New clothes

This is my haul from yesterday's clothes swap. Pretty impressive I think. Also it was much more fun than solo clothes shopping. For years I've noticed that people talk to others, even total strangers at theseevents. Complimenting each other on finds, sharing the enthusiasm. Way back when she was in high school Katie, my younger daughter, needed a prom dress. She didn't want her dad to spend a lot of money on it. The ones in the stores were so expensive. I took Katie to a free prom dress event. There was an amazing variety of colors and styles. Katie quickly found not only a dramatic black and white number that fit her perfectly, but matching shoes. Girls and their moms were urging her to try it on and when she modeled it they were exclaiming how beautiful she looked and how happy they were for her. 

Temps in central Maine are dropping rapidly with a blizzard predicted for Sunday night. The kids have postponed Eugene's birthday lunch again. Eugene and I went to Governors for breakfast. But I plan to spend the rest of the weekend inside with precious Tobago. 

If you live in the wide swath of America that will be hit by nasty weather PLEASE dress defensively when you have to go outside. 

Jules Hathaway 

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The Academy (adult fiction)

     If you like narratives set in boarding prep schools where what goes on behind ivy covered walls is not always in accordance with the rule book do I have a book for you!!! The Academy covers an eventful academic year at Tiffin Academy in New England. What I really like about it is the complexity it conveys. It's not just the underdog student(s) against the bullying, evil, and/or demon possessed peers (and sometimes colluding adults). Not that those can't be super engaging. There is a lot more nuance. And rather than focusing on just the students or just the adults the characters who come alive as individuals are students, faculty members, and administrators. (You'll be grateful for the lists at the front if you're anything like me.)

     On Tiffin move in day Head of School, Audre Robinson, is greeted with very unexpected news. America Today's ratings for boarding schools have dropped. Tiffin has been ranked second best in the nation. It's a seventeen spot leap from the year before when they were elated to be in the top twenty-five. 

     "Being ranked number two consumes our group chats and private stories, not because anyone actually cares (notable exceptions: our parents, who feel like their tuition dollars have increased in value, and sixth former (senior) Annabelle Tuckerman, who believes this is somehow gonna help her get into Princeton) but because it feels as if the dark cloud that has been hanging over camp since Cinnamon Peters died just let in a stream of sunlight."

     Late in last year's spring semester a fourth form (sophomore) girl had been found dead in her room. Suicide. She was a very much loved member of a very small student body. There was a lot of grief, of why didn't I see/do/say something. People are still grieving, especially her football star boyfriend and her bestie. The only new junior, Charley, has been admitted to replace her and given her old room. 

     The ratings bump does help Tiffin in many ways, especially in attracting a larger prospective student pool to choose from. But it does have a downside. A number of other boarding schools in the coalition have launched an investigation into whether it's all legit. It's a real stressor for Robinson who has no clue what happened or guarantee that it was all legit and above board.

     Added to that Zip Zap, an administrative nightmare come to life, appears on campus. The anonymous person or persons behind it dig up and broadcasts scandalous revelations on students and adults--all true--while totally deluding unmasking.

     There's a student trying to turn an old bomb shelter located under the dorms into a posh speakeasy where the liquor will flow to underage teens. 

     Then there are the relationship problems involving students, faculty, and administrators. Some are pretty sketchy. One involves crossing a line that should never be crossed being crossed. 

     I hope I've piqued your curiosity. The Academy is a wonderful engaging read, perfect for long, dark, cold winter nights. 

On a purrrsonal note, I am having a purrrfectly fabulous day. Tobago snuggled with me being all affectionate while I read my online newsletters and did my online crossword puzzle. Bailey gave me a ride to campus. So many people were so glad to see me. They loved the light up Hello Kitty and Friends shirt Eugene gave me. When I got there the career center people were having a career fair centered around the helping professions. They urged me to make the rounds. As always it was like trick or treat. The organizations had all kinds of merch to attract people: pens, highlighters, notebooks, postit pads, Frisbees, flashlights etc. for me and balls for Tobago to chase. Commuter Lounge was having a clothes swap. I got 2 pairs of shoes, Hot Topic jeans, a really warm sweater, a white Victoria's Secret Pink hoodie with gold sequin lettering, and a UMaine hoodie for free. Then I went to a prize spin table and got a top prize (a UMaine 👕.) I found a super picture for a cat tattoo. Gwyn will give me and all my stuff a ride home. I have supper all ready to heat and eat. And I have a good book to read. Who could ask for more?

A great big shout out goes out to all the people I encountered and, of course, precious Tobago. 

Jules Hathaway 

     

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Snow ❄️

Central Maine got hit with snow yet again. Eugene got called out to plow at midnight and was blizzard battling about 10 hours.

That gorgeous Squishmallow cat 🐈 😻 and Hello Kitty shirt are the ones Eugene surprised me with yesterday. The shirt actually lights up. Now can you see why I was so blissed out?

Bailey and Cam dropped off two garbage bags full of bottles and cans this morning. I am very grateful for their contributions to precious Tobago's health savings account. Yesterday Diane gave me a ride to cash in $45.05 worth of returnables. 

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What To Eat Now (adult nonfiction)

     I've been struggling with how to eat a healthy diet to keep my blood pressure down and prevent a second stroke while consuming enough to not lose too much weight for over two years now. My primary care provider said "Exercise Moderation." I needed actionable steps, not pithy slogans. My neurologist said "Eat meat" which even I knew was a bad idea. So I turned to books which ranged from the didactic to the confusing. I was eating stuff I didn't like--dreading breakfast so much I didn't want to get out of bed--and every time I ate supper with my husband it felt like playing Russian roulette. I stopped looking at the scales when they dipped below 90. If someone invented pills that gave me all the nutrients I needed to take the place of food it would have felt like a dream come true. 

     Then last year, hunting for more blog worthy books 📚 to order by inter library loan, I saw a ray of hope on the horizon: Marion Nestle's just dropped What To Eat Now. I put in a request for it speedy quick. 

     I've read some of Nestle's previous books on all aspects of foods. She has academic cred and institution affiliations. She's won prestigious awards. But she writes so people without advanced degrees in nutrition can understand it. And she writes with passion and anger on our behalf when corporations are behaving badly. She asks the inconvenient questions. If I was marketing highly processed food to kids she'd be someone I wouldn't want to encounter. She has no qualms about pissing her colleagues off. She's certainly earned my trust. 

     Actually What To Eat Now is a revision of her What To Eat (2006) which she wrote as a response to the questions many people were asking her. Addressing not only the questions themselves, but the the very real anxiety behind them she began researching grocery stores, talking to industry people, and doing a lot of reading. When the pandemic hit, giving her the space to revisit the book, she realized that so much had changed a whole new book was needed.

     Nestle uses a very user-friendly format. Almost all of us have pushed carts through supermarkets. She tackles different food types that we'd consume or feed our children or fur babies in the order in which they'd appear. She addresses questions like nutrition, safety, and affordability. Some sections have subchapters on relevant issues. At the fish counter she weighs the risks (toxic chemicals) versus benefits (omega-3 fats) of fish consumption. 

     To my surprise and delight she answered two of my personal questions. The plain kind of Cheerios (which I switched to when I could no longer make myself eat Raisin Bran) is a perfectly good cereal choice. And feeding cats only wet food is the best. Now I can tell Eugene that not only does it keep cats from becoming obese (especially indoor cats who don't get the hunting/fleeing from predators exercise of the outdoor felines), but it prevents kidney problems and is safer because of the way it's manufactured. 

     Nestle wants us to think beyond our personal food choices to their impact on the larger world. What impact will they have on the environment? Will the workers from farmers to grocery store workers be paid adequately and treated with dignity? Will the animals that are raised for food suffer unnecessarily? She threads these issues throughout the book. This social justice aspect is one of the most exciting aspects of the book for me. She ends with this truly inspiring paragraph:

     "You eat. Willingly or not you participate in the environment of food choice. The choices you make about food are as much about the kind of world you want to live in as they are about what to have for lunch. Food choices are about your future and that of your children. They are about democracy in action. I am thoroughly convinced one person can make a difference. Food is an excellent place to make that difference. Yes, you should take personal responsibility--informed personal responsibility--to make food choices you believe in. But do more. Advocate for your beliefs...Exercise your first amendment rights. Speak out. And enjoy your dinner, knowing you are creating a better world for yourself and others, now and in the future."

     AMEN TO THAT!!!

     I'm feeling guardedly optimistic about food for the first time since the stroke. Like I can understand it, like maybe in the future eating can be something I like rather than a dreaded chore. I will keep reading. I'll bring questions to nutritionists on campus. And when it gets warmer out I'll explore the four supermarkets that are accessible by bus and take extensive notes. 

On a purrrsonal note, I'd left Eugene a grocery list. Being the only driver he's the logical shopper. He not only bought the items and more, but also picked up a Hello Kitty and Friends shirt and a beautiful big orange Squishmallow cat. Those dear unexpected gifts really lifted my spirits on a bitterly cold 🥶 winter short Maine day.

A great big shout out goes out to Marion Nestle for making nutrition understandable, defending us from the profit obsessed big food companies, and championing a social justice focus. Also to my Eugene for being such a wonderful, thoughtful 💕 ❤️ 💖 husband. 

Jules Hathaway 

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FW: Joy journal

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-------- Original message --------

From: "julia.hathaway" <julia.hathaway@maine.edu>

Date: 1/20/26 10:10 AM (GMT-05:00)

To: Julia Hathaway <beaniebabylover@gmail.com>, Mazie Hough <hough@maine.edu>, Catherine Segada <catherine.segada@maine.edu>, Bailey Lewis <bailey.lewis@maine.edu>, Amber Hathaway <hathaway.amber@gmail.com>, Katie Hathaway <khathaway93@gmail.com>, Cam McDonnell <cam.mcdonnell1@maine.edu>, library@orono.org, Emma Smith <emma.h.smith@maine.edu>

Subject: Joy journal

Well here's another two pages from my joy journal. It's another cruel windchill day in Penobscot County, Maine. The little scientist in me is reminding me that to cut down on the proliferation of pathogen packing parasites and global climate change it has to stay a whole lot colder a whole lot longer. The me that will have to bus commute on the regs all too soon is la la la not listening. If I could drive life would be so much easier, especially in winter. Or if only I could live in Portland where there's better bus service and a more lively, diverse population and more to do. At least I can look forward to Eugene's postponed birthday family lunch on Saturday. And at least the tree is still up.

Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone

FW: Joy journal

Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone

-------- Original message --------

From: "julia.hathaway" <julia.hathaway@maine.edu>

Date: 1/20/26 10:10 AM (GMT-05:00)

To: Julia Hathaway <beaniebabylover@gmail.com>, Mazie Hough <hough@maine.edu>, Catherine Segada <catherine.segada@maine.edu>, Bailey Lewis <bailey.lewis@maine.edu>, Amber Hathaway <hathaway.amber@gmail.com>, Katie Hathaway <khathaway93@gmail.com>, Cam McDonnell <cam.mcdonnell1@maine.edu>, library@orono.org, Emma Smith <emma.h.smith@maine.edu>

Subject: Joy journal

Well here's another two pages from my joy journal. It's another cruel windchill day in Penobscot County, Maine. The little scientist in me is reminding me that to cut down on the proliferation of pathogen packing parasites and global climate change it has to stay a whole lot colder a whole lot longer. The me that will have to bus commute on the regs all too soon is la la la not listening. If I could drive life would be so much easier, especially in winter. Or if only I could live in Portland where there's better bus service and a more lively, diverse population and more to do. At least I can look forward to Eugene's postponed birthday family lunch on Saturday. And at least the tree is still up.

Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone

Raising Hare (Adult Memoir)

     "Since that first day when I found her it has felt as if a spell was cast over this corner of the earth, and me within it. I have stepped out of my usual life and had the privilege of an experience out of the ordinary. Had it not been for the unique circumstances of the pandemic, I would never have come across the hare, and my life would have continued along its familiar 

Grooves." 

     Chloe Dalton's Raising Hare is a book I never would have put on my reading list. Memoirs are not a genre I enjoy. In fact I would have passed it over in a heartbeat except for one thing...

     ...my son, Adam, gave it to me for Christmas. When Adam gives or recommends a book it's one I wouldn't think to pick up. But it becomes one I wouldn't want to have missed out on. Raising Hare is no exception. 

     Dalton was a political adviser to public figures, putting her career above all else. She worked on weekends and holidays. She avoided making fixed plans that would render her unable to grab a bag and travel to deal with a crisis on a few hour's notice.

     Then, like so many of us, she found her life derailed by the pandemic, forced to move from London to a secluded home in the English countryside. One day she found a leveret, a baby hare, lying alone and was faced with a dilemma. If she left it where it was it would probably be devoured by a predator. But if she tried to care for it it would probably die.  As you can probably guess she took it home and tried to raise it as a wild creature destined to return to the wilderness rather than as a pet. There are four strands to her narrative. 

     The first is her observations which are perceptive, detailed, and often quite beautiful. The leveret doesn't die and matures and gives birth to leveret litters of her own. Although Dalton doesn't try to domesticate them to the point of not giving them names, they inhabit her home and garden as well as the wild spaces beyond. 

     The second is the knowledge she gains from her wide ranging research on hares. In fact each chapter begins with a colorful quote she gleaned from her readings. 

     The third is her candid observations on how the experience changed her profoundly. She came to see that the constantly on call, low commitment lifestyle she'd formerly considered freedom was actually exhausting. 

     "Whereas I had been impervious to the well-intentioned advice from friends [about the danger of burnout], the leveret worked upon my character soundlessly and wordlessly, easing some of the nervous tension and impatience that I had been living with as a result of a life constantly on the move and on call for others."

      Finally there are her epiphanies about the impacts of humans on the natural world and animals.

     Winter can be a good time for slowing down and reflecting. If this is appealing to you Raising Hare is a good addition to your to read list. 

On a purrrsonal note, we in central Maine have been buried under yet another snow storm. Eugene got called out to plow in the middle of the night. He just got back and is eating the breakfast I cooked for him. I've set a goals for myself for this last day before spring semester starts: reading all of Marion Nestle's What To Eat Now. I sent for it by inter library loan two months ago. It's a hefty book the size of a grad school science textbook--as thick as my thumb is long--584 pages not counting appendices. So the chances of reading it in one day--slim to nonexistent. But it's something I have to do. 

A great big shout out goes out to Eugene and the other blizzard battlers. 

Jules Hathaway 

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