Talking, Laughing, Loving, Breathing

Hello friends! We’ve survived a month of 2024! I feel like this year is already flying by and it’s wild. I’m happy to say that the year is off to a gentle yet productive start for me. I’ve been writing, exercising, cooking for myself…living right, if you will. I’m thrilled to be back here with all of you, sharing the good things I found on the Internet recently. Let’s do this!

•  How long has it been since you’ve done something just to do it, without making it a job or a performance? I related so much to this piece, “Learning To Play The Piano When There Is No Recital”, by Kelsey McKinney (as well as her many shoutouts to Cate Blanchett in Tár which was my favorite movie of 2023) about learning to do things for fun and not money or accomplishments. Kelsey is also the host of one of my favorite podcasts, Normal Gossip. (Defector, Spotify)

•  I’ve been writing on the internet fairly consistently for over 20 years now (insert barf emoji) and I often long for the days of the simple Blogspot diary-like entries of yore, where you read about people’s families and lives and made friends in the comment section (shout out to the women I’ve known online for one bajillion years but have never met!). I’ve been thinking a lot about how I know I “need” to be online for writing (yes, that is a link to my Substack) but I also miss my brain before the Internet was constantly serving me advice about what is cool and what I must have and think and wear and cook. I really enjoyed this podcast episode about discovering your own taste and this essay about how taste gets made. (Substack, Spotify)

•  Speaking of taste: lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of contemporary classical music. I find it soothing and beautiful. Some recommendations: A Winged Victory For The Sullen, Peter Gregson, and Jóhann Jóhannson. (Spotify)

•  Two dear friends have new writing out this week: my friend Melissa Faliveno (author of the incredible essay collection Tomboyland) wrote about her changing body for Brevity Magazine and my friend Megan Stielstra responded to the Oldster Magazine Questionnaire. I feel lucky to get to peek inside the brains of my talented friends. (Bookshop, Brevity Mag, Substack) 

•  Stop Ignoring All The Mundane Miracles In Your Life — in praise of observation journaling and paying attention. I loved this article so much. (NYT)

•  One thing that really helps me thrive in life is having a breakfast casserole ready to go in the morning. Despite many years of trying, I unfortunately cannot survive on carbs alone in the morning, and having something with protein at the ready helps me become a functioning, non-hangry teacher and human being. I’m going to give this Chilaquiles Frittata Bake a go this weekend because who doesn’t love a semi-nacho situation for breakfast?! (Joy The Baker)

•  Five Little Ways To Be A Better Friend When You’re So, So Tired. I think the title says it all, right? I love my friends, but also, I am so very tired in every way. I loved this advice. (Self)

•  I don’t know if I’ve shared with this audience that I am a mother to two perfect dogs, and yes, I do mean MOTHER. Finally, an article that proves what I’ve been saying forever: pets really can be like human family. (The Atlantic)

•  As I mentioned above, I’ve been exercising consistently lately. As someone with a rather messy body image/workout/disordered eating history, it’s hard for me to find something that doesn’t take my brain down a self-hating rabbit hole. Enter EVLO Fitness. Their classes specifically target muscle groups, all classes are taught by doctors of physical therapy, and their motto is “gentle consistency.” It’s made a world of difference for me in how strong my body feels and also in how I feel mentally. I recommend it highly (Dr. Payton is my favorite!) for the vibes and the workout. (EVLO Fitness)

•  Some excellent books you should definitely pre-order now: Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker, We Were The Universe by Kimberly King Parsons, and Sandwich by Catherine Newman.  (Bookshop)

•  Recently, I told my wife I had a craving for apple crisp and pointed her in the direction of this perfect recipe. An hour later, I was holding a bowl of apple crisp in my hand. Recommend both having a wife (sorry, I’ve already got a real good one) and this recipe. (Joy The Baker)

•  Are you a frenemy and/or do you have a frenemy? The answer to both is likely yes. This article can help you figure it out. (The Atlantic)

•  Okay, I think the idea of “bookshelf wealth” is sort of stupid (despite being EXTREMELY BOOKSHELF WEALTHY, PLEASE SELF READ YOUR TBR INSTEAD OF BUYING ANOTHER BOOK) but this article did make me want to reorganize my bookshelf for maximum cuteness. (Architectural Digest)

•  I’ve waxed poetic about my love for Appointed notebooks, and right now, they have limited edition Heart Notebooks and Workbooks that are so cute I might die. I ordered a rude number of them because they pleased me so much. (Appointed)