The Christmas hustle was over, winter had truly arrived, and we journeyed west across the state to cross into the Hudson Valley, one of my favorite areas of the northeast, for a little New Year’s Eve getaway. Getting away in the winter is a little like a cluster-you-know-what… all the madness of the holidays is behind you, you’re throwing jackets and hats and snow boots into the trunk of the car holding your breath thinking, “will we even use this stuff? will we even go outside? did I bring enough in case we do?”
A book I loved.
This book. The Heart’s Invisible Furies, will break your heart and mend it in a thousand different ways. It’s funny, it’s tragic, and it will make you ache. Set in Ireland, Amsterdam, and NYC over a 50+ year period, you will feel so deeply for Cyril, for the characters he encounters on his journey. You will witness redemption and the way both grief and joy mingle together in such effortless and bizarre ways. The stoicism of the human spirit amidst such pain will floor you. It’ll be a favorite book of mine for 2020. And it’s only January!
Up next: Three Women (started it and can already tell it’s going to be fascinating)
P.S. if you feel like “I don’t have enough time to read!” might I suggest you do what I’ve been doing — deleting Instagram off your phone throughout the day. Especially when little ones are home. You might be amazed how much more time you do have (I am!). Kids will do as we do, not as we say. Even if I’m not actively playing with them, I’m delighted to have them see Mom’s face stuck in a book.
Four things I’m loving right now.
01. this soup. so easy and so delicious. i didn’t have farro, and don’t love quinoa, so i made it with some egg noodles last night and it couldn’t have been easier. the boys actually ate their kale too, which was truly shocking. we definitely sold it, “your muscles will actually get bigger in real time while you are consuming the kale so you should really, really do it.” hey, whatever works.
02. this shampoo. i asked for it for christmas and (thank you steve!) received it. it’s a totally different texture than typical shampoo. it’s really thick and you scoop it out of the jar sort of like you would a thick cream (like coconut oil when it’s cold), but it has an amazing lather. it doesn’t require an additional cleanse afterwards. just rinse and use conditioner as normal. i’m really loving it.
03. this sweater (or jumper, as sezane would say). you can actually wear it both forwards and backwards, but wearing it backwards with the open back is so pretty. i wore this to a friend’s bridal shower last weekend with a skirt from h&m–and, not shown, black heels and tights. the skirt i got is already off the site (boooo) so here’s a few that are really great. i, for one, am loving the knit skirt trend a lot. this one and this one from h&m or this very cool set from free people.
04. if you recall Steve’s “book review” on IG stories a few weeks ago, well, there’s more! the same author, david bentley hart, has written this for the new york times. in case you don’t read the entire book (but i was thrilled by how many of you said you were going to!), this will give you the briefest of introductions to the author. he’s brilliant. i’d be curious to hear what you think.
Notes for the Road.
I’ve got so many bedrooms saved on Instagram, and the problem is… they are all so different! Light and airy! Modern! Light walls! Dark walls! Above is one of my favorites from this IG account. I love the walls, the curtains, the linen bedding. But I also love the dark moody walls in some. Do you guys struggle with having no clear direction when it comes to design?? Anyway, we’re finally going to start chipping away at our guest bedroom, and I’m not sure where to begin! Maybe by folding and putting away the laundry that has accumulated there…
day date to portsmouth.
Really, morning date. Really, a small portion of one morning, but it’s all semantics. Truth is, it’s not often Steve and I are in the car together, one hour or ten, empty carseats in the back, and nothing but the open road ahead (or, the few exits anyway between home and our destination), clutching our hands Thelma and Louise style, sans cliff and convertible.
merry week-between-christmas-and-new-years!
What day is it? What year is it? Who’s president? Where am I? The questions I ask myself or others in this strange time-warp of a week between Christmas and New Years. When routine is still topsy turvy, and the year is about to change a digit and you are considering New Year’s resolutions: should I or shouldn’t I?
Notes for the Road.
Last weekend before Christmas! How is everyone? I’m ready to relax, step away from job-like things, and just enjoy good food and family. But there’s a lot of wrapping to do before that…
Some weekend reading…
lately.
Listening to the Holiday Soundtrack currently but haven’t watched it (yet), whole chicken roasted in the Instant Pot for a future night (but tonight’s dinner was clementines), presents mostly bought (but not entirely bought, and not even a little bit wrapped), and the beat marches on.
FIVE.
Here I now sit, with a five year old, and I am happy. He is happy. We are all happy. Whatever happy means. Is it just a social construct? Does it matter? Should I be shooting for joy or contentment instead? I’m both of those too. But man, how much this little person would positively fill all the little cracks in our lives and bring us such joy, such laughter. We could never have known. How can you?
MENS’ GIFT GUIDE!
Last but not least, the men. This one is a little harder to put together every year, and not because men don’t have needs. They’re just… less obvious, perhaps? I can come up with things to get Steve every year but knocking it out of the park doesn’t happen as often. The year I got him the Artifact Book of our sabbatical abroad was probably the best gift in the last five years. But those don’t come around that often. In any case, here are some useful items that I think virtually every guy could use!