Hey guys! I write to you this Friday morning in a frozen state, because when did it get so cold? Pretty sure this time last week it was 75 degrees. Some of you are experiencing temps that are below 0 and honestly you are all warriors, but 20 degrees for Alabama is tough and Iโm gonna be a wimp about it.
Cold aside, I do kind of feel like a new woman this side of 2022. Since this time last year, I now live in a different house, we have a different President, I have a DOG (finally thank you sweet Jesus), and my kids and I now own Crocs and to be honest we love them. There are a lot of things that havenโt changed, and thatโs what I got hung up on the most, especially in the bleakness that January brings. But I am grateful for these tiny gifts of change, and Iโm dedicated to continue to add things to my hope docket to keep me going. Also I really do highly recommend Crocs.
Letโs do some treasures!
๐ถBig treasure for the Long House this week was the arrival of Bear Moon. Bear is a rescue lab mix and he is really starting to come out of his shell. Our middle child is the Dog Whisperer and she is responsible for Bear going from severe depression to this in a week:
I mean. Peep that paw on her knee! ๐พ
โ๏ธA couple of weeks ago, you all pitched in and helped one of our Lil Swipes with her baby registry and now Iโd like to introduce you to Erin, a teacher and single mom who needed to stay home from her job for her kiddos for a bit and ran into an unfortunate situation where she needs to replace a lot of things in her classroom. This is Erin and her son, how cute are they on book character day?!
Anyway, I badgered Erin into sharing her wishlist with us in the hopes we could knock a few things off of it for her. If thatโs something youโre able to do right now, just click here and letโs take what we can off her plate. โค๏ธ
โ๏ธ Are you a New Years Resolution kind of person? Whether or not you are, this article in the New York Times by Tish Harrison Warren on 10 New Years Resolutions That Are Good for the Soul is a refreshing take on resolutions for the year. Iโm planning to adopt a few for myself!
๐ I have recommended Jemar Tisby to you before - his books, following him on Twitter, etc. One of his bestselling books How to Fight Racism: A Guide to Standing Up for Racial Justice has now been converted into a guide for kids! If youโre like me and are trying to inspire your kids to develop an anti-racist mindset (and giving them practical ways to do this), I would highly encourage you to check it out. Click here to learn more about How to Fight Racism - the Young Readerโs Edition.
๐ When I tell you I laughed at this video ๐. Also that pizza be lookin GOOD.
โ๏ธ We got some snow this week in Birmingham - just a light dusting, but still so beautiful. But it was nothing compared to the amount of snow states further East had. So much so that hundreds of drivers got stuck on I-95 in Virginia for over 27 hours!!! (you can read more about what happened here). I cannot imagine being stuck for so long (actually I can what am I saying I was once stranded on the highway for 30 hours with an infant it was hell), and Iโm glad everyone is okay! This thread about an Uber drive who got stuck on the roads while transporting a young teenager is restoring my faith in humanity today!
๐ญ Our legendary golden matriarch, Betty White, passed away this past week just shy of her 100th birthday. It was a real b*tch move of the last day of the 2021, if you ask me. But even in the midst of grieving, we also honor and celebrate her life and legacy, and she isnโt hard to celebrate. She really was an incredible, hilarious woman who stood for the kind of stuff thatโs important! This article highlights what Betty thought was the secret to a long, happy life. Spoiler warning: hot dogs are involved.
๐ค Grab your headphones and please listen to this country mashup of Nelly's Hot In Here by Chance the Rapper on the Jimmy Fallon show.
Twitter Hall of Fame:
Okay guys, hope you are all snuggled up and staying warm! If you have pretty snow outside your window, Iโd love to see it. See you in the comments!
here from virginia - want your faith renewed google older man and strangers on I-95. Poor man didn't have a map and was trying to get to Florida and made it only with the help of 7 strangers!!!
Oh my goodness. That coffee cup just makes me giggle so much.