Isolation is not a friend to most. Even the most pure of introverts will whither without actual connection/interaction with others. This week cloaked me in isolation. Much like the image above, yet tragically minus the mountains, this was my life. Bleak, blustery and utterly alone. And cold. The husband was traveling, my car is still out of commission and the snow/cold temps settled in around me. It was bleak, but honestly these very things are exactly how I think of January all year, so it also felt like a descent fit. (minus the car situation, but let’s be honest- aside from a possible jaunt to Target, I wasn’t going anywhere. It’s JANUARY and this PNW girl is not a fan of Michigan Januarys…)
I wrote. I read. I organized. I deep cleaned, and I did laundry. I began every day the same, with hot coffee and thick smoothies. I listened to music I love, the sort that fills my heart with joy, but more on some of that later… I did not have the television on much, but when I did it was only really to watch a series I loved 20 years ago. I played with the dogs, I grew frustrated with the dogs. Here we are, on Friday morning, and the dogs and I needed a nice break from one another. (Additionally, I survived the Michigan meteor, which is pretty great too.)
This week’s favorite things are of the more simple nature, which is pretty ok, don’t you think?
- Chw and I LOVE Saoirse Ronan quite a lot, and are proud to say we DO know how to pronounce her name! (In fact, shout out to Amazon, because Alexa also knows how to pronounce her name!) She seems like such a good sport about no one really saying her name correctly, which is pretty sweet. During awards shows this season, the pronunciation of her name has been the thing I was MOST KEEN to pay attention to. (hey, don’t judge, It’s the little things.) At any rate, this video is pretty cute. When you can’t beat em’, join them… (Bonus: I was once a big Glee lover and this is where I was first introduced to Melissa Benoist. Now, Chw watches Supergirl (I don’t) and so I am vicariously following her career a bit. This video is pretty funny (and really, James Corden is kind of the best) and I’m happy to say that I have ALWAYS pronounced her name the french way. I am confused as to why they would do anything but that way! And I had no clue that she does not say it that way.)
- I was up late last Friday night, and the TV was on in the background when this guy came on. Seriously- I DIED. So funny. This is the EXACT act I saw and it was so perfect. Chw and I spent a big chunk of the weekend video stalking him online. Instant big fans!
- I know it’s starting to feel like this week’s post is brought to you by YouTube. I want to be sorry, but I am sort of not. And also- it’s January… Anyway, I realize Christmas is over, but while we were watching videos on Sunday of Treiball* dogs, we stumbled upon this video. I watched it several times, (in a row) and have to say I learned three distinct things about myself: A.) I am entirely too untrusting and skeptical. Had it been me, I would have grown suspicious as soon as I pulled out the items which only apply to a corgi owner. B.) I am apparently a total bowl of unset Jello when it comes to anything involving a dog and a surprise, or trick, or _______, on YouTube. C.) I love Corgis. I knew this, BUT this little puppy with its sweet little legs and that hat… I did not realize, before this, how much I adore them. I am pretty sure I do not have a Corgi because my heart would melt into a tiny puddle every time it ran after a toy. EVERY TIME. (#teamcooper) (also… YOU GUYS! While getting the link for you- this came up. Serious puddle of salty tears here. So happy for the two men in these videos! Also love how happy THEY are about their dogs! That’s it, let’s make the world THIS happy… Puppies for everyone! (well, everyone but my dog Emma, who hates puppies, and my friend Sarah. Everyone else though- PUPPIES!!!) (Maybe this will be Oprah’s first act, as president) (*If you aren’t familiar with Treiball, here you go.)
- Party of Five. Like I mentioned, before the barrage of YouTube links, I have been re-watching a show I loved 20 years ago. As a still-then teenager, and a young wife from a very broken childhood, I really loved this show. I remember identifying with so many aspects of it, and can honestly say it is probably the very first TV show that I really connected and grew emotionally invested in. Now, as a new empty nester, in an entirely different stage of life I am watching it again. I don’t really know why, but I am glad that I am. I am seeing it with new eyes and gaining insight that I am grateful for. (also, THE CLOTHES! The clothes are awesome. Could we not just go back to that, and stay there? And the music…)
- It was with a huge grief filled heart that I learned about the death of Delores O’Riordan. In the way that mentioned Party of Five and the nostalgia of it above, the Cranberries were the first group whose music I really allowed myself to be lost in. I remember the very first time I heard them… I was a passenger on a road trip, weaving throughout an Arizona mountain range. The radio station was coming in and out, (as they did before streaming music and satellite radio) and her voice kept cutting through. I remember feeling like some internal floor that I hadn’t known about, just gave way. Who was this voice? What was this song? (also a dilemma of times past, as now we have apps for that) Eventually, (although for days I scoured every channel, almost around the clock) I learned that the band was The Cranberries and she was Delores O’Riordan. Not much older than me, and with a voice like none other. Over the years, her music (their music, her voice) would walk with me through all of the dark times, and most of the bright ones. Her death did not make this list because I was happy about it. It made the list because she was important, not just to me. Her art was art that made a difference and touched people. Her transparency about her childhood abuse, her struggles with depression and thoughts of suicide reached people. Delores was a gift, and as heartbroken as I am over her passing, I am so unfathomably grateful to have known the small piece of her she shared with the world. I listened to her sing this week, often. With each track I felt filled with even more thankfullness and love. Thank you, Delores…
Rainy Day in May... 