Monday Morning reads {10.09.2017}
I’ve never been so happy for a Monday morning. The last two weekends were too busy for my taste, even though it was all due to good things. Catching up with longtime friends, and seeing people I care about deeply is nourishing for the soul, but being mostly away two weekends in a row leaves me feeling rather frazzled.
The coming weekend is a four day one for us. No school on Thursday because of Parent-Teacher conferences, and Friday is Veteran’s Day. I’m going to try and use the extended time to get my ducks in a row before the busyness of the holidays descends. Isn’t crazy to think just a week or two ago the lines between summer and fall were so blurred? I drove home last night feeling a mix of everything at once.
I miss Michael a lot lately. It’s hard to think it’s possible to miss him more than I already do, but going back to Brooklyn, to our old neighborhood, spending time with friends who’s families are still intact reminded me of how “stuck in time” I feel. They moved on with the natural progression of their lives. My girls and I were thrust on a path none of us chose. Some days putting one foot in front of the other feels like zombie’s play. Sometimes I have to really remind myself that he ever really existed—that life feels so far away, so out of reach now.
It’s been a while since I posted a Monday Morning reads, and not for lack of links to share. Life has just been busy, and I’ve not fully adjusted to the hamster wheel schedule of being back in a formal school setting. I miss the autonomy homeschool allowed us.
A few weeks ago, a few online friends and I were talking about our appearances as they relate to all the news regarding sexual harassment. Some of us hide behind loose clothing to mask our figures, others choose to not wear make up, as to not distract or attract with their looks. As for me, I love wearing make up. Some days I go light, other days I do up my eyes. Most days I wear form fitting shirts, and hip hugging jeans.
Regardless of how I dress, fix my hair, or apply my make up, the bottom line is I do it all for myself, and this article by Heidi Stevens in the Chicago Tribune made me think about that conversation. As Stevens notes, “I wonder why we understand ownership so much better when we’re talking about a person’s prized possessions than when we’re talking about a woman’s body. I’ve never once heard a man explain away a burglary by questioning why a homeowner bothered taking such good care of his house if not to entice others to break in.”
A few more things I’ve had in the queue that I wanted to share today…
- Stephen Colberts guests “stars” on the Butterball Turkey Hotline. This is an old clip from last year, but I just watched it for the first time when Butterball sent me an invite for an event a few weeks ago. It is well-worth the 9 minutes and 31 seconds of your time.
- Reminder that open enrollment for the ACA has begun. Here’s the website outage schedule so you can plan accordingly.
- Obsessed with this idea—How to Make Vegan Butter. Now I just need to find time to give it a try.
- Lemon balm has overrun the area underneath my blueberry bushes, so this article offered some inspiration of what to do with it.
Lastly, a few weeks ago, Phoebe shared this article on The Best Natural Deodorants That Really Work. I was so excited to see her in-depth review, and immediately ordered PiperWai deodorant (in their new stick form). Two weeks in, and I’m loving it. Hope your Monday is a peaceful one, and a gentle start to the week ahead.
Eight Years Ago: Apple Cranberry Crumb Cake, Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Pie, No Cook Cranberry Salsa.
Seven Years Ago: Instant Turkey Pot Pie, Brown Butter Apple Pie, Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce, Spice Scented Cranberry Sauce, Homemade Creamed Corn.
Six Years Ago: Chocolate Chess Pie, 100 Days.
Five Years Ago: Coconut Custard Pie
Four Years Ago: Banana, Walnut & White Chocolate Chunk Scones, Raspberry Croissant Bread Pudding, Homemade Pumpkin Syrup.
Three Years Ago: Pumpkin Slab Pie, Mashed Potato Pie, Homemade Bagels, Marathon Soup, Foolproof Pie Crust.
Two Years Ago: My Best Pumpkin Pie, DIY Advent Calendar, Gruyere Cheese & Rosemary Buttermilk Biscuits, How to Make Perfect Mashed Potatoes, DIY Brown Sugar.
One Year Ago: Chewy Oatmeal Walnut Allspice Cookies, Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk, Apple Cider Doughnuts, No Churn Maple Vanilla Ice Cream.
Amy
I love the Colbert Butterball Turkey hotline!
Debbie
I just found your blog—late as usual to the party, I guess! I did some back reading and was refreshed with some of your posts. Count me in nowa as a consistent reader.