Have a Chill Weekend.

Yeah, I wish …. suffering will end when they go to college. There always seems to be one person at home. We take advantage of the rare occasion when they are both out of the house.

Thank you so much, Elena! It’s pretty much the same with my 3-year-old.

And teachers struggling through it, too! Ugh.

Yes, as a teacher, how I wish there were still mask mandates. Such a small thing we can do to slow viral transmission. I have had to be away from work for over a week because I am so sick with covid (I was scheduled to get my vaccine 2 days after my Covid symptoms began. Also, students are away. If leaders really want kids at school and learning, they need to have mandates that slow the spread. :( Sooo many sick teachers and sick students and it is only November! And no one is wearing masks.

Ugh same story in this household in NY. Mother of a 3 and 2 year old and a 5th grade teacher. Both kids came down with the flu and I think I have a touch of it. I’ve spent the past month running back and forth between the doctor and the pharmacy. My pediatrician prescribed Tamiflu for my 2 year and literally the only pharmacy in Queens that had it was a 30 minute drive from where we live, meanwhile we have 2 Walgreens within a 5 minute walking distance from us. My son also just started 3K this year and so far he’s had bronchitis, a respiratory virus and now the flu. I had 12 students absent today in my class. I’m tired.

Lol I feel like we have been sick for a month with like 3 different things… Between my 2 y.o. in daycare and a 5 month old baby and a school aged niece that I see very frequently, just yeah, wow, it’s one thing after another. I think I’ve just accepted that it’s my new normal and it’ll be a very pleasant surprise one day when I’m not congested!

Oh, I just learned there’s a newsletter from your comment (and subscribed)! Thanks!

I’m what there is an newsletter? And it’s different than the site? How did I not know this??

Same!! Had absolutely no idea there was a newsletter! Thanks & have just signed up!! ♥️♥️

Hi Anne, I love nature too! How are these worse than any other lamp? Personally, I love the effect of a candle but parrafin is an absolute disaster fir my lungs as well as my husband’s; they pollute the air terribly. And as much as I love beeswax, it us significantly more expensive. I also love the idea of a candlelight effect that is both child-proof and pet-proof. I am an absolute wreck about catastrophic climate change and work so hard to modify my personal acts to put the earth first in so many ways. But let’s not lose sight of the forest for the trees: our choice of candle means absolutely nothing in the face of corporate and governmental malfeasance.

Ugh, so many typos. I have a hard time editing my comment on my phone so please disregard all those typos! 😖

Can you tell us a bit more how they are “so bad for the environment?” Parrafin, soy and palm wax are also terrible for the environment and create off-gassing, so unless the only candles you use are beeswax, the pillar candles are probably about even in terms of environmental impact.

You know, I used to prefer real candles, but after having been through a fire, I now have some battery ones. Yes, they’re not a perfect choice for the environment, but they have made the very long winters here so much better. I work hard to make as many good environmental choices as I can, but I’m not perfect. Anyhow, I use the used batteries from my smoke detectors to run the candles since you are supposed to change your smoke detector batteries every six months. I specifically got ones that take AA so they could be reused elsewhere after their turn in the detectors.)

Hi Kat, those candles are bad for the environment because they are battery operated. Yes, you are right bee wax candles are the best choice. When I use candles, I use those.. But most of the time I use a pink rice paper lamp (works with electricity) when I’m in the mood for warm, cosy light.

Hi Jenny, I’m sorry to hear, you have been through a fire. I understand that you now want to use those candles. Your comment shows that you care a lot about the environment, which is great. I also love, that you’ve written: I work hard to make as many good environmental choices as possible.- I think that is what it’s all about! You are doing a great job 💪 I’m glad you commented and gave the tip to use the batteries from the smoke detector.

Hi Julie, those candles are more worse for the environment than other lamps, because they are battery operated. I just wanted to make aware of that. But I understand if you want to use them. I’m not perfect either. Your comment shows that you care a lot about the environment. I love that you’ve written: ….and work so hard to modify my personal acts to put the earth first in so many ways. – You are doing a great job! 💪 I think that’s what it is is all about. With the choices we make, we have a lot more impact than we often think. More and more people are making better choices for the environment where they are able to, and that makes me hopeful. (PS: sorry for any mistakes I have made, English is not my mother tongue)

My husband and I discuss all the time how we want to be cool like the parents in Easy A! Stanley Tucci, in both that movie and Julie and Julia… ugh be still my heart. It beats for the kind, securely attached feminist men bah boom bah boom. (Thankfully I married one)

I’ll just leave this gift here for you: https://the-toast.net/2015/02/09/stanley-tucci-boyfriend/ :)

In those henley shirts? Swoon. He is so so hot in that movie.

YES!!!

Oh Jean, that sounds just warm and wonderful! I hope it’s a great respite for you!

Sounds like the best medicine, feel better soon.

Pneumonia (and pneumonia hospitalization) survivor here – take care, Annie.

This is me.

Your Honor, may I present exhibit A ;)

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/22/realestate/moving-from-california-to-texas.html

I’m all the way over in the US but I hear you and am right there with you Elinor. The area where I grew up is also now a trendy second home location, to the point that it’s become prohibitively expensive to come home. I feel you and send you hugs :)

It’s gross. There’s a tweet somewhere about how we would condemn a monkey who hoards bananas while the rest of the group starves that I think about more and more. To be secure is a privilege in itself and resource hoarding is more and more on my radar. I would never, ever approach a buffet and take more than my share so why would I collect houses and leave them empty for most of the year? I think we are all going to have to have hard conversations about these things and make our own choices but I am sad about it too. I also think that holiday homes should be taxed through the wazoo. As should anyone with resources above personal security level, and while I’m beating my little socialist drum I also believe in a UBI, we’re all human and we should have equal birthright to the basic resources on this planet.

Elinor, I feel this so strongly. I grew up in a small beach town in Massachusetts and we were priced out of our house and town. It’s almost unaffordable to even visit and it breaks my heart on a regular basis. Sending you love.

I feel that, too, Elinor. I recently moved to Scotland after 5 years in Carmarthen. Pembs is so utterly gorgeous & it is so infuriating that locals (including “transplants” who now call west wales home) are being priced out.

thank you!!! <3

If I were a television writer, you and your husband and these cocktails and suitcase would definitely linger in my mind. These are great scenes!