š· Lil Treasures #95: Taxi Gardens and a Baby Boar
Also, parenting during COVID and the ketchup hospital.
Happy Friday, Lil Swipes! We have officially transitioned into fall. Can you feel it? Can you smell it? This morning when I woke up it was in the 50ās, and Iām not sure what Alabama is doing this early in the season but Iām very pleased.
How do you feel when the seasons transition? I love pretty much everything about fall, except that it acts as a precursor to winter. I really struggle with the time change and the dormancy that winter holds. Donāt get me wrong, I adore hibernation - but so much of winter can make me feel trapped. Things outside begin to look bare and lifeless, and itās hard not to feel that way inside at times too. I find myself this year especially looking ahead with dread, afraid that this winter will hold the bleakness and dreariness that we experienced last year. Winter is characteristically dark, but these months marked by the pandemic have a different kind of weariness associated with them. For now, it is still Fall! So, Iāll try to cling to the hope I see around me - the delight I feel at the tree in my front yard changing colors, the satisfaction in rallying other middle school parents to start a cheering section, the peace in my heart when I pull into my new driveway and know it is ours. Thereās a lot going on around us and more that will happen ahead, but Iām trying to stop and find the goodness around me. Mini-treasures, if you will. What makes you hopeful today?
Okay, weāve got lots of treasures this week! Letās go!
š The lovely and brilliant @marikoclark is writing a progressive Bible for kids called The Book of Belonging and I canāt wait to get my hands on a copy! It will be an updated story Bible for āmodern and mindful kidsā with emphasis on diversity, women, and the beautiful stories contained in the Bible. The cover and the illustrations themselves already look so beautiful! In order for the book to get funded, Marri needs another 799 people (800 included myself) to pre-order. You can read more about The Book of Belonging and pre-order your copy here!
š¦ With a rulebook that seems to be ever-changing, figuring out how to parent best and keep my kids safe during COVID-19 has been a real doozy. It feels like each week Iāve finally learned the steps to this dance and then the routine is changed and Iām stumbling again. This article in the New York Times highlights this struggle weāve all been facing as parents.
šŖ Autumn has officially begun, and Iām saving every fall recipe that comes across my feed. First on the baking list is a toss between either these divine-looking autumn spice crinkledoodles or these chewy brown sugar maple cookies š¤¤ If you have some good fall recipes, post them in the comments!
š We are still in the process of unpacking and getting settled into the new Lunar Module (our house) and purchasing important items such as āshower curtainsā and āgarbage bagsā and things of this nature. Apparently those things are necessary. I love quirky, colorful things and Urban Outfitters has provided the perfect bathmats to meet this criteria. Turns out they have more than crop-tops, guys! I bought this moon phase bath mat and it is bringing me so much joy!1
š¤ If youāve read the book Jesus and John Wayne (highly recommend if you havenāt yet), you might be interested to read Anne Helen Petersonās latest newsletter, where she interviewed Kristin du Mez and talked through the problem of patriarchy.
š§ I got to talk to my friend Chad about The Babysitterās Club (among other things) on the Hold On Podcast recently and it was so fun! If youāre looking for a good podcast hang, add it to your listening list this week.
š Mayor of Easttown fans - read this lovely article all about Jean Smart!
š The transportation industry has really taken a hit during the pandemic. Taxi and Uber/Lyft drivers have had to find new streams of revenue to supplement their dwindling income, or have left their jobs completely. In Thailand, some of the drivers and community members decided to take matters into their own hands, bringing purpose and life out of these parked and unused taxis through creating miniature gardens on the car rooftops! They have been able to enjoy and even sell some of the produce, which does not make up for the loss in income, but certainly does help to some extent. I thought it was a beautiful depiction of using resources to make the best out of a really crummy situation. You can read more about these taxi gardens here!
Letās do some Tweets!
My plans for this weekend:
Thatās all for now, my friends! I look forward to reading your treasures in the comments, they always make me smile. Have a great week!
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Iām a summer girl. I like fall but like Erin said, I hate that it is a precursor to winter. Besides the holidays, winter just feels so gloomy and cold and gray and blah.
Even with good things in my life, I still am sad and grieving over the loss of my cousins which also brings back all I felt with losing my mom. I mean, of course, because thatās grief. Iām still struggling a bit with prayer and does it really matter and what is God really doing? Iām trying to appreciate all we do have and lean back on hope, knowing my comfort and strength comes from Jesus even when things donāt turn out like I want them to.
āļøLike Erin, we are in our new house! We have a beautiful view over a small lake and we are living getting settled. I have been frantically unpacking and organizing which I love, though it is also exhausting. I was a little envious of Erinās House Peace gift, but I am pretty decent at the organizing. Yesterday I tackled the pantry and master closet and I am thrilled with how they look. Iām sure I could still use some tips and fun organizational items though. I am also anxious to buy all the things when mostly what we have works for right now.
āļøMy son had really good friends on our old street. Two nights ago, we could hear people out, so he and I took a walk and met some neighbors. He and a boy a year older played frisbie and made plans to ride their bikes to school together the next day and they did. Then he went to his new friendās house to play after school!
āļøFall TV has begun and though Knox and Jamie would make fun, I watch a lot of network TV shows stillā¦Chicago shows, 911, Greyās, etc. (I also watch much better TV too)!
āļøSpeaking of, Ted Lasso had another great episode this week.
Even with all the busyness, I have been reading but find myself having a hard time finishing One, Two, Three by Laurie Frankel. I loved This Is How It Always Is but this one is not as captivating I guess. So it came due at the library and I was able to renew but turns out none of the others on my shelf are really calling to me either. I have a couple I need to pick and some coming available soon so maybe theyāll be good. Otherwise, any suggestions on some good fiction. I read a lot and track on Goodreads which I always thought was a good enough tracker but now I wonder about Trello after hearing it talked about.
I think this is my first time commenting, so hi, Iām Becky from Texas.
Two treasures: Friday was homecoming for the school I teach at, and I got to wear cowboy boots and talk to my students about their massive mums, and my sweet student won homecoming king, and he cried because he was so excited, which was sweet. Also, I live in Texas if you canāt tell.
Second treasure: I woke up before my children so Iām drinking my coffee while itās still hot.