Allow Me to Share #92: The Veil, nostalgia, and two summer reads
What I’m Savoring This Month
Waterfalls. On our trip to Hawaii (which was amazing, btw; I basically savored all of Hawaii), I loved seeing all the waterfalls. I’m having fun identifying which natural features I find especially visually satisfying. Waterfalls, wildflowers, and sunsets top the list. So, I think I’ve determined that I particularly appreciate things that are dynamic and ephemeral (and colorful). What other things fit this description?
Morning snuggles. Almost every morning, Ellie comes out of her room just a couple of minutes before we would go in to wake her up so that she can snuggle with me and Darby in bed for a few minutes. It’s such a sweet start to the morning.
Fun snacks. For Mother’s Day, the kids picked out six fun snacks for me to eat while I’m working. They did such a great job of picking things they know I like and new things to try. It’s so fun to have some variety in my snacking.
Recommendations
The Veil (Hulu) — This currently-running series on Hulu follows a somewhat rogue MI:6 agent who is trying to prevent a terrorist attack by befriending the suspected mastermind. Elizabeth Moss is great as the agent and so is Yumna Marwan as the suspected terrorist. It has kept me on the edge of my seat.
Anne Helen Peterson’s Culture Study podcast is always a great listen, but this episode on millennials’ penchant for nostalgia was especially good. There were two parts of the discussion I particularly loved:
She and her guest, Gabe Bullard, articulated something I’ve been mulling over for a while now—the obsession over “core memories.” It’s kind of a trend now to say something about creating core memories for your family (especially kids). And it’s always struck me as a little funny. Isn’t one of the maddening things about memory that you don’t really know what’s going to stick? I remember the most random moments from my childhood (like my friend’s brother shooting all of our stuffed animals with a dart gun) and have surprisingly few memories of Disney World, for example. It’s not that I think providing a variety of experiences for kids is worthless, but I try not to get attached to what they will or won’t remember. (Every time I’ve accidentally hurt them? That seems to be a “core memory” for mine. Lol.)
Anne and Gabe also talked about how nostalgia has two parts: the past being better than the present but also the challenges of the past being uniquely hard. Gabe said this is natural: the harder we make our challenges, the more self-confidence we have from getting through them. This helped clarify a lot for me about how important my difficult first birth story is to me.
Tested and Approved
Target Nina slide sandals — I am obsessed with these sandals. They are comfortable and go with basically everything. And they fit my somewhat wide feet. They’re not the most supportive, but I wore them walking around airports on our trip and didn’t have any problems.
Currently Reading
Funny Story by Emily Henry — I love Emily Henry’s books. I wasn’t sad when there was a long hold on this one when it first came out in April because it seemed like a perfect summer read. My hold came in on Memorial Day weekend, so it was completely serendipitous. So far, I love it. The protagonists are thrown together after their respective partners dump them to get back together with each other. It’s a slow-burn, opposites attract romance. My only complaint is that, so far (about 1/3 done), it seems like this might just be kind of a rewrite of Henry’s earlier book Beach Read? But I loved Beach Read, so I guess that’s fine. :)
Cutting Teeth by Chandler Baker — The premise of this book is WILD. A group of preschoolers develops a taste for blood. When a murder occurs at their school, suspicion turns to the kids themselves. It sounds completely ridiculous, but it is actually handled in a believable way. At the core, this book is a satirical commentary on societal expectations of mothers, and it had me laughing out loud in places.
Currently Eating
French breakfast puffs — I tried this recipe years ago and was a little underwhelmed, but I wanted to give it another shot. I mean, muffins coated in butter and cinnamon sugar? What’s not to like? Sure enough, the second time was the charm. These were a hit with our family and some houseguests. I used butter instead of shortening in the batter because that’s what I had on hand.
Meme of the Week
https://x.com/wormymcwormersn/status/1783482031860490259
Happy summer! Ours started with a bang with the trip to Kauai and then our traditional Memorial Day trip with friends (this year to Palo Duro Canyon). We are enjoying the unusually rainy late spring, and I’m trying to adjust to working from home with everybody home. Life is full and good!
Until next time,
Kayla