Some Happy Scribbles...
Hello! I hope you’ve had a great week.
I received happy news: one of my long-time best friends got engaged! It might be a trend: one of Jim’s friends also recently got engaged and as a big fan of weddings (and movies about weddings!), I’m thrilled for them all, and excited for the parties!
Speaking of relationships, Teddy (11) helped resolve an ongoing scheduling problem that Jim and I struggle with: when to find the time for a “date night.”
When Jim called from a business trip as Teddy and I were driving to school one morning this week, I brought up the issue: “Every single marriage book recommends a regular date night and we never seem to be able to find the time. So I’m thinking we should schedule a weekly conference call instead.”
Before Jim could reply, Teddy chimed in with, “You guys should totally go out for date nights.”
“But what night would we do it?” I asked Teddy. “It doesn’t seem like there’s ever a good time between work travel, homework, and weekend stuff.”
“Friday nights.” Teddy said decisively. “It’s the end of the week. You guys go out. Then I can stay home and relax.” This was said in a tone of exasperation - as if he’s the adult and we’re the kids, and he really needs some time off from us. Which he probably does.
So a regular Friday date is our new shared goal. To make it happen, “date night” may actually be a lunch or quick drink or a walk together, and not necessarily a fancy restaurant dinner. Whatever we do, it’s nice to know that Teddy won’t miss us.1
In other news, I saw Don’t Worry Darling at the theater, and while it was not relaxing to watch, and the ending was ambiguous; the Stepford Wives / anti-feminist theme was thought-provoking, and the fashion, sets, and music were stunning. In fact, I came home and played the soundtrack, which is pretty great and includes the Oogum Boogum Song, which I cannot get out of my head!2 Related: if you’re a fan of celebrity gossip and intrigue, you may enjoy these stories about Olivia Wilde’s Nora-Ephron-inspired salad dressing (!!) and break-up with Jason Sudeikis and relationship with Harry Styles, all precipitated by the film.
Unrelated: did you see the Be Real skit on SNL last weekend? As the parent of a teenager who’s into “being real” I thought they nailed it. Here’s me being real while watching the finale of Bad Sisters last weekend. It. Was. So. Shocking. And. So. Good.
Now I’m watching The Watcher with Naomi Watts and Jennifer Coolidge, which is based on a NY Magazine story. It’s definitely got thriller’ish - pre-Halloween vibes!
On the reading front, I really enjoyed this piece by Arthur Brooks about prioritizing happiness over success when it comes to work decisions.
And this meditation on finding a way to enjoy doing chores truly gave me a new perspective on all the stuff I’m usually hurrying to get through.
Haley Nahman writes:
Caring for ourselves, for other people, for our homes, for plants and other animals—these are the unfinishable projects of our lives. We do them over and over not to conquer them, or for personal gain, but to maintain and nourish them, with no greater expectation.
Given how swayed humans are by the pursuit of growth, wealth, ownership, and power, I think this is very sweet and pure. Almost spiritual.
I’ve thought about it each time I’ve loaded or unloaded the dishwasher this week; at the grocery store; and while on hold waiting to schedule doctor’s appointments. It’s so much nicer (and less crazy-making) to think of these things as nourishing rather than simply irritating.
I hope you have a fun weekend planned! We’re looking forward to more gorgeous fall weather and spending as much time outside as possible before it gets cold. As are the chickens.
I’m planning to make this cozy-sounding Lamb Shepherd’s Pie and as a surprise for the kids, I’m going to attempt this Halloween-themed scary cheese plate which looks almost too easy. I hope it’s not deceptively stressful. Teddy wants to visit a local Haunted House but is keeping his options open about going inside, because while he’s definitely curious, he’s not a big fan of scary things.
Have a wonderful weekend, and thank you so much for reading, sharing, and commenting - hearing from you makes me so happy!
xoxo
Amelia
P.S: Halloween-related: please enjoy this groovy Ghostbusters music vid from back in the day.
Re: “date night.” I can’t stand that term - there’s something off and infantilizing about it and someone should come up with a better one! I’ve tried and failed: “weekly catch-up” sounds like a business meeting; “joint activity” sounds like we might be smoking something; and “together time” sounds like something you do with a toddler.
Any better ideas, people?!
Here’s a clip of Brenton Wood performing and talking about the Oogum Boogum song from 1967.
Omg The Watcher!! I can’t stop watching! And loving Naomi Watts and her outfits! ❤️