Save us from our phones with a pillow

Energized by an excellent article, “Save Us from our Phones!” by Casey Schwartz in today’s New York Times, I fired off the following letter to the editor:

Hello!

Thank you for today’s article by Casey Schwartz, “Save Us from our Phones.” I’ve revived an ancient technology for combatting the cellphone epidemic: a pocket. Each pillow produced by my microbusiness, “Honey Girl Books and Gifts,” has a pocket on the back. Informal data from happy clients, including my former students at Notre Dame, indicates that it works. As Godsee, age 19 wrote, “The pillow has become my go-to item when I want to relax and take a break from studying or work. With a cup of tea, a good book, and the very helpful and much-needed cellphone pocket (to store away distractions for a moment), the pillow has become an ideal source of comfort. I definitely recommend!”

Perhaps we need to reject tech devices entirely. Power to the pillow!

Sincerely,

Julia Douthwaite Viglione

Owner and chief seamstress, Honey Girl Books and Gifts

https://www.honeygirlbooks.com/

Honey Girl Books and Gifts is now on Etsy too!

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Day Two: make new friends before moving! why not?

Discovery of Day Two (38 to go)

It seems like I’m making new friends these days! If that seems like a funny thing to happen right before you leave, I agree. But on the other hand, why not?!

The picture here was made possible by some new friends from France who came to dinner last night. The mug says, “Demain je me lève de bonheur”: Tomorrow I’m getting up happy. (A play on the homonyms de bonne heure –early—and bonheur—happiness.)

Which reminds me of one of the great things about teaching: the students. Our exchange program with the Univ. de Rennes II (founded by me and friends Isabelle Brouard-Arends & Laurent Loty, in 2008) has been such a wonderful addition to our French program at Notre Dame. Last night’s dinner guests were the last in a long line of Masters students and their parents, but no less beloved for it! I hope we’ll meet again in Brittany one day. My secret weapon (a professional chef husband) has made those visits to South Bend memorable for all of us.

Thanks to all the students I’ve come to know.  You’ve made my work a pleasure. (Well, most of you.)  ^_^