Lil Treasures #64: Helping Texas and Yardi Gras

Hello my darlings.

I know so many of us are feeling overwhelmed or discouraged or furious or completely numbed to all the tragedy around us. I’ve become increasingly convinced that the way out is through helping other people. I’ve seen you all do it so many times: sending messages, shooting Venmo payments to each other, scrolling in the We Got You Club to help someone else you don’t know. If you find yourself feeling helpless, the best shock to the system is to find a small way to help. This has been the only thing that’s kept me from getting in my car to give Ted Cruz a thorough verbal lashing, or from laying on the floor in abject misery. I love you guys and thank you for showing me how to love each other. Let’s keep going.

This week has been bonkers, and I don’t have much in the way of words, but we do have many delightful treasures, so let’s just jump into those, shall we?

💍 Our beloved Sarah got engaged, and I was supposed to post the pic last time, but I completely forgot. BUT HERE IT IS! Look at these angels. If you’re new here(Also, if you are interested in being a virtual hostess for Sarah’s Lil Swipes Shower [‘cause yeah, we’re doing that, any chance to celebrate], email me and we’ll get a group going.) (Also this makes me want to do some sort of monthly celebration where we just get to share our good things: new jobs, promotions, quit jobs that sucked, had a baby, bought a house, got engaged, did a hard thing. I gotta figure this out.) Congrats, Sarah and James!

💙 Not a treasure, but my heart has been heavy for my home state of Texas this week with the news of power and water outages across the state, made even worse by extremely cold temperatures. To distract from the ABSOLUTE RAGE I felt because Ted Cruz is a human being that I have an insanely difficult time with, I compiled a few resources in an Instagram highlight of ways to donate, food help, warming shelters, etc. Thank you guys for continuing to send me those resources and ways to meet needs! Please share with anyone you know who may need it during this time. Texas friends, we are praying for you!

✝️ Lent started this week! It’s not too late to join me for this year’s study, called Memento Mori. The online community (aka Substack group) will close TONIGHT at midnight though, so make sure you go grab your copy ASAP. If you’ve never observed Lent before, this is a low-pressure situation. I’d just love to have you along for the ride as we study The Sermon on the Mount together. You can purchase your study (or even buy a gift card for someone else to do the study) here!

⚜️ Like many other events, this year’s Mardi Gras celebration and parade got canceled due to COVID. The people of New Orleans said cool, we can still make this work - and TURNED THEIR HOMES into beautiful, creative parade floats. Read the New York Times article here!

👑 To all my fellow Dolly Parton fans out there, please read her response to a bill that was proposed to erect a statue of her on the Capitol grounds in Tennessee. Long live the queen.

🦠 I need you to watch this COVID + Kelly Clarkson remix. You’ll never hear the song the same way again.

Good tweets? Good tweets!

Stephen Douglas @Stephen_Douglas

If the Cruella trailer doesn't feature a children's choir singing a haunting, slowed down cover version of a certain Baha Men song, what are we even doing here?

Cydni Beer @cydbeer

Experts: Listen to your body. Other People’s Body: Rest. Drink more water. Stretch. My Body: Eat more pizza. Think of things you can’t change that scare you at 2am. Try on something too small to feel bad about yourself.

Duchess Goldblatt @duchessgoldblat

The way I remember it, things started going south when everybody turned against carbs.

Shannon Gaffney💋 @shan_gaffney

Some of you guys didn’t barge into diners with a cast of 20 at 11pm covered in sparkles and hairspray and terrible eyeliner, singing very loudly and only ordering deserts and apps, while talking about your high school show like you just made your bway debut and it shows

PantsuitPolitics @PantsuitPolitic

I'm grateful for all of you who show up as friends and neighbors even as your friends and neighbors actively break your hearts. -b

𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗯 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗻 @calebsaysthings

if you're upset about teenagers on tik tok calling your haircut ugly please just remember you got to be young before the earth ran out of clean water and breathable air. you won!

I know it’s short today, but it’s full of my undying affection for you all. Can’t wait to see what you’re treasuring this week. Stay safe, my friends.