We’re looking forward to Sunday brunch with our friends Anne and Tim, who’ve been traveling for months. I’ll be traveling in my imagination as I listen to their stories.
Have a wonderful weekend.
A project can fill every bit of space in a vacuum and when the project is finished, there might be a gaping crevasse just in front of you. Having spent a lot of time practicing for and fearing a public reading at my mother-in-law’s funeral, I was looking forward to the day after the funeral. I wasn’t alone. Tom spent days — make that weeks — writing his mother’s eulogy, then practicing the reading of it, and losing sleep over the reading of it. He too was looking forward to the Sunday after the funeral, when the reading would be done. His niece Cory probably had a similar experience, as she also recited a poem that day. We made it through our public speaking roles and we did a fine job. Relief followed.
And, as predicted, a gaping crevasse followed on Sunday. How was I going to fill all of the time that I’d spent preparing and worrying? In spite of a full work week ahead of me, I had a feeling of great nothingness, without a clear path forward. I felt conflicted — should I worry about the emptiness or celebrate it?
The feeling would pass. Time quickly filled with small tasks and mundane concerns. Some time was taken up in the telling of the experience — to you in this post.
I’ve filled part of the void by selecting the following items to share with you this weekend.
- Sharing an Airbnb With My Parents for Seven Weeks — This is a lovely story about family. (The New York Times)
- The trick to sticking to a project every day—for years — If you’re looking for inspiration to get started on a personal project you’ve been “hoarding” for years, give this a read. (Quartz)
- A London Flat Packed with Clever Small Space Ideas — The sliding bookshelves are genius! (House & Gardens)
- Panettone French Toast — This French toast looks delicious and seems perfect for a lazy weekend breakfast. (David Lebovitz)
- Apple Bread with Rum Soaked Cranberries — Another breakfast option is a slice of this delicious bread. (Sea Salt and Sailor Stripes)
- Goodness: This pay phone is free, but you can’t make a call. It only plays birdsongs. — What a wonderful experience for the town residents. I would love to visit it! (The Washington Post)
About the photo: Red paper bats from Happy Good-Luck Bats by Michael G. LaFosse in a bat exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA.