SHORT AND SWEET #2

The Strawberry Moon (Tonight!!), Donuts, Bird Calls, Harlots, And Old Blue Eyes

Hiya Friends!

I’m keeping it short and sweet this week with a round-up of a few things you might enjoy.

THE STRAWBERRY MOON TONIGHT (JUNE 3)!

Image from CNN.com “The full strawberry moon rises behind the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion near Athens, Greece, in June 2022.”

If you gaze up at the night sky around 11:42pm ET tonight (June 3), you’ll see the Strawberry Moon—the last full moon of Spring—at peak illumination. Don’t be fooled by the name. The moon won’t actually look like a strawberry, sadly. According to Almanac.com, “This ‘Strawberry Moon’ name has been used by Native American Algonquian tribes that live in the northeastern United States as well as the Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples to mark the ripening of “June-bearing” strawberries that are ready to be gathered.” Ultimately, the arrival of the Strawberry Moon signals abundance. This is good news because I LOVE strawberries almost as much as I love donuts! More about donuts later.

EYES GLUED TO:

HARLOTS ON HULU

Some of you may have caught this show when it originally aired from 2017 to 2019, but I just discovered and devoured it. A period drama about rival “bawdy houses” set in the 18th century, Harlots is racy, fun, and oh so suspenseful. The treacherous twists and turns had me shouting things at the TV like, “NO! Don’t drink that!” and “You need to steal that baby!” It also features an A-list cast including, Samantha Morton, Lesley Manville, Jessica Brown-Findlay (Lady Sybil from Downton Abbey), Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy from GOT), Liv Tyler, and so many other talented actors. Please watch so we can discuss powdered wigs and whether we should revive this trend. I feel like I could really rock one.

40 + DOUBLE DUTCH CLUB

I came across a video on Instagram of the 40+ Double Dutch Club and I’m obsessed! This international club—started in Chicago by two friends—brings together women ages 40+ to enjoy games from their childhood like double dutch jump rope, hopscotch, pogo sticks, and hula hoops. I’ve never tried double dutch jump rope because it looks as if it requires super-human hand, eye, and foot coordination, but it is just mesmerizing to watch. Check out the videos on their Instagram feed and marvel at the skill and joy these women possess. It is so incredibly inspiring.

AURAL DELIGHTS:

BIRD IS THE WORD
ICYMI, there was an article in the Washington Post recently about how listening to bird calls improves our mental health. My friend, Martine shared it as well in her fantastique newsletter,

Yogateau: Do Yoga in Paris

. Via the article, I found the most addictive app called Merlin Bird ID, which is basically Shazam for bird calls. It was created by the Cornell University ornithology department and I keep draining the battery on my phone playing with it. When the app is listening and identifying multiple birds, it highlights each call so you can distinguish who is who. See the yellow highlighted bars in the image below. This recording was taken in my backyard and behold the variety!

CUTE STUFF ALERT:

Donut Tea Towel by Girls Can Tell

DONUT TEA TOWEL

Yesterday was officially National Donut Day, but in my world, Donut Day is any day you feel like eating a donut. Years ago, in my corporate job phase, my friend Peggy and I would sit in her office and fantasize about opening our own donut shop called Ring-A-Ding Donuts—an homage to Frank Sinatra. This was in the early aughts, long before all the fancy donut shops started cropping up. We wanted to serve traditional donuts in a cute setting, with swinging music piped through the speakers, and espresso coffee drinks on offer. Alas, like so many of my brilliant ideas, I sat on it, and other people beat me to the deep-fat fryer.

Most of these highfalutin donut shops today churn out varieties that are way too fussy for my tastes with cornflakes on top or rosemary in the dough. NO thanks. I prefer old school donuts, like the ones featured on the very adorable tea towel above designed by the illustrator, Sara Villari for the company Girls Can Tell. How cute is it? I love it so much. If you need a great gift for someone (🙋🏻‍♀️) or an adorable dish towel for yourself, check out the Girls Can Tell website or Sara’s shop, Occasionette. So much cute stuff.

Okay! That’s it for today. I will leave you with this toe-tapping number that you will henceforth associate with my failed donut shop dream. Have a Swingin’ Saturday!

Thanks, as always, for liking, sharing, and commenting on these posts. And if you know anyone who would enjoy my musings, please pass this on. xo ❤️🍩