inspiration from amy

Amy Degenkolb, our inspiration for today and the new year

My dear friend, Amy, is a ray of sunshine, and her take on Trump is so uplifting, so empowering, and so doable for us all, I had to share it:

I know it must be hard to be in a foreign land while watching America get ready to be handed over to Trump and his terrifying cabinet. It is hard being here and feeling like there is nothing I can do about it...to have family and coworkers and acquaintances that voted for Trump...that voted against me.  It's crushing to know those people voted for someone who is openly a bigot and who picked a VP that believes all gays should be behind bars.  The energy on this side of the pond has been demure.  

I decided the day after the election that I had 2 choices...I could wear all black and be really depressed and let my voice be silenced, or I could wear the brightest clothes that I own, put my rainbow earrings back in, wear my safety pin, and try to help people smile every day.  

I baked brownies for all of my neighbors (even the ones that voted for Trump).  I hung extra holiday lights.  I made my holiday card be about peace and love.  And I am currently making a pair of hot pink sequin suspenders to wear anytime the world could use more glitter.

Rock on, Amy. Spreading love never looked more sparkly. :-)

Happy new year, everyone! May your 2017 be full of love and sparkles.

P.S. I should mention that life in Darmstadt is also much better now. It just takes time to make friends and settle in to a new home. Thanks, everyone, who connected us with friends and family in the area. It's amazing how many people had friends and family nearby/how interconnected our world is. Thanks for enlarging your friend and family circles to include us. :-)

theskimm

I took a course in college about how sensationalized the news was, even in print, and I pretty much avoided consuming news from then on. Some people are news junkies (ahem, my partner), and I've heard about the major world events (like Castro passing away) from him. But I still had this feeling I should try to be somewhat literate in world affairs on my own.

Enter: theskimm. My friend forwarded it to me when I told her I barely had time to shower when taking care of a toddler and a baby, and I asked how I could possibly be a truly informed citizen of the world. She said this was one daily email that gave you the highlights in an intelligent way.

So far, it's perfect. A digestible quick read that gives context for why something might matter in a pithy and often entertaining way.

So, if you're a busy human being with no time for BS (aren't we all), check it out here and let me know what you think.

Cheers to efficient time management.