Three Beautiful Things 06-22-2026: Time Boggles My Mind, Family Calendar in Place, Next Day Pleasures

 1. As I read more of Our Moon, it's mind boggling (but completely understandable) to me that for approximately 299,550 of the about 300,000 years that humans have existed, it was widely assumed and accepted that Earth was the center of the universe. I have been trying to imagine a 300,000 year timeline and trying to picture how miniscule the about 450 year old age of modern science is on that timeline. I'd love to come up with an analogy along the lines of "a drop in the ocean", but I don't have one just yet. 

What incredible breakthrough it was, thanks largely to the telescope, when scientists and others began to see the universe's incomprehensible vastness and how overwhelmingly true it is that Earth is not at the center. Punishing backlash ensued, especially early on, because this knowledge of the universe called so many age-old understandings, both religious and scholarly, of the Earth's place in the universe into question. 

2. Debbie, Adrienne, Jack, and Eloise have a lot going on in New York, Carol, Paul, and Christy have a lot going on here in Kellogg, and, well, I have a Book Club meeting on July 7th, so Christy spearheaded the creation of a family Google calendar so we can all know what each other is doing. 

It took me a while to get the hang of how this shared calendar works, but with Christy's help, I figured it out and I'm happy that I can refer to it and know when everything from a used book sale to garden tours to Paul and Carol staying at the Davenport Hotel for their 40th wedding anniversary to what's happening in Valley Cottage and more is happening. 

3. I took pleasure today in being able to extend Sunday evening's family dinner another day. The seafood pasta Christy fixed aged really well and I very much enjoyed eating it cold; Christy's garlic bread was also very tasty on the second day as was the pastaless Italian salad I prepared. Yes, I would have enjoyed a next day helping of apple crisp with caramel ice cream, but no problem. Being able to eat the leftovers I had on hand uplifted me.