I used to cringe at putting creams on my face — I hate the greasy, heavy feel — but a few years ago my dermatologist recommened a Neutrogena moisturizer with SPF that was ligh, odorless, and entirely unobtrusive. I faithfully used it — I applied it every morning — until they stopped manufacturing it, why, oh, why? [shakes fist at the heavens]

So I ordered the next best thing they had. It felt good on my skin, but there was a smell. Was a simple moisturizing sunblock really this hard to make?

I mentioned the problem to my sister-in-law, and she recommended I check out CeraVe products, which I did immediately.

The CeraVe cream’s “wet” feel lingers a little longer than I like (though to be fair, this might be more the fault of high-summer and less the fault of the cream) and the SPF isn’t as high, but there is zero odor and my skin hasn’t reacted to it at all.

I’ll take it.

***

I love getting an inside look at skilled people thinking through their craft, so when the algorithm gods fed me this video of Jacob Collier improving the National Symphony Orchestra, I watched it straight through to the end — and then showed it to the rest of the family that evening. 

***

My older daughter raved about Cramped, a podcast about one woman’s instense period pain and her quest for answers. I’m almost done with the whole season and I concur. This is a must-listen, especially for the following people:

If you have bad period pain, listen.
If you have never had bad period pain (like me), you definitely need to listen.
And if you are male, then you absolutely must listen.

The more people that understand the depth and breadth of the problem, the better off we’ll be.

***

I always keep a stash of blank cards on hand for thank-you notes and such, but I recently received this one and — WOW. So cherry-cheery and bright! It’s way prettier than my regular cards.

If you’re looking for blank cards to have on hand for snail-mail surprise treats, then check out these beauties. (I’m particularly in love with the cake one.)

***

MY MAMA STARTED A BLOG. The woman’s a hoot. Have at it!

***

I got a new cheese slicer because…

1) I figured that I, if anyone, ought to be well versed in all the ways a person might choose to slice cheese
2) I kept seeing people using it on social media and it looked cool
3) it made slices that looked different from any other type
4) the tool was basic and classy

The slicer cuts cheese into thin, wide shavings which just so happen to be the perfect amount of cheese to go on a cracker or flurry over a salad.

Turns out, the way something is cut really does matter. 

***

My mom told me I needed to watch The Dropout.

My husband lasted a full five minutes into episode one and then was like, What is it with you and these documentaries about people who take advantage of other people? (For the record, he also refused to watch Inventing Anna and Apple Cider Vinegar, both of which I highly recommend.) 

It took me a couple episodes to get into the show but then I switched into full-on binge mode. In regards to my husband’s questions: I love the psychological element of watching ordinary people become people who do bad things — because we all have that in us — as well as all the drama and suspense involved in outing them. 

***

This same time, years previous: seven fun things, family road trip: coastal Maine, burnt cheesecake, teen club takes Puerto Rico, the quotidian (6.26.17), the quotidian (6.27.16), better iced coffee, on slaying boredom, dark chocolate zucchini cake.

Quotidian: daily, usual or customary;
everyday; ordinary; commonplace

Whey lemonade.

Breakfast: cottage cheese, muffalata, sunflower seeds, black pepper.

Gado gado goodo.

Chocolate peanut butter.

For Father’s Day: strawberry lemonade.

Anticipation.

Tanked: seltzer with watermelon juice and lemon, yogurt lassi, iced coffee.

Drying rack, racking ready.

Toasty, gooey, yummy.

My new favorite place to eat out.

A girl and her dog, a dog and her balloon.

Lost soles: the congregation at my feet.

When tall, one may use door tops upon which to lean.

Friends and rainbows.

This same time, years previous: world’s best ugly bran muffins, chocolate cherry sourdough bread, the middle years, family road trip: New Hampshire, nova scotia oatcakes, one morning, buttermilk brownies, Korean beef, the quotidian (6.22.15), in recovery, weigh in, please.

It’s been a little quiet here on the blog — maybe you noticed? 

I’m still here, entirely alive. It’s just — well, remember that course I mentioned back when the world was a solid piece of ice? I’m now four months into the six-month program and working ’round the clock. 

Actually, that’s a lie. I’ve been making myself keep work hours. Or trying to, anyway. Weekdays, my goal is to get 3-4 hours of work done in the morning (video editing/filming/zoom calls at home) and then the same amount in afternoon (email/script writing), often at a coffee shop in town.

To crystalize the division between work and non-work, at the end of the day I shut everything down — work account, video editing software, Discord chat — and then I yell to no one in particular, SYSTEMS SHUTTING DOWN, a la Cal Newport.

Weekends are still a little iffy. Sometimes I succumb to partial work days — video editing is tedious and the more I can spread it out, the more productive I am — but I’m getting better at sticking to my guns. I know I need the break, even though I kinda freak out at the end of the week because what am I going to do for two whole days without my work?

Why write a blog post, m’dear. That’s what!

Actually, my weekends are mostly for getting done all the things I don’t do during the week — i.e. cooking and playing and chillin’ on the porch. Anything other than thumbnails, market research, and tracking software.

Take today, for example. Here’s what I’ve done thus far. (As I type, it’s 3:14 p.m. on Saturday.)

I woke up before 6 to go on my first-ever trail run with my daughter-in-law. I had no idea what to expect, but it was pretty darn fun: a new setting, focused running (i.e. trying not to fall), dense green, quiet, darkly wooded, and it used a totally different set of muscles. I feel the run in my legs now, but it’s a good feeling. 

I was planning to make a Gruyere today, but on our drive home from the trail run, my husband called to say that the calves got out during the night. So, no fresh milk which meant I wouldn’t have enough to make a big wheel.

So I switched to Plan B: process as much of the week’s stockpiled milk as possible so I don’t have to do it next week (when I will be making that Gruyere). Specifically, this meant: 3+ gallons of yogurt, a double batch of ice cream base (hot weather is coming!), pasteurizing cream for the week’s coffees, skimming the rest of the milks. (The skimmed milk, I clabbered for the pigs. The cream, I stuffed in the freezer for a future butter experiment.) 

I made 3-ingredient pancakes for breakfast — cottage cheese, rolled oats, eggs (and salt). I thought they might be a bust, but they were actually pretty yummy: dense without being gummy and with a lovely nuttiness. My husband said they weren’t amazing but he wasn’t offended by them either. Translation: they’re better than oatmeal and not as good as ordinary pancakes.

Friends are coming for supper tonight, so I thawed some steaks, baked two chocolate loaf cakes with peanut butter cup-lined bottoms, and I made a rockin’ Moroccan carrot salad and another batch of onion relish. I washed a bunch of dishes, made multiple trips out to the cheese cave to monitor my husband’s progress — newsflash: THE CAVE HAS RUNNING WATER — and then I fizzled out. 

I still need to make a potato salad and chop up a watermelon for next week, and I want to make a menu for the week and then knock out a few more staples — but I can do that tomorrow. No need to tucker myself out entirely. 

(There is still a chance I’ll get a little wild and make some corn tortillas to go with tonight’s supper. I made corn tortillas last week and the leftovers, reheated, were wonderful with onion relish, scrambled eggs, and wedges of fresh ricotta salata, mmm.) 

Now it’s time to gather my nerve and go wash down the porch furniture and scrub the kitchen stove. Company will be here soon!

This same time, years previous: lassi, pepper jack cheese, the coronavirus diaries: week 66, barbecue sauce, up, up, up to Utuado, taking flight, reverberations, a photo book, spinach dip.