LINKS | June 5, 2020
I was planning to come here to tell you all a pretty lame, but maybe a little funny (?!) story about how I almost lit my MF-ing house on fire earlier this week when I left some creamy jalapeno chicken unattended on my stove. And then I got teary-eyed because it was looking so good and smelling so good and I had already invested an hour into cooking it, just to wind up with a smoky house and mac and cheese for dinner instead. My house still has a tinge of the smell in the air.
But then the literal state of crisis that our country is in went from about a 27 to a 59 on the old scale from 1 to 10 and my problems are sounding pretty dumb.
I don't have anything valuable to add here that someone else hasn't already more eloquently said, but I do think that 2020 will go down in history and we have the opportunity to impact positive change.
We're all obviously triggered by different things, and for me, motherhood is something that can bring an emotional response, so naturally something I read this week that felt like a hit in the face was about our kids. It was an article about talking to kids about racism and if they're old enough, and someone reminded us that black children don't have the privilege of not being old enough to be educated on racism. Whether they are two weeks or 10 years old, they can never be too young to be exposed to it. Just a sliver of the imbalance that needs to be changed. I am raising a little boy who will grow up to be the top-tier of privilege: a white man, but I'll be damned if he grows up thinking he's better than anyone for something as unearned as the color of his skin. I think as parents, part of our contribution to change is raising kids who aren't assholes. I don't think it's enough to casually exhibit equality. Rather, I think we have to actively teach it, preach it, and if I have to, I'll get really annoying. If we don't teach our kids, someone else will, and I'm not here to take the risk that "someone else" will have really shitty messaging.
***
Listen, nothing else here is really important right now, but it is a little entertaining, so I'm going to continue on with my usual variety of exit ramps on your internet road trip.
***
Well! As a matter of fact, I did actually post a few things of interest this week.
As usual, it feels like we skipped right over spring and hit the fast lane to summer. Fine by me! But until everyone is back in business, manicures are still the DIY variety. Here's some inspiration for all skill levels.
What I've been reading lately.
A couple new wallpaper backgrounds for your iPhone. In Dolly we trust!
Very into it: summer camp vibes.
This is what you came for.
Thanks to not going anywhere lately, I discovered a Little Free Library right down the road. What a happy surprise! Our local one does not look like this, but the world's variety feels like house shopping. I'm especially interested in the ones that people make look like their home.
Oh and if you're not familiar, a Little Free Library is a gift to readers everywhere. You leave a book, or you take a book, or ideally, you do both. People put these in their yards, ours is front of the local bank, and really you can find them all over the place.
Actual plans for once. First up, traveling to the Secretary of State. They've been closed for a while and just recently opened by appointment only. Ryan has a few vehicle acquisitions to get in his name and I want to get an enhanced license. Anyway, the earliest appointment we could get (and this was making the appointment two-ish weeks ago) is in a town about two hours away. I mean, whatever. A road trip has never been so attractive thanks to months of cabin fever.
After that, we're headed out for a weekend in our camper. We've been waiting for this for so long - I've never been so excited for a tiny shower and tiny toilet and crowding the three of us on a tiny bed.
Happy weekending friends!
But then the literal state of crisis that our country is in went from about a 27 to a 59 on the old scale from 1 to 10 and my problems are sounding pretty dumb.
I don't have anything valuable to add here that someone else hasn't already more eloquently said, but I do think that 2020 will go down in history and we have the opportunity to impact positive change.
We're all obviously triggered by different things, and for me, motherhood is something that can bring an emotional response, so naturally something I read this week that felt like a hit in the face was about our kids. It was an article about talking to kids about racism and if they're old enough, and someone reminded us that black children don't have the privilege of not being old enough to be educated on racism. Whether they are two weeks or 10 years old, they can never be too young to be exposed to it. Just a sliver of the imbalance that needs to be changed. I am raising a little boy who will grow up to be the top-tier of privilege: a white man, but I'll be damned if he grows up thinking he's better than anyone for something as unearned as the color of his skin. I think as parents, part of our contribution to change is raising kids who aren't assholes. I don't think it's enough to casually exhibit equality. Rather, I think we have to actively teach it, preach it, and if I have to, I'll get really annoying. If we don't teach our kids, someone else will, and I'm not here to take the risk that "someone else" will have really shitty messaging.
***
Listen, nothing else here is really important right now, but it is a little entertaining, so I'm going to continue on with my usual variety of exit ramps on your internet road trip.
***
1 || ICYMI
Well! As a matter of fact, I did actually post a few things of interest this week.
As usual, it feels like we skipped right over spring and hit the fast lane to summer. Fine by me! But until everyone is back in business, manicures are still the DIY variety. Here's some inspiration for all skill levels.
What I've been reading lately.
A couple new wallpaper backgrounds for your iPhone. In Dolly we trust!
2 || INTO IT
Very into it: summer camp vibes.
3 || LINKS
This is what you came for.
- Harry Potter reading chapter one of Harry Potter. Whoopi Goldberg is on chapter 12. Harry Potter At Home Readings is the highlight of my quarantine.
- Oh man, the audacity. A woman who likes her gray hair.
- Into summer camp style? Me too.
- It's never too early to start thinking about summer desserts.
- A nice resource for educating yourself. Read the comments too - lots of great contributions.
- For folks with digital businesses, here's another summer camp reference for ya!
- A friend and I have been discussing the merits of the tie-dye trend. I might be persuaded.
- A fresh true-crime podcast? I'm in.
4 || LITTLE FREE LIBRARY
Thanks to not going anywhere lately, I discovered a Little Free Library right down the road. What a happy surprise! Our local one does not look like this, but the world's variety feels like house shopping. I'm especially interested in the ones that people make look like their home.
Oh and if you're not familiar, a Little Free Library is a gift to readers everywhere. You leave a book, or you take a book, or ideally, you do both. People put these in their yards, ours is front of the local bank, and really you can find them all over the place.
5 || HAPPY FRIDAY
6 || PLANS
Actual plans for once. First up, traveling to the Secretary of State. They've been closed for a while and just recently opened by appointment only. Ryan has a few vehicle acquisitions to get in his name and I want to get an enhanced license. Anyway, the earliest appointment we could get (and this was making the appointment two-ish weeks ago) is in a town about two hours away. I mean, whatever. A road trip has never been so attractive thanks to months of cabin fever.
After that, we're headed out for a weekend in our camper. We've been waiting for this for so long - I've never been so excited for a tiny shower and tiny toilet and crowding the three of us on a tiny bed.
Happy weekending friends!
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