A Year Out The Window
The Joy Board (Retiro Way #=)
The title is a reference to the “Neighborhood Joy Board” that Alana Healy created in her front yard for hanging printouts of funny memes, positive messages, and her children’s artworks, with the intent of providing encouragement to residents of her Seattle neighborhood during lockdown. Area residents passing by started chipping in with their own contributions, and the Joy Board became a place of laughter, delight, and connection. Messages posted included, “I finished Netflix today;” “Homeschool Day 1: wondering how I can get this kid transferred out of my class;” “You’re not stuck at home, you’re safe at home. One word can change your attitude and one cough can change your life;” and — a personal favorite — “Yo this is the biggest game of cooties I’ve ever seen in my life.” The “=” symbol in the subtitle creates a sideways smile emoticon with the closing parenthesis.