🛌 Greetings, Lil Swipes. Thanks for all the sweet messages when I took a week off last Friday. Not that this is in any way taxing, but I was/am weary. Trying to learn to rest and not quit in pretty much every area of my life right now, so thank you for the encouragement that it was and is always okay to take a break.
✝️ About three years ago, I listened to a Liturgists podcast episode with Propaganda in which he said that it’s difficult for white American Christians to read the Bible from an accurate perspective because our first reading isn’t from the oppressed viewpoint (also he said there’s no way God only spoke to Dutch dudes and nothing has spoken to my heart in such a way). It absolutely floored me, and I immediately knew he was right. I read this article from Erna Kim Hackett and she unpacked this thought with an incredible metaphor that I have not been able to shake: Disney Princess Theology. It’s actually a whole treatise on racial reconciliation and why that’s not really a viable option, but this point really stuck out to me:
“…white Christianity suffers from a bad case of Disney Princess theology. As each individual reads Scripture, they see themselves as the princess in every story. They are Esther, never Xerxes or Haman. They are Peter, but never Judas. They are the woman anointing Jesus, never the Pharisees. They are the Jews escaping slavery, never Egypt. For citizens of the most powerful country in the world, who enslaved both Native and Black people, to see itself as Israel and not Egypt when studying Scripture is a perfect example of Disney princess theology. And it means that as people in power, they have no lens for locating themselves rightly in Scripture or society — and it has made them blind and utterly ill-equipped to engage issues of power and injustice. It is some very weak Bible work.
Nothing (NUH-THING) has changed the way I’ve read the Bible more than this. It’s helped so many things lock into place for me (see? I’m even doing it now). I share this here because I know so many of us wrestle with scripture, and this is one of the things that gave me a better lens by which to understand. The article is great, the podcast episode is great: check them out.
🚗 My beloved Courtney Cleveland dropped a new video from her COVID road trip through my beloved hometown on her way to Colorado. It’s a great watch and full of wonderful treasures should you ever come to the Texas Panhandle.
🥃 I made this saffron honey cocktail last night for #TravelThursday (it was Spain night and we had paella and it was great). The paella called for saffron and saffron was like: did you know I am $4000? I did not know, but now I have saffron and none of my kids can go to college. But whatever the cocktail was great. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
🌄 Guys I am VERY EXCITED about this new show for our Zac (Efron, if you’re new). This feels like SUCH a great career pivot for him. I’m for it. I’m ready. It will be a great break from what I’m certain will be a constant stream of Hamilton into my eyeballs.
📃 Also if you need the Hamilton spreadsheet, here you go.
🐕 So if you’re following my Game of Thrones saga between me and the chipmunks in my backyard, I believe I may have thwarted them with…coyote urine. Look, I don’t like it any more than you do, but it works and I don’t have any freeloaders taking my tomatoes now. I’ll let you know if they suddenly become wise to the fact that there’s not really a suburban coyote rest stop behind my house.
🐎 So when my parents came a few weeks ago, my dad mentioned that he had a new TV show he wanted to watch with the girls. My dad is a great lover of the Hallmark Channel as well as HBO, so I must admit I was skeptical to see which way he was going to lean here. Turns out my dad really loves this Canadian show, Heartland (on Netflix), and my children are OBSESSED. It’s got horses and gruff-but-sweet granddads and a little sweet love story and benign danger plots for the highly sensitive child in your life. I have to admit, I’m pretty into it now as well. Thanks, Canada!
I know there is a lot going around about monuments and statues and the whatnot, but my friend Erica put together a nice resource on why the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust in the Tennessee State Capitol should be removed. If you’re a Tennessean, it’s worth your time to check out her work!
🔪 Ben and I watched Knives Out on Amazon Prime this week and IT IS GREAT. Fun, quick, and smart: a delightful romp and Chris Evans in a real good sweater.
🙏 I know many of you have been BLESSED by Osheta Moore’s Breath Prayers series, and during the month of July, she’ll be using my devotional, The Comfortable Words, as her source. This is a huge honor for me, as I have been deeply pastored by Osheta since I started following her. Of course, Lil Swipes get the best discount (SWIPEUP for 20% off at checkout), but I know many of us are living in uncertain financial times. So, if that is you, email me (hello@erinhmoon.com) or DM me (if you feel weird or are embarrassed, DM me from your finsta) and I would love to send you a code to get it for free.
One of the funniest videos I’ve seen in awhile that’s not Sarah Cooper:
Long time reader, first time commenter. I live in Forrest County, MS, named after Mr. Nathan Bedford Forrest. (I'm a transplant from MD) I'm so happy to see history in context here. I've had someone tell me that I was a Yankee who didn't understand that NBF was a good man despite making some bad decisions. Those are some ridiculous words coming from someone who doesn't know where the Mason Dixon Line is. BUT Hattiesburg recently erected a statue of Vernon Dahmer (who was a victim of KKK violence for his work as a black voter activist) and there is still talk about relocating the NBF statue. At least we got a new flag! It will never be as great as the Maryland flag, but ANYTHING is better than the atrocious thing we had before.
OK. I just read EHM's unexpected midweek email about Hamilton and I'm not ready for this. I got half way through the email and my exact words are, "well, sh*t." I won't be able to watch this until the kids go to bed. And I might need to have you all hold me.
- The dog officially has cancer and so basically he has this summer to live and we're going to try and make it an excellent doggie one until we need to make a hard decision... right now he feels fine and is pleasantly surprised by the amount of treats he gets. He's 10 and a half so he's not a pup, but it's still hard.
- dealing with my state to fight a fraudulent unemployment claim that is preventing me from getting my maternity leave pay. ALSO WHY DO THEY WANT ME TO FAX THINGS?!?
- painting my bathroom blush pink. it's so warm and cheerful and exactly what you need during a pandemic. Sherwin Williams "white dogwood" in case you wondered.
And, Erin - that Disney Princess theology article was perfect and put into words what I have been wrestling with and talking about with my friends. I sent it to a few friends and we all had a great discussion about our Americanized and white perspective of scripture. Thank you for sharing.
My treasures - I bought those linen pants. I never buy clothes because I...just don't buy things for myself? I don't know. But I bought "the pants" and it lead me to an old navy shopping spree and I am NOT SORRY. I bought a linen blend romper (it's magical), a light weight button down, and a cute, comfy dress because darnit, I am probably not going back to the office any time soon and I want to be comfortable but look like I have changed out of pajamas. Wore the pants yesterday. Magic.
IT'S RAINING PRAISE JESUS. We have been in a drought with no rain for what seems like forever. Not only is it cooler and this rain is much needed in general, but a huge part of my job is running an acre "food pantry" garden that really has no access to fresh water (it's a long story) so this rain is essential to my work and the people we are going to feed.
Peonies finally bloomed.
Turds - ZOOM. I hate zoom. I hate zoom calls, I hate having to look nice, I hate having to look at myself, I hate realizing that I have NO poker face, I hate 9am meetings. I hate the whole thing. I used to really like meetings (I know....) but now I don't want to talk to anyone or look at anyone. They aren't collaborative, our ED has a bad connection where she is 30 seconds behind everyone else so it's impossible to interrupt her and she just monologues the whole meeting. I hate not being able to multi-task, I hate everything about it all the time forever. I don't mind working from home EXCEPT FOR ZOOM.
I too watched Knives Out this week. I think my attention span has been damaged during quarantine because it was a struggle for me to stay invested despite the stellar cast and Chris Evans in that sweatah. Nevertheless I persevered.
I started off strong watching The Great but have lost steam. Looking forward to the new season of Killing Eve but no idea when to expect it.
I’m holding out hope that The Southern Ladies Vampire book will help restore my faith in my ability to read more than tweets whenever it finally arrives from the local bookstore.
I do NOT want to be a double poster... but I kinda have to! The first time I commented on this thread a few weeks ago, I talked about how my daughter participated in a virtual choir with a Broadway star from Les Miserables. The choir released their video last week, and despite my daughter having submitted her video in time, she wasn't in it. There was MUCH weeping from both of us. I contacted the director, he admitted the mistake, and re-rendered (is that a word?) the video with my daughter and a few additional submissions. That back story aside, here is the latest from Greenville Virtual Choir: https://www.facebook.com/584285222090740/videos/263553691408594/
My daughter is in the second column from the left, fifth row down:-)
2.) Jasmine Rice can be turned into a balm for the soul (add cheese, bacon, basil)
3.) Tried a new Thai-Mexican restaurant and it was incredibly delicious- I never usually justify spending money on delivery services, but some days you just need it. I'm glad I live in a world where I can pay someone $12 to deliver my takeout to me.
4.) In need of solutions for those living in the humid swamp, It's not even July yet and my body is exposing me for the hot blooded soul that I am. Suggestions welcome! I'm looking into buying one of these to walk the doggo:
SO. I don't have a treasure I can link for you this week, but I do have one.
I'm trying to figure out how to say this in the most non-geeky way possible, b/c I'm an insurance person, not a tech person: we went live today with the final piece of a software program I have been working on five years. FIVE. We've gone live with other pieces of it, and we have to go live with this final piece in stages, but it is rolled out to one beta tester.
I do not know how to adequately convey the amount of work that statement represents - particularly over the last nine months. It's part of what's made me a bumpkiss pen pal for my two quarantine pen pals, it's cost me some sleep, I've dreamed of walking out the door without giving notice: the whole shebang, folks. SO. While there's still a ton of work over the next week to get the other five beta agencies live, It. Is. Out. There.
And now I need T's and P's to figure out what to do next with this one beautiful life I have. Bless.
I think this week I hit an "Oh s$@*" moment re: Covid-19, because N.C. has become a hot spot, and the reality that this thing is probably going to mean way more siloed off time has me in...a mood. But I'm trying to stay present, stay thankful and just be. And I'm really thankful for the names and faces I see here on Fridays.
My mom has 2 more weeks left in her rehab facility before she gets to come home (it will have been 2 months total by then) so I’m praying for her health and the health of all the patients/employees as South Carolina sees a ridiculous increase in Covid cases.
I’ve been listening to the Hamilton soundtrack again to get me hyped for next weekend and can I recommend the Chris Jackson/Barack Obama remix of One Last Time if you need a good cry?!
I really learned a lot from So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo and really enjoyed The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory if you want a fun sexy romance read. I’m currently reading The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein and it’s very informative too.
I'm looking forward to listening to the podcast you recommended - thank you! Along that same lines is a book that really made an impact on me: Misreading Scripture with Western eyes by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O'Brien (please, say Brandon's name with an Irish accent!) = it's a great read and well worth your time and money. Hope you have a great weekend!
My biggest treasure is that I'm all settled in my new apartment and loving having my own space (YAY for being able to walk around my home without pants on 🙌🙌🙌) and being neighbors with my best friend. I got entirely unpacked and organized (minus decor on walls) in two days and it feels so good. I bought new pretty curtains for my biggest window this week and my last step is finding the perfect accent chair for my living room.
Work is still pretty insane right now, but at the same time I don't have a lot to do because our numbers are wayyyyy down (we're at less than a third of our shelter's capacity right now). But we started taking in new intakes again this week (this is why our numbers are down, because we haven't been taking in anyone since this whole ish started) with obviously MANY strict protocols and quarantining until they test negative, etc. Thankfully our most recent round of COVID tests came back all negative, but there's a lot of fear and anxiety from clients surrounding the decision to bring new people into the house. It's a wild ride for sure, but I'm excited to get more people off the streets and stable again.
My friend is gone this weekend, but I plan on making myself a damn good steak tonight (just got a giant 35lb box of local grass-fed beef delivered to fill my freezer!), drinking wine, getting decor hung on walls, and shopping for an accent chair. Also, I started binging The Office again this week for Popcast reasons, so that will most likely be on in the background all weekend.
Oh I needed this break into the mindless yet heart-ful friendship.
Guys, I've never seen Hamilton so I would love some education on what to expect when I tune in next Friday. I have felt so far behind because all the folks on the internet love it but I haven't gotten to partake yet. I am all ears. And I hope Disney+ is ready for the onslaught of streaming come the 3rd.
My 3 year old son jumped off the bed and hurt his foot. After a few days of limping and being pathetic (and also running around like the 3 year old boy he is) he's acting fine. We scheduled an x-ray and then cancelled the x-ray.
We went to the library on Monday! Yay! Brought home stacks of books, real live books, picked out by our own hands!
And then my middle school daughter came down with a fever. Laid on the couch, wrapped in a sweatshirt and a blanket and ate nothing but chicken broth for a day. I was sure it was the 'rona. But then she slept it off. Now she's doing cartwheels like nothing ever happened. No other signs of anything.
Hi L'il Swipes! Hope everyone's Friday is off to a lovely start. I'm excited that I finally have a Friday off so I can be part of the fun in the comments - you guys are the best! More treasures than turds for me this week, so yay!
- I made it through another Father's Day without it being awful, and that's a huge win. My dear grandfather died suddenly on FD when I was 19 and honestly, our whole family still struggles to make it through the day without tears. To say he was beloved would be an understatement. He was, and will remain for all my days, the greatest man I have ever known. Luckily, my dear husband is very much like him in tone and temperament, so I know I've got a good one. My relationship with my own dad is far more complicated, and I struggle to find an appropriate way to relate to him without the baggage of all the unintended trauma I experienced living in a home with him. He was not abusive, he just didn't know how to deal with his own very difficult childhood, and this had some unfortunate consequences for us. I love him, but it's complicated.
- I paid my tuition deposit on Tuesday so I am now officially enrolled in the Pharmacy Tech program I applied for last fall (prompted in part by one of Laura Tremaine's podcast episodes). I am excited and nervous and have all the feels about making such a big change, but I'm looking forward to something new. Re-careering at 48? Why the heck not!
- I've been really intentional lately about seeking out voices and stories that live on the margins, and this week I listened to the Uncover: The Village podcast about unsolved murders in Toronto's Gay Village. I knew bits and pieces from the news at the time, but this was a much bigger story than I could ever have imagined. I also listened to Brene Brown's podcast with Laverne Cox and was absolutely blown away by their conversation, especially when Laverne said "if the playground isn't safe for every child, then it isn't safe for any of them". The discussion about safety versus comfort is a must for anyone who wants to be an ally to a marginalized community.
- This quote by Elizabeth Gilbert from June's O Magazine: "...If there's a creative project I'm afraid to attempt, a truth I need to tell, or a painful reality I must face, I ask myself 'what's the alternative?' My soul came to this planet because she wanted the complete human experience. I don't want to have come all this way only to have missed the show."
- This watermelon-strawberry lemonade from Real Simple was easy peasy and absolutely delicious: 8c cubed watermelon, 1c strawberries (hulled and chopped), 1/2c lemon juice (from 4 lemons) and 1/2 c white sugar. Blend in two batches in blender, strain through a sieve and refrigerate. I mixed mine with sparkling water but I bet it would be equally delicious with vodka.
- We've had way more rain than usual around here and my flower beds are loving it! I have roses, poppies, peonies all in full bloom, and the pots I planted are bursting with colour and scent. I went a bit more all-out with the planting this spring because I knew we'd be spending our summer close to home, and so far it's paid off. Even my husband commented on how amazing our backyard smells.
- You guys led me to GoCleanCo and my life has changed forever! Their cleaning hacks and videos are amazing and I finally know how to get my stainless steel appliances to shine.
I had a really unfortunate run-in with some wood trim at Home Depot last week and got a bunch of awful, deep slivers in my finger, but I'm happy to report that a week later I think I might have finally extracted the last of them. 🎉
This week was my youngest's 3.5 birthday celebration (his actual birthday is Dec 22 and we are never in a position to make that a special day so we lean hard into the half birthday) and I tried out a different Cafe Rio sweet pork copycat recipe and it was *suh* good! Link: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/copycat-cafe-rio-sweet-pork-recipe/
I also did her cilantro lime rice and cilantro lime ranch dressing and shut up, what a great experience! 🌮🌮
Heartland is such a delightful show. Your girls might enjoy the books as well. They obviously don’t follow the show, but super Canadian sweetness.
I wandered a book store last night. I wore a mask, sanitized my hands between each touch of a book and it was the balm my soul needed. Walked out with Just Mercy and The Girl with Seven Names.
I took myself and my Aldi hammock to the park to read! Not a bad way to spend a Sabbath evening.
Heartland is the show my Dad watched as he was dying. I know that sound weird but he had disease that slowly took away his mobility and all he could do was watch TV. When I seen the show it reminds me of him. My mom will still have marathon nights with nieces. They all started to like the show from coming over and sitting with Grandpa. Side note: the disease my Dad died from is the same one as the Dad from Zoey’s playlist and that was portrayed pretty accurate. This is not the first time lil’ treasures has reminded me of him. Thanks for the emotions, Erin. Lol
I took the 7.5 hour drive up from Dallas to Kansas City last weekend and it was surprisingly a delightful time! Thank you for all the podcast recs everyone! I am so thankful I was able to see my family. I hadn't seen them since Christmas and I was starting to tear up every time I watched videos of my nieces and nephew learning new tricks or getting a new tooth in. It was time to squeeze my littles. I'm glad I got this trip just under the wire as a lot of states are requiring Texas travelers to quarantine for 2 weeks as Texas is getting worse and becoming a hot spot...*shakes my fist at Greg Abbott*...anyway, I'm starting to feel sad about having to hide in my home again so I'm happy to read all these little treasures!!
One treasure I want to mention specifically is a limoncello martini that my Dad made for me while I was in Kansas City. First of all, can I just say that the great thing about living in different cities as your family means that whenever you visit you are treated like a queen and the house that was once the house you were mopping is now your vacation oasis where your father is serving you martinis and you get to sleep in??? Oh how the tables have turned. Anyway, the limoncello martini is easy peasy lemon squeezy (literally) and I will be making it for as long as Texas feels like a sweaty armpit (which is always and forever and ever, amen).
This makes two martinis:
3 shots of vodka
3 shots of chilled limoncello
A splash of lemon juice (depending on how tart you want it!)
-shake in a martini shaker with lots of ice and pour into chilled glasses*
-serve with sugar on the rim and a slice of lemon
*pro tip on chilled glasses: while you're making the cocktail, fill your glasses with water and ice and let them sit for 10 min or so and then dump it out - voila chilled glasses!
Its been a turd-y work week - which, writing this comment from work means that its kinda the only thing on my mind... but I have a couple treasures in the form of
1.) new cafe lights in my living room (y'all im gonna tidy up and photograph my little nest for IG this week, I SWEAR.)
2.)the prospect of my lifegroup getting together for a safe outside dinner bringing me SO MUCH JOY.
3a) Hearing the Boy actually call me his girlfriend for the first time while building LEGOs after dinner Tuesday. (yes, we're actually dating. we're a couple. we're in a relationship. Its been threeish months of "official" but I'm STILL getting used to it?)
3b) piggybacking on that - the fact that I've got a Boy that cooks me dinner (and has my sister's pottery in his kitchen? he always pulls out the Megan-bowl for me) and likes things like building legos and watching youtube together. My Quality Time heart is good with this :D
This morning has been a major turd on the twin front — waking every 45 minutes from 3 am onward, so much spit up I MEAN I CANT EVEN DESCRIBE HOW MUCH, sore boobs from weaning, grumpy toddler brother... so we put everyone back to bed and are hitting RESET, and this email def helped.
The world without statues tweet and the wedding vows 🤣
Treasures this week include finishing the book Such A Fun Age (I need this to be a mini series), and season 2 of both The Politician (better than season 1) and Dead to Me.
Also if you are gonna have a baby or have a baby or know someone with a baby, tell them it’s TOTALLY WORTH the $75 for the Taking Cara Babies newborn sleep class. I am frugal and hate paying for things I could cobble together for free online but this week the boys have slept so much better at night and at naps due to this. I’m talking huge progress in FOUR DAYS. 5 stars.
Lastly, I was reminded of an experience I had a few years ago this week that I need to share as it might be One of the Best Moments of My Life: I went to see Legally Blonde the musical at our local university, and there was a group of six or eight 12 year olds there, dressed in their finest party dresses. Adorbs. They sat in the next section over, and when the musical got to the part when Callahan tries to kiss Elle, the loudest group gasp I have ever heard came from that group of girls. They DID NOT see that coming and they were APPALLED. It was the sweetest most innocent thing I have ever experienced and brings a smile to my face every time I think about it.
welp, the longest shortest week is almost over and i am SO grateful. Treasures include Hamilton dance breaks (and for those of you who cannot get enough Hamilton or theater talk, may I recommend The Hamilcast?), feeling better after low grade sickness the last couple weeks, freshly bathed Brinkley the pup, reading Red at the Bone in one sitting, conquering a running workout (in Florida...in 77 degrees...before the sun comes out), and a Boy texting a little after my dear childhood friends offered to connect us. WHAT A WORLD.
Looking forward to all the sleep this weekend, and xo to all you lil swipes
At first I wasn't going to comment because no treasures came immediately to mind, but then I had a "duh" moment and remembered: I JUST GOT A NEW BED.
For some backstory, I've been poor my entire life (still am) and have always slept in a twin bed. As a kid, I shared a room and there wasn't enough space for anything larger and as an adult living in crappy apartments in Chicago, I also never had the space or the money to get something bigger.
Recently I told y'all about how my last apartment flooded and I was temporarily homeless and then found the apartment of my dreams and this place has enough room for a bigger bed! As a "my life sucks"/graduation present to myself, I decided I was going to finally get a bed that my feet didn't hang off of. I got a queen (because I am a queen, duh), bought a COMFY memory foam mattress from amazon (one review called it "The Oprah of Beds." I concur.), invested in Brooklinen sheets (I'm now a fully converted duvet insert person, who knew?), new pillows, the whole nine.
Last night was my first night sleeping in it and OH WOW WOW WOW. I set it up just right: shaved legs, slathered lotion everywhere, clean hair, fresh sheets, essential oils in the diffuser, and a NyQuil induced coma. I had the time of my life. I've never understood why people just spend so much time in their beds outside of sleeping hours, but now I've come to the realization that I just have never had great beds.
I have stubbornly bought watermelon and spent precious Sunday time prepping said watermelon into cubes for the family to easily snack on throughout the week even though NO ONE is partaking. So now, EVERY WEEKEND, I am freezing half and making (and consuming) blender fulls of a simple adult watermelon slushy.
Fill blender with Equal parts frozen and non-frozen watermelon. Add about 1 cup (maybe less, fruit is already in there taking up volume) of liquor of choice (Rum, Vodka, Malibu, Tequilla). Blend into slushy, Put in a fancy glass and add a sprig of mint if you want to feel fancy. Or hide in your monogrammed Yetti knockoff. You do you.
This is the first weekend I actually did NOT buy watermelon so probably going to have withdraws. T’s & P’s.
Ok now I need to watch Heartland. I have a very long list of good TV I need to watch, but I feel like I can’t handle anything more intense than an episode of My Little Ponies right now. So here I am watching Parks and Rec again.
A treasure and a turd this week is that our neighborhood pool finally opened. You have to sign up for a time slot and each family gets a lane. The hour time limit has been wonderful because I’m about done by then and I get to say that “the pool says we have to leave” instead of Mommy says we have to leave. The turd is that you are not supposed to use the ladders and enter and exit by your lane. Which means I have to heave myself out of the pool without throwing my back out and while svelte 17 year olds watch. After the first trip, I swam over to the ladder and dared anyone to stop me.
We have this program at work called "Summer Hours" where in pre-Covid summers I could never participate in because of #KidsandSh*t because it used to require you work 4/10 hours days and you'd get to pick from a pool of Mondays/Fridays off -- but since school schedules and sports schedules do not exist anymore and the 10-hour work day was also taken off the plate because we have staggered schedules at the office to avoid co-mingling shift teams, VOILA I get to be home a few extra days in the summer. WAHOOO!
But today? I have a dentist appointment -- blergh. I am not too concerned but I am already bracing myself for the ever present "you should floss more" talk. Like hi, I'm 43, only had 3 cavities in my life, yes I know I should floss everyday...but there are a lot of things I should do everyday and man can I have the slightest of rewards for always coming to these torture sessions every 6 months?
Treasures for the week
1. My bestie Stacey signed me up for a Yarn of the Month club via Darn Good Yarn as a belated Mother's Day present. This was SO un-expected. She also enrolled herself (we both knit). We got our first boxes and each made the project in it.
2. Sophie Hudson's new book and her Facebook live events on Tuesdays. I am reading the book at a slow pace so I can really savor it. Also, seeing as I bawled through parts of one chapter (a good cry to be sure) it is something I am trying to give myself grace on -- I know this book will be one to bring out all the feels. I adore Sophie and feel like she's an older sister/auntie.
3. The power of self care. This week I did my toenails and my fingernails. My fingernails have been growing amazingly well and look so pretty right now.
That, a tap of some finishing powder and a mere dusting of bronzer and I'm out the door.
So that new combo of things are my treasures for my face.
My turds ...
Welllllll my boss who basically thinks Covid is blown out of proportion? Yeah he's WFH for 2 weeks? Why? Oh his wife has Covid (and maybe his daughter too). His wife who runs a salon out of her home or on their property....yeah. From what he told me Weds he hasn't been tested yet as he hasn't had symptoms (YET my brain screamed YETTTT!) Oh and then he had the nerve to ask me if I could find masks from the ones we give out to put in his computer bag that I was packing up for him. Like what??! Now you want masks? GO BUY THEM! The same guy who had a party for their 16 year old and invited over 15+ kids and their parents to a BBQ. The same guy who bragged about going to the gym the first day they opened and was so happy to see no one (but staff) was wearing masks so it "felt like the real world again" -- a man who when in our office space he takes his mask off and closes his door and only puts it back on when he *might* be seen. Sooo who had a a full blown panic attack this week at about 4 am thinking I was getting sick? That's right. This gal. This gal who wears her mask at work religiously. Who has been hyper-vigilant about so many things. I'm basically counting the days to get to 10-14 where I feel okay as the chances are really slim that I would be sick from him because I HAVE been distancing and always wearing a mask around him, but still. Its like when you hear your dryer making more noise than it should and you have to find out WHAT is in there -- and its usually the tiniest lego in your son's pocket that you missed ;)
Okay.
So
Inhales and exhales.
It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay.
And if by some chance I do get it.......................... oh the fury.
Knives Out is so fun! We thoroughly enjoyed it. We are watching Watchmen the series. My husband has already watching and now he’s watching it with me. It’s so good and so timely!! Also, we are getting another dog. She’s a basset hound puppy and we are naming her Betty. We pick her up in 3 weeks and the kids don’t know and we are so excited!
This has been a week for sure. I discovered that I am allergic to ibuprofen. Did you know you can develop a sudden allergy to it? It’s crazy! Over the past few months I would randomly wake up with my lip slightly swollen on one side. It happened twice and I blamed it on melatonin gummies. Then this past week I had to take ibuprofen for a headache and the swelling happened in the middle of the day and it was much worse. Anaphylactic shock much? Then the light bulb went off. I had also taken ibuprofen the nights I had taken the melatonin gummies. Some Benadryl and a visit to Dr Google and the answer was yes, you can suddenly develop and allergy like that. It may be brought on by stress. 🙄 At least there is still acetaminophen for my pain.
YES to Knives Out!! I wanted to watch it when it was in the theaters, but I think I may have actually enjoyed it more from home because of something I thought was a turd and ended up being a treasure- the baby woke up right in the middle of the movie, and we had to stop and resume the next night. In the 23ish hour unplanned intermission, my husband and I had the best time trying to figure out what had happened and comparing theories 🤷🏻♀️😂
Another treasure that I have been loving for a few months- Carlos Whitaker’s Insta. His racism content is fantastic, but all of his stories about the birds in his yard came in handy for me this week. (Incoming slight humble-brag alert) I was at a friend’s house and noticed that a juvenile woodpecker was stuck to the spotted lanternfly tape around one of the trees. My friend (who is TERRIFIED of birds) found me some thick work gloves and I managed to rescue the bird. I still can’t quite believe that I did that, and if I hadn’t been watching Carlos freak out with joy at the robins and blue birds in his yard over the last few months- I probably never would have tried.
One last thing that’s been weighing on my heart so much this week is that a local Amish woman disappeared on her way home from church on Sunday (just a few miles from my home). The biggest of turds. Our community is in shock and it’s yet another thing that is hard to have words to pray about. One treasure coming from this is that, yet again, I am so blown away by how the people around me try to love each other well- there are hundreds of people volunteering in search parties, people taking turns sitting by the phone 24 hours in case she calls, hundreds of people coming together for singing and intercession on a farm every night.
I listened to that saaaaame episode with Prop way back when and he blew open the whole “how are you gonna Want a diverse church body and still read from Valley of Vision like the Puritans weren’t driving racist theology and participating in the slave trade.” He’s a treasure to my ignorant, white, southern heart. I’ve been listening to the podcast he’s guesting on called Behind the Police and it’s really good, in a completely devastating way.
I wish I could say differently, but this week has been filled with lil turds.
*My husband, who works in administration for a small university, has had multiple BIG meetings this week as they try to make plans for the fall. Guess who they can never please? All the faculty, and none of the tiger moms.
*I have two mid-terms in my two online classes due this week. Since returning to school in the fall, I have taken only one exam (a final), so these things called "Mid-Terms" haven't been touched by me in possibly decades.
*I had not yet established a dentist in our new town (we moved *cough* two years ago), but decided to do that last week. Snagged the first available appointment... in October. They texted Monday morning with an opening that day, so I went. Only to learn that though my oral hygiene is good, my teeth are not. I need fillings or crowns in over 50% of my teeth. I wish I was kidding. Did I mention I have anxiety over going to the dentist? YEP. I cried in the dentist chair Monday. And then again yesterday when it took THREE tries for my mouth to get fully numb. It's stupid.
*My youngest boy started complaining that something hurt him. Come to find out, his wet swimsuit chafed his private areas. My husband looked at it and said "If it gets infected, you will have to take him to the doctor." Great. Add "infected peewee" to my things to do list. (Side note: Going commando, taking a baking soda bath, and applying diaper rash cream has worked wonders. So basically I just treat it like a diaper rash.)
But here's the thing, friends. God is still on his throne. I have time this weekend to take my mid-terms, and then next week is my summer break and I intend to read fluffy nonsense novels the entire time if my kids will let me. My dentist is a kind, kind woman who went out of her way to make sure I was comfortable and doing as 'okay' as possible. And a friend sent me this, and my goal in life is to keep a straight face like this amazing woman does: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=214336526511871
That guy just casually averting a crisis...love it.
My husband and I are (safely/socially distantly) visiting Wyoming for the first time next week, then to my parents after that (with the kids). I feel about as conflicted about it as I can for a variety of reasons so... there's that. On the one hand: yay! The mountains! Grown up time! My family! On the other: is any decision I make the right one? Should I just live in a bunker for a while like Brendan Frasier?
I was really good about monitoring my news/social media intake a few months ago, but I can tell my boundaries have eroded and it isn't good for my mental state.
Anyway... here's an article that will make you feel good and happy feelings:
Hi everyone! This is my first time to join in the conversation so hello!
These treasure threads have been a lifeline over the past six weeks as we’ve faced massive layoffs at work. I feel like I can finally breathe again as I’ve made it through the first week in a new position at work after making it through the lay-off rounds. It’s interesting joining a new team and connecting with people virtually, but so far it’s been refreshingly stress-free.
My treasures this week:
- S’mores: despite living in an apartment, s’mores make all days brighter even when made in the microwave or very carefully over the stove
- Disney Peaceful Guitar albums on Spotify
- Binge watching old seasons of Survivor on Hulu because it’s fun to love/hate contestants who play the game well
- Free Fly UPF shirts and pants: they are lightweight, block UVA/UVB rays, are soft as butter, and are perfect for walking my dog even in 99 degree Texas heat. Quarantine has brought me renewed focus on skincare and skin protection and that includes arms and legs!
- Starting the one week countdown to Hamilton. I’m highly considering having s’mores for breakfast and watching Hamilton at 7am next Friday. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?
Good morning y’all! We are still a dang hot spot. Which is truthfully getting on my nerves. Our neighborhood pool has decided not to open this summer because covid can swim?!? But it’s okay because my husbands office has a pool in the backyard. God always provides! I lost my patience with my four year old- he has verbal apraxia and sometimes behaves like a crazy person when he’s frustrated.
I managed to crack myself up and embarrass myself during Osheta Moore’s morning breath prayers- I made a comment about orgies🤦🏻♀️.While she talked about Jesus, I mean good grief am I a 15 year old boy!
A miracle occurred and our friends who have a cabin in the mountains have gifted it us for the 4th of July! It’s on 2 acres and sleeps 48! My family of 8 should fit just fine. I couldn’t be more excited to spread out and look a different walls!!
Also I keep getting sucked into watching videos of people loosing their ever loving mind over wearing masks in stores. My favorite is when they scream about how they are in a public place and cannot be forced to wear one, umm nope the grocery store is privately owned place. They make the rules, put on the dang mask grab your milk and get out! Or have your groceries delivered!! Clearly I need to stop watching this madness!
Lisa Sharon Harper posted a video this week on IG talking about her book The Very Good Gospel. She broke down Genesis 1:1-5 from the perspective of oppresser versus oppressed and it blew my MIND. Does anyone have any other resources for reading the Bible this way? I may even start reading it again. I’ve heard the Liturgists podcast and it is a must listen. Speaking of podcasts, Evolving Faith has a new one and the first episode is Rachel Held Evans from 2018. It is so wonderful to hear her voice. She is greatly missed.
Since I'm still unwell and exhausted I spend pretty much all of my life on my teeny tiny patio these days, so that's where I've found most of my turds and treasures this week. I tripped and cut my toe open on a very sharp stone, so I can barely walk (turd). And there's a humongous disgusting spider who lives out there and really creeps me out (tiny turd). But I sit in the shade, as far away from the spider as I can, and read good books (treasure) and look at my pretty flowers (treasure) and drink iced lattes or homemade elderflower cordial (treasure). I think that pretty much sums it up. 🤷♀️
Anyway, here are some teddybears riding a rollercoaster, if you haven't seen it yet, please enjoy!
ok your dad’s tv watching mirror my mom. After only watching Hallmark movies she got turned on to Heartland and has now watched the series twice!!! ( for those who don’t know there are THIRTEEN seasons). She has gotten a bunch of the grandkids watching it now and it’s fun to listen to them discuss the going’s on.
Also, I recommend The Floor Is Lava on Netflix - it’s funny, light and none of the competitors take themselves too seriously.
After the vows enjoy this wedding toast...everything is so spot on...notice the shaking hands 😂😂
Adding The Liturgists episode & the Erna Kim Hackett article to my queue immediately.
The high school girl wedding vows. Oh. My word. Nominate her for a dang Oscar.
Don’t have time today to write out all my treasures, but there IS a new season of Pete the Cat out today, & my husband & I might be more excited about it than our son. 🤣
Hope you are all well - looking forward to reading through your comments! 💗
I’m new to following Propaganda on Instagram and his Pouragami Thursday conversations are one of my favorite things to watch. I especially loved the one with Johnnyswim. Excited to listen to him on the Liturgists.
Long time reader, first time commenter. I live in Forrest County, MS, named after Mr. Nathan Bedford Forrest. (I'm a transplant from MD) I'm so happy to see history in context here. I've had someone tell me that I was a Yankee who didn't understand that NBF was a good man despite making some bad decisions. Those are some ridiculous words coming from someone who doesn't know where the Mason Dixon Line is. BUT Hattiesburg recently erected a statue of Vernon Dahmer (who was a victim of KKK violence for his work as a black voter activist) and there is still talk about relocating the NBF statue. At least we got a new flag! It will never be as great as the Maryland flag, but ANYTHING is better than the atrocious thing we had before.
OK. I just read EHM's unexpected midweek email about Hamilton and I'm not ready for this. I got half way through the email and my exact words are, "well, sh*t." I won't be able to watch this until the kids go to bed. And I might need to have you all hold me.
That is all.
turds this week:
- The dog officially has cancer and so basically he has this summer to live and we're going to try and make it an excellent doggie one until we need to make a hard decision... right now he feels fine and is pleasantly surprised by the amount of treats he gets. He's 10 and a half so he's not a pup, but it's still hard.
- dealing with my state to fight a fraudulent unemployment claim that is preventing me from getting my maternity leave pay. ALSO WHY DO THEY WANT ME TO FAX THINGS?!?
treasures:
- this comedian on IG: https://www.instagram.com/sarahcpr/?hl=en
- painting my bathroom blush pink. it's so warm and cheerful and exactly what you need during a pandemic. Sherwin Williams "white dogwood" in case you wondered.
And, Erin - that Disney Princess theology article was perfect and put into words what I have been wrestling with and talking about with my friends. I sent it to a few friends and we all had a great discussion about our Americanized and white perspective of scripture. Thank you for sharing.
Ok - I'm late to the party here but here we go.
My treasures - I bought those linen pants. I never buy clothes because I...just don't buy things for myself? I don't know. But I bought "the pants" and it lead me to an old navy shopping spree and I am NOT SORRY. I bought a linen blend romper (it's magical), a light weight button down, and a cute, comfy dress because darnit, I am probably not going back to the office any time soon and I want to be comfortable but look like I have changed out of pajamas. Wore the pants yesterday. Magic.
IT'S RAINING PRAISE JESUS. We have been in a drought with no rain for what seems like forever. Not only is it cooler and this rain is much needed in general, but a huge part of my job is running an acre "food pantry" garden that really has no access to fresh water (it's a long story) so this rain is essential to my work and the people we are going to feed.
Peonies finally bloomed.
Turds - ZOOM. I hate zoom. I hate zoom calls, I hate having to look nice, I hate having to look at myself, I hate realizing that I have NO poker face, I hate 9am meetings. I hate the whole thing. I used to really like meetings (I know....) but now I don't want to talk to anyone or look at anyone. They aren't collaborative, our ED has a bad connection where she is 30 seconds behind everyone else so it's impossible to interrupt her and she just monologues the whole meeting. I hate not being able to multi-task, I hate everything about it all the time forever. I don't mind working from home EXCEPT FOR ZOOM.
I too watched Knives Out this week. I think my attention span has been damaged during quarantine because it was a struggle for me to stay invested despite the stellar cast and Chris Evans in that sweatah. Nevertheless I persevered.
I started off strong watching The Great but have lost steam. Looking forward to the new season of Killing Eve but no idea when to expect it.
I’m holding out hope that The Southern Ladies Vampire book will help restore my faith in my ability to read more than tweets whenever it finally arrives from the local bookstore.
I do NOT want to be a double poster... but I kinda have to! The first time I commented on this thread a few weeks ago, I talked about how my daughter participated in a virtual choir with a Broadway star from Les Miserables. The choir released their video last week, and despite my daughter having submitted her video in time, she wasn't in it. There was MUCH weeping from both of us. I contacted the director, he admitted the mistake, and re-rendered (is that a word?) the video with my daughter and a few additional submissions. That back story aside, here is the latest from Greenville Virtual Choir: https://www.facebook.com/584285222090740/videos/263553691408594/
My daughter is in the second column from the left, fifth row down:-)
Oh boy. Quickly learning to get in first thing on Friday mornings.
Some good things:
1.) This little boy- I want to be his Auntie: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBmdbYYh67U/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
2.) Jasmine Rice can be turned into a balm for the soul (add cheese, bacon, basil)
3.) Tried a new Thai-Mexican restaurant and it was incredibly delicious- I never usually justify spending money on delivery services, but some days you just need it. I'm glad I live in a world where I can pay someone $12 to deliver my takeout to me.
4.) In need of solutions for those living in the humid swamp, It's not even July yet and my body is exposing me for the hot blooded soul that I am. Suggestions welcome! I'm looking into buying one of these to walk the doggo:
https://www.amazon.com/LUWATT-Portable-Personal-Rechargeable-Adjustment/dp/B07QPT8QCL/ref=sxin_7_ac_d_rm?ac_md=0-0-bmVjayBmYW4%3D-ac_d_rm&cv_ct_cx=neck+fan&dchild=1&keywords=neck+fan&pd_rd_i=B07QPT8QCL&pd_rd_r=8d345c97-f052-4103-8dd4-5574e49d8f0e&pd_rd_w=u5iWu&pd_rd_wg=pSOQF&pf_rd_p=7140382f-2020-43a7-a2a8-20d62e199d2c&pf_rd_r=PPJFZ1FXP75S6F03NSZ7&psc=1&qid=1593197915&sr=1-1-12d4272d-8adb-4121-8624-135149aa9081
Hey friends!
SO. I don't have a treasure I can link for you this week, but I do have one.
I'm trying to figure out how to say this in the most non-geeky way possible, b/c I'm an insurance person, not a tech person: we went live today with the final piece of a software program I have been working on five years. FIVE. We've gone live with other pieces of it, and we have to go live with this final piece in stages, but it is rolled out to one beta tester.
I do not know how to adequately convey the amount of work that statement represents - particularly over the last nine months. It's part of what's made me a bumpkiss pen pal for my two quarantine pen pals, it's cost me some sleep, I've dreamed of walking out the door without giving notice: the whole shebang, folks. SO. While there's still a ton of work over the next week to get the other five beta agencies live, It. Is. Out. There.
And now I need T's and P's to figure out what to do next with this one beautiful life I have. Bless.
I think this week I hit an "Oh s$@*" moment re: Covid-19, because N.C. has become a hot spot, and the reality that this thing is probably going to mean way more siloed off time has me in...a mood. But I'm trying to stay present, stay thankful and just be. And I'm really thankful for the names and faces I see here on Fridays.
My mom has 2 more weeks left in her rehab facility before she gets to come home (it will have been 2 months total by then) so I’m praying for her health and the health of all the patients/employees as South Carolina sees a ridiculous increase in Covid cases.
I’ve been listening to the Hamilton soundtrack again to get me hyped for next weekend and can I recommend the Chris Jackson/Barack Obama remix of One Last Time if you need a good cry?!
I really learned a lot from So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo and really enjoyed The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory if you want a fun sexy romance read. I’m currently reading The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein and it’s very informative too.
I'm looking forward to listening to the podcast you recommended - thank you! Along that same lines is a book that really made an impact on me: Misreading Scripture with Western eyes by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O'Brien (please, say Brandon's name with an Irish accent!) = it's a great read and well worth your time and money. Hope you have a great weekend!
Hello, all!
My biggest treasure is that I'm all settled in my new apartment and loving having my own space (YAY for being able to walk around my home without pants on 🙌🙌🙌) and being neighbors with my best friend. I got entirely unpacked and organized (minus decor on walls) in two days and it feels so good. I bought new pretty curtains for my biggest window this week and my last step is finding the perfect accent chair for my living room.
Work is still pretty insane right now, but at the same time I don't have a lot to do because our numbers are wayyyyy down (we're at less than a third of our shelter's capacity right now). But we started taking in new intakes again this week (this is why our numbers are down, because we haven't been taking in anyone since this whole ish started) with obviously MANY strict protocols and quarantining until they test negative, etc. Thankfully our most recent round of COVID tests came back all negative, but there's a lot of fear and anxiety from clients surrounding the decision to bring new people into the house. It's a wild ride for sure, but I'm excited to get more people off the streets and stable again.
My friend is gone this weekend, but I plan on making myself a damn good steak tonight (just got a giant 35lb box of local grass-fed beef delivered to fill my freezer!), drinking wine, getting decor hung on walls, and shopping for an accent chair. Also, I started binging The Office again this week for Popcast reasons, so that will most likely be on in the background all weekend.
Oh I needed this break into the mindless yet heart-ful friendship.
Guys, I've never seen Hamilton so I would love some education on what to expect when I tune in next Friday. I have felt so far behind because all the folks on the internet love it but I haven't gotten to partake yet. I am all ears. And I hope Disney+ is ready for the onslaught of streaming come the 3rd.
My 3 year old son jumped off the bed and hurt his foot. After a few days of limping and being pathetic (and also running around like the 3 year old boy he is) he's acting fine. We scheduled an x-ray and then cancelled the x-ray.
We went to the library on Monday! Yay! Brought home stacks of books, real live books, picked out by our own hands!
And then my middle school daughter came down with a fever. Laid on the couch, wrapped in a sweatshirt and a blanket and ate nothing but chicken broth for a day. I was sure it was the 'rona. But then she slept it off. Now she's doing cartwheels like nothing ever happened. No other signs of anything.
Kids are weird.
Hi L'il Swipes! Hope everyone's Friday is off to a lovely start. I'm excited that I finally have a Friday off so I can be part of the fun in the comments - you guys are the best! More treasures than turds for me this week, so yay!
- I made it through another Father's Day without it being awful, and that's a huge win. My dear grandfather died suddenly on FD when I was 19 and honestly, our whole family still struggles to make it through the day without tears. To say he was beloved would be an understatement. He was, and will remain for all my days, the greatest man I have ever known. Luckily, my dear husband is very much like him in tone and temperament, so I know I've got a good one. My relationship with my own dad is far more complicated, and I struggle to find an appropriate way to relate to him without the baggage of all the unintended trauma I experienced living in a home with him. He was not abusive, he just didn't know how to deal with his own very difficult childhood, and this had some unfortunate consequences for us. I love him, but it's complicated.
- I paid my tuition deposit on Tuesday so I am now officially enrolled in the Pharmacy Tech program I applied for last fall (prompted in part by one of Laura Tremaine's podcast episodes). I am excited and nervous and have all the feels about making such a big change, but I'm looking forward to something new. Re-careering at 48? Why the heck not!
- I've been really intentional lately about seeking out voices and stories that live on the margins, and this week I listened to the Uncover: The Village podcast about unsolved murders in Toronto's Gay Village. I knew bits and pieces from the news at the time, but this was a much bigger story than I could ever have imagined. I also listened to Brene Brown's podcast with Laverne Cox and was absolutely blown away by their conversation, especially when Laverne said "if the playground isn't safe for every child, then it isn't safe for any of them". The discussion about safety versus comfort is a must for anyone who wants to be an ally to a marginalized community.
- This quote by Elizabeth Gilbert from June's O Magazine: "...If there's a creative project I'm afraid to attempt, a truth I need to tell, or a painful reality I must face, I ask myself 'what's the alternative?' My soul came to this planet because she wanted the complete human experience. I don't want to have come all this way only to have missed the show."
- This watermelon-strawberry lemonade from Real Simple was easy peasy and absolutely delicious: 8c cubed watermelon, 1c strawberries (hulled and chopped), 1/2c lemon juice (from 4 lemons) and 1/2 c white sugar. Blend in two batches in blender, strain through a sieve and refrigerate. I mixed mine with sparkling water but I bet it would be equally delicious with vodka.
- We've had way more rain than usual around here and my flower beds are loving it! I have roses, poppies, peonies all in full bloom, and the pots I planted are bursting with colour and scent. I went a bit more all-out with the planting this spring because I knew we'd be spending our summer close to home, and so far it's paid off. Even my husband commented on how amazing our backyard smells.
- You guys led me to GoCleanCo and my life has changed forever! Their cleaning hacks and videos are amazing and I finally know how to get my stainless steel appliances to shine.
I had a really unfortunate run-in with some wood trim at Home Depot last week and got a bunch of awful, deep slivers in my finger, but I'm happy to report that a week later I think I might have finally extracted the last of them. 🎉
This week was my youngest's 3.5 birthday celebration (his actual birthday is Dec 22 and we are never in a position to make that a special day so we lean hard into the half birthday) and I tried out a different Cafe Rio sweet pork copycat recipe and it was *suh* good! Link: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/copycat-cafe-rio-sweet-pork-recipe/
I also did her cilantro lime rice and cilantro lime ranch dressing and shut up, what a great experience! 🌮🌮
-Evolving Faiths new podcast-so many heart emojis
-Ta-Nehisi Coates book Between The World And Me, no words to describe the impact of this book.
-Apparently I'm about to be a homeschool teacher and my brain is having a REAL hard time getting prepared for THAT!
-The first episode of Queer Eye season 5!!! I wish Pastor Noah was MY Pastor!!
-Countdown to Hamilton is on, I need any and all lessons/activities to prepare my 9 and 10 year old for this wonderful display of magical talent!!
-Trader Joe's sparkling watermelon juice!!!
Heartland is such a delightful show. Your girls might enjoy the books as well. They obviously don’t follow the show, but super Canadian sweetness.
I wandered a book store last night. I wore a mask, sanitized my hands between each touch of a book and it was the balm my soul needed. Walked out with Just Mercy and The Girl with Seven Names.
I took myself and my Aldi hammock to the park to read! Not a bad way to spend a Sabbath evening.
I am on team Heartland. I love that show. So happy that your dad watches it. He is a delight on insta.
Heartland is the show my Dad watched as he was dying. I know that sound weird but he had disease that slowly took away his mobility and all he could do was watch TV. When I seen the show it reminds me of him. My mom will still have marathon nights with nieces. They all started to like the show from coming over and sitting with Grandpa. Side note: the disease my Dad died from is the same one as the Dad from Zoey’s playlist and that was portrayed pretty accurate. This is not the first time lil’ treasures has reminded me of him. Thanks for the emotions, Erin. Lol
I took the 7.5 hour drive up from Dallas to Kansas City last weekend and it was surprisingly a delightful time! Thank you for all the podcast recs everyone! I am so thankful I was able to see my family. I hadn't seen them since Christmas and I was starting to tear up every time I watched videos of my nieces and nephew learning new tricks or getting a new tooth in. It was time to squeeze my littles. I'm glad I got this trip just under the wire as a lot of states are requiring Texas travelers to quarantine for 2 weeks as Texas is getting worse and becoming a hot spot...*shakes my fist at Greg Abbott*...anyway, I'm starting to feel sad about having to hide in my home again so I'm happy to read all these little treasures!!
One treasure I want to mention specifically is a limoncello martini that my Dad made for me while I was in Kansas City. First of all, can I just say that the great thing about living in different cities as your family means that whenever you visit you are treated like a queen and the house that was once the house you were mopping is now your vacation oasis where your father is serving you martinis and you get to sleep in??? Oh how the tables have turned. Anyway, the limoncello martini is easy peasy lemon squeezy (literally) and I will be making it for as long as Texas feels like a sweaty armpit (which is always and forever and ever, amen).
This makes two martinis:
3 shots of vodka
3 shots of chilled limoncello
A splash of lemon juice (depending on how tart you want it!)
-shake in a martini shaker with lots of ice and pour into chilled glasses*
-serve with sugar on the rim and a slice of lemon
*pro tip on chilled glasses: while you're making the cocktail, fill your glasses with water and ice and let them sit for 10 min or so and then dump it out - voila chilled glasses!
Its been a turd-y work week - which, writing this comment from work means that its kinda the only thing on my mind... but I have a couple treasures in the form of
1.) new cafe lights in my living room (y'all im gonna tidy up and photograph my little nest for IG this week, I SWEAR.)
2.)the prospect of my lifegroup getting together for a safe outside dinner bringing me SO MUCH JOY.
3a) Hearing the Boy actually call me his girlfriend for the first time while building LEGOs after dinner Tuesday. (yes, we're actually dating. we're a couple. we're in a relationship. Its been threeish months of "official" but I'm STILL getting used to it?)
3b) piggybacking on that - the fact that I've got a Boy that cooks me dinner (and has my sister's pottery in his kitchen? he always pulls out the Megan-bowl for me) and likes things like building legos and watching youtube together. My Quality Time heart is good with this :D
This account (on IG or FB) gives me such happiness...
https://www.instagram.com/moonpie.starbox/
How can you watch these and NOT smile???
This morning has been a major turd on the twin front — waking every 45 minutes from 3 am onward, so much spit up I MEAN I CANT EVEN DESCRIBE HOW MUCH, sore boobs from weaning, grumpy toddler brother... so we put everyone back to bed and are hitting RESET, and this email def helped.
The world without statues tweet and the wedding vows 🤣
Treasures this week include finishing the book Such A Fun Age (I need this to be a mini series), and season 2 of both The Politician (better than season 1) and Dead to Me.
Also if you are gonna have a baby or have a baby or know someone with a baby, tell them it’s TOTALLY WORTH the $75 for the Taking Cara Babies newborn sleep class. I am frugal and hate paying for things I could cobble together for free online but this week the boys have slept so much better at night and at naps due to this. I’m talking huge progress in FOUR DAYS. 5 stars.
Lastly, I was reminded of an experience I had a few years ago this week that I need to share as it might be One of the Best Moments of My Life: I went to see Legally Blonde the musical at our local university, and there was a group of six or eight 12 year olds there, dressed in their finest party dresses. Adorbs. They sat in the next section over, and when the musical got to the part when Callahan tries to kiss Elle, the loudest group gasp I have ever heard came from that group of girls. They DID NOT see that coming and they were APPALLED. It was the sweetest most innocent thing I have ever experienced and brings a smile to my face every time I think about it.
Happy Friday, swipes!
welp, the longest shortest week is almost over and i am SO grateful. Treasures include Hamilton dance breaks (and for those of you who cannot get enough Hamilton or theater talk, may I recommend The Hamilcast?), feeling better after low grade sickness the last couple weeks, freshly bathed Brinkley the pup, reading Red at the Bone in one sitting, conquering a running workout (in Florida...in 77 degrees...before the sun comes out), and a Boy texting a little after my dear childhood friends offered to connect us. WHAT A WORLD.
Looking forward to all the sleep this weekend, and xo to all you lil swipes
At first I wasn't going to comment because no treasures came immediately to mind, but then I had a "duh" moment and remembered: I JUST GOT A NEW BED.
For some backstory, I've been poor my entire life (still am) and have always slept in a twin bed. As a kid, I shared a room and there wasn't enough space for anything larger and as an adult living in crappy apartments in Chicago, I also never had the space or the money to get something bigger.
Recently I told y'all about how my last apartment flooded and I was temporarily homeless and then found the apartment of my dreams and this place has enough room for a bigger bed! As a "my life sucks"/graduation present to myself, I decided I was going to finally get a bed that my feet didn't hang off of. I got a queen (because I am a queen, duh), bought a COMFY memory foam mattress from amazon (one review called it "The Oprah of Beds." I concur.), invested in Brooklinen sheets (I'm now a fully converted duvet insert person, who knew?), new pillows, the whole nine.
Last night was my first night sleeping in it and OH WOW WOW WOW. I set it up just right: shaved legs, slathered lotion everywhere, clean hair, fresh sheets, essential oils in the diffuser, and a NyQuil induced coma. I had the time of my life. I've never understood why people just spend so much time in their beds outside of sleeping hours, but now I've come to the realization that I just have never had great beds.
I have stubbornly bought watermelon and spent precious Sunday time prepping said watermelon into cubes for the family to easily snack on throughout the week even though NO ONE is partaking. So now, EVERY WEEKEND, I am freezing half and making (and consuming) blender fulls of a simple adult watermelon slushy.
Fill blender with Equal parts frozen and non-frozen watermelon. Add about 1 cup (maybe less, fruit is already in there taking up volume) of liquor of choice (Rum, Vodka, Malibu, Tequilla). Blend into slushy, Put in a fancy glass and add a sprig of mint if you want to feel fancy. Or hide in your monogrammed Yetti knockoff. You do you.
This is the first weekend I actually did NOT buy watermelon so probably going to have withdraws. T’s & P’s.
Ok now I need to watch Heartland. I have a very long list of good TV I need to watch, but I feel like I can’t handle anything more intense than an episode of My Little Ponies right now. So here I am watching Parks and Rec again.
If you’re looking for more saffron recipes, these are very good. Gotta get your $ worth out of your kids college fund. https://www.101cookbooks.com/snickerdoodle-cookies/
A treasure and a turd this week is that our neighborhood pool finally opened. You have to sign up for a time slot and each family gets a lane. The hour time limit has been wonderful because I’m about done by then and I get to say that “the pool says we have to leave” instead of Mommy says we have to leave. The turd is that you are not supposed to use the ladders and enter and exit by your lane. Which means I have to heave myself out of the pool without throwing my back out and while svelte 17 year olds watch. After the first trip, I swam over to the ladder and dared anyone to stop me.
Morning all from MN where I am at home!
We have this program at work called "Summer Hours" where in pre-Covid summers I could never participate in because of #KidsandSh*t because it used to require you work 4/10 hours days and you'd get to pick from a pool of Mondays/Fridays off -- but since school schedules and sports schedules do not exist anymore and the 10-hour work day was also taken off the plate because we have staggered schedules at the office to avoid co-mingling shift teams, VOILA I get to be home a few extra days in the summer. WAHOOO!
But today? I have a dentist appointment -- blergh. I am not too concerned but I am already bracing myself for the ever present "you should floss more" talk. Like hi, I'm 43, only had 3 cavities in my life, yes I know I should floss everyday...but there are a lot of things I should do everyday and man can I have the slightest of rewards for always coming to these torture sessions every 6 months?
Treasures for the week
1. My bestie Stacey signed me up for a Yarn of the Month club via Darn Good Yarn as a belated Mother's Day present. This was SO un-expected. She also enrolled herself (we both knit). We got our first boxes and each made the project in it.
2. Sophie Hudson's new book and her Facebook live events on Tuesdays. I am reading the book at a slow pace so I can really savor it. Also, seeing as I bawled through parts of one chapter (a good cry to be sure) it is something I am trying to give myself grace on -- I know this book will be one to bring out all the feels. I adore Sophie and feel like she's an older sister/auntie.
3. The power of self care. This week I did my toenails and my fingernails. My fingernails have been growing amazingly well and look so pretty right now.
4. Vitamin C serums. So I don't know if its my being great about vitamins, guzzling water like its going out of style, being great about cleansing and SPF, OR the vitamin C serums I've been using that have been really been making my skin better over the past couple weeks. I have been using this one in the AM--> https://www.sephora.com/product/ultra-glow-serum-glow-strengthen-vitamin-c-serum-P442594?icid2=products%20grid:p442594:product
And then this one in the PM: https://www.sephora.com/product/vitamin-nectar-glow-juice-antioxidant-face-serum-P450210
I've also been using this as my main "make up" for going into the office --> https://www.sephora.com/product/ginzing-spf-40-energy-boosting-tinted-moisturizer-P420966?icid2=products%20grid:p420966
That, a tap of some finishing powder and a mere dusting of bronzer and I'm out the door.
So that new combo of things are my treasures for my face.
My turds ...
Welllllll my boss who basically thinks Covid is blown out of proportion? Yeah he's WFH for 2 weeks? Why? Oh his wife has Covid (and maybe his daughter too). His wife who runs a salon out of her home or on their property....yeah. From what he told me Weds he hasn't been tested yet as he hasn't had symptoms (YET my brain screamed YETTTT!) Oh and then he had the nerve to ask me if I could find masks from the ones we give out to put in his computer bag that I was packing up for him. Like what??! Now you want masks? GO BUY THEM! The same guy who had a party for their 16 year old and invited over 15+ kids and their parents to a BBQ. The same guy who bragged about going to the gym the first day they opened and was so happy to see no one (but staff) was wearing masks so it "felt like the real world again" -- a man who when in our office space he takes his mask off and closes his door and only puts it back on when he *might* be seen. Sooo who had a a full blown panic attack this week at about 4 am thinking I was getting sick? That's right. This gal. This gal who wears her mask at work religiously. Who has been hyper-vigilant about so many things. I'm basically counting the days to get to 10-14 where I feel okay as the chances are really slim that I would be sick from him because I HAVE been distancing and always wearing a mask around him, but still. Its like when you hear your dryer making more noise than it should and you have to find out WHAT is in there -- and its usually the tiniest lego in your son's pocket that you missed ;)
Okay.
So
Inhales and exhales.
It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay.
And if by some chance I do get it.......................... oh the fury.
My nails look amazing you guys ;)
Love you all
Mel
Hey ladies!!!
Knives Out is so fun! We thoroughly enjoyed it. We are watching Watchmen the series. My husband has already watching and now he’s watching it with me. It’s so good and so timely!! Also, we are getting another dog. She’s a basset hound puppy and we are naming her Betty. We pick her up in 3 weeks and the kids don’t know and we are so excited!
This has been a week for sure. I discovered that I am allergic to ibuprofen. Did you know you can develop a sudden allergy to it? It’s crazy! Over the past few months I would randomly wake up with my lip slightly swollen on one side. It happened twice and I blamed it on melatonin gummies. Then this past week I had to take ibuprofen for a headache and the swelling happened in the middle of the day and it was much worse. Anaphylactic shock much? Then the light bulb went off. I had also taken ibuprofen the nights I had taken the melatonin gummies. Some Benadryl and a visit to Dr Google and the answer was yes, you can suddenly develop and allergy like that. It may be brought on by stress. 🙄 At least there is still acetaminophen for my pain.
YES to Knives Out!! I wanted to watch it when it was in the theaters, but I think I may have actually enjoyed it more from home because of something I thought was a turd and ended up being a treasure- the baby woke up right in the middle of the movie, and we had to stop and resume the next night. In the 23ish hour unplanned intermission, my husband and I had the best time trying to figure out what had happened and comparing theories 🤷🏻♀️😂
Another treasure that I have been loving for a few months- Carlos Whitaker’s Insta. His racism content is fantastic, but all of his stories about the birds in his yard came in handy for me this week. (Incoming slight humble-brag alert) I was at a friend’s house and noticed that a juvenile woodpecker was stuck to the spotted lanternfly tape around one of the trees. My friend (who is TERRIFIED of birds) found me some thick work gloves and I managed to rescue the bird. I still can’t quite believe that I did that, and if I hadn’t been watching Carlos freak out with joy at the robins and blue birds in his yard over the last few months- I probably never would have tried.
One last thing that’s been weighing on my heart so much this week is that a local Amish woman disappeared on her way home from church on Sunday (just a few miles from my home). The biggest of turds. Our community is in shock and it’s yet another thing that is hard to have words to pray about. One treasure coming from this is that, yet again, I am so blown away by how the people around me try to love each other well- there are hundreds of people volunteering in search parties, people taking turns sitting by the phone 24 hours in case she calls, hundreds of people coming together for singing and intercession on a farm every night.
https://twitter.com/rexchapman/status/1275089940188213249?s=21
This has made several of my days this week.
I listened to that saaaaame episode with Prop way back when and he blew open the whole “how are you gonna Want a diverse church body and still read from Valley of Vision like the Puritans weren’t driving racist theology and participating in the slave trade.” He’s a treasure to my ignorant, white, southern heart. I’ve been listening to the podcast he’s guesting on called Behind the Police and it’s really good, in a completely devastating way.
I wish I could say differently, but this week has been filled with lil turds.
*My husband, who works in administration for a small university, has had multiple BIG meetings this week as they try to make plans for the fall. Guess who they can never please? All the faculty, and none of the tiger moms.
*I have two mid-terms in my two online classes due this week. Since returning to school in the fall, I have taken only one exam (a final), so these things called "Mid-Terms" haven't been touched by me in possibly decades.
*I had not yet established a dentist in our new town (we moved *cough* two years ago), but decided to do that last week. Snagged the first available appointment... in October. They texted Monday morning with an opening that day, so I went. Only to learn that though my oral hygiene is good, my teeth are not. I need fillings or crowns in over 50% of my teeth. I wish I was kidding. Did I mention I have anxiety over going to the dentist? YEP. I cried in the dentist chair Monday. And then again yesterday when it took THREE tries for my mouth to get fully numb. It's stupid.
*My youngest boy started complaining that something hurt him. Come to find out, his wet swimsuit chafed his private areas. My husband looked at it and said "If it gets infected, you will have to take him to the doctor." Great. Add "infected peewee" to my things to do list. (Side note: Going commando, taking a baking soda bath, and applying diaper rash cream has worked wonders. So basically I just treat it like a diaper rash.)
But here's the thing, friends. God is still on his throne. I have time this weekend to take my mid-terms, and then next week is my summer break and I intend to read fluffy nonsense novels the entire time if my kids will let me. My dentist is a kind, kind woman who went out of her way to make sure I was comfortable and doing as 'okay' as possible. And a friend sent me this, and my goal in life is to keep a straight face like this amazing woman does: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=214336526511871
Thanks for reading, Treasures.
That guy just casually averting a crisis...love it.
My husband and I are (safely/socially distantly) visiting Wyoming for the first time next week, then to my parents after that (with the kids). I feel about as conflicted about it as I can for a variety of reasons so... there's that. On the one hand: yay! The mountains! Grown up time! My family! On the other: is any decision I make the right one? Should I just live in a bunker for a while like Brendan Frasier?
I was really good about monitoring my news/social media intake a few months ago, but I can tell my boundaries have eroded and it isn't good for my mental state.
Anyway... here's an article that will make you feel good and happy feelings:
https://people.com/human-interest/boy-mows-lawns-to-raise-money-for-black-lives-matter/
Have a great weekend!
Hi everyone! This is my first time to join in the conversation so hello!
These treasure threads have been a lifeline over the past six weeks as we’ve faced massive layoffs at work. I feel like I can finally breathe again as I’ve made it through the first week in a new position at work after making it through the lay-off rounds. It’s interesting joining a new team and connecting with people virtually, but so far it’s been refreshingly stress-free.
My treasures this week:
- S’mores: despite living in an apartment, s’mores make all days brighter even when made in the microwave or very carefully over the stove
- Disney Peaceful Guitar albums on Spotify
- Binge watching old seasons of Survivor on Hulu because it’s fun to love/hate contestants who play the game well
- Free Fly UPF shirts and pants: they are lightweight, block UVA/UVB rays, are soft as butter, and are perfect for walking my dog even in 99 degree Texas heat. Quarantine has brought me renewed focus on skincare and skin protection and that includes arms and legs!
- Starting the one week countdown to Hamilton. I’m highly considering having s’mores for breakfast and watching Hamilton at 7am next Friday. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?
Good morning y’all! We are still a dang hot spot. Which is truthfully getting on my nerves. Our neighborhood pool has decided not to open this summer because covid can swim?!? But it’s okay because my husbands office has a pool in the backyard. God always provides! I lost my patience with my four year old- he has verbal apraxia and sometimes behaves like a crazy person when he’s frustrated.
I managed to crack myself up and embarrass myself during Osheta Moore’s morning breath prayers- I made a comment about orgies🤦🏻♀️.While she talked about Jesus, I mean good grief am I a 15 year old boy!
A miracle occurred and our friends who have a cabin in the mountains have gifted it us for the 4th of July! It’s on 2 acres and sleeps 48! My family of 8 should fit just fine. I couldn’t be more excited to spread out and look a different walls!!
Also I keep getting sucked into watching videos of people loosing their ever loving mind over wearing masks in stores. My favorite is when they scream about how they are in a public place and cannot be forced to wear one, umm nope the grocery store is privately owned place. They make the rules, put on the dang mask grab your milk and get out! Or have your groceries delivered!! Clearly I need to stop watching this madness!
Lisa Sharon Harper posted a video this week on IG talking about her book The Very Good Gospel. She broke down Genesis 1:1-5 from the perspective of oppresser versus oppressed and it blew my MIND. Does anyone have any other resources for reading the Bible this way? I may even start reading it again. I’ve heard the Liturgists podcast and it is a must listen. Speaking of podcasts, Evolving Faith has a new one and the first episode is Rachel Held Evans from 2018. It is so wonderful to hear her voice. She is greatly missed.
Hey friends! 😊
That Beth Moore tweet sure is a mood! 😂
Since I'm still unwell and exhausted I spend pretty much all of my life on my teeny tiny patio these days, so that's where I've found most of my turds and treasures this week. I tripped and cut my toe open on a very sharp stone, so I can barely walk (turd). And there's a humongous disgusting spider who lives out there and really creeps me out (tiny turd). But I sit in the shade, as far away from the spider as I can, and read good books (treasure) and look at my pretty flowers (treasure) and drink iced lattes or homemade elderflower cordial (treasure). I think that pretty much sums it up. 🤷♀️
Anyway, here are some teddybears riding a rollercoaster, if you haven't seen it yet, please enjoy!
https://twitter.com/rachmeetsworld/status/1275481382236704769
I wish you all a lovely weekend! ❤
ok your dad’s tv watching mirror my mom. After only watching Hallmark movies she got turned on to Heartland and has now watched the series twice!!! ( for those who don’t know there are THIRTEEN seasons). She has gotten a bunch of the grandkids watching it now and it’s fun to listen to them discuss the going’s on.
Also, I recommend The Floor Is Lava on Netflix - it’s funny, light and none of the competitors take themselves too seriously.
After the vows enjoy this wedding toast...everything is so spot on...notice the shaking hands 😂😂
https://youtu.be/LMeMhQHvBHE
Adding The Liturgists episode & the Erna Kim Hackett article to my queue immediately.
The high school girl wedding vows. Oh. My word. Nominate her for a dang Oscar.
Don’t have time today to write out all my treasures, but there IS a new season of Pete the Cat out today, & my husband & I might be more excited about it than our son. 🤣
Hope you are all well - looking forward to reading through your comments! 💗
I’m new to following Propaganda on Instagram and his Pouragami Thursday conversations are one of my favorite things to watch. I especially loved the one with Johnnyswim. Excited to listen to him on the Liturgists.