0:13
An easy summer salad, a great gift for teens, and the perfect blue shirt
I’ve been thinking about how friendships that survive the inevitable “shit sandwiches” of life make everything feel lighter. A recent catch‑up with an old friend reminded me that even after a year of silence, we can pick up right where we left off, especially when we talk about parenting and the little moments that keep us grounded.
In the kitchen, I keep coming back to a quinoa salad that actually improves after it sits. Cook the quinoa, let it dry on a sheet pan, then toss it with sautéed garbanzo beans, kale, chopped apricots, fresh herbs, lemon zest, and a simple olive‑oil‑vinegar dressing. It yields about five cups and tastes even better the next day.
Beyond the salad, I’ve spotted a few things that have brightened the week: neon pencils at the bookstore, a perfect blue shirt that caught my eye, a wooden‑dog robot that kids love, and a wireless Apple CarPlay adapter that finally ends the cord‑tangling drama on long drives.
If you’re looking for a quick, tasty side that can double as a make‑ahead lunch, this quinoa mix is a solid, no‑fuss option—just a handful of ingredients, a little sauté, and a generous drizzle of dressing. Enjoy it, and maybe share a bite with a friend while you catch up.
1:49
Lessons in showing up, a truly useful photo printer, and the comfort of cheese & crackers
Tim and I are on the road; the asphalt spooling ahead and behind us as a patchwork of pine trees undulates beneath the August blue sky. We just passed a sign for Montreal; we’re northward-bound to celebrate a friend’s milestone birthday. We’re out of the rolling hills of New England and into the Adirondacks. Up here, Interstate 87 gives a bird’s-eye view, with cascades of clouds as far as you can see. The world both opens and feels very far away.
Grief found us this week; a friend died unexpectedly. We had seen her and her family a few days prior. The horror and senselessness of her death has washed over us in waves that leave us shattered. What no one tells you about grief is that it accumulates and reverberates. This friend’s death is a unique sadness, but it draws on a well of older, deeper sadness from other losses.
On what to do when you don’t know what to do
Even as I make the calls and texts to let friends know the news, even as I write condolence cards about her relentless curiosity and generosity, even when those words don’t do her justice, I have been overwhelmed by not knowing how to support her husband and children.
When I was younger and less experienced, I defaulted to giving space to the grieving, and sometimes, that’s still the right choice. But more often, I’ve learned the importance of just showing up, of being there, of helping, however imperfectly, to bear witness.
For me, sometimes showing up means arriving with bagels (which can be eaten for any meal, sliced and frozen, or even run under water when stale and microwaved!) and cash, and other times it’s just texting a DoorDash gift card. Sometimes it’s a bag of groceries – a loaf of bread, good butter, sliced turkey, some cookies, a bouquet left on a porch or with a doorman. Sometimes, showing up means doing the dishes in the sink or emptying the fridge of all that well-meaning donated food. Other times, it’s showing up to take someone’s kids out for lunch and a movie. Sometimes it’s just a text, “No need to text me back, but know I’m thinking of you.”
It never feels like enough; there is always more to learn about how to take care of each other. I’d love to hear all the ways you have shown up for each other and, in turn, been taken care of, too. Maybe we can be a resource for each other, as every experience with loss has helped me be a better friend and to take better care of my people for the inevitable next time.
Tim shared a text from a friend with me when we stopped for gas just now. In part, they wrote, “I was reminded today how important it is to feel as deeply the joy and lightness of this life as we do the grief and the pain. Today, feel it all but know that there is a tomorrow when you’ll notice the ordinary beauty of the day.”
We just passed Custard’s Last Stand in Long Lake, NY, with hordes of happy-looking people queued up for soft serve—an ordinary beauty, for sure.
One of my strengths is my practicality; my feet are (usually) solidly on the ground, and I tend to default to what I can do with what I have, wherever I am. In that spirit, I wanted to share a few practical things I’ve done in the past when faced with the loss of a friend or family member. Of course, loss is never one size fits all, and not all of these will be of use to every situation.
Talking to my 5-year-old about the death of a grandparent
When my husband’s father died in August of 2023, I was home with my youngest, who was five at the time.
These three books, which I downloaded onto our iPad and read with Ben, really helped me talk to him about death and grief.
What Happens When A Loved One Dies?
I already had this HP Sprocket Studio Photo Printer on hand - and after we talked about Dan’s death, Ben and I looked through an online photo album I’d made of all our photos of Dan. We printed out eight or nine of the images and put them in these frames, which we kept on our kitchen table for months afterward.
This printer has come in handy for all kinds of occasions - art projects, science fair posters, and last-minute birthday and hostess gifts. One of my favorite gifts to give friends is an excellent photo of them with their kids. I take photos with them throughout the year, then print out the best ones and give them with one of these frames. All to say - highly recommend this printer!
“You Can Get Through A Lot With Cheese & Crackers”
After my first child was born, a friend with older children came by with a bag of goodies, which included Cabot precuts (presliced cheese! genius!) and a box of Triscuits, and said to me - knowingly - “You can get through a lot with cheese and crackers.” And, boy, isn’t that the truth. Sometimes, when a friend is going through something, I’ll drop off a bottle of wine with Cabot precuts and Triscuits. Sometimes a bottle of wine and a bag of Doritos. More recently, I’ve found bliss in Saint Angel cheese and cornbread crackers. All to say, when showing up for people, the gesture doesn’t have to be huge.
7:58
Parisian scented matches, a cool pill case, and British chocolate bars
As a child, August was a month of oppressive heat; of box fans and cool damp washcloths. Back then, I dreaded August as back-to-school loomed large. However, tonight, as Alex and I sit on the screened porch and listen to the peepers in the cool night air, I realize that somewhere along the way, I’ve fallen hard for August’s charms: the bushes of wild blackberries, the goldfinches, the blue skies full of storybook clouds, the riot of wildflowers, the soft serve, the late-night runs to the gas station for pints of Ben and Jerry’s (Americone Dream, thank you very much!). The fullness of the season, the ripeness, and the sense of possibility.
Tim has been away this week, and the kids and I fell into an unexpectedly sweet rhythm. Sometimes being a solo parent means going back to basics, letting go, and embracing the absolute chaos of life. This week, I found a particular kind of small joy in simply being in sync with my kids - saying no less and yes more.
The temperature this evening has fallen to the point that I’m about to go inside and get a sweater (!!). I’ll leave you with the small joy of sweater season on the horizon and a delightful review of luxury Swiss Miss by my friend Jim plus the Tiny Awards, in particular: Cloudgazing and One Minute Park.
A. A dear friend went to Paris and brought me back these scented French matches! When I smelled them tonight, over chips and tzatziki in her kitchen, with teens milling about outside, I thought, “this is what friendship smells like.”
B. These pebbles are charming; sent by a friend who lives many states away but stays in touch by sending me dispatches from her internet travels. A long-distance friendship; the biggest joy of all.
C. I spotted this roadside pottery vase in a store window tonight; gah! IRL life shopping is sometimes pure delight. I’m heading to a local tag sale tomorrow morning, and I will report back.
D. My sister and her wife took wonderful care of my kids last weekend so Tim and I could go away for a few nights; I spied these Pilljoy boxes in my very cool sister-in-law’s possession.
E. Raisins in chocolate is my forever fav. Tiny delicious chocolate bars! and Yorkie!
F. I picked up a package of these Sharpie pens in our local slice of heaven, also known as CVS. Rural sensory deprivation is real.
G. A tiny joy is keeping one of these Mini Oxi Clean bottles in my closet for the inevitable stains.
H. Another find from my sister: this mini and adorable Yeti.
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A great single-strap tote bag!
Tim and I stopped in Lyrical Ballad Bookstore in Saratoga. 10 rooms of used books! BLISS!
I’ve been looking for a mesh bag to hold my computer charger …
11:38
A genius soap holder, a really good bathing suit and mesh bags galore
While I feel the turning of the season in the cool mornings and shifting sunlight, there is still a lot of summer left; the sweet corn is still sweet, the afternoons are still hot, and the evenings are still lazy. I felt a surge of happiness tonight, driving with the windows down and the radio turned up, despite, or maybe because of, a grinding week of increasingly complex logistics (adulthood is 99.9% logistics, as it turns out). A reminder, I suppose, that no feeling is final and that even in the tapestry of aging parents, surly teens, dentistry, moody 7-year-olds, double ear infections, migraines, car issues, and work deadlines, there was also connection, community, and moments of grace given and received.
On that note, I'll be taking a little break this week to enjoy the last of summer with my family. There will be no newsletter next Sunday, but I'll be back in your inbox the first week of September.
A. My sister and her wife have done a stunning renovation of their NY apartment, and this soap hanger (with a magnet that you twist into the bar of soap!) is a truly genius solution to the need to let bar soap dry out!
B. I bought this book at a local bookstore and have been enjoying it.
C. The highlight of the week was driving to NYC for the aforementioned dentistry, but having my mom tag along, and we stopped by my sister’s apartment for an hour or so to catch up. A mid-day pitstop with my mom at Sant Ambreous was a true small delight.
D. Boston General Store is one of my favorite online shops - these dishcloths are winking at me.
E. This swimsuit is shockingly comfortable and chic; a sentence I never expected to type. It holds me in but not too much, smooths me out but not too much, and somehow… is cool. Your mileage may vary, of course, but I suspect if it works with my middle-aged body ravaged by time and two children, it might work for yours, too.
F. One of my favorite things to do is give strangers compliments; today at a local coffee shop, a chic woman was wearing this set from Frank & Eileen - now on my wishlist!
G. Over the last decade, I’ve tried on countless, and I do mean COUNTLESS, jumpsuits and had truly concluded that my petite, short-waisted, and busty frame simply could not pull off a jumpsuit. However, I’m nothing if not indefatigable and so took a chance on this version from Banana Republic - and shock of shocks, a winner! The leopard print is sold out, but available here, and the brown is still available.
H. Gah! Never met a big bag I didn’t like or a mesh pouch I didn’t covet, and this bag is BOTH.
Ali Hazelwood's Not In Love, Problematic Summer Romance, and Check & Mate kept me company this week. No one writes longing better than Hazelwood!
My friend Stephanie sent me a link to this mesh tote, which, although sadly discontinued, is perfect for beach combing, fossil hunting, and general toting. I went down a mesh bag rabbit hole; Two, Three, Four, and Five.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, consider clicking the ❤️ button — it really does help other like-minded readers discover my writing (oh, algorithms!).
I include a few bonus finds here each week for paid subscribers as a small token of appreciation for making this newsletter possible.
How To ADHD - Skimming this one, LOL, but finding it helpful.
Due to an administrative error, these dishcloths were double-booked in this newsletter! 😂
A neon watch.
15:51
An easy dinner recipe, charms for flowers and cloud cocktail napkins
September is always something of a second chance romance for me, an opportunity to start again, to take stock of the year so far and the year that remains. It’s helped that we’ve had a string of just ridiculously gorgeous days here; heavenly low humidity, cool misty mornings that swell into sunny afternoons full of high clouds in a blue, blue sky. It’s been the first days of school, early pick-ups, and lazy afternoons biking with both my boys, followed by easy dinners with friends.
Someone asked me recently what some of my favorite meals had been this summer, and 1) what a good conversational gambit, and 2) the answer is a resounding one: Panzanella.
My friend Joe shared his recipe with me earlier today, and I’ve included it below - a zen koan of simplicity and deliciousness. As I chopped tomatoes tonight in the kitchen, with the side door open to catch the crisp post-rain air, as I tiptoed barefoot through the wet garden for some basil, I had the realization that friendship really boils down to small, consistent acts of generosity - taking time to type up how you made a meal, dropping off tomatoes when you have a glut, going out of your way to make something easy for someone else.
Panzanella
Note: As long you have good tomatoes, panzanella is impossible to screw up.
- Start with fresh, room-temperature tomatoes and cut them into large-bite-sized chunks. (I like to de-seed them.)
- Toss tomatoes with a generous sprinkling of salt, enough fresh basil, and some finely sliced shallot or red onion that it’s present in every other bite or so.
- Add enough olive oil to coat the tomatoes (rarely more than a tablespoon) and a splash of sherry vinegar for sweet acid.
- After 15 minutes or so (or up to a couple hours!) the tomatoes will make a delicious gravy in the bottom of the bowl.
~ This is where the bread comes in! ~
- Add chunks of stale or toasted bread to the mixture and it will soak up the gravy. This city runs on carbs, so I add a lot—like 1:1 with the tomatoes, but a more traditional ratio is probably 2:1.
A. This painting caught my eye.
B. These tin plates could be a charming (affordable!) host or hostess gift.
C. I’m not exactly sure how to describe these except that they seem like they might be charms for your bouquet of flowers…. and while they might be a true example of ‘gilding the lily’, I am taken with the love letter in particular.
D. These cloud napkins would make an unexpected but fun gift.
E. This shirt doesn’t look like much online, but it fits with a certain panache, and the fabric is lovely. It runs very, very big. I took a size smaller than my smallest size.
F. A friend raved about this tool roll - and I have to say, I see why. Everything in its place and a place for everything truly is satisfying.
G. Another panzanella!
H. My mother-in-law included these pop-up tissues in a care package, and we all love them.
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B. Low-key thinking about Halloween costumes
C. This made me laugh out loud
D. A blank watercolor calendar - nice gift for a creative friend
19:58
Three go-to dinner recipes, a great sourdough spaghetti, and dahlias gone wild
It’s full on dark outside as I type this; I can hear Tim and Alex watching their new favorite show in the next room. The windows are still cracked from this afternoon’s heat, but the air is now cool and crisp. The crickets and insects are settling into the night, and the familiar rumble of our neighbor’s tractor lets me know the cows have been fed. I made turkey meatballs for dinner with Rao’s sauce and new-to-us Bionaturae sourdough pasta (delicious!). A few nights back, I made turkey chili for dinner from a recipe I know by heart, the kind of back-to-school standby that makes enough to eat in the moment but also enough to freeze for those exhausted nights to come, when Tim and I look at each other with glazed eyes when the question of “What’s for dinner?” comes up. A group chat of college pals reliably swaps go-to recipes, including the turkey chili below and this black bean and sweet potato chili. If you want to link yours in the comments, then we’ll be a resource to each other. PS Image of meatballs is another great meatball recipe from Smitten Kitchen.
Go To Turkey Chili, adapted from Rachel Ray
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
2 1/2 pounds ground turkey (typically 2 packages)
4 tablespoons dark chili powder, 2 palmfulls
2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend, any brand, 1 palmfull
1 tablespoon cumin, 1/2 palmfull
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1 large onion
2 - 3 canned red peppers chopped (I like this brand)
1 (24-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce
1 bag of frozen corn
1 can of black beans
1 can of garbanzo beans
Directions
Heat a pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, and the turkey meat. Season the meat with: chili powder, grill seasoning, cumin, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Break up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon into small crumbles.
Chop the onion. Brown the meat 5 minutes, then add onions and chopped bell peppers and cook 10 minutes more. Add tomato sauce and barbecue sauce and bring to a bubble. Add corn kernels and beans. Let chili simmer 10- 40 minutes more. I like a really thick chili, so I cook it for a longer time. But it is ready to eat after 10 minutes if you’re in a real hurry. Remove from heat and serve with grated cheddar and corn bread muffins.
A. This What’s for Dinner? poster made me smile.
B. My mom sent this game, Sussed!, to Ben as a back-to-school gift, and we’ve been playing it every night.
C. This Bread wrapping paper is fab.
D. We had friends over for dinner last night (we served grilled salmon on cedar planks and this quinoa edamame salad), and for dessert, I decided to set up an ice cream sundae bar with our vintage ice cream dishes.
E. My mom loves steamed green beans, and a colander full of them can always be found in her fridge. I associate a bowl of steamed green beans with a particular kind of casual hang-out time that is harder and harder to come by, the ease of just blabbing with my mom about everything and nothing, and each of us reaching into the colander and snacking on crisp green beans. So when I saw these pickled green beans in the grocery store tonight, I couldn’t resist them. A tart, crunchy snack. Dilly Beans
F. So here’s a funny question - how do you eat Neapolitan ice cream? Growing up in my family, we would eat each flavor individually, not scooping across all three flavors. Tim has always thought this charmingly eccentric and unique to the Nova family. However, last night, as we were standing around the kitchen making sundaes, my friend explained, unprompted, that her family also treated Neapolitan ice cream cartons the same way. Tim and her husband were speechless, and I felt I’d discovered the true source of our friendship.
G. Tim found this sourdough pasta at our local grocery, and maybe it’s just that we’ve been eating high fiber pasta of one sort or another for a couple of years, but wow, did we enjoy it.
H. I had low expectations about this After Cooking Scrub, but I will say, it doesn’t suck. Garlic odor lingering on my hands, be gone!
My dahlias have been a mixed bag this year - the weather was very different than last summer, and in taking a new job, something had to give in terms of my time and attention, and what gave was my garden. I’m pretty taken with these “Summer’s End” dahlias, however.
The hydrangeas, however, are so happy with this cool weather - these are in two different locations in my garden, and for the first summer ever, the plants on the left are truly hot pink - something I’ve never seen before, and I think is due to acidic soil.
These dahlias — planted in front of our house next to some roses — exploded in height, growing easily over 8 feet tall. I couldn’t figure out what was going on until I realized that we’d fertilized the roses and thus, the dahlias, too.
25:58
Bonne Mamam tiny jams, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Murray's cheese
I’m writing to you in the afterglow of a good party; my face hurts from smiling and talking all night as we celebrated a friend’s 60th birthday with his extended family, glasses clinking, happy chatter from the kids' table, and waves of delicious food that just kept coming.
Over the years, I’ve come to realize that there are all kinds of friends: the ones you call in tears; the ones you call gasping with laughter that you just have to share; the friends who check in; the ones who don’t check in, but whenever you do talk, it’s as if no time has passed at all. And then there are the friends who welcome you into their homes, their meals, mixing you with ease with their families and into the very fabric of their lives.
It’s not lost on me that this kind of friendship and nights like tonight, where we celebrated a friend who has woven us into the fabric of his large Italian family, are special for all sorts of reasons, not least of which is the particular kind of intimacy that often goes unremarked but is profoundly joyful to receive.
An evergreen reminder to invite each other in, even if you have a small family, and even if it doesn’t come naturally to you (spoiler alert, this does not come naturally to me!).
We all have our small joys that mark the wheel of the year, and one of my favorites is upon us: Advent Calendar Season (ha! take that Pumpkin Spice!).
For the uninitiated, you may think I’ve lost my ever-loving mind - yes, it’s still September and yes, I’m talking about Christmas (sorry, not sorry!). But this is the moment to purchase Advent Calendars before the most interesting ones sell out by mid-October.
For me, the pleasure here is multivariate: I love to give gifts - I love the ritual of thinking deeply about my people. I will spend hours agonizing over which advent calendar will delight which pal, which will light my children up, and which is the most creative within the constraints of the form.
A. This Beatles-themed Advent Calendar is my favorite find of the year so far!
B. This one sold out last year before I could buy it for a dear friend who loves cheese, Murray’s, and NYC.
C. Williams-Sonoma has a variety of nice Advent Calendars (all on the pricer side, but high quality). This one, which is mostly cookie cutters, is practical and would be nice for a young adult in their first apartment.
D. Bonne Maman’s is a cult favorite and always sells out - who doesn’t love mini jams?!
E. I gave this to Tim last year, and it was a big hit - the teas are delicious and the mix of types of teas is superb.
F. Gah! I smashed the buy button so fast - I love books and I love mini things. BLISS.
G. Speaking of tiny things - the world’s smallest Advent Calendar.
H. Andy Warhol’s children's books are a favorite - his illustration style is charming - these puzzles are chic and celebratory.
I. This DIY Advent Calendar set looks lovely …
J. and could be filled with these brass ornaments.
K. For the paper lovers - a luxe option.
L. And a more affordable option.
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29:54
A laugh-out-loud cartoon collection, a charming native grass, and a dahlia festival
The pack of coyotes that haunts the ridge behind our house is howling as I write to you; the first time I heard the distinctive, raucous noise, I mistook it for a group of teenagers partying in the distance. 😂 The sound of coyotes both creeps me out and also weirdly makes me feel less alone.
The topic of duality came up this week when my therapist observed (not for the first time!) that life is full of both good and evil; silly and sublime; life and death, full of sadness and also full of joy.
That a week can be full of assholes blowing through stop signs at the four-way intersection (ask me how I know!) and also strangers moving mountains to help you (thank you, Jason at Comcast!).
In the way that sometimes you can hear a piece of advice or a truth 99 times without really understanding it, this time, when she raised the fundamental reality of life’s duality, I had the sensation of dry soil finally absorbing water, as the truth that life is never just one thing entirely sank in deeply. While it might mean happiness arrives with sadness, it also means the opposite, too, and that felt freeing, as if I could suddenly shoulder the load more easily.
It helped that I spent most of Friday running errands with a friend; we hit two grocery stores, a French bakery that smelled like Paris, ate carrot cake for lunch in the car between errands (we each got our own enormous slice!), did all the day-before-a-birthday things for one of her kids (cards, silly gifts, buying celebratory meals ingredients and favorite foods) and just talked and talked and talked. I’m learning to stay alert for the people who are capable of this kind of no-agenda time together; they make really good friends.
A. I saw some of this northern sea oats grass in a floral arrangement this week and was smitten. I snapped up some seeds; it’s native, and now’s the time to plant them.
B. This tissue paper caught my eye; nasturtiums are one of my favorite flowers; I’ve never had great luck growing them, but I keep trying.
C. My sister and I were humor obsessives; we had every single Calvin & Hobbes, every single The Far Side collection, The Cartoons of George Booth; we had a Garfield Treasury. And it wasn’t just us who loved them; I can hear my father’s distinctive laugh now. We’d clip the best newspaper and New Yorker cartoons out and put them on the floor-to-ceiling bulletin board that dominated my childhood kitchen. To this day, I have a true appreciation of wit, of a good line, of the value of a laugh. I don’t often buy cartoon collections (although, maybe I should start!), But this afternoon, browsing at our local bookshop, snorting with laughter at Tom Gauld’s cartoons, I couldn’t resist this one.
D. Last week, I didn’t include this truly expensive Advent calendar from Dandelion Chocolates because it seemed entirely over the top - but the tab stayed open on my computer - what can I say, I have bad tab hygiene. And I guess I got charmed by it as the week wore on - by the idea of sharing a chocolate advent calendar with someone you love (or just getting two chocolates each day!). I haven’t bought it, but I’m considering it… (Tim, you’ve been warned).
E. I came across these napkins looking for something else, and while they’d make lovely napkins - I think they would look nice framed, too. You could avoid the cost of a custom frame by folding it into whatever size frame you have on hand.
F. If a DIY Advent calendar tempts you, here’s an option!
G. I have a pair of these Stella McCarthy sneakers in bright orange, and they’re getting pretty beat up. Poshmark to the rescue.
H. A Googly Eyes Advent Calendar?! Yes!
I went to a Dahlia festival! It was just the kind of niche event that I relish - like a Scottish Games, like a regatta, like a used book sale; being with people who love what you love is a joy.
We’re getting ready to enter next year’s Dahlia Fest!
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A. The Days Are Getting Longer.
B. Gah! I covet these napkins. Truly OG Readers will remember this collection of celestial things I put together way back when.
C. I impulsively purchased this Harari book about the history of information (it’s THICK) after skimming it in the bookstore this afternoon. I’m not sure if this is one I’ll read in a linear way, but he puts ideas together in interesting ways - not always successfully, but always thought-provoking.
D. I saved this Squash and Chickpea Stew with Lemongrass (gift link)- can’t wait to try it this coming week.
35:46
Three great artists, sea salt in a pretty tin, and a tool for picking up black walnuts
I love this stretch of October - as a teenager, this was the season of regattas. Even decades later, I still feel a certain thrill of the competition stir in early October, a kind of place memory of the color of the sky and the temperature of the air on race days. The feeling of being poised at the starting line; the absolute joy of racing; the sense of belonging to that moment. I’m not a competitive person - I pull over and let cars pass me without a twinge of regret, I know how to lose with grace, and I cheer for the other team when they score a particularly great goal. Still, for all of that, I have a competitor’s heart, and in October, it remembers.
A. My mother-in-law is in town, and we had the nicest sort of wandering day today, popping in and out of stores. I came across Sally Brody’s work and was instantly smitten.
B. I snapped a photo of these metal flowers in an antique shop and did a little clicking around for you, too. Etsy: Metal flowers
C. The work of Kirsten Westphal is hypnotic in person, the sort of sculptures your eye keeps returning to. Seen at BES Millerton.
D. A friend sent me the diary quilt of Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir, thinking I’d love it, and indeed, I do. I haven’t quilted since Ben turned 2 - a true IYKYK, but maybe someday I’ll make one of these.
E. Parenting is full of unexpected moments and unexpected pleasures - one of the funniest to me is that both Alex (age 16) and I (age 46) are both obsessed with getting enough protein. Puberty and perimenopause: vastly different sides of the same coin. 😂 Alex discovered this custom protein mix, and I have to admit, he’s onto something. He swears by a blend of 50% low-lactose whey protein, 50% marine collagen plus psyllium seed husk, all in a monk-fruit-sweetened vanilla flavor that yields a whopping 29 grams of protein per scoop. However, I think the small joy here is to make your own.
F. The Garden Weasel always makes me laugh.
G. These neon sponges winked at me today. I can never get enough neon.
H. I bought this coarse sea salt from Nordur Salt today as a little gift for Tim to refill the salt cellar I gave him for Christmas. The real gift (for me!) was that tin is the most perfect orange inside. A good pen cup, I think.
The crickets are chirping outside, the sounds of the night only occasionally interrupted by the THUNK of a black walnut hitting our tin roof. Ben and I spent some time today gathering the fruit (which is toxic to humans and plants) out of my dahlia beds. We used this indispensable garden tool, which captures the nuts off the ground with a simple rolling motion. We also checked on Ben’s rainbow glass corn; we’d bought the seeds in the early spring, and one day, unbeknownst to any of us, Ben went out and planted all of it. Imagine our surprise when corn sprouted all over the garden. We’ve been waiting to see if the corn would be as gorgeous as the seed packet, and well, indeed it is. Link: Glass corn
Link: Dahlias
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Last weekend, I saw the absolute chicest woman wearing perfect, worn-in jeans, a perfect cashmere sweater, and the absolutely most stunning, luminous lilac colored Mary Janes (that I think had two straps, and I think they were velvet, but it was really just a glance I snuck). I thought the shoes would be easy to find or I would have truly chased the woman down and asked her, but no - I still haven’t come across them.
40:20
Lentil soup, stary pies, and dam good english muffins
Fall is really here; I busted out my down parka a few mornings on the school drop-off run. My mind’s running to lentil soup and berry pies, and while not quite to the holidays, it’s on the horizon. We had a mild frost this week, and the hard frost can’t be far away.
B. Neon yes!
C. The best Christmas book for kids
D. The absolute last gasp of the garden.
E. Lentil soup! This is my hands-down favorite lentil soup recipe. The key is to use black lentils.
F. This sweater makes me laugh and laugh - it’s been following me around the internet recently. Trout? Why not!
G. This was a random purchase (along with these) after I got tired of rotting onions and sprouting garlic.
H. Discovered these delicious English Muffins at Tri Corner Feed - also available here.
One of my favorite holiday traditions is our Book Advent Calendar. Every year, I wrap 24 books in wrapping paper and put them in a basket in Ben’s room. This is a tradition I built over time. In the first year, I think I did 12 books total - I had 4 or 5 Christmas books already, and I borrowed the rest from the library. Here is a complete list of our favorite Christmas books (bought over the years) and stored in a special bin in the basement off-season.
A. The Church Mice At Christmas
B. Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree
C. The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits: A Christmas Story for Advent
D. The Jolly Christmas Postman
E. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
F. Holly Hobbie’s The Night Before Christmas
G. The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice
H. The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper & Carson Ellis (Illustrator)
I. The Year of the Perfect Christmas
J. Winter: A Solstice Story
K. Who’s That Knocking On Christmas Eve?
L. Simon and the Bear: A Hanukkah Tale
O. Christmas Eve At The Mellops’
R. Snow Horses
U. The Magical Christmas Store
Y. Night Tree
Z. Wintercake
