A great notepad, a Japanese room spray, and a fancy geranium from 1870
Plus, a laugh-out loud mystery series set in England
Ahhhh, the heat has broken here, and I hope it has wherever you are, too. I wrote most of this newsletter while sitting outside this evening on a bench, watching Tim water the garden, and we intermittently talked about whatever was on our minds. I said to him, “This is the good stuff, you know.” And it was. The tomatoes are growing, the kale is high, the dill is about to bolt but is still great in our salads, and the sugar snaps are in.
A boss of mine used to say that summer was over by the 4th of July - in my 20s I thought he was bat-shit crazy but now in my 40s, I understand a little more what he meant; the summer goes so fast. Tonight, I let myself soak in the summer-ness of summer.
A. I’ve always been charmed by the history of lover’s eyes jewelry. This one on Etsy caught my eye.
B. A pal sent me one of these jotter notepads from Bari Zaki a few years back - the paper has been in production since 1584 (!!) and is a delight to write lists on.
C. The same friend sent me the link to this tiny neon watercolor palette - pretty and right up my alley!
D. I bought these geraniums a few months back, and they are a true small joy every time I go in and out of my front steps. Tonight, researching them, I found out they are an heirloom geranium first cultivated in 1870! Gah!
E. I’ve been living in this fabulous dress from Banana Republic Factory - I’m usually a large, but took a medium in this.
F. I bought these clear aquariums two summers ago to tag along in the trunk of my car for all the ponds, lakes, and occasional trips to the ocean. A hit with littles and bigs alike.
G. I gave this Japanese room spray to Tim on Father’s Day - it’s called "Leaves That Are Green" and is quite complex and bright but never overwhelming, which is my main complaint with most scents.
H. I’d fallen into another reading slump - but these cozy mysteries set in a retirement community in England have been very soothing, not to mention laugh-out-loud funny and inspiring (age is truly just a number!). The Man Who Died Twice & The Thursday Murder Club
I read this poem earlier in the week - my version of a just-trust-me:
If you enjoyed this newsletter, consider clicking the ❤️ button — it really does help other like-minded readers discover my writing (oh, algorithms!).
I include a few bonus finds here each week for paid subscribers as a small token of appreciation for making this newsletter possible.
These pool escape ramps have been remarkably and surprisingly effective at saving wildlife (frogs & mice mostly) that fall into the pool.
Ben has outgrown these wooden blocks, yet these blocks still lurk at the bottom of my ‘saved for later’ items - maybe they are really for me?
This San Marzano side table made me laugh!
I recently bought two sets of these containers in an attempt to corral the various smoothie ingredients that were living on the counter in an endless clutter of various-sized bags that wouldn’t properly zip shut (looking at you, chia seeds): a simple fix, but an absolute joy to have a place for everything.
I was fascinated by the history of the eye pin. I always thought those pins were grotesque but now that I know the history, I want one or at least I treasure the idea. The Japanese room spray
is intriguing. Thank you for all your insights o. the phone. Your newsletter is a joy to read.
Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson