Monday Memos // 82

Listening:

This week is brought to you by brevity.

"Gladly" by Tirzah.

"Velvet Ring" by Big Thief.

I discovered NPR's Field Recordings and it's a worthy rabbit hole to fall into. 

"Take A Sunset Cruise With Mac DeMarco"

Reading:

IN PRAISE OF AN AFTERNOON AT THE MOVIES

WHOLE30 CHANGED MY ENTIRE RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD BECAUSE I’M DEAD NOW

If you ever need a laugh and love snacks, these Trader Joe's write-ups are gold: Trader Joe’s New Not-Flamin’-Hot-Cheetos Are the Devil’s Work

I love a food pattern. Coffee Toffee Shortbread Cookies (photo via bonappetit)

Craving:

More granola. Mixed nut butter. Mushrooms. And all the fruit. 

Also, how about these high carbohydrate lamps. 

Summer always reminds me of this William Carlos Williams poem. 

Wearing:

I'm leaning back into one of my old standards: dressing very Florida retiree. Big button-up short sleeved shirts with some sort of flora. Shorts. Comfortable sandals or old Keds. When I'm not going out in public it's a lot of tank tops and elastic waist pants. Summer comfort. 

ADAMJK provides a worthy reminder. 

Watching:

Tears running down my face by way of new episodes of Queer Eye.

Next weekend The Great British Bake Off is back and I am delighted for more bakes, sweetness, and accents.

Treasuring:

Rest: This past weekend included delightful lounging. Long bus rides. Afternoon naps. Lying on the floor with cats. Stopping to admire flowers. Floating around in a pool. Taking strolls with family and sharing bites of a single caramel. Eating wedges of cookies and handfuls of berries. Lazing in bed to read and write and edit and write. Just the thing to recharge for more adventures.

Plus a mom-made berry galette.

Monday Memos // 77

Listening:

"Burnin' Up" by Sonny Smith featuring Angel Olsen.

"L.A." by Amen Dunes.

Reading:

How Mathilde Freund, Vintage Dealer, Spends Her Sundays — "I use a cane now when I go outside. Five years ago I slipped in the apartment and broke my femur. It was on my birthday. I call him my boyfriend. I put him in the corner and he never answers me."

Ideal Travel Tricks — Our Highly Subjective But Very Smart Guide to Traveling

Watching ‘Wild, Wild Country’? Then You Need to See The Rajneesh Cookbook — it's called Zorba the Buddha, my friend's grandpa used to all me Zorba the Greek.

The Grub Street Diet — Author Jonathan Ames Adds Chocolate to His Vitamins When He’s Feeling Decadent — My favorite part: I should shop more frequently, but my problem is that I put it off, even if I’m starving. I once had a character in one of my TV shows say something like: “I don’t procrastinate! I just like to do things later.”

“As for what I eat, I would describe it as a ‘carb-free, somewhat tormented Paleo, bourgeois bachelor, Grey Gardens’ diet.” (photo by Yuri Hasegawa via nymag)

Craving:

In the name of health, I've been craving and consuming a number of smoothies and juices. I'm also newly enamored with Tangerine La Croix and cashew butter. Dates, rice cakes, spirulina powder, sweet potato hummus... my inner bohemian is showing.

I refrained from too much work grazing this week, but there also weren't many feasts up for grabs. I am jealous I didn't get to try this carrot cake that was raved about. I'll have to make it soon.

It's beautiful! (PHOTO BY ALEX LAU, FOOD STYLING BY CHRIS MOROCCO, PROP STYLING BY EMILY EISEN

Wearing:

Weekend with my parents means a "shopping trip" to my storage unit. I've almost acquired all of my clothes and about two-thirds of my shoes. Exciting! Inspired by the few days in the 90s, I gathered a watermelon jumpsuit, various summery sundresses, sandals, trusty Keds, linen shirts, and eyelet-covered tops. I'm not really ready for the full-on heat wave, but I my wardrobe is. 

Wearing these loafers a lot.

Watching:

I watched the entirety of the comedy tv series Alone Together. I wouldn't say it's brilliant, but it's an easy viewing experience with lots of actors and comedians I enjoy (Kate Berlant, Amy Landecker, Nikki Glaser, Chelsea Peretti) and subjects I relate to. Two millennials from differing backgrounds strike up a platonic male-female friendship as they seek to navigate the streets of L.A. These two best friends, Esther and Benji, try to navigate the vanity of the city while watching each other's backs but also calling each other out for nonsense. I like Ester's podcast too.

Want to see: Duck Butter (Alia Shawkat, Laia Costa, Mae Whitman. "Two women, who are dissatisfied with the dishonesty they see in dating and relationships, decide to make a pact to spend 24 hours together hoping to find a new way to create intimacy.") Madeline's Madeline (Helena Howard, Molly Parker, Miranda July. "A theater director's latest project takes on a life of its own when her young star takes her performance too seriously.")

"a low-budget improv vérité psychodrama" (PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL)

Treasuring:

Snuggles: Weekend visits to my parents also mean squeezing in the most snuggles with my cat. As much as possible, I'd wedge my body up against his and rub his velvety little snout. 

Stranger conversations: I chatted up a friendly older woman in line for the bus. I told her my seating strategy (bottom level, aisle seat, left side). She appreciated my tips so we sat together. She told me a place to eat the best dumplings in Flushing, Queens and about her father's time at war. My favorite moment was when she was on the phone with her brother, who was picking her up in D.C. "I see a sign. I see a car. I see trees. Mile marker 92. Does any of this mean anything to you? I don't know where I am? Do you?"

BFF

Monday Memos // 63

Listening:

"Sycamore" by Bill Callahan.

"Little Cup" by Thao & Mirah.

Reading:

TRUMP’S FIRST YEAR: THE WORD SEARCH

HORRIFYING WRITING PROMPTS — "You inadvertently send your My Little Pony/The West Wing fan fiction to the New Yorker. If your reaction was a New Yorker cartoon, what would it look like? Would it involve dogs?"

ASK POLLY ‘Should I Have a Baby?’ — First off, I love advice columns and "Ask Polly" is almost always an entertaining one. Even if this is a question you don't have or don't care about, the way this response is written is so wonderful. It gets lengthy, but I found it to be worth every word.

Writing for the Awl Was the Best Mid-Career Decision I Ever Made. — Heather Havrilesky (Aka "Polly") was on a roll this week.

I just wanted to include these TOOTSIE POP CHERRY VALENTINES because they are sweet. (via The House That Lars Built)

Craving:

Peanut butter and banana on toast. Dark chocolate bars. Phone calls. Hugs. 

I want to be this cat or own this cat bed. "The feline-focused Japanese novelty company Felissimo has created an adorable cat bed shaped like the fluted crust of a fruit tart and even comes with hand stitched pillows in the shapes of various fruits and berries to keep kitty comfy and complete the look of a yummy desert."

Wearing:

After wearing the same two pairs of pants over and over and over again for the last few months, I got myself a new pair of jeans. I've hemmed and hawed over pants for the same few months—I think I tried on the same pair at least six times but wouldn't buy them. I finally convinced myself on Friday, "you're allowed to have nice things." Thank you self! They fit like a dream.

I got neither parental style of pant. (Illustration by Kate Worum image via manrepeller)

Watching:

I watched the entirety of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino of "Gilmore Girls," it was definitely that vibe of fast-talking funny females. The outfits, the jokes — it was entertaining and easy to binge.

Rachel Brosnahan stars as Midge Maisel. (image via amazon)

Seeing all the images and press from Sundance this year, it looks like there are some gripping movies to come. Chloë Sevigny kept popping up everywhere I looked and so did her upcoming movie "Lizzie." A psychological thriller based on the infamous 1892 murders of the Borden family. (Has "My Favorite Murder" done this one? My mind is a swirl of cases, I'm losing track.)

A scene from "Lizzie." A lot of great actors in this one like Denis O'Hare and Jeff Perry.

I also keep hearing about "I Think We're Alone Now." A sci-fi drama directed by Reed Morano ("The Handmaid's Tale," Beyoncé's Lemonade, "Looking"): The apocalypse proves a blessing in disguise for one lucky recluse -- until a second survivor arrives with the threat of companionship. Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning — very intrigued. 

This will be visually stunning if nothing else. (image via variety)

Treasuring:

Mail. To receive something in the mail that isn't a bill or a stack of useless coupons or a catalog or some toiletries you ordered yourself — what a joy! Your name written out, the excitement of opening, seeing someone's handwriting, the stamp selection... 

(image via rifle paper co)