Things to Feel Grateful About

Gratitude is good to practice at any time, but it's especially important to practice during difficult pandemic times. Often, we're able to see all the bad things going on because we're wired to see the negative. Blame our ancestors thousands of years ago for this. Their survival depended on remembering bad things that happened to them so they could avoid dangers in the future. Focusing on the positive takes more work.

As hard as it may be to believe, we have a lot of good things to be grateful about during 2020. What things, you ask? In no particular order, here are a few just for starters:

• Family--Having the support of family means a lot.
• Pets--After all, they're part of the family.
• Good health--If you and your loved ones have it.
• A job you enjoy--Having work that's rewarding is a good thing.
• The outdoors--It's always there, even in your backyard.
• Exercising--Like it or not, it improves your mood.
• Laughter--A good belly laugh does wonders for the soul.
• Kindness--Giving and receiving it is so important.
• Movies--They relax us and lift our spirits!
• Books--Of course! They take us to different places!

We can be grateful about all the big things that are good in our lives, but it's important to note the little, everyday things that make us feel grateful. For instance, a warm cup of tea, a beautiful sunset, a warm bed in which to sleep, music, breakfast, or fuzzy socks, among others. Experts say that keeping a daily or weekly gratitude journal of life's little joys can help lower stress and cultivate a more positive outlook.

Heading into the Thanksgiving holiday, what are some things you're grateful about this year? Share with us!

Gratefully yours from the perch.

Holidays in the Time of Coronavirus

With Halloween just around the corner, we're heading into a holiday season that's unlike any we've experienced before. There were other holidays in the past seven months of the COVID-19 pandemic, but some of the really big holidays we normally spend with gatherings of family and friends are coming in the next two months. And to top things off, those holidays are often celebrated indoors because they take place during colder weather in most areas.

I think it's safe to say we're all pandemic-weary at this point. We want to see our families and friends in person. We want restaurants to operate at normal capacity. We want to watch new movies in cinemas. We want concerts back. We want to stop wearing masks and washing our hands like germaphobes. We want to resume our normal lives. But we can't. Because coronavirus is still a very real thing.

I'm not going to tell you what to do or not to do as we enter this strange holiday season. We all have a lot of tough choices to make on how we're going to do things this year, deciding on what risks we're willing or not willing to take. 

To help you make those decisions, consult reputable websites like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, WebMD, and The Health Nexus. Some other websites to check for the latest information on the spread of the virus are the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, the Washington State Coronavirus Response (or similar websites for other states), and the Spokane Regional Health District (or similar websites for specific counties).

Keep in mind that the 1918 Flu Pandemic didn't last forever and neither will the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. We just don't know when it will end. In the meantime, let's keep ourselves, our families, and others safe by becoming educated and making the best decisions possible.

Wishing everyone a safe and healthy holiday season from the perch.

We're back!!!

At long last, the library is OPEN!!! Well, a limited opening, but it's the first time since March that we're actually welcoming patrons through our doors! YAY!!!

The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives, and unfortunately, that includes library visits as well. So, allow me to talk about what to expect the next time you come into to the library:

• The library is open by appointment only. You can call us (509-247-5556) to schedule a 30-minute appointment for book browsing or a 30/60-minute appointment for computer use.
• "Grab and Go." Look around, grab what you want, and check out. Do not read or flip through books. There is no lingering in the library at this time, so expect chairs stacked on tables and toys put away.
• Please bring and wear your own mask. We want everyone to stay safe and healthy, so if you're older than 2 years, we ask that you cover your nose and mouth with a mask. All library employees are wearing masks as well.
• Distance yourself from others. Appointments may overlap, and if this happens, be sure to distance at least 6 feet away from others.
• Use hand sanitizer. Keep your hands clean by using the hand sanitizer provided in the library.
• New books on display. To minimize contact and spreading germs, we've arranged our newest books on displays with their covers facing front. If you're interested in checking something out, pick one up!
• No food and drinks. This helps the library stay clean and keeps the spread of germs to a minimum.

We understand that many of you have missed coming into the library, and we've missed seeing you as well. We also want to keep everyone as safe as possible during these difficult and unprecedented times. Please be courteous and mindful of others, some of whom may be immune compromised, elderly, or in another high risk group for contracting coronavirus. Come on time for your appointment and stay within your time limit. Of course, if you don't feel comfortable coming inside the library, we'll still bring your items out to you curbside.

Hopefully, the situation with the pandemic will improve over time, and when that happens, we will be able to offer more services. We'll get through this as long as we all do our part to keep ourselves and others safe. In the meantime, let's keep reading!

Sending you wishes for good health from the perch.

Movies to Ease Your Wanderlust

Have a bad case of wanderlust? Watch a movie! I don't have to tell you that the pandemic is really cramping our style. Travel just isn't happening for most of us right now, except perhaps for day trips close to home. A number of us have had to cancel or reschedule those fun, big vacations to distant places or longer trips to family in other parts of the country or world.

Although we may have put our travel plans on hold, movies are a great way for us to "visit" exotic places and see views other than those outside our own windows. Sometimes, besides having a great story, a movie filmed in a beautiful setting can make us feel as if we're in that location. There are so many movies that can bring the world to us. In alphabetical order, here is my personal top ten list of movies perfect for "cinematravel," as I like to call it, all of which are available at the library on DVD or Blu-ray for curbside pickup:

• Crazy Rich Asians (Malaysia, Singapore) It's stressful enough to meet your significant other's parents, but finding out they're super-rich, super-snobbish, and the crème de la crème of Singapore takes things to another level in this rom-com.
• The DaVinci Code (England, France, Scotland) This fast-paced thriller takes you to various landmarks around Paris and the UK in a quest for the Holy Grail.
• Eat Pray Love (India, Indonesia, Italy, New York) The main character takes us along on her journey to eat her way through Italy, pray in an ashram in India, and find new love in Bali.
• Enchanted (New York) This family favorite about a princess finding her prince sings and dances its way around New York City.
• E.T. (California) The lovable movie about an extraterrestrial left behind on Earth presents the California redwoods in all their giant glory.
• Leap Year (Ireland) A woman traipses around Ireland to propose to her boyfriend on Leap Day according to Irish tradition.
• The Lord of the Rings (New Zealand) If this trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien's books doesn't sell New Zealand's varied and breathtaking scenery to you, nothing will.
• Mamma Mia (Greece) Colorful characters sing and dance along to upbeat ABBA tunes on a spectacular Greek island--we could all use that about now, don't you think?
• A River Runs Through It (Montana) Nearby Montana may feel far away at the moment, but this movie will bring all the beauty of Big Sky Country and fly fishing home to you.
• Twilight (Oregon) Maybe this popular teen vampire flick wasn't actually filmed in Forks, WA, but Oregon's Columbia River Gorge is a stunning substitute.

Of course, ten movies don't even begin to scratch the tip of the iceberg, so here is a list of other movies notable for cinematravel:

• 127 Hours (Utah)
• About Time (England)
• Australia (Australia)
• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (England, India)
• Cast Away (California, Fiji, Philippines, Russia, Tennessee, Texas)
• Harry Potter Series (England, Scotland)
• The Hundred-Foot Journey (France)
• Into the Wild (Alaska, Arizona, California, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington)
• Joy Luck Club (California, China)
• The Kite Runner (Afghanistan, California, China)
• Letters to Juliet (Italy, New York)
• A Man Called Ove (Spain, Sweden)
• An Officer and a Gentleman (Philippines, Washington)
• The Revenant (Arizona, Canada, Mexico, Montana)
• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Greenland, Iceland, New York)
• Under the Tuscan Sun (California, Italy)
• Wild (California, Oregon)
• Yentl (Czech Republic, England)

Do you have some favorite movies that are great for easing wanderlust? Share them with us!

Wishing you happy cinematravels from the perch.

Armchair Travel!

Hello, everyone! Are we tired of the pandemic yet? How about those wildfires? Or those murder hornets? Hey, there's still another three and a half months left of 2020, so who knows if there'll be something new to spice up our lives!

If you're feeling a little stir crazy, like me, staying at home and not traveling because of current world circumstances, have I got the cure for you--armchair travel! Perhaps you heard of it? When you have to stay in one place, it's about taking a virtual vacation somewhere in the world through your mind. There are different modes of transportation:

• Books! (You knew I had to say it.)
• Movies.
• Watch travel shows. (Rick Steves, anyone?)
• Go on virtual tours of museums online.
• Cooking foods of various locales.
• Ordering takeout from a Thai, Ethiopian, German, etc. restaurant.
• Pull out old photos of places you've been.
• Plan future trips to take when all the craziness is over.
• Read travel blogs.
• Make a travel soundtrack of different songs and music.

Need some more ideas for armchair travel? Then check out these webpages on armchair travel:

• 31 of the Best Books About Travel, Chosen by Bloggers
• Armchair Travel: 45 Fun Ideas to "Travel" Without Leaving Home
• Armchair Travel: How to Master Travelling the World from Home
• Armchair Travel with Live Webcams Around the World
• A Complete Guide to Armchair Travel: How to See the World From Your Home
• How to Be an Armchair Traveler When You Have to Stay Home
• The Ultimate Guide to Armchair Travel

Just because we can't travel physically doesn't mean that we can't travel mentally. The possibilities of where we can go virtually are endless. Tatooine or Vulcan, anyone?

Wishing you wonderful armchair travels from the perch.

Good Things!

This post is filled with nothing but GOOD THINGS! Yes, you read that right! To lift up your spirits, I thought I'd make a list of 10 good things that have happened in the past 5 months. In no particular order, here they are:

• IKEA shared the recipe to their famous meatballs online.
• A squirrel mastered a Ninja Warrior obstacle course.
• Plants went to the opera in Spain.
• Drive-in movie theaters made a comeback.
• Taylor Swift came out with a new album.
• Hamilton the movie was released 15 months early.
• We now know what are bidets and their sales went up.
• Board games and puzzles became popular again.
• Bike trails around the U.S. stayed open.
• Working from home made pants optional.

Of course, there are a lot of other good things that happened in addition to the ones mentioned above. What are some good things that have happened to you in the past 5 months? Share with us!

Positively yours from the perch.

Appreciate the Little Things

Lately, I find myself thinking about World War II, the Great Depression, and the 1918 Flu Pandemic. I think about ordinary people trying to live their everyday lives during extraordinary times. I think about adults going to work and children going to school. I think about them going home at the end of the day, their conversations at the dinner table, and what they did afterward in the evening. How did they go through each day not knowing when the difficult times would end?

Like those before us, we're living with a lot of uncertainty right now. Life is not business as usual. There are a lot of things we can't do, things that we take for granted during normal times. It's not easy, but rather than dwell on the "can'ts," let's focus on the "cans."

Start with your home. You can make it into a comfy-cozy place you want to spend time in by keeping it clean and tidy. Light candles and read some books (no bias there). Watch movies and play retro board games. Why not even put on music and dance along? Music soothes the savage beast and exercise increases endorphins, the hormones that make you happy.

Speaking about exercise, get out of the house and take a walk or bike ride in your neighborhood. Really pay attention to the flowers in your neighbor's yard. If the flowers are near the sidewalk, stop and smell them. I can honestly say that I've never enjoyed my home or neighborhood as much as I have this year. Even just being outside, whether on your deck or in your backyard, will lift your spirits. 

To paraphrase the famous saying, appreciate all those little things because they really are the big things. Be grateful for the things you have. And like those other trying periods in history, this period will also end. We just don't know when. In the meantime, let's go forward one day at a time and know we're all in this together.

Gratefully yours from the perch.