Weekend Dispatch

Monday, February 24, 2020

Is it just me or is this month flying by? I know it's a short one, but February seems to be whizzing by. Last week was a whirlwind. We celebrated Harper's 14th birthday, and while I was out running errands to pick up a few things for her birthday, I ran into my boss when I wrote for Meridian Momtourage. What a fantastic surprise it was! I hadn't seen her in forever. It was so serendipitous. We ran into each other at a Starbucks that neither of us ever goes to. We ended up chatting for two hours. It was so great to catch up with her and was a wonderful reminder to enjoy a spontaneous run-in rather than let it stress me out thinking about what I had planned to do in the time I was enjoying our chat. Anyway, I miss seeing her regularly, and since we live so close, we have committed ourselves to getting together regularly.

Other than that, here's what else I've been up to:

I've been listening to the podcast The Daily  from The New York Times practically since its inception two years ago. When I recently did a Google search to find out more about the team behind The Daily, I found that The New York Times has a spinoff TV show on hulu called The Weekly. In the same vein as The Daily, The Weekly is a narrative documentary series that examines a hot topic for 30 minutes each week. Topics range from Johnson & Johnson's baby powder and whether it contains asbestos to Rudy Giuliani's rise to popularity and fall from grace.


When you are in the mood for a short podcast (under 10 minutes) that seems like a quick chat with a friend on a pop culture topic, The Hottest Take podcast is your go-to. It's like an op-ed in podcast form. With topics such as children on airplanes to breakfast to the tradition of bridesmaids, The Hottest Take touches on movies, food, TV, the internet, and life in general. We all have opinions, and chances are one of the host shares yours. Listen here.


Do you journal? The topic of journaling came up in a private Facebook group that I belong to. I've always expressed myself more effectively using the written word than the spoken one, but those written words have always been for others. When you journal, those words are for you. Many people in the group use journaling as a means of self-care and as a release. Others use it as a way to preserve memories. Whatever your intention is, journaling can be very therapeutic. I've recently started journaling and bought this journal as a guide. It includes prompts for times when I want to journal but am at a loss for something to write about and included a guided format to keep you on track.


Each week I've been trying a new recipe. Some weeks it's been a dessert. Other weeks it's been a breakfast item. And others it's been a vegetarian recipe. This weekend I'm going to try this olive oil cake. I recently met a friend at her house for tea, and she served a variation of this cake (she made an orange olive oil cake), and it was delicious. Very light and airy and pairs exceptionally well with tea.

So, tell me. What do you have planned this weekend?

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