What are you up to this weekend? We’ll be hanging out with my sister and niece, whom we haven’t seen in ages, and I’m so excited to squeeze them both! Hope you have a good one, and here are a few fun links from around the web…
This week’s Big Salad issue features our dear friend Ashley Ford, who talks about how growing up in poverty made it hard to figure out her own likes and dislikes: “Any feeling of desire came with a lot of anxiety, because I thought it would hurt to want things and not be able to get them.” Read the full issue here, including her current 11 favorite things.
My friend Alison discovered these cool socks.
How pretty is this Seattle guesthouse?
Incredible essay from a woman who stopped drinking. “People who don’t have a problem with drinking don’t worry about having a problem with drinking…I know you can’t imagine a life without alcohol. There is one, though, and it’s better than the best thing you can imagine.”
Artificial skylights look kind of amazing.
Can you believe these footsteps in the snow are embroidered?
The playground is my third place. “The closest analogue to the playground that I can think of is a college dorm on a Friday night. The quality of the company may vary, but kid-friendly spaces reliably take me from being alone to hanging out, no invitation necessary. At the playground, nobody has to clean up, and it’s no big offense if you bail.”
How to make perfect eggs. (NYTimes gift link)
Kule is having a big sale. Love their pieces.
Plus three reader comments…
Says Kaff on the one question I ask my kids after school: “We used to do ‘Rose, Bud, Thorn’ at dinner, but everyone would pounce on the Thorn. (My kids like to complain.) This year, instead, I’ve started asking for everyone’s ‘Joy Notes’ (a term I read in a New York Times article). It doesn’t have to be the BEST thing that happened, just something that made you happy, even in a small way. ‘I made a good sandwich’ is a perfect ‘Joy Note.’ Something doesn’t have to be THE BEST to be meaningful or enjoyable.”
Says Lauren O. on Trader Joe’s meal hacks: “In early 2020 when NYC was on hard lockdown, I grocery-shopped at Trader Joe’s for elderly neighbors. In addition to ending up on a first-name basis with the manager (hi, Graham!), I handled more TJ’s sauerkraut than I would have imagined possible. Every week, every single one of my neighbors’ grocery lists included sauerkraut. This is anecdata and I can’t say anything for sure, but listen: If you want to live a long, long time (my neighbors are very old), make something like Lucy’s Reuben-esque Sandwich a LOT.”
Says Teree on Four fun things: “Sub-topic for readers: if you did get a pasta tattoo, which shape would you choose? I think I would pick rotini because it’s my fave pasta and also I could tell people it’s my downward spiral.”
Adds Nicola: “Fusilli. It’s fun to eat, and whenever we eat it my husband says, ‘Fusilli, you crazy b*stard,’ which is a reference to this New York Magazine cartoon.”
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