Hello dear friends,
I’ve been visiting my sister in Seattle this week, and if you’ll forgive me a sentence or two of weather talk – WOW I’ve been almost chilly for the first time in months. It rained. It was chilly and it rained – god bless! (Thank you for indulging me.)
We visited the restaurant Junebaby which was named (not so casually) the best restaurant in America by the Beard Foundation, and it doesn’t take reservation (which is very egalitarian of them I love it), and you most certainly have to stand in line for an early seat and it is most certainly worth every moment of waiting. The food is so thoughtful and deeply delicious.
I’ve also visited Ashley Rodriguez who I have the pleasure of seeing all the time on the Internet, but don’t get to spend nearly enough time with face to face. I visited her sweet studio and shop where she made me lunch with recipes from her forthcoming book and it was incredible – both the food and the lingering around the table talking about all the art we want to make.
I hope the week for you is feeling very summery. These are the days.
A reading offering is what follows. As always, take whatcha need and leave whatcha don’t:
• Please read this: The Very American Killing of Nia Wilson. “There is a blinkered symmetry to the way Americans have been taught to understand violence that is gendered and violence that is racialized: the victims of the former are white women; the victims of the latter are black men. The same violence, when visited upon black women, falls outside the recognizable parameters of victimhood, and thus fails to register.” (The New Yorker)
• Are we running out of emotions? That’s a real question, and here’s another: Is compassion fatigue inevitable in an age of 24 hour news? And an op-ed piece from Roxanne Gay earlier this year: I’m outraged but failing at activism. Why? (The Guardian and NYT)
• Ok so the government is spying on my resting b*tch face at the airport. It’s called: Quiet Skies. This is nutty. (The Boston Globe with CLOSE in the top left corner to get past the pop up box)
• My mom was a mail carrier who worked hard to know and help her customers far beyond just delivering their mail. This article made me cry because I saw my mom give of herself just as generously. A Postman’s Final Salute: A Celebration of America and New York City.
• King James: LeBron James’ new school for at-risk kids features food pantries and free bikes. (Quartz)
• Lawson Craddock’s amazing last place finish at the Tour de France. (NPR)
• I feel attacked: The art of buying books and never reading them.
• Update: you can now see how much time you’re spending / wasting on Instagram. Otherwise known as, a reckoning. (Mental Floss)
• I echo these sentiments: Points-Obsessed Travelers Are Terrified of Losing Perks. (Bloomberg)
• This week I listened to this conversation between Oprah and Ram Dass: Super Soul Conversations – Ram Dass: The Life of a Spiritual Teacher. (YouTube)
• A new friend shared this playlist with me and as skeptical as I was, I’m not truly obsessed. It’s a playlist Questlove made for Anthony Bourdain, in defense of yachrock . Dear Anthony. (Spotify)
• This dress represents how I want to feel all the damn time. (Free People)
Have a lovely Sunday! Thank you for being here.
My love to you,
xoJoy
Blu
I need that Free People dress in coral, you know, to see if it’ll convince mother nature to extend summer as long as possible. Salute to mailman Choi. Mailmen are always so kind. Going to the post office is like a box of chocolate, you never know which personality you’ll get! lol
Blu
http://www.liveloveblu.com | wellness & healthy living
Raluca
Your articles are one of my favorite Monday moments (yes, I read them on Mondays, it helps with the mondaying). Thank you so much for writing them, and thank you for specifying what site they come from, that is ever so considerate.
On a completely different note, have you read this one? It’s old, but oh-so good.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/08/03/a-small-town-couple-left-behind-a-stolen-painting-worth-over-100-million-and-a-big-mystery/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.44ff0b7d6818
Pooja
Thank you. I love the article about the Tour De France’s last finisher. Here is one for you from me: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/07/three-children-two-abortions/566270/
Well worth reading, important for today, I think.
Thank you as always for bringing me these Sunday reads.
xo
Lena
This piece was extraordinary. I have three living children, one is a surviving twin, his sister was stillborn and your piece was incredible and caught so much of what is not talked about with the decision to terminate, or fertility, lack thereof, and the choices we make as women to become mothers. Thank you!
Sasha L
Poojah, thank you for that article. Man, what a gut wrenching and great read. America has so so far to go. Hugs and solidarity to all of us stuck in this system that doesn’t value our lives.
Stacy
That restaurant looks good, but I noticed they said that “the house” keeps 25% of the tips. That’s interesting, as its illegal for management or owners to tale part of a tip share.
Beth Ogden
I love the Postman’s letter. My uncle has been a postman for several decades in an inner-city neighborhood, and he once mentioned that mailmen and women sometimes do more than just their jobs of delivering mail- like recognizing an elderly woman hasn’t taken in her mail in several days for the first time in the time he’s been delivering it- and therefore discovering she has fallen inside her house and couldn’t reach the phone. Our primary mailman is friendly and reliable, and even knows our dog by name (and brings her treats sometimes).
Marie Norton
1610 N 175th St We came up to N. Seattle on the 18th of July to go to my daughters wedding. I am not sure what part of Seattle you were in, where I was it misted only one day with two days of cloudy weather so far. They say this has been the driest summer in years,with hotter temps in years. They actually had a summer this year, so my husband says, we live in Tucson, Az. It is refreshing to be up here for part of the summer. I was born and raised here. It has been a skourcer down where we live in tucson the last couple of years , with temps from 110-125 from June through August during monsoon season, still up in the 90’s to low 100’s through September. So we just go from Ac store to Ac store, when we go shopping. The rest of the year is great to live in Tucson.
Emily
My husband is a Hilton member and back in 2014 he cashed in his points, 5000 to be exact, and we stayed in a suite overlooking the bay of Thailand in Ko Samui. We pretty much got over a 5k value and then some like those immaculate breakfasts. I get it!
Arli
Two things are Sunday morning constants in my world: The NY Times crossword puzzle and Let It Be Sunday. Both thought provoking and fun. Thank you.
johanna @ green gourmet giraffe
Hi joy – I went to a v popular restaurant in Sydney recently where everyone had to queue rather than book and it annoyed me because it is not fun queuing with kids and people in a hurry but it is good to hear how it worked well for you. If you want some chilly weather you should visit Melbourne right now (and really up your points) but sadly we are too lacking in rain! Your links this week look so interesting but I will have to come back when I can take some time to read – love these weekly posts. Thanks!
Ramona
Thank you for your Sunday posts! It’s one of my Sunday “look forward to” things! Hope you had a great visit with your sister.
Suellen
Hi, Joy;
Excellent Sunday read. I, too, read your blog first before opening up my other mail,sipping coffee. Soothing, informative, thought provoking, fun, and delicious are just a few words to describe the Sunday read.
Junebaby sounds so wonderful. Old Southern true soul food. And the story of the mail carrier fills my heart. This is what immigrants like Mr. Choi love and appreciate about our country. He’s so kind.
Thank you, Joy. Love your blog.
Peace,
Suellen
Darla Layton
Our dear Joy,
I begin each Sunday morning with a steaming cup of coffee, a kitty snuggled on my lap, and Let It Be Sunday on my iPad. I look forward to each Sunday morning. Saturday evening I wonder, “ What will Joy bring us tomorrow?” You never disappoint. Thank you for you time and effort.