It’s been a minute. I’m sorry for the radio-silence for most of March. I think I’ve realized that Fridays are actually not the best day to try to sit down and sift through web links each week. With the kids home, it’s difficult to sit at a computer any day of the week, but by Friday we’re all ready to get outside and play! Maybe these should be a Thursday routine, instead…
In any case, let’s do a little catching up! Things feel wildly different today from just a few weeks back when I last checked in: our school board voted (just last night) to send the kids back for a few hours every morning (5 days a week!!) starting April 12. There are only 8 weeks of school left, but I’ll take it! Davis has a lower than 0.5% positivity rate, incredible testing opportunities (Healthy Davis Together even just started testing our wastewater!), a population where 50% of all adults have received at least one vaccination shot, our teachers have all been offered vaccines, but we’re one of the last California districts to move to any in-person instruction. It’s been really draining and disheartening, so this was thrilling.
But in other positive news, our parents have all been vaccinated, as have Aron and I (I have a couple of weeks yet to being fully protected) and we’re starting to visit again. No kid hugs yet, but I can feel it all coming!
And I’ve finally started getting back to some healthy habits. Less toasting, more walking… fueled by audio books and podcasts, for the most part. But, let’s be honest, also the addition of some babysitting hours. With movie theaters closed and home-cooking becoming the norm, Aron and I have started making walks a big part of dates, too. It’s something we used to do all the time in New York and have missed. It feels really good—like a new chapter of the pandemic. I recently went on a solo hike near Lake Berryessa, where the fires had turned everything black and found small grasses and wildflowers taking hold all over—like those little white ones, pictured. I was listening to Katherine May’s Wintering at the time (a book about necessary times of rest and retreat), and the pairing seemed so appropriate.
Aron is on call this weekend, but hopefully no emergencies will come Saturday afternoon when Hudson has his first baseball game. Or on Sunday morning, when we’ll celebrate Easter.
How have you been? How are people feeling about summer travel? Road trips? Flights? Local jaunts? What’s on the horizon? Hope all is well!
Some links of note…
State lawmakers continue to introduce new restrictive voting provisions, and voter suppressive bills have begun to advance and become law—like in Georgia. Here’s a roundup.
Senator Jon Ossoff: companies upset about the law should “stop any financial support to Georgia’s Republican Party.” MLB, at least, is standing up for voters’ rights.
How to Help Combat Anti–Asian American Violence
The 1619 project is coming to Hulu.
Following updates on testimony in the Chauvin trial.
Thank you for that most wonderfully unruly of girl role-models, Beverly Cleary. Rest in peace.
Want to help? You can just do something, if you want to.
Looking forward to watching this: The Year Earth Changed debuts on Apple+ on April 22, aka Earth Day.
I think I know what I’m getting someone for Father’s Day. (Says you can swish it around for about a minute to drop the temperature of your coffee by 130°F)
Speaking of gifts, this would be a great Mother’s Day pick. (As would anything from the Every Mother Counts collaboration.)
The Louvre has put its entire art collection online. Incroyable!
Younger is coming back! Season 7 starts April 15.
Joanna mentioned a new app that reads long-form journalism. I’m excited to check out Audm.
Love these for hot, summer sleep.
Reimagined Oscar art. (Coming up on Sunday, April 25)
I enjoyed the NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast roundup of the nominees. We still have many to watch. Recently we really enjoyed A Promising Young Woman. (The subject matter is so dark, but the story is provocative, sharp, funny, and compelling. I thought it was really unique.)
Ha! Drake on cake.
I’ve been on the hunt for a new chambray shirt—mine is getting thin.
And finally, a favorite Facebook video. It’s worth watching all the way through. This feels very familiar…
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