The Nerdy Nook

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

Dear Ma,
I am writing to reach you–even if each word I put down is one word further from where you are.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, Ocean Vuong, pg. 3.

Little Dog is writing letters to his mother who is illiterate. He writes to go back to places that he remembers through memory, which “is a choice” (pg. 75). Memories he writes about include his birthplace in Vietnam, how his grandmother and mother survived death in such a war-torn country. Little Dog writes about experiencing homophobia, his first love–a boy named Trevor–his past, and his family.

a kiss for the robins

on our walk, with snow squeaking underfoot,
we pass a yard adorned with a hopping robin.

“do you know what you do when you see a robin?
dad told me,” my sister tells me.

you kiss your thumb,
then tap your hands together.

I practice the motion of my grandmother:
I kiss my thumb, then bump my fists.

a kiss for a robin.

M.B.B.
4/14/2020

if I lost you

if I lost you,
I’d bury myself to the waist in sand
alive on the outside, a draining hourglass on the inside
I’d ink a little sailboat on the inside of my wrist
I’d miss your meals of party pizza and pizza rolls
I’d miss hearing all of your “boops” instead of “goodbyes”
I’d miss your narration as you gamed
I’d miss your laughs, the leg-jiggle in your voice
If I lost you,
I’d wail with the sirens of police cars,
I’d cry Alice a new river at the sight of anything red, your favorite color
if I lost you,
I’d scream myself hoarse,
my face smothered beneath my pillow
if I lost you,
I’d cry Alice a new river
you’d still be my North, though,
when I’d stumble South

M.B.B.
4/13/2020

Glitterland

Ash Winters is a novelist; Ash Winters struggles with bipolar 1 disorder, and has severe anxiety.

After a one night stand with a gorgeous glitter pirate by the name of Darian Taylor, Ash think that this is it. Yet, he keeps coming back to Darian, a man who talks with a heavy Essex accent, who thinks that he talks like the Queen. He and Darian are nothing alike.

He is Risen!

Guten morgen, everyone!

This morning, for me as a Christian, is the morning that Christ rose from the grave. He was in the grave for three days, and on the third day, He defeated death. Now, He’s in heaven with God, after visiting his disciples, who were hiding–frightened–in a room. They feared that they too would be killed. Jesus was an inspirational man, the Word made flesh.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies

As a child born out of wedlock, Cyril Avery has a strike against him. Growing up in Ireland, he learns that being an illegitimate son is a bad thing, and is considered “not a real Avery” by his adoptive father Charles. His adoptive parents, Maud and Charles, are more aloof parents, their standard being providing food and clothes for their adoptive son Cyril, but don’t provide any of the love or affection that most parents tend to give their children. They aren’t neglectful parents, they just aren’t interested in spending time with Cyril. Cyril wonders who he really is, if he isn’t a real Avery.

On Love

My boyfriend lives two hours away from me. While I’m fortunate that this is all the distance that’s separating us, I still miss seeing him in person. I miss him even more now that the Corona virus is keeping us safely indoors. Thankfully, I had the chance to see him over Valentine’s Day, where we spent three bliss-filled days in each other’s presence. We went to a movie, visited several antique stores, and hung out around my house.

American Gods

This is the second Neil Gaiman book I’ve read; this is classic Gaiman with some of his best writing.

Shadow, who does about three years in prison, cannot wait to get back out into the real world. He has boiled his plans to life outside prison to three things, two of which include taking a bubble bath, making love to his wife whom he loves very much, and staying out of trouble for the rest of his days.

My Bullet Journal, 2020

Hello, dear friend!

I hope you are doing well and continuing to stay healthy during this tumultuous time.

The Power of Books

Guten morgen, dear reader!

I recently read a wonderful article about a woman who helped bring joy and escape to a group of children during the Holocaust. Helen Fagin, a Holocaust survivor, talks about how books save lives in a letter which can be found in The Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader. In her letter, she describes how books were carefully hidden and read only once a night, to keep from being discovered.

Podcasts to Listen to While Staying In

Guten morgen, everyone!

I’ve got a lot of podcasts on my phone. Like, so many that I need to stop finding new ones. (Is 106 too many?)

Welcome to some of my favorite podcasts, with my annotations. Enjoy!

A Quote from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

But I could do with a few laughs. We could all do with a few laughs.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, pg. 733

This quote reminds me that no matter what the world throws at us, we can all surround ourselves with things that make us happy and nourish us with the power of laughter.

During this time of fear and uncertainty with the COVID-19 virus, I am reminded of just how important it is to find something that makes you feel good during dark times.

So snuggle in, stay safe, and keep washing your hands.

~ Meghan B.

Dessa

Dessa is a female rapper. She’s also known as a member of the rapping collective Doomtree, a group out of Minneapolis. What drew Dessa to Doomtree was “their raw aesthetics and unique sound” (Wikipedia).

“Singer, rapper, and writer Dessa has made a career of bucking genres and defying expectations” (Dessa Wanderer). Dessa’s latest album Chime was a favorite of NPR’s Favorite Albums of 2018.

Puppy Days

Since getting our new Golden Retriever puppy last week, life has been pretty busy at our house. It’s been a unique experience, especially because little Charlie is a tornado: she plays, needs to be put out every hour to do her business, and loves to eat and chew her toys.

Charlie also likes to nap. She takes several naps throughout the day.

Our other Golden Retriever, Bentley, loves having a new playmate. She is getting really good at gently playing with Charlie.

Charlie is a great little whirlwind, especially since the Corona virus is keeping us inside. While I still need to go to work, restaurants are closing for two weeks.

Having a puppy is a lot of hard work, but it’s rewarding and fun. I love Charlie girl with all my heart.

When You Believe: The Prince of Egypt & the Corona Virus

Hello, dear readers.

As I’m sure you know, the Corona virus is spreading. The fear here in the United States is very real. At Target where I work we’re daily out of toilet paper; we’re rationing things like hand sanitizer and trying our best to adhere to social distancing. In the town where I live, we only have three respirators in our hospital.

With 5,800+ cases and now 100 deaths, it’s clearly getting to be more serious in America. I’m now starting to get worried, and my anxiety is starting to amp up.

I’m a practicing Lutheran; my whole family are Lutherans. In this troubling time, I find the music from The Prince of Egypt to be uplifting and a strong reminder that the Lord hears our prayers. He hears our cries to heaven, and listens to the needs of His people.