Sunday Sundae #1
Sunday Sundae #1
A chilly past, book jumping, beach nights, and new cameras
Why Sunday Sundae?
Ice cream has always been one of my absolute favorite treats. When Drew and I first moved in together in 2021, it was the middle of a hot summer in York, Pennsylvania, and we were in a three story house with two a/c window units that were barely hanging on. The afternoons were warm and sticky, but we were lucky to have a second story porch to sit out on in the evenings. Drew and I always joke that we’ve led parallel lives, and we both happened to work at Dairy Queen and consider ourselves expert sundae makers. We’re both competitive, too. One weekend, we loaded up on our favorite vegan toppings, cones, and flavors, and Sunday Sundae began. We put our best sundaes forward on a sweltering Sunday in August of 2021 and continued the tradition even into the fall and winter.
Sunday Sundae is my bi-monthly Sunday treat to you, where I’ll share what I’m reading, teaching/learning, wearing, watching - and what’s bringing me joy. Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here!
Reading:
I’m going to be honest, I’m a book jumper. I prefer to read books straight through, but it just doesn’t always happen. My brain is easily distracted by new books, and sometimes it depends on my mood. I’m currently in a book jumping phase, but one of my summer fun goals is to get through a few of the books I’m in the middle of.
These are the three currently in rotation:
The Artist’s Way is not a traditional novel, but more of a book you go back to regularly for prompts and exercises. Sometimes the language in the book doesn’t resonate with me, but the overall message and the exercises are awesome, and I need them in my life. When I stick with the Artist’s Way consistently, I see good things.
The Myth of Making It - I follow Samhita on Instagram and preordered this one when she announced it because it sounded really good. I rarely preorder books, because I already have so many still to read! I’m liking it so far, but I’m only two and a half chapters in.
Light in Gaza is a beautiful collection of writing and poetry from Palestinian artists who imagine Gaza’s future beyond occupation and Apartheid and share their history and experiences with us. This book was written prior to the genocide that began after October 7.
Watching:
Perfect Match (LOL! Netflix) - When I need a brain break or something to watch while crafting, reality dating shows are a favorite.
Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors (Netflix) - I wish this had been out a year sooner!! I just learned/taught about China for the first time this past school year. Drew was excited to watch this doc too, and he was kind and patient when I paused it before it could even begin to tell him basically everything I knew about the Qin Dynasty and Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor and the person who ordered the construction of the warriors and the massive grave complex. It’s really fascinating. Highly recommend!
What brought me joy this week:
Catching up and interviewing my old friend, Bird Sellergren for Fridays with Friends, which I talked about in my last newsletter.
My handstand practice is going strong! I’ve been at them for six or seven years daily, but I am finally finding longer balances.
Planning our engagement photos which are less than a week away! We waited almost a year to get them done because life threw a lot at both of us this year, but it feels like this timing was right, and I’m nervous but mostly excited for the photos!
I bought a half frame camera! Although I have several film cameras, I’ve always wanted to try one of these. I took myself on an artist date Friday, a walk around the neighborhood to shoot breeze block for a photo series.
Two beach evenings in a row with Drew this week. We went Thursday for summer solstice, and Friday for a swim and to watch the full moon rise. We got a beautiful sunset, too. The beach never fails to bring me joy, peace, and comfort in all her wild, beautiful glory.
I hope your week was sprinkled with joyful moments, and I hope in the week to come you are able to find moments of peace, clarity, connection, and community.
Thank you for being here,
Dana