Mornin’! I had an extremely vivid dream last night where Lizzo and I were about to join a rally, but we needed to fix each other’s masks. I hardly ever remember my dreams, but I was excited to wake up and discover this one.
📚 Today is the last day to take advantage of IVP’s free book on racial reconciliation from their catalog. They are also committed to paying the royalties of their authors, which is awesome. You can learn more here and get your free book. I chose Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder Religion by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove.
🔥 My dear friend, Sophie Hudson, releases her newest book into the wild next week. It’s called Stand All the Way Up, and it has been delivered for such a time as this. The way Sophie gives voice to my own feelings of anger and frustration, the way she makes laugh so hard I wet my pants a little: it’s a perfect mix. Highly, highly recommend you pre-order your copy.
👩⚖️ It’s not a treasure, but please take a moment and email or call the lawmakers in charge of Breonna Taylor’s case. A victory was won earlier this week when lawmakers passed Breonna’s Law, prohibiting “no-knock” warrants, but justice has yet to be served in her case. Here’s an easy list of steps that you can do, even if you don’t live in Kentucky.
Short treasures from me today, because (strangely) my children have an interview with a producer from The Daily. I’ll tell you more later but it involves the guy who puppeteers Ernie from Sesame Street because of course it does. Looking forward to coming back this afternoon to read through your treasures!
I didn't know Comments existed on Lil' Treasures until sometime recently when Erin mentioned how much joy the comments brought her. Even then, I was like, "She must be talking about email replies to the newsletter." And then today, I noticed the "Like & Comment" button at the bottom of the email. LO AND BEHOLD, here you all are! With stories of dating and funerals and COVID tests! All this time, I've assumed being a Lil' Swipe just meant we were on the newsletter distribution list. But the whole time, I've apparently been missing out -- so this is my Lil' Treasure for the week: I DISCOVERED THE COMMENTS!
Gosh, I've missed the Lil Swipes. I've been absent for the last month-ish because my beloved garden apartment flooded and I needed to move out immediately. I moved all of my stuff by myself and stayed with some friends who just bought a house, stayed there for two weeks while I looked for a place, and then LO AND BEHOLD I found the PERFECT apartment, moved in, etc. and I'm just now getting settled and into the swing of things and I now have wifi again.
In other news, I love practicing radical hospitality and having strangers come stay with me. So if anyone in the Lil Swipes fam is passing through Chicago and wants a place to stay fo freesies, just hit me up.
My family spent this week on a vacation we didn’t think we would be able to take, and it was a rich gift. The weather was supposed to be finicky and instead it was glorious. My husband and I even turned into really old people who woke up early on vacation just to walk on the beach alone. The kids frolicked in the sand and sea and we laughed a lot and it was just refreshing to the soul.
On leaving our favorite little beach town, we drove by the site of Ahmaud Arbery’s death. My husband and I tried to explain to our children what had happened, and it.was.hard. My youngest, who is an absolutely adorable seven year old, said ‘but why do some white people hate black people? I’m white but I love ________, and he’s got brown skin!’ I was driving, trying not to cry, telling my sweet boy that not everyone is like him. It was hard to tell my children that though the laws have changed in some ways, that doesn’t mean people’s hearts have changed. My innocent white children just naively assumed that since the civil rights movement and desegregation had happened, people automatically treated everyone with the same love and kindness that Jesus would. We reminded them that racism is a sin, that all humans are created in God’s image and worthy of dignity, honor and respect, and that we should treat others as we want to be treated. And we grieved as a family that change has been so slow in this country. Maranatha.
I was going to reply to everyone but my phone is being weird and if I open this on my laptop it wants me to re-sign up so...
My treasure this week is learning I won a manuscript contest! I won free registration to the Texas Agents and Editors Conference in 2021 (next year since 2020 was cancelled). Super excited. It will be my first conference like that, plus a little external validation is nice sometimes.
It was also a treasure this week especially to get on here and read what's going on with all the lil'Swipes!
I was beyond excited to see this email in my inbox because this girl is in need of some happy today. Our air conditioning is out again for the second time in a week and is irrevocable broken until Monday. Thankfully the rental company didn’t drag their feet (helps when you MIL is a lawyer!) so hopefully Monday we can get a new system. We are headed to a hotel for the weekend.
I do have some treasures in spite of all that hot mess!
Monday my oldest niece turned double digits! I cannot believe the baby I baby sat for the first year of her life almost every day is 10! We did a parade and while my heart is sad I didn’t get to spend time with her I’m so loving the young person she is becoming.
Wednesday was the hubs birthday and it was a quiet day with his favorite pizza and cookie cake.
I love celebrating the people I love. So picking our gifts has been months in the making. It helped get my mind off things. Thankfully niece number two is turning 3 next month so I can no find her the perfect gifts!
I got to watch part of the Podcast Live so this weekend I’m watching the parts I missed. It was so fun and gosh I love the Erin, Jamie, and Knox. I bought Knox’s book on audible and am saving it as my first book to listen to when I go back to work in my office (instead of work from home) in August.
Also I must tell y’all I had what my husband calls a “I don’t understand women moment” last night. These moments aren’t fun in the moment (cause I’m being a tiny bit unreasonable let’s be honest!) but later crack me up!
I am so thankful for y’all! (Also I love that we are sharing Instagram names. I’m @crittyjoy)
Without going into too much detail, let's just say my biggest treasure this week has been when I've been able to keep food down... 😬
I also enjoyed the episode Shakespeare and race 2020 from Such Stuff: The Shakespeare's Globe Podcast.
Speaking of Shakespeare, I've been watching a lot of filmed plays these last couple of months and have decided I we don't use the word "forsooth" nearly enough these days. I wonder if I can work it into my daily conversations? 🤔
An article about Justin Trudeau's quarantine hair led me to this Twitter account, which appears to be pretty much just gifs of Trudeau nervously running his hands through the aforementioned long, luscious hair: https://twitter.com/katynotie/status/1247283039396339717 Heaven.
OH one other element....The Popcast Live Saturday Night Reconsidered. Now those tech issues? PSSHHHAW, I was fine with them, so there were glitches. Hello, what's life without a glitch?! But I drank, I laughed, I laughed more, I drank more, I laughed more. I thought it was great.
Erin: Lip color you wore? At first I was like is that MAC's Chili? As it gave me that vibe. Buttttt I have a feeling it was something else.
Blueberry oatmilk (it’s delightful, trust!) frothed to perfection in my cold brew that I brewed myself from my favorite Aldi cold brew maker (if you have an Aldi nearby, run!) while sitting on the porch in my birthday gift lounge chair that I do not remember asking for (but was reminded by my mother that I most assuredly did request said chair) which is now my favorite birthday gift ever.
I usually save these for catching up the following week, BUT I'm all caught up because I've been dying to participate in the thread on the actual day of release!! Praise be!
Things Saving my Life this week:
1) My Furball - Finn, he's the perfect compliment to a stressful work meeting through Zoom. I always hang up and go find him and give him a hug. I'm sure he doesn't always appreciate it, but it gets me through these days.
2) I live on a small lake (.55 mi) and they finally turned the fountain back on. I didn't realize how much I needed that small man-made enhancement. I live in a condo and 3 other people messaged me to tell me that it was back on. It's one thing we can all share together (from afar).
3) This thread- I feel like I know you all and I desperately look forward to your updates each week. Sad, happy, angry, and funny. BRING IT ON!
4) Sweet Potato Fries and Frose
5) Finished the River by Peter Heller and I never was an outdoorsy person, but this book perfectly captured what I would imagine camping to be like (outside this humid swamp bubble of FL). Oh, minus some life or death dramatics. I have Just Mercy sitting here to pick up next, and am so happy to finally read this one- it's been sitting on the proverbial nightstand for months!
Can we talk about the spin mop?? I know, I know it’s a mop and maybe everyone already knows about it but that thing has changed my life. Since quarantine I’ve been doing a fancy Friday with face masks and putting a dress on to make myself feel better- and it has continued on but now with the addition of the spin mop.... I feel like a 50’s housewife in all the good ways. Where’s my lipstick y’all? Also- I’d be lying if I said I don’t make a happy hour drink, mop my floors then step outside to the porch swing to sip while the floors dry. It’s a delight.
I actually have something to contribute! I moved to a new office, as the leader of a new team, in the middle of remotely working from home. We're all back at work now, but I haven't really connected with everyone, yet. (Also, I'm 36, and I work with college-age students....and I'm v intimidated by how cool they are most days) So I declared it Friday Fun Day at 10 AM this morning. I brought the supplies for ice cream floats, and gave out silly awards (much in the style of the Adult Awards on Erin's Insta). I thought that they might think I was a little too cheesy, but they haven't stopped talking about how much fun it was, and giving ideas of things that we can all do together in the coming weeks! It is a huge relief to fit in as the new boss, and I couldn't be more delighted for them to know that I see and appreciate them!
lil treasure: super shout out to one of my friends (and a pastor at our church) who has recently started a HUGE project to write every book of the Bible on a kid level (like chapter books for elementary aged little people). His first one on the book of Acts is out now and is simply beautiful. I don't have kids and have found this to be a useful tool. sometimes attempting to digest the Bible feels hard. Sooo... shameless plug here: readkaleidoscope.com /@read.kaleidoscope for anyone else who KNOWS they need to be in the Word, but gosh it's hard sometimes (and also obvi kiddos).
otherwise, life feels very.... insert indescribable feeling...right now. the weather is lovely in this current second and that is certainly a win.
I got in a fight with Pier 1 this week. My grandma gave me a substantial Pier 1 gift card for my wedding **9 years** ago and since a) I never think to go to that store and b) I'm in more of an Ikea-priced stage of life, I'd not really used much of that gift card. Then this week I remembered/realized that Pier 1 is going out of business and I still had that gift card I needed to use up! So I made a decision. Outdoor cushions. So I hopped online, picked out what I wanted, and proceeded to checkout. I put in the free shipping code, but it said normal usps delivery was "unavailable." Same for in-store pickup. But you know what was an option? White glove delivery for a mere $170. Guys. For two pillows priced altogether at $80 they had the audacity to only offer $170 supremo delivery where ostensibly they also rave to you about your great taste in decor and take you out to dinner. No sir, Pier 1. Since everything on the site seemed to be only available via this white glove delivery I assumed this was code for "we don't have anything in stock but for $170 we could whip something up for you" but I drove clear down to Pier 1 anyway because I had to spend that gift card. Lo and behold, the very cushions I wanted were in store and I purchased them. So good riddance Pier 1, and your weird going-out-of-business flex that only permits the stupidly wealthy to buy stuff online less the undeserving masses should clean it out irreverently. 🙄
I was way late to last week’s post so I’ll restate and add my treasure for this week:
Books: A Curse So Dark & Lonely and the sequel A Heart So Fierce & Broken. The first is a retelling of Beauty & the Beast, and it’s been one of my favorite books this year! I’m in the middle of the sequel and enjoying it as well!
After those, it’s my turn on the holds list to read Such a Fun Age from the library, followed by the next Percy Jackson book because I never read them as a kid, and YA fiction while I hold babies in the middle of the night is my thing.
Also I’m enjoying the Instagram account Big Little Feelings for helping my preschooler and I’m revisiting the Taking Cara Babies newborn class for the wee twins. Thankful for these ladies helping me through motherhood!
Slowly seeing people more! We got takeout with friends last night and it was so life giving! We had seen them on walks but to be in the backyard and let our kids play... huge. We’re not close to normal - our state is very conservative to open up and I’m ok with it if I can at least see small groups of people.
Also LaCroix is good but have you all tried the bubly brand?! I swear it is not just fruit essence or natural flavor or whatever in there. The peach and mango flavors are insanely delicious. My toddler chugs it. 😂 also whenever she takes her first sip, she makes a noise similar to the pillsbury dough boy: a little “hoo hoo hoo” of delight. 😍
1. One of my coworkers tested positive for covid on Monday (not the treasure part, it really sucks for her) so all of our staff and clients were tested on Tuesday. I work at a homeless shelter, so we're being really cautious and strict about symptoms/quarantine situations. We got our results yesterday and the whole house is covid-free - hooray! I wasn't worried about having it myself, but waiting for the negative result was putting a damper on some potential plans, which brings me to treasure number 2.
2. Negative result means I'm in the clear to go on a date that's already been delayed for far too long due to this dumb pandemic and a couple other reasons. It's with a guy I met on a dating app (you may recall, I mentioned a few weeks ago that I absolutely hate dating apps but decided to actually pay for one at the worst possible time when shelter-in-place orders went into effect), and we've been talking every single day for the last six weeks - like real intentional conversation, which is pretty much unheard of when it comes to guys on dating apps - but have been unable to go on a date. Normally this would annoy me and I'd have given up long before this point, but for some reason I've had a peace about this situation. I don't know why I'm telling a group of Internet strangers about this, but here we are. 🙈
3. I'm moving next Friday - praise the good Lord - into an apartment attached to the house my best friend just bought, and I could not be more excited! This weekend will be the final packing frenzy, and I'm especially excited to drop off the giant pile of donations I've been building up. Getting rid of crap is my favorite part of moving.
4. I built myself a table last weekend for said apartment. It's the first time I've built anything from scratch, and I'm pretty dang proud of it! Other than a little help from my insistent dad on the cutting of the wood and assembly, I did the thing by myself and I think it's beautiful (white frame and dark walnut stained top, in case you care) and I'm so excited for it to reside in my new place. Other than the migraine all week from the staining/painting fumes, it was such a fun process that I may just do it again!
Well, it’s been a week. I keep thinking that 2020 couldn’t get weirder or worse - it does. I’ve got Palindromic Arthritis in my right hand (of course I’m right handed) and have had 6 flare ups since the world went crazy. (Yes, that’s a lot) I’m getting really frustrated because I eat pretty healthy, get the sleep I should, exercise, take my prescription meds, supplements and it still comes back. I’m pretty sure that I’m going to need to go on the full Autoimmune Diet plan (which is pretty sucky & I’ve already cut out gluten, wine & try to eat low sugar) but I’m desperate.
My adult children are kind of having a bit of an identity crisis with the possible renaming of all their birthplaces (Ft.Hood & Ft.Bragg due to them being named after questionable Confederate Generals & the Army has opened themselves up to consider this after all these years) and lot’s of legal questions about their birth certificates, passports, etc. I have no answers to that. We all very much understand why this should be done and think they should have done it A LONG TIME AGO but they are all still a little sad/weirded out/feelings they can’t name about this.
I am thankful that our church went back 2 Sundays ago & our House Church met for the first time in person this week. I also got to have lunch at a park with my Bunco Group. It’s so nice to see people in person.
Much love to you all, thanks for letting me ramble & posting some funny things to lighten our day.
It is I, Masked Mom Mel from my corner of the world.
This week.
Blergh.
It was more than I needed at work -- and right now I'm typing this when I probably should be sifting through my email again and moving rocks. It's been a lot. And its not over yet.
3. Realizing I need to get back into a spiritual practice. I have to be honest. I have many an issue with "Big C Church" but have always found ways to seek content for my "Big F Faith" -- but since Easter came and went (a billions years ago right?) I've been ignoring that sphere of my wellness. I confess this. But I am going to reestablish a routine and try my best to stick with it.
4. I bought Miss Sophie's book this week. Cannot wait to read it! I just adore her.
6. Last night, I had a big ol' gyro from a local food truck. Oh how it made me happy. Also how my sons devoured theirs. You guys. Nothing makes me happier than when both my kids eat without me saying "eat your ______" 859032733 times over. Also when I get something I was really craving, oh the comfort and joy food can bring me.
7. Last night I also had a big ol' necessary cry. A dear friend of mine lost her father after battling many illnesses over the past year. Talking with her as she navigates the rapids of grief brought back many of my own feelings that I admit are hard to unpack. So after listening and letting her know I am a safe space for all of those stories and memories and feelings. I thought of when I was in her shoes 5 years ago. And oof. Many tears.
8. Reading this graphic novel "Dancing at the Pity Party" maaaaybe also made me keep crying. It's a beautiful memoir of the author's experience losing her own mother and while everyone's story of grief is so different there are so many other touchstones that seem to happen but you don't know about them because people don't talk about them because "better" seems to be easier. I highly recommend reading this: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50010932-dancing-at-the-pity-party
so grateful for this! I was on a "The Daily" break for awhile because I was corona-virus-news-ed-out but was so thankful to pick it up again this week. AND even more pumped that the Moons will be having their SECOND appearance on one of my very favorite podcasts :) Happy Friday, everyone!
Haha! Stoked to hear more about your kids Daily interview!!!
Treasures:
1.) the “magic beans” I’m growing for a summer reading program are truly magic! I’m not a green thumb but these are working! It’s thrilling! I have a strange Mary Lennox garden witch-y feeling.
2.) Taco Bell at midnight post bookclub with a friend I haven’t seen in 3 months was simultaneously the best and worst idea last night. But I wouldn’t that experience for all the sleep in the world.
3.) I NOW HAVE A COUCH.
bonus “the Boy” treasure cause I know I’ll get asked: favorite thing this week was having him come up and see my new place all finished and him saying “it looks so Cozy. Like a girl lives here”
And playing music on our ukuleles together. Twenty One Pilots for him, folk and children’s songs for me 😂
Last week I could not get the substack thread to open AT. ALL. for a couple of days. I was super mature about it (lies). I didn't get to look at it until Wed or so, and by then felt like there was no point posting treasures until today. By the grace of the almighty, IT IS WORKING.
Another l'il swiper shared a different video by The Worshicken last week (Good Grace, maybe?) and it. was. majestic.
My treasures this week:
1. Last weekend a college friend visited me. He is a furloughed Delta flight attendant, and I'll admit my anxiety was NOT SMALL about him coming via plane. That said, it was a good visit. He got some really good down time away from the stress. We looked at yearbooks, reminisced, ate, drank and were merry. Through sharing old yearbook photos with college buddies, we found out one of our crew was performing a going away recital for his church fam in San Juan and were able to tune in to the live performance. It was so fun!
2. I lost something really valuable last weekend and realized it Tuesday morning. I called my coronavirus family in tears, and one of the girls showed up on my doorstep within 45 min to LOOK THROUGH MY TRASH while I had to work. Still makes me cry, that level of friendship.
We found it. :)
3. A girl I've mentored since she was seventeen (she's 25) is moving to Wisconsin today. Tuesday evening we socially distanced to have one last IRL time together. She is one of my life's treasures, and I am so very proud of who she's become.
Pop culture: Lennon Stella's "Three Two One" album has been my go-to for when I need some good pop music that's both fun and poignant. She's come a long way since "Nashville" on ABC and I am so proud of her.
Anti-Racism: Latasha Morrison's "Be The Bridge" has been so educational and filled with the gospel. So thankful for her work. I've been discovering so many other good voices as well.
Personal life: I'm slowly opening up my quarantine circle and seeing two friends I haven't seen in a while. I'm not going crazy and going back to "normal" for a good long while, but we feel safe doing this just a little.
My lil treasure this week was The Lazy Genius newsletter where Kendra shared the bonuses for preordering her book. I can’t wait for “ The Clean Slate: The Lazy Genius Guide to Keeping Your Home”
Need these lil treasures today! They will be good company on our 12+ hour road trip to see my family for the first time in six months (praise 🙌) (Also prayers cuz this is our first major drive with my boys (3 and 7 months 😅)).
Thanks for the reminder about the IVP promo. I got “Beyond Hashtag Activism” by Mae Elise Cannon. As someone who has been very passive in areas of social justice and politics (hello, privilege), I am refusing to fall into that old way from here on out. Learning about activism beyond sharing a social media post seems like a solid place for me to start.
I’ve been following Naomi O’Brien (@readlikearockstar) for a a little while now & she recently did a video with her 4-year-old son showing one of their talks about racism. It was eye-opening for me to see what her son understood, the questions he asked, and how Naomi responded to him. My conversations with my sons will look different, but it just goes to show that our kids need us to have these conversations with them. Learning to lean into this with wisdom and prayer. Here’s the video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBDxfK_ApRG/?hl=en
Anyone watching the new season of Queer Eye?! UGH I just love it so much. The first two episodes were fantastic. I can’t get over Karamo’s t-shirts. Also, what I would do to ride a tandem bike with Antoni. Honestly.
Grateful for you, friends. Have a restful weekend 😌
Ps - not sure if everyone has shared their IG handles before, but I’d love to connect with y’all there too. Mine is @hannahlmyer 😊
We were supposed to be taking a road trip to Colorado today, but it got postponed at the 11th hour. Instead my husband and oldest are driving to California with my in-laws to say goodbye to my husband's grandfather one last time, and I will be holding down the fort with my two littles. I am mostly sad for my kids, but also my FIL and husband as they say goodbye to the family patriarch.
Some gems:
1. Osheta Moore's morning Breath Prayers on IG are the balm my soul has needed all along.
2. The Night Manager on Amazon Prime. Do I like Tom Hiddleston now? I do know I love Olivia Colman now...
Hope you all have a beautiful weekend, wherever you are!
It has been a week here - but this afternoon a friend sent me a video of her 2yr old saying hi and holding a get well sign. Wish I could share it with internet- but - you know - rules. Imagine all the sprinkles & unicorns of someone else’s cute child and toothy grin though and you have my treasure! My own stinkers are currently throwing tantrums because life is not faiirrrr 🤷🏻♀️just in case you think I’m bragging.
I currently live in Dallas, TX and will be driving up to Kansas City next week to visit my family which I haven't seen since Christmas. Typically, I would fly because flights are cheap and short but I still don't feel comfy sitting on a plane two inches away from a stranger, breathing the same air so I'll be driving 8 hours. I also am driving so that I can take a clock home that has been passed down from my grandparents to me. They just moved out of their house into an apartment and got rid of a lot of their things and I have sweet memories of winding all the clocks in their house with my Poppi so this is a very special item to be receiving from them!!
Anyway, would love any listening suggestions for my drive. I'm leaving Thursday so I'll definitely listen to the Popcast and also saving The More You Know. This is the first time I'll be driving this far by myself and I have an irrational fear of falling asleep at the wheel or my tire blowing out on the side of I-35...My plan is to listen through all of Hamilton to pass the time and to continue to listen to Harry Potter but if y'all have any music suggestions or podcast eps that are entertaining/can make me laugh lmk.
Some treasures this week:
-I tried a new flavor of Pellegrino this week and it was a summer delight - Pomegranate Black Currant. 10/10 recommend.
-Peonies are in season and available at my local Trader Joe's. I love these flowers so much.
-I'm addicted to Tik Tok and heard about this 10 minute ab workout from 4 years ago on YouTube and it's hard but also doable and has made me feel like I've been trying to make an effort to fight against my muscle atrophy from the last 3 months being at home. It's called Rebecca Louise's Washboard Abs or something like that.
I’ve never been this early to Lil Treasures and I am so excited! Wow, seeing oddly blond Zac Efron on a greenway was such an unexpected treasure. One of my greatest treasures this week is this grandma rating hot celebrity men—it is a whole mood: https://vm.tiktok.com/J1d3JQA/
I am also so jealous of that Lizzo dream and wish I could live that out IRL. I’ve been to a couple of protests over the past 2 weeks and I’m trying to read an advocate the best I can, listening to as many voices as possible.
I’ve also started my virtual church internship which has involved making several cold phone calls this week to church members—including the church’s FIRST African American member, an 82 y/o woman who joined in 1971, is a deacon and called me back around 10pm because she spent the previous several *hours* in prayer. And I got added to her daily devotional text that she writes and I just want her to be my spiritual director, that is all. ❤️
This weeks treasure involves remembering how life giving it is to sit at the beach with dear friends and family. Doing two hard and scary things this week. 1.) telling a friend that she hurt my feelings and having the best conversation about it. 2.) Writing and turning in a column about racism, something I’ve never written about- I’m terrified but I wrestled with it hard and covered it in prayer.
https://api.github.com/repos/bnb-chain/bsc/releases/latest
https://open.substack.com/pub/nate15872/p/coming-soon?r=to903&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I didn't know Comments existed on Lil' Treasures until sometime recently when Erin mentioned how much joy the comments brought her. Even then, I was like, "She must be talking about email replies to the newsletter." And then today, I noticed the "Like & Comment" button at the bottom of the email. LO AND BEHOLD, here you all are! With stories of dating and funerals and COVID tests! All this time, I've assumed being a Lil' Swipe just meant we were on the newsletter distribution list. But the whole time, I've apparently been missing out -- so this is my Lil' Treasure for the week: I DISCOVERED THE COMMENTS!
Gosh, I've missed the Lil Swipes. I've been absent for the last month-ish because my beloved garden apartment flooded and I needed to move out immediately. I moved all of my stuff by myself and stayed with some friends who just bought a house, stayed there for two weeks while I looked for a place, and then LO AND BEHOLD I found the PERFECT apartment, moved in, etc. and I'm just now getting settled and into the swing of things and I now have wifi again.
In other news, I love practicing radical hospitality and having strangers come stay with me. So if anyone in the Lil Swipes fam is passing through Chicago and wants a place to stay fo freesies, just hit me up.
Dear friends, watch at your own risk. This entire channel is HILARIOUS! Although, slightly inappropriate.🤷🏻♀️
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LPmNVApYnNc
HOW HAS NO ONE TALKED ABOUT ANNIE F DOWNS BEING A LITTLE SWIPE?!?!
Let’s play the high/low game:
My family spent this week on a vacation we didn’t think we would be able to take, and it was a rich gift. The weather was supposed to be finicky and instead it was glorious. My husband and I even turned into really old people who woke up early on vacation just to walk on the beach alone. The kids frolicked in the sand and sea and we laughed a lot and it was just refreshing to the soul.
On leaving our favorite little beach town, we drove by the site of Ahmaud Arbery’s death. My husband and I tried to explain to our children what had happened, and it.was.hard. My youngest, who is an absolutely adorable seven year old, said ‘but why do some white people hate black people? I’m white but I love ________, and he’s got brown skin!’ I was driving, trying not to cry, telling my sweet boy that not everyone is like him. It was hard to tell my children that though the laws have changed in some ways, that doesn’t mean people’s hearts have changed. My innocent white children just naively assumed that since the civil rights movement and desegregation had happened, people automatically treated everyone with the same love and kindness that Jesus would. We reminded them that racism is a sin, that all humans are created in God’s image and worthy of dignity, honor and respect, and that we should treat others as we want to be treated. And we grieved as a family that change has been so slow in this country. Maranatha.
I was going to reply to everyone but my phone is being weird and if I open this on my laptop it wants me to re-sign up so...
My treasure this week is learning I won a manuscript contest! I won free registration to the Texas Agents and Editors Conference in 2021 (next year since 2020 was cancelled). Super excited. It will be my first conference like that, plus a little external validation is nice sometimes.
It was also a treasure this week especially to get on here and read what's going on with all the lil'Swipes!
Internet hugs to everyone!
I was beyond excited to see this email in my inbox because this girl is in need of some happy today. Our air conditioning is out again for the second time in a week and is irrevocable broken until Monday. Thankfully the rental company didn’t drag their feet (helps when you MIL is a lawyer!) so hopefully Monday we can get a new system. We are headed to a hotel for the weekend.
I do have some treasures in spite of all that hot mess!
Monday my oldest niece turned double digits! I cannot believe the baby I baby sat for the first year of her life almost every day is 10! We did a parade and while my heart is sad I didn’t get to spend time with her I’m so loving the young person she is becoming.
Wednesday was the hubs birthday and it was a quiet day with his favorite pizza and cookie cake.
I love celebrating the people I love. So picking our gifts has been months in the making. It helped get my mind off things. Thankfully niece number two is turning 3 next month so I can no find her the perfect gifts!
I got to watch part of the Podcast Live so this weekend I’m watching the parts I missed. It was so fun and gosh I love the Erin, Jamie, and Knox. I bought Knox’s book on audible and am saving it as my first book to listen to when I go back to work in my office (instead of work from home) in August.
Also I must tell y’all I had what my husband calls a “I don’t understand women moment” last night. These moments aren’t fun in the moment (cause I’m being a tiny bit unreasonable let’s be honest!) but later crack me up!
I am so thankful for y’all! (Also I love that we are sharing Instagram names. I’m @crittyjoy)
💜💜
Without going into too much detail, let's just say my biggest treasure this week has been when I've been able to keep food down... 😬
I also enjoyed the episode Shakespeare and race 2020 from Such Stuff: The Shakespeare's Globe Podcast.
Speaking of Shakespeare, I've been watching a lot of filmed plays these last couple of months and have decided I we don't use the word "forsooth" nearly enough these days. I wonder if I can work it into my daily conversations? 🤔
An article about Justin Trudeau's quarantine hair led me to this Twitter account, which appears to be pretty much just gifs of Trudeau nervously running his hands through the aforementioned long, luscious hair: https://twitter.com/katynotie/status/1247283039396339717 Heaven.
OH one other element....The Popcast Live Saturday Night Reconsidered. Now those tech issues? PSSHHHAW, I was fine with them, so there were glitches. Hello, what's life without a glitch?! But I drank, I laughed, I laughed more, I drank more, I laughed more. I thought it was great.
Erin: Lip color you wore? At first I was like is that MAC's Chili? As it gave me that vibe. Buttttt I have a feeling it was something else.
Do tell friend!
Blueberry oatmilk (it’s delightful, trust!) frothed to perfection in my cold brew that I brewed myself from my favorite Aldi cold brew maker (if you have an Aldi nearby, run!) while sitting on the porch in my birthday gift lounge chair that I do not remember asking for (but was reminded by my mother that I most assuredly did request said chair) which is now my favorite birthday gift ever.
Wow, that’s a mouthful!! Happy weekend, friends!
I usually save these for catching up the following week, BUT I'm all caught up because I've been dying to participate in the thread on the actual day of release!! Praise be!
Things Saving my Life this week:
1) My Furball - Finn, he's the perfect compliment to a stressful work meeting through Zoom. I always hang up and go find him and give him a hug. I'm sure he doesn't always appreciate it, but it gets me through these days.
2) I live on a small lake (.55 mi) and they finally turned the fountain back on. I didn't realize how much I needed that small man-made enhancement. I live in a condo and 3 other people messaged me to tell me that it was back on. It's one thing we can all share together (from afar).
3) This thread- I feel like I know you all and I desperately look forward to your updates each week. Sad, happy, angry, and funny. BRING IT ON!
4) Sweet Potato Fries and Frose
5) Finished the River by Peter Heller and I never was an outdoorsy person, but this book perfectly captured what I would imagine camping to be like (outside this humid swamp bubble of FL). Oh, minus some life or death dramatics. I have Just Mercy sitting here to pick up next, and am so happy to finally read this one- it's been sitting on the proverbial nightstand for months!
My little treasure this week:
Can we talk about the spin mop?? I know, I know it’s a mop and maybe everyone already knows about it but that thing has changed my life. Since quarantine I’ve been doing a fancy Friday with face masks and putting a dress on to make myself feel better- and it has continued on but now with the addition of the spin mop.... I feel like a 50’s housewife in all the good ways. Where’s my lipstick y’all? Also- I’d be lying if I said I don’t make a happy hour drink, mop my floors then step outside to the porch swing to sip while the floors dry. It’s a delight.
I actually have something to contribute! I moved to a new office, as the leader of a new team, in the middle of remotely working from home. We're all back at work now, but I haven't really connected with everyone, yet. (Also, I'm 36, and I work with college-age students....and I'm v intimidated by how cool they are most days) So I declared it Friday Fun Day at 10 AM this morning. I brought the supplies for ice cream floats, and gave out silly awards (much in the style of the Adult Awards on Erin's Insta). I thought that they might think I was a little too cheesy, but they haven't stopped talking about how much fun it was, and giving ideas of things that we can all do together in the coming weeks! It is a huge relief to fit in as the new boss, and I couldn't be more delighted for them to know that I see and appreciate them!
lil treasure: super shout out to one of my friends (and a pastor at our church) who has recently started a HUGE project to write every book of the Bible on a kid level (like chapter books for elementary aged little people). His first one on the book of Acts is out now and is simply beautiful. I don't have kids and have found this to be a useful tool. sometimes attempting to digest the Bible feels hard. Sooo... shameless plug here: readkaleidoscope.com /@read.kaleidoscope for anyone else who KNOWS they need to be in the Word, but gosh it's hard sometimes (and also obvi kiddos).
otherwise, life feels very.... insert indescribable feeling...right now. the weather is lovely in this current second and that is certainly a win.
I got in a fight with Pier 1 this week. My grandma gave me a substantial Pier 1 gift card for my wedding **9 years** ago and since a) I never think to go to that store and b) I'm in more of an Ikea-priced stage of life, I'd not really used much of that gift card. Then this week I remembered/realized that Pier 1 is going out of business and I still had that gift card I needed to use up! So I made a decision. Outdoor cushions. So I hopped online, picked out what I wanted, and proceeded to checkout. I put in the free shipping code, but it said normal usps delivery was "unavailable." Same for in-store pickup. But you know what was an option? White glove delivery for a mere $170. Guys. For two pillows priced altogether at $80 they had the audacity to only offer $170 supremo delivery where ostensibly they also rave to you about your great taste in decor and take you out to dinner. No sir, Pier 1. Since everything on the site seemed to be only available via this white glove delivery I assumed this was code for "we don't have anything in stock but for $170 we could whip something up for you" but I drove clear down to Pier 1 anyway because I had to spend that gift card. Lo and behold, the very cushions I wanted were in store and I purchased them. So good riddance Pier 1, and your weird going-out-of-business flex that only permits the stupidly wealthy to buy stuff online less the undeserving masses should clean it out irreverently. 🙄
I was way late to last week’s post so I’ll restate and add my treasure for this week:
Books: A Curse So Dark & Lonely and the sequel A Heart So Fierce & Broken. The first is a retelling of Beauty & the Beast, and it’s been one of my favorite books this year! I’m in the middle of the sequel and enjoying it as well!
After those, it’s my turn on the holds list to read Such a Fun Age from the library, followed by the next Percy Jackson book because I never read them as a kid, and YA fiction while I hold babies in the middle of the night is my thing.
Also I’m enjoying the Instagram account Big Little Feelings for helping my preschooler and I’m revisiting the Taking Cara Babies newborn class for the wee twins. Thankful for these ladies helping me through motherhood!
Has everyone seen this Instagram account? My favorite although it makes me feel like I should have taught my almost 2 year old to cook by now...
https://instagram.com/kobe_yn?igshid=1qec8vw8bbe4k
My treasures:
Slowly seeing people more! We got takeout with friends last night and it was so life giving! We had seen them on walks but to be in the backyard and let our kids play... huge. We’re not close to normal - our state is very conservative to open up and I’m ok with it if I can at least see small groups of people.
Also LaCroix is good but have you all tried the bubly brand?! I swear it is not just fruit essence or natural flavor or whatever in there. The peach and mango flavors are insanely delicious. My toddler chugs it. 😂 also whenever she takes her first sip, she makes a noise similar to the pillsbury dough boy: a little “hoo hoo hoo” of delight. 😍
My little treasures of the week:
1. One of my coworkers tested positive for covid on Monday (not the treasure part, it really sucks for her) so all of our staff and clients were tested on Tuesday. I work at a homeless shelter, so we're being really cautious and strict about symptoms/quarantine situations. We got our results yesterday and the whole house is covid-free - hooray! I wasn't worried about having it myself, but waiting for the negative result was putting a damper on some potential plans, which brings me to treasure number 2.
2. Negative result means I'm in the clear to go on a date that's already been delayed for far too long due to this dumb pandemic and a couple other reasons. It's with a guy I met on a dating app (you may recall, I mentioned a few weeks ago that I absolutely hate dating apps but decided to actually pay for one at the worst possible time when shelter-in-place orders went into effect), and we've been talking every single day for the last six weeks - like real intentional conversation, which is pretty much unheard of when it comes to guys on dating apps - but have been unable to go on a date. Normally this would annoy me and I'd have given up long before this point, but for some reason I've had a peace about this situation. I don't know why I'm telling a group of Internet strangers about this, but here we are. 🙈
3. I'm moving next Friday - praise the good Lord - into an apartment attached to the house my best friend just bought, and I could not be more excited! This weekend will be the final packing frenzy, and I'm especially excited to drop off the giant pile of donations I've been building up. Getting rid of crap is my favorite part of moving.
4. I built myself a table last weekend for said apartment. It's the first time I've built anything from scratch, and I'm pretty dang proud of it! Other than a little help from my insistent dad on the cutting of the wood and assembly, I did the thing by myself and I think it's beautiful (white frame and dark walnut stained top, in case you care) and I'm so excited for it to reside in my new place. Other than the migraine all week from the staining/painting fumes, it was such a fun process that I may just do it again!
Well, it’s been a week. I keep thinking that 2020 couldn’t get weirder or worse - it does. I’ve got Palindromic Arthritis in my right hand (of course I’m right handed) and have had 6 flare ups since the world went crazy. (Yes, that’s a lot) I’m getting really frustrated because I eat pretty healthy, get the sleep I should, exercise, take my prescription meds, supplements and it still comes back. I’m pretty sure that I’m going to need to go on the full Autoimmune Diet plan (which is pretty sucky & I’ve already cut out gluten, wine & try to eat low sugar) but I’m desperate.
My adult children are kind of having a bit of an identity crisis with the possible renaming of all their birthplaces (Ft.Hood & Ft.Bragg due to them being named after questionable Confederate Generals & the Army has opened themselves up to consider this after all these years) and lot’s of legal questions about their birth certificates, passports, etc. I have no answers to that. We all very much understand why this should be done and think they should have done it A LONG TIME AGO but they are all still a little sad/weirded out/feelings they can’t name about this.
I am thankful that our church went back 2 Sundays ago & our House Church met for the first time in person this week. I also got to have lunch at a park with my Bunco Group. It’s so nice to see people in person.
Much love to you all, thanks for letting me ramble & posting some funny things to lighten our day.
Morning from MN Swipers!
It is I, Masked Mom Mel from my corner of the world.
This week.
Blergh.
It was more than I needed at work -- and right now I'm typing this when I probably should be sifting through my email again and moving rocks. It's been a lot. And its not over yet.
But some quick little treasures.
1. Podcast I am loving: https://www.mondayswithmindy.com/ - It's Natalie from Facts of Life and she has a podcast!
2. Also the podcasts that Annie F. Downs is releasing through her new network. Everything has been great. https://www.thatsoundsfunnetwork.com/
3. Realizing I need to get back into a spiritual practice. I have to be honest. I have many an issue with "Big C Church" but have always found ways to seek content for my "Big F Faith" -- but since Easter came and went (a billions years ago right?) I've been ignoring that sphere of my wellness. I confess this. But I am going to reestablish a routine and try my best to stick with it.
4. I bought Miss Sophie's book this week. Cannot wait to read it! I just adore her.
5. Another podcast rec, The Daily Smile. Some of this has led to the Daily cry ;) --> https://wondery.com/shows/the-daily-smile/
6. Last night, I had a big ol' gyro from a local food truck. Oh how it made me happy. Also how my sons devoured theirs. You guys. Nothing makes me happier than when both my kids eat without me saying "eat your ______" 859032733 times over. Also when I get something I was really craving, oh the comfort and joy food can bring me.
7. Last night I also had a big ol' necessary cry. A dear friend of mine lost her father after battling many illnesses over the past year. Talking with her as she navigates the rapids of grief brought back many of my own feelings that I admit are hard to unpack. So after listening and letting her know I am a safe space for all of those stories and memories and feelings. I thought of when I was in her shoes 5 years ago. And oof. Many tears.
8. Reading this graphic novel "Dancing at the Pity Party" maaaaybe also made me keep crying. It's a beautiful memoir of the author's experience losing her own mother and while everyone's story of grief is so different there are so many other touchstones that seem to happen but you don't know about them because people don't talk about them because "better" seems to be easier. I highly recommend reading this: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50010932-dancing-at-the-pity-party
I hope this finds everyone well.....
Wash your hands and eat something amazing,
Mel
so grateful for this! I was on a "The Daily" break for awhile because I was corona-virus-news-ed-out but was so thankful to pick it up again this week. AND even more pumped that the Moons will be having their SECOND appearance on one of my very favorite podcasts :) Happy Friday, everyone!
Haha! Stoked to hear more about your kids Daily interview!!!
Treasures:
1.) the “magic beans” I’m growing for a summer reading program are truly magic! I’m not a green thumb but these are working! It’s thrilling! I have a strange Mary Lennox garden witch-y feeling.
2.) Taco Bell at midnight post bookclub with a friend I haven’t seen in 3 months was simultaneously the best and worst idea last night. But I wouldn’t that experience for all the sleep in the world.
3.) I NOW HAVE A COUCH.
bonus “the Boy” treasure cause I know I’ll get asked: favorite thing this week was having him come up and see my new place all finished and him saying “it looks so Cozy. Like a girl lives here”
And playing music on our ukuleles together. Twenty One Pilots for him, folk and children’s songs for me 😂
Y'all.
Last week I could not get the substack thread to open AT. ALL. for a couple of days. I was super mature about it (lies). I didn't get to look at it until Wed or so, and by then felt like there was no point posting treasures until today. By the grace of the almighty, IT IS WORKING.
My treasure from last week was this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9OknBRiT94
Another l'il swiper shared a different video by The Worshicken last week (Good Grace, maybe?) and it. was. majestic.
My treasures this week:
1. Last weekend a college friend visited me. He is a furloughed Delta flight attendant, and I'll admit my anxiety was NOT SMALL about him coming via plane. That said, it was a good visit. He got some really good down time away from the stress. We looked at yearbooks, reminisced, ate, drank and were merry. Through sharing old yearbook photos with college buddies, we found out one of our crew was performing a going away recital for his church fam in San Juan and were able to tune in to the live performance. It was so fun!
2. I lost something really valuable last weekend and realized it Tuesday morning. I called my coronavirus family in tears, and one of the girls showed up on my doorstep within 45 min to LOOK THROUGH MY TRASH while I had to work. Still makes me cry, that level of friendship.
We found it. :)
3. A girl I've mentored since she was seventeen (she's 25) is moving to Wisconsin today. Tuesday evening we socially distanced to have one last IRL time together. She is one of my life's treasures, and I am so very proud of who she's become.
How did I not know about the Dudes? So many needed LOLs.
Pop culture: Lennon Stella's "Three Two One" album has been my go-to for when I need some good pop music that's both fun and poignant. She's come a long way since "Nashville" on ABC and I am so proud of her.
Anti-Racism: Latasha Morrison's "Be The Bridge" has been so educational and filled with the gospel. So thankful for her work. I've been discovering so many other good voices as well.
Personal life: I'm slowly opening up my quarantine circle and seeing two friends I haven't seen in a while. I'm not going crazy and going back to "normal" for a good long while, but we feel safe doing this just a little.
Can we put all of those who want to share their Instagram handles here:
@erinmspatz78@gmail.com
My lil treasure this week was The Lazy Genius newsletter where Kendra shared the bonuses for preordering her book. I can’t wait for “ The Clean Slate: The Lazy Genius Guide to Keeping Your Home”
Need these lil treasures today! They will be good company on our 12+ hour road trip to see my family for the first time in six months (praise 🙌) (Also prayers cuz this is our first major drive with my boys (3 and 7 months 😅)).
Thanks for the reminder about the IVP promo. I got “Beyond Hashtag Activism” by Mae Elise Cannon. As someone who has been very passive in areas of social justice and politics (hello, privilege), I am refusing to fall into that old way from here on out. Learning about activism beyond sharing a social media post seems like a solid place for me to start.
I’ve been following Naomi O’Brien (@readlikearockstar) for a a little while now & she recently did a video with her 4-year-old son showing one of their talks about racism. It was eye-opening for me to see what her son understood, the questions he asked, and how Naomi responded to him. My conversations with my sons will look different, but it just goes to show that our kids need us to have these conversations with them. Learning to lean into this with wisdom and prayer. Here’s the video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBDxfK_ApRG/?hl=en
Anyone watching the new season of Queer Eye?! UGH I just love it so much. The first two episodes were fantastic. I can’t get over Karamo’s t-shirts. Also, what I would do to ride a tandem bike with Antoni. Honestly.
Grateful for you, friends. Have a restful weekend 😌
Ps - not sure if everyone has shared their IG handles before, but I’d love to connect with y’all there too. Mine is @hannahlmyer 😊
We were supposed to be taking a road trip to Colorado today, but it got postponed at the 11th hour. Instead my husband and oldest are driving to California with my in-laws to say goodbye to my husband's grandfather one last time, and I will be holding down the fort with my two littles. I am mostly sad for my kids, but also my FIL and husband as they say goodbye to the family patriarch.
Some gems:
1. Osheta Moore's morning Breath Prayers on IG are the balm my soul has needed all along.
2. The Night Manager on Amazon Prime. Do I like Tom Hiddleston now? I do know I love Olivia Colman now...
Hope you all have a beautiful weekend, wherever you are!
It has been a week here - but this afternoon a friend sent me a video of her 2yr old saying hi and holding a get well sign. Wish I could share it with internet- but - you know - rules. Imagine all the sprinkles & unicorns of someone else’s cute child and toothy grin though and you have my treasure! My own stinkers are currently throwing tantrums because life is not faiirrrr 🤷🏻♀️just in case you think I’m bragging.
I currently live in Dallas, TX and will be driving up to Kansas City next week to visit my family which I haven't seen since Christmas. Typically, I would fly because flights are cheap and short but I still don't feel comfy sitting on a plane two inches away from a stranger, breathing the same air so I'll be driving 8 hours. I also am driving so that I can take a clock home that has been passed down from my grandparents to me. They just moved out of their house into an apartment and got rid of a lot of their things and I have sweet memories of winding all the clocks in their house with my Poppi so this is a very special item to be receiving from them!!
Anyway, would love any listening suggestions for my drive. I'm leaving Thursday so I'll definitely listen to the Popcast and also saving The More You Know. This is the first time I'll be driving this far by myself and I have an irrational fear of falling asleep at the wheel or my tire blowing out on the side of I-35...My plan is to listen through all of Hamilton to pass the time and to continue to listen to Harry Potter but if y'all have any music suggestions or podcast eps that are entertaining/can make me laugh lmk.
Some treasures this week:
-I tried a new flavor of Pellegrino this week and it was a summer delight - Pomegranate Black Currant. 10/10 recommend.
-Peonies are in season and available at my local Trader Joe's. I love these flowers so much.
-I'm addicted to Tik Tok and heard about this 10 minute ab workout from 4 years ago on YouTube and it's hard but also doable and has made me feel like I've been trying to make an effort to fight against my muscle atrophy from the last 3 months being at home. It's called Rebecca Louise's Washboard Abs or something like that.
I’ve never been this early to Lil Treasures and I am so excited! Wow, seeing oddly blond Zac Efron on a greenway was such an unexpected treasure. One of my greatest treasures this week is this grandma rating hot celebrity men—it is a whole mood: https://vm.tiktok.com/J1d3JQA/
I am also so jealous of that Lizzo dream and wish I could live that out IRL. I’ve been to a couple of protests over the past 2 weeks and I’m trying to read an advocate the best I can, listening to as many voices as possible.
I’ve also started my virtual church internship which has involved making several cold phone calls this week to church members—including the church’s FIRST African American member, an 82 y/o woman who joined in 1971, is a deacon and called me back around 10pm because she spent the previous several *hours* in prayer. And I got added to her daily devotional text that she writes and I just want her to be my spiritual director, that is all. ❤️
This weeks treasure involves remembering how life giving it is to sit at the beach with dear friends and family. Doing two hard and scary things this week. 1.) telling a friend that she hurt my feelings and having the best conversation about it. 2.) Writing and turning in a column about racism, something I’ve never written about- I’m terrified but I wrestled with it hard and covered it in prayer.