Before I Forget // June
4 excellent books, the most comfortable shorts (WITH POCKETS!), the best lemonade ever AND some inspiration from Sing 2.
We’re gone skip straight to the links because honestly, there are books to read and walks to take and lemonade to drink all while wearing really comfortable shorts.
Screen free summer is going great so I’m going to wrap this up because one kid is asking to take a bike ride and the other just dropped their drawers to pee in the yard. I’ll let you figure out which one’s which.
Reading
The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You know I loved The Guncle. It’s my favorite book in recent memory and I could not wait to revisit these familiar and beloved characters. I saw a review that said it was good but not necessarily needed which I think is such a ridiculous way to measure the worth of a book. Was it necessary? No. But neither is ice cream, and yet can you imagine a life well lived without it? I don’t want to give anything away, so if you’ve read The Guncle and enjoyed it, read The Guncle Abroad.
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“These are our few live seasons. Let us live them as purely as we can, in the present.” Annie Dillard’s reflections on her year spent living by Tinker Creek are a call to greater attention, snapping us awake to the beauty all around us. It paired so nicely with Crow Talk and The Understory.
Crow Talk by Eileen Gavin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A captivating story that dives deep into the lives of two women as they develop a friendship in the late summer of 1998. Intertwined with beautiful nature writing, I learned so much about crows and other birds, something I wouldn’t have sought out otherwise but found interesting and well done. The first half is slow, and I almost put it down, but right at the halfway mark it took off and was well worth the wait. Highly recommend for the bird lovers in your life.
There’s Always This Year by Hanif Abduraqib ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A unique and spectacular memoir became personal when I learned that Abduraqib lived and went to high school just down the street from my high school. A sharp and deeply moving exploration of basketball and life, this would be a great for summer read for the sports lover in your life.
Eating
I made homemade lemonade for my book club using this hack for macerating lemons with sugar. It was the best lemonade I’ve ever had.
Still loving the Sund-dried Tomato and Pesto Turkey Sandwich for lunch. Hearty without being heavy is the name of the game for summer lunches while trying to keep up with the kids.
Loving
I’ve done it. I have found the perfect shorts. After spending the last seven summers in shorts that were not quite right in one way or another, I have found the perfect shorts for all occasions. First, these high rise running shorts are perfect for trips to the park, bike rides and quick trips to our neighborhood brewery for a coffee or cocktail. The mid rise version is equally great. I have them in black and white and am trying so hard to resist buying the new Poppy hue (my fav shade of red!). Next up, these are perfect for a leisurely walk around the neighborhood and reading on the porch swing. They drape so nicely and are unbelievably soft. Think sweatpants but elevated. Last but not least, the Madewell Curvy Perfect Denim Shorts are truly perfect. I handed the very kind sales associate the tag and wore mine out of the store.
No one needs me to point out that our bodies are constantly changing. WE KNOW. But I think the thing that we maybe do need reminded of (at least I do) is that you deserve to wear clothes that fit the body you have now, not the body you had two summers ago or the body you might hope to have at the end of the summer. You deserve waistbands that don’t make you angry in a style and color that brings you joy.
Contemplating
"Anyone who dares set out to follow their dreams is bound to face a lot worse than a dip in the canal." - Nana Noodleman, Sing 2
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"Never mind what this person you don't even know said. Do YOU think you're good enough?" Wow I need to watch more kids' movies for these nuggets of wisdom! ;-)
And okay, those denim shorts are ADORABLE but do they come in an un-frayed variety? I feel like frayed jeans always end up super wonky after I've washed them a few times. (Possibly because I pull at the strings and snip them anytime they get long enough to trick me into thinking a bug just crawled on my inner thigh...)
Ooh love all the shorts recs!!