I know I always ask what you are reading, watching, thinking about, and listening to, but more than ever, I REALLY WANT TO KNOW. Please share!
A few things I’m loving lately:
This Togetherness is Temporary – I love this piece by Mary Laura Philpott and have shared it with many other parents of teens. I’ve thought often of my father’s exhortation to Grace after Matt’s father died: this too shall pass. It always does. And I try to breathe in right now, as complicated, scary, and unknown as it is. “For now, I will let myself feel gratitude for this time with them. I won’t tell myself I have to enjoy every minute, because I know I won’t. And when the panic rises, I’ll remind myself: This isn’t forever. It never was.”
Dinner A Love Story – I’ve been a DALS fan forever (and I love that our kids are the same age). I love how Jenny is blogging during this quarantine. Her posts have three sections: project, pantry, purpose. They’re full of relatable ideas and are the right length. Love, love, love. Made the snickerdoodle dough from today already.
This Time of Great Love and Great Suffering – Josh Radnor’s piece took my breath away. This is the most poetic and incisive writing I’ve found yet on this particular moment, which has felt too large, too quiet, too complex, for me to fully articulate how it makes me feel. I can’t recommend this enough. “Light and shadow are inextricably bound up with each other.” AMEN. Yes. I think I have written those precise words before and I agree wholeheartedly.
Reading – I’m reading for plot and distraction lately. That means a lot of old David Baldacci and John Grisham. I am also reading on my ipad. This is a big change for me, necessitated when I ran out of library books. Plot twist: I’m really liking it. Also read My Dark Vanessa
Writers & Lovers
Watching – I’m watching the current season of Survivor (SO GOOD and yes I know I am the last person on the planet watching) and of Homeland (also so good!). Have been viewing old seasons of Survivor on Prime and finding them helpful for completely distracting me from the terror of ordinary life. Also plan to watch some Veep with Matt. Looking for family movie suggestions.
I write these Things I Love posts about monthly, though I may do so sooner. You can find them all here. I’d love any and all suggestions you have to share!
Onward is a nice family movie with some feels.
Just arrived on Disney+.
Will find it!
Last week I found myself writing a blog for the 1st time in a very long time. I had given up on it for awhile. i was saving some of the material that would usually end up in a blog for my novels. There’s only so much time and ideas after having written 4 novels. But these days we now find ourselves in seem to beg for our stories and shared experience.
I also remember how frustrating it was to get readers to interact. It often made me feel like I was talking to myself so I checked some old blogs I used to follow and remembered your quotes that are often the same quotes I share on Instagram. We have similar likes with words of wisdom.
So I read this and it was sad and honest and revealing and highlights, for me anyway, the importance of speaking up in times like these and the conundrum and fear and doubt so many people have with actually doing it. I’m keeping it by my side while I write during the days of the pandemic. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/04/06/love-letter
I am going to check out that cooking blog because 1. I am fresh out of ideas and 2. I’m intrigued by the blog’s name as a rip on one of Caroline Knapp’s book titles.