brooklyn summer gratitude

i am grateful for:

1) the continuing riches of the tapes i found in my mom’s basement. one of me, age 13, talking to the recorder sounding like a cross between spiccoli and the kids from movie “suburbia” (the first one), partially in conversation with a newly discovered booger (there may or may not have been substances involved) and partially reading rolling stone magazine, listening to led zeppelin, watching mtv (“the hooters are sooo bad”) and getting soap in my eyes–i was, apparently, carving figurines in ivory soap. of course. other tapes are awesome mixes (roxanne, roxanne, i wanna be your man!), including the “aerobic mix”–from “wanna be starting something” to “here comes the rain again” to “we got the beat” to “my heart goes bang.” i heart tween me.

2) this huffpo piece on how to talk to little girls. this is something i already do and was glad to see codified: resist the urge to talk to wee gals about their adorable outfits, cute hair, and charming shoes. engage them about books and what they like to do and what they know. this will help them grow in a healthy way that affirms their worth based on their brains and spirit, not their external appearance. if you can even be the one person in their lives who gives them this respite from the pressure of pretty, then do it. amen.

3) cucumbers

4) passion projects!!!

5) saving old sentimental crap by photographing it and then giving or throwing it away. because as awesome as the “aerobic mix” is, my tape recorder that is crusted with leaked old battery acid is not very practical in my life. and those mildewed stuffed animals? also not so useful. but i’m very glad to have snuffie memorialized in photo form.

6) dreaming of the berkshires. excited to smell some serious tree.

7) kissing. with tongue.

8) the barefoot contessa! i watched my first episode and helped make my first feast–it was greek and it was goddessblessed good.

9) lavender oil

10) rody the pony