300 Days of Sunshine

Here it is - an overview of my year of reading!  Books broaden our horizons, offer unique perspectives on life, help us to process the world and the events going on around us, while providing an escape from reality at times.  I love looking at the cover of a book and remembering where I was when I read it.  This year I read books on our Alaska trip, on road trips, at local coffee shops, and listened to audiobooks while hiking or walking the dog.  I read a few newbies from favorite authors (Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys , Elizabeth Gilbert's City of Girls, Barbara Kingsolver's Unsheltered , Stephen King's The Institute ), explored some new authors (Sally Rooney's Normal People , Carmen Maria Machado's Her Body and Other Parties , Candice Carty-Williams' Queenie ), read some award-winners ( Florida , The Indian World of George Washington ) and some lesser known titles ( The Intuitionist , The Ensemble , The Whale: A Love Story ).  I love...

Winter is officially here and we have made it through the shortest day of the year.  We begin a new cycle toward light as the days begin to get longer again.  I recently read that the winter solstice is a time to celebrate the rebirth of the sun and the self, so that is my mantra in the upcoming weeks.  At the beginning of the week I attended a Hanukah celebration at work and have been thinking about how we light candles in our own life and in the lives of others.  It is so beautiful to me that Advent, Hanukah and Kwanza all have symbols of candles and light.  It makes me feel very unified and connected to others during this time.  I love the peaceful energy that the season of winter brings.  It's a time for contemplation and centering, and with just one month to go before we welcome our Baby Girl into the world I am certainly feeling mindful and reflective.  I wonder what she'll look like, and how the labor will go, ...

Raising kind, confident, well-adjusted children seems to be an increasingly difficult task in this world we live in.  There are pressures from every direction and contradictions telling us that children should be successful but not boastful, compassionate but also strong leaders, open-minded but also firm in their opinions and decisions, not afraid to express individuality yet well-adjusted to society, independent while also teamwork-oriented.  We want to empower our girls to be strong, confident leaders, while also taking careful consideration to not leave our boys behind, and discovering this balance seems to be key in feminist parenting.  We are living in a world that is trending toward becoming more collaborative and team-oriented in the workplace, yet also further divided and individualized than ever.   I think we are in a unique position in which the leadership qualities that women posses are increasingly valued.  My book club had an in-de...