Writing this newsletter last minute, but the sun is still out!
The first three things from this newsletter have come easily to me (because I texted myself earlier in the week), the last two, gosh we’ll just see. Increasingly, when I can’t decide between two things at a restaurant, I have a “I just see what I say when the waitress comes,” sort of attitude. This afternoon, I knew I was either going to take Honey on a walk somewhere or go to the dog park. I wanted to be outside, but I am tired, but I’m also participating in the “Camino de Santiago” badge on my Garmin watch, and every step counts. So I just got in my car and found myself driving to a cute neighborhood to walk around. That’s the attitude I have about finishing this newsletter. We’ll just see what happens.
Number One: A concert recording to show all your friends
There’s this season in Prison Break season one where Michael is helping the prison doctor, Sara, hide during a riot, and they make eye contact. SPARKS FLY.
That pales in comparison to Fleetwood Mac singing Silver Springs in 1997.
Number Two: A neat guy on a bike
Erick CeDeno recently biked from Montana to commemorate a journey taken by 20 black infantrymen in 1897. An interesting read!
Number Three: Take a picture of the thing you want
When my sister is out and about with the boys that she nannies, she takes pictures of them with the things they want their parents to later buy for them. I love these photos - just a hoot - a half-smiling toddler holding up a giant lego set.
In the interest of keeping my lent no-shopping-fast, I’ve started doing the same thing. Only, I just take a photo I don’t make my friend take a photo of me AND the cookbook I want. It absolutely has the desired effect. It’s somehow very satisfying to know that I have a picture of the thing I want.
Number Four: The case for not having a piles chair
So yes, I gave up shopping for lent. But my friend found a really good deal for a used Peloton on facebook, and next thing you know, my former “reading chair” is in the living room, and there’s a Peloton in my room for the next few weeks. This reading chair was mostly just my piles chair. It’s the chair in my room that stuff just gets piled on until I set a timer to de-pile the chair.
In the absence of this chair, I am actually just putting my clothes away at the end of the day. Not always; not all my clothes all the time. But my room feels much more peaceful, which I like.
Number Five: Start a newsletter
Listen, just try it. You can do so quietly. You can write to a small audience. You don’t have to stick to one topic or one thing. My best recommendation is to try it for six months writing twice a month at consistent times. I love this newsletter even when I have nothing to write.