ love series. It’s almost as bad as Yellowstone, which I am not supposed to criticize, I know. (Whispering: It’s like a ‘Dallas’ or ‘a Dynasty’ re-make on horses in Montana, only the older ones will remember the Ewings and their drama)
We watched the final season of “The Umbrella Academy.” What can I say, you either love or hate it. I am all for superpowers. :-)…
We watched “Dark Winds” on Netflix and were Hooked right from the start. Excellent writing and casting!! The plot develops delightfully slow but never drags. Full drama and suspense sandwiched between Native American customs and culture and most of all pride. Robert Redford helped to bring this book series to television. Every single actor and actress performs brilliantly. You will laugh, cry, be moved, and cheer for the good guys combating evil folk.
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5 stars. I wish it would never end!
New Food
I am now officially addicted to store-bought organic broccoli slaw. I enjoy it either cold as slaw, warm as stir fry, or in a vegan eggroll bowl. Fastest lunch or dinner ever!
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The highlights of my Augusts: Gus Walz and The Democratic Convention. The joy I saw in the audience, and the hope resonated with me/us. We are hopeful now too.
The Olympic games in Paris. Watching the athletes and Celine Dion fight so hard.
The low of my August: Reading 600 pages of “2025 Project” DonOLD’s plan to turn America into an Autocracy. I cried quietly a lot and got really angry when I read that some Republicans want to bring the old divorce laws back. After decades of no-fault divorce law, some conservatives want to make it harder to end marriages based on irreconcilable differences. Women would have to stay in an abusive marriage. Another cut into women’s rights. Isn’t it what it’s really all about for these old white angry men? Trying to keep women behind the stove, out of power positions, away from education, away from careers?
That’s all for my August review! (Late again!) Let’s enjoy September! (I just turned the heater on to break the chill in the house after a cold night._
Hard to believe August is over with already. Love your good news. It is so nice to see good things still happening in Ukraine even with the war going on. And yes, Gus was amazing! Hope your September is full of happiness and good things!
August flew by didn’t it? I will be 61 in two months. I just turned 60 🙂
The dislike book looks interesting. I put it on hold at the library.
A splendid record. I particularly liked Irena and the Swedish emissions example.
It’s fascinating to see how you manage to keep track of the month. I somehow cannot recall what I did a week ago (after posting something like that I always conclude I missed everything or at least a few important things).
Those cabinet trolley pillows are quite a good idea!
I see very little difference between the old white angry men and the leaders of the Taliban. How either group can still prosper is completely beyond understanding. The problem is that there are so many younger versions ready to take their place!
They prosper because women aren’t loyal to their own kind, while men always are.
No men (American or middle east) would vote against their own kind the way it’s done here.
Men would protest, strike, revolt as should we.
Great!!!
Thank you, Luisa
My pleasure 💐💐💐
So many issues, Bridget. However many strides forward we make and innovations, my husband has the view that vested interests will win. Depressing, isn’t it? There has to be hope xx
I don’t want to admit it, but your husband is right. Politics is money. Most in congress (house and senate) are millionaires and nobody ever asks were the money comes from. Pharmaceutical companies as well as the National Riffle Organizations run this country to their best interest. The average voter doesn’t benefit from it but many don’t see it that way.
And being aware doesn’t have any impact. That’s why I avoid discussions on the subject whenever I can xx
Wow. I got tired just reading all you have accomplished. Loved all the Good news. Think what could be accomplished if we all tried to make something better instead of worse. Thanks for the recommendation on Dark Winds. I also loved the genuine joy of the DNC. Will give it a look. As to DonOLD, is his rambling that hypnotic that people can not see he has nothing good to offer them? And Elon Musk as Financial Consultant or any other position on the economy? I commend you on struggling through 600 pages of angry old white man policy decisions. Did they use Handmaids Tale as their guidebook? Hard to move forward when you keep looking back. I am hoping that Hope wins out in November, but DonOLD has already said that will not be the end of it. Happy Sunday Bridget. Allan
Honestly, I don’t even think it’s “The Handmaids Tale” they are after, it’s ‘just’ their way of thinking. Men first, women second! Project 2025 is a handbook for any dictator on how to take over a country. It could have been written in Russia. It’s downright frightening. It’s there for all to read, but the majority won’t touch it. They don’t seem to care enough about this country and their children’s future. I do! Perhaps I am more interested because I have seen what fascisms can do. I have seen countries full of unhappy people. I remember the student in front of the tank in China.
A great summary! Loved the videos.
Thank you Darlene. I am glad you liked it.