A quick beef and chickpea dinner, two great TV shows to watch right now, and pretty flats in every color

Plus, the pizzazz of a chic silver bag

One Man Band is playing on repeat as I type this to you; it’s after 9pm, and my seven-year-old is restless and overtired yet still very much awake. Somehow, out of the millions of possibilities, this is the song that reliably puts him to sleep when everything else - the books, the second glass of water, the snack, the foot rub - fails. It’s not lost on me that this song, more than any other, has kept us company through countless long nights, a three-man band made up of a country music star, a child, and my middle-aged self. Music is funny like that - it carries us when nothing else does.

I’m truly terrible at meditation - I have a restless mind - but the closest I ever get to a meditative state is when I put a song on repeat, and allow myself to be - I suppose the best word is held - by that song, in that moment, and for a little while, I’m nowhere else.

A. My youngest is in second grade and has a particularly wonderful teacher who, this week, gave these 2026 MoonCards to every student in her class. It was such a thoughtful gesture, and it reminded me to always look for the helpers and, of course, to always aim to be a helper, too.
B. After a long TV slump, High Potential rescued us this week. Highly recommend.
C. A pretty tray that reminds me of my mom.
D. This is an absurd game, but it made me laugh and laugh!

E. A friend texted me a link to these (on sale) flats. There are so many pretty color combinations.
F. I finally snagged these mini Burt’s Bees lip tints, which are only sold around Christmas and Valentine’s Day.
G. I typically carry an oversized tote bag to corral all the things, but sometimes you just want to be unencumbered. I bought this silver bag from Mango Teen, and it’s been a real small joy to dart into the grocery store or post office with just this little silver pizzazz on my arm.
H. On the dinner front, I’m happy to report that this beef and chickpea dish is fast (so fast!), easy, and delicious.

A bouquet I had fun making in a sort of Dutch still life manner. May 2020.

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