Are we saying Happy Daylight Saving?
I usually just scan the church email, but this week I read it and learned that it’s “Daylight Saving” not “savings.” And I much as I love saying Paneras, Lee’s Summits, and Overland Parks; I know this fact now, and so do you.
Daylight Saving (is this fact even true? Am I just believing the church email hook, line, and sinker? Am I being radicalized by church emails?) hit me like a ton of bricks. How is it already time to send a newsletter? I’m not ready for the week in any sort of way. Yet the week will come whether I am ready or not, so I might as well start laundry.
For your consideration:
This sentence now has links to the my instagram, and old issues of the newsletter. I hope today is beautiful for you. Also my Outdoor Voices link.
Number One: Recipe Monday
Ok it is finally time to talk about a system that is working for me, also a system I’ve already talked about and may just become a hallmark recurring section: Recipe Monday.
Recipe Monday was born out of a combination of factors: I hate asking myself what’s for dinner. I want to try new recipes and get better at cooking - but this is best done planned, and not in one giant push. I usually grocery shop on the weekends. I currently have no standing evening appointments on Mondays.
And so, for the last month plus, every Monday I try a new recipe. Ingredients are fresh from the weekend haul. Energy is good. The time is there. Sometimes I invite a friend over. Leftovers are enjoyed or ignored for the rest of the week. It’s just one new recipe a week. I can go back to eating cheese and a piece of fruit as a meal on Tuesday.
Number Two: Just Like Us
I have a season pass for Clare Malone - if it’s her project, I’m probably going to like it. Lately, I’ve been enjoying her podcast series on the Ringer Dish feed “Just Like Us.” It’s a look back at early 2000’s tabloid culture interesting, insightful, and appropriately repentant.
Number Three: Long form piece on the Waco Bike shootout
The Twin Peaks shootout in Waco happened the Sunday after I graduated from college. Its wild and tragic that it happened, but the story of mis-served justice is even more wild. This long form article is worth the read, or the audio version is perfect for your next long drive.
Number Four: Radicalized Natural Moms, etc.
This afternoon I mentioned this blog post from a “recovering natural mom” and I think it worth re-Five Things-ing.
And nobody, nobody, not even me, gets to live a life free of humility. Sooner or later, we’re wrong and there’s no way out but through. Nobody gets to speak in absolutes, words dripping with pride. Sooner or later, it leads to a fall. We are all changing, over and over again, along the way. It’s a blessing and a curse that the internet keeps track. But when we admit that we were wrong, when we confess to being deceived or radicalized or even willingly part of the problem, the truth peeks through and takes root. Healing sprouts. And we grow.
Semi-related: I loved the Sharon McMahon podcast episode with Jennifer of KidsEatinColor for a host of helpful reasons. But Jennifer talked about not getting your nutrition information from a source that feels like it might be manipulating you. And that thought has been helpfully pinging around in my head for some time now. Like it’s good advice.
Number Five: Premium Porch Experiences
Porch Sitting season is upon us. Honey and I are sitting on the front porch now, and she’s testing the limits of the 15 foot cable for medium-sized dogs (oops) I bought and hating me for it. But when she’s not glaring back at me, she’s sitting the top of the steps looking out that the world, which is what Porch Sitting is all about. She’ll learn to love it.
The bucket is full of cherished porch sitting memories. I’ll forever be trying to get back to the high of Mirror Street Magic in Pittsburgh. At the height of 2020-don’t-spend-time-with-people-outside-your-home times, we used to come back to my front porch after bike rides and space out - only occasionally letting people inside to pee.
Things that make porch sitting premium:
seating, doesn’t have to be comfortable
non-water beverages, even better if there’s a summer vibe (Quirks, Grapefruit Radlers etc)
weather that is close to comfortable
premium spontaneous company
Ok now this idiot dog has wrapped herself around the ugly lamp post three times. Y’all have a good week!