This morning I said I was going to write this intro but instead I decided I would try hanging flowers upside down to dry them (because Trader Joe’s had my fave ranunculus and they were looking sad in my coffeepot). Right now I’m half writing this and half watching this video about framing bathroom mirrors with trim.
I’m still on a social media break, which is nice and definitely good for my mental health, but also between the hours of like 10-4:30 I can get a little desperate for social contact. I go to the grocery store a lot because it is an errand I like and I can walk to a few different ones. Sometimes I go to cafes but I’m not a big coffee drinker so it always feels like a bit of a waste.
This Sunday I ran to Center City and back which always feels like a big deal but is just under 4 miles. Before I plan a run, sometimes I have to psych myself up by saying “just to X street and back not that far” but also tell myself that I could probably do more if I wanted. My brain is just very inclined to turn against me.
I had two job interviews in one day last week which meant I had to do a lot of talking about myself in a positive way (“describe a time when you felt successful at your job” “give an example of how you dealt with an angry customer” “what sort of programming do you have in mind”) and for every good thing I could say I feel like I got whiplash the following days where my brain enjoyed telling me a number of unkind things about myself.
It’s sort of like weathering a storm—on Saturday I hunkered down and watched a lot of the show Sex Education and baked scones and took a bath and tried to remind myself that I deserve nice things.
Kathy’s Song
This journalist wrote his own obituary and it will make you cry!
Icing on the Cake by Grace Ives
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
This Oscar Isaac and Pedro Pascal “Answer the the Web’s Most Searched Questions” is very charming and cute.
This weekend I watched all of season 2 of the Netflix show Sex Education and it was so fun and sweet and maybe better than the first season? It’s rare to see a show that treats its teens as smart and perceptive.
Lola covered by The Raincoats
After seeing Liz Moore in conversation with Inquirer writer Mike Newall, I read Long Bright River. It’s a mystery novel about two sisters—one is a police officer and the other is in struggling with addiction in Kensington.
I’m excited for Long Neck’s new album!!
“[T]he controversy surrounding my new novel, Memoirs of a Middle-Aged White Lady…”
Schoolhouse had a bedding sale two weeks ago and I caved and bought this duvet cover which I have wanted for months! I started wanting it before I even had a duvet! By chance my sister-in-law had one she had recently replaced and now I’m in bed heaven and I never want to leave.
Conservative lecturer DESTROYS sjw.
This is how I imagine office jobs:
I finally watched all of the youtube series The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo and it was even better than I imagined.
Articles:
Imagining a world without pain. Plastic surgery in Dallas. Cats and infertility. Another great review of the Cats film. The empty promises of Minimalism. Fleabag, Girls, Sally Rooney and the chill girls who disassociate. Skinny girls who eat a lot. Poland’s ongoing antisemitism. Whatever happened to [insert writer who became a mother]? Dr. Fredric Brandt created faces. American Dirt is problematic as hell! Eating Whole30 to save my mind. The history of happiness. Brad Pitt’s enduring beauty. Mary Ruefle on menopause. On instagram we’re briefly gorgeous. For parents struggling to put food on the table picky eaters aren’t an option. Where is the literature about straight white men paying for abortions?
Food:
Is garlic *Italian*?
I made this Peruvian chicken with chicken thighs last week and while it doesn’t compare to my favorite place outside of DC (nothing can!) it definitely got a lot of the taste right. The sauce was good even without the feta. If I make it again I think I want to try doing a whole chicken because I think whole chickens just taste better in general. Aji amarillo paste is a bit of a specialty item—I was able to find it at the big Mom’s Organic Grocery downtown but not at my local Latino grocery. I couldn’t find aji panca paste but maybe for next time I’ll try to make it.
I made this tofu recipe and it was good but I think missing a little punch! But I do like the way the tofu is cooked.
The lessons from a year of dinner parties.
Last week I had two job interviews so to stem my nerves I went to two (2) different Indian Grocery stores and as a result made a lot of Indian food both successfully and unsuccessfully. Unsuccessfully: I made the breakfast dish poha which my sister made for me once and hers was much better. Mine was okay but sort of soggy. Successfully (mainly due to the work/guidance of a friend) we made: baingan bharta, tamarind-date chutney, coriander coconut chutney, and aloo tikki chole.
I miss the Lost Bread Co. Milk Bread I had access to with Root and so I tried this recipe for Japanese Milk Bread and it came out very well! Making bread in my stand mixer always feels a bit like cheating but I also still don’t really have kneading/shaping down so here I am.
Last night I halved and roasted artichokes in the oven and I think it was so much better than steaming or boiling?? It was impossible to cut the artichokes evenly is the only downside.
One dutch oven away from becoming a soup person.
I thrifted this little pitcher a few weeks ago and got dried flowers with it in mind! Also I keep a container of hydro-cortisone by my bed for nighttime eczema :)
Stay particular,
Margaret
If you like this newsletter please respond and/or send it to a friend! If there’s something you want to see more of (like baking, or books I’m reading, etc) let me know.