Well guys, my dad has COVID so all solo weekending plans are out. I had scouted out a rooftop bar and an outdoor wine tasting as potentials (in addition to all of your great ideas!), but instead we will spend the weekend re-watching Encanto and whatever else my kids want as a consolation prize 😭 I also shattered my glass coffee carafe this afternoon, so tomorrow morning promises many joys. Send me those Ts and Ps.
"to make a tv show you need one banana-shaped man and one-orange shaped man. let me explain" - This was almost perfect, just missing Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato. :)
The downside of sleeping *at night* is that I’m not here for the morning comments. 😩 I always feel late to the party. Thankful for you midday-ers and West Coasters!
On CCM, as with many other 80s gals in the comments — I didn’t know there were so many of us! — I came up with Amy Grant, Michael W., Wayne Watson, and later, Avalon. A STORY OF MY YOUTH: I saw Amy at a Six Flags concert when MWS was still her keyboard player and not yet known(!), and it was a seminal moment in my life. I was 15, just moved to a new town and ANGRY about it but trying to be the “good Christian girl” for my parents. The youth group of grew-up-together teens took a Saturday trip to Six Flags, and I assumed we were there for the concert so I just stayed till the end and headed back to the bus afterward. Turns out, everyone had been waiting HOURS for me to return so we could go home (a couple hours drive back). Cell phones did not exist. I didn’t wear a watch. And again, had we not come for the sole purpose of the concert?!? People were *furious* that I had delayed them. Grumbles and snark hurled at me on the bus ride home. I borrowed a Walkman to listen to my new Amy Grant cassette purchased at the show, and I cried silent tears the entire drive back. We arrived to a parking lot of angry parents waiting to retrieve their teens at 2am (instead of midnight). I was the new girl in a new town who suddenly became a pariah. My parents moved us to another church soon after, and I found out as an adult that they had been told by church staff that I could “never return to the youth group or take any future trips.” 😳 To this day I’m not sorry at all because God literally spoke to my adolescent heart in that concert and Amy’s music was central to my faith in the teen years after. And in my mid-20s, when I decided that God could actually be trusted and that church did not equal Jesus, it was Amy Grant’s “crossover” albums that gave me a gateway back to CCM. Those are still my faves, all these years later.
Here’s my favorite cultural commentary on Christians in the 80s: the opening artist for Amy at that concert was Philip Bailey, whose chart-topping single was “Easy Lover.” To this day it’s still a banger. 😂 But the woman standing beside me told her younger daughter, “If he sings that Lover song, we’re leaving.” And when he *did* sing that song AND REFERENCED A SCRIPTURE ON WHICH THE SONG WAS BASED, that lady grabbed her daughter and dragged her away. 🤦🏻♀️ I remember thinking, “But you came for Amy Grant and she hasn’t even come on yet!” I felt so sorry for that girl being born to that mom. LOL
That youth group does not sound like a fun hang! I feel so sorry for 15 year old you on the bus. I'm glad you got to experience the concert though and have Amy's music be an important part of your life.
I especially love how they were just waiting around and not actually LOOKING for you to make sure you hadn't fallen off a roller coaster or something. Yikes. Good call both for staying for the concert and for your parents moving you elsewhere.
Okay, I never thought about that. 🤯 The whole experience, in retrospect, proved to me that it was the crappiest thing for my parents to move us after my freshman year, just when I was starting to find my way as a teenager. I mean, good promotion for Dad and all, but seriously, it just ruined my life! 🤪
I think I actually snorted over the relevant article. I don’t remember being into Christian music as a youth, but apparently at some point I was into amy grant 🤷♀️ How do they know?
Anyways, that first gif with the coffee, that's me all the time forever. Life has been overwhelming and so I've only visited the comments here and there for the last few months. I think I mentioned debating a big life change in the form of leaving my full time job to work two (three?) part-time jobs and also finish my master's. It was scary AF but I did it and I'm still adjusting and it's still a little scary but I absolutely made the right decision and am already less overwhelmed.
I CACKLED at the youth group music article, despite initial hesitations. I wasn't really a big youth group person so I just sort of meandered over to have a look and then knew I was in trouble immediately upon seeing Relient K as the first listing. Hanging out with friends is my version of church, I am definitely a little bit over capitalism and I am very into Phoebe Bridgers for sure.
A few treasures:
-as a part of my job change, I'm now working part time in a library (instead of full time) and it's a different branch where I had many friends and now I get to see them more often!
-I'm (sort of) able to focus on reading a bit more and so that's been lovely
-My book club has started meeting again and we had a new member who, hilariously, is in one of my grad school classes (online program for library sciences) so meeting her was very fun.
-I've been complimented so many times on my style at my new library job lately and it has been a delightful boost in my self esteem.
I'm so glad that changing jobs has made things less stressful! Grad school while a working adult is hard stuff. What fun for people to notice and compliment your style 💖
I’ve only made it so far as the Relevant article. I don’t have time to read it right this second, but did manage to see the first band is Relient K. I have tickets to a Relient K concert in a couple of months, so there’s that.
It's Friday, Friday, Gotta get down on Friiiiidaaaaay
Hey gang!
Youth Group songs, I followed a MN band called PFR or Pray for Rain pretty hard. I worked with team members at a church camp called Shamineau. Their lead singer ended up being a worship leader at the church my mom attended and he sang at her funeral. So I guess my closest alignment to that list would be Jars of Clay.
Treasures for the Week
1. Swipes Book Club Part 1 - always a delight to see faces, hear voices, and be with each other. Am I going to be on the second date too? YUP!
2. Finishing a knitting project, developing more. My knitting projects never end and I kind of love it. It truly is a part of my therapy homework each week as it is just as calming to me as meditation.
3. My son Max turns 15 this weekend. His chill towards his bday and being like "Mom, you get me what I want and need all the time" - raising 'em right. He's picking his food for the weekend and is excited for maybe doing a half-birthday party (which I have never done before) in the Summer so he can have friends over and use our new house yard
4. The emotions knowing some deliveries will be next coming to the new house. Its happeniiiiiing!
5. I'm super excited that The Decemberists announced their new tour and I'm going to see them in August. I was originally supposed to see them Aug 2020 but well we know that song and dance soooo. I was so worried they weren't ever going to tour again but they are and the concert is going to be held outdoors at a brewery which to me is perfection. Summer night outside, hearing music that will make me cry, but I can also have a beer in my hand.
One first world problem turd - All the places I have to crosscheck to change my address. Just like I want to pay people to do other tasks in my life, remembering ALL the places I have to change my address is a whole thing.
Also, I really miss my dog lately. We still have Milo Rambaldi (yes my dog has an Alias inspired name) but he is NOT my dog. Cosmo was MY dog. He loved me in that way dogs love their humans and Milo is not that and has never been that dog for me in the house. Have I been visiting various rescue pages in my area and bookmarking them to look again sometime in May because I need MY dog? yes. Yes I have been. It's the most heart-wrenching window shopping but I think it might be my Mother Day's gift to myself.
Hey, I have heard in MANY places to get your (single) dog a dog, so I say go for it. Book club was excellent, I'm SO glad I decided to go. It was the delight of my week to see everyone's shining faces, and babies, and thoughts about lady gunslingers!
Right? Like my goodness there are so many places I need to change my address, work, all the services, my id. I mean looking at my wallet alone gives me a reminder. It's soooo many places.
We had Tamara on the call from Australia but you are 8 hours ahead right? So yeah it would be tricky to find the perfect time. (sad face; time zones why must you be this way??!)
The knitting has been so necessary for my winter feelings. My husband thought it was funny watching me think about my next project and flipping through my book of patterns and then mutter to myself looking through my yarn bins - he was like "you're like Laura Dern in Jurassic Park thinking out loud and planning" -- I was all "this isn't dinosaur poop Darin!!" -- which made us both laugh.
Ugh, that is so much work! Best of luck. Fun fact; in Sweden an id doesn't have the person's address on it.
We're 7 hours ahead of Central Time. Most book clubs/live steams/Popcast AUA's are at 2 am. At some point I might be able to hack it but right now I feel like I need to prioritize sleep, lol.
"This isn't dinosaur poop Darin!" made me laugh too! That is too funny. I need to find a way to incorporate it into daily conversations!
I mean Darin wasn't wrong, the way I was sort of talking to myself looking through my yarn and flipping through my project idea book, it was like Laura Dern trying to solve Dinosaur problems LOL
I didn’t join in Book Club this week because I DNF’ed the book and didn’t want my very first visit to be negative Nancy. 😝 I know it’s silly but I felt so strongly about protecting y’all’s vibe and just didn’t want to ruin it.
Jules, I DNF'ed as well. I gave it a good try but had just read two hard books and wasn't in the mood for more. There were a couple of us who hadn't read/finished but it was nice to hear others thoughts and have a better idea if I should try it again later.
I think the convos we had about it made me appreciate some of the content more. Really I just loved seeing faces and hearing voices :) So that was a delight!
I am so pumped for you to finally see The Decemberists. I cannot wait to get the post-show MP with all the amazing details! Love you, friend. I approve of the potential future Mother’s Day gift to yourself 💜
PFR! Shamineau (never went but had many college friends who attended or worked there)! I totally know what church your mom went to, and went there for a brief time after college. Minnesota connections!
I am praying all my boys have the same attitude about their birthdays as your son when they are 15.
The fact that you know all those references from my life, Sarah. I'm squealing.
Yes, Max is pretty chill about birthdays....I think he gets it from his dad who has the whole "yup, another year around the sun" vibe about them. But he truly knows that Feb-March he'll be 'gifted' with so much his birthday is just one day of many :)
- After much angst and consternation because Ticketmaster is the worst, guess who just got her hot little hands on a Bob Dylan ticket? This kid. It will be my first live performance of any kind since 2019 and I predict I'm gonna have some feelings about it. Also, I passed up the chance to see Bob Dylan on my birthday several years ago because I was insecure about not having anyone to go with. I no longer care about this and need to start listening now to get a grip on his more recent work.
- My best friend's younger sister, who is one of the smartest people I know, has started a blog/website around spiritual practices. She gave me permission to share here, but is pretty nervous about possibly actually having eyes on her work. I have assured her that you are all very nice people. https://www.existinwonder.com/
I've had that Jerry Falwell article in my tabs for a few days. Is today the day I actually read it?
The descriptions for Relient K and David Crowder Band were the ones that spoke to me the most, although they were all very funny and I am only moderately into Phoebe Bridgers. DCB led worship pretty regularly at conferences in my area, so between that and actual concerts I think I saw them (and then his solo band) at least once a year from jr. high all the way through college. My freshman year of high school, we had an English assignment as part of the poetry unit where we picked and played a song for the class, and then talked about our interpretation of the lyrics. I grew up in southeastern NM on the edge of the Bible Belt, so the proportion of earnest Christian kids trying to witness to our classmates via class assignment was high. Also, thanks to the 1-2 punch of Two Lefts... and Mmhmm around that time there were also a non-zero number of Relient K songs included in my class playlist.
I bought myself musical theater season tickets in 2019 and have continued to renew because it's just as much fun to go by myself. I make it a thing and go out to a fun dinner beforehand with a book.
I came around to it on the theory that since I was living in a major city at the time, I could either see all the stuff I wanted to see while I had the chance, or be kicking myself forever the way I have been since missing my Bob Dylan birthday.
Oh man. Those were the days. My friend used our speech class to share the Four Spiritual Laws. I wonder how many evangelism presentations that speech teacher had to endure. 😁
Mostly just want to say I laughed out loud at so many of these tweets, thank you Erin!!! But also, wow, this brings me back to a youth group field trip to a Christian music store where we had to tell the salesperson what secular music we liked and they would give us Christian suggestions. (Side note- why did it feel like the sole purpose of youth group was to embarrass a person in public?) The guy was totally unfazed when I said REM, despite how much it seemed to disconcert my youth pastor. I do remember he picked a good artist for me, but I don't think I could ever remember who it was. Plus, this was right before grunge entered my life, so it didn't last long anyway. Definitely feel like I'm dating myself here (I've only heard of two of the bands in that article. And one of them is Amy Grant). Also, it was a cassette tape. Anyway, my personal treasure for the weekend- we might finally get some real snow here in coastal New England!
Umm EXCUSE ME - how did they not have Avalon?!?!?! Or Point of Grace?? I guess I was very offlable. if I had to pick from that list it was Reliant K, first concert I ever saw.
Also the tweet about dread either way (first one in the list) - I was a little offended it left off "or the tenth way"... for all our prepares out there, I can see every possible outcome but usually the one that happens...
As you can see the "..." pretty much is my whole personality at this point. I know I should be taking Stupid Walks, starting to not just sit at my desk (day) or couch (night) every day, and in general be more sociable, but the dark and cold of this time of year has gotten to me and ...
I did read 3 books this week and watch all of Station 11 so there's that....
I’m also living in the ellipses. It’s just more comforting. We have the weather (Texas) for stupid walks but I can’t bring myself to care yet. It usually hits in the spring and fall, but winter walks are just an intrusion and summer walks are hell 🙅🏻♀️.
Avalon was technically my first concert...though I tell everyone it was The Chicks and Tim McGraw because that was my first one that wasn't inside of a church building.
Friends, I made it to New York this week and saw Hugh and Sutton in all their glory! Thank you for your prayers. My judgement may be clouded, but I think it was the best show I have ever seen. Amazing talent, delightful songs, classic Broadway experience. My daughter was over the moon about the show and about staying in the city. We left the theater and our faces hurt from smiling and our hands hurt from clapping. It was a magical, Inside Out-style core memory, and I'm so thankful.
Another funny story. My parents were SO concerned about crime in New York and asked me to cancel the trip. Now, I am 41 years old, a generally cautious person, and have been to Manhattan countless times, starting as a teen, so I felt good about making my own decision to brave the crime-ridden streets of New York. (Literal conversation the night before: "Send us updates throughout the day to let us know you're okay." "Sure, I'll send you selfies of our adventures." "Don't take selfies! Then you'll be distracted from your surroundings!")
Well, we were walking to the train station on the way home, and were approached by a guy asking for money. I told him, sorry, I didn't have any cash and he started shouting and swearing at me that I was an effing liar and he knew I had money and to show him my wallet. Instinctively, I reacted like the mother I am and turned to him and shouted, "HEY! No THANK you!" It was a very "we don't talk to people like that" moment. As we walked away (still being sworn at) I turned to my daughter and said, "This is something we DO NOT TELL NANNY." Still laughing about how I fended off a potential mugging by bringing out my mom voice.
Mom voices have POWER! I'm so glad you got to go and see Hugh and Sutton (we're close friends with them at this point, right?). It sounds like the most magical time, and you got to share it with your daughter, yay!
I’m so happy and jealous of your trip and your show! The Music Man movie was a staple in my adolescence, a favorite of my dad, and we have a gazillion family jokes from it. (One Grecian urn, pick-a-little, etc) My smile would’ve been bursting for days afterward, and my heart would’ve been tender at my dad not being with me. What fun!
My dad is a little bit xenophobic, so despite my having lived in and around London for 5 YEARS, he was still pretty unhappy about my taking 2.5 weeks to travel Europe before I moved back to the U.S. (reader, I was 27 years old). So every few days I would find a newspaper or receipt or something with the date and take a selfie to send as proof of life. I'm not sure he got the joke.
BAHAHA When I moved downtown Chicago after college. I would be walking on State Street (read for non-Chicago person most touristy and busy street at all times) and my mom would freak out I was on the phone with her and not paying attention! In fact, my parents bought me my first smartphone when I moved because they were so scared of me getting lost/attacked
Not even going to try to disguise my fan girling of your getting to see Music Man with those two. If we were neighbors, I would have been at your door when you got home with a cup of coffee or glass of wine depending on the time and demanded you recount the whole thing to me twice!
Ha! Erin, as always thanks for the tweets! Also I was going to post the youth group band article. Lol! I had just read the McSweeney's piece and thought, there should be a CCM one. Thank goodness for Tyler. 😁
Happy Friday Swipes! I am excited about book club and Galentines Day, my first forays into extra-curricular swipieness.
🎸 My husband is a rock and metal guy, and I spent my youth listening to Wham! I've picked up a lot of knowledge during our marriage, but I still sometimes get lost in all the sub-genres. And honestly most of these dudes - and ladies (yeah! Girls can rock so hard!) - look the same to me. But I found this history of heavy metal video that walks through the genres really well. If you have 15 minutes for rock school, this is a good explainer: https://youtu.be/kbk7ThCAApk
📽 Also in heavy metal entertainment. We've watched a few documentaries recently. I'm never going to love metal like my husband, but I love learning about people and what makes them the way they are. Here are three interesting ones:
Some Kind of Monster - watching these guys with so much unresolved trauma try to be a band together. I look back at pictures of these guys from the 80s and I just want to hug them all and get them into therapy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallica:_Some_Kind_of_Monster
Anvil! The Story of Anvil - its like a real life Spinal Tap. The plucky band that just doesn't give up. Oh my heart. They are a couple of blue color dudes from Toronto trying to make their band take off... for 30 years. I was rooting for them so hard by the end.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anvil!_The_Story_of_Anvil
📚 Still processing Whiskey When We're Dry - thank you Meg for sending questions ahead of time. And my BOTM book arrived yesterday: The Magnolia Palace. Anyone read it?
Side note: I've noticed a lot of the art I have been taking in is set in the period between Spanish Flu and WW2. Several books, TV shows, movies... Also - a lot seem to be set in Yorkshire. This novel is in New York, which is named after the old one. Lol. My husband just met an internet friend fom there, I feel like we need to plan a trip there...
OK ladies that's all I have today. Heavy Metal. And Yorkshire. And the turn of the last century. Oh, and this deer:
Isn't it funny how a lot of the art and entertainment seems to be accidentally themed sometimes? Last summer everything I read or watched was set in Surrey. I almost started thinking God wanted me to move there! 😂
Ohmygosh the deer!!! 😍 I’m sorry she didn’t see her earlier and could’ve enjoyed the moment. (Though she seemed skittish so maybe it was for the best. 😬)
Also… having a full comment from you on metal music just reminded me that L’il Swipes (people) truly contain multitudes. 😊
😄 Ha! It is been good for me to do what my husband and I call, "cultural exchanges ". He has shared metal with me, and I have shared Anne of Green Gables with him. (He loved it -with the exception of some of the other kid characters, and the book he refers to as "Anne's House of Horrers". He was so invested in the love story that he kept calling Gilbert "numb nuts" for not just speaking his mind. We did them as read aloud, and when I finally read the part where they got together, my husband jumped to his feet, fist pumped, and yelled, "Yes!" so loud he startled the neighbor doing yardwork.
The Relevant article? 100% a DCTalk fan and, yes, I'm still with Michael. Let's eat the rich.
Well guys, my dad has COVID so all solo weekending plans are out. I had scouted out a rooftop bar and an outdoor wine tasting as potentials (in addition to all of your great ideas!), but instead we will spend the weekend re-watching Encanto and whatever else my kids want as a consolation prize 😭 I also shattered my glass coffee carafe this afternoon, so tomorrow morning promises many joys. Send me those Ts and Ps.
🙏🏻 ❤️
Oh no! I'm sorry. Sending lots of Ts and Ps.
That sounds so hard! I hope you can spend some time outside even if it's not what you'd planned.
"to make a tv show you need one banana-shaped man and one-orange shaped man. let me explain" - This was almost perfect, just missing Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato. :)
Bahahahahaha EXACTLY
that's what I thought!!
The downside of sleeping *at night* is that I’m not here for the morning comments. 😩 I always feel late to the party. Thankful for you midday-ers and West Coasters!
On CCM, as with many other 80s gals in the comments — I didn’t know there were so many of us! — I came up with Amy Grant, Michael W., Wayne Watson, and later, Avalon. A STORY OF MY YOUTH: I saw Amy at a Six Flags concert when MWS was still her keyboard player and not yet known(!), and it was a seminal moment in my life. I was 15, just moved to a new town and ANGRY about it but trying to be the “good Christian girl” for my parents. The youth group of grew-up-together teens took a Saturday trip to Six Flags, and I assumed we were there for the concert so I just stayed till the end and headed back to the bus afterward. Turns out, everyone had been waiting HOURS for me to return so we could go home (a couple hours drive back). Cell phones did not exist. I didn’t wear a watch. And again, had we not come for the sole purpose of the concert?!? People were *furious* that I had delayed them. Grumbles and snark hurled at me on the bus ride home. I borrowed a Walkman to listen to my new Amy Grant cassette purchased at the show, and I cried silent tears the entire drive back. We arrived to a parking lot of angry parents waiting to retrieve their teens at 2am (instead of midnight). I was the new girl in a new town who suddenly became a pariah. My parents moved us to another church soon after, and I found out as an adult that they had been told by church staff that I could “never return to the youth group or take any future trips.” 😳 To this day I’m not sorry at all because God literally spoke to my adolescent heart in that concert and Amy’s music was central to my faith in the teen years after. And in my mid-20s, when I decided that God could actually be trusted and that church did not equal Jesus, it was Amy Grant’s “crossover” albums that gave me a gateway back to CCM. Those are still my faves, all these years later.
Here’s my favorite cultural commentary on Christians in the 80s: the opening artist for Amy at that concert was Philip Bailey, whose chart-topping single was “Easy Lover.” To this day it’s still a banger. 😂 But the woman standing beside me told her younger daughter, “If he sings that Lover song, we’re leaving.” And when he *did* sing that song AND REFERENCED A SCRIPTURE ON WHICH THE SONG WAS BASED, that lady grabbed her daughter and dragged her away. 🤦🏻♀️ I remember thinking, “But you came for Amy Grant and she hasn’t even come on yet!” I felt so sorry for that girl being born to that mom. LOL
Pffft, well at least you got a good cassette and a great experience of seeing Amy Grant out of it? Truly, those people were stinkers though.
That youth group does not sound like a fun hang! I feel so sorry for 15 year old you on the bus. I'm glad you got to experience the concert though and have Amy's music be an important part of your life.
Fifteen-year-old me was a HOT MESS. 🤣 But for sure I don't blame myself entirely. LOL
I especially love how they were just waiting around and not actually LOOKING for you to make sure you hadn't fallen off a roller coaster or something. Yikes. Good call both for staying for the concert and for your parents moving you elsewhere.
Okay, I never thought about that. 🤯 The whole experience, in retrospect, proved to me that it was the crappiest thing for my parents to move us after my freshman year, just when I was starting to find my way as a teenager. I mean, good promotion for Dad and all, but seriously, it just ruined my life! 🤪
I think I actually snorted over the relevant article. I don’t remember being into Christian music as a youth, but apparently at some point I was into amy grant 🤷♀️ How do they know?
Y'all. We made it to Friday, so Yay?
Anyways, that first gif with the coffee, that's me all the time forever. Life has been overwhelming and so I've only visited the comments here and there for the last few months. I think I mentioned debating a big life change in the form of leaving my full time job to work two (three?) part-time jobs and also finish my master's. It was scary AF but I did it and I'm still adjusting and it's still a little scary but I absolutely made the right decision and am already less overwhelmed.
I CACKLED at the youth group music article, despite initial hesitations. I wasn't really a big youth group person so I just sort of meandered over to have a look and then knew I was in trouble immediately upon seeing Relient K as the first listing. Hanging out with friends is my version of church, I am definitely a little bit over capitalism and I am very into Phoebe Bridgers for sure.
A few treasures:
-as a part of my job change, I'm now working part time in a library (instead of full time) and it's a different branch where I had many friends and now I get to see them more often!
-I'm (sort of) able to focus on reading a bit more and so that's been lovely
-My book club has started meeting again and we had a new member who, hilariously, is in one of my grad school classes (online program for library sciences) so meeting her was very fun.
-I've been complimented so many times on my style at my new library job lately and it has been a delightful boost in my self esteem.
I'm so glad that changing jobs has made things less stressful! Grad school while a working adult is hard stuff. What fun for people to notice and compliment your style 💖
Here is a treasure! https://www.instagram.com/upworthy/p/CZSF6ZAJ2bZ/?utm_medium=copy_link
“Never put a skunk on a bus.” The Partridge Family proved that!
https://youtu.be/0buLSQantWk
That episode. Iconic.
It’s one of the only eps I remember. Made such an impact! 😂
I’ve only made it so far as the Relevant article. I don’t have time to read it right this second, but did manage to see the first band is Relient K. I have tickets to a Relient K concert in a couple of months, so there’s that.
One of my first concerts was Relient K, Good Charlotte, and Simple Plan -so fun!
This feels like the EXACT trifecta High School Amanda would die to see!
I’m VERY jealous of your upcoming concert experience. Please fill us in about it when you go!!
It's Friday, Friday, Gotta get down on Friiiiidaaaaay
Hey gang!
Youth Group songs, I followed a MN band called PFR or Pray for Rain pretty hard. I worked with team members at a church camp called Shamineau. Their lead singer ended up being a worship leader at the church my mom attended and he sang at her funeral. So I guess my closest alignment to that list would be Jars of Clay.
Treasures for the Week
1. Swipes Book Club Part 1 - always a delight to see faces, hear voices, and be with each other. Am I going to be on the second date too? YUP!
2. Finishing a knitting project, developing more. My knitting projects never end and I kind of love it. It truly is a part of my therapy homework each week as it is just as calming to me as meditation.
3. My son Max turns 15 this weekend. His chill towards his bday and being like "Mom, you get me what I want and need all the time" - raising 'em right. He's picking his food for the weekend and is excited for maybe doing a half-birthday party (which I have never done before) in the Summer so he can have friends over and use our new house yard
4. The emotions knowing some deliveries will be next coming to the new house. Its happeniiiiiing!
5. I'm super excited that The Decemberists announced their new tour and I'm going to see them in August. I was originally supposed to see them Aug 2020 but well we know that song and dance soooo. I was so worried they weren't ever going to tour again but they are and the concert is going to be held outdoors at a brewery which to me is perfection. Summer night outside, hearing music that will make me cry, but I can also have a beer in my hand.
One first world problem turd - All the places I have to crosscheck to change my address. Just like I want to pay people to do other tasks in my life, remembering ALL the places I have to change my address is a whole thing.
Also, I really miss my dog lately. We still have Milo Rambaldi (yes my dog has an Alias inspired name) but he is NOT my dog. Cosmo was MY dog. He loved me in that way dogs love their humans and Milo is not that and has never been that dog for me in the house. Have I been visiting various rescue pages in my area and bookmarking them to look again sometime in May because I need MY dog? yes. Yes I have been. It's the most heart-wrenching window shopping but I think it might be my Mother Day's gift to myself.
With puppers-snuggle dreams
Mel
Hey, I have heard in MANY places to get your (single) dog a dog, so I say go for it. Book club was excellent, I'm SO glad I decided to go. It was the delight of my week to see everyone's shining faces, and babies, and thoughts about lady gunslingers!
There totally should be a service where you can pay for someone else to change your address in all the places!
I'm jealous of your book club meetings and hope I can take part one day!
Here for both new house excitement and puppy dreams. And I love that you're knitting so much. :)
Right? Like my goodness there are so many places I need to change my address, work, all the services, my id. I mean looking at my wallet alone gives me a reminder. It's soooo many places.
We had Tamara on the call from Australia but you are 8 hours ahead right? So yeah it would be tricky to find the perfect time. (sad face; time zones why must you be this way??!)
The knitting has been so necessary for my winter feelings. My husband thought it was funny watching me think about my next project and flipping through my book of patterns and then mutter to myself looking through my yarn bins - he was like "you're like Laura Dern in Jurassic Park thinking out loud and planning" -- I was all "this isn't dinosaur poop Darin!!" -- which made us both laugh.
Ugh, that is so much work! Best of luck. Fun fact; in Sweden an id doesn't have the person's address on it.
We're 7 hours ahead of Central Time. Most book clubs/live steams/Popcast AUA's are at 2 am. At some point I might be able to hack it but right now I feel like I need to prioritize sleep, lol.
"This isn't dinosaur poop Darin!" made me laugh too! That is too funny. I need to find a way to incorporate it into daily conversations!
I mean Darin wasn't wrong, the way I was sort of talking to myself looking through my yarn and flipping through my project idea book, it was like Laura Dern trying to solve Dinosaur problems LOL
Oh girl, sleep IS the priority.
Another reason Sweden has it going on!
There are worse people to emulate than Laura Dern. As long as the yarn doesn't try to eat you! ;)
I didn’t join in Book Club this week because I DNF’ed the book and didn’t want my very first visit to be negative Nancy. 😝 I know it’s silly but I felt so strongly about protecting y’all’s vibe and just didn’t want to ruin it.
Jules, I DNF'ed as well. I gave it a good try but had just read two hard books and wasn't in the mood for more. There were a couple of us who hadn't read/finished but it was nice to hear others thoughts and have a better idea if I should try it again later.
No vibe to protect. We had a lot of feelings about the book. I called it my "I can't read this on Sunday nights" book. ;)
Okay, I may join this week then. I just didn’t want to be a downer on my first visit!
I think the convos we had about it made me appreciate some of the content more. Really I just loved seeing faces and hearing voices :) So that was a delight!
I am so pumped for you to finally see The Decemberists. I cannot wait to get the post-show MP with all the amazing details! Love you, friend. I approve of the potential future Mother’s Day gift to yourself 💜
Thanks Hannnnnnnah! Yes I'm super excited about August music and the promise of a new puppers.
PFR! Shamineau (never went but had many college friends who attended or worked there)! I totally know what church your mom went to, and went there for a brief time after college. Minnesota connections!
I am praying all my boys have the same attitude about their birthdays as your son when they are 15.
The fact that you know all those references from my life, Sarah. I'm squealing.
Yes, Max is pretty chill about birthdays....I think he gets it from his dad who has the whole "yup, another year around the sun" vibe about them. But he truly knows that Feb-March he'll be 'gifted' with so much his birthday is just one day of many :)
Admin friend here for fun extracurriculars:
If you're interested in doing book club with us in the future, fill out this interest form - https://forms.gle/uL68n5PnvGCLECff8
Galentines exchange! https://www.elfster.com/gift-exchanges/ffe4c1e4-dfb5-4a0e-bb5a-a6692f96cc55/?join=zmzl If you signed up by yesterday, you should have your match. I will be doing a second drawing of names on 2/5 for friends who missed the initial sign up:)
will be back with treasures, etc in a hot second, but today is B A N A N A S (s/o Kelly Kapoor)
Just filled out the interest form! 🥰
Done and DONE!
I mean how did that article know so much about me from my Jennifer Knapp, I loved it and brought back many memories of big youth group conferences.
Highlights this week: we are done with quarantining once again. School and the exposers are driving me batty.
I’m looking forward to book club next week.
Also going to the vangogh exhibit this next week with my sister and looking forward to seeing something new and some sister time
Treasures first:
- After much angst and consternation because Ticketmaster is the worst, guess who just got her hot little hands on a Bob Dylan ticket? This kid. It will be my first live performance of any kind since 2019 and I predict I'm gonna have some feelings about it. Also, I passed up the chance to see Bob Dylan on my birthday several years ago because I was insecure about not having anyone to go with. I no longer care about this and need to start listening now to get a grip on his more recent work.
- My best friend's younger sister, who is one of the smartest people I know, has started a blog/website around spiritual practices. She gave me permission to share here, but is pretty nervous about possibly actually having eyes on her work. I have assured her that you are all very nice people. https://www.existinwonder.com/
- Julie Nolke has been on fire. All my friends are pregnant, so this one hit a little close to home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGnlpW4EiyU
An explanation of NFTs here (there's also an actually decent explanation in the comments if you want to know): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJzNiFLyw8k
I've had that Jerry Falwell article in my tabs for a few days. Is today the day I actually read it?
The descriptions for Relient K and David Crowder Band were the ones that spoke to me the most, although they were all very funny and I am only moderately into Phoebe Bridgers. DCB led worship pretty regularly at conferences in my area, so between that and actual concerts I think I saw them (and then his solo band) at least once a year from jr. high all the way through college. My freshman year of high school, we had an English assignment as part of the poetry unit where we picked and played a song for the class, and then talked about our interpretation of the lyrics. I grew up in southeastern NM on the edge of the Bible Belt, so the proportion of earnest Christian kids trying to witness to our classmates via class assignment was high. Also, thanks to the 1-2 punch of Two Lefts... and Mmhmm around that time there were also a non-zero number of Relient K songs included in my class playlist.
I bought myself musical theater season tickets in 2019 and have continued to renew because it's just as much fun to go by myself. I make it a thing and go out to a fun dinner beforehand with a book.
Have a great time at the concert! I love going to shows alone, but then again I'm a bit of a weirdo...
I came around to it on the theory that since I was living in a major city at the time, I could either see all the stuff I wanted to see while I had the chance, or be kicking myself forever the way I have been since missing my Bob Dylan birthday.
Oh man. Those were the days. My friend used our speech class to share the Four Spiritual Laws. I wonder how many evangelism presentations that speech teacher had to endure. 😁
Mostly just want to say I laughed out loud at so many of these tweets, thank you Erin!!! But also, wow, this brings me back to a youth group field trip to a Christian music store where we had to tell the salesperson what secular music we liked and they would give us Christian suggestions. (Side note- why did it feel like the sole purpose of youth group was to embarrass a person in public?) The guy was totally unfazed when I said REM, despite how much it seemed to disconcert my youth pastor. I do remember he picked a good artist for me, but I don't think I could ever remember who it was. Plus, this was right before grunge entered my life, so it didn't last long anyway. Definitely feel like I'm dating myself here (I've only heard of two of the bands in that article. And one of them is Amy Grant). Also, it was a cassette tape. Anyway, my personal treasure for the weekend- we might finally get some real snow here in coastal New England!
Gen X 🙋🏻♀️ I knew the band names but could name zero songs. LOL That youth group field trip tho! Cringe! Churches and youth pastors are so weird.
But yay for a fellow REM fan!
Umm EXCUSE ME - how did they not have Avalon?!?!?! Or Point of Grace?? I guess I was very offlable. if I had to pick from that list it was Reliant K, first concert I ever saw.
Also the tweet about dread either way (first one in the list) - I was a little offended it left off "or the tenth way"... for all our prepares out there, I can see every possible outcome but usually the one that happens...
As you can see the "..." pretty much is my whole personality at this point. I know I should be taking Stupid Walks, starting to not just sit at my desk (day) or couch (night) every day, and in general be more sociable, but the dark and cold of this time of year has gotten to me and ...
I did read 3 books this week and watch all of Station 11 so there's that....
As you can see, we're doing great over here
I’m also living in the ellipses. It’s just more comforting. We have the weather (Texas) for stupid walks but I can’t bring myself to care yet. It usually hits in the spring and fall, but winter walks are just an intrusion and summer walks are hell 🙅🏻♀️.
Right there with you, "..." is a whole mood...
Avalon was technically my first concert...though I tell everyone it was The Chicks and Tim McGraw because that was my first one that wasn't inside of a church building.
Friends, I made it to New York this week and saw Hugh and Sutton in all their glory! Thank you for your prayers. My judgement may be clouded, but I think it was the best show I have ever seen. Amazing talent, delightful songs, classic Broadway experience. My daughter was over the moon about the show and about staying in the city. We left the theater and our faces hurt from smiling and our hands hurt from clapping. It was a magical, Inside Out-style core memory, and I'm so thankful.
Another funny story. My parents were SO concerned about crime in New York and asked me to cancel the trip. Now, I am 41 years old, a generally cautious person, and have been to Manhattan countless times, starting as a teen, so I felt good about making my own decision to brave the crime-ridden streets of New York. (Literal conversation the night before: "Send us updates throughout the day to let us know you're okay." "Sure, I'll send you selfies of our adventures." "Don't take selfies! Then you'll be distracted from your surroundings!")
Well, we were walking to the train station on the way home, and were approached by a guy asking for money. I told him, sorry, I didn't have any cash and he started shouting and swearing at me that I was an effing liar and he knew I had money and to show him my wallet. Instinctively, I reacted like the mother I am and turned to him and shouted, "HEY! No THANK you!" It was a very "we don't talk to people like that" moment. As we walked away (still being sworn at) I turned to my daughter and said, "This is something we DO NOT TELL NANNY." Still laughing about how I fended off a potential mugging by bringing out my mom voice.
I am SO HAPPY that you got to see Music Man with Hugh and Sutton! That sounds like an absolute dream. 🥰
Mom voices have POWER! I'm so glad you got to go and see Hugh and Sutton (we're close friends with them at this point, right?). It sounds like the most magical time, and you got to share it with your daughter, yay!
1. I love that you got to go and that you had such a wonderful time at the show!
2. This story is amazing.
I’m so happy and jealous of your trip and your show! The Music Man movie was a staple in my adolescence, a favorite of my dad, and we have a gazillion family jokes from it. (One Grecian urn, pick-a-little, etc) My smile would’ve been bursting for days afterward, and my heart would’ve been tender at my dad not being with me. What fun!
My dad is a little bit xenophobic, so despite my having lived in and around London for 5 YEARS, he was still pretty unhappy about my taking 2.5 weeks to travel Europe before I moved back to the U.S. (reader, I was 27 years old). So every few days I would find a newspaper or receipt or something with the date and take a selfie to send as proof of life. I'm not sure he got the joke.
BAHAHA When I moved downtown Chicago after college. I would be walking on State Street (read for non-Chicago person most touristy and busy street at all times) and my mom would freak out I was on the phone with her and not paying attention! In fact, my parents bought me my first smartphone when I moved because they were so scared of me getting lost/attacked
Not even going to try to disguise my fan girling of your getting to see Music Man with those two. If we were neighbors, I would have been at your door when you got home with a cup of coffee or glass of wine depending on the time and demanded you recount the whole thing to me twice!
Ha! Erin, as always thanks for the tweets! Also I was going to post the youth group band article. Lol! I had just read the McSweeney's piece and thought, there should be a CCM one. Thank goodness for Tyler. 😁
Happy Friday Swipes! I am excited about book club and Galentines Day, my first forays into extra-curricular swipieness.
🎸 My husband is a rock and metal guy, and I spent my youth listening to Wham! I've picked up a lot of knowledge during our marriage, but I still sometimes get lost in all the sub-genres. And honestly most of these dudes - and ladies (yeah! Girls can rock so hard!) - look the same to me. But I found this history of heavy metal video that walks through the genres really well. If you have 15 minutes for rock school, this is a good explainer: https://youtu.be/kbk7ThCAApk
📽 Also in heavy metal entertainment. We've watched a few documentaries recently. I'm never going to love metal like my husband, but I love learning about people and what makes them the way they are. Here are three interesting ones:
Heavy Metal Parking Lot - it is just a time capsule of the 80s. The hair! Wowzers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Metal_Parking_Lot
Some Kind of Monster - watching these guys with so much unresolved trauma try to be a band together. I look back at pictures of these guys from the 80s and I just want to hug them all and get them into therapy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallica:_Some_Kind_of_Monster
Anvil! The Story of Anvil - its like a real life Spinal Tap. The plucky band that just doesn't give up. Oh my heart. They are a couple of blue color dudes from Toronto trying to make their band take off... for 30 years. I was rooting for them so hard by the end.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anvil!_The_Story_of_Anvil
📚 Still processing Whiskey When We're Dry - thank you Meg for sending questions ahead of time. And my BOTM book arrived yesterday: The Magnolia Palace. Anyone read it?
Side note: I've noticed a lot of the art I have been taking in is set in the period between Spanish Flu and WW2. Several books, TV shows, movies... Also - a lot seem to be set in Yorkshire. This novel is in New York, which is named after the old one. Lol. My husband just met an internet friend fom there, I feel like we need to plan a trip there...
OK ladies that's all I have today. Heavy Metal. And Yorkshire. And the turn of the last century. Oh, and this deer:
https://youtu.be/9Xd8xq06FCw
Big deadline at work today, but I will find time to catch up in the comments.
The deer! That was amazing!
Isn't it funny how a lot of the art and entertainment seems to be accidentally themed sometimes? Last summer everything I read or watched was set in Surrey. I almost started thinking God wanted me to move there! 😂
That is another lovely sounding place!
Ohmygosh the deer!!! 😍 I’m sorry she didn’t see her earlier and could’ve enjoyed the moment. (Though she seemed skittish so maybe it was for the best. 😬)
Also… having a full comment from you on metal music just reminded me that L’il Swipes (people) truly contain multitudes. 😊
😄 Ha! It is been good for me to do what my husband and I call, "cultural exchanges ". He has shared metal with me, and I have shared Anne of Green Gables with him. (He loved it -with the exception of some of the other kid characters, and the book he refers to as "Anne's House of Horrers". He was so invested in the love story that he kept calling Gilbert "numb nuts" for not just speaking his mind. We did them as read aloud, and when I finally read the part where they got together, my husband jumped to his feet, fist pumped, and yelled, "Yes!" so loud he startled the neighbor doing yardwork.
I love this so much. In college I would watch Stargate: SG-1 with my husband and he would watch the Megan Follows Anne of Green Gables with me!
So great! As we used to tell the preschoolers I worked with, Sharing makes good buddies! 😊
😂😂😂😂
Can you send info on book club? And Galentines? I want to know extracurriculars and seem to have missed those week...
book club interest form - https://forms.gle/uL68n5PnvGCLECff8 and galentines exchange! will be doing a second drawing of names on 2/5 for friends who missed the initial sign up - https://www.elfster.com/gift-exchanges/ffe4c1e4-dfb5-4a0e-bb5a-a6692f96cc55/?join=zmzl