5 Links, Books, and Things I Love – May 2019
Every month I share my list of favorite 5’s.
- 5 interesting things online
- 5 articles about books or podcasts
- 5 pictures of things I love (and yes, at least one will be my granddaughter)
- 5 blog posts from the month
What are you enjoying this month?
1 Second Everyday
[If you can’t see the 1 Second Everyday video, click here]
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
5 Things Around the Web
1. Does It Matter?
by Josie Barone
“Yes, a tree makes a sound. And yes, someone always hears it fall to the ground.
And, what I’m noticing is this:
It matters.
I matter.
Peace settles in, as I feel the arms of Jesus pull me close.”
2. Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds
by James Clear
“Why don’t facts change our minds? And why would someone continue to believe a false or inaccurate idea anyway? How do such behaviors serve us?”
3. Five Lies Our Culture Tells
by David Brooks
Here are two of the five lies:
“I can make myself happy. This is the lie of self-sufficiency.
“Life is an individual journey. In reality, the people who live best tie themselves down.”
4. You Are Not as Good at Kissing as You Think. But You Are Better at Dancing
by Spencer Greenberg and Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
“People tended to overestimate how they compared with others in their ability to dodge a fraud, win a trivia contest or cuddle. But they tended to underestimate how they ranked in their ability to predict the outcome of a sporting event, win a fistfight or dance.”
5. Why Map Still Matter: Working Out a Big Severe Weather Worry
by Leigh Morgan
Most people know where they live. But they can’t necessarily pinpoint it on a map. That can be dangerous when broadcast meteorologists show a severe weather map. [Moral: Sure, use your GPS for directions, but know how to read a map.]
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
5 Things with Books
1. We Were Tired of Forgetting The Books We Read — So We Use This System
by Asian Efficiency Team, Podcast Episode 245
“There’s a big difference between READING a book and LEARNING from a book, and more importantly IMPLEMENTING what you’ve learned.”
This episode has lots of great systems and strategies for book lovers. Even if you don’t listen to the episode, read over the show notes and get some new ideas, including Bookcision for Kindle notetakers (how did I not know about this???).
2. Here’s Why Your Brain Needs You to Read Every Single Day
by Brandon Specktor
“To understand why and what each of us can do to get the most out of our words, start by asking the same question the Yale team did: What is it about reading books in particular that boosts our brain power whereas reading newspapers and magazines doesn’t?”
3. Twelve Rules for the Bookish Life (Of course, the bookish life needs no rules)
by Doug Sikkema
I believe in all twelve of these rules. Here are three:
1. Read widely.
If it be strange, bid it welcome. Your hopes of becoming more capacious and hospitable will depend less on the depth than the breadth of your “to-read” list.
2. Always have a “to-read” list on the go.
Even one that’s absurdly, impossibly long. If you believe in heaven: there’ll be time.
5. Sorry, but reading books—even great ones—will not make you a better person.
If that were the case, there’d be fewer illiterate saints and well-read a**holes. (Remember, they found great books in Nazi trenches.) So read, and with fear and trembling ask the Spirit to use even this to your edification.
4. Commonly Mispronounced Author Names: Part 3
by Book Riot
I’m not sure why it matters to me, but I like to correctly pronounce an author’s name if I’m reading their book. Our book club is about to start this book by Thích Nhất Hạnh. A year ago I had to YouTube how to say it, but last week I asked my Vietnamese ESL student to teach me in person.
This Book Riot video doesn’t include Nhất Hạnh’s name, but it does include these, among many others:
- Chaim Potok
- Paulo Coelho
- Juan Luis Borges
- Ta-Nehisi Coates
- David Sedaris
- Viet Thanh Nguyen
- Roald Dahl
Here are 8 books that I highly recommend from my readings last month.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
5 (or more) Pictures of Things I Love
1. Making it to the Final 4. . . in person!
Our college team, Auburn University, isn’t known for their basketball program (except for the Charles Barkley years, ’81-’84). So when we made it to the Final Four in the NCAA Basketball Tournament this year, Jeff and I got tickets and flew to Minnesota. We enjoyed the pre-game hoopla and ALMOST all of the game (the very last play still stings).
Watching Jeff on the TV monitors at the same time we watched CBS Sports in person
Did a lot of walking to finally get a clear bag for entering Mercedez-Benz Stadium, Minneapolis
Such fun watching Sir Charles in person before the game started. War Eagle!
~ * ~
2. Easter Bunny Scare
This picture of Riley with the Easter Bunny just makes me laugh. I would have been scared of an animal that much bigger than me, too.
~ * ~
3. Family Worship
In addition to our own Easter services, Jeff and I like to attend an Easter service each year with Jenna, Trey, and Trey’s parents at their church. It’s always uplifting being there together to celebrate Jesus’s resurrection.
~ * ~
4. This Granddaughter and Another on the Way!!!
We were thrilled to find out last Friday that Morgan is having another girl this October! Jenna and I drove to Morgan’s on Saturday to get the cutest pictures ever for baby reveal pictures.
~ * ~
5. Unrealistic Body Expectation
This makes me laugh. Isn’t this how we feel sometimes?
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
5 Things on the Blog
1. How to Be a Long-Distance Grandparent
Live far away from your grandchildren? Long-Distance Grandparenting is an excellent new resource to help shorten the distance.
2. The Terrifying Love of Motherhood
Leaving the cemetery was hard for me, too. “Grief journeys are not straight paths.” Read the beautifully poetic journey of grief, the terrifying love of motherhood, in Dr. Melissa McCrory Hatcher’s memoir, The Cleansing Flood.
3. How Do You Remember the Lessons?
How can we remember our lessons from God? One way is to document them. Learn how to set up a spiritual notebook.
God is attempting a delivery to you right now. Are you available to receive it? Let God love you.
Two weeks later, as if on cue, Stan’s mother also died. She was with her son again. More alive than ever.
* * *
What was a highlight from your April? What do you have planned for May? Please share in the comments.
Wow, Lisa, what a great month you’ve had! Love that you got to go watch Auburn play in the Final Four, and I’m head over heels impressed by your second per day video. You sure have talent, my friend.
May you have a blessed week!
Don’t be too impressed with my second a day video, Martha. It’s just an app I use. 🙂 All I do is take a few seconds of video each day, then use the app to pick the one second I want to use. At the end of the month, I click Mash and it puts it together for me. Easy-peasy, which is the way I like it. It was a very good month! Hope your week has been going well.
Such a fun and packed month!
It was a very fun month. I’ve been doing much less this week to catch my breath. 🙂
The picture of Riley with the Easter Bunny is priceless! (And I don’t blame her one bit for crying – a bunny that big is just unnatural!)
Congrats on your second granddaughter! So special!
I’m always amazed at how much info you share in these posts. (I’m going to check out the one about the spiritual notebook.)
I agree with you, Jerralea: any animal that towers over us would be a scary thing. 🙂 Thanks–we are super excited about having another sweet granddaughter!
Hey Lisa, Love the 1 second every day video, this “lie” by David Brooks, “I can make myself happy. This is the lie of self-sufficiency.” And poor Riley with the Easter Bunny.
Thanks, Karen. The everyday videos are a fun way for me to remember what we did during a month. My sweet husband is so gracious to let me film him so often. I never like filming myself. 🙂
Thank Lisa. You made me think…..and you made me laugh. I am taking note of some of your sites. Congrats on your second grand-daughter. Do they call you mimi?
Thanks, Christine. Riley will call me Granna, once I can get her to say it. 🙂 We’ve been working on it, but right now it’s too hard. Maybe in a few months? I liked Mimi for a name, but Riley’s other grandmother already was called that. It was a laborious process for me trying to decide on a name. ha.
Aw, congrats on the soon to be new granddaughter. That picture with the balloons is just precious (and that Easter bunny one is funny! I’m pretty sure my mom has one of my like that).
Thanks, Joanne. The Easter Bunny picture cracks me up too. I love seeing those kind of pictures and the ones with Santa too. Poor kids. 🙂 (And poor adults in the costumes!)
Oh, my! That picture of your granddaughter with the balloons is stunning!
I know, right? 🙂 Of course I’m biased all the way around since it is a picture of my granddaughter and was taken by my other daughter.
I always learn so much from your 5 “things, books, and links”. Thank you for sharing, Lisa. That photo of your precious little granddaughter made me laugh! She did not like that Easter Bunny one bit! Adorable!!!
Thanks, Laurie. I try not to cram too many things in this one post, but sometimes it’s hard not to. 🙂
This is so refreshing! love that mannequin and reading you have a new little one on the way. Congrats. AND the Final Four. wow. what a month. I too listened to the Asian efficiency podcast about reading and remembering and love James Clear blog. We cross over many times into the same territory don’t we? Have a great weekend,
Yes, we do often have parallel tracks, Jean. I love that! 🙂 It puts me in good company when I see that we’re tracking together.
I still haven’t gotten to James Clear’s book, but I have it on hold at the library. I keep seeing on his emails that Atomic Habits is heavily discounted right now, but since our library does have a copy, hopefully that will satisfy me.
Funny about the mannequin! And the Easter Bunny — poor Riley. How fun to see Jeff on the monitors at the game! I’m sorry the game didn’t go your way, but glad you got to see it live.
We were thankful to get to attend the game, and even though we lost, there was a lot of comfort by being surrounded by other dejected fans all around us. 🙂 Even the opposing team’s fans were very sympathetic and kind.
Loved all your reading links, Lisa. Your granddaughter is adorable! Congrats on the new expected grandchild.
Thank you, Pat. We’re very excited for our new little granddaughter to arrive in a few months! It’s nice to be able to say “her” now instead of just “it.” 🙂
Wow. Huge month. That was an interesting read about why facts don’t change minds. Cool that you guys got to go to the game and for Jeff to get a cameo!!
We too had the Easter Bunny melt down! Too funny. I’d be scared of a rabbit that it that big too!
Great shots of your grand baby! And more to come with number 2!
So I guess the Easter Bunny wreaks havoc in many different places. Maybe it would be more fun to be Santa? 🙂 He has his own hard issues too though. 🙂
a one second video for every day of the month???!!! that’s super cool!
and you’re a grandmother now? awesome! I haven’t visited here in a long time….congrats on the adorable granddaughter!!
Good to hear from you, Faith! Yes, I’m now a grandmother; it’s crazy how fast the past year has flown with her in our world. The one second videos help me keep track of her growth.
This is a brilliant round-up, Lisa! So many great links and recommendations! I love the photo of Riley with the Easter bunny – I can understand why she was scared! Congratulations on your second granddaughter! The photo of Riley with the balloons is beautiful!
Thanks, Lesley! We think our granddaughter is quite beautiful but of course we’d think that. 🙂 Can’t wait to see the next one in October!
I always love reading these posts! April was a whirl that included lots of travel and hiking (including the Grand Canyon), and sore legs. I got to spend four days with my daughter and her husband (the newlyweds). I’m looking forward to the end of a school year and rejoice over seeing all of the growth in our students. And on May 30, I get to fly to AK to spend six weeks with my grandson and his parents! The entire family will get to spend 3.75 days together–I can’t wait!
I’m always impressed with your outdoor adventures, Anita. You are in such good condition! I appreciate your example of taking care of mind, body, and spirit. My daughter is counting down days until the end of the school year, too, even though she’ll miss her students when summer is here. How fun that you’re flying to AK to be with family! So excited for you.
How lovely to be having another granddaughter in October! I have a great-granddaugher and 15 grandchildren and each one is unique and brings his/her own joy! Grandparenting is so wonderful isn’t it?
15 grandchildren? How delightful, Glenys! You’re a blessed woman. I can’t even imagine. ha. One is keeping me on my toes. 🙂 And yes, it is so wonderful.