February 27: Wingspan

I've been on kind of a bird kick recently, especially after that birding webinar, so it was apt that I learned a delightful new board game last night called Wingspan all about birds. Actually, the whole evening was delightful. Just the simple fact that we had two friends come over for dinner and games was extraordinary; life felt like it was back to a new "normal." I delighted in cooking a meal for more than 2 people, trying a friend's homebrew (made with my old equipment), teaching and playing the board game Photosynthesis, and learning and playing the new game Wingspan. I hope that I can continue to open up my life and my home to my friends, slowly but surely, as the pandemic begins to wane. I still hope that we are being safe and responsible, but it is nice to feel like we have a social life again. It's still not the same as when we would have dozens of people over for games and dinner parties, but I do really enjoy the double dating evenings because I actually get to talk to and bond with the other people present. When we used to have a large group over, there was no way to have quality time with every single person present, so it's nice to get this time now. Maybe I can even pack our calendar with more double dates to start to see more of our friends on a more regular basis. 

So Wingspan is a great game that features 170 different species of birds (including my favorite, the Indigo Bunting). Each of the bird cards features lots of fun facts about the birds, and the whole game is incredibly scientifically accurate (and artistically stunning). It is quite complex (which I love) and there are a lot of different ways to earn points. For the most part, your turns and actions do not influence the game of the other players (so there is no real way to screw other players). I like that you have your own independent board to do your own thing with. The game has similar elements to games like Ticket to Ride, Scythe, and many of our other favorite games. My husband won (beginner's luck), and I tied for second, and third place was only one point behind us, so it was a super close game. The four of us are very like minded so I very much enjoyed the gaming experience. I hadn't realized how much I had missed board games until we started listing off all the board games we could play together (many of which I would teach, as they would be new to our friends). This delightful evening gave me hope for what the coming months may be like. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 26: Birding Webinar

Yesterday I attended a webinar hosted by WGBH about Birding by David Sibley. I was very impressed with the set up of the webinar via zoom. They had turned off all video and audio of attendees, so you could only hear and see the host and the guest, and implemented a tab for the Q&A section where you could ask a question, or thumbs up other people's questions to bump them up in the queue. My internet was not working again, so I used my phone on the 4G network, and it worked fairly well. I was not 100% impressed with David Sibley, but you could tell that he really loves birds, and I delighted hearing the delight in his voice. Because my husband has become an avid birder,  I knew quite a bit about what was discussed, but I still learned some interesting facts, especially the fact birds lose 10% of their body weight every night so they wake up famished and spend the first hours of the day just foraging for food. It was interesting to hear David say that "there is no certainty for birds", because it is something I think about quite a bit when it comes to the animal kingdom. With the exception of temporary devastating circumstances, like the pandemic or natural disasters, and parts of our society who live in extreme poverty, most humans have some degree of certainty when it comes food and shelter. Most of us are blessed to be able to just open the fridge when we are hungry, or go to the grocery store when the fridge is empty. Birds do not have that guarantee, unless of course they are blessed to find bird feeding humans, like us. We have identified dozens of different birds in our yard over the past few years after introducing our feeders, and I have been fascinated learning all about them. Let's see how many of them I can remember now:

Ones we've seen a lot of this winter:

Black Capped Chickadee (state bird of MA, very common, they look like they have little black hats, and one of their bird calls sounds like their name "chicka dee-dee-dee-dee-dee")
Tufted Titmouse
White-Breasted Nuthatch (these guys are my favorite. They ALWAYS hang upside down on the feeder or tree trunk, and one of their calls sounds like sarcastic laughing "heh heh")
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Downy Woodpecker

Dark-Eyed Junco

Northern Cardinal (they have very clear sexual dimorphism, meaning the male is VERY red and the female is grey, but with a super bright orange beak. We often see mating pairs at our feeders)

Carolina Wren

Ones we've seen during other seasons:
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Blue Jay (these guys are MEAN and their bird call is more like a screeching/yelling)
Baltimore Oriole
House Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow

Mourning Dove

Indigo Bunting (the most gorgeous looking bird I've seen in my yard because they are strikingly blue, my favorite color)

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Common Grackle (these guys are kind of creepy, because they are big black birds that travel in HUGE flocks. We often wake up to our yard completely covered in them and it kind of reminds me the horror movie "Birds")

American Goldfinch (these also have sexual dimorphism. Males are super bright yellow and females are grey, and we often see mated pairs)

Grey Catbird

Eastern Phoebe (we had a nest of these on our porch last summer. apparently they are known to build their nests on human constructions. we kept finding the baby birds on the ground, and we kept trying to put them back in the nest. we know at least two survived because we saw them take their first flight)

Brown Headed Cowbird

Purple Finch

I really do delight in these birds, and I am glad they continue to come visit us. I really could write a blog post of delight on each one of these species and my experiences with them. Can't wait for summer to enjoy them even more.

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 25: First Day of School

Yesterday was my first day of school! Well, my first day of the Creative Writing class I signed up for at North Shore Community College. It was online, of course (via zoom), and I was all excited to start. I got my notebook and a pen and sat down to start the class, but my wireless internet just would NOT work. I went from being excited to being super frustrated. I missed the whole first half hour of class before I was finally able to get things working better. (Totally made me empathize with the difficulties of online schooling).  After the technical difficulties, I was able to actually enjoy the class. Our teacher started with some advice from famous authors-- the biggest takeaway was just to write, just sit down and write and get it all on paper, from start to finish. We also went over the draft process:

Draft 1: outpouring on the page of every word from start to finish
Draft 2: focus on fixing story/plot
Draft 3: focus on characters, characterization, and dialogue
Draft 4: focus on language, edit out clichés
Draft 5: the "dental" draft, every nitty gritty detail, confirm that every single word belongs there. He recommends printing out the manuscript and retyping it word for word

Lastly, we went over Basic Story Structure, which actually isn't so basic. He outlined three different acts, with several steps. 

Act I: Set Up
A. Set the direction of the story with a mood/tone, introduce main characters and villain, the theme, and the serious problem/goal.
B. Hook/catalyst/inciting incident
C. Turning point

Act II: Development
A. Problem Intensifies with barriers, complications, situations, and a temporary triumph 
B. The Reversal - then the problem worsens, dark moment, turning point

Act III: Climax/Resolution
A. Final Obstacle
B. Face to face with villain, problem is solved. 

We then went over the story in the Wizard of Oz to outline its basic story structure. I've learned about story structure before, but never outline in this exact way. It's a little bit complicated, but I think I get the idea. I am excited to try to write a story using this structure and see how it goes. We didn't really get homework assigned but our teacher did recommend we try writing with writing prompts every day. I delighted to start writing more creatively every day, so I have started another blog to record my daily creative writing. If you wanna check it out, visit promptedvoice.blogspot.com

With delight,

♥Jamie

PS: Here's the solution to yesterday's blog puzzle: Linen does not belong. The other words have Roman numerals featured inside each word (every other letter) in numerical order.
TIN
MINIM
MILITIA
SIEVE
LINEN
EVE
AVOID

February 24: Reader's Digest

I went on a google rabbit hole search yesterday looking for the perfect final Jeo-Party question. It's been getting harder and harder to come up with challenging and interesting questions, worthy of breaking out the teams into their own zoom rooms to discuss. A lot of my questions have either been too easy, with some people getting the answer right away, or not worthy of discussion because you either know it or you know. The last two weeks I decided to use Puzzlers from NPR's Car Talk, which are way more suited for discussion and problem solving together as a team. 

----

Two weeks ago:

Category: Great Pyramids of Egypt

Question: In his youth, a man decides to take a trip to visit the great pyramids of Egypt. He is deeply moved by the trip, and years later he decides to take his son, who has never been away from home, to see the pyramids. Here's the catch. The man made his trip to the pyramids in 1995, but his son made his trip to see them in 1969. How is this possible?

Answer: The dates are in BC (BCE). The father took his trip in 1995 BC. And 26 years later in 1969 BC, he and his son went. Pretty good, huh? (Special thanks to NPR's Car Talk for this puzzler!)

Last week:

Category: Perfect Words Puzzler

Question: Here's a list of words. (The order does not matter.) What do they have in common? 

Carbon, Mars, Four, Seventh, September, Saturn, Fifth  

Answer: Each word has the number of letters that actually denotes its place on a list. For example, carbon has six letters and it is the sixth element in the periodic chart. Mars is the fourth planet in the solar system and has four letters. Four is the fourth number and has four letters. Seventh has seven letters and fifth has five. September, the ninth month, has nine letters. Saturn, is six letters and is the sixth planet.

----

I loved both of these questions so much, and they definitely both sparked discussion amongst the teams. And after a little prodding and a few hints, both teams eventually got to the correct answer each week. So I read through a bunch more of Car Talk's puzzlers for this week's final Jeo question, but could not find any that I thought would work. 

Then I decided to search for other word puzzles via google and re-discovered Reader's Digest. When I was a kid, I remember my dad liked Reader's Digest, and I used to enjoy reading the jokes in it. Apparently, the magazine was founded almost 100 years ago (in 1922) as a "general-interest family magazine" with inspiring stories, hilarious jokes, and advice. On their website you can also find word puzzles, and I found a delightful one to use for this week's final jeo-party. 

The category is called "Odd Word Out", which is reminiscent of one of our favorite "Says You" categories, Old Man Out. The question: Which one of these words doesn’t belong with the rest? 

TIN
MINIM
MILITIA
SIEVE
LINEN
EVE
AVOID

I'll give you a day to think about the answer and I'll add it to my blog tomorrow. I gave the puzzle to my husband and he was able to solve it all by himself within a matter of minutes, with only one additional hint. It was delightful to see him figuring it out and to have him get the correct answer; I was so proud of him. Hopefully my friends will enjoy the puzzle tonight as well. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 23: "Nice to Meet You"

It's been several months since I have met anyone new in person. Yesterday, I finally had my training to start volunteering with Meals on Wheels, and I met almost 20 new people, including the two volunteer coordinators and most of the clients on my assigned route. I hadn't realized how long it had been since I said the words "Nice to Meet You" and it was quite delightful. 

I know I've said this a lot, but it still continues to shock me how different life is during this pandemic. It still felt a little awkward meeting these new people, but we were all masked and kept decent distance, but most importantly many of them have had their vaccines so I knew I wouldn't be inadvertently infecting anyone, which has been my biggest worry throughout this whole thing. If I got COVID, I'm pretty sure I'd be okay, because I'm young and don't have any comorbidities (though I definitely worry about having long term COVID symptoms that several of my friends have experienced). But I also know that even without any symptoms, I could spread COVID to others, where it might have a more deadly effect. That has been my motivation for taking all precautionary measures seriously. 

Interestingly, now that I am volunteering for senior care, I am eligible to receive the vaccine, so I will be looking into getting it, again not only to protect myself, but also to try to protect others, especially now that I will be dropping off meals to vulnerable people once a week. Meeting all these new people, and experiencing something new, reminded me of what life used to be like, and gave me a glimpse of what life might be able to look like again soon. I especially loved meeting a few of the little old ladies on my route, who were super sweet and I look forward to seeing again. I was also very happy with my trainer, a young guy who works part-time for senior care, who did a great job showing me the ropes, sharing little tips and tricks, and introducing me to everyone. I appreciate people who have their sh*t together and who know how to train others. It also felt great to be out in the world doing something productive, and it's not hard work at all, so I'm happy to help. My scheduled route will be every Wednesday from 10am-12pm and I am delighted to be giving back to my community, even in this super small and easy way.

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 22: Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing is hard, but rewarding and absolutely delightful, work. My friend and I took another one of our biweekly walks, this week snowshoeing on trails at Willowdale State Forest in Ipswich. I haven't worn my snowshoes in at least 2 years. It's another one of those things I regret not doing more of. 

My snowshoes are the professional expensive kind, purchased with my domestic terrorist ex many years ago. He was totally into winter sports, so I ended up owning skis and snowshoes and all kinds of fancy accompanying equipment (yes, I not only wasted several years with this guy, but several thousands of dollars as well 😒). I have since sold the the skis, because I never really liked skiing and only did it for him, but I kept the poles and the snowshoes because I did enjoy jaunting through the woods in the snow. I tend to dislike the cold, but being active and walking with snowshoes is hard, strenuous work that gets my blood pumping and warms me up quite nicely. I also love gearing up in snowpants and a big fluffy coat because I feel like a big cushioned marshmallow. I like being able to get down on my butt and slide around if I have to, especially while trying to precariously go down steep slopes, and I love being cushioned against falls (I did trip over my snowshoes yesterday but didn't feel anything from the fall). 

My husband and I have only snowshoed a few times, some years because there was barely any snow, most years because I am lazy. But because my friend and I have made a plan to walk every other week, it's motivated me to actually go out and do it. Our particular walks are delightful, not only because we get to explore new areas, be in the gorgeous outdoors (even in the cold and the snow), and get some physical activity, but because it also feels like we are spiritually counseling each other. It's incredibly delightful to share in each others joys and concerns and the trials and tribulations of our life journeys.  I love being able to bounce ideas off her, get confirmation about the steps I am taking, and reminders to stick to the path I am trying to forge.  Can't wait to see what we get up to next :)

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 21: The Game of Scythe

My husband and I actually left our house last night to go to a friends' house to play one of our favorite board games, Scythe. The pandemic quarantine has completely derailed our social life, and when we were invited to go over for a game night, my husband said we needed to go because we needed to get used to going out again. And this was the super safest "going out" we could do; the friends there were the same friends in our Magic pod whom we see every Tuesday anyways. We got delicious takeout and played a delightful round of Scythe (which I happened to win😉). None of us had played the game in over a year, so I got to be the teacher/leader of the game to refresh us all on how to play, which is one of my favorite things to do: reading the rules book, translating the rules to reality, guiding and helping my friends play the game. I delight in teaching and leading, especially games, and it was delightful to experience that again last night. 

I particularly like the game Scythe because there are almost infinite possibilities for how to play. There are 9 different achievements you can vie for during the game, but the first person to get 6 triggers the end of the game, so you basically get to pick up to 6 of the 9 things to work towards. Many of them are totally independent of other players, so you get to do your own thing during the game. I really like the variability and many different strategies one can employ to win the game. I delight in being able to bring people together to play a game, and I really miss doing that on a regular basis, so I look forward to life eventually getting back to normal so we can play more games with more people. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 20: Weird Al

I went on a ridiculous YouTube/Google rabbit hole yesterday while doing some research for next week's jeo-party. It went from researching the song "Mandy" by Barry Manilow, to discovering that Barry Manilow also wrote the theme song to the State Farm Insurance commercial (I love these crazy coincidences I keep experiencing) to listening to a few different versions of the Copacabana song by Barry Manilow, which ultimately led me to listening to the Weird Al parody of it, Star Wars Cantina. Weird Al is one of my favorite musicians because of his hilariously clever parodies, and Star Wars Cantina is one my favorite songs of his. I vividly remember my first experience with Weird Al, listening to Amish Paradise, his parody of Gangsta's Paradise, on my favorite local radio station back home in the midwest, 97ZOK. I appreciate Weird Al's artistry, creativity, musicianship, and his personal rule to always seek permission to parody a person's song before recording it. (Though he probably wouldn't have to since many artists have considered being parodied by him to be a badge of honor.) I have always delighted in parodies, and created quite a few, especially when I was young (including several hilarious versions of songs by Hanson). I love how parodies engage with the creative side of my brain. I often find myself singing to my cats, making up new lyrics to songs I have stuck in my head (that might be because I don't actually know the original lyrics, but I have definitely been influenced by the fact that my dad did this very thing when I was a kid.)

I decided to do a little research about parodies, and learned that according to Aristotle, a guy known as Hegemon of Thasos was the inventor of a kind of parody (probably around 400 BCE). He slightly altered the wording in well-known poems to make them "ridiculous". The word parody comes from the Greek word παρῳδία (parodia), using two roots: παρά para "beside, counter, against" and ᾠδή oide "song" to mean "an imitation that is set against the original". Greeks used the word parodia to refer to a narrative poem imitating the style of the epics in a satirical or mocking way. It is delightful to learn that people have delighted in parodies for thousands of years. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 19: Home Construction Projects

My husband and I (mostly my husband's) latest home pandemic project is demolishing and replacing our kitchen floor and adding radiant floor heating, and getting rid of our wall radiators. Yesterday, he needed assistance with some screws. He was in the crawl space directly beneath me; he would drill up and I would mark where the drill bit came through. He also needed me to remove hundreds of screws from the subfloor, while he installed metal plates underneath me to run the new floor heating. 

It felt great to be doing manual labor and to be working together with my husband to get something very tangible accomplished. It was also delightful to see our cat Sanders follow the sound of drill coming from beneath the floor, and then watch Fela follow him. It was like a cute game of follow the leader. The cats seriously had no idea what was going on, and I'm sure they thought there were mice in the floor. Sanders is definitely the more curious one, always exploring whatever new thing is happening, like jumping onto the cabinet that we moved that no longer had a counter top on it (surprise!), exploring under the sink when the cabinets were gone where I'm sure there were like a million new smells, getting into the drawers we removed, etc etc. I enjoy watching him learn, experiment, and exercise his curiosity, almost like a child would. 

I am also very much looking forward to the completion of this project, which will result in a gorgeous brand new dark gray floor (as opposed to an old, beat up, scuffed and damaged white linoleum floor) that is heated! The project might also result in some new cabinets, because as we demo the floor, we are moving the cabinets around and seeing just how terrible their condition is, so I might end up getting a whole new kitchen out of this. I delight in owning a home and making it our own, whether it be with funky colors or functional cabinetry. I also delight in my husband knowing how (or learning how via youtube or advice from his family) to do all of this construction work. When I was a kid, my dad built exactly two things my entire life: a deck around our pool and a white picket fence around our yard. That was it for construction work, and I was not invited to participate or to learn in any way. Meanwhile, my husband's dad built their entire house and continued to renovate and to work on it throughout his life, and he taught my husband while he worked. I am immensely grateful that he experienced such a fruitful upbringing that is now benefitting our life together. He really is quite amazing and I thank the universe everyday that we found each other.

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 18: Inside Jokes

After our raging rounds of Jeo-Party last night, a few of us stuck around to play Quiplash, a fun party game where everyone uses their phones to answer questions in the most funny way possible. Then on the main screen (I use Steam on my computer to play this game and I share the screen via zoom) our answers are paired with others and everyone votes on which one is their favorite (aka the funniest or most clever). We've been playing this game for a few years now (started out on the Nintendo Switch and we played in person, but thankfully the Steam/Zoom combo works very well for pandemic virtual game nights) so we have a lot of inside jokes built up. Occasionally these inside jokes resurface and are always delightfully hilarious. 

Yesterday we had a call back to the answer "rabid echidna", first made a long time ago by a friend who wasn't even present last night, so it was quite delightful to see again. We also have a running joke about the old tabletop shooting game, Crossfire. If you don't know, it has an iconic theme song with lyrics "you'll get caught up in the... CROSSFIRE!" One of us changed the words to "Dick Thunder!", and now whenever one of us sings "Dick Thunder!" ala the crossfire theme, another one of us echoes back "Dick Thunder!" It is definitely one of my absolute favorite things. A more recent inside joke is using the word scaffolding to mean sex after a friend tried guessing "scaffolding" during my sexy homonyms round in jeo-party. 

Yesterday we also created a new delightful inside joke. During Quiplash, two of my friends were given the question "A new use for marshmallows." The answers they gave went perfectly together. 1. To use during playtime. (and we all know what *that* means) and 2. To have sex with (which is hilarious because for several weeks now I have been giving my friends words to guess during Jeo-Party with the definition "to have sex with.") Of course we delighted in both of these answers, and for the rest of the game (and for the two other rounds we played), marshmallows continued to be referenced in more and more hilarious ways (and I am SURE they will resurface again and again and again). 

I have always delighted in inside jokes, since I was a little kid. They have always brought me closer with my friends, and made me laugh the most. These inside jokes come from a shared understanding that only we get. It makes them (the jokes and the friends) special. I have been blessed to have great friends throughout my life with whom I can share delightful inside jokes (and delightful memories). 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 17: Behind the Scenes

Before my husband and I host Jeo-Party every week, we go through the entire game, mostly to edit the text and add the daily doubles, but also so I can test the questions on my husband. And the experience is always delightful. I delight in our rapport, in making him laugh, that puzzled look on his face when he is really trying hard to figure out the answer, his completely wrong answers (which are often hilarious, purposely or not), and his immediately correct answers. 

One my favorite moments from last night was when he was racking his brain trying to come up with the name of the first woman US Secretary of State. I tried to give him a clue-- her first name is the same as a famous animated character in France, but that didn't help him at all. Then he thought he finally got it, yelling out, Janet Reno! Which is, of course, very wrong. She was the first woman US Attorney General, not Secretary of State (that honor belongs to Madeleine Albright). Later, I tried to give him clues to another answer when trying to get him to guess the name of a now 57-year-old alt rock red-headed musician. I said her first name was the same as an actress with the last name Spelling who starred on 90210, and he looked at me like I had three heads. It totally did not help him guess Tori Amos. We joked about how none of my clues or hints the whole night were at all helpful, but actually made it harder for him to guess. It was delightful. 

I also like how it feels like we are behind the scenes of a game show. Whenever we listen to our favorite NPR game shows, they always list all the editors, producers, contributors, etc, and now I have glimpse as to what that may feel like. As I continue to question what it is I want to do with my life, I delight in learning about all these jobs I had never even considered before, like, for example, radio game show editor. 

With delight,

♥Jamie 

February 16: The Perfect Bundt

A few weeks ago, I had some leftover blueberries that were about to go bad and needed to do something with them. So I found two recipes, one for keto blueberry muffins (for me) and one for a non-keto lemon blueberry bundt cake (for my husband). Both recipes turned about incredibly well. My husband loved the bundt (and I even cheated and tasted a little, it was indeed delightful). My favorite part was the fact that I not only still had a bundt pan, but that the cake came out of the pan so smoothly, effortlessly, and perfectly. The muffins have become my newest keto favorite (less than 3 net carbs per muffin, which a delightfully moist texture). I made them again with raspberries and keto chocolate chips (which turned out WAY better than the blueberries!)

For some reason I started craving the flavor of lemon poppyseed the other day, and decided to make both recipes again, substituting the blueberries for poppyseeds. I had to traverse the entirely of the grocery store twice before I was able to find poppyseeds. They were not with the other nuts and seeds, not in the baking aisle, not in the specialty organic aisle, not in any of the foreign foods sections. Where could they possibly be? My final idea of where to look before giving up was the fresh bakery section, and there they were, next to the fresh baked breads. So completely random, but I'm glad that I finally found them. 

I tweaked both recipes to include the poppyseeds and fresh lemon juice and zest and spent the afternoon baking. The kitchen smelled delightful, and both the muffins and the bundt came out beautifully. I so very much enjoy cooking and baking, and I am so glad that I have been able to find a more-than-decent keto substitute to enjoy. And seriously, it is so delightful to have that big bundt cake slide so perfectly out of its pan. It reminds me of that scene in Amelie when she says one of her favorite things is "cracking the top layer of crème brûlée" or my sister-in-laws expressed love of digging into a freshly open jar of peanut butter. It's the simple things :)

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 15: My Baby Kangaroo

There are so many things about my cats that are delightful and bring me so much joy. I've already blogged about a few of them (Fela being a cheese fiend and having a baby purr), and here is yet another adorable thing Fela does on a very regular basis, mostly with my husband, but occasionally with me. It happened yesterday to me because I was wearing a cardigan. It happens with my husband the most because he is pretty much always wearing a zip-up hoodie. These pieces of apparel allow Fela to tuck his body into the opening of the sweater like a baby kangaroo tucking itself into its mother's pouch. By the way, I did confirm that this is an actual scientific fact. After birth, joeys (baby kangaroos) travel, unassisted, through their mom’s thick fur to the comfort and safety of the pouch. 

So yesterday, I'm sitting at my desk, blogging away, when Fela jumps up on my lap. Then he starts to push his little head into my sweater, until his whole body is completely and tightly tucked in. Then he does this adorable happily contented purr. This particular purr is not the baby purr declaring that he needs something. It is a purr of delight. I am sure he feels warm and safe and comfy. He is just as delighted as I am. 

Apparently, this purr might be healing, for both him and me. One hypothesis is that  purring can be physically rejuvenating – a way for the cat to ‘heal’ itself after stress. The frequency of the vibrations of the purring, which range from 20Hz up to 150Hz, is thought to promote bone growth and tissue healing. This may explain why cats purr while they are falling asleep. The purr has been developed as a low-energy way to keep their bones and tissues in good condition while they rest.

Purring is also healing for humans; it has been shown as a form of stress relief and can even cut the risk of stroke or heart disease by as much one-third. Gary Weitzman, a veterinarian and CEO of the San Diego Humane Society, says the purring frequency corresponds "with established healing frequencies in therapeutic medicine for humans. Bone responds to 25-50Hz and skin and soft tissues to around 100Hz. The physiological benefits aside, we’ve always responded to purring’s psychological effects. It calms us and pleases us, like watching waves against a beach. We respond to a cat’s purr as a calming stimulus and may have even genetically selected cats with more propensity to purr. I think the purr has a big benefit for humans."

I wholeheartedly agree with this analysis. When I'm feeling crummy, I always get a boost from my cats. And it always seems like they know when I need them the most. When I am sick or depressed, they immediately jump up in my lap, cuddle up to me and purr. All of my cats throughout my life have been instrumental to my physical and emotional healing. They have never been "just animals" to me. The more I interact with and live with animals, the more humanity gets pushed off the pedestal of being above, greater than, or better than animals. We are all animals, and much more equal than I was originally taught to believe. In fact, animals are so much more integral to the human race than most people realize. I delight in the animal kingdom of which we are all a part of, and I delight in my little baby kangaroo, delightfully purring away in my lap. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 14: Pop Up Video

My husband and I are not too keen on holidays, especially Valentine's Day, so we don't do the typical fancy dinner or flowers and candy gift exchange. But I would argue we still had a delightfully romantic day. We went to Home Depot to buy him a new tool in order to finish demolishing our kitchen floor. (I'm sure he thinks that's the best Valentine's Day gift ever). I picked up take out from the Azorean, one of our favorite local restaurants (mmm I delight in their delicious cod cakes), and we watched Star Trek: First Contact, one of my favorite Star Trek movies. After we finished the movie, I clicked around through some of the special features and found a "text commentary." I started it, and it turned out to be the whole movie again but in a Pop-Up Video style. (I used to watch Pop-Up Video on VH1 as a kid, which showed music videos annotated via "pop-up" bubbles.) I re-watched about a quarter of the movie again just to see the pop-up commentary, and it was all delightful. Next time we watch the movie, we will definitely watch it with all the pop-ups. (There are apparently also two audio commentaries that I very much look forward to experience some day!) Some of the best pop-ups were self-referential, poking fun at continuity errors and fanciful science ("we don't really know what quantum torpedoes are" hahaha) and trying to explain how and why certain characters and ships could possibly be in this movie (since characters like Worf had left the Enterprise to serve on Deep Space Nine, and his ship, the defiant, had to still be functional after being fired on because it was needed in the next season of DS9). 

One of the things I really like about this movie is that it shows something close to our current reality, the year 2063, 10 years after World War III, which last 27 years, decimated the world, destroyed most major cities and governments, and killed 600 million people. In 2063, a scientist transforms an old nuclear missile into a ship with warp drive, which attracts the attention of an alien ship (the Vulcans), who initially had no interest in Earth because it was too primitive, but after detecting the warp signature from the ship, they decide to alter their course and make first contact with Earth. The Borg (an awful evil enemy "cyborg" race) traveled back in time from the 24th century to stop this pivotal moment in history from happening, because it changes "everything". Once humanity starts to build starships and to explore the galaxy in 2063, "it unites humanity in a way no one ever thought possible when they realize they're not alone in the universe. Poverty, disease, war. They'll all be gone within the next fifty years." The Enterprise, with Picard and his crew, follow the Borg via time travel to prevent the Borg from accomplishing their goal. 

I really like the idea of the possibility of a more utopian future. Can we possibly evolve from our primitive society? Can something unite us so that we work together instead of tearing each other apart? Star Trek gives me hope in that future. I decided to google "Star Trek" and "Utopia" and found a delightful article on space.com. Marc Pilisuk, a psychologist at Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center in San Francisco writes that "If there is a common enemy around which humanity can unite, it is the institutions that protect privilege for an elite network with extraordinary power and minimal accountability. At present, hopes for peace look most promising in the decentralized myriad of creative local actions of people wanting leaders to respond to their true needs." Richard Koenigsberg, a former professor of psychology at Queens College in New York City, argues that "Warfare is linked to the human attachment to 'nations.' As long as people believe that countries are the most significant thing in the world and that 'nations have the right to kill,' then warfare will persist. If humans come to see ourselves as residents of a single planet, rather than citizens of individual nations with specific interests, war will be unnecessary."

I delight in the possibility of a utopian future for our society. Hearing the way these psychologists discuss it, it makes it seem like it could actually happen. I am excited to see some of the Star Trekian universe infiltrate our reality. In fact, on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me (NPR game show that I delight in) this weekend, one of the limericks was "Since technology makes a good fake, my old butcher I now will forsake. I didn't use paper but bio-meat shapers. Now I have just printed a.... steak." Peter Sagal explains that you can now get a 3D-printed rib-eye steak made from actual cow cells. Tom Bodett replies, "Well, this - we're getting very close to the 'Star Trek' replicator here. As soon as they can print Earl Grey hot, you know, I'm in. I'm buying one." (PS: I have ALWAYS thought that 3D printers reminder me of replicators!)

If we are indeed one step closer to the Star Trek replicator, maybe we can also get one step closer to its utopian, egalitarian, peaceful society.

May we all "live long and prosper". 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 13: Tabula Rasa

Yesterday I finished priming the wall in our band room/office in preparation for that gorgeous coat of classic avocado. I used a grey tinted primer, best for deep colored top coats. Afterwards, the walls looked amazing. They shined with a silvery luster and offered a delightfully pure blank slate. My very own tabula rasa, I thought to myself. I realized that I haven't thought about "tabula rasa" in over a decade, since my days of studying psychology and theology in high school, college, and grad school. In case you don't know, tabula rasa translates to "clean slate" or "blank slate" in Latin, and refers to the concept that we are born with a blank slate that can be written on with whatever we want during life. The idea can be traced back to Aristotle's treatise De Anima ('On the Soul') in  350 BCE where he described the "unscribed tablet" of the human soul. In the 13th century, St. Thomas Aquinas used Aristotle's idea to contrast with Plato's idea that the human mind pre-existed somewhere in the heavens, before being sent down to join a body here on Earth at birth. But in the 17th century, John Locke popularized the idea and emphasized the freedom of individuals to author their own soul, claiming that individuals are completely free to define the content of their character. 

I have a love hate relationship with the idea of the tabula rasa. I like it when used to describe the possibilities of starting over with a clean slate (because I so very often need this possibility). I delight in the fact that I can start over again, with a tabula rasa of my very own, like I am trying to do now with my life. But I don't like it when it is used to describe human nature, because science refutes the idea that we are born completely blank. I believe in the science of innatism, which holds that the mind is born already in possession of certain knowledge. Tabula rasa would emphasize that only nurture affects the development of a person, while science has proven that both nature AND nurture influence people. As much as I sometimes hate to think about all that I have inherited from the genetics of my family, science definitely has proven that there are some things we are just simply born with. Instincts, reflexes, genes, all "nature". Nurture is definitely also immensely influential, but it is just a plain scientific truth that we are not born blank. 

I see this especially in my cats. They have definitely been born with certain instincts that they definitely did not learn from me or from their mothers (since they were all orphaned as babies). 

Out of curiosity, I googled some basic animal and human instincts.

Cats are born with instincts to:

• Mark their territory (by rubbing all over our furniture and legs)
• Knead. (to encourage milk production in their mothers)
• Sit in cardboard boxes (to feel safe and secure) If they were out in the wild, they would not want to be unprotected in an open area because this would make them more susceptible to predators. Felines also have a natural instinct to ambush. By hiding in small tiny spaces they are able to watch and observe their surroundings from a distance.

Humans are born with instincts to

• Fear of snakes and spiders
• Respond to the cries of infants
• Do anything for our survival (which includes things like denial, revenge, tribal loyalty, greed and our urge to procreate). Interestingly these are actually quite detrimental to the existence of the world. Our economic and social systems encourage greedy behavior, which is leading to more and more poverty and the devastation of the land and our natural resources. Our instinct to procreate is leading to over population. 

It's interesting to me to consider what truly is "human nature" and how it is that we can possibly fight against these natural instincts that do not actually serve humanity, in order to evolve and to be better than what we are now. I sometimes think that this is the fight that prophets of all eras have waged with humanity. People like Jesus and Buddha and Gandhi and MLK were trying to fight against the natural urges of humanity to be mean and selfish and only look out for themselves, with seemingly the simple message to love one another. Can we ever win this fight?  While sometimes I feel hopeless in this battle, I do delight in learning about the possibilities and of imagining a more evolved and utopian society. While we may not be born with a blank slate, perhaps we can erase some of our hatred, selfishness, greed, and anger from our slates and learn to love. That would be delightful. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 12: Books > Movies

Reading has always been a delight for me, ever since I was a little kid when my dad thought me how to read before kindergarten and would take me to library all the time. As my childhood got more and more, for lack of a better word, complicated, I found solace in books. I could lose myself in the intricate fictional worlds created by words on paper. I loved a wide variety of books as a child; my favorites included anything by R.L Stine or Christopher Pike (especially The Season of Passage), series like The Babysitters Club, The Box Car Children, and The Chronicles of Narnia, and classics like the Bridge to Terabithia and Frankenstein. 

Even though I have always been an avid reader, having a Kindle has totally upped my reading game. It's so easy now to find, to download, and to start reading a book. It's also SO much easier to read at night (no more trying to use those stupid book lights, or having to keep my bedroom lights on while preventing my husband from sleeping). I also delight in a lot of the Kindle's features, like being able to highlight passages, to search for anything I am looking for within the book, and to look up unfamiliar words in the dictionary at the click of a button. And it's so much easier to hold than a clunky book.

I've read a lot of great books recently (including my first Ray Bradbury book, The Martian Chronicles, which was absolutely delightful.) As I was searching for my next book to read, Amazon recommended "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes", the prequel to the Hunger Games. I read the trilogy over a decade ago (ahhh I cannot believe it has been that long!) and totally forgot that the prequel came out in 2020. I decided to read it, and I liked it a lot. I hesitate to say it was delightful because the subject matter is so dark and creepy. It follows the evil, corrupt President Snow as a teenager to try to explain how he got so evil. I've always loved prequels like that (like Wicked, a "prequel" to the Wizard of Oz that attempts to explain how the Wicked Witch of the West turned evil). But in most prequels like that, you end up at least slightly empathizing with the antagonist, a lovely twist and wonderful lesson on how one could possibly ever actually love their neighbor (by understanding them). But with this prequel, it was incredibly disturbing to see Snow's complete lack of empathy, even as a child. He experienced poverty and starvation as a child, so you would think that would make him at least somewhat empathetic to others in dire straits. But no, not at all, he is just plain pure evil. After finishing the book, I immediately wanted to read the trilogy again (even though I usually have this thing against re-reading books, as I have always maintained I'd rather spend my reading time experiencing new books, I also have to admit to myself that my memory is just terrible, and re-reading is basically reading again for the first time). 

After finishing the trilogy for the second time, which was just as action packed and thought provoking as I remembered (and I read it just as voraciously as I had the first time around), I decided to watch the movies. I watched the first two yesterday (one I had seen before, the other I had not), and while entertaining, totally do not do the books justice. Books are always better. Books allow for much more in depth character development, especially when you can read the inner thoughts of the main character. Books also simply allow for more characters, more plot points, more intricately involved connections, more of everything. I also love that your imagination is required to create the worlds and characters described. But a few things I do enjoy about movies that were once books, including seeing the characters more vividly (and in some cases, more accurately). Especially in the case of the Hunger Games, I most definitely suffer from white-washing characters in books (assuming that everyone is white, because I am white). I really hate that I do that. The movies correctly portrayed people in District 11, like Rue, as Black people, and made the decision to make Katniss's stylist Black as well. I enjoy being able to see the diversity on screen that I neglected to include in my imagination. There were also some scenes included in the movie that were not in the book, like watching the District's reaction to the Games, including the beginning of the revolts, that actually added to the complete story very well. 

But there is SO much about the books that the movies cannot or do not include, but such is the nature of turning a multiple hundred page book into a 2ish hour long movie. I will continue to delight in reading the book BEFORE the movie, and simply allow the movie to hash out some details I may have missed. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 11: Laughter

Laughter is absolutely delightful. I look forward to Thursday night game nights for so many reasons, but laughter is definitely one of them. I delight in laughing and hearing others laughing and making other people laugh. Thankfully, laughter is plentiful in my life. In additional to the (sometimes ribald) joking on Thursdays, I have been rewatching Will & Grace (the original series) and it makes me laugh out loud all the time. And of course, almost everything my cats do make me laugh. My husband pointed out the other day how important laughter was to our relationship. I've heard the sayings that "laughter is the best medicine" and "laughter is good for the soul" so I decided to see if there is any scientific proof to back these up. Turns out, there is. Not only does the science point to laughter benefitting your own health (it releases endorphins, our homegrown feel-good chemicals, to induce euphoria and happiness, and it protects your heart, is anti-inflammatory, and lessens the body’s stress response). But most interesting to me is the fact that laughter forms and enhances social bonds. 

In 2005, evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson offered an explanation of the evolutionary benefits of humor. He is a proponent of group selection, an evolutionary theory based on the idea that in social species like ours, natural selection favors characteristics that foster the survival of the group, not just of individuals. And he argues that laughter is a characteristic that has survived natural selection and even been enhanced by it, because it is so helpful for society. 

Laughter has its roots in the games of early primates and has features in common with animal vocalizations. (games!). In early human societies, laughter was a reliable indicator of relaxed, safe times when no one was getting hurt, and developed to help us make and maintain social bonds. Shared laughter signals a commonality of worldviews, preferences and convictions, which reinforces social ties and the sense of belonging to the same group. (yep, that is exactly what game nights do!). 

I delight in science, especially evolutionary biology, almost as much as I delight in laughter. And it is delightful to have scientific evidence to help me hone in on my mission in life- spreading laughter, much like finding delight in the small things, can indeed change the world. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 10: Triple Feature

It is such a big deal now to have plans with someone who isn't my husband. I have taken the pandemic and quarantine very seriously, both because I don't personally want to get COVID, and because I don't want to inadvertently give COVID to someone else.  In the past year, I haven't gone out to dinner, had a drink at a bar, or seen most of my friends, with the exception of via zoom. It has been delightful to start going for walks biweekly with a friend, and it was delightful to have planned an afternoon of movies with a friend yesterday. We both had negative COVID tests recently so we felt safe in getting together, with food, movies, and each other's company.

One of my favorite things to do is cook for other people, so it was delightful to bring some dishes to share - bacon spinach dip and keto muffins, some of my newest favorite recipes (it is definitely one of things I miss most-- having tons of people over to my house and cooking all kinds of foods, especially with newly discovered recipes). We watched three delightful movies: Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer (from 1985!), Rainbow Brite: San Diego Zoo Adventure (from 1986!, which we played on my VHS tape, which actually worked!!), and Head Over Heels (a 2001 movie starring Freddie Prinze Jr, which admittedly was a crazily contrived romantic comedy with a police thriller twist, but delightful nonetheless). We were inspired to watch these after rounds of Jeo-Party I created, when she and I bonded over our love of Rainbow Brite, and I discovered that the totally random movie I had never heard of that I accidentally found when googling the idiom Head over Heels was one of her favorite movies. But the most delightful part was being in the company of a delightful person who wasn't my husband. As much as I love and adore him, I do definitely miss having other people in my life. Life has been so weird and different this past year, and I am beginning to doubt that life will ever get back to "normal". But these small baby steps, a walk here, and afternoon of movies there, at least is beginning to feel a little bit more "normal". I still want to be safe and responsible, but maybe slowly but surely I can reopen up my life to some other people. That would be delightful.

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 9: Close Enough

I had a dream last night that my husband and I hosted a game show called "Close Enough." In the dream, I remember explaining why we chose to call it that.  Apparently we were inspired by one of our favorite radio game shows, Says You: while each of their questions is always worth 10 points, the host gives partial points when the contestants get close enough to the answer. So that was the main idea of our show, that even if you got close to the answer, you would still get some points.

My husband has often used this quote "Close Enough" in life, and I always thought it came from South Park. But when I told him about the dream, he told me that in fact the quote comes from an old Labatt Blue beer commercial that his brother introduced him to back in 2007. He then played it for me on YouTube. I had never seen it or heard of it before, and had NO CLUE that this is what he had been quoting since we met. 

In the commercial, the mascot of Labatt Blue beer, a bear, meets people from Japan in a sushi bar. The Japanese men help the bear with his chopsticks. They introduce themselves- they are from Japan, the bear is from Canada. Then the whole bar excitedly shouts "Canada!" The bear says he is drinking Labatt Blue. The Japanese men repeat back "Bwue!" The bear says, "no, no, no, Blue!" and the men repeat back, "Bwue!" The bear gives up and says "Close Enough!" and the men repeat back "Cwose enough!" I thought it was hilarious and delightful and I totally see how it inspired my husband to say "Close Enough!" I love how my brain turned this quote into a game show in my dream. I also love the idea of my husband and I hosting a game show together. I mean, we already kind of do, with Jeo-Party with our friends. Maybe one day we can turn this into something official. Wouldn't that be delightful?

With delight,

♥Jamie

[[On a side note: I know that technically the ad can be seen as racist, as it is making fun of the Japanese accent, but the Japanese men in the ad look like they are having a genuinely good time and everyone is toasting to each other, and later they sing karaoke together. Can this type of humor exist in a post-racist society? I'll have to do more thinking about this. Because I delight in humor, but not humor that hurts anyone. I hope that one day we can become such a tolerant society that we can be respectful of each other while harmlessly poking fun at each other. Is that wrong of me to hope for? I make fun of my accent all the time, and I delight when others make fun of it as well. But I also want people to feel respected. So I sincerely hope that no one is hurt by this ad. Can we find humor is each other's differences? Or is the fact that I'm even questioning this just an excuse for me to be complicit with racism. Life is so complicated.]]

February 8: One Month Anniversary

Wow, it's been one month since I started this delightful blog. With few exceptions, I have blogged every single day for a month (exceptions include a few days I didn't publish the blog entry until the next day).  But I have successfully formed a habit of writing (I sit down every morning with my coffee and eggs and write this blog), and I am delighted. It is also fascinating to see how my outlook on life has changed in just this one month. I think my hope and optimism are returning. I have regained a glimmer of the passion I once had for trying to change the world. I see again one of the messages I used to preach, not did not really practice well- finding joy in the little things, living in the moment, delighting in the moment. You don't need to have or to experience big momentous occasions to feel delight. You can see the beauty in the microscopic and marvel in the mundane. Because of the pandemic, quarantine, and my chosen unemployment, I spend a lot of time at home, doing a lot of the same things, not experiencing many big momentous occasions. No awesome concerts to attend, no traveling to exotic far off places, no meeting new people, no attending energetic events. It is super interesting to me to consider how different this blog would have been had we not been in a pandemic. How different the moments of delight would be. I have had to discover great joy in the small things in my life and I really think it has changed me. And I also really do believe that if more people did this, the world really would change. 

I find it interesting that while I have often preached about finding delight in the small things, I so rarely experienced it until now. (Gives new meaning to practice what you preach). One of my favorite poems is At The River Clarion by Mary Oliver, which I've used often in sermons and meditations.  She writes about being thankful for not only a ripe melon, but also the knife used to cut it open. Delight leads to gratitude. Gratitude can lead to change. She writes:

Yes, it could be that I am a tiny piece of God, and each of you too, or at least
of his intention and his hope.
Which is a delight beyond measure.
Of course for each of us, there is the daily life.
Let us live it, gesture by gesture.
When we cut the ripe melon, should we not give it thanks?
And should we not thank the knife also?

Finding delight in the small things also reminds me that taking even small steps can eventually accomplish a journey. Like Benjamin Franklin once said, "Little strokes fell great oaks."  I used to say to myself that even if I made one person smile, it would mean that I made a difference in the world. But I grew pessimistic with this outlook after discovering how big, complicated, and broken the world is, and how impossible it would be for me, just one person, to make any kind of difference. This experiment in delight has given me back a bit of my hope for change, and ironically, one of the ways I feel I can make a difference is by leading other people to this place of meditation on delight, to encourage the evolution of humanity, through delight in the small things. 

I take heart in this quote by Turkish novelist Mehmet Murat Ildan: " If you can see the little things and the small details around you as big things, you're enlightened." Enlightenment is my new goal, not just for me, but for humanity. 

I also found a bunch of other quotes that really speak to me regarding this idea of delighting in the small things. 

"Little things seem nothing, but they give peace, like those meadow flowers which individually seem odorless but all together perfume the air." - Georges Bernanos

"You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you." - Andy Warhol

"Big things are often just small things that are noticed." - Markus Zusak

"Sometimes, little things make a big difference." - Nino Varsimashvili

"Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things." - Frank A. Clark

"We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love." - Mother Teresa

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 7: Blanket of Snow

I've never been a huge fan of snow. Growing up in Wisconsin, I experienced a LOT of snow. I remember one time we had so much snow in Beloit, WI that there were literally walls of snow on the downtown streets and mountains in the parking lots because there was no more room to plow it anywhere. I think I mostly don't like snow because I don't like winter in general because I don't like being cold. 

But as I've gotten older, I've come to at least appreciate the winter, and on occasion, even delight in it. I very much appreciate the cycle of the seasons. Winter gives me a reprieve from disgusting bugs and exhausting heat (especially after this past summer's flea infestation and stink bug plague.) And I have very much come to delight in the beauty of winter, especially after a fresh snowfall. We got about 6 inches of snow on Sunday, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The snowflakes were huge and seemingly neverending. And the result was this amazing blanket over the world. I especially delight in the way the snow covers the trees. It's just so beautiful. 

So of course, I had to do some googling about snow. Here are some delightful facts:

How a snowflake forms: Each flake nucleates around a tiny particle (like dust or salt) in supersaturated air masses by attracting supercooled cloud water droplets, which freeze and accrete in crystal form. 

Snowflake shapes: Each flake has a little spark of individuality. No matter how many billions of them fall from the sky, there are never two the same. This was discovered in 1885 after scientist Wilson Bentley devised a clever way of attaching his camera to a microscope so he could take photographs of snowflakes in greater detail than ever before. 

Snowflake classification: Even though each snowflake is unique, snowflakes were categorized in eight broad classifications in 1951 by the International Commission on Snow and Ice.

1. Stellar Dendrites- Star-shaped, with six symmetrical branch-like arms with random sidebranches (most common in art).

2. Sectored Plates- Like stellar dendrites but the arms are less like branches and more like flattened plates and don't have sidebranches. 

3. Hollow Columns- A cylindrical column of hexagonal crystals like a hollow wooden pencil. (most common in nature). 

4. Capped Columns- Like hollow columns but with caps on each end, makes it look a spool.

5. Needles- Like hollow column, but much longer and thinner like a needle, sometimes with branches. 

6. Spatial Dendrites- a jumble of different types of crystals with randomly oriented branches.

7. Rimed Crystals- snowflakes that pick up a lot more snow crystals and almost turn into fat little balls. 

8. Irregulars- the miscellaneous category

Shape formation: Complex shapes emerge as the flake moves through differing temperature and humidity zones in the atmosphere; these conditions affect what shape the flake will be. 

If humidity is low, there isn’t as much water vapor in the atmosphere so the snowflakes form plates.

If humidity is high, with more water vapor in the atmosphere, branches are formed.

The lowest temperatures create columns, while the highest temperatures create branches. 

---

As I look out my window, the trees and ground are still blanketed in snow, and it is delightful. We are also expecting even more snow, for better or for worse. Maybe it will soon be time for a nice snowshoeing trek in the woods. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 6: The Baby Purr

A few years ago my husband and I watched a Cat Documentary on Netflix. While I can't remember what it was called, we both specifically remember one part that we quote all the time. We learned that cats have different kinds of purrs, one of which is the same frequency as the cry of a human baby, so humans respond to it more quickly than other purrs. We started calling this "the baby purr". In lieu of finding the actual documentary, I did find the study that discovered the baby purr, titled "The cry embedded within the purr" by Karen McComb, published in Current Biology, August 2009 whose abstract summaries that "We discuss how the structure of solicitation purrs may be exploiting an inherent mammalian sensitivity to acoustic cues relevant in the context of nurturing offspring." The first few lines of this BBC story say it all in a more palatable way:

Researchers at the University of Sussex have discovered that cats use a "soliciting purr" to overpower their owners and garner attention and food.

Unlike regular purring, this sound incorporates a "cry", with a similar frequency to a human baby's.

The team said cats have "tapped into" a human bias - producing a sound that humans find very difficult to ignore.

It turns out that adult cats who live in the wild rarely purr at all; only kittens purr to their mothers in the wild. But domesticated cats not only retained the trait to purr, they learned to purr even as adults, in order to communicate to their human owners. Domesticated cats created a specific language that they use exclusively with us including a variety of purrs. Dr McComb said cats learn to dramatically exaggerate the solicitation purr when it proves effective in generating a response from humans. When the research team played the recordings of purrs back to human volunteers, even those people with no experience of cats found the soliciting purrs more urgent and less pleasant than other purrs. Fascinating!

One of our three cats (Fela) does the baby purr sound all the time. It is a noticeably different sound and frequency than his other purrs. He is already very vocal, with a huge variety of sounds he uses to communicate with us, but the baby purr is definitely one of my favorites. He tends to use it when he wants attention, basically saying to us "Please pet me, please love me, please cuddle with me, please hold me, please pay attention to me." And you cannot help but to give him what we wants. He has definitely tapped into the evolutionary advantage of crying like a human baby, knowing we HAVE to respond. 

I delight in this purr as much as I delight in the knowledge of the purr. I love witnessing science and evolution sitting right here in my lap. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 5: What's in a Name?

My husband showed me a delightful clip of a Family Guy bit that he said reminded him of me and my Jeo-party. Stewie writes a song called "Suzie" and Brian claims that naming a song after a girl is incredibly unoriginal. Stewie then dares Brian to name 20 songs named after a girl. And he does. Then Stewie asks for 6 more. Brian does. Then 5 more. Brian does. Stewie gives up, slamming his guitar down, and telling Brian to "Go f* yourself". HAHAHAHA.

The category of Jeo-party I created that reminded my husband of this clip was called "Every Tom, Dick, and Harry" and was about songs with a boy's name in the title (like Hey Jude, You Can Call Me Al, and Louie, Louie). A few weeks ago, I also did one with girl's names called "Girl Talk" featuring songs like Sweet Caroline, Billie Jean, and Mustang Sally. 

The list of 31 songs that Brian rattled off (and that some kind soul typed up and added to a comment on the youtube video) were mostly ones I had not thought of; I wasn't even confident I had heard of some of these songs, so my husband and I started playing through the list on spotify. Many of them are very familiar to me; many of which I have heard, but had no idea the name of the song or the artist (very typical of me). Some delightful ones include: “Brandy” - Looking Glass, “Allison” - Elvis Costello, and “Maria” - Blondie. I am fairly confident that I did not know Looking Glass was singing the name Brandy. Always sounded like gibberish to me.  

Inspired by this list, I then played a song for my husband that Brian neglected to list, named "Jamie" by Ray Parker Jr that I have known ever since I was a little kid (I had an old school 45 record with it and Ghostbusters theme, also by Parker). That then somehow morphed into my husband nonchalantly daring me to find songs with the names of our friends in them. And that is how I spent the next few hours, googling and playing songs from a HUGE range of artists featuring the names of many of my friends who play Jeo-Party with us each week. And of course, I turned them into Jeo-Party trivia questions and I ended up with like 3 weeks worth of questions. Score! Some of the songs are super good and incredibly familiar, and some are unexpected, obscure, and rare, the perfect blend for a good Jeo-Party category. I also was reminded of the other songs with my name, like "Jamie's Cryin'" by Van Halen and "Dear Jamie" by Hellogoodbye (not "Janie's Got a Gun" by Aerosmith, even though for years I thought they were singing about Jamie). It amazes me and delights me how much music there is out there in the world. I will never run out of Jeo-Party categories with the sheer amount of music, TV shows, and movies that have been released. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 4: Jeo-partying

Some days, some weeks, I have no energy and have to will myself to do even the simplest of things. Usually I spend a few hours each day working on trivia questions for my weekly Jeo-Party game night. But not this week. Between being busy, preoccupied, and lacking motivation and energy, I essentially put together all three rounds of Jeo-Party in one day, yesterday. Just like on Monday, I could have easily cancelled Jeo-Party, and relied upon the other games we have managed to find that work via zoom without any prep work. But I did it. I came up with fairly decent and entertaining trivia questions and led a delightful evening with my friends. Maybe this is progress? Maybe I am fighting against my own internal cancel culture? Even this morning, I really didn't want to sit down and write this blog, but here I am, actually doing it. Maybe this is what's like to actually fight my depression, fighting back with delight and simple life accomplishments? The temptation to sit on the couch and play video games all day is still super tempting (and tbh I will definitely be doing that most of the day), but before I give into that temptation, I am getting stuff done. I did the dishes, made my husband french toast for breakfast (and OMG the house smells so delightfully good now), and am writing this blog. Simple things, little things, but things nonetheless. 

I was particularly delighted with my favorite category yesterday: "Ribald for Her Pleasure." As I mentioned previously, my husband came up with that line after I went on a dictionary rabbit hole of words and found "ribald" which means "marked by coarseness or lewdness : crude, offensive." I decided the category would be Before and Afters featuring the word "head" ... hehehe ... which can be taken to be crude and lewd, but is really just a normal word with hundreds of definitions and lots of appearances in pop culture (Talking Heads, Dead Heads, Head and Shoulders, to name a few) and combining them into before and afters was super delightful, like "Over My Head Over Heels", combining Over My Head (which I thought was just an idiom but a google search reminded me that it is a sing by The Fray) and Head Over Heels (which again I thought was just an idiom but discovered it's also a movie by Freddie Prinze Jr that apparently one my friends just loves even though it is only rated 10% on rotten tomatoes. I had never even heard of the movie, so I will be watching it soon with that friend, so it may or may not appear in a future blog depending on if I end up liking it or not 😄). I had so much fun putting that category together, and I delight in the delight I was able to share with my friends. 

Another category I loved putting together was "Homophonies" (which my friends now pronounce as huh-MOFF-fuh-nees or more hilariously HO-MOP-HONEYS)  inspired by the NPR radio show, Says You. I have found dozens of homophones in sets of 3, and basically all I do is copy and paste their definitions from the OED and have my friends guess. My favorite definition of the evening was: "Equivalent to the product of two and four; one more than seven, or two less than ten" which is the actual definition of "eight". It's a give away, I know, but paired with ait and ate, it was tricky. (Ait is a small island, btw). 

And perhaps the most delightful moment was when my husband and I were going through the trivia and editing the game, and discovered that because of my midwestern accent, one of the sets of 3 homophones are definitely not homophones when my husband says them, but definitely ARE homophones when I say them. The words? Parish, pear-ish, and perish. (Also, tbh, pear-ish is not an actual word. That's what makes it super tricky.) It's the same problem I have with the names Aaron and Erin. My A's and E's sound exactly the same, but when my husband, or especially his mom, says them, they do sound completely different. Accents are fascinating. And during Jeo-Party, one friend recommended a YouTube video series about accents that I am very much looking forward to watching (and if they are as delightful as I imagine they will be, I am sure they will appear in a future blog). 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 3: Tim Conway as "The Dentist"

Yesterday I spent the morning at my husband's parents' house to get their old piano moved to our house. (Unfortunately we did NOT actually end up getting the piano. The moving truck got stuck on the steep slushy driveway and took two hours to get unstuck, and by that time I decided to just send them home instead of making them carry the piano not only out of the house and down a precarious staircase but also down the slippery driver since there was no way their truck was getting back up the driveway. What a mess!)

But before that chaos, I got to spend some time with my mother-in-law. I can't remember exactly how we got into a conversation about Tim Conway, the Red Skelton Show, and the Carol Burnett show, but the puzzled look on my face because I had no clue what she was talking about shocked her. She encouraged me to the google "Tim Conway Dentist". I did and watched a skit from the Carol Burnett Show of Tim Conway playing a newly graduated dental student seeing his first patient. The actual content of the skit wasn't actually all that funny, but what had me dying with laughter was seeing Tim Conway and Harvey Korm totally unable to keep a straight face. They were performing the skit live, and at times, Harvey had to cover his mouth because he couldn't keep himself from laughing. It was absolutely delightful. It looked like they were having SO much fun, and seeing them laugh made me laugh SO much, even though their actual jokes weren't all that funny. I've always loved live comedic acting and seeing actors not able to keep a straight face. Some of my favorite moments from Seinfeld and the two episodes taped live of Will & Grace were moments of the actors laughing. 

An article in Slate agrees with me, saying, "Regardless of the quality of the material, there’s just something eternally irresistible about the spectacle of actors struggling not to crack each other up." They were discussing Season 8 Episode 1 of Will & Grace, one of two episodes they filmed live, which is one my favorites, even though, again, the actual content of the episode isn't great. Not even 2 minutes into the episode, Eric McCormick (Will) makes a joke and Debra Messing (Grace) is already struggling not to laugh. Later, there is a moment with Grace and Jack (Sean Hayes) when the closed captioning even captures the hilarity: "[Both suppressing laughter]". Debra Messing giggled uncontrollably for a good eight seconds before she could respond with her next line. Later, during another one-on-one scene, Sean and Debra got into it again. Staring each other down after a particularly absurd exchange, they both had to look off into space, lips twitching, as they tried not to laugh. It was delightfully hilarious to watch them be real human beings laughing at the jokes they were trying to make. 

Humor delights me, and it's was delightful to experience a bit of humor that my mother-in-law enjoyed decades ago that reminded me of bits of humor I have enjoyed in my lifetime. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 2: Nahko and Medicine of the People

After the delightful Twiddle coincidence on Monday, my walking buddy recommended some songs she thought I might like. One of them I immediately fell in love, "Budding Trees" by Nahko and Medicine for the People. She sent me the music video for it, and it was such a cool way to be introduced to them. The video did not feature the band, but instead, a diverse group of fans, friends, and family lip syncing to the song. 

I decided to listen to a few of their albums and SO many of their songs are just de-light-ful! Again, with horns, and deep, meaningful lyrics, and power. I am *almost* inspired to play my bari again. Maybe in a few days. If I wasn't so self conscious about it, I would do it now and try to play along with some of these songs. I'll keep trying to psych myself up for it. In the meantime, I will delight in pre-recorded music. 

I did some research on the inter-webs to learn more about the band. "Nahko and Medicine for the People is a Portland, Oregon-based musical collective known for their 'real-talk' lyrics, contagious and influential messages, as well as their catchy melodies. Their music is a fusion of reggae, folk, rock, and 'spiritual hip hop'. One of the band’s primary goals has been to bridge cultural gaps and unify diversity with their music." I unfortunately also discovered a recent controversy with Nahko. He recently resigned from being on the board of "Honor the Earth" for allegations of sexual abuse. I read some about this, and it sounds like he has a terrible history of lying to and cheating on women and using his stardom to be extremely promiscuous with women. While it doesn't sound like he a rapist or pedophile, like he is being accused of, he definitely doesn't seem like a great guy which is exactly the opposite of the message of his songs. It is unfortunate to have this new found music be tainted with these allegations. I really still want to enjoy the beauty and depth of the music, but it is definitely not as pure of an experience of delight as others. But I bet that I would be hard-pressed to really truly find a pure experience of delight anywhere. People are fallible. Humanity is imperfect. People can make mistakes and beautiful music. So while I do not want to forget the sins of Nahko, and I certaintly do not condone his behavior, I am going to try to delight in message and the sound of the music. Here are some of the best lyrics from the songs I like best:

"Budding Trees"

Let go of blame, that shit will never serve me

Bless other men, investigate your mystery

So, tap me out and tap me into you

Heal my brain and my body too

Balance my chemistry, hydrate these cells

Cause the body talks and meditation helps

A little spider weaves a wispy web

And stumbling through the woods, it catches to my head

She crawls behind my ear and whispers secrets

Dragonfly whiz by and sings "now teach it"

{I love the image of being told secrets by a spider, maybe the secret of life and nature, and being encouraged by a dragonfly to go out and teach it.}

"Nyepi"

I fear nothing, no thing fears me

Justice has different hats for different days

Release my anger, love thy neighbor

Put that pain to some good use anyway

I will do things I've never done before

'cause I'm powerful and I'm not afraid no more

"It Is Written"

Gotta recharge my channel
For to medicate, resist, meditate
Keep righteous rocking
Steady load and locking
There ain't no stoppin'
This bullet, load it, pull it
Bullet, load it, pull it
Fully-loaded poet

{I love the idea of being armed with poetry. Very much appeals to my pacifist side. Also a GREAT horn line echoes all the lyrics}

"We Are On Time"

Sometimes I'm broken

Sometimes I'm mended

On the road

I can cope to get up and do it all over again

Wind begins to blow

It's a sweet validation

Nature has her signs

And they're clear affirmations

We are on time

{There is this great moment at about 3:15 in the song when it goes from a soft, soothing slow song, to a powerful chant with super cool horns and a driving beat. And I read that according to Nahko, this song "is a dedication to being an anchor through the struggles and joys of life and a reminder that everything happens for a reason. The synchronicity of time and place for each unique relationship in life gives light to a destiny and universal plan. Give a little, get a little. Timing is everything and we are on time.” And that reminds me of the story of Esther in the Hebrew Bible who was told that she was born "for such a time as this"-- her story is essentially a slew of perfectly timed coincidences that save her kingdom.}

"Backbone"

I heard "be fierce, noble, hold your arrow true"

I heard "be bold, graceful, you do you"

And I will too

We will change it from the inside

I've known this my whole life

We will navigate the chaos

And learn to read the signs

And I will sit alone on mountains

And breathe the name of all

I will stand by you in reason

A comrade in the cause

"Make a Change"

I need a change, it’s evident

A transformation imminent

A chance for my soul’s intelligence to redefine lines of indifference

He’s a wise guy inside, even fooled himself twice

Thinking maybe I’m not ready to be leading the way

I mean, fuck, I’m only human, bound to make some mistakes

I wanna walk in righteousness

But I keep tripping over ditches of my selfishness

{This song totally speaks to my struggles in life. I read that this song is "an anthem about recognizing what needs improvement, everywhere from your own life to a global scale, and putting forth the effort to better it. The objective is to overcome doubt and inspire others to want to make a difference as well." Yep, that definitely feels like the objective of my life, too.}

"The Wolves Have Returned"

Part of creation is making a statement

You can't escape it, she's coming for you

If it was up to me, I'd teach that the lonely

This is just part of the courage it takes

Maybe it's the music, it's moving right through us

All of the songs that will outlive me

I'm running the song lines, I'm wrapping my prayer ties 

Preserving the old way, my wolf has returned

I so delight in powerful, transformative music, and I am so glad that I am reincorporating music back into my life. Here's to hoping that delight that transform my feelings about playing music, too. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

February 1: Lost in the Woods

I took my second bi-weekly walk with a friend yesterday, and it was just as delightful as our first. We decided to traipse through the woods near my house, which required snow pants, boots, and lots of layers, but it was totally worth it. I definitely do not take advantage of the fact that I live near such amazing trails. I try not to get too disappointed and upset with myself for not taking advantage of the natural world literally at my doorstep, and instead of feeling guilty I am trying to feel delighted that I was able to enjoy it yesterday and share it with a friend. And maybe, hopefully, I will be inspired to do it more often. I also am delighted in myself that I did not cancel yesterday. It was cold, and a nor'easter was approaching, and I was tired; there were a million excuses I could have used to get out of this walk, but I am so glad I didn't cancel (just like that time I didn't cancel my first date with my now husband because I had gotten back from NYC super late and was super tired, but I sucked it up and went on the date anyway, which ended up lasting  practically all night until like 3am, and the rest is history). 

My husband and I have taken the trails by our house at least a handful of times, mostly to the reservoir (Dykes Pond), but once to the top of Mt. Ann, another time to the old entrance of Mt. Ann Park (which is no longer an entrance as it is the highway now), and once we even schlepped our watercraft (he prefers his SUP, I prefer my kayak) out and enjoyed an afternoon on the water. But he is usually in charge of the route and I just follow along. This was my first time on these trails without him, and I was definitely over confident in my ability to direct us to the reservoir beach, which is where I intended to lead us. The snow definitely changed the look of the landscape, and I hadn't been down this way in quite a while (very unfortunately), so I took a wrong turn, and we ended up on the opposite side of the reservoir where the zipline is. But that ended up being fine, just fine, because we were able to walk along the rocky coast for quite a distance, very much enjoying the gorgeous landscape. The sky had the gloomy, foreboding look of the impending storm. The water was almost entirely frozen (and reminded me of the scenes in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind [yes, I often have this movie on my mind] where Joel and Clementine lay on the frozen Charles River.) We were completely alone, and it was stunning being in this natural beauty. 

I had absolutely no idea how to get back to my house, so we used the satellite view on google maps to point us in the right direction. Of course there was no path leading in the direction we needed to go in, so we plodded through the trees, off-trail, up and down hills and rocky terrain, covered in snow, until we miraculously found the trail leading back to my house (the original trail that I had intended on us taking). It was perfect. Not just finding that trail (which produced quite a delightful feeling in me) and getting back home, but the whole experience. Getting lost, then finding our way. Intentions gone wrong turning into a delightful spontaneous journey. Following through on plans and continuing positive habits (of physical, mental, and emotional exercise) instead of cancelling. Taking advantage of the beauty in my backyard instead of ignoring it.

We also had some great discussions, not just catching up on our lives, but delving into deep issues of spirituality and life. I talked about the concept of "ein sof" that I used to study in college but had totally forgotten about in the 15 years since graduating, until she asked me my thoughts about heaven and hell and the afterlife. "Ein sof" means without end, or infinity, and is a concept in Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism) that God is not a being but exists everywhere in the form of energy. When we die, our energy reunites with the infinite universal energy of the Ein Sof. Everything comes from the Ein Sof, and goes back to the Ein Sof. I hadn't realized that I have really missed studying and considering these subjects, I used to love mulling over these religious and spiritual subjects, and am now inspired to look back on my old college writings and studies to refamiliarize myself with all these ideas I used to have swarming in my mind. 

At one point in our conversation, I mention how I have experienced many coincidences recently (coincidentally, I just listened to a This American Life episode about coincidences). I have always been obsessed with coincidences, once calling them little miracles from God (based on a book called "Truffles from Heaven" that was inspirational to me in high school) and even preaching sermons about how coincidences can be reminders that we are on the right path. I mention a seemingly silly coincidence that I recently mentioned in a blog, that led me from delighting in the Moon Dance episode of Frasier, to googling David Hyde Pierce, to discovering he is gay, to googling his husband, to learning that his husband wrote and produced The Secret World of Alex Mack, which is the source of many conversations and jokes between my husband and I, that I never talk about with anyone else. It was just a super weird coincidence, but I delighted in it. That led me to talk about a few more of my blog entries, including my recent one about Twiddle, a band that I assumed no one else in my circle had even heard of. But not only does she know who Twiddle is, she has seen them live several times and remembers very specific conversations she had with her husband, when they first met, about Twiddle and whether or not a Phish fan can also be a Twiddle fan (apparently there is a controversy in the Phish fan world about Twiddle). What a CRAZY and delightful coincidence that she has such a specific experience with this band that I just randomly discovered on Spotify and fell in love with. Indeed a sign that I am on the right path in life, surrounding myself with the right people, experiencing things I am supposed to be experiencing, even if that path leads me off-trail into the woods where I never intended to go. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

January 31: Sleep-Deprived Sunday NPR

My husband and I both slept miserably on Saturday night, finding ourselves wide awake in the middle of the night asking each other why we couldn't sleep. But even though Sunday morning was rough, we continued our Sunday routine by being downstairs in time to listen to the Sunday Puzzle by Will Shortz on NPR (which airs at exactly 10:40am. If you tune in at 10:45am, you will miss it. And yes, I know this from experience). 

We turned on the radio a tad early and were greeted by a weather forecast with not-so-delightful content delivered in quite a delightful way. Apparently, a Nor'easter is approaching (not delightful) and meteorologist Dave Epstein (delightful) was explaining how if the storm shifts ever so slightly, it would be possible for the line between snow and rain to be so specific as to see rain east of the rotary in Gloucester (aka "on the island"), and snow west of the rotary (aka in "West Gloucester"). It was delightful to hear him actually using places and landmarks familiar and applicable to me. Usually during weather forecasts, I have to guess about the weather that we will actually experience because of the peculiarity of where we are located. Here in West Gloucester, we are definitely not on the coast, but sometimes we are close enough to the coast to get coastal weather. Most of the time, we are too far inland from the coast and we get drastically different weather than our island neighbors. Also during weather forecasts, the focus is usually on Boston, and areas west of I-95 or I-495, totally not applicable to us. So it was delightful to hear Dave talk about our neighborhood, but it was not delightful to hear that while the island might get a dusting of snow, we might get 6 inches of snow, if the storm shifts even just a tad. Being greeted by this bad news, the first news we heard since waking up, exasperated my husband and I. And we both expressed our sentiments by yelling, "Hate you Dave Epstein!" which made us laugh hysterically in that sleep deprived way one does, which was also quite delightful. 

Then finally The Puzzle began. Each Sunday Will Shortz gives a puzzle that you have until Wednesday to solve (and to submit your answer). If your answer is correct and chosen amongst the other correct answers, you could be on the radio with Will Shortz to do some puzzling with him. 

Last week's puzzle was challenging, and I did not submit an answer, even though I sort of came up with one. The question: "Think of a hyphenated word you might use to describe a young child that sounds like three letters spoken one after the other."

The only answer I could come up with was "pee-pee-er" (the letters P, P, and R), but I neglected to submit it because I was not confident in it (and TBH, I forgot). 

Will Shortz announced that the answer was: "cutie-pie" (the letters Q, T, ....and PI?). He used a Greek letter of the alphabet?? Totally not fair! Pi is not a letter! My husband and I felt tricked and betrayed. And we both expressed our sentiments by yelling, "Hate you Will Shortz!" which made us laugh even more hysterically in that sleep deprived way one does, which was most delightful. That's when my husband mentioned that we might actually be sleep deprived, and I agreed. And laughed some more. Hahaha. 

Then Will Shortz gave the puzzler for this week. "Start in a certain state, drive to another, then another and then another. Take the postal abbreviations of the four states you visit, mix the letters up and use them to spell a common eight-letter word."

Immediately my husband and I were intrigued. This sounded totally solvable. My husband announced that he was gonna write a computer program with an algorithm "to solve this by Wednesday" which made me laugh so hard that I started coughing. My husband then demanded "Don't die on me yet! I haven't solved it yet!" which of course made me laugh and cough even harder. Such delight!

By 1:30pm, I solved the puzzle using a pen and piece of paper and submitted my answer: the word is ornament, the states are Nebraska (NE), Missouri (MO), Arkansas (AR), and Tennessee (TN). My husband was still writing the program (he used an undirected graph of the states to determine and to input all possible state connections, and told the program to rearrange the letters of sets of four state connections and then search for words in a dictionary.) By 2pm, the program was running, but it was gonna take awhile. Fast forward to the end of the evening, and my husband has discovered a bug in his program. He fixes it, and promptly solves the puzzle.  The program found a TON of words (some of which are not "common" so we are not counting as the answers), but below are the common words the program found that we submitted for the answer:

flagrant (FL, GA, TN, AR)

moleskin (NE, KS, MO, IL)

diamonds (ND, SD, IA, MO) 

ornament (NE, MO, AR, TN) [also, the program found ornamental if you add a fifth state, AL]

nonmetal (AL, TN, MO, NE)

ransomed (AR, MO, NE, SD)

nominate (NE, IA, MO, TN)

eskimoan (KS, MO, IA, NE)

animator (IA, MO, AR, TN)

saintdom (SD, IA, MO, TN)

condemns (CO, NE, SD, MN)

takingly (IL, KY, TN, GA)

moralism (IA, MO, AR, MS)

Leave it to my husband to break the puzzle and find ALL the answers. He is such a delight. 💕

He also had the program run for words consisting of more than 4 states, and the most fascinating lists were those consisting of 7 states (14-letter words) and 8 states (16-letter words). These might have to be featured in an upcoming round of jeo-party. 

Let's hope Will Shortz picks our answer and we get to be on the radio!

With delight,

♥Jamie