Usually, I have at least have one or two items for this Five done early. Enough to make it more of a Finishing situation than a Blinking Cursor Beginning one. Not today. It’s Spring Break, so all my productive habits have eased accordingly. Also, life, in the form of extended family stuff, taxes and my ever-filling calendar. This was swirling in my head so much this morning I wanted to crawl back into bed and put my head under the pillow. But then, I poured myself a BIG cup of coffee. Settled in on the couch with a book and the dogs. And got a text from my cousin with encouragement. Just like that, a bit of light coming into a dark room. Ah. Right. THERE you are. And here I am. :)
As I mentioned, it is the end of Spring Break. We have been staycationing this year, as so much is going on and we have lots of travel upcoming in summer. There have been mall trips. Lunches out on Franklin Street. (Chapel Hill is all in bloom right now, it’s the start of the MOST beautiful season, I just want to soak it all up.) Wandering through the stacks of the town library with all the time in the world. Plus, we watched The Last Five Years and are almost done with the pro shot of Newsies. Lots of Jeremy Jordan around here, especially considering I couldn’t have picked him out of a lineup last week. The power of musical theatre!
In books, I was so happy to stumble upon The English Experience by Julie Schumacher during one of my library visits. I LOVED her other two books, which are about a professor at a small college struggling with the quirks and trials of academia. It might be more in my wheelhouse because my parents were professors themselves, I grew up in a college town and worked as an adjunct myself. I especially love how she uses essays within the narrative to move the story along. It makes me want to try something similar, although I am not sure I could pull it off? Then I read The List by Yomi Adegoke, which reminded me that social media/the internet can be a very dangerous place (it is a cautionary tale for sure). Now I’ve moved onto The Great Man Theory by Teddy Wayne, which is also has an academic plot line, at least so far. Maybe all these college visits with my daughter are getting to me?
Confession: TWICE this last week we have gotten a Bojangles Tailgate Special for dinner. Who said that fried chicken and all the fixins (yes, that is the term) were the cure for crazy stress? Maybe that was me. In these wild times a big fluffy biscuit is the equivalent of a Prozac, almost required. We pair it with our ongoing watch of Friends, where we have almost reached the last season. Fried chicken and Chandler Bing. What works, works. Although I am pretty sure my cholesterol level would beg to differ.
Finally (look at that! I’m almost done!) I stumbled across an Instagram post yesterday that resonated with me so much I got chills. While at some moments it world and my mind are just racing, racing, there are others when it seems like all I do is wait. What I can do is control how I am with myself in that moment. The answer, as always, is kindness. It’s like the common denominator of every equation, infinity. And while it may seem scarce or even non-existent in the news cycle these days, kindness remains. Kindness endures. Point a little in your own direction. Okay?
Have a good weekend, everyone!
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Fried chicken and all the fixins sounds superb right now! 😍 As does Chapel Hill being in bloom - New England is working on it but we're not quite there yet. Happy Friday!
I love the quote in number 5. Thank you!