Lisa notes

On the Blog—May 2023

By LisaNotes May 31, 2023 Archives No Comments

Here are brief summaries and links to posts on the blog, Lisa notes, in May 2023.

See previous months’ archives here

8 Books I Recommend—May 2023

By LisaNotes May 30, 2023 Books I Recommend 17 Comments

“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.”
– James Baldwin

Here are 6 nonfiction books + 2 novels I recommend from what I read in May.

[See previously recommended books here]

NONFICTION

1.  Spare
by Prince Harry

Spare by Prince Harry

Although at first glance I have little in common with the British royal family, this memoir by Prince Harry brings us closer. His vulnerability reminds me that we are all connected on a basic human level, even though our struggles may look different (I have never been or ever will be chased by paparazzi night and day). Prince Harry’s stories are fascinating, albeit often sad, about life as a prince and as a human being. I realize his is only one perspective and there are several sides to any story, but I did enjoy reading his side.

2. Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff
Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward With Your Life
by Matt Paxton

Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff

The title of this book caught my eye at the library. Then when flipping through and seeing this chapter, “Sort Through Pictures and Documents,” I checked it out. I’m currently on a summer-long project of getting my photos under control (again). I won’t take all of Paxton’s advice (he suggests discarding 90% of your photos, yikes!), but I will take some of his advice, such as digitizing the photos I care about, even if it’s just taking a photo of a photo with my phone. This book contains lots of great advice about decluttering in general (not just photos) so I highly recommend it. 

3. The Science of Stuck
Breaking Through Inertia to Find Your Path Forward
by Britt Frank

The Science of Stuck

We all get stuck sometimes in life, whether it be in an unhealthy relationship or a boring job or just a bad habit. This book is a fascinating (and very organized!) look at the science behind what keeps us stuck, and what works best to break out of it. One takeaway for me is to identify the perks of staying stuck, one of the first steps toward change.

4. Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image
Learning to Love Ourselves as We Are
by Hillary L. McBride

Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image

I haven’t met many women (or men either) who aren’t self-conscious about some aspect of their appearance, whether it’s their hair or their stomach or their weight, etc. This book helps us realize we are so much more than the sum of our body parts. While it’s centered around body image conversations in mother/daughter relationships, it far exceeds those parameters.

“What if every time you or another woman in your life said ‘I don’t look like the women on TV, or in the magazines’ you truly thought, ‘Good’?”

5. Poverty, by America
by Matthew Desmond

Poverty, by America

Data shows that despite the United States being one of the richest countries on earth, we also have more poverty than equally democratic countries. Sociologist Matthew Desmond dives into why. In this book he both lays out the problems but also provides some imaginative solutions. There are no easy fixes. But we can do much better to alleviate poverty versus perpetuate it.

[Read my book review here of Poverty, by America]

6. Why We’re Polarized
by Ezra Klein

Why We're Polarized

Ugh. We know we’re polarized in America. But we do we know why? Ezra Klein will change the way you interpret politics. I didn’t feel more hopeful after reading this book, but I did feel more informed. Hopefully that counts as a move in the right direction. This is an excellent book with fascinating content, whether you’re a Republican, Democrat, or could really care less.

FICTION

7. Fresh Water for Flowers
by Valérie Perrin

Fresh Water for Flowers

This novel chronicles the life of Violette Toussaint, a cemetery caretaker in France. Written with a flair for beautiful prose and insightful philosophy, this book takes you on a journey through highs and lows of betrayal and loss. You’ll find yourself pulling for Violette to find lasting happiness somewhere.

8. Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus

Lessons in Chemistry

This novel, while more lighthearted in tone than Fresh Water for Flowers, is just as relevant in addressing inequality, set in the early 1960s in the United States. Elizabeth Zott is a chemist-turned-TV cooking host. Both funny and serious, the plot provides interesting twists for Elizabeth and her genius young daughter. The 400 pages flew by. 

WHAT I’M READING NOW

  • Write for Life
    Creative Tools for Every Writer
    by Julia Cameron
  • The Love of My Life
    by Rosie Walsh
  • The Road Less Traveled
    by M. Scott Peck
  • The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence
    A Journey to Personal and Professional Success
    by Scott Allender
  • The Wrong End of the Table
    A Mostly Comic Memoir of a Muslim Arab American Woman Just Trying to Fit in
    by Ayser Salman
  • The Mindful Body
    Thinking Our way to Chronic Health
    by Ellen J. Langer

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What’s a good book you’ve read lately? Please share in the comments.

sharing at these linkups

Share Four Somethings—May 2023

By LisaNotes May 26, 2023 Life updates 22 Comments

Near the end of each month, I share four somethings at Jennifer’s linkup that I’m loving, reading, learning, and eating. 

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What I’m Loving

  • BLACKOUT CURTAINS

We’ve had only blinds on our bedroom windows for over 20 years. Last year an incredibly bright street light was installed that shone right in our bedroom window. This year we finally put up blackout curtains. We should have done it years ago. It’s been fantastic these past few months.

We were at the beach last week on vacation, which was wonderful, but the bedroom there had a bright light shining right into our room every night.

On the morning we were packing up to leave and return home, I checked the drawers to make sure we’d gotten all our stuff. What did I find?

This portable set of blackout curtains we could have used. Oh, well. 

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What I’m Reading 

  • KEEP THE MEMORIES, LOSE THE STUFF

I don’t have tons of clutter, but I do have some. Periodically I like to read books about decluttering to keep my clutter in check.

This book by Matt Paxton is a very helpful one, both for practical ideas and for philosophical ones: Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life.

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What I’m Learning

  • DECLUTTERING HACKS

Some suggestions from Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff on reducing clutter are:

“If you know you’ll use it within one month (unless it’s a seasonal item), keep it. Not six months, one year, or two years. One month. If you won’t use it within one month, the odds are you won’t use it at all.” 

“When you find an item in the attic that you bought hoping one day you’d use it, remember that it was a stepping-stone to the person you are today. When you got it, you needed it. Even if you never used it once. Now you are ready to move on, because you’ve grown.” 

Create a Maybe Pile for items you’re not sure about getting rid of. It offers breathing room when the going gets too tough to make snap decisions about what to keep and what to discard. Wait a few weeks, and see how much easier it is to empty the Maybe Pile then. 

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What I’m Eating

  • A BIT HEALTHIER FOODS

After our beach vacation of yummy but junky food, I came home determined to eat a little healthier. I’ve done fairly well, for me. I’ve swapped my daily biscuit and syrup for toast and oatmeal; my Diet Coke for sparkling water; my two cookies a day for just one. At least until the weekend. (I’m obviously not going too extreme with it.) 

What’s something you’re learning or loving this month?  

Share your thoughts in the comments.

Be a One Word Photo Sleuth
{One Word 2023 May Linkup}

By LisaNotes May 23, 2023 Human: One Word 2023, One Word Community 36 Comments

Link all of your One Word blog posts below. Share an update about your One Word in the comments.

Do you have a phone? Or a camera? Then you are equipped for this month’s One Word challenge!

Be a One Word photo sleuth. Look all around you for objects, people, places, etc. that remind you of your One Word. Snap a photo with your phone or camera. Include yourself in one of the photos if possible!

The more you look for your word, the more you’ll find it.

So this month, stay aware. And share. We’d love to see what you find.

If you blog, link a post below with ANY updates about your One Word, or link a post with photos about your word. You can also share updates with our One Word Facebook group or with our Instagram group @onewordcommunity. 

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Here are five things I found last week with my One Word this year: HUMAN.

1. MY AND JEFF’S FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND (and please explain to me why the photo makes the footprints look more like a cast instead of an imprint!)

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2. MY NEW T-SHIRT!

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3. SEEN ON INSTAGRAM ON MOTHER’S DAY

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4. A QUOTE I READ

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5. ONE OF MY FAVORITE LITTLE HUMANS

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Be a One Word Photo Sleuth

This May linkup for One Word updates will remain open for two weeks through midnight on Tuesday, June 6. Each link shared here will also be shared with our One Word Facebook group. 

Next month’s One Word linkup will open on Friday, June 23 (every One Word linkup in 2023 will open on the 23rd).

If you’d like to receive our monthly One Word emails and ideas, .

Where have you seen your One Word this month? We’d love to know!

Leave a comment here about your One Word.

Link Up About Your One Word!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sign Up for a Summer Memory Challenge – Matthew 6:25-34
—Grace & Truth Linkup

By LisaNotes May 19, 2023 Grace & Truth Link-Up, Memorization, Memorize Matthew 6 5 Comments

If you find yourself needing to derail anxious thoughts, think on better things, or stay present in this moment, you’re invited to . 

Beginning June 5, a group of us will memorize Jesus’s message from Matthew 6:25-34 about anxiety. 

Matthew 6:34

We’ll go slow—one verse per week—but we’ll be steady. See the full schedule here. 

You’re also invited to join our private Facebook group, Hide His Word. It’s for anyone who likes to memorize scripture (not just this Matthew 6 challenge but any verses) and wants extra camaraderie.  

So if you want some help to keep life into perspective, sign up now to receive the weekly email reminder for 10 weeks, plus links to all our free resources to memorize Matthew 6:25-34, such as 3×5 cards, one-page texts, journal pages, etc.

Sign up today for our summer challenge.

Sign up summer Bible memory challenge

Questions? Share your thoughts in the comments.

I’m linking at these blog parties

grace-and-truth-weekly-christian-linkup-friday

Grace & Truth Featured Post

How do you do laundry? Wash/dry/put away all in the same day? Or do you leave a load in the washer and unfolded clothes on the couch for days on end?

But what about the laundry of life? Do you have unhealthy relationships or patterns of thinking or unhealed wounds that also need putting away?

Read all of Katherine’s post at Candidly Christian on putting away all types of laundry, then link up your own blog posts below.

“It’s Time to Put Away Our Laundry”

Review the rules here about adding your most recent Christian Living posts and how to be the Featured Post. Visit all four hosts social media here or websites here: Maree Dee, Lisa notes, Lauren Sparks, Tammy Kennington.

Now Let’s Link Up!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

If You’re a Mind Reader. . .

By LisaNotes May 17, 2023 Human: One Word 2023 18 Comments

It’s a beautiful Monday afternoon at the beach. My husband Jeff and I have toes in the sand and the sound of crashing waves in our ears here at Panama City Beach, Florida.

I look up from the book I’m reading (because of course I’m reading a book on the beach) when a young woman near us stands up. She is quickly spraying sunscreen on her body as she watches her friends jump into the water ahead of her.

I’m glancing at her from my beach chair, wondering if she realizes that the sunscreen will all wash off if she jumps immediately into the water without giving it time to sink in.

I’m also seeing her struggle to spray the sunscreen on her back.

That’s when I hear Jeff say, “It’s so hard for me not to go over there and help her.”

I know Jeff likes to serve people. He’s one of those natural helpers who is quick to notice when someone needs a hand; he often offers his. (For example, we were eating breakfast at Hardee’s one morning when someone’s car stalled in the road in front of us. Jeff immediately ran to the road to help move the car out of traffic.)

I, on the other hand, need time to think things through. While I’m also glad to help, it takes me a minute to figure out what help I could offer that would be of use to someone, with the least amount of awkwardness from either of us. By the time I compose a logical solution, the moment has often passed. (Somebody like Jeff has already stepped in and the problem is over.)

But offering to help a stranger on the beach spread her sunscreen? That’s a bit much, even for Jeff.

And I say so out loud to him, using the most measured, calm voice available to me in the moment.

“Um, I know you like to help, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

And to further drive the point home, I add, “Plus, her sunscreen will all wash off in a minute anyway.”

At that point Jeff replies, “What???”

He looks at me. He looks where I’m looking. And roars into laughter.

While I had been watching the sunscreen woman, Jeff had been watching a 75-year-old woman in front of us struggling to fold up her beach chair while holding her book.

It was this older woman with her chair that Jeff had wanted to help, NOT the younger woman with her sunscreen.

As he explains it to me, I also laugh out loud at our hilarious (and potentially dangerous) miscommunication.

Doesn’t this happen between humans all the time? One person assumes the other person is talking about subject A, when in reality they are talking about subject B.

Confusion ensues. Sometimes feelings get hurt. Or wives get suspicious.

Why? Because we didn’t use enough words or signals to more fully explain ourselves, but relied on our mind reading skills instead.

My goal this month with my One Word Human has been to focus on the human mind, specifically to (1) learn new things and (2) ask more for advice.

But after my miscommunication with Jeff this week, I’m adding a third category: (3) communicate more clearly.

We may think we are mind readers. But bridging the gap from one human mind to another human mind isn’t as simple as we assume.

Don’t try to read minds. Make the mental path more visible instead.

It’s a good human thing to do.

If you're a mind reader

Do you think you’re good at reading someone’s mind? Share your thoughts in the comments.

More here on how to be a HUMAN: