Review: Science Comics Crows – Genius Birds

I have been a HUGE Science Comics fan since I laid my hands on my first one – which happened to be a hardcover of the Bat version. I loved it so much, I recommended it to the buyer at Powell’s PDX to help bulk up the nonfiction section in the kid’s room – which was SORELY lacking. We ended up getting new ones as they came out, and these fun and fascinating titles became one of the kid’s room top sellers – from the time we got our first copies, until the day the store closed due to COVID-19. I was particularly excited about the Crows edition coming out, because I think crows are pretty much just amazing. This book absolutely reinforces my excitement, both about the series, *and* about crows.

In this one, a crow releases a friendly, neighborhood dog from his yard and they go looking for delicious treats. Along the way, the crow explains: crow brains, food, tools, families, and more. Even for someone who knows a decent amount about crows, there was new information and neat facts about how crows learn, different tests they’ve taken part in, and their problem-solving skills.

It’s a fascinating look at these fascinating creatures that far too many see simply as pests. Crows, and other corvids, are truly unique in the bird world – and are much more like us than many understand. This book is a great way for humans of ALL ages to learn about them, and come to understand them just a little bit more.

The Science Comics as a whole are generally very well done, with a great balance between text and pictures. I’ve recommended them to people of all ages, FOR all ages – they’re excellent for beginning readers who can use the pictures to start understanding the words being read to them, all the way up to adults. Just about every employee at the store had their favorite one, and we’ve had adult customers purchase them for themselves based on their fields of study. I cannot recommend them enough, and the cool thing is that they tend to release about three a year, keeping readers excited for more. All libraries – school and city – should have copies of these excellent titles, and it’s a great way to get kids interested in nonfiction and leave them wanting to learn more!

Pupper Picture Day

Some days right now, it’s just…tiring…to function. The emotional toll that COVID-19 takes can be pretty high. Some days, I’m feeling SUPER motivated…and other days, sitting on the couch with a game or a book is pretty much the best I can do. At times, even finding a book I want to read is a challenge. So today, rather than working on a long blog post, I’m just going to share a cute picture of one of my foster pups.

This is Nyx, a foster for Northwest Battle Buddies (https://stillmorewords.com/2020/02/13/it-starts-small-and-it-starts-with-us/). And she’s smart enough to get herself through the gate – UNLESS it latches behind her when she goes through it. Then she’s stuck…and *this* is what she does:

Smooshy Face

I typically don’t move fast enough to get a picture, and that explains why this one is…not the greatest. BUT I SUCCEEDED and that’s all that matters. 😉

I’d love to see pics of the pets keeping you company, and making you smile during all of this! And please remember – it’s ok to feel overwhelmed, anxious, confused, tired, angry – and every other emotion out there. Try to take time for yourself, and find someone to talk to if it starts to get to be too much. You are loved, and you are needed in this world.

Primer: Why Piracy is Bad

With all the stuff going around about piracy, here’s a quick primer on – yes – why it’s BAD.

So, Chuck Wendig, an author that I happen to enjoy on Twitter, recently tweeted this:

The reason this is problematic is because this website that NPR is promoting is sharing *copyrighted* works. And due to the pandemic, it’s a free-for-all until the…end of June, I think? There is literally no oversight, unless the authors happen to catch it. So here’s a little primer on why Piracy Is Bad.

#1 – It’s on *authors*, NOT publishers, to find piracy and try to stop it. Yep, you read that right. Even though the publishers have the time, money, and manpower, it’s on the authors to try and keep their stuff from being stolen. So they either need to take time out of their writing to search for pirated copies, or they need to hire someone to do it for them. Neither of which is ideal, considering MOST authors come nowhere near the earning power of, say, Stephen King or Chuck Wendig. In fact, a large chunk of authors write around their 40-hour-a-week jobs because they don’t make enough to have writing be a full-time proposition. So it’s on them to find the illegal uploads, and then file the onerous paperwork to try and have it taken down.

#2 – Speaking of that paperwork…it’s not per author. It’s PER TITLE. So, using Seanan McGuire as an example, Fantastic Fiction (https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/seanan-mcguire/) shows that she has over 30 books. Her books tend to be pretty popular, and so they also tend to be pirated a fair amount. If she heads to any book-pirating website and finds, say, 15 of her titles on there? SHE HAS TO FILE A SEPARATE DOCUMENT FOR EACH AND EVERY TITLE. There is no “cease and desist” for an author as a whole. That…takes time. As is the way with legal documents, it’s not easy, nor it is painless. Now imagine doing that for every single pirating website – AND having to do it over and over again, because it’s only good until the next time someone uploads a book.

#3 – The majority of people illegally downloading titles are…not who you would think. I’m going to link to the Guardian article, which you can read at your leisure, but essentially? Most people pirating titles (and probably music too) are absolutely capable of paying for it. AND, most authors in my experience are SUPER generous about giving away titles to those who love their work and simply cannot buy it. See Also: “library”. (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/06/pirated-ebooks-threaten-future-of-serial-novels-warn-authors-maggie-stiefvater)

#4 – People are downloading more titles than you think. I’m kicking myself because I can’t find the *amazing* thread from a long while back that really went into numbers and details. Nor can I exactly remember who tweeted it. But here is an example, tweeted by one of my favorite authors, Rachel Caine, about one of my favorite series:

If you pay close attention to those numbers, you can see that as each title in the series came out, it was purchased *less* and downloaded *more*. At some point, publishers deem that unsustainable as well – leading them to cancel trilogies and series before their time. And this is an ESTABLISHED author. Now take a minute and imagine what this could do to a *debut* author, when their title is downloaded more than it’s purchased? THEY DON’T GET TO WRITE ANOTHER ONE. Publishing is a business – it may not be the best business model, but…that’s an argument for another day. If they’re losing money, they’re going to cut their losses – and that’s really what this comes down to.

#5, again from the esteemed Seanan McGuire (pay close attention to the 2nd tweet):

Authors will tell their readers, and anyone else who cares to pay attention, pre-release and first-week sales ARE URGENT. Another author that I absolutely *adore* is Kevin Hearne, and he addressed this quite well on his site (http://kevinhearne.com/how-you-help-authors-the-most/). But if you don’t want to click through, essentially the reasoning is this: Pre-orders and first-week sales are those most likely to get an author on the NYT Bestseller list – which opens the door for future titles. It also means booksellers are ordering more – which opens the door to new readers who may not be familiar. There’s more to it than that, and I urge you to read his excellent post, but that’s a very drastic distillation. Again, we can argue publishing’s business models another day, but the long and short of it is – piracy affects those numbers, which affects books sold and the likelihood of any *further* books coming.

#6 – It affects bookstores, too – particularly indies. Yep, really. For every copy that is pirated, a copy isn’t purchased. Now, according to one article from 2017, e-book piracy costs over $315 MILLION in lost sales (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/e-book-piracy-costs-publishers-315-million-in-lost-sales-300423534.html). It’s probably more these days, simply because technology has advanced – making it easier to steal via digital. But going with that number, and knowing that Amazon has a roughly a 50% of the book pie in total, that leaves over $157 million dollars to be divided up between other sources (Barnes & Noble, indies, etc.). Now, think of your local indie – or one you may be familiar with – and just IMAGINE what even 10% of that dollar amount would do?? Indies in particular run on the most paper-thin of margins, and $15+ million dollars would go A LONG WAY towards keeping their employees working, paying their people livable wages, including healthcare, and frankly – just keeping the lights on. And that is just *one* of the reasons why I, and 400+ of my co-workers, are currently out of work. Because margins are thin, and everything can negatively affect the bottom line.

This is what it comes down to, people – piracy is theft. It really doesn’t matter what mental gymnastics people try to do, it. is. stealing. And the worst part is – it’s not just stealing from the authors, which in and of itself is bad enough. It’s stealing from the readers, who lose a beloved set of characters because the publisher pulled the plus. Who lose an #ownvoices author because their first book didn’t have the sales it needed, so there will be no more. It’s stealing from the brick and mortar bookstores, who are on thin ice with Amazon a looming presence. From the indies who barely survive day-to-day, but are true neighborhood bulwarks, and who typically treat their employees very well. Piracy steals from us all, in ways large and small – and it’s up to us to stop it.

If you have the opportunity? Just…don’t. Buy it – new or used (and yes – most authors will tell you they love used bookstores). Borrow it from a friend. Get it from the library. Don’t steal it from all of us.

If you see it? Call it out. Name and shame. Let authors know if you see their works being pirated – if they don’t know, they can’t try to stop it. And again – they have to find the time to search all the sites, which can be prohibitive. Let the publishers know, and while you’re at it? Call them out for not being more proactive and handling something they should be handling in the first place. Buy from indies when you can – support them with your dollars, and let them know they are valued. But don’t take it from me – take it from Ms. McGuire again. As an author who experiences this regularly, she says it far better than I could (click on the image to read the whole thread – it’s worth the short amount of time):

Click to read the whole thread. It’s not long – but it’s important.

#FeelGoodFriday

Things are crazy and scary and each day often feels like at least a week, right? I can’t be the only one forgetting what day it even is at times…Which leads me to believe that #FeelGoodFriday is more important than ever. We all need to take that time and appreciate the little stuff, whether it happens to be something funny, or sweet, or a kindness done to another – the humanity in us calls out for good things. So – let’s get started!

This first item cracked me up, frankly. Particularly as someone who had a Roomba for *years*. I love to see how people are getting creative with their ideas during all of the time spent at home.

Ok – who among you grew up watching Reading Rainbow? I don’t know about you, but I idolize Levar Burton *not* from his Trekkie days, but from his Reading Rainbow days. And this entire thread of authors and people responding to help is GOLD. The cherry on top – nay, the whipped cream AND the cherry – is Neil Gaiman’s response. #BookTwitter is the BEST Twitter! (You can see the whole thread in the link below the image.)

https://twitter.com/levarburton/status/1242584883878219777

People have had to get…creative…about stuff they’re stuck with when weddings and other big events are forced to cancel. This one was a favorite. If you click on the image, you can see the other group of pics he posted, where the many MANY chocolate Lindt bunnies are lining up – 2 x 2, natch – to set sail.

One of my absolute favorite things about this craziness is how many organizations stepped up to help kids (and parents!) keep busy, continue learning, and simply be able to find the fun. A particular favorite of mine has been to watch the daily videos the Cincinnati Zoo is doing. They’re not terribly long, they’re fun and informative, they feature different animals every day, and they always have a great activity for the kids to do at the end that revolves around that day’s animal. Honestly, *I’M* the one in the household that is finding myself glued to my computer on the daily at 12pm on the dot.

The first daily video was…Fiona!

So – now I’m curious. What things have YOU found to take joy in this week? Big, little, or somewhere in between – share your joy and pass a little of that happiness along! And remember – please Be Kind To One Another, as Ellen always says. We need it now more than at any time in a very long time. Check on your neighbors, particularly the elderly. Facetime (or whatever) your friends. Form an online reading club. And remember – we’re all in this together, and kindness is key to helping the sense of despair we may sometimes feel.

Review: The House in the Cerulean Sea

In a time when magical children exist, they are put into “orphanages” to “protect” them from the populace. Those orphanages are overseen by a governmental entity (natch), and Linus is a caseworker within that system who gets sent to those orphanages to make sure they are following all the rules. After 17 years, he is sent to one that has six “problematic” magical children, a top secret journey that he is ENTIRELY unprepared for.

I read a fair amount – not as much as some, but typically in the close-to-200-books-a-year range. I can generally find *something* about most books to speak positively about (and I do my best not to be overly negative or cruel anyway). But every once in a while, I get my hands on a book that just blows me away. It’s one that I tell all my friends about, that I would have chosen as a Staff Pick as a bookseller, and one that I find myself thinking about long after I’ve actually finished it. Those are rare, but they do happen. THIS is one of those books.

Now, if you’re one of those readers looking for a pandemic “they survived and so will I” sort of title – read no further. This *definitely* isn’t it. What this IS, however, is a book that is sweet, sweet comfort. It’s about finding family where you least expect it, and maybe even redefining WHAT family is. It’s about “us vs. them”, and what happens when people fail to question. It’s about realizing that sometimes – too often, in fact – the “dangerous” ones are those in charge. And, ultimately – it’s about love. Love for self, for others, for friends, and for partners…whoever they may be.

I started this book in the late afternoon, figuring I’d read a little bit and see what I thought. Thankfully, my daughter was making dinner, because I just…never stopped reading. I simply did not want to put the book down, and so I finished a little after 1am. I laughed, and I cried, and I just did not want it to end. When it did, I felt like I’d been wrapped in a cozy quilt made by my favorite person. I also felt very tired, because it was WAY past my bedtime – but I can say with all honesty, I would have done it even if I had a job to wake up for this morning. It would have been *absolutely* worth it. But, don’t just listen to me…here are a few notable mentions:

An Indie Next Pick!
One of Publishers Weekly‘s “Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2020”
One of Book Riot’s “20 Must-Read Feel-Good Fantasies”

I’m going to say that this book will end up being a Top 10 – and possibly even a Top 5 – title for me this year. I really *is* just that good. So, if this is intriguing to you, even just the smallest bit, The House in the Cerulean Sea is available now for ordering! Again, if you can – please support indie bookstores, because they’ve been hit pretty hard during this pandemic. As a bookseller who was laid off from one, I can vouch for that. If you don’t have a local indie, here’s the link to Indiebound, since many of them will ship!

https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250217288

Review: Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know

One of the most impactful books I read last year was Internment, by Samira Ahmed. It was so timely, a near-future dystopian that seemed so possible (still does at times) it was frightening. I’ve recommended that book to so many people, and even included it on the “What I’m Giving” holiday display at the bookstore this last winter. So, when I was able to get my hands on a copy of her upcoming novel, you know I grabbed it and ran. I mean, not literally, but still…

In Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know, Ahmed gives us two different viewpoints to consider – that of a young woman in present-day France, and of a young woman of approximately the same age 200 years prior. Both are struggling to find their own voices, and feeling trapped by their circumstances. As their lives end up intertwining, one woman’s past ends up powerfully affecting another woman’s present.

Mixing history and #herstory, Ahmed lets the reader see how – even with the progress in 200 years – so little has changed when it comes to women. While more freedoms exist now than in many times and places in the past, it’s still difficult for a woman to claim her own voice and story. Look at the term “mansplaining” – a thing every single female has experienced at some point in her life (if one says she hasn’t, then she’s not being honest – either to you, or to herself). That one word, that self-defining action, should be enough to demonstrate how hard women have to work to be able to claim their own individualities, feelings, and wishes.

I enjoyed this book, and boy did I remember some of that angsty feeling of being 17 again. Ahmed hits the nail on the head, both with the emotional roller coaster that the age entails, *and* with the fact that so many young women these days are being raised to not tolerate anyone trying to co-opt what they have to say. Between the slight romance, the art history (which was far more interesting than I anticipated), and the hint of Nancy Drew-esque investigation going on, Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know proved to be a fun and slightly escapist read that still managed to convey a timely message.

Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know comes out April 7th, and it’s yet another title that has been hit hard with the cancellation of events and closures of bookstores. So if this sounds like something you’d be interested in, click the link below to find an indie bookstore to order from!

https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781616959890

AND, there’s even a cool pre-order gift if you choose to go that route!

I kinda love this notebook…!

When Trains Are *Not* Toys

How many of you have had senior pictures – or any other kind of pictures – taken on train tracks? Or know someone who has? Go ahead, raise your hand…I won’t see it. But I do want to get you thinking about something that is an absolutely preventable cause of death.

Let me tell you a little story, shall I? My husband came home yesterday from work, and said, “Train almost killed a girl today.”. I mean, that’s a way to start a conversation, isn’t it? He continued to tell me about 3 kids – in their very early teens – on a bridge in the area. Two boys, and one girl, walking across, not aware of how close they will come to dying in a few short minutes. As the train gets closer, the engineer sees the kids and starts laying on the horn. The two boys take off in one direction, completely leaving the girl, who runs in the other direction. The engineer continues blowing the horn as the girl runs faster than she’s probably ever run in her life. The boys make it off the track – the girl is still running, the horn is blowing, until the engineer makes the decision that he has no choice but the put the train in emergency to stop it as quickly as possible and hope that would be enough. Mind you, doing this means the train can derail because it stops SO FAST. So he does…and the train stops just as the girl gets to a place she can slightly step off the tracks. She came about 5 seconds from dying on the front of a train, away from her family, and with two boys looking on in horror.

The train, because it’s been put in penalty, now has to be completely walked around to make sure *it’s still on the tracks*. It delays other trains, including freight trains, who have to wait. It holds up passengers who may have other trains to catch. And worst of all – that young girl? She was spotted during the train walk down at the river washing her arms – over, and over, and over, and OVER again. Same area, just again and again and again. Probably in shock, lucky to be alive.

How do I know this? My husband was the engineer. The one who, had the train not been able to stop, would have had to watch that train PLOW DOWN that girl. And there are *COUNTLESS* near misses on a daily and weekly basis. The public only hears about the actual *hits* (and only a few of those), so they continue blithely along not realizing how close so many people come to either serious injuries or death.

Here’s the deal, folks. Train tracks are not places to hang out. In fact, if you are anywhere within a certain radius? You’re trespassing. When someone gets hit by a train? It’s called a “trespasser strike” – because that person was illegally trespassing on private property. So yes, there’s a legality involved here as well. I’m going to discuss a few of the things I hear most often about trains, and why they’re wrong.

“But you can hear the train coming!” – WRONG. Using the story just above, wouldn’t you think if that were the case, those kids would have gotten off the tracks? Or, for that matter, any of those people hit and killed? However, for a little perspective on the noise – a train passing by runs at about 85 dBA. That is about the same amount of noise as an electric lawn mower about 3 feet away. And I promise you, the train is moving MUCH faster than that lawn mower could ever dream of – making the combination of lower noise and speed particularly deadly. (https://otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/railway_noise_measurement)

“It’s Darwinism at work!” – *sigh*…Really? No. It’s people who are either unaware because they weren’t taught any better, or who – like we all do – figure it won’t happen to them. It’s an engineer who has to watch someone splat against the front of the train. It’s the conductor who has to actually go see if there’s a survivor and render aid. It’s the family who has to hear the news. It’s the passengers who are stuck on a train for potentially hours under horrible circumstances. It’s the frightened last thought of some poor soul. THAT is what is at work. (And yes. I’ve seen this comment far too often.)

“But the schedule!” – Wrong again, and here’s why. Now mind you – I live on the west coast, where things are done a little bit differently in terms of train tracks. Amtrak doesn’t own their tracks here – they lease them from the freight train companies, which adds a complication to the equation. However, regardless of where in the U.S. you are – schedules are uncertain. Passenger trains get delayed at stops all the time – police are there for an unruly passenger, ambulances for a sick one, stop takes too long because of other passengers…the list goes on. And here at least, once you get roughly 20 minutes or so behind? All bets are off with regards to whether passenger or freight will take priority. So that 11:25am time that you’re counting on? Could be 11:35am, 12:25pm, 2:15pm…or even later. Schedules are just a guesstimate when it comes to hanging out on train tracks, and that guesstimate often costs people their lives.

“It’s just a few pictures!” – Ummm, ok? But are they worth your life? Because again – passenger trains in particular are fast, and they’re not as loud as people assume they are. This isn’t the old west, where the train vibrations could be felt on the tracks from miles away, nor is it a cartoon where the train can magically not hit the beautiful kidnapped girl that’s hogtied on the tracks. Real life is, sadly, often far more messy and tragic – and those pictures are not worth it.

And, last but not least, my favorite non-good-reason EVER: “But we’ve done it FOREVER!“. K, cool. It only takes once. One misjudgement, one wrong spot, one few second delay – and you’re dead. Or seriously wounded. Losing legs is a very common injury, so if “doing it forever” is worth that to you? Rock on with your bad self. But remember – you’re not just jacking around with your own life. You’re jacking around with that of the engineer and his family, the conductor and her family, all the passengers (including little kids) who may see something they don’t want to see, your family and friends and whoever else happens to be around when you get hit. But go on, and tell me how doing it forever is a good reason?

Long story short – DON’T. GO. ON. TRAIN. TRACKS. For pictures, for hikes, for the hell of it. Unless you KNOW for CERTAIN that those tracks are no longer in use, it’s not worth the possible aftermath to far too many people.

Little ending piece to that story that started this whole thing? That girl on the tracks is about the same age as our daughter. And that’s all my husband could see in his head when that train was barrelling down on her. A girl, just like his little girl, who may not make it home that day.

“She could just pack up and leave, but she does not visualize what’s beyond ahead.” ― Núria Añó

PSA: Trigger Warning – Domestic Violence

I read something the other day, and it has really stuck with me. I *think* I saw it on twitter (I have spent FAR too much time on there lately). A cop in – New York, I think? – was asked if they’ve seen any changes. The first thing he said, with no hesitation, was more domestic violence.

Think about that for a minute. About what it must be like for those people who are in a relationship with an abuser. Mental, physical, emotional – it can all be abuse. Now to be stuck at home with them, day in and day out, with absolutely NO idea of when it might end. Imagine the fear, and the torment those people are suffering right now, and with potentially no way out.

There is no “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” in a situation like that, particularly not during a pandemic. There is no way to make plans to leave, to hide things well – not when your abuser is home constantly. Where do you go? Are shelters even TAKING people? How do you sneak away when your nemesis is ALWAYS WATCHING?

This is the kind of thing that so many people are not even thinking about. This is the kind of thing that stands to affect so many lives even more than usual for the foreseeable future. It’s infuriating, and heartbreaking, and I worry for all the children stuck in the middle. It’s another piece of the mental health crisis coming down the pike that we are simply not prepared for. How many generations going forward will this crisis affect? And what will we, as a nation, do to help fix it?

Take care of one another, guys. Remember we’re all in this together, and some may be hurting more than you imagine. So be kind – online and in person.

NOTE: If you or a loved one are suffering from domestic abuse of ANY sort, please try and get help. The link below has information, a phone number, and even a chat line. There is a future beyond where you are now.

Home – The Hotline®

The Rare & Random Business Post…

So, the indie bookstore I work at has closed its doors for the foreseeable future, and is now saying that there will be very heavy permanent layoffs ahead. And the *other* company that I work for is offering some great sales right now – the best part being, their products allow for people to have an easier time getting their meals on the table, that are healthy and delicious and often perfect for those family members with food allergies. I have another page on this blog for more information about their Never Ever list, if you’re curious.

The first really great deal is their 3-Week Dinner Collection, which has the items we tend to use most often in our house. Not only is the price discounted through the end of the month, but it also will have available a menu plan *and* shopping list for all 3 weeks! This is only good through the 23rd of March, but it’s an excellent way to give their products a try as well. The company has been around for YEARS in Canada, and just last July expanded into the U.S. – and we’ve been a fan ever since.

Click here to see more and to order!

The second fun thing they’re doing, in the spirit of the Irish sense of joy and magic, is their Lucky Surprise Sale. 4 different sets, each one different, all cost $25. The value of each set is between $50-$60, with at least 4 different products in each set. It’s another fun way to give Epicure a try, and have a little bit of fun while you’re at it!

Click here to see more and to order!

For anyone that follows me, I promise this sort of thing will be rare. But, with the sales and the unknown status of my job, I thought I’d put this out there and see if anyone is interested in ordering or learning more! Tomorrow, we will be back to regularly scheduled randomness. 😉

And remember – please be kind to each other. Things are getting probably going to get worse before they get better. We all need to make sure to check in with those we care about, wash our hands, stay home as best we can, and be kind to ourselves and those around us.

From me to you!

And here we are…

Well, things are escalating rapidly in the world, aren’t they? I’m at home, typing this, wondering if I’ll have a job when it’s over. The indie I work for has shut its doors, temporarily laying off 80% of its employees without pay, and with health insurance only through the end of the month. Coming soon: massive permanent layoffs. I love my job – and it’s one I think I’m pretty damn good at. But beyond that, I have so many co-workers who will truly struggle if they are laid off during this economy.

Being laid off gives us the opportunity to apply for unemployment, but the system is SO OVERWHELMED right now, that it’s taking people multiple attempts, and several hours on hold, before they can figure out what’s going on. And, to be honest – with that many people claiming unemployment, I have to wonder if the government will have the funds available to be able to pay them all.

It’s a scary time right now, because all of that uncertainty doesn’t even cover those who are more susceptible to this virus, and are (rightfully) worried over the terrible job that our current administration has done thus far. A big kudos to the state leaders who have stepped it up to fill the gaping hole…I’m just not sure if it’s going to be enough.

Final thoughts here, before this gets TOO depressing. Wash your hands – THOROUGHLY. 20-30 full seconds, people. Practice social distancing TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY. When you can, check in on others – text, phone call, window knocking. Support small businesses – restaurants, indie bookstores, etc. They’re all struggling and trying to figure out how to keep their business open and take care of their people.

Above all, folks. Be Kind. To yourself, and to others. We need it right now, and you really have no idea how one moment of kindness might have a HUGE impact on someone’s life. ESPECIALLY right now, when so many are worried, and feeling alone.