Things I Love Thursday // 3.26.20

• Tiger King (Episode 1) - If you're like me, one of the few who haven't yet burned their way through the entire docuseries "Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness" on Netflix, I encourage you to believe the hype. I'm only one episode in and already I am baffled, disturbed, confused, alarmed, fascinated, and so, so entertained. Also, I'm in love with the idea of Dax Shepard playing Joe Exotic in the biopic. Yes, please.
  
  
  
  
• Virtual Happy Hours - Feeling a little isolated? Have you tried a virtual happy hour or coffee date yet? There are a lot of platforms available and surely you and your friends can find a common one to try together (FaceTime from your iPhone, Google Hangouts, Zoom, Houseparty). While the audio can be a little stilted and it's certainly not as good as in-person --these little "hellos" go a long way toward helping me feel connected to my friends when we can't be together. My book club is going to try to have our monthly meeting next week using Zoom --I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.
  
  

  

  Please enjoy my manicure and quarando.
  I put on my eyebrows and a little mascara --as to avoid scaring my friends.

• The Bookface Hashtag on Instagram - Are you a reader and on Instagram? If so, you will probably love following the hashtag "bookface" (#bookface). When you follow a popular hashtag, your account will not be inundated with every single post that uses said hashtag --but you will get a daily sampling and I've been fairly impressed with some of the creative ways people celebrate books in this way. I hope you are too! Below is a sample. Not sure the woman on the bottom left is doing it right... but cheers to her for playing along!
  
  
  
  
  
• Heather Cox Richardson - According to her Facebook page (which is where I discovered her), Heather Cox Richardson is "a political historian who uses facts and history to make observations about current American politics. [She is] from rural Maine, was educated at Exeter and Harvard, and [is currently] a professor of History at Boston College. [She] writes books about the American past and articles about modern politics." Each night, she writes a summary of the day's events in a concise, straightforward, and highly readable post. If you're not on Facebook and cannot follow her there, you can find her on Twitter. And if you want to be sure to not miss an update, I strongly encourage you subscribe to her website "Letters from an American" where she publishes these brief summaries. If you subscribe, you'll receive one brief email each morning. There are no ads. The summary is the same whether it is posted on Facebook, Twitter, or on her website. The website version is fully cited, in case you're looking to check sources and information. 
  
  
  
  
  
• A Surprise Delivery - Y'all have heard me rave multiple times about my sweet friend Laura of CityStems. Not only is she exceedingly talented, she's also one of the kindest, most generous, and thoughtful peeps around. I love her --even when she isn't dropping my doorstep during a quarantine and leaving a lovely bunch of fresh cut flowers for me to "play" with and try to arrange. I have taken one SkillPop "Flower Arranging" class --so I had an idea of where to begin... Obviously, it's nothing compared to Laura, but it was so fun to create it myself. If you have an opportunity to surprise a friend, neighbor, or family member during these strange times, go for it! We could all use a distraction and some love! (BTW, SkillPop --another of my "loves," continues to offer virtual classes and you can explore them here.)
  
  
  
  
  
• Meal Idea Thread - One of my great friends, Sarah, recently started a little group text with a handful of friends and neighbors who like to cook. While we do get sidetracked (often), it's a simple place where we are sharing pictures and recipes of the meals we are feeding our families during this time of SO MANY MORE meals at home. My family is running out of ideas (as well as ingredients) so this thread has helped generate inspiration. More than that, it's offered laughs and camaraderie, a place to vent (just a little), and verification that indeed, snacks, leftovers, and takeout are most definitely strong offerings at mealtime and also, our kids/teens can and should pitch in --a lot.
  
  

  

  My submission from last night: nothing fancy.
  Burgers, roasted brussels sprouts, homemade potato salad