Growing Among the Wildflowers

Hello friends! How are you? If you’ve read my other Let It Be posts, you know that I am a BIG FAN of Spring and Summer, and dang it, we made it! I’m thrilled. The sun has been shining here in California, and I walked my dogs in a tank top the other day. The Birkenstocks are OUT. I feel like my soul is re-growing.

Recently, I came across a writer who shared that she makes seasonal resolutions. Our own JTB loves a seasonal bucket list, and I think I’m going to steal her idea this year for a more intentional spring. So far, I want to clean out my closet, make some collages, read some new books, see as many wildflowers as possible, go on some hikes, set up my hammock to do some reading outside, and buy some yummy spring veggies and fruit at the farmer’s market and do some fun, seasonally-appropriate baking.

The thing about springtime is that it’s about growth. I’m paying attention to the way I’m growing and changing alongside the flowers, trees, and the birds that seem to be constantly singing in my backyard. I’m writing new things, sending out scary work, trying to be a better communicator, working hard in therapy, and trying my best to grow into a new version of myself that feels good now. Growth is not always easy, and I’ve been rubbing up against some of the tough edges of change. I’m remembering that while it doesn’t always feel good, it’s almost always beautiful in the end. In the meantime, I’ll be over here trying to take care of my heart and brain as I allow myself the freedom to feel my feelings while I explore the things trying to bloom in my life.

Whether you are still savoring the end of the season or ready for sun and pastels and flowers, I hope you’re being kind.

• Last time my wife and I visited our beloved Joy, we had a delicious, late-night dinner at Red’s Chinese Food, and I have never stopped thinking about this Cheeseburger Fried Rice. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever eaten, and reminds me of one of my favorite trips. But seriously, MAKE THIS. (Joy The Baker)

• Every few months, I remember this delicious recipe for Sheet Pan Chow Mein from Smitten Kitchen and then have to eat it on repeat for awhile. (Smitten Kitchen)

• “I’m drawn to the idea of an art of living much more so than to the compulsive search for life hacks, regimens of self-improvement, or self-optimization schemes…They draw my attention to what more I might do and what more I might have rather than who I might become.” I have been thinking about this post by The Convivial Society for weeks now. (Substack)

• Springtime calls for Angel Food Cake and a bit of sweetness. I’m partial to this one, because the raspberry cream is amazing! (Joy The Baker)

• I’ve been really enjoying Substacks lately (the app reminds me a bit of Google Reader, RIP). Some of my favorites are Leslie Stephens’ Morning Person (a fresh take on lifestyle stuff, with an eye towards curation, recipes, thoughts on consumption, etc.), my friend Jenn’s 1Thing/Week (Jenn is one of my best friends, but she is one of the most capable people I know, and she puts in the WORK when it comes to finding the best things — before I purchase anything, I check with Jenn because it’s likely she has a spreadsheet detailing her research and she has impeccable taste), and (shameless plug!) my own: Reading, Writing, Ranting, Recommending. (Substack)

• I grew up in the 90’s (or, what my middle schoolers call “the late 1900’s”, kill me) and I could not love this affectionate portrait of the mall more than I do. It makes me want to have my mom drop me off so I can wander the stores with my friends, buy a cassette tape at Sam Goody (probably either No Doubt’s “Tragic Kingdom”), get an Orange Julius, and giggle at Frederick’s Of Hollywood, while being blissfully unreachable in a pre-cellphone era. (The New Yorker)

• My wife and I went to dinner at a friends’ house last weekend, and he made this Roasted Chicken Provencal and it was so simple but delicious. (NYT)

• We owe so much to Black women, including the idea of self-care, which originated in the Black Panther Party. There is so much to learn! (Teen Vogue)

• Is it normal to obsess over a vase? Because I want this classic, blue, squat vase from Terrain so badly, and I fear that my resolve is fading. How cute would a spring bouquet look in it? I have a hydrangea explosion in my yard every spring, and I think this would make the perfect home for those blooms. Also coveting these shoes if someone wants to tell my wife, thanks! (Terrain, Aerosoles)

• I love chocolate, but my heart belongs to lemon. I’m on Spring Break this week, and I will be finding a reason to make this Lemon Chess Pie. (Joy The Baker)

• Another small bit of self-promotion: I was a Lambda Literary Fellow last year, and the anthology of our work was released this week! Find it here! I’m biased, but it was an honor to be with so many talented writers, and this anthology is incredible. (Itasca Books)

• We’ve likely all heard of hygge (the pronunciation is a different story), but I recently learned about lagom, or the idea of “having just enough.” (The New Yorker, Shine Rugs)

• Fun fact: I majored in English and minored in Poetry, but my concentration was in The Lost Generation, so I read a ton of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, etc. I really loved this piece about how a writer’s grandfather inspired the character of Jay Gatsby. (Air Mail)

• I LOVE a Nancy Meyers film, and I loved this article on how to emulate her style on a budget! (The Everygirl)

• I’m a skincare person, and my new favorite additions to my arsenal are this Beauty Water (I use it before I put on my morning skincare and my makeup), the Clarins Multi-Active Night Cream, and the Futurewise Slug Mist, Slug Cream, and Slug Balm at night to hold in the moisture this 40-year-old skin needs. (SokoGlam, Sephora, Futurewise)

• I’m having a bit of a love affair with the moon lately. I recently purchased a workbook from Moon Lists, subscribed to the Moon Lists Substack, and am reading The Moon Book. I’ve always been into astrology and tarot, and these fun reflection tools are deepening my self-inquiry, which I love. (Moon Lists, Substack, Bookshop)