Let It Be Sunday, 339!

Friends! Hello and happy Sunday!

I’m back at The Bakehouse in New Orleans.  Will drove Tron and me back from Houston last Saturday. The drive was smooth, Tron settled in, I rested my eyes.  As we neared New Orleans, the trees along the freeway were roughly sheered in half. You could see the fury of the storm.  Power is back in most of New Orleans but echos of the hurricane (and so much rain) still remain.  It’s funky right now, and that’s an understatement.  New Orleans feels like a challenging place to be right now, still I’m glad to be back.

South of the city, along the Louisiana coast, our neighbors are struggling but resilient.  Melissa Martin of Mosquito Supper Club is doing tireless work to distribute funds and information and if you’re in any way inclined to support, please consider bayoufund.org.

We’re just still in it.  But how are you? Tell me about sunshine. (See? I left Seattle for a reason…)

This week, Dad (king of Sweet Potato Pie) celebrated his birthday. Tron tried to eat my lunch every day. I ordered ice cream over the internet. I put all my laundry away. I donated money. I dropped shampoo and laundry detergent to be delivered down the bayou. I continued my half marathon training that I haven’t told you about because I’m scared I can’t do it.  I did all the things that life requires.  Pretty dang good if you ask me… and you sure didn’t.

The Sunday offering is below.  It’s a reflection of what I needed so I hope you find something here that resonated.  As always, take only what you need.

•  On our primate brains: You’re Not Alone: Monkeys Choke Under Pressure Too. I exercised my primate brain on one of my training runs for a half marathon last week.  I psyched myself out of running the 6.2 miles I needed to run. I finished it eventually but I sure did choke along the way. It was ugly.  I’ll be back to try again tomorrow.  (Wired)

•  A free e-book from Dave Eggers: The Captain and The Glory I’ll dive into soon. (McSweeney’s)

•  Start more friendships but going for walks together. (I think this might also be true for difficult conversations you have in romantic relationships?) The Value of Friendships That Don’t Come Easy. (The Atlantic)

•  Let’s all admit to having The Laundry Chair in our bedrooms.  I’ll have you know I “cleaned” my laundry chair this afternoon and it still has two jackets and a purse I should just donate on it. That’s clean – I’m satisfied. (Apartment Therapy)

•  Only interested in a Randy Travis kind of love, thank you. (Spotify)

•  I’m cleaning up (aka deleting) a lot of the waaaaay back posts here on Joy the Baker which means I’ve been faced with my very self from 2008 and that’s for sure very cringe.  I ran across this old post and you’re invited to take it in before I delete it: Six word story. (Joy the Baker)

•  Jon’s Nashville Style Hot Potatoes look like a spicy version of Shakey’s Pizza Parlor potatoes. If you know you know  (The Candid Appetite)

•  Do you have a lucky meal?  I don’t and I feel like I’ve been missing out. (Cup of Jo)

•  I always want to make a friendship bracelet so this DIY Woven Macrame Bracelet tab has been open on my computer for a few weeks now. I think I need to start thinking about holiday cookie boxes and homemade gifts for giving.  I’m thinking felted soap. That’s a sweet little functional gift, right?    (HonestlyWTF and Etsy)

•  I could watch Jeni Britton Bauer poach peaches all day. She’s so easy and stylist and funny. I admire her as much as I love her bonkers ice cream.  (Instagram and Jeni’s Ice Cream)

•  One of the best fall recipes on the site are these Ina’s Apple Pie Bars.  I’ve made them every season since 2016 and I highly recommend you hop upon this bandwagon.  (Joy the Baker)

•  Our baker friend Vallery’s new book came out this week Life Is What You Bake It by Vallery Lomas. There’s a recipe in here for homemade Old Fashioned Doughnuts that I must make immediately (as soon as I have houseguests so I have folks to share them with). (Bookshop.org)

•  My favorite clothing brand and my favorite new chambray shirt. (Sezane)

Have a lovely Sunday, friends.

My love to you.

xo Joy