Welcome back to the . . . Sanctuary . . . where once a week – on Fridays – I aim to preserve my sanity. And maybe yours, too. If you missed my inaugural Sanctuary post (the one where I explained all this), you can find it here.
So. What have I got for you this week?
Three things. Something that might be useful to you, something to remind you that flowers ARE magical, and something that is fun and strangely calming.
Ready?
=====
The Useful Thing: Your Local Epidemiologist
One of the (many, many) things that keeps me up at night . . . is the lack of science-based, factual public health information and guidance available to US citizens now. Luckily, I found . . . Your Local Epidemiologist . . . on Substack.
What’s this, you ask? Well, Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) is the brainchild of Dr. Katelyn Jetelina—a public health enthusiast with a passion for making science accessible. Dr. Jetelina has a Master’s in Public Health and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. By day, she’s an epidemiologist, data scientist, scientific consultant to organizations like the CDC . . . and by night she writes a very helpful newsletter. Back in March 2020, during the early whirlwind days of the pandemic, she launched YLE to help her students, faculty, and staff make sense of the constantly evolving public health landscape. What started as a small effort has grown into a global community over the past five years, reaching readers from all walks of life.
Dr. Jetelina’s mission? To break down complex public health science into relatable, evidence-based insights so YOU can make informed decisions. While originally focusing on the pandemic, the focus of YLE has shifted now to a broader scope of public health topics, including . . .
- Context for breaking public health news.
- The latest on nutrition and health.
- The latest health rumors and what is (and is not) accurate about them.
- Updates on emerging research, trends, and technology.
- Even some good news to brighten your week!
If you’re interested in learning more – and subscribing to the YLE newsletter (twice a week – and FREE) – here’s the Substack link. I signed up about a month ago, and I think it’s a great resource . . . especially now that there isn’t a reliable national source of information.
=====
The Flowers are Magical Thing: Magnolias
Magnolia blooming under a dawn redwood in downtown Brooklyn; photo from The Marginalian.
I love magnolias. They are truly magical. And also rare here in Michigan. Oh, not the trees. There are magnolias all over the place here. I used to have a star magnolia in my own garden — but it succumbed to scale several years ago. (Sigh.) But the blooms . . . they ARE rare! Our spring weather is so unpredictable – and the bloom time window for magnolia is so brief – that we rarely get to see them their full, blooming magic here.
But when we do? Oh, it is marvelous!
This week I read a wonderful little piece in Maria Popova’s The Marginalian newsletter titled Magnolias and the Meaning of Life: Science, Poetry, Existentialism. It’s a lovely read — short, thoughtful, interesting . . . and magical.
Check it out for a quick and peaceful escape. And maybe sign up for The Marginalian while you’re at it! There’s always something interesting and thought-provoking there.
To me, magnolias are the most existential of trees, their weeklong bloom an open-mouth scream of exhilaration at the transient miracle of being alive. There is cruelty to beauty so fierce and so fleeting. “Blossoms on our magnolia ignite the morning with their murderous five days’ white,” Robert Lowell wrote in a poem. But there is also kindness in its gentle reminder not to squander a single moment of living. In five days, a whole life can spin on its axis.
— Maria Popova, The Marginalian
=====
The Fun and Strangely Calming Thing: Magical Bubbles
I won’t even tell you how many times I’ve watched this short clip that popped up in my Instagram feed yesterday. It’s fun. It’s strangely calming. And it’s magical.
=====
And that’s it for this week. I hope you found some sanctuary here today.
At least for a few minutes.
Enjoy the weekend!
Find some joy. Protect your peace.
I hear you on the fleeting magnolia bloom — there’s a tree down the street that had *just* bloomed when we got snow, and all the flowers pretty much died as a result. Fortunately there are more in the neighborhood that hadn’t yet opened, so I’m enjoying them now. Do you have redbuds in Michigan? They’re my favorite this time of year, and their blooms last only two or three days.
FUN bubbles!! Reminds me of my nephew (PhD Chemistry and Physics) doing a summer talk in Taos each year and using giant bubbles. Flowers are definitely magical. I think part of the magic is how fleeting some of them are. Happy weekend!
My neighbor has a magnolia, and it seems to always rain for days after it blooms so the blossoms turn brown and look quite sad. This year we had rain and snow, but there’s always next year. I think bubbles of any kind are magical!
First, thank you so much for the link to the YLE Substack. I am, likewise, struggling with the lack of fact-based, scientific data. I followed the AMA’s YouTube channel last month as well… which also has great information! (The video on the Shingles Vax and Dementia is so hope-inspiring!!) I was in awe of the bubble lady… how the heck?! And the magnolias in my neighborhood did not fare well this year at all. Sigh. When the do… oh my… it is spectacular! I hope your weekend is full of good things!
I follow Dr. Kat on TikTok and she’s really great at explaining things in a calm and science based way. I remember when we were in Virginia a few years ago in April and the southern magnolias were in bloom and there were SO MANY flowers and they were HUGE compared to our dinky blossoms up here in New England. I’m so glad I saw them.