Greetings, friends!
I took the week off last week because MAN, last week ate. my LUNCH. My schedule was a little different, Rosie was teething, Mac was…three…and I couldn’t muster one single brain cell to put fingers to keyboard. Can anyone relate?
But this week, the clouds have literally and figuratively parted. We’ve had two back-to-back 65 degree days in Asheville, which honestly feels like someone took the needle from Pulp Fiction and injected serotonin into my frontal lobe (I have no idea if I got any of the anatomy about the brain right, I’m just gonna roll through it. My memory of what a brain looks like all stems from this clip from that episode of Lizzie McGuire where the fake brain explodes all over Gordo. Anyone?).
Spaghetti with meatballs.
Everyone I know was talking about Texas last week, and for good reason. My family was without power a few weeks ago for 5 days when our heater (which was old) finally passed to another dimension. We were all living in our bedrooms and near the fireplace wearing winter coats, hats, and gloves inside while Asheville got two snowstorms and the temperatures dipped into the teens. What we didn’t know was that in the last days of its life, the heater was drawing in triple its normal amount of natural gas trying to heat our home, slapping us with not only the cost of replacing the heater, but a utility bill that was…painful. The whole week was one of the most challenging I’ve ever had as a parent and one day found me crying in my closet floor.
All that to say - I have a tiny, tiny idea of what these precious folks in Texas, Oklahoma, and other states were dealing with last week. We had a generator to power small space heaters in each bedroom and never lost running water. I have goosebumps sitting here trying to put myself in the shoes of a stay-at-home mom in Texas with small children, no power, no heat, and no water. Their reality puts mine to shame - and on top of everything, they’re likely being billed not hundreds, but thousands of dollars in gas and electric bills as they tried to warm their homes. If you’re able to toss a few dollars in the pot, this article from the New York Times gives a great list of boots-on-the-ground organizations in the affected areas. I donated and I hope you will, too.
Primavera.
For the last few weeks (slowly, but surely), I’ve been chipping away at these paper art creations for the folks who ordered them. At the beginning of February, my friend Molly came up with a brilliant idea. She wanted one of the Amanda Gorman pieces I was making, and suggested I offer to make Black icons for people at a cost I could donate for Black History Month. So I did! I ended up with about 30 orders and and chipping away at them. It’s been unexpectedly powerful for me to work on these people. Of course, I knew it would be special to imagine these pieces living on people’s walls and that the featured person would get to inspire them visually - what I didn’t expect was the meditative element of spending time with each person - poring over their hair, clothing, gestures - to be so moving. I’ve welled up a few times as I glued Chadwick Boseman’s arms, crossed in fists across his chest, down on a page, or as I carefully cut out Henrietta Lacks’ hairstyle and read more about her life. I am really grateful that Molly came up with this cool idea and that so many people gave me the opportunity to learn more about their heroes. I’ve got more to go - the Obamas, Kobe Bryant, and MLK Jr., to name a few - but the effort has been so special and I hope people enjoy these as much as I enjoyed making them.
Pop culture corner.
As usual, so many things to say.
Being the nostalgia addict that I am, I’m a devotee of Disney+. In scrolling around earlier this week, I came across an amazing docuseries called “Into The Unknown: The Making of Frozen 2.” I’m surprised there isn’t more buzz about this series because it is COOL AS HELL. I mean, you have to care about music, behind-the-scenes footage, animation, etc. to agree with me here, I guess - but I’m someone who always watches directors cuts and the version of the DVD (#antiquated) with commentary - so this stuff is right up my alley. I was covered in goosebumps, cried a couple of times, made Jordan watch certain sections with me. I think Frozen 2 was a largely unsuccessful movie from a plot perspective, but watch this backstory really gave it new life. Here’s the a clip of the first time the team hears Into the Unknown with the full, live orchestra. If this doesn’t give you goosebumps, go get your heart checked:
In other Disney+ news, I’d never seen Ten Things I Hate About You (I know, I know) and watched it a few days ago. HEATH. LEDGER. THOUGH. Watching the movie (which was obviously great) sent me down a wormhole of the Heath Ledger ilk, and I was truly shocked to read that he was 28 when he died. TWENTY EIGHT. I think because of his appearance in The Dark Knight being so edgy and mature, I always put him as so much older than that in my head. I was only 19 when he died, but now that I’m older than he was, 28 feels really young. Shockingly young. He was so great in everything he was ever in, and just so DREAMY. Man.
In other news, a blogger I’ve followed for more than a decade (Kathleen Barnes at carriebradshawlied.com) recently posted a list of “happiness hacks,” AKA things people do in their day to boost their happiness. I thought that was such a wonderful topic, so I wanted to share a few things I got from that post and things I do for myself: lighting a candle when I’m working; having fresh (inexpensive - like $3 at the grocery!) flowers cut in bud vases all over the house; re-potting my grocery store orchids into larger, prettier containers; having a special “end of the day” drink (non-alcoholic, usually, just a fancy La Croix and simple syrup with some fruit in it!); making a point to watch movies I’ve always wanted to see but never have (finally took on 9 to 5 this week and oh. my. gosh. 😍). Would love to hear yours if you’re up for sharing.
Finally, as usual, leaving you with a couple of follow recommendations. Two podcasts - one, The Big Picture, is a movie commentary show that is nerdy as hell, but if you like this kind of stuff, you’re welcome:
The second is the opposite, an incredibly vapid but great to listen to while folding laundry podcast called Even the Rich. This most recent series is on the Kardashian family. It’s a great guilty pleasure. And in 2021, no pleasure is guilty. It’s just pleasure.
Happy weekend, friends. So much love to ya!