Some Happy Scribbles...
Out of practice with travel, I had forgotten that returning home from a trip - especially a very-much-anticipated one - often leaves me feeling deflated and blue. And so it was this week when vacation ended. We arrived home with bags full of dirty laundry and a mild case of jetlag, to an empty fridge and a touch of “post holiday depression” as my friend Caro named it years ago.
But, following a solid night’s sleep in my own bed (still cozy with flannel sheets) it was cheering to find that the weather feels decidely spring-like: the late-winter snow has melted, and the robins, bluebirds, and cardinals are chirping merrily.
And it’s impossible to be sad for long when these two happy souls were literally jumping for joy at the sight of us, attempting to lick us all over, and generally making us feel loved and thoroughly welcomed home. I didn’t have a dog growing up, and their unconditional love constantly surprises and delights me!
Here’s some more of what made me happy this week.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Love,
Amelia
An Excellent Read
Have you heard of The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb? I’m hooked!
It’s a mystery novel about a young violin prodigy and the theft of his nearly priceless Stradivarius violin. I don’t typically recommend books before finishing them, but I am enjoying this book so much - I cannot wait to find out who stole the violin and why, while simultaneously not wanting it to end!
Family Goals
In my fantasy of the ideal family life, we would play board games by the fire each evening, expanding our minds and laughing together. In reality, the four of us prefer to watch TV. However, when we travel - especially when eating at restaurants - we pull out a deck of cards and play simple games, like 31 or B.S.
While we’re honing our bluffing skills (!) rather than expanding our minds, the feeling of connection I have when we’re sitting around a table, laughing and competing with each other, is a true source of joy.
No More Time Changes?
I am a strong opponent of the biannual clock-changing nonsense that goes on in the U.S. - mainly because I hate anything that interferes with my ability to go to bed at 9 pm and get up at 6 am. I am mildly obsessive about my routines, and even a one-hour time change can disrupt my sleep pattern and cause a week of groggy grumpiness.
I have been ranting about this for years - it really drove me crazy when the kids were little and their sleep schedules were disrupted for no good reason. And, far more seriously, the annual spring time change results in increases in heart attacks, strokes, and fatal car crashes.
So, this week, I was delighted on two fronts: 1. the March “spring forward” palaver happened while we were away; and 2. it seems that the U.S. government may finally be ready to do away with the folly of the twice-yearly clock change: the Senate voted on Monday to make daylight savings time permanent. The fate of the bill in the House is unclear, but I for one, am hopeful that times are (no more) changing!
The Happiest Hotline
This is one of the sweetest things I’ve ever heard of: a “pep-talk” telephone hotline created by grade-schoolers at a tiny California school. If you are in need of cheering up, these kids have words of wisdom and advice for you. My favorite is option 4 where you can listen to children “laughing with delight!”
Reading about this - and about Susan O’Malley, the artist who inspired this project - has got me thinking about how powerful it is to do something simply for the purpose of spreading joy and happiness - this thing has gone viral!
Morning Braids
One memory from our trip that I know I will return to for a warm, fuzzy feeling, was this one with Sadie (15).
One morning, she popped her head out of the bathroom and said, “Mom, will you do my hair?” And then, as I carefully brushed and worked her hair into two long braids, slightly in shock that my fiercely independent, self-sufficient teen had asked me to do something for her, she said, “Do you remember how you used to do this every single morning, before school and when I went skiing? I loved it when you did this for me.”
Beaming with pride, I nodded. But the truth is, my memory of all those mornings is a blur - I suspect that brushing and braiding her hair probably felt like yet another chore to dispense with as quickly as possible, so we could leave home on time. It was humbling to be reminded that our children notice everything - and I’m so glad Sadie remembers the good feelings instead of my harried hurry-ups!
Two Great Shows
On our long plane ride home, I gleefully binged both a movie AND a TV series, both true stories about strong women, starring two of my favorite actresses - Cate Blanchett and Jessica Chastain. I highly recommend both!
Mrs. America is a Hulu series about the right-wing writer and activist, Phyllis Schlafly, played by Cate Blanchett, who opposed the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, putting her in direct conflict with the prominent feminists of the 70’s: Steinem, Abzug, Friedan, Chisholm and others. It is a beautifully produced, fascinating story, told through the eyes of both Schlafly and her supporters, as well as the women on the other side. One of the things I loved about the series was it’s nuanced handling of the inherent conflicts, difficult choices, and compromises that still persist in women’s lives - whether we identify as feminists, housewives, career-women, or a combination. Blanchett is excellent, and so is the supporting cast, including Rose Byrne, Sarah Paulson, Uzo Adubo, and Tracey Ullmann.
I was transfixed by Jessica Chastain, who is convincingly unrecognizable as Tammy Faye Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, a movie based on the life of the famously flamboyant televangelist. The movie presents Tammy Faye sympathetically, as a genuine believer in God, whose naivety and trust in her husband blinded her to his weakness and dishonesty. While the downfall of the Bakkers was scandalous, the film is very fun to watch, especially the extreme 80’s “glamor” that Tammy Faye was known for.
