Some Happy Scribbles...
Hello! I hope your week has been good and you’re feeling prepared for what some of you may know has traditionally been my least favorite day of the year: Halloween.
I know, I know, for many of you it’s your favorite “holiday” and you have wonderful childhood memories of dressing up and gorging on treats; but I am still suffering a mild case of PTSD from the years when my kids were little and Halloween invariably included candy-induced meltdowns (and one epic diarrhea episode); distress over costumes (Teddy was heckled for going as the Pink Power Ranger); and the painful next morning when the kids invariably have to go to school…
Jenny Rosenstrach solves several of my long-time Halloween-related issues in this piece, with a yummy meal to line kids’ tummies with pre-trick-or-treating, and crucially, what to do with all the leftover candy…
Over the years I have eased up on my Scroogery, and gotten better at embracing Halloween fun. Last weekend, I surprised myself - and the kids - with this “scary” cheese plate. They were suitably grossed out - especially that I included my ring - and a little impressed, and I am pleased to report that it tasted great. Here’s the Instagram post with instructions: it took 10 minutes, and all you need is prosciutto, mozzarella sticks, and goat cheese!
This weekend, I’m really going to really take it up a notch with these Cotton Candy Monster Cupcakes. Mainly because I love cotton candy, but also because they are truly adorable and look so easy!
I’m not planning to dress up this year, but if I was, this list has some good last-minute ideas. Bennifer 2.0 is genius.
Or I could go as Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous. True story: last week, Sadie (16) texted me a bunch of questions before her parent-teacher conferences, including what I was planning to wear.1 I sent her back the picture below, as a joke.
Sadie, never having seen AbFab so unaware that Patsy was a child-hating alcoholic, thought I was serious, and when I showed up wearing jeans and a sweater, she was disappointed.
“You would have looked so glamorous.” Sadie said.
“But what about the vodka and cigarette?” I replied.
“Oh, I just meant the hair and makeup.” She replied. Um, OK.2
On the reading front, I cannot stop thinking about this piece about little happiness rituals. There are so many good ones, from morning chats to touching toes, and I loved reading about them so much, I’m thinking I’d like to compile a book of these (although The NY Times is probably already on this!).
Some favorites:
From Sam Chaim, Delray Beach, Fla.:
Every morning I walk around our town for what I call my Banana Walk. My wife dislikes the smell of bananas in the house, and I love her, so I take my banana and spend the next hour figuring out the universe, life, and while I’m at it, my work day…
From Winifred Creamer, Eureka, Calif.:
At 6 p.m. every day, my husband of 39 years makes popcorn, I make tea, and then we sit down and play gin rummy, five hands, so there has to be a winner. Our competition is fierce, we play avidly to the last moment. The winner gloats and cheers. Five minutes later, neither of us can remember who won.
From Heather Campbell in Maine:
Every morning — all year — my husband and I do a “bird sit,” a 20- to 60-minute phone-free time when we watch the birds from our patio…Our 7-year-old often joins us. In the winter, we get bundled in sleeping bags. We have a family of sharp shinned hawks we’ve been watching, and hummingbirds come so close we can hold them in our hands.
OMG, the banana walk! And the popcorn, tea, and gin rummy!
The piece reminded me of the Sunday night ritual of friends of ours who have two grade-school-aged boys. First is family dinner, followed by showers and baths, and then they all pile into the parents’ big bed to watch one of the many episodes of Survivor together (there are 43 Seasons!).
I have a morning ritual (I get up early to meditate, then drink hot tea while writing three stream-of-consciousness pages longhand) which makes me feel calm and grounded; but my favorite “ritual” is to make like a 1950’s housewife and spend 30-60 minutes watching TV in the middle of the day. It’s my version of taking a nap and it leaves me feeling refreshed, happier, and often, creatively inspired.
But as I read, I realized that I’d love to have a ritual that involves other people, too; so I’m going to try instituting 15 minutes of playing ping-pong with Teddy (11) each day when he gets home. We both love the game, and apparently, it’s good for your brain. We’re both competitive, so if we can follow the lead of Winifred and her husband of 39 years, and play fiercely, gloat, then move on, I’ll be thrilled!
Back on the topic of TV, I watched the final episode of The Patient this week, and while the loose ends were all tied up, it was definitely not a happy ending. I’m now focused on The Watcher, which is highly entertaining, and am very excited about the second season of The White Lotus, set in Italy, which starts on Sunday.
I hope you have a fun weekend planned with plenty of time for relaxation and happy rituals! I’ll leave you with this wonderfully thoughtful comment from Ange, prompted by last week’s note about making chores meaningful:
…I often talk about reframing a “To Do List” into a “Get To Do List” as I reflect on how many people would be wishing they had a washing machine to fill with clothes, a bathroom to clean and a family to cook for. My daughters and I particularly take this approach when school and work are demanding as we reflect on all the girls in the world who for whatever reason are not allowed to gain an education or hold employment. We are blessed to have so many things we get to do…
Thank you so much for reading, sharing, and commenting. Writing this, and hearing from you, makes my life happier and more meaningful!
xo
Amelia
P.S: Jim’s Dad is visiting this weekend, and he, Teddy, and Jim are going to a Halloween party dressed as Devo. Which of course calls for a re-watch of Whip It!
I am assuming this is standard behavior for teenage girls, but maybe it’s just us?!
Here’s more AbFab.