An excellent essay on writing habits, Liberty of London sneakers, and a book of poems for summer evenings

Plus, a hilarious card to send anyone bitten by a tick!

Jun 22, 2025

∙ Paid

I’m writing this to you in the early hours of Sunday morning; the house is calm and cool, peaceful - even the dog has retired to his dreams. The week was hectic, both at work and at home, and in the world, which makes me all the more appreciative of these hours when I get to write to you.

I read Erika Veurink’s excellent post, 9 Highly Practical Tips On Writing. I particularly liked this wisdom from a tile Erika saw at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Win as though you were used to it and lose as if you like it—good advice for surfing the ups and downs of life.

A. My favorite way to relax is to browse online auctions. Leland Little has a particularly nice selection this month. I have my eye on these pretty water ewers from A.R. Cole Pottery, made in the 1940s. They’d look stunning full of dahlias, right?

B. I also fell hard for these candlesticks made by Ben Owen III. The color! The shape!

C. Alex and I snuck in a quick bookstore visit the afternoon we packed him up and off to sleepaway camp - even though he’s 16, I still like to pack a few little surprises in his suitcase. At this point, it’s more for me than for him, but I like to think that as he unpacks tonight, he’ll know I’m thinking of him. I bought him a deck of cards and a book on origami. I spotted this wrapping paper and bought it for myself. Blue Skies Gift Wrap

D. I also picked up this collection of poetry - A Nature Poem of Every Summer Evening - which presents a single poem for each day of June, July, and August. I was so charmed by the structure, and in a week where everything felt rushed, incomplete, and tacked on, this book felt like a deep exhale.

E. These Liberty Stan Smiths arrived this week, and I’ve already received a lot of compliments.

F. My friend Stephanie sent me this card when she heard a tick had bitten me, and I laughed out loud when I received it in the mail. What a gift to laugh; what a good friend to send a card for such a shitty thing. ‘The first tick’ card

G. The heatwave is coming; I ordered these to stay cool.

H. The doxy I’m taking to treat the tick bite makes me very, very, very sensitive to the sun - I’ve been slathering myself with this forever fav Elta MD and just reordered - and it’s 20% off right now.

Summer in my childhood in VT. My sister and I are among the shepherd’s crook. Each morning, I share a single image of nature, delivered quietly to your inbox. Think of it as a moment of visual meditation before your day begins. No commentary, no analysis - just space to pause and observe.

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