Bookmark No. 5

examining happy lists and reluctant characters

Dear Reader,

We are in May.

Above the paywall today are pieces of my life, currently, that make me happy.

A list like this helps me enter the newness of a month with the right headspace, and without the undercurrent of lofty demands and the expectations of to-do lists/monthly projections.

Below the paywall today you’ll find recipe book recs (+ one to enjoy with a tiny sous chef by your side), 1978 film nostalgia, Jude Law fangirling, and Claire Keegan connecting her characters to reluctant wedding speech guests.

My Happy List

The above image was a quick list drizzled onto the page in the rush of morning.

I’ll elaborate here.

~ Water has been incredibly therapeutic for me in all seasons of life, particularly this one. I don’t think I can forget the gush of otherworldliness and cleansing propelled by the hospital showerhead, the only thing that brought me comfort in the throes of labor & delivery. Nor do I take for granted its sweet embrace in the form of tender droplet kisses on my cheek on May afternoons in New York.

~ That feeling of being beat down but also having conquered the dreaded goliath that is the gym? Yeah, that’s a good feeling.

~ Nourishing meals are in transition from warm and cozy to refreshing and light, in line with nature’s folding and unfolding of seasons.

~ Disconnected from the world where it doesn’t count, and connected to it where it counts. In the mind and in the heart.

~ A good book, a good film, a good show. No explanation needed.

~ I’m a believer in heartwarming gestures, random voice notes to friends, texts that make people feel seen and loved.

~ Associating the love in one’s home with the senses is a worthwhile endeavor. My connection of love with home baked goodies is a practice I want to prioritize in the kitchen. I’ve been aiming to make weekly baked treats, and my love (unfortunately, probably my waistline, too) is bursting at the seams.

~ Fresh air is intoxicating, and adds lightness to one’s gait and being.

~ I am a huge proponent of candles, in the form of tea light, in the bathroom, before calling it a night.

~ Commanding Alexa to resume my Audible reads as I do errands around the house feels like my one and only grip on technology.

~ To be strong in one’s resolve, and tender in one’s approach; a guiding light to aim toward.

~ I’m all about hugs and cuddles.

And here is a dispatch of 7 thin[g/k]s I bookmarked and explored this week as we entered a new month: