Rants & Raves: 03 April 2020

We could all use some happy distractions right about now, right? Here are some of the things I found online lately that made me happy. Hope they make you happy, too.

Now is an excellent time to try meditation! I’ve been using my favorite guided meditation because it’s an easy way to hand over the reins to someone else (with a soothing voice) to talk me into deep relaxation. I use the Yoga Studio app; you can get a free 7-day trial at that link. It includes lots of yoga workouts, too — but for my yoga needs, I turn to Yoga with Adriene.

We are eating a lot of Hamburger Salads and Curry Tuna Salad. We also enjoyed a batch of West African Chicken Stew this week. (And we made a gluten-free version of these chocolate chip cookies.)

The latest episode of our Strong Sense of Place podcast is a virtual vacation. It’s called Chicago: Baseball, Hot Dogs, Industry, and Infamy, and it’s loaded with great books, fun facts, and stories about what makes Chicago different from every other city in the world.

Presented without comment: Julie Andrews as disinfecting wipes. (OK, one comment: She is a treasure.)

A cute dog. Doing yoga. In Italian.

The quarantine is inspiring some people to level-up their cooking skills.

How to host a virtual happy hour.

This short dance video is pure joy and hilarity.

If you’re not into greasy, filthy rock music, don’t hit play on this. But, if you share my predilection for naughty rock & roll, Bullets & Octane has a new song and music video to melt your face off.

Ridiculously cute, free-to-download coloring pages right here.

Explore these tiny Victorian rooms created by artist Linda Young.

Don’t you want to design a fancy 18th-century wig?! (There are features and jewels involved.)

This is a very entertaining collection of reading- and armchair-travel-related links, including Parisian cocktails, the thrillers written by Louisa May Alcott, hundreds of free fairy tales, and more.

Finally, a man in Pennsylvania pointed a camera at a log that crosses a stream, and it’s a major highway for all kinds of animals. I loved every second.