My snooze fest about summer last weekend, triggered me to dig deep this week and find ways to make Summer 2020, the most memorable summer (even if it is on the backdrop of a global pandemic). I have given a lot of thought to how to make that happen for me. Anything involving the outdoor is out of the question because I live in Texas, where my thermostat currently reads 82 degrees (at 9:52 p.m.), so things like summer picnics and hikes got pushed off the list. Instead, I thought about all the good habits I want to incorporate into my routine; the little things that bring me joy and the things that never got priority. Travel has always been my favorite way to spend my free time and came up with my Summer bucket list.
Finish five books
Learn video editing - I have a collection of footage from many, many travels
(re) start Spanish language lessons - watching El Dragon earlier this summer motivated me to get back to it
Social media fast - I did this twice last year, and it was very therapeutic
Make home-made ice cream - there is a simple recipe I saw on Nadiya Hussain's Time to eat that I am itching to try.
Create and stick to a meditation and affirmation routine
Return to three times a week exercise (aka high energy dance) routine
Bake bread - Not jumping on the Sourdough band wagon (because too much work), but this Japanese Milk Bread is right up my street and it is happening this summer.
What are your Summer plans ?
This week’s offering of the all the things I have discovered; treasured; enjoyed and delved has got a little bit of everything - take what you need.
Hamilton is on Disney Plus, and I was very tempted this week to sign up for the service so that I could watch it. I managed to talk myself out of it and have just played the soundtrack nonstop. "Its quiet uptown" gets me all the time. The first line of that track - "there are moments that the words don't reach" - such a stunning, poignant line.
One of those moments words don’t reach reading this - there are no combination of words that come close to being sufficient for any one who has lost loved ones ever or to anyone who has lost a loved one to this virus. If that is you, I am sending you love and prayers .
This quiz can help you determine how stressed you are and how to combat that - also, it is free!
Francine Rivers - Redeeming Love. I have had this for years, but only just started reading/listening to it. A stunning fictional story based on the Book of Hosea in the Bible. (Yes ! this counts towards my five books for the summer).
Adultification - Heartbreaking read about the general perception of Black girls being viewed as older than their age and therefore needing less protection and/or getting harsher punishment - we have gotta do better.
Is it the end of the #girlboss era? I still have the book #girlboss book somewhere, but reading this article about the author and other #girlboss - made me very uneasy.
this chicken pot pie galette is happening before the end of summer
Podcast additions - The Chernobyl podcast (still have not seen the show but the podcast is riveting). I ordered the book Midnight in Chernobyl after listening to the podcast. I also added slow burn to the podcast list - the podcast is on season 3 now but I am still on Season 1 which is about the Nixon and Watergate.