Get Hygge!

Are you like me?  Getting a little tired of the dark, gloomy, rainy weather we've been having for ages?  Having enough of all the water flooding the fields and roads?  Seeing too much gray and brown than vibrant colors?

Then look to our friends, the Danes, for some inspiration.  In winter they have up to 17 hours of darkness a day in Denmark, yet they're some of the happiest people around.  Why?  That's because they have a secret, and that secret has finally gotten out.  What do they have that we desperately need?  HYGGE!

So, what the heck is hygge, you ask?  There's no direct translation into English, but hygge (pronounced "hoo-ga") is a sense of coziness, of having the warm and fuzzies of the soul.  It's the feeling you get when you're wrapped up nice and snug in a soft afghan, sipping a cup of tea, and watching the rain beat against the window.  It's the feeling you get when you're getting together with a few of your good friends over a candlelit dinner.  It's the feeling you get when you're curled up in the corner of your sofa reading a good book.  Simply put, it's taking pleasure in little, everyday things and creating a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Hygge has become the big trend of the moment.  There are a number of books on the subject, including The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking of the Happiness Research Institute (yes, they really research happiness).  There are also various articles on hygge and how to put a little more of it in your life:

• The Art of Danish Hygge
• The Hygge Conspiracy 
• Hygge House
• The Year of Hygge, the Danish Obsession with Getting Cozy  

So, until the weather turns warm and the flowers start blooming, light those candles, make that cocoa, put on those fuzzy socks, cuddle in that blanket, and enjoy that pastry!  And of course, stop by the library to get some good books to read and put more hygge in your life!

Wishing you much hygge from the perch.

Kindergarten Rules

Unless you've been on Mars for the past 6 months, I probably don't have to tell you how politics have been a hotter topic than usual.  People either love or hate the new leadership and they have no problem voicing their opinions.  There have been protests.  There have been demonstrations.  There have been fights.  Things have gotten downright ugly, really ugly.

It's human to disagree sometimes.  It's divine, however, to listen to and respect others even if their beliefs differ from our own.

I can't help but think back to the lessons learned in kindergarten.  There were kids you didn't like and kids who didn't like you.  I remember my teacher saying that you didn't have to like the other person, but you did have to get along with him or her.  I'm sure I wasn't the only one to hear that somewhere while growing up.  What happened?  Did so many people forget that lesson?

There's a small group of us here at the library.  We all had different opinions about the election and while we voiced our opinions, we didn't shout and get nasty.  We listened to each other and we respected what we had to say, even if we disagreed.  Isn't that the way how things are supposed to work?

If you ask me for my ever humble opinion, I think we can all revisit the basic rules of kindergarten, the rules of showing respect, being polite, and acting courteously.  Don't shout and don't be mean.  Try to be helpful.  Clean up your mess.  For other lessons, take a look at Robert Fulghum's modern day classic, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.  It's alright to disagree, but do so in an appropriate manner.

Ever respectfully yours from the perch.