Thursday Thoughts

Thursday is my day off so it seems like a good day for a blog post. As the new year is underway, I thought I’d share a few of my current favorite things.

London Fog

A friend recently turned me onto a hot tea-based beverage known as a London Fog. She said it was a nice alternative to coffee at Starbucks and still packs a little punch with a nice, warm embrace. This concoction featuring Earl Grey tea, vanilla syrup, a subtle hint of lavender, and some steamed milk promised a bright, citrusy spark of Italian bergamot blends for a frothy reimagination of a classic Earl Grey tea. I tried it a couple of weeks ago and really liked it. Other than it costing $17 (I exaggerate but not by much), it was a lovely experience. I’ve found I can recreate it at home pretty easily and much more economically by brewing one Tazo Earl Grey tea bag, tossing in a tablespoon of sugar and a splash of milk.

Podcasts

I’m late to this game, I realize, but I’ve just discovered two podcasts that I’m really enjoying.

First, Mo Rocca has a new one called Mobituaries. I listened to the one entitled “Sitcom Deaths and Disappearances” with Daddy last Thursday as we were running errands in the rain and it was really good. The theme was about characters on sitcoms that just vanished inexplicably or when actors were replaced mid-run without so much as a mention to the passing of the torch (think Darrin Stephens on Bewitched or Becky Connor on Roseanne). 

The second podcast I’ve taken to enjoying is Melanie Shankle’s The Big Boo Cast. Melanie is an author I’ve developed quite the crush on. She’s written a series of memoirs including The Antelope in the Living Room: The Real Story of Two People Sharing One Life, Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn, Nobody’s Cuter Than You:  A Memoir About the Beauty of Friendship. My favorite of hers so far, though, is Church of the Small Things: The Million Little Pieces That Make Up a Life. Melanie is a girl after my own heart:  she’s Southern, loves Jesus, and is just trying to do life while being a decent friend, wife, mother, and daughter. Check her out. You’ll laugh. You’ll think. A friend described listening to Melanie and her friend who is the co-host of this podcast as akin to eavesdropping on someone having lunch with a friend and it's true. All the juice and none of the guilt. I'll have what she's having.

Absorbine Plus

Because I’m old. A couple of months ago, I hurt my knee. There wasn’t an exciting story or event around it. It just happened. For any youngsters who happen to be reading this (and I define “youngster” as 39 or younger), I must say this again and again with zero sugary coating:  it all falls apart after 40. Everything. Apart. This apparently includes the warranty on your joints. I finally went to ortho and did a brief stint in PT and am happy to say I’m not limping around like a 90-year-old any longer, but occasionally, especially when I’m going to bed, this one knee gets a “twinge.” Not a full blown hurt, but just a little “hey there, I’m here and thought I’d keep you from peacefully drifting off” kind of thing. I can remember my parents always having a then-glass bottle of Absorbine Jr. on hand. Bright green, deliciously smelly, and with a weird little sponge applicator tip, it was simply enchanting. Some things never change. Well, the glass bottle is now a BPA-free plastic bottle but everything else is the same. Anyway, I’ve found a little dab’ll do ya and I can sail away to dreamland smelling to high heavens.

Poshmark

Well, I fought this one for a good while, but I’ve since explored, discovered and become addicted. Poshmark is a shopping app where you can both buy and sell new and used clothing, jewelry, shoes and accessories. I avoided it for the longest as I didn’t need one more temptation to buy such items. But, the first of the year is a great time to clean out that closet and if you need some inspiration, just catch one episode of “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” on Netflix. This little Japanese gal will have you folding and tossing and thanking things and sparking joy all over your house. Basically, you need to keep one pair of pants and two shirts and throw everything else away. Try listing it on Poshmark, though. It’s quick, simple, free and I have to admit, it’s pretty validating and thrilling when you get a notice than something has sold. You set your price, the app sends you a label to print, you pack that sucker up, slap the label on, drop it in the mail and it’s money in the bank.

Trader Joe’s Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream

I discovered this lotion before the holidays and it’s simply amazing. It’s cheap (because it’s at TJ’s), it smells divine, it’s moisturizing while not being greasy and it lasts for quite a while, even through a hand washing or two. The only downside is it comes in a metal tube, which just seems unnecessarily bothersome. You have to take care of it, not toss it willy nilly in your purse, and be diligent when dispensing it and not just squeezing from the middle, but otherwise, it’s a wonderful product.

Tardigrades

Finally, I learned about tardigrades this week and it’s completely changed the way I view the world. Tardigrades are a microscopic organism known colloquially as “water bears” or “moss piglets.” Although smaller than a grain of rice, they resemble bears in their appearance and movement. They reside in moss near water sources such as creeks and rivers and were discovered in the 18th century. How on earth a scientist in the 1700s discovered such a thing is beyond my comprehension. I cannot think of these creatures and not immediately think of the Whos when Horton came to their rescue. A whole city of tardigrades could exist on a single clover!

I hope you’ve have a great week and have exciting plans for this weekend. For those of you here in middle Tennessee, I hope you enjoyed the blizzard that we experienced yesterday for 45 minutes and go ahead and pull out your swim suits as it’s going to be 70 this weekend.

Blessings and fruit tea,

Valerie


Disclaimer:  I've put a whole bunch of links in here to apps and products galore. If I was more applied or enterprising, I'd find out how to make money off of such a thing, but as it turns out, I'm just a helpful person with a servant's heart and I just don't like figuring out how to do new things so enjoy the links and know I'm not getting a fraction of a penny if you should buy something on the other end.