Down in the dirt, water soaks deep. Roots drink it in, and a long-legged spider stilt-walks over the streams.
                  from Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt
                                        written by Kate Messner
                            illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
                                            Chronicle Books, 2015

    Let’s not talk about the hydrangea fiasco from a couple of years ago. The guys who came over from the garden store to plant the five hardy baby bushes did not say not to prune them. So… well, I have two left. I’m sure they’re hardier than the three wimps who did not survive my clippers.
    My son-in-law teaches science, especially botany, in a high school in their town. For several years, he ran the school’s greenhouse and gave his students hands-on experience. 
    He told me he had extra Joe Pye weeds and asked if I wanted some. I told him I’d get back to him. Well, after I looked them up, I quickly knew they’d be perfect. I could even out the lopsided bed that runs the length of our house.
    Joe Pye weeds are tall, purple perennials that are “easy-to-grow.” We’ll have to see about that, but pollinators love them, so I’m willing to try. 
    Last time we visited my daughter, son-in-law, and the grandkids, I brought home six little baby plants, still in their nursery dirt. My instructions were to nurture them till they grew to about 12 inches. Then they’d be ready to transplant. This past Wednesday, I planted them in the ground near Wilson, our cat who died of kidney failure at the beginning of summer 2022. 
    And I couldn’t help wondering why they were called Joe Pye weeds. Who was he, and why did he get a plant named after him?
    For a long time, a couple of hundred years, the real Joe Pye was a man of legend. His backstory was vague. It took until The Great Lakes Botanist, 2017 edition, when Richard B. Pearce, noted botanist, and James S. Pringle of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton, Ontario, reported just who Joe Pye really was.
    After combing through confusing accounts in a vast number of historical records, they presented the man behind the myth.
    Joseph Shauquethqueat, a Mohican leader, sometimes used the English name, Joe Pye. He lived from 1722 to around 1809 and spent much of his time in the Stockbridge, Massachusetts area. 
    Even though the literature of the day promoted Joe Pye weed as a remedy for typhus, Shauquethqueat was a public servant, not a medical man. There’s no known reliable evidence that he used the plant for anything medical.
    In Daniel Moerman’s Native American Medicinal Plants: An Ethnobotanical Dictionary (Timber Press, 2009), Moerman lists lots and lots of uses for lots and lots of native plants, but does not mention Shauquethqueat, Joe Pye, or even the Mohicans. And no mention of typhus.
    So there’s plenty of room for more research. We’re left knowing the man, but not his connection with the plant. 
    Before the discovery of chemistry to manufacture them, drugs and medicines all came from natural sources. Shamans and healers were well-versed in using plants, animals, and fungi for cures and remedies. Today, it is the physicians and pharmacists who work with drug manufacturers to isolate ingredients from natural sources. 
    From a paper written for the Institute for Integrative Toxicology at Michigan State University, “synthetic chemical ingredients are made in laboratories or industrial settings. The goal is to create a specific molecule in a controlled, scalable, and consistent way.” Natural ingredients come straight from plants, animals, or minerals. Physical extraction, simple processing, or natural fermentation are used to release ingredients needed for the drug. 
    And while synthetic production allows for greater purity, and natural sources may carry more variability, our bodies can’t tell the difference. We react to the structure, not the source.
    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) still employs chemists, clinical analysts, microbiologists, pharmaceutical scientists, pharmacologists, and toxicologists to do the important work of determining the safety and effectiveness of medicines.
    And it is the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), one of six main centers for the FDA, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), that specifically does this work. The agency regulates over-the-counter and prescription drugs, including generics, and manages more than just medicine. Fluoride toothpaste, antiperspirants, dandruff shampoos, and sunscreens are all considered drugs and all fall under the jurisdiction of the CBER. 
    Under “doge,” CBER staff has decreased from 5,785 on September 30, 2024, to 1,373 now. (FDA.gov). 
    According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), at the beginning of the 21st century, only 11% of the 252 drugs considered as basic and essential by the World Health Organization (WHO) were exclusively of flowering plant origin. 
    Discovery continues. 
    Crunching up petals, berries, stems, and leaves might sound natural, but you really have to know what you’re doing. 
    So far, I still trust Walgreens. 
    My Joe Pye weeds are still very small. But, I read in the care instructions that I found online, they might bloom in their first season. I hope so, but I marked each spot so I know where to look for them next spring, just in case. 

I just started reading How to Tell a True Story by Tricia Springstubb (Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House, 2025). It’s a little bit mystery, a little bit thriller, and if I know Tricia, it’s wrapped up in a whole lot of heart. Tell you more next time! 
                              Be curious! (and tend your garden)

​Emily loved to make lists. She made lists of things she didn’t like. She made lists of things she loved. And sometimes, she made lists of worries.
                                   from Baby Baby blah blah blah!
                                       written by Jonathan Shipton
                                  illustrated by Francesca Chessa
                                                 Holiday House, 2009

    I’m a list-maker. A list helps me assign priorities to my chores and errands. It helps me remember items I buy only once in a while, like toothpaste and teabags, when I add them to my grocery list. I don’t usually keep a list of the books I read. I like to just read them. 
    This past Saturday, I went to the “No Kings March” with a young friend of mine. I was feeling more anxious and emotional as the chants were chanted all around me, and I tried to read all the signs people brought and feel their angst (and my own). Their handmade ones and the printed ones, too. And the t-shirts, and the costumes. 
    Empath that she is, my friend asked if something was wrong.
    “So much is wrong. So much needs to be fixed. 
    “Where does a person start? How do you even know what to do?” I asked her. “I’m overwhelmed.”
    “You need a list.” 
    I thought that was exactly the right answer. It would help me identify and clarify what was bothering me, but I still felt overwhelmed.
    “You don’t have to do everything on the list. Just pick one thing. What would happen if everybody did that? or even a lot of people? or even if some or a few did?”
    I could have had that conversation with myself. I do have a lively internal monologue, after all. 
    But to satisfy my curiosity (and procrastinate a little), I needed to look up overwhelm before I could get to the list. It’s an old word. First used in the mid-14th century, overwhelm is derived from the Middle English whelmen, meaning “to cover.” By 1550, it expressed the sense of being completely covered, like a flood. Adding over to whelm implies “to turn upside down” or submerge.  
    Modern synonyms include the verb forms of swamp, saturate, glut, and overload. I’m sure you can think of others. This is where I find myself. 
    It’s time for the list.
    What’s wrong? Here’s my answer in (for obvious reasons) no particular order.
The existential and looming threat of a Climate Catastrophe 
Threatening to defund or actually pulling money and staff from 
    Medicare
    Medicaid
    Social Security
    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
    Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
    National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting System
       (PBS)
    Medical research
    Environmental research
    Affordable Care Act
    National Park Service
    Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
    National Institutes of Health (NIH) and much of their ongoing and vital
       research
Dismantling the Department of Education    
Cryptocurrency
RFK, Jr.
Defying Judges
Eliminating the promotion of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity in all
       government agencies
Rolling back progress on slowing our climate crisis
Stopping the SAVE Act to protect voting rights. Here's info about the
       act.
Stopping the Budget Bill. Here's a link to the Congressional Budget
       Office’s analysis of the Bill.
Where is governmental oversight? Oh, I remember. The people doing
       those jobs have been fired. Right.
Retracting LGBTQIA+ rights
Retracting women’s rights, especially to healthcare
Refusing to put guardrails or boundaries on Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Gun violence 
Russia and Ukraine
Hamas/Hezbollah/Iran and Israel
Nuclear weapons
Book bans
Lies
   
    And I have another list, too, for the State of Ohio.
Gerrymandering
Defunding public education
Promoting School Vouchers
Book bans
Fracking is still a problem
Womens rights
Lies

    It’s a long list. My fingers could hardly keep up with my brain, and I know I left out a LOT. I am in turn, angry, terrified, and grief-stricken.
    Then I remembered a quote and had to stop writing to look it up. It’s from Angela Davis and used by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson in her book about dealing with Climate Change, What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures (One World, 2024). 
    “You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” 
    So I’m back to saving the Earth. I have a project I have been thinking about for far too long. It’s time to reconnect with the contacts I’ve made early on and get to work. 
    I don’t have to really save the whole world, I only have to do what I can.
    I only have to act as if it were possible. All the time.

I’m almost finished reading The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (Doubleday, 2023). Part mystery, part character study, Lawhon takes us back to post-Revolutionary America, where a small town in Maine revolves around Martha Ballard, a midwife, who, due to her position, is privy to many secrets. And due to her training and her journal-keeping becomes pivotal in solving a murder.
                        Be curious! (and try being a list-maker)

    “I, Nate the Great, say your tomatoes were eaten by an animal. Maybe a rabbit, or a raccoon, or a squirrel, or a deer. We will search your garden for clues.”
              from Nate the Great and the Missing Tomatoes
                                              by Andrew Sharmat
                          illustrated by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov
                Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House, 2022

    I know. It’s been June for over a week, and I accidentally called up "This Day in History"  for May 10, not June 10. 
    So, while June 9 (yesterday) was my 10th blogiversary, the tomato research was well on its way, so here goes.
    Even though today.com says the tomato debate is as old as time, it probably only dates back about 7,000 years! when wild tomatoes that thrived in ancient Peru were domesticated. The Incas had cultivated and were cooking tomato dishes by the 1400s. 
    Soon after, the conquistadors discovered tomatoes’ yummy versatility. They brought tomatoes back to Europe, and by the mid 1500s, tomatoes were used in recipes from England and Spain to France and Italy. When the British and others came to America to colonize the land, they brought tomatoes back to the “New World.” By the mid 1800s, through that circuitous route, the tomato was accepted into American cuisine.
    On the national scene, James A. Garfield was elected president in 1880 on a promise, among others, to reform the Civil Service. He was assassinated in 1881, and Chester A. Arthur, after serving only six months as Vice President, rose to the presidency. He inherited daunting tasks, notably Civil Service reform, which had only just begun. 
    But he is best remembered for his tariff policy.
    The Tariff of 1883, which Arthur supported, tried to walk the fine line between reducing the rates established by earlier legislation and protecting key industries. Yes, it’s complicated.
    The 1880s saw the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Tariffs were tools of economic policy that raised significant revenue in the time before Income Tax was collected. It also influenced domestic industries and international trade relations. 
    The North wanted protective tariffs to favor American industries over imported goods, while the South, still dependent on agriculture and exports, opposed those same tariffs on imported goods. The debate over tariffs was not just about economics; it was a reflection of the competing interests of different regions and their visions for America's future.
    Still trying to balance the needs of industrialists with those of consumers, Arthur often found himself looking for common ground between many factions of a quickly changing American society.
    In 1882, he appointed the Tariff Commission and tasked them with investigating and recommending changes to tariff law based on a systematic approach.
    So what about tomatoes? 
    The Tariff Act of 1883 required a tax to be paid on imported vegetables, but not fruit. 
    About ten years later, the Supreme Court took a case based on a suit filed by John Nix & Co. against the Collector of the Port of New York, Edward L. Hedden. Nix was looking to recover back duties paid under protest. He said tomatoes are fruits, not vegetables, and he should not have had to pay the tax (tariff).
    Definitions from several different dictionaries were entered into evidence on both sides. After deliberation, the Supreme Court decided tomatoes should be classified as vegetables, not fruits. 
    It was May 10, 1893, exactly 131 years and 11 months ago. Based on how they are used and popular perception, tomatoes should be classified under the customs regulations as a vegetable. The Court’s decision was unanimous.    
    Justice Horace Gray, writing the opinion for the Court, acknowledged that botanically, tomatoes are classified as a “fruit of the vine,” but are known as vegetables “because they were usually eaten as a main course instead of being eaten as a dessert.” 
    Precedent was set. In Robertson v. Salomon, Justice Bradley clarified the status of cucumbers, squash, peas, and beans as vegetables, too.
    The state of New Jersey recalled Nix when the Legislature claimed the tomato as the official state vegetable.
    Henry J. Heinz bottled and began selling his Heinz Tomato Ketchup in 1870. By 1876, it was widely available, and not long after that, his ketchup went international, to London.
    The public is still divided, though.
    In short, tomatoes can be fruits or vegetables, it depends. Botanically, since tomatoes have seeds and develop from the plant’s flower, they are fruits. But in the culinary world, ask any chef worth their salt, and they’ll tell you a tomato is savory. It’s a vegetable. 

Instead of a “book review,” I’ll leave you with a poem. I think it’s relevant to today.
         The World is too Much With Us
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers,
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not. -—Great God! I’d rather be
A pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.
                                   William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
                                                 first published 1807
                                  This poem is in the public domain
Be curious! (and whether fruit or vegetable, it’s tomato season. Enjoy!)

My name is Humpty Dumpty.
This was my favorite spot, high up on the wall.
I know, it's an odd place for an egg to be, but I loved being close to the birds.
Then one day, I fell. (I'm sort of famous for that part.)
Folks called it "The Great Fall," which sounds a little grand.
It was just an accident.
But it changed my life.
                                           from After the Fall: How
                                Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again
                              written and illustrated by Dan Santat
                                         Roaring Brook Press, 2017

    National Egg Day is June 3 every year. Not to be confused with World Egg Day which occurs on the second Tuesday in October every year. Why have two? I think that’s a chicken-and-egg question.
    I don’t claim to be exclusionary, but when I learned that National Egg Day fell on a Tuesday this year, and a Tuesday that was looking for a topic, well, here we are. The universe’s perfect solution to my blog post problem!
    As a matter of fact, eggs have been called the perfect food. But so has milk, and now avocados are vying for the title.
    So are eggs more perfect? Yes, according to the American Egg Board (AEB). Eggs are a complete protein; they contain all nine essential amino acids. Tofu, lentils, most beans, ancient grains like spelt, teff, quinoa, and amaranth are also high in protein, but some of the 9 essential amino acids are missing. Eating a variety of plant-based protein solves that problem.
    Eggs are also a good to “egg”cellent source of Vitamins A, B12, B2, B5, and D, selenium, calcium, potassium, iron, folate, the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, and choline. 
    According to its website, incredibleegg.org, “The American Egg Board was created by an Act of Congress in 1976 at the request of America’s egg farmers…” They continue, “For more than 40 years, … the AEB [has been] 100% farmer-funded, and those funds directly support the research, education, and promotion necessary to market eggs.”
    Their website is incredibly thorough in presenting the nutritional benefits of eggs by providing links to current and recent scientific articles. 
    The conclusion of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study also reports that “[e]ggs are highly nutritious, accessible, and affordable. …”[t]hey have a positive or neutral impact on health markers and do not pose a risk when eaten regularly as part of a balanced diet.” Eggs are also the most environmentally sustainable source of animal protein. The NIH article continues, “the balance of evidence points towards eggs being nutritious, healthy and sustainable, rather than risky.”
    Affordable, you might ask? Even at $5.00/dozen, eggs are still a good value compared with other animal proteins. Here's a comparison from the USDA published in April 2025. 
    No denying it, even though chickens can’t fly, the price of a dozen eggs has soared recently. Since February 10, 2025, over 50 million laying hens succumbed to bird flu while the demand for eggs stayed high. 
    Farmers are working hard to protect their flocks from infection. It’s a top priority. Their livelihood depends on it, and it can take six months or more for an egg farm to completely recover.
    Meanwhile, the USDA, FDA, and the CDC all tell us that with the safeguards in place, the current risk to the public is low. People rarely get bird flu, but those who do are generally people who must work closely with infected birds, and are not wearing protective equipment (masks and gloves).
    The infection can reach wild birds like gulls, ducks, geese, and even our backyard birds. As a precaution, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends cleaning bird feeders and bird baths regularly. Wear disposable gloves and wash your hands when you’re finished.
    Report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to the state or federal government by calling the USDA’s toll-free number 1-866-536-7593.  
    Funds to develop an mRNA vaccine similar to the one used against COVID-19 were awarded in July, 2024, but those funds were withdrawn at the end of May, 2025, due to RFK Jr.'s skepticism, despite evidence that the vaccines are safe and [have] saved millions of lives worldwide. (CBS News May 29, 2025) 
    Archaeological evidence shows that people have been eating eggs since the Neolithic Period (from 10,000 BCE to 2,000 BCE) when Stone Age people transitioned from hunting and gathering to agriculture and domestication. And in 1911, 2,000 years later, Joseph Coyle of British Columbia invented the modern egg carton. 
    There has been much well-deserved controversy regarding egg farms. Just the name “egg farm” instead of chicken farm emphasizes the “product” rather than the live being that “produces” it. “Cage-free” and “free-range” are designations used to describe a less restricted environment for laying hens.
    Each of us needs to decide where our own personal balance falls. For me, eggs are an important part of my diet. I choose to support a less restrictive environment for the hens by buying cage-free eggs. 
    I remember to thank the universe, Mother Nature, and the hen herself for her gifts.
    So, which did come first? Well, it depends. If you’re talking about biology, evolution plays a part. The first identifiable, separate species-specific chicken had to be inside an egg, so the egg must have come first. 
    If you're talking philosophically, though, it’s a conundrum. You're on your own.

I’m finishing up The Ungrateful Refugee mentioned last week. It’s a very readable, realistic, and important comment on society. Recommended.

And, as a follow-up to last week, Faizan Zaki, a 13-year-old from Allen, Texas, won the 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling éclaircissement, a noun defined as a clearing up of something obscure. He earned more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.
FB: Sensitivity warning: Today’s post is about eggs. Vegans, read at your own discretion.

Lucy’s lopsided laundry line was
loaded with long and loopy letters.
                  from Ellsworth’s Extraordinary Electric Ears
​                        and other Amazing Alphabetic Anecdotes
                         written and illustrated by Valorie Fisher
                     Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2003

    My dad was a good speller. He said he knew when his spelling was correct because it “looked right.” He claimed to be a good speller because he studied Latin in high school. I think he was just smart. He might have been able to win the National Spelling Bee. I think he never had the chance.
    One hundred years ago today, nine spellers did participate in the first National Spelling Bee. That year, 1925, Frank Neuhauser (1913-2011) of Kentucky won the Bee by correctly spelling gladiolus. He was 11 years old when he won his $500 prize.
    While millions of students qualified and participated, elimination rounds left a final pool of nine spellers, one for each participating sponsoring newspaper.
    The contest has grown to include millions and millions of students from thousands of schools. This year, all fifty states are represented as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Department of Defense Schools in Europe. It is rare for spellers from outside the U.S. to compete. They respond to a special invitation or partnership. This year, students from the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Kuwait, and Nigeria will compete.
    A Google search on “the best ways to study for a spelling test” showed guidelines, activities, and resources. I saw workbooks, worksheets of tricky words to memorize, word searches, homophones, vowel sounds, silent letters, alliteration (like Ellsworth Ears in today’s quote), and hundreds more.
    After perusing several lists from Reading Rockets, YourDictionary, and TCKPublishing, I discovered no surprise. Success demands practice. That old adage, “practice makes perfect,” is about the most effective way to learn to spell.
    Reading helps, too. I suspect that’s another reason why Dad’s words “looked right” to him. He saw them written correctly over and over.
    Mneumonics are helpful. Jimminy Cricket sang E-N-C-Y-C-L-O-P-E-D-I-A. I only get that spelling right when I sing it like I just did. At school we learned “A rat in the house might eat the ice cream” (Arithmetic) and “There’s a-rat in separate.” Accommodate is large enough for two sets of double letters.
    According to Google’s own AI, the most often misspelled word in English is definitely. There is a finite way to spell definitely.
    The word list to study for the Bee, arranged in several alphabetical lists from easiest to hardest, is right here. But word lists can get tedious.
    Long words are fun. When we were young, we learned the word antidisestablishmentarianism. It’s a political position originated in 19th-century Britain opposing the disestablishment of the Church of England.
    Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is a made-up word popularized by Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews in Disney’s Mary Poppins. But the word is older than that. Oxford English Dictionary claims Helen Herman recorded its first use in her March 10, 1931, column “A-muse-ings” in the Syracuse University Daily Orange. Ms. Herman says the word “implies all that is grand, great, glorious, splendid, superb, [and] wonderful.”
    But the longest English word, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolanoconiosis, is the medical name for a disease caused by breathing in quartz dust.
    The longest place name in the US, Lake Chaubunagungamaug, is sometimes called Webster Lake. That’s what I’d call it. The native name is derived from a Nipmuc language and translates to “fishing place at the boundaries, neutral meeting grounds.” 
    Lots of interesting words are short, too. Agog, gizmo, idiom, loofah, muumuu, quirky, ruckus, syzygy, uvula, wonky, zephyr come to mind.
    Spelling can be tricky. Most languages include homophones, homographs, and homonyms. These, themselves, are tricky, too. Here’s how to keep them straight.
    Homo- is a prefix that means same, alike, similar. So a homophone, like a telephone, are words that sound the same but are not spelled the same. My favorite homophones are in a tie: discussed/disgust and gorgeous/gorges. I don’t have a favorite homograph. They are words that are spelled the same but are pronounced differently. Bow (and arrow) and bow (after a spectacular performance), for example.
    Homonyms refer to homophones or homographs, or both. 
    Still with me?     
    I keep a list of interesting words on my desktop. It’s not easy to work most of them into a sentence, but that’s not what the list is for. Actually, I’m not sure it’s for anything. It just is. My list includes favorites like crepuscular and petrechor.
    I guess I’m a little bit of a word nerd. I keep a list of opposites and a list of unusual phrases, too. 
    My favorite pair of opposites is dearth/plethora. 
    Here’s my post about unusual phrases from December 2023, "It's Idiomatic."
    This year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee will be its 97th. The Bee was canceled from 1943 to 1945 because of WWII and again in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The champion will be the 110th due to several two-way ties and an eight-way tie in 2019.
    Find directions for tuning in (beginning today from 8 am to 4:40 pm EDT) at www.spellingbee.com. It used to be carried on ESPN. Like a real sporting event, but not since 2017.
    Why do they call it a Bee, anyway? According to SpellingBee.com, etymology of the word bee is unclear. Until recently, people thought it was the same word as the insect. It had something to do with the similar industriousness of bees working together in a social gathering.
    After further study, the word bee, used this way, is thought to come from a completely different word. A word in the dialect of Middle English, been or bean, means "voluntary help given by neighbors toward the accomplishment of a particular task" (Webster's Third New International Dictionary).
    Seems to me the result is the same.
    Bee and bee are not homophones. They're not spelled differently.. They’re not homographs either because they don't sound different.. 
   Since homonyms refer to both homophones and homographs, that's what they are. I wonder if there are others?
One of my book clubs is reading The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You by Dina Nayeri (Catapult, 2019). From the publisher: “…Nayeri defies stereotypes and raises surprising questions about the immigrant experience. Here are the real human stories of what it is like to journey across borders in the hope of starting afresh.”
                            Be curious! (and play with your words)    

I can tell myself:
I am enough.
In this world, I matter.
                             from Who I Am: Words I Tell Myself
                                            written by Susan Verde
                                           art by Peter H. Reynolds
                        Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2023

    I talk to myself. A lot. Mostly not out loud, but when I’m alone, I do. Some researchers tell us all healthy people have an inner monologue. Some say between 30 and 50% do. And some say it’s possible that a person might not have an inner monologue at all. 
    Most discussions conclude that more research needs to be done, and researchers need to standardize their research methods.
    If you’re looking for your own inner monologue, or if you even have one, Psychology Today suggests that you listen in while you meditate. Do you hear intrusive thoughts? Are words or images floating to your mind’s surface? How often do they occur?
    Just a note, I’m using ‘inner monologue’ and ‘self-talk’ interchangeably to avoid monotony.
    Inner monologue is useful for several reasons. Very young children use it to develop their language skills. We continue to use it to reinforce our working memory and organize our thoughts. Reciting a list of grocery items to pick up, repeating (over and over) the name of a new acquaintance, mentally rehearsing the points for a presentation, all these are examples of self-talk. 
    Very Well Mind discusses three aspects of our inner monologues. 
    The first, condensation, is a continuum that places whole paragraphs at one end and one word or image at the other.
    Dialogality describes whether we are using one voice or more than one, like if we imagine a future conversation where we may want to convince someone of something controversial or a different point of view.
    Lastly, intentionality refers to whether we are mentally rehearsing something or if our mind wanders and we may or may not even pay attention.
    While most of us use verbal language to communicate (with ourselves and others), not everyone does. But research shows that even those without verbal language may still engage in self-talk. It is how we “hear” ourselves think.
    Some people say they do not engage in self-talk. They might use imagery to visualize their to-do list or their friend’s phone number (before typing it into their contact list). Or maybe just one word can conjure up a whole memory. 
    Sometimes a love song pops into my head as I reflect on one or another of my grandkids. Sometimes a song reminds me of how I am feeling.
    As I’m writing this, I’m paying attention to my thoughts. The process is necessarily going a little slower than usual. 
    A bird just landed on my birdfeeder. I noticed it, but I did not tell myself, “Oh, look, there’s another sparrow. I wish I’d see that cardinal family again. Or Mr. and Mrs. Nuthatch, or the chickadees,” although I think sometimes I do. 
    And just now, I told myself to stop laughing!
    Research shows that people think in five different ways. Only one of them uses inner monologue. 
    So, besides inner monologue and inner visualization, sometimes we use muscle memory, like when I’m typing as I think, or when I brush my teeth. 
    Sometimes we name our emotions to ourselves. 
    Sometimes a sensation can drown out other thoughts. Like when it’s past lunchtime and I’m still in the middle of writing. I tend to find myself thinking more about lunch than how the next idea will appear. Or “I’m cold” dominates my self-talk if I should have worn a heavier jacket before I left the house. Self-criticism sneaks in, too. “Why didn’t you check the weather?” I ask myself. And then I forget to enjoy Nature. 
    Self-talk can help us make decisions. We consciously weigh pros and cons in our head.  Or conversely, stress might override our conscious thoughts, and we engage in trying to calm ourselves, or resort to negativity (like I did when I forgot my jacket).
    Studying inner monologues and why we do or don’t experience them is difficult. Often, the chatter is subconscious. It’s that “little voice in our heads” that we might not tune in to. It’s there, like dreaming, but we’re unaware of it.
    If your thoughts are telling you to harm yourself or someone else, seek medical help right now. Call 988. It is available 24/7.  Or text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line, a global non-profit also available 24/7. Both calls are free.
     HowStuffWorks lists several ways to manage your inner monologue if your thoughts are intrusive..

• Try mindfulness meditation. Sit quietly and listen. Set a timer for one minute and gradually increase the time. The key here is to listen, without judgment.
• If you “hear” negative thoughts, challenge them, especially with kindness.
• Use positive affirmations to remind yourself of your self-worth.
• Try visualization. If you can dream it, you can be it.
• Try writing your thoughts and feelings in a journal.
• Find support in a trusted friend, relative, or professional therapist.
• Practice gratitude.
• Limit your exposure to negativity, whether it’s coming from the news or from other people.
• Give yourself achievable goals.
• Try to stay focused on the present. It’s hard, but even a little mindfulness meditation helps.

     I just wrote down my do-list. Now that it is out of my head and on a piece of paper, I can concentrate on the really important parts of my day, listening to birdsongs and visiting my houseplants on their outdoor summer stay-cation.
I’m reading When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill (Knopf/Doubleday, 2022). I put it down last March but picked it up again recently. In a time when women are expected to suppress their emotions, especially anger, a mass Dragoning event occurred, but was covered up in the news. Young Alex is left to make sense of her world for herself and her young cousin. Interesting venture into speculative fiction. 
                   Be curious! (and listen for your inner voice)

    The last time I was about to use the computer, I had searched for tips about how to become a good YouTuber, and one of the top suggestions was to write out what you wanted to film before you got started. There was even a template that showed me how to do it.
                              from: J. D. and the Family Business
                                                written by J. Dillard
                                  illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts
                                                          Kokila, 2021

    About ten years ago, I got my first smartphone. I made the change because, as texting became more popular and convenient, I found the cumbersome method I was forced to use with my flip phone was anything but convenient. It took 14 clicks just to sign my name!
    I like to be organized and found out that I could put the apps on my phone in folders. My phone’s help screens were not helpful. Google’s directions were too complicated. 
    A few days later, I was visiting with my ten-year-old grandson and showed him my new phone. We played around with Garage Band, played a little solitaire, and Angry Birds.
    When he said how cool my phone was, I told him that I learned there was a way to collect the same kinds of apps into folders. I told him I wanted to do that, but was having trouble. Did he know how? 
    “Did you try YouTube?” he asked.
    I handed over my phone, and a few minutes later, I was all set.
    
    YouTube is 20 years old. Here’s a short timeline and a few facts from a YouTube video. 
2005 April:     Jawed Aarim, one of the founders of YouTube, recorded and uploaded the first video, “me at the Zoo” 

2006 April:     YouTube is acquired by Google from founders Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed

​2008 January:  YouTube adapted itself to be accessible on mobile devices

2009 April:      YouTuber, Fred, reached 1,000,000 subscribers. He sold t-shirts and Hot Topic began carrying them. Because he was so popular, he was invited to appear on an episode of  iCarly.”

2010 May:        YouTube added a “Like/Dislike” ranking system

2011 July:          Introduced movie feature where users could pay to watch movies
     December:  Added live-stream feature and streamed exclusive live events like the Ultima Fighting Championship (UFC)

2013 March:      YouTube changed its entire layout

2014 February:  Added Spotlight feature to easily find what was trending on the platform 

2017 December:  YouTube changed its logo and added YouTube Red, a paid subscription service. Now it’s called YouTube Premium

2019 March:       Billie Eilish published “Bad Guy”

2021 May:          YouTube created YouTube Shorts, 60-second videos, to compete with TikTok

2021 May:          Time stamps were added allowing users to jump to certain sections or topics

2021 November:   Removed the “dislike” button to protect smaller content creators from bullying

    Worldwide, more than 400 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube each minute and one billion hours of content are watched every day. YouTube is the second most popular website in the world, right behind Google.
    It was designed to provide an easy way for new, inexperienced computer users to upload content and share it over the Internet. In 2005, YouTube’s slogan was “Broadcast yourself. Watch and share your videos worldwide!” quickly shortened to “Broadcast yourself.”
    YouTube is a multi-billion-dollar business. It has captured more viewers than most TV stations and other media markets. It was Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” in 2006, and featured YouTube’s three creators.
    The average person spends almost 50 minutes a day watching YouTube content. And with 348 million views, “Baby Shark” is still the most popular video.
    What has all this watching and data collection about all this watching told us about ourselves? Along with funny cats and cute babies and sharks, YouTube has launched Joe Rogan through his right-wing podcast, Sean Evans, host of Hot Ones, and does anyone besides me NOT know Mr. Beast? 
    Of course, lots of nefarious topics are available for the taking, too. Disinformation about medical issues, crime, and politics comes immediately to mind.
    Last month, on YouTube’s 20th anniversary, Doug Most reported on the opinions of several faculty experts from Boston University regarding YouTube’s impact on society.  
    According to some studies, misinformation spreads up to six times faster than evidence-based content. This is a real problem. “The way our information landscape has evolved reveals a critical truth: sharing accurate information is necessary, but not sufficient…[W]e must also focus on making evidence-based content engaging, accessible, and relevant to a wide variety of audiences.” 
    That’s a tough nut to crack.
    Because it is so easy to access, YouTube has revolutionized how people receive and use online information. Streaming videos is ubiquitous. Searching for content is simple. What is not so simple or ubiquitous is discerning which information is not only useful, but accurate. 
    Anyone can post content and sometimes make it go viral. But the content is not vetted.
    What YouTube’s algorithm chooses for you to watch next is dependent on what you have already watched, leading you into a consistent and unvarying silo.
    On the upside, technical knowledge is accessible to anyone who wants to learn how to do a project or maybe just needs a brush-up. Some YouTubers are better than others, but so many people are experts in so many areas. 
    When I forgot how to turn the corners on the binding I needed to attach to the baby quilts I made about every two years, a particular YouTuber was on my subscription list.
    If I can’t get to the library, or if the book I want is not available nearby, I can usually find my blog quote on a read aloud on YouTube.
    And just yesterday, a friend sent me a link to a recipe site with a YouTube video on cooking for company embedded right in it.
    YouTube is available in 76 languages and most countries. Whether you’re looking for quilting techniques or what to plan for brunch, recipes included, or how to change your car’s battery, you might want to start with YouTube.  

​One of my book clubs is reading The Institute by Stephen King (Scribner, 2019). It’s a contemporary story about a group of kids sent to the Institute, where their telekinetic and telepathic abilities are exploited. It’s creepy, but not terrifying. It’s also absorbing, engaging, and thought-provoking. Typical Stephen King, if there is such a thing. Recommended.
                            Be curious! (and learn from YouTube)

Do you know what
the best sound in the world is?
The best sound in the world is
by far
…the sound of your laughter.
          from If You Laugh, I’m Starting This Book Over
                                      written by Chris Harris
                                   illustrated by Serge Bloch
                           Little, Brown and Company, 2022
                             (accessed on YouTube 5/5/25)

    Euclid Beach was an amusement park in Cleveland when I was growing up. I remember going with our parents in the summer. My favorite part of the park was not the rides, not the cotton candy, or even the beach. I liked all that just fine, but Laffing Sal was the highlight for me. Partly because I thought she was really funny, but more so, I think, because my dad did. 
    She was enormous, way taller than any grown-up I knew. She stood in a glass case in front of the fun house. When I was small, I thought she was real. I think Dad thought that was funnier than Laffing Sal, herself.
    Even though my sister and my mom thought she was creepy, Dad would laugh and laugh and so did I. So did my brother. Laffing Sal bent from her large waist and her arms moved and her head, too. Her laugh was raucous. She stood 6’10” including her 12” pedestal. She was commissioned by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company of Pennsylvania and built in Canton, Ohio by the Old King Cole Papier Mache Company. 
    Many amusement parks hosted Laffing Sals. She was made of seven layers of card stock mounted over steel coils. Her arms and legs were attached with fabric, staples, pins, nuts, and bolts. Her laugh track was hidden in her pedestal on top of a stack of 78 rpm records. After she had laughed through her whole stack, an attendant restacked them, and off she’d go again. 
    And so did we.
    Her laugh was contagious. Sometimes a crowd would gather around, but Dad, my brother, and I would stay there the longest. It was hard to leave her laughing.
    She worked with a push-button. That’s how I finally found out she was not a real person dressed up in her enclosure. I tried to find out about Tanya Garth, the woman who gave her laugh to Sal, but came to a dead end. 
    You can hear her here, though.
    Euclid Beach closed in 1969. In 1997, John Tomaro and John Frato bought Sal at an auction. They took her to events in Northeast Ohio to keep the traditions of Euclid Beach alive. Now she resides in part of the area once occupied by the original Euclid Beach and is run by the Cleveland MetroParks.
    Even though Sal was placed outside the Fun House, she wasn’t spooky. But could she really be good for our health? Is there any truth to the saying laughter is the best medicine?
    Not surprisingly, the simple answer is yes.
    We laugh for different reasons and all of them relate to our need for social connection, says Sophie Scott, one of the world’s leading experts on laughter. “We’re 30 times more likely to laugh if we’re with someone else than if we are alone,” especially if we know and feel comfortable with them. 
    We laugh to mask difficult emotions, too. Think of nervous laughter. Or fear. I used to laugh when Mom yelled at me for not cleaning up my room or not turning in my homework on time. That never went well. For either of us.
    We laugh to feel emotionally connected with a group. The contagious element of laughter is a form of social bonding. We use laughter to demonstrate joy and affection.
    We laugh as a physical response to a joke, as a reaction to our environment, or to being tickled. Even through all the ticklish controversy (which is a subject for a different day).
    Dr. Scott also finds that laughter relieves stress. Levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) go down, and adrenaline and endorphins are released, making us feel happier and more relaxed.
    Some studies say that laughter may relieve pain. Even though the research is in its early stages, finding that endorphins are released when we laugh will probably reinforce the idea.
    Laughter burns calories. A Vanderbilt University study found that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes burns about 40 calories.
    Research from Loma Linda University shows that laughing improves short-term memory in adults in their 60s and 70s. 
    Laughter is probably good for our hearts, too. That 10 - 15 minute calorie-burn increases our heart rates and oxygen levels.
    From the time we are babies, humans distinguish the difference between a polite titter and a genuine guffaw. People are good at telling the difference between voluntary and involuntary laughter. And we get better and better as we age.
    Faking our laughter shows our ability to adjust to social norms. It is an indication of our emotional intelligence as we “read” the people we are with.
    Fake laughter uses our voluntary muscles. The areas in our brains that light up with our emotional activity are quiet.
    Genuine laughter, though, is a whole body affair. It’s spontaneous. The emotional centers in our brains are lit up and dancing. 
    It’s the difference between jumping for joy and performing a choreographed number. 
    Genuine laughter is a heart-thing, literally.
    But what if you don’t laugh very much any more, or even at all? That can really happen. Susanne White of caregiverwarrior.com lists several suggestions to get your laugh back. 
    Watch funny movies or TV shows. 
    Watch those funny cat videos or listen to YouTube laugh tracks.
    Consciously look for the funny side in a situation. Find the cosmic irony. It’s there.
    Watch yourself laugh in a mirror. Fake it till you make it. A real chortle may escape. Keep practicing.
    Seek out people who make you laugh.
    On March 1, 2022, I wrote this and it’s still true. “The world is not a funny place right now, I know. But laughter is healthy. It is good for our souls. So this week’s challenge is: Find something funny and tell someone close to you what you found.” 

I just finished reading Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (Atria Books, 2019). It’s a thought-provoking, truth-seeking, relationship-exploring story of a crime that may never have happened in a place where eight unlikely strangers find understanding. And a father and son do, too. This is one I will read again!
                           Stay curious! (and do something silly)

Good morning,
No post today. Enjoy the early Spring weather.
Next Tuesday, May 6, is Ohio’s Primary. Like me, you may only need to cast your ballot on one issue, but it’s important. 
Here’s a link to more information: Ballotpedia.org 
​See you next week!

…but the South Pole wasn't his home. He was a polar bear, and polar bears live in the North Pole.
Which is why he said goodbye and traveled 12,430 miles all the way back to the North Pole, where he belonged.
                                           written by Jean Willis
                                     illustrated by Peter Jarvis
                                  Nosy Crow/Candlewick, 2015
                                 accessed on YouTube 4/21/25

    Mom and Dad took us on day trips to interesting nearby places instead of long family vacations. Dad was an expert map reader. Mom was, too. My brother picked up the skill easily, but my sister got carsick so was excused. And I, well, left and right, directions like NSEW were (are) confusing. 
    Dad kidded me saying I could get lost backing out of the driveway. He was right, then. I always thought spatial relations was not my best thing. I’m lots better now, so maybe I just lived down to his expectations.
    Now, take the North Pole. Everyone knows the magnetic North Pole is different from the geographic North Pole. But I just learned that even though the geographic North Pole is stationary (even as Earth orbits and rotates), the magnetic North Pole strays.
    Magnetic poles (North and South) are located at the precise spot where the geomagnetic field is exactly perpendicular to the surface of the Earth. An imaginary line to the center of Earth’s core is called a dip pole.
    The imaginary line connecting the magnetic North and South Poles is not necessarily parallel to the imaginary one connecting the geographic Poles. Currently, the axis of the dip pole is inclined 9.32° compared to the rotational axis. This differential (that changes over time) only matters if a reversal occurs. That is unlikely and perhaps the topic for another day. 
    But where the Magnetic North Pole IS does matter. Back to that in a few minutes.
    In 1831, James Clark Ross (1800 - 1862), a British Naval Officer, located the Magnetic North Pole in the Canadian Arctic. It has been drifting slowly across the Arctic Plain and is now nearing Russia.
    You might wonder, as I did, Why does it move? Well, it’s complicated. Earth’s magnetic field is caused by Earth’s outer core. Unlike the solid inner core, the outer core is liquid. It is the movement of iron, nickel, sulfur, and oxygen sloshing around the huge solid core made of iron and nickel that creates the magnetic field. Think of opposite ends of a magnet. Opposites attract while like repels like.
    Since the magnetic field is constantly changing, so are the magnetic Poles. From 1831, when Ross first located it, to the 1990s, magnetic North drifted about 9 miles (15 km) per year. However, since the 1990s, it has been moving faster, lots faster.
    Using satellite measurements, scientists think they have figured out why. Information from the journal Nature Geoscience says “tussling magnetic blobs” in Earth’s outer core cause the ruckus. One blob is under Canada, and one is under Siberia. As they attract and repel each other, the magnetic field shifts. Here's an illustration from EarthSky.org. 
    Within the last 20 years, Magnetic North has been clocked between 30 and 50 miles per year, galloping South, toward Siberia.
    But about five years ago, movement slowed to between 30 and 22 miles (50 to 35 km) per year. EarthSky.org says, [it’s the] “biggest deceleration in speed we've ever seen.”
    GPS (Global Positioning System) Navigation depends on the accuracy of Earth’s magnetic field. Think of a magnet and a compass. Because Magnetic North is always moving, navigation is tricky.
    Experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) meet with their British counterparts every five years to develop a more accurate World Magnetic Model (WMM). While emergency updates are done as necessary, those five years may be too long to wait.
    While we still watch objects in the sky to tell where we are in space and how to get somewhere else, satellites (for the most part) have replaced “navigation by the stars.” NOAA's website tells us we depend on “[o]ver 30 GPS navigation satellites [that] are whizzing around the world, orbiting at an altitude of 12,000 miles, to help us find our way.  
    The new WMM has been available since January 2025, and mapping companies, shipping agencies, logistics firms, and governments are busy making updates.
    Our smartphones depend on GPS, too, but those updates happen automatically.
    Climate scientists have been studying the effects of the increasing levels of CO2 on climate change since at least 2012. According to an article in physics.org, “[w]hile CO2 causes heat to be trapped in the lower atmosphere, it actually cools the upper atmosphere.” Using computer simulations, the scientists found that changes in Earth’s magnetic field (in the upper atmosphere) cause changes in global temperatures, with the “strongest warming … located over Antarctica” and all those icebergs.
    Today is Earth Day. Celebrate by planting a tree or two, our best allies to capture the carbon we are so wantonly inclined to spew into the air.

I just finished reading God of the Woods by Liz Moore. When 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar disappears from her family’s exclusive overnight camp, it feels like a replay of the disappearance of her older brother. Camp counselors, a complicated past, and family intrigue work against a female detective, trying to establish her credibility, to unravel the “twin” mysteries, only to discover they are not as similar as they first appear. It’s long, but worth your time!
                                 Be curious! (and breathe deep)