Pretty much none of the links that caught my eye this week have to do with writing. Oh well. They’re still awesome.
1. 5 Ways to Secure Your Happy-Ish Ever After – I’m a romance novelist. I believe in, relish, covet, am lifted up by the HEA (Happily Ever After, for those not as fluent in romance speak). But I also live in the real world, in a real marriage that I’ve been in for nearly 15 years, and I know that as much as I love and adore my husband (and I do!), it’s not all swooning and kisses and fairy tale moments. I love this article for telling it like it is – and reminding us that while we live in a society in which most things are considered disposable, love and commitment shouldn’t be one of them. Even when it’s hard. And yes, it will be hard. What do YOU think?
2. London’s Top Ten Urban Myths – My mind and my heart are still drawn to London, especially since I finally started blogging about my trip there last November. This article tickled me – I didn’t even know most of these were urban myths to begin with. Peeing in a policeman’s hat? Really?
3. 12 People Who Should Cancel Their Gym Memberships – Did you resolve to get fit this year? If so, I hope you’re in that 40+% that actually stick with it. I’ll admit none of my resolutions revolve around weight/exercise this year. Not that that’s a good thing, but, well, at least I’m not doing what some of THESE people are doing…
4. Beauty from the Crypt: The Mystery of Europe’s Jeweled Skeletons – O.K., if bones freak you out, don’t click this one. But I was fascinated to learn about these richly ornamented skeletons that people had assumed were the remains of saints and venerated as such, until doubt arose. Many were hidden away and only recently rediscovered.
5. World War II in Europe: Every Day – A stunningly simple and simply stunning YouTube video visualizing the changing of borders every day through the second World War – watching the colors move and thinking about the realities of war behind it is truly humbling, and heartbreaking.
6. A Dad Shows His Love for His Kids Daily in a Most Unusual Way – Gee, and I don’t even remember to leave a note 90% of the time! This dad blows the rest of us out of the water – at least in terms of lunch-packing finesse.
7. The Great Sir Patrick Stewart in Perhaps the Role of His Life – Sure, that “What Does the Fox Say?” song reminded you that the cow goes ‘moo’, but did it do so in a variety of British mooing accents? No? Well, then, you don’t want to miss Patrick Stewart’s droll recounting of the moos of England. Make it so.