The Friday Five!

No one is alone.

1. Last night, we watched the gymnastics competition on the Olympics and I was SO moved by Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee. Not just by their routines—-which were of course awe-inspiring—-but the fact that both of them have been open about their struggles over the last few years with mental health. There was a time, when I was a kid, that you Just Didn’t Talk about things like that, especially if you were a celebrity. Thankfully, though, that is changing. Let’s be honest: EVERYONE has hard times, low moments, bouts of fear and shame. Keeping it to yourself just makes it worse. (I know this from experience, trust me.) Maybe we won’t all eventually triumph on a global stage with millions watching. But if you’ve been down and are doing the hard work of pulling yourself back up, be proud. You may not get a medal, but it still counts. And I’m cheering for you. *claps hard*

2. We have become totally obsessed with The American Barbecue Showdown. Am I a person who smokes meats competitively? No. Do I even like barbecue, brisket and the like all that much? Also, negative. However, there is something about this show—just a bunch of folks together, grilling—-that is just calming in these crazy times. When my own anxiety spikes I find cooking shows in general to be SO soothing, so we are also re-watching old seasons of Top Chef. Bonus of being older and many of them airing when I was exhausted with a small child: I don’t remember who won anything, so there’s still that cliffhanger suspense at every Judges Table. The only thing that would make all this better is if I was inspired by it to cook better meals myself. Again, no. Oh, well.

3. Another thing I watched this last week was the movie of Into the Woods. Now, I have heard that lovers of the musical are not ALL fans of it. But since it was my first experience, I SO enjoyed it. Even with my daughter, Broadway crazed, belting out every lyric and sharing spoilers from the other end of the couch. (Truth: I cried more than once. Dear God, I am emotional this summer.) This fall we are hoping to take a trip to NYC to see a few musicals. The dream is to see Sutton Foster in Once Upon a Mattress, as we JUST missed her in Sweeney Todd and I am obsessed with both Bunheads and Younger. But if you have other recommendations or tips about shows (I know from writing about us going to Hamilton here some of you are experts on the subject) I am all ears.

4. Over the last month or so I’d gotten in a bit of a book rut, reading some not-so-great stuff. You know the drill: the plot falls apart halfway through, you can’t tell any of the characters from each other, the thriller is….far from thrilling. Then I picked up The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles in the used section at my beloved local indie, Flyleaf Books. Reading the first chapter was like waking up from a deep sleep. MAN, is it well done. Even though it is a very big book, I am trying to pace myself so it lasts. On audio, I’m loving Cue The Sun! by Emily Nussbaum, which is all about the history of reality TV. The chapter about the first season of MTV’s The Real World was such a 90s throwback I almost had to take to my fainting couch. They had a LANDLINE. That’s how old we are, guys. I know!

5. Finally, it is August. If Prufrock measured out his life with coffee spoons (yes, I was an English major) I feel like my summer could be tracked in sugar water and birdseed. Every day, I fill up the hummingbird feeder AND the two regular ones, and without fail, by the next, they are empty again. (I am the only person doing this in my neighborhood OR they are scarily ravenous.) I’ve heard that the best way to help yourself is to do something nice for others. I am not sure if that counts for birds. But for whatever reason, there is a certain peace in this ritual. I’ll take it.

   

   Have a good weekend, everyone!