Lydia Schoch

A man working in a lost and found.

A woman looking for things she’s lost.

Can he help her find everything she’s lost?

Photo credit: Jebulon.

I’ve been keeping track of every book I read for the past few years and then blogging a list of them at the beginning of the new year.

Here’s what I read in 2015. As usual, it is divided by genre.

If any of my readers decided to join me in keeping tracking of what you read, I’d love to see your lists for last year!

Biographies & Autobiographies

Here is this week’s list of blog posts, short stories, comic strips,  and other tidbits from my favourite corners of the web. Once again, this Suggestion Saturday is larger than usual. There have been so many interesting things to read lately! Haha.

Don’t Look Down via Johnny_Spacey. Isn’t it interesting to hear stories about other people’s lives? The twist at the end was fantastic as well.

Making My Mark. Yes, I know I’ve been sharing a lot of links to this comic strip recently. I love this guy’s work so much that I simply couldn’t help myself. 🙂

Where She Came From via JazzFeathers.One of the things I find most interesting about studying history is seeing how much certain things can change in one generation. It doesn’t always take a long time for a society to change its mind on a particular issue or idea.

New Year’s Resolutions. Hilarious.

Before the Measles Vaccine: My Sister’s Story. What a heartbreaking story. I wonder what the writer’s sister would have done with her life in an alternate timeline where she never caught the measles?

What It’s Like to Parent While Homeless. I have so much compassion for this family.

10 Ways to Keep Warm Through Time via EnglishHeritage. Wow, am I grateful for modern heating after reading this. Which one of these homes would you want to spend the night in?

From The Physicist Eulogy:

You want a physicist to speak at your funeral. You want the physicist to talk to your grieving family about the conservation of energy, so they will understand that your energy has not died.

From The Legend of the Snow Fairies:

Yes, child. Of course it’s alright to love winter. The snow fairies love it, too.

The story you heard today was told from a wrong perspective. See, in that time, the people needed an explanation for why winter was a sad time. They didn’t like the cold because their food didn’t grow and they had to eat dried food. Today, you can play in the snow and marvel at the frost, and come inside and I will fix you a hot drink. Are you ready? I’ll tell you what really happened.

What have you been reading?

Every year I take a break from blogging for the last two weeks of December. I will be sharing some of my old favourites in the meantime and will be back in January with new material.  This post was originally published on March 19, 2015.

One of the reasons why I enjoy following CantrellJason on Twitter so much is that he always has something thought-provoking to say. Today’s blog post is a response to something he wrote earlier this week. To summarize his post in one sentence, he believes that blocking people online has become a way for people to avoid conflict.

There are a lot of things I agree on with him. Most of the people I follow online are politically and socially progressive. This isn’t something that’s restricted to just one group. It’s ridiculously easy for all of us to surround ourselves with so many likeminded people that we never hear other points of view.

Is this necessarily a good thing? No. Every group – whether it’s religious, political, or social in nature- has weak spots. Isolating yourselves from anyone who could point out where and what they are only makes it easier for them spread.

Here’s the thing, though: there are only so many hours in a day. Most of them are already spoken for due to work and family obligations, our biological need for sleep, and the empty shelves in the fridge that make figuring out what to eat for dinner a real chore.

Some people relish the thought of filling those last few hours of the day with longwinded debates. I have several friends who fit into this category. I don’t understand why this appeals to them so much, but I’ve seen them do it for so many years that I just have to assume they’re wired a little differently than me. 🙂

Not all of us are like that. I’ve already spent countless hours explaining my sexual orientation and (lack of) religious beliefs to people both on and off the Internet. Their responses range from hostile to curious to indifferent, and there is no way to predict ahead of time how they will react.

After a while you grow very tired of talking in circles.

Sometimes block buttons are incredibly effective tools for ending conversations that never end on their own. Not everyone in this world will understand or even wants to understand. Some of them just like to argue. Others are convinced they can change you or your opinions if they press hard enough

This isn’t something I do lightly. There are several other steps I walk through first before hitting that block button, especially when the person on the other end is someone I consider a friend.

There’s no shame in dropping the rope.

In certain situations, that’s all you can do.

Here is this week’s list of blog posts, puzzles, photographs, comic strips, short stories, and other tidbits from my favourite corners of the web. It’s bigger than usual because I kept finding fascinating things to share with my readers and I didn’t want to leave anything out. Heh. All of these links are also related to this time of year in some way.

A Giant Snowbun. I love this photograph.

Relaxed. If you added a plate full of frosted sugar cookies, a mug or two of eggnog, a good book, and a way to subdue my allergies, this would be my idea of a perfect afternoon.

Sweet Tooth #1. This made me giggle.

The History of Santa Claus in Pictures. What I found most fascinating about this article was that there was a time when celebrating Christmas was illegal in Britain. Had you heard this story before? I sure hadn’t!

Can You Figure Out GCHQ’s Christmas Card Puzzle? I’ve been trying to figure it out but haven’t had much success yet. Can any of my followers do it?

No Presents for Unbelievers. Too funny.

A Letter to Santa. This should really be a full-length novel.

From The Great Miracle:

“Grampa’s here!” little Jacob shouted, and he jumped towards me, laughing. A grandfather shouldn’t play favorites, I suppose, but I’ve always favored the youngest. Every new grandchild reminded me that the human race would go on.

What have you been reading?

Photo credit: Tiia Monto
and Anna Frodesiak.

Every year I take a break from blogging for the last two weeks of December. I will be sharing some of my old favourites in the meantime and will be back in January with new material.  This post was originally published on April 27, 2015.

I’ve noticed another bump in readership numbers, so I thought now would be a good time to reintroduce myself to everyone who has just started following this blog.

Welcome!

I can’t wait to get to know all of you.

My name is Lydia Schoch. I’m a science fiction author who was born and raised in the United States. I now live in Toronto with my husband, Drew.

On the Other Hand covers an eclectic mix of topics. I’ve spent a lot of time talking about writing, funny things that have happened to me, and mental health here, but I also have been known to go off on tangents when the right mood strikes.

New posts are published on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Occasionally you’ll find an interesting quote or video here on Wednesdays as well.

Sometimes I answer reader questions. You can submit new ones here.

Definitely check out the Link Love on the righthand side of this page while you’re visiting. I follow an eclectic group of people and I highly recommend every single one on that list.

Oh, and I’m obsessed with rabbits. If my better half and I weren’t so allergic to them, we’d no doubt have a few hopping around our apartment. Since this isn’t possible, I like to surprise my readers with them here instead.

Every year I take a break from blogging for the last two weeks of December. I will be back in early January with new material.  In the meantime, enjoy these amusing search engine terms that have lead people to my blog recently. 

apology text message for not talking sister that some is pregnant for me

It took me a long time to realize that this person’s sister is angry with him for not telling her that he’s gotten someone else pregnant.

I have no advice here. It’s an odd situation all around.

how will one know that gossiper are telling the truth?

I assume that gossips are lying or exaggerating about everything, to be honest.

can you forgive hateful words?

Yes, but it can take a long time. Don’t expect it to happen overnight.

I’m a quiet person. I feel like i can change myself to be someone who is a talkative person.

This is something I can do temporarily. I don’t think it’s something anyone can change permanently, though. You have to accept your temperament for what it is. Not everyone in this world is supposed to be talkative, and that’s okay.

What does forgiveness look like when the person hasn’t asked or changed?

Not wishing them ill, but also not giving them any more chances to hurt you.

Are quiet people dangerous?

Only sometimes. 😉

How does the winter solstice affect moods in 2015?

We’ll know for sure tomorrow, but I’m feeling great today.

Is silence an answer?

Yes. Words are precious and should never be wasted.

No family left to celebrate the holidays with.

You could:

1. Round up other people who will be alone over the holidays and plan something fun.
2. Enjoy the silence. There are far worse things in this world than a quiet, peaceful day to yourself.
3. Travel somewhere new.
4. Watch Netflix, drink eggnog, and eat cookies.
5. Take a long walk and think of everything you’re grateful for.
6. Adopt a pet (or offer to look after someone else’s pet while they’re away for the holidays).
7. Send email or postcards to anyone you know who is still around. Maybe they’re lonely, too.

Here is this week’s list of blog posts, comic strips, poems, and other tidbits from my favourite corners of the web. It’s bigger than usual because I kept finding fascinating things to share with my readers and I couldn’t bear to cut any of them out. Haha!

Latino Out of Water (Journey from Superstitious to Atheist) via secularlatinos. This writer’s story is so interesting.

Through the Wardrobe. Ooh, I loved this one. Growing up I always wished I could find a wardrobe or closet that didn’t have a proper back panel. Sometimes when the adults weren’t paying attention, I reached back to see if I could feel anything out of the ordinary behind the clothing or coats in any of them.

The Secret of the Bees via brudberg. If it were up to me, humanity would have never discovered honey as a source of food. That’s how much I hate getting stung by bees. While that wasn’t the point of this poem, it still came to mind as I read it.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Giving Up. The imagery in this is so vivid.

Necrokitty Comic Sans via Hannah_Chutzpah. One of the best poems about grief I’ve ever read.

From Christmas: A Plea To Evangelicals Who Evangelize Non-Christian Family Members:

Please, for one day, when we are all gathered together in expression of our love for one another, leave Jesus and your religion at the door.  By all means, if you must talk about Jesus, seek out like-minded Christian family members and talk to them. When talking to us, how about we agree to talk about the things we have in common: family, childhood experiences, and our favorite football team.

From No, Suicides Don’t Rise During the Holidays:

According to the CDC, November and December are the months with the fewest suicides. The overwhelming majority of people who kill themselves are mentally ill. For people who otherwise feel fine year-round, feeling mildly down in December is simply not enough to prompt suicide.

From Why Time Is a Feminist Issue:

Leisure time? I would have settled for a sick day.

When I’d recovered my senses enough to speak, I sputtered something like, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have 30 hours of leisure a week.”

“Yes you do,” he insisted. “Come do a time study with me, and I’ll show you where your leisure is.”

What have you been reading?