Monthly Check In: March 2021

This resonated (deeply):

After passing the year mark of isolating at home (and, after months and months, slowly returning to a modified version of school and activities), I’ve fully lost sense of time and space. I joined Marnely for her weekly Instagram live with Shored Up Digital this morning (you can view the replay here– we talked about learning opportunities and resources for entrepreneurs) and forgot that I had turned 39 at the start of the month. I am basically tethered to reality solely by a color coded Google calendar and an old fashioned paper planner. How is it March 2021, when just last week it was March 2020? This time last year, the kids and I were putting together an impromptu seed starting operation, armed only with random seeds, a few plastic bags, and some egg cartons. I had zero clue what we were doing. Soon enough, we were enjoying sugar snap peas, fragrant sweet pea, and giant sunflowers. Our humble attempt at gardening proved to be one of the most rewarding, life-giving, and grounding things we did in 2020.

This time around, I’m making charts, setting up grow lamps, significantly expanding our seed catalog, and being very intentional about timing… which means, of course, everything will go awry. Updates to follow. Perhaps. Here’s all the news that’s fit to share (aka not much because things are appropriately boring… aka a monthly check in for March 2021).

FOOD ETC.

Food seems like a good place to start. I’m thrilled to be working with Cuisinart on another product post (coming to Instagram in the next week or so)– these partnerships always push me to try new recipes and techniques. Homemade pizza dough (with a ton of garlic powder and Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute, for good measure), it turns out, is quite doable (and made all the easier with a stand mixer/dough hook attachment)! I layered crushed San Marzano tomatoes with cherry tomatoes (marinated in olive oil with chopped garlic, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper), and added fresh mozzarella with about 5 minutes left to go (total bake time was ~15 minutes at 450 degrees F). The result was very cute, and very delicious.

I’ve also been grocery shopping in person twice in the last month. Prior to that, we’d been using Instacart (you can use this referral link to save $10) whenever possible. It felt good, in particular, to pick out our own produce– but I think it will be a while ’til I feel truly comfortable being out and about.

BOOKS, MOVIES, PODCASTS ETC.

After an unintentional reading drought, I’ve been devouring any/every smart rom com in book form I can get my hands on. Per usual, my Book of the Month subscription has not disappointed (Beach Read was the book that turned me on to this genre). A few recent reads (rom com and decidedly not):

• Goats in the Time of Love — don’t love the title and the ending was a little neatly packaged, but I loved how the author wove in recipes, descriptions of the island (it’s set on Martha’s Vineyard), the seasonal economy and the tension between summer visitors and year-round residents.
• The Power of Ritual and Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times— both very calming, inspiring, and timely books. Highly recommend both!

I’ve been trying to be more intentional about setting aside podcast listening time (may sound ridiculous, but I used to listen on my way home from dropping the kids at school and/or while running errands… and I don’t really do either at this point). I’ve found myself seeking out shorter episodes that I can fit in while walking either to pick up Grace, or on the way home from dropping her off. And while murders + politics (both at the same time, ideally) will always be my numbers 1 and 2 topic choices, I’ve been gravitating toward more… uplifting topics this year. Makes sense. A few favorites:

• Oh I Like That — this specific episode on tidying, cleaning, and caring for your space was like my dream listen
• On Being (a perennial favorite of mine) — including last week’s episode on our nervous systems and an amazingly beautiful interview with Ocean Vuong recorded pre-pandemic.
• Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen and their Renegades: Born in the USA podcast on Spotify (because: obvously)
• A Cape Cod Notebook — soothing audio essays on nature (it plays as a radio segment twice on Tuesdays on CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR station)
• Press Send — last week’s episode where Chinae just shoots the sh-t with Akilah Hughes was, of course, so funny + funny– but was also really reassuring. We’re all feeling a lot… and a lot of the same things. I miss hanging out with my girlfriends.
• And a family story time podcast that we all enjoy: Circle Round, produced right here in Boston

You can find more of my favorite podcasts here.

Over the weekend, Nick and I watched TV for the first time since Alek Trebek died (jk but also kind of not). We watched the Netflix documentary on Operation Varsity Blues (but seriously bravo to the FBI agent that named that sting… is that a job I can get? Naming sting operations but not actually *being* in law enforcement because, to quote the Dawson person on actual Varsity Blues… I don’t want… yer life.). So much to unpack regarding class, privilege, and the whole college admissions thing, in general– I thought it was really well done. Other stuff we’ve watched:

• We started watching “Waffles and Mochi” with the kids over the weekend, too — Michelle Obama, puppets, a tomato version of Sia singing about fruits… need I say more? As the New Yorker says, pure joy.
• I’m only, like, half an episode in, but Cabins in the Wild with Dick Strawbridge is like a balm for the soul. It’s kind of a competition, but you kind of forget that because you’re distracted the Welch countryside and charming cabins. I don’t fully know what is happening, but I kind of like that. Also, who is Dick Strawbridge? Not clear and will probably Google him in the middle of the night when I re-read this post, panic at the obvious typos, get to this part, get distracted, don’t fix the typos, and spend an hour learning about Mr. Strawbridge’s upbringing and whatnot.

PROJECTS

• The aforementioned seed starting
• I reorganized/rearranged our combination office/playroom and now my desk faces the windows, rather than the wall. Vitamin D, sunlight, people watching, birds… it’s both distracting (Remember a few weeks ago when I tried to be a citizen sleuth and determine who left a rude note on a contractor’s pickup truck? That was not a productive day by average work output standards)… and energizing. I like our walls… but the world is a bit more inspiring, and sunlight is kind of great for zoom calls (previously I looked like I was filming a sequel to The Blair Witch Project).
• Training Birdie (and often wondering why I thought I was ready to go from a stuffed croissant sized dog… to a water buffalo). We started going to class a few weeks ago, and he spends some time with our trainer during the week, too. I am not sure we’ll go full Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog certification, like we did with Clark, but we’ll see. For now, we’re prioritizing healthy skills and obedience.

I guess I’m trying to train myself on those same things. As ever.

Also On Tap for Today:

• Making cute labels for all my baby seeds because… I’m probably avoiding doing something important
• Celebrating spring and nice weather and a remote school afternoon with a picnic lunch in the backyard
• Stocking up on special edition flavors during Equilibria’s anniversary sale

How’s your month going, friends?