Hello friends!
Another week and let’s take a slow breath about it. Are you ok? I think the better question is, how are you, really? So much is on fire and tinted in red. There’s snow. There’s riots. There’s everything that this year is. And yet, Tron is sleeping in the basket that is too small for him and people are still falling in love and butterflies still find the flowers so – life is everything all at once, always.
This has been a longshort week. I’ve been more clumsy than usual and less motivated that usual and I’ve decided that’s ok. In very small news, I’ve been practicing my buttercream roses with Karlee of Olive and Artisan for October’s BakeAway class. I’ll tuck these tiny victories in my pocket.
This week’s offering is below. As always, take only what you need. I’m glad you’re here.
• Text pictures from my family our west makes it very clear that The Western US Is Not OK. I’m thinking about you all so much. (Kottke and Slate)
• We’re all experiencing this pandemic in different ways and it’s not all sourdough and new gardens. Growing Up Poor In America (Frontline)
• The Emotionally Challenging Next Phase of the Pandemic. What are you doing to stay safe and what are you doing to stay steady? Asking for real, comment below please! Maybe we can help one another. (The Atlantic)
• Just watching this man’s GoPro footage is terrifying. I’m amazed at what people can do with their humble bodies in nature. One step beyond: the ascent of mountain runner Killian Jornet. (The Guardian)
• I needed something simple, dark, and twisty to get me into the season so I’m going to read The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. (Amazon)
• One of my life skills is my ability to fancy up a bagged salad and a frozen pizza so this frozen pizza exploration is very relevant news for me. (The Kitchn)
• I’ve yet to make a decision about a robe this year or last, but I hear good things about this linen robe. I mean… I’m just going to leave the tab on my computer open forever but maybe you’ll make a more swift decision. (H&M)
• There are two virtual fall baking classes coming up at The Bakehouse later this year and y’all – they’re already selling so hop on a spot if you want one!
• Honestly WTF made a truly charming DIY Sunglasses and Mask Chain. I find so much inspiration from this site. Every craft is so elevated, chic and fun! (Honestly WTF)
• Me? Make my own beaded chandelier one day? I mean yea… of course I’ll do this. (The House That Lars Built)
• I’m taking a little road trip to Houston this weekend and why yes, there’s an Apple Pie in my passenger seat. This apple pie makes me think I need to make Ina’s Apple Pie Bars and also Apple Pie Biscuits. I’ve taken on a theme. (Joy the Baker)
• You know we love a deviled egg around here and Jon’s Loaded Baked Potato Deviled Eggs look SO GOOD and also have chips on them SO… (The Candid Appetite)
• This week last year: Let It Be Sunday, 237! A lifetime ago. “it is a serious thing // just to be alive / on this fresh morning / in this broken world.” Red Bird (Joy the Baker)
Be well friends. Take good care of yourself.
My love to you.
xo Joy
Carrie
One of my children is high risk, so I feel like we’re doing all the safety things – masks, lots of hand washing/hand sanitizer, both parents working from home, all 3 kids opted into online school for (at least) the first semester, grocery pickup, avoiding groups of people, outdoors only social visits (and less than a handful of these since March, using the telehealth option for as many doctor’s appts as possible, designating one parent as the “errand/doctor’s appt” parent, 2/5 of us have already received this year’s flu shot and the rest are scheduled.
Staying steady is much, much harder. I get outside every day – even if it’s just sitting on the back desk and watching the wind blow through the trees. I’ve been taking walks with the dog through my neighborhood, too. Being able to wave at and say hello to neighbors is such an important connection to the world outside my home. (I’m the stay at home parent, not the out of the house errand parent.) This weekend I lay on my back in the grass and watched the trees and sky. I’d been feeling like I needed to do that for awhile and finally decided if that’s what I needed, it wasn’t silly and I should just do it. It was surprisingly therapeutic. I’m trying to give myself the grace to just be. Beating myself up about all the things I “should” be doing, but have absolutely no motivation for, isn’t helpful. I reached out to my PCP and she started me on medicine for anxiety/depression. Also, our 50 pound dog thinks he’s a lap dog, so he sits in my lap in the evenings after the kids have gone to bed and I pet him.
J
To stay steady I’m working from home every day and carve out some time to ride my bike. I’m also getting book and audio books from the library. I take my puppy on adventures on my days off, we go to different parks, we even got to go to the local botanical garden on dog day. I draw and love watching videos of people drawing or painting. Lastly I play tennis about 3 times a week. I just want to be forthcoming, even with all of these activities I’m struggling. My best friend died in May and I didn’t get to spend any time with her before she died and our household income has dropped by 75%.
Erin
J, your comment touched me. Thank you for being open about your struggles. My best friend, who lived in another province, died in February. Travelling for her funeral was my last trip before the weight of the pandemic truly set in where I live. Grieving right now makes living through the pandemic all the more difficult. I really feel for you.
Erin
There were so many things I wanted to click on this week. Thank you, Joy!
Stella’s comment about shifting her mindset from “stuck at home” to “safe at home” really resonates for me. I am worried about the coming winter. I have felt safe meeting small groups of friends for socially distanced park and backyard hangs throughout the summer, but I know that that time is coming to an end. My partner and I will subscribe to an online version of our city’s Film Festival, and try to make an event out of watching movies at home. Fortunately, winter in my city is very rainy, but not very cold, so I will be able to keep running outside for physical and mental health. I’m looking forward to seeing more suggestions from other readers.
Cory
I’ve been embroidering ALL THE THINGS. I started out monogramming my pillowcases and now I’m doing portraits of my friends’ pets and reproducing photos— I just did Mt Shasta and the Chrysler Building, it’s so fun! As a fellow self employed person who works with their hands, I find it pretty soothing to have something repetitive and tactile that is not related to my regular job. Also therapy, therapy is so good. Thanks for your wonderful blog, I hardly ever comment but I always read and love it. Your writing is a balm.
Lauren
As someone who has also been on the hunt for a new robe, I recently discovered that Gravity has released a weighted robe! It’s now on the top of my Christmas list.
Brooke
I’m an essential worker, so I have been working throughout this pandemic. There are a few things that have been helping me, but at the same time, I am still (like most of us) trying to figure out how to best take care of myself on all fronts (eg emotionally, physically, mentally). I’ve found that when I focus on the things that are outside of my control, that doesn’t help me. At all. So, I try to be intentional about the things that I can control, like wearing a mask, washing my hands, and avoiding people and situations that don’t feel safe. Speaking up for myself and asking for what I need. On my lunch breaks, I go for a little drive, and I have a place where I go to park and do a couple mindfulness exercises to help ground myself and bring myself to the present moment. I also use this mindfulness app every evening. When the weather is nice, I get out in nature. I wear a mask, in case I encounter others along my walk. I stay in touch with my loved ones. I’m working on making my home a cozy little refuge. I am starting to paint some of my furniture, which not only will liven up my place, but it also is nice to see a little progress each step of the way. I’m also being intentional about my screen time. I check-in with the news just enough to stay informed. Lastly, I’m trying to build a moment of gratitude, for even the smallest of things, into every day. Like I said, I’m still figuring things out, but these things have helped me.
Today, I am grateful to read your Let It Be post (which I read every Sunday morning with a cup of coffee on my balcony), because it is something familiar from pre-pandemic. It is a small thing that brings me comfort. Joy, I am grateful that you always keep it real. I am grateful you invited us to share,, as well as I am grateful for the other folks who have also posted in the comments. Thank you and take good care, Brooke
Stella
Hello Joy, please be safe as you travel to Houston and thanks for your well timed and noteworthy articles.
One of the most important things I did during this really hard time was a shift in mind set early on. Essentially, I refused to look at it as being “stuck at home” but rather as being “safe at home.” Naturally, with the passing of months, I do get restless, but I am grateful for everyday I get.
I now walk 6.5 miles Monday through Friday, I’ve started a 35 minute workout for women over 50 that includes using weights every other day and my husband and I have reduced the use of additional sugar in our diets. We also do most of our shopping on line, do grocery pickup and curbside dining pickup 2 times a month. We stay in touch with family and friends using FaceTime or Zoom. And of course, wear masks and wash our hands repeatedly. Avoid all crowds.
Cheryl
To stay sane I do not watch the news! Enough people keep me informed. I put together puzzles, beautiful fun puzzles. I have not put a puzzle together for years, so did not know of the amazing variety of puzzles available.I am working on a street scene from Paris with people dining outside and all the interesting buildings. But what has been the most rewarding is putting years of pictures in albums and sending friends and family pictures from years ago with reminders of all the wonderful times we
shared together.Some in returned have sent back their favorite memories.
To stay safe I only shop first thing in the morning,always a mask.Try to stay away from people with no common sense, you know the ones..no mask…can’t follow the direction of the floor arrow..get as close to me as they can.I social distance outside with friends while enjoying nature.Keep my old of people small.
Mary Ann
Me too! I am puzzling like they are going out of style. They are relaxing, just enough of a challenge, and they keep my mind very focused. I just bought a table I’m going to use solely for puzzles, that’s how serious I am! Stay well and keep puzzling!
Stephanie
I love that you have an article about Killian Journet. Literally just learned about him from a run I did on a running app yesterday!
Jess
Things I am doing (with two small children) to stay safe and sane.
1. Masked and liberally hand sanitized daily walks with my kids in the morning. I have made it my purpose to discover every single walking path in my town. I thought I knew them all, but I was wrong. I have discovered no less than three new routes thanks to exploration, and a well stocked bag of snacks.
2. Baking my bucket list bakes.
I’ve been baking all the things I never had the time or persistence for, laminated dough? Check; Chinese steamed dumplings? check. I highly recommend sifting through your saved recipes, and picking out the ones you always convinced yourself you would make some future day that you had all the time in the world. That time is now.
3. Purging my closets. I, unlike everyone else on the planet, did not succumb to the will of Marie Kondo last year. I have, however, been stuck in my house, staring at my piles of shit for so long I want to burn the place down, and keeping me sane is clearing out one closet (or attic or basement) every week or month depending on motivation. It’s making me feel better about all the time spent staring at my walls.
Bill
Ohhhh, Chinese steamed dumplings. I like this idea!
Cindy
Love your blog, have been reading almost from the beginning! A gentle suggestion, to take or discard… when you recommend a book (yay!)you might choose to link to bookshop.org instead of Amazon- supporting local indie bookstores which need our love!
Mary Nooney
Yes! Anther vote for bookshop.com!
Vicki
Being in California, socked in by daily dense smoke, I never thought anything could make Covid seem less threatening but here we are. My heart breaks every day for those losing life, loved one and homes. It’s enough to make a sane person crazy even when not in imminent danger. To help myself I tune in to a golden oldies music station. It helps my brain automatically reset to a time when life was simpler while getting through these complicated times.
Kristi
While I’m not living in the US, Canada ?? is watching all of the pain and heartache happening in your country. We pray for all those suffering. Personally, my family and I I have gone to very little destinations other than the grocery store or medical appointments. We wear masks, wash our hands and have sanitizer in our coat pockets and purses. That said, my daughter starts school this week. I am grateful the high schools are going in much less numbers and for less than 3 hours a day while wearing masks. We too have had anti mask protests but I have faith they will soon understand the gravity of the situation. We all have to buckle down as a temporary measure, even if it is for 18 months, in order to protect the lives of our loved ones and community members. I try to stay steady but do struggle so I take it day by day. I also live with chronic pain. When we shut down, my health services were not deemed essential so I went without treatment for months. While I fear another shut down may yet come, I am willing to do it if it means keeping safe and otherwise healthy. Stay safe and healthy,
Bronwyn
Comforting, insightful thoughts from you as always, Joy. Thank you for sharing. I’m also on the mask-wearing, hand-washing, social-distancing bandwagon, but I’m also being conscious of where I put my social energy. Who do I know is also trying to keep themselves safe? Who brings comfort and joy when we spend time together? Who brings me hope that we will get through this? Those are the delightful people I want to keep closest.
Catherine
Things I’m doing to stay safe: continuing to wear a mask! Washing my hands! Not hanging out in large groups! You know…common sense I guess?
Things I’m doing to stay steady: starting up therapy again, making time for at least half an hour to myself in the mornings to just breathe and center myself, getting outside for long bike rides once the weather cools. And baking, of course.