Let It Be Sunday!

What in the world is going on with us?  Do we live in a world gone mad?  Have we always lived in a mad world, and now Twitter is shoveling in our brains at a faster rate?  It’s been sad and tragic, confusing and scary couple of weeks… and we have to keep doing laundry and keep emptying the dishwasher, and keep filling our gas tanks with gas.  It’s bizarre and hard.

These are the best words I’ve found for the week.  From Anne Lamott:    

“There is no healing in pretending this bizarre violent stuff is not going on, and that there is some cute bumper sticker silver lining. (It is fine if you believe this, but for the love of God, PLEASE keep it to yourself. it will just tense us all up.) What is true is that the world has always been this way, people have always been this way, grace always bats last, it just does–and finally, when all is said and done, and the dust settles, which it does, Love is sovereign here.” 

Be well today.  Take it easy, because sometimes so much is so hard.

•  President Obama delivers remarks at an interfaith memorial service in Dallas.  These words are strong to matter our politics.  

•  The way in which and the immediacy with which we consume the news is changing in a disturbing way.  Where is the truth?  It certainly can’t be on Twitter.  How Technology Swallowed the Truth.  

•  Literally everything money can buy:  a look inside Amazon’s massive warehouse.  Man we got so weird so fast, didn’t we? Do you remember life before the instant reward of Amazon?

•  The Neurotic Eaters Grocery List:  Cows are global-warming fart machines, egg farms are hell, ice cream is poison somehow, lobster are screaming, organic barely means organic, and don’t even get me started on hot dogs.  So wait… what can we eat?  Donuts?  I KNEW IT! 

•  We are very connected, constantly.  We are very disconnected, constantly.  Headphone culture:  Life in little bubbles of curated music and podcasts (that no one seems to be actually paying for anymore).  “These days, people seem to be perpetually gearing themselves up for the epic battle of merely existing. At the end of the day, jogging up to our front doors, we are all Rocky, reaching the summit, conquering that last step: “Just a man / and his will / to survive!” We rip our headphones off, triumphantly. We did it! Another day closer to death!” Oh boy… 

•  I just signed up for Novella-T.  It’s an email subscription service that delivers serialized long-form fiction.  That means part of a novella makes its way to your inbox every week.  It’s creative publishing that I’m excited to enjoy and support.  

•  A little bit more news that indicated that we are fickle ridiculous creatures:  Did Father John Misty Steal Moon Juice’s Crystal? 

•  Related and definitely not UN-related:  Inside the World’s Chicest Cult. Where the cool ladies go to keep their cool.  Did you see my eyeroll?  It was strong.  

•  Firm proof that we are not a hopeless species… that we’re actually ok.  Thank you, Ernie Johnson.  

•  I’ve made some very fine summer recipes in years past.  Here are a few of my favorites:  Charred Corn with Pistachio Cilantro Lime Rub (YES!), Tomato Cobbler with Blue Cheese Biscuits (like yesterday’s Tomato Pie with more biscuits and blue cheese),  Peanut Butter Banana Bonbons (the best way to eat frozen bananas), and Peach and Cardamom Lemonade (just add bourbon). 

•  This week in delicious caffeination:  Kings Row Coffee Bonbon Blend.

•  What do we think about this knife and tiny cutting board all in one?  

•  My financial planner friend Jessi recommended this book.  Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending.  I believe her because I have a retirement savings now so she definitely knows her stuff.  

•  I love and adore the writing of Marian Bull so please read this, ok thank you.  Nobody has ever written about eating alone before so I figured I should.  “I am so well versed in being on my own and so tripped up by the intricacies of it all the time, still. This isn’t meant to be sad! This is just what it’s like to be a person.”  AMEN, it’s truth. 

•  This week in Treat-Yourself, You’re Doing Great:  get yourself a robe.  

The picture above is from an afternoon spent making a paper flower with my friend Suzonne Stirling who is good-hearted and patient and funny and acutely good at making gorgeous flower out of paper.  

Let’s enjoy this day!

xo Joy