All posts by Jocelyn the Plaid

Online or on paper, I suggest making a version of this not-exactly-gratitude journal. Gratitude journals have been a common theme in the self-help articles of the recent past. Write down the good stuff when you wake up or go to bed, authors tell us. Some especially optimistic writers even suggest that humans can reset themselves… Read More

Boiling water will not work. The backsplash might blister you, but Mr. Zombie will keep on coming. Kitchen tools don’t work unless you are super-coordinated. That cast iron pan? Can you wield it forcefully and actually break a head? Banging Mr. Zombie on the head may not even slow him down much. Zombies already suffer… Read More

I strongly suspect adult children left those shards of glass. Adult children put the bottles of Creme de Cocoa, vermouth and Benedictine in the basement refrigerator. They are definitely responsible for the Voodoo Ranger Special Release Atomic Pumpkin beer, although I confess I think that beer’s good. Kudos to Voodoo Ranger for thinking outside the… Read More

Greetings, fellow Deep-into-COVID-and-Definitely-Not-Loving-House-Arrest types. So are you slouching in your chair, trying to make the remote magically produce a better show? Or even laying propped up on pillows with your phone, iPad or a book in front of you? The world spiraled out of control awhile ago. You can’t make your own toilet paper. Making… Read More

Zombies, sharks, scarves, cooking, cleaning, puzzles, labeling pictures — so many things to do. How about making a move that actually matters? As I walked past the many happy dog-walkers outside today, I had a brainstorm: PUPPIES! This is the ideal time to foster a lonely dog. Here we sit, facing weeks and maybe more… Read More

Book recommendations for today: In the mood for light, zombie fluff? Start with Zombie, Ohio and then read Zombie, Illinois. These titles are available on Hoopla. Zombie, Illinois will be a special treat for those who know Chicago politics. Both books offer unusual twists on the undead story. Make a note that a Sharknado marathon… Read More

You could do it right now? Or you could go looking for a crochet hook. If you don’t want to teach yourself (more) Russian this month, you might make a scarf instead. Scarves use up a lot of time. Can’t crochet? I’m pretty sure you can find videos to teach you brain surgery out there… Read More

Perhaps you want to try the search “free French books online.” Italian anyone? Free children’s content is especially easy to find. I’d recommend paying for the right book, though. Do you have a special book you have read and reread in English? Getting its counterpart in a language you want to review gives you a… Read More

My friends easily recognize Ginger the Wheaten Terrier, and my kids will still know her decades from now when they enter assisted living facilities or join the urban planning staff on the Mars Colony. Ginger has carved her place in Turnerdom. The classroom in that remodeled McHenry middle school supply room is trickier. About fifty… Read More

Cleaning closets becomes an adventure as we get older. Reading this book, I know it goes back decades. The name on the above page belonged to the mother of my stepmother-in-law, an Irishwoman who shared a love of Manhattans with my late father-in-law. She passed on many years ago now. I am aggressively recycling, but… Read More