🍎 Lil Treasures #89: We Got You, Teachers!
Plus: The Brenaissance and a special appearance from Snickers the donkey
Happy Friday, Lil Swipes! My kids went back to school this week and we are officially transitioning into a different rhythm. We are navigating two new schools with a lot of fresh new faces, but their teachers seem wonderful and we are all thrilled. This week’s newsletter is dedicated to all the educators out there - the last couple of years have been more than we all bargained for, but you have carried us through with your dedication and absolute grit. It makes me emotional just thinking about it. I couldn’t be more grateful. Our kids are better because of you!
So, to start out the treasures this week, let’s do something to give back to the teachers:
🍎 If you weren’t already aware of this, most educators are given little-to-no budget for supplies for their students. This means they are paying for most school supplies with the dollars out of their own pockets! I’ve featured a few different teacher wishlists on my Instagram page this week, and it has been incredible to see those needs met. Are you guys up for another one?! This Amazon wishlist is for Rachel Stockard, an elementary art teacher out of Antioch, TN who teaches art to over 700 students at a Title I school. Let’s knock this list out, newsletter-style!
****Also, if you are a teacher (or know a teacher), I’ve added a new teacher tab to the We Got You Club spreadsheet for Amazon wishlists! This is a great way to help get those needs met. (I’ll be checking on the progress to make sure we keep this updated when lists are complete)
😑 This post and flag pennant created by Oxford Pennant really captures how I’m feeling about our current state of being this week (PSA you can order this flag for your own door here).
💃 On the sunnier side of things, this news that Dolly Parton is writing a novel AND a companion album (coming 2022) is giving me hope! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - we don’t deserve Dolly.
🕵️ For all you true crime junkies out there who love a good cold case: Vanity Fair wrote this article about a case that has been reopened recently concerning the mysterious death of billionaire Doris Duke’s husband back in the 1960’s. If this sparks your curiosity at all, do yourself a favor and read this intriguing story!
❤️ Although sobering at times, this piece in the Atlantic about a family who is still dealing with the after-affects of 9/11 is so well-written. You’ll need to take it in slowly.
🥇 Wanna hack your crying today? Watch this montage of Olympic athletes in Tokyo being moved to tears - tears of joy, of pain, of relief. I’ve watched it (and cried) several times. I’m also sad the Olympics are over, so this is very therapeutic for me on several different levels.
🥰 Aww shucks, this video of my beloved Brendan Fraser being the incredible person that he is is a nice fluffy treat for today. The Brenaissance is alive, baby!
Now let’s get to those good Tweets:
I’m absorbing this sweet buddy into my soul:
😭 THIS STORY:
That’s a wrap for this week, pals! Go thank a teacher in your life today. This community of Lil Swipes helps me to believe in the goodness of humanity again, and I am so thankful for every one of you. Can’t wait to see you in the comments!
I've been in and out of the doctor's office for imaging on my upper back since I still have some lingering pain after the Great Porch Fall in May. The xrays showed a compression fracture in one vertebrae, the MRI showed that it's definitely chronic and not a result of my fall. Working theory is that it happened when I was in a car accident in college and the fall made it mad. It's a good thing I like my doctor because when he said "you were younger then so all you noticed was some lower back pain" it was like a stab straight through the heart. If anyone has any weight-bearing excercise they like, let me know. I take my dog for walks when I can, but August is the most miserable month to be outside in Texas, and I no longer have sufficient inside space for yoga.
I texted my stepmom last night and asked if she thought there was even the slightest chance of convincing my dad to get vaccinated. She said that if anyone could convince him it would be me, which frankly does not fill me with optimism. Ts and Ps as I try to gather some resources to start this project. If anyone has been able to convince their elders, please tell me your secret. I'm particularly looking for what's been effective in the "boomer with conspiracy theory leanings" demographic.
I finally had the heart to look at a calendar and count and only have TWO Saturday shifts left at my current job. Saturdays are the worst and I cannot wait to be done with them. I should probably start looking for a new job or something, but I just want to bask in being (almost) done with this one.
The Post-Olympics Depression (P.O.D.) has sunk in. These were some precious treasures. My heart is so heavy from the callous family and “friends” in my life. They can sure tell you everything the cable news personalities say every night, but they haven’t asked about my kids since June.