Hey ho!
I’m just coming through the other side of surgery (all good, thanks for your concern!). I spent a good many days on the couch, crocheting, dozing and watching A LOT of television. Every time I saw that little countdown note, “next episode in 7 seconds,” it felt like I was chain-smoking, lighting a cigarette off the one still between my lips! And I don’t smoke. I mean, sure I was grateful for the diversion of TV, but I felt gross after hours and hours. Thank goodness for pals who diverted me with flowers, snacks, phone calls, and care packages, including these tasty and handsome bears!
As a pay it forward, I offer this beautiful moment for us all: David Byrne singing Heroes. Remember when we could sing together w/out masks? (If you slid by, please hang a u-turn now to listen. It will lift your heart!) In case you want to see David Bowie sing Heroes, here you go. I do wish we could swim like dolphins can swim!
watch
I fell for frilly! Literally watched all of EMILY IN PARIS in two days. Was it deep? Nope. Was it insightful? Nope. Was it truthful? Nope. But does anyone come to Emily for that? Lots of beautiful Paris shots. Silly snafus that plucky Emily gets into. Basically (for those of us of a certain age) it was THAT GIRL if Ann Marie and Donald Hollinger ever fell into bed. In E in P, I did hate the perpetuation of the bitter older woman boss who won’t help the ingenue. But the food, the landscape, the clothing, the beautiful people, the female friendship… it was perfect for the brain fog of my recovery. For some good Emily satire, check this SNL skit.
GOOD GIRLS REVOLT was the antidote to frilly. I don’t know how this show got by me when it first came out. My only complaint is that the people at Prime didn’t have the good sense to renew the series. Set in the late 60’s and early 70’s it’s a show about women working for a weekly news magazine (think Newsweek) and the very low glass ceiling. Racial conflict, social shifts, economic troubles, inequality, Viet Nam vets and mental health, sexual revolution… you name it, the show touches upon it. The characters are compelling as we watch women trying their best to thrive in a system that, well, tries to crush them. The costumes, the music, all of it is absolutely fantastic. The show is based upon the true events at Newsweek Magazine when women sued for the right to have a byline.
For something sweet and swift, check YES-PEOPLE, an Icelandic Oscar Nominated short film.
Finally, if you want a bit of music history, do watch MR. A & MR. M: THE STORY OF A&M RECORDS. It was terrific. So much fun to learn who they promoted and to witness their thriving friendship. Plus the joy of wonderful music and concert clips! I particularly loved Sting, and the Sergio Mendes and Brazil ’66 clips. As a kid, I wanted to be either a singer or a child psychiatrist. I used to sing along to this song. You can sign up for the free trial on Epix to watch the documentary and then cancel once you’ve watched. I mean, how much money does Jeff Bezos need?!?
listen
The other day I listened to the podcast 10% HAPPIER episode with Karamo from Queer Eye. It was called, “How to Actually Do Self-Love.” It was great. One of the takeaways? Use the Reminders App on your phone to send yourself loving messages throughout the day, week, month, year… whenever you need them! Even tiny things help. Karamo sends himself a note about his sexy left eyebrow! No matter how bad he feels in a day, he knows he’s got the eyebrow working for him. I’ve adopted the strategy for myself. Some of my notes?
- Never let anyone’s opinion of you take you hostage.
- Don’t wait! Put in the effort to show people they matter to you. Celebrate when it boomerangs.
Maybe this is a tool you can use? I’d love to know what kind of love notes you send to yourself.
snack
It’s a stretch to call these snacks, but they are. Little visual and human interludes, shall we call them beautyscrolling? artscrolling? lightscrolling?
The artist Laurie Frick makes really interesting and beautiful pieces that visually chart things like daily stress, emotional tone in emails, and you know, unchartable stuff. Check their website here.
Small Ditch, whose tagline says it all: Found fashion atelier of haute couture #trashion & natural objects©️♻️✂️collage & still life 📷 valuing life’s detritus 🌍. Check their website here.
thekeepthings which curates “stories of the things we keep to keep our dear dead with us.”
They are always accepting stories if you have a beloved object from a lost beloved. Check their website here.
And bodies_talks_stories, an account that gives women the opportunity to tell the stories of their bodies. Really smart. Really moving.
Okay! Finally, a true snack-snack! I am dying to get my hands on the cookbook SNACKING CAKES, by Yossy Arefi. The book looks to be just up my alley. And, to attest to its allure and power, it has a New Yorker profile!
Temporarily out of stock, so while I wait, I’m going to make this recipe, which appears on the New Yorker Instagram account:
Thanks for spending a minute with me. Here’s Stanley, enduring his ridiculous humans.
If you need a book, I’ve got all the recommendations from two years of this newsletter at my Bookshop.
Take good care! Hug your people!!
