If you were to catch me a few days back on Thursday, you would have found me rather anxiously watching DanDanThe Fireman teach his wife how to ride a motorcycle on YouTube. To be clear, I have my motorcycle license, but boy do I love a pep-talk and a plan. I thought about taking out a petition to convince Will to ride with speakers in our helmets so he could coach me through the small corners and rolling hills of our upcoming ride in Fredericksburgh, TX but he’s a man of few words so i wouldn’t have been very chatty.
If you were to catch me today (it’s Friday for me and Sunday for you), you’d find me high-fiving Will on the side of the road after my first successful motorcycle run of the weekend. We went out right after morning coffee, while the sun was still low and before I had time to over caffeinate and overthink anything. That’s the trick – just go. Motorcycling – the small bit I know about it so far – requires presence. Different from driving a car where I find myself spacing out about 25%? On a motorcycle you need all 100. You have to look down the road at where you want to go. You have to actively NOT look at where you don’t want to go. If you’re lulled into that space, your bike will go exactly where you don’t want it to and well… no one wants that. That’s a little lesson we can take in the week, don’t you think? Let’s practice looking down the road at where we want to go. Let’s not look where we don’t want to go. Simple enough, but surely something I forget when my weekdays get muddy.
I hope this finds you settling into your day. Let’s be here with a few think pieces, a few delicious recipes, and a smattering of things I have and have not purchased. Here we are:
• This week’s long reach on motherhood, micro/macro/complicated. I’ve had this tab open all week: A Mother’s Charge. (Washington Post)
• In the 1940’s and 50’s, Freda DeKnight shaped Black American food in Ebony magazine. Here’s some respect for The Table Freda Built. (Sporkful)
• In news you can use literally right now, daily breath training is medicine. (NPR)
• Are you feeling butter inflation because yes I am very much. I’ve done a double take at the butter case more times that I care to admit. (The Hustle)
• Can someone who subscribes to Disney+ please watch Edge of The Unknown and report back on whether or not I subscribe for the National Geographic channel alone? I have a feeling the answer is, girl – get it.
• You had me at cream cheese, Bev. Banana Bream Cream Cheese Skillet Cake (Bev Cooks)
• I’m such a sucker for lemon desserts and a fiend for tiramisu so this is a strong connect for me: Flouring Kitchen’s Lemon Tiramisu.
• This week I made Sweet Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Lemon Tahini Sauce on Instagram (with the recipe in the caption) and highly suggest you meal prep it for your entire week. The tahini sauce is great on everything!
• OK I’m ashamed to admit that TikTok convinced me to buy these leggings as a lulu lemon dupe. I wore them to Will’s tryna look cute and he only told me later that he thought the lines under my butt were butt sweat. Listen…. life is a constant humbling so we might as well just stay stayin’ humble. In good news, the compression of these leggings is quite nice if you’re into that sort of thing. (Amazon)
• While we’ve settled into the section of things we want but don’t need but actually might need very much – this is my new favorite lotion. It’s rich and creamy going into winter. The fragrance is perfumey – floral and musky – which I love and lasts well into the day. (Amazon)
• I’m going to have to stare at all of these Charlotte Stone shoes for another few months before I splurge on a pair but GAH it’s going to be impossible to choose.
• This time last year we were talking about pandemic fatigue and roasting chicken with grapes. Worth a revisit. (Joy the Baker)
Be well and enjoy your Sunday.
My love to you.
xo Joy
Dottie
Congratulations on your ride. I’ll try to look at where I want to go this week. It seems like a good approach to living.
I just bought extra butter on sale and put it in the freezer. It won’t last long enough, but it gives me a little time before I feel the pain again.
Carrie
Back to say you were right that my first half marathon would be great. I loved it! Not sure if I want to try to do a whole next year or not. You go girl on your bike!
Joy the Baker
AH CARRIE! I’m so proud of you! What a thrill you ran yourself all the way to the finish line! I know it’s so much more than just race day. Be proud of every single mile you ran to get yourself across that line! Well done well done!
Joanna
I have been staring at the Fuschia Charlotte Stone clogs for a year… but haven’t gotten them for fear they won’t fit or be comfy. Would love a report!
Joy the Baker
I will take the plunge at some point (again… I’ll need to hym and haw for months) but will report back. :)
Emily
Fredericksburg is my hometown :) I’m not a motorcycle rider, but definitely recommend a route including Enchanted Rock and Willow City Loop. Climb Enchanted Rock if you have time (and it’s not too hot). Frontier Outpost on RR 965 can make for a fun stop too.
Joy the Baker
I had such a lovely time in your hometown Emily! And we took that very loop of Saturday afternoon! We went past Enchanted Rock and through Willow City. It was a fantastic ride and beautiful day!
Jennie Hawes
I’m obsessed with Edge of the Unknown! The stories, the photography, the locations – SO good!
Joy the Baker
Ok ok awesome – thank you Jennie!
Tiberia
Two words – Butter.Prices. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr……(that’s not a word, is it?)
Joy the Baker
It’s the right word for the situation for sure.
lee
I found a great deal on butter not that long ago and stocked up on the maximum allowed (10 lbs). I’m almost out now – down to less than a pound. I priced butter this week, winced, and didn’t buy any. I’m not talking about the fancy butter either, but store brand, regular unsalted butter. I guess I’ll be switching to oil-based baking for now, at least as much as possible. But baking is my hobby, my way of procrastinating, relaxing, and creating. I’ll end up buying the butter.
I’m going to be buying a breathing device too, I guess. As somebody who regularly has trouble breathing because of a medical condition, yeah, I can easily believe better breathing lowers blood pressure.
Stay safe on that motorcycle and in Texas!
Joy the Baker
It is a wince-inspiring price tag these days, you’re right. Deep breathes for all of us.
Erica
I highly suggest you read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance…a beautiful exploration into your exact insight about staying present :)
Lil
Great book. Just gotta say been riding since I was 15. Took me three times to get through this book, and I’m an avid reader. Great book tho.
Joy the Baker
Oh excellent! Thank you Erica!
Suzanne
Those clogs! I wasn’t going to look at them because I need another pair of shoes like I need…. Anywho, I’m guessing the lime and azure will be in a cart shortly. ?
Joy the Baker
It’s so hard not to look! But also, sometimes just adding something to a cart without actually buying it scratches the itch.
Heather
Joy, I have watched Edge of the Unknown and it comes after a month long extreme adventurer binge to compare. The episodes are short and can be kinda cheesy with Jimmy’s commentary, but also some of the stories are truly wild. It has a different spin than Edge of the Earth and explores more about how these people respond when faced with death. So yes! Do it!
Kristin
Edge of unknown is mind blowing!! Are these people born without the fear gene?? So proud of you on your motorcycle journey.Just having experienced my first EVER ride..I was immediately hit with the bug to plan the next adventure ?? But I will let my friend Greg do the riding…and I will sit smiling and holding on.But I was surprised to see how much attention even the backseat person needs to do!! I felt very focused and refreshed ??
Joy the Baker
You’re so right Kristn – even the passenger needs to pay attention on the bike. It’s a thrilling exercise in presence. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Hold on tight!
Joy the Baker
Solid! Thank you Heather!
Toby
I am here for your metaphor but the actual riding sounds horrifying. You are one brave btch!