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my first Wyldewood Show in April |
The pace of life since Christmas (last fall, actually) just bowled me over and I've been barely keeping up with reading, writing, and other cultural pursuits -- let alone have time to blog about them. We've made some difficult decisions about our schedule in order to give me back some windows of time to write, blog, read, cook, clean, exercise and the rest of those glorious mundane things. I'd say the "last straw" on our current lifestyle happened when Brian gave me a stomach bug for my birthday. I spent much of my sick in bed time figuring out where he and I could drive that would still feel like we'd gone somewhere beautiful (no offense, Texas!). We ended up in a charming airbnb about an hour north of Santa Fe and spent a lot of time talking about our lives -- what's working, what's not. More to come on that soon. For now, here's a few notes about what I've seen, heard, tasted and enjoyed the past couple of months!
what I’m watching
We've made it Season 6 of the Waltons. Just can't stop watching. We've made it through some of the episodes I remember viscerally from my childhood -- the house fire where Elizabeth drops her cloth doll, Grandpa's heart attack, Curt and Mary Ellen's wedding. I haven't been disappointed yet. I have a feeling I'll be writing a whole post about it sometime soon. We also watched the new season of Foyle's War and Broadchurch. I didn't like either of them as much as their predecessor, but British drama all the same!
In February we caught up on a few of the 2014 films we'd missed at the theatre: The Overnighters, God's Pocket, Into the Storm and Calvary. We didn't go to the theatre during Lent so haven't seen many new films yet this year. Earlier in April when Natalie and I had an evening to ourselves we went to Cinderella. Just sweet and quite lovely. By far my favorite part were the costumes. Cinderella's wedding dress (spoiler alert: she marries Prince Charming) was absolutely stunning.
what I’m reading
what I’m reading
This year, I'm using a fun challenge checklist with a Facebook group of friends (and sisters!). You can find the checklist here: Take Our Ultimate Reading Challenge If you'd like to join our Reading Challenge 2015 group on Facebook, let me know and I'll send you an invite!
I listed this months reads in a post: 5 favorite reads from February - April [from the book pile, 2015]
May's hope-to-read list: Finding Livelihood: A Progress of Work and Leisure, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, Joan Didion's A Book of Common Prayer, The Exact Place: A Memoir, and Books That Cook: The Making of a Literary Meal.
in my ears
Audio streaming anything makes the daily mundane of my life better: albums, playlists, podcasts, sermons, live concerts, your kids saying cute stuff on Facebook. On rare occasions (rarer than I'd like) the sound comes alive in a concert or house show or public reading. Here's some of what I heard and enjoyed in the past few months.
- My Spotify playlist for the weeks of Eastertide: Resurrection
- Audio book from the library (on our New Mexico road trip): Cronkite, by Douglas Brinkley and narrated by George Guidall). We loved this!
- Psalms, Sandra McCracken
- Carrie & Lowell, Sufjan Stevens
- Podcasts: Snap Judgment & Radiolab (this episode is particularly amazing)
home and garden
The Art of Simple Food: One thing (of many) I re-learned during Lent is my almost-infantile reaction to self denial. I gave up certain food, beverages and activities and before long took most of them back up again. By Easter my body was convinced of its mortality. I guess that's point of Lent, but didn't feel very holy. In the brightness I begin again. And I start with Alice Waters.
Simple Easter Place Settings. This simple little post I'd pinned inspired my quick place settings for Easter Sunday dinner.
around Austin
Black Star Co-Op (off North Lamar near Crestview Station) It kind of started out as an accident, but then became one of the highlights of our small group this year. When we couldn't meet at our house, for some reason, we'd head over to the Black Star Co-Op and spend hours eating, drinking and swapping stories. It's the world's first cooperatively-owned and worker self-managed brewpub. They are owned by a community of more than 3,000 individuals and organizations, and they're democratically managed. Plus, their home brewed beer is good!
Cenote. (East Austin, Cesar Chavez) There's a whole bunch of reasons to be excited that Christ Church has purchased a property in downtown Austin, but near the top of the list is the proximity to this delicious and groovy "patio cafe". The Cobb Salad is my new fave; Brian votes for the Brussels Sprouts plate.
Wyldewood Shows. (Southwest Austin, off Brodie Lane) Sometime during our first year here, a couple different people (wish I could remember who!) recommended this laid-back live music venue. The trick -- they all warned -- was to get on the mailing list and get a reservation before a show sold out. Well, it took me almost 4 years, but I finally did it. And that's even after I couldn't get on the email list because it was too full. The FB page did the trick, though, and I was able to snag 2 RSVP's for the Will Kimbrough show in April. As it turned out, it was the 100th show in the hospitable backyard of the well-named Murphys (husband's name? Andrew!). My friend Katie and I enjoyed an evening in the green backyward, listening to live music while the sun set and the kids (other people's kids!) ran through the yard chasing fireflies. Completely heavenly. Going to try another show this year, but already missed out on 1 that sold out in 2 hours! (by the way, it's a suggested donation of $10 per guest, with all money going to the artist)
best online discoveries
Giants & Pilgrims. Every once in awhile I discover a new blog that delights me completely. This is true of Giants & Pilgrims, aka Tim and Betony Coons in Greeley, CO. Their love for curating beauty in the everyday gifts of art, family and seasons make me feel like we're blog twins separated at birth. Except they can actually write music and paint pictures, and I can only appreciate people who do such things. I've been listening to Tim's music on repeat (which you'll have noticed if you've been following my Resurrection playlist), sharing their Abacus project with any of my friends planning to homeschool their littles and downloading the monthly orginal art wallpaper for my desktop and iphone. Check 'em out for yourself! (and, thanks to Shannon Newby for the recommendation. Spot on, friend!)
Wiki-Art. Maybe all of you already know about this online encyclopedia of art, ala Wikipedia? There's over 100,000 of public domain, historically important artwork. This has become my new go-to source for my daybook posts. I've lost myself so many times just enjoying image after image of beautiful work.
Revised Common Lectionary: a service of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. The Vanderbilt Divinity Library has created a beautiful, easy to use resource linking the Lectionary, art, prayer and suggested hymns for each week of the liturgical year. In addition, all three years of the RCL are available for pdf download to use in a variety of worship contexts. Thorough, quality, beautiful work.
Fly Lady. 9It's a little known truth that I do clean my house. I try to keep it on the downlow in case my kids and husband think I can do it on my own. I find all my little secret, housecleaning tasks at this old faithful site. I don't do the whole system, although throughout the years when things have gone to heck and I need a place to start I've been known to go back to the beginning with the Fly Lady's Control Journal downloads. Otherwise I try to do a little 15 minute mission every day or so. It always feels good -- when the rest of my life might be going bust, to enjoy a shiny sink, say, or cobweb-free bedroom ceiling fan. It's the little things, friends.
On the blog
Lent daybook series. Look, Read, Pray, Listen and Do for the 40 days of prayer.
Retreive Lament: 7 mourning stories during Holy Week. Each year during Holy Week I ask friends to share a mourning story from their own life as a way to help us see Crhsti in the midst of suffering. Each story reflects on one phrase of Jesus' dying words and gives me a real-time glimpse into the suffering of Christ.
Easter daybook, 2015. Look, Read, Pray, Listen, Do for the 7 weeks of Alleluia!
Practice Resurrection: your photo stories for 2015. One of my favorite blog series ever. Simple, beautiful, joyous mini-stories of the ways you practice life every day. Thank you, friends!
Lent daybook series. Look, Read, Pray, Listen and Do for the 40 days of prayer.
Retreive Lament: 7 mourning stories during Holy Week. Each year during Holy Week I ask friends to share a mourning story from their own life as a way to help us see Crhsti in the midst of suffering. Each story reflects on one phrase of Jesus' dying words and gives me a real-time glimpse into the suffering of Christ.
Easter daybook, 2015. Look, Read, Pray, Listen, Do for the 7 weeks of Alleluia!
Practice Resurrection: your photo stories for 2015. One of my favorite blog series ever. Simple, beautiful, joyous mini-stories of the ways you practice life every day. Thank you, friends!
Easter daybook, 2015. Look, Read, Pray, Listen, Do for the 7 weeks of Alleluia!
Practice Resurrection: your photo stories for 2015. One of my favorite blog series ever. Simple, beautiful, joyous mini-stories of the ways you practice life every day. Thank you, friends!
What were you into in February, March or April?
Linking up with Leigh Kramer to share what I’ve been into lately.
